Kays Translations

Chapter 19: About How Difficult the Knight Exam Is, and Other Things

Since this spring, Vayne’s name had been coming up more and more often around the academy.

There was the story of Vayne and the others going to Windea over the long weekend, and the dignified confidence Vayne carried after returning… Ren could sense that confidence too.

Vayne looked even sturdier than he had before the break, and students were beginning to wonder whether the rumor that he carried Hero Ruin’s blood might actually be true.

Ren thought it was a good thing.

Although the members of the second-year Special Class were unchanged from the previous year, many of them now approached Vayne and Sera with obvious excitement.

Even after school, this didn’t change.

Seeing such a lively scene, Ren smiled softly and left the classroom.

Licia had stepped away on an errand, and Ren needed to kill some time at the academy while he waited for her.

“Haa.”

As he walked down the corridor, he let out a loose sound and yawned.

He had been in Windea until only recently, so the contrast of returning to ordinary school life made him relax.

He followed the first-floor corridor toward the courtyard and headed for one of two benches set back-to-back.

There was a hedge between the benches, making it difficult to see the other side.

As Ren was about to sit there and bask in the warm sunlight,

“Ren?”

A voice came from behind the bench.

Hearing the voice, Ren stood beside the hedge and found Radius sitting on the bench with a book in his hand.

“What book is that?”

“I thought I’d read a biography, so I borrowed this one from the library a while ago.”

Looking at Radius’s book, Ren realized it was the same biography he had once borrowed. Radius, however, had already read it several times.

“The severity of Grimdor’s tales sends shivers down my spine no matter how many times I read them.”

“Ah… I can see that.”

Ren had borrowed the book after Kaito recommended it to him. It was a biography of Grimdor, the knight whose name had become the origin of the Saint Grimdor Sword Medal Ren received that winter. Grimdor had served the Lion King, and the book recorded his life.

“The Lion King wasn’t only skilled with a sword but also had unmatched strength in magic, they say. However, there are also theories that Grimdor, the blind knight, surpassed the Lion King in swordsmanship.”

“I wonder how strong he really was.”

“Who knows? We can’t compare with those who are no longer here, so I can’t imagine.”

Radius spoke while skimming through the book’s pages.

Radius didn’t seem to mind Ren interrupting him. If anything, he seemed to value this unhurried time after school.

Ren moved to the bench on the other side of the hedge, close enough that the two could speak comfortably.

“Changing the subject, I’ve heard about what happened in Windea. It’s a bit concerning.”

“Yeah, it really is.”

“The Demon King cult has stolen sacred relics before. They may have had another purpose this time as well. We still can’t say whether it was them or someone else who tried to take the ring.”

“I was thinking the same. But…”

“But what?”

“…never mind.”

The events in Legend of the Seven Heroes were different. But what would saying that accomplish? Ren had no way to explain it, yet he couldn’t ignore what was happening, so he continued his conversation with Radius.

Instead, Ren listed several place names as locations where the Demon King cult might appear in the near future.

“Don’t worry. After the winter incident, we’ve been deploying more forces than before. We’re also sending troops to the regions you mentioned.”

Ren felt reassured to see that Radius was collaborating with Ulysses in this manner.

“Either way, you’re still worried about the Demon King cult, aren’t you? Next time, how about I send you a summary of what I’ve been doing?”

“Mm, thanks.”

Ren had one more thing on his mind.

There was also the enemy who had been active in the first chapter of Legend of the Seven Heroes II—the priest of the Demon King cult.

He wanted to take action on that as soon as possible.

“Hey.”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“What if, for example, I had something I was really concerned about and asked for your cooperation, Radius?”

“I’d cooperate.”

It was an immediate response, without any hesitation.

“Oh… you didn’t say you’d listen to the story first.”

“I didn’t need to. So, what do you want me to do?”

As they continued their conversation, two students walking down the first-floor hallway spotted Ren in the courtyard. They approached hesitantly.

Ren’s conversation with Radius ended here for now. Ren, sitting on the bench, turned to face the two who had arrived.

“Hello, Ashton-Senpai.”

The first to greet him was Lizred, who bowed her head slightly.

“Ashton-senpai, I apologize for the other day.”

Squall greeted him next. The two first-year students had apparently finished classes and happened to pass through the courtyard while deciding how to spend the rest of the afternoon.

Being called ‘senpai’ still felt a little strange, but it was true, so Ren would simply have to get used to it.

“Both of you. Have you gotten used to classes?”

“Ugh…”

“Arkei-san?”

“…Th-that’s right! I’ll get used to it soon anyway!”

Radius, meanwhile, was still sitting quietly on the bench behind Ren so as not to interrupt them.

Lizred had answered rather vaguely, so Squall supplied the missing explanation.

Unfortunately for Lizred, what he supplied was rather embarrassing.

“Liz did worse than she expected on the first quiz, so the former head of Hero House Arkei gave her a terrible scolding.”

The former head of Hero House Arkei was Lizred’s grandmother—the woman Lizred called Babasama. She was strict not only about magic but academics as well, and apparently no one in the Arkei family, including its current head, could stand up to her.

However, she wasn’t only strict but also a person of great character.

She was highly respected by the entire family.

“Squall!? Why would you say that!?”

“It was Liz who hesitated in the first place.”

The descendant of the great saint let out a short sigh.

Ren laughed as he listened to the two of them bicker.

“Oh, come on! It’s all Squall’s fault I’m being laughed at! Seriously… Why is everyone in the Hero Houses so inconsiderate?”

“Don’t lump me together with Sharo. At least I didn’t say anything wrong.”

“Grr… Righteousness always wins, huh? That’s what you seem to think… So, Ashton-senpai, what do you think!?”

“Huh? Me?”

For example, if this were the Legend of the Seven Heroes…

Ren smiled somewhat awkwardly and looked at the two juniors.

[What Meldaeg said makes sense.]

[Don’t worry. Arkei, you can do better next time.]

He considered the two choices. He could comfort Lizred Arkei, or he could agree with Squall Meldaeg. But…

(Both options seem different…)

After hesitating, Ren cleared his throat.

“Everyone is busy when school first begins, so I’m sure Arkei-san will be able to show what she can really do once things settle down. Don’t worry.”

He said this to avoid taking sides.

Both Lizred and Squall seemed to accept his response.

Radius, who had remained silent so as not to interfere, closed his book behind Ren and stood. The Third Prince, hidden from the two first-years by the hedge until then, stepped into Lizred and Squall’s view.

“Ren, I’m going to head out soon.”

“Alright, see you later.”

Lizred, who had also been surprised to see Radius sitting next to Ren the other day, displayed a similar expression of surprise.

“Haa!?”

Ren noticed several sheets of paper in Lizred’s hands. The academy held various orientation sessions for new students about classes and facilities, and it appeared that one of those was scheduled for after school that day.

“Are you both free right now?”

At Ren’s question, Lizred let out an uncharacteristic cry, and Squall hurried off with her.

A few seconds later, Licia arrived just as the two first-years disappeared from view.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting!”

Licia approached Ren after that.

Ren was still in a good mood when Licia reached him, and she noticed immediately. She sat beside him.

Over time, the distance between them had naturally narrowed. Their elbows would have touched if either shifted even slightly. There were even rumors of female students plotting ‘helpful’ little pranks to bring pairs closer, but Ren decided not to mention that.

“What’s up?”

Licia’s breath brushed Ren’s shoulder as she looked up at him.

“Arkei-san and Meldaeg-san came by, and things got lively.”

“Hehe, really?”

“According to the rumors, Arkei-san didn’t do well on her first quiz.”

“But it’s just the beginning of the school year, so I think she’ll get better once she settles down.”

They chatted about one thing after another, as though they could talk about anything at any time. There was no particular need to keep talking, but Ren did so anyway, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the academy after school.

After about thirty minutes of conversation, Ren stood, and Licia spoke.

“I’m going to the Lion’s Holy Office today. Shall we go?”

“Sure.”

Ren got up first and extended his hand to Licia, who took it happily.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

That evening, while taking a break from training at the Lion’s Holy Office, Ren spotted Licia.

“Hey! You did well defending against that last attack!”

“No, I can still keep going!”

Licia had been training one-on-one with Estelle more often recently. It had started when Estelle proposed it after being impressed by Licia’s dedication to training and her determination to catch up with Ren. They practiced whenever they had free time.

“When I was young, I polished my sword skills to win over my husband.”

“Did Estelle’s husband also study swordsmanship?”

“No, my husband was quite slender. He didn’t like holding a sword.”

Ren quietly kept the contents of that conversation to himself.

Ren had thought about suggesting taking a break together, but he didn’t want to interrupt Licia’s diligent training. So, he left the training ground alone and walked through the corridor.

He was acquainted with the civil officials he passed by, and he exchanged greetings with them.

On his way outside for some fresh air, a group of knights from the Lion’s Holy Office approached him.

“Good evening, Ren-dono.”

A group of knights from the Lion’s Holy Office came over.

There were several of them. Instead of their usual jet-black armor, each wore a dignified black knight’s uniform, and every chest bore numerous medal-like decorations, with slight differences from knight to knight.

“It’s unusual to see you like this.”

“We just finished a meeting of knights. We attended as representatives of the Lion’s Holy Office.”

“I see… so that’s why… By the way, may I ask about the medals you all have on your chests?”

The previous summer, while serving on the organizing committee for the Lion King Grand Festival, Ren had heard that knights of the Lion’s Holy Office had to pass examinations at officer level.

He wondered whether the decorations were connected to those examinations.

“No. These are all insignia. Each one represents a qualification.”

When Ren asked out of curiosity, one knight pointed to the insignia on his chest one by one.

“This one proves completion of the course required to become a full knight. This one shows that I reached Swordmaster rank in Imperial Swordsmanship…”

There were also insignia for completing a specialized archery course, authorization to ride in the carriage when accompanying royalty on long journeys, completion of Royal Guard training, and proof of passing the officer examination.

Every one of those qualifications was required to become a knight of the Lion’s Holy Office.

“Do you really have to go through that many stages to become a knight of the Lion’s Holy Office?”

“Indeed… I can still remember how difficult even the full-knight examination was, never mind how much blood I coughed up earning the advanced qualifications…”

“By the way, what kind of tests are there?”

When Ren asked out of curiosity, the knights in front of him smiled knowingly and answered.

“The content changes every year, but there’s almost always a general-education examination covering the languages of various countries, the cultures of different peoples, and history.”

They said the required range of knowledge was so broad that having one’s common sense shattered while studying was practically routine.

One knight added with a weary smile:

“‘General education’ is a very convenient phrase. You can justify almost anything with it…”

“As for classroom subjects, there’s also a great deal of military strategy.”

“But classroom study is trivial. If you keep working at a desk, you’ll learn it eventually, and it overlaps with the Royal Guard course. You only have to become a bookworm with bloodshot eyes for a while.”

“Yes… the truly unreasonable examination is the one they call the physical-fitness test…”

“The final examination lasts several months. It includes field training in harsh environments and conflict zones around the world—evaluations that can only be described as attempts to kill us.”

“Once you reach the point where you think you’re dead, that’s when the real test begins. After that, it somehow feels a little easier.”

The knights of the Lion’s Holy Office were an even more select elite within Leomel, the world’s greatest military power. They didn’t reveal the examinations in detail, but Ren understood just how brutal they were.

That was why the insignia marking membership in the Lion’s Holy Office was as precious as life itself to them and a source of immense pride.

After hearing these unusual stories, Ren was about to move on when one of the knights asked:

“By the way, Ren-dono, do you have an arrangement with Marquis Ignat?”

“Not particularly, why do you ask?”

“Because I noticed the Ignat family’s carriage parked outside, so I thought maybe…”

Ren parted ways with the knights and decided to go check the situation for himself.

As he had heard, the familiar carriage was parked outside. Edgar, the elderly gentleman who served as the coachman, lowered his head when he saw Ren. Immediately, Ulysses appeared from the carriage and approached Ren with a smile.

“I apologize for coming on short notice. I wanted to hear about the events in Windea directly from you.”

“Is that so?”

Given the matter of the Ring of the Goddess of Water, it was understandable that Ulysses wanted to hear the details directly. Ren recounted everything that had happened in Windea without hiding anything.

Ulysses listened attentively, occasionally showing a thoughtful expression as he nodded multiple times, waiting for Ren to finish speaking.

After hearing Ren out, Ulysses spoke a few words.

“I can’t conclude that the Demon King cult was involved, but it’s best to consider every possibility. If anything happens, I’ll contact you immediately.”

“Understood. If I learn anything, I’ll inform you right away.”

“Very well. Well, I must take my leave, even though I just arrived. Let’s meet again soon.”

As Ulysses was about to return to the carriage, he suddenly turned to Ren.

“I almost forgot to mention! I was relieved to hear that Lemuria can fly safely now!”

With those congratulatory words, Ulysses departed from the Lion’s Holy Office once more.

After parting with him, Ren wondered if Licia might be taking a break soon and headed back inside.

As he walked, he thought about something.

Now that the matter of Ragna’s Emblem Contract had settled down…

“…Maybe I should go visit her again.”

Lutreche had advised him to search through the Emblem Contracts. Ren had several things he wanted to discuss with her, but first he wanted to confirm whether the contract he had found was the one she had meant.

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