I Became The Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight - Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – World Where Only I Don’t Have Mana Is Wrong.

I picked up a book from the bookshelf.

I flipped through the thick pages one by one.

‘Locke Grancia, no. Rufus… Rufus… Here it is.’

I quickly flipped through the pages of my notebook. It was already late, Kainel must be asleep, so it should be fine.

Rufus Grancia. Black hair, golden eyes.  An ageless, handsome young man.

A character who first appeared in <Black Heart> in the harem or reverse harem easy mode routes.

A clingy guy who confessed to any character stronger than him.

That’s why he couldn’t get past the party members who reached max level before the Demon King subjugation.  He mostly preferred women, but very occasionally, he was also involved with male characters.

‘I’m screwed.’

My mouth went dry.

So that’s why he used the alias Mardol; no one would know him otherwise.

I had a headache.  Of all people, why did I have to be targeted by him? I wasn’t even strong enough to defeat the Demon King yet.

Did what they said in the rain mean that? I regretted not running straight to the boys’ dormitory.

‘Maybe they don’t have any affinity for me yet.’

I clung to the last sliver of hope.

A system that appeared in both the first and second games. A measure of the probability of dating or the level of intimacy with a character.  Maybe I could still turn things around.

—–CROW—–

Going to school earlier than usual was a mistake.

“Hello.”

The source of my sleepless night appeared right in front of me.  The Glass Knight gave a small wave, as if happy to see me, just like yesterday.

“Ah, Licht.”

“You’ve got the wrong person!!”

We ran into each other.  I had been using back alleys to get to the classroom, but how did they find me?

I ran in the opposite direction.

Getting involved with this person would ruin the Saint’s route. Absolutely not.  The conditions were the same in the previous games, so it would be the same here.

I ran, cutting through the wind.  No matter how easy it was to build love lines, I wasn’t interested in multiple partners.  It had to be pure love.  My mind was filled with the thought of protecting the Blue Rose.

But my struggle was in vain.

“…What are you doing?”

“Why are you so fast?”

“Mana.”

Mardol was already next to me, as if they had always been there.

My black helm reflected in their helmet, creating a strange sensation.  I put my hands on my knees, catching my breath.

Magic is overpowered. I forgot that two eyes are abnormal in a world of one-eyed people. I thought I had gotten much faster training with Master, but I guess not.

“I have a question, Mardol.”

“Go ahead.”

Let’s check their affinity first.  They might still treat me like an extra.  Thinking of Kainel and Ariel, I decided to tell a joke.

“Do you know what you call the leader of young fish in four syllables?”

“…A cheerleader?” (Korean pun: Chi-eo/fry + Ri-deo/leader)

I’m screwed.  How did they know that? I memorized it because it was the Saint’s favorite dad joke. My head spun as my trump card disappeared.

“…”

“Why?”

“Isn’t it funny?”

“I don’t know.”

The large, crystal-like figure didn’t even flinch.  There was no laughter.

I needed to organize my thoughts.  Was I still okay?  Since it was the past, their personality might not be twisted yet.  And the status window didn’t show any love line towards me.

Then, I sensed presences nearby.  Two sets of footsteps.

Blond and red hair came into view.

“Licht! Where are you going?”

“Hi, Helmet Man! Who’s… next to you?”

It was Ariel and Kainel.

My mind went blank.  These two shouldn’t meet here. The Crown Prince would trigger a rivalry event. I frowned, recalling the situation I had seen multiple times in <Black Heart>.

“Ariel! Run!”

“Huh? Why?”

“…?”

“Licht, what’s wrong?”

Huh, nothing happened.  I waved my hands in the air, trying to create distance between them, but the giant armor in front of me didn’t even budge.

“…”

They didn’t take their eyes off me and showed no interest in the Hero and his companion.  Did their target change to me?  I’m glad my Romance Meter didn’t decrease.

“I guess I was a little on edge.”

“What’s wrong? You’ve been acting strange since yesterday. Didn’t you sleep well?”

“I guess so.  I’m sorry.”

I wiped the cold sweat from my neck.  I had overcome one hurdle.  I was deeply grateful that the worst-case scenario didn’t happen.

I should have stopped Kainel from barking.

“Hey, Helmet Man, you two look like a cute couple standing like that.”

“That’s not true! Absolutely not!”

“Ariel.  Your jokes are too much.  There’s too much of an equipment difference.”

The perceptive cat glanced at Mardol and me and made a pointed remark.  No, don’t create flags.

In the <Knight Heart Trilogy>, opposites usually attract.

But this was a situation I really hated.

‘I haven’t even seen the Saint yet.’

It was my last remaining desire.  I even fell into this game for her.  I had no intention of taking any other route if it wasn’t the Nameless Saint’s.

Even if I saw the Grand Route ending.

My heart felt heavy.  Unknown name, unknown identity, unknown age.  I knew nothing about her.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Even if I met her like this, would I be able to greet her? I might just pass by without knowing.  I thought it would be resolved if I just went to the academy, judging by the game screenshots…

“Helmet Man!”

The red-haired mage interrupted my thoughts.

“Then why were you two alone like that?”

“It was a knights’ promise.”

“That’s right.”

“Then, I’ll see you later, Mardol.”

As I made up an excuse, the Glass Knight chimed in.

I had to keep the Drake Style swordsmanship a secret from these two as well. They were somewhat flexible.  Your Highness.  They would probably call me after class.

“Let’s go to the Spirit Arts lecture quickly, Licht.  It’s an outdoor class.”

“Is that so? That’s interesting.”

“The reviews said the professor is cute.”

Leaving Mardol behind, I walked with Kainel and Ariel.  But I kept hearing footsteps behind me. What, were they in the same class?

“Me too, that way.”

The Glass Knight was walking with us, showing off their unique sparkle.

Elective classes often overlapped.  I knew that since I was a university student before. But it felt like I was walking with a ticking time bomb.

“What’s your name, Glass Knight?”

You’re asking, Ariel, but they might confess to you again.  I did it first, but that was necessary.

“Mardol.”

“Ah, are you the one who was late for the Combat Magic class? I’m Ariel! Nice to meet you!”

“Yes. Nice to meet you.”

“Licht, I’m really not used to this.”

“Me neither…”

The two of them spoke informally, while I used formal speech. And the one who barely spoke more than two words at a time.

Yellow Dog and Cat. Black Knight and Glass Knight.

Two pairs of opposites.

Like fate, the gears were turning, interlocking with each other.

—–CROW—–

After walking for a few minutes, we arrived at the designated location on the mountain without being late.

“This should be it. Licht, do you sense anything?”

“Well, I’m not sure…”

“There are things even Helmet Man doesn’t know.”

<Fundamentals of Spirit Arts.>

At the lecture site, there was only a single tree in a large open space.

Sensing something was amiss, the other students were also murmuring.

Then, Mardol pointed at it.

“Tree, strange.”

They approached the tree.  A knight placing their palm on the trunk.

Then, the leaves rustled.  The falling leaves proved it wasn’t an ordinary plant.

“Oops, I’ve been found.”

A woman’s voice came from the tree.  And the trunk gradually twisted, taking on a human form. The sweet scent of lilac.

She looked like a flower.

‘A Dryad…?’

A purple flower in her hair, pink hair.

Perhaps an original character from <Knight Heart Academia>? This was the first time I saw someone I didn’t know. I was excited to see a new character, feeling like I was playing a game again.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Maria, and I’ll be in charge of the Spirit Arts lecture.”

A small animal emerged from her hand.  A cute green hamster.  Was this a spirit? I had only seen large ones.

“Now, since you’ve found me, I’ll give you a present.”

Several hamsters stopped in front of each student.

They squeaked, offering us envelopes with their tiny paws.

“Oh, it’s candy!  Shaped like sunflower seeds!”

“It really is. Ariel, have you tried it already?”

“Hee hee… I like sweets.”

Kainel gave half of his candy to her, and Ariel ate it like a squirrel. I hoped their Romance Meter would increase from this.

“This is delicious.”

“…Sweet.”

Mardol, hiding their face with glass magic, and me, lifting my visor slightly to avoid exposure and stuffing the candy in my mouth.

It felt a little disrespectful to the professor, with two knights acting like this.

“What do you think is the foundation of Spirit Arts, looking at these hamsters?”

“Cute.”

“They’re cute!”

“Wrong.”

The Glass Knight and Ariel answered.

Maria raised a finger and shook her head.  The hamsters shook their heads as well.

“The answer is that they are beings born from emotions.”

“And, unlike swordsmanship, magic, or divine power, they have one advantage.”

The hamsters began to gather in a swarm.  A wriggling mass of rodents. Their numbers had already increased dramatically.

“That is—”

As soon as she finished speaking, the spirits transformed into several large flowers.  Petals surrounding the professor as if to protect her.

They could probably even block a missile.

“They can be strong even if they’re not giant spirits.  Like hamsters.”

The tree trunk rose again, transforming into a giant golem.  The small flower decorating its head looked like an accessory.

“Also, their uses are endless, depending on their characteristics.  In the case of the famous Phoenix, it provides an invincible barrier.”

Ah, this was about the Ten Swords.  Was she talking about the Living Sun?

“In my case, I can use nature like this.”

A tremor ran through the ground. The sound of the earth shaking.

*Rumble—*

‘She caused an earthquake by manipulating the roots.  This school is truly prestigious.’

I regained my balance and felt sad again that I was the only one without mana in this world.  I heard a small sound next to me.

“Eek!”

“Hold onto my arm tightly, Ariel.”

“…No cute ones.”

Ariel clinging to Kainel’s arm.  And the Glass Knight, not even flinching.

Ah, looking at the ground, they were standing on a platform of glass.

“So, most of the students taking this lecture will probably struggle even to awaken their heart’s spirit.”

Indeed, even in the original game, the number of people who could use Spirit Arts could be counted on one hand.

The most famous ones were the Phoenix and the Whale.  I didn’t know the others, even with my extensive knowledge of the setting materials.

“Being honest with your feelings is a very difficult thing.”

She sighed.  The course reviews said that the lectures were purely theoretical, with no practical training.

Then even I, without mana, could take this class.  It was a great class! I had already honed my memorization skills from learning all the game patterns.

“This concludes today’s lecture.  I hope you all will be able to summon a spirit by the end of the semester.”

As expected, a professor who ends the first class early is the best.  Maria bowed to the students and disappeared into the ground.  A Dryad could do that too, huh?

‘Now all that’s left is Theology.’

The healing prayer that the Nameless Saint often used in the game.

I really wanted to learn it.  I wanted to be the one to heal her if she got hurt.

I turned around and headed to the dining hall for lunch. I still had about an hour until the afternoon classes, so there was plenty of time to eat.

Then, just like yesterday, Kainel and Ariel walked in the same direction as me.  Were they going to eat with friendless me again? They were so kind. I almost teared up.

“Licht, you’re applying to the Magic Club today, right?”

“Yes. Ariel said she would too…”

I tried to answer Kainel’s question, but my breath hitched.

The Crown Prince hadn’t left yet. The Glass Knight was standing next to the red-haired mage.

“Yeah, Helmet Man. I think I like being with Kai better.”

Behind Ariel, who was twirling a strand of her hair,

“Magic, club?”

The Crown Prince suddenly approached me.

Hmm. I’m screwed.  The oblivious Yellow Dog had no sense of timing.

This flag has been raised. You’re responsible for this.

—–CROW—–