What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 617

Shoot for the Ocean (7)

【Elite Seo!!!!!!!!!!】

Hyung…!

“Cough, Keuheuk, Keoheok…!”

The purplish status window blurred before my eyes.

Like a stuffed animal, I thrashed against the wall with all my might.

My feet couldn’t reach the ground, and the hand gripping my throat was too strong to escape.

My concentration shattered from accumulated fatigue and lack of proper meals.

I couldn’t gather my confusion and pain.

I needed to open the Holy Ground, to open it immediately and protect myself—but my vision was darkening like ink.

The Aether [magical energy] spewing from my heart couldn’t form and shattered like waves. No, no…!

“It was all you.”

“Keut, eok…!”

Sir Johan! I wanted to shout the name that came to mind, but my consciousness was fading several times faster than my Aether or voice could escape.

The man before me snarled like a rabid beast. It was the first time I had been exposed to such sharp murderous intent.

Even when I took the Cardinal’s attack head-on, I swear it wasn’t this intense.

Red irises reflected in my teary eyes. The pressure pouring down like lava made me feel like I would faint.

The Crown Prince lowered his head as if to bite my neck. Ugh!

“Keok, let go…!”

“Where is the Prince?”

“Heoeok—”

In that close moment, I grabbed his shoulder and quickly inhaled.

His thick fingers strongly pressed my carotid artery, and my vision blurred again. Ah…!

My Aether is being taken!

“Heok, let go! I don’t want to!”

-Meeeeeeeeh!

The moment something slipped away and my head spun, I heard a tearing goat’s cry from somewhere. Tagak, tagak, tagak!

-Meeeeeeh!

“How dare you—”

[Get lost!]

-Kwakwakwang!

As Dotori [a pet goat] charged at him, scattering his energy, I gathered all my strength and unleashed my Aether!

[Dotori, Dotori! Come here!]

-Meeeng!

The mottled goat rushed over, hopping excitedly.

While the Crown Prince knocked over all the chairs in the temple and was thrown into a corner, I hurriedly straightened myself and checked the child for injuries.

I was breathless and my cheeks were soaked, but right now, it was much more important that a speechless animal didn’t die because of me.

Thankfully, the child’s four legs were fine when I groped them. Thank you!

“Cough! Let’s see, Keulleokkeulleok! Let’s see your belly too. Does your belly hurt? What about your head? Your ears?”

-Mehihihi

“That’s a relief. Thank you. Haa, thank you so much.”

I quickly sent the child behind me, covered my stiff neck with my hand, and looked around the temple.

No one was in the golden sanctuary.

The door to the underground shrine room was hidden behind the altar, and it seemed to be closed. Dotori opened it and came up, so it probably wasn’t locked.

I didn’t know how far Gain and Cedric had gone, but Sir Johan, who was nearby, would have sensed my Aether.

It was only a matter of time before he returned, so I just needed to protect myself until then.

“Ha, Hoo… Keulleok! Aigo…”

No, no! I have to protect everything here, not just myself.

No one should get hurt. Not Dotori, not Shu and the Prince beyond that door. Not this small temple….

-Hoodudeuk…!

“…”

“…”

And ‘that’ Cedric Liester too.

【Hey, you….】

No. I have to protect him from getting hurt.

It’s one thing for him to treat me carelessly, but it’s another for me to hurt him.

Of course, it hurt and scared me earlier, and I want to kick his shin with all my might about three times… From the Imperial Family’s point of view, we’re nothing more than traitors.

Besides, he doesn’t know anything, but I know everything.

Everything from his past to the changed future.

…So he’s much more vulnerable than me. And he has justification.

【Wow, this is a real psycho….】

“The Prince, Prince Yeseo is safe. Keulleok! He’s been eating well and doing well.”

While I spoke as calmly as possible, the man who had risen from the pile of broken chairs was loosening the strings of his robe.

Dust and sawdust fell from his ebony hair.

Being alone with him made me breathless with tension.

His face and body were the same as the man I knew, but the overwhelming hostility he exuded was indescribably heavy.

Red eyes, unmixed with any other color, glared at me as if to devour me.

Instinctively, I felt chills. It was a look I had never received from my partner.

“I’m sorry for causing such a big incident… and causing national chaos. I don’t know how to apologize. But I swear I didn’t have any bad intentions—”

-Seureung!

“Heoeok!”

A snow-white sword was drawn from his waist.

It was a weapon with a pure white handle, guard, and blade.

I was horrified and hugged Dotori, belatedly gasping for breath.

My neck felt numb and bruised, but that wasn’t important right now.

I cast a spell on myself, glanced at the ceiling, and then looked back at the Crown Prince.

It’s okay. I’m a very strong Archbishop, and he can’t use divine power.

Of course, he can’t break the circle or attack me.

“…I asked where the Prince is.”

“He’s, he’s in the underground shrine room. He’s sleeping now, and…”

“Are you a Cardinal?”

“Pardon? No, I’m not.”

“That night.”

“…”

Ttobeok, ttobeok. The man walked towards me with sharp footsteps.

Completely out of his black robe, he was wearing a pale white uniform.

It was an outfit that would be greatly ruined by even a single drop of blood, but he didn’t seem to care at all.

I hid Dotori as much as possible behind me and looked at him.

The eyes shaded by his hair were dark and bleak. He kept coughing. Keolleok!

“Did you supply me with Aether that night?”

…Ah. He’s talking about ‘that day’.

“…Yes.”

I wanted to deny it, but it was useless since he was already asking knowing the answer.

He had just taken a chunk of my Aether.

There couldn’t be a Holy Knight in the world who wouldn’t recognize the Aether of another priest.

-Ttobeok, ttobeok, ttobeok…

Having heard the answer, he strode into the sanctuary.

I could have completely blocked his approach, but I decided to watch for now, only defending against attacks.

If it gets urgent, I can just put him to sleep….

【I know what this title is. ‘The Eldest Son of the Jeong Family’s Lifespan Shortening Project’. The number of letters is just right….】

“Uh…. Uh…?”

But as the distance narrowed, I noticed something strange.

His blood-red eyes were gradually turning a lighter color.

The mouth of the observer slowly opened. I wasn’t seeing things.

Scarlet, vermilion, orange….

Now it’s the tangerine color I know.

“Your eyes….”

The man looked down at me with glistening eyes. He seemed a little crazy.

“Then I shall take it.”

“Pardon?”

Don’t you abstain from alcohol?

-Deopseok!

[Again! Stop this right now and sleep—]

-Kwaaaaang!

“Euheoeok!”

With a tremendous roar, the temple doors flew off!

At the same time, the man before me flew sideways and crashed into something for the second time with a kukukung!

The excited Dotori raised its front paws. I hurriedly calmed the little one and tried to figure out the situation.

Dust rose from the altar, and empty flowerpots and candlesticks poured down. I gasped and exhaled at the same time.

I could roughly guess from the silhouette of the man before he appeared. Finally, the one who is more free than anyone else here, without worrying about his only son—

“You….”

“Huh?”

My jaw dropped as if it would touch my sternum. The Holy Knight who finally appeared was not Sir Johan.

A slightly taller and broader shoulder was revealed.

Following that, a black sword, contrasting with the pure white sword, cried as it cut through the air. Wooung….

“The crime of assaulting the Imperial Palace Master and raping Aether.”

Hey, this isn’t good. His voice is lower than usual….

“Will be repaid with death.”

“Wait, wait!”

-Kwakwakwang—!

Who’s killing who! Absolutely not, you crazy bastard!

-Kwareureureu…!

“Cedric! No, Your Highness!”

As I screamed at the top of my lungs, the two men, who looked like twins, rolled their eyes at the same time.

While I was gaping in great embarrassment, the two began a fierce sword fight.

Kakakakang! Sparks flew like lightning as black and white blades clashed.

The Cedric over there clearly looked bewildered by the appearance of a swordsman identical to himself, but even that was temporary, and he quickly continued his skillful counterattack. Kwang!

His swordsmanship, where magic and divine power were not the top priority, had a very cruel aspect even to my untrained eyes.

There was not a single moment of hesitation in the movements to persistently cut the neck or the movements aimed at vital points.

He was a little more agile and much more ruthless than the Cedric Liester I knew.

Considering that it is the end of August, it was clear that he was on the verge of becoming a Sword Master according to the original story.

At first, this side was clearly dominant, but the situation quickly became equal. Chaechaechaechaeng—!

“…”

【Are you going to put him to sleep again?】

No. I shook my head.

Unless I’m directly threatened, if I put him to sleep in a situation like this, the same thing will happen when he wakes up.

Hyung [term for older brother or close male friend] knows his personality.

And if we leave as is, the chaos will become uncontrollable, and that’s too irresponsible.

Prince, Camille, and Shu are here.

-Kagagang! Kkigigik, Kkigigik…!

“Although I’m a little worried, it seems like they can communicate….”

【Are you watching something different from me?】

-Tookwaaaang!

In the meantime, our Crown Prince, who deployed a trap magic circle, landed a blow on that Crown Prince!

I unconsciously clenched both fists and quickly released them.

No, this won’t do. Both are precious Cedrics, this won’t do.

They have to greet each other properly and stop!

“What should I call him exactly so that only he can understand….”

…Ah.

I looked up at the ceiling in a different sense than before, then closed and opened my eyes tightly.

Yeah, I lasted a long time if I got this far. Damn it!

[Seidi—!]

-Wajangchang! Udangtangtungtang!

[You mustn’t kill him! But you can’t lose either!]

While I was shouting at random, the black man rolled out of the dust pit, grabbed the ground, and slid.

Our eyes met immediately. Seeik—

A great smile was rising as his mouth widened.

Ah, so annoying!

*

At that time.

-Hwiuuuuu…

“…This operation is difficult.”

Johan Haines at the edge of the cliff was exhibiting almost miraculous patience.

If this had happened in Liester, where he was loyal, it might have been a little easier to bear.

But this was a fairly free land for him.

Herit, the root that supported him, was not here, and Josefina, who first saved him, did not exist in this world.

Everyone has a cunning side, and Johan was no different.

In a short period of time, he was tainted by the bad water of freedom.

His innate impulsiveness and subtly belligerent temperament were like a burst dam, and once released, it was not easy to pick up.

Of course, he would fix it after returning, but he did not expect that such a process would be necessary here, at least.

…Or, he ‘didn’t want to’ expect it.

“I will tell you your sins.”

“…”

Elizabeth Mute, the Deputy Commander of the Garrison, stood before him with a fierce momentum like a raptor, drawing her sword.

Her neatly cut olive-colored bob fluttered precariously like a sail in a storm.

Johan looked at her with cold, pale eyes.

Pincher operations were common even in the mercenary world. So there was nothing surprising about it.

However, if it was happening with his master being held hostage….

There was only one reward he could give. As always.

“If you surrender now, you won’t die painfully.”

“…”

Behind the man, Francois Duiem, blocking the retreat, stood holding a mace.

Johan lowered his throat and tried to suppress the chills rising through his fingertips.

Who wants to say it.

“…It’s really difficult.”

What I want to kill but can’t kill is this side.

It wasn’t just because he was worried that his lord would be sad.

The current him did not want to cruelly take the life of a young knight who liked to write letters to his fiancée, or the life of a marquis who would later become his son’s godfather.

Even though he clearly knew that they were not ‘them’ that he knew.

Even if you laugh at me for being too sentimental for a mercenary….

“Uncle, now!”

At that moment, Elizabeth’s loud shout echoed through the white cliffs.

Johan immediately read Francois’ movements and reflexively flicked his fingers. Hwik, and—

“Ah…!”

-Ssaeeeek!

“Damn it, no!”

With the young man’s tearing scream, the Marquis’ body was thrown out as it was and fell off the cliff.

The Cardinal’s pupils widened greatly.