Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: 9-1. Is This Really the Crown Prince Route?
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"...So, Headmaster Laplace. You really had no idea about the dungeon beneath the academy?"
"No clue. Every book in the Library of Truth turned blank."
A neatly dressed man let out a short groan. It was Laplace, the headmaster who had given the speech at Grand Hearts Academy's entrance ceremony.
Due to the kidnapping of the Second Saintess just the day before yesterday, he was now in a meeting with the board members and executives.
"See, this is why relying on those who borrow power from the gods seems pointless. The God of Wisdom? Useless against the Hero Cult."
"If it were any other Demon King, maybe—but this one's 'Omniscience'! What am I supposed to do? Our entire library's down now? Third time since me!"
"...Are you saying I should've foreseen all the students dying, Professor Beatrice?"
The sage with demon horns and the headmaster in his librarian guise snapped at the short-haired nun.
"Enough, Beatrice. They say an apostle impersonated you."
"...Oh? Lord Dennis, you've already heard from Shar?"
"Answer me. You truly had no knowledge of this incident?"
The squinting woman wore only a smile on her lips. Her unchanging eyes sent a slight chill down the spine.
"You know where I was at the time, don't you?"
"..."
"What, maybe I used a body double or something?"
"Not impossible. Considering you're a spy..."
Dennis, with his blue hair and piercing white eyes, glared at the nun. But Beatrice remained utterly composed, as if she had nothing to hide.
"Stop it, Dennis! You know she's no succubus! Fighting among ourselves only delights the Demon Kings!"
"...Suspicion is necessary, Drake."
"You get overly sensitive whenever the Omniscience Demon King is involved!"
The Dragon Slayer, Drake, stepped in to prevent the brewing fight.
"...Can't I be sensitive?"
"Is it that person again? Didn't you say you couldn't even remember their name!"
"Yes, but they're alive. They exist. My body proves it."
He exhaled a sharp whiff of alcohol and staggered. As the glow in his eyes dimmed momentarily, he uncorked a bottle and downed it all.
White light faintly emanated from his eyes once more.
"...My spirits investigated it. It's been there forever. The order's reversed."
At that moment, the pink-haired dryad adorned with purple flowers spoke up.
"What? Professor Maria? You mean..."
Professor Maria of Spiritology. She summoned her hamster spirit and recited what she'd learned. The tiny spirit wiggled its cheeks.
"Judging by the stalactite formation period and moss growth, the spirits say it was 'prepared from the start.'"
"The dungeon predates the academy's founding...? Damn, we got played."
Drake pressed a hand to his forehead, grimacing. The scar on his face briefly shifted shape. The blond Dragon Slayer turned back to Beatrice.
"Beatrice, you've truly had no ties to the Hero Cult?"
"...I've never left the academy, Dragon Slayer."
"True, if you'd been involved, the Demon King wouldn't have stayed quiet!"
No sooner had he spoken than the blue-haired man rose from his seat. He addressed everyone present like a speech.
"The Demon King's authority... Truly vile power. Don't you all agree?"
"Agreed. But take care of your health, Dennis."
"Fair point."
"If not for the head..."
He spoke to the two who'd just been scolded by the nun, his tone deflated. Staring at the ceiling, he let out a long sigh.
"Head Eik is mine to catch. No objections?"
He summoned a spherical magic circle from his palm, floating it in the air. The circle now bore many rings, spinning repeatedly.
"...This might make it possible."
Dennis clenched his fist, canceling the cast, his voice short. Unlike moments ago, he burned with motivation. Drake asked,
"...Dennis, what's that weird thing?"
"Oh, this? Licht taught it to me. Calls it a 3D Magic Circle."
He chuckled and explained to Drake,
"That disciple of yours... dares...? Teaching magic with me here?"
"Guess he got tired of your outdated swordsmanship, old man."
The Dragon Slayer's brow furrowed. They'd trained together for over five years—being upstaged by Dennis irked him.
"So, should we report this to His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Brother? Hmm. 'The academy where your daughter commutes had a Hero Cult dungeon underneath!' Straight-up confession!"
"Won't we all end up dead? I'm against. He's gotten harsher since becoming emperor."
The sage opposed, and the other Ten Heroes nodded. Maria looked puzzled.
"...He's still His Majesty."
"Oh, Maria. Craving the death penalty? No students were hurt in the end."
"But... it was nearly disastrous."
"Touch the academy directly, and war breaks out. The Hero Cult aren't idiots; they'd never."
"That's true, but... Archbishop Beatrice..."
The blond nun's rebuke forced the dryad to back down. No casualties had occurred, and if they'd aimed to sow chaos by targeting the Second Saintess's absence, they'd have killed her.
'Still uneasy... They stayed dormant for nearly twenty years before moving. Is it really fine?'
But something nagged at her heart. To quell the anxiety, the Ten Heroes began devising countermeasures.
"We'll max out the academy's barriers and block outsiders as much as possible."
"Need to focus more on successor training..."
"A Demon King won't assault the academy. Brother Locke already smashed them once!"
"...Time for practical combat drills disguised as assignments."
Suddenly struck by a thought, Dennis turned to Drake. The mention of "smashed" jogged a memory.
"Oh, right. The one who resolved it wasn't Nex, the vice principal's son—it was Licht, right?"
"That's right! Dennis, my disciple took down an apostle-level threat. With skills like that, even a Hero Cult swarm poses no issue! Hahaha!!"
"Impressive. And Miss Pine's plenty strong too. If the Demon King attacks, we've got me and you... Should be fine."
A brief silence fell.
"..."
Everyone feigned nonchalance, but worry lingered in their hearts. The faint fear of war reigniting.
"Then... we'll reconvene if we catch the Hero Cult's tail. They say no survivors were found amid the dungeon collapse."
With the sage's words, the board meeting concluded.
"Ugh, my body really hurts."
The moment I sat up in bed, my joints cracked noisily.
"Kainel's... off to class, huh."
Void Slash takes a huge toll on the body. Using it repeatedly explains this mess. I scanned the empty dorm room.
"Let's sort out what I learned this time."
The academy had already approved my absence with a crystal. I grabbed the notebook from the bookshelf.
First, about the status window:
'It rises and falls.'
When a love line's in danger, it shows up—so I can prevent Grand Route derailments this way.
'Over 50% starts romance... 100% marriage? Makes sense, it's a 'Love Meter.'"
Even after getting engaged, it was 62%... So what comes after matters most.
For Nex, resolving his rift with Asha Aureus should do it.
I figured romance ends in happy marriage. Would our Saintess eventually marry once her Love Meter rises too?
"..."
The illustration I'd seen right before possessing this body suggested yes. Tears blurred my vision. I'd just applaud from afar.
"...No way she'd like a guy like me anyway."
I recalled being caught in Serbi's dream magic. Touching her face immediately revealed it as a dream. No matter how I thought about it, no one would fall for this mug.
A old memory flashed by. The white-haired woman encouraging me.
[It's just those people being awful. Don't let it get to you, Knight...!]
But that was the game then; this is the past now. The Saintess and I have no connection.
"Reality's not so kind, Saintess."
Plenty of characters were friendly to the player beyond her.
I can't cling to that. Even on her route, delusions of romance must go.
I'm content just protecting her from the sidelines.
It's all contrived words from creators anyway. Might not exist at all.
I sighed deeply. This time, I must see the happy ending.
I never want to see her sad again.
"...Head Eik."
I opened the page marked 'Omniscience Demon King.'
The Demon King described as a reaper from another world obsessed with the lives listed in the Book of Life and Death.
Why had I viewed him more positively than the Truth Demon King during yesterday's dungeon?
'He's the Demon King who spared our Saintess.'
Near the end of [Knight Heart], he explicitly tells the player: No need to touch the Nameless Saintess; he'll let her live.
She then forcibly withdraws before the final battle pre-ending, surviving to the original's close and appearing in the sequel.
A rational sort who minimizes needless killing if it fits his plans. But if calculations fail...
'He slays mercilessly or crushes with authority.'
Dennis's case proves it. He avoided killing per the Demon King's creed but cursed his lover.
'...I'm still too weak.'
My grip tightened. Yesterday was lucky—the apostle didn't know my ability, and my constitution countered perfectly.
But against a perfect ranged counter? I couldn't have saved Senior Sharutineth, let alone protected Nex.
Can I take on the Demon King now?
Fatigue crashed in. No countermeasures against his authority. I knew the dungeon's location purely by chance; he might not have been there.
Protect love lines at the academy while growing stronger. Can't fail the Grand Route either.
Something feels overlooked...
The path ahead seemed blocked. No connections for a weapon yet. If only I had a holy sword...
"No good options."
I can't reach the Demon King yet. Like in the original and sequel, they cheat with authority.
...No choice, then.
"Crown Prince route."
No matter how I thought, I had to take it.
Could a non-combatant like her fend off the Demon King? With my current power?
She knew holy power, but was designed too weak to swat a fly.
'Sharutineth and Beatrice are normal, though.'
Community called her 'useless,' 'early-game healer only.'
Most games have combat healers: mace-wielding berserker priests, fist-shattering-mountains monks.
Wolf beastkin weren't rare either. Empire-side often had dog or cat ears.
'Even the Imperial Guard has wolf-eared, tailed beastkin.'
I kept her to the end just because I liked her. Overpower with control and specs, beat the Demon King.
Post-battle rests, her occasional lines warmed me.
Slightly high-pitched voice, pure and clear personality. Rose-scented text.
[I only got helped again today, Knight... But promise not to get healed by anyone else without me?]
Still vivid closing my eyes,
[Huh? Why so sudden?]
Her giggling, beaming tease,
[...I might get jealous, you know.]
Lingered in memory, heart racing habitually.
"..."
Worry for her welled up again. Where was she, what doing?
Mouth parched. I quickly scanned my notes for the biggest threat,
"...Magic Hat Masquerade."
The mad magician was the most dangerous. Masked deceiver who sliced even our Saintess in [Black Heart]'s finale.
He's why I possessed this body.
With Hero Cult active, he'll move soon.
My guess: [Grand Hearts Academia]'s protagonist is Lupus Granasia. No matter my struggles, we'll ally by endgame.
For the Nameless Saintess, no holding back means.
With the Crown Prince, neutralize Truth Demon King early—maybe avert bad end.
Stubbornness changes nothing; she doesn't know me. Idling risks her falling to the Demon King.
Keep Lupus as companion only; won't break Saintess route conditions.
Mind cleared, tasks emerged.
"...Guess I'll go meet Senior Nex first."
His spirit fully matured. Real help now. Even if Demon King hits academy, won't breach Phoenix Cradle.
"Need to buy a Pure Love Injector too."
Plus, new sword. Academy should sell. I headed out.
In a room lit by chandeliers over a round table, five figures sat.
Appealing dishes covered the table—it seemed a dinner.
"...It's really done, right? Head?"
"Yes, Nex should have mastered 'Phoenix Cradle' by now. My calculations are flawless."
"Reducing casualties by going this far? Ruthless... Just wipe them out at once...!!"
"No. Highest probability path."
A magician-attired woman with fork in hand, and a monocled gentleman in suit flipping a book. Beside them,
"...I like this plan. Right, Finn bro?"
"Yeah, Intinium."
Twin-like boy and girl smiled, eating. Blood dripped from knife-sliced steak.
"The Omniscience Hero does mere kidnappings? Pathetic. Not child's play."
A long black-haired man with deer antlers grumbled at the monocled man. Irked, he replied,
"Black Cloud, watch your mouth. This is optimal. And drop that title."
"Our Omniscience Hero deems it so. Can't be wrong! Hehe!"
The white-haired woman tilted her magic hat, laughing. As if cheering him, she slapped the called-Head man's back hard.
"...Better if you stayed silent."
"Why? We Heroes were close once~ Don't be sore..."
"I've long discarded 'Hero.' Magic Hat."
"Yees, got it, Demon King!"
The magician puffed her cheeks sulkily. The twins chuckled; the elder Black Cloud scowled unpleasantly.
"But even with omniscience, why use Serbi? Gluttony's there, plenty apostles."
"Creates openings inversely... Hm?"
Head's page-turning hand froze.
As if disaster struck, the monocled man reopened the book, flipping frantically. Sweat beaded as he checked for errors.
"Huh, what's wrong, Head...?"
"Impossible. Clearly, Nex was due to betray this time..."
Head's hand trembled. The other Demon Kings focused on the gentleman.
"Ha, as expected. Knew it..."
"Eik, you okay...?"
Watching, the magician's eyes curved like crescent moons, long white hair fluttering, golden eyes gleaming.
"...This'll be fun!"
Seeing a name in the Book of Life and Death, the Truth Demon King laughed.