What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 665

Sub Male Lead’s Hiatus – Episode 665 (665/920)

#665

Fake Bunt Slash (1)

Flash!

“I didn’t understand a word you said!”

Ms. Gain raised her hand confidently.

I promptly downed the rest of the echinacea tea.

Then, pointing to the large map, I summarized the situation. Ahem.

“My guess is that His Majesty believes there’s hidden terrain beneath the Cheonro. And looking at the data here, it’s not an unreasonable claim. The late Emperor Romero and his commanders recorded that the number of Shinguk soldiers pouring out of the Cheonro far exceeded expectations, and they appeared closer to the dead than the living. And after the Battle of Cheonro, King Lilianer Venetian earned the title ‘Iron-Blooded Puppeteer.’ Meanwhile, a third of the Imperial Army went missing somewhere and could never be found.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Good heavens. So it wouldn’t be strange if there was a secret space underground….”

Sant said, his face as white as potato starch.

That reaction meant that ordinary Shinguk citizens knew nothing about the secrets of Cheonro.

Before I forgot, I took out the baked potatoes I had put in the brazier and placed them on the plate Ganael was holding.

The boy then skillfully distributed the potatoes with a little sugar and salt to the guests.

Gibreel Diop, who received a baked potato, seemed to be getting used to this routine.

I could tell just by the way he frowned for a moment before peeling the skin without a word.

“But with that alone, it was difficult to grasp His Majesty’s ‘tactics.’ He said he would utilize the prohibited war criminals, but what connection does that have with the hidden terrain…? The Cheonro itself has a structure optimized for ambushes and surprise attacks from the start. The Shinguk army can literally strike us from any direction, but our only option is a straightforward linear advance. We can only guess their positions, while they can watch us entering the Cheonro from beginning to end. Probably.”

“Then what about the Roserharde County you mentioned earlier?”

“Right. How did that come up?”

“Isn’t that the priest’s father’s estate?”

Ms. Gain asked, turning to Sant.

The priest shrugged his round shoulders and nodded.

I smiled faintly to reassure him.

“Looking at Kina and Willem’s letters, it suddenly occurred to me. If we imagine there’s just a ‘space’ inside the Cheonro, the reasoning stops there… But if we assume the existence of a ‘passage,’ the story changes completely.”

“Isn’t that too much of a leap?”

The magician immediately pointed out. I tilted my chin.

“You may say so. But His Majesty Hanan advised me: If you think like Emperor Frederick, you’ll see the answer.”

Ganael had been looking at me with a proud face since earlier.

His cheeks, full of potatoes, were flushed. Thanks to the boy, I gained even more confidence.

“His Majesty isn’t simply trying to use them to increase combat power or to confuse the enemy. That’s too short-sighted and one-dimensional. Do those of you here really believe that our army can break through the impregnable Cheonro with such methods?”

“······.”

“······.”

“······.”

Then everyone fell silent.

“Yes. You have something more certain to believe in, so you gave me this task. I think it’s a ‘passage.’ If we assume there’s a path from Cheonro to near the capital, it wouldn’t actually be that long. Once you get past Cheonro, it’s only a two-day ride to the capital, isn’t it?”

“What’s the basis for specifying Roserharde County?”

“Sant is a non-combat personnel staying in the Imperial City. I thought there must be a good reason why you brought him to the front lines so quickly. If he was just here as Herrit’s guardian, you could have called Joan or another friend. Although he has completely naturalized to the Empire, considering that his father is Ezzart Roserharde, the Count of the Court [a high-ranking noble], it’s safe to say that His Majesty considered Sant’s usefulness separately. The Count of the Court currently serves as the regent of Shinguk.”

“Let’s say everything you’re saying is correct. You’re so clever, Palace Lord.”

Diop didn’t back down an inch.

Having already finished one potato, he aimed his sharp eyes at me.

He ate the hot thing so quickly.

“The black market was under the city of Yeriho, and its purpose and function were clear, so it could exist secretly for so long. But Cheonro is different, according to your hypothesis.”

“······.”

“If someone creates a passage leading to various parts of Shinguk, it’s natural to expect resistance from the lords involved, right? Who would welcome such a path? It would potentially threaten the safety of their territory and people.”

“Sant.”

I quickly turned to the priest.

Sant, who was blowing on a potato to cool it down, widened his eyes.

“Have you ever heard anything similar to what I said from your parents or siblings? A story about a secret passage leading to the Roserharde territory.”

“Ah, no. Not at all….”

“Were there any stories circulating among the territory’s residents? About strange underground caves, or anything like that.”

“I haven’t heard of any such rumors. Besides, Shinguk has rugged terrain. Many villages are isolated from each other… So, unless it’s a major event, not many rumors cross the Ash Ridge, Palace Lord.”

“······Okay. Thanks to the natural terrain, no one knows about the existence of the passage, is that it.”

The lightning magician raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms. He wasn’t being confrontational, anyway.

“Everything fits together too perfectly. It’s strange. Then who is the owner of Cheonro?”

“That part is here, on the old map. This is said to be a historical record that’s at least 120 years old.”

I tapped one side of the map.

Above the faded and wrinkled paper, a faded, squiggly script depicted the name of a certain family.

‘Bernadina Duchy’.

“Gasp. That…!”

“Yes, Sant. Please tell us.”

I said, not avoiding the gaze I met with Diop.

The corners of my lips were slowly rising. I felt a tingling sensation.

“Ah, it’s probably land owned by the royal family. I didn’t study history very hard, but I remember seeing ‘Bernadina Duke’ written under the portrait of His Majesty the King. Of course, he has countless other territories and lakes besides that… Yes.”

“······Ha.”

The strategist stared at me. He looked very amused.

“You seem to know the names of the neighboring country’s king’s territories?”

“No. I guessed. But I got it right, so it’s okay, right?”

“You nailed it.”

Ms. Gain blew into her hand like a megaphone, making a ‘bbuibbuibbui―’ sound.

Diop, who still hadn’t backed down, took two steps closer.

His red eyes gleamed like the eyes of a beast that had found a toy.

“The royal family has been nesting under Shinguk for hundreds of years. So what’s the conclusion?”

“I’ll tell you right away. From now on, to reach the conclusion, we need to look far, long, and high.”

I replied without giving in. I deliberately tilted my head to provoke him a little.

“Like a hawk in the sky.”

-Awoo, awoo♬

Then Tete, who had been asleep the whole time, woke up for the first time and began to hum a song.

It was similar to a lullaby I had sung to her once.

*

The next morning. In front of the command headquarters of His Imperial Majesty.

-Thud, thud, thud

-Tap, tap, tap…

The commanders attending the military conference were passing through the barrier zone one by one at a brisk pace.

The area was already packed with soldiers who had gathered since the early morning.

I heard that Sir John had joined us today, and His Majesty, my teacher, and Cedric were already gathered in the tent.

By now, I had become somewhat accustomed to the soldiers’ enthusiastic send-off(?).

“Aaaah! Palace Lord! It’s Palace Lord Yeser!”

“Clear the way! The Palace Lord of the Imperial Palace is coming!”

“Palace Lord! I’ve liked you since you first came to the Empire! Please look over here just once!”

“Oh my god?! Her skin is so clear! Oh my god!?”

“Ahem, step back behind the barrier! It’s dangerous, so keep order!”

“Hoooeong…! Hooooeong! Mom…!”

In the meantime, there were people who burst into tears when they saw me, so I almost missed the meeting because I was handing out handkerchiefs and comforting them.

I guess I should cancel what I said about getting used to the cheers.

On the other hand, Ms. Gain was leisurely scattering snowflakes at the crowd, winking, or striking cool poses, and each time, the soldiers screamed and cheered.

Sir John generally had a calm face, but when someone called his name, he smiled gently and gave them a look.

Then most of the soldiers foamed at the mouth and were on the verge of collapsing. It was truly amazing popularity.

‘Soaring morale’ must be a phrase for such a scene.

“Presenting Juliet, Palace Lord and Serenite Marchioness, Yeser Archbishop Eunha!”

“Palace Lord, we will wait outside.”

And finally, we entered the tent where the military conference was being held.

Benjamin, who had accompanied us right up to the front, pulled back the curtain and took a few steps back.

-Flutter!

As soon as the curtain covered the entrance, it felt like all the noise from outside was cut off with a whoosh!

I was startled and turned around, and then stiffened my shoulders when I felt the attention focused on me.

There were adults I knew well, but there were quite a few adults I was seeing for the first time.

Above all, there were too many attendees.

His Majesty was seated at the head of the long table, and Prince Cedric and Prince Oreli were seated on his left and right, respectively.

On both sides of the table, veteran chief commanders were seated (all of whom would be generals in our country), and behind them, relatively young deputy commanders (these would be lieutenant colonels and captains) were standing, numbering in the hundreds.

Most of the chief commanders were dignified and had inscrutable expressions, which made me very nervous.

Some commanders scanned my eyes and back with sharp eyes like thorns, and I felt as uncomfortable as a sack of barley because it was so clear what they were thinking.

It wasn’t my first time staying in the military camp or attending a military conference, but it felt like I was back in Nonsan training camp [a military training center in South Korea].

…I didn’t know it would be this large-scale. Did they cast some kind of area expansion magic on the tent?

“Move.”

Flinch.

“Yes?”

I reflexively stood at attention and looked up at the man.

Gibreel Diop whispered so quietly that only I could hear him.

“You came here as a commander today. Don’t just stand there blankly. If you don’t want to be seen as easy.”

Then he strode past me and went to his seat.

Looking at his cold back, I finally realized a little.

Today, no one will treat me kindly just because I’m the Palace Lord, and if I don’t stay sharp, I’ll tarnish the honor of His Majesty, who gave me this opportunity.

If I show a lacking side, I will immediately lose the trust of my fellow commanders, of course.

“I will escort you, Palace Lord.”

“No. I will go alone, Sir John. Thank you.”

The cardinal spoke kindly from beyond my ear, but I straightened my back and declined.

Ms. Gain, who was watching the situation, quietly made eye contact and went to find her position.

Only after she left my side was I able to spot an empty seat.

As I calmly arrived at my seat, an old man sitting next to me stood up and pulled out the chair for me.

It was my first time meeting him, but he had an impressive mustache and deep, greenish-gray eyes that made him hard to forget. He was originally handsome, too.

“Thank you, sir.”

“The honor is mine. I finally meet the rumored Palace Lord. Nice to meet you. My name is Lorenzo.”

The old gentleman, dressed in ornate and exotic armor, greeted me and kissed the back of my hand.

I was flustered and bowed back when I realized that his name was not Imperial.

Wait, Lorenzo?

“Could you be Lorenzo Corleone, Prince….”

“It seems everyone has arrived.”

Oops! I quickly sat down at the voice that echoed from above my head.

The gentleman, presumed to be Prince, also sat down next to me with smooth movements.

At the same time, the small murmurs quickly subsided.

As soon as I raised my eyes, I met the eyes of His Majesty, whom I respect.

“Today’s military conference is the last forum held before the Great Liester Imperial Army strikes the Puppeteer’s Cheonro. You must open your hearts and pour out the thoughts in your heads without reservation, so that there is not an inch of error or regret in this great operation.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Do not dare to waste the precious lives of my people. This is an Imperial order.”

“We will keep that in mind!”

The thunderous shouts seemed to collapse the tent.

I hurriedly followed the lip movements of the people around me.

“Serenite Marchioness.”

“Yes. Yes!”

Without even a moment to catch my breath, His Majesty called me. I thought my heart was really going to drop!

“I would like to hear your opinion on this attack. I will let you speak first.”

“······.”

At the same time, everyone’s eyes were fixed on me like arrows. I swallowed hard.

I hurriedly nodded and stood up.