Raising the Princess to Overcome Death

Chapter 376: Lena - Princess Chloe

I am meticulous and overly cautious by nature. Some might say otherwise, but that’s because they don’t understand my standards.

Take this current situation, for example.

Bringing a weapon into the royal palace is a serious crime, punishable by imprisonment.

As someone who aspires to be a knight, I can’t afford to end up in jail. Hence, I started a thorough and meticulous verification process.

The first step in that process was confirming Lena’s identity. Was that adorable young woman really a priestess?

“Yes, I am a real priestess.”

“Okay. So, that checks out? Then, I just need to see if you’re lying. Thanks!”

I asked someone named Rev to confirm it. He said she was genuine, and that settled her identity.

But that didn’t prove she wasn’t lying.

Priests can lie too, and they can also be frauds.Ah~ I know being so cold-hearted is a problem, but I couldn’t help it. I decided to have another conversation with her.

“Hero, you’re awake? Good morning.”

Her appearance was quite convincing. Her nose, cheeks, and eyes were all soft and gentle. If someone as angelic-looking as her turned out to be a fraud, then this world had no one left to trust.

I mentally awarded her 1 point for not being a con artist.

Of course, that didn’t mean I trusted her yet.

“Good morning. By the way, Priestess, I forgot to mention this yesterday. Could you stop calling me ‘Hero’? It feels a bit uncomf—”

“Alright, I’ll stop.”

Her quick response surprised me. Still, I gave her another point for not being a fraud.

If she were a con artist trying to deceive me, she wouldn’t have cut off her words so cleanly like that.

This conversation was a good idea after all.

While I still had to stay cautious, I felt slightly more at ease and allowed her to call me by my name.

“Rera?”

“No, it’s ‘Re-ra.’ Make the vowel sound longer.”

The people of the Bellita Kingdom are all idiots. They can’t pronounce my name properly, so I’ve had to teach them two, three times.

I was worried that the priestess might be the same, but she surprised me again.

“I heard people in the north tend to extend their vowels, like Queen Reti.”

What? What’s this about Queen Reti? This woman must be a con artist.

There was no need for more conversation.

I sat down, ready to declare, “You’re definitely a fraud. I don’t care about your so-called oracle, so do whatever you want.”

But then she added something unexpected.

“There’s an interesting story about Queen Reti’s name. Originally, it was supposed to be spelled and pronounced as ‘Reti’ following the Arcaea Empire’s phonetics, but she refused. She preferred being called ‘Reti.’”

Wait a minute. Hmm. Let’s hear her out a bit more.

At least she still uses a respectful tone when talking about Queen Reti.

“There was a heated debate about how to spell her name. Using the Arcaea Empire’s style would disrespect her, as she was the one who liberated the North from the Empire. But changing the pronunciation system entirely wasn’t feasible either, so they compromised by adding a special marker. This is how her name is written.”

That’s right, that’s right. She’s an incredible person.

While the priestess scribbled something on a napkin, I wondered, “Should I write my name like Queen Reti as ‘Rera’? No, that’d look weird...”

Luckily, it didn’t seem like that was necessary.

The priestess handed me the napkin.

/ Reti’ /

Anyone with even half a brain would understand what that meant. But I still had to ask, “What’s this symbol (‘) for?”

“It’s an ancient pronunciation marker. It was borrowed from the system created by Reisia, the sister of Leonel, who founded the Arcaea Kingdom.”

A’ bota.

Because that symbol is engraved on my sword.

Suddenly, I heard the drunken ramblings of Grandpa Boris echo in my head.

“Do you know how remarkable that sword of yours is? I first saw it in the mysterious temple of the Antoroff Great Canyon.”

Still, I couldn’t be certain. My sword might look ancient, but the idea of it being tied to the Arcaea Kingdom’s history seemed far-fetched.

Especially since Grandpa Boris was a senile old drunk.

“He may be old, but back in his prime, he was a renowned warrior,” Lena said, supporting the claim.

“The records agree. He was a legendary warrior of the Ainar tribe, honored by the Cross Church and exiled from the Aisel Kingdom,” she added.

“Re-ra, you’re destined for greatness. Owning a divine weapon means you’re meant to achieve something extraordinary. Something even I never managed to accomplish.”

I wouldn’t admit it aloud, but those words struck a chord in my heart.

Still, I asked the priestess a more pressing question.

“By the way, Priestess. About that evil god you mentioned—he’s in the royal palace, right? How strong is he?”

And that was that.

In the end, I fell for it. The idea of an “evil god” existing was absurd, but...

How could I ignore what my heart was telling me?

The Next Morning

I woke up and reminisced about the past before rising. Today was the day of the showdown.

Feeling refreshed from a midday drink and a good workout last evening, I got ready, gathered my gear, and left my room.

Although the audience with the king was scheduled for noon, I needed to act early to prepare and sneak into the royal entourage.

First, I went to wake up Lena.

“Lena, are you up? How’s your condition?”

“I’m fine.”

Lena was already seated and looked impeccable, with a lit candle suggesting she’d just finished her morning prayers.

It was hard to believe she was the same person who caused such chaos yesterday. She was someone whose demeanor changed drastically depending on whether she was drunk or sober.

Smirking to myself, I moved on to wake Ray.

“Ray, are you up? I’m coming in.”

“Yeah.”

I opened the door to find Ray in the middle of changing clothes. Startled, I managed not to react outwardly—it wasn’t like I hadn’t seen this before during training.

Acting nonchalant, I sat on the bed.

“Hurry up. We need to leave soon.”

“Okay, just a sec.”

Ray dressed himself and prepared his gear with an intense focus. The way he reverently donned the Conrad Kingdom’s royal guard uniform given by Prince Lean was almost ceremonial.

“Nervous? You look tense.”

“...What?”

“You’re nervous. Haha, you’re so tense.”

I’d expected him to laugh and retort, but instead, he just shrugged his shoulders without a word.

“Let’s go.”

“...Alright.”

Feeling slightly embarrassed, I followed him out.

This wasn’t the time for jokes. What we were about to do was no laughing matter.

Even with the commander of the royal guard supporting us, the mission carried enormous risk. If we failed to find the evil god and got caught sneaking weapons into the palace, not even Prince Lean could protect us.

Lena, Rev, and Priestess Ophelia were already waiting for us when we stepped out. Together, we headed to the mansion of Marquis Tatian, where the prince and his entourage were staying.

The massive estate was overwhelming.

“Wow, what a ridiculously huge house.”

We waited at the gates until the prince’s entourage began to emerge. Dozens of people lined up along the road, preparing to march.

We exchanged subtle glances with an administrator and quietly joined the procession. Disguised as royal guards, Ray, Rev, and I slipped into the formation.

“Why is the atmosphere so tense? No one’s saying a word...”

The royal guards of Conrad Kingdom must have brought only their elite. The soldiers preparing for the march exuded such disciplined precision that it was almost intimidating.

Even if someone danced a ridiculous jig next to them, they wouldn’t spare a glance.

I was stuck, motionless, amidst the suffocatingly rigid formation, unable to budge. Standing still, surprisingly, proved to be harder than it seemed, and I was beginning to feel a crick forming in my neck when the standard-bearer shouted:

“Attention! Stand to!”

We’ve been standing for ages!

The prince emerged from the mansion. Yesterday, when I met him at the lodging, I thought, Wow! A real prince! How fascinating! But now, my perspective has shifted.

He really was someone incredibly high up in the hierarchy.

Since we were only a year apart in age, I had casually talked to him as if we were equals. Would he hold it against me later? I nervously rolled my eyes around.

The prince, speaking with a middle-aged man—presumably the Marquis—was exiting through the main gate.

The Marquis boarded a carriage at the front of the procession to lead the way, while the prince approached the carriage meant for him... passing right in front of me.

I stiffened in nervous anticipation, but when the prince glanced at me, he...

“Pfft!”

...burst out laughing.

What was that about? Why? Did I do something wrong? Was he planning to scold me later? Why not just tell me now?

But that was the end of it.

The prince laughed alone, briefly glanced at Ray and Rev, then climbed into the carriage.

“Move forward, at your pace!”

At the standard-bearer’s command, the procession began. Priestess Ophelia and Lena were riding in a carriage further back.

Occasionally, stray bits of straw—used as a substitute for flowers in winter—floated through the air, accompanied by cheers from the citizens.

I was too preoccupied keeping in step with the soldiers—left foot, right foot—to appreciate the scenery. Eventually, as shadows loomed overhead, I glanced up and realized we were passing beneath the massive gates of the royal palace.

The sheer number of soldiers milling about was astonishing.

To show proper respect to the prince, the palace plaza was lined with royal guards standing at attention. But the guards weren’t the only ones waiting for us.

***

“Marquis Tatian! What is the meaning of this?!”

The plaza was swarming with nobles, many of whom were arguing, seemingly split into factions.

“Why did you invite the prince of Conrad Kingdom without proper authorization?!”

“Prince Lean de Yeriel, welcome to Orville! Please pay no attention to those fools and step inside.”

“Step inside?! This matter wasn’t agreed upon! Count Forte went through such hardship because of the Aisel Kingdom...”

“Hah. Calling a defeat in war a hardship? Anyone could experience that.”

The uproar continued as the nobles surrounded Prince Lean, creating a perfect distraction for us. Using the commotion, Hamlet Oldenburg, the commander of the royal guard, approached and addressed Ophelia.

“Ophelia, this way.”

“Thank you. I won’t forget your help.”

Technically, we shouldn’t have been able to bring weapons into the palace. But with the commander’s tacit approval, we discreetly slipped away from the procession and entered the palace armed.

My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest. All that remained was to find this so-called evil god.

“What do we do now? Split up to look for the monster?”

“Don’t even think about it,” Ray interrupted before Lena could answer. I shot him a look that said, Why are you answering? He looked startled.

“It—it’d be a disaster. If we get caught wandering around separately, it’ll be a huge problem.”

“He’s right. We can’t split up,” Lena added. “Besides, summoning the evil god is Prince Lean’s responsibility.”

“Wait, the prince is summoning it?”

“Yes. All we need to do is wait.”

Well, if Lena said so, then that must be it... but I still didn’t fully understand what was going on.

Still, I waited. And soon enough, I would understand why the entity we were about to face was called a god.

***

I suffer from a mental illness.

Chloe de Tatalia sat in her room, distressed.

She was acutely aware of her condition, knowing exactly when it would flare up—days like today, when Marquis Benar Tatian entered the royal palace. For reasons she couldn’t explain, these days almost always triggered her episodes.

Please. Let today pass without incident. No mishaps, please.

After finishing her preparations, Chloe prayed before leaving her room.

Her affliction caused her to lose clarity of thought, leading to unintentional actions. Most of the time, it was minor—like binge-eating. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she’d lock herself in her room and devour nuts as if venting her frustration.

While waking up to a bed strewn with nutshells and a disapproving maid’s glare was embarrassing, it was a relatively harmless outcome.

If things went poorly, however...

She caused scandals that could shake the nation.

One time, she came to her senses in the bedroom of Toton Tatian, the Marquis’s son, and cried bitterly. Another time, she kissed Gilbert Forte, the son of Count Herman Forte, out of nowhere and was mortified for days.

Just let me die. Please, just let me die.

But she couldn’t.

With so many maids around, finding something to harm herself was impossible. And on the rare occasions she tried jumping out a window, her illness would cause her to faint, and she’d wake up tucked neatly in bed.

The only thing that kept her sane was her brother, Crown Prince. He understood her condition and offered her words of comfort.

“Time will heal you,” he had said. “One day, it’ll get better. When I become king, I’ll take you to a saint for treatment. Father won’t allow it, but I will.”

“Princess, it’s time to leave.”

“Yes, I’m coming.”

Chloe de Tatalia stepped out of her room, silently praying, Please, just for today.

Today was the day Marquis Tatian had brought the prince of Conrad Kingdom to the palace.

Meeting the prince was unavoidable. Unless she wanted to spark another war, she had to show her face and politely express her lack of interest in marriage.

Last time, she had tried that and caused a major incident.

As she walked, she focused on her breathing, counting steps, and imagining the lake north of Orville. Her physician had suggested these techniques to help her stay calm.

“Presenting Princess Chloe de Tatalia!”

Please.

She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them. The doors to the ballroom were wide open. Thankfully, she still felt composed as she stepped inside.

I’ve been fine for over six months now. Maybe I’m finally better...

And then she saw him.

The moment her eyes fell on Prince Lean de Yeriel, her mind went blank.

Her body flushed with heat, and an overwhelming desire to rush to him filled her being. Her steps faltered.

She barely managed to reach him, ignoring the throng of nobles clamoring around him. As she stood before the prince, she leaned in to kiss him.

But then—

“It’s been a while, Astroth.”

What?

The prince grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. His golden eyes gleamed as he peered at her.

“It’s me, Leonel. I’ve come to fulfill my promise. Now come out.”

“Kyaaa!!”

And then, she saw it.

The god.

It ripped through the ceiling of the ballroom, revealing its grotesque face. A massive, gray visage loomed over the hall, human-like yet horrifying.

“Leonel. I have awaited you.”