CH.63 18-1. The Hidden Trump Card.
***
Ariel had a lingering curiosity.
While it was mentioned that Licht was physically unable to remove his helmet, it was a mystery why Mardol never took off that glass-like armor.
There were plenty of clues that could help identify Mardol’s true identity.
‘If even Nex Senior knows them, then they must be a descendant of the Ten Greats, right?’
The Ten Greats often had close relationships. After all, they were heroes who had shared life and death together during the war.
When she encountered Licht and the Glass Knight during sword training last time, they had been apart from each other, so she assumed they were strangers. She had never seen them exchange words, after all.
Even if Kainel was too oblivious to notice, the fact that a direct royal guard was summoned when searching for Licht proved that Mardol was someone of considerable status.
In the Gransia Empire, whose symbol was the wolf, only members of the royal bloodline held such power. She had already confirmed that Leon, the son of an unknown knight commander, wasn’t Mardol, as she’d seen his face during a previous match.
‘…There’s only one possibility. But still….’
Publicly, the only one exposed to the world was the crown prince, Lupus Gransia. But it felt far too strange for Mardol to be the crown prince.
Mardol had a simple, innocent personality, liked cute things, and had a fondness for sweets—just like her. They got along so well that they would often talk about their favorite breads and desserts or recommend delicious menus from pastry shops in the Gransia Empire.
Mardol was also kind, almost as if they knew nothing about the world.
They would offer expensive sugar- and honey-coated candies to others and even tried to buy her a sandwich. And during the fight against Magic Hat, Mardol fought desperately to protect her and Kainel.
The reason she hadn’t been seriously injured back then was partly due to Kainel’s protection, but Mardol’s assistance played a role too.
Perhaps that’s why even the sly Licht seemed to be somewhat wary of Mardol. However, just a few days ago, she spotted the two of them hugging and chatting as they exited a pastry shop together.
Something felt suspicious. Ariel’s red eyes focused on the distant figure of the Glass Knight.
Men could hug and console each other, sure, but with her sharp intuition, she sensed something more… something that made her heart tickle in a strange way.
‘Is he really a girl?’
Mardol was pretty tall, but that could be chalked up to personal differences. What really stood out was that their hands were as small as hers, which didn’t match the proportions of their body.
It didn’t add up.
Even their eyes, visible through the helmet, had a refined beauty. While boys could have pretty eyes too, combining that with the size of their hands, it felt suspicious. Then there was the way Mardol hugged and adored the black wolf spirit, acting in a manner that seemed oddly… feminine.
“…Ariel? Why did you call me?”
“Hey, Helmet. Don’t you think Mardol’s a bit suspicious?”
“There have been plenty of times I thought so….”
To be sure, Ariel had separated Kainel (who had no sense of observation) from Mardol and called for Licht, who at least seemed able to hold a conversation.
“Think about it. They wear that armor every day, and no one says a thing. It’s suspicious!”
“There’s probably a reason for it.”
“No, no… Helmet!”
Ariel started connecting the dots about why Mardol never took off the armor. She had heard once that removing it would weaken them.
At the time, she’d assumed it was a topic best left untouched and let it slide. But during the match a few days ago, she realized it really was an absurdly overpowered piece of equipment.
‘An armor that nullifies all magic.’
Ariel sat on a chair and let out a long sigh.
There were methods to target the armor’s weak points, but Mardol would likely block those with ease.
When she witnessed Mardol’s swordsmanship, which seamlessly incorporated magic during the battle with Magic Hat, Ariel understood just how skilled the Glass Knight was. She figured Mardol was at least as strong as Licht.
During the combat training, Licht had blown away half the forest and placed first, while the strongest warrior she knew, Kainel, had come in third.
‘And Mardol was second. During the group project, they also knocked out all the approaching bees….’
After the semi-final matchups were confirmed, Ariel’s concerns grew.
“This means I’ll be up against Mardol today! There’s no way I can win!”
“…I’m up against Kainel.”
“That’s a separate issue! Our Kai is going to win anyway…!”
The red-haired elf let out a frustrated scream.
“That ridiculous glass armor is practically cheating against mages! Cheating!”
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t see a way to win. She had seen Mardol block every single wind-based spell, and it had driven her to despair.
“…In the end, equipment is just equipment. What matters is how the user utilizes it.”
Licht, resting his chin on his hand, seemed to be pondering along with her.
After some time, he spoke up with a fresh idea.
“Then, how about attacking the inside of the armor instead?”
“Ah. That’s it!”
Unlike Windy, the sky-blue magician, Ariel’s magic was pure fire. Her spells were focused on burning, heating, and incinerating.
Caught up in trying to figure out Mardol’s true identity, she’d overlooked something so simple. On top of that, her current fire magic was like fireworks, exploding in rapid succession.
“…Thanks for the tip, Helmet! I’ll definitely make Mardol take off that armor!”
Heat was often used to process glass. If she trapped Mardol inside their armor and turned them into a rat in a hot pot, it would be the perfect strategy.
A mischievous, cat-like grin appeared on Ariel’s face.
***
“Hehe, just you wait, Helmet!”
“…What are you even expecting? Even if you manage to get Mardol to take off the armor, inside there’s still…”
“You’ll probably learn something new about Mardol, Helmet.”
“…Huh?!”
What was she talking about? “Learn something new”? Mardol was a boy. And not just any boy, but the crown prince. This wasn’t something he could brush off, especially since it was coming from the sharp-eyed red cat, Ariel.
“…”
I considered every possibility. What could she mean by “learn something new”?
‘No way… could it be like Magic Hat’s situation where the gender is swapped?’
No. Absolutely not. Anything but that. The mere thought, which flashed through my mind like lightning, left me in a state of panic.
“Ariel, what on earth are you saying?!”
“Call it a woman’s intuition… or something like that. Anyway, that’s what it feels like!”
How close had I gotten to Mardol? If it turned out they were a woman, the Saintess would be absolutely furious.
The tomahawk indirect kiss. That would be the biggest problem. Even if I tried to explain, she’d probably want to kill me. I could already picture her patting my back with her two fists, muttering things like:
‘Knight, you womanizer! Scoundrel! Casanova!’
It was clear as day. She might even sulk for years, refusing to speak to me.
Sweat began to trickle down my face inside the helmet. Memories of the past flooded my mind — holding hands, hugging, exchanging sword techniques…
“Huff, huff!”
My breathing became unsteady. My head spun. If I’d known from the start that Mardol was a woman, I would have kept my distance. There was no way I could have overlooked something so crucial.
The title “Pure Love Dark Knight” could be tainted. It might be twisted into something like “Harem Dark Knight.”
Only a certain kind of protagonist carelessly triggers flags like this.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor. I gritted my teeth as a splitting headache throbbed through my head.
“Helmet! Are you okay?!”
“Just… give me a second… I feel dizzy… But why did you suddenly say something like that…?”
I pressed my hands against the ground to avoid falling flat. My tongue felt as if I were drunk, and my old habit of speaking informally slipped out.
“Well, it’s just that a lot of people are hiding things, you included, Helmet.”
“…I can’t argue with that.”
I was also hiding the fact that I was a possessor, a soul from another world inhabiting this body. Dennis and Nex had already caught on and seemed to think I was some kind of Hero.
‘But no matter how much this is a game world, this is too much.’
I’d overlooked the fact that the creator of was a complete sadist.
If Magic Hat was female in this world — unlike the sequel — then it wasn’t impossible for other characters to be the same.
‘Did Lupus’ gender change because this is a prequel?’
Magic spells, potions gone wrong — those were common tropes in games. And it aligned with another of my theories: that the “real crown prince” was someone else entirely.
Instead of being criticized, some developers would turn characters into heroines to draw fans’ attention. It wasn’t unusual to see romance subplots added to adaptations that didn’t exist in the original.
“AAAAHHHHH!!”
“Helmet, what the heck?!”
The clues that had been swirling in my mind hit me all at once. Words like “delicate,” “precious,” and “sheltered” started echoing in my head, and my suspicions intensified.
How long had I been thrashing on the ground, clawing at it like a man driven mad?
“…Well, I’m off! The match is about to start!”
Ariel, who had been watching me with a worried look, eventually left to participate in the semi-finals. Truthfully, she might have fled out of fear after seeing my outburst.
“NO!! IT’S NOT TRUEEEE!!”
From afar, I saw Kainel dashing toward me, shocked by my sudden outburst. Mardol had probably already headed to the arena.
There’s no way. Mardol isn’t a woman. Not even if the sky splits in half. I’ve devoted myself to the Saintess alone.
There’s no way I’m the type of protagonist from a rom-com manga who accidentally triggers romantic flags everywhere he goes.
***
[Finally, it’s time for the semi-finals! The first match of the school year’s tournament will be fought between Ariel, the red-haired elf magician!]
Laplace’s voice boomed across the arena, riling up the audience.
Given his youth, his excitement was understandable. He was always a bit of an eccentric character.
[And her opponent is the Glass Knight, Mardol!]
Thunk.
The moment I heard that name, my body flinched unnaturally.
There’s no way. There’s absolutely no way the person inside that armor is a woman. Sure, it’s a common trope in romance stories, but…
“Licht junior, are you alright?”
“Licht junior, your hand is shaking again.”
Nex and Charitines stood by me, as well as Kainel. With so many people around me, I absolutely couldn’t let any strange flags sprout.
I shook my head, trying to clear it. The match was about to begin.
After both participants were introduced, they each stepped forward and exchanged brief greetings.
[Then, let the match… begin!!]
As always, the blaring sound of a horn signaled the start of the match.
“Let’s settle this by having you take off that armor, Mardol!”
“…What?”
Ariel’s bold proclamation echoed through the arena, amplified by a magic spell.
I could only squeeze my eyes shut and clasp my hands together, praying to the heavens that my earlier theory was dead wrong.