EP.69 19-3. The Difference Between a Guard Dog and a Wolf
***
In her room at the royal palace, Phine Gransia let out a sigh.
“How did he figure it out…?”
As she removed her helmet, she tilted her head in puzzlement. How had Licht seen through the masterpiece armor?
“Does he have sharp eyes like me?”
Placing her hand over her chest, she deactivated the glass armor. Her long, white hair fell down to her waist, and her wolf ears and tail were revealed.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had shrunk, her frame now small and delicate. Only her sorrowful golden wolf eyes gleamed in the glass.
“Even if it’s a masterpiece, it shouldn’t reveal my gender….”
Ever since the Magic Hat incident, she had concealed the fact that she was a woman. Using her younger brother Lupus’ identity, she had taken every measure to avoid getting entangled in Demon Lord-related matters.
“…”
As a child, she had been powerless. She’d watched helplessly as her mother was taken from her and those close to her were killed, unable to do anything.
“He seemed scared… Was it because I’m a woman? Or is there some problem with me being a princess?”
Licht had been almost frantic when he asked her about her gender earlier. Her ears and tail drooped. He must have realized she was part of the royal family. Had he mistaken her for Lupus and treated her without reserve?
‘Come to think of it, aside from that “Nameless Saintess,” he doesn’t seem to have any connections with women.’
Every time Ariel and Kainel had their innocent romantic moments, the black-helmeted man either directed the situation or stepped back, as if it had nothing to do with him. Sometimes, he even pulled Phine aside to excuse her from the scene.
Perhaps he just didn’t like being involved with women.
“I believe that if you truly love someone, you can even give up your feelings for their sake.”
That’s what he had said once. If he was being unusually sensitive because of that, it made sense.
Phine had also been intrusive—grabbing his hand, hugging him, and even pressing her ear to his chest to check if he was alive. She had her reasons, but still.
“What he said back then was sincere.”
The words he spoke when he entrusted her with the saintess. Every one of them was drenched with genuine emotion.
Anyone could tell that he didn’t believe he could stay by the saintess’ side. That’s why he asked someone else to take care of her. Who in the world would be happy about that?
He had always been someone who tried to do everything alone. Even when he fell into corruption as a Demon Lord, he’d donned the appearance of a black-armored knight. If anything, he truly fit the title of “Dark Knight.”
“…I’m a little jealous.”
Who in the world was this person he cared so much for? Someone so special that Licht, with his incredible strength and skills, devoted himself completely to them, yet they never appeared.
For the first time, Phine felt a pang of envy.
He was already at Sword Master level, capable of creating sword aura with mere wind pressure. He had even defeated Magic Hat, whom she and Kainel together couldn’t overcome.
“…He even brought back Mother. The trap was real too.”
Her gaze shifted to the framed portrait of the Queen of Hearts. Bringing it back was proof that he had defeated the Demon Lord of Truth.
“Maybe… he’s a hero from another world?”
Phine recalled Licht’s performance during the grade examinations. He had countered the golden-haired hero’s attack and created new weapons on the spot.
Overwhelming the Light’s Hero, Kainel, should have been impossible. After all, the gods of this world were divided into two classes.
“He may be weak, but… Kainel is likely the chosen hero of the supreme god of light.”
Phine herself had inherited the bloodline of Emperor Roque, the strongest of the Ten Greats, and her mother had exceptional magical talent.
Her strength surpassing Kainel’s was justified. She also had the support of her masterpiece armor.
However, Licht was the only person who trained to Sword Master level purely for someone he loved. Even if his master was Drake, one of the Ten Greats, such devotion was rare.
“…So you can achieve that much through sheer effort.”
It was true. Licht had accomplished everything through hard work. Her sharp eyes had discerned that he was naturally untalented.
“His mana is low, his circuits are twisted… and his body bears the toll of overexerting his swordsmanship.”
She recalled the rough, calloused hand she had held before. Hardened from relentless training, it bore scars that confirmed his wolf-like determination.
“…Holding it makes me feel at ease.”
That was why she had kept clasping his hand. It was cold, but it reassured her. It made her feel like she wasn’t struggling alone, that she had a comrade.
“…Can I win against him in the grade exams?”
In just over a month, he had grown even stronger. She needed to become stronger too. Her hand clenched into a fist with resolve.
“If I’m not first, it’s meaningless….”
She had already lost to Magic Hat once, and to Licht another time. A second defeat couldn’t exist in her vocabulary.
Phine resolved to accept no more weakness. She would give everything to defeat him with her full strength. Last time, she had held back, afraid of dragging bystanders into the fight.
“…I’m looking forward to it.”
Her heart raced at the thought of facing Licht in battle. He would be someone she could fight without restraint. Placing her hand on her chest, Phine began to re-equip her glass armor.
“This armor… I went through so much trouble making it.”
Looking at herself in the mirror clad in the heavy armor, she muttered softly. How had Licht managed to see through her while she wore it?
“But… could it really have been discovered?”
Closing her eyes, she began to reflect, trying to identify if there were any oversights.
***
Phine Gransia’s glass armor was an item that underwent minor modifications every year. The reason it was oversized and heavy despite her physique was—
“Princess Phine, the armor you’re requesting… it’s impossible to make!”
“Why…?”
During the early stages of crafting her armor, there had been heated debates among the dwarves involved. The dwarves, with beards of various hues, had explained the challenges to a young Phine.
“You’re asking us to make armor that completely nullifies magic, is as durable as a masterpiece, and lightweight too?”
“If it’s full plate armor, we might manage, but for light armor? Impossible!”
“Then make it full plate,” Phine replied matter-of-factly.
“Understood!”
If the armor was to nullify the powerful magic of a Demon Lord like Magic Hat, it couldn’t be made thin enough to fit snugly against her body.
Thus, a full plate armor that completely concealed her body was crafted. A dwarf who once muttered, “Armor with exposure increases its defensive power,” was thrown into prison for several days.
Over time, as Phine grew older, another issue arose whenever she donned the armor: her height and build seemed to increase dramatically.
“Your chest is too large! It throws off the proportions!”
“Making such a thing under the name of ‘masterpiece’ is an insult to the craft!”
“…”
Phine’s disproportionately developed chest was the source of constant complaints from the dwarves. They even went as far as locking the forge doors and demanding:
“We need to enlarge the overall size of the armor! Your Majesty, please grant us permission!”
“Yes! This is unacceptable!”
“It’s far too aggressive! The proportions are all wrong!”
With their stubborn and fiery temperaments, even Emperor Roque had no choice but to yield. The assurance that the armor could be made safer also swayed him.
As a result, every time Phine wore the armor, her height grew to nearly match Licht’s, and her figure expanded to resemble a colossal crystal statue.
“Princess, how should we design the helmet?”
“…Do as you like.”
“You said the Demon Lord Magic Hat remarked that the problem was because you’re a woman, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The image of Magic Hat’s face, cackling eerily while muttering nonsensical words as he killed the maids, was still vivid in her mind.
“Then let’s obscure your identity completely! Even your voice!”
“We’ll make it separately from the armor!”
“…Fine.”
“Boys, we’ve got our orders! Get to it!”
The glass helmet was designed to muffle her voice, making it unrecognizable, all in response to the actions of the Demon Lord of Truth during his attack.
“With this, you’ll be safe! We swear on the name of the Immovable Mountain!”
Once all these considerations were decided, the sound of hammers and grindstones echoed as they began forging her armor.
These three elements combined made it nearly impossible for anyone, no matter their detection abilities or magic, to discern Phine’s gender or identity.
***
The armor, shining white like glass, gave her the appearance of a walking crystal. To those who saw it, she could have been called the Glass Knight or the White Knight.
Phine slowly opened her eyes. The dwarves’ design couldn’t have been flawed. Had Licht come into contact with Lupus and figured out her secret?
It made sense—he knew her mother was Bellin Gransia. The remaining possibility was that he’d mistaken her for Lupus and reacted accordingly.
“Hmmm.”
Then it happened. Phine held her breath slightly, feeling a sense of discomfort. She removed the armor again and began inspecting her body in the mirror.
“Lately, the chest area feels way too tight.”
The constriction in her chest was impossible to ignore. Recently, it felt like that part of her body was growing even more.
“It won’t interfere when I fight Licht, will it?”
She had assumed her growth would stop after her coming-of-age ceremony last year, but she had been wrong. Watching the constant swelling of what felt like cursed fat, she felt a mix of frustration and disbelief.
The voluptuous curves she bore were so pronounced that any other man at the academy would undoubtedly throw flirtatious glances her way. It was one of the reasons she went to such lengths to hide her gender.
‘How much bigger is this going to get?’
She bit her lip. Even among elves, known for their beauty, Ariel didn’t compare. During her time at the academy, she hadn’t seen anyone whose figure surpassed hers.
Worrying that others might find her appearance indecent, she sighed and placed the glass helmet back on her head.