Sub-Male Lead Goes On Strike – #344
Gold Returns, A Breath (6)
‘The Crown Prince is leading a large army. I heard they have won every battle, big and small, so far, and thanks to a good rest in Trossart, the morale of the army is very high.’
‘The two children of the Diop ducal family have joined, and Duke Cecil Blancar and Margrave Karolin Mute are also scheduled to join.’
‘You’re worried about His Highness, your friend, Lord Rambouillet!’
‘Indeed, you are like the protagonist of a romantic adventure. You truly care for your comrades.’
‘Since His Majesty is here in the desert, he will be dispatched soon if necessary. Don’t worry too much.’
‘More than that, when you go to the Imperial Palace, you will meet Prince Yeser Venetian, who has been resurrected!’
‘Lord Rambouillet?’
······.
– Flap!
Christel hurriedly opened the tent and went outside.
Ether supply was not finished, but she was so anxious and restless that she couldn’t sit still any longer.
Her blue eyes shook greatly.
She couldn’t remember what she had answered to the priest or said goodbye to the subdeacons.
Surprisingly, her head was filled with orange eyes, not purple.
She didn’t want to admit it, but it was true.
Whioooo! A hot, dry sandstorm swept across her cheeks.
In many ways, it was the opposite environment from the sea.
“······Isn’t he crazy?”
Gain looked around, muttering to herself.
The Riester headquarters was truly enormous and magnificent.
The white tents lined up densely in front of her reached to the end of the horizon, and armor and swords reflecting the midday sun were scattered everywhere.
The soldiers’ training sounds and horse neighs were mixed like sound effects.
There were so many people, as if it were a bustling marketplace, and high-ranking wizards and swordsmen were having serious conversations here and there.
It was a place that gave even Christel, who had a good sense of direction, a sense of disorientation.
She stood blankly in her place and organized her thoughts.
“Is that real······? Did I go crazy after tasting the prince’s ether after a long time?”
According to the schedule, she had to leave for the West Sea today.
Of course, that was the safest sea area in the Empire.
Since the New God’s army was mostly blocked in the North and South Seas, all Gain had to do there was supervise the security of the Cheboim Sea area for a few days.
It was virtually a short vacation.
The schedule was to rest in the Imperial Palace for a few days, look around the sea, and then return to the front.
Rest during the war was absurd, but it was also a task personally given by the Emperor.
‘You are banned from going to war for the time being, little water drop.’
When she brought the divine object ‘Ice Silkworm Storage,’ he was very pleased.
He didn’t clap or make a loud noise, but sat on the throne and gave a subtle smile.
He patted Christel on the shoulder, congratulated her, and immediately bestowed his cloak and medal.
‘Wow!’ ‘Yaaaah······!’ A tsunami-like roar swept across the sandy plain.
The navy soldiers who had assisted the young paladin to this point were presented with tens of thousands of enthusiastic cheers.
They were given a week of reward leave and gold.
‘Are you going to harm your body from such a young age? Or are you trying to give me the stigma of being an emperor who doesn’t know how precious paladins are to me?’
However, in the tent where she was personally called, she was severely scolded.
It was after the paladin had filled her belly with the emperor’s luxurious food.
‘Your Majesty, that’s not true. I’m just―’
‘Are you going to make tears of blood flow from your mother and grandparents’ eyes?’
Gain squeezed the napkin that had cleaned her mouth.
It was the first time she had been scolded like this. She was reminded of her high school homeroom teacher who cared for her, and her head dropped involuntarily.
The middle-aged man’s red eyes were shining sternly.
‘Your achievements and hard work will be greatly praised again after the war. A proper title and dazzling honor will be given, and the name Christel Rambouillet will be recorded in history for a long time.’
‘Your Majesty’s grace is boundless.’
‘But isn’t that only valuable if you are alive? It is only a celebration if you and your family can truly rejoice.’
‘······.’
‘The order I gave to the Imperial Army was to fight for the honor and revenge of Riester. Not suicide.’
Gain blinked blankly.
She didn’t care for her body. She just ran, burning with hope, without thinking about the consequences. She lived too hard······.
Being scolded for that was really unfamiliar.
She had never heard such a thing in her life.
It was even more so when she lived as ‘Ham Gain.’
Every day was not enough, even if she was busy running. The bank account was just a place where her salary was transferred.
Even before getting a job, she was constantly working part-time.
Rent, management fee, gas bill, water bill, communication fee, transportation fee, food expenses, savings, subscription, insurance premium, student loan, other expenses······.
There was too much money to spend just to live.
Quitting her job was an unaffordable luxury.
When Gain was twenty-five years old, her sister married a German brother-in-law and left Korea.
She was completely alone, but she persevered.
She believed that taking good care of herself by eating three meals a day was enough.
She was grateful that her parents, who took her money, were not there.
For Gain, burning herself, believing that the prince would return, was an extremely normal and familiar process.
If she survived like this, time would pass. As time passed, things would somehow be judged.
Either it would be as she wished, or she would be buried and erased by time.
‘Rest. Since the New God’s navy has calmed down due to the appearance of monsters, the admiral alone will be enough for the time being.’
‘······Yes?’
‘Go and meet the prince you like, and play with the divine beasts for a few days. They are all breathing healthily. Now that is your reality, so you can believe it.’
‘······.’
‘If you’ve finished eating, go out. I’m a busy man.’
That was not a lie.
As soon as the Emperor gestured, great nobles wearing heavy armor and gorgeous robes rushed into the tent.
Christel stood up blankly and paid her respects. That was yesterday.
The Emperor did not say a word about his son.
How dangerous a place he was going to, what kind of operation was being carried out on the front lines.
As if it was none of Christel’s business.
“······.”
– Rustle
The paladin unfolded the barracks newsletter given by the subdeacon of the tent.
Of course, the printing quality was not as good as [modern publications].’
The typesetting was crooked, the ink was smudged in places, and the paper was cheap and easily torn.
Light blue eyes moved busily over the letters.
‘His Highness the Noble Black Prince Advances into the New God’s Inland!’
‘At least 3 Cardinal-level Paladins to Oppose the Crown Prince… Half of the ‘Pleiades’ [a group of powerful paladins]’!
‘The Imperial Army Crosses the Canyon into the Land of Splendid Spiritual Dreams!’
‘Sacred Life – The Biography of the Resurrected Prince Yeser Venetian’
‘Anonymous Commander’s Contribution: A Consideration on the Awakening of Princess Cornelise Venetian’
“······What’s Pleiades again?”
She frowned and muttered. By instinct, she wanted to go meet the prince right away.
She really wanted to grab anything and run to the Imperial Palace.
She wanted to talk about possession and ask how he came back.
She also wanted to lie on the terrace sofa with him and take a good rest.
She felt like she would feel relieved if she showed off how hard she had persevered and laughed and chatted.
She didn’t want to skim through his news with just one piece of paper. But―
‘Grand Duke Judith Kamingha, who is called the strongest earth-attribute cardinal since King Hanan Lumayan, is expected to come to the fore. She is a veteran in her seventies as a member of the Venetian royal family······.’
‘It is known that Princess Eliser, the youngest cardinal in history, directed the training, but it is unclear whether she will fight the Crown Prince again. She is called the one who leads the fire wheel of the New God and has been taking care of military affairs since she was sixteen······.’
‘Count Arno van Roy is an air-attribute cardinal famous for his ruthless nature. According to residents of the neutral zone, he killed all his brothers to become the head of the family. The countess, who was mad at the slaughter, took her child and went to her parents’ house······.’
– Rustle!
“Crazy. Am I supposed to leave this behind?”
She was out of breath even though she hadn’t run.
Christel stared at the distant New God direction for a long time, then turned back sharply.
It was towards the Imperial Palace. A chaotic wave arose in her large eyes.
Her heart was swirling around and around.
Suddenly, a piece of spring that felt like winter came to mind [a memory of a past event].
– Crash!
‘Don’t do this again, don’t. The hole is in my side, so why is your face so grim?’
‘······Get out.’
‘I’m not leaving until I see you pick up a spoon! What, why? Just because I got stabbed with a knife here, do I suddenly not look like a worthy opponent to you? Do you feel like you have to take responsibility? What about you, Crown Prince! What about you!’
Haa······.
“What the hell. I’ve been caught by a 26-month-old for the first time in my life.”
She gritted her teeth and glared at the New God again.
It was frustrating and annoying that she kept worrying about him, even though he must be flying around now.
It was all because the last time she saw his face was so terrible.
And probably because the image of her that he remembers is also the worst.
Still, she was relieved that the prince was safe.
She could trust and leave it to Her Highness Oreli and Teacher Johan.
No matter how positively she tried to think, she couldn’t handle it twice.
So, she was appalled that she couldn’t choose to go to the Imperial Palace.
······Huh?
“Lady Elizabeth! Just a moment!”
Just in time! Christel, who spotted a familiar bob cut in the distance, started running at full speed.
The eyes of the surprised deputy commander of the guard grew round.
Her tied-up pink hair and the whip at her waist were resolutely waving.
“Are you very busy? If you’re okay, I have something to discuss right away!”
A clear voice echoed in the middle of the desert.
It’s nothing, but I’m about to disobey His Majesty’s orders!
*
A few days later. The Imperial Palace was bustling from midday.
I, who succeeded in using my disciple’s chance, was enjoying a legitimate outing!
“No, Your Excellency. You have to write the speech scene more dramatically. It looks like a novel, but this creation is ultimately for propaganda, right?”
“Chairman. Can you take a look at this expression? I think it’s okay······.”
“Let’s put a hug around here. The farewell scene should be as tragic as possible. Tears won’t be enough.”
“You can immediately tell how readable it is by reading it out loud. ‘Ah, Serenite! My people live with the Milky Way woven into the roof, and my daytime moon covers the lake and falls asleep.’ It’s poetic. I think it’s okay.”
Bustling, buzzing. ‘Salon de Victoire’ was truly crowded.
There were dozens of guests who volunteered to stand because there were no seats, and Eva said that the number of drink orders received so far exceeded three hundred.
With the noise of cooking in the kitchen added, it was hard to tell whether this was a salon or a night market.
“Victory is guaranteed, of course. I’m not a faithful person, but I’m not stupid enough to ignore these omens.”
“Hyah, how can he get along so well with his subordinates without formality? Our prince, I mean.”
“That’s right. Amitié Palace might have a new owner.”
“Then we’ll be busy trying to get distribution again, ha ha ha!”
“They’re already calling her Duchess Juliette. Listen, my uncle’s lover is in the Imperial Palace······.”
When the merchant guests who had drunk a few glasses of liqueur left with a lot of rumors, actors or dress shop guests who had received Ganael’s waiting number rushed into the empty seats.
When they left, nobles or shoemakers came in.
Every time I walked between the tables, dozens of pairs of eyes gathered and scattered repeatedly.
Today, I was wearing the most luxurious archbishop’s vestments.
I moved the carriage a little so that the people of the Imperial Palace outside could see me well, and I emitted ether without stopping so that my purple eyes were clear.
Lord Johan looked uncomfortable, but fortunately, he did not refuse the energy I gave him (thank you!).
The crowd lined up densely outside the window and filled the avenue seemed to number over thousands.
Occasionally, when I waved my hand, screams close to screams poured out.
“Aaaaaah! Aaaah! Princeeeeee!”
“Is this real? Is this real? Is this real? Is this real?”
“What should I do! Mom! Momaaaaa!”
Umm······. Just like now. It was a little scary, so I quickly turned my gaze away.
François advised me to smile naturally like him, but the marquis was a born entertainer, so that was possible.
My neck turned red, and I just looked like a fool who had a late heatstroke.
“Please enjoy, everyone.”
Clank. I put a large tray on the table of the small group ‘Courtship Romance.’
The members who were writing and discussing each other were surprised and tried to get up from their seats.
I waved my hand several times to tell them it was okay. Everyone’s eyes were swollen like frogs.
They cried as soon as they saw me, and those who were severely shocked even fainted, so it was a natural result.
“Se, se, Your Grace is boundless······.”
“Be careful, it’s hot, Lady.”
Berenice, the daughter of the Mendy ducal family, belonged to the latter among them.
She was receiving a teacup from me with trembling hands, and I was a little worried because it had not been thirty minutes since she regained consciousness.
Pour······. I poured black tea without making a mistake and asked her about her preferences.
I seemed to have become quite skilled after helping with work all morning.
“Then I’ll just add cream.”
“Yes, yessss······.”
The girl replied with a flushed face.
Across from her, Joan was drawing a novel cover.
I stirred the cup and glanced at her work.
It was a picture of Christel standing proudly with her hands on her waist, and behind her, a house-sized wave wrapped around a black sea urchin and splashed.
The large title at the bottom also caught my eye.
‘Liberator.’
Oh oh.
“I, it’s not just Liberator, Your Highness. That’s what they call you among the people. I thought it was a little, a little empty, so I was going to add a modifier······.”
“King of Hundred Grains.”
Flinch. It was a familiar old man’s voice. I immediately turned my head to greet the new guest.
“‘Liberator of the King of Hundred Grains.’ That’s what our editorial department decided.”
White hair illuminated by the light and green eyes under the glasses were emitting a sharp light.
It was Lady Sarah Beliard, leaning on a cane.