Chapter 19: Stories about How Difficult the Knight Exam Can Be.

Since this spring, there have been many occasions within the academy where Vane’s name comes up in conversations.

From the story that Vane and the others headed to Windea during the break, to the confidence that Vane exuded after the break… Ren also felt Vane’s confidence.

Before and after the break, Vane appeared even more robust, and students were beginning to think that the rumor of him being descendant of the Hero Ruin might be true.

Ren thought it was a good thing.

Although the members of the second-year special class remained the same as in their first year, many of them were now talking to Vane and Sarah, showing excitement.

Even after school, this didn’t change.

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

He had some errands to attend to and had left his seat to wait for Licia, who had stepped out for a while. He would have to spend some time in the academy in the meantime.

“Haa.”

As he walked down the hallway, he let out a tired sound and yawned.

He had been in Windea until recently, so returning to this daily life felt like a contrast.

He continued down the path leading to the courtyard from the first-floor hallway and headed towards a bench with its back against another.

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 book he had borrowed before. But Radius had read it several times before.

“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 from the library before when Kite had recommended it to him. It was a biography of Grimdor, a knight whose name became the origin of the Saint Grimdor Sword Chapter he had obtained this winter. Grimdor had served the Lion King, and the book contained information about him.

“The Lion King was not 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.

He didn’t feel like Ren was intruding, and in fact, he found this leisurely after-school time meaningful.

Ren changed his position and sat on the bench opposite Radius, and their conversation could easily reach each other.

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

“Yeah, it really is.”

“The Demon Cult has stolen relics before. There’s a possibility they had some other purpose this time. It’s still difficult to determine whether it was them or someone else trying to take them.”

“I was thinking the same. But…”

“But what?”

“…never mind.”

The legend of the Seven Heroes was different. What would saying that achieve? There was no way to explain it, and yet the situation couldn’t be ignored. So Ren continued the conversation with Radius.

Instead, Ren mentioned some place names, describing them as potential locations where the Demon Cult might appear soon.

“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.

“Regardless, I’m sure you’re still concerned about the Demon Cult. How about I send you a summary of my actions next time?”

“Mm, thanks.”

Ren had one more thing on his mind.

The existence of the enemy that had been active in Chapter 1 of the Legend of the Seven Heroes II – the priest of the Demon 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.”

Continuing with their greetings was Squall. The two first-year students seemed to be planning to spend their time after class, and they happened to pass by where Ren was.

Being called ‘Senpai’ felt a bit awkward, but it was the truth, so Ren would 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!”

By the way, Radius was still quietly sitting in the seat behind Ren. He didn’t want to disturb their conversation.

And now, Lizred, who had been somewhat vague in her words, was being supplemented by Squall.

Supplementing, but for Lizred, it was an embarrassing story.

“Liz couldn’t score as well as expected on the first quiz, so the former Arkei Viscount scolded her severely.”

The former Arkei Viscount referred to Lizred’s grandmother. She was the woman Liz referred to as ‘babasama,’ and she was strict not only in magic but also in academics. No one from the Arkei family, including the current head, could stand up to her.

However, she was not 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 who was listening laughed at the conversation between the two.

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

“Don’t lump me together with Charlotte. 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 these two options. Either he could offer a comforting answer in line with Lizred Arkei, or he could respond in agreement with Squall Meldaeg. However,

(Both options seem different…)

After hesitating, Ren cleared his throat and said. 

“When you start school, everyone’s busy, so I think Arkei-san, too, will be able to show her true potential soon. Don’t worry.” 

He said this to avoid taking sides.

Both Lizred and Squall seemed to accept his response.

Up until now, Radius, who had remained silent and tried not to interfere, closed his book behind Ren’s back, got up from the bench, and started walking next to Ren. The third prince, who had been hidden behind the hedge, came into the view of Lizred and Squall.

“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, who was enjoying Lizred’s surprise, noticed that she was holding several sheets of paper. There had been some events such as explanations of various classes and facilities within the school for newcomers, and it seemed like one of those events was being held after school today.

“Are you both free right now?”

Ren asked them, and Lizred let out an uncharacteristic exclamation, while Squall hurriedly left the scene with her.

Several seconds later, Ren saw Licia coming in, taking the place of the departing students.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting!”

Licia approached Ren after that.

Ren, who was sitting on the bench, appeared to be in high spirits, which caught Licia’s attention. She sat down next to him.

As time passed, the gap between the two had gradually decreased. Their closeness felt a bit unsettling, as it seemed that with a slight push from either side, their elbows would easily touch. There were rumors that some female students were scheming such pranks, but Ren decided not to mention it.

“What’s up?”

Licia’s sigh brushed against 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 various topics, as if they could talk about anything anytime. Ren continued the conversation, even though they didn’t necessarily need to talk at this moment, to keep the relaxed atmosphere of the school after hours.

After chatting for about thirty minutes, when he stood up, Licia spoke.

“I’m planning to visit the Holy Lion Sanctuary today, so shall we go?”

“Sure.”

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

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

In the evening, while taking a break from training at the Lion Sanctuary, 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.”

They had such conversations, but Ren kept it a secret.

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.

While on his way to get some fresh air outside, a group of knights from the Lion Sanctuary approached him.

“Good evening, Ren-dono.”

Knights from the Lion Sanctuary approached.

There were several knights, all of them wearing dignified black knight attire instead of the usual jet-black armor. While there were some differences among them, each one of them proudly displayed numerous medals on their chest.

“It’s unusual to see you like this.”

“We just had a meeting of knights a little while ago. We participated as representatives of the Lion Sanctuary.”

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

Last summer, while serving as a member of the organizing committee for the Lion King Festival, Ren had heard that the knights of the Lion Sanctuary had to pass tests at the level of officers.

He thought these medals might be related to those tests.

“These are badges of honor. They represent various qualifications.”

When Ren asked out of curiosity, one of the knights pointed at the medals on their chests one by one.

“This one signifies the completion of the requirements to become a full knight. This one shows that we’ve achieved the rank of a master swordsman in the Imperial Sword Art…” 

There was one that represents the completion of a specialized archery program. Moreover, this one allows us to ride in the carriage when accompanying a member of the royal family on a trip. And this one indicates that we’ve completed the training to become a palace guard officer.

These were all necessary qualifications to become a knight of the Lion Sanctuary.

“Is there a strict process to become a knight of the Lion Sanctuary?”

“Yes, indeed. I can still remember how challenging even the test to become a full knight was, let alone the blood I shed to get to 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 varies from year to year, but there is always an examination of general knowledge that includes languages from various countries, cultures of different ethnicities, and history.”

According to them, the range of knowledge they had to learn was so vast that it was common for them to have their common sense shattered while studying for the exams.

Speaking of general knowledge, one of the knights remarked. 

It’s a useful word because it’s acceptable to say “cultured” …… said one knight.

“Speaking of academic studies, there are many related to military strategy.”

“But academic studies are trivial. If you work hard at your desk, you’ll eventually remember everything, and it’s similar to the training for the Royal Guard Knights. You just need to become a bookworm for a while.”

“Yes, indeed, the unreasonable examination called the physical fitness test…”

“In the final examination that spans several months, we undergo evaluations that seem intended to kill us, including field training in harsh natural environments and conflict zones around the world.”

“I consider it the real deal from the point where I thought I was going to die. It makes you feel somewhat relieved.”

The knights of the Lion Sanctuary were composed of a further limited elite within the world’s largest military nation, Leomel. While they didn’t go into detail about the content of the exams, Ren could sense how rigorous they were.

Therefore, the emblem representing membership in the Lion Sanctuary, which adorned their chests, was as precious as life itself to them and their greatest source of pride.

After hearing such unusual stories.

“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 Water Goddess’s ring, it was understandable that he wanted to inquire in person. Ren recounted the events 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.

“While I can’t definitively conclude that the Demon Cult is involved, it’s best to consider all possibilities. 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!”

He left those words of celebration and departed from the Lion Sanctuary once again.

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 things had calmed down regarding the emblem with the mark of Ragna.

“…Maybe I should go visit her again.”

To the advice from Lutreche, who had suggested searching for the emblem with the mark. There were several things he wanted to discuss, but first, he wanted to confirm whether that emblem was the right one to find.

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