Kays Translations

Chapter 27: Assault

Two days later, after breakfast, Ren finished preparing for the day’s hunt and waited for Roy in the yard.

When his father appeared, however, he immediately told Ren to remove his equipment.

“I want you to skip the hunt today and help carry lumber in the village.”

“Lumber? Why all of a sudden?”

“Fortunately, Sir Weiss and his knights offered to help with several jobs. They’ll deal with the ridiculous increase in Little Boars and lend a hand with the carpentry while they’re here.”

“Oh, I see.”

“I’m going to the lumber storehouse with Sir Weiss.”

Ren tilted his head. “The storehouse?”

“Did I never tell you? There’s a shed near the bridge where we keep timber. Ever since I mentioned repairing the manor, I’ve been adding to the stock a little at a time.”

Roy and Weiss would inspect the forest on their way to the shed, then pass the timber to the knights who were transporting it. Ren would help at the village end of the work.

“Once I’ve given instructions at the storehouse, I’ll enter the forest with Sir Weiss and several knights.”

Weiss arrived just as Roy finished explaining.

Mireille came out of the manor behind him.

“Sir Roy, shall we begin?” Weiss asked.

“Yes. I’ve just explained everything to Ren.”

“I’m going to Grandma Rigg’s house,” Mireille said. “Lady Licia needs more medicine prepared, so I probably won’t return until the afternoon.”

“We have imposed upon you again, Lady Mireille.”

Mireille hurriedly waved away Weiss’s bow.

“Caring for the lord’s daughter is part of a knightly household’s duty. Leave this sort of work to me.”

She set off along the road ahead of them.

Ren and the others soon followed, joining the knights already gathered outside the gate.

“My fellow knights,” Weiss called.

Every knight straightened.

“We must repay the kindness we have received. Take your assigned positions and put the strength you have cultivated over the years to good use.”

The knights answered with a spirited shout and immediately dispersed. Some accompanied Roy and Weiss toward the storehouse, while others headed to the houses awaiting repair.

Ren looked up before beginning his own task.

The sky was overcast.

Please, Main God Elfen, do not let it rain.

* * * *

Within two hours, the weather deteriorated sharply.

Rain began to fall, and thick fog rolled across the village within moments. Visibility became so poor that even nearby buildings faded into gray.

“Ren! We should suspend the work!” one of the knights called.

“I agree! The weather is only getting worse.”

Ren had been moving back and forth between the repair sites and a temporary lumber yard established between the fields and the Ashton manor. Several old houses required work in addition to the manor, so the central transfer point had made transportation easier.

The rain intensified. Mud formed beneath their boots.

They would have to shelter indoors until the storm passed.

Ren was about to say so when his nose twitched.

What is that?

Beneath the scent of wet earth was something sharp and acrid.

Smoke.

Some villagers burned their fields several times a year, but this odor was far too dense. The knight beside Ren noticed it as well.

It was coming from the direction of the manor.

Ren moved before he was conscious of deciding to run.

“What is that smell—Ren, wait!”

The knight shouted and chased after him.

Through the fog, a deep red glow burned where the Ashton manor stood. With every step, the truth became clearer.

Fire.

Crimson flames blazed in the rain.

“Why… Why is my house burning?”

The question was natural, but Ren did not stop to search for an answer.

His thoughts went to those who had remained there—above all, Licia.

“Please wait, Ren!”

He ignored the knight’s warning and sprinted.

A journey that normally took more than ten minutes vanished beneath his feet.

“Hah…hah…”

As he drew closer, another smell pierced the fog and rain.

Blood.

Something terrible had happened.

The flames continued to rage despite the downpour, appearing and disappearing behind the dense fog like a crimson sun.

Faster!

The old fence emerged ahead.

Beyond it, bodies lay scattered across the garden.

Ren rushed to the nearest knight, but there was nothing he could do. Every guard was dead. Savage wounds marked their necks, as though something had torn out their throats with its teeth.

The body beneath Ren’s hand was still warm.

This had happened only moments ago.

They used the fog, and the rain hid the sound. Who could kill them all so quickly?

He fought down a surge of nausea and looked toward the manor.

The home filled with his memories was engulfed in fire. Flames poured from its entrance like the breath of a dragon.

Ren did not stop.

He kicked through the door, summoned the Iron Magic Sword, and entered.

For one instant, he considered waiting for the knight behind him.

Whoever had set the fire and slaughtered the guards might still be inside. Entering alone was foolish. The others would arrive within minutes.

But what would happen to Licia during those minutes?

What if she was killed while he waited?

Fear remained, but his feet would not obey it.

Ren drew a breath, struck both cheeks with his palms, and plunged into the manor.

“How did this happen…?”

The interior glowed red, dazzling with fire. Waves of heat scorched his skin.

He forced his way through them and ran up what remained of the staircase. At the edge of his vision, another knight lay motionless amid the flames.

Ren refused to let terror turn him back.

He reached his room and threw open the door.

“My lady!”

He shouted toward the bed.

A man stood beside it, accompanied by two monsters.

A blue veil of light surrounded the stranger, protecting him from the flames. He wore a gray robe that concealed nearly everything about him, and a white wooden staff rested in his hand.

“So you are Ren Ashton.”

Licia lay unconscious behind him.

Did he do this?

Anger, grief, and confusion surged through Ren, but he forced himself to observe the creatures beside the man.

Those are—

Mana Eaters.

Each resembled an enormous black lizard. Its face had neither eyes nor nose, only a vast mouth lined with sharp fangs. Batlike wings spread from a body as large as an adult human.

Ren recalled everything he knew about them from Legend of the Seven Heroes.

“Was this your doing, Beast Tamer?”

The man gave a low laugh. “You recognize what I am?”

“Anyone who knows those creatures would. They’re Mana Eaters. They produce fire and create a veil that protects their master from it. What else would that make you?”

The man left the bedside and advanced.

Ren raised the Iron Magic Sword. Each time the stranger stepped forward, Ren retreated a step.

“These Mana Eaters were indeed summoned by my power.”

The Beast Tamer sounded amused.

“To think you understand even that much. You are an interesting child.”

Ren was secretly relieved that his game knowledge had proven correct, but the situation remained desperate.

Think. What can I do?

Mana Eaters summoned through a Beast Tamer’s skill possessed strength equivalent to ordinary D-rank monsters.

There were two of them.

Fighting head-on was impossible.

Father and Sir Weiss will come soon.

Ren needed only to buy time. He had to prolong the standoff until help arrived.

Then the manor shuddered.

“Ah…?”

The already fragile building had been burning from within. Even the rain could not prevent its collapse.

The ceiling above Licia’s bed began to give way.

“No!”

Ren summoned the Wooden Magic Sword and produced a mass of roots and vines to support the falling timbers.

A Mana Eater opened its enormous mouth.

Fire engulfed the growths and reduced them to charcoal in an instant. The ceiling continued to fall.

Ren had no choice but to move.

“Damn it!”

He swung the Wooden Magic Sword with all his strength, using the pressure of each blow to drive back the flames.

Without slowing, he reached the bed and slashed through the collapsing timbers before they could strike Licia.

In exchange, he exposed himself.

“Sleep for a while.”

The Beast Tamer’s cold voice sounded behind him.

A fresh scent, similar to mint, entered Ren’s nose.

Strength vanished from his limbs. His eyelids became impossibly heavy, and he collapsed beside Licia.

“What…did you…”

“Incense. Enough to keep even a small dragon asleep for several days.”

As consciousness slipped away, Ren reached toward Licia.

He drew her slender body into his arms to shield her.

Then darkness took him.

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