What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 380

#380

Red-spotted Cat (3)

“Alright, let’s go.”

-Krrrrrr…

Judith Camingha expertly gripped the side of the rock and slowly began to push it away with force.

She didn’t even glance at Elysee for help.

Of course, with the Grand Duke’s strength, it wasn’t an impossible task alone.

However, the Crown Princess was surprised for the umpteenth time because the old woman hadn’t emitted a single trace of Ether.

The energy within her was palpable, but that was it.

The young woman had sensed the power of the earth only once, during the battle in the Statia Plains, which was effectively the first and last time.

It was astonishing. How could she do that?

To the Holy Knights of the Divine Nation, Ether was like breath.

They were taught not to overuse it, but everyone used and mastered it habitually.

Those who flaunted it were pathetic, but special Ether itself was a useful skill in everyday life, so it was widely used.

-Kugugung…

-Whooooosh…

Before long, a dark and massive hole appeared where the rock had been moved.

Earthen steps leading underground were also visible.

Probably no one knew that something like this existed here.

Regardless of whose noble’s territory it was, Elysee figured Judith had a reason to be so confident.

The Grand Duke slowly straightened her back and looked back at Elysee.

Her single eye revealed a fierce presence.

The Crown Princess met her gaze, her breathing barely under control.

“Follow me, if your heart hasn’t changed.”

A gruff voice echoed.

“If you have the courage, that is.”

“……”

‘Thud, thud, thud.’ The Grand Duke turned her back on the Crown Princess without hesitation and walked down into the underground.

Elysee squeezed her eyes shut. The harsh northern wind whipped past her cheeks.

To be honest, she was utterly exhausted. She had been starving for a long time and hadn’t had a proper wash.

She couldn’t even get a decent nap, worrying about what had happened to the Divine Nation’s army and how Cornelisse and her mother were doing in the royal capital.

Not knowing the state of the war naturally made her anxious.

She was also concerned about the secret letter Martier had sent and the safety of the common soldiers she had won over.

But…

‘Please give my regards to Cornelisse and Her Majesty.’

‘…Alright. I trust you. May the blessing of the Chief God be with you.’

In the center of her mottled eyelids, all that remained was the face of her dead younger sibling.

Yeser’s last smile and gentle voice. And her bloodied appearance.

Her pale cheeks and crimson-stained blonde hair were terribly vivid.

The sight of that child’s corpse in the temple, which had been shattered by shock, devastated, and stripped of its dignity.

Her sibling’s death had to change Venetian forever.

A bright blue eye flashed open.

“I will go with you!”

Absolutely. No matter the cost, she would make it so.

Elysee dashed down the steps without hesitation.

This time, she didn’t falter or look back.

She bent low and strode through the lightless cave.

She couldn’t see anything, but she had nothing to fear.

-Thud, thud…

The faint sound of military boots could be heard ahead, and that was enough.

‘Whoosh.’ A gentle breeze blew from the front. Followed by,

-Paaaaah…!

Hundreds of millions of scarlet particles unexpectedly washed over her. It was Mana [magical energy].

However, it wasn’t an aggressive magical power, so Elysee continued without wavering.

The particles that had soaked her whole body swirled around her like a baptism.

The Crown Princess used that light as a guide and advanced even faster.

Her long braided blonde hair trailed behind her like a tail.

-Thump, thump, thump…

Only the sound of footsteps could be heard, and the Grand Duke’s back was still not visible.

A steep uphill climb continued for a long time, then a downhill slope appeared as if by magic.

The young woman’s hands were soon covered in wounds.

It was because they were constantly scratched by the rough walls and stone pillars.

But it didn’t matter. None of it mattered.

She couldn’t miss this opportunity.

-Thwack!

“Ugh!”

-Clang! Thud!

She finally fell forward.

Thanks to her armor, she avoided serious injury, but hot drops of blood began to flow from her forehead.

Trying to do everything with her bare body without using Ether made her feel like a child again overnight.

The feeling of losing her sense of balance and intuition was unfamiliar.

The Crown Princess roughly wiped her face on her light armor and quickly raised her upper body.

Had it been two hours?

-Saaaaah…

“……”

A dim light was visible in front of her. ‘Chirp, chirp, chirp.’ The clear sound of birds could be heard.

Dreamlike noises continued faintly, like the song of a small stream and the laughter of children.

Elysee hurriedly got up and walked forward, leaning against the wall.

Soon, the sunlight became vividly within reach.

‘Hwaaaaaa—!’ In an instant, her eardrums burst open, and the refreshing scent of grass filled her lungs.

The salty smell of the sea was mixed in.

For a moment, she wondered if this was a hallucination.

“Sir, Grand Duke! Look at this! It’s a flower crown I made!”

“That’s wonderful. You have talent.”

“Your Highness, my brother made this. I’ll give it to you as a gift!”

“That’s excellent too. I’ll have to hang it in my office.”

But it was reality.

Elysee, who had emerged from the cave, frowned at the sudden burst of sunlight and looked around.

Everything was unfamiliar land. Unlike the north, there was no rugged terrain.

There were no mountains, so the view was clear to the horizon, and seagulls painted white strokes across the high sky.

Cosmos and Korean chrysanthemums bloomed sparsely in the fields where reeds had turned yellow.

Beyond that, the vast eastern coast rippled like blue silk.

Children who had woven ornaments from wildflowers were running around.

They had faces that knew nothing of worry or hunger.

They didn’t seem to fear the war, or even the Grand Duke, who was talking to them face to face.

“Let’s see, have you gained weight lately?”

“Kyaaahaha!”

When the old woman lifted one of the children up, laughter erupted that was more pleasant to hear than the royal orchestra.

Elysee smiled, forgetting the situation she was in for a moment.

The parents who had sent their spouses to the battlefield also didn’t have the worst expressions.

Commoners with laundry, side dishes, and farming tools bowed politely to the Grand Duke and went on their way.

No one was horrified by the old woman’s procession or bowed their heads.

They were just as friendly and welcoming as if they had met an elderly person in their neighborhood.

Their eyes were filled with sincere respect and affection.

That was all.

“……”

“Sister, you’re bleeding from your forehead! Does it hurt a lot?”

‘Snatch!’ A girl clung to Elysee’s knee and asked.

The Crown Princess was startled and looked down at the child. She looked a couple of years younger than Cornelisse.

When she met her worried eyes, she felt strangely choked up.

So she couldn’t give an immediate answer.

“Shall Mila heal you? Huh?”

At that signal, small dolls swarmed around her.

They were the little ones who had been giving her curious glances a little while ago.

The Crown Princess’s cold armor instantly warmed up.

“Mila’s older sister and brother are the most famous doctors in the village!”

“That’s right, I hurt myself here yesterday, and Mila tore up herbs and covered it…”

“Are you friends with the Grand Duke? Is this your first time in our village?”

“You’re really handsome, sister! You’re really pretty!”

“Your hair is so long. Haven’t you cut it for a year? My mom tells me to get a haircut once a month!”

“Hey, be quiet. Shall Mila heal you?”

Elysee killed the tears that were welling up for no reason. And finally opened her mouth.

“……Okay. Thank you.”

Then, in her vision, a handful of colorful autumn flowers bloomed.

“Woooow!”

“Do you like pannekoek [Dutch for pancake], sister?”

‘My dad’s apple pannekoek is the best in the world!’

The Crown Princess listened to the chatter of the little sparrows and slowly raised her head.

The Grand Duke, who had come close, was looking at her.

Her wrinkled hands were full of fruit and bitterballen [Dutch meatball snack] that the people had given her.

The old woman finally opened her mouth.

“Welcome to the Camingha Grand Duchy.”

“……”

“You’ll have a lot to learn for a while.”

“Yes, Mila will teach you about herbs. I know over a hundred!”

The girl clinging to her leg said quickly. A warm breeze carried the scent of abundance and peace.

Elysee laughed out loud for the first time in a long time, a really long time.

*

The next evening, we gathered in the Crown Prince’s tent.

It was for a dinner and conversation with His Majesty the Emperor.

“Marquis, try this too. It’s totally your style.”

The Bekov pork that Gain gave me was moderately tender and had no gamey smell, so it tasted good.

It wasn’t as good as what I ate at the Imperial Palace, but it was excellent.

Thanks to the hot and clean soup, three bowls went straight into my stomach.

Not wanting to be outdone, I put two chicken legs on the protagonist’s plate.

As we chatted and filled each other’s dishes, Elizabeth covered her mouth with a napkin.

David looked somehow disappointed, and Emperor Frederick snorted.

Oops. My heart sank at my own rudeness.

Hurriedly taking a ladle from a servant, I generously ladled meat and vegetables into the adults’ bowls as well.

The middle-aged woman removed her smile and frowned.

“Are you telling me to eat more here?”

“……Is it too much?”

“……Alright. I’m even getting caught up in the games of you young ones.”

The middle-aged woman answered chicly and picked up a fork.

Still, she didn’t seem to dislike it, judging by the fact that she was looking for wine.

Once again, the sound of utensils moving and serious conversation filled the room.

In one corner of the tent, beyond the magnificent curtains, Crown Prince Cedric was lying down.

He was still unconscious, but fortunately, he wasn’t lacking in Ether or in pain.

The healing priests said that he had entered a Mana resting period.

He had exhausted all the Mana in his body, and his body had been awake in a state of tension for a long time, so he needed rest for the time being.

He wasn’t the only one who was asleep.

Francois, who seemed to have become ‘friends’ with Sir Johann, also entered a resting period that day, and so did Carme.

Fabrice, who had been very surprised in many ways, ended up catching a cold (I visited him in the morning).

Princess Marguerite Diop finally regained her clear consciousness after drinking several medicinal teas.

I heard that she and that lightning magician were siblings.

“……Mixed with combat losses, it is difficult to calculate the exact number, but according to reports, at least thirty and up to a hundred soldiers have disappeared into the Moon Halo Grass fog. That’s also the result of limiting the number of unidentified Imperial soldiers’ bodies found in the plains.”

Elizabeth said, holding a fork and knife.

The Emperor’s red eyes sank heavily.

“That was also classified as combat loss. There’s no point in reversing it now.”

She put down her empty glass and replied.

David poured wine again with elegant movements.

“Yuliter Statia, who died, created a virtual space in the ruined village and kidnapped them. How many people can really accept this fact? Even Duke Berang in the tent next door is suffering like that.”

“……”

“If it weren’t for your testimony, this body wouldn’t have believed it either.”

The Emperor quietly glanced at us and drank the wine like water.

She had been in a troubled mood throughout the story of the person who was both her grandfather’s enemy and lover.

I repeatedly emphasized that ‘Yuliter’s artificial space has been completely destroyed, and no one trapped there can escape.’

Even so, the adults couldn’t easily shake off their displeasure. It was only natural.

“But isn’t it strange?”

“Yes?”

“The reason why that person lured the human traffickers was ultimately to bring back the Countess Statia of the past, but the last thing you witnessed was my grandfather?”

“That’s right.”

I nodded seriously. Christel quickly chimed in.

“I saw it too, Your Majesty. It was the same face as the portrait I saw in the Imperial Palace. Blonde hair, red eyes, and a long, ornate cloak.”

“……Tsk.”

The Emperor frowned and emptied her glass again.

Sir Johann, unable to watch any longer, began to share drinks with her, trying to reduce his lord’s alcohol consumption.

It was a sight that brought a bitter smile to my face.

Looking back, I think that moment was close to a ‘miracle.’

The appearance of Romero, who had nothing to do with Carme, may have been evidence of the two people’s true… love.

Of course, Her Majesty would never want to think that way.

This was an assumption that meant nothing to her, who leads the current Empire.

As Yuliter herself admitted, she was an undeniable worst war criminal and an eternal traitor.

Whatever her motives, her choices had cost the lives of countless people over the decades, like stars in the sky.

“Are you sure that the experiment that was taking place in that fortress is related to Statia’s warning?”

The middle-aged woman shook her glass and asked sharply. I quickly answered.

“Yes. Yuliter is already dead. There’s no one left that she cherished or hated, so I don’t think there was any reason to lie. There must have been a reason why she led us there. The fact that the Golem was guarding it is also very suspicious.”

“……The Wizardry Division is studying the drug that Francois secured. The results will be out soon.”

A sighing answer came back.

She had a thoughtful expression on her face, with more headaches than expected (you couldn’t have expected this, could you?).

I nodded and just gripped my drink tightly. A long silence crossed the table.

Hmm, I have to tell you something else besides this.

-Gurgle gurgle…

At that moment, a strange sound came from the Crown Prince’s bed.

We flinched and turned our eyes.