Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 13: Childhood Friends - The Inn
13. Childhood Friends - The Inn
The guard looked Leo up and down and asked, “You don't look like a knight.
Are you a hired mercenary?
No?
Then why are you trying to enter the castle with a weapon? At least try to hide it.”
“I'm sorry. I didn't know I wasn't allowed to bring a sword in. We just arrived in Nevis today and were looking for work.”
“Is that so? Let me see that sword. Where did you get it?”
Leo handed over the sword without protest. It wouldn't do any good to antagonize the guards.
“I picked it up for self-defense on the way here.”
“Let’s see... What is this? It’s a complete piece of junk.”
“Why? Let me have a look.”
The other guard chimed in.
“The weight is all off. It’s top-heavy. Might be good for chopping, but it’s no better than an axe.”
“Um... Is it okay if I still carry it?”
Leo asked cautiously.
After inspecting the sword, the guards handed it back.
“No need to confiscate it. You said you just got here today? Weapons aren’t allowed inside the castle. You should leave it somewhere before entering.”
“Wait! What’s that tattoo on your arm? Are you a gang member?”
“No, it’s just something my father...”
Leo had to explain the tattoo all over again. Lena helped from the side.
“That's right. He’s had that tattoo since he was a child.”
“Really?”
“Come on, let him through. No idiot would walk up to the castle gate with a two-handed sword if they were up to no good. Off you go, but be careful next time.”
“Thank you.”
They bowed to the guards and left the area.
Leo looked at Lena with a relieved expression. She narrowed her eyes, ready to tease him.
“I knew it from the moment you got that sword. You don’t even know how to use it, and you’re just carrying it around for show.”
Leo scratched his head sheepishly. Lena exaggerated her gestures, clearly having fun.
“And it was a piece of junk? I was so touched when you said you’d protect me with it.”
“Hey! I know how to use a sword.”
“Yeah, sure you do.”
In the end, they couldn't enter the castle and wandered outside looking for work.
They had a simple meal at the market. It was a dumpling made from Bellfluer root, and Lena excitedly wondered if it came from Demos Village.
Eventually, Lena found a job at a bakery.
A plump lady, reminiscent of Hans' aunt, wiped her hands on her apron and spoke.
“I could use someone to help with the dough. Can you come in tomorrow? I need to see how you work before deciding on your pay.”
“Yes! I’ll come in early tomorrow.”
“No need to come too early. We need to fetch water and get things ready first.”
“Got it. See you tomorrow.”
“You’re a spirited young lady. I like that. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes! See you then!”
Lena came out of the bakery beaming.
Leo, waiting at a distance, asked, “Did she say how much she’ll pay?”
“Not yet. She’ll decide after seeing me work tomorrow.”
“Lena, don’t just take whatever she offers. You need to negotiate.”
“I know. I’ll get paid for what I work. And I have a good eye for people! That lady is kind.”
“...Maybe because she reminds you of Hans’ aunt.”
“No, she doesn’t!”
They bickered as they continued searching for a job for Leo.
He found work at a tool shop without much difficulty.
The owner, impressed with Leo’s skill in hammering nails, immediately recognized his talent. He promised a generous wage and asked him to start the next day.
However, Leo was more interested in showing Lena that he found a job. His real plan was to look for clues to meet a prince.
So he deliberately chose a place far from the bakery Lena would be working at. He could always pretend to have wages from work, using the money his father gave him, without Lena catching on.
Each harboring their own hopes, they returned to the inn as the sun began to set.
Lena pointed at the inn’s entrance.
“Look at the door frame. It’s so worn.”
“It was like that when we arrived. Probably worn out from rain or something.”
“Oh, I see.”
They entered the inn. The lobby was now crowded with a dozen men sitting and chatting.
“We’re back!”
Lena greeted the innkeeper cheerfully, and he smiled warmly at them.
“Welcome back. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Leo gave a polite nod and started up the stairs, but something felt off.
Looking around, he noticed the men getting up, all armed.
Mercenaries?
“Excuse me, can you let us through?”
Lena tried to make way for a large man blocking the stairs.
Leo turned and saw the man descending, shield in hand.
An alarm went off in Leo’s head.
“Lena! Step back!”
“What?”
Leo pushed Lena against the wall and stepped in front of her, his sword suddenly in hand.
As if that was the signal, the men in the lobby stood up, brandishing their weapons, and surrounded them.
Their hostility was evident. The weapons pointed at Lena and Leo, and a few men blocked the entrance.
These were no mercenaries; they were thugs.
Leo, facing this raw aggression, spoke up.
“What’s the meaning of this? Back off.”
His demand was met with quiet laughter and disregard.
The men closed in, and the innkeeper silently slipped away. The front desk was empty.
Lena, standing stiffly behind Leo, was terrified. The men’s eyes held no warmth, and the weapons they brandished demanded submission.
How could people treat others like this? The slaves they had seen at the market flashed in her mind.
This was the harsh reality.
The inn’s lobby grew cold and silent. The wooden floor creaked under the weight of the men, and one thug approached Leo.
- Clang!
The man swung a small hatchet at Leo’s sword. He wasn’t trying to harm him but to disarm him. Leo deflected the blow.
Surprised, a man at the back spoke up.
“Well, look at that. He knows how to block.”
“The next time, I won’t hold back. Back off now.”
No one listened. The thugs adjusted their grips on their weapons, tension rising.
“Guys, don’t worry about the man. Just attack.”
A man wearing a hat ordered, and the thugs closed in, two or three at a time.
Lena screamed.
Leo focused, pushing his fear aside to protect Lena.
A muscular man swung an axe down at him, which Leo dodged to the right. The axe hit the floor, sending splinters flying. Leo thrust his sword at a man trying to stab him with a dagger, then kicked another thug in the chest and spun to slash at the man raising the axe again.
The thugs hesitated.
Blood dripped from the wounded men, staining the wooden floor.
The man in the hat adjusted it and frowned.
“Hey, this isn’t what I was told. Wasn’t he supposed to be a hunter from some backwater village?”
“I just told you what the merchant said.”
The innkeeper shrugged.
The thugs charged again, and Leo fought to protect Lena, who was cowering in the corner.
Blocking, slashing, dodging, swinging.
The fight continued, but the thugs started using their shields, rendering most of Leo’s attacks ineffective.
“Oof!”
A dagger flew through the air and struck Leo in the thigh. Before he could process the pain, a shield bashed into him, knocking him off balance.
His shoulder felt like it was breaking.
Lena, tears streaming down her face, looked up at him.
“Leo!”
As Leo tried to regain his footing, he saw a sword descending toward his neck. He pushed off with one foot and rolled.
He barely dodged the sword, but it was a big mistake.
A thug took advantage of the opening and grabbed Lena, who was helpless against his strength. The thug wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed her neck.
Lena struggled and was dragged away.
“Lena! You bastards!”
Leo swung his sword horizontally, forcing the thugs to back off, but another dagger flew at him.
He managed to block it by pure luck.
But he had no time to dodge the axe coming down on him and had to block it with his sword.
- Clang!
The sword and axe collided head-on. Blood poured from Leo’s wounded thigh.
“Leo! Leo!”
“This isn’t the time to worry about him, is it?”
“Let me go! Please, let me go.”
Lena tried to shake off the thug’s grip. He tightened his hold, making her groan in pain.
The man in the hat looked over at Lena’s groan.
“Hey! She’s supposed to go up for sale tomorrow. Don’t leave any marks on her, got it?”
“But she keeps...”
“If she gets too bruised, we’ll have to wait until the next auction. Can’t you even hold a girl properly? And don’t grab her clothes! That’ll leave marks too. This is so frustrating. And you guys, you’re struggling with one kid... Unbelievable.”
Leo’s sword struck a thug in the neck, killing him instantly. Blood sprayed over Leo.
[ Achievement: First Kill - Leo feels less guilt about killing. ]
A message appeared in the corner of his vision, but Leo felt no guilt. Instead, he was consumed by anger, determined to kill them all. He spat on the blood-soaked floor.
But despite his determination, his body was accumulating injuries. His {Swordsmanship} allowed him to avoid fatal blows, but even holding the sword was becoming difficult.
This Leo wasn’t the same as Leo Dexter from the betrothal scenario.
He had strong legs good for climbing mountains, but he wasn’t built to wield a heavy sword for long periods. Even Leo Dexter wouldn’t have been able to handle a dozen men alone.
And this poorly balanced sword was sapping his strength quickly.
The sword was slipping from his grasp.
“It’s over. Don’t let your guard down, finish him carefully.”
“Wait!”
Lena, crying, shouted desperately.
“Please spare Leo. Please. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“...You’ll do whatever we say?”
“Lena! No!”
“Alright, don’t kill him. Just take his sword first.”
The thug in front of Leo grumbled.
“This kid’s really making us sweat. Hey, why don’t you just give up?”
The thugs raised their shields and swung cautiously. Leo blocked a few more attacks, but his grip gave out, and his sword fell. As soon as he lost his weapon, the thugs piled on him.
Exhausted, Leo was pinned under their weight, unable to move.
“Alright, girl. Keep talking. You’ll do as we say?”
“...Yes. Just spare Leo.”
“Let her go.”
The thug holding Lena released her. She stood still, tears streaming down her face.
The man in the hat grabbed her chin, turning her head this way and that before smiling in satisfaction.
“Hmm... Good. We didn’t have time to train you, but this works out. If you don’t behave until tomorrow, your boyfriend will... you know?”
“...Yes.”
“Le...na! No...”
Leo’s voice was weak, his body pinned down.
The thugs binding him glared menacingly, but Leo’s eyes were fixed on Lena as she was dragged away.
“Leo...”
She looked back from the doorway.
The man in the hat shoved her out.
Lena disappeared from view.
“Boys, keep him secure. If he dies, he dies.”
“Yes, boss.”
The thug who seemed to be the leader left, speaking loudly enough for Lena to hear.
The thugs tied Leo’s hands and feet as he struggled desperately, his eyes red with fury.
“Just knock him out. This is annoying.”
One thug raised a club.
- Thud!
Leo’s world went black.
Chapter 13: Childhood Friends - The Inn
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