WeTried Translations

Translator: Botanica

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◈ Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight

Chapter 77

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Episode 77. An Emotion Like a Shot of Fireworks.

Places selling wood were common in the empire.

Since Emperor Rook's original job was a lumberjack, his influence was bound to be strong.

"Welcome, Sir Knights!"

As me and Mardol stepped into a shop, a man with bear ears appeared from the back.

"Nice to meet you, Mister Druid."

Seeing the vines growing around him, he's a druid. He was watering the flowers and trees.

"..Hello."

Still, it's an improvement compared to when I first saw Mardol. Originally, she would have just silently bowed.

Speaking informally to Kainel and Ariel, but using honorifics with people older than herself.

'I thought she'd look down on people because of her position as a princess.'

Maybe it's because she has to hide her identity. You have it hard too, Mardol. I nodded slightly, understanding her situation.

"..What is it? Licht..?"

"Nothing. Ah, do you sell oak branches?"

While I was thinking this, the glass helmet turned toward me, and her golden eyes shone. To change the subject, I asked the druid a question.

"Of course I do! What are you planning to use them for?"

"I want to use them for a Quercus costume. Not me, but over here."

"Yes. That's right."

I pointed to the heavily armored glass knight and continued. The man narrowed his eyes and appraised us.

"Hmm, indeed.... Quercus would be a good fit!"

"I think so too. It's certainly large."

"..."

"Then I'll bring the branches and soil! Sir Knights, please wait a moment!"

Finishing his words, the druid went into what looked like a storage room in the back. Now, the only people in the shop were me and Mardol.

'Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've been called 'Sir Knight.''

A nostalgic feeling swirled through my body today. It was a nickname the Nameless Saintess used to call my character.

That was when it happened.

"..Licht."

Tok, The glass knight lightly poked my side with her armored elbow. Why is she doing that all of a sudden? She seemed to be feeling down, her head hanging low, looking at the ground.

"...That was mean. Pervert. Licht."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't know you'd tell anyone...."

Ah, could it be because I said she was large? I just meant she was big in height or build. Looks like the misunderstanding deepened. I immediately waved my hands to deny it.

"I just meant large like Quercus, that's all."

"..."

"Mardol?"

Thump. Thud-thud. It changed from 'tok' to 'thud' now. The glass knight was tapping my back with both hands like she was pounding it. There was no force behind it, so it didn't hurt.

"I'm not, large. Licht. Idiot.."

She seems to be holding back because I'm strong. If she had hit me with full force, my ribs would have broken. A slight chill ran down my spine.

'Looks like this is a choice that lowers affection.'

Seeing this reaction was actually a relief. At the rhythm of her patting, I let out a sigh of relief instead.

She's not a tsundere character like Ariel either. She's just misunderstanding on her own, so let her be.

"Sir Knights! I kept you waiting!"

Who knows how long Mardol had been silently pressuring me.

"To make your costume look realistic, I specially brought branches from a Quercus, not just ordinary oak!"

"Ah, thank you."

The owner knows his stuff. The druid came back to us and showed us the items, and I smiled satisfactorily inside my helmet.

"Thank you! Come again! Sir Knights!"

I took out a silver coin from my pocket and paid. I acted first before Mardol could.

"Ah, let me pay.."

"It's fine, Mardol."

No way, there's no suspiciously white document coming my way along with a bill. Plus, I felt a bit bad only ever receiving things from her.

"Since you've bought all your materials, Mardol, I just need to buy my helmet."

I was about to turn around and head out to the shop to buy a knight's helmet, but,

"Hey, Licht."

The rumbling voice next to me rang out again, grabbing my ankle.

"..I, can you help me?"

"What is it, Mardol."

Is this a reputation event too? Asking for help usually has good results.

I stopped moving. To save our Saintess, the help of the protagonists is essential. To get on the companion route, it's better not to miss events like this.

'There's no way affection would increase at a wood-selling shop.'

It'll probably be fine. It's not a meal like last time. This wouldn't even count as a date. Even with no love experience, I know that much.

"Help me with, the costume."

I couldn't refuse the princess's request for fear of the Imperial Guard showing up. I nodded and accepted. Now I know she's a woman too. I just need to be careful.

***

In a corner of the shop, Licht and Phine were sitting facing each other.

"..Do we have to do it here? Mardol."

"Yeah, Licht."

She wanted to be alone a bit more with the man wearing the black knight helmet. She was also a little angry about what he said before.

'It's nice because I don't have to pay special attention to him.'

Right now, Licht was a person who gave her comfort, so emotions leaked out of Phine without her knowing.

"Well, it would be hard for you to do the costume alone, so I'll help."

To her, this oblivious man was always like this. As if taking two steps closer to her,

"My helmet will be quick to buy."

He was a person who took one step back again. She was running on a parallel line with him, almost touching but not quite,

"Thank you, Licht."

But Phine didn't dislike him. He considers her, who is wearing heavy armor, he's bad at lying to the point it's obvious, and he's naive.

"It's nothing."

The brown-eyed knight, whose emotions were represented by a gentle black puppy.

He began to grab soil with his hands and layer it onto the armor. His hands were rough and calloused from holding a sword for so long. That was when it happened.

"..Mardol?"

"Ah, uh."

"Is something wrong?"

"..."

Flinch. Every time the man's coarse touch reached the glass armor, she flinched in surprise.

"Is the soil cold?"

"..Yeah. It's a bit cold."

Phine Gransia lied without realizing it. Actually, Licht's hands are cold. It wasn't like this before, why is it now? He's just spreading soil over the armor.

'Why am I acting like this..?'

To calm her trembling body, she steadied her breathing.

"I'll warm it a bit with my hands before applying it."

"..Thank you. Licht."

She thought his repeatedly kneading the cold soil to warm it was commendable, but,

"Is it better now?"

"Yeah, it's fine.."

But she wasn't calmed down at all. After some time passed,

'I'm finally calmed down.'

When the man's touch stopped, she finally found relief. Her shoulders dropped, and the tension in her body eased.

"If I attach the branches here...."

She thought, 'It must have been that Licht tickled me, or that I was startled by the sudden touch.'

Because of this, she resented the brown eyes of the man glancing at her armor.

'..Pervert. Father was right, all men are wolves.'

Phine, puffing out her cheeks inside the glass helmet.

She was thinking of telling the maids to be careful if she ever invited him to the imperial palace,

"It's done. Take a look."

But then her thoughts subsided.

"..."

"What is it now.."

"This is.. not cute.. Licht."

She looked at the tree monster costume Licht had made for her through the mirror. The appearance of the heavy armor had turned gruesome.

"Since it's a Quercus costume in the first place, it can't be cute."

The man in the black knight helmet scolded her. It's a horror experience, so it's supposed to be scary, why is she acting like this? But still, there's a limit.

"..I don't feel good."

Phine squatted down on the spot. Her current appearance was so grotesque that passing children would burst into tears.

"Oh, wait a moment. Just wait a moment!! Mardol!"

"Licht..?"

His footsteps echoed loudly several times. Seeing her feeling down in her costume, the man ran off somewhere. Phine felt a sense of wonder as she watched him.

"Mardol. How about this?"

After a while, Licht came back to her, sweating profusely.

"..Huh? Flowers..?"

"They're dried flowers, but since we need to keep the scary atmosphere, please bear with it."

Dried flowers.

Where did he buy these from? He decorated the dull branches with dried flower petals of various colors, as if flowers were blooming in spring.

"..Pretty."

The colors layered on top of the armor. She felt that the man named Licht had quite an eye for detail.

Suddenly, Phine felt one discrepancy. The flower famous as the empire's national flower was missing.

'Ah, just the roses are missing.'

Whether he was thinking of the Nameless Saintess or whatever, among the flowers he brought, there were no roses. They probably sell them.

'..Even with the Mana Rose, it's a bit enviable.'

What kind of relationship are they in? He probably became a Sword Master for the person he loves,

'Lovers..? No, that doesn't seem right.'

Phine looked at the emotion in his eyes as he attached the flowers, checking his meticulous touch.

"It's done. And on top of this...."

From the beginning, Licht was trying his best not to touch any wrong places. Since it was armor, it would have been fine, but he was thorough.

Just as she felt a slight jealousy, Licht took out something shiny.

"It's a small doll."

"..Fox Slime."

"Yes, we got this together last time, remember? I was grateful then."

A finger-joint-sized doll attached to a metal ring. She noticed that the man in the black knight helmet had sad-looking eyes.

"..Licht. Are you sad?"

"Me? No..?"

"You look that way."

"I'm not sad at all. Mardol."

Another lie. Even the logic of the words is awkward. Isn't the question of why she suddenly asked if he was sad more important? Starting with a denial is a mistake.

"..A doll is perfect for a scary atmosphere."

"Licht."

"Even if I use a cute one, it's small, so people won't really care anyway."

"..."

He's awkwardly changing the subject. Looking at the dolls swaying in front of her, she felt inexplicably angry. It was probably because of that Saintess.

'..I don't think they've met.'

She didn't show up even after Licht tried to die fighting the Demon King, and she made him get second place in the grade exam, making him get the Mana Rose.

'Maybe.. there's a reason, and he was asked to take good care of it.'

Phine recalled what Licht had said before.

Those eyes don't seem like they've reunited. Even without her good eye, the longing was dripping from the man named Licht's gestures.

"..Cheer up."

Even Phine knew not to say only words of consolation, but that was all she could do.

"Thank you for the encouragement, Mardol."

The black knight's eyes, looking into the distance, seemed more hollow than ever.

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