*
The healing center, where morning sunlight streams through the curtains.
“Finally done, Pina.”
“Uh-huh… Thanks, Shar.”
Luckily, Licht’s surgery was successfully completed—that 1% success rate seemed irrelevant now.
“How many hours have passed…?”
“16 hours. I’m going to tell Nex and the others, so just get some sleep.”
“Please…”
After such a long surgery, even Pina Grancia couldn’t help but feel drowsy.
“Oof..! Our Pina worked hard too!”
Creek, with those words, the door swung open and Schartines stepped outside.
She needed to inform Nex Aureus, who was still activating the Phoenix’s cradle, about the successful surgery.
“Finally succeeded…”
She also had to tell everyone that the Black Knight survived a shot from the Demon King of All Knowledge.
“Hoho, Licht.”
Pina’s white wolf ears perked up. They twitched as if they were antennas, searching for the rhythmic sound of a heartbeat.
“…It’s beating.”
She could feel their hearts beating as one, and worried for the man’s well-being, she acted accordingly.
“That’s a relief…”
She was glad that she could help him, more than thinking about that ‘Nameless Saintess’ who wasn’t here.
The glass helmet that once covered her was now set far away on a table, and even the masterpiece armor was off.
“…Licht. Why did you keep covering your face?”
Feeling a sense of injustice, Pina carefully lifted Licht’s mask.
A deep scar from burns marred his face.
“I’m fine.”
Knowing what caused his burns, she could only smile faintly at his disfigured appearance.
“If you look closely, you’re handsome. Yep.”
He must have looked young and hurt, but upon hearing screams in the healing center, he had rushed in again.
In a way, the childhood version of Licht seemed fitting.
He would have likely changed the original history by rushing into the Apostle of Gluttony’s attacks, or he might have sacrificed himself instead of a child.
“Licht.”
He was a man who would jump out alone to protect people, even at the cost of his own life.
“You did well. It’s okay now.”
With both hands, she held his rough hands and pulled them to her cheek.
Feeling a little embarrassed by her own actions, like they were drawn to magnets, her cheeks flushed slightly.
“…A hero who worked hard should be rewarded. You can’t die.”
Her gratitude that he was alive overcame those feelings. She didn’t dislike his slightly cold hands and continued.
“Licht, actually, I…”
She slowly closed her eyes before opening them. Being connected to a man wearing a Black Knight’s helmet felt nice.
“…Until yesterday, I thought my eyes were cursed.”
Her hands, tough and calloused from swinging a sword, looked special and somewhat reassuring when she saw them.
“I had such good eyes compared to others, I could tell when people were lying.”
To fight off drowsiness, Pina began to talk to herself. The second Saintess, Schartines, had gone out, leaving just the two of them.
“To be precise, it was imperfect. People’s hearts are really… contradictory.”
Right now, Licht was quietly breathing, sound asleep, and the long fight with Head was over.
“I thought it was a lie, but there were genuine cases and the opposite.”
She sighed softly. Her coldly cynical personality, like glass, came from her mother, Bellin Grancia.
“…So, I couldn’t trust people.”
Because of those who wanted to approach her knowing she was a princess or nobles who sought to exploit her power and pain.
In simpler terms, human distrust.
“I thought a lot while watching you, Licht.”
To her, Licht—or should she now call him Lee Soo-hyun—was special.
“You’re so bad at lying, it’s convenient not to have to focus on it.”
Pina chuckled softly, letting go of his hand, poking his cheek with her finger to gauge his response.
“You reveal everything with your body. Silly boy.”
Seeing him slightly twitch his eyebrows brought her some amusement.
“Plus, when you lie, it’s not to put others in trouble but to help them, which is nice.”
That was true. Without the 3D magic circles, it would have been much harder to face Head. If it weren’t for Licht, many students would have gotten hurt.
“I don’t know how you found out, but I trust you.”
She knew he was aware that she was a woman but didn’t change how she referred to him, keeping his royal bloodline a secret from him, knowing it from the start.
“…You’re precious to me.”
Moreover, instead of running away from the Magic Hat, he confidently walked out and successfully regained the Queen of Hearts.
Acts of kindness without a reason. Unreasoned kindness.
Those were what Pina Grancia cherished. They were different from those calculating and weighing everything around her.
“That’s why I’m worried. I’m afraid one day you’ll collapse again.”
But behind that, a dark, grim past loomed. She couldn’t understand how someone could live with such a history.
“Is it because of the Nameless Saintess…?”
Her female instincts kicked in. It was clear to anyone that Licht’s path was intimately tied to sacrifice.
If that next Saintess had instilled strange thoughts in him, it would completely make sense. He might have suffered something terrible after being summoned as a hero.
“…”
Then it made sense why he was confused even in his trauma.
A man who had reached Sword Master level for the sake of someone he loved. No matter how much help Drake had provided.
Growing into a hero who could capture Head Ake with his body that could poorly utilize mana was a testament to his considerable effort.
“The person Licht loves. It must be true.”
It would be a lie if she said it didn’t hurt. Even though his face had been fixed, he had just recently jumped high to block the Demon King’s ultimate move, and his legs had been broken until now.
His hands, which had been pierced by Mana Rose thorns while using skills to save her, were in shambles.
The Black Knight, who doesn’t cherish his own body.
“Are those eyelashes real…? Oh, wait.”
Startled, Pina who had been staring intently at Licht’s face flinched and drew back.
Did men truly have such long eyelashes? She pondered, the princess.
“…In the end, you needed my good eyes to save you.”
She pulled his hands back towards herself, placing them between her white wolf ears.
“My eyes weren’t cursed.”
Her hand lightly rested on the white hair above. Their heartbeats flowed into each other.
“I worked harder than that Saintess. So… so, please…”
Her lips quivered. She couldn’t understand why she was trembling just from uttering a few words.
“Well done. Praise me, Licht.”
With a hint of jealousy mixed in her sincere words.
“…Mmm.”
As she spoke, she used his hand to pet herself, and the man in the Black Knight’s helmet began to regain consciousness.
*
When I opened my eyes, a spectacular scene unfolded.
“Good morning… Licht…”
“Ah… Pina…”
My hand was resting on Pina’s head, and she was holding it to pet her own hair.
“Are you okay?”
Like a kid caught doing something naughty, she stopped what she was doing, shyly twisting her body while asking how I was.
“…I actually feel so refreshed, it’s almost weird. Pina.”
With nostalgia lacing her tone, the sunlight outside the window was casting a beautiful reflection on her exquisite white hair.
“Thanks for your hard work, Lee Soo-hyun…”
Seeing Pina Grancia’s cheerful smile after confirming I was alright, no glass helmet or armor was hiding her any longer.
“Where’s the masterpiece…? The helmet too…?”
“Had to take it off so it wouldn’t interfere while our Soo-hyun was undergoing surgery.”
She did that to save me? Ah, damn, that’s too cute. I couldn’t hold back and placed my hand back on her head.
“Don’t call me by my real name like that…”
Pat, pat. I gently patted Pina’s head, making sure she wouldn’t get startled. The soft feel of her wolf ears in my fingers was pleasant. A faint scent of roses filled the room.
Women’s hair is this soft and silky? How fascinating.
“I’ll do this for you, Pina.”
“Ah… No touching the ears…”
She looked at me while blushing. Now that you mention it, who told you to casually call me by my real name? Anyone else would think I was a hero for sure.
“Should I stop?”
“Licht. Touch there more…”
Her face melted into blissful expression. In fact, dogs and cats usually dislike head-petting, but do they end up liking it once accustomed?
“Heh…”
That was knowledge I struggled to remember from the real world. Since I’m in a game now, I guess I can let that go.
“Okay, all done.”
“…What a pity.”
I stopped petting Pina’s head. I had just used this method to comfort the Saintess in my dream, and if I continued now, I might just get addicted.
The more I petted her, the more her adorable white ears flopped back, finding a comfortable position.
“But it feels like a good distraction. I heard wolffolk like it.”
“Did that Nameless Saintess tell you…?”
“…”
Why was she so sharp? Maybe it was because she was talking about herself.
I’m the real criminal here. I’m the bad guy who made even our Saintess cry and brought her into this reality. With no words left, I quickly changed the topic.
“So, how am I alive right now? This feels like two hearts beating inside one body.”
“Similar, but different. Right now, Licht, what you’re feeling as a heartbeat is…”
Pina kept my hand resting near her heart, then drew another hand towards her own chest.
“S-Saintess?!”
“…Saintess?”
“Ah, no. Pina. Suddenly doing that…”
I was clearly touching the center of Pina Grancia’s heart, but the soft touch on my palm broke me into a cold sweat.
“Are you a pervert? Licht?”
“…”
This overwhelming sense of reality had all my nerves on edge, even through her clothing, I could feel that wild sensation.
“…Anyway, it’s my heartbeat. Can you feel it?”
“Y-yeah. I can feel it…”
Thump, thump.
As we touched, our heartbeats seemed to sync as if they were one. But how could this be happening?
No matter how many games I’ve played, I don’t remember this skill ever existing.
Come to think of it, could it be black magic or necromancy?
“Pina, did you use a life-sharing skill?!”
“No, not at all. Licht.”
Surprised that I thought she had used necromancy to revive me, Pina shook her head and calmed me down.
“It’s more like…we can feel each other’s heartbeats.”
“Ah… then did you connect your magic circuits with mine…?”
“I completely linked them with mine.”
“…Huh?”
I thought it was just checking heartbeats, but apparently, it was something else entirely. I wasn’t familiar with the concept of linking magic circuits with someone else.
“So, solo magic like this would be impossible. But…”
While I was spaced out, overwhelmed by the influx of knowledge, a voice echoed in my head.
[Thus, it’s possible to use transmission magic alike with each other.]
A beautiful wolf voice echoed.
What I heard in my dreams just moments ago was now replaying in reality.
Even if I tried to forget it, those words with a slightly high tone could not be erased.
Hee hee, followed by a cute laughter sound.
[If I’m nearby, I can heal your body too.]
[Ah, can you hear me? Pina?]
[Hee hee, I can hear you clearly, Licht.]
So, Pina had shared her magic circuits for my sake. Overwhelmed with the enormous debt I suddenly felt, I was at a loss for words.
“And I can call the black one later, right?”
My heart must have taken a direct hit from Head’s bullet. If not magic, how did they solve that fundamental issue?
“Could it be…the Dragon Heart?”
Swallowing hard as my guilt swelled, I dared to ask. Surely not. They couldn’t have used such a precious resource to save me.
“Yes, I promised I wouldn’t say I was weak.”
“To save someone like me… ugh.”
It wasn’t just me feeling it; the energy running through my body felt strange since earlier. My entire body felt brimming with strength as if all my blood vessels had been replaced anew.
“…Just ‘to save’ isn’t the right way to put it. Stop using such bad words. Licht.”
With one finger, she pressed my lips shut, stopping my words. I didn’t even realize my mask had gone back on; my mind was too scattered to notice.
“You’re precious to me. This much is only natural.”
“…Pina.”
With her bold gesture, I glanced around. It was morning in the room. Seeing her tired appearance made me feel it was time to acknowledge what needed to be accepted.
“I’m here as the Black Knight to bring you happiness.”
“I know. Lee Soo-hyun.”
That empire’s princess, not retreating an inch while calling me by my actual name.
Her cuteness made me chuckle without thinking. It had been a long time since I’d laughed so naturally.
“I’m not a hero or someone worthy of much praise.”
“Still, to me… you were a hero.”
“Then, you could say I’m your hero, Pina.”
I couldn’t help but agree with what Pina said. It must be true since it came from someone I liked.
“I owe you my life. Thank you.”
“No, compared to all I gained, this is nothing…”
Pina’s golden wolf eyes reflected my gaze.
I felt a shared heartbeat, as though we were one. Was this because of the shared magic circuits?
“I have a question.”
If I could pay for my past mistakes and realize how I failed to recognize her until now, that would be great.
“Pina Grancia.”
“Why… Lee Soo-hyun…?”
Now, it was time to take a new step with the person I truly loved, looking into each other’s faces, slowly speaking her true name.
“Was today a happy day for you?”
Slowly, so she could understand, so she wouldn’t be overshadowed by her other guise as the Nameless Saintess.
“Today…? I’m not sure. But…”
I focused solely on loving only Pina Grancia, determined to make this moment worthwhile.
“I’m happy now that Lee Soo-hyun has awakened.”
“That’s a relief, Pina.”
Anyone can fall in love. But I always felt that love came with responsibility.
‘Love is like filling a wine glass and gazing at a cold world.’
In the future, I wanted to live holding that wine glass, taking full responsibility.
“I want to keep making you happy from now on, Pina.”
“Then don’t try to die…”
“Haha, I’ll try to hold back. That was a bit rough.”
Holding that fragile, breakable glass called love, I hoped to live until I died.
“…Licht, I think my heart has broken.”
“Huh…? I’m perfectly fine, though?”
Just as I reassured myself, she approached me on the bed.
“But I can feel it too.”
“…”
“It’s pounding so hard, like it’s broken….”
“Must be your imagination.”
My heart was racing wildly. I felt like a trapped prey, unable to escape her grasp.
Just when I was thinking about how the love line might unfold.
“…Huh?”
A status window more vibrant than any I had seen appeared before my eyes, glowing red with golden text.
[You finally noticed! Lee Soo-hyun!]
Why was the affection status window appearing now…?
[From now on, I’ll support your relationship! Now she’s not the Nameless Saintess but a ‘Named Princess,’ but you can surely love her!]
[Black Heart] creator’s assurance. This guy was hiding this from me intentionally!
[Lee Soo-hyun♡Pina Grancia: 1%]
A concise and bold translucent status window.
The contents were nothing short of shocking.
So, does this mean I’m dating Pina?
“Licht?”
Looking at me, Pina’s wolf ears perked up adorably, and I saw the illustration of her wedding dress.
‘Is this…really me?’
I was certainly told to carry on the previous couple’s relationship. To ensure ‘contradictions’ in the story didn’t arise.
To recreate the love from parts one and two.
Since I played both routes meant for Pina, the ‘Saintess Route.’
If I put everything together, including the status window that just opened, one conclusion emerged.
‘Could it be that the Grand Route conditions included ending up with Pina?!!’
I had thought she would end up marrying another man, not this. What a surprise!
“Licht, I… I’m having a nosebleed.”
“Ah, uh, really, Pina….”
I reached to my face, feeling the warmth and realized, indeed, blood was running down as she said.
“You pervert. Was my chest that good?”
How embarrassing. I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. She smiled at me seductively.
“…I’m sorry.”
Looking at her, my heart raced uncontrollably, and my mind went blank.
“If you’re sorry, hurry and recover to get up. Licht.”
The new student Black Knight of the Grand Hertz Academy, Lee Soo-hyun, declared.
“Understood, Pina.”
Ultimately, he found his pure love.
Now the academy’s pure love Black Knight was truly becoming just that.
