Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 84

84. Beggar Siblings – The Ruins of Vadobona Castle

Lena and Leo quickly hid inside the hut, while Cassia stepped outside and shouted.

"Excuse me. You shouldn't come any closer. My father is sick, and you might catch it if you come too close."

"I know. Come here for a moment. I have something to ask."

The man, who had come from the direction of the village of Taamoon, was wearing a fur coat despite it being late summer. His waist was adorned with ropes and leather pouches that swayed with his slouched posture.

Cassia cautiously followed the middle-aged man, keeping a safe distance, anxious that they might have been discovered.

The man stopped by the stream a little way from the hut and turned to speak.

"I saw everything."

"W-What do you mean?"

"I'm a hunter. I was passing by and saw a trap that wasn't there before. It's strange, isn't it? I'm the only one in our village who sets traps."

As the hunter from Taamoon village, he set up his hunting lodge across the mountain, past two more peaks. Since there wasn’t much game near the village, serious hunters had to go deeper into the mountains.

Leo was aware of this and believed there was no risk of the traps being discovered by hunters. It was unlikely that a passerby would stumble upon a few traps set in the mountains.

[Achievement: Civilian Murder - You have killed ‘4’ civilians. You become slightly unhappy.]

But luck was not on his side.

The hunter, crossing the mountain to his lodge, discovered the traps.

"I was curious who set it, so I watched, and then some guy came by. I followed him all the way to your hut."

"That, that was just our other sibling..."

"Don’t lie. Do you think I’m a fool? Tell me the truth. Are you criminals? Did you come here running from something?"

"No, really, our father is sick, and..."

"Is that so? Then I guess it’s okay if I tell the villagers. Maybe I should report to the authorities that some strangers are hiding in the mountains. There’s quite a stir in the kingdom these days..."

As the hunter trailed off meaningfully, Cassia’s heart sank.

They were caught.

He knew everything and had come to confront them.

"...What do you want?"

"Oh, showing your true colors now, huh? I don’t want much... just came to ask out of curiosity."

Cassia swallowed her saliva, remaining silent.

She could tell what he wanted just by looking at his eyes. She had seen those eyes countless times, and she knew what they meant better than anyone.

‘Leo must not be discovered. Absolutely not.’

Killing a noble. It was a capital crime from which he would not survive.

If caught, Leo would be executed.

Cassia pressed her lips together.

She had vowed never to do such things again... but she couldn’t let the man she loved die.

With a face full of grim determination, Cassia approached the hunter. Her hesitant hands skillfully undid the front of the hunter's coat, touching the trumpet-shaped tattoo on his chest.

"...You won’t tell anyone, will you?"

"Well, I’d prefer if you spoke more respectfully."

"...You won’t tell anyone, will you?"

"That depends on what you do."

Damn bastard.

The hunter’s rough palm brushed Cassia’s cheek, while the stream continued to flow indifferently.

Yes. Nothing happened.

Cassia returned to the hut with a heavy heart. When Leo asked what had happened, she told him a very kind villager had come to teach them about medicinal herbs for their father’s illness.

She hid her sadness with a smile.

That kind villager visited the stream every time he went to his lodge and returned to the village.

The place where Saint Azra, the first saint venerated by the Church of the Cross, was said to have vanquished the seventh and final evil.

In the ruins of Vadobona Castle, Lena moved gracefully.

She greeted elegantly in front of a massive stone that was once part of the castle and asked,

"Did I do it right?"

"Yes. Well done. You learn quickly."

Leo patted her head, impressed by Lena’s adept mimicry of the Arcaea Empire’s etiquette.

Cassia was cooking nearby.

"Now let’s learn the manners for addressing commoners. A princess would show etiquette like this..."

"Wow... this is simpler. But why do you keep making me act like a princess?"

"Because you are a princess."

"Oh, come on! Brother, you're such a fool."

Although she complained, Lena didn’t seem to dislike his words and mimicked Leo’s gestures.

Winter had ended.

After spending autumn and winter near Taamoon village, Leo hurried their journey again, now stopping briefly for a meal.

- Phiiiw. Phiiiw.

At that moment, two ‘Magere’ brayed, signaling their hunger.

Cassia quickly took down a bundle of hay from the cart and placed it in front of the Magere.

Leo had attached a cart to two Magere to use as a means of transport. These quadrupedal animals, similar to donkeys but half the size and slower than horses, were known for their endurance. Normally used for farm work, Leo used them as ‘horses.’

Horses were too expensive.

[Achievement: First Foreign Travel - Movement speed near the border increases slightly.]

Although the Magere were too slow to pull the cart efficiently, Leo intended to utilize the ‘First Foreign Travel’ achievement.

Although still in the southern part of the Kingdom of Bellita, the achievement has not yet activated, but things will change once they cross into the Kingdom of Conrad.

He was heading straight south.

If he continued in this direction, he could travel along the border between the Kingdom of Conrad and the Kingdom of Orun.

Then the achievement would be constantly activated.

Baron Bart was alive.

{Tracking Skill} indicated that he was in the south.

Though not entirely out of danger yet, Leo felt that his gamble had succeeded.

He had dealt with Gilbert Forte, and now all that remained was to find Baron Bart.

He had managed to secure both the ‘current’ and ‘next’ scenarios.

‘The pursuit seems lax. I thought I’d be chased at least once or twice...’

No matter how well one hid, a noble killer would eventually be caught.

The reason he had gotten away with assassinating Toton Tatian was solely because Marquis Benar Tatian was behind him.

This time, he had no such backing. Thus, he had expected to be discovered and chased within a month, and he built a simple hut that could be abandoned easily.

Of course, Leo was confident he could evade any pursuers.

As the scenario progressed, his once skinny body had gained muscle, and to catch someone with {Swordsmanship.3v: Bart Style}, knights would be required, who were not common.

Leo, with his formidable strength, could easily escape into the mountains, making pursuit difficult and breaking through any encirclement with ease.

Although Lena and Cassia might slow him down, he was confident they would still manage to escape.

However, Taamoon Village turned out to be a good village. They readily believed the words of outsiders.

Even though he hadn’t entered the village himself, it seemed as peaceful as the village of Demos from the childhood friend scenario. This allowed them to hide for half a year without Lena suffering from the chase.

Leo kept Taamoon Village in mind, considering returning if he were pursued again in the future.

"Now, let’s learn something else. First, place your right hand on your chest and let your left hand hang down with the palm facing up. Be careful not to turn it upside down, as that would mean begging for mercy."

Lena attentively watched Leo demonstrate the etiquette of addressing a knight as a princess.

"And while doing this, bend your left knee slightly and bow. Don’t bend your back; use only your waist. Tilt your shoulders slightly to the right. Ah? Lena, don’t step back with your right foot. That’s something only male nobles do. If a lady or a princess does it, it becomes too suggestive. Why is it suggestive? Uh... you don’t need to know. Just don’t do it. Got it? Good. Also, don’t forget to close your eyes briefly. Keeping your eyes open during the bow can change the meaning too much, so always close them once. Just once. Not twice. Also, keep your wrist straight and fingers together without bending them. I’ll explain finger positions later; they’re actually the hardest part..."

Her brother had changed.

Lena followed the movements her brother taught her, tapping her sore back.

"It’s fun, but my back hurts... Brother, where did you learn all this? You’ve never taught me this before."

"Uh, this? I’ve always known it, but now that you’re about to come of age next year, I thought it was time to teach you."

"Really?"

Lena made a nasal sound and accepted it.

Her brother always knew more than she did. From what not to eat to where to sleep and what places to avoid.

She just needed to trust him and follow him closely.

Despite his recent different behavior, meeting Cassia, and suddenly going on a journey, Lena didn’t doubt her brother.

She could tell by looking into his eyes. Their blood bond dispelled any doubts.

‘Brother is amazing as always!’

Her brother, who always got things done. She wanted to be helpful to him, though she doubted she ever would be.

Lena obediently followed her brother’s instructions again today.

"Food is ready. Come and eat."

Cassia called Leo and Lena.

Her cooking skills, though initially poor, had improved considerably over the past six months of cooking for the siblings. The savory smell made their stomachs rumble.

"Sister, thank you for the meal. It smells delicious today."

"Eat up, everyone."

Cassia had lost a lot of weight.

Living in the mountains had been tough on her, making her already thin frame even more gaunt. Leo had tried to ease his guilt by providing meat he had hunted, but she could barely eat.

However, she brightened up once they left the mountains. She seemed to be a woman who was meant to live in the city.

"Sister, I’m always grateful."

"There’s no need to keep thanking me. Just enjoying the meal is enough."

Cassia blushed at Leo’s sincere gratitude.

She was truly a kind person.

Leo had let go of the resentment he had towards Cassia. Her long-standing dedication allowed him to let go of the past.

Furthermore, as he got to know her better during their travels, he grew fond of her.

In truth, Leo hadn’t known much about her before.

In the first beggar siblings scenario, he met her briefly. She had left an impression of being a strange woman who helped the siblings when they collapsed in front of the pharmacy.

In the second beggar siblings scenario, he was too busy making money as a gangster to talk to Cassia much.

Back then, he thought she was a peculiar but good woman. He even considered that Leo might meet her at the end of the scenario.

The third time they met, he resented her. He approached her with the intention of using her for functional purposes at the beginning of the scenario and coldly pushed her away later.

And this fourth time... he felt an indescribable emotion.

He still thought she was a peculiar woman, but not in a negative way.

During their travels, Leo discovered that Cassia was fundamentally a somewhat melancholic person. She often ended conversations with excessively realistic or cruel remarks.

Leo, understanding why, found it regrettable. Thankfully, her personality was gradually improving.

Cassia also turned out to be surprisingly meticulous.

Gone were the days when she lost focus and stared blankly. However, due to his previous impressions, Leo had thought of her as a person who did things carelessly.

Given how she had explained their residence to the siblings in a half-hearted manner and hadn’t even tidied up the cash box, it was understandable.

But Cassia, once focused, could be endlessly meticulous.

Perhaps it was because she was the daughter of a shoemaker?

She was good with her hands, quickly learning to tie ropes after watching Leo. She was actually better at it than Leo, who struggled to make knots with his limited {Hunting} skills.

[Quest: Cassia’s Life - Help Cassia escape her burdens.]

‘How can I free Cassia from her burdens?’

Leo genuinely wanted to help her now.

Sincerely.

After finishing the meal, Leo stood up abruptly and gathered the cooking utensils, plates, and water containers.

"Sister, I’ll do the dishes. Please rest now."

"It’s alright. This is my job."

"I’m not hunting anymore. Please let me take care of the dishes. If you try to do everything, I’ll feel uncomfortable. You even put down the hay earlier..."

"That’s right. Sister! I want to help too."

"No, I’ll do it."

Cassia insisted, and Leo didn’t back down, so the three of them ended up doing the dishes together.

Lena took Cassia’s dishes, Cassia took Leo’s, and Leo took his sister’s, each washing the other’s dishes.

As cheerful chatter continued, the ruins of Vadobona Castle stretched long in the sunset.

Vadobona Castle was once a key point and southern administrative center of the Arcaea Empire.

The ancient theological records contained a fantastical story of Saint Azra defeating evil and destroying Vadobona Castle.

He supposedly said that the castle should never be rebuilt and that no one should live there.

Of course, Leo had no way of knowing that.