Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight – Chapter 27.1

Chapter 27: 8-4. The Purple Phoenix and the Vampire Saintess.

***

“..Is the spirit still not responding?”

“No.. Mother..”

Nex Aureus.

His childhood was an unlucky one.

He had always been seen as a promising figure, the eldest son of the Ten Greats. However, as he grew older, rumors continued to spread about his inability to summon a spirit.

“Could it be that the young lord was picked up from somewhere?”

“Shh, be quiet. Someone might hear!”

“It doesn’t matter. What use is a spiritist without a spirit? He has no talent in swordsmanship, and unlike a wizard, he doesn’t even have a vast amount of mana.”

“Even his hair color is different from the family head’s.”

Without the title of being from a renowned family famous for its spirits, he would have been just another ordinary person with no particular talents.

“Young lord, we are all rooting for you.”

The same maid who had been gossiping about him moments earlier now said these words. Nex had grown up witnessing such hypocrisy, which made him despise lies.

“No matter what, you will not punish the maid. Nex.”

“Mother, she called me a bastard! This is an insult to our family…”

A maid who insulted a noble family. Normally, it would have been a grave matter, severe enough to warrant death.

“..What does it matter?”

Asha Aureus, however, simply spoke calmly, with cold eyes. For some reason, she seemed excessively composed.

“Wh-what? But, Mother…”

“If you are truly a descendant of the Aureus family, you should be able to prove your own worth.”

“…”

“What? Are you afraid that you might really be a bastard?”

“No, I am not.”

His mother had golden hair, while his was purple. It was enough to make him feel that something was strange.

“..So, I just need to prove my ability?”

“Indeed. At the very least, as the eldest son, you should have that much ability.”

“Understood… Mother…”

On that day, Nex learned how to read people’s expressions. He guessed that there was something deceptive at play, that they were hiding something from him and treating him poorly because of it.

“What do you mean by that, head of the family?”

“Just as I said. Spirits are born from emotions.”

Despite his efforts to become stronger, his mother’s cold demeanor did not change even after several years.

“If you’re desperate, I’ll even find you a bride. Maybe then your spirit will awaken.”

“I absolutely refuse. Do you think I’m like you?”

“Anger is a good emotion. I’ll take that as acceptance, Nex.”

After he completed his coming-of-age ceremony, marriage proposals started flooding in. Perhaps it was because he had finally expressed his anger toward Asha for the first time.

“I’ve come here at the request of the head of the family.”

“Send them back.”

“But I am here on behalf of Asha, one of the Ten Greats, known as the Living Sun…”

“I said, send them back!”

He despised the idea of a harem. He was afraid that, even if he got married, his wife would secretly despise him, just like that maid from his childhood.

‘What should I do? I can’t disobey the head of the family.’

He needed something that would keep women from approaching him. So, he adopted the mask of a villain, making it a habit to speak harshly and twist his expressions.

“Hah, woman. No matter how hard an orca tries, it will always be beneath a phoenix. Shouldn’t you be marrying a spirit instead of me? What a lowly family.”

“..How dare this spiritless trash insult our family..!!”

‘As I expected. She was after my family’s fortune all along.’

As Nex continued to live like this, he came to believe that the world was full of deceivers and liars. Even the nobles who treated him kindly would gossip about him behind his back.

Then, while he was honing his spirit sensitivity and intentionally living like a rogue….

“Ahhh! Sir Meow!! Stop right there!!”

‘How ridiculous. A vampire… and she’s the second saintess? The world truly is mad.’

Forced to attend a social event, he met the one saintess who could understand him.

A woman who saw Nex Aureus the man, not just his lack of a spirit.

***

Nex was now checking on Charitines’ well-being, and I had suddenly become invisible to him.

I expected him to start asking questions about the Hero Cult or accuse me of being in league with the Demon Lords, but no. He didn’t seem to have any doubts about the puzzle I had solved.

From what I knew, this wasn’t like him.

“Are you alright, Char?”

“Ah, Nex. I’m fine. I just dozed off for a moment… Where are we?”

Nex’s eyes were still trembling, and his hands were shaking in fear. Time passed briefly.

Suddenly, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Confirming that she wasn’t hurt, he hugged her in a reunion embrace, his eyes moist, as if he was on the verge of tears. To see this cold rival character transformed like this…

Perhaps it was because of what he had experienced in Servi’s nightmare. After all, dreams can often become nightmares.

“I’m so relieved. Truly. I’m so relieved…”

“You’re suffocating me.. Nex..”

“..Just stay like this for a little longer.”

The vampire nun, squirming uncomfortably, clearly didn’t understand.

But it didn’t matter. She was alive, and that was enough. Had Nex been on the traitor’s path, she might have died. The original storyline went that way, after all.

“..I’m so relieved you weren’t hurt.”

I let out a sigh of relief. I had been worried that my game knowledge might not be effective. I had been sweating nervously while solving the puzzle and now collapsed into my seat.

“Oh my, Licht junior?!”

“Junior helped get us all the way here. I barely did anything. Haha..”

“Then even the succubus… it was the junior’s doing?!”

“That’s right, Char.”

Despite being embarrassed from hugging Nex, the second saintess raised her voice at me. But I didn’t mind.

If this was the happy ending, I would gladly welcome it. At last, a smile spread across my face.

“Chirp..!”

Suddenly, Nex’s sparrow flew toward me from behind. Huh? Helios Midnight was still active, the sun hadn’t disappeared from behind me. It wasn’t possible to leave the body like this…

Ah. So that’s what it was.

“Chirpy..?”

“I’m sorry, Char.”

As the spirit burned the ropes, allowing her to move freely,

“Why..? Nex.”

“There’s a reason. I’m just really glad you’re alive…”

“When was I dead? I’m still the second saintess, you know!”

“Demon Lords are like that, Char…”

Nex loosened his hold on her, easing the embrace. The two lovers looked into each other’s eyes while the phoenix circled them.

“Didn’t you find me already…?”

“..I just hate myself for being unable to do anything.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Nex…”

“Char, you should’ve seen what the junior did.”

Charitines blushed, but Nex didn’t stop talking. He must’ve gone through a lot to get here.

“I guess I’ve never been honest with myself.”

“Nex, I’m really fine! I almost got caught by the succubus, but I’m okay!”

Of course, Nex must have been extremely worried about something happening to his lover. The fact that he checked for any injuries the moment they reunited made it clear.

“This may sound like an excuse, but ever since I was a child, I’ve hated people’s lies, so I put on a mask.”

“..I know that too.”