CH.38 11-1. One Step Behind, You’re Always There
Class.
A categorization of professions introduced in Knight Heart.
[“Why did I become a Saintess, you ask?”]
Among the various options, I chose the Dark Knight class.
Because of something she said, I even used a name-change token to rename myself to “Pure Love Dark Knight.”
[“Well, it just sort of happened. I woke up one day, and suddenly I heard a voice.”]
My skill tree leaned toward a hybrid of magic and swordsmanship. I swept through enemies using both disciplines simultaneously.
In a game where magic was overpowered, this build was convenient. The white-haired woman, her wolf-like ears twitching, would watch me.
[“Ah, you just thought something weird, didn’t you.”]
I even incorporated Holy Knight skills, optimizing my build to protect her, a non-combatant.
The scent of roses drifted in as her golden eyes came closer.
Her wolf-like eyes were striking, glowing more brightly than human ones.
[“The God of Light is rather contemplative, you know. So much so that the world often doesn’t understand. But I thought you, of all people, wouldn’t be like that…”]
She puffed out her white cheeks, pouting with a sulky expression.
The scene was set in the inn’s lobby, where the game began. Just her and me, standing together.
[“I’ve heard it all before. ‘How can someone like you, who doesn’t even know their name, call themselves a Saintess?’”]
No matter how many times players asked her name, she would either remain silent or say she didn’t know.
Even jokes about how the Demon Lord of Omniscience didn’t know her name became common.
[“I’m also only half a cleric since I can’t even use divine power properly.”]
She wasn’t wrong. In the game community, comparisons often used the first Saintess as a benchmark. Her wolf-like ears and tail drooped, reflecting her somber mood.
[“Title: Analysis of the Newly Updated Character Stats (Long Read Warning)”]
Posts like this would pop up.
[“She’s like a triple-6 Saintess! Wow, her base skills alone can heal to full HP, and excess heals go into shields!”]
[“An ancient elf but also a priest? She can shoot arrows and heal? This isn’t an elf; it’s a joke!”]
└[“That Saintess loses like a dog every time… Wait, not a dog—a wolf.”]
└[“Pure Love Dark Knight: You’re the worst.”]
There were a lot of malicious comments like that. I later added those phrases to my block list.
Even if she wasn’t good at healing, she was a kind person. Besides, her unique role as Saintess made her indispensable to our Blue Rose team.
Her pride in her position was something no one could take away.
That’s why, after reincarnating, I was so shocked to meet the second Saintess, Charitines.
[“Hehe, but I’m still a Saintess. I believe names and titles must come with responsibility and effort.”]
Her white ears and tail perked up again as she smiled, her lips curving into a fox-like grin.
[“The same goes for you, Sir Knight. If you’re a ‘Dark Knight,’ then you should show a cooler side of yourself! Take that!”]
She would snatch my in-game helmet and run off playfully.
[“You lack ‘pure love.’ This isn’t love at all!”]
Or sigh deeply while struggling over romance novels she enjoyed.
[“Burn scars? Oh, I don’t mind those at all. You’ll always be number one in my heart, Sir Knight!”]
Every little thing about her was endearing, to the point that listing her merits felt redundant.
[“Lee Soo-hyun.”]
“…”
[“I’m sorry I was so weak all this time.”]
[“…Please find peace.”]
I wanted to protect her.
Even just once, I wanted to give her a happy ending.
This time, it would be fine even if I was weak.
***
“Ugh… what a horribly realistic dream.”
That’s how I woke up. Dreams like this sometimes made me question whether this world was truly reality. Even if it was just a game world.
Morning sunlight crept in through the tent, nudging at my eyelids. I hadn’t slept this soundly in a while. Maybe it was because I used Vacuum Slash so much yesterday.
“And again, the Saintess appears in my dreams… Was it because of my talk with that mutt yesterday?”
I thought I’d stopped dreaming of her by now. Years had passed, and yet I remained unchanged.
“Ah, seriously.”
I let out a long sigh. Time was supposed to help me forget, but instead, memories kept circling back, bringing only the good ones to the surface.
I lifted the visor of my helmet.
“No matter how I think about it, there’s no way for me to protect the Saintess right now.”
I wasn’t the same Dark Knight Licht from the game. I couldn’t use magic or divine power.
I rubbed my drowsy eyes. They felt slightly damp. Crying in my sleep? What an idiot. I shook my head to snap out of it.
“I should stop dwelling on this and just practice my swordsmanship.”
Lowering my visor again, I stepped out of the tent. My condition had been poor since yesterday. Grabbing my Pure Love Injector Mk.2 from beside me, I walked out into the fresh morning air.
“Licht. Good morning.”
“Good morning, Mr. Mardol.”
Stepping outside, I immediately ran into the Glass Knight. Was he practicing swordsmanship too? Judging by his repeated motions, it looked like he was following the Gransia Empire’s sword techniques.
Wait… something seemed off.
It was as if several transparent figures overlapped around him, circling him like shadows.
“What are you doing…?”
As I quietly watched Mardol practice, he paused his movements and turned to ask me a question. Then, it became clear—a distinct figure was visible, as if a new form had taken shape.
“Are you creating illusions out of glass? That’s incredible.”
“No, not exactly.”
I guessed based on the sliced tree in front of him, though he hadn’t swung his sword at it, and the shadowless figure accompanying him.
Magic ignored the laws of the world, so it wasn’t entirely out of the question.
“This glass magic… are these illusions that seem real?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“You manipulate concepts, right? Like Professor Dennis?”
“…Steel. Reflective.”