Kays Translations

Chapter Three: Some Time Later

Ren was unable to undertake any notable training until he turned seven.

That might have seemed surprising for the son of a knight, but his parents were in no hurry. They waited for his body to grow.

Fortunately, once Ren turned seven and could move more freely, his father, Roy, asked, “Would you like to try swinging a sword?”

It was spring, the morning after Ren’s seventh birthday.

“So, from now on, you’re also allowed to leave the house. Starting today, you may go outside alone as long as you remain within the manor’s garden. But if you cross the fence, you’ll get a knuckle to the head.”

“I understand, but… shouldn’t we finally repair that fence? Grandma Rigg said it was dangerous too.”

“Hmm. If Grandma Rigg said so, I suppose we have no choice. I’ll make sure it is repaired before the year ends.”

Grandma Rigg was the owner of the elderly voice Ren had heard beside Mireille when he was born into this world.

She was the village’s only midwife, and for several decades, not a single baby had been born without her assistance. Even the impoverished noble Ashton family could not argue with her.

“Training begins this afternoon. There are plenty of wooden swords in the storehouse, so choose whichever one you like.”

With a longsword on his back, Roy headed toward the door beside the earthen-floored entryway.

“Take care, Father!”

“Be careful, dear!”

“I will! Wait for me–I’ll hunt plenty of monsters today!”

Although Roy held the rank of knight, he had little work that resembled the duties of a noble.

The closest thing was preparing documents for the baron he served several times a year.

On those occasions, even the normally cheerful Roy sat groaning at his desk. On every other day, he hunted monsters as he was doing now, and he looked far more alive than when buried in paperwork.

(It keeps the village safe and provides income. Two birds with one stone.)

As Mireille had once explained, Roy’s monster hunting also helped increase the poor village’s earnings.

Farming alone was not enough to support either the Ashton family or the village.

(I did wonder why they didn’t simply move elsewhere.)

But people could not so easily abandon the land where they were born. Some matters could not be solved by logic alone, so everyone simply had to work hard to survive.

“Thank you for breakfast! I’m going to the library to study!”

“My, my. You’re such a good boy again today.”

Mireille saw him off with a lovely smile. Ren left the kitchen and crossed the manor, his steps making the increasingly worn wooden floor creak.

The room ahead was called a library, though its collection was hardly impressive.

For Ren, however, it was one of his few sources of information. He had visited it almost every day since turning three.

“Now then.”

As usual, he opened the aged door and entered.

The Ashton manor’s library was not large. If three single beds were placed side by side, there would be almost no room left for anything else.

The only furnishings were a bookshelf covering one wall and a desk beside the window.

Ren approached the desk and sat on a round stool with unsteady legs.

“What should I read today?”

The books he had used to learn reading and writing were arranged across the desk.

Although the reincarnated Ren could understand the spoken language, he had initially been unable to read or write the world’s script. Mireille had taught him to read books and practice writing. It was only during the past year that he had become capable of reading alone.

Remembering those early lessons with fondness, Ren opened one of the books.

“This continent really is enormous…”

The volume described geography that had remained unchanged from the game’s setting. Ren began reading while he rested after breakfast.

The opening pages discussed the world’s continents, beginning with the one containing the country where Ren lived.

It was called the Elfen Continent, named after Elfen, the chief deity.

Except for a few regions, its land was exceptionally fertile. Blessed with mineral deposits and abundant marine resources, it was called a continent favored by the chief god and stood at the center of the world.

Even a blessed land had experienced human conflict throughout its long history, as well as devastation caused by monsters and the Demon King. Consequently, few countries had survived unchanged to the present day. Most had either been absorbed by other nations or destroyed.

There was only one exception.

It was the country in which Ren had been born.

The great power of western Elfen and the setting of The Legend of the Seven Heroes: the Leomel Empire.

Nearly a thousand years earlier, its founder, known as the Lion King, had established Leomel. Since then, the empire had remained undefeated through countless wars.

Its military strength was so far beyond that of other nations that none dared attack it.

Furthermore, seven people from Leomel–the Seven Heroes–had defeated the Demon King. The other countries felt indebted to the empire and refused to raise arms against it.

That summarized the basic world information presented in The Legend of the Seven Heroes.

“And our village is…”

Ren looked toward the northwestern edge of the Leomel Empire on the world map, where a black mark indicated his village.

It was so remote that reaching the imperial capital by carriage took a little over two months. Even the city ruled by their lord, the baron, lay about ten days east by horse.

A still larger city could be reached by traveling northeast.

However, the viscount who governed it had no connection to the Ashton family, so Ren doubted he would ever have reason to visit.

“I should start studying.”

He had rested long enough after breakfast.

Ren lightly slapped his cheeks, opened a convenient book, and tried to focus. Today, however, his concentration was poor.

He knew why.

He was so excited about the afternoon’s training that he could not keep his mind on his studies.

“This isn’t working.”

He tried several more times, but nothing changed.

Finally giving up, Ren rose and headed toward the storehouse that held the training equipment.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Roy returned to the manor that afternoon.

He came carrying five Little Boars across his shoulders. The sight made Ren stare in amazement at his father’s strength.

Roy deposited the monsters on the earthen floor of the kitchen, then returned to the garden where Ren waited.

“Hmm? Did we have a wooden sword that small?”

Roy was looking at the Wooden Magic Sword in Ren’s hand.

“Is this one unsuitable?”

“No, it’s fine. I was only surprised that we had one so small.”

When Ren visited the storehouse, he had inspected numerous wooden swords.

Some were the same length as his Wooden Magic Sword. That gave him an excuse to carry his summoned weapon openly.

He was also wearing the bracelet, but the leather guards he had put on for training concealed it from Roy.

“It suits you.”

“Is it true that you made this equipment for me, Father?”

“Yes. I use leather gear myself, so I’m good at sewing it.”

“Thank you. It fits well and will be very helpful.”

In truth, Ren had struggled over whether to reveal his Magic Sword Summoning skill.

He did not know whether it was normal for a child to use a skill, so for the time being, he had decided that keeping it hidden would cause fewer complications.

“As for your training…”

Roy began to speak, and Ren’s heart leaped at the prospect of his first real lesson.

“Come at me.”

“…What?”

“Sorry, but don’t expect much talent as an instructor. The Ashton family may be a knightly house, but I was born and raised in this remote village. I’ve never taught anyone how to use a sword.”

“…That is surprisingly convincing.”

“My late father trained me the same way.”

“I see. And because you became strong enough to fight monsters, you believe I’ll be fine too?”

“That’s my Ren. You understand quickly.”

At best, it could be called a practical approach.

Ren did not know the correct way to teach swordsmanship, but if Roy had grown strong through this method, he could not say it was entirely wrong.

“Come on. Don’t hold back.”

Unexpectedly, Ren’s excitement remained undiminished.

He tightened his grip on the Wooden Magic Sword, lowered his center of gravity, and–

“Understood!”

–stepped forward, driving his body ahead.

He felt light, almost as though the body were not his own.

Since reincarnating, he had never moved with so much force. Only now did he realize how capable his new body had become.

“Good step!”

Hearing Roy’s praise, Ren raised the Wooden Magic Sword high.

He had no intention of testing Nature Magic (Minor). He simply swung the blade down at Roy with all his strength.

“Guh?!”

Naturally, Roy blocked it.

The instant Roy’s horizontal wooden sword collided with Ren’s magic sword, a powerful shock ran through Ren’s hands.

“We’ll keep going until your body refuses to move!”

“Y-yes!”

Ren answered bravely, though his hands had begun to tingle from the impact.

“Haaah!”

He stepped in a second time, then a third.

Again and again, he swung at the waiting Roy and tried to break through his guard.

But the difference in their strength and size was overwhelming, and Roy showed no sign of yielding.

Even so–

(This is fun.)

Ren discovered that he was enjoying himself and continued attacking without giving up.

All he was doing was repeatedly swinging at a stationary opponent, yet the simple exercise thrilled him.

(It must be fun because this is leveling up for me!)

If he continued working, his skill level should rise.

That thought helped him endure the exhaustion spreading through his body.

“Hah… hah…”

Even when he ran out of breath–

“Guh?!”

Even when Roy’s strength knocked him backward–

“I can still continue!”

–Ren forced his body onward for the level-up waiting ahead.

However noble his determination, he was still only seven years old.

Reincarnating into a fantasy world with a special skill did not give an untrained child enough stamina to repeat such movements for dozens of minutes.

Less than half an hour after training began, the strength drained from Ren’s entire body. Finally, he collapsed onto the ground.

“…M-my body won’t move.”

“Good work. You dropped rather suddenly.”

Lying spread-eagled, Ren looked up at Roy.

“We’ll stop here for today.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. For my own son, you moved unbelievably well for a seven-year-old. Anyway, I’m going to heat water and wash off the sweat. What about you? Do you want to cool down here a little longer?”

“Yes… I think I will.”

“All right. I’ll come back for you soon.”

Roy walked away.

After confirming that his father had disappeared inside the manor, Ren removed the guard from his arm and looked at the bracelet concealed beneath it.

– Magic Sword Summoning Technique (Level 1: 2 / 100)

“Yes!”

The proficiency value had truly increased. Ren broke into a carefree smile of delight.

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