I grabbed a book from the bookshelf.
I flipped through the thick pages one by one.
“Rock Grancia, no. Rufus… Rufus… Here it is.”
I quickly turned the pages of the notebook. It was already late, and Kainel was sleeping, so it should be fine.
Rufus Grancia. Black hair and golden eyes. An ageless young man.
A character from the [Black Heart] who first appeared in the Harem Route and was an easy mode reverse harem character.
A guy who’s obsessed and confesses to anyone stronger than him.
So, he couldn’t surpass the max-level party members before the Demon King hunt. He preferred women, but occasionally got tangled up with male characters too.
“I’m screwed.”
My mouth was dry.
Well, if he goes by that name, no one wouldn’t know him, so he must be using the pseudonym Mardol.
My head throbbed. Of all people to get targeted by him, I’m not even strong enough to take down the Demon King yet.
Did the things I said when it was raining mean something? I regretted not running away to the men’s dorm immediately.
“Maybe my affection level is still zero.”
I clung to my last hope.
The same system from the first two parts. A measure of the probability of dating or familiarity with a character. There might still be a chance to turn back.
*
Getting on the school path earlier than usual was a mistake.
“Hey.”
The protagonist of my sleepless worries appeared right across from me. The glass knight, Yuli, waved his tiny hand at me, just like yesterday, as if he was happy to see me.
“Oh, Licht.”
“You’ve got the wrong person!!”
I ran into him head-on. I had used every shortcut to get to class, so how did I bump into him?
I ran in the opposite direction.
Getting entangled with him would ruin the Saintess Route. No way. Since the conditions were the same in the previous works, it should be the same here too.
I dashed through the wind. No matter how convenient it was to create a love line, I had to skip it. It had to be pure love. My mind was filled with the thought that I must cherish the blue rose.
However, my desperate escape was in vain.
“…What are you doing?”
“Why are you so fast?”
“Mana.”
Mardol had already approached my side before I knew it.
The black sheen of my helmet reflected in his helmet, giving me a strange sensation. I took a breath and placed my hands on my knees.
Magic is indeed cheating. I had forgotten that in a monocular world, having two eyes was abnormal. I thought I had become faster training with my master, but it seemed I was wrong.
“I have a quick question. Mardol.”
“Yeah.”
Let’s check the affection level first. I might still be treated as just an extra. I decided to make a joke recalling Kainel and Ariel.
“Do you know what the leader of the little fish is called in four letters?”
“…Cheerleader?”
I failed. How does he know this? I memorized it since it was a dad joke the Saintess loved. Losing one trump card made my mind go spinning.
“…?”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it funny?”
“I don’t know.”
The large crystal-like figure showed no response. Not even a sound of laughter came out.
I had to organize my thoughts. Is it still okay? Since it’s a past scenario, his personality might not have twisted yet. My love line wasn’t showing in the status window either.
At that moment, I heard footsteps nearby. The sound of two pairs of feet.
Golden hair and red hair came into view.
“Licht! Where are you going?”
“Hello, Helmet! Who’s that next to you?”
It was Ariel and Kainel.
My mind went blank. These two shouldn’t meet here. The Crown Prince would trigger a rival event. I frowned at that situation I’d seen multiple times in [Black Heart].
“Ariel! Run!”
“Huh? Why?”
“…?”
“Licht, is something wrong?”
Oh, wait, nothing is happening. I tried waving my hands in the air to create distance, but the massive armored figure in front of me showed no movement.
“…?”
He kept his gaze on me, giving no interest to the hero party. Did the goal switch to me? At least my affection level isn’t dropping.
“Maybe I was a bit sensitive.”
“What’s going on? You seemed weird since yesterday. Didn’t sleep?”
“Guess so. I’m sorry.”
I wiped the cold sweat running down my neck. I got past a hurdle. I was deeply grateful that the worst scenario didn’t unfold.
I should’ve stopped Kainel from barking.
“Hey, Helmet, you two look like a good couple standing together.”
“That’s not true! Absolutely not!”
“Ariel. You’re joking too much. The equipment difference is too much.”
A perceptive cat shot a comment my way, looking at me and Mardol. No, don’t make a flag.
In the [Night Heart Trilogy], opposite characters mostly end up dating.
But this was a situation I really disliked.
“I haven’t met the Saintess yet.”
That’s my last lingering desire. I fell for this game for her. I never thought of taking another route unless it was the Nameless Saintess.
Even if I see the Grand Route ending.
A heaviness settled in my chest. No name, no identity, no age. I knew nothing about her.
“I’m going crazy.”
Would I be able to even greet her if we meet like this? I could pass by without knowing. I thought just getting to the academy would solve everything, but…
“Helmet!”
My ongoing thoughts were interrupted by the red-haired mage.
“So, what’s the reason for being here alone?”
“Because of a knight’s promise.”
“Right.”
“Well, see you later, Mardol.”
I made up an excuse as the glass knight supported me. I need to keep the fact that I’m teaching Drake swordsmanship a secret from these two as well. There is some flexibility with the Crown Prince. He will definitely summon me after class.
“Let’s hurry to Spirit Magic class, Licht. It’s an outdoor lesson.”
“Really? That’s interesting.”
“I heard the professor is cute based on the class reviews?”
I left Mardol behind and walked with Kainel and the others. But then I kept hearing footsteps behind me. What is it? Are they taking the same class?
“Me too, that direction.”
The glass knight was walking alongside us, showing off his unique sparkle.
General education classes often have overlapping students. I knew since I was a college student before. It felt like carrying a bomb that was about to explode.
“What’s your name, glass knight?”
I asked, but Ariel. I can go for another confession attack soon. I did it first, but that was a necessary action.
“Mardol.”
“Oh, aren’t you the one who was late for Battle Magic? I’m Ariel! Nice to meet you!”
“Yeah. Nice to meet you.”
“Licht, I really can’t adapt.”
“I’m the same…”
The two who spoke informally and me, who used honorifics. And a character who wouldn’t say more than two words.
A golden retriever and a cat. A black knight and a glass knight.
Two pairs of opposites.
Like clock gears, turning in fate.
*
How many minutes had passed? I climbed the mountain just in time and reached the designated area.
“This should be right, Licht. Do you feel anything?”
“Not really. I’m not sure.”
“Wow, even Helmet doesn’t know something.”
[Basics of Spirit Magic].
In the class location, there was only one tree standing in a large clearing.
As if they sensed something strange, the other students were just murmuring to themselves.
Then, Mardol pointed at it with a gesture.
“That tree is strange.”
He approached the tree, placing his palm on the trunk as a knight.
Then, rustle. The leaves shook. The falling leaves proved that it wasn’t an ordinary plant.
“Oh no, I got caught.”
A woman’s voice came from the tree. As the trunk twisted, it began to take on a human form. The sweet scent of lilacs.
She was a woman, resembling a beautiful flower.
‘A Dryad..?’
With a purple flower on her head and pink hair.
She must be an original character from [Night Heart Academia]. This was my first time seeing someone I didn’t know appear. I felt exhilarated, like I was playing a game with someone new.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Maria, the instructor for Spirit Magic class.”
From her hand, a small furry animal emerged. A cute green hamster. Is this a spirit? I had only seen the larger ones.
“Now that you’ve found me, let me give you a gift.”
Several hamsters stopped in front of the students, one by one.
Kyuu. They made sounds as they reached forward with their tiny hands, delivering small envelopes to each of our heads.
“Oh, a snack! It looks like sunflower seeds!”
“Really? Ariel, have you already tried it?”
“Hehe.. I love sweet things.”
Kainel shared half of his snack with her, and Ariel munched it like a squirrel. I hoped their affection level increased because of this.
“This is delicious.”
“…Sweet.”
Mardol, with his face hidden behind the glass, and I, who raised my mask only slightly to avoid exposure, stuffed my mouths with food.
I felt a little guilty as two knights acted like this in front of the professor.
“What do you think is the essence of Spirit Magic, looking at those hamsters?”
“Cute.”
“They’re cute!”
Ding, wrong!
Yuli and Ariel answered incorrectly.
Raising one finger, Maria shook her head. The hamsters followed suit, shaking their little bodies.
“The answer is that beings birthed from emotions.”
“And it has a unique strength that differs from swordsmanship, magic, and divine power.”
The hamsters started to cluster together. A swarm of mice. They multiplied significantly.
“That is—”
Before she could finish, the spirits transformed into clusters of huge flowers. The petals surrounded her, as if forming a protective barrier.
They could probably withstand missiles too.
“Even if they’re not huge spirits, they are strong. Just like the hamsters.”
The trunk of the tree shot up, transforming into a massive golem. It had flowers adorning its head, resembling some sort of accessory.
“Also, their utility varies vastly according to their characteristics. For example, in the case of the famous Phoenix, it provides an invincible shield around itself.”
Ah, this is information about the Ten Heroes, right? The living sun.
“In my case, it allows me to utilize nature.”
The ground quaked beneath us.
Thud thud thud thud.
‘He can cause earthquakes by manipulating roots. This school truly is prestigious.’
Rebalancing myself, I once again felt sad that I was the only one without mana in this world. A small sound came from next to me.
“Hyyaak.”
“Hold my arm tight, Ariel.”
“There’s nothing cute here.”
She clung to Kainel’s arm. Meanwhile, the glass knight showed no signs of movement.
Oh, I see, she must be stepping on glass.
“So, I believe most students in this class will find it overwhelming to awaken their inner spirits.”
In fact, in the original work, the number of characters who could use Spirit Magic was limited to just a few.
The well-known ones were the Phoenix and the Whale. The rest, not even I, who memorized the setting book, knew them.
“Being honest with your emotions is truly a challenging task.”
She sighed. The class evaluation revealed that it would be a theoretical course, not a practical one.
So, even I without mana could attend this class. That’s an easy class, right? My memorization skills had already been maxed out due to my pattern learning.
“This concludes today’s lesson. I hope by the end of the semester, everyone can summon their spirits.”
As expected, professors who end classes quickly are the best. After greeting the students, Maria vanished into the ground. A Dryad can do such things?
‘Now all that’s left is Divine Power Studies.’
I really wanted to learn the healing prayer that the Nameless Saintess used to perform in-game. Now I wished I could heal her if she ever got hurt.
I turned my steps toward the dining hall for lunch. I had enough time, about an hour left until the afternoon classes.
Just then, like yesterday, Kainel and Ariel walked in the same direction as me. Were they really gonna have lunch with a friendless me again? They were truly kind. I felt teary-eyed.
“Licht, you’ll apply for the magic club today, right?”
“Yes. Ariel, you said…”
I was about to respond to Kainel’s question when my breath hitched.
The Crown Prince hadn’t left yet. The glass knight was standing next to the red-haired one.
“Yeah, Helmet. I think I prefer being with Kain.”
With one side of her hair curled, behind Ariel,
“Magic club?”
The Crown Prince suddenly approached me.
Oh no. I messed up. The clueless golden retriever has no sense of timing.
This is a flag being planted, isn’t it? You better take responsibility!
