*
“The Demon God War, let’s talk about the characteristics of the Ten Heroes who played a role there…”
The short-haired nun smiled brightly as she addressed the students from the front podium.
“As of now, there are about seven remaining, and also…”
Despite her chilling smile that didn’t reach her eyes, the classroom was quiet, perhaps due to being accustomed to it after a few weeks.
“…The First Saintess’s hair would change to white when she unleashed her divine power!”
This was Professor Beatrice’s lecture on Divine Power Studies.
“So boring… Kai…”
“Right, Ariel.”
After lunch, the two childhood friends were dozing off from the drowsiness that had settled in.
“Oh, right. Kai… How’s Helmet? I didn’t see Mardol today either.”
“Probably? He’s still lazing around in the dorm since yesterday.”
“Really? Glad to hear that…”
When they woke up to some noise at night, they found a purple feather on the floor, and Licht, wearing a Black Knight helmet, was snoring on his bed.
‘Looks like something happened… but since there are no rumors, did Licht handle it?’
The blonde hero furrowed his brow, ruminating. When he inquired at the Magic Club, Professor Dennis just shrugged it off as nothing important.
“They’re checking what’s going on with the academy’s barrier… I’m worried, Kai.”
“…It’ll be fine. Ariel.”
He spoke in a calming manner to the red-haired elf. In truth, using the Holy Sword didn’t put him at a disadvantage compared to his classmates, and.
‘Above all, Licht’s an amazing guy who can go toe-to-toe with the Holy Sword using just a regular sword.’
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t imagine the Black Knight being humiliated or losing. Tossing a blade with just wind pressure? Anyone would think that’s crazy.
He thought that only the Dragon Slayer, Drake, could possibly pull that off.
Not being able to manipulate mana wouldn’t even earn him the title of a sword user. He couldn’t even coat his sword properly, leaving it in tatters.
But his skill was cunningly close to that of a Sword Master.
As he exited the classroom, he fell into deep thought. Wasn’t he taking things too lightly right now?
The mission to protect the world felt too light.
If he had the mindset of protecting Ariel, he could become strong like Licht.
In reality, the Black Knight was strong even without the Holy Sword.
He realized why a friend of his had once advised him to “do his best.”
“…Should I practice swordsmanship hard too?”
“Uh? Kai? Are you going to the training hall again today?”
“Yeah, Ariel.”
Kainel sighed deeply. No matter how much of a hero one was, they shouldn’t get complacent. The Ten Heroes included a few heroes, but the strongest Emperor was said to be an ordinary person.
Just an ordinary woodsman.
“I need to get stronger too, Ariel. I can’t let Licht and Mardol sweep all the scores!”
“…Really?”
That wasn’t a lie. It was a thought for his red-haired elf mage childhood friend, but if things continued like this, he’d be stuck in third place forever.
“Then I’ll go with you! Kai!”
“…What? It’s swordsmanship?”
“It’s fine!”
As if she had read his thoughts, Ariel, with her twin-tailed red hair fluttering, gave a mischievous smile like a cat.
*
As a result, five people ended up gathering at the Swordsmanship Training Hall of Grand Hertz Academy.
“Hello! Helmet! How are you feeling?”
“Ariel, it’s been a while.”
“Yeah! Oh? Mardol, you’re here too? I was worried!”
“Hello.”
Along with the regulars, the hero couple and the glass knight added to the group.
“Yo! Juniors! We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“Oh, we met in that Spirit Magic lecture..! Nice to meet you, Senpai!”
Adding to that was Nex Aureus with his purple hair.
“And you, junior… was your name Hero?”
“It’s Kainel. Senpai..? Right?”
“Indeed, you’re the Light Hero I’ve heard about.”
“..Ah.”
This guy is teasing me again. Always skeptical of humans, this purple phoenix is. In the original work, he was almost the complete opposite, making the yellow dog and fox not get along.
“Senpai, our yellow… I mean, Kainel is scared. Let’s tone it down a bit.”
It seemed I’d need to mediate in case a fight broke out.
“Haha, sorry.. Don’t be scared! Junior Kainel. Until a few days ago, I viewed heroes poorly because I’m a descendant of the Ten Heroes. But now, it’s fine. Just call me brother.”
“Then can I call you Nex-bro?”
“Sure, thanks to our Licht junior, I’ve changed my perspective a bit~”
He draped his arm over my shoulders, and as this was my first time with a senior, it felt awkward. And I only have the Saintess!
“It’s heavy. Please take it off.”
“Don’t be like that, Junior..”
I had wanted to save the shoulder-drape count for later.
“Then can I call you ‘Oniichan’ too? I always wanted to befriend someone from the Ten Heroes!”
Since Mardol was already Rufus Grancia, the sole son of the Wolf King.
“Sure, no problem. Ariel junior!”
“Yay! Thank you, Nex-oniichan!”
Indeed, her friendliness was at max stats, this red cat. There’s a reason she was convenient to have as a teammate in the game.
Ariel was delighted, her red hair fluttering. Kainel crossed his arms and was clearly jealous. So nice, so nice. Sparks were flying in his eyes.
Just keep your hands off the sword hilt.
But still, he was an earl.
“…”
I noticed the anxious expression on the blonde hero. But was Ariel really that beautiful? A question lingered in my mind.
In the game community, others commented she was pretty, but honestly, my standards had been firmly set on the Saintess alone.
‘At the very least, Nex shouldn’t be someone who would glance at another person… being a harem demolisher.’
Even when looking at elves, I wasn’t particularly drawn to them. During the cart scene, Kainel helped me to admit my feelings.
The wolf ears and tails were cheating compared to that.
You could visibly see their mood change. In the game, when offering a candy, they would pretend to be unbothered while their ears would flop back or their tails would sway.
And when you tried to pet them, they would automatically lie down. It’s cute.
If I were to list the lovely points about the Saintess, it would be endless. My thoughts were racing as if I had eaten something sweet.
Plus, the special talent felt more promising than that of any elf compared to our Nameless Saintess…
“…What’s up, Licht?”
As I lost myself in thoughts I shouldn’t have, Mardol spoke to me.
“Oh, I was just doing nothing.”
I realized losing myself in thought was becoming a habit. Sorry, Saintess. I’ll grab the Magic Hat, bite my tongue, and die.
“…Lying.”
I really couldn’t bring myself to act around the glass knight. He was already the protagonist of the third part, and he was thoroughly sticking flags every time I thought about the Saintess, as if to keep a check on me.
‘Could it be that Rufus and our Saintess might get together?’
It would make sense. If that’s the main pairing of this work, he would certainly try to halt my intentions.
At least with the current crown prince, it might be fine. He shows no signs of being a lecher, and he’s strong enough to protect her while also being wealthy…
His face is also handsome and elegant in contrast to mine.
A heavy feeling began to settle in my heart. The main theme of [Night Heart Trilogy] was love.
I could probably be given the time to sort out my feelings. In a romance, a male supporting character crying is probably an allowed scene, after all.
“I’ve been caught. My apologies.”
“Being honest.”
As fellow wolf beast-men, the love line was understandable. There were even players connected to the Imperial Guard, which is all Inrang Tribe members, taking the path of the crown prince.
If that was the only way to trigger an event, they’d have to hide their love once it happens.
“…So, Licht. What were you doing?”
“Ah, Kainel. I was just teaching Nex-senpai some spear techniques.”
“Spear techniques? You can do that too?”
“I have a friend known for being really skilled at it.”
“I thought you were just good at swords.”
Kainel stared at me, mouth agape. Is it that surprising? Normally a hero would be expected to become strong without effort. I’m just a Black Knight who’s putting in the effort.
“I only know the basics. It’s mostly just using my body.”
I understood his feelings well. He hasn’t encountered the Demon King yet, so even this level of skill would seem staggering.
But those guys wield powers capable of “overwhelming” the world. No amount of preparation would be enough.
Even leveling up wouldn’t prevent situations like with the Magic Hat, where the Saintess could die.
‘The Demon King of the Hero Church is originally four.’
One supposedly died during [Night Heart], while another was confirmed dead during [Black Heart], leaving players clueless about the other two.
‘Information is scarce aside from truth and omniscience.’
There are some tidbits in the settings book… However, abilities that are claimed to be broken aren’t described.
What can be done? Wasting time with such worries is pointless. I unconsciously pulled my hand from my chin and spoke.
“Ah, Nex-senpai. By the way, where will your wedding be?”
I guess I should raise the romance between my yellow dog and cat. Let’s reveal feelings through a skilled instructor’s demonstration.
If I flipped Kainel and Ariel’s relationship completely, wouldn’t it be the same as the connection between Nex and Shar?
They themselves should slowly come to terms with it. If they were to expose their feelings too soon, who knows what butterfly effect might occur?
“Me? I’ll probably have it somewhere near Snow Marine. It used to be a water country, so it was beautiful back then.”
“That’s a nice choice! I’ll cheer for you.”
I nodded repeatedly. A wedding in the middle of a clear blue sea would be quite romantic. Truly a harem demolisher. A smile crept to my lips.
“Uh…? Nex-bro, are you getting married?”
“Yeah. Kainel junior. Since we met like this, I might as well send you an invitation later.”
Nice assist, elder.
Ariel seemed to have caught the vibe and turned a little red while imagining it.
“Thank you so much! It’s the wedding of a Ten Hero descendant, after all! Nex-bro.”
My yellow dog let out a sigh of relief. It seemed he realized that he wasn’t a competitor, easing his mind. His expression had lost its worry.
“Nex-oniichan, who’s the partner…?”
The red-haired mage glanced at Kainel while talking to the purple fox. Nex seemed to have picked up on it, wearing a significant expression that said ‘Look at these children.’
Surely, he must have intended for the blonde hero to hear this as it was quite overt. Tsundere might be clumsy with expressing feelings but they’re not completely devoid of showing them.
“He’s someone famous. Sharunes Sainte Marie.”
“Ah, that one..! I saw her once when she came to serve the sick back in my hometown!”
Was it in the World Tree Forest? Considering elves are inherently closed off, it’s plausible. Her ruby-colored eyes sparkled, and she beamed with joy.
“Wow, she’s marrying the Saintess; I’m so envious!”
“Haha, thanks, Ariel junior!”
…But why does my heart hurt like a knife stabbing?
It’s already been five years; I should be used to it by now. I lowered my head, letting my helmet rest snugly on.
“…”
Maybe it’s because I saw the Saintess’ gentle face in my dreams during that encounter with Servi. Lately, my heart has been torn frequently.
“Licht.”
“..What is it, Mardol?”
“Are you jealous of that?”
“Of course. In the end, it’s about living the rest of your life with a partner who understands you.”
I sighed. That Rufus suddenly butted in. He had strikingly similar golden eyes to hers. But this guy was of royal blood, making him black-haired.
Both the Wolf King Rock and his wife had black hair.
White hair… well, I’ve never really seen similar characters in the game. I wouldn’t call him an albino, as he showed no signs of illness.
“…I don’t know.”
The glass knight tilted his helmet, expressing confusion. My helm reflected his white armor.
“You will come to understand soon, Mardol.”
If I take the route of companions, I’ll surely reach the Nameless Saintess.
I genuinely envy you, Rufus Grancia the Crown Prince. He’s confirmed to be a male lead in the third part.
The love line connecting the supporting character, the Saintess, will definitely be established in this work.
It’s far too late for someone like me to come to a decision. Maybe it was something that should have been obvious, but it crumbles to pieces when it concerns her.
“…How unusual. Licht.”
Mardol directed his gaze toward me. His golden eyes peeked out from the glass helm. A common trait of wolf beast-men.
“I hear that often.”
Listening to him made me have a vague thought.
Nowadays, the trend for male-oriented games is to create harems. I guess it’s true that I’m the odd one out.
It’s no surprise, as I’d heard the same thing repeatedly in the game community too.
[The guild leader’s affection character is a Nameless Saintess? How could such a ranked player like her?]
[You can easily defeat the Demon King with another healer, and you don’t even have to set up an intricate build..]
[Honestly, isn’t it just a matter of looks?]
[That’s why there’s a flaw with her performance. It’s no surprise she’s not popular.]
“…”
Not just a looks-based character.
Perhaps because she’s the Saintess, she’s pure and kind, and even weak, she always tries to appear strong around others.
She often spoke soothing words, genuinely caring for people.
Unlike other female characters, who would only spout lovey-dovey lines, or make targeted appeals, she was different.
I gently bit my lower lip. Is there even a game nowadays where you can only focus on one character like it was in [Night Heart]?
“There’s no romance. No romance at all…”
“Romance?”
Mardol tilted his head, clearly puzzled by my mumbling.
