“…You barely survived, but got caught in the Demon King’s trap and couldn’t get out?”
“Ha, haha… Right?”
“Mardol, move a bit more to the side.”
“Okay, Kainel.”
“…”
Flail, flail. I’m currently floating in mid-air at the Swordsmanship Training Hall, unable to move. My body is bound by glass magic, and I’m facing the Hero couple and the Crown Prince.
“Uwaaaah!! Lady Ariel! Please save me!”
“…Mr. Helmet. You should be grateful that you’re only in this position after worrying everyone.”
“I may have misspoken! But the opponent was the opponent!!”
“Ariel, well said.”
Why are you acting like that too? I thought you’d treat me as an enemy or keep your distance after being corrupted into a Demon King. Yet Kainel is chuckling, seeming oddly relieved, while Mardol is cautiously checking for injuries by turning me around. Stop it. How worried were you? Were our feelings this mutual?
“I did get injured before… but it’s fine now.”
I feel like a roasted electric chicken. I asked him to stop, worried I might lose my mask, and
“…Ah, it’s true.”
Only then was I able to touch the ground. I felt relieved by the hard texture on my soles.
“So, Licht.”
“…Yes, Kainel.”
“If you’d died, I would’ve chased you to the ends of hell and hit you with Shine Strike. What a pity!”
What a sad smile. It’s not his usual brightly shining expression.
“…I’m really glad you came back.”
Kainel patted my shoulder. People are so nice. I thought I’d be lucky if you guys weren’t killed by the Demon King.
“Right. Licht. I was worried.”
“I apologize for causing concern.”
It seems there was a problem with me fighting as if I were going to die so recklessly. The glass knight kept hovering around, checking if I was okay.
“Mr. Helmet. So you’re not going to fight alone again, right? Promise me!”
“Understood… Lady Ariel…”
Hearing such things from the tsundere elf makes me feel alive. It’s short, but our friendship seems deeper than I thought.
“How did you go and fight the Demon King and come back victorious? Licht!”
“Haha… Kainel, maybe you’re the weak one?”
“I’m not weak; you’re the strong one, Licht.”
“I’m just a lost puppy. Of course, I’m strong.”
I couldn’t help but toss a joke due to the tingling feeling in my heart. His expression darkened again. What’s the problem?
“Mardol. Tie Licht up again.”
“…Hmm.”
Just then, the Crown Prince appeared, blocking in front of the glass helmet with his palm as if remembering something. It was a punchline using the Saintess’s lines, but it was so bad it made me nauseous.
*
Was it around lunchtime? Professor Dennis called me aside.
“I’m really sorry about this, Licht-kun.”
It was in the magic club room. He sincerely bowed halfway to express his apologies.
“…No, it’s okay. Thanks to your judgment, the damage was minimized.”
I learned that the Magic Hat had used its powers on several students inside the academy.
“Students encountered the Demon King of Truth. Their lives were not in danger, and there are no injuries… but it’s a terrible occurrence.”
He compared attendance records and students who were in the classrooms. I trembled in shock at the news.
“In the end… if the new students were inside the academy, it would’ve been a bigger disaster.”
“…It’s my fault. I should have been prepared in case the Demon King attacked.”
He sighed heavily. Currently, Laplace and the sage were trying to find a way to cancel out the powers as much as possible. I lowered my head and organized my thoughts.
‘In the end, it’ll be tough if the Magic Hat doesn’t die.’
The powers of the Demon King are simple but powerful. Even if it’s incomplete, the ability will remain until they are killed.
It’s cheating in the way it covers the world with the concept.
“…It was the Demon King of Truth. He deceived Laplace and the sage with ‘lies’. The results wouldn’t have changed.”
I bit my lower lip. Right now, I was angry about the fact that no one died. No matter how high the security at Grand Hertz Academy is, we can’t counter powers.
“…Licht-kun. I still can’t trust the source of the information. But…”
At that moment, Dennis’s white aura glowed. Talking so much about the Demon King might make him view me suspiciously. The situation was dire; I had revealed too much information.
“I believe that you’ve protected the other students. Keep talking.”
“…Thank you, Professor Dennis.”
However, he was deep in thought, resting his chin on his hand, and didn’t try to bind or interrogate me. His face was as serious as mine.
“Licht-kun. Don’t you think you have something to do now?”
Just like the White Lily, it’s originally this world that is hostile to the Demon King. Did the Crown Prince warn beforehand? You really are a good person after all.
“Our ultimate goal is to eradicate the Hero Church. If the Demon King dies, the powers will be automatically canceled, you know.”
“…We’ve already spilled too much blood. Licht-kun. Even if you become the summoned Hero, if the Ten Heroes move, another war will surely break out.”
This guy is also mistaking me for a Hero. Well, to put it bluntly, I’m an academy student who fought the Demon King and came back alive. It’s impossible if I were just an ordinary human.
“…”
“In the upcoming year-end exam, since many outsiders are observing, things could happen again. Licht-kun.”
“That’s likely. The Hero Church’s aim is probably the Hero of Light, Kainel.”
“Our professors are expecting that as well. Or maybe a descendant of the royal family? Did you hear anything from Drake the elder?”
It’s about Rufus. After all, he’s the only child of Emperor Rock, who cares dearly for his child. If they take him hostage, it could deal a considerable blow to the Ten Heroes.
The founding technique of Void Slash is used with no effort by a wolf king. He’s like a one-man army, a hero.
“…Yes. If it’s about the glass knight, then yes.”
“I’m glad you saved him.”
Hearing that his child was in danger, Emperor Rock almost barged into the academy with an axe, but the other Ten Heroes barely talked him down.
“Since your brother treasures him like gold, you might soon receive an official contact from the royal family.”
If that man appears, it’ll definitely uproot the Hero Church, but the academy would also be taken away. It would be better to lure the Demon Kings somewhere.
“…I won’t die, right?”
“You’ll be fine, Licht-kun. But our professors are going to get scolded badly by your brother.”
The Imperial Palace of Grancia, I haven’t been able to visit since I have no connections in the game. It’s even more unlikely due to the low reputation from following the Nameless Saintess route.
“No matter what, your brother won’t harm the person who protected his child.”
“…That’s a relief, but.”
Why am I feeling so uneasy? A chilling sensation enveloped my body. Did I imagine being imprisoned in the royal family’s dungeon too much?
“If something dangerous happens again,”
The hunter, whose impressive white aura gazes at me, approached me, patting my shoulder,
“…This time, I will surely protect the students. You will too, Licht-kun.”
He apologized for letting me fight alone with the Demon King in the forest.
Hearing this from the protagonist of Night Heart leaves me feeling nostalgic. I made a firm resolve to ensure he meets the White Lily again.
“Thank you, Professor Dennis.”
After all, these people were also victims of the Demon King. I don’t care if it’s a contradiction or anything. My grip tightened.
*
The next morning. During Professor Dennis’s Basic Combat Magic lecture, there was a major announcement.
“Everyone. Our class is nearing completion. Do you know what that means?”
He seemed to try to shake off yesterday’s gloomy talk while striking the podium and reflecting a bright smile. It looked quite sad, actually. Can’t we just get rid of all the Demon Kings?
“Exactly. It’s our annual event at Grand Hertz Academy.”
The other students started to buzz at the professor’s words. It’s probably about the final exam. I looked around, but Kainel and Ariel seemed clueless as well.
“The ‘Year-End Exam’ is coming back..! Students!”
What he mentioned before entering the endless monster forest was real. I leaned forward in excitement. I had a hunch that I could find some new rewards or items.
‘Even if we got first place in group projects, we didn’t get anything.’
Dennis brought out a 3D magic circle and began explaining to the students. The drawings on the parchment flew around according to the rotation of the magic circle.
“The rules are simple. It’s a tournament format, deciding the strongest by grade.”
A paper landed in front of me. It listed the rules, schedule, rankings, and rewards for the Year-End Exam in detail.
“Participants will fight within a magical barrier created by us.”
He raised a finger and significantly expanded the spherical magic circle, encircling the classroom’s external walls. Apparently, that’s how the venue was prepared.
“So, you can run amok as you please. The academy will provide transparent protective gear made from magic, which will prevent injuries.”
Along with that line, a transparent shield enveloped all students within the classroom.
“The moment all of these break, the match will automatically end.”
I examined it curiously and felt it, but there was nothing uncomfortable about it. I could see a faint sparkle around the glass knight’s armor.
“…The match will also end if the time limit runs out. In that case, the side with more remaining shields wins.”
Nodding, I noted that there’s a feature to determine the winner in ambiguous situations. There won’t be any ambiguous draws, after all.
“There are no restrictions on the techniques, abilities, or equipment used. However, if deemed too malicious, the professors will disqualify you.”
So that means Kainel’s Holy Sword can be used too? Following Dennis’s mention, the blonde warrior looked at me with a smug expression as if to say, “Just you wait.”
‘I hope I’ll keep my identity as a Hero hidden.’
There should be countermeasures to prevent the Hero Church from noticing, just like in the Swordsmanship Training Hall. After all, I hinted at it to him yesterday.
“Well then, students of Grand Hertz Academy. May the blessings of Akasha be upon you. Strive to win with intellect!”
With that remark, Professor Dennis concluded the lecture early. Thank you. Truly, Night Heart is the best. I carefully reviewed the handouts I received.
I read through the part marked as rewards for rankings one by one.
‘First prize is the Dragon Heart…. Well, if I eat this, my magical abilities and level skyrocketed in the game, right?’
I wasn’t particularly thrilled. Even if I got it, I couldn’t use magic anyway, making it unnecessary after all.
My interest dwindled. After all, I was the only one in this world who couldn’t use magic without help.
‘Huh, what’s this…?’
As I peeked over the list, my eyes widened in disbelief at the name of the item listed for second place. I froze in shock upon seeing it.
‘…Mana Rose.’
No wonder, it was the item the Nameless Saintess had always wanted. The second prize seemed to be a more captivating offer than the first.
“Ariel, do you want something from here?”
“Yeah, Kai. I’d like something like World Tree leaves to make a staff!”
“What about you, Licht? Is there anything you aim for?”
“…Yes.”
The blue rose that she adored. One of the famous flowers that exists in this game. The Mana Rose, embodying mana, had a blue hue.
“I will definitely get it.”
If the Saintess receives it, she’ll be overjoyed. When I played Night Heart, I merely regarded it as an item in the setting.
No matter how much I searched, I could never find the real thing. Looks like it’s obtainable here.
“Licht. What about the Dragon Heart?”
“…”
Regardless, I won’t let the Crown Prince take it from me. I chose silence, rather than fabricate a lie.
‘Let’s keep it for her.’
The soft smile of someone who loves the flower language of the blue rose came to mind.
I’m sure if she receives this as a gift, she will be over the moon. She might even tend to it while saying she’ll grow it herself.
I must achieve second place in this year-end exam without fail.
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