Kays Translations

Chapter 33: An Encounter in Silver

The boys and girls panicked when the adventurers appeared.

They cried out in surprise, yet none of them looked away from the monsters they were fighting. Their ability to continue battling despite the confusion was impressive.

“W-Who are they?”

“I don’t know! Stay alert!”

“We don’t understand the situation either,” Meidas shouted, “but we are here to help you!”

The sight of adventurers and Clausel knights attacking the monsters eased the students’ immediate suspicion.

Shouts and the clash of weapons echoed around the fort.

Several of the boys and girls used magic. In this world, magic was not a power that could be employed so freely; a person had to be born with an appropriate skill.

(Amazing.)

Every student using magic displayed remarkable control. One launched fireballs. Another produced wind stronger than the blizzard and sliced through monsters’ hides.

Perhaps they did not require much help after all.

The moment Ren considered that, the blizzard intensified.

Through the snow, he noticed someone fighting alone at a distance. Numerous monster silhouettes surrounded the isolated figure.

That was where help was most urgently needed.

“I’m going to assist the person over there!”

“Understood! Once again, do not overexert yourself!”

“I won’t! Please stay safe as well!”

Ren left the knight and ran toward the distant fighter.

The snow here did not reach his knees, but it still swallowed his ankles. Relying on his physical ability, he raced through it like the wind.

At the edge of the blizzard, he found a single girl fighting. Ren summoned the Iron Magic Sword and cut down a monster aiming for her back.

She spun around at the sound.

“Y-You are—?”

“I came with the rescue party!”

Even amid battle, her voice reached him with strange clarity.

The storm concealed her face, but Ren could see black hair streaming behind her while magic poured from both hands.

He was not the only one surprised.

(…Her magic is incredible.)

(…Such force in his sword.)

Neither spoke their thoughts. They simply continued defeating the monsters rushing toward them.

There was no question of struggle. Together, they overwhelmed everything nearby.

(How did children capable of fighting like this end up stranded in the Baldor Mountains?)

Ren’s swordsmanship combined natural ferocity with the disciplined fundamentals Weiss had taught him. No monster could approach him safely.

Before the girl realized it, their enemies were falling one after another.

“I’ll leave the monsters farther away to you,” Ren said.

“Yes. Understood.”

Without discussion, they began entrusting their backs to each other.

Ren controlled the range of the sword. Beyond it, blades of ice formed by the girl pierced monsters through the body.

Their movements were so fluid that the battle resembled a carefully arranged performance.

(…Why is it so easy to fight beside her?)

(…How can he move as though he understands me better than I understand myself?)

They adjusted their positions to match each other’s range. Soon, only one monster remained.

Ren’s sword and the girl’s magic struck it almost simultaneously.

Fresh snow had turned crimson with monster blood. When the girl saw it, she finally understood that the battle was over.

“It’s finished…”

All strength seemed to leave her body, and she sank down beside Ren.

“Are you all right?”

“I-I’m sorry. I have never fought so many monsters before. The moment I realized it was over, my legs simply gave way…”

Her voice was as clear as flowing water, and every word revealed how earnestly she was trying to recover her composure.

Because they had fought back-to-back, Ren turned toward her and extended a hand.

At some point, the blizzard had stopped.

For the first time, he could see her clearly.

“Thank you.”

“Please, don’t worry about it.”

Her beauty seemed to transform the bleak battlefield around her. Her hair blended the colors of obsidian and amethyst. Her refined features, framed by the snow-covered landscape, made her resemble a spirit born from winter itself.

Even Ren, who saw Licia’s beauty every day, could not avoid finding the girl mysterious.

She looked at his offered hand and accepted it.

“…Huh?”

“…What?”

The instant their hands touched, Ren thought he saw violet electricity flash from the necklace at her throat.

It vanished so quickly that both of them merely tilted their heads. Perhaps it had been an illusion.

Then Ren focused on the necklace and recognized it.

(The Demon-Destroying Necklace.)

There was no mistake.

It was a wearable magic tool that had appeared in Legend of the Seven Heroes. Its appearance was identical to the item from the game.

(Why is she wearing equipment with such poor performance?)

The Demon-Destroying Necklace was valuable because one of the Seven Heroes had created it, and only a small number existed. Its actual effect, however, was disappointingly weak for something so rare.

It also had no ability that should release violet electricity.

Ren concluded that the flash must have been his imagination. Once the girl was standing, he released her hand.

“Good! It looks as though both of you are unharmed!”

Meidas approached while they brushed snow from their winter clothing.

“I heard from the others that you are the one organizing this group,” he told the girl.

She nodded quietly.

She seemed ready to ask who Meidas and Ren were, but Meidas continued without giving her the opportunity.

“Forgive me for asking immediately, but why were so many boys and girls traveling together in a place this dangerous?”

“Before I answer, please tell me something. Are those people members of House Clausel?”

The girl looked at the knights who had arrived behind Ren. She had probably recognized the crest engraved on their equipment.

“Yes,” one knight replied. “Our lord ordered us to come here and rescue the adventurers in this region.”

The knight’s conduct and answer convinced her that he was speaking truthfully.

Relief softened her face.

“Thank goodness…”

Her white breath blended with the cold wind in a small sigh.

“It appears this should be left to you,” Meidas said, stepping back to let the knight take charge.

The knight understood his intention and addressed the girl respectfully.

“Pardon me, my lady, but may we ask your identity?”

“Ah… Forgive me. I should have introduced myself sooner.”

The beautiful girl straightened and bowed with elegant dignity. Had they been standing in a ballroom rather than beside a bloodstained fort, the grace of the gesture would undoubtedly have captivated every onlooker.

“I am…”

Her next words left everyone speechless.

Even if Ren had possessed the wisdom of a legendary sage, he could never have predicted this meeting. The surprise reminded him of the day he first encountered Licia.

“I am Fiona, the only daughter of Ulysses Ignat.”

Shock spread across every face.

Ren could do nothing except blink repeatedly.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter