What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 279

The Last King of the Thousand-Year Kingdom! (3)

“It’s not ours, so you’ll get in trouble if you touch it carelessly.”

-Creak

We already scribbled on it and broke the door, but we still need to draw the line. Stealing is really not okay.

“I’m sorry, let’s be sorry. I’m sorry.”

-Woo-ooh

I picked up the lesser panda and staggered to my feet.

I also grabbed my teacher’s staff, which was lying nearby.

The charred, rusty staff gleamed with a camel-colored metal here and there.

The crescent moon at the top flashed like an angry sickle.

It’s a precious item that I can’t even dare to put a value on, but it’s been through a lot traveling with me.

-Clang, clang

The sound of stepping on gold coins rang out with every step.

Light streamed in from somewhere in the ceiling, illuminating the place.

The gold, silver, and jewels were as clean as if they had been placed there yesterday.

Christel, holding the baby [likely referring to the lesser panda], hurriedly approached me.

Both the baby and she had wide eyes.

“I guess this must be the treasure buried with the King of Unio?”

“Yes. It’s hard to imagine an ordinary nobleman enjoying this much wealth and authority. I understand why tomb raiders risk their lives wandering the desert.”

“Exactly. Even if you just fill one bag here, you won’t have to worry about money for the rest of your life. If you fill two, three generations can live in luxury.”

She said in admiration. I nodded.

It’s been roughly a thousand years since the fall of Unio, my home country.

In this unknown ruin, which the Papal States doesn’t even protect, such enormous treasures were piled up.

Actually, it seemed like security wasn’t even necessary. There were specters staging a scene from a horror movie, and the tomb itself had its own alarm system.

The reason why so few people succeed in tomb raiding must be because it’s extremely difficult to enter the burial chamber, overcoming these conditions.

Maybe they were extremely lucky or outstanding warriors.

But is this really a burial chamber? I don’t see a coffin.

-Woo-oo-oo…

I flinched. A chilling cry was heard from the air.

Christel and I looked up at the same time.

We couldn’t see the specters’ characteristic red, eerie light, but we could instinctively tell.

Ominous beings were lurking beyond the ceiling.

Even though we couldn’t see anything, we felt a cold gaze.

They were definitely watching the group, swaying and moving from all directions.

We swallowed hard.

A chilling whisper spread out like fog from all directions, then dissipated.

-Aaaah!

-They’re here, they’re here, they’re here…

-Sacred blood…!

Swish!

“Did they just say blood?”

Christel whispered seriously.

I was going crazy because it wasn’t just me who misheard.

I urgently looked for the Crown Prince.

I don’t care about the guys who tricked a ten-year-old into coming all the way here, but I had to save India and take her with me.

It wasn’t difficult to find the black hair bouncing in the gold-filled room again.

We rushed over to him. Our legs sank deep into the gold field, but every second counted.

Hey, Crown Prince!

-Clang, clang!

“Your Highness, have you seen a child around here?”

“Any sign of India?”

“There’s no one over there. We don’t see any other way out except for the hole we fell through.”

“Doesn’t the Crown Prince recognize children’s presence like a ghost?”

We fired off words like roasting beans [speaking rapidly and incessantly]. Crown Prince Cedric frowned.

Leah and Perry were running around him distractedly.

I quickly put my palms on the foreheads of the two lesser pandas, watching his reaction.

Then the little guys rolled around, acting cute.

I don’t know whose sacred beast [a divine or mystical creature] is acting so flighty in a tomb.

“…I don’t sense anything right now. There are no traces of blood or outsiders.”

“Haa.”

Should I say it’s a relief?

They’ll keep the smart kid alive until they find the treasure.

“If a group of tomb raiders invaded, those things wouldn’t be safe.”

He gestured with his chin. We immediately turned our gaze. And we were shocked to the point that our eyes almost popped out.

In front of the burial chamber, there was a pile of breathtaking works of art.

In particular, next to the monkey statue with diamond eyes, there were angel sculptures made of sandstone.

The size was roughly three or four times that of an average person.

Someone had densely attached purple quartz to the tips of the wings, and an archer half-hidden in a gold hill was aiming at the sky with an emerald arrowhead.

The one who stood like a village guardian on the left side of the large altar wore a splendid sapphire necklace.

Finally, the largest of the four angels stood on the right side of the altar, leaning on a greatsword studded with rubies.

Thanks to some trickery, the satin cloak and silk clothes were all intact like new.

We stared blankly at the scene for a while.

“Oh my god…”

This was definitely a burial chamber. They were guarding the body of an unknown king.

I don’t know exactly where he’s enshrined, though.

“If tomb raiders haven’t reached here, there’s a high possibility that they’re trapped in another area of the tomb. We fell for a long time when we fell earlier, so the underground space must be large.”

I tried to calmly assess the situation as much as possible. Christel nodded right away.

“Yes. The problem is that we don’t know where the other friends are either. Since Teacher Johann is with them, they must have left that spot, but…”

That’s when it happened.

“Hwaaaaa! Hahaha!”

An enormously desperate scream was heard from somewhere in the ceiling,

“…Aaaagh! Too fast, too fast, too fast!”

“Indiaaaa!”

-Clatter! Thud!

Wow, friends were pouring down from the ceiling like rain!

Startled, we climbed the gold hill at full speed again.

‘Squeak, squeak!’ Demi and Perry pushed Leah, who kept slipping on the gold coins, with their noses.

It wasn’t a situation to laugh, but I kept giggling because I was happy that everyone had miraculously gathered together.

Besides, they fell from a completely different direction than us!

“Sir Johann!”

“Your Highness.”

The upright paladin greeted me in his usual tone.

Not a single strand of hair was out of place.

In contrast, Sant, Joan, and Marion were all crumpled, but anyway, they all seemed safe.

I quickly checked the child’s condition and gave her water.

Marion kept grinning, as if something was so funny.

Christel carefully lifted up the fallen friends.

‘Heo-eok!’ The painter and priest, who had checked their surroundings, gaped and widened their eyes.

They were exactly like us when we first came here.

“Hahaha.”

I ended up laughing out loud. It’ll take all day to escape.

*

“So, there’s more than one door.”

“Yes. There are at least two doors leading from where we were to the burial chamber. Then we should assume that there are also doors leading to other spaces besides the burial chamber.”

‘In a tomb like this, there would be plenty of traps.’ Father Herrit finished his sentence.

We were having a strategy meeting in front of the altar, huddling together in a circle.

Demi and Perry, lying in the middle of the circle, were enjoying the attention they were getting.

The way our friends arrived here was soon revealed.

Unlike us, who fell straight down through the door that the Crown Prince broke, Sir Johann’s group took refuge through a completely different door.

They said they rode an incredibly long and winding slide when they came down.

That’s why Marion liked it so much.

The child was now munching on Ghoriba [a type of cookie] that Monica had given her, next to Sir Johann.

Christel said in a cautious voice.

“If we use Teacher Johann’s power, can’t we go back up in reverse? By flying together.”

“It’s possible, but we might encounter the moving stone wall again. We need to be fully prepared.”

“Can’t we just smash everything? We can’t? Okay.”

When the Cardinal answered, Joan suddenly made a vehement remark and scratched the back of her neck.

I smiled bitterly.

“I understand Joan’s feelings. But we can’t cause more damage than we already have by trespassing in the resting place of the deceased. We’ve already caused a lot of trouble… And the specters are watching us.”

“Yeah, I can feel it. Even I, who has no ability, am getting goosebumps.”

She crossed her arms unhappily. Unpleasant ghostly wails still echoed from the ceiling.

From a while ago, a strange laughter was mixed in, making it even more eerie.

The gaze, which was as sticky as mud, constantly touched and moved away.

-Finally here…!

-Hahahaha!

-Sacred and fresh!

-Ah, ah…!

Whoaaaa! An intangible energy swept through the room and ran away.

Our veils fluttered. Marion flinched and clung even closer to Sir Johann.

He must have shown a very reliable demeanor from above.

Christel frowned, glaring at the ceiling.

“Aren’t they just trying to drive people crazy like that? They don’t even come close. An ordinary person would go crazy in a few hours.”

“That’s what I’m saying. They’ve been talking about sacred blood since earlier, but what is it? Who are they talking about?”

The young Baron voiced his dissatisfaction. Then the paladins stared at me.

What, why suddenly?

“Are you hungry? Shall I give you some Ether?”

“‘Sacred blood’ means a priest.”

The clear voice came from below. I was flustered and looked down at Marion.

The child, with cookie crumbs on her mouth, firmly continued to speak.

“I read it in a book. In the Main God Church [referring to a major religious institution], the only people who can be called sacred are the priests. It’s said that you have to be at least an Archbishop.”

“Hmm…”

“So they’re also called ‘sacred vessels’.”

“Then doesn’t that include paladins too?”

When I asked, the little theologian wrinkled her small face like a silkworm.

I definitely made a mistake.

“Your Highness, the Main God cherishes priests. It’s said that paladins are beings planted to defend you. It’s in the basic commentary of the Main God Church.”

“Oh, right. Sorry. This old man didn’t study properly.”

I nodded and apologized.

Looking back, there was such content in the commentary.

Priests are beings that the Main God sent down to the continent to look after humans, while paladins are responsible for protecting the Main God with their lives.

For this reason, some people occasionally interpreted that paladins do not receive the love of the Main God.

I heard that the treatment on the field is also very different.

In fact, I am called Archbishop ‘Eunha,’ but Christel and the Crown Prince do not have such titles.

Sir Johann was the same. It was because they were all paladins, not priests.

Of course, the people of the Empire, who are new to being paladins, just like everyone unconditionally.

“Still, there’s no reason for those people to target old man at all.”

-Ahahaha…!

I tried to be calm even in the midst of the ghost’s ridicule.

The paladins tilted their heads with a ‘Is that really so?’ look on their faces.

Don’t do that. The three of you are becoming too similar.

“You said that Ether doesn’t work on specters, right? That means they can’t attack, but they can’t help either. It means that old man is meaningless to them.”

“Hmph.”

This was also a story that applied to Retiring Duke [likely a title or character name].

I won’t deny that I’m deeply involved in the plot.

I had already speculated that the content would have changed a lot since I possessed it.

But no matter what anyone says, there are two men and women who are living like the main characters, so there was no reason to suddenly push me out here. There wasn’t really any foreshadowing for that.

Unless they use Prince Yeser as a MacGuffin [a plot device] to bring the two closer together…

Oh? Is this a bit possible?

“But Prince’s Ether is the best on the continent. I haven’t been to the Divine Nation [likely a religious state], but I can guarantee it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets involved in something big.”

“……”

Christel said something scary.

Jeong Yeser, now that I think about it, isn’t it totally possible? You have the ‘Holy Relic of Wishes’ inside you.

Neutral zone ghosts might have a connection with the sacred object of the Papal States!

“Hmm.”

I was speechless for a moment.

Why do you only focus on one thing when something happens and not look around? You’re such a fool!

“Even if that’s the case. Nothing changes. Our goal is one. To find the other space where India is trapped, save the child, and return safely. I think the commotion in the passage was the result of us accidentally triggering the tomb alarm. If we search carefully from now on, we won’t be attacked by the specters…”

-Creak!

At that moment, the faint cry of the lesser panda was heard. We immediately turned to the side.

And we were horrified!

“Leah, how did you get buried there!”

I ran over in shock after seeing the sacred beast buried headfirst in the pile of gold.

This is what happens when you take your eyes off kids for a moment. So this is my mistake.

The little one wriggled the tail and legs that stuck out. It was short, so it was useless.

‘Aigo [an expression of dismay].’ Christel sighed with a smile from behind.

It seemed that the friends had already started exploring other spaces. I was grateful that everyone was acting so quickly.

-Creak…

“Just wait a little bit. Big brother will take you out. Stay still, that’s right.”

-Clang, clang!

If I dragged it out, the little thing might suffocate.

As I quickly dug through the gold coins with both hands, Sant, who had quickly approached, helped me.

Demi and Perry also sat next to me and kept crying.

I wasn’t sure, but it was in a nuance of cheering for Leah, who was buried.

Fortunately, the little one was rescued soon!

-Clatter!

-Squeak!

‘I’m alive!’ That’s what it sounded like. I smiled brightly.

“Eucha, let’s see how my baby is doing. Did you get too fat to come out?”

-Squeak, squeak!

Then Leah got very angry and waved what she was holding in her front paws wildly. Huh?

“Is that why you went in there, because you wanted this?”

-Kureut [a sound of agreement]

The little one answered obediently right away. Sant and I exchanged smiling glances.

The little one was holding a thin stick in her paw, and it looked luxurious at a glance that it was made of carved ivory or white jade.

At the end, there was a long white leather strap that subtly shimmered like a pearl… Huh.

“It’s a whip. Were you going to give it to Pink Sister [likely a term of endearment]?”

-Kkureut

“Wow, our Leah is so kind. You were brave for thinking of Sister? But this already has an owner, so you can’t. Let’s say bye-bye. Bye-bye.”

-Kkieo [a sound of protest]!

She doesn’t want to.

Sant looked at Leah and smiled awkwardly, then said, ‘I’m sorry, sacred beast,’ and gently took the whip from the little one’s paw.

The incident happened at that very moment.

-Whiririk!

“Euheok!”

The whip held in the young man’s hand drew in the air uncontrollably!

Slap! I reflexively laid my body flat and rolled around with the lesser pandas. Rolling and rolling.

‘Prince!’ Christel’s sharp cry was heard. Everything was instantaneous.

Sant, who was horrified, threw the whip,

-Thwack!

-Puh-uh-uh!

Cherry-like red mist burst from the end of the whip.

The scene in front of me was instantly dyed red, and I couldn’t see anything. Then—

-Hahahaha! You finally came to me on your own!

‘Hahahahahahaha!’ A certain woman’s heroic laughter echoed loudly in the room.

It was a fanfare that was incomparably larger, more intense, and more terrifying than the specters’ whispers.

A thrill ran through my whole body, and my hair stood on end. Ssaaeek, kaaaaa! Unpleasant yin energy swirled from all directions.

Sreung! I heard the sound of the Crown Prince drawing his sword beyond the blood-red mist.

I gritted my teeth and immediately opened the holy ground [likely a protective barrier]. Paaaaat…!

-I’ve waited a thousand years, Pope!

Hey! You’ve got the wrong person!