Kays Translations

Chapter 18: Like Ren.

Naturally, Vayne moved ahead of everyone else. The spring was close enough that even at a relaxed pace they reached it in about two minutes.

Vayne knelt on the grass before the spring and slowly reached out a hand.

“The water is shining.”

The water filling the spring began to shine white. The descendant of Hero Ruin caught the light in his hands, and the six companions waiting behind him stared in awe at the sacred sight.

The light from the water was gradually absorbed into Vayne’s body. Within several dozen seconds it vanished completely, and at last a single beam descended from the sky and enveloped him.

The sight was even more divine than before, leaving all six companions astonished.

After the light vanished and Vayne withdrew his fingers from the water, his fingertips were not wet.

Vayne stood, looked at both palms, and clenched them tightly.

Then he turned to his companions.

“—Looks like that really was it.”

He had thought, No way, more than once.

Ever since the incident involving Giant God’s Messenger Wadatsumi that winter, Vayne had felt the presence of that holy power more and more strongly and had gradually begun to use a little of it himself. Now the truth was clear.

A descendant carrying Hero Ruin’s blood had indeed remained in this world.

Even after several dozen minutes, they seemed to understand one another without needing words.

All seven descendants of the Seven Heroes spent the time as they pleased, quietly watching the spring ripple in the wind.

Eventually, one of them stood up and left.

That person said something to Kaito and headed toward the temple. Charlotte watched him go and asked:

“Kaito? What’s he doing?”

“He said he’s going to offer a prayer at the temple.”

“Then let’s go too in a little while. We can pray to the goddess before we head back.”

Only a few seconds passed after that.

“W-Who’s there!?”

A boy’s voice rang out from the temple—the seventh member who had been resting with them only moments earlier.

Vayne was the first to stand up and dash toward the temple.

“Let’s go!”

At Vayne’s call, the remaining five stood at once. They raced toward the temple without showing any sign of fatigue and climbed several stone steps.

Vayne drew his sword as he entered the open temple interior, intensely alert in case something had happened to their companion.

The boy who had shouted stood just inside the temple in a guarded stance. Vayne moved in front of him protectively and lowered his center of gravity.

Then he saw the two figures standing before the altar at the back of the temple. One in particular made him catch his breath. Even from behind, the person’s presence was unmistakable, and the silhouette looked strangely familiar. A quiet “Huh?” escaped Vayne.

The person standing in front of the altar turned toward them.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The Azure Deer of the Ancient Land was still agitated, but it was not impossible to get past.

Ren and Ragna had successfully slipped away from it and continued toward the temple.

They used shortcuts along the way—routes carried upward by rising air currents and plant paths that climbed almost straight up. Entering the plaza by a different route from Vayne’s party, they skipped the spring and went directly to inspect the temple.

Ren turned to Vayne.

The classmate Ren saw for the first time during the long weekend seemed even more gallant than before, with a noticeably more confident expression.

“Vayne, you’ve gotten stronger.”

Ren said this with a gentle smile.

“Ah… I hope so.”

Vayne answered briefly and walked slowly toward Ren.

“I sometimes think, ‘Why me?’ But if I have the blood of Hero Ruin, then I believe there must be something I can do. So, I’m going to do what I can.”

“Yep, I think that’s a good idea.”

“But Ren, why are you here? Do you know about this spring?”

“If it’s about the legend, I’ve read about it in books.”

Vayne also asked Ren about other matters.

When Vayne asked why he was there, Ren said only that he was working at the request of the person beside him.

When Vayne asked about the startled shout they had heard earlier, Ren gave a wry, apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry. I just startled you.” 

Ren said with an apologetic tone and a wry smile.

He turned his face towards the boy who had raised his voice earlier.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ren Ashton, Vayne’s classmate.”

Since the other boy came from a Hero House, Ren briefly wondered whether he should use more formal language. But Chronois had always said students should be treated as equals, so perhaps he was overthinking it.

Even outside the academy, senior and junior students were still students. Ragna soon introduced himself as a Bag Traveler. Several people were surprised and wondered what sort of work had brought him together with Ren, but Ragna offered no explanation, so Ren only smiled and sidestepped the question.

“I apologize.”

The boy who had shouted earlier bowed his head to Ren.

“I’m Squall Meldaeg. I’m sorry I raised my voice.”

“I know who you are. You’re the heir of House Meldaeg, right? I startled you too, so don’t worry about it.”

One of the Seven Heroes had been a priest named Shishir Meldaeg.

He was a great White Mage who healed his companions throughout the journey to defeat the Demon King and displayed powerful holy abilities in the final battle as well.

As a saint whose name remained in history, portraits of him were now displayed in temples throughout the world.

Squall was also a powerful White Mage. He was slender and about average height for his age, with muted brown hair and well-shaped features.

“Ashton-san, I’ve heard about you as well.”

“Me?”

“My father told me there is an extraordinary knight who protects the White Saint.”

As head of House Meldaeg, Squall’s father had naturally taken an interest in Ren as the person protecting the White Saint, Licia.

But due to current circumstances, Licia, the White Saint, had quietly distanced herself from the Elfen Church. 

Hearing that left Ren conflicted. The events at Roses Caitas came to mind, and all he could manage was a dry smile.

“I’m honored to hear Lord Meldaeg say that about me.”

Ren said that much.

“Vayne, if your business is done, it’s better to head back soon.”

“I was planning on doing that soon, but did something happen?”

Ren, still concerned about the ring, explained:

“The monsters are getting agitated.”

“Could it be related to the loud noise earlier?”

“Yes, it’s related.”

Ren assumed Vayne had heard the sounds of his and Ragna’s battle with the Azure Deer of the Ancient Land, along with the creature’s cries.

Without delay, he continued.

“The route you and the others used is safe. As long as you’re careful, you’ll be fine. Head down calmly, board the magic ship, and return to the Imperial Capital.”

Vayne had indeed mentioned that he and Lizred had heard a tremendous noise. Now that he understood the reason, he nodded together with his companions.

“If you want, Ren, you can come back with us.”

“I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.”

“But…”

Seeing Vayne’s worried expression, Ren added. 

“There are first-year students here too. Don’t worry about me.”

“Ashton-senpai! Are you underestimating me, Liz, and the others?”

“I’m not underestimating you. But it’s also true that none of us need to stay here any longer than necessary.”

“That’s… true, but…”

“Besides, Vayne only recently gained that new power. It’s much better for him to rest aboard the magic ship than here. The descent should be easier too.”

There were several routes where they could descend easily by following vines and similar natural paths.

At the advice of a Sword Saint who practiced the Mighty Sword Style, Vayne finally nodded.

Vayne and his companions turned away and headed for the temple exit. Just before leaving, he looked back once more at Ren and the Bag Traveler standing beside him, watching them go.

Once Vayne and his group had completely left, Ren walked towards the spring with Ragna.

“Back in the cave you said he was interesting, but you didn’t look all that interested in Vayne just now.”

“I saw what I wanted up close. I don’t particularly want to establish a connection.”

Ragna had apparently only wanted to see Vayne up close once. Even so, Ren found it almost surprisingly detached that he could look directly at the supposedly lost descendant of Hero Ruin and not even speak to him.

“I’ve heard the rumors about him since the incident with Giant God’s Messenger Wadatsumi. There’s no particular need for me to talk to him now.”

That seemed to be part of Ragna’s reasoning as well.

When they reached the spring, Ren gazed across the surface of the water and smiled to himself.

(What I just did was completely like Ren Ashton.)

Appearing out of nowhere, saying something that struck at the heart of the matter, then leaving behind a cryptic impression. In the game, Ren Ashton would sometimes appear before a formidable enemy and join the party as an ally for that battle alone. Thinking back on his own behavior just now, Ren felt it was remarkably similar.

Both of them had finally taken a break.

Just before the spring, Ren sat down on the grass where Vayne and the others had rested earlier.

The gentle breeze made the surface of the spring water ripple.

“Since we’re here, I want to test the water quality. You can take it easy, Ren.”

“Got it. Then I’ll gladly do just that.”

Ragna took several magic tools from his bag and approached the spring. After filling a test tube with water, he began measuring various values.

After a few minutes of rest, Ren absentmindedly stood up and looked around the spring.

While looking around, Ren stepped behind cover and summoned the Water Magic Sword.

“Maybe I wasn’t imagining it.”

Its appearance had not changed, but simply holding it felt easier than before. The idea that it had absorbed a little mana from the Ring of the Goddess of Water was beginning to feel real.

Ren looked down at the crystal in his bracelet and muttered:

“…Don’t absorb things without permission.”

It was not that Ren objected to every change, but having something happen without his knowledge was startling enough to make him wary.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t a negative change, so his comment was more than half-joking.

When Ren returned to the spring, Ragna still had a test tube in hand.

The Bag Traveler looked thoroughly absorbed in his investigation.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“What? There were people who got there before you and Ragna-san?”

It was lunchtime on the first day back after the long weekend. Fiona Ignat stood with her back against a wall on the academy rooftop, looking surprised as she spoke to Ren, who sat on a nearby bench.

Ren swallowed a bite of bread stuffed with vegetables and meat, a popular lunch among students, then nodded.

“That’s right.”

Licia, standing next to Fiona, added with her hands behind her back.

“Since it seems to be a very valuable item, were you planning to sell it after all?”

“I wonder what they meant to do with it. Other than selling it, the only use I can think of is the same reason Ragna-san and I went looking for the ring.”

Fiona chuckled. 

“It would be quite a coincidence if you had the same goal.”

“I think so too. We were both looking for legendary artifacts at almost the same time.” 

“…So rather than having the same objective, maybe they had some other purpose? Selling it for money, or something else?”

Licia suggested the possibility.

The obvious possibility was using the power of the Goddess of Water in some sort of ritual. Ren was already used to events that had never occurred in Legend of the Seven Heroes, and such changes usually had some special meaning. It was hard to believe unrelated adventurers had simply gone after the ring at the same time by coincidence.

“Ren-kun, Ren-kun,” 

Fiona called to him.

“Could the Demon King cult have been trying to take it?”

“I thought of that too, but I don’t understand why they would want to collect holy relics.”

The Ring of the Goddess of Water would not appear inside the crystal until it was filled with mana, and the spring before the temple was only filled with water once every few centuries. That was why the ring had never been taken before.

Ren understood the mechanism, but not why someone had acted at this particular time.

“Maybe… they didn’t want the Hero Houses to gain more power.”

 Licia suggested. 

“Yes… what Licia-sama said feels more plausible than them simply collecting relics…”

Ren thought it made sense too.

“Another possibility is that the Demon King cult knows some use for it that no one else does.”

Ren’s actions had already altered the course of fate. If the Demon King cult now had a reason to want the ring—

(Perhaps it’s because it has an important use?)

They might intend to use the Ring of the Goddess of Water as a catalyst to accumulate even greater power. But if the cult had known such a use in Legend of the Seven Heroes, they should have taken it in the game as well.

(No, perhaps it’s related to Ulysses too?)

In Legend of the Seven Heroes, Ulysses became an enemy and worked behind the scenes. Perhaps that difference had affected the Demon King cult’s plans, explaining why the cult had not taken the Ring of the Goddess of Water in the game’s timeline.

Another possibility was that the Demon King cult had never fully investigated the Ring of the Goddess of Water and therefore had not been able to find it.

The more they thought about it, the less they understood. Ren turned his face towards Fiona.

“The Demon King cult stole a holy relic before too—Elfen’s Tears, right?”

“Yes. But that was also a liquid with strong divinity, and apparently no one knows what the Demon King cult intended to use it for.”

“They may have stolen it simply to weaken the Elfen Church, so we really can’t tell.”

The spring afternoon passed without any of the three finding an answer.

“We don’t even know who tried to take it, but investigating this is going to be difficult.”

Ren and Fiona gave wry smiles at Licia’s comment.

(For now, let’s start with what we can.)

For now, consulting Radius seemed like the best place to start.

A pleasant spring breeze passed between the three of them.

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