What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 719

Buddy Movie (5)

-Thwack! Thwack thwack!

“Ugh, augh!”

-Thud! Thwack, clang!

“Gah! Ugh!”

······The pain was short and intense. In an instant, the hallway brawl was over.

The knights, caught completely off guard, didn’t even have time to shout out their comrades’ names before collapsing like tin cans.

Jibril stood there like a powerless, unemployed nobleman, observing Cedric’s handiwork.

A limp amethyst earring dangled from his earlobe.

His thoughts could be summarized as:

‘Wait, is it really okay to call this ‘over’? Is that it?’

-That!

“Are you just going to stand there gawking like an idiot?”

-Whoosh······!

Cedric asked, his voice sharp against the dramatic rush of cold wind.

Of course, he would ask, considering he’d just smashed all the windows in the hallway.

“An idiot? Ah, give me a moment to process this. I’m trying to figure out who you’re referring to.”

“If the fake Duke [referring to a Duke who is an imposter] has started making moves, we don’t have time to waste.”

-Tap!

The fire lizard flicked its tail, agreeing with the Crown Prince’s assertive tone, holding its head high.

Jibril had been rendered speechless by absurdity far too often lately.

Just as he finally formulated a suitable reply—

-Crash bang!

“Oh my goodness!”

“Oh dear.”

A servant carrying laundry at the other end of the hallway screamed and dropped the basket.

Washing bats [small, padded pouches filled with fragrant herbs, used to scent laundry], sachets, and soap scattered haphazardly across the floor.

The servant trembled as he took in the scene. Unlike the chamberlain, who seemed to be in league with Rambouillet, this one appeared to be completely clueless.

Jibril briefly considered how to silence him, but fortunately, someone else took care of it.

“What’s all the commotion!”

“Get out of the way! We’ll handle this!”

“Eek!”

“A mythical beast is loose on the estate! Everyone, back to your rooms!”

The knights, who had been dealing with the chaos outside, seemed to be starting to clear out the inside as well.

Shouts from downstairs echoed loudly upstairs.

The sound of hurried footsteps and servants calling out to their colleagues could be heard from various directions.

‘Clang! Clang clang!’ At the same time as the sound of swords being drawn, at least thirty soldiers appeared from across the hallway.

Most were soldiers, but some knights exuded a murderous aura. Their eyes widened when they spotted Jibril.

“Young master, aren’t you Beorn Sarhentini? What are you doing out in the hallway? It’s dangerous!”

“And why are the windows all broken······! So that’s what that noise was. Was there a monster attack?”

“The Knight Commander has ordered all guests to be taken to the basement. We’ll escort you there immediately!”

“But who is that little kid? He’s dressed like a beggar······.”

“Wait! Our knights are lying on the floor!”

Of course, there was no way they could move quietly with Walza Gungju [likely a reference to Cedric, implying he is chaotic and unpredictable] involved.

Nothing involving Walza Gungju has ever been easy.

“If we take care of these guys, are we heading to the study first?”

“It would be helpful to have one of them as a guide.”

Jibril asked, pulling out his staff, and Cedric flipped a dagger on the back of his hand as he replied.

The knights at the front didn’t immediately process their conversation.

Then the laundry servant raised his hand.

“Me, me! I’ll go! I’m new, but I know all the back alleys like the back of my hand!”

‘Or else the knights will beat me!’ The added explanation was chilling.

Indeed, he was cowardly, but quick-witted.

In that case, his claim to know the back alleys was likely true.

Cedric and Jibril nodded in agreement.

Then one of the knights looked at them with a disbelieving expression. However, her jaw was already clenched.

“Damn it! All the chaos in the estate is their fault! Capture them!”

“Haaah!”

-Swaeeng!

Swords and spears flew through the narrow hallway, and curses and shouts rang out.

Jibril, after confirming that the laundry servant had hidden behind him, swung his staff.

Cedric expertly threw daggers and shurikens ahead of him.

‘Whooong!’ A powerful surge of mana exploded, wildly whipping the two men’s hair.

“They’re in cahoots! Immediately inform the Duke······!”

-Swish, swish swish, shwaeak!

-Rumble, crash!

Blades wrapped in blood-red mana sparked with fierce lightning, and the hallway was brightly lit with a purplish hue.

The estate’s earth groaned at length.

*

-Kugugugung······!

Startled, Gain, who was running outside the estate, immediately turned around.

The sun was already setting beyond the pointed towers and red roofs.

“······.”

However, the familiar aether [a mystical energy or essence] could not be felt.

Earlier, Gungju’s power had briefly exploded, and after that, Hanan’s poisonous energy could be sensed.

There was no trace of Yohan Sam’s wind, but he was good at concealing his aether, so it was understandable.

Leopold Lasso had hardly ever revealed his abilities.

So, the only one who had been silent so far was······.

“Ollie.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Are you worried about the Crown Prince?”

Isabelle, who was running ahead towards the zoo, turned to Gain and clearly read her mind.

As if looking into a clear, shallow pond.

Gain was a little dazed by that fact and met her dark eyes.

In an instant, all the chaos of the estate seemed to fade into the background.

Strands of green hair clung to her sweaty forehead, and her body, devoid of a spirit, still lacked the strength and stamina of Gain.

Her labored breathing left no room for composure.

Yet, Isabelle was running through the heart of the estate with Rin in her arms, steadfastly worrying about her inept daughter.

The baby’s ash-pink eyes were clearly etched in Gain’s vision.

“······Kristel?”

“······.”

“······.”

As if she were an ‘important’ being. As if that child meant something to her.

“······No, what worry? The Crown Prince is the last person in the world who needs worrying about.”

‘Let’s go.’ Gain shook her head once and strode ahead with a smiling face.

They were now on their way to destroy the ‘zoo’ located at the very rear of the estate.

Gyu, Demi, Perry, and Ropi had left first, but they couldn’t leave the situation to those children alone.

Besides, Isabelle was still acting as a guild employee.

Someone might hold her responsible for this situation and attack her, so Gain had to protect her properly.

Hanan was not here, so they also had to consider the possibility of a real monster swarm attacking.

“Hoo······.”

“A mythical beast has appeared! Everyone evacuate! Evacuate to the fireplace or the water!”

“Run quickly, quickly! Take your luggage later!”

“Did you see it earlier? A dragon with a completely red body! Did you see it passing by?”

Soldiers hurrying past, knights shouting orders from afar.

Even some who appeared to be priests of the estate and servants with pale faces.

Everyone was moving as if their feet were on fire, not even glancing at Gain.

Abandoned carriages and carts were scattered haphazardly everywhere.

Somehow, she felt breathless on the increasingly steep uphill road.

“Hah, hoo······.”

No, she shouldn’t be out of breath from just this kind of uphill.

Gain was a paladin who could reach the top of the hill with a few leaps if she wanted to.

“Kristel.”

“Yes?”

“······Are you having a hard time because of the past?”

“······.”

So, the reason she felt short of breath now was probably because of this.

Gain silently looked down at the ground and moved her feet.

Because she had a bad personality, as her real mother once said, ‘You were sensitive and mean from the moment you were born.’

She didn’t even offer to hold the heavy baby for her and ran.

But Isabelle always kept pace with her daughter, as always.

She was having a much harder time than herself, but she never complained. Rin clung tightly to her neck.

“I know. I know you have memories you can’t tell your mother. I don’t know what happened······. That you remembered the past when you saw Duke Lasso.”

“······.”

Eventually, Isabelle took the courage first. It was something the cowardly Ham Gain couldn’t even imagine.

“I know my daughter is hurting. But I can be your strength······.”

“I don’t want Isabelle to suffer.”

Gain tried to make eye contact with her, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so and looked at somewhere on her dirty jacket.

That was the limit for now.

She really wanted to do better than this, she wanted to live ‘normally’ like everyone else, but this was her maximum for now.

A terribly trembling voice came out.

“Sometimes a button gets pushed and I get like this, but I’ll be fine in a few days. You don’t have to worry too much.”

“······.”

“It’s not often, only once every few years. I’ll get better soon.”

“······.”

“I won’t let you worry. I’m sorry.”

Gain glossed over it with a rough smile. But what she just said was true.

If she just had a little time, then······. She could return to the Kristel that Isabelle liked and loved.

A bright, energetic being who would do one by one the things her ‘real’ daughter hadn’t been able to do while alive, giving her mother only reward and joy.

An child who didn’t know about shadows and was used to being loved.

To Isabelle, who had lived drinking in the affection of a kind and wealthy family······.

“It’s really nothing.”

A daughter who suited her perfectly. It’s so easy.

“······It’s okay even if it’s nothing. I’m curious about everything.”

“······.”

She had heard those words a long time ago. Their eyes met as if by magic.

Gain couldn’t be sure if she was running or falling.

Isabelle was looking at her and smiling softly like a spring flower.

Like the day they first met each other in that prison-like Sarnez estate.

“My child doesn’t tell difficult and bad stories.”

“······.”

“It’s okay. We can take it step by step this time too, Ollie. Together with Mom. We’ll take care of the past wounds together, apply medicine little by little······. Then it will get better. Mom believes it.”

“······.”

She could guarantee it.

Isabelle was the strongest person Gain had ever met in her life.

She emanated a strong energy unique to those with a stable mind, and Gain often felt like she was suffocating because of it.

Just like right now.

“No.”

“······.”

No, what she just said was Ham Gain’s trashy excuse.

It’s not Isabelle who’s making her suffocate.

You low-life, how could you think like that?

“Thank you, but I’ll try it alone. I’ve always done it that way······.”

“I’ll wait until you want to talk.”

“Please don’t. It’s my privacy.”

“······.”

That was the last conversation the two had.

Gain ran up the hill, leaving behind Isabelle’s clearly shocked eyes.

Lin’s big eyes were also filled with tears, but she gritted her teeth and ignored them.

She didn’t want to think about anything right now. Really, nothing at all.

-Kugugugu······!

“The monsters from the zoo will be released! Run quickly!”

“What? What did you just say?”

“The high tower might collapse!”

She just wanted to hide in the terrible pit that had been dug in her heart.

The unfamiliar words of strangers were swept away beyond the black tide.