It was a night shortly after the battle had ended.
While the lingering echoes of the recent chaos remained, the Leomel Empire was finally beginning to regain its composure. In one corner of the Imperial Capital, under the vast night sky, Licia spoke to Ren.
"Hey, Ren, do you want to train together next time?"
"You mean at the Lion Sanctum?"
"No. I mean like we did at the academy training grounds the other day."
Even after school had ended, Ren, Licia, and Fiona had lingered in the city. They had made their way to a park, enjoying the cool night air with cold drinks in their hands.
Ren, who had been talking with Licia, paused as a sudden thought crossed his mind. The fierce battle was still fresh in his memory, but as students, there was something they couldn't afford to ignore.
"…Before we do that, we have midterm exams to deal with."
At his words, Licia and Fiona both let out weary sighs. They looked at each other and lowered their voices.
"…Should we study in our usual room before we train?"
"I suppose we must…"
Perhaps because their lives had been so frantic until now, the thought of academics had slipped entirely from their minds. Even with their return to a peaceful routine, it didn't seem like they would have much time to relax.
Eventually, Fiona checked the time.
"Oh—it’s already quite late."
"You’re right. We should probably head home."
Taking Fiona’s lead, the three left the park and walked through the streets of the Capital. As they reached the main boulevard, Ren spoke up during a lull in their idle conversation.
"It’s started to get quite warm, even at night."
"It felt like spring until just a moment ago, but summer is already just around the corner," Fiona noted.
"I feel like summer arrived in the blink of an eye last year, too," Licia added. "Between the preparations for the Lion King Grand Festival, spring was over before I knew it."
"Ah… that’s right. Because of that, the midterms were pushed back last year, too."
The entrance exams had been a struggle, and even after enrolling, the academy seemed determined to keep the students under pressure. Even when one crisis settled, there were always reasons why they couldn't truly rest.
Ren decided he would open his reference books as soon as he returned to Erendil. He reaffirmed the thought in his mind and muttered the sentiment aloud.
"I need to make at least a little progress."
It was a quiet night, with summer fast approaching.
In the morning, Ren woke up in the Clausel mansion in Erendil. He wondered how many times he had opened his eyes in this room now.
Despite waking up earlier than usual, the sun rose sooner as summer neared; it was already quite bright outside. Ren sat up in bed, gave a light stretch, and walked over to the window. There, his gaze drifted down to his arm.
"My arm… it’s almost completely fine now."
The pain was virtually gone, and the marks were so faint that one would have to squint to see them. Still, a quiet reminder of the battle in Windea remained. Reconfirming his recovery, Ren exhaled and reached for the buttons of his shirt.
He would take a shower to wake himself up and start his morning routine. After all, classes at the academy were waiting for him again today.
Several days later, on a holiday.
Ren was in a neutral city located along the national border. This place was known as a major travel terminal, frequented not only by people from Leomel but by travelers from across the surrounding nations.
Even just walking through the streets, he could feel an exotic atmosphere entirely different from the Empire. The menus in the restaurants and the clothing of the pedestrians were all sights he rarely encountered.
Ren wore an inconspicuous robe, looking like any other traveler as he walked down the street. Listening to the chatter of the crowds, he made his way toward the magic ship dock.
In the middle of the bustle, snippets of conversation reached his ears.
"…I heard those guys they thought were the Demon King Cult were actually just bandits."
"Another attack happened just recently; I guess they tried to capitalize on the chaos."
They were talking about the incident that had concluded only this morning. The group had been nothing more than disgraced adventurers. While they had been proficient with blades and magic, they had been completely neutralized in a single night.
At the local Adventurer Guild, the request had officially been marked as completed. The knights who received the report had already arrived to transport the bandits to the dungeon.
As for who had accomplished the feat, the Adventurer Guild had invoked a strict confidentiality clause. They refused to tell the knights who had ended the threat, stating that the details would only be disclosed to a select few individuals within the Empire after the fact.
"——It really has gotten hot lately."
Unlike the people around him discussing the exciting news, Ren’s demeanor was relaxed and casual—perfectly in character for him. He heard similar rumors several more times before reaching the dock, but he didn't pay them any mind.
Eventually, an announcement echoed through the terminal.
"Magic ship bound for Erendil—departing shortly—"
The lobby inside the magic ship was grand, resembling the reception of a luxury hotel as it welcomed guests from various nations. As Ren looked for an open counter, he accidentally bumped into someone who was also scanning the room.
"I’m so sorry! Are you all right?"
"I’m fine. I wasn't looking where I was going either, so please don't worry about it."
The voice was pleasant to the ear, with a somewhat youthful, boyish quality.
The speaker was a beautiful woman with glasses and vivid violet hair that reached just above her shoulder blades. She appeared to be about five years older than Ren. When the woman knelt to pick up the books she had dropped, Ren immediately moved to help her.
"Are they damaged or dirty?"
"No, they seem okay. Sorry for the trouble."
She stood up with several books clutched to her chest and offered a bright smile.
"I love books. I heard there were some rare volumes here, so I had to come see for myself."
"I like them too… though I mostly just read whatever catches my interest."
"I think that’s wonderful. I travel the world looking for different books, so I suppose we’re similar."
"So you've been traveling for books for a long time?"
"Yes. After all, books are—"
She seemed pleased by Ren’s response and continued.
"—the only memories of the world that remain untouched by the influence of the gods."
Ren stood there for a moment, blinking in confusion at the sudden, cryptic expression. Seeing his reaction, the woman let out a small, amused chuckle.
Unsure of how to respond, Ren noticed an open reception desk and gestured for her to take it first. The woman smiled, finished her check-in, and then returned to him briefly.
"Thank you. May we both have a pleasant journey."
"Yes. I should be heading off as well."
Since they were boarding different ships, their parting was brief. The woman turned to walk away but suddenly paused and looked back at him. As she watched his retreating figure heading toward the desk, she whispered a thought that reached no one’s ears.
"…A Strong Sword User, and yet still a boy. How rare."
With that, she finally boarded her ship.
On his end, Ren finished his procedures and headed straight to his reserved cabin. Once inside, he finally pulled off his robe.
He could finally breathe easy. He tossed the robe and his bag aside and stretched out his body, which had become tense without him realizing it. A steward visited shortly after to ask about dinner and other services, but once that was settled, Ren leaned against the window frame.
The scenery outside the glass receded as the ship ascended into the sky. Looking out at the clouds, he reflected on this solo trip. A few different emotions stirred in his heart, but none of them felt particularly satisfying.
"…It wasn't going to be that easy, was it?"
He sighed resignedly. This excursion had been an attempt by Ren to gather leads on the Demon King Cult—checking the Adventurer Guild and following trails he had coordinated with Radius and Ulysses.
However, he hadn't been able to find anything that pointed to the actual Cult, hence the sigh.
Eventually, he fell asleep in the chair by the window. When he finally woke up, the sky was pitch black. Stars were visible, though it was hard to tell if it was late at night or early morning. Checking his watch, he saw it was the latter.
As he was rubbing his stiff muscles from sleeping upright, a voice echoed through the cabin.
"We will shortly be arriving at the Sky Garden."
Ten minutes later, the magic ship touched down at the Sky Garden. A ramp extended, and Ren stepped out onto the high-floor terminal. As the high-altitude wind ruffled his hair, Ren felt the quiet relief of finally being home.