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2. Childhood Friend – Decision

It had been a month since Minseo entered this world. He had clumsily adapted to it, even going hunting with his father.

“…and I humbly offer the heart and head of the prey to Lord Barbatos. Please accept this offering for the sake of our family…”

Leo’s father knelt on the ground, reverently praising God with a solemn voice. This was the only moment the extremely taciturn man spoke.

Perhaps because he was usually so quiet, his voice was unexpectedly thin for his rugged appearance.

Leo also knelt down, joining in his father’s prayers. Having a father who was a complete stranger—a quiet middle-aged man—was a bit of a burden, but keeping in line with the atmosphere wasn’t too difficult.

Since Leo was originally quiet as well, they could just stay silent together.

After finishing the prayer, his father began to gut the prey, while Leo tied the hind leg of the prey and hung it upside down from a tree.

This was to bleed it out.

When they first went hunting, Leo’s father had silently displayed a demonstration when he noticed his son’s sudden clumsiness.

Following his father’s example, Leo thankfully found that his body still remembered the motions and was soon able to mimic them.

Moreover, this Leo had good dexterity. Minseo, who had a reputation for breaking everything, was surprised to see the various tasks handled skillfully, like tying knots.

Leo’s father, observing this, seemed to let go of his doubts, thinking that his son had simply forgotten how to hunt after not following along for some time.

As time passed, Minseo was gradually becoming the perfect Leo. He had completely left the modern world behind and recognized all the faces of the village people. Though there were remnants of his unknown past here and there, it was not difficult to get by.

Leo had forgotten about Minseo, who used to idle away the days playing games and smoking in a little room.

Now, he had a strong and youthful body that could easily climb rugged mountains, and in the friendly village, there was Lena, who always welcomed him.

He had come to ‘like’ Lena again. It was not strange that she genuinely welcomed and liked him.

Because I have liked Lena ‘for a long time’.

Leo thought of her in the village, while his father splattered the blood of the prey onto the perfectly cooked innards.

The blood sizzled and flew, and only the fishy smell wandered aimlessly.

*

In a small house with no proper furniture, Lena’s family welcomed a delightful morning.

“Are you going to church today?”

“…Yes.”

Lena’s mother smiled as she ladled a generous amount of soup for her daughter.

Today was the weekend. Lena eagerly awaited the weekend, where she could study at her leisure.

“Hang in there. Thank you for going to church regularly in place of your mom and dad. Study hard, too.”

“……Yes.”

Lena hurriedly finished her meal and dashed outside. She squinted against the bright morning sunlight.

Today, she was planning to skip church for the first time. Instead, she packed a large pocket and knocked on the neighbor’s door, wary that her parents might see her.

“Leo~”

“Uh! Just a second! I’m almost done eating!”

Lena lingered in front of Leo’s house for a moment until Leo came out with a big smile.

Through the open door, Leo’s father was seen clearing the table. Lena had never had a conversation with Leo’s father, a taciturn man who didn’t participate in village events.

He did not go to church, so he often kept to himself among the villagers.

As Leo closed the door, he asked, “Lena! What’s up? Did you stop by before going to church?”

He seemed happy that Lena had come so early in the morning, his tone brightening. Lena’s previously uneasy feelings evaporated, and she asked cheerfully.

“What are you doing today?”

“Today, I think I’ll spend my time fixing equipment. Dad said he’s going back to the mountain tomorrow, so I’m going to follow him.”

“Hey~ then how about going to pick mountain mushrooms with me?”

“Mountain mushrooms?”

Leo’s expression brightened like never before.

What the heck are mountain mushrooms? But anywhere with Lena would be fine.

“Sure! Let’s go pick mountain mushrooms. I can fix the equipment in the evening. Just wait a moment.”

Leo dashed into the house and came back with three pouches tied around his waist. One must be for snacks, and one for water. He even slung a bow over his shoulder, probably as an emergency.

Lena looked him up and down, smiling.

Leo looked cool. He had a strong body and good dexterity, easily crafting small tools. Lena had been amazed watching him make arrows out of twigs and leaves.

“I’m all set. Let’s go!” Leo urged her.

The two youths arrived at the foot of the mountain and began searching for mountain mushrooms. Busy as their hands and feet were, their chatter never stopped.

Feeling much more relaxed lately, Lena felt a bit shy watching Leo come back to his cheery self.

‘Living like this with Leo might not be so bad.’

To become a priest, she would have to study for several years at the monastery church, but even becoming a priest didn’t guarantee she could return to her hometown.

According to what she heard from the priest, they would try to accommodate priest requests as much as possible, but there were some aspects that were beyond their control.

The priest currently in their village was not originally from their town. In fact, no one from their village had ever become a priest. The priest, Leslie, had left their village to become a priest but had not succeeded.

‘It’d be nice to return as a priest, though…’

Lena discreetly stole a glance at Leo, who was plucking the mountain mushrooms. It saddened her to give up on her dream of becoming a clergy, but she also didn’t want to part with him.

Lena steeled her resolve.

I like Leo. He must feel the same way.

Right?

After a while, busy collecting mushrooms, Lena and Leo laid down for a short break.

“Leo. Say ‘ah~’”

“Ah~~~”

While Leo was busy scraping the roots of the freshly picked mountain mushrooms, Lena fed him bits of jerky.

“Munch munch… ”

“Munch munch…”

A brief silence fell as they munched on the jerky. Leo, while trimming the mountain mushrooms, was conscious of Lena, and even though Lena turned her head away, she could clearly see Leo.

Suppressing her embarrassment, she opened her mouth.

“I think I might quit studying to become a priest.”

“…!!”

“I can’t go all the way to the monastery church, and it costs money for education… They say they’ll feed and shelter you, but you still need some living expenses.”

Lena stretched her legs and shifted to sit more comfortably, stretching her arms as she yawned.

Making it seem like it didn’t matter at all.

“I don’t want to leave both my mom and dad behind… I kind of want to live like this, wandering the forest together…”

At her subtle confession, Leo pretended to be focused on the mountain mushrooms, unsure of what to do. Then Lena leaned toward him, asking softly, “Do you want me to become a priest? Or not?”

“I, I…”

Leo’s head went blank.

He attempted to swallow his dry saliva but couldn’t get it down.

Stammering, he bowed his head and murmured, “…I wish you were here when we came back from hunting in the mountains.”

Trying to act indifferent, Leo continued to trim the mountain mushrooms, but they had been upsetting him since earlier. The roots wouldn’t scrape off easily, and it felt like Lena was watching him.

His neck was burning as if it were on fire, and his heart pounded in his chest.

“Why~?”

Lena asked playfully, smiling widely. She felt a sudden urge to lean in and kiss his cheek.

“Why… what do you mean? Why do you keep asking that?”

Leo responded gruffly, but his neck and earlobes were turning red. Lena felt the happiest she had ever been.

Leo’s warm hand looked closer than usual.

*

The next day, still a weekend.

Leo went hunting with his father. Lena didn’t want to go to church, but today her parents said they would be stopping by. She couldn’t bring herself to tell them she was quitting her studies to become a priest, so she reluctantly headed to church.

“Lena, you’re here! What happened yesterday? You didn’t come to church.”

Priest Leslie walked over with a big stride.

Seeing him in his plain robes, marked with gentle creases, Lena had expected it, but she found herself at a loss for words.

Lena stammered out an excuse.

“I’ve been feeling like I haven’t seen my friends much lately, so I went to visit them.”

It wasn’t a lie, since she had spent the entire day with Leo yesterday. However, the weight of having concealed the truth from the priest weighed heavily on her.

Priest Leslie, unaware of her inner turmoil, smiled brightly.

“I see! Now, come on in. What book were you reading last time?”

He seemed to have some free time today and led the way while pulling out the book himself.

Lena felt like she might start hiccuping. He held a special place for her and had high expectations.

When she had asked Priest Leslie whether it would be practically difficult for her to go to the monastery church, he had reassured her not to worry.

Lena vividly recalled the stories and advice he had shared during that conversation.

+ + +

The priest’s room was desolate yet tidy.

A few sets of priest robes were neatly stacked on the shelf, and there was not a speck of dust anywhere in the room.

If one were to find the most untidy item, it would have been the small statue of Saint Azra placed in the room. It was a piece that Priest Leslie held every day while praying, and it bore fingerprints from use.

Priest Leslie seated Lena beside him with a caring voice.

“Lena, it doesn’t matter if you’re late or early in becoming a priest.”

The difference between a priest and a monk was simply the presence or absence of divine power.

Having deep faith and praying regularly didn’t grant one divine power. To acquire divine power, it had to be partially bestowed upon them by someone who already possessed it, a process referred to as baptism in the church.

The educational facility at the monastery church gathered apprentices for baptism and taught various subjects, including theology. Over several years, only the most outstanding students would remain, and a ceremony to evaluate their qualities would determine the divide between priests and monks.

“Whether late or early, it only matters that you apply. A person as faithful and diligent as you is bound to receive the final ceremony.”

The newly baptized priests would use the small amount of divine power they received as a seed to gradually nurture it.

This seed would grow as they prayed with a pious heart or devoted themselves to what they believed was right.

On the flip side, the priest who bestowed the divine power would lose as much as they gave. The loss was so considerable that they couldn’t just impart divine power to anyone.

When a baptism occurred, more than half of the power usually evaporated, so the church would verify the qualifications through the ceremony to minimize losses. If the efficiency was deemed less than half, they would judge that the target wouldn’t be able to quickly grow their divine power in the future and would exclude them.

There’s controversy surrounding this, but in reality, there weren’t many feasible alternatives.

Ultimately, apprentices who were deemed good in the ceremony received divine power and became priests, while those who did not could only become monks.

“I didn’t become a priest because my results in the ceremony weren’t good, but I don’t regret it.”

Priest Leslie gently held Lena’s hand.

“Whether you become a priest or a monk is uncertain, but I believe it’s also not an important question. Even if it doesn’t happen.”

Priest Leslie smiled warmly. That smile and words shook Lena.

“We have already dedicated our hearts to God, haven’t we?”

+ + +

Having been comforted by the priest, Lena couldn’t bring herself to say she was quitting.

Feeling hesitant, she followed the priest inside.

As always, she sat at the altar table and opened a book. The priest pointed out the difficult parts and explained them beside her.

The divine aura present at the altar gently enveloped both of them.

*

The monotonous and peaceful daily life continued until autumn.

Lena continued her work during the weekdays as usual, and on weekends she would occasionally visit the church. Ever since sharing her heartfelt thoughts with Leo, she had more time to spend with him, and they had even started holding hands again.

Today, Lena and Leo returned to the village with gathered food items, as they did every other day. However,

“Lena! You’re finally back!”

At the village entrance, the priest and the monk were waiting for her. Two unfamiliar outsiders were with them.

Priest Leslie rushed over, grabbing Lena’s hands and exclaimed, “Lena! It’s done! This is surely God watching over you!”

“W-What happened?”

“Here, the priest says she will take you to the monastery church! Oh, how joyous this is!”

He pointed to the two strangers. At the end of the group was a stout elderly man and a rare female priest.

Lena gasped, catching her breath.

The middle-aged female priest smiled gently at Lena.

“There have been many praises of you from the village priest and the monk. We’re heading to the monastery church. Would you like to come with us, if it’s alright?”

Lena couldn’t tell whether this was a dream or reality.

I can go to the monastery church!

As the thing she had dreamed of every day since she was little suddenly approached her, she couldn’t gather her thoughts.

“This isn’t a dream, right? Le…”

Catching sight of Leo standing there dumbfounded snapped her back to reality. The thrill of leaving so suddenly caused her earlier excitement to shrink.

As she looked at Leo, a moment of silence fell.

Leo pressed his lips together tightly.

Lena was leaving.

It felt like a bucket of cold water was poured over her, bringing back memories she had forgotten until now. She never thought Lena would actually leave the village…

‘This event happened to Lena.’

With her stuck in such a rural area, it was impossible to become a princess. Somehow, she needed to head to the capital where the prince was, and the monastery church was in the capital of the Jerome Holy Kingdom.

This event would create a situation for Lena to go to the capital and study. However, if she entered the priest educational institution, wouldn’t she end up becoming a priest instead of a princess? That question also arose.

Leo became anxious, longing desperately to continue living with her.

He had given up on making Lena a princess long ago. He didn’t want to walk that thorny path, nor did he want to return to the harsh life of Minseo after finishing this game.

Yet the girl he loved wanted to become a priest. This opportunity would not come again.

As Leo hesitated, unable to say anything as he dithered, eventually Lena stepped forward.

“I don’t want to go.”

Lena tightly grasped Leo’s hand.