What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 473

#473

Grandpa and the Blizzard of the North Sea (5)

“I see.”

“Hmm…”

I exchanged a subtle glance with Bakari.

I could see his cyan eyes trembling beneath his glasses.

We were both imagining the same scene.

The events we experienced on our way from Hning Village in the Trossart Fiefdom to the border.

-Kkirurururu!

-Flap! Flap!

The ferocious, giant monstrous bird we saw that rainy night.

‘You can’t face a Myth-grade monster alone.’

‘Myth-graade?’

‘The Hye Geom alone isn’t enough. You need the Cardinal’s vessel.’

I also remembered the Crown Prince saying those words to me.

The tape in my head, which had found the correct information, was rewinding helplessly…

‘If you haven’t betrayed me, and have no intention of doing so in the future.’

‘You might be able to rest in the Empire’s land someday.’

Ugh, stop it! Enough with the reminiscence! I shut my mouth and quickly shook my head.

Then, I rummaged through my memory drawer and found a thick book instead of a videotape.

The pages I had once read in the began to race through my synapses at the speed of light.

Yes, written material is the best after all!

“…Even without that, the ‘Crescent Head’ is a desolate place with year-round cold. The vast North Sea is dotted with hundreds of islands, so once you lose your way, you won’t even see land. Who would come and go in a place where Myth-grade monsters appear? Those who know the rumors don’t even go near the north, and those who don’t know the rumors avoid it because they dislike the cold.”

Mr. Morhan looked up at the low sky and clicked his tongue. I nodded vaguely.

So, the monsters of the continent are divided into five grades.

They are labeled as Low-grade, Mid-grade, High-grade, Legend-grade, and Myth-grade in order of weakest to strongest.

Of course, Low-grade monsters are the most common, and Myth-grade monsters are theoretically hard to see even once every five centuries.

“Do you know anything else? About the north.”

“Well… If the tavern were intact, I would have looked up some information. I heard rumors that a certain viscount there has a nasty temper.”

“A nasty temper?”

“Yes. They say he’ll do anything to save his homeland.”

According to the book, Low-grade monsters can be easily defeated by anyone who is a 1st to 3rd grade mage or swordsman, or a priest-level cleric.

Commoners sometimes defeat monsters, and those are all Low-grade.

Among them, those with rare special powers—like the Espri that copies the appearance of others—require higher abilities than the standard.

“By any means necessary…”

“While raising soldiers to fight the Griffin, he’s also preparing human sacrifices to offer to it.”

Mid-grade monsters appear about four or five times a year based on one territory.

From this point on, 4th to 6th grade mages and swordsmen, and experienced priests can properly respond.

This is usually the limit to which commoners with excellent physical conditions can gather their wisdom and deal with them.

Of course, they become heroes and receive hefty rewards. It’s a near miracle.

“Human sacrifices? Surely a lord wouldn’t make such a decision?”

“You don’t know the Theocracy yet, my flowery Palace Lord. Unbelievable things happen here every day.”

“Still…”

“Isn’t it called the land of gods and fairy tales? Of course, it’s far from a fairy tale.”

“…”

Meanwhile, defeating a High-grade monster requires at least a 7th grade mage or swordsman, or a bishop-level cleric.

These guys appear like annual events in a territory, and it’s very rare for them to form groups.

It is the rampages of High-grade monsters and above that lords begin to mobilize their private soldiers to stop.

The casualties from Low-grade and Mid-grade monsters are usually not significant, but from here on, disasters of a different dimension occur.

Dozens to hundreds of people can lose their lives, and buildings can be torn like paper or crumble like cookies.

It goes without saying that the harvest of the year is completely ruined.

Still, up to High-grade, it’s a level that ‘can be somehow prevented with effort.’

“His Highness Stanislaus said that there was the smell of blood in the north wind. I don’t know if it’s human blood or monster blood, but he definitely felt it.”

“…He said that?”

“Yes. Is that because of the Griffin’s rampage? Have you heard any information about that?”

And Legend-grade monsters are known to appear once every hundred or two hundred years.

It’s not for nothing that the modifier is ‘Legend’.

Of course, our main character couple is exceptional in every way, so they’ve seen these guys once or twice.

Legend-grade requires a thorough response from at least an 8th grade mage or swordsman, or an archbishop-level cleric.

Solo action is not recommended under any circumstances.

The only ones who can do that are Emperor Frederick, who single-handedly defeated the Tyrant Dragon, or the ‘Demon Swordsman of Guigokseong’—people like Romero Claire Riester.

“…Take this with a grain of salt.”

“Yes.”

Finally, Myth-grade monsters…

To defeat them, you must have the highest level of power.

Unless you have the Cardinal’s Stigmata, the Archmage’s Ninth Circle, or the Swordmaster’s Aura, there is no way to break the Myth-grade mana core and win.

The bestseller suggests the following course of action for those who encounter a Myth-grade monster.

‘If you do not meet the above conditions, run away without looking back. This is the only possibility that will save your life. Of course, the odds of escape are even greater.’

‘So pray and run. So that the angel of the Lord God can greet you early at the entrance to the afterlife.’

“Bakari.”

At my signal, the prophet drove his horse closer.

We quietly listened, wearing our furry robes tightly.

Mr. Morhan whispered with a very serious expression.

“An ancient dragon sleeps in the north.”

Ah, Eva (not the Archduke) …… [referring to a common name, not the noble title]

“You know that dragons are also creatures of myth, right?”

“…Yes. I read it in a book.”

“Yes. I heard from the bards that a great dragon lived in the eastern sea of the continent long ago. It’s a folktale passed down in the northern region.”

Mr. Morhan’s tone was so serious that we couldn’t bring ourselves to point out, ‘Dragons are too much.’

Not to mention my standards as a 21st-century Earthling, it was a story that was hard to accept even in the Empire, where human accidents were more common than monsters.

But this was the Theocracy of Fenetian.

Occasionally, the residents of Yeriho glanced at us standing tall in the middle of the road.

“The dragon loved the sea deeply and endured long suffering, and thanks to that, the East Sea came to be called the ‘Sea of Abundance.’ It is said that the fishing conditions improved due to the dragon’s power.”

Then one day, a terrifying Griffin clan flew in to dominate the sea.

They tore sharks apart with their sharp eagle claws, and pecked at the shells of turtles with beaks sharper than knives.

They sank human ships as if it were a game and swallowed all their treasures.

The peaceful and loving ocean instantly turned into a sea of blood.

Then the dragon bravely stood up to protect the sea and fought against the Griffin horde.

But the battle was very lonely and difficult.

“No human could dare to help the dragon.”

“Why?”

Bakari and I asked at the same time. The informant shrugged.

“How would I know? That’s what the legend says.”

“Hmph…”

Thus, the dragon’s front line was pushed up past the East Sea to the North Sea.

The dragon, who was trying to drive out the Griffin, was instead being chased by them.

“Finally, the dragon realized that it could not win in the end. It judged that it would be difficult to completely defeat them with its own power.”

“Oh dear…”

“But it could trick them.”

A hint of playfulness crept into the young voice.

I accepted the frikandel hot dog [a type of Dutch fast food] that a passing girl gave me—“Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”—and carefully cut it into three pieces.

Bakari sighed deeply and took out a silver fork from his pocket.

Ganael had packed it for poison testing on the way out.

“The dragon lay flat in the North Sea, which is covered with hundreds of islands, and disguised itself as another island to hide.”

“Ooh…”

The sausage is really good!

“When that happened, the Griffin clan became furious and pecked at every island in the North Sea. They struck trees with lightning and threatened rocks with thunder. But the land, as solid as the continent, did not budge. The dragon’s scales, harder than diamonds, did not waver either.”

-Kkirurururu…!

From that moment on, the Griffin horde went berserk.

The ambition to dominate the sea was forgotten like black ashes.

Their life and death began to revolve only around the North Sea.

The determination to kill the dragon finally sublimated into madness.

Every year when the blizzard blows, the Griffin always brings a storm and attacks numerous islands and cities.

Sometimes it was one, and sometimes it was a family of more than five.

However, the dragon, who had the sea in its heart, remained motionless like a rocky island.

It knew that if it moved, the Griffin horde would sink it by any means, and the blue sea would be trapped under their wings.”

“So, the fact that the weather here is already as suspicious as midwinter… Is it because the Griffin appeared to take revenge on the dragon?”

I asked, completely absorbed. Mr. Morhan smiled at our faces.

“It’s just a two-thousand-year-old northern folktale. They endure harsh winters every year, so it’s not strange that a legend about a season is born.”

Aw…

“Does it make sense that such a precious Myth-grade monster appears every year? It’s probably another winged monster.”

“That makes sense.”

Bakari’s one cheek was puffed out with hot dog.

I dusted off my clean hands and fell into thought.

Well, Griffin isn’t the only monster that flies in the sky.

Besides, the Griffin that Sir Johann (feat. Karme) had defeated last time was cleanly dismantled from head to toe and used as resources for the Imperial Army.

They clearly said that there was nothing to throw away. I remember that non-combat mages, including Bakari, liked it very much…

“Hmm.”

If such a monster appears in the Theocracy every year, it is strange that the royal family does not actively respond.

It’s not like they don’t have a Cardinal or Swordmaster. Even catching one would be a jackpot.

Is the risk too great?

Or are they really just low- to mid-grade monsters that they don’t care about?

That seems the most plausible.

“Palace Lord, don’t shake bread crumbs on the floor. It will attract ants.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

I was startled and looked down at the floor.

Just in time, Arumhardt was lifting one leg in dissatisfaction.

A swarm of black ants gathered under the horse’s hooves…

“Uh?”

-Sarrrrr…

Wait a minute, why are there so many ants? And why are they so…

“Something’s not right, Bakari. The ants are heading south!”

I quickly checked the direction and grabbed Arum’s reins.

Mr. Morhan gasped and leaned on me.

Now that I see it, most of the dirt floor of the tent village was covered with ants. When did this happen!

“Aaaah, what is this!”

-Sarrrrr, sarrrrr…!

“Grandma! Hwaaa! Ants!”

Startled residents stumbled and burst into tears everywhere.

But the ants’ target was not them. They just seemed very urgent.

‘Swish….’ The swarm of insects that had quickly seeped into every alley was receding like a tide again.

In the meantime, no one was injured or anything was broken.

My head was spinning and my jaw dropped at this unprecedented phenomenon. The black wave was only heading south, south…

‘I know it all. This time, something is happening on the ‘Crescent Head,’ damn it.’

This is clearly a harbinger of a natural disaster. Damn it!

“We must return to the castle immediately. We may have to dispatch troops to the northern part of the Theocracy!”

“Palace Lord?”

Whether it’s Wilhelmina’s secret chamber or the Griffin’s attack.

Either way, the situation was unusual.

I stroked Arum’s mane and hurriedly turned the horse’s head.

“Arum, please as fast as you can!”

-Heeheehee!

The white horse raised its front hooves and neighed loudly.

We galloped towards the lord’s castle at full speed.