V7 Prologue: Spring is the season for new beginnings!

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Translator: Soafp

Beatrix:
“Can she carry on the will of the late King Anorion!?!? It's the returned Sword Saint, Beatrix!”

Sakura:
“The candidate everyone's talking about right now—the one being fully supported by the Mitsugoshi Company!! Sakura Tokiseiryuno

Alfred:
“Next up, the moment you've all been waiting for—the knight chosen by Tokiseiryuno makes their entrance!!!”

Lalanoa Hinoizumino:
“The mixed-blood Lalanoa-chan! Charging straight into the royal succession battle—just how thick-skinned is this one!?”

“Even while awake, I constantly honed my magic power—and even while sleeping, I kept refining it.”

“Is that really okay with you?”

Betao:
“This man is… something…”

Nazono Senen:
“Ugh… my leg, the rocks hurt.”

Lalanoa Hinoizumino:
“…You haven't forgotten that I'm here, have you?”

Epsilou:
“You're dangerous. I'll have to deal with you right here.”

---

After the closing ceremony ended, I stood on the rooftop, looking down at the academy.

It was an afternoon where you could faintly feel the signs of spring.

Students were heading home, their hearts swelling with excitement for spring break.

“Spring reminds me of parting ways with my comrades… Even now, my heart still remains within those fierce yet fleeting flames of war… Ngh, my old wounds ache…!”

Looking down at the peaceful students, I recalled the past and smiled sadly—perfect.

Once spring break ends, I'll be a second-year.

Hyoro and Jaga barely managed to avoid repeating a year.

My sister didn't. She got held back. F*ck.

During spring break, my dad and mom are planning to come to the royal capital to check on her condition.

“Honestly, what a pain.”

Why do I have to take care of family during my precious spring break? I truly can't understand it at all.

My parents are scheduled to arrive in the royal capital of Midgar tomorrow.

Which is why I decided to leave the capital today.

“Leaving a letter at the dorm should be enough. Now then, where should I go have fun during spring break…?”

I just went to the Oriana Kingdom recently, but it seems like things are getting lively there again.

I've never properly set foot in the land of the beastmen either, so that could be interesting.

The Vegalta Empire and the city-states sound fun too, and beyond the sea…

“Hm?”

At that moment, a single pigeon flew over and landed on my shoulder.

There was a letter tied to its leg.

“You're Alpha's carrier pigeon, right…?”

The letter contained a handwritten message from Alpha.

“You probably already know, but the king of the elf country suddenly died the other day. It's been announced as an illness, but something about it smells fishy. A succession war to decide the next king will begin immediately. There's no doubt those people are pulling strings behind the scenes. I plan to head there myself this time. Since it's a good opportunity, why don't you come too? We can have a meal together for the first time in a while. The place is—”

“This is it!”

I shredded the letter into tiny pieces and clenched my fist.

The land of the elves.

The sudden death of the king.

And a succession war with shadowy figures moving behind the scenes…

There's no way this isn't the start of an event!

“Let's go!”

Together with the pigeon, I leapt off the rooftop.

---

The elven trade city of Kisanaga—this is the only city in the elf country where non-elven races are freely allowed to enter.

Elven magical tools and crafts are extremely valuable and fetch high prices in any nation. Kisanaga was a vibrant city, overflowing with merchants from all over the world.

Among them, there was a company that had been drawing attention recently.

The Mitsugoshi Company.

In the prime location along Kisanaga's main street, it had established a dazzlingly luxurious store. With marketing that perfectly captured the hearts of the elves, it had grown in just a few years into the most prestigious company in the country.

There was always a long line in front of the shop, and waiting for hours to enter was nothing unusual.

And for good reason—the store itself was surprisingly not that large.

The Mitsugoshi Company deals only in expensive and rare items, targeting the ultra-wealthy. While they have overwhelming support in the elf country, they have not expanded into large-scale operations.

“I believe Father called it branding…”

The one who muttered that was a young elf girl dressed in tattered clothes.

Her jet-black hair was covered in dust, turning it gray. Her violet eyes were dull, and there were deep dark circles beneath them.

If you looked closely, she was a very beautiful girl—but in her current filthy state, she was no different from a homeless person in the slums.

She looked up at the Mitsugoshi Company's store and let out a sigh.

“If only they sold more products like they do in other countries… then even I could afford something…”

Muttering that, the girl shyly walked along the edge of the street, trying to hide her dirty appearance.

She slipped into a small alley, leaned against a building, and looked up at the sky.

“Now that I think about it, the Mitsugoshi Company is also putting forward a candidate in the royal succession war… how unexpected.”

To her, it seemed like the Mitsugoshi Company had been avoiding involvement with the elf country.

No—not just her. No one had expected Mitsugoshi to participate in the succession war.

Just how powerful was the Mitsugoshi Company?

Was it merely a famous name, or did it possess true ability?

Or perhaps it was nothing more than a publicity stunt.

With the sudden emergence of this unexpected contender, every faction had been shaken. In that sense as well, the Mitsugoshi Company was now under intense scrutiny.

“Compared to that, I…”

The girl lowered her gaze and muttered sadly.

“No one would ever think that I am a candidate for the royal succession…”

Her filthy, fallen figure was reflected in a puddle on the stone pavement.

Twisting the corner of her lips, she let out a self-deprecating smile.

A drop… of a tear fell into the puddle.

“Father… Mother… I will definitely win the royal succession war…”

Compared to the bravery of her words, her voice carried no strength.

“But someone who would become the knight of someone like me…”

Drip, drip—her tears continued to fall.

At that moment—

“Oi, oi… what's a little brat doing all alone in a place like this?”

Along with a crude voice, four men surrounded her.

Among the elves, there were also humans mixed in. Even in Kisanaga, it was a rare combination.

“W-what do you want…?!”

“It's dangerous for a little elf girl to be alone in a place like this, right? We'll take you into our protection.”

The elf who seemed to be the leader grinned and grabbed her shoulder.

“S-stop that! D-do you understand what you're doing? If you commit a crime in Kisanaga, it will become an international incident…!”

The girl's gaze shifted toward the humans.

As she said, crimes in Kisanaga were severely punished.

If they were caught, they would face massive reparations and forced deportation, followed by imprisonment—or even execution—in their home country.

Even so, organizations that kidnapped elves and trafficked them as slaves never disappeared, and it remained a recurring problem even within the elf nation.

“We've got elf friends, so no need to worry. Now be a good girl and stay still!”

As he said that, the human behind her moved to restrain the girl from behind.

“I told you… to stop!”

In the next instant, the girl moved.

She shook off the man's arm, and as she turned around, she drew her sword.

“Guh…!?”

With a choked groan, the man's body bent forward.

“Please don't worry, it was the blunt side of the blade…”

The girl said this as she looked down at the man collapsed on the ground.

“Y-you brat!”

The men on both sides drew their knives.

“You're too slow…!”

But the girl's sword flashed twice with a sharp sound.

Clang, clang—two knife blades fell to the ground.

“W-what the hell is this…? We weren't told about this…”

“Elves, unlike humans, all have the aptitude to be magic swordsmen… You didn't even know that?”

“Tch…! H-hey boss, what do we do?”

The men stepped back, looking toward their leader.

He, too, was an elf.

“Even if she's fallen, she's still a royal succession candidate. Seems we underestimated her.”

The man calmly drew his sword.

“How do you know I'm a candidate…!?”

“Who knows? The 84th in line for the throne… little mixed-blood Lalanoa-san.”

“I am Hinoizumino Lalanoa… I am not some mixed-blood!”

The elf girl called Lalanoa glared at him with her violet eyes.

“Yeah, but it doesn't seem like the others see it that way. That black hair of yours doesn't look like it belongs to a royal elf. Just what kind of man did your mother have a child with, I wonder?”

“I will not tolerate you insulting my mother!”

Lalanoa stepped in sharply and swung her sword.

But the man avoided it with a mere half-step back.

“Whoa there, that's dangerous. Sharp for your age, but you're putting too much force into it.”

“—!”

Lalanoa's face twisted.

But she understood—no matter how much she lashed out in anger, this was not an opponent she could defeat like that.

“I am Lalanoa Hinoizumino… the daughter of Anorion, King of the Elves, and Ainoa Hinoizumino. I am not a mixed-blood.”

“Well, you're free to claim that. But you see, there are people who just can't stand the idea of someone like you entering the succession war.”

“So you were hired by the pureblood faction… Though even then, it's strange to see humans among you.”

“Who knows. If you come quietly, you won't get hurt. I actually sympathize with your situation, you know.”

Saying that, the man poured magic power into his sword.

The refinement of his magic was nearing that of a top-class warrior. He was that skilled.

“You… who are you? That magic power—you're no ordinary magic swordsman.”

“Just a thug. For your age, you're quite skilled yourself. You must have gone through some harsh training. The sword doesn't lie.”

That's what the man said.

Lalanoa also poured magic into her sword, but while she had quantity, she was clearly inferior in quality.

“Tch…”

“But you never had a master to teach you, did you? Give up. You can't beat me with self-taught techniques.”

“Th-this… you won't know until you try!”

She stepped in sharply and swung her sword—her specialty.

But the strike cut through empty air.

“I saw that already.”

The man leaned back, avoiding her attack.

Before, he had stepped back half a step—this time, he only bent his body.

That was within counterattack range.

The next instant, an impact pierced Lalanoa's abdomen.

“Ah—!”

The man's knee had driven into her solar plexus.

“A sword isn't the only weapon.”

He said that with a grin.

Lalanoa clutched her stomach and collapsed to her knees.

But the moment her knees touched the ground—her body vanished.

“What!?”

For the first time, panic appeared on the man's face.

He quickly leapt backward, widening the distance.

The man caught sight of Lalanoa in his field of vision—below.

Keeping low, almost crawling along the ground, Lalanoa was rushing forward.

She thrust her sword with that momentum.

There was no time to defend.

“Tch.”

Clicking his tongue, the man stepped forward.

By stepping in, he turned his body sideways.

Lalanoa's thrust tore through his flesh and skin—but it missed any vital point.

In the very next instant, the man brought his sword down.

Clang—Lalanoa's sword was knocked into the air.

“You damn brat… making me work for this…!”

The man said, grimacing from the pain.

Seeing Lalanoa standing there in a daze, staring at her broken blade, the man struck her with the hilt of his sword.

Thud—a dull sound echoed as Lalanoa was sent flying.

“Damn, this job's not worth it…”

The man muttered as he looked down at the fallen girl.

“Ugh…!”

Lalanoa groaned in pain.

“Hey, you lot—tie her up already.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

The men surrounded Lalanoa, restraints in hand.

“S-stop…”

“Shut it and stay still!”

The men roughly began restraining her.

At that moment, light footsteps echoed through the alley.

Clack, clack, clack—the sound of cheap boots scraping against the stone pavement.

“Sorry, but could you let me pass?”

The one who appeared was a young elf man.

With messy dark brown hair and drowsy-looking eyes of the same color, he had a gentle face. Of average build, with a cheap sword at his waist.

He looked like an ordinary traveling elf you could find anywhere.

“We're busy. Take another route.”

The men quickly moved to block him, hiding Lalanoa behind them as they glared.

“Sorry, but I'm in a hurry. I'd like to pass through here…”

The young man said, sounding slightly troubled.

“Hey, buddy. If you don't want to get hurt, take the long way around.”

One of the men threatened him, hand on his knife.

“If I recall correctly, this is a public road. Do you have permission to be using it like this?”

“…Quit your yapping! You wanna die!?”

“I just want to pass through here. I don't think I'm asking for anything unreasonable.”

The young man smiled again, as if troubled.

He did seem troubled—but not intimidated.

There was something oddly out of place about his demeanor.

“…Hey, let him through.”

The leader, who had remained silent until now, spoke.

“I-is that okay, boss?”

“I don't want any more unnecessary trouble.”

“Y-yeah… Hey, you can go.”

The men stepped aside, clearing the path.

“Thanks.”

The young man said lightly and began walking forward at a slow pace.

Clack, clack, clack—the cheap boots scraped against the stone pavement.

“S-someone… help…”

A faint voice of a girl echoed from somewhere.

The young man's steps came to a halt.

“Hey, didn't you say you were in a hurry? You sure you've got time to be walking that slow?”

The leader called out to him as he stopped.

“I have something important to do. That's why I need to hurry.”

The young man said so.

“Help me…!”

This time, the voice was unmistakable.

“Then hurry up and go take care of your business. That's for both our sakes.”

The leader said.

“Yeah. I'll take care of it quickly—helping a fellow elf who's about to be kidnapped. That's my important business.”

The young man smiled as if troubled and drew his sword.

“You b*****d!”

A moment too late, the men drew their knives and rushed at him.

With practiced coordination, they cut off his escape and thrust their knives toward him.

And then—multiple knives pierced the young man…

Or so it seemed.

“W-what!?”

The ones who cried out in shock were the men themselves.

Their knives cut through empty air—the young man had vanished.

“Sorry, but I'm a magic swordsman too.”

That calm voice came from above.

“He's above!”

When they looked up, the young man was standing on the rooftop.

He leapt down and swung his sword in one motion.

One flash.

Two flashes.

Three flashes.

It wasn't particularly fast for a magic swordsman.

But it was more than enough to kill men who weren't.

“Gah…! Ggh—!”

Their throats slit, the men coughed up blood as they died.

At the center of it all, the young man stood smiling.

“…Good grief, what a pain. I wonder if I can charge extra for this.”

The one who muttered that was the last remaining man—the elven leader.

Holding his sword in one hand, he let out a sigh.

“If you release that girl, I'll let you go.”

The young man said, his gaze fixed on Lalanoa, who was bound.

“Sorry, but this is a job for me too.”

“That's unfortunate.”

They both raised their swords.

“P-please be careful… this man is strong.”

Enduring the pain, Lalanoa called out to the young man.

The elf youth's magical power was average, his sword speed average, his movements smooth—but nothing beyond the level of an ordinary magic swordsman.

The leader, on the other hand, was different.

His magical power—and its refinement—had already reached first-rate.

When he had faced Lalanoa earlier, he had likely been holding back to avoid killing her.

His aura prickled against the skin.

“I know.”

The young man glanced at Lalanoa and smiled.

There was not the slightest sense of danger in his voice.

Does he not understand anything at all!?

Lalanoa wanted to shout that, but held herself back.

If the leader got serious, this young man would be killed in seconds.

That was how great the gap in their abilities was.

“…I don't get it.”

The one who tilted his head and said that was the leader.

He stared at the young man without letting his guard down.

“No matter how I look at you, you're just an average magic swordsman. Your magic power, its quality, your swordsmanship… But there's something off about you.”

“Is that so.”

The young man replied, uninterested.

“As a magic swordsman, you're average. You don't even look used to fighting. And yet, your killing technique isn't bad. Every one of these guys had their throats cut…”

At that observation, Lalanoa realized it too.

Indeed, all the dead men had their throats cut.

An ordinary magic swordsman could kill, sure—but to cut all their throats so cleanly in that instant was no simple feat.

“And you don't hesitate to kill. You just slaughtered this many people, yet you're not shaken at all. Most people would show at least a little reaction… So how many people have you killed?”

The leader glared sharply at the young man.

“Who knows… just as many as I needed to survive.”

“Well, you're not gonna answer honestly. I'm Ryu. What's your name?”

“I'm Nazono Senen. Just a wandering elf drifting from place to place.”

“Hey, Nazono Senen… how about you back off?”

Ryu said, fixing his gaze on him.

“…That's not a request I can agree to.”

The young man replied with a smile.

“That's a shame.”

Ryu raised his sword and glared at him.

A massive amount of magic power flowed into the blade, and Lalanoa couldn't help but catch her breath.

“W-what incredible magic…!”

If Ryu had gone all out from the beginning, Lalanoa would have been killed without being able to do anything.

Amid the rising tension, Nazono Senen stood there, relaxed as ever.

A prickling silence dominated the alley.

“…You don't think for even a second that you'll lose, do you?”

Ryu muttered.

“Does it look that way?”

Nazono Senen smiled.

Lalanoa, deep down, agreed with Ryu.

Even in this overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation, Nazono Senen wasn't tense at all.

He just stood there loosely, completely relaxed.

There was no aura of a strong warrior coming from him.

And that only made the sense of unease grow stronger.

“Is that confidence just a bluff… or do you have something up your sleeve…?”

“Why don't you find out?”

Ryu cautiously began to close the distance, step by step.

The tension sharpened even further.

Then, in the next instant, Ryu closed the gap in a single breath and swung his sword, filled with overwhelming magic power.

Nazono Senen barely reacted, raising his blade—but only a faint amount of magic was imbued in it.

—There's no way he can block that!

Both Ryu and Lalanoa thought the same.

Kiiiiiiiin!

A high-pitched sound rang out, and one sword snapped.

“W-what…!?”

Ryu's eyes widened as he stared at the broken blade.

“No way…”

Lalanoa muttered in shock.

The one that had broken… was Ryu's sword.

“What did you do…!?”

Ryu glared at Nazono as he stepped back.

“I just blocked it.”

Nazono replied calmly.

“There's no way it would break like that! Do you have any idea how big the difference in magic power was!?”

Ryu was right.

With such a gap in magical power, it was unthinkable that his sword would break.

“Magic power alone doesn't decide the outcome. It's the first thing a magic swordsman is taught.”

It was the kind of lesson meant to prevent swordsmen from relying too much on magic and neglecting technique.

Of course, both Ryu and Lalanoa had trained their techniques relentlessly.

Which is exactly why they understood just how important magical power was.

“…Don't tell me you broke my sword with that tiny amount of magic…?”

If that were true, then the gap in skill between them was immeasurable. Ryu's caution reached its peak.

Holding his broken sword like a charm, he slowly backed away.

—At that moment.

“Hey, you there! What are you doing in a place like this!?”

With that shout, Kisanaga's guards came running in.

Ryu reacted instantly.

“Tch.”

Clicking his tongue, he leapt onto the rooftop and fled at incredible speed.

“Wait! Don't let him escape!”

The guards chased after Ryu.

And soon, both Lalanoa and Nazono Senen were surrounded by the remaining guards.

“Drop your weapons and come quietly. You'll answer our questions.”

Urged by the stern-faced guards, Nazono Senen obediently dropped his sword.

The alley was drenched in blood, with numerous corpses lying around, their throats slit.

This had become troublesome.

Still bound, Lalanoa looked up at the sky.