WeTried Translations

Translator: Botanica

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◈ Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight

Chapter 63

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Episode 63. What was hidden was a trump card.

Ariel had a question.

In Licht's case, it was mentioned that he actually couldn't take off his helmet,

but who exactly was Mardol that he wouldn't take off his glass armor? That was the question.

There were many clues given to figure out his identity.

'Seeing that even Senior Nex knows him, is he perhaps a descendant of one of the Ten Greats?'

In reality, the Ten Greats were often close. Because they were heroes who had shared life and death together during the war.

When they met at the sword training ground last time, Licht and the Glass Knight were separated from them, so she thought they didn't know each other. She hadn't seen them exchange words.

Even if Kainel was clueless and didn't know much, the fact that Mardol called his direct imperial guard when looking for Licht meant he was an extremely high-ranking individual.

In the Gransia Empire, whose symbol was the wolf, if one were to name someone with that much power, it could only be a member of the imperial bloodline. Leon, the son of the Knight Commander, whom she hadn't known about, had had his face confirmed in the previous match.

'..There's only one possibility, but.'

The only figure publicly exposed as the Crown Prince was Lupus Gransia. However, for that to be Mardol's true identity, it was far too strange.

Someone who liked cute things and sweets just like herself, with an innocent, girlish sensibility, for that person to be a man, if she thought about it that way, they got along too well.

Things like discussing what bread or snacks they liked or recommending menus she had enjoyed at a bakery in the Gransia Empire.

And he was a kind person, seemingly unaware of the ways of the world.

He would share expensive candies made with sugar and honey or try to buy them sandwiches. Furthermore, in the battle with Magic Hat, he fought with all his might for her and Kainel.

The reason her injuries were minor was partly due to Kainel protecting her, but also thanks to the Glass Knight's help.

Perhaps because of this, even the cunning Licht seemed to be wary of Mardol to some extent, but then a few days ago, coming out of the bakery, she saw them embracing and talking to each other.

Something felt very suspicious. Ariel's red eyes looked at the Glass Knight in the distance.

Boys could hug and comfort each other like that, but with her keen intuition, she felt a certain flutter in her heart.

'Is he actually a girl?'

He was quite tall. But his hands were as small as hers, which was odd to attribute simply to individual differences, and it didn't fit his body proportions.

It was contradictory.

The eyes inside the helmet were also beautiful. Boys could have pretty eyes, but considering his hands, it was very suspicious, and his actions of hugging or doting on the black wolf spirit were subtly feminine.

"..Ariel? Why did you call me?"

"Helmet guy, Helmet guy, have you ever thought Mardol was suspicious?"

"I've had many such thoughts, but..."

Just in case, she kept the clueless Kainel and Mardol, the person in question, away and called Licht, who seemed more amenable to conversation, to talk.

"Think about it, even if he wears that armor every day, no one says anything. Suspiciously so!"

"There's probably a reason for it."

"No.. Helmet guy!"

She began to deduce, linking it to the reason he didn't take off his armor. She had heard the phrase, 'If he takes it off, he becomes weaker.'

At the time, she thought it was something not to be mentioned and let it pass, but in the match a few days ago, she saw that it was indeed a fraudulent piece of equipment.

'Armor that completely nullifies magic.'

She plopped down on a chair and sighed. There was a way to target the gaps in the armor, but Mardol would easily be able to block it.

When she saw his swordsmanship mixed with magic in the battle with Magic Hat, she came to understand the Glass Knight's skill to some extent. She thought he was probably as strong as Licht.

In the combat practical, Licht, who blew away half the forest, was 1st place, and Kainel, the Hero who seemed the strongest she knew, was 3rd place.

'Since Mardol was 2nd place. Even during the group project, he knocked out all the bees when they swarmed...'

As time passed and the semi-final bracket was confirmed, her worries grew.

"If it's like this, Mardol and I will face each other today! I don't stand a chance!"

"..I'm fighting Kainel."

"That's that! Anyway, our Kai will win...!"

The red-haired elf shouted, airing her grievances.

"That kind of glass armor is cheating against a mage! Cheating!"

No matter how much she thought, she couldn't see a way. Seeing that he had blocked all wind magic, she fell into despair.

"..Equipment is just equipment in the end. The user who wields it is what matters."

Then, the man in the Black Knight helmet, with his hand on his chin, began to ponder with her. How much time had passed? A new idea came from his mouth.

"So, why don't you turn the tables and attack inside the armor?"

"Ah. So there was a way like that?"

Unlike the sky-blue mage called Windy, her magic was pure fire attribute. It focused on burning and heating up the opponent.

While contemplating Mardol's identity, she had forgotten even the simplest things. Moreover, her current magic was like fireworks, continuously exploding flames.

"..Thanks for the advice! Helmet guy! I'll definitely take off Mardol's armor!"

Heat was also used in processing glass. Magic that would isolate the person inside the armor and make them like a rat in a trap was the most suitable.

Ariel wore a mischievous, cat-like smile.

***

"Hehe, just you wait! Helmet guy!"

"..What am I supposed to wait for? Even if the armor is taken off, inside..."

"Regarding Mardol, I bet you, Helmet guy, will also learn something new."

"Huh?!"

What was she talking about? Something new to learn? Mardol was a boy. A Crown Prince, at that. And this was coming from a perceptive red cat, so he couldn't just dismiss it.

"..."

He thought of all possible scenarios. Something new to learn here, she said.

'Surely not.. Is his gender swapped, like Magic Hat?'

No, it couldn't be. Absolutely not. Anything but that. Hearing those words, he was startled by the assumption that flashed through his mind like lightning.

"Ariel, what on earth are you talking about?!"

"A woman's intuition, I guess..? Anyway, that's it!"

He had grown so close to Mardol, and if it turned out to be a woman, his Saintess would be incredibly jealous.

The tomahawk indirect kiss incident. That was the biggest problem. Even if he made excuses, she would truly try to kill him. He could vividly imagine her patting his back with two fists.

'She'll surely call me a playboy knight! A lecher! A Womanizer! And she might get mad and not talk to me for years.'

Cold sweat poured from inside his helmet. Memories from the past flashed by: interlocked fingers, hugs, exchanging swordsmanship...

"Gasp, gasp."

He couldn't breathe. His head was spinning. If he had thought of him as a woman from the start, he would have kept his distance; such a flaw couldn't have existed in him.

His nickname, Pure Love Black Knight, could be tainted. As Harem Black Knight, that is. Only those kinds of people unconsciously raise flags everywhere.

Thud. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. He narrowed his brows at the throbbing headache.

"Helmet guy! Are you okay..?!”

“Wait.. I feel dizzy.. but why are you suddenly saying that..?”

He put his hand on the ground and didn't get hurt. His tongue was twisted as if he were drunk, and his usual casual way of speaking was slipping out.

"Anyway, there's a lot being hidden right now. You too, Helmet guy."

"That's true, but.."

He was also hiding from them the fact that he was a transmigrator. Dennis and Nex seemed to have caught on to some extent, misunderstanding him as the Hero.

'Even if it's a game, this isn't right.'

He had overlooked the fact that the creators of <Black Heart> were malicious. Considering Magic Hat was a woman here, unlike in the sequel, others might be too.

'Did Lupus's gender change because this is a prequel?'

Using magic, or taking the wrong potion, were common tropes in games. It also aligned with his other assumption that there was a separate, true Crown Prince from the beginning.

It was common to make a character a heroine to attract fan interest rather than receive criticism. Adding a love line that wasn't in the original was also a frequent occurrence in reality.

"Uwaaaaaahhh!!"

"Helmet guy, what's wrong all of a sudden?!"

The clues that kept surfacing in his mind tormented him. Words like 'delicate person' or 'precious as gold and jade' amplified his suspicion of 'no way.'

How long had he been flailing on the floor, scratching at it?

"..Well, I'm going to go now! My match is soon!"

Ariel, who had been looking at him with worried eyes for a long time, left to participate in her semi-final match. In fact, she might have run away out of fear after seeing him act like this.

"No!! It can't beee!!"

From a distance, Kainel, surprised by what was happening, was running towards him. Mardol must have already headed to the stadium.

He absolutely couldn't be a woman. Even if the sky split, such a thing must not happen. How long had he lived, only looking at his Saintess?

There's no way he unconsciously raised flags everywhere like the male protagonists in any romantic comedy manga.

***

[Finally, the Year Exam has reached the semi-finals! The first match is between Student Ariel, the striking red-haired elf mage, and!]

Laplace commentated loudly, eliciting cheers from the audience. It was natural, as he was also on the younger side. He was, after all, a character with a slightly eccentric side to begin with.

[The Glass Knight, Student Mardol!]

Thump. As soon as he heard that name, his body twitched abnormally. Surely, the person inside that armor couldn't be a woman. Even if it was a common development in romance novels.

"Junior Licht. Are you okay?"

"Junior Licht, your hands are trembling again."

With Nex, Chartiness, and Kainel all beside him like this, he couldn't have flags appearing around him. He shook his head and composed himself, and the match was about to begin.

After the introductions, both participants walked out, exchanged brief greetings, and,

[Then, let the match begin!!]

As always, the sound of a horn blared, announcing the start of the match.

"First, let's fight after you take off that armor, Mardol!"

"..What?"

Ariel's bold declaration echoed through the audience, amplified by magic. He merely squeezed his eyes shut and clasped his hands, praying to the heavens that his assumption was wrong.

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