Volume 3 Chapter 15-2 The Tale of the Black Knight
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The classic gold standard is the true lover showing up at the end, teaming up to take down the horny bastard for a happy ending.
Lately, there’s also been a popular reverse pattern where the villain hooks up with the good guy.
”That guy tried to kill everyone in the village, he’s the bad guy.”
”I know he’s the villain. But to me, he’s still the only nobleman I’ve exchanged vows with.”
Huh?
Déjà vu.
Shea-Shea’s line just now… have I heard it before?
Yeah, it was in that play Miss Floria took me to.
The title was something like “The Tale of the Black Knight,” I think.
The original story is pretty old; it’s about 3 princes who defeat a wicked black knight to save their chaste younger sister.
In the theater version written by the Hero who was Summoned, it was a headache-inducing story where a single prince takes down 12 black knights to save 12 sisters.
The play was absurd, with a black knight being defeated every few minutes, but it got rave reviews in the capital for its innovative staging and numerous highlights.
Shea-Shea, the literary girl, must have completely become the story’s princess.
Speaking of which, there was a scene in the play where the princess tries to kill the prince with a poison dart.
After seeing the princess cry her eyes out from her failed attempt, the prince vows to defeat the black knight.
In the story, the black knight who forcibly took the princess’s lips gets taken down, and the engagement is happily called off.
According to Miss Floria, nowadays you don’t even have to do that; you can just go to the church and sort it out.
If a woman reports to the church that her lips were forcibly taken, the engagement is canceled, and the man pays compensation to settle it.
Shea-Shea should know that much, and Ms. Lucia at the village church should have explained it properly.
But, well, you know.
Among the old-fashioned nobles, there are still some who prefer to settle things with a duel rather than accept compensation.
They solve it with swords, not money──a kind of dandyism.
Shea-Shea isn’t a noble, but she might have become the story’s princess.
It’s not Don Quixote, but there seem to be quite a few people who can’t tell the difference between fantasy and reality.
I can’t help but feel this is a bit stupid, but here we go; I’ll really get into my role as the prince.
”The knave who stole the princess’s lips has become rust upon my sword. The chains that bound you have been severed.”
I twist the lines of this half-remembered script and give it a go.
Technically, I took him down with arrows, not a sword, but let’s not sweat the details.
”Well then, is what you say truly the case?”
Shea-Shea’s response was extraordinary; in an instant, she transformed into her character. What a terrifying girl.
It’s a bit unnerving to hear her deliver theatrical lines so casually, but she’s such a stunning beauty it doesn’t feel out of place.
”It’s true that I killed Alex once. He was sentenced to death for his crimes, after all.”
You could call him immortal, but for him, it’s just that the resurrection magic works 100% of the time.
Apparently, there are various ways to force someone to ‘lose’ their life, and I hope he never shows his face around me again.
”You were fighting with your life on the line to save me, weren’t you? Please forgive me, the foolish one who almost harmed my benefactor without knowing.”
Shea-Shea delivers an impressive performance.
The joy of being saved from disgrace mixed with guilt over trying to kill me is perfectly conveyed in her every movement.
Normally, this would just be the act of a painfully awkward girl, but when a super-beautiful girl does it, it adds an air to it.
”No, I was genuinely surprised by the poisoned needle. I’m sorry I hit you. That must have hurt, right?”
Shea-Shea’s jaw is slightly swollen now.
Even if it was self-defense, hitting a girl leaves a bad aftertaste.
”No, thanks to you, I’ve awakened from a bad dream. This is a happy pain.”
Shea-Shea gently touches her swollen jaw, tilting her head to give me a bright smile.
It’s a stunningly beautiful smile, but for some reason, it feels really scary──very scary.
A cold shiver runs down my spine.
Yep, I really struggle with this girl.
”I will repay this favor with my whole life.”
At this moment, I didn’t fully grasp the true meaning behind Shea-Shea’s dramatic words.
* * *
”She definitely misunderstands. This is all Saburou’s fault.”
When I reported the situation to Ms. Nina, who was anxiously waiting at the blacksmith, she looked troubled for some reason.
”Saburou only knows the Tale of the Black Knight, but there are plenty of similar novels out there.”
Ms. Nina says that all stories seem alike, but they broadly split into 2 types.
One type is like the Tale of the Black Knight, where a woman’s relative, like a father or brother, defeats the scoundrel.
These are tales of family love, often celebrated as beautiful stories of defending the family’s honor and pride.
The other type is where a man outside the family defeats the scoundrel.
As in many Earthly fairy tales, the man who defeats the villain often ends up marrying the woman he saved and living happily ever after.
”No way. That’s just silly…”
I’m not related to Shea-Shea, so there’s no way I’ll end up marrying her.
”You know, the prince’s line: ‘You’re not tainted because I defeated the bad guy.’ Essentially, he’s proposing to the princess, saying ‘Forget the past and marry me.’”
Ms. Nina has a habit of saying some pretty bold stuff.
”But Shea-Shea might not think that way, right?”
”She was so worried about everything that it was driving her crazy, but now she can smile again, right?”
”I think it was a relief to know that Alex wasn’t coming.”
”She must have known that information before. Maybe she felt trapped, thinking she couldn’t have a proper marriage, and felt saved when Saburou proposed.”
Damn, Ms. Nina’s words have some serious persuasive power.
No doubt about it, Shea-Shea has the wrong idea.
”Would she really be happy with a guy like me?”
”You told her you saved her with your sword, right? That’s the line all the girls in this world dream of hearing, isn’t it?”
This is bad. If I tell Shea-Shea that my previous line was a misunderstanding, she’ll probably chase me to the ends of the earth with a poison needle.
”What should I do?”
”Does Saburou hate her?”
It’s not that I hate her.
I might be a bit awkward around her, but I don’t want her to hate me either.
She’s got some intense delusions, but there’s no way I could hate Shea-Shea. She’s got a nice look and personality.
What matters is the right distance.
As a married couple, being too close can be a problem, but I’d like our relationship to be friendly enough for us to greet each other warmly.
”I know she’s a good girl, so I don’t want to hurt her. Wouldn’t it be hopeless to say I’m sorry because I have someone I like?”
This is my first time rejecting a girl, so I can only think of the usual ways.
”In most countries, polygamy is legal~desuwa.”
Now that I think about it, in this world where I can cheat as much as I want after marriage, I’d rather not create a harem.
I’ve heard that I might end up having to take care of all my wives, after all.
”I’m in a bit of a bind. What should I do?”
”You need to think seriously and find the answer yourself. After all, a flower’s life is short, so it’s not good to keep a girl waiting.”
Does Ms. Nina want to set me up with Shea-Shea?
If I end up with Shea-Shea, I wouldn’t have trouble with reading or writing even if Ms. Nina disappears, and her healing magic is quite impressive.
I really hope she isn’t thinking of trying to fill her own void with Shea-Shea.
I don’t like jealous women, but I wouldn’t mind a little jealousy from Ms. Nina.
Huh?
Putting marriage aside, wouldn’t having Shea-Shea as an ally be pretty reliable?
Having an excellent healer would also lessen Ms. Nina’s burdens.
As I pondered various things, I found myself getting more and more troubled.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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