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26. Childhood Friend – Travel Preparations

Everyone was shocked and turned to look at the old man. Ophelia asked him in surprise.

“Sir Corin, why can’t we?”

The old man called ‘Sir Corin’ was a Holy Knight. It was the duty of the Holy Knights to protect the priest during their travels.

Sir Corin had retired from active service due to age. He occasionally provided escort to priests and devoted the last of his remaining energy to teaching children.

He wasn’t the type to turn away an ambitious young man hoping to become a Holy Knight, but he pointed at Leo’s arm and said,

“This young man believes in a false god. In my thirty years working in the southern region, I’ve seen that tattoo before.”

Everyone’s gaze fell upon the tattoo on Leo’s arm.

A tattoo depicting several intertwined trumpets.

Leo thought it was just a family legacy since his father had the same tattoo, simply passed down from their clan of hunters.

Sir Corin continued in a gruff tone.

“I don’t understand how someone believing in a false god exists in a town with a church, but raising such a person as a Holy Knight goes against doctrine.”

The barbarians had their own gods they revered.

During the Acaian Empire’s expedition against the barbarian tribes, the Cross Church protected the barbarians, and most of the tribes that received grace converted in faith.

However, some barbarian tribes never abandoned their beliefs.

In the early days, the Cross Church was lenient with them, but as time went by, they began to expel those who refused to convert.

Sir Corin had fought against tribes marked by such tattoos before. It seems a surviving barbarian had been among them.

No wonder, Sir Corin broke the church’s command back then…

The old man’s face hardened as memories surfaced.

Lena glanced at Leo’s tattoo anew and suddenly recalled something.

It was a story her father had told her long ago.

Leo’s father was not originally from the village of Demos. He had appeared in the surrounding mountains one day, hunting, and fell in love with a woman from Demos.

When they married, there were mixed opinions in the village. The village priest had strongly opposed it at that time.

But eventually, the village of Demos accepted Leo’s father.

Lena remembered her father saying,

“Perhaps our daughter will become the second connection between the Leo family and Demos village?”

But that was a long time ago.

Since Lena expressed her desire to become a priestess, and after Leo’s mother passed away, Lena’s father never mentioned it again.

“…”

Meanwhile, Leo couldn’t refute the Holy Knight’s words. His father clearly revered another god.

As silence lingered,

“Hmm… It cannot be helped. I sympathize, but I’m sorry. We cannot violate the church’s doctrines,”

Ophelia stated firmly.

“Then I won’t go either!”

At Lena’s words, Priest Leslie jumped.

“Lena! This miraculous opportunity…”

Young people…

Ophelia’s head became tangled with thoughts.

“We plan to depart tomorrow morning. I’d like to wait a few days to let you gather your thoughts, but unfortunately, our circumstances won’t allow it.”

She spoke gently so that Lena wouldn’t get hurt.

“I hope to see you tomorrow.”

With that, Ophelia took her group and disappeared.

She knew from experience that it was better to leave such matters to the involved parties rather than have adults intervene.

The village priest soothed the monk as they headed inside.

Only Lena and Leo remained outside the village.

“Leo, I’m not going. Don’t cry.”

As Leo shed tears, Lena’s eyes reddened as she joined him in crying.

How long did they cling and weep? Leo wiped his tears and spoke.

“Lena. You must go. It’s your dream.”

“But! I want to be with you!”

“Are you going to give up your dream because of me?”

“You were about to give up earlier too!”

“… Still, it won’t do.”

“I want to be with you. I want to marry you, have children with you, and spend my life with you!”

“Not allowed!”

Lena’s affections and Leo’s refusals continued. After a while, they locked eyes and burst out laughing.

“Leo, that’s something a girl should say!”

“You too! And saying you’d bear my children is way too early…”

They clasped hands together.

A happy, yet slightly sad atmosphere surrounded them.

“… Dad isn’t home…”

“… Yeah.”

Hand in hand, Lena and Leo passed through the dark village. How long had it been since they strolled through the heart of the village holding hands like this?

They arrived at Leo’s house.

Lena shyly stepped into Leo’s room.

It had been a while since she visited.

It wasn’t like before, but Leo’s bed caught her eye.

Both of their faces flushed bright red.

Lena awkwardly perched herself on the bed while Leo hesitated at the door, gathering the courage to approach. Lena met his reaching hand halfway.

Leo touched Lena’s shoulder and caressed her neck. As their lips met, they both fell onto the bed, not caring who fell first.

Leo’s hand, touching her chest, felt hot. Lena’s chest against his felt cool. They embraced tightly.

The candlelight illuminating them melted away heatedly.

*

The next morning, Leo prepared breakfast.

Lena secretly watched as Leo ate beside her.

A smile crept across her face. But when she thought this might be their last meal together, it felt like her heart was sinking.

Lena hid her feelings.

She had thrown enough fits.

After their relationship ended and they lay side by side, Lena cried multiple times, and Leo comforted her throughout.

Each time, Lena leaned back into him, and the sadness in her heart slowly subsided.

An inexplicable comfort calmed her.

“I must go now.”

Dawn was breaking.

Before leaving her house, she pulled him in for one last hug. Leo gently patted her back.

Lena was leaving.

Sadness washed over him, but he calmed his heart by patting her back.

He knew it would happen.

It was the plan all along.

Lena would become a priestess, and he would find a way to become a prince. That was the best they could do for now.

They both walked to the church together.

“You’re here. Have you made your decision?”

Priestess Ophelia was waiting in front of the carriage for the two youths. The old Holy Knight silently stood at the coachman’s seat, and the horses neighed.

Villagers gathered around them.

Yesterday at lunch, Lena had heard Priest Leslie singing a blessing song with excitement.

Everyone knew of Lena’s dream.

The villagers had come out to bless the start of the honest and beautiful Lena’s dream together.

Standing before Ophelia, Lena looked back at Leo and said firmly,

“Yes. I will go.”

Ophelia read the determination in Lena’s eyes.

They seemed to have resolved their issues.

Recalling old times, she smiled softly.

“Then let’s set off.”

“Just a moment!”

Lena’s parents rushed out.

They embraced Lena tightly.

They didn’t blame her for not coming home last night. They simply patted her head and encouraged her to stay strong.

“Oh, you really don’t have to give me anything…”

The small purse of coins Lena held would barely keep her parents warm through the winter. She tried to return it, but her parents firmly pressed it into her hand.

“We believe in you, our daughter. Just remember we’re always on your side.”

As they finished saying their goodbyes to her parents, Priest Leslie also subtly approached and offered her a bundle of money.

“Lena. This is money we all gathered for your travel expenses, so don’t feel burdened and take it. Buy something delicious from the Monastery Church from time to time… and do your best.”

The fact that they had saved up money seemed to point to the miraculous opportunity coming to Lena first. Given such a rare chance, Lena must be genuinely blessed by the gods.

Priest Leslie silently prayed in gratitude.

“Priest…”

Everyone was doing it for her… Lena’s nose tingled.

At that moment, Leo caught her eye. His faint smile appeared sad.

“Leo!”

Lena ran over and hugged him, making the villagers hold back their surprise with a gasp.

The villagers who knew Lena and Leo’s relationship all eyed Priestess Ophelia.

But she pretended to look distant, gazing at the faraway mountains.

She had already recognized their connection when they approached side by side. However, Ophelia thought that as long as the relations happened before baptism, it wouldn’t be a problem.

It wasn’t something she could openly say to the church’s prudish old men, but if that were the case, she too couldn’t become a priestess. Still, the gods had granted her the glorious divine powers.

Ophelia strolled with her hands behind her back, asking Sir Corin how long it would take to reach him, knowing the answer already.

Sir Corin replied gruffly that it would take four months at least, or five if it were longer.

Lena and Leo’s embrace ended.

“I’m leaving…”

“… Hang in there.”

Even while climbing onto the carriage, Lena couldn’t take her eyes off Leo.

As the horses trotted energetically, the food the villagers forced into the carriage rattled about.

“Lena! Stay strong!”

The villagers sang hymns under the direction of Priest Leslie.

The encouragement and affection filled hymns continued until the village completely disappeared from sight.

Lena’s eyes brimmed with tears as she quietly cried, with Priestess Ophelia sitting beside her, soothing her wordlessly.

*

After Lena left, Leo focused on hunting and gathering travel expenses.

Even if he considered buying dual swords, that initial capital wouldn’t be enough. Now that he had no reason to leave with Lena, he couldn’t ask his father for money.

How long until Lena becomes a priestess? When Leo approached Priest Leslie to ask, he looked at him with sympathy as he answered.

“It usually takes about 4-5 years to receive the rites, but I think Lena could do it in about 3 years. She has a lot of theological education already, and she’s quite smart.”

The Monastery Church’s rites were assessments determining whether one would become a priest or a monk, conducted every fall.

If Priest Leslie was right, that meant Leo had three years ahead of him.

Once Lena became a priestess, it would probably give the message, [Lena’s final class job has been determined.]… or something like that.

It was a long time.

Leo had never lived for three years in a single scenario before.

The shortest was the two-day beggar siblings scenario, and the longest was the fiancé scenario after killing Katrina and returning wounded, which hadn’t even lasted a year and a half.

But this time, a definite three years were guaranteed. Since he planned to travel for an extended period, it was best to earn a lot of money beforehand.

Leo’s father was impressed with his son for working hard at hunting. Moreover, it seemed his son’s hunting skills were quickly improving.

One day, he took out some homemade snake liquor and offered it to his son.

Though Leo hadn’t reached adulthood yet, a proper hunter should taste the liquor he brewed himself.

Leo sipped the strong snake liquor and regretted not bringing beer back to the cabin.

As his father drank, he suddenly opened his mouth.

“What do you think of Barbatos?”

“… Sorry. I can’t say I particularly like him.”

His father fell silent.

He was asking for a reason.

“Because of this tattoo, I couldn’t follow Lena.”

Leo recounted what had happened back when the Holy Knight appeared in the story.

When the Holy Knight’s name came up, sparks flew from Leo’s father’s eyes. However, he nodded in agreement when he heard his son wanted to become a Holy Knight.

After hearing the whole story, he held the snake liquor in one hand while stirring the dying campfire with a skewer in the other, and then said,

“Tomorrow, you go and sell the jerky.”

Leo looked up at his father in surprise.

He had brought homemade jerky to the market with his father a few times. It didn’t seem like a difficult thing, but this was the first time he’d entrusted it to him alone.

‘Have I earned his approval?’

His father didn’t say any more. The two quietly drank the snake liquor, tidied up, and went to bed.

The next day, Leo came down from the mountain, loaded with jerky.

Incredibly heavy. Regretting how much he had packed out of excitement for his first sale, it was already too late.

He had to set his load down a few times on the slope, gasping for breath.

Upon entering the forest’s edge where he used to pick berries with Lena, his heart ached. Memories of hugging her and crying at the village entrance made his eyes sting, but an uninvited guest awaited him.

“Hey~ Is that you, Leo? Long time no see.”

“Oh, it’s Hans.”

“Want some water?”

Hans offered a water pouch tied to his waist.

Leo declined.

“I’ve got to go.”

“Alright~”

What should he do about that guy?

In the last scenario, he had sold us out. Lena was kidnapped and sold to the princes.

Just thinking about that made his teeth grind with anger.

‘Why did he sell us out?’

Hans had a crush on Lena. Maybe he felt jealous when they saw us leaving?

No, it didn’t matter what his reasoning was. He would ensure to kill him without fail.

Leo swallowed his animosity and returned home.

As he lay on his bed, memories of Lena flooded his mind. There were remnants of her everywhere that reminded him of her.