Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: EP.136 39-1. This Doesn't Look Like a Clone No Matter How I Look at It.
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***
My reputation within the academy had changed.
"That's me? The one who goes around wearing that Black Knight helmet...?"
"He saved the second-year cadets too, right? And he even beat an instructor."
I could see crowds of people whispering in the hallways.
After the practical sparring match, rumors about me had spread uncontrollably.
As either the freshman who grabbed the Head, or the thug who knocked out an instructor.
"He took down a Demon King too, right? Maybe he's the new Hero they've chosen?"
Drake knew about this and wanted them to shatter it with their own skills, huh. No wonder he didn't intervene.
It was best to show it directly to those who doubted his abilities. He probably never even considered the possibility of losing in the first place.
"Helmet guy's awesome! Mardol...!"
"That's... different..."
They say a word spreads a thousand miles without legs, and sure enough, there were male students buying knight helmets somewhere and wearing them around. Some were just medieval cosplayers.
Clack. As usual, I opened my locker to take out my major textbooks.
"..."
The door swung open, and letters came pouring out with a rustling sound.
"Licht, looks like you've gotten pretty famous."
"When was I not famous? Kainel."
Judging by the noble seals stamped on them, the news of me subjugating the Head had spread across the Empire.
Of course it had. Since I'm clearly the Hero, they're trying to tie me down using engagement connections.
'Love as a means to recruit talented individuals.'
It reminded me of those damn game devs somewhere. Sorry, but I have no intention of fooling around with any woman other than our Pine.
"...These are social gathering invitations."
Still, it was polite to at least read the letters addressed to me. I tore open one, and Pine let out an "Ah" from beside me.
"The lady of the Mirgeta family... the young head of the Harvester family..."
All of them were names of main heroines from the game.
One was the villainess lady, the other a frail beauty. She could recover with an elixir but pretends otherwise on purpose.
Showing weakness makes the opponent let their guard down. That's what her PV dialogue said.
There are no official couplings, and they all connect to the player. If I take these letters and attend the social gathering, I'd trigger the harem route.
An event where dancing with a partner unlocks special CGs.
That pillar husband bragged endlessly about how pretty the archduchess looked. His fame was too low to go with Pine during her Saintess days.
"Nothing special in the contents."
I crumpled the paper and shoved it into the corner of my locker. I'd have to dispose of these secretly later.
"I'll gratefully accept the sentiment."
If I threw them straight into the trash, some other heroine might pop up yelling "Don't treat love so lightly!" It's a classic cliché.
The heroine who tries to teach true love and ends up falling instead. I glanced sideways at Pine.
There's even one sent in Blanc's name mixed in. It has a red kiss mark, giving me chills. Better not read that.
"Don't even accept the sentiment."
At that moment, Pine reached her arm into my locker.
"Mardol? What are you—"
Pine pulled out all the letters and crushed them. With her tremendous grip strength, the papers balled up like soccer balls and slammed into the trash can with a bam!
"...Stuff like this is just waste."
The huge noise drew every nearby student out to stare at the Glass Knight. Even under the focused gazes, Pine said her piece.
If you do it, it's fine, I guess.
I felt a sense of peace watching the love flags shatter miserably.
Still, I had to go to the social gathering.
To get Nex and Sharutineth's approval for the engagement, a three-way meeting was essential.
It'd be better to talk it out there. Asha probably wouldn't be able to slip away from that place either.
"Mardol, would you like to go to the next social gathering together?"
I opened my mouth to propose it to her. If bringing a partner is an issue, I could just escort our princess, right?
I'm her Black Knight, after all. I could block any advances from sleazy guys too.
"What...? J-just... me...?"
"Of course, with Ariel and Kainel as well."
These were invitations addressed to me in the first place, so bringing a few people I know shouldn't be a problem. Pine's golden eyes trembled inside her helmet.
"I'm good with that. But can a commoner like me even go?"
Kainel threw an arm around my shoulder as he asked. I could tell he wanted to progress things further with Ariel.
Their Love Meters would rise together. One stone, two birds.
"The Ten Heroes have all sorts of backgrounds. What's the issue?"
"H-Helmet guy... There, you wear dresses and dance, right...? I don't have anything like that..."
Ariel covered her beet-red face with her hands.
Was she fantasizing about dancing under the moonlight with the blond Hero? She started fanning herself furiously as it got hotter.
"Ariel, I know a pretty wolf who could help."
"..."
"If I ask her, she'll solve the dress issue... Ow. Mardol."
Pine flinched hard, her body shaking as she elbowed my side through the armor. Just one compliment causes such a big reaction.
How did I not realize she was our Pine before?
"Idiot. Pervert. Beast."
Pine hurled insults at me without giving me a chance to respond. Kainel even made a face like he understood my feelings.
She does resemble that tsundere elf.
The next class was Beatrice's [History of Divine Power] lecture.
"What do you lambs think of miracles?"
The blond professor with half-lidded eyes posed the question. It was surprising that she wasn't the villain.
Miracles, miracles.
Don't they call extreme luck that hardly happens in reality a miracle? Here, it probably uses divine power.
Healing magic like Savior Sword is similar. It's a sword that heals all nearby allies like a miracle.
"It's a kind of skill created by gathering strong human reason."
I raised my hand and spoke. In the game, high-ranking priests used such skills often.
Like the Monk who cleaved the heavens with his fist, or the Holy Knight who conquered the world with faith alone. The sight of them massacring demons at once was impressive.
The ultimate technique to rival the Demon King.
Possible with magic, swordsmanship, or even spirit arts, so divine power isn't impossible.
"Correct, little lamb."
Beatrice smiled faintly at my answer, drew a human-like figure on the blackboard, and began explaining.
"This was before imperial power even existed."
She drew a white star in the center. The book said it represented reason within the person.
"The tide of war was grim. There were people who forgot everything out of ignorance, and knights or mages barely clinging to life after losing limbs."
The star on the blackboard twinkled. It held divine power. Is that what a miracle is?
"But then, when the First Saintess healed the sick, the word 'miracle' spread through the world."
Was she referring to the Saintess, one of the Ten Heroes? I recalled the statue in front of the academy; she's said to be deceased now.
"From the temple, she raised the soldiers as if they had never been injured in the first place."
As Beatrice spoke, the surroundings darkened like night. A few students murmured at the sudden gloom.
"Even in a hopeless, despairing situation where no hope was in sight..."
At that moment, a single ray of light appeared before my eyes. The illuminating glow was a star.
"Human reason that can change the world."
Pop. The star peeled off the blackboard like a sticker and floated lightly in Beatrice's hand. The fake star in the air sparkled like a real one in the night sky.
"That is a miracle."
Beatrice clenched her fist around the star, and it burst with a crunch. Once she finished, light returned to the room.
"Now, lambs, you can do this much too, right?"
The professor scanned the students before her. How are we supposed to do that? It seems too advanced for first-years.
"Draw a picture just like I did, and make it glow."
Professor Beatrice was the practical type, as expected. Last semester I couldn't use divine power, but this time I had a way.
"Mind if I hold your hand, Mardol?"
"A-ah... Y-yeah..."
We intertwined fingers under the desk. This shares the mana circuit, enabling divine power use. Pine hiccuped in surprise.
As I drew the star with my other hand, hers fidgeted wildly.
This feels oddly like doing something naughty during class.
Pine slammed her head on the desk and drew something. Too shaky to call it a star.
"...Done."
I drew it quickly so she wouldn't freak out more. A golden twinkling star from my textbook, matching Pine's eye color.
My reason, unshaken by harems, came from Pine Granasia. Maybe that's reflected here.
I rested, satisfied with finally succeeding once. Now just holding hands makes my heart race.
"Licht. Look at this."
"This is...?"
After a bit, Pine shoved her book at me. What did she draw so frantically...?
"Ta-da. Glowy Pomeranian..."
"..."
Pine proudly showed her drawing. A green-glowing Pomeranian.
More like a fluff ball than a dog, but the cute spirit was adorable.
"Hehe, what do you think...? Pretty, right?"
"Very pretty. Super cute."
It matched Pine's love for cute things, and since it connected to my emotions, it followed well.
Maybe I should learn how to awaken spirits somewhere. That's what I was thinking when—
"...Then I'll do one for you too, Licht."
Pine, satisfied with my reaction, grabbed my wrist and pulled it close.
"W-wait a sec. Suddenly?"
"Stay still... puppy..."
It tickles. Every time Pine's small finger wrote on the back of my hand, electricity zapped through me.
Letters glowing one by one, as many as the times my face heated up.
Clone magic. Can you help? Licht.
The message on my hand was an invitation. I looked at Pine in surprise, but she just twirled her finger in circles without answering.