What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 306

#306

The Heart That Transcends (5)

Desert. A border region where battles unfold.

-Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Hah! Hah! Hah!”

The Theocratic State of Fenetian’s encampment was in an uproar.

Trainees and veterans, stretchers carrying the wounded, hands ladling out meals.

Everywhere was bustling with people moving firewood and mending worn-out armor.

Grit and shouts cut through the orders and responses.

“Make way, His Royal Highness the Royal Consort is coming!”

“Clear the path!”

“Get out of the way!”

‘Oh dear!’ The procession was boisterous.

It was hard to imagine it was a retinue going to interrogate the Princess Royal, so high and mighty it was.

This was the first time Berner had shown his face to the outside world since ‘that day.’

Those who had been moving busily stopped and paid their respects.

Some mustered the courage to steal a glance at the Royal Consort.

Then, without exception, they recoiled and lowered their heads.

Sitting in a wheelchair, he looked pale and emaciated, like a seriously ill patient.

No—he was a seriously ill patient.

“Your Highness, we’re almost there.”

“Ah! Ugh… …!”

A painful groan escaped every time the wheels rattled.

The man had lost his right arm and right leg at the Temple of Vigilance.

Chief Director Ronald Lüpert, who was on the scene, used his healing power, but he said the severed surfaces were seared by the sacred fire and could not be sutured.

A hastily made prosthetic, crafted by the blacksmith in the encampment, dangled beneath the empty sleeve.

A dull lump of black iron with no ornamentation.

It was a color and shape that didn’t suit him at all.

A line of pale servants and attendants followed behind.

Half of them were terrified and tearful.

It was only natural to despair when their master was in such a state.

“Ah, ah… …! It hurts… …!”

His once beautiful voice was cracked and hoarse. His lungs made a raspy sound from inhaling too much smoke.

It was said that complete healing was difficult due to the burns from the sacred fire.

“Hurry and inform Princess Royal. I can’t stay out of bed for long!”

“Yes, yes!”

The knight hurriedly carried out the order.

Even the Chief Director called his survival a miracle.

It was astonishing that he hadn’t died of shock in the sanctum. Many people said, ‘Indeed, he is of the bloodline of Saint Irene.’ It wasn’t a strange reaction.

The Royal Consort was originally a figure who simultaneously received hatred, awe, envy, and affection from the people of the Theocratic State.

In addition, rumors spread far and wide that it was the Crown Prince of the Empire who had harmed him.

Anger flared like wildfire among the people.

They were furious that the Crown Prince of the enemy country had dared to attack His Royal Highness the Royal Consort, and some even gathered in front of the royal castle and wept.

There were also many who wanted revenge.

In this situation, the Royal Consort did not return to the royal castle but remained ill in the encampment, so the morale of the soldiers was higher than ever.

It couldn’t be helped. All of this.

“Please, come in.”

The knights guarding the entrance politely pulled back the tent flap.

The old attendant pushed the wheelchair in with a somber look.

With a brazier in the center, twelve archbishops stood in a circle, waiting for the Royal Consort.

Princess Royal Elysee Fenetian sat in the highest seat.

She was clad in sturdy silver armor.

Faint sparks and the smell of dirt from the battlefield rose around her.

The attendants flinched and lowered their heads at the sight of the warrior’s bloodstained sleeves.

“Our Princess… …”

“I called you here because there is something to confirm.”

“… …”

“If there is a crime, I will judge it here in the name of the King’s proxy.”

It was a cold voice. Not even a simple greeting was exchanged between father and daughter.

There wasn’t even a cup of water offered.

Elysee’s sapphire eyes were so cold they were frigid, so frigid they were hot.

She hadn’t slept properly since the battle in the temple.

She endured all the pressure only with the stamina of a cardinal [a high-ranking cleric] and her past training.

If Cornelli had not returned safely to the royal castle, if Count Roseharder, who had left to take care of state affairs, had not been there… I was sure that I would have collapsed long ago.

I couldn’t confide these thoughts to anyone else either. She was the heir to the throne.

She must never show weakness.

“I will ask.”

“How, how can you treat your father like this… …”

“Did Father stab Yeseo?”

It was a sentence as sharp as a poisoned needle.

The Royal Consort blinked as if he had heard the most absurd thing in the world.

The summoned priests also looked back at the Princess Royal in surprise. Elysee did not waver.

She just fixed her gaze on her father and waited for an answer.

“Elysee?”

“When I entered the sanctum [a sacred place], the first thing I saw was Father. Liester’s Crown Prince was attacking Father. It was only when I stopped him that I found… Yeseo behind.”

Elysee’s eyes darkened.

Clearly, she felt her brother’s ether [spiritual energy] beyond the maze.

Although it was a short time, she clearly remembered the summer days she spent in Liester.

It felt like she could grasp the child’s kind energy all the time.

Because it was shaking and suffering so much, at first I thought it was because of the maze test.

I had also suffered from seeing illusions of my family, so I guessed he was going through a similar ordeal.

It was only after I came out of the maze, when it was time to join hands with the Crown Prince, that I realized I was wrong.

-Kaga-gang! Kang, Kang, Kwagwagwang!

‘Oh my god, Yeseo… ! Yeseo!’

I was so shocked to see my dying father that my judgment was too slow.

The child submerged in the sea of blood was motionless. I couldn’t feel the ether anymore. Not even a little.

It was the first time I had felt such fear.

‘Aaaah! How can my brother be in such a state!’

‘How!’ She screamed like a scream. She was so surprised that tears didn’t even flow.

The rampaging Crown Prince had already lost his mind.

No language reached him, and there was no focus in his orange eyes.

He poured out a fierce attack like a beast born only to kill me and my father. Kwaaaang!

“… I saw a stab wound. There was severe bleeding and a dagger was lying on the floor.”

Elysee did her best to maintain a firm voice.

When pausing the sentence, she bit the inside of her mouth to hold her breath.

“Ha… ”

“Didn’t Father do it? If not, why did you bother to go through the maze?”

That was the Princess Royal’s intuition. A bloody blade and a brother who had stopped breathing.

Watching the Crown Prince running wild, she gained an almost certain realization.

Father had come all the way here to kill that child. It was all my fault.

Elysee swung her spear like crazy.

-Kugugugung… ! Kwagagagang!

‘Aaaah! Aaaack!’

Myself for not sending him back to the royal castle. Myself for not cutting him off early.

No, even earlier. From around the age of nine, when I vaguely learned about my father’s abuse…

‘Lord God—’

‘Chief Director! Take Father out! Immediately!’

-Kwareureureu!

It was because of me that I couldn’t do anything from then on.

It was my original sin that I couldn’t give up my affection for my father and the memories I had with him.

My mother was a person who was generous even when I made mistakes.

She was always a benevolent and ideal king.

The problem was that she wasn’t free enough to notice my mistakes.

My father always filled her many vacancies. So I couldn’t throw him away.

Little Elysee wanted warmth. She loved him for kissing her on the cheek and giving her praise.

Her heart soon became inertia.

That’s how 22 years passed. It was all a pathetic excuse.

“… The Princess Royal’s guess is not true.”

This was just my extremely incompetent and terribly foolish karma.

It was the end of my selfish tightrope walking while knowing my brother’s pain.

A destiny to lose and let go of both of them.

Each was precious, but in the end, the family became murderers and victims.

“What I entered the maze for… was only out of concern. Didn’t I ask the Princess Royal to take the Royal Guard that day?”

“… ”

“While I couldn’t sleep because I kept seeing my daughter’s face, I remembered asking if I could go out to meet her.”

“… ”

“I clearly remembered telling you not to come out of the room… I’m a father.”

The Royal Consort said with a weak smile.

He looked very weak, having lost one arm and leg, gained a long scar around his eyes, and only regained consciousness this morning.

However, Elysee did not respond. The man continued his statement.

“After borrowing a servant’s clothes, I put on an old robe and hid in the second waiting room. I was heartbroken to part like that… I took a walk to see your precious face.”

“Are you saying that the Vatican soldiers let Father pass by like that?”

“That part… I don’t remember well. I’m sorry.”

Berner gave a bitter smile. Elysee felt a strange anxiety.

He didn’t usually react like this.

Father was a person who prepared answers and made excuses for any question in advance.

Looking back, he always did, even if it was just covering his eyes and saying ‘aah.’

So it was strange for him to readily say something unfavorable to himself. He doesn’t remember?

“Where was I? Ah… When I passed through the maze and entered the sanctum, that child was there. I mean Yeseo.”

I could feel everyone holding their breath and listening. The Royal Consort blinked slowly.

“But for some reason—my son didn’t recognize me. He was holding a dagger in his hand, and his whole body was covered in blood. It was terrible… Perhaps he hadn’t completely escaped from the guardian spirit’s test.”

“Oh my god.”

“They say the guardian spirit is a monster that eats people.”

“Didn’t they say they look into the vessel [a person’s soul or being]? If not everyone passes the test… ”

The archbishops standing around muttered ominously.

Elysee clenched her mouth and raised one hand. The venue became silent in an instant.

“Are you saying that the guardian spirit attacked my brother?”

“I don’t know. But at that time, I had no choice but to think so. I was worried that my daughter would be harmed by the guardian spirit… Augh!”

Berner suddenly bent over.

It seemed like he was feeling phantom pain in his severed shoulder and thigh.

The old servant hurriedly took out a painkiller from his pocket and raised it. Another attendant offered water.

As he hurriedly swallowed the medicine, his pale face gradually stabilized.

The audience was very nervous and waited for the next sentence.

“Yeseo… Our son stabbed me. He stuck a dagger here… ”

He covered his stomach with a fading voice. The archbishops, greatly shocked, covered their mouths.

Elysee only thought to herself. I also confirmed Father’s abdominal stab wound.

I also knew that the sword rolling on the floor was in the Liester style.

But that’s a lie.

“It wasn’t because he recognized his father. He mistook it for still being in the maze… He must have swung his sword without even knowing who the opponent was.”

“… ”

“He is a kind and good child. There is no way he would have done that knowingly. But immediately after the attack, the prince also lost consciousness… ”

‘That’s how it happened.’ The Royal Consort concluded with a miserable expression.

In short, he was robbed of his limbs by the Crown Prince who ‘misunderstood’ the scene.

A beautiful face was scarred that could not be healed even with healing power.

He would suffer from mental wounds and phantom pain until he died, and as a result, large and small battles began to break out in the border area.

Already, many soldiers were more seriously injured than Berner and lost their lives.

Elysee shuddered and looked down at the archbishops.

The elder, who met her eyes, was horrified and bent over.

“Test Father’s words.”

“Yes. Yes, Your Highness.”

The old man calmly unfolded the sanctuary [a sacred space]. ‘Paaaaa… !’ Berner’s eyes widened.

But the sacred flow could not be stopped. The archbishop’s oracle echoed.

[Merciful Lord God. Please forgive this person’s false words.]

“… ”

“… ”

“… ”

And nothing happened. The golden circle rotated quietly.

Elysee slowly opened her mouth. Father’s words were ‘true.’ It was impossible.

She immediately pointed to the next priest.

“You do it.”

“I obey your command.”

‘Paaaaa!’ The second sanctuary brightly illuminated the inside of the encampment.

The result was the same. Elysee looked at her father with a shocked expression.

He only sent a sad look and showed no special reaction. The Princess Royal shot out an order.

Third, fourth, fifth… Finally, the twelfth archbishop confessed the Royal Consort’s sins on his behalf.

The Lord God did not give any answer.

There was no lie in Father’s words.

“Ha, ha… ”

Elysee looked around the audience with trembling eyes.

Then it was certain that Father’s mind had been manipulated.

It was clear that a very powerful priest above the archbishop level had strongly brainwashed his beliefs and made him believe it was true.

There must have been Father’s secret order.

It’s been six hours since he woke up, so who has been in and out of the encampment in the meantime…

“… ”

“… ”

Flitch. The Princess Royal realized that everyone’s eyes were on her.

Something she had experienced all her life suddenly felt creepy and unpleasant.

She strongly gripped the spear placed on her right.

The archbishops gathered here had one thing in common.

Janin had personally selected only those whose parishes were not far from the border area and who had no special relationship with Father.

But if Father had bought them all off, what would that mean?

-Thump!

… If even the local clergy who have no involvement in power cannot be easily trusted.

Then who on earth should I trust?

“Your Highness.”

“Your Highness?”

“Your Highness!”

Elysee strode out and quickly left the encampment.

The flustered priests called out to her, but no sound reached her.

It was an irresponsible act. I knew I shouldn’t act like a child like this.

But ‘I was scared.’

Such weak thoughts were blackening the Princess Royal’s mind.

She bit her tongue and swallowed a sigh. Now she was scared of herself for thinking she was scared.

I had to reveal the truth, and I had a brother to protect. To do that, I had to become stronger.

But even to such a place—

“Huk, ugh.”

I was afraid of my father, who was extending his evil hand even to the border area, for the first time.

I was horrified and creeped out by the fact that he still harbored poison in his heart even in that state.

The reality that I couldn’t even hold a funeral because Yeseo’s body was taken away was miserable.

The fact that I had to fight with people I couldn’t trust my back to was despairing.

But I couldn’t stop Father.

Even at this moment, when the Empire declared war and the Emperor was advancing.

“Janin! Is Janin there!”

The Princess Royal dismissed all the soldiers and rushed into her encampment.

A surprised attendant ran to her. At the same time, a shower of tears poured out.

Elysee called out her younger brother’s name and wept.