Raising the Princess to Overcome Death

Chapter 253

252. Childhood Friend - Dream

Rev gasped for air. He put down the pudding he was holding, stared blankly at the fading message, and let his tears fall.

[ Congratulations! ]

[ Lena's dream has come true. ]

[ True Ending 1/2: Receive a Blessing from Lena! ]

He had made a colossal mistake. The goal of this game wasn't to make Lena a princess.

[ Raising Lena ]

God, the Lord, had commanded our Leos to fulfill the dreams of their Lenas. It had to be that way.

It was now autumn, nearing the time when the trainees of the capital church's educational facility would graduate. Lena... Lena had become a priest.

Leslie had predicted that it would take at least three years for her to become a priest. Even that was an optimistic estimate, considering Lena's solid foundation. Perhaps the achievement of '20 Photos' had an effect, but Lena had fulfilled her dream in just two years, not three, and presented us with the true ending, catching us off guard.Lena had wanted to become a priest.

No matter how hard we tried to make her a princess, Lena kept rushing towards her own dream.

The Lenas were getting further and further away from clearing the game. Minseo was frustrated with them, and I resented Lena for wanting to become a priest...

Rev buried his face in his hands. He couldn't bear to look at Lena Ainar, who was now wearing an apron instead of armor and making something as trivial as pudding. This Lena, whose hands had softened from lack of calluses and who now only cooked...

She's a failure. Just like that egg pudding.

She had wanted to become a knight.

Lena was unpredictable, but her determination was unwavering. At least, until Leo Dexter became a Swordmaster. Just as Lena blessing me as a priest would be the final touch to the true ending, this Lena also had...

- "My dream is to become a knight with you and then get married. That's why I deliberately delayed it. Sorry. Wouldn't it be hard to become a knight after becoming a mother?"

She had a dream of becoming a knight alongside Leo and then getting married. A long time ago, She had shyly confessed this to us with a face flushed red.

Then, what about my sister... our sister?

Lerialia, who wandered the streets with her brother, had wanted a home. In the second playthrough, she had handed over a chest full of gold coins and said:

- "I earned this money. With this, we can buy a really nice house!"

...She had said, with an innocent, bright smile.

What a long way we've come.

It was only when the seemingly impossible crown was within reach that I realized it. If Lena, with her incredible quick wit, hadn't stopped us from leading her down the wrong path, it would have taken even longer. Ashin and Seres had warned her not to contact us for a reason.

"Rev, what's wrong?"

Rev, with tears welling up in his eyes, looked up at Leo Dexter. "Is it so bad that it makes you cry?" asked Lena Ainar, who hadn't grasped the true ending that had just been revealed in a language he didn't understand. Rev confessed that the condition for the true ending was fulfilling Lena's dream.

Leo had a stunned expression. He stared at Lena's retreating figure, who was gathering up the remaining pudding with a downcast look, and then let out a scream filled with frustration.

"Argh!!! Aaaahhh!!! Aaaaahhhh!!!"

The table was smashed in a fit of rage.

The dishes Lena had painstakingly prepared flew up in the rebound and then crashed down, shattering. Leo twisted his body in agony.

"You, you, you...!!"

Leo Dexter couldn't find the words and choked on his sobs. He glared at Rev, as if ready to throw a punch, before grabbing Lena's arm as she rushed in still wearing his apron, asking, "What's going on?"

"Move!"

The students, who had gathered in confusion, were roughly pushed aside by Leo as he dragged Lena away.

"Why is he acting like that?"

"Sometimes they're such a strange couple. Are all Northerners like that? Let's not become like them, Vanne."

Rev couldn't do anything. He could only stare blankly at Leo and Lena as they left without looking back.

*

I don't know how much time passed after that.

Rev Guidan gave up the throne. He had told Marquis Drazin to handle it as he saw fit, and when he finally came to his senses, he found himself riding through the winter snow, arriving at the capital church.

Lena was there, standing in front of the church where the snow fluttered down. She was wearing a dazzlingly white priestly robe, smiling radiantly.

How could it suit her so well?

The young priestess, in her late teens, had well-defined features. Her upper lip was softly rounded and slightly protruded, showing that she had received plenty of love. Her eyebrows curved kindly, and her gently sloping nose gave her an intelligent look, though its tip descended in a gentle curve. Rev gazed at her endlessly.

"Rev! I was going to contact you, but you see, the Saintess..."

She chattered on, but Rev heard nothing. He just stared at Lena's face, his friend who had achieved her dream, until finally, she scolded him, something she did at the start of every playthrough.

"Rev! Are you listening to me?"

"...I can hear you now. Congratulations."

"Only now?"

Lena chuckled.

She took Rev's hand without hesitation. She wanted to bless her friend right away, but restrained herself and led him to the quiet garden of the capital church. There, she boldly asked:

"Will you marry me?"

"...You're a priestess. You don't have to go that far for me, Lena. I'm happy just knowing you fulfilled your dream."

Lena grabbed Rev's twitching ear firmly and said:

"Why don't you stop pretending and listen to your heart?"

The ascetic priestess's lips were close. Rev's heart pounded as Lena, sensing his confusion, declared:

"Regardless of how you feel, we're getting married. I decided on that. You have no idea how hard I've worked to marry you."

Thud!

Lena's lips touched his.

But despite being the one to initiate the kiss, her eyes were squeezed shut so tightly that her face was all scrunched up. Anyone would think she was being forced into it.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Rev burst into laughter, the first he had had in months, amused by her tightly closed mouth and clumsy attempt. He pulled her into a tight hug, and when Lena awkwardly pulled away, the longtime childhood friends had become lovers.

A priestess cannot marry.

But Lena's outrageous declaration had a basis: she had found an argument that would allow her to marry Rev. The reason Lena had been able to become a priestess in just two years was because of the excellent paper she had published this year.

"The Theory of the Chosen."

God chooses His creations.

Every creature born into this world is chosen and lives with a specific mission. That is the "yoke."

At first glance, it may seem like this is merely an alternative interpretation of Chapter 5 of Konstantino Laono's The Yoke of Creation, but Lena attempted to merge two significant theological roots here: The Yoke of Creation and The Responsibility of Creation.

Whether a creature fulfills its assigned duty or not is up to the creature's own choice. Life is the interplay of the 'free will' granted to humans and the yoke they bear, making human beings who continually choose.

Lena’s 77-page thesis sparked an immediate reaction within the Capital Church. Her contemporary, Veronian, also presented a thesis titled On the Instrumental Function of the Church and the Wandering Shepherd, which expanded upon the teachings of Udean, the fourth saint, from Udean's Lectures. The combination of these two theses brought a fresh wave of thought to the otherwise stagnant theology, which had remained unchanged since Cardinal Verke's doctrine of The Priesthood of All Believers. This shift also ushered in changes to the rigid rules of the Cross Church.

Of course, Lena’s thesis did not directly address whether or not priests should be allowed to marry.

However, it did provide arguments that supported the notion, and Veronian's thesis brought renewed attention to the lifestyles of ancient priests who lived without being bound by strict regulations, leading to the argument that the church’s rules were restricting the free will of its clergy.

Cardinal Michael, a devout follower of The Yoke of Creation, who might have opposed these ideas, had long since fallen from power, dethroned by a saint.

The path ahead was still long, but the atmosphere had softened somewhat. The church, once overflowing with nothing but sanctity, began to emanate a more human scent. Lena and Rev enjoyed happy days as secret lovers.

To others, it appeared to be an innocent relationship where they occasionally held hands, but for Rev and Lena, nothing more was needed.

For a while, Lena and Rev stayed in the Capital Church.

For Lena, there was no reason to leave since Rev was by her side, and Veronian, who had become a monk, requested her help in reforming the church.

Rev applied for admission to the educational institution of the Capital Church. His aim was to become a Templar who would protect Lena. As a Swordmaster with a reputation from the Orun Kingdom, he didn’t need to prove his swordsmanship; he just needed to study theology.

Lena helped him with his studies. He stayed near the Capital Church, visiting Lena as they welcomed spring together. The day before the semester started, Rev said,

"Now, bestow your blessing upon me."

They had spent a couple of months together, and they would continue to be together.

Though he wished he could forgo the blessing and stay like this for a thousand years, he couldn't shake off his concerns about Leo Dexter and Lena Ainar.

It would be wrong to leave their messy engagement unresolved. According to his tracking skill, the two had returned to their hometown...

‘Yes. I’m content with this.’

"Are you sure about this?"

Lena asked. Rev smiled softly and replied,

"Yes. Should I make a prophecy too? Next time, I’ll be even happier because I’ll be the one chasing after you."

"Ew. That’s a bit much. Gross."

Lena grinned mischievously. She kissed Rev on the cheek and picked up the brass goblet given to her by the saint.

A halo of light enveloped the goblet, which shone brilliantly for its former owner.

[ True Ending 2/2: Complete ]

Lena didn’t notice as she was bidding him farewell with her eyes, but the Footprint of Oriax imprinted on Rev’s palm had disappeared. Just like in the ending of the previous Beggar Siblings chapter, Rev’s gaze soared to the sky.

From a corner of the church, he saw himself and Lena embracing, moving away. The garden, trees, and statues that surrounded them came into view, and then the grand church appeared. Soon after, darkness fell.

[ Thank you for playing Raising Lena. ]

[ Lena ]

[ Final Job: Cardinal ]

[ Marriage Partner: Rev Guidan ]

[ Rev Guidan ]

[ Final Job: Templar ]

[ Marriage Partner: Lena ]

[ Childhood Friend Ending: The Bishop ]

[ True Ending ]

- Lena, born in the village of Demos, had a happy childhood. Though she was poor, she received the warm attention of her parents... (excerpted)... Lena became a priest and was assigned to the Orun Kingdom. She settled in the Nevis Church with Templar Rev, and after the church law was amended, she married Rev and lived happily ever after. -

- Leo, born in the village of Demos, had a happy childhood. With the warm attention of his parents... (excerpted)... Rev, who became a Templar, was assigned to the Nevis Church. He looked after his sister, Harie Guidan, and lived happily ever after with Lena. -

[ The Engagement Scenario Ending has been changed. ]

[ Lena Ainar ]

[ Final Job: Chef ]

[ Marriage Partner: Leo Dexter ]

[ Leo Dexter ]

[ Final Job: Chef ]

[ Marriage Partner: Lena Ainar ]

[ Engagement Ending: Peace in Avril Castle ]

+ Lena Ainar, born in Avril Castle... (excerpted)... participated in the war as a quasi-knight but gave up the sword. Instead of returning straight to her hometown, she got married in the Holy Kingdom of Jerome, then went to the Orun Kingdom before returning to her hometown. Lena, who had three children, lived happily while running a restaurant with her husband, Leo Dexter. +

+ Leo Dexter, born in the capital of Barnaul... (excerpted)... After his retirement, he was involved in the indigenous uprising in the Orun Kingdom, where he demonstrated his martial prowess. However, he refused all rewards and returned to his hometown. He lived quietly, helping with the restaurant Lena opened. +

[ The Beggar Siblings Scenario Ending has been changed. ]

+ Lerialia, born in the royal castle of Lutetia, had an unhappy childhood... (excerpted)... She returned and became a princess. Though she received countless courtships and marriage proposals, she chose her attendant, Santian Rauno, who had saved her life. They had two sons, and under the protection of her brother, King Lean de Yeriel, she lived happily. However, in her later years, she faced some hardship. After King Lean de Yeriel passed away without an heir, her two sons fought over the vacant throne, leading to the loss of her eldest son. +

+ Lean, born in the royal castle of Lutetia, had an unhappy childhood... (excerpted)... He returned and defeated Oriax alongside Prince Eric de Yeriel. By then, King Caderyk de Yeriel had already passed away, so Lean immediately inherited the throne. King Lean de Yeriel was remembered as a wise ruler. He established 'public schools' throughout the nation with Cardinal Verke and brought peace to the southern continent by making peace with the neighboring Orun Republic, with whom they had long been in conflict. However, his queen, Xenia Yeriel, was unable to conceive, and they had no children. This situation fueled the ambitions of his two brilliant nephews, who were very much like their mother. +

Ending it early was the right decision.

As Rev, now in the form of a round orb, read through the lengthy ending credits with a mix of feelings, he decided to focus only on his own matters since the issues in each scenario were for others to handle.

Three pictures came to mind.

The first was of Lena, who had become a cardinal, and Rev, who had become a Templar, sitting opposite each other in a church’s sanctuary, sipping tea.

Judging by the subtle atmosphere between them, they were married... It seemed they just lived like that.

It’s not bad. It’s good.

Rev was more than satisfied, truly satisfied, as he moved on to the other pictures. They, too, looked happy for the moment.

In the second picture, Lena Ainar, who had become a chef, was causing a bit of chaos. The soup was boiling over, and there was a fire in the corner. An egg, mid-flip, flew off in an unexpected direction, startling the children in the background while Leo frantically handled the situation at lightning speed.

Wahaha! The guests burst out laughing.

They were people from the Ainar tribe. Rev thought to himself that, despite the challenges, they lived happily, and Leo must have had a tough time, before moving on to the next picture.

Surprisingly, the protagonist of the third picture wasn’t Lerialia.

It was Lean de Yeriel, standing proudly in his regal attire, wearing a red cloak with gold embroidery. His sister was barely visible in the corner of the picture, holding back her sons, who were eyeing the king with ambition. Jenia, caught up in dancing, and Cardinal Verke, busy founding schools, could also be seen.

The ending credits were so long that by the time Rev finished reading them, his consciousness slowly began to fade. He murmured softly,

‘Minseo, it’s okay. I don’t blame you. You were just a pawn of the gods too. Everything will be fine...’

With those last words, only Minseo remained in the silent darkness. Now a traitor of the highest order, Minseo was consumed by guilt and sorrow.

‘Was it... all a dream?’

Then what have I been doing all this time?

I messed everything up. If fulfilling the dreams of the Lenas was the condition for the true ending, I could have finished much sooner. It wasn’t about speed; I wouldn’t have had to go through all that suffering.

If that’s all it took to reach the true ending...

Then why did they pretend to be Princess Maker? Why did they deceive me like this? If that was the plan, why did they even need me? They should have just let Leo and the Lenas handle it on their own. They would have managed just fine.

— Just as he was about to start complaining, Chaeha’s voice struck him like a blow.

- "So, are you telling me to live my whole life doing something I don’t want to do? I can’t do that. Honestly, you don’t want to be a civil servant either! You said you wanted to work in the theater. You said you wanted to be a playwright!"

...That’s right.

That’s how it was.

No... that’s right.

Chaeha had wanted to become an actress.

I had promised to write scripts for her to perform as a playwright, and that was our dream.

But that promise faded when I started preparing for the civil service exam. Chaeha might have held onto that hope until the end, but I forgot about it. I used the excuse of needing to make a living to seek the government job that guaranteed a stable life.

I abandoned the dream I shared with Chaeha.

The orb that Minseo had become trembled.

It wasn’t the fact that the game pretended to be a derivative of Princess Maker that was the problem, but rather that the problem lay within himself, and he realized this with tears in his eyes.

The Lenas had their own dreams.

If I had even once, just once, thought about fulfilling their dreams, this would have ended much sooner. Just as I did with Chaeha, I was abandoning Lena’s dreams, enticed by the grand title of “princess.”

As Minseo was consumed by self-blame, a flash. The ending credits and the pictures disappeared into the darkness, and a new text appeared. As always, it coldly pressured Minseo.

[ Choose your scenario reward. ]

There were no options. Not in the void, nor in Minseo’s heart. Minseo whispered,

‘Please, let Lena live a happy life.’

It was not a choice but a wish.

The white text that glowed in the darkness seemed to ask, is that truly your wish? It stared at Minseo for a moment before vanishing with a flicker.

[ You have cleared Raising Lena. You may now select the scenario you wish to play. ]

[ Childhood Friend – True Ending ]

[ Engagement ]

[ Beggar Siblings – Cleared ]

What kind of complaints will I get this time?

Afraid to face Leo Dexter again, Minseo chose the Engagement Scenario. That one... was the most urgent.

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