What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 231

Curtain Call (4)

-Clunk, creeak······

At that moment, the wall of the Cardinal’s office opened.

“How rowdy.”

A section of the bookshelf split open, and Frederick Ricester emerged.

The bookshelf was a secret passage that only the Emperor and the Prince Consort could use.

Orelly lowered her eyebrows and rose from her seat.

Elizabeth quickly wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood up.

The Emperor gestured to the girl.

“You keep eating. I have no face to see Karolin if you lose weight.”

“Yes.”

The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard obeyed the order and sat down.

Frederick stared down at the half-fainted servant.

There was not a hint of sympathy in his blood-red eyes.

Jeanette gasped for breath, convulsing intermittently.

Thanks to the Cardinal’s divine power, the pain was much less than before.

However, her body wouldn’t listen to her due to fear and shock, and she couldn’t even lift a finger, even in the presence of the solemn monarch.

It was hard even to open her mouth to greet him.

“Huk, ugh······!”

“Is it Iza?”

“Yes. Lora and the other servants were clean.”

And all of them lost their memories of meeting the Cardinal. Orelly’s method was simple.

First, she summons the servants with trivial matters. The target of the summons is limited to those who have been in contact with Simon de Sarnese for the past 10 months.

When the person enters the office, she opens a circle and puts pressure on them.

If they answer falsely, there will be an ether reaction [a magical or spiritual response], and if they tell the truth, nothing will happen.

In the latter case, she places a Divine Protection [a magical blessing or shield] to erase the memory of being questioned.

Then no strange rumors will spread in the Imperial Palace.

“Good job.”

The Cardinal has been assisting the Emperor in this way for many years.

Frederick stroked her back once and asked.

“So, it’s brainwashing?”

“Yes. Not by the Cardinal, but by a very powerful Archbishop.”

“I can undo it.”

“Maybe the child will lose her mind before that. Like the Imperial Guard last time.”

Orelly looked up at her partner and replied.

The Imperial Guard she mentioned was one of the men dispatched to the Commander of the Imperial Guard and Baron Berang’s territory.

He returned to the Imperial Palace half-dead and testified that it was Johann Haynes who had mercilessly defeated the Imperial Guard under the orders of Yeser Venetian.

It was difficult to say that he had dared to lie before the Emperor. But the Emperor felt uneasy.

‘Orelly, you should interview the surviving Imperial Guard.’

So, she asked her friend to look into his soul.

‘······Aaaaaah! Keuheuk! It hurts! Aaaaaah!’

‘Hmm.’

However.

‘Ugh······! Hicc. Hahaha. Hahahaha!’

-Crash, shatter!

The result was disastrous. The patient couldn’t withstand the Cardinal’s great divine power and went insane.

The soul, already under powerful brainwashing, became as fragile as a glass bottle after going through life and death, and when she forcibly opened the lid, it finally shattered.

It was a case where even the vessel was weakened because the body was dying.

In the end, nothing could be salvaged from him. Other than the fact that he was mind-controlled by someone.

“That one looks healthy, so she should be able to withstand it.”

“That’s my hope.”

Orelly smiled.

The Cardinal was naturally stronger than the Archbishop, and she was among the high-ranking Cardinals.

So, theoretically, she should be able to easily undo the Archbishop’s spell.

However, brainwashing by Divine Protection has many variables.

The victim’s age, physical strength, mental strength, relationship with the priest······.

‘My Divine Protection is very strong. Washing the minds of children who have lived their entire lives being brainwashed is not a difficult task at all.’

The Cardinal suddenly recalled the story she had told the Prince last spring.

At that time, the two were not teacher and disciple.

At the time, Orelly had successfully washed away the brainwashing of the twins who had tried to assassinate the Prince.

It was only a bishop-level priest who had manipulated the two priest-level paladins, and the thirteen-year-old boys had clear vessels and strong bodies.

It was an age when brainwashing was easy to apply but also easy to undo. So, it wasn’t difficult.

On the other hand, this one is······.

[Let’s try, Jeanette. It depends on what you decide.]

“Heueu······.”

[If you endure the pain well, you will be free. Your vision will become much clearer.]

Frederick was unforgiving even to those who were manipulated, but Orelly felt sorry for them.

‘Tsk.’ The Emperor clicked his tongue from behind.

He didn’t like being sweet to someone who was going to pay for their sins anyway.

A Divine Protection as soft as a lullaby echoed.

[Rest a little. See you later.]

“Your Majesty······.”

The woman called the Cardinal in a faint voice and closed her eyes.

Her slender breath continued. Natalie, who had been standing silently, covered Jeanette with a blanket.

Orelly looked at the Emperor.

“What happened to the Imperial Capital Defense Forces?”

“As expected. All the soldiers who volunteered to find the Prince’s party were trained in Sarnese.”

“The Commander of the Defense Forces is staying in the Imperial Capital and receiving reports from the Deputy Commander, but only the Deputy Commander has met Archbishop Eugenia Kessie. After investigating, it turns out that the Deputy Commander is a believer in the Central Temple of the Imperial Capital. Kessie has been coming to the Imperial Capital, which is not her archdiocese, for some time now.”

The young Count put down the black tea he was drinking and said.

“I see. The Deputy Commander was the problem.”

“We have also detected that Kessie visited the Sarnese manor.”

The Cardinal nodded.

It wasn’t particularly special for Kessie, a prominent Archbishop, to stay in the Imperial Capital.

She was one of the priests who risked their lives for central power.

She was known to frequent the mansions of the great nobles and do various lobbying activities.

In short, she was a power-hungry cleric who went to social clubs more often than diocesan meetings.

However, she was quiet during the last annual prayer meeting.

She had never acted against Prince Yeser in front of the Imperial Family.

Frederick grumbled.

“Eugenia Kessie. She pretends to be a wise old woman on the outside, but how many people believe that?”

“More than you think.”

Orelly pointed out with a bitter smile.

But if she released the imprisoned Jeanette’s soul, any truth would be revealed.

She asked.

“What about Duke Blancar?”

“He’s in Stroda Palace. His daughter and the witness are with him. They haven’t held his son’s funeral yet.”

“It’s been a while since that family has stayed in the Imperial Palace.”

The Emperor scoffed. The two could now make such jokes about Alexandre.

“Has Bakari awakened?”

“Not yet, Your Majesty.”

Natalie answered politely. It had already been eight days since the Prophet had lost consciousness.

The mana resting period was unusually long.

“Fire and explosions, swords and blood······. Is his body unable to handle such terrible prophecies?”

“Reality was even more terrible, Orelly. The Grand Preceptor killed thirty people.”

“Did the Prince see it?”

The Cardinal whispered. Elizabeth moved her fork and thought.

His Majesty, who worries about the Prince’s well-being even when people have died, is also not normal.

“Hmph. Johann Haynes is not the type to show such a sight.”

The Emperor replied sharply. The mercenary was like a white fox.

Frederick had long known that the paladin who had sworn allegiance to him had given his soul to the Prince.

Wasn’t that what he had promised in the first place?

‘I will live for His Majesty the Emperor and die for His Highness the Prince.’

The Emperor’s sword and the Prince’s bow.

“There’s no need to worry about those guys.”

The monarch cut off the topic in one stroke. A sharp edge appeared in her cherry-colored eyes.

The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard quickly straightened his posture.

“I have summoned some of the knights from my territory.”

“······.”

A heavy silence flowed through the office.

The Emperor’s army was not only the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Capital Defense Forces, and the Imperial Army.

Naturally, there were many knights in the lands she had inherited throughout the Empire.

There was also a considerable number of elite personnel who moved silently and performed secret missions.

The young Count swallowed hard.

It was yesterday that his aide, who had been sent to the Marquisate of Diem, had returned without being noticed by anyone.

She gave this report to the Imperial Family elders.

‘The Prince and the Marquis’ party have already left for the Imperial Capital. Only Antoinette and Princess Therese are in the manor. Count Kalamar, along with two servants and the Baron Berang family, are staying in the castle without injuries. The territory is virtually sealed off, the security is very strict, and the knights are in a state of war.’

It was fortunate that Ganael was safe, but they could never let their guard down.

If the Imperial Capital Defense Forces and the Marquis’ knights were to cause a full-scale conflict, then His Majesty would have no other choice.

So, her friends had to reach the Imperial Palace without any problems.

They had to arrive by tomorrow at the latest. Otherwise······.

“It will be decided soon. Which branch I have to cut off.”

The Emperor said quietly. The Cardinal stroked her hand on the hilt of the sword.

*

We washed ourselves clean with the water Christel made, picked out the spare clothes on the ship that were the closest to our sizes, and gathered in one room to sleep for efficient heating.

Thankfully, there were plenty of blankets.

While Sir Erbe helped Isabel unfurl the sails, Maria diligently took care of her ailing older brother.

Ellen and Sir Johann also took turns.

That’s how the morning of the 27th dawned. The pirate ship was bustling.

-Thwack!

“Look at this. It’s the same. It’s Father’s doing.”

Christel placed two flyers on the floor of the cabin with a determined look.

We were happily blowing on and eating grilled fresh seafood, potatoes, and sweet potatoes cooked golden brown with the Crown Prince’s fire.

The former was Tete’s express delivery, and the latter was the organic crops of the Lesser Pandas.

With Christel’s salt, pepper, and chili powder sprinkled on top, everything tasted good.

I happily savored the sea bream that melted in my mouth.

The sanctuary surrounding the three paladins was undulating. It’s really amazing. It’s so delicious.

“Your Highness.”

No. Hey! Wake up!

“Yes. This is the flyer that the Marchioness found in the Sarnese manor······.”

I hurriedly replied. The Crown Prince looked at me with a pathetic gaze.

“This is the flyer collected from Claire Square.”

“Yes.”

I tore off the fish and carefully looked at the writing under the Crown Prince’s hand.

The content was very provocative. My forehead furrowed on its own.

“······This is slander. Baron and Baroness Berang are rescuing and helping refugees from the Shin-guk [a foreign nation] who are flowing into the Unite River. It is true that there are former child soldiers among them, but most of them are in poor nutritional condition and cannot even hold a spoon properly. The orphanage is large in scale because it accepts all of them.”

Christel and Isabel were surprised at my words. The Crown Prince tilted his head.

“You saw it yourself, Your Highness. The barony lacks the budget to train Shin-guk soldiers, let alone afford a single set of clothes for the young Baron.”

“······.”

“And the second story is really scary. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

‘Prince Yeser Venetian plotted to terrorize the Imperial Family!’

I read the second item, which was written in large letters, and quickly turned my head.

I heard from Sir Erbe that he and Sir Elizabeth were both safe.

But that was that, and I had to ask about their well-being directly. The Crown Prince frowned.

“Is that all?”

“It’s the most important thing.”

“You are being slandered by the great nobles of the Empire. But there is not a word about your own story.”

His tone was scolding. Ah, well······. What.

“Her Highness Orelly is here, and His Majesty is not an easy person······. Above all, you have all come this far.”

I felt awkward after speaking. But I was originally this kind of guy.

I didn’t care much about hearing false accusations or being misunderstood by someone unrelated to me.

What was important to me was always those who were close to me.

My precious family and few friends. The cat family in the company’s flower bed that I greet every morning.

The security guard grandfather who likes small, yellow yogurt.

I wanted to be a good person to them. That was still the same now.

“It’s enough that everyone believes me.”

So, I added with a smile.

It’s true that there were moments when I was so scared that tears welled up.

I knew that I could be killed or kicked out by this commotion.

But because there are friends who will help me so that doesn’t happen.

Because I believe that if I do my best and get help from the side, everything will work out somehow.

Even if it’s a naive attitude, I didn’t want to give up that feeling.

“······I’m going crazy.”

The Crown Prince swept back his hair and said with a sigh. Why is he doing that after eating such a delicious meal?

“We have to reach the Imperial Palace by the 28th.”

He spat out.

“Yes?”

“His Majesty gave the House of Diem a week’s grace. Are you just coming to your senses now?”

He was aloof on his own. The divine beasts and I gaped. Only the party listening to the conversation was in an uproar!

“Good heavens.”

Marquis Francois sighed, placing the back of his hand on his forehead.

Thump, bang! Sir Erbe and Maria jumped up and ran out onto the deck.

Isabel urgently asked Sir Johann.

“Teacher, what day is it today?”

“It’s the 27th.”

“No! Why are you telling me such an important thing now? Seyo?”

-Squeak!

-Aeoo!

-Pippo!

Christel and the troublemakers finally lost their temper. I know!

“I don’t think it would have changed anything if I had said it earlier.”

He retorted, maintaining an unnecessarily handsome angle.

It was also a talent to turn someone’s stomach with the right words.