EP.73 20-3. To Know Love
***
The pitch-black darkness enveloped everything. Phine Gransia trembled in uncertainty.
‘Where is this…?’
She found herself in a jet-black void where not even a speck of light existed. She was clad only in her helmet, her once-proud glass armor now gone. Though she still wore clothing beneath, the situation left her feeling exposed.
Her distinctive white tail, typically hidden under her attire during battle to avoid distractions, remained tucked away.
Ever since she had been struck by Licht’s Shadow Fang, things had spiraled into this state.
‘What do I do…? My armor is completely gone.’
She had tried summoning her Masterpiece Armor again but failed. Worrying about the possibility of her feminine figure being visible to the audience, she instinctively wrapped one arm around herself.
“Mardol, so you really are a woman.”
“…Licht?”
Before her, the dark knight in his helmet appeared, his voice calm as he sighed softly at the sight of her.
“What a shame. I was hoping to see your face.”
“…”
“Well, can you stand?”
His composed demeanor, along with the hand he offered her, seemed to suggest there was nothing to fear in the oppressive darkness surrounding them.
“…I’ve been exposed.”
Her glass helmet still concealed her face, but the vulnerability of her armorless state felt deeply unsettling to her.
“Everything… everyone else must’ve seen it too…”
Her body shivered slightly beneath her helmet. The audience, who had been watching the match, would now know she was a woman. That knowledge could compromise her ability to protect those close to her, especially against Magic Hat.
“It’s fine. Only I can see you, Mardol.”
“What…?”
Her anxieties seemed inconsequential to Licht. His hand extended toward her gently, as if to reassure her.
‘It’s fine…?’
Using her sharp vision, she scanned the darkness around her, her golden wolf-like eyes searching for any glimpse of the outside world. Yet, the darkness seemed impenetrable, leaving her completely disoriented.
“No one outside can see this. This is my Sim Sang, my inner world.”
“…It’s true.”
“I’ve lived a pretty bleak life, you know.”
If this was true, then no one in the audience could see her. Despite her best efforts to pierce through the void, it was impossible. Relief washed over her, but anger began to bubble beneath the surface.
‘Why did this man… destroy my armor?’
Wasn’t it enough to merely damage the outer protective layer? What reason did he have to go this far? Even Dennis’s powerful magic hadn’t been able to penetrate her armor like this.
“I wanted to confirm for certain that you were a woman. I’m sorry for being so rough.”
“…”
“Magic Hat and others… if I don’t know certain things, it makes me uneasy. I truly apologize.”
As Licht spoke, his sincerity broke through her confusion. His reasoning began to make some sense.
‘I suppose it’s important to him. My gender, that is.’
The Masterpiece Armor had disconnected temporarily when Licht targeted the mana core linked to her heart. She placed her hand over her chest, piecing the situation together.
“…Here. For now, wear this, Mardol.”
Seeing her unable to stand, Licht averted his gaze awkwardly and handed her his coat.
It was a large Academy uniform adorned with the Empire’s wolf crest, its size sufficient to cover her entirely. While putting it on, she noticed something unusual.
‘Huh?’
He was fidgeting, avoiding her gaze. The once-composed man was suddenly struggling to act natural.
‘He’s… embarrassed?’
Her sharp vision caught the slight tremble in his brown eyes. Licht was flustered, likely overwhelmed by the sight of her.
He had destroyed her armor to confirm her gender, yet now he was doing everything possible not to look at her.
What a ridiculous man. Every time she shifted slightly, he recoiled, even taking a step back at one point.
“Licht, you’re such a pervert.”
“I’m absolutely not.”
His free hand lifted to shield his helmet’s visor, as if that could hide his embarrassment. Even though his physique was intimidating, his reaction was so innocently awkward that she couldn’t help but smirk.
“You know, stripping someone’s armor like this is a crime, Licht.”
“Just stop. I admit I was wrong.”
She wasn’t about to let this moment slip away. Intertwining her fingers with his outstretched hand, she firmly held on, feeling his increased unease radiate through the connection.
The fierce wolf-like aura from earlier seemed to have vanished, replaced by a flustered puppy.
“…Pervert.”
“…”
The man before her, hidden behind his dark helmet, now seemed as harmless as a playful dog. She found his visible discomfort entertaining and wanted to tease him further.
‘I’ve never seen anyone react like this before.’
The frosty mask she usually wore melted away, replaced by a sly fox-like grin. The coarse texture of his hand against hers gave her an unexpected sense of comfort.
After a moment of silence, he spoke.
“I know I messed up. Can you stand now?”
“Fine. I’ll forgive you, Licht.”
Even though his helmet obscured his face, the redness creeping up his neck betrayed his embarrassment. Using his support, she stood.
‘A reassuring scent.’
As she moved, the faint smell of him embedded in the coat reached her nose, tickling her senses.
Being a wolf-like Lycanthrope, she had an acute sense of smell. It had even helped her track him during their last group assignment.
“Don’t worry. You’ll be able to put the Masterpiece back on soon.”
Licht’s words broke her train of thought, his reassurance strangely soothing.
“…Licht, are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Without your armor, you’re vulnerable…”
She couldn’t fathom why he seemed so unbothered about exposing a weakness. Any other person would have used this against him. But she knew Licht wouldn’t.
“Mardol.”
He was the same man who had saved Bellin Gransia unconditionally. If he’d wanted to leverage royal power or wealth, he could’ve done so already.
Did he even realize the gravity of what he’d done? Stripping the imperial princess of her armor and leaving her exposed should’ve been a capital offense.
“As I said before, everyone has their weaknesses.”
“…Really?”
“Don’t believe me? Haven’t you been watching me all this time?”
“…”
It was true. Despite his strength, Licht became utterly defenseless when it came to the Nameless Saintess or whatever connection he had to her.
“Well, anyway, it doesn’t bother me that you’re without your armor.”
Licht’s words carried a strange sense of reassurance. He was a paradoxical figure—not perfect in strength, yet somehow stronger than anyone else she had met, except her father.
“To be honest, you were the hardest opponent I’ve ever faced.”
“I am strong.”
“Yeah, you really are. If I hadn’t used Shadow Fang, I might’ve lost.”
An exchange of mutual respect. The recognition from someone as formidable as Licht filled Phine with a rare sense of pride.
‘Licht… he must’ve used his shadows to ensure no one saw me like this.’
A thought crossed her mind, recalling his attitude and the way he had even adjusted how he addressed her since the match began.
‘Even if weak… it can still be protected.’
Had he launched Shadow Fang without creating the glass dome first, someone in the audience might’ve seen her vulnerable state.
‘He waited for the right moment.’
Her keen eyes picked up on the subtlety of Licht’s intentions. He had likely anticipated her ability to isolate the space, just as she had done against Armored Queen B.
“I don’t mind that you’re weak.”
“…”
Phine Gransia had always been obsessed with strength. To her, being anything less than the strongest was meaningless. She believed it was her duty to protect the weak from the Demon Lords.
“That’s why… maybe lean on others a little more. Mardol.”
Her resolve to fight alone stemmed from guilt for the people who had died because of her. It was why she hadn’t fled the chaotic battle against Magic Hat.
Now, however, she had someone to rely on. Someone who didn’t criticize her weakness, who had saved her mother and healed her wounds—a benefactor she could trust.
“Stop carrying everything by yourself. I’m here, aren’t I?”
“…Fine. Pervert.”
Licht, who stood as her equal—or rather, someone stronger—had lifted a heavy burden from her heart with this clean and decisive defeat. She found herself able to lean on him, even just a little.
The conversation ended, and the two stood with their backs to each other. Time passed in the darkness, the stillness wrapping around them.
“You can look this way now, Licht.”
“Are you sure? Wait, no, you’re not ready yet!”
“…Pervert.”
After teasing him a few more times, Phine finally donned her Masterpiece Armor once again. Its integration restored, the proud white knight, Mardol, reappeared.
“Ah, now it’s really back on. Phew…”
Her commanding presence returned, the full plate armor transforming her back into the image of a dignified warrior.
“Oh, right. And don’t worry about your ‘strength.’ It’s not going anywhere, Mardol.”
Licht’s next words carried a cryptic weight.
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean, Licht?”
“Exactly what I said. It may look like I won this time, but…”
As he spoke, he dismissed the darkness surrounding them. The arena came into view once more, bathed in sunlight, and the audience reappeared in the stands.
“…The official result will count this as my loss.”
With the sun shining behind him, Licht’s silhouette shimmered, making his expression difficult to discern. Before Phine could fully process his words, a voice rang out.
[“TIME IS UP! THE WINNER IS… MARDOL!”]
Laplace’s booming announcement echoed throughout the arena, confirming the shocking outcome.
***
[“Because when the time ran out, Licht’s mana barrier was more damaged!”]
Licht turned away, walking toward the exit of the arena, his back to Phine.
‘This was my goal from the start.’
A result that wouldn’t expose her to the audience, yet still made sense to someone like Mardol, who was so fixated on strength.
‘The special rule prevents a draw.’
[“The ultimate winner is… Mardol! The strongest first-year of Grand Hearts Academia is Mardol! Congratulations!”]
When time expired, the victor was determined by who had more mana remaining in their barrier. And in this case, it was Mardol.
This arrangement ensured Licht could secure the mana rose while leaving Mardol with the top spot. From the beginning, his attacks had been designed to dismantle her Masterpiece armor without causing significant harm.
“Licht!!”
Her voice, sharp and full of emotion, slowed his steps.
“…Why?! Why did you lose on purpose?!”
“Who knows? Maybe because you’re stronger?”
“Lies! Licht!! I lost after you hit me with Shadow Fang—”
How she managed to figure that out, he couldn’t say. But with the roar of the cheering crowd, no one could hear their conversation. To the audience, it appeared Licht had been defeated.
“Sometimes you have to lose to protect what matters, Mardol.”
“…What?”
Licht needed the mana rose. If Mardol received the second-place prize instead, it would set her on a path where her feelings could grow—a subtle nudge toward a route with greater affinity.
The knight in heavy armor stood steady, while Licht, battered and staggering, walked away. If they fought again now, he would lose.
‘Honestly, I’m completely spent. I can’t use my Sim Sang anymore today.’
Before the referees questioned anything, he had to leave. His reserves of inner energy were utterly depleted.
‘It’s a shame. If I’d seen her face, I might’ve been able to push her from my mind completely.’
Mardol, with her helmet always on, had hidden even her hair from view. He hadn’t even caught a glimpse of what he assumed was dark hair.
“Wait! Licht!! This isn’t right! If you’d just broken my mana barrier earlier—”
He had already gained everything he wanted: the mana rose, a deeper understanding of Mardol, and some relief for her trauma. Step by step, he moved toward the exit.
This was enough.
If there was anything left undone, surely the Saintess would scold him for it later. After all, he had stripped another woman’s armor in the process.
‘Unforgivable! A perverted beast! A shameless fiend!’
A faint regret lingered—perhaps he should’ve considered Mardol’s feelings more. But if this incident brought them closer and led her to reveal her true self to him later, it would be worth it.
“I’ll demand a rematch! Or at least a change in rankings—!”
“Oh, right. You’re not as annoying when you ramble on like that.”
“What…?”
Would she hate him for leaving it like this? Mimicking Nex’s playful tone from the rival route, Licht teased her one last time.
“Licht!! Don’t go…!”
With her mana depleted, Mardol couldn’t stop him. Reaching out to grab him, she stumbled, her legs too weak to keep up.
“Well then, see you later, Mardol.”
In the end, they’d need to face the Demon Lords together. This solidified her path as an ally.
Even with little romantic experience, Licht knew this outrageous event wouldn’t hinder their growing bond.