EP.45 13-1. Drunken Life, Dreamlike Love
***
In the forest where Licht had disappeared, Professor Dennis and the Imperial Guard arrived.
“Are you all right, everyone? What in the world happened here…?”
“Professor Dennis!!”
A blue-haired man with glowing white eyes scanned the chaotic scene. Dennis listened intently as the hero’s party recounted the events.
“Steel Wolf, Mardol. There’s no trace of him nearby.”
“Copper Wolf, even the scent disappears here.”
“Silver Wolf, it seems he has vanished.”
On the other side, Phine was commanding the Imperial Guards—wolves with ears and tails like hers—while using an alias.
“We will find him. No, we must find him.”
She had issued countless orders to track down the Black Knight who wore the helmet.
The three swordsmen, divided by the metallic hues that denoted their rank, exchanged nervous glances. Even if the commands came from Princess Phine Gransia herself…
“But there’s nothing to go on….”
How could they find someone who had vanished without a trace?
“Commander Golden Wolf reporting to Lord Mardol.”
At that moment, a figure in golden armor emerged, dropping to one knee before Phine in a show of loyalty.
“…I believe I may know where the person you’re looking for is.”
“Gold, is that true?!”
Phine’s voice rose, uncharacteristically loud, as hope flared within her.
“Ah.”
Everyone present was startled, their gazes shifting to the glass knight.
“Mardol! Did you find Helmet Guy?”
“Mardol even risked fighting the Demon Lord in such despair….”
Even Kainel and Ariel, who were beginning to see just how significant a figure Mardol was, looked at her with astonished expressions.
“It seems… he’s in another dimension.”
“…What do you mean by that, Gold?”
What followed was a grim explanation.
“He’s in a space we cannot access. Even when using detection magic to trace him, all spatial coordinates are distorted.”
“No… it can’t be.”
The glass knight’s eyes trembled. The thought of failing to protect someone yet again filled her with despair. Her hands clenched tightly, shaking as guilt coursed through her.
“I’m still so weak. Licht knew that, and…”
As her thoughts spiraled, the hope that had lifted her spirits moments ago crumbled. Her tail and ears drooped inside her armor, sagging visibly.
“Isn’t that right? The pinnacle of water magic among the Ten Greats, Dennis.”
“…I’ve tried to find Licht too, but magic cannot reach him. That theory is likely correct.”
“So, even though we’re in the same forest, he’s in a different location. It’s like he’s reflected in a mirror we can’t touch.”
The Imperial Guard and the Ten Greats were acquainted. Emperor Roque, one of the strongest of the Ten, had selected them to protect his children.
“…”
“My apologies, Lord Mardol.”
“…Is there really no way?”
Her emotions seeped through despite her efforts to suppress them. It had been ten years since she last felt such helplessness. She hated her weakness and the memories of being obsessed with strength in a way that now seemed petty compared to Licht’s resolve.
“Please return for now, Lord Mardol. We’ll remain here.”
“No, Gold.”
She slumped to the ground, stubbornly refusing to leave. The Imperial Guards looked to Professor Dennis for assistance, but he shook his head.
“…If he escapes that space, we’ll be able to find him. Just wait a little longer, Gold.”
To leave now would go against his beliefs.
“‘Thanks for everything. I really appreciated it’? Is that all you’re leaving me with, Licht…?”
Dark thoughts filled Phine’s mind. Magic Hat was the strongest opponent she knew, a Demon Lord even her father couldn’t defeat.
“I don’t want to see anyone disappear anymore….”
Because of the distortion in her helmet’s voice, only Kainel and Ariel remained unaware of Phine’s true identity as a woman.
“Mardol…”
“Do you think Licht will be all right? He was so strong, but I couldn’t even react before I was taken down….”
Kainel and Ariel shared Mardol’s concerns. Their sighs mirrored her silent worry as they continued to think about the Black Knight.
***
Meanwhile, in the isolated space of darkness, I barely managed to stand.
Think. My body had already reached its limit.
How many moves do I have left?
I planted the sword into the ground, using it as a support to steady myself. Taking deep breaths, I struggled to balance.
How had I cleared this in the game?
I had trusted my equipment’s durability, defending the fallen saintess as long as I could….
“…”
I remembered the forced event where the wolf-eared saintess had died. She wasn’t here now. Would anyone even notice if I died like this?
“…Heh, haha.”
I let out a bitter laugh. Pure Love Dark Knight? What a laughable name. A man who couldn’t even protect the one he loved, turning into a Demon Lord, still clinging to that title?
“My dear, you should stop resisting. I don’t know how you’re still alive, but….”
Magic Hat’s bright smile was filled with a chilling malice. The innocent façade made my skin crawl. I swung the Holy Sword and slashed at one of her clones, cutting it down.
“I’m not… going to die.”
I remembered how sad the saintess had been when I’d died in the game.
I refused to let that happen again. Raising my sword, I pointed it at the Demon Lord in defiance.
Her smile is prettiest when she’s happy.
“This reunion is all that matters, my dear!”
My trembling hand holding the sword betrayed my exhaustion. Perhaps she sensed my impending collapse, as the True Demon Lord took slow, deliberate steps toward me. Was this the end?
At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind.
“A Demon Lord can ‘use’ the abilities they wielded as a hero.”
That was why the Demon Lord of Omniscience, Head, used omniscience to predict every move, and why Magic Hat manipulated the truth to commit all manner of atrocities.
I still had one sharp trick up my sleeve.
I raised my sword high into the air, planting my feet firmly into the ground. Taking the stance just before a leap, I recalled Kainel’s incomplete mastery of the Holy Sword.
But I knew the future. I had seen Kainel’s growth in Knight Heart and Black Heart. I had witnessed every ounce of his effort and triumph.
“You must have struggled like this too, Kainel.”
Gripping the hilt tightly, the trembling in my hands ceased. The mantle of a hero was not light—it demanded strength to wield its power.
“…Hehe, how impressive. Bleeding so much and yet still trying to fight.”
“I am a Black Knight.”