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A moment of silence followed.
"I am well aware of your loyalty to our kingdom. Have your way."
"Thank you."
King Alonso looked at Davian.
"Davian Naone."
Davian bowed deeply and replied.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Thank you."
Davian, who usually didn't get flustered easily, was quite surprised this time.
To think that the king would say thank you.
To him, merely the third son of a local count and only a second-year student at the academy.
"I have only done what a subject of the kingdom should do."
"No, I am not talking about this matter."
Davian tilted his head.
Then what matter?
"I have received all the reports on your past actions. Of course, those who reported have insisted that I must be wary of you. I, too, was mentally exhausted at the time and believed those reports without question."
"I am..."
"I know. You care about our kingdom more than anyone else. That is why Marquis Espin relies on you so much, isn't it?"
"For the Marquis to rely on me is unthinkable."
"That's how it seems. I don't think it's a coincidence that such an excellent young man like you has appeared in this time of crisis. It seems the gods have not yet abandoned our Alcancia Kingdom. I'm counting on you, Davian Naone."
"Ah... Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty."
"There is no need to keep surveillance on a young man whom Espin trusts so much. Karin Obelia, come forward."
Karin, who was standing with her friends far behind Davian and Espin, was startled and stepped forward.
"Yes, yes. Your Majesty."
"What are the results of your observations of Davian? I have received monthly reports, but this is the first time I am hearing from you directly."
"Ah, Davian is... kinder than I thought, takes good care of his friends... um... and..."
"Is he qualified to protect our kingdom?"
"Well... he's a monster who gets stronger every day... I mean, sorry, Your Majesty. Anyway, he continues to get stronger, so he will be a great asset in the future."
"I see. Then return to the royal palace. Your first mission is over."
"Ah..."
"Why, do you have anything else to say?"
"...No."
Then.
Latia, who was behind, stepped forward.
"I am Latia Meridiem, the eldest daughter of the Meridiem Duchy. I apologize, but I have something to say to Your Majesty."
King Alonso's gaze turned to Latia.
"So you are the eldest daughter of the Meridiem Duchy. I hear you have tremendous talent."
"If it's talent, Karin, who was raised by the royal family, is no less impressive."
"Haha, is that so? But what is it you wanted to say?"
"I heard that Karin was raised as a secret project of the royal family. But now that Karin's identity has been revealed, there doesn't seem to be much meaning as a secret project anymore."
King Alonso looked at Latia with curiosity.
"Continue."
"It would be good to stay alone in the royal palace and receive teachings from the royal mages, but I believe it would be more efficient to compete with her peers to greatly improve her skills. I believe Your Majesty is well aware that the faculty of Elton Academy is the best in the kingdom."
"And so?"
"Although Karin was enrolled in Elton Academy with the mission of monitoring Davian, she has made tremendous progress in a short period."
Karin and Latia's eyes met.
"She herself knows it well. Now that it has come to this, I dare to ask if it would be appropriate to let her continue to hone her skills at Elton Academy and become a more reliable force after graduation, taking on a role as one of the pillars of the royal mages."
King Alonso looked at Karin again.
"Karin, what do you think?"
"By competing with my friends... no, my classmates, I was able to improve my skills more quickly."
"More so than receiving one-on-one tutoring from the royal mages?"
"Thanks to them, I have laid a solid foundation. I think it's time to grow through competition."
King Alonso slowly nodded.
"So be it. I look forward to seeing how strong you will be when you graduate and return, Karin Obelia."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The next day.
Davian's house.
"Um... Latia."
"Why?"
"...Thank you. For stepping in."
"What are you talking about, Karin?"
"In the audience chamber."
"Ah."
"I was trapped in the royal palace learning magic since I was young, and I was just starting to have fun with you guys, but when His Majesty the King told me to return to the royal palace, I was speechless. Latia, you're amazing. To express your opinion so confidently in front of His Majesty the King."
Latia replied in a small voice.
"I was a little scared."
"What?"
"I was scared. Me too."
"Ah... But why? Why did you do so much for me?"
"Didn't you want to keep attending the academy?"
"I did."
"Yeah. I couldn't pretend not to know that my friend obviously wanted to keep attending the academy."
"Latia..."
Liber interjected.
"What's going on? You two are always glaring at each other in competitions and duels. When did you get so close?"
Latia's voice turned cold again.
"We're not particularly close."
Liber was not one to back down.
"You're friends, right? Aren't friends close?"
"That's..."
Bellum covered Liber's mouth.
"Mmm, mmm."
"Just leave them alone, you chatterbox. They were finally starting to get along, and you're going to ruin it."
"Mmm, mmm."
Luna quickly changed the subject.
"Has everyone decided what to do for their summer vacation assignment?"
Second year summer vacation.
As the second-year students were now able to formally proceed with the assignment performance evaluation, they were obligated to select and carry out an assignment during the summer vacation.
"I was choosing one for a while, but I still haven't decided. There are too many assignments. If it looks too easy, it will be difficult to get a good score... and some of them look too difficult."
"That's right. The professor said that choosing the assignment is the beginning of the evaluation."
Bonita took out a piece of paper from her pocket.
"Oh? An assignment request?"
"Yeah. I chose this one. It's an assignment to completely eradicate a bandit group. It's for four people. Anyone want to join? Davian, you want to join?"
Davian shook his head.
"I don't need to do the assignment performance evaluation."
"Ah, that's right. You said that. Then who wants to join?"
Luna raised her hand.
"Me! I want to join Bonita."
"Yeah, it's reassuring to have Luna with us."
Nubes and Bellum briefly exchanged glances.
Then, simultaneously.
"Me too!"
"Me too!"
Bonita nodded.
"The three of us from the swordsmanship department are teaming up. It's perfect with the reliable Luna. Let's do this assignment performance evaluation with these four."
"Okay! Great."
Luna asked Davian.
"Davian, you must be busy all summer vacation."
Davian nodded.
"Almost one every two days. All summer vacation."
"That sounds tough. I didn't know that the summer vacation assignment could be replaced with club activities. The dungeon exploration club must be amazing."
"Ariel sunbae directly persuaded the president, I heard. The dungeon situation is a bit urgent these days."
Liber nodded.
"The core amplification is getting faster again, right?"
"Yeah. The core has amplified more than ten times in the past month."
"The Marino Empire spies have started their activities again, right?"
"Probably."
Luna asked with a worried expression.
"Then isn't it dangerous?"
Liber answered instead.
"Who? Ah, that spy? Yeah. Whatever he's doing, it's very dangerous if he meets our Davian."
"Ah... Is that so?"
"Of course. There's no way Davian would lose to a spy who came over to do such vile deeds, right?"
"I guess not. Plus, there's Glasier-nim. I heard she crushed the awakened lich in one hit in front of the 7th grade dormitory, right?"
"Yeah. There's a big lake there now. In front of the dormitory."
Davian shook his head.
"Glasier can't help me inside the dungeon."
Luna asked in surprise.
"What? Why? Didn't she come to the demon world with you?"
"She can appear anywhere in the human realm, the demon realm, or the spirit realm. She said she can't appear inside dungeons where the human and demon realms are mixed. It just looks like a black cave to her from the spirit realm."
"Ah... I see."
Liber said energetically.
"So what! How many people can stand up to Davian even without Glasier-nim?"
"Well, that's true."
A few days later.
A small village east of the Bure Plains.
Dungeon Exploration Club President Ariel Frontia looked back at her juniors.
"Let's rest in this village today. We'll enter the dungeon as soon as the sun rises tomorrow."
"Yes, sunbae!"
Because the village was located in such a remote area, it took a full day to warp to a large city nearby and then come here.
The magic department students were very tired from moving at full speed.
"Aaron, Gunner, Izel. You three still have some stamina left, right?"
6th grade Aaron Antonio.
5th grade Gunner.
4th grade Izel Joslin.
All swordsmanship department students.
"Yes! Sunbae."
"Yes!"
"Let's go to the dungeon entrance once. Just to check it out."
"Yes!"
Ariel looked at Vice President Nabero.
"Nabero, you rest here with the others. See if we can find a place to stay, and if not, we'll have to camp."
"Yes! Sunbae."
This operation was one in which all 14 members of the Dungeon Exploration Club participated.
D-276 dungeon near the village east of Bure Plains.
One of the core amplification imminent dungeons being managed by the Dungeon Exploration Club.
It was not a high priority dungeon based on the degree of core amplification imminent, but.
As a result of analyzing the location of the dungeons where core amplification occurred on the map these days.
It is a dungeon located on a path where core amplification will definitely occur soon.
In other words.
This means that it is located on the path where the Marino Empire spy is working.
Davian stepped forward.
"It can be dangerous to move separately, Ariel sunbaenim."
"I'm just checking the path we're going to take early in the morning. We'll just check and come back. We can't waste tomorrow's efforts."
"Do you remember what I said?"
"I know. Never confront suspicious people separately."
"Yes. You must encounter them with our complete club assembled. Otherwise, it's dangerous."
"I know, I know. Don't worry and rest. You had a hard time carrying Freddy on your back. Aaron, Gunner, Izel. Let's go!"
"Yes!"
After the president and three seniors left.
2nd grade Freddy Kizanir approached hesitantly.
"Sorry, Davian. I was heavy. I'm too weak..."
"It's okay, sunbae."
Freddy, who was particularly weak among the magic department members, arrived here on Davian's back.
But.
Davian didn't have the stamina to get tired just from carrying one Freddy on his back.
"Thank you, Davian."
"It's really okay. Carrying Freddy sunbae is no different from coming alone."
Late at night.
Most of the houses in the small village, where about a hundred people seemed to live, were dark.
Creak.
The door of a house near the entrance of the village opened, and an old man walked out.
It was one of the few remaining houses with the lights on.
"Who are you? At this late hour."
As the old man approached the Dungeon Exploration Club with his hands behind his back.
A small person quickly slipped out through the still open doorway and disappeared into the darkness.
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