*
What’s it like to meet someone you’ve only seen online for the first time?
Newness? Fascination?
…Nah, it’s more like a blank stare, right?
“Actually, my name is Giseok Kwon. I’ve heard a lot about you from Su-hyun, sister-in-law.”
A large, bear-like sturdy body.
And an unexpectedly sharp mind up there.
As soon as he woke up, Giseok immediately noticed the relationship between Pina and me and joked around.
In reality, I was the older one. Technically, I am the sister-in-law, after all.
I didn’t say anything because I still had the sin of not recognizing Pina at first.
“What do you mean, sister-in-law…?”
Pina perked up her ears, trying to understand the meaning of the words.
From the way her tail was wagging, she didn’t seem to dislike it.
“In our world, we refer to the wives of older people like that.”
“…Hehe. You’re interesting.”
Does she like this kind of title?
Pina smiled immediately after hearing Giseok’s first greeting.
Although it was our first time meeting Giseok in person, we had opened up to each other like brothers.
“Giseok, come on. Calling me sister-in-law is a bit much, don’t you think?”
That nostalgic feeling of meeting an old friend.
I chuckled and tried to brush it off.
“So what? In reality, I’m singing about wanting to see the Saintess…”
“…..”
Giseok quickly shot back without losing a beat.
I immediately covered my mouth. What is he saying in front of strangers?
Was it the heated discussion about the Nameless Saintess that caused this?
I narrowed my eyes and signaled him not to mention that dark history.
Once he heard about the life-size standee figure in my room, he had even called me “Saintess Fetish.”
That can’t be spoken aloud. That’s just creepy.
“…Anyway, I’m relieved. I thought our guild leader was having an affair.”
Giseok said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
Given that someone who looked exactly like the Nameless Saintess was right next to him.
I mean, looking back now, this is partially the Demon King’s fault.
How was I supposed to know that a princess whose existence was erased even existed?
Ding, ding! ‘Is Giseok summoned as a Hero too?’
I thought, eyeing his muscular body carefully.
It appeared the Grand Duchess preferred the robust Northern look, as she kept touching his arms with a dreamy gaze.
Giseok had posted about me catching the Magic Hat on the community board.
“Instead of posting a guide for the Magic Hat, what happened here…?”
Later, he received an email from the Fantasia game company saying he had been possessed.
“…So you came here? In Plints’ body?”
“Yep, and while living here, I realized this is the real Isekai.”
While living in the North, he noticed oddly mismatched details with what he knew.
Unlike me, who was confused because of a helmet, he figured out this world was real first.
“What did Fantasia mean?”
“It meant that the gods here created the game we played…”
The Hero of Wisdom.
When I had pretended to be a hero in front of others before, I had been heavily influenced by Giseok’s title.
In the game, no one could match his intellect.
It’s possible the God of Wisdom, Akasha, had been eyeing Giseok.
“Giseok, did you have a Holy Sword or anything? Or like a special perk…?”
“Would I? If there had been one, I wouldn’t have been in this mess fighting the Magic Hat.”
Both of us have pitch-black hair.
He gently stroked the Grand Duchess’s hair, which stuck to him like a leech.
Hmm, something feels off.
If he was summoned as a Hero, he should’ve been given a Holy Sword. Unlike Kainel, who was chosen by the Sword of Light, this was a different story.
What if he hadn’t been chosen by a god from the start but had been possessed to silence the Demon King?
Now he was summoned as the Hero of Affection, so it’s a different situation.
“..Maybe he was summoned as a backup like Dennis?”
“That seems likely. When you were possessed, the Head was still alive.”
I let out a long sigh as if the ground collapsed beneath me. It looks like only I defeated the Magic Hat, huh.
I wish I had a hint to catch that guy easily.
It’s a pity not having a Holy Sword to combat the Demon King’s powers, but at least I saved my life, right?
“Giseok, if we find a Holy Sword, it’s enough. Who are we?”
“We’re from the [One Life One Death] guild.”
Feeling nostalgic as if we were back to when we were raiding in the game, we exchanged smiles.
A twisted wordplay from “One Life One Death.”
A guild formed by those who loved only one character in the game.
‘In a single life, a single love.’ It sounds cheesy, but.
When I founded the guild, I was still in middle school.
Pina Grancia had rescued my life, so it was no different.
“Giseok, what was it like fighting the Magic Hat?”
I asked about strategies against the Demon King to protect her.
Originally, we would’ve gathered people like Kainel and Ariel, Dennis and Drake to challenge him.
But now there’s another important goal.
‘Grand Route.’
The reason to keep the love lines of characters that appeared in the game.
I had to keep an eye on the original story and the sequels, including the current timeline in [Grand Hertz Academy].
[Giseok Kwon ♡ Sophia: 50%]
The status window popped up right away in front of my eyes.
The heart that used to be a cool sky blue changed to bright red with a flourish.
[“Can a frozen heart melt?” CG has been collected!]
He popped up with the name Giseok, not Plints.
When my affection with the Magic Hat showed up as Licht, I remembered.
‘…Is it really related to the gods?’
What the Demon King of Truth desires must be the game character Licht.
If not, is Blanc really his true name?
“Ah, speaking of which… Lady, do you remember what the Magic Hat looked like?”
“He was a magician in black clothes.. right?”
Giseok tilted his head.
It seemed he didn’t remember the Demon King’s face well.
“..I think he looked different.”
The power that covers the world in lies. That’s why it’s tough to battle the Demon King if you’re not a Hero.
I narrowed my brows and kept asking curious questions.
“I don’t know for sure. I have a memory of fighting, but the image is hazy.”
“Maybe it was erased by his powers…”
According to Giseok’s explanation, the Magic Hat seemed to have tried to kidnap the Grand Duchess.
But upon seeing Giseok barge in, he switched targets.
How did he know Giseok was my friend?
“Pina, I think we need to kick Blanc out of the academy.”
“Got it. Su-hyun.”
Now, even if Pina’s identity as the princess was exposed, we couldn’t afford to be picky about means and methods.
The threat nearly extended to Giseok, and even to Sophia.
“…You really only speak formally before the Saintess, huh? Surprising.”
Giseok burst out laughing while listening to Pina and my conversation.
Ugh, this guy doesn’t leave any room for relaxation.
“Guess it’s because of the Nameless Saintess. I can’t let my future self get careless, either.”
“Pina, please don’t do that either…”
She clicked her tongue and flared with jealousy in that maze of conversations.
According to what we discussed, if the future changes, the Nameless Saintess Pina could change as well.
Past and future aren’t separate; they’re tied together as a chain of the present.
*
Taking off his helmet, a youthful face emerged. Thick eyelashes and hair as dark as the night sky.
Pina Grancia was gazing intently at Su-hyun’s profile.
‘He’s definitely handsome. Plus, he has big hands… and solid muscles…’
Now, her gaze naturally fell toward him.
Recalling the size of the palm they just held together, Pina fidgeted with her hand.
Her heart was pounding uncontrollably.
She didn’t even realize how deeply she had fallen for this person.
No, it would be more correct to say she felt like she had been robbed.
How could she possibly hate a hero who tirelessly works for herself and her friends?
‘Protecting the love surrounding me…’
Pina couldn’t hide her astonishment at seeing her ability heal Giseok.
To really summon a Hero and bring a person from another world here.
At first, she thought it was ridiculous, but it was true.
Looking at all he had done, it was only to safeguard another’s love.
“Su-hyun. So, is there anyone else we need to protect aside from these two..?”
Pina called Su-hyun, who was joyfully chatting with friends.
Pouting her cheeks, she showed off her possessiveness.
“..Probably my master and the sage are still around.”
Then Su-hyun mentioned Drake and Azmodius.
The last sage who survived the Wizard Tower.
The Grand Sword Master, whose family was murdered by dragons.
“Why are those two…?”
“Because the sage is in unrequited love with my master.”
Unrequited love.
One side has no feelings, while the other is ablaze with emotion.
It’s the most challenging love to realize.
“Well, the old man did save the sage once. So, did he fall for her then?”
Surprisingly, this duo was unusual, and the blue-haired man added a comment.
“That’s because a Demon King known for his omnipotence, Black Cloud, destroyed the Wizard Tower.”
His identity was Dennis, who had earned a PhD at the Wizard Tower back then.
When he tried to destroy the Wizard Tower to remove the sages,
Drake was the first to rush forward to save everyone.
“….Speaking of which, she’d especially wear heavier makeup only around Drake.”
He recalled the sage who had overdone her makeup at the last meeting.
Even asking Drake what he liked or telling him not to call her “old man” when she wasn’t aged yet.
Now that I think about it, it seemed like unrequited love indeed.
The sage appeared to have emotions blooming like a first love.
In contrast, the muscular Sword Master looked like a guy clueless about love.
These two were still missing each other.
“Licht, how do you know all this?”
But the source of information was suspicious. No matter how much of a Hero one is, this was a stretch.
Dennis looked at Su-hyun with a questioning expression.
“..I come from the future. Professor. This friend does too.”
“Right. We both come from a bleak future.”
Upon hearing Dennis’s question, Su-hyun and Giseok opened up about their identities.
They revealed they came from ten years into the future.
They also explained about the 3D Magic Circles which Dennis had researched in the future.
To prove it, the Black Knight’s mana circuits were tangled like a spider’s web.
“So, you knew about my relationship with the White Lily, Licht?”
He nodded slowly, understanding.
No matter how much of a Hero one is, it’s impossible to notice someone erased by the Demon King of All Knowledge.
The tale of love between the sage and Drake needed to connect; otherwise, misfortune would come.
“….We need to return to the academy. Professor.”
The Black Knight, who fights to protect his loved ones, has a story he can’t share.
*
“Ariel, Sophia. Thanks for taking the time.”
Before returning to the Grand Hertz Academy,
Pina Grancia secretly called Ariel and Sophia together.
“Pina, why did you suddenly call us?”
“Seriously, what’s up? I’m meeting this friend for the first time…”
The flamed mage and the northern Grand Duchess were meeting for the first time.
Making a “shh” gesture with her finger, Pina had the two women looking puzzled.
“Um, I have a favor to ask…”
In front of her, Pina struggled to bring up the main point, her lips quivering.
“…Could you teach me how to put on makeup?”
The true feelings spilled out from the princess of the Grancia Empire, mixed with embarrassment.
It was her desire to look good for the guy she liked.
“Can’t you do basic makeup on your own?”
“Come on, you can’t be serious. You don’t know how to…”
The two stared at Pina suspiciously.
After a brief silence,
she nodded quietly.
“Pina… you’re serious.”
“……Alright. I’ll teach you the secret makeup of the North. Make sure to allure him good.”
Sophia and Ariel began to enthusiastically discuss it with smirks on their faces.
