Chapter 299 Reaching Yelcyne’s Capital City

[…anything?]

'No, was just wondering where you were.'

[I'm in the carriage.

Also, if you are free, can you come to take these three children out of here? Especially Kayla.]

'Sadly, I'm not as I have my hands literally full, dealing with a certain drunk blondie.'

[Oh, tough luck.]

Such was the strange conversation that went on between the high demon and her contractor before the two of them went back to their respective activities.

Luckily, no other attacks happened at night so they were all able to get a good night's sleep, waking up the next morning by 6 am and setting out on the final lap of their journey by 8.

◇ ◇ ◇

After a few more hours of walking and the 2000+ civilians of the small town finally arrived at the gates of Yelcyne's County's capital city, with the rest of the County's knights and the Count himself waiting for them at the city gates.

"Well, this marks the end of our journey together, huh?"

Evan remarked as he watched the people settle down in front of the city gates, with the knights and other city officials beginning their own part of the work in admitting the people into the city.

"Indeed, it does."

The knight vice-captain who stood beside Evan replied to his words, while his eyes darted around as he studied the appearances of the civilians in front of him.

"Let's go say hello to the Count."

Evan patted his back as he spoke, before jumping into the air and creating a barrier-like plate of compressed aura to serve as a foothold to stand in the air. He then repeated the same set of actions, creating multiple footholds which he used to move over the thousands of people and over to the city gates up ahead.

Naturally, his actions garnered the attention of all those who were below, with the civilians who saw or knew of Evan's efforts to protect them screaming out words of gratitude towards the boy.

Evan waved at a few of them, making his way to the gate as he remembered how he was recognized by a knight in one of the towns the party had gone to, who had screamed out his name in shock, inadvertently advertising his identity to the people who were nearby.

Soon, they somehow went from calling him 'Lord Eris' or 'Lord Evan' to 'Lord Protector'.

'Somehow it sounds a bit cringe.'

With that thought, he pulled out his family insignia from his inventory and pinned it to his shirt, before landing on the city wall's battlement where the Count and the other high-ranked knights were waiting.

A moment later, the vice knight captain who had travelled with him arrived also, dropping on one knee in front of the Count as he spoke.

"I've returned, my lord."

"Rise.

You have done well, and shall be rewarded accordingly."

"I was only performing the duty you had assigned me, my lord."

Evan only silently watched the interaction between the two while telling Kayla to tell Eliza to stop being embarrassed for no reason and come over.

"Apologies for the delay, Lord Eris."

"Hmm? No, it's nothing much, Count Yelcyne."

The boy shook hands with the Count who silently studied the insignia on Evan's shirt, showing mild surprise upon noticing the B rank adventurer guild card that was hanging from the boy's neck too.

'At least, level 200.

In that case, all the rumours make much more sense.'

"Thank you for lending your assistance in helping my citizens to safety."

"I did it because it was also in my interest too, but, you're welcome."

"Haha…you're very blunt, Lord Eris."

Evan just shrugged his shoulders upon hearing the Count's words, turning his gaze around to the other knights who greeted him respectfully and acknowledged them with a nod.

"Hmm? Where's your city's guild master?"

With his appraisal skill active, Evan had scanned all the adventurers who were also present and noted that none of them happened to be the guild master of the city's adventurers' guild.

"The guild mas-"

"Sorry, I'm late! Got held up with some issues."

Just when the Count was about to speak up, another voice rang out as a tall, slender-looking woman with slightly messy brown hair ran up the stairs while shouting out an apology.

Trailing behind her was a man dressed in a classic black and white outfit, something Evan presumed to be a guild uniform as he had noticed other guild officials wearing the same.

Since his appraisal was still on when he turned his gaze towards her, her status board ended up appearing in front of him, causing the young hero to call out in a slightly surprised voice.

"An active A-rank?"

"Huh? You know me?"

"…nope."

Evan replied after a short pause, pulling out a few papers from his inventory with those in the surroundings showing slight surprise upon seeing him have the rare spatial storage type skill.

As for Evan, he was internally noting down something he noticed.

'It's as if she didn't sense my appraisal skill activation, but she's a grand master level…'

He decided to confirm his conjecture later as he passed over the quest papers to the guild master who asked him a question.

"So, you're the one who got headquarters' attention recently!

Wow. You might just be the guild's youngest B-ranker.

How'd you do it?"

Evan slightly reeled back upon noticing the intense light of curiosity that flashed in her eyes as she spoke, with the Count coughing loudly as if to remind her to restrain herself.

Seeing that the woman was just only curious, Evan shrugged his shoulders and gave a short reply.

"Nothing too weird. Spent a month in a dungeon, killed a few thousand monsters in a stampede, some of which were B ranks, and then spent the next day inside a dungeon where I entered three monster rooms solo.

Do stuff like that a lot and you'd definitely level up like crazy."

"Three monster rooms in a day?!

Even I didn't pull that kind of stunt when I was around your level. I only entered two and people were calling me crazy."