Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: 27. Merry Christmas.
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I'd read a line like that in a book once long ago.
"If you don't open your hand, you can't grasp anything."
To gain everything, you must be prepared to let go of everything—a simple, almost clichéd proverb.
Right up to the very end.
"Licht."
At the very moment I was about to throw away even my own life, the light that had saved me once before returned to my feet.
"Saintess... how in the world did you get here..."
Honestly, I had no regrets. Since coming to Grand Hearts Academy, I'd met so many good people,
and built unforgettable memories. I'd protected the other students from the Demon Kings' schemes.
I'd tried to help couples like Dennis and Heavenly Demon, Kainel and Ariel.
Sure, there had been some comedic mishaps mistaking Mardol for the crown prince, but overall, it hadn't been a bad few months.
"...You're definitely that little guy."
Of the five years since possessing this game, I could confidently say these had been the happiest. Sure, it was a shame I might leave without seeing our Saintess again.
"Licht... I was so worried about you."
I never dreamed of a reunion like this. Well, it made sense since I was already trapped in a nightmare.
"Hehe, even with a different face and body, I can tell."
A slightly upbeat tone, that "hehe" laugh, the tail wagging happily, and those cute wolf ears folded back.
The figure who looked just like the Nameless Saintess hugged me and softly opened her mouth. Our blood seemed to pulse as one, connected by the closeness.
"I can tell, too. It's you."
My heart pounded wildly at the sight of her pure white form before me. Just moments ago, the quiet beating in my chest had been still and silent, but now,
'...Even if it's a final life-flashing-before-my-eyes montage, fine.'
it roared to life like an engine turning over, like kindling catching flame.
'Even if it's a hallucination, fine.'
Emotions surged heavier and heavier. Calm down, you idiot. My fingertips trembled, tears welling in my eyes.
"...Are you hurt?"
The burns visible all over her body gnawed at me. Was it because of the apostle's attack? Why did this trauma feel so vividly real? I didn't want her getting hurt.
"No, I'm not hurt."
It pained me that she'd come to save me even now, fighting through the flames and getting injured.
"Don't lie to me."
I looked straight at her slightly burned face, locking eyes for a moment.
"Busted. I thought you wouldn't notice since you're not the sharpest."
"I'm not that much of an idiot."
Her golden wolf eyes gleamed, piercing the darkness. Cool-looking, but with beautiful corners.
"You totally are."
"Why am I an idiot?"
Soft, glossy pure white hair, a faint rose scent wafting from her.
"You only like boobs. Pervert Licht."
"No, I'm not that kind of..."
From her perspective, this was our first meeting, so it was normal she wouldn't know me. Thinking back to the Servi incident, it felt contradictory.
"Don't lie."
"..."
'I like them because it's you. I have zero interest in other women.' The words nearly escaped, but they sounded too perverted, so I held back. I invoked my right to silence.
"...Besides, Licht."
Seeing her like this, it had to be the final wish in this dream-like state.
"You were trying to die alone again. Am I wrong?"
"...You're right."
"Don't. Bad boy."
Everyone has their own unique aura. This felt nostalgically familiar—the one who always scolded me when I made the wrong choice.
It was her—the one I'd always longed for in my memories.
The enrollment timeline in [Grand Hearts Academia] was a 5-year prequel in the original game, 10 years in the sequel.
'Did I want to attend the academy with the Saintess so badly? Academy uniform instead of a white habit.'
It wasn't hard to understand her appearing a bit younger. Wasn't I reliving my traumatized childhood self right now?
"Let's get out together now."
"...Got it."
I took her hand. Our sizes differed. A soft, snow-white woman's hand. The moment our fingertips touched, electricity jolted through me, my body twitching,
"Hehe, Licht, your face is red."
and my cheeks burned. I wanted to crawl into a hole. Wasn't she supposed to be a wolf character?
The Saintess lifting me now wore a bewitching fox-like smile.
"It's hot today."
"It's winter now? No fire magic here, it's freezing..."
Unlike the Saintess I knew, she spoke casually. I'd heard the tone somewhere before, but embarrassment froze my brain.
I was already enjoying a midsummer night's Christmas, and even if it was a trap, I didn't care.
"I'm hot, Saintess."
What I hated most was her vanishing from before me.
Pine Granasia recognized the young Licht at a glance.
This was her first time seeing his bare face without burns to distinguish him, so a third party might have overlooked him.
But she instinctively knew from his polite speech, unique scent, and slightly cool hand.
Plus, to Pine, his brown eyes looked cooler than any human in this world. She'd glimpsed them through his helmet during the final battle with Magic Hat.
They were the eyes of the Black Knight who'd burned everything, even his life, without hesitation to save people like her.
No real difference, yet they felt so special.
Still, she had a slight grievance. While escaping the burning hospital searching for Licht,
"Saintess, over there."
"Yeah, got it. Licht."
Just like last time, she was the one saving him, yet why did this guy only call for that woman called Saintess? A small pang of annoyance hit her.
'...Do I look like some Nameless Saintess to Licht?'
This was his trauma—a perfect recreation of his mind and memories.
So if he saw her as his most precious person, it made sense. The boy earlier had mentioned only her white hair, not the wolf ears.
'Annoying...'
Jealousy made Pine bite her lower lip. Her canine fangs, typical of the Inrang tribe, peeked out white.
"Let's take those stairs. The main building should be open."
Her brows furrowed. They were dashing through black smoke toward an exit, but her mind and nerves were elsewhere.
"...Saintess?"
The child-version Licht stared at her wide-eyed. Probably how his helmet-hidden face looked back then.
"Just once, okay? Licht."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"No next time."
Seeing the bewildered boy, a smile tugged at her lips unbidden. That Saintess probably never saw Licht like this.
'I win.'
A satisfying sense of victory bloomed in her chest.
Thus, with Pine carrying Licht, dodging heat and flames together, just before the two escaped the hospital,
"...Huh?"
"It's blocked. Licht."
Unlike the man's words, the large glass door—their final bastion—was sealed by collapsed debris.
I sensed something off about the concrete and steel beams blocking the hospital entrance.
'This shouldn't be.'
I'd escaped through here before, and I recalled firefighters entering via the main entrance to extinguish the blaze.
"...Cough. Licht, it's fine. I'll...!"
"No, you've inhaled too much smoke already."
The Platinum Wolf strained to move the debris, but her breathing and condition said it was impossible.
Why? If I had to die, just me was enough. At least spare the people precious to me.
"...Damn it."
Self-loathing hit. Was I still as useless then as now?
'No, it's different from back then.'
The Nameless Saintess was by my side. Sure, in academy uniform and slightly different from my memories, but it was her.
"Just hold on a bit longer."
"Licht?!"
I faced the fire head-on, eyes wide. Cold sweat dripped.
Breathing was already hard, now suffocating. Forcing my trembling legs, I stepped forward.
As I activated the fake holy sword, a water droplet fell from the ceiling plink, and a cobalt sword appeared at my feet.
'Can't make it rain indoors, huh? Then...!'
No rain, sadly. Teleport also failed.
I reached toward the roaring flames. This was a world of my psyche. And I excelled at one thing here more than anyone.
'Mind Sword. Draw a new one from my heart.'
The Nameless Saintess I'd longed for was here. I couldn't lose her to these flames.
'Can't change the past. But the present, yes.'
This wasn't my remembered trauma. Fate or coincidence, someone I could trust was beside me.
"Saintess, bad memories aren't overcome alone... but together."
I turned, bluffing boldly. With her, I could brave these flames a thousand times. For her, I'd dive into hellfire.
"Humans are weak, but we can rely on each other."
I smiled at her, sword in hand. That instant,
"Licht... your body... back to normal?"
"Oh, you're right."
My lowered view rose. Touching my face in surprise, the bumpy burn scars were back.
'Hate showing her this ugly side. No choice.'
Breathing eased a bit. Fire still scared me, but not enough to fail making an exit for her.
My love for the Saintess outweighed these flames.
A chuckle escaped. Pure love truly was invincible. I chanted the holy sword invocation once more.
Boom!
A black lever-like structure dropped from the ceiling with a thud, gleaming like intricate machinery.
Wait, was this a sword? It looked made to pull, sharp only at the end like something to yank from somewhere.
"The first sword was Faith, Prayer... so the second's name."
Past is past, like indelible scars. What I can change is the future, acted out in the present—me.
Time to bid farewell to stale old memories. Guilt should linger, but it shouldn't harm innocents.
"Old Thoughts, Recollection."
I hugged the Saintess, who watched the Mind Sword curiously, ears perked.
"Hold tight. It'll shake a bit."
"O-okay."
Her snow-white tail formed an exclamation mark. Interesting—otter and animal traits?
Clunk.
I pulled Old Thoughts. Rumble—gears whirred like precise mechanisms.
'"Stage Select" down below.'
I'd noticed it from the start. Pulling this would get us out of the hospital.
"...Licht? What did you do?"
Probably randomly reshapes terrain. The surroundings spun like a roulette wheel.
"Just a common technique."
Obvious, like picking a map before starting a game. No need to explain to our Saintess.
And so, the two of us made it outside the hospital. It worked.
"...Are you alright, Saintess?"
"..."
"Saintess? You okay?!"
"...Huh? Y-yeah, I'm fine. Licht."
Relief. She'd blanked out when I called, so I thought she'd passed out. Confirming she was safe, I released the hug.
"...Snow."
"White Christmas. A day late."
"What's that mean?"
Tiny, cute snowflakes falling from the sky.
"It's a thing. Suits you."
They matched the pure white before me perfectly. Like taiyaki, fresh snow on Christmas—like the Nameless Saintess.
On this blessed weather, blessed date,
"...Pleased to meet you, Saintess."
A blessed person stood before me, who should always be happy.
With time to breathe, I recited the line I'd longed to say. Even if a midsummer dream vanishing on waking.
"Not our first time, Licht."
"Haha, true."
I gave my all to leave no regrets. But her speech sounded just like someone I knew. Who...?
"...Soo-hyun hyung? Is that you, hyung?"
"Kim Young-min...?"
That's when it happened. A wheelchair-bound child approached through the light snow, wheels leaving tracks.
"Thank goodness! Santa sis saved us...!"
The red-beanie kid beamed at me innocently. So pure and kind.
"You recognize me? Young-min...?"
"Of course~! But you grew up suddenly...?"
Despite my burned, scarred, unrecognizable face and changed build, he knew me.
"Oh, I get it! Soo-hyun hyung's a superhero from TV!"
"...No way."
I shook my head. My lip trembled, buried emotions surging.
"I'm not that. Young-min. What hero can't even save one kid?"
"Hyung, crying...?"
"Sorry, Young-min. Really... sorry..."
My knees hit the ground automatically. I apologized to the child before me endlessly, even if too late.
"Hyung! Don't cry! Stop!"
"If I'd paid more attention... if I'd noticed you were gone before escaping, I could've saved you..."
"Soo-hyun hyung, eat something bad? Heroes don't cry!"
The child patted my shoulder like an adult, scolding my tears. I didn't know what the Saintess beside me thought, but I was indeed a wretched, filthy human.
"...Sorry I was lacking, Young-min."
Relief at saving him mixed with disgust at changing the past.
"It's okay, Soo-hyun hyung... I don't know what happened, but..."
"..."
"...Not your fault. I got out thanks to you!"
The boy gripped my hand, unharmed head to toe.
"I was gonna sneak to the auditorium at night to peek at the Christmas tree gifts... but Rudolph was more tempting!"
He scratched his head sheepishly, explaining. So that's what happened. This time, my sacrificial attempt changed it.
"No need for guilt, Soo-hyun hyung."
Even if past can't change, maybe I wanted these words.
That it wasn't my fault.
Not full absolution—I'd carry guilt forever.
"Firefighters said it's totally collapsed now."
"...Good. No Rudolph anyway."
I sighed in relief. Then Young-min covered his mouth, yelling at me.
"Santa sis is right there—how no Rudolph?!"
Wait, what...? Only our Saintess beside me. Unease rising, I looked up.
"Hi, little guy."
"Hi, Santa sis! You saw us, right...!"
The Nameless Saintess waved lightly to the wheelchair boy.
"...Yeah, is this guy's name Soo-hyun hyung?"
Wait, that tone, cool yet warm demeanor—it clicked.
"No! Exactly Lee Soo-hyun!"
"Got it. I'll remember."
Unlike our Saintess, she didn't call me "Knight" or "Lee Soo-hyun."
No way. No way... Impossible.
"...Licht. So your name is Lee Soo-hyun."
"Saintess. You're our Saintess, right...? Not what I'm thinking?"
I backed away. Only one person fit.
The noble Glass Knight. Mardol Granasia.
She who loved cute and sweet things.
It'd felt familiar. What if not a black-haired Inrang? The thought swirled.
"No, I'm not that Saintess person."
"Maybe Mardol...?"
"...Not my real name either, Licht."
The pure white her shook her head.
Her snow-white ears and tail drooped slightly, golden wolf eyes piercing me.
"This... still the Gluttony Apostle's dream...? Tell me yes. Please...!!"
"Licht... I'm not your dream. I'm the real me from outside..."
Too real. Dreams base on subconscious—I wouldn't notice. That's real Mardol. Instinct said so.
"Th-then how'd you enter my trauma?!"
"...Interlocked hands?"
"..."
Speechless. So our Saintess was the Glass Knight, and we'd already...
"If you don't believe, Masterpiece link works now. Want to see?"
"My memories—how?!"
"Not just yours anymore, Licht."
No wonder those helmet-glimpsed eyes were pretty. She placed a hand on her chest, intoning solemnly.
"Dunno who you saw in your trauma. But Licht."
Her snow-white wolf ears twitched tiny. No, definitely our Saintess...
"You gave your real name, so courtesy to share mine."
Masterpiece overlaid her instantly, turning her into a large white crystal form.
"...Pine."
The white-haired girl smiled cutely, voice small. As if etching the words forever.
"My real name is Pine Granasia."
Donning glass armor and helmet again, the Nameless Saintess told me her name.