Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 9: The Item Under Repair.
Chronois extended a hand and tried to sense the mana in the surrounding area.
The results did not appear promising.
“L-let us look a little longer! Just in case!”
It was a gentle attempt to spare Ren disappointment.
Even after several minutes of searching around the remains of the Goddess of Water’s statue, Chronois said nothing to suggest that the situation had improved.
Ren also examined pieces of rubble and searched for anything resembling the goddess’s sacred relics once used to seal Roses Caitas.
…There was never going to be anything left, was there?
That was the conclusion he reached.
On reflection, the Elfen Church had already investigated Roses Caitas. There was no reason precious artifacts would have been abandoned here.
The fragments of a divine statue could not simply be kicked aside either.
During their brief rest, Chronois moved lightly across the remaining platforms to inspect the ruins, her robe fluttering softly.
Standing nearby, Ren let his gaze drift toward the enormous hole.
He remembered falling through it and settling his battle with the Sword Demon in the depths below.
Now he was a Sword Saint and could wield the Sword Demon’s Art. With those thoughts passing through his mind, Ren paused and looked into the crystal on his bracelet.
――――――
Ren Ashton
[Job] House Ashton — Eldest Son
[Skills] ・Magic Sword Summoning (Level 1: 0/0)
- ・Magic Sword Summoning Technique (Level 6: 5112/6500)
Level 1: Can summon 【one】 magic sword.
Level 2: Gains 【Physical Enhancement (Small)】 while the bracelet is summoned.
Level 3: Can summon 【two】 magic swords.
Level 4: Gains 【Physical Enhancement (Medium)】 while the bracelet is summoned.
Level 5: Unlocks magic-sword evolution.
Level 6: Gains 【Physical Enhancement (Large)】 while the bracelet is summoned.
Level 7: Can summon 【three】 magic swords.
Level 8: *************************.
[Acquired Magic Swords]
・Great Tree Magic Sword (Level 5: 2864/5000)
- Enables attacks equivalent to intermediate Nature Magic.
- The effective attack area expands as its level rises.
・Mithril Magic Sword (Level 5: 289/8500)
- Sharpness increases as its level rises.
・Thief’s Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/3)
- Has a chance to steal a random item from the target.
・Shield Magic Sword (Level 2: 0/5)
- Creates a mana barrier whose strength increases with its level.
- Its area of effect can also be expanded.
・Flame Magic Sword (Level 1: 1/1)
- Its inferno is the rage of a dragon and the embodiment of power.
・Water Magic Sword (Level 1: 1/1)
- It is power dropped by the Goddess of Water.
――――――
Ren wondered whether the last time he had checked the bracelet’s crystal was before becoming a Sword Saint.
He vaguely remembered looking at it while searching for the trigger that would let him attain that rank.
The most notable changes were the proficiency gained through repeated outdoor training with Estelle that winter and, above all, from defeating two Giant God’s Messengers—Wadatsumi.
There was also the newly acquired Water Magic Sword.
As Ren studied the crystal, his thoughts naturally returned to the events of that winter.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
It had been shortly after the battle with Wadatsumi.
After hearing what had happened, Licia abruptly changed her plans to return to Clausel and came to Eupheim. Fiona was already there visiting her family, while changes in the weather had brought Ren to the city as well.
One day, the three went to inspect the coast just outside Eupheim after the battle.
“…It is beautiful.”
“Amazing… It looks like a jewel.”
The two girls could not help voicing their admiration when Ren summoned the Water Magic Sword.
Its form resembled a jewel that was at once the blue of the sky and the pale color of the sea. Its beauty reminded Ren of the key Ragna had recently shown him.
In shape, it was closest to a longsword.
Every part of it looked like a perfectly polished gemstone.
The summoned Water Magic Sword floated before Ren. When he closed his hand around the hilt, the azure blade seemed to shine even more brightly.
Because the sensation was completely new, however, Ren could not yet control the sword’s power. Even when he swung it toward the sea, he could do little more than stir the waves. At that time, he was still unable to wield anything resembling true water magic.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
There was also the matter of the Arts, which did not appear on the bracelet’s crystal.
When Ren became a Sword Saint, he had used two Arts. The first was Sword of Authority; the second was the Art he had acquired after fighting the Sword Demon.
The effects of Sword of Authority—including its waves and even the color of the user’s mana—were said to differ from person to person.
The other Art controlled the surrounding space with extraordinarily dense mana and then unleashed devastating force, just as the Sword Demon had done. Objects shattered by its waves floated in midair, storing power while charged with mana like purple lightning.
Ren could drive his sword into the ground and destroy the terrain as the Sword Demon had, or release the force directly at an opponent as he had against Wadatsumi.
One thing still troubled him.
He had yet to determine the unique power of his Sword of Authority. The Art was known not only for its raw offensive strength but for producing entirely different effects depending on the user. The only clear clue was that Ren’s matured mana appeared, strangely, to have been influenced by both Licia and Fiona. The appearance of his Sword of Authority left little doubt of that.
“What should I call the Sword Demon’s Art?”
Chronois heard the mutter he made after only now realizing that the Art had no name.
“Ren? Did you say something?”
“No. I was only thinking that the footing here is rather poor.”
Ren tried to divert the conversation.
“Ha ha! Even if you fall, I will make you float gently back up!”
“…As expected of you, Chronois.”
Ren would have been fine even if he fell into the water, but after trying to conceal the matter, he reconsidered.
“Chronois, may I ask you something?”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Chronois answered while continuing to inspect the area.
“Since fighting the Sword Demon, I have been able to use the Art he wielded. It feels strange to keep calling it the Sword Demon’s Art, so if you know what it is, could you tell me?”
“…You can?”
The academy dean stopped, turned toward Ren, and blinked in surprise.
“That is strange. I feel as though I am hearing this for the very first time.”
“I am sorry. I forgot to share that information.”
“I see, I see. You simply forgot.”
Ren thought she might let the matter pass, but Chronois came close and tapped the tip of his nose with one finger. “You must remember to tell me these things properly.”
When Ren apologized again, she smiled.
“I forgive you. Now, what did you want to know about the Sword Demon’s Art?”
“Its name. I have used it several times since that battle, but continuing to call it the Sword Demon’s Art feels awkward. I hoped you might recognize it.”
“I understand. What kind of power does it produce?”
Ren described both what the Sword Demon had done and how the Art behaved when he used it. Chronois folded her arms with intense interest, one finger resting against her lips in an unexpectedly alluring gesture.
Little information about the Sword Demon survived, but Chronois searched her extensive knowledge before answering.
“It may be called Sanctuary Destroyer.”
She had not invented the name because of her poor opinion of the holy land, nor merely because the Sword Demon had destroyed Roses Caitas. There was a proper historical basis for it.
“Bard Mudi sang of it. Long ago, she witnessed the Sword Demon completely destroy an important Elfen Church sanctuary on the Martell Continent and called the Art ‘Sanctuary Destroyer.'”
“That is an ominous name, but I am relieved to have something to call it.”
As Ren had expected, they found nothing containing the Goddess of Water’s power. Perhaps that was for the best. Even had they found something, secretly removing it without the Elfen Church’s knowledge would have created another problem.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Ren returned to Elendil after the hour when he would normally have finished dinner. It was past seven in the evening, and the world outside was already dark.
His breath white in the cold, Ren entered the mansion, bathed, ate dinner, completed his studies, and remained at his desk examining a map of the Leomel Empire.
Windea—the place where water and wind slumbered.
It was the first major destination players visited after the beginning of Legend of the Seven Heroes II.
Ren moved his pen across the map and checked the distances between the relevant locations. The journey from the Imperial Capital to Windea took roughly two hours by magic ship. It was possible to travel there without staying overnight. The trip was longer than his commute to school, but hardly impossible.
What concerned him was the work awaiting him in Windea. Ideally, he would go directly to the temple above and inspect the spring, but one particular complication made that impossible and would require him to remain there for several days.
Then there was another matter.
“Ah.”
Ren realized that he had forgotten to arrange a magic ship for traveling around Windea.
He slumped over his desk and groaned, “There is more to plan than I expected…”
Wanting to clear his head, he left his room and went into the garden. Yet the problem he had just remembered was not really his to solve alone.
“Ragna will probably handle it somehow.”
A man who also operated as the Bag Traveler would have little difficulty arranging a magic ship. They could even sleep aboard it.
Ren sighed at having overlooked something so obvious, then realized another point.
“…There is no need to go with Vayne and the others.”
That was the meaning behind his mutter.
Vayne had unquestionably awakened a special power—the power of the Hero. In spring, the descendants of the Seven Heroes would travel to Windea to test that power and strengthen what Vayne carried within him.
Joining them merely because their destinations matched would be too convenient, and it would do Ulysses no courtesy. Ren could simply ask to borrow a magic ship instead. There was no reason they had to act together.
Ren’s purpose differed from theirs because he needed to find the Ring of the Goddess of Water. He also remembered, if only barely, that obtaining it required several troublesome steps.
“Well, that is fine.”
He would solve the magic-ship problem somehow and proceed independently.
Someone answered the thought he had spoken aloud.
“Ren? What is fine?”
“I was thinking that I should simply act on my own.”
“I do not really understand, but were you planning to keep it secret from me?”
“No. If anything, from Vayne and the others—wait, Licia?”
Only then did Ren notice Licia standing beside him in the garden, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. She appeared to have just bathed, and a faint flush colored her skin. The cloak around her shoulders looked inadequate against the cold, so Ren draped his own jacket over her.
“Th-thank you.”
“You are welcome.”
There was no reason to continue talking outside, so they returned to the mansion together. Ren intended to walk her back to her room, but—
“That thing you were talking about… You are planning something again, are you not?”
“Again? You make it sound as though I am always acting in secret.”
“I did not say that. But you have prior form—or rather, you do have a tendency toward it.”
“This way.”
Licia took Ren’s hand and changed direction. She led him to the kitchen, prepared herself a warm drink, and questioned him again.
“Have you already accepted an Emblem Contract?”
“That is impressive. How did you know?”
“That is simply how these things work.”
As usual, Ren accepted that explanation without giving it much thought.
He immediately told her about the Emblem Contract.
“Ragna is searching for something, and I agreed to help him.”
“Ragna from the Bureau of Mysteries?”
“By coincidence, he was the one who posted the request. We plan to visit Windea once spring arrives. To avoid any misunderstanding, I fully intended to tell you.”
There was no reason to conceal anything, so Ren explained the details of the Emblem Contract as well.
He told her about the key discovered at Geno Orphanage, which Licia had also visited, the need to repair it, and the possibility that Mudi’s hideout contained information about House Ashton.
Licia had already heard the story of Cecil Ashton and the Corroding Princess. It was also clear that the man and woman in the painting displayed in Ren’s room were those two people.
“I hope Ragna can arrange a magic ship, though I could also ask Lord Ulysses to lend us one.”
At times like this, however, Ren could not help wishing House Clausel possessed a magic ship of its own.
While the two silently reached the same thought, an attendant entered the kitchen. She had apparently come to prepare a light meal and warm drink for Lessard, who was busy with his work.
As she was leaving, she remembered something and turned back.
“Milady, Lord Ren, a letter addressed to both of you has arrived.”
“Huh?”
Ren and Licia spoke at the same time.
“At this time of year, could it be an invitation?”
“This letter is from Master Werlich. He also contacted the head of the house and mentioned wanting to conduct a test flight somewhere…”
“A test flight?”
Once again, Ren and Licia’s voices overlapped.
The attendant smiled, amused by their perfectly matched reactions.
“Have you forgotten the vessel being repaired in the Hanging Garden’s dock?”
And then, once more—
“Ah.”
Their voices overlapped.
The magic ship Lemuria resembled a beautiful sailing vessel, just as Ren remembered.
Built by Werlich and repaired with materials from Asval, the magic ship had spent several years in the dock. Now it was finally preparing to take to the sky again.
The timing of the news was almost too perfect. Ren and Licia exchanged wry smiles after speaking in unison one final time.