The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 110

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 110

Chapter Title: A Peculiar Dream

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Nina took a bite of the toast and showered Randell with a barrage of admiration and praise.

"Perfect crispiness— you really baked it well," she said, so Randell replied.

"That's because I do these experiments every day. I check the bread's moisture content, and I can tell exactly at what temperature and for how long to bake for perfect bread."

"That's... an incredible talent."

Jack muttered without realizing it, picked up his pen, jotted down Nina's words, and asked,

"If the population is around that size, can you figure out the male-to-female ratio too? How wide an area did you survey?"

Nina answered each question one by one, then propped her chin on her hand.

"But how do we get into that castle? Do we have to sneak in among the people delivering supplies?"

"There are plenty of ways if you look for them. But doesn't that castle have any magical defenses?"

At Jack's question, Randell said, "Of course it does," and listed off the magical alarms, alerts, and intrusion barriers he knew about.

Jack furrowed his brow.

"Guess I need to get close and check it out myself."

"Yeah."

Randell nodded.

They decided to wake up and move before dawn tomorrow, assigned night watches, and Nina crawled into her sleeping bag and fell asleep.

-The Isle of Sages is sinking?

Huh?

-Yeah.

It's my voice.

Ah... another dream, huh.

A dream.

Adrian stood in an old tent reading a report, and she sat in front of him.

From the bandages, it looked like she was injured.

-How did it sink? No matter how huge Belak is... it can't drag an entire island down, right?

-Islands don't float on water—they're mountains rising up from the seafloor.

I felt embarrassed at Adrian's explanation.

I'd thought islands just bobbed on the surface like buoys.

If I knew as much as that, I could hold conversations better.

-So the mountain collapsed?

-Yeah.

-What about Randell-sha?

Adrian paused, lifting his eyes from the report to look at me. In the darkness, his pink eyes gleamed blood-red.

-He's shocked. Of course.

-He would be.

Thinking of that kind-hearted grand mage made me sigh.

No, why am I sighing?

Do I like him? Randell?

Unlike last time, my thoughts in the dream flowed in too. It felt incredibly strange.

-Maybe he's crying in the Saintess's arms.

The sarcastic tone startled me, but dream-me didn't seem fazed and replied.

-Because you two get along so well.

-You think so?

Why ask that?

I couldn't tell, so I just stared at the Duke.

The Duke, huh. Wow, what distance.

What kind of dream is this?

Since I wasn't answering, Adrian turned back to his report.

-The era of the Sages is over now.

-Even if the Isle of Sages collapsed, the Sages are still alive, aren't they?

-Sure, but what's the point if no more Sages are born?

-No more Sages will be born?

-To control their power, we need Taruk. The ingredients for Taruk—

Right then, the tent flap flew open, and someone entered.

No, why now of all times!!

He was about to say something super important! Our Young Master!

-Randell-sha.

It was Randell who entered.

He looked completely different from now. Wearing glasses, he was clearly exhausted.

His glasses were even cracked, with a broken arm crudely fixed.

His blond hair seemed faded somehow, and his blue eyes no longer sparkled.

-Commander Rubaenu, let's advance on the Isle of Sages immediately.

-Impossible.

Randell stared at the firm reply from Adrian, then took off his glasses. I jumped up in shock, and Randell laughed.

-Then die, you bastard.

My vision flashed white.

"!!"

Nina bolted upright.

What kind of dream was that?!

"Nina? You okay?"

Nina nodded at the voice calling from the darkness.

"Yeah, just a weird dream."

"What kind?"

"Um. A dream with Randell in it?"

"What?"

Randell sounded surprised, then asked,

"How'd I appear? What was I doing?"

"Did you attack me?"

"...What? Sounds like nonsense."

"No, more precisely, you attacked the Duke."

"...That's an intriguing dream."

"It felt so real, like not a dream but a memory..."

Was what I saw not a book but a drama or movie?

Muttering to herself, Nina pressed her forehead and sighed.

"Probably too vivid, that's all. Why aren't you sleeping, Randell?"

"Can't sleep."

He quickly added,

"And if you're about to say something pointless like 'it's okay,' better stop now. I'm already annoyed with myself."

'Sharp.'

Nina blinked, then said,

"Want something to eat?"

"At this hour?"

"Don't you know midnight snacks are the best?"

Nina wriggled out of her sleeping bag. She stoked the fire, sliced some bread.

Jack, on watch outside, peeked his head in.

"What are you doing at this hour?"

"Got any sugar or butter?"

"Lady, you have refined tastes. You think we'd have that here?"

"True."

Austere island fare.

Nina rummaged through supplies, found an apple, sliced and grilled it, grilled some ham too, then made a toast sandwich.

"Here."

Randell eyed the grilled apple-ham toast suspiciously before taking a bite.

"Not bad, right?"

The grilled apple's condensed sweetness paired with salty ham—sweet-salty harmony.

'Would've been even better grilled with butter and sugar.'

Nina gave a piece to Jack too. He said, "Thanks, I'll eat well," and went back to watch.

Only then did Randell realize Jack had barely eaten dinner.

After downing two pieces of toast and gulping cold water, he sighed.

"Now I'm wide awake."

"What are you saying? A full belly makes you sleepy."

Nina laughed as she said it.

With his stomach full, his irritation eased. Randell sighed again at how one-dimensional he was.

Nina slipped back into her sleeping bag, lay prone, propped on her elbows, and looked at Randell.

"Not sleepy after eating?"

"Nah, too stuffed."

"Ate too much, huh."

Nina giggled, and Randell gazed at her in the darkness before saying,

"Feels kinda awkward somehow."

"What does?"

"Brown hair."

"Yeah?"

Nina ran her fingers through her hair like a comb. Her braided locks, now loose, curled wavy.

"This is my original color."

Randell squinted, then chuckled softly.

"Did your hair turn white after contracting with Winter? Like an ice spirit?"

"Kinda like that."

Randell blinked.

"For real."

Nina laughed as she said it.