What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 483

I naturally expected a dragon with bat wings.

“…It looks magnificent.”

If it weren’t for the wish-fulfilling pearl, it was just the Dragon King of the East Sea [a powerful dragon deity in East Asian mythology].

With this appearance, it was easy to understand why the legendary dragon loved the sea so much.

Yara, the representative of the refugees, nodded at my difficultly uttered words.

“Yes. It’s based on an old legend from the North. The lord created the emblem himself.”

“I see.”

As expected, Brigitte.

No matter how I thought about it, she was a person with a deep affection for Chinese character culture.

Usually, when creating such a Western-style world, wouldn’t you try to unify all the core terms in that direction?

At least, that’s what I would do if I were the writer.

The fact that all nine sacred objects are in Chinese characters, and the dragon’s design as well…

“How many people would actually believe in ancient legends? But we rely on them deeply. The motto of the Sea Dragon Military Academy is ‘Let’s surge and fight back’.”

“Wow, well done. It reminds me of when I was a kid.”

Gain, who attended school in Korea, responded in a bright voice.

I looked at her holding Tete and quietly clenched and unclenched my fist under my sleeve.

I felt very strange. I kept getting a strange sense of déjà vu or familiarity.

Can I keep brushing this off as a ‘mixed-up setting’?

“This school was built to train troops to protect the territory from monster attacks.”

“Then are most of the students commoners?”

“Yes, Princess. The only nobles in our territory are the lord’s relatives.”

“I’m curious how many students there are in total, and what the age range of the students is.”

Francoise asked, gently tracing the emblem.

Then Yara’s face turned dark in an instant.

“…Most are in their late teens, just becoming adults.”

“Good heavens.”

“Yes. Perhaps because they grew up seeing their parents and neighbors suffering because of monsters… As soon as they turn sixteen, they line up to enter the military academy, refusing gifts. Next are young people in their twenties and thirties. In total… it would be around six or seven hundred people.”

After speaking, she dropped her head powerlessly.

Thinking of the children left at school, she seemed choked up.

His Highness Stanislaus calmly took out a handkerchief and handed it to her.

Gain gently stroked her back and comforted her.

She looked very strong when we first met on the hill, but now that we were warming ourselves by the fire in the hut, her sadness and guilt seemed to be bursting out.

The wrinkled back of her hand was wet and dried quickly.

Yara clutched the handkerchief tightly and continued haltingly.

“There are teachers at the school who have protected the lord’s castle for a long time, usually from knightly backgrounds. Of course, there are also servants…”

Most of it was the story that the ‘administrator’ who had come to Yeiriho Lord’s Castle had told, but there was also a lot of valuable information that I was encountering for the first time.

The Sea Dragon Military Academy and the route to get there were typical examples.

“In fact, the young people from the military academy are far superior in martial arts to ordinary territorial citizens. There were also rare cases where children awakened mana at school, about one in a few years.”

“Oh, genius.”

“Yes. Even if it’s low-level, it’s much better than having no talent… The lord even made magic textbooks himself.”

It is not uncommon for a low-level wizard to come out of the commoners, even in the Empire.

His Majesty even spent a large sum of money to establish the Imperial Capital Defense Academy to support such people.

The founding ceremony and admission were temporarily postponed due to last year’s ‘Imperial Family Terrorist Incident’, but fortunately, I heard the news that it opened this year without any problems.

However, the Divine Nation was different.

Magic was looked down upon in society, and the social gap between nobles and commoners was so great that Baron Bareun of the North seemed like a special case.

“Even so… Every year, promising young people disappear in the blizzards of the North Sea. They are dragged away by the claws of monsters and become food, or they fall into water colder than glaciers and sink to the bottom.”

“Oh my, what should we do.”

Gain clicked her tongue with a pitiful voice.

Yara took the water that Sir Johan handed her and forced a smile.

“So, if the mercenaries can help our territory… Going to the Sea Dragon Military Academy would be a great help to the powerless people. Unlike the lord’s castle, there is no special escort there.”

“……”

“They say that this year is really unusual. The wind is excessively bleak, and in the sky… Didn’t the sky have whitish cracks? I’m afraid that the legendary Griffin will appear… The residents are trembling with fear day and night.”

“I understand. Then we should visit the school first.”

“Yes?”

Grandfather gave a cheerful answer.

‘Really?’ Yara widened her mouth in disbelief.

I immediately exchanged glances with the Crown Prince.

If we went straight to the military academy instead of the Bareun-Atsuma Guild Hall, our movement speed would definitely decrease.

Besides, we had to worry about how to get from the school to the lord’s castle.

The original plan was to follow the wagon wheel tracks as they went up—traces of Werner pulling the wagon—gather intelligence at the meeting hall, and then volunteer as monster subjugation mercenaries or labor mercenaries to enter the castle.

Sir Johan knew the necessary procedures, so it wouldn’t be difficult to just follow them.

On the other hand, if we couldn’t enter the castle and only circled around outside, it would naturally be difficult to capture Werner Fenetian alive.

In addition, according to Yara’s explanation, the military academy was very close to the North Sea.

It was at the very top of the crescent moon, far from the meeting hall located at the southernmost tip of the territory.

Cedric’s gaze at me tilted elegantly.

“What is your opinion?”

…Still. Even so.

“I agree with Grandfather.”

I whispered, looking up at the man.

It’s okay to go a little roundabout. We always have.

“Since we were heading to the North Sea anyway, it would be good if we could help the young students along the way.”

“That’s right. And in the end, the road always opened up in a good way, right? Even if it’s a bit sloppy.”

‘Wouldn’t we be able to block that guy’s path?’ Gain whispered without giving in, and Diope, who was leaning against the stone wall with his arms crossed, sighed.

Sir Johan only smiled calmly as usual.

Only then did Francoise look back at Grandfather with frantic gestures.

“Do so, Elder. We all agree!”

Yara, startled, hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands.

Her eyes widened with hope.

“Yes, thank you. Thank you so much.”

Then Grandfather’s cavernous laughter echoed warmly through the hut.

Thus, our route was partially modified.

*

A night when everyone was asleep.

-Fzzzt, fsss…!

Flash. I woke up to a strange noise.

What was that just now? I frowned slightly, breathing quietly.

I wondered if I had misheard it in my sleep.

I hardly have nightmares these days, so it wasn’t a sound in my head.

I’m not a picky sleeper, but it seems like the floor was hard and uncomfortable.

The moment I turned to my side, rustling—

-Fzzzt! Fzzzzzt!

“…Huh?”

Outside the hut, in the distance, there was a sound like something being electrocuted.

I swear it wasn’t a hallucination or a dream.

But the fireplace in the middle of the room was peaceful.

I wondered if the other friends had heard it too, but strangely, I was the only one awake.

Gain, who was lying on the innermost side with Tete, was kicking off the blanket, and the Crown Prince next to her was fast asleep in a straight posture.

Sir Johan was not there because he was on watch tonight. I carefully got up.

“……”

I could see Grandfather sleeping over there too.

Jibril Diope was sleeping with his back to this side.

Rustle, rustle. Feeling a chilly sensation, I pulled back the sleeping bag.

“…This is strange.”

It’s really strange.

If it was a noise that even I, who have no physical abilities, could wake up to, shouldn’t everyone be waking up by now?

-Jijijit!

“Gasp.”

It happened again. I woke up completely in an instant.

I started moving, trying to keep the noise down.

I had to see with my own eyes what was going on.

Thanks to the kind Gain snoring from time to time, most of my noise could be muffled.

Carefully put on my cardigan, found my magic stone glasses, and took out a small growth [potion] from the Gaga bag in case I needed it.

If Herit wasn’t making any noise outside, it seemed like there was no problem…

Then what the hell is that sound?

-Thud, thud

Gripping my cane tightly until my fingertips turned white, I stepped outside.

The night air that touched my nose smelled of cool winter. Whoosh…

“You’re awake, Princess.”

“Wow…!”

And with Sir Johan’s whisper, a huge spectacle unfolded before my eyes.

I couldn’t close my gaping jaw. Goosebumps ran all over my body.

Oh my—

“Wow, that!”

“It’s the aurora. It’s my first time seeing it in person too.”

-Fzzzzzt! Fzzzt…!

Using the black and distant sky as a canvas, mint-colored light danced gracefully, resembling the man’s eyes.

I was so amazed by the unexpected gift of nature that I almost dropped the growth!

I took a few more steps like a possessed person.

And I kept admiring, blowing out white breath with my hands.

It was an extremely beautiful ecstasy, so much so that I regretted blinking.

It’s really unbelievable. I’ve only seen this on TV documentaries!

“I think we’re getting closer to the North.”

“Wow… It’s so pretty…!”

-Pazzzzzzt!

I felt like my soul was leaving my body.

Beyond the hills that were fast asleep, the jade aurora was swaying its fine hair.

To the south, slender fingers, to the east, long eyelashes, to the west, cold sighs…

“Seriously, this is amazing. Sir Johan, the sky looks so high. It’s so wide!”

“Hahaha.”

Herit laughed out loud as I poured out kindergarten-like impressions.

Around that time, I felt a familiar presence behind me.

“What’s going on in the moonlight… Crazy!”

“Stella, look over there. If you keep looking at it, you can feel it moving!”

Gain, wrapped in a robe, walked out with disheveled hair, and behind her, the Crown Prince stood with a jacket over his broad shoulders.

He was human too, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of his hair being a little pressed down from sleeping.

I smiled and made room for the two of them.

It’s a shame that Hyung and Eunseo aren’t here, but it’s good to see such a wonderful scene with precious friends.

-Fzzzzzt…!

“Oh my.”

Then I flinched again at the sound pouring from the sky.

Every place my eyes reached was prettier than any Windows background, but just one thing.

That scream had been creepy and annoying since earlier. It was even more blatant when I heard it outdoors.

Is there noise when the aurora occurs? I don’t know because I’m not a science major.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s because of the sound of electric sparks just now. Gain, did you wake up because of that too?”

That’s right, everyone must have been more tired than me and fell into a deeper sleep.

I whispered, and Gain’s expression…

“No, I woke up when the Princess went out.”

It was dyed with embarrassment. Huh?

“I thought you were going for a walk with Sir Johan.”

“……Yes?”

“There was no other sound. I didn’t hear anything in the hut or outside.”

She seemed somehow embarrassed. There was no playfulness to be found.

It was an unbelievable reaction. I quickly turned to Sir Johan.

He drooped his eyebrows and bowed slightly.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sir Johan, you didn’t hear it either?”

…My heart sank. That couldn’t be.

It didn’t make sense that such a clear sound was only heard in my ears.

With a desperate heart, I looked up at the Crown Prince.

The man was already carefully observing me.

“…You seem tired. Let’s go in.”

“No…”

-Fsss! Jijijik! Pop!

I was about to retort that I wasn’t tired at all, but the night sky poured out a sharp noise again.

I shuddered and looked up. Then my friends looked at me at the same time.

“Ha…”

Damn it, there’s something there.

The line drawn in the sky, and that aurora.

Everything must have something to do with it.