What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 122

#122 The Place to Become Crown Prince 100m Away (2)

“No… I just meant for you guys to go for a drive together.”

-Clatter, clatter

The carriage rocked gently.

The road to the portal was noisy, like being on a school trip bus.

Prince Cedrick, sitting by the window, seemed even warmer despite it being August, while Christel, by the door, was as cool as ever.

How did I end up between these two?

“It would have been easier if we had come to the Lugo Portal.”

“The Papal State says they can’t take us that far due to budget issues.”

To Christel’s reasonable complaint, Elizabeth replied bitterly.

Herit was arriving at a wide-area portal in the east of the Imperial City.

It would have been nice to come to ‘Lugo General Trading Post’ since it was close to the Imperial Palace, but the Papal State expressed its difficulties.

It meant they couldn’t spend that much on transportation for a priest-level clergyman and his assistant.

“Sir Johan, have some water.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

I handed a cold glass bottle to the tense Holy Knight.

He quenched his thirst with a couple of gulps and clenched and unclenched his fist.

It was clearly a thirst that water couldn’t quench.

It was a three-hour round trip to pick up Herit.

Sant, who had the child as his assistant, had to go, and Sir Johan was enough.

It was plausible that the prince’s teacher, Elizabeth, would escort him.

But Christel and Eva decided to come along, saying they wanted to see Herit’s face.

The prince decided to accompany them, and I somehow got swept up in it, making it a large-scale event.

Demi, Rea, Perry, and Dduksoomi were stuck to my body like abalone, sleeping.

Two six-seater imperial carriages were mobilized, and more than twenty guards escorted the front and rear.

Eva, Sant, Benjamin, Ganael, and David were in the following carriage.

I looked down at the picnic basket I had hastily packed for Herit.

It was fortunate that the prince got some fresh air before the investiture ceremony, but I was worried the child would be surprised.

-Neigh!

-Clatter, clatter…

Then, with the horse’s cry, the carriage slowed down.

I stroked the sleeping lesser pandas and looked outside. The prince said in a low voice.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Wow…”

A gasp of admiration escaped as I took in the scene before my eyes.

The place we arrived at after driving for an hour and a half out of the Imperial Palace was an outdoor portal surrounded by a huge forest like a folding screen.

Thick pillars supported a white, heavy roof.

The space was wide enough to accommodate over a hundred people.

I spotted a clergyman looking this way and a very small boy.

His white hair was fluttering in the wind.

“Haha.”

I turned my gaze at Sir Johan’s laughter. His face, brightly lit, was wet with tears.

As the procession stopped, the man jumped out of the carriage like a whirlwind and ran to the boy.

He could have arrived faster using Aether [magical energy], but he seemed to have forgotten that he was a Holy Knight.

The four of us left in the carriage sat for a while, watching his back.

Sir Johan knelt down as if collapsing and hugged his son.

Herit’s frail hands clung to his father’s neck.

*

After a while, the Haines father and son stood before us with red eyes.

“Herit, this is His Highness Prince Cedrick Liester. He is the one your father teaches at the Imperial Palace.”

“……”

At Sir Johan’s kind introduction, the child bowed his head, not knowing what to do.

The prince looked down at Herit with an indifferent expression. The boy was much smaller than others his age.

I heard he was ten years old, but I could believe he was seven or eight.

His white hair and large mint-colored eyes, which resembled his father, were impressive.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. My son lost his words after his mother passed away.”

Sir Johan apologized on behalf of the silent Herit.

I anxiously observed the child’s neck and wrists.

I was worried that he might have been abused in the Theocracy’s prison.

Perhaps scared and burdened by the gazes of the adults who had piled out of the carriage, Herit clung to his father’s leg and trembled.

“And this is His Highness Prince Yeser Venetian. He is the one who saved you and your father.”

Then the child slowly raised his face and looked up at me.

I smiled awkwardly and bent down in front of Herit.

Benjamin and Ganael behind me, and Sir Johan in front of me, gestured for me not to, but it was a habit I couldn’t help.

The little one would have a sore neck because our eye levels didn’t match.

“Hello, Herit. Nice to meet you.”

“……”

The child looked at me while holding onto his father’s pants.

But he seemed curious, as he didn’t take his eyes off me.

“There are very cute animal friends in the carriage. They came to see you.”

The child’s eyes widened at my words.

“They’re sleeping now. Three are divine beasts, and one is a divine object pretending to be a divine beast.”

I whispered, ‘This is a secret, so only you know,’ and this time, Herit’s mouth dropped open.

No matter how young he was, he would have heard so much about divine beasts and divine objects since he was born and raised in the Theocracy [a government ruled by religious leaders].

I continued in a voice that wasn’t too loud.

“They’re very friendly, so I think Herit will like them too. Would you like to say ‘hello’ later?”

Herit nodded slightly.

I smiled and slowly got up so as not to startle the child.

Soon, the others greeted Herit as well.

The child had a confused expression, having met so many strangers in a short time.

Still, he seemed quite curious about the divine beasts and Dduksoomi, as he stared at me whenever our eyes met.

I was pointing at the carriage behind me while looking at the child when my eyes met the prince’s.

“……”

He stared at me silently before striding towards the carriage.

I thought he didn’t like children very much.

But since he’s the male lead of a romance fantasy novel, he’ll probably adore his own children later.

*

“Anyone would think you gave birth to him yourself, teacher. He’s a spitting image.”

“I’ve heard that often.”

Christel said, looking back and forth between Herit and Sir Johan in the returning carriage.

I laughed while helping Demi shake hands with the boy. It was true.

Even though Herit’s eyes didn’t droop, his atmosphere was very similar to his father’s.

Is this the power of genetics?

-Squeak

As Herit carefully grabbed one front paw, Demi opened its mouth and cried. The child flinched.

“It’s okay. He likes you.”

I reassured him.

Little Haines watched the divine beast carefully, but decided to believe my words and offered Demi the other hand this time.

Demi stretched its neck and smelled the child.

Rea and Perry were sitting on the prince’s lap, watching the scene.

Dduksoomi occasionally beeped from Christel’s shoulder.

-Lick

Eventually, the lesser panda lightly licked Herit’s fingertip.

The child was startled, then smiled at me. A smile spread across my face as well.

“Shall I give you a lunch box? There’s a lot of delicious food.”

At my question, Herit nodded slightly.

Sir Johan said, ‘Thank you, Your Highness,’ on his behalf.

Christel said, watching me open the picnic basket.

“Come to think of it, Your Highness doesn’t look much like Princess Yeser.”

“Is that so?”

I asked back. I felt that way as soon as I saw Elissa.

She was a different kind of royalty from the start. Elizabeth agreed with her friend’s opinion.

“Indeed, if someone didn’t know, they wouldn’t think you were siblings.”

“Right. You’re both beautiful, but in different ways.”

Christel chimed in.

The princess was famous for being a carbon copy of the king in his youth, so it seemed Prince Yeser didn’t resemble his mother.

I smiled vaguely and took out the jambon beurre [ham and butter sandwich] and cucumber mint salad.

“Herit, can you eat cucumbers?”

The boy nodded at my question.

While Sir Johan was checking his son’s luggage and medicine, I handed the child a fork and bread.

It was then.

-Neigh!

“Whoa, whoa!”

The horse’s cry and the coachman’s voice followed, and soon the carriage stopped abruptly.

I wondered if something had happened, but it was quiet outside.

Just as the prince’s calm demeanor began to crack, someone knocked on the carriage.

Elizabeth opened the door.

“What’s wrong?”

“Deputy Commander, Your Highness. I am very sorry. A baby deer has collapsed on the road. Please wait a moment until it is taken care of.”

The viscount looked at the prince. He nodded lightly.

I intervened as naturally as possible.

“Is it still alive?”

“Yes, Your Highness. It seems to have injured its leg.”

The guard replied promptly. As I turned to look at the prince, his orange eyes narrowed.

It was a look of disbelief. I responded immediately.

“I’ll heal it.”

I had been diligently chanting healing circles for times like these.

“Your Highness is so cool!”

I put down the basket and stood up with Demi.

Christel cheered embarrassingly and followed me down.

As I walked to the front of the carriage, the guards bowed and stepped back.

Soon, the baby deer appeared.

-Peep, peep!

It was so young that it cried like a chick. I sat down and examined the deer’s condition.

The little one was wary of me and tried to stand up, but soon sat back down, as if its leg hurt.

It seemed blood was clotted on its right hind leg.

It seemed to have been bitten by a predator or fractured by a trap. I took a deep breath.

I’ll make you better soon.

[Remove the debris here and bring forth new stems.]

-Flash!

The activation phrase rang out, and a sky-blue healing circle lit up the dirt floor.

The deer widened its black eyes and fluttered its ears.

I had never used healing power on an animal before, but I had learned that it worked the same, so it should be fine.

Blue particles rose from the circle like bubbles. Demi stretched out its front paw and fiddled with them.

“Demi, be still.”

-Squeak

“What’s going on? What is it?”

Eva, who had gotten out of the carriage, came closer and asked.

The young lady saw the deer and flinched in surprise.

“It’s a type of deer. Still a baby. It’s hurt, so His Highness is healing it.”

Christel explained. I looked behind me.

Sir Johan, who had come out holding Herit, was watching me.

Benjamin, Ganael, and Sant were also with him a few steps behind.

The priest who brought Herit seemed to have stayed in the carriage with David.

-Swish…

-Peep

Gently shining Aether particles gathered on the deer’s hind leg. The creature cried briefly.

We quietly watched the scene. At that moment,

-Ting-a-ling!

The bell rang in my arms. I was startled. The prince appeared faster than I could raise my head.

He rushed out of the carriage with lightning speed.

“There’s a monster. Elizabeth, rear [secure the back].”

“Yes, Your Highness. You guys come this way and take the flanks [sides]. Everyone, be on guard!”

-Clang!

The prince instantly drew his Hyegeom [his sword] and stood in front of me. The air rapidly froze.

Dduksoomi fluttered and sat on top of my head, and Rea and Perry clung to Sant’s shoulder.

Christel took out her whip. I said urgently.

“Clergymen can’t dual cast [perform two spells at once]. I can’t open a holy ground while using healing power.”

“I don’t care.”

The man’s low voice answered calmly. At the same time,

-Growl…

-Grrr, woof!

A sound similar to a dog barking, but much more ferocious, spread through the bushes.

I felt goosebumps at the threat, the direction of which I couldn’t even discern. The prince muttered.

“The deer was bait.”

-Grunt! Grrr!

-Peep!

I was shocked as I looked at the trembling baby deer.

I knew monsters were ferocious and cunning, but to hurt other animals to lure humans.

“You don’t have to worry with me here, Your Highness.”

Sir Johan said kindly. His expression didn’t waver even though he had a young son.

“Really.”

-Grrrr!

Thud! A heavy wolf-shaped monster leaped forward.

Its entire body was a dark green color.

Before the dust raised by the creature could settle,

-Bang!

-Screech!

A powerful air blast bounced the monster away like a bullet.

At the same time, the prince stretched out his right hand behind him.

-Whoosh!

Seven red squares overlapped like flower petals below my healing circle.

I widened my eyes. It was the prince’s defensive magic formula that I was seeing for the first time….

-Zzzzz!

“Huh?”

A noise I had heard somewhere rang out. I staggered, feeling nauseous.

The view blurred unpleasantly. This was definitely not because of the prince’s mana.

To be exact, it was because his mana had activated something else.

A clear metallic border was shining below the blue healing circle and the red magic formula.

Christel and I made eye contact.

The story of Marquis Diem that I had heard at the Imperial Palace quickly flashed through our minds.

‘As the soil of the forest is washed away by rainwater, abandoned old portals are revealing themselves.’

“Tsk.”

-Thud!

The prince, having grasped the situation, stabbed Hyegeom into the ground. It was an attempt to destroy the portal. But,

-Fssss…

“Crazy.”

My fingertips were already crumbling and moving to another space.

My vision turned white with nausea.