*
The audience stands for the Grand Hertz Academy’s year-end exams.
“Oh, our junior’s magic is quite good!”
“Uh…? I thought Helmet can’t use magic…?”
“Not magic, okay?”
Pina’s keen eyes were fixated on Licht’s match. The sword that summoned cobalt-colored rain looked different from Kainel’s weapon.
‘Doesn’t look like he’s using mana.’
It was evident from Professor Dennis’s words about the circuit being tangled, and from when they held hands last time. This man was no-good with magic.
“…Interesting.”
Her wolf ears twitched inside the glass helmet. Licht’s new ability was enough to pique the curious princess’s interest.
An ability that shifted like water droplets mixing with rain.
It could deal physical damage and that free movement space was quite versatile.
“Then junior, did you get lost and come back with that?”
“Right? Nex. It’s probably an artifact… right?”
“Something feels different.”
Artifacts are creations of the gods. However, it didn’t seem likely that any of the six gods in this world made it. After all, even masterpieces created by humans utilized mana in the same way.
“What do you mean? Mardol?”
Then the red-haired mage, Ariel, questioned Pina. The elf, who clearly thought this was part of the magic domain, tilted her head.
“There’s no mana.”
She placed a hand on her chest while speaking. The glass armor could be donned and doffed according to the mana in her heart.
Licht wouldn’t use it. What had he been doing all this time? Had he grown from some fortuitous encounter? Now that she thought about it, there were broken trees when they met again.
He was strangely different from before. Knowing the Drake Style’s weakness of requiring pre-movement, he’d switched weapons to counter before any gaps opened up.
‘What method should I use to defeat the current Licht?’
In any case, she could win the Dragon Heart from Licht if she managed to defeat him. In this situation, she was eager to see that man’s full strength.
Her tail rose tightly within the armor due to her competitive spirit, and her golden eyes sparkled.
*
After the semi-finals, I was chatting with Kainel in the swordsmanship training hall.
“So, Licht. What on earth did you learn to summon a sword too?”
“It’s similar to mana, but different.”
The mana core is the heart, and the lower abdomen is just beneath it. But the people here wouldn’t understand this explanation from martial arts knowledge.
The Celestial Demon, White Lily, was also set as a being from another world, just like Dennis.
“Just think of it as black magic or something… Ahem.”
Why do I feel a chill again? Could it be that the constant threat of chastity was because of the princess? I shivered. Now that I think about it, I did have too many points of connection with her.
“Uh, Kainel?”
“What is it? Licht?”
“What do you think about Mardol… or rather, Mardol being a girl?”
I asked the protagonist of [Black Heart] about her. I hope I wasn’t the only one in the dark about her gender.
“Isn’t it obvious she’s a girl? Well, one might think that based on her voice, armor, and height… but I don’t really hold to stereotypes.”
“…Huh?”
“I felt it from the start, and given the conversations with Ariel, you should have figured it out to some extent.”
“…”
I wasn’t listening at all. I was caught in my memories of our Saintess, missing an important point. I placed my hand on the forehead of my helmet.
“Then, were you sending Mardol and me to the training hall alone last time for a reason?”
“Back then, I was just trying to help find that ‘Nameless Saintess’ or whatever.”
“…Thank you, Kainel.”
“Anyone can see she’s a high-ranking figure. Mardol.”
He swung the holy sword, and this time a restrained stance sent a Shine Strike out. At this rate, it felt like he’d start soaring using Icarus.
‘I was forgetting what was in the setting book… Kainel has great instincts.’
I had overlooked this. Just like how Ariel was tsundere but perceptive, the pairs like them had some contradictory points.
“Do I seem close to Mardol?”
“Well, maybe. You’ve already held hands and hugged…”
“Stop that.”
“Ha-ha-ha! Finally got to get back at you for all the teasing with Ariel, Licht.”
Kainel grinned at me with a cat-like smile. Perhaps the resentment from the carriage trip still lingered.
“Stop teasing. I already…”
“Have someone you like, right?”
The hero said this with an earnest demeanor. I didn’t get why this guy was so clumsy with his own love life. He must be afraid of awkwardness in their current relationship if he confessed.
“…I understand that feeling. I went through the same.”
“So it’s a kind of feeling where you like someone but can’t approach them?”
“Yeah, thanks to you, I’ve avoided running away from my feelings, but elves are a long-lived race and I’m a hero.”
Kainel bowed his head as he continued. He stared at the holy sword with sadness in his eyes, pondering his struggles.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay by Ariel’s side. I won’t push away my feelings anymore, but…”
Both he and I sighed in unison. No wonder they weren’t dating; they had their own troubles. There were still five years left until [Night Heart]. They might start dating by then.
‘During that time, our Saintess might miss her chance at marriage while glares at me from [Black Heart].’
Thinking back, she seemed older than she appeared. She gave off a mature vibe.
No name, no identity, no age. Well, precisely, only her status as a Saintess existed. A solitary being who nobody knew.
Happiness was always a distant word for her, and,
“Maybe the problem will be resolved once you catch the Demon King.”
“What do you mean, Licht?”
I worked tirelessly for her, thinking that catching the Demon King would lead to a happy ending, giving my all.
“Well, if there’s no Demon King, then a hero or saint wouldn’t actually be necessary, would they?”
“Like a Magic Hat? That’s a fair point. Thanks for the support.”
He chuckled heartily. It was funny that two mere academy students were having such a discussion.
“Well, you’ll know someday.”
“You say that as if you know the future…”
“Kainel?”
At that moment. Footsteps echoed in the training hall, and a presence was felt.
“Mardol…?”
“Um…?”
The armored glass knight appeared in the swordsmanship training hall. I froze momentarily. How did they know I was here? Please don’t tell me they’re here to interfere with my thoughts of our Saintess again.
I posed the question to Mardol, who approached me. The shift from ‘Mr.’ to ‘Ms.’ made me wary, and they refused to close the distance anymore.
“Mardol, are you perhaps a lady?”
“…”
This was the fastest way to get an answer—if the princess of [Grand Hertz Academy] was showing interest, I had to cut this off.
“Please tell me. This is important to me.”
“…No. Licht.”
The glass knight remained silent. Wolf-like golden eyes, like Rufus, were visible from within the helmet. Black and white. The two knights, unable to coexist, were weighing each other.
“Stop it, Licht. Mardol probably has her reasons.”
“…But, Kainel.”
The blonde warrior blocked my way. If she was truly female, I had to keep my distance. The fact that the identity hidden behind my brother’s persona was exposed made Mardol appear flustered.
“Lying is bad. Mardol…”
“Then what about you, Licht?”
“Pardon?”
She pointedly questioned me. The princess with golden eyes seemed to have an inkling.
“…Licht lies too.”
She lowered her head, cautiously opening her mouth. I felt my heart stir at her dejected demeanor.
‘Could it be, is she suspecting me to be the Demon King?’
From her perspective, I was the one who had fallen to corruption as a Demon King. If Emperor Rock ever knew, I would vanish into thin air.
‘I might have been dragged away by the Inquisitor…’
That made me take a step back. I had indeed told lies on numerous occasions, and moreover, I owed her for having taught me swordsmanship.
“There are things I can’t talk about. Licht.”
“Yes, I made a mistake. I’m sorry…”
I was lucky Mardol was kind; if anyone else saw, I would’ve been publicly labeled a Demon King in the imperial capital by now.
‘I warned Dennis in advance too.’
After the battle with the Magic Hat. I hadn’t been suspected of being related to the Hero Church, nor had I been tracked.
Thanks to her kindness. Why on earth was I so hasty to confirm all this?
“…I’ll be looking forward to the finals, Licht.”
“Understood.”
Perhaps feeling dejected after being exposed, the glass knight quickly spoke and turned away, leaving the scene.
“You were too harsh.”
“…”
Kainel looked at me reproachfully. Following this path, I might have to break her glass armor in the finals to confirm her gender. All that was left was to pretend it was an accident during battle.
I wasn’t sure if a fake holy sword could break a real masterpiece, but,
“…I’ll have to check for myself.”
If I wanted to cut off the flag with Mardol, this was the way. Even if it meant repaying kindness with enmity, my Saintess was what mattered most.
Why do they keep stopping me from thinking?
They wouldn’t kill me for breaking a bit of armor, right? If that was the case, I should have died a long time ago, considering I had already walked the path of corruption.
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