What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 314

Sub Male Lead Goes On Strike – #314

The Priest Returns (3)

Whoosh—! Mint-colored eyes widened.

“……”

Johann Haynes turned his head, feeling a very strange premonition.

White hair fell softly. The front of the Juliette Palace loomed over him.

He didn’t want to get his hopes up too easily. The man was naturally of a somewhat skeptical nature.

However, the ether he had just sensed was definitely—

-Tap tap tap tap!

-Tap tap, tap tap!

“Madam, Monsieur! You mustn’t run in the Imperial Palace!”

The flustered servants were trying to stop the two children.

Eva and Herrit ignored them and ran down the Juliette stairs.

Johann recognized the expressions on his son’s and the young duke’s faces even from a distance.

The children’s faces were lit up with bright smiles. It was genuine joy that he had witnessed for the first time in a long while.

The paladin felt a momentary daze.

Familiar figures popped out from behind the hem of Eva’s voluminous dress.

-Squeak!

-Squeal!

-Purr!

……Johann’s heart pounded.

The three earth-attribute divine beasts were running towards him, tongues lolling out in great delight.

The few Juliette Palace servants who remained cried out in surprise.

Soon, the surroundings were filled with the scent of greenery.

Vivid green ether spread throughout the dead garden. It didn’t end there.

The cardinal discovered the white divine beast in his son’s arms. Tete was shining its gentle eyes.

-Awoo, awoong!

“Ah……!”

With a sob, Herrit, calling out to his father, hugged him tightly.

Eva also clung to Johann’s waist.

Dark brown eyes looked up at him, spilling tears. There was so much warmth touching him.

As if things had returned to the way they used to be.

As if the seasons had finally begun to cycle again.

“We must inform Her Highness Aurelia and His Majesty, Sir Haynes! Quickly!”

“Ah ah……!”

Herrit hurriedly sought his father’s palm. Transparent tears streamed down the boy’s cheek, stained with happiness.

Johann was taking in the situation a beat slower than the two children.

Even as Demi clung to his collar, Perry wrapped his tail around his boots, and Rhea crawled up his leg.

A mercenary by nature always assumes the worst first.

“Y-yes……”

Herrit wrote letters on his father’s hand with his small fingers. Johann quickly read the child’s words.

‘It’s the Prince.’

‘It’s real, Dad!’

‘He said so. He said he would tell us everything before he left.’

‘I heard it myself.’

‘He came back because he couldn’t say goodbye to us!’

‘I don’t know where he is, though.’

‘That’s why the divine beasts woke up…….’

Flash! The paladin lightly lifted the two children and soared into the sky.

Whoosh—! A pleasant wind embraced the three of them, swirling around them several times.

Herrit’s clear laughter echoed in the skies above the Imperial Palace.

The divine beasts, having created vines, dangled from the mercenary’s legs.

The young duke, who had dropped a shoe, giggled.

Johann kissed his son’s cheek deeply, and then,

-Thud!

-Whoosh—!

He kicked off into the air and shot towards the Emperor’s Palace in an instant.

Eva’s curly hair drew a red trail like summer roses.

No, this is too much.

This is a bit too far.

“Purple eyes, sparkling……”

Kun explained again, waving his hands. I stared blankly at the child.

There wasn’t a speck of falsehood in his innocent eyes.

“……That can’t be. No, wait a minute.”

I hurriedly looked into the basin beside me.

Splash, a familiar face was reflected in the uneven surface of the water.

Brown hair and brown eyes, just as I remembered.

What is it? I looked back at the two with confused eyes. Hwino hurriedly shook his head.

“Right now, right now they are brown. But when we first found you, they were definitely… a sacred purple. I swear to the Lord, it is not a lie, Angel. The other shelter residents saw it too.”

“……I see.”

That was a relief.

If you ask what was a relief, first of all, the fact that what I see and what others see are consistent was one thing.

The second was that my eyes weren’t purple right now.

But if they’re saying that, and if I remember that they have no reason to lie to me…….

They must have been purple before I lost consciousness three days ago. What kind of trick is this? How did it happen—

“Ah.”

I flinched and rolled my eyes. Dduk-ssim, lying on the pillow, was fast asleep.

Next, I glanced at the staff stretched out at the foot of the bed.

The tattered appearance was gone, and it had a sleek and ornate appearance.

The well-carved crescent moon was emitting a subtle light like celadon porcelain. Swish…….

Soon, a slow realization came.

“……My eyes turn purple when I use ether.”

The subconscious slipped out of my lips. I had used my power outside the world line twice.

Once when I healed the flower bed cat, Lami, and then the moment I exhausted all my energy to return here.

In both cases, I wasn’t in a situation to check a mirror.

But since the security guard at the company didn’t say anything when he saw me, it seemed that I regained my original color after using ether.

“Haa…….”

A permanent change occurred in my body as I gained power. A sigh escaped.

I didn’t think about my eyes, I should have brought sunglasses.

I was cautious even when I was in Prince Yeseo’s body, but this time I came directly.

I don’t have any friends who can help me right now, and Dduk-ssim is asleep after exhausting his power.

So I had to move even more carefully than last year.

At this point, being dropped in a remote mountain village seemed like a stroke of luck.

Let’s imagine I had fallen in the middle of the Holy Nation’s capital…….

“That’s terrible.”

My whole body shuddered. I raised one hand and carefully stimulated my heart.

It was to see how much ether had recovered. Come out, almighty arm!

-……

“……”

Well, the cooldown isn’t over yet. There wasn’t even a trace of ether.

Only traces of black dirt under my fingernails.

It wasn’t as shocking as the last time because I had experienced it before.

Back then, it took me two weeks just to regain consciousness.

Waking up in three days was a very good sign.

Although I received help from Growth, the Holy Stone, and Dduk-ssim, I can say that I have grown a little as Archbishop this time.

[Behold! The moon you serve traverses the heavens. Obtestátĭo! (An ancient Latin oath or invocation)]

……Come to think of it, I chanted a huge spell when I opened the world line.

I even met the prince in a white, chilling space. What was all that?

Besides, my questions about the situation here are not even half answered yet.

They said it was a border village, but I wonder if there are any halo grass growing nearby.

How are things going inside and outside Honing? What is the international situation like?

Perhaps……. Any news from my friends? Are the Crown Princess and Cornelis doing well?

“……Oh dear.”

“Angel, what’s wrong?”

Kun looked worried when I covered my forehead. I forced a smile.

“There are so many things to study, and there are quite a few urgent things to do. I have so much to do that suddenly my old man’s head hurts.”

“Ah…….”

The child’s eyes clouded over. Hwino’s eyebrows also drooped.

Seeing the two people caring for a stranger they had met for the first time, I somehow felt energized.

I felt like I wasn’t alone, even though there were only two of them. I smiled and continued.

“But if I solve them one by one, I’ll be okay. Right?”

“Yes! The old man and I will help you!”

The child immediately raised his voice. His chubby eyes, knowing nothing, were lovely.

By the time Hwino nodded solemnly, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Thank you.”

Before going to the Empire, I hope I can be of help while I’m indebted to them.

Another three days passed. The ether had not yet returned.

But most of the other questions were resolved. Shallowly, though!

“Angel, Angel! Look at this! This cheek doesn’t hurt at all now!”

I was helping to repair the shelter fence when the shelter kids came running from over there.

Hwino laughed and lowered his mask.

His reddish cheeks were much better than on the first day.

I briefly put down the shovel and greeted the children.

The little ones who had applied the medicine before the adults were definitely in better condition.

What I provided wasn’t anything great.

Painkillers and topical disinfectants that Benjamin and Ganael had packed for me in the Imperial Palace.

Red medicine [antiseptic] and hydrogen peroxide solution I brought from home. Antipyretics [fever reducers]. Wet wipes.

The amount was small, which was a shame, but the shelter population was only about fifteen people. If we saved it, we could use it together.

“That’s good. How’s Yann?”

“My lips are clean too! Look!”

“That’s right, no blisters at all. It’ll be easier to eat snacks now.”

“Yes. I saved it to eat today!”

The child happily took out a few chocolates from his pocket. It was ABC chocolate that I had shared.

I should have brought a lot since they like it so much. I felt regretful and sorry.

“Make sure to bring the trash back to the old man. Got it?”

Because it’s plastic, so you have to throw it away when you get home.

“Yes!”

The little ones chirped like chicks.

With just a few medicines, the children who had touched the ‘Sword of the Lord’ were steadily recovering their health.

Seeing that the Empire’s over-the-counter medicines also worked well, the skin disease itself wasn’t as severe as a curse.

Rather, it was because there were no doctors or healing priests in Honing Village, and the lord had abandoned the shelter.

Even though it’s wartime.

“Thanks to the Angel, we will soon be able to leave the shelter……. You are truly a miracle worker.”

“No, no. I’m glad the medicine is working well.”

Another resident, who was tying bark to a stake, chimed in. I shook my head and smiled.

It was a long way to the Empire, but I was healthy and fine. I didn’t need medicine.

These people had been patients all along, so it was right to leave it here and leave.

‘Shelter’ literally meant the refuge of Honing Village.

Honing was a small village at the foot of the mountain, and this place in the valley was a temporary shelter where residents would come up and stay when something happened to the village.

Now, it was being used as a place to isolate people with unidentified skin diseases.

The pit I fell into was located in the center, large and prominent.

Because of that, the fences were all tilted, and we’ve been repairing them for three days. Embarrassing.

“You said you have to go to the Empire, right? When Yoaner comes up later, we will definitely tell him to help the Angel. We will urge him very strongly. He’s taciturn, but he’s good at his job. He can build a small boat all by himself. He has taken dozens of people to the Winite River so far……”

For a moment, a shadow fell over the woman’s face.

Yes. That’s what she said.

I heard the story of residents who were starving due to lack of care from the lord, and who had heartbreaking farewells with their children by the river to save them.

I quickly picked up the shovel and responded.

“The children will arrive safely in the Empire, meet a good lord, and live well. From what I hear, the Duke and Duchess of that region are very kind people.”

“That’s……. Is that really true? Angel?”

Hwino, who had been silently hammering stakes, turned to me in surprise. He had an expression of disbelief.

At the same time, he had an expression of wanting to believe it so much. So I explained even more enthusiastically.

“Of course, I swear on my staff that it is true. The lord there accepts all those without connections. Also, what was it? In the summer, he farms with the people of the territory, and in the winter, he shares food and firewood. He even gives them hand-knitted scarves and hats as gifts. I heard that he recently opened a large orphanage in the territory.”

“Oh my…….”

“Since there are teachers and friends, the children will gain a lot of learning. They will grow up healthy and happy.”

Now that I knew that those who had drifted down to the Berang Duchy with babies that day were from here.

I could tell them hundreds of times. That the kids are okay.

That they are being loved and cared for in a land full of affection.

“……Thank you. Thank you, thank you……”

“I just passed on the rumors. I’m the one who will need to borrow your hands gratefully in the future.”

‘Don’t worry too much.’ I took out handkerchiefs and tissues and handed them over as the two sat down, sobbing.

I didn’t feel good seeing their faces with sunken cheeks.

They need to eat well to recover quickly, but the village representative, Yoaner, comes up with supplies once a week.

It was fortunate that today was that day. I gently patted Hwino’s back and joked.

“I have to leave quickly. Because of me, you can’t even have a bowl of soup each, and you’re crying like this……. I’m sorry.”