After completing the long journey back from Clausel, Roy and Mireille returned to the village.
The scars left by Jelkku’s attack were deep. Ashton Manor, in particular, had been almost entirely leveled; it was a mere shadow of its former self.
And yet, smiles touched their faces.
It wasn’t that they were being overly optimistic, but rather that they had seen with their own eyes that Ren was safe.
"We’ll give it our all, Mireille."
"Yes. We have to make sure everything is ready for whenever Ren comes home."
Thinking of their son spending his days recovering in distant Clausel, they dedicated themselves to the village’s reconstruction.
"The Baron has been more than generous. By the time Ren returns, let’s make this a village that will leave him stunned."
Mireille nodded firmly.
The reconstruction efforts proceeded smoothly.
With Baron Clausel—Lezard—dispatching a large number of knights and young laborers, the village transformed with every passing day. Before long, work began on a new Ashton Manor. The master carpenter Lezard had sent put his incredible skills on display, and the new house took shape in the blink of an eye.
Roy spent his days tirelessly cutting and hauling timber. He didn’t stop at his own estate, either, putting his strength toward any part of the village that needed rebuilding.
Spring eventually gave way to early summer.
One morning, Roy found himself standing before a group of knights and a massive wagon that had just arrived from Clausel.
"Hm? That’s another quite large wagon. Doesn’t look like... building materials, though..."
Roy, who had been about to set out for another day of labor as usual, greeted the knights and voiced his confusion as he looked over the cargo.
The knights shared a smile.
"These are from Master Ren."
"...Ren?"
"Indeed. Actually—"
Stories of Ren’s life in Clausel were what kept Roy and Mireille going. They had been looking forward to more news this time as well.
"Hah! I should have known! That’s just like him!"
They had already considered the possibility that Ren might end up fighting monsters in Clausel, so Roy had no complaints. He was simply stunned. Ren had sent a shipment of magic tools to his home village, funded by achievements far beyond anything Roy had imagined.
"The Baron was quite surprised himself."
"I’ll bet he was! I can't just stand around here! Hey! Mireille!"
Roy shouted for his wife and went sprinting toward the manor. He ran with a look of pure joy on his face—but a surprise even greater than this one would reach their ears a short time later.
There came a day when a shipment arrived with more than double the usual number of wagons. On that day, even the knights who arrived wore weary, wry grins.
Mireille, who had been out working with Roy since morning, spoke up first.
"Dear, aren’t there more wagons than usual?"
"Well, building materials, maybe?"
Even they found it hard to believe that every single wagon was filled with gifts from Ren. However, a knight riding a horse along the path through the fields stopped in front of them.
"Good morning."
"Ah, morning. Looks like you’ve got quite the haul this time. Should we help you get it to the storage area?"
"About that... these aren't materials..."
"Not materials? Is it food, then?"
The knight didn't nod; the wry grin remained on his face.
"Everything here is a magic tool."
"...What?"
"Oh... oh my. Does that mean they're from Ren?"
"Yes. Just as Lady Mireille suspected, these are all gifts from Master Ren."
The knight gestured toward the long line of wagons moving along a wider path through the fields.
"There are smaller items, of course, but many of these are large-scale magic tools. For instance, we have streetlights and water filtration magic tools. For the latter, Master Ren believed that if they were installed in the wells, they could provide clean water for everyone in the village. Furthermore—"
As the explanation continued, Roy—who, unlike his wife, was standing there dumbfounded—finally found his voice. The more he heard, the more he realized just how much money must have been spent.
"Wait, wait, wait! Just how much did all this cost?! Is Ren okay?! He isn't pushing himself too hard for our sake, is he?!"
Mireille shared his concern, but as it turned out, there was no need to worry. The knight told them everything—how Ren had obtained the funds for such a massive purchase and what had been happening in Clausel recently.
"—And so, Master Ren successfully defeated two D-rank monsters."
When they heard he had done so almost entirely on his own, the parents looked at each other. They laughed until they were on the verge of tears, their hearts swelling with pride over their son’s accomplishments.
"Good grief... what's happening? It seems like there's no stopping our son's growth."
"Yes. He really is something else..."
The two looked toward the distant horizon. Their eyes were fixed in the direction of Clausel, their thoughts lingering on the son who lived so far away. They offered a silent prayer that Ren would continue to have a bright and brilliant future.