At that same time, Ren was just departing from a small village.
He was dressed in a filthy robe, a garment far grubbier than anything he had ever worn before. It was a necessary disguise to avoid attention. He had obtained the crude item two days prior at a village, bartering for it with monster materials he had gathered during their flight.
Licia was disguised in identical rags. They had already cast aside their previous clothes; while the Beastmaster had sustained them with potions in place of food, he had neglected basic hygiene. After days of being unable to wash, their original garments had become unsanitary.
"My Lady, I'm going to stop the horse just ahead," Ren said to the girl sitting in front of him.
"...Th-thank... you..."
Ten minutes later, the path gave way to a forest. The geography here was much like the area surrounding his home village—small clusters of settlements bordering dense woodland.
Ren stopped in the shade of the trees and dismounted. Because he was still a young boy, he lacked the height to step down gracefully, making it look more like he had hopped off the saddle.
He sighed inwardly. It was hard to look reliable when his feet barely reached the ground. He didn't have a fallen log or a boulder to use as a step today, and even with his arms outstretched, he couldn't reach to help Licia down safely.
He hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. He would need to use the Wooden Magic Sword. He'd already revealed it to the Beastmaster during their escape and used it to fight off monsters in the woods, so there was little point in hiding it from Licia now.
"Pardon me, My Lady."
Ren summoned the Wooden Magic Sword and commanded a thick root to grow from the earth, creating a makeshift step. Now high enough to reach her, he slipped his hands under Licia’s arms and lifted her down, drawing her into a brief embrace as he lowered her to the ground.
As he leaned her against the base of the root, Licia offered a weak, weary smile.
"...It truly is... a mysterious power..."
"I think so too. But first, some water."
Ren handed her a leather canteen and helped her drink. Then, he produced a small wooden bowl containing a thick, pale-green liquid that smelled sharply of crushed herbs.
"This is a mash made from Meal Grass. Don't worry—I watched them grind it right in front of me. It's safe."
Meal Grass was an herb used to treat status ailments. According to the lore of The Legend of the Seven Heroes, it was effective against headaches and high fevers. It wasn't nearly as valuable as Rondo Grass, which was why a suspicious traveler like Ren had been able to trade for it so easily.
He was glad he had paid attention to the game's flavor text. In the original story, the protagonists never got sick, so this information had been purely atmospheric. Now, he felt like patting his past self on the back for his obsessive memory.
"...What... should I do?"
"Lick it. I've heard it’s incredibly bitter, but please, try to swallow it all."
"Under... stood..."
However, her hands were shaking too much to hold the bowl. Ren reconsidered his approach and scooped the paste onto his fingertip.
"Forgive the intrusion," he said softly, bringing his finger to her lips. After a moment's hesitation, Licia parted her lips and accepted the medicine.
"It's... so bitter...!"
"Drink some water. Focus on keeping it down."
It took several minutes of struggling for her to finish the contents of the bowl. Ren hated putting her through such an unpleasant experience when she was already so ill, but it was necessary for her recovery.
By evening, the change was visible. Her ragged breathing grew steady. Supporting her from behind, Ren could feel her burning temperature finally beginning to break. She was starting to look more like the girl he remembered from the Clausel manor.
"Hey," she murmured.
"Yes? What is it?"
"...Thank you."
"Think nothing of it."
Her voice had regained a touch of its usual spirit. Ren felt a surge of relief. He still had some Meal Grass left; he would make her take more tonight.
"We were at the edge of Viscount Given's territory, weren't we?" she asked.
"Eh?"
"Don't 'eh' me."
"How did you... I mean, how did I..."
"Oh, just use 'ore.' It's easier for you to talk that way, isn't it?"
Ren decided to take her up on that. In an emergency, he didn't want to be tripping over formal speech. If he relaxed his guard now, it would make communication easier for the rest of the journey.
"...I was so focused on just finding a village that I had no idea where we were," Ren admitted. "How did you know this was the Given territory?"
He actually had known, but only because he'd asked a villager while pretending to be a young traveler. It had been awkward and had drawn suspicious looks, but he'd needed the information.
"Look over there," Licia said, pointing a trembling finger toward the horizon visible through the gaps in the trees.
Beyond the treeline, a massive mountain range loomed against the sky, its peaks still capped with silver snow. The slopes were jagged and sheer, like the edge of a whetted blade.
"Those are the Baldur Mountains. As long as you can see them, you can find your bearings."
Ren nodded solemnly. "So those are the Baldur Mountains."
"You've heard of them?"
"Yes. Only the name, though."
He knew a lot more than just the name. That was the location of the final boss fight in the first game. Back then, he had always traveled by Magic Ship, so he had never really gotten a feel for the local geography.
Magic Ships and Magic Trains were massive vehicles powered by mana stones. Every major city in Leomel had a station for them. Ren had seen them on maps in this life, but traveling on horseback at ground level was a completely different experience.
"Does that mean you can guide us, My Lady?"
"Yes. I believe I can."
"That's a relief. I'd rather not wander aimlessly."
Until now, Ren had prioritized finding a village to get her medicine. With a clear direction, he finally felt a glimmer of hope.
"First, we need to get back to Baron Clausel's territory," Ren said.
"...Right." Licia's voice was uncharacteristically quiet.
"Is something wrong?"
"From here... the village where you lived is too far."
"Ah, I suppose it is. How long would it take us to reach the Clausel estate from here?"
"...About four days, I think."
It took ten days to get from Ren's village to the heart of the Clausel lands. The Beastmaster hadn't veered far from the main path during the kidnapping, which meant they were actually closer to the Baron's manor than Ren's home.
"Then we'll head straight for your home, My Lady."
"No," Licia interjected immediately. "I have to get you back to your family first."
"What are you saying? You're the priority."
"Are you kidding!? I'm the reason you're in this mess! You need to go home—"
"It's fine. I'm not worried about my father."
Ren spoke with a confidence he couldn't strictly prove, but his voice was steady and reassuring.
"We're going to Clausel. We don't know if the villages on the way to my home are safe, and I don't even know what state my village is in after the attack. If my father and the others have already evacuated, I'd just be heading back to an empty house."
He gave her a small, self-deprecating smile. Licia bit her lip, feeling a wave of guilt and self-loathing. Even with her mind clouded by fever, she hated how much she was relying on his kindness. Tears pricked at her eyes.
But Ren wasn't finished. "Besides, I've never seen the capital. I'll take the chance to do some sightseeing before I head home. I can give my formal greetings to the Baron while I'm at it, so it's actually quite convenient."
Licia felt her lips quirk into a small smile. She knew he was just being considerate, but his words were exactly what she needed to hear.
"...Thank you."
Almost unconsciously, she leaned back, drawing comfort from the warmth of the boy supporting her.