What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 438

#438

Devil’s Claw, Wreck of the Abyss (2)

Breakfast was over.

-Click!

Elizabeta, having closed the cabin door behind her, turned to look at the bed. The soft light in her eyes, previously directed at her fiancé, sharpened instantly.

“······.”

“······.”

Princess Marguerite Diop was curled up in a ball, lying down, radiating an aura of profound despair. She had been like this all night, unable to sleep or find any peace. She hadn’t even taken a sip of water since arriving, let alone eaten. Her mouth was clamped shut like a scallop, and her gloomy presence made anyone who looked at her sigh.

Elizabeta, however, was an exception. She was an expert in dealing with situations like this.

“A night has passed. Are you considering opening your mouth now?”

“······.”

A voice as cold as ice cut through the air.

Marguerite hugged her legs, a frightened look on her face. Her expression, usually more mature than her brother’s, seemed unusually fragile today. Up close, her eyes were swollen.

Compared to Jibril Diop, Marguerite wasn’t particularly striking. She was pretty enough on her own, but next to the twins, known as ‘The Darlings of the Imperial Capital,’ she appeared plain. Her hair was a modest chestnut color, and her red eyes only shone when she wielded a sword or scolded her brother.

The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, having assessed the princess’s condition, straightened her back and looked for a place to sit.

A light breath escaped her lips.

“Hah······.”

-Thump, thump!

Marguerite bit her lip and buried her face in the blanket.

Elizabeta lifted a heavy wooden chair with one hand.

The interrogation methods she used had been taught to her directly by Commander Erve over many years, and she was now confident she had surpassed him.

The Imperial Guard Commander was a man of unwavering integrity, one who would break rather than bend.

However, beneath his stern exterior, he was soft-hearted and sensitive. He disliked intimidating interrogations and was secretly distressed by torture. He simply never showed it in front of His Majesty or his subordinates.

In that respect, he really resembled Uncle François.

But Elizabeta was different.

She could do anything at His Majesty’s command, and she wouldn’t be consumed by it.

“It would be better for you to tell me now. That way, it will be considered a confession. His Majesty is the one who bestows light upon those who confess.”

“······.”

‘Thud.’ The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard sat down nonchalantly, placing herself directly in Marguerite’s line of sight.

“However, revealing your crime in His presence means a military trial, which means immediate execution.”

“······.”

The princess still acted as if her mouth was glued shut.

The Countess of So’s eyes were as dark as ashes.

Some gossips said that the difference between the Imperial Guard Commander and the Deputy Commander was the difference between a ‘rational prosecutor’ and an ’emotional manipulator.’

Some professors pointed out the difference between ‘one who cuts with their own hand’ and ‘one who borrows mana.’

Others chattered that it was a difference in temperament between northerners and southerners.

Elizabeta thought all of that was nonsense steeped in prejudice.

But at least for Erve and her, it was an expression that applied perfectly.

The two were a pair of wings that complemented each other exquisitely.

“Princess Diop.”

There was no inflection in the soldier’s voice.

“Are you prepared to die like this?”

Flinch. Only then did the woman’s eyes flicker upwards.

Elizabeta loosened her shirt cuffs and continued speaking bluntly. *I need to dig into this.*

“His Majesty has decided not to send any communication or reinforcements for a week after we leave.”

“Ah······.”

The princess clutched the white sheet.

The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard deliberately avoided checking her expression.

“But the two members of the Diop ducal family came. The timing and time were ambiguous. As you know, Emperor Frederick is not one to do things that could be misunderstood by his subordinates. He always prefers a clear and unambiguous direction.”

“······.”

“So, I’ll ask again. Why did you come?”

At those words, the princess’s eyes began to tremble.

The area below her tightly bound wrists was swollen red. Elizabeta didn’t care.

Her lips moved emotionlessly again and again.

“If you didn’t come to deliver His Majesty’s message, as Duke Diop said, then you are already guilty of a serious crime for deserting the military camp without permission. Even for royalty, it is difficult to avoid such a penalty in wartime.”

“······.”

“If you keep your mouth shut, no one can help you. Remember why you need to live.”

“······.”

“If that’s difficult, think of your parents, who may lose their two children on the same day.”

‘Clang!’ Elizabeta pulled a dagger from her boot and brandished it as a warning.

Marguerite shuddered and stared at the tip of the blade.

The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard crossed her legs with a calm demeanor and took out a small whetstone from the back of the scabbard.

Then, she began to sharpen her sword with it.

The meaning of the action was blatant.

*Fine. Do as you please. But I’m going to sit here and constantly pressure you.*

-Swish, swish, swish, swish······

*And this is the sound of the death you will experience.*

-Swooosh, swooosh, swooosh

“······Please.”

“Are you willing to talk?”

“Please······. Stop it. Please, just let me go back to the military camp and tell His Majesty the truth.”

“Let me ask you one thing. Is it a crime that His Majesty would easily forgive after hearing it?”

“······.”

“Then I told you it would be a hundred times better to confide in me. Also, as the second-in-command of the Imperial Guard, before being a friend of the princess, I cannot irresponsibly escort the two of you to His Majesty without knowing the charges. At least, I need to know the situation to make a minimal report.”

For a moment, the eyes of the two women locked. Marguerite looked at Elizabeta with a very earnest gaze.

Of course, the Deputy Commander did not yield.

“I’ll wait until you change your mind. I have plenty of time.”

“······Countess!”

Finally, the princess struggled to get up. A flurry of sorrowful tears scattered down.

“Countess has never been in the same situation as me! You don’t know anything! Nothing!”

Then, a scream close to a cry erupted.

There was no change in Elizabeta’s expression.

“I am the heir to the only Margrave [a high-ranking noble title] in the Empire and His Majesty’s second sword. Of course, it would be difficult to be in the same situation as criminals.”

“You know that’s not what I mean! Why are you so intimidating? I haven’t accomplished anything yet, so why are you pushing me as if I’ve already committed treason! I! I’m still······!”

“Don’t be childish. This is a group with His Highness the Crown Prince and his two companions. Didn’t you really know that you couldn’t be safe no matter what you did? Is it reasonable for armed royalty to follow the heir to the throne?”

“Ah······.”

The Countess of So’s face was so firm that it seemed impossible to pierce it with a needle. It was so cold that it seemed to freeze anyone who made eye contact.

Marguerite finally burst into tears like a child.

But no one comforted her, and no one asked her why she was crying.

It was nothing new. It had always been like that.

In the familiar flow, the sadness doubled.

For a while, only the woman’s sobs filled the bedroom.

“Sniff, hic······. Ugh. Ugh······. Ugh.”

“······.”

“Hoo······. Hoo······.”

Soon, Marguerite, who had calmed her breathing, looked at Elizabeta with a determined look.

In that moment, the Countess of So was seized by an ominous premonition. The princess’s chapped lips opened wide. *Wait―*

“No!”

-Crash!

Elizabeta pounced on her, and the chair fell backward.

‘Bang!’ At the same time, the bedroom door burst open.

‘Sir Mute!’ Ganael, carrying Tete, and the Divine Beasts rushed in.

Demi quickly leaped onto the bed and grew vines. Crackling―!

-Screech!

“It’s okay! It’s okay, Ganael. I stopped her from biting her tongue!”

“Good heavens!”

The boy, his face pale, hurriedly took out a handkerchief and handed it over.

With nimble skill, Elizabeta gagged Marguerite.

‘Ugh! Ugh!’ The wails and resistance were extreme, but from the start, the princess could not beat the Countess of So in strength.

Finally, she was not only bound at the hands and feet but also gagged.

‘Thud!’ Then, her small shoulders slumped onto the pillowcase. Her blood-red irises slipped behind her eyelids.

She was clearly conscious, but she didn’t want to be awake anymore.

Her cheeks were soaked with pouring tears.

Ganael covered the princess with a trembling hand.

The surprised Divine Beasts circled around the feet of the two fiancées.

-Squeak, squeak, whine······

“Don’t worry too much, Divine Beasts.”

The Countess of So knelt on one knee and lowered her posture.

The Three Musketeers quickly grabbed her legs and stood up.

Elizabeta stroked the little ones’ heads, let out a silent sigh, and······.

“From now on, Ganael will take care of it. The situation has become more serious than expected, though.”

She looked up at the young lover and whispered, barely audibly.

‘Coo?’ The Divine Beasts tilted their heads and expressed their questions. The corners of the swordsman’s lips lifted slightly.

The Myo boy, whose eyes met hers, tried to smile.

“Y-yes, I’ll do my best.”

*······I still don’t really understand the ‘Good Imperial Guard, Bad Imperial Guard’ operation, but I’ll do my best.*

*Like our Palace Lord!*

*

That afternoon, the grand plaza of the underground black market.

The group was lucky enough to secure lodging overlooking the plaza.

However, they said that it was difficult to go out to find someone because the vigilantes conducted random inspections at night, and incidents and accidents occurred so frequently.

So, we woke up the next morning and came out early.

To find traces of the Royal Secretary and, at the same time, to resolve various questions about the market.

The problem is······.

-Why oh

“Isn’t there anything strange? Can’t you feel it?”

-Whyyyy

“······I’m sorry for asking again and again. The two of them and Sir Johann can’t find any peculiarities either. I thought you might be different since you’re a Divine Beast.”

It’s still a bust. When I smiled instead of sighing, the Divine Beast smacked its lips.

Lopi and I were examining the super-giant tree ‘Devil’s Claw.’

Crown Prince Cedric was sitting on a rusty bench, glaring at everyone who passed by, in case there was anyone who looked similar to the Royal Secretary.

His disgusting cousin was sitting on the next bench, and Ms. Gain and Sir Johann went to buy lunch at the stall right in front of us.

Thanks to the ‘leader’s mercy,’ the distance restriction on the leash had been increased for 15 minutes (it really says that in the user manual), so the distance between Herrit’s father and us was about twenty steps.

I wriggled my lips, looking back at my magically connected friends.

······This is surprisingly reassuring, am I weird?

Stockholm syndrome isn’t the word to use in this situation, is it?

-Clang!

It was then. A clear bell rang from one corner of the star-shaped plaza.

The group’s eyes moved at the same time.

-Clang, clang, clang······!

“Low-grade magic stones! Scrap iron! We buy unusable magic tools!”

“Troublesome magic stone leachate [liquid waste produced during magic stone processing]! Throw it away to us!”

“Low-grade magic stones! Scrap iron! Unusable magic tools! Even leachate!”

I stared wide-eyed at the two scrap metal dealers. That’s because―

“Tae, no, Pilsner. Look over there, they’re children!”

No way!

They were kids who looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing old goggles and pulling carts.

They were the first minors I had seen since coming down to the black market.

Children were staying in such a dark and dangerous place day and night, and my heart sank with worry, so I couldn’t take my eyes off them.

In the meantime, Lopi raised its tail and trotted towards them.

Oh dear, Trouble Child Number 6!

-Nyaong

“Wow, oppa [Korean term for older brother used by females]! A cat!”

“No way. I heard that no ordinary animals can live here······. Is it a magical beast?”

“Oh, it’s a cat magical beast. Sorry for startling you.”

I hurriedly pushed up my magic stone glasses and apologized.

Lopi looked back at me with a dissatisfied look, but who told you to act alone?

Then a girl who looked like his younger sister spoke to me.

Her soot-stained cheeks still had baby fat, and her bead-like round eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Her voice was very clear.

“Is it a young master’s magical beast? Did the young master tame it himself? What’s its attribute?”

“Um. It’s not my magical beast, but this guy liked us and is traveling with us. You could say we’re friends. The attribute is······.”

-Meowwww

Around that time, the Crown Prince approached and stood next to me without a sound.

I looked back and forth between him and Lopi and pondered.

What attribute should I make up to get a good reputation······.

“Cutness?”

“Wow! Is cuteness your weapon? Is it really like that!”

“Silly. There’s no way its attribute is cuteness. He’s just saying that because you’re asking too many questions.”

“Ah.”

The boy who seemed to be her older brother chided her, and the younger sister belatedly opened her mouth.

I smiled and waved both hands.

“That’s not it. It’s just a skill that’s embarrassing to talk about at first meeting······. If it’s okay, can I ask you one thing too?”

“Of course! It’s okay because you’re handsome!”

Perhaps because she was a child doing business, she was already good at flattery.

I smiled and carefully brought up the topic.

“I’m looking for a black magician who recently received a distinguished guest here. Can you help me?”