103. Childhood Friend – Altar

“Lena! What’s going on? How did you get here?”

Leo, who was skinning the prey he hunted today in front of the cabin with a campfire going, jumped to his feet.

It was early evening, but darkness fell quickly in the mountains, and the moist scent of leaves began to fill the air.

Wiping the sweat pouring down her face, Lena complained. However, the fierce look in her eyes was full of goodwill.

“Hey! How come you haven’t returned to the village for over a month?”

“I told you before. I want to learn hunting quickly…”

“Well, still! Ugh, it’s hard.”

Lena plopped down on the wooden steps of the cabin.

“Why did you come here when it’s dangerous? How did you get here?”

“It’s not dangerous at all! Following the trail you mentioned, I came here. Ugh, I’m so tired. Leo, can I have some water? I didn’t know it would be this far.”

Leo handed her the water pouch and sat down beside her.

Good.

Seeing Lena made me happy, and a smile spread across my face for no reason.

“What’s going on? But can you really be here like this? What about work… Ah…”

Thinking about it, today was the weekend.

Lena usually searched for food only on weekdays, and on weekends she went to church to study; however, since confessing while foraging for mountain mushrooms, she hadn’t gone to church in a while.

The dream of becoming a priestess was about to falter in the harsh reality of poverty.

“Today is the weekend, you know. I came to see you. There’s something I wanted to say…”

In other words, Lena had come all the way here to complain about wanting to give up on her dream. She believed without a doubt that the path to the cabin wasn’t dangerous, and she set off thoughtlessly.

She wanted to see Leo. If she were to give up her dream, she wanted to ask if he would perhaps stay by her side.

“Where’s your dad? I’ve come all this way, I should at least greet him.”

“He’s inside right now. Should I go greet him?”

Leo entered the cabin with Lena. Whether he heard Lena’s voice or not, her father appeared from the room.

“Hello. I’m back. Can I stay just for a day?”

“……”

Lena’s extremely taciturn father nodded silently and went back into the room. Lena awkwardly said, “Thank you,” but the door just closed.

“Let’s go. He granted permission. You haven’t eaten yet, right?”

Lena followed Leo back outside.

It wasn’t the first time Leo’s father acted like that. He showed the same attitude even to the villagers, and Lena knew this all too well.

Since Leo’s mother passed away two years ago, his father had completely cut off interactions with the villagers. He didn’t participate in village events and didn’t come to church either.

That’s for sure; Leo’s mother was…

“Alright. Eat.”

“Wow! It looks delicious! But is it really okay to eat so much meat?”

Leo handed her skewers of grilled meat cooked over the campfire, but Lena hesitated to take a bite, worried about the greasy, sizzling pieces of meat dripping with oil.

With this, she could live for several days…

“Haha. Lena. My dad and I are hunters. This is a cabin. Don’t worry and eat. If we don’t dry it and turn it into jerky, we won’t be able to sell it anyway, so there’s no need to worry.”

Leo felt the primitive joy of a male who handed meat to his crush.

Lena chewed happily on the delicious meat. And just as a few sticks fell to the ground, she revealed her inner thoughts.

“I think I might stop studying to be a priestess.”

“……”

“I can’t even make it to the capital church, and there are tuition fees… They provide food and a place to stay, but I’d need some living expenses too.”

Lena said this nonchalantly while poking the campfire with a stick.

She pretended that it wasn’t a big deal to give up on her dream, acting as if it wasn’t a hard decision at all.

Leo couldn’t help but look at her with pity, forgetting about the blackening meat in his hand.

Lena, unaware that she would go to Lutetia next month for the {Priest} event. How anxious she must feel.

“I don’t want to leave my mom and dad behind… And I sometimes want to eat meat like this from you…”

Lena’s face turned bright red as she turned away. Perhaps she thought her accidental words were too blunt, as she couldn’t meet Leo’s gaze.

Leo also fidgeted with the piece of wood, unsure of what to do. The back of his ears burned as he heard her confession.

Lena.

How great would it be if I could happily live in the village with her? Forget about clearing and everything else…

Silence lingered.

After hesitating for quite a while, Lena shyly asked with her head lowered.

“Do you want me to go become a priestess? Or would you rather I didn’t?”

It was a question she had asked me twice before.

And I couldn’t help but struggle to suppress my excitement, refraining from saying I hoped she wouldn’t go, or giving a vague answer that meant nothing.

‘…Get a grip.’

Lena had a dream, and I had things I needed to do.

Leo steeled himself and said firmly. However, his lips trembled uncontrollably.

“I… I hope you don’t give up on your dream.”

As Lena’s eyes widened, Leo took out a portion of the {initial funds} he had saved up.

“Take this. It’s my money I’ve been saving. I may not have enough yet, but once I gather a little more, let’s go to Lutetia together. I’ll definitely take you to the capital church.”

“…”

“I… I want to be with you too. But I’d be happier if you became a priestess. So for my sake…”

“Leo!”

Lena suddenly hugged him tightly. Her watery eyes, about to spill over with tears, came up close. Was she touched by just a few coins? She sniffled.

“Thank you. Really. I didn’t know you thought this way…”

Her expression wavered as she tried to hold back her emotions and returned the money she had received to Leo’s chest.

“You can keep the money. You don’t have to give it back. I was foolish. The priest said it didn’t matter when I went, as long as I did go. I think I forgot that. I’ll do my best.”

Lena’s pouting lips trembled with emotion, and Leo felt his heart swelling.

Her hand didn’t even brush his chest.

Lena… Whether she gave up on being a priestess or not, it didn’t matter how I answered her.

If I said I hoped she wouldn’t go, she’d mischievously ask, “Why~?” signaling the start of something between us, and if I said I hoped she would go, she’d affirm it with “I’ll do my best,” boosting her resolve.

She was ready to be comforted, prepared to embrace whatever direction Leo’s words led her in without hesitation.

Leo trembled at her unfiltered fondness. All his lingering feelings faded away.

This was enough. Truly, this was all I needed. Lena is my good friend…

Leo gently patted her small back.

After a moment, Lena regained her composure and brightened up, finishing the remaining meat. “Leo. Oh~ try this.” She offered him a piece of meat and chattered away.

The warmth of the night heated by the campfire felt cozy.

*

Lena stayed a day at the cabin and returned to the village. Leo saw her off and then returned to the cabin, heading toward the village a month later.

To say goodbye.

Priestess Ophelia, as always, arrived at Demost Village in the carriage driven by Sir Corin. Receiving recommendations from Priest Leslie and the village priest, she asked Lena if she wouldn’t consider going to the capital church, and Lena happily accepted.

The next day, as Lena boarded the carriage, she exclaimed, “Leo! I’ll do my best! I’ll definitely become a priestess and come back!”

This time, she didn’t hug him tightly while shedding tears as she did before.

We are friends.

Because we are childhood friends who have been together for so long.

As the carriage set off, the villagers who came out to see her off sang a blessing song in time with Priest Leslie’s direction. Dozens of voices chorused to illuminate Lena’s path.

“Here are the holy children of the Lord!”

Filled with joy, Priest Leslie jumped up and down, raising his voice. Lena thought without a doubt that she was surely a child who received the love of God.

“Grant us trials.”

Lena’s parents, with tears glistening in their eyes, sang along. They tried to give all their money, but their beautiful daughter ultimately didn’t take it. Since she had received some coins from Leo, she didn’t take her poor parents’ money.

“Endure steadfastly and become your pride,”

Meanwhile, Leo couldn’t tear his eyes away from the departing carriage.

Now Lena will be happy. She’ll become a priestess and live happily…

“We will testify to our lives.”

The carriage dissipated into the distance.

The villagers’ sung blessing song climbed towards its finale, resounding even louder toward the far-off vanishing carriage.

“So, God! Watch over us. Bless your children as they grow!”

Thus, Lena departed.

In a corner of the village, Hans kicked a stone, thwack.

*

Leo made his way back to the cabin.

Now, he had finished everything he needed to do here. Lena had left, and he was finally alone, able to do whatever he wanted.

As he walked along the forest path, he recalled the status of the other Leos.

First of all, the engagement scenario hadn’t even started yet. The engagement that would kick off around the turn of the year would rush toward the disaster of a broken engagement.

The beggar siblings scenario, which began at the same time as this childhood friend scenario, would also replicate what Leo did last time.

Of course, their fate was also headed for disaster. He would meet Oriax.

‘Should I interfere with other scenarios? Or find my own path? Or…’

There were so many things to try.

First, he wanted to see what would happen when he met the other Leos.

It was clear they would replicate the actions I took, but what kind of ‘mental state’ would they be in?

Secondly, he also wanted to interfere with other scenarios to significantly change the endings.

Changing past scenarios might not alter the existing rewards, but he wanted to prevent their tragedies. While they had already occurred, they were also things that would happen in the future.

Also, separately, he wanted to visit the capital of the Orun Kingdom, Nevis.

Excluding the beggar siblings scenario, there was really no way to clear the other two scenarios without becoming a king.

So, it would be good to check if a rebellion was possible in this Orun Kingdom.

This place, the Orun Kingdom, was precisely where there was potential to rally the barbarians and political fractures due to the trashy princes.

As Leo pondered, ‘Isn’t it possible to do all these at once?’ — he brainstormed for the most effective route.

First, it seemed best to go meet the beggar siblings. By now, the siblings would have killed Gilbert Forte and reached the ‘Tamoon Village.’ They would hide there until the end of this winter with Kasia’s help.

‘But even if I meet them, there’s not much I can do… Besides, I can’t catch Prince Eric. Just because I jump in doesn’t mean the situation will get resolved.’

I could try to assassinate Prince Eric using a different method, but the risks were too high.

Moreover, the footprint of ‘Oriax’ was stamped on his palm. Even though a completely different scenario had begun…

That means Oriax showed hostility toward Minseo, not Leo. Otherwise, there was no reason for a completely different person, this Leo of Demost Village, to have that footprint.

Oriax must have pierced through him with his rotten, swirling gaze.

Feeling a chill, Leo concluded that heading toward the Conrad Kingdom was out of the question.

Somehow, I had to resolve this hostile mark. At least by the time the beggar siblings scenario started…

‘Then should I bring the siblings to the Orun Kingdom? Since they must have killed Gilbert Forte, it wouldn’t be possible to return to Orville… Wait a minute, but they only have a certificate to cross into the Conrad Kingdom, right?’

This was getting complicated.

In trying to change the future while considering the uncertain circumstances they were in, he found himself getting more and more tangled.

Above all, Kasia.

What would happen to Kasia if I changed the siblings’ future?

The curse quest had already been resolved…

As Leo arrived at the cabin, he felt a throbbing headache. His father was preparing dinner in front of the cabin.

Leo approached quietly, and his father glanced at him, grilling a few more pieces of meat.

Sitting in front of the campfire, Leo pondered.

‘I need to find out about Barbatos, but I wonder if it’s okay to ask about this.’

Without memories of the past, Leo couldn’t help but be cautious. If I had been the young man serving Barbatos, asking about him would be the strange thing.

What to do… As he was mulling it over, his father abruptly spoke up.

“What do you think of Lord Barbatos?”

……Ah!

That sparked a vivid memory for Leo.

When he first sent Lena off to the capital church, his father asked him the same question while drinking snake wine.

And I had answered that I couldn’t come to like him… because of that tattoo.

At that time, Leo had resolutely decided to send Lena away. However, he wavered and tried to go after her, asking Priestess Ophelia to take him along.

But that was thwarted by Sir Corin, who was guarding her.

He pointed to the Barbatos tattoo on Leo’s arm and said that raising someone who believed in the ‘wrong god’ as a holy knight was against the doctrine.

So, back then, he couldn’t come to like Barbatos. He couldn’t follow Lena due to this tattoo.

After that, I had run an errand for my father, gone to the big town to sell jerky, killed Hans, and fled.

Leo paused for a moment in silence and said,

“As a hunter, he is a god one must serve.”

He spoke differently this time.

Based on the information from {the history of Ashin}, he gave a non-suspicious answer and observed his father’s reaction.

He said nothing.

He silently finished eating and stood up, beckoning Leo to follow him back into the cabin.

As Leo followed, his father hurriedly prepared something and spoke in his usual stuttering tone.

“I’ll be leaving now. It might be a bit early, but you have grown up enough. So…”

Various animal bones lay scattered on the floor. He generously took out candles to light the way and placed a hand mirror that he cherished on the table.

An awkwardly arranged altar.

This was an altar that would announce Barbatos’s new believer.