Chapter 11: A young Magician who had recently enrolled in the academy.

On the way, Vane spotted a friend from the same special class and asked. After a moment of hesitation, 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!”

Vane quickly joined forces with Sarah and headed to the place he had just heard about. Along the way, Nemu, Kaito, and Charlotte also joined them.

There wasn’t an immediate need to talk today, but everyone was curious. Ren, who was rumored to have single-handedly defeated the monsters they had all fought together, was a topic of great interest.

“Hey, Vane! 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’s exchange was probably correct. Vane unconsciously squinted in the sharp sunlight streaming in through the window. He realized that his heart was pounding heavily and smiled, thinking that he really wanted to know how Ren had been.

With determined steps, they rushed out of the school building and ran towards the path leading to the backyard. Their running gradually turned into a brisk walk, and then their pace slowed down. Just before the row of hedges on the road, they spotted Ren sitting on the edge of the fountain.

“Ren!”

“Huh? Vane? 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 Vane were almost the same height. But perhaps due to his growth spurt, Ren’s eyes were slightly higher than Vane’s, though the difference was so slight that one wouldn’t notice without being told.

“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…”

Ren’s androgynous appearance had a charming smile. Yet, there seemed to be a hidden power in it that appealed to Vane’s instincts.

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

“I heard that Leonardo-senpai and you guys had a hard time too. You were attacked by Wadatsumi, the giant messenger, just before you reached the airship terminal.”

“Yeah, we had our share of trouble too. While we were flying on the airship, we were suddenly attacked by a flock of Shinrikrai and other things.”

“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.”

The information was in the newspapers, and it had also been picked up by the Heroic faction’s information network.

Ren Ashton, the hard swordsman, had become a Sword Saint and was rumored to have been awarded the Holy Grimdor Sword Medal from the Holy Lion Sanctuary. It was an undeniable fact.

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

“Ren, is it true?”

The voice asking about everything that happened during the winter, especially the fact that he had single-handedly defeated the giant messenger, carried a sense of conviction.

Ren quietly nodded and then said.

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

He didn’t answer that he had single-handedly defeated the messenger, wadatsumi. There was no reason not to answer, but it wasn’t in Ren’s character to openly talk about what he had accomplished. Everything he said was the truth. He had always swung his sword with all his might. The result was just that.

“It’s already this late.”

Vane and the children of the Heroic families fell silent. Ren, who had just given his answer, checked his wristwatch and said.

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

The festival committee for the Lion King Festival had prepared a small gathering to celebrate Mirei’s graduation. Ren had to meet up with Licia and the others soon.

“Let’s talk again next time. I wanted to hear about it because I heard that Vane did something amazing too.”

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

The first to move was Sarah. She came over to Vane and poked him in the stomach.

Nemu, with her slender legs peeking out from under her baggy hoodie, moved to stand in front of Vane.

Kaito hugged Vane’s shoulder and laughed. When Charlotte saw this, she pushed Kaito away and took his place, wrapping her arms around Vane’s neck.

“Hey, Charlotte!”

“Oh, alright, keep your complaints to yourself. Vane-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 Sarah-chan again!”

This was Vane’s lively everyday life. Spending this afternoon with his precious friends.

“…I’ll become stronger too someday.”

He muttered silently. The descendant of the Hero Ruin, always kept Ren in his thoughts.

The sky above was clear without a single cloud.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The time from the entrance ceremony passed in the blink of an eye, just a few short weeks by the clock.

 During this season, the district where the capital’s academies were located was bustling with people day after day, as many academies welcomed new students.

The Imperial Military Academy had also admitted many promising new students. However, within a week after the entrance ceremony, the academy had returned to its usual atmosphere.

For the new students, the days were still fresh, but for the current students, it wasn’t that exciting. Current students had exams in various seasons, so they couldn’t just bask in the freshness.

The only noticeable change was that the fourth-year students who had been attending until spring were gone, and students from each grade had moved up a year.

That was about it.

“…Hey, Ashton.”

“Yes, what is it?”

On the first floor of the school building, while walking towards the stairs, Ren, a second-year student who had visited the library before coming to the school building, was talking to Kaito, a new third-year student who had recently arrived.

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 came to greet them were eager to establish connections with Lessard Clausel, the Viscount who had been gaining influence year by year, but some nobles were also interested in Ren.

However, the presence of Ren, Lessard, and the strong arm, there was nothing much to see.

Ulysses’s shadow appeared so strong to some that his silhouette seemed like that of a demon. What Kaito wanted to say was something different.

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

“The Lion King 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.”

Like Kaito said, the atmosphere in the special class isn’t that fresh. However, since new classes start and there are specialized courses for each grade, it’s not completely lacking in novelty.

But considering what happened this winter, it’s felt lively since last spring… Some of it we couldn’t 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, who said this with a lack of energy, leaned against the wall. When Ren noticed the voices of the surrounding students and looked in their direction, several of them were watching and laughing. They must have found the awkwardness in the two boys’ postures amusing.

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 Leonardo-senpai likes it, it’s okay.”

They stopped in the spacious landing. Ren’s room in the Ashton family’s mansion in the village could easily fit here.

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.

Hearing the somewhat incomprehensible scream, Kaito immediately apologized in a hurry, “I’m sorry!”

But the girl, who stood there with teary eyes while holding her nose, looked at Kaito with a reproachful expression.

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 had an average height and a slender build. Her well-defined features would be considered cute by anyone. She had shoulder-length hair, the color of cherry blossom petals steeped in milk tea.

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

Ren recognized the girl.

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