Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight - Chapter 33

Chapter 33 – Is This Really the Crown Prince Route? – 4

—–CROW—

Thus, time relentlessly passed, and the following week arrived.

“I expect everyone is present.”

A blue-haired man reeking of alcohol, Dennis, stumbled into the classroom. As his usually sharp gaze began to blur, he pulled a bottle from his pocket, uncorked it, and downed its contents.

“No matter how oblivious you are, you all should know what’s about to happen at our Grand Hearts Academia.”

Was it about the Hero Church?

As his white irises regained their light, Dennis seemed to relax and breathe normally again. He was like this because of Headache.

Drinking in the academy was permissible for him.  He constantly maintained a defensive spell using his own body as a medium.

“…Yes, the midterm exams are coming!”

With a whoosh of hot breath, he conjured a three-dimensional magic circle.

Midterm exams sounded like a typical event where you could obtain hidden pieces or potions.

“Frankly, the gap between this year’s freshmen is too wide.”

It wasn’t a surprising statement.  There was the glass knight, Kainel, and himself.

Certainly, with Ariel included, they couldn’t be called a weak party.  They were members capable of defeating a Demon Lord.

Though they shouldn’t even attempt it yet, as they had no way to counter Authority.

“What…?”

“…Really, Professor?”

“Well, the two knights do seem too strong.”

“Last time, the barrier broke down too…”

The entire classroom erupted in a commotion.  Sighing deeply, Dennis began chanting a spell.

“So, I’ve decided to give you all a chance to become stronger.  It should even things out to some extent.”

But why was he being so serious about it…?

Ah, was he using the Hero Church intrusion as an excuse to train the students?  Licht felt slightly puzzled but soon nodded in agreement.

If he confessed that the Hero Church’s hideout was beneath the academy, the Emperor would storm in and berate the faculty for their negligence.

“…Licht, why?”

Licht stared intently at Mardol. Why? Because she was here. If even a hair on her head was harmed, the Imperial Guard would be summoned and point their swords at his neck.

Just imagining it sent a chill down his spine. He felt like he had experienced this once before.

“It’s nothing.”

He must be confusing it with the game.  Licht shook his head, pretending nothing was wrong.  That was also the reason why he couldn’t rashly remove her helmet to check if she was an imposter.

“Well, listen to the professor who’s about to come in for a detailed explanation. Drake!”

His master? Why was that familiar name here?

“Students─!  Greetings!  Like Dennis beside me, I’m also one of the Ten Swords!  I’ll be teaching the Sword Theory lecture that follows…”

Cold sweat trickled down Licht’s back. Did they find out he was trying to learn magic?  There was no other reason for him to suddenly show up during lecture time.

“…Cut the chatter, old man Drake. Get to the point.”

“These youngsters these days… Tsk… No patience.”

The Grand Sword Master, with short blond hair and scars covering his face, opened his mouth. His slightly displeased expression quickly softened.

“Students of Grand Hearts Academia, don’t you want to become stronger─!”

He flashed a seemingly friendly and sly smile.  That was fake! Don’t be fooled! They would be dragged into the mountains to fight wild boars and bears!

“Of course, if the Dragonslayer says so!”

“Yes! Probably…?”

“Are you going to teach us Drake-style swordsmanship?!”

The other freshmen, unaware of his master’s true nature, cheered, believing his words about making them stronger.  They were in for a tough time.  Damn.

“Uhahahaha!!  I like your spirit!!”

Such strength came with corresponding effort and hardship, but they seemed oblivious.

“The faculty has reached an agreement, so today and tomorrow’s classes will be replaced with a single practical training session for two days!”

So, they wouldn’t learn Spirit Arts or Divine Power Studies for two days? What were they going to do…?

“Monster hunting! More precisely, a ‘group project’!!”

Ah. That.

The alpha and omega of college life. The dreaded group project.

Just hearing the words made Licht dizzy, and he pressed his hand to his forehead. It was a scarring process that ultimately taught the valuable lesson of ‘trust no one.’

Didn’t the professors know how difficult group projects were? It was something he had experienced in real life too.  It was ultimately a game of luck with teammates.

It was lively and enjoyable when everyone was dedicated, but there were always those who disappeared the day before the deadline.

“Starting today, you will enter a forest teeming with monsters! The <Endless Monster Forest>!”

This was new to him.  A place that didn’t appear in either the original game or the sequel. Was there a monster surge like in the North?

“Hunt any monster you can! Devise countermeasures! Use your reason and intellect!”

This kind of setting and assignment was completely unheard of.

Could it be that his intervention had changed the past?  Really?

At that moment, the events of a few days ago flashed before his eyes.

‘The incident at the Sunset Rendezvous.’

If he hadn’t been there… Chartinese would have been taken hostage by the Hero Church, and then the Saintess would have become…

‘Perhaps the mention of the original Second Saintess became taboo.’

This must be the part he was missing.  If there were no issues with the love lines, would the developers leave the inconsistencies as they were?

‘Or, like with the Northern Grand Duchess, they might patch it so that she appears in other games if she’s saved here.’

That thought was reassuring. He had done the right thing.  He sighed deeply, relieved from the heart-stopping fear.

If so, a romantic fantasy academy setting might not be so bad.  It meant he could save the Saintess.

As he recalled the contents of the beta tester email, a smile spread across his face.  It was a good thing he was wearing a helmet.  No one could see him suddenly grinning like a creep.

“The faculty has already surveyed and prepared the area so that the monsters won’t attack the students at night! It’s only for one night and two days! There won’t be any danger!”

So, they could fight in the morning.  Convenient and simple.

“Hunt the highest-ranked monster you can, or hunt as many monsters as possible!”

Watching Drake explain, a question arose in Licht’s mind.

Wouldn’t this give him and Mardol too much of an advantage?  Wouldn’t there be other evaluation criteria? He leaned forward.

“We’ll evaluate each group based on individual performance and overall assessment by the faculty!”

Drake smirked, as if he had something planned.  That expression was scary.

Still, it was a fair method.  Even if they hunted weak monsters, they could get an A+ if they worked well as a team.

“Professor Drake, will teamwork and combat style also be considered?”

“Oh, good question! Of course!”

“Thank you, Professor.”

A student asked from a distant seat. The Dragonslayer answered cheerfully and continued.

“By the way, don’t do anything foolish at night! We’re watching you!  The other Ten Swords, Librarian Laplace and the Sage, are watching!”

He felt reassured knowing they were using information gathering and future prediction as preventative measures.

They were the Archmage working at the Library of Truth and the last remaining Sage of the Magic Tower.

“Even if you students are adults, doing such things will get you expelled! Expelled!”

He burst into hearty laughter, and the sheer force of it shook the entire classroom.  The warning embedded in his shout sent chills down their spines.

“Eek.”

“…The Ten Swords are truly amazing. I wonder if I’ll be like that when I reach Grand Sword Master level?”

No, Kainel. He was just unusual.

Licht shook his head, watching the hero couple’s astonishment.

Some of the Ten Swords were summoned heroes from other worlds, but most were just incredibly strong ordinary people.

‘Dennis is a case in point.’

He was someone who was recruited unpaid to clean up after the Four Heroes.  Therefore, a hero with a holy sword would ultimately be stronger if they reached their full potential.

That’s how the game was.  There was a reason why the Kainel and Ariel pairing appeared in the original story.

“Licht, you too, that…”

“…Can I become like that, Mardol?”

The Emperor, Mardol’s father, who was currently saying strange things to him, was an exception.

He was just a woodcutter who made a living selling wood, but when the war broke out, he became an overpowered character who wiped out the Hero Church with a hatchet.

…It was mentioned in the original story that he overpowered a Demon Lord and turned them back into a hero.

“…”

That was why he currently insisted on using only a steel sword. He looked at the newly acquired Pure Love Injector No. 2 at his waist.

Ordinary weapons couldn’t reach Demon Lords.  Therefore, equipping expensive weapons was a waste of money.

Holy swords weren’t called cheat items for nothing.

‘I was lucky enough to obtain and use a similar weapon in the game.’

Come to think of it, where would that weapon be at this point in time?  The last time he remembered buying it, he bought it from the auction house.

[zZUltimateEdgyCoolZz: Quitting the game because of <Knight Heart>.  Selling cheap.]

Honestly, it was a lucky find.  There were often rare items among those sold by retiring veteran players.

“Retirement will result in automatic disqualification!”

His thoughts were interrupted. Drake was saying something he couldn’t miss.

“If you get injured or find yourself in a dangerous situation, the instructors will come to your aid, so don’t worry!”

This meant that Professor Beatrice and Professor Maria would also participate.

They would use all their Spirit Arts and Divine Power to protect and train the freshmen.

Something felt strange.  It was excessive.

“Then, in the name of Tardün, ignite your will!  Everyone─!!”

Drake concluded with hearty laughter and stepped back from the podium.

“I’ll send anyone who wants to drop out home.”

Then, Dennis spoke.  Since the schedule was so sudden, there might be students who couldn’t participate. But even considering the Hero Church, this was too rushed.

Wait, send them home…?

Shouldn’t he be saying they wouldn’t receive any credit for the assignment?

“This only applies to the freshmen; other years are exempt.”

The answer to the question he hadn’t considered emerged.  This meant it was only for freshmen.

‘Could it be that his abilities are blocked again because of Omniscience…? Is that why they’re using the group project to introduce a variable…?’

Suddenly going outdoors felt strange. Goosebumps rose on his arms.

‘Thinking about it conversely, it means that future prediction and information access are possible as long as they’re outside.’

He understood the Demon Lord was watching them, but this was an excessive use of Authority.

His head throbbed. Only he and Nex would notice this.  This meant staying at the academy was dangerous.

“Departure is in 10 minutes. I’ll assess your judgment even in this urgent situation.”

Dennis spoke quickly, unusually anxious.  He was clearly trying to increase the number of calculations to disrupt Headache’s ability.

In any case, they had to leave the academy quickly.  Sweat dripped down Licht’s face beneath his helmet.

Think. He assumed the problem only concerned the ‘freshmen.’  Otherwise, they would have protected all the students.

What was important here? Why did the Demon Lord suddenly kidnap Chartinese, and… this time…

Ah, he understood.

Were they targeting Lupus?  That would make sense.

Come to think of it, he was close with the senior. All the protagonists of <Knight Heart Trilogy> had troubled pasts because of the Demon Lords.

As the answer emerged, his mind felt lighter. He stopped tapping his fingers on the desk.

“…Quickly form your groups. That’s also a skill, students.”

Dennis, looking exhausted, conjured a three-dimensional magic circle and began the countdown.

He had twisted it twice.  If he simply evacuated the students, the Demon Lord of Omniscience would notice, and…

Using the group project as an excuse to gather the freshmen in one place, protecting and managing them with the faculty… Yes, it was a decent plan.

This would be outside his calculations, just like what Licht had done before.

As the time to form teams began, many students looked for strong individuals.

“Hey…! Black Knight Helmet…!”

“Licht, was it? Listen to me!”

“Why are there so many people…?”

Perhaps because he had ranked first in the previous practice session, people started flocking towards him.

“Kainel.”

“Oh, Licht.”

He immediately stood up and looked back.  It was a good thing he always sat near Kainel.

Explaining this emergency would only amplify their anxiety. They had trauma related to the Demon Lords.

“…You know what I’m going to say, right?  Let’s team up with Ariel.”

“Of course. I’m grateful to have you!”

“Helmet guy! Are you going to use that typhoon thing again?  I’ll trust you!”

They quickly formed a team.  With a *ding*, their names appeared on the three-dimensional magic circle.

[Team 1: 3/4]

A group of four?  That meant…

“Hey, Mardol! Let’s team up!”

“…I was here first.  Me first.”

“Since you’re second place, you’re not going to try and team up with first place, are you?  Mardol…!  Let’s beat that black knight helmet guy, Licht or whatever, together!”

“Ohohoho-!  Excuse me!  That Glass Knight is destined to be with me!”

As expected of the easy mode harem route character.

She was surrounded by a crowd of female students. A girl claiming to be a Duke’s daughter, a seemingly common village girl, the daughter of a knight captain…

‘They’re clinging to her like leeches.’

As if she was emitting some kind of pheromone, a large crowd surrounded Mardol.

It was even worse than the crowd around him, the first-place ranker.  This was a little depressing.

Still, since he was the man destined to be with the Saintess, he had to help him.  He had decided to follow the Crown Prince comrade route.

He also had to protect the protagonist of this game.

“Mardol─!!”

Licht pushed his way through the crowd and shouted.  His voice was barely audible.  Fortunately, she seemed to hear him and responded.

“Licht…?”

The motionless glass helmet jerked upwards.

“Let’s do the group project together!!”

If he created a harem and made the Saintess cry in this game too, he wouldn’t let him get away with it.  He reached out and asked for her consent, and…

“…Okay, Licht.”

She accepted by taking his hand, and their names appeared on the magic circle. But why was she interlocking fingers again?  A light touch would suffice.

Would they really be safe if they just left the academy for a while?

A sense of unease gripped his heart.

—–CROW—–

Just as Licht and his group were one step away from starting their group project, somewhere in the Grancia Empire, someone’s sobs echoed.

“Waaaaah…”

“Oh my, cute little one. Why are you crying?”

A boy, who looked no older than six, was crying, looking wistfully at a balloon caught in a tree.

“..Just because of that? How boring….”

The woman with long white hair switched to a casual tone. She looked up at the balloon with a bored expression and…

“Here you go.”

“Huh, huh? Pretty noona!! Thank you so much!!! Sniff, I’m so glad…”

As soon as she finished speaking, a red balloon appeared in the woman’s hand.  The little boy, who had been crying, brightened up and smiled as she handed it to him.

“Pretty, you say…”

The woman in a black suit wore a somewhat displeased expression. She crossed her arms and continued.

“So, crybaby. I’m trying to go to a place called <Grand Hearts Academia>, you see?”

“Ah, yes. Sniff. Why the academy?”

“…It’s been so long since I’ve been outside, so I don’t know the way… Which way should I go?”

The woman tilted her black hat and closed her eyes tiredly.

“Go straight that way and then go straight again at the fountain, Magician noona!”

“Thank you. Ah, little one, by any chance…”

As if a curious thought had suddenly occurred to her, the magician smiled and leaned closer to the boy. Like a predator playfully approaching a rabbit.

“Between your mom and dad, who do you like more?”

Her voice was filled with a manic glee. Anyone else would have taken her for a lunatic and fled.

“…Huh?  Suddenly? Noona?”

“I’m just curious…! Don’t you think so?  Answer quickly!”

Unfortunately, the little boy, unaware of the impending misfortune, answered,

“I can’t choose, Noona!”

“…Hmm. Why not?”

“Both my parents are really good people! I can’t choose just one! Hehe…”

He had given an answer that would make him regret his foolish past and curse himself for the rest of his life.

“…Really? Then I’ll ‘make’ it so you can!”

The white-haired woman flashed her golden eyes and smiled, a slightly twisted smile playing on her lips.

─Clap.

Magic Hat clapped loudly, and a chilling air arose around her.

An ominous aura.  It signaled that something had gone terribly wrong.

“Now, as you said, you can like them both at once. Congratulations, little one!”

“Huh…?”

A story too horrific for a young boy to comprehend had begun.

“Since you gave such a boring answer… I combined them into ‘one’! Don’t you understand, little one?”

The Demon Lord of Truth, leaving the confused boy behind, continued,

“You’re still young, so you don’t understand, do you?  It’ll be fun when you go home and see for yourself!”

She chuckled softly and walked towards the academy.

—–CROW—