Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight - Chapter 37

Chapter 37 – Sometimes, Running Away in Embarrassment Doesn’t Help 4

 

—–CROW—–

 

How long had he been swinging his sword? Dusk settled, and night began to fall.

 

“I think the biggest drawback of Drake-style swordsmanship is the strain on the body.”

 

“Is that so? Not the speed?”

 

“My gut feeling is that manipulating the wind is the most strenuous part, isn’t it, Licht?”

 

It was a time when they didn’t need to hunt monsters. Licht and Kainel were currently checking each other’s swordsmanship for weaknesses.

 

“That’s correct. Since it relies purely on physical strength without using mana…”

 

“Are you sure it’s okay to use it repeatedly?”

 

“It’s fine because it’s me, not Kainel.”

 

“…It’s almost frustrating, Licht.”

 

Actually, it wasn’t fine. He was bluffing; it would be insufficient against a Demon Lord. They typically had multiple phases.

 

“I think the biggest drawback is the slow speed.  It requires preparation.”

 

Even if he pushed his limits with Wolf Fang, it was disadvantageous in short bursts.

 

To protect the Saintess from the Hero Church, he had to either risk his life or do something crazy.

 

Or both.

 

‘The Imperial family should be safe. I can’t endanger her for my selfish desires.’

 

He habitually rested his hand on his helmet’s chin guard.

 

Should he tell them about the Demon Lords? No… They would likely drag him to the torture chamber, suspecting the source of his information.

 

Just then, the red-haired mage walked past.

 

“Kai, I got tents from the professors. Here’s yours, Helmet guy!”

 

“Ah, thank you, Ariel.”

 

“You seem to have recovered. That’s good…!”

 

Seeing her reminded him of the first time he met the hero couple.  Back then, he was pretending to be the Crown Prince.

 

“Licht, why…?”

 

He looked at the glass knight, her armor gleaming in the moonlight. He hadn’t expected the flag to be raised this way. He had been hoisted by his own petard.

 

‘Wait a minute.’

 

In <Knight Heart>, it was depicted that the Crown Princess had never met Ariel.  Could this also be a deviation caused by his intervention?

 

“Mardol, is this the first time you’ve met Ariel at the academy?”

 

“Yes. That’s right.”

 

So, being a beta tester meant fixing the flaws left in the sequel?  Closing the barn door after the horse had bolted.

 

The developer was truly malicious. He knew it from the moment they made the Saintess unhappy.  He felt dizzy again.

 

“Licht, are you alright?  What’s wrong again?”

 

“…It’s something like that.”

 

He sighed.  As he looked down listlessly, Kainel asked with concern.

 

“…Anyway, Kainel, you should also utilize your holy sword more.  Like flying or causing explosions.”

 

“There’s something like that…?”

 

The blond hero’s eyes widened in surprise at his advice.  Well, it was mentioned that he trained alone without a proper teacher.

 

“Would you like to spar with me? I can teach you directly.”

 

He lacked practical experience and was still a novice as a hero.

 

“No, it’s okay for today. You need to rest too, Licht.”

 

But contrary to his expectations, Kainel shook his head.

 

“…Huh?”

 

“You look really tired today. Your hands have been trembling since earlier.”

 

He had heard the same thing from Nex.  It seemed his body reacted immediately whenever the Saintess was involved.

 

“I’m fine. Probably.”

 

He felt a pang of guilt with every lie, but he couldn’t show weakness. The Demon Lords could attack at any time.

 

He couldn’t prioritize his feelings…

 

“Ha… Seriously.  Just come with me, Licht.”

 

After hearing his reply, the Hero of Light frowned and led him down a forest path.

 

The rustling sound of footsteps on grass and the chirping of insects filled the quiet night.

 

What was this? Was he angry with Licht? He hadn’t done anything to offend him.

 

“…What’s this about all of a sudden?”

 

“Hmm. This is good.  We can see our bonfire from here, so we won’t get lost.”

 

The hero walked to a tree stump and sat down on it as if it were a chair.

 

“Let’s talk, Licht.”

 

He said something familiar and asked for a conversation. Was this about raising his Love meter with Ariel?

 

“…Do you need relationship coaching?”

 

“No, the opposite, Licht.”

 

Kainel put one foot on his knee and continued.

 

“You weren’t feeling well this morning. It’s because of that white-haired girl, isn’t it?”

 

He hit the nail on the head. Licht had to feign ignorance.  The oblivious neighbor wouldn’t know.

 

“What are you talking about? I was just feeling unwell.”

 

Cold sweat trickled down his face inside the helmet. He fabricated an excuse, his heart pounding.

 

“…I may be oblivious, but I have good intuition.”

 

But this time, it didn’t work.  The hero’s blue eyes narrowed as he spoke suspiciously.

 

“Licht, you suddenly disappeared a few days ago. Did you think I wouldn’t find that strange?”

 

“…I thought you might.”

 

“You reappeared after two days, not just a few hours. If it was just a day, I would have assumed you had something to do…”

 

This wasn’t like him.  Had he become more perceptive after spending time with Licht?  He was similar in how he picked up on inconsistencies.

 

“I just had some things to do.”

 

“And someone like you skipped class and slept in? How did you even get into the dorm past curfew?”

 

He was transported by the purple phoenix.  It was a situation that would raise suspicions.  The neighbor berated him incredulously.

 

“Did something happen with that beautiful white-haired person again?”

 

The two days he suddenly disappeared.

 

“Answer me. What happened?”

 

“…”

 

His comrade, who had returned as if nothing had happened, remained silent.

 

“…You’re right about everything.”

 

“As expected. You’re terrible at lying, Licht.”

 

As someone he considered a friend, Kainel was understandably upset.

 

“She’s in danger in this situation.”

 

“…What? Is that why you skipped class and disappeared without telling us?”

 

“Yes, Kainel. That’s correct.”

 

He had no choice but to tell the truth. He spoke as if he had been caught red-handed.

 

“Who is she?”

 

“…The ‘nameless Saintess.’ She will soon be chosen as the Third Saintess.”

 

“Really? Well, you’ve never been wrong before.”

 

No one would be listening.  Ariel was far away, and at this distance, even the Crown Princess wouldn’t interfere.

 

Perhaps remembering the time he learned the secret of the holy sword, the hero nodded and listened attentively.

 

“…She saved my life.”

 

“That sounds like a long time ago, Licht.”

 

“It was 15 years ago.”

 

The 10 years he lived thanks to her in reality, and the 5 years he wielded his sword without losing his purpose after possessing Licht.

 

“What…?  So you’ve known her since you were young?  That’s a long time.”

 

“No.  The Saintess doesn’t know me.”

 

It was a story of a 15-year-old unrequited love.  The hero’s jaw dropped in surprise.

 

“Then… why…?”

 

“I’m just trying to repay her kindness.  I made her indebted to me without her knowledge.”

 

He admitted it plainly.  It was time to let go.  If they were meant to meet, it would have happened by now.

 

“She has… bad luck. So I had to protect her…”

 

“Is that why you were like that this morning…? Why is she in danger?”

 

Kainel’s expression turned serious.  He was a good person.

 

“You have an idea, don’t you, Kainel?”

 

“…Don’t tell me.”

 

“Yes, it’s what you’re thinking.  The Hero Church.”

 

Licht smiled bitterly inside his helmet. Kainel had also suffered because of the Demon Lords.  He wondered if it was okay to tell him so readily.

 

“…With your skills, aren’t you capable of protecting that white-haired Saintess?”

 

“It’s not enough.  Not nearly enough.”

 

Kainel was saying that because he had never faced a Demon Lord.  Authority that could overwhelm the world with concepts.  It was different from simple magic or swordsmanship.

 

‘I thought I would at least learn Dragon Slayer before encountering those Demon Lords.’

 

If he learned the ultimate skill, he could cope to some extent… but his current skills were insufficient.  He felt disgusted by his own weakness and incompetence.

 

“Your swordsmanship is Sword Master level, Licht.”

 

“…Who said I’m a Sword Master?  That’s absurd.”

 

He grimaced at the unexpected words.  Although his expression was hidden by the helmet, his voice was laced with anger.

 

“If I can’t protect the person I want to protect with my sword, what kind of ‘Sword Master’ am I?  Even a stray dog would laugh, Kainel.”

 

“Haha. Are you saying that for my benefit?”

 

He had revealed his true feelings a bit.  He had reached this level solely by focusing on the Saintess.  But she was nowhere to be seen.

 

“…Well.  I guess I felt a bit wronged.”

 

“But your effort is truly remarkable. Try asking her out to dinner.”

 

“Is this revenge for last time? Now it’s my turn for relationship coaching?”

 

Saying this to the blond hero wouldn’t disrupt the Grand Route, right?  He had already tried to break the Crown Prince flags, but it was useless.

 

“I’m just saying.  You’ll be swarmed with suitors after graduation.”

 

“Wouldn’t that apply to you too, Kainel?  Considering your swordsmanship.”

 

“I… have Ariel.”

 

The hero chuckled and spoke frankly. He was oblivious, but he liked his honesty in these situations.

 

“That’s good to hear.”

 

A genuine smile spread across his face for the first time in days.  But why hadn’t he confessed? Why weren’t they dating?

 

“But since she’s your lifesaver… I’m saying you should at least try to make contact.”

 

“…Me?”

 

“Well, even if she doesn’t know you, as a Saintess, you must have been saved after hearing her prayers from afar, right?”

 

“…Something like that.”

 

As expected of the Hero of Light. This was why he disliked Lupus’s negative traits.  This was what a protagonist should be like.  He accurately pinpointed the sore spot.

 

“My face is disfigured, so I don’t think I’ll be that popular.”

 

“…Is there something wrong with it?”

 

“I have severe burn scars.  They’re quite old.”

 

Kainel sighed briefly and patted his shoulder encouragingly.

 

“…Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.”

 

“Would you like to see?”

 

“Yeah. I need to see how scary it is that you always use honorifics, Licht.”

 

Even the shoulder pats were meant for the Saintess; why was he always involved with men?

 

*Click*—

 

“This is why I always eat with my face covered.”

 

“…”

 

He opened his visor and revealed his face to the hero.

 

Besides the Saintess in the game, Kainel was probably the first to see it.  It felt strange.  He would be fine since he was a good person.

 

His palms sweated, worried that Kainel might dislike him.

 

“Hey, Licht.  I’m really sorry to say this, but…”

 

Kainel examined his face carefully and spoke in a completely unexpected tone.

 

“…You should be moderately handsome.”

 

He had never heard that before.  It couldn’t be true.  He must be trying to cheer him up.  He felt embarrassed by the excessive praise.

 

“You’re kidding, right? People around me have always been insulted because of my face…”

 

“You’re a deceiver.  Ha… How do you even live like this?”

 

Despite his explanation, Kainel sighed and looked up at the night sky, as if he couldn’t understand. Licht closed his visor again, hiding his face.

 

“So… I don’t think it’s a problem.  Burn scars are nothing. It’s the people who stare that are wrong.”

 

“…The human heart isn’t that simple.”

 

“You seem to really like that Saintess. Judging by how flustered you were earlier.”

 

“Is it that obvious?”

 

The blond hero nodded repeatedly and smiled.  If even Nex noticed, it must be quite obvious.

 

“At least try.  Whether it’s the Hero Church or whatever. You can defeat them all.”

 

Perhaps tired from their long conversation, Kainel stretched and spoke optimistically.

 

“…Honestly, I hope she’s happy even without someone like me.”

 

The nameless Saintess had already been unhappy in <Knight Heart> and <Knight Heart>.  It would be best if she could be happy without him.

 

‘Since I’ve even been transported into the game, that won’t happen.  She’ll experience another series of unfortunate events.’

 

“What’s more important, her happiness or you?”

 

“…Isn’t it obvious?”

 

Unaware of his gloomy mood, Kainel continued.

 

“The Saintess.”

 

He answered without hesitation.

 

“…You’re truly a devoted man. Training to Sword Master level to protect the person you love.”

 

“This world is a difficult place for kind and innocent people.”

 

It was because the sequel was such a terrible game.

 

He should also do this for Ariel later.  At the time of <Knight Heart>, he was at least a competent hero. He envied the oblivious blond, unaware of his future.

 

“So, are you really not going to do anything? Why don’t you ask Mardol? Ask her to find the ‘nameless Saintess.’ She’s someone of high standing.”

 

“I asked her something else.  I asked her to protect the Saintess while I’m gone.”

 

He had already done that.  The flags were concentrated on the Crown Prince route; there was no room for him to squeeze in.

 

“…Will that really work?”

 

“I believe that true love is being able to abandon even your feelings for the sake of the person you love, Kainel…”

 

*Rustle.*

 

He stopped talking as he heard footsteps approaching.

 

“Mardol?”

 

“…What are you doing, Licht?”

 

The glass knight, spotting him and Kainel, approached them.  She had actually come looking for them?

 

“Just a truth or dare game between men… I mean, we were just talking.”

 

“Yes. That’s right, Mardol.”

 

“…I see.”

 

The glass knight nodded.  She couldn’t have heard their conversation, could she?

 

“Mardol, did you… hear what I was saying?”

 

“Yes, a little.”

 

It was already too late.  He had asked because he was worried she might tease him about his feelings for the Saintess if he didn’t confirm.

 

—–CROW—–

 

Phine set out to find the two men who had suddenly disappeared.  A feeling of destiny compelled her.

 

“…Mardol, where did Helmet guy and Kai go?”

 

“I don’t know, Ariel.”

 

The red-haired mage beside her was worried.

 

So, when she arrived at the tree stump…

 

“…You’re truly a devoted man. Training to Sword Master level to protect the person you love.”

 

…she started eavesdropping from the part where the blond hero said this.

 

And that brings us to the present.

 

“…Licht.  You’re strong, after all.”

 

This was the conclusion she reached after hearing everything.  His peculiar statements about protecting someone even if he was weak, and…

 

“There you go again…”

 

“Your heart is strong.”

 

…the reason behind his clumsy demeanor despite his immense strength.

 

“…Me? No way.”

 

“A strong person.”

 

Phine realized that Licht wielded his sword for the sake of the person he loved.

 

‘Different from me.’

 

She thought silently, her wolf ears twitching inside her helmet.

 

“…The Saintess, strong?”

 

Someone who had reached this level of skill was undoubtedly a strong individual.  Licht had placed first in the practical exam with swordsmanship alone, without using mana.

 

“…Yes, she’s someone I admire greatly.”

 

“I see.”

 

What kind of person was she?  A former teacher he admired?  His flustered demeanor increased. He seemed to be both lying and telling the truth.

 

“…I want to fight her, Licht.”

 

“Absolutely not.  Never.”

 

She became interested in the nameless Saintess as she watched the man in the black knight helmet sigh deeply.

 

—–CROW—–