What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 606

Sub-Male Lead’s Strike – Episode 606 (606/920)

#606

The Interpreter and the Tracker (4)

Around that time, in the dawn streets a little away from the Imperial Palace.

A black carriage stood silently by the roadside.

-Tap, tap, tap!

“Whoa, whoa.”

-Clatter, clatter, clatter…

‘Splash, splash!’ Several shallow puddles had formed on the road after the heavy rain.

Occasionally, children delivering dawn extras or newspapers passed the carriage without a glance.

As it was the time when the flower market was in full swing, a carriage carrying late summer flowers brushed right past.

Merchants preparing fresh goat’s milk and cow’s milk, and carts loaded with fruits and vegetables, hurried through the alleys.

The air was constantly soaked in a blue hue, and a hazy mist enveloped the carriage like a curtain.

As sunrise approached, public service mages began to collect mana from the sparsely lined streetlights.

It was still early for the average person’s workday to begin.

However, the occupants of the black carriage all had sharp eyes.

They looked like predators holding their breath just before chasing their prey.

“First of all… Thank you for your active cooperation today, Duke Debby Andre.”

So whispered Elisabeth Mutte, jotting something down in a thin notebook and tucking it into her pocket.

The young-faced Duke smiled shyly and waved his hand.

“Don’t mention it, Vice Commander. I would be honored to help find His Highness Prince Yeseo.”

“Are you certain that the information was found in Commander Modest Bakari’s note?”

“Yes. Lady Desiree and my brother-in-law—no, I’m sorry. Yesterday evening, Viscount Desiree Bakari and the Commander visited my manor for dinner. Afterward, the four of us young people spent some time together. This is a note that the Commander left in the tea room, and I was naturally going to return it, but his condition worsened… He urgently returned home. So, I had no choice but to keep it.”

“The Commander’s condition worsened?”

“Yes. He seemed to have a nosebleed and complained of dizziness. Duchess Berenice Mendy, who was with him, was very surprised and asked for a carriage to be called.”

The Duke replied with a clear gaze.

Elisabeth listened intently, her gray eyes shining seriously.

She had heard that the leader of the Fleur-de-lis suffered from neuralgia or complained of fatigue when making important prophecies.

She had never seen it herself, but if the story was true, this was surely evidence of foresight.

The Vice Commander quickly flipped the paper over. The Crown Prince, who had been silent all along, unfolded it and read it. ‘Rustle, rustle.’

‘The end of the swamp and jungle’

‘The Prince’s trail’

‘The breath of the beast’

“······.”

It was a rather vague clue.

The swamps and jungles throughout the Empire would number at least in the hundreds or thousands, and the habitats of beasts could not be counted even if one spent all day looking at maps.

Duke Andre, who was well aware of this fact, also looked very nervous.

On the one hand, he was desperately hoping that his courage in reporting this alone without telling anyone, and his efforts in finding the Imperial Guard early in the morning, would not be in vain.

Originally, those who fall in love tend to have a screw or two loose.

The young man was ready to do anything to win the heart of his fiancée, Desiree.

“If you allow me, I would like to lend a hand in raiding them. You may or may not know, but I was the runner-up in this monster subjugation competition! I have enough strength and agility to be helpful…”

“You are also a victim of the recent shipboard ball incident. I remember.”

Elisabeth replied indifferently.

Meanwhile, the paper with the prophet’s handwriting had returned to the opposite seat.

As usual, Christel, disguised as a man, quietly murmured the contents, and François, sitting next to her, pointed to the imperial map with the tip of his white glove.

In his hand were two strangely shaped metal rods.

The rods were shaped like inverted L’s, with round, light pink magic stones embedded at the ends.

They occasionally moved from side to side, as if detecting something.

The Duke bit his lip anxiously, unable to read the four people’s minds.

The Crown Prince’s blood-red eyes darkened.

“······This should be enough to pinpoint their location.”

Then, a very unexpected remark came out. The Duke’s mouth dropped open.

Is this really enough? Today is my lucky day!

“Yeah. Well, since Uncle narrowed down the search area to three places. It seems that swamps and jungles are the clues… This seems to be talking about the forest surrounding the Lake of White Magic.”

“Have you recorded all the locations of the swamps and jungles found there?”

“Of course. What do you think of the Imperial Guard?”

“Wow, all the areas the Marquis found are residential areas. For the guys who stole the Prince to be hiding not in the forest or underground, but in a house in the middle of the Imperial Capital… I can’t even imagine how crazy they must be.”

Christel muttered, clicking her tongue.

François, who had been feeding and housing that crazy guy with his own money, just nodded solemnly.

The Duke in front of them would never know, but the four of them already had some information.

First of all, they had figured out that the white-haired handsome man was a paladin…

Decisively, it was thanks to the leader of the Fleur-de-lis, who had been making meaningful prophecies since a few days ago.

The Emperor’s honorable advisor and great 8th-circle mage had come to the audience hall and said this:

‘Prince Yeseo Venetian is currently safe.’

‘Ah, damn it. It seems even the Chief God has some sense.’

‘Calm down, Frederick. I think it’s fortunate too.’

‘Also, he was not kidnapped by the royal family of the Divine Kingdom or by rebels within the Empire.’

‘······What?’

Then the Emperor frowned, raising one eyebrow. It was an attitude of questioning whether it was certain.

‘Marquis Dhiem suspected that he was a paladin. Not a force from the Divine Kingdom?’

‘······Yes, Your Majesty. I speculate that he may have come from the neutral zone.’

Bakari finally answered after a long time.

The face he made after deeply closing and opening his eyes looked very troubled.

‘They seem to have… a more extraordinary motive. The fact that they are not demanding a ransom from Your Majesty seems to be for that reason.’

‘Good Lord!’

François, who was present at the scene, was almost beside himself with shock.

It would have been better if it had been a cunning and ruthless rebel group (that doesn’t mean it would have been more ‘welcome’).

He would have been able to easily justify the actions of that sly fox.

But the fact that the thief in question had a completely different motive was the explanation of the most trusted prophet in the Empire.

As François, who respected the specialties of all mages, could not help but be embarrassed.

Then what on earth was the purpose of committing such a sin, and how did he bewitch his sisters so ghost-like?

‘He’s been very good to us. I learned how to freshwater fish properly from that knight. I also memorized five more ways to distinguish poisonous herbs from medicinal herbs!’

‘Oh, my God.’

Blessed Arian.

Lovely Maria was still talking about that rascal during lunchtime yesterday!

“······Elisabeth, give me the map that the Imperial Guard marked. I need to calculate the longitude and latitude of the forest and jungle.”

“Yes.”

“Then the exact coordinates of that sly rogue will come out.”

“Uncle, calm down first.”

“Am I excited? Are you saying that this François Dhiem is emotionally agitated? Where do you see that? Describe it in detail in 1,000 characters or less.”

“······I misspoke.”

He was concerned that the Commander had not immediately informed His Majesty of the contents of the note, but if he had received a revelation last night and was still resting, it was understandable.

François quickly took the map from the Vice Commander and spread it out next to his own map.

Then, he said neatly to the young Duke.

“If His Highness the Crown Prince allows it, you may accompany us, Duke. Aren’t all the victims of this incident of one mind? There’s no reason why only the Duke should stay still when everyone is stepping forward.”

“······T, thank you. Marquis.”

The Duke, surprised by the unexpected turn of events, looked back at the Crown Prince with wide eyes.

The man observed him for a long time, then nodded curtly.

“······Don’t move recklessly and wait for orders.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will do my best!”

The excited young man’s cheeks flushed instantly.

Christel, who had been acting as François’ desk, quietly stared at Cedrick.

“······.”

In his gloved fist, he still held ‘that necklace’.

Honestly, she was disturbed.

*

Wow, amazing! Really amazing!

This is seriously the most surprising thing I’ve experienced since coming here. How did this happen!

“Bakari—oh, my God!”

I opened the attic door and came down, and I was about to smile brightly when I found Camille in the middle of the living room, but I almost fainted.

That’s because our noble Crown Prince was exposing the upper half of his body!

With the feeling of my heart dropping, a bright red warning light turned on in my head.

Suddenly, the healthy customs of the Liester Empire were greatly threatened.

You crazy bastard, again! Again!

“Clothes, clothes! Put some clothes on, the kids are watching!”

-Slap

“Ouch! What!”

Instinctively, I touched his back with my palm, and recoiled in horror at the sticky feeling.

The man with a towel around his neck frowned as if he was displeased.

His black hair was half wet, as if he had just taken a shower.

The Goos who were passing by opened their mouths wide and stuck out their tongues in turn.

Of course, Ms. Schu was out of her mind at the appearance of Camille. Only Sir Johann, holding a washbasin, was sending an interesting look.

Not funny at all, Father!

“······I don’t have any clothes to wear.”

“Why don’t you have any clothes? You have so many eyes watching, you should just grab whatever you can and put it on!”

“I was told the laundry isn’t dry yet.”

You can dry it yourself!

“······I can’t do this. Next time, let’s try an ultra-precision hot air dryer. You can dry cashmere and wool without damaging it with the power of sacred fire.”

“What does that mean?”

Whether the Crown Prince asked or not, I hurriedly picked up a blanket and a coat that caught my eye and wrapped them around his body.

Meanwhile, the prophet took off his robe hood and calmly put his hands together in front of him.

From the all-too-familiar waiting posture and the expression that wasn’t surprised at all, I could be sure that he was truly ‘the prophet we know’.

······But how?

“There is very little time, so I will quickly get to the point. Greetings and explanations will be given later.”

“Yes, yes.”

The clear voice captivated us.

I was startled and made eye contact with the teenager.

“······I’ve stalled as much as possible, but soon His Highness the Crown Prince here will raid this house. Prepare yourselves.”