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"Oh, Latia."
"So, you hate it?"
"Hate what?"
"You hate lending me a room that much?"
Davian stared intently at Latia's face.
"That's not the issue right now, Latia."
"Then what is? Would you have said no if Nubes or Liber asked to borrow a room?"
"They're different."
"Then what about Bonita? Would you have refused Bonita if she asked to borrow a room?"
Um...
"I probably would have lent it to her."
"Exactly. So why not me? I'm not asking for it for free. I'll pay rent. You know I have a lot of money."
"I have plenty of money too. Anyway, no."
"Why do you hate lending it to me so much?"
"The situation is what it is. Why would the next head of a ducal family want to live in our house as a tenant? What would people say?"
"That's why I gave it all up."
"Then why did you give it up?"
"You hate it that much?"
"It's not that."
"Do you hate me?"
"..."
Whoosh.
A gust of autumn night wind swept past Latia and reached Davian.
Latia's shoulders trembled slightly, the feeling conveyed through the wind.
Latia's red lips moved shyly.
"I like you... Davian Naone."
Was it around the first semester of my second year in my second life?
Or maybe winter break of my first year in my second life?
Anyway, it was around that time.
The moment I admired Latia, who had skills that were unbelievable for a fellow student, to the point that uncontrollable feelings arose within me.
Because of that, I made a big mistake and ended up facing my second death.
From my third life on, I forcibly crumpled my feelings and stuffed them away.
Having experienced two deaths and my mind being as devastated as it could be, crumpling such a feeling and throwing it into a corner was nothing.
Davian's only goal was graduation.
"Latia."
"I like you. I, Latia Meridian, like Davian Naone."
I eventually earned early graduation.
It was four years since I achieved the graduation I had so desperately wanted.
I had stumbled and rolled around a lot during that time.
Those damn quests and events.
There were so many places that wanted me after graduation.
Everyone made no secret of their desire to keep Davian by their side.
But Davian was too exhausted.
'I've rolled around too much.'
To soothe my weary heart, I built a territory on one side of the Bure Plains.
Even then, small and large disputes continued to occur, and there were many people looking for Davian here and there.
But.
Complex worldly affairs and such.
I didn't care how they went.
That's how four years passed.
Before I knew it, Latia had also graduated and returned home to inherit her family.
That's what happened.
Rustle.
I could see Latia's eyelashes fluttering in the wind.
"I gave up everything. Inheriting the family, becoming the best magician. I gave up everything and settled everything. I'm not saying that we should be anything right away. I just... want to spend every day facing you, just like when we were at the academy. After you graduated and left, I couldn't stop thinking about it every day."
Davian was still looking at Latia's eyelashes fluttering in the wind.
Her emerald eyes were right below them.
If he just lowered his gaze a little, his eyes would meet Latia's.
But he was still just looking at her eyelashes.
"Who's saying we should get married right away? Say something!"
Eventually.
Tears began to well up in Latia's big eyes.
"I know. It was hard. You had too many burdens on your shoulders. I know you left suddenly. So... so... I thought the only way to be with you was to put everything down too..."
So.
Latia had decided to give up everything and become a tenant in Davian's house.
Of course, that wasn't the whole reason.
Davian's gaze shifted slightly downwards.
Latia's blue eyes and Davian's black eyes met each other exactly.
"Latia."
"Yeah."
"I like you too."
"Davian..."
Swish.
Davian took a step forward.
A step that was more cautious and careful than ever before.
"Latia."
"Yeah."
He grabbed Latia's shoulders, pulled her gently, and hugged her.
Latia's hair smelled sweet in his arms.
A moment later.
"Oh oh! What's going on! What's going on with you two!"
The boisterous voice of Bellum Amandria, a master of human sociability, shot towards the terrace.
Bonita scolded.
"Hey! Bellum! No tact!"
"Why? Is it okay for you two to have a romantic moment alone on a day like today? Do you know how long it's been since we all gathered together again as a complete group?"
Nubes nodded.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Nubes was on Bellum's side.
Davian and Latia awkwardly distanced themselves again.
Then they walked into the banquet hall.
Latia mouthed 'thank you' to Bellum.
Davian, with the same posture as he was walking, raised his left thumb so that only Bellum could see it.
It wasn't that Bellum was tactless.
Who do you think Bellum Amandria, a master of human sociability, is?
The one who lacked tact was Bonita Portis, who was blankly staring at the two people hugging on the terrace and scolded Bellum.
In fact.
Davian and Latia were internally running a million simulations, not knowing what to do after the hug.
The boisterous and complete reunion banquet continued until late at night.
Davian looked at Latia's profile as she laughed at Liber's jokes.
'Is it because of that event.'
I remembered the 'Ball Partner Event' that happened during my academy days.
=====
[Event: Choose a Ball Partner.]
―Find a partner for the social dance party to be held on the evening of the ball.
―Special Notes: The ending may change after completing the event. Choose your ball partner carefully.
=====
The ball partner was none other than Latia Meridian.
When I cleared the final quest 'Graduation,' this status window also appeared.
=====
[Final Quest 'Graduation' Completed]
―You are now free from all quests and events in the game 'Elton Academy.'
―The ending is left entirely to the player's discretion. Enjoy the vast open world to your heart's content.
―However, there are those who have decided their 'ending' in this place today, depending on the outcome of the 'Ball Partner Selection' event.
=====
A few months later.
Somewhere east of the Bure Plains in southern continent.
"They're coming!"
"Shhh!"
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo.
The Lepusmole horde, invaders of the Rhizomate field, was rushing in with tremendous speed.
They were gradually increasing their speed as if to end the terrible, long, and tedious battle.
The number was in the hundreds.
"See? I told you I was right?"
"Who knew this would work."
It was Davian Naone who had fought a lonely and long fight alone.
He had defeated the Demon King and won the battle against the Emperor, protecting the Alkancia Kingdom.
But he could not end the war with his arch-enemy, the Lepusmoles.
Now he has a reliable helper by his side.
"Just a little longer, let's wait a little longer."
"How did you come up with this idea, Latia?"
Latia turned her head and looked at Davian.
"You've been the representative of the male students all along, have you already forgotten what you learned in the academy's theory classes?"
…….
It's a drawback of rote learning.
"The first principle when a battle with an opponent that cannot be easily defeated becomes prolonged. Make the opponent complacent. The second principle. Face them in an unfamiliar place. You used to use it so well in practice."
"It's not that I forgot. I just didn't know that it would work on those guys too."
The invaders Lepusmoles and the guardians of the Rhizomate field Davian Naone.
The battle between the two always began at the border of the Rhizomate field in front of Davian's mansion.
The Lepusmoles, which had come close, always pricked up their ears and were wary of their surroundings.
They were so sensitive to hearing that they knew Davian's presence like ghosts.
"Almost there."
"Good."
But this battle took place in a completely different place.
Half of the Rhizomate that had been planted in the field had been transplanted here on one side of the plains.
It was Latia's strategy to lure the complacent Lepusmoles.
Those who had been coming here a few at a time from time to time to check the safety of the surroundings and then gnawing at the roots of the Rhizomate little by little and running away.
Whether they judged that it was a completely safe place, they finally appeared today, leading all the groups.
"That's it! Now!"
It looks like Rhizomate is randomly gathered and growing on a normal prairie.
In fact, there was a huge mechanical device under it.
It was a magical mechanical device that Latia had requested from the Meridian family to make.
Kugugung.
It seemed like the ground was shaking.
Uuung.
The hemisphere-shaped land began to rise into the sky.
It is the very land where Rhizomate was planted.
Hundreds of Lepusmoles are now frantically swaying on it.
Even if you desperately dig into the ground, there is no place to run away on the land that has been taken out like pudding.
No matter where you break through, there was a cliff under your feet.
In this way, hundreds of Lepusmoles were helplessly trapped in the air by a mechanical device using the latest technology from the Meridian Duchy, a prestigious magical family.
"How is it! Davian. Is it a success?"
"Wow, that's really amazing?"
"Now get rid of them."
Charreuk.
A mana sword appeared in Davian's right hand.
Now, if he swings the sword once towards the land floating in the air.
It will be completely powdered by the mana sword.
"What are you doing?"
"......"
One of the Lepusmoles, who had confirmed that there was no longer a connected place even after digging into the ground and going here and there, made a bold choice.
Poljak.
Whether he dies or lives, he decided to jump to the ground for freedom.
Swiaaek!
A sharp wind element magic that arose from Latia's hand cut the body of the jumping Lepusmole in half in mid-air.
"What are you doing! Davian! At this rate, they'll all jump down and run away!"
"You don't know."
"Huh? What don't I know?"
"You don't know, Latia. The heart of a farmer."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
It's not just Lepusmoles on the land that is floating in the air.
As many as half of the Rhizomate are planted on it.
"No one knows this feeling of half of the year's farming flying away except for farmers."
Latia sighed.
"Are you a real farmer or what?"
"Then would I be a fake farmer?"
"Okay. Anyway, are you going to just watch like this and let those guys eat up the remaining half of the Rhizomate? Are you going to lose to your archenemy like this, Davian Naone."
Davian's eyes flashed.
"I can't let that happen. Those Lepusmole bastards."
Bung.
Davian, who had made up his mind, swung his ice sword greatly.
Kwagwagwagwa!
A mana sword of enormous power was shot into the air.
Kwaaaang!
It passed by, literally turning the land that had been floating in the air into powder.
"Wow... It's amazing power no matter how many times I see it."
"Finally. Is it my victory?"
"It's our victory."
"Yes. Our victory."
The long and long war with the archenemy ended with the victory of the Davian Naone and Latia Meridian alliance.
It was a quest with a higher level of difficulty than ever before, to the point that he would not have been able to clear it without Latia.
Of course, there was no ddiring notification sound or quest notification window.
"I'm hungry. Let's go home now."
"Okay."
Latia naturally raised both arms and wrapped them around Davian's neck.
Davian, who picked up Latia with a bang, flew into the sky as it was.
<The End.>
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