WeTried Translations
Translator: Botanica
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight
Chapter 12
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Episode 12. As expected, a world where only I lack mana is wrong.
I picked up a book from the bookshelf.
I painstakingly searched through the thick pages.
‘Rook Gransia, no. Lupus…. Lupus.. here he is.’
I quickly flipped through the pages of the notebook. It was already late; Kainel was asleep, so it should be fine.
Lupus Gransia. Black hair, golden eyes. A handsome young man of unknown age.
A harem route or reverse harem route easy-mode character who first appeared in <Black Heart>.
An obsessive man who unconditionally confesses to characters stronger than himself.
That's why he couldn't get past party members who reached max level before defeating the Demon King. He preferred women, but very occasionally he'd get involved with male characters too.
‘I'm screwed.’
My mouth went dry.
Come to think of it, if he went by that name, everyone would know him, so did he use the alias Mardol?
My head throbbed. Of all people, to be targeted by this guy - I'm not even strong enough to catch the Demon King yet.
Were the things he said when it rained meant like that? I regretted not having immediately fled to the boys' dormitory.
‘Maybe there's no affection level yet.’
I clung to my last hope.
A system that appears identically in Parts 1 and 2. A probability of dating or a measure of intimacy with a character. Perhaps it can still be reversed.
***
Rising early for school, earlier than usual, was the cause of all this trouble.
“Hello.”
The protagonist of my sleepless night's worries appeared opposite me. The Glass Knight waved a small hand, as if happy to see me, just like yesterday.
“Ah, Licht.”
“You've got the wrong person!!”
We ran right into each other. I'd been taking back alleys to the classroom as much as possible, so how did he know?
I ran in the opposite direction.
If I get entangled with him, the Saintess route itself will go awry. Absolutely not. The conditions were the same in previous titles, so it'll be like that here too.
I ran, cutting through the wind. No matter how easy it is to connect love lines, I refuse to be a playboy. It has to be pure love. My mind was filled with the thought of cherishing the Blue Rose.
But my struggles were in vain.
“..What are you doing?”
“Why are you so fast?”
“Mana.”
Mardol, who had already approached my side, I don't know when he arrived.
My black helmet reflected in his helmet, giving me a strange sensation. I took a breath and put my hands on my knees.
Magic really is a cheat. I forgot that in a world with one eye, two eyes are abnormal. I thought I'd gotten much faster training with Master, but it seems not.
“I have something to ask for a moment, Mardol.”
“Go ahead.”
Let's check the favorability first. Maybe he still treats me as just an extra. Thinking of Kainel and Ariel, I decided to tell a joke.
“Do you know what the leader of young fish is called in four syllables?”
“..Cheerleader?”
(TL Note:
This is a pun on the word 치어리더 (cheerleader). It can be interpreted as both 치어 (cheer) + 리더 (leader) and 치어 (young fish) + 리더 (leader).)
I'm doomed. How did he know that? I'd memorized it because the Saintess liked dad jokes. With one of my trump cards gone, I felt dizzy.
...
“Why?”
“Isn't it funny?”
“I don't know.”
His large, crystal-like form didn't even flinch. There was no sound of laughter.
I needed to collect my thoughts. Was it still okay? Since it was a past timeline, his personality might not have been twisted yet. My status window didn't show any love lines on my side either.
Just then, I sensed a presence beside me. The sound of two pairs of footsteps.
Golden hair and red hair visible nearby.
“Licht! Where are you going?”
“Hello, Helmet Guy! And next to you is..who?”
It was Ariel and Kainel.
My mind went blank. I shouldn't let these two meet here. The Crown Prince would trigger a rival event. My brow furrowed at a situation I'd seen many times in <Black Heart>.
“Ariel! Run away!”
“Huh? Why?”
..?
“Licht, what's wrong?”
Oh, nothing's happening. I waved my hands in the air, trying to create distance, but the massive heavy armor in front of me didn't even flinch.
...
He didn't take his eyes off me and didn't even pay attention to the Hero's party. Did his target change to me? I'm relieved my romance level isn't dropping.
“I guess I was a bit sensitive.”
“What's wrong? You've been acting strange since yesterday, didn't you sleep?”
“It seems so. I apologize.”
I wiped the cold sweat trickling down my neck. I'd overcome a crisis. I was deeply grateful in my heart that at least the worst situation hadn't occurred.
I should've stopped Kainel from barking.
“Oh, Helmet Guy, you two look like a good couple standing like that.”
“That's not it! Absolutely not!”
“Ariel. You're joking too much. One side has too much of a gear difference.”
The quick-witted Cat glanced at Mardol and me, then delivered a sharp remark. No, don't create a flag.
In <Knight Heart Trilogy>, characters who are complete opposites mostly end up dating.
But this was a situation I truly disliked.
‘I haven't even met the Saintess yet.’
It's my last remaining desire. Even falling into this game was for her. I had no intention of taking any other route if it wasn't for the Nameless Saintess from the start.
Even if I see the Grand Route ending.
A corner of my chest felt heavy. Her name was unknown, her identity unknown, her age unknown. I knew nothing about her.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Even if I meet her like this, will I be able to greet her? I might pass by without knowing. In game screenshots, I thought it would be resolved just by going to the Academy...
“Helmet Guy!”
The red-haired mage interrupted my train of thought.
“Then why were you two here alone?”
“It's because of a knight's promise.”
“That's right.”
“Then, I'll see you later, Mardol.”
As I fabricated an excuse, the Glass Knight chimed in agreement.
Teaching Drake's swordsmanship must be kept a secret from these two as well. He has some flexibility, the Crown Prince. He'll call me after classes are all done.
“Let's hurry to the Spirit Arts lecture, Licht. It's an outdoor class.”
“Is that so? How interesting.”
“I heard from the lecture reviews that the professor is cute?”
Leaving Mardol there, I walked off with Kainel's party. But footsteps kept coming from behind. What, could it be the same class?
“Me too, that way.”
The Glass Knight was walking along with us. Flaunting his unique sparkle, no less.
Elective courses often overlap. I knew that, having been a university student before. But it felt like I was moving with a bomb about to explode.
“Glass Knight, what's your name?”
Ariel asked, but. He might try to confess to you again. I did it first, but that was necessary.
“Mardol.”
“Oh, are you the one who was late for Combat Magic class then? I'm Ariel! Nice to meet you!”
“Yeah. Nice to meet you.”
“Licht, I really can't get used to this.”
“Me neither..”
Two people speaking informally, me speaking formally. And a person who doesn't speak more than two words.
Yellow Dog and Cat. Black Knight and Glass Knight.
Two pairs of opposites.
Like fate, the gears were interlocking and turning.
***
After walking for several minutes like that, we ascended the mountain and arrived at the pre-announced location without being late.
“This should be it. Licht, do you feel anything?”
“Well, I'm not sure myself, but..”
“So Helmet Guy has things he doesn't know too.”
<Fundamentals of Spirit Arts.>
At that class location, there was only a single tree standing alone in a large clearing.
As if sensing something strange, the remaining students merely murmured amongst themselves.
Just then, Mardol pointed at it with a gesture.
“Tree, strange.”
He approached the tree. A knight placed his palm against the trunk.
Then, thump-thump-thud. The leaves rustled. The falling autumn leaves proved it was no ordinary plant.
“Oh my, I've been found out.”
A woman's voice came from the tree. And gradually, its trunk twisted and took on a human form. The sweet scent of lilac.
She was a woman like a single flower.
‘A Dryad..?’
A purple flower adorning her head, pink hair.
Is she perhaps an original character from <Knight Heart Academia>? It's the first time someone I don't know has appeared. As a new face emerged, I felt happy, like I was playing a game.
“Nice to meet you all, everyone. I'm Maria, in charge of the Spirit Arts lecture.”
A small animal emerged from her hand. It was a cute green hamster. Is this a spirit? I'd only seen big ones before.
“Well, since you've found me, I'll give you a gift.”
Several hamsters stopped one by one in front of the students.
They made a kkyu sound and, with tiny hands, held out envelopes balanced on their heads to each of us.
“Oh, it's snacks! They're shaped like sunflower seeds!”
“It really is. Ariel, have you eaten them already?”
“Hehe.. I like sweets, you know.”
Kainel shared half the snacks with her, and Ariel munched on them like a squirrel. I hoped their romance level would rise again from moments like this.
“This is delicious.”
“..Sweet.”
Mardol, whose face was covered by glass magic. And me, who had slightly raised my faceguard to avoid exposure and crammed it into my mouth.
I felt a bit sorry to the professor seeing two knights doing this as a pair.
“What do you think is the fundamental principle of Spirit Arts? Looking at those hamsters?”
“Cute.”
“They're cute!”
“Ding, you're wrong.”
The Glass Knight and Ariel answered.
Maria raised a single index finger and shook her head. In sync with her, the hamsters also shook their heads from side to side.
“The answer is that they are creatures conceived from emotions.”
“And, unlike swordsmanship, magic, or divine power, they have one unique strength.”
The hamsters began to gather in a swarm. A teeming horde of mice. Their numbers had already swelled enormously.
“That is-.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the spirits had become several large flowers. Petals arrayed around her as if protecting the professor.
They'd probably block even a missile shot at them.
“Even if they're not giant spirits, they're strong. Like hamsters.”
Once again, the tree trunk surged and transformed into the shape of a colossal golem. The small flower adorning its head looked somewhat like an accessory.
“Also, their utility is endless depending on their attributes. In the case of the famous Phoenix, it provides an absolutely invincible shield around itself.”
Ah, this is about the Ten Greats. Is she talking about the Living Sun?
“In my case, I can utilize nature like this.”
A tremor vibrated beneath my feet. The sound of the ground shaking.
Ddd-dd-dd-dd-.
‘She manipulated the tree roots to cause an earthquake. As expected, this school is prestigious.’
As I regained my balance, I once again felt sad that only I lacked mana in this world. A small sound came from beside me.
“Hee-yak.”
“Hold on tight to my arm, Ariel.”
“..Nothing cute.”
She, clinging to Kainel's arm. And the Glass Knight, who remained completely motionless.
Oh, looking at the ground, he's standing on glass.
“So, most students taking this lecture will probably find it overwhelming just to awaken the spirit within their hearts.”
In the original work, indeed, the characters who used Spirit Arts could be counted on one hand.
The most famous ones were the Phoenix and the Whale. I, who even had the lore book memorized, didn't know the others.
“Because being honest about one's emotions is a truly difficult thing to do.”
She sighed. The lecture reviews stated that it would be conducted as a theory-based class rather than practical.
Then even I, without mana, can take this! It's a honey lecture, isn't it? My memorization ability was already maximized due to pattern recognition.
“This class concludes here. I hope everyone will be able to summon a spirit by the end of the semester.”
As expected, professors who finish the first lecture quickly are the best. Maria greeted the students and then disappeared into the ground. Is this also possible because she's a Dryad?
‘Now, all that's left is Divine Power Studies.’
The Prayer of Healing that the Nameless Saintess often performed in the game.
I definitely wanted to learn that. Because now, if she got hurt, I wanted to heal her myself.
I turned around and headed to the cafeteria for lunch. There was still about an hour left until afternoon classes, so I had plenty of time to eat.
Just then, Kainel and Ariel walked in the same direction as me, just like yesterday. Are they going to eat with me again, the guy with no friends? These kids are really kind. I almost felt like crying.
“Licht, you're signing up for the magic club today, right?”
“Yes. Ariel also said she would…”
I was about to answer Kainel's question when I froze.
The Crown Prince hadn't left yet. The Glass Knight stood next to the red-haired girl.
“Yeah. Helmet Guy. I think I prefer being with Kai.”
Behind Ariel, who was twisting a strand of her hair,
“Magic, club?”
The Crown Prince abruptly approached me.
Hmm. I'm screwed. That clueless Yellow Dog doesn't know what timing is.
A flag's been set. Take responsibility.
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