*
What the heck is happiness even about?
As I watched Pina receiving congratulations on the podium, I fell into thought.
Do you need money or fame to be happy?
Or is it about achieving the dreams you’ve held onto for a lifetime?
Since meeting Pina, I’ve found my answer to this question.
‘A normal life.’
Isn’t it funny how sometimes you feel the emptiness even more?
Warm homemade meals, a harmonious family.
Some can easily experience these things while others can’t even touch them.
If I hadn’t encountered the game [Night Heart], I might have lived an unhappy life.
The game was great, but more precisely, it was because of her that light shone into my gray existence.
So, I wanted to give her everything I could.
Even if my bank account became empty, just buying [Night Heart] merchandise made my stomach feel full for the day.
Now, my room is filled with pure white.
It was the future Pina who pulled me out of the empty room where I was trapped.
Would I be standing here without such miracles?
Five years from now,
when Kainel and Ariel graduate from the academy, she will appear as the Nameless Saintess.
If I catch all the Demon Kings like this, then Pina will never have to suffer in the future.
‘…If you change the past, the future changes too.’
Fluttering paper flower petals. Cheers from the crowd.
In front of them stood a knight in shiny glass armor.
She was now a named princess, no longer just the Nameless Saintess.
The autumn athletic meet at Grand Hertz Academy wrapped up with a relay race.
[The final winning team is Team Ceres!]
It ended with Pina’s solo performance.
Like she was waiting for me, she sprinted forward with Pandora’s Box in hand.
I didn’t know she could run that fast.
I should have noticed it back when she was the first to visit me after finishing training with the White Lily.
Pina Grancia on the pure white podium, holding the golden trophy with pride.
She stood tall, her shoulders back, chest out, radiating confidence.
Pina was wearing heavy gloves and hiding her identity under the alias Mardol.
But the cute fantasy of a white wolf tail swaying from her armor was too tempting.
Without realizing it, I smiled.
“….”
Pina should be happy surrounded by more people.
Becoming a Saintess while having your family and friends – not to mention your name and memories – taken away isn’t right.
[─Ah, hello. Students of Grand Hertz Academy.]
Just as I was about to turn away, Pina’s voice started ringing out loudly.
[And to the guests gathered here to watch today’s athletic meet.]
She was speaking into a rod resembling a microphone while donning her helmet.
Is that some game item or something?
[Our students put in effort to showcase their abilities in this athletic meet.]
Her voice, seemingly amplified by a spell, reached even the spectators gathered below the podium.
[They supported and competed with each other, striving to reach higher levels.]
[Among them, I would like to call one student to this spot.]
Pina glanced at me and spoke softly. A gentle smile showing through her glass helmet.
[……The reason I could come first in the relay is thanks to a certain knight.]
I intended to slip away from my spot, but there was no exit due to Kainel and Ariel blocking my way.
[Let’s introduce the MVP of this athletic meet..!]
As she accepted a red paper from Laplace, Pina, wearing the Masterpiece, spoke in a booming voice.
[The Black Knight Licht.]
Her voice was filled with playful laughter.
“Licht, come on up.”
Her last words that moved me.
Sigh, I guess I had no choice. I climbed up the podium, unable to resist Pina’s enthusiasm.
With her hand stretching out to guide my steps up.
At that moment, bang—! golden paper pieces poured down from the sky.
“…I did well, didn’t I?”
It was all Pina’s plan. Despite having performed well in the rune capture and escape games,
“Isn’t this a bit too flashy? Mardol.”
“It’s only fair to do this.”
Looking at the red envelope she was holding, I noticed there was no script, just my name scrawled on it.
“…You’re my knight, right?”
She whispered just barely loud enough to hear, heh heh, making my ears tingle and my heart race.
My fingertips turned red the moment they touched her.
Whether she noticed or not, Pina made me hold the trophy with her.
“This athletic meet is our victory, Licht.”
We held the golden trophy high in the air. The sparkling surface reflected our images as knights.
From afar, I saw someone clapping.
Rock Grancia.
The fact that the Emperor attended this athletic meet was hidden as a secret, likely kept under wraps from everyone else.
But I could recognize Rock.
‘Is this because I passed Tardun’s test?’
Like a pack leader cheering on a young wolf’s independence, Rock nodded at us.
Glug, I gulped involuntarily. The moment I sensed his presence, I felt a dangerous chill.
It felt as if a sharp blade was pointed at my neck.
How the heck does he emanate such a killing intent?
Nearby were people like Laplace, Dennis, and Drake.
A woman with black bobbed hair gave me a strange look while smiling mischievously.
Her smile sent a shiver down my spine, compelling me to pull my lips downward.
Was she always that kind of person?
*
Clang—!
Two black knuckles fell on the empty table.
“Here’s the Holy Sword that was taken by the Emperor. Finn.”
A weapon shimmering like obsidian.
“So, why the heck did you come here fake again, Magic Hat? Wasn’t your sister supposed to come with you?”
The Demon King of Might was speaking towards the woman with black bobbed hair.
At the far-away Demon King’s Castle from the academy, Magic Hat and Finn were having a verbal spar.
The Demon King known as Black Cloud had momentarily stepped aside at her request.
“Hehe, I got delayed because our lord was participating in the athletic meet at the academy.”
Magic Hat shuffled the cards while looking down.
“That’s why you were so late?!”
“No way! The thing is, it took time to break through the heavy security of the Imperial Palace.”
Unlike Finn, who escaped from the underground prison first, she had to search up for the place where the Holy Sword was stored.
“I had to ensure that no one got killed, so it was quite the hassle.”
There were few stains of blood on her clothes. It seemed she had dealt with guards but without taking lives.
“Do you have any idea how much of a pain it is just to keep someone barely breathing?”
Magic Hat clicked her tongue, looking incredulous with a hand on her forehead.
“Wolf King was terrifying too!”
The cards labeled Emperor flew from Magic Hat’s hand, depicting Rock Grancia.
“I don’t know how it happened, but I survived since he was out of the way!”
She grinned so wide, her expression was more thrilled than scared.
“Another lie, huh? Just tell me where your sister is!”
Bang! Finn slammed the table. His fist crumbled it to dust.
With his eyes bulging, Finn glared at Magic Hat. He was sure he had heard she reclaimed Intinium.
His face turning red with rage.
“Easy there. But, look Finn. It won’t do you any good to get mad at me, you know?”
Even facing the Demon King of Might, Magic Hat chuckled as if it was funny.
“…Your real sister is already dead, isn’t she?”
She provoked him while stifling laughter.
“This bastard…!!”
In a moment of fury, Finn was about to twist Magic Hat’s neck.
“Finn.. big brother..?”
A blue-haired girl appeared before Finn’s eyes. She was his sister, held by the neck and tearful.
He doubted his eyes and immediately relaxed his wrist.
“You know you have to feed me well, right?”
With a soft tone, Magic Hat spoke as she watched the limping Intinium drop to the ground.
“…This time, I really saved a fake again.”
Her gaze was icy, as if looking at mere objects rather than people.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.. Intinium.. are you okay..?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.. Big brother Finn..”
Finn embraced the blue-haired girl, ensuring her safety while catching his breath.
“But big brother.. where are our parents?”
Intinium started to ask questions out of the blue, looking at her brother.
“What? Wait, Intinium. You can’t be….”
His sister’s body felt lifeless. But what he noticed wasn’t that part.
“Yes, sadly they passed away again.”
Magic Hat donned a mask displaying a sad expression, putting it over her face.
“Finn, all the memories I shared with you became useless, didn’t they?”
However, her voice behind the mask was bright, generating a sense of discomfort instead.
“..Who the hell touched our sister?!! Was it you?!”
Finn tightened his grip automatically. Vroom, the air vibrated with tension.
“Of course not~! I was just asked to guard Tardun’s Shrine. The hero in the prophecy shouldn’t awaken, right?”
Even as she sensed the immense pressure, Magic Hat smiled genuinely.
“Not me….”
Shuff—, from the neatly arranged stack of cards, she drew the top one.
She created a brand new card that didn’t even exist in trump or tarot.
A card showing K and the Black Knight.
“It’s our lord who’s the culprit.”
As she tossed the card, Magic Hat smiled widely.
