NOVEL NEXT Chapter 188
Chapter 188. Childhood Friend – Twenty Photos
“Brother!”
Following Iron Lord, Lev also coughed up blood. The veins on both of his cheeks stood out blue, and his lips turned a purplish color. His head shook in a convulsive tremor as he grabbed his throat. Startled, Lena approached to check on Lev, but…
“Ah!”
Someone yanked her hair roughly.
“Hahaha! Come here, pretty…”
It was a barbarian soldier. He grinned, trying to embrace Lena.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
But then, there were piercing golden eyes. Lena turned her head. The insolent barbarian who had dared to grab the hair of the princess froze under her fierce gaze. The sexual desire in the wretched barbarian fled from the sight of her eyes, eyebrows, her noble nose, and her anger-distorted lips.
“Uh… I mean…”
“Let go.”
The soldier released his grip on her hair, bewildered. As Lena tried to catch her breath,
“What are you doing? Leaving such a beautiful girl!”
Another barbarian soldier hugged Lena from behind. Brazenly wrapping his brawny arm around her waist, he groped her chest with his other hand. He was a warrior of the Nolande tribe. Lena twisted her body, but he didn’t budge. He rubbed his cheek against the princess’s ear and said,
“Hey. Cesar. Are you really okay with this?”
– Thud.
A dark-skinned man covered in a bit of blood gestured with his chin. After pushing aside the youth pierced in the chest by a dagger, Hato, he smiled brightly at Lev,
“Ah~ Captain.”
Cesar took out a small fabric pouch from his chest.
“How does it taste? I’ve never tried it.”
Lev, clutching his throat, lifted his head. Through his hazy vision, he saw the pouch Cesar held.
A bird design skewered on a stick.
The pouch bore the same symbol as the tattoos of ‘Dorf Family’ thugs.
Drugs and slavery were a complementary match. Nothing silenced resisting slaves like drugs, and slaves were perfect subjects for testing the manufactured drugs. Based in Nevis, the Dorf Family made their main profits from the drug and slave trades.
“You… you bastard…”
Grrrrk. Blood frothed from Levs mouth. Sticky drops of blood dripped down his chin messily.
The broth was hot, and he had only taken a spoonful of it. Despite that, it felt like his intestines were being torn apart, the poison rapidly devouring him.
“Haha. Can’t handle hot stuff, can you? I have something to ask you, Captain. You seem to have seen the map I made… where did you see it?”
Cesar approached.
He kicked the writhing Iron Lord on the ground and squatted in front of the log used as a table.
“You know a lot about the barbarian tribes, Captain. Yet, it’s really strange that you know exactly the same things I lied about. Where did you see it? Did the thug captain of the Dorf Family show it to you by any chance?”
A map depicting the locations of barbarian tribes.
In an earlier episode of Barbatos’s apostle, Lev had exterminated the Dorf Family.
It had all started in an earlier cycle when he had tortured and killed the thug captain who had kidnapped Leah, from whom he had obtained a bundle of maps.
Detailed maps marked the locations of the Nolande tribe, the Dwiner tribe, and others—exact locations typical for the slave-dealing Dorf Family.
In his fading consciousness, Lev realized—the quirky letters likely written on a palm. When he visited the barbarian tribes, he found that map to be mostly inaccurate because…it was made by a traveling trader, Cesar. He mostly wrote letters on Sinis’s back.
“Since you’re on your way out, you might as well tell me, Captain. That guy, what did he… Woah!”
– Whoosh!
Levs sword cut through the air. His vision wavered, striking off-target, and Cesar stepped back a couple of paces, whistling.
“Impressive. This stuff could take someone out just by its scent.”
“Why… why are you, you… Gahhh!”
Lev vomited blood.
What he spit out was no longer foam. Chunks of shredded organs mixed with the black blood.
“Actually, I didn’t want this either. When I first met you, Captain, I was a bit annoyed, but I thought it was worth following you around.”
[Acheivement: Master-Servant Relationship – ‘953’, While loyalty doesn’t waver, those who pledge it will trust and follow Leo.]
A message popped up. The count that was continuously dropping rose by one.
“Rebellion. Hahaha. If this succeeds, we can live a lavish life. Money is everything, isn’t it? But,”
[Acheivement: Master-Servant Relationship – ‘952’, While loyalty doesn’t waver, those who pledge it will trust and follow Leo.]
“It’s ruined? This is troublesome. Very troublesome. But it’s not that I don’t still hope things turn out well. I like you, Captain.”
[Acheivement: Master-Servant Relationship – ‘953’, While loyalty doesn’t waver, those who pledge it will trust and follow Leo.]
Cesar squatted down again. He stared intently at Lev, who was trembling on the log.
“But now, it can’t be helped. I’ve worked for you, for so long… I should at least get my investment back. You understand, right?”
[Acheivement: Master-Servant Relationship – ‘952’, While loyalty doesn’t waver, those who pledge it will trust and follow Leo.]
“If I say we caught the general, there might be a reward. Anyway, goodbye. As a token of gratitude, I will occasionally offer a memorial service. After all, I even got the princess thanks to you.”
“Lena!”
Lev turned his head with difficulty. A thorn protruding sharply from the blood-soaked tree stump scratched his cheek.
Beside him, Lena and a warrior of the Norangde tribe were grappling.
Lena struggled desperately, but her slender arms couldn’t overcome the warrior’s strength. The Norangde warrior slammed Lena to the ground. Holding her arms, he used the other hand to tear her clothes.
“Let go, let go!”
“Stay still!”
The dignity of royalty was powerless. Her restrained arms lay helpless, and her stern commands meant nothing as she lay pinned.
Lena realized that nothing she learned from the Marchioness of Guidan was of use here.
The cooking and politics she had learned only mattered when materials were available, and the Marchioness had never taught her to prepare them. Even the Marchioness only used the materials prepared by her maids.
“Le… na! Let go of my sister…!”
He couldn’t hear her.
Lev stood up. Stumbling, he gripped his suddenly heavy sword tightly. But that was only his intention; he could barely hold it, as his grasp wouldn’t listen to him.
Death was near. His body was becoming uncontrollable at a terrifying speed.
“Brother, save me… Ugh! Let go! I said let go!”
“Let go~ I said let go~ Hahaha! Funny. Stay still and I’ll… Ah!”
Lev threw himself forward. His foot caught on a tree stump, but somehow he managed to lift his sword. With the sword in hand, he fell and thrust it down.
– Thud.
The sword pierced a chest.
But the person it struck wasn’t the warrior of the Norangde tribe. Between the torn clothes, the cold metal was lodged in Lena’s chest.
It wasn’t even a mistake.
[ Forced Termination: Lena killed 2/3 ]
Lev collapsed. He fell, covering his sister’s body, and the sword embedded in her chest cut through his chin and lips.
“Sorry… sorry…”
The sensation of his sister’s bare chest against his chin tormented him. He tried to get up but couldn’t move, so he turned his head.
In his dimming vision, the delmizari grass beyond his dying sister’s face swayed gently.
* * *
[ Leo has died. ]
[ You have died. 5/5 – The player shares life with Leo. ]
[ Achievement: Fifth Death – The speed of the player’s assimilation with Leo decreases. ]
[ Thank you for playing ‘Raise Lena.’ ]
The forest, soaked in summer scents, with its betrayed comrades, overturned bowls, blood-soaked tree stumps, and the smell of soup, quickly faded into the distance.
And darkness fell.
In the darkness, Minseo shuddered.
Being reduced to a round shape was fortunate; otherwise, he might have torn off the flesh of his face. He would’ve gouged out the eyes that saw his sister’s chest, ripped all the touched skin from his cheekbones to his chin.
He wanted to.
‘…!!!’
Minseo silently screamed. He hated himself for killing his sister, cursing and condemning Caesar and the traitors.
He despised the god who surely created this game, yet this hatred inevitably turned back upon himself.
His instinct to protect himself made him want to blame Lev and Prince Leo, but he soon fell silent. In the empty darkness, as the ending credits rolled, the only target for his curses was himself.
[ Leah ]
[ Final Job: Priest ]
[ Marriage Partner: Unmarried ]
[ Lev ]
[ Final Job: General ]
[ Marriage Partner: Engaged to the Norangde Tribe’s chieftain ]
[ Childhood Friend Ending: Wandering Priest ]
– Born in the village of Demos, Leah .. (omitted) …proposed the ‘Theory of the Chooser,’ asserting that priests could marry and that the creator had endowed his creatures with the right to choose. She became a priest at a young age and wandered the entire continent as a missionary her whole life. After her death, she was canonized as the eighth saint. –
– Born in the village of Demos, Lev… (omitted) …became a general and led a rebel force with Prince Leo de Yeriel, but fell into the schemes of Prince Aeton and Prince Algeo de Lognum. Encouraged by Prince Leo de Yeriel, he fled with Princess Lena de Yeriel but was poisoned by his lieutenant. –
[ The ending of the Beggar Siblings Scenario has been modified. ]
[ Lena de Yeriel ]
[ Final Job: Unemployed ]
[ Marriage Partner: Unmarried ]
[ Leo de Yeriel ]
[ Final Job: Rebel Army Supreme Commander ]
[ Marriage Partner: Dating Xenia ]
[ Beggar Siblings Ending: Rebellion Failed ]
+ Born in the palace of Rutina, Lena had an unhappy childhood. She was influenced by people… (omitted) …and persuaded numerous nobles to support her brother. However, the rebellion failed, and Lena escaped with General Lev at the insistence of Prince Leo de Yeriel. But she was killed by General Lev while fleeing, betrayed by their followers. +
+ Born in the palace of Rutina, Leo had an unhappy childhood. He was influenced by people… (omitted) …he initiated a rebellion in the Kingdom of Orun. Despite the help of Guidan and Drageen, he fell into the schemes of Prince Aeton and Prince Algeo de Lognum. Desperately defending Nevis City, he was defeated and executed. His head was sent to the Kingdom of Conrad. +
Guilt tore Minseo apart. While reading the end credits out of habit, he had no idea how to suppress his boiling rage.
The ending photos that came to mind.
One was of a quiet country road, with an elderly priest sitting at the back of a carriage. Despite her age, she had a certain freshness about her, unmistakably Leah .
She sat swinging one foot under the carriage while the other was pulled up. Her pristine white priestly robes were stained, but she didn’t care.
In her hands was a wine cup that seemed familiar. Leah held it with both hands and gazed into the distant blue sky.
The other photo was of his younger sister, Lena. Torn clothes, a sword stuck in her chest, and the fallen Rev. There was nothing particularly noteworthy. But Minseo stared intensely at one corner of the photo.
Cesar.
No matter what, he would kill him. No, he would murder him.
It was a relief that he had an outlet for his fury. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to bear it. Minseo muttered for a while, and a text appeared before him.
[ You have not cleared “Raising Lena.” ]
[ Leo, you have been betrayed. As a token of consolation, the “Master-Servant Relationship” achievement is enhanced. ]
[ Achievement: Twenty Photos – Lena sometimes faintly remembers the past in her dreams. ]
[ Restarting. ]
The Northern Kingdom of Astin. A scene of approaching Avril Castle unfolded.
Soon, Minseo’s vision arrived at a snow-swept clearing, and another message appeared before his eyes.
[ Achievement: “17th” Leo – The speed at which the player assimilates with Leo is slightly increased. ]
[ 17/22 ]
[ You don’t know the true name. ]
But this was trivial.
Lena Einarr turned back.
Straight eyebrows and confident eyes. Lena, his lover and fiancée, turned to Leo Dexter and asked.
“Leo! Are you listening to me?”
“Aaaaaaah!”
Minseo clutched his head and screamed. Ironically, his heart pounded with emotion.
His head was not in agreement, the guilt of killing his sister remained! But his heart and body were Leo Dexter’s.
Lena Einarr before his eyes was lovely, and he was glad to see her again. The memory of her death in the previous cycle brought a wave of sorrow.
It was driving him insane.