103. Childhood Friend - Sacrificial Offering
“Lena! What’s going on? How did you get here?”
Leo, who had been skinning the ga he caught today by the fire in front of the mountain lodge, stood up abruptly.
Though it was early evening, darkness fell quickly in the mountains, and the damp scent of leaves began to fill the air.
Lena wiped the sweat streaming down her face and spoke in a disgruntled tone. However, her eyes, sharp as they were, were filled with goodwill.
“Hey! How could you not co back to the village for over a month?”
“I told you before, I wanted to learn hunting quickly...”
“Even so. Ugh, I'm exhausted.”
Lena plopped down on the wooden steps of the lodge.
“Why did you co here? It's dangerous. How did you get here?”
“You said it wasn’t dangerous. I followed the faint trail you ntioned. Ugh, I'm so tired. Leo, give so water. I didn’t know it would be this far.”
Leo handed her a water pouch and sat beside her.
It felt good.
Seeing Lena made him happy, and a smile spread across his face for no reason.
“What’s up? But are you allowed to co here like this? What about your chores... Oh...”
Then he realized it was the weekend.
Lena only went out to gather food on weekdays, and on weekends she studied at the churChapter She would sotis skip church to gather mushrooms and make her confession.
It was a ti when her dream of becoming a priestess was being crushed by the reality of poverty.
“It's the weekend today. I ca to see you. I have sothing to tell you...”
So, Lena had co all the way here to confess her worries about giving up on her dream. She had set out on the road, trusting his words that the way to the lodge wasn’t dangerous, just to ask if he would stay by her side if she gave up on her dream.
“Where’s your dad? I should greet him since I ca all this way.”
“He’s inside. Should we go say hi?”
Leo and Lena entered the lodge together. His father, hearing Lena’s voice, ca out of the room.
“Hello. I’m here. Can I stay for just one night?”
“......”
Leo’s father, extrely taciturn, nodded silently and went back into the room. Lena, feeling awkward, said, “Thank you,” but the door just closed.
“Let’s go. He’s okay with it. You haven’t eaten, right?”
Lena followed Leo back outside.
Leo’s father had always been like this. He showed the sa attitude towards the villagers, and Lena knew this well.
Leo’s father had cut off all contact with the villagers after Leo’s mother passed away two years ago. He didn’t participate in village events or attend church.
For good reason, as Leo’s mother...
“Here, eat.”
“Wow! It looks delicious! But can I really eat the at like this?”
Leo handed her a skewer cooked over the fire, but Lena, hesitant to take a bite, worried that it might be too precious to eat.
With this, they could make porridge and eat for several days...
“Haha, Lena. My dad and I are hunters. This is a mountain lodge. Don’t worry, just eat. Unless we dry it into jerky, we can’t sell it anyway.”
Leo felt the primal joy of giving at to a female he liked.
Lena ate the at happily, chewing and savoring it. As several skewers lay scattered on the ground, she began to open up.
“I’m thinking of quitting my priestess studies.”
“......”
“I can’t even get to the cathedral, and I’d need money for education... Even if they feed, clothe, and house , I’d still need so money for living expenses.”
Lena poked the fire with a stick, speaking in a nonchalant tone.
Acting as if it wasn’t a difficult decision, she pretended that giving up her dream wasn’t hard.
Leo, forgetting the at burning in his hand, looked at Lena sympathetically.
She didn’t know that next month she would go to Lutetia due to the {Priestess} event. How anxious she must have been.
“I don’t want to leave my parents behind... and I want to co get at from you sotis...”
Lena’s face turned red, and she looked away. Realizing how blunt her words had been, she couldn’t et Leo’s eyes.
Leo, unsure of what to do, fidgeted with a stick. Her confession made his ears burn.
Lena.
How wonderful it would be to live happily in the village with her, forgetting about clearing the ga and everything else...
Silence followed.
After a long hesitation, Lena shyly asked with her head down.
“Do you want to go to the cathedral and beco a priestess or not?”
It was a question he had heard twice before.
And each ti, unable to suppress his feelings, he had given ambiguous answers that neither confird nor denied.
‘...Get a grip.’
Lena had her dream, and he had his duties.
Leo steeled himself and spoke firmly, though his lips trembled.
“I... I don’t want you to give up on your dream.”
When Lena’s eyes widened, Leo took out so of the {Initial Funds} from his pocket and continued.
“Take this. It's the money I’ve saved. It’s not much yet, but with a little more, we can go to Lutetia together. I’ll make sure to take you to the cathedral.”
“...”
“I want to be with you too. But I’d be happier if you beca a priestess. So for my sake...”
“Leo!”
Lena hugged him tightly. Her teary eyes were right in front of him, and she sniffled, moved by just a few silver coins.
“Thank you. Really. I didn’t know you felt this way...”
Her face quivered as if it was about to collapse, and she returned the money to Leo’s chest.
“I’m fine without the money. I was foolish. The monk said it doesn’t matter if I’m late, as long as I go. I must have forgotten. I’ll work hard.”
Lena’s plump lips quivered with gratitude, and Leo’s chest tightened.
Not because her hand touched his chest.
Lena... it didn’t matter what he said about her quitting priesthood.
If he had said he didn’t want her to go, she would have mischievously asked, “Why?” igniting the spark of their relationship. If he had said he wanted her to go, she would have said, “I’ll work hard,” bolstering her determination.
She was ready to be comforted. No matter the direction, she was prepared to accept Leo’s words wholeheartedly.
Leo trembled at her unreserved affection. His lingering attachnt vanished.
This was enough. Truly, this was enough. Lena was a good friend...
Leo patted his friend’s small back.
A short while later, regaining her composure, Lena brightened up and finished eating the remaining at. “Leo, say ah~” she said, feeding him a piece of at and chatting away.
The night ward by the bonfire was cozy.
*
Lena stayed at the mountain lodge for a day before returning to the village. Leo saw her off and then returned to the lodge, heading to the village a month later.
To see her off again.
Ophelia, the priestess, arrived in Demos Village, as usual, riding a carriage driven by Sir Corrin. She, along with Monk Leslie and the village priest’s recomndation, asked Lena if she would like to go to the cathedral, and Lena happily accepted.
The next day, as Lena got into the carriage, she shouted, “Leo! I’ll do my best! I’ll co back as a priest!”
In the past, she had hugged him tightly, shedding many tears, but this ti she didn’t.
We are friends.
Childhood friends who have been together for a long ti.
Soon, as the carriage departed, the villagers who had co to see her off sang a blessing song under Monk Leslie’s guidance. Dozens of people sang in harmony, lighting Lena’s path.
“Here are the sons and daughters of the Holy Lord!”
Overjoyed, Monk Leslie jumped up and down, shouting loudly. Lena thought to herself that she was surely a child loved by God.
“Grant us trials.”
Lena’s parents, with teary eyes, also sang. They wanted to give her all their money, but their beautiful daughter refused to take it. She had money reluctantly given by Leo, so she didn’t take her poor parents’ money.
“May we endure and beco your pride,”
anwhile, Leo couldn’t take his eyes off the receding carriage.
Now, Lena will be happy. She will beco a priest and live happily...
“May our lives be proven.”
The carriage beca a dot in the distance and disappeared.
The blessing song sung by the villagers reached its end, resounding higher. They sang loudly so it could be heard by the distant carriage.
“So, God! Watch over us. See your sons and daughters grow!”
And so, Lena left.
Hans, standing in a corner of the village, kicked a stone away.
*
Leo headed back to the lodge.
He had done everything he needed to here. Lena had left, and now, being alone, he could do anything.
Walking through the forest path, he thought about the state of the other Leos.
First, the engagent scenario hadn’t even started yet. The engagent, which would begin around the end of this year, was heading towards a breakup.
The beggar sibling scenario, which started at the sa ti as this childhood friend scenario, would follow the actions Leo took last ti.
Of course, that too was destined for disaster. He would et Oriax.
‘Should I interfere with another scenario? Or should I find my own path? Or maybe...’
There were many things he could try.
First, he wanted to check what would happen when he t the other Leos.
It was certain that they would follow the actions ‘I’ had taken, but he was curious about their ‘ntal state.’
Secondly, he wanted to interfere with another scenario and drastically change the ending.
Although changing the past scenarios wouldn’t seem to alter the rewards he had received, he wanted to prevent their tragedies. Even though it was sothing that had already happened, it was also sothing that would happen in the future.
Apart from these, he also wanted to visit the capital of the Orun Kingdom, Nevis.
Other than the beggar sibling scenario, the only way to clear the other two scenarios was to beco king.
So, it would be good to check if a rebellion was possible in this Orun Kingdom.
There was a possibility of uniting the barbarians, and the political turmoil due to the trash princes made it a plausible place for a rebellion.
Leo thought about the optimal course of action while considering whether he could do all these things simultaneously.
First, it seed best to go to the beggar siblings. By now, they would have killed Gilbert Forte and reached ‘Tarmon Village.’ They would hide there until the end of this winter with Cassia’s help.
‘But there’s not much I can do even if I et them... Anyway, Prince Eric can’t be caught. The problem won’t be solved just by adding one more person.’
He could try to assassinate Prince Eric de Yeriel in a different way than before, but the risk was too high.
Moreover, he had ‘Oriax’s footprint’ on his palm. Despite the start of a completely different scenario...
That ant Oriax was showing hostility towards Minseo, not Leo. Otherwise, there was no reason for the footprint to be on the Leo of this Demos Village, who was essentially a completely different person.
Oriax must have stared at with eyes overflowing with rotten blood.
Feeling a chill, Leo concluded that going to the Conrad Kingdom was impossible.
He had to resolve this hostile mark sohow. At least before the next beggar sibling scenario...
‘Should I take the siblings to the Orun Kingdom? They must have already killed Gilbert Forte, so going back to Orville is impossible... Wait, but they only have proof to cross into the Conrad Kingdom, don’t they?’
His head was complicated.
In a situation where anything could happen, trying to change the future while considering their circumstances had many complications.
Most importantly, Cassia.
What would happen to Cassia if he changed the siblings’ future?
The shackle quest had already been resolved...
Feeling a headache, Leo arrived at the lodge. His father was preparing dinner in front of the lodge.
Leo approached silently, and his father glanced at him and grilled a few more pieces of at.
Sitting down in front of the bonfire, Leo pondered.
‘I need to find out about Barbatos, but I don’t know if I can ask about this.’
Without mories of the past, Leo had to be cautious. If he had been a young man serving Barbatos, asking about him would be strange.
What should I do... As he was contemplating, his father suddenly spoke.
“What do you think about Barbatos?”
...Ah!
A scene overlapped vividly in Leo’s mind.
When he first sent Lena to the cathedral, his father had asked the exact sa question while drinking snake wine.
And I had answered that I couldn’t like him because of that damned tattoo.
Even then, Leo had decided to let Lena go. But his heart wavered, and he tried to follow her, asking Priestess Ophelia to take him to the cathedral.
However, this was thwarted by Sir Corrin, who guarded her.
He pointed to the Barbatos tattoo on Leo’s arm, saying that raising soone who believes in the ‘wrong god’ as a crusader was against their doctrine.
So, I couldn’t like Barbatos. Because I couldn’t follow Lena because of this tattoo.
After that, I took my father’s errand to sell jerky in a big village, killed Hans, and ran away.
Leo, after a brief silence, answered differently this ti.
“A hunter should naturally serve him.”
Based on the {History of Asin} information, he gave an answer that wouldn’t raise suspicion and watched his father’s reaction.
He said nothing.
Silently finishing his al, he abruptly stood up and gestured for Leo to follow him, heading into the lodge.
When Leo followed, his father busily prepared sothing and spoke in his usual curt manner.
“I am leaving now. It’s a bit early, but you’ve grown enough. So...”
Bones of various animals were scattered on the floor. He took out candles without hesitation, lit them, and placed his treasured wife’s hand mirror on the table.
A makeshift altar.
It was a sacrificial table announcing a new follower of Barbatos.
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