Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: EP.175 51-3. At This Rate, It'll Be Sports Day.
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Five kilometers from Grand Hearts Academy.
A major commotion was unfolding in a forest clearing.
"Your Majesty, please calm down."
"Wolf King of the Empire, mind your dignity."
Knights in armor of varying colors and the emperor in full battle readiness were glaring at each other.
"...Make way. My Imperial Guard."
His eyes were as empty as the sea beneath a frozen ocean.
The hand gripping the axe trembled with more force than ever.
Veins bulged prominently on his wrists and temples.
"Does he look calm right now?! My daughter... my Pine is already fooling around with some outsider...!"
Forgetting his usual speech entirely, Locke began to wail.
He was furious that his precious daughter, whom he cherished like a forbidden flower, was already wearing what amounted to an engagement ring.
Among the beastkin, such a necklace also symbolized submission to one's partner.
The shocking thought that she might have already given her body and heart to Licht had seized his mind.
"...I won't allow it. No, I refuse. Gold."
With the anguish of a father shedding bloody tears, Locke was trying to charge toward the academy to confirm the man's identity.
He desperately hoped he had misheard.
"There's no way she'd be dating already. It must be a misunderstanding. Back in the day, she used to run to me shouting, 'Daddy's the coolest in the world!!'"
Though years had passed, the memory was etched so vividly in his heart that it felt like yesterday.
"It has to be that Licht guy who tricked her! Otherwise... why the choker...!!"
Locke recalled memories from the time when Empress Bellin was still alive.
"Your Majesty... That was over ten years ago."
The Imperial Guard Captain, a high-ranking knight clad in golden armor and of beastkin descent, spoke up in rebuttal.
Gold knew how Pine Granasia had been when she was with that man named Licht.
The smile he had never seen before.
From her doll-like, vacant expression, she had gradually regained her old self.
"Her Highness the Granasia Princess is an adult now. It's time to let her go."
Gold's lips moved as he spoke. He stood firm even against the icy killing intent emanating straight at him.
Even if the princess had a vulgar taste for chokers.
Right now, she was safest by his side—that was his judgment.
When they faced the Demon King at the Tar Dune Temple, they would all be dead without him.
"...Gold, what do you think happens if that man Licht wears a necklace too?"
Locke furrowed his brow. His molars ground together, producing a slow, heavy voice.
"Th-that... You said it essentially means a marital bond."
Clang. The axe blade, sharp as ever, swung toward the Imperial Guard. The gleaming steel aimed at their throats.
"Right. So if my Pine gives up her position as princess, and later parades around the streets with a dog collar on, beyond my reach? What should I do then?!"
It was possible. Common-law relationships were common in medieval times.
More free than formal marriage, they were socially accepted.
"Word will spread among the nobles later. Fine while I'm alive, but..."
But like Nex and Sharutineth, without formal permission, noble status wasn't guaranteed.
And not only that—the children born from such unions couldn't inherit the family...
"...."
Locke clamped his mouth shut. He seemed intent on giving no further answers.
He charged at the Imperial Guard knights, aiming to break through. The emperor lunged to clear a path.
Boom─!! A thunderous clash of metal rang out.
The shockwave unleashed a fierce gust. Nearby trees splintered into dust with cracking sounds, and the path to the empire cleared in a straight line—only to...
"...Your Majesty, you can't pass from here."
Stop unnaturally in the middle. The wind-scattered guards rose from the ground and looked aside.
As the dust settled, an elderly gentleman emerged from within.
"If you don't want Pine to hate you later, stop here."
The butler who attended Pine Granasia, and the superior who commanded the Imperial Guard. Dijur.
Though retired from battle due to old age, he had come to support Pine and Licht's relationship.
"...Dijur? For you to come all this way. What's gotten into you?"
He was barely blocking Locke's hand axe with a single rapier. The fierce wolf's eyes glared at him.
"If you need someone to vent on, this old man will stand in for you, Your Majesty."
Shing─! Fluidly deflecting the force, Dijur immediately struck at Locke's right arm. Swift motion.
"Even as Drake's friend, you can't stop me."
But even that was read. The gleaming golden eyes had already pierced through him.
With a single axe swing, Locke knocked the rapier away.
"Sometimes you fight knowing you'll lose. Like Mr. Licht."
Weaponless, Dijur laughed hollowly. He had come expecting defeat from the start.
All he could do was buy a little more time.
"What did you just say? Dijur."
By naming the helmeted Black Knight, unsettling the emperor—that was all he could manage.
The momentary gap created.
"...Now. Imperial Guard."
Dijur seized it, issuing orders to the surrounding guards.
"Guard Captain Gold. We obey."
"Silver Wolf, glory to the wolves' love."
Wolves in every color charged to block the black wolf. Sword strikes flew in like bites from all directions.
"Copper Wolf will protect the empire's pair."
Their titles for Licht and Pine had already changed.
It was the bare minimum respect for the Black Knight who had saved the princess's life from Magic Hat and the Head, and restored her former brightness.
Among them, the steel-armored knight blocked Emperor Locke with the most resolute gaze.
"Steel Wolf, Iron... I will atone for my past mistake."
The beastkin man who had once drawn his sword on Licht from the outset.
He sought redemption now for that misdeed.
The emperor might faint if he knew, but Licht had passed Tar Dune's trial and been recognized as an honorary beastkin.
No matter how fickle humans were, if he liked the princess he protected—well, he didn't seem to hate her, so he wanted to cheer them on.
"...."
Countless clashes. Swords pierced here and there, yet Locke's expression never changed.
"You know I can't bring myself to harm you all, so you act boldly."
No—more precisely, the swords couldn't pierce his body.
"I shall subdue you myself and head to the academy."
The Wolf King grimaced fiercely, then threw his head back and let out a massive howl toward the sky.
Suddenly, a wolf's howl reverberated across the entire academy.
It wasn't just the ears—it gripped and shook the whole body.
Every nerve stood on end, as if teetering on the brink of life and death.
I thought I'd gotten used to life flashing before my eyes in fights with enemies, so this shouldn't scare me.
But preparing for the sports day, my body froze. The cold touch of steel pressed against my neck.
'...Locke Granasia?'
It even felt like lying on the guillotine awaiting execution. What had I done to deserve this?
I'd heard this howl before in the game PV.
From that hill, leading hordes of beastkin, his commanding howl.
It was famous among players. What followed was him sweeping away demon kings.
I thought it was just for communicating with nearby beastkin.
"Eeeek!!"
Why did it affect the hero couple too?
Ariel trembled and flinched, drawing weird looks from all around.
"Ariel, don't be scared. It's probably just the sports day prep."
Now that they were dating, with no reservations, the blond hero patted his childhood friend huddled in his arms.
"This... isn't sports day prep..."
Pine murmured softly beside me. Unlike her usual cool demeanor, she let out a long sigh.
"I... might end up hating Dad..."
In her glass armor, she hung her head as if utterly fed up.
Could she understand what that doting fool Locke was howling?
No need to translate—it was probably something like, "Where's the madman who touched my eyeball of a daughter?"
I felt a bit wronged. We weren't even officially dating, and we hadn't done anything proper couple-like.
All I'd done was put the choker on her. The rest was me pushing her away.
"Mardol, no worries. Put this on."
I handed out the team uniforms for the upcoming sports day event.
A game where you steal mana-infused runes from the enemy camp.
Announcements signaling the start of the "Solaluna Bell Capture" echoed here and there.
The rule was you couldn't move them without using the technique matching the glyph on each rune.
Stones inscribed with symbols for magic, swordsmanship, spirit arts, and holy power were hidden in each camp, apparently.
Spirit arts won't work for me now? Should I ask Senior Nex for help if we run into him?
"...Ceres Team. Blue wolf."
"Yes, the size should fit."
Divided like blue and red teams. Pine, now wearing the blue vest over her glass armor, stood beside me.
Helios Team for the sun wolf was red, Ceres Team for the moon wolf blue.
"I told you before, that's rude. Licht."
The vest looked comically tight, but that was the largest size available.
Still, she couldn't parade around revealing her princess status. She was too famous now.
The empire's top figure after years in hiding—quite the tantalizing story for the public.
Pine was just Pine. Was being a princess such a big deal?
"Ariel, feeling better now?"
"Yeah... Kai... thanks..."
In stark contrast, Kainel and Ariel appeared in red wolf vests.
"We have to beat Licht this time. Get it together."
As if we'd each taken sun and moon elixirs separately, the hero couple and we were split into teams.
"Gotta fight Kainel and Ariel, huh."
Pine peered out from her glass helmet with sad eyes. Her heartbeat, slower now, thumped steadily.
"But it's not real fighting."
"Right. Oh yeah, Licht."
I took her hand, not missing the small opening.
Her anxiety vanished; she let out a soft "fufu" laugh.
"...We're wearing the same clothes right now."
She spoke of the blue vest everyone wore as if it were something special.