What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 56

#056 Frederick Liester (1)

I had guessed that a Divine Object would have special abilities, but I didn’t expect it to conjure flames from its blade according to its master’s will.

The fire wasn’t blazing fiercely but flickering like a gentle candle, which I assumed was also the Emperor’s intention.

Cedric didn’t hesitate for a moment and deeply bent his left arm holding the Divine Sword.

“He can’t be thinking of doing that….”

I felt like I could predict his next move.

Thousands of nobles and commoners, who had been holding their breath, were watching only him.

-Kieeeee!

-Krr, Krr!

The scorpion monster, barely clinging to life, began to stir.

The few remaining monsters around were also barely regaining consciousness and shaking their heads.

Looking around, quite a few participants had safely made it down to the arena.

Christelle was sparkling with an expression of interest.

-Kiet! Kit! Kit! Kieeeeet!

“How noisy.”

The Emperor said, and drew his sword horizontally. Then,

-Whooong!

Once again, the air vibrated.

Knowing that his firepower wouldn’t attack me, I lowered my head deeply and hid Demi in my arms.

The heated sword energy grazed my hair.

-Kwaaaang!

-Whirrrrr!

It was a kind of wave.

A massive blaze of holy fire, not holy water, instantly engulfed the arena.

However, water and fire were fundamentally different. As the fire rapidly consumed the air,

-Kwagwagwagwa!

A shockwave like an aftershock followed.

A wind resembling a typhoon struck the wailing ground.

The spectators covered their heads and ducked. Hats and towels flew high into the sky. I closed my eyes tightly.

I expected to be thrown to the ground, of course.

“You’re alright, Prince.”

But a kind voice reached my ears.

When I opened my eyes, a huge shield was in front of me. To be exact, it was a wall of clear, pure water.

The Emperor’s silhouette was reflected beyond the shimmering surface.

I hadn’t felt any impact.

“…Lady Sarnese.”

“Your Highness is having fun. I know how it feels, since I felt the same way when I first used my ability.”

It was unbelievable speed.

Christelle, who had instantly come in front of me and put up a barrier, brushed back a few strands of pink hair and grinned.

As I was about to thank her,

-Kieeeeek, Kii…..

-Krr, Krr, Krr…..

The monsters’ last cries filled the arena.

I quickly turned my head and looked back.

-Kooong!

-Toong!

-Kwaaaang…..

Large and small monsters, engulfed in crimson flames, were collapsing one by one onto the plain.

Everything else except them was fine.

The participants, surprised by the Emperor’s overwhelming power, threw their weapons on the ground and looked this way.

Their faces were a chaotic mix of awe and admiration.

No one spoke first, and no one dared to move.

A silence that lasted for seconds or minutes pressed down on the crowd.

Christelle slowly removed the water barrier.

The subjugation was over. Just as the Emperor had said.

“…In the sacred year of 1613, the winner of the ‘Great Monster Subjugation’ is His Highness Prince Cedric Liester!”

The Marquis Francois Dhiem’s trembling voice echoed throughout the estate.

After a brief pause,

“Waaaaaaah!”

“Long live His Highness the Emperor!”

“Liester forever! Forever! Forever!”

“Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory!”

The screams of thousands of crazed spectators struck my eardrums. The applause exploded like fireworks.

I felt a sense of exhilaration even though it wasn’t my business.

Everyone’s excitement was burning red. Then, flower petals rained down from the spring sky.

The Emperor, who had come right in front of me, looked down at me with dignity.

The moment our eyes met, a bouquet thrown from the audience landed at my feet.

-Kkii!

Demi acknowledged it and put strength into its tail.

I turned my gaze to the direction the flower had come from.

“It’s Elizabeth!”

Christelle said brightly. Ganael and Benjamin were with the young count.

The three of them were waving and smiling energetically.

The Marquis Dhiem, standing right behind them, was dabbing tears with a handkerchief.

“Hahahaha.”

In the end, I burst out laughing. Demi’s warm body temperature touched my shoulders and cheeks.

My whole body felt like it had been beaten, and my clothes were in tatters, but I thought this was a pretty good first outing.

A light pink petal landed on the toe of the Emperor’s boot.

*

I don’t even remember how I got back to the Imperial Palace.

“Ugh……”

I barely turned my tired body over and lay on my back.

The torn forehead and sprained right leg were quickly healed with the help of a healing priest.

However, we left the lord’s castle right after the subjugation was over, so my body was full of travel fatigue.

It would take quite a while to recover from the mental and physical stress I had accumulated over the past two weeks.

I had to get my act together and think about going home soon, but I didn’t think I could think about anything for the time being.

-Kkiiii

“Demi, let’s lie down a little longer. It’s only 10 o’clock yet.”

I moved the divine beast, which was pressing down on my forearm, onto my stomach.

As I rolled around on the familiar bed after a long time, my relaxed arms and legs became limp.

I was going to get an official vacation for the next week, so I was just going to repeat eating, playing, and sleeping.

-Knock knock

“…Come in.”

However, the people around me were too diligent.

I chuckled as I watched two shadows carefully enter the room.

Eleven hours was a lot of sleep.

Soon the bed curtains were drawn, and Ganael’s honey-colored eyes looked at me worriedly.

“Good morning, Prince Yeser. Are you feeling unwell? Shall I call a royal physician?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m just a little tired. Good morning, Ganael.”

“I didn’t want to wake you up first, but you’ve been sleeping for over 12 hours…… I was worried, so I came in.”

The boy’s voice grew smaller.

I looked at the clock again in surprise and saw that it was well past 11 o’clock, not 10 o’clock.

My last memory was washing up and collapsing as soon as I arrived yesterday, so I must have really passed out.

“Okay. My back will hurt if I sleep any longer, so I should get up now.”

I immediately raised my upper body. Ganael smiled with a relieved look.

Benjamin, who was opening the window curtains, also greeted me kindly when he saw me.

“Did you sleep well, Prince?”

“Did you sleep well, Benjamin?”

Soon the balcony door opened.

A gentle breeze blew, and pleasant spring sunshine brightly lit the room.

After that, it was the return to everyday life that I had been hoping for.

The boisterous Juliet Palace brunch began.

“It’s really delicious. I’m glad I’m alive.”

“Wow, Prince! Why would you say that?”

Ganael, who was sitting across from me, was horrified to hear my exclamation.

I smiled brightly and took a big bite of an omelet topped with caviar.

The egg dish, which could be a bit greasy on an empty stomach, met the salty sea scent and sour sour cream to create a clean and savory taste.

The texture was excellent, with the eggs popping softly without even biting into them.

The chefs of the Dhiem Marquis family and the Romero Palace were also great, but no one could match the skill of Laurence, the chef of Juliet Palace.

It was so much to my taste.

“But really, I’m glad you’re safe. I was so surprised when you came down the mountain carrying His Highness the Emperor and Lady Sarnese on your back.”

Benjamin placed a toast with plenty of ratatouille on my plate.

I bowed my head with an embarrassed face.

“Well, there was no other way to get down. And I had to put them to sleep.”

“You rode a monster, Prince!”

Ganael raised his voice a tone. His face was full of anxiety and excitement at the time.

“It was so cool, but it was so scary. I was afraid something might happen to you…… Oh, everyone in the Imperial Palace wants to see you. Even the temple knights came to ask how you were doing this morning!”

The boy waved his fork and poked at the ham crepe. My eyes widened slightly.

“Me? Why?”

“Well, the rumors had already spread while we were coming to the Imperial Palace. The Prince rode a dragon as big as a fortress and came down with the clouds, and woke up His Highness the Emperor and the Lady with the power of love……”

“It wasn’t a dragon. And I didn’t use that kind of power.”

“Anyway. The Lady who opened her eyes swept away the monsters with holy water! And His Highness drew the ‘Comet Sword of Mars’… impressively [or 멋있게 멋지게 in Korean]… And then a huge waterfall and hot spring were created in front of Dhiem’s lord castle because the Lord’s joy poured out!”

Ganael explained excitedly.

As the boy’s spoon moved violently, Benjamin gently reached out and interrupted him.

I looked back and forth between the two with a dumbfounded expression.

I couldn’t even guess how much the contents of the competition had been distorted in the four days it took to get to the capital.

“Benjamin, what are you talking about?”

“I only grasped the situation this morning.”

He calmly wiped his mouth with a napkin. I quenched my thirst with fragrant mistletoe tea.

“It’s a natural thing, but the story that His Highness the Emperor won and obtained the Divine Object seems to have already spread throughout the empire. There is even talk that it is the greatest celebration since His Highness was born. There are also rumors that he will be crowned Crown Prince in time for his birthday in August.”

“The Divine Object has come to be used by an individual, but there doesn’t seem to be any resistance among the people of the empire.”

I said. Is it still because he is the Emperor?

“His Highness’s popularity is high, but no one has been able to draw the Comet Sword until now. The perception that His Highness has been ‘chosen by the Lord’ seems to be firm. Moreover, he has shown his ability as a holy knight…… There will be quite a few people who think it is right to use the Divine Object.”

Thinking about it that way, it certainly made sense.

I nodded and bit into the toast firmly.

The sound of crunching was followed by the warm scent of tomatoes and the taste of eggplant on the tip of my tongue.

“Moreover, a holy knight has appeared in the Sarnese ducal family, which boasts the highest authority. It is as if two miracles that have never happened even once in the empire for over a thousand years have appeared in one day. It is not strange that heroic tales are being exaggerated.”

Benjamin calmly finished his explanation. I savored the ratatouille and thought quietly.

Still, isn’t the exaggeration too much? This would be delicious even if eaten cold……

“I had no idea that His Highness had such divine power. All three of you were like characters in mythology. On the way up, everyone was trying to talk to the Prince, didn’t you know?”

Ganael chattered as he carried the mendiant [a chocolate confection studded with nuts and dried fruits] to my dessert plate. Was that so?

“Thank you. I fell asleep the whole time I was coming, so I don’t remember very well.”

I answered honestly.

I stopped by several inns on the way, but they were just rooms for me to sleep in.

All I could think of was being escorted by Christelle and teased while getting out of the carriage, mistaking Elizabeth’s medicine for tea and drinking it, and opening the Emperor’s bedroom door in my sleep and stepping back.

“…I don’t think I was in my right mind.”

“’You have to be crazy to be crazy.’ That’s what they say, Prince.”

Ganael looked at me with a very proud look. Is this an insult?

At that time, there was a heavy knock.

-Knock knock knock

“Come in.”

I replied. This was also a first in a long time. Seeing the faces of the other servants of Juliet Palace.

“Prince, the head maid wishes to see you.”

The head maid? I was happy to see a familiar face, but my mind went cold for a moment.

The head maid was the person who directly assisted Emperor Frederick in the Imperial Palace and was one of the most powerful people in the Imperial Palace.

She was also someone I had never met since I possessed ‘Toegye Gong’ [likely a reference to a historical figure or title, implying a significant role or identity].

I nodded, looking at Benjamin and Ganael’s expressions.

Soon, a middle-aged woman appeared behind the young servant.

Her hair, the color of a wheat field, was tied up without a single strand missing, and she had an overall dignified and cool impression.

Her bowing attitude was full of dignity.

“I greet Prince Yeser Venetian with the blessing of the Lord. I am Laura Mendi of the Mendi ducal family, the head maid serving His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Nice to meet you, Laura.”

I answered coolly.

There was only one reason why the head maid would personally visit Juliet Palace, which was called the ‘Cold Palace’ [a place of isolation or neglect within the palace].

That is because it is the Emperor’s will.

I quickly began to reflect on what sins I had committed.

Did they find out that I called the Emperor a crazy bastard? But he deserved to be called that.

“His Great Majesty the Emperor has formally invited the Prince to the celebration of His Highness Prince Cedric’s ‘Great Monster Subjugation’ victory.”

“Yes?”

“His Majesty has shown great interest and curiosity in the Prince’s recent activities and has been deeply moved by the courage and goodwill he has shown in helping His Highness the Emperor. Therefore, he wishes to personally commend the Prince in a gathering attended by key figures from the imperial family and noble families.”

……Personally?