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"That's it for today's class."
Professor Omar Beachir's magic theory class was over.
Latia, who always sat to Davian's right, was sitting alone at the far end today.
Davian walked over to Latia.
"Latia."
Latia, still sitting in her chair, looked up at Davian.
"What?"
"Let's talk."
"About what?"
"Just, it feels like we haven't had a conversation in almost a week."
Latia chuckled.
An ambiguous laugh that didn't reveal her true feelings.
"You have to talk to have a conversation."
"You've been avoiding me. Sitting far away too."
Latia simply shrugged in response.
"Anyway, let's talk."
"Okay."
Davian walked ahead.
Latia got up from her chair and followed.
They left the classroom building and walked for a while.
The two of them settled on a secluded garden bench.
"What did you want to talk about?"
After a moment of thought, Davian asked directly.
"Have you decided on a ball partner for tomorrow?"
"No."
Wasn't she supposed to have a predetermined partner from her family?
"Oh, really?"
"You wanted to see me just to ask that?"
"Then why have you been avoiding me for a week?"
"Avoiding you? Me? I haven't."
She hasn't been avoiding him?
They haven't talked for a week.
And she deliberately sat far away in class.
And she says she hasn't been avoiding him.
Latia Meridian changed the subject.
"Speaking of ball partners, I heard you've received partnership requests from more than four people, Davian?"
To be exact.
Seven people.
"Well, you know."
"So. Have you decided on a ball partner?"
"No."
"You just have to choose, right? Oh, haven't you chosen yet? Luna is cute, Bonita is cool, Velus is kind, and Hanna Oliver is bold?"
There are three more, Latia.
"I'm trying to be careful this time, but it's not easy."
"Is that so? I see."
Davian was the one who called her out to talk.
But now he has nothing to say.
He thought she would say, 'I have a predetermined partner.'
If she doesn't have a predetermined partner, did she fall for someone else in the meantime?
At least from what he's seen so far, that's unlikely.
If not...
'Wait. If not?'
Only then.
Davian's mind cleared as if someone had hit him with a hammer.
'Why did I take it for granted?'
Is it because all the other girls approached him first?
Maybe that's why.
'Latia just didn't ask me to be her partner first. She never said she had a predetermined partner.'
That was just Davian's assumption.
"You called me out to talk and you're just thinking to yourself?"
"Oh, sorry."
Latia is.
She was waiting for Davian to approach her first.
'That's something Latia would definitely do.'
She made the first confession, after all.
At least she means for you to ask her to be your ball partner.
'Maybe she's been staying away because she doesn't like other girls asking me to be their partner.'
Or.
'It was a signal for me to approach her first.'
"If you have nothing more to say, I'm leaving. My dress for tomorrow is supposed to arrive today."
Now it's up to Davian to choose.
Asking her to be his partner means.
That Davian will no longer have any other options.
Of course, if Latia refuses, he'll have other options again.
'Who do I want to be my ball partner?'
And.
'What kind of ending do I want?'
Latia got up from the chair.
"I'll go first."
Davian grabbed Latia's wrist.
"Latia."
Latia turned her head and looked at Davian.
Latia's blonde hair fluttered in the gentle autumn breeze.
"What?"
"The ball social dance party. Will you be my partner?"
As if time had stopped.
The two of them stood motionless, looking at each other.
Only Latia's blonde hair fluttered in the wind.
"Yes, Davian."
Ting.
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[Event 'Choose a Ball Partner' Completed]
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1st playthrough.
Latia was just a classmate with insurmountable skills to Davian because he died during the mid-term dungeon exploration exam in the first semester of the first year.
2nd playthrough.
Latia was still an insurmountable wall.
A strong desire to clear the main quest.
A strong will to become stronger to do so.
Made Davian admire Latia Meridian.
Magic genius girl.
If I become as strong as her, can I be freed from this damn quest?
The admiring heart became a certain emotion without him knowing.
The emotion swelled up uncontrollably.
Davian fell in love with Latia.
The Lich's mind magic incident.
Latia, possessed by mind magic, became a villain.
At the moment when Latia Meridian could barely be dealt with at the cost of several classmates' sacrifices.
Davian hesitated in his attack on Latia, even though he wasn't in a position to do so.
The result was disastrous.
Because of that one hesitation.
Half of his classmates died.
He somehow managed to deal with Latia, but.
Davian lost his life in the quest that followed immediately after.
3rd playthrough.
Due to the impact of the previous two deaths.
Davian's mind began to deteriorate in earnest.
The feelings he had deeply cherished for Latia in the previous playthrough.
He boldly crumpled them up for the sake of graduation.
It wasn't just the feelings for Latia that he boldly crumpled up and threw away.
His only goal was graduation.
Everyone around Davian became nothing more than tools to achieve his goal.
The Lich's mind magic incident.
Davian's skills had improved considerably compared to the previous playthrough.
And he didn't hesitate in his attack on Latia.
When he cleared all the quests related to the Lich's mind magic incident.
Latia, who had regained her sanity, was almost a wreck due to guilt and shock over what she had done.
Davian, who had been devastated by two deaths.
It hurt to watch Latia like that.
He tried so hard to erase his emotions.
Still.
Latia was a huge obstacle for Davian, whose only goal was graduation.
4th playthrough.
Destroying a bandit group's hideout and getting some mana points.
Affected the tutorial story and Davian met Latia Meridian before even entering the academy.
Empty magic shop.
The only people inside were Latia, Davian, and Mons.
Three deaths.
Davian's mind was even more devastated.
And an opportunity to eliminate Latia early came.
Whoosh.
Wind element magic rose on Davian's hand.
'Should I just kill her now?'
If I kill her now and prevent her from appearing in front of me again.
I won't have to worry about the emotions I tried so hard to crumple up unfolding again.
His only goal was graduation.
There was nothing he couldn't do for the sake of graduation.
At that moment, various thoughts rushed into Davian's mind.
'What if I can't finish her off in one shot and cause a big commotion?'
'Even if I finish her off in one shot, what about the witnesses who saw me enter here?'
'The other party is the eldest daughter of a duke, so the investigation won't be done lightly. What if it's discovered later that I did it and I'm denied admission?'
Eventually.
It was good to deal with Latia, but he chose to focus on getting into the academy safely first.
He didn't know it at the time.
That all the thoughts that rushed into his head were just excuses.
That Davian could never kill Latia with his own hands.
Davian in the 4th playthrough no longer needed to admire Latia.
Rather, Latia began to admire Davian.
A freak.
Latia called Davian a freak and dismissed him as a special case.
But in her heart, she admired Davian again and again.
And.
Just like Davian did.
The admiring heart became a certain emotion without her knowing.
The Lich's mind magic incident.
Latia no longer became a villain.
Nor did she become an obstacle to Davian's goal.
She sat in the seat to Davian's right in every class.
And they went through quests together.
Davian continued to grow stronger without knowing the end.
Latia also became stronger both mentally and physically than ever before.
But.
Davian, who had faced the 4th playthrough after three deaths, no longer felt the same emotions for Latia as before.
Thanks to this, Latia was no longer an obstacle, but the most reliable companion.
A companion to run together towards the goal of graduation.
The day he first met Emperor Kaiser Lapax.
Latia died.
Even though she knew she didn't have the skills to do so.
She poured out magic to save Davian, who was dying, and died at the hands of the Emperor.
Fortunately, Latia had an immortal heart.
Latia miraculously came back to life.
Latia's first words after being resurrected were, 'Thank goodness, Davian. You're not dead.'
Latia raised her slender arms and hugged Davian's neck.
It was the moment when Davian's emotions, which had been crumpled up more and more firmly over the playthroughs, began to unfold again.
From early in the morning, the common space of Elton Academy was noisy.
One of the few days when outsiders were allowed to enter the academy.
Unlike the festival day, when the gates were opened to the citizens of Elton City once a year.
Only invited nobles could enter the academy on the day of the ball.
Nubes looked around with his mouth open.
"Wow, are there this many nobles in our kingdom?"
Liber replied.
"There are many local nobles we don't know about."
The central garden of the common space.
On one side, musicians were playing pleasant music.
The nobles, gathered in groups of three or five, enjoyed champagne and snacks while chatting.
Each one wore splendid and luxurious clothes.
For today only, academy students also wore dresses and tuxedos instead of school uniforms.
However, they wore brooches with their grade marks engraved on them to show that they were Elton Academy students.
"But why aren't the girls coming?"
"Why? Do you want to see Belm in her dress that badly, Nubes?"
"No, no. It's not that. It's just that it's past the time for them to come."
"Girls always take a long time to dress up. It's different from coming to class in school uniforms."
"Is that so."
Nubes looked around again.
Come to think of it.
There were women here and there, but.
The number of men was still overwhelmingly large.
Not only academy students, but also nobles from outside.
Nubes nodded slowly.
"Girls always take a long time."
"Why, are you amazed?"
"Yeah."
"I'm more amazed by the tailor who made the tuxedo that fits you, Nubes. What kind of fit is this?"
Nubes raised his thick arm and scratched the back of his head vigorously.
"Is it weird?"
"No. It's not weird. It's cool. It looks like you're wearing tuxedo-shaped armor."
At that time.
Nubes raised his hand high.
"Belm!"
Belm was walking towards them.
Belm also raised her hand high and shouted.
They were a very well-matched couple.
"Nubes! Ooh, awesome."
Liber and Davian also turned their heads.
Led by Belm.
The female students of Davian's family were walking together.
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