What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 527

Sub Male Lead’s Hiatus – Episode 527 (527/920)

#527

Dragon King’s Onward March! (7)

“······.”

“······.”

“Ah.”

The man who broke down the door, Johann Haynes, let out a soft exclamation.

A colder silence flowed through the chilly underground.

The estate residents blinked, exchanging glances, while the supervisors were as silent as tombstones.

The Crown Prince, who was pointing towards the exit with his scabbard, frowned beneath his helmet.

Under the constricting armor, an ominous premonition slowly spread.

His left thumb gradually moved towards the hilt of his sword.

-Squeak······

“Baby. So, you were the problem.”

“······.”

Following that, a soft voice murmured.

For the past few days, Johann had been carefully observing those who patrolled the hallway in front of the lodgings at the same time.

The security of the Guild Assembly Hall was mainly handled by three groups. One was the mercenary guild, which in his eyes was no different from common street thugs.

Meaning, they were just a swarm of insignificant pawns that could be dealt with with a single gesture.

The other was the Knights Order of the Barony, loyal to Baron Atsuma, and the last were the ‘supervisors’ who concealed their faces with Tomorrow visors [futuristic-looking helmets].

According to Alain, one of the experiment participants, they were the ones who effectively controlled the Assembly Hall.

Among them were those who spoke with a Northern accent, while others used accents she had never heard before.

Since they were in charge of managing the underground chamber, the core of this place, they received reports on almost everything happening above ground.

Even though they were armored from head to toe, it wasn’t difficult for him to identify them.

Because everything flowed into Johann’s ears on the wind.

‘By the way, when is your baby due?’

-Clang, clang, clang

Gait, minor habits.

‘The month after next. Probably around the time the spring grass starts to sprout.’

-Clatter, clatter, clatter

Work patterns. Speech habits.

‘Oh dear. Your wife must be having a hard time.’

‘Don’t even mention it. She still can’t eat properly, so when I get home, I immediately······.’

And even their private lives.

“Much earlier than expected······. To think tonight was your night off.”

It seemed that patrol was on his way home. The Cardinal quietly tilted his head.

He acted as if it were a very minor mistake, not worth fussing over.

As if he had simply miscounted the number of apples in a fruit basket.

Or as if he had missed a stitch in his knitting.

“Hey! Why are you suddenly silent? Aren’t you Pepein?”

“Why did you leave your wife and come back?”

One of the supervisors shouted in a sharp, urgent voice.

Beneath those sentences, there was a clear sense of caution and a faint fear.

Pepein, the one from whom Johann had taken the armor, was definitely that name.

Since each of the whips they carried had markings and signatures, a close colleague would recognize him immediately.

Johann looked down at the whip hanging from his waist and clicked his tongue.

The words ‘wife’ and ‘baby’ had momentarily slowed his judgment.

He could have made excuses like, ‘It was a false labor’ or ‘It was an emergency, so I had no choice but to be mobilized.’

It was unlike him.

‘I’m trusting only you two.’

‘Aja aja, fighting [Korean phrase for “fighting,” meaning good luck or do your best].’

······I couldn’t afford to become soft myself when I was with soft people.

-Swish······

At the same time, a chilling wind, like a snake shedding its skin, began to blow into the dark underground.

The estate residents, disguised as various merchants, exchanged uneasy glances and shivered.

The supervisors also anxiously scanned their feet.

This place was deep underground, and there was hardly any chance of a draft.

Johann slowly raised his right arm. His mission today was twofold.

One was to safely evacuate the civilians here, and the other was to find Pisces, hidden in the secret chamber.

He decided to place a little more weight on the latter.

-Whoosh······!

“What is it? Where is this wind coming from?!”

“Check if there’s an open door!”

“Yes!”

“Pepein! Is it true that monsters have invaded?!”

“Then maybe the beasts broke down the door!”

-Whee-ing!

His innocent master would believe any lie, so.

-Thud!

At that moment, a large hand gripped his forearm as if to crush it.

Mint-colored eyes darted to the side in an instant.

The irises, reflecting the light, were burning fiercely beneath the helmet right in front of him.

There was a will to devour the wind in his firm grip.

“Do you intend to deceive the one who will become the consort of the Imperial Family?”

“As you said, I’m not the consort yet.”

“Unnecessary sacrifices are not allowed. And that’s not just Serenete’s will.”

“······.”

“The Crown Prince and I are supposed to be a team.”

“Hey! Are you not Pepein, by any chance?!”

“What’s your identity!”

“Everyone, maintain formation! Don’t think nonsense and stay in your positions!”

“The situation is not certain yet!”

Amid the growing chaos, Johann briefly looked at his disciple.

Frederik Liester’s son, of all people, was standing before him.

With his jaw clenched tightly, the Crown Prince turned to look at the broken entrance.

The door, half of it torn off and the other half dangling, was in a miserable state.

At the top of the stairs leading to the surface, faint shouts and the shadows of torches flickered.

‘Baron, this way!’ ‘We’ll take you straight to the workshop!’ ‘Waaaaah······!’ In the distance, fierce shouts grew louder and then faded away.

The man released his master’s forearm as if throwing it away and glared in that direction.

And at the small presence beyond the door.

-Swoosh, Crash!

“Aaaaaagh!”

“What! What are you doing!”

‘Clatter, clatter!’ The door, which had been hanging precariously, fell off with his kick, revealing a servant child hidden behind it.

Around that time, Johann was confronting one of the supervisors who was striding towards him.

Cedric immediately swung his scabbard, aiming for the girl’s neck. ‘Whirr, whoosh!’

“You. You’re no ordinary servant.”

“Hee, hee······.”

She was a child with a crimson birthmark on one cheek, but in no way did she resemble a servant.

It could be inferred from her hands, which had no calluses, and her neck, which was not tanned by the sun.

Her hair was also very fine. The Crown Prince spoke in a heavy, low voice.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice such clumsy stalking?”

“I, I, that’s······.”

The child’s large eyes were filled with terror.

It was the reaction of someone experiencing such a situation, such darkness, such a threat for the first time in their life.

The Crown Prince frowned at the pristine apron.

The cat and lizard in his arms also stirred. There was no more time.

It was then.

“I told you not to move!”

-Thwack, thwack! Thud!

“Aaaaaagh! Hngh······!”

“Ugh, augh······!”

With the supervisor’s whip tearing through the air, three or four estate residents collapsed.

Neighbors screamed together as they fell.

It was violence that happened in an instant.

The group that had tried to flee this place after hearing Johann’s words now had backs torn with wounds, unable to even straighten their waists.

The thick smell of blood pooled in the lowest part of the Assembly Hall.

Just as a fierce cold wind began to gather at the Cardinal’s fingertips—

“Stop! Stop it! These people are right!”

Burst! The servant child shouted, jumping out in front of the two men.

The supervisor, who had been about to remove Johann’s helmet, flinched and stood there.

The girl, out of the shadows, was barely holding back tears with her eyes bloodshot.

She stretched out her thin arms horizontally, but her body was still small and frail.

Her shrill voice rang through the underground passage.

“There are hordes of monsters outside! My mother told everyone to run to the hills, quickly! The estate residents must be evacuated! It’s true!”

“······Miss Francisca?”

One of them muttered like a madman.

Francisca quickly nodded, shouting.

“Yes! I heard it directly from my mother’s side, so it’s all true!”

“Oh, my God! It’s the Baron’s daughter!”

“Run away quickly! Monsters are invading!”

“Damn it! Everyone, form three columns! Hey, you guys over there, take care of those who have fallen!”

“Yes, yes! Sir!”

The atmosphere reversed in an instant.

The supervisor, who had been about to attack Johann, was now busy commanding his subordinates, and the tear-stained estate residents hurriedly embraced each other and lined up.

The majority of the people filling the underground began to flow out towards the south gate like a receding tide.

Some supervisors rushed through the twilight towards Francisca.

“Miss!”

“Miss, we’ll escort you!”

“Ah, no! No. I’ve decided to be escorted by these people. I’ll join my mother later! Go ahead!”

It was a flash of brilliance.

As the girl shouted at the top of her lungs, the supervisors could no longer insist and quickly retreated.

‘Line up in an orderly manner! In an orderly manner!’ ‘I’ll send you home anytime, so stop crying and focus!’ ‘Everyone retreats, leaving only those near the secret chamber!’ The sentences shouted here and there in loud voices gradually faded away.

Francisca finally took a ragged breath and turned to look at the two men.

“Hee! Hee, hngh······.”

“Hello, Miss. I didn’t know that the person who was stalking us was a benefactor.”

Johann said as if he were greeting a passing puppy.

It was hard to believe that he was the knight who had been building up his murderous intent just a moment ago.

The girl glanced at him with a frightened face, then looked up at the man who had pointed his scabbard at her.

The silhouette of a large torch flickered on her youthful cheeks.

Even though her breath was catching in her throat, there were words she had to say.

Right now.

“I, well······. I think my mother is doing something bad. Baron Atsuma is definitely doing something bad because of me. I came to stop it.”

“······.”

“······.”

The words that poured out like a machine gun did not end easily.

“I secretly heard that there’s something here underground. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find out more than that, so I came, I came directly. But why today······. Cough! No, who are you? Are you people dispatched by the royal family to catch my mother? Did you come to find evidence? That’s what it looked like―”

“You’ve come to the right place.”

Suddenly, Cedric blurted out. His voice echoed grandly in the vast underground.

“Do you know anything about the Somaek Mercenary Guild?”

“······Yes?”

There was no way she would. The child’s eyes widened.

*

Damn it! I still feel it on my neck!

“Ugh!”

“Heineken, please stop rubbing it. There’s nothing on it!”

Tess, who was running hard towards the lodgings, stopped me.

I nodded, trying my best, and ran forward again.

But I couldn’t concentrate on my legs because the chilling moment from just now kept coming to mind. Of course!

Lin Isenia had tried to sink her fangs into my neck! Really!

‘Just one bite before you go. You look delicious.’

‘Huh?’

The distinct sensation of teeth touching my skin was vivid.

I felt like a piece of pork belly, and goosebumps rose all over my body.

If I had been alone in that place, I would never have escaped her grasp.

That’s because Isenia was a Cardinal, and I was just an Archpriest-level cleric with no combat ability.

Tess is an excellent archer, but she is still just an ordinary person.

-Thwack!

‘Heok!’

At that moment, what saved me was not my quick reflexes, nor Isenia’s hesitation.

It wasn’t Tess’s quick hands or Baron Atsuma’s dissuasion either.

‘Cough, drip······!’

It was Jeong Dook-sim, that cheeky and clever wren, who kicked me in the back from inside my pocket!

‘Heeok! Don’t touch me!’

Glory be to you, our great Ark! Thank you so much!

‘Oh my, you even know how to resist. Come here when I’m being nice.’

‘I! I have a Holy Knight partner! You can’t do this!’

Staggering back and hurriedly covering my neck, I shouted, and she widened her eyes and laughed loudly.

‘Really? That’s a shame. I was confident I could make you feel good too.’

‘I don’t think I’d feel good in any way if I had a hole in my neck. It would just hurt like hell!’

‘By the way, you’re saying there’s a Holy Knight who leaves a cleric like you alone? What a pathetic human being.’

‘That’s because there are unavoidable circumstances!’

As I stubbornly retorted, turning completely pale, she shrugged her shoulders and leaped out the window.

It was a cool reaction with not even a pinch of regret.

That all happened in just a few tens of seconds!

“There are no pursuers behind us yet. If we arrive at the room as is and sneak out, we’ll be fine!”

“Yes! As planned!”

Tess and I, after checking behind us, whispered to confirm the plan.

All the corridors of the Guild Assembly Hall were being emptied like sandcastles being swept away by the waves.

Knights and mercenaries were leading the surprised merchants out through the doors in all directions.

Some had packed their belongings properly, but there were quite a few who ran out in their pajamas or barefoot.

We had also used that excuse to withdraw all of Baron Atsuma’s forces.

‘We, we’ll pack our belongings and come. There are escort knights in the room, too. Then we’ll see you at the main gate!’

But that’s all a lie, and in fact, we’re going to escape from that room separately.

Hurgh, cough! I think this is the first time I’ve run this fast in my life!