The cries of monsters drifted through the gaps in the trees.
The creatures had been drawn by the sweet fragrance wafting from the hemp sack Ren had set on the ground just moments ago while he was lost in thought. However, the monsters that emerged were no longer interested in the fruit; their hunger was now fixed solely on the soft flesh of Ren and Io.
"As long as you don't attack first, I won't lay a hand on you," Ren warned.
Ignoring him, the monsters lunged in unison. They were lizard-like creatures covered in brown scales—E-rank monsters known for their low intelligence and mediocre strength.
"Kiiiiii!"
"Ki!"
Yet, unusually for E-ranks, they possessed the ability to use magic. They manipulated the earth, causing the terrain to bulge into paths that allowed them to sprint faster while surrounding Ren with clumps of soil to pin him down.
Ren let out a weary sigh. "I told you, I was planning to let you go."
He swung his Flame Magic Sword, unleashing a flare intended to frighten them off. But as he did, he wondered if he could use Star-Cleaver to nullify their magic and give them a proper scare.
Perhaps because of that thought, something unexpected happened.
"Gueh!?"
The bulging earthen path beneath one of the charging monsters reverted to ordinary soil the moment it touched a spark-like flicker of fire. The sudden change caused the lizard to stumble and tumble over itself.
It was only a tiny fraction of the spell's effect. Most of the magically raised path remained intact; only the ground beneath that single monster had collapsed. Ren blinked in surprise, certain he hadn't used that much power. It looked exactly as if the magic had simply lost its potency.
It wasn't an illusion. The transformed ground had undeniably crumbled upon contact with that faint flame.
"...That flame just now."
Whether startled by the strange fire or not, the monsters scrambled to their feet and fled into the woods.
Ren stared down at his Flame Magic Sword, replaying the scene in his mind. It hadn't been a mistake. Clearly and certainly, that flicker of fire had exerted some kind of influence over the opponent's magic. It wasn't the entire flame that had changed; it seemed only a minute portion of the fire Ren released had manifested a special power, breaking the spell.
The nature of that power was unmistakably Star-Cleaver.
"I shall show you! The Strong Sword of a magic user!"
Edgar’s words echoed in his mind once more. Just like the ice blades Edgar had manifested, Ren’s flames had been imbued with the essence of the Strong Sword.
As the realization sank in, a dull throb of exhaustion rippled through his body—the telltale sign of heavy mana consumption. Even though the effect had been minor and was nowhere near practical yet, simply mixing a trace of Star-Cleaver’s property into the Flame Magic Sword had drained him significantly.
Nevertheless, a natural smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He felt a sense of fulfillment he hadn't experienced in a long time.
"...Even so, it finally feels like I’ve made some progress."
Just when he was beginning to think the road to becoming a Sword Saint was impossibly steep, he had found a new path forward. He couldn't help but feel a surge of joy, similar to when he had first started learning Strong Sword Arts.
The result may have been an accident, but it was born from his tireless efforts to refine his Strong Sword Arts and his Enshroud. It was still a far cry from being his own original Art, and with only a fraction of the fire manifesting the effect, he had no idea how to use it in a real fight. But the joy was immeasurable. He had taken the first step, and Ren knew better than anyone how much that mattered.
"Io! Did you see that?!"
Caught up in his excitement, he called out to his horse.
"Buruu."
Io didn't even bother to look at him. She gave a disinterested snort while continuing to graze on the grass, seemingly indifferent to the battle that had just occurred.
"...As always, you have nerves of steel."
Hoping to reproduce the technique, Ren tested it several times against other monsters that attacked him. He ended up slaying a few ferocious beasts that refused to flee, but he was unable to replicate the initial success.
I’ll have to keep practicing, he thought.
Deciding not to overdo it on the first day, Ren waited for the right moment before mounting Io and heading back toward Erendil.
Licia had taken a morning bath to shake off her sleepiness and was now walking through the mansion.
She hadn't seen Ren yet. She had thought that bathing first would give her a chance to tidy her appearance before greeting him, but even now, with her hair dry, he was nowhere to be found.
"Excuse me, do you know where Ren is?" Licia asked a passing attendant.
The morning sun, signaling the approach of early summer, was just beginning to stream through the windows.
"If you mean Master Ren, he departed the mansion before daybreak, Lady Licia."
"...I wonder what's wrong. Did he go to the Lion Sanctum?"
"No. He mentioned there was a specific fruit that could only be harvested at this hour..."
The attendant seemed equally puzzled, and both women tilted their heads in confusion. Just then, they heard the heavy front door of the entrance hall open.
"Welcome back, Master Ren."
"Oh? Is that what you went after?"
"Something like that. Once I thought of it, I just had to have some."
Ren’s voice drifted up from the hall. A moment later, he appeared in the corridor where Licia and the attendant were standing.
"Ah, Lady Licia."
Ren was carrying a hemp sack that was neither particularly large nor small. Through the partially open top, glimpses of something bright red could be seen. Licia, her hair still holding a faint scent of moisture from her bath, hurried to his side.
"Where have you been?"
"I remembered this fruit and realized I really wanted to eat it. So I left before dawn to go harvest some," Ren said, showing off the sack with a proud smile.
Licia gasped when she saw the contents. "Sunrise Fruit?"
"Yes. You know them, don't you? They only turn red for a few dozen minutes in the early morning. I heard they aren't any good if you pick them at any other time, so I went out early."
Because a method for cultivating them had not yet been discovered, people often fought over them in the wild. Ren, however, knew of a secluded spot and had gathered enough for everyone in the household. Licia smiled warmly at the gesture. Seeing Ren look so satisfied warmed her heart.
The attendant had slipped away at some point, leaving the two of them to continue their conversation.
"Aren't you tired?"
"I took Io, so it wasn't too bad. Although I did have to fight off a few monsters, so I can't say I'm completely fresh."
"In that case, go soak in the bath. What should we do with the Sunrise Fruit? Should we leave it in the kitchen for now?"
"That’s the plan. I’m going to ask the chef to prepare it so everyone in the mansion can enjoy it."
The two began to walk together, enjoying the light, aimless morning conversation they usually shared. But just before they parted ways, a thought occurred to Licia.
If he fought monsters, I wonder if he used that mysterious sword.
She knew Ren possessed a strange power. During their escape after leaving Jelququ, she had witnessed it multiple times from a short distance.
"Lady Licia, I'm heading to the kitchen now—"
"O-Oh, right! See you later!"
Realizing she had been staring at him while lost in thought, Licia answered hurriedly. Ren looked at her for a moment, wondering if something was wrong, but seeing her return to her usual self, he continued on his way.
Left alone in the hallway, Licia murmured to herself. "...Honestly, I wonder what kind of power that truly is."
Her curiosity likely stemmed less from the mystery of the power itself and more from the fact that it belonged to Ren. She looked out the window at the rising sun and sighed.
Initially, Ren had been hesitant to spend so much of his holiday on this new technique. He felt he should probably attend the Lion Sanctum to continue the steady training he had been doing. But in the end, he decided to practice while the sensation of that first flame was still fresh in his mind.
The results, however, were less than ideal. He couldn't expect to master a new technique in just a few days.
"...I'm beat."
Ren lay spread-eagled on the forest floor, staring up at the sky as the sun climbed higher. He had expected this, but the mana drain was simply too much. It had been a long time since he felt this dizzy. He had plenty of confidence in his physical stamina, but his mana reserves were a different matter. This was significantly more taxing than the Enshroud training he did at the Lion Sanctum.
"...Time to go home."
He mounted Io and headed back to Erendil. By the time he reached the city, his strength had recovered slightly. He stopped by the Adventurer Guild to submit the monsters he had hunted during his practice for appraisal.
While waiting at the counter, a woman’s voice called out to him.
"Is that you, Ren!?"
Ren turned and walked toward the eatery area of the guild. There, he saw Estelle, the Chief of the Lion Sanctum, looking high-spirited as she downed alcohol alongside a lavish meal. Sitting next to her was Chronoa, the Academy Principal, who wore a wry smile.
"Lady Estelle? And Lady Chronoa too? What are you both doing here?"
"...I'm here on business," Chronoa explained. "I had a meeting with Viscount Clausel, but Estelle caught me on the main street on my way back."
"Exactly," Estelle added. "I had just finished my own work when I spotted Chronoa and dragged her here."
"I-I see... I understand..."
In other words, Chronoa was the victim of Estelle's whims. Ren figured it would be rude to leave immediately, so he sat down across from them.
"Order whatever you like, Ren. It's on me."
"Thank you. I'll take you up on that."
Ren ordered a few items, and while they waited for the food, he observed the two women. Chronoa was dressed in her usual elegant attire, looking every bit the refined scholar. Estelle, however, was the definition of "cool." Wearing a white shirt and black trousers, with her coat draped over the back of her chair, she looked incredibly dashing as she hoisted a large wooden mug.
"So, Ren, what brings you out so early during your holiday?" Estelle asked.
"A few things... I was out in the forest."
"Ho? Hunting?"
"Something like that. I've also been thinking about what I need to do to reach the rank of Sword Saint."
Estelle took another long draft of her drink and then bit into a large steak with gusto. Though her actions were bold, she never lost her sense of nobility. The way she handled her knife was particularly graceful.
"Hahaha! Struggle, young man. That is the only way to become a Sword Saint."
Chronoa leaned in toward Estelle. "Say, Estelle, when was it that you became a Sword Saint?"
"Hmm? A long time ago now. Why do you ask?"
"I thought if you told Ren about your experience, it might serve as a good reference for him."
"...What's this, Chronoa? Suddenly saying something sensible. You’re acting like a real educator."
"I am a real educator."
Estelle swallowed a piece of steak before continuing. Despite having already finished several drinks, she showed no sign of intoxication.
"I attained the rank of Sword Saint back when I was a mere officer."
She explained that she had been part of the Lion Sanctum even then. During a certain mission, things had gone horribly wrong. Unforeseen circumstances had left her small elite unit in a desperate situation.
"I was leading several subordinates, and I exerted every ounce of my being to ensure they at least made it back alive."
Her desperate resolve had paid off, and she completed the mission without losing a single person. It was through that ordeal that she had reached the Realm of the Sword Saint.
"Facing death and fighting with everything I had, I forced open the door—the door that stands before the Realm of the Sword Saint."
"So you reached it during a life-or-death crisis," Ren noted.
"Indeed. In my case, I required that sense of extreme crisis to move forward. The absolute thirst for life in a place where I'd staked my very existence awakened something deep within me."
Estelle paused, then looked at Ren. "I’ve heard you’ve already experienced your fair share of life-or-death situations, Ren. If that's the case, then perhaps a sense of crisis isn't the catalyst you need."
"Then is it just more training?"
"That’s part of it, but you likely need a different kind of spark. Honestly, you seem stronger now than I was back then. Don't be in such a hurry. Just try what you can, one step at a time."
"Wow!" Chronoa exclaimed. "It's rare for Estelle to give such proper advice!"
"Don't tease me. You’re the one who told me to guide him."
As the talk of Sword Saints wound down, Ren's breakfast arrived. He enjoyed his meal while watching the two interact. "You two are very close, aren't you?"
"Yes," Chronoa said with a smile. "Estelle and I have worked together on several occasions."
"We're both reasonably capable, so our paths cross often enough," Estelle added.
Ren nodded, finding the dynamic between the powerful Chief and the elegant Principal fascinating. Estelle continued to order refills, yet she remained perfectly sober. As they prepared to leave, she mentioned she still felt like she could drink more.
"But I’ll restrain myself today," she said. "My husband tells me that drinking too much is no good for my health."
Ren and Chronoa both looked at the pile of empty mugs on the table. They both chose to swallow the question of whether that amount could truly be considered "restraint."