Raising The Princess To Overcome Death Chapter 243

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241. Childhood Friend – Wedding

“This is only the second time we’ve met, isn’t it? Apostle of Barbatos.”

In a reception room with a soft, plain red carpet and only chairs placed for meeting the Saintess, without any tables, Rev and Leo Dexter were at a loss for words.

To think that someone other than us remembers the previous cycle. The Saintess smiled gently at them.

“You seem surprised. I’m sure there’s much you’d like to discuss… PLenase, have a seat.”

Rev and Leo Dexter sat down.

Rev, not knowing what to say, just opened and closed his mouth, while Leo gritted his teeth and asked,

“Did you know everything?”

“What do you mean?”

Leo gripped the armrest of his chair so tightly that it nearly shattered. He barely managed to suppress the urge to slap the Saintess’s smiling face as he continued,

“Did you know about our miserable situation?”

“How could I? I don’t know everything. God only reveals to me what I need to know at any given moment. You’re Leo Dexter, correct? This is also the first time we’ve met.”

“Then ask your God. What did we do wrong to deserve this?”

“Hmm…”

The Saintess slightly raised her beautiful eyes upwards, as if contemplating the ceiling, then opened her mouth.

“You’re paying for the sins committed by Toddler Akiunen.”

“Why should we have to…”

Leo’s mouth snapped shut, realizing what she meant. The Saintess shrugged and said,

“I don’t know. Meeting you here is also part of God’s will, so could you tell me what has happened to you?”

A rather lengthy conversation followed.

Regaining his composure, Rev calmly explained everything that had happened, from the first cycle to the present. The Saintess occasionally teared up, but it seemed she wasn’t just listening to Rev’s story. At times, she gazed into the air and sighed.

“…So this time, you will become the king of the kingdom, and next, you will place Lord Leo on the throne.”

“Yes. That way, we can make Lena and Lena Ainar princesses. Will you help us?”

“…This Lena person, she’s here, right?”

“Yes. She’s been enrolled in the capital church’s educational facility for about a year now.”

“I see…”

The Saintess fell silent for a while. She looked like she was about to say something but then hesitated, her mouth moving slightly. Finally, she spoke, staring intently at the two young men.

“What is it you want me to do? There isn’t much I can do for you. Besides, you don’t really need help.”

“What do you mean?”

Leo Dexter asked, perplexed by the suggestion that they didn’t need help. But Rev nodded, as if he had expected this, and the Saintess gave a short answer.

“The Lord is watching over you.”

That answer should have been sufficient, but Leo still looked confused. So the Saintess elaborated.

“It means that whatever you need has already been provided. I don’t even know why God guided you to me.”

“Who guided us? I came here of my own free will.”

“Yes, that’s true. So why did you come? Maybe if you tell me, I can help.”

Leo then poured out his desires and questions. Unlike Rev, he had many wishes.

“I will marry my fiancée, Lena, here. I’d like you to officiate the wedding, Saintess.”

“That’s not a difficult request. I’ll arrange a date.”

“Thank you. Then… Rev, hand it over for a moment. What is this?”

Leo handed over a blue necklace, a keepsake from Lena’s mother.

It was a bound item that Leo had yet to claim. However, unlike Leo’s mother’s keepsake sword or Rev’s mother’s keepsake mirror, its purpose was unclear. A pretty necklace? It couldn’t be just a trinket. But the Saintess…

“It’s a beautiful necklace.”

She said exactly what was written in the necklace’s description, with an attitude suggesting there was nothing more to explain.

“How did you know it was a beautiful necklace?”

“I just said what I saw.”

“…Can you also see a rectangular window, Saintess?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

The Saintess looked at Leo with puzzled eyes. Feeling foolish, Leo returned to the main point.

“I want to know the purpose of this necklace.”

“Judging by how you’re asking, it must be something very special. Just a moment, I’ll ask… Ah, I’m sorry. The god Binar says it’s not necessary to know.”

“Why not?”

“Just a moment, please. Binar tends to talk a lot… He says you’ll find out when the time is right, so keep it safe. It’s fine to give it to your fiancée, Lena.”

“…Understood. Then…”

Leo suddenly grabbed Rev’s right hand, lost in thought. He opened the palm marked with the brand of Oriax and asked,

“Can you see this brand? Please erase it.”

Rev thought, What’s gotten into this self-centered guy? But then he realized that in the next cycle, this brand might pass to Leo, so it made sense.

The Saintess carefully examined Rev’s palm and said,

[Debuff: Orias’s Footprint – Taunt, Cannot Flee. Fixed time: 11 years, 11 months, 11 days, 11 hours, 11 minutes, 11 seconds.]

“A distorted 17-sided polygon. Impressive. It seems you can read divine symbols to some extent. Erasing it won’t be difficult, but…”

Meriel glanced at Rev.

“It’s better not to erase it. Don’t worry, it will disappear soon.”

Leo asked again if she could erase it now, but the Saintess shook her head. Her eyes bore an enigmatic smile as she looked at Rev.

“Leo, stop. The Saintess says it’s better not to erase it.”

“…What are you planning to do to us next…”

“Hmm? What was that?”

“Never mind, forget it. Then, Saintess.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“Please tell me and Lena our true names.”

The Saintess’s eyes widened in surprise.

She realized why God had guided this man to her and smiled faintly.

Despite having punished them, God truly cared for these people. Even going so far as to attend to such minor details.

Meriel shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. However, I now understand why you’ve come. Lord Leo Dexter, please show me the mirror you possess.”

What is she trying to do?

However, Leo also shook his head—not as a refusal, but because the mirror wasn’t with him.

“That mirror is with Lena. Why do you need it?”

“I’ll make it so you can use the mirror as well. Be sure to bring it on your wedding day. Haha. Now that the important matters have been discussed, anything more would be unnecessary. You may go now.”

“Wait a moment. I still have more questions to ask…”

Leo Dexter called out, but the Saintess reclined in her chair, signaling that the meeting was over.

As the crusaders’ footsteps signaled to the two young men that it was time to Leave, Rev, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

“Saintess, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“There’s a tribe in the west called ‘Uena.’ An elderly woman there serves Ashin, and she’s going to meet Cardinal Michael. Please stop this from happening.”

“…Is that all you wish for?”

“Yes. I can handle everything else on my own.”

The Saintess chuckled softly.

“Now I see why you are the ‘first.’ I’ll grant your request. From now on, Cardinal Michael will not go on any more pilgrimages. I’ll see you on the wedding day.”

Soon, Rev and Leo were Leaving the central church. Leo Dexter grumbled.

“Ugh. I had so many more questions. In the end, she didn’t really help at all. ‘You’ll find out later’? I could say that too. Don’t you think so?”

“…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong with you…? Oh? Isn’t that Lena over there? Yeah, it is.”

The Leos had excellent eyesight. In the distance, Lena was walking with another apprentice, and Rev stared at her blankly. Leo Dexter nudged him.

“What are you doing? Go say hello. I’ll wait.”

But Rev didn’t move.

It was because of the warning from Ashin and Ceres. Leo Dexter, puzzled by Rev’s hesitation, asked,

“When you become king, won’t you contact Lena? Surely you’re not planning to make her a princess without even meeting her?”

“…Let’s go.”

“What? You idiot…”

Trying not to look back, Rev marched ahead. Leo sighed in disbelief.

That was Rev for you.

Rev, who wasn’t very assertive, often listened to others. He was open to Minseo’s suggestions and had a gentle nature.

But wasn’t this a matter concerning Lena and his own life? Leo, who had a strong sense of self, couldn’t help but mutter, “What an idiot.”

—

The next month, during winter, Leo Dexter and Lena Ainar’s wedding took place.

Held in the capital church’s grand hall, the wedding was hastily prepared but became a spectacle with an impressive guest list.

Prince Cleo de Frederick attended on behalf of the Frederick royal family.

His recent romantic involvement with the daughter of Count Oscar led many nobles to eagerly reserve their attendance, causing the wedding to snowball into a grand event.

Though no one knew who Leo Dexter and Lena Ainar were, the wedding nearly became overshadowed by the prominent Frederick royal family and the grand nobles of the Holy Kingdom of Jerome, particularly the Oscar family. However, when it was revealed that Saintess Meriel herself would officiate, the wedding garnered the full attention of the nobility and the public.

While Leo and Lena were lovingly preparing for their life together, Rev took care of the wedding preparations for them.

As the only publicly known figure, Rev, the esteemed Swordmaster, personally greeted the guests. The female disciples served as the bride’s charming bridesmaids, while the burly male disciples became the groom’s impressive guards.

“Thank you for attending my dear friend’s wedding. Yes, yes. Understood. I’ll visit you sometime. Please, come inside. The prince just entered.”

After countless handshakes and scribbling the names of unfamiliar nobles in the guestbook, Rev finally got a moment to catch his breath once the ceremony began.

The once bustling lobby had quieted down. Music played softly. Not wanting to miss his friend’s wedding, Rev discreetly got up and peeked through the grand doors of the wedding hall.

He had missed the highlight.

The Saintess had just finished officiating and blessing the marriage, and Leo and Lena were reading their vows together.

It was a scene he had never witnessed before. Although he had been married a few times, each wedding had always ended with the priest’s words, “…we announce the birth of a new couple before God.”

They really make a good-looking pair with that height difference.—he thought happily, but then a wave of bitterness washed over him.

I’ll never have a wedding like that. Even if I marry Lena, it’ll be after the ending, and this is my last cycle.

At that moment, Rev finally understood the desperation of Lena de Yeriel when he had pleaded for just one more chance. If he managed to clear this, living again wouldn’t undo the cleared state, and he wanted to experience life one more time. He didn’t want to fade away after merely mumbling through the post-ending text.

But that decision was up to Minseo.

Minseo had vowed to make everyone happy before he left, but it was uncertain if he would delay his escape, considering he hadn’t seen his loved ones for decades.

Moreover, Minseo’s standards for a happy ending were quite materialistic and low, which was why Lena had pleaded so fervently despite his princely dignity. He, too, understood that once the childhood friend scenario began, both his and his kingdom’s grim future could change.

There’s a huge difference between directly experiencing something and merely watching it from the sidelines. Rev sighed deeply as he turned away.

Inside the hall, instead of kissing, Leo was playfully rubbing his nose against Lena’s, causing her to blush while she smiled brightly, full of happiness. It made Rev’s heart ache, as he hadn’t yet been able to meet Lena.

A few days later, Rev and his party left Lutetia.

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