What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 81

#081 Knight’s Honor and a Middle-Aged Man’s Romance (5)

I went back up after saying everything I needed to, though it was uncertain whether Prince Cedrick would act as I suggested.

He only snorted softly and didn’t show much reaction.

The nobles kept whispering as they looked at me.

I diligently ignored them and accepted the glass bottle Ganael handed me.

Just looking at the pomegranateade with lemon slices made me feel refreshed.

Cristel greeted me with sparkling eyes.

“Your Highness, what did you say to His Majesty?”

“I told him to take it easy.”

“Oh, my. If it were me, I would have told him to really mess him up.”

I drank the ade and smiled awkwardly.

I would have let the Prince do whatever he wanted if things weren’t so unsettling this time, but I couldn’t help but intervene.

Cristel’s handkerchief tied to the *hyegeom’s* [a type of Korean sword] hilt was clearly visible as well.

“This duel will proceed until one side declares surrender, with two witnesses observing. His Highness Prince Cedrick is a 7th-grade mage, an 8th-grade swordsman, and an apprentice holy knight of the fire attribute. The opponent, Duke Robert Blancard, is an 8th-grade mage!”

Marquis Francois D’Heim stood before the audience and began the commentary without even stumbling over his words.

Listening to this, the Prince’s martial prowess was indeed overwhelming.

As expected of the ‘main character,’ he was a cheat character who excelled at everything.

Even if he was a bit behind in magic power, it seemed like the duel was already decided unless the Duke had a hidden talent for swordsmanship.

I glanced at the Duke’s condition.

He held a wooden staff that looked about 50cm long in his right hand, and there seemed to be a sword at his waist.

His expression was playful. Hmm.

“It won’t end in 5 seconds, will it?”

Cristel whispered. Sir Haines, who had been quiet all along, responded.

“Not only holy knights but also mages are affected by compatibility. If His Highness and the Duke’s mana attributes don’t match, it could be tricky.”

At that moment, Lady Elizabeth drew her sword and stuck it into the ground.

“Begin!”

-Zhiing!

At the same time as Marquis D’Heim’s words, the Duke opened a ‘mana circle,’ a magic formula.

As soon as a bright red square floated beneath his feet, it began to self-replicate into eight identical forms in a clockwise direction.

-Chang, chang, chareureuk!

“Ooh!”

As the magic formulas unfolded like a fan and overlapped up and down, exclamations erupted from the audience.

Even for me, who had only seen portal magic formulas, the magic formula unfolded by a mage was a fascinating sight.

Since a magic formula wasn’t necessary when using a ‘specialty’ [a mage’s unique magical ability], the Prince had never presented such a spectacle in front of me.

During the Great Monster Subjugation, there was no time to watch other mages.

It looked like a circular shape like a priest’s ‘Aether Circle’ at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was a sight where eight squares were intricately interlocked.

Eight magic formulas, hence 8th grade.

“The mana flow is quite stable. As expected, the Blancard bloodline is different.”

Sir Haines said.

The Duke, who had finished seizing the initiative, released the circle and swung his staff without hesitation.

Then dust soared from the dirt floor. No,

“What is that?”

“Wow!”

My muttering was drowned out by the nobles’ exclamations. It wasn’t dust or fog.

The black particles that rose in elegant swirls occasionally reflected sunlight.

The Prince only quietly watched the scene without even drawing his sword.

A brief realization struck me.

“Magnetic force.”

The Duke’s mana had magnetic force.

Iron ore powder in the sand gathered and scattered at his command.

Wait. The Prince’s mana reacts to metal.

-Hwiuuu!

The Duke smiled and swung his staff even harder.

Then the iron powder ‘chareureu!’ rushed towards the Prince.

In an instant, his figure flickered.

-Kwaang!

The sword energy that stretched out in an instant shattered the veil of iron.

What I thought was flickering was because his movements were too fast.

It was a speed that even the eyes couldn’t catch up with. The Prince shot forward without delay.

What he held in his hand was not the *hyegeom* but another sword. He immediately reached the Duke’s nose.

-Uuung!

Then there was the sound of air wailing.

Black powder clung to the Prince’s sword like insects.

The gloved left hand was frozen in the air as if nailed. The tip of the sword could be seen trembling.

My mouth dropped open at the unexpected development. The spectators quickly swallowed their breaths.

The magic power of an 8th-grade mage was dominating the weapon of an 8th-grade swordsman.

“Is it because the Prince’s magic power is relatively weak?”

I asked urgently. Sir Haines replied calmly.

“That’s also true, but it seems the Duke’s specialty is more refined. His Highness only moves metal. That’s closer to telekinesis.”

That was certainly true.

During the Great Monster Subjugation, the Prince only threw daggers or made them fly to him, and he didn’t use more complex abilities than that.

I thought that was great enough, but there was someone even better.

The Duke was not only able to give magnetic force to metal but also had such a great sensitivity that he could control even the iron powder hidden in the sand.

In this case, the Prince’s specialty was as good as sealed.

-Chaenggeurang!

The Prince abandoned the first sword without regret and stepped back.

The sword covered in black dust lay at the Duke’s feet.

That’s why he brought several swords.

-Seureung!

As soon as the second sword was drawn, the Prince’s shadow disappeared.

-Ku웅!

With a roar, the iron powder floating in the air fell in droves.

The second sword also stopped in the air, but this time it wasn’t because of magnetic force.

It was because the Duke had withdrawn his specialty and deployed a defensive magic formula because the attack was too fast.

Red mana spewed out from the Prince’s sword.

“He can’t do multiple launches [casting multiple spells simultaneously].”

Cristel analyzed. I nodded.

Multiple launches literally meant that a mage used two or more spells at the same time.

It was said to be an ability possessed by only a very small number of high-ranking mages, so it wasn’t surprising that the Duke couldn’t use it.

He couldn’t use his specialty and defensive magic at the same time.

-Kagagak!

The Duke’s boots were pushed back. His brown hair and the end of his staff trembled.

The Prince’s magic power and physical strength were strongly pressuring him.

The two men’s red mana rose like smoke.

-Kadeudeudeuk!

“Oh, my god!”

Exclamations burst out from all over the audience. The Prince’s sword was cutting through the barrier.

I was surprised and clenched my fist tightly. It seemed like sparks were flying in his orange eyes.

However, his expression itself was surprisingly calm.

“Keuk.”

The Duke spat out his breath between his teeth and stretched out his empty hand. Then he grabbed the Prince’s sword.

Ganael in the front row hurriedly covered her mouth.

-Jjeok!

-Chaenggeurang!

“Uh-oh!”

At the same time as the magic formula went out, the second sword broke in two.

The nobles let out horrified sounds. The Prince threw away the hilt as if he had expected it.

Cristel, who had long since thrown away her opera glasses, tapped my arm lightly.

“That’s it, that’s it. Magnet!”

“Yes, by infusing the same pole of magnetic force into one sword…”

It looked like he split it.

Even if he was confident in his specialty, to break the Prince’s sword in front of him and break the defensive magic formula.

His guts and abilities were not to be underestimated.

The Prince drew the third sword like lightning without stepping back.

He still didn’t seem to want to use the *hyegeom*. What are you thinking?

-Pabat!

-Chaechang!

In an instant, the brooch pin that flew from the Duke’s jacket was blocked by the Prince’s dagger.

The two metals, which had been trembling in the air, eventually crumpled into one mass and rolled to the floor.

In the meantime, the Duke drew the sword from his waist and threw it at the Prince.

-Uuung!

The two swords did not meet and trembled like magnets of the same pole.

The Prince pushed hard. It was an opponent he had no choice but to do so.

Unlike the Duke, who was dripping blood from his left hand with his teeth clenched, there was not even a slight crack in the young man’s picturesque face.

“Where to!”

The Duke shouted as if screaming and swung the staff in his right hand.

-Uuuuuung!

The air howled fiercely, and the bodies of the two men, unable to overcome the magnetic force, bounced in both directions.

The Duke’s sword flew and plunged into the dirt floor. The Prince’s sword remained out of his grasp.

It was as if something invisible had taken the blade.

-Hwaeaeaeek!

“Aaaagh!”

People screamed.

The long sword rotated like a propeller and flew towards the spectators at a rapid speed.

It felt like my eyes were popping out. It was heading exactly towards me.

-Kwaaang!

As soon as I opened the sanctuary, the barrier was activated.

Like during the Great Monster Subjugation, there seemed to be magic cast here to protect the audience.

The sword, blocked by the barrier, slowly slid down and fell with a clang at my feet.

I breathed heavily and looked at the battlefield.

“That bastard needs to have a coffin made. It’s a hundred percent intentional.”

Cristel murmured fiercely.

Everyone gathered here, and the Prince who landed lightly, was looking this way.

His eyes darkened as he grasped the situation.

Uh…

-Seureung!

The *hyegeom* was drawn. There was no time to calm down.

The Prince corrected his grip on the ink-colored hilt and threw the sword at the Duke, uh!?

-Uuung!

There was a strange noise of magnetic force moving. The *hyegeom* was also a blade.

Even if it was a weapon given by God, it seemed that it could not escape the power of an 8th-grade mage.

The Duke smiled bitterly and moved the staff to his left hand.

Then he stretched out his right hand with a triumphant face. The handkerchief drew a sky-blue line.

-Ssaeaeek!

“I’ll take what you give me!”

The moment he grabbed the hilt,

-Hwareureureuk!

“Aaaaaaagh!”

The *hyegeom* burst into flames. The Duke screamed in pain and dropped the divine object.

Cristel’s handkerchief turned to ashes. The audience rose from their seats in droves.

“How dare you.”

The Prince’s low voice was heard.

We had no choice but to get up because our view was blocked.

I calmed the fiercely flapping Dduk-sim and raised my head.

The Duke’s palm was melting down.

“Ugh, aaaaaagh!”

It didn’t seem like a normal burn.

He was crying, holding his right wrist with his left hand.

The iron powder scattered everywhere wriggled in response to his senses.

The Prince moved his steps towards him. I couldn’t take my eyes off him for a moment.

-Hwiik!

As he stretched out his left arm, the *hyegeom* flew smoothly and settled in his hand.

The black figure was smooth as if it had never been heated up.

Before I knew it, the glove on his right hand was off.

The Prince flicked his finger in the air with an arrogant look.

-Ttak!

-Kwaaang!

“Aaaagh!”

The Duke’s body bounced like a bullet. Some of the audience fainted.

I was shocked and quickly scanned what had just exploded.

The fragments of the broken sword were shining cruelly in the June sunlight.

It was better to be stuck on the floor.

Blood was flowing from various parts of the Duke’s body where the blade was embedded. I opened and closed my mouth.

So, the first sword that was thrown away covered in iron powder.

It seemed like he blew fire into it and made it explode like a bomb.

The red-hot iron powder ‘chiiik’ burned and pierced the Duke’s collar.

I hurriedly looked at the Prince.

Thanks to the powerful fire attribute aether’s protection, he was not burned at all.

It seemed like he had blocked the flying iron pieces with magic power. My stuffy chest was relieved.

Then I heard the Duke’s fading voice.

“Wait, Your Highness… Ha, surrender,”

“You will regret even regretting it.”

-Ttak!

-Kwaaang!

As the Prince flicked his finger once more, the lump of iron that had rolled to the Duke’s head exploded.

I was startled and shouted.

[Prince, stop!]

-Guuuuung!

And time stopped.

“…”

“Oh my god…”

I heard someone’s sigh-like murmur. I breathed quickly and looked at the Prince.

The brooch and dagger mass that had been exploding with his fire had stopped in place as a sun-like red sphere.

It was like a screen made with CG [computer graphics].

The Duke groaned and rolled his body back, unable to withstand the terrifying heat in front of him.

He was not dead. The Prince stopped the explosion in the middle.

[…Thank you for your hard work.]

I spat out whatever came to my mind.

My legs were weak and my back was covered in cold sweat, but I couldn’t just sit down.

The nobles who hadn’t lost their minds were watching me and the Prince.

Thankfully, it was Marquis D’Heim who broke the silence as if cold water had been poured on it.

His voice was also trembling slightly.

“Duke Blancard has declared surrender. The winner of the duel is His Highness Prince Cedrick!”

Applause burst out as if they had been waiting. Soon, a heated buzz poured out from among the people.

I stroked Dduk-sim’s small head fiercely with the tip of my index finger.

It’s okay. It seemed to have ended well.

The Duke’s arms and legs are attached, his eyes are fine, he’s bleeding a bit, but he’s conscious.

The mental shock… He’ll take care of it himself. It’s his own fault. Yeah.