Leo found himself a regular job.
His craftsmanship was highly sought after, and he easily secured a position as an assistant blacksmith.
He had even used the stolen dagger as a makeshift introduction, a silent testament to his desperation.
The forge’s heat was an inferno. Leo stood before it, tirelessly pumping the bellows.
Sweat poured off him like rain as his muscles screamed in protest, but he kept his eyes fixed on the dancing flames, lost in thought.
What do I do now?
With each push of the bellows, a wave of scorching heat washed over him. As he pulled back, taking in a lungful of air, the heat briefly receded.
This isn’t working… Nothing’s changing.
He would pick Lena up from the bakery after his shift, and every single day, she would be standing there, gazing wistfully at the Holy Cross Church. The beautiful sunset held no allure for her, and each time, the sight of her desolate figure twisted a knife in his heart.
He was no closer to finding information about the prince.
He tried asking the other blacksmiths while they shared drinks, but the prince remained a distant, mythical figure. His daily routine was a closely guarded secret, known only to a select few.
There were rumors that the prince occasionally ventured beyond the city walls for hunting expeditions, but no one seemed to know for sure if they were true. And even if they were, tracking him down seemed like an impossible task.
Arranging a meeting between Lena and the prince was… improbable, to put it mildly.
Of course it was improbable. To even entertain such a foolish hope was ludicrous.
He had naively assumed that there would be some simple in-game event he could trigger, some convenient shortcut. But no such path presented itself. And the outskirts of the capital, where their little bakery resided, were devoid of nobles, let alone a prince.
A chance encounter was simply not going to happen. His travels had taught him that triggering any sort of in-game event required fulfilling specific conditions.
Even a game like Princess Maker had conditions, like the prince only being available for encounters in January.
Without such knowledge, he needed either insider information or the ability to meet the prince through legitimate means.
Information about the war remained frustratingly fragmented as well. While it was clear that the Swordmaster of the Bellita Kingdom had done something significant, the specifics remained shrouded in mystery.
Why had the Astin Kingdom forces retreated so swiftly? He had no way of knowing.
High-level information in this world was a precious commodity, and Leo had no means of accessing it.
I'll marry Lena.
The decision came to him with the force of a thunderclap.
He couldn't bear to abandon Lena to her grief. He had to do something, anything, to break her out of this cycle of despair.
“Good work today. I’m heading home.”
He left the blacksmith’s forge, his thoughts a jumbled mess. Lena was waiting for him in front of the bakery, as always.
Leo hung his head, shame washing over him.
I’m sorry, Lena.
I’m using my own incompetence as an excuse to take the easy way out. Marriage is nothing but a convenient escape for me.
Lena and Leo returned to their tiny, rundown home in the slums.
Leo filled a bucket at the communal well and brought it back to Lena, who was covered head to toe in flour. She washed up in their room, while Leo settled for a quick rinse by the well.
“All done.”
When he entered their room, Lena was standing by the leaky drain in the floor, drying her hair.
“Lena, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Leo led Lena to the floor, hating the fact that he had to make her sit on the damp, mold-infested ground.
She knelt gracefully, her eyes questioning. Leo hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and spoke.
“Marry me.”
Would Lena be happy if she married me?
It has to be better than this, right?
Lena’s eyes sharpened, but she remained silent, her lips moving soundlessly as if she were carefully considering his words.
Leo waited.
“...Thank you.”
As if she had peered into his very soul and understood his reasoning, she offered him a small, knowing smile. A wave of relief washed over Leo, and the words came tumbling out.
“We’ll save up and go back to our hometown. I promise. I’ll work hard. We can even have a proper wedding then…”
Lena silenced him with a finger to his lips. Her damp hair brushed against his shoulder as she leaned in, kissing him softly.
“Leo, I’m okay. Let’s not push ourselves. We can be happy here.”
Her words struck a chord deep within him.
Lena was comforting him. Her thoughtfulness chipped away at the guilt that had been gnawing at him.
Tears welled up in his eyes, and he couldn’t hold them back any longer. Lena pulled him close, her embrace warm and reassuring.
A few days later, at the crack of dawn, Lena and Leo were married.
The ceremony was held in the bakery, with Priestess Ophelia officiating. The bakery owner and a few kindly old women, their work gloves clutched in their hands, bore witness to their union, showering them with heartfelt congratulations.
It was a simple, humble affair, but Priestess Ophelia’s words held a solemn weight as she declared them husband and wife.
“Leo.”
Lena squeezed his hand tightly, and Leo cupped her cheek, his lips meeting hers in a tender kiss.
And with that, it was over.
[ Lena is married! Congratulations! ]
[ Thank you for playing Raise Lena! ]
Final Job: Bakery Girl
Spouse: Leo
- Born in the village of Demos, Lena enjoyed a happy childhood… (omitted) …Chased out of the Holy City, Lena found work at a bakery. She married Leo, who had followed her to Lutetia, and they had two children together. They lived happily ever after, though they were never able to return to Demos. -
Final Job: Blacksmith
Spouse: Lena
Childhood Friend Ending: Marriage Abroad
- Born in the village of Demos, Leo enjoyed a happy childhood… (omitted) …Leo, who had searched for Lena until he found her in Lutetia, married her. He became a blacksmith and raised a son and a daughter. They were never able to return to Demos. -
Lena’s image flickered and faded, replaced by a still image of their simple bakery wedding.
It wasn’t a fancy affair, not by a long shot. It was the kind of wedding you might stumble upon accidentally while popping in for a loaf of bread.
And yet, Lena’s smile was radiant. She beamed at him, her white teeth flashing, as if reassuring her incompetent husband who couldn’t even take her back home that everything was perfectly alright.
Leo couldn’t tear his eyes away from the image. The memory of their kiss was still fresh on his lips, but their story had come to an end.
I should have found a way to take her back home… We should have been married there…
But that would have meant resorting to unsavory methods.
He would have had to leave Lena behind while he gathered the funds, and even then, they would have had to cross the border illegally, embarking on a perilous journey across another kingdom.
These were all just excuses, of course. He had convinced himself that everything would work out once they were married, that future-Leo would figure it all out. He had simply passed the buck, choosing to ignore the problem altogether.
Regret gnawed at him, threatening to consume him whole.
Minseo reappeared, his brow furrowed in thought.
Chae-ha.
Lena’s actions had struck a nerve.
She had lost everything, yet she had comforted him. She had even stopped him from pursuing their dream of returning home, all because she didn’t want him to struggle.
How could she be so selfless?
He hadn’t been capable of such selflessness. He had clung to Chae-ha, even as she struggled alongside him. He had leaned on her, burdened her with his own pain.
Chae-ha must have been suffering twice over.
What if he had done for Chae-ha what Lena had done for him? What if he had told her that it was okay, that they didn’t have to push themselves so hard?
Minseo turned away, his mind awhirl with unanswered questions. He felt an overwhelming urge to escape the confines of the capsule.
I have to get out of here.
I have to go back to Chae-ha, apologize for everything, and make things right.
But even as he thought this, a part of him wanted to stay, to find a way to give Lena the happy ending she deserved.
I want to make her happy before I go.
This was no longer just a game to Minseo.
[ You have failed to clear Raise Lena! ]
[ Due to the interference of the nobility, Lena was unable to achieve her dreams. As a token of consolation, you have been granted information on {Noble Society}. ]
[ Restarting… ]