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22. Beggar Siblings – Prince

People crowded around the north gate of Orville, eager to catch a glimpse of the prince’s procession.

Leo was among the throng.

“Wow~~!”

Cheers erupted as the prince made his entrance from afar.

With dark blue hair and riding a black horse, it was indeed the prince I had seen last time. He seemed to be about the same age as before.

Looking down from atop the high horse, he exuded grandeur, and the soldiers raised the flag of the Austin Kingdom high.

It was truly an impressive sight.

A scene fitting for a prince, and the citizens of Orville were overwhelmed, forgetting their usual disdain for the Austin Kingdom.

‘It would have been nice if Lena had come along. What a pity.’

I wished I could bring my sister, who was hiding timidly in the shoe shop, but I couldn’t.

Lena’s appearance was at a point where it couldn’t be hidden anymore. Her formerly gaunt body now had flesh covering her cheeks, revealing a blossoming beauty that couldn’t be concealed by mere dirt on her face.

She had a figure anyone would turn to look at, and once the men started sneaking glances at Lena, her pretty face would quickly become apparent.

Although Leo had also improved significantly and could handle most guys, it was still dangerous without him around.

I couldn’t expect help from the Family yet.

Leo was still treated as an outsider by the Family, and he had kept his sister’s existence a secret from them.

I was curious about what Lena would think of the prince, but I didn’t want to put her in harm’s way just to find out her preferences.

“Kyaa~! Prince!”

“Wave your hand!”

The prince led the procession with little reaction to the crowd’s cheers, occasionally waving his hand. He seemed more interested in the buildings of Orville than the people.

The capital of the Belita Kingdom, Orville, had previously served as the capital of the Acaian Empire.

With a history spanning several centuries, most buildings were constructed of Sarcocite (20cm high cube-shaped granite). The walls made of Sarcocite were neat and dignified.

Such a building style was rare in the rugged environment of the Austin Kingdom.

Leo watched the procession amidst the crowd. He was curious how favor would react if he made eye contact with the prince, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

There were simply too many people to catch the prince’s attention with just a wave.

I wondered if I could jump into the procession.

As the prince’s procession moved further away, Leo gulped, feeling regret.

‘Guess it’s time to go. Gotta get back to work.’

I was once again acutely aware of the gap in status.

With hundreds of elite soldiers and knights following him, the prince’s status allowed him to confidently meet the princess of another country. I envied that.

Leo was just a thug who could swing a sword. Even that wasn’t impressive compared to the knights guarding the prince.

How frustrating it was that the prince came all the way to Orville, yet there was nothing I could do… Lena would at least need to become a noble to meet the prince in the palace…

Thinking back, that might be difficult.

If I tried to woo the prince who came to meet the princess, the backlash would be enormous. It would mean the prince had come all the way and chose another woman over the scheduled meeting with the princess.

Leo returned to his daily life with bitterness. After all, he didn’t have high expectations. His goal was to raise Lena well enough to see a happy ending.

This event felt completely unrelated to me. ─ Or so he thought, but it caused quite a stir in Orville.

“The prince left already?”

He departed Orville in just a week. Considering it took months to reach this foreign land, staying for at least half a year would have been normal, but he left without even attending the farewell ceremony.

“Wow. I didn’t think Princess Chloe could be so bold. People are in an uproar right now.”

A thug who came in during shift change plopped down beside Leo.

Leo casually handed him a lantern while he pulled out a cigarette.

“It seems the princess was secretly meeting with the son of Count Hermann. I can’t believe the rumors. Who would have thought that the supposedly well-mannered princess would be sneaking around like that?”

“Count Hermann… the Swordmaster?”

“Yep. The king must be in a tough spot. He figured to marry his virtuous daughter to the prince, but here she is fooling around with that notorious rogue. Heh heh heh.”

“What happened?”

“I heard the princess boldly kissed that guy, Gilbert, in front of the prince! Hahaha. The way nobles play is on a whole different scale.”

Count Hermann Forte was the pride of the Belita Kingdom, being one of only three Swordmasters on the entire continent. They were the envy of all swordsmen.

Yet, even the commander of the Royal Guard, the Swordmaster, and a prominent politician, Count Hermann Forte had failed in parenting.

His son, Gilbert Forte, was notorious for his debauchery, messing around with every woman, causing the Forte family a world of trouble.

‘Is this how it leads to war?’

Leo took a deep drag from his cigarette.

With the prince returning after such humiliation, the Austin Kingdom wouldn’t just sit still.

The princess’s actions were beyond inappropriate.

They certainly wouldn’t excuse Gilbert’s behavior as “he’s like that” in the Austin Kingdom.

Moreover, wasn’t it the princess who kissed him first?

In front of the prince.

This will be recorded in history as the kiss that sparked a war.

The two kingdoms had never gotten along. The nobles of Belita looked down on the Austin & Aster Kingdoms, calling them barbaric lands, while the northern kingdoms coveted the warm central region.

What could have been a visit to improve relations instead ended up like this, making war seem inevitable.

‘I’m glad I didn’t enlist as a soldier.’

Had I done that, I would have been dragged to the battlefield without question.

This was something I really wanted to avoid in a scenario involving an engagement, and being caught up in such events would have been frustrating.

Leo exhaled the stale smoke with a sigh of relief. The smoke exhaled by two thugs in the alley lingered aimlessly in the air.

*

With the prince’s departure, a strange tension settled over Orville.

Nobles, merchants, and the royal family began stockpiling iron and weapons, causing the price of weapons to skyrocket.

The curtain was rising on the onset of war. And the impact reached the back-alley families as well.

Thugs congregated in the shadows.

“Let’s go.”

At the captain’s command, Leo and the thugs from the Korolla Family grimly grasped their weapons and stepped out, with some holding torches in the dark night.

“Ah?! An attack!”

A thug from the Berza Family on guard shouted and fled while others surrounded a building, scrambling into a brawl.

Leo took down a few opponents in front of him. The Korolla Family was committed to this fight, and there was no chance they stood a chance.

The small building, previously used as a warehouse, quickly fell into the hands of the Korolla Family. Inside were various weapons, shields, and armor piled up.

After the prince’s departure, the Berza Family, which had been supplying illegal weapons, unexpectedly found themselves in a boom.

Our Korolla Family had no weapon supply routes nor connections to lords who owned iron mines, so we couldn’t partake in that boom.

Thus, the Korolla Family decided to strike at the Berza Family, which had accumulated grievances.

There was no lofty declaration of war, and the thugs plundered the warehouse clean.

“…Can I buy this?”

As Leo fiddled with a fine greatsword in the warehouse, the assault team leader chuckled.

“Haha. Looks like someone’s eyeing the spoils. Just hold on. After we wrap things up, I can sell it to you for cheaper.”

He patted Leo’s shoulder friendlily.

“What are family members for? Even if weapons are pricey these days, I should give you a good deal. And I saw you swing that sword pretty well. I’ve heard you’re impressive.”

It seemed Leo’s reputation had improved significantly, as the assault team leader was looking out for him, and Leo acquired a good greatsword at a low price.

No longer did he need to borrow a cheap sword.

Excluding the engagement scenario where a sword is given from the start, it had always been tough to obtain one in other scenarios.

But somehow, having it made him feel like he could do something.

After the sudden raid by the Korolla Family, small and large brawls among the thugs erupted endlessly.

It was an all-out war between the two biggest families in Orville. Now they couldn’t even let their guard down while eating.

During guard duties, axes frequently flew around, and someone even attempted to set the lodging on fire.

[ Achievement: Ten Thugs – You become stronger when facing thugs. ]

[ Achievement: Long Live Korolla Family – Gain slight favorability with the Korolla Family. Gain slight hostility from families that are enemies of the Korolla Family. ]

During the ongoing fights, Leo earned achievements and tattoos.

Having gained the Family’s trust, tattoos of the Family were etched onto his hands and chest, and his pay increased.

It was because Leo bravely held his ground in the narrow passage when the Berza Family launched their raid last time, managing to stall until reinforcements arrived.

The Korolla Family seemed to have confidence that Leo was not a spy sent from the Berza side.

Having risen in ranks, Leo finally found time to head to the leather district.

The Korolla Family had tightened security by drastically reducing the free time of their members, making it hard to find even once a week.

‘I hope no one followed me.’

He entered the leather district, anxiously checking behind him in case he was being tailed, only to be stopped by a burly middle-aged man.

“Hey, thug. Come here.”

The leather district was managed by the Rauno Family.

There hadn’t been any issues before during his visits, but with the conflict intensifying, it seemed the Rauno Family was now on edge.

“Do you have something to say?”

Leo discreetly checked his dagger in his pocket, but fortunately, it didn’t seem like the man was looking for trouble.

“I hear you’re Kasia’s boyfriend? I’ve seen you come and go, and it’s not a problem, but just don’t bring that type here?”

Pointing with his thick arm, a man in the distance turned and hurried down an alley.

So there was someone tailing him.

“…Did you ask Kasia?”

“I had to ask since a thug with a sword is roaming our area.”

“Sorry for the trouble. I’ll be careful from now on.”

Just as he was about to turn, the burly man seemed to have something more to add as he scanned Leo up and down.

“Not bad-looking. Since Kasia’s just a poor girl, you better treat her well. She’s finally getting motivated, studying with a teacher these days.”

“……”

“Go on.”

Leo made his way to the shoe shop.

Kasia was still there, bored out of her mind, but unlike before, she had placed a shoe on the table and was fiddling with it.

“Kasia, I’m back.”

“Long time no see.”

Kasia was in her mid-twenties, skinny but always exuding a certain allure with her moist lips. Her long hair flowed smoothly, but she had a habit of twisting the right side, which was always slightly curled.

“You mentioned me as your boyfriend, huh?”

“…Looks like you talked to Oberg. He was asking who you were, and I didn’t have much to say.”

Kasia stared at Leo quietly. Her dark eyes sparkled.

“I find you somewhat appealing.”

[ Achievement: The Man who melted Kasia’s Heart – Gain slight favorability with Kasia. ]

An achievement suddenly popped up.

As soon as the achievement appeared, Kasia stood up from her seat and approached Leo closely. She was tall, looking him straight in the eye.

Kasia’s rich fragrance wafted into his nose.

“Why, what are you doing?”

Leo instinctively took a half-step back in surprise.

What was this girl thinking? I couldn’t read anything from those oddly unfocused eyes.

Just as Kasia reached out toward Leo,

“Brother, you’re back?”

Lena, having heard her brother’s voice, got up energetically from the inner room. Leo seized the opportunity to turn and greet his sister.

“Lena! Long time no see.”

“Have you been busy lately?”

“Yeah. Things have gotten a bit busier. Sorry about that.”

Leo brought Lena into the room.

Kasia stared blankly at his back before sitting down again.

*

Upon returning, Lena retreated back into their room. Though unmentioned, there was a horrible drawing etched on her brother’s hands.

His hands were covered in wounds, and there were scars dotting his face.

Her brother said,

“I think I’ll be busy for a while. Even if I can’t visit often, you need to study hard. Got it?”

And handed her some snacks and a few clean clothes before leaving.

Upset, Lena mournfully gazed up at the low ceiling.

I’m a burden. Since my early memories, it felt like my brother had been dragging me around.

Faded images of him handing fruit in the woods surfaced. He would hide me beneath the village wall and come back from who knows where with food.

If I fell and hurt myself, he would lick my wounds until they healed, and if my clothes got torn, he’d find a way to get me new ones.

But I had never done anything for my brother.

I followed him wherever he went, took whatever he offered, and stayed put in this cramped room, receiving lessons from the teacher he found for me.

That was all I could do.

‘I want to help my brother somehow…’

I’ve grown old enough. And these days, I felt healthy enough to run around quite well.

I had already asked the teacher. I wanted to help my brother, but was there nothing I could do?

However, the teacher seemed troubled and told me that all I had to do for my brother was study diligently.

I knew that already.

The best thing I could do in the world was to listen to my brother.

The teacher’s answer had not been helpful.

‘The teacher doesn’t know how my brother earns his living.’

Lena peeked out from the door.

Kasia was still sitting there vacantly.

She would sleep in the morning, get up at noon, spend the day like that, and once it got dark, she would head out, returning at dawn.

And seeing her sleep again in the morning meant she must’ve been up to something at night.

Though she was taller than me, if that skinny girl was doing it, I felt I could do it too.

“Sister, can I ask you something…”

Lena called out to Kasia.