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Davian was looking at an ordinary woman in her forties.
A common appearance in common clothes that could be seen anywhere in Elton City.
Brown hair braided casually back.
Her face was covered in freckles.
Loose-fitting clothes were far from stylish or fancy.
Nubes asked again.
"Who are you looking at, Davian?"
"Oh, nothing. I thought I saw someone I knew."
"Oh, really? How about it, Davian? Are you going to the buffet first?"
"I have somewhere to go alone. See you at the demonstration theater later."
"Oh, come on, Davian, not you too..."
Davian patted Nubes on the shoulder and disappeared into the crowd.
"Why is Davian acting like that again? Is something wrong?"
"Looks like he saw someone he knew? He'll come to the theater later, I guess."
Two hours later.
The large theater in the common area.
Luna, who arrived later, pointed to an empty seat that she had saved for Davian.
"Davian, you're late?"
"Yeah. What grade's performance is on now?"
"5th grade just finished, and now 6th grade is starting. I think 6th grade is a magic demonstration."
Five 6th graders went up on the stage.
All of them were wearing fancy magic rings on their fingers.
Davian's gaze was directed at the gray-haired student standing in the center.
"Latia."
"Why?"
"Take a good look at the gray-haired one in the middle. He's a really amazing senior."
"Really? How do you know?"
"I saw him around."
He had run into that gray-haired senior a few times in the previous iteration.
Grady Butler.
The strongest magician among the current academy students.
A talented individual who was scouted by the royal family upon graduation.
And there was one unique thing about him.
"Huh? That senior's hair color is changing!"
"Really? Wasn't it dark gray a second ago? Now it's turned silver?"
He had a unique constitution where his hair turned white when he manipulated magic.
Whoosh.
A large and dazzling flame bloomed on Grady Butler's hand.
The flame, which stretched high into the sky, suddenly began to spread wide.
Bellum grabbed Luna's shoulder in surprise.
"Wh-what is that?"
"I-I don't know either!"
"Luna, you're in the magic department. How can you not know?"
The pillar of fire that Grady shot up became a wide curtain, covering the sky above the theater.
"Wow!"
Exclamations of admiration burst out from the onlookers.
It was in the form of a roof made of flames covering the entire theater. The flame roof created in mid-air maintained a constant shape and height for a long time.
The curtain of fire that had covered the sky seemed to gather again, and this time it began to fly in the shape of a huge bird.
Most of the people sitting in the audience seats watched the flying firebird with their mouths open.
"Wow."
"Is something like that possible with fire elemental magic?"
"It's like a real phoenix appeared... beautiful."
"The demonstrations we saw before are all forgotten now. It's really amazing."
Latia, who was looking at the sky, opened her mouth.
"You're right, Davian. He's really amazing, that senior."
"Right?"
"I can't believe that kind of control is possible... Is this really the level of an academy student?"
"There's no one in the 7th grade who can beat that senior."
"So, that senior is the best magician right now? Among the Elton Academy students?"
"Well, he's already beyond the academy level."
"Hoo..."
After that, the five magic demonstrations unfolded in a well-organized manner.
However, they were not as impressive as Grady Butler's solo demonstration that was shown at the beginning.
That's how great the impact of Grady's fire elemental magic demonstration was.
Next, the 7th grade stage followed.
In the 7th grade, swordsmen came out and showed sword demonstrations.
Four students came on stage, each creating different forms of aura.
Fire, wind, water, earth.
It was an aura with four forms like four elemental magic.
The four students who created various auras began to perform a sword dance.
Whoong, whoong.
Every time they powerfully swung their swords, the sound of cutting through the air filled the theater.
It was a movement that was smooth like flowing water but also had a strong force that seemed like it could split rocks.
Davian's eyes moved busily.
'That's an amazing movement.'
It was a performance he had seen in the previous iteration as well.
But at that time, it just felt like a sword dance demonstration by a senior grade.
But now, having majored in swordsmanship and learned swordsmanship, and having obtained the 'Eye to See Sword Paths' skill, it was different.
Thanks to allocating 30,000 points to internal energy before the formal sparring with Dylan Nadeon, the level of the Eye to See Sword Paths skill had also risen to 16.
'It's really amazing.'
To the general public watching the demonstration, it would just be a slow-moving sword dance.
But Davian saw it completely differently.
It was truly a perfect sword path and a perfect movement.
'It's safe to say that the sword and the body have become one.'
Davian focused all his attention on his two eyes to not miss even a single small movement.
Unaware of the passage of time due to concentration, all the demonstration performances of the last 7th grade were over.
All the official schedules of the first day of the festival were over, and all that remained was eating and drinking.
When they went to the outdoor buffet they had seen during the day, a huge party had already started.
Music played by musicians echoed from here and there, and the voices of countless people laughing and talking were mixed with the music, completing the festive atmosphere.
Nubes, who was excited and looking around, shouted.
"Beer! Let's drink beer! Davian!"
In this Alcancia Kingdom, the three years from 17 to 19 are recognized as 'quasi-adults'.
It means that it is a period of preparation to become an adult, although not yet an adult.
If you hadn't entered a place like the Academy, it would also be the time to take your first steps into society after completing the compulsory education course.
Gambling is not allowed during this period, but alcohol is permitted.
And the types of alcohol that can be drunk are only beer and wine.
Other strong liquors can only be legally drunk after the age of 20 when you become an adult.
Luna asked.
"Have you ever drunk beer before? Nubes."
Nubes raised his index finger to his lips.
"Shhh. It's a secret. I've had a drink or two with the people from my territory. It's really amazing!"
Bellum approached and poked Nubes in the side.
"Oh, what's this? I thought you were just a timid pushover. You're a delinquent?"
"A delinquent? That's not true. That's just what everyone does in the countryside. Have you never had a drink, Bellum?"
"Of course not. We don't do that in big cities."
"Anyway, I'm 17 now, so it's legal! Let's go! Let's drink!"
Nubes pushed Luna and Bellum on their backs and headed towards the beer stall.
Latia, who was walking behind, opened her mouth.
"Well, one glass should be okay..."
It seems like she was curious.
Davian's party made a fuss and grabbed an empty table in the corner.
Nubes and Bellum quickly went and filled seven large beer glasses to the brim.
"Is this everyone's first time? Then this Nubes hyung will teach you youngsters who haven't shed their teenage years yet how to drink beer."
"What is it, fatty? You just pick it up and drink it, what's there to learn?"
"Ugh! It's bitter. What kind of taste is this?"
"Bitter? No way. Ack! It really is bitter?... But it's strangely tempting."
Davian's party each gave their different impressions and tasted the beer.
At first, most of them frowned, but before they knew it, quite a few empty glasses were piled up on the table, as if they had gotten used to it.
Davian slowly looked around at his friends who were noisily drinking beer and enjoying the festival.
Some deliberately approached to form efficient parties, and some naturally became close.
Among them were students who would have died at the hands of the Gray Witch at the beginning of the semester.
'Five of them still have as many as 47 stamina-enhancing elixirs.'
The tonic made from the Hydra's regenerative stem.
Take one a month.
An elixir that increases stamina by 10% compound interest each time you take it.
Having consumed only 2 pills, only about 20% of stamina has increased, but if you eat all 50, your stamina will be 117 times stronger than the beginning.
In fact, they will have superhuman stamina in a few years.
Davian, Nubes, Luna, Bellum, and Bonita have this medicine.
'The other four are absorbing mana at double the rate each time they practice.'
Four people who met a divine being and gained enlightenment.
Davian, Nubes, Latia, and Liber.
It's impossible to even guess how much stronger these four will become.
'Latia, needless to say, will become much stronger than in the previous iteration.'
Liber may only be a clumsy magician now, but once he accumulates a lot of magic power, who knows what new path he will pioneer with his smart head.
The same goes for Nubes, who plans to increase his stamina and external power to an unparalleled level in the future.
Above all, they always eat and hang out together, so they have now developed a close friendship.
'Well... they're kind of reliable. Their compatibility isn't bad for forming a party.'
Davian's only goal is to graduate from Elton Academy.
And to escape this damned quest.
For that, it is important for Davian himself to become stronger, but the growth of these friends is also essential.
'Just grow up well like this. You guys...'
Thud!
"What was that?"
Nubes fell over the back of his chair and slammed his head straight into the ground.
"Hey, fatty. Why are you suddenly like that?"
"Did you break your head?"
"I think he's drunk?"
"What? He's smiling! He's really weird!"
"What? After just a few beers? He said he's had a few drinks in his hometown!"
Bellum approached and slapped Nubes on the cheek a few times.
"Hey! Are you okay? Wake up!"
"Ehehe. It doesn't hurt at all. I'm going to be the best tanker. Ehehe."
"...Guys, just abandon this bastard."
It was then.
Whoosh!
"Latia! What are you doing again, all of a sudden!"
"Ehehe. I'm going to make it too. Fire curtain. Firebird. I can do it too. What the gray hair made. Ehehe. I won't lose. Ehehe."
"Hey, hey! Someone stop her! The flame is getting bigger!"
Clack!
Bonita slapped the table with her palm and stood up.
"I really can't stand you all. I'm going first. I need to practice."
"Bonita! Are you leaving already? And practice is prohibited during the festival?"
"Who's going to know if I do it quietly in my room? I'm going."
Bonita, who packed her bags, started walking towards the entrance to the 1st grade area.
"Huh? It looks like Bonita is staggering a bit?"
"Huh? Huh? She's going more and more diagonally!"
"She's going to fall like that?"
Thud.
Second day of the festival.
Various shapes of tents are set up here and there in the common area.
Students wearing bands with the club name written on them in front of the tents were doing something similar to soliciting customers.
Luna looked back at Davian and asked.
"Wow, our academy has so many clubs. Davian! What club are you going to join?"
"I haven't decided yet. Anyway, I can't join when I'm in 1st grade."
"Still, shouldn't you decide roughly by looking around at the club expo today? If you want to join one in 2nd grade."
There are many clubs in Elton Academy.
1st graders cannot join clubs because they must focus on basic studies.
However, as soon as they become 2nd graders, they must join and continue activities in at least one club without exception.
Students can join and withdraw from clubs at any time, but if they withdraw, they must compulsorily rejoin another club within a month.
Bellum put his arm around Luna's arm.
"Luna, have you thought of any place?"
"Yes! I heard there's a treatment research club."
"Ah... Of course you're going to join there. Hey! Drunk fatty. What about you?"
Nubes answered.
"Who's a drunk?"
"You, you idiot. Do you know how much we struggled to carry you yesterday?"
"I don't know. I don't remember."
"Ugh. How can you be like that after just a few beers?"
"I guess I wasn't in good condition yesterday."
"Ugh. You look like you could chug a barrel of beer whole with your looks and body."
This time Davian opened his mouth.
"Still, Nubes was on the tame side. Compared to someone who tried to burn down the entire party."
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