Chapter 53: This is the Main Part —-He said

The days after that summer continued to be busy.

Not that his time in Clausel was not fulfilling, but there was so much to do in Elendil besides studying for exams that it passed by in the blink of an eye.

The Clausel family also had a big event.

When Lessard was summoned to the castle, he was given the title of Viscount in recognition of his achievements as Lord of Elendil. Not only for his cooperation in the summer riots, but also for his skill in governing Elendil, which had been the source of so much trouble. The Emperor himself proclaimed it at the ceremony held in the audience chamber of the imperial castle.

This surprised everyone.

Especially Lessard was astonished and exchanged hugs with many people. He thanked Ren with tears in his eyes.

Lessard is now known as Viscount Clausel.

Although he’s not yet a high-ranking noble, Lessard is more remembered by the other nobles. The summer ceremony even became a bit of a topic of conversation among the nobles, as the Emperor unusually mentioned that he was “expecting” a lot.

Also, Licia’s birthday in the summer is the same as Ren’s, so it was just a modest celebration with family only.

In the fall, there are the third round of exams, and when the year is over, the final exams. He and Licia would work hard on their studies, Fiona would sometimes help them, and on certain days Ren would go out to the imperial capital as promised with Radius. Licia left the house for a month to do work for the Clausel family, the relationship between Licia and Fiona changed when she returned, and many other things happened.

It was a half year in which there was no shortage of topics to talk about, even after summer had passed—–

It was one day in spring.

“Father!”

The first time Licia showed up in the uniform of the Imperial Military Academy, she was in the special class uniform. Seeing this, Lesard smiled with deep emotion and congratulated her on this special day.

He also congratulated Ren, who was also dressed in his uniform.

“You both look great.”

“Thank you. It feels a little tight on the shoulders.”

“That’s how it is with brand new uniforms. The uniforms will eventually soften and fit you better.”

On the day of the entrance ceremony, the weather was perfect.

The sky was blue and cloudless, neither too warm nor too cold, making it a perfect day for the entrance ceremony.

“Come on, everyone.”

Weiss, who came from outside, called out to everyone at the entrance.

He told the two in their uniforms something similar to what Lessard had said to them, and at the end, he was moved to tears with tears in his eyes.

But we can’t stay like this.

If we don’t leave soon, we will be late for the entrance ceremony.

The three of them went out under the blue sky, being seen off by the gentle expressions of the servants, knights, and butlers who gathered at the entrance.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

It was silver, crimson, and gold.

The Imperial Military Academy boasts a large auditorium. Looking up at the ceiling from their seats on the first floor, they could see golden chandeliers lined up on the far higher ceiling. The silvery-white interior walls were majestic, and the crimson carpet was a perfect match. The interior is fan-shaped.

The seating along the fan-shaped structure extends to the second, third and fifth floors, where every single guest of honor and current student participates in the entrance ceremony.

And standing on the dais at the far end of the room is the immensely beautiful —- Klonoa Hyland.

She was there today to welcome the new students after returning to Leomel after a long period of responsibility.

Another faculty member’s voice echoed through the large auditorium where the entrance ceremony was held.

At this academy, the new student with the highest grades among the boys and girls is the representative, and he or she steps in front of Klonoa on the stage.

The following two students had their names called this year.

Ren Ashton and Licia Clausel.

As the ceremony neared its end, the two students got up from their seats next to each other and walked through the main auditorium.

“Ren, are you nervous?”

“Yes, a little bit, actually.”

“Good. I’m with you.”

They exchanged a lurking sound and a soft smile.

They walked on the thick crimson carpet and stood in front of the platform at the far end of the hall. They climbed the stairs and headed for the dean who awaited them at the end of it.

(……I never thought I would be standing here with Licia.)

The light from the chandelier poured onto the platform was dazzling.

While almost dazzled, Ren recalled memories behind his eyelids.

“You can see it, can’t you? I just killed her.”

Ren Ashton, who had killed the saint Licia, and who had said those words while holding her corpse in his arms. The blood dripping from Saint Licia, who had turned into a speechless corpse, soaked the podium.

I’m now standing with Licia on that platform.

Shoulder to shoulder, so close.

I was tormented by mixed emotions, but I didn’t stop my footsteps. I walked slowly, the soles of my leather shoes hitting the wooden floor with a thud.

And waiting for me was her —- Klonoa.

In the legend of the Seven Heroes, she is the other person whose life Ren takes. She is one of the world’s greatest wizards.

Shaking her gold thread hair, Klonoa Hyland was delighted by the arrival of Ren and Licia. She wore a wide-brimmed witch’s hat and a cape without a hint of sarcasm.

As they stood over the platform, she gave them a smile that could be mistaken for jewelry.

“Nice to meet you, saint. And —- long time no see, hero-kun.”

Licia was nervous when Klonoa spoke to her that way. However, Licia was taken aback by the fact that she immediately called Ren Hero-kun.

Also, Klonoa said it had indeed been a long time.

Licia looked at Ren without knowing why, and saw that Ren was also puzzled.

(Long time no see….?)

Ren wondered when and where they had met, and thought calmly under the circumstances.

Thinking that Klonoa must not be lying, he racked his brain to wonder where he had met her in the past.

It would be in the game, but Klonoa, like Licia, is a special existence to Ren.

How could he forget if he had met such a person?

Two of the general council members who stepped to the podium said nothing in front of Klonoa.

Those watching did not feel uncomfortable with that.

The new students, the current students, and the guests of honor had misunderstood that they were talking about something.

“Did we meet somewhere?”

“Yes, we did. It’s been about two years. You and I have talked before.”

That was enough.

Ren had never lost the memory of something memorable in the past, and this time was no exception.

That was the day he defeated the steel-eating gargoyles.

And when he toured the villages in the territory with Licia.

“There were many twists and turns, but the dean —-“

“Klonoa is fine. I don’t think I’d like to be called “Mam” either.”

Klonoa deliberately interjected.

On the other hand, Ren touched on words he exchanged with Klonoa at the Adventurers’ Guild in Clausel.

“—-I decided to come to the imperial capital, just as Klonoa-san wanted.”

“Yes! I’m glad you remembered.”

“Re-Ren…? Where did you two meet!?”

You can’t panic on the stage.

Licia was pretending to be calm on her back, but she let her surprise be known to Klonoa and Ren, who was standing next to her, with a look of surprise on their faces.

Ren gave Klonoa a look and asked if he could speak.

Klonoa gave a small nod.

“There was a time when we toured a village together in Clausel, and I had to leave suddenly.”

“I wonder if it was when the person you met in town was somehow in the forest and you met again.”

“Yes, that’s right. It seems that person was Klonoa-san.”

“Ha-ha…I was looking for a place to use for the exam. It was a coincidence that I met Ren-kun twice in Clausel.”

Licia was surprised and Ren was not as surprised as he thought.

For Ren, it made sense and was somehow refreshing.

“I had heard about you from Marquis Ignat. I really wanted to go to the Clausel family to say hello….”

It didn’t happen, partly because the entrance examinations for this academy were special.

Klonoa tried to apologize for the incident in the Baldr Mountains, but decided to change her mind, thinking that it would take time here.

Instead she said.

“We’ll talk later. For now, as the dean, I’m going to do my best for a little while.”

Klonoa said.

To the two valedictorians and to the many new students sitting in the seats spread out behind them.

She congratulated everyone for entering the Imperial Military Academy and wished them a fruitful future at the academy.

Then she spread her arms out like wings and —-

“Come on, everyone.”

She snapped the fingertips of her right hand, and a gust of wind blew through the main auditorium.

The ceiling, the walls, and the floor.

Everything except the furnishings and chairs, all became transparent and turned into an endless blue sky. Clouds were passing through the sky as if they were swimming, and pure white birds were coming and going.

With the dazzling sunlight pouring in from the top of the sky, a mystical view came with Klonoa’s words.

“Welcome to the Imperial Military Academy! Welcome to the best school in the world!”

If the world of the gods existed, would it be a place like this?

Everyone in their seats, without exception, shouted in surprise, which soon turned into cheers.

Ren and Licia, who were also on the platform, looked around with relaxed cheeks at the joyous mixture of applause and shouts of delight.

“Congratulations to both of you today!”

Klonoa took advantage of the whirlpool of joy and called out.

To Ren and Licia who turned around, Klonoa was smiling sweetly.

“Let’s talk in the dean’s office next time!”

Ren and Licia wondered if it was a place to invite them so lightly, but the other party was Klonoa, a being with more power than most high-ranking nobles.

It would be outrageous to refuse, and Ren also wants to hear about Clausel properly.

When they said “yes” somewhat hesitantly, Klonoa beamed happily.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

After the entrance ceremony, every corner of the campus is bustling with activity.

For example, in the main auditorium, in the garden, and near the main gate, there were many people talking and chatting every year.

Nobles would deepen their friendship and talk about the future.

Promising students were sometimes approached by upperclassmen and their families, and they would talk about how they could be recruited as squires or civil officials as early as possible. Especially noticeable were those wearing the uniforms of the special class, and the area around the notable elites was conspicuously crowded.

Knowing this, Licia was near the main gate. She somehow managed to avoid creating a crowd by hinting that she was about to leave.

“Licia!”

Sarah Riohard called out to her.

She brought Vane with her to visit Licia and shared her joy at the prospect of studying in the same class.

Vane watched over the two of them, smiling briskly.

“We were in separate exam rooms until the very end, but we’ll be in the same classroom from now on!”

“Yes, It’ll be nice to see you from now on—-Vane, is that you?”

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you! My name is Vane! I don’t have a family name, but I’m in the care of the Riohard family now…..”

Vane was nervous and a little tense in front of Licia’s loveliness.

Licia in her uniform is dazzling to anyone who sees her, and just standing next to her makes them nervous. It wasn’t that Sarah wasn’t, but the prestige of a saint…?

“Yes. I look forward to working with you.”

Licia looked at her watch after saying that.

The watch was given to her by Ren as a birthday gift this past summer. The pink gold overall is a lovely watch, and the pure white dial suits her neat and clean look.

“I wish we could have talked a little longer, but I have to go.”

It had been decided long ago that Ulysses would host a celebration today. It will be a suitably ostentatious occasion, with Radius also visiting in secret.

So Licia said to Ren, who was being approached by other new students.

“Ren, we should get going. My father is waiting.”

Ren, who had been doing so by Licia’s side, turned around and showed his face to both Vane and Sarah.

They were stunned.

They blinked over and over again, then remembered that summer night.

“Huh—-?”

“That —-?”

To the two who were astonished, Ren said in a lighthearted manner, “Hey, it’s been a long time”.

Licia, who had been listening to the conversation, smiled helplessly and said again, “Let’s go”. She bids farewell to Sarah and Vane, and starts to walk away with Ren.

As Ren and Licia their backs and start to walk away.

“Ah, him… could it be…?”

“You, you don’t mean —-?!”

The voice of those two people reaching Ren and Licia’s backs surprised them.

“Licia said that the boy who is stronger than her is —- that’s right! He was a valedictorian with Licia…..!”

“Oh, yes! That means he’s the one she’s’ been talking about…..!”

Licia asks Ren in a voice that can be heard even in the distance, and which is bounced around in a good mood.

“I know I said we should go, but do you still want to talk to them?”

“No, we will be taking classes in the same classroom anyway, so there will be plenty of opportunities to talk. So today, let’s prioritize what needs to be prioritized.”

“Fufu—- yeah. Shall we?”

Licia walks nimbly, trotting along beside him.

Ren laughed as he walked around the bustling main gate area, remembering when this day’s event was a gaming event.

(Really, a lot of things have changed.)

Originally, the valedictorian was supposed to be a legitimate son of one of the seven great heroic nobles, not Licia and Ren.

Ren’s presence has changed that, and his encounter with Klonoa, his reunion with her, and their conversation are all new developments.

Therefore, Ren no longer harbors the fear of the Imperial Military Academy that he had felt in the past. All he has in his mind now is the desire to grow and the determination to face the challenges that await him.

“Ren looks like it’s going to be fun.”

“Yes, It’s fun. I’m pretty excited.”

Because it’s just beginning.

So much for the story of Ren’s entry into the academy.

It is the beginning of the story for him, so to speak. The events of the first part of Legend of the Seven Heroes I are finally over, and the main story begins when he enters the academy, so what has happened so far is definitely the beginning of the story.

Even if this is not in the game, it is only as a feeling.

(But it has been a long, long chapter.)

I have fought and almost died many times.

I have experienced many things that I wouldn’t have experienced in my normal life.

So how about this beginning of the book like this? How about a beginning that is more tumultuous than others, but filled with happiness to compensate for it?

A pleasant spring breeze swept Ren’s hair.

As if blending in with the bustle of his surroundings, Ren speaks in a quiet voice.

These words are surely a reaffirmation of his own feelings. He wants to affirm the way he has lived his life up to now, and to be filled with light in his future life.

Ren puts his many thoughts into words about all that he has done.

“Now, let the main story begin—-“

The strange fate he meets after being reincarnated as the mastermind behind the story.

The real beginning of it was surely this day.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Let me tell you a part of an old tale —-.

A girl was imprisoned in a stone tower under strict control.

The girl was beautiful. Her face was so pretty and beautiful that any flower or jewel could have captivated any man of the opposite sex.

However, she had a rare and tremendous power in her body that could consume anything.

Just by being near her, life force was eroded, her skin was blistered, and even her brain was eroded by this terrifying power that took away her sanity.

There was a person who called out to such a girl.

A man who steals the eyes of the guards at night and calls to her through a small window that allows a glimpse of the outside.

Two months had passed since he began to visit the stone tower.

During that time, the girl had listened to the man’s voice, but had never responded.

It was only after another month that she responded.

“Why are you persistent?』

The man who was suddenly asked this question, without haste and in his usual tone, replied in his usual way

“Because I’m strong. You are not strong enough to hurt me with your powers.』

He said in a matter-of-fact tone and waited for the girl to speak her next words.

“You’re lying. You must be using some kind of power to prevent it. You must have been sent by my father to get me in a good mood.』

“No, nothing like that.”

“Then reach out your hand through that little window. If you can touch me without fear, I will believe you.”

“If that is all it takes for you to believe me, I’ll be happy to』

The man put his hand through the small window.

The girl was stunned, but instead of laying her hand on his hand, she hurriedly moved away from the small window.

“Are you stupid? Or are you stupid?』

“I don’t understand what you’re saying when you line up the same words.”

“You’re brave……. Enough of this, put your hand back before it’s too late.』

But the man didn’t put his hand back.

Rather, instead of looking in through the small window, he waved his arm and tried hard to touch the girl.

The girl looked at him and said, “I knew you were stupid after all.”

“I’m going crazy. It was you who told me to touch it. If you call me a fool, you are calling yourself a fool.”

“You’re the first person to call me a fool.”

“I’m flattered.”

“I didn’t mean it as a compliment.  It’s enough… Just put your hand back.』

“No, I’m not putting it back until you touch me.”

The girl let out a deep sigh.

And moved further away from the small window so that even that sigh couldn’t reach the man’s ears.

The man’s hand drooped as he noticed that the girl’s voice had moved away.

“There is nothing good in touching me.”

“Yes, there is.”

“Say it.”

『—- at least you’ll understand that I’m not like the others.』

“No need for that. This is the last time. If you don’t want the knights to come down on you, pull out your hand and walk away.”

The man’s arm didn’t move an inch, and he wasn’t sure what to do.

Then the man asked, as if it were a good idea.

“How can I take your hand?』

He said, even more brazenly.

The girl let out a deep sigh again and said in a raspy voice, “Ah!” she said in a raspy voice.

In response to the man’s reluctance to give up, she decided to muddy the waters by forcing him to do the impossible.

“I will take your hand if you bring me a certain object to restrain my power. I don’t mind if we meet face to face and kiss my hand.』

The tone was somewhat rough and pompous because she was dealing with a man who wasn’t the type to give up.

That’s not a girl’s natural tone. The girl herself was secretly surprised at how different her tone was from usual.

“Tell me what I should bring. Let me prepare somehow』

The girl uttered the words that she had heard from a well-known magician before.

As I recall, a woman named Mirim Altia had said the following: —-.

“A fragment of the Dragon King’s horn, the blood of the phoenix that rules the sky continent. Bring me the tears of the giants that lie at the bottom of the sea.”

Hearing this, the man finally withdrew his hand from the small window.

The girl was tormented by mixed feelings of relief, thinking that the man had finally given up, but also a little disappointed that he had given up.

However, the girl was mistaken.

The man didn’t look through the small window, but smiled happily outside under the moonlight.

“I’ll bring you everything within a year.”

“Eh, ah —- hey! Wait a minute! Wait!』

“I promise you. Please wait just for a while. Please don’t go back on your word.”

“Wait! Umm —-!』

The man’s presence was gone. Before she knew it, he had suddenly vanished like a mist.

The girl was puzzled by this fact and sat down on the floor.

“You’re a liar. It’s impossible.”

The girl muttered to herself, but she prayed that the man wasn’t a liar.

For the first time in her life, she wished there was someone who could talk to her that close all the time.

Hopefully, he would come to her side again. Even if he didn’t bring those three items, she wished that she could talk to him again: —-.

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