Kays Translations

Chapter 11: A Magician Who Had Just Enrolled.

On the way, Vayne spotted a friend from the same Special Class and asked where Ren had gone. After thinking for a moment, the student replied,

“Come to think of it, right after the graduation ceremony, he was walking with Clausel-san and the others. Seemed like they were heading to the garden behind the school building.”

“Got it! Thanks!”

“Hey, wait! Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Sorry! I just really want to hear about what happened during the winter!”

Vayne quickly regrouped with Sera and hurried toward the place he had just been told about. Nemu, Kaito, and Charlotte joined them on the way.

They did not absolutely have to speak with Ren that day, but all of them were curious. Ren was rumored to have defeated alone a monster that all of them together had only managed to drive off, and they wanted to hear his story as soon as possible.

“Hey, Vayne! You didn’t get a chance to talk to Ashton this morning?”

“As you know, Kaito-senpai, the current students are scheduled to go directly to the Grand Hall. Besides, right after the graduates left, Ren and the others were gone!”

“Nemu’s guess is, I think they went to see Arkhaise-senpai off!”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing!”

Nemu and Charlotte were probably right. Vayne unconsciously narrowed his eyes against the sharp sunlight streaming through the window. Realizing how hard his heart was pounding, he smiled at just how badly he had wanted to hear what Ren had been doing.

They rushed out of the school building and ran down the path toward the rear garden. Their run gradually slowed to a brisk walk, then to an ordinary pace. Just before the hedge-lined path, they spotted Ren sitting on the edge of a fountain.

“Ren!”

“Huh? Vayne? It’s been a while. Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Well, I just wanted to talk to you, Ren…”

Ren got up from the edge of the fountain.

Until recently, Ren and Vayne had been almost the same height. Perhaps because Ren was growing quickly, however, his eyes were now slightly higher than Vayne’s—though the difference was small enough to miss unless someone pointed it out.

“But, where should I start…”

“What’s wrong? Calm down a bit.”

“Oh, right! Winter must have been tough, right? So I wanted to hear about it…”

A wry smile on Ren’s androgynous face had a certain charm to it. Even so, Vayne’s instincts sensed a hidden strength beneath that gentle expression.

Ren answered easily, and while waiting for Vayne to calm down, he looked at Kaito.

“I heard you and the others had a hard time too, Leonaal-senpai. You were attacked by Giant God’s Messenger Wadatsumi just before reaching the magic-ship terminal.”

“Yeah, we had our share of trouble. We were flying on the magic ship when a flock of Shinlinkrai and other monsters suddenly attacked us.”

“I’ve heard the story, but it sounds even more dangerous when I hear it again.”

“What are you talking about! I bet Ashton had it much worse. And besides, Ashton is… you know, that.”

It had appeared in the newspapers and had also reached the information networks of the Hero Houses.

The reports that Ren Ashton, a Mighty Sword Style user, had become a Sword Saint and would receive the Saint Grimdor Sword Medal from the Lion’s Holy Office were completely true.

Without beating around the bush, Vayne looked straight at Ren and asked. 

“Ren, is it true?”

His question encompassed everything that had happened over the winter, especially the fact that Ren had defeated Giant God’s Messenger Wadatsumi alone. His tone made it clear that he was already nearly certain of the answer.

Ren quietly nodded before answering.

“I’ve always been desperate, that’s all.”

He did not explicitly say that he had defeated Wadatsumi alone. There was no reason he could not say it, but openly boasting about his own accomplishments simply was not in Ren’s nature. What he did say was entirely true: he had always swung his sword desperately, giving everything he had. This was merely the result.

“It’s already this late.”

Vayne and the other descendants of the Seven Heroes fell silent. Ren glanced at his wristwatch immediately after answering.

“I’m sorry. You guys just got here, but I have something to do after this.”

The organizing committee from the Lion King Grand Festival had arranged a small gathering to celebrate Mirei’s graduation. Ren needed to meet Licia and the others soon.

“Let’s talk properly another time. I heard you did something amazing too, Vayne, and I wanted to hear about it.”

Ren got up from the edge of the fountain and walked away along the path where Vayne and the others had come from. Even after he left, Vayne and the others kept looking in that direction.

Sera was the first to move. She stepped beside Vayne and lightly poked him in the stomach.

Nemu, her slender legs extending from beneath her oversized hoodie, moved to stand in front of Vayne.

Kaito threw an arm around Vayne’s shoulders and laughed. Charlotte promptly shoved Kaito aside, took his place, and wrapped both arms around Vayne’s neck.

“Hey, Charlotte!”

“Oh, alright, keep your complaints to yourself. Vayne-kun, don’t you think an older sister like me is better?”

“Charlotte! Quit saying weird things and get away!”

“Hahaha! Charlotte is getting scolded by Sera-chan again!”

This was Vayne’s lively everyday life: an afternoon spent with the friends he treasured.

“…I’ll get stronger too.”

Vayne, a descendant of Hero Ruin, quietly vowed to grow stronger while keeping Ren firmly in mind.

The sky above was clear without a single cloud.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The entrance ceremony came almost immediately afterward; only a few short weeks had passed.

At this time of year, the district of the Imperial Capital where the academies stood was crowded day after day as the schools welcomed their new students.

The Imperial Military Academy had likewise admitted many promising new students. Yet less than a week after the entrance ceremony, the academy had already returned to its usual atmosphere.

The days were still fresh for the new students, but not nearly as much for those already enrolled. Current students had examinations throughout the year and could not spend all their time basking in the novelty of spring.

The most noticeable changes were that the fourth-years who had attended until spring were gone and every other grade had advanced by one year.

That was about it.

“…Hey, Ashton.”

“Yes, what is it?”

On the first floor of the school building, Ren—now a second-year—had stopped by the library before class and was walking toward the stairs with Kaito, who had just begun his third year.

The two chatted as they headed to the classroom.

“You know, first there was the graduation ceremony, right? And then right after that was the entrance ceremony.”

“That’s true, it did feel that way.”

“And this time, the academy had parties and stuff like crazy.”

“Yeah, it did.”

Ren and Licia had attended several parties. Many nobles who greeted them wanted ties to Viscount Lessard Clausel, whose influence had been growing year by year, while others were interested in Ren himself.

Ren and Lessard had handled those approaches without much difficulty, and the presence of their formidable backer made matters even simpler.

To some nobles, Ulysses’s shadow must have looked so imposing that his silhouette might as well have been a demon. In any case, that was not what Kaito wanted to talk about.

“I like lively things. Especially from last spring to summer last year, it was the best.”

“The Lion King Grand Festival was amazing… Although that seemed like a special case.”

“Well, well, we can’t have a festival like that every year. But you know, after that lively month of spring ended, it’s back to normal, right?”

“Even if we move up a grade, things don’t change much inside the classroom.”

“That’s it! Unlike the regular classes, the special class doesn’t have class changes… It’s easy, but it feels unfulfilling.”

As Kaito said, moving up a year did not make the Special Class feel especially new. Still, new lessons had begun and each year had specialized courses of its own, so there was not a complete lack of novelty.

Then again, considering everything that had happened over the winter, it felt as though life had been eventful ever since the previous spring—though some of that excitement had been anything but welcome.

“Given everything that happened this winter, isn’t this level of peace enough? Peace is the most important.”

“I get it… I just want a lively kind of peace…”

Kaito leaned weakly against the wall. Ren noticed several nearby students watching them and laughing; they were probably amused by the contrast between the two boys’ postures.

Kaito began walking again, but even so, there was no vigor in his steps.

“We already had a quiz yesterday.”

“Yeah… that’s why you seem even less energetic today.”

“You get it? My grades have improved compared to before, but I still have a long way to go.”

“That’s why you’re like this… By the way, earlier, your lack of energy when walking was being laughed at.”

“Oh… you don’t need to worry about that. Our fathers aren’t here, after all.”

Ren chuckled as they reached the stairs.

“If you’re fine with it, Leonaal-senpai, then I suppose it’s fine.”

They stopped on the broad stair landing. Ren’s entire room in the Ashton family manor back in the village could have fit inside it.

Kaito stopped in front of a large window on the landing, basking in the sunlight and feeling the spring breeze as he stretched his back.

“All right! Well then, let’s give it our all today!”

Just as Kaito turned around from the window.

“Bebura!?”

It was a girl’s voice.

Beside Ren, Kaito heard the incomprehensible cry and immediately blurted, “Sorry!”

A girl stood there clutching her nose, her eyes watering as she glared reproachfully at Kaito.

She wore an oversized robe with a blue base and gold thread decorations, and she held a large witch’s hat with a wide brim.

(Huh, this girl…)

She was of average height with a slender build, and her well-defined features were the sort anyone would call cute. Her shoulder-length hair was the color of milk tea tinged with cherry-blossom pink.

“Wait, Lizred! Why were you behind me!?”

Ren recognized the girl.

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