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"Samantha?"
"Oh, hi. Where are you headed? The personal training grounds?"
Samantha Cordis
A classmate in the Archery Department.
Her nickname is Kind Samantha.
She always makes those around her feel good with her warm and positive words and actions, and her main weapon is a powerful single arrow.
She and Davian teamed up for a dungeon exploration, which was one of the midterms in their first year.
In their second year, when Davian joined the Dungeon Exploration Club, Samantha Cordis was the only classmate who joined as a member with him.
They’ve destroyed several core-imminent dungeons together as a pair.
Samantha, with her neat, short brown hair, approached.
"Even though you're so strong, you're always working hard, Davian."
"I've been learning some new things lately."
"Learning new things? Like what?"
"I've been learning some spearmanship."
"Wow. Spearmanship. That sounds cool, though?"
I'm not training to look cool, but...
Anyway, that was Samantha Cordis, always making people feel good.
"Have you decided on a ball partner? There are tons of pretty girls around Davian, starting with Latia."
"Not yet."
"You haven't decided yet? Why?"
"Well, I'm thinking about it."
"Wow, there are lots of people in a state of emergency because they can't find a partner to apply with. Davian is so relaxed. Popular guy. Come to think of it, I heard you even have a fan club made up of younger students?"
The president of that fan club also applied to be his ball partner, along with Cookie.
"Davian, there's something I really want to say, so I followed you on purpose, even though I know I won't be your partner."
I think I know what she's going to say.
"What is it?"
"I thought about it a lot, but I thought it would be better than regretting not saying it. Davian, I know I can't be your ball partner, but I still wanted to tell you this. I wished, even in my heart, that I could be your ball partner. I just mean, that's how I feel."
"Ah..."
"Hehe. Aren't I stupid? Following you and saying useless things even though I knew it wouldn't happen. Well, I'll go. Have a good personal training, Davian. Bye!"
Samantha Cordis turned sharply and hurried away in the opposite direction.
Samantha Cordis.
She's a really good person.
Saturday.
Davian's dormitory.
Davian's usually bustling dormitory was quiet for some reason.
"Oppa, come down and eat cake with me."
Davian, who was coming down anyway to go to Inseness's mansion, asked.
"Cake?"
"Ah, I tried making it for practice, and it turned out prettier than I thought! Look at this!"
Bellus held up a cake with beautifully arranged fruit on a delicious-looking bread.
"Oh, you made it well."
"I don't know how it tastes yet, but it'll be sweet. If you sit on the sofa, I'll go get Mons oppa and Sara unni."
"Ah, Mons and Sara went out earlier. They said they had something to buy."
"Oh, really? Then it's just you and me at home right now..."
"Yeah. It's so quiet, the kids haven't even barged in. I might cancel going out and stay home for once."
"Y-you're staying home?"
"I don't think it's ever been this quiet before."
Bellus grabbed a fork and held it out to Davian.
"Um, oppa."
"Oh, the cake's good."
"Have you decided on a ball partner? You're probably going with the prettiest one, Latia unni, right?"
"Not yet."
"Not yet? It's only three days away. More than half of my classmates seem to have decided on partners already?"
"Have you decided, Bellus?"
Bellus's cheeks suddenly turned red.
"I'm... not going to decide."
"Not going to decide? It'll be less boring if you have a partner."
"That's... actually, you know!"
Bellus straightened her back and widened her eyes.
Davian, who was eating cake, looked up at Bellus.
Bellus, who had been making eye contact for a moment, tightly closed her eyes.
"I want to be your ball partner, oppa!"
Bellus.
Davian saved her grandfather, and they've been living in the same house for two and a half years now.
Of course, Davian and Mons use the second floor, and Bellus and Sara use the first floor.
A mage with an affinity for spirits that only appears once every few hundred years.
She has already made contracts with dozens of spirits and maintains close relationships.
"Bellus. I think of you like family..."
Bellus interrupted Davian.
"I know! But we're not really family."
A powerful spirit mage.
A very rare existence, and someone who would have been a must-have party member in the previous playthrough.
But.
As Davian grew significantly.
The influence of the ice spirit Glacie also became too great.
"I know how you feel, Bellus. But I feel kind of weird with you. Like we're really family."
Bellus hung her head.
"I shouldn't have said anything..."
His plan to rest at home had fallen through.
Headed to Inseness's mansion as planned.
"Davian!"
No way.
Not you too?
"Karin."
"Where are you going?"
"To Uncle Inseness's house. I have something to talk about. What about you?"
"I'm just. Taking a walk."
"Okay. See you around dinner time."
Karin Ovelia looked surprised.
"Dinner time? Just the two of us?"
"No. Won't you all be gathering at my house around then?"
"Ah... well, I guess so. Davian, I received a letter from the Royal Magic Department teachers yesterday."
What's she talking about all of a sudden.
"And?"
"Since I chose to leave the Royal Magic Department and live at Elton Academy, they said they wouldn't let me off the hook if I didn't have a handsome man by my side at the ball."
Karin Ovelia.
She's talking to her friends more naturally than before.
But those friends are all the Davian family.
Karin still hasn't spoken to any other students.
Davian thought about who Karin could partner with.
'Nubes has Bellum, so no.'
That leaves Liber and Davian.
"How about Liber? He's the scion of a family with the best intelligence agency on the continent."
"I absolutely hate people who talk too much."
Ah...
Then Liber is definitely out.
"What about me?"
"Yeah. Would you be my partner, Davian? I don't know any nobles. You three are the only guys I talk to at the academy. One has someone, and one is a chatterbox."
Karin Ovelia.
The Royal Magic Department's secret weapon.
She's falling a little behind Latia, who is growing rapidly.
But still a top-class mage.
Slender and long limbs with flowing black hair.
In fact, there have been more than a few male students who were fascinated by Karin Ovelia's appearance and made the first move.
But they were all rejected outright and returned.
"The situation is pitiful, but I have to be careful this time."
"Careful? You don't mean!"
"Don't mean what?"
"Is there someone you have your eye on? Are you going to confess and start dating using this ball as an excuse?"
Davian shook his head.
"No, nothing like that."
"Really? Well, okay. I don't have anyone to partner with but you anyway. Let me know when you decide. Either I'll go with you, or I'll just go sightseeing alone, one of the two."
Inseness's mansion.
While they were having a heated discussion about what to do when the Demon King leads all the demons to attack.
Inseness asked.
"What's bothering you?"
Davian's head is very complicated.
There was no way the dragon Inseness wouldn't notice that.
"It's because of the ball."
"The ball? Ah, the ball that's being held at your academy next week?"
"Yes. I have to choose a partner, but I'm being careful for some reason."
Inseness chuckled.
"Finally, the day has come for my friend Davian Nowane to act like a man."
"It's not like that."
"Not like that? Aren't you worried about who to choose as your ball partner? How many candidates are there?"
Let's see.
So far, the people who have applied to be Davian's partner are.
One, two, three, four, five...
"Seven people have applied to be partners."
Inseness chuckled again.
"You're still my friend Davian Nowane. But have you already forgotten my advice?"
"Advice?"
"Instead of trying to choose someone, just all together..."
Davian Nowane, a human, dared to interrupt the Black Dragon Inseness.
"Don't say ridiculous things."
"What's ridiculous? There was a heroic human I used to know, and he lived with as many as five wives. But now that I see it, my friend Davian Nowane is several levels above him."
Davian shook his head.
"If we're not going to live together, is there a woman among those seven that you have your eye on?"
Davian recalled the faces of the women who had applied to be his partner one by one.
"Well..."
Someone's missing.
Davian finally noticed that someone was missing from the seven.
Latia Meridiem.
There had been so many partner requests in the past few days that it had been a whirlwind.
He hadn't even thought of it.
Latia Meridiem.
A magical genius girl born into the 1st Duke family and magical family of the Alcancia Kingdom.
Her doll-like appearance would never be lacking no matter where on the continent you put her.
The same is true of her magical talent.
"There's someone else. Who is it, the woman who hasn't applied to be your partner yet. Is that woman the one who has captured your heart?"
"No. It's not like that. Anyway, there's one person left that I have to talk to."
Inseness put his hand on Davian's shoulder.
"My friend, Davian. Don't think too hard. If it's hard to choose just one person, just all together..."
"I think I'll go now."
Monday.
Only one day left until the ball on Tuesday.
Come to think of it.
Davian had hardly spoken to Latia in the six days since the announcement about the ball.
Latia was rarely seen by Davian outside of Magic Department class time.
'Does she have another partner?'
It's possible.
Latia Meridiem is the eldest daughter of the 1st Duke family.
The Elton Academy ball is a place where most of the well-to-do nobles attend.
Whether she wants it or not, her ball partner may already be decided.
'Is that why she's been avoiding me?'
Suddenly, the night of the 2nd year club general meeting came to mind.
The night when club general meetings were held all at once, and most of the academy students were immersed in alcohol.
A night sweetened with alcohol.
Latia had said this.
"I like you. I'm just saying the facts. Don't misunderstand, I'm not asking you out, Davian. It's annoying. Is it because of the alcohol or the moonlight. I'm sure I'll regret it tomorrow. But... I think I'll regret it anyway if I don't say it. I'm going. Good night, Davian."
She had even confessed like this.
If someone else has already been designated as her ball partner.
It was understandable that she had been avoiding Davian for almost a week.
'Was Latia someone I couldn't choose as my ball partner?'
The event notification clearly said to choose a ball partner carefully.
But if someone else has already been designated as a partner, then she can't be Davian's partner.
Davian shook his head after a moment of thought.
"I have to talk to her first."
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