Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: EP.75 21-1. Emotions Like a Fireworks Display Shot into the Sky
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I took Mardol with me to the academy terrace. It was afternoon, with the sun setting lazily after the awards ceremony.
"Coming to our dorm would be dangerous, Mardol."
I scolded the Glass Knight for barging into the men's dorm like that. Even if she was pretending to be the crown prince, still. What if someone else caught her?
No matter what, I was worried about some random event popping up. Besides, you can't get tangled up with me.
"If it's you, Licht, it's not dangerous."
"..."
She was talking more than before. Why was she being so scary? I only had eyes for our Saintess. I bowed my head and let out a sigh.
"So, why did you come here?"
"This. I came to give it to you."
Tap, tap. Mardol drummed on the box with her small hand. Was this what I thought it was? I slid open the clasp and checked the contents.
"...Dragon Heart."
"Yeah. You take it, Licht."
The Glass Knight's golden eyes sparkled at me, watching what I'd do next.
Damn, did her affection go up instead? If I accepted this, the 'Mardol route' might lock in for real. I shook my head.
"I refuse."
"...Huh?"
Her gleaming helmet rattled, and the Glass Knight tilted as if she couldn't understand my reaction.
"Why, Licht? I lost. I'm weaker than you..."
"Stop."
There she went with that again. Whether weak or strong, what did it matter here? To the Demon King, we're still sniveling weaklings. I was so dumbfounded I covered my visor with my palm.
In truth, her inferiority complex about being weak might be the one thing linking me and Mardol. I had to nip this in the bud.
"...Let's make a promise, you and me."
"A promise?"
This way, she wouldn't cling to me anymore using weakness as an excuse. Kainel, the sequel's protagonist, always kept his promises too.
"From today on, no more saying you're weak. How about it?"
"...No."
Rejected flat out. How could I get her to accept this?
I'd already made a promise about the Saintess before, so trying to bind her with words now would probably backfire even more.
"Then I'll take the Dragon Heart later."
"...If I keep the promise? Until when?"
Oh, she was biting. She leaned toward me. Time to reel her in when she took the bait.
"Hmm, how about until I'm satisfied?"
"...Fine. I'll try. Pervert."
I'd push with an outrageous condition first... Wait, what?
The Glass Knight clenched her fists toward me triumphantly. I thought she'd bounce it back at least once. But she accepted without a second thought.
Her pure charge had turned the tables on me.
She'd intended to hand over the Dragon Heart from the start.
My weird condition to basically refuse it backfired. Here I was, the idiot making an open-ended promise.
"I won't say I'm weak anymore, so you keep your promise too, Licht."
My plan to take the Dragon Heart without making a new promise failed.
'No matter how I look at this...'
It's a flag. A clear affection flag, even for a romance newbie like me.
Things had gotten royally messed up. Ever since that blessing inside Shadow Fang.
How could I push Mardol away when she kept coming closer?
"Why are you being so nice to me, anyway?"
"...Self-satisfaction."
Dealing with Nex Aureus was easier than this. Dizziness hit me. This girl really didn't care what anyone thought.
"Honestly, it's burdensome. What do I have to do for you?"
Even if I'd brought back Vellin Granasia, still. If she kept this up, I'd be in trouble. I hadn't even meant to do it—it was just lucky happenstance.
I had no justification to accept such blind favor. Family is precious. I'd just put her back where she belonged.
"You don't have to do anything, Licht."
"...Pardon?"
"I just want to do it for you."
So I figured I had no reason to accept this reward. Was it because of Manarose? I waved my hands in a panic.
"No matter what, I can't give you the Manarose..."
Flag with a flag. I brought up the Blue Rose for our Saintess to halt any further progress.
"It's fine."
But as if she'd anticipated it, she calmly soothed me.
"...I know that's for the 'Nameless Saintess.'"
Her golden wolf eyes gleamed piercingly from inside the helmet. Even this got found out? I hadn't told a soul. How...
"I want to know more about you, Licht."
"..."
I sensed it instinctively. If this went on, we'd get even closer.
The moment I heard that, I stood up. The feeling that I absolutely couldn't get more involved surged through me.
Just as I was about to leave the terrace,
"Oh! Licht, Mardol. I was just looking for you two."
"...Professor Dennis?"
I had to sit back down because of the staggering blue-haired man approaching. What the heck was he doing here?
The terrace at Grand Hearts Academy now had one more person. Dennis was drinking even there. His shining white eyes lit up again, asserting his presence.
"I watched the grade exam match. You lost, Licht, but magic definitely has its flaws."
Dennis spun rings of 3D Magic Circles, increasing their number. As expected of [Knight Heart]'s protagonist. I was a bit jealous.
"...I was weak in sudden situations."
"True, Mardol. Twisting steel into glass was good, but..."
"I forgot."
"...As Drake said, relying only on mana leaves you immobile in surprises."
He and the Glass Knight reminisced about the exam. Technically, Mardol had won by results, but maybe magic users just got each other.
"Mana control... Shouldn't have..."
"That's why our Licht was faster at the end."
When Shadow Fang darkened everything, I suppose.
"That moment, old man Drake was bragging like crazy."
"He did? My master?"
I figured he'd gripe about where I learned the new swordsmanship. Then again, knowing my master, he'd probably laugh, 'Finally, swordsmanship beats magic! Uhahaha!!'
"Well, you lost in the end, but you fought well, Licht. The mage students were shocked, and the swordsmen saw hope."
"Going into darkness was my own mistake."
"True. You can't even use lighting magic."
The blue-haired man grinned and encouraged me.
"No. I'm wea... Ah."
I saw the Glass Knight start to spill the truth to Dennis but clamp her mouth shut with both hands. Good, she's keeping the promise, Mardol.
She stayed silent because if she admitted she lost, I might not take the Dragon Heart.
'But why did this guy really show up?'
He'd appeared out of nowhere when I was fleeing the princess. I rubbed my chin, pondering. Why seek out Mardol too, not just me?
'Maybe he saw the Heavenly Demon's swordsmanship?'
I clung to a slim hope that my swordplay had twisted and undone the Demon King's power.
"Professor, did my swordsmanship remind you of anything?"
"Hm? Nothing in particular."
Damn, the power of ignorance was this strong? Could I even mention the name? Felt like the Head would tail me.
'It was fine at the training ground with the White Magnolia, maybe.'
Saying the Heavenly Demon's name inside the academy was too risky. Like running with a bomb— a timed one at that.
Especially since it was 'Omniscient.' The Demon King who knew everything. In this info war where we were at a disadvantage, no own goals.
"...Nothing at all."
Without a way to block the power myself, getting ignorant on top would be disastrous. I didn't struggle that hard even against Magic Hat.
'Couldn't fully undo the Masterpiece either, so it's too soon.'
Even if the fake holy sword could cut powers, it couldn't cut people. If it could, I'd have removed the bullets from the Heavenly Demon's body ages ago.
"...So, why did you seek out me and Mardol?"
"Right."
"Ah, well, you see."
I always used polite speech with Dennis. Respect for the original protagonist, I guess. I kinda liked her for it.
"It's because our magic club has to participate in the 'Summer Festival'!"
Dennis beamed drunkenly. Summer Festival? I'd skipped a month, so summer was coming naturally, I suppose.
"...Summer Festival?"
"Festival. Oh yeah, Licht."
A dazed feeling hit me. Trying to dodge flags, and now it gripped me tight. I'd end up moving with Mardol after all.
If Kainel hadn't brought up the club around Mardol, she wouldn't have joined. I hated that oblivious fool right then.
"Honestly, we've been so busy we haven't done proper club activities."
"True..."
"Yeah."
"So, let's make real results at this festival."
He wrote in the air with water from his glass: [Grand Hearts Academy's Summer Festival! Magic Club Booth!]
Summer vacations and winter Christmas were big in most games.
Event or limited characters— just costume swaps boosting performance, claiming 'totally different character!'
'At least this world matches seasons, so it's tame.'
No winter swimsuits or summer Santas, thankfully. I nodded slightly and asked Dennis.
"Then shouldn't we tell Kainel and Ariel too?"
"Already met those students, Licht."
They'd gone to the empire's forge, probably. Teleport magic made it quick. They found me and Mardol on the terrace too.
"What exactly do you plan to do, Professor Dennis?"
"That's for you all to decide, that's why I gathered you."
What? Grade exams just ended, so time to prep, but this was irresponsible.
I thought he was a nice prof. At least show last year's example.
"...You mean it's not decided yet?"
"Exactly, my assistant TA."
Dennis patted my shoulder. He hadn't forgotten the grad school talk. Saving lives left no time.
"Hmm..."
I leaned back in my chair, thinking. I'd have to do it. Good festival results might yield bonuses like the grade exam.
'Magic club... Magic...'
Probably best to use magic fitting the name. Kainel knew some, only I couldn't.
'Mardol's glass, Ariel's fireworks...'
Kainel was light. Combine these three somehow. Think.
"Professor Dennis. By any chance."
Ah, one idea.
"Can a mirror maze be done with magic?"
The common amusement park one. Memories with Dad.
"...Of course? Is that what you'll do?"
This could draw crowds freshly. I thought briefly.
"No. Let's twist it more."
But in a world overflowing with magic, spirits, holy power, and swordsmanship, it might not impress. Needed something fresher.
"Mix in scary stuff? Licht."
"Ah, Mardol. Good idea."
There was haunted houses in reality. I nodded to the Glass Knight. I shouldn't keep doing this. Reflex, couldn't help it.
"How about a 'Mini Underworld'? Combine glass and light magic..."
"Distort space, eh? Licht."
"Plus Ariel's flames."
Ghost costumes for an afterlife experience booth. Use mirrors for illusions to amp the scares. I explained.
"Yes. Merge all three magics."
Magic users indeed. They knew this better than me. I nodded vigorously in agreement.
"...And you, Licht?"
"I'll do something separate."
Maybe dad jokes as Yama King. Few would get it.
Our Saintess liked those tales, so spreading it would be good.
'Nameless Saintess might come to the summer festival.'
And so, I got roped into summer festival prep unexpectedly. Events were always advantageous in games.
"Mardol. Could you look away for a sec?"
"Why? Licht."
"...Never mind."
The princess had been staring at me the whole time. Talking more would just plant more flags.
It bugged me we'd be together, but what could go wrong?