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28. Childhood Friend – Prelude

The long winter has come to an end.

Leo arrived at the city where he had last visited with Lena, carrying a heavy load.

It was the place where he had bought a lousy two-handed sword.

His backpack was packed with various weapons.

Axes, swords, bows… it felt so heavy it might break his back. He had left the shield and leather armor behind at the hideout because he couldn’t bear to carry them.

He had raided three hideouts throughout the winter. Should it be called robbing bandits?

‘All that trouble just to move stupid horns and hides.’

At first, he didn’t have much baggage and was greedy, but eventually, he had to settle for only the most expensive items.

Leo passed through the city gate, feeling tense.

It wasn’t that he was worried about being chased as a killer. A few months had passed, and the city guards surely wouldn’t remember his face, plus this place was quite far from Torito village.

What Leo was worried about was his load.

If they had ordered him to unpack all those weapons, it would have been a disaster, but luckily, this small town had less strict regulations than the capital city, allowing him to pass through safely.

He flagged down his tired legs and headed to the blacksmith where he had bought his weapons last time.

The blacksmith was not one to shy away from illegal dealings.

“Are you planning to sell all this? Where’s your permit? None?”

The young blacksmith eyed Leo suspiciously.

“You didn’t steal these from your family and run away, did you?”

“If they were family weapons, there would be a family seal on them.”

“There’s no law saying you must have one…”

He seemed to ponder for a moment.

“What are you selling it for?”

“Will you buy them?”

“Depends on the price.”

“Two hundred silver coins.”

“Have you lost your mind? Get lost. Even if I sold everything properly, I might barely get three hundred silver coins for it. There’s no way I’m giving you that much. You’d have to sell your conscience along with it for that price.”

The blacksmith abruptly cut him off as if he wasn’t worth listening to, and Leo ended up confessing that he wanted to buy a horse.

“A horse? You can’t buy a horse without a permit.”

“So, I was thinking, could you buy the horse on my behalf?”

“Having no conscience and no shame, huh? Why would I?”

“I’ll give you all this in return if you buy me a horse.”

Leo was making a sales pitch.

“And if you could throw in a two-handed sword and a few silver coins…”

“Never thought I’d see the day I hear such nonsense.”

He complained while tapping his thighs and pacing around.

“Doesn’t have to be a good horse, right?”

“…It can’t be completely useless. I need to ride it.”

“Follow me.”

The blacksmith locked up his shop and led Leo to the stable.

There, he chatted with a rough-looking guy.

The horse he showed Leo was surprisingly young, but of course, it was limping.

The stable owner made excuses.

“This one was born with one leg a bit shorter, but it runs just fine. But who would buy it if it limps?”

Leo looked at the blacksmith with a dissatisfied expression, but he just shrugged.

‘This guy only offers junk.’

Though dissatisfied, he had no option.

“Can I give it a try?”

“Sure. It’s fine, I tell you.”

He climbed onto the horse.

Though it was Leo’s first time riding, Minseo had a few experiences riding in college. It had been a fun elective subject.

[ Achievement: First Riding – Leo’s cavalry skill slightly increases. ]

As the achievement popped up, the anxious horse calmed down.

Leo walked a little around the stable. It swayed with a clanking sound with each step due to one short front leg, but it was rideable enough. He weren’t sure how it would hold up at a gallop.

Dismounting, he said, “Alright. I’ll take it.”

“Great choice. You don’t have a permit, right? Then this horse is indeed too good for you. Haha. Lucky you. I thought it would just be a workhorse.”

The stable owner seemed pleased as he patted the horse’s mane.

They decided that Leo would take the horse the next day, and he returned to the blacksmith. He figured that accepting the horse early would just lead to extra lodging costs.

He received the lousy two-handed sword he had chosen before and a dozen silver coins. He even had to convince the blacksmith that the limp was a bit much.

‘I’m going to look ridiculous walking around like this.’

A sword that didn’t match the limping horse.

He recalled the prince of the Austin Kingdom riding a black horse he had seen before. Now that he was on a horse, the comparison felt even starker.

‘Tch. I should compare apples to apples. How dare I compare to a prince…’

Bitter, he secured his lodging and went to bed. The next day, Leo set off on his horse, leaving a city whose name he didn’t even know behind.

Limping along.

*

Warm spring and news of war arrived at the Monastery Church.

The communications of this world were the responsibility of the priests, so the Monastery Church was the first to hear about occurrences from across the continent.

The war between the Austin Kingdom and Belita Kingdom had been anticipated. After the prince of the Austin Kingdom returned from what must have been a shocking reception for commoners, both nations had quietly prepared for war.

However, regardless of that information, Saint Maryel was convinced that war would break out.

“I heard the Cross Church advised against involvement in the war. Is that true?”

The diplomat from the Belita Kingdom, who rushed in, furrowed his brow, but the saint did not deny it.

Seated in a little white seat made for ceremony, she effortlessly maintained a vague smile. The diplomat conformed to her with ample respect but vented.

“I have no intention of interfering in the politics of the Holy Kingdom, but isn’t this an overreach? The Holy Kingdom and our Belita Kingdom have always maintained a good relationship.”

“The Holy Kingdom has maintained a friendly stance towards the Austin Kingdom as well.”

The saint stated the facts.

“That barbaric nation… ahem. But why shouldn’t priests be involved? Is the Cross Church siding with the Austin Kingdom?”

“Not at all. Priests of the Austin Kingdom will not be participating in the war.”

“That’s unreasonable! Our Belita Kingdom has more churches and priests. It’s not even playing on equal terms.”

The saint frowned at the diplomat’s troublesome assertion, but his excited voice wouldn’t stop there.

“Our Belita Kingdom has made considerable donations to the church. And yet you withdraw like this? At the very least, let the priests attend to the knights.”

“No.”

The saint’s firm tone made the diplomat tilt his head back in frustration and ask.

“Why not? We are currently under invasion. They declared war unilaterally. Plus, when there was a civil war in the north in the past, you allowed priests to be mobilized. Why the restriction on this war?”

He did not mention the actions of his own country’s princess.

It didn’t warrant bringing up, and the saint’s response was entirely different.

“I only follow the will of the God.”

“Excuse me?”

The diplomat’s eyes widened.

“You mean to say… that God instructed against involvement in this war?”

“Yes. Not only the Cross Church but also the Holy Kingdom has been told to refrain from action.”

‘What utter nonsense!’

Though the diplomat concealed it, he cursed inwardly and scoffed.

“How peculiar that God should care about the petty quarrels of His creations.”

It wasn’t wise to say such things in an official setting, but he felt compelled to let that remark out or else he would explode inside.

A war where priests could not be mobilized? He had no grasp at all of how many precious resources would be lost.

Yet the saint did not rebut his sarcasm.

“I, too, do not understand. I merely comply.”

“…Understood.”

The diplomat’s fervor began to wane.

Everyone knew the saint couldn’t lie. That she expressed uncertainty so directly meant she truly didn’t know the reason.

“Then… how about selling military supplies?”

“I will ensure that no supplies cross any borders.”

He ground his teeth in frustration. He realized that the Holy Kingdom and the Cross Church would not be of any help in this war.

“I fully understand. If you ensure that supplies do not pass to the Austin Kingdom, I’ll be grateful.”

“Yes. The church will strive to prevent such an occurrence directly.”

In the end, the diplomat couldn’t contain his anger and stormed out.

In the end, he even seemed to forget to hide his angry footsteps, stomping away.

In the broad reception room, only the saint remained.

The diplomat left in a huff, but she was filled with questions.

‘The Lord has instructed us not to interfere and to remain neutral, and since there are no further words…’

The saint raised questions to other gods as well.

The Cross Church worshipped five gods, but in truth, the five gods were merely reflections of the same being.

The one true God, the highest deity, was only one true God, who prohibited any name for Himself, while the others were merely his avatars.

These avatars shared the same intents as the true God, yet unlike the often-concise proclamations of the true God, they sometimes expressed their words in length and kindness.

Especially Binard, the God of Evil Acts, tended to be quite verbose—let’s just say He had a knack for nagging.

When asked about not understanding the Lord’s command, Binard delineated specifically what must be done.

The Holy Kingdom should declare neutrality, and the Cross Church was not to mobilize any priests for involvement. Then he casually let slip a reason no one had explained.

[ The time has come for the evil of the transfer to be fulfilled, so do not be concerned and carry out your duties. The power of man is of value, but be mindful of time and place. The true Lord, with fondness for you, has set three rivers upon the continent, flowing forth in harmony… (omitted) ]

…Despite the lengthy message, the metaphor-laden response was of no assistance whatsoever.

*

Leo traveled for three months on horseback.

Having a horse was indeed incredibly convenient. It was much faster than a carriage, and there was no need to conform to the merchant group’s schedule.

He named the horse Audi, usually calling it Woody, and to his surprise, Woody ran quite well. Though it bounced quite a bit, he adjusted just fine.

As he traveled, Leo deliberately walked when crossing open plains and sped up when passing through dense areas or thick forests.

It was a method to conserve the horse’s stamina in safe areas and avoid potential bandits or thieves that might pop out in treacherous terrains.

There was no way those rogues could catch up to a running horse. While cavalry had ways to deal with foes, bandits or thieves were a whole different story.

Besides, drawing a two-handed sword and riding made them mistake him for a knight, causing them to avoid him easily.

To normal thieves, a knight brushing off a dozen would hardly be an exhausting exercise; hence there was no need for them to check if he truly was a knight.

Every night, Leo gathered shrubs to create a sleeping spot for Woody and covered him with a thick cloth. Beside him, he gazed at the starlit sky while falling asleep.

Thoughts of Lena filled his mind. It was a hard decision to send her away. Though he had to part with her, he still wanted to be with her.

As he crossed through beautiful scenery on this peaceful journey, that stubborn attachment gradually melted away.

Perhaps it was the stillness of the night? A faint image of Chaehwa pushing Lena away surfaced in his mind.

– Let’s take some time apart and focus on ourselves. This is for us. I’ll also figure some things out. Let’s both do our best.

Chaehwa had told him of a separation that wasn’t quite a separation.

To take time apart and prepare.

Minseo had collapsed, unable to face life. He spent a day hiding from reality, self-isolating and leaning on Chaehwa’s comfort.

Perhaps she realized the meaning of independence before long.

Instead of licking each other’s wounds in the mire of reality, she chose to stand back up on her own.

At that moment, when he received Chaehwa’s notice…

Woody stirred beside him.

As Leo covered Woody with the cloth again, he forgot about Chaehwa. Instead, he fell asleep thinking of Lena.

Leo continued his travels.

He passed through the capital Nevis, crossed the Orun Kingdom while avoiding the barbarian tribes, explored the western sea’s ports, then headed north.

His travels yielded little outcome.

The issue in this world was that it was tough to pinpoint what was an {Event}. Even the beggar hoping for charity seemed like it might lead to an event, and that making a request to a barbarian seemed event-like as well, making distinction challenging.

When he visited Nevis, he had contemplated revenge.

He had gotten the names of the ones who had kidnapped Lena before. They were the Dorph Family, who, much like the Korolla Family of Oberg, primarily engaged in slave trade and drug dealing.

Slavery and drugs made for a complementary duo. Drugs were the best way to silence defiant slaves, and slaves were needed to mix and test drugs, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.

‘Revenge… not yet.’

He wasn’t strong enough and couldn’t act in haste.

The family was a different league compared to mere bandits. Every member was an elite from the back alleys, not comparable to the rabble who ran away into the mountains.

Such individuals had a thoroughly mapped system.

Killing a few wouldn’t be impossible, but if assassinations began, the entire family would go on high alert, making any significant blow difficult to achieve.

At that point, there would be no choice but to face them directly.

To deal with them head-on, he would need skills at a knightly level. Abilities capable of wiping out dozens in one go; however, even a knight would struggle to take them on single-handedly.

Not to mention their backing.

Alternatively, he would have to invest a lot of time infiltrating to find an opportunity, but that wasn’t something to attempt within this scenario.

Thus, revenge against the two princes of Orun Kingdom, those garbage heaps, was even more distant.

It wasn’t promising enough to stake this life on, and even if he became a knight, the possibility remained bleak. Those were heirs to the throne.

Leo departed Nevis, promising himself revenge.

By the time he reached the border gate leading into the Holy Kingdom, summer was in full swing.