What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 434

#434

Ding-dong-deng Black Market (4)

“They say it’s a colossal underground black market! It must be huge!”

-Bee-boop!

Gain whispered excitedly. An utterly thrilled Dduk-sim jumped up and down on the carpet.

The lesser pandas, who were bundled together on the bed, perked up their ears.

I chuckled, putting down my warm rooibos tea.

A large moon had already risen, and only Tea-tea was asleep.

The baby, full of aether [a magical energy or essence] and having finished burping, had quieted down again.

“It must be a den of bad guys, right? Lots to see.”

-Blee-rit!

“Yes. It’s sincerely a place I wouldn’t want to take you all.”

Sir Johan replied in a calm voice. All nine pairs of eyes turned to him.

We had finished dinner brought by the errand boy from the tavern ‘The Unforgiven Drink’—after reordering exactly three times—and were now tackling the apple pie that came as dessert.

The pie, topped with a generous amount of whipped cream, was much thicker than the ones in Riester.

Large chunks of apple and raisins were generously studded throughout, and the cinnamon and lemon juice added an exquisite flavor.

The combination of the chewiness and melt-in-your-mouth texture was heavenly.

The owner’s claim that it was ‘the best-selling place in a ruined neighborhood’ seemed to be true.

Even though the city lacked any vitality, the ingredients were fresh, and the cooking, while not fancy, was excellent, allowing us to enjoy it to our hearts’ content.

The cuisine was generally exotic, but it was nice to see the Riester natives enjoying it as well.

Demi, up to his knees, sniffed at the stroopwafel [a thin waffle cookie with caramel syrup].

“The informant, Mr. Noe, was originally a priest, I hear.”

Suddenly, Father Herrit changed the subject.

“Some scribes say he’s over 200 years old, and some glass merchants claim he’s lived for 300 years. But the truth is, no one knows.”

“Ah······.”

No way, is it really him?

“One thing is certain, he broke a covenant a long time ago and received the divine punishment of ‘loss’.”

“······.”

The Crown Prince’s eyes widened. I almost dropped my teacup.

Barely managing to place the trembling handle on the table, I busily untangled the mess in my head.

Then, the confessional-like space where the child resided popped into my mind.

The scent of old books that filled the narrow space vividly lingered at the tip of my nose.

The old calendar on one side of the desk, the worn-out clock and hourglass. The half-burnt incense stick. The young yet aged eyes······.

I see.

“······He lost ‘time’.”

I said in a whisper. A surprised Elizabeth immediately covered her mouth with a napkin.

Ganael’s eyes widened. Father Herrit nodded gently.

“Mr. Noe himself has never revealed it, but everyone speculates that way. A priest made a covenant with a black magician in the black market a long time ago… And he broke the promise due to an unforeseen accident.”

The divine beasts wagged their tails. A moment of silence passed.

Having lost time, Mr. Noe remained alone in the passage of years, as everyone around him left.

He lost track of the months and years, aged in reverse, and could not easily die.

He forgot many memories and stopped celebrating his birthday.

If he were determined, he could leave the world, but the informant did not do so.

No one knew if it was because he feared such an end or if he had other thoughts.

Sir Johan looked down at his dark coffee cup and continued.

“This place is called the ‘Land of Gods and Fairy Tales.’ But those who have glimpsed the shadow of the Divine Kingdom speak of curses, not fairy tales. Because there are many people who have experienced things that cannot be understood or explained by human power, like Mr. Noe. It’s different from the Empire in many ways.”

“······.”

“You will probably see it more often in the future. The capricious and cruel harmony that is carried out under the guise of the Lord God’s providence.”

“······.”

The man finished his sentence, and we stared at him silently.

Finally, the Cardinal lowered his eyebrows.

“Why are you all looking like that?”

“Sir Johan, I really almost thought so.”

······Hmm. Do you think we’re too weak?

“If that’s the case, then His Majesty Hanan in the military camp is a ghost who’s over a thousand years old. Besides, he was the one who led countless spirits, right?”

-Squeak

“Do you think we haven’t seen anything like that in the past year and eight months? Seriously? The Yuliter incident feels like it was just yesterday!”

-Whoo-oo

“Wasn’t the blue reed field covered in corpses just last month?”

-Blee-roo

“Sir Haines, these people have experienced the Great Monster Subjugation and even won. As you know, they have experienced numerous victories in both naval and land battles. They are used to most disturbances.”

-Goo-roo

“I’ve seen the sky open twice in my life, is there anything more than that? Besides, everyone has been safe so far. Our Palace Lord has even been resurrected from death!”

Each person only said one thing, but Sir Johan looked noticeably tired.

He sighed and said gently.

“The Venetian underground black market is not just a ‘market.’ It may have been that way when it first started, but it’s completely different now. The scale is so vast that it cannot be accurately represented on a map, and the structure is more complex than an ant tunnel. There are hundreds who have been permanently trapped because they couldn’t find their way out, and thousands more who have been abandoned there. In fact, it should be seen as an underground city.”

“But Sir Johan, you’ve been there a few times, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know the way out!”

Ganael and I said brightly. Conversely, Father Herrit’s eyes darkened.

“······The entire street is under a black magic spell, so the geography changes every time you enter. Besides, all sorts of heinous crimes are rampant there. It’s dark all year round because the sun doesn’t shine, and there are terrible smells and cold winds everywhere. Black magicians wander around ignoring order.”

“Sounds fun.”

Gain smacked her lips and muttered.

I quickly grabbed her elbow, but I couldn’t deceive Sir Johan’s ears.

The man silently closed and opened his eyes.

“······That’s exactly why I don’t want to take you all.”

‘Woo.’ The protagonist gave a thumbs down and booed.

The Cardinal carefully examined us and continued.

“Each and every one of you has an excessively strong sense of rivalry and adventure. You can’t stand injustice, and you can’t just pass by someone in need. For such people, the black market is nothing more than a huge snare. I don’t want to bet the imperial order on a mere sliver of luck.”

“But Sir Johan.”

“I would rather wait for the National Preceptor to reappear on the ground. Since he can’t possibly remove his prosthetic limbs, there will eventually be eyewitness accounts again. We can stockpile information and move around that time, it’s not too late.”

“······.”

The man said that and sipped his coffee.

I stopped Perry from clinging to him and carefully opened my mouth. Hmm.

“This is······. I’m just asking out of curiosity. Do the Venetian royal family and nobles just leave such a large black market alone? It’s obvious that it will have a negative impact on the country in some way, right?”

“Well. What if it has more advantages for them?”

The paladin asked back, raising only the corners of his mouth. I felt a chill for a moment. Oh my god.

“The Divine Kingdom tends to despise magic, so they secretly profit from black magic.”

“You’re correct, Your Highness.”

“Goodness······. Then all sorts of tax evasion and illegal transactions must mainly take place underground. And if that has been accumulating since the founding of Venice, the current royal family is already too deeply rooted to solve it.”

“You’re sharp, Duke Mute.”

The three men and women exchanged sharp questions and answers.

I lost my appetite and couldn’t pick up my fork again.

Gain, who had been rolling her eyes like an audience member, frowned.

“Then what about the people of the Divine Kingdom? Do ordinary people know nothing about the black market?”

“That depends on each person’s circumstances. For example, Naily and Toby from Bethani Apothecary are from the countryside and have no interest in illegal activities, so they won’t know anything. They may have heard rumors, but they probably won’t know in the future either. On the other hand, even the owner and errand boys here······.”

Sir Johan’s words became unclear.

We keenly realized what he didn’t say.

In short, with a little temptation, anyone could come into contact with the black market.

If you were born in an underprivileged environment, you were more likely to be exposed to the darkness.

This was too harsh a condition for the weak, including children.

I bit my lip and lowered my head.

The man looked into me.

“That’s exactly why I’m telling you that I can’t take you. The Palace Lord is not one to leave the black market alone. With such a disposition, you will fall into danger again. My existence there will not be effective enough.”

“Sir Johan Haines. I also have grounds to support my opinion.”

I retorted with a determined look. My friends’ eyes immediately turned to me.

“It’s wartime now. And this is the Divine Kingdom. If we come all the way here and only seek safety, we won’t be able to do anything in the end. You know that well. His Majesty doesn’t think we’re just going on a leisurely tour.”

“That’s right, but the black market is an exception. The order of the ground doesn’t work there. There’s no guarantee that everyone will get out safely.”

“Then isn’t that the same for Vernar Venetian?”

“······.”

Sir Johan’s gaze became a little sharper. I continued without being intimidated.

“According to you, he walked into a living hell to survive. As the National Preceptor, he must have known the reality of the black market. He knew how scary black magic was. But he voluntarily went underground. He doesn’t even know if he can find a magician there to provide him with mana. He has a couple of servants, but he’s practically alone.”

“······.”

“That human is struggling that hard, but if we’re afraid and hesitate, will this chase ever end? Aren’t we just wasting time and money coming all this way?”

Sir Johan finally turned his gaze away from me. Gain quickly took my side.

She was not the type to miss an opportunity to win.

“You said it’s an underground crime city where black magic is rampant? What if the National Preceptor brings back even more amazing magical tools from there? For example, a potion that changes your gender. Powder that turns you into an animal. Evil paper dolls that create clones… If he comes out fully armed, we’ll be even more confused. If there’s no new information coming in after a few days? There’s no way to know if he’s dead and gone, or if he’s hiding somewhere as soon as he comes up. Right?”

“Sir Haines. I understand your concerns, but this is not a behavior worthy of an experienced mercenary.”

‘You’re both right.’ Elizabeth added calmly.

Sir Johan gave a bitter smile.

“I’m just acting as my experience tells me to. But······.”

“You’re mistaken.”

Finally, the Crown Prince spoke.

The crimson eyes were burning as if to burn the teacher whole.

His low voice echoed through the dining space.

“You weren’t the only one who lost Serenete in the labyrinth, teacher.”

“And I lost you all too. There won’t be a second time.”

I turned to Sir Johan with the most determined expression I could make.

Our eyes met.

“It’s okay, Sir Johan. We can do it.”

“······.”

“Let’s go underground and find him. If he’s not there, we can just come back up, right? All together.”

And I suggested in a very light tone. So that he wouldn’t worry too much.

“Haa······.”

The man looked around at us all, and finally shook his head with a hollow laugh.

The next day, close to midnight.

“Palace Lord, are you ready?”

“Yes, what about you, Gain?”

“I’m done too. I’m a little sleepy, but I think I’ll wake up completely once I go down.”

In the darkness lit by candlelight, the bluish-gray eyes curved slyly.

As the paladin and the priest got closer, a certain flame suddenly blocked them.

Soon, a water droplet made a dissatisfied sound.

Johan quietly looked around at the group gathered in the living room.

“······.”

The group was divided into two for now.

It wasn’t out of concern for the divine beasts and teenagers (although his master’s thoughts would be different), but a decision made in case the National Preceptor came up from the black market first.

Someone had to be on the ground to constantly collect new news and information.

Besides, once midnight passed, it would be exactly one week since they left the military camp.

Before long, there might be communication from the Riester military camp.

Just then, the Palace Lord was attaching a small letter to the wren’s ankle.

Soft whispers followed.

“Dduk-sim, you can deliver this directly to His Majesty. I wrote that we’re going down to the underground black market. I wrote down all the information I’ve obtained so far… And a short greeting.”

-Bee-bee

“Yeah. You’re the only one, thank you.”

The divine beast climbed onto the priest’s palm and flapped its wings.

The two gently touched their foreheads and said goodbye.

‘Take care of Herrit too.’ ‘Blee-roo.’ ‘Okay, take it easy. You’re tired.’ ‘Bee-bee-bee.’

-Click

Soon the window opened, and the chilly night air rushed in.

Just as the others were stroking the wren one last time,

“No!”

A thunderous scream echoed from outside the window. At the same time—

-Rumble, crash!

“Aaaagh!”