After thanking the knight for his cooperation, Licia listened to Sera’s reply, her mind drifting back several years—to the days before she had ever met Ren.
"How many years has it been? Since I lost to you, Licia... almost four, right?"
"Yes. Probably."
That encounter four years ago had taken place when Licia attended a party held in the Imperial Capital. At the time, Sera had approached her, asking if she would be willing to spar.
Licia’s talent with the sword had already been the talk of the city. Sera, similarly blessed with martial talent, had been dying to know just how strong Saint Licia truly was. As a descendant of Gajir Riohalde—one of the Seven Heroes and a legendary swordsman—Sera had issued the challenge with every intention of winning.
The result, however, had been a total defeat for her.
The match took place the day after the party at the Riohalde Manor. It hadn't even been close; Licia had completely overwhelmed Sera from start to finish. While Sera had swung her sword desperately until she was gasping for air, Licia hadn't even broken her breathing rhythm. It was a display of absolute, crushing power.
That had been their first meeting. Since then, Sera had come to respect Licia, and she had more or less forced them into a casual friendship, insisting they drop formalities when alone.
Even after their long separation, that dynamic hadn't changed.
"I came here on my father's business, but I never imagined I'd run into you, Sera." Licia smiled at the unexpected reunion as she thought back on those days.
"I was surprised too! I was showing Vane the sights when we stumbled upon a snatcher. I chased after him, and that’s when I found you."
"Vane?"
"Yeah. We came to Erendil together, but we got separated when I started the chase." Sera’s expression softened into a sweet, genuine smile. "He’s a friend of mine, and my benefactor. When I was near his village, I was almost attacked by monsters, and Vane saved me."
"Attacked by monsters? What happened to your guards?"
"W-well... I thought I could handle things on my own, so I went into the forest, but I couldn't fight as well as I thought..."
"...You’re just a fool, aren't you?" Licia sighed, her voice thick with exasperation.
However, beyond her annoyance, she felt a pang of self-reflection. She had similar tendencies herself and had caused Ren quite a bit of trouble in the past. She made a mental note to be more careful.
"Lady Riohalde. If you wish, I can have my knights search for your companion," Weiss offered considerately.
Sera beamed. "Really? That would be a huge help!"
After nodding happily at Weiss’s suggestion, Sera began describing the boy named Vane. He was about her age, slightly taller and slim, with dark brown hair and emerald eyes. Having noted the description, Weiss excused himself and headed toward the knights stationed in front of the guardhouse.
Then, Sera seemed to suddenly remember something.
"Since we're here, you're going to give me a rematch!" she declared, marching toward the building. "I’ll show you how much I’ve grown! We can borrow the training grounds in the guardhouse!"
"...Excuse me? You aren't seriously suggesting I duel you right now, are you?"
"Of course I am! Do you have any idea how much I’ve regretted that loss over the last four years? I’ve been working so, so hard just to beat you!"
"Y-yes... I see..." Licia gave a wry smile, clearly overwhelmed by Sera’s relentless energy.
"...What should I do?" she murmured to herself.
Truthfully, she had no desire to spar with Sera. Their families belonged to different political factions, and she wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict in a place where their parents weren't present. While Sera likely wouldn't complain later, Licia couldn't help but hesitate.
Ultimately, however, Licia followed her. Since her opponent was a daughter of an Archduke Family, she felt she had to comply out of courtesy to their respective positions.
"I’ll have to apologize to Ren when I get back to Clausel," she thought.
The feeling she had now was likely exactly what Ren had felt whenever she had been pushy with him. Reflecting on her own past behavior, Licia stepped into the guardhouse.
Several dozen minutes later.
Vane, the boy who had come to Erendil with Sera, arrived at the guardhouse. He looked shocked to find Sera slumped on the ground of the training hall, sulking.
"Sera!? What happened!?"
"See you later, Sera."
Licia gave a dainty wave as she walked away. She left with the same cool, effortless composure she had possessed four years ago, having demonstrated an even greater gap in strength than before.
It was a scene that could have been a still-frame illustration from the legends. The Main Heroine, Sera, and the boy assisting her—the Protagonist, Vane—watching as Licia departed.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
A month passed. At the Ashton Manor in Clausel.
On this day, Ren and Licia had coincidentally returned to the manor at the exact same time. They were currently in the garden. It was just after they had crossed swords—a rare invitation from Ren.
Licia sat on a wooden bench, telling Ren about her time in Erendil.
"—And that’s what happened."
Listening to her story, Ren feigned a calm expression. "I see... that sounds like quite an event..."
Inwardly, however, his heart was racing at the mention of Licia, Sera, and Vane.
(So... it was already time for that to happen.)
It was just like in the game. The protagonist, Vane, saves Sera Riohalde near his village. At that moment, the Power of the Hero within him shows signs of awakening, catching the attention of Sera’s parents. He would eventually spend time in the Imperial Capital until his enrollment in the Imperial Academy.
Recalling the event at the guardhouse, Ren felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
(So Vane really is in this world too.)
"Hey, are you even listening?"
"...Ah, sorry. I was just overwhelmed by the stories of the big city." Ren cleared his throat and stood up, offering a hand to help Licia to her feet.
"...Thanks." She took his hand bashfully. As she stood, Ren brought the conversation back to the topic she had been discussing. He couldn't help but ask.
"So, you really had a match with Lady Riohalde?"
"Yes. Several times over the course of thirty minutes."
Apparently, Licia had won every single bout decisively. Although she didn't brag, Ren could easily imagine that the gap between them had only widened over the last four years.
It was to be expected. Licia was powerful. Even if her opponent was the daughter of an Archduke Family and a descendant of the legendary Hero Gajir Riohalde, Licia still held the advantage. Ren, who sparred with her daily, knew her strength better than anyone.
"And yet... sigh..."
Licia, who had just finished recounting how she had crushed a descendant of the Seven Heroes, was now looking at Ren and pouting. She looked up at him, noting that the height difference between them seemed to have grown again.
"You’ve gone and gotten even more handsome again," she muttered under her breath so he wouldn't hear. Then, she voiced the reason for her frustration. "Sera is a renowned swordsman even in the Capital, and I beat her easily."
"Yes. That’s a testament to all your hard work, Lady Licia. I’m happy for you."
"Ugh! That’s not the point!" Licia took a half-step forward, closing the distance between them until they were so close he could almost count her eyelashes. "I’m saying that I, the person who did that, just lost miserably to Ren! Just a few minutes ago, as always!"
She looked up at him with a mix of dissatisfaction and something that looked like affection.
"Ren, you’ve gotten stronger again, haven't you?"
"...Um?"
"Don't look away! Look at me properly and don't try to dodge the question!"
Reluctantly, Ren turned his gaze back to her. Their eyes met directly. At such close range, Licia finally realized just how intimate their position was. Her face flushed crimson in an instant, and she scrambled backward in embarrassment.
From a manor window, a servant watched the pair and smiled.
"—It’s unfair to look at me like that so suddenly!"
"I... I was just doing what you told me to..." Ren replied, shrugging his shoulders at the somewhat unreasonable accusation. "But I’m relieved. After everything with Viscount Given, I was worried there might be trouble between the factions."
"About that, Sera apologized to me repeatedly."
Given the political standing of House Clausel and House Riohalde, things were complicated. However, the Given incident was clearly against Sera’s own sense of justice. Because the Viscount had hidden his movements so well, she had only learned the truth after the fact, and she had apparently tried to contact the Clausel family many times.
However—
"As I expected, Marquis Ignat is an incredible man. It seems he applied enough pressure to keep even an Archduke Family from making a move."
"Was the pressure really that intense?"
"Yes. I heard Sera’s parents were desperate to stop her just to keep her safe. Things were already chaotic within the faction because of Viscount Given, so they were even more sensitive."
Ren felt a wave of relief at how reliable the Marquis was. As an enemy, he had been terrifying, but as an ally, his "strong-armed" political influence was incredibly reassuring. To think he could paralyze even an Archduke Family.
"It sounds like Lady Riohalde was very worried about you, Lady Licia."
"I suppose... she’s a kind girl, after all."
Licia’s feelings were complicated. She didn't have a good impression of the Hero Faction, but she couldn't bring herself to dislike Sera as an individual. When politics and personal feelings mixed, everything became a tangled mess.
"Anyway! Now it’s your turn, Ren! Tell me everything—how was the village?"
At her lively prompt, Ren smiled and began to recount his journey home. Their first day back in Clausel passed peacefully as they caught up on everything they had missed.