Ren, exhausted from the looming midterm exams, finally shut his notebook after draining a cup of sweet milk tea.
"Alright..."
Ren Ashton.
He had inherited his mother's thick brown hair and eyes that mirrored the hue of both his parents. His handsome features possessed a neutral charm, maturing with every passing season. Catching his reflection in the window, he noticed he had grown quite a bit taller as well.
He stretched his stiff body while still in his chair, letting out a weary sigh.
"Oh, it's already this late."
Perhaps because he had been pushing himself so hard with his studies, he realized he was more tired than he had anticipated. The hour he usually sat down for dinner had long since passed. Even if he intended to keep studying, he decided he needed a break and a meal first.
As Ren stepped out of his room, he paused in the middle of the hallway to look out the window. It felt as though the Entrance Ceremony had only just ended, but the incident in Windea was already behind them, and Early Summer had arrived.
Because of the season, it was still bright outside, the sky a deep madder-red. The flowers that had once decorated the garden had changed their colors, replaced by stand-out patches of fresh, vivid greenery.
While Ren was distracted by the view, a voice as clear as a ringing bell reached him.
"Taking a breather from the books, Ren?"
When he turned around, she was standing there.
"You too, Licia?"
"Yes. I was so focused I forgot to eat dinner, so I thought it was finally time to rest."
She walked over to his side and offered a smile. As they stood together by the window, it felt as if the physical distance between them had narrowed just a little more than before.
"Don't tell me you haven't eaten either?" she asked, her voice light and melodic, almost like a song.
Her sapphire eyes were sharp and full of elegance, and the luster of her hair—which looked like amethyst melted into silver—shone faintly. Her appearance, a combination of fairy-like loveliness and extraordinary beauty, was the very embodiment of her alias as the Saint.
"I might have been a bit too focused myself," Ren replied to the adorable girl’s query.
"Fufu, just as I thought."
Licia laughed happily, unconsciously directing all her charm toward him. After a moment of joyful chatter, an idea seemed to strike her, and she flashed a friendly, mischievous grin.
"Hey, why don't we go eat together?"
"I was planning to head to the cafeteria anyway, so of course—"
"No, that's not what I mean. I mean let's go out into the city."
"Um... outside?"
Licia remained looking up at him, her gaze expectant.
"Is that a no?"
Of course, Ren had no intention of refusing her.
"It sounds like a nice change of pace. Let's go."
"Then it's settled! As for where... how about somewhere near the Great Clock Tower Plaza?"
"Come to think of it, I heard several new shops have opened around there recently."
"Exactly. And the Great Clock Tower should be lit up right about now. What do you think?"
The Great Clock Tower was the symbol of Elendil. It was also the very place that had been attacked shortly after Ren and Licia had moved to the city. Adjacent to the plaza was a large Nature Park, making it a popular destination for visitors.
A walk after their meal would be a perfect way to refresh their minds. For Licia, however, the simple fact that they could spend time alone together made her happier than anything else.
Just as they were about to depart, they spotted a house attendant nearby.
"Ah, do you have a moment?" Licia called out.
"Yes. Is there some—" The attendant cut herself off as she noticed Ren. She quickly surmised the situation. "Are you two heading out for dinner?"
"Yes... but how did you know?"
"Well, with exams coming up, I assumed you’d both forgotten to eat. I figured you ran into each other during a break and the Young Lady pestered you into taking her out."
"Th-That's not exactly wrong... but still...!"
Having been seen through so easily, Licia looked both annoyed and embarrassed.
Well, it's not like I can hide it now...
Licia didn't argue further, though she spoke in a slightly huffy tone.
"That's how it is! We're going out for a while!"
The attendant chuckled and responded with a polite, "Certainly," but then she suddenly leaned in close to Ren and lowered her voice.
"I leave the Young Lady in your care."
"He-Hey! You're too close!" Licia barked.
"Don't mind her, Young Lady. I was simply telling him that I will inform the Head of the Family of your departure."
"If that's all, you didn't have to get that close...!"
Pouty and anxious, the White Saint pursed her lips. Finally losing her patience, she grabbed Ren's arm and gave it a firm tug, pulling him along so they could get ready.
By the time they stepped outside, the madder-red sky was slowly deepening. Though it began to grow dark shortly after they started walking, the lights from the shops lining Erendil Boulevard and the orange glow of the streetlamps illuminated their path.
Amidst an atmosphere that felt almost like a secret nighttime tryst, Licia’s steps beside Ren were light and bouncy.
"Was it a branch of a restaurant from the Imperial Capital that opened near the plaza?" Ren asked.
"That's the one. The menu is supposedly different from the main branch, so I've been curious about it for a while."
"I’ve been interested too, so this is perfect. What should we do afterward? Since we've been doing nothing but studying, we could take a long walk to clear our heads."
"I’d love that. I'm looking forward to seeing the tower, too."
The White Saint walked alongside the Magic Sword User, her heart fluttering at his suggestion.
In a corner of the crowded boulevard, amidst their idle chatter, the two of them suddenly recalled a conversation they’d had in the Imperial Capital just a few days ago.
“...Before that, we have the midterm exams, though...” “...Shall we study in the usual room before training?” “...Yes, let's do that.”
It had only been a few days since Fiona and Licia had agreed to Ren’s suggestion. Because the memory was so fresh, it was easy for them to look back on the recent chaos. At the same time, memories of even earlier days crossed their minds. Seeing Elendil looking so peaceful and normal made such reflections feel natural.
"It's as if none of that ever happened," Licia mused. "Even though members of the Demon King Cult appeared right near the Imperial Capital, everything went back to normal so quickly."
"That's because you and the others fought so hard, Licia."
"No. We were only able to do what we did because Chronoa-sama was in Elendil. It must have been much harder for you, Ren."
The Priest of the Demon King Cult—a man named Orphide.
That powerful individual had been operating in the shadows for some time, searching for the Ring of the Water Goddess, which was said to be hidden in Windea, the Place Where Water and Wind Sleep. However, thanks to Ren—who had finished his investigation and secured the Holy Relic with incredible speed—the cult had failed to seize it.
Unaware of this, Orphide had planned to strike Windea again on the Holy Day of Water, when the Power of the Water Goddess was at its peak. He had moved according to many complex schemes, much like the ones found in the Legend of the Seven Heroes, but Ren and Radius had thwarted him at every turn.
“Was it you who illustrated this story?”
While confronting Ren in Windea, Orphide had finally realized who the true Mastermind behind their failures was.
"But I was so surprised when you suddenly announced you were going to Windea, Ren."
"Ahaha... to be honest, I was panicking a bit myself."
Normally, Ren had intended to leave Orphide to Vane and the others—the true descendants of the Hero. He had wanted to stay in Elendil to protect Licia and Fiona. Furthermore, having only played through the game once in his previous life, he lacked the confidence to say he had mastered every piece of information. Even with the intel he’d gathered with Radius, his desire to protect those close to him had remained his primary focus.
Despite that, he had rushed to Windea because of the mysterious vision he had suddenly been shown.
“You, who were weak, could not choose. You are a sinful person, Ren Ashton.”
A girl named Eve.
That was the name she had given in the dream Ren had seen before the battle. Those cryptic words had haunted him, but one phrase in particular stuck in his mind.
...She said that Ren Ashton was being toyed with by the Blood of the Ashton Family.
After the Tragedy of the White Saint and the Academy Principal, Eve had spoken with heavy implication, suggesting that Ren’s lineage was the key. For Ren, who had been desperate to uncover the truth behind that tragedy, it was the first real lead he had obtained.
After enjoying a meal that exceeded their expectations, Ren and Licia left the restaurant for their walk. Even as they strolled, Ren found his thoughts drifting back to Eve.
As they walked through the Nature Park next to the Great Clock Tower Plaza, Licia noticed the distant look on his face.
"Are you thinking about that person again?" she asked, sensing his mood.
Ren turned to her and offered a wry smile. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be getting lost in thought while we're out together."
"You don't have to apologize. I'm curious about her, too. Especially since she’s apparently the sister of the leader of the Demon King Cult."
Ren had learned of the relationship between Eve and the leader, Medario, during that same mysterious vision.
"Everyone seems to be thinking about the cult more lately," Licia continued.
"I think their movements are becoming more obvious, but it might also be because we’ve learned things we didn't know before."
"I suppose you're right."
As usual, the cult's ultimate goal remained murky. However, as they had discussed before, their targeting of Leomel suggested that something in the empire was essential for the Demon King’s resurrection. Ren and Licia understood that much. With the cult's activities intensifying, the day their true motives were revealed didn't seem far off.
That thought aside, Licia’s gaze dropped to Ren’s arm.
"Changing the subject, how is your arm feeling today?"
"I'd say it's almost back to normal. The curse Orphide left behind has finally mostly faded away."
It hadn't been long since the dying curse of Priest Orphide had begun to eat away at Ren's arm. It was a curse so potent it would have killed an ordinary person instantly, but Ren had endured it and returned to Elendil. The reason Orphide had possessed such incredible Regeneration was that the cult had stepped up their raids on temples, and he had been using stolen Holy Relics. This had become clear during the events of that night.
And there was one more thing.
"I wonder if things would have been much worse without the Authority Sword."
Ren didn't think it was an exaggeration to say that the technique had given him the upper hand.
“This is not the Power of the Hero! And yet, why can you negate my power...!?”
Based on Orphide’s panicked words, the true nature of Ren’s Authority Sword was—though not yet fully proven—getting closer to being solved. The Authority Sword was an Art that served as proof that a Strong Sword User had reached the level of a Sword Saint.
While it possessed special properties separate from raw destructive power, those effects varied between users. Some manifested obvious powers, while others, like Ren, were rare cases where the effect remained unknown for some time. Ren himself had never imagined his power would interfere with divine-tier regeneration.
"It really is a mysterious power," Licia said with a lovely giggle.
"I'm well aware of that," Ren replied.
"But I think it's wonderful. A power that can affect divinity is rare, and we never know when another enemy like that priest might appear."
"That’s true... as strange as it is, I'm glad I have it."
Since it was undeniably useful, he hoped for more opportunities to study its limits in the future.
"Anyway, I'm getting off track." Licia stopped and looked directly at his arm.
The curse remaining on his limb had been purified bit by bit by the combined light of the White Saint and the Black Priestess. Without their intervention, the curse likely would have spread through his entire body.
"I’ll ask you one more time. Is there really no pain at all?"
"...None."
"...Hmph. So, you're going to lie to me?"
In reality, he still felt a faint, fleeting sting on very rare occasions. Seeing through his split-second hesitation, Licia caught him in the lie. She lightly pressed her fingertips against his hand, sending a wave of warm, soothing light through him.