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Nubes' jaw dropped as she looked at Belluum, who was dressed in a pink dress with her hair styled up.
Next to her, Luna walked in wearing a light green mini-dress.
Karin, with her black hair, wore a light beige slim dress.
Bonita, with her neatly styled red hair, wore a black off-shoulder dress.
It was a black dress that seemed out of place in a ballroom, but Bonita's red hair and white shoulders created a strange harmony with the dress.
Whee-ew.
Liber whistled and clapped his hands.
"What's going on, everyone? Why are you all so pretty? Are you really the people I know?"
"What are you talking about, blabbermouth? Didn't you know?"
"No. I didn't know. Not at all."
"Do you want to die?"
While Belluum and Liber were joking around,
Davian's gaze was fixed on Latia Meridiem, who was walking in from the very back.
A light purple dress.
The skirt was full and flared out.
The top had a deep V-neckline.
Her long blonde hair had thick curls, unlike usual.
Latia met Davian's eyes and smiled.
Light makeup further enhanced Latia's already doll-like beauty.
Davian wasn't the only one mesmerized by Latia's appearance.
Liber, who had been bickering with Belluum, was now gaping at Latia, and Nubes, who kept glancing at Latia, ended up getting a nudge in the ribs from Belluum.
Liber, who had more freedom of expression than Nubes, opened his mouth.
"What's going on, Latia? Is it okay to be this pretty?"
Latia shrugged lightly.
She didn't even offer a rebuttal.
Murmurs were heard here and there.
"Who is that student?"
"Blonde hair and a doll-like appearance... Ah! Could it be the eldest daughter of the Meridiem Duchy?"
"Oh, that's right. I think you're right. Latia Meridiem. I didn't know she looked like that."
"They say she has the most beautiful face on the continent; it seems the rumors weren't exaggerated."
"No, I think the rumors didn't even capture her beauty."
As time passed, most of the invited guests and academy students gathered in the common space garden.
The more women dressed in gorgeous dresses, wearing heavy makeup, and with beautifully styled hair there were,
the more Latia's beauty shone.
Twenty-year-old Latia was radiating a different charm than when she had enrolled at seventeen.
"What... it was her after all?"
Third-year Hanna Oliver muttered to herself.
Davian Naone, who had rejected her request for a partner.
And Latia Meridiem, who was standing close to him.
Rather than jealousy, it was a pair that inspired her to give up as soon as possible.
She asked Bellus, a classmate next to her.
"Bellus, you live with Davian oppa, right? What's it like? Are those two dating?"
"Huh? Oh, no. I don't really know."
"Really? But weren't you also in love with Davian oppa?"
"Me? No, Davian oppa and I are just like family..."
Bellus also decided to give up on her feelings for Davian.
The Elton Academy ball, held once every five years, ended in great success.
A social dance party was held in the evening.
The most talked-about couple was Davian Naone and Latia Meridiem.
Davian Naone.
The rising star of the Alkancia Kingdom.
It was old news that he could freely use magic and swordsmanship and had skills that were beyond the academy level.
Now, rumors were circulating that no one on the continent could match Davian.
Unbelievable skills and handsome looks.
It was enough to ignite the hearts of the women gathered at the ball, but the flames in their hearts could not burn freely because of Latia, who was lightly waltzing to the music with her hands clasped in his.
Latia Meridiem.
Looks, skills, family.
She was truly someone who had everything.
As the two danced hand in hand,
people around them gradually moved away,
and by the time the last song was played, Davian and Latia were the only ones left on the dance floor.
Everyone else was just watching them, forming a large circle.
A peaceful second semester passed.
After school, he would always practice swordsmanship with Bonita or train with the spear alone.
Clang!
"Are you dating Latia?"
"No."
"After making such a fuss at the ball?"
"What did I do?"
Davian hadn't done anything,
but it was true that there had been a fuss.
The two had become a couple that the continent was paying attention to.
"So are you dating or not?"
"I told you, no. I have no plans to date before graduation."
Clang!
"So it's not completely over yet."
It seemed Bonita had no intention of giving up yet.
There were final exams, but the academy's exam evaluation had long lost any meaning for Davian.
Thus, the fourth year ended, and winter vacation arrived.
After the vacation, it would be the fifth year.
Only two grades were left above.
Belluum stretched her arms up to the sky.
"It's vacation!"
"It's already the end of the fourth year. It's strangely amazing. It feels like it hasn't been long since we enrolled."
"Because so much has happened. What are everyone's winter vacation plans?"
Bonita answered.
"Swordsmanship training."
"Bonita's always the same. What about the others? Karin, what about you? Is the royal family calling you in again?"
Karin nodded.
"Yeah. They want me to come and show them my progress or something."
Belluum crossed her arms.
"Karin, this is just my opinion, but you know, the royal magic department calling you in every vacation to see your progress?"
"What about it?"
"Isn't it just because they miss you? You've been growing up in the royal magic department as a secret weapon since you were young. You've grown so tall, but the masters of the royal magic department have raised you since you were a little kid."
Karin Oberia's eyes widened.
Her masters had always been strict.
She had never thought about this.
"They're... calling me in because they miss me?"
"That's right. As soon as vacation starts, they tell you to come to the royal family as if they've been waiting for it."
Liber nodded.
"Oh, Belluum. That makes sense. How much progress can you make every semester that they call you in for a month to test you? Karin, what do you do for a month when you go to the royal family? You don't just take tests all month, do you?"
"I just... spend time in the lab or go to my masters' houses for dinner..."
"They're calling you in because they miss you."
While Karin was making a face as if she had been hit by something,
"What about you, Latia? Do you have any plans?"
"I'm not going for long, but I'm going to visit my family once. My father called me."
"Really? Latia's house was really huge."
Latia looked at Davian.
"My father told me to bring you too?"
"Me?"
"Yeah."
Liber raised two index fingers and pointed to Latia and Davian respectively.
"Ooh, what's this? Are you going to formally introduce yourselves?"
Latia pouted her lower lip.
Davian pretended to punch Liber.
"Is that what a strategist should say? He probably has something to say about the alliance."
Liber smiled slyly.
"Is that really the case? You two have almost become the continent's official couple, haven't you?"
Latia replied.
"We just partnered up at the ball. I had to choose someone anyway."
On the first day of vacation,
Davian and his friends gathered in the dormitory, laughing and chatting about their vacation plans.
Unaware that none of the vacation plans they had painstakingly made would come true.
At the same time.
An inn not far from the restaurant C-Bre.
"Is winter coming now? It's chilly even though we're inside? Innkeeper, put some more firewood in the fireplace!"
The innkeeper sighed deeply.
"There's more than enough firewood in there. Why is it like this today? No matter how much I stoke the fireplace, the chill won't go away."
Then,
new guests opened the door to the inn and entered.
"What's this? It's colder inside than outside. What kind of inn is this?"
The innkeeper hurried out.
"Welcome. Are there three of you? Are you staying or just having a meal?"
"We were going to stay, but the building is so cold."
The innkeeper scratched his head.
"Well, our inn isn't usually like this. It's a bit strange today. I'm constantly putting in firewood, so it'll warm up soon."
Then,
one of the newly arrived guests hurriedly looked around.
"What is this energy?"
Another member of the group turned and asked.
"What's wrong?"
"Don't you feel the vibration in the building? Besides, this energy is..."
"Huh, this person. Are you saying there's an earthquake? I don't feel anything. Just a bit cold."
"No, I'm sure the building is vibrating subtly. Don't you know my senses are sensitive?"
"Really? Innkeeper, are you running some kind of machine?"
"No, sir. It's just the same as usual. I really don't know why it's like this today."
Uuuuung.
The vibration quickly intensified.
Besides the man who said his senses were sensitive,
everyone in the inn could feel the vibration.
"What is it?"
"Is it an earthquake?"
Uuuuuung.
The vibration became even stronger.
Clang!
Now, the water glasses on the tables began to fall to the floor.
Some people grabbed the tables fixed to the floor with both hands,
and some people got up to run outside.
Then,
Koo-oong.
With a dull sound,
the entire inn building began to sink into the ground.
Drdddddd.
Just as the inn building disappeared into the ground,
Kuaaaang.
A pillar of black magic rose from the ground.
The inn building, which was in the center of the emerging magic, disappeared without a trace or sound.
The pillar of magic that rose high into the sky could be seen from anywhere in Elton City.
"Kyaaak! What is that!"
"Wh-what is it!"
"Magic...! It's magic! The demons are attacking!"
"Magic?"
Aeeeeee.
Emergency alarms began to sound simultaneously from the Elton City gates in the east, west, south, and north.
The magic that rose so high that it could be seen from all gates was gradually increasing in thickness.
Aeeeeee.
The city emergency alarm was heard clearly by Davian and his group, who were gathered in the academy dormitory.
"What is it? What level of alert is this?"
Liber shouted.
"Special alert!"
"Special alert?"
A level 3 alert meant that a force that could harm the city was approaching the gates.
A level 2 alert meant that a battle that could breach the gates was taking place.
A level 1 alert meant that the city was in danger because the gates had been completely breached.
And,
a special alert meant that the danger was originating from within the city.
Davian, who had jumped up, approached the window.
He could see a huge pillar of darkness rising.
Even in a short time, the pillar was increasing in circumference.
"The Demon King..."
Bonita, who had come closer, asked.
"What did you say, Davian?"
"The Demon King. It seems the Demon King has attacked."
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