A single sentiment united those serving House Clausel on the night Ren and Licia had their long-awaited sparring match. In the mansion’s grand hall, the staff spoke of nothing but Ren.
"It was a sight to behold. I never imagined he possessed such skill."
"In hindsight, it shouldn’t be a surprise," another knight added. "After all, he has the strength to not only take down a Thief Wolfen, but a Mana Eater as well."
As the knights praised his prowess, the servants chimed in.
"We mustn't forget Master Ren’s character, either."
"Exactly. And did you see the young lady? She was clearly frustrated to be defeated so handily, but more than that, she looked up at Master Ren with such pride. One can't ignore the chemistry between them."
As the conversation suggested, Licia had been decisively defeated. While she had grown significantly stronger over the winter, Ren had undergone his own evolution through the life-or-death struggle against Jelququ.
"And so, Master Weiss," a knight said, speaking for the group. "On behalf of everyone here, we would like Master Ren to remain at this mansion permanently."
"Believe me, I understand the sentiment," Weiss replied with a heavy sigh.
"Master Weiss, we servants feel the same way," a maid added.
"I repeat, I understand. However, the boy intends to return to his village. As much as it pains me to let such a rare talent go, the Lord has made his stance clear: we will honor the boy’s wishes, especially given the immense debt we owe the Ashton family."
The knights and servants let out a collective sigh of disappointment. If Lezard Clausel—a man who loathed the abuse of authority—had given his word, no amount of pleading would make him change his mind. They all knew it was a lost cause.
Meanwhile, in the guest room Ren was occupying.
"How much longer are you staying?"
Licia, still damp from her bath, strolled into the room without a hint of hesitation and sat on the edge of Ren's bed. Ren had been reading at his desk and remained in his chair, turning to face her.
(She isn't telling me to get out... quite the opposite.)
Ren interpreted her words as a question about how many more times they could spar.
"I thought I would stay until we had a few more matches, Lady Licia. How many did you have in mind?"
"A thousand."
"I’m sorry, what?"
"I said a thousand. That should be enough for now."
"..."
Even if they practiced once a day, it would take nearly three years. In reality, daily sessions were impossible, so he’d likely be looking at double that time.
(It’s nice to have my skills appreciated, but...)
He looked at Licia. She was staring up at him, her expression a mix of hope and trepidation. Met by those beautiful, soul-piercing eyes, he found himself on the verge of nodding.
"Well... even if we were to aim for a thousand matches, that’s a very long-term plan."
"You can live in this room."
"But what about my work?"
"You're an Ashton. I think you should just work as a knight here at the mansion."
"Strictly speaking, I’m not a knight yet. Just the son of one."
"Oh, honestly! It doesn’t matter!"
Licia was being uncharacteristically stubborn, but a closer look revealed the anxiety flickering in her eyes.
"Please? I won’t hold you to a thousand... just stay a little while longer."
Now that they had finally finished the one match they had promised each other, she was clearly terrified that Ren would leave immediately. Her vulnerability tugged at his heartstrings.
(Well, I didn't intend for it to be a one-time thing anyway...)
Ultimately, he relented.
"I think I’d like to remain in your care for just a little while longer," he said, though he didn't specify a number.
He justified it to himself as simply being a man of his word. He had promised several matches, not just one. Staying was merely a matter of fulfilling that promise.
"R-Really?!" Licia leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
"But I’ll need to get permission from Lord Lezard."
"Don't worry about that! Father said you could stay as long as you like!"
"Then I’ll take you up on the offer."
"It’s a promise, okay?! I won’t forgive you if you’re lying!"
Her mood shifted instantly. Overjoyed, she grabbed Ren's pillow and hugged it tight.
(That's my pillow... well, the mansion's pillow, but I'm the one using it...)
"Oh, I should probably get back to my room." Licia noticed the time—it was already past midnight. She let go of the pillow and stood up. "Training is cancelled tomorrow, but do you have any plans?"
"Since I’m a guest here, I’d actually prefer to have some work to do."
"I see. In that case, I’ll give you a job after breakfast."
Ren felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He had felt awkward simply being a guest without contributing. "What do you need me to do?"
"I'm going shopping tomorrow for the first time in ages. I want you to be my guard."
"Me? You have your personal knights, not to mention Master Weiss."
"Yes, and Weiss is free so he'll be coming along, but I want you there too, Ren."
"I understand. If that’s the case, you can count on me."
Ren figured he should probably clear it with Lezard, but since Weiss was going, he felt like more of a tag-along than a formal escort. A quick heads-up would likely suffice.
"Well then, good night. See you tomorrow!"
Licia waved and slipped out of the room. Once she was gone, Ren returned to the book on his desk. It was one of several he had borrowed from the library during his recovery.
The title was Holy Relics of the Seven Heroes.
The "relics" in question were the legendary equipment used by the Seven Heroes. In the game, these were top-tier items that drastically boosted a character's stats. Players simply referred to them as "Hero Equipment."
"This is actually quite interesting," Ren muttered.
He already knew where most of these items were hidden, but the book contained lore that hadn't been fully explored in the games. Specifically, it mentioned that the sword of Hero Lauren had shattered into fragments.
In the game series, the "Divine Sword" was a legendary weapon that players expected to see in the third installment, yet this historical text claimed it no longer existed. Apparently, after the Demon King was slain, the blade shattered and returned to the earth the moment Lauren stepped back onto the soil of his homeland, Leomel.
"Hmm. If I found the other Hero Equipment and sold it, I’d be set for life."
He would have preferred to use it himself, but those items were restricted to specific bloodlines. For Ren, they were nothing more than high-value loot. Then again, selling them would likely attract unwanted attention from the Hero Faction. Unless he was desperate, it was better to leave them alone.
"I should probably get some sleep."
His eyelids felt heavy from the day's exertion. Before closing his eyes, he glanced at his bracelet to check his progress.
Ren Ashton [Job] Ashton Family Eldest Son [Skill] - Magic Sword Summoning (Level 1: 0/0) - Magic Sword Summoning Arts (Level 3: 239/2000) Level 1: Can summon [one] magic sword. Level 2: Gain [Physical Ability Boost (Small)] while summoning. Level 3: Can summon [two] magic swords simultaneously. Level 4: Gain [Physical Ability Boost (Medium)] while summoning. Level 5: ***.
[Acquired Magic Swords] - Wooden Magic Sword (Level 2: 988/1000) Enables Nature Magic (Small) attacks. Range increases with level. - Iron Magic Sword (Level 1: 988/1000) Sharpness increases with level. - Thief's Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/3) Chance to steal a random item from the target upon impact.
His proficiency had climbed steadily through his battles, especially the ordeal with Jelququ. His Summoning Arts had reached Level 3, finally allowing him to wield two swords at once. He also saw that the next level would upgrade his physical boost to "Medium."
The swords themselves hadn't leveled up yet, mostly because he hadn't had many mana stones to feed them lately. On the bright side, the proficiency requirement for the next rank didn't seem to have jumped tenfold, which was a relief.
However, the name of "that" sword was still missing from his list.
"It definitely has something to do with Licia’s mana stone..."
He remembered the moment clearly. When Jelququ had unleashed the Mana Eater's evolution, Ren had been on the brink of death. He had collapsed beside Licia and reached out, his hand brushing her chest. In that instant, both her chest and his bracelet had erupted in light, allowing him to summon a mysterious sword labeled only as "?".
Thinking back to that blade of blinding radiance, he couldn't help but associate it with Licia’s Holy Magic.
(What was that thing?)
If special monsters like the Thief Wolfen provided unique magic swords, perhaps the mana stones carried by certain Saints also held a hidden power.
(No, that’s too far-fetched...)
Even in a world of magic, it felt like a leap in logic. He wanted to test the theory, but his "summoning" required absorbing the power of a mana stone. If there was even a slight chance that doing so would harm Licia, he couldn't bring himself to try it.
Besides, how would he even ask? "Please let me put my hand on your chest for science"?
He’d be branded a deviant instantly. He already felt guilty enough about the "accidental" touch during the incident; he didn't want to become a genuine criminal. Since the "?" sword had vanished from his menu anyway, there was no way to verify it. It was better to just put it out of his mind.
"Sleep. I need sleep."
Ren closed the book, turned off the lamp, and climbed into bed. As he closed his eyes, his consciousness faded into a deep, dreamless slumber.