As the image of Orville, the capital of the Bellita Kingdom, faded away, Minseo once again became Leo.
Lena and Leo were huddled together in an alleyway, dressed in rags, just as before.
Intense hunger gnawed at Leo’s stomach. His younger sister, with a longing look in her eyes, stared blankly at the dirty water on the ground before turning her head with difficulty.
“Brother… I’m hungry… and thirsty…”
Unlike before, his pockets felt heavy. They contained eight silver coins and five copper coins.
{Starting Funds}.
“Lena, let’s go get something to eat.”
Leo helped Lena to her feet.
As he held his sister’s frail hand, a painful memory resurfaced. The hellish night he had spent clutching this tiny hand, helpless as his sister’s breathing grew fainter. A memory he never wanted to relive.
Lena, thinking they were headed for the trash cans, wore a weary expression.
For some reason, her brother hadn't been able to fetch any water today, and the sudden downpour had prevented them from scavenging through the trash in the morning.
As far as Lena knew, there was nothing left to eat once morning arrived.
Her brother led her out of the alley, holding her hand. The aroma of all sorts of food assaulted their noses as they entered the marketplace.
‘There's so much food piled up… Huh?’
Her brother strode purposefully towards a chicken stall, but a large man emerged, blocking their path with a club in hand.
“Hey, get lost while I’m asking nicely.”
Frightened, Lena tugged at her brother's clothes. Her brother gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Can we buy something to eat with this?”
Her brother took two pieces of brown metal from his pocket.
“Oh. A customer, are we? You want some chicken to go?”
“Can we eat here?”
“Eating here costs a bit more.”
Her brother took out a few more copper coins from his pocket.
“Hmm. You two look a bit rough to be dining in… but well, there are no other customers right now. Come on in.”
Lena followed him inside, bewildered, and took a seat.
As expected of her brother!
“Brother, where did you get that?”
“Found it. I was saving it for an emergency.”
“Is that… money? The thing you said can buy us anything?”
“Yes.”
“Can we buy a house with that?”
“A house… we need a lot more of these for that.”
“How many?”
“So many that it’s impossible for now.”
“Where can we find more?”
“…”
It seemed his sister had received almost no education.
‘I need to save up money, secure our safety, and get her an education as soon as possible… The beginning of this scenario is too harsh.’
This scenario's Lena was so beautiful that he couldn't risk taking her outside without guaranteed safety.
That meant hiring a private tutor, but in this era, only nobles could afford such luxuries, and naturally, it was incredibly expensive.
‘No, wait. Nobles hire renowned scholars, that's why it’s so expensive… wouldn’t a regular teacher be more affordable?’
Just then, the boiled chicken Leo had ordered arrived, neatly chopped. Roasted chicken with seasoning was expensive, so he had decided to save money.
Lena eagerly tore into the tender chicken meat. Leo, observing her, sank into thought.
‘First, survival takes priority over making her a princess.’
If he tried to get ahead of himself like he did in the previous Childhood Friends scenario, Lena might end up getting kidnapped. He nibbled on a drumstick, carefully reviewing everything he had gained so far.
As scenario rewards, he had {Hunting}, {Swordsmanship}, {Starting Funds}, information about the {Rules of Back Alley}, and {Combined Attack}.
And his achievements…
[ Achievement: First Meeting with Lena – Lena has high affection for Leo. ]
[ Achievement: First Kill – Leo experiences less guilt from killing. ]
[ Achievement: Ten Soldiers – Increased strength when facing soldiers. ]
[ Achievement: One Knight – Increased strength when facing knights. ]
[ Achievement: First Meeting with a Prince – Gained slight favor with all princes. ]
[ Achievement: Met Arnolf de Klaus – Gained slight favor with all nobles serving the Klaus Dynasty. Gained slight favor with Arnolf de Klaus. ]
…were quite lacking.
Moreover, the only ones immediately useful were {Swordsmanship}, {Starting Funds}, and {Rules of Back Alley}.
His abilities were too insufficient.
He had felt it during the Engagement scenario as well. Even with Leo Dexter’s well-trained body, there was little he could do.
The war event was too brutal, but the early stages of this Street Beggars scenario were so unforgiving that life itself felt like a constant battle.
Even Leo’s current body was thin and short due to malnutrition. Not only did he lack weapons, but even if he had a proper two-handed sword, this body would struggle against two thugs.
And that was assuming they were caught off guard. If his opponents were cautious and paced themselves, he would undoubtedly lose.
At this rate, he couldn’t protect Lena.
‘Let’s aim for a happy ending in this scenario.’
Leo sighed inwardly. This Street Beggars scenario was practically his first attempt.
Last time, Lena had died of illness within just two days. So, it was best to abandon any thoughts of clearing it in one go.
His sister, choking on the chicken, gulped down some water.
My adorable little sister.
Perhaps because she was his blood relative, he had grown attached to this Lena much faster than the others.
This time, he would make her happy, no matter what. He would provide his sister with a comfortable life while he gathered information separately.
He couldn’t bear to witness her death again.
‘But it’s not like I gained nothing from the previous attempt.’
There was somewhere Leo could go immediately.