*
Tomorrow came, and I faced Pina with a sense of embarrassment.
“Ah, Licht.”
“Pina… Did you get in safely last night?”
“Yep, thanks to you.”
Now, when there’s no one around at the Academy, she would sometimes take off her masterpiece or glass helmet.
“Let’s go together.”
It’s nice to see her this bright, but she’s being too proactive. I jolted at seeing Pina tightly clasp my hand and thought, Whoosh!
“Oh, did you get a new hair accessory?”
“…It’s similar. How does it look?”
“It’s beautiful. Really.”
With a blue rose pinned in her hair, she was so gorgeous I found it hard to speak.
“You’re really super pretty. Hehe…”
As I paid her a compliment, Pina moved closer. Our bodies brushed, and I could feel her softness.
I knew I was clumsy due to the Dragon Heart, which was why I was being supportive.
Gosh! What if people misunderstand this?
Should I say it’s too close? My intimacy level was just 1%, and I’d already attempted a kiss. Just as I was pondering this…
[Lee Soo-hyun♡Pina Grancia: 2% ‘NEW!’]
A heart fluttered in front of my eyes, and a transparent status window appeared.
Yeah, this could be just a drunken moment. It’s probably an event for raising affection levels.
“Licht, why?”
“Nothing at all.”
My lips were curving up uncontrollably. If this went on like this, I could actually date Pina…
No, love can’t be quantified. This could just be the Creator’s trick.
You confess at 49%, get rejected, and end up at -100%.
Nex or Schartines’ affection suddenly dropped, remember?
Love and romance shouldn’t be treated lightly with words like ‘common’ or ‘trivial.’
Even if you know the depths of the water, you never truly understand another person’s heart.
If I misinterpret things and confess out of the blue, we might end up strangers from the next day.
But I can’t just leave her side either. Unless I achieve the Grand Route, the unfortunate future waiting ahead won’t change.
They said you need to satisfy the conditions to reveal a new ending in the first place.
Plus, justifying means with personal feelings is the worst.
My love life matters less than her happiness.
At least until everything is resolved, I had to keep my romantic interests at bay.
If I were truly on the right path to happiness, I’d surely climb slowly, just like this.
When I almost got ambushed by the Head, if I hadn’t used Mana Rose, I could have been in danger.
I thought things were simple before, but seeing all that the Creator hides, I realized there were still many trials ahead.
I’m not the Saintess from [Night Heart] or [Black Heart] anymore, but a princess now.
A named princess. Pina Grancia.
I mustn’t overlay her with memories of the past.
I am not a romance loser. I could just consult a female friend and understand why Pina acts like this towards me.
Maybe talking to Ariel could help?
But those two aren’t even dating yet!
Eek! Helmet! What am I saying! I might scare Kai into revealing his feelings.
If I tell Schartines or the Celestial Demon, it’ll surely get back to Pina and become a laughing stock.
“Pina, why do you always hold hands like this?”
“Does it bother you…?”
Having never dated in my life, I calculated her other reasons with my cold reasoning.
If she has a playful personality, it makes sense.
Or perhaps she just wanted to get close or felt tipsy around others.
I should stick with Pina every time she drinks. That sneaky guy might target her, and no matter how much the guards are around…
I’d struggle to react in sudden situations.
Neither the Magic Hat nor the guards could show up during the Head’s ambush. Ultimately, I’ve got to protect her.
I steeled my wobbly legs. There’s a lot to do ahead. I need to take down at least three more Demon Kings.
“Yes, it’s really bothering me.”
“When I hold hands tightly, I feel reassured. Licht.”
At that moment, when I saw Pina smiling sweetly, my rationality melted. No way, those wolf ears lying there are unfair.
In soccer, that’s an offside. If there’s no defender, forwards shouldn’t come out.
“What exactly makes you feel at ease…?”
“Yours is big, thick… and firm.”
Ugh, please don’t make it sound like something that would be misunderstood. That’s such a lewd game character vibe.
“Pina, could you please choose your words carefully?”
“Hehe, you’re blushing. Licht.”
As if marking me like her prey, she locked one of my legs with her white tail to keep me from stumbling.
Yesterday’s memory of almost being kissed vividly replayed like a cassette tape in my mind.
“…Do you not like me acting like this, Licht?”
No, I actually really do.
While there was a slight shiver down my spine, anything from our Pina was fine.
“I don’t dislike it.”
“Thank goodness…”
Her intense feelings don’t matter. I just have to match and accept them.
Love is essentially about both walking together.
If there’s a slim chance she might like me,
This could work out, right?
At least now being locked underground in the royal palace doesn’t sound too bad. I might be able to endure a captive romance.
“I’m a bit playful, sorry. Your reactions are just so funny…”
That cute smile of hers is a huge source of happiness for me, a smile I want to protect even if I have to burn my whole being.
“You can keep going.”
“Really…? Licht is definitely a pervert.”
I’ll have to endure wearing the badge of a slight pervert. At least I’m better than that miserable, expressionless glass knight.
“So this is what you like….”
“I’m only allowing this because it’s you, Pina.”
“Pervert, pervert Licht. Hehe…”
A Black Knight sacrifices for the one they love.
“…Huh?”
This time I lightly poked her cheek with my finger. Boink. I wasn’t going to sit still, getting pushed around.
“If you keep that up, I have no choice but to respond.”
“…”
Her cheek was soft under my finger, pushing back with some bounce. Wow, this is a girl’s cheek?
With that, Pina suddenly quieted down as we held hands and slowly headed to the palace. Guess unapproved physical contact wasn’t her thing after all.
“Pina? Are you okay?”
“Ah, mmm. Licht.. Why..?”
Seeing her gaze lost in the distance, I got a wave of regret crash over me.
*
Upon arriving at the palace, a gigantic wolf statue gleamed at the entrance, and the grand castle radiated a mix of white and gold.
“Let’s go in. My father is waiting.”
Is Pina living in a place like this? The stark difference between us was clear through our eyes.
It might have been similar when she was the Nameless Saintess, but now she’s a national princess.
“Licht..? Hurry.”
“Just a moment. Just a moment…”
She couldn’t possibly be on the same level as me. I was just a plain commoner. Could a non-noble associate closely with someone like her? Just as I pondered this, she pulled me into the palace.
Yikes, she’s really strong. I wish I had mentally prepared a bit.
Geez! CLANG!
Did she cast a spell or something? As soon as I tried to enter, the giant door creaked open, and the moment I walked in, it closed behind me.
“…Pina? Are you here?”
Suddenly, darkness enveloped me.
I couldn’t even sense Pina, who had been holding my arm tightly moments ago. Complete emptiness greeted me.
“Who are you?”
At that moment, I heard a deep voice resonating through the dark space.
A sharp steel sensation pricked my throat.
This voice… I’ve heard it before.
It’s the Emperor’s voice. The voice of the Wolf King, Rock Grancia.
Is he testing me? This is my first real meeting. I never had any interactions due to my low reputation in the games I played before.
I only saw him in trailers during seasonal events.
“I am the Black Knight Licht.”
I stated my name. At least saying I’m the Hero of Conviction, as the Head put it, would be wrong.
“Incorrect.”
He has a strong dislike for heroes. Since his wife, Bellin Grancia, became a card for the Magic Hat, it’s obvious why.
“Who are you? You have two chances left.”
BAM, I heard something hit the ground. Is that his weapon, an axe? An overwhelming presence was weighing down on me.
If that’s not the right answer, then what is?
“I am Licht. Your Majesty.”
The title of Black Knight is my job, not ‘me’. After all, it’s merely a shell surrounding me.
I thought this was the right answer, but all I got back was the cold, metallic scent of a blade.
Another THUD echoed as a blade hit the floor.
“…Last chance. Who are you?”
Think, that’s my strong suit. Ultimately, this is a set riddle with a known answer.
“I am Lee Soo-hyun.”
I had to be truthful. If I tried to deceive him, he might behead me.
“Correct.”
At that, a small chuckle reached my ears. Seems like I didn’t upset the Emperor.
“I hope you do not take offense at me testing you.”
“Why would I?”
“You seem to have quite a backbone, much to my liking.”
He sounds just like Pina’s playful demeanor. Maybe she inherited it from her father.
“I welcome you, Lee Soo-hyun.”
A shiver ran through me, feeling like electric currents surged, rendering my whole body motionless. Tap, tap. Lights flickered on.
Suddenly my vision brightened. The Emperor Rock Grancia appeared before me.
“To the hero who saved my daughter and wife, what can I not grant you?”
A male of the Inrang tribe with black hair, black wolf ears, and tail.
Rock sat on a throne adorned in gold, looking down at me. I knelt immediately out of respect.
“I stand before you, the wolf that bites the sun and swallows the moon.”
“Rise. You have no reason to kneel before me.”
Then, almost as if he found something interesting, Rock gently smiled and halted my motion.
“…I owe you far more than you owe me, Lee Soo-hyun.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Glory to the Grancia Empire.”
After getting his permission, I finally stood up. The weight of it all was not a joke.
More than anything, with him in front of me, I didn’t feel like I could win a fight.
That man is ranked 1 among the Ten Heroes.
The atmosphere itself felt like an insurmountable wall. Now I understand why the Demon Kings of the Hero Church hide in fear of the Emperor.
“Do you understand why I tested you, Lee Soo-hyun?”
“I am not just some other something, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed. You are Lee Soo-hyun.”
Such admiration isn’t common even when facing a Celestial Demon. I hid my trembling hands behind me.
“The guards protecting my daughter have informed me about you, and the other heroes also praise you.”
The Wolf King slowly descended from his throne, draped in an elegant cloak. No question he looked like the Emperor of an empire.
“Ultimately, my curiosity rose: a hero in a Black Knight helmet, who are you?”
The all-black wolf approached me, a scar running down one of his eyes.
His fierce expression bore down on me, and merely him moving closer sent waves of death rolling over me.
“Lee Soo-hyun, I want to hear with your own mouth why you saved my daughter and my wife.”
“…”
Thud. He halted just in front of me.
“What’s the reason? Is it for power or fame?”
His main weapon, the hand axe, rested on the wall behind the throne. The artery prickled again as he gently grasped my throat.
“Because it was the right thing to do, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm, because it was right. Why is it right?”
My breath was shallow, filled with his piercing questions that made my knees drop.
“Family should return to their family…”
Thud. I couldn’t withstand the Emperor’s pressure, and automatically fell to my hands.
“No one should get harmed by a Demon King… that is… the right thing to do.”
I could barely catch my breath. He claimed I didn’t need to kneel but was evidently testing me with a time delay, causing a wave of fear to crash over me.
“I didn’t do it for a reward or to gain honors. Your Majesty.”
But I pushed myself back to stand. I did not act with sinister intentions. I truly saved people for their sake.
I didn’t know Pina was the Nameless Saintess when I performed those deeds.
I didn’t want to be the shameless human who saved lives and then sought marriage or love. No matter if I went back, I would still sacrifice to protect people.
My convictions would not waver. This was the right thing to do.
“…That’s rather unexpected.”
The Emperor nodded as if surprised by the conviction in my eyes.
“I shall trust those words, Lee Soo-hyun.”
Whoosh! The pressure that bound me vanished. Rock wore a satisfied expression as he returned to his throne.
“Now shall we begin our discussion? I apologize for scaring you.”
“It’s alright, Your Grancia Majesty.”
Just as I thought I could finally catch my breath…
“So, what exactly is your relationship with my daughter?”
The worst possible question slammed into me.
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