Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 101

101. Beggar Siblings - Tattoo

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[ You have died. 3/4 ]

[ Achievement: Third Death - The speed at which the player synchronizes with Leo slows down. ]

‘This is ridiculous.’

As Leo died and disappeared, Minseo came to the forefront. In the darkness, he lost focus, now a round sphere.

Leo, now a pool of blood, had vanished far away.

They had nearly succeeded. They had come to a situation where victory was almost certain. However,

‘This is truly absurd.’

Minseo's mind was in a daze.

‘How on earth... how are we supposed to clear this?’

After finally reaching level 30 and entering the boss fight, it was like facing a level 3000 boss.

It was overwhelming. No, it was beyond overwhelming to the point of suffocation.

This harsh game seemed to mock him, extinguishing even the faintest glimmer of hope. Leo, following the {Bloodline} event, had died a tragic death, and Lena...

‘Oh no! Lena! Please!’

Minseo nervously read the ending floating in the air.

[ Thank you for playing Raising Lena. ]

[ Lena Yeriel ]

[ Final Job: Duke of Yeriel ]

[ Marriage Partner: Engaged to Vivian de Isadora ]

[ Leo de Yeriel ]

[ Final Job: Unemployed ]

[ Marriage Partner: Single ]

[ Beggar Siblings Ending: Fallen Royalty ]

- Born in Lutetia Palace, Lena... (omitted) ...Lena waited in her room for three days. Unable to bear the hunger, she went outside and was caught by a thug, but was saved by Alvin, who found her. Later, with the help of Alvin and some knights, Lena tried to reclaim her position as princess. However, due to the opposition from the nobles, fearing retaliation from the returned princess and Cardinal Verke who defeated Prince Eric corrupted by the evil god, she could not inherit the throne. The king passed away, and the Kingdom of Conrad was renamed the Holy Kingdom of Grania by Cardinal Verke. Lena inherited part of the Yeriel family’s wealth and became Count of Yeriel. She declared territorial war against the weakened Duke of Tertan and merged the duchy, becoming the Duke of Yeriel. She got engaged to the first prince of Aisel Kingdom, Vivian de Isadora, strategically to reclaim the throne, but was assassinated by assassins sent by Aisel Kingdom’s Grand Magician, ‘Angelica Lydia Kyrgyz’ while en route to Aisel Kingdom. -

- Born in Lutetia Palace, Leo had a miserable childhood. Dragged by people’s hands, he was hidden in a vast field with Lena, and when he woke up, the field was filled with corpses. Later, Leo... (omitted) ...Leo led the knights and attacked Lutetia Palace, pushing back Prince Eric de Yeriel, but died from the curse of Oriax, the evil god Eric served. -

Lena's photograph surfaced.

Though it wasn’t a royal palace, Lena stood proudly against the backdrop of a vast mansion. Clad in a luxurious yet not cumbersome uniform, her hair was cut short, surrounded by numerous vassals kneeling and awaiting her command.

Lena exuded an overwhelming aura of beauty and heavy dignity.

She looked directly at the camera, her golden eyes gleaming with malice, her tightly pressed lips filled with anger.

Minseo’s heart ached.

Despite her overwhelming presence as a ruler, to him, she still looked like a delicate sister struggling to cope. He knew very well that she would drop her authority and dignity and cry, "Brother!", running towards him if she saw him.

And that struggling sister had been assassinated.

Knowing Lena's future from the photograph made it even more heartbreaking, but still, he felt somewhat relieved. Minseo was relieved that the worst tragedy he had imagined had been averted.

It was thanks to ‘Alvin’, the third knight who was a friend of Sir Bart and refused to pledge loyalty.

Bart, unable to kill his friend, had sent another knight instead, who pitied Alvin and spared him. Though it seemed like a risky decision, he couldn’t push Bart too hard.

In hindsight, it was a good choice. There was no betrayal as feared, and Alvin prevented Lena’s tragedy. If he hadn’t been there, Lena, caught by the thug...

The floating sphere trembled.

Minseo collected himself and reread Lena's ending repeatedly. The darkened vision brightened slightly.

This ending was quite long. He knew, but Lena had talent. If given time and opportunity, she could bloom in any way.

Even when she had run to the brothel...

Remembering Lena’s mocking, innocent yet provocatively naked body in the old photo made him feel nauseous.

As long as he didn’t lose his sight...

Recalling the photo of his sister anxiously searching for her brother at the wedding, furrowing her brows, Minseo stopped thinking.

She is a child I must protect no matter what. My sister, so precious that even stabbing my eyes wouldn’t hurt. A sister I adored excessively, probably due to blood ties, and always felt sorry for, likely due to past mistakes.

Moreover, in the Beggar Siblings scenario, there was neither time nor energy to teach Lena.

When Caderyk de Yeriel, the king of the Conrad Kingdom, died, Prince Eric would ascend the throne. Then, the knights gathered with much difficulty would turn their backs on Leo.

In other words, the Beggar Siblings scenario had a restriction: they had to reclaim the bloodline within a year and a half of the start.

While reading Lena’s ending, Minseo’s thoughts shifted to another direction.

Trying hard to forget the rotten Leo and the cold Lena, he thought of something else.

‘Cardinal Verke. This man had something.’

The cardinal defeated Prince Eric. Then, he changed the kingdom’s name to the Holy Kingdom of Grania.

‘Did this man know that Prince Eric was corrupted by the evil god? Did he hold onto the king’s life for over ten years and then incite a fight when Leo appeared? To take over the kingdom himself?’

Questions piled up.

‘Holy Kingdom of Grania? Grania? Sounds familiar?’

Minseo squeezed his brain for information.

The countless stories overheard while gathering knights to see if there was anything useful confused him, but a fleeting memory came to mind.

- “The Grania orphanage will reduce the number of children they take in from next year. Due to financial difficulties...”

It was information brought by a thug when he opened the information shop.

‘Wait. Didn’t the cardinal say something similar?’

Why did the cardinal go to such lengths to prolong the king's life with his divine power? Cornered by his own [Theory of Universal Priesthood], the cardinal answered:

- "That was a long time ago. Very well, I'll be honest. It was for the treatment fees. With that money, I could help many people. But that will also end next year."

The Grania Orphanage. It was a place that took in, raised, and educated children without parents.

Something smelled fishy.

What if the Grania Orphanage was established by Cardinal Verke? What if he was plotting something with the treatment fees he received from the royal family?

‘Count Gustav Peter was indeed the key. It’s almost certain they’re father and son...’

Minseo's mind raced with hope but soon hit a wall.

The two didn't seem to get along. From the cardinal's attitude, it didn't seem like he would help Leo, and Count Peter reported Leo to Marquis Tatian as soon as he recognized him.

What was he supposed to do?

It wasn't the first time, but it was frustrating to death.

The game didn't tell him what to do, how to do it, or why. He had to deduce everything through inference, and the moment he failed, he fell into the abyss.

There was no mercy or forgiveness in the difficulty. Minseo sighed, recalling the child god (아신).

It was a terrifying existence.

Just like one wouldn't think of fighting the sun in the sky, the existence called Oriax was an object of reverence, not a target for struggle.

‘This world has divine power and gods, but this is too much...’

Lamenting, Minseo barely managed to hold onto his sanity.

If he gave up, it would really be the end. This game truly intended to kill him.

[ 12/21 ]

Cassia. Thanks to her, he felt slightly relieved.

Clearing Cassia's Quest of the Shackle increased the number of trial attempts by one. He also realized a bit ago that his death count had increased.

[ You have died. 3/4 ]

He avoided being driven off a cliff for the time being. But the increased limit implied something significant. It indirectly answered the question, "What will happen if the count fills up or exceeds?"

If he failed to keep that constraint, he would... die. This merciless game would never let him live.

‘No. I can't die like this. I haven't even started...’

He wanted to go back.

If he could go back, he would live his life earnestly. He would be filial to his parents, call them daily, apologize for his wrongdoings to Chaeha, and be a reliable support.

He would end the days of hiding in a goshiwon playing games and live his life. So please...

He earnestly prayed, but the surroundings were silent in darkness.

Seeing the ending text slowly scroll up, Minseo grew desperate. He didn't even have time to lament.

As if urging him to shut up and prepare for the next, Minseo hurriedly racked his brains. He recalled the moment Leo cornered Prince Eric.

‘The difficulty is absurd, but... it's not without flaws.’

Unlike Leo, who was shocked and trembling after encountering Oriax, Minseo, standing a step back, could analyze objectively.

Eric de Yeriel didn’t summon the child god at first. He tried to flee first and only revealed his power when cornered.

There must have been a significant constraint. There must be a reason why the mighty Oriax only blinked its eyes from behind a narrow gap.

‘Moreover, the summoned cow-headed monsters weren't that strong. Only about ten appeared initially. Prince Eric healed and summoned additional monsters, but...’

Prince Eric couldn't cast the spells to repel the knights consecutively. When Leo charged again, he was about to be struck by the sword. The sudden appearance of the shield was the problem.

If interpreted through the game Minseo knew well, Prince Eric played the role of a summoner who summoned and healed monsters.

He summoned and healed monsters using the power gained by offering corpses.

It's common in games for roles with such powers to repel nearby enemies or cast protective shields.

‘If he could use such powers freely, he would have ascended the throne long ago. Why would he be content as a prince for over ten years? He must have been conserving his power... wait!’

A sudden realization struck Minseo.

The secret passage of Lutetia Palace. The 'dup' laid at the entrance of the passage. The corpses offered by the prince. The prince conserving power...

The offered corpses rotted and disappeared quickly, but if countless people had died in that passage? If that was how Prince Eric stored power?

It felt like pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. Minseo's thoughts accelerated.

‘Moreover, the prince was eventually caught by Cardinal Verke. It might have been possible because the cardinal had something hidden, but maybe what Prince Eric showed was all he had. If that's the case...!’

His happy delusion lasted briefly before Minseo fell back into gloom.

No matter how, he was too strong.

The monsters could be dealt with by the knights, but... those eyes! There was no way to deal with those eyes and the shield surrounding Prince Eric.

[ Debuff: Oriax' Footprint - Taunt, cannot escape. November 29, 16 years, 22:40:22. ]

Only Leo was free from that 'taunt'. For some reason, he was unaffected by the taunt. The knights were under a wide-area debuff, attacking only the monsters.

So Prince Eric had to be dealt with by Leo... but the shield was the problem.

How to break it...

He had to be cautious with his attempts as there weren't many opportunities. Recklessly charging in and failing would be disastrous.

Considering sneaking up on Prince Eric and killing him, but he had the power to repel anyone who approached with a word. He could summon Oriax instantly, leading to the same ending if a mistake was made.

Ultimately, Minseo's thoughts returned to the same point.

He needed to find out what power Cardinal Verke was hiding and how to get his help.

That seemed the normal route.

Then, a message popped up.

The endings of Lena and Leo were gone, and the usual message pushed him to the next round.

[ You did not clear Raising Lena’s. ]

[ Leo, you encountered the child god (아신). As an achievement, you are given the information of {Child God’s History}. ]

[ Restarting. ]

A scene falling from the sky.

It's been a long time.

‘Is this the fifth time watching this scene?’

[ Achievement: '13th' Leo - The speed at which the player synchronizes with Leo slightly increases. ]

He grumbled that he was fed up, but in front of Leo’s eyes, there stood a person he could never tire of seeing.

Lena, peacefully picking berries.

Though she swiftly moved her hands, she chatted merrily, "Brother Leslie said..."

Glad to see her.

Seeing a friend he hadn’t met in years brought tears to his eyes as he looked up at the sky.

‘I'm back...’

Leo in Demos Village felt something hang from his waist (it must be the leather pouch for the berries) and took a deep breath.

Last time, he traveled with this friend to meet the prince of the Holy Kingdom and died at Bart’s hands.

This time, he won’t...

Raising his hand to push back his bangs, Leo froze. His whole body broke out in goosebumps.

A cow's hoof print was stamped on his right palm. It was like a brand marking a criminal. And the information of {Child God’s History} poured into his head, revealing what he had previously overlooked.

A tattoo that sometimes made people suspect him of being a gangster.

The tattoo of several crossed trumpets on Leo’s left arm now looked different.

Barbatos.

It was the symbol of the child god Leo's hunter father served.