What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 28

“Greetings, Prince Yeser Venetian.”

“…Greetings, Lady Sarnese.”

Cristel was as affable as ever, and I, as usual, was being rude.

“It’s our first time having class outdoors. Shouldn’t it be fun?”

Cardinal Boutier smiled warmly. I relaxed my stiff expression slightly and nodded.

I was originally a homebody and didn’t mind indoor classes, but being outside felt like a pleasant morning stroll.

Besides, it was my first time in the outdoor training grounds.

Ever since I was first possessed and saw the Prince wielding his sword here, I hadn’t even glanced in this direction, making it feel unfamiliar.

Perhaps it was a result of his training, but a section of the floor was deeply dented by sword energy, and one side was densely packed with practice swords.

“Prince, do your best!”

-Squeak!

“Ganael, be quiet.”

Another difference from usual was the presence of spectators.

For some reason, the Cardinal allowed his close attendants to be present, so Ganael and Benjamin were out in the shade with Demi in a flower carriage.

Natalie, the Cardinal’s attendant, was also with them.

Cristel’s abilities hadn’t been publicly announced yet, but seeing as he was allowing spectators, I wondered if he was planning to announce them soon.

I lightly waved to the three people and the divine beast.

“Our mage isn’t here yet.”

The Cardinal said it casually, then gently gestured to Cristel.

“Would you like to use your ability once? We’re outside in a forest, so feel free to unleash it as much as you want.”

Cristel’s watery eyes sparkled, and she nodded energetically.

The pink hair, tied up tightly, seemed to show her resolve.

I took a few steps back.

-Ripple, ripple

A small water droplet appeared on her palm.

I heard Ganael say, “Wow.”

Cristel smiled and moved her fingers in a flowing motion.

The volume of the water droplet rapidly increased.

The clear, transparent mass of water became the size of a bowling ball, then grew again to the size of a washbasin.

“How’s your ether consumption?”

Cristel answered the Cardinal’s question.

“I don’t feel like it’s draining much.”

“I’ve never been able to increase the size this much even at home; it feels good.”

The protagonist’s voice was refreshing. She seemed very satisfied with her ability.

Looking at her, I suddenly wondered what her motivation was.

I was living with the sole goal of returning home safely, but she was definitely different.

From offering her power to the Empire, it sounded like she was going to step into the spotlight.

I diligently considered the personality of ‘Our Cristel’ that Eunseo had told me about.

Aside from maintaining a distant relationship with her, it was important to learn the protagonist’s behavior patterns.

-Whoosh…

“Wow!”

When Cristel changed the shape of the giant water droplet to create a long stream of water, Ganael exclaimed.

The stream of water drew circles in the air, twisting and turning like a snake.

Cristel laughed out loud, as if the sensation of controlling it with her fingertips felt good.

When she suddenly stretched out her arm,

-Whoosh!

The stream of water, which had become as wide as a stream, shot quickly towards the opposite side of the training ground.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on the end of the water.

I felt like a soccer stadium spectator chasing only the ball. At that moment,

-Swoosh!

Someone’s sword cut through the water. I was shocked by the unbelievable martial prowess.

To be precise, it was sword energy that cut through the water, but at first glance, it looked like he had cut the water with a sword.

The shattered water droplets sparkled like shards of glass in the sunlight.

It was as if someone had put it in slow motion.

“Your Highness.”

Then, I heard a familiar baritone voice.

The man who appeared with the scattering droplets of five colors, like a camera filter, looked like a piece of fan art that Eunseo had shown me.

Water dripped from the sword in his left hand.

A middle-aged man who seemed to be a servant and Elizabeth were standing behind the young man.

She gave me a knowing look over her shoulder, looking excited for some reason.

“Welcome, Cedric. You’re right on time.”

The Cardinal smiled kindly at the Prince.

It wasn’t that I didn’t expect it, but I never wanted this guy to come. Life…

“Today, my godson will be helping with the class as a mage.”

The Cardinal introduced the Prince with a proud tone.

The Prince scanned us with his noble orange eyes.

-Squeak

Then Demi, who was in the shade, cried softly. Even to him, the Prince seemed annoying.

At the ball, the Prince introduced himself as a magic swordsman [a warrior skilled in both swordsmanship and magic].

That meant he was a mage and a swordsman, so there was no reason why this guy couldn’t show up today.

What Duke Diem said yesterday, that he was one of the ‘strongest mages in the Empire,’ was probably about the Prince.

Perhaps because he was the main male lead, he seemed to have no shortcomings.

He was good with a sword, good at magic, and had a son…

Now, if he could use ether, he would become the protagonist’s all-rounder helper.

“Then we’ll wait in the shade.”

Elizabeth quickly headed towards Ganael.

She must have brought snacks because I could smell the savory scent of popcorn.

The Prince’s servant followed her.

Anyway, the situation wasn’t all bad for me.

It would have been best if I wasn’t here, but with the engagement having fallen through, the fact that the two of them had a chance to get involved again was definitely an optimistic sign.

Even though the beginning of the story had gone awry, the main flow of the romance fantasy seemed to be intact.

As if my thoughts were correct, the Prince and Cristel soon made long eye contact.

Yes, an all-rounder colleague can also be a lover.

“Greetings, Your Highness the Prince.”

“······.”

However, even at Cristel’s greeting, the Prince didn’t even open his mouth, only acknowledging her with a simple nod.

The protagonist frowned slightly at the blatant rudeness.

I clicked my tongue inwardly. So, you have to completely ignore people. That’s a bit difficult…

“Hello, Prince.”

“You’re always butting in.”

So, I greeted him, thinking I could ignore him too, but he immediately retorted.

How old is this guy to keep talking down to me?

No, even if this guy was older than me, this kind of tone was a problem.

“Let’s get the facts straight. You two are participating in my class.”

When I retorted, Cristel looked up at me from the side, and the Prince looked down at me from the front.

For a moment, I wondered if I had been too forward. I had to erase my presence like a dead mouse in front of them.

“Let’s stop with the greetings and do some practice? Cristel, Cedric. Go to the center.”

The savior was the Cardinal. At her gentle voice, I turned around without hesitation.

Joining the audience, which already had five people, Benjamin handed me rose tea with frozen rose petals, saying I had worked hard.

It was already a picnic atmosphere here.

“Greetings, Your Highness Prince Yeser Venetian. I am David Capuchon, the chief attendant of His Highness Prince Cedric.”

The servant who followed the Prince greeted me with a dignified attitude.

Even though it was our first meeting, I could tell that he was a polite person, unlike the Prince.

“Hello, David. Nice to meet you.”

I responded to him with a smiling face and then gestured to Elizabeth with my eyes and nose.

She quickly understood and stepped a few paces away.

After confirming that people weren’t paying attention to us, I quietly asked a question.

“How is Sadie doing?”

Elizabeth’s face became subtle at my question.

She frowned and pursed her lips, revealing a complicated state of mind.

“…Well, she’s doing very well. She’s very healthy.”

“Really? Because it seemed like two divine beasts were sealed in the Imperial Palace until yesterday. If she used that much ether, it would have been a big blow to the little one.”

“She worked hard to recover at that time, so she’s fine now. She even drinks good tea.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Was it dandelion tea…?”

-Thwack!

-Whoosh…

A loud noise erupted. My head and the heads of the spectators turned to the center of the training ground at the same time.

A pillar of water as thick as the Prince’s body was blocked by the practice swords stuck in the ground, unable to move forward.

It was a sight that made my mouth drop open. I heard the Cardinal’s voice from afar.

“The difference between a mage and a paladin is this simple. Those who use special ether of water, fire, air, and earth attributes become paladins, and those who use other powers are classified as mages. Especially Cedric’s magic power,”

The Prince held a sword in his left hand and raised his right hand.

“Reacts to metal.”

-Swoosh!

As his fingertips drew a diagonal line, the remaining swords stuck in one side were pulled out and aimed at Cristel.

The spectators were startled and stood up from their seats. But the protagonist was not easy to deal with.

-Whoosh!

-Clang, clang!

A wall of water rose from the ground, not from Cristel’s fingertips, deflecting the swords.

White spray rose around it because it rose so rapidly.

She smirked and clenched her right fist.

Then, the water attribute barrier instantly turned into a round sphere. It was an incredible adaptability.

“You’re coming on too strong for a beginner.”

Cristel criticized the Prince and spread her hands wide.

The giant mass of water flew towards the Prince at an incredible speed.

The Prince didn’t change direction, but instead, he gripped the sword in his left hand and slashed through the air without hesitation.

-Swoosh!

-Thwack!

The magnificent sword energy collided with the water. The sphere of water shattered like mist from the heat lingering at the tip of the sword.

The air in the training ground hummed for a long time. Just when I thought the situation was over,

-Whoosh!

-Thud, thud!

A long water awl was stabbed into the Prince’s back, and the practice swords that flew in immediately blocked them all.

He didn’t even look back.

Water droplets splashed everywhere, wetting the Prince’s shirt and the ends of his hair.

“A paladin attacking from behind; even the gods would laugh.”

He scoffed. Cristel’s eyes turned cold.

The Cardinal began to mediate between the two.

“You two look good together.”

I muttered my impressions as I watched them.

As expected, the main couple was different in some way.

I had thought about it briefly while watching them dance, but seeing them exercising together in broad daylight, I could be sure.

The contrast between the jet-black hair and the bright pink hair, the fiery orange eyes and the cold blue-gray eyes, seemed like the author’s meticulous arrangement.

Both of them had aggressive personalities, so once they got close, they would get along well…

“What’s wrong?”

The spectators were staring at me with faces as if they had seen a ghost.

“Prince, that’s a bit…”

-Squeak…

Ganael opened her mouth as if she had heard something very troubling.

Demi was also uncomfortable for some reason, so I approached the flower carriage, and I noticed a servant walking from afar.

Judging from her gait, which looked like she was about to run, it seemed like something very urgent.

She found us huddled together at one table and bowed with a slightly surprised face.

“What’s going on?”

Natalie asked first, so the woman seemed to be one of the Cardinal’s attendants.

“Um, Marquis Francois Diem has just announced the winning prize for this year’s ‘Great Demon Beast Subjugation [a competition where participants hunt and subdue powerful magical creatures].’”

What, is that such an urgent issue?

“Wow, what is it?”

Elizabeth’s eyes lit up, saying she wanted to participate this time.

But everyone else seemed to have the same thought as me, and their eyes were relaxed.

After the Emperor and the Cardinal left for Marquis Diem’s territory to watch the Great Demon Beast Subjugation, the Prince had to guard the palace.

As a hostage, I was stuck here too. The demon beast hunting competition had nothing to do with us.

“Th-the divine artifact… He’s offering the ‘Comet Sword of Mars.’ His Majesty is urgently looking for His Eminence the Cardinal because of this…”

“Huh?!”

Elizabeth, Ganael, and I shouted at the same time.

Benjamin, Natalie, and David’s faces turned blue.

We all looked at the center of the training ground without anyone saying anything.

Then, the three people who felt our gaze turned their eyes this way.