Night had fallen completely.
The magic ship Lemuria had been circling the nearby airspace, waiting for the battle to end. Once the conclusion of the conflict was confirmed, the ship descended toward the temple plaza.
Ren, perched atop the rubble, watched the ship’s arrival out of the corner of his eye while observing the Lion Sanctum Knights as they secured the area.
The Lemuria touched down in a corner of the square, and Verrich stepped out.
"Damn... I felt some incredible pressure from a distance, but I didn't think it’d be this bad."
The dwarf made his way toward Ren, glancing briefly at Vane’s group as they spoke with the knights along the path.
"Hey, Ren! You actually pulled it off!"
"...I suppose so."
"What’s with that face? You won, didn't you? You're looking pretty gloomy for a victor."
"Well... a lot happened."
Despite his words, Ren was glad he had come and glad he had won. He still kept one arm hanging limply at his side.
"Are you hurt?"
"He was a formidable opponent. I didn't exactly expect to come out unscathed."
"It's enough that you're alive. That's what matters."
"I feel the same way."
"Still, you should at least get some first aid. You should have that boy from the Archduke family... Meldeg, was it? Have him do something for you."
"He already did. But... it's still in this state."
Squal had been quite exhausted himself and was still in the middle of his training. Vane was there as well, but it hadn't been long since he started using the Power of the Hero, and his essence was better suited for combat than healing.
Verrich nodded, seemingly understanding Ren's vague attitude.
"Anyway, sounds like this was one hell of a large-scale operation. I was surprised to see even the knights of the Lion Sanctum being deployed."
When Vane and the others had first arrived, Orphide had been vague about his preparations. However, elite knights had indeed been dispatched to Windea as a precaution. While taking on Orphide might have been beyond them, they could easily handle the common Demon King Cultists. They had been positioned to rush in as reinforcements for Vane's party if the need arose.
Handling the fallen Orphide was now the responsibility of the knights. Since they would take care of everything else, Ren's work here was finished.
Though he hadn't been able to ask about that girl until the very end, he had learned something from Orphide's reaction. Perhaps that alone made the effort worthwhile. There had undoubtedly been many reasons why Ren's participation in this battle was significant.
"Ready to head back?"
"————"
"Ren?"
When Ren, lost in thought, was slow to react, Verrich waved a hand in front of his face.
"Ah, sorry."
"Don't sweat it. You look dead on your feet."
Normally, Verrich would have poked Ren in the ribs, but he refrained, sensing that would be poor form given the circumstances. Seeing that Ren was still with him, Verrich gave a broad grin.
"Can you walk on your own?"
"I'm fine. But if I let my guard down, I might fall asleep."
"Then go sleep inside the Lemuria."
"...I'll do that."
A Lion Sanctum Knight noticed Ren standing up and approached him.
"Master Ren, please leave the rest to us."
"Sorry. Thank you."
Ren's uniform was in tatters, and he showed a level of weariness never seen during their usual training. The knight looked upon the boy with immense pride. After saying his goodbyes to Vane and the others, Ren immediately boarded the Lemuria.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult for the ship to reach this altitude, but today Orphide's influence on the surrounding mana had changed the atmospheric conditions. Furthermore, the Lemuria possessed high base performance, so if Verrich was determined, he could bring it to this height. The limitations back in early spring had primarily been because the ship had only just been repaired.
Once inside, Ren didn't head to the living quarters but went straight to the bridge. As he sat on a large sofa in the corner, Verrich gave a wry smile.
"Go rest in a room."
"I'll rest here, just in case something happens."
"Hey now... usually when people say that, something actually happens."
"I didn't mean it like that. It's just... a matter of how I feel."
For some reason, he simply wanted to rest here. Seeing that Ren wasn't just being polite, Verrich shrugged.
"Do as you like. Call me if you need anything."
Shortly after, the Lemuria's furnace roared to life. As the ship took to the sky, it gradually moved away from Windea.
That was the last thing Ren remembered before losing consciousness.
Verrich, at the helm, looked back at the sofa and saw Ren asleep. The boy had rested his head on the cushion of the armrest and stretched out his legs. A large lap blanket covered his body. Verrich made an effort to pilot the ship even more gently than usual.
Several hours later.
When Ren woke up, he was still on the bridge. The difference was that they had already arrived at the Sky Garden in Erendil.
As he lay on the sofa, he felt much more sluggish than he had before falling asleep, likely due to the time that had passed since the battle. He let out a long yawn. Just as he tried to sit up—
"No. Stay lying down."
"You mustn't push yourself yet."
Voices came from right in front of the sofa.
"...Why are you two here?"
It was Licia and Fiona. Both were still in their uniforms, which were slightly dirty, though not nearly as much as Ren's.
Ren realized that his injured arm was being held by both of them. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but black and white mana were emanating from their hands.
"Hehe, he looks like he wants an explanation."
"Of course I do. How did this situation come about?"
Upon seeing the Lemuria return, the two had made their way here from the city. It was already late at night, but they had been busy fulfilling their duties as nobles, gathering information and dealing with enemies several times throughout the day.
"Enemies?" Ren asked, startled.
"The same kind of people who were outside the train. They appeared on the highway outside Erendil, so Lady Fiona and I went to deal with them."
"Wh-Why would you do something so dangerous—!"
"Honestly... are you really the one to say that, Ren?"
"Well, I'm the son of a knight!"
He wondered how the two of them had been permitted to fight, but then he remembered that Chronoa had come to Erendil from the Imperial Capital. With Chronoa by their side, the two had felt they couldn't just sit still and had headed out to the highway together. In fact, it was probably safer to be by Chronoa's side than anywhere else in the city. Ren finally understood why their uniforms were a bit soiled.
As he tried to ask for more details, Licia cut him off. "Later."
"Promise?" Ren said, insisting on hearing the full story. Then he looked at his own arm. "Wait..."
He noticed a change in the state of his limb.
"Good. It seems to have worked."
Ren's arm, which had been turned dark and bruised by the influence of Orphide's power, was gradually regaining its natural color.
What Fiona had done was apply the power of the Black Priestess. Thinking she might be able to remove the Demon King Cult's influence, she had clasped Ren's hand with both of hers and focused intensely. However, the damage that had reached down to the muscle fibers remained, as did the pain.
Licia confidently said, "Leave it to me," and began using Holy Magic. If Ren hadn't been injured, Licia likely would have pouted and tried to compete with Fiona. But this was not the time for such things; instead, she felt relieved that the Black Priestess's power had been effective.
The wounds deep within Ren's arm were also being slowly healed.
"How is it? Does it feel even a little better?"
"No, well..."
It was certainly healing, but there was still a long way to go. Ren wasn't sure when it had started, but he found he no longer felt ashamed to show his weakness to these two. It was something that had happened unconsciously.
While still lying down, he looked at the two radiant girls kneeling on the floor before the sofa.
"————It still hurts incredibly much," he said in a voice more weakened than usual.
They immediately responded with gentle, encompassing smiles, offering him their comfort.
Two days later.
Even before the rainy season, there had been many hot days lately. Today was no exception, and many students had changed into their summer uniforms. Just as Ren had rolled up his shirt sleeves several times, so had Radius.
The Imperial Capital had regained its daily routine faster than the three of them had expected, and regular classes at the academy were set to resume today. Before the morning classes began, the two were on the rooftop.
"We can finally talk calmly."
Since they had both been busy with the aftermath, this was their first meeting since the incident at Windea.
"You were a great help with the Orphide matter."
"It's fine. It was for my sake as well."
"For your sake?"
"Ah... how should I put it? It was to protect my place in the world."
"I see. That makes sense."
When Ren obscured the truth about his dreams with those words, Radius nodded without suspicion. Ren was planning to share the name of the girl he saw in his dreams with Radius and Ulysses in the near future. He could simply claim he had heard it from Orphide. As long as it wasn't about the Legend of the Seven Heroes, there was no problem in telling them.
"The operation was successfully completed. The priest Orphide possessed power beyond our expectations, but as I said, thanks to Ren's assistance, everything ended safely."
"So, things have completely settled down?"
"Indeed. Now we are at the stage of considering where they might appear next."
"Got it. That's good to hear."
In terms of the Legend of the Seven Heroes II, that part of the story had reached a conclusion.
He discussed several other things with Radius. Though it had only been a few days of busyness, it felt as though they hadn't spoken for months. That was how dense those days had been. Furthermore, through the battle with Orphide, his Magic Sword Summoning Arts had been strengthened.
Level 7: Able to summon three magic swords simultaneously.
He wondered if he would ever have the chance to summon three swords at once. He could summon them and carry them at his waist, but if he did, he should probably order a specialized sheath from Verrich.
"By the way, Ren, you finally showed off your power."
"Showed off? It wasn't like that. It was just the right timing."
"Is that so?"
"That's all it was. It's not something worth making a fuss about."
"The people from the Lion Sanctum laughingly told me that you've demonstrated the worth of 'our boy.'"
"...Who said that?"
"Chief Estelle."
Ren gave a wry smile, thinking that she always said the strangest things.
"Well, take it easy for a while."
"That's the plan. I'll probably just go to the Lion Sanctum to swing my sword."
"I'm not sure if that counts as 'taking it easy,' but if you're fine with it, so be it. Just keep in mind that Ragna might call for you suddenly."
With that, Radius pulled a letter from his breast pocket.
"For me?"
"Not from me, but from Ragna."
Hearing that a letter had arrived from that researcher at this time, Ren could guess the contents. He opened the letter in front of Radius.
The key is fixed. I will contact you again soon.
Only that single sentence was written in the middle of the paper. Sending a letter just to convey a few words was very much like Ragna. Ren tucked the letter into his pocket.
"It was a short message, wasn't it?"
"How did you know?"
"I've known Ragna for a long time. A few years ago... I forget the details, but I sent him a letter asking him to do some work, and his reply was just two characters: 'No.'"
"...Yeah, that sounds like him."
As they spoke, Ren looked back on the events since the beginning of spring.
First, he had gone to the Garden of Swords and met Sword King Lutreche. After she suggested he look into Emblem-bearing requests, he had headed to Windea with Ragna. The goal was to find the hideout of the Legendary Bard Muedi. By repairing the key found at the Jeno Orphanage in the old city of Eupeheim, they hoped to obtain information about Cecil Ashton and the director of the orphanage.
It was supposed to be just that, yet it felt as though he had lived through incredibly dense days this spring as well.
"Well, I should be going. I have to speak with Mirei."
"Alright. Me too."
Ren left the rooftop and separated from Radius, heading toward a corner of the hallway. He said, "Sorry to keep you waiting," to Licia and Fiona, who were waiting for him, and continued their conversation.
"It feels strange for classes to be held as usual right after all that happened."
"Really? I think it's normal."
"The incident ended right then and there. Besides, there might be more nobles who would get angry if classes were canceled. After all... the time we have here is limited."
Precisely because it was a prestigious school famous both domestically and abroad.
"I suppose you're right," Ren agreed.
There was still time before the first class started. As the three walked down the hallway, thinking of killing time with some tea in the cafeteria—
"Clausel! You were amazing the other day!"
"Yes, thank you."
A passing student said to her.
"Lady Fiona, I heard. I'm told you drove away the Demon King Cultists with brilliant magic."
"Thank you, Professor."
A passing teacher said.
These comments referred to when they had gotten off the magic train to fight. Since there were students who had witnessed Licia and Fiona using their power and teachers who had heard the reports, the two of them were occasionally approached. Ren, on the other hand, was not. Even after getting off the train, he hadn't fought, as Licia and Fiona had neutralized the cultists. In fact, few people even knew he had been with them. The Orphide incident had not been made public. Given the nature of the event and the opponent, the information was still being carefully managed.
"Hey, Ren, is your arm okay now?" Licia asked.
"You seemed to be in pain until yesterday. Are you alright?" Fiona added.
Ren's arm had finally begun to move as it used to this morning. Thanks to Licia and Fiona's help, it had recovered at an impossible speed. Fiona, who lived in the girls' dormitory, had even visited him in Erendil early yesterday morning out of concern.
"I'm fine now. It's thanks to both of you."
Hearing his reply, they both looked relieved. The three of them descending the stairs felt a pleasant breeze coming through the window on the landing and stopped for a moment. As they did, Licia brought up a piece of information that was still causing ripples.
"...By the way, I wonder what happened in the Great Forest."
In the Great Forest where Estelle had headed, there was the habitat of the Black Emperor Horn Behemoth. It was a powerful monster that required the deployment of someone of her caliber. Because Demon King Cult mana had been detected in the Great Forest, the area had been investigated as a precaution.
"Lady Estelle said it, didn't she? That the Black Emperor Horn Behemoth was hiding deep in its lair and wouldn't come out."
"She mentioned it seemed to be frightened of something."
Ren was also concerned about that, but there was no way to confirm it now. What had happened in the depths of the forest? What was the Behemoth afraid of? Investigations were still ongoing in the area, but Estelle, who had returned to the capital, had said yesterday:
"I'll continue the investigation just in case, but I don't expect much in the way of useful information."
Based on her experience in the military, that was her assessment. When Ren heard this from Estelle, he thought of a certain presence. The girl he had seen in his dream, the one Orphide had reacted to.
The Black Emperor Horn Behemoth was afraid of something. He wondered if that girl was somehow related to it. She was someone who undoubtedly knew a great deal—someone Ren desperately wanted to question. A mysterious girl who knew who Ren Ashton was a mastermind for, and many other things Ren needed to know.
As he thought about her while walking down the hallway after descending the stairs—
The seven descendants of the Seven Heroes, led by Vane, appeared from ahead. Since the battle was so recent, the seven of them had likely been discussing something. When they came face to face, Vane left the other six and ran toward Ren. The two girls by Ren's side stepped back to give them space.
"Ren! Is your arm okay now?"
"Yeah. Thanks to those two."
Licia and Fiona smiled behind Ren as he gave a shy grin.
"...Ah, I'm so glad."
"I'm sure it was hard for you too, Vane. Are you all okay?"
"Haha. We're doing alright, I guess."
They had been healing their bodies with potions and healing magic, but their exhaustion had not yet fully vanished. That was likely because the battle that night had been a true struggle to the death. Vane, Sera, and Kaito, who had served as the frontline, were still suffering from muscle pain.
Changing the subject, Ren said, "Upperclassman Rofelia, I heard your ancestor's bow was found. Congratulations."
"Thank you. Like I said that night, it's thanks to you, Ashton."
"Not at all. I just asked for the stairs to be investigated because I was curious."
With this, the number of items known as Hero Equipment had reached two. There were signs that the Hero Faction would become even more active, but as Radius said, considering the people, that wasn't a bad thing.
"...I wonder if we'll find our ancestors' weapons too," Vane said, looking out at something far beyond the window.
"I'm sure you will," Ren replied.
Hearing his voice, Vane looked back from the window and flashed a bright smile at Ren.
"It's strange. When you say it, Ren, I feel like it really will happen."
The conversation ended, and the three and the seven passed each other. As Ren's group began to walk away, Vane called out, "Wait!"
The three stopped and turned around.
"Thank you so much for the other day!"
"I told you, it's fine. You already said it at Windea."
Leaving them with a smile, Ren walked away toward the end of the hallway with Licia and Fiona.
After seeing them off, a certain phrase came to Kaito's mind. It was something Sera had told him around this time last year.
"What I'm trying to say is... if you underestimate Ren Ashton, your Greatshield might just get shattered."
For some reason, the words she had spoken shortly after Ren's enrollment came back to him. At the time, Kaito had dismissed it as nonsense, but after witnessing the battle at Windea, his thoughts were different. If... that strength of Ren's were ever directed at him. He intentionally avoided thinking about it too clearly, yet the thought persisted. But there was no reason to fight Ren. At the very least, he couldn't imagine a situation where that would happen now. The same applied to Licia and Fiona.
"............"
"Upperclassman Kaito? What's wrong?" Vane asked Kaito, who was staring at the backs of Ren's group.
Without much delay, Kaito replied, "No! It's nothing!" and forced a smile to change the mood.
Before summer began, there were exams. Unlike the exams Fiona had taken as a final-year student, these were the midterm exams taken by all years. Even though it was shortly after the incident, studies were still studies. They hadn't been able to focus much on their schoolwork lately due to being busy, but that didn't mean they wanted their grades to drop.
Ren, Licia, and Fiona didn't go home even after school ended; instead, they visited several bookstores in the Imperial Capital. The reference books they purchased were tucked away in the paper bags they carried.
The Imperial Capital that day was extremely crowded, as people who had refrained from going out during the recent disturbance had suddenly poured into the streets. While not quite as busy as during the Lion King Grand Festival, it was more crowded than usual. It felt as though one might get lost if they let their guard down. Ren was careful to prevent that, but in the dense crowd, Licia and Fiona's hands brushed against each other, and before they knew it, they were holding hands.
The two looked at each other and gave wry smiles.
"Is this alliance okay for now?"
"Yes. It seems for the best."
It was not their intention to get separated and cause trouble for Ren, so they would stay like this until the crowd thinned out. When Ren saw them, he was surprised to find them holding hands.
"Sorry. If I were a girl, I could have done it without hesitation."
While they felt like telling him not to hesitate now of all times, the sentiment was too bold to voice, so they swallowed their words.
"...Don't worry about it."
"...We're fine like this."
The two rivals put on a brave front, despite the bittersweet feeling.
The three of them watched a carriage from the Imperial Capital Grand Temple pass by. Since it belonged to the Elfen Church, Licia's expression almost tightened, but it didn't. Likely because most of her awareness was focused on the fact that she was holding hands with Fiona.
As they approached the district where the academies were lined up, the crowd gradually thinned out. Licia and Fiona let go of each other's hands and began walking. They walked ahead of Ren, talking about various things—the Great Forest, small matters related to academy life, and even the topic of renting a training ground for a sparring match.
"I won't lose next time."
"No, I will be the one to win next time."
Ren thought to himself that the day Licia would become a Sword Saint was likely not far off. Having become a Sword Saint himself a step ahead of her, he had things to consider.
(I wonder what the trigger for Licia to become a Sword Saint will be.)
Remembering his own intense struggles, he thought she might also have a difficult time. She had been at the master swordsman class for a long time now. Although "a long time" generally meant several years—or even over a decade for some—to raise one's rank by one, it was common for it to take a considerable amount of time to go from swordmaster to sword saint. One could argue that Licia was actually too fast, but that could be explained simply by the fact that she was Licia.
Alongside Fiona, who had shown powerful magic outside the magic train the other day, these two never neglected their efforts. Hearing them sharpen each other's resolve made Ren feel that he couldn't afford to lose either.
And one more thing. Even more important than becoming strong was not forgetting about that tragedy. The reason he had decided to go fight Orphide.
"Can't you tell? I just killed her."
Why had the White Saint Licia and Ren Ashton ended up like that? The answer would likely be revealed before long.
"But I wonder who you were a mastermind for. You, who were at the center of such an incident, might be seen as the mastermind by Leomel. The same goes for the Elfen Church. And to the Demon King Cult, you're the enemy protecting the descendants of the Seven Heroes. To the cultists who were cut down as if they were being lured into it, you must seem like the mastermind of that plot. I wonder what your true position is."
Who was Ren Ashton an enemy to? The Demon King Cult? Leomel? Or the Elfen Church? Perhaps calling him an enemy of the world was going too far, but... He had to find her. She undoubtedly knew the reason behind that tragedy. While it might seem contradictory for her to know the reason even before the tragedy occurred in this world line, someone of her caliber might know something beyond that.
He still didn't understand what she was trying to say, but he was certainly getting closer. He felt as though he was slowly beginning to understand what had happened in that world line.
"...Phew."
Walking behind the girls, Ren sighed and whispered almost unconsciously, "I wonder where she is."
Suddenly, the two walking ahead of him stopped dead in their tracks.
They couldn't just let that slide. While they didn't think the word "she" necessarily implied a romantic relationship, they were nonetheless curious about the identity of the "she" Ren was referring to and slowly turned around.
"Oh? Is something wrong?"
However, they felt it would be unrefined—even for someone in love—to make a scene and demand "Who is she?" when they weren't even dating. Licia and Fiona, while flustered, asked tentatively in unison:
"Wh-Who are you looking for...?"
"Wh-Who is the person you're looking for...?"
Ren felt that explaining it now would be too casual, and it would be better to discuss it properly in a different setting.
"It's related to the Demon King Cult, so I'll explain it properly later."
Hearing that, they nodded solemnly, feeling satisfied for now.
Not quite ready to head home just yet, the three of them stepped into a nearby park. Licia and Fiona sat on a bench while Ren stood beside them. They had bought cold drinks from a stall along the way and looked up at the sky with drinks in hand.
Fiona said with excitement in her voice, "Look! The stars are so beautiful today!"
The starlit sky wasn't quite as brilliant as what Ren had seen at Windea, but it was close. Countless grains of light, so large they felt as if they could be grasped by hand, decorated the jet-black sky. A peaceful time spent together as three. After the recent disturbance, they finally felt their hearts find some rest in this moment.
After watching the stars for a few minutes, Licia made a suggestion.
"Hey, Ren, why don't we train together next time?"
"You mean at the Lion Sanctum?"
"No. Like I did at the training ground before, with Lady Fiona. All three of us this time."
Ren thought that was a great idea. It would be a good opportunity for him as well, as he aimed to become a Sword King. It was exactly what he wanted.
"Ah... but before that, we have midterm exams..."
When Ren said that, the girls also went "Ah," remembering. Right. Training was important, but they had to do something about the approaching midterm exams as well. Although the three usually had good grades, they were slightly anxious because they hadn't been able to study as much as they wanted due to many things overlapping recently.
"...Before training, shall we study in the usual room?"
"That sounds good..."
When Licia asked Fiona in a casual tone, the two of them decided, and Ren decided to follow suit. Exams, training, Muedi's hideout, and the girl from Ren's dream. Cecil Ashton and the truth behind the tragedy. There were countless things to do and think about.
Ren's fifteenth summer was about to arrive.
What kind of summer would it be? Ren exchanged smiles with Licia and Fiona as he pondered.
In a large town in a noble's territory, not far from the Rofelia Heroic Archduke Territory.
A beautiful girl visited a high-class inn's restaurant alone. After finishing her meal, she immediately left the restaurant and headed toward her room. That was, until she felt a certain presence along the way. She then headed for the roof of the inn.
She climbed the employees' stairs to a space where guests were not allowed to enter. The roof was not a place with an observation deck but just a plain rooftop, and there, a man wrapped in a jet-black robe was waiting. When the girl arrived, the man knelt on the roof and bowed his head. Her hair and his robe fluttered in the wind blowing at this height.
"Forgive my sudden visit."
"It's fine. So, do you have some business with me?"
"...Lord Orphide has gone to the Emperor's side."
When a Demon King Cultist lost their life, they did not describe it as going to Elfen's side. Hearing those words, the girl simply said, "I see," and looked up at the sky. She closed her eyes for a moment, mourning Orphide.
"Thank you for the report. Anything else?"
"..."
The cultist seemed hesitant to speak. As several seconds, then dozens of seconds passed, that feeling only intensified, but he couldn't leave without saying it. Finally, he spoke to the girl.
"Before you provoke the Cult Leader's displeasure any further, I believe it would be wise for you to return—!"
Suddenly, the pressure emanating from her caused the cultist to collapse onto the roof. He felt as though he were no longer among the living. Normally, the man would have been captivated by the lovely girl's smile, but now that smile was terrifying. A skin-piercing pressure was delivered from her as she knelt before the man to meet his gaze. His eyes were not drawn to her slender legs peeking out from her crimson dress.
"Hey," the girl said.
The pressure did not vanish; rather, it intensified.
"Whether people live is either a matter of chance or strength. Either they happened to survive without encountering the world's irrationality by chance, or they were strong enough to repel that irrationality."
The chance she spoke of might end one day. Someday, abruptly.
"Which of those... are you, I wonder?"
Silver hair with black mesh streaks, and eyes more beautiful than gems. As she gazed at him, the man's breathing became ragged. Seeing the man trembling and unable to answer, the girl stood up and began a different topic. It was sudden, yet it was a story whose intent could be grasped.
"There is no word that justifies people more than the concept of justice."
"...Eh?"
"All intelligent beings have built civilizations using that as bait. People like that survive in every era. You can see it if you look at the Elfen Church, right?"
Then, the girl continued.
"I hate that. I absolutely loathe commoners who firmly believe they are behaving correctly, imposing their will on everything and insisting it is justice. That is why I told the Cult Leader... no."
The dream Ren had seen. The girl who had performed a curtsy and introduced herself.
"Tell my brother exactly what I just said. You came here to speak on his behalf anyway, didn't you?"
The girl turned her back to the man.
"Don't say such cruel things. I decided to do this of my own accord, so you could at least listen to me properly."
The name of the girl Ren had seen in his dream was—
"I am————Eve. The younger sister of Cult Leader Medario."