WeTried Translations

Translator: Botanica

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight

Chapter 7

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Episode 7. Coincidence and destiny are, in fact, not so different.

As I made my way to school, the familiar status window once again began to float before my eyes. Well, is it going to give me a quest now?

[Calculating Grand Route Ending Completion Rate..]

This wasn't a real-time tally, was it?

[Kainel♡Ariel 12%]

[The Start of the First Step! Congratulations!]

[As a reward, I will give you a piece of advice!]

[- Something good might happen if you join a club!]

"..I still can't get used to the pink color."

So, I just need to fill their romance meter to 100 percent? The hearts increased again. Ugh.

"Still, at least it's not asking me to catch the Demon King..."

That's still too much for my body. Unless I do something crazy, I suppose. I frowned and continued walking.

While walking down the street, I saw familiar faces.

"Oh, it's Helmet Guy!"

"Licht, are you going to wear your helmet to the entrance ceremony too?"

It was the golden-haired Kainel and the red-haired Ariel. Their distance from each other was now close. Should I try measuring their affection towards me?

"Hold on, Ariel. Do you know what a horned duck's favorite mineral is?"

"What is it?"

"Orichalcum."

(TL Note:

This is a wordplay/pun, which refers to “오리” (ori) meaning “duck,” thus the duck’s favorite mineral is Ori-chalcum.)

"Is he crazy...?"

"...? What does that mean?"

Good. No affection.

Looking at Kainel's expression, full of contempt and disgust, and Ariel's reaction of not understanding.

At least I can go closest to the Saintess route. A corner of my mind's worries settled.

I can just lightly ignore the Yellow Dog, who now has the expression of having bitten a stone while eating. If he had laughed, it would mean he had some affection for me.

"..Don't ever tell jokes again."

"Understood."

"No, so what does that mean?!"

As I walked alongside the three of them, we arrived at the Academy before I knew it.

***

'It's really big. This is the Empire's Academy?'

Because it was only mentioned in previous works.

Honestly, I didn't have high expectations.

A statue carved with ten heroes dominated the center of the school, and behind it, two steel wolves guarded the main gate.

A place that shows the history of the Gransia Empire.

The intersection of characters in the original and its sequels, and the starting point of heroes.

The entrance ceremony for Grand Hearts Academy was being held.

'Are those the Ten Greats? Master looks really young.'

From a rough stone statue, a young man holding a Western-style longsword as tall as himself was visible.

Drake, the Dragon Slayer.

Looking at him like that, he really is a cool character.

'Except when he's making me train my body...'

"Wow, is the person at the very top His Majesty the Emperor?"

"The 1st Saintess is visible here too."

The plaza was filled with countless people. I was looking to see if there was anyone with white hair. Why, couldn't the wolf-eared Saintess be here too? There must have been a reason for me to come to the Academy.

"Ah, Licht. Doesn't seem like there's anyone with white hair?"

"..Please keep that story a secret."

"What are you suddenly talking about? Kai?"

As I suddenly turned my head, he was sneering, as if getting revenge for a few days ago. I won't tell any more corny jokes. Save me.

"It's a secret between guys."

"Another girl story?"

"..."

You broke it. Just as I felt Kainel had gotten one over on me, someone began to walk forward onto the platform.

"I am Laplace, the Headmaster of Grand Hearts Academy."

This guy is finally appearing.

One of the Ten Greats who stopped the continental war. A hero shining with the 7th ranked combat power among them.

'Librarian Laplace.'

Seeing a face I hadn't seen in a long time, I felt a strange sense of welcome.

"My ability is quite trivial."

"It is, precisely, the Ability to turn lights on and off without touching them."

Though it seems like nothing special.

"However, thanks to a very special person to me-"

Click.

The sound of fingers snapping.

"I have reached this level of mastery."

Instantly, the entire area was plunged into darkness.

Total eclipse.

"What... it suddenly got dark!"

"The Headmaster's ability was real!"

"This is rather frightening..."

"As expected, he's one of the Ten Greats!"

"Look there! The sun is black!"

'It was such a crazy ability.'

The area became noisy due to the anomaly.

He snapped his fingers again, and the light returned.

"Therefore, our Academy's motto is also thus."

"Find what is precious, what must be protected, and what must be done."

He's a true romantic, as expected. All three of those words point to one woman. I guess I don't need to help him.

"May the blessing of Akasa, God of Wisdom, be upon all new students!"

"Woooooow!!"

"Waaaah!!!"

With that, the short entrance ceremony concluded. Among the cheering crowd, we spoke briefly.

"..That was a spectacular entrance ceremony."

"Could I become a mage like that too?"

"You certainly can. Definitely."

Thinking of their exploits in <Black Heart>, I nodded. You two are munchkin characters, after all. It's probably possible. I know because I've played without you.

(TL Note: Munchkin meaning overpowered)

"What elective are you taking, Licht?"

"Magic."

"I'm also in combat magic class! That's great! Helmet Guy! Kai!"

I should try learning some magic this time too.

All three of us were in the same class. Fortunately, I wouldn't have to eat my lunch sitting in the bathroom like in real life. I was lucky.

'Huh?'

I was immersed in admiration, looking at the names of the faculty written on the notice board. They don't reveal their surnames here. They hide their families to pursue equality.

It's certainly innovative.

Putting those thoughts aside, I headed to the classroom with the Hero couple.

***

A tall man with blue hair and striking white eye-glow entered the classroom with a swagger, as if drunk.

"Greetings, everyone. I am the one in charge of the <Fundamentals of Combat Magic> lecture."

"As you may have heard, my name is Dennis."

The protagonist of <Knight Heart> Part 1.

So he appears as a professor here. He would be old enough to have graduated by now.

'Drunkard Dennis.'

..I still can't mess with this person.

I felt a slightly complicated feeling.

He was the first character I met when playing the game, but I can't help him unless I defeat the Demon King. Is there really no way?

"I believe people only change when they've reached their absolute limit."

I tried to squeeze out every possible means, but it was still impossible.

"So today, we'll start by lightly figuring out what your specialty is..."

Just then,

Suddenly, drrrk. The back door opened. A strong presence was felt.

A large, crystal-like figure, walking, entered the classroom.

A glossy helmet and armor, a thin longsword strapped to his back. Shining from head to toe, an otherworldly feeling like a knight from a fairy tale.

His attire, as white as fresh snow, gleamed.

The equipment difference between him and me, who's only wearing a helmet, is too great.

'What is that...?'

It was the appearance of a character I had never seen before. If the game gave a character such a prominent setting.

'Is that person the protagonist of Part 3?'

It was always like that in Part 1 and Part 2. It means he's someone important. As a gamer, I had a definite hunch. So this is why they told me to come to the Academy.

"...I apologize for being late."

The giant figure folded in half. Don't bow. It's scary.

"..Your name?"

"Mardol."

"Hah... alright, just take a seat for now."

Dennis said, holding his brow as if his head was throbbing.

The mysterious knight, finding the seat next to me empty, sat down with a thud, boasting his large physique.

'I definitely need to make that person progress a love story.'

I was convinced after seeing the desperate naming sense. I have to connect them.

The main story of the <Knight Heart Trilogy> is love.

Even the status window I saw today pointed to that. The name 'Mardol' had never appeared in any of the games I played.

Two people wearing knight helmets in one classroom. It was a strange coincidence.

"What, are they a set?"

"Quiet, it's during class."

"One is a Black Knight, the other... a White Knight...? Rather, he's like glass."

"Then let's just call him the Glass Knight."

"Aren't they acquaintances? Why are there two people like that in the class?"

I can hear everything. I don't know him either.

Do you know that awkward feeling when you greet someone on the street, thinking they're a friend, but they turn out to be someone else? That's how I felt right now.

As if not caring about the murmuring or attention, the person next to me spoke to me.

"You, Licht?"

A tone like speaking from a cave.

Perhaps because of that, the voice felt closer to a man's.

"Yes. What is it?"

'You got the wrong person. Ugh.'

Seeing the slightly shining golden eyes inside the helmet, I barely managed to hide my true feelings and answered.

The massive knight spoke to me. This is a truly scary situation. Cold sweat ran down my back.

"I see."

As soon as he heard my answer, Mardol listened attentively to the class. After that, he never spoke to me again.

What "I see"? Don't talk about things only you know.

How did you know my name?

"Oh, he's similar to Helmet Guy?"

"Is that kind of thing popular in the Empire? Should I try it, Ariel?"

"Stop it, Kai. You'll become ugly."

Finding it amusing that someone similar to me had appeared, the Hero couple behind me just laughed while looking at me. I'll remember this. Yellow Dog.

***

"So, today is the time to figure out what your specialty is."

Dennis drew a small circle on the blackboard; it was the protective magic he often used in the game. Immediately after, he pointed to one student.

A mage with striking red hair. It was Ariel.

"Student Ariel, what is your specialty?"

"Fire magic!"

She spoke loudly, closing her eyes tightly. She definitely seemed confident.

"Then what do you think that magic is?"

"I believe it's magic that controls flames!"

Dennis rested his hand on his chin. It must have been an unsatisfactory answer.

"Other than controlling fire?"

"..Uh. Well."

His white eye-glow shone.

"That... I mean..."

"Time's up. Fire magic is magic that thoroughly disregards 'laws'."

He shook his head.

He was a person who favored practical, battle-oriented theory, I recall.

"You don't need combustible material, and you can create flames even on top of low-temperature ice. Furthermore,"

He continued, creating a small flame and ice together in the air.

"..A skilled fire mage can use it freely even underwater."

Magic is indeed overpowered.

A spark burning inside ice was visible.

"Then, by what means is fire ignited that allows such things to be possible? Student Ariel?"

"Burning... mana?"

She recoiled, like a surprised cat.

"That's correct. You have some common sense, after all."

"Thus, mana fundamentally grants magic, swordsmanship, spirit arts, and divine power the property of ignoring reality."

I became gloomy while listening to Dennis's explanation. I don't have mana.

"Water Ball."

A sphere of water formed in his palm.

"In my case, I twist water magic a little, like this. I use alcohol. The students here have likely gone through their coming-of-age ceremony, so you might be able to drink it."

The transparent water's color turned blood-red.

The scent of wine spread. A red sphere of water was rotating. A slight smell of alcohol began to emanate.

"One of the basic 'concepts' of water is that it becomes steam at room temperature. The same goes for alcohol, but..."

The quantity is on a different dimension.

When Dennis made a fist with his hand, the sphere vanished as if a balloon had popped, and the classroom was densely filled with the rich scent of grapes.

"Just with water magic like this, it allows me to have control capabilities comparable to other mages."

Dennis opened his palm again, recalling the magic, and droplets of water in the air swirled, gathering and disappearing in his hand.

"Student Ariel?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Now, would you try using fire magic?"

After confirming once more that there were no issues, he opened his mouth.

"F-Fire Ball."

As she finished chanting, a large fireball the size of a human head formed in her hand. Her firepower control wasn't very good, I recall.

Watching her, Dennis maintained a calm demeanor.

"You have a large amount of mana."

'She's an overpowered character, alright.'

In fact, Ariel possessed talent comparable to a mage of the Magic Tower. Watching her, I recalled how powerful a mage she was in the Hero's party.

Honestly, her area-of-effect skill was truly amazing.

"What do you think is the basic concept of fire, Student Ariel?"

"It shines?"

Her eyes regained their vitality.

"Yes. So, what are some representative things for that?"

She fell into thought for a moment.

"The sun, fireworks, candlelight...?"

"Then, thinking of fireworks, focus on the fact that it shines and twist the magic formula. Don't think about it being hot."

"I'll try."

As she closed her eyes and concentrated, various colored flames began to appear in her hand.

It was magic with three colors: red, gold, and blue.

Oh, so she learned this here. I was immersed in sentiment, watching a trial version of the magic that was her ultimate skill.

I recalled the scene where she used it with the Hero's Holy Sword when fighting the Demon King's subordinates.

'But these are Kainel's hair color, eye color, and her own color, aren't they?'

Ariel's face was slightly flushed as she looked at those flames. So this is what they meant by magic reflecting one's inner world. It was quite fascinating.

In the game, it was so flashy I couldn't even pay attention to it.

'Huh...?'

Something strange caught my eye.

Above the colorful flames, a small man's face was about to emerge. Stop, that's the Yellow Dog!

"Stop. You're doing well now. Next week, we'll have mock battles with your specialties."

Fortunately, a major disaster didn't occur. If Dennis hadn't stopped the magic, it would have been a huge problem.

She also let out a sigh of relief. You almost made a public confession in class, Ariel.

"Since today is the first day, we'll stop here. Have a delicious lunch."

Dennis, who had been watching with interest, ended the class shortly after.

Is it common sense for the first class to end early?

Thank you. <Knight Heart> is the best, as expected.

'But I can't use magic? I'm screwed. Master even scolded me for not being able to use aura.'

Self-loathing arose at my sudden realization of my own situation. Just then, I heard voices from the back row.

"The flame colors were incredibly pretty, Ariel. That was amazing, wasn't it?"

"Uh, uh-huh. It became very easy. Kai, don't you think you'll get it quickly too?"

The two young people conversing while seated. It was The Hero of Light and The Mage of Flames.

I was dumbfounded. Even after seeing the magic, Kainel was still indecisive.

My path ahead felt bleak, and harsh words almost escaped me.

'You really have no sense, do you? Kainel?'

Correction. Our Yellow Dog isn't observant; he's truly clueless.

I sighed and approached them, speaking.

"Um, Ariel. Do you happen to know the saying that magic reflects one's inner world?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Well, a little while ago, Kainel's face..."

At that moment, my words were cut off.

"Hyaaaah!! Helmet Guy, are you crazy? That can't be true!"

Two hands reached up to my helmet.

She screamed, covering my mouth. Ariel's face was as red as a strawberry.

"Did you just call me? Licht?"

"Yes."

"No! It's not true!!"

Kainel didn't notice anything strange and just stared at me blankly.

'Right... what can I expect from 12%?'

I lamented internally. Seriously, have they become childhood friends who've only held hands? What are they, elementary schoolers?

This is seriously bad.

Having to connect these two means my future of going home is dark. It's an Academy, not a high school.

They should be able to handle their own romantic affairs. I continued to tease them from the side.

"I can speak, you know. My mouth isn't actually blocked. Just now, Kainel..."

"..So, Helmet Guy, you're going to be like this."

"Ariel. Wait, what are you trying to do?"

"...? Why are you suddenly chanting a spell..."

"Fire Ball!"

Suddenly, the surroundings began to grow hot. A chill ran down my spine. I forgot that tsunderes use violence.

"Uwaaaah!! No fire magic on the helmet!"

"Be quiet! I said be quiet! You need to suffer a bit too!"

"Ariel, I'm curious too, so try it. Also, as revenge for the carriage incident."

I barely managed to stop Ariel, who was now even using fire magic to attack me. I never knew not being able to use magic could be this sad. I immediately apologized repeatedly.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Ariel! Not fire magic!"

"It really doesn't come off. What is it made of?"

"..Kainel, Licht, you two, see me at lunchtime today."

She was so sulky that she even dropped the honorifics from our names. I'm really screwed. What about my Academy Pure Love Black Knight life?

I realized my mistake and hung my head in regret.

***

Because of that, Licht at the time did not realize that someone next to him had been carefully watching this commotion.

"..A peculiar person."

She became interested in the man wearing the Black Knight's helmet.

Her wolf ears slightly flattened backward.

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