Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: EP.165 47-3. Their Possessiveness is Strong.
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Whether by coincidence or fate, there was exactly one empty spot left in the girls' dormitory at the academy.
A cute girl with red twintails and a distinctive mage's hat.
"Pine! I heard you moved into the girls' dorm this time!"
"...Ah, yeah."
Ariel grinned at the white-haired Pine.
"Hehe, I heard Kainel and Helmet Guy are in the same room too~! I've been so lonely without a roommate~!"
Pine unpacked her bags onto the empty bed, and cute dolls tumbled out, lining up neatly.
"Licht and... Kainel are in the same room, huh."
Pine hugged one of them tightly. It was a stuffed doll that looked just like Licht, complete with burn scars and a helmet.
"What, feeling left out, Pine? Don't tell me you wanted to room with Licht...?"
Her pure white wolf ears and tail drooped. Ariel quickly picked up on the change.
"...Yeah. That's what I wanted at first."
"Hmm... I've been wondering about this for a while. Don't tell me, Pine... you like Licht?"
Ariel covered her open mouth with her hand. The princess of a nation harboring a crush on someone.
It felt just like looking at Kainel and herself from a few days ago, making her heart flutter.
"Probably not...?"
But contrary to her expectations, Pine shook her head.
"I'm worried about Licht."
Rather than the heart-pounding sensation from romance novels, she had far more bitterly painful memories.
"He's always getting hurt, in pain... but he never shows it..."
If only he'd just say something. Every time she saw Licht getting injured fighting demon lords, she got angry without realizing it.
At this point, she might have to resort to any means necessary. If she just made sure he ate well and slept plenty, that should solve everything.
As her fingers scratched at the bedsheet, her thoughts digging deeper and deeper into the ground.
"I get how you feel. Our Kainel was the same when he was little... Huh?"
Knock, knock. Two knocks echoed at the door of the girls' dorm, followed by footsteps.
"Pine, what's all this...?"
Ariel opened the door and stepped out to find a mountain of letters.
Some came with flower bouquets, dolls, even pouches of gold coins—an overtly flashy display.
"Paintings from the art club boys...?"
Ariel shivered at the sight of a portrait that looked just like Pine's face in montage style.
"Are they stalking me? Nah, probably not."
Pine sighed as she donned her Masterpiece armor.
Moving to the dorm had been done in strict secrecy. Dijur had handled everything, so the chances of being found out were slim.
Her white ears perked up, focusing on the continuous knocks that kept coming.
"...Just leave it, Ariel."
Pine stopped Ariel from picking up the letters.
"Why...? We need to check who sent these right now! Let me go...!"
Ariel struggled to break free from Pine's grip but failed easily.
"It's bait. They're trying to check every girl in the dorm... probably."
Pine's identity still hadn't been revealed at the academy.
Who would dare imagine a princess hiding among the heavily armored knights?
There had been searches for a white-haired beauty inside the academy after she showed her face at the theater district last time, but that was it.
"Their target is probably me..."
Pine frowned, picked up a letter in her Masterpiece armor, and a magic circle etched on the paper revealed itself.
"Tracking magic...?!"
Ariel's eyes widened at the sight. It was definitely one she knew.
A spell to track someone's location or glean information. Dangerous enough to be used for crimes.
"There are real letters too... How many are traps?"
Hiding them so cleverly inside the letters.
"It activates if a specific person picks it up..."
Crackle. Sparks climbed up her glass armor but bounced off harmlessly.
"Hoping just one person falls for it... Clever trick."
Pine shook her hand dismissively and bowed her head.
Even with the academy's barriers or the imperial guards, they couldn't inspect every detail like this. It was probably something that only triggered if Pine touched it.
"Who the hell would do something this crazy!"
Whoosh, boom! Ariel turned the pile of letters outside into ash with a fireworks spell.
A blatantly malicious act. Maybe the Hero Cult trying to uncover Pine's identity.
"..."
Pine fell into thought for a moment, then sat at the desk and began scribbling something down, filling a sheet of white stationery quickly.
"...Licht might get ones like this too."
She melted golden wax to seal it, then coated it once with glass magic.
"I need to help him."
A glass letter sparkling in the sunlight.
Held by a heavily armored glass knight dashing off somewhere.
Time had passed since we returned from the temple.
"The rumors have spread everywhere."
I sighed at the mountain of tea party invitations piled in front of me.
"Hey, how many of those are from girls? Pine'll get jealous if she finds out."
"No way."
The stationery was adorned with family crests and gold thread. Some even had men's cologne or cash—suspicious as hell.
There were so many, I couldn't even guess when I'd finish reading them.
How did they know to send them right to the dorm entrance? Were the rumors in the capital that wild?
"...Come to think of it, Kainel, you said you've never been to a tea party before."
I turned to the golden-haired hero.
"Yeah. You guys are really going? Ariel and I were just stressing over date spots lately."
"...Lucky."
The hero couple's Love Meter had hit 50%. This could be a chance to raise it further.
And to push Nex and Sharutineth's marriage along, we'd need to go through events like this anyway.
"Kainel, let's go get fitted for suits and dresses sometime."
It'd cost a fortune, but we had that stuff from the imperial family since I became head.
"Dresses? Why?"
"You gonna buy one for your girlfriend or not?"
"Oh."
Kainel still lacked a bit in the perceptiveness department. He was in for some serious teasing later.
"How about red for the suit?"
"...Isn't that too flashy?"
"Flashy is the point. Trust me, it's perfect."
Normally, you'd match colors with the person you like.
'Ariel would be blue or yellow.'
For me, a white suit with a yellow tie might work. If we're matching, that'd be ideal.
'Come to think of it, Black Rose Pine too.'
A bitter taste filled my mouth. The nagging suspicion coiled like a snake.
We'd have to go to the tea party eventually. I just hoped it passed without incident.
As I gathered the letters to sort them, something caught the sunlight and sparkled faintly.
"...Granasia?"
Familiar handwriting. A white envelope sealed in gold.
The golden wax bore the image of a wolf howling at the moon.
I glared and tore open the letter addressed from Pine Granasia.
[Hello, Licht.]
Pine it was.
[It's weird doing this by letter.]
Round, cute handwriting. Just like the notebook she lent me last time.
[Anyway, a tea party with the Ten Heroes attending is coming up soon.]
But why send it to me? Weren't you hiding your identity?
[Seeing all these letters coming your way made me think of you, Licht.]
Still, this was overkill. What sparked this sudden change of heart?
[You must feel the same, right? I got worried.]
I'd gotten famous after becoming head, sure.
[I had my coming-of-age ceremony, so maybe I should start attending tea parties properly from now on. That's why I'm writing.]
[Licht. Will you be my partner for this one?]
"..."
I couldn't believe my eyes. I had planned to take Pine to the tea party anyway.
But getting a direct letter from her? Never dreamed of it. Going with this could start rumors.
I was already the jerk who'd turned down all those noble ladies' invitations. I'd planned to sneak in.
[I'm inviting Kainel and Ariel as honored guests too. What do you think?]
[Normally, I shouldn't attend...]
[But to stand by your side and support you, this seems the most efficient way.]
I swallowed hard. No way I'd turn this down, Pine.
─ [To my knight alone. From Pine Granasia, the princess.]
The changed salutation. My mouth filled with the sweet, soft taste of cotton candy.
I thought I'd never hear those words again.
"...Haha."
My face burned. My lips curved up uncontrollably, so I snapped my visor shut.
"Kainel! Let's go with this...!"
My heart pounded wildly. It felt like electricity surging through my whole body, tingling.
Pine's first letter to me. I wanted to frame it right now and display it somewhere. No framing spots here?
Oh, it's already glass-coated.
The stationery had been shimmering oddly. Maybe Pine put extra care into it for me.
"No way, it's really from the princess?"
"Yes, it is!"
One letter, worlds apart from my earlier reaction. Kainel immediately recognized the sender.
"It's a total love letter. A love letter!"
Why's he looking at me like that? He grimaced and clicked his tongue.
"So, shopping for clothes? Just you and me?"
"...Yeah, we should call Ariel and Pine too, right?"
"Wrong form of address, Licht."
Kainel shook his head. What? Wrong address? Oh.
"We should call your girlfriend Kainel, and Pine too."
"That's it. Call Ariel that from now on."
Only then did Kainel look satisfied as he prepared to head out.
First relationship's got him all excited, huh.
[Pine, can you hear me?]
I cast telepathy to her too. Needed to coordinate schedules since she lived in the palace.
[Yeah, I hear you. Did you get the letter?]
Pine's voice trembled slightly. Her breathing sounded ragged—something wrong?
[Yes. I'm planning to shop for clothes and accessories for the tea party. When are you free?]
I even thought white could give a wedding dress vibe, not just black.
[...Today.]
[Ah, then Friday around...]
The abrupt cutoff made me miss the start of her message.
[No, not Friday.]
As I followed Kainel out the door.
[Right now works, Licht.]
A gleaming white knight stood before me.