The words of the White Lily were true.
Just one step outside, and the trees and forest start to move chaotically. Even the path I had marked with my sword had vanished.
All means of memory or knowledge are blocked. It feels like my perception has been twisted.
“Really. I have no idea which direction to go.”
“It is the power of ‘ignorance’. Why is it that I remember how to escape this place while you lack the talent?”
“…I have no words, Celestial Demon.”
Well, I’m not a hero, so of course, that’s how it is. I sighed. I have no Holy Sword and no masterpiece. I’m so weak that I’ve resorted to using the Corruption Route to take down the Demon King.
“But boy, why do you keep wearing that Black Knight helmet? The armor from when you were the Demon King has vanished.”
“Oh, I can’t take it off.”
“Hoh, I thought you wore it to hide your identity because you are the Demon King.”
“That’s not it, Celestial Demon.”
“I also thought it was the craftsmanship of those grumpy bearded dwarves.”
I wish I could be like a masterpiece. It’s just comfortable, and aside from being able to breathe a little underwater, it has no special features.
But ever since I put this on, the Magic Hat has gotten tangled. What was it again? Was it a drop item from the start? If so, I guess it makes sense for them to misunderstand me.
“It is true that it was given by someone with a bad temperament…”
“Kuhuh! Then what? Surely it must be an item imbued with a demon spirit?”
If it’s a special item, shouldn’t there be something amazing about it? But to make someone obsessed like a Demon King is a bit much.
Indeed, the creator of [Black Heart] doesn’t let players have it easy whenever they try to do something.
“That is indeed true. You speak wisely.”
I touched the forehead part of the helmet. The only certain thing is that it resembles the equipment of the Glass Knight.
I thought maybe if I got closer to Mardol, something might happen. There were paired items in the game too.
“…”
When my thoughts reached that far, I felt as if I had disappeared and looked too much like someone ready to die. I wonder if the Glass Knight is worried about me.
The trauma of having her parents, Bellin Grancia, captured by the Magic Hat must be weighing on her.
Five years have passed since I was reincarnated, and because I paid less attention to the Crown Prince, I only remembered his face after seeing him.
“So, what does it mean to know the direction? You said you could get out of here.”
I asked the Celestial Demon for a way to escape this forest. It seemed like the academy kids would be worried about me. I definitely shouldn’t end up truly kidnapped and locked up by the royal family later.
“It’s a simple metaphor. We must suppress the concept of the Demon King.”
“Huh? Are there artifacts here? Like a Holy Sword or something..”
“Hah, that’s just funny. Boy.”
The White Lily chuckled lightly, as if incredulous. I could see the unique irises and teeth of a dragon. Is there a hidden item somewhere?
“Those foolish men obsessed with the Holy Sword or Demon Sword from the start are truly silly.”
“What does that mean…?”
“It depends on the user wielding the sword. If a sword chooses its master, then it is definitely a faulty item, boy.”
With that, the White Lily drew her sword from her waist. It was a seemingly ordinary black sword. There didn’t appear to be anything particularly jagged about it.
“Boy, then can this sword defeat the Demon King?”
“Probably not…?”
“If that were the case, what does it mean that you almost killed the Demon King using Drake’s ultimate move?”
Then, did I realize from the start that I was involved with the Ten Heroes? To test me while knowing, what a meticulous personality. My blood rushed to my head. I feel like I’ve heard something similar before.
“Dragon Kill kills the opponent’s concept… Ah, could it be.”
“That’s right, that could be it.”
“Just a mere sword technique surpassed the powers of the Demon King.”
“Yes, swordsmanship is the study of will. If you have the will to win, anything is possible. Therefore…”
As she began to speak, the White Lily stopped in front of a gigantic tree.
“Being obsessed with weapons isn’t the true essence of a swordsman, boy.”
It was a huge tree thick as a house, the kind that anyone would shout is the World Tree. Though the World Tree shouldn’t just be some filthy large tree.
“Even if you use this seemingly ordinary iron sword.”
The sword the White Lily showed me didn’t give off any particularly amazing vibe. I could find something similar at the academy’s swordsmanship training hall as it was quite common.
“…Even if what lies before you is a sea, it can still be cut.”
The Celestial Demon lightly gripped the sword, and with a swift motion, she executed a horizontal slash.
“One Hundred Flower Blooming.”
And then, something extraordinary happened.
Swish. The crisp sound of cutting echoed across the land. All the trees in front of me were cleanly cut down like a horizon. The top part flew away. The lush trees transformed into a straight line.
Like petals falling from flowers, a soft and clear path of the sword emerged.
“…”
The sound arrived after the blade. Crack, the sound came out as the tree trunks flew outside. Is this the Celestial Demon White Lily? It felt different from Drake’s swordsmanship.
“Kuhuh, well, even though I say this, I am already hit with a bullet from the Head. I can’t get out.”
The Celestial Demon smiled slyly at me. Even with this level of power, she still can’t escape the forest. The trees returned to their original state.
What insane performance. Is this really even swordsmanship?
“…Can I learn this as well?”
“What? You, boy? It won’t be possible. It’s about using internal energy, which is a different dimension from mana.”
“I can do it. My constitution is special.”
“This isn’t just about technique. You need to reach a level, and there’s no way a mere human could manage that, boy.”
Let me learn right away. It might actually suit my constitution that can’t use mana. I instinctively knew it was a sharp skill that could take down the Demon King.
“I’m the disciple of the Dragon Killer, Drake. I’m sure it’s possible.”
“Hoh, the snot-nosed kid’s disciple huh? Did I erase my ignorance and get stuck with that strange title? Now that’s absurd.”
“Perhaps that’s the case, Celestial Demon.”
To return to the academy, I had no choice but to get stronger. If there really is a level that can suppress the powers of the Demon King with will…
“I beg you. Please.”
It was exactly what I needed right now. With the Magic Hat beginning to move, the safety of the Nameless Saintess was uncertain. She could recover and pose a threat at any moment.
“…Why should I teach you, boy?”
The Celestial Demon let out a snort, crossing her arms and showing a non-cooperative stance. This can’t be good. Did she forget what I just said to survive?
“If I use your swordsmanship, Lady White Lily…”
Assuming it’s possible to suppress the powers of the Demon King with will…
“There’s a high possibility that Professor Dennis will remember you completely.”
“Kuhuh… That’s true enough. You avoid ignorance.”
I can maintain this love line without holding the Head tightly. If it’s Professor Dennis, he might figure out a way to save her from this forest.
“You’re quite clever. I usually don’t have a disciple. But if it’s the disciple of that man….”
When a beloved partner is cursed, a pure-hearted man invokes the magic on himself to barely remember her.
“…There’s nothing I can’t accept.”
She now understands my relation to Dennis. The Celestial Demon smiled slightly, as if something pleased her. There was a cursed spring dragon hoping upon me.
“…Thank you.”
If anyone remembers White Lily, aside from the Head, it would now only be me, the reincarnated one. Thank goodness I was a hot-blooded player of [Night Heart].
“Fine, boy. It’ll be quite a challenging training. Can you keep up?”
“I had no choice from the start, Celestial Demon.”
“Kuhuh! We’ll see how long you can keep saying that, boy.”
Thus, from that day, I became the apprentice of the Celestial Demon. Drake-sensei would probably get mad if he found out.
“I’ll do my best!”
My priority was to get out of here and let them know I was still alive.
*
At that time, in the dormitory of Grand Hertz Academy.
“Where the heck has that scoundrel Licht gone?”
The blonde-haired hero was racking his brain, puzzled. It had been days since his friend had left to battle the Demon King and had yet to return.
“If you come back, I’ll spread the rumors about that white-haired saint or whatever.”
He didn’t even know that Licht was also part of the Holy Knight class. He knew next to nothing about the person named Licht.
“…Now that I think about it, was he really my friend? Was it just me feeling that way?”
He had only recently learned the reason Licht was wearing a helmet, and he was also fully aware of the gaps concerning the Holy Sword. The advice to protect it properly now felt right in retrospect.
“If I had hesitated just a little back then, Ariel would have been in danger.”
He recalled how he had jumped out first and caught the attack. He would have evaluated whether the Holy Sword was trembling or not to determine who was human if he had been the naive hero before meeting Licht.
“Ha… Kainel, you blockhead…”
He hung his head. Even as he was becoming the Demon King, Licht was trying to protect people. It was lamentable that he lacked that will. No matter how much he thought about it, it scared him.
“…”
He had been despised by the villagers simply for being chosen as a hero. Therefore, he had taken his responsibility far too lightly.
Before meeting Licht, he would have just thought it was enough to protect the world from bad guys.
“I can’t stay like this.”
He thought of Ariel’s scarred face. He used Divine Power to heal her, leaving no scar, but already a significant wound remained in the heart of Hero Kainel.
“I must protect Ariel more surely than this world.”
As he pondered carefully what options he had left, the hero rose from his seat. The advice Licht had once given him came back to mind.
“If I had been stronger, you wouldn’t have gone off to fight alone, would you, Licht?”
Clenching the returned Holy Sword tightly, the hero reaffirmed his resolve. He felt angry at the weapon that came back without Licht. Is this really a Holy Sword? It’s just absurd.
“I’m tired of being a hero now. Just like you said, Licht, I’ll focus on speed.”
Thinking of the Black Knight who had protected him and Ariel, Kainel decided to try and catch up to that friend.
“If I’m dead, I’ll chase after you to the ends of hell and make you feel the Shine Strike.”
Imagining Licht returning as if nothing had happened, cheerfully teasing Ariel and him, the blonde-haired hero headed to the training hall.
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