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"Is that you? Then tell me. How did you know an assassin was coming?"
Because a mini-quest popped up.
"I overheard it by chance."
"Then why didn't you tell us?"
"I wasn't sure what I heard."
"So. You weren't sure, but you hid there in case the eldest son of the Byzant family was assassinated?"
"Yes."
"Hmm... Okay. Let's say that's the case. Did you happen to see the faces of the assassins?"
"It was dark, so I couldn't see them properly."
Baron Harry shifted his gaze to Latia.
"Did you not see them either, young lady?"
"No. I didn't see them either."
Baron Harry slowly nodded.
"I see. For now, you two should return to the academy. We will investigate and handle the matter here."
Baron Harry loudly called out to the knights outside.
"Hey, take these two students to the magic circle connected to the academy."
"Yes!"
"Make sure to check that they arrive safely, as they are precious people."
"Yes!"
Davian and Latia moved to a separate building with a large magic circle drawn on it, accompanied by two knights.
It was the same magic circle that Mediun used to bring the teaching assistant and students here.
Of course, they also used this magic circle to return in the evening.
Davian and Latia stood in the center of the magic circle.
"Latia."
"Hmm?"
"Wave or something. With a smile."
"What..."
Although taken aback, Latia raised her hand and gave an awkward smile as Davian instructed.
Davian stood still with his hands behind his back.
At the same time, a bright light enveloped them, and before they knew it, the two had disappeared from the magic circle.
One of the knights who had seen them off said.
"That eldest daughter of the Meridiem family. She's still young, but her beauty is truly outstanding."
"What? No, what are you saying to a young student like that?"
"I'm just saying she's pretty, what's wrong with that?"
"Actually, I was thinking the same thing. Hahaha."
"Right? Hahaha."
The backyard of the Royal Temporary Clinic.
Whoosh.
A bright light burst from the ground, and Davian and Latia appeared.
"What? Davian. What did you do? Weren't we going to the academy?"
"Well, it's a simple trick. I drew a magic circle here earlier during the day."
"The magic circle we were standing on is connected to the academy."
"We didn't activate that magic circle."
Davian released his hands from behind his back.
A piece of scroll was torn.
"...Davian, you? Is that why you told me to smile and say goodbye?"
"There aren't many men across the continent who would look closely at me standing next to Latia Meridiem while she's smiling and waving."
"Ha! I'm speechless."
"Why, that's a compliment that you're pretty."
Latia suddenly turned her head.
"Wh-What? Hmm. Anyway. What's the plan now? No. Don't you have any connection to these two Baekga families? Why are you trying to help so much? Let's hear the reason first."
I need to get the quest rewards to get stronger.
That's the only way I can graduate from this damned academy.
But as always, other reasons flowed smoothly from Davian's mouth.
"Didn't you see the injured soldiers coming in today? Latia, don't you feel anything? Even though we figured out a way to stop this war, are you just going to go back to the academy?"
"It's, it's not that, but."
"As you said, you can get more practical experience. Isn't that great?"
"Well... yeah. So, what's the plan now?"
"Now we're going to the front lines. To the Arond Baekga's camp."
"You're going to the battlefield?"
"Yeah."
"Isn't it far from here? Is it within walking distance?"
"We can take the patient transport magic circle. Now that it's night, the battle has stopped, and there are no patient transports."
Latia stared at Davian.
"When did you come up with all these plans?"
"Today."
Latia shook her head.
'I can't figure out what he is. What is he? This weirdo. Davian Naone.'
Latia looked at Davian's eyes as if she had made up her mind.
"Okay, let's go. Let's try to stop this war."
"Okay, Latia. Let's go."
The two bent low and moved along the outer wall of the building.
The magic circle connected to the battlefield was located inside a large tent built in an open space to the right of the main gate.
However, there were too many guards guarding the main gate.
"Davian, there are too many people at the main gate?"
"I see. More than I thought. We need to draw some attention first..."
Davian looked around for a moment.
"Stay here. And when those people rush towards the explosion, run straight to that tent."
"Explosion?"
"Yeah."
Davian went back the way he came, shouting inwardly.
'Shadow Walk.'
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[Active Skill 'Shadow Walk Lv.1' activated]
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Slinking.
It's useless outside the shadows, but if you're hiding in the shadows, you won't be detected by someone with lower inner power than Davian.
In the previous playthrough, he would have been caught by the knights at the main gate immediately, but not now.
'If they are guarding the main gate, they will be 4-star knights or below.'
Davian's inner power is at the highest level of a 4-star knight.
Unless they are 5-star knights or higher, they cannot see Davian hiding in the shadows.
Davian followed the long shadow of the building towards the outer wall on the opposite side of the magic circle.
'It has to look like an attack came from outside.'
Davian stood right in front of the outer wall and lightly climbed over it.
Then, he turned around and fired a large fireball at the wall.
Kuaang!
With a loud explosion, one side of the wall collapsed.
"What?"
"Is it an attack?"
"Let's go! Quickly!"
The knights rushed towards the collapsed wall.
Whether it was due to good training, they didn't all rush over, and two remained to guard the main gate.
But their eyes were naturally turned towards the source of the explosion.
Latia watching the scene from the darkness.
There was no time to think about what Davian had done.
Everyone was looking that way.
'Now's the time!'
Bending down and raising her heels, she headed to the tent where the magic circle was drawn as quickly as possible.
"Phew, I think I got in without being caught. But how is Davian going to come?"
A little later.
Davian walked into the tent with an expression that said nothing happened.
"What did you do?"
"I just used some tricks. Let's go. To stop the war."
At the same time, the Arond Baekga's camp.
Headquarters tent.
"Father! It's too dangerous!"
"This is a formal occasion. And it's wartime. Call me head of the family."
"Is that what's important now? You're going to lead the knights in a preemptive strike. What if something happens to you, Father!"
"The longer the war goes on, the more victims there will be."
"Father!"
Kwaang!
The head of the Arond Baekga family, Thomas Arond, slammed his fist on the strategy meeting table.
"They are the ones who killed my son! How can I face my son in the afterlife if I don't lead the charge!"
Thomas Arond's second daughter, Jenny Arond, shouted back.
"You have to think about the remaining family members too!"
Other commanders next to her began to support Jenny Arond's words one by one.
"That's right, head of the family. If something were to happen to you, the Arond family could suffer irreparable damage."
"You have to think about the family. Your safety is more important than winning or losing the war."
Head of the family Thomas Arond's fist trembled.
"Do you know how many victims there were today? The longer we drag out the war, the more victims there will be."
"The head of the family is right. But if something happens to you here, the Byzant Baekga's forces could push straight into our castle. The territory will be devastated."
"Hmm..."
The head of the family's desire to end the war quickly was not wrong, and the commanders' words of concern for the head of the family's safety were not wrong either.
It was just that a war that shouldn't have happened had broken out.
"Okay. For now, let's keep a close eye on the Byzant family's movements tomorrow when the sun rises. We'll decide how to respond then."
"Yes, head of the family. In terms of objective strength, we are absolutely not losing. They also know that the longer the war goes on, the more damage they will suffer."
"That's right. In fact, wouldn't it be enough to just take over the gold mine in the neutral zone first?"
The second daughter of the Baekga family, Jenny Arond, grabbed the collar of the commander who had just spoken, Chief Corbin.
"Shut up! Do you think we started this war because we coveted the gold mine? Wasn't it because they killed our youngest Ronin that the war broke out! And now you're talking about the gold mine!"
Head of the family Thomas called his second daughter Jenny in a calm voice.
"Jenny."
"Yes! Father. We must kick this person out of the commander's tent immediately!"
"Put that hand down and calm down, Jenny. Lord Corbin's words are not wrong."
"......Yes?"
"It's unfortunate that the youngest Ronin died, but I'm not a foolish head of the family who would sacrifice so many soldiers because of that."
Jenny's eyes shook violently.
"What... What are you saying?"
"Of course, I will also avenge Ronin. But, since the war has broken out, it is our priority to take over the neutral zone where the gold mine was found. Before the Byzant bastards find out about this fact."
"Ah......, Father!"
"It's for the sake of the family."
Jenny, who had released the collar, stared blankly at her father.
"Because of the gold mine......? The reason for this war is money?"
"Jenny. All the wars in the world happen because of money."
"Father! Then the words that you will be at the forefront tomorrow are not for Ronin's revenge, but......"
"Shouldn't we occupy the neutral zone before it's too late? If those guys find out that there's a gold mine there, it will be ten times harder to get it than it is now."
"......Unbelievable. I'll skip such a war!"
Jenny Arond turned around and came out of the tent, fluttering the cloak draped over her armor.
Looking up at the sky, stars that seemed to be pouring down at any moment were densely packed.
"Because of money......? This war?"
The cloak fluttering in the night breeze was wrapped around Jenny's left arm.
Tudduk.
Jenny grabbed the cloak with her right hand and tore it off.
"My youngest Ronin's death was only used as a justification to take over the gold mine? Everyone knew about it except me?"
The torn and thrown cloak flew away on the wind.
Jenny, who was staring blankly at the night sky, bit her lip tightly.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Whether it was because of her brother's death used as a cause for war, or because of the family's soldiers sacrificed in this war, she herself did not know exactly.
"I won't do it. This kind of war."
Jenny moved to her personal quarters.
And.
Two people hiding in the darkness and watching the scene.
They were the ones who, after months of preliminary work, succeeded in creating traces of a fake gold mine and spreading false rumors about the gold mine to the Arond Baekga people.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
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