The sunlight over the sea plummeted as the Sky Continent’s shadow loomed, causing the glaciers to thicken and expand.
That was when the Glacier Crossing occurred.
"That's when things get interesting—monsters on both continents suddenly burst into activity."
"Why is that?"
"My, how could a mere glacier have such an impact...?"
"It’s because countless monsters use that icy bridge to travel between the two continents! Most of them are looking for prey to fuel their evolution, driven by instinct... or maybe they’re just stupid enough to try!"
However, that did not mean these travelers became absolute predators.
While the monsters crossing the glacier were formidable, there were just as many monsters waiting on the other side, looking to turn those migrants into a meal.
"The Lesser Griffins were likely caught up in the excitement! Seeing the other monsters suddenly getting restless must have riled up their own fighting spirit!"
That was the Glacier Crossing—a natural phenomenon that occurred once every ten years or so.
Since Leomel had neighboring countries acting as buffers, the nation rarely had to consider dealing with the phenomenon directly. The great power prioritized its own interests first, only weighing the option of intervention if a request for reinforcements arrived.
The battle continued, and the Lesser Griffins fell one after another, unable to land so much as a single scratch on Ren or Licia.
Given their ferocious refusal to retreat once they had locked onto prey, it was easy to see why the kingdom had designated them for extermination. Their insatiable hunger and relentless aggression drove the Lesser Griffins to be cruel to the very end.
Even as their numbers dwindled significantly, the situation remained unchanged.
Verrich, who had been observing the skirmish, looked up at the sky.
"Nngh?"
Taking advantage of the distraction, a large Lesser Griffin flapped its wings and dove toward the dwarf.
It was the leader of the pack—the largest and most powerful individual among them. As soon as its target let out a sound of surprise, the other remaining griffins prepared to follow their leader’s lead.
Even so, Verrich didn't flinch.
"Big Sis, I’m leavin’ it to ya."
"Umu. Looking closely, those are the very monsters that have a bounty on their heads. This is convenient."
Estelle stepped forward, her long coat fluttering in the wind.
She passed Verrich and drew the jet-black greatsword from her back. Its name was Kuroi—a masterwork blade forged by Verrich himself.
The sword she held began to glow with undulating waves of blue-purple energy.
Occasionally, a sharp crackling sound, like Purple Lightning, echoed from the blade.
As the moments passed, the ripples of energy grew deeper in color, distorting the very air around the sword.
One of the special Arts that only those of the Sword Saint Class could wield was now being manifest.
"——Perish."
Estelle swung the energy-shrouded sword in a wide horizontal sweep.
This was the height of the "unreason" employed by Sword Saints of the Strong Sword Arts—a technique that turned every casual strike into a certain-kill blow.
The Lesser Griffins in the air were suddenly engulfed by a surging pressure of jet-black sword force. There was no sense of violent impact; the force simply drifted through the air, passing through the monsters' bodies as if they weren't even there.
However, the condition of the creatures bathed in that wave of energy changed instantly.
Without exception, their flight stalled in the blink of an eye. They lost their vitality, the light vanished from their eyes, and they plummeted toward the earth.
"Trivial. They were nothing more than birds, after all."
She uttered the cold remark as easily as a breath.
The nature of this particular Art changed depending on the user—not just in the color of the wave or its destructive power, but in its very essence.
When used by one person, it might increase their physical strength every time they wounded an enemy; when used by another, it might inflict continuous, lingering damage.
It could even render an opponent's magic unusable. The way the sword became clad in an aura was like an Enshroud that had evolved into a new form.
For those of the Sword Saint Class who wielded Strong Sword Arts, these techniques were highly personal, with their properties varying wildly from person to person.
While the potency of these traits differed, Estelle was considered an anomaly even among her peers.
——Death Eater.
No one but Estelle herself knew the true essence of the Art used by the woman who held that alias. The secret behind the Chief of the Lion Sanctum's strength was withheld even from the Imperial Family.
Ren and Licia watched the Lesser Griffins fall lifelessly, both of them breathless with awe.
Verrich, however, was a different story.
"Say, Big Sis... this is a bit hard to bring up, but..."
He scratched his beard, looking hesitant.
"What is it, Verrich? Have you finally fallen for my prowess?"
"Look, I’m not like these two kids. I’ve seen that plenty of times. I guess I’m impressed, sure, but..."
"Umu, umu, honesty is a virtue... Wait. Why are you wearing that awkward smile? If you have something to say, don't hold back. Don't be a stranger."
"...Alright, I'll say it."
Whether she had simply forgotten her objective or had been too focused on stimulating Ren and Licia by showing off her power, Verrich scratched his cheek and finally spat it out.
"The thing is——when you make 'em crash like that, we can't get the materials."
The Chief of the Lion Sanctum... the Sword Saint’s only response was:
"............Ah."
From the way she froze for a long moment before answering, it was clear she had simply forgotten.
The sheepish expression she wore now looked nothing like the legendary warrior who had just unleashed such a terrifying Art.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
By the time they returned to Erendil, the night was quite late.
"Right then, I’m headin' home too."
Verrich spoke after they disembarked the Magic Ship and prepared to transfer to the Magic Train.
He didn't show a single trace of exhaustion.
"With this, I’ve finally got most of the materials I need. Once I find the materials from the Raging Tree King—the Trent—and whatever I'm gonna use for the furnace core, the Lemuria will finally be ready for a trial run."
Verrich headed back toward the Imperial Capital, likely already calculating what other materials he could use as substitutes if necessary.
On the walk back to the manor, Ren and Licia were engaged in a lively discussion, replaying the scene of the Art Estelle had demonstrated. To their eyes, she had barely shown any effort, appearing to have swung her sword with total ease.
And yet, she was strong. Overwhelmingly so.
"But Lady Estelle really is something..."
Licia giggled as she looked up at the night sky.
"To think she went back all by herself to collect the materials... She truly is incredible."
"Really. I wonder what time she'll actually get back."
"Fufu, probably tomorrow morning at the earliest."
To salvage the materials from the Lesser Griffins that had crashed into the forest, Estelle had immediately turned back toward the mountains alone.
Her reason was simple: she didn't want the fallen griffins to be scavenged by other monsters. Since many predators in that region would eat even the bones of a carcass, she had to hurry back.
"I’ll help too," Ren had offered.
"No. I wouldn't be able to look your guardians in the eye. I won't have you two coming home this late," Estelle had replied firmly.
"He’s right, Ren. Besides, this happened 'cause Big Sis got a bit too fired up and overdid it," Verrich had added with a laugh.
"Guh... I can't argue when it's the truth... but it couldn't be helped! As an elder, I wanted to set an example for you hardworking youngsters! Let me look cool once in a while!"
"Gahaha! I hear ya, Big Sis!"
Since the materials were destined for the repairs of the Magic Ship Lemuria, Ren and Licia had intended to stay and help.
However, if they had, they wouldn't have made it home until well after midnight. That was something Estelle refused to allow.
So, after ensuring Ren and Licia were safely back in Erendil, Estelle had turned the Magic Ship around and headed back to the hunt site.
She had gone out of her way to return to Erendil first simply because she took her responsibility as their chaperone seriously.
"I’m off duty tomorrow anyway. A bit of hunting is a nice change of pace, so don't worry about it."
For Estelle, it was just a productive way to spend a holiday.
In light of that, Ren and Licia had graciously accepted her kindness.
"Hey, Ren. What color do you think ours will be?"
"You mean, if we eventually learn to use Sword Saint Class Arts like Lady Estelle?"
"Right! I have a feeling mine will be white!"
"That sounds right. In my case..."
Faintly, the image of Asval’s flames flickered in his mind. He recalled the many times he had survived desperate situations using the power inherited from the Dragon Elder.
In that case, would his wave of energy be crimson, or perhaps the color of a Golden Flame?
There was no way to know for sure, but...
"Maybe red?"
When he said that, Licia let out a soft "Ah" of realization.
"If it’s red, it would be similar to the power the Sword Demon enshrouded his blade with."
"...On second thought, I think I'd prefer almost any color other than red for my own peace of mind."
"My, Ren, don't be like that."
Estelle had explained that the color of the energy produced by those Arts manifested as a reflection of the individual—their personality, their history, or the nature of their mana.
Ren couldn't simply order it to be a different color based on his mood, nor could he change it through willpower alone.
For now, he decided to leave it as something to look forward to when he finally reached the rank of Sword Saint.
"By the way, was that thing you used against the Sword Demon also an Art?"
"Uh, which one are you referring to?"
"The Flame Magic Sword... I think? Those flames you used with that blade. You used fire that had a power similar to Star-Cleaver, didn't you?"
Ren realized he hadn't actually shared the details of that until now. He began to explain the Art he had devised himself.
He spoke about how the flames unleashed by the Flame Magic Sword now possessed a destructive force similar to the Art: Star-Cleaver.
"I consider it an Art. While I was trying to remember the techniques Edgar-san showed me in the past, I somehow found myself able to produce flames that felt similar."
"...Is it really that easy to just invent your own original Art?"
"It’s probably impossible for most people," Ren thought, swallowing the words with a wry smile.
It was likely a technique he could only pull off because of the specific compatibility between the Flame Magic Sword's power and his own experiences.
"However, while I can use those Nameless Arts, generic ones like Star-Cleaver are actually harder to use with that sword."
"You mean only when you're using the Flame Magic Sword?"
"That’s how it feels."
It wasn't that he couldn't use Strong Sword techniques at all, but the Flame Magic Sword was selfish.
Perhaps because it was a Magic Sword born from Asval’s Mana Stone, it always tried to force him to rely on its specific flames.
Looking back, even when the Mithril Magic Sword was still an Iron Magic Sword, there had been slight differences in how effectively it channeled certain Arts. Furthermore, the mana consumption always felt a bit excessive with the generic techniques.
"I see. So, things like Star-Cleaver are easier to use with the Mithril Magic Sword then?"
"Exactly. Though, I suppose it’s actually a good thing that I can switch between them depending on the situation."
"Because you have different Arts for different Magic Swords?"
"That’s the idea."
He would use his Nameless Arts for the Flame Magic Sword and his standard techniques for the Mithril Magic Sword.
It was possible he might devise entirely new Arts for the Great Tree Magic Sword or others in the future, so he decided it was best to operate on the premise of assigning specific Arts to each sword.
Licia looked at Ren, her expression softening. "You know..."