Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: 29-3. 1% (Part 1 End)
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Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains into the infirmary.
"It's finally over. Pine."
"Yeah... Shar-sis... Thank you..."
Fortunately, Licht's surgery had gone off without a hitch. As if someone had lent a hand, defying that 1% success rate.
"How many hours has it been...?"
"Sixteen hours. I'll go tell Nex and the others, so get some rest."
"Please... do."
After such an exhaustive major surgery, even Pine Granasia couldn't fend off the waves of sleep.
"Aww... You did great too, Pine!"
With that, the door creaked open, and Sharutineth Saintmarriage stepped out.
She had to inform Nex Aureus, who was still maintaining the Phoenix Cradle,
"We barely pulled it off..."
and let everyone around know that the Black Knight had survived a bullet from the Omnipotent Demon King.
"Hehe, Licht."
Pine's pristine white wolf ears perked up. They twitched constantly, like antennae,
thump, thump, homing in on the steady heartbeat.
"...It's beating."
She could already feel his heart beating alongside hers now that their circuits were linked, but she'd done it anyway out of worry for him.
"Thank goodness..."
She was glad she'd been able to help him more than that 'Nameless Saintess' or whatever she was—who wasn't even here now.
The glass helmet that had hidden her was off on a table far away.
Even her masterpiece armor had been removed.
"...Licht. Why'd you keep hiding your face all this time?"
Sensing something off, Pine carefully lifted his visor.
Deep burn scars covered it.
"I'm fine."
Now that she knew the story behind those burns, she just smiled faintly at the gruesome sight.
"You know, up close, you're handsome. Yeah."
He'd been young and in pain himself, yet when screams came from what looked like an infirmary building, he'd rushed right back in.
In a way, even kid Licht was just so Licht.
With the Apostle of Gluttony, he'd probably jumped in himself to alter the original history. Or maybe tried to sacrifice himself in the kid's place.
"Licht."
Leave him alone, and he'd bolt off somewhere, chipping away at his own life to protect others.
"You did great. You're okay now."
She took his rough, calloused hands in both of hers and pulled them to her cheeks.
Pine flushed a bit, embarrassed by her own magnetic impulse,
"...Heroes who try hard deserve rewards. You can't die."
but her gratitude for his survival outweighed it. The slightly cool hands didn't bother her as she continued.
"Licht, truth is..."
She slowly closed and opened her eyes. It felt good, linked to the hands of the man in Black Knight armor.
"...Up until yesterday, I thought my eyes were cursed."
Sword-calloused hands, thick and uneven from endless swings.
Looking at them made her own unique body feel normal, comforting every time she held them.
"My eyes are too good compared to others. I can always tell if people are lying."
To fight off sleep, Pine started talking to herself. With Second Saintess Sharutineth gone, it was just the two of them.
"More like, incomplete. People's hearts are... so contradictory."
Licht was sleeping soundly now, breathing quietly. The long battle with Head was over.
"I'd think it was a lie, but sometimes it was true, and vice versa."
She let out a small sigh. Her cynical, glass-like personality from childhood stemmed from her mother, Bellin Granasia,
"...So I couldn't trust people."
but also from those who approached knowing her princess status, or nobles exploiting her power and pain.
Simple human distrust.
"Seeing you made me think a lot, Licht."
To her, Licht—no, maybe Lee Soo-hyun now?—was special.
"You're so bad at lying, I don't even have to focus to see it. It's easy."
Pine let out a soft "Hehe" as she released his hand. She poked his cheek with a finger, checking his reaction.
"You wear everything on your sleeve. Dumb puppy."
His eyebrow twitched faintly, and she found it amusing.
"Plus, when you lie, it's not to trap others—it's to help them. That's what I like."
It was true. Without the 3D Magic Circle, Head would've been much tougher. Without Licht, those students would've been hurt bad.
"No idea how you knew, but I trust you."
He'd known she was a girl but kept her title the same to hide it, and known her imperial blood from the start without showing it.
"...Because you're precious to me."
And facing Magic Hat, he hadn't fled—instead, he'd boldly reclaimed Queen of Hearts.
Selfless good deeds. Pure kindness without motive.
That's what Pine Granasia liked. Unlike those who calculated everything.
"That's why I'm worried. That you'll collapse again someday."
But his grim past was the opposite. She couldn't fathom living like that.
"Is it because of the Nameless Saintess...?"
Female instinct kicking in. Anyone could see his path was paved with sacrifice.
If the next saintess had planted weird ideas in him after the hero summon, it made sense. Whatever he'd endured.
"..."
That would explain confusing her amid his trauma.
A man who'd reached Sword Master level for the one he loved. Even with Drake's help,
he'd become the hero who took down Head Ace with a mana-inept body—through his own effort.
"The person Licht loves. Probably, yeah."
It'd be a lie to say it didn't bother her. Even if they'd fixed everything but his face.
His legs, which had leaped high to block the Demon King's ultimate, had been shattered until moments ago,
and the hands that used skills while impaled on Mana Rose thorns to save her were wrecked.
The Black Knight who didn't cherish his body.
"Your eyelashes tho... Ah, not that."
She jolted back, shrinking, having stared at his face too intently.
Did guys have such long lashes? wondered the princess.
"...In the end, to save you, I needed these eyes of mine."
She pulled his hand back, placing it between her wolf ears this time.
"My eyes aren't cursed."
His hand rested lightly atop her snow-white hair. Pulses flowed through their veins.
"I tried harder than that saintess. So... so..."
Her lips trembled. Just a few words, why so shaky?
"You did good. Praise me, Licht."
The jealous truth finally spilled.
"...Mm."
As she made his hand stroke her, the helmeted Black Knight stirred.
When I opened my eyes, quite the sight greeted me.
"Good morning... Lich-tuh..."
"Ah... Pine..."
My hand rested on Pine's head, her guiding it to pet herself.
"How's your body?"
Like a kid caught red-handed, she stopped, squirming shyly as she asked after me.
"...Feels too refreshed. Almost weird, Pine."
Her familiar words and tone, morning light haloing her beautiful white hair from the window.
"You did amazing. Lee Soo-hyun..."
Pine Granasia beamed, confirming I was okay. No more glass helmet or armor hiding her.
"No Masterpiece...? Helmet gone too...?"
"Had to take 'em off—they were in the way during your surgery."
To save me? Ah, damn. Too cute. I couldn't hold back, placing my hand on her head again.
"Don't just call my real name like that..."
Pet, pet. Gently but affectionately, so she wouldn't startle. The wolf ears snagged my fingertips, soft and plush. A faint rose scent filled the room.
Girl hair's so soft and silky. Wild.
"There you go, Pine."
"Ah... Hn... Don't touch the ears..."
She glared up, face reddening. Well, who told you to use my real name so casually? Others might think I'm the actual hero.
"Want me to stop?"
"Licht. Keep going there..."
Her face melted. Dogs and cats hate head pats at first but love 'em once used to, right?
"Hehe..."
Vague memory from the real world now. Game world—let it go.
"All done."
"...A shame."
I stopped petting. Worked on dream Saintess earlier too, but any more and I'd get hooked.
The more I stroked, the more her cute white ears flipped back comfortably.
"Still, good mood changer. Heard wolfkin love it."
"Did the Nameless Saintess tell you...?"
"..."
Why so perceptive? Talking about herself, maybe.
Guilty as charged. Made our Saintess cry and flee the dream. No excuse—even two mouths wouldn't help. Changed topic.
"So, how am I even alive? Feels like one body with two hearts pounding."
"Close, but no. What you're feeling now, Licht..."
She left my hand on her chest area, guiding my other right to her breast's center.
"S-Saintess?!"
"...Saintess?"
"Ah, no. Miss Pine. Suddenly like this..."
Definitely on Pine Granasia's heart spot, but the soft palm feel had cold sweat beading.
"Total perv, Licht?"
"..."
Overwhelming presence. Even through clothes, the ferocious sensation sharpened every nerve.
"...Anyway, my heartbeat. Feel it."
"Y-Yeah... I do."
Thump, thump.
With hands placed, our hearts beat as one. But how? No such skill in game, even after all that playtime.
Something similar? Black magic or necromancy maybe.
"Pine, did you use a life-share skill?!"
"No, totally different, Licht."
Thinking alchemy on a corpse, I panicked; she shook her head, calming me.
"More like... we can feel each other's heartbeats."
"Ah... So the magic circuit..."
"Linked mine completely to yours."
"...Huh?"
Thought it was just heartbeat checks. Never heard of linking circuits with another.
"...So solo magic's impossible now. But."
Overwhelmed by incoming knowledge, brain lagging—a voice echoed in my head.
The beautiful voice of the white wolf.
Exactly like in the dream, now in reality too.
A slightly high-pitched tone I couldn't forget even if I tried.
Hehe, her cute laugh.
She'd shared her magic circuit for me? A massive debt hit me, leaving me dazed.
"Plus, Blackie too... I can call it later."
My heart took Head's bullet straight—probably holed through. Without magic, how'd they fix that?
"No way... the heart's a Dragon Heart?"
Snowballing guilt, I swallowed hard. No way—they wouldn't waste that on me.
"Yeah. I kept my promise not to call myself weak."
"Just to save a guy like me... Mmph."
The energy flowing in me already felt unnatural. Like new veins everywhere, power surging.
"'Just'? Bad talk, stop. Licht."
She plugged my lips with a finger. When'd my visor lift again? Too hectic to notice.
"You're precious to me. This is nothing."
"...Pine."
Bold move—I glanced around. Morning light filled the room. Seeing her weary face, I had to concede.
"I'm the Black Knight who came to make you happy."
"I know. Lee Soo-hyun."
The imperial princess calling my real name, unyielding.
Her cuteness made me chuckle unwittingly. Natural smile in ages.
"Not a hero. Far from praiseworthy."
"Still, to me... you were a hero."
"Then your personal hero, Pine."
Couldn't argue with someone you love.
"I owe you my life. Thank you."
"No, compared to what I got, this is..."
Her golden wolf eyes met mine, reflecting faces.
Unified thumping. The circuit share?
"One question."
If this repaid not recognizing her sooner, how great.
Homework to pay back gradually.
"Pine Granasia."
"What... Lee Soo-hyun...?"
We needed a fresh start with the girl I truly loved—bare faces, true names, slow talk.
"Were you happy today?"
Not too fast, so she understood. Not overshadowed by Nameless Saintess.
"Today...? Not sure. But."
Only loving Pine Granasia as herself—I poured my resolve into this moment.
"Lee Soo-hyun waking up? I'm happy now."
"Good. Pine."
Anyone can love. But love carries responsibility, always thought.
'Love is filling a glass with wine to view the cold world.'
I wanted to cherish that glass lifelong.
"I want to stay by you, make you happy from now on. Pine."
"Then don't try dying..."
"Haha, I'll try. This one was rough."
Grip the fragile wineglass called love, live and die with it.
"...Licht, my heart feels broken."
"Huh...? Mine's perfect."
Relief settling—then she approached on the bed.
"No, I feel it too."
"..."
"Pounding like crazy, like it's busted..."
"Just your imagination."
Ugh, caught thumping. Now truly prey before her—no escape.
Wondering the love line's fate—
"...Huh?"
Redder than any status, golden text with heart barrage assaulted my vision.
Why's the Love Meter popping now...
<Black Heart> producer's confirmation. Knew and hid it, huh.
Concise, bold translucent window.
Content? Shocking.
Does that mean Pine and I... dating?
"Licht?"
Pine tilting her head cutely with wolf ears perked—like the protagonist seeing her wedding dress illustration.
'Me...?'
Sequel was meant to continue first game's couples. Avoid 'inconsistencies.'
Reenact loves from 1 and 2.
I played Saintess Route for our Pine both times,
including this window—points to one conclusion.
'Grand Route condition included me and Pine together?!'
Thought she'd marry some other guy originally. Mind blown.
"Licht, nosebleed."
"Eh? Whoa, real blood..."
Hot trickle on face confirmed it.
"Perv. Liked my chest that much...?"
Embarrassed. Wanna crawl into a hole. Pine smiling seductively at me.
"...Sorry."
Heart hammering looking at her, mind blank white.
"If sorry, recover quick and get up. Licht."
Grand Hearts Academy freshman Black Knight Lee Soo-hyun,
"Got it. Pine."
finally found his pure love.
Academy's Pure Love Black Knight—yep, really became that.