Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight - Chapter 31

WeTried Translations

Translator: Botanica

◈ Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight

Chapter 31

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Episode 31. Crown? Prince Route?

A man with purple hair, on which the Phoenix's crest glittered, and a nun clad in black from head to toe, sat close to each other.

“..The North? Is Asha Aureus….”

“I asked the chamberlain, and the family head is there right now. At times like this, I wish I'd kept in touch. Sorry, Junior.”

“He really has no interest in his son at all… It’s too much.”

After buying a new sword for the first time in a while, I visited the terrace. I met Nex and asked about the engagement.

“I’m used to it by now.”

“Did she go to fend off the monster attacks?”

“Probably, right? The North is also cold.”

“The sun… it’s probably an effective Spirit Art.”

Then when will I really go home?

I felt slightly dizzy. Even considering Kainel, Ariel, and Dennis's situations, there's a lot to do. When will I ever reach 100 percent?

It's unclear whether I need to defeat at least two Demon Kings, or if filling the love affinity before that is enough.

Looking at Nex's case, it's clear The Heroic Cult is involved… Then wouldn't the status window just tell me to defeat the Demon King?

“Just get married quickly… No.”

“I wish it were that simple too, Junior. My title is Count, so if I did it without permission, there’d be a huge uproar.”

“..Especially since it’s with the Saintess.”

Chartiness was smiling at Nex with a foxy grin. Are they even starting to resemble each other, now that they’re an engaged couple? My side felt chilly.

Purple eyes curved into a smile, and red eyes followed suit, mirroring the expression.

“I always support you both, Seniors.”

“Thank you, Junior!”

“..I’m a little embarrassed. Ugh.”

Today’s class is self-cancelled. The Academy advised me to return to classes starting tomorrow.

‘I have a feeling I’m missing something. What on earth is it?’

The Ten Greats must have held a meeting; they already knew all the details of what happened to me.

“So… the person I met that day was ultimately a fake Cardinal.”

“It’s understandable to fall for a succubus. Silly Char.”

“Weren’t you almost fooled too, Nex? You were crying yesterday when you saw me.”

“...”

For the ultimate rival character to be so subdued and speechless. It’s quite astonishing. Normally, he’d read the opponent’s intentions from their expression and use that to provoke them.

“An Apostle impersonating Professor Beatrice….”

Besides, Professor Beatrice wasn't a villain. Was it a twist on the cliché? I should abandon the idea that all characters with narrow eyes are bad.

Senior Chartiness explained that she should have noticed when even her eyes smiled.

“..Stop. I’m embarrassed.”

“Oh? That’s unexpected.”

You’ve softened a lot, Nex. Since the purple phoenix is now an adult, it must be inconvenient to summon it casually.

“A person can feel embarrassed, can’t they? Right, Junior? Char doesn’t know anything because she’s the Saintess.”

“That’s right.”

“Are both of you making fun of me right now! I know everything too!”

But even without his spirit by his side, he seemed more confident than before.

“Actually, I was joking.”

When I chuckled softly, the black-haired nun finally looked at me and spoke with a worried expression.

“Ah, so, Junior… How’s your body?”

“I think I’m fine. I’m a bit sore here and there from sleeping so long, but….”

“..Hang in there.”

“Char, don’t discourage Junior. If he puts any more effort in, the academy will collapse.”

My constitution is so peculiar that everyone I meet speaks to me with pity.

Still, I can replenish mana by eating, summon a spirit with Nex's help, and I'm good at swordsmanship.

If I interlock fingers with Mardol, magic too… Ah, will this be useful later?

A dizzying thought that flashed through my mind. Using magic in a sword training ground, and the memory of being caught by a heavily armored Glass Knight.

The aftereffects are greater than I thought. I need to get used to it now.

It was then that something I had overlooked suddenly came to mind.

“Ah, Senior Nex.”

“Yes, what is it, Junior?”

“Wouldn’t you like to try… a weapon?”

“Suddenly? I’m a Spirit Art user, though? I have no talent for swordsmanship…”

“You should be prepared for situations where your spirit weakens.”

Since he was an NPC who used a spear in <Knight Heart>. This might be the right way. He needs the strength to protect his own love line even without me.

Kainel, being the Hero, will probably get stronger on his own. But even for a descendant of the Ten Greats, a Spirit Art user relying too much on emotions is dangerous.

“..You’re right. Junior.”

“Good. Please follow me.”

Perhaps because he had felt great anxiety when he was almost caught by the Apostle, he slowly nodded his head, agreeing with my suggestion.

To avoid contradictions with the original work, this method must be correct.

***

So why is he here again, not going to class?

“Mardol…? What are you doing here?”

“Training.”

Numerous coins scattered on the ground, and deep scars left on the floor as if a sword had been swung many times towards them.

And that movement just now… Dragon Shadow Slash?

His precision was still lacking, but he was clearly trying to slash at the shadows. The shimmering glint of his armor stung my eyes.

“Hello, Licht.”

The Glass Knight looked my way and waved, seemingly happy to see me.

‘Looks like I have some affinity with him. Good.’

I greeted him back with the kindest possible tone. Anyway, all flags and routes are currently pointing towards the Crown Prince. If I just stay still, I'll at least reach an average outcome.

“Hello, Mardol.”

“Yeah. Licht, are you also here for swordsmanship?”

A resonant, thick voice continuously emanated from his helmet. Anyone listening would think it was the sound of talking in a cave.

I mustn't be afraid. Lupus is strong here, perhaps because it's the past. Let's provoke his interest to plant more flags.

“..Today is a little different.”

“As expected, you’re strong.”

As soon as that answer ended, the Glass Knight swung his sword again, practicing slashing shadows.

Is that a sign of affirmation? Well, if it means saving our Saintess, I'm confident I can even pull off a pure love drift.

It's cooler that way, isn't it? Though it's incredibly cringey.

Clink- sounds, as coins flew in from a distance, propelled by magic.

Perhaps he's trying to get stronger because of the incident involving The Heroic Cult. He's really working hard.

I also saw today that the academy's barrier had several extra layers being constructed. The Ten Greats are in close contact. They must have heard about the Demon King of Omniscience's dungeon in the basement.

‘This is the most similar to Nex’s weapon in the original. Good.’

I should prepare too. I took out a spear with a pointed blade from the display rack.

“Here, take this spear.”

“Why…? Not a sword? Wasn’t I supposed to be doing things like Void Slash?”

“That’s impossible. Let’s make this your main weapon.”

Nex looked at me with strange eyes. It was absurd. Void Slash is a technique that puts a lot of strain on the whole body; there’s no way a beginner could use it.

“..Let’s do something other than swordsmanship.”

“Alright, I’ll trust you.”

Nex and I moved to a secluded corner far from Mardol. If I were to hurt him, the route might be twisted. I need to be careful from now on.

“Then, I’ll teach you a few things about spearmanship.”

“But Licht, you seem to be better with a sword. Is this right?”

It’s true. I’ve never used any weapon other than a sword in the game. But there was a reason I believed I could teach Nex spearmanship like this.

“I have a friend who’s quite good at it.”

“..Spearmanship? That’s unexpected. Isn’t it hard to encounter unless you’re from the North?”

I know a player famous by the nickname ‘Northern Grand Duchess’s Husband’ very well from being in the same guild. I learned a lot from watching over his shoulder.

He was the person who discovered easter eggs, traveled the country by train, and first revealed that the Northern Grand Duchess could be a conquerable heroine.

ARG. Alternate Reality Game.

A genre where the game's setting is moved from a virtual space to the real world,

With real people in reality primarily playing the game.

Previously, the game company uploaded a video. Based on that, it was an incident where they found hidden evidence in reality and revealed that the Northern Grand Duchess was a conquerable heroine.

‘..Why do they only torment our Saintess? Damn developers.’

Because of that, I, too, foolishly believed that the Nameless Saintess would have a happy ending. Now that the Northern Grand Duchess route is officially recognized in the original work.

“Spearmanship, like swordsmanship, is a martial art, so willpower is important.”

Even if I haven’t directly used the weapon, the basic movements are the same as the swordsmanship I’ve mastered over many years.

Thrusting, blocking, slashing, and swinging.

And I was very close with that guy.

We'd done countless guild-member PvP matches with prizes, and I, the Saintess, and that pimp discussed the Northern Grand Duchess's settings and plot points passionately until dawn.

[Pure Love Black Knight: Honestly, the Saintess is the true main heroine. Anyway, she is. She's the main heroine in my heart.]

[Northern Grand Duchess’s Husband: Yeah, next is Saintess fetish~]

[Pure Love Black Knight: (Saintess emoticon saying, 'Pimp, get out.')]

It seemed closer to a keyboard battle, but that game friend worried about me in guild chat until the day I was transmigrated.

He’s probably doing well.

“Licht, do you think I can learn spearmanship? If I knew that, I would have done it sooner.”

“You can learn it.”

We debated a lot about whether swordsmanship or spearmanship was stronger, so I know their strengths and weaknesses clearly. With my current physique, I can certainly teach the basic stances.

“I also tried to get stronger, Junior. But the spearmanship of the North is already….”

"Yes, after the death of the cold-blooded Northern Grand Duke of Ten Greats, it is impossible to be taught by the Grand Duchess."

In the original game, you could only learn skills once affinity locks were lifted.

“Huh? Junior…? You know too much for even a disciple of Ten Greats' disciple? I deliberately spread rumors that I was a delinquent… but not for the North.”

As soon as I answered, his eyes sharpened. Nex slowly approached me.

Did I mess up?

Knowing too much game knowledge can be a problem. I should have been more careful.

Did he find out I was transmigrated… Oh.

“You really are the Hero of Wisdom, aren’t you?”

He lightly patted my back and put his arm around my shoulder.

“I tried to test you, and it’s amazing you knew this too…”

“I’m not….”

“Nah, you’re lying again. Even if I can’t read your expression because of the helmet, don’t do that, Junior.”

“...”

That's a relief. He misunderstood it and let it pass.

Nex whispered to me in a tone that the Glass Knight wouldn't be able to hear. It seemed like he was so focused on his training that he wouldn't know what we were talking about.

“If that’s the case, you seemed to know that Mardol is from the imperial family.”

“..When did you find out?”

“When I mentioned the imperial family, you didn’t seem surprised.”

Damn, I was caught off guard. It was a detail I missed because I was so rushed during the dungeon raid. So this is where he caught me. The purple-haired man smiled like a fox.

“Please take good care of our Mardol. He's a man of few words and a bit clumsy, but he's actually kinder than anyone.”

“..I’m not sure about that.”

Actually, if only our Saintess could be happy, then even if it meant making connections with the imperial family,

Shouldn't I acquire masterpieces or artifacts and deal with the Demon Kings first?

“Even so, his spirit is honest. Enough for the eldest son of the Aureus family to vouch for him.”

“Then, I suppose I should think about it.”

Listening to the purple-haired man's advice, my resolve became firm.

Anyway, if I can be the Crown Prince's brake, I might be able to stop him when he tries to flirt with the Saintess.

Getting close to him first is the right move. Even looking at Nex's case, there's no downside for me.

Is this why Kkamangi ran to Mardol?

Indeed, I felt it deeply from the time I got a bad ending from Magic Hat in <Black Heart> that I needed help from the protagonist.

The forced event where Kainel and Ariel fled. I could never forget that.

I had been pushing away my own emotions.

Fighting alongside the protagonist will bring me a little closer to her happy ending.

“Mardol, thinking about it now… he doesn’t seem like such a bad person.”

I said it a bit loudly on purpose. He must have heard, right?

“...”

He stopped his sword and looked this way for a moment.

Even now, the Glass Knight seems to be training to fight The Heroic Cult. This could save me some trouble.

“That’s right, Junior!”

He was better than Lupus from the sequel, who did nothing. Originally, he was just a person who rode on the coattails of the heroines.

Did his heart break after facing the Demon King later on?

Magic Hat was the strongest Demon King I’d ever faced, so I need to use every possible tactic.

“Anyway… the spear’s strength is its reach, but in this world, where magic and spirits are used, you’ll need to use it a bit differently.”

I picked up a long, staff-like pole. Considering Nex’s skill, I probably don’t need to use a sharp weapon.

“If you can, focus on thrusting, slashing, and blocking using Spirit Arts.”

“I understand. It definitely seems easier than a sword.”

As he followed my swings a few times, purple flames ignited from his spear.

Oh, as expected, he adapts quickly. Since he was a Lancer in <Knight Heart>, is it natural?

“..Northern spearmanship. I’ll just teach you the basics, so follow along slowly.”

“Can I follow a bit faster?”

“Of course, Senior.”

I smiled with satisfaction inside my helmet and passed on my friend's spearmanship to Nex. Whatever that pimp might say later, it’s not my concern now.

That friend also used tricks in the sequel to save the Northern Grand Duchess, so he would understand.

“There are too many blind spots.”

“More like using strength, Junior!”

“..Perhaps? I only know the basic stances myself.”

A technique founded by the Cold-blooded Northern Grand Duke. As it's a Ten Greats' technique, it probably depends on his self-study.

“If you hold a sword, you still can’t beat me, right, Junior?”

“Not unless you summon your phoenix.”

“..Then I’ll have to try even harder. Thank you.”

He should be able to get much stronger than he was in the last dungeon. Nex wore a refreshed expression, as if he had found a way.

“Senior Nex, your shoulders are too stiff. Again.”

Licht almost unilaterally beating Nex with a pole.

“Deception is good, but your basic stamina is insufficient to use it now.”