Ren felt the approach of spring as he bathed in the sunlight pouring down over the Imperial Capital.
Dressed in lighter clothing than usual, he was currently making his way toward a secluded corner of the city. Access to this area required special permission—the kind the castle occasionally granted to citizens of Leomel who had performed exceptional service, such as those like Ren who had been awarded a medal from the Lion Holy Chancel.
Having been recognized for his rare contributions, much like a player in the Legend of the Seven Heroes, he was finally permitted to set foot here.
The area Ren entered was not a high-security facility or a vault of secrets; it was a sprawling meadow that remained lush and green even in the depths of winter. A massive bridge separated it from the bustling castle town, and no other natural space within the Imperial Capital occupied such a vast, undisturbed area.
There were no buildings on the plain, nor were there any hidden treasures. However, this land was special—a place where the Lion King was said to have trained his sword and where he had proposed to his Empress. It was a quiet sanctuary known as the Garden of Swords.
(2:30 PM on this day.)
In the timeline of the first Legend of the Seven Heroes, this moment occurred after the end of the main story but before the transition to the sequel. It fell within the peaceful days following the return to the capital after the battle with Ulysses Ignat in the Baldur Mountains.
Ren stepped onto the turf, which was still slightly damp from the snow, and exhaled a long breath.
"There’s no way it would turn out exactly like the game," he murmured.
Things wouldn't go according to the original script. In fact, Ren had spent his life acting specifically to ensure they wouldn't. The irony of his own words made him chuckle self-deprecatingly.
Ren stared at the spot where she was supposed to be standing. A single tree stood in a corner of the plain where the ground rose into a gentle hill. As he stood beside it, gazing off into the distance—
"Why are you here?" a beautiful voice called out from behind him.
Ren felt his heart hammer against his ribs so forcefully it surprised him. He turned around, feigning composure to ensure the speaker wouldn't notice his agitation.
"I thought I might find you here," he said.
Standing before him was the Silver-white Princess. To the world, she was a transcendent, perpetually calm figure. Yet now, she seemed frozen in place, genuinely surprised by Ren’s presence.
"...With me?"
"Yes. Lady Lutreche—the Sword King."
On this day, at this specific time. In the game, this was an encounter known as "Challenging the Sword King," one of the few opportunities to interact with Lutreche.
I wonder...
Lutreche possessed a mystical beauty, but there was a fragility to her now that made her seem nothing like the powerhouse Ren knew her to be. However, that vulnerability vanished the moment she focused her gaze on him.
"I have no need for titles," she stated.
"Doesn’t that mean I’d have to address you without any honorifics?"
"I don't mind. I am simply Lutreche."
Ren had never even imagined calling the Sword King by her name alone. Even with her direct permission, his bewilderment won out.
She continued, ignoring his hesitation. "Ren Ashton, why have you come to see me?"
"I wanted to hear the truth from you directly. I couldn't ask anything the last time we met."
Lutreche assumed he meant the incident at the Great Clock Tower. That had occurred shortly after Ren moved to Erendir, a plot by the Demon King Cult that Radius and Ulysses had thwarted by luring the enemy into a trap. At the time, Lutreche had claimed she only helped because she was "curious about the rumored boy." Ren had heard this from Radius and didn't intend to rehash the same old explanation.
"If this is about the Great Clock Tower, I have told the Third Prince everything," she said.
"No. I’m curious about that, sure, but right now I want to ask about something else."
"Then... what is it?"
Lutreche tilted her head, looking for a moment like an ordinary girl. For the first time, Ren saw a gap in her perfect armor.
"Do you... know anything about the Ashton lineage?"
If it wasn't about the Clock Tower, the questions had to go deeper. Through the efforts of Ragna at the Department of Mysteries and the investigation of the submerged orphanage, a few names had surfaced: Cecil Ashton and the Eroding Princess. Ren suspected Lutreche might hold the key to their secrets, and by extension, the secrets of his own family.
Lutreche responded without a moment’s hesitation. "I have no reason to speak of it."
She didn't claim ignorance. Unlike her ambiguous conversations with Radius, she gave him a flat refusal. She simply wasn't going to tell him.
"However, I can help you move forward."
The cloth wrapping the longsword she held slid away, falling to the grass.
"Move me forward?"
"Yes. But before that, let me ask you one thing." She stared into Ren's eyes. "Ren Ashton—can you become stronger than me?"
It was the masterpiece that the legendary Werlich claimed he could never surpass: God-Eater. The blade was a silhouette of pure, brilliant white—a color Werlich said evoked the very beginning of the world. She thrust God-Eater into the turf, though she had no intention of a duel. She was merely testing Ren's resolve.
"Me... stronger than you?"
Ren struggled to find the right words. When his hesitation finally vanished, the answer he gave piqued her interest.
"Nothing has changed since I was a child. If there is a need for it, I will simply become strong."
"If that is so—"
"Yes. If I need to be stronger than you, then I will make sure it happens."
He didn't want to insult her or speak with discourtesy. Instead, he spoke to reconfirm the path he had chosen since deciding to reach the rank of Sword Saint.
Lutreche watched him with those piercing eyes. With a slight movement of her fingers, she levitated the cloth from the grass, wrapped the God-Eater once more, and took it in her hand. Without another word, she turned her back on him.
"Wait!" Ren called out.
Lutreche didn't stop, but her voice carried back to him on the breeze. "You should try looking for an Emblem."
Then, she vanished into the wind.
Shortly after Ren’s conversation with Lutreche, inside the hall of a magic ship approaching the Imperial Capital...
In the context of the first game, this would be the journey back to the capital after stopping Ulysses Ignat’s attempt to resurrect the Red Dragon Asval. It was an event just before the ending. Returning to normalcy after a life-or-death struggle, the group gathered in the hall discussed the power Wayne had displayed.
Kaito Leonall, the boy who specialized in shields, spoke up. "I knew it, Wayne. You’ve got to be the descendant of Hero Ruin..."
"I don't know," Wayne replied hesitantly. "I don't really feel any different."
Sera Riohard spoke next. With her noble brown hair and amber eyes, she possessed a beauty that matched her inner strength. "That light... it was like the time you saved me in the forest years ago."
"It’s how you stopped Asval’s resurrection," added Nemu Altia, the genius of magic tools. "But it didn't feel like Holy Magic or White Magic."
Charlotte Roferia, the master archer, nodded. "I’ve been to the temples plenty of times for my family's business, but I’ve never seen a clergyman use power like that."
Wayne sat on the sofa, staring at his palm as he listened to them. He thought back to the battle in the mountains and the ripples the incident had sent across the Empire.
"It’s all still a bit much to process," Wayne said. "For now, I’m just glad we all made it back safely."
Everyone nodded, celebrating the end of their arduous journey. Wayne then turned his attention to the window. They were passing over a remote region where several massive rivers merged into a vast, breathtaking lake—a piece of nature only two hours from the capital.
"Sera, what is that place?"
"It’s Windea. They call it the place where water and wind sleep."
At the center of the lake stood a jagged, tower-like mountain that pierced the clouds. High above, particles of light that looked like verdant mana danced in the air.
"They say the water and wind of the Elfen Continent eventually return to that spot," Sera explained with a smile. "I don't know if it's true, but the lake is supposedly where water turns into mana to be released back into the world. It’s a domain created by the Water Goddess."
In the game, this was where Wayne would eventually undergo a trial to unlock his true potential.
In this current timeline, a similar conversation was unfolding. The only difference was that the group was returning from the Leonall Heroic Ducal Territory rather than the Baldur Mountains.
"Wow... I had no idea a place like that existed," Wayne remarked.
"It’s been a while since I've seen it myself," Sera said proudly, standing beside him.
Charlotte, ever the teaser, hugged Sera from behind. Sera writhed, trying to shake her off. "I told you, Sharo! Stop being so sudden!"
"Aww, don't be so mean~"
Sera sighed and gave up, continuing the story while Charlotte hung off her back. "Once every few hundred years, the fountain near the temple at the summit—which is usually dry—fills with water. It’s divine water that repels evil. They say it reacts most strongly to the power of a hero."
Suddenly, everyone except Wayne stopped moving. They all turned to look at him in unison. Wayne took the hint and nodded firmly.
"If my power can help fight the Demon King Cult, then we should investigate it."
If Wayne was decided, no one would object.
"Then it's settled! Let's go to Windea soon!" Sera cheered.
"Wait, wait! Sera, climbing a mountain like that in this season is suicide!" Kaito protested. "Even with my muscles, that’s a nightmare. It’s steeper than the Baldur Mountains. Let's wait until spring."
"Maybe during the next break," Charlotte suggested. "We can go after the new students enroll."
"True," Sera agreed. "And there’s no guarantee the fountain will fill this year anyway."
In the original game, this scene was a deliberate prelude to the sequel, Legend of the Seven Heroes II, Chapter 1: Bloodline of the Hero. But that wasn't the only topic on their minds.
"I want to talk to Ren once winter break is over," Wayne said.
"Oh! Definitely!" Kaito shouted.
"Kaito, quiet down!" Charlotte scolded.
"Sorry, sorry. But seriously, what is with Ashton? If the rumors are true, he took down Wadatsumi, the Messenger of the Giant God, all by himself."
Sera, still resigned to being Charlotte's human perch, fiddled with the archer's bangs. "It’s not just a rumor. Given who was there, it had to be him."
"I heard the Director of the Lion Holy Chancel and the Ignat steward were there too," Kaito noted.
"I know," Sera said. "But the Director was in the town, and the steward was protecting the Marquis. It had to be Ren."
The winter days continued to pass, slow and quiet.
As the magic ship carrying Wayne’s group sailed through the sky, Ren visited the Adventurer Guild in the capital, following Lutreche’s cryptic advice. He ignored the bustling crowd and went straight to the high-class reception desk.
"I've come about our conversation from the other day," Ren said to the receptionist.
"Of course, Mr. Ashton. This way, please."
She led him to the restricted section of the guild—a luxurious area for elite adventurers and noble clients. Ren scanned the posted requests, recognizing several high-end tasks from the game.
- Monster extermination on the route to the Demon Continent. Wage: 5,000,000G.
- Collecting shed horns from an S-rank Black Emperor Behemoth. Reward: Negotiable.
- Escort to the forbidden sea to hear a Siren’s song. Wage: 17,000,000G.
They were all extraordinary cases, but none seemed to connect to Lutreche's hint. Then, a simpler request caught his eye.
- Document organization and miscellaneous chores. Reward: Negotiable.
It was curt and out of place among the high-stakes missions. But it was the requester’s name that stopped him: Bag Traveler. It was Ragna, the researcher from the Department of Mysteries.
Ren took the paper to the desk. "I'm interested in this one."
"That requires an interview with the requester," the receptionist explained.
"I figured."
Before she could arrange it, the door opened and Ragna himself walked in, disguised as the Bag Traveler. He ignored Ren at first, heading to the board and noticing his request was gone.
"To think someone actually took an interest in that. They must be quite eccentric," Ragna muttered. Then he spotted Ren. A smile spread across his face beneath his hood.
"An interview is unnecessary," Ragna said, walking over and placing a hand on the request form. "I’ll be working with this boy."
"Are you sure?" the receptionist asked.
"We’re acquaintances. It’s perfect, actually. I was hesitant to ask him directly, but this works out for the best."
Ren nodded. "I’m fine with it too."
Ragna and Ren left the guild to talk in private.
"I didn't want to keep bothering you for my own convenience," Ragna admitted. "But seeing you interested in my request... were you curious about what I was doing, or just my name?"
"Both, honestly," Ren replied. He kept Lutreche’s advice to himself for now.
"I like that answer. Now, about the job. I need help finding a specific item. I called it chores to keep people away, but I don't actually intend to make you do menial work." Ragna led him into a quiet back alley. "Do you remember the orphanage in the Old Quarter?"
"Of course. The one where I opened the lock."
"In Director Geno’s room, we found letters he exchanged with Cecil Ashton. Further investigation turned up something else." Ragna pulled a small, rod-like key from his pocket. It was made of a blue, sapphire-like crystal, but the head was shattered. "This is a magic tool. It’s broken, so it doesn't function."
"And you need it for your research?"
"Exactly. You're quick as always." Ragna snapped his fingers, and his massive bag opened automatically. He pulled out an old parchment. "Have you heard of Bard Muedi?"
"The one from the Seven Heroes era? Her songs were actually magic."
"She was connected to Cecil Ashton. Letters from her were found at the orphanage, making her a vital link to tracking him. This key, according to the letters, leads to Muedi’s hideout."
"So you need to repair it to find the hideout?"
"Yes. But the key was blessed by the Water Goddess herself. It can’t be repaired without extracting power from a similar Sacred Relic. And the Church isn't exactly sharing theirs."
"The Department of Mysteries doesn't have any?"
"None with a strong enough connection to the Water Goddess. We need a catalyst."
Ren thought about his Water Magic Sword. It carried the Goddess's power, but he decided to wait and test it another day. Then, another idea struck him—one from the game’s lore.
"I might know where to find a Sacred Relic that fits," Ren said.
Ragna pulled back his hood, revealing his refined features. "Oh? Where?"
"Have you heard of the temple at Windea? The fountain that fills every few hundred years?"
In the game, that fountain’s revival was the sign that the Water Goddess's Ring was manifesting. If Wayne reached it, he would be confirmed as the Hero’s descendant.
"The legend says the Water Goddess’s Ring appears there when it’s filled with mana," Ren continued.
Ragna stared at him for a long moment. Ren panicked, realizing he might have said too much. "I mean, I just researched it! It was just a theory I had!"
Ragna laughed. "It’s a heartening theory. People have looked for that ring for centuries, but it’s only a legend. No one has ever actually seen it."
"But it’s worth a shot, right?"
"Perhaps. But climbing Windea in this season is impossible. The mana of wind and water creates localized blizzards that act like high-level magic. We’d have to wait until spring."
Ren bit his lip. If I remember right, we have to get there before Wayne does.
"I can't go right away anyway," Ragna added. "And your winter break is ending. Spring is better."
"I’m fine with going then! Actually, I want to make it a priority!"
"If you're that enthusiastic, I won't stop you." Ragna packed his bag. "The only issue is that we don't know when the fountain will actually fill."
Ren knew it was this year, but he couldn't say that.
"Sacred Relics are a hassle anyway," Ragna sighed. "The Elfen Religion hates us researchers. They’ve blocked all our access to the statue of Roses Kaitas."
Ren nodded. Maybe he could ask Chronoa for help later. "Mr. Ragna, is it okay if I tell Sera and the others about this? I don't want to go without letting them know."
"Use your discretion. I don't mind."
As they began walking back to the main street, a sudden, cold wind whipped through the alley. Ren felt the world blur—a sensation he had grown used to. For a fleeting moment, he saw a different version of himself standing in this very alley with Ragna.
The dialogue of passersby echoed in the vision.
'Ren Ashton was just a knight's kid from House Clausel.' 'To think he killed that noble girl and even Lady Chronoa Highland. I hope they execute him soon.'
In the vision, Ragna spoke to this criminal version of Ren. 'Listen only to my voice.'
The alternate Ren looked hollow, almost expressionless. 'I met with Edgar. We’re acting separately for now.'
The vision shifted. This was after the dream Ren had seen in Eupeheim.
'The descendants of the Seven Heroes are tracking the Cult again,' the alternate Ren said.
'And what will you do?' Ragna asked.
The criminal Ren looked up at the gray sky. 'I’ll help Wayne and the others if I have to. But first, I’m going to find out what that woman is up to.'
Ragna’s eyes widened. 'Don't. She’s too dangerous. I’ve seen masters across the world, but she is something else entirely.'
'I know. But I can't ignore her.' Alternate Ren pulled his hood low, concealing his face—the face of the Empire's most wanted criminal. He didn't look afraid.
'You'll be lucky to escape with your life,' Ragna warned.
A small, boyish smile touched the criminal Ren’s lips before it vanished, replaced by a cold, weary stare. 'As for dying... I stopped being afraid of that a long time ago.'
The vision dissolved like a mirage. Ren was back in the present, his heart heavy with those final words.
"Ren? What's wrong? You look pale," Ragna said, peering into his face.
"It's nothing... just a dizzy spell."
"Don't ignore it. See a doctor if it persists."
"I will. I'll think about it."
A winter wind blew against Ren’s cheek, carrying the scent of the coming spring.