(Continued)
If I got more involved, I’d end up triggering a flag. Eavesdropping on the protagonist’s backstory?
This was bound to lead to the crown prince’s route. The developers weren’t subtle about it.
‘You’re the only one who understands me, young lady!’
And then, I remembered Lupus, who would bombard heroines with confessions.
Disgusting. It was still too early to give up on the Saintess route. There was no one else in my heart.
Unless the Platinum Wolf had someone she liked, I planned to prioritize her happiness as much as I could.
Just because you follow a route doesn’t mean you’ll always succeed in romance. You can’t manipulate emotions.
That’s what love is.
I didn’t think that following the game’s story would automatically make someone fall for you.
Even knowing someone’s preferences doesn’t guarantee a successful confession. Even someone like me, who’s never been in a real relationship, understands that.
I learned a bit about that from the unnamed saintess’s favorite book.
[..Please, don’t go around telling anyone that I read romance novels, Sir Knight.]
That’s exactly why I can’t stand male protagonists in those crazy harem stories. They may be plausible, but they lack realism.
At least put in some effort if you’re going to win someone’s love.
I leaned back in my chair, feeling tired.
“Excuse me… Would you like to order, sir?”
“Oh, yes.”
A server approached me while I had my eyes tightly shut. Of course, they couldn’t see my expression through the helmet.
Alright. I’ve made up my mind.
An eye for an eye, a route for a route.
“Do you happen to have the drink that changes from ash to gold?”
“Pardon? We don’t serve anything like that here, sir.”
“That’s a shame. The ingredients are a bit tricky, after all.”
The server gave me a blank look, as if I’d just spoken nonsense.
“I thought an unhatched phoenix egg was fairly common,” I added.
Not that it mattered. I wasn’t asking with any real intent.
“…What?”
It worked. The playful smirk on the fox’s face vanished, replaced by a look of disbelief. This was the advantage of knowing the right dialogue choices.
“Nex? What’s wrong?”
“Hold on, Charitines. I need to check something.”
Nex Aureus stood up and began walking toward me, his footsteps growing faster.
He never expected to hear those words outside the family.
It was a jab at his current family head, Asha Aureus.
‘Asha Aureus, who realized love and changed her hair color—a DLC from her side story.’
It was a secret most people didn’t know. She was one of the Ten Greats, but her spirit couldn’t awaken.
The story took place in a distant past, where a girl with ashen hair faced the downfall of her family due to the unawakened phoenix, and the player would save them.
If you progressed through her favorability route, her hair would gradually turn gold, and by the end, she’d fully master her spirit, like Asha Aureus in the main storyline.
Honestly, it seemed like a cash grab to me, being a supporter of the Saintess route. But it’s funny how reading forum reviews turned out to be useful now.
*Screech!* The chair in front of me scraped across the floor.
“Hmph, commoner. Have you lost your mind? If it were just insults, I could overlook them.”
“I’d say I’ve only half-lost it, my lord.”
“…Do you know what happens when you slander one of the Ten Greats, commoner? Regret speaking such things before the heir of the Aureus family…”
His tone shifted back to the one I was familiar with.
‘You know the Academy doesn’t care about status, right? You slipped up because you were in a rush.’
Now he’s even trying to act. Sorry, but you’re not fooling me. I know exactly how to deal with you; you’re a *Knight Heart* character, after all. I could see Nex’s eyebrow twitching in frustration.
“Isn’t it worth listening to? Forcing a marriage contract to awaken a spirit when you didn’t even go through with it yourself.”
A cold smirk formed under my helmet. I never liked the idea of political marriages, and this came from the heart. There was no way he could use this against me.
“Aren’t you afraid of the living sun? You must be insane.”
“You feel the same way, don’t you?”
“Wh-what? How dare you…”
“Let’s be honest. You’re the one who refused to take the wealth your family was offering.”
I remembered his old reputation as the playboy who used to tell women to get lost, claiming he didn’t need their money.
In the end, they stuck around for his looks and his powerful spirit.
‘He was always a character with some baggage.’
I knew that the marriage contract had been forced on Nex, and it had messed up his life. That backstory was long and detailed in the lore.
“How do you… Wait, who are you, exactly?”
“There are ways of knowing things. You’re one of the Ten Greats, so you should be aware of that.”
By now, he should be able to pick up on the hint. I could easily make him think I had connections with a sage. Even if I was found out, I had an excuse that I was one of Drake’s disciples.
He dropped his threatening attitude and fell into deep thought.
“…Senior, that thing you said just now. You were serious, weren’t you?”
The intense aristocrat from earlier disappeared, and he reverted to a tone I hadn’t heard before. He must’ve figured out I was his junior at the Academy.
‘Can’t let my guard down with this guy.’
Of course, he was a high-IQ character. If I didn’t know, I would’ve fallen for his tricks. He truly lived up to his reputation as a rival. Kainel could learn a thing or two from him.
“Yes, I meant it.”
“Haha.”
Nex’s face briefly stiffened before he broke into a grin.
“…So, you don’t like our family head either! This is the first time I’ve heard someone say that.”
“I’m not particularly fond of them, no.”
“Good. We need people like you. I like your spirit, junior.”
The fox grinned widely, as if he’d found an ally.
Ignoring the server, Nex leaned in closer to me, his face mere inches away. The reflection of the golden phoenix crest glinted in his eyes.
This purple phoenix might just be the key to escaping this route.
Mr. Harem Smasher, I’ll be counting on you.
***
At the *Gransia Empire Patisserie*, a small shop tucked away in one of the Academy’s alleyways, there were three individuals—just like with Licht.
“So, why’s Mardol here…?”
“I have no idea…”
The blond hero and the red-haired mage stared at the Glass Knight.
“Regular.”
Having already devoured several plates, she was now muttering to Kainel’s group.
Movement was visible within her helmet.
The hero did his best to ignore it as he spoke to his childhood friend.
“…Ariel, what do you want to eat?”
“As long as it’s something sweet… huh? They’re out of candy?”
“Here, I’ve got some.”
Then, she handed several candies to the mage. Just like the Dark Knight, Mardol kept her face hidden.
“Oh… Thanks, Mardol. Do you like sweets too?”
“Yes. A lot.”
“Me too! Do you have any recommendations?”
“This one, and the strawberry cake.”
It seemed that food was the way to get closer to people.
“I’d love to try the strawberry cake…”
“Eat it as dessert.”
“Then what should I have for breakfast?”
“The sandwich. I recommend it.”
Mardol had already attached herself to Ariel, explaining the different kinds of desserts. Seeing Ariel so happy, Kainel simply watched over them.
“Wow, this is so cute. It’s a bear-shaped sandwich!”
“…Cute.”
“But it’s expensive…”
“I’ll buy one for you.”
“Really…? But let’s split the cost and share it, Mardol!”
“Alright.”
The two girls bought the bear-shaped sandwich and split it in half. It was quite a large portion for just one person.
“Oh, this is really good. Thanks!”
“Agreed.”
Ariel happily munched on her food like a contented squirrel, while a glass wall stood beside her.
“By the way, why do you cover yourself with glass when you eat? Just like Licht.”
“If I reveal myself, I’ll get weaker.”
“I see…”
Watching Mardol hide his face even while eating with them, the red-haired mage asked a curious question.
Upon hearing it, Ariel quickly nodded, assuming there must be a secret behind it.
‘I’ve seen this somewhere before… Ah.’
A sense of familiarity tugged at the back of Kainel’s mind. The scene felt eerily familiar.
“Is it a knight’s custom to give people candy? You know, Mardol?”
As Ariel packed away the strawberry cake she wanted to try, Kainel also took a seat.
Someone wasn’t present in this situation.
His roommate, the Dark Knight, came to mind.
“No way…?”
“What are you talking about, Kai?”
The two girls looked at him, confused.
“Never mind. Must’ve just been my imagination.”
He shook his head.
It was a secret he decided to keep among the guys.
‘There’s no way Licht had candy just because of Mardol, right?’
Even as he thought about it, the idea seemed far-fetched. No matter how dense he was, it couldn’t be that.
He even bought a crab sandwich and bit into it.