Chapter 20: 6-2. Misunderstandings and Understandings Are a Letter Apart
***
The Dark Knight and the Glass Knight made their way to the sword training grounds.
Watching them from behind, Kainel and Ariel began to talk.
“Kai… what was that about earlier?”
“It was just a gut feeling. After what I saw yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice how similar Licht and Mardol are.”
The blond warrior grinned. He had a glimpse of what Licht must have been thinking in the carriage. So this is how things looked from someone else’s perspective.
“They’re nearly identical—except one wears a helmet.”
“At least Mardol doesn’t seem like a bad person. It’s good for freshmen to get along, isn’t it?”
“But a swordsmanship exchange means mutual recognition, doesn’t it…?”
A memory flashed in her mind—of the Glass Knight handing out candy at the bakery. Though the armor concealed his true intentions, the fact that he got along well with Ariel suggested he was a decent person.
“Well, if Licht came begging on his knees and called me his older brother, I could consider an exchange too, Ariel.”
“All sword users seem a bit off…”
The red-haired mage sighed.
Come to think of it, if someone had white hair, they would stand out at the academy. She had asked around while Licht was absent, but no one with such features had been found.
‘It’s probably more important to broaden your connections, Licht.’
His armor was clearly high-end. Even someone as dense as Kainel could tell he was a person of importance. Using his resources could even help find someone you’re infatuated with.
Just think of it as repaying the favor for the swordsmanship training.
Kainel felt grateful to Licht for helping him improve. In fact, he had ranked third in practical exercises that week.
It was a result he had earned without being overshadowed by the aristocratic trainees who had been training for years. He genuinely appreciated his friend with the knight’s helmet.
***
“…Is someone talking about me?”
I sneezed out of the blue. It wasn’t cold outside—it was spring. And yet, every time I came here, I felt chills. Why? I should be desperately trying to stay on the Saintess route.
We were inside the academy’s sword training grounds.
I needed to fulfill a promise first. I looked over at the knight in heavy armor. This was the second time this week I’d been here.
“You remember we’re trading swordsmanship for magic, right?”
“Yeah.”
Mardol nodded eagerly. He seemed more excited than yesterday. Did he really enjoy this sort of thing that much?
“I’ll only teach you the first form.”
“That’s more than enough.”
I drew my sword from its scabbard. The blade was dull and chipped, likely from all the useless slashing I had done lately.
“…Not getting it repaired?”
“No time. I’ve been so busy lately, it feels like I need two bodies.”
As soon as I brought up the sword’s condition, Mardol’s voice echoed from inside his glass helmet. He had sharp eyes; he noticed right away. The equipment wasn’t ideal for a demonstration.
“Let’s use another sword, then. Thank you for pointing it out.”
I grabbed a spare sword from the rack on the wall. As expected of the academy, the equipment was top-tier. Maybe I could borrow one of these later, if I poured enough money into it.
“Now, let me teach you the basics of the ‘Dragon Shadow Slash.’”
“Got it, Licht.”
I approached one of the wooden training dummies.
Focusing my mind, I corrected my posture and regulated my breathing.
I was ready.
“The key is contrast. This won’t work on enemies without shadows.”
“I see.”
I adjusted a magical light on the ceiling to make the shadows of the objects in the room constantly shift.
“Shadows are tricky and thin, but you need to focus on the concept of their connection to the physical form…”
I raised my sword high into the air. I concentrated on the shadow of the wooden dummy before me, watching its shape change with the flickering light.
“Like this.”
Thwack!
A dull, metallic sound echoed throughout the training grounds as the sword struck the ground. A vertical slash left a deep cut in the earth. Since the training grounds were equipped with magical auto-repair systems, this much damage should be fine.
“You can directly strike the real body through its shadow.”
Crack, snap.
The wooden dummy split cleanly in two, scattering wooden shards in all directions. The power was weak, but this much was enough to slice through a simple target.
“…Wow.”
Kainel’s voice was filled with pure awe. For someone who could likely twist such concepts with magic effortlessly, I wasn’t sure why he was so impressed. All I had done was use strength and skill.
‘Is this what Master Drake felt like?’
I was starting to understand why he took me in as his disciple. This was why data mining in the game had shown that he didn’t allow certain job changes.
He must have helped me because he saw someone similar to himself.
‘Hahaha! So you’ve finally understood the greatness of your master?!’
I could almost hear his boisterous voice echoing in my head. My body instinctively remembered the grueling years of training under him, and my hands trembled slightly.
“No way, that’s not it at all.”
“…?”
I shook my head. Hiking trips were crossing the line, old man. I recalled how he had dragged students over mountain trails during one of last week’s lectures.
As soon as it ended, some students had bolted for the hills. I glanced at Mardol, who tilted his head when he noticed my sigh.
“…So, do you need another demonstration?”
“A few more times, please.”
He reached for another sword from the rack. The sight was somewhat odd—his hands looked small compared to his bulky armor.
‘Is he really the crown prince?’
He was about my height, so there was no way he was the Saintess. My thoughts became a bit tangled. Pushing aside my distractions, I gave him further instructions.
“Please throw two coins into the air.”
“Understood.”
Mardol pulled two copper coins from his pocket. The moment the Glass Knight flicked the coins toward me,
“Oh, sorry.”
The objects hurtled toward me with surprising speed. It reminded me of Master Drake. My body reacted faster than my eyes.
‘But it’s a bit slower.’
I stomped hard on the ground, slashing diagonally through the air with one coin, and brought the other down using its shadow.
The sound of coins hitting the floor rang out four times.
“Impressive. As expected.”
“Next time, please be more careful.”
“My bad.”
Must be in his genes, being a descendant of one of the Ten Greats. The son of a man capable of generating a sonic boom with brute strength.
…Did I even need to teach him swordsmanship?
“I get it now.”
Mardol gazed at me thoughtfully. He walked over to the wooden dummy, his footsteps echoing as he took his stance.
He didn’t reach for the weapon strapped to his back. That handle… where had I seen it before…?
If I acted like I knew more, I’d probably trigger a flag. I kept my mouth shut.
“At this level, it’s enough.”
“You seem more like a talented mage… do you also use a sword?”
“Both.”
Mardol raised his sword above his head. His movements were smooth, suggesting he had handled a blade before. Perhaps he was compensating for the weaknesses of the Empire’s sword style with magic.
I nodded slightly, impressed by the unexpected display.
“That’s surprising.”
A magic swordsman build. The kind of Dark Knight I had developed for Licht in the past.
He had been skilled in unpredictable, unconventional tactics. In this game, where anything could happen, that was a major advantage.
I had no idea what Lupus’s class was. Why should I be well-versed in the background of a madman obsessed with the Saintess?
Though, now that I think about it, I am in the same position, aren’t I?
Would the Saintess believe me if I met her and said, “I want to make you happy”?
Imagining the white-haired Saintess looking at me with disdain made my stomach churn. A male protagonist confessing love right off the bat is the worst—she’d probably hate that.
“Well then, here I go.”
Once again, my wandering thoughts were cut short. The Glass Knight raised his sword toward the shifting shadow.
Crash!
A straight slash cut through the air and into the ground with force. He was definitely strong.
“…”
Several wooden fragments scattered, but the dummy remained unscathed.
Mardol froze, staring at the scene. He must have thought the result would be different. After several failed attempts, he spoke up.
“Huh? Why isn’t it working…?”
“Pfft, hahaha! That’s not it.”
The training dummy was perfectly intact.
Of course, it had to be Lupus. If you’d mastered this, I’d have been forced onto the ally route against my will. In *Black Heart*, you were nothing more than the Empire’s financial backer.
“You’re putting in too much strength.”
“…Don’t laugh.”
There was something innocent about him. He was really just trying to cut only the shadow.
If it were that easy, the war would have ended long ago, and everyone would have already copied the technique.
“Let’s stop. You need to engage your whole body.”
Mardol raised his sword again, aiming at the ground he had already damaged. I moved to the side and signaled for him to sheathe his weapon with a tilt of my head.
“I struggled for a reason too.”
“I don’t get it. Why?”
I could barely hold back my laughter. Seeing a Mary Sue character struggle like this was a new experience for me—maybe the developers fixed this after the criticism they got from the second game.
“You need the will to believe you can cut.”
“Honestly, that doesn’t sound believable.”