Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight - Chapter 32

Chapter 32 – Is This Really the Crown Prince Route? – 3

—–CROW—–

“If I were to point out the characteristics of the Ten Swords who were active in the Demon Wars…”

The bob-haired nun spoke to the students from the podium, wearing a bright smile.

“Currently, there are about seven members remaining, and also…”

It was a chilling smile that didn’t reach her eyes, but the students in the lecture hall were quiet, perhaps accustomed to it after several weeks.

“…The First Saintess’s hair turned white when she used her divine power!”

It was Professor Beatrice’s Divine Power Studies lecture.

“This is boring… Kai…”

“I know, Ariel.”

A considerable amount of time had passed since lunch, and the two childhood friends were dozing off due to drowsiness.

“Ah, right. Kai… is Helmet guy okay? I haven’t seen Mardol today either.”

“Probably? He’s been sprawled out in his dorm room since yesterday.”

“Really? That’s a relief…”

He seemed to have returned sometime during the night.  Kainel had woken up to a noise and found purple feathers scattered on the floor, and Licht, wearing his black knight helmet, snoring on the bed.

‘Something must have happened… But there aren’t any rumors, so Licht probably took care of it.’

The blond hero furrowed his brow and pondered.  He had visited the Magic Club to inquire about Licht’s whereabouts, but Professor Dennis simply brushed it off, saying it was nothing.

“There’s something going on with the academy barrier, they’re checking everywhere… I’m worried… Kai…”

“…It’ll be alright, Ariel.”

He spoke in a reassuring tone to the red-haired elf.  If he used the holy sword, he was among the top students, and…

‘More than anything, Licht is amazing; he can match a holy sword with just a steel sword.’

He couldn’t imagine the black knight being humiliated or losing.  Using wind pressure alone to create sword aura without using mana? Anyone would think he was crazy.

He had thought only Dragonslayer Drake was capable of such a feat.

Since Licht couldn’t control mana, he wouldn’t even be considered a Sword User.  His sword was chipped because he couldn’t even coat it.

But his skills were those of a Sword Master, a true deceiver.

As he left the lecture hall, Kainel became lost in thought. He wondered if he had become too complacent.

The mission to protect the world felt too light.

With the determination to protect Ariel, he could become as strong as Licht.

The black knight was strong even without a holy sword.

He finally understood why his friend had advised him to ‘do his best’ in the past.

“…Should I train harder in swordsmanship too?”

“Huh? Kai? Are you going to the training grounds again today?”

“Yeah, Ariel.”

Kainel sighed deeply. It seemed even a hero couldn’t afford to be complacent.  There were some heroes among the Ten Swords, but he heard that His Majesty the Emperor, the strongest of them all, was a commoner.

An ordinary woodcutter.

“I have to get stronger too, Ariel. I can’t let Licht and Mardol sweep all the top ranks, can I?”

“…Really?”

It wasn’t a lie.  It was partly for his red-haired elf mage childhood friend, but also because he would be perpetually stuck in third place if things continued this way.

“Then I’ll go with you too, Kai!”

“…What? But it’s swordsmanship?”

“It’s okay!”

As if sensing his thoughts, Ariel flashed a charming, cat-like smile, her twin red ponytails swaying.

—–CROW—–

And so, a total of five people gathered at the Grand Hearts Academia swordsmanship training grounds.

“Hi! Helmet guy! Are you okay?”

“Ariel. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah! Huh…? Mardol’s here too? I was worried!”

“Hello.”

Including Licht, the hero couple, and the glass knight…

“Yo! Juniors.  We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

“Ah, I saw you in that Spirit Arts lecture…! Nice to meet you, Senior!”

…and Nex Aureus with his purple hair were all in one place.

“And that Junior… was your name Hero?”

“It’s Kainel. Senior…? Right?”

“As expected, you’re the Hero of Light I’ve heard about.”

“…Ah.”

This guy was testing him again.  He was a purple phoenix with inherent distrust of humans. Even in the original game, they had almost opposite personalities, so the blond lion and the purple fox didn’t get along.

“Senior, you’re scaring our blond… I mean, Kainel. Let’s stop the probing.”

He needed to intervene before a fight broke out.

“Haha, sorry… Don’t be scared, Kainel!  Until a few days ago, I didn’t like heroes much because of the Ten Swords lineage. But now it’s fine. Just call me hyung.”

“Is that okay, Nex hyung…?”

“Yeah, my perspective changed thanks to our Junior Licht~”

The senior put his arm around Licht again.  The comrade route was new, and it felt awkward.  And he only had eyes for the Saintess.

“You’re heavy. Get off.”

“That hurts, Junior…”

He was saving the arm-around count for later.

“Then can I call you oppa too? I’ve always wanted to be friends with someone from the Ten Swords!”

Mardol was already Lupus Grancia, the only son of the Wolf King.

“Sure, I don’t mind, Ariel!”

“Yay! Nex oppa! Thank you!”

As expected, the red cat’s friendliness was maxed out. This was why having her as a companion was convenient in the game.

Ariel rejoiced, her red hair fluttering. She was a striking girl with her mage hat.

Kainel, watching this, crossed his arms and looked jealous. Good, good.  Sparks were practically flying from his eyes.

He should put his hand down from the sword hilt.

He was still a Count.

“…”

The blond hero looked uneasy.  But was Ariel that beautiful?  The question lingered in Licht’s mind.

Other people in the game community said she was pretty, but honestly, his standards were firmly fixed on the Saintess.

‘At least Nex isn’t the type to stray… He’s a harem destroyer.’

He wasn’t attracted to elves. He had played along with Kainel in the carriage to help him acknowledge his feelings.

Wolf ears and tails were far more appealing than elves.

You could immediately see their change in emotions.  In the game, even when she pretended to be indifferent when given candy, her ears would perk up or her tail would wag.

And when you tried to pet her head, she would automatically lie down.  Cute.

If he started listing the things he found adorable about the Saintess, there would be no end.  His thoughts raced like he had eaten something sweet.

Besides, the Saintess’s healing pouch was better than an elf’s…

“…What are you doing, Licht?”

As he was lost in thoughts he shouldn’t be having, Mardol spoke to him.

“Ah, I wasn’t doing anything.”

His habit of getting lost in thought was a problem. He was sorry, Saintess.  He would defeat Magic Hat, bite his tongue, and die.

“…Liar.”

He couldn’t fool the glass knight. She was already the protagonist of the third game, so the flags were firmly planted, and every time he thought of the Saintess, she would send him a piercing glare.

‘Could Lupus and our Saintess end up together?’

It made sense. If that was the main pairing of this game, she would stop him after realizing his intentions.

The current Crown Prince might be a decent match. He showed no signs of being a womanizer, he was strong enough to protect her, his wealth was unmatched…

And from what he remembered, his face was handsome and refined, unlike his own.

A corner of his heart felt heavy.  The main theme of <Knight Heart Trilogy> was love.

They would give him time to sort out his feelings.  They would allow a scene of a male supporting character grieving over being rejected in a romance.

“You caught me.  I’m sorry.”

“Be honest.”

As a fellow Wolfkin, he understood the love line.  There were players in real life who followed the Crown Prince route to pair him with the all-Wolfkin Imperial Guard.

They said it was the only way to trigger the event.  After they got together, they had to elope to avoid his gaze.

“…So, Licht. What were you doing?”

“Ah, Kainel. I was teaching Senior Nex some spear techniques.”

“Spear techniques? You know how to do that too?”

“A friend of mine is quite renowned for his skills.”

“I thought you were only good with swords.”

Kainel gaped at him. He must have found it absurd.  A hero was supposed to become strong without effort.  He, on the other hand, was just a black knight, so he had to work hard.

“I only know the basics. I make up for it with physical strength.”

He understood Kainel’s feelings. He hadn’t encountered a Demon Lord yet, so he must have been impressed by this level of skill.

But they were beings who used Authority that could ‘overwhelm’ the world.  No amount of preparation was enough.

No matter how much he honed his skills, there were instances like with Magic Hat where the Saintess died.

‘There were originally four Demon Lords of the Hero Church.’

One was depicted as dead at the time of <Knight Heart>, and another was presumed dead during <Knight Heart>, so the player had no way of knowing about the other two.

‘Besides Truth and Omniscience, I lack information.’

There was some information in the setting book… but the Authorities, which were called cheats among users, weren’t described.

It couldn’t be helped.  Worrying about this was a waste of time.  He unconsciously removed his hand from his chin and spoke.

“Ah, Senior Nex. Where will your wedding be held?”

He had to raise the Love meter between the blond lion and the red cat.  He would use a skilled instructor’s demonstration to help them realize their feelings.

He theorized that if Kainel and Ariel’s relationship was completely reversed, it would resemble Nex and Chartinese’s relationship.

He had to guide them to a certain understanding. If he revealed their inner thoughts directly, he didn’t know what kind of butterfly effect it would cause.

“Me?  Probably in Snow Marine.  It used to be the Water Country, so it’s beautiful.”

“That’s a good choice. I’ll be rooting for you.”

He nodded repeatedly. A wedding in the middle of the deep blue sea sounded quite romantic. As expected of the harem destroyer. A smile spread across his face.

“Huh…? Nex hyung, are you getting married?”

“Yes, Kainel.  It’s fate that we met like this, so should I give you an invitation later?”

Nice assist, Senior.

Ariel’s face flushed slightly, as if she was lost in imagination, and…

“I’d appreciate that!  It’s the wedding of a descendant of the Ten Swords! Nex hyung.”

…the blond lion breathed a sigh of relief. He seemed relieved that Nex wasn’t a rival.  The worry disappeared from his face.

“Nex oppa, then who’s your fiancée…?”

The red-haired mage spoke to the purple fox while glancing at Kainel.  Nex, noticing this, wore a meaningful expression that seemed to say, ‘Look at these two.’

It was definitely meant for the blond hero. Tsunderes weren’t incapable of expressing their feelings; they were just clumsy at it.

“She’s someone famous. Chartinese Saintmeri.”

“Ah, if it’s her…! I saw her from afar when she came to my hometown to volunteer and care for the sick!”

Was it in the World Tree Forest?  Well, elves were originally a reclusive race.  Her red, ruby-like eyes sparkled as she expressed her joy.

“I’m so envious that you’re marrying the Saintess!”

“Haha, thank you, Ariel!”

…But why did his heart ache like it was being stabbed?

It had already been five years, so he should be used to it. He lowered his head, his helmet further obscuring his face.

“…”

Perhaps it was because he had seen the Saintess’s face, even if it was in a dream when he was affected by Servi. His heart had been wavering lately.

“Licht.”

“…What is it, Mardol?”

“Are you… envious of that?”

“Of course.  It’s the story of spending the rest of your life with a companion who understands you.”

He sighed.  Lupus suddenly cut to the chase.  He had similar beautiful golden eyes.  But he had black hair because of his royal lineage.

Both the Wolf King Locke, one of the Ten Swords, and his wife had black hair.

As for white hair… he hadn’t seen anyone similar in the game.  It wasn’t albinism, as she didn’t seem to have any health problems.

“…I don’t know.”

The glass knight tilted her helmet, expressing her confusion.  His helm was reflected in her white armor.

“You’ll understand eventually, Mardol.”

If he followed the comrade route, he would surely reach the nameless Saintess.

He envied Lupus Grancia, the Crown Prince.  He was already designated as the main character of the third game.

There would definitely be a love line with the Saintess, a supporting character, in this game.

He was taking too long to make a decision, unlike himself.  In a way, it was only natural; he became careless when it came to her.

“…You’re strange, Licht.”

Mardol looked at him.  Her golden eyes were slightly visible within the glass helmet.  A common trait of Wolfkin.

“I hear that often.”

A vague thought crossed his mind after hearing her words.

These days, creating harems was the mainstream in male-oriented games.  He, a hipster, was indeed strange.

He had heard it so often in the game community.

[The guild leader’s favorite character is the nameless Saintess? How can a top-ranked player like him like the Saintess?]

[If you use other healers, you can easily defeat Demon Lords without needing a complex build…]

[Honestly, isn’t she just all about looks?]

[That’s why her performance is lacking. It’s understandable she’s not popular.]

“…”

She wasn’t just about looks.

Perhaps because she was a Saintess, she was pure and kind, and he liked how she tried to appear strong in front of others, even though she was weak.

She often spoke warm words, as if she genuinely cared about others.

Other female characters only spouted lines of love or made deliberate appeals when they saw the player.

He bit his lower lip slightly. Weren’t there any games these days like <Knight Heart>, where you devoted yourself to a single character?

“There’s no romance. No romance…”

“Romance?”

Mardol tilted her head, seemingly puzzled by his mumbling.

—–CROW—–