What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 488

#488

Youth☆ Naval Academy (3)

Johan had been alone for a long time.

‘Let’s talk for a moment.’

‘What?’

At least, that’s what he thought.

‘Just the two of us. No, three. Right now.’

It was an obvious calculation. The man was an orphan, abandoned at birth.

He lived his whole life without knowing his parents’ faces, let alone their voices.

Frankly, he had no desire to know.

Until he met Josefina, he wandered the country without a map or a piece of land to lay his head.

He simply lived day to day, earning enough to eat.

The Venetian Divine Nation was generally a closed and secretive country.

It was only because he was a young child that he survived; if he had been abandoned after growing older, there was no telling what would have happened to his fragile life.

Or if his ether awakening had been delayed even slightly. Or if he had manifested as a priest.

Every day was a precarious journey.

‘Quickly, quickly.’

‘Lord Rambouillet.’

‘How dare you touch anyone’s body—’

‘It’s about the Princess. The reason is last night.’

“······.”

Having lost his beloved and the village he had settled in, Johan wandered again.

This time, with his young and tender son.

He would do anything for his child.

His own life meant nothing to him.

The man treated himself only as a tool to keep Herit alive.

Indulging in pleasure or enjoyment along the way was a terrible luxury.

The illusory words like love and friendship were the same.

He was never allowed such things.

There was no way the warmth of his disciple would linger for long.

······If life were good, it wouldn’t have started so harshly from the beginning.

-Click

The door opened.

He had anticipated it from the sound of breathing, but the visitor was truly unexpected.

“······Your Highness.”

“Sorry to bother you so early, Grand Duke.”

In the hallway of the assigned lodging, a huge old man stood supporting a slender mage.

At a glance, François was already unconscious.

Fallen brown hair repeatedly brushed against his eyelashes.

Johan silently checked behind him.

In one of the beds at either end of the room, the mage Djibril Diop was curled up asleep.

The cheap liquor stench emanating from his body suggested he had acquired it from somewhere.

Perhaps it was fortunate that he hadn’t brought any students here.

“There was no one else I could ask. The children would be shocked and bewildered.”

“······.”

“I have decided to go hunting. Someone has to feed these children well.”

The old duke said in a bitter tone.

Johan looked down at his wrist where Cristel’s hand had touched.

Then he slowly raised his eyes.

“······Is it that time of year?”

“I thought you would know. I suspected as much.”

The eyebrows of the late Royal Preceptor, Stanislas, were sadly furrowed before briefly relaxing.

François D’Huem was said to suffer a severe bout of illness around this time every year.

A midwinter when hope seemed nowhere to be found.

It was the season when he lost his parents and young sibling, finalized the funeral and inheritance procedures, and ascended to the Marquisate at the age of nineteen.

Johan had heard the story from his lord.

However, he could vaguely guess the series of pains the Marquis had endured.

So he paused for a moment. The old man smiled softly at him.

“Aren’t you and François about the same age?”

“There’s a five-year difference.”

“I’m not talking about numbers. I mean the things that have accumulated in your heart.”

Such a sentence left him momentarily speechless. Johan hadn’t met many adults in his life.

The old duke added in his usual kind voice.

“I heard about your story from Aurelie. She also told me that my daughter trusts you deeply.”

“······First, we should take him to the infirmary. I have medicine, but it would be easier to care for the patient there.”

‘Right, let’s do that.’ The Sword Master readily nodded.

Johan took out some over-the-counter medicine from his luggage, then nimbly scooped up François, who was leaning almost entirely on the old man’s shoulder, and carried him on his back.

He politely refused the old man’s repeated attempts to dissuade him, saying he was fine.

Stanislas was the father of the one Johan served loyally and the elder whom the one he obeyed respected.

And carrying a sick person was nothing to the Cardinal.

-Step, step, step······

Thus, the two men walked along the dawn corridor with a patient.

In the dark alley, candlesticks flickered sparsely.

It was a precarious light, as if it would go out at any moment.

“François volunteered. Frederick and Caroline tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen.”

“······.”

That was the reason why the mage had accompanied them all the way to the northern region, knowing he would fall ill.

Johan silently looked ahead and walked.

“He said he felt really good this year, that he wouldn’t be too sick.”

“······.”

“He said that if anything happened, he would take the Crown Prince and the children and return to Lake Erie in an instant. So there was no need to worry. How could the Emperor resist when his vassal insisted so?”

It was like a sigh. No further conversation flowed between them.

The Holy Knight thought about the mage who did not value his own life.

-Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle······

“Grand Duke, do you know what the Sword Durandal is made of?”

Suddenly, the old man asked. Johan quietly looked at him.

Durandal was Emperor Frederick’s sword and the Lieister Imperial Family’s historic treasure.

“I don’t know well.”

“It’s made of meteorite. Literally, material that the gods sent down from the sky.”

It was a distant voice, as if telling an old tale. The Holy Knight moved with a consistently expressionless face.

“Even I, a Sword Master, have never beaten Frederick wielding meteorite. Not because she is my daughter, but because Durandal is so strong. That’s why everyone calls it ‘the Emperor’s First Sword.’ A great weapon that has served dozens of emperors without breaking.”

“······.”

“But you are a person.”

Flinch. The center of the mint-colored eyes widened greatly. The old duke paused in his place.

Johan stopped half a step ahead of him and turned to look at him.

A pair of different-colored gazes were carefully examining the man’s insides.

“Not a sword, but a person who bends when swung and bleeds when injured.”

“······I don’t know what you mean.”

No. Actually, he knows.

“I heard the Princess say to you and Cedric in the foothills. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, so please understand.”

The old man gave an awkward smile.

Indeed, the ‘Great Twilight Companion’ was an extraordinary adult.

He was persistent and patient.

Johan recalled the words Cristel had hurled at him that day.

‘The Princess is scared of us.’

‘Ha, the more I think about it, the more pissed off I get that I heard this from Djibril Diop.’

‘We have no intention of doing that at all, quite the opposite, but it seems like the Princess feels pressured because of us. Don’t even try to deny it, both of you.’

The blue eyes were vivid as if he could grasp them.

When she spoke like that, Johan would feel the core of his heart softening.

He was a strict teacher, but perhaps weak to certain aspects of his disciples.

‘First, Johan.’

‘Me?’

‘Yes. You’re also at fault, honestly. Now that I think about it. Why don’t you talk about yourself?’

“She said you don’t talk about yourself.”

“······.”

Johan exercised his right to remain silent as she said.

‘······Is my story necessary?’

‘It’s necessary for us. It’s absolutely necessary for the Princess. We’re friends!’

‘······.’

‘I’m not asking you to tell us difficult stories. Johan’s tastes, what Johan doesn’t want to do, what Johan wants to buy. You know, things like that.’

‘But those things aren’t important.’

‘Ugh!’

“Grand Duke. No one in the world is unimportant.”

“No. Such beings exist.”

“Not even to Herit?”

At the sudden mention of his name, his mouth snapped shut. Johan bit his stiff tongue.

How······.

“To that lovely child, are you not an important person?”

“······.”

“Yes, no. You know best.”

The old man’s beard moved softly. He had a smiling face.

He started walking ahead again without a care.

The Cardinal followed half a beat later.

The fever on the forehead of the sleeping François was gradually decreasing.

They had already entered the corridor where the infirmary was located.

“As an old man with children and grandchildren, may I dare to ask one thing?”

“······.”

“Are you going to confine Herit’s world to just you?”

“······.”

Johan immediately looked up at Stanislas. This was the first time he had heard such a question.

The incredibly gentle gaze contained him entirely.

The darkness of the corridor couldn’t swallow the old man and backed away.

“As you know, children grow up in the blink of an eye. Like bamboo shoots after rain. And growing children need ample nourishment from adults. It would be good for the guardian’s world to be beautiful and broad. But······.”

Finally, the two slowly stopped in front of the infirmary.

“Herit will love your world. Because he loves you.”

“······.”

At those words, his throat choked up. Stanislas finished speaking casually.

“So cultivate it. If not for yourself yet, then for the sake of your precious child.”

“······.”

“You will never regret it. I promise.”

The old man whispered carefully, then opened the infirmary door so the two could enter.

Then he took something out of his pocket and stuck it in Johan’s white gown pocket.

The man strained his aching eyes to look down at it.

“······.”

It was a carefully dried bouquet of roses.

By the time Johan discovered the baby’s breath [small, white flowers often used in bouquets] hidden like his son’s hair, Stanislas had already left the corridor.

*

······JeSeo, you crazy bastard. Seriously, the dumbest ever.

How could you forget this?

You saw him suffering directly, and you forgot it after just one year?

No matter how out of it you’ve been, how can this be?

“Shouldn’t you return to the military camp?”

The tense voice cracked.

I had pulled a small chair in front of François’s bed and sat down.

Fortunately, he doesn’t have a fever now, but his body is limp and he has a slight dizziness.

According to him, it’s a mild level compared to last year.

But it’s definitely not okay. Absolutely not.

“Ah. Please don’t think of chasing me away, Guild Master.”

“How can I send a patient alone in such a cold and harsh place? Even if I do send him, someone will have to accompany him, so I’ll have to discuss it with the other guild members······.”

“I will stay here.”

The mage said with a dazzling smile.

The moist, light pink eyes were staring straight at me.

The coffee-like hair drew a cute latte art on the milky white pillow.

I momentarily lost my words and only moved my lips.

I shouldn’t be weakened by this, damn it······.

“I’m worried about François.”

“I also cannot leave because I am worried about you. That’s all.”

“······.”

There was such a clear sincerity in that whisper that I couldn’t say anything more.

Instead, I looked up at Herit’s father. He looked a little different today.

Did he sleep well without morning training? I hope so.

“Sir Johan, please take good care of François. Antoinette said that you should make him drink a lot of warm water······.”

“Oh. Sir Haines is trustworthy. Isn’t he the father of my beloved godson?”

“That’s true, but······. Huh?”

Wait, what?

“What am I hearing right now?”

My eyes looked like they were about to pop out with springs.

Is this real?

“Hahahaha.”

“No, really? Are you kidding me?”

‘Sir Johan!’ I grabbed his collar with a dumbfounded face.

He only showed his unique elegant eye smile and had no other answer.

Oh, am I allowed to like this? Is this a real situation?

“Is François really Herit’s godfather?”

-Deeeeeeng······!

At that moment, a loud and noisy bell rang outside.

I was serious for a moment and then opened my mouth wide.

“Oh, the first class bell!”

“Oh dear.”

Wow, I’m late. I was supposed to help the students with training, but I’m late from the first day!

“I’ll be back! Please tell me later!”

I grabbed any bread from the basket on the side table and ran out into the hallway like crazy.

My head was already turning white with embarrassment and shame.

Damn it, I’ve never been late when I was in school! No way!