What Happens When the Second Male Lead Powers Up

“……And the Blanquer Duchy?”

“We have no news from there yet, your Majesty. But…”

“Yeah. It’s very likely going to be the ssituation.”

Empress Frédérique was silent for a while after saying that.

The Imperial Crown Prince and Sir Johann seemed to understand the context but Christelle, I, and the rest were confused.

‘Why is she suddenly bringing up the Blanquer Duchy? Remains of priests of the Holy Kingdom?’

My brain was hard at work as my body got the chills.

Based on Vice Captain Élisabeth and the Empress’s conversation, they must be mining for holy stones in the Duchy as well.

How did they end up doing that over there……

“Ah.”

I flinched and looked at the teacup in my hand.

The white sun halo weed medicinal tea was inside it. The Empress spoke toin her usual tone.

“The distribution of sun halo weed and holy stones are roughly the same. The stones appeared when we dug into the ground where the medicinal herb was growing. There were quite a lot of them in the deposit.”

“That must be why you checked the sun halo weed habitat in the border as well, your Majesty. The Blanquer Duchy is the nearest territory.”

She nodded her head at my comment.

Holy stones seemed to be forming in large numbers in Riester now.

However, her blood-colored eyes looked extremely grim.

“Sun halo weed has a medicinal trait that is beneficial to either ether or a person’s plate. Underneath the areas they grow are holy stones, and if you keep digging…… I guess you will find the remains of priests?”

The reception room becas cold as the middle of winter. I gulped.

I put the teacup down out of reflex.

All sorts of chilling thoughts and hypotheses filled my mind.

No, those thoughts were basically established facts at this point.

The body of a priest creates these holy stones after a long period of time, which grows these divine medicinal herbs.

Nobody was saying anything when an unexpected person raised his hand.

The Empress motioned with her chin for him to speak.

“Umm… Your Majesty, the Holy Kingdom buries the dead after a funeral, but I heard that the Empire cremates the remains. But the remains that were found……”

It was Sand. The young man fidgeted as he asked, making the Vice Captain of the Imperial Guard send him a gaze that seemed to say that she understood why he was confused.

“Yes, the majority of the Holy Kingdom’s soldiers who passed in the Empire’s territory were cremated and scattered in the ‘Sea of Silence.’ If the Imperial Soldiers were unable to do it, the people stepped up sometimes to burn them. The remains that were found are the exception.”

“They must be the remains that were cast aside while the Imperial Soldiers retreated or the people evacuated. If remains are found in the border, there should be a lot more than that at Aightz Village. The last battle was extremely fierce.”

Sir Johann added on after hearing Vice Captain Élisabeth’s explanation.

Benjamin, Ganael, and the other attendants all started whispering.

Christelle raised her hand this time. The Empress allowed her to speak.

If the remains of the priests are responsible for the growth of the medicinal herbs, how is it that the sun halo weeds that were replanted in the Imperial Palace are still growing fine? There is nothing underneath the palace.”

“That is something we will need to investigate.”

Sir Michel Moutet answered.

He patted the young Countess’s shoulder twice before continuing to speak.

“I have a few ideas about it, but everything will only be certain after clearly figuring out the plant’s abilities. Your Eminence and…… Prince Jesse, I believe I will need your assistance.”

Everybody in the room looked toward me.

It madefeel embarrassed and the sun halo weed scared me, so I lowered my gaze.

Just looking at the calm surface of the tea was givingthe chills.

‘Is this that Venerable Wonhyo and the water in a skull effect?’ (TL: See https://rb.gy/9n4as9 for more info)

“……I will do my best.”

I barely managed to speak.

I was honestly disgusted and felt extremely leery about bringing this tea back into my mouth, but doing so could end up helping someone.

Gerrit and the crown prince were in front ofand there could be a lot of patients in the Empire we don’t know about.

My plate, which was just starting to recover, was currently the best test subject.

I just needed to clench my teeth and deal with it a few times.

I couldn’t throw a fit when there was a child here who had to conssun halo weed for the rest of his life despite knowing about everything.

I solemnly raised my head to see Cardinal Boutier smiling to encourage me.

*

It was late into the night. This was the first ta party was so lit in Juliette Palace at such a late hour!

“Lord David, can we throw those boxes away?”

“No. Sir Michel will probably use it again later so just leave them there……”

“Chief of Staff-nim, should I tell them to leave the military reports in the Empress Palace?”

Both the reception room and the hallway were busy.

Ganael took Gerrit to one of the empty guest rooms, and as for the little troublemakers who had fun running around causing chaos for the royal servants, they were fast asleep by my side.

My teacher and I, as well as sothers, washed up and changed into comfortable clothes.

Christelle borrowed Vice Captain Élisabeth’s on-call sleeping clothes.

I told her that she could return to the Duke’s Estate to get srest, but she seemed to have no thoughts of leaving until being certain about my condition and the effects of the sun halo weed.

I was the main character’s partner as well, so I did not push the issue anymore.

“Mm.”

‘I know it doesn’t fit the current mood, but I feel like I just invited my friends over to play.’

It was different from when they had been withat the Sérénité Lord’s Castle.

“Okay, let’s take half a gulp more one last time.”

“Yes, your Eminence.”

I quickly snapped out of my thoughts.

I followed my teacher’s order to empty the last of my, I don’t even remember how many cups I’ve drank of this at this point, tea.

Gulp, the scary and bitter liquid flowed through my throat. And then……

– Shaaaaaaaaaaaa!

A portion of her healing circle lit up as if the light was turned on.

It was the result of my soul reacting to the medicinal herb.

Two healing priests were quickly drawing it on large parchments to record it.

Cardinal Boutier and I were the only priests to reside in the Imperial Palace, but they could not leave after work today because we needed public records of this.

Sir Michel was in charge of looking it over and correcting any issues.

After that, my teacher checked their results, and……

“All done. The cause and effect are clear now.”

She then withdrew her circle. The light was finally gone!

“Wow, we’re done……”

I was basically wiped out and laid down on the group. Even the top of my mouth tasted bitter.

I thought that my stamina was decent but, potentially because I was tense all day, I felt completely drained.

Natalie quickly cover and cleared the teacup while Christelle patted my arm saying that I worked hard.

I finally started smiling once Benjamin placed a nougat in my mouth.

My teacher looked atwith a benevolent gaze.

She did not look tired at all despite using her energy for over six hours.

“You worked so hard, my dear disciple. Thank you very much.”

“I just did as you instructed, your Eminence. Thank you for all of your hard work.”

I responded. She gently brushed my hair to the side and looked up.

“Frédérique, we are done over here. Will you chere if you have time?”

I could feel someone moving. I quickly sat up.

The Empress snorted atbefore motioning forto stay seated.

The Cardinal looked around once the Empress and crown prince Cédric sat down on the couch.

‘Huh? The Duhem brothers are here.’

“Your highness.”

François and Hervé Duhem both sawand winked.

‘I know you are both handsand I am also happy to see you guys, but please don’t……’

“First, we have confirmed that the sun halo weed affects not the plate but the ether. That is the result of analyzing our little prince and Johann’s plates under the sconditions.”

“……I see.”

The Empress’s response was oddly slow.

However, I could not read anything from her imposing face. My teacher continued to speak.

“Furthermore, the way it affects a Holy Knight and a priest are completely different. It calms a Holy Knight’s dynamic ether while a priest’s calm ether becomes extremely active after consuming sun halo weed.”

“That must be why it was helpful for Gerrit, your Eminence. How amazing.”

The Vice Captain of the Imperial Guard commented in a shocked voice.

Thanks to the herb calming the violent nature of the attributed ether trying to leave the body, the child could be safe from the pain of his plate shaking.

“And why it helped our little prince as well.”

The Cardinal responded. I awkwardly smiled and agreed.

“Yes, your Eminence. I was able to confirm that the ether in my heart generates faster after drinking sun halo weed. That shows that the pure ether is getting more power. According to DSarnez, the flow of my ether rapidly becstronger as well. However, everything returns to normal after stif it is not continuously consumed. There is no lasting effect.”

The Empress looked amused.

Basically, my hypothesis about the sun halo weed decreasing the cooldown tfor my paten was correct.

My ether would have returned eventually even without the tea, but it was certain that the medicinal herb hastened its return when my ether was completely dormant that I couldn’t even sense it.

As terrible as its background was, this miraculous medicine was definitely effective.

I gently shuddered as I shook my head.

“What about the sun halo weed growing in the Imperial Palace?”

“That is also because of ether, your Majesty.”

Sir Michel answered the Empress’s question.

The table at the center that had been urgently prepared was full of all sorts of magic tools, beakers, and petri dishes.

The sun halo weed that the attendants had dug up all the way to the roots were cut and sliced in many different ways.

These were all the traces of the experiments. ‘I put sether in there earlier too.’

“We exposed sun halo weed to DSarnez’s water attribute ether and his highness’s ether for the speriod of tand then compared the results, your Majesty.”

“And?”

“It was as we had expected. Sun halo weed grows from consuming the remaining ether from a priest’s remains and does not react to attributed ether. That was the case even when it was water attribute ether. However, the plant that received his highness’s ether changed visibly, including the size of the leaf.

“How marvelous.”

The Empress mumbled. She then stared atwith a piercing gaze.

I becscared and my eyes wandered.

“It is you again. Jesse Venetiaan.”

“Excuse me?”

“What Michel is saying is that the sun halo weed in the Imperial Palace is growing thanks to your ether. Aurélie is my contractor.”

That was true.

Cardinal Boutier’s plate had becone with the Empress’s plate through the Covenant of Paired Stars.

That meant that she was unable to connect at the soul with anybody other than her contractor.

She could not share her ether with others and even Holy Knights were unable to detect her power.

The Empress was right.

The fact that this medicinal herb could grow here when there were no holy stones…… Was because of my ether.

“The reason that the sun halo weed in the greenhouse has been withering lately should be because of his highness as well. He has not been able to use his ether for a while.”

I gasped at Sir Michel’s comment.

‘These innocent plants suffered as well because I was unconscious?’

“What a heavy responsibility.”

The sword master instantly approached without a sound before extending her arm to lift up my chin.

I had no choice but to make eye contact with the Empress. She scrunched her cherry-colored eyes.

“Growing this medicinal herb is temporarily your responsibility. Think about what you want in return.”

“Your Majesty.”

Wait!

“Whether it is Aightz Village or the Duchy, do you really think I will let the medicinal herb grow using the dead as their roots?”

“……”

“I also do not need an ore that desires blood.”

I closed my mouth.

Frédérique Riester was definitely not someone who would want something like that, and her Empire was strong even without such cruel weapons.

The Empress looked atand chuckled before releasing my face and giving the order.

“Excavate and cremate all remains of the Holy Kingdom’s priests, respectfully treat them as fallen soldiers, and scatter their ashes in the Sea of Silence. We should be able to leave that to the expert, the Admiral. Send the order to Duchess Blanquer as well.”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

“The excavated holy stones will be stored and watched over in Aightz as the territory belongs to the Imperial family. I don’t want them getting embezzled or misused.”

“As you command, your Majesty.”

“Transport all of the sun halo weeds that are dug up in the process to the Imperial Palace. The Prince will look after them.”

Chief of Staff Laura bowed before leaving. The Empress then motioned toward the Duhem brothers with her finger.

They started talking about wartportals, so they will probably be looking for the remains of Holy Kingdom’s soldiers from past generations.

Extremely important decisions were all being made overnight.

I grabbed the arm Christelle extended to stand up.

‘I wonder if the Empress Palace is always this chaotic?’

“Now you get to grow flowers too, your highness.”

Her pretty eyes curled up as she teased me.

Although I was supposedly growing them, I just had to be a good little diplomatic hostage in the Imperial Palace, as I had been doing until now……

“My shoulders feel heavy.”

I shared my honest feelings. Sir Johann joked along as well, askingto please take good care of them.

I was sighing when I suddenly made eye contact with the crown prince who was standing by the balcony. I couldn’t help but wonder when he had walked over there.

Now that I thought about it, the seniors of the Imperial family had been silent about the crown prince while discussing the effects of the sun halo weed.

It was probably because his condition was top secret information.

Maybe I should stealthily go over and offer him stea.

“Your Royal Highness, excuse me……”

That young man’s orange-colored eyes looked extremely desperate.

I gasped in shock.

That was the reason for it. That was the reason I followed the punk out to the balcony, which was extremely cold except for the warmth of the crescent moon.

—

Translator’s Comments

Romeo and Juliet and the balcony. Classic.