A three-hour trek from the town, in the opposite direction of the hills where he’d fought Jelkku, led to a sprawling forest. True to its name, the East Forest sat in an obvious location to the east of the town.
As Ren walked through the dense, overgrown woods, a thought occurred to him.
"Come to think of it, this isn't exactly my first time here."
Even if he was seeing it with his own eyes for the first time, he knew the ecology of the monsters in this area by heart—assuming, of course, they were the same ones from his time playing the game.
"Alright."
As he pressed forward with a brisk pace, a figure peeked out from behind a tree. Ren strained his eyes and identified a creature that resembled a rabbit. What distinguished it from a normal rabbit were its three eyes and double the usual number of limbs.
It was an F-rank monster known as a Mitsume.
"Kiki!"
The Mitsume was more agile than a Little Boar. It kicked off the earth and closed the distance in an instant. However, there was no way Ren would fail to react. After all, the opponent was only one rank higher than a Little Boar.
Ren brandished the Iron Magic Sword he’d already summoned and calmly met the charge.
"Ki—!"
With a light thrust of the blade, he pierced the Mitsume’s neck.
He felt ten percent disappointed and thirty percent exhilarated. The remaining sixty percent was relief; he was glad he could maintain such an overwhelming advantage in his first monster hunt in quite some time.
Ren approached the creature, which had died instantly. He summoned his Wooden Magic Sword, gave it a light swing to produce vines, and used them to bind and hoist the carcass onto his shoulder.
"Oh... this is incredibly convenient."
He held the Iron Magic Sword in his right hand and kept the recently summoned Wooden Magic Sword at his waist. This was the fruit of his growth during the battle with Jelkku—he was finally capable of summoning two magic swords simultaneously.
He had considered pairing the Iron Magic Sword with the Thief's Magic Sword, but today he prioritized a combination suited for transport.
He checked the crystal on his bracelet. He was successfully accumulating Mastery, bit by bit.
Ten minutes later, Ren heard the sound of hushed breathing from the shadows. Without making a sound, he focused his senses on the presence.
"Gya!?"
He moved faster than the lurking monster, closing the gap in the blink of an eye and swinging his sword. The second Mitsume died before it could even target him.
By the time he finished a late lunch and defeated a few more Mitsume, the level of his Iron Magic Sword increased—but then he noticed something strange.
- Wooden Magic Sword (Level 2: 1000/1000)
- Iron Magic Sword (Level 2: 0/2500)
It was a familiar sense of incongruity. Unlike the Iron Magic Sword, the Wooden Magic Sword’s numbers had hit a cap. Even though his Mastery was at the maximum value, the level refused to rise.
Surely, this wasn't the end of its growth. If it were truly at its limit, he felt the notation would have settled into something like the 0/0 used for summoning.
"There must be a specific condition to raise its level..."
Since that condition wasn't immediately apparent, he would have to experiment. Furthermore, the Mastery required for the next level of the Iron Magic Sword was staggering. Perhaps the difficulty was high because the sword was so versatile and powerful, but the sight of those numbers still made his cheek twitch.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
He hadn't intended to spend the entire day hunting, but by the time he headed back to town in the evening, he was hauling a massive load.
Eight Mitsume and two Earthworms.
Earthworms were E-rank monsters. They were the giant, burrowing insectoids like the ones Jelkku had utilized, and they were far too heavy to carry. Ren was forced to drag them behind him toward the town. To avoid dirtying the main road, he stuck to the side paths.
The occasional adventurers he passed gave him bewildered looks. A boy like Ren dragging ten monsters across the landscape was a bizarre sight, to say the least.
"Is it really okay for me to just walk in like this?" he muttered as the gates of Clausel came into view.
"...I heard from the Baron that Master Ren had started working outside the town, but... that's quite a haul for your first day," the gate guard remarked, his voice full of surprise.
"Don't other adventurers usually hunt like this?"
"They mostly stick to small monsters. Transport is a nightmare, as you can see. Usually, they either butcher them on the spot or only take the most valuable parts."
Ren gave a wry smile. He realized he probably should have done the same.
"Especially with Earthworms. Even at E-rank, their ecology makes them hard to hunt. Their shells fetch a good price because so few people bother with them, despite their many uses."
Ren was genuinely pleased to hear that. His work was officially about monster surveys, but the income was a significant factor.
"I'm heading to the Guild now. Is it okay to bring them in like this?"
"Yes, the fluids seem to have dried already, so it's not a problem. But..." The knight paused. "I have to ask—did you really bring all of these here by yourself?"
"Yes. I don't have a party, so I've been dragging them since I left the forest."
The knight had clearly been worried about whether Ren could manage, and even though Ren had walked to the gates unaided, the man still looked half-doubtful.
"Our Great Hero might be even more incredible than I imagined."
Ren didn't say anything, but he was quietly pleased.
"Man, I'm glad the Guild is so close to the gate," he thought.
The location was likely chosen for exactly this reason. As he arrived at the Guild, drawing stares from everyone nearby, Ren paused at the entrance.
"...That's impressive." "Yeah, no kidding."
The pair of adventurers he’d met the day before appeared, staring at the pile of monsters in shock. The werewolf offered Ren some advice.
"For a haul like this, you should take them to the loading dock in the back. If you bring in more than what fits there, you can ask the Guild to send an appraiser outside."
"I see. Thank you for the tip."
Ren had assumed things would work just like they did in the game, but this was the real world. He should have listened to the official explanation properly. Regretful, he thanked the pair and moved the monsters to the back as instructed.
The receptionist was already waiting at the dock, her eyes wide with shock.
"W-Would you like to sell everything?"
"Yes, please."
He informed her that the magic stones had already been removed and watched as the staff began the appraisal. Before long, a crowd had gathered. Since Ren was already known as the Hero of House Clausel, he suddenly wondered if he was being too conspicuous.
"Should I have been operating in secret like a light novel protagonist?" he wondered.
To avoid death flags, perhaps? But on second thought, it didn't really matter. Within Clausel territory, he was already famous. It was far too late to hide. If he had wanted to remain anonymous, he would have had to start before defeating the Thief Wolfen, but his village would have been destroyed if he hadn't fought. He could never have abandoned his family and home.
Besides, avoiding the spotlight wasn't his primary goal, and it wasn't directly tied to any death flags.
"I just want to live in peace. I definitely don't want to be ordered by the Emperor to be hunted down."
He still remembered those thoughts from right after he was born. His objective was simply to avoid the fate of the game's Ren Ashton. He just wanted to live an honest life.
In short, achieving results like this didn't necessarily lead to the game's tragic end. His goal was specifically to avoid killing Lithia and the Academy Director, as that was the only reason the Emperor would ever issue a subjugation order.
But he was already deeply bonded with Lithia. Having risked his life to save her, he couldn't just ignore her existence. Moreover, he knew that simply hiding in a village wouldn't guarantee safety—not after the scheme Viscount Given had attempted.
"What is the right answer here?"
He had worried that standing out would drag him into noble infighting. But the truth was that the moment he defeated the Thief Wolfen, the world had stopped ignoring him. And not all of it was bad. Having a friendship with someone like Marquis Ignat, even if they were in different factions, meant other nobles wouldn't dare lay a hand on him lightly.
If he worried that even this protection would become a new spark for conflict, he’d never find the "right" answer. Regardless, he felt no guilt about earning money for his village and his parents.
"The appraisal is complete," the receptionist said, drawing him back to the present. "This is the total after fees. Is this acceptable?"
She slid a piece of paper toward him.
"Oh, that's a lot."
In the game, he only sold specific materials. This was his first time selling entire monsters. The figure on the paper was 600,000G. Weiss had mentioned that a commoner's daily wage was about 10,000G, so this was sixty times that.
"Earthworms are difficult to hunt, so their price is high for their rank. Even after our commission, the unit price is 250,000G. On the other hand, Mitsume are easy to find, so they're only 12,000G each."
That alone wouldn't have reached 600,000G, but apparently, a buyer had been looking for Earthworm parts, so they had added a bonus.
"I'll take it."
Ren followed the receptionist inside to the counter. He received six gold coins and signed the receipt. A gold coin was worth 100,000G, silver was 10,000G, copper was 1,000G, and iron was 100G.
Ren tucked the six gold coins into his pocket. As he left the Guild under the watchful eyes of other adventurers, he gave a wry smile at the clinking sound of the coins with every step.
"I really need to buy a wallet."
The high-end boutique he’d visited with Lithia came to mind. Once he reached the storefront, he hesitated. He’d cleaned himself up as best he could, but he still felt out of place.
"Master Ren? Is that you?"
The shopkeeper opened the door and called out to him. "Please, do come in."
The man clearly noticed Ren’s state but didn't seem to mind, urging him inside with a warm smile. Ren hesitated but eventually stepped back toward the entrance.
"Sorry. I was thinking of coming back another day after I’d tidied up a bit more..."
"Think nothing of it. It is you, after all. Besides, there are no other customers at the moment."
The shopkeeper placed a "Closed" sign on the door. "Please, consider it a personal favor to me."
Ren thanked him for the kindness and entered the shop. He explained that because of his work for Lezard and his adventurer registration, he would be fighting monsters more often—and that he was keeping it a secret from Lithia.
"So, I wanted to buy a wallet."
"In that case, you'll want something durable. I have several options for you."
Ren looked at the wallets. They were beautiful, made of high-quality tanned leather with meticulous stitching. They were also clearly expensive.
"Oh... they're pricey, but... I can afford it."
Cold sweat ran down his neck, but he was relieved. Still, the idea of spending so much money so suddenly made him hesitate. As he wavered, his eyes drifted to a section of women’s clothing that hadn't been there on the first floor. There were dresses that he thought would look perfect on a girl like Lithia.
"That one might suit her," he thought.
Recalling that Lithia had bought him clothes before, his feet moved on their own. He completely forgot about the wallet as a new goal took over. His attention was fixed on a white one-piece dress. It was simple, but its elegant, clean look seemed perfect for Lithia.
"We can tailor it to fit the young lady perfectly," the shopkeeper said.
Ren’s thoughts were transparent. He didn't even try to hide it, asking without embarrassment, "Is it okay if she isn't here?"
"Yes. We handle all of the young lady’s adjustments here, so please don't worry."
"Then... I'll take that dress, please."
He didn't know if she’d like it, but he wanted it to be a gift of gratitude.
"Of course. Right this way."
"By the way, how much is it...?"
The shopkeeper wrote the price on a piece of paper. It was a very expensive first gift. However, when Ren thought of giving it to Lithia, he found that the price didn't bother him at all.
"I'll have it delivered to the mansion once it's ready. And what about the wallet?"
Oh, right. That was why he came here.
"It's getting late, so I'll come back for that another time when I'm more presentable."
He hadn't bought the wallet, but he felt satisfied that he could finally give something back to Lithia. His steps were light on the way home.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
A month had passed since his first survey.
Between Lithia being at the mansion and Ren helping out with various chores, he hadn't been able to visit the East Forest much. Even when he did go, it was mostly surveying, and he’d gone several days without a real fight.
"Master Ren, this is for you."
One morning, Yuno the maid handed him a letter. It was from his parents, brought by a knight returning from the Ashton village. Ren thanked her and went to his desk to open it.
Roy and Mireille were incredibly grateful for the magic streetlamps he’d sent. The village roads were now bright at night, which was a huge help for the elderly residents. The letter ended with words of love and a plea for him not to overexert himself.
"If I can send things back like this, this lifestyle isn't so bad while I train," he thought.
Ren walked to Lezard’s office with a spring in his step. Lezard welcomed him and they sat down together.
"It sounds like you received good news."
"Yes! My parents and the villagers are really happy with the magic tools I sent!"
"I'm glad to hear it. Has that worry you had before been eased a little?"
"...Yes. I plan to broaden my horizons here while doing what I can't do back in the village."
As long as his existence could be a catalyst for trouble, he would support his home from a distance to keep them safe.
"So, I was thinking of renting a house of my own. I've been earning my own money now, after all."
"Hmm? It would be difficult for you to rent a house alone, Ren," Lezard said matter-of-factly. "How old are you? And your parents aren't with you. Most landlords would be very reluctant. Besides, you have deep ties to House Clausel. Most commoners would be too intimidated to rent to you."
He was right. Renting a house in his situation was nearly impossible. People in this town didn't necessarily view noble connections as a positive thing when it came to business.
"I have a proposal," Lezard continued.
He explained that there was an Old Wing on the back of the estate that the maids had used until a few years ago. It was currently vacant.
"It's a bit dusty, but if you clean it, it's just as good as the main house. It still has the basic living magic tools, and the bedrooms were recently refurbished."
"Is it really okay for me to live there?"
"Yes. In exchange, I’d like you to act as the manager of the Old Wing. Just simple tasks like periodic cleaning and keeping the weeds in the garden under control."
Leaving the building abandoned made it harder to use later. He hadn't hired a manager before for security reasons; the Old Wing had a path leading directly into the main mansion, so he’d left it to trusted servants and knights.
"It sounds like you had this all ready for me."
"Haha, I figured you’d be too polite to accept otherwise. Besides, if you're in the Old Wing, it’s easier for the maids to assist you. I truly am in need of someone to look after it. What do you say?"
His words weren't just about concern for Ren. Lezard wanted to keep his ward close. It was a win-win for both of them.
"You can go see it whenever you like. Start moving in whenever it suits you."
"Then I'll start preparing bit by bit today."
Ren thanked Lezard and returned to the guest room he’d occupied since spring. He didn't have many belongings, but he carefully packed Selakia's Azure Orb in its wooden box. As he stepped out with the box, he ran right into Lithia.
"...Ren? What are you doing?" she asked, tilting her head at the sight of the box.
"I'm getting ready to move."
"Move? Who is?"
"Me, obviously."
"——Wha!?"
Lithia froze as if she’d been plunged into absolute zero.
"W-Why!? Where are you going!?" she cried out, her panic rising. She closed the distance and grabbed his arm, her eyes half-tearing as she looked up at him.
"Well... I’ve been imposing on your hospitality for far too long..."
"You don't have to worry about that! Just stay here in this room!"
"I can't. I'm a member of the Ashton family, and I'm here to serve you and your father."
"I don't care about that! So please... stay...!"
Tears began to fall from her eyes. Ren noticed maids and knights watching from a distance, but none of them stepped in to help. Feeling helpless, he called out to Yuno, who was closest.
"Sorry, Yuno. Could you show me the way to the Old Wing?"
Yuno clapped her hands. "I thought as much."
"Wait, how did you know?"
"Just a guess based on your age and how you’ve been acting lately. I knew the Lord was thinking about the Old Wing’s management, so I put two and two together."
Ren gave a wry smile. Lithia, meanwhile, wiped her tears and looked up in confusion.
"What do you mean? Weren't you going back to the village?"
"No, actually..."
Ren explained the whole situation—his desire to stay in Clausel until the village was rebuilt, and the job Lezard had given him.
"I'm hearing all of this for the first time," Lithia said, her eyes narrowing. Ren hadn't been lying, but he’d been so surprised by her reaction that he hadn't had a chance to explain.
"I'm sorry. I was going to tell you a bit later."
"Oh... is that so?"
Lithia went quiet and grabbed his hand.
"Master Ren, I'll take my leave now," Yuno said with a smile and a wave, ignoring Ren’s question about the directions.
Lithia pulled Ren down the hallway toward an old door. It seemed she was going to be his guide after all. She opened the door, leading him down a covered walkway bathed in morning light. At the end stood the entrance to the Old Wing.
The door opened automatically—it was clearly a magic tool. The interior was luxurious, though the air was thick with dust. Lithia didn't seem to care.
"Sit here," she said, pointing to a wooden chair in the entrance hall. There were two chairs around a small table. She brushed the dust off one and sat down.
Ren put his wooden box on the floor and sat opposite her. The sunlight from the stained-glass ceiling illuminated her face.
"Everything. I mean everything," she began, her dissatisfaction clear even with the tear tracks still on her cheeks. "I hadn't heard a single word about any of this. I know you probably see me as just an immature girl, but you could have trusted me at least a little."
She wasn't trying to be difficult. She was just hurt that Ren had been making plans without consulting her. Just as the tension was building, there was a knock at the door. It opened automatically, and Yuno appeared.
"I thought it would be better to bring this here. A delivery for Master Ren."
"I'll need to register your mana to the door later, Master Ren," Yuno added. "For security, it only opens for those who are registered." She glanced at the sulking Lithia and gave Ren an encouraging look before handing him the package and disappearing.
"Did you buy something at that shop?" Lithia asked, recognizing the mark on the box.
Ren realized what it was. He opened the wooden box to find the white dress he’d ordered.
"Please, accept this."
"...For me?"
"Yes. I bought it on my way home the first day I made some money."
Lithia blinked in surprise. Ren held the dress out to her. She unfolded it and whispered, "It's so cute."
"If you don't like it, I can get you something else—"
"No! I'm not giving it back."
"Then... I'm glad you like it."
Lithia’s cheeks flushed as she hugged the dress to her chest, burying the lower half of her face in the fabric. She looked up at Ren with shimmering eyes.
"...That's not fair."
Her tone was a bit grumpy, but her voice was warm. To Ren, it seemed she was in a much better mood.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to buy your forgiveness with a gift."
"That's not it! It's just... everything happened so fast, and I wasn't ready!" She took a breath. "And for the record, I'm not entirely over being mad!"
Despite her words, the joy in her voice and the smile she couldn't quite hide told a different story.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
In July, the secondary exams for the Special Merit Class were held at the Imperial Military Academy in the capital. After completing the exams and returning to Eupeheim by magic ship, Fiona was enjoying breakfast in the garden with Ulysses.
"It's just like I heard. Summer really is hot, isn't it?"
Until this spring, Fiona had spent her life in a temperature-controlled room because of her fragile health. She had never truly experienced the changing seasons.
"Is the heat too much for you?" Ulysses asked.
"No, I'm fine. Even just sitting here and feeling the sweat on my skin... it makes me happy."
To Fiona, even the mundane sensations others took for granted were fresh and exciting. They were proof that she was alive.
"I'm sorry," Ulysses said suddenly. "If I had been faster with the paperwork, you could have skipped those primary and secondary exams."
"Don't be silly, Father. My health was the problem in the first place. You don't need to apologize."
If she’d had a recommendation letter, she could have skipped the early rounds. But Marquis Ignat had been too busy trying to save her life to worry about academy applications until the last second.
"Besides, starting from the beginning helped me get used to things. I wasn't as nervous."
"That may be, but it must have been a burden on you."
"Not at all. For someone who was bedridden for so long, every moment is a treasure. I'm truly having a wonderful time."
She gave him a radiant smile—one that wasn't strained by pain. Ulysses felt his own expression soften.
"In that case, we should get your uniform ready soon."
"Father? The results of the secondary exam aren't even out yet. Are you already preparing for my graduation?"
"I have no doubt you'll pass, Fiona. But there's another reason to be early."
He explained that uniforms took time, and waiting until the final results in February would be too late.
"For nobles, the period from winter to spring is full of events and parties. If you're well enough, you'll be joining me for many of them. It's better to be prepared."
Fiona felt a twinge of anxiety about the final exams, but she steeled herself. "I understand. I'll leave it to you."
Ever since Ren had saved her life, she had vowed to do her best in everything. She wouldn't let her resolve waver now.
"I'll tell the servants," Ulysses said, finishing his breakfast. "I have to get to work. Take it easy today, Fiona."
Once she was alone, Fiona exhaled and sipped her tea, looking up at the clear blue sky.
"I wonder... if Master Ren will be taking the exams too."
Based on what Edgar had told her about his strength, he would easily qualify for the Special Merit Class. If he enrolled, they might attend the same school. She tried to imagine him in the academy uniform, but since she’d never seen his face, the image remained a blurry silhouette in her mind.