24-1. I stretch out my hand toward the moon, but I can’t reach it.

A hot summer night.

There is a sight that can only be seen when darkness sets in. The soft lighting and the loud laughter of people. At the festival night market,

“Come on!! Then let’s celebrate the successful completion of today’s festival!!”

“Cheers!!”

“Cheers. Ariel are you drunk already? I told you not to drink….”

“hehehe~ Kai~ Don’t mind that!”

I was sitting across from a couple of warriors, drinking beer. I’m not good at drinking bitter things, so it’s more like beer than soju.

“Let’s toast together.”

“Damn it.”

I bumped into the glass like the glass knight sitting next to me. She wanted to give her a little bit of support. After all, my curiosity almost hurt me.

“Rich, you’re already drunk.”

“..No, it’s okay.”

“Red. Cute.”

Mardol smiles while pointing at my neck. How else do you know I can’t drink? I also can’t beat the main character.

It’s like this even though I’ve already had one drink slowly. Well, it’s been five years since I kept swinging my sword to protect our saintess. Although the mind inside the body is already old.

‘This year is an adult here.’

This is the first time I’ve had alcohol here. Should have been adjusted

I looked around. Students sitting at outdoor tables drinking and eating food while enjoying the summer festival night.

Some of them are oni with brown wolf ears, tails, and horns. They had the appearance of a different race.

‘There’s also the Inrang tribe…. But why don’t you really have gray hair? He’s not even an albino.’

No matter how you think about it, Grand Hearts Academia was similar to a real university except for the fact that the midterm exams were replaced with group assignments and the final exams were replaced with yearly exams.

‘Is it natural since it’s a game?’

There were a few people from other worlds in the setting, so it wasn’t strange to bring in a few real education systems.

“Kai! Look over there! Salamander skewers!”

“Yes.. It’s a Salamander.”

A wizard who taps the hero’s shoulder and talks about the store in the distance. He was already drunk and in a good mood.

“Mr. Kynell. Would you like to go get some extra food with Miss Ariel? I will give you the money.”

I winked at Kynell. Hurry up and go buy it. If you don’t notice like this, what will you do when you get married later?

“Licht. What can I buy for you?”

“Me and Mr. Mardol will have something to eat. Mr. Mardol. What would you like….”

As I was about to ask the doctor who had removed his makeup, there was a bang and the large beer mug next to me was emptied.

“Richt likes something.”

Mardol was wiping the mouth of his glass helmet and letting me know that his alcohol level was higher than mine.

“..Then grilled wyvern legs, please.”

“I won. Licht.”

The princess makes a V again and shows me. She propped her face against her own chin this time. Took this drunk

“Mr. Mardol. I don’t drink alcohol in such a hurry.”

I started to worry about her more and more. Maybe she feels more comfortable because she doesn’t know her face.

After a while. When Kainel and Ariel leave,

“It’s okay. Licht. I drink knowingly.”

“..Yes?”

“Just.. I’m a little sad today.. Isn’t it funny?”

The Mardol was speaking in a normal tone. Did i eat shit? It’s not. It should be fine since it’s a dwarf beer.

“Licht, I knew you were… Pushing me away on purpose.”

“…”

“If you don’t notice that too… Yes, you idiot. Fool.”

He kept making circles with one finger on the table, saying with his body that he was very drunk. It seems that her unique fighting spirit has been activated.

She looked at the many empty beer glasses beside her. Should I carry this?

“Is it obvious? Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Richt… Because I’m a bad person….”

“Don’t beat yourself up.”

“..Not yet, I don’t know. I haven’t changed anything.”

Fluffy. With her head down on her table, she was looking at me with her head to her side.

‘It hasn’t changed.. Well, my self-esteem must be completely low. I can’t help but think that way.’

It must have been really difficult. She was amazed to see her drunken and limp.

“Still, you have changed a lot since I first saw you.”

“..Where are you going?”

“Hmm.. Kind of heart? I must say it has become softer.”

“Pervert. Licht.”

Again it was Mardol who was giggling and giggling again, but she seemed to be thinking about something for a moment.

“..Licht. Even if Magic Hat did something wrong.”

She was the one who confided her troubles to me with a crying voice before long.

“I don’t think I am a good person.”

Mardol resents and curses himself for not being able to protect the people from the demon king. The eyes that could be seen through the helmet were already weeping.

“Suddenly why….”

“..Richt hates me too?”

“…”

She paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to say to her. In the end, if you turn away and cover her wounds, they will fester. It’s nice to get all her sad memories out and blow them up when you can.

‘..The guilt is too heavy. I must have kept these worries to myself.’

Of course, it’s okay to run away from problems that can’t be solved right away, but isn’t she releasing the burden in her heart right now?

“Don’t say that. I am….”

Someday you need to face it. Let’s cheer up a little. I opened my mouth to Mardol. I drank the sweet beer because of the bitter taste in my mouth.

“Among the girls I know, I think Mardol is the best.”

It was true, except for our saintess. The misunderstanding with the crown prince has been resolved, and I think that as her colleague, she is a reliable enough person.

“..A lie.”

“hahahaha, I’m serious.”

A strong person who taught me swordsmanship and tried to fight alongside me when I walked into the limbs to fight the demon king. A transparent and noble glass knight.

“You are a good enough person. From the very beginning of thinking about that.”

That was the Mardol Grancia I knew. She was naive and kind, except for some erratic parts, to the point where I didn’t care that she was a princess.

“..So, please value yourself a little more. It makes me sad.”

If it weren’t for her, I might not be here right now. Assuming she hasn’t learned Wolffang. The same goes for Kainel and Ariel.

“Good liars. Eight.”

“Eh, Mr. Mardol?!”

It was then. She opened her arms and put her hand on my helmet. Then he pulled her face closer and was less than a hand’s distance away.

“..Licht.”

“..Why is that?”

“Can’t you show your face? Face armor, you can put it up.”

From a distance where even the hot breath was felt, the golden wolf eyes in the glass helmet looked like crescent moons. From the beginning, you were aiming for the two of you to remain alone.

“..Later, later. I also need to prepare my heart.”

“It’s a promise. Please.”

Maybe I was taken aback by the taste of alcohol. Or you could think of it as atonement for bringing out painful memories. Me and her a lot drunk, skit that happened for a while.

“Yes, it is true that I did something wrong today.”

I felt nostalgic somewhere. What will this person say when he sees my scars?

“..I look forward to it. Licht.”

In this way, one wolf succeeded in biting and swallowing its prey.

***

A hazy scent of alcohol wafting through the body. Fine Grancia, who went by the pseudonym Mardol, felt something uncomfortable.

‘..That’s a lie. Richt is an idiot.’

The man sitting next to me was dissatisfied. Her good eyes could pick up on Licht’s lies.

“Of all the girls I know, I think Mardol is the best.”

But the woman who came after her was a good enough person, and she was telling the truth when she asked that she value herself.

It was nice to be able to feel Finé’s feelings even if he didn’t bother trying to catch her with her eyes. I felt a sense of deja vu about this.

‘I think I’ve heard it somewhere.. Ah.’

She is probably a nameless saint. That person must be the problem. The man wearing the black knight helmet must have said it without thinking.

“..I am angry. Licht.”

“Stop drinking. You were too drunk.”

“I hate it. I hate it..”

She was jealous all the time. No matter what, it was because she was the one who was by Licht’s side now. He was a kind person who picked me up right away when I sprained my leg today.

‘Licht’s back… was solid. Wide…. What?’

Is it because of physical contact with a man I met for the first time in my life today, or because I drank too quickly? Fine felt her face continue to heat up in her helm.

‘It must be because of my mood. Yes. Drunk.’

Shaking her head vigorously several times, I tried to regain her composure.

Even though she knows that she is a princess, she may be grateful that she doesn’t ask for anything or treat her as if she were superior, but treats her like a true friend.

‘I want to know him more. It’s probably because she’s a saint or something gets in the way.’

She thought as she poured her beer again. Fine is a kind man like showers who listens to her own worries and encourages her.

“Give me the cup.”

“..Huh?”

“I will serve you as the black knight.”

No, to be precise, he was a man who looked really good with a black black knight helmet. A scar that can be seen through the slightly lifted faceplate.

Licht, who took Fine’s glass right away, hurriedly poured her beer so as not to embarrass her. Because of that, he didn’t turn his head and drink as usual, so his mouth was a little visible.

‘..Burn marks.’

She didn’t think it was handsome when she saw it. How can you look at that and think like that? Rather, it was sad and sad.

‘How painful was it? Richt…’

Seeing Licht’s scar from his childhood, his heart sank and he became depressed. It’s Fine himself, though he just needs to cover his face with glass magic.

‘I want to heal you.’

That man was a man who couldn’t even hide his scars. When he says he’s looking at an injured puppy, he feels just right. The alcohol ran away a little.

“..Why is that?”

“No. I just… I thought you must have had a hard time too.”

As I watched Licht quietly, he opened his mouth. I guess it was too blatant to look at.

‘..If I say that it heals at will, it must be hurtful.’

Fine shook her head and brushed off her thoughts. He won’t be able to heal because of his twisted magic circuit.

‘Because we’re not that close yet…’

There is no such thing as frustration if you say you will do it for nothing and then fail. Irresponsible sympathy is worse than God.

“Friends, let’s cheer up each other.”

“Yes.. Licht.”

Talk. And she leaned her head on Richt’s shoulder. Perhaps because of his drunkenness, the man wearing the black knight helmet did not push Fine.

He just silently supported the glass helmet. Her rising sense of security made her involuntarily raise the corner of her mouth a little.

“..The moon is bright today.”

“I will. Mr. Mardol.”

A night with a beautiful full moon. The feelings of the two men and women, who seemed to be distant, put weight on them, and the distance became a little closer.