The group arrived in Erendil by way of the Imperial Capital Station.
Five people stood atop a long, paved stretch of the Sky Garden where the magic ships were moored: Ren, Ulysses, Verrich, Edgar, and Lezard.
Considerable time had passed since their arrival. It was now past midnight, and the Sky Garden was devoid of other visitors. Enveloped by a darkness and silence far deeper than that of the daytime, the group spoke quietly, their voices carried on the biting winter wind.
Ulysses, hearing Lezard's response, spoke in a tone that suggested he had known the answer all along. "Which means you haven't scrapped the Lemuria yet, I take it?"
"I haven't," Lezard replied. "I felt it would be a mark of disrespect to discard a vessel bestowed upon me by His Majesty. I always held out hope that she might be restored one day."
Lezard said, "This way, please," and began walking toward a corner of the path that stretched out like a runway.
Ren followed close behind. When he saw what lay ahead, he caught his breath.
Is that it?
He had seen it during his time playing the game, and since being reborn as Ren, he was now laying eyes on it for the first time in the Sky Garden. As they reached the object—which, from its silhouette beneath the heavy cloth, appeared to be a bullet-shaped magic ship—Lezard issued a command to the engineers waiting nearby.
"Unveil it."
The magic ship engineers immediately pulled the cloth away, revealing what had been hidden. Just as Ren had anticipated, it was a magic ship.
It was considerably smaller than a typical passenger vessel, but its design was sleek. The bullet-shaped hull was adorned with opulent decorations and topped with translucent wings that folded back like the fins of a fish. Below the main body sat a section resembling a sailboat without sails, a design that left no doubt this was a vessel built to navigate the heavens.
"Ho... She looks just as she did when I finished her. Mostly," Verrich said. His cheeks relaxed, and it was clear that he was pleased.
"Master Verrich, forgive the late introduction. I am Lezard Clausel," Lezard said. "When His Majesty entrusted me with Erendil, he also granted me custody of your creation."
"Aye. I could tell at a glance that you’ve looked after her. You didn’t keep her cooped up in a dock, which tells me you didn't forget her nature."
"Yes. I heard from a magic ship engineer who knew the circumstances that it was better to keep her in a place where she would be exposed to the wind."
"That’s because of the materials I used," Verrich explained. "I ended up choosing materials almost exclusively from monsters with an affinity for the wind. The ship thrives on exposure to the open air. I appreciate the effort you took to keep her out here."
Once that conversation settled, Lezard and Ulysses issued a stern directive to the magic ship engineers: everything seen tonight was to remain in absolute confidence.
Ren stood next to Verrich, who was looking up at the ship. "So you really were the one who built this, Master Verrich."
For Ren, one of the mysteries from the era of The Legend of the Seven Heroes had just vanished. He hadn't imagined that the truth would be something this interesting.
"I built her years ago at the request of the former Emperor," Verrich said. "His Majesty took a great liking to her, but he stopped flying once his health began to fail. Other members of the Imperial Family took her out occasionally after that, but it seems they pushed the central furnace beyond its limits. That's how she ended up like this."
The furnace and its surrounding machinery had burned out after being pushed too hard, necessitating major repairs. However, no one had attempted to fix the Lemuria since then, leaving her tucked away in a corner of the Sky Garden. The materials and funds required for the restoration were simply too steep.
When House Clausel was put in charge of Erendil, ownership of the vessel had been transferred to Lezard. A combination of such circumstances had led to the present situation.
"Baron Lezard, it's just as we discussed," Verrich said. "You mind if I patch her up? I don’t want your money. Fixing her is like tending to my own son."
"But, that would be..."
"If it bothers you, just give me some food. Also, once the repairs are done, a fine sake would be great. You can just send some to my place every now and then."
Compared to normal repair costs, it was a bargain. Especially considering the work would be done by Verrich, the value was beyond measure. Verrich himself was not hurting for money, which was why he made such a modest request.
Lezard turned a troubled expression toward Ulysses, but the Marquis only laughed. "Verrich is a man who hates work, but he's a man who follows through once he's decided to do it."
"I don't need to hear that from a damn brat like you."
"I know, I know. From now on, I'll give you priority for any rare materials harvested from my territory. Will that appease you?"
"Good grief... you really are a hopeless brat." Verrich then turned his attention back to Lezard. "Come to think of it, you've got that Saint at your place, Baron. The Saint's sword is almost finished, so I'll bring it to you later."
Addressing Ren and Lezard, who were both stunned by the sudden news, he continued. "Weiss has been pestering me about it for years. Since you lot were coming this way, I figured I'd finally put the finishing touches on it."
According to Verrich, he and Weiss were old acquaintances. At this point, Lezard realized that Verrich was the person he had been scheduled to meet in the Blacksmith District the other day, and he nodded as everything finally clicked into place.
"That must have been during his time as a Royal Guard, before Weiss entered the service of our house," Lezard noted.
"Aye. Back then, Weiss saved me when I got caught in a blizzard in the nearby mountains. I promised him then that I'd forge a sword for him one day. Weiss said he didn't need one because he already had a sword bestowed by the Emperor, though."
Does that mean that sword is one of Master Verrich's masterpieces?
Though his knowledge came strictly from the Seven Heroes era, the sword held by Saint Licia remained vivid in Ren's memory. It was only natural; the weapon boasted performance so high he had practically tasted his own envy. If that blade had been forged by the same man who made the Sword King's sword, its power made perfect sense.
"By the way, Verrich," Ulysses asked, "where are you going to repair the Lemuria?"
"I'll use a dock here in the Sky Garden. I just need the Baron to close off one of the sections so that only we can get in."
"I thought I heard you say earlier that she was better off in the wind."
"I know that, obviously. But we're actually going to fix her, so we've got no choice but to move her inside. I'll expose her to the wind whenever possible, and I'll do my best to manage her."
"It seems I've asked an unnecessary question. Baron Clausel, can I leave the matters regarding the dock to you?"
"Understood. Please leave the details to me."
"Then have the Lemuria moved sometime soon," Verrich said. "But as soon as Asval's Horn arrives, I'm going to forge Ren's armor first. Don't worry, it'll be done in a month."
As the conversation progressed, a certain question arose in Ren's mind. He remembered Verrich saying how important it was for Asval's Horn to possess "loyalty" as a material. If that were true, he wondered if using it to repair the Lemuria would be a waste.
When he asked about it, Verrich explained that the circumstances were different.
"I never said the quality of the material was bad," Verrich clarified. "It's just that to utilize it to its maximum potential, it's best to center it around you, Ren. But as far as magic ships go, bones and horns from dragon kin are highly compatible. They're incredibly strong and lightweight."
"Just out of curiosity," Ren asked, "how exactly do you use a dragon horn for a magic ship?"
"Sometimes you melt the surface with chemicals to smooth it out, or you carve it down to make a structural pillar. This time, it'll be the perfect material for reinforcing the area around the furnace. You can do almost anything with dragon horns and bones."
Verrich declared that if they could mount a high-output furnace, the ship's overall sturdiness would also increase. Ren nodded, satisfied by the explanation.
"Baron Lezard, let's get right to it—I'll need you to transport Asval's Horn."
"Certainly. I expect it will arrive within three weeks."
"In that case, Edgar, could you arrange to dispatch our knights as well?" Ulysses added. "Handling it strictly will be a chore, so we shall assist you."
"Yes, my lord. As you wish."
As the night grew deeper, the major arrangements were settled in a flash. While watching Verrich and the others laugh cheerfully, Ren looked up at the cold, starry sky. He thought about the resolution he had made after visiting the Blacksmith District and seeing the Academy District.
I have to tell Lady Licia and the others about the Imperial Academy.
He had already made up his mind. Everything was for the sake of protecting those he held dear. He could no longer shy away or retreat. Having understood the responsibility and freedom that came with his strength, he was determined to give his absolute best for the people he loved.