Ren hadn’t been able to pursue any serious training until he turned seven.
It was an unexpected delay for the son of a knight, but his parents hadn't been in any rush. They chose instead to wait for his body to develop.
Fortunately, once Ren reached seven and found it easier to move, his father, Roy, made a suggestion.
"Want to try swinging a sword?"
It was the morning after Ren’s seventh birthday, right at the start of spring.
"That being said, I’m also lifting the ban on you going outside. From today on, you're free to head out alone, provided you stay within the estate's garden. But if you step past the fence, you’re getting a lump on the head."
"I understand that, but... shouldn't we just fix the fence already? Even Granny Rigu said it was dangerous."
"Mm, if Granny Rigu said so, then it can't be helped. I'll make sure to fix it before the year is out."
The woman mentioned, Granny Rigu, was the source of the aged voice Ren had heard alongside Mireille when he first entered this world. She was the village's only midwife; for several decades, not a single baby had been born here without her assistance. Consequently, even the destitute Ashton family couldn't bring themselves to argue with her.
"Training starts in the afternoon. There are plenty of wooden swords in the storehouse, so go ahead and pick one you like."
Roy slung his longsword over his back and headed for the door near the entryway.
"Have a safe trip, Father!"
"Be careful, dear!"
"Yeah! Just you wait! I'm going to work hard and bring back plenty of monsters today!"
Though Roy held the title of a knight, he didn't have much in the way of noble duties. The only task that fit the description was preparing a few documents for his liege, a certain Baron, several times a year.
Whenever that time came, the usually cheerful Roy would sit before his desk, groaning and moaning in agony. On any other day, he devoted himself to hunting monsters, looking far more alive than he ever did during paperwork.
(It’s for safety and for income. A job that kills two birds with one stone.)
As Mireille had mentioned before, Roy’s hunting played a vital role in supporting the village’s finances. With agriculture alone, neither the Ashton family nor the village would have been able to survive.
(I kind of feel like we should just move, but...)
In reality, people couldn't leave their birthplaces so easily. Logic didn't always dictate how life worked, and sometimes you just had to do your best to survive where you were.
"Thank you for the meal! I'm going to the library to study!"
"My, my, what a good boy you are today."
Sent off by his mother’s lovely smile, Ren left the kitchen. He walked through the mansion, his footsteps firm on the wooden floors that had recently begun to creak with every stride.
He headed toward the library—though calling it that was a bit of a stretch given the meager collection of books. Still, it was one of Ren’s few sources of information, and he had visited it almost every day since he was three.
"Now then."
He reached the library, threw open the old-fashioned door, and stepped inside. The room was small; if you lined up three single beds, there wouldn't be space for anything else. The only furnishings were a single bookshelf covering one wall and a desk by the window.
Ren walked over and sat on a round stool with wobbly legs.
"What should I read today?"
On the desk were the books Ren had used to teach himself to read and write. As a reincarnated soul, he had no trouble with the spoken language, but the script of this world had been a mystery. At first, he had practiced with Mireille's help, and it was only within the last year that he’d become capable of reading on his own.
Filled with nostalgia, Ren opened a volume.
"Even so, this really is a massive continent..."
The book contained geographical information that matched what he remembered from his gaming days. He began to read while waiting for his food to digest. The first page described the continents of the world, starting with the one where his country was located.
The continent was called Elfen, named after the Main God Elfen.
Aside from a few regions, the land was incredibly fertile. Blessed with mineral wealth and abundant seas, it was known as the heart of the world, a land favored by the Main God.
However, even a blessed land was not immune to the conflicts of man, nor the predations of monsters and the Demon King throughout its long history. Because of this, very few nations had survived into the modern era. Most had been absorbed by rivals or met a violent end.
There was, however, one exception.
The country where Ren had been born.
The great power of the western Elfen Continent and the primary setting of The Legend of the Seven Heroes: the Leomel Empire.
Leomel was a massive empire that had remained undefeated in war since its founding roughly a thousand years ago by a man known as the Lion King. Its military might was so far beyond its neighbors that no nation dared to challenge it.
Furthermore, after the Leomel citizens known as the Seven Heroes defeated the Demon King, the number of hostile nations dropped to zero. Most countries felt such a deep debt of gratitude toward Leomel that they wouldn't dream of lifting a finger against it.
...And that was the fundamental lore of The Legend of the Seven Heroes.
"And our village is..."
Ren looked toward the northwest corner of the Leomel Empire on the map. There was a small black mark there—the location of his village. It was a remote frontier that took over two months by carriage to reach the Imperial Capital. Even the city where their lord lived was a ten-day journey by horse to the east.
Supposedly, there were even larger cities further to the northeast, but the Viscount who ruled those lands had no ties to the Ashtons, so Ren didn't expect to ever visit them.
"...Alright, time to focus."
He’d rested enough. Ren slapped his cheeks to psych himself up and opened a textbook, but today, his concentration was shot.
He knew why. He was so excited for the afternoon training that he couldn't keep his mind on the page.
"It’s no use."
He tried to focus a few more times, but the result was the same. Giving up, Ren stood and headed for the storehouse to find his equipment.
In the afternoon, Roy returned to the estate.
He arrived with five Little Boars slung over his shoulders. Ren’s eyes went wide at the sight of his father’s raw, monstrous strength. Roy dropped the carcasses in the kitchen entryway and headed back out to the garden where Ren was waiting.
"Hm? Where’d you find a wooden sword like that?"
Roy’s gaze was fixed on the weapon in Ren’s hand—the Wooden Magic Sword.
"Is this one not okay?"
"No, it’s fine. I was just surprised we had one that small."
Ren had checked several wooden swords in the storehouse. Since there were some roughly the same size as his Magic Sword, he figured he could use the real thing without drawing suspicion. He was also wearing his Bracelet, but it was hidden beneath his leather arm guards.
"It suits you."
"Is it true you made this armor, Father?"
"Yeah. I use it myself, so I’ve gotten pretty good at sewing leather."
"Thank you. It’s a big help."
In truth, Ren was still torn about whether to reveal his Magic Sword Summoning skill. However, since he didn't know if children using skills was common, he figured it was safer to keep it a secret for now.
"As for the training..." Roy began, and Ren’s heart skipped a beat with excitement. "Have at it. Try to hit me."
"——Huh?"
"Sorry, but don't go expecting any real instruction from me. We’re knights, sure, but I was born and raised out here in the sticks. I’ve never taught anyone the blade."
"...That’s very persuasive."
"I’m just doing the same stuff my old man did with me."
"I see. And since it worked well enough for you to fight monsters, I'll be fine too?"
"As expected of Ren. You’re a quick study."
It was a practical approach, to put it mildly. Ren didn't know the "right" way to learn the sword, but if this was how Roy had become so strong, he couldn't exactly call it a bad method.
"Come on, don't hold back."
Ren’s excitement didn't waver. He tightened his grip on the Wooden Magic Sword, lowered his center of gravity, and—
"Understood!"
He lunged forward.
His body felt light, almost as if it weren't his own. He hadn't moved with this much intensity since his reincarnation, and he was startled by his own physical potential.
"Nice lunge!"
Hearing Roy’s praise, Ren swung the Wooden Magic Sword overhead. He didn't intend to use Nature Magic (Small) yet; he simply brought the blade down with everything he had.
"Guh...!?"
The strike was blocked effortlessly. As Roy’s horizontal wooden sword met Ren’s blade, a heavy shock rattled Ren's entire frame.
"We’re going until you can't move!"
"Yes, sir!"
Ren shouted back, ignoring the slight numbness in his hands.
He lunged again, and then a third time. Over and over, he swung the Wooden Magic Sword at the waiting Roy, trying to find a gap in his defense. But the gap in their strength and reach was absolute.
Even so...
(This is actually... fun.)
Ren was enjoying himself. He was just performing the repetitive task of swinging a sword against a brick wall of a man, but he couldn't get enough of it.
(It’s fun because this is my version of level grinding!)
He knew that beyond this effort lay an increase in his skill level. That thought alone allowed him to push through the fatigue racking his body.
"Huff... huff...!"
Even when he ran out of breath,
"Gah...!?"
Even when he was sent flying by Roy’s superior power,
"I’m not... done yet!"
He continued to push himself for the sake of the level-up waiting at the finish line.
However, no matter how strong his spirit was, Ren was still only seven. Even with a special skill and a fantasy world reincarnation, a child who had never trained a day in his life couldn't keep this up for long.
In less than thirty minutes, the strength drained from Ren’s limbs. He finally collapsed onto the grass, his body refusing to obey.
"I... I can't move..."
"Good work. You went down all at once."
Ren lay spread-eagled on the ground, looking up at Roy.
"Well, let’s call it a day."
"I’m... ashamed."
"Don't be stupid. For a seven-year-old, those were some incredible moves. Anyway, I'm going to go boil some water so we can wash off the sweat. You want to stay here and cool off for a bit?"
"Yeah... I'll do that."
"Alright. I'll come get you in a few minutes."
Roy turned and headed back toward the house. Once Ren was sure his father was gone, he unstrapped his arm guard and looked at the hidden Bracelet.
- Magic Sword Summoning Arts (Level 1: 2/100)
"Yes!"
Seeing that his Proficiency had indeed increased, Ren let out a pure, triumphant laugh.