What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 663

#663

Troops Forbidden in Wartime? (11)

So, there weren’t even bodies?

“This part is bothering me. How could so many people disappear without being seen by anyone?”

It was too realistic a depiction to simply be taken as a literary metaphor for death.

In context, it was right to understand that Emperor Romero’s soldiers had truly disappeared.

And that was absolutely absurd.

I found the map of Cheonro I had been looking at just a moment ago, neatly filed in the document folder.

Jibril Diop watched me with fascination, then went outside to finish brushing his teeth.

“You’ll be right back, right?”

“Yeah.”

Thank goodness. I needed a helper who could listen to me critically right now.

I laid out the map, reports, and various historical materials, and carefully reviewed them again.

-Flap, flap, flap.

“This is a bird’s-eye view analyzing the terrain of Cheonro…”

The drawing was very detailed up to the entrance of ‘The Puppeteer’s Cheonro.’

Primarily, the height of the valley and the points where watchtowers were expected to be located were densely marked, and the distribution of plants, recorded based on the testimonies of the old Liester people, was also meticulously noted.

However, as you go to the center of Cheonro, all descriptions became overly simplistic.

The drawings, as well as the additional explanations, were very brief.

Perhaps, as the historians said, no one had ever come back alive from this place.

Only defeated lords and soldiers remained.

“No…”

No. There’s no way that could be possible. They either died in battle or ‘disappeared’?

“Let’s read it again. Again.”

Then I’ll see what I missed. This chilling feeling is never wrong.

Tapping fingers repeatedly pointed to the document.

There’s still time. I can sleep tomorrow, so let’s slowly read it from the beginning.

Looking here…

‘Lilianer Venetian is as cunning as a devil and treats the lives of soldiers like toys, so she did not waste even a handful of Cheonro’s soil. Thus, the path called ‘Cheonro’ was given the nickname ‘The Puppeteer’s Cheonro.’

…What does ‘treats the lives of soldiers like toys’ mean?

I know that King Lilianer earned the title ‘Iron-Blooded Puppeteer’ during this period.

The addition of the modifier ‘Puppeteer’ to Cheonro also originated from her tactics miraculously reviving the Holy Nation.

I quickly scanned to see if there were any sentences I had missed before.

As expected, the passage taken from the history book caught my eye first.

‘Later, the late Emperor Romero sat face to face with Empress Josephine and reminisced, saying that Cheonro (泉路) [literally, ‘Spring Road,’ implying a path to the afterlife] was indeed a path to the underworld, just like its name. The deeper you go, the more the number of Holy Nation soldiers increases like swarms of bees, and impossible shadows rush from between the valleys, and their faces are all blue and pale as if they came up from hell, but even the Empire’s renowned magicians and swordsmen could not shake off their fear.’

-Thud.

“…No way.”

‘As if they came up from hell.’ I repeated the sentence only in my mind.

The vision shook as if there was a slight earthquake.

The non-existent hypothesis was slowly taking shape, but it was difficult to accept.

I hurriedly unfolded the memo I had written in my notebook.

This time, it was a summary of intelligence from civilians who had surrendered or were captured near Cheonro, that is, residents of the Holy Nation.

· Environmental characteristics of Cheonro

– There are always dark clouds and no light.

– It feels like there’s a musty smell coming from somewhere, and it feels eerie.

– Since some point, all the forests have died or rotted.

– Resident testimony: It is said that Romero’s soldiers have become vengeful spirits and are wandering around Cheonro, which is why this happened.

One-third of the great army disappeared as it was, and remained in Cheonro as vengeful spirits…?

“It doesn’t make sense, but… if what I’m thinking is right, it makes sense. It feels a bit forced, though.”

“How far have you come, Palace Master?”

Flinch! I turned around, shaking my shoulders.

In the meantime, Jibril Diop, who had finished washing up, was drying his red hair with a towel.

Without warning, he stretched his neck out and scrutinized the desk where I had laid out the clues with sharp eyes.

As I stared at the man’s profile, something suddenly came to mind.

That’s it! That’s it!

“Young Master! Where’s the history book you were looking at a few days ago?”

I grabbed his arm and raised my voice abruptly.

Diop, who had become accustomed to such rudeness, simply raised one eyebrow.

“What? What history book?”

“This thick history book. You were sitting right here, reading it with your legs crossed. When Commander Bakari came to visit!”

“Huh. You saw that again?”

‘I thought you weren’t interested in me.’ It was an unnecessarily cheesy tone.

I barely managed to suppress the instinctive grimace.

“Isn’t that book the one His Majesty gave you? Right? Or His Highness Orelly!”

“You’re quite good at using your head.”

“Ah, hurry!”

-Slap!

I hit his arm as if urging him, and he chuckled, saying, ‘Ouch.’

I really want to break you in half like taffy!

“Okay. His Majesty the Emperor bestowed it.”

“Where did you put it? Please take it out quickly. That is definitely a clue given to me.”

“You have more self-awareness than I thought, Palace Master.”

“No. His Majesty is a person who plans big. He is a different kind of adult from me, who is always busy reacting to events as they happen.”

“…”

“Of course, he gave it to you hoping you would read it, but perhaps he also considered that I would witness that scene. There is a clue he is trying to convey to me through you.”

“…Ha. I can’t beat you.”

‘Where did something like this roll in from.’ The magician stretched languidly and bent down under the table.

I wondered if he was cursing me just now, but that wasn’t important right now.

I bent down as well and watched him open a wooden box.

And as soon as the book came into view―

-Tak!

“Hey, royal etiquette.”

“I’ll take care of that later. Thank you for your cooperation!”

I hurriedly opened the book and frantically read from the part where the paper was folded in half.

The Young Master must have expected me to reach this point long ago. That’s because…

‘Watchtowers are not visible, fire arrows and ice bombs pour down from all directions, and demon-like creatures spring up from the cracked ground, bearing flowers and fruits. The air gradually becomes heavy, to the point where magicians cannot breathe, and finally, a certain swordsman shouts….’

‘Retreat! The puppeteer is moving the puppets! (La marionnettiste déplace les marionnettes!)’

“Oh my god.”

It felt like all the blood was draining from my face. I looked up at Diop blankly.

“…Is His Majesty thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Probably.”

“And you’re thinking the same thing as me?”

“Roughly.”

“…”

It was hard to open my mouth.

I repeatedly chewed over the clues scattered like puzzle pieces in front of me.

“One-third of the late Emperor Romero’s soldiers disappeared here, but conversely, the number of Holy Nation soldiers increased exponentially. It says here that ‘impossible shadows rushed in.’ I guess that the number far exceeded the Empire’s expectations.”

“And they wouldn’t have known where they came from.”

“Yes. If the Liester Empire, which had been on an undefeated streak until this point, was greatly embarrassed and had no choice but to retreat…”

Gulp.

“There is hidden terrain inside Cheonro.”

“…”

“An enormous area that can accommodate tens of thousands of people or more.”

The end of my voice trembled slightly. Diop nodded with a serious expression.

“They would have dragged their allies there too.”

“Yes.”

“A cave-like terrain?”

“Probably. But it must lead underground.”

“Like that black market?”

“Otherwise, it’s hard to explain why the entire plant community of Cheonro died or rotted. Usually, you can only exert such influence from underground.”

“You’re thinking they did something bizarre underground?”

“At least for now. Don’t you think the description is strange? It wouldn’t have been possible to catch and investigate each and every soldier of the Holy Nation, so there’s no certainty, but… Look here.”

I pointed to one part of the report.

“‘Their faces were all blue and pale as if they came up from hell.’ Isn’t that a strange sentence? If the enemy soldiers were spirited warriors, they would never have expressed it like this. However, it’s also strange to interpret it as a frightened face, and it’s also strange that the Empire’s soldiers felt fear while looking at them. This is rather…”

“Like corpses.”

“…”

“Is that what you want to say?”

“Yes.”

I bit my lip with a serious face.

The warning I had heard in Mankrans, in that shattered ‘villainess’s’ fabricated space, echoed in my head like a prophecy.

‘「…Be careful of the Venetian royal family, you who are loved by the Lord. Protect the sacred objects of the continent.」’

‘「My mother’s ambition was so great and vast that it could even blaspheme God. Such a mind cannot easily fall asleep.」’

Her mother. Lilianer Venetian.

The king of the Holy Nation, who cunningly incited and used Yuliter Statia’s desire for recognition, an illegitimate child, to cause a terrible war between the two countries.

A cold-blooded politician who thoroughly used not only her daughter but also her young son, who was the heir to the throne, as a stepping stone to strengthen royal power.

The one who blasphemed the Lord and aimed for the sacred objects of the continent.

And….

“Maybe Lilianer knew everything.”

“What are you talking about?”

The conversation I had with Elizabeth at the Statia temporary military camp flashed back like a flashback.

I groped the air with my eyes like a madman.

‘…There is a suspicion that the Venetian royal family or Duke Sneider has been desecrating divinity for a long time, and perhaps there are meaningful ancient clues left in the Temple of Boundaries. Is that what you’re saying?’

‘That’s right. Therefore, His Eminence Cardinal Orelly Boutier plans to move directly. It is said that only cardinals can enter the sanctuary of the temple.’

However, there were no clues left in the sanctuary of the Vatican.

What my teacher and Herrit brought out was part of the setting book of that was in the Holy Relic.