There Are Too Many Second Male Leads!

It was impossible for the aristocrats to touch the archbishop’s body, but it was also impossible for the archbishop to touch the aristocratic body. This was especially true in the Roman Empire, where the power of the four dukes was greater than that of the temple.

As Evan’s grip grew stronger, Verger forced a tolerant smile.

“Don’t worry, there will be no contact.”

Evan’s grip loosened. Verger’s eyes were smiling, but he felt a sharp pain in his wrist where Evan had held him.

‘Ignorant strength…….’

The family had two sons who had become sword experts at a young age. A Shaman, the official knightly order of the imperial guard, Chase, the only Sword Master in the Lumian Empire, and two Sword Expert sons. Even the most secretive Verger would be beheaded in the night if he showed his true colors in front of Clemend.

A shiver ran down his spine at the horrific thought, and he turned away from killing and focused on his divine power. Verger’s wrinkled hand hovered just above Roella’s head.

Soon, a white light flowed from his hand. The light moved over her body as if checking on Roella’s condition, then quickly disappeared with a flick.

“No……!

Verger’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he called upon his divine power once more, repeating the process. The result was the same. Chase, who had been watching in silence, asked nonchalantly.

“What do you think?”

“Is there…….”

“Nothing. With this much mana, I wouldn’t be surprised if she passed out immediately, let alone woke up.”

Verger shuddered. Roella didn’t feel any mana in her body, let alone divine power.

She may have brought the Emperor’s seal, but this was Duke Clemend’s residence. She hadn’t recognized his authority because she was certain she was awake.

But she was not. Berger had entered Clemence’s mansion on a mere suspicion and found the princess asleep. He swallowed hard and spoke in a guilty voice.

“I don’t feel anything…….”

“……!”

The three men looked serious as if they were hesitant to speak.

They should be happy that Roella hadn’t been able to detect that she was awake, but that wasn’t what they were thinking. They thought it would be a trick of the eye, but after using their divine powers to scan her body, they couldn’t feel anything.

Chase felt his heart racing in his chest, knowing that anyone who came here to harm Roella wouldn’t just casually look at her. When Louise couldn’t hide his reaction, Evan picked up on it. As Evan and Louise calmed down, Chase went back to his poker face.

“So you got all the confirmation you wanted?”

Chase asked, his voice stern as if he’d been waiting. There was a strong note of anger in his voice.

Verger was not in the right frame of mind to answer. He didn’t understand this situation, not feeling anything from Roella.

“Everything will begin again after the Light of Life.”

On the day Roella collapsed, Luganet found the light. A year ago, the last oracle was clearly directed at her.

Since then, the Temple has kept its eyes on Roella. If Roella did not awaken, the Temple’s authority over the Empire’s treasures would only increase.

When Luganet lost its glow again, Verger was certain that Roella had awakened. He didn’t even think to doubt it.

‘The Oracle’s interpretation is wrong?’

If Luganet had lost her light and Roella hadn’t awakened, that meant they were not related.

This would not only put her out of favor with Duke Clement, but it would also destroy her trust in the Emperor. Verger’s mind went blank.

“How do you plan to take responsibility for this?”

Chase’s strong focus on the word responsibility caught Verger off guard, and he quickly looked away, pretending not to care.

“It has been a great inconvenience to the House of Clement,” he said, “but it was also the will of His Majesty the Emperor to see to it, and I beg you to understand that I did not doubt the Duke, but merely sought to get closer to the will of God.”

The Archbishop’s apologetic tone made Chase feel even more uncomfortable.

In other words, it was the Emperor’s will and could not be overturned, and it was a process that all those in the Oracle would go through, so they must endure it. Eventually, Chase’s anger exploded.

“And if the oracle comes down again in the future, what will you do then? Will you come to me with the Emperor’s letter, as you have done now, and open the gates of the Duke’s house?”

The impatient Chase glared at the archbishop with a murderous gleam in his eye. Verger lifted his head slightly to stare at him.

His breath caught in his throat as the red auror surrounding his body became clear to the naked eye. Even without a sword in hand, he looked menacing, as if he could take his life at a moment’s notice.

“The only Swordmaster of the Lumann Empire……!

Verger gulped nervously, worried for his life, as the auror’s creepy voice echoed through the room.

“Answer me.”

The horror in front of him made him lose his dignity, and he cried out.

“in the name of Verger, it will never happen again!”

As soon as He spit out the words, shame washed over him. Verger pursed his lower lip in silence.

An archbishop shouldn’t have to bow his head this low. But this was Duke Clement, a man not even the Emperor could touch. Even if he were the Archbishop of the Central Shrine, he would not be able to bend Duke Clement to his will with his power or divine power unless he was blameless.

‘I must endure. Or my head will be off……!’

Clement was known to be a man of gentle character, but when it came to the sword, he was ruthless. Authority was authority, but Clement was the softest of the Four Dukes, which was why no one could touch him.

“I hope I don’t have to warn you twice.”

Chase finally gave in to the auror’s humiliation when Verger accepted his submission. He spoke in a cold, authoritative tone.

“Get out of my house at once.”

Verger’s fists trembled, but there was nothing more he could do.

* * *

After the three of them were escorted to the gates of the temple, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief. Louise, who had been fidgeting the entire time, finally spoke up when the priests were almost out of sight.

“We must call a doctor, Father!”

A red-faced Louise grabbed Chase’s cuffs, and it was only then that Chase showed signs of unease.

“The Archbishop said he didn’t feel anything. What happened to Roella?”

Chase’s voice quivered slightly. Evan’s ears perked up at his question, and he stared at the two of them.

“I didn’t move her! I went into the training room to look for her, and she just disappeared, and when I got back to the mansion, she was in bed!”

“Then who moved Roella to the bedroom?!”

No one in the mansion would dare to touch Roella’s body if it wasn’t Louise, which meant that it was a mysterious intruder who had moved her.

As soon as he heard Louise’s words, Evan drew the sword at his waist. In an instant, the tip of his sword was coated in red.

“I’ll check the surroundings.”

Louise continued, unperturbed by Evan’s words.

“Even if I wake her up. She wouldn’t wake up.”

“……what?”

“No matter how much I shake her, she doesn’t respond……. Something’s wrong!”

At Louise’s shout, Evan’s hand on the sword tightened. At the same time, the three of them remembered Archbishop Verger’s words, “I can’t feel anything.”

“Call a doctor now, Father, we don’t have time for this……!”

As Louise’s words trailed off, Evan ran to search the mansion, and Chase immediately ordered his users to summon the mansion’s doctors. The two quickly made their way to Roella’s room.

Panting, Chase and Louise stopped dead in their tracks as soon as they entered Roella’s room.

“Huh…….”

“How…….”

The two stared in disbelief at the fully dressed Roella, whose eyes soon turned to them.

“Huh? Isn’t it almost lunchtime?”

“Roella……!”

Chase shouted with excitement, rushing over to Roella and pulling her into a big hug. A confused Roella shook her head.

“What’s wrong, Dad?”

Chase didn’t answer her question, only tightening his grip on her.

Roella’s gaze shifted to Louise, who was blushing. Roella mouthed the words, “What?” but Louise mumbled, looking like he was about to burst into tears.

“You…… okay.”

Seeing the relief on Louise’s face, Roella quickly checked the top of her head and pulled her lips up in silence.

* * *
Theodor, an old man with gray hair and long flowing locks, was inside the temple’s vault. The twilight glow from the lanterns that had briefly lit up the road had now disappeared.

“Good morning.”

He smiled kindly and backed away slowly, never taking his eyes off the luganet, which had faded to a dull color.

“Archbishop Theodor.”

Emerging from the vault, a priest in black robes bowed before Theodor.

“The Luganet remains unchanged.”

Theodor had kept the condition of the luganet, which had glowed earlier and then faded, a secret.

The priest understood as soon as he heard Theodor’s words and walked to greet Verger as he returned.

“All will begin again after the Light of Life.”

Verger interpreted “the light of life” as “the light of Luganet,” but Theodor disagreed. The moment Roella fell asleep, Luganet found its light, but the Roman Empire lost its strength. Time passed in silence, with nothing much happening.

Only Theodor felt a sense of urgency. Nothing much had changed, except that Roella had fallen asleep, but to Theodor, the Roman Empire felt like a dead city.

It was not long before the mood began to change. The Roman Empire moved with a vigor as if it had regained life. When time finally seemed to be moving in the right direction, Theodor found Luganet’s child.

He was able to recognize that the child was awake before Verger did.

“The light of life is that child.”

As the archbishop, he had the power to give a different explanation of the prophecy, but it was too early for that. Since Archbishop Verger had the Emperor’s approval, it’s probably because the Emperor was involved in this.

Roella was still powerless. She didn’t even seem to realize that she was Luganet’s child. Theodor would watch and wait for the time when she was strong enough to stand up to the Emperor.

‘Luganet’s child. May you be the light of the Roman Empire.’

Theodor smiled faintly, hoping to have a long conversation with her someday.

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