Kays Translations

Chapter 12- Shortly before work gets into full swing

Students spend their lunch break as they please.

Lunch, of course, was often seen as they prepared for afternoon classes, studied on their own, or just chatted with other students who were close to them.

Fiona, too, had a purpose in mind as she made her way to a hallway lined with first-year classrooms.

“Excuse me."

She saw a group of students who belonged to a special first-year class and called out to them.

A few of the students, a mix of boys and girls, were surprised by Fiona's sudden approach.

"Does anyone know where I can find Ren Ashton?"

“I believe Ashton-san is at ----.'

As a female student was about to answer, a male student greedily interrupted her.

“I think it's in the backyard! I saw him go with our friends!"

“Oh, is that so! Thank you!"

Fiona, having thanked them, turns her back on the first-year students and leaves the place.

The boys as they watch her back,

“How come Ashton is so close to Ignat-sama?”

“I don't know. ...... I heard that he sometimes talks to His Highness the Third Prince, and I think the Clausel family is getting closer to the royalist faction or something."

“Wait! Wait! Wait! If that's the case, we can't ignore how close Clausel-san and Riohard-san are. You said that they are close to the Heroic Faction to which we belong!"

“I'm a member of the Heroic Faction as well, but I feel like that's impossible.”

“---- Why is that?"

The boy, whose parents are nobles of the heroic faction, looked dismayed.

The girl with parents who also belong to the heroic faction shrugged her shoulders, her voice slightly toned down apologetically.

“You know what happened to Viscount Givens. No matter how good a friend she is with Riohard-san, there is no way he would join the Heroes' Faction with a past like that."

The girl continued with a sigh.

“My brother was surprised at the entrance ceremony. You know about the fiasco at the final exam a few years ago, don't you?"

“I know ---- but what about it?"

“My brother is of that generation. He escaped to a fort in the Baldor Mountains, and when they came to rescue him, Ashton was among the group that came to his rescue.”

“Really? Ashton was, what, eleven at the most?”

“Yeah, I guess so. But my brother is sure of it. He said that at that time Ashton probably came to the Baldor Mountains with the Knights of the Clausel family. I think the Ignat connection goes back to that time, too.”

The girl's brother was the boy who had stood strong in front of the adventurers on the suspension bridge at the time the disturbances broke out in the Baldor Mountains. He had approached the adventurers who had lent him a helping hand out of concern for him, and had made them his knights as it were.

“Viscount Clausel is a man of neutrality, but if he were to change factions, it would clearly be the royalist faction.”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Fiona was unaware that the students were talking about such things, and while rebuking her hurried feet, she walked quickly to the back of the school building.

When she left the school building, she smiled at the large tree where she and Ren had met again.

It has been more than a year since then. Now, she was happy to have him by her side like this, and after leaving the latter, I rushed forward on her steps.

Soon,

“Yes. If you try a little more like this----“

“Oh, so that's why it didn't feel right.”

“It helps! I think this will help me do better in my next class than any other freshman!”

“I'm glad to hear that.”

She could hear Ren's voice and the other boys’.

Fiona, not wanting to disturb them, leaned her back against a nearby tree and waited for them to finish their conversation.

Then one by one, and then another, a total of four boys came from the backyard toward where Fiona was. They were surprised to see Fiona there, bailed lightly and left the place.

Fiona decided she had had enough and headed downstairs to see Ren.

Ren, who was in the backyard, had taken off his uniform jacket and rolled up his shirt. It was a rough look, unbuttoned a few more buttons than usual.

“Oh, Fiona-sama. I'm sorry you have to see me dressed like this.”

“Oh don’t worry about it! I'm the one who came all of a sudden!”

Fiona, noticing the unusual appearance of Ren and noticing the quickening of her heart, approaches him, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Have you been training?”

“Yes, something like that. Ever since I crossed swords with Licia-sama in a swordsmanship class, I have been asked by other students occasionally to teach them imperial swordsmanship.”

The selection of representatives for the upcoming Grand Festival of the Lion King was also close at hand, and boys who admired Ren's strength were asking him to teach them.

Ren had no reason to refuse, and he would sometimes accept a little help in his spare time. And although Ren was unaware of it, some of the students who asked him to teach them were nobles, so it was not a bad thing from the standpoint that he could connect to them.

The academy doesn’t forbid students from teaching each other during lunch breaks.

It was impossible to argue that it was dangerous for students to use training swords alone in this academy.

“Fufu...I see."

Fiona was as happy as she was that Ren was adored and sat down beside him with a smile on her face. She hugged her knees by the grass where Ren was sitting.

“By the way, how did you end up here, Fiona-sama?”

“Yes! Actually---“

Fiona was talking about the empty room that Radius and Mirei had talked about the other day.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

One day, despite it being a holiday, three people visited the academy.

The reason for their visit was to clean the empty room.

The room had a door on the side that led out to the back of the library. After taking the dusty books and crates out of the room, Ren exhaled.

Ren wiped the sweat from his forehead and then called her, "Licia-sama”.

“Yes? What's wrong?"

Licia, who is also working on cleaning, responds with a broom in her hand.

At first, Ren told Licia and Fiona that he would clean everything, but they were adamant that it was their room, too.

That’s why the three of them are now cleaning together.

Radius and Mirei were going to do the cleaning too, but their schedules didn't work out.

Even if they had wanted to, Licia and Fiona would have stopped them based on their position.

“What did Riohard-san say about us no longer attending swordsmanship classes?”

"If that's what you're talking about, she was yelling, 'Why, oh!’.”

But she said she understood what was going on, and after she yelled, she nodded her head and said, 'But it can't be helped, can it?’

Licia said she plans to make a day of training with Sarah on her days off.

“The state of affairs popped into my mind ---- Wait, Klonoa-san?”

Klonoa, dressed in plain clothes, approaches the place where they are talking.

She was dressed simply in a long skirt and knit, but she was so flamboyant that she didn't make it seem ordinary.

Licia wondered what was wrong and asked.

"Klonoa-sama? Is something wrong?”

“Not really! I was wondering if I could help too!”

“No way! We can clean up after ourselves!”

"Ha-ha-ha, it's okay. I'm the one who asked you to be a member of the committee.”

As she said this, Klonoa took out a wand that was attached to the belt of her long skirt.

Holding the wand, she lightly waved it to remove the dust from Ren and Licia's clothes.

“Interesting magic.”

“Thanks. I'll tell you the secret, it's just wind magic. I'm just manipulating it a little bit.”

That bit is difficult, and yet it is like Klonoa to make light work of it.

“I just heard the voice of Klonoa-sama ----Oh!”

Fiona came out of the empty room and noticed Klonoa.

Fiona placed the dusty crate she was holding in both hands on the floor, and Klonoa waved her wand once more to brush the dust off.

“I'm here to help too.”

“Eh.... is it okay for the dean to help with the cleaning?”

“On the contrary, there’s no reason not to. It’s first full day off I've had in two months, so I'm looking forward to having a good time.”

“If it's your first day off in a while, I think it would be better if you were resting at your home.....”

“......Ren-kun, you say that because you don't know how I spend my days off."

Klonoa mocks with a faraway look.

Heartbreakingly, It felt as if the light had gone out of her eyes.

“I'm certain you've never experienced that feeling of thinking you're going to take it easy on an occasional holiday, only to find yourself in bed for the rest of the day, or feeling uninspired when you get home from a shopping trip.”

Ren gently turned his eyes away from her and walked around ahead of her.

She smiled at him, just like a fairy.

Ren, who felt a strange pressure, said, "If the four of us do it together, it will be over soon," to Klonoa's delight.

Licia and Fiona smiled helplessly, and Ren coughed.

“Actually, it might have been just as well.”

“Huh? Because I'm here?”

“Yes. Actually, there are a lot of things we don't know how to handle, so I thought it might be a good idea to have you to confirm it for us."

“Leave it to me. Even though I look like this, I'm the dean of the school, so I know what to throw away and what not to throw away.”

Of course, it is natural, but they don't talk about it.

She was enjoying spending her first holiday in a long time with the three of them, so Ren didn't want to do anything that would put a damper on that.

I'm not going to take the light out of her eyes again.

“Like this one, for example."

“Wow, I didn't know it was still around! It was a magic tool that I used at the school festival about five years ago! I think it can create a mist-like blur.”

“How about this one?”

“I miss that too...... I think it was a magic tool that an old student had custom made for me. When you put magic power into it, it floats in the air and glows and shimmers dully for a little while."

The three people listening to the story, except for Klonoa, looked at each other and laughed.

“What did you use those two magic tools for?"

“They were used for a show called "The Undead House," where we would surprise the audience. I think it was so popular that it made a few people cry.”

The three nodded in agreement.

Considering the nature of the academy, I had to admit that I was shocked to see such an offering.

Ren then packed up the items to be discarded and packed them into crates or tied them up with hemp twine to make them easier to transport.

He decided to take much of it with him and carry it to the dump.

“I'll be off in a bit."

After saying a few words to the three of them, he left the place and walked for a few minutes.

As he carried the trash to the dump behind the school, he heard the voices of the boys.

He stopped and turned his head in the direction of the voices.

In the plaza beyond his line of sight, there were people vying with each other for power.

(Vane and Kaito?)

Ren defended himself, thinking it was wrong to call him Kaitpo now, but he knew it was only inwardly.

Vane noticed Ren's appearance, stopped holding his sword, and waved his hand.

Kaito, who had been competing with him for power, also lowered the large shield in his hand.

“Ren! What are you doing here on your day off?"

Unable to ignore the call, Ren approached the plaza where the two boys were.

“I just had something to do. What are you doing at the academy, Vane?”

“Oh, I'm just ----“

Vane remembered that Kaito was there and decided to introduce him to Ren first.

“Let me introduce you. This is Kaito Leonard-senpai.”

“Oh! I've heard a lot about you Ashton! Nice to meet you!"

Ren looked at Kaito's hand that was offered to him.

If he takes his hand, Kaito will grip it back strongly.

"So, about me and Vane..."

It was Kaito who invited him, because he wanted to cross swords with Vane.

He says he had been planning to meet Vane for some time, as the academy was closed for the day.

Ren just happened to be there.

"Listen..... Kaito-senpai is so strong that I can't stand up to him."

“Of course, your opponent is a heroic noble, so it's not surprising that it's difficult for you to deal with me."

“I know, but you don't want to lose, do you?”

“I know how you feel....”

The opponent is Kaito Leonard, who is a year older and boasts of his strength.

In the legend of the Seven Heroes, he is none other than the man who protected his party members with his large shield in his hand, in addition to his physical strength and durability. It was no wonder that Vane could not win at this point.

“Hey, Ashton!”

Kaito's interest turned to Ren.

“I heard about your class the other day. There's a lot of talk among us seniors about it, and a lot of us are wondering how strong you are. Even Riohard said you are very strong.”

“No, not at all.”

"Hahaha! Don't be modest! Riohard rarely praises others! And you are stronger than the saint, right?”

Ren, wondering what was going on, looked into Vane's face beside him.

Vane shook his head and seemed to reply that there was nothing HE could do.

“How's it going? It's fate that we got to know each other here, and I'm sure we can work out a sweat together.”

Kaito, who said this, turns one arm in a circular motion. In the other hand, there was a large shield equipped to be strapped to his arm.

The way Kaito uses his whole arm as a weapon is a fighting style that the Leonardo family has inherited from generation to generation.

But Ren, who was invited to join him, was adamant.

“----I'll pass."

When he simply said no, Kaito made an ostentatious gesture like you would see in a comedy show. He was startled and fell to his feet with an ostentatious gesture, as if seen in a comedy.

“Why?”

There were many reasons why Ren refused.

The most important reason of all was that he had come all the way to the academy on his day off on purpose.

“I actually came to the institute because I had something to do.”

“Something to do? To have a stand-up fight with someone other than me?”

“No. that’s not it.”

Come to think of it, this man is a muscle brain. And yet, he has an outstanding fighting sense, which makes him a heroic noble.

While recalling these things, Ren fixes his expression so as not to be rude.

“I'm a member of the executive committee for the Lion King Festival. I'm here to clean the room that will be used for these activities.”

Kaito opened his mouth in shock, perhaps because he had not imagined that he would hear those words.

But within a few seconds, he bowed his head vigorously.

“Thank you! If you're working as a committee member, I can't help but be grateful! But doesn't that mean you won't be in the preliminary round?"

“Yes. I have other work to do besides being a committee member.”

"What the heck..... I thought I could fight with the strong guys.....”

“Kaito-senpai, thanks to you, we will be able to participate in the preliminary round of the martial arts tournament.”

“I know! Like I said, I'm grateful to the committee members."

Kaito, who is drooping, hurriedly makes up his mind.

The man really is an honest, straightforward, and neat person.

He puts his hands on his hips and says again boldly,.

“I'm sorry, but I give up! You'll have to deal with me again some other time, when the Lion King Festival is over!”

“Yes.... if it suits you.”

“Oh, yes, please!”

Ren decided to go back to the empty room in the library and told them that he was going to do so.

Kaito, just before Ren left,

“I'm sorry, you're so busy! See you later!"

He had a big smile on his face and waved vigorously left and right at Ren's back.

Ren turned to them once more, waved lightly, and then went back to the small room in the corner of the library.

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