WeTried Translations

Translator: Botanica

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight

Chapter 048

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Episode 48. Drunken Life, Dream Love (醉生夢愛).

Heavenly Demon Baek-Mokryeon.

Cursed Dragon of Spring.

A figure summoned from another world who fought against The Heroic Cult alongside Dennis.

First, they were comrades, then became lovers,

it was said that love blossoms even on the battlefield, referring to this couple.

“Heavenly Demon..? Baek-Mokryeon..?”

However, due to the power of the Demon King of Omniscience, she was one of the Ten Greats who was finally freed at the end of <Knight Heart>.

Why is this person here?

“Hmph, I barely saved a boy who was reduced to rags, and he's quite peculiar.”

Her black doppo fluttering, she grumbled with a displeased look. At her words, I looked down at my body.

There was no blood or wounds. No pain was felt. My life thread was still attached.

“..How am I alive?”

"Isn't your Dantian perfectly fine? Well, it's magic used by weaklings, so it's understandable if you don't know when relying on divine power."

All the torn and broken bones and muscles were reattached. Come to think of it, she was the 2nd strongest of the Ten Greats. What a relief. I thought I would surely die since my body resisted healing.

I clenched and unclenched my palms, feeling the sensation of being alive once more. I breathed. The rib injury that had pierced my lung was gone as if washed away.

It's definitely cheating. So that's why her title was Heavenly Demon.

“Thank you, Heavenly Demon.”

I conveyed my gratitude to the Heavenly Demon who had completely healed me. She must have used some kind of internal energy. I bowed my head respectfully.

“Khahaha..! It's been a long time since I had a guest, so I used a bit of my power.”

The brown-haired woman laughed heartily, revealing pointed teeth. She was an impressive figure with a white magnolia flower hair ornament and a black hanbok.

I didn't know much about her since she wasn't a character one could recruit as a companion in the game. As expected, someone who lived in a Murim world is different, I suppose. Come to think of it, we're birds of a feather.

“Boy, so who exactly are you? You know my name, so you can't be an ordinary person.”

“My name is Licht. Black Knight Licht.”

“Hoo, so the boy is...”

Huh, something's off. I feel killing intent. My body stiffened as I felt a sensation of my blood freezing.

“Were you a Demon King just now?”

Before I could even speak further, a sword was pressed against my neck. The sharp, chilling sensation of steel.

‘..This kind of reaction is normal when you're associated with a Demon King.’

With a swoosh sound, a cold sensation touched me. A tiny drop of blood formed and stained the Heavenly Demon's sword.

I didn't even see her draw the sword. Her speed was incredibly fast.

“Well, seeing Demon Kings fight each other was interesting, so I kept you alive for now...”

Think. What way is there to survive here? The life I had just regained could be lost again.

“But if you even know my name, then I'm quite uneasy.”

So she was testing whether I was a Demon King or not. Damn it.

Her penetrating 'dragon eyes' glared at me. She's acting like this because what Ache did to her was too much. After all, she lived under a curse, separated from her beloved lover...

Ah. There's that.

“..Your lover. Don't you wish to meet Dennis?”

A fact that any player who played <Knight Heart> would definitely know. The setting of Dennis's forgotten lover. It was even on the advertisement poster from the beginning.

“..What? How... how on earth do you know that, boy?”

Of course, I know. I'm a transmigrator who played the game. But normally, people in this world should have completely forgotten about her.

That's because the Demon King of Omniscience had interfered. Even Dennis could only partially resist that power.

Clang.

The sword clashed against the ground, making a metallic sound. I let out a sigh of relief, seeing the Heavenly Demon's dropped sword. A gap created by her startled emotions.

“There's a way for you to know everything, Heavenly Demon.”

I have to choose my words carefully here.

“Even if you’re the same Demon King, you shouldn’t be able to defy ‘Erasure of knowledge.’ How did you do it..?”

“..Because I am also a disciple of Dennis.”

I subtly implied that I was an academy student in a way the Heavenly Demon would understand.

Then her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at me.

“A disciple? That's just as nonsensical. Only I should remember my memories with that man. Surely the Demon King called Ache also to me...”

“Professor Dennis barely remembers you. I've heard a lot about you from him.”

“..To hear that name from someone else's mouth.”

Among the Ten Greats' statues, there was barely one female-shaped sculpture in Baek-Mokryeon's spot.

“Dennis has become something like a teacher, educating people now.”

“..He often did such ridiculous things too. Yes, boy, you must be Dennis's disciple.”

The dragon's characteristic might be that she couldn't overcome Erasure of knowledge, so she pleaded like a human. Seeing her reaction, it was definitely the Heavenly Demon I knew.

‘In Dennis's case, the setting was that he used defensive magic with his entire body while drinking alcohol.’

The reason his white eye-glow shone and his nickname was Drunkard was revealed later. In a bad ending of <Knight Heart>, it was also why he died longing for spring.

Because he was a human who twisted water magic to use magic with alcohol. Dennis had the insane idea that it was possible even with blood if it contained alcohol.

“I don't know why, but boy, you seem to be avoiding erasure of knowledge.”

“Perhaps so.”

It was all because I had loved this Cursed Dragon of Spring before my eyes. I opened my mouth, seeing the Heavenly Demon who finally wasn't hostile towards me.

“Khhh... I've lived a long time, and I'm seeing all sorts of things. All right, I'll believe you, treating it as if I'm being fooled.”

“Thank you, Heavenly Demon.”

Because now only the Heavenly Demon herself remembered the memories. There was no way she wouldn't believe that I, knowing these things, was Dennis's disciple.

“Boy, so why did you confront a Demon King to the point of being covered in blood like this?”

Her eyes were widened with curiosity. I should tell her the truth now to gain more of her trust. No matter what, if I lied to the Heavenly Demon, I wouldn't survive even with two lives.

Since I just dreamt of the Saintess, I decided to be a little more honest with my feelings.

“..It was to protect someone I love.”

“Hearing you say such words, you must not be a Demon King of The Heroic Cult!”

When I mentioned the word love, she finally smiled cheerfully and spoke. It's convenient when a character knows the options. I barely averted a death flag.

“Because the Demon Kings of The Heroic Cult only care about themselves.”

Thus, what I just said was an extremely selfless statement. If I were truly a Demon King, I would have wanted to possess the one I loved. From the beginning, The Heroic Cult consisted of such individuals.

“Yes, you must have had the ability to mimic a Demon King, boy.”

Among them, she was a tragic character who couldn't meet her beloved lover. After this much explanation, it was understandable. As the misunderstanding cleared and the killing intent receded, I could breathe again.

“So... why are you here, Heavenly Demon? I was trying to stop the Demon King's escape, but...”

I stood up and stretched my muscles this way and that. I'm completely healed. I could even pick up my sword and use Void Slash again.

"Did you really fall from the sky without even knowing that? What a laughable fellow."

Seeing me like that, Baek-Mokryeon let out a chuckle, as if dumbfounded. What is it? Why is she laughing? I looked around.

“..Is this the Endless Forest of Monsters that I know?”

Something was strange. It was the same forest as before, but denser and more eerie. It took on a form that felt very wrong.

"To be precise, this is the center of that forest. It's impossible to even approach by ordinary means."

"What do you mean?"

No, it's just the center, so why is it so gloomy? I questioned the Heavenly Demon again, harboring doubts. It felt too unsettling to just let it pass.

"This place is like a living prison, boy."

"That means, surely..."

Baek-Mokryeon sighed deeply, looking at the empty sky. I began to guess the reason for her behavior. I raised my head and looked at the sky with her.

“...”

A seemingly clear sky. But something about the scenery felt alien. Not a single cloud moved. No matter how long I watched, there was no tremor.

I'm screwed.

"Due to the power of Erasure of knowledge, it's a place where one cannot go outside."

"Then the Heavenly Demon, too..."

"Yes, I've been here for about 15 years now."

This was the reason she barely reappeared at the end of <Knight Heart>.

‘The explanation was that she had been confined somewhere. And that she couldn't get out due to the power of Erasure of knowledge.’

So that was here. I chased Magic Hat's escape, only to fall into a trap myself. I touched the forehead of my helmet.

It's that Ache guy again.

I thought I'd struck a blow against the Demon King of Truth, but this time Omniscience was strongly involved. I need to get back to the Academy so the kids don't worry.

"Is there... no way?"

"You just need to find the direction to get out, boy."

"Direction...?"

I'm still alive, you know.

***

The Grand Hearts Academy's swordsmanship training ground.

“...”

There, the Glass Knight was ceaselessly swinging her sword until dawn.

"Your Highness."

Nex Aureus looked at her with a displeased expression, and soon spoke to the exhausted-looking Phine.

“..I heard the news about Licht. That he suddenly went missing. But you don't need to go this far, Your Highness. It's not your fault."

"No, it's my fault.."

"Really? Did Licht say that?"

He wouldn't have said that. Phine put down her sword and approached Nex, getting angry. Her resentment at her own weakness burst forth.

"Still. If I, if I had been stronger..! I wouldn't have let Magic Hat get to me like my mother..!!"

Memories of the past continued to torment her. She hadn't known the man in the Black Knight helmet would sacrifice himself for her like this.

"It's because of me again.. Licht too.."

At first, she simply thought he would reappear with some sly words if she waited. The incident happened too suddenly, and she had taken it too lightly.

But even after waiting quietly in the forest for days, Licht didn't appear, and the Imperial Guard also said they didn't know his whereabouts.

"I should have.. fought with him.."

"Your Highness.."

He probably died, nine times out of ten. The Demon King of Truth is truly strong.

She lowered her head. If only she had listened to that man's words and tried a little harder, would something have been different? He was a figure who, even after being corrupted while wielding Kainel's Holy Sword, vanished while trying to protect them.

"Brother Nex.. Can a good Demon King.. truly exist?"

"Are you talking about Licht?"

“...”

Honestly, at first, she genuinely thought he was a Demon King and was scared. Yet, Licht didn't change. If only she had acted faster, she could have stopped him, Phine thought.

"If you're talking about Licht, I think it might be possible."

"..What? Really?"

"Yeah, you know that Heroes and Demon Kings are actually just people, right, Your Highness?"

"..That's right."

While she hesitated, he left a message telling me to take good care of the Nameless Saintess or whatever, and then walked into certain death.

"From the start, Licht is too naive. For someone like that to be a Demon King? I really don't think so."

"..You're right. It was my oversight."

"Licht is alive. In my opinion, he's that strong. Licht."

At the purple-haired Nex's words, she steeled her resolve. She thought she needed to become stronger.

Because being able to protect, even while weak like that man, was nothing but sacrifice.

A person exactly opposite to herself.

He was a peculiar person, and a strong person, yet.

He was weak while lying.

The Black Knight with contradictory aspects kept lingering in her mind.

"..If I meet Magic Hat again."

Phine, approaching the wooden dummy once more,

"Then, I'll do my best. Like Licht."

-Swish.

She perfectly reproduced the movements and will of someone wielding a sword.

Thunk, thud. The sounds echoed through the training ground.

The wooden dummy split precisely in half, as she perfectly mastered Shadow Slash, the first form of Drake-style swordsmanship.

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