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"And I'm not going to use the name Sophie anymore. From now on, call me Sarah. It's my new name."
"Surname?"
"I don't need a surname anymore. Like Mons over there."
Mons, who was about to go up to the second floor, stopped abruptly on the middle of the stairs.
Without turning his head, he asked,
"How did you know? Sophie."
"I told you to call me Sarah. And how would I know? I've been trained as a spy since I was young. Did you think I wouldn't notice something like that?"
Mons turned around and slowly started descending the stairs.
"How much do you know?"
"Oh, scary. Why? Are you going to kill me to keep me quiet?"
"Tell me."
"I want to tell you just because I'm curious to see how you'll react. Too bad. I don't actually know anything. I just guessed based on a feeling. Even if I hadn't been trained as a spy, I think I could tell that you're not an ordinary ascetic, don't you think?"
Mons glared at Sophie for a moment before turning back around and heading to the second floor.
The atmosphere turned cold.
"Why? What? Don't you all know? Mons isn't some ordinary ascetic. It's obvious, isn't it?"
Bellum tried to open his mouth.
"That's true. Sophie... no. Sister Sarah."
Davian asked quietly,
"Sarah. You're getting revenge because Mons didn't say you were pretty, right?"
"No?"
"Yes, you are."
"No?"
"It's okay here, but don't say things like that when you go out."
"Do you think I don't have that much sense? I'm Sophie Mare. No, Sarah."
Sarah looked at Karin as if trying to quickly change the subject.
"It's you?"
"Pardon?"
"Royal Magic Department Secret Project. Right? I heard rumors that the royal family assigned you to Davian. You're quite the beauty?"
Karin nudged Davian.
"Who is she? That woman."
"Our maid."
"Don't joke around."
"Just think of her that way."
At that moment.
A magical reaction appeared from Davian's jacket pocket.
Latia, with her high mana sensitivity, immediately noticed.
"What's that in your chest?"
Davian put his hand in his pocket and took out a square piece of paper.
The paper was shining brightly, then dimming again.
"My business card."
"Business card?"
A magical tool Davian made himself.
He connected two business card-shaped scrolls, and designed it so that if one scroll was torn, a magical reaction would occur on the other.
And.
There's only one person who has given him this business card so far.
Ariel Frontia.
A 6th-year senior and the president of the Dungeon Exploration Club.
It was a scroll she had given him to call her if Davian was ever in a situation where he was absolutely needed.
'Something's happened.'
A club where two-thirds of the members would have died during the festival and disbanded if Davian hadn't intervened.
In other words, it's a club that wouldn't exist right now if things had gone as originally planned.
So, there's no way to know what's calling him.
'Wait.'
The Dungeon Exploration Club is a club created to directly prevent low-level dungeon core amplifications.
In the early days of the club's founding, they even touched C-rank dungeons, but now, with so few members, they can barely stop D and E-rank dungeon core amplifications.
From the start, they don't even enter C-rank dungeons where they can't kill the dungeon boss and handle the monster wave.
'If it's something that's calling the club president, it probably isn't anything ordinary.'
Davian went over his memories from the 3rd playthrough.
1st year, 2nd semester.
Around this time, if there's an incident related to dungeons...
'There is one!'
It's an incident that's unrelated to the main story.
But a major event is happening somewhere on the continent.
This event has nothing to do with Davian or Elton Academy at all.
There are no events or quests associated with it.
However.
It's one of the important signs of things to come.
'Even if I think about it again, it's around this time. And if the Dungeon Exploration Club noticed that something like that was going to happen, there's no way they'd just ignore it.'
The look in Ariel Frontia's eyes, as she was willing to die to protect the villagers, came to mind.
'I need to go quickly.'
Davian jumped up from the sofa.
"I have to go somewhere."
Karin started rummaging through her jacket, getting ready to leave.
"I don't know where, but I'm going too."
It's dangerous.
If Davian's prediction is correct, he's going to be involved in something very dangerous today.
"It's dangerous. You should just stay here if possible."
"Have you forgotten the purpose of me coming here? Davian."
After thinking for a moment, Davian nodded.
'It's dangerous, but Karin's skills would be helpful.'
Besides.
She's not family or an old friend, but a person the royal family has assigned to monitor Davian.
The truth is, it's not Davian's business whether she's in danger or not.
At that moment.
"I'm going too!"
A silver-haired girl with a bob cut jumped up.
It was Luna Pueri.
"Luna, you too?"
"Yeah!"
"Why?"
"Huh?"
Luna hesitated, flustered.
"I, I have a right to!"
"What right? The Venom Pull selling is all done, right?"
"Ah... that, that's... It's dangerous! You have to bring a healer when you go to a dangerous place. Isn't that common sense?"
Davian tilted his head.
Bellum quickly intervened.
"Oh! Luna is right! Even if it's not anyone else, you should take Luna. It's dangerous, right? What if you get hurt?"
Bonita gripped her sword hilt.
Latia also closed the book she was reading.
Everyone was in the mood to follow.
Davian held up his palm to show it.
"Stop. Then just Luna. I'm only taking Karin and Luna."
Bonita raised her head.
"What, you're going to a dangerous place? If that's the case, we should join forces."
"It's nothing to do with you guys. And it's a club thing, so even if all the 1st graders go, they won't accept you."
"Club?"
"Yeah. A club I'm a prospective member of."
"The Dungeon Exploration Club or something?"
"Yeah. That's where I'm going, but I can't just bring a bunch of 1st graders who don't even qualify for club membership yet. Like I said, they won't accept you."
Bonita slowly nodded.
"That's true."
"I'll be back soon. Everyone stay here. Karin, Luna. Let's go."
Bonita put her sword hilt back down.
"No matter how dangerous a place it is. Surely Davian can't fail to escape with just Luna."
There's no mention of Karin.
They haven't known each other for very long, and she's cold and aloof about everything, so she's not considered a friend yet.
Elton Academy common space.
Clubhouse.
1st graders are prohibited from entering the common space until the 1st semester.
Entry is allowed from the 2nd semester, but the truth is that 1st graders don't have much reason to go to the common space.
It's obvious that they'll just run into awkward seniors if they go, so everyone doesn't set foot in the common space.
"Wow, this is the clubhouse. It's huge. This is the first time I've been this close."
While Luna was looking around in a daze.
Before he knew it, he had arrived in front of the clubroom.
Bang.
"Davian!"
The first person to discover Davian and shout was 2nd grader Freddie Kizanir.
"You've come. My just and proud junior."
Emma Baidy, who was next to him, nudged Freddie in the side.
"Tone! A little!"
Davian lightly bowed his head and entered the clubroom.
'As expected.'
All the club members were gathered.
Club president Ariel Frontia asked,
"Who are the two behind you?"
"They're my friends."
"Why did you bring your friends?"
Davian pointed to Karin.
"She's going to join this club with me next year."
Since the purpose of transferring to Elton Academy is to monitor Davian.
It was certain that Karin would join the same club.
Then he introduced Luna.
"This friend is probably going to join the Treatment Research Club, but she really wanted to come today. She's the most outstanding healer in the 1st grade. She'll be helpful."
Davian waited for Ariel's reply.
Just, but with a stern personality.
Even if Davian had directly called her, she might have said that other 1st graders couldn't come with him, according to school rules.
"...Okay. Come on in, everyone."
An unexpected reaction.
The other members also confirmed Davian's skills at the festival from the closest proximity.
No one made any complaints about Davian's friends joining.
The 13 people, including the club members and Davian, Karin, and Luna, sat at a large conference table.
Ariel opened her mouth.
"Some of you may have already heard, but I'll explain again. It's about Dungeon D-34, which we've been closely watching to destroy the dungeon core. We've already visited it three times to find the right time to attack. This dungeon. It's a bit strange."
Davian nodded.
'That's right.'
Davian's prediction was correct.
Dungeon D-34.
Davian had also heard of it.
It's one of the dungeons that's about to undergo core amplification, and something special happens in this dungeon.
Later, this phenomenon is named 'Dungeon Core Great Amplification'.
"Senior Ariel. What's strange about it?"
Ariel sighed deeply.
"I don't know. That's why I went three times. First of all, parts of the dungeon wall are melting away."
"Dungeon wall?"
"Yeah. This is a phenomenon that can be seen in dungeons where dungeon amplification has already occurred. D-34 hasn't even undergone dungeon amplification yet."
Another upperclassman continued to ask.
"Are there any other special features?"
"The monsters... keep gathering near the entrance. Some of them have already left the dungeon."
The upperclassman who asked the question was startled and asked again.
"What? Monsters are leaving the dungeon on their own? And the dungeon core hasn't even been amplified?"
"Yeah. We took care of them, but still. It's impossible. There's no monster that would leave that pleasant dungeon and come out into the human realm on its own."
"Something doesn't feel right..."
"So I wrote a report and submitted it to the academy and the royal family..."
"And then?"
"They just said not to approach it because it could be dangerous."
"Can't they come and take care of it themselves?"
"Yeah. As you know. The royal family doesn't take care of D-rank dungeons."
2nd grader Freddie asked.
"So that's why you called us all here today! We're going to take care of D-34 ourselves!"
Ariel, after hesitating for a moment, nodded.
"That's right. But there are so many phenomena in the dungeon that I've never seen before. It could be very dangerous."
"I heard there are many farming villages nearby! Isn't this the reason our club exists!"
Freddie shouted bravely.
"That's right. But this time it could be a little dangerous. Anyone who wants to quit can quit."
Ariel turned to Davian.
"Davian. The same goes for you. The atmosphere is not good, so I called you first. But you're free to attend or not. You're even a 1st grader."
"Senior."
"Yeah?"
"You're going to destroy that D-34 dungeon core no matter what happens, right?"
Ariel's eyes filled with determination.
"Of course. We're the only ones who can do this."
"Then I'll go with you too. Maybe these two will go with me too. Right? Karin. Luna."
Karin and Luna each replied.
"Of course. Why else would I have come all the way here?"
"Of course I'll go with you too! Davian!"
Davian nodded.
A strange excitement wrapped around Davian's body.
'It's my first time dealing with a B-rank dungeon monster wave.'
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