What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 428

#428

Long Acquaintances (2)

“H-Heineken, Marquis. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“The honor is mine.”

—Swishhhhh…!

The relentless rain outside provided the sound effects.

Mr. Toby hurriedly bowed to me, and Ms. Nailly also bowed politely.

‘The pleasure is all mine.’ I bit my tongue, accepting the couple’s greetings.

Rarely had I ever wanted to go home so desperately as I did today.

I was so embarrassed that my hiccups stopped as soon as I said the fake name, which was even more humiliating.

Jeong Ye-seo, you crazy bastard. What were you thinking, coming up with an imported beer first?

There are plenty of normal Dutch names!

Vincent van Gogh! Erasmus! Hiddink!

“Sniffle… Huhu…!”

Ms. Gain was writhing in laughter like a scene from [a horror film].

Seeing that, I had a feeling that the situation wouldn’t have been much different even if I had used a different name.

The Crown Prince, with amazing composure, simply ignored her and continued to move his spoon.

His movements were so elegant that I momentarily thought he was deaf.

Dduk-ssim sat on his napkin, pretending not to hear and maintaining a dignified air.

Lady Elizabeth seemed very amused, even though she probably didn’t fully understand the context, and the Lesser Panda trio rolled around on the carpet, laughing at me.

Meanwhile, Ghanael was blinking his big eyes diligently. He was clearly racking his brain for his own fake name. Such a diligent child….

“I, I’m Valentin.”

Even that’s a million times better than mine!

“Oh my, the young master of the Valentin viscountcy.”

As the boy introduced himself, not only Toby but also Ms. Nailly and Sir Johann’s eyes widened. Huh?

“The Valentin family? Johann, do you have connections with His Grace the Grand Duke?”

Ms. Nailly inquired. Herrit’s father smiled quietly and raised his glass.

“Maybe.”

“Don’t play coy! Even people like us know that the viscount interacts with the Grand Duke. There have been rumors for decades. So, Herrit is being taken care of by them now?”

“Herrit is living in the safest and warmest place on the continent.”

The two continued to talk non-stop. I sheepishly sat back down.

Ms. Gain looked at me with teary eyes, but I was too embarrassed to meet her gaze.

Later, I should casually ask Ghanael how he knew about the Valentin family.

While I buried my face in my bowl, Ms. Nailly continued to question Sir Johann.

“What about his medicine? It was hard to get back then because it was expensive. Is it more plentiful these days?”

“He’s not sick anymore, Nailly.”

“……What?”

Mr. Toby, who was hanging a mustard soup pot on the fireplace, quickly turned to Sir Johann.

Mint-colored eyes curved gently as he looked back at the two of them.

“Herrit is all better. He’s grown a lot taller since he’s not in pain.”

“……Gods be praised. Is that really……”

“He sleeps and eats well, like his peers. He’s very healthy.”

“Oh, my! That’s wonderful. That’s really wonderful, Johann!”

Mr. Toby quickly took down the pot and approached Sir Johann.

With a beaming smile, he grabbed his friend’s hand and stroked the back of it several times, shedding tears.

Ms. Nailly also teared up instantly.

I quickly fumbled in my pocket and handed her a handkerchief.

The woman smiled faintly and moved her lips. ‘Thank you.’

“Are these the people? Are these the people who healed Herrit?”

—Beep—Boop!

At Ms. Nailly’s gesture, Dduk-ssim puffed up his belly and stood up.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

He began to walk across the table, as if saying, ‘Not just any human, but me!’

We quickly cleared away the forks and knives so that the wren could march freely.

He looked very proud, flapping his little wings. His haughty beak seemed to be 3mm higher.

—Beep-roo-roo, beep-beep-beep!

“They are our heroes, Jeong Dduk-ssim.”

I chuckled and whispered.

But of course, I couldn’t tell the couple the truth. I’m really sorry.

“Come to think of it, we haven’t introduced ourselves.”

‘Ahem!’ Ms. Gain cleared her throat, tidying her napkin.

Instantly, everyone’s attention focused on her.

Our protagonist never hesitated to receive attention from others, anytime, anywhere.

In particular, she was very skilled at changing the atmosphere or diverting the topic.

Her blue-gray eyes sparkled with bright light again.

“I am Knight Stella. This gentleman is Duke Pilsner, and this short-haired lady is Knight Blanc. We are all from the Holy Kingdom.”

Crazy—

“Just pick and choose whatever, mmmph!”

Swish! I threw a piece of Maasdam cheese into Ms. Gain’s mouth.

She immediately mumbled, ‘Delicious.’

I thought the fake name game was over, but as expected, the Pink Princess didn’t stop at the first verse, like a true Korean [referring to a tendency to continue a topic or activity].

To make a 10,000 won bill with the four of us combined, what a talent! [A Korean expression referring to someone who is good at exaggerating or making things up.]

“Oh, oh. Duke Pilsner, Marquis Heineken, Sir Stella, Sir Blanc… and Young Master Valentin. Welcome to Bethani Apothecary!”

Mr. Toby smiled brightly and greeted us again.

Ms. Nailly, who had wiped away her tears, also had a much lighter expression.

Crown Prince Cedric simply nodded.

His face, already enjoying dessert, was overflowing with the same weight and handsomeness as ever.

I was once again swept up in hopeless dissatisfaction.

I’ve suddenly become Pilsner, but why isn’t that guy even a little funny?

Why only me…? Damn it.

*

Anyway, after finishing the meal,

—Click

‘Is that enough for keeping secrets, meals, and lodging…? Is it okay?’

I carefully handed the gold ingot to the apothecary couple.

It was part of the allowance His Majesty had given me. The jaws of the shocked couple dropped open.

The golden light reflected in their four eyes flickered.

‘……Goodness! How can you even ask, Marquis!’

‘This is enough for annual lodging.’

The apothecary couple immediately began to burn with enthusiasm.

Until then, we had received many favors because we were friends of Sir Johann, but from that moment on, the look in their eyes was different.

Ms. Nailly declared that we could take hot water baths three times a day.

Mr. Toby made a counter-proposal, saying that we should just tell him if there was anything we wanted to eat.

So, we gratefully took a hot water bath and gathered in the spacious attic.

On the small table, herbal tea, said to be good for preventing colds, was prepared for each member of the group.

A mana-less lamp warmly illuminated the space, and a subtle herbal scent filled the air wherever you went.

It was a place where you could relax your mind and body, even for a moment.

—Pitter-patter…!

—Squeak!

“Demi, don’t run here, it’s the top floor.”

—Squeak!

“Oh my, Leah is already copying.”

—Woof! Woof!

“You’ve even corrupted this house’s dog.”

The fluffy divine beasts were running around noisily.

The couple’s dog, Bari (I think it’s a Golden Retriever), was excitedly playing tag with the Lesser Pandas.

I eventually threw up my hands.

Even Lady Elizabeth was having fun playing with them.

Such peace was rare.

The two-story house was said to be a space that the couple had painstakingly built, carrying the materials themselves, one piece at a time.

Perhaps that’s why it didn’t creak even in strong winds, and the windows were very sturdy.

As Sir Johann said, there was also a guest room for passing travelers.

However, since there were few guests after the war, it had all been used as an herb storage room.

The beds had all been moved to the attic, so we gratefully decided to stay there together. Group lodging was now familiar.

—Flap, flap!

“I just washed the blankets recently… I’m glad I did. I never knew the gods would create such a connection.”

Tap, tap! The kind Mr. Toby brought several white cotton blankets from the warehouse and spread them out.

Ms. Gain actively helped him.

There were only four beds, so bedding was also prepared on the floor.

I said I would sleep on the bottom, but Lady Elizabeth vehemently opposed it.

In the end, it was decided that Sir Johann and she would lie down below.

I felt very uncomfortable, but there was no way to win against the two of them.

They’re mercenaries and soldiers, so they have some similarities.

—Rumble, crash!

—Awoo…

“It’s okay, Tete. It’s not scary at all. You’re much stronger than that.”

—Ooo?

“Yeah. If you wanted to, our Tete could win against all of that. Really.”

I patted the baby divine beast’s back and strolled along the attic window.

The harp seal stared at my mana stone glasses, twitching its nose.

It looked like it was falling asleep again.

The couple’s house was sturdy, but everyone was worried that the garden would be badly damaged.

It was as if a large hole had been punched in the outside sky.

The pouring rain showed no sign of stopping. Occasionally, the black background flashed.

I wondered what on earth was going on.

—Swishhhhh…

“Nailly. Have you heard any strange rumors nearby?”

Around that time, Sir Johann asked lightly, sipping his herbal tea.

Instantly, the Crown Prince’s eyes flashed with a sharp light.

The woman shrugged, pausing from tidying the mantle.

“There are many rumors. Of course, news is a bit slow in the countryside… Why, are you looking for any information?”

“No. It’s never bad to understand the surrounding situation.”

“Hmm. What is there….”

“Ah! Did you know? Crown Consort Werner has gone missing. An oil merchant came the other day and made a huge fuss!”

Bang, bang! Mr. Toby, who was patting the pillows, said in a very excited voice.

Ms. Gain, I, and the Crown Prince’s gazes quickly intertwined. We quietly waited for the words to follow.

“The Crown Princess ordered her subordinates to bring him back, but he disappeared like a ghost in the middle. Alone!”

“An interesting rumor.”

“Interesting! They say that man caused the war to start again.”

Ms. Nailly retorted to Sir Johann’s reply. Then, she startled and looked at the group.

She seemed shocked to belatedly realize that we were nobles of the Holy Kingdom.

I quickly waved my hand and smiled.

“We’re okay. Really. We’re not on that… side.”

“Ah, yes.”

The woman smacked her lips and focused on tidying the mantle again.

Mr. Toby neatly spread out the next blanket.

“Anyway, according to the oil merchant, the Crown Consort is hiding somewhere to plan for the future.”

“The future?”

“Johann, that ‘leaflet’! We only saw one or two in the middle, but rumors that Prince Yeser Venetian has been resurrected have spread throughout the country. And the fact that the Crown Consort hated the Prince is famous, right? Clearly, that man is trying to kill the resurrected Prince again.”

‘He disappeared to take revenge.’ The man whispered in a frightened voice.

‘He likes revenge.’ Ms. Gain grumbled.

Hugging the sleeping Tete, I quietly sat down.

The Crown Prince, who was sitting on the bed, tilted his head.

“That man must have lost an arm and a leg each. How is he moving around?”

“Ah, that. I heard that he has incredibly fancy prosthetic arms and legs. They say it’s an elaborate magic tool. People like us couldn’t afford even one of the fingers attached to it, even if we worked our whole lives….”

Mr. Toby whispered the answer. I flinched and turned to the Crown Prince.

I had already heard the backstory that he had cut off the Crown Consort’s limbs, but it felt strange to confirm it from him.

He glared at my glasses as if asking what I was looking at. What a temper.

“How is Jericho? I was thinking of going there as soon as the weather clears.”

Sir Johann changed the subject in a refreshing tone.

Ms. Nailly, who had put the tea water on the fireplace, quickly chimed in.

“Don’t even mention it. I don’t know when you last went there….”

“A long time ago. I only passed through it three or four times.”

“Then you won’t even recognize it. Jericho is completely ruined. Even the lord has abandoned it.”

At those words, everyone’s eyes widened.

This was completely new to us, and more than anything, it was very troubling news.

We were planning to go there to start looking for clues about Werner Venetian in earnest.

Jericho was the closest city to the Statia Plains.

It had a lord’s castle and a temple in the center, and it wasn’t Wilhelmina Schneider’s territory. Sir Johann said it was a fairly large town on the outskirts.

That was our first step….

“Ruined, how did that happen?”

Ms. Gain, who was putting Dduk-ssim to sleep, asked slyly.

Ms. Nailly had a face that was trying hard to remember.

“That was… around the time the sky was torn. As I recall, it was after the ‘God’s Swords’ began to fall. The guests coming from Jericho began to say strange things one by one. About how the ‘world’ is, how ‘fate’ is….”

“Sometimes astrologers or philosophers would say such things, so I thought it was starting again. But the content of the conversation became more and more serious. People wearing reddish-black robes, with bloodshot eyes, walked around the streets all day….”

“That’s right, ‘the end.’ They talked about that. They said that the end was coming to the continent soon. They chanted it like some kind of spell.”

The woman frowned as if she was getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

Ghanael tilted his head.

“Does Jericho’s ruin have anything to do with those people?”

“Those people grew like a snowball and eventually occupied the city. Young master.”

Mr. Toby explained instead. The boy’s golden eyes widened.

Of course, we were also very surprised.

“What is that….”

“‘Twilight Sanctuary’ or something. From some point on, they became the majority in Jericho, and they went into restaurants and theaters, spreading the word that the gods had abandoned the continent. At the time, one side of the sky was torn black, so many people must have believed it.”

“The sane people couldn’t stand the atmosphere and all left. Only those called the Sanctuary remained, falling into lethargy, saying that the continent would soon perish, not working, not meeting people, not eating… That’s how one city was ruined in half a year.”

The couple shook their heads, saying that. Lady Elizabeth frowned.

“Did it happen even though the sky closed again in the summer?”

“Yes, Sir Blanc. It was too late then. Not to mention the lord and the priests, even the bankers had left the place.”

“……”

“We also suffered a lot at first. The closest city was ruined… But as time passed, customers who couldn’t get medicine there came all the way here. There are still some customers who pass through Jericho occasionally.”

“Eventually, we somehow recovered.”

At the same time, the two sighed deeply.

I looked at Sir Johann with confused eyes.

He also had an expression that he hadn’t expected this.

I knew that Venetian relied heavily on faith, but I didn’t know it would be to this extent….

“Hmm.”

Then what should we do? If Jericho is a bust, should we go straight to the next city?