《Reincarnated as the Mastermind of the Story (WN)》 Volume 2 - CH 1 In Legend of the Seven Heroes I, as the story neared its climax, many incidents broke out in the Imperial City. A certain nobleman died of unknown causes, and a knight of the Kingsguard, terrified by something, turned his fangs on the Third Prince. The third prince was taken away. And the tragic corpse of the knight who was supposed to have taken him away was found. There was no end to the number of high-profile nobles, regardless of faction, who were attacked, and in a short time, the prosperous Imperial City of Leomel was plunged into chaos. Some called it an invasion by another country. Others bellowed that it was the wrath of the Lord God. But that wasn¡¯t the case. No one expected it. That this was an attempt by a single nobleman. That this was a declaration of war by him. That all of this unthinkable behavior was the work of a man driven by vengeance. The protagonists thought it was impossible. But to find out, they leave the imperial capital and travel to a large city. ¡ª To see what they can find out about the noble who rules the city. But there¡¯s no possibility left for that to happen. The future of Marquis Ignat had changed drastically because of the presence of Ren Ashton. ***************************************************** About a month from Clausel was a picturesque metropolis known as the City of Water. The streets are lined with white brick houses and waterways are everywhere, and the sight of boaters is a popular tourist attraction. The city¡¯s almost circular structure is based on the original seaside terrain and its huge harbor is also famous. It has also been called the ¡°white crown¡± because of its majestic and elegant appearance. The royal family that ruled the Leomel Empire visited the city many times. The name of this great city is Eupheim. The distance to Clausel has just been explained, but Eupheim is about two weeks away from the imperial capital. Therefore, it was an important aspect not only in land transportation but also in shipping. In other words, the nobleman who governed Eupheim had to be competent and wise enough to leave no stone unturned to the neighboring countries. ¡ª Because of this, no nobleman would fight with him. The great city of Eupheim. The current ruler¡ª- his name is Ulysses Ignat. He¡¯s a handsome man with jet-black hair that has a blue sheen and is a young nobleman of thirty-five years of age. ¡°Hello, Edgar.¡± He welcomed Edgar, who was back from Clausel. In the garden of a mansion in the center of Eupheim, a place worthy of the name of a small castle. ¡°I¡¯m back. It seems you haven¡¯t changed, Lord.¡± ¡°Of course! It¡¯s a beautiful day. I was just thinking of messing around with the heroic faction!¡± Ulysses then looked at a table in the garden. He took his seat and urged Edgar to sit down as well. But it was outrageous for him, a servant, to sit with his master. He had only been home for a short time, but he refused to sit down. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to sit with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but I¡¯m a butler.¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t listen¡­. Which then shall it be? Should I stand as well? Then we¡¯ll be equal.¡± However, he can¡¯t let his master stand. In the end, Edgar agrees and takes a seat. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear what happened at Clausel.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll give you the report now.¡± Edgar told the story of what had happened at Clausel in detail. First, he mentioned the civil servant who had been guided by Viscount Givens, from the first day of the trial to the final judgment. He then touched on how they were almost taken to the imperial capital, and mentioned the return of Ren and Licia. Finally, he told Ulysses how they had played an active role. ¡°Heh¡­ so he really is a great boy then?¡± ¡°Yes, without a doubt.¡± ¡°Even compared to the children of heroes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I felt. I¡¯m certain the Lord would agree that Ren Ashton is worth more than gold.¡± Hearing this, Ulysses smiled carefreely. He also praised Edgar¡¯s deed when he heard that Edgar had handed him the black piece of paper. ¡°I heard a good story. I think it has helped to ease some of the irritation I feel toward his Majesty.¡± ¡°My Lord¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it. I know that the reason ¦§is Majesty didn¡¯t provide the materials was for the sake of the royal family.¡± He knows that. But he¡¯s not convinced. ¡°That case also involved Fiona. I¡¯m well aware that it wasn¡¯t a simple matter.¡± But¡ª- ¡°Sometimes I think about it. I wonder what I would have done if Fiona had lost her life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­..¡± ¡°I might have staged a coup. I might have assassinated the third prince, who is touted as the next emperor and wished for the destruction of Leomel. ¡ª- sorry, don¡¯t give me that look.¡± Edgar¡¯s cheeks twisted in nervousness as he listened to the story. Every word spoken was too swashbuckling, even though he knew that common sense wouldn¡¯t allow it to come true. But that¡¯s just common sense. Edgar knew that Ulysses, sitting in front of him, was capable of doing that. ¡°¡­.. But it¡¯s fortunate, the young lady¡¯s condition couldn¡¯t have been suppressed without the Thief Wolfen material.¡± Ulysses nodded with a mysterious look on his face. All this while keeping in mind that he owed it all to Ren Ashton. ¡°So, I¡¯d like to be on good terms with the Clausel family.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you mean the Ashtons?¡± ¡°Well, technically, both of them, but you see, nobles are a pain in the ass. If I mess with the Ashtons, I¡¯m no better than that stupid viscount.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon.¡± Ulysses said in a cheerful voice, ¡°It¡¯s fine¡±. ¡°Shall we work?¡± The true meaning of Edgar¡¯s question is whether or not to bring the Clausel family into the faction. ¡°Baron Clausel is a noble among the neutrals, with no close relatives. If the Lord moves¡­..¡± ¡°Stop it. Such a vulgar behavior is the same as the heroic faction. Baron Clausel is almost considered to be a member of the royalist faction, and if I avoid doing something bad, I¡¯ll be repaying the favor.¡± Ulysses shrugged his shoulders with a bitter smile. Then a voice reaches them, ¡°Father?¡± Soon after, a young lady appeared, bringing with her the scent of flowers. ¡°Edgar! You¡¯re back!¡± The young lady appeared, her jet-black hair reminiscent of obsidian with purple crystals fused into it. Her waist-length hair is swept by the spring breeze, and as she walks with the sunlight on her cheeks, she looks so pretty that she could be mistaken for a fairy or an angel. Her skin is snow-white and deceptive. Her well-defined features make her look more mature than her age. Her age is two years older than Ren and Licia. Her mysterious loveliness only makes her appear precocious. ¡°Welcome back. How was Clausel?¡± Her amber eyes, dignified and proud, turned to Edgar. ¡°It was a good trip. But, Fiona-sama,¡± Fiona is the daughter that Ulysses had mentioned earlier. Edgar advised the young lady without fear of being rebuked. ¡°As I have already told you, please don¡¯t use that kind of tone with your underlings.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Edgar should know better. I¡¯ve always spoken this way because of my mother¡¯s influence. So I can¡¯t fix it, even if you say so.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡° ¡°Please give up. Because there¡¯s nothing you can do to fix it now.¡± Fiona said with a smile on her face. Contrary to her light manner of speaking, she showed a strong will that would never break. ¡°Father. I, too, would like to go to Clausel and express my gratitude to Ren Ashton.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to do the same, but Baron Clausel has asked me to wait. We¡¯re from different factions, and since I¡¯m the Marquis, It¡¯s not so easy.¡± ¡°So how about a letter?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea, but we should respect Baron Clausel¡¯s wishes in this case.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Fiona turns over in disappointment. Fiona, whose life was saved by Ren, wanted to avoid causing trouble for the Clausel family. But she definitely wanted to express her gratitude to them someday. Fiona looked up to the sky and prayed to the Lord God Elfen for that day to come soon. ¡ª¡ª¨C Author Note: From today, we will be updating every day, just like Chapter 1, so I hope you will add this work to your day¡­! Also, I have only one message. ¡°Due to various circumstances, I would like to raise the age of Ren and Licia by about three years.¡± In the plan, we will further delay the time when Ren started learning the sword from Roy to make it more consistent. In the future, we plan to adjust it little by little within Kakuyomu, but for the current situation, please take a look at the situation in which the two are three years older. Example after adjustment: Ren was eleven years old when he defeated Jerruku, and Licia was ten years old because her birthday was summer. Other than that, there are no particular changes or adjustments. We apologize for the sudden change, but we hope that you will enjoy Volume 2. Volume 2 - CH 2 This spring, Baron Clausel¡¯s domain was hit by a crisis unlike any in its history. The reason was that Viscount Givens, who was entrusted by the emperor with an adjoining territory, had made Baron Clausel the target of a factional war. The village of the Ashton family, located on the frontier, was particularly hit hard, and the only daughter of Baron Clausel, Licia, the saint was there. Licia was kidnapped by Viscount Givens. She was on the verge of dying due to an illness, but she miraculously survived. ¡ª- All because of the efforts of a boy named Ren Ashton. Sometimes he used his resourcefulness, sometimes his innate strength, to single-handedly protect Licia. Ren, however, suffered a great wound in return. As a reward for protecting his daughter, the Baron promised to let him stay at his mansion to rest and recover. Thanks to his efforts, after two months and a few days, Ren was confident that he would make a full recovery. ¡°I think I¡¯m all right now.¡± Ren muttered to himself on the bed, his black and brown hair blowing in the breeze coming in through the window, a smile on his neutrally shaped face. He stands up with a satisfied look on his face and approaches the guest room window. From there, he looks out and sees Licia working on her morning training. (I have a promise to keep.) To have a duel with Licia. Ren cannot return to his village until he has dueled with her several times, as promised. Even if it was already past June and Ren¡¯s birthday had passed before he knew it, he didn¡¯t want to be a liar. (Thank God for potions and magic tools.) Thanks to this, muscle weakness was kept to a minimum, and it didn¡¯t take too long before he could walk on his own. This has allowed Ren to walk around the mansion as part of his rehabilitation and he has also visited the gardens with Licia¡¯s guidance. ¡°Let¡¯s do something.¡± After getting dressed, Ren left the guest room alone and proceeded down the corridor, which he had recently become accustomed to walking down. Unlike the mansion where he lived, the floors in this mansion are soft and comfortable to walk on. The thick carpeting was soft on Ren¡¯s injured feet. ¡°Hm, boy?¡±. A voice came from behind Ren. It was Weiss, who was walking from the other side of the corridor. Weiss, who is also the leader of the Clausel family¡¯s knighthood, was busy with his daily duties, but he was helping Ren with his rehabilitation every day. ¡°Weiss-sama. Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning¡­.. But boy, are you feeling better already?¡± ¡°Apparently so. I¡¯ve been diagnosed as being close to a full recovery since the other day and I¡¯m already as light as I used to be.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Weiss nodded, looking deeply relieved. He still regretted the day of the attack on Ren¡¯s village and wanted severe punishment even though Ren and Licia made it back alive. However, Weiss had left Licia¡¯s side that day at her behest. Licia had spoken out and made it clear that there was no way he¡¯d be punished. ¡°Did you have breakfast already?¡± ¡°Yes, I had it in my room as usual. I¡¯m going outside to exercise now.¡± ¡°By exercise, you mean¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to look like an ugly person if I¡¯m too lazy.¡± Weiss said, ¡°Hmm?¡± He soon realized that Ren¡¯s attention was focused outside the window. ¡°I see. So you¡¯re dueling with the young lady. But don¡¯t overdo it. The master also said so.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I won¡¯t push myself too hard.¡± ¡°I hope so¡­¡± ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t want to keep Licia waiting any longer.¡± In fact, I watched Licia train every day. Looking down from the guest room window, there¡¯s a square where she does her daily training every morning. Watching her, Ren¡¯s gaze would lock with hers every day, and they would wave to each other. ¡°¡ª- Before I go home, I promise I will duel with you again.¡± Licia noticed Ren muttering this, and she waved her hand at him when the training was over. ******************************************** As he exited the mansion and approached the plaza, Licia approached with light footsteps. The skirt of the white dress she wears when she trains is slightly swaying in the wind. It seems that those clothes were the only ones that miraculously survived the burning of the Ashtons¡¯ mansion. When Roy and Mireille came to Clausel the other day, they were returned to Licia for those reasons.. She was very happy, because the clothes were a keepsake from her mother. ¡°¡ª-!¡± Licia¡¯s legs immediately stop and she moves away from Ren. When Ren wondered why, she picked up a towel she had left on a nearby bench and began wiping off her sweat. The knights who were dueling with her were teasing her, and they laughed slightly. ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s a look for the young lady we haven¡¯t seen before.¡± Weiss said, while smiling. (I shouldn¡¯t worry about that.) Ren, with a smile on his face, took in the fresh air outside with his whole body. The garden in this mansion is lush and green, and just taking a deep breath is pleasant. It¡¯d be nice to train here because the greenery would be a feast for the eyes. ¡°Ren!¡± Licia, who had just finished wiping off her sweat, came running up to me. Her hair, which looked like pure silver woven with purple crystal amethyst, had regained its silky luster, unlike when we were on the run. Her exquisitely shaped face looked a little more mature after that experience. The morning sun shines on her, and she smiles a dainty, somewhat angelic smile and says to Ren. ¡°Are you okay now? Aren¡¯t you pushing yourself too hard?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve been able to walk without help recently and I¡¯ve even recovered enough to run.¡± ¡°I see, but still¡ª¡° Licia¡¯s lips pout with a moody appearance. ¡°I was just worried¡ª- So, what¡¯s up with coming outside? Are you taking a walk?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t want to go for a walk. I just wanted to get some exercise.¡± ¡°What kind of exercise?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to duel with you, so I think I need to hold a sword for the first time in a while.¡± After saying this, Ren walked beside a stunned Licia and proceeded through the plaza. In one corner of this place, there is a shelf where several training swords are propped up. Ren looked through the shelves and found a sword that was the right length for his body. ¡°Ho, you¡¯re really going to duel with me? You¡¯re not joking?¡± ¡°I made a promise, you know. ButI have to get my intuition back, right? Otherwise, I¡¯m going to lose easily.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s you, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Ah , You¡¯re not in a rush, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not. I was just stating the difference in our abilities.¡± Licia¡¯s words perplexed the knights nearby. ¡­¡­ Oh, the lady said those words without regret! ¡­¡­ So you are that strong Ren-dono ¡­¡­Weiss-sama also approved of him, right? The knights were also looking forward to seeing Ren wield the sword, just as Licia had done. They wanted to see firsthand just how powerful Ren Ashton was, as they had heard so much about him. Ren was standing beside them as they exchanged words, gripping his sword for the first time in a long while. But it didn¡¯t feel right. The feel of the sword in his hand was different from that of his wooden or iron sword, and there was something strange about it. (I guess I don¡¯t have a choice.) He decides to be patient and rolls up his shirt. The exposed arm is equipped with a bracelet used in summoning a magic sword. ¡°Why do you have the same bracelet as before?¡± ¡°My parents prepared a similar item for me. It is a fake, though.¡± ¡°Hmm. I see.¡± The bracelet is a lie, of course, but he can¡¯t equip this bracelet unless he says so. Incidentally, the dagger that Licia had said she was going to give to Ren wasn¡¯t found in the warehouse of the mansion, so she was determined to order another one soon. (For now, just a little bit.) Ren, thinking of swinging the sword, moved away from Licia and lightly waved his arm. The grip didn¡¯t feel right, but the sensation of swinging the sword was much the same as before. (I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m really recovering.) He further stands around as if the opponent is right in front of him. Conscious of the imaginary Thief Wolfen, he dexterously swung his sword with a mixture of foot judgments. Then, the sound of splitting the sky echoed through this square. The lush green grass on the ground of the square swayed in the wind created by the sword pressure. ¡°¡­¡­Hou¡± Weiss exclaimed. The knights, realizing that Ren was a stronger man than they had imagined, stared at him speechless. Licia was looking on in a good mood with her hands folded behind her back. (Surprisingly, not dull.) While many were surprised, Ren increased the speed of his sword even more. The swing of his sword became sharper, and the pressure of the sword pressed down on everyone¡¯s skin. ¡°Ren.¡± Licia came to his side and called out to him as his sword settled down. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Not much different than I thought it would be before I collapsed. I¡¯m still a little out of shape, but I¡¯m mobile enough.¡± ¡°Good. ¡­¡­I wonder if my sacred magic had some effect.¡± Hearing those words, Ren thinks back. Licia, who was a frequent visitor to the guest room when he was resting on the bed, used her sacred magic to improve his health. Thanks to that, he recovered quickly thanks to the synergistic effect of the potion and other ingredients. (And also, physical ability UP (small) Having moved more than he had thought possible, Ren prefaced his speech with, ¡°Well then, ¡ª-¡°. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a light duel with you once.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Eh?¡± ¡°But only for rehabilitation, please. I still can¡¯t move as well as I used to.¡± When a startled Licia was at a loss for words, Weiss spoke up instead. ¡°Boy! You¡¯re not ready yet!¡± ¡°I can handle a light duel.¡± No pressure, he said, and went on to stand with Licia. Licia, half pleased and half surprised by Ren¡¯s words, smiles. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Ren nods. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just do some light rehabilitation today. So this is not a match, but a little exercise. Okay?¡± Ren, who had been calmly rebuked, scratched his cheek with an embarrassed look on his face. But then the situation changed. The two of them picked up their training swords and just before Weiss gave the first signal, he said. ¡°Please be gentle.¡± Licia looked at Ren as he said this and was surprised to see that he was still the same or even more powerful than before. She realized that after that battle, he had grown up even more. And she felt, She was feeling more tense in front of the pressure that was drifting from him. ¡°I wondered if it was my line to say, go easy on me.¡± His strength that protected me hasn¡¯t changed at all even though it¡¯s been a long time. Volume 2 - CH 3 It was on the night of the day Ren stood with Licia that the consciousness of those who serve the Clausel family came together. Those gathered in the hall of the mansion were talking about Ren. ¡°He was brilliant. I didn¡¯t expect anything like that.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s no surprise, he¡¯s not only capable of defeating Thief Wolfen, but also the Maneaters.¡± The knights praised Ren. ¡°We mustn¡¯t forget about Ren-dono¡¯s character.¡± ¡°And you all saw it, right? The young lady looked disappointed after her easy defeat, but more than that, she looked up at Ren-dono with a proud expression on her face. We mustn¡¯t forget the chemistry between the two of them.¡± The servants continued. As the conversation indicated, Licia was easily defeated against Ren. She had grown stronger over the winter, but Ren had also grown stronger after his battle with Jerukku. ¡°So, Weiss-san,¡± One of the knights said to Weiss on behalf of everyone. ¡°We would like Ren-dono to stay in this mansion.¡± ¡°I understand your feelings, but¡­¡± ¡°Weiss-sama. We, the servants, feel the same way.¡± ¡°I say again, I know how you feel. But the boy says he¡¯s going back to the village. It would be a shame not to be able to keep such a gifted young man in the house, but the master who owes a great debt of gratitude to the Ashton young master is willing to go along with the boy¡¯s wishes.¡± The knights and servants let out a sigh. If that¡¯s what Lessard, who hates unreasonable force, said, then he wouldn¡¯t give in even if they all asked him to. Everyone thought this way. ********************************************************** In the guest room that Ren was in. ¡°How long are you going to stay here?¡± Licia, after taking a hot bath, went to the guest room and sat down on the bed where Ren was resting. Ren was in the middle of reading a book at his desk, so he sat down on the chair by the desk. (This doesn¡¯t seem to be her way of telling me to get the hell out of here.) Ren took these words to mean how many more times they would be able to duel. ¡°I thought I¡¯d duel with you a few more times, Licia-sama. How many times would you like?¡± ¡°A thousand.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°So, for now, a thousand times will do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Even if I duel once every day, that would be almost three years. In fact, I¡¯d be prepared to double that, since I can¡¯t duel every day. (I don¡¯t feel bad about being bought for my skills, though¡­¡­.) He looks up and sees Licia, who is somewhat intimidating. She looked at me with her beautiful eyes that seemed to suck me in, and I almost nodded my head. And, for the time being. If we were to duel with her a thousand times, it would be a long plan. ¡°You can live in this room.¡± ¡°My duty is at ¡ª-.¡± ¡°Since Ren is a member of the Ashton family, I think he should do his duty as a knight in this mansion.¡± ¡°Not exactly a knight yet, but the son of one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Licia was more stubborn than ever. But if you look closely, you can see the impatience on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not going to say a thousand times, so just go a little later.¡± She was worried that once he had fulfilled the standing duel he had promised, he¡¯d leave quickly. Her uneasiness is also very heartening to Ren. (Well¡­. I wasn¡¯t going to do it just once either.) As a result, it breaks. I won¡¯t state explicitly how many more times. ¡°I¡¯d like to be of service just a little bit more.¡± Ren makes excuses in his mind. There¡¯s no doubt in my mind that I said I would be there not once but several times. He said this was to keep his promise. ¡°Really?¡± Licia leans forward on the bed and crowds him. ¡°But I have to get Lessard-sama¡¯s permission too.¡± ¡°Believe me, My father said you could stay as long as you wanted!¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± ¡°You promised! If you lie to me, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± In no time at all, Licia was in a good mood, took the pillow in her hands and hugged it tightly and happily. (That¡¯s my pillow¡­¡­ no, it¡¯s a borrowed one, but ¡­¡­) ¡°Oh, I must get back to my room.¡± The clock showed that it was already past midnight. Licia took her hands off the pillow and got up from the bed. ¡°Training is off tomorrow, but will you be doing anything.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been taking care of me, so I¡¯d rather have the job if there is one.¡± ¡°Well then, I guess I¡¯ll let you do some work after breakfast.¡± Ren, who had been feeling a little self-conscious about the fact that he was only being taken care of, was pleased. What kind of work would that be? ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going shopping tomorrow for the first time in a while. So I thought you could be my escort.¡± ¡°Me? Licia-sama has her own knight, and Weiss-sama is there too.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m plenty safe because Weiss is free tomorrow, so he¡¯ll come with me, but I also want you to come with me.¡± ¡°I understand. If that¡¯s the case, leave it to me.¡± I thought I should ask permission from Lessard for this too, but Weiss is by her side. (Then I¡¯m like a bonus.) Even if we need to contact him, it would be enough to ask permission. ¡°Goodnight ¡ª- See you tomorrow!¡± Licia waved to Ren and left the guest room. After seeing her off, Ren opens the book he has been reading on his desk. This was one of several books he had borrowed from the mansion¡¯s library, and it was one of the books he¡¯d been reading during his recuperation. The title is ¡°The Relics of the Seven Heroes¡±. The relics to which this title refers are the equipment used by the Seven Heroes. They can be found in the game ¡°The Legend of the Seven Heroes,¡± and when equipped on the corresponding characters, they are valuable items that improve their combat power to an extraordinary degree. They were called ¡°heroic equipment¡± by players. ¡°This was fun.¡± For Ren, it was all information he already knew. He even knew where the equipment lay. The reason why this book was so interesting was because of the information that wasn¡¯t revealed in the legend of the seven heroes. The sword of Lauren, the hero, was shattered into several pieces. It was the divine sword, which was said to be left until Legend of the Seven Heroes III. According to this book, that divine sword no longer exists. It seems that after defeating the Demon King, it was shattered and returned to the earth as soon as he brought it back to his homeland, Leomel. ¡°Yeah? If I find and sell heroic equipments, will it bring me a lot of money?¡± If I could use it, I would, but that equipment is only for a limited number of users. Even if he had it in his hands, Ren had no choice but to sell it. So, unfortunately, he decided to forget about this story. ¡°I was going to read some more, but I think I¡¯ll go to bed.¡± Perhaps it was because he hadn¡¯t moved his body in a while, but his eyelids suddenly felt heavy. Ren rubbed his eyelids and looked at the bracelet with the hero equipment connection from earlier. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Ren Ashton [Job] Eldest son of the Ashton family [Skill] ?Summoning Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/0) Demon Sword Summoning Technique (Level 3: 239/2000) Level 1: Able to summon [one] magic sword. Level 2: While summoning a magic sword, the user gains the effect of [Physical Ability UP (Small)]. Level 3: Summons ¡¾Two swords¡¿. Level 4: Gain [Physical Ability UP (Medium)] while summoning a magic sword. Level 5: £ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª. [Acquired Swords] Magic Sword of Wood (Level 2: 988/1000) Iron Sword (Level 1: 988/1000) Thieves¡¯ Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/3) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C The level of proficiency from fighting Jerukku as well as other battles is accumulated. The magic sword summoning technique had become one level stronger and was able to summon two magic swords at the same time. In addition, I knew the power to be gained at the next level. The next level will be Physical Ability UP (Medium), and I am looking forward to its continued growth. The sword itself, on the other hand, had not yet been raised because I haven¡¯t had much opportunity to suck in the magic stone. Fortunately, the fact that the required skill level this time is not ten times higher than the previous one is also a cause for rejoicing. The name of that magic sword was still missing from the list. ¡°It absolutely must have something to do with Licia-sama¡¯s magic stone.¡± When Jerukku risked his life to break the seal of the elf and strengthen the maneater. Ren, who was on the verge of death against the overwhelming difference in their abilities, fell beside Licia and placed his hand on her chest. Her chest and Ren¡¯s bracelet glowed, and a appeared. It was then that he was able to summon the mysterious magic sword, which was only described as ¡°?¡± When I think back on the appearance of the magic sword, which emitted a dazzling flash and glow, I can¡¯t help but think of Licia, who deals in sacred magic. (What was that about?) Just as a magic sword is obtained from the magic stone of a special monster like Thief Wolfen, that means the magic stone that some saints have in their bodies also has a special meaning¡­.. (No, it is indeed impossible) I thought it was too far-fetched a prediction, no matter how fantasy a world it is. I would like to verify this if possible, but Ren gets a magic sword by absorbing the power of a magic stone. So, I don¡¯t feel like verifying it, thinking that there might be a contingency in Licia¡¯s case. In general, what can I say? Let me put my hand on your chest, right? ¡­¡­That sounds too reckless. Depending on the response, a criminal will be born. I¡¯m not going to become a worse person than I already am, even though I have a criminal record. And besides, the magic sword ¡°?¡± is already gone and there¡¯s no way to know for sure. It¡¯s better to just forget about it. ¡°I¡¯ll go to sleep.¡± Deciding to forget about it, Ren closes the book, puts it back on the desk and turns off the light in his room. As usual, he lies down on his bed and closes his eyes, letting go of his consciousness sooner than expected. Volume 2 - CH 4.1 The next morning, I was wondering where I was going to accompany Licia to¡ª-. What we went to was an upscale clothing store. It was a place that Ren would never have set foot in under normal circumstances. Licia was greeted with a familiar look by the owner of the clothing store, and her companion Weiss was also greeted with a familiar look. Meanwhile, for some reason, Ren¡¯s identity was also known. ¡°Your behavior that day was magnificent. Even among us commoners, it was well received.¡± That was¡ª- It was a shocking exchange that took place outside the gates of the castle when Ren and Licia arrived at Clausel after their escapade. Since they were not keeping the people away at that time, many of them witnessed the scene. The effect of this was that many people knew of Ren¡¯s existence. ¡°Oh, thank you very much.¡± Ren somehow thanked him and scratched his cheek. Looking at the dark brown flooring laid out in the store, and also looking at the glass showcases without a single cloud, he reconfirmed that it¡¯s a high-class store after all. ¡°So, my dear saint. What can I do for you today?¡± ¡°I need some clothes for him. I wonder if you could help me?¡± ¡°I understand. Then, please let¡¯s take your measurements first ¡ª-.¡± The conversation proceeded unnoticed. This caused Ren to look at Licia in panic. ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°Because most of the clothes at your house burned up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it burned, but only because¡ª¡° ¡°It¡¯s alright. I just want to give it to you.¡± Then Licia turns around. Looking up from the stairwell to the second floor, Ren saw that the first floor was a men¡¯s store and the second floor was a women¡¯s store. She crossed her arms behind her back and began rummaging through the store. Licia, however, didn¡¯t go upstairs and continued to look at the men¡¯s items. ¡°Haha,¡± Weiss laughed. The shopkeeper begins to take measurements of Ren¡¯s body. ¡°Weiss, please help me. I don¡¯t like the idea of been giving an expensive item.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it will come from the young lady¡¯s own pocket money, so there¡¯s no need to hesitate.¡± ¡°I would be at your disposal then, but this is clearly an upscale shop.¡± Weiss nodded and the owner chuckled. ¡°The owner of this shop is a skilled man. He was trained in the imperial capital when he was young. The fabrics are also very good and comfortable.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored by your compliments.¡± ¡°The more I hear about it, the more it sounds like a high-class store.¡± ¡°Listen to me. The lady is not a very materialistic person. What I¡¯m trying to say is that a lot of her allowance is untouched and accumulating.¡± Having heard all that. It would be rude to say no too much, and it might trample on Licia¡¯s own graciousness¡ª- When I thought about it, I sighed and nodded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all for the measurements.¡± The owner said and Licia, who had been rummaging around in the store, came back. ¡°Hey, what kind of cloth do you like Ren?¡± ¡°I like the normal kind.¡± I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say, and I had to utter an answer that was too abstract. But Licia nodded without laughing or being taken aback. ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t want to be flashy and you prefer to move around easily.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but it just seemed that way to me.¡± Then Licia turned her back to Ren. She pulls Ren¡¯s hand and together they rummage through the store. ¡°Licia-sama!¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take a look over there!¡± Weiss and the owner laughed at them. They tried to follow them, but¡ª ¡°Weiss-sama!¡± Today it was supposed to be just Ren, Licia, and Weiss, but when Weiss saw the knight of the Clausel family who suddenly came to this store, he furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but It seems they have something to tell me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to show them both around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Weiss left the store and heard from the knight who had come to the door. The knight was out of breath and it took him several tens of seconds to speak. ¡°Actually ¡ª-.¡± Weiss nodded many times as he listened to the story. The content of the story was certainly something that should be told in a hurry. Weiss folded his arms after listening to the story and thought about it. ¡°The arrival time is around the evening, right?¡± ¡°Ha. I heard so.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be back after noon as planned. I know you say I should get back early and get ready, but the young lady seems to be having a good time. It¡¯s hard for me to tell her I have to go home.¡± ¡°I understand. It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll tell the master that.¡± The knight who had just arrived left. Weiss then quickly went back inside the store. After all this time, there were no other customers in the store besides Ren and Licia. Which means the store was fully booked. That¡¯s probably why. Licia was unprecedented in her joyful voice. ¡°Next ¡ª- oh, I think that one looks good too! ¡°No, it¡¯s too flashy!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until you try it on before you decide if you want to give it up. There¡¯s a fitting room over there.¡± ¡°Well then¡­¡­¡± In the end, Licia pushed Ren toward the fitting room. She waited eagerly for him to finish changing. She was waiting at the door leading to the fitting room, and her cheeks were relaxed. Eventually, the door was opened¡ª ¡°This isn¡¯t the kind of clothing you wear on a daily basis!¡± Ren who appeared was dressed in a stylish suit that looked like it could be worn to a party. This is certainly not for everyday use. Weiss and the shopkeeper who were watching thought so, too. But Licia said in a happy voice, ¡°It looks good on you.¡± ¡°I want you to tailor that dress to fit Ren.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The shopkeeper nodded without objection. ¡°Licia-sama! When do you think I would wear this outfit?¡± Ren himself objected, but the result remained the same. The shopkeeper even made a list of the clothes he would wear on a daily basis and Ren was presented with a total of three pieces of clothing. On the way back to the mansion¡ª Ren secretly muttered. ¡°¡­¡­I have to give something back.¡± The problem is the funds, so what to do? But this problem will be resolved soon. The reason why and how, Ren, who couldn¡¯t think of anything, kept thinking about it desperately until he arrived at the mansion. Volume 2 - CH 4.2 Late afternoon. After returning to the mansion, Licia and Weiss went to Lessard¡¯s office. Ren left immediately after entering the mansion and went to the guest room alone. ¡°Welcome home, Ren-dono.¡± A young female servant called out to him as she passed by. ¡°Did you find something you liked?¡± ¡°Actually, Licia-sama decided on everything for me¡ª How did you know about my clothes?¡± ¡°Last night, the young lady happily told me about her plans for the day.¡± (I see. No wonder.) By the way, it takes about a month for the purchased clothes to arrive. ¡°What kind of clothing did you buy?¡± ¡°Two pieces of everyday wear and one piece of formal wear. I¡¯m told they will arrive next week. I feel sorry for getting a formal outfit I¡¯d never have a chance to wear.¡± ¡°As for formal attire, the young lady¡¯s birthday is in the summer, so why not wear it on that day?¡± It¡¯s as if they are assuming that Ren will be here until summer. Ren, who had no set schedule, couldn¡¯t nod his head, but instead laughed and let the tea muddy his mind. The waiter, who knew the reason for the response, smiled ruefully and never asked any further questions. ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard we have a guest for the evening.¡± Ren replied, ¡°Would it be all right if I stay? If I¡¯m just going to get in the way, I think I¡¯ll go into town for a little while to kill some time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem! Please enjoy your stay as usual, Ren-dono.¡± Nodding back at the servant, who hastily denied it, Ren smiled then. But what kind of guest would it be? Ren returned to the guest room. (It¡¯s none of my business.) I¡¯m just a houseguest for some reason. I¡¯ll spend this afternoon reading a book I borrow from the Clausel family¡¯s library. With this in mind, Ren borrowed some books from the library. ¡ª-The time passed in the blink of an eye, and the sun was beginning to set slightly. The house was crowded outside, and I could see through the window that Lessard and his household were on their way to greet the guests. The guests were a group of well-dressed knights. One of the knights, who seemed to be in command, was exchanging some words with Lessard. Licia was standing by his side. (Order-Sol?) The ¡°Order-Sol¡± is the general name for the knightly orders belonging to the empire. The term ¡°Order-sol¡± has a number of affiliations, but in short, it¡¯s a national military force. It¡¯s a different group of knights from those who serve a single noble family like Weiss. So, how did the Order-Sol come to Clausel? Ren tilts his head in wonder, but quickly turns his gaze away from the window. It¡¯s not good to keep looking at them rudely and make them feel uncomfortable. He also thought that it wasn¡¯t like Viscount Givens before, because he didn¡¯t feel any swagger in the group¡¯s appearance. (This book is interesting.) It was a novel I picked up casually, but I was curious about the rest of the story. Since I¡¯ve come all this way, let¡¯s go look for it. Ren got up from his seat and left the room. However, he immediately decided to go back. He was thinking about the guests, coming into the house, and thought it would be bad if he disturbed them. ¡°Hmm?¡± Then, he ran into Weiss, who had returned to the mansion. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, boy?¡± ¡°I was going to look for the rest of the books I borrowed from the library, but I was on my way back to my room so as not to disturb the guests.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still are as clever as ever for your age. But hmmm¡­¡± Weiss began to think about something. Wondering what¡¯s going on, he utters a few words that startled Ren. ¡°Well, now that you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you come along, too?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°The guests will be looking at the young lady¡¯s swordsmanship. So I thought it would be a good idea to have your swordsmanship looked at as well, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Ren just made a pathetic sound. As soon as he heard the unexpected suggestion, he was speechless with surprise. Volume 2 - CH 5.1 ¡ª- However, when the proposal was made, Ren wasn¡¯t surprised with joy. (¡­¡­ not interested at all) He was surprisingly uninterested. I¡¯m interested in the fact that the visitor is from Order-sol, and even more so in the fact that there¡¯s a commanding officer level. However, as someone who has received sword instruction from Weiss from time to time, he didn¡¯t see much significance in receiving instruction from a regular knight. ¡°Hmm¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to look so uninterested.¡± It might have been rude indeed. Ren, feeling bad that he had put too much on his face, cleared his throat. ¡°As I¡¯ve said many times, I¡¯m the son of a country knight.¡± Weiss laughed and put his hand on Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Then how about watching the young lady¡¯s lesson? Perhaps you might learn something.¡± ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s what you mean.¡± Ren nodded in agreement. (And it¡¯s a good thing too.) But why did they ask to see Licia¡¯s swordsmanship? When Ren was curious and asked Weiss about it, he was told that, in fact, Licia had been scheduled by Lessard to improve her skills for some time. The Order-sol were on an expedition nearby, and the commander of the group stopped by to see them. ¡°Is it a famous knight who came to visit?¡± ¡°He has the ability to lead the knights, so he¡¯s quite good. I heard that his school is called ¡°The Holy Sword Technique¡±, have you ever heard of it?¡± Ren nodded at his words. ¡°I remember it was a sword technique founded by the hero Lauren.¡± ¡°Oh, you even know about that¡± ¡°I remember it was written in a book. As I recall, it was a sword technique that many knights learn¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You are very diligent.¡± In addition to the basic sword technique, knights often learn a technique that is suited to them. Among them, the holy sword technique is preferred. It seems that the reason for this is because it is the swordsmanship spread by the brave Lauren, and there are many knights who learn this regardless of their faction. The information is, of course, something I learned from the legends of the seven heroes. (The holy sword technique was a useful one¡­) There are a number of factions, but if you are proficient, you can learn the art of warfare, which uses magic power at a cost. It¡¯s one of the important means of combat for those who weren¡¯t born with skills. In other words, it¡¯s an acquired power that substitutes for skills. Ren still remembers the stances and movements of those fighting techniques. (How could I possibly activate war skills by imitating my game-era moves?) ¡°I, for one, am glad that both the young lady and the boy are learning as much as they possibly can.¡± Suddenly, while we were on our way to the garden, Weiss said. ¡°I¡®ve learned nothing but imperial swordsmanship and I was always devoted to it. I¡¯ve never thought about learning other sword techniques¡­¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s good. Imperial swordsmanship is a defensive sword technique, and it¡¯ll serve Lessard-sama well.¡± The imperial swordsmanship that was mentioned in the conversation just now is the basic sword technique that knights learn. It¡¯s highly versatile and, as Ren said, is focused on defense. As such, it¡¯s a reliable technique for those who are escorts. (Personally, I think it¡¯s a more suitable technique for a knight like Weiss.) It¡¯s natural for a knight to emphasize defense. But this doesn¡¯t mean that attack power is downplayed. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, boy, I¡¯ll teach you imperial swordsmanship next time.¡± ¡°Oh really? I¡¯d be very grateful!¡± ¡°Haha If you¡¯re that happy, then it¡¯s worth teaching you.¡± Seeing Ren¡¯s joy, Weiss relaxed his cheeks and felt better. (Speaking of which.) Saint Licia in the legend of the seven heroes was a talented person who had mastered the holy sword technique. The protagonists were on the heroes¡¯ side in the first place, so they were very familiar with the Holy Sword Technique. Incidentally, the characteristics of the holy sword technique is all-round. It¡¯s not limited to offense and defense, but also supports and makes the most of skills if you have them. If Licia, who has the skill of a White Saint, can master this skill, it¡¯s natural for her to be powerful. (There are even better swordsmen out there.) ¡ª- There¡¯s a rating system for all schools of swordsmanship. Licia, among them, stood one rank below the highest, called a sword saint. The highest ranking person in any school is called the King of Swords, and there are only five of them in the world. They are ranked by the God of War, and the order is called the Sword King Order. (Well, it¡¯s not really relevant to an ordinary person like me.) The Sword King is an entity that has little to do with the main storyline. Thinking it was irrelevant anyway, Ren turned his attention back to Weiss. ¡°By the way, what about that other sword technique Weiss-sama was trying to learn?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. You mean the hard sword technique.¡± ¡°Exactly¡­.!¡± ¡°It seems you know this too. It goes without saying, then, that the hard sword technique cannot be mastered without talent of its own, which is why its users are extremely few¡­. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have that talent.¡± Beside Weiss, who smiled bitterly, Ren dryly laughed. (Hard swordsmanship, huh) Its founder was the founder of Leomel, the Lion King. In the legend of the seven heroes, it¡¯s a sword technique used exclusively by the enemy, those belonging to the opposing imperialist faction. The performance itself is harsh both offensively and defensively, and boasts unreasonable power. However, the swordsmanship itself is a separate skill and cannot be learned in the second week of play. Yet, there¡¯s no opportunity to learn it even in the storyline, which made players sad in two ways. (Oh, it brings back bad memories.) Equipment destruction and status reduction, not temporarily, but permanently. The ultimate result was an attack with almost instantaneous damage that was impossible to avoid. The hard sword technique, which is a parade of irrationality, is a privilege allowed only to the bosses. Therefore, the holy sword technique is an all-rounder in battle. On the other hand, the hard sword technique was often called an expert in battle. Volume 2 - CH 5.2 While sorting through the information, I arrived at the garden. There, Licia was already receiving instruction from the Order-sol commander. Some Order-sol knights and knights of the Clausel family. The garden was also crowded with servants at the edge of the garden, making it look even more lively than usual. ¡°¡­¡­Is it like this?¡± ¡°Yes. The saint is very reasonable.¡± The voice of the commander praising Licia reaches them. Listening, they preface, ¡°Well, then¡±. ¡°Let us engage in some practice.¡± As Ren has done many times before, the commander and Licia begin to practice. When he sees it like this, he can still feel it. The swordsmanship, the footwork, and the timing. (Licia and Weiss are also sophisticated, but they are more razor-sharp and honest.) It was a swordsmanship he had never seen before. Ren was fascinated by the knight. He wasn¡¯t interested in it at first, but it was interesting to watch him like this. ¡ª- As Ren thought so¡­ ¡°Ren!¡± Licia, who had once taken a break, noticed him. She wiped the sweat off her face and ran to his side and took his hand. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s have Ren practice with us too!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for us to decide on our own.¡± Ren told her that she shouldn¡¯t offend them by behaving selfishly, and continued, ¡°I¡¯m only observing¡±. But the commander of the regular knights, who was watching the situation, called out from a distance. ¡°If you¡¯d like, you can join the saint.¡± I felt it would be impolite to refuse the invitation. But how could he easily make the invitation? Ren and Licia went to the commander with doubts in his mind and he was told the reason why. ¡°I heard it from the saint. She told me that you are stronger than her and that you have a talent that even Weiss recognized.¡± Of course, Ren chuckled, ¡°that¡¯s not true¡±. But the commander, who already seems to have a strong interest in Ren, continues to talk with a smile on his face. ¡°You seem to be a very promising young knight.¡± ¡°No, no, nothing like that.¡± As soon as Ren was humbled once again, the commander said without a pause. ¡°I¡¯d like to take a look at your skills first.¡± Since he could no longer refuse, Ren decided to take the opportunity to learn from the commander. Licia looked at him as he picked up his sword for training and moved away. ¡°Let¡¯s start with some light hitting,¡± Naturally, this was a substitute for preparatory exercises. Ren, too, swung his sword without much concern. As I always do before I move my body, I swing my sword repeatedly to warm up my body little by little, repeating it with the intention of borrowing the commander¡¯s chest. The other Order-sol who had been watching the situation suddenly fell silent. As they looked at Ren¡¯s sword, they naturally concentrated and were distracted by his appearance, unlike with Licia. Eventually, the commander also said with a mysterious look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to see your swordsmanship in the form of a practice fight.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Then, with your permission.¡± However, the commander didn¡¯t strike at Ren. It¡¯s a stand-up fight, more defensive than before, with only a light counterattack. Otherwise, there¡¯s too much difference in swordsmanship. (As expected of the commander of the Order-sol) The sound of training swords clashing was dull, unlike the sound of a serious sword. But the dullness is not apparent in the harshness. Ren¡¯s age-inappropriate sword flash drew everyone¡¯s attention, and the grass was shaking from the pressure. But when I see it like this, I understand it well. ¡°I was surprised! I didn¡¯t expect anything like this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be complimented.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t need to be modest with this one!¡ª-But¡­¡± The commander¡¯s sword skills are different from his own. He couldn¡¯t find an opening in front of the skilled techniques, not to mention the difference in their physical strength. Ren was beginning to find enjoyment in this duel. His sword techniques were easily dealt with, but he wondered what kind of sword techniques would be better. But then, unexpectedly. The commander took a few steps away from Ren and said. ¡°You should try to fight more like yourself. There is no need to try to imitate our sword techniques.¡± ¡°I¡¯m imitating you?¡± Ren tilts his head at these unexpected words. Before coming to this courtyard, Ren remembered the holy sword technique from his video game days and wondered if the same effect could be triggered by imitating the movements of the battle technique. Perhaps he was unconsciously thinking about this¡­.. ¡°Be myself¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate. Try to move as you are comfortable moving.¡± Ren changed his mind, thinking that if the commander wanted him to stop, then that was guidance too. He was thinking about how he would fight with only a sword, even if he didn¡¯t have the power of a magic sword. ¡°Thank you.¡± The presence that Ren wore changed drastically. The presence was like that of a powerful monster. ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t think it was possible¡­..!¡± The eyes of the commander changed, and his muscular strength toward Ren increased even more. It was as it should be. Far from being caught off guard, the commander was on the verge of losing one. ¡°Here I come!¡± Finally, the commander lowers his sword with even more physical force. He tried to break Ren¡¯s defense. ¡°Guuu ¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Impossible! You countered it?¡± It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. Ren, who defended himself by holding his sword right next to him, showed that he could withstand the physical strength of a grown man without falling to his knees. Ren was looking for an opportunity to counterattack, which made the commander nod ¡°I knew it¡± ¡ª- ¡­¡­.They repeated sword clashes many times after that, but eventually it ended abruptly. The pressure that the commander exerted disappeared a moment later, and he retracted his sword. He then asks, keeping his distance from Ren. ¡°May I ask your name?¡± Ren replies in a voice filled with apology for the delay in introducing himself. ¡°My name is Ren Ashton.¡± ¡°Then, Ren-dono.¡± The commander exhaled when he heard the reply. He continued to close the distance between him and Ren. The commander bent one knee and brought his eyes closer to Ren, who wondered what he was going to do. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t instruct you in the art of the holy sword, Ren-dono.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Eh?¡± But the sudden words made him quiet. The commander¡¯s continued words took everyone by surprise, except Ren. ¡°Because you, Ren-dono, are definitely lacking in the art of the holy sword.¡± His tone was not meant to be mean-spirited. However, many people had their doubts. It was hard to immediately accept that Ren, who had shown such great skill, lacked the necessary training. Volume 2 - CH 6.1 Hearing this, Licia raised her voice. The change in Licia, who had been calmly and enthusiastically receiving instruction just a moment ago, quietly startled the commander. ¡°Why? Ren is so strong!¡± The commander, hearing the surprise, left Ren¡¯s presence and this time spoke to Licia. ¡°As the saint said, he¡¯s strong. I, of course, and my subordinates would agree with that. But the question is about his qualities.¡± The commander says that he can feel it from every part of the way he stands. But Licia does not give up and asks. This time, she thinks back to the serious injury Ren sustained in the Jerukku incident. ¡°Ren is still recovering from his injury. Could that be the reason?¡± But the commander immediately shakes his head. ¡°Do you remember, Saint, when I asked Ren-dono to move freely?¡± Licia nodded, somewhat out of her mind. The servants who were watching the situation seemed much calmer. ¡°I said what I said because I thought that Ren might have developed certain habits under his father¡¯s tutelage.¡± But it wasn¡¯t so. ¡°The aggressive and fierce fighting style is definitely the essence of Ren-dono¡¯s character. They¡¯re not suited to the use of the holy sword technique. Your innate temperament will eventually become a detriment to your learning the holy sword technique.¡± He says that some of this can be corrected through training, but in Ren¡¯s case, he doesn¡¯t think it will have much of an effect. He said that it¡¯s inevitable that Ren will have a hard time handling the sword. In other words, training will have the opposite effect. In fact, it¡¯s better not to try the techniques and not to develop strange habits with it. The commander¡¯s words about the lack of qualities were intended in this way. ¡°Among adventurers and bandits, there are those who use the sword with great fierceness. But in their case, it¡¯s only a daredevil sword that they have acquired out of necessity. They¡¯re not born with the same fierceness as Ren-dono.¡± He said that it¡¯s the same as a person¡¯s natural appearance and that it has been that way since Ren was born. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s still doubtful whether it can be corrected. ¡°So, even if he learns the holy sword technique, there¡¯s no guarantee that he¡¯ll be able to acquire the fighting skills.¡± By learning the holy sword technique, you will also learn its weaknesses. If the person you¡¯re fighting is a user of the holy sword technique, it¡¯ll not be a waste of time. However, I don¡¯t think the results are worth the time spent on it. (Then it would be better to learn another sword technique from the beginning.) Ren wasn¡¯t particularly disheartened, but accepted the results honestly and calmly. ¡°I understand. Then, how about you instruct me on basic swordsmanship?¡± ¡°That¡¯s no problem at all. If I can teach a promising young boy like Ren-dono, I¡¯d be very happy to do so.¡± Ren had already changed his mind without his insistence. The commander seemed to have a sense of accomplishment. But Weiss, who was watching with mixed emotions, and Licia, as if speaking for the knights and servants of the Clausel family, said. ¡°Re, Ren! Why are you so calm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not suited for it. But since I¡¯m here, I¡¯d like to learn basic swordsmanship.¡± Licia also seemed to have regained her composure and was enthusiastically receiving instruction. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó After the instruction, which ended after dark, Licia came to the guest room where Ren was, shortly after taking a hot bath in her room. She then sat on the bed where Ren usually sleeps, her legs swinging on the edge of the bed. On the surface, she was dressed in her normal appearance, but Ren, with whom she had shared a life-threatening escape, could see the hidden subtleties. ¡°Are you not happy that I didn¡¯t receive training from him?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. what?¡± Licia thought that no one understood her. But Ren was completely aware of this as well. ¡°Weiss-sama didn¡¯t seem to notice, but you were getting quite grumpy in the middle of the fight.¡± ¡°Oh, why did you think that?¡± Licia looked as if she had been caught in the act for a moment, but then she mended her victorious face as if it had been an illusion. But it didn¡¯t last very long. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? You have a habit of playing with your hair using your fingertips when you¡¯re in a bad mood.¡± ¡°Huh, huh¡­ really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lie. But that reaction means you were still grumpy.¡± Ren was sitting in a chair by the desk, and she gave him an icy stare. ¡°¡­¡­ Meanie.¡± Being said cutely, Ren shrugged his shoulders and smiled wryly. ¡°Cause I don¡¯t understand what he means! That¡¯s just like saying you don¡¯t have any talent!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not the same as saying that.¡± ¡°Then why is Ren so ¡ª-¡° ¡°If you¡¯re asking why I¡¯m so calm, well, I¡¯ll just have to give it up.¡± It¡¯s only a matter of lack of predisposition, and incidentally, my fighting style and holy sword techniques are inherently incompatible with each other. Either way, it remains unsuitable. ¡°On the contrary, I was grateful that he was so honest with me, so I wouldn¡¯t have wasted my time.¡± The way he said it was a little rough, but it was true that I didn¡¯t have to spend time on something that I couldn¡¯t learn. Volume 2 - CH 6.2 ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m a little disappointed, it¡¯s true, but it¡¯s not the only swordsmanship.¡± There are other schools, for that matter. It could also be taken as a trivial issue, since, let¡¯s say, there are my magic swords. (Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve fought any monsters lately.) I¡¯m being taken care of by the Clausel family, so I don¡¯t have any opportunity to fight them. I hope to get that opportunity again in the near future, but I also can¡¯t give up the imperial swordsmanship that Weiss is planning to teach me. ¡°¡ª-So, Licia-sama.¡± Ren corrected his appearance and looked at Licia. As he looked her straight in the eye, she says shyly. ¡°What¡¯s with the serious look all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and concentrate more next time. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be good for you.¡± ¡°¡­. muu.¡± (She looks dissatisfied.) So outrageous. But there is no doubt that Licia is grateful for today¡¯s instruction. She was surprised as soon as she was told that the holy sword technique was not suitable for Ren, but after that, I think she took the instruction seriously and listened to it willingly. The fact that she took the instruction to the end without losing her courtesy to the Order-sol is proof of this. It¡¯s just that she couldn¡¯t get the words that he was told out of her head. And although slightly, it was only an unconscious lack of concentration. ¡°¡­¡­Of course, I did have a few thoughts when the man who saved my life was told he wasn¡¯t talented.¡± ¡°No, Licia-sama.¡± ¡°I know. It can¡¯t be helped just as you said.¡± Licia prefaced her statement with the words, ¡°But you know what?¡± ¡°¡­¡­After the instruction was over, I was given some pointers.¡± ¡°You mean without me being there?¡± ¡°From that commander¡¯s point of view, there are some things that bother him about me too, though not as much as Ren.¡± Ren tilted his head slightly. Licia must have the talent to become a sword saint by learning the holy sword technique. In all likelihood, Licia should have nothing to be concerned about, but then Licia said something that surprised Ren. ¡°My sword technique has a habit similar to yours.¡± ¡°A habit?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been studying your sword technique a lot in order to beat you. I was thinking back to your movements, the way you swing your sword, how you look.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ that means.¡± Licia nodded with a wry smile. ¡°It means I¡¯ve been thinking and training to beat you. That¡¯s why my sword seems to be littered with your quirks.¡± However, she said that her habits are within the range of correctable. But she still had her own thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of having to fix those habits. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m being told that my goals are wrong, and I don¡¯t want to accept that.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re learning the holy Sword technique, then the mistake will be corrected.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to accept it. I¡¯m not sure if I should learn the holy sword technique or not.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me ¡ª-!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. As you said, there are other sword techniques as well, so there¡¯s no need to stick to only the holy sword technique, right? There may be other styles that are better suited for me.¡± That¡¯s true, and it does not mean that only the holy sword technique is strong. But Ren knew that Licia has the talent to master the holy sword technique and even become a sword saint. That¡¯s why he wanted her to learn the holy sword technique. But Licia¡¯s will was firm. ¡°What about you? If I told you to forget about the sword techniques that your father taught you because you don¡¯t need it, would you nod your head in agreement?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± Surely, this idea is immature. I know what it means to grow up, but it was difficult to say whether I could comply with it honestly. The reason is that I feel like I¡¯m being told that my past efforts are futile, when in essence they are not. As Ren pondered this, Licia smiled and nodded. She knew what Ren was thinking without having to ask. ¡°I agree with you,¡± ¡°Not exactly the same. It means a different thing to me than it does to you.¡± ¡°Oh, why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the son of a country knight and Licia-sama is a saint. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m free to learn to use a sword.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not obliged to do anything. My father told me to learn as I please and find my ideal path. I want my late mother to see me beyond that.¡± Unfortunately, Ren couldn¡¯t think of enough words to override her intentions. In fact, Licia¡¯s words make sense. If the policies of the Clausel family weren¡¯t also problematic, it would not be something that Ren, who was only the son of a knight, would have had any say in the first place. Besides, Ren weighed himself down, feeling that he had said that the legend of the Seven Heroes was correct. ¡°And you¡¯re not the only reason I¡¯m not sure if I want to learn the holy sword technique. I myself would have a hard time learning and wasting my time trying to correct my ingrained habits, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°Then it would be better to learn another sword from the beginning, so that you can grow.¡± The words were also reasonable and I don¡¯t think they were wrong. If this happens, it would be a shorter path to growth to seek out a path other than the holy sword technique from the beginning. ¡­¡­ Still, Ren tried to push for the holy sword technique. Naturally, he was well aware of her strength with the holy sword technique, but he suddenly had a hunch. He thought himself foolish and realized his terrible mistake. (¡­¡­ Licia-sama is Licia-sama. She¡¯s not a character in a game.) He apologized in his mind for thinking that he had ignored Licia¡¯s personality. She smiled at him, and he apologized to her for having acquired unnecessary habits. ¡°I¡¯ll try to find the right style for you, Licia-sama.¡± When I said that, she smiled, saying, ¡°If you¡¯re going to say that, it¡¯s ours.¡± Volume 2 - CH 7.1 The Order-sol who had visited Clausel left the town in the morning after giving one more lesson on the sword. Shortly after¡ª Ren was summoned by Lessard to visit his office. ¡°A report has arrived from your village.¡± As he said this, Lessard, who was standing by his desk, picked up a document bound with string. He handed it to Ren and asked him to look inside. ¡°Can I take a look at it?¡± ¡°Of course you may. There are letters from your parents too, so you can look at them together.¡± Ren looked through the documents without hesitation. The information was a little unfamiliar, but the summary was that the recovery was going well. On the contrary, it said, even the roads are being built and life is becoming more affluent than it used to be. (Thank goodness) There are other reasons, too, with the help of Clausel. Ren had repeatedly and strongly told his parents that they could use all of the money for the restoration of the village. Of course, his parents were adamant about it, saying that it was his money. But they nodded in the end under Ren¡¯s strong eyes after he gave them a good argument, saying, ¡°I¡¯m a member of the Ashton family, too, and this is what I should do.¡± But there was one phrase that bothered him. ¡°Since you¡¯re there, why don¡¯t relax a little more at Clausel? Let the Baron take care of you! The village hasn¡¯t settled down yet, so leave the rest to us and the Baron!¡»\ That¡¯s not a statement of good riddance. Next. ¡°¡­¡­ Me and Mireille will do a lot of hard work. We¡¯ll hurry up and rebuild the village for the day when we can all live together again! Of course, if you like Clausel, you can live there too!¡± Furthermore, Roy apologized over and over again for his own ineptitude. Despite the half-joking words in the first sentence, Roy¡¯s frustration was painfully evident. Mireille¡¯s words were also attached to the letter and half of the letter was an admission of their frustration. (¡­¡­ dad, mom) In fact, there¡¯s no mistake in Roy¡¯s words. It was obvious that staying at Clausel was safer and better for Ren¡¯s future, so it was a natural thing for a parent to say. In light of the spring upheaval, it was a perfectly sensible thing to do. Even if Ren was the eldest son of the Ashton family, it was a thought that couldn¡¯t be suppressed. Roy always respected Ren¡¯s autonomy, but he was also a parent. He couldn¡¯t help but think of his son¡¯s bright future and hope for his safety. On the other hand, Ren also had some thoughts. (If there is a possibility that I could be the spark of a fire. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t go back to the village ¡­¡­) Viscount Givens had an unusual obsession with Ren. The other side of the coin is that if it weren¡¯t for Ren, there might not have been as much turmoil. (It means it would have been better for the village if I wasn¡¯t there.) It¡¯s sad to be aware of this. But more than that, there was also a part of me that was able to separate if it was for the good of the village. It¡¯s not only my parents. I could suppress this painful feeling when I thought of the villagers as well. ¡°But you know what?¡± Ren, who had been lost, heard Lessard¡¯s voice and returned to consciousness. ¡°I said I would also provide the magical tools of life, but was refused.¡± ¡°Did you say my dad refused? I guess he was just being reserved.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. He was adamant that he was sorry to accept any more charity from me since I was doing so much for the restoration of the village.¡± After saying this, Lessard said as if he had just remembered. ¡°What do you want to do now, by the way? If you want, you can stay here until you take over the reigns of your family.¡± ¡°I ¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Apparently, you have things to think about.¡± Ren fell silent. I couldn¡¯t get the thought I had just had out of my mind. ¡°Talk to me, Ren. I want you to tell me what¡¯s bothering you.¡± His tone of voice was calm and gentle, and it gave the impression of a large vessel. Ren, who wasn¡¯t able to hide his emotions, regretted this and spoke, thinking that he couldn¡¯t be silent any longer. ¡°Actually¡ª-.¡± So he reveals what he honestly thinks. Lessard, who had been listening, said in a grave voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you, but Roy had asked me about it. You¡¯re a promising talent, so someone might target you again. A monster would be difficult, but if it was a nobleman, it would be more difficult. So, if it¡¯s alright with you, he¡¯d like you to be a knight here at the Clausel¡¯s mansion.¡± That¡¯s what happened when Roy and Mireille came to Clausel, according to Lessard. They consulted Lessard with a sincere look on their faces and repeatedly appealed to him to give priority to their son over them. ¡°I¡¯m in line with their feelings.¡± If Ren were to decide to live in Clausel, the Baron would protect him at all costs. Of course, in return, he would send a new knight to the Ashtons¡¯ village and he would think carefully about what would happen if Ren¡¯s siblings were not able to take over later. ¡°There are far more people who know your name now than before. However, due to rumors of your family¡¯s connection to Marquis Ignat, there may not be as many people who are as outspoken as before. No one can guarantee that it¡¯s so.¡± ¡°¡­. yes.¡± ¡°Also, you now seem to be putting your parents and the villagers ahead of yourself.¡± There was no doubt about that either. ¡°In other words, you are more concerned about protecting your family than yourself. You are hesitant to return to your still unstable hometown because you are afraid of another disturbance involving you.¡± Ren nodded with a sad wry smile. ¡°I would prefer not to be in the village. You thought so because you prioritized the presence of someone other than yourself, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­.I guess so.¡± ¡°This is my personal opinion, but I don¡¯t think you need to rush into making too many future decisions. At least, you can stay in Clausel until your worries are gone. As Roy said, take it slow for now until the village is restored.¡± That¡¯s much better than going back to the village with my troubles. Lessard was clearly seeing Ren¡¯s mind when he said this. ¡°Is there nothing we can do about these troubles?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not easy to resolve. As long as we live in this world, there¡¯ll be unreasonable situations wherever we are. It¡¯s something that cannot be helped.¡± But¡ª Lessard continued in a strong tone. ¡°If you become a noble, that¡¯s a different story.¡± ¡°Does that mean I have to become a noble?¡± ¡°No. There are beings in this world that are unreasonable even to the nobility.¡± Maybe God? No, but Lessard said it¡¯s real. If so, would it be the emperor of Leomel? But none of these would be true, since Ren is not a being that can become one. To Ren¡¯s puzzled ears, Lessard gives the answer. ¡°It¡¯s a Sword King¡ª-.¡± Ren felt as if his heart had been grabbed by those words. ¡°Le¨C Lessard-sama!¡± ¡°The Five Sword Kings are not bound by anything and act of their own volition. One of them serve the Emperor, but she does so only because she likes to.¡± ¡°No, no! A Sword King is¡­.!¡± ¡°As you know, there are only five of the best swordsmen in the world.¡± I know that. But what nonsense! I don¡¯t think I can. Speaking of Sword Kings, there¡¯s one person who could be challenged. That person is the female Sword King in the service of the Emperor, whom Lessard has just mentioned. But even she can only be defeated if the protagonists are at the highest level and have good luck. (And even then, she¡¯s pretty easy to beat, according to the settings.) It was insane to think that I would be asked to become such a monster. ¡°Fufu!¡± ¡°Lessard-sama, why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Kukuku! I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s refreshing to see you surprised.¡± But Ren¡¯s nerves and worries were a little relieved. The heavy feeling that had been lingering in his mind up until now became lighter. ¡°In any case, it never hurts to improve yourself, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s probably fine to worry about the future right now. If you spend time improving yourself, it will help you when you succeed the Ashton family. Even if you leave the Ashton family, it should be meaningful to live in a new world.¡± ¡°You mean¡ª¡° ¡°As I said before, you can live in Clausel, at least until the village is restored. I would welcome that and Licia would be happy too.¡± I can agree with that for the time being. I would like to be a Sword king if I could, but it¡¯s hard to say. ¡°You may ask for Weiss¡¯s training with Licia. Or you can try to do a knight¡¯s work in anticipation of the future. Or you can look for work you can do for the village here, experience a lot, make good use of time.¡± (The first two are good, but is there anything I can do for the village here?) ¡°And don¡¯t worry about your life. You can stay in this mansion as long as you like.¡± ¡°No. I can¡¯t bother you any longer¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Your parents have offered to pay for living allowance, but I, for my part, have no intention of accepting it from the Ashtons.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± I try to resist, but I don¡¯t really have anything to say after. If I were to leave the Clausel mansion and fend for myself, I would first need a place to live. If it¡¯s a rented house, I¡¯ll need rent, and I¡¯ll need living expenses, including food. (I tried to be strong, but what can I do?) I¡¯m sure that the knight¡¯s apprenticeship will pay me a salary. I should be able to make a modest living. However, Ren had forgotten that it would be difficult for an eleven-year-old child to rent a house on his own. He was unaware of this when he heard Lessard¡¯s voice. Volume 2 - CH 7.2 ¡°Once again, don¡¯t worry about living expenses. I promise you that I¡¯ll be responsible for taking care of you until you settle down.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s no good.¡± ¡°Huh, good grief. You really are stubborn just like your father.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already received enough thanks from you Lessard-sama. In addition to rebuilding my village, you have made it easier for my parents and the people in my village.¡± We couldn¡¯t afford to be dependent any longer. Ren, who was adamant, had another idea. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to find a job here for now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Isn¡¯t it really possible for me to take care of you?¡± That was a sly way of putting it. If he refused, Lessard would lose face. Lessard, who had mentioned this, was aware of it, but he still wanted Ren to give in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡± But Ren was still adamant. Seeing this, Lessard also didn¡¯t give up. ¡°¡ª- then, here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡± In addition to his desire to reward the Ashtons, so to speak, as an adult in charge of Ren away from his parents, Lessard had a suggestion. He wanted Ren¡¯s job to be something he could manage. ¡°If you insist on getting a job, I¡¯m willing to give you one, is that okay?¡± Ren blinked quietly, unable to argue with this. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you to do something similar to what you used to do in the village.¡± ¡°The work I was doing in the village¡­. You mean defeating monsters?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You should be aware of the harmful effects of an overabundance of monsters. I, too, wanted to investigate the monsters in the surroundings in light of that fact.¡± The job involves checking on the status of monsters living in the area and making periodic reports. Of course, he would be paid for his work, and since it was a job requested by Lessard, of all people, Ren had nothing to feel guilty about. In other words, it was a compromise. ¡°You can also hunt for private purposes. You can even accept a quest from the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.¡± Ren¡¯s interest was piqued by Lessard¡¯s words. ¡°The Adventurers¡¯ Guild?¡± ¡°Hmm? Have you heard of it?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of it¡­..¡± Ren was stunned for a moment because he hadn¡¯t expected to hear of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. After all, Ren is the son of a knight in the service of the Clausel family. He never thought he would go to the guild and sell monsters to earn money. (I wonder if that¡¯s allowed) Furthermore, he wondered what the tax would be. ¡°So, are you interested?¡± ¡°Actually, there are few things I¡¯m thinking about¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, what do you want to know? How does the Adventurers Guild work? Or is it about what it means to be a knight¡¯s son?¡± ¡°I have questions about the latter and about taxes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be brief. First of all, this is my request, so there¡¯s no problem for you as a member of the Ashton family. The money you get from hunting monsters in the course of this request, you can spend it as you wish if you make a deal through the guild. Indirectly though, the tax will be paid to me through the guild.¡± It was quite an interesting story, though a lot of the information was new to me. Returning to the village is important, but Ren has an eye for monsters and by extension, magic stones, because of his skill of summoning magic swords. Through what Lessard said earlier, I felt it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to think of it as a training to improve myself. ¡°So you are free to use the money you get from the sale of the monster¡¯s materials as you wish. For example, you are free to buy magic tools with them and send them to the Ashtons¡¯ village.¡± Hearing this, Ren was surprised. ¡°Is that okay?¡± His voice was full of joy. It meant that even though he was far away in Clausel, there were things he could do for the village of his birth. ¡°Of course. After the tax has been paid through the guild, it¡¯s not my place to say what you do with the money.¡± Ren knows how useful magical tools are, so the thought of being able to send them to the village intrigues him. He would be like a migrant who could also train. The thought that his parents and the people of the village would be pleased with the idea motivated him. The fact that it¡¯s a job that Lessard asked me to do, I don¡¯t have to feel guilty about it. ¡°I¡¯ve only just turned eleven, but is it safe for me to join the Adventurers¡¯ Guild?¡± ¡°No problem. I don¡¯t see many of them in my town, but It¡¯s not uncommon for young children to visit the guild.¡± According to Lessard, young children seem to do simple jobs to help the family finances or to earn a little extra money. They look for lost pets, lost items, and that¡¯s about it, he said. (Better to do what you can instead of just worrying) I make money, and it benefits the village. It¡¯ll further train me and make me stronger. (Being strong is never a waste of time.) Because one day, sudden unreasonable situations may strike again. If I¡¯m strong, it may not happen as it did with Jerukku. If I have the strength to prevent it from happening, I should be able to protect someone else. (Let¡¯s live on our own in this town for a while and experience many things, and then maybe I¡¯ll have an idea of what I should do.) Ren¡¯s face was full of determination. ¡°Tell me one more thing. I don¡¯t have my parents¡¯ permission, is that okay too?¡± ¡°No, You have permission.¡± ¡°¡­.. eh?¡± ¡°Roy and Mireille have given their permission. When they came to this mansion before, they laughed and said that if you decided to stay in this town, you¡¯d eventually go to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild¡ª-¡° As one would expect from parents, they had anticipated this and discussed it with Lessard. ¡°Anyway, Mireille and I had our doubts about this activity. Of course, it was dangerous. But Roy said that if his son, who is stronger than he is, decides to do it, I have no right to stop him ¡ª-.¡± Ren¡¯s cheeks relaxed at these very Roy-like words. ¡°Finally, Mireille and I nodded our heads. I told him that if you ever did anything reckless, I would use my authority to bring you back to the mansion.¡± Lessard took the body of his request so that he could protect Ren in case something happened to him. Anyway, I don¡¯t intend to give him any kind of binding, but it¡¯s a natural consideration. ¡°You say no to dangerous things, but you allow me to fight monsters.¡± ¡°I wondered about that too, but after listening to Roy¡¯s story, the reason made sense to me.¡± Ren has a history of defeating both the Thief wolfen and the Maneaters. On the contrary, the power of the nobles is more fearsome than that of the monsters and if anything, the monsters themselves wouldn¡¯t be reckless if it were Ren, who has been fighting them since he was a child, Roy seemed confident. ¡°In other words, as long as I don¡¯t do anything reckless, I will be allowed to operate outside the town?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. You¡¯re not a knight apprentice as far as your position is concerned. You¡¯re an individual who is employed by me personally and hunts monsters in between jobs.¡± I¡¯m not worried and I can safely go to work. Seeing Ren¡¯s fists clench at this, Lessard smiled gently. ¡°Weiss will guide you. You should try going to the guild.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go there by myself if you tell me where it is.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll let you have this one thing.¡± While I was wondering what he was going to give me, Lessard took out a wallet from his pocket. He took out two silver-colored expensive coins from the wallet and handed them to me, as I was looking at him with a curious look on my face. ¡°This is 20,000 G¡¯s. If you take a job involving monsters, you must register. You¡¯ll need 15,000 G to register. You can also enjoy your lunch. ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯ll do a job that doesn¡¯t require registration at first and I¡¯ll come up with the registration fee myself!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You have to accept at least this much since it is in addition to the work I have asked you to do.¡± Ren wasn¡¯t sure if he would take it or not, but Lessard was going to keep offering it to him until he did. ¡°I¡¯ll borrow it from you¡­¡­ I¡¯ll be sure to return it to you eventually.¡± He had to pay the registration fee, so he was still going to be taken care of. But seeing Ren¡¯s attitude, which was as stubborn as his own, Lessard shrugged his shoulders as if he had no choice. Volume 2 - CH 8 Clausel is a town with spiral roads along the mountainous terrain. From the residence of the Clausel family, located at the top of the mountain, you can see the whole area. The Adventurers¡¯ Guild was located not far from the castle gates in town for people to come in and out and for supplies to be brought in. Ren hadn¡¯t been to this area in a while and thought back to the earlier disturbances. On the way to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, he was approached by a resident who recognized his face, and was given an apple-like fruit by the owner of an open-air stall. ¡°Here?¡± I looked at the storefront of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. At first glance, it appeared to be an old wooden building. Looking at the people who enter the building, all are dressed in fantasy like outfits. Leather armor and oddly angular bone equipment. There were others with staffs in their hands, and others who looked a little different from the humans. They are called ¡°strangers,¡± and elves like Jerukku are one of them. Others looked like beasts or had reptilian features. Ren put his hand on the door of the busy guild and slowly opened it. The wooden door made a dull click and the inside of the guild came into view. (Oh, the inside looks pretty much the same.) It reminded him of the legendary scene of the Seven Heroes. Inside the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, the solid floor was stained dark brown, and the walls were covered with white cloth. The ceiling was covered with the same solid wood as the floor, and a ceiling fan that seemed to be powered by magical tools was spinning. A huge bulletin board was stretched on one wall. The bar attached to the interior was an exciting sight for the male mind. (They¡¯re staring at me.) The adults in the guild all looked at Ren at once. The same went for the women dressed like witches and the strong men. In addition to a few foreigners, even the woman standing at the reception desk looked at Ren. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s him.¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t be rude.¡± ¡°You saw it, too.¡± He could hear the voices of some adventurers. Ren walked past them to the reception desk. ¡°I¡¯d like to register, please.¡± The reason he was able to ask in a familiar tone of voice was because he had gone through the process many times in the Legend of the Seven Heroes. ¡°You seem clever¡­ but are you sure?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Excuse me. What did Baron Clausel say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I have just received his permission.¡± By the way, the guild is a neutral organization that spans the globe. So it usually does not interfere with the affairs of countries or nobles. In Ren¡¯s case, however, the earlier disturbance was so great that the receptionist at the guild must have been surprised to hear him ask. ¡°Here¡¯s the registration fee. I can read and write, so I¡¯m fine with the explanations.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me for repeating myself, but are you sure you¡¯re registering for the first time?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ you seem so familiar with the system that I just thought¡­¡± The receptionist¡¯s question is valid, and she¡¯s not mistaken. (Is this a magic tool too?). This is one of the reasons why the registration fee is not cheap. The guild maintains a special piece of paper with information to be shared among all branches. The mechanism that makes this possible is through a magical tool developed by one of the Seven Heroes. It¡¯s said that the hero was a genius magic tool craftsman, and there¡¯s an anecdote that the guild commissioned him to develop the tool. ¡°Please take this.¡± Ren, who has finished writing, turns the paper the other way and hands it to the receptionist so that she can see it easily. There¡¯s no mistake in the content. The procedure itself is now complete. Ren finally received a card the size of a playing card, and confirmed his name and the words ¡°G rank¡± written on it. ¡°The explanation of the conditions for rank advancement¡ª-.¡± ¡°I know because I read it in a book. I also know the fee for reissuing a lost guild card and that the guilds that can reissue cards are limited to those where I have a record.¡± This concludes the entire process. Ren puts the guild card in his pocket and leaves the counter where he had been resting his elbow. (What should I do now?) It seemed a shame to leave without doing anything, so he went to the bulletin board on the wall and looked at the many request forms posted there. In Clausel territory, strong monsters are seldom observed. Therefore, there were only a few sheets of information on even D-ranked monsters. Even if there were, they were near another territory facing the Clausel territory, so it was too far away to even be considered Clausel¡¯s jurisdiction. ¡°¡­¡­¡± However, the information on a different monster, prepared separately from those D-ranked monsters, caught his attention. He was distracted by the information on a piece of paper taped to the edge of the board. ¡°Oh, hero-dono, is that what¡¯s bothering you?¡± A strong man suddenly called out to Ren. When he turned around, he saw that the man was with a werewolf who appeared to be one of his companions. ¡°Hero?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m talking about you. You were so brilliant with that foolish viscount.¡± Unlike the man who had approached him earlier, the wolfman¡¯s manner was softer. ¡°We were also interested in the arrival of a boy with a good reputation. We thought you might have some interesting information to share with us.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s better to leave that guy.¡± ¡°Yeah. The D rank monster is left alone because it will not touch people if left alone. But the repercussions are as strong as its rank.¡± ¡°That information came to us more than six months ago. But no one has tried to take it down.¡± ¡°We tried once, but it was too fast and too strong, so we retreated.¡± Ren listened to their conversation and nodded knowingly, ¡°I see¡±. At any rate, he understood the situation. But for Ren, if it¡¯s information about monsters, it cannot be ignored. ¡ª- Steel-eating Gargoyle. The gargoyle, which is said to be a sculpture in the form of a monster in Ren¡¯s previous life, is a large, human-sized monster with a stone body and wings that look like a mixture of a bat and a dragon in this world. Among these gargoyles, there¡¯s a rare one that feeds not on the flesh of other monsters but on metal. This is the steel-eating gargoyle. As the adventurers mentioned earlier, they are characterized by their extremely robust physique and swiftness. Ren also had a reason to be sure to defeat it. (¡­¡­It¡¯s a unique monster.) The experience and proficiency gained are plentiful. The materials were expensive and when I thought of the chance to obtain a new magic sword, I couldn¡¯t help but think that I wanted to defeat it somehow. After much deliberation, I decided to live in Clausel for a while. I didn¡¯t expect to get my first goal so soon. (If I¡¯m going to fight, I¡¯ll have to get Lessard-sama¡¯s permission first.) In any case, it will be after things have settled down. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª After returning to the mansion, Ren made an appointment with Lessard through Weiss. Ren went to Lessard¡¯s office and reported that he had finished registering with the guild and that he would be going out to investigate the monsters in the near future. Weiss then handed Ren a folded sheet of paper. ¡°Weiss-sama, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a map of the neighborhood. Please, use it if you like.¡± Ren took it gratefully and bowed. ¡°Now, please keep this matter secret from the young lady.¡± ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that.¡± ¡°Mm. it¡¯s good to take things slow a little. The boy might be flustered.¡± The place to live will be in this mansion for a while. If it weren¡¯t for Lezard¡¯s salary, he hasn¡¯t started hunting and selling monsters, so he¡¯s still penniless. Until his activities get back on track, Ren is sorry to say, but he has decided to take advantage of the situation. ¡°I still feel like I¡¯m being too dependent.¡± ¡°Hmm? Is that so?¡± ¡°I think this proposal is too advantageous for me. I have the job of delivering the report, but ¡­¡­¡± I can hunt monsters in between jobs or accept requests from the adventurers¡¯ guild. To be honest, I felt it was too loose. ¡°¡­..I have one calculation to be honest with you.¡± And then, unexpectedly, Lessard reveals a thought that has been in a corner of his mind. ¡°If Ren decides to stay in town, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve been thinking about.¡± It was already in an apologetic, reserved tone of voice. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s when you have some free time and when you feel like it. If you would like, I¡¯d like you to duel with Licia on occasions.¡± ¡­¡­Lessard is always like this. He has never forced Ren to do anything, nor has he ever imposed his values on him, saying that this is the way it should be. He consulted with Ren, just like a father would. (I wonder what this feeling is¡­) I felt an indescribable sense of discomfort at the fact that the baron was bringing himself down for me. It wasn¡¯t out of disgust, but out of apology for having made him do so. I must not let this happen. Even if they are the ones who were saved by me. ¡°If it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll cross swords with Licia-sama again.¡± Ren shook hands with Lessard, who had a cheerful expression on his face. (In fact, I promised Licia-sama recently as well.) It¡¯s impossible to cut ties with Licia now. Then, I want to have as good a relationship with her as possible. I believe that this will help me to avoid the future that I want to avoid. ¡°Boy, I thank you too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it all. Weiss-sama is teaching me imperial swordsmanship, and I¡¯m the one who should be thanking you.¡± It¡¯s also one of the reasons why I remain in this town. He would have to tell his parents in his village that he had been given a job by Lessard. Since he decided to do so, he will have to send a letter. After all, it would take nearly 20 days to get to the Ashtons¡¯ village and back. Volume 2 - CH 9 The next morning, after finishing her training, Licia went to the guest room. ¡°Hey, Ren, how about joining us tomorrow?¡± With a big smile on her face and a bouncy voice, she invited him to train with her. When she asked in a happy tone, Ren said in his usual tone. ¡°Sure. My body is almost back to normal, so I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Then¡ª ¡°¡­¡­¡­.?¡± Licia wondered strangely. Licia looked at Ren with an oddly quizzical look and approached the desk where he was standing. She stood directly next to the desk and reached out her hand to Ren, who refused to look at her. She put her hands on Ren¡¯s cheeks and turned him toward her. ¡°Are you hiding anything from me?¡±. (¡ª-!?) ¡°Ha! your eyes are shaking.¡± I was surprised that she could show her keen intuition here. But I still can¡¯t tell her about the work that Lessard asked me to do. After some hesitation, Ren decided to tell a lie, even though it hurt his heart. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the matter of the holy sword technique the other day.¡± ¡°¡­.. what?¡± ¡°What if I¡¯ve caused a bad influence on Licia-sama¡¯s future¡­¡± I¡¯m not lying about all of it, anyway. I once thought about what I just said. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that! It¡¯s my decision, so don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Licia said to encourage Ren, honestly believing what he just said. Ren felt a little sorry for her and looked away slightly. Perhaps this also made Ren¡¯s mysteriousness stand out, Licia said again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± and emphasized that her choice was not a mistake. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to work together someday to learn the style that suits us best. holy swordsmanship is not the only school.¡± Licia then released Ren. After reaffirming his feelings through this unscheduled exchange, Ren got up from his seat as Licia took him by the hand. He left the room with her pulling him along. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Breakfast. It looks like you haven¡¯t eaten yet, so let¡¯s eat together.¡± She was trying to comfort Ren, who seemed to be in a constant state of distress. It also makes Ren¡¯s heart prickle and ache. (I feel guilty. ¡­¡­) He kept quiet about the guild thing, partly because he didn¡¯t have any plans set in stone. However, in the face of Licia¡¯s innocence and straightforwardness, he couldn¡¯t stop feeling as if he was doing something evil. As they were walking to the cafeteria, they suddenly heard. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that Licia?¡± Lessard appeared and called out to Licia, who was moving forward with great enthusiasm. He was just smiling apologetically at Ren, not caring that his daughter was walking around with him. Then Lessard said. ¡°It¡¯s time to leave, what are you doing?¡± (Leave?) ¡°Father, I thought our departure was after breakfast.¡± ¡°Oh. I did say that, but you seem to have worked too hard on your morning training. It¡¯s already close to the scheduled time, so I¡¯d like you to have breakfast in the carriage.¡± Licia turned to Ren, who was tilting his head slightly, not understanding what she was talking about, and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±. ¡°I was supposed to go to work out of town today. Our departure was after breakfast, so I thought I still had plenty of time to get there¡­.¡± Apparently Licia was pushing the clock because she had worked too hard on her morning training. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll have a light breakfast and borrow another book.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I invited you¡­.¡± Licia then let go of Ren¡¯s hand. She left his side regretfully and toddled off to her room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my daughter has been so boisterous this morning.¡± Lessard said aloud after Licia was out of sight. ¡°I¡¯m always energized by her cheerful personality.¡± ¡°Huh, that sounds just like you¡­.. Licia and I are going out of town. We¡¯ll be back late at night, so I need you to do some investigation for me today.¡± Working in Licia¡¯s absence is somewhat nerve-wracking. But at the same time, I was also excited at the thought of having the opportunity to fight monsters for the first time in a long time. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the night. I wonder what kind of results you¡¯ll achieve on your first day and how you¡¯ll surprise us all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be any outstanding results on the first day.¡± The first day will be a day of exploration. If you don¡¯t know the land, the monsters that inhabit it will be new to you. Therefore, I don¡¯t intend to make too many flashy moves from the start. I plan to just visit the guild to find information and use the map Weiss gave me to explore the area. However, if monsters appear, I¡¯ll defend myself. ¡°Weiss is coming with us, so he won¡¯t be here. But if you need anything, tell the servants in the mansion.¡± After this, he left Ren. Ren didn¡¯t go to the dining room, but went to his room to eat breakfast. In his heart, he had a different sense of mission than usual. ¡°Okay¡ª- let¡¯s go for it.¡¯ He has been entrusted with a job similar to the one he did for his father back in the village, but this time he was asked to do it by Lessard. With that in mind, he felt more relaxed than before. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Three hours after leaving the town. If he continued on the opposite side of the hillside from the town, where he fought Jerukku, he¡¯ll will reach a vast forest. It¡¯s called the Eastern Forest, a place that¡¯s easy to recognize when it is east of the town. (Ah!) Walking through the thickly wooded forest, I realized that I had heard of it. (It¡¯s not completely new to me) It¡¯s the monsters that inhabit this area. Even though this is the first time I have actually seen them, I have a good idea of their ecology. But only if they are the same monsters as in the game days. ¡°Alright.¡± Let¡¯s do it. As I moved forward with vigorous steps, I saw a figure peeking out at me from behind a tree. If you look closely, you can see that it¡¯s a beast that resembles a rabbit. What makes it different from an ordinary rabbit is that it has three eyes and twice as many arms and legs. Naturally, it was a monster. It¡¯s an F-rank monster named Mitsume. In terms of rank, it¡¯s one rank higher than the little boars that Ren has hunted countless times. ¡°Kikik!¡»\ Mitsume¡¯s movements are more agile than a Little Boar¡¯s, and when it jumps, it appears in front of Ren in a flash. But there was no way Ren couldn¡¯t react. He calmly intercepts with the iron magic sword he had summoned, poised with room to spare. With the tip of his iron magic sword, which he lightly pushed out, he pierced the Mitsume¡¯s neck with a thump. ¡°Kiiiiii¡»\ ¡°¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s like this.¡± 10% percent out of sync and 30 % nervous. The remaining 60% was relief at being able to maintain an overwhelming advantage in the battle against the monster for the first time in a long time. Approaching the Mitsume, who was soon out dead, Ren summoned his wooden magic sword and swung it lightly, binding its corpse with the ivy he had created and carrying it up. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ very useful ¡­¡­.¡± In his right hand is an iron sword. He thought about having two swords, the iron magic sword and the thief¡¯s magic sword, but today he decided on a combination that prioritized transportation. Eventually, after absorbing the magic stone, Ren turned his attention to the crystal on his bracelet. ¡ª¡ª Ren Ashton [Job] Eldest son of the Ashton family [Skill] ?Summon Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/0) Magic Sword Summoning Technique (Level 3: 241/2000) Level 1: Able to summon [one] magic sword. Level 2: While summoning a magic sword, the user gains the effect of [Physical Ability UP (Small)]. Level 3: Summons ¡¾Two swords¡¿. Level 4: Gain [Physical Ability UP (Medium)] while summoning a magic sword. Level 5: £ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª. [Acquired Swords] ? Magic Sword of Wood (Level 2: 990/1000) Iron Magic Sword (Level 1: 990/1000) Thieves¡¯ Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/3) Randomly steals an item from the target with a certain probability. ¡ª¡ª I was able to gain a little bit of proficiency without incident. The wooden and iron magic swords are close to leveling up as well, losing out to the magic sword summoning technique. It looks like it¡¯s going to go up by the end of the day. ¡°I wonder how long it will take.¡± It was about the encounter rate with monsters. How many monsters are there and how many can I encounter in a day? In the end, whether or not I¡¯ll be able to raise my skill level depends on these probabilities. But after a dozen minutes of Ren stepping forward again, the sound of secret breathing could be heard from the shadows. (Surprisingly, there seem to be a lot of them.) He nodded and turned his attention in the direction of the presence. And then ¡ª-. ¡°Gah! ¡»\ He moved before the monster struck, closing the distance in between blinks and swinging his iron magic sword. The second Mitsume, which was ahead of him, almost aimed at Ren and then died. ¡ª- Then. One goal was achieved after a late lunch. Defeating four more Mitsume had increased the level of the Iron Magic Sword¡­¡­ but the level of the Wooden Magic Sword (Level 2) had not. It was the first time in a long time that I felt uncomfortable. Unlike the iron magic sword, which leveled up successfully, the wooden magic sword¡¯s number was cancelled ¡ª- a so-called counterstop situation and its level didn¡¯t increase while its proficiency had accumulated to the maximum value. ¡°Yes¡­..¡± No way, I¡¯m not giving up here. If it was a counter stop, I had a feeling it would fit in the same notation as the 0/0 for summoning a magic sword. ¡°If so, I¡¯m certain there¡¯s a condition for raising the level¡­..¡± However, since I couldn¡¯t find those conditions, I would have to search for them again. In the end, I continued my investigation and hunting until the evening of that day, but I was not overly concerned about the wooden magic sword. This was partly due to the fact that I was taking notes on the number of monsters in the neighborhood, their habitats, and other things I noticed while hunting. The research was going well. The hunting was also going well. When Ren returned to the town carrying many monsters, he smiled as he remembered life in the village. Volume 2 - CH 10.1 There are a few things to reflect on today. The first is that if you are going on a long hunting trip like this, you should bring not only lunch but also dinner. Another is transportation. I may have over-enthusiastically gone out for the first time in a long time, but it wasn¡¯t a good look to go back home dragging a monster. However, I also wondered if I should go into the forest while dragging a cart. After all, if you¡¯re hunting alone, you have to do your best. When it comes down to this, Ren confirms the results of today¡¯s survey and the outcome of the hunt. (Eight mitsume, two earthworms) Earthworms are E-ranked monsters. They are huge worm monsters that crawl on the ground, which Jerukku also used to use. As expected, I can¡¯t carry them, so I¡¯m dragging them toward the town. I¡¯m sorry to pollute the road, so I¡¯m going off the highway. Even so, the adventurers I passed occasionally looked at me as if they had seen something strange. A boy like Ren was dragging a total of ten monsters along with him. It was inevitable. I had told Lessard in the morning that I shouldn¡¯t be hunting that much, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. (I wonder if I can go through with this) Eventually, I saw the gate that led into Clausel. Of course, since it¡¯s a gate, it is wide. What I am trying to say is that it is wide enough for me to pass through even while dragging many monsters. The problem is that it stands out too much. ¡°This is¡­¡± I knew it. The knight standing at the gate naturally knows about Ren. He chuckled when he saw Ren returning. ¡°The Lord told me that Ren-dono had begun his activities outside of town ¡ª-, but you¡¯ve had a big catch on day one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t the other adventurers do much of this kind of hunting?¡± ¡°I think they mostly hunt small monsters. As you know, it¡¯s difficult to transport them, so even if they are hunted, they are often dismantled locally or transported after careful examination of the materials.¡± (¡­¡­ I might as well do the same.) ¡°Especially when it comes to earthworms, although they are ranked E, they¡¯re hard to hunt because of their ecology. So the shells fetch a good price. There are many uses for them, but not many people hunt them.¡± Hearing this, Ren was honestly pleased. Ren¡¯s only reason for going out of town is to investigate monsters, but it¡¯s also a way for him to make money. ¡°I¡¯m going to the guild now, is it okay if I carry it with me?¡± ¡°Yes. Apparently it¡¯s not going to contaminate the road with blood and bodily fluids, so it¡¯s not a problem.¡± The knight continues. ¡°but did you carry it all the way here by yourself?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. I don¡¯t have a party with me, so I dragged it all the way from the forest.¡± ¡°¡­.I see¡± Apparently, this knight was worried about whether Ren could carry it alone. He had walked all the way to the castle gate alone, so it was only natural that he should be able to carry it alone, but he was still skeptical. But when Ren started walking again, he smiled. ¡°¡ª- our hero may be even more amazing than I think he is.¡± He thought as he watched Ren¡¯s back and listened to the amazement of the residents as he passed by. I feel the same way, they said. Meanwhile, Ren, who continues onward, is pleased without saying it aloud. (Thank goodness the guild is close to the gate.) Perhaps it¡¯s a location for transporting monsters, etc. Thinking that this kind of thing was also considered, Ren felt that he had become smarter. ¡°So¡ª¡° What should I do from here? In front of the guild, which was attracting a lot of attention, Ren stood looking at the doorway. No, indeed, it wouldn¡¯t go through. Even if I forced my way through, the doors and walls would likely break, and carrying dead monsters through the guild with him was questionable. So I wondered in a daze what to do. But as I did so. ¡°¡­¡­ this is amazing.¡± ¡°Oh, how surprising.¡± The two adventurers who had exchanged words yesterday appeared and stood dumbfounded by Ren¡¯s side. These two men provide the answer to Ren¡¯s question. ¡°There¡¯s a loading dock on the side, so you¡¯d better go that way.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s such a thing?¡± ¡°Yes, there is. The one who has achieved good results carries it to the guild¡¯s loading dock by himself. If you hunt monsters that don¡¯t fit, you¡¯ll have to ask the guild to assess them outside.¡± (I should have listened properly¡­..) I thought it would be the same as in a game and finished the procedure quickly, but this is the world in which Ren actually lives, so I should have listened to the explanation honestly. Haunted by this regret, Ren thanked the two men, parted ways, and carried the monsters as he had come. The guild officials were already waiting for him at the place where he carried it, and they greeted him with a surprised look. ¡°Are you sure you want to sell everything?¡± The receptionist with whom he had exchanged words yesterday said. ¡°Please.¡± He told her that only the magic stones had been removed, and watched as the staff members assessed the items. I noticed that a crowd had gathered in the area. The town¡¯s residents know ren as the hero of the Clausel family, and he suddenly wondered if this was the right thing to do. (Should I have stayed out of sight, as is often the case in novels?) It was, to a large extent, to avoid the death flag. But when he thought about it, it doesn¡¯t really matter whether he hid or not. As far as Clausel is concerned, Ren is already widely known. Or rather, when it comes to his solo defeat of Thief Wolfen, word about him has left Clausel and reached the former Viscount Given¡¯s territory. So it¡¯s too late to be conspicuous. If he wanted to hide it, he would have started when he defeated Thief wolfen, and since the village would have been in danger if Ren hadn¡¯t fought at that time, he had no choice but to fight. There¡¯s no way he could think of abandoning his family and his birthplace. And if you think back, Ren didn¡¯t set out to stay out of sight, and there is no clear connection between this and a death flag. So his immediate thought upon coming into this world was. ¡°Live in peace. I don¡¯t want the emperor to order my defeat.¡± That was it. Ren still remembers every word. He also wanted to avoid the same future as Ren Ashton in the game, and all he wanted was to live a clean and honest life. Ren makes no excuses to anyone, but reaffirms his feelings. (To sum up¡­) This kind of warfare doesn¡¯t lead to the conclusion of the game. Ren¡¯s goal is only to avoid a future in which he kills both Licia and the dean. The reason why the emperor gives the order to defeat him is only because Ren kills those two people. Conversely, it¡¯s not because he¡¯s a prominent individual. ¡­¡­ but in the end, the only way to avoid making any waves at all is to stay back in the village. But I have an inseparable relationship with Licia, and the thought that I might be the spark that started the fire the other day makes it impossible for me to do so honestly. There¡¯s always the possibility that my seclusion in the village could lead to an unforeseen situation. Just like Viscount Givens¡¯ plot. (Really, what¡¯s the right thing to do?) There was also the thought that by being conspicuous, he might get caught up in the quarrels among the nobles. But it¡¯s also true that this is irrelevant once Ren has defeated Thief wolfen in a perfect state. Whether he lived quietly or not, the world didn¡¯t miss Ren. But that didn¡¯t mean that it was all unwelcome. Although the factions were different, if he had a friendship with someone as powerful as the Marquis Ignat, the other nobles wouldn¡¯t be able to easily touch him. This is a notable achievement that Ren was able to produce apart from the game¡¯s storyline. (If you think about how this patronage could spark a new fire, it¡¯s hard to know what the right thing to do is anymore.) For this reason, Ren remembers no regrets about what he did today. He no longer knew what was right and what was wrong, but he didn¡¯t feel guilty about migrating for the sake of his village and his family. Volume 2 - CH 10.2 ¡°The assessment has been completed.¡± Ren, who had been thinking about something, turned his attention back to the receptionist. I thought it was a very quick assessment. When Ren asked the receptionist why, she was told that it was quick because there were certain criteria. ¡°I see. No wonder.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your payment. The amount is after deducting the dismantling costs.¡± The receptionist slipped a pen on a piece of paper she had taken out of her bossom. Ren received it, looked at it, and involuntarily let out an exclamation of ¡°Huh!?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could get this much.¡± In the days of video games, we only sold a portion of the materials, and we never received as detailed an estimate as we do now. So what Ren saw, to his surprise, was a figure of 600,000 Gs. Weiss had once said that the daily wage of a commoner was about 10,000 G. If we compare it to that, it would be 60 times higher. In effect, he had enough money to live on for a little more than two months. ¡°The purchase price of earthworms is set high for their rank due to their nature. Therefore, even after deducting commissions, the unit price is 250,000 G. However, the price for Mitsume is 12,000 G because they are easy to hunt.¡± That wouldn¡¯t reach 600,000 G, but it seems that there was someone who just wanted the earthworm material, so he added some bonus to it. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Then I will pay you inside.¡± Ren was escorted into the guild by the receptionist. He went to the counter and received six gold coins and signed that he had indeed received them. (I believe the gold coin was 100,000 G and the silver coin was 10,000 G.) Also, the copper coin is 1000G, and finally the iron coin is 100 G. After receiving the six gold coins, Ren puts them away in his pocket. He greeted the receptionist and left the guild with the attention of the adventurers, and he chuckled to himself at the sound of the gold coins rubbing against each other as he walked. ¡°I guess I should at least buy a wallet.¡± Since I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll go buy one now. Ren didn¡¯t know any stores around here. However, Ren¡¯s mind suddenly flashed with the thought of one such store. It was the same store Licia had taken him to the other day. But it was a luxury store. ¡°I want to buy a really good wallet.¡± I¡¯m not saying that everything expensive is good. Ren then walked up the hill for a while to get to that store. He thought about looking for other stores along the way, but it was too late, so he decided not to. Fortunately, the store was still open. However, Ren stopped at the storefront and was heading toward the mansion when he next moved his feet. After the hunt was over, he had cleaned some of the dirt off at a watering hole he saw in the woods. But because of some remaining dirt, he thought he was not dressed to go into a store like that. ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that Ren-dono?¡± But the owner of the store, who opened the door and showed himself, called out to Ren who had his back turned. ¡°Please stop by, if you¡¯d like.¡± He was aware of Ren¡¯s condition, yet he urged him to come to the store without concern. The owner didn¡¯t stop a smiling, even though he was clearly concerned, and asked Ren to come in, so Ren returned to the storefront, wondering what was going on. ¡°Excuse me. I thought I¡¯d come back later, after I¡¯ve freshened up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s Ren-dono, of all people, who came to the store, and there are no other customers here.¡± The owner then put a sign in front of the restaurant stating that it was closed. It appears that the inside will be reserved for Ren. ¡°But ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Consider it a way to save face for me. I would be scolded by my predecessor if I were to fail to welcome our hero.¡± The owner kept smiling and continued to invite Ren to enter the store. (If I find a wallet, I will definitely buy it here.) Grateful for the kindness, Ren took the owner at his word and stepped into the store. Ren told the owner a few things. He told the owner that he had been given a job by Lessard to investigate outside the town and that he¡¯d have more opportunities to hunt monsters while he was at it. Finally, he told the shopkeeper that he hadn¡¯t yet told Licia. ¡°So I wanted to buy a wallet.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case I suggest you go for a sturdy one. I have a few available over there.¡± Ren followed his instructions and walked over to the corner where the wallets were placed. The wallets are magnificent. The leather itself is well tanned and carefully sewn and it looks more than just aesthetically pleasing. It was obviously expensive, but he wondered if he would be able to buy it with what he had. (I can¡¯t say the same with the values of my previous life.) It¡¯s by the influence of the material of the existence of monsters. What at first glance appears to be just leather may in fact be a valuable material. Ren secretly looks for a price tag to see if there¡¯s one, but there isn¡¯t one. A slightly cold sweat trickled down his neck. Ren then turned his attention to a corner off the shelf of the purse. (¡­¡­ hmm?) Suddenly, his eyes fell on an item other than a wallet. What he saw was a corner where women¡¯s clothing was placed. I thought it wasn¡¯t there the other day, but I wondered if they had redecorated the store a bit. Ren¡¯s attention was drawn to one of the items in the corner that looked like something a girl would wear. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­.. sorry, just a minute.¡± ¡°¡­. Fufu, I see.¡± Remembering Licia¡¯s gift to me, my feet start to move on their own. The purpose of looking for a wallet was soon forgotten and the next purpose occupied my brain. (Maybe it¡¯ll look good on her.) What caught my attention was a white dress. It was a simple but neat outfit that would look good on Licia. ¡°I can tailor it to fit the young lady.¡± It¡¯s easy to see why Ren would buy such a dress. But the shopkeeper didn¡¯t ask for too many details, just the information he thought Ren would want. Ren heard this and didn¡¯t look embarrassed, as he thought it was only natural that she should know. ¡°Is it okay if she¡¯s not here?¡± ¡°Yes. We have adjusted her clothes in our store, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll buy it.¡± Licia also said that the clothes were more of a gift than a thank you, so it should be normal for him to return the gift. ¡°Please give me those clothes.¡± ¡°Over here then.¡± The owner indicated the counter, and they proceeded to the counter. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s the price?¡± ¡°This one will cost you about this much, including the tailoring fee.¡± The owner wrote the price on a piece of paper and showed it to Ren. It was within the range of what he could afford. However, the first gift was a very expensive item. It wasn¡¯t surprising since the shop was for aristocrats, but when he thought about it, he had received two more sets of clothes. Ren couldn¡¯t think that this was too expensive. ¡°As soon as it is finished, I will bring it to your residence, addressed to Ren-dono.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°By the way, how would you like your wallet?¡± The reason I came to this store was to buy a wallet. But after deciding to buy Licia some clothes, he spent more time than he had expected talking with the owner of the store. After realizing this, Ren decided to give up on the wallet for today. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next time when I come. It¡¯s almost time for Licia and the others to return.¡± ¡°I will accept today being for your young lady¡¯s dress.¡± I couldn¡¯t buy the wallet I wanted, but I was happy to be able to return the favor. Perhaps because of this, I felt strangely light on my feet on the way home that day. After returning to the mansion, I had to write a report, but I was in too good a mood to do so. Prologue I loved the world of swords and magic. I have only played fantasy games since I was a child. Even such novels are my favorites. If it was a story in a fantasy world, I was confident that I could stay up all night for several days and still enjoy it. ¡ª- Shiina Ren was such a young man. Of course, he doesn¡¯t spend his life only playing games. He usually spends his time as a fourth-year student at a university, and recently he has been busy with his job search. In addition to this, he had a part-time job four days a week to enrich his gaming life. As an aside, he even had a girlfriend once. However, he had made up his mind never to have a girlfriend again after an older student at his university slept with her. One weekend, Ren had three days free to play a new game that he was looking forward to. He downloaded the game as soon as the date changed to Friday and spent half a day and a few hours playing it. In the evening of the same day, he shouted with delight in front of the TV. ¡®It¡¯s the ending!¡¯ What he was playing was a role-playing game, and there was no competitive element. So there was no competition with anyone, but it felt good to post part of the ending screen on SNS with the excitement generated by playing the game without a break until the evening came by. It¡¯s a gamer¡¯s duty to be careful not to spoil the ending. I thought to myself, ¡°Could this possibly be the fastest clear in the world?¡± As if in answer to his words, the words appeared on the ending screen. ¡®System: Congratulations on clearing the game. Would you like to record your clear time on the server?¡¡Yes/No.¡¯ Yes!¡¡OK¡ª- and!¡± Shortly after Ren pressed ¡°Yes¡±, a new system message appeared on the screen. It was accompanied by a sentence that both proved his prediction and excited him. ¡®System: As a reward for the first place in the clear ranking, you have won a special downloadable content. Would you like to download it?¡¡Yes/No.¡¯ ¡®Special ¡­¡­, of course I will!¡¯ Ren hurriedly pressed ¡°Yes,¡± and 1%¡­¡­ few minutes later, 2%¡­¡­ and the download progressed in the corner of the screen. Ren was feeling superior as he watched this. He didn¡¯t know what the special downloadable content is, but the message stated that it was a reward for first place in the ranking. In other words, he would receive data that others would not. As a gamer, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be excited about this. ¡°¡­¡­ let¡¯s calm down a little.¡± Ren leaned back on the sofa to calm his rapidly beating heart. He was bored while waiting for the download, so he picked up his phone and opened the official website of the game he had just played. The Legend of the Seven Heroes II. As the name ¡°II¡± indicates, this game is a sequel. It¡¯s a fantasy RPG that is currently popular all over the world and was declared by the developer to be a trilogy. The storyline is fairly royal. It¡¯s a school story in which the descendants of the seven heroes overcome various hardships and grow up in a world several hundred years after the defeat of the Demon King. The protagonist is a country-born boy with commoner parents. However, when he was a child, his hidden power was awakened, and he was sent to the Imperial Academy in the Imperial capital, the best school in the Empire. There, he meets six men and women who are said to have the blood of the Seven Heroes, and the story unfolds as they try to stop those who are plotting the resurrection of the Demon King. The story is vast, as you can also fall in love with the heroine of your choice. Incidentally, in the ending of I, it is revealed that the hero is the last of the Seven Heroes, who were thought to have ceased to exist. Although the content was predictable, Ren thinks that the royal road is still good. But II was also great¡­¡­. In II, which he had just completed, the story¡¯s biggest upheaval yet occurs. The main character¡¯s friend kills a girl called a saint and even takes the life of the head of the academy, who¡¯s called the strongest magic user. After that, the friend disappears into thin air. Since then, various incidents have occurred in the empire. The friend comes to the scene of the disturbances, says something meaningful, and sometimes fights with the protagonists. However, the ending of the story is left unclear not only the purpose of the friend, but also the relationship between the friend and those who are plotting to resurrect the Demon King. In the end, the emperor ordered the friend to be defeated and the story was left to be continued in III. ¡ª- Ren was having fun just remembering it. In the end, he couldn¡¯t calm down and instead of letting go of his phone, he picked up the controller. ¡°Hmmm,¡­¡­, what should I do?¡± I had been playing since this morning, but surprisingly I wasn¡¯t tired. I hadn¡¯t finished downloading the special downloadable content yet, so while downloading it, I returned the game to the title screen to refresh my mind. I wanted to enjoy the second round of the game, so I decided to play one more round. The game is actually quite challenging. What should I do with my next skill? The main character¡¯s appearance cannot be changed, but as Ren mentioned, skills can be changed flexibly. Moreover, from the second round, the number of options increases significantly. Not only can the name of the skill be changed to any name you like in Japanese, but you can also create your own original skill by multiplying three or even more skills together. Of course, there is the drawback that the status and effects will be adjusted so as not to upset the game balance, and if you change the name of a skill from ¡°natural magic¡± to ¡°spirit art,¡± you will be told that it is no good because it is the same as the descendants of the other seven heroes. In other words, it¡¯s no good if it¡¯s called a unique skill, a skill that only special people can use. ¡°The magic swordsman who was popular on social networking sites,¡­¡­ no, after all it has to be holy knight,¡­¡­ The initial job of the main character, ¡°I¡± starts with ¡°Swordsman,¡± ¡°Advanced Swordsman¡± is opened in the middle of the game, and ¡°Guardian¡± can be used from the second round of the game. In II, you can start with ¡°Guardian¡± or any other initial or original skill. The combination of jobs and skills has been researched and the compatibility and effects of these skills have been compiled in great detail. There are even hidden skills in the game, so there is a lot of work to be done. I¡¯d like to find the hidden skills anyway. The hidden skills are those that are filled in by multiplying a specific skill by a specific skill, and the name of the class is filled in on its own. Ren spent the next several dozen minutes searching for hidden skills. But he could not find any. He tried dozens of patterns, tried hundreds of patterns, and still could not find them. Finally, exhausted, he reached for his smartphone and searched social networking sites to see if anyone else had completed the game. Oh?¡± Then there were a few posts there that caught his attention. ¡°He is definitely the boss character of III.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the mastermind behind this. He is the one who is trying to revive the Demon King (I think). ¡°He was like Black from Sentai at the end. Honestly, so cool.¡± Here and there, it seems, people who saw the ending of II appeared. Some of them were gamers that I had talked to on social media, and I sent them a message, thinking that I would be okay with them. I sent them a message, ¡°Did you find any hidden skills?¡ª-.¡± The reply came quickly, in less than a minute. Unfortunately, no one seemed to have found any, and Ren was a little disappointed. At the same time, however, he was determined to find it. After putting on some eye drops and regaining his composure, he saw the words ¡°99%¡± in Lotus¡¯s eyes. Ah, finally.¡± The special download content became 100% at the same time Ren muttered that. Download complete!¡¡This message appears for a few seconds, then quickly disappears. ¡®What was that ¡­¡­?¡¡Nothing was added to the list, not even ¡­¡­.¡± Ren was dejected. He had been looking forward to it, but he couldn¡¯t see any difference, so he thought it was a bug, and with a deep sigh, he went back to his search for hidden skills. And then ¡ª-. A few more minutes passed, and he happened to find the hidden skill. ¡°Summon Magic Sword¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢!¡± The combined skills were swordsman, black magic, and summoner. The surprised Ren tilted his head and muttered. It¡¯s funny¡­¡­¡­ I thought I tried this combination¡­¡­¡­¡± This combination is just a cross of commonly used skills, and there is no way they had not tried it before. So why did I try the same combination, I simply made a mistake. When you have tried hundreds of combinations, you inevitably end up entering the same combination by mistake. That¡¯s all there was to it. ¡°Could it have something to do with the special downloadable content?¡± He didn¡¯t know the answer. But Ren¡¯s cheeks relaxed. He pressed the button to determine the skill, honestly expressing his joy at having found the hidden skill. But ¡­¡­. ¡®System: Summon Magic Sword is a unique skill and cannot be used in normal mode.¡¯ Ren drooped down vigorously and smashed his forehead against the desk with a thud.¡¡He slammed his forehead against the desk with a mighty thud. Don¡¯t screw with me!¡¡I wanted to complain out loud, but the next moment I looked up and saw the screen. I wondered if any of the characters were using the ¡°summon magic sword¡± skill. No matter how fast I tried to clear the game, there was no way I could have overlooked that skill. If so, it¡¯s not impossible that it could be a hidden character or a hidden event that could be revealed. ¡­¡­ The most important thing to remember is that the system message is still on the screen. ¡°What do you mean ¡­¡­ it can¡¯t be used in normal mode?¡± Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never seen a message like this before. When you choose a unique skill, it just says no for that reason. Curious, Ren tried changing the game¡¯s difficulty level, but no matter which difficulty level he changed, it was no good. He turned to the description of the summoning of the magic sword, wondering. ¡°You can summon a magic sword at ¡ª-. The ability of the magic sword can be increased by using a magic stone to raise its proficiency level. Also, by achieving special conditions, the types of magic swords will increase.¡± Demon stones are stones found inside the bodies of demons that appear in the game. They are mainly used only for cash when melee skills are selected, but when magic skills are selected, they are items that restore magical power and buffs that increase magical effects. Other beautiful items are used by aristocrats for decoration. Then again, I don¡¯t remember any character using such a skill. After a few minutes of furrowing his brow, Ren noticed that a letter had lit up in the corner of the screen. It read, ¡°Start a special story. Seeing this, Ren pressed ¡°Yes¡± without hesitation. What the heck is this ¡ª-?¡± Then a large system message appeared on the screen. The message reads, ¡°System: Do you want to start a special story with skills and magic sword summoning?¡¡Yes?No.¡¯ It read, ¡°Start a special story. Seeing this, Ren pressed ¡°Yes¡± without hesitation. What the heck is this ¡ª-?¡± Then a large system message appeared on the screen. The message reads, ¡°System: Do you want to start a special story with skills and magic sword summoning?¡¡Yes/No.¡¯ Without hesitation, Ren pressed ¡°Yes. Soon after, his vision began to be enveloped by a bright white light, and his consciousness began to fade. As soon as he lay down on the sofa, his consciousness completely faded away. CH Epilogue 1 When Ren woke up, the first thing he felt was being dazed. The next thing he noticed was the soft touch of the bed, and then a slight ache that rushed through his entire body. ¡°¡­¡­ah¡­¡­.¡± He moaned, and a voice came from nearby. ¡°You should still be sleeping. Your wounds haven¡¯t healed yet.¡± He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man standing by the window. Ren had never met the man before, but he recognized him from his elegant appearance. ¡°You¡¯re the Baron?¡± Baron Clausel responded with a smile and sat down in the chair beside the bed. ¡°My name is Lessard Clausel. If it pleases you, you can call me Lessard. I don¡¯t know how many times I have to thank you.¡± ¡°Not at all, sir. But this is¡­.¡± ¡°This is my mansion. You¡¯ve been sleeping in that bed for a month.¡± ¡°A month?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Yes, a month has passed since you and Licia came to town that day.¡± I had a lot of questions as soon as I woke up. Among them, Licia is the one I can¡¯t get out of my mind.. Knowing this, Lessard laughed and said,. ¡°My daughter is safe. Thanks to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± ¡°Look, there she is, asleep at your feet.¡± I turned my head so that my body did not ache, and saw Licia at the foot of the bed. She was sitting on a round chair and had fallen asleep with her upper body on the bed. The warm sunlight streaming in through the window had brought back her color and her hair had regained its silky luster, unlike when we had been on the run. ¡°Licia is here every day to take care of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. Licia does what she wants to do and I feel I owe you a debt of gratitude.¡± Then Ren heard much more. Ren¡¯s family would be coming to Clausel soon, and that the inhabitants of the village had many injuries but no deaths. Ren¡¯s village is being rebuilt and the Clausel family is cooperating fully. ¡ª- Also. ¡°I owe everything to you. It¡¯s thanks to your defeat of Thief Wolfen that I was able to get help from a certain noble.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ What do you mean?¡± ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard, the material from Thief Wolfen is a valuable medicinal ingredient.¡± (True¡­ But¡­) Not long after he was taken away by Jerukku, Ren dreamed of a story from another time line, although he wasn¡¯t sure if it was from the official history. Come to think of it, Thief Wolfen was also defeated there. Soon after, he wondered why the situation was different. ¡°The ingredients for the potion are several internal organs, but none of them can be missing. Therefore, the medicine made from the material of the Thief Wolfen is precious because the internal organs of the Thief Wolfen you defeated were in perfect condition, without a single blemish.¡± Lessard went on to praise Ren and in the process told him the answer to his question. In that dream, the knights had defeated Thief Wolfen with severe wounds. It was a battle at the expense of Roy, who still had to bear a heavy burden. Unlike that, Ren had pierced the head of the Thief Wolfen from the inside and defeated it. That¡¯s why it was possible to use it as medicine. Maybe this is how it happened. ¡°By the way, how did that medicine help?¡± ¡°The Lord of the one who helped me the other day wanted that medicine for his family. So I sold the material to him. In return, besides the money from the sale, he promised to cooperate with me on a conditional basis if the need arose.¡± ¡°So, he must be a great nobleman.¡± ¡°Exactly. Viscount Givens is no match for the Marquis.¡± (You had the help of such a great noble?) ¡°I have something for you from the Marquis¡­.. correctly, from the butler of the Marquis.¡± As he spoke, Lessard reaches into his pocket and pulls out a black piece of paper about the size of a playing card. He placed it on the small desk next to my bed. Looking at the emblem on the surface of the black paper, Ren secretly thinks. (I¡¯ve seen this emblem before) But I can¡¯t remember. He tilted his head at the strangely gaudy emblem. ¡°I think his name was Edgar. He said it was an invitation to the mansion.¡± ¡°¡ªFor me?¡± ¡°Yes. The marquis wants to meet you. The marquis is a noble of the royalist faction, but when it comes to the marquis, it¡¯s almost impossible to refuse him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the kind of person that would want to meet with the son of a country knight¡­¡­¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t afford to be indifferent. The medicine made from the Thief wolfen you defeated saved the life of the marquis¡¯s daughter.¡± He wanted to see me at all costs. He wants to thank me. Ren nodded, wondering if that was the situation. I also thought I understood why the Marquis who came up with the story said he would fully cooperate with the Baron the other day, depending on the situation. (I wonder if it¡¯s because they are from different factions.) I guess he needed to have a sense of structure. They needed a decisive reason that would make it possible for the royalist faction to reach out to the heroic faction. No matter how much the marquis¡¯s family was saved, it is difficult to imagine that it would have been difficult for him to lend his strength to the royalists if the nobles, who were different from the royalists, had shown their face. Baron Clausel is a neutral figure, so it would have been difficult for both sides to make a move. Therefore, they wanted information that would make it easier for the royalist faction to move. (That was the information I got from Licia-sama.) In exchange, he would do his utmost to help them when they became able to move. That was the reason for the conditional lending of power that Lessard had put in place. ¡°Oh and don¡¯t worry too much about language. I won¡¯t raise an eyebrow at the benefactor of my daughter and me for that. Just make it easy for me to talk to you.¡± When Ren restated the first person, ¡°I,¡± Lessard told him he didn¡¯t have to be so formal. He continued. ¡°Viscount Givens is dead.¡± Ren¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°The case was set for a retrial later that day, and thanks to you and Licia, I was acquitted. Instead, several charges were brought against Viscount Givens and the first trial was to be held in his domain. He committed suicide that night using a poison he had concealed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ was it really suicide?¡± ¡°He was probably pressured by his relatives or others. Or maybe he gave up everything and decided he would rather die than get caught.¡± It was like cutting off the tail of a lizard. I felt sick because I have seen the black side of the nobility here as well. ¡°What¡¯s more, his house was set on fire by someone. Many of the materials that could have been obtained from it have been reduced to ashes by the effects of the fire. I wanted to find out more, especially the motive for this incident, but all I have left is the testimony of his knights.¡± Ren asked why Viscount Givens had targeted the Ashton family as well. According to Viscount Givens¡¯ knight, the Ashtons were important to the Viscount, but this alone doesn¡¯t clarify anything. I tried to predict a lot of things, but it was still not clear. The fact that he had only been awake for a short time also affected his thinking, and Ren couldn¡¯t think as well as he would have liked. ¡°But thanks to the Marquis who lent his hand, no one will be able to touch Clausel for a while. Not to mention the royalist faction, since the heroic faction is being pressured by that marquis.¡± Still, I must move vigorously after this. Lessard adds and leaves Ren¡¯s side. ¡°Well, what¡¯s the use of a long talk right after you get up. I¡¯m going to go now, but if you are hungry, I can have some food brought to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can I ask that of you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so formal. I want you to feel at home in this mansion. At least let me take care of you in my house until your wounds heal.¡± As it turns out, he has no plans to return him to the village at all. CH Epilogue 2 By the looks of things, it would still take a while for the wounds to disappear, and it was a done deal to take care of him. Ren huffed and puffed and let out a mumble after Lessard left. ¡°¡­¡­ I never thought I¡¯d come to the Clausel family mansion like this.¡± Just recently I had a painful escape and before that I was in our shabby house. This mansion is a magnificent place, unlike ours, where opulence and drafts are a thing of normalcy. On the other hand, I¡¯m a little afraid of getting used to this environment. ¡°No. I¡¯ll think about it later.¡± Since he had no choice but to be taken care of, he had to be open and honest. With that in mind, Ren sat up, feeling the pain in his body. Sleeping was boring, so he looked around the room as much as he could without being overwhelmed. Seeing Licia¡¯s peaceful sleeping face at his feet, he felt at ease. Next, he reached over to the small desk next to the bed and picked up the black piece of paper in question. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡± I knew I recognized the emblem. ¡°Somewhere in the Legend of the Seven Heroes, I think it might be¡­..¡± Licia slowly opens her eyes and mutters. ¡°Ren?¡± After blinking repeatedly, she rises and gets up on the bed. Then, there was a brief silence. When Ren, who was falling into a stupor, tried to say something when large tears welled up in Licia¡¯s eyes. ¡°I told you to run away.¡± The last part of the battle with Jerukku, she told him to run with all her remaining strength. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to leave Licia-sama and run away.¡± ¡°Are you an idiot? I¡¯ve caused you so much trouble. You¡¯re crazy to risk your life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy. I¡¯m always serious.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ that seriousness means you¡¯re an idiot. Baka.¡± These weren¡¯t the words to say to the man who had saved her life, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself. Eventually, she gently and silently laid her face against his chest in light of the pain left in his body. She shook her shoulders in small tremors. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°It was just bad luck, that¡¯s all. Besides, we saved each other¡¯s lives, so why don¡¯t we just let it go?¡± In this situation, should I put my hand behind her back? Then she puts in more weight on his chest and gets reassured that he was awake. ¡ª how many minutes has she been doing that? Licia looked up from her sobbing and flopped down next to Ren. She looked cute and appropriate for her age, which was unusual for her mature appearance. ¡°Are you all right now, Licia-sama?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so relieved. You were so exhausted from that battle that I was really worried about you.¡± That¡¯s right, that battle. (What was that last power?) Now, there¡¯s no bracelet. It had been forged with the reward obtained from Thief Wolfen, but it had disappeared on its own, apparently because Ren¡¯s body was at its limit. Seeing Ren confirming the absence of the bracelet, Licia mistakenly assumes that she had lost it. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll give you a bracelet!¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t bother¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you!¡± That bracelet is just a fake, so even if she gets it, it¡¯s a waste because he won¡¯t use it. I will eventually convince her by saying that I got a new bracelet. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d like a dagger! Like before, it would be just fine if it could start a fire¡­¡± My dagger was lent to Licia in the battle the other day, but she seems to have lost it. I had learned the importance of making fire in that escape, and I really wanted to have it. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll find a dagger that suits you!¡± Licia was in a good mood as she said this, but Ren couldn¡¯t help but wonder about that mysterious magic sword. (As I recall, it was near Licia¡¯s chest¡­) The bracelet glowed in Ren¡¯s hand when he accidentally fell on her. That was a reaction just like when he sucked on the magic stone. ¡°What is it? Suddenly you started staring at me.¡± Realizing that he had been looking at her impolitely, Ren made a face of embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Really? You were looking at me seriously. Is something wrong with me?¡± It¡¯s a tall tale anyway. Not to make excuses, but Ren thought it would be a digression and laughed, even though he thought it was impossible. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, but I was wondering if Licia-sama has a magic stone in her body.¡± He would be laughed out of the room. Or Licia would be taken aback. For Ren, it was fine either way as long as the topic was changed¡­¡­ ¡°Hmm¡­ huh¡­!?¡± The reaction was unexpected. ¡°How did you know?¡± Licia hugged her upper body with both arms and made a sexy gesture that was inappropriate for her age. Even her face is bright red, and the way she looks at Ren is tinged with shame and slightly wary. ¡°¡­¡­ Eh?¡± ¡°How do you know I have a magic stone in my body? Did my father tell you?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s right ¡­¡­ my father wouldn¡¯t tell you about a saint¡¯s body!¡± ¡°Is that really the case?¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s there!¡± It must be between her breasts. In the center of her hidden upper body. ¡°Tell me! Who told you that!¡± I was asked, but I really just said the right thing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I kind of just said it as a joke.¡± Then Licia immediately understood. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it was. Haha, I was surprised and lost it.¡± ¡°Apparently it¡¯s an important secret, but can it be told that easily?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you would tell.¡± It¡¯s a statement as if she has full confidence in me. But in fact, Licia trusts Ren completely because of their escapades the past days. It was only natural, since she had entrusted her life to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. A saint has a magic stone in her body.¡± ¡°Yes. Of those born as Saints, only the most powerful saints have magic stones in their bodies. But don¡¯t tell anyone, okay? Only my family and the high priests of the temple know about it.¡± The reason for the secrecy is simple: to protect the saint. Originally, magic stone was a substance that only monsters could possess. If the saints also carry them in their bodies, it is not surprising that some would consider them to be evil. (That means that the magic sword, whose name I don¡¯t know was¡­¡­) The sword was powered by Licia¡¯s magic stone and manifested. It would make sense to think this way. But why did it get its power from the magic stone that was supposed to be inside her body? And why was the name of the magic sword ¡°?¡± It¡¯s a wonder it was so strong. Many mysteries come to mind, but let¡¯s start with this fact. ¡°I promise you. I¡¯ll never tell anyone.¡± Licia nodded her head in satisfaction at Ren¡¯s strong and clear promise. Then she got up from the bed. ¡°I¡¯m going to go check the warehouse. I¡¯m going to look for a good dagger!¡± Soon after, she turned and walked away. ¡°Licia-sama! Tell me one more thing!¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°About the emblem on this paper, I can¡¯t remember the name of the family.¡± Licia laughed at Ren¡¯s question as if she was troubled. The other party is a high-ranking noble. Ren knows that it is also a Royal faction. As for Licia, who was caught up in the factional war, she has her own thoughts about it, even though she got help. ¡°¡­¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± She answered with a sigh. ¡°It is the emblem of Marquise Ignat. The pride and joy of the royal faction.¡± After she was done answering, Licia says, ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± and leaves the room. Ren, on the other hand, was stunned. Marquis Ignat¡ª ruminating over these words again and again. ¡°Yes¡­. it¡¯s Ignat!¡± I don¡¯t just remember it. Because Marquis Ignat is the last enemy in Legend of the Seven Heroes I. He¡¯s the last boss. ¡°Uhhhh ¡­¡­ how did this happen?¡± This is no time to be gasping in pain. I couldn¡¯t help but hold my head up. ¡ª- Marquis Ignat. He¡¯s the rigid arm of the empire¡¯s proud shipping fleet, and is renowned throughout the world for his wisdom and ingenuity. He is a man of both literary and military prowess, having served in the military at one time or another. He rebelled against the emperor and joined those who were plotting to resurrect the Demon King. He¡¯s the man who, over the course of many years, tried to bring down the entire Leomel Empire. He¡¯s one of the opponents to fight in the Baldor Mountains. (As I recall, he assassinated any noble who stood in his way, regardless of faction, and even assassinated the Third Prince, the genius who was being called the next emperor¡­) The more I remember, the more I don¡¯t want to get involved with this noble. However, Ren had an element of comfort. It was the reason why Marquis Ignat rebelled against the emperor. Before his death, Marquis Ignat reveals the reason why he did so¡­.. ¡°Because you didn¡¯t help my daughter.¡± The ailing daughter of the marquis needed medicine. It required a number of precious materials, and among them, the material of the Thief Wolfen was missing. No matter how hard Marquis Ignat searched for it, he couldn¡¯t find it, but the imperial family had it just in case. The emperor, however, refused to offer it. The material was a stockpile in case the royal family met an emergency, so the emperor must not have been mistaken in his decision. But the Marquis¡¯s daughter lost her life, and the Marquis held a grudge against the emperor. All this led to Marquis Ignat selling his soul to those who were planning to resurrect the Demon King. ¡°As I recall, when I went to the guild on my second round of play, I didn¡¯t get any quests.¡± Many players thought that perhaps they could save the Marquis¡¯s daughter. However, daughter of the Marquis died when the protagonists were young, and no event was prepared to save her. ¡­¡­His daughter is alive. The person who saved her life was Ren. ¡°Even if I¡¯m the benefactor, I don¡¯t want to get involved too much.¡± He was someone that was liked by nobles. Ren fell into an indescribable mood and collapsed on the bed. As he remembered, he summoned his bracelet and looked at it, The magic sword with ¡°?¡± was already gone. CH Epilogue 3 A week and a few days passed, before Roy and Mireille came to Clausel. When they saw Ren again, they hugged him tightly and for a while shed tears of joy at their reunion. They stayed at Lessard¡¯s residence for a few days. Thanks to this, Ren was able to hear about the situation in the village. First, as he had heard from Lessard, there were no casualties among the villagers. However, he couldn¡¯t be honestly happy because of the number of knights who had been killed. In addition, several houses were destroyed by Little Boars and other monsters, and many villagers, like the Ashtons, lost their homes. However, thanks to the full cooperation of the Clausel family, reconstruction went smoothly. Roy and Mireille also seem to be devoting their days to the reconstruction efforts. That¡¯s why they both also mentioned that they must return to the village soon. It would be a problem if there was no one to lead the village in the midst of reconstruction. Ren knew this, but he still felt lonely. ¡°¡ª- In the meantime, I brought some of the stuff that was left unburned, so if anything is missing, send me a letter.¡± The day they were leaving. Unfortunately, Ren still couldn¡¯t stand up well, so he saw them off from his bed. ¡°Thank you. But did you bring any luggage?¡± ¡°Various things. I¡¯ve brought the things that were left unburned in your room and other things that were safe. I also bought a few changes of clothes and stuff. I put it all in a wooden box over there, so you can take a look at it when you get better.¡± The wooden box, Roy said, was in a corner of the room Ren was resting in. ¡°I also got a blank book from Grandma Rigg.¡± ¡°A blank book?¡± ¡°You want to see it?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s here, I might as well see it.¡± I nodded my head in agreement, even though there was no point in looking at a blank book. Then, Roy opened the wooden box and brought out a book. It had a leather cover all in jet black, and inside was a blank book, just as he had said. He places it on the desk next to the bed where Ren lay. ¡°It¡¯s a leftover from the book that Grandma Rigg used to write down the recipes for her medicine and she was wondering if you¡¯d like to use it as a diary.¡± ¡°Heh¡­.. might be a good idea. I¡¯ve got a lot of free time on my hands, so it¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking that an autobiography might be a good idea, too.¡± Ren was puzzled when he heard the word ¡°autobiography¡±. In this world, autobiographies of the seven heroes seem to be very popular, and that thought flashed through Ren¡¯s mind. ¡°I haven¡¯t lived a life that would allow me to write an autobiography.¡± ¡°Hahaha! From my point of view, you¡¯re a great hero, too!¡± Licia, Lessard and Weiss also praise Ren a lot. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud of you. You are the pride of Mireille and I.¡± The two of them patted Ren¡¯s head many times. But the family time would soon come to an end. Today is the day they return to the village. If they didn¡¯t leave before nightfall, their plans would be disrupted. ¡° ¡ª- Mireille.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to leave you, but I have to go.¡± Their faces showed a slight sadness. ¡°¡­.. Dad, mom. Thank you so much for coming, even though it was hard.¡± Ren¡¯s face was also sad, but they both smiled brightly when they heard his words. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. It¡¯s for our son¡¯s sake, of course.¡± ¡°Your dad is right. And since the baron provided horses and escorts for the trip here and back, we had no trouble at all getting here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as my body heals!¡± The two laughed once more when Ren told them that. ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but now that you¡¯re here, you might as well explore Clausel and spread the word of your findings.¡± They hugged him one last time and left the mansion with a few tears in their eyes. (I¡¯m so glad you two are okay.) Ren forced himself to stand up and looked out the window until the horse carrying them was out of sight. Eventually, he lay down on his bed, overcome by the pain and exhaustion that rushed in. He remained in the same position, looking sideways at the desk and at the black-covered book. ¡°¡­.. autobiography, huh.¡± When he uttered those words. ¡°May I come in?¡»\ There was a knock at the door, followed by Licia¡¯s voice. He answered and she immediately stepped in. ¡°Did you have a good conversation with your parents?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Thank you so much for your help on this occasion. I heard that you even provided horses and an escort for my parents.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. My dad and I owe you a debt of gratitude that we can¡¯t repay.¡± Licia said so, but she also apologized and thanked Ren¡¯s parents. Naturally, they panicked and stopped her, but Licia still kept her head down, which bothered them. But I guess she couldn¡¯t help it. Thanks to Ren, the entire Clausel family had been saved. ¡°And how are you feeling today?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m feeling much better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better.¡± Then they were both silent. Licia sat on the bed where Ren was resting, her back to him and her hair swaying in the wind. (That magic sword¡­¡­) I have often thought about this since I heard that Licia has a magic stone in her body. That magic sword was powerful. Too powerful. That may be why Ren Ashton in the game, who somehow learned of its existence, killed Licia and absorbed the magic stone in order to obtain that magic sword. There were other uncontrollable circumstances. The first time I saw the game, I was in the middle of a conversation with a friend of mine who was a fan of the game. It was a scene from the game The Legend of the Seven Heroes. ¡°Re¡ª Ren! What have you done?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The scene is one in which the protagonist is stunned as he looks out over the podium of the Imperial Academy of Military Arts¡¯ grand auditorium. Ahead of him, to which the protagonist rushes, Ren Ashton stands holding the body of Licia Clausel, who is bleeding from the chest. The scene reveals her death through her general weakness. ¡°It¡¯s just as you¡¯ve seen. I killed her.¡± Ren Ashton¡¯s cold voice reaches the protagonist¡¯s ears. He couldn¡¯t see the expression on his face because of the darkness. (Didn¡¯t he disappear somewhere with the body soon after that?) As Ren was secretly thinking about this, Licia suddenly found the black book on the desk. CH Epilogue 4 ¡°What¡¯s with this?¡± ¡°A medicine woman from the village gave it to me as a gift of sympathy. The inside is blank, so my dad thought it would make a good autobiography.¡± ¡°I think an autobiography is good too.¡± Licia turns to Ren and smiles daintily. ¡°Hey, what about the title?¡± ¡°Eh, do I need that?¡± ¡°Obviously, otherwise it¡¯s just like a diary.¡± ¡°Do you have any good idea? I¡¯m not a very good writer, so I¡¯m very confused.¡± ¡°Kuh, You have to come up with these things on your own!¡± She has a point. But whether or not I can come up with an idea is another matter. ¡°Then I think I¡¯ll make it a diary, not an autobiography.¡± ¡°Right. But there are people who give titles to their diaries, so why not give yours a title, too?¡± I have certainly heard such talk. By the way, this situation seems as if it has been confirmed that he will title his diary. Seeing Licia enjoying herself next to him, Ren stopped being stubborn. (Let¡¯s call it half diary, half autobiography for now.) That made me feel less embarrassed. Then, the title of the book would be¡­¡­. ¡°Title ¡­¡­title ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You should put your name in it often.¡± ¡°I¡¯m too embarrassed to do that.¡± ¡°Then it must be something to do with the way you live your life. I once read a book called ¡°My path to Become a Sword King¡±, Dedicated to the sacred sword technique.¡± ¡°A way of life?¡± Aside from that, Ren¡¯s goal was to live peacefully in this world. However, life doesn¡¯t work out that way, Ren has learned. ¡°¡ª-That¡¯s it.¡± This was a spur of the moment thought. Licia looked at him and he exchanged glances with her and laughed at how he had come up with such a strange title. Licia noticed that Ren had decided on the title. ¡°Did you decide?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. It¡¯s a strange title, even for me.¡± ¡­¡­It has already been eight years since Ren was born into this world. Nowadays, Ren can confidently say that he¡¯s Ren Ashton, an individual who is different from the legend of the Seven Heroes. Naturally, Licia, who is by his side, is equally a different individual. (And¡­) One more thing. With the determination that I have learned at this moment. Should it be called the fate of this world ? I don¡¯t like to call it a scenario, so let¡¯s call it fate. That has already changed. By Ren Ashton, an irregular presence in this place. (That¡¯s why) The encounter with Jerukku, a development not in the story, and the fact that the daughter Marquis Ignat survives are equally irregular. In other words, the last boss of Legend of the Seven Heroes I is as good as gone. Even Jerukku, the boss who fights in the middle of I, is dead. This means that things have already changed. The word ¡°mastermind¡± floated through Ren¡¯s mind as he thought about all of this. (I¡¯ve changed so many fates, for better or worse, I may have to face something new again.) I don¡¯t know when that will be, but it felt like it. That¡¯s why the determination that Ren held is relevant here. (Even if there¡¯s the same mastermind, I can be the mastermind to protect myself and those around me. As a new individual, to counter the legitimate historical narrative.) Of course, we must not forget that the legend of the Seven Heroes is a commandment. Respect this world and commandeer it at the same time. Furthermore, this was the only title I could think of that could encompass my idea of how I should be in the same sentence. (¡ª- ¡°Reincarnated as the mastermind behind the story,¡± or something like that.) But Ren didn¡¯t want to utter the words. It was enough if only he knew what the title meant. So he decided to misrepresent it to Licia and said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll think about it more after all.¡± Ren said with a light smile. Licia looked at him and was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lit by the late afternoon sun, she smiled in her elegant profile. And the warm breeze that came unexpectedly stroked Ren¡¯s bangs. The two of them, who had overcome one difficulty, looked somewhat more mature than before. ******************************************************* ¡ª- One day, in the dean¡¯s office of the prestigious Imperial Academy of Military Science. By the window where the gentle spring breeze was attracted, a single woman stood. The outstanding appearance, which even looks somewhat fantastic, is slightly more mature than the students walking around outside. White porcelain skin. A doll-like face. Her body is covered by a white shirt, and her sex appeal is not obnoxious, but she has not forgotten her neatness. Her golden hair is flowing in the spring breeze, and she hums a tune in a good mood. And then ¡°Excuse me, Dean.¡± Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and a woman stepped in. The woman at the window turned her purple crystal amethyst eyes on her and she gasped at her beauty. ¡°Yes? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one problem with the schedule.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that? I think I¡¯ve been doing a pretty good job lately.¡± The blonde woman, the dean, as she was called, left the window. She approached the woman who visited the room and accepted the papers she was holding in her hand. ¡°Wow, is this really true?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ then I guess I¡¯ll have to prepare an alternative location.¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± The dean was lost. Even the way she folds her arms and raises her pitiful voice is picturesque. Then, after a few minutes, she spoke. ¡°I think I¡¯ve come up with a great place.¡± She then approaches a wall of bookshelves. She quickly pulls out a book, and a nearby book crumbles to the ground. ¡°Pardon me! Please Help me!¡± Her visitor lets out a light sigh, but still doesn¡¯t refuse her request and puts the book back. ¡°So, what were you looking for?¡± ¡°A map! Look, don¡¯t you think this might be just the place for an alternate location?¡± ¡°The Baldor Mountain? The strength of the monsters there is about E-rank, so it¡¯s not a problem, but there¡¯s a past history of monsters being activated there due to the flow of magical power that lies underground.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to explore the area too!¡± The woman nodded at these words¡ª- then. Also, the book that fell to the floor was the last one. When she finished putting it back on the bookshelf, the woman coughed and said. ¡°I will consult with the board of directors and the nobles.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The dean, who remained alone, went to her desk. She would need a document with her signature on it anyway. She had no choice but to grab a pen. ¡°Uh¡­ is this okay?¡± She glides the pen nimbly and signs the end of the line. ¡ª- Chronois Highland. Her race is a mixture of human and elf blood. The world¡¯s best magician, and the dean here at the Imperial Academy. In the game ¡°Legend of the Seven Heroes II,¡± she is one who, like Saint Licia, was killed by Ren Ashton. Chronois looked up at the azure sky outside the window and muttered. ¡°¡­¡­I wish there was someone somewhere in this world who could make my boredom go away.¡± CH ss - 1 For those of you who have completed The Legend of the Seven Heroes I, II, and III, we present to you [Story: The Change of Clausel]. Are you sure you want to start downloading?¡¡? Yes ? / No ?¡± ¡ª- ¡ª ¡°Download is complete. Do you want to start?¡¡? Yes? / No¡± ¡ª- ¡°The Legend of the Seven Heroes: The Clausel Incident¡± will now start ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó This was before Ren Ashton was born. The Imperial Library is the pride of Leomel and in the lowest level of the Imperial Library, there was a place that only a few people could visit. The name of the place is called the forbidden library, a special place where documents and precious grimoires that cannot be disclosed politically are stored. Normally, this place is completely deserted, but for the first time in several months, someone had set foot inside. He¡¯s Viscount Givens, a nobleman belonging to the Heroic Faction and the assistant to the Minister of Justice. He came to this place as part of his duties as assistant to the Minister of Justice, and only came to see the documents that the Minister of Justice asked him to check ¡ª-. ¡°This is¡­¡± But his curiosity got the better of him, and he looked at some of the books in the forbidden library. One that caught his eye was titled ¡°The Travels of Ashton the Adventurer¡±. It was in a bookshelf, strangely soiled and so tattered that he thought he would never be able to read what was written inside. But his curiosity got the better of him and he looked through it. Most of the pages were blacked out and the text was unreadable. The title of the book was a common one, but he wondered why. But it was impossible to read with all the blacked-out pages. Viscount Givens gave up reading and was about to close the book¡­¡­ ¡°Hmm?¡± He finally reached a page where he could read the text. But it was just a series of names of places, which didn¡¯t seem to make any sense. Viscount Givens memorized all those consecutive location names. This is one of his special skills: he quickly memorizes the contents of any book he looks over. He¡¯s not much interested in the names of places in a sequence, even if they are forbidden books. Eventually he closed the book, muttered ¡°boring¡± and put it back on the shelf. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó A few months after he read the mysterious book in the forbidden library, the environment surrounding Viscount Givens changed drastically. The Minister of Justice had been defeated in a political dispute and lost his position. As a result, Viscount Givens also lost his position as Assistant Minister of Justice, and he decided to leave the Imperial Capital and return to his own domain. As a member of the heroic faction, it was frustrating not to be able to fight in the capital, but he realized that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything if he stayed in the capital and he honestly tried to revive himself while enriching his own territory. ¡°Is this the right thing to do?¡± But Viscount Givens was doubtful. In his office in the mansion, he looked out the rain-drenched window and murmured. The gray sky was darkening as night approached. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be good.¡± He feels a strong sense of significance in the expansion of power within his faction, and he believes that in order to share true equality with the people in time, the royalist faction must surely be diminished. Yet, he wondered what he was doing in such a place. ¡°If only there was a chance for our heroic faction to gain momentum.¡± He was sure that the nobles of the same faction are also worried about it. But you shouldn¡¯t have come up with that trigger just because you are worried about it. Like the majority, he didn¡¯t want to spend time carelessly. Especially now that Marquis Ignat, the leader of the royalist faction, is increasing his influence, the heroic faction must take some action in order to break his fangs. ¡°Pardon me. Viscount, here.¡± Viscount Givens received an assignment. The knight handed him a report on the management of the estate and he went to his desk. He makes quick work of the task he¡¯s accustomed to, only to finish it as usual and exhale a sigh. ¡ª- It was supposed to be the same on this day. ¡°Mmm?¡± But unlike usual, he didn¡¯t put down his pen at the end of the workday and stared at the words on his report. The names of the places listed on the map were the same as usual, as if it were a matter of course. Yet, he couldn¡¯t understand why he was staring at the document and what he was feeling. He was staring at the names of the places on the document, and that was all he could think about. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± It was not until a few minutes later that he realized the reason why he was doing this. The book he had read a while ago in the forbidden stacks of the Imperial Library. He remembered the name of the places, which seemed to be a meaningless sequence of names. The reason why he hadn¡¯t noticed it before was that the names of these places had changed several times throughout history as the lords of these places changed. He was looking at the map, vaguely remembering the old names, when he finally realized what was going on. ¡°From the imperial capital, proceed near the Baldor Mountain, then go south and further west.¡± At some point, Viscount Givens got up from his seat and picked up a large map from the bookshelf. Unfolding it, he turned his attention to the Baron of Clausel, which lies beyond the Baldor Mountain. He also pulled up a document with information on old location names and compared it to the map as he opened it. ¡°From here to the west again.¡± He remembers the names of the places mentioned in the forbidden book and slides his fingertips along, listening to his heartbeat. ¡­¡­ Eventually, his finger stopped. He finished recalling as many locations as he could, and finally placed his fingertip on a certain place. He marked it with a pen so that it would be easy to recognize. It was a rare frontier in Leomel, which in the past was known as the ¡°The Farthest Forest¡±. Although it now belongs to Baron Clausel¡¯s domain, before that it was no one¡¯s domain, and there was a time when it was only classified as part of the Leomel Empire. What he¡¯s curious about is why this land was mentioned in a forbidden book. The book started in the imperial capital and gradually moved toward the frontier and at the end of the book, it mentions a place called ¡°The farthest forest¡±? ¡°Why? Why did this adventurer named Ashton go there?¡± Normally, he wouldn¡¯t be concerned. An adventurer is nothing more than a person who belongs to a guild. He wouldn¡¯t be particularly interested in an adventure story written by such a person. But this was a story about a book in the forbidden library. So Viscount Givens was curious about the identity of this adventurer Ashton. ¡°I have no idea after all.¡± But there was too little information and not enough room to think. Eventually exhausted from over thinking, Viscount Givens sat back in his chair and exhaled. He rang the bell on his desk and called the knight to hand over the documents he had finished checking. CH ss - 2 A year passed, and Viscount Givens received a troublesome letter from a fellow noble in his faction. Summarizing the contents, the letter said, ¡°Do something about the Clausel family¡±. Baron Clausel is a powerful nobleman who¡¯s not worthy of his title, and even if he¡¯s a neutral, he may eventually become an obstacle. Viscount Given let out a sigh and began to think about how he should move. The course of action he chose was to set up the Clausel family. Although it would take a long time, it was a measure that might bring the Clausel family further into the Heroic Faction¡¯s fold without the Heroic Faction being suspected of having played a hand in it. To this end, he took the time to establish a cooperative relationship with an elf. His name was Jerukku, a sinister elf. It was really by chance that he was able to make the connection. A knight of Viscount Givens left his domain and traveled to a distant adventurer¡¯s guild. There, he concealed the fact that he was the hand of Viscount Givens and was looking for adventurers to help him in his efforts to undermine the Clausel family. But normally, they wouldn¡¯t be so easy to find. Even if they were easy to find, it was doubtful whether they were worthy of trust. However, Jerukku came into contact with the knight of Viscount Givens. It just so happened that Jerukku was interested after making an attempt on the knight¡¯s life who asked to speak with him. The knight, in a desperate attempt to save his life, shamelessly revealed his true identity, which turned out to be the right thing to do. ¡°I like killing.¡± The knight was threatened to take Jerukku to the Viscount in exchange for his life, and he obediently took him back to Viscount Givens. There, Jerukku said this. ¡°When I trampled insects as a child, I felt an indescribable pleasure. But my interest soon waned, and I began to kill small animals. But that soon became boring, and I began to kill the children of my own kind.¡± He says that he felt even more pleasure than when he first reached it. Somewhere along the way, he came to believe that he was ¡°born to kill people,¡± and he began to find meaning in that alone. There¡¯s no purpose. He just wants to kill. Viscount Givens smirked at Jerukku as he spoke of this thought. ¡°Is there any value in killing a noble?¡± ¡°Perhaps there is. I¡¯ve never experienced it, but I would very much like to enjoy it. But I would be willing to get paid for it.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Money. After that, I want information.¡± Jerukku asked for an unbelievable amount of money and information. The information was the means to break the curse that had been engraved on his body. Viscount Givens, who was troubled, suggested the dean of the Imperial Cadet Academy, but Jerukku didn¡¯t want to be noticed, so he sought another source. ¡°So rest assured. As long as you source for information for me, and give me the reward, I¡¯ll undertake the work for you. As long as that happens, I will work for you without betrayal.¡± ¡°Do you think I can easily trust someone who has come this far by threatening my men?¡± Viscount Givens laughed despite his words as he said this. ¡°I trust the viscount. The fact that I didn¡¯t kill you here is proof of that.¡± ¡°¡ª- You could¡¯ve killed me here, taken the money and walked away. But you didn¡¯t. That¡¯s because you found something more amusing.¡± The two men were in communication. Definitely and surely. ¡°It¡¯s a lovely comedy, isn¡¯t it, a heroic nobleman hiring a hit man?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all a necessary sacrifice. In order to bring true freedom to Leomel, it¡¯s necessary for us, the heroic faction, to rise to the occasion. To do so, we must eliminate any obstacles that may stand in our way.¡± ¡°Then have me assassinate Baron Clausel.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that. That¡¯s not possible. The man has value, so it would be premature to kill him.¡± Saying this, Viscount Givens clapped his hands and called for the knights. The one who came was the pathetic knight who had been threatened by Jerukku and had led him here out of fear for his life. ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just work. Nothing more.¡± The knight thought he was forgiven. The knight was relieved to be told that it was a job, and he walked over to Viscount Givens and knelt. However, the rest of the story is not told. He looked up and wondered what was going on. ¡°Jerukku, this is your first task.¡± The knight¡¯s vision shook and he let go of his consciousness. He couldn¡¯t be seen as he died because he had been devoured above the neck by the maneater on the ceiling, and his entire body was devoured before he could even drip fresh blood. ************************************************************ Soon after, two legitimate sons were born to the seven great barons. A year later, two more heirs were born. Many of Leomel¡¯s subjects, not limited to the heroic nobility, rejoiced at this. For them, the factional strife among the nobles was irrelevant, and they rejoiced at the birth of the successor to a royal noble family with close ties to a hero. At the same time, however, a special person was born into the Clausel family. Licia, a saint who would later make a name for herself. The influence of the heirs of the barons¡¯ firstborns energized the heroes. The birth of Licia, however, also brought attention to the saint. ¡ª¡ª It was around this time that Viscount Givens made a certain discovery. ¡°Jerukku. What was the name of the knight who took charge of the village that failed in last year¡¯s raid?¡± ¡°I believe his name was Roy Ashton.¡± One day at dusk, the two were talking in his office. Viscount Givens, on the other hand, had in his hand a parchment filled with information that he had been researching in the imperial capital until the other day. ¡°Ashton the Adventurer¡­¡­ you¡®ve probably been erased from history.¡± Viscount Givens laughed amusedly as he held the parchment. His words weren¡¯t audible to Jerukku. But he could see that Viscount Givens was laughing. ¡°Sounds like fun, but are you sure? You¡¯ve still got the troublesome matter of the saint to deal with.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Fortunately, I have a trump card that I hadn¡¯t planned on.¡± ¡°A trump card?¡± ¡°Never mind. But from this day on, I want you to work even harder to bring down the village that belongs to the Ashtons.¡± ¡°Do you really think that village is worth it? I can¡¯t think of a better word to describe it than ¡°frontier village.¡± ¡°The majority of people would think so, no, everyone but me. The Ashtons to me are worth more than gold, silver, and treasure.¡± Jerukku tilted his head and asked for an explanation, but Viscount Givens would not speak. I¡¯m the only one who should know. He thought. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll take care of it. In any case, the knight in charge of that village is capable. A mere D-rank monster would be defeated just as before.¡± ¡°What about a unique monster that can be used as long as it is in the D-rank category?¡± ¡°I can do that, but¡­¡± ¡°If it takes time, effort and money, I¡¯ll pay more than ever before. So, destroy that village somehow. Remember, only the current head of the family and his wife should be killed. But bring me back the son who was born a few days ago, no matter what it takes.¡± No matter how many times he thought about it, Jerukku couldn¡¯t understand Viscount Given¡¯s purpose. But his employer seemed to think it was the right thing to do, and he was promised money. And even to this day, he has been working hard to gather information to break the seal, and although there have been a number of eyebrows raised, he has still been provided with an amount of information that can be tested. That is why Jerukku trusts Viscount Given and doesn¡¯t ask him anything. Because their relationship was the same as before, they were just business associates. CH ss - 3 Everything was going well. The preparations for the trial, the outcome of which had already been decided, went without a hitch, and although it took some time, Jerukku had succeeded in using Thief Wolfen. Soon, the plan was put into action. The Ashton family¡¯s village was hit by a huge fire as planned, and most of the villagers lost their lives. Roy, the knight in charge of the village, also lost his life, as did Riggs, the medicine woman. Mireille, Roy¡¯s wife and Ren¡¯s mother, was seriously injured and hasn¡¯t regained consciousness. However, they failed to secure Ren Ashton. This report came from Jerukku, who had escaped after fighting Weiss. ¡°Viscount, are you sure?¡± Viscount Givens said without losing his composure at the inn in Clausel. ¡°If he¡¯s still alive, then there is no problem. Besides, according to Jerukku¡¯s report, they will soon return to Clausel. As soon as the judgment is over, I¡¯ll take Ren Ashton and Mireille Ashton to my territory.¡± The knight who had asked Viscount Givens couldn¡¯t help but wonder why. But no matter how many times he asked, Viscount Givens didn¡¯t seem to tell him, and the only thing he could tell the knight was that he was confident of victory. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to go.¡± Viscount Givens, who had been having breakfast, got up, put on his cloak, and left the room. He left the inn with the knight who accompanied him and headed for the main street with another group of knights who were waiting outside. ¡ª- The group headed straight for the temple. The people of Clausel gave them hostile glances, but they dismounted their horses and stepped into the temple with a faint smile on their faces. Baron Clausel, who had visited the temple earlier, stared at him, but this did not bother him. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Weiss, who is always by his side here?¡± ¡°Did you forget? He was the knight that fought and defeated Jerukku, so he may not have returned to Clausel yet.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The only thing on Viscount Givens¡¯ mind is what happened after he won the battle. He had the certainty that after securing Ren Ashton, he¡¯d soon be busy. Soon, just as he was imagining a glorious future, the civil official in charge of the trial appeared and spoke. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen. Silence.¡± The civil officer drew everyone¡¯s attention to himself, and then he mentioned why today¡¯s trial was being held, and what Baron Clausel¡¯s problem was that he was being put on this spot. After a lengthy formal explanation, the morning¡¯s efforts began. Viscount Givens wasn¡¯t able to respond to this effort with enthusiasm or ambition. He was a result-oriented judge anyway. He had no choice but to go because this was a necessary arrangement, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have even bothered to travel to such a rural area. He changed his mind this afternoon, however. Weiss and Licia had returned earlier than usual, entered the temple, bringing Ren with them. ¡°I had heard that Ren Ashton was shy and timid, but I wondered if he has a surprisingly strong core.¡± He thought this because, although Ren was exhausted, he still had the strength to visit here with Licia. He had lost his father, other loved ones, and his birthplace, but just being able to walk like that was commendable. ¡°As I recall, the boy preferred reading books to swords.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard. Previously, when I dispatched my subordinates under the guise of adventurers, I heard he cried because he couldn¡¯t keep up with the training his father was giving him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shameful thing for a knight¡¯s son.¡± ¡°But they say he has guts. He stood up to his father, fall after fall, and exchanged swords with him even while shedding tears.¡± The Viscount Givens looks on, and Ren is being cuddled by Licia. They looked as if they were sister and brother. ¡°Whatever. It doesn¡¯t change my plans.¡± The victory he was sure of would never waver. He never stopped thinking, ¡°I just want this trial to be over and done with¡±. But fortunately, he didn¡¯t feel as bored as he did in the morning. He was able to think about the future after bringing him home when he saw Ren sitting in the same temple. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó He was convinced that he wasn¡¯t out of the woods. He knew that he would be able to fulfill his long-cherished wish without any troublesome interference from the royal faction. He was surprised when he heard that Jerukku had fought Weiss and lost, but he also thought that if he was still alive, it was a good thing. ¡°The Clausel family is finished. Ren Ashton will be mine and Leomel will be very different from now on. Everything is in my hands.¡± Viscount Givens recalled today¡¯s judgment in his room at the inn. Needless to say, It was going as planned. The hand-picked civil officials seemed to have been unable to stop themselves from feeling competent in response to Baron Clausel¡¯s rebuttal, but the result was the same. Baron Clausel, who has been found guilty, will be transferred to the capital in a few days. ¡°Is anyone here? I¡¯m in a good mood today. I need a drinking companion.¡± He has never had a knight accompany him for a drink before. Jerukku used to drink with him, but that¡¯s about it. ¡°¡ª-Anyone there?¡± He called somewhat louder and also clapped his hands to call for the knight. But nothing was heard. But when Viscount Givens, who was suspicious, got up from the sofa on which he was sitting and was about to leave the room, he heard a creak. The door opened with a creaking sound. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± What is it? Viscount Givens didn¡¯t look at the face of the knight that entered, but instead looked out the window beside him. ¡°This is it. Sake with a night view is fun.¡± The night view of Clausel is not bad at all. Which explains why the city is so popular among the people of the imperial capital. Unfortunately, it was starting to rain right now and the rain beating against the windows obscured the night view. He didn¡¯t like it, but the weather can¡¯t be helped. So he gave up¡ª-. A thunderclap rumbled through the heavens, and the lights in the guest room suddenly went out. ¡°Look at the state of the magic tool. Maybe the magic stone came off.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you understand, do it quickly.¡± The light didn¡¯t seem to come on at all, even though Viscount Givens gave the knight instructions. In addition, the knight who was supposed to be behind him didn¡¯t seem to be moving. Viscount Givens, who had been in a good mood, finally became angry because it took him so long to answer the call in the first place. ¡°What have you been doing in silence since a few minutes ago?¡± He raised his voice and was about to get up when, a moment later, a flash of lightning shone through the pitch-darkness of the guest room. Viscount Givens thus witnessed it. He saw an old gentleman dressed in a tailcoat through the windowpane. The old gentleman¡¯s shirt was stained bright red. ¡°Huh ¡ª-!?¡± For a moment, after the shock that rushed through his chest, he felt heat. A slimy, sticky, human skin liquid flowed back down his throat. As his eyelids grew heavy, he saw icicles piercing his stomach. He also shivered as he collapsed from the couch to the floor, his body shuddering at the ruthless eyes looking down at him. ¡°Da¡ªmn¡ª you.¡± ¡°My name is Edgar. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re familiar with me, but there¡¯s no need to be.¡± As he coughed out blood, the breath escaping from his mouth. Viscount Givens felt his body grow cold as he slowly began to feel the pain. ¡°Viscount Givens, your death is really an accident.¡± Edgar said. He said that his master, Marquis Ignat, had hated and resented Leomel ever since he lost his only daughter. He was about to destroy Leomel, first of all, by attacking the unsavory heroic faction, when he noticed the disturbing movement of Viscount Givens. ¡°But please remember: This isn¡¯t aimed at a small person like you. I was just looking into the heroes and happened to see some information about you.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡­¡± ¡°And I just stabbed you along the way.¡± Viscount Givens vision blurred and Edgar¡¯s voice became distant. He was dying. Viscount Givens, now aware and terrified by the words, attempts to beg for his life, but his voice is completely silent. ¡°Only I, personally, don¡¯t like you. But I did find the noble saintly lady and that boy who behaved so stoutly even after the loss of his father precious.¡± Then Edgar turned his back on Viscount Givens. He tosses several sheets of parchment from the pocket of his tailcoat into the guest room, wipes the blood from his hands, and leaves the inn. Viscount Givens who remained was out of breath by the time his back was out of sight. ¡ª-The next morning, Baron Clausel was terribly surprised when he heard of the tragedy at the inn. Not only because Viscount Givens had been murdered, but also because a number of documents had fallen around him that revealed his wrongdoing. At first, Baron Clausel¡¯s involvement was naturally suspected. However, at the same time, Viscount Givens¡¯ wrongdoings were also investigated and it was revealed that the civil official who traveled to the trial had received money and it was publicly known that he had been falsely accused. The heroic aristocrats, wishing to keep their mouths shut, did nothing further. The assassin was never identified and for the next few years, few people went out at night in the town of Clausel. Baron Clausel¡¯s event with Viscount Givens, including the assassination of Viscount Givens, became known as the ¡°The Clausel Incident¡±. Since then, a young apprentice knight has lived in the Clausel family mansion. His swordsmanship is not praiseworthy, but he¡¯s said to be diligent and hardworking, and has the strength of mind to stand up to Weiss no matter how many times he is overthrown. ¡­¡­The boy is working hard for his mother, who has yet to wake up. ¡ª- There¡¯s another who has also changed his living environment. It¡¯s an elf named Jerukku. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a bad time, Viscount.¡± With these words, he left the familiar territory of Viscount Givens. As he rode his horse across the plains, he thought about the future. ¡°Going to Chronois Highland is a bad idea, but I can¡¯t go back to my hometown to get more information.¡± He would have to search for information from scratch again, that was what he meant. It seems that it is not easy to break the curse that had eroded down to his bones. ¡°Kukuku¡­¡­ well, that¡¯s okay.¡± He pulled the reins and started the horse. The wind brushed his cheeks and the scent of the plains wasn¡¯t bad. The smell of blood was even better and when he thought about it and smiled, he had already forgotten the memory of Viscount Givens. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to find a way to break the curse while enjoying the killing. Yeah, that¡¯s all I have to do.¡± Jerukku who said this to himself would lose his life four years later. Of course, he never expected that. He had no way of knowing that the day would come when he would be defeated by the Descendants of the Seven Heroes and the Imperial Academy would lose the life of the dean, Chronois Highland. CH 1 He found himself being bathed in warm water. Ren tried to open his eyes to see what was going on around him, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not open his eyes. On the contrary, his whole body did not feel as strong as he wanted it to. ¡°Bo-chan is fine and I think your wife would agree. Don¡¯t you think so, ma¡¯am?¡± I heard an aged woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes. I am relieved that he seems to have been born well.¡± Then came another voice, this time younger. Her voice sounded a little tired. Ren was bewildered, but felt calmer than before. This may be because the two voices he heard were calm and gentle. (What¡¯s going on?) Ren let his bewildered voice echo in his mind while he tried to sharpen his senses other than sight. His senses were too good for a dream and he couldn¡¯t believe that this was not real. However, he couldn¡¯t catch up with his understanding of how unrealistic it was that he, who was an adult, would become a baby. The two women were talking about something about him while he was puzzled, but Ren was not concerned about that. (No way. ¡ª-) Thinking it was impossible, I remembered the Legend of the Seven Heroes that I had been playing earlier. The important part of it was after discovering the hidden skill called ¡°Summon Magic Sword¡±. (Start ¡­¡­ special story with special downloadable content¡­¡­) He thought it was ridiculous. But because of this situation, which he couldn¡¯t just dismiss as a dream, was thinking of ridiculous predictions. (Am I reincarnated?). Ren, who has a deep knowledge of fantasy stories, immediately had this prediction in his mind. Whether he could accept it or not, this situation was too clear to his senses, other than sight, to make the prediction unrealistic. (¡­¡­ I see) This is amazing. This is really special downloadable content, a special story. Ren muttered in his mind while pretending to be calm. Then, even after all this time, a sense of shame overflowed. Since he was a baby now, the thought of being naked and being doused in a bathtub or something would be outrageous. Ren was an adult, so it was a natural sense of shame. The problem was that he couldn¡¯t resist it. He tried once more to see if his body would move, but the result was the same and only pleased the two women. (I wish I had a better grasp of the situation, but ¡­¡­) Ren was again surprised to find that he was unexpectedly calm. But perhaps this calmness was, in addition to the fact that a phenomenon that was too unreal was happening in reality, he had given up on other things because his body was not moving as it should. (At least my name¡­..) Ren fluttered his body as if he was praying. As if in answer to his prayer, the aged woman asked the young woman. ¡°Mistress, have you decided on a name?¡± ¡°Of course, I have chosen one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­.Now, Mistress, it¡¯s time for you to hold your Little Boy and call him by his name.¡± Ren felt his body wrapped in a soft cloth and realized that his body had been lifted into the air. But soon he was enveloped in warmth. He thought that he must have been lifted up by the woman with a young voice and waited for her to call his name. ¡°This child¡¯s name is ¡ª-.¡± Ren gave up on understanding the situation for the moment and hoped that he was the right character. Surely he must be an important character in the legend of the Seven Heroes. It¡¯s no doubt because the hidden skill is said to start a special story. To say the least, my heart was filled with anticipation. ¡°Renwald. This child¡¯s name is Ren Ashton.¡± Hearing those words, Ren was stunned. Because that name is ¡­¡­. (Oh, I¡¯m ¡­. the one?!??). Ren Ashton is a friend of the main character and the one who caused the uproar in Legend of the Seven Heroes II. That¡¯s a character who has already been flagged for death. My name was the same as that of Ren and I used to feel a secret kinship with him. But now, I was already tormented by mixed feelings. (I don¡¯t understand. What am I supposed to do when I¡¯m suddenly reincarnated and it¡¯s a villain character!) There was no convenient being anywhere to answer the question. A cry that couldn¡¯t be the voice of Ren screamed in his mind. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó A day passed and even a week later, there was no one to answer Ren¡¯s question. The only thing he could see with his own eyes was that the room he was in was a little shabby and drafty, and that he was still a baby. He has been living like that for a little more than half a year now. (no doubt about it. I was reincarnated and became Ren Ashton.) It would have been more false to say that it wasn¡¯t real when he got to this point. In other words Ren¡­ no, Ren (TN: The kanji for both names is different but pronounced the same) had come to believe¡ª- no doubt that this was reality, and at the same time, he had come to the point where he was prepared to have to live in this world. Moreover, he felt that a new self had recently emerged, different from the old Ren, born as Ren. In the early days of his life as Ren, he had even wanted to return to his original world, but in the past few weeks, he had stopped thinking about it. You are Ren, so it¡¯s natural to live in this world. It was as if the world was saying that to me. (Let¡¯s live in peace. I don¡¯t want the emperor to order them to subdue me.) Ren nodded his head in agreement. If I really am that Ren Ashton, I should just take a different path from the one he took in the game. I decided that I must live a clean, righteous, and decent life ¡ª- (So, maybe it¡¯s time to call it a day.) Ren checked that it was starting to get light outside the window and turned his attention to the door of his room. Soon the door opened and a woman came in. ¡°Oh my goodness, you¡¯ve been waiting for your mother.¡± Her name is Mireille, Ren¡¯s mother. Mireille has a well-defined face and brown hair which is close to black, same as Ren¡¯s. She also just turned twenty-one, according to the information Ren had obtained in the past six months. ¡°Let¡¯s eat dinner now!¡± Saying this, Mireille picked Ren up in her arms and stripped off her clothes. In fact, Ren had been averse to being breastfed in the early days of his life. The woman is of the same age as he used to be and she is a married woman. For Ren, who had already decided not to have a girlfriend, it was a shock without time to feel ulterior motives. (Well¡­..he never had any ulterior motives after all.) Perhaps he knew instinctively. I was born to Mireille, so there was no way I would ever have such feelings for her. So it was easy for him after he blew it off. Unlike before, Ren followed his appetite without hesitation. When he was satisfied, he took a break from eating. He thanked Mireille with a big smile on his face, for he could never say thank you enough. ¡°Good boy. Well then, let¡¯s have another good night¡¯s sleep.¡± A little while later, she tucked him into bed. Mireille smiled at Ren before leaving the room. Ren, left alone, sighs lightly, looks up at the ceiling and opens his mouth. ¡°Ahhhh.¡± I¡¯m bored. That¡¯s what he meant to say. But he couldn¡¯t pronounce it properly. (I can¡¯t even move my body enough. I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do until I grow up.) In this situation, there are only a few things I can do. In fact, after sleeping or waking up ¡­¡­ the only thing I can do is to listen and explore the environment around me, but the truth is that I¡¯m not able to explore it at all. Since that¡¯s the case, it is hard to accept that all I can do is wait till I grow up ¡ª- that¡¯s unacceptable. Ren is fortunate enough to have had a previous life experience. Perhaps because of this, he has recently been able to crawl and sit up on his own. Lately, sitting on the bed and staring out the window is his favorite thing to do. Returning to the story¡­¡­ Ren had something he wanted to check out. The first thing he wanted to do was to find out about the hidden skill ¡°Summon Magic Sword¡±. (I hadn¡¯t used it before because it seemed dangerous.) I didn¡¯t even know how the magic sword would appear, but it would be a terrible thing if it appeared above my head and pierced my immobile self, for example. That is why I waited until I could move my body somewhat freely. (and¡ª-) The story goes on to say how it can be summoned. While playing Legend of the Seven Heroes, one could open the menu screen by pressing a button. There, you could often use items on your party members or use magic to restore their strength. But buttons don¡¯t exist in reality. And when I thought of example words like ¡°status open,¡± there was no sign of anything appearing. ¡°¡­..Ah¡± I hung my head. Baby Ren held his head, wondering how to summon it then. In his mind, he muttered over and over, ¡°Summon magic sword, summon magic sword, summon magic sword, summon magic sword¡±. It went on like a strong wish, or a curse, and before long, ¡ª- ¡°Eh?¡± A bracelet fell from the air onto the lap of Ren, who was sitting on his bed. The whole bracelet was beautifully crafted like silver and had a large crystal ball embedded in it. (What is this ¡ª-? No, What is reflected in the crystal ball?) I was disappointed that it was not a magic sword, but as I lifted the bracelet, my eyes widened as I noticed the words that appeared in the crystal ball. There it reads. ¡ª¡ª Ren Ashton. [Job] Eldest son of the Ashton family [Skill] ?Summoning Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/0) £ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª. [Mastered Magic Swords] ?Magic Sword of Wood (Level 1: 0/100) ¡ª¡ª In the crystal ball, the so-called status screen was shown. However, unlike in the days of video games, there were no columns for physical strength, magic power, attack power, etc., in addition to one¡¯s own level. That was, let¡¯s say, to convey strength to the player in an easy-to-understand way, so it would probably be more correct if they were not quantified in the first place. (Magic Sword Summoning Technique ¡­¡­?¡¡What is this? A skill associated with summoning a magic sword?) Something similar happened in the Legend of the Seven Heroes. For example, when you used a Guardian in a higher position, you learned swordsmanship and white magic from the start, and so on. (Ah ¡­¡­ I believe, you use a magic stone to increase your proficiency.) The 0/100 listed after the level would be the proficiency level. Ren surmised that the reason there is no proficiency and level for summoning a magic sword is because its role is primarily based on the proficiency of the magic sword itself. (After that, it¡¯s said, you could increase the number of magic swords if certain conditions were met.) The only magic sword that can be used initially is the wooden magic sword, and when it¡¯s opened up, there is only the iron magic sword. This is slightly disheartening because I had thought I could use a magic sword with strong fantasy colors. I was thinking of a magic sword that can shoot flames or a magic sword that shoots lightning. (Well, it would be strange to have strong power from the start¡­¡­. But a wooden magic sword is just a wooden sword¡­¡­ No, it¡¯s not.) Ren muttered aloud, and without thinking, pressed his fingertips against the letters on the wooden magic sword. It was different. It was not just a wooden sword. (Nature magic, as I recall, is a skill to fight by creating plants and such.) I remembered that one of the enemies in the legend of the Seven Heroes was a user of nature magic. The enemy was an elf, who would fight in the forest. In addition to the physical abilities of the elves themselves, they sometimes restrain the heroes with plants created by nature magic. In addition, since they used magic to conjure monsters, they had a very difficult time at first. (That elf¡¯s natural magic was strong, but this one has small in parentheses, which makes me wonder. (Next is this one.) Ren turned his attention to the column of magic sword summoning techniques and finally came to be pleased. He had been thinking that he could do nothing without a magic stone, but now that he knew that he did not need one for ¡°Magic Sword Summoning Technique,¡± his outlook for the future became much brighter. He was concerned about the fact that the explanation for level 3 was being withheld, but he was honestly pleased, thinking that since it was still level 1, he would not be able to see it. (I¡¯d like to give it a try if it turns out to be so.) Ren is already prepared to live in this world. For the sake of self-preservation, he wanted to understand the power he could use. (Not being able to fight in a world where monsters exist is far from living in peace.) I thought so and muttered to myself over and over again, ¡°wooden magic sword ¡­¡­ wooden magic sword ¡­¡­¡± in my mind. But there was no sign of it appearing at all. Ren, almost drooping, suddenly saw the bracelet in front of him. He put his right arm, which is his dominant arm, close to it¡ª-. Then the bracelet moved on its own and was attached to Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Eh?!¡± Ren moved his body in a panic and fell back. When he looked at his right arm, he saw that the bracelet was still attached to his arm. (At any rate¡­¡­ this might work.) The prediction that popped into my mind earlier was that the summoning of the magic sword might not be activated unless this bracelet was worn. And that prediction came true. As soon as Ren muttered ¡°wooden magic sword ¡­¡­¡± once more in his mind, a crack appeared in the empty air. A wooden sword slowly begins to emerge from the crack, as if being pulled out of its sheath. The sword eventually fell right next to Ren. The sword fell with a pathetic thud onto the shabby bed. ¡°Ah¡ª- eh?¡± Just before his body was about to tremble with joy, Ren opened his eyes and was surprised (Tiny ¡­¡­) The actual sword is made of wood, even though it¡¯s called a magic sword. The actual length of the sword is not really a dagger at all, it looks more like a common kitchen knife. It would have looked like a work of art if it had been beautifully carved, but there was nothing decorative about it. (The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that the knife is a very good one.) Ren picked up the wooden knife¡ª- or wooden magic sword, with a sense of frustration. I feel that my body is heavy and my head hurts. But I thought it was only in my mind, so I put my strength in my hand and moved my arm to swing. I had never even swung a bamboo sword in my previous life, so I tried it as part of my training. But it didn¡¯t go as well as I had hoped. In the first place, it was impossible for a baby to have such strength. (Moreover, I had a headache¡­.. Oh, no!) The headache, which he thought was just his imagination, increased. His body also became much heavier and these things attacked Ren incessantly. (Gua¡­¡­a¡­¡­) Eventually, Ren closed his eyes, unable to bear the pain. His consciousness faded away. Ren slowly closed his eyelids, still tormented by the intense headache. CH 2 A few weeks have passed. Looking out the window from my bed, I saw that the leaves had fallen off the trees outside. I was six months old when I tried ¡°summoning a magic sword,¡± so I must be about seven or eight months old now. If you count backwards, I was born in April. By the way, this world is based on the real world so that it¡¯s easy for players to understand, so a year is 12 months and a day is 24 hours. Therefore, Ren¡¯s birth month should be correct. (I¡¯m getting it.) Ren grabbed the summoned wooden magic sword in his hand, his cheeks relaxed with satisfaction. In fact, since the day I tried ¡°summoning a magic sword,¡± I had summoned a wooden magic sword every day except the next day. I say ¡°except the next day¡± because I was afraid of the headache so I avoided it. But I didn¡¯t give up ¡ª-. While trying without giving up, the second summoning was not as painful as the first. And after repeating it three or four times, I noticed that the headache and the heaviness of my body became much lighter than before. (Was it like that the first time because I ran out of magic power?) In the Legend of the Seven Heroes, characters who run out of magic power have their status temporarily reduced. Ren was in the same situation. (Maybe this world doesn¡¯t have a level concept in stats, unlike games, otherwise I can¡¯t explain how I grew up.) For example, physical strength, which is attack power, does not depend on the level. Although there are individual differences, physical strength grows as the body grows. Or, like Ren, you can grow by having your magical power consumed to the limit. In other words, we are talking about making an effort. (And even so, one plan has gone bankrupt¡­..) It¡¯s assumed that this world is the same as the world of the legend of the seven heroes, and if that¡¯s the case, Ren knew how to raise the level efficiency. He was thinking of making it easier for himself and living in peace, but unfortunately it seems to be useless. Recently, he had a sense of how much magic power he could handle at this level, so he had no choice but to continue his efforts at this rate. ¡°Au¡­¡­¡± However, my body doesn¡¯t move the way I expect it to. It seems that my magic power has grown by using ¡°Sword Summon¡± over and over, but I couldn¡¯t do anything more than that. I wanted to learn how to swing a sword at an early age, but my baby body wouldn¡¯t allow it. (I guess I¡¯ll just have to give up now and develop my magic¡­) Ren sighed deeply¡ª-. ¡°Ren! Are you awake?¡± The door to the room was opened and a large man stepped in. In his haste, Ren erased his magic sword and bracelet. This was another thing he had recently learned. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake. Have you been looking out again?¡± ¡°Au!¡± ¡°Good, Then your father will show you closer!¡± This man, as he himself mentioned, is Ren¡¯s father. His name is Roy Ashton, and he¡¯s still a young man, the same age as Mireille. (He still has great muscles.) Roy¡¯s face is fearless and he looks great standing next to Mireille. As Ren is lifted up in his arms and looks up at his face, Roy smiles freshly, shows his white teeth,. ¡°Look. My nameless village is still on the frontier in a splendid way today!¡± Using frontier as a verb, Roy opens the window and shakes his short blond hair in the slightly chilly wind. (Yup. It¡¯s another day on the frontier.) Although it was not revealed in the legend of the Seven Heroes, Ren Ashton was born in the countryside, a small village with a population of less than two hundred people. The countryside outside his window is dotted with rustic houses. ¡°You see that? That¡¯s the forest over there.¡± Roy pointed in the direction of the forest, which was thickly overgrown with trees. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary forest, but there was one rock with a strong presence. ¡°Wah?¡± Ren pointed at it and Roy said. ¡°That rock bothers you? That¡¯s called Tsurugi Rock, and as you can see, it¡¯s a rock that¡¯s sharp like a sword. It takes about an hour and half of walking to get there after you enter the forest.¡± It looks as tall as a ten-story building. As he gazed casually at the rock, a strong breeze suddenly brushed Ren¡¯s cheek. ¡°Dau!¡± Ren complained that it was getting cold, but Roy seemed to misunderstand. ¡°Oh yeah! You enjoy looking outside!¡± Realizing that this was no longer going to work, Ren gave a distant look. It seemed that all he could do now was look out at the countryside until Roy came to his senses. And then, just as he was about to give up halfway, he heard a voice saying ¡°But remember, you must never go into the forest behind the fields you can see from here. The monsters around there are weak, but they will attack you if they see you.¡± Roy said something that caught Ren¡¯s interest. (Monsters¡­¡­?) ¡°Well, thanks to their weakness, this village is getting by. If you defeat them, you can eat their meat and sell their magic stones for money. That¡¯s why we can manage on our own.¡± (Magic stone! That¡¯s right! There are magic stones!) Besides repeatedly summoning magic swords and growing in magic power, there was something else I could do. Yes, I have to use the magic stone to increase my proficiency. (Can you show me the magic stone¡­¡­?) When Ren looked up at Roy with expectant eyes, Roy noticed his gaze and looked down at Ren. ¡°Perhaps you want to see the monsters?¡± Ren shook his head. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡­ does that mean you care about the magic stones?¡± This time he nodded his head. Roy immediately noticed and closed the window. ¡°Good! Then Dad will show you!¡± He then took Ren out of the room in his arms. Ren¡¯s first glimpse of the outside of his own room was no less shabby than his. The wood used in the hallway was a dark brown color, but the color had faded in some places and it looked old. It would have been different if it had been decorated, but there was not a single piece of furnishings to be seen. (Come to think of it, the Ashtons were knights, right?) This is just my knowledge of the legend of the Seven Heroes. ¡°Mmmm ¡­¡­ this mansion should be fixed up soon ¡­¡­.¡± The floorboards suddenly creaked loudly, and Roy, with a wry smile on his face, opened his mouth. He looks at Ren, who was in the process of observing, and says as if to narrate. ¡°I¡¯m very attached to this mansion that I inherited from my parents, but it seems that It¡¯s come to the end of its rope. Well, I¡¯ll think about repairing it if it¡¯s something that will make the village profitable ¡ª-Ren should remember well. It means that poor knights can¡¯t afford it.¡± Conveniently, Roy explained it all. (Dad, this is not the kind of story to tell a baby.) To summarize, the Ashtons are a family of frontier knights and the current head of the family, Roy Ashton, seems to have inherited the house and title from his father. I had thought that knighthood was only for one generation, but it seems to be different in this world. (Oh, it smells so good!) The smell of roasting meat tickled Ren¡¯s nostrils. Roy walked in the direction the smell came from and opened the door that was just ahead. ¡°Mireille! I¡¯ve got Ren!¡± Behind the door was the kitchen. It was a somewhat old-fashioned kitchen with a dirt floor over half the space and a door leading outside. ¡°Oh, you! What¡¯s wrong? Why did you suddenly bring him?¡± ¡°Ren wanted to see a magic stone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he could say such a thing!¡± Ren said inward, ¡°That¡¯s what I have in mind¡±. Roy held me in his arms as we headed toward the earthen floor where Mireille had been. There was a stone water feature and a small, sooty furnace. Mireille, with a look of surprise on her face, was standing in front of the stove. ¡°Mmmmm! I had thought of the right time to let Ren out of his room! You¡¯re always like that! Whenever you have an idea, you do it by yourself!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t always ¡­¡­ that¡¯s not the case!¡± ¡°Yeah! Always! You were like that when we were five years old! The first time we went outside together, we talked about going to the fields! You went by yourself!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.¡± Ren, who unexpectedly learned about their past, felt a sense of peace at the sight of them from the side. For Ren, who was becoming attached to this world and this life, there was nothing better than if his parents were on good terms. Roy is a little laid back, but that¡¯s probably a minor thing. ¡°¡­¡­ So you really just came to show Ren the magic stone?¡± ¡°Oh! Of course!¡± ¡°Haaaa¡­¡­. You¡¯ve always been a sword enthusiast, always fighting monsters, always collecting magic stones. That¡¯s why you heard an auditory hallucination that Ren wanted to see the magic stone.¡± Ren was secretly pleased. This is convenient. If his father was a sword fighter and also liked to collect magic stones, he would be able to help him grow from now on. ¡°We¡¯ll know if it¡¯s an auditory hallucination if we give it a try! Then, lend me the magic stone of the one I just hunted this morning!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already finished processing it, so have it your way.¡± Hearing these words, Roy left Ren in Mireille¡¯s care and headed toward a corner of the dirt floor. There he found the fur still stained with mud and a translucent stone placed on top of it. (Hey, is that the fur of Little Boa¡­?) The name ¡°Little Boar¡± flashed through Ren¡¯s mind. It was the name of the first monster the hero fights in the game Legend of the Seven Heroes. It looks like a wild boar. ¡°Thanks to your father¡¯s efforts to defeat the monsters, we get money and we share the meat with everyone in the village. That¡¯s why your mother respects him a lot. I don¡¯t want you to be a boy who is always looking for a sword and a magic stone. Okay?¡± (¡ª- hahaha) I couldn¡¯t promise. So I returned it with a dry smile, but Mireille was still happy. ¡°I¡¯m back! Come on, Ren, here¡¯s the magic stone!¡± Roy, who had returned with great enthusiasm, had in his hand the translucent stone that Ren had seen earlier. Up close, it had a slight greenish tint to it. If polished, it would have a beauty similar to that of a gemstone. It was about the size of the palm of an adult hand. Roy put it in Ren¡¯s hand. (Oh ¡­¡­ oh ¡­¡­ this is a magic stone!) Ren¡¯s cheeks relaxed more than ever as he looked at the magic stone in his hands. ¡°Haaa, He definitely looks like your child.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sigh?¡± ¡°After my ¡­¡­ husband, even my beloved son is devoted to magic stones and swords. Oh Ren! Don¡¯t move too much, it¡¯s dangerous. If you want to see the magic stone, I¡¯ll put you on the table!¡± Ren apologized in his heart for making Mireille say that. Meanwhile, Ren¡¯s body was placed on the table beside him. Of course, Mireille stares back to make sure Ren doesn¡¯t move too much and fall. ¡°But ¡ª-¡° ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s good for the Ashtons that Ren is interested in magic stones¡­¡­ Maybe someday he will be brave like you and defeat the monsters and protect this village.¡± Mireille said a lot of things with her mouth, but in the end she praised her husband¡¯s behavior and her husband, Roy, laughed heartily, his cheeks slightly upturned. However, Ren didn¡¯t hear much of the conversation. (Fufu! ¡­¡­ I¡¯m finally getting a skill!) Ren, who had secretly summoned the bracelet, gloated. However, there was no sign that the magic stone was going to do anything. (I thought for sure the magic stone would be sucked into the bracelet¡­¡­) The fact that there was no sign began to make him feel bad. Fearfully, he looked at the crystal ball on the bracelet. ¡°This magic stone cannot be used.¡± A message that discouraged ¡ª- Ren was floating on it. (Could it be ¡­¡­) There are two reasons that come to mind. The first is that only certain magic stones can be used to increase proficiency. The second is that you cannot use it to increase your proficiency unless it is a magic stone from a monster you defeated yourself. (I think the former feels ¡­¡­ wrong) The description of the skill that I saw before I was reincarnated said that by achieving certain conditions, I could increase the type of magic swords I could use. Until today, Ren thought that certain magic stones were related to those specific conditions. For example, some magic stones dropped by boss monsters make it possible to increase the number of magic swords¡­¡­ (If so, is it the latter?) The latter seemed more fitting. If any magic stone becomes available, it would actually be possible to increase proficiency just by buying magic stones. To make it impossible to do so, you can use the magic stones of the monsters you have defeated. (I can¡¯t believe they made it so hard for me: ¡­¡­) I thought about this recently, but they don¡¯t make it easy for me to grow Ren erased the bracelet he had summoned, released the magic stone from his hand and rolled it onto the table with a clang. He fell down on the table in a heap and muttered ¡°ah¡± with a disgruntled look on his face. CH 3 Ren didn¡¯t get any notable training until he was seven years old. Surprisingly for a child of a knight, his parents did not rush it and waited for Ren¡¯s body to grow up. Fortunately, when Ren turned seven and became physically mobile, his father, Roy, suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try swinging a sword?¡± It was spring, and the morning after Ren turned seven. ¡°So I¡¯m going to let you go out of the house. From now on, you may go out alone only in the garden of this house. But if you go outside the fence, you will get a slap on the wrist.¡± ¡°I understand that, but ¡­¡­ can¡¯t you just fix that fence too? Grandma Rigg said it was dangerous.¡± ¡°Mhmm, if Grandma Rigg says so, I guess I have no choice. I¡¯ll try to fix it by the end of this year.¡± The ¡° Grandma Rigg¡± mentioned in the conversation is the aged voice Ren heard who was with Mireille when he was born into this world. She¡¯s the only midwife in the village, and no baby has been born without her help in recent decades. Therefore, the Ashtons, a poor aristocratic family, weren¡¯t able to keep their heads above water. ¡°¡ª- Training begins in the afternoon. We have plenty of wooden swords in storage for training, so choose whatever you like.¡± Roy said and headed for the door by the dirt floor with his long sword at his back. ¡°Take care dad!¡± ¡°Oh! Wait for me! I¡¯ll do my best to hunt more monsters today!¡± Although Roy is a knight in title, he doesn¡¯t have any noble-like job. The only work that is typical of a knight is the preparation of documents to be submitted to the baron several times a year. On these occasions, even the usually cheerful Roy is groaning at his desk. On other days, like today, he is engaged in hunting monsters, and unlike when he is working on paperwork, he is very lively. (It¡¯s for our safety and for his income. It¡¯s a job that kills two birds with one stone.) As Mireille once mentioned, Roy¡¯s hunting of monsters also helps to increase the income of this poor village. With farming alone, life is tough for both the Ashtons and this village. (I felt like if that was the case, they should just emigrate.) People cannot leave the land of their birth so easily. There are some things that cannot be solved by logic alone, and we have to do our best to survive. ¡°Thanks for the food! I¡¯m off to the library to study!¡± ¡°Oh, dear, you¡¯re such a good boy today.¡± With a dainty smile, Ren leaves the kitchen and proceeds through the mansion, stepping on the wooden floor, which has become especially creaky lately. The library is located at the end of the hall, and although it¡¯s called a library, the amount of books in it is not very large. However, it is one of the few sources of information for Ren. For this reason, he has been going there every day since he was three years old. ¡°Now.¡± Today, as usual, he walked to the front of the storehouse, opened the old-fashioned door, and went inside. The library in the Ashton family¡¯s mansion is by no means large. If you line up three beds for one person, it¡¯s big enough that you can¡¯t put anything else on it. The only furnishings are a bookshelf on one wall and a desk by the window. Ren went to the desk and sat down in a round chair with wobbly legs. ¡°What shall I read today?¡± On the desk were the books Ren had used to learn to read and write up until today. The reincarnated Ren had no problem with spoken language, but he could not write or read the letters of this world. In the beginning, he read books and practiced writing while Mireille taught him. It was only within the last year that he was able to read books on his own. Remembering this, Ren opened a book with nostalgia. ¡°Even so, this¡¯s a really big continent¡­¡­.¡± The book contains the same geographical information as in the game days. Len begins to read the book after taking a break from eating. The first page of the book describes the continents of the world, starting with the continent where Ren lives. The name of this continent is Elfen, and it bears the name of the main god Elfen. The land is fertile to the point of overflowing, with the exception of a few areas. It is also blessed with mining and marine resources and is therefore called a continent blessed by the Lord God. However, even though it is blessed, there have been conflicts among people in its long history, and there have been damages caused by demon king and other monsters. Hence, many countries have not been able to survive until the present day. Most countries were either absorbed by other countries or met their demise. However, there is one country among them that is an exception. ¡ª- That is the country where Ren was born. It is the Empire of Leomel, where the hero of the western Elfen continent lived and the setting of the legend of the Seven Heroes. Since its founder, the Lion King, founded it some 1,000 years ago, Leomel has been undefeated in numerous wars. Its military power is unmatched by any other nation, and no other nation has ever attempted to wage war against Leomel. In addition, the defeat of the Demon King by the Leomelites, known as the Seven Heroes, has reduced the number of countries that have launched a war against Leomel to zero. Many countries felt indebted to Leomel and did not want to interfere. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ and that¡¯s the basic information about the world in the Legend of the Seven Heroes. ¡°So our village is ¡ª-.¡± Ren turned his attention to the northwestern corner of the world map, where the Leomel Empire is located. Here is marked with a black marker. This is the location of the village where Ren lives. It¡¯s so remote that it takes two months and a little more by carriage to reach the imperial capital. Even to the city where the baron, the lord of the city, lives, it takes about 10 days by horseback to the east. If you go to the northeast, you can find an even larger city¡­¡­ But the baron who presides over that city has no connection to the Ashton family. So it seems unlikely that he will ever visit. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯d better start studying.¡± I¡¯ve had enough of this food break. With a light slap on the cheek and a touch of enthusiasm, Ren opened a handy book, but unlike usual today, he lacked concentration. He knew why. He was looking forward to this afternoon¡¯s training so much that he couldn¡¯t concentrate on his studies. ¡°No. This is no good.¡± He tried several more times to concentrate, but the result remained the same. Giving up, Len got up and walked towards the warehouse where the training equipment was. ? ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó In the afternoon, Roy returned to the mansion. He returned to the house with five little boas on his shoulders, and Ren was surprised to see Roy¡¯s strong arms. Roy put those monsters on the earthen floor in the kitchen and returned to the garden where Ren was waiting for him. ¡°Hmm? Was there such a wooden sword?¡± Roy¡¯s gaze fell on Ren, who was holding a wooden magic sword in his hand. ¡°Is this not good enough?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just surprised you found such a small one.¡± When Ren went to the warehouse, he saw a number of wooden swords. He¡¯s also equipped with the bracelet, but since he¡¯s clad in leather armor for training, it¡¯s not seen by Roy. ¡°It looks good on you.¡± ¡°Is it true that you made this equipment for me?¡± Roy was surprised. ¡°I¡¯m good at sewing leather because I use it myself.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. I¡¯m sure it will help me a lot.¡± The actual fact is, Ren was not sure if he should hide the ¡°summon magic sword¡± skill. But since he wasn¡¯t sure if it was normal for children to use the skill, he thought it would be better to keep it hidden for a while, and here we are. ¡°So, training, ¡ª-.¡± Roy opened his mouth, and Ren¡¯s heart leapt at the first experience. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡° ¡ª- What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but don¡¯t expect me to be able to teach you how to use a sword, because even though the Ashtons are knights, I was born and raised in this remote area and have never taught anyone how to use a sword.¡± ¡°¡­..that¡¯s very persuasive.¡± ¡°I had the same training as my dead father.¡± ¡°I see. So since you were able to fight monsters with that, does that mean I¡¯m going to be okay too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You understand very quickly.¡± To put it better, it¡¯s a practical principle. Ren doesn¡¯t know what the right way to learn to handle a sword, but if that¡¯s how Roy was raised, he can¡¯t say that he was taught badly. ¡°Look, don¡¯t hesitate.¡± The exuberant spirit remained intact, except for a few things. Ren naturally put more strength into his hand that gripped the wooden magic sword and he lowered his back ¡ª-. ¡°¡ª I understand!¡¯ He stepped strongly as if pushing his body forward. It¡¯s light. The actuality of it felt like it was not his own body. I¡¯ve never moved my body with such force since my reincarnation. Here, I am amazed at my own physical abilities. ¡°Nice step!¡± Ren heard Roy¡¯s voice and raised his wooden magic sword in a big swing. As expected, he had no intention of trying natural magic (small), but only swung down toward Roy with all his might. ¡°Gu¡­¡­!¡± The sword is caught as if it were a matter of course. As soon as Roy¡¯s wooden sword clashed with Ren¡¯s wooden magic sword, a strong shock rushed through Ren¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ll keep going until your body stops moving!¡± ¡°Huh¡­ yes.¡± The first time he answered stoutly, Ren noticed that his hand was a little numb. The aftermath of the strong impact earlier. ¡°¡ª¨C Ahhhh!¡± He stepped forward a second and third time. He swung his wooden magic sword again and again at the waiting Roy, trying to break his defenses. However, due to the overwhelming difference in physical strength and size, there was no sign of being able to break it down. Still, ¡ª-. (What fun!) Ren finds enjoyment and confronts him without giving up. The only thing he was doing was simply swinging his sword at Roy, who was waiting for him, but he was having a great time. (I¡¯m sure the reason it¡¯s fun is because this is what leveling up is to me ¡ª-!) After all that hard work, there must be an increase in skill level waiting for him. Thinking of this, Ren was able to endure the exhaustion that was attacking his entire body. ¡°Haa¡­ haa.¡± Even though he was out of breath. ¡°Gghh¡­¡­!¡± Even if he was knocked away by Roy¡¯s physical strength. ¡°I can still do it!¡± He was able to abuse his body without giving up in order to improve the level of performance that awaited him ahead. ¡­¡­ But no matter how high his aspirations, Ren is still a seven-year-old. A seven-year-old who has been reborn in a fantasy world with special skills, but who has never trained in any way, will not be able to continue his current movements for tens of minutes. Within 30 minutes of starting training, Ren¡¯s entire body began to lose strength and in the end, he simply fell to the ground. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ I can¡¯t move my body anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re tired. You fell suddenly again.¡± Ren, who was a big boy, looked up at Roy. ¡°I guess that¡¯s enough for today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. You¡¯re a child, but I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re seven years old. I¡¯m going to go boil some water to wash the sweat off, what about you? Want to cool down a bit first?¡± ¡°Yes¡ª- I will.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be back to pick you up in a bit.¡± Roy leaves after saying that. When Ren saw the figure disappear into the mansion, he removed his arm armor and turned his attention to the bracelet he had been hiding ¡°Alright!¡± Seeing that his proficiency had indeed increased, he was pleased with a carefree smile. CH 4 After the day of his first training session, Ren¡¯s afternoons became a routine of training with Roy. In the morning, his day began as usual with studying, and in the afternoon, he would exercise until he collapsed. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today.¡± Roy saw that Ren had fallen down comfortably into a wide position on this day as well, and he announced the end of the training. ¡°Yes, thank you very much¡­..¡± ¡°You did your best today.¡± At first glance, after the training, Ren appears to be in the same ugly state as he was on the first day when he started training. The actual fact is that he was able to move for almost twice as long as he did on the first day. His physical and muscular strength had grown steadily. ¡°¡­¡­Today¡¯s results are¡­¡­¡­¡± Recently, he had been on the verge of improving his skill level. ¡°I¡¯ve been working hard for over a month already.¡± The skill level that could finally be obtained after working hard until one falls down in one training session is ¡°2¡±. So, by simply dividing the accumulated proficiency by half, I was able to calculate how many days of training I had done up until today. ¡°If I work hard for six more days, I will be able to level up my magic sword summoning technique.¡± I am amazed at how I have been able to keep up the effort until today. I can¡¯t say that I was simply working hard to improve my skills because of my gamer¡¯s mindset. (I wonder if that¡¯s it¡­). Ren had other reasons in mind. It was the influence of Roy and Mireille. Unlike his parents in his previous life, they would give him full praise when he worked hard. When he sees their smiling faces, he¡¯s inspired to work even harder. ¡°Come to think of it, I was never praised when I was Ren¡­..¡± In his previous life, his parents separated when he was very young and he was taken in by his mother. However, as he grew up, his mother didn¡¯t like his resemblance to his father and she stopped talking to him. By the time he was in college, his mother was rarely home and they spoke only a few times a year. So compared to then, life now is very fulfilling. Although there are times when I feel inconvenienced by the lack of home appliances in my daily life, I can say with certainty that I am happier now. ¡°I will do my best again tomorrow.¡± That¡¯s why I was able to work hard for this happy time. I felt the irreplaceable value of making my parents happy. From that day on, my training was more intense than ever. The next day, and the day after that, I continued to swing my sword at Roy until I collapsed. With the skill level increase just around the corner, I was even beginning to look forward to collapsing. It was during training six days later that Ren¡¯s body began to change. ¡°Eh ¡­¡­?¡± An hour had passed since I started training and I felt strangely light. It was even lighter than before I started training, and when I put strength into my feet, I felt as if I could fly into the sky at any moment. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re hurt¡­..¡± Roy looked at Ren, who suddenly stopped moving and looked surprised, and asked in a voice filled with concern: ¡°I¡¯m fine! It¡¯s nothing serious!¡± ¡°I hope so, but ¡­¡­ don¡¯t overdo it!¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± He tried to find out what it was, but couldn¡¯t figure it out. But Ren, not wanting to worry Roy, held his head low and said. ¡°Here I go!¡± He said in a brash voice and stepped forward as he had done before. Roy could tell that Ren¡¯s behavior was different as soon as he took the first step. ¡°huh¡­ He¡¯s fast ¡­¡­!¡± Even Roy, who goes to the forest every day to hunt monsters, was surprised by Ren¡¯s speed. ¡°Gggg ¡­¡­.¡± However, Roy held his wooden sword right next to him, and he parried Ren¡¯s attack. The ground beneath Roy¡¯s feet was gouged as he endured and a screeching, creaking sound began to echo from the wooden sword he held. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± Ren¡¯s sword rush still attacks Roy. The clashing swords made loud and dull sounds as they clashed over and over again. (My body is light ¡­¡­!) He could swing the wooden magic sword as he wished, without the numbness he usually felt in his hand. ¡®How can he suddenly become so strong? ¡ª- Ah, I see! Ren! You might be ¡ª-!¡¯ Roy¡¯s eyes were now narrowed, his brow furrowed, and sweat was forming on his forehead. He stopped and readied the wooden sword in his hand. For the first time, he decided to attack Ren himself. ¡°Ren! I¡¯m going to attack you this time!¡± Roy¡¯s mood changed. His eyes were sharp and made Ren nervous, but Roy pulled his sword back in the middle of his attack. The reason is that Ren¡¯s body, which had been wielding so much power, wavered and he dropped both knees to the ground without any effort ¡°¡ª- what the¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You must be at your limit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still feeling strong¡­¡­ but I¡¯m at my limit?¡± Ren, who was puzzled because he did not understand what was going on, was approached by Roy, who was smiling with a kind of happy smile. Roy reaches for Ren¡¯s body and lifts him up. ¡°¡ª- well done! I never thought my kid had skills!¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡­ dad ¡­¡­!¡± ¡°The reason you¡¯re suddenly so strong must be because your skill level has gone up! I don¡¯t know what it feels like because I don¡¯t have any skills, but I can¡¯t think of any other reason!¡± Ren, who was being held up by strong arms, finally realized what happened. (I see. During my training, my skill level in ¡°Magic Sword Summoning Technique¡± had increased.) The power that was supposed to be gained at the next level was physical ability UP (small). No wonder my body became lighter and my physical strength increased. The sudden change in the body¡¯s understanding of consciousness and physicality may have been unanticipated because it hadn¡¯t been able to keep up with the changes earlier. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d like to go to the church and get a skills appraisal¡­..¡± Suddenly, Roy looked down at Ren with a dejected look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We don¡¯t have the money to go to the church.¡± ¡°Is it really expensive to have your skills appraised?¡± ¡°No, if it¡¯s just the money for the appraisal, all I have to do is hunt two monsters and that¡¯s it. When you are a child in a town with a church, you can have your skills appraised as soon as you are born.¡± Then why? Ren wonders, then remembering the location of this village, ¡°Because it¡¯s too remote here and the travel costs are too high¡­¡­.¡± Roy nodded quickly. ¡°Even the nearest church to this village is located at the city where the baron lives.¡± The distance to the city where the baron lives is around ten days by horseback. ¡°But I can manage the travel expenses for the three of us. But we need to hire mercenaries to hunt monsters in this village while I¡¯m gone. I¡¯m talking about the money being tight.¡± This was convenient for Ren, who had been hiding his skills. Ren had planned to live quietly in the village for as long as possible, so it was as good a relief as any. ¡°Then I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to appraise it.¡± ¡°Ren¡­¡± ¡°Just because you don¡¯t know the name of your skill doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re going to die.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re being considerate, aren¡¯t you ¡­¡­?¡¡As a kid, you¡¯d be more eager to know the name of your skills¡­¡­¡± ¡°More importantly, we¡¯re home.¡± As soon as Roy was taken aback by the words, he let out a high pitched laugh that seemed to reach far beyond the horizon. When Mireille heard the laughter, she ran out of the mansion to see what was going on. She was so happy to hear that Ren had a skill that she hugged him tightly and strongly. CH 5 If you take half a month to head east from the village where Ren lives, you¡¯ll reach one of the few urban areas around here. The name of that city was Klausel. The town is built along a terrain that rises toward the center. The roads leading up to the top are spiral-shaped, creating a three-dimensional appearance when viewed from the outside. The magnificent sight created by the houses made of red bricks was well received by the people of the faraway imperial capital. ¡ª- In the center of the city, a mansion, which could be called a small castle, stands tall. The house is the residence of Baron Klausel, the ruler of the area. Baron Klausel¡¯s mansion stands out not only because of its size but also because of its ivory-colored exterior. If you go to the gate, you can take a peek at the garden that is Baron Klausel¡¯s pride and joy. If you¡¯re lucky, you may even see the Baroness ¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢. It is said that the opposite sex is always charmed when she smiles at them and some even believe they have seen an angel or a fairy. But ¡ª- ¡°¡­¡­ Huh.¡± The young lady was now standing boredly in a corner of the garden. She is a young girl with long hair that looks like amethyst crystal melted into polished sterling silver and eyes reminiscent of azure sapphires. Her exquisitely shaped face is still young, but she has the beauty of a lean castle, and her porcelain-white skin is as dazzling as the morning sun that pours down on it. She is such a dignified young lady whose behavior exudes a nobility that cannot be hidden. ¡ª¨C Her name is Lithia Klausel ¡°Young miss.¡± A man calls out to her. The man was a mature knight in armor and a soft-spoken man with the appearance of a butler. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re ruining your pretty face.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just been training with the sword.¡± ¡°I see that my men are no longer a match for you.¡± ¡°I told you, I wish you were my partner.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have some business to attend to with the Master ¡ª- and I have to leave the mansion for a while starting today.¡± Then Lithia blinked repeatedly, surprised. The expression on her face has changed from the previous one, and she looks dainty for her age, in contrast to her good looks. ¡°How can you, when you¡¯re the Knight Commander?¡± ¡°I have to go around the territory by order of the Master. I don¡¯t know how to explain this, so please ask the Master for details.¡± After saying this, the man begins to walk toward the gate of the mansion. Of course, after bowing to Lithia. Outside the gate, some men were waiting for him on horseback. ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡­¡­ !¡± Hearing the voices of some of his men, the man mounted the horse his men had prepared. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He gave the signal to start, pulled on the reins, and let the horse walk. A few minutes passed since they started to walk along the cobblestones. ¡°This is a problem.¡± The man said, looking puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s about the young miss¡­¡­. I think she¡¯s getting a little too proud of herself these days. Perhaps it is because there¡¯s no one of her age who can compete with her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because we¡¯re not up to par.¡± ¡°Even if it is. Good grief¡­.. I can still deal with her, but seriously¡­¡± I wondered if there was a boy or girl somewhere who was equal to or better than Lithia. I sighed deeply because I didn¡¯t think it would be easy to find one. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó The day after his skill level was raised, Ren was allowed to go outside the garden. Mireille had no objection to this. ¡°You were in the woods by the time you were seven, weren¡¯t you?¡± She agreed with Roy¡¯s suggestion. In Ren¡¯s case, it was probably easier to get permission, especially since he had a skill. Ren was so pleased that he had a new routine. Every day before breakfast, he takes a walk along the farm road. ¡°Wow¡­..¡± Today, too, I walked while rubbing my slightly heavy eyelids. While I was still not fully awake, only the muscle aches that I felt in every knot in my body clearly asserted their presence. As soon as I became aware of the sensation, I recalled the time when my skill level increased. I¡¯ll never forget the feeling of being suddenly strong at that time. But despite the joyous feeling, Ren¡¯s expression was dull. ¡°I was happy that my skill level went up¡­ but¡­¡± The reason for this was the level of proficiency required for the next skill level. ¡°I still don¡¯t know how much more I can do.¡± Ren looked at the crystal of the bracelet he had summoned and said with a sigh. The details of the ¡°Magic Sword Summoning Technique¡± floating in the crystal are as follows. The reason for the sigh is this. The level of proficiency required to reach the next level has increased tenfold all at once. ¡°It¡¯s always so far away¡­ ¡­¡­¡± Ren said without effort and then looked at the skill descriptions. Level 1: You can summon [one] magic sword. Level 2: While summoning a magic sword, you gain the effect of [Physical Ability UP (Small)]. Level 3: Can summon ¡¾Two¡¿ magic swords. Level 4: £ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª. This made him even more depressed. He could now see the effect of level 3. At this point, he realized the fact that only one magic sword can be summoned still. By the way, the ¡°Magic Sword Summoning Technique¡± is now at level 2, so it seems to be a mechanism that reveals one more level. The problem is the level of proficiency required to reach the next level, which is ten times higher, but there is nothing he could do about that. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a matter of effort being the best shortcut¡­..¡± Ren muttered and erased the bracelet as if he had given up. He noticed that his consciousness was becoming much more awake. Even though it was early summer, a cool morning breeze still caressed his cheeks at this time of day. Taking a big breath of the fresh air, it was as if his whole body appeared. ¡°I¡¯d like to try the natural magic of the wooden magic sword (small).¡± As expected, I have not been able to try it in the garden of the mansion, so I have not been able to experiment with it yet. When I was walking along the field path, thinking ¡­¡­ in the near future if possible. ¡°Oh, boy, you¡¯re up early again today.¡± ¡°Bo-chan, good morning.¡± I was approached by villagers who were working in the fields early in the morning. Ren had been taking a walk every day recently and the villagers often spoke to him in a casual manner. As Ren was greeting them back, an old woman approached him from where he was walking. ¡°My goodness, you¡¯re up early again today, bo-chan.¡± The old woman is Grandma Rigg, the only midwife in the village. She had been taking a walk at this time since she was young and saw Ren almost every day. ¡°Good morning, Grandma Rigg.¡± They exchanged a light greeting and began to walk side by side. ¡°Your father was bragging about you again. He said you¡¯re going to be a better knight than he is.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I wonder if I will¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will. Eventually, you might become a famous knight in the capital.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Immediately he said that, Grandma Rigg tilted her head. ¡°I mean, if I leave, there will be no one left to take over my father¡¯s work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have a little brother or sister someday, you know.¡± Ren nodded in agreement. But the first question is whether Ren has any intention of leaving the village. Of course, he has no intention of leaving. ¡°If that were to happen, my brother or sister would just go to the capital.¡± As I was saying something like this, ¡ª- suddenly, Grandma Rigg stopped. ¡°Grandma Rigg? What¡¯s wrong?¡± She looked at the edge of the small hill at the edge of the village and opened her mouth in surprise. ¡°Bo-chan, we have to hurry back to the house.¡± ¡°Why all of a sudden ¡­¡­? Those people on horses over there¡­¡­¡± Then Ren also looked at the edge of the hill and noticed it. There were adults on horseback there, all dressed in armor. Even Ren, who lives on the frontier, could tell. They were knights, no doubt. ¡°¡ª-They are the baron¡¯s messengers.¡± Grandma Rigg further confirmed Ren¡¯s expectation. CH 6 A few hours before the Ashtons were to have breakfast, a group of knights who had been sent by the baron visited the Ashtons in their garden. Naturally, Roy, the head of the family, was puzzled by the sudden visit. Seeing them, the old knight who was leading the others stepped forward and opened his mouth. Ren, who had rushed home to greet them, clenched his hands nervously. ¡°My apologies for the sudden visit.¡± The man who apologized at the outset was a classy old knight who looked good in a swallow-tailed coat. ¡°Of course I will explain. But first, I would like you to take this.¡± The old knight inserted his hand into his armor and pulled out a piece of parchment. ¡°A village south of here has been hit by a rather troublesome monster. The details are written on the parchment.¡± Roy read through the parchment he received. Soon after, Roy¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°Are you sure?¡­¡­ there are no D-rank monsters in this area.¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable to be skeptical. But there¡¯s no doubt. We¡¯re also in the area to check the damage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ that¡¯s ¡­¡­¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry. By the master¡¯s arrangement, knights will be dispatched to neighboring villages. They will be coming to this village as well, so please be on your guard for a while.¡± ¡°That would be great! But, how long is ¡°for a while¡±?¡± ¡°The dispatch has already begun, but we still need 20 days from today. The master is doing his best, but there are many areas to be dispatched and it will take longer than usual, including the selection of personnel. This village in particular is far from his residence, so I can¡¯t say that it will be soon.¡± The old knight said apologetically, as if it were hard to say. Roy, on the other hand, looks grim, but he seems to find hope in the fact that knights would be dispatched. ¡°I understand. Then, for the next twenty days, I will be looking around the forest more carefully than usual.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But please don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. I hear that there¡¯s no one in this village who can fight but you, Roy-dono. If you get injured, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°No, I will not. If it comes to it, my son can fight too.¡± Roy, with a proud look on his face, beckoned to Ren, who was listening nearby. Mireille, who was holding Ren¡¯s hand by her side, accepted and told him to go to Roy¡¯s side. ¡°Mu¡­¡­ that child can fight?¡± ¡°Yes. Come on Ren, say hello to the Knight Captain.¡± (Was this man a Knight Captain? ) ¡°My name is Ren Ashton. I¡¯m grateful that you are sending a knight to help our village.¡± Ren couldn¡¯t use the tone that a nobleman would use. So he bowed to the knight commander after speaking as politely as possible. The knight commander, hearing Ren¡¯s words, let out an exclamation of admiration. ¡°What polite greetings. I¡¯m Weiss.¡± Weiss squatted down in front of Ren and made eye contact with him. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°I turned seven this spring.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re an intelligent boy for that.¡± Roy and Mireille were in a good mood after Ren received a compliment. They watched him with smiles on their faces. ¡°However¡­¡­¡± But then Weiss turned a puzzled eye on Roy. ¡°I understand that he¡¯s your heir apparent, but it must be tough for a child of only seven years old to defeat monsters.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right! Ren is much stronger and more skilled with a sword than I was when I was ten years old!¡¡So even if I were to make a mistake, I¡¯m sure Ren would protect this village!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ is that so?¡± ¡°Yes! And he has a skill!¡± ¡°I¡¯m even more surprised that he¡¯s skilled.¡± (I¡¯m getting a little embarrassed ¡­¡­) It¡¯s good to be praised, but it is embarrassing when it continues like this. Ren prayed that this conversation would end soon. Then, perhaps his prayer was answered, Weiss stood up and said to Roy. ¡°It is good to have a reliable heir. ¡ª- Now, while we¡¯re on the subject, would you allow us to rest here in the village for a day? Our men and horses are tired from traveling around villages for so many days.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a shabby mansion, but you¡¯re welcome here.¡± ¡°No such thing. I¡¯m sorry, but please take care of us for one night.¡± Weiss then instructed the knights under his command. There were no stables to rest the horses, so they were tied to a tree in a corner of the yard. ¡ª- Then the three Ashtons were busy cleaning the guest rooms and preparing breakfast. The Knight Commander said it was fine, but Roy and Mireille would not accept and put in a lot of effort. When Roy had settled down, he went out of the house carrying his sword as usual. Ren saw him and went outside as well as Roy to see him off. ¡°Dad, are you going to the forest?¡± ¡°I¡¯d better get going, it¡¯s getting late. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine, but try not to be rude to anyone.¡± ¡°I understand. Dad, please be careful too. ¡ª- Oh, yeah!¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± ¡°I heard that the people who were with Weiss-san are also knights. Why did they use honorifics for you, father?¡± ¡°Well, the Ashton family is in charge of a village, even though we¡¯re both knights. I¡¯m talking about the superiority of our position.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.. I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be off this time!¡± It was an unusually hectic morning, but Roy¡¯s figure was the same as usual as he headed into the forest. Just as Roy was out of sight, the door to the mansion was opened. Weiss comes out of the door and speaks to Ren. ¡°Oh? Where did your father go?¡± ¡°He is in the forest. My father goes to the forest every day in the morning to kill monsters.¡± ¡°Then my men can also¡­..¡± ¡°No, my father said it was not as bad as that.¡± Ren recalled the words Roy had said to him during the cleaning. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take your word for it. ¡ª-But then again, you really are a very polite boy to say that.¡± The knight-captain, who looked interested, came up to Ren and stood next to him, looking down at him. He immediately folded his knees and brought his eyes closer to Ren¡¯s. His expression is gentle and calm. ¡°There are many knight children around me, but I¡¯ve never seen one like you before. It¡¯s almost as if I¡¯m talking to ojou.¡± ¡°Ojou?¡­¡­ are you referring to the Baron¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°The young lady was born in August. She will soon be seven years old, just like you.¡± The actuality is, it¡¯s a topic that I¡¯m not really interested in, although I was talking to the knight commander. She¡¯s a young lady whom I¡¯ll never meet anyway. I don¡¯t particularly care. ¡ª¨C However, even Ren would soon develop an interest. ¡°The young lady was born with the skill of the ¡®white saint.¡¯ In time, she will make her name known throughout the empire.¡± (¡­¡­¡­¡­ hmm?) What did this man say just now? I¡¯m sure he mentioned that she has the skill of ¡°White Saint¡±. (Wait, wait, wait! What¡¯s going on here¡­.!) That skill is definitely the power of the saint who Ren Ashton took the life of in Legend of the Seven Heroes II. The saint¡¯s name is ¡ª- ¡°Li¡­¡­ Lithia Klausel¡­¡­!!!¡± Ren unintentionally uttered the name. Hearing this, Weiss chuckles with a furrowed brow. CH 7 ¡°I¡¯m impressed you knew the young lady¡¯s name, but don¡¯t call her that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ but ¡­¡­.¡± Puzzled, Ren crossed his arms. Knowing it was impolite in front of Knight Captain Weiss, he couldn¡¯t resist and began to think. (Why? The Klausels aren¡¯t barons in a frontier region!) I remembered what I knew from my game days. The Klausel family is an old and distinguished family with a mansion in a territory near the imperial capital. That¡¯s why Ren was calm when he heard that the lord was a baron. Looking back, it was probably a mistake not to ask Roy the name of the baron¡¯s family. But, to make an excuse, he thought it was certain that the baron of the parochial family was not the birthplace of the saint, so he did not pay attention to it. ¡°Weiss-sama!¡± Ren asked in a panicked voice. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Klausel family¡¯s territory much closer to the imperial capital?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden panic?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s very important to me!¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­ but I¡¯m impressed. You seem to be well educated. It¡¯s true that the Klausel family¡¯s territory is also located near the capital.¡± Ren blinked repeatedly as if he was rushing himto continue. ¡°Last year, the Klausel family was given lands near the capital as well. The emperor has been exceptionally kind to the Klausel family in celebration of the birth of their daughter, the White Saint, and also as a reward for the wealth of the family¡¯s lands. The territory, however, is only the size of a town, I hear.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.I see.¡± In other words, Lithia Klausel, who was the first character Ren should have avoided, is the daughter of a baron, a parochial parent of the Ashton family. This is a situation that is both unexpected and unforeseen. (There was no such information in the game: ¡­¡­. But that¡¯s OK. It¡¯s not the worst story yet¡­¡­.) Ren is still a child and has not even met Lithia Klausel. It¡¯s okay then. Ren thought. (It¡¯s just a matter of me not killing her in the first place and if I don¡¯t leave this village, that¡¯s all that matters.) ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay your respects to the master and the lady sooner or later.¡± ¡°¡ª-Eh?¡± ¡°Did Master Roy not tell you about this? There is a long-standing tradition that the next head of the family, even if he¡¯s a knight, must meet the family of the superior. When you grow up, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll go to greet the two of them.¡± Ren would have preferred to avoid that as well, but it seems he can¡¯t refuse. (But don¡¯t worry ¡­¡­ I¡¯m just going to say hello. ¡­¡­) I wanted to shelve it for now. I¡¯ll think about it someday when the time comes. ¡°By the way, I heard that Weiss-sama is the head of the baron¡¯s knighthood,¡ª-.¡± I opened my mouth to change the subject, just to put my mind at ease. ¡°Mm, what about it?¡± ¡°I apologize for the suddenness of the matter. The actuality that a person of a knight captain is coming to a village so far away seems unusual¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Of course, it¡¯s not my intention to leave the house for a long period of time ¡ª- but as I said before, the master is very concerned about this incident.¡± Therefore, even a heavyweight like Weiss left the mansion. If the monster that¡¯s the cause of the disturbance is found, it can also be immediately defeated. ¡°And when it comes to D-ranked monsters, my men are more than capable of handling them.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­¡­ Certainly¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Certainly?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± The reason why Ren muttered those meaningful words was because he remembered the rating of the monsters in the legend of the seven heroes. The ranks of the monsters are basically determined by the ¡°guild¡±, a neutral organization that spans the globe. The evaluation criteria vary, but the main factor is how much of a threat they are to people. Rank S is the highest, and G is the lowest. Among them, the D rank is the same as the boss at the beginning of the Legend of the Seven Heroes. (Maybe my father is stronger than Weiss-sama¡¯s men ¡­¡­.) But I don¡¯t know if I can defeat a D-rank monster. In the Legend of the Seven Heroes, they fought with a party of four, so I wasn¡¯t sure if Roy could win by himself. If I had known this would happen, I probably should have started training earlier. A frustrated Ren couldn¡¯t help but murmur. ¡°I guess there won¡¯t be any training today¡­..¡± I said it casually. ¡°By training, do you mean the training you say you¡¯re doing with Master Roy?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I heard about it from your mother. Every afternoon, you train with Roy-dono after he has finished hunting, do you not?¡± Ren nodded and replied, ¡°Yes¡±. ¡°Well, I suppose you¡¯re saying ¡­¡­ it¡¯s been canceled because of our sudden arrival.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not why ¡ª-¡° ¡°Good.¡± Weiss clapped his hands next to Ren, who was about to make a hasty statement. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What is it!? I, Weiss would be disgraced if I didn¡¯t help with the hunt and even ruined the training of the heir.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ are you going to train with me?¡± Weiss immediately nodded. The fact that it seemed to come out of thin air made Ren happy. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to borrow a sword for training.¡± ¡°Yes! I have a wooden sword in storage that my father usually uses!¡± ¡°Then I will borrow it. If your equipment is also in the warehouse, then I¡¯ll just get ready and get started.¡± Ren changed his first person to ¡°I¡±(Ore) after all this time. Weiss smiled at this desperate appearance and walked behind Ren, who said he would lead the way to the warehouse. ¡ª-After a dozen or so minutes, just before the training began. ¡°Weiss-sama. Could I be permitted to watch?¡± One of Weiss¡¯s men came over and asked. Weiss politely asks for Ren¡¯s permission before granting it. ¡°Go ahead, attackt like you always do in training.¡± (¡­¡­ okay) Ren, holding up the wooden magic sword, did some light flexibility exercises and then held it up. His body is light. ¡°Here I come ¡ª-!¡± Ren steps toward Weiss, who is waiting for him. As he always does with Roy, he closed the distance like the wind with an unreserved step. ¡°Ha¡ª-!¡± ¡°Mu¡ª!¡± Weiss¡¯s subordinates let out a surprised voice. And Weiss also raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Haaaahhhh!¡± Weiss then caught Ren¡¯s sword attack, and said. ¡°Great¡­¡­ your physical strength and swordsmanship are perfect ¡­¡­!¡± He spoke in praise, my cheeks relaxed. The unscheduled training continued. Until just before evening, when Weiss, who had been teaching him, began to practice with increasing enthusiasm. **************************************** ¡ª- I was able to learn from this training today. The first time I saw him, I thought he was a great guy, but he was even stronger than my father, who I thought was far superior to him, and I was proud of his swordsmanship. And ¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m learning again¡­.. and it¡¯s paying off big time¡­..!¡± After continuing with this unusual training until he collapsed, he witnessed it in the evening on his bed in his room. The Magic Sword Summoning Technique (Level 2: 56/1000). When Ren saw that his proficiency had increased by ¡°10¡± all at once, he came to understand one more thing. The stronger the opponent, the easier it would be to increase the level of proficiency. He couldn¡¯t hide his surprise at the fivefold increase, but it was proof that Weiss was that strong. Realizing this, Ren was fighting muscle aches on the bed and his cheeks were torn open with joy that he couldn¡¯t hide. ****************************** The next morning, shortly after sunrise. Weiss and his party finished breakfast and immediately prepared to return to the baron¡¯s house. They mounted their horses just as it became completely light outside. ¡°Roy-dono. I¡¯m so sorry for the sudden visit. Thank you for the warm welcome you gave me on such short notice.¡± ¡°No, it was helpful that you taught my son.¡± ¡°But please be careful. Roy-dono may have the duty to protect this village as a knight, but if Roy-dono dies, it will be for nothing.¡± ¡°I understand. I will uphold my duty to the House of Ashton and protect myself as well.¡± ¡°Do so. That¡¯s exactly what the master wants for the House of Ashton. ¡ª-Well, I think it¡¯s time for us to go home.¡± Weiss thanked him for the last time and ordered his men to ride away. The Ashtons, including Ren, watched his back as he rode away. To avoid any rudeness, they watched the group outside the house for several minutes until they were out of sight. ¡ª-After that, the group left the village and rode their horses toward the baron¡¯s estate. They rode over hills, through forests, and sometimes along shallow rivers. After a while, the sun had set, and there were no human settlements in the area except for the village where the Ashtons lived. Therefore, the group was preparing to camp for the night. ¡°Weiss-san¡± Weiss¡¯s subordinate opened his mouth. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing much, but I heard that you were giving a lesson to the son of the Ashton family yesterday.¡± ¡°I heard that too!¡± ¡°How was Roy¡¯s pride and joy?¡± Some of his subordinates opened their mouths and joined the conversation. But they didn¡¯t seem to be expecting much. Even though Roy was teaching swordsmanship, everyone knew that Roy was self taught. ¡°It¡¯s a pity he doesn¡¯t have a professional swordsmanship teacher.¡± ¡°Roy-dono usually teaches, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s very good at teaching.¡± Weiss nodded his head and said, ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You seem to be mistaken, but that boy is strong.¡± Weiss¡¯s subordinates are taken aback by these unexpected words. However, only Weiss¡¯ subordinate who had seen Weiss and Ren¡¯s training was different. ¡°He was an amazing boy.¡± The subordinate, remembering Ren¡¯s appearance, said with a bubbling voice, ¡°Huh¡­ Is it true?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of lying? Weiss-san, wasn¡¯t that boy a gem?¡± ¡°He is still in his infancy, but he was indeed a gem. And that boy is smart. He absorbed what I taught him in no time, and he was a hard worker who never gave up.¡± It was the first time. The same was true for Lithia, the saint. ¡°I honestly want him to be a member of the Knights of Klausel.¡± ¡°You want ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Captain! He¡¯s only a seven year old boy!¡± ¡°What did you say? You can¡¯t beat that seven-year-old boy. After all, that boy is more powerful than the young lady.¡± Nonsense, they thought. It¡¯s impossible, they thought. Weiss¡¯s men shared this thought in unison, but they couldn¡¯t dismiss it as idle talk. The reason is that Weiss, a knight they respected and never doubted his ability, had said so. ¡°¡­.. but it will be difficult to bring him with us.¡± Roy is the only one who can fight in that village. Eventually, Ren will be the only one. That is why it would be difficult to take him back to the Klausel family. Weiss, who was thinking about it, returns to the main topic here. ¡°But even if that boy were there, reinforcements should be rushed.¡± His men nodded with a mysterious look on their faces. ¡°If it¡¯s a G-rank little boa, no matter how many of them appear, he¡¯ll not be left behind. And even if he¡¯s dealing with F-ranked Little Boars, he should be able to handle about five of them at the same time.¡± ¡°Haa!¡± ¡°But if the rank is E, it¡¯s a different story. This monster is of rank D.¡± ¡°¡ª- Captain?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I just remembered, didn¡¯t Roy-dono defeat a D-rank monster by himself before?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. It was before his wife was pregnant, right?¡± If that is the case, it would be okay this time as well, the subordinate wanted to say. However, Weiss¡¯s expression did not clear up. On the contrary, his expression became even darker. The campfire prepared for the encampment illuminated his face. ¡°Still, I¡¯m not optimistic. I¡¯m sorry, but that thing is not just a D-rank.¡± The subordinate who had just voiced his doubts nodded his head with a huff. ¡°I had forgotten about it. It was a unique monster with an alien power, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°So we must hurry. We must send a force to the territory as soon as possible.¡± Weiss looked up at the sky in the direction of the Ashton family mansion and closed his eyes. He prayed that no new victims would arise before the knights sent by the baron arrived in the villages. CH 8 The night Weiss and his party left the village, Roy called Ren into the yard of his house. ¡°Remember, Ren¡­¡± Powerful monsters tend to go where the food is. It doesn¡¯t matter if it is a weaker monster or an animal, including livestock. Roy, who had just returned from the forest, reminded Ren of this. He added at the end that the difference between a monster and an animal is whether or not it has a magic stone in its body. After Ren heard this story, he saw a mess of little boa corpses that Roy had brought back with him. (I wonder if there are many little boas around here.) ¡°So I¡¯m going to hunt more today.¡± ¡°To reduce the amount of food, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve decided to reduce the number of creatures they can feed on so that they stay away from this area as much as possible.¡± Roy said he would continue for the time being until the reinforcements arrived in 20 days. ¡°But there¡¯s a nasty monster out there ¡­¡­.¡± Roy fished into his pocket, opened the parchment Weiss had given him, and looked at it. Ren was so curious about what kind of monsters were written on it that he stood up on his tiptoes and peeked at it. Roy held his head back and restrained him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look¡± ¡°Is it that bad?¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t have to be interested in it.¡± Ren, who had hit the bull¡¯s-eye, groaned. However, he was not planning to try and defeat it in secret, and just hoped he would at least be allowed to look at the parchment. ¡°How about that! Isn¡¯t it amazing what I¡¯ve accomplished today?¡± Roy pointed at the corpse of the monsters and said happily. It¡¯s true that there are a lot of them. There are twice as many as usual. But what shocked Ren more than the fact that Roy had hunted them all by himself was the fact that he had returned home alone, carrying the monsters with him. **************************************** After that day, Roy¡¯s life changed to an unusual rush. He woke up earlier than usual and came home later than usual. After a day, then a week, his face began to show signs of fatigue. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should take a day off?¡± Mireille suggested at the dinner table at night, but Roy did not accept. Roy laughed, saying that he only needed to endure for thirteen more days. (If this was going to happen, I should have been trained to enter the forest to fight demons.) There was no use in regretting it, but Ren couldn¡¯t help but feel that way. ¡ª- And the tenth day after Weiss left. ****************************** On this day, as usual, the night began to fall. The sky was starting to darken, and in just a few minutes it would be completely dark. ¡°Mom?¡± Ren was suspicious that his father had not returned home, so he went to the kitchen and called out to Mireille. ¡°Dad hasn¡¯t come home yet. Isn¡¯t it too late?¡± ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s working harder than usual today¡­¡­.¡± Mireille said this at one point, but she too soon became concerned. ¡°I¡¯m worried about him. I¡¯m going to go check on him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go then.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. It¡¯s already late at night. It¡¯s not safe.¡± ¡°But I can fight better than you.¡± ¡°Still you can¡¯t. What parent would let their child go alone?¡± Unlike usual, Mireille¡¯s voice was very matter-of-fact, but Ren was still not fully convinced. Mireille is in danger as well, especially at night. ¡°¡ª¨CSince it has come to this, let me go with you.¡± The first thing that came to my mind as soon as I saw this was a compromise. ¡°If you go alone, I¡¯ll go with you even if I have to hide. If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t you think it would be safer if we stayed together?¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡­ Ren. How could you be so devious?¡± Mireille did not have the speaking skills to rebuke Ren. That¡¯s exactly what she thought about leaving behind by force, but as Ren said, it would be more dangerous to hide and follow her, so she nodded her head in agreement to Ren accompanying her. ¡°Okay, but only as far as the forest entrance.¡± She then told Ren to put on his training gear. She also told him to carry a knife for cooking, just in case. Likewise, Mireille also puts on protective gear that she does not normally wear. However, it is not the right size, perhaps not for her. It probably belongs to Roy. (It¡¯s the first time since I became Ren that I¡¯ve gone out at night.) A cool breeze caressed my cheeks as I stepped outside through the earthen floor in the kitchen. The cool weather around here makes it comfortable, even in early summer. ¡°Ren, give me your hand.¡± The two of them began to walk hand in hand. The scent of grass, flowers, and earth wafting in the wind tickled their nostrils. The chirping of the insects was also ostentatious. The chorus coming from everywhere made Ren think that it would be better to hear them in normal times. (Everyone must have gone home by now.) In the early morning, not a single villager was seen working in the fields. It was so quiet that it was unnerving to walk along the field road, which was even darker than usual. ¡°Be careful not to fall down.¡± Mireille said and shook the torch. The only light that seemed to be a light at the moment was this torch. The light from the stars in the sky and the lights of the houses were only a little bit visible. The light was also barely enough to illuminate my feet. We could see only a few meters ahead and if we were not careful, we could easily lose our footing. ¡°Ah ¡ª-¡° ¡°¡­¡­ Mom. Please don¡¯t fall over yourself while you¡¯re telling me not to.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± As Mireille almost fell, she noticed that Ren was holding her hand tightly and wondered when he had grown so much. Beside her, Ren¡¯s voice leaked out at the sight of the approaching scene. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ that is.¡± After walking for about 30 minutes after leaving the villa, he saw a path with torches on either side of it. ¡°It¡¯s the entrance to the forest. The river there separates the village from the forest.¡± The path between the torches was a wooden bridge. Although the bridge did not look like a bridge that would reveal any craftsmanship, its exterior, constructed of thick logs, indicated that it was sturdy. From the length of the bridge, one can guess that the river is not that wide. (the water seems to flow fast). I heard the sound of the water, which is too loud to be called a murmuring stream. That¡¯s what Ren expected. ¡°Where did he go¡ª-? Could that be¡­..?¡± Next to Ren, who was checking the bridge and the river, Mireille noticed something at the end of the bridge. Ren followed suit and looked ahead to see something that looked like a person sitting with his back to a tree across the bridge. They quickly realized that it was Roy. ¡°Why is he resting there?¡± Mireille then started to run across the bridge. She must have thought it was safe if Roy was there and decided to continue on the bridge. (¡­¡­ strange) Ren started walking as well, but a strange feeling stirred in his head and wouldn¡¯t leave. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Roy hardly reacted to their arrival. The only reaction he showed was a slight shake of his head and a turn of his head toward me. He didn¡¯t raise his head to look at us, but instead took large, irregular breaths and let his shoulders move up and down. ¡°I was worried ¡ª- about you. ¡ª-¡° Mireille exclaimed. Something had happened, after all. Ren hurriedly crossed the bridge and ran to Roy. ¡°Huh¡­ Dad?¡± No way, I thought. I had no idea that Roy, who had gone hunting in the morning in good spirits as usual, was bleeding from all over his body and soaking the ground with reddish-bronze-colored fresh blood. ¡°Mire¡­¡­¡­¡­yu¡­¡­¡­¡­re¡­ ¡­n¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk! I¡¯ll take you to the mansion as soon as I can, so hold still!¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­¡± The shaking arms are stretched out. His arm, wet with fresh blood that was just beginning to dry, gripped Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Go¡­!¡± ¡°Dad ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The smell of my ¡­¡­ blood¡­¡­ monsters¡­¡­¡­..¡± Roy said in a faltering voice, and then he stopped moving. But when Ren touched his chest, he could still feel his heartbeat. It¡¯s all right. He¡¯s not dead yet. Once he had decided that, he had to leave this place as soon as possible. ¡°Mom! Hurry up and get dad!¡± ¡°Eh, yes!¡± We were about to return to the bridge when something unusual happened. An excited snorting could be heard coming from the trees around us This reminded Ren of Roy¡¯s words. (The smell of blood brought the monsters ¡ª-.) They came close. They smelled Roy¡¯s wounded body and came to eat him. ¡°Bruoo! ¡»\ ¡°Ha-ha-ha ¡ª-!¡»\ ¡°Brumoo! ¡»\ Three little boas appeared. Their fur, which covered a body the size of a large dog, was stained with mud. They were thick and tough like armor. The fangs peeking out from their mouths were sharp, indicating that you wouldn¡¯t go unscathed if bitten. ¡°Bruoooooh! ¡»\ In a split second, Ren had no time to think about whether to fight or flee. A little boa rushed toward Ren. ¡°Ku ¡ª-Mom! Take dad and get back!¡± ¡°Ren!¡± ¡°Just hurry!¡± There was no choice but to fight. Considering Roy¡¯s condition, he couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate even for a second. CH 9 (It¡¯s okay¡­¡­! Little boar is a low-level monster!) {TN: Changed little boa to boar} If he had to say, it¡¯s a little bit stronger than the monsters that appear at the beginning of the game. However, even in his previous life, he has never experienced fighting a beast. Witnessing the rush of a creature different from humans, Ren saw Little boar with his fangs exposed in front of him, and sweat poured down his neck. ¡°Bruuu¡ª-!¡»\ The Little boar leaped at Ren¡¯s neck. Startled, Ren hurriedly brought his wooden magic sword to the front and gagged the Little boar¡¯s mouth. However, he could not kill the little boar¡¯s momentum and he sat on the ground as if he were being pushed down. ¡°Gu¡­gu¡­!¡± The dirty fangs of the little boar were approaching, dripping with fishy drool. The tension that he had never experienced before had made brought down Ren¡¯s spirit. It was the first time he saw it, and he was terrified of its direct intent to kill. (I¡¯m not going to lose¡­.!) This is not good. The first thing that Ren did was to discipline himself and push his arms forward to resist the little boar. ¡°Eh¡­¡­?¡± To his surprise, he was able to push the little boar away. It was so easy, so effortless. (¡ª- Well, my training with my dad must have made me a lot stronger.) Another little boar jumped at Ren, who stood up with surprise. This time, he did not even buckle down, but rather bravely took it with a physical strength that didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°This is great! If it¡¯s you guys, even I can do something about it ¡ª-!¡± The little boar was flung backwards, and he stepped toward the third little boar. ¡°Bua¡ª-?!¡»\ Then, he took a swing at the head with the wooden magic sword. The head was crushed by the strong impact. Ren then slashed the body of another little boar that was approaching from behind with his sword. Although it did not break the thick fur, the strong impact caused the little boar¡¯s torso to be heavily dented. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Buooo¡­..¡± In no time at all, two of the little boars were dead, and the one that remained ran off deeper into the forest with a pitiful cry. Of course, Ren doesn¡¯t give chase. He hurriedly looked toward the bridge to see how Mireille was doing. ¡°Ren! I didn¡¯t know you were that strong¡­.!¡± She was walking with Roy on her shoulder, but she wasn¡¯t making much headway due to the difference in their size. ¡°It¡¯s all right now! I¡¯ll lend you my shoulder too. Let¡¯s hurry and get dad back to the mansion!¡± Mireille, who had been bewildered by her son¡¯s strength, was also surprised when he said he was fine in a strong tone. She hurriedly started to walk forward, but she still could not walk as she wanted because of Roy¡¯s weight. However, with Ren¡¯s help, she was finally able to relax. No, it would be better if I carried him on my back by myself, Ren thought. The benefit of physical ability UP (small) had nullified the difference in physique to this extent. (Good thing I summoned it.) Ren, who carried Roy on his back, calmed down slightly. In fact, this time, because he didn¡¯t know what was going to happen, he had summoned his wooden magic sword before he left the mansion and carried it on his waist first. I¡¯m so glad I could save my father¡¯s life thanks to that. ¡°Ren! I¡¯m going to go get Grandma Rigg!¡± Mireille left Ren as soon as they entered the field road and started walking. ¡°Grandma Rigg, ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°She¡¯s skilled as a medicine woman, so I¡¯m sure she can help us!¡± ¡°I understand!¡± I did not feel lonely on the way home. I was too worried about Roy to do so. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó The edges of the sky begin to turn lapis lazuli. Ren, who had not been able to sleep at all, saw this and realized that morning was near. ¡°Who¡¯s that ¡­¡­ grandma Rigg?¡± He opened the window of his room and looked out to see that Grandma Rigg, who was supposed to be focusing on Roy¡¯s treatment, had just come outside, looking exhausted. As soon as Ren saw her, he rushed out of the room and left the mansion. ¡°Grandma Rigg! What happened to my father?¡± Ren had not heard anything about the condition of the wound or what had happened to him. Even Mireille had been asked to leave the room on the grounds that she would be in the way of his treatment. ¡°Bo-chan¡­¡­ just in time.¡± Then Grandma Rigg turned on her heel and came up to Ren. ¡°If you are talking about the master, I have been able to calm him down for the moment.¡± In other words, Roy is not safe yet. (That¡¯s right ¡­¡­ after such a serious injury. ¡­¡­) When I returned to the mansion last night and put him to bed, I checked how badly he was hurt. His abdomen had been cut deeply across, just before his internal organs were pushed out. Several bones throughout his body were shattered and I could imagine that he had difficulty walking. Roy must have done everything in his power to get back to the bridge. ¡°But I can¡¯t believe ¡­¡­ dad got hit by a little boar¡­¡­¡± In front of Ren, who muttered as if he couldn¡¯t believe it, Grandma Rigg quietly shook her head. ¡°So you mean it¡¯s a different monster then?¡± ¡°I suppose so¡­¡­ But the woods around here are full of monsters like little boars and big bugs, so even I have no idea what kind of monsters are to blame.¡± Ren looked at Grandma Rigg, who looked down at him as if she was troubled and thought. There¡¯s a possibility that the D-ranked monster is responsible for dad¡¯s wounds¡ª- (It has appeared near this village.) It was also in a place not too deep into the forest. Roy would know the forest around the area and wouldn¡¯t have ventured into a reckless place. So it showed up relatively close to the village, he thought. ¡°But thank you. Grandma Rigg.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it ¡­¡­. Well, I¡¯m going home to rest now, but I¡¯ll check on him again in the evening. If you need anything else, please don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡± ¡°I understand. Thank you so much for today!¡± As she left the mansion, grandma Rigg¡¯s steps showed signs of fatigue. Unlike the woman I usually see on my walks, she was drained and her steps were heavy. It seemed she had worked hard all morning. Ren bowed his head toward her back and thanked her, then went back inside the mansion. (I have to go to the woods later.) I have to go get the little boar corpse I left by the bridge so that the smell of blood won¡¯t lure the D-ranked monster. (Also, I need to get the monster¡¯s name, even if I have to force it.) Now that his father has fallen, he¡¯s the only one who can fight. He is still an inexperienced seven-year-old, but he¡¯s fortunate that he has skills. (If I don¡¯t do it, it might come to the village.) If that monster appeared relatively close to the village in the forest, I need to hunt them, especially the weak monsters that will be its food. Ren, who was walking while thinking about these things, eventually reached his parents¡¯ bedroom. After knocking on the door and receiving Mireille¡¯s reply, he put his hand on the doorknob and went inside. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ dad.¡± When he entered his parents¡¯ bedroom, he found Roy lying on a large bed. His appearance was painful, with dirty bandages, not pure white, wrapped all over his body. If you looked at his face, his eyes were closed, but if you looked at his chest, it was rising and falling with his breathing. Ren saw this and tensed up slightly, realizing that his father was really alive. ¡°I¡¯ll have to let him know when he wakes up that you were there to save us.¡± Mireille sat on a round chair next to the bed. ¡°Ah, I was lucky too, though.¡± Ren noticed as he said with a wry smile. ¡°Is that the parchment that Master Weiss brought?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ren saw the parchment that Mireille had placed on her lap and reached for it. Ren, who usually asks permission before acting, picked up the parchment without asking Mireille this time. (¡­¡­¡­¡­ You¡¯re lying, right?) ¡°That monster probably got to him.¡± ¡°Yea¡­¡­ I think so¡­¡­ but¡­..¡± ¡°But ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ No. Nothing.¡± Ren, with a look of surprise on his face, wonders in his mind Why, why is this monster in such a place? Seeing the name of the monster, which he had not expected, made him panic inside. (I can¡¯t believe it was ¡ª- Thief Wolfen ¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢) Thief Wolfen. In appearance, it was a wolf-like monster with pure white fur, four tails, and six eyes. It¡¯s about as tall as four grown men, which is about right. The first is that its speed is extraordinary. The other is that it¡¯s skilled at stealing something from its opponent, as the name ¡°Thief¡± implies. This is because it uses wind magic with great dexterity and steals by stretching out the wind around its body as if it were an invisible hand. The probability of encountering this character is low even in the game era and it¡¯s common not to be able to find them even at the end of the game. However, it¡¯s not weak in battle and is a medium to high D-ranked monster. If you defeat it, it will drop rare items, so it¡¯s more than worth defeating. (The problem is that it¡¯s strong.) That¡¯s right, even Ren would like to defeat it if he could. But for Ren, who defeated Little boar for the first time last night, Thief Wolfen was too much for him. (No. I can¡¯t fight it.) No matter how many times he thought about it, he didn¡¯t think he could beat it. Even so, he couldn¡¯t ignore it. If his prediction was correct, Thief wolfen had appeared in the forest not far from the bridge. He could imagine that it would appear in the village in the not-too-distant future. (I have to get it away from the village somehow.) ¡°Ren¡­.? What¡¯s wrong? Why the sudden silence?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­.. I was lost.¡± ¡°Lost? You¡¯re not going to go to the forest, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can fight.¡± Mireille, panicked, got up from her round chair in response to the tone of his voice. ¡°No! It¡¯s not safe for you yet!¡± ¡°But I was able to defeat three little boars at the same time.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not enough! What if the monster that attacked your father shows up! It¡¯s not safe for you, who can¡¯t beat your father!¡± It was a very honest opinion. Ren was also pushed back by this sound argument, but he did not intend to give up. ¡°Mom, but we are in a very dangerous situation right now.¡± ¡°¡­.. what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care how much stronger my dad is, I wouldn¡¯t be reckless about something so dangerous. But if he was attacked by this Thief wolfen, doesn¡¯t that mean that the Thief wolfen appeared closer to the village than expected?¡± ¡°That is ¡ª-¡° ¡°There is no time to be lost.¡± Besides. ¡°I was born into the Ashton family, and like my father, I have a duty to protect this village.¡± Mireille finally fell silent at her son¡¯s words. Ren¡¯s heart aches at the sight of it. But he does not recant. Weiss, the head of the baron¡¯s knighthood, had also mentioned the Ashton family¡¯s duty to protect the village. Mireille, the wife of the head of the family, knows that he¡¯s right. ¡°I thought about escaping with everyone in the village, but there was no doubt that monsters would appear outside the village. But after all, I¡¯m the only one who can fight there.¡± Then it would be safer to stay in the village. It was still more practical for Ren to hunt monsters in the forest not far from the village until the baron¡¯s reinforcements arrived. CH 10 Mireille had to admit. Ren¡¯s activities last night couldn¡¯t be ignored, but as a parent, she was still at the stage where she could restrain him from going to the forest. But If the words ¡°duty as a knight¡± were mentioned there, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do so. If it is said by Ren, who is a legitimate son. But she strongly told him not to take it too far. Specifically, the distance from crossing the bridge to half an hour on foot is the range of activities allowed to Ren. He also promised to return to the village without hesitation if he sensed anything unusual and to return before evening. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re still there. ¡­¡­ Oh, there they are!¡± Ren had just crossed the bridge leading into the forest. He had come to retrieve the two little boar corpses he had left behind. ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t matter if they weren¡¯t there.¡± If there were no corpses, the most likely explanation would be that another monster had used them as food. If that were the case now, one could imagine that the culprit was Thief Wolfen. ¡°Now ¡ª-¡° What do I do? ¡®Bring it home¡¯ Mireille said, ¡®though the meat would be too rotten to eat, the bones and fur would be worth a price.¡¯ Ren was at a loss because of the problem of how to carry it. ¡°No, I can carry it.¡± Thinking about it, he¡¯s reasonably strong now. The benefit of physical ability UP (small) is there. ¡°¡­¡­ Oh!¡¡It¡¯s so light!¡± He was able to lift the little boar that was lying on its side onto his shoulders without any effort. The smell of the beast stung his nose, but he had no choice but to put up with it. He was contorting his face. ¡°Eh ¡ª-?¡± Something warm flowed out from Little boar¡¯s chest. Ren thought it was blood, but it wasn¡¯t.. When he dropped Little boar¡¯s corpse to the ground in surprise, something like a glowing particle, like an aurora, was flying slowly from the corpse¡¯s chest toward Ren¡¯s arm. Could it be ¡­¡­! Startled, Ren removes his leather armor and looks at the bracelet. ¡ª¡ª Ren Ashton. [Job] Ashton family, eldest son. [Skills] ¨C Magic Sword Summoning (Level 1: 0/0) Summoning Magic Sword (Level 2: 58/1000 Level 1: Able to summon [one] magic sword. Level 2: Gains [Physical Ability UP (Small)] while summoning a magic sword. Level 3: Can summon ¡¾Two Swords¡¿. Level 4: £ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª. [Acquired Swords] [Level 1: 2/100] Magic Sword of Wood. Iron Sword (Open Condition: Summoning Magic Sword level 2, and the level of Iron Sword is 2). (Open condition: Magic Sword Summoning Technique level 2, Magic Sword of Wood level 2) ¡ª¡ª The summoning of the magic sword and the wooden sword gained ¡°2¡± in proficiency each. ¡°I knew it¡­¡­ it had to be a magic stone from a monster I defeated myself.¡± It¡¯s difficult to be honestly happy even though my prediction turned out to be correct in this way. Ren, with a hint of joy in his sigh, re-carries the little boar. ¡°¡­. I¡¯ll have to try the wooden magic sword sometime in the near future.¡± Since he is going to the forest, he wants to try out all the abilities he could use. Ren, who had been in the mansion so far, couldn¡¯t do that, but now he could. But today he¡¯s going back to the mansion, so it will be tomorrow before he tries it out. Ren¡¯s heart tightened even more when he thought that tomorrow would be the real day to enter the forest. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó The next morning he woke up earlier than usual. His mind and body seemed to be in a state of excitement at the thought that today was the big day. According to the schedule, the baron¡¯s reinforcements will arrive in eight days. After reaffirming with Mireille that he could handle it if he worked hard until then, Ren had breakfast as usual and left the mansion, heading for the forest instead of taking a walk, unlike usual. ¡°You can tell the direction by looking at Tsurugi Rock.¡± This was a helpful advice given by Mireille before leaving the mansion. Tsurugi rock is a large rock that stretches out like a sword, as Roy had explained earlier. This rock is an hour and a half into the forest and was in Ren¡¯s field of vision, as he was remembering this. ¡°It¡¯s hard to see.¡± The morning mist in the forest blocked his view. It would clear up in a few minutes, but for Ren, who has no memory of stepping into a forest even in his previous life, there are enough conditions to wonder where to start. Fortunately, he knew what he needed to do. ¡°Either way, I just have to hunt the monsters within a 30-minute radius of the bridge.¡± With determination, he set foot into the forest. The sound of swaying branches and rustling leaves reached his ears. The only other sounds were birds chirping and the sound of the water still flowing in the nearby river. After a few minutes of walking, the morning mist that had been blocking his view began to lift slightly. Or maybe it was just Ren¡¯s eyes adjusting, but it became much easier to walk. ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡± The muck on the ground took his feet and mud got into his shoes. The uncomfortable feeling makes his cheeks tug. ¡°What is this ¡­¡­ hill ¡­¡­!?¡± As he was brushing off the mud, a creature that looked like a leech was climbing up Len¡¯s arm before he knew it. It was not strange for a leech to be in a forest like this, but it was still an unpleasant sensation on his skin. Ren brushes the leech off with his hand. The leech had not yet bitten him, and it easily fell off. ¡°This is the real hill climb¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± I looked up at the heavens in embarrassment. After brushing off the mud, I began to walk with a heavy gait. I¡¯m not tired. I was mocking myself for saying such a stupid thing at a time like this. After more than ten minutes ¡ª- the morning fog had completely lifted. Around the same time, Ren saw the grass swaying beside the trees at a distance. It was a localized swaying, if it wasn¡¯t wind-driven, so he couldn¡¯t ignore it. He squinted his twin eyes and tried to stare. Then, unexpectedly, the grass shook so much that a little boar covered in mud jumped out. ¡°Bru! ¡° ¡°¡­. So suddenly!¡± They say wild beasts are very cautious, but this little boar is not. In the first place, they are monsters and shouldn¡¯t be equated with beasts, but even so, Ren didn¡¯t expect it to attack like this. Unlike last night, he didn¡¯t expect even one of them to come at him so valiantly and bravely. ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­¡± If a small boy had appeared, it would have tantalized its appetite. But Ren does not feel any tension. Rather, because of last night¡¯s experience, he raised his wooden magic sword ¡ª- without any fear at all against the approaching little boar. ¡°Bwah! ¡° He took a sharp swing at its brain. Even as the little boar lay there, Ren remained vigilant for a few moments. But when he saw that it had not moved after a dozen seconds, he closed the distance and crouched down. He sighed once when he realized that it had completely lost breath. ¡°The first day¡¯s battle went by so easily.¡± Saying this, he carried the Little boar¡¯s body on his shoulder. Then, like yesterday, something warm overflowed from Little boar¡¯s chest. He immediately checked his bracelet and found that his proficiency in the art of summoning magic swords and wooden magic swords had increased by ¡°1¡±. ¡°She did say we couldn¡¯t use them anymore?¡± That was yesterday, when Ren brought back the little boars and gave them to Mireille. As soon as Mireille dismantled the little boar, she said, ¡°The magic stone is empty¡±. A magic stone is a crystal of magical power that grows as the monster that owned it grows. When that magic power disappears, the stone turns translucent with a white tint and has zero value as a saleable item. Mireille said it was strange. ¡­¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t have to worry about it from today¡­¡± Because Ren was allowed to take the magic stones. A Little boar¡¯s magic stone doesn¡¯t seem to be worth much, and Mireille said she was fine with that. Instead, she even lamented that he had fallen in love with magic stones just like Roy. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± What should I do? It was fine remember yesterday, but I can¡¯t fight while carrying the little boar I hunted. It was also a bad idea to leave it here. ¡°I would have to carry it to the bridge.¡± It was a hassle to carry it every time he hunted, but Ren couldn¡¯t think of anything else to do. It was heavy on his feet to turn back on his heels after a quick battle, but he had to persevere if he had no counterproposal. And so he began to walk. ¡°Woah¡­¡­¡­¡± Two little boars appeared as if they were aiming at a when he¡¯d find it difficult to move. ¡°No problem.¡± Ren throws the little boar he was carrying at the other little boar that just appeared. For a moment, the two little boars were frightened at the same time. Aiming for that moment, Ren closed the distance and again, lightly struck one of them on the head, killing it. The second little boar, finally sensing the danger, backed away and began to flee pathetically. If only there was some kind of long-range attack technique, he would have launched a follow-up attack¡­¡­ Ren recalled. ¡°There is¡­¡± Come to think of it, I was going to try it. I remembered the existence of nature magic (small), which is probably the real power¡ª- that accompanies the wooden magic sword. However, I had never used magic before. Lost in thought about what to do, Ren recalled the nature magic he had witnessed in his game days. He remembered the magic that elves used to bind opponents using tree roots and ivy. However, there was no sign of activation. He wondered if there was some condition for activation, so he pointed the wooden magic sword at Little boar¡¯s back and waved it. ¡°Bwah! ¡»\ Green glowing particles dance from the wooden magic sword that he swung down and they eventually reach the ground. Then a root of a tree crawling was born from the ground and easily tied up the Little boar that was about to run away. ¡°Oh!¡± When he approached the little boar to put an end to it, he found that it was already on the verge of dying. The tree roots that bind its entire body reveal that it¡¯s bound even tighter than Ren thought it was. ¡°¡­¡­.It¡¯s amazing.¡± Ren said and raised his wooden magic sword to prevent it from suffering more than necessary. He swung it down with great force toward the little boar¡¯s cranium and after making sure it was dead, he carried the three heads together. CH 11 When he returned to the mansion before evening, Mireille greets Ren with a stunned look on her face. ¡°Ren, you beat all of them!¡± ¡°Yes, I did. These guys attacked me in a strangely belligerent manner.¡± The number of them is twelve in all. ¡°Even your father rarely hunts this many, but ¡­¡­ yes, that¡¯s right! How did you bring them home?!¡± ¡°Half of it I carried and the other half I tied up with ivy I found in the woods, and dragged it along until the ivy snapped.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how you did it.¡± (¡­¡­ I lied when I said I found it in the woods.) In fact, the ivy was also created by my wooden magic sword. I was exploring the possibility of creating something else, and this was the result of experimentation based on the natural magic of the game era. This is not particularly difficult. Roots of trees, come forth! Ivy, come out! And swinging the sword was all I had to do. (Nothing else came out, but it¡¯s just nature magic (small), so I guess it can¡¯t be helped.) But of course, if you turn off the wooden magic sword, the ivy and tree roots disappear. (And then there¡¯s the matter of being careful not to use it too much.) I know that overuse of nature magic is a bad thing. I know that I¡¯m consuming a certain amount of magic power because I feel a similar sensation throughout my body as when I summoned the magic sword from the tree. My magic power must also continue to grow. In front of Ren, who reconfirms this, Mireille looks at the Little boars and exclaims in amazement: ¡°It¡¯s amazing! I can sell this fur for more than when your father hunted it!¡± ¡°Really, why is that?¡± ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t have any big scratches on it. He does a great job with the sword, but there are always some scratches on the fur. But Ren, you fight with a wooden sword, yet they have no scars at all!¡± She looked at Ren and was puzzled, though it didn¡¯t seem to make her feel any different. ¡°I was surprised when you told me you didn¡¯t have to use a steel sword¡­.¡± ¡°I feel safer if I¡¯m familiar with it. And maybe the skills I have are the ones that increase my power.¡± ¡°I know¡­. it helps me and your dad a lot. But you must never do anything reckless.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m going to wait until the Baron¡¯s reinforcements arrive and I¡¯m just doing my best to make it up to there.¡± ¡°I know, but you¡¯ve hunted a lot more than your dad has.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence. The little boar only attacked me because they thought they could defeat me.¡± So the good thing was that it saved me the trouble of looking for them. (I hope I can beat them tomorrow too.) For now, just another week and a bit. Ren wished to the Lord God Elfen in his heart.. ¡°Ah! Come to think of it, didn¡¯t you get lost in the forest?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was looking up at Tsurugi rock to check the direction, just like you told me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. It would have been very difficult if you got lost in the forest.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­.¡± After this, I realized that my body was surprisingly tired. It seems that I was more tired than I thought after entering the forest for the first time to defeat monsters. ¡°Huh¡­ I have to do my best tomorrow.¡± As Ren muttered this, a strong, determined expression appeared on his face. ******************** On the second day, the same number of little boars as on the first day. On the third day, the number of little boars was further increased and on the fourth and fifth days, each time I entered the forest, I increased my war results. The seventh day went by without any injuries and the sun was just beginning to set. ¡°Bo-chan, you¡¯re amazing¡± ¡°As expected of the Lord¡¯s heir!¡± ¡°You worked hard today!¡± These were the voices of the villagers that reached Ren¡¯s ears when he returned from the forest. Recently, he has been approached more often than when he was just taking a walk. All of them were praises at the outset, so he didn¡¯t feel bad about it. However, he didn¡¯t feel too good about it because he¡¯d been living a tense life. (Looking at it this way, I¡¯m pretty drained¡­¡­) Ren replied back to the villagers and turned over his armor around to look at his bracelet. He didn¡¯t see any proficiency in the art of summoning magic swords. I know that the next level of the Magic Sword Summoning Technique is still far away, since I can only gain ¡°1¡± proficiency in both the Magic Sword Summoning Technique and the Wooden Magic Sword after defeating a Little boar. I have a long way to go. But there is a lot of fun waiting for me when I get to the next level of the wooden magic sword. Because¡­ This is the Iron Sword. The thought of a new magic sword being opened up makes me more motivated in my daily battles. This seems to be just a sword just by looking at the letters, but like the wooden magic sword, it should have special power ¡­¡­ and I expect it to have a special power. Currently, there¡¯s no explanation after touching the letters of the Iron Magic Sword. This will probably become readable after it is opened. (I can¡¯t imagine iron having any special power though) In any case, I¡¯m looking forward to it. The thought that I would definitely be released tomorrow lifted my spirits. Ren¡¯s steps were so light that he was about to perform a skip at any moment. Even so, he¡¯s carrying many little boars tied up with ivy, which is an odd sight from the villagers¡¯ point of view. ¡ª-But. The light footsteps were stopped with a snap as he approached the mansion. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± Behind the window of the mansion, Ren saw a figure busily running down the hallway. Even from a distance, he could see them. It was Mireille and Grandma Rigg, no doubt. How on earth could those two people be so busy¡­..? ¡°What if¡­¡± Ren thought something had happened. So he put down the little boars he was carrying roughly and hurried into the mansion. Mireille, who was running in a hurry, was unaware of Ren¡¯s return. Sensing something was wrong after all, Ren followed her and proceeded up the stairs she had started to run up. ¡°Mom! What¡¯s wrong?¡± He held her hand as she touched the doorknob, just before she entered Roy¡¯s room. ¡°Re, Ren! Ah ¡­¡­ it was time for you to come home¡­!¡± She was acting suspiciously. She was not giving Ren the irritated look, but she seemed to want to get rid of Ren¡¯s hand and enter the room immediately, her gaze moving restlessly from side to side. ¡°Um ¡ª-¡° Ren opened his mouth and Grandma Rigg, who had been nearby for some time, said to him. ¡°Bo-chan, please excuse us¡­¡± With a devilish expression on her face, grandma Rigg pushed Ren¡¯s body hard and opened the doorknob with her own hand and walked into the room. In her hand was a wooden vat filled with infused herbs. ¡°Mistress, please stay outside for a while! Don¡¯t go into the room, you¡¯ll only get in the way!¡± The door closed with a loud ¡°clank! Ren was stunned. Mireille, who was standing next to him, gently reaches for him and hugs him, kneeling on the slightly dirty floor. Her body was shaking slightly. ¡°Something happened to Dad, right?¡± Mireille¡¯s arms around Ren¡¯s body were straining. The trembling increased even more. ¡°Mom, Is there anything I can do?¡± ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡° ¡ª- What do you mean?¡± Mireille looked at Ren as she explained the situation to him. Tears spilled from her eyes and wet the floor. ¡°Listen to me very carefully. ¡ª- your father may not make it.¡± Mireille continued in a trembling voice. It all started about an hour ago. ¡°As soon as Grandma Rigg came to check on him, your father¡¯s condition suddenly changed.¡± Mireille, spinning her words with a stout heart, said that Roy¡¯s condition deteriorated in the blink of an eye and now she¡¯s only able to sustain his life by using a lot of precious medicinal herbs. If he continues like this, it seems that he¡¯ll be able to manage by using medicinal herbs until it passes. ¡°Then If we have enough medicinal herbs, he would be fine¡­..¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­. we don¡¯t have any more¡­.. we only have enough herbs left for tonight¡­..¡± This is exactly why she said he might not make it. Ren was crestfallen. He was not saying that he should be rewarded for his hard work, but he was still angry that this was happening. His fingernails dug into the clenched fists of his hands, dripping blood onto the floor. ¡°Mistress! Please bring me the mixing box in my house! Ask my husband and he will tell you where, please hurry!¡± Grandma Rigg said, her face peeking out of the door. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him. Ren, don¡¯t disturb grandma Rigg and stay quiet in your room!¡± No one here cared about her behavior, which was like using the lady of the house as a servant. Mireille stood up as if it was natural and hugged Ren once more before running out of the mansion. Ren, on the other hand, stepped into the room without hesitation after Grandma Rigg had returned to the room. Mireille told him to stay in his room, but he couldn¡¯t help but listen. In Roy¡¯s room, grandma Rigg was mixing medicinal herbs without a moment to catch her breath. But this was no time to hold back. ¡°Grandma Rigg!¡± Ren called out to her without hesitation. ¡°Aren¡¯t there any herbs around here that we need?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t grow wild around here anymore! It used to grow at the foot of Tsurugi rock, but it was wiped out by the cold winter a dozen years ago!¡± Her reply was different from Mireille¡¯s and she was clearly annoyed. When she¡¯s doing her best to help Roy, she may feel annoyed if someone calls out to her as if they¡¯re trying to get in the way. (Herbs characteristics ¡­¡­) Ren looked at the herbs before they were prepared by Grandma Rigg. Fortunately, there was also a herb that had not been used, so he could see what kind of herb it was. It was easy to remember because of its distinctive leaves that resembled a pentagram. (¡ª-the medicinal herb was the Rondo grass ¡¢¡¢¡¢) Rondo grass is a very common medicinal herb in the legend of the Seven Heroes. Even a hero born in the countryside can buy it from a store in town, but the village where Ren lives is not just in the countryside but in a very remote area. It¡¯s at the very end where adventurers and merchants rarely approach. Of course, they had some stockpiled, but not enough to satisfy the need. (It was an item that had been used many times, and there was no way he could have mistaken it for something else.) If so, he could go and collect them. Ren hadn¡¯t been able to believe what Grandma Rigg had said about the rondo grass being wiped out until he saw it with his own eyes. I can¡¯t just sit here like this. But he was also afraid. In addition to entering the forest at this hour, the threat of the Thief Wolfen hadn¡¯t disappeared. It was natural to be scared ¡­¡­ to go to Tsurugi rock. However. (¡­¡­it¡¯s not the time to get lost in thought) ¡®If I do nothing, my father will die,¡¯ these words snatched at my brain. And that time is getting closer by the minute. This fact brought a new fear to Ren¡¯s heart. (Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s no other way.) Ren put all his strength into his clenched fist and summoned up all his courage to make a decision. Then he left Roy¡¯s room without saying a word to Grandma Rigg and suddenly spotted his mother running down the field path outside the window. ¡°¡­¡­ Sorry, Mom.¡± After apologizing for a few words to the back of her head, Ren looked at the forest. He nodded and looked further into the forest beyond his gaze. He saw Tsurugi Rock, which would be towering beyond and ran out of the mansion with great vigor. CH 12 The sky was getting dimmer and by the time I entered the forest, the night was falling. The leaves growing on the trees blocked most of the sunlight, making visibility worse than it had been during the day. It would have been troublesome if a Little boar had appeared at such a time, but it did not appear even after several minutes. Ren tilted his head and wondered why. He doesn¡¯t realize it himself. Now he was more deadly than ever. The little boars were afraid of him and avoided him. All this was a result of their extreme nervousness and heightened vigilance in the face of the dark forest. ¡°Tsurugi Rock is¡­¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t going in the wrong direction. He was relieved to see Tsurugi rock, which was faintly visible through the leaves and grew impatient as he looked at the sky, which was even darker than when he had first entered the forest. It¡¯s alright. I just need to go to Tsurugi rock and look for it. Even taking into account the time it takes to get home, I can definitely make it back by the end of the night. I desperately tried to control myself, but I still couldn¡¯t calm down. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ pathetic.¡± I mocked myself. What a figure, even though I am Ren Ashton. ¡°I¡¯m the mastermind behind the story. I shouldn¡¯t get upset over something like this.¡± Even if it¡¯s in the shadow of Thief Wolfen. But no matter how hard I tried to control myself, I couldn¡¯t release the tension. I was immersed in the illusion that my feet were getting heavier with each step I took and I was worried about whether I would make it to Tsurugi rock. ¡ª- But it was some time after I entered the forest. The number of trees that had been thickly overgrown decreased and the path gradually opened up. Maybe¡­¡­ I thought and walked for another ten minutes or so, dragging my feet. Finally. After passing through the forest, I arrived at an open plain. There was a small lake and a large rock that looked like an upside-down icicle, Tsurugi rock sat in the center of the lake. It was already dark, but the view was surprisingly clear under the stars. ¡°¡­..So¡­¡± How would I get to Tsurugi rock? The lake wasn¡¯t too deep, but it was more than the height of a boy the size of Ren. It was deep enough that even an adult would be better off using a boat. ¡°¡ª-¡° However, Ren has a wooden magic sword. When Ren realized this, he swung the wooden magic sword and created tree roots that led up to Tsurugi rock. After walking across the makeshift bridge, he looked up at Tsurugi rock, which was almost perpendicular to the bridge. Again, he swung the wooden sword and this time, ivy grew on the side of the rock. ¡°Oh¡­. so useful!¡± He was starting to have a little fun, if not a little hearty. Ren had never climbed a tree in his previous life, but here, he begins to climb the rock face without any difficulty. He laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m so thankful for my physical ability UP (small),¡± and continued to climb steadily. Fortunately, he had no fear of heights or slipping and falling. ¡°Thank goodness I have the wooden magic sword¡­¡­.¡± I don¡¯t even want to think about climbing Tsurugi Rock, which is as high as a ten-story building, with my bare hands. Even now, my hands are getting tired and my grip is getting weaker and if it weren¡¯t for the wooden magic sword, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to climb it. Realizing this, Ren takes a breath on the way up. When he found a place where he could sit down, he stopped, wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up. ¡°That¡¯s ¡ª-¡± He looked further up, probably near the top and realized that he was looking at the night wind in the starlight. The leaves were illuminated by starlight and swayed in the night breeze, and Ren unconsciously relaxed his cheeks. ¡°It looks like they haven¡¯t been wiped out yet, grandma Rigg.¡± The shape of the leaves, reminiscent of a pentagram, was swaying leisurely in the night breeze. Ren, seeing this, regained his liveliness and reached for the ivy as if to jump on it. He climbs up the rock surface even faster than before, his feet pushing forward and wider than before. He¡¯s slightly out of breath. But he doesn¡¯t stop and after a few more minutes of climbing, he reaches the top of the rock. ¡°¡ª- that¡¯s it! Rondo grass!¡± The rondo grass was still there. It was still growing in clusters, nestled on the flat rock surface at the top of Tsurugi rock. Ren had no idea how much would be needed, but it wasn¡¯t a small amount. But at the same time, however, he also found something disturbing. A short distance away from where the rondo grass was growing, there were bones scattered about that appeared to belong to a beast. When Ren unexpectedly moved closer to check, he found that they belonged to a little boar. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Sweat broke out on his clenched fist, which he had been unconsciously making. Little boars can¡¯t possibly climb Tsurugi Rocks. And I¡¯ve never heard of flying monsters inhabiting this area. The name of a certain monster came to Ren¡¯s mind as he calmly thought about it. (I have to hurry.) He had the worst premonition. He then hurriedly gathered some rondo grass and descended, this time relying on the vines. After hurriedly descending to the roots of the tree, Ren calmly looked around and started walking down the tree roots, breathless. He walked, somehow managing to regulate his breathing, which had somehow become erratic. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he crossed the path of the tree roots. (I have to hurry and get through the forest¡­.) He took a hasty step forward, but he didn¡¯t make a sound as he pushed his foot forward. ¡°Broo!¡»\ ¡°Bruoo¡­.!¡»\ ¡°Gyaaaah!¡»\ Three little boars appeared in front of Ren, looking frightened and rushed forward at once. ¡°At a time like this¡­!¡± Slightly bewildered by the fact that they attacked him in a frightened manner, he swung his wooden magic sword, irritated by the fact that they raised their prominent voices. Of course, struggling is out of the question. In the blink of an eye, Ren had killed three of them and was about to leave the place, not even looking at their corpses¡ª- ¡°¡ª-¡° Suddenly, the night wind stopped with a whiff ¡ª- A huge shadow appeared over Ren¡¯s back onto the grass swaying in the night wind. There he is. Behind me. Ren realized this a moment later. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ I see. The reason they were scared was because they were running away from you.¡± Ren said and slowly took a step forward. The four tails that had been growing in the shadows swayed eerily and extended their heads toward the sky. ¡°Damn ¡­¡­!¡± Ren started to run with an impatient look on his face. He was single-mindedly determined to leave this place. To return to his village. ¡°Raaaaaaaaaaaaaarh!!!¡»\ The roar pierced his ears. The roar I heard now was the same as in the game days. The voice of the Thief wolfen threatens its prey. ¡°Hah ¡­¡­ hah ¡­¡­ hah!¡± He was working his body harder than he¡¯d ever worked it before. But within a few dozen seconds, the trees on either side of him were knocked down by a strong wind and a whirlwind blew right past him. ¡°¡ª-!?¡± Ren ducked just in time to avoid the whirlwind and the reaction made him sit on the ground. As he was getting up, Ren¡¯s twin eyes narrowed as he saw a whirlwind pass right next to him and stop in front of a tree a short distance away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t go near your nest again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°There are little boars out there, you know? Why don¡¯t you just eat them?¡± I thought it would be pointless, but I tried to calm myself down by talking to him. I pull out a wooden magic sword and hold it ready in my hand with a tight grip. The other side, the Thief Wolfen¡¯s six eyes are glowing crimson, and they are gawking at me. The paws took a silent step forward, back curled slightly, and bared his fangs. ¡°¡ª- Retreat!¡± Seeing the Thief Wolfen not leaving the place at all, Ren turns his hostile gaze on him. ¡®There¡¯s no time for this¡¯. I was more afraid of not being able to get the herbs to my father in time than I was afraid of dealing with a powerful enemy. ¡°Gaahhhh¡­¡­..¡± But the Thief Wolfen didn¡¯t respond and instead, a threatening voice with an ostentatious exhalation reached me. And an erratic flow of wind surrounds Ren. (Wind magic?) By using wind magic, the Thief Wolfen creates an invisible arm of wind around his opponent. The only way to confirm its existence is to feel it on your skin. The wind suddenly stroked my cheek. The wind reminds me of a sharp blade. ¡°This is¡­¡­¡± Twisting and turning his body, Ren backed up and felt a pain in his cheek. When he slid his fingers across it, his fingertips were wet with bright red fresh blood. Not only could he not see it, he couldn¡¯t even feel it. He marvels at the Thief Wolfen¡¯s wind magic and is instantly made to understand. (It¡¯s not a monster I can deal with¡ª-) Also. If it were possible he wouldn¡¯t fight, but he already knew that even escape would be extremely difficult. (¡­¡­it has an injured foot, huh?) When I saw the Thief Wolfen acting as if he was protecting his paw, I knew that Roy didn¡¯t go down without a fight. Yes, that¡¯s why Roy was able to escape. He was able to escape to the entrance of the forest by wounding the Thief wolfen¡¯s leg in an unexpected encounter. This must have been the reason why the Thief Wolfen didn¡¯t come to attack the village afterwards. It seems that he was strongly wary of Roy Ashton and stayed hidden in Tsurugi Rock. (Dad fulfilled his duty as a knight.) Once through the forest, the Thief Wolfen would definitely not follow me to the village. At least, he shouldn¡¯t until his injuries healed. So it would be enough if I brought the rondo weed back to the mansion myself. If I wait for the baron¡¯s reinforcements to arrive, we¡¯ll be able to defeat him for sure. (Then I¡¯ll just have to get through this somehow¡­.!) Ren saw his father¡¯s struggle, and a new courage sprouted in his heart. CH 13 Encouraged by the wounds that Roy had given the monster, Ren¡¯s heart was beginning to give him a little room to calm his breathing, if only slightly. (Should I be happy that he¡¯s wounded, or horrified at the fact that I was so easily overtaken, even though he¡¯s wounded?) But being wounded should definitely be better. A ray of sweat trickled down my cheeks and I relaxed slightly. (At any rate, this is not a situation that will let me escape!) If I turn my back so easily, my life will be easily reaped. Understanding this, Ren swung his wooden magic sword, and a tree root grew out from under the feet of the Thief Wolfen, who was trying to close the distance. He then swung the sword at the surrounding trees, creating ivy and twisting it into a complex pattern. ¡°Gaaaahhh! ¡»\ The Thief Wolfen cries as Ren turns to attack. Even though the distance between them remained the same, the tree roots and ivy that appeared unexpectedly seemed to be in the monster¡¯s way, causing him to look irritated. The Thief Wolfen jumped at an unbelievable speed while slightly protecting his paws. He closed the distance while cutting off the ivy Ren created with wind magic. ¡°Gruuu!¡»\ He raises his arm, which has a sharp claw at its tip, and swings it down at Ren. ¡°Come on! Let me at least think of my next move!¡± I uttered in an exasperated tone and just before the claw reached me, I produced a tree root and used it as a shield. Ggghh ¡ª- The tree roots made a dry sound and were easily shattered by the Thief Wolfen¡¯s claws. I had expected this to happen, but something cold passed through my neck. (My only weapon is a wooden magic sword ¡­¡­! How am I supposed to fight with this ¡­¡­?) Ren used tree roots and vines to gain distance as he had done before. I can¡¯t go on like this. At some point I¡¯ll reach the limit of my magic power and pass out and I don¡¯t have much time to stall him. (¡ª- That¡¯s right!) I remember the elves I fought in Legend of the Seven Heroes I. That battle also took place in a forest. When I first started playing, I had a hard time against that environment and the interference of natural magic used by the elves. If that was the case, then I should fight in the same way. But in Ren¡¯s case, it¡¯s only natural magic (small,) so he can only use tree roots and ivy. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I can ¡­¡­ give up!¡± It only took a moment. ¡°Grrrrrh!?¡»\ Ren approached heroically against the Thief Wolfen, who had been momentarily deprived of his limbs by the tree roots and ivy. He raised his wooden magic sword at the only moment he had and swung it down with great force at the brain of the Thief wolfen. ¡°How hard is it!?¡± Ren¡¯s hand was numb. The Thief Wolfen, who was hit in the brain by the wooden magic sword, screamed painfully, but a look into his six eyes showed that his fighting spirit had by no means subsided. Rather, he was trembling with rage. But it looked as if he could hit him one more time. When Ren tried to raise the wooden sword once more, the tip of the wooden sword shattered from the handle and fell to the ground. ¡°What¡­..!!!?¡± The tree roots and ivy that should have been around disappeared almost simultaneously. Even though it¡¯s a magic sword, it¡®s only made of wood and it seems to have been shattered by the impact of the previous shock. (Calm down! It should be possible to summon it again!) Since this is a sword summoned by skill, it must be so. So when I made a conscious effort to summon it, it was easily re-summoned. However, a headache rushed into my head for a moment. (Is it because I summoned a broken magic sword?) The consumption of magic power is not comparable to the usual. It¡¯s a great learning experience, but at a time like this, it¡¯s hard to rejoice. Moreover, there was no time to catch one¡¯s breath, because the Thief Wolfen was about to launch a counterattack while the wooden magic sword was broken. Ren didn¡¯t have time to breathe. ¡°Grrrrrrrrrrghhhhh!¡»\ Fortunately, the aftermath of the blow to the brain seemed to remain. The Thief Wolfen, who had been unbound by wind magic, opened his large mouth and approached Ren, but his movements had slowed slightly. ¡°Ku¡­¡­¡± Ren, who is struggling to avoid it, flies to the side. As he rolls on the ground, the wet dirt feels uncomfortable in his mouth. He spits wildly and stands up, holding his wooden magic sword as he breathes. (If I repeat what I just did over and over again¡­..) I¡¯ll wait until the Thief Wolfen shows an opening, then I¡¯ll aim there and strike him in the brain. If the damage is too much for him to ignore, I thought, this is the only way to defeat him or even get away from him. But there¡¯s a concern. (No. I¡¯ll go down first.) It is outrageous to use a wooden magic sword as a disposable tool when it consumes a lot of magic power to keep producing tree roots and ivy. Even as I was thinking about it, the Thief Wolfen¡¯s wind magic was closing in and I concluded that it was impossible. ¡°Grr¡­ Graaaahhh!¡»\ ¡°Damn¡­.!¡± ¡°Gruu¡ª- gaaaahhhh!¡»\ The rage-driven Thief Wolfen closed in. Naturally, Ren fought back again and again with his wooden magic sword. How many minutes did it last? Ren¡¯s exhausted body sways. His legs were caught in the debris of the tree roots and ivy he had summoned and his muscles refused to listen as he tried to stand his ground. ¡°Gruooooooooooooo!¡»\ The Thief wolfen, rushing forward like a gale, set its fangs into Ren¡¯s unprotected flanks. ¡°Guaaaa¡­ aaaaa¡­!!!!!!¡± The sharp fangs, which cannot be defeated by leather armor, easily penetrate the armor and sink their fangs into the boy¡¯s soft skin. I was somehow able to avoid my side being bitten off by the fangs by turning my body with physical ability UP (small). However, I was left with a wound that was by no means shallow. Ren turned to the monster, who had rushed to the tree behind him with the same momentum it had just used and held his hand over his side as he thought. (Use herbs ¡ª- no, no¡­¡­!) I was starting to break out in a greasy sweat from the pain, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I had enough herbs to spare, so I prioritized Roy. It¡¯s not good if I don¡¯t do anything. If only there was a deciding factor. While he was thinking about this, his vision was fading due to the pain. ¡°Grrrrrraaaaaaahhh¡­.!!¡»\ Still, Ren gritted his teeth and held on, thinking without taking his eyes off the Thief Wolfen, who was turning toward him. In doing so, he looked at the bracelet and thought desperately about what it might be. As he did so, his eyes fell on a string of words. ¡ª- I checked this number as I returned to the mansion in the late afternoon. Then, I was surprised when I saw the next string of letters. I¡¯m almost ready to open this sword. I just need to kill three more little boars and suck the power of their magic stones into the bracelet. (If there were any little boars around here ¡ª- That¡¯s right!) I just defeated them a few minutes ago. I remember now that as soon as I descended Tsurugi rock, I was attacked by a Little boar and its friends, who were unnerved by the fear of Thief Wolfen. At that time, I had no time to absorb the magic stone, so I had no intention of carrying out this idea. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going back to Tsurugi rock from here¡ª-¡° ¡°Gaaaaaaaah!¡»\ ¡°This is no time to get lost¡ª-!¡± I have a deep wound and my magic power is not as abundant as usual. So I cast away my hesitation and wield the wooden magic sword with all my remaining strength. Numerous vines surround the Thief wolfen, who still has damage from the blow to the brain and I move my feet toward Tsurugi Rock. The sweat on my forehead drips into my eyes. I ran desperately, suppressing the pain in my aching, burning armpits. I kept my eyes on the road leading to Tsurugi rock and never stopped, listening to the sound of the Thief wolfen moving behind me. ¡°Hah ¡­¡­ hah ¡­¡­ stop ¡­¡­!¡± On the way, I interfered with the Thief Wolfen in the same way many times. Gradually, my body became sluggish. I don¡¯t know if this is due to too much blood loss or too much magical power consumption, but either way it doesn¡¯t look good. But I could see it. The lake came into view and I caught sight of the Tsurugi Rock sitting in the center of it. ¡°There they are¡­¡­!¡± And then I see three little boars lying on their sides. ¡°Gaaa¡­. Gruaaaahhh!¡»\ The number of ivy that Ren could produce was gradually decreasing, and his stranding was becoming crude. Meanwhile, the monster, too, was becoming noticeably slower on his feet due to the wounds inflicted on him by Roy, as well as the attack on his brain by Ren. But it was closing in. The enraged Thief wolfen came at him from behind with great vigor. ¡°Ku¡­¡­¡± A strong wind caressed my cheek. The pain that rushed from my cheeks made my face contort. Its already really close. If I even turn my head, those sharp fangs will bite me and rip me apart in an instant. ¡°I can¡¯t lose¡ª-¡° He exits the forest and stomps on the grassy ground. Ren swung his wooden magic sword at the back without turning around, creating more vines from the ground. He wielded more force and intercepted Thief Wolfen more strongly. Then he reaches¡­¡­ Ren reached the little boars before he was devoured. He reached out with his hand which was equipped with the bracelet. ¡°Reach it!¡± A roar. One, then two. Finally, the third magic stone¡¯s power was sucked into the bracelet and the crystal ball embedded in the bracelet glowed faintly. Ren desperately turned his eyes and read the words that appeared there. The sharpness increases as the level increases. Ren prayed that the Iron Magic Sword would be sharper than a mere sword, though he wondered impatiently if it had any special power. ¡°Guooooo ¡­¡­.¡»\ It¡¯s so close that if I turn around now, he could be right there. Ren turned around and threw the wooden magic sword ¡ª-. ¡°Thief Wolfen!¡± The sword was evaded just before it hit the Thief Wolfen¡¯s forehead, and fell right behind the four tails. ¡°Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡»\ The raging Thief Wolfen bared its fangs and aimed at Ren¡¯s neck, which was held low. The claws on the tips of his raised arms were illuminated by the starlight. From the wooden sword that fell behind the monster, several vines appeared and bound his upper body. Still, Ren kept ¡ª- his eyes on the fangs full of murderous intent that forcefully approaches him. ¡°This is my ¡ª-¡° Ren¡¯s eyes was filled with fighting spirit. Then the wooden magic sword disappeared and the empty space beside Ren cracked. What appeared from there was a magic sword that was all black iron from the handle to the tip of the sword. ¡°That is¡­.¡»\ Soon the ivy disappears, and the Thief wolfen, who had been tied up, is bewildered by the freedom that has unexpectedly come his way. Ren took advantage of the opportunity and readied his iron sword in the lower position, pointed the tip upward, and then struck out with the sword. ¡°My last power ¡ª-Hohhhhhhhhh!¡± Without fear, he thrust the blade into the tip of the fangs. The tip of the blade pierced through the solid skull of the Thief Wolfen, dripping fresh blood and bathed in the night wind. ¡°Ga¡­¡­a¡­¡­!¡± The white wolf cries weakly. The monster lost the light from its six eyes and lay quietly with its eyelids closed. At the same time, Ren felt the power of the magic stone being absorbed into his bracelet. ¡°I did it¡­¡­¡± Then I also naturally lie down. My vision was blurred. Everything I could see was turning black in the night. ¡°I have to ¡­¡­ give my father some ¡­¡­ herbs.¡± The iron sword disappeared and so did the bracelet. Ren¡¯s eyelids closed silently as he collapsed on his face. Ren mutters one last time. ¡ª-I¡¯m sorry, Father, Mother. ****************************** Within minutes, the sound of hoof beats began to echo around Tsurugi rock. ¡°The roar I heard earlier came from here: ¡ª- Ca, Captain!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°By the lake over there! The figure of the monster that seems to be the target and ¡­¡­ a boy ¡­¡­?¡± The knights of Baron Clausel¡¯s family appeared. They rushed to the side of the fallen Ren and the fallen Thiefwolfen beside him and dismounted all at once. The man called the captain knelt on the ground, held up Ren¡¯s body and let out a cry of surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me ¡­¡­ you¡¯re the one who¡­¡­ defeated the Thief wolfen?¡± ¡°What the hell¡­..¡± ¡°This is not what a child so young could do! But by the looks of this¡­¡­¡± Admiration, astonishment, exultation. As a number of similar words came to mind, the captain gasped. He noticed the fresh blood flowing from Ren¡¯s fallen abdomen and knew there was not a moment to lose. ¡°¡­¡­ don¡¯t you die.¡± He took a small bottle of liquid from his pocket, poured it over Ren¡¯s side, lifted him up and mounted his horse. Then a herb spilled out of Ren¡¯s pocket as he carried him. ¡°Hm? Is this rondo grass?¡± ¡°Captain¡­ it is.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. The boy is probably the only son of the Ashton family. If so, something may have happened to his father. He may have gone into the forest alone in search of rondo grass.¡± ¡°In that case, it¡¯s worth it to have arrived early.¡± ¡°I suppose so. ¡ª- someone bring me the corpse of Thief Wolfen! We will now rush with him to the Ashton¡¯s mansion!¡± The sound of hoof beats rings out again. The sound of the hoofs in the normally quiet village gradually and progressively draws closer and closer to the Ashton family¡¯s mansion. The bridge leads through the forest, past a field road and the mansion comes into view. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, my boy.¡± Soon, the horse carrying Ren stopped in front of the mansion. ¡°We are from Clausel!¡± The captain dismounted and, carefully lowering Ren¡¯s body into his arms, exclaimed. Mireille heard his voice and came out of the mansion with an air of ghastliness about her. ¡°Sirs ¡ª-Re, Ren!?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste, so forgive me for not greeting! Show us to his room!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ This way!¡± Ren is taken to his room, where the knights immediately begin to heal him. The knights learnt the art of healing wounds due to battle. Mireille was kicked out of the room for interfering with the treatment and stood dumbfounded in the hallway. Then the captain steps out. ¡°When ¡­¡­ did Ren leave ¡­¡­ the mansion?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be indelicate, but did something happen to Lord Ashton?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes. My husband¡¯s condition suddenly changed¡­..¡± The captain thought, ¡°I knew it¡±. The captain reached into his pocket and pulled out a rondo weed. ¡°Your son risked his life to obtain this herb.¡± ¡°How, did you get the rondo herb?¡± ¡°We arrived earlier than planned and found your son lying in the forest. The first time I saw him, he was holding the rondo grass with great care. ¡­¡­ beside him lay the Thief Wolfen, dead.¡± Mireille realized everything and broke down crying. She felt as if she were about to be drained from the waist, but the captain¡¯s words stopped her in her tracks. ¡°Mistress. Don¡¯t let your son¡¯s thoughts go to waste.¡± Mireille bit her lip as she thought of Ren who was being treated behind the door. She turned her back to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, son.¡± With these words, she went to Roy, who needed the rondo grass. CH 14 One day in the afternoon. Several knights from several villages returned to Clausel, a city far from the village where Ren lives. They came straight to the baron¡¯s mansion and lined up in front of Weiss, who welcomed them. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Report to me.¡± Weiss, however, looked at his men, who were all refusing to speak, and tilted his head slightly. ¡°Why are you silent? Explain to me why you¡¯ve returned.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll speak first.¡± ¡°Oh, You¡¯re the one who went to the Ashtons¡¯ aid, are you not?¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The man takes a step forward and appears to be at a loss for words. But he speaks, still not quite organized. ¡°I¡¯d like to report to you. We have confirmed the defeat of Thief Wolfen!¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s good news! Mm? Then why are you hesitant to say anything? I¡¯m guessing that he was defeated shortly after your arrival. ¡­¡­ No, wait. You said you just confirmed it, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ha¡ª-¡° ¡°Then who killed it? Roy-dono?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then was it some adventurer who happened to be in the area?¡± The man shook his head again. If that is the case, I doubt that there are any monsters that are superior to Thief Wolfen. But then, Weiss was even more puzzled, thinking that there was no way his men would have just returned. ¡°No way.¡± Therefore, his next words were by no means words of expectation. It was just a confirmation, so to speak, just to be sure. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that boy¡­. took it down, do you?¡± But his subordinate nodded his head. Weiss looked up to the heavens, realizing that this was why everyone was so puzzled. ¡°I¡¯ll hear the details inside. But first, let me make sure that the others are still in their respective areas of responsibility?¡± ¡°We have returned one by one to contact you!¡± ¡°Well, then that¡¯s good.¡± Weiss begins to walk toward the mansion and his men follow him. The group entered the mansion and went straight to the baron, who was in his office to report the defeat of Thief Wolfen. The baron, who was hard at work at his desk against the window, heard the report and, like Weiss, was momentarily speechless. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe. Even if he was the boy Weiss had been talking about.¡± ¡°But my lord¡­¡± ¡°I understand. It¡¯s obvious who did it, considering the boy who was lying on the ground beside him, confirming his defeat. I¡¯m not going to let the knights take the boy¡¯s credit.¡± It¡¯s just that it was an out-of-the-ordinary act and they were puzzled. Everyone was immersed in the same feeling. ¡°But first we must hear the report ¡ª- continue.¡± ¡°¡ª- ha!¡± The man who returned reported in detail what had happened since he arrived at Ren¡¯s place. This went on for more than ten minutes. The baron spoke at the end of his report and dismissed everyone except Weiss. ¡°We must prepare a reward for the Ashtons.¡± ¡°Perhaps we could exempt them from this year¡¯s taxes. Perhaps the Lord himself could go to the house at a suitable time to encourage them.¡± ¡°Then that will be the reward¡ª-Goodness gracious. But we still have to continue to search for other nobles¡¯ intervention. I still have my doubts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A monster as large as Thief Wolfen is a one that wouldn¡¯t normally appear in that area.¡± The baron, seeing Weiss who nodded his head, tapped on the desk. ¡°Hmm¡­ It must be the work of the heroic faction or the royal faction!¡± The baron stood up and opened the window to look down on the town. Heroic faction and royal faction. He didn¡¯t say much about what these two words meant and likewise Weiss did not say much either, but had a grim expression on his face. ¡°¡­¡­ Weiss. I¡¯ll have you go to the Ashton family village once more in the near future.¡± ¡°Ha! You¡¯d like me to ask Roy and the others if they¡¯ve noticed anything unusual in the village?¡± ¡°Yes. I would like to entrust this job to you, who I trust more than anyone else.¡± ¡°¡ª-I understand.¡± ¡­¡­Weiss replied and left the office shortly after. After leaving the office, he was still surprised and had mixed feelings, feeling apprehensive about the content of the conversation he had just had with the baron. ¡°Oh?¡± Weiss walked down the corridor and saw Lithia leaning her back against the wall a short distance past. She was there with a graceful appearance that lived up to the call of a saint. She looks up at Weiss as she approaches and opens her mouth. ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about. I¡¯m talking about a kid my age who took down a D-ranked monster¡ª Thief Wolfen.¡± Perhaps Lithia heard from those who left the room earlier. I¡¯d say that¡¯s what got her interested. ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s possible that the boy is a gem, enough to make me think this way.¡± ¡°So, is he really stronger than me?¡± Weiss answered immediately. ¡°Without a doubt.¡± ¡°Then let me witness it.¡± Lithia, who also said without a pause, took a step forward. ¡°I, as someone who has the ¡®white saint,¡¯ don¡¯t want to lose to a child my age.¡± ¡°¡­.. Huh. You know that you are asking too much, young lady.¡± ¡°Yes, I know I¡¯m asking for the impossible.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re aware of it, I¡¯ll answer you too. It¡¯s impossible. It¡¯ll take a long time to get to the Ashtons¡¯ residence and with the current situation with Thief Wolfen, we cannot be too careful.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, as you know, Miss, there¡¯ll be no problem if we escort you. However, we cannot bring you along just because you want to be present.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­ I see.¡± Weiss thought for a moment that Lithia had given up on this. But she quickly looked up. The expression she showed Weiss was dainty, winning and secretly gloating. ¡°Then, I should have a reason, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Miss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about ¡ª- my father and you. Your reward to the Ashtons is tax exemptions and encouragement from my father, right? But since my father is so busy, don¡¯t you think it would be better if I went instead?¡± Weiss couldn¡¯t hide his surprise¡­¡­ that she had even been able to discern the contents of the reward. At this point, he cursed his own choice of words. And remembering that Lithia is a brilliant student, not only with her natural skill with the sword, but also with her good memory and tireless efforts in her studies. He put his hand on his forehead as he let out a sigh. ¡°Fufu. I have to go see my father.¡± Lithia said and walked away from the wall, turning her back to Weiss. Of course, Weiss followed her. ¡°I beg you not to argue with the master today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue with my father. I¡¯m just going to consult with him.¡± The young lady turned around with a graceful appearance and still had a pretty smile on her face. ***************************** Some more days passed. It has already been almost two months since the Thief Wolfen riot and the season has just begun to turn to autumn. The Baron Clausel¡¯s villages were beginning to prepare for winter, and Ren¡¯s village was no exception. In the midst of all this ¡°¡ª-Oh¡± Ren had not been to Tsurugi rock in a long time. He found some jewelry that had fallen on the top of the rock and his cheeks relaxed with joy. ¡°I knew it was there ¡ª- a rare drop.¡± Whenever you defeat a Thief Wolfen that appears in Legend of the Seven Heroes, you will obtain a rare item. They can be expensive cash items or equipment that cannot be bought in stores. ¡°Okay. Now I can wear the bracelet without having to hide it.¡± For Ren, cash items are better than equipment. The money would benefit the village and he could forge the bracelets that would accompany the summoning of the magic sword. Nodding his head in satisfaction, Ren stood tall at the top of Tsurugi rock, basking in the morning sun, and went down with the ivy created by the wooden magic sword. Walking over the tree roots and across the lake, he heard the sound of hoof beats coming from a distance. ¡°¡ª-.¡± Hearing the sound, Ren hurriedly hid the wooden magic sword. Not more than a few minutes later, a knight on horseback appears. ¡°Ren-dono! Didn¡¯t we tell you to call out to us when entering the forest?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­. I thought it was okay.¡± ¡°It has only been a short time since that night, so please don¡¯t overdo it.¡± (¡­¡­hasn¡¯t it been two months since then?) That night, Ren, who was victorious over Thief Wolfen but got seriously wounded, had his life saved. Fortunately, reinforcements from the baron, who arrived ahead of schedule, saved his life. His wounds were so deep that it took several weeks for him to recover. However, the wounds had reached the internal organs, albeit only slightly. So how could he have recovered so well in such a short period of time? To be honest, Ren didn¡¯t have much understanding of the situation. But in addition to the medicines the knights had brought with them, Ren considered it as his body having strong vitality ¡ª-. Incidentally, it was only the day before yesterday that he was able to come to the forest. After a short period of rehabilitation, it was confirmed that he is able to fight as before, which is why he was able to go on this excursion today. ¡°So, why did you go to Tsurugi rock?¡± The reason why the knights are still in the villages is related to the fact that it has been a short period of time since the recent uproar. This was because the baron had decided to station a knight in each village for a while. ¡°Actually, I was looking for something.¡± Ren answered in this way, showing off the rare drop that he had just seen. ¡°Oh! Is that ¡ª-?¡± ¡°As you can see, these are the treasures that Thief Wolfen had hidden away. I¡¯d like to sell these and use them for this village, is that okay? For ¡­¡­ taxes and all that.¡± ¡°I think there is no problem. Treasures obtained by defeating monsters become the property of the person who defeats them. Usualy, there should be a tax¡­..¡± In this case, however, it has been decided that no tax will be collected from Ren¡¯s village this year as a reward for defeating Thief Wolfen. Other gifts and other items were also scheduled to arrive. ¡°So, the same is true for the Thief Wolfen material that you were asked to sell. That one will be purchased by the lord, but I hear that he will pay a little more than the market price.¡± ¡°Really? I have a feeling I¡¯ll get quite a lot of money for it.¡± ¡°I think so. The material of Thief wolfen is not suitable for equipment, but it is valuable because it can be used as a material for medicine. Therefore, the wealth will be sustainable for the next decade or so.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Roy-sama won¡¯t be able to move for a while, and I wonder if Ren-dono will be more comfortable with this kind of leeway.¡± Yes, the tax exemption was partly due to this. ¡°He said he could move now, but when I poked him in the upper half of his body, he fainted in agony.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re being very hard on him again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay like this. Otherwise my father will say he¡¯s completely cured.¡± The knight laughed when he heard Ren¡¯s words. ¡°The heir to the Ashton family is a dependable person. Now then, let¡¯s go back to the village. We¡¯ve already done the hunting for today, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± CH 15 When Ren returned to the mansion, he first went to his room, sat down on his bed, and took a break. He was in a good mood, partly because he could now summon his bracelet out of sight. ¡°¡ªEven at that.¡± But then he muttered in a slightly dissatisfied tone of voice. He looks at the status reflected in the crystal on the bracelet. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Ren Ashton. [Job] Eldest son of the Ashton family [Skill] ¨C Magic Sword Summoning (Level 1: 0/0) ?Summoning Magic Sword (Level 2: 256/1000) Level 1: Able to summon [one] magic sword. Level 2: While summoning a magic sword, the user gains the effect of [Physical Ability UP (Small)]. Level 3: May summon [two] magic swords. Level 4: £ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª. [Acquired Magic Swords] ?Magic Sword of Wood (Level 2: 100/1000) Iron Magic Sword (Level 1: 100/1000) Thieves¡¯ Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/3) ¡ª¡ª In summary, this is the current situation. I had confirmed this several times before today, but I¡¯ll touch on the previous one first. ¡°¡­¡­Well, here¡¯s what I have.¡± Starting with the various proficiencies. Ren hunted a total of twenty little boars yesterday and the day before. So, by subtracting that number from the proficiency gained by the magic sword summoning technique and the magic sword, and further calculating it with the original number, we can find that the proficiency gained from the Thief Wolfen¡­ ¡ª- is ¡°80¡±. It means that both the magic sword summoning technique and the magic sword have gained the same amount of proficiency. ¡°I wonder if the proficiency gained from fighting monsters is the same as the proficiency that can be absorbed from the magic stone.¡± However, the two will never be the same. Because when I was training with Roy, I gained ¡°2¡± proficiency in the art of summoning magic swords, and when I trained with Weiss, I gained ¡°10¡± proficiency. So if you train without dealing with monsters, or if circumstances prevent you from absorbing magic stones, the gap will widen. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just do it again.¡± He muttered to himself and turned his attention to the last column. ¡°¡­¡­ Thief¡¯s Magic Sword''¡± The name and the time when this magic sword was added suggest that it¡¯s a magic sword obtained from the magic stone of Thief Wolfen. If this power was available during the legendary era of the Seven Heroes, it would undoubtedly have been tried many times on many monsters. If it were used against humans, moral issues would inevitably arise. ¡ª¡ªBy achieving special conditions, the number of types of magic swords increases. This is one of the basic pieces of information about the summon magic sword skill. In other words, this time it was achieved. ¡°I wonder if it was because it was the magic stone of a unique monster.¡± Will new magic swords be obtained from the magic stone of unique monsters in the future? As expected, I cannot make a judgment based on a one-time battle result, but it¡¯s no different from useful information. While thinking about it, Ren hid the wooden magic sword he carried at his waist and summoned the thief¡¯s magic sword. ¡°Hm¡­. an armor that only covers your fingers¡­¡­¡± In fact, he has summoned it many times until today, and each time he has had the same thought. The thief¡¯s magic sword does not have a sword body or handle. It¡¯s a ring that covers Ren¡¯s index finger and has only a slightly pointed tip. When equipped, it looks as if only the index finger is covered by a cuirass. It¡¯s also steel-colored, which is exactly the impression given. ¡°Speaking of other concerns ¡ª-¡° The level column is different only for the thief¡¯s magic sword. Unlike the others, he could raise the level with just a little bit of proficiency, but there was no sign of an increase with the little boar¡¯s magic stone. Therefore, Ren had two predictions. These are the two theories. Ren particularly favored the second theory. He thought that since the level of proficiency required for the next level was extremely low, it would not be surprising if the encounter rate with Thief Wolfen wasn¡¯t high.¡¡As he was working on his guess, he suddenly heard a voice saying, ¡°Ren? Where are you?¡± Ren heard Mireille¡¯s voice from outside the room. He got up and left the room, heading for the place where he heard the voice. He met up with Mireille in the hallway and they stepped in front of the room where Roy was recuperating. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the food to your father¡¯s room. So you go ahead and wait at your father¡¯s place.¡± ¡°Do you want me to help?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve been working hard in the forest today.¡± Mireille smiled softly and left Ren. Ren went alone to the front of his parents¡¯ room and knocked on the door. Roy¡¯s reply soon arrived, and he entered it. ¡°Ren! I heard you did a great job!¡± Roy was there, still lying in bed, recuperating with only his upper body raised. His life was not in danger now and he had regained his health except for the fact that his wounds had not healed. In response to Roy¡¯s words, Ren tilted his head and asked. ¡°Huh, what are you talking about? ¡°About the treasures of Thief Wolfen! I heard that the baron¡¯s been so kind as to not charge any taxes on it?¡± ¡°It seems so. Thanks to that, we¡¯ll be able to fix up the mansion.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still the same ¡­¡­ Don¡¯t you want more gorgeous equipment than this! Or, for that matter, Don¡¯t you want to go get a skills appraisal!?¡± I didn¡¯t think about any of these things at all. I was rather unhappy enough that if they planned to do that without my permission, I wouldn¡¯t talk to them for a few days. ¡°I¡¯ll order herbs on my own for now.¡± ¡°Hmm? You still have some rondo grass left, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s about being prepared for the unexpected. It would be dangerous if a strong monster suddenly appeared, as it did the other day.¡± Roy nodded his head in self-mockery in response to the unanswerable argument. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times, but this time I¡¯m really sorry for the trouble I¡¯ve caused you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all good. Neither of us are dead.¡± ¡°¡ª- You really are a grown-up, Ren.¡± **************************** After lunch, Ren went out into the garden and moved his body with a wooden sword in one hand for training and the Thief¡¯s magic sword attached to the fingers of his hand. ¡°This is all a drawback¡­¡± As long as I summon a magic sword, I can get the benefit of physical ability UP (small). But now only one can be summoned, so in order to take advantage of the effect of the thief¡¯s magic sword, he has to give up using the wooden magic sword. In other words, I also have to give up nature magic (minor). If he raises the level of the magic sword summoning technique, he¡¯ll be able to summon two swords at the same time, but that¡¯s still a long way off. (¡­¡­ Well, what can a little boar do?) Even if there¡¯s no wooden magic sword, it doesn¡¯t matter. The Ashtons have swords made of ordinary metal, so all I have to do is get a small one from among them and enter the forest. As I was thinking this¡­ Along with the fragrance of aromatic flowers came a voice that sounded like a tinkling bell. ¡°¡ª- are you Ren Ashton?¡± It came from behind him. The voice came from beside the still-unrepaired fence surrounding the mansion. Ren couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when he turned around at the voice¡­¡­. (That girl is ¡ª-) She was beautiful. She was dainty. There stood an eye-catching girl who reminded him of a fairy or a goddess. Ren thought two things as he gazed at her. There¡¯s no girl like her in the village. And she looked like someone he had seen somewhere before. ¡°Oh, yeah¡­.. I¡¯m Ren Ashton.¡± Unable to sort out his feelings, Ren responds with his name. The words ¡°lily¡± flashed through Ren¡¯s mind as she walked. The girl¡¯s dress was also breathtakingly graceful. ¡°Good. I¡¯ve been wanting to meet you.¡± ¡°You wanted to see me¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been thinking about you a lot lately.¡± Ren was even more puzzled by the passionate words. He kept his eyes on her as she took one step and then another. No, he stood still in the face of her charm, as if he wasn¡¯t allowed to take his eyes off her. ¡°¡ª-Have you recovered from your injuries?¡± ¡°Ah¡­. I¡¯ve just recently been completely healed.¡± Hearing these words, the girl narrowed her eyes and smiled. Then, she puts her hand behind her back and throws a dagger in front of Ren¡¯s eyes. When Ren looked at the girl in wonder, she was holding the very same dagger in her hand. That dagger was just right for Ren, who was still very young. The girl is only slightly shorter than Ren, so it was just right for her as well. ¡°Wait, boy ¡ª-! Don¡¯t take that ¡ª-!¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice arrives from far away. I looked and saw that Weiss was in the process of approaching on his horse. (Why is that man there?) The voice is too far away to be heard. Why is that man in this village in the first place? (I guess I¡¯ll just wait for now.) Ren crouched down on the spot and picked up the dagger that had been thrown at his feet. It was a crushed dagger with no blade. ¡°You are so heroic. Is it a sign of confidence that you picked up the sword when you were asked not to?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ hmm?¡± ¡°Can I signal the start?¡± What is she talking about? ¡°Um ¡ª- yes?¡± I said a questioning ¡°yes?¡± But to the girl, it sounded like an affirmative ¡°yes¡±. In response, the girl said ¡°¡ª-Well, then, let¡¯s begin.¡± With a smile of heartfelt joy on her face, she held up the dagger in her hand. CH 16 Then the girl unexpectedly makes a sharp step. She closes the distance to Ren in the blink of an eye. (Huh!?) Ren saw her footwork as fast and sophisticated as the wind. Of course, he was puzzled by the sudden start of the fight. But the girl, in contrast, aimed at Ren¡¯s shoulder with a dagger in her own hand, regardless of his bewilderment. (She¡¯s fast) Not as much as Roy. The power probably is too. However, the sword¡¯s line was sharper and more fluid than Ren had ever seen and this reminded him of his training with Weiss. He read these things momentarily. ¡°In a mock battle, I think a wooden sword would be safer¡ª-!¡± He was on the back foot, but he easily parried the girl¡¯s sword. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Impossible!¡± The girl took a few steps away and her beautiful face was stained with astonishment. Ren spoke to the girl in a resolute manner. ¡°You can stand there if you want to. But it¡¯s dangerous if we don¡¯t make use of wooden swords, so if you want to continue, it¡¯ll have to be after we get one.¡± ¡°No! The blade has been dulled, so it¡¯s fine!¡± The metal blade will still hurt if it hits you. Ren swallowed these words and sighed as if he had no choice. The girl was also closing in on him during this time, and with her brilliant swordsmanship, she was able to confront him. However, she was easily defeated, and her breathing gradually became erratic. ¡°Fufu¡­¡­! This¡¯s amazing! I¡¯ve never had this much fun in my life!¡± Still, the girl is fearless and doesn¡¯t say a word of resignation. The girl moves away from Ren and reaches for the dress that covers her. Ren, who had been watching her, immediately couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. The girl had taken off her dress. But she¡¯s not in her underwear. Underneath, she was dressed in a white, easy-to-move outfit reminiscent of a military uniform. (That dress looked vaguely familiar.) As I was trying to remember the clue, the girl was relentlessly closing in on me. Whether it was because she was able to move more easily or because of a change in consciousness, she was faster and sharper than before. ¡°How about this!¡± The sword¡¯s line changed into a sword flash and struck Ren. The sword was so sophisticated that it didn¡¯t look like a young girl¡¯s sword skill at all. But even so, it was still no match for Ren. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Ren, who thought it was time to decide the match, put even more muscular strength into his hands and, unlike before, showed a stand-up move to break the girl¡¯s position. ¡°¡­. No way!¡± The girl¡¯s center of gravity shifted to one of her legs as her body was pushed with the sword as a fulcrum. Her body falls miserably backwards and she finally sits on the ground on her buttocks, still being pressed by Ren¡¯s sword. ¡°¡ª- I win.¡± The dagger in his hand was thrust right next to the girl¡¯s neck. Her upper body was straddled by Ren and her arms were also weak. The girl was still and silent in the face of his powerful eyes looking down at her and his strength that said no matter what. The girl¡¯s cheeks begin to glow a little after a few seconds. ¡°¡­¡­ close.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I said¡­. You¡¯re too close!¡± Ren rushes to his feet and moves away from the girl. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the situation. I was just trying to get you to admit defeat!¡± There was no other reason. The girl understood this, but she couldn¡¯t hide her embarrassment. Her cheeks, which had turned bright red, caught Ren off guard. ¡°I¡¯m going to make you regret all the embarrassment you¡¯ve caused me!¡± The girl then stood up vigorously and swung her sword, her eyes moist with shame. Her refined movements remained unchanged, but in fact, she was somewhat impatient and not without her messiness. ¡°What¡­.? you¡¯re still going to continue?!¡± ¡°Of course! You haven¡¯t made me admit defeat!¡± ¡°What a violent argument.¡± Anyway, I don¡¯t intend to fight anymore. Ren was afraid of injuring the girl. So he wanted to end it quickly¡­¡­. (What should I do? Ah¡­.. that¡¯s right.) If the girl won¡¯t give up, then force her to end the fight. For example, I could flick off her sword or take it away. Although flicking it away is potentially dangerous because it also puts more force into it, there is hope that the latter can be done with regard to taking it away¡ª- (It should work with this) Ren takes a glance at the Thief¡¯s magic sword that was fitted on his fingers. He wondered if he could use it to take the sword from the girl¡¯s hand. Then Ren thought of the thief¡¯s magic sword as he also remembered the wooden magic sword. The special effect is only a random robbery, but he believed it was worth a try. Then¡ª- ¡°¡­¡­.. eh?¡± As soon as Ren swung his hand, the Thief¡¯s magic sword took effect and a strange wind passed through the girl¡¯s body. Her fluffy hair floated in the air, and there was surprised on her neat face. ¡°I heard that you have a¡­¡­ skill, but it looked like wind magic.¡± (What is she talking about?) Mistakes aside, Ren was confident that he took something away. As if to prove it, he felt something gripped in his free hand. From the feel of it, he could imagine that it was cloth. He also learned that the thief¡¯s magic sword consumed more magic power than he had expected. In this moment, I realized that the burden was much greater than when using the wooden magic sword. ¡°Young lady, that¡¯s enough! Boy, you should stop too!¡± Distracted by Weiss who arrived, Ren stopped to check what he had stolen. He decided to hide it because he wasn¡¯t sure how he should mend the fact that he had stolen, even though he had used his skill. (At any rate, that was the end of it.) Ren exhaled with relief that Weiss had finally arrived. He looks up at Weiss, who rushes over to her, tilting his head, he asked. ¡°Weiss-sama, why are you here?¡± I don¡¯t want to be left holding the dagger. Ren puts the dagger on the ground while he waits for a reply. ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ sorry for the sudden visit. Actually¡­¡± ¡°Weiss. Let me explain.¡± ¡°¡­. Understood.¡± The girl started walking and stopped a few steps in front of Ren. Then, she presented her curtsey. Unlike the dress she had taken off, the curtsey was reminiscent of a military uniform, but it exuded a grace and integrity that could not be concealed. Her behavior was as glittering as that of a party hall only around the girl. The smile on her face was so beautiful that Ren almost fell in love with her without realizing it. ¡°I brought a letter to the Ashtons in my father¡¯s name.¡± Cold sweat trickles down Ren¡¯s neck as he listens. From the girl¡¯s words, he had a bad feeling¡ª¨C ¡°My father praised the Ashtons for defeating Thief Wolfen and said he had strong hopes for Ren Ashton¡¯s future.¡± ¡°Ah, yes ¡­¡­ thank you ¡­¡­.¡± Ren responds to her with an unclear attitude. ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction? Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± ¡°Young lady, the boy must be confused. Besides, you haven¡¯t introduced yourself yet.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see what you mean.¡± The girl coughs and corrects herself. She smiles gracefully as she introduces herself. ¡°I am Lithia Clausel, the White Saint.¡± You know who I am right? She asked Ren, who was too stunned, to catch up with her. Ren nodded back with his cheeks twitching in response to the question and after confirming that Lithia was satisfied, he looked up at the sky. His eyes gazed into the distance without focus. ¡°Young lady, your dress.¡± Close to the distance gazing Ren, Weiss picked up the dress Lithia had taken off and said. ¡°You¡¯re sweating, let¡¯s do this later.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The two exchanged calm exchanges, unlike Ren, who was startled. Nearby, he thinks, stunned. (I don¡¯t understand ¡­¡­ why is this happening) I didn¡¯t expect Lithia to suddenly come to me. I¡¯ve been thinking about how I could somehow avoid having to show my face recently, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it except be surprised at the rate at which events were occurring. ¡°Young lady, I can¡¯t allow you to take advantage of my absence.¡± ¡°You and the others were resting for too long. That¡¯s why I came riding alone.¡± Ren, who was stunned, turned his back to them with a huff of remembrance. He looked at his palm, thinking that he had to check the things he had taken with the thief¡¯s magic sword, and furthermore, wondering how he should return it. Preferably a handkerchief or something I could claim had dropped during the fight. Since it felt like cloth in my hand, I couldn¡¯t imagine what else I could steal. But what Ren saw when he checked the palm of his hand was¡­ (¡­¡­ underwear pants.) They were mature red underwear, probably made of fine silk. Ren, thinking this was no joke, hurriedly put the underwear back in his pocket and held his head in his hands in anguish. CH 17 Roy and Mireille were greatly surprised when I showed Lithia and Weiss into the mansion. They hurriedly said they were going to prepare their welcome. Roy, however, was unable to move, so he could only report to Weiss on his recent situation in the room where he was recuperating. Lithia, however, didn¡¯t stay in that room. She approached Ren without hesitation and asked to speak with him in his room. (It¡¯s a good thing I usually keep the guest room clean.) Ren was adamant that his room was not the best place to talk to the Baron¡¯s daughter, so he showed Lithia to the guest room, one of the few in the house. ¡°Hey, why do you think I ended up in this village?¡± Lithia asked as soon as she sat down on the old sofa, looking at Ren who was sitting opposite her. The sofa looked like a master craftsman¡¯s masterpiece as soon as she sat on it. ¡°I believe you said you brought a letter from the Baron?¡± Ren changed his tone to speak to the daughter of a Baron, unlike when they first met. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s just an excuse.¡± The girl in front of him smiles triumphantly as she says this. ¡ª- White saint, Lithia Clausel. Although she doesn¡¯t join the heroes¡¯ party in the Legend of the Seven Heroes, she lends her strength only in event battles and only a high-level hero can compete with her. (No wonder she had such an outstanding appearance.) Lithia is a character that has attracted many male players with her outstanding appearance and personality. I remember that she was one of the most popular of all the characters. However, she couldn¡¯t fall in love with anyone and was known as ¡°the heroine who cannot be conquered¡±. When she died in Legend of the Seven Heroes II, even Ren was shocked. ¡°So, you had other purposes in mind.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Lithia nodded and continued in a happy voice. ¡°I wanted to see for myself. Weiss praised you for your ability to defeat Thief Wolfen all by yourself, even though you¡¯re the same age as I am.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It seems that Weiss-san gave me an excessive amount of credit. And the Thief Wolfen was injured by my father. So I don¡¯t think it¡¯s all my ¡­¡­ own merit.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I think the rest was just luck.¡± Ren chose his words so that Lithia wouldn¡¯t like him, so that she would lose interest in him. The truth is, it¡¯s so much better to be disliked. But since they are the other party, you can¡¯t be too impolite. ¡°¡­¡­Fufu, that¡¯s weird.¡± With a provocative smile, Lithia leaned her upper body slightly forward. ¡°The way you just said that, it¡¯s as if you don¡¯t want me to like you.¡± (That¡¯s right.) Ren smiled bitterly without saying it out loud. But it was understandable for Ren to act this way. Ren has been seeking a peaceful life since his reincarnation and has been trying to avoid the same future as the legend of the seven heroes. He had been trying to avoid an encounter with Lithia in particular, so he couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted. But the relationship between the two is that of a nobleman and a knight, and cannot be severed. If that was the case, at least he hoped that they wouldn¡¯t become close friends. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°¡ª-?¡± ¡°Are you interested in coming to my town?¡± She tells him her true intentions. ¡°I was convinced of it when we fought there earlier. You¡¯re not only strong but also courageous. The fact that you took up the sword without hesitation when I suddenly asked you to fight with me is proof of that.¡± Lithia praised not only Ren¡¯s strength but also his character. (Was that a method of challenge? ¡­¡­) I suppose that by taking the sword that was thrown at you, you are considered to have accepted the fight. But since he took the sword without knowing what he was doing, his courage is another story. It¡¯s a ridiculous misunderstanding. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was a challenge.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be modest.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­..¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯re not like those noble men who are all talk.¡± Ren realized that there was nothing he could say that would make a difference, as his stock was rising due to the misunderstanding. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of this reason that I want you to come to Clausel, no matter what.¡± In fact, Ren has humbly continued to work hard. He¡¯s aware that he¡¯s a better fighter than his peers and he¡¯s also confident that he has worked hard in his studies. However, he didn¡¯t like to show off. Although there was some misunderstanding this time, Lithia must have understood Ren¡¯s personality. (She must be a very hard worker.) Lithia took the time to travel all the way to such a remote area. Even if there was a hint of intransigence behind it, there was no doubt that her ambition was at the root of it all. ¡°And I hate to lose. I can¡¯t go home with defeat on my conscience.¡± ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t admit defeat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a figure of speech.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­.. In any case, you¡¯re asking me to come to your city so I can be there for whenever you want.¡± ¡°Good. I think you¡¯ve understood what I¡¯m thinking.¡± ¡­¡­The root of Lithia¡¯s motives would certainly be aspirations. But her rivalry seems to prevail even more than that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no desire to leave this village.¡± Lithia¡¯s eyes widen in surprise for a moment, but she quickly regains her dignified demeanor. ¡°¡­¡­ hmmm. Do you hate me?¡± It is true that I don¡¯t want to have a relationship. But it¡¯s not that I dislike her. ¡°It¡¯s not that. If I leave this village, the only person who can fight will be my father. If a monster like Thief Wolfen appeared there again, the village might collapse this time.¡± ¡°I understand your situation. But what about your personal opinion?¡± ¡°You mean, if we take the situation of the village out of the equation?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Even if it is ¡­.. I¡¯m not going to leave the village. I like living in this village and I have no desire to live in the city.¡± Hearing this reply, Lithia fell silent. Then she crossed her arms and pressed her fingertips to her mouth in thought. ¡°I ¡ª- never give up, you know.¡± ¡°What was that now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just talking to myself.¡± ¡°You said ¡®Never give up¡¯ or something like that¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, you imagined it.¡± It was clear that Ren¡¯s point was correct, but Lithia would never admit to it. Stubbornly denying it, she stood up abruptly and said ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sweaty from the fight earlier, so I need to borrow a bath. I¡¯ll pay you for the firewood.¡± She changed the subject as if nothing had happened. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the firewood. I¡¯ve already boiled the water.¡± ¡°Oh, you usually boil water? Do you have any magic tools?¡± (Magic tools: ¡­¡­ I see. So there was such a thing in this world.) The magic tool is a useful item that works by using magic power. The form varies from small, portable ones to huge, installed ones. Basically, they are made by processing magic stones into fuel or by using the user¡¯s magic power. This is also the reason why magic stones were cash items during the legendary era of the Seven Heroes. However, magical tools are basically expensive. This is because the number of craftsmen who can make them is limited. ¡°The magic tool is too expensive for us to buy. The water is boiled because I¡¯m going hunting, so I boil it early to wash away sweat and monster blood.¡± Ren led the way conversationally. The old washrooms and bathrooms in this mansion are clean even if they smell old because Mireille carefully cleans them every day. After showing her around, Ren was relieved that Lithia did not seem dissatisfied and turned his back to her. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll bring you just the right magic tool from my mansion.¡± ¡°Thank you for that ¡ª- Hmm? Next time?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. Um, you know what? I¡¯m not at liberty to say this after being shown around, but, well, I can¡¯t take my clothes off if you¡¯re going to be in here all the time.¡± I wish she would have told me what she meant before saying such a perfectly honest thing, but I didn¡¯t want her to get the wrong idea, so I had no choice but to leave the place. What is it this time? Lithia¡¯s surprised voice reached Ren¡¯s ears, who had a question mark in his mind. ¡°What¡­¡­ why is my underwear ¡­¡­? ¡° But he couldn¡¯t hear it well because it was through the door. The voice was echoing, and Lithia¡¯s surprise was the only thing that Ren could hear. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! It¡¯s nothing! Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± The only thing that Ren could say was, ¡°Call me if you need anything,¡± and he left. ¡ª-It was a sudden turn of events again. Returning to his room with a sigh for the umpteenth time, Ren remembered that he had left the example product in his pocket. ¡°How do I return this¡­¡­?¡± To be honest, I could have stopped by the guest room on my way after showing Lithia around. It was forced, but I thought about just letting it go straight into her luggage. But I didn¡¯t do that because Lithia¡¯s knight was standing in front of the guest room and I couldn¡¯t go through with it. I thought about dropping it in the dressing room, but decided against it, fearing that it might be found in case I did. Considering the means remaining, Ren looked at the fireplace in his room and wondered if he should just burn it. Or, he thought about dumping it in the woods, or even in the river. (Or put it in a dumpster ¡ª- No, it would be bad if they found it.) The village garbage will be burned together, but it would be bad if it was found there. After all, I have no choice but to burn it in the fireplace. I felt bad and regretful for using the thief¡¯s magic sword, I decided to defy my sense of ethics this time. ¡°Ren! I¡¯m coming in!¡± But the sound of his mother¡¯s voice coming from outside the door startled him and he looked around to see what was going on. If he didn¡¯t have time to put the fireplace on now, he would have to hide it once. It would be terrible if Mireille saw him. ¡°What a pathetic ¡­¡­ thing I¡¯m ¡­¡­ doing.¡± Ren opened the wooden desk and threw the stolen stuff inside. The next moment, Mireille stepped into his room. CH 18.1 After that, Ren left the room to do some work that Mireille had asked him to do. A little while later, we all had dinner together. Originally, Lithia should have eaten and we should have done so afterwards. But Lithia, instead of caring, let everyone sit in the same room and sometimes turned her hunter-like gaze on Ren. (If I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯m going to get kidnapped.) Ren finished his meal ahead of the others and left the dining table, saying something plausible like, ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the horses¡±. But I¡¯ve never taken care of a horse before. I gave it some hay and it ate happily, which made me feel happy. ¡°What to do?¡± Ren muttered, looking up at the night sky as he left the replacement shed, since there was no stable¡ª I was once again thinking of Lithia¡¯s underwear that I had stolen. ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± The fact is, it¡¯s practically impossible to return it. Earlier, I was so caught up in ethics that I couldn¡¯t respond calmly, but now I had no choice but to get rid of it. ¡­¡­ No choice. Let¡¯s go burn it now. I deeply regret that I used the thief¡¯s magic sword so thoughtlessly and I¡¯ve made up my mind that I¡¯ll never do such a thing again. So I hope she¡¯ll forgive me just this once. As I was making this decision, Lithia¡¯s voice suddenly reached my ears. ¡°So, you were here.¡± Lithia was waiting outside the hut. Ren realizes that she¡¯s in a white dress and that made his cheeks flush. ¡°Is this the so called after-meal exercise?¡± ¡°As expected. Since you know, it¡¯ll make things faster.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it be hard if you sweat by this time of the night?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I have to take a bath even before going to bed to get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Lithia with a carefree smile on her face was fantastic in the moonlight. However, when she threw her sword at me as she did in the day time, I wanted to avert my gaze from that dainty smile. ¡°I think it would be better not to do it because Weiss-sama will get mad!¡± ¡°Too bad. I¡¯ve already asked Weiss for permission, so it¡¯s not a problem. And your parents as well.¡± ¡°Eh¡ª-?¡± That knight commander, he was talked into it! Lithia has a way with words. She also convinced her father, Baron Clausel, that she was a talented woman and he let her come all the way to such a remote village. As for my parents, there was nothing they could do. When you¡¯re asked to do something by the daughter of a Baron, you have no choice but to accept. (I must have made the wrong choice too¡­¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have gone outside¡­..) But Ren was brilliant. (Hey, why don¡¯t I just not take the sword?) That way, the fight would never take place. I was relieved when I thought that. ¡°If you don¡¯t take the sword, you¡¯ll stay longer than planned.¡± ¡®I won¡¯t forgive you¡¯ she meant. Then the answer was obvious. ¡°Actually¡ª-I was in the mood for some exercise.¡± ¡°Mysteriously, I¡¯m a little annoyed ¡­¡­Why are you rejecting me so much?¡± (I would never say that.) Lithia shook her eyebrows when she saw Ren, who answered with a dry smile. But when she saw Ren holding the sword in his hand, she seemed to have lowered her spirits a little. ¡°Okay? If I win, you¡¯ll tell me why. Also, you¡¯ll go to clausel with me, so be prepared.¡± ¡°By the way, what happens if I win?¡± Asked back, Lithia narrows her eyes. ¡°Then ¡ª- I¡¯ll come back to this village!¡± The light vanishes from Ren¡¯s eyes as he realizes that he¡¯ll lose no matter which way it goes. In my surprise, my one-handed grip on the sword became weak. Lithia, on the other hand, was still roused and pressed on. The first time I saw her, I thought she¡¯d made a perfect move, but now the sword she swung down was easily blocked. ¡°How could you defend against it! It wasn¡¯t so weak!¡± ¡°No, even if you put it that way.¡± The first time, even if it was only one time there was a rivalry, the second time, which is now, he¡¯s even more efficient than the first time in parrying her attacks. (It doesn¡¯t matter if she can¡¯t beat me!) I¡¯m well aware that she is a person of rare ambition. The only obstacle for me is that she is a genuine competitive person. But given my ability, if I lose on purpose, I¡¯ll surely be found out. And it¡¯s inevitable that she will be offended. If that happened, I¡¯ll probably be kidnapped this time. ¡°Why do you want to beat me so badly?¡± ¡°I told you, I hate to lose! And as the ¡°white saint,¡± I don¡¯t want to lose to a boy my own age!¡± The two crossed swords many times and continued their conversation in the midst of it. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what being the ¡°White Saint¡± has to do with this!¡± ¡°My ¡°White Saint¡± is a skill that is blessed with aptitude for swords and physical abilities! I can also use sacred magic, but to lose to you is very, very frustrating!¡± In other words, it¡¯s a skill that combines swordsmanship, physical ability, and sacred magic into one. Sacred magic is especially powerful. It combines the strength of white magic, which has the power to heal wounds, with the strength of holy magic, which has the power to counteract the undead, curse, and detoxify. Other abilities unique to sacred magic, as well as the ability to use buffs on oneself and one¡¯s party members, tended to make the event battles in which Lithia participated much less difficult. ¡°I¡¯ll be serious from here on! I¡¯m going to beat you for sure!¡± Lithia¡¯s movement changed. She was enveloped in a dazzling light for a moment, then her speed increased even more. The sword that was crossed with mine gave the impression of a different person¡¯s physical strength. (is it Sacred magic¡­¡­!) It¡¯s the blessing of the main god Elfen, and since it¡¯s different from physical ability UP, the effects overlap. Probably, Lithia¡¯s physical ability UP is (small) like Ren¡¯s. This is because she¡¯s still young, and as she grows up, it should change to (medium) and then (large). (She¡¯s indeed very strong when she gets like this.) Ren¡¯s complexion changed. ¡°You should have used it a while ago!¡± ¡°I know! But if I use it without Weiss¡¯s permission, he¡®ll get angry!¡± (Which means ¡ª-) Conversely, she got his permission. (She has a sweet tongue for a young lady!) I¡¯m a little miffed at the fact that the discussion was being made without my knowledge. Ren furrowed his brow and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case.¡± He put some strength into the hand that held the sword. Lithia was surprised to find he was becoming slightly more dominant. And ¡ª- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Impossible.¡± The final fight ended a moment later. Lithia found herself facing Ren. Before she could even get her sword into a defensive stance, Ren¡¯s sword was pressed against her neck. ¡°I win.¡± He said, staring at Lithia, so close that she could almost feel his breath and count each of his eyelashes. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. I haven¡¯t lost yet.¡± Is she nervous or embarrassed? (Well, I hate to lose as well¡­¡­) In the end, I put down my sword and moved away. This time, she didn¡¯t seem to be able to pursue further and she was still surprised at the fact that she had been driven to defeat by the moment. Then the sound of applause echoed through the room. CH 18.2 ¡°You¡¯ve improved, boy.¡± Weiss stepped forward. Behind him, several of his subordinate knights were in tow. ¡°The young man was able to defeat the young lady who was using sacred magic.¡° ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s nothing like that.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ You seem dissatisfied.¡± I will not say that¡¯s not the case. But it was natural for me to be dissatisfied when I found out that they had been given permission to be present without my knowledge. ¡°We were surprised, too!¡± ¡°I have worked in the imperial capital for some time, and I have never seen a boy as strong as Ren-dono!¡± ¡°Mm! He¡®ll become a symbol of the Clausel family and other factions in the future!¡± After the knights¡¯ astonishment and praise. ¡°I have told you, Ren-dono is truly strong.¡± The knight stationed in the village recently said happily. Weiss repeated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, boy. As these men have said, you¡¯re strong. I wanted the young lady to understand that strength better.¡± After all, the Ashtons are a family that serves the Clausel family. When told that it was for that young lady, Ren had nothing to reply with. ¡°Now, my lady, you understand the strength of this boy to the core of your bones.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re very strong my lady. But the boy became stronger under less favorable circumstances compared to you. With more effort, the young miss may be able to catch up to him.¡± (Not that she will catch up with him, but she will easily overtake him.) ¡°If you understand, you should work harder than ever after you return to the residence.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.. I know.¡± Lithia looks at Ren. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have come on such short notice, but it¡¯s been a great experience.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.. it¡¯s been a great experience for me too.¡± ¡°Come to ¡ª- Clausel and we¡¯ll do it every day, okay?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s a different story.¡± Lithia¡¯s cheeks crinkled as she looked at Ren, who still didn¡¯t relent. Then she turned her back on him and went back to the house. As she had said before the duel, she¡¯ll now take a hot bath and rest. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Please forgive me. I¡¯ll certainly let the master know that the Ashton family has taken good care of us.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything much.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ is that so?¡± Weiss shook his head and spoke to his men. ¡°I think it was a good stimulus for the young lady.¡± ¡°Yes, it seemed boring to train against us.¡± ¡°Boy, it¡¯s just as these men said. ¡ª-I would have stayed a few more days if I could and I would have liked you to stay with the young lady¡­¡­¡± (I¡¯d like to refrain from doing so.) ¡°But we have to leave tomorrow morning.¡± The departure was earlier than he had imagined. Ren was surprised and pleased at the same time. ¡°You¡¯re busy, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Um. Though the young lady convinced the master to allow her to come to this village. She has other work to do apart from talking to the Ashtons about the reward. She has to go around the surrounding villages and suppress the unrest caused by the recent disturbances.¡± It was the duty of the Lord¡¯s family. Lithia had a purpose to meet with Ren, but in return, she offered Baron Clausel a rewarding job in exchange. (Really, she¡¯s a good, honest girl with admirable roots.) It had been a day of unexpected defeat. ¡°Let me thank you again tomorrow morning.¡± Weiss bowed in a butler-like manner and left Ren¡¯s place with his men¡ª- but returned with Lithia, who should have left earlier. ¡°Hey, can I come to your room with Weiss later?¡± Ren asked, surprised at the abruptness of the situation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you what kind of training you usually do. Weiss-san is also curious, so I was wondering if you would stay up late with me for a while.¡± Ren said, ¡°Sure,¡± without hesitation. I have that stuff in my room, but I just have to take care of it before she gets there. Having already made up his mind about it, Ren answered without hesitation and went back inside the mansion with a relaxed attitude. On his way back to his room, he parted from Lithia and Weiss, and after they were out of sight, he rushed into his room. Ren takes the wooden box in his hand, opens the lid and looks at the fireplace, which is still lit. Without hesitation and without letting his guard down, he moved to burn the contents of the crate. ¡°Ren, you¡¯re back, right? I¡¯m coming in.¡»\ Shortly thereafter, Roy¡¯s voice reaches me from outside the room. Roy was still unable to move from his bed, but with the help of a third party, he was able to move around the mansion in a simple wheelchair. It seems that¡¯s how he has moved this time as well and the unexpected voice took Ren¡¯s breath away. But the determination in Ren¡¯s heart was unwavering. He could no longer linger. Instantly determined, Ren swung his arms wide ¡ª- (This whole crate ¡­¡­!) He threw the wooden box into the fireplace. The box was thrown vigorously into the flames with a dry crackling sound of wood splitting. The crate was instantly engulfed in flames and buried in wood chips and ashes. Ren saw this and was convinced of victory. When he responded to Roy a few seconds later, he had a winning smile on his face. ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to talk to Weiss-sama and the others! They called me too, so Mireille brought me!¡± Soon after, Ren replied and greeted Roy, who had been pushed in his wheelchair by Mireille. Mireille tells Ren. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a warm drink, can you help me a bit?¡± ¡°Okay, I will. Then, let¡¯s have your father welcome Weiss-san.¡± ¡°Oh! Leave it to me!¡± Ren left his room. He went to the kitchen and together with Mireille, prepared tea for a simple evening¡¯s chat, and also prepared a small amount of food for the evening. After Ren and Mireille had taken the tea and food to the room, Mireille suddenly looked apologetic and said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot the knife.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go get it!¡± Ren stumbled back to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Mireille remained in Ren¡¯s room, but she suddenly turned on her nose. Then she walks toward the fireplace and fishes out the fireplace with a pair of fire scissors in her hand. Then she pulled out the wooden box that Ren must have thrown away. ¡°Oh dear¡­¡­ He must have been playing with it and put it in the fireplace.¡± The box, which had been wrapped in the fire, was mysteriously covered in a reddish-brown dripping liquid. It touched the outside air and enveloped the entire box as if it had been hardened with wax. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t think Ren would play with a box like that, will he?¡± ¡°I wonder. You used to throw little boar bones from your desk when you were little.¡± ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s similar. It¡¯s fun when you can throw them where you want, you know.¡± ¡°Yes. But not this box.¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard that the fumes from the paint they use when it burns aren¡¯t good for health. I¡¯m told it makes it less flammable instead.¡± Mireille nodded back. She approached the door holding the wooden box at the end of a pair of fire scissors. ¡°I¡¯ll take it to the warehouse.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll scold Ren, or at any rate, I¡¯ll fix it when I can move. In the meantime you can put it in the back of the warehouse.¡± ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t show them that we have this kind of paint.¡± So Mireille took the box that Ren thought had been burnt to the warehouse. Ren didn¡¯t pass Mireille in the hallway, and when he returns to his room, he is puzzled to find that Roy is the only one there. When he asked Roy why, he was told only, ¡°She had to run some errands,¡± and he didn¡¯t feel like mentioning anything in particular. (I know it¡¯s early, but has it burned down yet?) Ren looked toward the fireplace and was relieved that he couldn¡¯t see the wooden box. It would surely be a while before he would learn that ¡­¡­ it had not burned. ¡ª- A few minutes later, Weiss entered and Lithia followed a little later. The pleasantries that began after these two stepped in kept Ren from thinking about the wooden box any longer. CH 19 The next morning, Lithia left the village at sunrise. She was still too small to ride a horse, but she seemed to be traveling with a female knight. So how did she come to be with Ren yesterday? She evaded the eyes of Weiss and the others and came running on her own while everyone was checking the situation after taking a break near the bridge leading to the forest. (She had too much guts just because she couldn¡¯t wait to see what I could do.) Ren was thinking by the bridge where Lithia had run out of control. Nearly half a day had already passed since he had seen Lithia off, and the sky was already a shade of madder red. He hunted little boars today, but the knight stationed in the village wasn¡¯t here so he had to carry the little boars with him by himself. So Ren was on his way home alone. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­hmm?¡± From a distance, the sound of hoof beats stamping on the earth could be heard. ¡°What is it?¡± As far as Ren knew, the only people who came to this village with the sound of hoof beats were the knights of the Clausel family. This had an effect on him, and the image of a group of people leaving the village in the morning flashed through his mind. ¡°No way, that tomboyish saint is ¡ª-!¡± Ren stopped and braced himself. It was impossible, but he anticipated it and grew tense. As he was doing so, a group of people on horseback finally came near him. However, the visitors weren¡¯t people Ren knew. The armor they were wearing didn¡¯t have the Clausel family crest on it; instead, they were wearing armor with another family crest engraved on it. ¡°¡ªEh?¡± Ren who is startled gets instantly surrounded by the group, creating an odd sight as they look down from their horses. One of the knights asked Ren who was still startled in an intimidating tone of voice. ¡°Are you from the village ruled by the House of Ashton?¡± The one who seems to be leading speaks to him through his helmet. ¡°Answer me!¡± The tone was so intimidating and forceful that if I didn¡¯t answer, he would have drawn his sword on me right away. What¡¯s with these guys? Ren, who was becoming wary, had no choice but to answer. ¡°Yes, but ¡­¡­ who are you people?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s just right.¡± The man repeats in an even more arrogant manner. ¡°We carry a letter in the name of Viscount Givens, which he has approved. Now, show us to the Ashtons¡¯ residence.¡± Ren was perplexed, as was to be expected. The other party was not from the Clausel family, as he might have imagined, but he had a question mark in his mind when he heard that they were sent by the Viscount, who¡¯s even higher in the line of succession. (Viscount Givens was, I believe¡ª-) I had confirmed that he was a Viscount when I was a frequent visitor to the archives. The road to Clausel is to the east, but the estate where Viscount Givens lives is to the northeast. Both are about the same distance from this village, but the cities are quite different in size. Givens is, after all, a viscount, and he¡¯s said to control a larger city than Clausel. ¡°What are you doing? Why don¡¯t you show us the way?¡± The arrogance of the other party was only going to increase at this rate. Ren had no choice but to show him around. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I¡¯ll show you to our family¡¯s mansion immediately ¡ª-¡° ¡°Hmm? Our mansion?¡± ¡°Yes. My name is Ren Ashton. I¡¯m the only son of the current head of the family, Roy Ashton.¡± Then the group sent by Viscount Givens looked at each other. They nodded to each other and the man who had just spoken addressed Ren once more. ¡°Rejoice, the Viscount has a message for you as well.¡± The tone of the knight who had just exchanged words becomes calm. The knights around him seemed to have lost their thorns. But what in the world does the viscount, who is not a close lord want ¡­¡­. Ren calmly asks, so as not to seem rude. ¡°You wish to have a word with me as well¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. He said he would love to take you on as his servant. I¡¯ll tell you the details at your residence.¡± The knights surrounding him start to walk their horses in response. Ren, on the other hand, soon had a twisted expression on his face so that no one could see. (I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on anymore.) Too many things have happened since yesterday. As Ren approached the farm road with heavy steps toward the mansion, the villagers all turned their heads and looked at him. ********************************** When he returned to the house, the knights of the Clausel family, stationed in the village, greeted him and the visitors with surprised expressions on their faces. Roy and Mireille were also surprised, as they had been yesterday. However, they remained calm and invited only one of the representatives from the first rank into the room where Roy was recuperating. Ren wasn¡¯t present, but stayed with the knights of the Clausel family. The place is the garden of the mansion, but Ren decides to ask the reason because the situation seemed a bit unsettling. ¡°You see¡­¡± ¡°Ren-dono. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ why are you all angry?¡± ¡°Well, that is¡­¡­.¡± The knight who was asked the question was at a loss for an answer, and the other knights helped him out. ¡°Hey, we can talk about it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± ¡°In some cases, Ren-dono shouldn¡¯t be a stranger in this business. Even Weiss-sama wouldn¡¯t reprimand us if we told him.¡± ¡®I can¡¯t be a stranger¡¯, these words remind me of what Viscount Given¡¯s messenger had said to me. He wants to make me his servant. (Then everyone is too angry because of that.) The answer to the question is immediately uttered by Viscount Given¡¯s messenger, who come out of the mansion in a flash. ¡°Ren Ashton, there you are.¡± The knight who had ordered Ren to guide him on the bridge connecting the forest to the village spoke. As he approached Ren, the knights of the Clausel family involuntarily braced themselves. The knight of Viscount Givens, who saw this, snickered and spoke. ¡°Hmmm. I¡¯ve already spoken to Roy-dono, but I have something to say to you as well.¡± ¡°Yes, what kind of business do you want with me?¡± ¡°As I told you in the forest, the Viscount thinks highly of your abilities. He would very much like to bring you into the family.¡± Ren was at a loss for an answer. The answer itself was a resounding ¡°no,¡± but I wasn¡¯t sure if it was right for the son of a country knight to say it. ¡°¡­¡­ that is¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to say no, are you?¡± Ren raised his eyebrows slightly in response to the man¡¯s strong tone. From the viscount¡¯s point of view, a single knight is nothing more than a weakling who will fly away if wiped. I wasn¡¯t happy about being hit with that fact and at the same time, I wasn¡¯t happy about the obvious flicker of coercion. On the contrary, I even wondered why we were the only ones who had to pay attention to him. ¡°What do you think? Answer me.¡± Ren chooses his words, thinking this can no longer be fooled. ¡°I am only the son of a country knight¡­¡­. I have neither the status nor the ability to serve the Viscount.¡± This response seemed to be a bit like looking down on Baron Clausel, but fortunately, the knights serving the Clausel family were looking on without moving an eyebrow. On the other hand, the knight who relayed Viscount Givens¡¯ words continued to talk proudly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Viscount is not a man who judges by origins. Besides, he has heard that you have defeated the Thief wolfen, and he has asked you pay him a visit.¡± Hearing this, the knights of the Clausel family rushed forward. ¡°I am sorry. Ren has already been invited by the baron himself.¡± To be precise, it was his daughter Lithia who had invited him. But the difference was not so great as to warrant correction. ¡°You are of the Clausel family, are you not? But you¡¯re only inviting him and have not gotten a reply yet, right? If that is the case, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem if we invite him.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not the point. This village is under the rule of the Clausel family.¡± ¡°Oh? Is the Clausel family is saying the same thing to those who wish to serve the great emperor?¡¡There are many knights who serve in the Imperial City who were not born in the Imperial City.¡± ¡°It is not a problem. But If you want to invite Ren-dono, you should talk to us first.¡± Ren listened attentively to the heated conversation. ¡°No matter the difference in rank or faction, there must be curtsey. As a servant of the noble Viscount Givens, I¡¯m sure you would understand.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll be back.¡± He walked away as if he had no idea what was going on. He was followed by his fellow messengers, who had left the mansion later. They mounted their horses, said to Ren, ¡°We¡¯ll be back,¡± and rode away. Their departure was surprisingly simple. (What a brute¡­¡­!) If he¡¯s a noble, nothing can be said back. How unreasonable, I thought to myself. ¡°Ren-dono, I would like to talk about what I just said. I¡¯ll explain in detail at the mansion, where Roy is also present.¡± ¡°By that, do you mean the matter you were all so upset about?¡± ¡°Yes¡­..It seems to me that we should inform the Ashtons of the situation.¡± The knight stationed in the village said. The knight stationed in the village urged him to return to the mansion, and he followed his lead. ¡°But then again, there¡¯s something suspicious about it.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­ because this matter is likely to have a lot to do with factional strife.¡± (¡ª-Eh) Factional strife? When Ren said something about the situation being suspicious, his cheeks twitched as he felt that he seemed to be swearing even more than he thought he was. The steps toward Roy¡¯s room were faster than usual due to his impatience. CH 20.1 When he saw Ren and the knights visiting his room, Roy said. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Mireille was also there, and their expressions were somewhat grim. ¡°Did you get into any trouble that we don¡¯t know about?¡± Roy asked, and the knights of the Clausel family who accompanied Ren spoke apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It wasn¡¯t something that could be made very public, so we couldn¡¯t tell you about it.¡± ¡°I thought so. So, this story has something to do with Viscount Givens, does it not?¡± ¡°¡ª- that is correct.¡± Ren and the knights sat down on the sofa in the room. There¡¯s some distance between us and Roy, who is lying on the bed, but I can hear him, so I don¡¯t have to worry. Roy, who heard the reply, looked at Mireille. ¡°Ren. I¡¯ll show you what kind of letter those guys left first. Then we¡¯ll hear from the others.¡± Mireille then handed the letter to Ren. Ren opened the envelope, took out the parchment inside and unfolded it. The letter itself was not very long. However, the content of the letter was rich and it aroused Ren¡¯s strong interest as he began to read it. (¡­¡­.. Hey) The contents of the letter are as follows. Viscount Givens is deeply concerned about the poor condition of this village, in addition to the recent disturbances. However, since Viscount Givens also has a lot of people in his domain, he hasn¡¯t been able to extend a helping hand. He would like to apologize for this and at the same time propose two things. 1. Incorporate the village into Viscount Givens¡¯ domain and assign a few knights at all times to make up for the lack of strength. 2. He would take Ren Ashton on as a servant of Viscount Givens and promise to pay him well. In summary, this is what was promised. Although it was a very aggressive measure, It¡¯s not unusual for a remote village to be incorporated into the territory of another noble family in this country. Roy let out a deep sigh when he realized that Ren had finished reading the letter. ¡°Damn it¡­.., the Thief Wolfen thing can be called an anomaly. If you take that anomaly out of the equation, though, there¡¯s no record of this village being short of strength with the Ashton family here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s to say, the baron¡¯s leadership was not a mistake, was it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. By the way, a D-ranked monster appeared once before Ren was born¡­¡­.¡± The knight said as if he had just remembered. ¡°I heard that Roy-sama killed it at that time.¡± ¡°Oh. Let me tell you, it was easier then compared to Thief Wolfen. No matter how high the rank was, it wasn¡¯t a special monster like Thief Wolfen, and it didn¡¯t have the speed. So, it¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t have enough strength after all.¡± Roy added again that Baron Clausel was not mistaken. ¡°So I¡¯m going to cut to the chase.¡± He turned his sharp, blade-like gaze on the knight. His voice was more powerful and full of intensity. ¡°The wave of factional strife has finally reached this area, is that it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Ah, as I thought. No wonder the viscount reached out to us.¡± ¡°As you know, there have been many who have wanted to embrace the Clausel family for some time. However, our lord doesn¡¯t belong to any faction and has always respected the royal family and the seven great barons. For this reason, we have the current situation.¡± Ren, listening at his side, nodded his head. He had some thoughts about the knight¡¯s words. (The factional strife in the Leomel Empire is, as I recall¡­..) There are three factions. All nobles belong to one of them. Ren began to organize this information without saying it out loud. The first faction. The Royalist faction. They hold a strong reverence for the royal family and, by extension, the Lion King, the founder of the country. They are the faction that believes that it¡¯ll always be the royal family that will lead Leomel in the future. The other is the Heroic Faction. The nobles of the Heroic Faction are a faction led by the seven great barons who produced the Seven Heroes. This faction is the protagonist¡¯s side in the legend of the Seven Heroes. They are not thinking of usurping the imperial throne. They are insisting that the Leomelian Empire should be made more free and democratic. Behind this, the problems that come with being a major power can be seen. While the number of poor villages in the Leomel Empire is increasing, like Ren¡¯s village, there are wealthy people who can save dozens of those poor villages by themselves. Many of the heroic factions argue that the power of the imperial family should be curbed in order to eliminate those disparities as well. And the last one is the neutral faction. Many of the neutrals, who don¡¯t belong to either of the two major factions, are composed of those who respect both the ideas of the royal family and the seven great barons. ¡­¡­ or those who don¡¯t wish to see innovative change. ¡­¡­ or pacifists who don¡¯t want the nobility to be divided into factions. They should unite, not fight over ideological differences. That¡¯s exactly what happened when the Demon King appeared. They are the neutralists who all share these ideas. ¡ª-The nobles belong to one of these three major forces. (Baron Clausel is a neutral.) Also, the Viscount of Givens is among the heroic faction. Therefore, the story of factional strife is relevant. ¡°It¡¯s hard to talk about it. It¡¯s not really a public matter, and even more so when it¡¯s to a knight from a small village in the middle of nowhere.¡± ¡°Dear¡­ the way you said it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it as an insinuation! I was just trying to use some common sense¡­..!¡± Mireille reprimanded Roy with an embarrassed look on her face, said to the knight, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± and lightly pinched her husband¡¯s cheek. The atmosphere seemed to have eased somewhat. ¡°So, how did the wave of factional strife come to this village?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I think you know Roy-sama, but around the year Ren was born, the Seven Great British families also gave birth to legitimate children by chance.¨D¨D¨D- Even in all genealogies.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Dad? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve never heard of it. How could such information reach such a remote village? We are just a knight household who don¡¯t get invited to parties and we¡¯ve only left the village once, to pay our respects to the previous baron.¡± (How persuasive those words are!) ¡°Well, as expected, I knew there was factional strife.¡± The number and freshness of information is proportional to the number of people coming and going. In this village, that was extremely low and information was lagging behind compared to the city and town. The knight chuckles at Roy¡¯s words, but he continues with some apology. ¡°The fact that the seven great British barons got their legitimate sons at almost the same time united the heroic faction more than ever. They claim that the legitimate sons are the reincarnation of the seven heroes.¡± ¡°Ha! They¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Unlike Roy, who chided him out, Ren looked up at the ceiling and looked down. CH 20.2 The story is actually not a ridiculous one at all. The main characters in the legend of the seven heroes are the second coming of the heroes who defeated the Demon King. As the story progresses and their exploits become more widely known both at home and abroad, they are called by the loudest voices. ¡°Roughly, it¡¯s the Six Greats now. It¡¯s already been more than a hundred years since the bloodline of the brave Loren was destroyed. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s disrespectful to the heroes to call them the Second Coming?¡± The Hero who came out of Roy¡¯s mouth, Loren, was the man who dealt the coup de grace to the Demon King. His ability is the best among the seven heroes. However, it¡¯s said that those who drew his blood were crushed. The reason for this is that those who descended from him were not blessed with children. This became more and more pronounced with each passing generation and at last they perished without having produced a single legitimate child. In the present day, it¡¯s said that this was the curse of the demon king. ¡°But father, it might mean that the blood of hero was secretly inherited.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Ren?¡± ¡°¡ª- Six legitimate children born at about the same time. If those people are the reincarnation of the seven heroes, then there must also be those who have the blood of the hero Loren! This is no coincidence! It¡¯s all the will of the god Elfen! I¡¯m telling you that it¡¯s no wonder that there are heroic nobles who think and act like that¡ª-¡° Actually, it is. Ren added these last words in his mind. This story is the main story in the legend of the Seven Heroes. Because by now, the boy who draws the blood of Loren, the hero of the Legend of the Seven Heroes, would be living in a village in the countryside. ¡°I¡¯m surprised, Roy-sama. This active movement of the heroes¡¯ faction is just as Ren-dono predicted. There are more than a few among them who think just as you have said.¡± ¡°Ren, you¡¯re really smart.¡± ¡°Yeah, he is. I¡¯m really excited about the future.¡± ¡°Dad, Mom. This is not the time for compliments.¡± Ren, embarrassed by the praise and concerned about the troublesome situation that was actually beginning to arise, said with a sigh. Ren secretly furrowed his brow. (Hmmm ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t realize how troublesome it would be if the position changed.) In the Legend of the Seven Heroes, the heroes face many difficulties within the Leomel Empire. In doing so, there were skirmishes with the Royalists and neutrals. To be honest, there were times when the nobles of these two factions made comments that were unsettling and behaved in a manner that was unacceptable to them. (Viscount Givens ¡­¡­ a bit troublesome) But now it¡¯s different. Unlike the game days, this time I didn¡¯t think I would feel bad towards the heroic nobility, on the contrary. ¡°¡ª- Anyway.¡± Suddenly, Ren muttered quietly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ren?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ I was just curious¡­¡­. The story you just told us is only about the time when legitimate children were born into the heroes¡¯ families and it¡¯s strange that it¡¯s now causing such a fuss¡­¡­.¡± The knights were silent once more when they saw Ren beginning to think about it. Then, a few minutes later. The silence that had come to the room was dispelled by Ren, who had brought it to them. ¡°Dad.¡± When he turned to look at Ren¡¯s powerful eyes, Roy was slightly overwhelmed. ¡°Do you remember how long ago it was that you defeated a D-rank demon?¡± ¡°Ah! I think it was about a year before you were born, so it was ¡­¡­ about eight years ago now!¡± ¡°¡­¡­so maybe the influence of factional strife has been around since then.¡± The knight was surprised for a moment, then immediately says with a look of admiration for Ren. ¡°You¡¯re truly intelligent, Ren-dono. His Lordship had the same expectation. Perhaps Viscount Givens has been targeting this area since then.¡± ¡°So do you think that the Thief Wolfen is related to this?¡± It was easy to think this way. As Roy said, the Thief wolfen was an unusual situation. ¡°I¡¯m told so. Apparently ¡ª-¡° ¡°I guess this is just a case of being impatient with the Baron Clausel family given the fact that they have been given a territory in the suburbs of the imperial capital.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± While the knight was surprised, Roy and Mireille were also surprised only Ren was calm. (According to Weiss, it was only last year that the Clausel family acquired their new estate.) This made the heroic faction wary of the Clausel family. They probably feared that the Clausel family, with Saint Lithia, might switch sides from the neutralist faction to the royalist faction after the emperor had given them a territory. Baron Clausel is also an excellent nobleman, so he may not have been able to tolerate the rise to power of the royalists. (Let us recapitulate. Eight years before the first uproar ¡ª-) It coincided with the time when the Hero faction was energized by the influence of a legitimate son born to all the seven great barons, and the factional strife was ignited. (And this second time ¡ª-) The Clausel family acquired a territory in the suburbs of the imperial capital. Furthermore, the influence of Saint Lithia is inevitably involved. Also, Baron Clausel is a talented nobleman, and it would be best if they could bring the entire Clausel family into their side. And Viscount Givens couldn¡¯t be ignored. There¡¯s currently no evidence that he has done anything. However, considering the fact that he had behaved in such a strong manner so soon after the Thief Wolfen incident, it was hard to believe that he had nothing to do with it. (Or, what are we going to do if he targets our village?¡­.. Oh, Weiss told me it was the lord¡¯s duty to protect his territory.) The forces to be dispatched to the territory are at the discretion of the lord. However, I have heard that if he makes a mistake in his judgment repeatedly, he may be punished. Based on this story, there¡¯s no possibility that the Clausel family will be punished for the great damage caused to Ren¡¯s village and neighboring villages. (So, if Viscount Givens¡­.. or the Heroic Faction were to make Baron Clausel suffer that punishment¡­¡­ then, after all, are they going to bring the Clausel family into the Heroic Faction.) For example, Viscount Givens might defend Baron Clausel when he¡¯s about to be impeached and then bring him into the Heroic Faction by ingratiating himself with him. That would surely be a half-intimidating exchange. Or it could be to crush the Clausel family and gain their territory for the faction. (This is assuming that Viscount Givens has something to do with the two disturbances.) This is only a prediction because there¡¯s no evidence. In any case, it remained a matter of strong caution. CH 21 After all, no one knew the truth. Just because Viscount Given was too suspicious, there was no evidence that he had sent a monster. But they couldn¡¯t stay passive. Baron Clausel extended the period of stay of the knights dispatched to each village by about half a year and ordered them to protect us until spring. Among them, the village of Ren, who had direct contact with the monster, was decided to be stationed indefinitely. These messages arrived after November, and another month has already passed. ¡ª- Things were busily exchanged, and the season quickly turned to winter. Far from the morning frost, the cultivated soil area is covered with pure white snow. Due to the presence of Ren, they were able to prepare abundantly for this winter. Not only firewood but also food is bought in a reasonable amount. All were the result of Ren going hunting on a daily basis. Besides, I still have a lot of assets related to the thief wolfen, so I think we will be able to live a comfortable life for a while. ¡°Ren. It was a good hunt today.¡± ¡°Yes, I thought it would be hard to move in winter, but when I got used to it, it didn¡¯t seem like that.¡± Ren looked up at the afternoon sun and said. A dozen little boars piled up next to the bridge, showed that today¡¯s hunting was going well. (I feel that my handling of swords has improved recently) The reason is simple: I was fighting without relying on the natural magic (small) of the wooden magic sword. Ever since the knights were stationed, hunting has always been with them. Therefore, the improvement of my sword¡¯s arm is the result of fighting while hiding the summon magic sword skill. (I feel like I don¡¯t have to hide it, but I¡¯ve hidden it so far) If you come this far Besides, the skill level is also being obtained properly. Instead of the wooden magic sword or the iron magic sword, he summoned the thief¡¯s magic sword and equipped it at his fingertips, so there is nothing wrong with it. At present, I¡¯m not in trouble because I¡¯m hiding it, so I intended to stay like this for a while. ¡°Ren. Please leave the transportation of the little boars to us.¡± ¡°I always say, I¡¯ll carry it too.¡± Ren said so and carried four little boars on both shoulders. It¡¯s always a mysterious sight. If a boy like Ren carries it so easily, the adult knights are likely to lose their self-confidence. But it wasn¡¯t due to the fact that Ren subdued Thiefwolfen alone. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better for Ren to leave the village?¡± The knight suddenly said this. ¡°What, why so suddenly?¡± ¡°You will definitely be a great success. Maybe you could be a knight who is well known in the Imperial City.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I can¡¯t say it too loudly, but from our point of view, I think that Ren-dono is more like a reincarnation of the Seven Heroes than the heir apparent of the seven great barons.. ¡° It was embarrassing. I¡¯m happy to be praised, but it¡¯s embarrassing to be praised by two adults. ¡°I have no intention of leaving this village, because I¡¯m the successor to the Ashton family.¡± It¡¯s not the first time he¡¯s been praised like this. When praised, Ren always says he is the successor to the Ashton family and says he has no intention of leaving the village. ¡°Hmm ¡­ really regrettable ¡­¡± ¡°Stop it. Any more will bother Ren.¡± ¡°Oh ¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± The three of us go back to the mansion while talking. It was a heavy step to walk on the field road, which was much harder to walk on than before it snowed, and it made me feel like I was training. Only the sound of squeaking, squeaking, and stepping on the snow can be heard. The snow that fell gently seemed to envelop the entire village in a tranquility not found in summer. ¡ó¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ó The mansion is very old as usual. The roof was making a creaky sound. ¡­¡­ The weight of the snow is about to break it. (Is it possible to overcome this winter?) Concerned, Ren sighs and remembers making money from the thief wolfen. I t should be able to repair the roof dozens of times. When I think about it, I realize that there are other uses besides medicinal herbs. ¡°I¡¯m home¡± Ren opened the door to the dirt floor leading to the kitchen and called out to Mireille, who was always waiting inside. However, that is not the case today. Instead, Lithia, who sat in a chair by the table, resting her cheeks on her hands, said. ¡°Oh, welcome back. If it¡¯s your mum, she¡¯s at Grandma Rigg¡¯s.¡± Perhaps because her response was so natural, the returning Ren adapted without pointing it out. ¡°I see, no wonder she wasn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a bath first? I brought a magic tool from the mansion, so I think it¡¯s useful in various ways.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about that. I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± Ren walked straight through the dirt floor, past Lithia, and out of the kitchen. When he went to the dressing room with a familiar step, the situation was certainly different. ¡°Wow ¡­ it¡¯s a hair dryer, this¡± Looking at the magic tool placed in front of the mirror, which is not very transparent, I recall the memories of my previous life. From the fact that I had wiped my hair with a towel and dried it in front of the fireplace until today, it feels like a sudden modernization. Excited Ren quickly takes off his clothes and steps into the bathroom. ¡°Oh, there are magic tools inside.¡± I didn¡¯t have a shower until today, but now I have one. I wondered where the hot water was drawn from, and when I looked at it, it was connected to a huge crystal ball about the size of a human head at the bottom of the shower attached to the wall. Apparently, water is also produced by the power of magic tools. According to the common sense that Ren knows, magic tools basically operate on magic stones. Therefore, hot water and water are also generated from that power. It was really convenient not to have to draw water from the river, let alone a well. ¡°¡­ How much will it cost?¡± Even if he said a shower easily, he felt that it was incomparably expensive compared to his previous life. However, he had no intention of asking Lithia about the price. Because he was too scared to hear. ¡°Hmm ¡­ it feels good ¡­ it¡¯s the best ¡­¡± Will I be able to live a better life if I go to Clausel? No, don¡¯t think about strange things. All you have to do is make money in this village and make this mansion easier to live in. In the face of the power of civilization for the first time in a long time, Ren is proud to have endured the temptation. I laughed softly when I saw myself in the mirror in the bathroom where no one was there. ¡°Hmm?¡± As he did so, a question suddenly arose. ¡°¡­ huh?¡± He utters a sullen voice and folds his arms while bathing in the warm water of the shower pouring down from above. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hmm !?¡± And I noticed a feeling of strangeness. It¡¯s a mystery why I didn¡¯t notice until now. But even Ren has an excuse. I couldn¡¯t imagine the saint, who was unexpected and who I thought couldn¡¯t come so soon, would come so quickly. (I¡¯m aware that I was out of sorts but ¡­!) It seems that he was off guard because he was on his way home from hunting. Ren makes excuses in his heart, not to anyone, and taps his cheeks to tighten his mind. Action was quick after this, and Ren hurried out of the bathroom. Wet hair was roughly wiped with a towel, then he changed into clothes and rushed through the mansion. The destination was the kitchen where Lithia was for some reason. ¡°Why !?¡± He opened the door in a hurry and uttered an unreserved voice. Then, when she saw Ren who appeared in a noisy manner, ¡°Why did you scream so suddenly! My ears hurt!¡± Lithia lifts her eyebrows and says. She then held her ears down and twisted her lips. ¡°So why are you here !?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I came!¡± ¡°If you come, of course you¡¯ll be there, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking ¡­! I¡¯m saying! Why is the young lady who should be in Clausel in this village!¡± It¡¯s also a problem that I¡¯ve been accepting too much naturally until now. But more than that, the fact that Lithia was here was more shocking. ¡­¡­ Lithia, who was once surprised by Ren¡¯s voice, gradually regains her composure. This time, she looked at him again and smiled daintily, somewhat triumphantly. ¡°There¡¯s only one reason I¡¯m here. You¡¯re not coming to Clausel, so I came instead.¡± Ren was stunned that she hadn¡¯t given up yet. ¡°Oh, I heard that the lady is busy ¡­¡± ¡°Fufu, Be relieved. I¡¯ve done it all.¡± ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D What? Did you say all?¡± ¡°I came to this village with all the study and work done by the beginning of winter.¡± After all, there are no defects. She has a wonderful ability to act. ¡°¡­ How did you make an excuse for the Baron?¡± ¡°In the case of Viscount Given, I said that the Clausel family should also move aggressively. The daughter of the lord ¡­ If I, a saint, would come, they might refrain from making any careless movements. He can¡¯t refuse that, right? ¡° Baron Clausel, Lithia¡¯s father, would have had to nod to such a reasonable proposal. Ren soon realized it. After all, this girl is not just a girl who wants to hone her sword. Lithia Clausel is a hard worker and a smart woman. (No way to meet again so soon) ¨D¨D¨D¨D The only problem for Ren was that she was too active. CH 22.1 Ren was stunned by Lithia¡¯s ability to act, ¡®But I¡¯m sorry. I wish we had more power. ¡­¡­¡± Lithia said with a sigh in a rather dejected tone of voice. It seems that she has her own thoughts on the matter of Viscount Givens. ¡°You didn¡¯t protest directly to Viscount Givens?¡± ¡°My father said It couldn¡¯t be done. He said it¡¯s hard to complain to higher nobility when they are from different factions.¡± The difference in ranks is more significant than Baron Clausel¡¯s lack of compassion. Lithia¡¯s lament was based on this fact. ¡°The only way to protest against the higher nobility is to ask a high ranking noble who has a close relationship with you. In the case of the Clausel family, it would have to be at least a neutral count.¡± ¡°Then ¡ª-¡° ¡°¡­¡­ of course I¡¯ve asked. But the neutralists are less powerful than the other two factions.¡± If they complain just because of their high title, the other faction¡¯s even higher nobles might start to interfere. I¡¯m sure that there are plenty of nobles who would like to avoid such troublesome situations. The fact that the power of the neutral faction is weak makes this even more so. ¡°So it seems that the neutral faction¡¯s upper nobles are also taking a wait-and-see attitude.¡± ¡°This kind of thing. Hah,¡­¡­ I really don¡¯t like it,¡­¡­ that we¡¯re nobles of the same empire, but we¡¯re made to feel like this because of our factions and titles.¡± Lithia seemed to be sincerely irritated and revealed her feelings in front of Ren without hiding them. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry ¡­¡­. As the daughter of the lord, I apologize for involving your village in the foolish quarrels of the nobles.¡± Her profile, as she said this while letting out a sigh, celebrated a loveliness that could be mistaken for that of a fairy. Indeed the saintly woman known as ¡°the heroine who cannot be conquered¡± can be pictured even in such a scene. Ren, however, is not conscious of her outstanding appearance. He was fed up with the aristocrat¡¯s tediousness. ¡°No, it¡¯s not the ladies¡¯ fault this time, you know.¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s the fact that you got involved. ¡ª- that¡¯s right. Why don¡¯t you sit down?¡± ¡°Oh, then I will.¡± I mean, it¡¯s my home, so there¡¯s nothing to be reserved about. I didn¡¯t sit down because the other party was a baroness. Lithia looked at Ren, who sat opposite her, and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Speaking of which, there is one thing that has been bothering me.¡± ¡±Yes. What is it?¡± ¡°I would think that if there is a saint involved, even if there are differences in titles and factions, she would have more say in the matter.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. There was a time when I used to think that too.¡± But that is not going to happen, she said. Lithia let out a deep sigh once more. ¡°There have been many saints born since the beginning of time. But unlike the Seven Heroes, they haven¡¯t accomplished anything, have they?¡¡Even the saints who have been called blessed by the Lord God Elfen since the ¡­¡­ beginning of time have not vanquished the Demon King.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know ¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s a fact.¡± Ren knows what she means. Originally, saints, who are said to be blessed by the main god Elfen, were awe-inspiring beings. However, in the Reomel Empire, there are those who are held in even greater awe. ¡ª-These are the Seven Heroes. They are the ones of absolute lineage. Because of their presence, even with the presence of the saints, the faction¡¯s overall voice has not visibly increased. Even the royalist faction, if one traces its origins back to the founder of the country, the Lion King, is involved. The founder of an absolutely undefeatable superpower also boasts great influence, just like the Seven Heroes. I¡¯m not saying that the saints are behind both of them, but still, as Lithia said, the saints have never accomplished anything. Because of this, they have not gained the kind of clout that Ren thinks they have. ¡°¡ª-That¡¯s right.Let me hear it this time.¡± And Licia leans forward on the table to look at Ren. Her eyes, reminiscent of jewels, were fixed on Ren¡¯s face. ¡°Do you accept the Viscount¡¯s offer?¡¡Or not?¡± Ren, who had been wondering what was going on, answered in a nonchalant manner. ¡°I won¡¯t accept. As I told the young lady, I have no intention of leaving this village.¡± ¡°Really?¡¡If you lie to me, I¡¯ll drag you all the way to Clausel.¡± She makes me think that she would really do it. Ren smiled bitterly and said again, ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± and escaped from the pressure of Lithia who was gradually closing in. Lithia, who was moving away, seemed to have somewhat lowered her reservoir. ¡°Speaking of which, how was your bath?¡± Lithia, who had gotten sick of the topic so far, spoke as if she remembered. ¡°It felt exceptional. If I hadn¡¯t been reminded of the young lady being there, I¡¯d probably have relaxed for another hour or so.¡± ¡°Do you want one then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it would come in handy, but it would probably cost a fortune¡­¡­ .¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the money. The magic tool I brought with me was old and no longer working. I just used my allowance to fix it, so don¡¯t be shy.¡± ¡°Uwaa¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mou!What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Because ¡­¡­ you¡¯re asking me to come to Clausel in exchange for money, aren¡¯t you?¡± Licia stammered, ¡°Ugh! She seemed to have been hit on the mark, but quickly tried to appear nonchalant. ¡°I don¡¯t want that much,¡± she said.¡± I just want you to be there when I¡¯m in the village.¡± ¡°Does that mean you will continue to come?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± £¨Ouch) I really don¡¯t want to have too many friendships. But I don¡¯t have the right to stop her. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Baron will forgive you more than once.¡± ¡°He¡¯s forgiven me twice. Three times, four times, even ten times, it won¡¯t make any difference.¡± Ren was astonished at the tremendous force of her theory. After a few stunned seconds, he clears his throat and smiles. ¡°If the baron doesn¡¯t have anything to say, then I have no complaints¡± Or rather, the reality is that I can¡¯t refuse. ¡°Phew, good.¡± Lithia was pleased and gave a friendly smile. It¡¯s probably better that he wasn¡¯t abducted ¡­¡­¡­ and taken to Clausel. However, it was still an unfavorable turn of events for Ren. (I want to lose on purpose) It was a development that could not help but make Ren think this way. ¡°You know, you can¡¯t lose on purpose either, right?¡± ¡°Perish the thought. I would never do anything disrespectful to the young lady.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡­¡­ considering that, you looked like you were up to no good.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just your imagination.¡± CH 22.2 There is a moment of silence. The dry sound of wood crackling in the fireplace echoed across the kitchen. Ren suddenly wondered if he was also here again today. Just as he was thinking that he would have to hear what Weiss had to say, he heard his voice coming from outside the house. ¡°Weiss was with your mother at Grandma Rigg¡¯s. We brought the medicinal herbs the Ashtons ordered.¡± I see. No wonder she was nowhere to be seen. As I was thinking this, Mireille came into the kitchen and started a friendly conversation with Lithia. Ren, who was watching the conversation, thought (They¡¯re getting closer, aren¡¯t they? ¡­¡­) He realized this fact and secretly held his head in his hands. ¡ó¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ó Ren had to accompany Lithia after the sun had set. Naturally, he had no choice. Lithia, who had grown even more in two months, showed a different appearance than before, but it still ended in an overwhelming victory for Ren. Lithia herself seemed to have expected this outcome. Still, it was healthy to see her express her frustration and say, ¡°We¡¯ll do it again tomorrow morning!¡± She was very healthy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, boy.¡± Weiss, who came in place of Lithia who returned to the house after the meeting, apologized. ¡± I¡¯m fine. By the way, the young lady was like a different person from the other day.¡± It¡¯s thanks to you boy. Since her defeat the other day, she has been working harder than ever before, not only in sword training but also in her studies. ¡°¡­¡­ that¡¯s good to know.¡± ¡°The master of the house was also grateful. Of course, so am I. How about it ¡ª-, is there anything you would like me to do for you?¡± Abrupt again. Ren tilts his head. ¡°Thanks for asking, but I¡¯ve already received a reward from the baron.¡± ¡°No, this is from me personally.¡± Ren still couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. (And I can¡¯t ask for money.) It was not right to expose his poor knightly character here. So, how about asking him to practice swordsmanship, for example? Once that was decided, I decided to ask him. ¡°How about I teach you some camping knowledge?¡± Ren was surprised at this unexpected suggestion. ¡°Camping?¡¡I don¡¯t have to go far, do I?¡± ¡°You might. But it¡¯s good knowledge to remember. For example, what if you have to spend the night in the woods because of an unforeseen event ¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢?¡± £¨I see.) I think Roy-dono probably told you this, but Roy-dono still needs to rest for a while. So I thought I would take his place. Understanding the need, Ren¡¯s reply was quick. Thinking about it, it was knowledge that would also be useful when hunting in the forest. ¡°By all means. Please teach me the knowledge of encampment.¡± He nodded deeply, bowed his head, and begged for instruction. Weiss looked at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bow. This is my way of thanking you,¡± he said, and made Ren raise his head. Weiss then looked up at the snowy sky and crossed his arms. ¡°He looked at Len and asked, ¡°Boy, have you kept the Little Boar¡¯s fur?¡± ¡°There are a few. I hunt them every day, so I have more than enough to sell.¡± ¡°Good, then. Then we¡¯ll begin tonight. ¡°¡ª- what?¡± Weiss showed his white teeth and smiled a good-natured smile. ¡°It¡¯s already late at night.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more to remember at night.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. If we leave now, the time to return home is¡­¡± ¡°Of course, tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°¡­..Haa, in other words, we¡¯re going to spend the night in the woods.¡± Weiss nodded, saying, ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°Naturally, I don¡¯t say it¡¯s forced. If you¡¯d prefer we could do it on a day that¡¯s more convenient for you¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡¡I was just surprised, honestly, I¡¯m glad you suggested it!¡± In fact, it¡¯s helpful because I don¡¯t have anything to do at night. Besides, if you can teach me, the sooner the better. The opportunity to be taught by Weiss, who is even busier than he usually is, is nothing but precious time. £¨I would love to learn from him.) There was one thing that concerned Ren. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need to be by the lady¡¯s side?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. The men who serve as the lady¡¯s personal guards will remain at the mansion.¡± The reason why Weiss was away from Lithia¡¯s side during the day is because of this. ¡°I see, Weiss-sama is not one of her guards.¡± ¡°I¡¯m often misunderstood, but I¡¯m not the young lady¡¯s bodyguard. That¡¯s why I¡¯m often not there when the young lady goes on excursions.¡± This means that even if Weiss is accompanying her, she must have enough forces with her to determine that his absence is not a problem. Apparently, he had decided that it would be better for him to be there when she came to Ren¡¯s village. Then, I could ask him to teach me without any hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, and I¡¯d be happy to start this evening.¡± When Ren said that, Weiss immediately replied, ¡°Leave it to me.¡±, CH 23 He said yes to Weiss, but Ren was also concerned that his parents would not comply. But. (I didn¡¯t expect them to agree.) Not only Roy, but even Mireille gave permission. When Weiss returned to the mansion, he told them the details, and it was a piece of cake. The two were surprised at first, but when they heard that the Clausel family had been taught by Weiss, the head of the knighthood, they agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll go to Tsurugi rock, Let¡¯s get ready to spend the night there.¡± Weiss, walking one step ahead of me, said with a torch in his hand. The forest was covered with snow this season, making it difficult to walk, but Weiss did not seem to be affected by the snow and moved forward with strong steps. (Amazing!) I guess it was the difference in his physical strength and physique. And¡­ ¡°Bruuuuuh!¡± He easily cuts down the little boar that jumped out at him with the sword in one hand. In doing so, his torso did not shake in the slightest, and I wasn¡¯t confident that I could follow his fast sword stroke with my eyes. £¨I wonder how strong he is.) As Ren, walking behind him, looks at Weiss¡¯ back and thinks, Weiss seems to have noticed Ren¡¯s gaze and turns around. ¡°Hmm?¡¡What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I was thinking Weiss-sama is amazing.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha!¡¡What¡¯s up with that?¡¡You¡¯ll be stronger than me in no time!¡± Weiss carries up the little boar that he just cut down while praising Ren. At first glance, he looks like an old knight, but I wonder how much physical strength he has in his body. ¡°Then let¡¯s leave the monster up ahead to you boy. Can you fight at night?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve been through it once, and I managed to handle it.¡± However, when it appeared, it was only Little Boar. Ren slaughtered several little boars without difficulty while aiming for the end of the Tsurugi Rock that Weiss mentioned. As if he were breathing. ¡°¡ª- I see. No wonder she¡¯s no match for you.¡± Weiss muttered to himself as he watched the battle. ¡°They¡¯re just little boars¡± ¡°But all of them received only a single thrust to the forehead. The speed with which you responded was also remarkable.¡± He summons his bracelet to his hand, and even the wooden magic sword is carried at his waist, but this evening Ren has an iron weapon in his hand. But when praised as he was just now, he felt embarrassed. Perhaps I¡¯ll never get used to being praised,¡­¡­ and Ren learned that before he learned to camp. ¡ª-Another while passed. More time passed beyond Tsurugi Rock, and they stopped in the open land where a large rock sat. Weiss, still carrying the little boar, approached the large rock and proceeded to hollow a large space and beckoned Ren to come. Once there, they were able to escape the chill of the quietly waving snow. ¡°First, we have to build a fire.¡± There are several ways. The main method used by the knights is with magical tools. But when there are no magical tools, they use flint, and if that is not available, they rub wood together as a last resort. ¡°But if the wood is wet, it will not catch fire. So you have to be prepared before you go to the last resort, and be careful not to get into that situation,¡± Weiss then hands Ren a dagger in a leather sheath. ¡°It¡¯s my gift to you. There¡¯s a special ore embedded in the butt of the stone. The leather scabbard is also made of an artifact. If you rub it hard enough, as you would with a flintlock, it will produce sparks. ¡°Is that fine?¡¡It seems to be an expensive item.¡± ¡°Not so much. In Clausel, you can get it for as little as 10,000 G ¡ª- a day¡¯s wages for a commoner.¡± Even so, it would not be cheap, Ren thought. But Weiss¡¯s words were honestly indulgent, and he pulled out a dagger as he was urged to do. Weiss pulled a piece of firewood out of his pocket and placed it on the ground. ¡°Today is that kind of training, so I got one from the boy¡¯s mansion. Now, first I will show you how to do it, and then the boy will do it too.¡± Weiss then rubbed the sheath against the knife in a familiar manner. Ren cried ¡°Oh¡± when he saw the sparks easily generated. Weiss, next to him, loosened his cheeks and fished around in his pocket. He pulled out a short bundle of straw from his pocket and struck a spark on it again. After a few repetitions, a faint fire was lit on the straw. ¡°Now try you light it boy¡± ¡°I understand. I will try.¡± After the tenth attempt, a spark was produced. Weiss gave the spark to the newly taken out straw and made a fire. It seems that even a beginner can easily start a fire. Ren was also taught how to start a fire on firewood, and he was learning how to make a fire smoothly. Ren was also taught how to start a fire on firewood, and he was learning how to make a fire smoothly. ¡°Should I go look for some firewood?¡± ¡°That¡¯s another training exercise, but we don¡¯t have to go that far tonight. From here on out, we¡¯ll warm ourselves with the flames of our magical tools.¡± Weiss reaches into his pocket and pulls out a vial. He opens the lid of the vial, places it on the ground, and after a few seconds, it begins to exhale fire. ¡°Soon it will be as strong as a bonfire. Until then, I will teach you how to make another fire and how to dismantle demons.¡± The other way to build a fire was to rub the wood together. First, Weiss would shave the wood to create a mechanism that would make it easier to start a fire. Then he showed them how to make a fire by rubbing them together. After that, Ren also tried it, but this time it took longer than the previous one. After all, it was after 30 minutes from the start of the trial that he was able to start a fire. It was the moment when he realized from the bottom of his heart that the advantages of civilization are great. ¡°You have good instincts boy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­it took me a long time, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Not really. First-timers often have a hard time even making smoke. Now, let¡¯s continue with the dismantling.¡± The little boar that we have brought here is the target. He said he would teach me how to process it into food. ¡°First of all, the edible parts of most monsters.¡ª-¡° Ren was not put off by the fresh entrails, as Mireille always did the same at the mansion. Ren joined in the dismantling process, with Weiss teaching him how to do it. It took him an hour to finish dismantling the animal, while learning many things, including the art of bloodletting and the treatment of the fur. The meat was then roasted over the fire of a magic tool. The roasted meat was savory, but not enough because it was not seasoned. (Well, it wasn¡¯t bad.) Perhaps it was the influence of the atmosphere, but strangely enough, it didn¡¯t taste bad. ¡°Speaking of which, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Hm?¡¡What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Why did we leave the villa just before the day changed?¡¡I was ready, but I think we spent a long time before departure.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to ¡­¡­¡­¡­ be overheard by the young lady.¡± ¡°Ah, aah ¡­¡­ I see¡­¡­.¡± If Licia knew, she would surely have said she would go too. (TN: Changed Lithia to Licia) That said, there is no way Ren could have said that, and he knows very well that Weiss is the same way. That¡¯s why when Weiss said he would do something, he did not ask me not to bring her. In the first place, such words should not have been uttered in light of their positions. ¡°We will return to the mansion tomorrow at a time when the young lady is not awake. It will be a demanding schedule,¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s light compared to the day I fought with Thief Wolfen, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°¡ª- hahahahaha!¡¡Yes, you¡¯re absolutely right!¡¡No wonder you, unlike my men, never whine at all!¡± Ren shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. After this, he was taught how to camp in cold places, how to keep watch, how to guard the fire, how to hide in such places, and many other things. Although it was only a one-night-only lesson, it may come in handy one day ¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢maybe¡¢¡¢¡¢ ¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢. When I think about it, I even felt that today¡¯s experience was a valuable asset. ¡ó¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ó The next morning we woke up before the sun rose. I had a short sleep, about half of what I usually get, but my eyes were surprisingly clear. We left the big Tsurugi rock, and passed the bridge over the river. We returned to the village early, as planned, and walked along the snow-covered field road. ¡°We got back early, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Mm. The young lady should still be asleep.¡± They proceeded with pleasantries and arrived at the mansion on schedule. But when Ren put his hand on the door and opened it¡ª-. ¡°Oh, welcome back¡± Lizzia, who greeted Ren with a light voice like a ringing bell, was smiling gleamingly. But what about this indescribable pressure? Though ¡­¡­, she¡¯s surprisingly not angry. ¡°It was cold, wasn¡¯t it?¡¡¡­¡­You didn¡¯t have to go at that time of night.¡± The reason for leaving so late at night is Licia, so how can I explain it? With a bitter smile, Ren scratched his cheek and spun in circles. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask you to take me to the woods late at night, either. That¡¯s ¡­¡­I¡¯m just a little miffed that you didn¡¯t tell me¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ahaha¡± But It¡¯s fine And also, I¡¯ll skip today¡¯s match.¡± Ren thought she was offended by his words, but in fact she wasn¡¯t. ¡°You¡¯re tired, aren¡¯t you? ¡°No, no! Just a little bit. ¡ª-¡° ¡°It¡¯s okay. It would be terrible if you overdo it and get sick, right?¡± The reason why she decided not to attend the meeting was because of Ren¡¯s fatigue. Weiss was stunned that she had come for a stand-off with him, but restrained herself in this way. (¡­¡­ something like that.) When you are suddenly cared for, your senses are dulled. However, looking at the expression on Licia¡¯s face, it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s acting. The ¡­¡­ words she just said are definitely her true feelings. ¡°I¡¯m not at all happy to beat you when you¡¯re tired.¡± The next words must also be true. CH 24.1 Soon, the eighth winter since Ren¡¯s birth was over. Compared to previous years, Ren¡¯s village did not have to worry about food or firewood consumption, and all the villagers were able to have an adequate winter shelter. ¡ª- Then spring came, and Ren celebrated his eighth birthday. On that day, Len was celebrated by everyone in the morning at the mansion where he was born and raised. ¡­¡­ At the same time, far away in Clausel. The lord, Baron Clausel, was marveling in his office in his mansion. ¡°No way! Such a great nobleman would ¡­¡­¡± Baron Clausel looked at the letter that had just arrived and exclaimed in amazement. The knight who carried the letter also looked incredulous. ¡°You are sure of this?¡± ¡°Of course, sir. The parts of ¡­¡­ Thief Wolfen are the raw material of a precious medicine, so perhaps the sender wants that medicine.¡± ¡°Ah, aah,¡­¡­ as I recall, there hasn¡¯t been a market for thief wolfen in recent times.¡± ¡°What do we do, sir?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t ignore it. Contact them as soon as ¡ª- No wait, this could be an opportunity¡­..¡± Baron Clausel suddenly had an idea. He went to his desk to tell the sender of the letter about his idea. As soon as he picked up his pen, he heard the words, ¡°Father.¡± Baron Clausel¡¯s hand stops as Licia visits his office. When he invites Licia in, she says, ¡°I have come to greet you on my departure.¡± ¡°Licia. You know that¡ª-¡° ¡°Yes, I know, this is part of my work. I will continue to patrol the territory and serve the Clausel family as I have in the past.¡± ¡°Do that. Your presence with Ren Ashton is only a reward for fulfilling your duties as a member of the Clausel family. Keep this in mind. And of course, do not forget to thank Ren Ashton.¡± ¡°Yes. In honour of my late mother ¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢.¡± ¡°¡­¡­, yes. If you work hard like that, I¡¯m sure your thoughts will reach her.¡± After this exchange, Licia leaves the office with a dignified curtesy. She left the mansion and stepped under Weiss, who had come ahead of her and was waiting for her at the gate. ¡°Have you finished greeting the Master?¡± ¡°Done. ¡ª- Now, I must do my best this time.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve grown even more over the winter my lady. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to show off your swordsmanship against the boy.¡± ¡°Ara, you didn¡¯t say I would win, did you?¡± Licia giggled and Weiss was at a loss for a reply. Weiss had thoroughly trained Licia over the past winter. Of course, since she has fulfilled her duties as a baroness in addition to her studies, she has grown not only with the sword but also as a person. But even so, he could not say, ¡°you will win¡± (The boy must have grown up a lot too.) Ren is a strong, hard-working boy, both physically and mentally. Even though it¡¯s only against G-rated little boars, he still lives in an environment that can kill him if he¡¯s not careful. Unlike Licia, his days are filled with tension. The tension and the high level of education that Licia receives on a daily basis. Both are rare experiences definitely, but as for the current gap in ability, it may still be the result of Ren¡¯s background and hard work ¡­¡­. ¡°Excuse me, young lady¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding. Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re going to see what will happen when we meet, and it would be boring if we knew the result now¡± Licia, who said this in a dignified rather than discouraging manner, crossed Weiss. She then approached the female knight who was riding with her and quickly mounted her horse. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s a long ¡ª- way to that village.¡± ¡­¡­Suddenly, something unusual happened to Licia¡¯s vision. My vision was shaky and my physical senses were dulled. For a brief moment, I felt as if my entire body had been drained of strength, and even whether the air outside was hot or cold was ambiguous. But these sensations disappeared easily. ¡°Miss. Is something wrong?¡± The female knight¡¯s voice came from behind Licia. She still felt a little uncomfortable, but after a short pause, she responded. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, ¡­¡­. I think I was just a little nervous. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We have been watching your efforts day in and day out. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do well. ¡°¡­¡­thank you.¡± When I replied, my vision was still shaking. However, it had calmed down by the time Weiss gave the signal to depart a few dozen seconds later. Therefore, Licia assumed it was her imagination and turned her attention to the journey to the village where Ren lived. ¡ó¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ó The day after Licia left the mansion. Roy had finally returned to hunting. (After all, the medicine in this world is different from the previous one.) I could tell by the way Roy is smiling as before as he walks next to me. He had no doubt suffered from a deep internal wound, but he was back in fighting shape in less than a year, which was a source of great amazement to me. He had no surgery of any kind, especially since he had been relying on medicinal herbs and the like. In the evening, walking shoulder to shoulder along the farm road on the way back from the forest, Ren could not stop thinking about this. ¡°Hm?¡¡What is it?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just thinking that you¡¯re really feeling better already.¡± ¡°Of course I am! I¡¯ve had so many rondo herbs and remedies used on me, if not would have rather taken longer.¡± ¡±But still,¡± Roy says with a sigh. From his rather thoughtful tone, Ren guessed what the topic was going to be. ¡°There¡¯s obviously something wrong with the forest these days. There are too many more little boars than there used to be. ¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡± ¡°¡®I¡¯ve been thinking that too since the winter. The other day, the knights said they felt uncomfortable as well.¡± ¡°Of course they would¡­¡­In fact, little boars are in breeding season from spring to summer. So, unlike usual, they¡¯re all excited and often appear in public, but even so, there are just too many of them.¡± ¡°We can hunt a lot more, so our income is higher, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯m happy about it.¡± Roy nodded at Ren¡¯s words. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to continue hunting while carefully watching the situation.¡± Roy¡¯s refreshing profile is smitten with a grin. Ren nodded his head in agreement with Roy¡¯s words, and looked up at the sky, which was tinted in red. £¨The setting of the sun is getting later and later.) It¡¯s a sign that winter has turned into spring and summer is approaching. And to the ears of Ren who was enjoying the changing season¡¢ ¡°¡ª-!¡± ¡°¡ª-.¡± From a distance, he heard men arguing with each other. When he looked next to him, he saw Roy nodding in recognition as well, and the two of them threw the little boars they were carrying onto the field path and ran off. The direction from which the voices came was the Ashtons¡¯ mansion. They reached it in less than a few minutes, and there, in addition to the knights of the Clausel family, were the knights they had seen before. Needless to say ¡­¡­, they were knights in the service of Viscount Givens. CH 24.2 ¡®What¡¯s all the racket!¡¡What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir! In fact, these people have been waiting for you!¡¡They have a letter for¡­! Huh, hey!¡± Then a knight of Viscount Givens leaned forward and interrupted him. The knight was the same knight who had previously asked Ren, whom he had met in the forest, to show him the way to the mansion. Roy accepted the letter as a courtesy and looked at it, wondering what to do with it. ¡°I¡¯ll check inside the mansion,¡± he said. ¡°But what business brings you to this village?¡± ¡®¡±An invitation to the Ashtons, of course.¡± Again, Ren let out a sigh as he hid his face. Again, Roy mends his smile to keep it from becoming bitter. ¡°The Viscount still thinks highly of your abilities, And the same goes for your son.¡± ¡°Ren?¡¡Oh, we¡¯ve talked about this before, haven¡¯t we?¡± Y¡±es. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve come to you with a new story.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ new story?¡± £¨I have a bad feeling about this.) In such a case, the new story is basically not a good story for the person in question. Even though it may seem like an exceptional response from the outside, if it¡¯s something the person doesn¡¯t want, it can sometimes only be a nuisance. Ren muttered to himself in his mind. The Viscount has offered to help Ren Ashton enroll in the prestigious Imperial Academy of Military Science¡¯s ¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢ special class ¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢. Ren¡¯s hunch was right on target, and it hit him hard. ( Gi¡­¡­ give me a break ¡­¡­) Unlike Ren, who was disgusted, Roy was surprised with a wide mouth. Naturally, the knights of the Clausel family were surprised, too. Representing their surprise, Roy asked Viscount Given¡¯s knight as if he were stuttering. ¡°What ¡ª-?¡¡Even general admission is extremely difficult, there¡¯s no way that our Ren could get into the special class. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Imperial Cadet Academy¡¯s special class is certainly exceptional. In addition to the heirs of the seven great barons and generals, only a handful of talents who have been trained in the imperial capital from an early age are allowed to enter.¡± Ren was annoyed by the knight¡¯s confident and enthusiastic tone. The Imperial Military Academy is the main setting in the legend of the Seven Heroes. Furthermore, the special class is also the class to which the protagonists will belong. In other words, it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that if you enroll in the school, it will be close to the same future as in the game. Now that he could not avoid meeting Licia, he had to avoid entering the Imperial Cadet Academy at all costs. ¡°However, the Viscount had served as assistant to the Minister of Justice at the Imperial Castle. He said he could send a letter of recommendation to the academy.¡± Perhaps he was going to talk to one of the heroic aristocrats among them. Ren, who could easily imagine this, was not at all pleased, and on the contrary, he was beginning to get fed up internally. ¡°It¡¯s not ¡ª- impossible, but it must be difficult to recommend our Ren.¡± ¡°Yes, that may be true, but the Viscount sees potential in Ren Ashton.¡± ¡°Potential ¡­¡­?¡± Roy¡¯s reaction was probably what he expected. The knight of the Viscount Givens said happily, ¡°A nobleman who is friends with the Viscount has told him that the Ashtons may have some of the blood of Lauren the Hero running through them, even if it is thin. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is ¡ª- is that true!?¡± ¡°It would be foolish to dismiss it out of hand. Considering he is a legitimate son born at about the same time as the children of the seven great barons we can¡¯t not find hope in a boy who has done such a rare feat.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡¡We¡¯ve been in this village for a long time. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°But no one knows the truth. It may be that the Ashtons were born from a further branch of a side line long ago. But rest assured. Even if he is not, Len Ashton is still a brave boy.¡± Ren thought as he listened to the conversation. After all, Viscount Givens wants to use him as a flower to add to the factional warfare. I don¡¯t know if he really thinks that the Ashton family has the blood of a hero in it. That¡¯s exactly what the knight of Viscount Givens said, but it could be different. (If I¡¯m even more active, they¡¯ll lift me up, and if I do something bad, they¡¯ll say I lied about being a hero¡­) I can only assume that I will be treated as a convenient frame. That¡¯s why even Roy is hesitating. But what matters here is the momentum of the heroic faction, not the truth. (¡­¡­What should we do? Should I tell them about the village where the hero is?) And what if I tell them? If I¡¯m asked if they would believe me,¡­¡­ I honestly thought that if I were in their shoes, I wouldn¡¯t believe me. A boy who has never been out of his village would say, ¡°There is a descendant of a brave man in that village!¡± I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t even look into it. On the contrary, they would doubt his sanity. That is a normal reaction. ¡°So, what¡¯s your response?¡¡Let¡¯s skip the details at this point. If you graduate from that institute, it is as good as guaranteed that you will receive an important position at the same time, right?¡¡The Ashtons should only have to consider this fact.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­ I know that,¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That would make things a lot easier. It¡¯s not a bad deal for you as his father.¡± But Roy kept his mouth shut. Seeing this, Viscount Givens¡¯ knight turned his attention to Ren. ¡°Boy, wouldn¡¯t you like to develop your talents in the imperial capital?¡± But when asked this, the reply was obvious. ¡°¡ª- No.¡± ¡°I knew you would say so. If so, then by all means come to the Viscount.¡¡Wait, what did you say?¡± The knight of Viscount Givens was surprised with his his eyes widened as he asked ¡°I have no intention of leaving this village.¡± ¡°Wha, Why?¡± ¡°I am sorry. I feel content to spend my days hunting in the forest and protecting the village¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be a nobleman?¡¡You could be a baronet upon graduation!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to repeat this, but it is too much for me.¡± Then, the knight of Viscount Givens faltered. He looked as if he had been on the offensive so far, but he was speechless now. But then he looked at Roy and said. ¡°¡­¡­.What do you think of?¡± If Roy nodded his head, it would be fine. But Roy, like Ren, answers in a simple voice. ¡°I am sorry. I am honored that Viscount Givens has contacted us twice like this, but I would like to decline once again. I¡¯m proud to have served the Clausel family for generations. Besides, I myself have no intention of leaving the village.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want your son to be a nobleman!?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to do that, I also want him to go to the Imperial capital to learn what I can¡¯t teach him in this village if possible. But the most important thing is Ren¡¯s own will.¡± ¡°The boy is clever. He may be reserved!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.I¡¯m sure Ren is a caring child, but he won¡¯t say anything he doesn¡¯t think.¡± The knight of Viscount Givens was almost enraged that his invitation had been rejected so outrightly. His face was slightly reddish and his fists were shaking. However, he did not say anything more unreasonable. He was acting disgruntled, but still maintained a shred of civility. ¡°¡­..I¡¯m sorry, Lord Ashton.¡± With that, he bowed his head to Roy. He then quickly went to the other knights waiting nearby and mounted his horse. ¡®¡±Oh, hey! Please hold on while I write back!¡± ¡°No matter. I¡¯ll let the Viscount know your reply directly¡ª-.¡± Then they drove off without waiting for Roy¡¯s reply. Roy scratched his head and muttered, ¡°Huh,¡­¡­ I wanted to write a letter myself so I wouldn¡¯t be rude. It would be troublesome if they made up something I didn¡¯t tell them, without my knowledge.¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t it all right?¡¡I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t make much difference when we¡¯ve refused two invitations .¡± Roy heard Ren¡¯s words and nodded with a shrug, ¡°I guess so.¡± CH 25.1 It was the day Ren took a break from hunting. It was a pleasant afternoon in the warm spring sun. ¡°Ren, let¡¯s do some cleaning today.¡± ¡°Cleaning?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s getting warmer outside, so it¡¯s time to put all the winter stuff in storage.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­¡­, come to think of it, that¡¯s true.¡± By the way, Roy is not here. He should be heading into the woods with his knights and working on his daily hunting routine. So why was Ren the only one off? There was no big reason. It was simply because that was the schedule. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll clean our rooms first ¡­¡­ and then, well, I have some stuff on the dirt floor that I plan to put in storage, so can you bring it to the front of the warehouse for me?¡¡I¡¯ll take over and carry the necessary items into the house.¡± ¡°Roger¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also change all the winter stuff on Ren¡¯s bed.¡± ¡°What?¡¡I can do that myself.¡± ¡°I know. I know, but it¡¯s easier to do it all at once since I¡¯ll be changing the bedding in all the rooms. You know, you¡¯ll do the laundry later, right?¡± If that¡¯s the case, then let¡¯s be obediently spoiled. Instead, I¡¯ll just do what she wants and take the winter goods to the warehouse. Nodding his head, Ren immediately went to his room. From the windows to the walls to the floor, he swept and wiped, carefully wiping away the winter¡¯s dirt. The ceiling, for example, he cleaned by creating a foothold by growing roots with the wooden magic sword. The cleaning took about an hour, and when he was done, a pleasant sweat ran down his forehead. Ren then went to the dirt floor of the mansion as he had talked about with Mireille. In the dirt floor, as Mireille had said, there were bags to be carried, and surprisingly, they were arranged in a heap. Ren carries them out little by little. , ¡°Hm?¡ª- what was this melted down box?¡± As he was carrying them out, he suddenly heard Mireille¡¯s voice unexpectedly coming from the warehouse. Yes, that¡¯s right. Ren ¡ª- did it, and he¡¯s going to tell us. ¡ª- ¡°Mother!¡¡What¡¯s wrong?¡± When Ren peeked into the warehouse through the entrance, he found Mireille in the back of the warehouse, talking to herself with something in her hand. However, he could not see what was in her hand. The back of the warehouse was dimly lit, with only a little light shining through a small window. ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡¡Never mind!¡± Hearing her reply, Ren quickly replied, ¡°Okay,¡± and went back to carrying the luggage. After a while, Mireille, who had been inside the warehouse, came outside with a lot of bedding. Ren offered to help, but she laughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s light, so I¡¯m fine.¡± Mireille passed Ren and entered the house. First, she went upstairs to make up the beds in the couple¡¯s bedroom, put the bedding to be changed in the hallway, and now stepped into Ren¡¯s room. Here, too, the bedding is changed, and she takes out the wooden box she brought with her. This wooden box has melted paint on the surface and the lid is blocked. Mireille puts it on the shelf by Ren¡¯s desk. ¡°I¡¯ll have to tell Roy that I left it in Ren¡¯s room just for the sake of it.¡± She quickly left Ren¡¯s room and went to the guest room. But here she noticed. The bedding for the bed in the guest room is somewhat moldy, and she let out a sigh at the fact that it was not usable. ¡°¡­.. this one needs to be washed again.¡± She had no choice but to leave the bed in the guest room unmade. ¡°Ah, are you done?¡± She headed for the dirt floor, and when she went outside, Ren had just finished carrying the winter items in. After telling him that she had finished changing the bedding, Mireille went to the back of the house to wash all the bedding. She does this because there is a well in the back of the house where she does her laundry. Meanwhile, Ren decided to organize the warehouse while he was at it,¡­¡­. ¡°¡ª- eh?¡± I noticed a certain group as they passed through the forest and approached us on the field road. Come to think of it, they haven¡¯t been here recently. I guessed that today must have been the first visit after the winter had passed. ¡°As usual, his footwork is too light.¡± The line of knights riding horses along the field road was familiar to me. But Ren, who was watching the scene from the window of his room, suddenly tilts his head. Weiss¡¯s expression as he moved through the field road was different and stern, and the horses that were being led down the field path seemed to be galloping more than usual CH 25.2 The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that the two of them were not riding alongside each other. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s sleeping.¡± There, Licia¡¯s eyes were downcast and her back was resting against the female knight who was riding with her. I can¡¯t peek into her expression from here, but I can¡¯t stop wondering. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she was so quiet when she came to this village to meet me. ¡°For now.¡± I have to get ready to receive her. After leaving the warehouse, Ren went to the backyard and informed Mireille, who was about to do the laundry, of Licia and the others¡¯ visit. Mireille was a little surprised, but she too was used to Licia¡¯s visits. ¡± I have to go get ready, so Ren, will you go welcome the lady?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°But the beds aren¡¯t made in the guest room yet, well¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be sleeping anytime soon.¡± ¡°I think so too. Well, I¡¯m going to go now.¡± Ren replied and returned to the garden. Even as we were doing this, Licia and her knights were approaching the mansion, and they were already almost at the gate. Ren saw them and furrowed his brow. Licia, who had appeared to be sleeping, looked as if she was in some kind of distress. Ren noticed the change and rushed to Weiss, who had stopped his horse. ¡°Weiss-san, my mother just prepared the room for you. First the lady¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Thanks for your consideration.¡± But Ren suddenly remembered Mireille¡¯s words. The beds in the guest room are not ready yet. That would not be convenient. Besides the fact that it was Licia who was being welcomed, he also wanted her to rest in the cleanest bedding possible, since she looked ill. This means that she cannot sleep on the bed in the guest room. ¡°Please bring the young lady in, and take your time. I¡¯ll hurry and go talk to my mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ sorry to trouble you.¡± We have no choice but to have her rest in another room. After saying this, Ren returns to the mansion and rushes around the house. His eyes searched for Mireille, and he ran into her in the hallway on the first floor. In his haste, Ren tells her that Licia is not feeling well and points out that the bed in the guest room is not ready. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have her sleep in our room,¡± ¡°No, I think my room would be better since Mom and Dad¡¯s room still smells a little of herbs. I would rest in the guest room later when I¡¯m ready.¡± Fortunately, I also took into account that I had just done some major cleaning today. ¡°Well, ¡­¡­ I understand.¡± When it was decided that Ren will sleep in the guest room instead, Weiss and the female knight arrive. The knight was holding Licia in her arms, with sweat on her forehead. Ren told Weiss about the situation and told him that Licia could use his room. ¡°Thanks again. I owe you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Please take care of the young lady first.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to change her clothes. Let me help you.¡± ¡°¡­..Please don¡¯t trouble yourself, Mireille-dono¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Now, since that¡¯s decided, the men will wait for us downstairs.¡± Ren and Weiss looked at each other and watched Mireille go into Ren¡¯s room. They soon proceeded down the creaking hallway, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,. It¡¯s a mansion without a parlor.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s a nice, warm house, isn¡¯t it?¡± First of all, he led Weiss to a chair, then brewed a cup of tea, which was not a very good tea, and offered it to Weiss. ¡°Thanks. ¡­¡­ and I should also tell you about the lady¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right However, I don¡¯t understand why she left Clausel even though she wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡± ¡°Of course she wouldn¡¯t. The young lady fell sick about three days ago. ¡ª-¡° According to Weiss, it is a disease that often affects children who have a lot of magic in their bodies. However, it is not always the case and is only a probability. It is said that once the disease is contracted, a phenomenon similar to lifelong immunity remains, and the same disease will never be contracted. ¡°Three days ago, we were in the vicinity of another village that we were planning to visit, but I had to rush to this village to attend to the health of the young lady.¡± ¡°Is it Grandma Rigg, by any chance?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought it would be safer if Old Lady Rigg were here.¡± But,¡± Weiss continued. ¡°The disease is said to be an omen, but many people are unaware of changes in their health condition since there aren¡¯t any signs. It was possible that the young lady would contract the disease, but I never imagined it would be during the course of an excursion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­As expected, you can¡¯t return to Clausel under the present circumstances¡± ¡°The illness itself is not life-threatening, but the high fever and headache can be aggravating, and can compromise the immune system. Complications can kill you, so she must rest for a while.¡± The only good thing was that Ren¡¯s village was close by. And there was a skilled pharmacist named Grandma Rigg in the village. ¡°She will be better in two or three weeks. So I¡¯m sorry, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Please take your time until the young lady feels better.¡± . ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m grateful. Of course, please let me and the other knights know if there is anything we can do to help. Whether it¡¯s hunting, carpentry, or whatever else, we¡¯re here to help.¡± Frankly, I¡¯d like to have help with both. Weiss and the others would probably be more concerned if I didn¡¯t ask them to do anything, so I decided to ask them to help without being rude. There are an odd number of little boars these days, so it would be just right. (Speaking of which¡­) When the conversation came to a close, Len recalled a conversation from the other day. ¡°The other day, Viscount Givens¡¯ knights were in this village again.¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°He said he was going to help me get into the Imperial Academy. He also said he was helping me get into the special class.¡± Weiss was surprised to hear that. However, he immediately nodded and let out a deep, deep sigh. ¡°It¡¯s possible if It¡¯s someone as good as you. If Viscount Givens, who has experience as an assistant to the Minister of Justice, is added to the mix, it can¡¯t be a false statement. I wish you the best of luck boy.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Mm?¡¡What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It seems you think we¡¯ve agreed to it, but the Ashtons have refused.¡± ¡°What?¡ª-Why!!?¡± Weiss hit the table with a loud bang. ¡±How could you turn down a glorious future when you were promised one?¡± ¡°We all love this village, and we¡¯ve served the Clausel family for a long time.¡± That¡¯s what Roy said and he thought so as well. While there is a desire here to avoid Ren¡¯s own tragic future, the words he uttered are also true. Weiss was stunned to hear this thought, and sat back in his chair with a sigh. ¡°I promise you.¡± He looked at Ren with a mysterious expression on his face. ¡°After this excursion, I will not bring the lady back to this village.¡± ¡°¡ª- what?¡± ¡°Besides her own wishes, I had hoped that the young lady would receive good inspiration from the boy. But it was all spoiled. She was spoiled by the generosity of the Ashtons and spoiled by you boy. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll make this the last time.¡± These were convenient words for Ren, but he wonders why so suddenly. Ren, who continued to be perplexed, listened in silence. ¡°We can¡¯t cause you any more trouble. Even though she is the daughter of a baron, the young lady will understand if you give her the reason for this incident. I will inform the master of the family.¡± ¡°Umm, what¡¯s going on with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­¡­We can¡¯t just sit back and take it easy when you¡¯ve just shown us such loyalty.¡± Apparently, Weiss does not like to flaunt his power and respects the will of Ren and his family. This may be the reason why he did not force Ren to go with him to Clausel. And this time, when he learned how the Ashtons were behaving, he decided that it was time to stop acting so spoiled. But ¡ª-. (¡­¡­ seems a little sad, doesn¡¯t it?) I don¡¯t dislike Licia¡¯s personality, although I wondered if I should think that myself. I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t find enjoyment when I was in contact with her. ¡­is that why? When I think that this is the last time, I feel I would regret it. CH 26.1 Weiss sent several knights to Clausel once Licia¡¯s condition was confirmed. Of course, this was to inform them that their return would be delayed. It was also three days later that Licia¡¯s health began to settle down. However, her high fever and headache had not subsided, and her body remained listless. Still, she had recovered to the point where she was able to speak a little and understand the situation she was in. ¡°Miss. Ren-dono is here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, tell him to come in.¡± The time was past dusk. Licia called Ren when she was feeling better and waited for him to come so she could have a conversation with him. When the knight opened the door, Ren and Licia , who was lying on the bed, looked at each other. (¡­¡­ her cheeks are still bright red) Licia was lying on the bed, and Ren noticed her pale face and somewhat weak appearance. ¡°Ren-dono, As I¡¯ve told you before , it¡¯s not a disease that can be passed on to others so rest assured¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be outside, so please call me if you need me.¡± The baroness, a saint, and the son of a knight who serves the baron¡¯s family were left one-on-one. Ren had always thought that aristocrats were very wary of the company between men and women. He was puzzled by the meaning of being left alone in the room, but considering their age, it was probably more insolent to think something could happen. (I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the case.) After convincing himself of this, Ren approached the bed where Licia was. ¡°¡ª-I¡¯m sorry. ¡° When she saw Ren standing next to the bed, she apologized at the outset. She bows her head once, and when she raises it, her eyes are slightly moist with tears. She had a sad look on her face that conveyed her regret, unworthiness, and apology. Her appearance was different from before, and her voice was gravelly and unreliable. She was about to bow to Ren, but he hurried to stop her. ¡°I don¡¯t need an apology! So please stop bowing!¡± She didn¡¯t stop even after he stopped her. So Ren, feeling disrespectful, reached out with both hands and placed them on her shoulders. (¡­¡­really hot¡­¡­.) At this point, he was surprised by Licia¡¯s high body temperature, but relieved that she had stopped and let go of her hand. ¡°I ¡ª-¡° ¡®I¡¯m fine. My father and mother aren¡¯t bothering me.¡± By the way, Ren had heard from Weiss that Licia was growing apologetic. She was strongly remorseful for having rented a bed and fallen ill as soon as she arrived, even though she had come to this village of her own free will. I am sure she is feeling sorry for me now. ¡°You still look ¡ª- ill, but I¡¯m relieved to see that you seem to be getting a little better.¡± Ren sat down in the round chair beside his bed, saying a few words to change the subject. (By the looks of things, I wonder if she called me over just to apologize.) If so, we have nothing more to talk about. But I felt it would be impolite to leave so soon after arriving. Ren, who had no intention of staying long with Licia, who was still not in her best form, began to think of just the right topic to talk about. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Viscount Givens, too. I know I have caused you a lot of trouble.¡± Licia opened her mouth and spoke again, this time with an apology. ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard from Weiss already, but this time it was also an outing for us to show our intentions to Viscount Givens.¡± (No, he didn¡¯t.) ¡°So we were going to visit more villages than usual, and we were also going to take a detour from this village back to Clausel. We were going to let people know that Clausel is united by having me, a ¡­¡­ saint, tour the territory.¡± This was about as far as the Clausel family, a neutralist family with no close relatives, was able to go. The Clausel family, which is neutral and has no close relatives, could only do so much. Even if it was a weak resistance, it was not really a resistance at all. ¡°Even though it was supposed to be that ¡­¡­ really, I hate ¡­¡­ feeling so pathetic.¡± Licia hugged her knees, her shoulders shaking slightly. Her muffled voice began to be laced with sobs. ¡°I never even beat you ¡­¡­. at this rate, I¡¯m just a little girl who caused trouble.¡± ¡®A spar is just that, a spar. If we had fought seriously, it might have been me who would have lost.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ You¡¯re comforting me, aren¡¯t you? But now I¡¯m only ruining my late mother¡¯s reputation.¡± Ren learned for the first time the fact that Licia¡¯s mother had died. At least that should have been after Ren was born. (Then it would have been natural for her father to visit Clausel, but she had no memory of him ever leaving the mansion.) I tried to recall my memories from when I was a baby, but I still had no memory of Roy leaving this village. Licia sees Ren¡¯s profile, secretly thinking, and realizes. ¡°When Clausel went into mourning, my father informed the knight in charge of villages, like your father, that they didn¡¯t need to bother showing up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­How did you know what I was thinking?¡± ¡°Somehow. You¡¯re surprisingly easy to understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized in an embarrassed tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Licia continued. ¡°I heard that when my mother found out I was a saint, she was so happy she jumped up and down. I¡¯m told she said on the day she died of her illness that I was going to be an amazing person.¡± Licia looked proud as she spoke of her mother. ¡®I¡¯ve only seen my mother¡¯s face in portraits, and I don¡¯t know her voice. But every time I put on that outfit and fought, I felt like my mother was cheering me on.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the outfit you wore when we sparred?¡± ¡°Yes. Mother was born into a family of knights who worked at the imperial castle, so she often wore that kind of clothing from a young age.¡± It was a memento, so to speak. For Licia, it was the perfect attire for a spar since it helped her get motivated ¡°¡ª- but it was all a bit empty.¡± Ren felt that he understood the mind of Licia a little better now. She had been called a saint and had high expectations of her, and in addition to her desire to live up to those expectations, she also had strong feelings for her late mother. She therefore found great significance in confronting the boy, Ren. At the Clausel mansion, she was sometimes told that she was not putting in effort by not training with anyone other than Weiss, but this was the flip side of her ambition and impatience at not being able to fight with someone stronger than herself. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t bother the Ashtons anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Weiss. I¡¯m really, really sorry that I¡¯ve made things so hectic for you so many times. I will apologize to your parents later.¡± After all, this girl is noble. Knowing the fact that her thirst for growth was not for herself, but for her late mother and everyone who expects it of her, Ren had to think so too. However, it¡¯s hard to watch Licia now. She is pure, as pure as silver without a single speck. I think that¡¯s why. ¡°¡ª-The next time you¡¯re here, please bring me a magic tool to make fire. Of course, if you have any surplus, that would be fine.¡± Ren, who thought to himself, ¡°What am I talking about?¡±, did not want to see Licia¡¯s grief any longer. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Licia looked up. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. ¡°I thought it would be useful to have a magical tool that could make fire in the earthen floor,¡± ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m saying¡­..¡¡Next time¡­..!¡± ¡°I meant the next time you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Look..!¡¡I¡¯m saying I wouldn¡¯t come because I don¡¯t want to be a nuisance!¡± Naturally, Licia was puzzled. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve¡­¡­been avoiding my presence, haven¡¯t ¡­¡­ you?¡± (¡­¡­ can¡¯t deny that.) ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it means I¡¯m a nuisance.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of thoughts about it, but I want you to think about it, ojou-sama¡±. ¡°¡­¡­ what?¡± ¡°I think that any person would be perplexed if they were asked to spar with someone who came out of the blue¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s not the best reason, but it¡¯s also what I really think. Licia did not expect to be scolded in this situation, and she stiffened as she stared up at Ren. Ren, on the other hand, looks at Licia and smiles. It was a gentle, mature smile that unintentionally made Licia feel like she could rely on him. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so too, Miss?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ think so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you agree. Next time, if you could contact me in advance whenever possible, that would be fine. Also, I¡¯m never going to leave this village, so please don¡¯t forget that. I¡¯ll be happy to accommodate you as long as it¡¯s within the village.¡± After saying this, Ren got up from his round chair. ¡°I¡¯ve talked a little too much. I¡¯m afraid It will worsen your condition so I¡¯ll be leaving now¡± ¡°Wait, wait!¡¡What you just said, are you really¡­..? ¡°Yes, but let¡¯s talk about this another time. I think it would be better to talk about it slowly after you get better.¡± Ren started walking and headed for the door. Licia almost reached for his back, but held back, while feeling eager to do so. Ren turned around in front of the door and was about to leave. Just before he did so, Licia remembered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but can I borrow a pen and ink later¡­¡­?¡¡I¡¯d like to write a letter to my father.¡± Apparently, she had paper and envelopes. Ren started to go towards an old desk in a corner of the room. But Licia told him, ¡°Not today,¡± and he decided to just tell her where he kept his pen and ink, just in case. ¡°There¡¯s an accessory box on the desk with my pens. You can use it anytime you want.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Oh, thanks.¡± ¡°No problem. Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± With one last smile, Ren headed for the door, turned to face Licia, and bowed. CH 26.2 Licia, who had been watching him helplessly, found herself continuing to stare at the door after he was gone. ¡°¡­¡­Why was I staring at the door?¡± The question escapes her mouth and she collapses onto her bed. Before she knew it, her head, which had been tormented by a burning hot, splitting headache, seemed to have calmed down a bit. ¡°Someone.¡± She called for her personal guard knight, who was probably outside the room. She asked the knight to call Weiss, who soon arrived. ¡°What can I do for you miss?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask, Weiss. Actually¡ª-.¡± The task was to defeat the monsters. When Licia and her group came to the village, they had also seen an unusual outbreak of little boars in the forest. She hoped that if Weiss and the knights could help, they would be able to thwart many of the outbreaks. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to escort you ¡¢¡¢¡¢, but ¡¢¡¢ are you sure ?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not needed right now right? Even if you¡¯re not there, I still go out, and even in Clausel I have my own escort when I go out to town. It¡¯s the same thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly true, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°There are plenty of other knights, so it doesn¡¯t really matter if you leave for a bit. I¡¯m only sleeping anyway, and I want you to go and work for the Ashtons.¡± Naturally, Licia wanted to do her part. Never before had she felt so resentful about being so sick and immobile. Weiss, who had caught that thought, was struck by Licia¡¯s growth. ¡°I will do my utmost to extend our gratitude to the Ashton family.¡± Finally, he readily agreed and decided to comply with Licia¡¯s request. He then leaves Ren¡¯s room with a look of satisfaction on his face. She remains alone in the silent room. Licia, unable to fall asleep due to a slight feeling of loneliness, sits up in bed. She then turns her attention to Ren¡¯s desk. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll borrow the pen now¡­¡­¡± She would have preferred to sleep, but she was not sleepy by any means. So she thought she¡¯d try to write a letter to avoid being overwhelmed. She tried to stand up, straining her body. But she still felt unsteady on her feet. But she was feeling better than she expected, so she took out a piece of letter paper from her bag and got to her feet. She went to the desk Ren usually uses and looked for the accessory box. However, there were two accessory boxes she found. One was in a corner of the desk, and the other was on a shelf attached to the desk. ¡°I wonder which one it is ¡­¡­.¡± Licia was not feeling well and could not make normal judgments. Normally, she would have easily guessed that the one on the desk should be the one prepared for her, but this time, in a daze, she reached for the small container on the shelf. Perhaps it was because the accessory box stood out. It was covered with melted paint, but it caught her eye in a strange way. When she picked it up, the paint which had been dry, cracked with a sound. It seemed to have spent the winter in storage and had become brittle due to the difference in temperature. Licia found it in the open accessory box. ¡°¡­¡­ this could it be?¡± I¡¯m sure it belongs to me, I thought I had lost it. The first time she came to Ren¡¯s village, somehow it should have disappeared somewhere, but it was stored in the house. ¡°¡­¡­Hmmm, right.¡± Licia is calmly tormented by many emotions. Anger ¡­¡­ was strangely fleeting. If anything, she was puzzled with sorting out the indescribable shame, and was more concerned about what to do with this thing she had found. In addition, the fact that she had caused too much trouble for Ren already, played a part in it. When you think about it, as a woman and as a young lady, she couldn¡¯t discount it as just a piece of underwear ¡ª-. Naturally, she had her thoughts The first thing that comes to mind is the need to scold Ren. After what she just said, she would never want to take Ren to Clausel¡­.. or threaten to take him to Clausel because of this matter. But it should be absolutely necessary to correct such an action¡­¡­ right. ¡¯It¡¯s not that I expect Ren to come to Clausel and make amends on his own accord.¡¯ Licia mocked herself for having such a devious thought in a corner of her mind. But she still had to tell Ren that bad things are bad. Licia felt a twinge of shame when she thought of the time she would have to point this out to him, but she made up her mind. ¡°When I¡¯m feeling a little better, I¡¯ll have to have a one-on-one talk with him.¡± Licia takes only her things from the accessory box and carries them to her bag and puts them inside. She had already lost the desire to write the letter. CH 27 The next day, after breakfast. Ren, who had finished preparing for the hunt, stood in the yard, waiting for Roy. But as soon as he stepped in, Roy told him to take off his equipment. ¡°I want you to take today off from hunting and go into the village to carry lumber.¡± ¡°Carrying lumber? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Fortunately, Weiss-san and the others are going to help us with a lot of things. They are going to help us with the little boars that have increased ridiculously and do some carpentry work while they¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what this is about.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m going to the vaults with Weiss-san.¡± Ren tilted his head at the word vault. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I told you, but there¡¯s a shed near the bridge where we store wood. Ever since I told you before that I was going to fix up the mansion, I¡¯ve been working on it little by little.¡± Roy and Weiss would visit the shed and check on the forest, while handing over the wood to the knights for transport. It seems that it is a flow of handing it over and carrying it. In the village, Ren would assist them. ¡°I¡¯m going to give instructions at the storehouse and then I¡¯m going into the forest with Weiss-san and some other knights.¡± Weiss comes in just as he finishes checking these things. Mireille came out of the house after him. ¡°Roy-dono. let¡¯s get right to it.¡± ¡°Yes, I just talked to Ren about it.¡± Then Mireille came out of the house. ¡°I¡¯m going to Grandma Rigg¡¯s house. I need to have some medicine made for the young lady, so I won¡¯t be back until afternoon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mireille-san.¡± Mireille saw Weiss bowing his head and hurriedly said ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡° ¡°It is the duty of a knight¡¯s family to take care of the lady. Leave this kind of work to me.¡± With these words, she walked ahead of the others down the field path. Soon after, Ren and the others followed her out of the garden and joined the knights who were already waiting outside. ¡°Well, my fellow knights.¡± The knights straightened their backs in response to Weiss¡¯s voice. ¡°We must return the favor and kindness shown to us. Get into position and display the physical strength you have developed over the years.¡± The knights responded heroically. Everyone began to move briskly. Some followed Roy and Weiss as they walked and some started walking toward the carpentry area. (¡­¡­ It¡¯s cloudy today.) Just before he himself began to move, Ren looked up at the sky. He asked the Lord God to keep the rain from pouring down from the cloudy sky. ************************************************ Sure enough. Within two hours of everyone moving, the sky deteriorated rapidly and the rain began to fall. Within seconds, the fog began to roll in and the visibility was terrible. They couldn¡¯t even see a little bit further. ¡°Ren-dono! I think we should take a break!¡± ¡°I understand¡­.! The weather is getting worse.¡± Ren who replied to the knight was going back and forth between the material yard set up between the field and the mansion. The repairing area is not limited to the mansion, but there are also some old houses, so it was more convenient to set up a relay point. (The rain is getting heavier and heavier.) The rain was increasing and the ground was getting muddy. Let¡¯s take a break at the house until the weather calms down. (What¡¯s that ¡­¡­?) Ren raised his eyebrows as he made this decision. (What¡¯s this ¡­¡­?) Ren¡¯s nose suddenly twitched. (What¡¯s that smell?) The smell of the soil being wet from the rain, mixed with a nose-stabbing odor. It was the smell of burning. In this village, there are villagers who burn fields several times a year. It was a thick burnt smell, similar to when they did it. The knight walking right beside me also noticed the smell and raised his eyebrows. (It¡¯s coming from over there.) The smell came from the direction where the mansion was located. Ren¡¯s foot noticed this and unconsciously pushed his body forward. ¡°What¡¯s this smell¡ª-Re, Ren-dono!¡± The knight shouted and at the same time, he ran after Ren, who was running at a fast pace. The two of them looked in the direction of the Ashton family mansion and saw a bright red glow at the end of the thick fog. As they took one step closer, and then another, the true nature of the light was revealed. It was a fire. It was a flame, radiating a deep red light. ¡°Why¡­ Why is the mansion¡­¡­?¡± It was natural to wonder. But he didn¡¯t think about the answer. The first thing that came to mind was the people who remained in the mansion. Most importantly not the knights, but ¡ª- Licia. ¡°Please wait! Ren-dono!¡± Ren ran without listening to the knight¡¯s calls. The distance of more than ten minutes to the mansion, he ran through in the blink of an eye. ¡°Hah ¡­¡­ hah ¡­¡­ hah ¡­¡­!¡± As he approached the mansion, a new aroma wafted through the air that stung his nose. Mixed in with the fog and rain, there was also a slight smell of blood in the air. Something strange is happening. The crimson flames are raging despite the rain. It was visible and hidden behind a thick fog, and asserted its presence like the sun. (Faster¡­..!) An old fence comes into view beyond the thick fog. Further on, he could see the fallen knights in the garden. When he approached to ask how they were, he found that every single one of them had died and there was a terrible scar at the base of their necks, as if they had been bitten to death. Ren¡¯s hand touched the body and felt the warmth that still remained in the knight¡¯s body. Not much time had passed. (Taking advantage of the fog and rain to drown out the sound too¡­.! Who could have done this in just a moment ¡­¡­?) Ren saw this and, fighting back the nausea that came over him, turned his attention toward the mansion. The memorable mansion was engulfed in a raging fire and looking at the doorway, it looked like a dragon spitting flames. He still didn¡¯t stop and valiantly kicked through the door to get inside. He also summoned his iron magic sword and clenched it in preparation for battle. At this point, Ren wondered whether to wait for the pursuing knight. If someone had set fire to the house and attacked the knights¡­¡­ that someone might still be inside the house. It¡¯s definitely better to wait for the knights than to go alone. ¡ª-But what would happen to Licia while he waited? Perhaps the knights will arrive in less than a few minutes. But what if Licia falls to the deadly blade while waiting for that time? Thinking of that, he couldn¡¯t stop, even though he was terrified. Gasping for breath, Ren slapped his cheek and stomped into the mansion. ¡°Why is this ¡­¡­ happening?¡± The inside of the house was bright red and dazzling with flames. The heat wave that surged through the air caused a burning pain on his skin. Still, Ren stepped into the raging fire and ran up toward the half-destroyed staircase. At the edge of his vision, he saw the figure of a knight who had turned into a lying, mute mass. In the face of what was clearly an unusual event, he bravely went to his room, not letting his fear get the better of him. And then he arrived. Ren, fighting the pain of his burns, roughly opened the door to his room. ¡°Ojou-sama!¡± He shouted loudly toward the bed. At the same time, he notices a man and two monsters by the bed. He also noticed that only the man was surrounded by a glowing blue veil, and that he wasn¡¯t on fire. ¡°¡ª- are you Ren Ashton?¡± The man standing beside Lithia who was sleeping, asked. The man¡¯s gray robes made it impossible to make out anything other than the cold sound of his voice. Ren saw the white wooden staff in the man¡¯s hand and involuntarily stiffened. (Is he the one responsible?) Anger, sadness, confusion. Ren, who had been tormented by a multitude of emotions, calmly asked the man what was going on. Before answering the man¡¯s question, he looked at the monsters following him. (Those are¡­¡­) ¡ª- Maneater. It looks like a huge black lizard, but its face has no eyes or nose, only a large mouth with sharp fangs peeking out. Its winged body, reminiscent of a bat, is about the same size as an adult. Ren recalls his knowledge of the Maneater. Nervously, he swallowed his fresh spit noisily. ¡°Is this your doing, Demon beast master?¡± ¡°Oh, you know?¡± ¡°One would be a fool not to know. They¡¯re Maneaters, aren¡¯t they? I can¡¯t think of any monster that would use power to create flames and a veil to protect their master from their own flames.¡± The man let out a chuckle at Ren¡¯s words and left the bed to approach him. Ren, on the other hand, held up his iron magic sword, repeatedly taking a step back as the man took a step closer. ¡°Surely, the Maneaters here are monsters I summoned.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you knew that they¡¯re part of the power of a demon beast master. I¡¯m surprised.¡± Ren was secretly relieved that he hadn¡¯t made a mistake, although it was all knowledge he had learned from the legends of the seven heroes. (Think about it. What should I do?) The Maneater is a monster that can be summoned with the skill of a demon beast master. Its power is generally equivalent to D rank if it were to be replaced by a normal monster. Two of them. It goes without saying that this is not a situation where he can easily fight. (No, my father and Weiss-sama should be here soon.) What I need to do is buy time. I must somehow prolong this stalemate. And as Ren is raising his vigilance¡ª- ¡°Eh¡­¡­?¡± The mansion shook violently. The old mansion was being attacked by a raging fire from the inside, leading to the collapse of the mansion, which was not defeated by the pouring rain. The shaking rocked the ceiling of Ren¡¯s room. Then, the ceiling above Licia¡¯s bed began to collapse. ¡°This¡ª-!¡± Ren saw this and summoned his wooden magic sword, creating tree roots and ivy to stop the collapse. The Maneaters saw this and opened their big mouths to spit flames. The roots and ivy were instantly transformed into charcoal. But on the other hand, the collapse of the ceiling was unstoppable. So Ren had no choice but to run. ¡°Damn it!¡± Ren swung the wooden sword again and again with all the strength in his muscles, and the wind pressure he generated dispelled the flames. He didn¡¯t stop running, and when he reached the bed, he cut through the falling ceiling to protect Lithia. ¡ª- instead. ¡°Go to sleep for a while.¡± The man¡¯s cold voice rings out and a fresh, mint-like scent reaches Ren¡¯s nostrils. Once he smelled the scent, he felt his strength drain from his entire body. His eyelids grew heavy and he can¡¯t seem to resist the urge to fall down on his own and his body easily collapses beside Lithia. ¡°What ¡­¡­ is ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s incense. It could put a small dragon to sleep for days.¡± Ren hears her voice and reaches out to protect Lithia. A moment after he embraced her slender body, Ren let go of his consciousness. CH 28.1 All my senses were dull. It was as if I wasn¡¯t myself and the sights I was seeing were shifting independently of my will. Before he knew it, Ren was watching his own back. Like a shadow following, he followed at regular intervals. ¡ª¡ª¡ª-The village was on fire. Unlike the current Ren, the Ren carrying only two little boarrs was walking dumbfounded along the field road. The knights walking next to him were speechless. ¡°Mother¡­.?¡»\ Suddenly, Ren threw away the little boars and started to run. The knights who started running as well ran shoulder to shoulder, and the group rushed to the Ashton family mansion. ¡­¡­..The house was on fire when they arrived at the destination. Ren saw this and almost fell to his knees in weakness. However, he approached the mansion with his body trembling. My mother must be in that house. Unable to think of anything else, he wished only to hear his mother¡¯s voice. But he was stopped. The knight pinned him down and he was deprived of his freedom. ¡°You can¡¯t! ¡»\ ¡°Let go of me! My mother is ¡ª-!¡»\ ¡°No¡­ If you jump into that fire, you will be ¡­¡­ too! ¡»\ Ren still continued to resist. But he was weak. The figure I saw was so weak that I could not believe it was me. ¡°I made a promise to my father at the end of his life that I would protect her¡­¡­. ¡»\ Then, there it was. ¡°Retreat! Quickly! ¡»\ A girl¡¯s voice came from behind, mingled with the sound of hoofbeats. When the two Rens turned to look at the voice, a dazzling light enveloped the entire area. ¡ª- Soon after, a new scene unfolded. This time again, he could see himself from behind. A self that wasn¡¯t him. It was the evening sky. Ren was on a plain at the edge of the village, standing in front of a number of burlap sacks lined up between his eyes. ¡°Dear Ren, it¡¯s Grandma Rigg¡­¡­..¡± ¡°I know¡­¡­. I was already prepared for this.¡± Ren answered without turning to the knight, his shoulders shaking. The knight bowed his head behind him and walked away. Then Weiss, his armor stained with soot, appears in his place. ¡°¡ª- boy.¡± Weiss took the stunned Ren in his arms and gave him a powerful hug. Weiss soon has tears streaming down his cheeks. After a few moments of this, he apologizes again and again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If only we had arrived earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡­. It¡¯s all because I was weak.¡± ¡°But ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ it¡¯s the same with my father. The night he died, I should have gathered up my courage and gone to pick rondo grass. Then he wouldn¡¯t have died and I might have been able to handle today¡¯s banditry.¡± ¡°Not so! It¡¯s our fault!¡± ¡°Some of the knights lost a hand or a leg fighting for us. It was thanks to them that we were able to defeat Thief Wolfen, whom my father had driven back.¡± So it¡¯s not their fault, Ren says. ¡°And they helped my mother. And Weiss-sama wiped out the bandits, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ No, I let one of them get away. I¡¯m sorry. If only I had gotten there a little earlier.¡± ¡°Stop it. If I let you keep apologizing, I¡¯ll get in trouble with my father.¡± ¡°And besides,¡± Ren continued. ¡°The one you mentioned now is the young lady¡­ right? I¡¯m just seeing her for the first time.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. The young lady was so traumatized by the winter of the Thief Wolfen that she came with me to this village on behalf of my master¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The saint is amazing, isn¡¯t she? She can dispel the flames of the mansion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Oh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so grateful to her for saving my mother¡¯s life. I can¡¯t resent Weiss and the others for that.¡± After he finished, Ren sat there helplessly. He hugged his knees and fell face down in front of the human-sized burlap sacks that lined the plain. A few moments of silence passed, and Ren stopped to think. What am I going to do from today? We can¡¯t live in this village anymore. Most of the houses have been burned down and there is very little food left. The uncertainty of the future slowly began to occupy his mind. ¡°I¡¯m going to sit next to you¡­¡­. ¡± Then came the voice of a girl ¡ª-, Licia. Ren looked up and saw her. Licia with bandages covering her fingertips, grazes on her cheeks and other parts of her body. ¡°I treated your mother¡¯s body and the other villagers as best I could¡­¡± Licia did everything in her power to rescue the villagers, despite her wounds, without regard to her own status. ¡°Thank you¡­ that was¡­¡± ¡°But we need to treat her better. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll wake up. So I will escort everyone who survived to my town and other villages.¡± Licia looks at Ren¡¯s face as she finishes. Licia then uttered that the bandits were probably from the Heroic Faction or the Imperialist Faction. The Clausel family was involved in a factional war. Those who were working to expand their faction would have attacked the village in a forceful and brutal manner. However, nothing was forseen. There was no element of forewarning, in this case. Weiss and his men¡¯s arrival was just a coincidence and without that coincidence, Ren would have lost his mother as well. Still, Licia and Weiss were saying that it was all their fault. Licia, in particular, was willing to do whatever it took to make amends. ¡°¡­¡­ honestly, I don¡¯t know what to do. I can¡¯t afford to hold a grudge against you. I¡¯m too busy with my mother, who is seriously ill, and the villagers.¡± Licia said nothing, but nodded with a somber look on her face. ¡°But my father told me that we¡¯re knights in the service of the Clausel family, and we protect this village with our lives. So it¡¯s not reasonable to hold a grudge¡­¡­ and I can¡¯t think of anything else to do¡­..¡± Tears spilled out of Ren¡¯s eyes. He¡¯d been able to put up with it all this time, but now, his strength failed him. Licia gently embraced him. CH 28.2 Was it a dream? Ren opens his eyes and thinks half-asleep. (Could that be Ren and the lady in the ¡­¡­ game ¡­¡­?) I felt as if I had been shown an event in a world line I didn¡¯t know, and this expectation unexpectedly flashed through my mind. But I don¡¯t know. Assuming that it really was a story that was never told in the game, why did I suddenly see it? Moreover, by the looks of it, I feel uncomfortable with the flow of Ren killing Saint Licia. If the events of that world line were true, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to understand if Ren¡¯s murderous act was motivated by his hatred for the Clausel family and his desire for revenge. But that wasn¡¯t the case. I can¡¯t rule out the possibility that Ren in another world line would cool down after that and decide to take revenge on the Clausel family, but from the looks of it, I don¡¯t think that line is very likely. After all, I couldn¡¯t find the answer even if I thought about it. ¡­¡­ So I worked hard to understand the current situation. (This scent¡­) The first thing he perceived was a musty smell mixed with the scent of trees. Next, he felt an unpleasant shaking throughout his body and soon the sound of creaking wood reached his ears and he also heard the sound of something being stepped on. It had been too dark to see clearly, but when I squinted and looked around, I realized that I was lying in a space reminiscent of an old hut. (Where am I?) I could tell from the light coming through the walls that it was daytime, but I couldn¡¯t make out anything else. But when I heard the sound of labored breathing coming from next door, I turned my head to look. This is when I realized that my hands and feet were bound. And when I saw the person who was at the end of my sight, I finally understood everything. ¡°Ojou¡­¡­!¡± I don¡¯t remember anything since I was put to sleep by the Demon beast master. In other words, we must be in the process of being taken somewhere since then. ¡°Huh ¡­¡­ huh ¡­¡­ huh ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Young lady, it¡¯s me! Ren Ashton!¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­a¡­¡­¡± Licia doesn¡¯t answer when I speak to her. She could only let out a pained exhale at one point and let the large beads of sweat on her forehead trickle down her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re awake.¡± Suddenly, a voice came from outside this space. It was the voice of the beast master I had heard in the mansion. ¡°You slept well, didn¡¯t you? Four days of sleep should be enough.¡± (Four days¡­¡­?) If he slept that long, they must have come a long way from the village. ¡°Ren Ashton. If you stay quiet, you¡¯ll be safe. Don¡¯t think about anything else, just bear with it for a few more days.¡± ¡°What about the young lady ¡ª- what¡¯s going to happen to the girl?¡± ¡°Fufu, you¡¯re clever, aren¡¯t you? You think I don¡¯t know who Licia Clausel is, and you¡¯re reiterating it to avoid revealing her true identity.¡± Ren¡¯s brow furrowed at the fact that he knew what he was thinking. ¡°Answer me. Is the young lady safe?¡± It¡¯s not that he was reopening the matter. The only thing is that he couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that the beast master might have done something to Licia, so he asked again, this time in a stronger tone of voice. ¡°Of course. fuhaha, but can you trust me to answer that she¡¯s safe?¡± ¡°¡­¡­. that is.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t lie.¡± The Demon beast master said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t plan for her to be ill in the first place. If I can get medicine along the way, I¡¯ll administer it.¡± Licia¡¯s illness is not life-threatening on its own, but complications could lead to death. Weiss had mentioned this before. Licia¡¯s condition was worse than when she was at the mansion. It was probably due to this poor environment. (We must have been put in a carriage.) It was only natural for her condition to deteriorate in an environment that smelled of mold and allowed little sunlight to penetrate. In addition to administering the medication as soon as possible, we need to make it easier for Licia to rest. ¡°I had taken care of the two of you by giving you potions until today. You should be thankful for that.¡± ¡°Now¡­¡­I¡¯m short of things to say¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ huh ¡­¡­a¡­¡­.¡± Next to Ren, who is on the verge of rage, Licia continues to let out a pained breath. For her sake, I can¡¯t keep this quiet. (I wouldn¡¯t trust their word if they could get the drugs.) I had no intention of trusting the man who attacked the mansion and took the lives of the knights. So, I had to escape. Licia would be in danger if we didn¡¯t escape from the demon beast master and somehow get the medicine. But Ren had never left his village before. And if they had been on a horse-drawn wagon for the past four days, he didn¡¯t know what would happen even if he could escape from their assailant. Since he didn¡¯t know the area, he might die in the open somewhere. But even so¡­ (There is no way I would abandon her.) It seemed that if I kept quiet, I would be assured of my own safety, but I wasn¡¯t ready to accept that. Even if Licia lost her life in the future, and it was confirmed that the same future as the legend of the seven heroes wouldn¡¯t come, I was sure that I would regret if I abandoned her here. (I don¡¯t have my magic sword.) It was still summoned, so it seems the Demon beast user hid it somewhere. But it doesn¡¯t matter to Ren. The magic sword just needs to be re-summoned. ¡°That¡¯s right. Keep quiet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me. Your voice makes me sick.¡± ¡±Ha-ha-ha! I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± Ren didn¡¯t want to run away right now. The best way to do this is to escape when the demon beast user was asleep. If I don¡¯t increase the probability of success as much as possible, I don¡¯t know what will happen to the lives of not only me but also Licia, who¡¯s not considered to be very important, in the event of failure. (I feel like an idiot for planning to flee at night in a place I don¡¯t know the lay of the land.) But it seemed better that way. I thought about yelling out somewhere crowded, but that wouldn¡¯t necessarily get anyone to help me. After all, the only person I could trust was myself. ******************************************** It has been a while since the light stopped shining through the gaps in the timber. (Is it night already?) After waking up and realizing that the first night had come, Ren suddenly noticed that the carriage had stopped. ¡°By the way, what if I yell out and call for help?¡± ¡°It would only end in vain. Only I can hear the sound from inside. I¡¯ve got that kind of magic equipment set up.¡± That¡¯s convenient. Ren sighed. ¡°¡­¡­a¡­¡­.¡± From next door, he could hear the sound of Licia¡¯s labored breathing. The pain seemed to be getting worse than during the day. This shouldn¡¯t be the worst possible outcome. ¡°Speed up the carriage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s night already. Sleep today and we¡¯ll search the village again tomorrow.¡± The carriage shook as the beast master stood up after saying this mercilessly. He had been sitting in the coachman¡¯s place, but when he stood up, he went to the side of the carriage, unlocked it, and opened the door. Ren, who was at the end of it, was thrown food by the beast master. It was dry meat, bread and water in a leather bag. ¡°Feed them to your precious lady.¡± As soon as he finished saying this, the door was quickly closed. Ren crawled inside the carriage and emptied the leather canteen. With it in his mouth, he brought it to Licia¡¯s mouth and dripped some water and she began to drink a little. After a while, Ren dripped the water onto a piece of dry bread and let it soak. Immediately apologizing, he put the softened bread between his lips and gently placed it on Licia¡¯s lips. It looked a little hard to eat, but Licia chewed a few bites while being snarled. (She won¡¯t even stand it for a few more days like this.) Licia, and even Ren, would lose strength. If they were going to escape, they had to move before that. (It has to be tonight. I can¡¯t afford to wait and see what happens.) Once I¡¯d made up my mind, I felt strangely calm. Perhaps because I was prepared for this to be the only way, I was surprisingly calm and didn¡¯t let fear take control of my body. ¡ª- Soon, I began to faintly hear the sleeping breaths of the beast master. In the same way, I can even hear the Maneater¡¯s breathing from outside. (I have no choice but to do it.) But I must not think of defeating the beast master. The goal is to escape, to get away from this place. There¡¯s no other way but to do so, since there is a D-rank equivalent Maneater. ¡°My lady, will you entrust your life to me?¡± I said to Licia in a whisper, and I felt the edges of her lips part a little. Seeing this, Ren takes a deep breath¡ª-. Before he knew it, his heart was beating loudly and repeatedly. Knowing that he was nervous without realizing it, ¡®don¡¯t weaken now!¡¯ He told himself strongly to boost his confidence. (Let¡¯s go, Ren ¡ª-!) He said the words less loudly than the sound of leaves rubbing against each other, and re-summoned the iron magic sword. With a thud, it fell onto the wagon and he rubbed the chains that bound his arm against it. It was a metal chain, but the iron sword cut through it without any difficulty. Ren broke the chains binding his legs, and then the chains binding Licia. CH 29.1 He knew by the sound that the carriage had a key. Ren carried Licia up and tightened his grip on the iron magic sword. His body was heavy as he lifted his arm. Still, it was fortuitous that he was able to move his body. In fact, he had been in a coma for four days, so it was only natural that he Shouldn¡¯t move at all. (As I recall, there was something about potions.) That¡¯s a different concept from my previous life, an item that plays a part in fantasy. In the game era, in addition to restoring physical strength, it helps to get rid of abnormalities. In addition to this, I may also be affected by my physical ability UP (small). ¡­¡­ (Whatever it is, it helped.) Ren cleaves the iron sword horizontally without making a sound. Then, in a single vertical flash, he cut the carriage lock in two. Then the carriage door cracked and Ren removed it while holding it down so as not to make a sound. (¡­¡­ It¡¯s all right. He¡¯s not awake.) He leaned outside and found the beast master sitting in the governor¡¯s seat, but fortunately, he was asleep with his arms crossed without waking up. Relieved, he looked around and found himself in a forest in total darkness. He had no idea where he was. But Ren, who had made up his mind to run away, took a step forward. He was determined to escape and took a step forward. ¡°Grrrghh¡»\ It was at that moment. A voice came from a towering tree nearby. Ren looked up in that direction and saw the two maneaters using a thick branch as a bed. The maneaters were glaring at him, their eyes glowing crimson as they writhed about in an eerie manner. ¡°¡ª-How did you escape?¡± The Beast master woke up and got out of the carriage, approaching Ren. The maneaters also raised their body and spread their wings. ¡°The sword was supposed to be by my side, why is it in your hand?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s my sword, so what does it matter?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s certainly not my sword. But don¡¯t do it. If you stay quiet, you¡¯ll be safe and you¡¯ll see your parents again.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know what will happen to the young lady.¡± ¡°Such beautiful loyalty, It dazzles me.¡± The beast master said with a sneer. ¡°This is your last warning. If you don¡¯t return to the wagon yourself, know that it¡¯ll be a painful journey.¡± He intimidates Ren with his ruthless voice. The two maneaters are already floating behind him. If the beastmaster doesn¡¯t receive the answers he seeks, the two maneaters will wield their power over him. Licia¡¯s voice reaches Ren¡¯s ears as he watches for an opening. ¡°¡­¡­ alone¡­¡­ run away¡­¡­.¡± When did she wake up? ¡°No, if I¡¯m going to run away, we¡¯re going to do it together.¡± These words were the signal. The beast master in front of them snapped his fingers and gave the order to the maneaters. The two monsters flapped their wings and approached Ren from behind. The sound of ¡°Geeee!¡± was the cry that filled the forest. Ren, clutching his iron sword, took a deep breath and pushed himself forward. ¡°Heh! You¡¯re young and na?ve! Did you think you could win with a sword when you¡¯re up against a beast master!¡± ¡°I wonder!¡± As Ren steps forward, the maneaters close in on him. The first thing it did was to stretch out his neck to bite Licia that Ren was carrying. Ren¡¯s heart still rages at the sound of painful breathing coming from his back. In the midst of all this, Ren abruptly changed the direction of his body. He went behind the wagon and avoided the maneaters who were closing in behind him. He swung up his sword without slowing his momentum and smashed the carriage from behind. Ahead of him, he saw the face of the beast master behind a gap in the wood. Ren threw the iron magic sword at his face. The beast master tried to avoid it by twisting his body. The iron sword scratched his neck slightly and the necklace that was decorating his neck danced in the air. ¡°Hmph¡­¡­ you¡¯re a fool to throw your weapon¡ª What!¡± The iron magic sword disappeared without a trace shortly after passing right next to the beast master. Instead, the wooden magic sword in Ren¡¯s hand caused the earth to rise, and brought out roots of a tree that extended and restrained the beast master¡¯s feet. Ren saw this and jumped from the back of the carriage. In doing so, he saw the dagger Weiss had given him and retrieved it. He also grabbed the necklace that flew from the beast master¡¯s neck. The necklace had a broken chain and the pendant was shattered. (Don¡¯t try to defeat that guy! Don¡¯t be greedy!) Maybe I can beat him. It¡¯s not easy to say, take a life, but if he could take the life of the beast master, the maneaters could disappear at the same time. But now that his strength was depleted, there was no certainty that he would be able to defeat him, and he couldn¡¯t make up his mind. ¡°You¡¯re doing great! But that¡¯s enough!¡± The beast master picked up a white wooden staff. At the tip of the staff, a ball of light in a variety of colors begins to wriggle. ¡°¡­¡­Make it!¡± I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s trying to do with the staff, but it¡¯s disturbing. A moment after he takes the staff, Ren summons the thief¡¯s magic sword himself and waves his arm. ¡°Wha- my staff¡­..!¡± The staff disappeared from the astonished beast master¡¯s hand and instead it was in Ren¡¯s hand. Luckily, he was able to take it from the beast master. But there was no relief. One of the maneaters was coming right at Ren, and the remaining one was right in front of the beast master. ¡°Graaaaaah!¡± Ren ducked once in mid-air and hit the maneater with the staff he had taken from its master. He also hit the coachman¡¯s seat in rapid succession. The impact shattered the part holding the horse in place and the cane also shattered due to Ren¡¯s physical strength. The horse, startled by this, rushed forward and Ren reached out his hand to force the horse to ride. ¡°Without a staff¡­.that power is ¡­¡­ after him!¡± Hearing the voice of the beast man, the maneaters flapped both wings more strongly than ever. At this time, Ren, who had never ridden a horse before, was struggling to get on the horse. Ren had returned the thief¡¯s magic sword and instead used the wooden magic sword he had summoned to create vines to bind himself and Licia. Making sure their bodies were never separated, they rode through the thickly overgrown forest. ¡°Demon beast master! I know your weakness!¡± ¡°Weakness¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You know it yourself! That¡¯s why you¡¯re in such a hurry!¡± The beast master let out an exasperated voice. ¡°Monsters that dwell in the forest! Listen to my voice!¡± After the distant echo of the beast master¡¯s voice, the sound of movement could be heard everywhere in the forest. Numerous Monsters passed over Ren¡¯s head and right beside him as he rode his horse. They were beasts that reminded him of little boars, or monsters that looked like giant beetles. ¡°Gigi gigi! ¡»\ ¡°Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii¡»\ The high-pitched voices of the maneaters pierced my ears. However, as ten or twenty seconds passed, the Maneaters began to lose momentum, and by the time a few minutes had passed, the distance between them and the Maneaters was almost too great. The same was true for the monsters nestled in the forest. ¡°¡­¡­Are we safe now?¡± After another dozen minutes of riding, Ren was confident that they were safe. (I guess distance is still his weakness.) This was the true meaning of the words he had told the demon beast master just a moment ago. Besides summoning the maneater, the user can only command monsters that are weaker than himself. However, all of these orders had the aspect of being less effective when they were away from the beast user himself. (Here¡¯s the problem.) I¡¯m happy that I was able to use the knowledge I gained from the legends of the seven heroes. However, I can¡¯t let my guard down, because I have another major goal waiting: to escape the strange forest and find a human settlement. Still, just when I thought I had reached the end of my quest, I felt a sudden surge of exhaustion. ¡°I¡¯ll get the medicine for you, ojou-sama, I promise.¡± When I told Licia in my usual tone of voice, she uttered in a faint voice, ¡°I¡¯m ¡­¡­ sorry.¡± CH 29.2 Weiss¡¯s famous horse looks like an ordinary horse at first glance, but in fact, it is faster and more enduring than other horses because it has the blood of a monster mixed in it. He used this as an advantage to search all around Ren¡¯s village. However, he couldn¡¯t find Ren and Licia. So he ordered his knights to join him on the way, while he himself rode to report to Baron Clausel. He returned to Baron Clausel¡¯s mansion on the morning of the fifth day after Ren¡¯s escape from the beast master. In other words, it was the morning of the ninth day after Ren and Licia were taken away. ¡°I will take all the punishment in place of the dead escort knight. But I ask for a reprieve until the young lady is saved.¡± Returning to Baron Clausel¡¯s residence, he reported to Baron Clausel¡¯s office what had happened in the village ruled by the Ashtons, and the fact that both Licia and Ren had been taken away. ¡°Why did you leave Licia¡¯s side?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ because of an error in judgment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you! Why did the Knight Commander leave Licia¡¯s side?¡± Baron Clausel was so close to Weiss that he grabbed him by the chest and raised his voice. Soon, he had a look of surprise. ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± Weiss¡¯s eyes swam. ¡°It¡¯s about Licia. She cursed her own failure when she fell ill, didn¡¯t she? To repay her debt to the Ashton family, she asked you to help her defeat the monsters that had increased out of the blue, didn¡¯t she?¡± Weiss was silent, saying nothing, but his silence was as good as an answer. ¡°¡­¡­ sorry about that.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s still my fault. I have the most ability, I should rather have sent my own men to hunt, and stayed behind as a guard.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a mistake, it is righteous loyalty. How could I punish you in response to Licia¡¯s strong wish?¡± Weiss, who was overcome with remorse, couldn¡¯t say anything in response to the sorrowful tone of voice. Baron Clausel¡¯s hand was clutching his chest, and he walked slowly to the window. Outside the window, a heavy rain was falling, which seemed to indicate the state of mind of the two men. ¡°We can¡¯t sit still any longer.¡± Baron Clausel said in a strong tone. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the Imperial City! Not only the nobles of my faction, but also the Emperor must be informed of what has happened!¡± When he received the report in his office, he was furious and shook his fist. But there was no proof. Baron Clausel was convinced that Viscount Givens had committed the crime, as before. But there wasn¡¯t enough evidence to judge him. ¡°We must be very careful not to make false reports. It would be a good thing if we could get reinforcements to search for Licia. By the way, Weiss, how are the Ashtons doing?¡± ¡°They are being evacuated to a safe village with the villagers, accompanied by knights other than myself.¡± ¡°Good. Then we¡¯ll move quickly.¡± First of all, we need to contact the capital. Of course, we also need to contact the nearby neutralist nobles. Whatever we have to do, we needed reinforcements. ¡°If we make a bad move, the other factions will eat us alive. We must move carefully.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± We¡¯re going to be busy from now on. Baron Clausel, his mind tightened, was about to pick up his pen, when a moment later. ¡°My Lord!¡± The usually calm butler came to his office without knocking. ¡°A visitor from the Imperial Capital has arrived¡­¡­! Please hurry to the hall!¡± Baron Clausel was startled by the butler¡¯s ghastly appearance, but thought it was no time to be surprised to hear that he had a guest from the imperial capital. Who had come all the way here and for what purpose? With doubts in his mind, he left his office and walked on the thick crimson carpet to the hall. He was surprised to see the manner of dressing of the people. ¡°Baron Clausel, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­ you are ¡­¡­.¡± They were civil servants in gray robes, belonging to the legal affairs bureau. ¡°We are here by order of His Excellency the Minister of Justice.¡± One of them steps forward and reaches into his pocket. He unfolds a rolled parchment and presents it to Baron Clausel. ¡°In accordance with the great imperial law, Baron Clausel, you will stand before the tribunal.¡± ¡°Huh ¡ª- why me!¡± ¡°Baron Clausel, you¡¯re suspected of gross misgovernance. As you¡¯re aware, the nobility entrusted by the Emperor with his lands have several obligations.¡± Weiss muttered the following to the civil official who spoke without hesitation. ¡°Viscount Givens, I never thought he¡¯d involve the imperial capital as well.¡± Following Weiss¡¯s hateful muttering, Baron Clausel says. ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that! We nobles have a duty to protect the people of our lands and the wealth of our lands! But which of these have I violated?¡± ¡°In addition to the continued damage to several villages, Baron Clausel¡¯s failure to take prompt action has spread the monster¡¯s damage to the neighboring Viscount Givens¡¯ territory. The Minister of Justice has received a report from Viscount Givens and has decided on this trial.¡± Baron Clausel had a counterargument. At the very least, it was all beyond the scope of the disturbances that could occur in his domain. But when he tried to open his mouth, the civil servant from the legal department interrupted him, saying, ¡°At the tribunal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m told that Viscount Givens will arrive the morning after tomorrow, so the first arguments will be made here in Clausel on that day. The day after that, the verdict will be handed down¡ª-¡° ¡°If you are dissatisfied with the verdict, the next round of judgments will be held in the Imperial City. If you are still dissatisfied with the verdict, you will go to the Great Temple of the Imperial Capital for a trial before the gods.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Everything happened too fast. Things were unfolding at an overwhelming speed, including the attack on Ren¡¯s village. No doubt, this was a trend that had been set in motion for some time. Baron Clausel and Weiss realized this. ¡°We¡¯ll leave you now.¡± The civil servant from the legal department bowed his head for the last time, said he would stay at an inn in town, and left the hall. ¡°If I am found guilty by the judges, the Clausel family will lose their titles.¡± ¡°But my lord! All territories suffer damage from monsters! No lord should be held responsible for something as trivial as this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why Viscount Givens claimed that the damage had spread to his territory.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fabrication, as we all know.¡± In the first place, Baron Clausel dispatched knights to villages whenever possible and did his utmost best to protect his subjects. Was it all pressure from Viscount Givens, or perhaps the heroes? The conflict between the heroes and the royalists must have become even more intense. Baron Clausel kept his eyes down and began to ponder what the best course of action was. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why the two were taken away.¡± Viscount Given was obsessed with Ren, but if wanted to take a hostage, Licia should have been enough. For example, it should be no problem to threaten the Clausel family and try to bring them into the faction. Considering the heinous acts that had been committed against the village, the possibility that they would kill Licia in the event of an emergency couldn¡¯t be dismissed. But it¡¯s difficult to ask whether Ren is worth it as a hostage. He¡¯s no different from any other boy with a bright future ahead of him¡­¡­. CH 30 At the same time, Ren had just left a village. He was dressed in a dirty robe, something he had never done before. This was a disguise to keep a low profile. It was a humble one that he had obtained in a village he had found the day before yesterday by bartering for materials from a monster he had hunted along the way. Naturally, Licia was also dressed in the same outfit. Instead, the clothes they were both wearing have already been discarded. Even though they had been cared for with potions as meal substitutes, they hadn¡¯t been completely taken care of and although dirt is natural to human life, it was unhygienic. ¡°Ojou-sama, I¡¯ll stop the horse a little further away.¡± Ren, on the horse, said to Licia, who was sitting in front of him. ¡°Ah¡­ okay.¡± After about ten minutes of riding the horse, we were approaching a forest. The villages scattered around this area are the same as the village where Ren lived and the terrain is such that you can reach the forest quickly after a short ride. Ren stopped his horse in the shadows of the trees and dismounted. As a young boy, Ren wasn¡¯t tall enough, and from the side it looked as if he had jumped off his horse. (Not cool, indeed.) Even with his arms outstretched, he couldn¡¯t dismount Licia. So until today, he had to stop the horse next to a step to get off. Today I didn¡¯t see any fallen trees or rocks, so I was trying to figure out what to do. (¡­¡­ Well, it¡¯s too late now.) I had an idea. I was lost for a moment because I had to use a wooden magic sword for that, but I had shown it to her anyway when we were running away from the demon beast master and when I was fighting the monsters as we fled the forest, so it was too late now. ¡°Ojou-sama, excuse me for a moment.¡± Ren used the tree roots he had created with his wooden magic sword as a scaffold to gain height and when he was at a height where he could reach her, he put his hands on either side of Licia, and as if to hold her close, and set her down from the horse. As he sat her down against the tree roots, Licia smiled weakly, though she was exhausted. ¡°¡­¡­It really is a strange power.¡± ¡°I think so myself¡ª-Well, first of all, some water.¡± Ren gives Licia a leather water bag to drink from. Next he took out the wooden bowl he got from the village. Inside was a thick, light green liquid with a foul aroma. ¡°This is grated meal grass. Rest assured, I had it grated right in front of me¡­¡­.¡± Meal weed is a medicinal herb that is effective against abnormal conditions. The legend of the seven heroes explained that it is also effective for headaches and high fever. However, this herb is not as valuable as rondo grass. That is why Ren, a stranger, was able to get it exchanged easily. (Good thing I remembered that.) The information was just an added bonus, since the main characters never catch a cold. But now that I have made use of it, I¡¯m pleased with my memory. ¡°What should I do with it?¡± ¡°Please drink it. I hear it¡¯s extremely bitter, but I want you to swallow it patiently.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± However, Licia¡¯s hand is shaking weakly. As expected, he wondered if it would be a good idea, but Ren took the wooden bowl back into his own hands and scooped up the grated meal grass with his fingertips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± he apologized, then brought his fingertips to Licia¡¯s lips. Licia hesitated for just a moment, but quickly vacated her lips to accept. ¡°Nn¡­ bitter.¡± ¡°Please have some water. Be patient and don¡¯t vomit.¡± Licia swallowed repeatedly, and it took several minutes for the wooden bowl to get empty. It was all for Licia¡¯s sake, even though it seemed to be pushing her to the limit when she was already ill and in pain. Still, Ren couldn¡¯t help the pain in his heart. ****************************************************** As the evening wore on, Licia¡¯s condition improved. Her breathing, which had always been irregular, began to calm down, and Ren, who supported her in the back, could tell that her body temperature had begun to drop. The condition that had worsened under the poor environment was now approaching what it had been when they first met at the mansion. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Licia¡¯s voice had a little bit of her usual personality. There are still other meal weed left over from the exchange. Ren, relieved, decided to give her another dose of meal grass tonight. ¡°¡ª-We¡¯re on the edge of Viscount Given¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡°eh?¡± ¡°I, you know? I¡ª I¡±(TN: Previously, licia used a grandiose way of referring to herself but she suddenly referred to herself using a normal girl¡¯s ¡°I¡± (watashi) hence Ren¡¯s confusion). ¡°Oh, come on, it¡¯s okay with me. It¡¯s easier to talk to you that way, right?¡± After some hesitation, Ren decided to take Licia¡¯s word for it. I feared that I would stutter in a more urgent situation than now, so I thought that for this journey alone would be fine. ¡°¡­¡­ I had my hands full looking for a village, how did the lady know this was Viscount Givens¡¯ territory?¡± That aside, Ren also knew that this was Viscount Givens¡¯ territory. He knew this because when he found the first village, he posed as a traveler and asked the villagers about it. They thought to themselves that how could a young boy such as myself be traveling ¡­¡­ and the villagers looked at me suspiciously, but I couldn¡¯t resist asking. ¡°Look at that.¡± Licia pointed emphatically to a mountain range visible in the sky behind the trees. Beyond them was a huge range of mountains with silver snow still lingering near their tops. They seemed to go on forever, and their rocky slopes were as sharp as polished blades. ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°The Baldor Mountain. If you look up there, you can get a rough idea of the location.¡± Ren nodded with a mysterious look on his face as he received the answer. ¡°I see. That¡¯s the Baldor Mountain.¡± ¡°Did you know it?¡± ¡°Yes. Just the name.¡± I know many other things. That place is where you fight the last boss of Legend of the Seven Heroes I. (I didn¡¯t know much about it because I used to travel around in a Lunar Whale in the game days.) A Lunar Whale is a kind of magic tool. There is also another means of transportation called a magic train, both of which are huge vehicles powered by magic stones. In Leomel, every medium-sized or larger city has a station for such vehicles. The Baldor Mountain, however, had been identified on the map even after Ren had become a resident. But as I thought, I didn¡¯t fully understand the geography because of the different ways of traveling. ¡°Does that mean that the young lady will lead the way?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure I can.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. It would be very helpful not to have to move around blindly.¡± Until today, the search was for a village having prioritized Licia¡¯s condition, but of course, during the search, I had been advancing my horse, looking for familiar landscapes. Thanks to Licia, I felt I had finally seen the light of day. (And the villagers I met said they didn¡¯t really know the route to Clausel either.) Like Ren, all of them had never left the village where they were born. ¡°I think we need to get back to Baron Clausel¡¯s territory first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I guess so.¡± Licia¡¯s voice was unclear as she replied. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Licia nodded quickly. ¡°The village you were in is too far from here.¡± ¡°Aah¡­¡­ that¡¯s true, if you think about it. By the way, if we were to go from here to Clausel, how many days would it take us to get there from today?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I think it would be about four days.¡± The village where Ren lived to Clausel takes around ten days by horseback. This was if you headed straight for it, but apparently the Demon beast master was heading somewhere without much deviation from that path. Fortunately, this was the reason why it took the same number of days to get to Clausel. ¡°Then, let¡¯s continue on our way to the lady¡¯s mansion.¡± Licia, supported by Ren, spoke up without hesitation. ¡°No. I¡¯m going to send you back to your family first.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Our priority is to send you back to your mansion.¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m the one who caused the trouble, so you¡¯re the one who should get home first. ¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Ren¡¯s voice was encouraging, even though he had no proof of what he was saying. ¡°We should definitely go to Clausel, because there¡¯s no guarantee of safety in the villages along the way, and I don¡¯t know what happened to my village after the attack. If my father and the others had evacuated, there¡¯d be no way for us to meet up with them.¡± Licia felt helpless as she listened to these words with a wry smile on her face. At this point, she was touched by Ren¡¯s kindness, but at the same time, she felt a strong sense of disgust at herself for being so dependent. Even though she was feeling sluggish in her head, tears were beginning to form in her eyes. But then, he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to go sightseeing in Clausel, and then I¡¯m going to meet up with my family. I¡¯ll be able to greet the baron as well, so it might be better than you think.¡± Ren¡¯s voice, which is filled with kindness in his mature words, naturally relaxes her cheeks. ¡°Thank you¡­¡­.¡± Without even realizing it, Licia was leaning further into the warmth she felt on her back. CH 31.1 Soon night fell and Ren started to prepare the encampment. He told Licia, who had offered to help, to rest. She looked at him with a frustrated look on her face as he prepared the encampment. ¡°You¡¯re used to this kind of work?¡± ¡°I got used to it in the last few days. I¡¯ve been learning the basics from Weiss-sama.¡± ¡°Weiss? You mean during winter?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to my experience that night, I learned how to handle monsters, how to make fire, and many other things about camping.¡± It was a sudden proposal by Weiss that day, but now I was really happy about it. I would be even if it were just me, but especially now that I have Licia with me. (This is the guy today.) Ren will now deal with the monster. The target is an F-ranked White Hawk, one rank higher than Little Boar. However, it¡¯s not much of an enemy for Ren. He was able to hunt it without any particular difficulty. ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°I tied it to a tree with ivy, and then all I had to do was cut it down.¡± ¡°The power of that mysterious sword.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. By the way, its true name is a secret.¡± ¡°¡­¡­stingy¡± To be honest, I wonder if it makes sense to hide it. Even when I helped Licia down, I used the wooden magic sword, and it¡¯s almost as if I had shown it to her¡­¡­ Hiding only the name of the skill may be due to a bit of rebelliousness. (Absorb the magic stone while I¡¯m at it.) While Licia turned away in frustration, I found the magic stone and brought it close to the bracelet to absorb its power. Secretly looking at the crystal, you can see it has grown compared to before. ¡ª¡ª Ren Ashton. [Job] Eldest son of the Ashton family [Skill] ?Summoning Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/0) Magic Sword Summoning Technique (Level 2: 898/1000) [Mastered Magic Swords] ?Magic Sword of Wood (Level 2: 714/1000) Iron Magic Sword (Level 1: 714/1000) Thieves¡¯ Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/3) ¡ª¡ª As a matter of fact, the level of the two magic swords could have been increased in terms of the number of magic stones. However, because Roy¡¯s injury had taught him the importance of being prepared for emergencies, Ren didn¡¯t use all of the Little Boar magic stones for himself, but kept about half of them for sale. Even a small amount would be better than nothing. So, at the moment, this is all he has. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Licia raised her voice in question while Ren was distracted by the bracelet. Ren turned his head toward her as she found a necklace in their luggage and raised his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s something I took from the demon beast master. The chain broke in the attack and flew off, but I thought I could sell it for some street money, so I kept it.¡± To the naked eye, the silver chain and red jewelry were an eye-catching item. Licia picked it up and muttered in a small voice, ¡°A magic tool¡±. ¡°He said he was trying to keep the outside world from hearing our voices, so maybe it¡¯s that kind of magic tool.¡± Ren continues. ¡°It¡¯s already broken, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be able to follow our trail.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. You certainly don¡¯t need to worry about that¡­¡­ but don¡¯t sell it. If push comes to shove, it might prove something, right?¡± Indeed, that is true. Ren replied shortly, ¡°That¡¯s right¡±. ********************************************** The next morning, Ren got on his horse as dawn broke. Licia woke up a little later. She seemed to be in a deep sleep, perhaps because she was still out of shape. By noon, they passed through the forest and found a village on the plain. It was a small village with a dozen or so houses scattered about. (We should stop by just in case.) We still had plenty of food and water to spare, but there might be medicine, which was our original goal. Although Licia was recovering, it was better to have it. ¡°Ojou-sama, let¡¯s stop by for a while.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Hearing her reply, Ren rode his horse toward the village. When he arrived at the village a few minutes later, a villager approached him. ¡°You¡¯re a little adventurer. How unusual.¡± Ren and Licia were greeted by a middle-aged woman. ¡°What brings you to our village? Is there something you want?¡± ¡°Yes, actually, I want some medicine.¡± After negotiations, Ren got some food in exchange for the materials of the monster. It was a pity that there were no medicines or meal plants, but food was still very important. It would have been bad for Licia¡¯s health if she had to eat monster meat for every meal. ¡°Where are you going now?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t decided yet because it¡¯s a trip with no particular purpose.¡± ¡°Then you might want to go to Clausel, which is a long way down the road ahead.¡± The name of the destination raised his eyebrows for a moment, though he was aware of the dangers of revealing the destination. It was fortunate that the woman didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Is there something going on in Clausel?¡± ¡°The adventurer who came here the other day said that Clausel is going to be crowded in the near future.¡± ¡°Clausel will be crowded¡­.?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know the details, but Baron Clausel is going to be punished.¡± Licia gasped when she heard those words. She had been quiet up to now, but she opened her mouth in a hurry. ¡°What do you mean? Why is this happening ¡ª-?¡± Licia¡¯s voice was hoarse for a moment. But in order to get the information, she is desperately trying to suppress her emotions that were about to rage. She didn¡¯t want to offend the woman. ¡°The adventurer says that Baron Clausel is under suspicion that he allowed monsters to invade Viscount Givens territory.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That obviously isn¡¯t true.¡± Licia was stunned as she listened to the story. The woman was puzzled and concerned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ren managed to mend his smile because he was worried. I think it¡¯s time for us to leave this village. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been feeling well since yesterday.¡± ¡°Is she all right? You can stay here for a night if you like.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just take your good will. But, we¡¯re in a hurry, so we¡¯d better get going.¡± Ren also signaled to the stunned Licia and headed back to the plains. The direction they were heading was the direction Licia had given them before they arrived at the village. ¡°My Lady. You were magnificent.¡± A few minutes after leaving the village. I commended Licia for not losing her composure. But when I called out to her, she didn¡¯t respond. CH 31.2 Another few minutes passed, and then another dozen. But Ren, sensing her feelings, didn¡¯t try to force her to talk. He waited patiently for her to open up on her own. After a few minutes, she shook her body. She opened her mouth for the first time in a long time. ¡°¡­¡­Hey, Ren¡­¡± She surprised Ren by unexpectedly calling out. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± Ren hid his surprise and said without pointing out the change in the way she called him. His tone of voice was as gentle as possible, slow enough not to rush her into continuing. ¡°Why? My father worked so hard all these years, why is this happening to him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s because Viscount Givens was the culprit.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­.¡± Licia said. She knew that Viscount Givens was the culprit. ¡°My father has done so much for Leomel, why should he be treated like this?¡± ¡°That is ¡ª-¡° ¡°What have we done ¡­¡­? It¡¯s true that I may have been young and foolish. But my father doesn¡¯t deserve to be treated like this.¡± Licia¡¯s shoulders tremble in front of Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°Viscount Givens¡¯ aggressive behavior is strange, no matter how one looks at it. It shouldn¡¯t be reasonable, but how can he be allowed to behave in such a way that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­.?¡± Even the repeated words showed weakness. But. (¡ª- Naturally) Licia who is with me is still a young girl. She¡¯s not the Saint Licia of the legend of the Seven Heroes. Absolutely. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what nobles mean anymore¡­¡­.¡± Finally, Licia¡¯s shoulders shook and she burst into tears. The tears dripped onto Ren¡¯s arms, which were turned to hold the reins and along with her trembling, she never stopped telling him how sad she was. It was a painful and sad sight. But Ren didn¡¯t have an answer to Licia¡¯s question. Still, he didn¡¯t want to ignore it. So, almost subconsciously, he let go of the reins and patted Licia on the head. Not in the way a lover would do it, but in the gentle way a brother would do it to his sister. ¡°¡­¡­Ren?¡± The hair is still dirty from not being bathed in hot water, and there¡¯s no trace of the silky sheen it used to have. For Licia, she didn¡¯t want her hair touched like this. In the first place, it¡¯s not something that should be easily touched even in normal times. ¡°If anything¡­.. Please stroke it properly¡± ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó The next morning, shortly after sunrise, Viscount Givens arrived in the town of Clausel. At first glance, he appeared to be a man of mature years, a gentleman with carefully coiffed gray hair and beard. However, despite his appearance, he¡¯s a man of great talent and even great ambition. As a member of the aristocracy belonging to the Heroic Faction, he¡¯s determined to expand the power of this faction. ¡°Viscount.¡± His knight called out to him as he rode his horse down the main street of the town. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± ¡°¡ª-Yes. For the sake of the future of our heroic faction, we must surely bring down the House of Clausel.¡± ¡°When we have accomplished this, I¡¯m sure that all who share our ambitions will rejoice.¡± ¡°Exactly¡­ This territory is the place between our heroes and the royalists. By conquering this land, we are certain to expand the power of our heroic faction.¡± ¡°If that opponent is the Clausel family, then we¡¯ll be able to control the territory near the imperial capital as well.¡± Viscount Givens nodded in reply. ¡°If it were possible, I would have liked to embrace the Clausel family as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re correct. But they¡¯re the ones who have refused to budge no matter how many times the viscount has tried. We¡¯ll have no choice but to suppress them by force.¡± As they exchanged words, the viscount suddenly thought back. He brought his horse slightly closer to the knight and said to the knight in a stealthy voice: ¡°In order to rebirth the declining Leomel, we must drive out the royalists. And I will punish those foolish traitors who call themselves neutral. Such opportunism is the bane of the aristocracy.¡± The knight felt a sense of reassurance as he looked at Viscount Givens, who had said these words strongly. ¡°But still, Viscount.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ why are you so obsessed with Ren Ashton? He¡¯s a promising boy, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s worth all that trouble.¡± Viscount Givens chuckled and looked up to the heavens. ¡°Viscount, I hope you don¡¯t mind my asking, but how could Ren Ashton be worth more than a saint ¡ª-¡° ¡°It is what it is.¡± ¡°¡ª-!¡± Beside Viscount Givens, who said this in a biting tone, the knight opened his eyes. The overwhelming confidence in his voice, which never seems to be a deception, gives a clear sense of reason. ¡°The presence of the saint is no different and is material for my later negotiations with Baron Clausel. But did you think that would be enough for me to make a strong stand?¡± Viscount Givens said with a smile on his face. ¡°I only want one person, Ren Ashton. The Clausel family is just an incidental matter. It¡¯s enough just to pressure the parent.¡± ¡°Why? He may have a promising future, but he¡¯s only the son of a country knight!¡± ¡°Everyone will say that. But I, only I, know that it is wrong.¡± His voice is more confident than before. It was even more powerful and promising. ¡°If we take the Ashtons, our House of Givens will rise among the heroes. No, not just the heroes, but almost all my subjects will praise me.¡± The true meaning of the implied words was not said, but only made the knight expect it. But one thing did bother him. He wondered why the Viscount had changed his words to the Ashton family instead of saying Ren Ashton¡­.. CH 32.1 Is the current situation really a storyline in the legend of the seven heroes? Or is it because of Ren¡¯s existence that a story other than the legend of the seven heroes is unfolding? The answer is unknown to Ren himself. Regardless of the outcome, all he wanted to do was to find a way out of this situation. It was, oddly enough, the same time that Viscount Givens arrived in Clausel. (Let¡¯s get this straight. It¡¯s obvious that Viscount Given is trying to set up Baron Clausel.) Ren, who had only just woken up, was thinking while building a fire. (In reality, the upper nobles of the neutral faction are unreliable.) There¡¯s no point in belonging to the same faction if you aren¡¯t protected by the higher nobility. No matter how much they fear the other two major factions, I wish they would show a little more backbone. However, considering that they also have lives to lead, it would be shortsighted to dismiss them as pathetic. It¡¯s an undeniable fact that help is not coming. (If this continues, Baron Clausel will be framed for some crime and lose his position.) No matter how forceful it is, the power of the rank and the faction allows for that absurdity. Ren still wanted to do something about it. He had previously thought that he should keep his distance not only from Licia but also from Baron Clausel, but perhaps his affections have shifted. But it didn¡¯t feel good to see this development play out before his eyes, just because it was a world of absurdity. (But how could I help Baron Clausel?¡­¡­ What can a kid like me do?) I thought frantically. Still, I couldn¡¯t see the light. But if this were to be replaced by an event in a game¡­ (If I don¡¯t help Baron Clausel, but defeat Viscount Givens¡­. then¡­.) I think I can come up with a different sense of purpose. For example¡­.. finding some evidence of injustice in addition to Viscount Given¡¯s attack on Ren¡¯s village. With this, I thought, it would be possible to charge Viscount Given with the opposite. (No, no, no¡­¡­. If a kid like me finds evidence.) In this world where absurdity is allowed, there¡¯s no great significance in what a boy like myself can say. After all, this is an insurmountable obstacle. But. (It won¡¯t be in vain. It should buy us some time.) Baron Clausel is no fool. He¡¯s a weak nobleman and cannot expect any help from his faction, but if he gets the time, he¡¯ll have room to move, and he may be able to avoid a future of being accused of unjustifiable crimes. So, it shouldn¡¯t be pointless to move¡­¡­ (So, where do we get evidence of wrongdoing?) The best thing to do would be to sneak into Viscount Givens¡¯ mansion, but I should avoid that in case I¡¯m discovered, and I don¡¯t have time for that in the first place. I was already in such a dire situation that I had to hurry to get out of bed. (As long as I can cause some suspicion¡­.) At the very least, we had to reach Clausel ourselves. There we would testify to the fact that someone had attacked us and taken us away. We need to say that we were kidnapped by bandits hired by Viscount Given and escaped with our lives. The lack of such evidence is fatal, but it may be better than nothing¡ª-. Ren thought so, even though he was uninformed in the art of noble art and speech. In any case, I must avoid the folly of doing nothing. (I have to do whatever I can.) If not, Baron Clausel will lose his position. And ¡°Soo ¡­¡­ soo ¡­¡­¡± Even Licia, who sleeps beside him against the roots of the tree, he doesn¡¯t know what will happen to her. Now that I had seen her weakness, I couldn¡¯t wait to get her back to her old life. I also needed to restore her health as much as possible. After reaffirming his goal, Ren prepared breakfast and prepared to force Licia to have her third herb dose. CH 32.2 ¡ª- A few hours had passed, and the town of Clausel was buzzing with morning activity. In the Leomel Empire, every city has a temple. In the temple, there¡¯s always a large hall. There, in addition to rituals, judgments of the nobility and other influential people are sometimes held. It was a ritual of judgment in which observers were invited to observe and follow a prescribed process, as required by imperial law. The first is the ¡°Elfen¡± ceremony, which is a clean ceremony in which no one is allowed to lie under the worship of the revered Lord God Elfen. ¡°It¡¯s about to begin. My Lord.¡± Weiss, the Knight Commander, said next to Baron Clausel, who had taken his seat. Outside the temple, voices calling for Baron Clausel echoed. Symmetrically, it was quiet inside the temple. It¡¯s because there is a rule that it must be so. ¡°Fufu.¡± ¡°¡­Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny Weiss. You should have seen the look on the man¡¯s face when he sat down in front of us.¡± The seat where they sat was at the back of the temple, in front of the altar. The seats of Viscount Givens, the complainant, and Baron Clausel, the opponent, are placed across the altar from each other. The Viscount Givens¡¯ face was clearly visible from his seat on the opposite side. ¡°What ¡­¡­ that man ¡­¡­?¡± Weiss saw that Viscount Givens didn¡¯t seem to care about Baron Clausel. Viscount Givens was even engaged in pleasantries with the knight he had brought with him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the arguments of the day, that¡¯s what he seems to be saying¡­..!¡± ¡°I suppose. I think he¡¯s confident that he can thoroughly denounce me here and win tomorrow¡¯s ruling. He¡¯s prepared to make such a forceful stand that he¡¯s sure he can win.¡± Weiss shook his fist in exasperation. The power he unleashed traveled through the sky and startled the temple. Viscount Givens, who had looked relaxed up to this point, just looked at Weiss and gasped when he saw his indignant face. ¡°Calm down.¡± But Baron Clausel was calm. ¡°But ¡ª-¡° ¡°Just calm down. If you don¡¯t calm down, I¡¯ll have you removed from the room.¡± Weiss, who was surprised by his lord¡¯s resolute attitude, cast down his eyes. He wasn¡¯t afraid of a hunch. He was ashamed of himself for not being calm. ¡°I have something to ask you ¡ª-.¡± Baron Clausel suddenly said in a calm voice. ¡°Weiss. What kind of boy is Ren Ashton from your point of view?¡± ¡°Um, why all of a sudden¡­.?¡± ¡°Just tell me once more. It¡¯s important to me right now.¡± In response to the strong tone, Weiss avoids further useless words. ¡°As I told you before, he¡¯s a strong boy.¡± ¡°Is that even when compared to the heirs of the seven great barons you saw in the imperial capital a few years ago?¡± ¡°Ha. I believe that Ren Ashton isn¡¯t only comparable to the Descendants of the Seven Heroes, but is even better than them.¡± ¡°Fufu. Then that¡¯s good.¡± Seeing the lord with a satisfied look on his face and the corners of his lips relaxed, Weiss wondered why he could afford it. Almost certainly Baron Clausel will end up being set up, but he didn¡¯t know what his sense of confidence came from. ¡°Between you and me, I have been in contact with a certain nobleman.¡± Weiss¡¯ eyes widen at the sudden and unexpected words. ¡°A certain nobleman¡­..?¡± ¡°Oh. I can¡¯t divulge the details yet ¡ª- but the man has promised me. He will help me out if and when the need arises.¡± ¡°That man, you mean, is a nobleman of higher rank than you, master?¡± ¡°Yes. And higher than Viscount Givens.¡± Then he¡¯s at least a count. Weiss¡¯s cheeks relaxed with joy when he learned this. He had thought until today that none of the neutrals would take his side, but he had no idea that his lord had secretly gained an ally. And that ally is one who is counted among the great nobility. ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect Viscount Givens to move so quickly.¡± Baron Clausel shrugged his shoulders and mocked himself. ¡°That¡¯s why I have had to rely on Ren Ashton¡¯s qualities as well, without any proof.¡± ¡°Please, my lord, explain this in a way that I can understand.¡± Baron Clausel didn¡¯t answer, but smiled bitterly. ¡°But the boy was¡­¡­¡± ¡°Taken away with Licia, eh?¡± Weiss, still regretful, nodded quietly. But. ¡°Even so, we must trust Ren Ashton and rely on his abilities.¡± Baron Clausel believed. With Ren¡¯s rumored strength, he should be able to escape the bandits. If only Licia were there with him, this situation would be ¡ª- ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, it¡¯s time!¡± The civil official of the legal affairs bureau declared. Standing in the center of the room, he looked around, made sure that everyone¡¯s attention was focused on him, and spoke the following words. ¡°The arguments will now be heard in accordance with the great imperial law. First, the petitioner¡ª-.¡± On one hand, Viscount Givens, who accuses. On the other hand, Baron Clausel, who defends. The argument, which Ren would have muttered about as a race if he had been here, began with Viscount Givens. The argument was as expected. Of course, Baron Clausel didn¡¯t panic. He had anticipated what Viscount Givens would say and had prepared a number of materials to refute it. How many knights had he dispatched, how many battles had he won, and so on. He also presented the actual damage suffered in villages close to Viscount Given¡¯s territory, and argued that Viscount Given¡¯s statement was wrong. It was so well prepared in a short period of time that it even surprised Viscount Givens, who had been pretending to be relaxed. However, it all ended in vain. In the end, a civil official at the Legal Affairs Bureau agreed with Viscount Givens. It was as if everything had been decided from the beginning. ¡°The decision will be reviewed by our Legal Department with reference to the pleadings and in accordance with the great imperial law. Please remember that the announcement will be made tomorrow morning, at the same time as today¡¯s arguments begin.¡± It was a judgment that was obvious anyway. Baron Clausel, smiling bitterly, looked down. ¡°Two days at the most.¡± It¡¯s customary for convicted nobles to be transferred to the imperial capital. Although the successor to Baron Clausel will not be decided, the remaining civil servants and knights must be given instructions. In other words, the time required for the handover would be granted. ¡°No, we can make more time. We can complain about the ruling, and then go to the imperial capital for the next trial. If that doesn¡¯t work, then we can go to the divine tribunal at ¡ª-.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. By the looks of things, they will sabotage me before I even get to the opening of the court. They¡¯ll bring up Licia and the others and threaten me, no doubt.¡± Weiss thought so, too, but when Baron Clausel actually told him so, his anger did not stop growing. He glared at Viscount Givens on the other side of the room, but they were having none of it. ¡°Viscount.¡± ¡°Oh. Thanks to your speedy action, we haven¡¯t yet been sidetracked by the royalist faction. We¡¯re finally going to be able to finish what we started.¡± Viscount Givens smiled in the face of the others. He was slightly annoyed at Baron Clausel¡¯s stouthearted behavior. But still, a win is a win. There was no way he could resist anymore, he exhaled. ¡ª-The next morning. A civil official from the legal department found Baron Clausel guilty of the crime and deemed him worthy of punishment. But the nature of that punishment has not yet been determined. When nobles are punished, as in this case, it¡¯s only with the Emperor¡¯s approval that the punishment is finally carried out. Of course, the emperor will be impartial in his decisions, as he will involve the Senate and others who advise him, as well as the Legal Affairs Bureau and others. The reason why so many steps are taken is that the punishment for nobility includes confiscation of lands and deprivation of titles, and the emperor is the one who decides on these matters. It¡¯s also related to the fact that the consequences of execution are great. In any case, it¡¯s not easy to overturn a judgment that has gone through the steps of a trial. The emperor will soon hear the results of the trial, and the future of Baron Clausel, who will be transferred to the imperial capital, will be decided. CH 33.1 It was the morning of the day Baron Clausel was found guilty, twelve days after Ren was taken away. At the same time, Ren was washing his clothes in a babbling brook he had stumbled upon in the forest. These clothes had been bartered in the villages they had stopped at along the way, and were by no means the finest. However, he couldn¡¯t afford to change clothes, so he had Licia wear these cheap cloth clothes as well, although it was painful for him to do so. However, Licia never complained. She did feel a sense of shame at appearing in clothes covered with her own sweat, but she didn¡¯t speak of this either. (Is this the last time?) After washing her clothes, Ren wrung them out, dried them off, and returned to his horse, which was waiting nearby. There¡¯s a large rock by the horse. Licia, who until just a few minutes ago should have been sleeping with her back to it, was now awake and waiting for Ren to return. ¡°Thank you¡­..¡± She thanked him shyly. ¡°No, no.¡± ¡°But, but let me do it next time!¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s surprisingly tiring to squat, it¡¯s a burden on the body.¡± ¡°No problem! I can handle that much!¡± Although the words came out of her mouth were out of embarrassment, Ren didn¡¯t feel bad because he could see that Licia was recovering. He smiled and tied the washed clothes to the horse. The horse¡¯s smell would be a bit offensive, but that was unavoidable. ¡°But still, can¡¯t we somehow get proof that Viscount Givens is the culprit?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ It would be difficult. Especially while aiming for Clausel.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡­¡­ Hmmm¡­what to do?¡± While the supreme goal was to send Licia to Clausel, I felt that it was also one-sided to not be able to do anything there. Licia laughs at his hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have an idea.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ really?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I think I can manage if it comes to an emergency.¡± ¡°Thanks to me?¡± Licia didn¡¯t answer the question, but laughed a little. Ren wanted to hear a clear answer, but when he learned that was unlikely, he changed his mind. ¡°¡ª-We¡¯ll take a little more rest and then we¡¯ll leave.¡± They weren¡¯t going to take too much time to get to Clausel. They needed to hurry up. As he unfolds one piece of clothing after the laundry, and then another, he thinks. (Yes, we¡¯re almost there.) He was spreading out the laundry while thinking. He had been absorbed in his thoughts, as if unconsciously, since the middle of the day. Licia, on the other hand, her cheeks and neck were bright red. (I have to keep my nerve and work hard until the end.) Not only clothes. Seeing Ren, who also had underwear in his hands, Licia thought back to the things she had found in that accessory box before the raid on Ren¡¯s mansion. ¡°Eh¡­¡­ uh¡­¡­ that¡¯s right¡­¡­ that¡­¡­.¡± But, since she¡¯s still under Ren¡¯s care, she can¡¯t say anything strongly. What should I do? What was she remembering at such a difficult time! Licia felt the urge to scold herself, but at the same time she was tormented by uncontrollable emotions. I don¡¯t think this is the time to talk about this. But, perhaps influenced by the fact that her health was beginning to calm down, she thought she should talk a little. (I wish I had raised the level of my magic sword, just in case¡­.. but there haven¡¯t been any monsters around lately.) Ren fished through his bag on his way to hang up some clothes and checked the contents at the same time. Inside were packed the magic stone taken from White Hawk the other day, dried meat and other items. Holding that magic stone in his hand, Ren stared at it and regretted that he hadn¡¯t been able to raise the level of his magic sword. ¡°Hey.¡± (It can¡¯t be helped. There aren¡¯t many demons here.) ¡°Hey, Hey!¡± I don¡¯t know what Licia was thinking when she called me loudly. But when he turned his head in response to her call, Ren gasped when he saw that her cheeks and neck were bright red. (Could it be that she was getting sick?) Panicked, Ren approached Licia and put his hand on her forehead. ¡°Your body temperature seems to be fine.¡± Ren suddenly moved closer and put his hand on Licia¡¯s forehead, his face gentle with relief. While Licia¡¯s heart beat a fast bell when she saw this, she hurriedly raised her voice in denial. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± ¡°Eh, what¡¯s wrong then?¡± ¡°Tell me one thing!¡± Ren answered, ¡°Yes,¡± wondering what was wrong all of a sudden. Then Licia took another deep breath and opened her mouth when she had calmed down a bit. ¡°You¡¯re hiding something from me, aren¡¯t you?¡± She said, looking straight at him. ¡°But I¡¯m not mad at you. Maybe I should be angry if it¡¯s true, but you have helped me a lot, and I¡¯ve caused you a lot of trouble¡­.¡± (What¡¯s going on all of a sudden?) ¡°But this is for your sake! I have to teach you what¡¯s right and what¡¯s not right¡­..¡± The question that came here made him tilt his head a little. What does she think I¡¯m hiding? (I don¡¯t think it¡¯s about that stuff all of a sudden, after all this time.) Because I incinerated that thing. I put it in the fireplace and made sure it was burning up. There¡¯s no way she¡¯d be asking me now in the first place. It¡¯s too out of context to be the case. Ren, who concluded crossed his arms, unable to find an answer. ¡°So tell me the truth. If you think about what you were holding in your hand just now, you should be able to figure out the answer.¡± The last-minute embarrassment caused Licia to slur her words. But this was a mistake. ¡°What I was holding in my hand earlier¡­..? ¡°Oh, Don¡¯t make me say any more! you would understand, right? I¡¯m talking about the thing that was in your room too!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­..¡± But Ren wondered if it might be possible. The thing that was in his hand earlier and also in his room. That being said, there was one thing that came to mind. CH 33.2 (Oh, you mean the magic stone?) The fact that he had just been holding the White Hawk¡¯s magic stone in his hand immediately brought this idea to Ren¡¯s mind. But I don¡¯t know why I would be blamed for it. Still, Ren¡¯s mind immediately wandered to Mireille and Roy. (Maybe it¡¯s like my mom was mad at my dad ¡­¡­) Mireille once told me. Roy had seen her obsession with the magic stone and had mentioned how it was. (In the lady¡¯s eyes, I looked like I was obsessed with the magic stone?) So, the story goes, why is she angry? Magic stones are used for many things, and are sometimes valued as jewelry. But maybe the way I was staring at them as if I was devouring them didn¡¯t seem very normal to me. Thinking back, there were a number of empty magic stones in my room, and from the side, one could be forgiven for thinking it was a strange hobby. (It seems she didn¡¯t see me absorbing the magic stones.) ¡°I understand¡­. If it¡¯s hard for you to say, I won¡¯t dig any deeper. But can you tell me why you had that thing?¡± Licia¡¯s voice was gentle. She was not angry, just calmly trying to rebuke him and letting him know of her generosity. Even if they were on different sides of the story, this wouldn¡¯t change. ¡°The reason I had it?¡± ¡°Yes. I have to say no to what¡¯s not right, so I want to ask you why you did what you did.¡± Ren was looking away to think of an excuse. Licia calmly said to Ren, ¡°Look at me,¡± and locked gazes with him. On the other hand, Ren. The excuse he came up with seemed like a good one to him. ¡°I¡¯ve been curious about it ever since I first saw it.¡± He answered in this direction, I¡¯ve been interested in the magic stone. This was somewhat boyish, and since Roy had been like that since he was a child, it should not be out of place. The fact that he is a legitimate son of a knight family should also have something to do with it. But Licia is ¡ª-. ¡°You were just curious¡­..? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.¡± She covered her cheeks with both hands, and her skin flushed red as if in the height of her shame. She had told Ren to look at her, and now she hurriedly turned her face away from him. Then, through the gap between her fingers, she looked into his face. ¡°Ahhh¡­¡­ you don¡¯t have to stare at me so much to say that. it¡¯s not fair to suddenly say something like that¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t! You can¡¯t do something like that, no matter how curious you are!¡± (After all, isn¡¯t it normal to look at the magic stone as if devouring it?) In the past, Mireille had said something similar. The thought of what he had just recalled came back to his mind again and made Ren change his mind. When you think about it, people who stare at jewelry too long are a bit odd, regardless of gender. But gemstones are minerals, and magic stone is a material taken from the body of a monster, so the feeling may be different. ¡­¡­ But Ren thought it was a normal value. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­.. that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Even if you care about the other person, that¡¯s not okay. ¡­¡­ That¡¯s because I owe you a lot, so I can¡¯t say it strongly because you have a lot of grace, and Ren is a boy, so you can¡¯t help it a little bit¡­¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing for me too, and if it were normal, you¡¯d be imprisoned, Do you understand?¡± (Opposite? Grace?) ¡°I¡¯ll give you a pass on this one time, though. Just this once because you were honest with me!¡¡And don¡¯t forget that you owe me a special favor!¡­¡­ got it?¡± Ren felt that they weren¡¯t on the same page from the middle of the conversation. I tried to point out the problem, but Licia¡¯s cheeks turned bright red and she spoke strongly, so I couldn¡¯t even ask her. (The next time I¡¯ll be more careful.) ¡°I am sorry. I will do as the young lady says.¡± ¡°¡ª- name.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Licia¡¯s jewel-like eyes were slightly teary, and she was still overcome by a strong sense of shame that hadn¡¯t yet cooled. ¡°I¡¯m not happy about forgiving you for what happened, but I can¡¯t help it if you says something like that!¡± ¡°Um, so what?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying you can call me by my name because you have no choice!¡± Licia¡¯s voice, somewhat thrown off, melts into the plain swaying in the wind. The misunderstanding between the two was never resolved until the very last minute. ******************************************************* It was the evening of the same day. ¡°Ren! Clausel will be in sight soon!¡± Licia shouted happily in the forest, where the scenery was more familiar than ever. Thanks to him, Licia was feeling much better and her complexion was much better. Licia¡¯s voice was even more bouncy than before, and Ren, who supported her on horseback, was pleased to see how lively she was. (She¡¯s doing well.) I¡¯d like to think it¡¯s safe to say that we¡¯ve come this far. ¡°Hey, Ren!¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°If we go through this forest and over the hills, we can see Clausel!¡± ¡°Does that mean we are completely safe?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sure there are knights from my family there, so we need to ask them about your family right away¡­.!¡± So it seems that we are already as close to the finish line as possible. ¡°By the way, how long until we are out of this forest?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think we¡¯re really close to getting out of the forest. We came from the Baldor Mountains side. I mean, this is a road I haven¡¯t been on much¡­.¡± Whatever it is, the way, Ren and Licia are going is the one where the road has not been maintained. The road is not maintained all the way to the frontier, but only to the surrounding towns, but even after the road is cut off, it is said to be incomparable in ease of progression. Because of this, there weren¡¯t many people going through this area. (No wonder we didn¡¯t cross paths with anyone.) ¡°I would have preferred to continue on the maintained road if possible.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.. but we came from the Viscount Givens¡¯ side, so it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± We wanted to go through the most crowded place possible, but this was unavoidable. Now we just have to hurry so as not to waste all the efforts we have made so far. ¡ª- However, the road that seemed to be going so well has a shadow on it. Time passed in the blink of an eye, and the sky peeking through the trees was covered with an azure hue. Then, from far away, the sound of hoof beats began to reach us. From front to back and from left to right, the sound of hoof beats quickly approached Ren and Licia. Soon, those who had been making those sounds surrounded the horse that Ren and Licia were riding. ¡°I¡¯m glad we found them.¡± The knight who had visited Ren¡¯s village on behalf of Viscount Givens said. CH 34.1 After nearly two weeks on the run, we meet a familiar face. Looking at the words alone, one could be forgiven for thinking that they should be happy. However, Ren and Licia were extremely wary. Coming all this way to meet Viscount Given¡¯s knights, combined with the original circumstances, should have seemed premeditated. Therefore, Ren prepared himself to draw his sword and protect Licia at any time. ¡°We were asked by Baron Clausel to assist him in his search for the two of you.¡± ¡°¡­.. us?¡± ¡°We have to get out of here first. We¡¯ll take you to a safe place.¡± ¡­¡­That¡¯s unreasonable, no matter how much you look at it. But we¡¯re completely surrounded. It¡¯s impossible to dismiss the possibility that there are knights lurking in front of, behind, to the left and right, and even everywhere in the forest, although we cannot see them. It seems that they¡¯re not going to let us go peacefully. (Fight or flee?) The latter is by far the better option, but I have a thought. I would like to have proof that Viscount Givens had my village attacked. I don¡¯t want to waste my encounter here. ¡°¡ª- Ren.¡± Licia¡¯s voice reaches Ren alone. When he saw her turn around and look at him, he knew she was thinking the same thing. ¡°If we¡¯ve come this far, shall we go as far as we can?¡± ¡°¡­.. Of course. Ren might be in danger too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late for that. I¡¯m prepared for all of this. I¡¯m sure there will be an uproar no matter what I say.¡± Licia smiled as she looked at Ren. ¡°Will you leave it to me?¡± She said in a dignified voice. ¡°Yes, as you wish.¡± Ren replied calmly. The knights surrounding them began to frown as they did this. They were beginning to be slightly alarmed by the whispering of the two. ¡°You right there.¡± ¡°Mm, Me?¡± The one who replied was the knight who interacted with Ren. ¡°Yes. I¡®ll decide whether or not to have you take me to a safe place based on your answer.¡± Licia then fished through the luggage hanging on the side of the horse. She took out the magical device in the shape of a necklace from her luggage and showed it to the knight with her arm outstretched. ¡°Look. You recognize it, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­. No¡­ I don¡¯t ¡°Oh, you raised your eyebrows for a moment.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What on earth is it?¡± Of course we don¡¯t care that much about what he says. It¡¯s only to obtain information, step by step. ¡°This is a magic tool that I took from the bandit who kidnapped me and him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I see.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡­ you don¡¯t seem to be bothered much about it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. I would very much like to keep it as evidence.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll have the Merchant¡¯s Guild look into it later.¡± ¡°¡ª-?¡± The knights of Viscount Givens were stunned at the same time. Ren, who was listening to the conversation behind Licia, was actually puzzled, but listened silently. ¡°I think I can handle it since I got to know the head of the guild when I went to the imperial capital before.¡± ¡°So, what are you going to do with it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ask him to look into the merchant who sold this magic tool, or the previous owner of it, or whatever information he can get.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s impossible. How many magic tools do you think there are in the Leomel Empire?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But this is definitely an expensive item. Unlike most of the magic tools in circulation, there must be someone who has a clue.¡± This is a bluff. But Licia¡¯s words were too convincing to be dismissed as idle talk. The small agitation among the knights began to grow. ¡°If that¡¯s known, it¡¯ll become clear whether this is a magic tool that the bandit obtained on his own or was given to him by someone else. If it¡¯s the latter, the person who gave it to him will be questioned at the tribunal, regardless of the circumstances.¡± ¡°Nah¡ª¡° ¡°Because it¡¯s as if the person who gave it out tried to undermine us. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Tension ran high. Ren and Licia hid their nervousness under their seemingly spare faces, but the knights finally lost their composure and looked to their left and right to look at each other. ¡°Can you really confirm it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. Viscount Givens is not a fool, and he must be very careful. But If a great noble would come to our aid¡­¡± ¡°I see¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry. If they have any doubts at all¡­.. see.¡± As soon as they spoke in whispers. ¡°If so, it must be an even more important item. Please entrust us with the magic tool.¡± The knight in contrast said in a strong tone. ¡°How foolish. We¡¯re under no obligation to entrust it to you. This is my family¡¯s territory to begin with. What happened in his village is also under our jurisdiction.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t want to be protected by a knight with no sense of reason, so I¡¯ll stop talking about it. Come on, Ren, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Hearing her words with a sigh, Ren pulled the reins. The knights were lost in thought. ¡°You¡¯ll need guards!¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t. We¡¯re almost close to the town, and I don¡¯t trust anyone but him to escort me.¡± ¡°Ku¡­¡­ but ¡­¡­.¡± They were still trying to resist, but finally they made up their minds. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you two are coming with us!¡± CH 34.2 The horses start to move. So as not to let Ren and Licia escape. ¡°Ren. I¡¯ll take responsibility. So let the horse run and if they try to force you to stop, pull out your sword ¡ª-!¡± ¡°Yes, leave it to me!¡± Ren also kicked the horse in the side and rode it vigorously. When he tried to pass right by the knight who was in front of him, the knight drew his sword and flashed a sideways cleave toward Ren. However, the knight¡¯s sword was intercepted by the iron sword, and the blade broke as if gouged. At this time, the knight received a cut on the back of his hand from Ren¡¯s returning sword. ¡°You ¡­¡­!¡± The knight still reached out his hand, and this time Licia reached out her hand as well. A dazzling flash of light emanating from her hand caused a pure white burn on the knight¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you, silly knight.¡± The moment the horses pass each other. Licia is in a good mood and smiles prettily. ¡°Thanks to your help, I¡¯m now able to drag Viscount Givens to the judgment seat on another matter.¡± ¡°You ¡­¡­! After them! Don¡¯t let them escape!¡± The knight roared. It was as if he had already revealed the relationship between the owner of the magic tool and Viscount Givens. (They lost when they believed in the possibility.) I couldn¡¯t believe Licia¡¯s insinuation about the merchants¡¯ guild. At that moment, the magic tool, which was supposed to be used only for bluffing, became significant. The thought that it might be, made it necessary to capture Ren and Licia at any cost. It was also probably because he lacked composure in the face of Licia¡¯s dignified appearance. The way she spoke made me think that the words she was saying might be the truth. ¡°Don¡¯t kill them! But catch them at all costs!¡± The pursuers were desperate. They feared the possibility of their lord losing, in addition to the displeasure that would result from letting them go. Sweat broke out on their foreheads as they thought that they must catch the two no matter what it took. However, due to the obstruction by the wooden magic sword, they couldn¡¯t close the distance as much as they wanted. ¡°Damn it¡­. you guys, go after them! I¡¯ll rush to Clausel and report to the Viscount!¡± The one who was acquainted with Ren deviated from the path on the way. The other party is also desperate. (Was Lady Licia planning to do this all along?) Ren smirks as he sees that the other party is in dire straits. ¡°Now we have a solid confirmation of the relationship between Viscount Givens and the demon beast master. It¡¯s enough if we can explain the situation and prove Viscount Givens is also flawed.¡± Since we couldn¡¯t get any evidence to hunt down Viscount Givens, we used the situation so far to create another flaw. In other words, it was this. ¡°What were you going to do if we didn¡¯t meet with those guys?¡± ¡°I was sure we would meet them, because the demon beast master had let us go. It¡¯s only natural that they would be looking for us in a tight corner.¡± ¡°I have a feeling that¡¯s what happened.¡± The distance between them and their pursuers opened up in the blink of an eye. The shouting was proportionately less, but the two couldn¡¯t calm down yet. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó There was no time to catch their breath. Ren, who had been aiming for Clausel, sometimes passing his pursuers and avoiding the new knights lurking ahead, suddenly looked up at the sky. (Is it night already?) He felt fatigue in his grip on the reins and immediately noticed that his whole body felt sluggish. Perhaps it was because he had been on the run for hours and his body and mind were growing tired. The horse, too, was heavy-limbed with fatigue. Even so, if it were to stop, they would soon be surrounded. We were only able to manage because we took advantage of even the slightest break from time to time. (Just hang in there with me a little longer, will you?) I gently stroke the horse¡¯s mane, and it neighs briefly. The horse used to be pulling the beast master¡¯s carriage, but perhaps a sense of camaraderie was born before I knew it. ¡°¡­.. if push comes to shove, you can leave me behind.¡± ¡°Why are you saying stupid things?¡± ¡°What do you mean, stupid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a stupid idea from one end to the other. Stop being weird and think of a way out of here!¡± It lacked honorific, but so what? Ren¡¯s voice lacks the usual composure and is frantic. Because of the strong tone of her voice, which was somewhat irresistible, he listened to what Licia said honestly. ¡°It¡¯s straight as it is! Run without stopping!¡± ¡°Yes! There¡¯s nowhere else to run!¡± After that, they drove the horse hard. The horse they were riding had been out of breath for a long time, but its legs were still strong and vigorous. ¡°Isn¡¯t this horse too amazing?¡± ¡°Maybe, but I think he has the blood of a monster in him!¡± ¡°I see, no wonder!¡± I drove the horse as hard as I could. Another hour passed, and then another. Finally, at ¡ª- last. ¡°Licia! Is that the hill you were talking about?¡± We passed through the forest and came in sight of a broad hill. The sky is cloudless, and the visibility is much better than in the forest. ¡°Yes! If we keep going over the hills, we will soon reach the place where people live!¡± It was the first time in a long time that Licia¡¯s voice was filled with joy. Ren also relaxed his cheeks a little when he heard Licia¡¯s voice. (Thank goodness ¡­¡­) The horse is doing well. No wonder Viscount Givens¡¯ knights couldn¡¯t catch up with them. Hopefully, they would be able to keep up. When Ren wished that, he raised his eyebrows. (How did you get here¡ª- you!) He saw him at the end of the hillside. He was sitting on a large rock there, looking at them with a cheeky smile. Ren and Licia felt nervous. There was no way to avoid him. They had to be ready to fight now. ¡°I knew you¡¯d come through here.¡± The beast master¡¯s voice drowned out the sound of the flowers and grass swaying in the distance. As he spoke, he stood up on a large rock and spread his arms out like wings. The hem of the robe he was wearing swept over, revealing the intricate patterns on both of his arms. When Ren saw this, he secretly furrowed his brow. CH 35.1 The demon beast master waiting for Ren and Licia looked up at the night sky, a smile on his mouth peeking out from his hood. ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s a contract.¡± The earth shook, covered with grass and flowers that filled the hillsides. The ground everywhere begins to rise, and a high-pitched whine begins to echo from the earth. ¡°You¡¯re not going to give up anyway. So I¡¯ll have to use force. If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll just have to kill you.¡± Two black whirlpools appear behind the beast master, and a maneater crawls out of the whirlpools with its arms outstretched. At the same time the maneater let out a ferocious cry, a monster appeared from the ground around Ren and Licia. They were a variety of monsters, some resembling insects, others reminiscent of rats, and so on. (They were of E rank at the highest.) I could understand them because they were all familiar to me, but there were too many of them. There weren¡¯t up to a hundred, but there were close to that many surrounding Ren and Licia. Then, a voice reached them from the forest behind them. ¡°There they are!¡± It was the knights of Viscount Givens. But their voices were soon replaced by screams. ¡°Eh¡­¡­? Hey! Why are you coming toward us?¡± ¡°Stop! Wait! We¡¯re on your side¡ª-¡° They were instantly surrounded by monsters and attacked on the horses they were riding. It was as if they were being enveloped by a jet-black cloud. The sound of hard metal crushing mixed with screams echoed through the hillsides, and Ren¡¯s grip on the reins tightened. ¡°If they come suddenly, the order won¡¯t be in time. But well, it doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯re not going to help if they¡¯re here. It¡¯d be much more useful to use them as bait.¡± The ruthless words of the beast master showed no sense of camaraderie. ¡°¡­¡­ Ren. Can I borrow your sword?¡± Licia was also full of tension and exchanged words for the fight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that is ¡ª-¡° ¡°Not your mysterious sword, but the dagger you used to make fire.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± Ren handed over the dagger Weiss gave him to Licia. At the same time, the surrounding monsters leapt into the air. Ren pulled the reins and swung the wooden sword, dodging the attackers. ¡°Gah!¡»\ He hit the first one approaching from the front hard in the eyes. ¡°Gggiiiiiiiii!¡»\ Licia easily slashed the neck of another monster that jumped right next to her with her dagger. Even after easily defeating the two monsters, there were still countless of them left. However, Ren slaughtered numerous monsters while riding his horse. He created obstacles with his wooden magic sword and tried to gain the upper hand in the battle on the hillside. ¡°Hm. After all, a bunch of monsters of this caliber would be ¡ª-.¡± The beast master, who continues to watch from on high, lets out a sigh. His words weren¡¯t within Ren and Licia¡¯s hearing range. The two of them were riding around the hill on horseback, still waging an overwhelming battle against the monsters that were leaping out of the earth. Therefore, they had no time to pay attention to anything else but the battle. (It¡¯s fine. We can fight.) The monsters fell one after another. The trail where Ren and Licia had advanced was, without exception, littered with dead monsters. Because the two had fought while galloping around the hills on horseback, the monsters¡¯ corpses were scattered all over the place. ¡°Ren!¡± ¡°Yes! I know!¡± Licia suddenly bellowed. Ren saw many monsters approaching in front of him. He swung his wooden sword and made thick, stringy tree roots grow on the ground in front of him. This prevented the monsters from attacking and continued to create a situation that was significant for them. ¡°The sword¡¯s blade is short and hard to fight with, but it¡¯s something!¡± Then Licia showed her charm. She had improved her skills over the winter and was very reliable. ¡°I see you¡¯ve grown stronger again!¡± ¡°Yes! I wanted to win against you!¡± (¡ª- Well, we couldn¡¯t spar last time because of her illness.) She wasn¡¯t in her best form. The sword is also shorter than usual¡ª- but it doesn¡¯t matter at all. The saint Licia Clausel was strong and beautiful. Her swordsmanship is as beautiful and fluid as her dignified appearance. She¡¯s a sight to behold, and Ren, to whom she entrusted her back, was surprised many times. ¡°Ren, too, is getting stronger and stronger! Why? I¡¯ve worked so hard!¡± ¡°Well, if you put it that way¡­¡­¡± The two of them were calm while defeating the infestation of monsters. ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to ask you to duel later!¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yeah. Bring it on.¡± It was a reply filled with many thoughts. I must definitely send her home. I can¡¯t allow myself to lose this battle. I wonder if my mother and father are safe. While many other thoughts are mixed in his mind, Ren looks at Licia¡¯s back and secretly thinks. ¡­¡­ Since she¡¯s here, it¡¯s possible. While fighting, I was somehow encouraged by her. This was the same for her. ¡­.If I¡¯m with him. I won¡¯t lose. Like Ren, she felt supported. Of course, she had trusted Ren before she came here, and he had encouraged her. Now those feelings were growing and shaking her heart violently in the midst of the battle. ¡°¡ªI¡¯m so sorry!¡± The sharp claws ¡ª- of the monster that Licia was unable to slaughter grazed Ren¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m fine! So don¡¯t worry about it and fight as you wish!¡± Ren took care of her without a moment¡¯s pause. Licia¡¯s body, which had been stiffened, instantly becomes relaxed. ¡°¡­¡­ You¡¯re really kind. Hey, when we get to Clausel, do you want to go straight to my mansion?¡± ¡°What happened all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Because we can duel every day, and I know you¡¯ll be nice to me when I¡¯m mad at Weiss or my father ¡ª-!¡± Wielding a dagger as she spoke, she struggled, forgetting her momentary strength. Around them, the monsters lay in numbers that she could no longer count. But suddenly, she let out a gasp uncontrollably as she felt the presence from the front. ¡°¡­.. may I ask you to take care of that thing?¡± CH 35.2 The monster that appeared was a worm about several times the size of the horse they were riding. It cracked open the earth and appeared, and attacked with its scissor-like mouth open to the left and right. ¡°Yes. Leave it to me.¡± Ren, however, is unmoved, and he extinguishes the wooden magic sword and summons his iron magic sword. He gripped the sword with his unbound hand, and without hesitation, he rode right in front of the worm. Then, as they passed each other, he unleashed a sword flash. The wind pressure from his swing reached the demon beast master who was at a distance. ¡°What ¡­¡­¡± ¡±crazy ¡­¡­!¡± Licia gasped, as did the astonished beast master. In the face of Ren¡¯s overwhelming strength, which he had never shown in a spar fight. ¡°¡­¡­ haa,¡± The worm¡¯s body breaks in two as it stops moving with a single swing in passing. The worm fell to the earth and made a small but earth-shaking sound. ¡°Ren is much stronger than I am.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored by your praise.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure we duel again when we get back.¡± With a wry smile, Ren replied ¡°Okay¡± immediately. ¡ª- But there it was. ¡°Ki! ¡»\ ¡°Ki¡ª-!¡»\ The maneater squealed as if rushing the demon beast master. The beast master, laughing, stroked the two monsters lightly. ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± The beast master¡¯s voice echoed through the wide hills. The reason why he started to move here is obvious. He waited until Ren and Licia are exhausted and then he wanted to decide the fight with his maneaters. That¡¯s why. But Ren and Licia don¡¯t seem to be in despair. Ren and Licia¡¯s eyes that reflected the maneaters who began to move still had courage in them. ¡°Tell me, don¡¯t hide it. Do you think you can win the fight as it is?¡± Licia asked in the few moments before the monsters approached. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that, you don¡¯t have to hide anything. What¡¯s the truth? My standing depends on your reply!¡± ¡°Your standing ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Just tell me! Can you win or not?¡± Ren didn¡¯t want to waste time either, so he decided to be honest and tell the truth. ¡°To be honest, if those two come in, victory is as far away as possible.¡± Then again, I recall that the maneater is equivalent to a D-rank. But Licia didn¡¯t despair when she heard the reply. Even though her life was in danger, she murmured, ¡°Do you remember Ren? I¡¯m a saint.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never forgotten¡­..¡± ¡°Well then. I¡¯ll begin.¡± Then, a number of small balls of light arose from her hand. The light spheres melted into Ren¡¯s body, causing him to undergo a physical transformation. (This is¡­¡­) ¡°I¡¯ve never used it on anyone other than myself before. But It looks like I got it right.¡± This must be the power that Ren remembered when he met Licia for the first time. ¡°Is it sacred magic?¡± Cockily, Licia nodded quietly. (¡ª- this is amazing) The buff generated by sacred magic increases the status of his body in a different way. Ren¡¯s body is lighter than on days when he¡¯s in good shape. It¡¯s like something else. The power that pervades his entire body is unstoppable. All of these things make Ren feel a sense of versatility that he has never experienced before. In the midst of all this ¡°Hunt. You can fight without restraint today.¡± The beast master begins to hunt Ren and Licia. ¡°KiKikki! ¡»\ ¡°Kikki! ¡»\ Two monsters of the same rank as the Thief Wolfen spread their wings and fly into the night sky. The maneaters¡¯ movements seemed sluggish to Ren as they approached him in flight. (If that¡¯s the case¡ª-!) I can fight. No, I can win. Ren now had the strength to be sure. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. May I concentrate on sacred magic?¡± ¡°Yes. I will definitely defeat them!¡± At this moment, Ren didn¡¯t realize that Licia¡¯s body was burning up. Licia¡¯s body was running a high fever and she was sweating profusely, just like the other day when she was sick. Also the fact that her voice was slightly muffled. He was too preoccupied with the beast master to do the checks he normally would have done. ¡°Gururu! ¡»\ Monsters in the form of beasts jumped from right beside him. However, all of them are easily cut in two by the iron sword in Ren¡¯s hand. The scene looked the same as before, but Ren, wielding the iron sword, felt a clear difference. It was not only his physical strength, but also the sharpness of the iron sword itself. Now, he was confident that he could cut anything. ¡°¡­¡­ crazy. What¡¯s that power?!¡± The beast master marveled. The figure of Ren, fighting on horseback, appears to be a gigantic being that doesn¡¯t fit into his petite frame. His fighting style is not that of a boy. The figure approaching him, overwhelming all the approaching monsters, caused the beast master¡¯s legs to involuntarily retreat. ¡°Ki¡ª-!¡»\ Still, he was confident in the strength of the maneaters. The maneaters, descending with the force of a bird of prey, approaches above Ren¡¯s head, maintaining a blinding speed. ¡°Giiiiiiii¡»\ The Maneaters opened their big mouth and roared. It¡¯s an attack of the highest speed and timing, which he cannot react to with certainty. But ¡°Stay back.¡± Ren muttered coldly and waved his iron magic sword above his head. It was hard to see in the night, but the maneater¡¯s wing membrane was sliced open and jet-black blood danced in the air. The maneater circled erratically in midair and finally fell to the hilly earth. Meanwhile, the horse driven by Ren doesn¡¯t change its momentum in the slightest and heads straight for the beast master. The maneater who fell behind came crawling back, but Ren didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Burn ¡­¡­! Burn them down!¡± Hearing his master¡¯s voice, the other maneater breathes fire. The night winds momentarily turned into heat waves and poured down on Ren from far above. (Run away ¡­¡­!) The only way to escape the heat wave is to go to the side of the beast master. The power in the hand that pulls on the reins is strong. ¡°Kuhahaha! I hope you burn up!¡± ¡°This is¡­..!¡± We won¡¯t make it in time. The heat wave is too fast. Just when I was about to give up. ¡°Run ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll protect you ¡­¡­!¡± Licia held one hand up to the heavens and covered the horse¡¯s head with a veil of white light. The veil was soon cracked, though the fire that arrived at almost the same time was blocked by it. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Then Licia¡¯s body shook violently. Soon the veil shatters like thin ice covering a winter puddle. The fire was contained just in time. ¡°Impossible!¡± The beast master marvels once more. In the air, the maneater was shaking his shoulders in pain. ¡°Licia! Thank you very much ¡ª-.¡± That was when Ren finally realizes everything that has happened to Licia¡¯s body. (Maybe.) She used too much magic and she wasn¡¯t in the best condition. ¡°Licia.¡± Licia, perhaps noticing Ren¡¯s anxious look, turned around suddenly. She looked pained, but smiled stoutly. ¡°Never mind. Don¡¯t worry about me¡­.!¡± Even so, it is dangerous to continue using magic power. But Licia herself has no intention of stopping. If she stopped using her sacred magic, they would both die. ¡°I see¡­. the power of the saint, sacred magic! Is that what caused Ren Ashton¡¯s change¡­¡­?¡± The large rock where the demon beast master was waiting approaches. Ren clenched the iron sword and stares intently ahead. ¡°I¡¯m convinced that¡¯s the case! Fufufu ¡­¡­ I¡¯m surprised!¡± ¡°Keep being amazed! I¡¯ll finish you off!¡± Soon, the horse kicked the earth and leaped. Reaching the top of a large rock, Ren raised his iron magic sword and ¡ª- ¡°This is the end¡ª- beast master!¡± The iron magic sword flashed from the neck of the beast master to his chest and then to his abdomen. But it was shallow. CH 35.3 Although fresh crimson blood danced in the air, the beast master took half a step back just before his flesh was cut off. ¡ª- No, slightly before that, Ren¡¯s body was receding just a little bit. (No¡­..!) I thought the maneater had pulled his body back, but it wasn¡¯t the case. While I was thinking about it, the horse we were riding was running down a large rock. It seems that he wasn¡¯t able to kill the momentum generated when he leapt up the big rock. ¡°Haa¡­¡­ haa¡­¡­!¡± Licia¡¯s condition continued to worsen. Ren, who holds her, bites his lip and apologizes to Licia, feeling remorse for not finishing off the beast master. ¡°No¡­. it¡¯s not your fault Ren¡­¡­.¡± The stouthearted reply caused more pain to my heart. ¡°Oh dear, that was a close call.¡± Then Ren looked up at the beast master and huffed. Ren also noticed the ivy, which should have pulled him backwards, on his back and furrowed his brow ¡°Ren Ashton. Don¡¯t push me too hard, will you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ you.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t broken the seal yet and using natural magic without a staff is too much.¡± That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t push too hard in my escape the other day and came here to finish things. (Because I shattered the staff that time.) By the way, the robe the beast master was wearing was cut open by Ren¡¯s iron magic sword, revealing his hidden face. He had long golden hair that reminded me of pure gold, and a smile on his neatly shaped face. Ren remembers that face. Although this is the first time they met, Ren knew his name. ¡°¡­¡­Oh, so it¡¯s you. You¡¯re not just a beast master, you¡¯re a nature magician.¡± ¡°You talk about me as if you know me.¡± That¡¯s right. Ren knew about him. But what was the point of going through the trouble of telling him? He had his doubts, but he couldn¡¯t be caught off guard by the way he was looking. There¡¯s no advantage to flaunting the knowledge that he knew him, but now there¡¯s no disadvantage either. So, at the very least, as a way to get back at him. I open my mouth and say gruffly, hoping to upset him. ¡°¡ª- Jerukku. Why are you here?¡± I say in a voice of conviction, and a startled voice rises above the big rock. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± ¡°¡­..Well, I wonder how.¡± As he rolled up in panic, I could see irritation besides surprise in Jerukku¡¯s face. ¡ª- Jerukku, the beast master, is a master of magic. He¡¯s an elf born with a heart filled with cruelty and has a past that has taken a number of his people¡¯s life in its clutches. He¡¯d normally have been executed, but since the elves of this world don¡¯t have a culture of execution, he was banished with most of his powers sealed away. In Legend of the Seven Heroes I, he¡¯s also the boss that the protagonists fight in the middle of the story. This is why Ren remembered all this information. And it should go without saying, but Jerukku is not a Leomelite. Anyone born in Leomel, no matter what race, is punishable by domestic law, but in Jerukku¡¯s case, he was born on a different continent to begin with. When he began his activities as an adventurer, he had already concealed his true identity. (What surprised me was this one.) Ren has thought about Jerukku many times since his rebirth. The first time was when he learned that the wooden magic sword had a natural magic (small) effect, and the next, was when he fought Thief Wolfen. Both had helped him learn how to fight Jerukku. He couldn¡¯t find any words for this. What an odd coincidence. I can¡¯t believe that the boss I was referring to in terms of how to fight would appear before me like this. (So, why is that guy under Viscount Givens¡­..) While thinking in his mind, Ren pointed his sword at the maneater who was crawling on the ground and approaching. ¡°Geeeeeee!¡»\ The maneater is wary of the iron magic sword, but unlike before, there¡¯s a distance between the two. The Maneater is only waving his arms around with a yell, but even so, he¡¯s the equivalent of a D-rank monster, so I can¡¯t let my guard down. ¡°Well, no need to show any mercy! Burn them!¡± The remaining one opens its mouth again and spits out fire. However, it wasn¡¯t as vigorous as it had been a moment ago. Whether it was because it was exhausted or because it had Jerukku by its side, this time Ren had enough time to escape on horseback. ¡°Ku¡­.What are you doing?¡± The frustrated Jerukku was waving his arms. Looking at the crest on his arm, Ren muttered, ¡°Oh¡±. ¡°You made a deal with Viscount Givens!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You wanted information on who could break the seal! I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not going to be easy to break the elven seals on your arms!¡± Jerukku¡¯s eyes widened at these confident words. ¡°How did you know all that?¡± ¡°But I know something else! I also know that you¡¯ve been traveling all over this continent to find a way to break the seal! That¡¯s why you became an adventurer!¡± The patterns on Jerukku¡¯s arms are not tattoos, but powerful seals. It¡¯s a substitute that drains magic power and significantly lowers the status. This is the reason why it¡¯s difficult to use two skills at the same time without the aid of a staff. (I believe he¡¯s ¡ª-) In the legend of the Seven Heroes, Jerukku turns to the wisdom of a certain person in order to break the seal. It¡¯s the dean of the Imperial Academy of Military Arts, who is said to be the best wizard in the world. However, Jerukku is no match for him. So he turns his attention to the students and targets the protagonists who have left the academy for extracurricular activities. He sets up many traps and battles with them, trying to take them hostage. (Even so, it doesn¡¯t change what needs to be done.) Ren fought back and readied his iron sword. ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­haaa¡­¡± Licia¡¯s pained voice. We have to end the fight as soon as possible, even if it¡¯s just for one more second. Ren holds his iron magic sword right next to him and rides his horse toward the big rock. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s really the last time.¡± After a quiet murmur, multiple sword flashes are released. In the blink of an eye, the large rock is carved away, and Jerukku, who was standing at the top, crumbles at his feet. ¡°This! Abominable sacred magic!¡± The collapsing rock broke into boulders, and Jerukku fell through it. The horse is nearing the end of its rope. Pulling on the reins with the hope that the horse would make one last effort, Ren threw himself into the falling rocks. He finally found his way through the rocks, cutting them with his iron magic sword. ¡°I¡¯ll end this!¡± He flashed his iron sword and thrust the tip of the sword at Jerukku¡¯s throat. Instead, Jerukku screamed out. ¡°Protect me!¡± He ordered the maneater, whose wing curtains were intact and was breathing fire. Then the maneater appeared between Ren and Jerukku and tried to prevent his master from receiving a fatal blow. ¡°Giiiiiiiiiiiii¡»\ The maneater broke between the two men and was pierced by the iron magic sword. But he didn¡¯t die for nothing. In the end, it hit the horse Ren was riding and blew it away. As he did so, Licia, who was riding the horse, was thrown into the air. ¡°Make it in time¡­¡­!¡± Ren leaves the horse in midair and hugs Licia¡¯s body while being thrown away. Then the two of them fell to the ground with the momentum of being blown away. Fortunately, the corpses of the monsters spread around them provided a cushion and there was no great impact. The horse lying a short distance away made him worry, but Ren confirmed that it had not suffered any serious injuries. The horse seems to have the blood of a monster in its veins, and its body seems to be sturdy as well. ¡°Licia-sama! Are you all right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She was breathing. But she was out cold. (The sacred magic was gone too. She was at her limit.) Ren¡¯s mind was buzzing. One maneater was lying on the ground, but what if Jerukkku had the strength to summon it again¡ª- and he grew impatient with the change in the war situation. But soon there was a glimmer of light. Jerukku was kneeling right next to the Maneater, who was lying on his side. He was too far away to see clearly, but Jerukku¡¯s shoulder had been pierced to a bone-deep level. ¡°Ku ¡­¡­ fufu¡­..¡± Jerukku laughed as a large amount of fresh blood flowed from his shoulder. ¡°Did he get me?¡± The maneater couldn¡¯t prevent the thrust of the iron magic sword. The sharp tip of the sword had pierced through the maneater¡¯s body and reached Jerukku¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha. That¡¯s a lot of blood! This is all blood that came out of my body!¡± Hearing the exclamations, a maneater crawled alongside Jerukku. Realizing that his master will soon die, he looks at Ren and threatens him. But that was not the point, Jerukku¡¯s appearance was too eerie. The sight of him laughing with bloodshot eyes made Ren¡¯s skin crawl. ¡°I haven¡¯t killed enough. I was hoping to break the seal that had eroded the bones of this arm and kill as many people as I had endured up until now¡­¡­ Hah, now I won¡¯t be able to kill any more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I told you earlier. You¡¯re finished.¡± That said, Ren¡¯s body is almost at its limit. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t get close to Jerukku, who is protected by the maneater. ¡°I¡¯m finished?¡­¡­ can¡¯t kill you anymore¡­¡­?¡± Jerukku muttered all of a sudden. ¡°¡ª no, you can¡¯t kill me.¡± He looked at Ren and then at the unconscious Licia, and smiled a sneer. ¡°I wonder why. I have an inexpressible pleasure when I see a person¡¯s dying face. It¡¯s a pleasure far more pleasurable than the physical contact of the opposite sex.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± ¡°Fufu. I just wanted to tell you why I love killing.¡± Jerukku continued. Incredible, suicidal one-liner. His voice was terribly calm. ¡°Maneater. Eat my arms.¡± Ren, exhausted, broke down in response to the deafening command. CH 36 Confused by his master¡¯s instructions, the maneater was prompted once more to follow his master¡¯s lead and bared its fangs. The sound of flesh being devoured and bones being chewed echoed through the hillsides. In the blink of an eye, Jerukku¡¯s right arm was devoured, followed by his left arm, which was also devoured in the blink of an eye. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh! It hurts! It¡¯s the kind of pain that makes you want to despair! Fufu! It¡¯s eating me! My arm!¡¡It¡¯s eating me up along with the pain. It can¡¯t be helped!¡± It was ¡­¡­ strange. Jerukku is exhausted and his bloodlust is fading away. And yet, the maneater¡¯s physique grows larger. (What¡¯s going on?) But soon. Jerukku, exhausted, but with a true expression filled with madness, now smiles fearlessly. At the same time, the maneater¡¯s physique immediately stopped growing. ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ I knew it! Abominable seal¡­.!¡± The seal applied by the elves even eroded the bones of Jerukku¡¯s arms. However, even with the loss of both arms, the seal was not broken. No, to be correct, a part of the seal was broken, but it seemed to be only a small part of the seal. Jerukku noticed this. Naturally, Ren had the same expectation. He thought that Jerukku¡¯s speculation had failed. ¡­¡­ ¡°In the end¡ª- I have nothing to regret!¡± A tree root arose from Jerukku¡¯s feet. The root reached up to his chest and pierced it with a thump in a fraction of a second. Jerukku is now just waiting for death. The man¡¯s chest was filled with the sound of something exploding. (If you do something like that¡­.) He seems to be trying to break the seal by forcibly destroying his body, but death must come first. If that happens, the maneater will disappear and Ren will win. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!¡± A faint green light arose from the chest of the bellowing Jerukku. ¡°Ku¡­ fu¡­ Such an expensive potion, and yet this is the extent of it! Oh, that hurts ¡­¡­oh!¡± Jerukku used tree roots instead of his hands to spray the potion directly into his body. He says it¡¯s expensive, but if you look at it, it has only prolonged his life marginally. ¡­¡­¡­This is truly a last-ditch, desperate attempt. The time left is not long. The only thing that matters to him now is forcing himself to buy a little time to kill Ren and Licia. Jerukku is in pain for this reason alone, enduring a pain that threatens to burn out his spirit, and has fallen into a madness that Ren can¡¯t even begin to imagine. ¡°Huff¡­¡­huff¡­¡­!¡± Soon, the gigantic maneater also chews the corpse of the other maneater lying on its side. This time, it didn¡¯t stop growing, finally transforming into a hulking mass more than a dozen times larger than before. It was thicker and covered in muscles with pulsating blood vessels. Its limbs grew one by one, and it gained a pair of wings. The sharp fangs that protruded from its mouth were longer than the entire length of the horse Ren was riding. It ¡ª- looked like a dragon. It was like the mighty dragon that Ren had seen in the legend of the Seven Heroes. ¡°Shhhhh¡­.shruuuu!!!!¡± The maneater let out a fire-filled exhale and glared at Ren. He postures like a cat curled up on its back, leaving its master and approaching. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­alive¡­¡­there¡¯s still time¡­¡­!¡± A faint but joyful voice emanated from Jerukku¡¯s mouth. The roots of the tree that he had created pierced his chest, and while being supported by the roots of the tree, he was filled with a great deal of negative emotions. ¡°Kill¡­¡­.¡± Gone. The maneater had somehow disappeared completely from Ren¡¯s sight. The next moment, something approaches with a gust of wind right beside Ren. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The moment he turned his attention to it, an overpowering shock rushed through his body. The bones of his torso creak with a sickening sound and he¡¯s blown away, gouging out the earth of the hillside. As I was tortured by the pain I had never experienced before, a black shadow was in pursuit right in front of me. I saw several fangs illuminated by the moonlight. I narrowly escape the fangs, but instead a stiff arm strikes me in the side of the head. I¡¯m being treated like a toy, he thought as he fought back the bone-crushing pain. (What kind of a seal is that ¡­¡­?) I don¡¯t know the details of the elven seal, but Jerukku had mentioned earlier that it was a seal that had eroded his hand down to the bone. In other words, the seal wouldn¡¯t disappear if only the skin of the arm was removed. Therefore, he tried to forcefully break the seal by having the maneater eat the entire arm. But even that wasn¡¯t enough. So he pierced his chest and threw away his life to break the seal¡ª-. It is impossible to determine if the seal has been broken by this effect or if it hasn¡¯t been broken but the seal has been weakened. But it is true that for a small amount of time, he¡®s using expensive potions to stay alive. Therefore, his life should be faint. ¡°Sruuuuuuuuu!¡»\ The maneater is crowding Ren faster than the night wind. (Ku ¡­¡­ that¡¯s not the strength of the Jerukku I know ¡­¡­!) The Jerukku that Ren knows is, after all, only a sealed form. The one thing I really like about the game is that Jerukku didn¡¯t do anything this aggressive. He was defeated by the dean right after the battle when he was about to do something. His current strength is limited to the end of his life, but he was more than strong enough to kill Ren and Licia. (The maneater now is B rank ¡­¡­ or maybe even higher ¡­¡­.) The Maneater¡¯s strong arm pushed out once more at Ren, who held up the iron magic sword even as he thought. The strength of his muscles, which shouldn¡¯t be able to resist, receives a strong impact through the iron magic sword. ¡°Guhooo¡ª!¡± He was rolled again. Ren¡¯s body, which rolled while gouging the earth, returns to that place where he protected Licia. There, Licia lay panting in agony. ¡°Licia¡­¡­sama¡­¡­!¡± I crawled on the ground and approached Licia. I want to save her alone. Driven by these feelings, Ren attempted to get up somehow. ¡°Get up¡­..!¡± However, he couldn¡¯t get up. The repeated wear and tear and the attack of the maneater, whose seal had been broken, had already taken toll on his body. If he could at least buy a little more time, Jerukku might die first. But even gaining that little bit of time was extremely difficult. ¡°Fuhahaha ¡­¡­ it¡¯s the end¡­..!¡± Jerukku declared victory in a hazy voice. The giant maneater jumped up, opened his mouth in midair, and bared his fangs at Ren and Licia. It¡¯s no good now? Ren, who hadn¡¯t given up, tried to use his last strength to stand up, and at that moment ¡ª-. ¡°Thank you¡­¡­¡± A faint voice came from the mouth of Licia, who was by his side. Ren, who was about to reply, moved his mouth. But his voice was not coming out. The pain was too much to bear and he couldn¡¯t speak. But as he did so, Ren¡¯s body suddenly got released from the pain. Just as he was wondering, their bodies were enveloped in a veil of white light. ¡°Licia¡­.sama¡­¡­?¡± Hearing Ren struggling call out, Licia smiled and nodded stoutly. ¡°Thank you for protecting me¡­¡­.¡± She smiled again. She hasn¡¯t regained her vitality, so her forehead was sweating profusely and her complexion was slightly pale. But she was beautiful. Her dignified appearance remained unchanged at this moment. ¡°So ¡ª-!.¡± With all her remaining strength, she lays her outstretched hand on Ren¡¯s. Then, she gives him warmth. It was a sacred magic for Ren, created by forcing herself to use all the strength she wanted to leave behind. ¡°I give you strength¡­¡­. Saints can do this kind of thing.¡± She finished her sentence. ¡°¡­¡­I want you to be safe, even if it¡¯s just you.¡± She said in a voice feigning cheerfulness and fainted again. The white veil began to crack. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Licia must have told him to get out of there while he still could. But Ren¡¯s legs wouldn¡¯t move. He knew he was going to be killed soon, and he was terrified by that fact, his feet trembling slightly. He still refused to leave Licia¡¯s side. ¡°I wonder how this happened.¡± Ren mocks himself at the thought. He had been trying to avoid an encounter with Licia and avoid the same future as the legend of the seven heroes. Furthermore, he had fallen into a turn of events that he didn¡¯t know about. And yet, here he was, trying to protect her with his life. He found it funny and began to laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Licia-sama.¡± Ren battered, stood up. Unlike before, he was able to get up quickly this time. ¡°I¡¯m not going to run away without you, Licia.¡± It¡¯s not the maneater that I am really afraid of. I was more afraid that I would lose heart here and run away without Licia. I was a little surprised at myself for thinking so, and my cheeks relaxed just a little. When did I become such a hothead? With strong courage, Ren says, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can come this far and lose.¡± Ren¡¯s figure with his iron magic sword at the ready is unreliable, but his eyes, pointed at the maneater looming outside the white veil, are as sharp as blades. The veil that enveloped them both shattered into pieces as Ren took a fighting stance. ¡°Shhhhhhhhhhhhh¡»\ So far, the crystallization of the physical strength that treated Ren as a toy¡­. The mighty Maneater¡¯s stiff arm, caused by Jerukku¡¯s real intention, is swung down. Underneath the arm, Ren raised the iron magic sword with a flash of sacred magic in his hand. ¡°Here!¡± The tip of the sword caught the maneater¡¯s physical strength. The manaeater¡¯s muscles were so strong that they not only shook the earth, but also sank the earth on which Ren was standing while he was protecting Licia at the same time. ¡°No way this is over! Uoooooooh!!!!¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­!!¡± And then it bounced back. The last of the power that Licia shared with him, he used his physical strength, which he would normally not have been able to use, to bounce off the Maneater¡¯s body. But the cost was too great. Ren¡¯s arms sagged, as if his muscles were not working. And his legs, which supported his body, lost their strength and he fell on his knees. ¡°Move¡­..! What have you worked so hard for¡­.!¡± The body is completely unable to do what he wants, even though he¡¯s screaming. On the contrary. ¡°My body can¡¯t¡­¡­!¡± At last, Ren lay down and his arm with the bracelet lay between Licia¡¯s breasts. (Ku¡­..) His eyelids are heavy even at a time like this. The high laughter of Jerukku, which could be heard from afar, was also hard to hear. Is there really nothing more I can do? No. At least, Let me at least buy some time, even if it¡¯s only for a moment. Ren pulled Licia¡¯s body under him and prayed that Jerukku would die first, even if it was only for a tenth of a second. (¡­¡­ Excuse me) I could only do such a pathetic thing, and tears came to my eyes¡ª- It was in the midst of all this. From Licia¡¯s chest, the bracelet overlapping with Licia¡¯s body emitted a light similar to sacred magic. It emitted a dazzling white light that startled Ren. (What¡¯s this? ¡­¡­?) He looked at the bracelet in astonishment. There, in the list of familiar magic swords, was the name of a strange magic sword. ¡­ £¿£¿£¿£¿ (Level 1: 1/1) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Why a new magic sword at a time like this? And why is it full of ¡°?¡± All these questions came to mind, but Ren decided. (¡­¡­ whatever) Conveniently, if this was the power that could help Licia¡­¡­. Thinking of this possibility, Ren thought that any magic sword would do if it could help Licia, and he ordered the unnamed magic sword. Come, anything is fine. If you can help me fight, I don¡¯t care what kind of power you have. ¡ª- ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! ¡»\ The roar of the maneater echoed through the air. I could also feel his anger at having his attack repelled earlier. ¡°This is killing my last pleasure ¡­¡­!¡± Jerukku¡¯s rapturous voice rang out. There is nothing else I can do. ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of power I have, as long as I can protect her¡­.!¡± Suddenly, Ren and Licia were enveloped by a dazzling flash of light and golden lightning. But because of the dazzling light, he couldn¡¯t see the sword he was supposed to have summoned. All he could see was the silhouette of a long sword floating in the air. Ren reached out and grasped it. The flash of light and thunderstorms were clothed in white winds and formed a glow that pierced the heavens. Jerukku¡¯s, eyes wide open, was stunned. The huge maneater closed his eyes to the light. All the dead bodies of the monsters lying around them are transformed into particles of light. So was the giant maneater. The mouth that was supposed to devour Ren and Licia turns into particles of light, and everything is swallowed by the glow that pierces the heavens, and rises into the heavens with a powerful wind. ¡°Ku¡­¡­fu¡­¡­ this¡­¡­ is impossible¡ª-¡° In the end, the dying Jerukku was swallowed up as well, and disappeared from the world before anything was known. The glow eventually thinned and just before it disappeared, it seeped into the bodies of both Ren and Licia. This is vitality. It was a strange light that healed their bodies. ¡°At¡­. least, only Licia-sama¡­¡­ and also ¡ª-.¡± How did we win, and what is that magic sword? When he came to, the magic sword was gone, but Ren didn¡¯t question it in any way either. He was only concerned about Licia. At the moment he let go of his consciousness. Ren finally smiled when he saw that Licia was still breathing. He then quickly closed his eyelids. CH 37.1 It was early the next morning. Baron Clausel had not made up as much time as he had thought and had been cornered to the stage of being transported to the imperial capital. He would now go to the imperial capital by lunar whale from another territory via the surrounding towns. He wasn¡¯t allowed to have Weiss by his side and was just about to leave Clausel. The people of the towns surrounding Clausel were watching with bated breath. Viscount Givens, riding in the lead on horseback, saw this and laughed. ¡°Viscount. We are almost there.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a long way indeed.¡± The one who said that was the knight who said he was going to Clausel during the battle with Ren in the forest. Viscount Givens nodded with a cool smile on his handsome face at the sound of his voice. ¡°All that remains is to transport Baron Clausel to the imperial capital as it is.¡± ¡°After that¡­..¡± ¡°The heroes living in the imperial capital will take care of it.¡± ¡°Yes, but, Viscount, I have to ask you once again.¡± The knight asked and Viscount Givens said, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I understand why you let Licia Clausel live. I also understand why you took her hostage and threatened Baron Clausel. In the end, if we can get the saint to marry into the Heroes¡¯ Faction, it¡¯ll unite us as a faction.¡± ¡°Ah, you are concerned about Ren Ashton?¡± ¡°Yes. Was it worth the risk to keep him alive? I heard Baron Clausel say that the boy was his favorite.¡± Viscount Givens chuckled. And then he reminisced. ¡°It was nearly ten years ago, but I happened to discover some information.¡± ¡°Information ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡ª- It was a coincidence. It was an unintentional connection that I discovered while I was researching the Clausel estate in the imperial capital and I realized it was information that no one else was aware of.¡± ¡°What connection was that?¡± The knight¡¯s face was full of curiosity, which made Viscount Givens feel better. But he said nothing more. ¡°One day you¡¯ll understand. Which is when I¡¯ve gained fame among the heroes and have a voice above the troublesome cohabitants and the high nobility.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­..¡± ¡°Until then, I¡¯m the only one who will know the truth.¡± The viscount exhaled as he finished. ¡°I¡¯ve spent many years doing just that. Unlike the saint, I have taken great care to keep Ren Ashton in my possession.¡± For that reason, he couldn¡¯t let Ren and Licia go. Viscount Givens got a report from the knight that the two were sighted in the forest before the hill. Naturally, he reprimanded the knight severely as soon as he heard about it. However, since he gave priority to capturing the two rather than reprimanding them, he hadn¡¯t inflicted any punishment of any kind on them. ¡°You guys head for the hillside right after this.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll be able to capture them soon.¡± ¡°Hah, it would be troublesome¡­.. Not only because of Jerukku, but also because you guys have exposed yourselves in such an unbecoming manner.¡± ¡°Sorry about that¡­..¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to apologize, return the apology with work. If you can¡¯t, I won¡¯t tell you how you will be dealt with.¡± The knight nodded silently, unable to say anything at the strong tone. ¡°And I¡¯m also concerned about the light from last night.¡± This was the only concern. The other knights hadn¡¯t come to report, so this one thing was really hanging over Viscount Givens¡¯ mind. ¡°Even now, we¡¯re somehow managing to outmaneuver the royalist faction. Failure isn¡¯t an option. Do you know how hard I worked to create this situation?¡± ¡°Ha. I think this is due to the fact that you were quick, alerted the surrounding territories and applied the appropriate pressure.¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t forget that this was a work of meticulous planning.¡± He talked about why the royalist faction had remained uninvolved until today and ordered them not to let his efforts go to waste. If they had heard what was going on, it was only natural that there would have been royalists who would have interfered. The only reason they weren¡¯t there was that Viscount Givens, in cooperation with his close relatives, had spent many years planning the project in secret. ¡°It¡®ll happen soon.¡± ¡ª-The end of the Clausel family is near. Outside the open gates, Baron Clausel looked out at the morning sun rising over the horizon. ¡°¡ª- who is that?¡± He saw a horse coming down the street. It was a horse approaching slowly against the sunlight. Unlike Viscount Givens, who questioned the horse, the knight at his side noticed something unusual. Isn¡¯t that the horse that was pulling Jerukku¡¯s carriage? The knight was just about to tell Viscount Givens those words when ¡°Young lady ¡ª-!¡± Weiss shouted at the rear of the group, and he drove his horse, heedless of Viscount Givens¡¯ knights¡¯ restraint. What¡¯s going on? With all those knights and Jerukku, yet they escaped all the way here? Viscount Givens¡¯ heart gradually grew impatient. This caused him to stop his horse just outside the gate. ¡°Viscount!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash. Weiss, no one can beat that man. First, we must see what he¡¯ll do.¡± From behind, Baron Clausel¡¯s voice could be heard. But he wasn¡¯t free. Viscount Givens ordered his knights to form a perimeter around Baron Clausel. While he was doing so, the horse approaching from the front didn¡¯t stop. ¡°My Lady! I have no apologies! I¡¯ll make amends with my life ¡ª- boy!¡± Weiss made his opening apology and immediately noticed that Licia was carrying Ren on her back. To his surprise, Licia quietly replies. ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s alright. All of this was something I ordered you to do.¡± ¡°But ¡ª-!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you later¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want his hard work to go to waste right now.¡± Of course, Weiss said he would take care of Ren, but Licia was adamant. She wasn¡¯t going to give in, saying that she¡¯d take Ren to the mansion herself. The more he looked at Licia, the more he saw that she too was exhausted. And yet, Weiss was forced to keep his mouth shut in the face of Licia¡¯s condition. ¡°¡ª- You must be Viscount Givens.¡± The voice of the haggard Licia echoed. But there was a dignified strength in her eyes that Weiss had never seen before. The area has lost its noisy atmosphere of a moment ago. Even Weiss had to keep his mouth shut In the face of Licia¡¯s power. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see the saint, but be careful with your words. I¡¯m a viscount¡ª- ¡° ¡°Please refrain from speaking here. I don¡¯t have the courtesy to address a criminal¡° Viscount Givens laughed at the bite in her voice. ¡°You have an interesting way of saying things.¡± Viscount Givens moved his horse forward. Licia stopped her horse and waited for Viscount Givens, keeping Weiss at a distance. ¡°But make no mistake. The criminal is your father.¡± ¡°Look carefully¡­.. Can you still be so bullish after seeing this?¡± Licia took the magical tool that Jerukku had been using and questioned Viscount Givens. The Viscount Givens¡¯ eyebrows furrowed for a moment when he saw it. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He asked calmly. ¡°It¡¯s a magical tool that belonged to an elf you hired. If I look into it, I may be able to see the relationship between you.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ hahahaha! What a thing to say! What sort of crazy thing is a saint saying?!¡± ¡°Ren and I ¡ª- Ren¡¯s village was attacked by the elf you hired.¡± ¡°So, why am I coming out of the woodwork here? You don¡¯t think you can prove it with a single magical tool like that, do you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find out if I look into it.¡± Licia as haggard as she looked was less tactful than usual. By the same token, Viscount Givens is unwavering. She should have known that, but her body was in pain and she couldn¡¯t speak as much as she wanted to. ¡°¡­¡­ and we were attacked by your knights in the nearby forest.¡± ¡°My knights? Someone must have staged it.¡± There¡¯s no proof. Licia provoked the knights in the forest, exposing them to their disfigurement, but still didn¡¯t sway Viscount Givens. After all, he¡¯s a well-prepared man. Weiss, who was listening to the conversation, was so angry that he was on the verge of drawing his sword. It was a miracle that he could hold back. ¡°I remember his face. The knight by your side swung his sword at me and Ren.¡± ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­is it true?¡± ¡°No. I was in command outside Clausel, as ordered by the Viscount¡­..¡± ¡°It seems that the saint has been tricked by someone.¡± ¡°I¡­ wonder, Shouldn¡¯t we talk about it in the town to find out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Viscount Givens pushed on. In fact, he was in a position to do so and had already reached that stage. Weiss objected when he saw that he was advancing his horse. ¡°Viscount Givens! I, as one who is in charge of the Knights of the House of Clausel, think that you should carefully examine the words of the young lady! I suggest that you return to the town once more to confirm what has happened!¡± Still¡­ ¡°That¡¯s also unnecessary. If you insist on it, you can set up a new trial in the capital.¡± At the Imperial capital, there are many noblemen who aren¡¯t in support of the Clausel family. No matter how much Licia returned on her own and couldn¡¯t be used as a hostage, there was no doubt that he could still threaten him with a new move. It is, in effect, a defeat. So Baron Clausel was also buying time and waiting for a new move. Viscount Given¡¯s horse is advancing further. Soon, he¡¯ll pass by Licia and the others¡ª- But at that moment¡­ CH 37.2 ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ show me your hand.¡± The voice was faint and feeble. Ren, who should have been in a coma, spoke. ¡°Ren!¡± ¡°Boy!¡± Responding to their concern, Ren slowly raised his face behind Licia, on who¡¯s back he was on and reached out his hand. ¡°Show me your hand¡­.!¡± ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± ¡°To your knight¡­¡­!¡± Licia realized his intentions. Ashamed of her immaturity and lack of composure, she apologized to Ren in a small voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Relieved by her appearance, Ren quickly let go of his consciousness. ¡°Show me the back of your hand. Your hand should have the scar that Ren and I put on it.¡± There was supposed to be no conclusive proof. But it was born in this moment. ¡°¡­¡­ Vi, Viscount.¡± Viscount Givens was speechless. There was no way he could have been cornered. He wondered how it had come to this. ¡°Show us.¡± Weiss said, approaching Viscount Givens¡¯ knight. ¡°No, I was in the middle of my duty¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Show us.¡± ¡°No! My hand is¡ª-!¡± ¡°Show me quickly. Before I draw my sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The knight of Viscount Givens gave up and removed his cuirass. Then he shows the back of his hand as he was told. The back of his hand was covered by a bandage, but Weiss intimidated him into removing it as well. ¡°Hoho ¡­¡­ it¡¯s as the young lady and the boy said, there¡¯s indeed a scar.¡± ¡°These are wounds that I got in the middle of my duty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. But there¡¯s blood on the bandage. The wound still looks fresh, but it can¡¯t all be a coincidence and those white burns look like they were caused by sacred magic.¡± There was too much overlap to be coincidence. A sense of agitation spread among the people. The people gathered near the gate and the knights of both camps. ¡°You didn¡¯t have very good potions. But did you know? For wounds caused by sacred magic, even the most expensive potions, leave marks.¡± If that were the case, there would be no more excuses. However, Viscount Givens was still very determined and eloquent. ¡°Hahaha! Very well! Then let us set up a new trial to prove the innocence of my knight! In any case, all will be revealed in the imperial capital! Since the first trial is already over, there¡¯s no change in the fact that Baron Clausel will be transferred!¡± Viscount Givens starts to move forward in high spirits. The transferring party also resumed its progress. ¡°¡­¡­.what should I do?¡± Licia shed tears. This, this is the power of nobility that she detests. Tears cannot stop streaming down her face at the absurdity of one being allowed to do whatever they please simply because of one¡¯s high rank. It¡¯s especially painful to feel that all of Ren¡¯s hard work has been denied. ¡ª- but right there and then. ¡°Wonderful, and how beautiful they are.¡± The sound of applause came from the gate. It was the kind of applause that is inappropriate for this occasion and sounds like the kind of applause one might hear after watching a play. ¡°The courage and dignity of the young man were admirable. I have witnessed the most beautiful story and this is exactly how I feel.¡± The aged voice reached everyone in the group. As they wondered who it was, the person who had uttered the voice stepped out of the gate and stepped between Viscount Givens and Licia. ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m now able to interject. So I¡¯ll lend a small hand in concluding the miracle that the two of you have wrought.¡± The man was an old butler-like gentleman in a tailcoat. ¡°Who are you?¡± Viscount Givens asked in a hostile voice. But the old gentleman didn¡¯t answer Viscount Givens, but looked at Licia. ¡°Saint. Leave it to me.¡± ¡°¡­You are?¡± ¡°My name is Edgar. Please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just here to honor both of you and offer one last little assistance.¡± ¡°Assistance¡­.?¡± ¡°I just want to help bring down the curtain on the story you two have created. We¡¯ll not in any way trespass on the miracle of the two of you.¡± The old gentleman smiles graciously and immediately looks at Viscount Givens. ¡°Viscount Givens, this is the first time we¡¯re meeting. I¡¯ve come to Clausel at the behest of my Lord.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you first tell me the name of your Lord?¡± ¡°I beg your pardon. My master is¡­..¡± The man, Edgar, had his back to Licia. So it was difficult to tell what he had taken out of his pocket. In his hand was a jeweled knife with a certain pattern on it. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.!!!¡± ¡°Oh, it seems that you understood without me saying his name.¡± ¡°It, it can¡¯t be! What are you scheming.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a crime punishable by death to conspire against a nobleman. I don¡¯t think a man who is even a viscount wouldn¡¯t understand such a thing.¡± Behind Edgar, Licia was stunned. Viscount Givens, who had been pushing with the power of a nobleman, was suddenly flustered and his forehead was covered with sweat. ¡°Now, the gentleman from the legal affairs bureau.¡± The old gentleman, who introduced himself as Edgar, paid no attention to Viscount Givens¡¯ agitated appearance and summoned the civil official from the legal department. ¡°I¡¯ve been told by the Lord that I¡¯m free to move in his name and to speak in his name if I feel so inclined at this trial.¡± ¡°I see¡­.. and the man whose emblem you have is¡­..¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s only one nobleman who bears this emblem. By the word of our Lord, I propose that this trial be retried in Clausel, as there are too many puzzling points.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± The civil official of the legal office didn¡¯t respond obediently to the request, perhaps because he was under the influence of the heroic faction. But Edgar¡¯s continued words forced him to give up. ¡°The Lord owes the Clausel family a great debt of gratitude for the boy named Ren Ashton. He¡¯s therefore willing to lend a helping hand to the end of a story such as this.¡± Licia and Weiss had no idea what was going on. But the civil servant gave up with these words, and Viscount Givens also backed down. Edgar went to Viscount Givens¡¯ side and asked in a faint voice that only he could hear. ¡°You seem to be wondering why my Lord moved.¡± He smiles like a good-natured old man, but speaks in a cold voice. ¡°The miracle those two have wrought has enabled the Lord to lend a helping hand without reserve.¡± ¡°He¡­¡­ w lent a helping hand for something of this level!¡± ¡°Yes. In addition, Ren Ashton saved the life of a certain person¡­..Oh, speaking of which.¡± Edgar said as he walked past. ¡°Did you say earlier that you¡¯ve succeeded¡ª-?¡± With these words, he stepped into Clausel alone.