Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 240: Childhood Friend - Wrinkle

Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 240: Childhood Friend - Wrinkle

239. Childhood Friend - Wrinkle
"Not great, is it?"
Lena Ainar turned around. The green dress, with its sturdy texture, suited her figure well.
But her thick and straight eyebrows... The dress didn't match her strong impression, even though she had clumsily trimmed her eyebrows.
Lena definitely looks better in armor or a uniform, Rev thought. But Leo Dexter was all smiles.
"Who are you?"
"Stop joking. This color doesn't suit me, does it?"
Yeah, you're better in red.
Like a bold, blazing flame...
"No, it suits you perfectly. I almost didn't recognize you. Did you even put on makeup?"
"Yeah..."
Lena turned her head shyly, a small, relieved smile on her face.
The half-day she spent getting dressed up hadn't gone to waste. She wasn't good at adorning herself—had never even tried before.
But she knew she would have to get used to it. If she was going to live as an ordinary woman, not as a knight. Lena felt grateful to Leo, who didn't hold back his praise, even though she was probably a mess.
The flame had burned out, leaving only ashes. Thank you for not stirring them up.
Leo gently wiped the rouge smudged at the corner of Lena’s mouth. Rev watched the scene with a heavy heart, then called for two carriages and boarded the front one. Lena and Leo, dressed up, boarded the carriage that followed.
The two carriages crossed the tidy avenue of Lutetia, heading for the royal castle. When they arrived, the Lutetia royal castle was bustling with noble carriages.
It was a common sight in other kingdoms, but rare here. The nobles of the Holy Kingdom were bound by the church's laws and had little interest in a royal family that could do nothing.
The heads of the noble families stayed in their own domains instead of the capital, and the young heirs socialized among themselves in Lutetia—nothing more.
But two days ago, the Frederick royal family suddenly dismissed the etiquette officers and paladins involved in royal ceremonies from the castle.
Then, they announced that Crown Prince Cleo de Frederick was of marriageable age and hosted a modest banquet. It was just a pretext, though; everyone knew the royal family was about to make some kind of statement.
But still, a pretext is a pretext.
The heirs of each family came to the banquet, finely dressed, to spy on the royal family’s intentions and back to their families. The rouge on the ladies' cheeks and the delicate collars of their dresses had never looked so fine.
Rev’s party had received a special invitation from the prince. Lena, perhaps intimidated by the beautiful noblewomen, clung to Leo’s arm.
"Have you heard? Something big happened in the Kingdom of Conrad."
"Oh my, I heard too. They say Prince Lean de Yeriel and Princess Lerialia de Yeriel are alive. That’s surprising enough, but what I heard is even more interesting. They say Prince Eric de Yeriel was actually a terrifying monster, and Prince Lean de Yeriel defeated him..."
"It’s probably just a tall tale. I found it hard to believe, so I looked into it, and there was almost no damage. But since he's royalty, I think they made up the story as an excuse for executing Prince Eric."
"Do you think so? Still, it was a fascinating story, something we haven't heard in a long time. What do you think, Your Highness?"
"In my opinion..."
The grand banquet hall was a vast, pillarless hall where young nobles were chatting here and there. The prince was among them, but as soon as he spotted Rev entering the hall, he wrapped up his conversation quickly and approached.
"You’re here. Haha, I've been waiting a long time. Let’s go see my father first."
Rev flinched slightly, not responding immediately.
He was worried, perhaps needlessly, that the king here might also be a disciple of Ashin. But that couldn’t be.
No matter how safe a disciple of Ashin might feel from discovery, this was the Holy Kingdom of Jerome.
It was impossible for Ashin or his disciples to operate here, in the very courtyard of the Cross Church’s headquarters, so Rev didn’t bring Leo Dexter with him.
Leo and Lena remained in the now brightly lit banquet hall, while Rev headed to the audience chamber with the prince. Rev grew more uneasy when the prince mentioned how he had expelled all the detestable paladins from the palace...
[Achievement: King 5/7]
[Achievement: Baptism of the Saint – {Divine Power Detection} ability granted to Leo.]
The feared scenario did not unfold.
The king, whom Rev met in the audience room—a room filled with expensive furniture, where the king awaited before appearing at the banquet—was an ordinary human. If one could dare to call a king ordinary.
The middle-aged king spoke.
"So, you’re the Swordmaster said to be heaven-sent. It’s my first time seeing you in person. Pleased to meet you."
"I pay my respects to Kranzar de Frederick, ruler of the Jerome Kingdom. I am Rev Bizaine."
"The Jerome Kingdom..."
The king burst out laughing. Sitting with his legs crossed, he slapped his knee, displaying a remarkably unpretentious demeanor.
"The prince may leave. Sir Lloyd, you may also go."
The prince and the royal guard withdrew.
However, only the guard escorting the prince left; the royal guards protecting the king remained. Unsure whether it was safe to speak in front of them, Rev hesitated.
"Don’t worry. These are all knights who are like close friends to me... So, I’ve heard the story from the prince. First, I must thank you."
"I’m glad I could be of help."
"But..."
The king straightened up and stared intently at Rev as he spoke.
"I don’t know what you desire. What brings a young Swordmaster to my land?"
"...I came to find a friend. It wasn’t my intention, but now that it’s come to this, I have something I desire as well."
"Speak."
Rev, recognizing Kranzar de Frederick’s straightforward nature, got straight to the point.
"I intend to become the rightful king of my kingdom. I ask for Jerome Kingdom’s support in this endeavor. Of course, once I ascend to the throne, I will repay you accordingly."
It could be a dangerous confession.
But the king, who had just gained a reason to break free from the Cross Church’s influence, wasn’t likely to him.
As expected, Kranzar de Frederick showed little reaction.
"A king... What kind of support do you seek?"
"Military support would be ideal, but even selling provisions at a discounted rate would suffice."
"Hmm!" The king stroked his chin. He seemed to ponder for a moment, but answered before his hand left his chin.
"Both are too much."
"...Are you refusing?"
"That’s not it. I just don't see how the deed you’ve done for our royal family is worth that muChapter Sure, getting rid of those nagging busybodies let me cross my legs in peace... But I’m not sure it was so wrong for Count Simon to make a secret deal with the Cross Church to secure that tiny piece of land."
"...With all due respect, Your Majesty, I believe that could shake the very foundation of the Frederick royal family."
"Yet, there’s been no change in the lives of the people. If anything, things have improved."
What the...
Rev reconsidered his assessment of this king's straightforwardness. It felt like he had swallowed a thousand snakes.
Whether the king meant his words or not, he was downplaying the value of what Rev had done for him.
It was a basic negotiation tactic.
At the same time, the king was presenting himself as a benevolent ruler who prioritizes his people, making it clear that military support or cheap provisions were too much to ask.
While such an attitude was expected of a ruler, it left Rev feeling weary.
"Yet for such a minor issue, the prince seemed quite pleased."
"Of course. The prince wants to take direct control of the kingdom’s affairs. Whether with the church’s help or under the king’s sole rule, I don’t think governance is that critical... Anyway, I apologize. Please, make another proposal."
In other words, a refusal. After a moment of silent contemplation, Rev spoke up.
"I am a commoner. Please grant me the authority to become a king, and if possible, allow me to meet the Saintess."
"Arranging a meeting with the Saintess is not difficult, but authority? What do you expect me to do?"
Rev lowered his voice as he responded.
The king nodded, and soon, the two entered the banquet hall where the nobles were gathered.
"His Majesty Kranzar de Frederick, King of the Holy Kingdom of Jerome, and the great Swordmaster, Sir Rev, have arrived!"
All eyes turned to Rev. This was the moment when the name of Rev Bizaine, the fourth Swordmaster of the continent, became known as a man who stood shoulder to shoulder with the King of the Holy Kingdom of Jerome.
But it wasn’t particularly moving.
As a Swordmaster, it was something he could do anytime if he wanted, so Rev was more concerned about the repercussions of his name being spread.
However, since only his name was mentioned without details of his birthplace or family name, it didn’t seem like it would be a disadvantage. On the contrary, the Marquis of Evni Drazhin, who refused to join the rebellion because a commoner wasn’t fit to be king, might see him differently.
Rev barely paid attention to Prince Cleo's declaration that henceforth, he would reject the excessive interference of the church.
He couldn’t focus because, in a corner of the banquet hall, Lena was looking back and forth between Leo and Rev with wide eyes.
- "Is this scrawny-looking guy the one you were talking about? He doesn’t seem all that impressive..."
Lena squeezed her eyes shut, frustrated at how her ability to judge people had vanished. Rev could only manage a bitter smile, wondering why gaining one thing always meant losing another. Meanwhile, King Kranzar de Frederick’s well-intentioned but heavy advice only complicated Rev’s thoughts further.
"So why do you seek the throne? It’s a meaningless position unless it’s for the sake of the people."
He really should’ve just kept his mouth shut.
---
Name: Meriel
Occupation: Head of the Cross Church
Title: The Eighty-Seventh Saintess
A few days later, Rev was in a carriage heading toward the capital church, reviewing the background of Saintess Meriel. He wasn’t reading a document but recalling information from {Noble Society}.
Saintess Meriel was born into a minor noble family in the Kingdom of Aslan and became a Saintess.
The way a Saintess is chosen in this world is very straightforward. The goddess of noble sacrifice, Boa’r, who wears the Crown of Thorns, opens the heavens and shines a light on the one destined to become the Saintess, a phenomenon felt by all across the continent.
She was in her late thirties, unmarried, and her favorite things were praying. She disliked...
Rev turned his head after familiarizing himself with the all-too-typical details of the Saintess. Next to him, Leo Dexter sat with his arms crossed and eyes closed.
"Lena said she wanted to learn how to cook, right? I have a disciple named Vanne who’s great at cooking. I could introduce..."
"Don’t talk to me right now."
"..."
Leo’s curt attitude wasn’t new to Rev; it had been this way since they first met, so Rev didn’t take it personally. In fact, this was Leo’s way of cooling down his anger.
It wasn’t that he was venting at Rev. Others knew Leo Dexter as calm and polite, but with Rev, he didn’t hide his feelings.
Because there was no need to.
Rev kept quiet, guessing the reason for Leo’s foul mood. In the silence, the carriage arrived at the capital church.
"We’re here to see the Saintess. The king should have arranged an appointment."
"One moment. Your name is... Sir Rev, correct? Please, follow me."
The paladin guarding the main gate led Rev and Leo inside.
Since Leo remained tight-lipped, Rev couldn’t ask what he planned to discuss with the Saintess as they crossed the majestic capital church.
Soon, they reached the white church.
Surrounded by spires reaching for the heavens, this was the main sanctuary of the capital church.
The outer walls were engraved with intricate patterns that exuded solemnity, and a massive circular stained glass window high up reflected the warm sunlight of early winter.
Statues scattered around the grounds looked down piously at the visitors, but Rev wasn’t interested in such things. He was both anxious and hopeful that he might meet Lena here.
Fortunately or unfortunately, {Tracking} pointed elsewhere.
"This way, please."
The Saintess’s chamber was deep within the first floor of the sanctuary.
But they weren’t going to her private quarters; instead, they stopped in front of a grand door after walking through a spotless, ornate corridor.
It was the Saintess’s reception room.
The paladin who guided Rev and Leo confirmed their appointment with the paladin stationed there and left. The door opened, and the two finally met the Saintess.
She sat on a white bishop's throne that was radiant but low. With a faint smile, she greeted her visitors.
"Welcome."
"It’s an honor to meet you. I am Rev Bizaine, and this is my friend, Leo Dexter. He was eager to meet you, so I brought him along."
"Yes, it’s nice to meet you both. But..."
The Saintess smiled at Rev as she spoke.
"This is our second meeting, isn’t it? Don’t you agree, Apostle of Barbatos?"
Stunned, Rev and Leo stared at the Saintess with dumbfounded eyes. The dazzlingly beautiful Saintess simply smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth.
Saintesses usually don’t live long.
On average, they pass away around the age of fifty. They maintain their mysterious beauty, the origin of which is unknown, for decades, but in the last few years of their lives, they age rapidly.
Saintess Meriel.
Age: Late thirties.
She should still be in possession of her divine beauty, but there was a faint wrinkle etched on her brow.

Chapter 240: Childhood Friend - Wrinkle