Chapter 5-2. Spirits Represent Human Emotions.
Before I knew it, I had joined the table with Nex and Charitines. Nex seemed in a good mood and even paid for my drink.
As expected, chocolate drinks are the best. I can’t handle anything too bitter.
“Ah, thank you.”
“You really hit the nail on the head! ‘Picky,’ huh? Haha!”
The man with purple hair casually put an arm around my shoulders.
To be honest, I was worried that I might have failed. Though I felt a bit uneasy, it was still better than getting caught in the Crown Prince’s route.
“Nex… regardless, it’s not nice to speak ill of the Ten Greats.”
“Char, you’re the one who awakened your spirit with true love, but then you try to push an arranged marriage on your son? I think it’s fair to say a few bad things.”
“Well, you’re not wrong, but…”
As the black-haired nun spoke to Nex in a worried tone, he crunched the remaining ice in his glass loudly.
The sound of ice crackling filled the air.
“I’m not a fan of that kind of thing either, Lord Aureus.”
“Just call me Nex, junior! I’m a second-year student after all!”
“Thank you.”
As I echoed his sentiment, Nex flashed a sly, fox-like smile.
“So, your name’s Licht, and you’re a first-year, huh?”
“Yes, senior Nex.”
“I wonder how a guy like you ended up enrolling in the Academy. It’s pretty interesting.”
“I’ve heard I’m a bit unusual.”
I laughed, a little exasperated. That’s something I used to hear a lot on the game forums.
‘How could a guy like this even like the Saintess?’
Do you really need a reason to like someone? Nowadays, I’m not sure anymore. If you’re upset, just work harder and improve yourself.
At that moment, Nex turned to me, looking curious as I sipped my drink.
“But why did you suddenly start bad-mouthing the family head? Junior?”
“…Because I’ve wanted to get closer to you for a long time?”
“You sure know how to flatter, junior.”
In fact, Nex is more of a disruptor in *Knight Heart*.
If a player tries to build a harem, Nex will intervene and derail them as a rival.
He seems like a playboy, but he’s there to prevent the player’s selfishness.
In an interview, the creator of the first game said that since love is a contradictory emotion, they designed his character that way.
The original *Knight Heart* only supported 1-on-1 romances, unlike the sequels.
‘In the game, didn’t the Saintess once say that Nex didn’t seem like such a bad person?’
If it weren’t for her, I might’ve ended up chasing after other heroines and getting wrecked by Nex.
…No, I probably wouldn’t have even started the game in the first place.
Suddenly, a word flashed through my mind.
“By the way, seniors, do you know of the ‘Nameless Saintess’?”
I decided to ask the nun, Charitines, about our Saintess’s whereabouts since it had crossed my mind.
“…? A saintess? Besides me, there’s no one like that.”
“Uh… what kind of idiot would ask the second saintess that, junior?”
“Excuse me?”
My brain couldn’t process what I just heard. As far as I knew, the first saintess was someone else, and the next one had wolf ears.
It felt like cold ice was being dumped on the back of my head.
“W-what do you mean? You’re saying… you’re the second saintess?”
“That’s right. The one standing right in front of you—Charitines Saintemery.”
“Nex, I told you not to call me by that name.”
“Sorry, it slipped. I was surprised too.”
Saintemery. I had heard that name somewhere, but the situation was too urgent for me to recall.
She wasn’t supposed to be the second saintess?
Cold sweat trickled down my back. I couldn’t breathe properly. Was there any chance this made sense?
‘Something is twisted here. Think.’
The position of the Saintess is chosen by the God of Light, a noble title.
“Are you really… the second saintess?”
“Well, you didn’t notice because Char is so pretty, did you? That’s understandable.”
“Nex, stop saying unnecessary things!”
“Ouch! Don’t hit me with your holy power, Char!”
There’s no way a Saintess could be replaced by someone else. I tapped the table with my finger.
What made the most sense right now was that I had misunderstood, thinking she was the second saintess. My chest felt tight.
‘Use your brain. She can’t be dead. The in-game screenshots showed that. And the status window rewards are still there.’
I swallowed hard. There was a bitter taste in my mouth.
‘Even if she’s not the main character, she’s not just an extra. Something is bound to come up as I continue at the Academy. There’s no way this game-immersed reality will end in vain.’
I took a deep breath, calming my emotions. It was possible that no one knew which generation the Nameless saintess belonged to.
Charitines was a character I hadn’t known about. But the wolf-eared saintess was full of foreshadowing.
“It seems I must have mistaken someone for you. I apologize.”
I bit my tongue. No matter how much I thought about it, I became weak whenever she was involved. To the point that it might interfere with my Grand Route strategy.
“Are you okay, junior? Your hand is shaking.”
“Oh, it really is. Junior, should I heal you?”
“I’m fine. I know a skilled healer.”
Thinking negatively would lead me down an endless pit. I should focus on swinging my sword instead. After all, I can’t be healed in this body.
“…I’ll be heading out now. The morning lecture is about to start.”
“Ah, Licht, be careful on your way!”
I felt a bit dizzy. If she didn’t know the second saintess, it meant her identity was still safe. There was no need to worry.
“Junior, hold on a second.”
I barely managed to steady myself, but the purple-haired man called out to me.
“Yes? What is it?”
“Here, the blessing of the Phoenix. Take care. You look really tired.”
Nex patted my shoulder.
“Tweet.”
The violet sparrow circled above my head once. In the game, it had the power to relieve fatigue. Spirits really were useful.
“See you next time, Black Knight junior.”
He waved at me with a broad smile, concern visible beneath his sly, fox-like grin.
“…I’ll see you later.”
I simply ran toward the classroom. My steps felt a little lighter.
***
As I sprinted, I ran into the hero’s group.
“Oh, Licht.”
“Why are you running? It’s not like you’re late.”
“Helmet guy! Hi!”
“I thought I was late, but I’m not.”
Some things came up. Sweat was trickling down my neck, but I felt a little better now.
“Did you have a good meal with Miss Ariel?”
“…Isn’t it obvious?”
“We ate with Mardol!”
“Yeah.”
Looks like you got stuck with the Crown Prince, Kainel. Today, we’re in the same boat. I felt a bit of sympathy for my comrade who had gone through a similar situation.
The red-haired mage spoke up.
“Have you all decided on your specialties? What about you, Kain?”
“I’ll probably focus on something related to light.”
“There’s already one.”
“Professor Dennis knows my situation, so it should be fine.”
I had a slight sense of unease as I responded to the subtle schemes of the golden-haired hero. How had Mardol gotten so close to Ariel already?
It should be fine, though. Luckily, I had already discussed everything in the club, so there shouldn’t be any failing grades raining down on my report card.
As I felt relieved, someone was staring at me.
“Licht, swordsmanship.”
“Others will trust it if I push that as my specialty. Thanks for the advice.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“How do you understand her so well, helmet guy…”
The Glass Knight nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied. She was someone who was fairly easy to read.
“It’s my specialty.”
I’d figured out how someone like Lupus spoke. Mastering a game strategy begins with learning the patterns. Even if the second game was different, this much was familiar.
“So, Kainel, what’s that cake you’re holding?”
“Ah, t-this? I bought it for myself.”
“Really? Don’t you dislike sweets?”
“Licht, how do you even know that?!”
Of course, I’d know. Kainel was a character who tried to eat sweets after marrying Ariel.
I could vividly picture the scene where he grimaced while eating a chocolate-covered crepe. There were some nice touches in *Blackheart*, after all.
“Is that from the pastry shop earlier? Kain, did you buy it for me?”
“Ariel?! U-uh… yeah. Actually, I did.”
“Thanks! Let’s eat it together after lunch!”
“…Yeah, let’s do that.”