What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 778

If You Could Look Inside the Seed of Time (4)

It was truly a baffling situation. Everything, really!

“No, that is, oh Divine Spirit…”

-Eung?

The spirit blinked its innocent eyes, looking around at the humans gathered in the Rose Garden.

From the grand spirit body, which felt truly sublime, roses and tulips of five colors bloomed endlessly.

Elisabeth blinked once, then composed herself.

Because, first of all, she was from an enemy nation.

Moreover, not just a civilian but a knight, no less than the vice-captain of the Lychester Imperial Guard, serving the Emperor directly.

Even though she had spent two days at the Count’s residence, receiving lavish hospitality—of course, it wasn’t a comfortable situation, but since they were the ones who summoned the Divine Spirit, she couldn’t avoid the Countess’s persistent hospitality—she couldn’t forget her position and the ongoing war.

-Give me the bones of the Great Rose!

“Ahem.”

*Don’t laugh when it’s not funny. But don’t look too serious and invite unnecessary suspicion.*

While Elisabeth collected herself, Karme was pinching the back of her hand.

“The meaning of what you just said… Hmmm, I’m sorry, but do you clearly understand what you’re asking?”

“Ahem. Sir Bishop! How can you utter such outrageous words to the Great Being?”

“Oh, dear, Archbishop Eunha. I’m just double-checking in case the spirit misunderstood!”

“Surely, the Divine Spirit wouldn’t…”

The prominent priests of the Divine Nation, gathered at Count Rozeharder’s residence, were kneeling on the dirt floor, bickering amongst themselves.

They had come from all over the country in response to Etzardt Rozeharder’s call for national salvation, gathering in the deepest underground part of this Rose Garden.

To be precise, they were pouring all the ether [a mystical energy] from their hearts and divine power from their bodies, offering a sacred prayer unprecedented in the continent’s history.

It was a secret gathering made possible because they knew the history of the Rozeharder family and genuinely shared the Count’s loyalty.

“The remains of Pope Mateus… May I ask what you intend to use them for?”

But all of that was about to turn to dust.

Due to the ‘will of the Main God’ that had suddenly descended before their eyes.

Etzardt Rozeharder respectfully clasped his hands and asked the question.

Then the spirit, shaking the dew and pollen hanging from its large, ornamental horns, replied.

-Eung, I promised.

“You promised…”

-I remember promising the Great Rose when we last met!

The emerald spirit added, emitting a faint light like a memory.

-That child wanted to wash something away, so I shared my power.

“……”

The Divine Spirit’s eyes blurred as if counting through distant time.

The Count and the priests stared at the spirit with surprised eyes.

“Cardinal Count, did the spirit just say that His Holiness ‘wanted to wash something away’?”

“Indeed… One of the unique abilities of the spirit is ‘purification.’ If His Holiness Mateus decided to wash away all the plans that insulted the Main God…”

“Come to think of it, His Holiness Mateus was also famous for his longevity. Didn’t he live longer than King Yuri Fenetian, who once searched for the elixir of life?”

“Does that mean that someone who was originally destined for a short life received the blessing of the Divine Spirit…?”

“Oh, that’s a plausible story.”

“……”

The priests murmured, sharing their opinions. The Count silently closed and opened his eyes.

In front of the entrance to the underground prayer room, the Countess was watching with worried eyes.

It had been more than two days since the standoff, if not a confrontation, between the guest sent by God and the Count.

If they didn’t want to lose everything at this critical moment, one of them had to yield.

The old man asked calmly.

“What did you receive in return, oh precious being?”

-I received a ‘pot’ to bloom my flowers!

The spirit smiled brightly.

From the Divine Spirit’s soul, branches filled with anticipation sprouted countless leaves.

The workers in the Rose Garden, seeing the miracle from afar, prostrated themselves.

The knights guarding the perimeter also had faces filled with reverence.

-I planted an empty seed in his vessel.

“……Could it be……”

-And I hid deep in the soil… Hmm, I haven’t seen my friends since then.

“……”

-Brave Great Rose, lovely Hanan. I haven’t seen them in a very long time…

Perhaps recalling the time at the Yeriho black market, the spirit’s body shrank slightly, and the green leaves turned red.

Elisabeth stroked the spirit’s petals, quietly offering comfort.

*‘Kina and Willem are doing well. So is Mr. Morehan. They are under the protection of the Imperial Army, so you can meet them again anytime.’ ‘Hanan, too?’ ‘Of course, His Majesty Lumayan is a powerful Cardinal, so the day will come when you can reunite again.’*

At those words, the Divine Spirit perked up again.

Karme, who had been quietly watching the whole situation, suddenly raised her voice.

“Just hand over the urn, Count! Seriously, what’s taking you so long to decide?”

Quack—! Frankly, for her personality, this was a lot of patience.

The jaws of the surprised priests dropped open.

In front of the elegant and principle-loving elders, Karme poured out words like a burst dam.

“Isn’t this an urgent situation? When we came here, we saw that the royal capital nobles were too busy running away to save themselves to care for the people. You can see the city’s situation without even looking! Only the conscientious and authoritative elders are gathered here now. During the day, you treat patients being carried out of the royal capital, and at night, you don’t even sleep, supposedly praying. The workers are packaging goods day and night to send relief supplies. Am I wrong? Huh?”

“Heo……”

“Well, um, that’s true, but……”

“I don’t know what circumstances are causing you to pray as a group while hoarding the urn—don’t think I’m planning to insult the deceased—but anyway, you say the spirit’s will is God’s will, right? Why are those who claim to serve the Main God hesitating and debating for so long? I wasn’t going to say this if I could help it, but isn’t this country at war right now?”

“……”

“Is the spirit going to use the Pope’s remains as seeds to do something evil? Even if that were the case, what can you do? That would be God’s will! It seems like a very clear thing to me, who is uneducated, but is it a very complicated thing for you elders who have learned so much?”

“My, look at that friend’s attitude……”

“……What about you all?”

The Count, who had been listening the whole time, asked quietly.

Elisabeth, who had been standing with her hands behind her back, immediately responded.

“What do you mean?”

“You said you were affiliated with the Imperial Army. But you’ve come here, risking your life, to uphold the spirit’s will, setting aside your given duties.”

“That’s right.”

“If we hand over His Holiness’s remains to you… Can you swear that it will not fall into the hands of another? This is a question that includes your lord.”

‘Lord’ meant His Majesty the Emperor. The vice-captain of the Imperial Guard shrugged with an indifferent expression.

“You’re stating the obvious.”

“……Think carefully. We are the people who have the one chance to protect the royal capital with His Holiness’s remains.”

“Then I also have one question. From what I hear, you don’t mean to protect the royal capital from the ‘Imperial Army,’ but am I correct in my assumption?”

“……”

Etzardt was silent for a long time, then sighed as if sinking into the ground, rubbed his face dry, and answered yes.

The troubled expression on his face closely resembled that of his youngest son.

Elisabeth nodded as if she had expected it.

“I am a knight and the heir to the Count’s family before I am the Emperor’s second sword. I don’t know about the Divine Nation, but for a Lychester noble knight, honor is as good as life. If I were to lie by mobilizing a sacred being and thereby steal someone’s remains, I would curse my own soul even in death to prevent it from being reborn. You already know this well, as you have tested me several times with oracles [divine communications or prophecies].”

“……”

“I also do not know the great will of the spirit. However, as a person of faith, I have brought this being here to uphold God’s will. And…”

The gray eyes shone with a serious and sharp light. The priests swallowed hard.

The spirit of Iran also tensed up, looking back and forth between the young sword and the Count.

“If you are wary of the Schneider family, they are also enemies of our allies, so do not worry. As long as my life is attached, the spirit will not give them a way forward.”

“……”

“That is all.”

*Clack!*

Elisabeth put her feet together and raised her head.

The Count stood silently, looking at the soldier for a while.

On the other hand, the bishops, archbishops, and cardinals who had stepped forward to help him were noisy, offering their respective opinions.

The spirit grew the softest vines and massaged Elisabeth and Karme’s shoulders.

How many minutes had passed since then?

“……Dear. We must bring out His Holiness.”

Finally, the Count turned to his wife and declared.

The spirit’s face bloomed like a sunflower receiving sunlight.

*

“……I hope the spirit is doing well?”

That afternoon, I suddenly said while checking the plan with my friends.

I didn’t even know why that person suddenly came to mind.

Gain, who was examining the items brought by Sir Johan, blinked her eyes.

“……Um, wouldn’t they be? They were in the rear of the Imperial Army, and they’re usually very afraid of iron and blood. You can assume they won’t be coming to the front at all, right?”

“I guess so.”

“Yeah. Ah, I want to eat zucchini pancakes.”

“When we return to the Imperial Palace later, I’ll make them for you in a similar way.”

“Awesome, Palace Lord is the best. Please slice in some spicy peppers too!”

‘Of course.’ I smiled and looked over our scenario once more.

In fact, there are only a handful of cases where our operation has proceeded perfectly ‘according to plan,’ but the more meticulous the plan, the more reassuring it is.

Meanwhile, Jibril Diop had traveled back and forth to the Royal Opera House several times.

Sir Johan secured the necessary equipment while monitoring the movements of the Royal Knights, and Cedrick traveled around the city, including Cain Street, collecting information.

It was a time when everyone was quietly busy.

“By the way, how far has our side come? We have to keep calculating that, too.”

“Smoke has started to rise from a beacon tower in Memphis.”

Cedrick said, staring at a button that had fallen off his shirt on the floor.

*I’m glad I brought a sewing kit in my bag…….*

“If it’s a beacon tower, it’ll be on the mountain ridge. If the Imperial Army can be seen at a glance from there……”

Gain tapped the map with the butt of her pen.

“It’s a completely large-scale army, so take plenty of time, and considering that the weather in Memphis is particularly terrible…… Really, about three days?”

“Maybe two days.”

“There are too many variables. As you said, there are factors such as the number of people moving and the environment, but……”

Cedrick and I answered at the same time. I grabbed one of the wooden blocks placed on the map.

A square block with a crookedly drawn golden spear on the surface.

“……The unexpected wind. And it’s also unknown how Elysee will judge and respond in the future.”

*

“Wake up.”

Flash!

“Heok! Heok, heok……”

Crown Princess Elysee Fenetian woke up from a nightmare again.

It was the middle of the forest. Cherry-colored eyes, now familiar, were looking down at her.