Chapter 70
Chapter 70
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: EP.70 19-4. The Difference Between a Mad Dog and a Wolf.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In the boys' dormitory of the academy, Kainel had come by and told me to rest for a day since I didn't look well.
"...I'm gonna go nuts."
Left alone, I was flipping through my notes for the first time in a while, checking if I'd missed anything. I'd looked up every member of the Granasia royal family.
'Why doesn't Mardol's name show up?'
Like Lupus, she had black hair and wolf ears. Golden eyes, no doubt. And she was a woman. Her reactions made it clear. To begin with, someone with stark white hair like hers stood out.
"...Is she really a new heroine."
Even if she was a last-minute addition, it made sense. She was the polar opposite of the northern grand duchess that pillar of a guy liked.
Flipping the script on a popular character's setup often made them popular too. Or just slap on different clothes and claim a new personality.
Hell, they'd even released a character in a swimsuit during winter.
But why doesn't our Saintess have a swimsuit version? Now that I think about it, I'm pissed. I slammed the notebook shut, irritation bubbling up for no reason.
Her real name was probably Mardol Granasia. Even the body double hypothesis was wrong. She was a completely separate person, but that much was right.
Just like Lupus popping up out of nowhere in the sequel, [Grand Hearts Academy] could have done the same. And that damn sequel's creator had latched onto me somehow.
I furrowed my brow. Was this telling me to give up on our Saintess? To watch her go off in a wedding dress to some other guy?
And the character I possessed was the 'Black Knight.' A name that meant sacrificing for the one you love. They might be using that to mess with me.
If I couldn't get close to our Saintess, I'd want to bite my tongue off. She'd been so damn unlucky from the start.
'No name, weak abilities—implicitly abandoned by players....'
For anyone who played the [Knight Heart Trilogy], the standard was to use her as a healer early on, then swap her out later.
Even I, who crushed everything with control and gear, struggled keeping her in the backline. She was that weak.
"...But her heart was stronger than anyone's."
Despite her lack of power, she always worried about the weak, saving me with her warmer-than-warm kindness. It was like sunlight reaching a mouse hole.
I lay on the bed and reached for the magic lamp on the ceiling. Like grasping at light, if things stayed this way, I might never get close to her.
The pure white woman wary of my harem-building came to mind. She'd believe in pure love, so a me close to Mardol would be trouble. You can't cover the sun with your palm. A hollow laugh escaped me.
She was already tied to the Demon King somehow—if something dangerous happened now that we were distant, that'd be bad. I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking off the negativity.
'...Feels like I'm missing something important.'
My senses sharpened at the nagging doubt. Why was Mardol so tangled up with me?
"It started with the Shadow Wolf, probably. Yeah, since Dijur-sensei said so."
Twisting the hero couple into my carriage was the butterfly effect's start. Meeting the butler there, and Mardol taking an interest in me.
Someone obsessed with strength. Drake-style swordsmanship must have appealed to her. Plus, my master taking me as her only disciple.
"...And I mistook her for Lupus."
Too much info led to confirmation bias. If I hadn't known the game so well, I wouldn't have made that mistake.
If she really was a girl, sticking to the comrade route seemed best. I had to confirm it this time. Unknown info was always poison here.
"Magic Hat was a girl too.... And with Nex, I nearly let Sharutineth-sunbae die because I didn't know."
Being a prequel meant more variables. I was already struggling to save our Saintess, with no one to vent to.
Oh, right—I'd asked Mardol to take good care of the Nameless Saintess.
Our ties were a tangled mess now, too complex to unravel. Like earlier.
"...Licht lies too."
We'd started off on the wrong foot. Keeping secrets from each other. She had sharp instincts. She seemed to know I was hiding being a possessor.
"Does my lying show that much...?"
A sigh escaped. That oblivious mutt had called me out, and Ariel had scolded me too. Lies snowball.
It was my own doing, from being such a coward. Admitting I was game-possessed and asking for help...
No. Absolutely not. Who'd believe 'You're a game character'? Even me in Licht's body felt this world as real.
"...What should I do now."
My guess: To enter our Saintess's Grand Route without contradictions, I needed to handle the academy love lines flawlessly.
'What's her love line?'
The thought chilled me. Me? But I had no resistance to women, and
dating someone else would block getting close to our Saintess. I didn't even want that.
'If I miss the 'Saintess Route' and can't protect her because we're not close enough...'
I hung my head. My mind was a mess. Was there really nothing in this world that heart alone could fix?
"Enough. Lee Soo-hyun. Worrying won't change anything."
I stood up. Grabbed Pure Love Injector No. 2. Gripped my sword hilt tight. Today's efforts stood out.
Seeing them filled me with pride. They were the footprints of my life here,
so if I saw the Saintess now, I could proudly say, 'I've done my absolute best for you.'
"...Because she's special to me."
It made me happy. A smile tugged at my lips. Just imagining her gave me strength.
'The one who saved me.'
Some say time heals. How can you like one person for 15 years? It just happened. No other woman caught my eye.
She shone too brightly. Like fireworks lighting the dark night sky. In darkness, her preciousness shone more.
'The one who made me believe in love.'
Some say give up. First loves don't come true. I know. That's why she's precious, lovable.
I wanted to see those wolf ears like fresh snow perking up. Indulge in their cute flop when happy.
'The one I like.'
Stories dismissing common romance didn't apply to me. I just wanted to make her happy by my side, whatever it took.
This world was cold, with four Demon Kings. It didn't suit our Saintess.
'The one I love.'
Right now, I cherished her.
"...That's all."
Love's depth can't be measured. Not in numbers, and you can't speak carelessly of others'.
With my heart sorted, I realized what to do in the grade exam.
Get a Mana Rose and give it to the Saintess later.
That was my best now. Worrying about a princess love line? Staying comrades would be fine.
Time passed like that,
In the circular arena stood two knights, one black and one white.
"Hey, Licht."
"Hello... Mardol."
When I switched back to her original title, the glass knight's body twitched slightly in surprise. Seeing that, I let out a small chuckle.
"Huh...?"
What a sloppy person. She seemed so cold at first, but you've changed a lot too.
"Didn't you hate it?"
"...Yeah."
Mardol nodded faintly. No surprise—she wore masterwork gear just to hide her identity.
'This is probably the way to the comrade route.'
Conclusion after long thought. I didn't know how to treat a girl, but handling her like a male comrade should work?
Kainel got along with me fine. Even flirted with Ariel. No dating experience holding me back here.
Thanks to our Saintess, I learned romance from games. I could do it.
"...Licht."
Then, lost in thought, she raised her sword and spoke.
"I don't know you well, Licht."
The golden eyes glowing in her helmet—where was that earlier person?—now brimmed with cold killing intent, sharpening my every sense.
"...Same here."
It was true. I knew nothing about her from start to finish. I drew my sword from my waist too. My opponent was the heroine bearing Emperor Locke's blood.
Thinking about it, it was an odd matchup. Opposing exteriors, but we were alike.
One obsessed with strength, one with the Saintess. Neither honest with our hearts. How much sorrow had we endured alone?
Yesterday, or that scolding in the sword training hall—I always hurt Mardol.
"So. Show me."
Maybe this fight would reveal much. Words were useless. Swordsmen spoke with swords.
Her declaration made my heart race. I'd see her magic in battle.
"...Who you are."
Her voice echoed from the glass helm across the arena,
Mardol's golden wolf eyes gleamed.