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"Karin Obelia, I greet His Majesty the King."
"Jason Block, I greet His Majesty the King."
Davian turned his head and looked at the two people who were bowing.
The girl who introduced herself as Karin.
Long, straight hair of a deep black color that is rare to see here.
Not as doll-like as Latia, but a face with a mysterious charm.
The color of her eyes was also a deep black, like her hair.
It felt like seeing a Korean person from before the possession.
'But Koreans don't wear clothes like that.'
Inside, a short skirt and blouse.
On the outside, she wore a robe with ornate embroidery.
'A mage.'
Next, Jason Block.
A boy with a solid, muscular build.
His stiff but flawless posture shows that he has properly honed his swordsmanship.
He carries a long sword on his back.
The Royal Chief Mage, who had received the King's permission, opened his mouth.
"Introduce yourselves. This is the famous Davian Naone. This is Karin Obelia, a mage who has been intensively trained by our Royal Magic Department since she was young."
Next, the Captain of the Guard introduced.
"This is Jason Block. He is still young, but he is an excellent swordsman specially trained by the 1st Guard."
The Chief Mage continued.
"As of today, Karin Obelia and Jason Block will leave the Royal Palace and enroll in the Elton Academy. Their mission is to protect Davian Naone, a friend of Glasia-nim, by his side."
Davian looked at the Royal Chief Mage.
'Bodyguard my ass. But aren't guardians usually planted secretly?'
It was no different from openly putting royal people to watch Davian.
Moreover, they were talents directly raised by the Royal Magic Department and the Guard from a young age.
The Royal Chief Mage continued.
"It is His Majesty the King's consideration to protect the contractor of Glasia-nim, the meritorious founding contributor."
Where did the momentum to brand him as a traitor go? He couldn't be more friendly.
Davian raised his head and looked directly at the King.
"You plan to openly monitor me, I see."
"Monitor? Nonsense. And if I were going to put a monitor on you, wouldn't I have done it without you knowing?"
The royal family is not secretly monitoring you.
We will monitor you openly.
Behave yourself.
And don't even think about getting Karin and Jason away from your side.
That must be what he means.
Suddenly attaching two burdens...
I don't like it.
But with a justification like this, I can't just refuse.
It's time to start a Korean-style negotiation.
"I am grateful for His Majesty the King's grace. However, I have Glasia by my side, so you don't have to worry too much. If you are still worried about my safety..."
Two burdens are too many.
Reduce it to one.
"It would be enough to have only one of them enrolled in the academy and keep them by my side."
Meaning one guardian is enough.
He's a quick-witted old man, so he must have understood.
"Is that so."
It is so.
I've already conceded one step.
Just try to refuse.
The power struggle starts all over again.
"I see. Captain of the Guard and Chief Mage, tell me who would be better to send."
"Of course, for the role of bodyguard, the well-trained swordsman Jason..."
"Karin is the one who was specially raised by the Royal Magic Department as a secret project..."
Davian cut off the words of the Captain of the Guard and the Chief Mage.
"Since it's my bodyguard, I'll choose."
An invisible war of nerves.
Glasia, who had withdrawn all her coldness, had already lost interest and was wandering around the audience chamber.
"Who will you choose?"
Davian turned his head and looked at Karin and Jason.
'After all, if I want to leave them behind when it's bothersome, a mage with good agility is better than a swordsman.'
"I'll take Karin."
Davian and Glasia opened the door to the audience chamber and stepped out.
Karin followed right behind.
Gregory, the 2nd Guard Captain, was standing outside the door.
"Davian, I'm leaving now."
"Oh, Glasia. You really held it together today."
"What, I didn't plan on killing Erium's descendants either."
"Anyway."
"Then goodbye. See you again, Davian."
"Goodbye, Glasia."
Even though Glasia had left, the 2nd Guard Captain personally escorted Davian and Karin to the Royal Palace gate.
The 2nd Guard Captain asked.
"But who is this child?"
"They say she's my bodyguard. Don't you know who she is, Captain of the Guard?"
"She's someone I'm seeing for the first time."
Karin answered directly.
"I'm Karin Obelia."
"Karin? Then perhaps you are that..."
"Yes. The Royal Magic Department's secret project, Karin. That is my name."
Karin glared at Davian.
"Thanks to this guy, it's not a secret anymore, though."
On the way back to the dorm.
"Since when?"
"What?"
"Since when were you going to come to the academy as my bodyguard, no, guardian."
"About a month ago."
"So, even if today's events didn't happen, you would have enrolled in the academy anyway."
"If today's events didn't happen, at least I wouldn't have been suddenly kicked out of the royal palace today."
"Kicked out? The King himself gave you the mission."
Abruptly.
Karin stopped walking.
"I was going to receive a bigger mission. Not guarding a child like you."
"Not guarding, but watching, right."
Karin's eyes, glaring at Davian, were blazing.
A single tear streamed down from her blazing eyes.
"I was a whole secret project of the Royal Magic Department..."
Davian strongly felt that something very troublesome was about to happen.
'This feels like a failure.'
"What? She's enrolled in our academy? Even as of today? In the middle of the night?"
Davian answered.
"That's how it turned out. I met Professor Mateo on the way, and he said the paperwork was all done. The royal family is really amazing."
While everyone was bewildered.
Bellum, with her maxed-out human affinity, stepped forward.
"If she's a secret weapon of the Royal Magic Department, she'll go to the Department of Magic, right?"
Karin's eyebrows twitched.
"Not a secret weapon, a secret project!"
"It's the same thing."
Karin sighed deeply.
"Well, it's all over now, secret project or whatever. Call me whatever you want."
"If she's a secret weapon of the royal family, she must be incredibly skilled! The Department of Magic is so lucky. Davian, Latia, and now even a secret weapon of the royal family!"
Liber asked.
"Have you been specially tutored by royal mages since you were young? A secret project, oh my god."
Karin just shrugged her shoulders.
Nubes stepped forward.
"But she still can't beat our Latia and Davian, right? Their mana affinity is in the triple digits."
Karin chuckled.
"What's so special about that? Do you think the Royal Magic Department would conduct a secret project with kids who don't even have that much mana affinity?"
Bellum asked.
"Karin, are you also in the triple digits?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"Oh! Amazing! There are three people in our grade with triple digits!"
Karin was so prickly that the conversation wouldn't have continued without Bellum.
Davian stared at Karin.
A character who appeared for the first time.
He hadn't checked her skills, but since she was raised as a secret project by the Royal Magic Department, she wouldn't be at an ordinary level.
'Will that prickly Karin be a hindrance or a help to graduating?'
I don't know yet.
However.
It is certain that academy life will be more uncomfortable than before.
'Well, I'll find out as I go. What kind of kid she is. Whether she's someone who will be helpful. Or someone who will only be a hindrance.'
The Royal Palace tour the next day proceeded tepidly.
The Royal Palace space that academy students could enter was extremely limited.
All they did was superficially look around.
Nevertheless, most of the students repeatedly exclaimed.
That's how big and splendid the Alkancia Royal Palace was.
However, there were two students who were simply bored with this time.
Davian, who was on his third tour, and Karin, who had grown up in the Royal Palace since she was young.
Private clothes, black eyes, deep black hair.
Long straight hair that falls straight down.
Several students approached and spoke to her at the news that she had suddenly transferred.
Karin was even more cold to Davian's friends yesterday.
Davian, who was watching the scene.
'As I thought.'
It was thanks to Bellum that they were able to have such conversations yesterday.
Most of the students had to move away from Karin without even saying a few words.
'Is she going to push away all the academy classmates? Except for one person.'
That one person is.
Davian.
Throughout the tour, Karin was close to Davian's right.
Latia on the left. Luna behind.
Luna glanced at the back of Karin's head.
'That's my spot...'
Recently, the current with Bonita has been a little strange, but Bonita doesn't try to stick so close to Davian like that.
Latia had been stuck by his side like that since the first semester, using the excuse that she would catch up with Davian.
The other side was Luna's.
She was naturally pushed out by Karin.
'I'm the one who's been with Davian since the entrance ceremony.'
Even though there are so many people to worry about, like Latia, Bonita, and even a junior named Belus who was recently brought in from somewhere.
Ah! That Sophie unnie said she would live in Davian's house too.
With so many people to worry about.
Even the Royal Secret Weapon who suddenly appeared and took Davian's place.
Luna approached Bellum, who was talking to Liber and Nubes.
Luna grabbed Bellum's sleeve and moved a little away from her friends.
"Bellum."
"Hmm?"
Luna looked around once and asked in a small voice.
"Is Davian handsome?"
"Suddenly?"
"No, just. Is he objectively handsome..."
Bellum crossed her arms and tilted her head 45 degrees to look at the left sky.
"Hmm... I don't know? He's not my style. He's too skinny. You know, Luna? I like muscular men."
"Objectively. Objectively."
"Hmm, let's see. His height is okay. His face... come to think of it, it's small? The ratio of his eyes, nose, and mouth are... much better than Nubes or Liber, who I see every day? Ah! He looks cool sometimes with his always relaxed appearance. He's also reliable."
"I guess... that's right?"
"But why? Luna? Do you think you'll lose Davian... uh!"
Luna hurriedly blocked Bellum's mouth.
"Shh!"
Bellum nodded her head and gestured for her to let go.
Luna let go of her hand.
"Okay, okay. I'll speak softly."
"What if someone heard you!"
"But Luna."
"Yeah?"
Bellum whispered in Luna's ear.
"Everyone else knows you like Davian, right?"
Luna stared at Bellum with surprised eyes.
"R-really?"
"Yeah, who wouldn't know? You're making it so obvious."
Luna's cheeks turned red.
"But why are you suddenly asking if Davian is handsome? I didn't think much of it, but after listening to you, Luna, and thinking about it, he's not bad? Plus, he's the best."
"I guess... so?"
Luna bowed her head.
"But why are you suddenly asking?"
"No, just..."
Luna pointed to Davian with her finger.
Bonita, who seemed to have something to say, even came up and was walking backwards in front of Davian.
Latia, who was walking silently as if she didn't care, kept looking back and forth at the two when Bonita came up and started talking to Davian.
Karin was still wearing an angry expression, but she didn't leave Davian's side.
"Ugh, geez. You have a lot of competitors, Luna."
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