What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 145

#145 The Greatest Show on Earth! (4)

It was my first time experiencing something like this since being possessed. It wasn’t like I was invisible, but close.

“How fascinating.”

I muttered to myself.

I was practically running through the busy streets, yet no one seemed to pay much attention to me.

It was all thanks to the ear cuff that erased my presence for 15 minutes.

Occasionally, I’d make eye contact with passersby, but they would simply greet me and move on.

No one panicked or collapsed to the ground.

Until now, Benjamin and Ganael had always been by my side, and I had never gone anywhere without a carriage.

Walking around like this, I felt like I was back in ‘Ye-seo Jeong’s’ body.

-Beep beep!

“Okay, thank you.”

The wren signaled from above. I carefully made my way to the back door of the merchant guild building.

It wasn’t actually that hard to find.

The trail of water spilled by the suspicious cargo wagon was a dead giveaway.

“Hello.”

“Good work.”

I greeted a guild employee, and they responded casually.

They and their colleagues quickly forgot about me and walked past, chatting.

I glanced at the back door, which was plainer than the main entrance. There was no time to waste.

I quickly opened the door and dashed inside, hiding Dduk-sim who fluttered into my arms.

“This is the real deal from here on out. Let’s find the Divine Beast quickly.”

-Beep

*

I quickly made my way to the dimly lit area beneath the stage.

I had diligently followed the water trail to get here.

I hadn’t realized it was so close to the stage, but I overheard the staff talking and figured it out.

Judging by the timing of the transport with the auction’s start time, they were planning to unveil it as the first item.

There was no mention of this in the catalog…

The ear cuff had been activated for what felt like 12, 13 minutes.

I anxiously stared at the cube-shaped tank.

A dark cloth covered it, obscuring the inside.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a live one!”

“The guild leader is so lucky. To be able to unveil a rare magical beast at His Highness the Crown Prince’s safety inspection. And it’s perfectly fine in the water, too.”

“Miriam, who caught it, is a lucky one. She didn’t even get attacked this time.”

“A blessing! Last time, she almost lost an arm.”

Hiding behind a thick wooden pillar, I pieced together the employees’ conversation.

A person named Miriam seemed to have brought valuable magical beasts to the guild before.

The fact that they said it was fortunate she captured it without getting hurt, and that they didn’t seem to realize the mysterious creature was a Divine Beast.

Come to think of it, even Cardinal Boutier had only seen the Lesser Panda Trio in person for the first time.

Agnès, the mountain keeper, had also mistaken them for magical beasts.

Unless the Divine Beast displayed its powers, it was unlikely that an ordinary person would recognize it.

“If the setup is done, let’s go.”

“Yeah. I wonder if His Highness the Crown Prince will bid on it?”

The workers chuckled and disappeared through the side door. I swallowed hard.

“······.”

Dduk-sim was admirably quiet. By now, the ear cuff’s effect should have worn off.

After repeatedly confirming that no one was around, I quickly approached the tank.

Then, I carefully lifted the cloth. My tense fingertips trembled slightly.

What if a mermaid came out? Talking and everything.

“Uh…”

Soon, black, beady eyes and a white body greeted me.

I was speechless, staring blankly at the little one. My mind went blank.

Short whiskers swayed in the water.

A chestnut-like nose, plump, streamlined belly, and adorable flipper-feet.

“No, what kind of fantasy novel…”

Has a harp seal? And they’re selling it?

-Beeeeeep

Dduk-sim’s call snapped me out of it. This was no time to be floundering in shock.

I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them again, and saw the metal collar around its neck.

Since they thought it was a magical beast, that must be a mana restraint.

It was probably there to prevent it from causing a ruckus in front of the guests.

“Hello… Um, would you like something to eat?”

I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

The harp seal seemed very listless, despite showing curiosity towards me.

It could be because it had been forcibly captured, or perhaps it felt suffocated in the small tank.

In any case, Divine Beasts sustained themselves on aether [a mystical energy source].

And providing aether was my specialty. My specialty number would be around 111100.

“Your brother is an aether *mat-jip* [a popular restaurant known for delicious food].”

-Paaaah!

A small sanctuary that only encompassed the tank opened. The harp seal blinked its large eyes.

The water sparkled with golden light.

I slowly released aether, careful not to scare or overwhelm it.

I hoped it would gain strength.

-Splash!

Then, the little one came to the surface and wagged its tail. Following that,

“…It’s eating well.”

I naturally smiled.

It was pleasant to feel the aether draining from my body. I was happy to confirm that it was indeed a Divine Beast.

The little guy, not even 1 meter long, ate so much that I had to increase the supply rate several times.

Dduk-sim poked its head out of my jacket and chirped. It seemed proud.

“Yes, you and Demi did a great job. It must have been hungry.”

I praised it, stroking its forehead with my finger. At that moment,

-Bang!

“If it’s not here, then the break room, huh!”

I was startled and looked towards the door. It was one of the workers who had left with her colleagues earlier.

She was shocked to find me and collapsed to the floor. Her broad back trembled.

“W-Why, the Prince, the Marquis is in a place like this…”

It wasn’t an unexpected development. I immediately expanded the sanctuary.

-Woooong!

“Eek!”

The woman was horrified to see the circle encompassing her feet.

I smiled wryly and delivered a divine message.

[I apologize for startling you. Inform the guild leader. The magical beast they brought is not a magical beast, but a Divine Beast, and should not be put up for auction.]

*

Emile d’Asse was a man who knew no tension.

Or rather, he was able to turn even tension into confidence, and he was skilled at selling the finest goods at the highest prices with this attitude.

He was also praised for his excellent improvisation skills at a young age.

He had known the leading nobles of the Imperial Capital since he was a child.

He was not easily shaken, and he planned to remain steadfast in the future.

So today was no different.

The guild lobby was bustling with glittering nobles and numerous servants.

It was a place where anticipation and excitement thrived before an event.

“I greet His Most Honorable Highness the Crown Prince.”

Emile bowed gracefully. It was his first time meeting royalty.

Compared to the Imperial Palace he had lived in, the guild was undoubtedly shabby, but the guild leader never faltered.

The rare magical beast that had arrived on the dawn ship was a top-quality item, without a single flaw and even young.

Even the Crown Prince, known as the ‘Empire’s Best Heir,’ would never have seen such an item before.

If he were to win the bid, Asse’s reputation would undoubtedly rise to an unimaginable level compared to its current state.

A triumphant smile appeared on his face.

“······.”

As rumored, the Crown Prince showed little reaction to his subordinate’s words.

His attendants also did not look at Emile.

Emile maintained his smile and guided the Crown Prince into the auction hall.

The finest carpet, hastily prepared upon hearing the news of the royalty’s arrival, was free of even a speck of dust.

Everything seemed perfect.

“I will escort you to the center of the first row.”

It certainly did. Until the person in charge of transporting the auction item grabbed his sleeve.

“Guild Leader, it’s an emergency.”

“What is the meaning of this?”

Emile whispered scoldingly. She was now interfering with the Crown Prince’s procession.

Moreover, her clothes were old, and her body reeked of the sea due to her handling of the ‘surprise item.’

Despite the guild leader’s sharp gaze, the subordinate did not back down.

Instead, she quickly put her hand to his ear.

“Marquis Serenite is under the stage. He said the surprise item is not a magical beast, but a Divine Beast. He instructed us to withdraw the auction item. I heard it clearly with my own two ears.”

She whispered quickly and quietly, lest the words leak out.

She did not forget to emphasize the last sentence.

Emile glanced at the Crown Prince without changing his expression.

Behind him, he could see the people of the Sarnese ducal family.

Christelle, sensing his gaze, smiled beautifully.

“······Evidence?”

“Excuse me?”

“There must be evidence that it is a Divine Beast. You didn’t just come up here believing his words, did you?”

Emile sent her a smile and whispered. The subordinate was greatly embarrassed.

“There was no such thing. But isn’t he a royal priest? We must believe him unconditionally,”

“What era are you talking about? How pathetic.”

He retorted softly. He wondered why the Marquis hadn’t appeared.

It seemed he was crawling to the bottom of the guild to slander him.

He had been deprived of Christelle by a commoner like him, and he would soon lose the Crown Prince’s attention, so he must be desperate.

The reason why he pretended to focus only on food and showed a picky attitude towards his sister’s sins became clear.

It was then.

“I heard they are putting up a rare magical beast.”

The Crown Prince’s low voice cut off his thoughts. Emile gestured towards his seat with a kind face.

“Yes. I hope it will bring joy to Your Highness.”

The royalty glanced at him and silently took his seat. The ducal family then sat down.

Emile kissed Christelle’s hand respectfully, straightened his back, and whispered to his subordinate.

“Put the item on stage as planned.”

“Yes? Guild Leader,”

“It will be a great spectacle.”

He raised the corners of his mouth dazzlingly.

The prince of the enemy country had gained sympathy and deceived many people, but he could not deceive him.

Today was the opportunity to reveal his cheap and frivolous appearance to the world.

Emile turned around, looking at Christelle, who was waving her hand with flushed cheeks.

…And Christelle glared at his back with all her might.

Then, she wiped her hand on her pants and asked the Crown Prince next to her.

“What are you thinking?”

“······.”

“I heard from Elizabeth that the Marquis said it was a Divine Beast. Then we should just take the auction item down,”

Goodness. Christelle stopped talking and widened her eyes.

The real fox who uses fire was different after all.

“You set a trap?”

“It’s a simple political maneuver.”

“Not a palace intrigue?”

“It was you who insisted on tarnishing his reputation.”

Cedric replied indifferently. Christelle nodded with a bright smile.

The prince really liked feeding things to others.

If he could get the guild leader in trouble and feed him prison food, he would surely be delighted.

*

“Why isn’t anyone coming? Are they never coming back?”

-Beeep?

-Splash splash!

Dduk-sim and I tilted our heads at the same time.

The harp seal, having eaten plenty of aether, seemed to be in a good mood, doing the backstroke and splashing water with its tail as if showing off.

It seemed to be feeling stuffy, so I removed the cloth covering the tank, and the way it looked at me became even more sparkling.

This one is cute too.

“Do Divine Beasts have to be cute? It must be water attribute?”

I said to myself.

Since it was definitely a Divine Beast, I had to ‘guide it to the divine object with someone who possessed divine power.’

But among the Empire’s four divine objects, we had three.

Two of them either had owners or had been absorbed, making them difficult to sense, so that left only Dduk-sim…

-Rumble!

At that moment, the ground shook. Huh?

“Why is this, ack!”

-Rumble…!

I quickly grabbed the tank and sat down. Everything around me trembled.

The flat wooden floor was rising as a whole. Dduk-sim burrowed into my collar.

It definitely wasn’t an earthquake, could it be.

“The Greatest Show on Earth! Welcome to the Asse Auction House’s Holy Relic Week. Now, let me introduce the first auction item.”

A familiar, cavernous voice was heard. Applause poured from the audience.

The ceiling split open to the sides, and dazzling magical lights enveloped me.

Ropes were being wound from somewhere, and the sound of levers and wheels moving could be heard.

It was an absurd situation. The startled harp seal splashed around.

I hurriedly picked up the cloth, but it seemed too late to cover it again.

“It’s okay. I’ll be with you. Calm down,”

-Splaash!

The terrified little one splashed water on me. The coldness snapped me awake.

I was soaked in seawater from head to toe!

“Cough.”

-Clunk!

The pulley stopped. I wiped the saltwater from my eyes and looked straight ahead.

Unlike the brightly lit stage, the audience was dark and I couldn’t see anything.

Damn it, what is this!

“This is a rare magical beast that survives even in water. It was captured off the coast of Asse this morning. It’s a healthy cub with excellent white fur. The person next to it is… A trainer? It’s hard to see from here.”

Emile said mockingly. A murmur spread through the venue. I frantically looked for the guild leader.

His eyes, standing on one side of the stage, were as sour and astringent as lemons. My teeth ground involuntarily.

“Starting bid is 500,000 francs.”

“Stop it. This one is not a magical beast, but,”

“200 million.”

What…? I blinked, wondering if I had misheard.

The room became as cold as if everyone had been immersed in ice water.

“I’ll pay in full.”

I gaped and looked at the place where the voice had come from.

Orange eyes, seemingly out of their mind, were piercing through the darkness.