What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 67

#067 There’s No Such Thing as a Bad Divine Object (1)

I had a similar experience when I was working at a company.

I changed jobs because I didn’t want to work at a company like that again, but I never thought I’d be possessed by a romance fantasy novel and have a similar experience.

I was so dumbfounded from the morning that I laughed.

“Then the border inspection will proceed as planned.”

“Yes, there’s no reason to postpone it.”

I took a deep breath and looked at the two people walking ahead.

Emperor Frederick and Cardinal Boutier were chatting about state affairs as they walked.

The Emperor held a bouquet of flowers behind his back, while the Cardinal was lightly dressed with empty hands.

I was following behind, with two red pandas on my shoulders, one in my left arm, and a large picnic basket in my right hand.

Servants were not allowed to approach the bell tower where the Grand Duke’s tomb was located.

I couldn’t possibly let the adults suffer, so I volunteered to carry the luggage, but it was heavier than I thought.

Besides, the red pandas strangely didn’t want to leave me.

You’d think they’d be excited to be near a divine object, but who knows what got into them.

“I thought it was just a light trek, so that’s all I knew. But when I got on the bus, everyone was dressed like mountaineers.”

-Squeak.

I muttered to Demi. It was a story from when I used to work at a company.

It was a fairly large and old company, so I wanted to stay there and build my career if possible, but it was quite harsh for a new employee who had just graduated from college.

“There were about twenty-seven people in the department, and they told me to pack all their hiking snacks and drinks. They told me to bill the company at the end of the month. In the end, I spent money and time every two weeks doing that.”

As we got closer to the bell tower, the slope of the forest became steeper. My breath and voice were half-mixed.

Demi seemed to understand me and whined a little pitifully.

The company hike was held every other Saturday, and as the youngest, I had to pick up people’s food from dawn and carry it.

“That’s all in the past. The company I transferred to was 괜찮았거든 [Gwaenchanhatdeon – It was alright/decent]. I just suddenly remembered it.”

I smiled and lightly touched Demi’s head with my forehead.

In fact, compared to then, this amount of luggage was nothing.

The wine bottle was heavy, but it also contained quite a bit of what I would eat and drink.

“Prince, is it very heavy?”

A sweet voice pierced my ear. I turned my head and looked straight ahead.

The Cardinal and the Emperor, who had stopped walking, were waiting for me at the edge of the forest.

“I’m fine.”

I smiled and replied. The Prince’s physique was similar to my original one.

My athletic sense was terrible and I was very sensitive to heat, but my stamina and strength weren’t bad.

However, the Cardinal insisted on coming down to me and picking up one of the red pandas.

-Squeak.

“Thank you.”

“You need to build up your strength, why are you helping him?”

The Emperor said gruffly.

No, we’ve been climbing for an hour from the detached palace, isn’t this good enough?

“The Prince is not Cedrick. We came to rest, so I can’t make him suffer too much.”

The Cardinal smiled softly at me and walked again.

Thinking of the Prince made me feel uneasy again. We slowly began to leave the forest.

“By the way, what happened to that? There was an incident where the children stole the gifts from the inn they were staying at.”

“I left it to Simon. He said the investigation would take a long time.”

“Why?”

“The innkeeper buried the money in the mountain, but the report said it had already been stolen.”

“It’s become troublesome. Is it a robber?”

The Cardinal said.

Simon probably meant Duke Simon de Sarnese, Cristel’s father.

It seemed he was in charge of the incident that happened in ‘Luka’ village last time.

Well, the Emperor of the Empire wouldn’t have the time to directly oversee a long-term investigation.

“We’re here.”

At the same time as the Emperor’s words, the top of my head opened up. The forest ended and the surroundings became bright.

I quickly raised my head and looked ahead.

“Wow······.”

An exclamation burst out involuntarily. It was a white coastal cliff with a bright green lawn.

I blankly captured the scene in front of me in my memory.

The cool, salty sea breeze constantly laid down and rose up the grass [The wind blew constantly through the grass].

The North Sea and the sky beyond the cliff were dividing the world in half with blue.

In the center of that scenery, there was a small shrine and a large bell tower.

It was a very exotic and beautiful picture.

“It’s there.”

“Yes. You can release the divine beasts now.”

The Cardinal replied softly to my words.

I looked at the white building and the navy blue roof, and slowly placed the red pandas at my feet.

But they still showed no signs of leaving me.

I had tamed Demi, so that was understandable, but the other two didn’t seem to sense the divine object either.

Why is this happening?

“I’ll have to get closer to the bell tower.”

I said.

The Emperor looked at the twisted divine beasts and nodded.

He didn’t look very good.

“······Is that the divine object?”

“Yes. It’s the divine object of the wind attribute, ‘Bireom’s Ark’.”

I frowned slightly as I listened to the Cardinal’s explanation.

At the top of the bell tower, which I looked up from the ground, there was a large, dull thing floating around.

The ‘Blessing of the Azure Sea’ in the book was in the form of a beautifully cut sapphire, and the ‘Comet Sword of Mars’ manifested in the plains in the form of a splendid sword.

But that thing······.

“It looks like a rusty almond.”

I summarized. ‘Ark’ was, at best, crumpled silver foil.

It was difficult to grasp even its characteristics other than being vertically long and streamlined.

It seemed like a completely different being from the illustrations I saw in the divine object map book Ganael had given me or in .

The divine beasts were busy playing with each other’s tails, and I couldn’t feel even a little ether [magical energy/essence].

It was strange.

“Let’s go in and check it out first.”

The Cardinal gave a bitter smile. The Emperor silently took out the key from his pocket and opened the door of the bell tower.

-Click.

-Squeak······

The large door opened smoothly.

Whether it was specially treated or not, there were no rotten or shriveled parts in the wood, even though it had been exposed to the sea breeze for a long time.

I followed the two adults and stepped into the interior of the bell tower.

“Wow, Demi. Look up.”

-Squeak

The ceiling was open to the top in a cool way.

The internal stairs, made in a spiral shape along the wall, seemed to lead to the bell and the divine object.

The room was subtly bright.

Thanks to the sunlight pouring in from all directions through the fine gaps in the stone bell tower.

In the middle of the huge, round floor, there was a wide, rectangular stone slab.

A bouquet of flowers was placed on it. It was withered, but not completely dry.

Maybe a day or so.

“······.”

The Emperor approached the tomb and placed her bouquet next to the existing one.

It was Duke Evelyn’s tomb.

“It’s okay, Your Highness. You can come closer.”

The Cardinal, who had briefly held the Emperor’s hand, called out to me in a kind tone.

Hesitantly, I approached them cautiously.

Feeling it would be rude, I placed the picnic basket by the door and whispered to the lesser pandas to wait quietly.

Soon, I saw the inscription engraved on the flat tombstone.

‘Beloved Husband, Caring Father, Great Wizard

Alexandre Niccol Liester

1564-1600’

“Huh?”

My eyes nearly popped out.

So many thoughts suddenly swirled in my head that my mouth opened involuntarily.

The Emperor chuckled, seeing my face.

“Yes, Duke Evelyn is my husband.”

“That…”

The first words that came to mind tumbled out. Fortunately, I didn’t bite my tongue.

“I’m sorry. I should have prepared a bouquet too.”

“It’s alright. After all, only my son and I place flowers here.”

She genuinely didn’t seem to mind. Only the tips of my ears grew hot.

“It was quite fun to tease you. You could have secretly gone into the Duke’s study.”

“I couldn’t commit such rudeness while being indebted to you.”

“Or intimidate the servants.”

“You shouldn’t intimidate others carelessly.”

I rattled off answers, but I was still flustered and looked at the Cardinal.

I felt sweat trickling down my forehead.

You should have given me a hint when I guessed it last night. Then I wouldn’t have just brought food!

“Would you give a short blessing?”

“Pardon?”

The words that came from the Cardinal’s mouth were completely unexpected.

“Alexandre has never met a royal priest before.”

She subtly raised the corners of her lips. I blinked silently.

So, it seemed she meant I only needed to offer a greeting.

I looked at the Emperor, and she nodded slightly in affirmation.

I slowly knelt down and sat in front of the tomb.

Alexandre Niccol Liester. Even his middle name was engraved on the epitaph.

Could ‘Nicky,’ who appeared in the series, have been the Duke himself?

Thinking that made a corner of my heart ache.

The one he wanted to teach with a unique fairy tale, filled with boundless affection, was Prince Cedrick.

I placed a hand on his name.

-Paaat!

The golden ether [magical energy] that spread from my fingertips emitted light like a light bulb.

A simple circle generously enveloped the tomb and me.

That’s when it happened.

-Woong!

-Kwaang!

A loud noise came from the ceiling. At the same time, a tremendous impact struck the first floor.

-Urrrung!

“Ah!”

The ground shook, and the Cardinal momentarily lost her balance and fell.

The Emperor quickly lunged and caught her.

I gathered the approaching lesser pandas into my arms and lay flat on the ground.

Soon, the rumbling stopped as if it were a lie.

Damn it, what was that just now?

“…Good heavens. Frederick, it seems the divine object has awakened.”

The Cardinal said something incomprehensible. I slowly raised my head, still deploying the sanctuary.

From the ceiling, an enormous light was pouring down.

-Flap! Flap, flap!

Then, I heard the sound of something flapping its wings.

Duke Evelyn stood on the deck.

He could see the white cliffs and the bell tower gradually getting closer.

-Swaaaaa, swaa, swaaaa…

The morning on the sea was beautiful. The cool sound of the waves constantly struck his ears.

The sunlight was transparent and directly touched the surface of the water, and the air was very clear.

With each breath, he felt his lungs clearing.

The young man took one last deep breath and turned around.

“What ignorant person would think of hijacking a pirate ship?”

Then he snapped. Even his fur cloak fluttered as if in anger.

To dare put a member of the imperial family on a pirate ship and spend the night, there could be no greater sacrilege.

He didn’t even try to hide his displeasure as he glared at the princess in front of him.

After all, the woman wouldn’t be intimidated in the slightest.

“I am sorry, Your Highness. I didn’t know they would pull out the key, determined to die together.”

Cristel blinked pitifully.

Her eyes were teary, making one wonder if she was reflecting, but upon closer inspection, she was just trying to hold back a yawn in front of her superiors.

The Duke briefly considered whether he should have a duel with the princess right then and there.

She was even wearing a pirate hat on top of her pink hair.

“Ah, it’s been so long since I slept on a ship. Good morning, Cedrick. Good morning, Princess. Did you sleep well?”

Elisabeth, who came out of the crew’s quarters in the corner of the deck, stretched her back this way and that while greeting them.

Duke Evelyn Liester shot her a fiery gaze.

It was a look filled with reproach: ‘If you’re going to cause trouble, do it in your own territory. Why did you bring this human to my territory?’

The viscountess smiled awkwardly.

She was very interested in teasing Cedrick or playing with Cristel, but she had no confidence in mediating between the two.

It was a moment when Prince Yeser was desperately needed.

“I explained it yesterday. While the princess was binding the ship with waves, we boarded, and they said they could never let the ship be taken, so they broke all the keys. Pirates are tough these days.”

“So, you’re saying you’ve collectively become castaways?”

“The princess’s ether also has its limits. It was incredibly difficult to push the ship to shore. The currents and wind weren’t cooperating, and your teacher fell asleep, saying he was tired. Oh, right, shouldn’t we change the priest? It seems like his ether is too weak.”

Elisabeth lowered her voice as she said the last words.

The young Duke and Princess frowned at the same time.

Even as it was, the priest who came from the Vatican was unsatisfactory in many ways.

Just being a mere priest, having a small ether vessel, and not being as clear as Prince Yeser.

-Woong!

-Kwaang!

At that moment, a tremendous roar was heard from the coast. The three simultaneously looked at the cliff.

The top of the blue-roofed bell tower was emitting a dazzling light like a lighthouse.

-Urrrung!

-Swaaaaa!

Immediately, an earthquake followed. The waves became very rough due to the impact.

Cedrick and Cristel’s gazes flickered and intertwined in the air.