What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 448

#448

The Devil’s Claw, the Wreck of the Abyss (12)

-Kugugugu······

“Noe, you said?”

Sir Johann grabbed the doorframe and asked again.

He didn’t seem to disbelieve me, but rather seemed curious as to how I knew the information broker’s ‘adult form’.

Zibril Dioph was scratching his head and glaring at me.

I glanced at the corridors that were constantly approaching and receding before my eyes.

Some corridors had dozens of busts lined up on both sides, while others were decorated with ornate chandeliers and red carpets.

The corridor that suddenly soared upwards and disappeared looked eerie, like an abandoned house.

There was also a passage that looked like a well-decorated greenhouse.

“Yes, that’s······.”

Overall, it looked like a scene from a science fiction movie. Or maybe a bit like a horror movie.

“I’m not sure how I’m so sure either. Maybe it’s because I keep thinking about Noe subconsciously, so I feel that way. But the truth is, we don’t have any other clues.”

“That’s true.”

-Goooo······

He answered quietly and looked back over the open doorway.

The flying corridors were all different, so I didn’t know where to get a clue.

The only thing they had in common was that all the paths were facing this way.

The rest of the space was all dark, and occasionally an unpleasant green energy like green algae swayed in the air.

It’s not like mana jellyfish.

“······We could wait here for someone to approach, but we don’t know how long it will take. In the meantime, Werner Fenetian or Madame Morhan might do something. Every minute and every second is urgent for Kina, Willem, and Claw. Above all, it doesn’t make sense to come all the way here and use a defensive strategy. Is there any room to be cautious in someone else’s fortress?”

“Looks like some of what you eat goes to your head?”

It’s really annoying. I glared at Dioph, my eyes begging him to shut his mouth.

Besides, I don’t eat that much. Our brother eats more.

If he knew we had two refrigerators and two kimchi refrigerators [refrigerators specifically for storing kimchi] at home, he would fall over backwards.

“When will the Princess realize that she’s not scary at all when she looks like that?”

-Deeeeeeng······!

At that moment, a bell rang behind us, hitting our eardrums.

We were startled and turned around in surprise.

A grand noise was echoing from a large spring hanging on the mezzanine of the warehouse.

I widened my eyes, wondering if it was already 2 a.m.

Lopi also perked up his ears and took out his claws halfway. But―

“Huh?”

-Deeeeeeng, deeeeng······!

The clock was pointing to an ambiguous number like 25:36.

It wasn’t time for the bell to ring by any standard in the world.

I felt strangely uneasy. The machine didn’t even stop the alarm.

-Deeng, deeng, deeng······!

The beat seemed to be getting faster and faster, and the bell didn’t stop even when the minute hand pointed to 37.

Lopi arched his back and began to bristle all over his body like a hedgehog.

I was so embarrassed that I instinctively took a step back.

Dioph pushed my back and scolded me to stand properly.

I blinked busily and looked up at him and Sir Johann.

······Damn it, damn it!

“That sounds like a warning!”

-Deeng, deeng, deeng, deeng······!

“Looks like we agree. Excuse me, Princess.”

Whew! Herrit Father lightly lifted me up with the power of air.

Dioph also floated into the air.

The wizard gritted his teeth and scanned the entire warehouse with sharp eyes.

Finally, he was the first to step into the darkness and muttered a harsh curse.

The black robe was now fluttering like sticky sap.

“Damn it, they put something like a warning magic on the entire warehouse. But it’s not a normal spell. I can’t even estimate the magic formula!”

-Deengdeeng, deengdeeng, deengdeeng, deengdeeng!

“Young master, it’s behind you!”

I shouted as I moved into the black air, and he quickly bent his back.

Gugugung······! At the same time, a huge, long drawing-room corridor barely brushed past the man’s crown.

The young master reflexively reached for his staff, but bit his lip when he realized it was with Sir Johann.

As soon as Herrit Father crossed the threshold of the warehouse,

-······Deengdeeng, deengdeengdeeng!

“······.”

“······.”

“Huff, ha······.”

The noise that made my heart tremble disappeared like a ghost.

I was still bending over and rubbing the back of Lopi’s head.

Only the approaching white hair drew a peaceful curve.

In short, it seemed that if there was no entry or exit for a certain period of time after the door was opened, the warehouse would regard it as an intrusion and sound an alarm.

It was truly a terrifying fortress.

“······Everyone, thank you for your hard work. Then, that place from before, eugh!”

-Kugugung······!

I staggered as the corridor suddenly pushed up from under my feet.

It was fortunate that Sir Johann quickly snatched me, or I would have been swept away by the roof!

“First of all, it would be good not to separate from each other and look for that corridor from before. If there are any other clues, let’s quickly review them as well.”

“Yes. That’s what I was saying!”

I quickly nodded in agreement.

It was the perfect timing to be ridiculed, but Dioph was serious this time.

There was no more room for that, and the situation didn’t allow it.

-Kugugung······!

Wah, this time something the size of a house is coming!

I hugged the hem of my robe and the Gaga bag tightly, and hid Lopi in the deepest part of my arms.

Then, I followed Sir Johann and moved my legs diligently as if swimming.

I felt like Nemo’s friends avoiding a school of giant squid in the deep sea.

Is this the right analogy?!

“What’s that, a funeral hall corridor?!”

-Nyaaao

“Everyone, be careful!”

I shouted loudly. First, turn northwest!

*

Probably around that time.

Christel and Cedrick were down in the basement of the tavern.

‘Confessors Welcome’.

Those words were clearly written on the door in front of them.

Before that, they had a long conversation with Elizabeth.

They asked Ganael, Leah, and Ferrier several times to take care of each other.

They held the whining Tite and sang several lullabies.

They handed gold coins to the tavern owner, saying they wanted to rent the entire floor with the special room.

When he grumbled about being woken up at a late hour, the old man patted his bulging belly and was very happy.

After solving that, the two of them trudged back to the basement.

Because they had taken off their hoods, their presence wasn’t sufficiently obscured, and other guests occasionally glanced at them with subtle eyes as they passed by.

But the men and women didn’t bat an eye.

There was even one guy who was cheesy, asking if they were newlyweds, but they lightly ignored him.

Teacher Johann said that you shouldn’t kill people recklessly.

It seemed like the teacher was killing people just fine, but anyway, the two of them were pretty decent students.

-Knock knock knock

“······.”

“······.”

So they knocked on Noe’s room again, but the response was slow.

‘Squeak?’ Demi tilted his head and looked up at the two of them.

The black bean eyes were sending a strange look.

‘Awoong.’ Tite in the swaddling clothes, who was completely awake, also twitched his whiskers.

Their partner, Princess Juliet, would have understood it right away, but unfortunately, the two men and women were not that fluent in Divine Beast language (if such a thing existed).

In the end, Gain slightly frowned.

Is the elder asleep? I clearly heard that it was open 24 hours.

Since his body is very young, has his sleep time returned to the level of an infant?

“······Pathetic.”

What?

The water-colored eyes immediately glared upwards. Two pairs of eyes clashed sharply.

Gain didn’t back down at all.

To be honest, she couldn’t glare openly in the past, but she’s been able to do whatever she wants for about 8 months now.

She also speaks half the time and scolds him without hesitation if necessary.

If he has any complaints, she comes on strong with the attitude of thinking about whose side he stabbed.

Then, unexpectedly—really unexpectedly—the man didn’t come out stronger.

Well, the Crown Prince also treated me more casually. I thought it was the same.

“To think that this illegal gambling den is operating all year round.”

“Ah, is that what it is?”

I thought so. Gain shrugged and looked back at the doorknob.

In the dim basement corridor, the shouts of gamblers were constantly echoing.

‘Kwaaang!’ Occasionally, the sound of a table breaking could be heard beyond the tightly closed door.

Gigantic young men were spotted dragging someone out.

It seemed that participants without manners were definitely filtered out.

As expected, their Serenite Marquis would have trembled and been surprised by the sight, but the two of them were just indifferent.

I heard that the Imperial Army will arrive at Yeriho in a day or two.

Those guys will soon get their karma back.

-Awoo

“Oh, does our Tite also think those people are pathetic? As expected, you’re smart like your sister? Should I go around kicking their butts so they can’t gamble while sitting down?”

-Aeowoong

“······.”

“Anyway, Mr. Noe, are you sleeping somewhere else? There’s no response at all.”

“The Duke is also pathetic.”

Do you want to die?

-Knock knock knock knock, knock knock knock

The Crown Prince reached out his large hand and silently knocked seven times.

Then, a voice flashed through Christel’s head like lightning!

‘Go down to the basement, twice to the left, twice to the right. The room at the end of the hallway. Knock seven times on the door.’

Ah! I should have remembered that first!

“······.”

-Kkia?

“······.”

-Awoo?

However, there was still no response from beyond the door.

The crimson eyes glared as if to burn the sign that read ‘Open for Business’.

Christel giggled quietly but suddenly remembered the winning card she would definitely win!

-Bang!

So she threw open the ‘confessional’ door.

Just like the old man who brought milk and advocaat [a traditional Dutch alcoholic beverage] back then!

“Are you there? We’ve revisited!”

“······Good heavens, what’s going on?”

But the voice was heard from quite high up.

The water flower [Christel] and the fire flower [Cedrick] simultaneously looked up at the ceiling.

A small figure was seen climbing a ladder at the top of the narrow space.

The clergyman seemed to be looking at a book stuck in the cupboard.

A couple of magical lights illuminating the place created a cozy atmosphere.

The candle on the desk added a deep warmth.

Christel waved her arms greatly towards the top.

“Mr. Noe, hello. Sorry to bother you at this late hour!”

“Aren’t you the kids who went down to the black market? When did you come back up?”

“I have something I’m curious about. I came up with just the two of us to solve that.”

“Tsk······. I heard that young people these days lack patience, and it’s true. But to suddenly visit an old man at 2 a.m.?”

Gain smiled sullenly and scratched the bridge of her nose.

I also want to lie down and sleep if I feel like it, but there were divine objects and children in desperate need of help in the underground black market.

So there’s nothing I can do.

“I’m sorry. I’ll get straight to the point because you must be tired. Do you know anything about the ‘Devil’s Claw’?”

-Thueoong!

No sooner had the question ended than the booklet fell from the information broker’s hand.

‘Kkiiii!’ Surprised Demi scrambled up Cedrick’s leg.

The man checked that the divine beast had properly settled down, then quickly approached the desk.

It was truly a movement based on intuition. Noe urgently raised his voice from above!

“That’s my stuff, kid. Just leave it there!”

‘Thump!’ He ignored it and picked up the booklet to examine it.

Christel quickly approached and tiptoed. What is it, what is it?

“Oh······?”

Oh? It wasn’t a booklet; it was a frame.

Two pairs of red and blue eyes narrowed at once.

The frame, the size of two palms put together, contained a portrait of just that size.

It was faded and slightly torn, but it was a face that couldn’t be unrecognized.

Soon Gain’s lips opened in a circle.

“Mr. Noe, excuse me, but is this you? A person wearing a clergyman’s robe and looking very cute. A person sitting down! A face in his early to mid-twenties!”

“······.”

The old and young clergyman let out a long sigh, then grabbed the ladder and came down one step at a time.

Meanwhile, Cedrick carefully observed the two women in the portrait.

The person sitting in the chair was clearly the information broker.

Although he is now in the form of a child, his features are quite similar, and his priestly robes and hair color match.

Then, his serious gaze looked at the person standing.

Who is this······.

“Who’s the person in the back? Sister? Younger sibling? Friend?”

“······.”

Relatively ordinary clothes, long and wavy reddish-brown hair. A face with many freckles.

Tightly holding the back of the chair.

Unlike Noe, who was smiling brightly at the painter, a woman who was smiling at Noe.

“······How do you ask about the Devil’s Claw? You should know that information from the black market doesn’t come out easily.”

‘Tak.’ The information broker, who had finally reached the ground, said calmly.

Gain quickly approached and bowed politely.

“Claw is very sick, Mr. Noe. The black magicians there are taking away all the divine object’s life force.”

The young face instantly hardened like a corpse. It seemed like something was going on no matter how you looked at it.

The paladin continued diligently.

“We met children there. Kina and Willem, twelve-year-old twin siblings who grew up in the black market. Right now, those kids seem to be the only ones supporting the divine object. We don’t know very well, but······.”

“······.”

“I heard that the divine object is waiting for a friend. For hundreds of years.”

Noe hurriedly covered his mouth with his sleeve.

Then, he rolled his large eyes here and there and busily moved his feet to hide behind the desk.

Gain calmly continued what she had to do.

“They’re yellow and emaciated and dying, but they’re really barely holding on. No matter how much of a divine object it is, I wonder how long it can last in that state.”

“Oh, my god······.”

A pitiful groan flowed out.

Cedrick’s eyes were sharper than his sword.

“······A clergyman who betrayed the tree. Is that you?”