Chapter 31: 9-3. Is This the Crown Prince Route?
***
“The Demon War, if we were to highlight the characteristics of the Ten Greats who stood out in it….”
The short-haired nun stood at the podium, smiling brightly as she addressed the students.
“For now, only about seven of them remain among us, and also….”
Her smile was chilling, the kind that didn’t reach her eyes. However, having been exposed to it for a few weeks now, the classroom remained silent, seemingly accustomed to it.
“…The First Saintess reportedly had her hair turn white whenever she wielded her divine power!”
This was Professor Beatrice’s lecture on Divine Power Studies.
“Boring… Kai…”
“Yeah, seriously, Ariel.”
The two childhood friends, sitting together, were nodding off after lunch, drowsiness settling in heavily.
“Oh, right. Kai… Is Helmet okay? I didn’t see Mardol around today either.”
“Probably? He’s been sprawled out in the dorm since yesterday.”
“Really? That’s a relief…”
Last night, after waking up to some noise, Ariel had discovered a purple feather lying on the floor and Licht—wearing the Dark Knight’s helmet—snoring on the bed.
‘Something must have happened, but since there’s no gossip, I guess Licht handled it.’
The blonde hero furrowed his brow, mulling things over. He had even gone to the magic club to ask about it, but Professor Dennis had merely brushed it off as nothing significant.
“There’s something about the Academy’s barrier being inspected here and there. It worries me… Kai.”
“…It’ll be fine, Ariel.”
Kai spoke soothingly to calm the red-haired elf. He himself wasn’t overly concerned; after all, as someone who wielded a holy sword, he didn’t feel outmatched by any of his peers.
‘More importantly, Licht is a guy who can hold his own against holy swords with an ordinary iron blade.’
No matter how much he thought about it, imagining the Dark Knight struggling or being humiliated was nearly impossible. They said he could unleash sword energy purely with wind pressure without using aura? Anyone would call that insane.
The only person he could think of capable of such feats was the Dragonslayer, Sir Drake.
Not being able to use mana meant Licht wasn’t even considered a proper swordsman by some. He couldn’t coat his blade, so it often had chipped edges.
But his skill was closer to that of a Sword Master—a deceptive genius.
Walking out of the lecture hall, Kai found himself lost in thought, wondering if he’d been too complacent.
The mission to protect the world felt too lightweight.
To grow as strong as Licht, he needed to hold the same conviction he had about protecting Ariel.
The Dark Knight was undeniably powerful, even without a holy sword.
He remembered why his friend had once advised him to “give it his all.”
“…Should I start training my swordsmanship more rigorously?”
“Huh? Kai? Are you heading to the training grounds again today?”
“Yeah, Ariel.”
Kai sighed deeply. Even as a hero, it seemed he couldn’t afford to rest. Among the Ten Greats, there were heroes mixed in, but he’d heard the strongest emperor was a commoner—a humble woodcutter.
“I need to get stronger too, Ariel. I can’t let Licht and Mardol keep sweeping all the top scores.”
“…Really?”
It wasn’t a lie. Though his reason included helping his red-haired elf childhood friend, he also wanted to escape his seemingly eternal third place.
“Then I’ll come with you, Kai!”
“…What? It’s swordsmanship, though.”
“That’s fine!”
She must have caught onto his hesitation. Her twin red pigtails swayed as she smiled mischievously, cat-like in her confidence.
***
Thus, the swordsmanship training grounds at Grand Hearts Academia ended up hosting a group of five.
“Hi, Helmet! Are you feeling better?”
“Miss Ariel. It’s been a while.”
“Right! Oh? Mardol, you’re here too! I was worried about you!”
“Hi.”
This gathering included the usual group: me, the hero couple, the glass knight…
“Yo! Freshmen. Long time no see, huh?”
“Oh, you’re the one from the Spirit Magic lecture! Nice to see you again, Senior!”
…and even Nex Aureus, with his purple hair, making for an odd combination in one place.
“And you, freshman… Was your name Hero or something?”
“Kainel, sir. You’re… senior, right?”
“Ah, so you’re the ‘Hero of Light’ I’ve heard about.”
“…Oh.”
This guy was testing him again. Typical. The purple phoenix had built-in distrust of humans. Even in the original story, he was always at odds with the golden dog and the fox.
“Senior, you’re scaring him… I mean, Kai. Let’s stop with the probing, alright?”
I decided to step in before a fight broke out.
“Haha, sorry… Don’t be scared, Kainel. I’ll admit, I wasn’t too fond of heroes a few days ago—blame being descended from the Ten Greats—but I’m over it now. Just call me bro.”
“Uh, okay. Is that alright? Nex… bro?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. Thanks to our boy Licht here, I’ve had a change of heart~.”
Nex, a senior from the year above, slung an arm over my shoulder again. This companion route was unfamiliar and felt awkward. And for the record, I’m loyal to the Saintess.
“You’re heavy. Please move.”
“Aw, you wound me, freshman.”
I made a mental note to keep track of the shoulder-hug count for later.
“Can I call you oppa too, then? I’ve always wanted to befriend someone from the Ten Greats!”
Incidentally, Mardol was Lupus Gransia—the only son of the Wolf King.
“Sure, go ahead, Ariel.”
“Yay! Thanks, Nex oppa!”
Her social skills were off the charts. No wonder she was so handy to have as a party member in the game.
Ariel’s red hair swayed as she celebrated, her joy evident even beneath her signature wizard hat. Kainel crossed his arms, clearly jealous. This was rich. His eyes practically shot sparks.
Better make sure his hand on his sword hilt stays idle.
Still, he was an earl’s son.
“…”
The blonde hero looked visibly uneasy. Was Ariel really that beautiful? I couldn’t see it.
The gaming community might have thought so, but my tastes were firmly fixed on the Nameless Saintess.
‘At least Nex isn’t the type to flirt. He’s basically a harem deterrent.’
I couldn’t find elves particularly captivating. Back in the carriage, I had egged Kainel on to acknowledge his feelings for Ariel, but that was just to push his arc forward.
Wolf ears and tails, however, were unbeatable.
They made emotions obvious. In the game, when you gave a wolf character candy, they’d pretend to be indifferent, but their ears would tilt back or their tail would wag.
And if you tried to pet them, they’d automatically lean in. So adorable.
If I started listing the Saintess’s charms, I’d be at it forever. My thoughts spun as quickly as if I’d eaten something sweet.
Not to mention, her pouch power was far superior to that of any elf.
“…What are you doing, Licht?”
Lost in inappropriate musings, I heard Mardol speak to me from the side.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I wasn’t thinking about anything.”
My tendency to space out in thought was a real issue. Sorry, Saintess. I’ll grab a Magic Hat and bite my tongue to atone.
“…Liar.”