What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 819

Gemini (2)

It’s okay, Jung Yeseo. Just breathe.

It’s not like you haven’t experienced this kind of absurd situation before, right? Deep breaths.

“So, one person gets…”

“One bowl, too.”

Mom said. I slowly continued the sentence.

“But the double burst is…”

“Two bowls.”

Jung Hyunseo said. I carefully added the following words.

“The problem is, I used to be able to do the double burst…”

“But you can’t anymore,” said Lord Johann. I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them wide. Focus.

Right, the double burst was definitely a divine skill that could only be theoretically or virtually implemented. A legend.

In reality, not even past Popes had succeeded. It was considered impossible.

“…In short, until recently, I had two bowls. But now I only have one.” Okay, internalize.

That’s it, let’s get it together. There’s less than twenty minutes left of visiting hours. Time is ticking.

I tried to stay as calm as possible, wildly pruning the prickly thoughts that sprouted like thorns. Control the chaos.

You can do it, you can do a time attack! I can figure this out.

“That’s what happened in the Lord’s universe, you know? When I became a Cardinal, I could immediately open two circles, and I could feel it instinctively. It was even quite easy.”

A waterfall of explanations poured out. She’s off again.

I had succeeded in the double burst before, but it felt more like a temporary ‘phenomenon’. A fluke.

You could say it was a miracle made possible by the instantaneous explosion of aether [a mystical energy source]. A one-time thing.

But this time it was completely different. This felt permanent.

I was 100% sure that it had become my ‘ability’. This was real.

“Oh, right. The Lord’s universe is a space connected to the pure white interstellar space. To be exact, the interstellar space is the edge of the universe, and the center of the universe is the dwelling of God, or something like that?”

“Thanks for the good information, Mom.” I appreciate the effort, but…

I nodded, forcibly cramming new facts into my head. Processing.

Indeed, that’s why Prince Yeseo appeared so quickly at the last minute. Makes sense.

His fragment must have been floating somewhere in the interstellar space—no, this is more important right now. Focus, Yeseo.

Wait a minute?

“But how can a person have two bowls? Is that even possible?”

“Well…. I wonder?”

“How would I know?”

The original author and her ghostwriter looked back at me and shrugged in unison. Seriously?

I’m sorry, but I think you two are being a little irresponsible right now! Help me out here!

“Well, I don’t know how you ended up with two bowls, but I have a rough idea of what Bojena was thinking.”

Jung Hyunseo added, picking up another strawberry. Always with the strawberries.

Our Lord Johann was a little surprised to find that the refrigerator in the hospital room was a cupboard. A mini-fridge, really.

I was so busy paying attention to both of them that I was completely out of my mind. Overwhelmed.

“Bojena? Ah…!”

I couldn’t bring myself to ask in front of my mom, ‘Are you talking about why that old woman stabbed me in the heart?’ Too graphic.

I calmly racked my brain, and at some point, I had an epiphany and opened my mouth wide. Eureka!

So, what you mean is…

“Knowing that I had two bowls…. Bojena deliberately took one of them out?”

Through the act of mercilessly slashing my heart with a sickle? A rather violent method.

“That’s the only answer, isn’t it? In fact, your body is perfectly fine without a single wound. She didn’t harm you because her only goal from the beginning was the bowl.”

Plop, Jung Hyunseo’s fork stabbed a poor strawberry from behind. Murdered it.

Red juice oozed from the sweetly ripe flesh. A juicy demise.

I shuddered and looked down at my chest. Still can’t believe it.

As my brother said, there was nothing left where the long sickle had dug in. There was no pain, so there were no aftereffects like phantom pain. Clean cut.

My mind was racing like a runaway calculator. Processing overload. Then…

“Then the reason why she took one of my bowls was…. To maintain that world line? Is that it? Because my existence is needed there.”

‘Maintainer of the world’. The three old women who guarded the plausibility called me that. My title, apparently.

Without me, that place would literally collapse. High stakes.

Large holes were punched in the sky, and from beyond the distant universe, the Lord’s black swords indiscriminately plunged down, threatening the lives of innocent people. A grim picture.

The divine artifact, Biryeom’s Ark, had also said something similar to me. Cryptic warnings.

‘-Be careful. The world is already relying on you.’ No pressure.

“There’s a possibility. Anyway, including Jung Eunseo, who is part of the Lord, and you…. Most of the Lords wouldn’t want that world line to collapse. There are hardly any readers who want the protagonists to meet their end.” Meta commentary.

“Would there be…”

“If it’s true that those sisters upheld the will of God like law and mobilized all means and methods to realize God’s wishes…. It’s reasonable to assume that they had arranged a way to prevent the destruction of the world line.”

‘That’s you.’ Hyunseo, who had neatly summed it up in a chic way, began rummaging through the luggage I had brought. Always practical.

Only then did I remember that I had packed drinks from my mom’s favorite cafe and jumped up. Guilt pang.

There wasn’t much time left for visiting hours, but only then did everyone have something to drink. Better late than never.

I delivered Vienna coffee, her favorite, to the caregiver in the lounge, and my brain was spinning. Still processing.

Mom looked at me, who was running around busily, and suddenly said,

“Then, in the end, Bojena granted all of Yeseo’s wishes, didn’t she?”

“Pardon?” What now?

Did Bojena have a failed love? A secret admirer?

“No, I heard that her son wished on the Holy Grail to save Prince Yeseo.” Oh, right. That.

“Yes.”

While Lord Johann was taken aback by the Korean-style cafe drink he was trying for the first time—although he chose it himself, he didn’t seem to understand the existence of the whipped cream layer that was well over two inches thick—I stirred the innocent Flat White with a straw and stood there awkwardly. Whipped cream confusion.

Mom took a sip of her coffee and continued calmly.

“What if the bowl taken from her son’s body was given to the prince? Once a person dies, the bowl is shattered and cannot be revived, but that method could fulfill both wishes. Good for everyone.” A win-win?

“…”

“…”

“…Huh?” Wait, hold on.

Uh, is that how it…. works? Is that even possible?

Wait?

“In short, the wish I made on the Holy Grail…”

“Bojena made it a reality herself?”

By stabbing Mom’s son? That’s… messed up.

“…But those people were evil.” Morally ambiguous.

I muttered blankly. For a moment, I felt dizzy. Information overload.

Then Hyunseo emptied the remaining espresso and replied,

“What is evil is right, and what is right is evil.” Deep.

“…”

“Cheers.” To moral ambiguity.

In other words, there is nothing perfectly right or perfectly wrong in the world. Perspective is everything.

I stood helplessly in the middle of my mind, which was clouded with fog and murky air. Lost in thought.

My vision was mottled and dizzy, and my thoughts were not flowing smoothly. Brain fog.

The first question that came to my mind was this.

“…If I, if I had two bowls from the beginning, there would have been no need to escalate things this far.” Could have avoided all this.

Jung Hyunseo looked at his wristwatch. There was clearly not much time left for visiting hours. Time’s up.

I felt anxious and tapped the paper cup with my index finger. Nervous habit.

“For example, when I was attacked by Werner…. Bojena could have achieved all her goals long ago. She could have taken out one bowl at that time and saved the prince. That day, I wished on the Holy Grail…. That I wanted to go back to my family.” What if?

Couldn’t she have just sent me home and saved the prince? A simpler solution.

Why did she stay still back then…. Ha! Frustration.

“Double burst.”

Jung Hyunseo pointed out sharply. Clap! I clapped my hands and pointed at my brother. That’s right! He gets it!

“That’s right, I only had one bowl back then. I didn’t have two bowls from the beginning, Mom. At some point, based on a specific point in time, I had two bowls. Bojena was watching us all along, waiting for that! And I…”

“Became a Cardinal-level priest. To face the three sisters alone.” The pieces are falling into place.

Lord Johann, who had finally left all the whipped cream, took the words. I quickly nodded my head. Agreement.

“Until then, she was just testing the waters, but when I became a Cardinal, I was able to do a perfect double burst. In other words, the bowl became two due to the promotion. But how?”

Trickle. As soon as I put the straw in my mouth, caffeine went straight into my stomach. Fueling up.

I used coffee as fuel to spin my cerebrum like a treadmill. Brainpower boost.

Think, you bastard, think quickly! Come on, brain!

“What does becoming a Cardinal have to do with the bowl…. If that’s the case, did our teacher and the other Cardinals all have two bowls?”

Originally there was one, but after becoming a Cardinal, it increased to two. A Cardinal perk?

Then Bojena took one of them out and left it in that world. The theory.

“She said her gastritis was all better after living there for a year and a half. The endoscopic picture from the health checkup on Monday was clean. I was surprised too.” Random health update.

“How unusual, that’s great. Huh? I guess the people there only fed her good food. I’m grateful.” Silver linings.

“Yeah. She just picks a spot and eats it, no matter where she reads it?” Mom’s rambling.

But I can still use aether…. The key.

“Wait, aether?”

I stopped dead in my tracks. Realization.

A tingling premonition swept up my spine. Something’s up.

“My aether…”

I don’t have a notebook with me right now, but I can look back on my memories as if they were yesterday. Vivid memories.

I suddenly remembered the time I spent with the lovely little one [Demi, a familiar spirit]. Connection.

‘Did you sleep well? Are you showing me something cool because you’re in a good mood?’

‘-Kkieueu’

‘I didn’t know there was a Pope in the continent.’

Lord Johann’s glib words. And Demi, who bloomed purple pansies on my miter [a ceremonial headdress]. A sign.

A book she once liked, . Demi’s influence.

‘…Do you want me to become the Pope?’

‘-Kkieung! Kkieung!’

‘Okay, I understand.’ A silent agreement.

The aether dwelling in my body had never been ordinary for a moment. Special aether.

It was the holy water and divine substance that made up the divine artifact ‘Holy Grail’. The truth revealed.

I had known this fact quite early on, and Demi had always seemed to want me to become the owner of the Holy Grail…. Demi’s plan.

“Then I can freely control the divine artifact. There won’t be any side effects…. ” Full control.

“Look at her concentrating. I thought my son would go to Seoul National University.” Mom’s pride.

“She’s bad with directions, so it’s impossible, Mom. The campus there is too big.” Hyunseo’s teasing.

“That’s right, I forgot to include the spatial perception ability option when I shipped her…. ” Mom’s humor.

“…But the Holy Grail is also…. No way, crazy. It’s crazy.” Mind blown.

I mumbled like a madman. Losing it.

Then Lord Johann, who had noticed something, looked up at me, stopping his work of clearing the empty plates. Alert.

“Your Highness?”

“The Holy Grail is also a bowl, Lord.” The revelation.

I blurted out without context. Mom and Hyunseo, who were chatting, turned to look at me. Attention gained.

“Huh?”

“The Holy Grail is also a bowl. It’s literally a ‘holy tray’.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

The three of them fell into the same kind of silence. Stunned.

I looked back at them and exhaled. Taking a breath.

“What if that replaced my bowl? What if my bowl right now is the Holy Grail?” The theory takes shape.

I finally became the complete owner of the Holy Grail, and so…

“So, I gave my existing bowl to the prince?” The final piece.

*

Ganael’s golden eyes widened. Shock.

“Heeik, the Holy Grail has been destroyed?”

“Shh, Ganael-nim!”

“Please lower your voice!”

The young priests who served the superiors in the Temple of Vigilance surrounded the boy attendant, pressing their fingers to their lips. Secrecy.

‘Heop!’ Ganael also covered his mouth with his palm and rolled his big eyes around. Scared.

Fortunately, there was no one in the wide and remote corridor. Empty corridor.

Since the news of the end of the war, this place has been transformed into a battlefield of faith, where clergymen exchange high-pitched voices and engage in debates. Religious turmoil.

From the new bishops to the old cardinals, they gather in a large hall and engage in fierce discussions day and night, so the subordinates in charge of errands can only watch and hold their breath. Tense atmosphere.

A priest girl diligently explained in sign language. Silent communication.

Then the servants who helped Ganael translated it, sweating profusely. Anxious translation.

“For some time now…. There is also a rumor that Luffert, the Vicar General, has ordered an audit of the purple smoke rising from the chimney.” Investigation.

“Gongja is a member of the Valentine family, so we are telling you with trust.” Trusted source.

“Oh my gosh, an audit? Isn’t he the one who is waiting for His Holiness the Pope’s reserve more eagerly than anyone else?” Hypocrisy?

“However, if the Holy Grail…. is broken in half, the story is different. Lord God.” Game changer.

“Her Highness Aurelie Boutier must also know this news.” Important information.

This time, another girl did sign language, and the servants moved the words in a low voice. Whispered secrets.

Ganael swallowed hard and looked around again. Nervous.

The Papal Palace, which already lacked humanity, felt even more eerie today. Ominous feeling.

“The past accidents in which holy water was lost are…. on a different level. The fact that the Holy Grail itself has been broken is clearly a big change…. The Vicar General is not publicly revealing this.” Cover-up.

“At this rate, the clergy of Venetian may take action first.” Impending conflict.

Most of the priests were very young, in their mid to late teens, but they had lived in the temple since they were snot-nosed children, so their sense of awareness was extraordinary. Young but aware.

A boy diligently moved his hands and asked.

“The angel of the Lord who flew away holding the moon…. Has Gongja also heard the rumors?” More rumors.