Volume 4: Behind the Story.

Chapter 1: The Beginning of Spring

At the top of a stone staircase built into a mountain lay a vast plateau carved into its slope. A flagstone plaza stretched across it, ringed by several statues of gods that towered dozens of meters high.

In ancient times, this was a gathering place for followers of Elfen.

Countless worshippers climbed the long staircase, and it was said that all of them wept before the divine mystery radiated by the statues.

The place was called Roses Caitas.

In the old tongue, it meant “the land where one has audience with the gods.”

No one had built Roses Caitas. It was a mysterious place that had existed from the beginning.

Now most of the statues had been shattered, with many reduced to pitiful, half-collapsed remains.

The Demon King was responsible.

He had sent one of his closest retainers there to bare its fangs at the gods.

Ever since, even the most devout believers had been unable to visit Roses Caitas.

Leomel had feared that the Demon King would target the place again and sealed every entrance with a special power.

Several centuries later, a young man and woman stood in Roses Caitas.

Before an existence that could only be called absurdly unfair, the two spoke as they always did.

“Hey, Ren.”

Licia spoke as she looked up at his face.

“Now that it’s come to this, do you wish we had gone to the festival in the Imperial Capital? If we had stayed there, we would only have had to fight people our own age in the martial arts tournament. We might be facing each other in the finals right now.”

“No. I don’t regret coming here.”

“Hehe. I knew you would say that.”

“Though I do feel like adding ‘Behind the Scenes’ to the festival’s name.”

They exchanged smiles.

Who could have imagined that while a grand festival unfolded in the Imperial Capital, something like this was happening behind the scenes?

Ren gave a self-deprecating smile. Before plunging into a fight to the death away from the public eye, he said,

“Maybe this suits us.”

“Maybe it does. Leaving the center stage to fight in the shadows is certainly like us.”

“…It’s far too late to ask, but will you please evacuate?”

“Idiot. It really is far too late, and you know I can’t.”

Licia gave a wry smile and tightened her grip on Byakuen.

Her hand on the renowned sword that symbolized her didn’t tremble. Nor did the smile she turned toward Ren, standing beside her, show the slightest fear.

She stared past the sandstorm raging around them at the absurd enemy beyond.

“Or are you dissatisfied with me as the one standing beside you?”

Ren swept the Iron Magic Sword at the oncoming sandstorm.

The gale—one of the enemy’s spells—scattered. Licia stepped in front of Ren and turned back toward him. Still wearing a lovely, beautiful smile, she held out her hand.

Waves of light streamed from her fingertips and wrapped around Ren.

How’s that? her challenging gaze seemed to say.

“Even in a situation like this, you’re exactly the same as ever, Lady Licia.”

“Even if I die, having you beside me is enough. It would only mean dying a few decades early.”

“…I see.”

Ren took her hand.

A particularly brilliant flash enveloped them both, filling their bodies with strength.

“Don’t get angry if I get hurt.”

“Enough already. You’ve taken the hand of a saint, Ren, so steel yourself.”

Many of the divine statues had been weathered by time, while still more had been smashed by the Demon King’s retainer.

The tension in that place only continued to mount, yet Licia smiled at Ren’s side.

“Look forward to my Sacred Magic. I’m much stronger than I used to be. It might even make your Magic Sword a little sharper.”

Together, they threw themselves into battle against the impossible enemy and swung their blades.

Amid the countless divine statues, a desperate battle behind the story began.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Three months earlier, around mid-April.

In recent years, the Imperial Military Academy had drawn more attention than ever, both within the empire and abroad.

The cohort that enrolled two years earlier had attracted attention because of the Baldor Mountains incident and because Ulysses Ignat’s daughter had been among them.

Then two heirs of the Hero Houses enrolled the previous year, and another two enrolled that year.

No one but Ren yet knew that one of them, Vayne, carried the blood of Hero Ruin.

By the time the new students had begun settling into academy life and their classes had started in earnest…

Two girls who happened to meet outside the school gates were beauties who stood as twin peaks.

At the Imperial Military Academy, those two currently drew more attention than anyone else from students of both sexes.

Licia, who would turn fourteen that summer, and Fiona, who would soon turn sixteen.

Licia had grown even lovelier. She had also grown taller, and her figure had begun to take on a more womanly shape. The same was true of Fiona. Her beauty, which had attracted attention from the moment she enrolled, had become still more striking, while the endearing charm no one could overlook continued to captivate the opposite sex.

Both girls possessed a mysterious air, balancing loveliness and beauty in exquisite measure.

Though they belonged to opposing factions, the sight of them talking together left onlookers entranced. More than a few wished those smiles would be turned toward them alone. In their uniforms, the two seemed almost to sparkle, making the desire impossible to suppress.

The problem was that such wishes had no chance of being fulfilled—but that was beside the point.

“Lady Licia?”

Fiona called to Licia as they entered the school building.

She found it strange that Ren, who was almost always at Licia’s side, was nowhere to be seen and wondered whether something had happened.

“Is Ren taking the day off?”

“He said he might come in this afternoon if he can. I don’t know why, but he made the decision after speaking with Father this morning. …I don’t know why.”

“Ahaha… Saying it twice means you aren’t satisfied with that answer, does it?”

Even Fiona’s wry smile looked picturesque, and so did Licia’s slight pout.

They wanted to talk for a while before classes began, so instead of going to either of their classrooms, they decided to head for the rooftop.

On the way, Licia asked Fiona to stop by the faculty office with her.

The reason was that she needed to speak to someone about Ren.

“It was so sudden! I thought we were going to school together, then Father summoned Ren out of nowhere. And when Ren came out of Father’s office, he suddenly told me he was taking the morning off!”

That was why Licia planned to stop at the faculty office before going to the rooftop.

Students at the academy didn’t need to report every absence. However, the school year had only just begun, and Ren and Licia had served together as representatives of the incoming class, so Licia thought it best to inform them for the time being.

“That’s strange…”

Fiona considered the story with a troubled expression.

“For Ren to miss the academy without telling you—and immediately after speaking with Viscount Clausel—something must have happened.”

“Exactly. Especially after what happened at the Grand Clock Tower last summer.”

“But Viscount Clausel wouldn’t tell you either?”

“No. Father only told me not to worry.”

Across the courtyard, they happened to spot a boy and girl walking along the opposite school building. Faintly, they heard other students in the courtyard discussing the pair.

“Did you hear? Those first-years are doing well at the guild too. Apparently, they were promoted to D-rank just the other day.”

“D-rank!? That’s amazing! They’re first-years and already that strong?”

“Well, she’s the young lady of House Riohard. And they say the boy beside her may be as strong as she’s—or stronger. No wonder they’re already making a name for themselves.”

The girls’ conversation soon shifted to Licia and Ren.

“Speaking of first-years, what about the Saint of Clausel? I’ve heard the boy who served as the incoming-class representative is impressive too.”

“I’ve heard plenty about how capable the saint is, but I don’t know about the boy.”

“Oh, my younger brother was admitted to the Special Class, so I heard about him.”

“Really? Was he at the same venue for the final examination?”

“Apparently. But whenever monsters appeared, the saint defeated almost all of them. The boy barely used his sword, and when he did, the monsters were too weak for anyone to tell how strong he was.”

“I see… Then perhaps the other students are stronger after all. He must have excellent grades if he was chosen as representative, though.”

Having overheard them, Fiona turned to Licia.

“Did Ren not fight very much?”

“No. He was watching over the other examinees to make sure no one was hurt.”

Needless to say, his memories of the Baldor Mountains had influenced him, and he had focused primarily on supporting the others. That was why he hadn’t stood out during the final examination. The examiners, however, had properly observed his conduct, which was why he had still earned an excellent result.

“I hear more heirs from the Hero Houses will enroll next year.”

“I’m looking forward to it. Then every line except the family descended from Hero Ruin will be represented.”

In that sense, Sera and the others were the kind of people who would win acclaim on the public stage, and their brilliance would only grow in the years ahead. Ren and Radius’s work, by contrast, was more akin to that of heroes in the shadows.

The people of Clausel and the villagers of Ren’s birthplace knew his achievements. But when it came to which group would perform deeds that caught the public eye, Ren or the descendants of the Seven Heroes, it would clearly be the descendants—and Vayne and his companions.

Licia and Fiona didn’t seem troubled by that.

Both owed Ren their lives and believed they knew his strength better than anyone. Being among the handful of people who understood how powerful he truly was filled them with happiness and pride.

Eventually, they reached the faculty office Licia had wanted to visit, and Licia entered alone. She told her homeroom teacher that Ren hadn’t come to the academy and that he had said he would attend in the afternoon if time allowed.

“Only Ashton is absent?”

“Yes. He was speaking with Father, so I believe it concerns work, but they wouldn’t tell me the details.”

“I see… Very well. I understand the circumstances for now.”

Because the academy enrolled nobles and members of foreign royal families, many students took leave without disclosing the reason.

The teacher was accustomed to this and merely nodded rather than pressing for details.

“Then please excuse me.”

Just before Licia left, a conversation between several teachers reached her ears.

“His Highness the Third Prince may arrive this afternoon. If his duties prevent it, he’ll be absent for the day.”

“Understood. It’s most likely official business.”

“The Third Prince too…?” Licia murmured as she left.

She stood before Fiona, who had waited outside, lost in thought for a moment before saying, “Let us go,” and starting toward the rooftop.

Fiona followed.

“What is it?”

She had noticed the change in Licia’s expression.

“I overheard in the faculty office that His Highness the Third Prince will also be absent.”

“…It’s unusual for him to be absent on the same day as Ren.”

Fiona reached the same conclusion as Licia.

Rather than merely wondering, the two seemed almost certain as they simultaneously breathed, “Could it be…?” on the final landing before the rooftop.

“Lady Licia.”

“Lady Fiona.”

Their voices overlapped as they pushed open the rooftop door.

“I don’t believe Ren and His Highness the Third Prince taking the same day off is a coincidence!”

“Neither do I. And Father apparently gave Ren some work—he must be doing something in secret again!”

No one else was on the rooftop, so both raised their voices.

As expected, they shared precisely the same opinion. Remembering the Grand Clock Tower incident, neither could believe the two absences were unrelated.

They looked at each other and nodded.

“…It seems they’re doing something without telling us again.”

They spoke exactly the same words at almost the same moment.

The fact that both girls had been able to come to the academy suggested it wasn’t a major incident.

Even so, they couldn’t help being curious.

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