When Ren led Licia and Weiss into the manor, Roy and Mireille were overcome with shock.
The couple hurriedly offered to prepare a proper welcome, but since Roy was unable to move, he was restricted to giving Weiss a report on the recent situation from his sickbed.
...However, Licia had no intention of staying in that room.
Without a shred of hesitation, she called out to Ren and told him she wanted to talk in his private quarters.
(I'm glad I make a habit of cleaning the guest room.)
Ren firmly declined, knowing it would be scandalous for a noble daughter to enter his bedroom, and instead guided Licia to one of the manor's few guest rooms.
"So, why do you think I came to this village?"
As soon as she took a seat on the aged sofa, Licia fixed her gaze on Ren, who sat across from her. Her mere presence made the old piece of furniture look like a master artisan's finest work.
"I believe you mentioned you were delivering a letter from the Baron," Ren replied.
Unlike their first meeting, he had adjusted his speech to be more formal, as befitted someone speaking to the daughter of his patron noble.
"Too bad. That was merely a pretext."
The girl before him gave a bold, confident smile.
—The White Saint, Licia Clausel.
In the lore of The Legend of the Seven Heroes, she never joined the protagonist’s party permanently, but her strength when she lent her aid during event battles was immense. Unless players had leveled up the protagonist significantly, they stood no chance against her.
(No wonder her appearance is so striking.)
With her peerless beauty and strong personality, Licia was a character who had captivated countless male players. Ren remembered her popularity being top-tier among the entire cast. However, she was a character you could never romance, famously known as the "Unconquerable Heroine."
Ren remembered being profoundly shocked when she died in the sequel, The Legend of the Seven Heroes II.
"If that was a pretext, then you had another objective?"
"Yes. Of course."
Licia nodded, her voice turning cheerful.
"I wanted to see for myself. I wanted to see the boy Weiss praised so highly—the one my own age who defeated a Thief Wolfen single-handedly."
"Lord Weiss's evaluation was far too generous, I'm afraid. Besides, my father had already wounded the creature. I don't believe the victory can be credited solely to my... to my own strength."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I believe luck played a large part as well."
Ren chose his words carefully, hoping to dampen her interest. He didn't want to be liked by her; in fact, he wouldn't have minded if she grew to despise him. However, given her status, he couldn't afford to be outright rude.
"...Hehe, how strange."
Licia leaned forward slightly, a provocative smile playing on her lips.
"The way you say that... it's almost as if you're telling me you'd hate for me to take a liking to you."
(Exactly.)
Ren didn't say it aloud, offering only a strained smile. It was only natural for him to feel this way. Ever since his reincarnation, he had sought a peaceful life, acting specifically to avoid the tragic future depicted in the game. Avoiding a deep connection with Licia was a top priority, so he couldn't afford to gain her favor now.
Their relationship as noble and vassal meant they were permanently linked, but he hoped they could at least avoid becoming close.
"But even if you do hate it, it doesn't matter."
"Wh—pardon?"
"Do you have any intention of coming to the Town of Clausel to live?"
Having thrown that out there, she moved to explain her reasoning.
"Our bout earlier confirmed it for me. You aren't just strong; you have courage. The fact that you drew your sword without hesitation the moment I challenged you is proof enough."
Licia was praising not just his strength, but his character.
(So that really was a challenge for a duel...)
Apparently, picking up the practice sword she’d thrown counted as acceptance. But since he had only done so out of confusion, whether he actually possessed courage was a different matter entirely. It was a massive misunderstanding.
"I didn't actually realize that was a formal challenge."
"There's no need for such modesty."
"No, it's not that, I'm trying to say—"
"I understand. You're nothing like those noble boys who are all talk and no action."
As his reputation soared in her mind due to this misconception, Ren realized that anything he said now would be a waste of breath.
"—That is precisely why I want you to come to Clausel, by any means necessary."
In truth, Ren had always been a diligent worker. While he knew he was more capable in combat than others his age, he also took pride in the effort he put into his studies. He simply didn't like to boast. Misunderstanding or not, Licia seemed to have recognized that aspect of his personality.
(This girl must be a real hard worker herself.)
She had traveled all the way to this remote frontier just to satisfy her curiosity. Even if she was a bit pushy, her actions were clearly rooted in a desire to improve herself.
"Besides, I hate losing. I can't go home while you're still one up on me."
"Wait, I thought you said you didn't admit defeat?"
"It's a figure of speech."
"I... I see. In any case, you're saying you want me in the city so you can challenge me whenever you like."
"Excellent. I'm glad you understand my reasoning."
While self-improvement was certainly a factor, it seemed her competitive streak was even stronger.
"I must apologize, but I have no intention of leaving this village."
Licia's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but she quickly regained her regal composure.
"Hmm. So you really do dislike me that much?"
While he didn't want to be involved with her, he didn't actually feel any loathing toward her.
"It's not that. If I leave, my father will be the only one left to defend the village. If another monster like the Thief Wolfen appears, the village might truly fall this time."
"I understand the situation. But what about your personal feelings?"
"You mean if the village's safety wasn't a factor?"
"Precisely."
"...Even then, I have no desire to leave. I like my life here, and I've never felt the urge to live in a city."
Licia fell silent at his response. She crossed her arms and pressed her fingertips to her lips, sinking into deep thought.
"—I'm absolutely not giving up."
"Um, did you just say—"
"Don't mind me. I was just talking to myself."
"I'm pretty sure you said something about not giving up..."
"No, you're imagining things."
Despite it being obvious that Ren had heard her correctly, Licia refused to elaborate. Having stubbornly denied it, she suddenly stood up.
"My apologies. I worked up a sweat during our match earlier, so I'd like to use your bath. I'll pay for the firewood, of course."
She changed the subject as if the previous conversation had never happened.
"Please, don't worry about the firewood. The water is already hot."
"Oh? Do you always keep it ready? Do you perhaps have a Magic Tool?"
(A Magic Tool... Oh, right. I forgot those existed in this world.)
Magic Tools were convenient items powered by mana. They ranged from small portable devices to massive stationary installations. Generally, they were fueled by mana stones or the user's own mana. This was why mana stones functioned as high-value loot in the game.
However, Magic Tools were prohibitively expensive because the artisans capable of making them were so rare.
"Magic Tools are too expensive for a house like ours. The water is ready because I often go hunting; I keep it hot so I can wash off the sweat and monster blood as soon as I get back."
Ren spoke as he guided her through the house. The old washroom and bath were dated, but thanks to Mireille’s daily scrubbing, they were spotlessly clean. Seeing that Licia didn't look dissatisfied, Ren felt a wave of relief and turned to leave.
"Next time, I'll bring a suitable Magic Tool from my father's estate for you."
"That's very kind of—wait, 'next time'!?"
"......Um, Ren? I hesitate to say this after you've been so helpful, but I can't exactly undress while you're standing right there."
He wanted to ask what she meant by "next time" before she got to the perfectly reasonable part about him leaving, but he didn't want to cause a misunderstanding, so he beat a hasty retreat.
As he walked away, still confused, a startled cry from Licia reached his ears.
"Wh—!? Why is my... my underwear...!?"
The voice was muffled by the door and the acoustics of the room, so Ren couldn't make out the exact words, only that she sounded shocked.
"Is everything all right?"
"N-No! It's nothing! Don't worry about it!"
She sounded desperate for him to go away, so he simply said, "Please call if you need anything," and headed for his room.
Things were spiraling out of control yet again.
He let out a long sigh as he entered his room, only to realize that the "stolen goods" were still in his pocket.
"How am I supposed to return this...?"
He thought about heading back toward the guest room. He considered trying to sneak it back into her luggage, but Licia’s knights were stationed in the hallway, making that impossible. He thought about "dropping" it in the changing room, but the risk of being caught in the act was too high.
He looked at the fireplace in his room. Should he just burn it? Or throw it in the forest? Maybe toss it in the river?
(Maybe the trash—no, that's too dangerous.)
The village trash was eventually burned, but if it was discovered before then, his life would be over. The only safe option was to burn it himself, right now.
He felt a deep sense of guilt and regret for having used the Thief's Magic Sword, but given the nature of the item, he decided that survival took precedence over ethics.
"Ren! I'm coming in!"
His mother’s voice caught him off guard. He looked around frantically. There was no time to get the fire going; he had to hide it immediately. If Mireille saw this, there would be no coming back.
"I can't believe I've come to this..."
Ren snatched a wooden trinket box off his desk, shoved the stolen silk inside, and slammed the lid shut.
An instant later, Mireille stepped into the room.