Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 293: Beggars Sibling - Candy

Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 293: Beggars Sibling - Candy

292. Beggars Sibling - Candy
A lot has changed.
Lean watched Lerialia happily munch on the
dragée
(sugar-coated candy with nuts) served as dessert, and he fell deep into thought.
He began to reflect on his current state and to set his goals for this round.
[Achievement: Beast Hunting - ‘0’, a faint amount of mana is infused in your body.]
First of all, I’m no longer a Swordmaster. I used up all my Beast Hunting achievements on defeating Malhas.
Although my skill level remains the same, without the ability to manifest Aura, I’m no different from an ordinary knight.
Not being able to use the most critical function of the Aura Blade was a bigger problem than just a decrease in combat power.
Now, I couldn’t easily prove that this body was a Swordmaster.
Though troublesome, Lean calmly accepted this as a condition limiting him. At least in this round, capturing Oriax and Astroth would be impossible for me.
‘Looks like Rev will have to carry the burden.’
Currently, he was the only Swordmaster among the Leos. It seemed Rev would have to take the lead. As Lean traced the complex network of time, places, and character relationships that had accumulated over repeated rounds, he suddenly thought of Kokoren.
- “Leo! Look at that! It’s Kokoren!”
A childhood friend, Lena, would clap her hands in delight whenever she saw Kokoren, a creature said to bring good luck.
Lean smiled faintly.
It truly was an animal that brought good luck.
Right after the childhood friend scenario began, Rev had tried to use the mirror.
In an attempt to convince Lena, who didn’t believe his words, he had hurriedly pulled out the mirror, only for Kokoren to plop onto it.
Lena clapped her hands, as always, and the mirror use was postponed.
Then, two weeks later, Lena had a ‘dream’ and came running in the middle of the night to ask what it was. Only then did he use the mirror.
It might not seem like much, but that was a great stroke of luck. Rev would contact me tonight.
‘You’ve been careful with my mirror.’
Whether this was also the deity’s arrangement, he didn’t know.
But one thing was certain: Rev would contact me and wake up, and Ray would wake up after contacting Rev during the betrothal scenario that starts this winter.
From the first round of [Raising Lena] to now, Lean had always been grateful to Lena, who clapped her hands for Kokoren and brought him good fortune.
Thanks to that, he could focus entirely on making his sister happy.
Rev would have to suffer in his place, but... well, it couldn’t be helped.
He had to see the true ending. Lean had no intention of going to Lutetia.
Just then, Lerialia exclaimed, “Uwaa...” as she struggled to get the candy stuck to her teeth out. Using her tongue didn’t seem to work, so she began to scrape it off with her fingernail, and Lean helped her.
Without a hint of embarrassment, his sister bit his finger, nibbling away.
What am I going to do with this little rascal?
No one was as tricky to handle as Lerialia. She seemed quiet and well-behaved but would suddenly burst out and grow up in vastly different ways depending on her environment.
Where and how should I raise her...
Lost in thought, Lean finally stood up.
He thanked the chicken shop owner, who came running over to greet them, and walked along the busy market street. As usual, Lerialia trotted along behind him.
“Oh my—look at that child. So cute.”
“...More than cute, look at her clothes. She looks like a beggar... Poor thing, I hope she doesn’t get into trouble.”
Since her face was now clean, it was only natural that she drew attention.
Her radiant face above a tattered, hole-ridden dress. Her small arms swinging back and forth as she walked might have seemed cute, but her appearance was strikingly out of place.
People turned to look back as they passed by.
They worried that the little girl might be in danger, and sure enough, there were those who started to follow them.
Thugs.
They scratched their heads, probably thinking,
Wow, what a find!
as they trailed after the girl who looked like she would fetch a high price.
But even for them, abducting a child in broad daylight on a busy main street was a bit too much.
No matter how chaotic Orville’s security was under the king who neglected his duties, it was still the capital.
While there weren’t regular patrols, there were plenty of soldiers around, and causing trouble on a busy street would surely lead to a swift beating.
So the thugs followed from a distance, hoping the beggar kids would eventually wander into a secluded alley, and sure enough, the siblings were heading toward a quieter area.
This should be good enough. What’s your deal? Why don’t you just get lost? They were just starting to compete among themselves when—
“I’m gonna pluck your eyes out. Hey, you bastards. Turn around and get out of here nicely, or you’re dead.”
A hulking figure stepped in. But he wasn’t looking at the beggar kids; he was glaring at the thugs.
“W-We’re going...”
“I’ll count to two, and if you’re not gone by then... Well, at least you know what’s good for you.”
The thugs scurried away, and the middle-aged gangster with a neck tattoo tucked his bat away.
He then approached the troublesome kids and asked,
“You’re the brother, right? Hey, if your sister looks like this, you should cover her up or something. Don’t you know how dangerous this world is?”
“You’re Ober, right?”
“You know me?”
Of course I do.
I know you’re actually a good person, despite your appearance, and that you’re kind to beggars because you were once one yourself.
With his Tracking Skill, Lean had sought out Ober and made his way to Leather Street. He gave a faint smile.
“The beggars told me about you. I’m looking for work, actually.”
“You expect me to give you a job? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Should I leave, then?”
“What the hell...”
Ober was dumbfounded. But he couldn’t help but keep his eyes on Lerialia.
Sending them away could be disastrous. After a moment’s hesitation, he turned and gestured for them to follow.
“Come on in, then.”
Ober entered a building near the entrance of Leather Street. It was a place with only tables and chairs, where the Launo Family thugs spent their time.
Dragging a table over, Ober sat down, intending to talk with the beggar siblings, but...
“...Brother, I’m scared of that man.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“But...”
The girl was hiding behind her brother, peeking at him. Ober sighed deeply.
“What do you mean, ‘it’ll be fine’? Do you even know where you are?”
“Where is this?”
“This is Launo Family’s... You know what, forget it.”
Ober waved his hand dismissively, indicating that Lean didn’t need to know.
He had a sword.
They’d eaten a hearty meal.
Even without using Aura, Lean’s Swordsmanship Level 5: Forte Style was superior to that of most knights and could easily surpass any Knight Captain in the Launo Family.
But Lean wanted to see.
There was something Lean wanted to see. How this man—and ultimately, the Launo Family—would treat them without him having to prove anything. Why were they always entangled with us?
The mysterious temple in the Great Antoroff Canyon, the tomb of ‘Banun Launo’... if that was related to them, then the Launo Family wouldn’t disappoint his expectations.
And, as expected, his assumption was right.
Ober rummaged through a drawer, and seeing Lerialia’s face growing more and more forlorn, he pulled out a crinkling bag of candy.
“Here, eat.”
“...Huh? More candy!”
Lerialia couldn’t resist anything sweet.
She quickly forgot her initial fear of Ober’s rough, intimidating appearance and eagerly accepted the bag. Watching her childlike glee, Ober clicked his tongue.
“Take a seat. So... phew. You said you’re looking for work?”
“Yes.”
“What can you do?”
“Not much.”
Then what the hell do you expect me to do about it?
Ober scratched his forehead with his thick fingers for a long while before he spoke.
“Alright, I’ll introduce you to someone named Darun. He’s the head of the small business association here on Leather Street. He should have some work for you.”
“...Thank you. Should I go to him with my sister?”
“Of course you shou...”
Ober suddenly stopped mid-sentence. It dawned on him that this kid didn’t just need a way to make a living.
He had to take care of a devastatingly beautiful little sister. Moreover, Darun had some issues.
He frequented brothels almost daily, justifying it as ‘part of his job,’ and was a notorious womanizer, a fact that Cassia didn’t particularly like. Darun even claimed he was Cassia’s first customer and seemed oddly attached to that notion.
Sending these siblings to someone like that?
It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel right at all.
“Ah—hold on.” Ober changed his mind. Not that it was necessary, since Lean was looking up at Ober without any intention of leaving.
He knew what kind of person Darun was.
After much hemming and hawing, Ober finally spoke.
“Fine... You two wait here for a bit. Don’t think of going anywhere, and if anyone asks, just tell them my name. Got it?”
Ober left, seemingly needing to check something. While he was gone, Lerialia happily hummed and sucked on her candy, and a few of the Launo Family’s thugs came by, asking, “Who are you guys?” before Ober returned.
“Follow me.”
Ober took the beggar siblings to the Launo Family’s mansion. He confronted the surprised officials who were taken aback by Lerialia.
“How can I send them away? Do you think I’m so desperate to feed a couple of beggars?”
“...Alright, alright, enough with the nagging. Jeez, what a headache.”
“What’s so difficult about this? Just think of them as servants helping with the cleaning.”
“Honestly, you know we don’t really need that, right?”
“Then you send them away! Go on, tell them. I can’t do it. We all know what’ll happen if we leave them out there.”
“There’s plenty of people like that...”
Still, the officials eventually relented.
If they hadn’t seen the boy and girl and their obvious plight, they might have turned them away, but no one in the Launo Family was heartless enough to abandon such a pitiful pair.
If they were, they would have joined a family like the Corolla Family, who dealt in the slave trade, rather than staying with the Launo Family, who prided themselves on protecting merchants and maintaining good relations with small businesses.
Lerialia and Lean were given a small room in the complex and winding Launo Family mansion.
Ober, who had followed them, said,
“Stay here. There’s no furniture, but don’t expect too muChapter Just rest today. I’ll tell you what work you’ll be doing starting tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
“Yeah... Don’t go wandering around, the mansion is a bit complicated.”
Despite his grumbling, Ober gave them all the information they needed before leaving. Still, as if something was missing, he later returned with blankets and a few sets of clothes.
The room was barren and dusty.
It had likely been used as a storage room before, but it had been abandoned, filled with random junk like a ladder.
Lean took off his dirty clothes and used them as rags to clean the room.
Seeing her brother take off his clothes, Lerialia began to undress as well, but Lean didn’t bat an eye.
“Get changed. I’m going to fetch some water.”
“Huh? But he told us not to go out.”
“It’s okay. I know the way.”
Know it? I’ve lived here before; I know exactly where everything is.
He navigated the complex hallways with ease. The alternating stone and mud walls passed by as he walked.
The mansion was an amalgamation of several buildings pieced together over time. Lean soon found a storeroom, grabbed a water jug, and went to the well to draw water. He also remembered to bring back a towel.
From afar, he heard the cheerful voices of children playing.
Turning, he saw Launo Family’s children, including Santian Launo, playing in the yard.
Elderly family members were relaxing in the shade, watching over the kids.
There was no better place for Lerialia to grow up, surrounded by parents and family. Reflecting on the various rounds they’d been through, Lean realized that his sister had been happiest when she was here. She had made friends her age and grown up healthy under the care of adults.
If only she hadn’t become the adopted daughter of Marquis Tatian... they might have seen the true ending back then.
What a long journey it’s been.
But Lean found the shortcut and returned to the room they had been given. After changing his sister into the clean clothes Ober had brought, they soaked their dirty old clothes in water and began to scrub and clean the room.
Of course, he didn’t forget to bathe his sister. As always, Lean personally washed her body.
“Brother, my back too.”
“Yes.”
It was evening by the time they finished cleaning and bathing. Ober, who came to bring them food, seemed astonished.
“How did you manage to clean this place? I was planning to bring the water myself.”
“My brother brought it for us!”
“You’ve got a good sense of direction. Still, be careful. Not everyone here knows you yet. Though they’ll all find out soon enough. Anyway, see you tomorrow.”
Ober left again.
Lean and Lerialia laid out their bedding on the floor and lay down. Lerialia, wriggling with excitement, could hardly contain her joy.
“It’s so soft. What is this? Brother, are we living here now? Is this our new home?”
“No.”
Lean stroked his sister’s hair and shook his head. Slightly disappointed, Lerialia soon fell asleep.
Lean continued to caress her hair, and just like Ray often did with Rera, he gently smoothed his sister’s eyebrows with his thumb.
Like Rev’s habit, he softly pinched her chubby cheeks.
Then, in a very quiet whisper, he murmured,
This can’t be your home. It’s just an empty room. A good meal and a warm blanket can’t be all the happiness you’re meant to receive.
You deserve to be happier.
Happier than anyone in the world.
And you will be.
Lerialia, whether she heard him or not, smiled softly in her sleep.
Maybe his constant whispering tickled her, as she giggled quietly, “Hee-hee.” Night had fallen by then.
Lean slipped quietly out of bed. After tucking his sister in, he stepped outside.
He sat on the stairs above the room, gazing at the blue moon, Cheongryeon, hanging in the sky. His mirror, lying beside him, began to vibrate. A light shimmered on the mirror, and then—
“Lean, it’s me.”
It was Rev, unsurprisingly. Beside him was Lena, her eyes wide with curiosity. Lean de Yeriel broke into a broad smile.
“Rev, it’s been a while.”

Chapter 293: Beggars Sibling - Candy