What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 886

#886 Hope (2)

“Territory?”

“Yes. Even the wisest monarch can overlook certain places.”

The Pope, in the form of a young girl, spoke with a profound gaze.

She was concerned about the current situation where Frederick the Great could not bring the long-standing conspiracy of the Sneider family to trial in detail.

······After a moment, I was writing down the Pope’s testimony in my phone’s memo when I was shocked.

*

After hearing our story, the Irene Pope fragment seemed too tired to walk and entered Princess Christel’s basket on her own.

Strictly speaking, the fragments of the Saint Realm are ‘setting fragments,’ so I thought they wouldn’t be greatly affected by the pain they experienced while staying on the continent, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Or perhaps, even after turning her back on the world, the guilt and anxiety she feels are also part of the ‘setting’ of the character ‘Irene Sneider’······.

Hmm. That’s too bad.

“Your Holiness, the current Emperor will surely destroy his family. The Theocracy of Fenetian has already fallen into Riester’s hands, so please don’t worry too much.”

“······My faith. Thank you so much.”

The thumb-sized Pope in the basket tapped the back of my hand with a bitter expression, then scrutinized my face for a long time. She even muttered, ‘Oh, Lord, isn’t he still too young?’

Then, she asked me to lower my head a little more. I bent down, bringing my face as close to the basket as possible.

Irene then placed her small palm on my forehead and slowly closed her eyes.

The atmosphere was very serious, so I closed my eyes and pursed my lips.

It’s definitely not because there’s something on my face.

-Swish······

“Uh······?”

When I opened my eyelids with a start at the warmth spreading from my forehead, the Pope had already taken her hand away.

I gaped like an idiot at the energy that seemed to envelop my whole body.

What was that just now? It was warm and soft, and it felt really good for a moment.

It was similar to Ether [a magical energy source], but somehow different······.

“······It won’t be an easy position in many ways. I wish you the best of luck.”

“······Thank, thank you?”

“Your Highness!”

At that moment, Ms. Gain called out to me from behind.

I had more questions to ask the Pope, but I was momentarily distracted by my partner’s desperate gesture.

“Your Highness! There! In front! In front!”

“In front? Are you talking about the direction we’re going?”

“Yes! Demi is there! I can feel Demi and the kids’ energy from that way!”

“······Yes?”

What? My surprised heart pounded.

‘Feel, feel, eel······!’ Ms. Gain’s voice echoed in the pure white space.

I frantically groped forward like someone who had dropped a gold bar on the street.

Then, Princess Christel, who was holding the basket, hurriedly covered her mouth.

“Oh my, there are plants in the Saint’s Realm······!”

The blue eyes of the princess who looked back were wide open.

Plants? Plants? I immediately grabbed Nikola Pompili, my husband, and put him in my pocket, clutched Gagabang and Growth tightly, and started running, walking, and wandering aimlessly in the direction the princess pointed, regardless of whether Yuliter’s headdress was turned upside down.

There was no time to think about the whys, hows, or what principles Demi had followed to get here. I was with my friends until the moment I was preparing to open the gate, so it was most likely that she had been caught up in the commotion.

The problem was that my partners hadn’t found Demi and the kids until now. It was probably because they had been hiding their energy all along.

Why?

“Maybe, maybe they got hurt while crossing over―”

No, that can’t be. I quickly shook my head and half-walked, looking only at the ground.

Plants, plants, plants······. Where on earth······!

“Huh?”

-Kkit?

-Thud!

I can’t believe I couldn’t avoid this even after seeing it―!

“Ugh!”

-Crash!

I was imagining only flowers or vines when I heard ‘plants,’ and ended up tripping over the grass tied in a ring!

“Oh, my back······!”

I tried to fall in a way that my pocket wouldn’t touch the ground, but I ended up hitting my back first, causing my lower back and tailbone to throb.

Even as I groaned, I hurriedly got up and touched the ground.

I heard a cry just now, it’s Demi, right?

“Demi! Leia! Is Ferry here?”

-······Ah! Kkia!

“Oh my gosh, Demi! Hyung [term of endearment used by a younger male to address an older male] is here!”

I could clearly distinguish the cries of the three lesser pandas―and I could definitely distinguish the voices of my precious ones from the sounds of other animals―so this was by no means a mistake.

Around that time, Princess Christel, holding the hem of her dress, hurriedly came and sat next to me.

The Holy Knight friends who had grasped the situation were also approaching quickly.

Come to think of it, this ‘grass with tied knots’ was also a clue to Demi. Because our old memories are intertwined here.

“Demi, hand! Give Hyung your hand!”

I looked down at the knotted grass and shouted clearly.

I was also preparing to release my power in case the child needed Ether―my friends were half out of their minds because of the Crown, but there was nothing I could do about it right now―and I held Growth tightly, intending to step in and destroy this place if the child was having too much trouble.

The princess, who had already put down the basket, was looking at the side of my face, turning pale.

I’m sorry, is this the first time you’ve seen such a violent priest?

“Please pray for Demi to succeed, Princess.”

“Oh, there has never been a moment when I have prayed so earnestly as now.”

-······Kkut, kkuu!

-Pong!

“Waaaaa―!”

Demi’s right forepaw burst through the grass!

I almost jumped up and shouted like a Korean watching a penalty shootout in the World Cup.

While the princess was genuinely delighted, Sir Johan and my friends finally arrived at the patch of grass.

I looked up at them, smiled brightly, and quickly grabbed Demi’s forepaw.

“We did it! There really are kids under the Star Stream floor!”

“Good job, our Demi! You’re the best! You’re our MVP [Most Valuable Player]! That’s right, give me the other hand too! Hand!”

-Kkuuoooh······

The little one under the floor started groaning with effort again.

The paw that gripped my fingers was trembling.

Thankfully, there were no wounds or bloodstains on the foreleg.

As soon as Cedric, having grasped the situation, took out his magic wand, Ms. Gain stopped him, saying, ‘Are you crazy?’

Before I knew it, Duke Nikola, His Majesty Romero, and even Irene, peeking out from the basket, were cheering for Demi.

-Kkuuoot······!

“Please, please, just a little more······.”

「Take heart, Heroic Divine Beast!」

-······Poong!

There it was—the entire upper body, including the Divine Beast’s head, popped up!

-Kkiaaaa!

“Oh my god, Demi! You did so well! You did so well! Oh, my baby!”

‘Dear readers, thank you!’ I patted Demi’s torso gently, spouting out the exclamation that was now as familiar as ‘Oh my god.’

I wanted to hug her tightly like I do with my friends, but the Divine Beast was very small, and her waist was still stuck in the Star Stream floor······.

-······Oooo, Awoo!

Huh?

“Wait a minute, isn’t that Tete’s voice? Is Tete under Demi?”

-Kkieung

“Huh? Is she really there?”

-Whooosh······

Besides, why do I hear the sound of wind? I turned pale and frantically rummaged through the grass.

I naturally assumed there would be a pristine white Star Stream carpet under the grass······?

-Whoooooosh······!

-Auk! Auk!

-Kkioht!

-Kkiha!

-Kkyahoooo

“······Huh?”

I couldn’t believe the sight before my eyes, so I squeezed my eyes shut, counted to three quickly, and opened them again.

But nothing had changed.

My friends, noticing that my reaction was unusual, also gathered in a circle, huddled together, and looked down at the grass.

Even in the midst of all this, I bent over as much as possible, worried that my body might touch my friends.

The expressions of the group, having grasped the Divine Beasts’ situation, were also dyed with astonishment. Ms. Gain’s face practically had the words ‘Seriously, this is too much’ written all over it.

“No······. Could it be······. You’ve been here the whole time? From the beginning?”

-Kkieueung!

“It seems so.”

It was an understandable reaction.

We were currently watching the scene of the Divine Beasts in the darkness, dangling from a single vine—standing on top of each other to form a tower!

Guys!

“Perry, Rophie is the smallest among you, so did you tie Tete to Rophie?”

-Kkureut!

「Lord God······.」

「Perhaps, perhaps when you opened the gate and crossed over, the Divine Beasts made the grass grow here to prevent the gate from closing.」

Princess Christel, having examined the children’s positions, said calmly.

‘You’re telling me our kids are living doorstops?’ Ms. Gain’s voice shot out in all directions.

The first to move among us was, as always, Sir Johan.

He sent a gust of wind under Demi’s hind legs, creating space between the Divine Beasts who were standing on each other, and used his power to support the children instead.

I clenched and unclenched my fists several times and nodded. Now that things had come to this, we couldn’t stay here any longer. I quickly turned to the guardian of this place.

“······Princess Christel, please take good care of His Late Majesty Romero and Irene.”

We had to return through this gate immediately.

To the desert where my friends had come from.

「Don’t worry. It is my job to take care of the fragments of the Star Stream.」

“And, and this person too······.”

I carefully supported Duke Nikola with both hands and handed her over to her.

The Duke smiled gently and kissed my palm as a farewell.

As we made eye contact and said our goodbyes, a bittersweet laugh burst out.

Once again, I’m glad you weren’t annihilated.

I’m so glad that even a few fragments remain here.

“This person has only one wish: to reunite with His Late Majesty Valery. I believe he must be somewhere here as well. Could you possibly find him, Princess?”

「······I have never undertaken such an adventure, but I will try.」

‘No, I want to try.’ The princess, with a determined expression, accepted Duke Nikola with her gloved hands.

Then, Ms. Gain placed her hand on her shoulder and smiled.

“As a bonus, His Late Majesty Romero too. I heard he was shattered into thousands of pieces, so please gather them together and stitch them up nicely. Then, someday, you might even be able to use Durandall’s power, right?”

「Ah, that too······.」

‘Yes, I want to try.’ The princess’s blue eyes sparkled with a certain resolve.

Then, Ms. Gain put her arm around her small shoulders and took out a white whip from her pocket.

Ah, that’s······.

“Don’t go around alone anymore. I don’t want you to be lonely.”

「······.」

“I’ll think about Christel every day when I go back. Really. So I hope Christel also thinks about us and has fun traveling with these people every day.”

「······.」

“It’s alright, right? ‘The Interstellar Grand Adventure of Lady Christel of the Scattered Stars’!”

‘Sounds like a bestseller. I want to read it later too.’ Ms. Gain winked, her eyes sparkling, and stepped back with a bright smile.

It was a gesture indicating she was preparing to leave.

The faces of the two, noses slightly red, looked so affectionate that I felt I would never forget this scene.

Christel, savoring her partner’s words with a smile, soon rose from her seat with the Crown Prince’s escort.

The man’s neck and earlobes were still flushed from suppressing his emotions, but he kissed the Lady’s hand with a refined gesture, displaying perfect gentlemanly manners.

「Cedric.」

“······Yes.”

Finally, the late Emperor called his great-grandson. The Crown Prince looked down at him with a stern face.

「······I am glad you do not resemble me.」

“······.”

「Enjoy your reign.」

Those were the words of blessing from the warlord who had commanded an era stained with blood.

I realized at that moment that we were parting ways.

Perhaps I would never see them again.

-Kkiuuu

“Your Highness.”

Startled, I quickly readjusted the scepter and greeted the Lady and the fragment companions.

Before I knew it, everyone was seeing us off with smiling faces. Thank you.

······Still, someday, we might meet again. If we all wish for it.

“Then, shall we get going?”

-Awoo-ooo!

“Yeah, Tete! I’m coming down!”

I’m running to you, right now.

I smiled brightly and raised the scepter.

The crescent moon reflected a flawless white light, beginning to shine dazzlingly.

*

Meanwhile, deep in the night.

In the middle of the desert.

-Kugugugugung······

“Oh, oh, oh, oh! Look at that, honey priest! Oh, look over there!”

“Good heavens! It’s opening again! The moon shadow hole [likely a portal or phenomenon related to the moon] is opening again!”

“Brother! Brother, over there―!”

“Hmm······.”

The surroundings were extremely noisy.

To exaggerate a bit, it was as if hundreds of people were shouting at the top of their lungs nearby.

The voices of adults, as well as excited snot-nosed children chattering, and even the sounds of neighborhood dogs barking, were vividly audible.

Djibril Diop frowned and pulled the blanket over his head.

Damn salon, why is the soundproofing so terrible······.

-Kwakwakwakwakwa······!

“Wowwwww······!”

“Oh my, oh my! It’s the moon! The moon!”

“Waaaaa! The moon is rising! The moon is coming back······!”

“It’s a full moon! It’s even a full moon, that thing!”

“No way······!”

‘The Main God watches over the continent!’ Deafening cheers, earth-shaking rumbles that sounded like earthquakes, thunderous applause, and once again, ear-splitting cheers······.

Finally, Djibril opened his eyes wide amidst the tremendous noise.

It was only when he irritably threw off the blanket that he realized it wasn’t a good thing like a ‘blanket’.

-Rustle!

“What, where is this······.”

The robe with holes all over it was definitely what he had been wearing.

The magic staff that fell from his chest rolled to his knees.

Now that he saw it, he wasn’t on a bed but on the ground······.

“You’re up early. It seems it was effective.”

To be exact, he was lying alone in the sand, without any protective magic.

The first to greet the awakened Djibril was a handsome young man with blonde hair.

The alchemist old man Anpetah was also asleep nearby.

The magician slowly raised himself and glared at the prince.

“······What did you do to me? There’s no way the mana resting period could be this short.”

“Well. I think something much more important is happening right now.”

-Gugugugugung······!

No sooner had Yeser Venetian replied with a smile than the highest part of the sky brightened like midday, emitting a tremendous radiance.

Djibril instinctively, like everyone else, quickly looked up at that place.

It was a gaze that no one on the continent could dare to refuse.

“······.”

Six wings fluttering against the backlight······.

-Flap, flap flap!

“Waaaaaaa······!”

“An angel! It’s the Main God’s angel―!”

“Iyaaaaaaa······!”

The crowd in the neutral zone, likely numbering well over thousands, was shedding tears and cheering towards the angel descending from the sky.

Kneeling and praying, bowing, and finally fainting on the spot······.

-Flap, flap!

[······Hello, Young Master! We meet again like this!]

The Archangel looked down at the man and greeted him.

Djibril’s red eyes widened greatly.