While searching the grounds, Vane spotted a friend from the Special Merit Class and called out to him. The student considered the question for a moment before answering.
"Come to think of it, I believe he was walking with Clausel-san and the others right after the graduation ceremony ended. Looked like they were headed toward the back garden."
"I see! Thanks!"
"Whoa, hey! What's the rush?"
"Sorry! I have to hear about what happened this winter for myself!"
Vane immediately regrouped with Sera and sprinted toward the garden. Along the way, Nemu, Kaito-senpai, and Charlotte joined them.
It wasn't that they strictly needed to speak with him today, but the curiosity was killing them. They were desperate for the truth—rumor had it that Ren had single-handedly slain a monster that they had only barely managed to drive off through their combined efforts. They had to hear the story from the source as soon as possible.
"Hey, Vane! You didn't get a chance to catch Ashton this morning?"
"As you know, Kaito-senpai, the current students were scheduled to go straight to the Great Auditorium! And Ren and the others vanished the moment the graduates finished their procession!"
"Nemu has a hunch! I bet he went to see off Upperclassman Archayse!"
"That sounds about right! I was thinking the same thing!"
The exchange between Nemu and Charlotte was likely the correct answer. Vane squinted instinctively against the sharp sunlight streaming through the windows. He realized his heart was thumping loudly in his chest and smiled, amused by his own eagerness to hear Ren's account.
Without breaking his stride, he burst out of the school building and ran down the path leading to the back garden. His sprint eventually slowed to a brisk walk, then finally to a measured stroll.
Just before the path lined with hedges, he found Ren sitting on the edge of a fountain.
"Ren!"
"Oh? Vane? It's been a while. What's the emergency?"
"Well, I just really wanted to talk to you...!"
Ren stood up from the fountain's edge.
Until recently, Ren and Vane had been almost exactly the same height. However, perhaps due to a recent growth spurt, Ren stood a fraction taller now, his eye level just slightly above Vane's. It was a subtle change, the kind of difference one might miss unless they were looking for it.
"...But I don't even know where to start."
"What's wrong? Just take a breath and calm down."
"Right, yeah! This winter was intense, wasn't it? I wanted to ask you all about it...!"
The wry smile on Ren's refined features was charming, yet Vane felt something else beneath the surface—a power that appealed to his very instincts.
Ren, answering simply, looked toward Kaito while waiting for Vane to compose himself.
"I heard things were difficult for you as well, Kaito-senpai. Getting ambushed by the Apostle of the Giant God, Wadatsumi before you even reached the magic ship dock."
"Yeah, we had our hands full. While we were flying on the magic ship, a swarm of Forest-Eaters and all sorts of other things came at us out of nowhere."
"I'd heard the rumors, but hearing it from you makes it sound even more dangerous."
"What are you talking about! Things must have been way more insane on your end, Ashton! Besides, you're... well, you know."
It had been written in the newspapers, and it had certainly been picked up by the information networks of the Heroic Archduke families. The story that the Strong Sword user Ren Ashton had reached the rank of Sword Saint and been awarded the Holy Grimdall Sword Medal by the Lion Sanctum was an undeniable fact.
Without mincing words, Vane looked Ren directly in the eye.
"Ren, is it... is it really true?"
His voice carried the weight of the winter's events—most notably, the claim that Ren had single-handedly defeated the Apostle of the Giant God, Wadatsumi. His tone was full of conviction; he already seemed to know the answer.
Ren gave a quiet nod and then spoke.
"I've just been doing my best, the same as always."
He didn't explicitly confirm that he had slain the Apostle of the Giant God, Wadatsumi alone. There was no rule saying he couldn't, but it wasn't in Ren's nature to boast about his feats.
His words were everything. He had swung his sword with all his might, and this was simply the result.
"Is it that time already?"
Ren checked his wristwatch, glancing at Vane and the others who had fallen silent.
"Sorry. I know you just got here, but I have an appointment to get to."
The Executive Committee for the Lion King Grand Festival had organized a small celebration for Mirei's graduation. It was time for him to regroup with Licia and the others.
"Let's have a proper talk next time. I heard you did some amazing things too, Vane, so I've been looking forward to hearing your story."
Ren stood up and walked back down the path Vane and the others had just used to find him.
Even after he disappeared from sight, Vane and his group continued to stare in that direction. Sera was the first to move, walking up beside Vane to give him a playful poke in the ribs. Nemu stepped forward, her thin legs peeking out from beneath the hem of her oversized hoodie.
As Kaito boisterously pulled Vane into a one-armed hug and laughed, Charlotte pushed Kaito away and wrapped her own arms around Vane's neck instead.
"Ah! Hey, Sharo!"
"There, there. No complaining allowed. You'd much prefer an older girl like me anyway, wouldn't you, Vane-kun?"
"Sharo! Stop saying weird things and let him go!"
"Ahahaha! Sharo's getting scolded by Sera-chan again!"
This was the boisterous daily life Vane knew—an afternoon spent with his closest friends.
"...I'm going to get stronger, too."
So that one day, he could finally catch up to and surpass Ren. Thinking of his friend, the descendant of Hero Ruin whispered the vow to the empty air.
Above him, the sky was a perfect, cloudless blue.
The time until the entrance ceremony passed in a flash; only a few short weeks remained. During this season, the district in the Imperial Capital where the various academies stood was crowded with people daily as the schools welcomed their new classes.
The Imperial Academy had also just admitted many promising new students. However, within a week of the entrance ceremony, the school had already settled back into its usual rhythm. While the days still felt fresh to the freshmen, the upperclassmen were already focused on the upcoming seasonal exams.
The only real changes were the absence of the fourth-year students who had graduated and the fact that everyone else had been promoted to their next grade.
It was business as usual, and yet—
"...Hey, Ashton."
"Yes, yes, what is it?"
Down on the first floor near the lockers, Ren—now a second-year—was being addressed by Kaito, who had just entered his third year. Both had just arrived at the school building after Ren stopped by the library.
The two chatted as they walked toward the stairs.
"Doesn't it feel like... something is lacking?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
They let their conversation drift while heading toward their classrooms.
"I mean, first there was the graduation ceremony, right? And then the entrance ceremony right after that."
"That's how it usually goes."
"During this time of year, it's not just the academy—there were a ridiculous number of parties, too, weren't there?"
"There were."
Ren had attended several himself alongside Licia. Most of the nobles who approached them were seeking a connection with Viscount Lezard Clausel, whose influence was growing by the year, but some were clearly after Ren himself.
However, Ren and Lezard had managed to deflect them, and the presence of a certain strong-armed man had helped as well. Ulysses's silhouette was so imposing that some visitors likely thought they were looking at a demon.
But Kaito had something else on his mind.
"I like it when things are lively. Especially from last spring to summer—that was the best."
"The Lion King Grand Festival was certainly memorable. Though I suspect that was a special case."
"Well, yeah, you can't compare it to a festival that only happens every few years. But look, once that exciting spring month is over, it's already back to the same old thing, isn't it?"
"Even after moving up a grade, the atmosphere in the classroom doesn't change much."
"Exactly! Unlike the general classes, the Special Merit Class doesn't even have its seats rearranged. It's convenient, but it lacks excitement."
As Kaito said, the atmosphere in the Special Merit Class didn't feel particularly new. They had new lessons starting and specialized curriculum for each grade, so it wasn't completely devoid of freshness, but compared to the winter they'd had, everything felt a bit too quiet.
...Even if some of that "excitement" had been the kind they'd rather avoid.
"Considering how much happened this winter, maybe this is for the best. Peace is a good thing."
"I know that... I'm just saying I want a peaceful kind of excitement."
Kaito spoke weakly and leaned his weight against the wall. Ren noticed the voices of nearby students and saw several of them laughing as they watched. The sight of two male students leaning in such an unbalanced way must have been amusing.
Kaito started walking again, though his steps were entirely devoid of energy.
"We had a pop quiz right away yesterday, too."
"Ah... so that's why you're especially drained today."
"Can you tell? My grades are getting better, but I've still got a long way to go."
"So that's it. By the way, everyone was laughing at your lethargic walk just now."
"Eh... don't worry about it. My father and the others aren't here to see it."
Ren gave a wry smile as they reached the stairs.
"If you're fine with it, Kaito-senpai, then I suppose it's okay."
They stopped on the wide landing. It was large enough that Ren's room at the manor back in the village could have fit inside it with room to spare. Kaito stopped in front of a large window, basking in the sunlight and stretching his arms wide as he caught the spring breeze.
"Alright! Well then, I'll do my best today too—"
The moment Kaito turned around from the window.
"Bebura!?"
A girl's voice cried out.
Beside Ren, who heard the strange, yelping scream, Kaito hurriedly apologized.
"I'm so sorry!"
"K-Kuuu...!"
Standing there was a girl clutching her nose, glaring at Kaito with teary eyes. She wore an oversized blue robe decorated with gold thread and was clutching a wide-brimmed witch's hat to her chest.
(Wait, this girl...)
She was of average height and slender build. Her features were perfectly proportioned; anyone who saw her would find her adorable. Her milk-tea hair was shot through with streaks of cherry-blossom pink, and it fell to her shoulders.
"Wait, Lizred!? Why were you standing right behind me!?"
Ren recognized her.