Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 30: Childhood Friends - Reunion

Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 30: Childhood Friends - Reunion

30. Childhood Friends - Reunion
“Farewell.”
As Leo pulled the arrow out of Woody’s rump, the horse, startled by the pain, dashed across the plain.
Leo clicked his tongue bitterly.
He had barely managed to cross the border.
It had been a harrowing process. He had encountered soldiers multiple times and had been chased by rangers. If he hadn’t had the achievement that increased his speed at the border, he would have died in a knife fight. But Woody ran like a pedigreed horse, albeit shakily.
Thanks to that, they were able to shake off the pursuit.
However, they still couldn’t completely relax, so Leo decided to avoid the conspicuous plain and head back into the mountains.
The fact that Woody had been hit by an arrow during the chase influenced his decision as well.
Since the horse couldn’t climb the mountains anyway, he removed the arrow and let her go.
Leo waved his arm above his head. The faintly glowing mark that had appeared scattered with his nervous gesture.
It was unlucky. Why had the paladin been out for inspections?
“Damn it. Is this because they said I’d become unlucky?”
There was a message that had appeared after he killed Hans.
[ Achievement: Civilian Murder - You have killed '1' civilian. Your luck decreases slightly. ]
Although the whole incident was due to the Cross Church blocking the border, Leo blamed his own luck.
This cursed mark!
The scattered mark quickly reformed.
If he hadn’t killed Hans, the holy mark wouldn’t have appeared at all. That was the only evil act he had committed in this scenario. Killing multiple bandits... does that count as evil?
In any case, he couldn’t go to Lutetia with this mark.
“When will this thing disappear?”
A week had already passed, but there was no sign of the mark fading.
It would disappear eventually.
Just like priests, paladins consumed divine power when they used their abilities. Although such marks consumed very little divine power, there was no way a paladin would waste much on mere gangsters.
If only a little divine power had been used, the mark would disappear quickly.
He had thought he would meet Lena soon, but that was out of the question now. He would have to live in hiding until the mark disappeared.
He couldn’t enter any territory ruled by the Holy Kingdom. Anyone who saw the mark would him. It was proof that a paladin had personally marked him as an enemy and that he had a record of evil deeds.
“I heard there are many barbarians living in the Holy Kingdom...”
Leo knew quite a bit about the Holy Kingdom. Thanks to Lena, who had constantly chattered about stories she heard from Brother Leslie, he knew about paladins and the holy mark.
He headed north, climbing the mountains.
The Holy Kingdom was tolerant of barbarians and was the only country on the continent that did not allow slavery.
They allowed the barbarian tribes to self-govern, unlike the northern kingdoms that integrated barbarians as citizens.
As long as the barbarians accepted the doctrines of the Cross Church and didn’t harm civilians, the Holy Kingdom didn’t care how they lived.
Leo planned to live near a barbarian tribe until the mark disappeared. He could survive by hunting, but he would need to trade minimally.
Luckily, it was summer. It wasn’t cold, and there was plenty of food in the mountains.
He had learned a lot from Lena. The more he knew, the more the mountains provided ample food.
He avoided the villages of the Holy Kingdom, foraging to stave off hunger, and continued over the mountains.
During his journey, he encountered traces of monsters several times.
There were few dangerous animals in the southern regions, but as he moved north, the number of monsters increased.
There was a reason why the Ainar tribe in the engagement scenario organized large hunting teams.
It was to hunt the monsters they occasionally encountered.
Although called monsters, they were essentially the same animals. A monster like the Nokuhwa Tiger was just a big fox, but its large size and eerily agile body were problematic.
Every time Leo saw traces of monsters, he retreated quickly. This extended his journey to find a barbarian tribe, but he eventually found a small village in the forest.
The village, surrounded by thick wooden walls, had the symbol of the Cross Church and the unique emblem of the tribe displayed prominently.
*
“...We will learn about the achievements of the sixth saint, Udean, next time.”
After the ‘Ancient Theology’ class ended, Lena gathered her books and headed to the library.
Ancient Theology was the subject she was weakest in.
There were no books on the subject at the village church, so all she knew was what Brother Leslie and the priest had told her orally.
She chose to take classes on subjects she wasn’t familiar with first.
With some time left before the next class, Lena hurried to review what she had learned today.
But she didn’t forget to briefly pray in front of the ‘Chalice’ on the way.
The small brass chalice was placed on the first-floor stairs, and except for Lena’s occasional prayers, it was a useless ornament.
‘I am happy.’
Since coming to the capital church, every day had been a delight for her.
As expected, the classes at the capital church were of a high standard. Even though Lena had studied theology diligently since childhood, there was still much to ponder in the basic theology classes.
“Oh! Hello, Daniel.”
She approached a trainee who was admiring a newly created mural. He greeted her warmly with a slight bow.
Daniel was a trainee of a higher rank than Lena. The number of embroidery threads on the trainee’s clothes indicated their rank, and his clothes had five threads.
He was an excellent student who practically lived in the library, so Lena often ran into him there.
Despite his affable appearance, Daniel was quite strict.
Nevertheless, he was very kind, often explaining the curriculum in detail to Lena. He even recommended his study order, which was very helpful.
“Is this... the scene of Saint Azra vanquishing the evil for the third time?”
Daniel looked at Lena in mild surprise.
“Wow, recognizing it at a glance. I knew it, your theological studies are deep. I also think it depicts the scene by the River Lodran where Saint Azra rebukes the demon.”
“How did Saint Azra resist the temptation? That was in a time before the church and divine power existed.”
“I read in a book about the ‘Twelve Achievements of Azra’ that...”
Lena and Daniel discussed theology in front of the mural for a while before parting ways.
As Daniel watched Lena leave, he marveled inwardly.
This mural wasn’t easy to recognize at a glance. It was easy to mistake it for depicting a different story, and even the senior Daniel had pondered in front of it for a moment.
“She’s a woman, but her studies are really deep.”
He harbored some prejudice against female priests.
In this era, most high-ranking positions were held by men, and the majority of priests were also male. All those revered as saints were men, and except for a few chosen by divine will, there were almost no women who left significant achievements.
Daniel held a somewhat negative view of female saints.
Saints appeared unexpectedly.
The current leader of the Cross Church, Saint Meriel, had previously been nothing more than the daughter of a minor noble family.
He thought it was unfair to compare saints who overcame countless hardships with those few chosen female saints.
However, Lena seemed special.
Her surprisingly deep understanding and dedication to her studies slightly broke his prejudice.
‘Maybe I was wrong. Well, there are few but not no female priests.’
Feeling guilty for having judged her with prejudice, Daniel went to the central relic of the building. He waited for others to leave, then knelt and confessed his sin of prejudice to God.
Lena did not go to the library.
She had spent too much time talking with Daniel.
‘Let’s see, the next class is... Ah, Imperial Etiquette of the Akhaian Empire.’
The capital church taught various subjects, not just theology. Although not as in-depth as theology, they were required to study a broad range of topics.
Lena, who knew nothing about etiquette, chose this class to learn about the world of nobility.
The class took place in a small lecture hall.
An elderly monk demonstrated etiquette, and the trainees clumsily imitated his postures.
Lena flailed her limbs awkwardly.
“The greeting for meeting a king or a duke differs from that for a marquis or a count.”
‘Do we have to learn such basics again? That old man probably hasn’t even seen them in person... Ridiculous.’
Gilbert grumbled and half-listened to the etiquette class.
Since he had come to this place, Gilbert Forte had to attend classes.
He just had to endure for two years. After studying for two years, the Cross Church’s educational institution issued a certificate exclusively for nobles.
Although he had come reluctantly, he had to get something out of it to save face, and he endured this tedious life by planning to use the certificate to court noble ladies.
He had to attend quite a few classes and maintain a high attendance rate and grades, so Gilbert only signed up for classes he was good at. Etiquette was as easy as breathing for him.
‘No one uses such greetings nowadays. They really teach outdated etiquette.’
The Arcaea Empire's etiquette was still used.
The Kingdom of Bellita inherited the legitimacy of the Arcaea Empire, so this etiquette was mandatory in official settings.
However, it was never used in everyday life. Only strict elders or heads of families used it, while most nobles preferred sophisticated, modern etiquette.
Gilbert snickered and looked around. Everyone, wearing dull clothes, was diligently following the etiquette.
Boring people.
‘Wait, that one’s not too bad.’
A pretty trainee caught his eye. Even in her dull, baggy clothes, she looked neat and composed, flailing her limbs awkwardly.
Gilbert quickly approached the trainee as soon as the class ended.
“Hello, miss.”
She turned around gracefully.
“Hello. Did you call me?”
There was a brief silence.
He had grabbed her because he didn’t want to miss the girl he liked, but now he was at a loss for words at the sight of her clear eyes.
But his body moved on its own. By the time his movements ended, his tongue flowed smoothly, though a half beat late.
“...If it’s not too much trouble, would you like to dine with me? I’m Gilbert Forte, from the Kingdom of Bellita.”
He greeted her with a sophisticated gesture, extending his hand.
The gesture was both an invitation to hold hands and a casual offer.
It was subtle enough not to be awkward even if she refused.
“Uh? I’m Lena, from the Kingdom of Astin.”
She shook hands with the man she had just met, influenced by the relentless practice in the etiquette class.
Lena awkwardly followed the rigid etiquette of the Arcaea Empire.
‘Got it!’
When she shook his hand, Gilbert cheered inwardly.
Once they held hands, he was at least halfway there.
The gesture of nobles extending their hand to a lady signified taking control.
Noblewomen were adept at regaining control with polite, eloquent conversation without breaking the mood, but Lena was not.
“But, um- Isn’t it a bit early for dinner?”
“No. If we go now, it’s just right. If we want to go to a restaurant in the capital, we should leave now. Otherwise, we won’t get back before dark.”
Gilbert’s tongue moved smoothly. He calculated that he could be a bit more aggressive with this girl.
He still held Lena’s hand, and she, unused to such a request while holding hands, was flustered.
Her hand felt hot.
“Um, but... I just met you...”
“I just met you too. Won’t you give me the opportunity to share a meal with you?”
She lacked the courage to refuse while still holding hands.
Feeling she had no choice but to agree, Lena hesitated before finally nodding.
“Uh... Okay. Can I go to my room and get ready?”
“Of course. If you don’t mind, I’ll walk you there.”
With that, Gilbert stuck close to her.
Lena, feeling dazed, simply followed his lead.
While appearing considerate, his true intention was to maintain control until the last moment.
Back in her room, Lena changed into her only set of casual clothes.
‘Why did I agree? I have a lot to review today...’
A simple apology would have sufficed.
But once she had grabbed his hand, it was hard to refuse.
Holding hands while rejecting felt too harsh.
When Lena came out, Gilbert skillfully extended his hand, and she awkwardly took it.
“I don’t have much money, so I can’t go to an expensive place...”
“Don’t worry. I know a cheap and delicious place.”
Gilbert answered with a bright smile.
Of course, it was a lie. He intended to take her to an expensive, atmospheric restaurant.
In just a month since arriving at the capital church, he had familiarized himself with Lutetia. The only regret was not being able to mingle with the nobles of the Holy Kingdom due to his need to stay low.
But someone like this commoner...
“I’ll cover the carriage fare since you let me choose the restaurant.”
Gilbert opened the carriage door while still holding her hand. There seemed no way for Lena to refuse.
This carriage went directly to the inner city of Lutetia outside the capital church, a place she had never visited.
Reluctantly, she boarded the narrow carriage, and Gilbert quickly hopped in and sat beside her. She could feel their hips touching.
In the end, Lena was led to an expensive restaurant by him.
The meal was the best she had ever tasted, and Gilbert skillfully explained each dish, smoothly leading the conversation.
When they finished dining, the bill was already settled. His remark about treating her next time set up their next date.
She couldn’t recall how she got back to her dorm.
Caught in the flow, she had exchanged names with a stranger, been escorted, had long conversations in a cramped carriage, enjoyed a fine meal, and was escorted back to her dorm.
Lying in bed, Lena tossed and turned in a daze.

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Chapter 30: Childhood Friends - Reunion