《Reincarnated as the Mastermind of the Story (LN)》 Chapter 0 Many of the stories that exist in the world are formed through the characters that appear in them. This also holds true for novels, video games, manga, and anime. There are as many characters as the number of stories. For example, the heroines or friend characters, and if the story is set in a school, even teachers also make an appearance. On the other hand, characters known as protagonists are common in every story. It is also not rare for those immersed in a story to feel a variety of emotions towards those protagonists. For instance, if a story has a fantasy setting, it is not surprising to admire the gallant endeavors of the protagonist, who excels both in magic and the sword. And if there are attractive heroines by the protagonists side, its natural to envy that situation. However, there is one thing that shouldnt be forgotten. Captivating characters are not limited to just the protagonists. Its also not an impossible thing to feel captivated by an enemy character who wields absolute strength. Thats how striking of an impression those somewhat mysterious and mighty existences leave. For example, just like in the game he was currently playing. Tell me, you who are called heroes. Are you really worthy of that title? In the world that could be seen through the TV screen, a boy asked while sitting on the wreckage of something that was once a house. His surroundings were filled with similarly crumbling houses. Those were the only traces left of a city. The target of the boys question was the protagonist of that story. Accompanied by his comrades, he was the descendant of a hero who had defeated the demon lord. However, not a single one of them replied. Instead, the protagonist alone stood and confronted the boy who remained seated on the wreckage. There is no way we will lose here! We will definitely defeat you! Having expected that reply, the boy reached out for the sword that was planted on the ground and calmly stood up. As the protagonist approached him, he lightly swung the sword and the pressure it generated sent the protagonist flying. Although the protagonist stood up to face him again multiple times, the outcome remained the same. You seem to be in despair. I can see your hearts have started clinging to god after realizing that you cant reach me even after putting your lives on the line. The boy had mastered attack, defense, and magic All to a tremendous level. None of his opponents could come close to facing him. In front of such an existence, the protagonists endurance finally reached its limit. He fell forward onto the ground and could hear the boy say something as his consciousness grew faint. I envy you people. That way of living where you dont know the truth about the world and are allowed to be incompetent is something that I dont have. In the end, the boy left that place leaving meaningful words behind. He hadnt taken anyones life. Till the end, that figure of his didnt stop alluding the air of a strong person who maneuvered behind the scenes. So strong. The young man, who couldnt take his eyes off the TV screen all this time, involuntarily put the controller on the floor and stared at the figure of the boy as he left on the other side of the screen. His fighting style and the way he toyed with the protagonist and his comrades made the young man feel excited and wonder how strong the boy actually was. The figure of that overpowered boy was burnt into his mind. Overcome with such emotions, the young man unconsciously opened his mouth. If I was that boy, what kind of life would I have lived?he muttered. Chapter 1 CHAPTER 01: REINCARNATED AS THE WIELDER OF EXCEPTIONAL POWER Worlds of swords and magic were his favorite. Ever since childhood, the games he played were all of the fantasy genre. Even the novels he read were no different. He was confident that he could pull off a few all-nighters if the story were about a fantasy world he enjoyed. Shiina Ren was that kind of man. Naturally, he didnt dedicate his entire time to playing games. His usual time was spent as a fourth-year student attending a university and he had recently been busy working towards finding a job. In addition, he worked hard in his part-time job four days a week to make the best of his gaming time. That was the case with Ren, who had left three days of the weekend free for a highly anticipated new game. As soon as the date turned to Friday, he downloaded the game and continued playing it for around two days almost without any sleep until finally, on the evening of the day when he finished it, he shouted with delight in front of the TV. I reached the endingggggg! The game that Ren had just completed was a role-playing game. It wasnt as if he was competing with anyone, but to him, who was still in an excited state due to playing the game continuously without even taking a proper nap, it felt good to post a part of the ending screen on social media. His manners as a gamer made him extra careful as to not post any spoilers. I think I might be the first one to clear this game. As if replying to his monologue, a message appeared on the screen right after the end credits finished rolling. SYSTEM: Congratulations on clearing the game. Do you want to save your clear time to the server? Yes/No Saying Obviously! Ren pressed Yes without skipping a beat. Shortly after that, a new system message popped up. The sentence displayed on it both verified his assumption and made his heart leap with excitement. SYSTEM: As a reward for being on the top of the rankings, you have acquired a special DLC. Do you want to start downloading? Yes/No A special DLC That goes without saying! When he pressed Yes again, a progress bar appeared on the corner of the screen showing 1% 2% He didnt know what was inside that special DLC, but the message did say it was the reward for getting the top rank. That meant it was something no one else would be able to acquire. There was no way his gamer self wouldnt be thrilled by that. He also felt a sense of superiority. Lets calm down a bit. Ren leaned back on the sofa to calm his increasing heartbeat. Since he had nothing to do while waiting for the download to finish, he picked up his smartphone and opened the official site of the game he just cleared. The Legend of the Seven Heroes According to the developers, it was going to be a fantasy RPG with a total of three parts. The story was set in a world several years after seven people, also known as the seven heroes, subjugated the demon lord, and it focused on the growth of their descendants as they overcame various hardships. On top of having a huge amount of sub-stories, it also had an academy setting, and the players could even get into romantic relations with heroines of their liking, making it the most trending game in the world today. The protagonist of that story was a country bumpkin boy with commoner parents. During his childhood, he had awakened to a hidden power that leads him to attend the empires most prestigious academy located in the capital. There, he meets with six other boys and girls that are called the descendants of the seven heroes, and the story progresses as they work towards stopping those who are plotting the resurrection of the demon lord. But in part s ending, it was revealed that the protagonist was the descendant of the last of the seven heroes whose bloodline was thought to have ceased to exist The game Ren had just cleared was part , the sequel. Part was great as well. Unlike part which focused on the academy life and the main characters growth, the storys biggest uproar occurred in the sequel. What a joke. I cant believe the descendants of the heroes cant even stop me, who is all alone. Ren remembered the words of the boy who had made him involuntarily put the controller down while playing part . That boy was the classmate of the heroes and had first appeared as a friend character. But he killed the girl who was known as the saintess, and even took the life of the headmaster of the academy, who was considered to be the worlds strongest magician. You should understand this by now. You all are no match for me even if you put your lives on the line. He easily defeated the heroes, who were questioning his violent actions, and disappeared into thin air leaving behind those words. Various commotions started occurring in the imperial capital after that. He appeared in the middle of those commotions, said things with hidden implications, and even fought the heroes. However, the game ended without revealing his true objective nor his relationship with those plotting the resurrection of the demon lord. In the end, the emperor ordered the subjugation of that friend character, leaving the rest of the story for part . Even recalling that was enough to raise Rens excitement. Since he wasnt able to calm himself down, He stopped using his smartphone and picked the controller back up. The special DLC was still downloading so he went back to the title screen to refresh his mind. I dont have anything better to do, so guess Ill just look forhidden skillswhile it downloads. What he referred to was one of the elements that made replaying the game worth it. From the second playthrough onwards, it was possible to change the names of the main characters skills to Japanese, as well as to create original skills by fusing up to three existing skills. However, there were measures in place to make sure the game balance wasnt disturbed. In particular, it was forbidden to use the names and effects ofunique skills, something only special characters possessed. Instead, hidden skills were one of the elements that could be enjoyed by combining certain skills. After that, Ren spent a few dozen minutes looking for hidden skills. However, he didnt obtain any results even after trying out tens, or even hundreds of combinations. Hidden skills were designed in a way that the class name would automatically fill up if the right skills were fused, so it wouldnt have been difficult to know if he had entered a valid combination. Aah, its no use. Nothings working. Finally giving up, he reached out to his smartphone to search for others who had also cleared the game. But instead, he found a few interesting posts. } Theres no way he isnt part s boss. } Hes the mastermind. Hes also behind those plotting the demon lords resurrection (I think). } He felt like the black ranger at the end there. Honestly, it was cool. Ren found people that had watched part s ending. Some of them were gamers he had chatted with on social media. Thinking it would be okay if it were them, he sent them a message. Did any of you find any hidden skills? Oh He got a reply in less than a minute. Unfortunately, none of them seemed to have found any. Ren was a bit disappointed, but at the same time, however, he renewed his resolve to find one. After applying a few eyedrops and pulling himself together, he could see the number 99% on the screen. Ah, about time. As soon as he muttered that, the download reached 100%. Download Finished!Ren thought this message would stay on the screen for a few seconds, but it instantly disappeared, making him feel dejected. He had been looking forward to the special DLC but since he couldnt find any changes, he sighed deeply thinking it was a bug and went back to his search for hidden skills. Eventually After a dozen more minutes, he accidentally discovered a hidden skill. Summon Magic Sword? Feeling surprised, Ren slowly tilted his head and muttered. It was a result of fusingSwordsman,Black Magic, andSummoner. That combination consisted of frequently used skills, so he was sure he had tried it out a few times before. The reason he entered the same combination again was simply due to a mistake. It wasnt rare for that to happen while trying out hundreds of combinations. But that was all there was to it. However, Ren relaxed and felt genuinely happy for having found a hidden skill. He pressed the button to select that skill, but a system message popped up. SYSTEM:Summon Magic Swordis a unique skill and cannot be used in normal mode. Thud!Ren smashed his head against the desk. Are you kidding me?!is what he wanted to shout, but he realized something and looked back at the screen. Cannot be used in normal mode? What does that even mean? Thinking back, it was his first time seeing such a message. Usually, every time a unique skill was chosen, all it said was that it cannot be selected. Ren felt curious and tried to change the difficulty level of the game, but it showed the same message. He thought it was a bit strange and looked at the description of theSummon Magic Swordskill. It is possible to summon a magic sword. The abilities of the magic sword can be increased by increasing the proficiency level of this skill using magic stones. Furthermore, the types of magic swords can be increased if special conditions are met. Magic stones were the stones found inside the bodies of monsters in the game. Although they had a variety of uses, players mostly just converted them into money. Then again, he didnt remember any character using such a skill. Ren frowned for a while but noticed some words floating on the corner of the screen. SYSTEM: Do you wish to start an extraordinary story with the skillSummon Magic Sword? Yes/No At first, Ren wondered what it was, but then he remembered the special DLC he had downloaded and chose Yes. Huh? Right after he pressed the button, his vision got enveloped by a pure white flash of light and his consciousness began to fade. As soon as he laid down on the sofa, his consciousness completely cut off. When he came to, he found himself being bathed in hot water. Ren tried to open his eyes and take a look at his surroundings, but no matter how much he tried, he couldnt open them. Not only that, even his body didnt move as he wanted it to. Young Master seems healthy. Dont you think so too, Madam? He could hear the voice of an old lady. Yes, Im glad. Its a relief to know that he will grow up healthy. The next voice he heard was that of a young woman. However this time, it contained a hint of tiredness. (Whats going on here?) Ren raised a confused voice in his mind and tried to focus on his senses other than sight. The sensations he felt were too real to be called a dream. However, his mind couldnt catch up with the fact that he turned into a baby from his previous adult self. Then, even if he knew it was absurd, a thought occurred to him. (The special DLCand the extraordinary story) He couldnt help but think about it due to his current situation, which couldnt be dismissed as a mere dream. (Did I reincarnate?) Since he was quite knowledgeable about fantasy stories, that was the first thought that came to his mind, but whether he could accept it or not was a different thing. However, it was as if all of his senses, except his sight, were trying to convey that what he was thinking wasnt unfounded and it was in fact, a reality. (I see.) Now this is something. This really is a special DLC and an extraordinary story. Ren muttered in his mind while pretending to be calm. But then, even though it was too late, he was filled with a sense of shame. If he was really a baby right now, then that would mean he was currently stark naked and was having a babys first bath or something similar. However, all he could do about it was to flail his arms and legs. (I want to know more about my current situation, but) He was surprised at how calm he was being in this absurd situation. But that might be due to the fact that an unrealistic situation was taking place and he had resigned himself because he couldnt move his body the way he wanted it to. (I want to know my name at least.) With that thought in mind, Ren flailed his limbs as to pray. As if his prayers were answered, the old lady asked the young woman, Madam. About Young Masters name Of course, its decided. Thats wonderful Madam, its fine now so please try holding Young Master and call him by his name. Ren felt his body being covered with a soft cloth and realized that he was being lifted up. But soon after that, he could feel warmth enveloping him, so he thought that the young woman was embracing him and he waited for his name to be called. This child is Ren had given up trying to comprehend his current situation for the time being and was looking forward to knowing which character he had reincarnated as. If the message were to be believed, he had started an extraordinary story with the hidden skill, so there was no doubt it would be someone important in theLegend of the Seven Heroes. Ren. He will be called Ren Ashton. Ren was dumbfounded the moment he heard the name. What a joke. I cant believe the descendants of the heroes cant even stop me, who is all alone. The boy had an overwhelming strength enough to defeat the heroes all by himself, a mysterious charm, and somewhat androgynous yet dignified looks. Besides that, he also acted as the protagonists friend and was the person responsible for the uproar inThe Legend of the Seven Heroes . That was Ren Ashton. In The Legend of the Seven Heroes, he was regarded as someone who possessed exceptional power and seemed to know the crux of the story. Not only was he the character that shocked a lot of players, but he was also someone whom Ren felt close to and admired because their names had the same reading. He also remembered thinking about what kind of life he would have lived if he wasRen. (On top of it being so sudden, the one I reincarnated as is such a dangerous character? What the hell am I supposed to do now?!) He had never thought those words would actually come true and was bewildered, with his mind not being able to catch up with the situation he was currently in. Chapter 2 A day passed, and so did a week. But no one could answer Ren¡¯s doubts. Before he knew it, he found himself being able to open his eyes, but the only thing he could ascertain with them was that he had in fact turned into a baby and that his room was shabby and run-down which allowed cold air to come through the gaps. ©¤©¤©¤©¤Eventually, a little more than half a year passed since he started living that kind of life. (I¡¯m sure of it now. I¡¯ve reincarnated in the world of The Legend of the Seven Heroes ¢ñ as Ren Ashton.) Moreover, he could recently feel a new self emerging in him as Ren Ashton, different from the previous Shiina Ren. In the early days of his new life as Ren, he even wanted to return to his former world, but in the last few weeks, he had stopped thinking about it. (Let¡¯s live without getting involved in troublesome things. I definitely don¡¯t want the emperor ordering my subjugation.) If he really was that Ren Ashton, he thought it would be okay as long as he took a path different from his game self. Right when he decided to live a clean and proper life, a woman opened the door to his room and looked at him. ¡°Oh my, were you waiting for Mom?¡± Her name was Mireille, Ren¡¯s mother. She was a woman with well-proportioned looks and characteristic dark-brown hair, the same as Ren. According to the information Ren had gained in the past six months, she had just turned twenty-one. ¡°Come here, it¡¯s time for dinner~¡± She lifted Ren up in her arms and took off the upper part of her clothes. In fact, for a few days after he had reincarnated as Ren, he felt aversion to being breastfed. After all, Mireille was around the same age as he was in his previous world, and on top of that, she was a married woman. (Well¡­¡­ I was unable to have any impure thoughts though.) Perhaps he knew it by instinct that Mireille gave birth to him and that he couldn¡¯t think of her any other way. That¡¯s why he decided to obey his appetite like usual, and after he had his fill, it was time for the after-meal break. Since he couldn¡¯t thank her with words, he gave her a big smile. Mireille smiled back in return and left the room. (I¡¯m bored.) Ren had too much spare time. Since he had the body of a baby, there was no meaningful way to spend that time and the most he could do was move slightly on top of the bed. He had a firm consciousness unlike usual babies, so he didn¡¯t know what to do with his spare time, making it grueling. (There must be something I can do¡­¡­) He racked his brain for ideas but eventually reached the conclusion that he would have to spend the time doing nothing today as well. However, a dozen minutes after he had resigned himself, the words ¡°Summon Magic Sword¡± crossed his mind, renewing his mood. (I didn¡¯t try it before because I thought it could be dangerous, but I think it¡¯s about time I do.) When Ren had reincarnated into this world, he thought of instantly trying out that skill. However, there was a chance of the sword getting summoned above his head and falling on him, so he decided it was dangerous and it would be better to wait for his body to grow a little more. Ren was still a baby, but he had grown to the point that not only could he move on top of the bed, but he could even crawl. That¡¯s why he thought that it would be okay to use the skill once. (©¤©¤©¤©¤But how do I use it.) He didn¡¯t know how to summon a magic sword. In The Legend of the Seven Heroes, a menu opened when a specific button was pressed, and there, it was possible to use items on party members and even recover mana and stamina. However, no such buttons existed in real life. And nothing happened even when he thought of the usual words ¡°Status Open¡± in his mind. ¡°¡­¡­Abua.¡± Since Ren was a baby and still couldn¡¯t speak properly, he felt dejected and started muttering ¡°Summon Magic Sword, Summon Magic Sword, Summon Magic Sword¡± in his mind. He kept doing it like a strong wish or a curse, hoping it would work, until©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Aau?!¡± A bracelet suddenly appeared in midair and fell on top of Ren¡¯s lap, who was sitting on the bed. It was a perfect fit for Ren¡¯s still baby-sized arms, and it seemed to be crafted with silver with a crystal ball embedded in it. (What is this©¤©¤©¤©¤?!! No, wait, there¡¯s something inside the crystal ball©¤©¤©¤©¤!) Ren felt a bit let down that it wasn¡¯t a magic sword that got summoned, but when he picked up the bracelet to take a closer look, he could see some words floating inside the crystal ball. On further examination, Ren was surprised to find that those words were similar to the ¡°status screen¡± found in the game. However, unlike in the game, there was no section for his current level, MP, and stamina. They existed mainly for the players to know a character¡¯s capabilities easily, so it might be correct to say that those things cannot be quantified. (Magic Sword Summoning Art¡­¡­ Is that a skill that comes together with Summon Magic Sword?) There were similar instances in The Legend of the Seven Heroes. For example, if someone chose the powerful job Guardian, they would have the skills Swordsmanship and White Magic right from the beginning. (¡­¡­If I¡¯m not wrong, the proficiency level of the magic swords could be increased using mana stones.) On the other hand, the proficiency level of Magic Sword Summoning Art could be increased by using the summoned magic swords. The numbers 0/100 were most likely the measure of the current proficiency of the skill. However, it seemed like nothing would happen even if the level of the Summon Magic Sword skill increased. (And finally, I can unlock more magic swords by satisfying special conditions.) The sole magic sword available to him from the beginning was the Wood Magic Sword, and currently, the Iron Magic Sword was the only one he could unlock. But the effect of the Wood Magic Sword was the one that caught his eye. (I believe Nature Magic was a skill that allowed the user to fight using plants.) Ren recalled that there was an enemy who used that skill in The Legend of the Seven Heroes. That enemy was an elf the protagonist ends up facing inside a forest. On top of having high physical abilities, that elf could produce plants using Nature Magic and restrict the movements of the protagonist and his party. Furthermore, that elf also used a different skill to control monsters, making him a troublesome enemy. (The Nature Magic he used was strong for sure¡­¡­but I¡¯m a bit concerned about the ¡®low¡¯ written after it here.) He thought it would be okay to assume that the Nature Magic he could use was weaker than normal. (Might as well try it out. If I really want to live in peace, I should know how to fight monsters.) He decided to do so and muttered ¡°Wood Magic Sword¡­¡­ Wood Magic Sword¡­¡­¡± multiple times in his mind, but nothing seemed to happen. Ren started feeling disheartened, but then his gaze fell on the bracelet in front of him. He thought the skill Summon Magic Sword wouldn¡¯t work unless he equipped the bracelet and brought his right arm close to it. Before he could do anything, the bracelet automatically equipped itself on his right arm. Ren was shocked and when he muttered ¡°Wood Magic Sword¡­¡­¡± in his mind once again, a crack appeared in the empty space in front of him. A wooden sword slowly emerged from that crack, as if being pulled out of its sheath. The Wood Magic Sword fell on the crude bed with a thud, and when Ren took a closer look at it, his smile gradually faded. (It¡¯s so small¡­¡­) It wasn¡¯t surprising, but the Wood Magic Sword was made up of wood, even if it was called a magic sword. Moreover, it seemed to be like a kitchen knife and not even a short sword due to its length. (W-Well, it still has a low level¡­¡­and I can also use Nature Magic, after all¡­¡­) Ren picked up the Wood Magic Sword still feeling a bit displeased. Nevertheless, his body was feeling somewhat heavy and his head hurt since a while back. However, Ren thought it was just his imagination and moved his arm to swing the sword. Just when he did that©¤©¤©¤©¤ (Gua¡­¡­ah¡­¡­) The headache he had ignored as his imagination suddenly became severe. Since he was just a baby, he was unable to bear that incessant headache and lost consciousness. The bracelet equipped on his right arm had also disappeared on its own. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó Several weeks had passed since the day Ren had lost consciousness. The trees he could see while sitting on his bed from the window had all shed their leaves. Ren had first tried out ¡°Summon Magic Sword¡± six months after his birth, so right now he was around seven to eight months old. That also meant his birthday would be around April. ©¤©¤©¤©¤Ren continued living like that while gradually growing up, until one day. (I¡¯m starting to understand how this works.) He was holding the Wood Magic Sword he had summoned and felt satisfied. Excluding the day after he had tried using his skill for the first time, Ren had been summoning the magic sword almost every day. The reason why he excluded that day was that he was afraid that the headache might strike again. However, when he resolved himself and used the skill again, the headache wasn¡¯t as painful as the first time. After that, every time he used that skill, he noticed that his weariness and headache gradually decreased, and now it was uncomparably lighter than before. (I wonder if I lost consciousness because I ran out of mana.) Even in The Legend of the Seven Heroes, if a character ran out of mana, their status would decrease temporarily. Ren thought that he had fallen into that condition (I¡¯m sure that unlike in the game, this world doesn¡¯t have the concept of levels. There¡¯s no way to explain my growth otherwise.) Let¡¯s take attack power for example. It is actually the physical strength of a person and doesn¡¯t depend on levels. Although there are individual differences, stamina and other factors increase along with the growth of the body. Or like Ren, it might be possible to grow mana by exhausting it to the limits. Physical strength would most likely be the same. In other words, it was important to put in the effort. (At any rate, one of my plans went down the drain.) If this world was exactly the same as the one in The Legend of the Seven Heroes, Ren knew of an efficient way to level up. He was thinking of using it to have a peaceful life, but unfortunately, it seemed like that won¡¯t be possible anymore. (Guess I¡¯ll have to work really hard.) After reaching that conclusion, Ren sighed deeply. But then©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Ren! Are you awake?¡± The door to his room opened and a man with a good physique stepped in. Before that man could see the bracelet and the magic sword, Ren wished for them to disappear in a panic and they did. This method of unsummoning was something he recently found out about. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still looking outside? In that case, let your Dad show it to you from closer!¡± As the man said, he was Ren¡¯s father. His name was Roy Ashton and he was a young man the same age as Mireille. He had masculine facial features and looked a great match for Mireille. Roy picked up Ren in his arms and when he caught him looking at his face, he flashed a refreshing smile with his white teeth peeking out. ¡°Have a look outside. This nameless village of ours is splendidly countrysiding as always.¡± Roy, who had used ¡°countryside¡± as a verb, opened the window and the slightly cold wind made his somewhat short, blond hair flutter. (Yup. It¡¯s the usual countryside.) There wasn¡¯t any mention of Ren Ashton¡¯s hometown in The Legend of the Seven Heroes, but it was a countryside among countrysides in a remote region and the population of that small village was less than a hundred. Several simple houses could be seen covering the rural area outside the window. ¡°You see that over there? That¡¯s a forest.¡± Roy pointed towards a huge forest densely packed with trees. It looked like an ordinary forest at a glance, but there was a huge boulder in the middle of it that greatly stood out. ¡°Dau?¡± Ren pointed towards that boulder to which Roy replied, ¡°That boulder is called the Blade Rock, and as you can see, it¡¯s sharp and pointy like a sword. It would take around an hour and a half of walking to reach there after entering the forest.¡± It looked as tall as a 10-story-building. As Ren innocently continued to stare at the Blade Rock, a strong wind suddenly blew in and caressed his cheeks. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t forget this,¡± warned Roy. ¡°Make sure to never enter that forest. The monsters around here might be weak, but they will attack as soon as they see you.¡± Roy¡¯s next words piqued Ren¡¯s interest. ¡°Well, this village is getting by because they¡¯re weak. We can get meat by defeating them, and even earn some money by selling the mana stones. That¡¯s why we can manage even if I¡¯m the only one who can fight.¡± (That¡¯s right! Mana stones!) Rather than just increase his mana capacity by using Summon Magic Sword again and again, Ren remembered that there was one other thing he could do. He had to use mana stones to increase the proficiency level. (I wonder if he¡¯ll show me any mana stones¡­¡­) While Ren was harboring such thoughts, Roy said, ¡°Let¡¯s have a walk outside¡± and left the room holding him in his arms. It was Ren¡¯s first time coming outside his room, and the house looked as shabby as his own room was. The dark-brown wood used as flooring for the corridor was old, with the colors faded in some places. Even a single decorative item would¡¯ve made a change, but Ren couldn¡¯t even find a single piece of furnishing. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­ This house needs repairs soon¡­¡­¡± Roy said with a wry smile when the floorboard suddenly made a loud creak. ¡°I inherited this residence alongside knighthood from my father, but it seems like this house is at the end of its ropes. Well, I¡¯ll think about repairing it if the village benefits from it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤Remember this, Ren. Us poor knights have no leeway of money.¡± As Roy mentioned, the Ashtons were a family of knights in charge of this remote village. Ren initially thought that knighthood was something given to only a single generation and couldn¡¯t be inherited, but it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case in this world©¤©¤©¤©¤no, in this country. (But that¡¯s not something you should be telling a baby, Dad.) Eventually, Roy reached the end of the corridor and opened the door ahead of him. ¡°Mireille! Look who I brought!¡± That door led to a kitchen, which was somewhat old-fashioned with a dirt floor covering half of the area and a door that lead outside. ¡°D-Dear?! Why did you suddenly bring Ren here?!¡± Mireille was standing on the dirt floor next to a watering place made of stone and a small charcoal stove covered in soot. ¡°Well, you see, it looked like Ren wanted to see some mana stones, that¡¯s why©¤©¤©¤©¤¡± ¡°What are you doing, honestly! There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true!¡± But Dad is right, muttered Ren in his mind. Still not believing her husband¡¯s words, Mireille sighed and turned a doubtful gaze toward him. ¡°Haah¡­¡­ You¡¯ve always been an idiot who has nothing but swords in his mind. Even in the past, you loved fighting monsters all the time and even enjoyed collecting mana stones. That¡¯s probably why you have the weird idea that Ren also wants to look at mana stones.¡± ¡°W-Why don¡¯t we confirm if it¡¯s just my misunderstanding or not! Come on! Give me the mana stone of the one I just hunted this morning!¡± ¡°Sure, be my guest. I¡¯ve finished dismantling it so do as you like.¡± Hearing that, Roy handed Ren over to Mireille and headed towards a corner of the dirt floor. In the corner, Ren could see a pelt still covered in mud with a translucent stone placed on top of it. (I wonder if that¡¯s a Little Boar¡¯s pelt.) Little Boar was the first monster the protagonist of The Legend of the Seven Heroes fought, and it closely resembled a wild boar. ¡°Ren, thanks to your Dad subjugating monsters, we can get money and even share meat with the villagers. That¡¯s why Mom also respects him a lot¡­¡­ But Ren, I don¡¯t want you to turn into a boy who¡¯s always looking at swords and mana stones, understood?¡± He couldn¡¯t promise her that. That¡¯s why he made a dry smile in return, but Mireille was happy with it nonetheless. Soon, Roy returned in high spirits while holding the translucent stone Ren saw earlier. ¡°Have a look, Ren. This is a mana stone.¡± Roy had Ren hold the mana stone. Looking at it closely, it seemed slightly greenish and would have the beauty of a gem if it were to be polished. Ren was overjoyed looking at the mana stone he held with both his hands. Mireille, who had doubted Roy¡¯s words, looked at Ren in surprise but sighed at the same time. ¡°To think that after my husband, even my son is attached to mana stones¡­¡­¡± Even though she sighed, she couldn¡¯t help but smile looking at him. ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó ©¤©¤©¤©¤After some time, Roy took Ren back to his room. Ren was happy that he would finally be able to raise the proficiency level using the mana stone he received from Roy in place of a toy. He summoned the bracelet in high spirits. (¡­¡­Huh?) But nothing happened. He waited for a few seconds, then for a few minutes, but since there was no change, he couldn¡¯t resist looking at the bracelet. Inside it, he could see the words ¡¸This mana stone cannot be used¡¹. (Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­) He could think of two reasons. The first was that he could only use the mana stones of monsters he had defeated himself. The other was that only the mana stones obtained from specific monsters would work. However, the latter felt like the condition for acquiring new magic swords. So even if it was just an assumption, Ren decided that the condition to increase the proficiency level would be the former. (¡­¡­I see.) If any mana stone would have worked, it would be possible to just buy them and increase the proficiency level. To prevent that, the skill was designed in a way that only mana stones from monsters defeated by the person themselves would work. (I won¡¯t have it easy at all, huh¡­¡­) Ren reached that conclusion and lay down on the bed. As he stared at the ceiling, his head was filled with misery like never before.