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"Mastermind" Volume 4 epilogue part 3
🕑 Added 2023-06-11 16:00:33 +0000 UTCRen, who had calmed down for a moment, redirected the conversation.
"I guess I'll consult again later about introducing someone who knows more."
"Understood. Then let's stop here for today. I feel bad for keeping those two waiting for too long."
He was referring to Licia and Fiona.
As Ren stood up, Radius followed suit, and the two opened the door leading outside. They glanced at the students heading home.
"But thanks to the incident with the Time Cage, things worked out. Even from a third-party perspective, there were several factors that could prove the presence of powerful monsters sealed within. It makes it easier for us to take action."
"If that weren't the case, we would have had to talk about me and Licia as well."
"I... tried to avoid it as much as possible. If we speak up, there will surely be people who try to use the two of you as tools for political disputes, and there is a high possibility of causing trouble with the Elfen church. If we can settle things smoothly, it's best to handle it peacefully."
"Then, is this good enough?"
"Without a doubt. You have accomplished great feats, but on the other hand, there will be people who are concerned about the incident with the Time Cage. And the academy dean is also cooperating. She promised to lend us a hand if anything happens."
So for now, the matter of Roses Caitas is over.
If the situation changes, we agreed that Radius would contact me immediately.
"Then, there's the matter of my family."
"Is something wrong with the Ashton family?"
"Towards the end of the battle, the Sword Demon called me Ashton."
Upon hearing Ren's sighing words, Radius poked Ren's side.
The dissatisfied expression of the Third Prince.
"Say it all together when talking about the Descendant of the goddess."
"Sorry. I've been thinking about various things and forgot."
"Well, well. So, why did the Sword Demon mention Ashton's name?"
"I don't understand at all."
"...Well, that's why you sighed. If the Sword Demon seemed close to Ashton here, it would be a problem, but you fought properly, right?"
Ren nodded, recalling the battle from that time.
He spoke about the pressure and killing intent emitted by the Sword Demon, which was no misunderstanding.
"Even though he said Ashton, he was trying to kill me."
"That's good... Well, it wouldn't be good if you were attacked... But I don't understand. Why did the general of the Demon Lord's army mention Ashton's name?"
"I don't know either. That's why I asked you to look for things like the family tree."
"Hmm, now that you mention it, that's true."
"And also, it seems like my ancestors were incredibly strong. Before my ancestral home burned down, there were records that said they fought against Asval in his prime."
Upon hearing that, Radius poked Ren's side again.
This time, it was stronger and more forceful.
"You should have said that sooner."
"Sorry. I only told Lessard-sama and the others about it."
"...Honestly. But if that's true, your ancestors were extraordinary. Fighting against Asval and being despised by the general of the Demon Lord's army? What did Ren's ancestors do?"
While walking and talking, Radius crossed his arms and looked up at the sky.
Could it be, he thought. He thought about the reason why he lent a hand during the commotion at the Great Clock Tower, keeping the Sword King Lutreche in mind.
"Does she know something...?"
"Huh? Did you say something?"
"...No, it's nothing. If I find out something on my end, I'll let you know."
"Thanks. I'm counting on you."
As they were discussing the Ashton family, they approached the school gate. Licia and Fiona were not visible yet, but since Radius said he would return to the carriage, Ren offered to accompany him.
"Oh, by the way,"
Radius said, as if he had just remembered something.
"Since when?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You haven't been using honorifics for Licia Clausel, have you? I don't think you, of all people, would forget."
"Well, there were various reasons within the Roses Caitas."
Primarily, it was because of the promises made before encountering the Sword Demon.
Though it was a short period of time, their time there was intense.
"It's good that you're on good terms,"
Radius said, suppressing a smile as he gazed at Ren's profile.
When they reached the carriage, Estelle was standing outside.
As Radius quickly got inside the carriage, he left with the parting words, "Seems like Estelle has something she wants to talk about."
After exchanging about ten seconds of silence,
"There is something I need to apologize to Ren for,"
Estelle took the lead.
"I don't fully understand the situation,"
"I was secretly keeping an eye on you. It was an order from His Majesty the Emperor."
Ren's cheek tensed.
Hearing that he was being watched by the Emperor's command, the legend of Ren Ashton, one of the Seven Heroes, crossed his mind.
But there was no need to worry. The fact that Estelle had explicitly mentioned it was proof enough.
"We met twice in Elendil because of that job. His Majesty couldn't make a judgment about you, Ren. He wanted to know everything about who you are."
"Could it be because I'm close to Radius as well?"
"That's also a factor, but there’s also the Sword King."
"The Sword King?"
"Yeah. Last summer, when I was on the Martell continent, during the commotion at the Grand Clock Tower, the Sword King lent her strength on the condition that Ren would participate."
Ren remembered.
It was still a question he had.
"When the Sword King makes a move, it can have a significant impact on everything. Not only the power balance between factions but also the possibility of Leomel acting as a nation."
"I understand that, but... rather, have you asked the Sword King why she lent her strength? Haven't you spoken to her since then?"
"When His Majesty asked her a few times, she only said she was intrigued by the rumored swordsman."
Ren had been active in various places and continued to improve his skills by going in and out of the Lion sanctuary, so it wasn't entirely unfathomable.
Furthermore, it wasn't just because of the Sword King's presence, but also because he was by Radius's side, who was highly regarded as the next Emperor.
"Therefore, His Majesty ordered me to 'assess Ren Ashton,'"
Assessing someone inherently involves subjective judgment. Estelle was initially unsure of what to do, but as she observed Ren up close, she came to understand his character. There was no cause for concern. She was convinced that Ren was a necessary friend to Radius.
"Of course, I felt there was no issue from the first time I exchanged words with you."
"That's an honor. But, did Radius find out that you were watching me?"
"Oh! You figured it out! Indeed, Radius had seen through it from an early stage! In the first place, it was difficult to investigate in places like the imperial capital and Elendil, where Radius's eyes could easily reach!"
"...I suppose so."
"Of course, His Majesty had anticipated that as well. On the contrary, it seems His Majesty was curious about how Radius would react, so he personally investigated that."
Radius understood the Emperor's thoughts, but there was a part of him that couldn't fully accept it.
When he had the opportunity to speak with the Emperor, he was generally calm, but there were times when he expressed his emotions so clearly that even the royal knights were surprised, especially when he couldn't agree with the Emperor's words.
Estelle finished speaking and deeply bowed her head.
The shadow of the carriage where the two were present was not visible to the people around them.
"However, it must have been uncomfortable for you, despite it being an order. I apologize."
"Estelle-sama! Please don't worry! It's only natural to conduct such investigations!"
If Ren hadn't been by Radius's side, things would have been different, and Ren reluctantly understood that. It was only natural when dealing with a member of the imperial family of Leomel, the world's largest military nation. In fact, Ren would have found it problematic if the Emperor hadn't investigated anything about him.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Lessard returned to the mansion in the evening.
He had been called by Ren and was leaning against the wall in the corridor.
"So, to Eupeheim?"
"That's the plan. The exact timing is still undecided, but I want to go as soon as possible."
"I see. Let's talk about it in more detail later. When the schedule is confirmed, I'll also inform Marquis Ignat."
Lessard chuckled, knowing that the invitation was also a factor.
"Oh?"
He noticed something as he looked at Ren.
"Has our eye contact gotten this close already?"
"Indeed... It used to feel like I was looking up to you more before."
Comparing before Ren entered the school, even before he lived in Elendil, the change was particularly noticeable.
A boy with a androgynous face resembling his mother, Mireille, had grown so much. Lessard was captivated by the sentiment.
Just as Lessard was watching, Licia appeared from around the corner of the hallway.
Her lovely smile, the smile she showed Ren was different from the one she showed to anyone else.
"Ren! I've been looking for you!"
She rushed over with light footsteps.
"Ah, I'm sorry... You were talking with Father, right?"
"Don't worry about it. We just finished, so it's fine."
"Really? Then, Ren, would you like to go to the town together? I want to buy the continuation of the book I was reading. Shall we go together?"
The edge of the sky was still bright. They didn't mind since there were days when they returned from the Lion Sacred See even later.
Ren agreed with a "Sure,"
"I'm glad. Can we go right away?"
"Yes, we can go, but... Licia!?"
"Hurry, hurry! We need to hurry before it gets dark!"
Licia pulled Ren's hand and they hurriedly headed outside.
Watching that scene, Weiss approached Lessard with a leisurely pace. With a gentle smile, he spoke to Lessard as he observed.
"My lord, you seem to be in good spirits."
"Yes, I'm feeling very good."
Thinking it impolite to inquire about the reason, Weiss didn't ask any further.
The two of them who ventured into the town obtained their desired item at the bookstore and walked through the town as the dusk became slightly cooler.
Lately, there were more knights in the town than before. This was due to the cautionary measures taken after the incident involving Roses Caitas and the increase in Elven Church visitors following the unsealing.
"...It feels like a dream, doesn't it?"
Licia recalled the events in Roses Caitas.
Naturally, after making sure no one could hear them.
"The fact that we fought against the monster that was the commander of the Demon Army seems unreal."
"It's neither a lie nor a dream."
Ren immediately replied, and Licia, walking beside him, looked up at his profile.
"Look, this is the proof."
Ren pointed to the Mithril magic Sword hanging at his waist. The mithril sword was sheathed in a scabbard that fit its size, so the blade couldn't be seen. However, the handle already had a different appearance from the iron magic sword.
The scabbard, newly made by Verlich, trembled slightly with each step Ren took.
"What Licia and I experienced is real."
"Fufu, even the way you address me seems to say that it wasn't a dream."
"Well, it's a bit embarrassing to address you in an informal tone. Can you cut me some slack?"
"Is that so? But I don't think I'll ever forget how you woke me up by calling my name out of the blue."
Ren scratched his cheek and turned his head away. It was his usual gesture of embarrassment.
Just walking like this made Licia happy, but the fact that her cheeks kept loosening was becoming a bit of a problem for her.
As they continued to enjoy the twilight of Elendil for a little while,
"In order to be able to handle situations like that again, we need to become stronger."
"Yes, I will soon become a master swordsman, so maybe Ren will become a sword saint."
Ren shook his head and looked off into the distance.
"I've given up on aiming to become a sword saint."
"...You haven't given up on the path of the sword, have you?"
"Of course not."
"Then what is your goal?"
Ren hadn't clearly expressed it yet.
Those words were spoken with a sense of self-imposed limitation, as if he could only say it to the extent that he wanted to become someone like that existence. But now, it was not an ambiguous desire to become strong like that.
His admiration had turned into a firm determination.
"I've decided... to become a Sword King."
As he stopped and looked directly into her eyes, Ren said it clearly and resolutely, unlike ever before.
She couldn't help but be mesmerized by his resoluteness, without laughing at his words.
"So, I would be happy if you could continue to train with me in swordsmanship."
"...I see. Well, if you say that, I have to aim for Sword King too."
"What!? Licia, you too!?"
"You don't have to be so surprised! Because I..."
She knew it would be a challenging journey. She didn't say it lightly. She just didn't want to yield the position of training with Ren in swordsmanship to anyone else.
"What about me?"
"...It's nothing. It's still a secret."
As the night approached, even the bright edge of the sky from earlier was covered in darkness.
The two of them were in the bustling town of Elendil. They would continue to enjoy the town at night as they made their way home.
Let's do our best again from tomorrow. They exchanged those words and the day came to an end.
When Ren eventually reaches the pinnacle of the Sword King, it may not be just one, but two Sword Kings who are born.
The answer will come someday, beyond this story.
