That morning, Ren was adrift in a dream.
It was a scene that felt like a continuation of the vision he had glimpsed on his way home the day he had accepted Ragna’s emblem-bearing request. Perhaps because it was a dream, the world was pale and hazy, draped in a thin veil of mist.
"Finally... I found you."
Ren Ashton spoke those words in an unfamiliar town at night. He was standing before a girl walking across a massive bridge that spanned the heart of the city.
"You're..."
The girl turned around, her beauty striking. Her silver hair, shot through with streaks of black, swayed softly as she moved. She looked at Ren and let out a delighted little laugh. Despite this being their first meeting, she spoke as if she understood everything.
"Good evening, Ren Ashton."
She welcomed him warmly.
"You did well to find me."
"I’m not here for small talk. Just answer my questions."
"My, how cold."
The distance between the girl and Ren Ashton was about ten meils. It was a gap that hardly mattered; both of them were capable of closing it in the blink of an eye.
"But is this wise? If a wanted man like you walks around so boldly, you might just get caught."
"Maybe. But I needed to speak with you."
"Hmm. I see."
The girl seemed to be struck by a sudden thought.
"Rest assured. I’ll kill anyone who dares to interfere with our conversation."
Ren Ashton replied that he hadn't asked for such a thing, but the girl only laughed.
"Oh, that’s right. I really should introduce myself first."
"No need. I already know who you are."
"Don't be so cruel. I’ve finally decided to do it myself, so the least you could do is listen politely."
"......"
Like a refined young lady, the girl performed a graceful curtsy in the middle of the empty, midnight bridge. With a serene smile and perfectly measured movements, she began to speak.
"I am————"
At that moment, the world Ren saw blurred violently. The girl's voice dissolved into static before he could catch her name, and everything began to recede into the distance. Finally, a shock like a heavy blow to the back of his head forced his eyes open.
"——!?"
Ren jerked awake, soaked in a cold sweat.
Feeling a lingering sense of discomfort, he sat up in bed and checked the clock leaning against the wall. It was barely five in the morning, and the world outside was still dim. He pulled off his sweat-stained shirt and climbed out of bed, his limbs feeling strangely heavy—a weight that had nothing to do with sleepiness.
Ren stood before the painting of Cecil Ashton and the Blighted Princess.
"...Seriously, nothing but mysteries. Isn't that right, dear ancestor?"
Who was that girl? Why had the "Ren Ashton" in the dream gone to meet her? He couldn't shake the feeling that he had been shown something deeply significant.
It was past six by the time he finally managed to steady his nerves and leave his room. On his way to the dining hall, Licia appeared, approaching him with a light, rhythmic step. Perhaps because of the dream he’d just had, Ren couldn't help but smile with genuine relief at the sight of her.
"Licia."
"Ren, good mor—"
He reached out and took Licia’s hand, finally allowing his heart to settle. It was okay. The girl standing here was safe and sound.
"—ning...?"
Startled by his uncharacteristic behavior, Licia looked down at their joined hands. Yes, they were definitely holding hands.
Ren felt a wave of relief as her warmth seeped into his skin. Licia, meanwhile, stood in a daze, wondering if such a sudden stroke of fortune was even permitted so early in the day. She questioned if she was still dreaming, but when she gave her cheek a light pinch, the pinch of pain confirmed it was reality.
If she went back to sleep with this feeling in her heart, she was sure she’d have the best rest of her life.
An attendant passing nearby whispered in a voice too low for them to hear.
"Oh, my!"
The servant wore a look of pure delight.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
It was still morning, less than two hours after they had first woken up.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!"
Licia repeated herself for what felt like the tenth time because the Ren walking beside her refused to give a straight answer. They were on the Main Boulevard in Erendil, walking to school in their academy uniforms.
"...Yes?"
"Honestly, it takes you forever to respond today."
Ren gave an awkward, sheepish laugh. Licia looked up at him, still clutching her academy bag.
"Are you even listening?"
"Yeah. I hear you."
"Then tell me about this morning! Why did you grab my hand all of a sudden?"
"I told you, I was just half-asleep."
"...And do you do that to just anyone when you're half-asleep?"
Ren had never been around another woman so early in the morning, but she had to ask.
"Of course not."
Relieved, Licia stepped in front of Ren, forcing him to stop. He averted his eyes, looking away in another direction, so she moved into his line of sight again. Their little dance of circling each other brought amused smiles to the faces of the commoners passing by on the street.
The sensation of his hand was still burned into Licia's palm. Realizing she wouldn't get a real answer from the evasive Ren, she let her imagination wander. She wondered what people would think of her, daydreaming like this on the way to school, but she couldn't help but imagine how it would feel to walk this familiar path every day with their hands clasped just like that.
"............!"
Her cheeks flared a bright crimson, and she forced herself to stop thinking about it.
"Licia?"
"W-What is it!?"
"Nothing. You were just staring off into space."
"...Don't worry about it. It was just a passing thought."
Several citizens watched their youthful display with knowing grins.
The Sky Garden served as a massive transportation hub, and on its ground level, there were platforms for Magic Trains headed to various regions. This included the platform where the Gardiknight arrived on its route from the Imperial Capital to Eupeheim.
Ren and Licia headed for the platform where the train to the Imperial Capital stopped. It was far more crowded than the other areas, teeming with morning commuters. They stood together in a corner, waiting for the train that was due in a few minutes.
"...Yawn."
Ren let out a tired yawn. When Licia looked up at him, she noticed he still looked a bit drained.
"Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"I got my usual amount, but I had a pretty bad dream."
"A nightmare?"
"Hmm... it was more like a strange dream, I guess..."
It was a vague answer, but dreams were usually like that. Most of the time, they faded the moment you opened your eyes, so she didn't press him further. Instead, Licia reached out and pressed her index finger lightly against Ren’s elbow. She smiled with satisfaction as she sent a wave of soothing, comfortable warmth into him.
"Thank you. But using Sacred Magic just because of a bad dream feels a bit excessive."
"It’s fine, isn't it? I’m free to use my power however I see fit."
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
They spent the time before morning homeroom relaxing in their classroom before moving to a different room for their first period.
"Ren, you okay?"
Vane, clutching a bundle of herbs, called out to him during the first lesson of the day. Herbology Class continued into the second year, though it was held in a specialized lab. Unlike their regular classroom, they were constantly on their feet, moving between their desks and the supply shelves to process various plants.
Ren had been staring at his own reflection in the glass of a cabinet, but he turned around when he heard Vane’s voice.
"Sorry. I was just lost in thought."
He was primarily thinking about the Demon King Cult's movements—specifically why they were so desperate to get their hands on the Ring of the Water Goddess. He was also weighing the actions of the Priest and various other factors. Between that and the dream he’d had that morning, he was more distracted than usual.
"So you're not feeling sick or anything?"
"I'm fine, really. Now then, let's see..."
Ren gathered the herbs and tools specified by the Herbology Teacher and returned to his station. Licia was at the desk next to him, with Sera and Vane on the opposite side. Nemu stood positioned between the four of them.
"I understand that Herbology continues to be a thorn in your sides now that you've entered your second year. However, I expect you to apply yourselves again this term. Now, please turn to page fifty-six of your textbooks."
As the teacher turned to the blackboard to begin writing, Licia leaned in to whisper to Ren.
"Like I said this morning, don't push yourself if you're tired."
They were close enough that the other male students nearby shot Ren envious looks.
"I'll be okay. I'm just at a sensitive age, you know—no, I'm kidding. It really was just a bad dream."
"Honestly... stop making such weird jokes."
Licia gave him a flat look, so he retracted the clumsy attempt at humor.
The teacher soon gave the order to begin, and the students started their herbal preparations. The atmosphere was relatively informal, and the teacher didn't mind the students chatting as they worked; he cared only about the final results.
Ren set to work alongside his classmates. He and Licia worked together to trim and crush the herbs before placing them into the distillation still to observe the process.
"Hey! Vane, not that one!"
"Sorry, sorry!"
"Um, Sera-chan, you're making a mistake over there too."
"No way!?"
Watching his friends bicker and scramble across from him, Ren shared a laugh with Licia. Their own work was proceeding smoothly, and once they reached the stage where they just had to wait for the distillation to finish, they were able to pause.
Licia watched Sera’s group along with Ren.
"Ugh... so you're going to be my enemy again this year, Herbology!"
"Sera, you don't have to grit your teeth that hard."
"No, Licia! This subject is my natural enemy! If I let my guard down for even a second, it'll strike me down!"
As if on cue, thick black smoke began to billow from Sera’s distillation still. She scrambled to put out the burner and realized she’d have to start over from the beginning. Sera stared up at the ceiling in silence, the light seemingly drained from her eyes.
"As expected of Sera-chan! You never disappoint!"
"...It’s fine. I still have plenty of time."
It wasn't that Sera and the others were actually failing Herbology; they just had a deep-seated aversion to it. The experiments were particularly difficult, and failure was common. Since these practice runs didn't affect their final grades, it was probably better for her to get the failures out of her system now.
On their second attempt, Sera and Vane seemed to find their rhythm. They progressed more smoothly and successfully added the ingredients to the still without any smoke this time. Relieved, both of them wiped a thin layer of sweat from their brows.
As the experiment continued, the conversation turned to other topics.
"The Imperial Castle Conference is coming up soon," Sera remarked, as if suddenly remembering.
It was an event that had come up when Ren had spoken with Charlotte and the others recently. It was a vital opportunity where the majority of the Leomelian nobility gathered in the capital to deliberate on policy and share information.
In The Legend of the Seven Heroes, Vane had used his power during the battle with Ulysses Ignat and later confirmed it in Windea. As a result, he was set to give a formal greeting before the assembled nobles as the Descendant of Hero Ruin. The timeline was now moving toward the climax of Chapter One of The Legend of the Seven Heroes II: Bloodline of the Hero.
At the mention of the conference, Vane’s expression turned tense.
"Hey, Vane."
"Yeah... it’s almost here..."
His voice was heavy with a sigh.
In the original game, Ren Ashton—being in the General Class—wasn't even present for this scene. Instead, the other four would have been the ones talking. But now, Ren was right here, part of the group.
"You're nervous, aren't you? I heard you were attending. Are you going to be giving a speech in front of all those adults?"
"H-How did you know!?"
"Just a hunch. You look like you're about to face a final boss."
"Yeah... you nailed it, Ren. I’m not exactly a public speaker, and now I have to talk in front of a room full of the most powerful nobles in the empire."
He wanted to make his voice heard as the Descendant of Hero Ruin. This wasn't just a push from the Archduke Families; there were several people in both the Neutral and Imperial Factions who were eager to hear what he had to say.
Vane was clearly terrified, but he had accepted the request without hesitation when it was first proposed. Seeing his friend preparing to step onto the world stage filled Ren with a sense of pride.
Deciding not to dwell on the pressure, Ren shifted the topic slightly.
"I’ve heard the Demon King Cult is getting active again. You guys should stay on your toes."
"You knew about that too? Don't worry, though. If they try anything, we're ready to fight."
"That's right," Sera added. "We don't plan on sitting back and doing nothing."
Finally, Nemu spoke up.
"The Archduke Families have been fighting for Leomel since the war with the Demon King ended. Nemu and the others won't be any different."
It was practically an ancestral duty. The title of Heroic Archduke had been created to honor the Seven Heroes, and being a bastion of courage was their core identity. In a nation like Leomel, where many nobles were career soldiers, they weren't the type to hide in safety while others fought. The public, in turn, looked to Vane and his friends as a source of hope against the threat of the Cult.
...Vane and the others would be fine.
The Cult’s recent activity was one thing, but Ren also realized that the conclusion of this particular story arc was drawing near.
The Legend of the Seven Heroes II: Chapter One: Bloodline of the Hero.
Ren mentally mapped out the events he knew were coming. At the same time, the memory of that strange dream and the conversation with the silver-haired girl flashed through his mind. The scene on that bridge refused to leave him.
A few minutes later, the bell rang to signal the end of the period.
"My, it seems we're out of time for today. Everyone, clean up your stations before you head out," the middle-aged teacher announced.
The students began to tidy up and leave the room, their voices more excited than usual. Ren and Licia spoke while packing their notebooks. Ren saw Vane about to head out with Sera and called out to him.
"Hey."
"Yeah? What is it, Ren?"
"About the Cult. If those guys decide to pull something, they might strike anywhere in Leomel."
"I know. We've been thinking about that constantly."
"...So, listen————"
It was a piece of advice. Ren offered a few pointed words of warning, ensuring they would stick in Vane’s mind so that he wouldn't lose his way when the time came.
Once they finished talking, Vane and Sera left the classroom. Ren and Licia were the last ones left.
"What are we doing this afternoon?"
"Well, classes are over at noon today."
That was the reason for all the excitement among the students. Due to a faculty meeting, there were no afternoon classes for any grade level. Usually, they would have headed straight to the Lion Sanctum, but as they were weighing their options, a voice called out to them.
"Ren-kun! Licia-chan!"
Chronoa poked her head through the classroom door. The two of them walked over to see what she wanted. It turned out she had a favor to ask. She was looking for something in a storage warehouse on the edge of the campus and wanted some help with the search.
"I’ve already asked Fiona-chan, but I was hoping I could borrow your help too..."
There was no way they could refuse a request from Chronoa. Ren and Licia shared a brief look and nodded in unison.
"Of course. We'd be happy to."