What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 280

The Sub-Male Lead Goes on Strike-280

#280

The Last King of the Thousand-Year Kingdom! (4)

-I smell you, you bastard… A familiar flower!

Not that flower crap again!

-Woo-oo-oo!

-Aaaah…!

-Hehehe! Hehehehe!

“Ugh!”

‘Swish!’ Bone-chilling wind blew in from all directions.

The spirits laughed eerily.

With my whole body pressed against the cold gold floor, my teeth chattered involuntarily.

I had a terrible feeling that I had angered something badly.

The lesser pandas in my arms trembled and cried, seemingly frightened.

‘It’s okay. I’m here, so it’s okay,’ I frantically whispered those words.

The sacred site’s gold mine revealed its dazzling majesty even in the red mist.

I didn’t know who the opponent was, but if the spirits were so emboldened by this person, then it must be…

-How many humans would awaken this body? Who dares disturb the king’s rest!

‘Dares, dares, dares…!’ A strong and dignified voice echoed through the tomb.

How kind of the tomb’s owner to introduce themselves! This is like something out of !

“Prince Yeseo, I’m here. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Huk.”

At that moment, a reliable voice sounded right next to me. I was startled and quickly raised my head.

Clear, watery eyes looked down at me, smiling like stars. Tete in my arms was also safe.

Seeing Christelle holding a whip and standing firmly on her feet, I felt a little relieved—

-Like a foolish scorpion, you crawled in here yourself! Now your soul is mine. I will make you my slave!

-Whoosh!

Ugh!

The resounding echo shook my whole body, and a terrifying gust of wind ruffled our hair and clothes.

Then, something the size of a house burst through the mist!

-Pope, how dare you betray me!

“Ugh, crazy!”

“Waah!”

-Screech!

We screamed bizarrely. It was because she and I made eye contact!

At least, that’s how I felt. The opponent was a red, giant ghost woman.

A monarch wearing a splendid turban like a crown, dressed in dignified silk clothes, and wearing fierce war-like makeup.

She looked to be in her mid to late thirties, but I wasn’t sure.

Her neck, ears, wrists, forehead, and waist were all covered in luxurious accessories.

If she weren’t already dead, the clanging noise would have filled the heavens and the earth.

No exaggeration, her face was bigger than my body!

-I won’t be fooled twice. Now become my prisoner!

The nameless king declared. At the same time, her grand hand covered us.

Swish! I squeezed my eyes shut, watching the swaying bracelets.

The lesser pandas hugged me tightly.

Ether gushed out from my heart, brightly illuminating the circle. Flash…!

“I’m really not that kind of person! It’s a misunderstanding!”

I shouted desperately, and

“Tteuhaaaak!”

Sant’s scream came from above my head, and

-The stench of roses stings my nose! Uahahahaha!

The king’s laughter, filled with a sense of victory, echoed as if to burst my eardrums.

‘Hahaha! Serves you right!’ ‘Kalkalkalkal!’ The spirits followed her, bursting into laughter from here and there.

I was dumbfounded and bewildered, and I opened my eyes wide. Christelle, who had been fully prepared, also looked greatly embarrassed.

In the clearing fog, I spotted the giant ghost and Sant.

She was holding the priest in her grasp, leaning in close and threatening him.

Uh…?

-Roosegaarde! The one who pretended to be noble and watered the garden!

“S, save me!”

The poor Sant struggled. What?

-Pretending to be pure, pretending to be truthful!

“I’m not the Pope! I’m a descendant of those people, but, but I’m not the Pope!”

-Silence!

Ehhh!? Christelle and I gaped.

Tete started hiccuping, and the lesser pandas raised their tails perkily.

What is all this about?

“The priest is the youngest son of Count Roosegaarde.”

“Eok!”

I flinched almost convulsively. The Crown Prince, who had quietly approached, clicked his tongue.

Hey, please make some noise when you come. You’re going to give your brother a heart attack!

“After naturalizing to the Empire, he changed his surname to ‘Ross’.”

“Roos in Roosegaarde means rose, and gaarde means garden. The priest has become a flower that has left the garden on his own.”

Sir Johan explained gently.

The two, who already knew Sant’s origins, seemed to have quickly accepted the situation, but we didn’t.

Everything was so shocking that our minds couldn’t process it quickly.

Joanne, in particular, was on the verge of losing her mind.

“What, so does that mean we can throw the teddy bear priest out as bait and leave!? I’m all for it! Ack!”

She rolled over to us and threw out whatever came to mind.

I calmly got up. I was embarrassed that I had screamed, thinking she was aiming for me, but in a way, this was a natural development.

I once again took the time to reflect on my own self-awareness.

There’s no way I could be such an important role as the Pope or something.

I didn’t even hear the rumor that purple smoke was rising from the temple. No, more than that!

“We have to help Sant.”

“Let’s hear what that person has to say first, Your Highness.”

“Sir Johan.”

The Cardinal blocked me firmly.

He was always the adult figure who restrained me, and today was no exception.

I stamped my foot, watching Sant over his shoulder.

The priest, held in the ghost’s hand, had a pale face and looked like he was about to faint.

Frankly, it was hard to tell which one was the ghost.

I couldn’t run out of the tomb right away, but I wanted to bring Sant into my circle, at least. It was too dangerous as it was.

“We can’t leave him alone.”

“As you know, no attack works on spirits. They have held deep grudges and lingered here for a long time, so a few words won’t easily calm them down.”

“But…”

“It seems they have a grudge against the last Pope of the Unio era. It would be best to observe the spirits’ reactions for now.”

Mint-colored eyes shone darkly and sharply. I blankly mulled over his words.

Certainly, when I was cramming about the neutral zone at the Juliette Palace, I read such a story.

About a thousand years ago.

It was around the time when my home country, Unio, split into two factions, and a fierce battle for the capital took place in the desert.

There was a Pope named Mateus Roosegaarde here.

A man born into a count’s family that tended rose gardens, who rose to the sacred position at a very young age.

‘This, this place is where the peace of the Lord blooms. If you want to see blood here, you’ll have to harm me first!’

I underlined Mateus’s words that day.

He is criticized by historians for coming forward too late, but anyway, his appearance restored peace to the neutral zone.

So, is that ghost the king of Unio at the time?

-Didn’t you say you would respect me as a leader!

“I, I don’t know anything! Please calm down! Heuaaa!”

“Hanan Lumayan.”

Marian whispered, cutting through the screams of the spirit and Sant.

I flinched and looked down at the child.

The girl clung to Sir Johan’s waist like a cicada.

Eyes with two different colors sparkled moistly with curiosity and fear.

I quickly knelt down in front of the girl. Now I remember!

“Marian, I know that name too.”

“Yes. The last king of Unio.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know why she’s like that. I think I read about it, but I’m confused. Can you teach me?”

“Pope Roosegaarde sided with the Venetian forces, who advocated for the unity of church and state, and King Lumayan believed in the separation of church and state with the Liester forces. The king was the youngest cardinal at the time, so he was very popular. And the two were friends who studied together at the border temple since they were young. Other than that, I don’t know much…”

Marian, who had been answering diligently even in this scary situation, trailed off.

That seemed to be all she could think of right now.

The moment I said thank you, Hanan Lumayan’s thunderous roar fell from the other side.

-Not a reincarnation of that person? How ridiculous. With the same rosewood-colored eyes and the same bear-like round body, do you dare try to deceive me?

“Heueong, I left home! I’m not a Roosegaarde person anymore! Really!”

-Blood ties are not so easily severed. Today, you will clearly see the horror of your bloodline!

‘Will, will, will…!’ The woman’s voice echoed low and eerily, as if it had been vocally altered.

Every time she spoke and moved, gray, red, and black mists rippled like hair.

She hadn’t physically attacked Sant, but that alone created an atmosphere as if she were casting a curse.

We read clear madness in Hanan’s eyes and attitude.

There was not enough logic in what we had heard so far, and…

Emotions that had stagnated and festered in one place for a thousand years could not be close to ‘normal’.

-From today, you will serve me as the only king. Your soul will be firmly entangled with mine and will not be released!

“Until when?!”

Sant, who had turned pale to the point of being blue, shouted. I was shocked and gaped.

Why are you asking that!

“Sant! Don’t give up your freedom already!”

I shouted, but the priest had a determined look on his face for some reason.

Crown Prince Cedric said from the side.

“I remember reading it in unofficial history.”

“Yes?”

“The story of how Mateus Roosegaarde, who was very timid, broke his promise with his friend and hid, and then came out of the temple crying when she died.”

“What was the promise?”

“That wasn’t recorded.”

He replied briefly.

Marian whispered, ‘A lot of the data was burned. Because of the war.’

Christelle and I exchanged glances busily.

We didn’t know what the two had promised, but if the Crown Prince’s words were true…

“The king was betrayed. I can understand why she’s so angry.”

‘Because a thousand years have passed without an apology,’ Sir Johan concluded quietly.

I hurriedly turned to Hanan.

Her big, beautiful eyes were boiling as if they contained lava.

We, who didn’t know the details, could never fathom her heart.

It was a pain that we couldn’t even pretend to understand.

If Sant, as a descendant, formally apologized, it might be a little comforting, but—

-I am merciful. So, serve this body three times!

Huh?

“Yes…?”

“Yes?”

“What?”

“Did I hear wrong?”

Sant, Christelle, Joanne, and I asked back with dumbfounded faces. The king smiled, revealing her teeth.

-Yes, I will believe that you are not Mateus.

-♩♬······

I flinched and looked around. I definitely heard a musical instrument somewhere.

Strangely, Hanan’s intonation and pitch seemed to match?

-But it is clear that you have inherited his fishy blood. You are the one who grabbed the whip that I used to use in life, and it is also true that I woke up from my long sleep because of it. Then shouldn’t you also keep the promise to respect me as a king, as an equal leader?♪

“Th, that kind of…”

-Whoosh!

At the same time as her words, spirits began to appear in various places on the high tomb ceiling.

We immediately hid Marian in the middle and stood in a circle, glaring upwards.

Those who had been hiding behind the walls, emitting their presence only with sounds and energy, were finally showing their true forms in front of us.

Reflexively, goosebumps rose and dry saliva was swallowed.

The blood-colored ghosts had various costumes and appearances, and their ages were all different.

The orderly movements were as if they had been prepared only for today.

Their eyes were empty, but they seemed strangely excited.

Soldiers leading chariots, dancers wearing fluttering cloths, those who appeared to be servants.

Even a child who made you wonder how they died at that age…

-♬♪♩!

-Clang, clang, clang!

-Boom, boom, boom!

They’re holding instruments! Why are they suddenly playing?

While I was bewildered, Hanan began to shrug her shoulders to the rhythm.

It was a figure so full of excitement that it was hard to believe she was a queen.

Then, the other spirits all wiggled their arms and legs in unison.

In an instant, a sense of crisis, for an unknown reason, rushed in like a tidal wave.

No way, right?

-♪There are nine divine objects on the continent
The Lord has thousands of holy knights♪
♩But people, you are lucky
Your new lord is Unio’s strongest knight♪

“Wait a minute.”

I opened my mouth with a pale face. I almost made the ‘time’ hand signal [a gesture to stop something].

This is plagiarism. The melody is the same as ‘s, only the lyrics have been changed!

“Indeed, Lady Mariz’s words were correct. The spirit sings to entice the human soul. She said you will be free if you don’t listen to the end.”

Sir Johan smiled, tilting his head.

In the midst of the rushing accompaniment, I couldn’t even answer properly and just gaped.

Um, actually, it’s more serious than that. This is grounds for a lawsuit!

-♪There is only one thing you have to do
Wave that whip and say this♪
‘My dear Majesty, please command me.’♩
♬I will be your compass
You’ve never served a master like this body♪

Wow, you guys, I’m going to report this to Disney!

-Boom, clap! Boom, clap!

“Prince, now is our chance.”

-Dum-gi-dang, ddung-gi-dang!

“Yes? Yes?”

It was Christelle who pulled me together, who was out of my mind.

She put Tete in my arms and quickly wrapped him in a blanket.

Now that I see, the Crown Prince and Sir Johan were already moving far away.

“While Ginny is singing, we will look for India. The spirits are all focused on the king. Please protect the babies and Joanne here, Prince.”

“…I understand. I’m counting on you.”

‘Christelle, cover your ears!’ I said belatedly.

She smiled brightly and pointed to Sir Johan, already far away.