novelraw Chapter 167: Beggar Siblings - Detecting Divine Power
Chapter 167: Beggar Siblings - Detecting Divine Power
167. Beggar Siblings - Detecting Divine Power
“I asked who you are.”
Count Forte stood up. The large man glared at Leo with a suspicious look. The senior royal guard quickly intervened.
“My apologies, Your Highness. This is a new recruit who just joined us, and he...”
‘Aren’t you going to apologize immediately?’ ─ The senior poked Leo in the side.
Sweating nervously, Leo bowed his head. “I’m sorry.” He attempted to back away, but the Sword Master didn’t seem inclined to let him go so easily.
“Hold on. Stand right there. As a new recruit, do you think you can come and go from the prince’s quarters without reason? I need to know what foolishness you were up to. State your name and post.”
The senior guard’s expression hardened. Glancing at the prince’s reaction, he spoke with a displeased tone.
“...Foolishness? Count Forte, your words are too harsh. Even though you’re the commander of the knights, you don’t have the authority to dig into a royal guard’s personal information.”
“Ah, Sir Knight, your words are also too harsh.”Just as the atmosphere was about to become tense, Marquis Benar Tatian intervened. He was twirling his wine glass and seemed to find the situation amusing, his eyes fixed on Leo.
“The Count is merely concerned for His Highness. Surely the Count wouldn’t overstep his bounds in the presence of the prince? His Highness hasn’t said anything yet.”
This was a provocation aimed at the prince. Prince Cleon de Tatian looked at Leo for a moment before speaking.
“Withdraw.”
Since the prince had spoken, that was the end of it. Count Herman Forte, still looking wary, couldn’t argue further.
Leo cautiously backed out of the prince’s office. Through the closing door, Marquis Benar Tatian gave him a small smile.
‘Why is that man here...?’
As soon as the door closed, the senior guard started scolding Leo fiercely, but Leo didn’t hear a word.
‘He shouldn’t know me yet.’ ─ Despite successfully meeting the prince and earning an achievement, Leo’s breath came irregularly.
*
The Orange Theatre was busy preparing for the play
The first saint.
It sounded like an incredibly important role, but it wasn’t exactly so.
The main character of
The main plot revolved around Saint Azrae traveling counterclockwise across the continent, defeating evil. The mountain girl Reina, who appears midway through the play, is a secondary character who helps Azrae retain his humanity.
There was no historical evidence that Saint Reina actually accompanied Saint Azrae.
The playwright had added this imaginative twist, hoping the saint who defeated all evil wasn’t entirely alone but had a companion sharing his journey.
Therefore, in order to avoid distorting history too much, Reina’s role in the play had few lines.
When she first met Azrae, when she advised him on the southern coast to train priests and paladins rather than bearing all burdens alone, and when she became a saint chosen by the deity at the final seventh evil, ‘Castle Badobona.’
She had only three short lines but was responsible for the play’s main public face.
Lena learned her acting from the advice of other actors.
Exaggerated movements for the distant audience, clear voice projection, subtle body movements, facial expressions responding to other actors, and entrance and exit cues.
She also needed to know the entire plot of
“Sis. Did you... fight with my brother?”
Jenia had been in a bad mood lately.
While reading the script of
Jenia said, “We didn’t fight... I just don’t understand your brother these days.” She then fell silent.
Sadness is contagious. Sharing a room with Jenia, Lena also felt down.
And the person who bore the brunt of this was none other than Santian Rauno. He had come to visit early in the morning as usual, and Lena asked,
“Do you like me?”
“Huh? W-why do you ask that all of a sudden?”
“Don’t dodge the question. Do you like me?”
A flustered Santian rubbed his round nose. Afraid of being found out but unable to suppress his excitement, he confessed his feelings.
“Y-yes. I do.”
“Why? Why do you like me?”
Her sharp voice.
But having no experience in romance, Santian didn’t realize the importance of this question and answered straightforwardly.
“...Because you’re pretty.”
Lena crossed her arms.
She was disappointed with Santian, who was delighted with himself despite his answer.
I know I’m pretty now.
Everyone at the theater praised her beauty, and the ladies on the third floor gave her practical advice.
Mostly, they advised her to meet a good man, but some women cursed men, calling them animals driven by their lust. It was a bit early for Lena to hear such talk.
While she didn’t believe all of it, it was shocking.
She realized how many sacrifices her brother had made for her, and if Santian liked her only for her looks...
She was disappointed.
“That’s all?”
“W-well, no. Being with you is fun and comfortable... I like everything.”
Leo couldn’t believe his ears. Santian's words sounded like mere flattery, something he said to win her favor without any sincerity.
Lena said, “I understand,” and turned away with a heavy heart, trying to soothe her rising anger.
“From now on, call me ‘noona’,” she said, using the Korean term for an older sister.
She returned to the stage to resume her practice, but she noticed Santian lingering in the audience, unable to leave.
Did I do the right thing?
Lena muttered, “I don’t know,” like her sister Jenia. Once again, her brother did not come today.
*
Leo was reprimanded.
He was summoned by the stern commander of the royal guard, scolded, had his salary reduced, and was given additional duties.
The reduction of his first paycheck, which he had yet to receive, wasn’t a big deal.
However, being assigned the tedious task of learning the secret passageways of the palace basement and being forbidden from leaving the palace for a week was a significant blow.
Even though he had achieved the task of meeting the prince and gaining favor with the nobles serving the House of Tatalia, he still had work to do in the palace.
He needed to prevent Princess Gilbert Forte and Princess from kissing.
Once these two tasks were completed, Leo planned to leave Orville immediately. He intended to go to the Conrad Kingdom and dethrone Prince Eric, who served Oriax.
Thus, even though he was worried when he heard that his sister was participating in a play, he had to allow it. Jenia assured him there would be no problems, and the owner of the Orange Theatre, Bretin, was someone he could trust.
In fact... strictly speaking, he trusted Cassia more than he trusted Bretin.
Leo learned this through Ober.
The Orange Theatre was a brothel ten years ago. Bretin was the manager of that brothel, but when Cassia, who was a prostitute at the time, decided to quit, she persuaded him to turn the brothel into a theatre.
“She’s a smart kid. A pitiful one, too. I saw her father hang himself. She must have been so distressed, honestly, I thought Cassia would commit suicide too. But...”
Ober babbled, spitting while talking about Cassia.
“I heard from the theatre owner. Right after her father’s funeral, she said she wanted to quit. They tried to give her severance pay, but do you know what she said?”
- “I’m going to live my life now. You shouldn’t be so caught up in the past either.”
“Haha! Not something you’d expect to hear from a kid not even a grown-up yet. After that, he couldn’t work anymore. So, he closed the brothel and turned it into a theatre. Now he’s gradually helping the former prostitutes become independent. It’s all thanks to Cassia.”
The Overlay Quest didn’t just change Cassia; it significantly altered her past and even other people's lives.
Leo felt confident that the Orange Theatre was a safe place. Given the extent of the changes, it would be excessive for it to be a trap after all this.
If the “Raising Lena” game had any meaning...
It shouldn’t be like that.
Leo diligently performed his duties. He cut back on sleep to navigate the secret passageways of the palace basement and received permission to go out a week before the prince of the Astin Kingdom arrived.
Dressed in the best outfit he could borrow from a squire, Leo headed straight for Erarin Boulevard.
Erarin Boulevard was where the nobility resided. It was the most well-maintained and bustling area in all of Orville, with mansions of great nobles like the Marquis of Tatian. Despite it being his first visit, Leo looked at the familiar street with a bittersweet expression.
‘Yes, I ran through that alley...’
He remembered vividly: entering the Marquis of Tatian’s mansion on a contract, waiting to assassinate the marquis’s son, disembarking from the carriage with Lena in pretty clothes, and fleeing from the female knight Irene.
It felt like he had come full circle after a long journey. Leo shook off his thoughts and quickened his pace.
Count Gustav Peter’s mansion was located somewhat apart from the center of Erarin Boulevard.
Though it was still on Erarin Boulevard, it was in an area where successful barons or declining viscounts resided.
Leo stood before the Count’s mansion. It was quite sizable but devoid of any decorations. After taking a deep breath, he showed the guard his royal guard badge.
“The Count is currently busy with other matters. Please wait a moment while I inform him.”
The butler treated Leo, undoubtedly a royal messenger, with respect.
Steam rose from the tea and snacks that were brought out. While sipping his tea and surveying the drawing room, Leo revised his initial thought.
He assumed the mansion would be sparsely decorated due to excessive frugality. While the interior had few decorations, it had color, unlike the dreary exterior.
The bold wallpaper, seemingly mismatched curtains, and carpets gave the drawing room a unique charm.
‘...It doesn’t suit him.’
It was hard to believe this was Count Peter’s mansion, who always wore dark clothes and rode in a black carriage drawn by a black horse.
Maybe it’s the taste of Count Peter’s wife ─ Leo was thinking when Count Gustav Peter hurriedly appeared, his silver hair flying.
The status of being a royal guard had its perks.
But Leo quickly bit his lip. It wasn’t the Count’s lack of any decoration on his attire that made him angry, nor the fact that this man had informed the Marquis about his and his sister’s identity.
“Nice to meet you. What brings you from the palace?” Count Peter asked, just as Archbishop Berg had, pretending not to recognize him.
Leo wasn't upset because of this false pretense.
It was because,
[ Achievement: Baptism of the Saint – Leo gains the ability to {Detect Divine Power}. ]
‘Damn it.’
Count Gustav Peter’s body contained a white divine power. Like a priest. Possessing the divine power of the main deity, he was an uncharmable individual.
The bracelet became useless. Leo swallowed his curse and spoke.
“...It seems you do not recognize me, Count.”
Count Gustav Peter remained silent, staring at Leo as if wondering what he meant.
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