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In the distance, a herd of bison grazed.
'Three should be enough.'
Davian casually dusted off his hands.
Whoosh.
Wind magic sliced through the air.
Despite the distance, it precisely severed the heads of three bison before striking the ground.
The startled bison scattered in all directions.
Thud.
Davian's feet gently touched the ground.
He briefly examined the severed cross-sections.
"Good marbling. Time to attach the labels."
He pulled out three papers with stickers on the back from his pocket.
Slap, slap, slap.
After sticking them to the bison's bodies.
He snapped his fingers.
Whoosh!
A bright light emanated from the labels, and the bison's bodies vanished into thin air.
The vanished bison are immediately transported to the meat storage of the Sea-Brea Restaurant.
Swoosh.
A gentle breeze swept across the prairie, brushing the grass in one direction.
A peaceful afternoon.
No more spies from the Marino Empire, no more dungeons on the verge of Core Amplification.
Although small and large conflicts and accidents still occurred across the continent, nothing that required Davian's strength was happening anymore.
Davian was granted a fairly large territory in the eastern Brea Prairie.
The territory governed by Marquis Davian Naone.
However, the only residents of the territory were a few servants who managed the mansion.
'It's here!'
Davian's keen senses sent a warning.
Davian immediately pulled out a scroll from his pocket.
"I won't let you get away with it today."
As he tore the scroll, Davian disappeared in a flash of white light.
He arrived in a field where his mansion could be seen in the distance.
It was a place where he had planted rhizomates, a crop he had acquired while traveling across the Oshid Continent.
Rhizomates, a type of root vegetable, can be eaten after their roots are harvested when fully grown.
Finely chopped and fried in oil, they are a delicacy.
Moreover, the stems that grow above ground are crisp and sweet.
Aside from the fact that both the roots and stems are edible, the true value of the rhizomate lies in its flowers; the pistils of the rhizomate flower, when dried, create a spice with a unique aroma.
Despite being a crop with roots, stems, and flowers that can all be used, it is notoriously difficult to grow, making it extremely expensive.
Especially the spice made from dried pistils, its price is comparable to a magic scroll.
Davian frantically looked around.
'There!'
The only enemy that has been bothering Davian lately.
The Lepusmoles have appeared.
They are unique animals that only live in the Brea Prairie, moles about the size of rabbits.
The biggest difference between them and ordinary moles is that they have large ears on their heads.
When digging into the ground, they fold them tightly against their backs, and when they come above ground, they perk them up to listen for sounds.
Instead of fully developed eyes, they use them to sense danger above ground.
Until Davian planted rhizomates, Lepusmoles and Davian Naone had no interest in each other.
However, the conflict began with the start of rhizomate farming.
Because Lepusmoles are very fond of rhizomate roots.
Davian lowered his posture and tried to hide his presence as much as possible.
Lepusmoles appear in groups of seven or eight at the very least, and up to dozens at the most.
They perk up their large ears and appear in the rhizomate field, cautiously surveying their surroundings before folding their ears and burrowing into the ground to gnaw at the rhizomate roots.
At first, he didn't think much of it, but as if word had gotten out, all the Lepusmoles in the Brea Prairie seemed to have gathered in this area.
About twenty Lepusmoles stood with their ears perked up on the opposite side of Davian, who had lowered his posture.
'These tedious bastards.'
If he were to unleash wind magic and cut them all down, the stems of the carefully cultivated rhizomates would be cut down along with them.
If he tries to get close to them to deal with them directly with an ice sword, they ghost-like hear the sound and disappear into the ground.
It would be nice if they just disappeared, but they fearlessly gnaw on the rhizomate roots underground before running away.
If he were to sprinkle water on the ground and freeze it solid, as he did when dealing with the sand people from the Desert Continent, the despicable Lepusmoles would not be able to burrow into the ground.
But then the rhizomate roots would freeze as well.
One day, he was so angry that he even considered burning down the entire rhizomate field that the Lepusmoles had burrowed into.
However, that would also mean Davian's defeat.
Davian, who killed the Demon King and the Emperor and brought peace to the continent.
Has encountered a more difficult enemy than ever before.
'Are these guys my nemesis?'
Of course, Davian had killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Lepusmoles over the years.
But that was only temporary; soon, even more Lepusmoles appeared.
A tense standoff.
Those guys with their ears perked up will soon decide that there is no danger and go underground to eat the rhizomate roots to their heart's content.
But if Davian makes a sound, they will sense the danger and burrow into the ground again.
Either way, they will soon burrow into the ground.
He slowly manifested wind magic.
Thin strands of wind began to form around Davian one by one, and soon there were dozens of them.
'Go!'
Whoosh, whoosh.
Dozens of needle-like strands of wind were fired simultaneously.
It was wind magic that would have startled the wizards of the magic tower and made them fall on their butts.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
Still, the thin strands of wind pierced the bodies of the Lepusmoles.
But there were too many of them today.
The Lepusmoles, seeing their companions suddenly dying, immediately folded their ears back and began to dig into the ground.
"Where do you think you're going!"
There was no need to hide his presence anymore.
Swish.
After creating an ice sword in his right hand.
Davian quickly lunged forward.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
The Lepusmoles began to dig into the ground urgently.
Swish!
Thwack!
The ice sword ruthlessly slashed and stabbed the invaders of the rhizomate field.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
But their movements were also fast.
One by one, they were already burrowing into the ground.
'Shadow Assimilation!'
Davian, feeling impatient, even used a skill.
Thwack! Thwack!
Predicting the Lepusmoles' location, he stabbed the ground again and again.
Each time, he felt the flesh and bones of the invaders being pierced by the tip of his sword.
Then.
Thwack!
"Damn it."
He ended up stabbing the rhizomate root.
This rhizomate is now unsaleable.
Davian's shoulders slumped.
He grabbed the stem of the rhizomate with the pierced root and pulled it out.
This one alone could fetch him a sum equivalent to a typical rural worker's annual salary.
"Guess I'll have to cook this up for dinner tomorrow night."
The fierce battle, which was neither a clear victory nor a defeat, came to an end.
Davian's sharp blade had claimed the lives of dozens of invaders.
But before long, they would reappear here.
They are more tenacious than the Marino Empire's spy organization.
Today's survivors will return to their companions and tell them in their language:
Beware of the guardian of the rhizomate field.
Davian looked up at the sky.
The sun, which had been at the top of his head, was gradually beginning to slant westward.
'I need to hurry with the preparations.'
Today was the day he had been invited to Duke Mondres Laon's mansion.
Sweat had broken out on his brow after fighting a battle with the invaders.
'I need to wash up first.'
The Laon ducal family's mansion is located south of the Batian Lake District.
This mansion, which had been forfeited to the state after being accused of treason, was given back to the last survivor of the Laon ducal family.
In front of the mansion's main gate.
The gatekeeper blocked Davian's path.
"State your purpose for visiting."
"I was invited to tonight's banquet."
"State your identity and show me your invitation."
There isn't a single person on the entire continent who doesn't know Davian Naone.
But not everyone knows Davian's face.
"I am Marquis Davian Naone. The invitation is here."
The gatekeeper's eyes widened.
The strongest mage and the strongest swordsman in human history.
The great hero who protected the continent from the demon world and the Empire.
The savior of the continent.
Davian Naone was standing in front of him.
So surprised was he that his dignified expression and voice completely disappeared, and he began to stammer.
"A-Are you Marquis Davian? It's an honor to meet you. I received word that you would be coming today."
Laon ducal residence banquet hall.
Originally, there were rows of large, long marble tables, but they have all been cleared away, and round tables have been prepared for today.
Davian entered the banquet hall.
"Davian!"
Luna Fuela was the first to greet him.
"Hello, Luna."
"Have you arrived, young master?"
Davian waved his hand.
"What do you mean young master? His Grace is only a marquis."
It was thanks to Davian that Mondres was able to clear the Laon family's disgrace and regain the title of Duke.
"You will always be my young master."
"Hi, Davian."
A woman with a shy expression next to Monds.
It was Sara.
"What's with that expression?"
Sara, who approached Davian, whispered.
"I'm practicing my noble expression."
Davian nodded.
Sara would be able to pull it off soon.
Bonita Portis then entered the banquet hall.
"Davian, wanna spar after the banquet tonight?"
"Are you still saying that every time we meet? It's not like we're academy students anymore."
"Eden is constantly urging me to fight you."
"We'll see if I have time later."
"Alright."
Bonita, with a satisfied expression, sat down.
Nubes Arbo and Bellum Amandria then entered arm in arm.
Bonita asked.
"I heard you two joined the same knight order?"
Bellum answered with a bright smile.
"Yeah! You have no idea how hard it was to find a place where we could join together? That's why we got jobs the latest, except for Davian."
Davian, who had graduated first, had given up on getting a job.
These days, he is caught up in a war with the Lepusmoles.
Nubes asked.
"How about you, Bonita? How's life in the guard? Well, it's only to be expected, but you went straight into the guard as an officer."
"It's alright. It's the same as always. Training in swordsmanship every day."
"Luna, how about you? Aren't you in the same guard as Bonita?"
"Huh? Oh. That's right. But I'm in the healer company, so I haven't had much of a chance to run into Bonita yet."
Liber Specula then entered.
"Liber, hello."
"Hello, everyone."
"How's it going these days? Are you getting along well with your brothers?"
Liber shook his head.
"Not yet. But it'll get better soon."
Liber chose to take over the family business of running the continent's top intelligence agency instead of getting a job elsewhere.
And upon graduation, he achieved the feat of being named the next head of the Specula family, surpassing his brothers.
"Karin!"
"Hello."
Karin Obelia naturally joined the Royal Magic Division upon graduation.
"Is everyone here?"
"Latia hasn't arrived yet."
The first time everyone has gathered since graduation.
Only Latia Meridiem has not arrived yet.
Liber, who was sitting down, stretched his neck forward and lowered his voice after a long time.
"Hey, everyone. Gather around here. Did you hear the news?"
"News? What news?"
"It's about Latia."
"Latia?"
"Yeah. What I mean is..."
As always.
The babbler Liber Specula paused and focused even more attention.
"Ah! You babbler! Tell me quickly!"
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