Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 56

56. Childhood Friend – Habit

Leo stammered, bewildered by Lena's perplexed gaze.

“W-What do you mean?”

Lena didn’t answer right away.

Leo felt strange. Ever since he returned one day, looking contemplative, he hadn’t been the same Leo.

It was hard to pinpoint, but his small actions had changed.

Especially the habit of his ears twitching when he was flustered, which he often relied on, had disappeared.

Even now, he was clearly flustered...

‘Did he notice that I know? But can a person’s habits just disappear like that?’

‘Lena is suspicious of me.’

He was momentarily flustered by Lena's question but tried to stay calm. In situations like this, it was better not to speak first.

When a girlfriend is suspicious or when trying to hide something, the more one talks, the deeper one sinks.

Since Leo didn’t react as if nothing was wrong, Lena eventually covered her mouth and cheek with one hand and said,

“You seem different somehow. It’s the first time I’ve heard you hum.”

Was that true?

Leo couldn’t remember.

It was impossible to remember every little habit like that.

“I heard it yesterday while working with the older brothers. While we were working in the field, Dino was humming…”

“That brother is always humming. You’ve never hummed along before…”

“I just tried it once. Humming while working looked fun.”

“Hm- Aside from that, your ears… Never mind.”

Lena clicked her tongue and closed her mouth.

Before asking, she had a suspicion, but once she voiced it, it seemed trivial. It was also the first time she saw him biting his nails, but was that really a big deal?

The more she asked, the more foolish she felt.

“Hurry up and take this. My arm is going to fall off.”

She gave him a puzzled look for a moment, then took the trap Leo handed her.

Lena carefully approached the stream with the trap filled with pebbles, and Leo sighed in relief as he watched her back.

‘That was close.’

Minseo had been living as Leo in this game for nearly eight years.

Depending on the scenario, he lived anywhere from two days to over two years (coincidentally, both were in the beggar siblings’ scenario), but generally, the more the scenarios repeated, the longer he lived.

As a result, ‘this Leo,’ who had accumulated countless memories, had no choice but to change.

Come to think of it, even during the engagement scenario, Lena had said, “You seem to have changed.” At the time, he thought he had made a mistake because he was too used to repeating the scenarios, but that wasn’t the case.

‘If I don’t come up with a plan, this could be bad.’

But this wasn’t something that could be solved just by being cautious.

As he pondered, he started weaving the trap again.

Sitting on a rock.

If he were the real Leo, he would have squatted on the ground.

The next evening, his father returned.

“Welcome back.”

As usual, his father nodded silently in response to his son's greeting. Leo, who knew him well, accepted the silence comfortably.

Leo put the jerky his father had brought from the cabin into the cupboard and prepared dinner.

The table was already half-set. It looked as if he had planned to eat alone, but his father arrived just in time.

As the clattering of utensils signaled the end of the meal, Leo spoke.

“Father, I heard something from Lena…”

What he brought up was about a huge fox in the north. He mentioned that the fox was large and agile, making it very difficult to hunt.

Leo needed to avoid the {War} event in the next engagement scenario.

That side was hopeless.

To avoid the war, he had to catch a huge beast called ‘Noguhwa,’ but with only {Swordsmanship.2v} and {Passing Skill}, it was impossible.

So he asked, hoping his hunter father might know a way.

But he didn’t expect muChapter Although his father's hunting skills were impressive, there were hardly any Noguhwa beasts in the south. Strangely, the number of beasts increased as one went north.

So it was unlikely that his father, who had lived in the south all his life, knew how to hunt such beasts.

As the silence dragged on, Leo thought he had asked something unnecessary and felt embarrassed, but then his father spoke.

“Foxes jump high.”

Oh! As expected, his father knew something. How did he guess the Noguhwa’s actions so accurately without seeing it?

He eagerly awaited his father’s next words.

Leo’s father felt he had said enough. But seeing his son’s eager eyes, he rubbed his stubbly cheek and continued.

“Foxes jump to avoid being detected by their prey.”

“A fox approaches its prey quietly, then leaps high and bites down as it lands, using its snout.”

Although his speech was halting, Leo listened as if hearing the most interesting story in the world, and his father couldn’t resist his son's gaze, revealing more information bit by bit.

“If the prey notices, the fox approaches quickly, biting with its snout or playing with its front paws.”

“A fox that big would see humans as either prey or toys.”

After a few more sentences, he felt he had said everything he could and cleared the table, moving away. It seemed he wouldn’t provide any more hints.

‘It would be nice if he explained how to catch it...’

But asking too many questions would arouse suspicion. He was already shaken by Lena’s words yesterday, making him even more cautious.

Leo, licking his lips in disappointment, organized the information in his head and said, “Goodnight,” before heading to his room.

Leo’s father sat by the window, letting the night breeze cool him. He held a hand mirror.

He carefully wiped the perfectly clean mirror before falling asleep.

The following events were almost identical to those of his previous journey.

Leo, who went hunting with his father, showed {Initial Funds} and told Lena he planned to leave the village with her.

The reason and the lie were the same as before.

Impressed by his son's improved hunting skills, his father believed the lie without question and handed him a pouch of silver coins as extra funds.

Leo’s proposal to Lena to leave the village was also the same. This time, however, he suggested going to Lutetia instead of Nevis, the capital of the Conrad Kingdom.

Lena, just as before, expressed explosive joy and hugged Leo.

As he patted the trembling Lena’s back, Leo made a resolution.

‘It’s not just to make you a priestess... This time, I’ll make you happy for sure. I have a way to meet the prince now.’

Making his childhood friend, Lena, a princess was a result that would satisfy both Minseo, who aimed to clear the game, and Leo, who wanted Lena to be happy.

Of course, this time Lena would still need to do work that wouldn’t earn much money. While she saved up for her education at the Cross Church in Lutetia, Leo planned to use his {Tracking Skill} to approach the prince.

After devising another cunning plan, Leo meticulously calculated the money he would show Lena. Just enough to run out by the time they reached Lutetia...

But a small problem arose.

He had forgotten something.

‘How will we cross the border?’

Commoners were not allowed to move freely between regions. To leave the area legally, one had to report to the lord.

Leo had never received such a permit.

Once, he had forced his way through the border, and another time he had used a token from Katrina to pass the gate.

He couldn’t start a chase at the border with Lena, so this time he had to obtain a permit, but he didn’t know how.

‘I’ll ask the priest and stop by the lord’s castle to report it on the way.’

Although he didn’t know yet, there must be some system in place for people leaving for Lutetia to become priests.

Having completed his plan, Leo packed for the journey. He securely stored the money, packed a few clothes...

‘It’s a pity not having a weapon.’

This damned game didn’t provide weapons.

He considered making a wooden sword while Lena persuaded her parents but gave up.

No matter how little Leo cared about appearances, walking around with a wooden sword was embarrassing.

Moreover, he didn’t want to do anything that might make Lena suspicious.

‘Well... with my {Swordsmanship.2v}, I can handle thugs or bandits without a weapon. It’ll be fine.’

Even with just a stick, he could take on five or six of them.

He’d get a few knife wounds but would win.

Remembering when Lena was kidnapped in Nevis, he felt a surge of anger but soon consoled himself, thinking he had grown a lot.

A few days later, the two left Demoss Village.

The small farewell party in the village the night before, the money given to Lena by Brother Leslie and her parents, and the priest’s blessing were all the same as before. This time, however, he held a certificate written by the priest, stating that they were leaving for Lutetia to become priests.

And, just as before, Hans discreetly followed them, driving the cart.

“I’ll find the lodging! Let’s see... that’s the inn, right?”

“No, that’s just a bar.”

“Huh? Aren’t inns attached to bars? I read somewhere that mercenaries drink in the inn’s lobby or something?”

“Some inns have a restaurant that sells drinks, but that’s just a bar. The restaurant below an inn is quieter. Come this way.”

He led Lena to an inn with a plump innkeeper and secured a twin room, then said,

“Lena, I’m going out for a bit.”

“Where to?”

“I forgot something in the cart. I’ll be quick.”

“Geez! Silly.”

“Lock the door well.”

“I will, even without you telling me!”

She wouldn’t lock it without being told. Leo chuckled at her bravado and stepped outside.

He knew Hans was following them. He hadn’t noticed it before but expected him to check their lodging in advance.

Hans was trying to disappear into the darkness after confirming the inn.

Just as he was about to call out, “Hey! Hans! Come here!” Leo hesitated.

‘What do I gain from beating him up?’

It would feel good, no doubt. He was the one who sold them out and caused Lena to be kidnapped.

But...

‘I’ve already killed him once.’

Back then, enraged by Hans’s comment about imagining Lena while with a prostitute, he had killed him.

Leo had to ponder philosophically for a moment.

It was because of Cassia and Katrina.

They had both borne grudges against Leo at some point.

In Katrina’s case, after avenging himself by killing her once, she helped him greatly in the last scenario, clearing their animosity.

When Lena Ainar died at her hands, he might have been sad, but his anger subsided quickly since he didn’t witness it.

In contrast, his feelings toward Cassia were very complicated.

Receiving help, harboring a grudge, then receiving help again.

And these events happened not because of one person repeatedly, but across multiple scenarios where they met anew each time.

Leo still couldn’t sort out his feelings toward Cassia. He didn’t know how to deal with her.

Realizing his thoughts were getting too complicated, Leo shook his head. He saw Hans trying to disappear into the distance.

What should he do with him...

This was giving him a headache. Let’s think simply. That guy had done nothing to help, caused Lena to be kidnapped, and now he was following them to their lodging. That alone was enough to deserve a beating.

He didn’t plan to kill him due to the ‘civilian kill count’ and future events. He was also shocked by seeing Hans’s mother bedridden after losing her son.

Leo hurriedly caught up with Hans.

“Hey! Hans! Come here.”

“W-Well, Leo, what a refreshing night... Ack!”

Leo thought he was being quite lenient as he punched Hans with all his pent-up frustration.

Not satisfied with just hitting his jaw and cheek, he grabbed Hans by the hair and shook him.

He threatened him, saying not to follow them again or he wouldn’t be let off.

Hans limped away, cursing under his breath, and Leo chased after him to deliver another round of punishment.

Just as Hans said, that night, the sky was clear and refreshing.