CH.66 18-4. The Hidden Trump Card
A memory of something that the “Duke’s Husband” once told me surfaced.
[Duke’s Husband: Hey, you Saintess fetishist.]
[Pure Love Dark Knight: What’s up, Duke’s Husband?]
[Duke’s Husband: Do you know how to clear the Imperial Palace entrance quest?]
I remembered feeling confused. Since I was on the Saintess route, I had no clue about this quest. Why was a wandering spirit from the North talking about the Imperial Palace, which was in the Empire?
[Pure Love Dark Knight: No idea. Why?]
[Duke’s Husband: Our young lady keeps bringing up the Imperial family, and it’s been bothering me. I was wondering if there’s a way to do something about it.]
[Pure Love Dark Knight: It’s probably ‘that Harem King’ again. If it’s Lupus Gransia, just add him to your party, then send him on a distant journey.]
[Duke’s Husband: Whoa, that actually works.]
Apparently, by sending Lupus far away, the Duke’s Daughter’s dialogue would change to be more positive. Our chat continued from there.
[Duke’s Husband: But honestly, doesn’t Lupus feel kind of half-baked as a character?]
[Pure Love Dark Knight: He’s a lore-breaking character. What did you expect?]
[Duke’s Husband: In a world where Demon Lords are running wild, why is a guy with no real skills the next emperor? Something about it feels off…]
I should have paid more attention to this suspicious line of dialogue. Instead, I filled the void with my own imagination, wishing that the “Mary Sue” type of character would just disappear.
[Pure Love Dark Knight: What if there’s actually another heir to the throne?]
[Duke’s Husband: Huh? What are you talking about?]
[Pure Love Dark Knight: If a womanizer like him becomes emperor, the country’s doomed. I’m telling you, he’ll probably end up with like five wives. If that happens, I’m fleeing to the North with the Saintess.]
No matter how you looked at it, Lupus wasn’t emperor material. He wasn’t as physically strong as Emperor Roque, nor was he as intelligent as Nex. He also didn’t have a particularly kind heart.
[Pure Love Dark Knight: The wolves I know are all monogamous. I’d hate to be stuck staring at a face like his forever.]
[Duke’s Husband: You’re seriously obsessed with pure love.]
[Pure Love Dark Knight: Honestly, I wish someone else would be emperor instead of Lupus.]
But I never imagined that “someone else” would turn out to be his sister. If it had been a brother instead, it wouldn’t have interfered with my Saintess route.
***
When the hazy recollection ended, I opened my eyes.
“Big bro Licht..! Are you okay..?”
“I’m fine, Prince.”
“Phew, I’m so glad..!”
The future Harem King was sniffling beside me, almost on the verge of tears. Looking at him now, he seemed like a normal, innocent kid. So what caused him to fall apart so badly in the sequel?
‘Was it when Empress Bellin was turned into a card?’
My head felt clearer now. I lifted myself up and began piecing things together. If I considered Mardol or Lupus from Black Heart, one thing was certain — they were obsessed with strength.
“..I have just one question, Prince Lupus.”
“Yeah, big bro Licht! Ask me anything!”
“Did you originally know that Empress Bellin had been turned into a card?”
“Ah, well…”
I asked the question to probe for inconsistencies. Dijur, standing nearby, shot me a displeased look, but I didn’t care.
I needed to confirm my theory. Stepping forward, I put just a bit of pressure on the boy. And under that pressure, he confessed the truth.
“..Actually, I thought she’d gone on a long trip. That’s what they told me… until my sister told me otherwise.”
“I’m sorry for asking such an improper question, Your Highness.”
“No, it’s okay! You’re the one who saved her in the end, big bro!”
When it comes to matters of family, you have to tread lightly. I bowed my head deeply to show my respect and apology, but Lupus frantically waved his hands, telling me not to worry.
I was in the wrong, though. So why was he the one comforting me?
‘So even Lupus, after learning the truth later on, became obsessed with strength like his sister… But in that case, why is Mardol…’
I leaned on my hand, thinking deeply. There was something off about all of this. Why was Mardol, someone who didn’t appear in either the sequel or the original, here in this timeline?
“Do you know why your sister, no—Her Highness, wears that suit of armor?”
“Beats me. She said she’d be weak if she took it off.”
Lupus’s face clouded with worry. His wolf ears drooped, and his tail followed suit. It reminded me of a certain someone. Our Saintess had the same tell whenever she was feeling down. It must be a Lupus trait.
‘It’s probably because of Magic Hat. Considering all the attacks on academy students, it makes sense.’
I recalled the sight of those students who had been transformed into grotesque messes — faces wiped clean, limbs fused together.
Magic Hat really lived up to her title as a “Mad Magician.” She’d even gone berserk trying to get to me, and I’d had to drive her back with Demon Lord Slayer. I raised my hand to the forehead of my helmet.
“Big bro Licht.. seriously, thanks. I heard you saved my sister too.”
“..I only did what had to be done.”
I glanced at Lupus as he thanked me with sincere gratitude. My perception of him had shifted. In the end, this was still the past. No matter how much I hated harems, I was in no position to act like a moral guardian here.
“I didn’t do it expecting gratitude, Prince.”
“You can just talk to me normally!”
“..It’s just a habit. My apologies.”
How could I possibly hate an innocent boy like this? Just like how I saved Charitines, maybe I could change his future too. As long as I didn’t provoke any Demon Lords, it should be fine.
‘So, black hair and golden eyes, huh?’
Using Lupus as a reference, I imagined what Mardol’s face might look like beneath that glass helmet. Since hair color and eye color are both hereditary, I could already see it in my mind.
‘Nex, Lupus, even the Duke’s Daughter.’
Sometimes, the child inherits one parent’s traits. For example, Emperor Roque and Empress Bellin both had black hair and golden eyes. As for pure white-haired Lupus like our Nameless Saintess? Practically nonexistent.
“..I’m not feeling well, so I’ll take my leave first.”
“Oh, alright! See you later, big bro Licht!”
“Take care, Sir Licht.”
If I stayed here any longer, I felt like I’d collapse again. As I turned to leave, I regretted the fact that I’d accidentally planted a flag with Mardol.
‘It couldn’t be helped. It was an accident. I had to save her. Saving a person comes first.’
I kept offering these flimsy justifications to our Nameless Saintess in my heart. I knew full well that these excuses wouldn’t work.
‘The best I can do now is to avoid getting any closer to the princess.’
If I distanced myself from her and avoided creating a harem, it would be fine. People can change, after all. Besides, I had a strong suspicion that Mardol was actually the protagonist of this installment of the story.
If I kept my relationship with her to that of simple comrades, just like with Kainel, everything would be fine.
But my head throbbed in pain. Another new heroine had appeared. Two flowers in each hand—a Saintess and a Princess.
Some people might call that fortune falling right into my lap. After all, this is a male-oriented game. They might even say, “Isn’t it a good thing to have two wives?”
‘That kind of nonsense doesn’t apply to me.’
If I formed a harem, I’d never be able to get close to our Saintess. Love is already hard enough to give to just one person.
My hand clenched into a fist. The only thing I wanted to give to our Saintess was a single blue rose. Two roses weren’t necessary.
On top of that, the Mana Rose is basically a gift item that raises affection points. It’s literally a rose, after all.
The flower, infused with dense mana, glows a brilliant blue, and it has the effect of amplifying magic and enhancing mana sensitivity.
‘There’s no way I can let the princess have that.’
If the Princess—a magic swordswoman obsessed with strength—were to get the blue rose, I could already see where this was headed. Imagine this: she loses to me, a man, and I get the Dragon Heart while she’s handed a mere blue rose.
‘Anyone would see this as…’
She’d definitely think about me whenever she saw that blue rose. There’s a classic trope in games like this where a strong-willed heroine, after experiencing her first defeat, starts to think of her opponent as special.
‘That’s exactly how I became closer to Mardol in the first place—because she thought I was strong.’
If I beat her again, she might start thinking of me as “special.” That’s something I had to avoid at all costs. I needed to lose this match and leave no impression. I needed her to think I was a nobody.
But there was a problem.
With Mardol’s level of skill, she’d likely see right through me if I tried to forfeit or lose on purpose. She was strong enough to recognize when someone wasn’t taking the fight seriously.
‘The Imperial Guard might try to kill me, or they could demand a rematch. Even Laplace would be able to sniff out what I did if they investigated.’
I racked my brain for a plan as I walked. I had to figure out a way to avoid standing out while still lowering her affection points.
‘..If I’m going to lose, I’ll just break that glass armor of hers.’
If I did that, I’d know for sure if Mardol was really a woman. If Lupus was right, and she was his sister, I could confirm it for myself.
At the arena, I’d smash her armor and then surrender. If I did that, I’d probably look like a creep or a coward, and she’d lose interest in me.
Since it wasn’t just her mana shield but her actual armor I’d be targeting, it wouldn’t be hard. Using my martial arts skills and my current resolve, I could pull it off.
At the same time, I needed to lower her affection points. Since I’d already unintentionally gone on what felt like a “dining district date” with her, I had to take drastic measures.
‘To break a Masterpiece-grade item, I’ll have to give it my all as if I’m fighting to win. I was originally going to just throw the match, but that plan’s gone up in smoke.’
No woman would be happy with a guy who wrecked their prized armor. Even someone like me, with no dating experience, could figure that much out.
I let out a deep sigh. Here I was, fooling around with another woman while our Saintess waited.
I dragged my weary, swaying body back to the dorm.