Ultimately, the truth remained a mystery to everyone.
While Viscount Given was suspicious in the extreme, there was no concrete proof that he had actually orchestrated the monster attacks. However, they couldn't afford to be complacent. Baron Clausel ordered the knights stationed in the various villages to extend their stay by six months, tasking them with protecting the populace until spring arrived.
Ren’s village, having had direct contact with the threat, was assigned an indefinite garrison. These orders arrived in late November, and another month had slipped by since then.
While these arrangements were being busily exchanged, the season plunged into winter in the blink of an eye. The farmlands were no longer dusted with mere morning frost; they lay buried under a thick blanket of pure white snow.
The village was better prepared for this winter than ever before, all thanks to Ren. Not only was there ample firewood, but they had also purchased enough food to ensure no one would go hungry. This was the fruit of Ren’s labor, as he had gone out to hunt almost every single day. Furthermore, with the funds gained from the Thief Wolfen incident still mostly untouched, the family could look forward to a comfortable life for the foreseeable future.
"Another successful hunt, Master Ren," one of the knights remarked.
"It was. I thought it would be harder to move once the snow set in, but it’s not so bad once you get used to it," Ren replied, squinting at the afternoon sun.
Beside a nearby bridge, over a dozen Little Boars were piled up, a testament to the day's success.
(I feel like my swordsmanship has really improved lately.)
The reason was simple: he had forced himself to fight without relying on the Nature Magic (Small) provided by his Wooden Magic Sword. Ever since the knights had been stationed in the village, he had accompanied them on every hunt. His growth was the direct result of having to hide his Magic Sword Summoning while under their watchful eyes.
(I feel like I might not need to keep it a secret anymore, but I’ve come this far.)
It was too late to change course now. Besides, he was still gaining Proficiency at a steady rate. By summoning the Thief’s Magic Sword and keeping it equipped to his fingertip instead of his primary weapon, he continued to level his skills without drawing any unwanted attention. For now, there were no downsides to the secrecy, so he intended to keep it that way.
"Master Ren, leave the transport of the Little Boars to us."
"I say this every time, but I’ll help," Ren insisted. He hoisted four Little Boars across his shoulders at once.
It was a surreal sight every time. Seeing a boy of Ren’s age carry such a load so effortlessly was enough to make grown knights lose their confidence—though that feeling was usually tempered by the reminder that Ren had single-handedly slain a Thief Wolfen.
"Master Ren, shouldn't you really consider leaving this village?" a knight asked abruptly.
"What’s this all of a sudden?"
"You will undoubtedly achieve great things. You could easily become a knight whose name is known throughout the Imperial Capital."
"Indeed," the other knight added. "Your caliber is not something that can be contained in a place like this. Between you and me, I’d sooner believe you were a reincarnation of the Seven Heroes than any of those heirs from the Seven Great Archduke Families."
Ren felt a flush of embarrassment. It was one thing to be praised, but being complimented so wholeheartedly by two grown men was bashful work.
"I have no intention of leaving. I am the Ashton Family Successor, after all."
This wasn't the first time the topic had come up. Whenever he was praised, Ren invariably gave the same answer: he was the heir to the house, and he had no desire to leave his home.
"Mmm... It truly is a waste..."
"Let it go. You'll only trouble him if you push any further."
"Yeah... you're right."
The three of them chatted as they made their way back to the manor. Their steps were heavy on the farm road, which had become difficult to navigate in the snow, making the trek feel like part of their training. Only the rhythmic crunch of snow under their boots broke the silence. With the heavy snowfall, the entire village was wrapped in a profound quiet that didn't exist during the summer months.
The Ashton manor looked as old as ever today. In fact, the roof was letting out an ominous creak. It looked like it might collapse under the weight of the snow at any moment.
(I wonder if we can really make it through the winter like this.)
Ren sighed, but then he remembered his earnings from the Thief Wolfen. He could afford to repair the roof dozens of times over. It was a relief to know the money had uses beyond just buying medicinal herbs.
"I'm home," Ren called out as he opened the door to the kitchen area. He expected to see Mireille waiting for him, but she was nowhere to be found.
Instead, he found Licia sitting at the table, resting her cheek on her hand with a bored expression.
"Oh, welcome back," she said. "Your mother is over at Granny Rigu’s."
Perhaps because her tone was so natural, Ren responded without even thinking about it.
"I see. No wonder she wasn't here."
"Why don't you go take a bath? I brought some magic tools from the estate. I think you'll find them quite useful."
"I’m interested to see them. I'll take you up on that, then."
Ren walked straight past her and headed for the washroom. As he entered the dressing room, he immediately noticed the changes.
"No way... is that a hair dryer?"
Looking at the tool placed in front of the somewhat cloudy mirror, memories of his previous life surfaced. Compared to towel-drying his hair and then shivering in front of the fireplace, this felt like a massive leap into the modern age. His heart racing with excitement, Ren quickly undressed and stepped into the bathroom.
"There’s a magic tool in here, too?"
They had never had a shower before, but there was one now. He looked to see where the hot water was coming from and found the unit connected to a massive crystal ball—about the size of a human head—mounted on the wall. Apparently, the tool generated its own water.
From what Ren knew of this world, magic tools typically ran on mana stones. The fact that he didn't even need to draw water from the well or the river was incredibly convenient.
"...I wonder how much this cost."
Even for a shower, he suspected this was incomparably more expensive than the ones in his previous life. He decided not to ask Licia the price; he was too afraid of the answer.
"Haaa... this is amazing... the best..."
Would life be even better if he moved to the Clausel estate? No, he couldn't let himself be swayed. He just had to earn enough to make this manor just as comfortable. Standing in the empty bathroom, Ren smiled to himself, feeling triumphant at having conquered the temptation of luxury.
"Wait."
A sudden question bubbled up in his mind.
"Hold on a second..."
He let out a vacant sound, crossing his arms while the warm water continued to pour over his head.
"............Wait, what!?"
The realization finally hit him. He clutched his head, wondering how he could have been so slow.
But Ren had an excuse. He never could have imagined that the Saint—who was supposed to be far too busy to visit—would travel all this way so quickly.
(I know I can be a bit slow on the uptake, but still!)
He had let his guard down after the hunt. Ren scolded himself, slapping his cheeks to pull himself together. Once he snapped out of it, he moved fast. He rushed out of the bathroom, rubbed his hair dry with a towel, threw on his clothes, and sprinted through the house.
He burst back into the kitchen where Licia was still waiting.
"W-Why are you here!?" he shouted, his voice echoing in the room.
Licia winced and pulled a face. "What is it? Don't scream so suddenly! My ears hurt!" She covered her ears and pouted at him.
"I’m asking why you're actually here!"
"Isn't it obvious? Because I traveled here!"
"Well, yes, obviously you're here because you traveled here, but that's not what I mean! Why is the young lady of House Clausel in this village right now!?"
He was frustrated with how easily he had accepted her presence just moments ago, but the shock of her being there at all was far greater. Licia, seeing his agitation, regained her composure and offered a triumphant, lovely smile.
"There’s only one reason. You wouldn't come to Clausel, so I decided to come to you."
Ren was dumbfounded. "B-But I heard you were busy, My Lady..."
"Hehe, don't worry. I finished everything."
"Everything?"
"My studies, my duties—everything I was supposed to finish by the end of winter. I cleared every single thing on my schedule just so I could come to this village."
In other words, she had left no room for anyone to complain. It was a terrifying level of initiative.
"...And what excuse did you give the Baron?"
"I told him that regarding the matter with Viscount Given, the Clausel family needed to take a proactive stance. If the Lord's daughter—and a Saint, no less—visited in person, the other side would have to think twice before making any reckless moves, right?"
Her father, Baron Clausel, likely had no choice but to agree to such a logical proposal. Ren saw through it immediately. As expected, this girl wasn't just obsessed with swordsmanship; Licia Clausel was a brilliant, hardworking strategist.
(I can't believe we're meeting again so soon.)
Ren realized his only problem was that her initiative was, quite frankly, terrifying.