Raising the Princess to Overcome Death

Chapter 149: Diablo: : SilentWhisper: Matthew Yip : George Liu: James Harvey---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Engagement - Aviker

"Take this. It should help you cross the border easily. Good luck."

Elson handed over a fairly hefty money pouch, some documents, and two mercenary badges.

Leo accepted them and bowed to his great uncle, who had come to see him off. He also gave a light nod to Yuan, who had a stern expression, and left the mansion.

Leo walked away briskly without looking back. While saying goodbye to Elson, Yuan, and the butler and maid who had come to see him off, Lena hurriedly chased after him.

But the direction he was heading was not what they had initially discussed, so Lena asked,

"Leo? Where are you going?"

"..."

Without a word, Leo grabbed her hand. Despite the heavy packs they both carried for the long journey ahead, he walked quickly, unperturbed.

Looking back at the east gate they had just exited, Leo finally sighed in relief. They should be safer now.Since seeing traces of the evil god a few days ago, he couldn't shake off the anxiety. He didn't know when or how he might die.

Dealing with someone like Baroness Brina, who seemed to be up to something, was one thing, but facing a follower of the evil god was entirely different.

He had no idea how Minseo would have handled such a situation. But Leo Dexter decided to simply leave Barnaul.

He had a good reason to leave, too.

Last night, Elson somehow found out and informed him that the Mau-Nin Tournament wouldn't be held due to the war.

It was disappointing news for Lena, who wanted to become a knight through the Mau-Nin Tournament, but for Leo, it was truly fortunate.

At first, he considered suggesting they return to Avril Castle. But knowing that Lena wouldn't agree, he persuaded her by saying, "Then let's participate in the Reti Tournament in the Aster Kingdom. We can't just go back now, right?"

It wasn't hard to convince her. Lena wanted to achieve something before returning.

She had become a grand warrior too early. It wasn't just her age but her poor hunting skills that were the problem.

According to the customs of the Ainar tribe, a grand warrior had to lead the hunting team.

But since Lena couldn't even properly set a trap, let alone hunt, they couldn't entrust her with the hunting team, nor could they leave a grand warrior without any duties.

After much deliberation, the Ainar tribe's chief and the grand warriors came up with a clever solution. They decided to have Lena represent the Ainar tribe in the Mau-Nin Tournament.

It was a flimsy excuse to buy some time. Lena wasn't oblivious to that.

- "Hmph! I'll be a full-fledged knight by the time I return!"

Lena, feeling slighted, made a bold claim, and her father, Dehor, whispered to Leo, asking him to at least teach her how to set traps before they returned.

"Leo! Are you going to keep ignoring me? Why are you in such a hurry? And if we're to travel with the caravan, we should head to the market, not outside!"

Lena, getting frustrated, stopped walking. She pulled back on the hand that was dragging her, making Leo stop as well.

Turning around, Leo hesitated before answering.

"...I'm sorry. We still have plenty of time before the Reti Tournament. So... um... can we travel leisurely and explore on the way?"

"Travel?"

"Yeah. We can sightsee, try delicious foods, and enjoy ourselves. How about it?"

Lena looked puzzled.

"I mean, that sounds good... but then why did we leave so early? If that's the plan, let's go back. There's more to see in the capital, and staying at your great uncle's place means no lodging costs. I only got to see Ran and Anne once, so it'll be nice to spend more time with them."

It was a reasonable argument. But returning there was not an option.

It was dangerous there.

Leo blurted out an excuse to avoid going back.

"We, uh, can't share a room at my great uncle's place. Too many eyes watching."

"W-what?"

Lena's eyes widened. Her face turned red like a budding flower in the spring sunshine, and she quickly looked away.

It was a good excuse.

But seeing Lena blushing and standing still in embarrassment made Leo feel the same.

He had been able to say it because he had experienced marriage once, but the memory and the reality were completely different.

"N-no, that's not what I meant. I mean..."

"..."

The two stood still for a long time with their heavy packs. Only after Lena, with her head hung low, started walking again could they leave the roadside.

She didn't head towards the east gate.

  *

Lena and Leo booked a place to stay a bit earlier than usual.

When asked by the innkeeper if they wanted a double or a twin room, Leo hesitated but chose a double.

"This way, please."

The chubby innkeeper led them. Lena, who had calmed down after exploring the outskirts of Barnaul, blushed again, and Leo cleared his throat and looked away.

When they finally reached their room, there was only one bed, as expected.

In the small room, half of which was occupied by the bed, Lena's face turned even redder upon seeing the somewhat suggestive canopy adorning the bed.

"Have a good time. Our 'Ice Island' inn always guarantees the best service. We can bring hot bath water quickly, and if you need anything else, please let us know."

"Y-yes..."

After the innkeeper left, an awkward silence filled the room. Leo moved to the left side of the bed, and Lena to the right, both keeping their distance. They unpacked their things without exchanging a single word.

Once they finished unpacking, there was nothing left to do. Sitting quietly on either side of the bed, they stared at the opposite walls.

"...Ah, seriously!"

Unable to bear the awkwardness any longer, Lena spoke first.

"Hey! Leo. Let's have a drink. What kind of situation is this? We're engaged, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

She tried to hide her embarrassment by acting boldly. Leo, also feeling shy, smiled mischievously to cover up his true feelings.

"Alright. Let's eat first."

"...!"

Lena's face turned a deep red, realizing her slip of the tongue, and Leo, equally embarrassed, turned his head away.

"R-right... let's eat first..."

Lena, swinging her right arm and leg in sync, marched ahead, and Leo followed her down to the dining area. He ordered a hearty meal and some strong liquor.

"I'm sorry. As you can see, we're quite busy right now... You'll have to wait a bit for your food."

The innkeeper bowed his head apologetically. The dining area was crowded, mostly with barbarian tribe warriors who had come to the capital for the Mau-Nin Tournament. News that the tournament wouldn't be held due to the war hadn't spread widely yet.

Leo said it was fine and asked for the alcohol first. The innkeeper quickly brought a bottle of 'Kalados' and hurried back to help in the kitchen.

As they waited for their food, Lena and Leo clinked their glasses together. "You sneaky guy. I should have known you were like this," Lena muttered, gulping down her drink. Leo, trying to keep up with her, drank quickly as well.

"Ah! You young folks sure can drink!"

A middle-aged warrior sitting next to them spoke up. Lena, grateful for the distraction, raised her empty glass bravely.

She hoped the conversation would continue to avoid the awkwardness of sitting alone with Leo. The warrior smiled and clapped before turning back to his companions.

"Should we have a drink too?"

"Arthur, we have to leave early tomorrow. Drinking won't help."

"Come on, are you worried about a hangover? Ha ha ha. You're getting old."

Despite the provocation, the middle-aged warrior just snorted and ran his hand through his long hair.

"We can't keep partying every night. We need to leave the capital eventually."

"We still have plenty of time. Four months is more than enough to reach Manubiwul. Let's have a drink, just one. What do you say, friends? It's alright, isn't it?"

The other companions seemed indifferent.

Not knowing how long the journey would take, and with some thinking it wouldn't matter if they were late, the warrior reluctantly agreed.

"Alright. Just one drink."

But one drink quickly became two, and the five warriors soon started drinking noisily.

"Innkeeper, join us! The guests have all left, so why not have a drink?"

"Ha ha ha. Sure, but I won't give you a discount."

"Of course! I'll pay for your share too!"

The innkeeper, with a satisfied smile, joined them. His drinking capacity surprised the warriors.

"Wow. We'll need two more bottles. You're quite the drinker."

"That's right. I stayed here hoping someone would invite me for a drink."

Ha ha ha ha ha! The warriors' laughter echoed through the empty dining area.

Lena and Leo continued to sip their drinks quietly.

Neither of them had the courage to suggest returning to their room. They also didn't want to get too drunk and embarrass themselves, so they were carefully pacing themselves.

Then it happened.

"By the way, who named this inn? 'Ice Island Inn' sounds like that ice island up north."

"Ha ha ha. That's right. That ice island is my hometown."

A slight wave of surprise passed over the table.

Hearing the familiar name, Lena and Leo turned to look at the innkeeper.

"Really? Then you're a survivor of the Aviker tribe. I didn't know anyone was still alive."

"Do you know our tribe? Yes, I'm from the Aviker tribe. I escaped by walking across the frozen sea."

Whether to show off his muscular arms or the tattoo on them, the innkeeper rolled up his sleeve.

Despite his middle age, he proudly displayed his bulging muscles, and Leo, in shock, drew his sword with a flash.

"Whoa! What are you doing?"

"Leo! What are you doing?!"

The drinking party turned into chaos.

Leo, standing up suddenly, pointed his sword at the innkeeper's neck. The startled warriors jumped up and drew their weapons.

A tattoo of a red feather on a black background.

It was the symbol of Malhas, an ancient and sinister god.

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