As soon as Licia left, Ren’s everyday life returned to normal.
Because he had seen the group off, it was later than usual, but he was still savoring the fresh morning air—at least, until he reached the suspension bridge.
"What is that?"
After navigating the field paths with his usual practiced gait, he stopped just before the bridge leading into the forest. A flock of common little birds were chirping up a storm on the branches of a nearby tree, fluttering and intimidating one another as they squabbled over something.
Ren tilted his head, curious, and reflexively summoned the Thief's Magic Sword. He spotted something caught in the beak of one of the birds and activated the sword’s power toward it.
"Chirp!"
Startled, the bird took flight, and the rest of the flock scattered in a panic. In their place, the object they had been fighting over appeared in Ren’s hand.
It was a roughly folded piece of parchment. From the texture and the way it had been tanned, it was clearly high-quality material. Intrigued, Ren unfolded the sheet and looked at the elegant script written upon it.
"...A love letter?"
The passion poured into the writing was so intense it felt as if it were surging directly into his heart. But who would write such a thing on parchment this expensive? Ren initially tilted his head in confusion, but as he read further, he realized the author was trying to recruit someone to Clausel.
The letter mentioned skill with a sword, which made it easy to guess who was inviting whom.
(It was her,) he thought.
This was almost certainly a letter Licia Clausel had written to him. He wondered why it had been dropped in a place like this, but he couldn't simply leave it there.
Just as Ren tucked the letter into his breast pocket, he heard the distant thud of horseshoes striking the earth.
"Wait, is that Tomboy Saintess coming right back already!?"
Ren instinctively braced himself.
However, the people who eventually appeared were not the ones he knew. A group of about a dozen riders emerged, but their armor did not bear the crest of House Clausel.
"Uh... hello?"
Before he could react, Ren was surrounded. The riders looked down at him from their mounts with an intimidating air. One knight, speaking in an arrogant tone to the boy, addressed him through his visor.
"Are you a resident of the village governed by House Ashton?"
The man’s manner was so forceful and overbearing it felt as if he might draw his sword if Ren didn’t answer immediately.
"I am... but who are you?"
Despite Ren’s polite response, the man continued in a haughty voice.
"We act under the orders of Viscount Given. We have brought a missive approved by the Viscount himself. Now, guide us to the Ashton manor at once."
As he suspected, they weren't from House Clausel. However, hearing that they were messengers from a Viscount—a noble of higher rank—left Ren with several questions.
(Viscount Given is... if I remember correctly...)
To reach Clausel, one headed east from the village, but Viscount Given’s territory was located to the northeast. He was a noble House Ashton had no real connection with, but he was someone they couldn't afford to ignore.
"I understand. I will guide you to our manor immediately."
"Hmm? 'Our' manor?"
"Yes. Forgive me, I should have introduced myself sooner. My name is Ren Ashton. I am the only son of the current head, Roy Ashton."
At this, the messengers sent by Viscount Given exchanged glances. After nodding to one another, the knight spoke to Ren again, his tone suddenly much softer.
"Rejoice, then. The Viscount has a message for you as well."
The hostility seemed to drain from the surrounding knights. Still, Ren couldn't help but wonder why a Viscount who wasn't even their liege lord would have business with him.
"A message for... me?"
"Yes. The Viscount expressed a strong desire to appoint you as his servant. We shall discuss the details at the manor."
The knights began to move their horses forward. Meanwhile, Ren grimaced, making sure no one could see his face.
(I don't understand any of this.)
Too many things had been happening since yesterday. As Ren led them toward the manor with a heavy heart, the villagers watched the procession pass through the fields, tilting their heads in confusion.
When they returned to the manor, the knights of House Clausel stationed there greeted them with looks of shock. Roy and Mireille were equally surprised, but they managed to maintain a facade of composure. Roy invited only the lead representative of the group into his sickroom.
Ren remained outside in the garden with the Clausel knights. Their atmosphere was unusually grim, so Ren decided to ask why.
"Why is everyone so angry?"
"Well... that's..."
As the knight struggled to answer, another spoke up to help him.
"Hey, shouldn't we tell him? Master Ren is involved in this too, isn't he? Master Weiss wouldn't scold us for keeping him informed."
The phrase 'involved in this' reminded Ren of what the messenger had said about making him a servant.
(Even so, they seem way too upset for just that.)
The answer came quickly when the messengers from Viscount Given emerged from the manor.
"Ren Ashton, there you are."
It was the knight who had spoken to him at the bridge. As he approached, the Clausel knights instinctively braced themselves. The Given knight gave a derisive snort.
"Hmph. Well, I've already spoken with Master Roy, but I wanted to tell you directly as well. As I mentioned before, the Viscount highly values your strength. He wishes to bring you into our house."
The Clausel knights stepped forward, physically interposing themselves.
"Our apologies, but Master Ren has already received an invitation from our own Lord."
To be precise, it was his daughter, Licia, who had invited him, but that wasn't a distinction worth making now.
"You are of House Clausel, I assume? But you have only invited him; he hasn't given an answer yet. There should be no issue with us making an offer of our own."
"It's more fundamental than that. This village is under the governance of House Clausel."
"Oh? Would you say the same to those who wish to serve the Great Emperor? Many knights in the Imperial Capital were not born there."
"That isn't the point. If you wanted to recruit Master Ren, common courtesy dictates you should have consulted us first."
Ren stood to the side, listening intently as the argument heated up.
"Regardless of rank or faction, there are rules of etiquette. Surely those who serve the renowned Viscount Given understand that?"
"Fine... I see. We shall return another time."
The Given knight walked away as if the argument were beneath him. His companions followed, mounting their horses. After telling Ren, "We'll be back," they galloped away.
Once they were gone, one of the Clausel knights turned to Ren. "Master Ren, we should discuss this. Let's go inside; Master Roy should hear this as well."
When Ren and the knights entered the room, Roy let out a sigh. "I've been waiting for you."
Mireille was at his side, both of them looking grim.
"So," Roy began, "has something been going on behind our backs?"
The Clausel knights looked apologetic. "Our deepest apologies. Because the situation was sensitive, we were unable to inform you sooner, Master Roy."
"I thought so. And Viscount Given is behind this, right?"
"That is correct."
Ren and the knights took seats on the sofas.
"Ren," Roy said, "take a look at the letter they left first. We'll talk after that."
Mireille handed the letter to Ren in place of Roy, who still couldn't walk. Ren pulled the parchment from the envelope and spread it out.
(...I see.)
The letter stated that Viscount Given’s heart had long ached for the impoverished state of this village, especially following the recent monster incident. It claimed that because he supported so many subjects, he hadn't been able to help before, but now he wished to propose two things:
- Incorporate the village into Viscount Given’s territory and station knights there to solve the lack of military strength.
- Appoint Ren Ashton as a servant of House Given with guaranteed, generous compensation.
The Clausel knights explained that it wasn't unheard of for a remote village to be transferred between nobles, provided everyone involved agreed.
"Good grief," Roy muttered. "The Thief Wolfen was an anomaly. Outside of that, there's no record of House Ashton lacking the strength to defend this village."
"Meaning the Baron's management wasn't a mistake," Ren added.
"Exactly. Besides, a D-rank monster appeared once before Ren was born, and we handled it."
"We remember that well," a knight said. "Master Roy, you were the one who slew it."
"Yeah. To be honest, that was a cakewalk compared to the Thief Wolfen. No matter the rank, it wasn't a unique variant like that white wolf."
Roy turned a sharp, blade-like gaze toward the knights. His voice carried a new weight.
"So, has the wave of the Faction Struggle finally reached this far?"
"...It has."
"I knew it. No wonder that Viscount is reaching out now."
"There have always been those who wanted to pull House Clausel into their side," the knight explained. "But our Lord has remained neutral, respecting both the Imperial Family and the Seven Great Ducal Houses. This current pressure is regrettable."
Ren nodded to himself. He remembered the details of the factions from his knowledge of the world.
There were three: The Imperial Faction, which believed the Emperor and the descendants of the Lion King should lead; the Hero Faction, led by the Seven Great Ducal Houses who wanted a more democratic Leomel; and the Neutral Faction, consisting of those who wanted unity or feared radical change.
(And Baron Clausel is Neutral.)
Since Viscount Given belonged to the Hero Faction, this was a clear political move.
"I don't blame you for finding it hard to talk about," Roy said. "This isn't the kind of stuff you discuss with a knight of a tiny border village."
"Dear, watch your tone," Mireille chided.
"Ah—sorry. I didn't mean it like that! Just... being realistic!"
Mireille apologized to the knight and gave her husband's cheek a light pinch.
"But why this village?" Roy asked. "This is the middle of nowhere."
"As you likely know, Master Roy," the knight said, "around the year Master Ren was born, all Seven Great Ducal Houses were blessed with heirs. Every single one of them."
Roy fell silent.
"Dad? Why are you quiet?" Ren asked.
"Because I've never heard that. Information doesn't reach the sticks like this. I'm just a low-ranked knight who's only left the village once."
The knight gave a wry smile but continued. "With those heirs born almost simultaneously, the Hero Faction has become more united than ever. They are hailing those children as the reincarnations of the Seven Heroes."
"Hah! That's absurd!" Roy barked.
Ren, however, looked up at the ceiling. It wasn't absurd at all. In the Legend of the Seven Heroes, the protagonists were indeed hailed as the second coming of the legendary heroes.
"Besides, there are only six houses now," Roy pointed out. "The line of Hero Ruin died out over a century ago. To claim a second coming is an insult to the Hero’s memory."
Hero Ruin was the one who delivered the final blow to the Demon King, but his bloodline was said to have perished due to the 'Demon King's Curse,' which left them unable to produce heirs.
"But Dad," Ren said, "maybe the Hero's blood was passed down in secret."
"Ren?"
"If six heirs were born at once, and they're called the reincarnations, then it's only logical that a descendant of Hero Ruin would appear too. If you're a noble in the Hero Faction, you'd believe it's the will of Lord Elfen, wouldn't you?"
In truth, the descendant of Hero Ruin—the protagonist of the game—was currently living somewhere far away.
"I'm impressed," the knight said. "Master Roy, the Hero Faction is moving exactly as Master Ren predicted. Many of them believe exactly that."
Ren secretly furrowed his brow. It was much more annoying to deal with these factions from the inside.
"Wait a minute," Ren muttered.
"What is it, Ren?"
"The heirs were born years ago. Why is this becoming a problem now?"
The room went silent as Ren thought. A few minutes later, he looked at his father.
"Dad, do you remember exactly when you fought that D-rank monster?"
"Yeah, it was about a year before you were born."
"Then the faction struggle has probably been affecting us since then. Master Weiss said House Clausel was granted new land near the Capital last year, right?"
The knight looked at Ren with admiration. "Master Ren, you are incredibly sharp. Our Lord suspected the same—that Viscount Given has been eyeing this region for years."
"So you think the Thief Wolfen incident was related too?"
It was a logical conclusion. The Thief Wolfen was too unusual to be a natural occurrence.
"The theory is," Ren continued, "that the Hero Faction is panicked because House Clausel received land from the Emperor. They're afraid the Baron will switch from Neutral to the Imperial Faction. If they can discredit him by showing he can't protect his own territory, or if they can trick him into owing them a favor, they can force him into the Hero Faction."
It was just a theory, but it fit the timeline perfectly. Either way, they had to be on their guard.
"We intend to contact our Lord immediately," the knight said. "Even without proof, we can't be too careful."
"Probably for the best," Roy agreed. "I assume you'll be extending the stay of the knights here and in the other villages?"
"Yes. That is exactly what I plan to suggest."
Ren sighed, realizing that things were about to get very complicated.
After the heavy discussion, Ren returned to his room to change. He pulled out the letter the bird had been carrying and set it on his desk.
"If I return it the next time she visits... that's basically telling her I read it."
He didn't want to leave the village, nor did he want to get further involved with Licia. It was a situation he’d rather avoid.
"But I can't just throw it away..."
It felt too cruel to discard something she had written so sincerely. He didn't know how it ended up outside, but he felt a sense of guilt at the thought of destroying it. Instead, he opened a small wood-carved box on his desk and tucked the letter inside.
"There."
His eyes then drifted to Selakia's Azure Orb. It was beautiful, but its nature was nothing but trouble.
Ren sighed and casually reached out to touch the orb.
"Huh?"
As he pressed his palm against it, he felt the orb vibrate. He pulled his hand away and touched it again, but this time there was no reaction.
"...Must have been my imagination."
Ren let out a yawn and headed to the bathroom to wash off the day's sweat.