What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 289

Discovery of Destiny (3)

I was worried our caravan was too large and would attract attention, but thankfully, that didn’t happen.

Before the war, there were over ten thousand camels, but after the war, that number dwindled to about a thousand. After the ‘Duke Simon de Sarnese incident,’ it further decreased to around five hundred.

Compared to caravans departing from the Holy State, I heard that Rambouillet is mid-sized.

For this reason, the guests at the Moreno caravansary didn’t pay much attention to us.

Even those who glanced our way quickly lost interest.

Well, that’s good.

“This way, please.”

“Thank you.”

The manager, Gonzalo, who was at the entrance, guided our group.

He asked us to fill out the lodging forms in our rooms.

The caravan staff unloaded the luggage in an orderly fashion and entrusted the camels and carriages to the inn.

We walked around, looking at everything. Joan, Sant, and I were especially mesmerized.

The interior was similar to the Chaum caravansary, yet very different.

“Look at that, Sant. The ceiling is domed.”

“Yes. And there’s a skylight at the top!”

“It’s strange and beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it in the Empire.”

“Right, Baron. The colors are vibrant too.”

“Yeah. I feel like doing some watercolors for the first time in a while. Should we try tie-dyeing later?”

“I’d love to! But what is tie-dyeing?”

Each of us held a basket of Divine Beasts (Demi, Rhea, Perry, and Tete were randomly inside) and our eyes sparkled with excitement.

There were even more guests inside.

It was said that paladins mainly stayed here, and indeed, there was a smithy and a weapon exchange that weren’t in Chaum.

‘Clang! Clang!’ ‘Whoosh!’ The sounds of hammering metal and the heat from the furnace were intense.

“Hey, that’s my sword! It got switched with mine!”

“Hahaha! I was drunk and got confused!”

Loud voices echoed. Old cloaks fluttered everywhere, and the smell of alcohol filled the air.

The dining hall and the tavern seemed almost the same.

Some people were embracing in the middle of the lobby, as if they hadn’t seen each other in a long time.

Unlike the previous inn, where most of the guests were ordinary people, here, most of the lodgers were in combat attire.

The only paladins I had met so far were the protagonists, Sir Johan, Princess Elissa, and Hanan.

It was amazing to see so many at once. A faint cheer could be heard in the distance.

-Waaaaah…!

-Win! Win! Win! Win!

-Earth! Earth! Earth!

-Air! Air! Air!

What is it…? I blinked. Kristel and the Crown Prince exchanged unpleasant glances.

Once again, Sir Johan was the one who cleared up our confusion.

“Where warriors gather, fights are bound to break out.”

“Is it okay to fight in the inn?”

“Oh. It’s better to provide a dedicated space. In the past, before the ‘Arena’ [a designated fighting area] existed, rooms would collapse or unrelated people would die. That’s why they secured a separate fighting area in addition to the training grounds.”

When I asked with a bewildered expression, Gonzalo kindly explained.

He said there were also two healing priests, which were hard to find in other inns.

‘I see.’ We shrugged and replied. They must all be very energetic.

“Hey! Water and Fire are together? Hehehe.”

“Let’s see. Three paladins but only two priests?”

“They’re going to fight to the death, wahahaha!”

A few rowdy paladins shouted as they looked at us.

‘Do they take turns using the priests? Who’s better?’ Extremely rude questions also flew our way.

The Baron’s family pretended not to notice and continued on their way. I also diligently kept walking forward.

The protagonist couple had been quiet since earlier, as if they were sick, and now I understood.

If things went wrong, those two would make someone else sick.

“Sant, are those people perhaps affiliated with the Papal States?”

I whispered.

The priest’s face brightened, as if he was happy to have some information he knew after a long time.

The young man struggled to lift the basket of Divine Beasts. Rhea must be in there.

“There probably aren’t any affiliated with the Papal States, Your Highness. They mostly stay at the Temple of the Boundary. Paladins wandering the desert often come directly from the Holy State, and I’ve heard they are usually noble children who have been kicked out of their families. They aren’t mercenaries, but rather call themselves ‘adventurers’ or ‘explorers.’ Some may have left on their own. Since they have good backgrounds, the Papal States can’t strongly regulate them.”

“Kicked out? Why? Ah, I can roughly guess just by looking at them.”

Joan clicked her tongue at the problematic paladins.

True to her straightforward personality, she didn’t lower her voice.

Immediately, one of the knights stood up abruptly!

-Thump!

“Hey! What did you just say? You look like some commoner!”

“Didn’t you hear? Oh, are you perhaps more ignorant than me? I meant I understand why you were kicked out of your house.”

“Why you!”

Joan shrugged and spoke, and the enraged opponent rushed towards us as if flying.

Gonzalo calmly restrained him. I hurriedly stood in front of my exclusive painter.

We’re going to start a fight as soon as we arrive. Let’s talk it out!

“Sir, please calm down. If you fight with another guest indoors, you will be immediately expelled.”

“Who’s fighting? Let go, I said let go! It looks like she doesn’t know how scary paladins are, that woman. How dare she speak carelessly to someone of bishop rank, ack!”

The man, as large as a boulder, suddenly grabbed his neck and staggered.

His face instantly turned red and was filled with shock.

‘Cough! Keuk!’ Veins stood out on his thick neck.

I flinched and stepped back with Joan and Sant.

Conversely, people began to gather in the lobby. The lodgers had sensed the commotion.

-Thump!

“Ugh!”

The heavy body stumbled and vomited. He couldn’t even hold his head up and trembled.

‘Damn it!’ Only then did his companions realize the seriousness of the situation and rush over.

The Baron’s couple and Isabel were also greatly surprised. I quickly turned to Sir Johan.

“That’s enough. Please.”

“…I feel a little wronged today.”

He drooped his eyebrows and withdrew his power.

No, it certainly seemed that way, but the situation didn’t improve.

The delinquent paladin was now sweating profusely. I rolled my eyes in embarrassment.

Now that I looked, the problem wasn’t just difficulty breathing due to the air attribute.

Nausea, dizziness, chills….

“Ah.”

This is ‘Etheric Oppression’ [a condition caused by an imbalance of magical energy].

“Kristel, Your Highness.”

I looked for my two companions.

The man and woman had nothing in common on the outside, but today their expressions were so similar that it was chilling.

To exaggerate a bit, it looked like they were about to kill someone. Guys!

“Please bear with it just this once.”

“I already bore with it once, and that bastard is still spouting nonsense.”

Kristel muttered fiercely. Crown Prince Cedrick seemed to feel the same way.

The two were a perfect match at times like this.

While Isabel was appeasing her daughter, I targeted the child. I also lowered my voice.

“Your Highness. It’s not good to cause a commotion in a place like this. His Majesty the Emperor and Her Highness Aurelia wouldn’t want that either. Let’s rest comfortably and leave for the temple.”

“….”

“And go get some ether [magical energy] in your room. Let’s all eat something delicious. Okay?”

I also promised the best service. Then he stared down at me intently, and then,

“Heok! Cough cough! Haa, haa! Cough!”

…I saved a person! I’m so proud. I smiled brightly and looked at the two.

“Hey! Are you okay? Are you feeling better?”

“Get out of the way! Get lost!”

“Geez, I’m just worried about you!”

-Crash!

The man, who had staggered to his feet, grabbed the table to steady himself and broke the teapot and dishes.

Then, embarrassed by his disgraceful behavior, he hurriedly left the scene.

He didn’t even glance at us by mistake.

Gonzalo, who had been watching the situation, sighed deeply.

“Charge him for the broken items in his room. And record a warning.”

“Yes, Manager.”

The employee answered politely and wrote in his notebook. The manager bowed to us.

“You haven’t even entered your rooms yet, and I’m very sorry to have shown you such a terrible sight.”

“It’s alright. There are always energetic young people in Moreno… If you’re a caravan, you have to put up with it.”

“Thank you for understanding, Baron. However… There was also violence in the response of the escorting party, so a first warning will be given. This is a rule that applies equally regardless of status or position, so please understand even if it’s uncomfortable.”

“Yes, we understand. We’re sorry too.”

Baroness Marise said kindly. We received a warning before even checking in.

I adjusted my glasses and asked the manager.

“Um, what happens if warnings accumulate?”

“The third warning results in immediate expulsion. If you receive repeated warnings on your next visit, entry will be permanently prohibited. Thankfully, people tend to abide by these rules….”

Gonzalo looked tired as he said that. For a moment, his curly mustache drooped.

Running such an inn as an ordinary person was practically an extreme job.

We followed him again, crossing the spacious lobby.

We desperately ignored the dozens, hundreds of gazes that were fixed on us.

-Swish, swish….

Behind us, the employees were cleaning up the broken dishes and overturned furniture.

Looking at them, I briefly had that worry.

‘Will we be able to rest here without being expelled?’….

-Squeak!

Eh, it’ll be alright. By the way, Perry is in my basket!

“…You’re confining me to the room?”

No, it’s not alright, you Je Seohyun from 30 minutes ago!

I stared in shock at the paladin trio.

The Crown Prince sat on the seat of honor as if he couldn’t be bothered to explain.

It seemed he was trying to win with his face.

I looked at Kristel in disbelief, and she blinked her big eyes and tilted her head.

She was also trying to get away with cuteness. Father Herrit!

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. Priest Sant is with you too, so please don’t feel too left out.”

“It’s not like it’s not confinement just because the number of people has increased to two.”

‘Hahaha.’ He laughed as if he had heard a very funny story. The person involved doesn’t find it funny!

“It’s common among the desert paladin groups. You didn’t see any priests in the lobby either, did you?”

…Well, that’s true.

Paladins and priests aren’t distinguished by their attire, but everyone looked like they could fight, so I didn’t think they were priests.

This is also a prejudice.

“There haven’t been paladins in the Empire for a long time, so there’s no common relationship between paladins and priests. Whatever you do, the three of you are always the first. But the Venetian Holy State is different. The wandering knights from there are even more extreme.”

“Hmm.”

Paladins and priests maintain a delicate balance.

Priests provide pure ether to paladins, and paladins use this to unleash special ether. [Ether is a magical energy source].

Ether replenishment is essential for paladins, so they naturally become attached to their priests and sometimes act aggressively.

Rarely, they become completely subservient or go crazy. This is all common knowledge.

But there’s one more characteristic added to this.

“It’s the difference in numbers. Priests can be found anywhere on the continent, but paladins are only born in the Holy State and are fewer in number than priests. As a result, a strange idea has spread among some paladins. ‘I am a special being, so I must have a more excellent priest.’ Or ‘I cannot tolerate a weaker paladin having a superior priest.'”

“That’s… strange. It doesn’t seem like they think of priests as people.”

I frowned. Priests weren’t like trophies for paladins.

They were someone else’s precious children who could choose their own compatible partner.

Sir Johan gently curved his eyes.

“I thought you would say that. The ones I mentioned are non-mainstream even in the Holy State. But the desert is a land without an owner, so they can come and do whatever they want.”

“Then—”

“Duels often break out over priests. Kidnappings and elopements are reported about once per quarter, I recall.”

“Yes…?”

My mouth slowly opened.

Sant had been nodding and agreeing with Sir Johan’s words until then, but he was horrified by the final bombshell.

They really treat priests like items. Is that even possible? Do they gag them so they can’t use divine power?

I shuddered at the thought.

-What a degenerate world. How can they treat precious talents like that!

Hanan (a rag doll) riding Demi like a horse clicked her tongue.

The Crown Prince stared straight at me.

“Do you need more explanation?”

“It’s not that I do….”

“Then it’s settled.”

The guy who hadn’t said a word until now spoke shamelessly.

He threw the Hyegeom of Mars to me and told me to take good care of it.

It seemed he was going to change his clothes and go out for a workout.

With him in the lead, Kristel, her mother, and Joan excitedly made plans to go out.

They said they would buy us souvenirs.

“….”

Sant and I looked at each other with blank faces.

I usually don’t say things like this.

I’m the homebody that my older brother, the king of homebodies, appointed as the Chief State Councilor.

“I want to go out too….”

A sigh-like word escaped. Demi and I were sitting side by side, looking out the living room window.

I’m confident in playing indoors, but today the situation is very different.

In other words, it felt like I had finally come on an overseas trip, but I was the only one who broke my leg and was stuck in the hotel.

I was getting restless because I had to sit quietly with my ether tightly locked.

Kristel, her mother, and Joan went to see the arena, and Sir Johan followed as their protector.

The Crown Prince was training for a couple of hours and then taking a shower.

Listening to the sound of water for a while made it difficult to hold onto the thoughts that were running wild.

I want to try the food I saw earlier, made on the spot.

I want to see the view from the top floor. I want to—

“Kurheong!”

Flitch! I was startled by Sant’s snoring and chuckled.

Our gutsy priest was enjoying a sweet nap with the Divine Beasts.

Rhea was rising and falling on the priest’s stomach. It must be heavy, but he’s sleeping well.

“They said they’ll take care of things here for about three days and then go straight to the Temple of the Boundary. It seems like they’ve reduced it a lot because of us.”

-Squeak.

“I know. How can we endure three days….”

A sigh was naturally mixed in with the words. I gave Demi a piece of ice and spaced out.

The desert scenery was also boring after watching it for a while, so I had been sitting by the lobby window for the past thirty minutes.

I’ll just watch foreigners to my heart’s content.

“…Honey! Darling!”

Huh?

“Yes, you, the cutie with glasses!”

Huh? I leaned forward and pressed my head against the window.

Across the circular corridor, someone was waving both hands.

She was also by a window in a room, not in the hallway.

Her outfit under her curly hair was very unconventional.