NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48
*
Celestial Demon White Lily.
Cursed Spring Dragon.
A person summoned from another world to fight against the Hero Church alongside Dennis.
Originally a companion, they became lovers, proving that love can blossom even on the battlefield.
“Celestial Demon..? White Lily..?”
But due to the Demon King’s power of All Knowledge, this person is one of the Ten Heroes who only achieves freedom at the ending of [Night Heart].
What is this person doing here?
“Huh, what a unique boy I’ve barely saved from becoming ragged.”
She fluttered her black cloak and sighed discontentedly, looking down at my body.
Pina, no wounds. No pain. My life is still intact.
“..How am I still alive?”
“Your danjeon seems fine. Well, it’s a magic used by weaklings, so depending on divine power, it makes sense.”
All my torn and broken bones and muscles had healed. Now that I think about it, this person was ranked 2nd among the Ten Heroes. Thank goodness. I thought I was surely dead since I have a constitution that can’t heal.
I clenched and opened my palm, feeling life return to me. I breathed. The injury to my ribs was completely gone.
It’s cheating. So that’s why they’re called Celestial Demon.
“Thank you, Celestial Demon.”
I conveyed my gratitude to the Celestial Demon who completely healed me. Surely, she must have used her inner power. I bowed my head slightly.
“Kuhuhu..! It’s been a long time since I had a guest, so I might have exerted some power.”
The brown-haired woman grinned, revealing her sharp teeth. She was adorned with white lily hairpieces and a striking black hanbok.
I didn’t know this character couldn’t be recruited as a companion in the game. Is it different because she lived in a martial world? Well, they’re meeting within their own circles.
“So, boy, who exactly are you? You seem to know my name, so you must not be an ordinary writer.”
“I’m Licht. Black Knight Licht.”
“Oh, so you’re…”
Huh? Something feels off. I could sense a killing intent. A chilling sensation froze me.
“Were you just a Demon King a moment ago?”
Before I could say anything else, a blade was pressed against my neck. The cold steel’s sensation was sharp.
‘..Of course, it’d be normal to react like this when related to a Demon King.’
Swish- A cold sensation grazed me. Tiny drops of blood barely formed on the sword that the Celestial Demon held.
I didn’t even see her draw the sword. It was incredibly fast.
“Well, it was interesting watching Demon Kings fight, so I spared your life for now…”
Think, think! What is a way to survive here? The life I barely hooked onto could drop again.
“But knowing even the girl’s name is quite unsettling.”
So, she was testing whether I was a Demon King or not. Damn it.
A piercing dragon’s gaze was staring daggers at me. The immense damage from Head Ake was still fresh. I guess after being cursed, she must have lived apart from her beloved…
Ah, I have an idea.
“..Wouldn’t you like to see your beloved, Dennis?”
Players who played [Night Heart] would definitely know. The setting of being Dennis’s forgotten lover was basically on the promotional poster from the start.
“..What? H-how do you know that?”
Of course, I know! I’m a reincarnated player of the game. But if she were originally from this world, she should have completely forgotten about it.
That’s understandable as the Demon King of All Knowledge had his hands in it. Even Dennis could only resist some of that power.
Clang.
The sound of my sword clashing with the ground resonated. I let out a sigh of relief as I stared at the sword that the Celestial Demon had dropped. A gap created due to surprise.
“There’s a way to know everything. Celestial Demon.”
I had to speak carefully here.
“Even for a Demon King, you can’t defy ‘ignorance’. How did you manage this..?”
“..I’m also a disciple of Dennis.”
I confidently reframed myself as a student of the academy so that the Celestial Demon would understand.
Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at me.
“A disciple? That doesn’t make any sense. I alone should remember the memories with that man. Surely, the Demon King Head also…”
“Professor Dennis still remembers you. He talked a lot about you.”
“..To hear that name from someone else’s mouth.”
There’s barely a feminine statue in the Ten Heroes sculpture, barely representing White Lily.
“Professor Dennis has now become a mentor who teaches people.”
“..He used to do this awfully funny stuff too. Alright, you must be indeed Dennis’s disciple.”
The dragon’s characteristics were that he couldn’t overcome ignorance, asking for human-like requests. But watching this, it definitely seemed like I was speaking to the Celestial Demon I knew.
‘Dennis was set up to defend with his entire body while drinking.’
The reason the white aura shines was also because he was nicknamed a drunkard. It was even the reason for his downfall in the bad ending of [Night Heart], as he languished away longing for spring.
He was a human who twisted water magic to use his magic as alcohol. If blood could contain alcohol, Dennis was ready to theorize that.
“I don’t know why, but you’re avoiding ignorance.”
“Perhaps that’s true.”
Everything I faced was because I loved this cursed Spring Dragon. Seeing the Celestial Demon who doesn’t oppose me, I opened my mouth.
“Kuh.. The longer I live, the more bizarre things I see. So, I’ll trust you, treating it as if I’m deceived.”
“Thank you, Celestial Demon.”
Only the Celestial Demon herself holds the memories now. There’s no way she wouldn’t trust me who knows all this as Dennis’s disciple.
“So, boy, why have you gotten so bloodied while opposing the Demon King?”
Her eyes widened with curiosity. Let’s tell the truth so I can gain her trust. No way I’d live after lying to a Celestial Demon.
Having just dreamt of the Saintess, I decided to be a bit more honest with my feelings.
“..To protect the one I love.”
“Hoo, saying something like that, you can’t be the Demon King of the Hero Church!”
As soon as I mentioned love, she finally smiled brightly and spoke. Characters who know the options are more convenient. Just barely cut the death flag.
“The Demon Kings of the Hero Church think only of themselves.”
What I just said was an extremely altruistic statement. If he were truly a Demon King, he would want to have their loved one. The Hero Church is just that kind of scum.
“Right, you must have that ability to imitate the Demon King, boy.”
Among them, he was a sad character who couldn’t meet his beloved. Having said this much, it was understandable. As the misunderstanding cleared, the killing intent dissipated, and I could breathe again.
“So.. why are you here, Celestial Demon? I was trying to stop the Demon King’s escape…”
I raised my body, stretching my muscles. I’m completely healed now. I could pick up my sword and use a Void Slash if it came down to it.
“Are you really that clueless? You fell from the sky above! What a ridiculous boy.”
Seeing me like this, White Lily let out a laugh like it was absurd. What is it? Why is she laughing? I glanced around in confusion.
“..Is this the endless forest of monsters I once knew?”
Something felt off. It was indeed the forest I was in earlier, but now it felt thicker and eerier. It took on an overwhelmingly wrong form.
“Technically, it’s the center of that forest. It’s inaccessible through normal means.”
“What do you mean by that?”
No, it’s just a center, so why is it so ominous? I questioned the Celestial Demon again. I couldn’t let it slide without answers.
“This place is like a living prison. Boy.”
“Does that mean…?”
She exhaled deeply and gazed blankly at the empty sky. I started to grasp why she was acting this way. I also raised my gaze to the sky.
“…”
Bright-looking heavens. But it felt eerily out of place. The clouds didn’t shift at all. No matter how long I stared, they didn’t budge.
Oh no.
“Due to the power of ignorance, it’s a place where you can’t escape.”
“Then you too, Celestial Demon.”
“Right, I’ve been here for about 15 years.”
This was the reason she could only reappear at the end of [Night Heart].
‘It had been said she was confined somewhere and couldn’t get out because of the power of ignorance.’
So this is where it was. I ended up trapped while chasing Magic Hat. I touched the forehead of my helmet.
Here we go again with the Head guy.
I thought I landed a blow against the Demon King of Truth, but now I was entangled strongly with the power of All Knowledge. I need to go back to the academy before bothering the kids.
“Is there… no way out?”
“If you find the direction to escape, it can be done. Boy.”
“Direction…?”
I’m still alive!
*
Swordsmanship Training Hall of Grand Hertz Academy.
“…”
At that place, the glass knight swung his sword tirelessly until dawn.
“Your Highness.”
Nex Aureus looked at that scene with an unimpressed expression and soon spoke to the weary Pina.
“..I heard about Licht, the junior. He suddenly went missing. But Your Highness, you don’t have to be this way. It’s not your fault.”
“It’s my fault…”
“Really? Did Licht really say that?”
He probably wouldn’t have said that. Pina put down her sword and approached Nex, getting angry. Her frustration at her own weakness burst out.
“But if I… if I were stronger..! I wouldn’t let Magic Hat take him like my mother did..!!”
Memories of the past continued to haunt her. She didn’t expect the Black Knight wearing a helmet to sacrifice himself for her.
“It’s all my fault.. Licht too…”
At first, she thought he would just show up again with playful words, but things happened too suddenly, and she took it too lightly herself.
But no matter how many days she waited in the forest, Licht didn’t show up, and the imperial guard didn’t know of his whereabouts either.
“If only we had fought together…”
“Your Highness..”
He most likely died. The Demon King of Truth is genuinely powerful.
She hung her head. If only she had listened to that man and tried her best a little more. He had disappeared, having sacrificed himself to protect them, even after falling into corruption with Kainel’s Holy Sword.
“Nex, do you think a kind Demon King really exists?”
“Are you talking about your junior?”
“…”
Honestly, at first, she was scared thinking he was a real Demon King. Yet Licht didn’t change. If she had acted faster, she could have stopped him, Pina thought.
“If it’s about your junior, I think there might be one.”
“..Really?”
“Yeah. In truth, you know that both heroes and Demon Kings are the same people, right?”
“..That’s true.”
While she hesitated, he left me a message to take care of the Nameless Saintess and walked into danger.
“In the first place, your junior is too innocent. I don’t believe someone like that could be a Demon King.”
“..Exactly. It’s my fault.”
“Licht is alive. In my opinion, he’s that strong of a person. Your junior.”
Upon hearing Nex’s words, Pina regained her determination. She thought she needed to grow stronger.
Just like that man, being weak enough to protect is merely the same as sacrificing.
Exactly the opposite person of herself.
He was unique and strong, and yet he was weak while lying.
The contradictory Black Knight continued to swirl in her mind.
“..If I meet Magic Hat again…”
Thus, approaching the wooden doll once more, Pina said,
“Then, I’ll do my best, just like Licht.”
Swish.
Her movements perfectly replicated someone wielding a sword, their will too.
Thud, thud. Sounds resonated through the training hall.
The wooden doll was perfectly split in half as she flawlessly mastered Drake Style’s Shadow Slash.