What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 361

#361

The Eastern Pupil of the Divine (3)

“Huh? Is this eyeshadow?”

…Of course not.

Christel lay on the withered, yellowed grass, scrubbing the back of her hand.

The ‘blue-white light particles’ were, upon closer inspection, an unidentifiable powder.

The girl seemed to have left it behind instead of an answer, and it was peculiar how it didn’t easily wipe off, instead smudging in circles around her fingerprints.

Even in the murky air, the way it shimmered like sunlit ripples was pretty.

What is it, anyway? Did she give me this as a gift out of guilt? *Sniff sniff.*

“A flower scent? It smells nice.”

Gain scrunched up her face and muttered, burying her nose in the back of her hand.

Could it be some kind of treat that’s popular among kids? Like Lemona [a popular Korean lemon-flavored vitamin powder]?

Does this mean it’s okay to eat?

…Should I lick it once?

“How pathetic.”

The face that was heading straight in with its tongue out froze. *Shit,* of all times.

Gain laid her head back down and glared at the sky.

The irritatingly familiar orange eyes entered her vision upside down.

The unnecessarily broad shoulders cast a shadow over her.

*Neigh.* Beside the man were the prickly Charlemagne and the fairy-like Doria.

It seemed they had come out to walk the horses again today.

“Are you that ignorant?”

Ah, please go your way.

“I’m not going to eat it. I was just wondering.”

Christel grumbled and lowered her hand.

But it was definitely a familiar image, and definitely different from healing aether [a magical energy source in this world].

The blue-white light particles mysteriously drifting before her eyes. Where else had she witnessed such a scene?

“Have you ever seen anything like this?”

As soon as she abruptly raised her hand, the Crown Prince looked displeased. *Hey, am I giving you crap?*

“Get it away from me.”

“Yes, yes.”

Christel twisted her lips and retorted sarcastically.

Cedric let out a silent sigh and looked around.

He felt nothing.

The Mankrans’ unique ‘strange’ vitality all seemed to be far away.

He fed Charle and Doria a turnip each (the only vegetable Carme was somewhat successful at growing) and sat down at a reasonable distance.

The mare affectionately rubbed his shoulder with her muzzle.

Christel glanced at the man and lowered her voice.

With her other hand, she created a water droplet to wash away the unknown powder, making noise.

-Trickle, trickle…

“How is it today?”

“…No change.”

He said it in a tone that showed he really hated it.

To someone who didn’t know him, it wouldn’t be obvious, but for Christel, this level of interpretation was a piece of cake.

“Wow, are they still clinging to His Highness?”

The desire to ask, ‘What does he even like about you?’ rose to her throat and then subsided.

The more she thought about it, the more appalling and absurd it was.

It was the story of Etha, the priestess publicly known as the ‘Saintess’ in Mankrans.

From the first day she appeared in the village, she showed extraordinary interest in the Crown Prince, and had been staying here ever since.

She took care of the residents morning and evening (if there was such a distinction), while openly flirting with him.

Some days she silently watched the man work, and on others, she approached him and offered her aether.

Of course, Cedric refused outright.

He had no desire to receive the power of an unknown priestess, and he already had a partner.

He also had a sacred stone full of golden aether. He detested low-quality energy.

‘Oh, young master.’

‘Please don’t be like that…’

Then, the residents expressed their disappointment on behalf of Etha.

The Crown Prince pushed them away with his characteristic glaring eyes and impenetrable attitude, but the other party was more persistent than expected.

Soon, the entire village made food and clothes and desperately tried to win his favor.

There were many who tearfully begged him to meet the Saintess.

It was really an eyesore.

“I’ve been thinking. If their goal is His Highness, wouldn’t it be better to just grant their wish once?”

“…”

“You know. If this place is like the ruins of Hanan the Great, where dead souls reside, then by fulfilling their wishes, they can find peace… Well, something like that. That would be faster and easier for us.”

“You should know that their existence is clear.”

“Well, yes… But we don’t know how long we’ll have to be trapped here.”

‘And the situation outside is a mystery.’ A sigh was mixed in her voice.

Both men and women knew the story well.

They didn’t know how they ended up here, and the village’s reason for existence was unclear.

Obtaining meaningful information seemed virtually impossible.

No one harmed them (at least their bodies were intact), and no one told them how to get out.

According to the Crown Prince, no one even knew about the war.

When he asked about the corps or the army, some were very surprised.

The passage of time was also unclear. Marguerite Dioph, the Duchess, had gone half-mad.

No one knew if she could regain her sanity.

Carme was barely holding on, but if Christel wasn’t by her side for even a day, she would soon become like Marguerite.

Fortunately, the horses were safe. Gain opened her mouth, counting her now-clean fingers.

“As you said, the people here are clearly real. Their bodies aren’t transparent, and we don’t pass through them. Unlike the spirits of the desert, we can touch them.”

The man tilted his chin. The Water Knight continued.

“Seeing that Duchess Dioph lost her mind first, and then Carme is in danger, it seems that their minds are collapsing in order of the least amount of aether in their bodies. I suspect they’re injecting something through the food. Doria and Charle are fine, so it seems the problem only applies to humans.”

“We must also consider that you have the ‘Blessing of the Azure Sea’.”

“Ah, that’s right. I admit it.”

Christel nodded and then stopped abruptly.

“Then how are you okay, Your Highness? You left the Sacred Sword behind, so is it thanks to your Highness’s sacred stone?”

“…”

Then the man averted his gaze with a stiff expression.

The blue eyes narrowed and then widened in an instant. Come to think of it, the pig ‘vessel’…

Ha!

“Is it possible that even if bad energy enters, it escapes?”

I knew there was a problem, but could it be that the vessel is cracked? Is that even possible?!

“Are you presuming to inquire about the condition of a member of the Imperial Family?”

“…I guess that answers my question. I’ll skip that.”

I don’t know what kind of magic it is, but it seems possible…

Then the shrinking body was also a vessel problem.

Christel clicked her tongue inwardly and folded her fingers again.

“The fog that surrounds the village has never cleared, and neither has the disgusting pure aether in the air. Do you agree that we call this ‘unpleasant aether’?”

The Crown Prince chuckled lowly. With this, the two had reached their 12th agreement.

Whether they liked it or not, living in the same area, and knowing that they were the only ones who could help each other, such a tragedy was inevitable.

Still, as they lived, they managed to endure. As they endured, they lived on.

A kind voice they had heard sometime lingered in the ears of the man and woman.

‘You have to get along. Okay? Please give in a little bit.’

‘We’re a trio, so in other words, you two are also each other’s partners. I’ve heard that it’s unprecedented for Holy Knights to form a pair.’

‘You don’t know how good you two look together.’

Something special wasn’t necessarily good, but at least their prince seemed to like it.

So the two decided to maintain the status quo.

There was no handwritten signature or verbal agreement, but that’s how it turned out.

“This unpleasant aether is constantly present and doesn’t have any positive effect on us. Of course, it seems that the divine power in my body is self-defending… At first, I thought it was being emitted by that priestess, but I’m confused these days. I’ve never directly received her aether, so I can’t confirm it.”

“It seems that unpleasant aether also has a negative effect on the vessel.”

Cedric added quietly. Christel paused and nodded.

Thinking about Carme, it was a plausible deduction.

In fact, she no longer ate the residents’ food, but her condition was gradually worsening.

There was definitely another external factor.

“As you said, Your Highness, there must be something in that fog. It was already foggy when we got lost. But we need to confirm Etha’s identity and power.”

“…”

There it was, that sulky expression. He absolutely didn’t want to do it.

He didn’t want to use his precious body for a honey trap.

“No, really. I have a good eye. That woman isn’t an ordinary priestess. She has a uniquely clear color and distinct outline among the residents. You might think I’m talking nonsense, but it’s true. It’s part of my ability. For reference, the person with the most vivid and beautiful colors I’ve ever seen is Prince Yeseo.”

“…”

At those words, Cedric frowned. The gazes of water and fire quickly intertwined and then separated.

She had revealed one of her secrets, so she had revealed one as well, but the man only wavered for a moment and didn’t break.

Christel finally snapped, her voice filled with anger.

“If you’re doing this because of your pride, then think about the Imperial Family and the Empire that fostered that pride. Think about how desperate the people waiting for us might be. If we stay here, you’ll have to look at my face for the rest of your life instead of your prince. I’m serious.”

“…”

“…Ugh, headache. Ugh, migraine.”

Okay, okay. Christel clutched her throbbing forehead and closed her eyes.

It wasn’t just words, it was genuinely difficult.

The ‘blessing’ in her body was handling a lot, but she hadn’t received anyone’s aether, including her partner’s, for a long time.

Her diet and sleep were unbalanced, and stress was steadily accumulating.

Unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar people, everything was uncomfortable and annoying.

There was a limit to enduring with the cultivation method she had learned from Teacher Johan.

She felt a sense of crisis that she would really collapse.

She knew that the prince and her friends were desperately looking for them right now.

And when she thought of Isabel, she absolutely couldn’t give up.

But was this possible? Realistically.

“Ugh, better to die than suffer. Better to die than suffer…”

Could that bastard and I really do it?

He was a little more communicative than when they first met, but he was still stubborn and rude.

He grew up being pampered and didn’t know the value of emotional labor—

-Thud!

At that moment, something heavy fell beside Christel. Her blue-gray eyes flashed open.

She turned her head in surprise and looked at the object placed near her head.

Her mouth hung open involuntarily.

“This…”

-Swoosh…

The sacred stone containing pure, clear aether, was sparkling brilliantly with golden light.

It was only the size of a child’s fist, but it was definitely Prince Yeseo’s power.

Only then did Gain hurriedly get up and look up at Cedric.

The man, who had already risen from his seat, was holding Charlemagne’s reins.

Could this be what I’m thinking?

No way?

“…Are you giving this to me?”

It would be more convincing if he had tried to throw it and hit her. That’s the kind of relationship they had.

He had never willingly given up the prince even once.

This was probably the last sacred stone he had.

“…I’ll take care of the priestess.”

“H-huh…”

While Gain was in a state of shock, Cedric led the black horse and walked towards the center of the village.

After quickly grabbing the sacred stone, she blankly stared at his resolute back.

A mumbling like gibberish burst from her open lips.

Has he finally gone crazy? Did he turn 360 degrees because the prince wasn’t here?

Is the moon going to rise in the west? People say that when someone suddenly changes, they die. Is this finally my chance to have my partner all to myself? No…

“Crazy, jackpot. This is really my deal!”

Only after a long time did a pretty good reality greet her.

There was still a long way to go, but this seemed like it would help her endure for at least a few days.

Christel smiled brightly and hugged the sacred stone that the prince had sent.

As the familiar warmth touched her, her mind and body quickly stabilized. It was like magic. Hehehe!

“Still, once a year, you live up to your middle name!”

A clear voice rang out in the temple’s backyard.

*Neigh, neigh.* Doria shook her head and let out a pleasant snort.