Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: 13-3. Intoxicated Dreams of Love
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I dreamed of my childhood.
Those immature school days.
I thought I was the unluckiest person alive.
A fire accident, a unfortunate family situation. No one to protect me. Unfading burn scars and wounds.
"...Why am I even scared of this."
It was a common yet profoundly unlucky life, if you called it that. Even my father, who had raised me alone, had passed away the day before. I couldn't endure it anymore.
"My head hurts..."
No more hope in sight—the despair of a broken heart was too much to bear.
A hazy memory of the rooftop of that building. The day I tried to end it all, but...
"..."
I was too scared to jump. Looking down at the cars passing by, I collapsed to the ground. I was the kind of idiot who couldn't even decide on something like that.
"...Raining again."
A drizzling downpour started. It tickled my cheeks, blurring tears and rain together. No umbrella, so my clothes soaked pathetically.
Back then, rain was what I hated most in life.
"Let's go home, Lee Soo-hyun... Huh?"
I pushed off the ground with my hands to stand. Something odd caught my eye. An elaborately decorated game poster.
"Knight Heart...?"
By some stroke of incredible luck—or fate—I spotted an ad on the rooftop of the very building where I'd come to end my life.
An RPG game called [Knight Heart].
A man with blue hair and glowing white eyes shone mysteriously, next to a woman with long brown hair and deer antlers gazing at him sadly. Beside them,
a blond hero-like figure paired with a red-haired mage.
[What decides Demon Kings and Heroes? [Knight Heart]! We'll gift you love!]
What did Demon Kings and Heroes have to do with love? Looking back now, the tagline was pretty suspicious.
That's how I met the fate that would upend my entire life.
"...Love? Ha, that's ridiculous."
Back then, it was absurd. I'd just been about to throw my life away, so the idea that love could be given to me felt impossible.
People saw my badly scarred face and got scared, or
"It's all lies anyway."
they offered cheap pity. I thought, shove those feelings where the sun doesn't shine. The ad copy was so laughable and repulsive that I started the game.
...I didn't know the Nameless Saintess back then. Embarrassing as it is.
After my failed suicide attempt, on the way home alone, I bought the game CD and popped it in. An empty room with nothing but an old computer tower and monitor.
Back when people still remembered floppy disks.
Whirr—
The drive hummed as the CD loaded.
"White hair and wolf ears...? That's intriguing."
And so I began playing the first installment of the [Knight Heart Trilogy].
[Nice to meet you, Lee Soo-hyun.]
A woman in pure white introduced herself as the Nameless Saintess. Her first impression—like blank sheet music—was the worst.
[Sorry, Knight. I collapsed again.]
"...Why is her performance like that?"
She was designed so poorly she couldn't even take down a passing 1-star slime. Later, I learned from communities that most players ditched her early on.
[No matter how weak I am, I'll always be by your side to help, Knight.]
"..."
I pitied her. She was useless in hopeless situations, but her efforts to help were uncomfortable to watch.
She's just like me. It'd be easier to give up.
[What? Stay back because you're in the way? No.]
She refused to leave my party. The loading screen mentioned characters that auto-leave if fame or affinity dropped low. Why wouldn't she?
"...She'll tire herself out and quit eventually."
Even game characters have limits. How could anyone act like that? Curiosity kept me playing with her.
[Hehe, you cleared today's quest nicely, Knight.]
Protecting the Saintess became routine during missions.
"Why do you talk like you did anything...?"
I understood why she was called incompetent.
"...Well, her personality's nice, at least."
But unexpected sides emerged as I played. She seemed emotionless and curt on the surface,
[Run this way, everyone!]
yet she was the first to rush to any party member in crisis.
[Hehe, you're all it today. Come out, come out~!]
[It's the Wolf-Eared Saintess! Run~!]
She loved visiting orphanages in towns to care for or play with kids.
[Awoo... I'm a scary wolf~! Oh, Knight, want to join?]
Her smiling face then seemed like a different person.
[It's... not hard at all... This is just what I should do...]
"..."
In villages tormented by the Demon King, she'd heal injured without pay for days, collapsing from exhaustion.
Like spring melting snow,
[Good morning, Knight. Thank you for visiting today.]
her stiff speech softened. The distance between us shrank,
[Don't carry everything alone, Knight. I'm here...!]
and I'd come too far to escape.
[You're quite shy, Knight. Hehe...]
Above all, she was warm and kind. An irresistible attack.
During story progression, she commented on my character.
[Shall I heal that burn scar?]
Her sudden line startled me.
[Yes/No]
Oh, not my face. Misunderstanding. I sighed in relief and picked No.
"This game's detail is impressive."
Maybe customizing Licht too much like me caused it—burn scars on his face.
[Oh, I spoke too lightly. Sorry.]
I moused away her hand reaching for my cheek.
[Cheer up, Knight. They're the weird ones. Want me to scold them?]
"You can't even beat monsters properly..."
I sighed in reality. Because of her weakness, my character had to grow stronger.
"..."
No replacing a healer in the party, so no hires.
[Honestly, I hated that village.]
Saintess? Shouldn't say that. Text noted her wolf ears and tail bristling in irritation.
In the last scenario, she snapped at NPCs whose affinity dropped seeing my character's face. Once away from town,
[Our Knight is so kind and handsome...! They have no eyes...!]
She huffed angrily. That's probably when I started liking her. First to get mad on my behalf.
"...Wish there were someone like her in real life."
Too late for regrets. My heart shattered like glass, left empty. I foolishly thought it couldn't be mended.
Even as I ran and denied, she was the only one approaching me.
[Today is February 22nd...! Happy birthday, Knight! Ta-da~ Your favorite chocolate cake...!]
"It's my birthday today? Forgot with no one around."
A neatly wrapped item entered inventory. Description: bought at [Granasia Empire Bakery].
"...Why are tears coming? It's a happy day."
Memories piled up. My heart dyed in her colors. Pure white settled in my charred soul.
[Let's buy a doll to donate to the orphanage today. No? I won't buy it. Knight...!!]
"Haha, there's already one behind you."
She secretly bought a Fox Slime doll. Maybe she really was a gold-digger.
[Sorry... It was too cute...]
Hiding her face with the big doll. Her clumsy side felt a bit cute.
"How long since I last smiled like this."
A saintess who couldn't heal properly, yet loved cute things immensely.
[Give me one candy you promised, Knight.]
"...No such memory? What?"
Watching her sulk cutely if no sweets, she felt real. I fell for her naturally.
[If the world doesn't believe in you, I'll be the first.]
"She speaks like she knows hearts. Well-made game."
My empty room filled with her white merch one by one. Filling voids gave life meaning.
[Don't tell anyone I read romance novels...! Knight!! Eek!! So embarrassing...]
"Hahaha, this is gaming."
On sad days, cola and chicken while playing.
My harsh life unchanged with age, but
[Ah, how's the Fox Slime doll you bought last time?]
her soft smile opposite gave strength.
[Thank you, Knight!]
"I'm more thankful, Saintess."
A shelter born in my endless rainy world.
[Worried people fear you? Try polite speech?]
She once suggested polite speech over rude, saying scars wouldn't scare then.
[There must be people like me who aren't scared!]
"Might as well. Nothing to lose."
I followed. Better than slips with youthful faces now. It stuck as habit.
When did I start liking her?
Perhaps at the Demon King's castle near the [Knight Heart] ending.
[Do you believe in love, Knight?]
The white Saintess bandaged my character's arm injured by the Four Heavenly Kings, worried. Wolf ears and tail drooped. Already healed.
"...Honestly, no."
I revealed feelings via high-freedom choices.
[What...? For real, Knight...?]
She tilted her head. Ears wilted in disbelief. Don't look sad, it hurts.
[Why...?]
Tail lifeless. Disappointed? I mumbled excuses.
"The world isn't solved by feelings alone."
[That's sad. What happened...?]
"...Even if you love someone, fate may keep you apart, Saintess."
Her golden eyes widened, near tears—piercing my heart.
['Some problems love can't solve'? True... but it's okay! Pure love is invincible.]
She interrupted my character Licht dissatisfied. Felt like real talk.
"Those people start from different lines, Saintess."
Utter unfairness no envy overcomes. I calmly reflected on my ruined life.
"I had friends before scars... Now solo."
Game let real darkness out.
[That's reason to hate love, not disbelieve.]
The white-haired Saintess grabbed the Black Knight's face.
[I've watched everything you've done.]
Foreheads touching at eye level. Bold. Wolf trait?
"...Whoa."
Illustration so close, like alive. No voice though. What'd they spend package money on?
Wondered what if I chose believe in love.
[If you don't believe, why do such deeds?]
Her sad eyes questioned.
"...Just did what I wanted."
Seemed caught bad. Nameless Saintess probed each point.
[Watching you, I thought a lot.]
[...At first, dangerous person to approach. Honestly?]
[Wandering in dark armor calling yourself Black Knight.]
[So first day, no talk till you collapsed—pitied then.]
What? That first collapse line was why?
"'Even if you collapse from hardship, stand up'—that was...?"
I recalled shocked. No talk first three days—thought bug.
[Demon King feint, you guarded village alone till exhaustion.]
[Doubting such good man—I'm unworthy saintess.]
Hehe, small laugh, eyes crescent moons.
[What I mean is...]
[You're better than you think. I swear as Saintess.]
"Is that so... Saintess...?"
[If you can't start, sit lost—]
[I'll lift you, support to finish line.]
Less than a handspan away, strong rose scent text appeared.
[If fate blocks, I'll resist to end—vow here.]
Golden wolf eyes met brown—coincident soft smile.
[Even if love's ultimate unfairness, memories shard eternally in my heart.]
[If fear losing love hurts, push me away now.]
Kissing her wolf-cross necklace,
[I'll make you—Knight—believe in love.]
she handed it to my character.
[...Look forward.]
Arm around neck to trap. Bonus.
[Hehe, love's embarrassing, Knight!]
Her content face as necklace gleamed on Black Knight Licht—like ownership stamp. Face and neck red. Cute.
Confession-not-confession.
Unlike cold looks, honest to feelings—didn't like her crush denying love.
Or maybe this.
Memory before possessing [Black Heart] surfaced.
[Why do I like you, Knight?]
Asked max-affinity Saintess at end—maybe saved life fighting Demon Kings?
[Ch, falling for lifesaver? Idiot?]
Then what? Kept clicking. Hesitant motion, blushing cheeks.
[Huh? Isn't it obvious? That curious...?]
Looking up slowly. Tell me.
[...Everything.]
Bit tongue shyly. Not her usual, but soft only to me—liked that.
[Love needs no reason, Lee Soo-hyun.]
[If forced...]
Hand on chin, frowning thoughtfully—eyes closed, cute.
[To me, cooler than hero guarding one—hero guarding all.]
[Only you trusted half-baked healer saintess like me.]
[Cherished me.]
[Hehe, truth: love your cutest side. Who asks reasons for liking?]
[...Get it now? Foolish puppy.]
White hair fluttering, beaming smile.
"Got me."
Black Knight puppy—playful indeed.
[Let's go. Demon King's castle with Magic Hat soon.]
As my character walked away, subtitle line:
[This distance, won't hear.]
Side character, no fanfare,
[...I really love you, Knight. Forever.]
No voice, simple confession.
Best of all.
That was it?
...No, not big events.
Moment I fell for her...
'From the start.'
Ridiculous thought.
Who calculates love's trigger?
Like ignoring wet sleeves in downpour.
Emotions rising unknowingly—that's love. Learned from her.
Lived intoxicated by dreams,
"..."
Intoxicated, loved in dreams.
Simple reason I staked life for her:
I liked the Nameless Saintess a whole lot.
"Hey, boy."
Someone poked my closed eyes repeatedly. Who?
"Boy, wake up."
I died. Don't wake me.
"Need a hit to rise?"
Huh, not dead? Too vivid for dream tone.
"...No way."
Opened eyes: brown-haired woman over fallen me. Black hanbok, deer antlers striking on mature face—sharp teeth bared.
"How long sleep? First so carefree before me."
"Heavenly Demon...? White Magnolia...?"
"Hm? How know me?"
[Knight Heart]'s main couple. Dennis's forgotten lover.
Why's she here?