Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 11

11. Childhood Friends - Sword

"It's been a while, mister."

Hans chatted casually with the caravan leader before getting to the point.

"These are my friends, and they want to go to Nevis. Do you have a route?"

"We don't go directly to Nevis, but we can get you partway there. Would an introduction to another caravan that goes to Nevis suffice?"

Leo nodded at the caravan leader's suggestion.

The caravan leader rubbed his thumb with his middle finger as if calculating something before speaking.

"It'll cost five silver coins for two people to ride in the carriage. It takes about two weeks to get there. We'll have to clear out a lot of goods to make space for you. And for food..."

After some negotiation, it was agreed that both Lena and Leo would ride the carriage, but only Lena would have space to sleep in the carriage at night.

Leo's argument was that wasting two days finding another caravan was a loss, and the caravan leader, though hesitant, agreed with Hans' support.

After paying and arranging the departure time and place, they had a free day ahead.

Lena and Leo bid farewell to the village youths who had helped them sell their goods and thanked Hans for his assistance.

Lena looked at Hans again. She used to think he was a good-for-nothing, but now he seemed to be networking and doing something in the big village. He might even play a role in connecting Demos village with the larger village one day.

She expressed her apologies for her previous misunderstanding and thanked Hans, who awkwardly laughed it off.

After the village youths left, Lena and Leo leisurely toured the market, snacking and exploring. Everything was new and exciting for Lena, who had never seen a marketplace before.

She buzzed around excitedly, and the two returned to their lodgings only when the sun was setting.

The next morning, Leo woke up early and hurried out without even washing. He had forgotten something while playing with Lena the previous day.

After asking the villagers for directions, he found the only blacksmith's shop, where a bald blacksmith was lighting the forge.

"Can I see a sword?"

"A sword? Do you have anything affordable among the two-handed swords?"

The blacksmith waved dismissively at his question.

"You must be mistaken. We don't make such weapons unless requested by the lord."

"Huh?"

"What 'huh'? We don't make them unless we know they'll sell. Why would we waste expensive iron on them? If you need a sword, you'll have to find one in the city."

Leo, who had imagined the blacksmith's shop would be full of swords, was taken aback.

In this world, swords were equivalent to guns in modern society and weren't made or sold casually.

Moreover, swords weren't weapons anyone could wield. Two-handed swords, in particular, were very unfriendly to beginners, making clubs a much better option for self-defense.

Still, Leo couldn't give up and asked, "Do you have any other weapons?"

"We only have hunting knives and kitchen knives. Oh! There's a throwing spear, I think?"

"...Got it."

Disappointed, Leo turned to leave. The blacksmith added a few words of advice.

"And swords are export-restricted. You can't buy one without a permit. You could buy one secretly in the city, but it won't be cheap."

"I see... Thank you for the information."

Leo trudged back to the inn.

He had learned swordsmanship in the last scenario and inherited {Swordsmanship} as a reward, but finding a sword was proving difficult.

"In a game, you'd normally start with a basic weapon, right?"

Muttering to himself, he absentmindedly opened the door.

Inside, Lena was washing herself with a towel. Leo jumped in surprise and Lena screamed.

"Eek! Leo! Close the door!"

"Oh! S-sorry."

Leo hurriedly closed the door and fled.

After a short, anxious wait, Lena came down, looking embarrassed.

Leo apologized profusely.

"I'm really sorry. It wasn't intentional. I should have knocked..."

"...It's fine. I didn't lock the door either. I'm not used to locking it..."

They both blushed as they ate breakfast and walked to the meeting place, keeping a distance from each other.

When they arrived, more than fifty people were gathered. The merchants were busy loading goods, and about twenty mercenaries were leisurely checking their equipment.

The caravan leader approached and assigned Lena and Leo a carriage.

"You'll be using this carriage. It's cleared enough for one person to lie down. It should be enough for both of you to sit."

The carriage was packed with goods, but the front had enough space. It was a sturdy wagon with a thick leather roof, suitable for sleeping.

"It'll be cramped for two to lie down. Then again, if you snuggle up, maybe not! Haha!"

The caravan leader made a lewd joke and left. Lena blushed again, and Leo awkwardly cleared his throat.

Soon, more than ten carriages set off. Each had a driver and one or two mercenaries. Some mercenaries rode horses, guarding the front and rear.

Lena and Leo sat at the back of their carriage, awkwardly silent, facing away from each other.

The ride was more uncomfortable than expected.

The wagon jolted frequently, and with the sides and roof enclosed, there was nothing to see.

So, they could only look back, but the problem was the following carriage.

It had a driver and two mercenaries who, having nothing better to do, were staring straight ahead, making it awkward.

They had a week of this ahead.

Eventually, unable to bear the awkwardness and boredom, Leo called out to Lena. She pretended to be indifferent but responded.

"Hey, Lena. Want to play a word chain game?"

"...What's that?"

"It's a word game. Here's how you play..."

The two broke the silence by playing a word chain game. At first, they casually tossed out words, but soon they were laughing and enjoying the game.

The carriage stopped more often than they had expected.

Especially when they came across streams or other water sources, the caravan always stopped to let the tired horses rest.

The drivers would fetch water to give to the horses and cool them down by splashing water on them.

Each time, Lena and Leo would also get off the carriage to stretch their aching bodies.

Feeling completely relaxed, Lena grinned.

"Hehe~ Leo, you're not as smart as I thought."

"TChapter You're just too good at this."

It had been foolish of him to suggest the word chain game to Lena, who knew this world well. His vocabulary was far too limited compared to hers.

"Let's do something else."

"Like what? The word chain game is fun."

"How about..."

Most games played by the youths here were outdoor activities. They rarely had games that involved sitting still and facing each other.

Leo thought about introducing games from the modern world.

Despite focusing on recalling the games he had honed during his college years, Lena quickly caught on and he lost most of the time.

The journey dragged on monotonously. Leo squeezed out various games, but the week was still too long to spend just sitting.

At night, the caravan would stop and set up camp. The merchants and mercenaries pitched tents, and the drivers made sleeping arrangements in the driver's seats. Leo initially planned to sleep under the carriage but ended up sleeping inside due to Lena's insistence.

The space was so cramped that they had to sleep back-to-back.

Leo could feel Lena's warmth through his back. He could also tell that she wasn't asleep yet. Lena, sensing that Leo was awake, spoke up.

"Leo."

"Yeah?"

"We'll have to work for a year once we get there, right?"

"...Probably."

Lena had been planning to save money in the capital to travel to the Holy Kingdom. In reality, it would take several years, not just one, to save enough for the journey to Lutetia.

She was essentially being led to Nevis by Leo.

Leo feared that his guilt would be felt through their touching backs.

Lena asked with a sigh in her voice.

"What kind of work will we have to do there?"

"How about working at a bakery? Hans' aunt praised you a lot."

"I can only knead dough. What good is that?"

"Still, they say you get paid well in the capital."

"...I guess so."

Somehow, Lena seemed to sense her future. And Leo knew that the priest heading to the capital church was probably visiting their village by now.

His heart ached unbearably.

'Lena, I'm sorry. But I promise to make you a princess.'

Whatever that meant.

Lena and Leo exchanged a few more worries before falling asleep.

The driver in the front snored loudly.

The caravan stayed for two days in a small village to trade before setting off again. After a long period of monotony, Leo could finally stretch his back.

"Finally! We made it!"

"Nope. We're only halfway there. Silly Leo."

The caravan had arrived in a fairly large city.

Leo heard the name of the city but forgot it quickly since they planned to join another caravan heading to the capital soon.

The caravan leader kindly introduced them to another caravan leader who was going to Nevis, and the terms and costs were the same as before.

This time, Lena paid.

She poured out the coins her parents and the priest had saved for her from her purse. The caravan leader, feeling pity for the two, gave them a further discount.

This new caravan was set to leave the next day, so they found an inn to stay in.

Leo left the tired Lena at the inn, reminding her to lock the door tightly, and went to find another blacksmith.

"A sword? Do you have a permit? No? Then no can do."

Despite there being several blacksmiths in the city, none were willing to sell a sword easily. As he began to resign himself, one blacksmith reacted differently.

"A sword without a permit?"

"Yes. Isn't there any way?"

"Hmm... Are you a gangster by any chance?"

"Huh? No, of course not."

"Then what's that tattoo on your arm? Isn't it your gang's mark?"

The blacksmith pointed to Leo's arm, which had a tattoo of several trumpets crossing each other.

"My father gave me this tattoo. He has the same one."

"What does your father do?"

"He's a hunter."

"Really? So, you're not a gangster here or anywhere else?"

"No, I'm not."

"Alright. Follow me."

Following the young blacksmith inside, Leo saw various equipment and a hot forge. The floor was littered with metal and wood scraps of all sizes.

On the wall hung several shields and a few swords. The blacksmith gestured towards them.

"Choose one."

"Do you only have one-handed swords?"

"Wow, you really aren't a gangster, huh?"

"How many times do I have to say it?"

"It's hard to believe. You're just at the age to start gangster activities... Wait a moment."

The blacksmith finally pulled out three two-handed swords from a drawer. Leo held each one in turn and returned them.

"Don't you have any more?"

"Why?"

"They're all unbalanced."

"Haha. That's why I'm selling them. Honestly, I only know how to make shields. These swords were just for fun. I could make one-handed swords okay, but two-handed ones... So, will you buy one? I'll give you a discount since I'd melt them down if they don't sell."

An unbalanced sword would tire the wielder quickly and disrupt their aim, but it was better than nothing.

Leo chose the shortest one.

If it was going to be unbalanced, shorter was better.

But the price the blacksmith quoted was higher than expected. Leo tried to haggle but the blacksmith stood firm, saying he had already given the maximum discount.

Leo had no other option.

"Don't go telling people you bought it here. It doesn't even have my stamp. If anyone asks, I don't know you."

"...This isn't even counted as a sword, so don't worry about it."

Leo retorted sarcastically, feeling slightly irritated. It was his small revenge, but the blacksmith didn't bat an eye.

"Well, there's a matching scabbard. But I guess you don't need it."

"...I'm sorry."

Considering the scabbard, it wasn't that expensive for an illegal purchase.

Leo regretted his hasty words and apologized.

The real Leo wouldn't have said anything.