Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: 34-2. We Fight, But We Also Love
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Our group had safely escaped the cave once Pine's rage state wore off.
"I'm sorry... Licht..."
"It's fine, Pine."
The person in question was now gently stroking my back, casting healing magic.
Something only Pine Granasia herself could do for me—no one else.
"You got hurt... because of me..."
"I told you, there's nothing we could have done against an Apostle's power."
She'd said that once we shared mana circuits, she'd be able to heal me. Seeing it in action was still amazing.
It felt warm and cozy, like holding a hand warmer. I wondered if this was how it felt when I used Savior Sword on her.
"Please... don't hate yourself too much."
"Licht..."
Every time her small finger touched the spot pierced by the glass magic, a sharp, tingling pain shot through me, but I gritted my teeth and endured.
My helmet hid my expression anyway, and besides, it was the woman I loved who'd made the mistake.
I could handle this much. Better than hurting someone else, right?
"I'll make the pain... go away quick."
She must have sensed my pain. Tears glistened in her eyes, and the clusters of holy light around her grew brighter.
How could I not melt at a sight like this? Her heart was softer and kinder than anyone's.
That was when it happened. As I felt the princess's tender touch through my clothes, a translucent status window popped up before my eyes.
Pink hearts burst out in a flurry alongside the text.
It was only 1%, but the Love Meter had gone up somehow. I focused on every letter.
'It went up just from touching lips with fingers...?'
What were the criteria for this damn status window? With Heavenly Demon or Dennis, it hit 100% instantly when their heads exploded.
If it rose this slowly, what would happen if it dropped? What was I supposed to do?
"Licht...?"
"It's nothing."
The stinging sensation on my back faded away, so I gestured to Pine to stop the healing.
The summoner had been dead for ages, so the monsters' rage states were gone too.
"Anyway, it seems healed now, so could you let go of my back?"
This was also because Sophitia had said it looked safe enough to withdraw the defensive line guarding the Northern Territory as we descended the mountain.
"No..."
But Pine objected, slowly shaking her head. Her white, glossy hair fluttered like the snowy landscape behind her.
"...Pine?"
"It feels... nice..."
Rustle. Her white tail wrapped around me again. Soft and warm wolf fur, a stark contrast to the cold, snowy flurry.
"I... actually... my memory's fuzzy, Licht."
"..."
The eyes of a skilled hunter fixed on me. Our height difference made my heart skip as she looked up, but this was definitely a trap.
Anyone could tell it was a lie.
It was the same when Nana or Nex fell to Servi's power, and during the gluttony incident too.
"Was that... really a kiss earlier...?"
Best to invoke the right to remain silent here.
It couldn't affect her memory. She knew that and was asking anyway. Her golden eyes gazed at me with feigned sadness.
"It didn't... taste like lemon."
Her wolf ears drooped lifelessly, as if blaming me for the finger kiss. Where'd she hear that first kisses taste like lemon?
"Oh man... you little punk... don't tell me..."
"Nothing to say. Sorry, Your Highness."
Squeeze. I took her hand and started walking.
This was probably the first time I'd consciously held a woman's hand. It was sweaty and awkward. Hope Pine was okay with it.
"Let's talk after we safely get down the mountain."
"Ah, uh..."
Twitch. Her drooping wolf ears perked up, and a faint smile played on her lips. Good, she seemed fine.
Truth be told, the mountain path was obscured by snow-covered roots and steep inclines, so I grabbed her hand partly to keep her from falling.
But more than that—her ears changing like that. So cute.
"I'll let it slide... this time, Lich-tuh..."
She mimicked my earlier words with a whine, and the feeling of our hands joined sent my blood racing.
Surprised, I glanced sideways. She was blushing too, head down, avoiding my eyes.
I caught a glimpse of her trembling gaze, but before I could dwell on it...
"Pine, what's really going on between you and this guy?"
Sophitia, with her black bear ears, eyed Pine walking pressed close to me and voiced her curiosity.
"My precious person..."
The white-haired princess paused mid-sentence. Why?
"So, did you two... kiss or something in the darkness earlier?"
Fair enough. With the shadow fangs, they wouldn't know what Pine and I did. It made sense for the Northern Archduchess to wonder.
From their perspective, they'd only seen me holding the fainted Pine after the curtain lifted, and she'd just woken up and started walking.
"Absolutely not."
I had nothing to hide. It wasn't a real kiss or even a peck on the cheek.
Just pressing fingers to each other's lips.
"Then why are you both acting all shy like you did...?"
I was declaring confidently that no such kiss happened,
"Hic. Sniff."
when Sophitia said "kiss" for the second time.
Hiccup. She started hiccuping cutely, and Pine, annoyed by her twitching body, patted her chest.
"...Pine? Are you hiccuping?"
"No, Sophi..."
Had I made a huge mistake?
She must remember the finger kiss. No other reason for this overreaction.
"I... don't get hiccups..."
She'd been tapping her lips with index and thumb nonstop, but getting caught by her friend must've startled her.
"Pine, you okay?"
"Yeah... Licht. I'm... fi-hic."
Seeing Pine hiccup made me wonder. It was just indirect lip contact—too stimulating?
The tomahawk indirect kiss seemed fine, so I thought it was okay. I rubbed my helmet's forehead, racking my brain.
"Pine, try holding your breath for a bit."
"Ah, huff."
Following my advice, she puffed her cheeks like a squirrel and held her breath. From what she'd said, she seemed as inexperienced in romance as me.
'Romance novels say even a kiss makes it precious.'
If she'd dated, she'd know that's just fantasy. Of course, with Pine's beauty,
'Guys from Grand Hearts Academy would line up to give her their liver and gall if she just let them bump lips.'
But I couldn't steal her first kiss like that. Gotta respect her wishes.
Forcing a kiss and hoping for love would be heartless. I hadn't met all the Grand Route conditions yet anyway.
'Magic Hat's still bugging me.'
The Demon King who acted like he knew me.
Until we caught that magician who was most likely to turn Pine into the Nameless Saintess and put her in danger, I had to hold off.
I wasn't here to conquer love. I was a player possessing a game character to save Pine's life and make her happy.
'The pure love Black Knight... for Pine Granasia alone.'
Not some sly hero gunning for marriage after slaying the Demon King without mutual love.
"Eee-hee."
As I pondered, Pine stopped thrashing. Was she calling for Licht? Good, she calmed down.
"You can breathe now, Pine."
"...It's true. It stopped."
She might've learned bad info, warping her view of romance. Like how she didn't recognize me as Mardol back then.
"Thanks, Licht."
"No problem."
Her fixation on me was probably part of it. Once she matured emotionally and shed that empty glass-like facade,
'She might rethink things about me. There are plenty of good people in the world besides me.'
But the tip of the white wolf tail around me swished playfully. Give me some space. Even after Academy starts, this won't fly.
"Hehe, you're always... so kind."
Thankfully, unlike when she first imprisoned me in the North, the pressure eased a bit, making walking easier.
And having gotten a finger kiss, she seemed satisfied—her eyes softer now.
If I kept pace with her, maybe we'd reach that happy Grand Route ending from the illustration I saw.
'If she can't stand at the starting line alone, I'll support her and walk together.'
A cliché, hard-to-explain tale.
That's what love is, after all.
Pine Granasia felt a pang of regret.
'Not... a kiss.'
She actually remembered Licht just relaying the kiss with his finger.
"What's wrong, Pine?"
Glance. Feeling a bit miffed, she side-eyed the helmeted Black Knight.
Pine was troubled—not just by the hiccups earlier, but by the strange fluttering in her heart around Licht.
"Licht's such a playboy."
"How am I a playboy, Pine...?"
Asha Aureus had been staring at the princess and Licht in shock, mouth agape, but Pine ignored her.
"Too smooth."
"..."
The playboy characters from novels kept overlapping in her mind, and she wanted to ward off the beautiful married woman with golden hair to some degree.
"Come to think of it, you said you're both Academy students...?"
"Yes, Asha. Licht and I are friends."
Pine set aside her princess dignity for a moment, rubbing her scent on him and emphasizing her claim.
"Sorry, Licht."
Even when she lost manners to the Apostle of Wrath, he'd chosen to shield her with a hug.
And despite her crazed state, he'd substituted a kiss with his finger.
"For hurting you... locking you in the room... sorry."
"I told you it's fine."
The Black Knight who put others before himself.
How many like him were in the world? He'd even understood her traumas, becoming her mental pillar.
"It's not just your fault, Pine."
"Really...?"
Only Licht made her feel this at ease. She pressed closer, comforted.
"Yes, I worried you too..."
"Hehe, Licht."
His instant shy reaction. Her wolf ears perked at the brief hesitation, intrigued.
"...Thanks for saving me again, my Black Knight."
"No problem."
Pine tapped her lips with her own fingers. His were bigger and thicker, so it didn't feel the same. Thinking that,
"Pine, what are you...?"
She tried recreating the finger kiss thrill with thumb and index, mimicking it.
"What's wrong...? Licht?"
"Oh, nothing."
But she felt no electric spark like before. No thrill.
Unable to figure it out, Pine puzzled over it.
The girl ignorant of love hadn't noticed the tiny flame flickering in her heart.
"Um, Licht. Just once... more...?"
She was about to ask for another finger stamp to resolve her doubts when.
The air vibrated, shaking every tree in the mountains. Snow piled on branches tumbled down with a whoosh.
Grrrrraaaaa─!!!!
Something huge rose behind Licht's group.
It looked like a ragged doll stitched crudely from various animal hides.
"Not an advanced demon summon—it was necromancy!!"
A massive undead beast blending bear shape with other animal traits.
"...Necromancy."
The helmeted Black Knight stepped forward to shield the princess upon spotting the enemy, summoning his spirit sword in preparation.
"Luring enraged monsters to kill them, then turning them into undead..."
"Total checkmate. If that heads to the Northern Territory, we're in deep trouble."
Drake, Sophitia, and Asha all entered combat stances.
Pine, missing her kiss chance, glared at what seemed summoned by the Apostle of Wrath.
"That thing... pisses me off."
She bit her lower lip harder than anyone, seething with rage.