I Became The Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight - Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – World Where Only I Don’t Have Mana Is Wrong – 3

The lecture ended, and the crowd poured out. Among them were four figures.

“I don’t like that professor. Should we give her a bad review?”

“I agree. Want to do it together, Kainel?”

“Be careful.”

“Ugh, Fox Slimes don’t even attack people.”

Ariel still seemed disturbed, shuddering. Kainel checked on her, and then there was Mardol and me.

We were a peculiar group.  How could we have so little overlap in colors?

We walked together, matching our pace.

“Ah, Licht, you’re going to the Central Hall, right?”

“Probably. I have to apply to join a club.”

“I’ll go with you, Helmet Man. Kai, you’re coming too, right?”

“I’ll tag along.”

Why are *you* coming?  This could lead to a broken flag and a drift in the route.  I tried to change the subject.

“By the way, Mardol, aren’t you interested in the Swordsmanship Club?”

“No. I already know everything.”

Ah, that was more than two words.

The Empire was famous for its swordsmanship,

especially the Grancia Style swordsmanship passed down from the Imperial family.  They definitely didn’t need to learn it elsewhere.

“Is that why you want to learn swordsmanship from me?”

“Weak in aerial combat.”

Well, the Emperor was a madman who disregarded distance.  I forgot he was one of the Ten Swords.

The Wolf King who conquered the continent with just a one-handed axe.  I would be lucky to survive an encounter with him.

“…Isn’t that enough?”

“No, it’s not enough.”

It would be a disaster if I broke my promise with the Crown Prince. I thought about the character settings.

Emperor Locke Grancia.

‘He cherished his family.’

That’s why, even in <Black Heart>, he would immediately reject any advances towards the Crown Prince, and if their safety was threatened, the Imperial Guard would appear.  This aspect of his personality was heavily influenced by the war.

“Hmm… are you going to join the Magic Club, Mardol?”

“What about you?”

“Since I can’t use magic, I’m seeking Professor Dennis’s help. You know.”

I spoke honestly.

My situation had already been exposed.  Any more lies would put me in danger. Mardol might call the Imperial Guard, thinking, ‘How dare you offend me?’ I told them the truth without hiding anything.

“That’s right.”

“Wait, you can’t use magic, Licht…? What do you even eat?”

“Really? Is something wrong, Helmet Man?”

I put my hand to my forehead.  Nothing’s wrong with *me*, it’s *you* two who are strange.

I had never told these two that I didn’t have mana.

‘Others would also be unable to use magic if they starved for a few days.’

They say you recharge magic power with food, like bananas with radiation.  But no matter how much I ate, I never felt that kind of fullness.

It had already been five years.  Something was definitely wrong.

“There are some circumstances…”

“Oh, sorry.  That was a sensitive topic. Helmet Man… poor thing.”

“Was the swordsmanship you showed me also like that? A technique that doesn’t use mana?”

“My turn… stolen…?”

Ariel covered her mouth with both hands.  And the Yellow Dog, frowning. The Crown Prince, hanging their head. The situation was starting to get complicated.

“I just have a unique constitution.”

I’m not the pitiful person you think I am. Stop. I’m not someone who starves for days.  I had to fix this quickly.  I waved my hands, trying to calm them down.

“I believe you, Licht. But if you’re hungry, just tell me. I’ll buy you a meal.”

“Helmet Man… the academy meals are cheap and delicious… what’s wrong…”

“…Are you hungry?”

“I’m telling you it’s not like that! I really don’t starve!”

I felt my face burning. I wanted to hide in a hole from embarrassment.  This was the Hero couple’s banter?  Their teamwork was suffocating.

Then, they suddenly started laughing.

“Okay, okay, we get it.  You can’t even take off your helmet, it must be because of that. We’re just kidding.”

“Kai, this is fun.  Should we tease Helmet Man next time too?”

Kainel, Ariel.  You knew all along.  You’ve grown up.  I’ll have to set the next Romance Meter increase at 50%. I chuckled inwardly.

“…”

Mardol seemed to have severed all ties with humor.  They were too socially inept. Were they raised like a flower in a greenhouse?

What happened in the nine years leading up to <Black Heart> to make them like this?

“…We’re here.”

Chatting amongst ourselves, we arrived at the sign that read [Magic Club] in the Central Hall.

I opened the tightly closed door.

—–CROW—–

A handsome young man with blue hair was watering a yellow flower.

“Gentlemen, or rather, students from my lecture, aren’t you? What brings you here? Don’t tell me, club applications?”

“That’s correct, Professor Dennis. It’s been a while.”

I immediately bowed in greeting. I felt a sense of familiarity seeing the face I had seen so often from <Knight Heart> to <Black Heart>.  I slipped up and said “it’s been a while.”

“I’m still too young to know students like Licht.”

“Do you know me?”

He chuckled as he sipped his coffee.

“Old man Drake bragged about you so much.  Well, I did give him a little warning.”

“That’s interesting.”

A man with unique white eyes.  He offered me a slightly drunken handshake, the alcohol helping him maintain his composure.  It was fascinating to see him like this.

“Hello, Professor! Do you remember me?”

“Ariel… it’s you. Are you doing well with the magic formulas?”

“Yes! Thanks to you! I’m here to apply!”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had students.  People usually don’t come here because they’re scared of me.”

“You’re handsome, you know? Though not as much as Kai…”

Ariel, as bright as ever. She smiled, her red hair swaying.  She was good at greeting people even if it was only their second time meeting.

Cat affinity is the best.

“I’m Kainel.  I want to practice channeling mana into my sword, so I’m here to apply.”

“This is the Holy Sword.  It must have been difficult.”

“…You know about this?”

“Of course.  I’ve seen it countless times, and tried to break and destroy it.”

The man had a complicated expression. Dennis valued human life and often acted to eliminate the Holy Sword.

He also expressed his support for the establishment of this academy.

“Raise those who will become heroes and champions properly.”

He formed the liquid in his coffee cup into a sphere and wrote on it.

A single, simple sentence.

“That was the original purpose of Grand Hearts Academia, which I advocated for.  Locke, my brother, hated it, and it failed because of Headmaster Laplace.”

He continued, swirling his finger lightly.

“And you’re… the latecomer from back then.”

“Hello.”

“Don’t be late for my lectures next time.”

Oh, he *could* speak normally!

As expected, protagonists had something in common. But why was he so terse with Kainel? The Glass Knight bowed their head.

“Well, enough chit-chat.  Welcome to the Magic Club, gentlemen.”

As soon as he finished speaking, rainbow-colored water droplets began to layer in front of us.

“As I said in the introductory lecture, I aim for the extreme.”

The water droplets lined up and rotated in a ring in his hand.  Was this alcohol too?  It smelled like it.

‘It must be some kind of cocktail.’

As I sniffed the aroma, the Crown Prince’s armor twitched next to me.

Were they sensitive because they were a wolf? This game’s attention to detail was impressive.

“Now, show me your magic.”

He grinned and spoke to us.

He had somehow brought desks, creating enough space for the five of us to sit.

But I couldn’t use magic.  Uneasy, I raised my hand and asked a question.  It was better than speaking up during the lecture.

“Professor Dennis.”

“Yes, Licht?”

“I can’t use magic.”

“…You’re kidding, right? Even Drake can use it to some extent.”

I shook my head.  I couldn’t use magic, no matter what. I was the kind of person Drake really liked.  Even that old man had a constitution that wasn’t good with mana.

“How can someone worse than that old man even enter the academy… Ah, did you beat everyone up with swordsmanship?  No way?”

“Yes. Master Drake told me to.”

“He really needs to control himself… No wonder the examiners looked like they had been beaten up.”

At his words, everyone looked at me.

You can do it too. It’s easy if you learn from old man Drake.

“Am I the normal one for exchanging blows with this guy? Ariel?  We passed the exam too, but…”

“I’m a little scared now, Kai…”

“…As expected, peculiar.”

The two of them looked at me with strange expressions, and the Crown Prince seemed to be staring right through me.

I felt like they could see the muscles under my clothes, but I dismissed it as my imagination.

“Let me see your hand for a moment, Licht.”

Dennis cast a magic circle.

Oh, it was a magic circle made entirely of water droplets.  It looked refreshing.

“You know the three elements of magic, right, Licht?”

“Mana, magic circuits, and chanting.”

“You can omit the chanting.  It makes it a bit weaker, but then it becomes stronger again like this.”

“Beer Gold.”

Dozens of golden magic circles appeared around me.

The scent of beer filled the club room.  And the magic circles shone for several minutes.

“This… is going to be difficult.”

“What’s the problem, Professor Dennis?”

He dispelled the magic.  He ruffled his hair, his body language expressing the seriousness of the situation.

“It’s not going to work for you.”

Really?  Even like this? Even with Dennis, the pinnacle of water magic? I made a disbelieving expression.

They couldn’t see it because of my helmet, but I had tried.

“Your magic circuits are all tangled.  Like a ball of yarn… What did you do?”

Game transmigration.

“I’ve only been eating and sleeping well…”

“If you don’t have mana, you can just replenish it, by eating…”

He sighed again.  So eating wasn’t a problem after all. I was relieved that my stomach was normal.

“This would require replacing all your blood vessels.”

“Wouldn’t that kill a person?”

“It would, but there’s an advantage.  You’ll be somewhat resistant to magic attacks.”

“That’s not bad. What’s the disadvantage?”

Dennis shook his head sadly at my optimistic question.

“Healing won’t work on you. It would be disastrous if you get injured.”

“…That’s really bad news.”

So that’s why my body felt heavy even after drinking potions and sleeping. I was bewildered by this newfound mystery of the human body, which I learned after five years.  So that’s how it was.

“Even old man Drake heals with potions…”

“That’s sad. Is there no other way, Professor?”

“This is really beyond my expertise, Licht.  So this is why old man Drake took you as his disciple.”

He sat down again and sipped his coffee.  Then, he returned the paper I brought, leaving the other applications as they were.

“I’ll have to reject your application.  I’m sorry.”

“…”

I didn’t expect this.

No, where did my happy magic romance academy life go? I have to watch over Ariel and Kainel too. I thought of a solution.

“…Professor, have you ever heard of a three-dimensional magic circle?”

Dennis’s ultimate skill in <Knight Heart>.

This might work.

—–CROW—–