NOVEL NEXT Chapter 174
Chapter 174. Childhood Friend – Mirror
Lev couldn’t leave.
He planned to eat, say goodbye to Leah, and then head straight to Orville, but he just couldn’t bring himself to leave.
Confused, Lev ran to his room but was dragged out by his mother. Instead of hard jerky, he had a warm, cooked dinner.
Due to his mother’s insistence that “it’s good for your health because it has herbs in it,” Lev ate up the slightly bitter-tasting soup.
What kind of situation is this? He couldn’t understand it, but he finally figured it out by the time he finished dinner.
“Oh, I’m sorry for the late hour. This friend here insisted on one more drink… Sorry for the intrusion.”
Brother Leslie and his father returned, arms around each other. The two grabbed jerky from the kitchen and started drinking out front.
Lev could hear the two chatting quietly from his room window. The long story boiled down to this:
The Bizan tribe was annihilated.
After an attack by the Church of the Cross, only five boys who had hidden in the jars survived. They set out on a journey for revenge, but Dop Bizan, who met his mother in the village of Demos, broke his promise with his friends and stayed.
A heavily drunk Dop Bizan continued talking.
“I really hated the Church of the Cross back then. They were our enemies. But now, thanks to you, I know. The god I believed in was a false one.”
“Does Lev still serve that… god called Barbatos?”
“A bit? Truthfully, I’m not sure. He’s so silent, I don’t know who he takes after.”
“Who else would he take after? He takes after you. I still remember. The day you first came to the Church following your wife. I had just become a monk and returned home around the same time… haha. We were both so young.”
“Hmph. Don’t even mention those days. The village priest was so strict that he opposed our marriage because I believed in another god, and even tried to stop my wife from going to church. If it weren’t for you, I might have set a fire to it.”
“Hahaha. No matter how angry you were, would you have really set a fire… I had my fair share of fights with that priest too, looking back, maybe I was immature.”
“Immature? Well, we had reason to be…”
Lev quietly closed the window.
It was enough to know that his father’s life had changed after being freed from the shackles.
He couldn’t explain why his mother was alive, but he guessed there must be some unspeakable reason since he didn’t know why she had died in the first place.
“Is this mother someone who will help in clearing the game?”
─ Such thoughts didn’t cross his mind. He wasn’t cold-hearted enough to regard someone else’s mother in such a way.
After eating the food his mother prepared and feeling warm, he quickly fell asleep. He dreamt of his mother, but couldn’t remember it.
“Hey, he said he had something to say, so why isn’t he coming out?”
Leah waited for a long time.
Anticipating what Lev wanted to say, Lena lost sleep and couldn’t go to ‘early farm work’ the next day.
* * *
Mothers are peculiar beings.
Though Lev spent most of his time wandering outside with Leah, the presence or absence of his mother at home made a big difference.
Meals came out automatically when it was time, and Lev accepted them without gratitude. Overwhelmed by the love automatically given, he gasped, “Mom, I need to go to the bathroom…” and ran outside to linger.
When had he ever received such kindness… such love, before?
Minseo and Lev, who had been navigating through harsh games, were left reeling in confusion by the warmth.
Two days passed like that.
“I want to go on a journey,”
Lev confessed to his mother and father, who were seated. He desperately wished to stay and live with his parents, but he couldn’t delay any longer.
“I was thinking of traveling a bit… far.”
He didn’t say it to seek any support.
He just wanted them to know that their son might never return from this journey, but unexpectedly, his father readily agreed.
“Alright. A man shouldn’t live stuck in one place.”
“Dear.”
His mother looked displeased. She glared at her husband who started gathering money and then began to persuade her son.
“Do you really have to go?”
“…Yes.”
“Why? I’m so heartbroken. I hoped you would marry Leah and live here forever…”
“Leah will become a priest.”
His mother was silent for a moment. Realizing from his flat tone that her son had made up his mind, she sighed. She stopped trying to persuade him, wondering if his impending departure had something to do with Leah.
“Take this.”
Dop Bizan handed a bundle of money to Lev.
A pouch containing silver coins.
As much as he didn’t want to think about it, it was less money than he had received in previous rounds, for a reason that was easy to guess.
Perhaps thinking the money wasn’t enough, his mother stood up. She brought a ‘hand mirror’ and handed it to Lev.
“Sell this to cover your expenses.”
“No, dear, that’s…!”
“Why? Can’t I do even this for my son who’s leaving?”
This time, his father looked displeased. He was clearly thinking about what kind of mirror it was, which worried Lev that he might change his words and tell him not to go.
Fortunately, he did not change his words.
“Thank you…”
[ Achievement: Bound Item, 1/3 ]
[ Sword – Indestructible. ]
[ Mirror – Cannot connect. ]
The moment he received the hand mirror, an achievement popped up.
Interestingly, the count for bound items, which was 0/3, had increased, although he didn’t understand this, Lev was puzzled by the indication of ‘cannot connect’.
At that moment, his mother asked.
“When are you leaving?”
“…I plan to leave tomorrow.”
“I see. If you need anything, let me know…”
His mother seemed to have a lot she wanted to say. Thinking it might be something important, he listened attentively,
It was advice to be careful.
However, Lev did not feel that he had wasted time.
* * *
The next day, over the weekend, Lev left the village early in the morning.
Leah did not come out to see him off, as Lev had told her the night before that he was leaving on a journey.
“So that’s what you wanted to say…”
Leah tore at Lev’s heart with her sorrowful words, but soon she smiled brightly. She had not been to the field in the early morning
“Be careful and have a safe trip! By the time you return, I will be a priest!”
Cheering him up. Not coming out to see him off, she went to the church early in the morning to read a book.
“Then, I’ll be off.”
Lev greeted the young villagers who came out to see him off. “Hey- have a safe trip!” Ignoring Hans, who was pretending to be closer to him than he actually was, he crossed the secluded forest.
Lev walked quickly.
Chewing on the jerky his mother had packed for him, saving even the time to eat, he reached the ‘town’ when the sun was at its highest in the afternoon.
Now, how could he reach Orville before autumn comes?
Walking was absolutely out of the question.
At this rate, he would surely arrive in mid-winter rather than autumn, so Lev decided…
To do something bad.
In the bustling marketplace of ‘Torito’, he stole. Taking advantage of the mercenaries guarding the merchant caravan being lax during dinner time, he stole a horse and rode off.
[ Achievement: Theft – ‘1’ Slightly increases the chance of being caught by the owner. ]
Lev muttered “Oh, come on.” in disbelief. Previously, when he threatened a stream with a knife, no achievements had appeared.
Just what exactly was the deity’s concept of good and evil…
– Purr!
The black horse Lev was riding neighed.
The horse was strong and sturdy. Since he needed to travel a long distance, he chose a horse that looked sturdy, but it was running even better than he had expected.
What should I call you?
As he hurried towards Orville, Lev gave the stallion a name.
“Alright. From now on, you’re ‘Koos’. I’m counting on you. Koos.”
– Neigh!
Koos seemed to like the name and ran even faster.
The strong wind ruffled Lev’s hair, and as he steadily approached Orville, Minseo’s sanity also drifted and became faint.
+ + +
“…That’s how I arrived. Sorry for being late. Breaking through the border was tougher than I thought. I should have left at least a day earlier…”
Lev apologized. But having heard the entire story, Leo de Yeriel shook his head.
“There’s no need to apologize. You managed to make it on time somehow. Where’s the horse?”
“I left it at the inn and ran here.”
“Good. So what’s your plan now?”
“…”
“It’s okay. Speak freely. I kind of have an idea.”
After a moment of hesitation, Lev spoke. His words filled with both regret and resolve.
“I am going to become king.”
As if he had expected this, Leo de Yeriel nodded.
The beggar siblings scenario had ended.
They could go to the Conrad Kingdom and overthrow Prince Eric to reclaim their {bloodline}, but it was pointless since the cycle had ended.
Just as changing the previous cycle’s ending wouldn’t provide any rewards, making his sister Lena a princess wouldn’t lead to a clear goal.
In truth, there was an easy way to make Leah a princess, and both of them knew it, but they didn’t mention it.
Leo de Yeriel could become a prince and marry Leah.
It would be much easier for Leo de Yeriel, being of royal blood, to reclaim the {bloodline} than for a mere commoner like Lev to launch a rebellion and become king. It was the ‘rational’ choice.
But neither Lev nor Leo de Yeriel mentioned this option. Even the fainting Minseo had no intention of it.
Because…
Lev loved Leah.
Everyone knew it. Eventually, because they predicted Lev would make this choice, Leo de Yeriel smiled.
“You’ve thought it through. Then… shall we go?”
Even without Lev asking for help, Leo stood up and extended his hand. Helping was a given, and he was planning to die anyway.
The commoner Lev took hold of the prince’s hand and stood up. They had a strong horse, and it was certain that Lev’s sister Lena would live safely in the theater, so the two of them planned to escape.
To the rightful kingdom. To usurp the throne.
They exchanged smiles, silently vowing to do well this time…
“Brother!”
Lena appeared. Running in with a black cloak, she hugged Leo,
“Brother, you’re lying, right? You’re not planning to leave me behind, are you?”
Sobbing uncontrollably with tears and snot streaking down her face, clutching her brother with her little hands and refusing to let go.
Leo gently patted his sister’s head repeatedly before raising his head.
“…Lev. I’m sorry, but…”
“No. It’s fine.”
Things had become quite complicated.
The immediate issue was how to get across the border with Lena, he had to take care of his young sister, find a way to protect her while fomenting a rebellion, but…
He couldn’t leave his tearful sister behind.
“…Should we let our sister rest for a bit? We can’t go like this.”
“Wait a minute, I have a good idea. Lena, can Brother go away for a short while?”
“No… hic, no!”
“I promise I’ll come back. Promise, okay?”
“Brother, you never keep… hic, you never keep any of your promises. Last time… last time you promised you’d come every day too.”
“I’m sorry. But this time it’s real. Wait here with this man. I’ll be back before the sun sets.”
Lena glared at Lev with her swollen eyes. She wiped her runny nose with the edge of her cloak and made a strange expression.
[Achievement: First Meeting with Lena – Lena has high affection for Leo.]
“…Alright. But only for a moment. You can’t be late.”
With his sister’s permission, Leo de Yeriel rubbed the runny nose on his chest and entered the royal palace.
While Lev and Lena awkwardly made small talk and waited, Leo returned early as promised.
“It’s done. Let’s go.”
“Why did you go to the royal palace?”
“I’ll explain later. For now… oh, we need to make one more stop. We’re out of money. We need to get some from Xenia…”
“This?”
Lena pulled out a hefty bundle of money. She had received it from her sister Xenia a little while ago, and Leo let out a sigh that could have been one of relief or bitterness.
Holding his sister’s hand, Leo found a carriage rental. He handed the bundle of money to a thug from the Corolla Family.
[Achievement: Long Live the Corolla Family – Gained slight favor from thugs affiliated with the Corolla Family. Gained slight hostility from families that are hostile to the Corolla Family.]
With the help of an achievement, “Long Live the Corolla Family,” and the uniform of a royal guard, Leo managed to cheaply acquire a carriage, and the three of them left Orville. Lev sat in the coachman’s seat, while Leo held his sister as the carriage rattled southward.
To the Kingdom of Orun.
The strong black horse ‘Kus’ diligently pulled the small carriage.