Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 28: I Want to Become a Sword Saint, and I Think I Want a New Magic Sword Too.
Winter had fully arrived. Estelle’s magic ship flew through the sky while snow lashed its deck.
Everyone spoke while looking through the wheelhouse windows toward the deck. The floor, walls, and ceiling were made of metal, giving the room a sturdy, austere appearance.
Werlich handled the helm and looked delighted to be piloting the ship.
“Licia, you will return to Clausel next week?”
“That is the plan. I have not been able to visit for some time, so there is work waiting for me there.”
“A representative can only do so much. It is good that you are returning. Will Ren accompany you?”
“No. I will remain in Elendil. Lord Lessard has work in both Elendil and the Imperial Capital, and he has allowed me to assist him.”
Ren had already acted in Lessard’s place and served as a liaison during the Grand Clock Tower repairs.
Lessard had recognized his continued efforts and now entrusted him with more work than before.
“Since you are going, Licia, take one of my subordinates with you.”
“One of your subordinates… to Clausel?”
“Yes. You remember the woman who is always being dragged around by me, do you not?”
Estelle hardly needed to describe her. A female knight constantly served at her side as an adjutant, and Ren doubted anyone could refuse a direct request from Estelle on her behalf.
Unable to answer immediately, Licia gave a wry smile and asked:
“Why do you want her to visit Clausel?”
“I remembered that she once said she wished to see it. She is a workaholic who almost never takes leave, so let her accompany you while she has the chance.”
The suggestion would provide the knight with a holiday while also giving Licia’s group another escort.
The woman was a highly capable Mighty Sword Style practitioner of Swordmaster rank. Serving as Estelle’s adjutant was itself proof of her ability.
Neither Ren nor Licia had a reason to object, and Lessard would probably feel the same.
The only question was whether the knight herself agreed, but her expressed interest in Clausel made that unlikely to become a problem.
She might have refused an order to rest from almost anyone else. Refusing Estelle was another matter.
“You heard it from His Highness, did you not? He told me that I work too much and ordered me to rest, which is why I have this free time. Giving my subordinates leave would be meaningless if I refused to take any myself.”
The knights of the Lion’s Holy Office were always exceptionally busy. When an opportunity to rest appeared, they should take it without pushing themselves further.
Prince Radius’s own excessive workload was a separate problem.
“We will reach the hunting ground in approximately thirty minutes. As usual, we will hunt while searching for the monsters on the extermination list.”
“Understood. Licia?”
“Yes. Let us prepare.”
They descended a staircase from the wheelhouse and entered one of the living compartments in the lower part of the ship.
The room was only about half the size of their bedrooms at the mansion. Its abundant wood created a warm atmosphere in sharp contrast to the blizzard outside.
The view reminded Ren of his life in the village.
“Are you only preparing the Mithril Magic Sword?”
Licia asked while checking her equipment.
“For pure sword training, the Mithril Magic Sword is the best choice. I can summon the others if they become necessary.”
Training with the Flame Magic Sword was not pointless. The Mithril Magic Sword was simply better suited to improving Ren’s fundamental swordsmanship.
He had used it since its days as the Iron Magic Sword, and even after its evolution it remained the weapon that felt most natural in his hands.
Ren and Licia completed their preparations for the winter march and left the room together.
“We will spend the night aboard the ship.”
“Yes. I have never done anything like this before, so I am looking forward to it.”
Licia smiled happily.
The Drake family’s magic ship had been specially constructed and could anchor in many places without a formal terminal. It carried equipment resembling that used by military ships for securing itself in the field.
Their plan was to drive stakes into the mountain and suspend the ship in midair.
As Estelle predicted, the ship reached the winter mountain roughly thirty minutes later.
The slope was steep enough to make walking difficult, and deep snow covered the ground. Ren and Licia wondered how anyone intended to drive the stakes into place.
The blizzard on deck remained powerful, though weaker than the winds they had faced at higher altitude.
“Wait a moment.”
Estelle’s cloak snapped in the storm. The famously imposing head of the Lion’s Holy Office lifted one of the stakes stored on deck.
It was nearly three adults long and as thick as a small log. Despite the special metal from which it was forged, Estelle casually rested one end on her shoulder.
“What are you going to do with that?”
“Hmm? I am going to drive it into the mountainside.”
Estelle raised the stake and drew back one arm.
“Remember this method. It is much easier!”
She hurled it with all her strength.
The resulting backwash made the blizzard appear to stop for an instant. The stake buried itself in the mountainside with enough force to alter the slope slightly.
Ren and Licia stared in disbelief while Estelle watched with satisfaction. Chains of red mana extended from the embedded stake.
The glowing chains connected to fittings at the bow of the ship.
“See?”
Licia immediately decided that she could not reproduce the feat.
Ren, after the growth he had shown during the summer battle, might eventually manage it.
The two laughed at Estelle’s characteristically overwhelming display while melted snow traced their cheeks.
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Radius was staying in Gargazia, a medium-sized city not far from the Imperial Capital.
This was connected to the family meeting he had mentioned before leaving the academy. He had completed work in another territory and returned to Gargazia afterward.
The imperial relative he planned to meet did not normally live there; the city merely provided a convenient place for their discussion.
Around the time Ren and Licia’s ship departed, Radius rested in a room at an inn.
“Welcome back, nya.”
“Thank you. I am exhausted, but everything proceeded without trouble.”
“That is good, nya. Then how about a drink to restore your spirits?”
Radius assumed Mirei had prepared a potion for his fatigue, but he was mistaken.
She handed him a glass containing a sweet-smelling beverage.
“It is a drink that makes you feel better, nya.”
The explanation was insufficient, but Radius understood. Honey and fruit scented the liquid.
He had tasted it countless times since childhood.
Whenever he became tired, Mirei had prepared the same drink for him.
It could not restore the body as quickly as a potion. Even so, if Radius had to choose what he wanted after a long day of work, he would always select this.
Evening was approaching.
He needed to eat dinner in the room while preparing for his next task.
Only a few hours remained before he would return to the sky. It was another relentlessly busy day.
“The food we ordered appears to have arrived, nya.”
Mirei heard the knock and went to receive it, but—
“Nya—nya nya nya!?”
“What happened, Mirei?”
Radius hurried to his suddenly panicked attendant and saw someone unexpected outside.
“What a coincidence, Radius.”
Ragna stood there despite supposedly being in Eupheim.
Radius had no idea why he had come, but Ragna was not someone he could simply ignore, so he invited him inside.
Dressed as the Bag Traveler, Ragna left his enormous pack outside because it would not fit through the door.
Room service arrived soon afterward. Mirei temporarily withdrew, leaving the two men at the table.
“I feel somewhat guilty for driving her away.”
“I will apologize later. More importantly, why are you here, Ragna?”
“Research. I am traveling through several regions while investigating something interesting.”
Radius sighed.
“Ulysses and Ren told me what happened. Ren opened a sealed door, and you left the newly accessible site behind to pursue another investigation. Whatever caught your attention must be unusual.”
“Are you curious?”
“I would be lying if I said otherwise, but I do not expect you to explain it honestly.”
Ragna laughed. Radius slowly ate a sandwich while trying to recover from the unexpected encounter.
“I may as well ask. What are you investigating?”
“Adventurer Ashton. Why?”
Ragna answered so casually that Radius stared at him in shock and forgot his exhaustion for a moment.
“Do not invent strange implications. Ren told me the name himself. I did not read it from your thoughts, so there is no need to look disappointed.”
“Then have you already learned something?”
“I have not wasted my time. Let us say only that my progress is not poor.”
Ragna immediately rose and headed for the door.
“I heard you were here and stopped by because I was passing through. I am leaving now. I will tell you more once I understand a little more, so behave yourself until then.”
After those parting words, Ragna ended the remarkably brief meeting and departed.
It truly seemed to have been a chance encounter. The speed of his departure was proof enough.
Mirei returned as Ragna left and noticed Radius’s exhausted expression.
“Would you like me to rub your shoulders, nya?”
She sounded genuinely concerned.
“Beginning next year, communicating with you may become slightly troublesome.”
“Nya? I will still remain beside you. Why would it be troublesome?”
“I mean within the academy. You graduate next spring, Mirei.”
She was a fourth-year student. In three months, she would graduate from the prestigious Imperial Military Academy.
Mirei’s whiskers shifted with a faintly wistful expression.
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What trigger was required to become a Sword Saint?
That night, Ren lay on a bed aboard the suspended magic ship and considered the question.
“I have no idea.”
The day’s hunt had provided excellent training.
Stronger monsters appeared there than around Elendil or Eupheim, and fighting in the severe environment offered a different kind of experience. They had also eliminated several monsters wanted for attacking travelers.
Still lying down, Ren raised one arm and examined the bracelet.
Ren Ashton
[Job] Eldest Son of House Ashton
[Skills]
– Magic Sword Summoning (Level 1: 0/0)
– Magic Sword Summoning Technique (Level 6: 2676/6500)
Level 1: Can summon one magic sword.
Level 2: Grants [Physical Enhancement (Small)] while the bracelet is summoned.
Level 3: Can summon two magic swords.
Level 4: Grants [Physical Enhancement (Medium)] while the bracelet is summoned.
Level 5: Unlocks magic-sword evolution.
Level 6: Grants [Physical Enhancement (Large)] while the bracelet is summoned.
Level 7: Can summon three magic swords.
Level 8: *************************
[Acquired Magic Swords]
– Great Tree Magic Sword (Level 4: 3411/3500)
Enables attacks equivalent to intermediate Nature Magic.
The effective attack range expands as its level rises.
– Mithril Magic Sword (Level 4: 3836/6500)
Sharpness increases as its level rises.
– Thief’s Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/3)
Has a fixed probability of randomly stealing an item from the target.
– Shield Magic Sword (Level 2: 0/5)
Creates a mana barrier. Its strength and effective range increase as its level rises.
– Flame Magic Sword (Level 1: 1/1)
Its flames embody the wrath of dragons and the incarnation of power.
—
The proficiency Ren gained from recent battles was incomparable to the amount he once received. Before traveling to Eupheim, he had fought a flock of Lesser Griffons, and that day’s many monsters had provided most of the latest increase.
The Great Tree Magic Sword would probably reach its next level during the following day’s hunt, but—
“Where is the trigger I need…?”
His desire to become a Sword Saint occupied almost all his attention. Ren sat up and looked away from the bracelet. Perhaps he could only discover the necessary trigger naturally after enough battles. Even so, he summoned the Mithril Magic Sword and held it before him.
Its beautiful blade immediately captured his gaze.
Closing his eyes allowed him to remember the battle against the Sword Demon with perfect clarity.
He also remembered the special Art he had gained after defeating that enemy. Ren had rarely used it in recent battles. Several reasons existed, but he avoided examining them too closely and released a slow breath.
“Time to sleep.”
The clock had already passed eleven.
During the following morning’s hunt, the Great Tree Magic Sword gained a level.
It was only a level increase rather than an evolution, but Ren still smiled. The blizzard was weaker than on the previous day, and the improved visibility made hunting more pleasant.
They began the return journey at noon and reached Elendil’s Hanging Garden before evening.
Estelle grinned beneath the lowering sun.
“Next time, we will take another overnight hunting trip!”
After making that declaration, she returned to the Imperial Capital.
Ren and Licia saw her off, then walked through wintry Elendil together.
“I wonder what Lady Estelle’s husband is like.”
“I have wondered about that too!”
Both hoped they would meet him someday.
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Some days of winter break were devoted to study. Ren, Licia, and Fiona spent busy but satisfying hours completing assignments in the academy library.
The Hero Faction’s celebration was approaching, as was Licia’s return to Clausel.
The three were again working in the library when Fiona spoke.
“I will return to Eupheim in three days.”
Unlike the girls, Ren planned to remain in Elendil.
“I have another training camp with Lady Estelle.”
The word camp sounded far more pleasant than the likely reality. In several days, Ren would once again board Estelle’s magic ship and depart on a hunting expedition.
He could practice at the Lion’s Holy Office at any time, so he devoted the long holiday to training that was impossible during ordinary school weeks.
“Will Lady Licia accompany you that day?” Fiona asked.
“No. I will be traveling separately,” Licia answered. “I have to leave for Clausel the day after Ren departs Elendil.”
“Oh, that is the date! Has it been a long time since you returned home?”
“Yes. I am looking forward to it.”
Understanding, Fiona clasped her hands and tilted her head.
Fiona sometimes wore glasses while studying or reading. She wore them now as she worked through the assignments, and they lent her an especially refined charm.
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Early on the morning before Licia returned to Clausel—
“It has been a long time since I spent three weeks somewhere without Ren.”
Licia said it while seeing him off before the mansion.
The last time they had remained apart for so long was when Ren returned to his village several years earlier. Licia already felt lonely.
Ren also felt more reluctant to part than he once would have, which revealed a small change in his own feelings.
He wanted to return to Clausel and visit the village, but winter travel required too much time. Unless the roads were easy to cross during a warm season, the entire holiday would disappear into the journey.
Instead, he entrusted the knights with a handwritten letter for his parents.
“Licia, please do not do anything reckless while I am away.”
“Honestly… The same applies to you, Ren. You always worry about me, but I worry about you too.”
“Am I really reckless enough for you to say that?”
“Yes. You are more—wait! Did you just imply that I am reckless too?”
“…It was only a figure of speech.”
Licia pouted adorably, but eventually smiled.
The loneliness remained, yet she still said:
“I will do my best in Clausel, so take care of yourself too!”
Their farewell before the Clausel mansion ended there.
Ren traveled alone to the Hanging Garden.
He met Werlich and Estelle and boarded the magic ship.
By then, he had become accustomed to traveling aboard the Drake family’s vessel.
“May I ask something?”
Before noon, Ren addressed the other two in the familiar wheelhouse.
Werlich was preparing for departure while Estelle reviewed the day’s schedule. Both looked toward him.
“Why are you always the one who pilots the ship, Mr. Werlich?”
“Because Sis asks me. I would not do it for just anyone else.”
Ren had taken a surprisingly long time to ask. Werlich was an excellent pilot; Estelle claimed that his skill rivaled that of military specialists.
Piloting a magic ship required formal certification. As both a blacksmith and a magic-ship engineer, Werlich naturally possessed the necessary qualifications.
Outside, the Hanging Garden staff signaled permission to depart.
The Drake ship began moving while their conversation continued.
“How was Licia?” Estelle asked.
“I saw her off. Thinking about it, we have not spent this long apart in years. I have been feeling the distance for a while already.”
“Then the day you meet again will give you something to anticipate.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you may have become a Sword Saint by then.”
“I hope so.”
Ren smiled wryly and looked through the window at a sky that threatened more snow.
He had risen early and released a quiet yawn.
While Werlich and Estelle resumed confirming the day’s schedule, Ren examined the crystal on his bracelet.
“It has been a while since I acquired a new magic sword…”
Ren murmured.
Getting a magic sword needs a monster magic stone, and he usually fights just to defeat someone not harvest magic stone~
Exactly what I mean
He should know too that he needs UNIQUE Monster Stones for new magic sword and yet he didn’t try to find one even for years
any other MC would have collected over twenty magic stones by now
Ren is probably one of the few MCs who has such a slow growth rate
Although it’s clearly own his fault for not trying
oh but its so important to carry around licia’s shopping be on an executive committee, excetera. i mean why level up your one advantage in this world?
This novel has the same author as Maseki Gurume, but i wonder why this MC is kinda stupid.Maseki Gurume MC is actively seeking magic stones to become stronger meanwhile this MC here is just being wishy washy to become stronger but too lazy to grind some magic stones .
On that, strangely defeating the Sword Demon didn’t seem to give him a new sword.
He only got the Exp.
I think his learning sword art is a good thing though.
He wants new magic sword, but he can be patient because he got another power he can depend on. The recent strong monsters are also defeated because he is improving his swordsmanship rather than purely cheat OP magic sword.
Meanwhile, the original Ren probably doesn’t have any other weapon, and the magic swords itself is not going to be strong enough for him to defeat the strong monsters. So the only way for him is to kill Licia and Klonoa to get more power.