novelraw Chapter 198: Engagement - A Rainy Day
Chapter 198: Engagement - A Rainy Day
198: Engagement - A Rainy Day
[ Thank you for playing 'Raising Lena.' ]
[ Lena Ainar ]
[ Final Occupation: Daughter of the Ainar Tribe ]
[ Marriage Partner: Leo Dexter ]
[ Leo Dexter ]
[ Final Occupation: Hunter ]
[ Marriage Partner: Lena Ainar ]
[ Engagement Ending: Peace in Castle Avril ]
- Lena Ainar, born in Castle Avril, had a happy childhood... (omitted)... After returning from the war, Lena gave birth to a child. She then married Leo and had two more children, living happily together. -- Leo Dexter, born in the capital Barnaul... (omitted) ...never picked up a sword again. He maintained a living by hunting occasionally, and lived happily with Lena and their children. -
As he waited briefly, humble ending texts filled the dark void.
Along with this, a single photograph appeared.
Leo, now a solid figure, let out a dry sigh.
I couldn’t even become a chef...
The photo showed Lena nursing a newborn baby.
A boy and a girl, resembling both Lena and Leo, watched in fascination, and Leo was not in the picture. Judging by Lena's faint smile while looking up, it was clear this photo was taken from Leo's perspective.
Her hair was disheveled.
Whether it was because of the effort required to care for three children or because it hadn't been long since she had given birth to the youngest, Lena looked exhausted. She had lost the confident demeanor of a knight, becoming an ordinary woman worn out by life.
What's wrong with being an ordinary woman?
One cannot judge a mother of three. Even the most uneducated lout would not speak lightly of a mother. A mother’s name alone is enough to bring tears to one’s eyes.
Leo had no intention of judging Lena’s final appearance. As her husband, however, he could not help but feel a pang in his chest.
Where had the radiant young lady from the beginning of the scenario gone? Had the beloved daughter of the Ainar tribe, who had worked so hard to become a knight, faded away like this?
The photo seemed to capture the moment when Leo, returning from a hunt, opened the door.
The calm image of a wife welcoming her husband back from trudging through the snow. What would Leo Dexter, who remained there, have thought upon seeing this scene?
Perhaps he was happy.
He might have shouted, “Daddy’s home!” to his wife and children, but the newly married Leo Dexter could not understand those paternal feelings.
The disappearance of a sweet honeymoon, replaced by the routine of duty, was pitiful. How could he, a Swordmaster, live like that? He berated the Leo who remained there.
Leo gradually faded.
His thoughts vacillated, and the round orb ceased to be Leo. Minseo began to evaluate the current engagement scenario, as if chased by something.
This round was a success.
He achieved the quest goal and finally became a Swordmaster, and Lena was safe. He also prepared for the next childhood friend round by visiting the Holy Kingdom of Jerome and confirmed that Lea was doing well at the capital church.
‘It’s done. It’s finally over.’
A Swordmaster, at last.
A level of strength once deemed impossible. The ultimate personal combat ability. Unlike other knights whose skills could not be evaluated without direct confrontation, a Swordmaster had the visible proof of an aura blade. The difference between what could be seen and what could not was significant.
Additionally, a Swordmaster inherently became a figure of power. They couldn’t be easily manipulated, so even the esteemed Marquis Benar Tatian would have to be on his best behavior.
Ha ha ha ha!
We did it. We finally did it...
However, as Minseo hastily praised himself, he quickly fell silent. In the past, he would have called this ending a happy one, but now he felt an inexplicable unease. He stared blankly at the photo of Lena, which gradually faded upwards.
In the dejected Lena Ainar, he saw Chaeha.
Her once free-flowing hair now tied up, and dressed awkwardly in a semi-formal outfit, she had notified him of a farewell that was not quite a farewell. Just as Lena accepted reality in this round, Chaeha did the same. The difference was that Chaeha entered the job market instead of getting married, thanks to her unworthy boyfriend.
‘...I could have done better.’
Feeling somewhat melancholy, Minseo sighed. Simply surviving no longer felt satisfactory.
If he had paid a bit more attention to Lena, he could have seen a better ending.
Even though it was just a stepping stone toward the ‘true ending,’ he could have created an ending where she smiled brighter.
He regretted it.
Fortunately, at that moment, the final text appeared, interrupting his self-reproach.
[ You did not complete 'Raising Lena.' ]
[ Although you, Leo, became the strongest swordsman on the continent, Lena could not keep up with you. As a consolation, you have received the {Swordsmanship Teacher} ability. ]
[ Restarting. ]
The scene shifted to Orville.
As darkness receded, Minseo, now Leo de Yeriel, crossed Orville’s center.
[ Achievement: ‘18th Leo’ – The speed at which the player assimilates into Leo is slightly increased. ]
[ 18/22 ]
[ True name unknown. ]
The foul-smelling puddle.
The dampness soaking through his pants and the urgent thirst signaled the start of the beggar siblings scenario, but Leo could not move. Squinting against the onslaught of memories, he endured.
Rev killed my sibling.
In the previous round, Lena had been left alone in the theater. In the round before that, the beggar siblings had met Oriax. His sister had become an enraged duke, and even earlier, they had been separated while being chased by Marquis Benar Tatian.
Grrrr.
Leo winced as he recalled the box filled with gold coins and his sister's bright, innocent face... only for it to gradually lose warmth like a dying ember. He groaned, cursing the wretched world, Minseo, and Rev, who had killed his sister, before taking a deep breath.
Forgive.
I was destined to die anyway. My sister wouldn’t have survived without Minseo.
Leo steeled himself. Though it was a routine he repeated every time, it took him quite a while to open his eyes this time. The vivid sensation of killing his sister lingered too strongly, and Lena had not spoken to him.
By now, she should have been whining about being hungry... Worried, Leo turned his head. The silence from his sister was more urgent than the scar on his chest.
Fortunately, his sister was there. She was sitting slumped against a wall, just like usual, but this time she was dozing off. Leo swallowed hard.
“Lena. Lena? Wake up.”
“Huh? Brother? Where are we...?”
Awoken by her brother’s urgent prodding, Lena looked up, drooling. She glanced around with a puzzled expression and then pouted.
“Aww... I was having a fun dream...”
“...What kind of dream?”
It was a relief that she had a fun dream. But Leo asked in a troubled voice.
[ Achievement: Twenty Photos – Lena occasionally remembers the past faintly in her dreams. ]
Considering there were hardly any good memories in his sister’s past, he would rather not have that achievement.
“I don’t know. I forgot.”
Lena shook her head slowly.
She tried to remember, rolling her eyes upwards, but didn’t manage for long. Then she felt the delayed pangs of hunger and thirst.
“Brother... I’m hungry. And thirsty...”
Back to square one. Not intending to press further, Leo steadied his trembling legs. There was no time to waste, so he took his sister’s hand and led her out of the alley. Lena didn’t ask about the sword at Leo’s waist.
The market filled with the savory smell.
Leo bypassed the chicken shop he usually visited after getting his {Starting Funds}. He hurried in the direction indicated by his {Tracking Skill} and stopped not far away.
It was a rainy day.
Clouds blocked the sun, and mist settled in the bustling city. Beyond the haze, under the eaves of a building, stood a woman with an outstretched hand, looking anxious.
Her black, wavy hair lacked luster.
Despite her petite frame, she stood straight, her shoulders square—Jenia. She checked if the rain had stopped by feeling it on her palm, but still hesitated to leave.
Should I go back?
Turning indecisively, Jenia suddenly smiled.
“Oh?? Brother, I’ve seen that lady before...”
“I thought you wouldn’t come because of the sudden rain. I’m glad I waited. Is this your sister?”
“Yes. This is Lena. Lena, this is...”
Introductions were made. Leo introduced Jenia, his former lover in a previous round, but Lena seemed distracted. She looked confused, maybe even shy, hiding behind her brother while observing Jenia.
A light outfit.
Jenia’s clothes were drenched. Not from the rain, but from being out for a morning run when she was caught off guard. A street beggar had thrown water at her and confessed his love.
It was absurd.
The water splash was one thing, but an immediate confession? The beggar went further, asking for her help. “I think I love you,” he said, as if that was reason enough.
Jenia agreed.
She had told him she would bring her brother and asked him not to follow. Now it was time to discuss their future. Feeling a mix of nervous excitement and exhilaration, she spoke.
“So, what shall we do now? You said you liked me, but honestly, I’m not sure yet. I’ll help find a place for your sister as you requested, but...”
She probed lightly.
And the immediate response satisfied Jenia deeply.
“I’m thinking of going to the Kingdom of Conrad. Jenia, I hope you’ll come with me.”
“...Is that something you can ask someone you just met?”
“Yes. Will you marry me there?”
Pfft!
Jenia bent over. Trying to stifle her laughter, she ended up bursting into peals of laughter.
How could this shabby beggar be so bold? How dare he propose to me?
Jenia finally felt she had met the man who would capture her heart. This intense first meeting confirmed he was her destined partner.
Still, she asked one last question.
“We’ve only just exchanged names. I don’t know your age, and do you know what kind of woman I am? Surely it’s not that you don’t care who it is?”
It was a fair question, but Leo didn’t answer. Instead, he extended his hand, asking her to take it.
His unwavering golden eyes and flushed face held no conditions or pretense. He looked at her clearly, focusing solely on her.
Jenia, satisfied with Leo’s answer, felt dizzy. Thinking, ‘There’s no turning back now,’ she gladly took the beggar’s hand. The man, who was finally facing his destiny, gave her a bright smile.
Handsome, but she had to say it.
“But before that, you need to clean up. Both you and your sister.”
Leo’s face turned beet red.