Licia left the village at sunrise the next morning.
Ren had assumed she wouldn’t be able to ride a horse on her own yet, and sure enough, she was traveling pillion with a female knight.
As for how she had managed to sneak up on Ren the day before, it turned out she had slipped away from Weiss and the others while they were resting near the bridge to the forest, running the rest of the way on her own.
She certainly has more than enough spirit, all because she couldn't stand the thought of not sparring with me, Ren thought as he stood by the bridge where Licia had staged her little ambush.
Nearly half a day had passed since he saw her off, and the sky had turned a deep, bruised madder.
He had hunted several Little Boars that day, but he’d left the carcasses with the knights stationed in the village to be transported back. As a result, Ren was walking home alone when—
"......Hm?"
The rhythmic thud of hooves against the earth reached his ears from a distance.
"What now?"
As far as Ren knew, the only people who had arrived in the village on horseback recently were the knights of the Clausel family. Naturally, his mind immediately jumped to the group that had departed that morning.
"C-Could it be that tomboy Saint...!?"
Ren instinctively stopped and braced himself.
Why would she come back? Wait—did they find out about the Thief’s Magic Sword...!?
The possibility was remote, but the thought sent a spike of anxiety through him.
A group of mounted men soon appeared. However, they were not the people Ren expected. Their armor didn't bear the Clausel crest; instead, it was engraved with a completely different coat of arms.
"—Uh, um?"
To Ren’s surprise, the group quickly surrounded him. It was a bizarre sight—a circle of knights looking down on a lone boy from atop their horses. One of them addressed him in a heavy, overbearing voice.
"Are you a resident of the village ruled by the Ashton family?"
The man who seemed to be the leader spoke through his helmet.
"Answer me."
His tone was so aggressive and coercive that it felt as if he might draw his sword the moment Ren hesitated.
What’s with these guys all of a sudden?
Maintaining his guard, Ren had no choice but to reply.
"I am... but who exactly are you?"
"Hmph. Then this is convenient."
The man continued with the same arrogant attitude.
"We come by the order of Viscount Given, bearing a letter penned by the Viscount himself. Guide us to the Ashton manor at once."
Ren was genuinely bewildered.
The party wasn't from the Clausel family, but hearing they were messengers from a Viscount—a rank higher than a Baron—left him with nothing but questions.
Viscount Given... if I remember correctly—
Ren recalled the name from the time he’d spent scouring the library.
While the city of Clausel lay to the east, the territory of Viscount Given was to the northeast. Both were roughly the same distance from this village, but the scale of their domains was entirely different. True to his rank, the Viscount was said to rule over a city far larger than Baron Clausel's.
"What are you waiting for? Move."
The man's arrogance was only going to escalate if Ren stalled. He reluctantly decided to lead them.
"My apologies. I'll take you to the manor immediately—"
"Hm? 'The manor'?"
"Yes. I neglected to introduce myself. My name is Ren Ashton, the only son of the current head, Roy Ashton."
At this, the group exchanged looks. After a collective nod, the leader spoke to Ren again.
"Then rejoice. The Viscount has words for you as well."
The knight’s tone softened significantly. It felt as though the sharp edges had been smoothed away, not just from his voice but from the posture of the surrounding knights as well.
However, why would a Viscount who wasn't their patron noble have any business with them?
Ren kept his voice calm and polite, careful not to cause offense. "Words for me... sir?"
"Yes. He even expressed a desire to take you into his service as a page. We shall discuss the details at your home."
The circle of knights broke and began walking their horses alongside him. Ren quickly looked away, his face clouding over with frustration.
I don’t understand any of this.
Too many things had been happening since yesterday.
With a heavy heart, Ren led them along the dirt path toward the manor. The village folk watched the procession pass, their heads tilted in confusion at the sight of the strange knights.
When they reached the manor, the Clausel knights stationed there met them with looks of shock. Roy and Mireille were equally startled, though they fought to maintain their composure. Following protocol, Roy invited only the leader of the party into the room where he was still recuperating.
Ren didn't join them. He stayed outside in the garden with the Clausel knights. The atmosphere among them was distinctly grim, and Ren eventually decided to ask why.
"Um, excuse me."
"Ah, Master Ren. Is something the matter?"
"...Why is everyone so angry?"
"Well, you see..." The knight hesitated, but another spoke up to support him.
"Come on, shouldn't we tell him?"
"But..."
"Given the situation, this isn't going to be 'someone else's problem' for Master Ren, is it? Even Lord Weiss wouldn't scold us for keeping him informed."
Not someone else's problem. That phrase brought back what the messenger of Viscount Given had said—about wanting Ren as a servant.
Even so, they seem way too angry for just that.
The answer came sooner than expected when the messengers emerged from the manor.
"Ren Ashton, there you are."
It was the knight who had accosted him on the road. As he approached Ren, the Clausel knights instinctively shifted into protective positions.
The knight of House Given let out a mocking snort. "Hmph. Well, I’ve already spoken with Lord Roy, but I have a message for you as well."
"Yes? What is it?"
"As I mentioned earlier, the Viscount has a high opinion of your abilities. He wishes to bring you into our house."
Ren hesitated. The answer was a firm "no," but he wasn't sure if the son of a lowly rural knight was allowed to say that so bluntly to a Viscount's representative.
"Well, the thing is..."
"Surely you don't intend to refuse?"
Ren knit his brows at the man’s aggressive tone. To a Viscount, a simple knight was a minor obstacle at best. He was frustrated by the way the man was blatantly throwing his weight around. Why am I the only one trying to be polite here?
"What are you thinking? Answer me."
Realizing he couldn't dodge the question any longer, Ren chose his words carefully.
"...I am merely the son of a rural knight. I lack the status to serve a Viscount, and I don't believe I have the skill for it either."
The response could have been interpreted as an indirect slight to Baron Clausel, but the knights of House Clausel didn't even flinch.
Meanwhile, the messenger of House Given continued with an air of triumph.
"You needn't worry about that. The Viscount is not a man who judges by birth alone. Furthermore, having heard the tale of you slaying the Thief Wolfen, he is insistent on having you."
At those words, the Clausel knights stepped forward as one.
"Our apologies, but Master Ren has already received an invitation from the head of our house."
Strictly speaking, it was the daughter, Licia, who had invited him, but the distinction didn't matter in this context.
"You are of House Clausel, I assume? However, he was merely invited; he has yet to give his answer. Therefore, there should be no issue with us extending our own offer."
"The issue is one of principle. This village is under the jurisdiction of the Clausel family."
"Oh? Would the people of House Clausel say the same to someone seeking to serve the Great Emperor? Many of the knights in the Imperial Capital were not born within its walls."
"That is a separate matter entirely. If you wished to recruit Master Ren, the proper etiquette would have been to approach us first."
Ren listened intently as the debate grew heated.
"Regardless of the difference in our ranks or our factions, that is basic courtesy. Surely those who serve the renowned Viscount Given understand that?"
"Sigh... Very well. We shall return another time."
As if he couldn't care less, the man turned and walked away. The other messengers followed him out of the manor grounds. They mounted their horses, and after throwing a final "We'll be back" toward Ren, they galloped away.
Their departure was as abrupt as their arrival.
How forceful can you get...
If he were told that this was simply how nobles behaved, Ren wouldn't have known how to argue.
"Master Ren, let's talk about what just happened," one of the local knights said, interrupting his thoughts. "We should explain everything inside, with Lord Roy present."
"You mean the reason why everyone was so angry?"
"Yes. It seems the situation has reached a point where the entire Ashton family needs to be informed."
Urged to return to the manor, Ren followed them inside.
"It feels like things are getting quite dangerous, doesn't it?"
"Yes... There is a high probability that factional conflict is heavily involved in this matter."
—Wait, what?
Ren had said it felt dangerous, but hearing the words "factional conflict" made his cheek twitch. This was far more serious than he had imagined. His steps toward his father's room grew hurried, driven by a mounting sense of dread.