Chapter 2: From this spring up until recently.
Tired from studying for the upcoming exams, Ren drained a cup of sweet milk tea and finally closed his notebook.
“Alright… that should do it.”
Ren Ashton.
His dark brown hair came from his mother, and his eyes had the same color as his parents’. His well-balanced features were androgynous, and with each changing season, he looked a little more mature.
Seeing his reflection in the window, he could tell he’d grown taller as well.
Still sitting in his chair, he stretched his stiff body and let out a breath.
“Huh, it’s already this late?”
Maybe because he’d been studying nonstop, he hadn’t realized how tired he was. The time he usually ate dinner had long since passed.
He wanted to keep studying, but first he needed a break—and dinner.
Thinking that, Ren left his room, but stopped in the hallway and looked out the window.
It felt like the entrance ceremony had only just ended, yet after the Windea incident, the season had already shifted into early summer.
Because of that season, the outside was still bright, dyed in a deep red sunset. The flowers that had colored the garden had changed, giving way to fresh green leaves.
Ren was absorbed in the scenery when—
“Taking a break from studying too, Ren?”
A clear, bell-like voice reached him.
He turned, and there she was.
“You too, Lishia?”
“Yes. I concentrated so hard I forgot to eat dinner, so I figured I should take a break.”
She walked over and smiled.
Just by standing next to him in front of the window, the distance between them felt slightly smaller than before.
“Don’t tell me—you haven’t had dinner either?”
Her voice bounced lightly, almost like she was singing.
Her sapphire-blue eyes were filled with dignity, her silver-white hair tinted faintly with amethyst shone softly.
Her delicate charm and remarkable beauty were almost enough to justify her title of Holy Maiden.
To the question of such an enchanting girl, Ren replied:
“I guess I was concentrating too much too.”
“Hehe, I figured.”
Lishia smiled happily, unconsciously directing all her charm toward him.
Then, as if something came to her mind, she brightened and beamed.
“Then want to go eat together?”
“I was planning to head to the dining hall anyway, so sure—”
“No, not that. I mean, outside. Together.”
“Um… outside?”
Still looking up at him—
“Is that… not okay?”
Ren had no intention of refusing.
“It sounds fun to eat outside once in a while. Let’s go.”
“Great! And I was thinking… how about near the Great Clocktower Plaza?”
“Oh right, that area has a bunch of new shops lately.”
“Yes. And the Great Clocktower should be lit up beautifully right now.”
The Great Clocktower was practically the symbol of Elendil—the very place where Ren and Lishia had first been attacked after moving here.
A large natural park was connected to the plaza, and it was a popular spot for visitors.
After eating, a little walk would be refreshing. For Licia, spending time together was the best part anyway.
As they were about to inform someone and head out, Ren spotted a servant nearby.
“Oh—wait a moment, please?”
“Yes, how may I—”
The servant noticed Ren and immediately inferred the situation.
“You’re heading out for dinner now, I presume?”
“That’s right, but… how did you know?”
“With exams approaching, I suspected you might have forgotten dinner. Then you met during a break, and the young lady insisted, correct?”
“T-that’s… not wrong, but—still!”
Having their situation seen through from start to finish, Lishia looked both embarrassed and a little annoyed.
Well… it’s already obvious…
She didn’t deny it, but her voice turned a little sulky.
“Yes, that’s what we’re doing! We’re just going out for a bit!”
The servant stifled a laugh and bowed. Then he leaned closer to Ren and whispered:
“Please look after the young lady.”
“H-hey! Too close!”
“Think nothing of it. I was simply telling him that I will inform the master.”
“You could say that without getting so close…!”
The White Saint pressed her lips together in a wavy line—at her limit.
Unable to take it anymore, she grabbed Ren’s arm and pulled him along so they could get ready to leave.
Once outside, the red sky was shifting colors.
As they began walking, the surroundings slowly darkened, replaced by the warm orange lights of shop signs and street lamps lining Elendil’s main avenue.
It felt almost like a nighttime rendezvous, and Lishia walked lightly at Ren’s side.
“The plaza near the Great Clocktower—that’s where the imperial restaurant opened a branch, right?”
“Yep. Apparently the menu is different from the one in the capital, so I’ve wanted to try it.”
“I’ve been curious too, so this is perfect. And on the way back—want to walk home? We’ve only been studying, so a stroll might be nice.”
“I’d like that. I’m looking forward to seeing the clocktower.”
The White Saint walked happily with the young magic-sword wielder.
As they chatted idly on the bustling main street, both of them remembered what they talked about in the imperial capital a few days ago.
‘…But before that, we’ve got midterms coming up.’
‘…Should we study in the usual room first?’
‘…Yeah.’
That night—when Ren said those words and Lishia and Fiona responded—hadn’t been long ago.
Naturally, the events of the recent incident came back easily. So did the days before it.
Seeing Elendil looking so normal again made the memories feel even sharper.
“It’s like nothing ever happened. Even though the Demon King Cult appeared near the capital, everything went back to normal so fast.”
“Well, you and the others worked really hard.”
“No… we only helped because Lady Chronoa came to Elendil. You all had it far worse.”
The cleric of the Demon King Cult—his name was Orphide.
He had been after the Water Goddess’s Ring hidden in Windea, related to their long-planned movements.
But Ren had already secured it far earlier, preventing the cult from obtaining it.
Orphide, unaware of this, acted again on the Water Holy Day when the goddess’s power was said to peak.
Just like the legend of the Seven Heroes, Orphide had been moving within a grand web of schemes, yet Ren and Radius foiled everything.
‘So you were the one weaving this tale…’
During their confrontation, Orphide eventually realized the true mastermind behind it all—Ren Ashton.
“But still, when you suddenly said you were heading to Windea, it scared me.”
“Haha… I panicked pretty badly back then.”
Originally, Ren intended to stay in Elendil and leave Orphide to Vein’s group, descendants of the hero.
He wanted to stay by Lishia and Fiona’s side.
And having played only one route of Legend of the Seven Heroes II, Ren didn’t feel confident that he’d memorized everything correctly. Even cooperating with Radius hadn’t given him full certainty.
Yet he still rushed to Windea because of that strange vision he saw.
‘You were weak… so you could not choose. You are a sinful person, Ren Ashton.’
The girl named Eve.
She had said that in the dream Ren saw before the battle.
Her cryptic words. Many details bothered him—but especially:
…Eve said the blood of House Ashton is causing trouble for Ren Ashton…
After the tragedy involving the White Saint and the academy headmaster, Eve’s words implied the Ashton bloodline was involved.
For Ren, who had been seeking the truth of that tragedy, it was the first real clue.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
After enjoying a far better meal than expected and leaving the restaurant, Ren found himself thinking about Eve again as they walked in the natural park beside the clocktower plaza.
Lishia noticed his absorbed expression.
“You’re thinking about that person again, aren’t you?”
She had seen through it.
He turned toward her with a guilty smile. “Sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I’m curious too. Especially now that we know she’s the Demon King Cult leader’s sister.”
Ren had learned of Eve’s connection to Medario during that strange dreamlike vision.
“Everyone’s been thinking more about the cult lately.”
“With how active they’ve been, and since we’ve learned new things… it makes sense.”
“True.”
The cult’s goals were still unclear, but they knew this much: targeting Leomel brought them closer to reviving the Demon King.
Both understood that.
With the cult growing bolder, their motives might soon be revealed.
But for now, Licia’s gaze drifted to Ren’s arm.
“Changing the subject a little—how’s your arm today?”
“I think it’s almost back to normal. The curse Orphide left behind is almost gone too… probably.”
The curse that struck Ren’s arm should have killed an ordinary person instantly, yet he endured it and returned to Elendil.
Orphide’s extraordinary regeneration had been because the cult was increasing attacks on temples and using stolen relics.
That much had become clear.
And also—
“If you didn’t have the Authority Blade, things might have been much worse.”
It definitely had made the battle far more manageable.
‘It’s not the hero’s power! Then why—why can you deny my divine regeneration!?’
Orphide’s shouted words had clarified something about the Authority Blade Ren used. Not quite proof, but close.
The Authority Blade—an art that proved a swordmaster had reached the rank of Holy Blade.
Besides destructive power, it had special effects that differed by user. Sometimes clear-cut, sometimes mysterious—Ren’s was the latter, a rare case where the effect was unclear for a long time.
He never imagined it could interfere with divine regeneration.
“Ren, your Authority Blade really is mysterious.”
She smiled softly.
“I know it’s strange, even for me.”
“But I think it’s a good thing. A power that affects divinity is rare, and you never know when another enemy like that cleric might appear.”
“True… it’s weird, but I’m glad to have it.”
It wouldn’t go to waste—he hoped he’d have the chance to understand it better.
“—Anyway,”
Licia said, glancing again at his arm.
Her power as the White Saint, together with the Black Shrine Maiden’s power, had slowly purified the curse remaining in him. Without that, the curse might have consumed his entire body.
“One more time—there really isn’t any pain?”
“…There isn’t.”
“…Hmm? So you’re lying to me?”
He did feel a faint pain on rare occasions. Even a momentary hesitation didn’t escape Lishia.
She gently pressed her fingertips to his hand and sent warm light into him.