Black clouds covered the sky. The dark clouds that were just above the horizon at noon have now covered the sky above.
The light rain where the raindrops fell bit by bit.
“That was close. It started raining after all.”
It was around the time when Ren returned to the Holy Fiora Journey Academy while carrying a bag of snacks.
……An hour passed since I went for shopping.
……I’m absolutely sure Fear-senpai is waiting for me.
This all started when a Wyvern wandered into town. Luckily the wound Ren received on his forehead was minor. But his back was smashed into a wall and was crying out in intense pain.
Then—
“Yo Ren, what are those snacks for? Are you going to have a party?”
“Don’t tell me it’s a reward you are giving to yourself? A reward for getting ranked fifth within the class huh.”
On the pathway of the Academy building’s first floor. The ones standing there when Ren turned around were three of his classmates.
Ebert who was majoring in MASTERKnight.
And Shen who was majoring in ARIACaster.
“Oh, then I would also like one. I was ranked fourth so give some to me as well. Okay?”
The black hair girl called Mion who was standing between the two boys and was putting her hands forward. She was majoring in HEALERCurer, but she tilted her head when she saw Ren.
“Huh? Hey Ren, what’s with that wound? More importantly, your jacket is all torn.”
She pointed at the traces of blood on his forehead. His wound should have been easily missed since his bangs were covering it, but she must have high awareness due to majoring in HEALERCurer degree.
“Yeah, a lot happened. It isn’t a serious wound.”
I fought a Wyvern. Ren kept the words inside his throat.
There’s no point in telling them.
There were many witnesses who saw the Wyvern, but there’s no guarantee that they would believe me if I tell them that I fought a Wyvern. Though I was utterly defeated by it.
“Hmm? Do you need my healing spell? If it’s now, I can do it if for five of your snacks, so how about it?”
“No, these snacks are……”
“Don’t bother Mion. He probably got miserably defeated after someone challenged him to a duel again.”
Ebert rested his hand on Mion’s shoulder.
He’s the MASTERKnight student who was ranked first within the overall result of the test.
He was a head taller than Ren. The reach of his sword that relied on his huge body and the speed of his slashes. There would be only few high-grade students that could keep up with his sword.
As a MASTERKnight student, he was a student that would be ranked in the top ten of this Academy.
“It happens all the time. Ren losing in a mock-battle that is.”
Shen who was majoring in ARIACaster degree.
After Ebert, he was ranked second for the test. He ranked second for the written test after Ren. He also succeeded in using a high level spell for his practical which shocked even the instructors.
And the HEALERCurer Mion.
“Or were you planning to get on the instructor’s good side by handing that to him so he would give you a pass for the promotion test in winter.”
“……No.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Sorry, but——”
Ren put on a self-mockery smile while he carried the bag full of snacks.
“Leave me alone for today. I’m seriously tired. Rather, there’s no point for you guys to waste your time on me, right? The three of you are an excellent student. I honestly think so.”
“?”
He would either ignore them or respond back at them. Ebert and Shen who thought Ren would react in such way became speechless and were dumbfounded. Using that moment of silence—
“See ya. I have some business I need to take care of.”
Ren climbed up the stairs towards the second floor.
He didn’t care what the three of them who came back into their senses would be talking about. That was because there was something else going through Ren’s mind.
……Even if I tried to put the shock I had at that time into words, my brain goes blank so nothing would come out of my mouth.
……This is the first time I’m having such experience.
“That girl was really amazing……”
The girl whose strong impression was her sparkling silver hair and artistic sweet appearance.
The Dragon-species. The superior beings that were called the supreme rulers of the Earth. She defeated a Wyvern, even if it wasn’t matured, without allowing it to make a single resistance.
I’m sure it was a spell to control the gravitational field, but I have no clue what technique she used.
Spells—
The foundation of it came from the wave-motion of the power used by the high-level beings, the Demons and the Angels. That was what the humans copied it from.
Strictly speaking, only the techniques used by the humans were called “spells.” The powers of the Demons and the Angels would be categorised as “miracles” and “mysteries” that would directly affect natural phenomenon.
It was said that the Demons and the Angels started calling their powers “spells” after that as well, possibly due to finding the word amusing or finding it convenient.
“But was there even a spell like that? Not only that, it seemed like she was holding back as well......”
If I think about it now, her unflinching attitude in front of a Dragon-species was a sure sign of her confidence.
The world’s best ARIACaster?
If that was the case, the party she was affiliated with must be one of the best in the world.
“If it’s a famous party, then is it the Sword Saint Shion’s “Investigation of the Spirits?” Another party I can think of would be the “Elmekia Dusk” from the supreme metropolitan of Elmekia or the “Canaan Pilgrim, the Boat of the Sacred Teaching” if she is the highest-level of ARIACaster. If someone from such a famous party would come to this town, there would have been rumours about her before her arrival. Rather, someone from such amazing parties wouldn’t want snacks that were on the street……”
The girl with the magical atmosphere.
She didn’t look like a member of any party. That was why Ren presumed she was a civilian and tried to protect her from the Wyvern with his life.
“The beginning of Eleline’s adventure was the only one. To journey through the world alone.”
The Sword Emperor who was so strong that he didn’t need to form a party. It stayed that way till the legendary Three Great Princesses gathered under him during the End War. Until then, not a single person showed up who wanted to form a party with him.
Ren thought about the legend—
“But that girl. I’m sure she said a weird thing……”
Ren vaguely muttered as he walked up the stairs.
“Eleline, did you……forget about me?”
Brave Hero lookalike.
He couldn’t remember how many times people said that to him in the past seventeen years, but all of those were said knowing that “Ren and the Brave Hero were two different person.”
But that girl was different.
She thought Ren and Eleline were the same person.
To be more precise, she didn’t understand properly that Eleline had passed away. Or else she wouldn’t have said it in such a different way.
On top of that, she spoke as if she really knew the Brave Hero.
……Also, the name she used to introduce herself.
“There’s no way that I, the Dragon Princess Kyelse, will be beaten by this weakling”
Dragon Princess Kyelse.
What you would imagine with that name would be the girl who was one of the members of the Eleline Sword Emperor Brigade. The Princess of the “Heavenly Silver Dragons” which was the oldest Dragon-species. She was so strong that she was thought to be a mutation of her Dragon-species. The strongest monster in history that was feared by the Goddess from the Heaven and the Demon King from the Underworld.
The only opponent the Sword Emperor Eleline struggled in his battle against. On the other hand, she demonstrated her incredible strength after she joined the party led by Eleline where she contributed by using her unmeasurable power to stop the End War.
“It......can’t be.”
Her unmeasurable strength.
And her meaningful words she said when she mistook Ren as Eleline.
“No, it simply can’t be. ……For that girl......to be the legendary Dragon Princess.”
It was said that all of the Three Great Princesses died in battle during the End War.
And the truth was, there wasn’t a single person who saw them after the End War. Eleline who was the only survivor continued to travel the world and passed away without anyone seeing it.
“If that’s the case, maybe she is a member of a famous party after all? Though she looked like she was about my age.”
He headed to the fourth floor of the Academy building as he muttered.
“Ah, so no one is around here anymore.”
Unlike noon, there were basically no one present at the Academy building of the Holy Firoa Journey Academy during after-school hours.
The beginning-rank students would return home immediately to study their educational subjects.
If you become middle-rank and high-rank students, you would polish your battle skills such as swordsmanship or spells with your club.
The highest-rank student would be busy finding partners whom they could form a party with. Those with high grades would be scouted by famous parties, and there would be times when they would leave the student town in order to take the test.
“Umm, Fear-senpai’s conference room is—”
The council—
The committee that handled all of the Academy’s event throughout the year as well as protecting the public moral and rules of the Academy.
You could only be a member through the recommendation of an instructor. Though the members were always the ones who had good grades at the Academy. You could say it was natural for Fear to be chosen.
“……Ah, these are heavy. I don’t have any strength left in my arm.”
He turned left onto the passage at the fourth floor and walked ahead.
He observed through the window to see the dull weather outside where it was still raining outside. He walked towards the room at the end—
“Kyelse, I see that you are also planning to find the Encore.”
It was around then when Ren heard a familiar voice from the other side of the door.
……Fear-senpai?
“The last item he left behind. Do you happen to know its whereabouts?”
“I do have several clues.”
The one who answered her question had a younger voice compared to Fear. The voice which sounded beautiful like a ringed bell also carried her strong will—
……Is it the girl from earlier!?
The silver hair girl who defeated the Wyvern with a single attack. It was a sound he heard just before so there was no way he would mistake it.
“Nevertheless, what is your thought on whether it really exists in the first place?”
Fear’s calmed voice.
“You, me, and even Elise. None of us that saw Eleline taking notes during our journey. It may be a story that the humans made up.”
“That man certainly had time to write the Encore. It was when we were absent.”
The voice that was filled with strength belonged to the silver hair girl.
“The five years void. ……Between the time when the End War ended and Eleline’s death. We certainly don’t know what he was doing during that time. All three of us received fatal wounds so we had our hands full trying to maintain our existence.”
“By the way, are we considered dead among the humans?”
“We sure are. It was just a month ago when you broke free from the seal. We didn’t appear here on Earth since both Elise and I were at the Heaven and the Underworld respectively to heal ourselves. I think it was natural for them to think so.”
The one who said it with bitterness was Fear.
“Kyelse, just how much of it do you remember?”
“Me? Well, I remember till the part where you first had your right leg and left shoulder blown off and then received an attack to your torso which was so serious that it could have destroyed your existence. Did you exchange fatal blows with the enemy?”
“Yes. Also, Elise had her whole body disassembled after being dragged into the enemy’s technique. In her case, she chose the right choice to give up in repairing her body and instead choosing the option to use the reincarnation spell.”
“I heard Elise succeeded in reincarnating herself.”
“That’s correct. She was finally able to do it ten years ago. The former Demon King would be exactly ten years old this year.”
“Pathetic. And both of you call yourselves the strongest Archangel in Heaven and the Demon King of that time respectively huh. I was basically unscratched till I had myself sealed away.”
“You were just too powerful. You are basically invincible with just your breath.”
Fear sighed along with her smile where she had an astonished face.
Ren listened to the conversation of the two from behind the door.
“…………It can’t be……”
Ren was about to drop the bag of snacks he was carrying on the floor by accident.
He realised that he could feel chills on his back due to the shock.
……It can’t……be……
……Fear-senpai……is actually that legendary……
Ren could still remember clearly the day when she spoke to him who was isolated from his class.
“What do you personally think about it? Do you think the legend of Eleline was a fictional story?”
The Archangel Fear.
In one legend, it is said that she was the strongest Angel in Heaven whose power even surpassed that of the Goddess Resflaze.
However, this explained everything.
Despite being a HEALERCurer, she demonstrated better swordsmanship than the MASTERKnight student boys. Even with her offensive spells, she showed great performance where not only the ARIACaster students, but even the instructor became speechless. If her true identity was the legendary Archangel, then she must have displayed this much result while holding back.
—To begin with, her name Fear also explains it.
—She had no intention of hiding it. She had been revealing her true identity to everyone from the start.
Was it excitement or nervousness?
Ren himself didn’t know the reason for the chills he could feel on his whole body.
“……They weren’t dead. Both the Archangel Fear and Dragon Princess Kyelse……”
The proper meaning of the term reincarnated was still vague, but at this rate, the chances of Elise who was the Demon King at that time being alive was high. Obviously the chances of their discussion being misheard was high as well. For example, if other student than myself heard this, they wouldn’t believe it so easily. Their discussions were too hard to believe.
……Except for myself.
……That’s because I saw that girl called Kyelse defeating the Wyvern the closest.
The appearance of her back then was so lovely and magical. And also—
“So you followed me all the way to this town because I entered your territory.”
If the girl called Kyelse was actually the legendary Dragon Princess, it could explain why the Wyvern assaulted this town.
Kyelse who entered its territory while she was on her way here.
The Wyvern must had been enraged and followed her.
To sum it up——
If both of them were the Archangel Fear and Dragon Princess Kyelse respectively, it would explain their inhuman strength and all of their mysterious words.
“Either way, I am still interested in the so-called Encore.”
Fear’s voice.
Her voice which would make you imagine the murmuring of the brook, yet it also sounded simple.
“Just what did Eleline seek by traveling through the world after the End War? The five years before he passed away from sickness. Maybe there was something he wanted to tell us who were his comrades.”
The lonely Sword Emperor. Even after he ended the End War while having the Three Great Princesses from the Heaven, the Underworld, and the Earth serve with him, it was said that he continued to journey even by himself.
Despite the fact that he carried a disease which would kill him. He continued his journey for a reason.
“That’s why I will find the Encore, before the rest of the people in this world.”
The silver hair girl’s voice.
Even though her voice was weak, it was full with purity that would never be tainted.
—The importance for the reason for her to seek for the Encore was on another level.
All the parties in the world as well as the students in this Academy only saw the Encore as a tool which would allow them to attain the title of the “Brave Hero.”
But these girls are different. For them who traveled with the famous Brave Hero, the Encore was genuinely the last thing left by the now deceased Eleline, and it was also an important memory of him. And they believe that finding it would be the last parting gift they could do as his former comrades.
The imagine of those two searching for the Encore was simply pure and beautiful.
“…………”
Ren had been gripping his hand tightly without realising it.
……So that’s how it was.
……What Fear-senpai said about leaving the Academy before her graduation to find the Encore.
Her former comrade, the Dragon Princess Kyelse, woke up from her seal.
That was why she no longer had to remain at this Academy. She certainly didn’t. That was because the girl called Fear already had a comrade who she would journey with from a long time ago.
“Well, let’s end the serious discussion here.”
The sound of the chair that had been moved.
Fear must had moved the big conference desk and the chair inside the conference room.
“Let’s stop talking while standing. Let’s calm ourselves by sitting down and talking about the current circumstances.”
The sound of the bag of snacks which had been placed on the table followed.
“And that is?”
“I picked it up from the street. I was about to fight over this with a human, but he was a nice fellow who decided to give all of this to me.”
Lies!
You tried to take it without talking about it—Ren kept the words from coming out of his mouth and stayed quiet.
“……Excuse me but isn’t that the snacks I asked Ren to bring?”
“Ren?”
“It isn’t my mistake if there are eighteen puddings, three whole cakes, twenty-five profiterole, and thirty-seven baked sweets inside it. I decided to prepare it for today.”
“The quantity is exact.”
“I knew it. No wonder Ren is late. He might have returned to buy the same snacks again. I need to apologise to him afterwards.”
“……Ren? Who is this person you have been mentioning since earlier?”
After several pauses.
The silver hair girl then released a shocked voice.
“Oh yeah. Putting someone who I don’t even know aside. Listen up Fear! I mentioned it before, but I saw a human who looks exactly like Eleline that I mistook him for Eleline!”
“That’s why I’m saying that the person you are talking about is Ren.”
Fear then chuckled.
“He’s the same student at this Academy as I am. He’s a seventeen years old middle-rank student who is majoring in MASTERKnight degree.”
“A MASTERKnight huh. Then he’s starting to resemble Eleline even more.”
—HEARTBEAT
The words that came out of the two girls without meaning it. He resembles Eleline——even though it was words Ren had heard many times, he realised that his heart skipped a beat that it hurts so much when the girls said that.
……No. I’m not anything like him.
……I’m not someone so great who could be compared to the Brave Hero.
He hadn’t passed the promotion test and even repeated a year as an III-Grade MASTERKnight.
Even with the Wyvern before, Ren couldn’t even graze him, though it could be said the Wyvern was out of his league.
“That human called Ren had the same smell as Eleline……”
The silver hair girl’s voice echoed.
“In cases where humans have resembling appearance and figure, then it could be thought that the human’s biological structure and functions are similar as well.”
“It’s different.”
She denied it by shaking her head to the side—and Ren could easily imagine such scene happening from the other side of the door.
“I’m not talking about a simple features such as his appearance and smell. It was deeper……there was a certain something he resembled him in. Or else I wouldn’t have mistaken him as Eleline.”
“Indeed. Well, the truth is, I came down to Earth because I became curious about him.”
“……Is that why you entered the human’s Academy?”
“Yes. I wanted to ‘observe’ Ren from up-close. I enrolled in this Academy as one-year his senior, but Ren repeated a year and failed to become a high-rank student and remained as a middle-rank student. I’m a highest-rank student so I’m currently two years his senior.”
“He repeated a year?”
Kyelse responded with a puzzled tone.
“He was marked with a stamp of lacking in strength as a MASTERKnight student. Ren enrolled as a student who wanted to major in MASTERKnight degree, but he failed in his promotion test. There are obviously several students who fails the test every year, but it’s still rare if you see it with a broad perspective.”
“I see. That’s why he panicked so much in front of the Wyvern's strength huh.”
“So then, what is your opinion after seeing Ren up-close?”
“……I don’t know. Except, it felt as if I was thrown into reality. It felt like I woke up from a dream after knowing that Eleline is no longer here.”
It was clearly the legendary Dragon Princess’ true feeling that was expressed with a weak voice.
“Was it because Ren is weak?”
“No, it’s because Eleline was too strong. That man was truly an embodiment of absolute strength. I learned that a human like him won’t appear ever again in this world. That’s how I felt.”
“……I’m sure Ren has potential. At least from my perspective.”
Fear continued with a calm and gentle tone.
“I mentioned it before, but my reason for descending down to Earth was simple. Since the damage I received in that battle had been healed for the time being, I noticed there was a human down on Earth who resembled Eleline. So I became interested in him. And I decided to check up on him.”
“……The possibility for him being Eleline’s reincarnation?”
“No. Strictly speaking, ‘reincarnation’ is a hidden technique that only Demons are capable of using. Except, there was a chance for Ren to unleash a trait similar to Eleline if we talk in terms of heredity. In other words, inheriting Eleline’s unpredictable strength. ……But that wasn’t the case. The power didn't appearing in Ren the way I hypothesised and Ren’s resemblance to Eleline was really a coincidence.”
“I thought so. If he really did inherit Eleline’s power, he wouldn’t struggle against a Wyvern.”
“But—”
After she took a deep breath.
After she ended her words as if there was more to it, Fear’s voice echoed once again.
“I actually could have returned to the Heaven after my observation of him ended. Except, ……this was something which I also didn’t expect, but I thought it won’t be a bad idea to stay in this Academy a bit longer.”
“For what reason?”
“I wanted to continue watching Ren a bit longer. Maybe I should say that I wanted to cheer him on. If I didn’t find out about you breaking from the seal, I would have stayed with him till my graduation.”
“Cheer him on? For what reason?”
“His earnest desire to improve himself more than anyone.”
There was an emotion of affection within the voice of the girl who gave that answer.
“He and Eleline are different. I’m sure Ren is the one who understands that the most. His talent in using sword is poor and he wasn’t really born with a blessed body. But his heart doesn’t break from the laughter of those around him and I have seen him working harder than anyone every day. As an Angel, the ‘virtues’ of such human makes us want to cheer them on.”
“Seriously. Someone who happens to be an Archangel is acting like a human?”
“There are many Angels who takes a liking to humans, and since I’m one of them, it isn’t difficult living on Earth you know? Instead I can’t help but enjoy it. Just how far the boy who has been called the fake Brave Hero would go? I started to wish to watch over him.”
“…………!”
The bag of snacks that gets dropped from Ren’s arms.
Ren discarded the instinct to pick them up and instead ran through the passage in a daze.
—Due to the impulse.
—Even before I can become aware of it, my body couldn’t stop moving.
“What am I doing!?”
He couldn’t speak.
It felt like I had a lot of cold water splashed on my pattern of thoughts that had heated up.
……Yeah, it’s exactly what Fear-senpai said.
……It’s not the time for me to stay here and listen to their discussion. There’s so much things I need to do.
I’m no Brave Hero. What I share in common is simply my appearance. I did get looked down by my seniors and juniors, but I still continued to do my best.
That’s because I also wanted to journey into the outside world.
One day, I want to look at the horizon of this world that the famous Eleline and the legendary Three Great Princesses once arrived at.
“If that’s the case, it’s obvious what I need to do!”
What I should be doing isn’t just standing here. In order to catch up to my peers even a day earlier, I must continue working hard.
That’s why the place I was heading toward is—
==========
The footsteps that was getting further away.
“……So, who was the one who had been there since earlier? The one who was eavesdropping on us.”
She held a fork in her hand and a single whole cake was in front of her. The silver hair Dragon Princess—Kyelse, looked towards the door which was connected to the pathway.
There was one human who was listening to them.
She sensed his presence but she decided to ignore him since she thought she didn’t need to go to the extent to chase him away.
There wouldn’t be any human who would believe their story since it would be an astounding story to them. Kyelse also wouldn’t be troubled by it even if someone were to cause a stir. Likewise for Fear who was sitting on the sofa opposite to Kyelse. Fear was putting on her usual smile while pouring tea inside the cups.
“Does it bother you?”
Fear said it while handing the tea-cup with steam arising to Kyelse.
“This is rare. For you to be curious about a human’s movement.”
“Are you okay with it as well? As far as it goes, you are living here while acting like a human.”
“I’m okay with it. You woke up from the seal, and you have also decided to find the Encore with me. I have already sent the application to withdraw from the Academy.”
“Well, I don’t mind if you are okay with it.”
Kyelse didn’t move while she held a fork in her hand and while having the cake in front of her.
—The uncomfortable feeling.
Kyelse became curious right at the time when the presence of someone behind the door was getting further away.
The one who was there should have left right away if he wasn’t interested in their discussion. Listening to their discussion till here means that he was interested about their discussion.
Then why did he leave without listening till the end?
He was eavesdropping on their discussion, but he ran with all his might while he forgot to get rid of the sound of his footsteps. He basically ran as if he was asking to be found out by them.
……And the smell of this human?
“Fear.”
“Very well. If you are really curious, Kyelse, let’s have a look.”
The blonde Archangel walked to the door of the conference room.
Kyelse followed right after her. She peeked outside from the door Fear opened—
“……Isn’t that the guy from earlier?”
Exactly at that time, she saw a boy with light-brown hair climbing down the stairs at the corner of the passage. She only saw him for an instant, but there was no mistake it was him.
“It was Ren after all. Look, these snacks. He bought them again. I feel bad for having him buy them again.”
Fear picked up the bag of snacks that had been left at the pathway.
“…………”
“Kyelse? What’s wrong? Why are you so quiet?”
“I’ve been bothered about it since earlier.”
In the pathway, there wasn’t a single person.
Kyelse continued while pointing towards the direction the boy disappeared to.
“You said that the guy earlier was the fake Brave Hero. What’s the meaning of that?”
“It’s basically Ren’s nickname at this Academy. Though it isn’t used in a good way.”
Fear sighed along with her breath.
“Ren is famous for being identical to the ElelineBrave Hero. Did you see the bronze statue of Eleline which is placed at the main-gate of this Academy?”
“I did. There was a similar bronze statue at the gate of this town.”
“Yes. Since Ren resembles him so much, it’s common for people who walk past him to turn around and look at him. The portrait of Eleline is printed on the humans’ history textbook.”
“And?”
“He always gets compared to the Brave Hero because of that. His strength as a MASTERKnight is enough to be awarded with a passing mark, and his educational knowledge is splendid. Except, the person who he is getting compared to is extraordinary so he gets rated low with injustice.”
“……To be compared to an extraordinary great man, huh.”
Kyelse herself also mistook Ren for the Brave Hero, and it was also true that she doubted Ren’s strength.
But that was because she mistook him as the real Eleline. She wouldn’t have thought so even in the slightest if she knew they were different people.
The individual difference.
It definitely exists even among Angels, Dragons, and Demons. There certainly were different roles for each individual depending on what they were good at and what they were bad at. But you wouldn’t get shunned simply for that reason.
“You say that he’s being called the fake Brave Hero, but does Ren have a problem where people would have to insult him as such?”
“No.”
Fear’s voice was clear and there wasn’t even a slight hesitation in her words.
“Ren works hard. He certainly was ranked basically the lowest among the MASTERKnight students back when he just enrolled into this Academy for his stamina and swordsmanship. He could have climbed up to be ranked between the mid-tier and top-tier in his class in a matter of a year.”
“Yet he still couldn’t advance?”
“The promotion test would be a mock-battle between students that majors in the MASTERKnight degree. And his opponent ended up being the MASTERKnight student who was the strongest in his year-level. As a result, Ren lost without being able to do anything last year which led him to failing it.”
You couldn’t use the excuse that your opponent was out of your league nor was there such thing like a retest.
When you form a party to travel the world, you would need to be prepared that you might have to face gigantic monsters, Dragons, and Demons. It wasn’t a world where you could survive simply because you had to face a strong opponent. The failing procedure of the promotion test was organised to have you experience such cruel reality.
“However, Ren challenged the same opponent again this summer. It was simply an unofficial duel, but he wanted to do it to see the result of his hard work.”
“And the result?”
“Ren’s consecutive defeat. However, this time he was defeated in a battle where you had to win three times first and Ren managed to win twice before losing. I was there to watch that match back then and Ren showed a rare sight of being happy about it. He had been practicing his swordsmanship the whole time. He remained at the training area till late at night when everyone had gone to sleep.”
“…………”
“But the opinions of those around him still isn’t that positive. The result of his match was defeat so he wasn’t able to get rid of the disgraceful title of fake Brave Hero. As a result, he’s still isolated in his class.”
“……Then won’t he have a hard time finding the people who he wants to form a party with?”
“Exactly. He probably won’t find one. At least in this Academy, that will be quite hard. Since he’s still an III-Grade MASTERKnight, you won’t be able to find any parties that will welcome him into their midst. ……Speaking of which, this sure isn’t the topic we should be discussing about at the corridor. Let’s return to the conference room.”
Fear turned back after picking up the bag of snacks with ease. Kyelse also followed her who entered the room which had the door still opened.
“Are you thinking?”
“I remembered when I first met Eleline.”
Kyelse looked up the ceiling while she was leaning against the door.
……He was the only one.
……The only one who confronted me when not just humans, but even Angels and Demons feared me.
Since the day she was born, Kyelse surpassed all kinds of Dragons and became the strongest.
She was so strong that her fellow Dragon-species feared her and thought she was a mutation. She was feared that she might break the power-balance between the three sides of Angels, Demons, and Dragons. Even the Goddess from the Heaven and the Demon King of the Underworld regarded her as a threat.
Even though she was regarded as a threat, Kyelse didn’t care about it.
She didn’t care. She realised that even the forces of the Heaven and the Underworld wouldn’t be a threat to her.
For the Dragon Princess—
The only one who understood her who was isolated from others due to being too powerful wasn’t her fellow Dragons nor the Angels and Demons that were also called the superior beings.
“Eleline. Eleline E Maxwell.”
The first person she ever met who was her equal.
The one and the only person who talked to her like a friend instead of being afraid of her was a human swordsman who she thought were beings she could simply ignore.
“The population of humans is high in exchange for their fragile body. I also know that there are a variety of individuals.”
Her small fist.
Kyelse stared at her hand that she made it appear like a human’s and then chuckled.
“Fear, I don’t know much about humans as you do, but it’s natural for humans to be weak from birth. Eleline was just an exception and Ren’s strength is closer to that of actual humans, right?”
“It sure is. That is one truth which hasn’t changed while you were sealed for three-hundred years. And I mentioned it before, but Ren is clearly getting stronger. It’s just that those around him aren’t trying to acknowledge it.”
The silver hair girl closed her lips and became silent.
After a while, the princess of the Dragons stared at Fear’s face with an angry expression.
“……So they don’t want to acknowledge him?”
“That may be the part of it. Rejecting others would lead to having yourself rated relatively higher in comparison. In that regard, Ren would be a good target, due to his appearance and his blood that makes him a distant relative of the Brave Hero.”
“And this is happening even now?”
“Yes. There are numerous students every year who are sent out from this Academy to join worldwide famous parties. Those who are related to royal bloodlines and has excellent students as their friends already have their own faction within this Academy which is full of such excellent students. So the more powerful such groups are, the more they tend to be harsh to Ren. You could even see how bad he was treated when he just enrolled when he received unfair reputations and false rumours. To be honest, I’m amazed Ren endured it for the past three years.”
“So that’s why there aren’t those who would form a party with him……”
The mountains of snacks placed on the table in front of her.
Kyelse chucked one of the baked sweets inside her mouth and then puts on a disgusted expression.
……It’s so sweet inside my mouth.
……But why is such bitter emotion piling inside me?
The girl who was alone because she was feared as the strongest Dragon.
And there was another individual here, a boy who was isolated from others by being called the fake Brave Hero due to having a strong resemblance to the great Brave Hero.
……I……
……Am I seeing my past self……in Ren’s present……?
“Yes. That’s why—”
Fear touched the glass window with her finger. While she stared at the scenery where there were many raindrops falling, this was what the blonde girl said with a calm voice.
“We would need someone who would accept Ren from the bottom from their heart.”
“……Accept him?”
“Yes. Kyelse, this is what you told me. That the Wyvern entered the town and that Ren protected you back then."
“And?”
“At that time, do you think he protected you while thinking he could defeat it?”
“……………………Bring it, you worthless Dragon.”
At first, Kyelse completely mistook Ren as Eleline.
That was why she didn’t doubt those words Ren said back then. She didn’t think that man who had great and unrivaled strength would receive any damage from the Wyvern’s attack.
But now she realised it was her mistake.
—The desperate threat.
—It was indeed a provocation which the weak would say to the strong when they prepare for death.
“You are telling me he was protecting me while preparing for death……!?”
“Humans are weak beings. It’s not like they have a strong life force, and their life-span is roughly about dozens of years long. Even that Eleline died with sickness without reaching the age of thirty. For a weak human to confront the Wyvern, just imagine how much resolution he had back then.”
“…………”
“Kyelse, don’t you feel like you want to put yourself on the line for this fated meeting we had once again?”
“Fated meeting?”
“In the past, you were alone due to being too powerful, but later you became a member of the legendary party which was led by a human who would later be known as the Brave Hero.”
The blonde girl stared at the pouring rain and said it while showing her back.
“For that reason, this will be your turn. Don’t you think it should be your turn to lead the lonely fake Brave Hero?”
“! Are you suggesting me to form a party with Ren……?”
The Dragon Princess who was once saved by the Brave Hero would this time create a party and lead the fake Brave Hero.
The time to invite him on the journey to find the Encore.
“Fear, was the reason why you chose this place for our long reunion was to……”
“Though the Wyvern assaulting Ren wasn’t part of my plan.”
She chuckled and showed a beautiful smile.
“Kyelse, there’s something I want to show you. What the boy called Ren looks like—”
And then.
The blonde Archangel pointed towards the other side of the pouring rain.
==========
Heavy rain.
The sky was covered in black storm clouds, and the wind that it blew was also cold. The poured down to the Earth together with the many raindrops.
While he was getting soaked by freezing cold water—
“One more time……”
Ren simply continued to swing his thin sword.
He couldn’t feel the tip of his fingers anymore. Due to the coldness of the heavy rain and the weight of the sword he had been gripping on to, his fingers had turned numb and cold.
It wasn’t the result of talent or training. It was something possible only through his pure tenacity.
—The training area at night.
There wasn’t a roof that would block the wind and the rain, nor was there any lights to aid his sight.
This was done assuming the time when you would travel to the world as a party. There might be a time when you would encounter a monster on the street at night, and there might also be a situation where you would get assaulted by a Dragon in the rain. The practice area that was made to prepare for the worst situation.
……However, that simply meant that you could “also do those sorts of training.”
If it started raining, it would be important to go home and build your knowledge by reading textbooks.
You could also say that a battle training under the rain or snow were done quite commonly under the training supervised by the instructors. So it wasn’t necessary to do your own training under such situation.
Pouring rain.
It was late at night when everyone should have been asleep. He continued to swing his sword without taking any break, so he was soaked wet by the cold water. It was more than tenacity; you could even call it madness.
“Even so!”
Many rain drops were pouring.
He swung his sword while staring at one drop of rain.
“I won’t be able to catch up to anyone if I don’t do this!”
Flash. The tip of the sword he had just swung takes down the raindrop.
“……Haa......h……a......h……”
He stabbed the sword into the ground.
He bended his body in a right-angle shape due to the total exhaustion.
……I, I cannot become anyone other than myself.
……What’s wrong with being weak right now? I simply have to get stronger for that loss.
“I……”
I didn’t want to die while continued to be called the fake Brave Hero.
But I also don’t have any desire to become the Brave Hero just in order to make everyone recognise me.
“I simply admired it. A simple reason like that should be alright. I’m a man after all……”
The legend of Eleline——
How I admired his story when I was told about it as a kid.
I also want to find comrades whom I can trust and travel around the world with as I desire.
I want to see the horizon of the new world I have yet to see. I enrolled in the Holy Fiora Journey Academy which was far away from home by begging my parents because I had such dreams.
“The three years were painful. But I’m glad I came here.”
He stood up by using the sword to support himself. Ren had a slight smile on his expression.
“So the legend was real……”
Eleline Sword Emperor Brigade. The Brave Hero and the Three Great Princesses who supported him.
……So they really did exist.
Ren himself also had some suspicions as to whether the legend from three-hundred years ago was real. That the legend might be an anecdote from the past that had been exaggerated. That the legend was a story made due to the strong desire of wanting to become the Brave Hero.
But he certainly saw it.
Dragon Princess Kyelse’s overwhelmingly strong and lovely action.
“Amazing. Truly amazing is the only word I can say.”
Will I reach that height if I continue to work hard?
Will I be able to form a party with a comrade like her if I continue to work hard?
Then—
Suddenly there was light lit on Ren’s shoulder which was wet by the rain.
“You……”
The small spirit of fire. It had the size of a firefly. It appeared like a luminous body which simply gave faint red light, but it was no doubt a type of spirit.
[—————]
The nameless small spirit of fire gave a strong light for an instant.
That moment, the area around Ren’s shoulder which was supposed to be wet gets enveloped by a warm wind.
“Are you……worried about me?”
The luminous body which lightly floated in the air.
Spirits were rare species which was full of mysteries.
They usually hid themselves away from humans at the sacred precincts, but this spirit had been attached to Ren since some time ago. For Ren, it felt like a kitten he found by chance was being emotionally attached to him.
……Maybe this guy is also alone?
……As if he could answer even if I asked.
It appeared without any warning and starts to float around Ren where it would eventually disappear.
“Alright, I get it. Thanks, but I’m alright. You would catch a cold if you stay here under such cold rain.”
He didn’t even know if his words got through to the spirit.
But soon as Ren said that, the luminous body stopped flashing. It froze in mid-air and then disappeared with the night sky after it released a glow. After he sent the spirit off,
“……The one who catches a cold would be enough with just me.”
Ren pulled the sword from the ground while he had a faint smile on his face.
I can still move. I can’t feel my hands anymore but I have enough strength to hold my sword.
“One more time!”
The empty space where there was nothing ahead was Ren’s sparring partner. Simply by using the pouring rain that made some trail as his opponent, Ren just kept on swinging his sword. He pierced with his sword. He swung with his sword. Just how long had Ren been doing this?
“…………A…………”
Ren’s knee lost its balance so he knelt on the spot.
He tried to put his hand on the ground.
But he didn’t have the energy to even do that. So Ren fell to the ground on his head.
“Ha, haha……”
As he felt the cold mud on him, what came out from his mouth was dry laughter directed to himself.
……I sure look pathetic.
……It couldn’t be helped if I continue to get called the fake Brave Hero no matter what at this rate.
He used all of the strength in his body to get on his knee.
But his body couldn’t move more than that. He couldn’t stand or hold the sword, so he simply got wet by the rain in a daze—
“Stand up.”
It was that time when he heard the girl’s voice.
“!?”
She stood at a distance where he could reach out to her.
Ren forgot to breathe when he saw the girl’s beautiful appearance. He simply opened his eyes wide.
……It can’t be.
……Why……is this girl in front of me?
The girl who had her shining silver hair flowing.
Her mysterious emerald-green eyes. Her eyes which gave a noble and lovely impression despite her having a small body.
“Ren.”
“! Why do you know my name?”
“I heard it from Fear. I heard that you trained hard every night over here.”
The Dragon Princess Kyelse.
One of the members of the party which was led by Eleline and also the strongest Dragon on Earth. Why was a girl like here—
“……I’m sorry for what happened at noon.”
She bowed her head.
Even though she wasn’t used to doing this, this was clearly a proof of her showing her apology.
“You looked too much like Eleline……so I was confused. Forgive me. You certainly look like him appearance-wise, but I tried my best to understand that you and Eleline are different persons.”
She bent her body casually. She didn’t even care if her hand was covered in mud. What she picked up was the sword Ren dropped on the ground.
“Do you want to come with me?”
Just that one phrase.
Ren wasn’t able to comprehend that one phrase right away.
“……Eh? H-Hey……what do you mean?”
The girl who looked straight at him.
She looked at him with her jade-coloured eyes which had strong will in them——
“You are you. I won’t tell you to be strong from the beginning like Eleline. However, if you desire it, then I can teach you all of the Sword Emperor’s sword techniques I can remember.”
“H-Hold on a sec! What—”
“I won’t tell you to be strong from the beginning, nor will I tell you to suddenly become strong. But don’t forget the strong spirit you showed when you protected me and challenged the Wyvern. That is the only requirement I ask from you to form a party with me.”
Party.
Hearing that word, Ren finally realised what the girl was trying to say.
“……Me and you? But isn’t it decided that you are……going to search for the Encore together with Fear-senpai—?”
“Yeah. That’s why you have to decide. Will you stay in this Academy or will you travel the world with me?”
Under the pouring rain, the girl stood slowly.
Just one word—
“How long are you planning to make me wait?”
The girl showed a fearless smile to Ren who was kneeling on the ground.
“!”
“Or do you need my help in standing up?”
The question from the Dragon Princess Kyelse.
To her words which could be taken as provocation, the answer the boy who was called the fake Brave Hero was simple.
“……No.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m……telling to……shut up……and watch……”
He put strength in his leg which was shaking. He bit down hard enough to crack his molars. He put so much strength into his fist that his nail dug into his skin. Ren stood up slowly.
—In desperation.
—Instead of his stamina which had already ran out, what moved Ren was exaltation which heated up his whole body.
It was the first time.
That anyone spoke to someone like me.
If this came from the students around me, I would have thought that they were joking. But the eyes of the silver hair girl had a light filled with strong will that didn’t make me think that she was joking.
“…………I will go.”
Even though he was breathing heavily, Ren certainly did say that.
“I will also go to the world outside together with you. ……Though it won’t sound cool while I’m covered in mud like this, I had always dreamed about it. I want to travel and see the world outside till the end.”
“Seriously. Your appearance sure is unsightly.”
The girl front of him made a deep sigh.
However, in her eyes, there was charm that she didn’t show before.
“……But being covered in mud really suits you. Here.”
The sword covered in mud. The girl handed the sword to Ren.
Seeing her action up-close, Ren noticed the subtle change in the girl.
“……Umm, are you cold? Your hand is shaking.”
Kyelse’s hand which was holding onto the sword was shaking.
When Ren looked carefully, he realised that the face of the girl looking up to him was a bit red.
“Or did you catch a cold—”
“I-Idiot! It’s your fault! ……It’s because you look……too much like Eleline……”
“What was that?”
“I-I’m telling you to……take the sword right now!”
The Dragon Princess who was trying so hard to hand the sword.
She looked so innocent like a girl who was handing out a love-letter to her first love—
“Y-You should be honoured! I, who am the strongest Dragon in history as well as the princess of the Dragons…… This is my first time, you know? For me to scout a human to the party. This is my first time!”
“Well, I don’t know how to react even if you emphasise that it was your first time……”
“~~~~~~I-It’s your fault for making me do something I’m not used to. Anyway! I will train you to the fullest since you are going to form a party with me. You should be prepared! Or else, you—”
Right before Kyelse was about to end her sentence.
“Oh my, I will be troubled if you forget about me.”
“……Fear-senpai?”
The blonde girl who had her umbrella up in elegance.
As Ren watched her, she walked slowly to him while putting up a smile.
“Hey, Ren?”
The umbrella she had put up gets thrown up high in the air.
Then.
“How do you do?”
The golden light that was released. A bright light so strong it could burn your eyes appeared within the training area. It pierced through the dark clouds high up in the air and make the sky bright.
“Let me reintroduce myself. Ren, this is my first time meeting you.”
The Archangel that would represent the Heaven—
An Angel was standing there who had a golden hair and a pair of white wings.
“My name is Fear, the Archangel. My rank in Heaven is second after the Goddess Resflaze. I may be incompetent, but I’m here because I would like to join your party.”
“……Eh……a…..Umm.”
“To be honest, I was planning to ask this from the beginning, you know?”
The Archangel who had on a smile as if she showed her greatest revelation.
“It all depended on you. I was planning to reveal my identity to only you before I leave the Academy to find out whether or not you would come with me. I wanted to find out about your thought.”
“…………”
……This isn’t a dream, right?
He was speechless.
The Archangel and the princess of the Dragons he had been taught about since he was young.
Two of the girls who were the members of the legendary Eleline Sword Emperor Brigade were standing in front of Ren, and they were trying to lead him to the world outside.
“Oh, and I would prefer to be called ‘Fear-senpai’ like you have been calling me till now. I have become used to being called by the name people called me at the Academy, so it would feel like we are close to each other.”
The Archangel who was smiling and was flapping her large wings that were glowing with bright.
On the other hand, Kyelse said this with a fed up face.
“Hmph, you attention seeker. It’s not my problem if humans saw your appearance with such high colours.”
“It’s fine. We are going to leave the Academy right away after all. Right, Ren?”
“……Eh?”
He couldn’t help but drop his jaw open.
The one staring at him was Kyelse.
“Haven’t you understood our discussion yet? Tomorrow. We will be leaving by tomorrow morning to find the Encore.”
“…………Hold on a sec!? Tomorrow!? No matter how I think about it, that’s too quick!”
“Remember how I told you that I have submitted my withdrawal application form? Ren, please fill in your withdrawal form by tonight. They do say that you have to strike while the iron is hot.”
Ren had his left arm embraced by the Archangel to her breast.
“Wait, I need to do things like preparing for the journey, and I would also need to be mentally prepared and such—”
“Let’s go. If we are not quick, other parties might find the Encore first.”
Ren had his right arm embraced by the Dragon Princess without any warning.
“I sure am looking forward to it. It has been a while since I have searched throughout the world.”
Fear who was smiling while putting her developed breasts against him.
Kyelse on the other hand stared at the Angel with an astonished face.
“You foolish erotic Angel, let go of his hand already. I’m the one who is going to train Ren.”
“Eh? Then Kyelse will be in charge of him at noon and I will be in charge of him at night.”
“No. I’m sure what you are trying to do is......”
“Enough, so will the two of you let go of my hands noooooow—!”
He had both his arms grabbed by the legendary Dragon Princess and the Archangel.
The fake Brave Hero boy had himself dragged from the spot.
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