What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 404

Sub Male Lead’s Hiatus – #404

Ambush (5)

“…….”

When I opened my eyes, the dawn was a bluish hue.

I blinked slowly, waiting for my vision to adjust to the dim light.

I saw Gain, curled up in her blanket on the bed right next to me.

She had cried so much while tending to Elizabeth that her eyes were still swollen.

I watched her quietly for a moment before carefully turning to the other side.

On the highest bed in the barracks, the Crown Prince was lying like Sleeping Beauty—the pose was exactly like in the animation.

Ropi was curled up next to him, having come in at some point.

His fur was fluffy; he must have had a good time playing alone and grooming himself.

A burst of laughter escaped me.

-Squeak

“Oh, you’re awake?”

Demi, who was being held in my arms, wagged his tail and greeted me.

I greeted him back with a hoarse voice, petted his warm body for a while, and checked on Feri, who was buried in Gain’s blanket.

Leia seemed to be sleeping in another bed. I quietly slipped my legs out of bed.

Only our three beds were hidden inside, so I had to pull back the curtain and go out to see what was happening outside.

When I got up with Demi in my arms, he clung to me tightly.

‘Kkiu.’ He seemed to be acting like this because he had seen a lot of scary things these past few days.

Feeling sorry, I rubbed my cheek against his for a long time and touched noses with him.

-Rustle……

After yesterday’s commotion, we all collapsed into bed.

Bakari, who appeared in a hurry, looked at us with an expression that said, ‘Is it you guys again?’

He probably didn’t expect such a big commotion to break out in the Crown Prince’s barracks.

While the teenager was having a serious conversation with the healing priests, we staggered up and grabbed a bite to eat.

Everyone looked pale, as if they had lost at least 2 pounds in the meantime.

But you need to be full to have strength, and you need strength to maintain your health.

So we ate, washed, sang lullabies to the divine beasts…….

We fell asleep before 10 o’clock. We must have been very tired.

“Oh my. Let’s drink some water…….”

By the way, why did Duke Theop leave like that?

I should have explained the principle of the defibrillator properly.

Was it because he knew I was from an enemy country and didn’t trust me yet?

“Are you awake, Princess?”

“Oh. Hello, Bakari.”

The person who greeted me from beyond the curtain was not the cardinal I had expected, but the young mage.

Sir Johann was not there at all.

When I opened my eyes wide, the teenager shrugged.

He was wearing his usual neat robe, as always.

Now that I see it, he was holding small medicine bottles and glass tubes in both hands.

“Medications containing high-grade magic stone powder must be checked for quality and dosage by a non-combat mage of at least 7th grade before administration. This is the strict national law of Liestere.”

“Ah, yes. I’ve heard.”

“However, Marquis Dium is ill, and all personnel above the 7th grade are currently too busy. I don’t know when I’ll be away, so I’ll divide the daily dose in advance. You coughed just now, so please be a witness.”

“Yes.”

I washed my face to wake up and emptied a cup of lukewarm water.

Before helping with the work, I checked on Elizabeth’s condition first.

She had suffered fractures of the sternum and ribs due to CPR, but thanks to the talented priests who quickly reattached the bones, she was recovering safely.

Her breathing was regular, and her beautiful face was flushed.

She looked a little gaunt, but I was relieved that she seemed to have rested well last night.

The knight might become a Sword Master [a master of swordsmanship who has reached the highest level of skill and power] in the near future.

“……They say her aura is settling in her dantian [an area in the lower abdomen considered the center of vital energy in traditional Chinese medicine], Elizabeth.”

I was proud of my friend, and I kept smiling because I was so grateful that she was alive.

I held her hand tightly once.

I heard that it takes anywhere from a few years to decades for a Sword Master’s aura to bloom at the tip of their sword.

I heard that the rise and fall of a knight depends entirely on their innate talent and effort.

But Elizabeth will do it. She will do it wonderfully.

“I’ll keep it a secret from Ganael. Please tell me first.”

I whispered.

Meanwhile, Bakari was laying out the medicine on the adjutant’s desk and starting to measure it.

Demi, feeling curious, climbed up his calf.

Right.

“Hey, Bakari. There’s something I want to ask you.”

I approached Francois’ bed and whispered.

In the dim light, his silver-rimmed glasses shone sharply.

“Ask away.”

“No, it’s not really an inquiry…… Black magic. What exactly is the concept? All I know is that black magic takes away life force.”

“You know it well.”

The teenager tilted the glass tube and poured out a little of the contents.

*Poong*, a mysterious green steam rose from the liquid.

The movement to seal the entrance quickly was neat and clean.

I was mesmerized for a moment, then covered Francois, who was lying on his side, with a blanket up to his neck.

As expected, I felt relieved when I saw him sound asleep.

Leia was sleeping soundly in his arms.

I was lucky to have a dreamcatcher-like ability. It was truly a new feeling.

“……Mana naturally resides in the body of every human being. It is the same concept as us having a ‘vessel’ from the moment we are born. Only those born with the ability to control it and express it outside the body, that is, magical power, become mages. Ordinary people without magical power live with only a low level of mana sensitivity. However, those such as monster hunters and magic stone miners generally have excellent sensitivity.”

“I see.”

It’s fun to hear things you know again. It’s amazing to hear things you don’t know for the first time.

I checked Francois’ temperature and confirmed that he was also normal, then returned to Bakari.

The teenager glanced at me and wrote the name and dosage of the medicine on the tag.

-Rustle, rustle……

“Bakari, you seem very smart, though it may sound rude.”

“Ha…….”

A long sigh returned. I bit my lip.

If you ask me why I haven’t studied magic until now, I honestly have some grievances.

I haven’t lived peacefully here for even a year, and I’m a priest, not a mage.

My knowledge of Ether [a mystical energy or substance believed to permeate the universe] is at the middle school level, and I really didn’t have time to learn magic.

Just studying the culture, history, and norms here was enough to make my eyes spin all day long.

I thought I had at least dabbled in magic—Eva was surprised by my skills—but new terms kept coming up.

I guess I still have a long way to go.

“As you know, mana is ‘the power that the Lord God had left over.’ It is like a handprint that cannot help but be left on us, his children and creations.”

“Ah, that’s how it works.”

I only knew the former, and I’m hearing the latter for the first time today, but when I think about it that way, I understand why I don’t have mana.

I applied glue to the tag he wrote and attached it to the medicine bottle.

The commander continued to measure calmly.

“Therefore, a considerable amount of mana exists in the natural state. When it accumulates in one place for a long time, it becomes a magic stone, and when an evil energy dwells here, a monster is born.”

“I heard that golems [artificial beings animated by magic] eat and grow even with evil intentions. Is that true?”

“There are various theories about golems, who are ‘judges of the Lord God.’ That is also one of the traditions.”

The mage nodded and answered.

I stroked Demi, who was only smelling the medicine bottle and backing away. Good boy.

“And black magic is a sorcery that replaces this mana with someone’s life force. Ether, which is the power of God, cannot be obtained in the same way, but this is possible.”

“…….”

Secret whispers continued. My throat tightened with unnecessary tension.

“It would be better if it was a case of exchanging one’s own lifespan. However, even hundreds of years ago, it was common for black mages to kidnap the weak and take their lives. It was to cast black magic. Through this, anyone can easily gain powerful power, and it is said that there were many who fell into temptation because they could see effects that were dozens of times greater than ordinary mana. In the old days, the Empire was not free from these crimes. Records of a huge black market remain in the library.”

“……That’s creepy. Then it’s no wonder Cristel and the Crown Prince are having a hard time.”

“Yes. It is an act considered illegal throughout the continent and the islands, but wouldn’t it have been secretly developed in the shadows? Magic stone sleeping pills made with black magic are no different from poison. Ordinary people would not have survived a day.”

Demi and I opened our mouths at the same time.

It’s not exactly the same (to understand it as easily as possible), but for example, black magic is like drugs in this world.

Criminal organizations or individuals use this to create illegal killing weapons, commit crimes such as harming ordinary people, and continue their lineage.

They would also be constantly developing new technologies and products.

When I was in the Imperial Palace, I mostly saw and lived with only beautiful and good things, but when I came outside, reality was so scary.

People living here are all similar…….

“Then, am I okay because my mana sensitivity is at rock bottom?”

“It is also thanks to the quality and quantity of pure Ether you possess. You are amazing.”

Bakari replied calmly.

It didn’t sound sarcastic in any way, but I felt a little guilty because I had a Sacred Relic inside me.

Judging from the severe portal sickness, I have no resistance to ordinary mana at all…….

Instead, can I say that I have 99.9% black magic resistance?

The divine power seems to purify all the evil energy. This is good.

“I have another question.”

“……When you return to the palace, you should consider inviting a magic teacher. If the Princess’s announcement is posted, mages will line up outside the Imperial Capital.”

“What can’t you make with magic stones? Even medicines come out.”

Then the teenager narrowed his eyes and looked back at me.

No, that’s not it. Anyone can see that mana seems to be a more useful technology in real life than Ether.

While creating glasses that change eye color, it could also contribute to the development of the printing industry.

The Crown Prince still thinks that a quill pen that preserves a large amount of ink is superior to a ballpoint pen. And what about the barracks that are warm 24 hours a day with warmth-preserving magic!

“……Magic stones are too dangerous to inject directly into the body. Because it contains highly pure mana, mages are involved from the processing stage. As you can see, the dosage must be strictly controlled, and the price is considerable.”

The commander replied curtly. That means,

“It sounds like you can make anything except food.”

“Of course.”

Huk! My head perked up at the answer that flew in from another direction.

I smiled broadly and hurriedly pulled back the curtains.

Bakari shook his head and focused on what he was doing.

-Click!

“Francois!”

“It feels like I’m seeing you for the first time in a hundred years, Marquis Serenite.”

He kissed the back of my hand while lying down, and I let the patient do as he pleased.

Leia fussed and snuggled into his arms. I’m so glad to see you!

“How are you feeling? How’s your back?”

“Overall, I feel like I’ve been reborn. Especially my back.”

The man winked.

This was the first time I was so happy that he had the energy to joke.

The forehead with the hair falling down also looked clean. I continued speaking as quietly as possible.

“You’ve been through so much. Do you need any painkillers? Or should I bring you a meal,”

-Flap

At that time, Sir Johann opened the tent and came in. I greeted him with a bright face.

The man was wearing only a thin shirt over his underwear and was holding a stick similar to a switch.

What is it?

“Good morning, Princess.”

“Welcome, Sir Johann. Francois is awake.”

“……That’s good. I wish you a speedy recovery, Marquis.”

“Thank you, Sir Haines.”

After greeting him, Father Herit shared a silent greeting with Bakari and strode towards Cristel and Crown Prince Cedric’s beds.

For some reason, his expression was a little scary. It sounded like wind was blowing every time he walked—

-Whack!

“Wake up. It’s time to train.”

Uh-huh?!

“Sir Johann, the two of them haven’t fully recovered yet?”

I hurriedly turned around and ran to him.

The Crown Prince’s barracks were large enough to be divided into several sections, so I couldn’t stop Father Herit from waking up the children unless I ran!

“Come on. There are research results that show that training on an empty stomach is good for Ether circulation.”

“Ugh, what time is it……?”

Gain’s groaning voice was heard from beyond the curtain.

I looked up at Sir Johann’s profile and earnestly persuaded him. This doesn’t make sense!

“The two of them are patients. Bakari said earlier that black magic is terrifying,”

“As their teacher, I think they’ve both recovered moderately.”

A cold wind was blowing in his eyes.

Only then did I realize what the stick in Sir Johann’s hand was.

It’s not something similar to a switch, it’s just a switch!

Don’t tell me you’ve been scouting out a special training location while running around the military camp since this morning?!?

“Isn’t this, isn’t this abuse? Making sick students unable to sleep…….”

“I have no choice but to make them come to their senses. The Ether skills you two showed in the salt marsh were pathetic. I think I need to hear why you were so careful at that time.”

Around that time, there was a sign of life from the Crown Prince’s bed.

Bakari and Francois on the other side remained silent.

I opened and closed my lips, trying to say something back.

Sir Johann’s words are definitely not true. We really worked hard to protect each other—

“You have to be more aggressive when there is someone to protect. Movements that do not deviate from a certain radius only give space to the enemy. It’s like exposing your weaknesses.”

“…….”

“It’s no different from declaring, ‘I’m tied down because of this person.'”

The gaze looking down was chillingly cold.

I reflexively took a step back.