What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 401

#401

Ambush (2)

“It’s an ambush! The Theocratic State of Venetian is attacking!”

That was the cry we heard as soon as we arrived at the Liester military camp.

“Everyone, take up arms!”

-Clang, clang!

“Do as you’ve been trained! Move quickly and calmly!”

“Yes!”

I stood frozen, supporting the half-awakened Prince Cedric, my face blank with shock.

Sir Johann, holding Gaein, also wore a stiff expression.

The sound of swords being drawn echoed from all directions, and desperate voices piled up.

Knights and soldiers rushed out from every direction, hurrying somewhere.

Warhorses were also moving in formation. Clang, clang, clang! The sound of armor moving was more brutal and chilling than usual.

The Prince staggered and raised his head.

I quickly pulled down his hood and removed his mask.

His sculpted face was pale and ashen.

“Ugh, I must go to His Majesty…”

“No. You need to go to the barracks and rest. You were affected by black magic. That’s why you were so ill.”

I tried to explain as calmly as possible.

He narrowed his eyes and looked down at me. Yes, it would be hard to believe.

You wouldn’t expect to see black magic in Liester. It was my first time too!

“Make way! Make way!”

“Good heavens, His Highness the Prince has returned!”

“Clear the way! His Highness and his companions have returned!”

“Goodness, what is going on!”

Knights who belatedly discovered us were horrified.

Anyone could see that the Prince looked terrible, and Gaein was unconscious, both of them drooling black liquid.

Moreover, Grand Duke Johann Haynes, the Prince’s tutor, had a bloody right arm from some kind of fight.

It was natural for them to be collectively terrified.

The Divine Beast Ropi jumped out of the Prince’s arms and scurried away somewhere.

The crowded and chaotic environment seemed to make him uncomfortable.

“Ivelyn will be furious. Inform His Majesty and call a healing priest, quickly!”

“We must also inform David!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good heavens, Christel!”

At the end of the long row of barracks, Isabel ran towards us, her face as white as a sheet.

The three Lesser Pandas, greatly agitated, were with her.

I quickly hugged the precious creatures climbing into my arms and greeted Gaein’s family.

The dark eyes examining her daughter looked as if they would break at any moment.

“Marquis, what happened? My child, what happened to my daughter…!”

-Creak, creak!

“That’s alright, Isabel. Gaein is fine. She was affected by black magic. I gave her enough Aether [a magical energy source], and they say that purification will occur in her body if she rests comfortably. The black residue is also part of the detoxification process. Don’t worry too much, Isabel. She’ll be alright. By the way, what’s going on here?”

‘An ambush?’ I asked urgently, supporting the swaying Prince.

His dark hair obscured my vision like a bad omen.

Isabel stroked her daughter’s cheek several times and kissed her hand, then looked at me with a very sad expression.

A chilling premonition flashed through me.

What is it?

“There was a massive explosion in Mankrans… The exact number of casualties has not yet been tallied, but according to the messenger… the scale of the damage is so great that even the ruins of the Statia Rock Fortress have been destroyed. Our commanders suspect it was an attack by the Theocratic State.”

My mouth fell open at the shocking news. Now that I looked closely, Isabel was also wearing armor.

The White Whip of the Hanan King was at her waist, and her warhorse was shaking its head, waiting for departure in the distance.

While my tongue was stiff, the Prince spoke first.

“…How many returned?”

I quickly looked up at his profile.

And only after a few seconds of silence did I grasp the meaning of his words.

Suddenly, my heart pounded ominously, and my vision darkened and brightened repeatedly.

The whole world felt like it was spinning too fast and frighteningly.

A thin stream of tears ran down Isabel’s cheek. ‘Your Highness…’

“The Vice Commander and Marquis Dium are returning with serious injuries. I heard that both of them are unconscious. Three other commanders died on the spot…”

Her voice faded away in an instant.

Suddenly, I felt like the ground beneath my feet was collapsing.

The Lesser Pandas clinging to me were trembling.

*

The military camp that we returned to was, in a word, on the verge of chaos.

“Incoming patient!”

“Priest, the emergency is this way!”

“Move! Move! Prepare the anesthetic immediately!”

The reason it didn’t descend into complete chaos was, of course, because Frederick Liester was present.

The Empire’s strength came from its solid order and system.

Everyone was doing their part in their respective positions, struggling to return to their precious, ordinary days.

“Ughhh! Waaah, it hurts. It hurts…”

“We need more hot water! Open the curtain and prepare the sterilizing scissors!”

“Please save me, save me…!”

The stream of people being carried into the infirmary was endless.

Most of them were soldiers with burns and blast injuries, and those in critical condition were moved to nearby barracks for special care—mainly to alleviate their pain—or to receive their last rites.

Constantly smelling the burning and blood became a kind of adaptation.

Thanks to the consideration of a certain commander, we were newly assigned a tent facing the infirmary.

The distance from the Crown Prince’s barracks to this place was considerable, and it was a measure taken because the excellent healing priests could not be attached to him alone.

Gaein, who had woken up a few minutes ago, was frantically gulping down water.

As soon as Isabel saw her daughter wake up, she hugged her tightly and then left for the front lines.

Most of those who could fight had left the military camp.

“Ugh, my head is pounding. It’s like a hangover… My head feels heavy…”

“Eat a lot, Christel. If you need anything else, tell me.”

I replied, firmly bandaging Sir Johann’s arm.

The man stubbornly refused to rest, but I kept mentioning Herrit (and also told him about Eva) to keep him there.

The Swordmaster Prince was still in bad condition, his mana affected.

He regained consciousness first, but couldn’t get up from his seat.

David wiped his mouth and continued to check his condition.

The sub-deacons bustled back and forth, helping with the nursing.

Everyone was horrified by the mention of black magic.

It was then.

-Flap!

“Gods, what is this!”

“There are no spaces over there. This way! Here!”

“Sir Elizabeth! François!”

Finally, the figures of the two people being carried into our barracks came into view.

I hurriedly got up and ran to the stretchers.

And I stifled a scream, nearly clamping my mouth shut.

François, his face covered in blood and his fine clothes torn to shreds, was giving me a faint smile.

Fortunately, he seemed to have regained consciousness on the way.

However, the burns on his back were severe, and the bleeding seemed considerable.

Sir Elizabeth was relatively unharmed except for scratches, but her cheeks were so pale that my heart sank.

Her tightly closed eyes didn’t even twitch.

Gaein slipped off the bed and rolled over here.

I desperately clung to the knight who had escorted the two.

“What, what happened? I haven’t heard a proper explanation yet. I know you must be overwhelmed, but please, just one word. Please.”

-Creak, creak, creak

“Marquis Serenite…”

The knight frowned as he looked at the Lesser Pandas clinging to his legs.

She was also covered in soot. The moment her chapped lips parted—

-Flap!

“Enough. I will explain.”

Emperor Frederick appeared.

The priests who were laying down the patients and preparing for healing immediately bowed.

Gaein remained prostrate on the floor, and I was greatly surprised—though it wasn’t as if I hadn’t expected this person’s appearance—and staggered.

If the adult hadn’t swiftly caught my waist, I probably would have cracked my head.

I hurriedly pulled myself away and bowed.

“Your Majesty.”

“…How are they?”

The monarch asked in a voice heavier than ever.

The most senior of the healing priests replied respectfully.

“Marquis Dium’s burns are severe even to the naked eye, but with a specialist priest, he can fully recover if he can endure the pain well. The cut on his forehead also does not appear to be deep. As for the Vice Commander, we will need to examine her entire body in detail from now on to give a prognosis.”

“Both of them must be completely healed. François is like my left arm, and Elizabeth is destined to be a pillar of the Empire. Let the Crown Prince know if there is anything they need.”

“We will do our best to follow your orders.”

The priests bowed deeply and scattered to the beds.

The Emperor glanced at me, then strode towards his son.

David quickly took a step back.

“Let’s see.”

“…Mother.”

The Prince slowly turned his head to look up at his mother.

She smiled faintly, stroked her son’s hair, and briefly kissed his forehead.

Then, she gestured to Gaein, signaling her to quickly return to the bed.

After confirming that the two men were lying neatly, she called me to her side this time.

I moved as quickly as my feet would allow.

“Open your ears and listen, Serenite. Time is short.”

“Yes.”

I quickly washed my face and opened my eyes wide.

I was the only one who could do anything on behalf of my friends right now.

And now that I realized it, the Emperor was wearing armor for the first time.

Seeing the crimson decorations and the golden, glittering protective gear, I realized anew how frightening the situation was.

Finally, the Swordmaster, known as the best swordsman on the continent, was going to war.

“An explosion of unknown cause occurred in the northern village of Mankrans. The epicenter was underground, specifically the place where the remains of the Holy Knight and the purple liquid were found. According to survivor testimonies, something similar to a waterway was seen under the ground just before the flames erupted.”

“A waterway?”

“Yes. They couldn’t confirm what kind of path it was used for. Others said that smoke was rising from there.”

“…”

I looked at her with trembling eyes.

The cherry-colored eyes were darkening with a similar premonition.

“If the ruins of the Rock Fortress, located much further north than the village, also exploded, could it be a waterway connected to that place?”

“I suspect so too. The reagent secured from the basement of that fortress is largely consistent with the liquid flowing from the Holy Knight’s bones.”

The Emperor replied, gesturing towards François.

In an instant, I felt the blood drain from my body. I had a hunch, but I never thought it would really happen…

“They must have buried a coffin underground to draw the liquid. It wouldn’t be difficult for a laboratory equipped with such facilities.”

“Then the person who planted the explosives must also be from that side. They destroyed the evidence and cut off the source because they were afraid we would catch their tail.”

“But the explosions didn’t end there.”

“Yes?”

I blinked in surprise. The Emperor’s husky voice became even lower and more secretive.

“There was also a medium-scale explosion in the Statia Plains at a similar time. Didn’t you see the scene on the way here? There were no casualties among our troops, but at least dozens of Theocratic State soldiers must have died.”

“…”

I stared at her blankly for a moment.

Sir Johann had been looking down while we were flying, but I hadn’t been able to check because I was taking care of the three people in bad condition at the same time.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

But I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud. Would someone really go that far?

“They are trying to create a smokescreen by causing simultaneous accidents.”

“…”

In the end, my eyes squeezed shut. The very idea was so terrible that I got goosebumps.

To take the lives of allies to cover up their own flaws? Only for a smokescreen?

“Don’t waver. This is an imperial order.”

Tap. She lightly tapped the tip of my nose. My eyes reopened brightly.

“What happened to the Salt Marsh? There must be a reason why those fellows ended up like that.”

The Emperor’s red cloak swayed subtly.

I gathered my wits as much as possible and formed a sentence.

“…In the basement of the fortress, bio-experiments for the creation of Holy Knights were being conducted. It was a more advanced form than the Statia Rock Fortress. There was someone called an ‘Apostle’ who followed the ‘Lord,’ and those who volunteered for the experiment praised the Lord like a god. They even unhesitatingly said that he was the ‘incarnation’ of the Divine God. Also, they soaked hundreds of corpses in clear water…”

For a moment, I felt nauseous. When I paused, the middle-aged woman’s eyes sharpened.

“And did they succeed?”

“No… Even if they succeeded in containing the special Aether, the ‘side effects’ or ‘reactions’ seemed severe. Those who failed died on the spot. Those wretches have a weak aura and a foul odor. Their skin is stained dark purple and rots white, so they all wore black robes and masks. They all seemed mentally unstable.”

“…They’re doing all sorts of things.”

The adult spat out a sentence like a sigh.

While we continued our conversation, the priests were silently continuing their healing behind us.

François was staring at the ceiling with an expression of enduring the pain as much as possible.

It was a heartbreaking sight to watch. A cold question flew again.

“Did you secure any evidence?”

“…I’m sorry. We went right up to the place they called the ‘Shrine,’ but there was a big explosion at that moment. The entire fortress completely collapsed and turned into a pile of rubble. Sir Johann was injured while escaping from the scene.”

“…”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

I apologized with all my heart. The Emperor was silent for a while.

She just took a long, deep breath and looked back at us.

“…It’s not the fault of the young ones. This is not a battle that will end easily.”

“…”

“Stay here and protect this place until I return. Work hard for the recovery of your friends and strive to maintain order in the military camp. The Princess is like royalty, so the soldiers will rely on you.”

“…I will try.”

I dropped my head with my hands clasped together.

She patted my shoulder a few times, looked back at her son one last time, and left the barracks.

Ah. She also said something like that before disappearing.

“I’ll leave my nephew as your escort. Make good use of him.”