Kays Translations

Chapter 27: The Sword Saint’s Mystery (Alcohol).

On another day after school, Ren got off at one of the stations along the main avenue.

After leaving a stationery shop, he noticed several familiar students from the Seven Hero Houses.

“Hey, Ren.”

There were three of them.

Kaito had called to him first; Vayne and Charlotte were with him.

They must have been taking a detour on their way home.

They approached Ren.

“Kaito, are you and the others making a detour on the way home?”

“Yeah. We happened to run into one another and were talking about getting something to eat.”

Kaito replied.

“What about you, Ren? Want to join us?”

Ren hesitated for only a moment before accepting Vayne’s invitation.

He should still be able to return before it became too late, so there was no reason to refuse.

“By the way…”

Vayne spoke soon after they began walking.

“During winter break, if you’re interested, would you like to come with us to Kaito’s place?”

“Isn’t there going to be a Hero Faction gathering?”

“There is. But apart from that gathering, we thought it would be nice to enjoy part of winter break together.”

Vayne was not the only one who seemed hesitant. Kaito and Charlotte also appeared to have something on their minds.

They were probably thinking about the former incident involving Viscount Given. Even though Given had acted alone, Kaito and Charlotte came from houses that stood at the head of the Hero Faction, so they could not completely dismiss the connection.

Ren understood without forcing them to say it and merely shrugged.

“I’ll probably spend most of the break studying or practicing with my sword. Lady Estelle may also take me hunting again.”

“Lady Estelle… She is the head of the Lion’s Holy Office, correct?”

“Right. She is Leomel’s strongest knight. One of my parents once tested their skill against her and apparently remained standing for only a little over ten seconds.”

Almost no one in the empire could have failed to hear Estelle’s name.

The invitation forgotten for the moment, Kaito reacted with excitement.

“Damn, Ashton is still trying to become stronger! Vayne, we can’t afford to fall behind!”

Discovering his ancestor’s shield had made Kaito even more determined to improve.

The other descendants of the Seven Heroes had been affected as well. All of them were trying to grow faster than before.

Even Vayne’s expression seemed a little more mature and resolute.

Ren looked at him.

“I’m rooting for you, Vayne.”

“Thanks. I’ll do my best.”

Ren smiled gently at Vayne.

Then he abruptly added a warning.

“Also, be careful of anything connected to the Demon King cult.”

He intended to give a more detailed warning later through Estelle and the other adults.

Ren did not know whether the same battle would occur in this changed timeline. Even so, he had decided to communicate every warning he reasonably could.

The event in which the party obtained Hero Equipment had only been a side event in the game.

Nevertheless, perhaps he could still change something.

“Ha ha! We know!”

Vayne answered first.

“We’ll be fine, Ashton. The forces of the Seven Hero Houses will be gathered, and every current head will attend.”

“Well… I understand that, but…”

Ren gave a strained smile while choosing his words.

He knew that the original battle was one the party had been able to survive, but that did not make it harmless.

When Vayne saw Ren’s expression, he glanced down at his own hand and fell silent.

“Vayne?”

Several seconds passed before Vayne looked up with an apologetic smile.

“Lately, I feel as though I’m close to grasping something. It comes suddenly—when I wake up, before I fall asleep, or even at moments like this. I can’t explain it, but I feel as though I’m about to become stronger than I was before.”

“Ha ha ha! What kind of explanation is that?”

“You can laugh, Kaito, but that is genuinely how it feels.”

“Laughing at someone is cruel. Come here, Vayne. Your gentle and beautiful Sharo will pat your head and comfort you.”

“I keep telling you, Sharo—you always do these things without warning!”

Ren smiled again at their easy friendship. Vayne’s approaching change was probably a sign that he was nearing an awakening as the inheritor of Hero Ruin’s power.

Yet Ulysses was no longer their enemy, and Asval could never be revived.

What would cause Vayne’s awakening in this altered world?

Ren did not know, but he felt certain that Vayne would awaken somewhere and somehow.

Even when the scenario changed, some things remained the same.

Ren had witnessed that truth often enough for the conviction to feel justified.

The descendants of the Seven Heroes were natural counterparts to the Demon King cult. Now that one piece of Hero Equipment had appeared, they would pursue the same path as their ancestors with even greater determination.

Ren quietly wished them success.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

After parting from Vayne and the others, Ren visited Werlich’s workshop and told him about the Dragon Vein Furnace.

“Alright!”

Werlich raised a clenched fist the moment he heard the news.

“That will do it! Once we gather the other materials we discussed, I can push the repairs as far as a trial run. Lemuria is almost ready to move again!”

“Then I’ll leave the furnace with you, Mr. Werlich.”

“Leave it to me! Wait as though you’ve already boarded the biggest ship in the world!”

By coincidence, Estelle had also come to the workshop that day so Werlich could sharpen her sword, Black Might.

She sat in the chair beside Ren.

“Lemuria, was it? I have heard that it was an extraordinary ship.”

“Of course it was, Sis! I worked myself half to death building it. There isn’t a more advanced magic ship anywhere!”

Estelle lifted an enormous mug from the table and drained it in one long swallow.

She emptied it as easily as water, refilled it from the barrel at her feet, and disposed of the second mug just as quickly.

“That is alcohol, isn’t it?”

“Indeed. It comes from Drake territory.”

“You really are incredible, Sis. Dwarves can hold their liquor, but that much Drake liquor would burn even our throats.”

“I have drunk it since I was old enough to remember. It is a Drake custom.”

“Is that permitted under imperial law?”

While they spoke, Estelle poured herself another mug from the barrel.

She began glancing at Ren with an uncharacteristically uneasy expression.

Even so, she drained the third mug and started pouring a fourth. Raising the subject any further felt like admitting defeat.

Estelle lowered her voice.

“That happened when I was a child. Let us consider the statute of limitations expired.”

She still showed no trace of intoxication.

“Ahem. If Lemuria is such a famous ship, why does Viscount Clausel not build a magic ship terminal?”

“Because it would cost an absurd amount of money.”

“True. Constructing one from nothing would be expensive. And knowing Viscount Clausel, he would probably hesitate even if House Ignat offered financial support.”

“That has already happened.”

“Hmm… What a waste. Lemuria sounds magnificent.”

Estelle thought for a moment and emptied another mug.

Ren could no longer understand how so much alcohol fit inside her slender body.

“The mystery of a Sword Saint…”

“Hmm? What about Sword Saints?”

“I was thinking that becoming one must be remarkable.”

“Ren, you should become one before long yourself. There is no need to sound so awed.”

Estelle laughed while drinking her fifth mug.

Her pace showed no sign of slowing.

“I cannot speak for other schools, but Mighty Sword Style practitioners are often said to require some kind of decisive trigger before becoming Sword Saints. I believe I mentioned that before.”

Estelle herself had once led her subordinates into a desperate crisis.

She had fought with everything she possessed to bring them home and became a Sword Saint at the final moment.

“By my judgment, your raw ability is already at Sword Saint level. You merely lack a few elements needed to be formally recognized at that rank—certain Arts and similar qualities. Once you cross that boundary, you will transform again.”

“That makes my present state sound extremely incomplete.”

“It is. You are magnificently half-finished. Ha ha ha!”

It was hardly a laughing matter, but the blunt assessment was strangely reassuring.

Estelle’s expression then became more serious.

“I will give you one piece of advice, Ren.”

Those words would lead him toward a particular turning point.

At the time, Ren could not possibly know that.

“As I told you before, the essence of our style is: ‘Shear Away the Stars, and Gaze upon the Black.’ The Lion King sang those words on the battlefield. Stars were once thought to be magic itself; if every star is cut away, only a black sky remains. That darkness represents the essence of the Mighty Sword Style.”

“In other words, continuing to fight is the shortest road to growth?”

“Precisely. Keep swinging your sword.”

The Lion King compared the stars to magic and crushed everything before him on the battlefield.

Scholars interpreted the darkness left after the stars vanished as proof of his victory.

“Still, if I am going to look up, I would rather see a sky full of stars.”

Estelle stared at him for a heartbeat, then drained her mug and burst into laughter.

“Ah ha ha ha! You are absolutely right!”

“Please don’t suddenly throw an arm around my shoulders!”

“Do not complain! You dared say that to the head of the Lion’s Holy Office, and I approve. Winter break is nearly here, is it not? I will take charge of you and Licia this winter!”

When Ren stared blankly, Estelle immediately explained her plan.

“Training. We can travel by magic ship again, just as we did before.”

“So you intend to train us every day…”

“Not every day. You have school assignments.”

“…You have already thought that through.”

“Naturally. Swinging a sword while neglecting your obligations would not benefit your future. Strength alone will cause you trouble later in life.”

Werlich folded his arms and considered the matter.

“Sis, wouldn’t the calculation change if Ren becomes a Sword King?”

“Hmm. That is a fair point.”

“Please treat that as a separate question for now.”

Ren had no intention of neglecting his studies. He stopped the rapidly accelerating conversation and sighed.

“Changing the subject, Lady Estelle, do you know about the Hero Faction’s gathering?”

“Of course. The Elfen Church will hold a ceremony, followed by a party for the nobles.”

“Will Leomel take any special action as a country?”

“You mean because Hero Equipment was discovered? Are you asking whether the imperial family will become involved?”

“Something like that. Perhaps declaring a special holiday, for example.”

“Nothing of that sort is planned. Foreign dignitaries will attend, but receiving them is the responsibility of the Seven Hero Houses. Leomel will not formally intervene as a state. The Second Prince will visit House Leonaal and deliver His Majesty’s congratulations.”

The imperial family could not completely ignore the occasion. Yet the celebration belonged to no single faction. Because it concerned the Seven Heroes who had saved the world, everyone was deliberately avoiding unnecessary political complications.

“Why did you suddenly ask?”

Ren had raised the subject because he remembered the event battle that followed Airia’s discovery in the game.

He could not remain silent while expecting the Demon King cult to appear, but he had been struggling to find a credible way to explain the danger.

“I have a feeling the Demon King cult may act.”

“The Seven Hero Houses have already sent similar warnings to the Imperial Castle. The cult has targeted Leomel for some time. Once its members hear that a relic of the Seven Heroes was found, they will undoubtedly bare their fangs.”

Even so, the discovery of Hero Equipment could not simply be concealed or ignored.

Doing nothing would make Leomel appear frightened of the cult. Politically—and for citizens unsettled by recent events—the celebration could instead become a symbol of hope.

“The power of the Seven Heroes may obstruct the Demon King’s resurrection.”

“The cult will be desperate to destroy it. Naturally, we have already considered that. Because the Second Prince will attend as His Majesty’s representative, the Lion’s Holy Office will dispatch a large force. Several escort ships will protect the journey as well.”

Ren knew the strength of Mighty Sword Style practitioners, who had often appeared as enemies in the games. Their presence offered even greater security than the original event battle; the monsters that had merely been repelled in the game might now be exterminated outright.

Nevertheless, he refused to underestimate the threat.

“The Leonaal domain has abundant water sources. If the Demon King cult uses controlled monsters, aquatic species seem especially likely.”

Ren sounded uncomfortably explanatory, but Estelle only laughed.

“As you say, the region is rich in water. Eupheim lies less than two weeks away by horse, and streams from the surrounding mountains nourish the land. Aquatic monsters would be comparatively easy to employ there.”

Estelle assured him that preparations already accounted for such possibilities.

She explained that the Leonaal domain could remain secure even if fighting began. She named the routes and locations under special watch until Ren had nothing meaningful left to add.

I hardly need to worry at all, Ren thought.

The defenders had considered both the enemy’s existence and every likely approach. If they had already covered so much, there was nothing further Ren could contribute.

Anything beyond those preparations lay outside the scenario he remembered.

“Contamination of the water sources would be disastrous. Both the Seven Hero Houses and our knights are guarding against it.”

With such thorough preparations, they should be safe.

Estelle listed several monsters as examples. One was the exact species Ren remembered fighting during the game’s event battle.

“If we move first, however, that becomes a different matter. Many people besides you expect the cult to act. Some among the Seven Hero Houses want to strike before they can be attacked. We have discussed the possibility as well, though operating inside a Hero House’s domain is politically troublesome.”

That reminded Ren of an important difference.

At this point in Legend of the Seven Heroes, the Demon King cult had not yet become widely known.

The authorities in the game had therefore lacked both the information and the political option to act this aggressively.

“Prince Radius is preparing with particular care. He has been consulting Ulysses Ignat so that any cultists who appear can be captured. The Lion’s Holy Office is moving secretly as well—but that remains between us.”

“Ah… So that is part of what they have been doing.”

Unlike in the original game, cooperation between Radius and Ulysses created clear advantages.

“The members of the Seven Hero Houses will also have considerable escorts. You do not need to worry.”

The more Ren heard, the clearer it became that everyone was prepared far beyond his expectations. His warning was unnecessary; the adults had already anticipated more than he could explain.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The following morning, Ren and Fiona stood outside the Lion’s Holy Office.

“It’s unusual to see you at the Lion’s Holy Office, Lady Fiona.”

Ren glanced at the building behind them.

“I woke early. I thought that if you and Licia were here, perhaps I could walk to the academy with you.”

“I see. I’m sorry, though. This is completely out of your way.”

Ren sounded apologetic.

“N-No! If it lets me walk with you like this, I would come every day…”

Fiona murmured the words shyly while savoring the moment.

“Winter break begins soon.”

She watched the soft snow drifting around them.

“Ren… how do you plan to spend the holiday?”

She had hoped to ask whether he would spend part of it with her, but his answer made her abandon the question.

“Lady Estelle invited me to train, so I’ll probably spend most of the break doing one kind of training or another.”

“I-I see! That certainly sounds like you.”

Fiona’s disappointment vanished when Ren continued.

“I’m worried about the examinations after the holiday. Lady Fiona, would you be willing to help me study during winter break?”

He asked somewhat hesitantly.

“Leave it to me!”

Fiona answered so quickly that her voice carried a trace of panic.

Her cheeks reddened for reasons that had nothing to do with the cold. She placed one hand proudly over her chest and smiled.

“I will teach you whenever you like, for as many hours as you need.”

The promise sounded wonderfully dependable.

“Will that interfere with your responsibilities in Eupheim?”

“I’ll return home for several days, but otherwise I should be free.”

Their conversation reminded Ren of his recent stay in Eupheim.

“Has the problem with the waterways been resolved?”

“The abnormalities inside the city have been corrected. Father and the others are still investigating, however, because some of the water veins outside Eupheim may also be behaving strangely.”

They continued walking while recalling other parts of the visit.

Licia emerged from the Lion’s Holy Office several minutes later, having finished preparing herself.

Winter break would officially begin that afternoon. The first part of the morning was therefore devoted to homeroom meetings.

Afterward, every student gathered in the great auditorium for a final assembly.

The last address naturally belonged to the academy’s dean, Chronois.

“Keep your promises, and enjoy your winter break!”

Chronois disliked lengthy speeches. Seeing the restless students always made her want to finish quickly and release them to their holiday.

The students understood her intention and eagerly welcomed the beginning of winter break.

When the assembly ended, the auditorium erupted in cheers.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Many academy facilities remained open during winter break, although for shorter hours. The library in particular continued to attract numerous students.

It had also been open when Ren and Fiona reunited after the events in the Baldor Mountains.

Now the former festival committee members had gathered in a small room at the back of the library.

“I am exhausted…”

Those were Radius’s first words.

Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and he even yawned openly—something he rarely allowed others to see.

Licia and Fiona were startled by his unusually unguarded state. Ren, who had occasionally seen Radius like this before, asked the obvious question.

“Is this because of the work that has kept you so busy?”

“Yes. I will be back in the air two hours from now.”

“Really? Where are you going?”

“To meet relatives who do not live in the Imperial Capital. Every one of them has a difficult personality, but several matters must be discussed.”

The answer sounded deliberately suggestive, but Radius refused to explain further.

His attendant laughed with a cheerful ‘Nyahaha.’ She was Mirei Arkhaise, a young countess with Cait Sith blood.

Mirei remained constantly beside Radius and supported his work as his closest attendant.

“His Highness’s winter-break schedule is completely full, nya.”

“From today until the final day of the holiday?”

“Mm-hm. On some days, his appointments are planned down to the minute, nya.”

“…Radius, are you all right?”

“If you ask whether I am all right, the honest answer leans strongly toward no. But the work must be done, so I will do everything within my power. To make that possible, let us enjoy another potion today.”

Radius rose from his seat.

He yawned once more and left the room with Mirei.

Before they departed, Ren called after him.

“Lady Estelle is going to train us. Aren’t you coming too?”

“No. Estelle has accumulated leave she never used, so I ordered her to take it all at once. The three of you should enjoy a productive winter break.”

Receiving that advice from a man drowning in work made it difficult to respond. Ren alone managed a wry nod.

The remaining three looked at one another.

“What should we do now?” Licia asked.

“I wonder,” Ren replied.

Seeing their hesitation, Fiona offered a suggestion.

“If neither of you has plans this afternoon, why don’t we work on our winter-break assignments here for a while?”

There was no reason to refuse.

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