What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 760

Pantheon (2)

Wow, what’s going on here?

“Yohan? Is that you?”

“······.”

We’re disguised with magic right now, so how did that person recognize Sir Yohan?

We should clearly look like we have gray hair to others!

“······Teacher, do you know her? Are you acquainted?”

Ms. Gain whispered, her voice completely different from an hour ago.

Sir Yohan didn’t answer, just flicked his eyes in the woman’s direction.

His speed was so fast that I felt a chill and took a half step back. A single Gu worm [a type of venomous creature used in black magic] wrapped around his neck quickly hid inside his hood.

The stranger was looking at us with a demure attitude. She seemed to think she might have been mistaken.

I hid behind Cedric’s large back. Only then did my vision paradoxically clear, and I could see the surroundings.

-Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap······

“Goodness, it looks like everyone in the neighborhood is gathered here.”

-Squeak

Now that I see it, there were really a lot of people in the temple lobby.

However, most of them were sitting pitifully against the walls.

I tried not to let my guard down as I listened to the voices filling the lobby while moving.

We were going deeper and deeper into the Pantheon.

“Sister, sister, open this for me.”

“Okay. When you’re done eating, make sure to go to the priest and thank him······.”

“Thank you so much, sir. I never thought you would use your healing power on the likes of us······.”

“Don’t mention it. The parents need to recover well so the children can gain strength.”

“Priest! This way! The wound from the Corrupted One’s bite is severe! Thigh bleeding······!”

“A message has arrived that the relief supplies from the Eastern Assembly will be delayed today. Yes. The thing is, the Corrupted Ones are camped out on the road······.”

‘Corrupted Ones?’

Could it be that they’re calling those freaks, the ones who were ruined by the failed Holy Knight creation experiment, that?

Well, in their eyes, those guys are evil monsters using the powers of a Holy Knight, so it’s not unreasonable to think of them as those who have lost God’s grace and become corrupt.

Having learned a new term, I took a closer look at the people here.

Most of them seemed to have fled from the Corrupted Ones or from the war.

Judging from the luggage they had unloaded and the bedding spread on the floor, it didn’t seem like they had only stayed for a day or two.

There was no one dressed like a noble; they all seemed to be commoners. Injured people, hungry people, children who had lost their guardians in the chaos.

Or all of them.

“Child, please take this to the vice-deacon over there. That’s right.”

“······.”

And there were priests helping them······. Quite a few.

Although I didn’t see anyone dressed as high as a bishop. I blinked and thought.

This is amazing. Even though everyone has lost their homes and gathered here, I don’t feel the bleakness from outside at all.

“Excuse me, are you perhaps Yohan Haynes? There can’t be two faces like that in the world······.”

“Gasp!”

The woman’s question, delivered in a different tone, swept away my thoughts.

No way, Sir Yohan is so handsome that he’s getting caught!

Handsome men must experience inconveniences like this in life.

I really won’t be able to do anything secret for the rest of my life!

-Step, step, step······

“······It seems we have our first plan.”

‘Indeed, the temple is a place that bestows unexpected blessings.’ Finally, Sir Yohan closed and opened his eyes with a soft smile.

Earlier, his gaze was sharp like a snake, but now he’s showing eyes as soft as cotton candy, so I didn’t know which rhythm to admire.

Jibril Diop replied, ‘Whatever it is, it’s fine as long as we can proceed to infiltrate the royal palace.’

Then, the Cardinal’s gaze turned to his two disciples.

“I’m fine with anything. I have a short attention span, so I listen well to those who think deeply.”

Ms. Gain answered with sparkling eyes. Finally, the Crown Prince nodded solemnly.

Then, Sir Yohan’s irises, facing forward, took on a dark gray-green color.

He stopped crossing the lobby and turned sharply around. And he grabbed the unknown woman’s arm―

-Rustle!

“Shut that mouth.”

“Heok.”

Oh my god, Lord! Sir Yohan pulled out a knife!

He took out a dagger and is pressing it against the woman’s side under her robe!

“Mmph.”

I almost screamed for real, but Demi managed to silence me by covering my mouth with his front paw.

The woman in the priest’s robes looked at the man with a pale, trembling face.

But for some reason, none of my friends were surprised.

I was the only one who was anxious that someone might see this scene.

A terrifyingly low voice flowed from between the Cardinal’s lips.

“······We’ll talk on the condition that you give us a room.”

“······That’s, that’s all? You don’t need information?”

The woman blinked her olive-colored eyes and stammered.

Then Sir Yohan tilted his head.

“I’m the type to not say the obvious.”

“You’re really the same, Yohan. Nothing has changed······.”

“You know who I swore allegiance to.”

“······.”

At that, she immediately zipped her lips.

Then, she rolled her eyes and quickly scanned us.

I pushed Demi’s forehead into my chest and quickly lowered my head.

The Crown Prince was the number one person who should never have his identity revealed, but instead, he held his head up stiffly.

Ropi, who was riding on his shoulder, also stared intently at the woman.

Eventually, she said in a trembling voice.

“······We belong to the Papal States anyway. Outside, war has broken out, and the Corrupted Ones are wandering everywhere.”

“Get to the point.”

“······What big deal could happen here? I’ll help.”

Swoosh, the dagger was finally withdrawn.

My sigh was louder than the person who was threatened.

This was the first time I’d ever gotten cooperation in this way.

A little later.

-Click!

As soon as the door to the multi-purpose room, which looked like a storage room, closed, we took a long breath and began to take off our robes.

Meanwhile, the woman, standing with her back to the door, drooped her shoulders and opened her mouth.

“I’m Hilda, a priest-level cleric. This is the Pantheon, the temple that governs all temples. Anyway, welcome.”

“Hello, Ms. Hilda. I’m······.”

I tried to introduce myself, but I was at a loss for words. I knew I should return the greeting since I received one, but I was momentarily confused about what alias to use.

Then Hilda chuckled and shrugged.

“I don’t want to know. I’m curious, but my life is as important as yours, so it’s better not to know.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Just don’t go anywhere and say my name.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you so much for your help.”

Even if she was a cleric of the Papal States who had given up her Venetian nationality, she was still staying in the Holy Nation.

If the fact that she hid Emperor Liester’s sword and his party was known, she might not be safe.

I immediately understood and nodded my head.

I released the divine beasts, who had been trapped in my arms, onto the floor, and found a dusty basket in the corner and laid a thick blanket in it.

When I carefully laid Tete inside, the harp seal fluttered its flippers in delight. Hilda, who found the baby, widened her eyes.

“You brought even a young animal across the front lines in this chaos?”

“How are things in the city? The royal palace?”

As I was about to answer, Sir Yohan, who took out a few gold coins from his arms, interrupted the woman and asked coldly.

I momentarily witnessed Hilda’s eyes being hurt.

Ms. Gain looked back and forth between the two and bit her lip, focusing only on unpacking her luggage.

“······I don’t need gold. It’s slowly losing its value in the capital. I’d rather you catch a demon beast somewhere or rob a noble family’s kitchen.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. So, the information?”

Sir Yohan asked back with an emotionless face as he collected the gold coins.

Cedric, who was checking his weapons, didn’t seem to have any interest in the two, and Prince Diop was already making a knowing expression.

It seemed that I was the only one who couldn’t figure it out this time.

The atmosphere is difficult······.

“······The royal guards are firmly locking all the gates and not letting anyone in. Conversely, no one inside can come out. Nobles and servants are all trapped. They’re lined up in layers all day long, surrounding the castle walls······. The security is so tight.”

“The King?”

“He must be safe. I haven’t heard any news of his death.”

“The harbor.”

“It was all closed last January. It must be because the war situation has worsened.”

Hilda said, following Sir Yohan’s movements with her eyes.

Her hair, covering her shoulders, was a deep greenish-brown.

I diligently looked around, and the moment a few seconds of silence flowed, I raised my hand.

The priest looked at me and smiled faintly.

“Please speak.”

“Yes, um. Are the so-called ‘Corrupted Ones’ unable to enter here? The temple doors seem to be always open, and the people of the capital have evacuated here, so the environment seems strangely stable.”

It would be difficult to describe the scene in the lobby as ‘stable,’ but anyway, it was compared to outside the temple.

Hilda fortunately seemed to understand what I meant.

“Didn’t you see it when you came in? The skylight on the ceiling of the Pantheon.”

“······Was there such a thing?”

In fact, I was too nervous to look up.

The priest raised the corners of her mouth and gestured to the window across the multi-purpose room.

Ms. Gain and I quickly clung to the window frame and looked out over the dusty glass.

The circular lobby we had passed earlier came into view at a glance.

Thick marble floor, shiny gold-painted interior columns, and patterns beautifully painted with purple dye. Passing them, if you raise your gaze straight up to the sky······.

“Wow······.”

“Oh, pretty······.”

-Squeak······

In the center of the huge, perfect dome-shaped ceiling, a round skylight was pierced in the highest place of the temple.

We took turns letting out sighs like exclamations.

However, the light pouring into it was very subtle.

It was abundant enough to fill the entire lobby, but it felt somehow cool and mysterious.

Hilda seemed amused by our foolish faces and chuckled briefly.

“It’s a window that gathers the gaze of the main god. It doesn’t let in any sunlight, but only gathers moonlight during the night and illuminates the believers during the day. Here, it’s called ‘Lumináre’ [a type of skylight].”

“Lumináre······.”

-Grumble

Demi and I muttered in a daze. The priest crossed her arms and leaned against the door.

“As the fact that the Corrupted Ones fear moonlight became known, many people have recently come here to take refuge. Of course, there have always been refugees since the war broke out.”

Ah······. So, it was true that my staff emitted moonlight.

I felt a strange feeling after gaining certainty.

Ms. Gain looked back at Hilda and asked in an indifferent tone.

“By the way, I wonder if I can ask you this question. Are you two old friends? Ah, I’m Sir Yohan’s disciple.”

“······.”

The priest seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment.

Then Sir Yohan, who was carrying an old bookshelf from one side, answered indifferently.

“We were in a relationship of watching and being watched. Hilda is a distant relative of Grand General Rüpert.”

“······.”

······The atmosphere is really too difficult······.

“······Please vacate the room as soon as possible. I’m not in charge here either, so it’s dangerous if I get caught.”

Soon, the woman left those words and left the multi-purpose room.