----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Latia, who had stopped Davian, asked.
"Where are you going?"
"Home."
"Oh, the general assembly is over now."
"Yeah. You too? Where's Karin?"
"She went ahead. She said she was going to your place?"
Davian sighed deeply.
"They just do whatever they want."
"Everyone thinks of your place as a hideout. Davian, have you been drinking?"
"Yeah. Didn't you? Isn't today a drinking day?"
"I did, a little."
"Are you going back to the dormitory?"
"Yeah. What about you, Davian?"
"I was going to go home and rest. But I have a feeling there will be a bunch of kids there."
"So?"
"I should go to the dormitory too."
"Then let's go together."
"Okay."
Davian and Latia walked together through the dark alley.
The white moon faintly illuminated their figures.
"How's the club? Davian."
"Well, everyone likes it. More than that, I joined for a reason. Nothing else matters."
"Reason? To save people from dungeon core amplification?"
"That's not it.
It's too long to explain."
"Similar."
"I see..."
Davian turned his head and looked at Latia.
She was walking with her head bowed, looking at the ground.
She's not usually like this.
Is it because she drank?
"Are there any second-year classmates in the club? How many?"
Her posture is also different from usual.
Her tone is also different from usual.
Besides.
'Was she not able to stand the silence?'
She keeps asking all sorts of trivial questions as if she can't stand even a moment of silence.
"One. You've probably seen her before? Samantha Codis from the Archery Department."
"Samantha Codis? That kind Samantha?"
"Yeah."
Because she's walking with her head down.
Davian didn't see Latia's lips pouting.
"That's nice."
"What is?"
"Because you're in the same club as a pretty and kind girl."
"Aren't you the best when it comes to being pretty? Everyone says so. But you're not kind, though."
I was just stating facts.
With a little bit of a joke.
Stop.
Latia Meridian stopped in her tracks.
"Do you think so too?"
Is she angry because I said she wasn't kind?
I made a bad joke.
Let's fix it quickly.
"I thought so at first, but these days you seem kinder than before."
"Not that."
"Not that?"
"The part before that."
The part before that?
The best when it comes to being pretty?
Oh no.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm just saying what everyone else says."
"...So you don't think so?"
A trap card has been activated.
Even though she's the aloof Latia Meridian, she's still just a girl who's just turned 18.
If I say no, it's obvious that the relationship will be strained.
Then it will interfere with forming a party to fight in the future.
That said.
If I blurt out something like, 'I think you're the prettiest too,' at this moment when alcohol and moonlight are mixed together.
I might unnecessarily ignite the heart of an eighteen-year-old girl.
That's also not the direction Davian wants.
It's a moment of choice.
If it's going to interfere with the battle either way.
It's better to just tell the truth than to lie.
"I think so too. But that's just the truth. Don't misunderstand, Latia."
"......"
She was chattering away, unlike usual.
Now she's staring at Davian with a suffocating silence.
"That's the only part that's true. Right? You're that kind of person, Davian."
"Well, I didn't lie, so I guess you could say it's the truth?"
"I understand."
Step.
Latia, who had been standing still, started walking again.
Davian also moved his feet.
The two didn't have any conversation until they arrived at the dormitory entrance.
"Good night, Latia."
"Davian."
Davian, who was about to turn around after saying goodbye, stopped and looked at Latia.
Latia stared at Davian silently for a moment.
Just as Davian was about to say something, Latia spoke first.
"I like you. But that's just the truth. I'm not asking you to date me, so don't misunderstand, Davian."
Is there such a cool confession in the world?
"It's annoying. Is it because of the alcohol or the moonlight? I'm sure I'll regret it tomorrow. But..."
Davian gave Latia time to finish her words slowly.
"Even if I didn't say it, I would have regretted it anyway. I'm going. Good night, Davian."
Latia, who turned her head sharply, walked towards the women's dormitory with a click-clack.
Davian, who was looking at Latia's back with her blonde hair swaying, also turned around.
The most historic magic family and the most powerful ducal family in the current Arkancia Kingdom.
The eldest daughter of that family confessed to a classmate in the academy.
Moreover, the classmate who received the confession is the third son of an ordinary count family.
It's a gossip that will shake the entire Arkancia Kingdom.
But.
That's the story when the rumor spreads.
Davian, of course, had no intention of talking to anyone about this.
The next day.
Latia's attitude didn't change at all.
She maintained her calm and aloof appearance as always.
Rather, the change came from an unexpected place.
The student cafeteria.
The student cafeteria is open on weekends for students staying in the dormitory.
"Nubes, eat this too."
Bellum put a piece of well-cooked steak on Nubes's plate.
Nubes already had a mouthful of meat.
Of course, there was no rejection.
"Thank you, Bellum."
Libel poked Davian in the side and whispered.
"Davian, doesn't Bellum seem a little strange today?"
"What do you mean?"
"The way he looks at Nubes... it's definitely strange. You can't escape Libel Specula's eye for detail."
Listening to Libel's words.
Bellum is staring at Nubes, who is stuffing a large piece of meat into his mouth.
Certainly.
It's a look that I haven't seen before.
'Is Bellum and Nubes also because of last night?'
A night with alcohol and the moon.
It would be stranger if nothing happened to eighteen-year-old boys and girls.
Bellum's attitude had changed a little since the day of the battle with Odin Nasar.
The frequency of calling him a big guy decreased, and he started calling him by his name more often.
The number of times he put him in a headlock or kicked him in the back of the knee also decreased noticeably.
But today.
Something has definitely changed again.
With such a sudden change.
Something must have happened.
You can't clap with one hand.
Libel, unable to hold back, asked.
"Bellum, Nubes. Did something happen to you guys yesterday?"
Phew.
Nubes barely managed to stop himself from spitting out the food in his mouth.
"Something? What something?"
"No, it just seems like the atmosphere between you two has changed a bit."
"No? Nothing happened? Bellum, did something happen to you yesterday?"
Bellum shook his head vigorously.
"No? Nothing happened? What could happen between me and Nubes... I mean, this big guy!"
"Really? It doesn't seem like it... What's changed?"
"What! What! You blabbermouth. Stop talking nonsense and eat your food!"
Libel tilted his head.
"No... There's definitely something..."
Then.
"Hi guys."
"Oh? Samantha."
Nubes waved his hand at Samantha.
"Kind Samantha! Long time no see."
"Long time no see, Nubes. You're in better shape? You're getting more and more handsome."
"Well, me, haha, ha."
Bellum, who glared at Nubes quickly and briefly, turned his head to Samantha and asked.
"But what brings you here? Samantha."
"Oh, I have something to talk to Davian about. Davian, did you get home okay yesterday? Is your hangover okay?"
Latia's fork, which was rolling pasta, stopped for a moment and then moved again.
While Davian was nodding, Bellum asked.
"Hangover? Why are you suddenly asking about that? Are you guys in the same club?"
"Yeah. I joined the Dungeon Exploration Club too. Davian and I are the only two second-year students."
"Really? So there's another person besides Davian who joins such a scary and unusual club."
"No, it's a great club. The seniors are all great too. And my only classmate is great too."
Thud.
Latia put down her fork.
"I'm leaving first."
Nubes asked.
"You're leaving in the middle of eating? You have a lot of pasta left."
"I'm full."
"Then can I eat this?"
"Whatever."
While Nubes was happily picking up Latia's plate, Latia got up from her seat and headed towards the entrance of the cafeteria.
Samantha said to Davian in her usual kind voice.
"Davian, let's plan our schedule after you finish lunch. We have to visit eight dungeons before the end of the first semester."
Davian put down his spoon.
"Okay, let's go."
"No, Davian. Eat your food slowly. I'll wait."
"I'm done eating."
Davian and Samantha left the student cafeteria and took a seat on a nearby bench.
It was an outdoor bench with a stone table, making it easy to hold meetings.
Samantha unfolded the map and dungeon list she had brought.
"I marked everything on the map this morning. Let's decide the order and schedule."
"Let's follow the priority order that Ariel senior has set."
"Oh, would that work? Then the route will be too long."
"We're going to move to the nearby city with a magic circle anyway. And we can use a scroll when we return to the academy."
"Oh, I see. Okay then. Let's do it according to Davian's plan."
"But Samantha. That's not the important thing. I have something to say."
Samantha, who had been looking at the map intently, raised her head.
Her neat brown bob hair swayed briefly.
"Something to say?"
"Let's just destroy a few of these."
"Destroy?"
"Let's just destroy the dungeon cores."
Samantha asked in surprise.
"Just the two of us?"
"Yeah."
Davian can now easily destroy E and D-rank dungeon cores on his own.
Even if core amplification occurs while he's inside and the dungeon's rank increases, it's no problem.
As long as core amplification doesn't occur, Davian alone is enough to handle C-rank dungeon bosses or monster waves.
Of course, it could be dangerous if a C-rank dungeon core amplification occurs and a B-rank boss appears.
Anyway.
The E and D-rank dungeons marked on the map now pose no threat to Davian.
Unless a dungeon core amplification occurs.
But there's no need to go here with the seniors and share mana points.
Davian planned to destroy the easy dungeons as soon as he went to observe the dungeons with Samantha.
"I know your skills, Davian, but... isn't it too dangerous?"
"Let's pass on the places that seem dangerous. Only the places that are enough for the two of us."
"Is there even a reason to go that far?"
"You heard what Ariel senior said yesterday. Even if we go every weekend and take care of one, the schedule is tight. If we take care of a few in advance, we can prevent innocent people from suffering possible damage."
Of course, that's not the reason he's going around destroying dungeon cores first.
"Amazing..."
Samantha nodded slowly.
"You know how to protect the righteous and the weak. If you're even incredibly strong, you can become someone like Davian. Amazing, Davian. I'll help too!"
Freddie and Emma in their third year were like that too.
It's easy to persuade the people in the Dungeon Exploration Club.
"Okay. Then let's match our schedules now. I have a lot of classes. Let's go exploring on days when I don't have class or when I finish early. After entering the dungeon and looking at the state, if it seems possible for the two of us, let's destroy the dungeon core as it is."
"Okay! I understand!"
"Let's go here tomorrow while we're at it."
"Tomorrow right away?"
Comments
Post a Comment