WeTried Translations

Translator: Botanica

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight

Chapter 70

──────

Episode 70. The Difference Between a Watchdog and a Wolf.

Inside the academy's male dormitory. Kainel had come by, saying I looked unwell and should rest for about a day.

“..I'm going crazy.”

Left alone, I rummaged through my notebook for the first time in a while, checking if I had missed anything. I looked up every single member of the Gransia imperial family.

‘Why is Mardol’s name not appearing?’

Like Lupus, black hair and wolf ears. Golden eyes, probably. And she’s a woman. I can tell for sure from her reaction. In the first place, that snow-white hair, just like someone else’s, is unusual.

“..So she really is a new heroine.”

Actually, even if she was hastily created, it would make sense. Because that bastard of a kept man’s favorite Northern Grand Duchess is the complete opposite of her.

When you flip a popular character’s setting, it’s usually popular too. Or they just change the outfit and insist it’s a different attribute.

They’ve actually released a character in a swimsuit outfit in the middle of winter before.

But why isn’t there a swimsuit version of our Saintess? Come to think of it, I’m getting angry. I closed my notebook, feeling irritated for no reason.

Her real name is probably Mardol Gransia. Even the theory that she was a substitute was wrong. The part about her being a completely different person was correct, though.

Just like Lupus suddenly appeared without foreshadowing in the sequel, <Grand Hearts Academy> could naturally do the same. That damned sequel’s creator had latched onto me, too.

I narrowed my brow. Are they telling me to give up on our Saintess? To watch her get married to another man in a wedding dress?

And the character they made me possess just had to be the ‘Black Knight.’ A name that requires sacrifice for the one you love. They might be using that to try and mess with me.

If I can’t get closest to our Saintess, I’d rather bite my tongue. She was already such an unfortunate person from the start.

‘She had no name, and her abilities were lacking, so she was tacitly abandoned even among players….’

For those who enjoyed <Knight Heart Trilogy>, the standard was to keep her as a healer only in the early game and swap her out later.

Even I, who overpowered things with control and equipment, found it hard to fight with her in the rear. She was such a weak person, but.

“..Her heart was stronger than anyone’s.”

Even with lacking abilities, she always worried about the weak, and with a heart warmer than anyone, she saved me. The saying ‘even a mouse hole gets sunlight’ fit her perfectly.

Lying on the bed, I reached my hand toward the magic lamp on the ceiling. Just like you can’t grasp light, if things continue like this, she and I might never grow close.

The pure white woman who was wary of me for trying to build a harem came to mind. Since she believes in pure love, she’d likely be harsh on me for getting close to Mardol. How can I cover the sun with my palm? A hollow laugh escaped.

Even though I’m already involved with the Demon King and distanced from her, I can’t have her get into danger. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to shake off the negative thoughts.

‘..I feel like I’m missing something important.’

The constant doubt sharpened my senses. Questions kept piling up. Why was a person like Mardol so entangled with me?

“Was it from the Shadow Wolf incident? Probably so. Because Dizur said so.”

Twisting the Hero couple onto the carriage as I pleased must have been the starting point of the butterfly effect. She met the butler there, and Mardol probably became interested in my existence.

Someone obsessed with strength. The Drake-style swordsmanship must have seemed quite fascinating to her. There’s also the issue that my master only took me as a disciple.

“..And I mistook her for Lupus.”

I had too much information, so confirmation bias set in. If I hadn’t known much about the game in the first place, I wouldn’t have made this kind of mistake.

If she really is a woman, it’s better to just take the comrade route. I had to confirm whether she really was a woman this time. Because information I didn’t know precisely had always been poison here.

“Magic Hat was a woman too… and with Nex, I almost let Senior Chartiness die because I didn’t know.”

Being a prequel, there are many variables. I’m already struggling to save our Saintess, and I have no one to vent my concerns to freely.

Ah, come to think of it, I did ask Mardol to take good care of the Nameless Saintess.

Already tangled like a ball of thread, it’s become too complicated to unravel. Just like the situation a little while ago.

“..Licht lies too.”

It was a wrong start from the beginning. We were both hiding secrets. Whether it’s because of her unique good intuition, she even seemed to know I was hiding the fact that I’m a possessor.

“Is my lying that obvious…?”

A sigh escaped. Even that oblivious Yellow Dog said something about it, and Ariel scolded me too. Lies grow bigger and bigger, like rolling a snowball.

In the end, it’s my own doing, born from my cowardice. Actually, confessing I’m from a game and asking for help…

No. I can never do that. Who in the world would understand being told ‘You’re a character in a game’? Even I possessing Licht, feel this world as vivid as reality.

“..What should I do from now on.”

My guess is that if I don’t connect the love line in the academy without any ‘contradictions,’ I can’t enter our Saintess’s Grand Route.

‘What is this person’s love line?’

A sudden thought sent chills down my spine. Don’t tell me it’s me? Not only do I have no resistance to women,

But if I start dating someone else, I won’t be able to get close to our Saintess. I have no intention of that either.

‘If I fail to tread the ‘Saintess Route’ and can’t protect our Saintess because we’re not close….’

I lowered my head. My head was too complicated. Are there really no things in this world that work out with just willpower?

“Let’s stop it. Lee Suhyun. Worrying alone won’t change the situation.”

I got up from my seat. I grabbed the Pure Love Injector No. 2. Strength went into the hand gripping the sword. The marks of effort were especially noticeable today.

Looking at them, I felt a strange sense of pride. As if they were the footprints of the life I’ve walked,

Because I felt I could proudly say to the Saintess now, ‘I have done my best for you.’

“..You are a special existence to me, Saintess.”

I was happy. A smile touched my lips. Just imagining it, she is a person who becomes my support.

‘The one who saved me.’

Some say time is medicine. How can you love one person for 15 years? I just did it, and it happened. No other woman caught my eye.

She was a being too radiant for me. Like a fireworks display illuminating the dark night sky. When darkness comes, she makes you realize its preciousness even more.

‘The one who made me believe in love.’

Some tell me to give up. That first love can never come true. I know that too. That’s why it’s more precious, and more lovable.

I want to actually see her white snow-like wolf ears perk up tinyly. I hope I can enjoy her cute habit of falling back when she’s happy.

‘The person I like.’

The common worldly talk that belittles love. That doesn’t apply to me now. I want to make her happy by my side, no matter what.

This world is a cold place with four Demon Kings. Such a place doesn’t suit our Saintess.

‘The person I love.’

Right now, I love her.

“..That’s all.”

The depth of love cannot be measured at the bottom. It cannot be expressed in numbers, nor should one speak lightly of another’s love.

Having finished sorting out my feelings, I realized what I had to do in the grade exam.

I need to obtain the Mana Rose and give it to our Saintess later.

That was the best I could do right now. Even if I worry about the love line with the princess, as long as we stay as comrades, there’ll be no problem.

***

And so, time passed,

[At last, the final day of the grade exam has dawned!]

In the circular arena stood two knights, one black and one white.

“Hello, Licht.”

“Hello.. Miss Mardol.”

As I changed my address back to the original, the Glass Knight’s body moved slightly, showing fluster. Seeing that, I let out a faint chuckle.

“Oh..?”

You’re pretty careless. At first, you seemed so cold, but you’ve changed a lot too.

“Don’t you dislike it?”

“..That’s right.”

Mardol nodded slightly. After all, she’s someone who wears Masterpiece-grade equipment because she doesn’t want her identity to be revealed.

‘I guess this is the right way if I’m going the comrade route.’

A conclusion I reached after a long deliberation. I don’t know how to treat women, but wouldn’t it be fine if I treat her as much like a male comrade as possible?

Kainel gets along with me too. Even while he’s lovey-dovey with Ariel. There’s no way my lack of dating experience would trip me up here.

I learned love through games thanks to our Saintess. That’s something I can do. That’s me.

“..Licht.”

At that moment. As I was lost in thought for a moment, she spoke to me while raising her sword.

“I don’t know you well, Licht.”

The golden eyes shining inside the helmet were filled with a cold fighting spirit, sharpening all my senses, as if the person from earlier had disappeared.

“..I feel the same.”

That was true. From beginning to end, I didn’t truly know anything. I also drew the sword at my waist. My opponent was the female protagonist, bearing Emperor Rook’s blood.

[Student Licht, wearing the Black Knight helmet, and the White Knight, gleaming in glass armor, Student Mardol!]

Come to think of it, it was a strange meeting. Though our appearances stood at opposite poles, the two of us were alike.

[Black and white. Two incompatible knights are now clashing! Who will be the top freshman of the academy?!]

One obsessed with strength, one obsessed with the Saintess. Neither of us was honest with our own hearts. How much sadness have we endured alone?

Regarding yesterday’s incident and the time I scolded her at the swordsmanship training ground, I’ve always been the one hurting Mardol.

“So. About you.”

Maybe I’ll learn a lot after this battle. Speaking is useless anyway. Swordsmen are a clan that communicates with their swords.

My heart pounded as I heard her declaration of war. Because I’d get to see a battle using magic.

“..Tell me.”

The resonating voice from inside the glass helmet spread through the arena,

[Grand Hearts Academy’s grade exam, final match! Now! We begin!!]

Mardol’s golden wolf eyes shone.

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried