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"Latia, she might not be able to make it today."
"Why?"
"This is top-secret information our family obtained..."
Bellum growled.
"Just tell me! Did something happen to Latia?"
Liber paused, looking at his friends.
"Latia has declared she's giving up her position as the next head of the family."
"What?"
Giving up the position of the next head of the family.
It meant giving up inheriting the dukedom, the most prestigious title in the Alkancia Kingdom.
"Tell me again in detail. What does that mean? Why would Latia give up being the next head? She's been designated as the next head since before she even entered the academy, being called a magical genius girl and all that, right? And Latia is the eldest daughter."
Liber shrugged.
"I don't know all the details. I barely found this out. The Meridiem Dukedom is keeping it tightly under wraps."
"You're not lying, are you?"
Bonita shook her head.
"Even if Chatterbox here talks a lot, he's not the type to lie about something like this."
"That's true."
Bellum still couldn't close his astonished mouth.
"Then what happened? And why might Latia not be able to come today?"
Liber looked sympathetic.
"Apparently, there's a lot of conflict within the family because of this. She's probably under house arrest? No one has seen Latia since that news broke."
"Oh my goodness."
Luna asked.
"What's going to happen to Latia now?"
"If it were an ordinary family, the eldest daughter giving up being the head would mean the opportunity goes to another sibling or something. But this is the Meridiem Dukedom. They've been publicly saying that Latia would be the next head for too long. This is like staining the Dukedom's reputation. Maybe..."
"Maybe?"
"Maybe she'll be expelled from the family?"
"What? How can they do that! She's just not going to be the head, why would she be expelled from the family!"
Just then.
"Who's getting expelled?"
It was Latia Meridiem.
"Latia!"
Bellum and Luna rushed out, each grabbing one of Latia's arms.
"Are you okay?"
"Is it true?"
"I'm fine, of course. Were you talking about me?"
Unlike what they had feared, Latia's expression was as calm as ever.
"Is it? Isn't it? Chatterbox just got bad information, right?"
"Information? What information?"
"Well, Chatterbox here said you gave up being the head of the Meridiem Dukedom."
"Yeah, I did."
"I knew it... what? You did?"
"Yeah. My younger brother is going to be the head."
This time, Liber showed intense interest.
"There was a lot of conflict within the family. Weren't you confined somewhere, Latia? Even mobilizing all my informants, no one saw you."
"What? Do your Specula family informants infiltrate our family too?"
Liber scratched the back of his head.
"Well, you know. There isn't a place on the whole continent where we don't have informants."
Latia nodded briefly.
"I guess so."
"So? What happened? Come here and sit down quickly. Tell us about it."
"Well, I wasn't confined or anything. What do you think of our family, Liber? Confine? Me, the eldest daughter?"
"No, no. I just heard you hadn't been seen since you gave up the head position."
"I was busy. I had to go to the room with the ancestors' tablets and offer an apology prayer. After all, I did give up inheriting the glory of the Meridiem family. And I had to sort out my thoughts a bit. And give my younger brother some advice. And I finished preparing to leave the family."
"Leave the family?"
"Yeah. Unfortunately, I wasn't expelled from the family like you predicted, Liber. I'm just going to try to be independent."
"Independent? Are you thinking of joining the Magic Tower?"
Latia Meridiem was not only the eldest daughter of a duke's family but also a magical genius girl.
It had already been eight years since she obtained the Stone of Enlightenment with Davian and Liber in their first year, doubling their magical power.
Now, the title of magical genius girl could no longer contain Latia's potential.
Except for Davian, there wasn't a magician of a similar age who had achieved as much as Latia.
If she said she wouldn't inherit the head position, it was natural to think she would go to the Magic Tower.
"No. I'm not going to the Magic Tower."
"Then?"
Latia turned her head to look at Davian.
Her golden hair swayed lightly.
"Davian. You have a spare room in your mansion, right?"
"Whaaat?"
All the friends looked at Latia with surprised eyes.
And the most surprised of all was.
Davian Naone.
"What are you talking about?"
"When I went to visit before, I saw how big your mansion was. Big enough to give the servants a sunny second-floor room. And you use the third floor all by yourself, right?"
"There are plenty of rooms to spare, but what are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about? I'm saying I'm going to be independent, and my father said he'd give me a new castle. But there's no need for that, right? I'm just living on my own. It would take a long time to build a new castle. And Davian, your mansion has plenty of spare rooms."
The friends knew roughly how Latia and Davian felt about each other.
But this statement was too outrageous.
Liber stammered.
"S-so. Y-you gave up the head position of the Meridiem Dukedom to live with Davian?"
Latia made a sulky face.
"It sounds a bit weird when you say it like that. I'm just saying I'm going to be independent, and since Davian's mansion has a lot of spare rooms, I'm just going to impose on him a bit."
"That's what you're saying!"
"No, it's not?"
"Good heavens..."
With a shrug, Latia picked up the dish in front of her with a fork and put it in her mouth.
With Mons and Sarah completely frozen, only Latia's lips were moving, chewing the duck meat.
"What's everyone doing? There's so much food here, why aren't you eating?"
Mons, who had finally regained his senses, opened his mouth.
"Oh? Oh, yeah. Let's eat, everyone."
Sarah, who was sitting next to him, grinned.
The aristocratic expression she had been practicing was nowhere to be seen.
"What's with Latia? I thought she was just a haughty duke's daughter. She's incredibly provocative, isn't she?"
Amid the confusion and terror, the small banquet hosted by Duke Mondres Raon resumed.
Enjoying the excellent dishes and light alcohol, the ten laughed and talked, sharing stories about what they had been up to.
As time passed, Latia's shocking remarks were gradually forgotten.
Nubes, who had consumed the most meat, patted his stomach.
"That was a great meal, Mons hyung. No, Duke Mondres."
"You can call me Mons hyung comfortably."
"Really? I'm used to it."
"Sure. It's fine. Mons is just another name for me."
Bonita, who had wiped her mouth, stood up.
"Let's go, Davian, if you're done eating."
"What?"
"The duel. You said you'd do it sometime today. The sun's going to set."
Davian shook his head.
"Mons, is there a suitable place?"
"Of course, Young Master."
Inside the Raon Dukedom's large training ground.
As befitting a swordsmanship family that had been passed down for generations, they had several large and magnificent training grounds.
Davian and Bonita stood on the training platform, and the rest of the group prepared to watch their match, sitting on chairs set up on one side.
Simple food and drinks were prepared on the tea tables placed between the chairs.
"Shall we start?"
"Let's finish quickly. It seems like everyone still has a lot to talk about."
"Okay."
Swish.
Bonita Portis drew her ego sword, Iden.
Swish.
Davian created an ice sword.
Both of them were lightly lowering their swords, but there was no sign of weakness.
A moment later.
Nubes asked.
"What are those two doing?"
Bellum shrugged.
"I don't know. They're just standing there, staring at each other."
Duke Mondres Raon opened his mouth.
"Those two... have they reached that level already?"
"Level?"
"Yeah. I've only heard about it. It's still debated in swordsmanship academia whether such a level actually exists or not."
Bellum clapped his hands.
"Ah! That level? When they look one, two, three moves ahead of each other..."
"That's right. Those two might already be dueling."
"Oh my gosh. That actually exists? I think we only learned about it briefly in theory class at the academy."
The level that Duke Mondres was talking about.
It was a phenomenon that could only be seen when two people who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship fought, and it wouldn't happen unless both of them had reached the pinnacle.
It was said that they exchanged blows only in their minds, anticipating each other's next moves with their eyes alone, consuming tremendous inner strength and stamina.
According to the stories, it would look like they were just standing still to the onlookers, but the participants would be expending tremendous inner power and stamina.
"I think that's right. Those two. They're in a life-or-death battle right now. Of course, they won't actually die."
At Mondres's words, everyone held their breath and stared at the two.
They were holding their breath and watching, but they were still standing there like wooden statues.
How much time had passed?
"Haa."
Bonita Portis took a deep breath.
"Nubes! It's over!"
Nubes, who had been dozing off, woke up with a start.
"What? What happened?"
"Davian probably won. I guess."
"Aren't those two only fighting with swords right now? Bonita even has an ego sword."
"That's true. Bonita even defeated a legion commander of the demons with that ego sword."
"Davian defeated the Demon King, though?"
"I guess so."
Bonita, who had taken a few more deep breaths, opened her mouth.
"I still can't beat you. Davian Naone. I've been swinging my sword like crazy since I joined the Royal Guard. Weren't you supposed to be a farmer now?"
Davian shook his head.
"I'm at war too."
"War?"
The tenacious and cruel war with Lepusmoll.
"There's something like that."
"Tch. Anyway, Iden says to tell you that next time, I'll definitely surpass you."
"Whatever."
Duke Mondres Raon stood up and said.
"I've prepared rooms for everyone to stay the night. Those who want to talk and have fun can go back to the banquet hall, and if you're tired, tell the servants anytime. They'll guide you to your rooms."
Bellum raised his fist in the air.
"We have to play more!"
Before they knew it, the sun had completely set and the moon had risen, but the Davian Family's banquet showed no signs of ending.
In fact, this was the first time they had all gathered together since graduation.
On one side of the banquet hall on the second floor was a terrace that protruded out of the building in a circle.
On the terrace, Liber and Davian were having a conversation about the state of the continent.
Tap, tap.
Liber, who turned his head at the sound of slender high heels, tapped Davian on the shoulder.
"I have something to ask Karin about the Royal Magic Department. I'm off."
"Suddenly?"
Liber hurriedly returned to the banquet hall.
Instead, Latia stepped onto the terrace.
"Davian."
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