Chapter 1: “Where Am I?”
Chapter Text
“Hu–Huh?”
Raon’s wings stuttered as he almost lost balance while he was flying in the air.
“What is happening?” Eruhaben approached the black dragon, but Raon’s eyes were stuck on the glowing light above the temple. Specifically, Cale’s light.
“I, I can’t feel the human anymore!”
Eruhaben snapped his head to the light and grew anxious as it started to flicker. Like a match touching water, the light disappeared completely.
“What?” Alberu stepped up. A hardened expression was seen on his face.
“The human is gone!” Raon announced panickingly.
“Did he give up?” Alberu asked out loud. If Cale did give up, which wasn’t something Alberu could imagine he'd do, he should be thrown out of the temple. However, the fact that nothing changed made Alberu nervous. Something is wrong.
“You unlucky bastard...” Eruhaben closed his eyes. Like the crown prince had informed them earlier, there shouldn’t be a possibility of death unless the people inside the temple kill themselves. Despite Cale’s obsession with living a peaceful life once everything was over, his sacrificial tendencies are worrying. However, the ancient dragon had come to know Cale and how strong the human was. Not through physical strength, but through mentality. The possibility of him killing himself because of the illusion is illogical.
Everyone present watched intensely how the light disappeared until nothing was left behind.
“The Commander... is dead?” A soldier muttered, feeling despair at the realization. Another knight accidentally dropped their weapon. No one had it in them to comment on it.
“Be okay, you bastard,” Alberu muttered.
Cale had a hard time breathing properly. He was falling, and everything hurt.
He felt this sensation before. A wave of déjà vu washed over him as he remembered his time transmigrating back to Earth during the Sealed God’s test.
He was supposed to go to the next stage of the temple. Why is it different now?
— I won't let you go so easily. Accept the despair to enter your body, Cale Henituse, and become mine.
Cale flinched as the voice of the God of Despair echoed in his mind.
‘This damn god...’
“Ugh!” Cale clenched his eyes shut as he felt a terrible pain taking over his body. His senses became paralyzed and all connections he had with the world started to break down.
Cale desperately tried to move in order to breathe again.
“Argh!”
However, the pain became even more intense, making his whole body freeze in a hunched state.
‘What the hell is happening?’
Cale’s mind was a mess and the pounding headache got worse. He could not think straight. He felt two invisible hands on each side of his body, pulling him in different directions and battling for dominance.
Yank!
“Ugh!”
One hand let go and Cale felt himself fall again. Luckily, the pain was slowly disappearing. He felt somewhat relieved at this odd situation, but he could still not open his eyes. Cale was prepared to hit the ground hard as nothing was preventing him from falling.
Suddenly, a different voice was heard in his mind.
— I’m so happy I could reach you.
Cale lost consciousness with his eyes closed.
“Gasp!”
Cale immediately started to take deep breaths as he could finally breathe properly again. Both the suffocation and the pain was gone. His eyes were closed and he felt exhausted enough to not be able to move.
The first thing Cale noticed was the unbearable scent of death around him. The lingering smell of burnt wood was almost unnoticeable because of the dizzyingly stench of blood.
‘What the hell is going on? Should I open my eyes?’
He wasn’t sure he wanted to. Cale didn’t know where the Sealed God had taken him. He might be watched by enemies and mistaken as a corpse based on what he could smell and hear.
Cale was lying down with grass touching the left side of his face. He tried to breathe as silently as possible despite his lungs screaming at him.
“Cough! Cough!”
Still, it was hard to avoid coughing every time he accidentally breathed in smoke. This was the worst. He felt like he was burning from the inside.
Cale was exhausted. Just breathing was hard, let alone open his eyes. On the other hand, he needed to know what happened and where he was. Therefore, he tried to open his eyes despite the extreme fatigue he was feeling.
In front of him was a boulder. No, it was a stone wall.
A giant stone wall Cale was quite familiar with. When the realization washed over him, he let himself close his eyes again and focused on his breathing.
Harris Village.
The stone wall that separated Harris Village and the Forest of Darkness, but there should not be such a strong smell of corpses in this place. After all, it had been rebuilt at Cale’s request and was now a home for the Wolf children and the Tiger Tribe.
Something must have happened, and Cale was probably in danger, but he could not move.
“Cough! Cough!” Cale could also not stop the cough that erupted from him. While his breathing had calmed down, it would not slow down with the smoke entering his lungs every time he took a breath. Cale could only think of one incident where Harris Village would be like this.
‘Was I brought back to the past?’
The incident that came to mind was the massacre of Harris Village caused by the White Star right before Cale transmigrated into this world. Choi Han had only shown up after everything was destroyed. Overtaken by despair and rage, he ruthlessly killed all of the remaining assassins, and buried the villagers’ bodies before heading towards Rain City.
The bloody image made Cale shudder. The dead citizens and assassins would explain the scent of death, as well as the burning wood from the destroyed buildings.
‘I really am in the past.’
This was problematic. Something had gone wrong, and Cale wasn’t sure if this was an illusion anymore.
“Cough, cough! Cough!”
Smoke seeped into his lungs again as the wind blew by, and Cale’s throat hurt from coughing violently. He mustered up his strength to open his tired eyes and look around again. All he saw was ruined houses and rubble laying around. Nothing was still burning, but blood was painting the ground red, and the smell was impossible to ignore.
‘This must be right after Choi Han left. The corpses are still here.’
Cale needed to figure out what time it was, and moved his head to search for the sun.
‘Afternoon, most likely.’ he concluded. ‘How long do I have before Father’s investigation team arrives?’
Deruth Henituse should have sent an investigation team for Harris Village the morning after Choi Han had reported the incident. Cale could only guess how long it had been since then.
‘They should probably be on their way by now. I need to move.’
If the investigation team found him here, it would be bad for Cale. No matter how different he looked, anyone could recognize his striking red hair. Cale recalled the familiar voice he had heard earlier.
‘I won't let you go so easily. Accept the despair to enter your body, Cale Henituse, and become mine.’
It was undoubtedly the God of Despair. It sounded like the god would forcefully get Cale to accept the despair. He wanted to laugh at the irony, however, it only caused him to cough again.
“Cough! Huuuuuu.........”
The second voice he heard before falling unconscious reminded him of the God of Death.
‘Ugh.. why the fuck do they do whatever they feel like doing?’
It annoyed him. He just wanted to complete the tests as fast as possible and get to the end, what was he doing here?
The coughing would still not stop unless he moved away from the smoke, but he also didn’t have any energy left in his body. Luckily, his hearing had started to return.
It was at that moment he heard the voices of people and the sound of horses.
‘Fuck...’
Chapter Text
Hilsman was supposed to depart with young master Basen for the Capital in almost a week. However, the sudden appearance of a shabby young man who claimed Harris Village had gotten attacked made his Lord send Hilsman to lead the investigation. Hilsman had complied without complaint and quickly left Rain City.
Harris Village is a place many of the elder servants of the Henituse Estate could not forget. After all, the late Countess’ death happened on a trip to this very village. Hilsman had still been young and new to his job, but the late Countess’ personality easily made its way into everyone’s hearts. It pained many the day she died.
Now, when he was walking towards Harris Village, Hilsman didn’t know what to feel.
“It smells so bad.. blood...”
A knight beside him spoke up and snapped him out of his thoughts. They had already noticed the awful smell long before arriving. Regaining his composure, Hilsman raised his voice for everyone to hear.
“Let’s hurry!”
Everyone around him sped up at his command. The count had already informed Hilsman that there should not be any survivors except for the swordsman, so their mission is to inspect the place and clean up.
When they arrived at Harris Village, a sea of corpses was all they could focus on.
“Mmph!”
“O-oh god...”
Anxious murmurs were heard from behind him. Another man slapped a hand over his mouth, suppressing the nausea he was feeling. Not many were used to seeing such a sight, and even less people could contain their emotions.
A blood bath. Unmoving bodies and destroyed buildings as far as the eye could see. Smoke soon filled the air around them.
Hilsman was also feeling lightheaded at what he saw, but he forced himself to focus. With a quick sweep of his eyes, Hilsman confirmed the scene and started walking into the village. Poorly made graves caught his eyes in the distance.
“Alright everyone. Get moving!” He spoke up and gave out orders for every investigator.
“Yes, Vice Captain-nim!”
“Ugh... Yes, Sir.”
*****
Meanwhile, Cale was inwardly panicking.
‘Shit... why must they be here now?’
Fighting the urge to cough and accidentally reveal his hiding spot, Cale tried to organize his thoughts.
‘That was Hilsman’s voice. He’ll definitely recognize me.’
Cale didn’t know how long the investigation would take, but he could not lay here until it was over. It might take days.
‘My past self might also be there. I can’t meet him. It would be too troublesome.’
Every breath was still faint because of the smoke, and his voice was painfully raspy. Cale tried to shake off the exhaustion still creeping up his body, but his legs would still not move.
‘Did I lose my ancient powers too? Why isn’t the Vitality of the Heart working?’
He tried to call out for his ancient powers in his mind, but got no response. The fatigue he was feeling should have disappeared by now thanks to the Vitality of the Heart. However, he was still feeling just as shitty as he did when he woke up.
Unable to bear the suffocation from the smoke any longer, Cale coughed violently again, hoping no one would hear him.
“Huh? What was that?”
‘Well great.’
*****
Hilsman and another knight froze upon hearing what sounded like a strained cough. With stiff shoulders, Hilsman turned to look in the direction of the noise. He saw one of the destroyed houses with a wooden wall still intact enough to hide a person.
He got reminded of a piece of information. There should be no survivors.
Drawing his sword, Hilsman carefully approached the building, the other knight followed silently behind him. Upon hearing another painful cough and the desperate breaths coming from the person did he round the corner.
Striking red hair filled his vision and Hilsman was momentarily stunned by the sight. A man was lying deadly still on the ground. Had it not been for the coughs emitting from the man, Hilsman would have thought he was dead because of his unmoving body.
“Hey! Are you okay?”
The young knight immediately sprang forward and crouched down in front of the man. Hilsman wasted no time in approaching the two and inspected the man’s clothes. He was undoubtedly rich, judging from the expensive coat. Seeing no weapons on the person, he searched him for injuries.
“Are you hurt anywhere? Can you move?”
*****
Cale narrowed his eyes as Hilsman invaded his sight. His expression was mistaken as one that showed clear pain.
‘D, does he not recognize me?’
Well, it was favorable if he didn’t. Remembering the question he was asked, Cale could only give a small shake of his head. Hilsman frowned at his lack of response.
“Cough!” A violent cough erupted from Cale again, scratching his throat irritably. He was left panting with a raspy voice.
“H-he’s bleeding! Physician!”
The young man beside him suddenly yelled loudly for a physician to come, panic was visible in his eyes.
‘Hm? Blood?’
Beside the burning in his lungs and the exhausted limbs, Cale didn’t feel injured. It was only now that he noticed the familiar taste of metal in his mouth.
Oh.
It seems like he had coughed up some blood. That explains it.
Hilsman showed clear distress as he fumbled with his hands.
“I— Uhm.. Don’t worry, Sir. We’ll get you a healer as quickly as possible.”
With a shaky voice, Hilsman carefully picked Cale up and started walking. Cale let his head fall on Hilsman’s shoulder and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to sleep away the exhaustion, so he instead tried to get some rest this way.
“Healer! We found a victim!”
A loud voice interrupted his rest.
“H-huh?”
“What?”
“A person?! Are they hurt?”
Multiple reactions from the investigation team were heard from all places.
“Sir! Please don’t close your eyes.”
As he was slowly set down and leaned against something, the physician they had brought rushed up to him.
“Sir.” A female voice called out to him, and Cale forced his eyes open to look at her. Judging from the fact that everyone addressed him as ‘Sir’ made Cale truly believed they did not recognize him. He looked around for a bit more now that he can see over the whole village. His eyes widened as they landed on a very familiar house back in the distance.
‘What? How is that..?’
What he saw was the same house he had just built in the previous stage of the test. The same illusion where he possessed the bodies of Venion Stan’s lackey and Alberu’s servant.
“Sir, can you speak? Are you injured anywhere?”
Cale snapped out of his trance to look back at the physician. He couldn’t focus on that now. He tiredly shook his head and opened his mouth.
“...No, I am only tired. This... ha. This is an internal injury.” Cale spoke in a pained voice. It hurts to talk, letting out a sigh mid-sentence to catch his breath. A crowd had easily formed around him, and many people frowned at his state.
The physician pressed her lips into a thin line and turned to Hilsman.
“I can’t treat internal injuries. We need to get him to Rain City.”
At her words, a woman in armor immediately brought forward a few teleportation scrolls. The Henituse’s wealth was truly no joke, and they did not let people go unprepared. It seems like the count was cautious of enemies hiding after the attack.
‘Ah... this is bad.’
Cale would arrive at the Henituse Estate much earlier than he thought he would, and he would probably need to meet his father.
‘Is Choi Han still there?’
It might be too late to search for Choi Han, but at least Cale’s past self could take care of that.
At least that is what he thought.
Notes:
What’s this?? They don’t recognize him???
Chapter Text
“My Lord! Vice Captain Hilsman has suddenly returned with an injured man!”
Count Deruth Henituse turned to look at Deputy Butler Hans who abruptly interrupted his conversation with Basen.
“Another survivor?” The man spoke in a low voice, hiding his surprise. He had been a bit startled when the black-haired swordsman told him about the attack on Harris Village the day before. When he asked if there was anyone else who survived aside from him, the young man regrettably shook his head. Could it be that he mistook an unconscious person for being dead?
“T, The man wears noble clothes, my Lord. I have summoned a healer even though he insists he is feeling alright.”
Deruth frowned at the report. Harris Village had no nobles residing there except for the swordsman. The fact that the trained Hans didn’t seem to recognize this man caused some questions to arise.
“I will meet him if he’s feeling okay.”
Hans bowed and turned around to lead them out of the room. Basen was silently following behind him.
The halls were unusually quiet. It only got loud when they approached the room the man was most likely in.
“It seems like a lot of people have gathered here. Is he injured badly?” Basen spoke up. He was curious about this whole situation and had only gotten a quick summary of the incident from his father.
“...It’s more like he’s trying to leave, young master Basen.”
‘Trying to leave?’ Deruth raised an eyebrow. ‘How odd.’
The guards and maids outside all moved out of the way when they came closer, and Hans pushed the door open without knocking. They could hear the amount of voices from behind the door, and they only became clearer now that it’s wide open.
“...believe me. I’ve had this sort of injury before. I’m fine, so there’s no need for you to bring a priest.”
The voice of an unfamiliar man tried to calm down the people around him. Deruth walked in and searched for the man. However, upon sighting the person, he froze in the doorway.
Red.
The first thing he saw; beautiful blood-red hair, swaying slightly past the shoulders.
A very familiar red.
He couldn’t look away. His heart started racing and everything blurred except for the one standing in front of him.
Deruth felt his eyes get misty, his heart aching. The shock traveled through his whole body, and he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. Words slipped through without realizing he had spoken.
‘Jour.’
”Jour?”
The whole room froze as silence washed over them. The man slowly turned around with widened eyes. When Deruth saw his face, his shoulders slumped in realization.
‘Right. This is not Jour.’
But he can’t deny it. The one who was standing in the middle of the room had a scary resemblance to his late wife.
Reddish-brown eyes, eyes so familiar yet distant at the same time, squinted, and a frown appeared on the other’s face.
He looks identical to Jour.
Messy red hair, the same color as Jour’s, wrinkled clothes with spots of dirt. Deruth felt suffocated. He had a hard time regaining his posture.
The room felt chilly. No one dared to utter a sound, not wanting to interrupt the two men staring at each other.
*****
Cale was too startled to speak when he heard his father call out Jour’s name.
‘Was she still alive in this world? But... No, Basen is right behind Father.’
It was confusing. None of the servants recognized him, and neither did his own parent. It made him get an uncomfortable feeling in his chest. Cale could only conclude that perhaps his counterpart didn’t exist here, or he died early. It was the only explanation he could think of.
After observing the complicated expression on the count’s face, Cale turned his whole body to face the man and bowed deeply.
“Count Henituse. I am honored to meet you. Had I known you would visit here, I would have tried to look more presentable.” His humble voice broke the silence and he watched as the older man blinked a few times before straightening his back.
“It is alright, you can stand up.” He cleared his throat. “You have just come from a horrific incident. How come you refuse treatment?” It was obvious his father was desperately trying to control his voice and suppress his emotions.
The real reason Cale insisted on not getting treatment was because he didn’t want to stay here long enough to encounter Deruth. In addition, he no longer felt tired and could feel the Vitality of the Heart working properly again. However, now that he found himself in this situation, he had no reason to refuse.
“I apologize, I did not want to be a distraction for the Lord.” he smiled. “Besides, I really am alright. The only injury I had besides feeling exhausted was an internal one I am familiar with from before.”
“Sir! You were coughing up blood!” A butler who had been tending to him suddenly yelled. “I suggest we summon a priest just in case.”
Deruth nodded. “Yes, there might be hidden injuries you are not aware of yourself.” He turned around and gestured for a servant to find a healer.
Cale stayed quiet.
‘They really don’t recognize me.’
Not Hilsman, not Hans, not even his father. The only recognition shown was the name he heard just a few minutes ago. Cale knew he resembles his mother more than his father, so it’s not surprising Deruth reacted like that.
‘Especially if she really died the same way as she did in my world.’
The count turned back around and observed him for a few moments, undoubtedly noticing his expensive clothes, before opening his mouth.
“What is your name?”
What should his name be?
Since it appears he doesn’t exist in this world, he can’t say he’s a Henituse. That could put him in jail for impersonating a noble. His mind wandered a bit, making the people around him nervous. Seeing his father’s expression, a sudden thought struck him.
Jour.
Jour Thames was her name before marrying Deruth Henituse. Cale could act like a descendant of the fallen family instead of acting like a count’s lost son. From what he knows, there’s almost no information left about the Thames Family, but Deruth should remember it.
Yes, this was much better.
Cale gave them a small smile as he spoke up.
“Cale Thames.”
Flinch.
The entire room dropped in temperature. Everyone’s focus was on him. Deruth’s eyes widened and he looked at the suddenly familiar man in disbelief.
Thames.
Just the mentioning of that last name caused the elder servants and knights to stiffen up. Both Hans and Hilsman looked at Cale with shocked expressions.
A fallen noble family. A family where Jour Thames was said to be the last one alive. Now, a man with reddish-brown eyes, blood-red hair, a pale face, and a fragile body (just like Jour’s) stood in the middle of the room. There was no doubt, this man was related to the late countess.
Basen looked at his father in confusion, not understanding why everyone reacted so strongly.
“Thames..?”
It sure didn’t help that Deruth looked dumbfounded with his mouth gaping as he mumbled.
“D, do you perhaps know Jour? Jour Thames?”
Expecting the question, Cale widened his smile and further deepened the faithfulness in his newfound identity.
“Ah, I have heard stories about her from my parents. She is my aunt.”
Notes:
Oh THE LORE IS DEEPENING
I had so much trouble figuring out what his identity should he. Like should he say he’s a Henituse and they react uh somehow— BUT THEN the amazing idea of Thames popped up and I felt like a genius
Hope you’re hungry for more :3
Chapter Text
Deruth made a choking sound in the background and small gasps echoed around the room.
“...I see.” He tried to steady his voice. As a responsible lord, he needed to be calm in this situation. “..Jour is my late wife. I am surprised to meet a relative of hers.” He sounded unsure, and watched Cale with narrowed eyes.
Basen finally understood what was happening and fixed his posture, looking intensely at Cale.
“Ah...”
‘So mother really is dead. It’s expected.’
“You were found in Harris Village, weren’t you? Could you tell me what you were doing there?” Deruth cleared his throat, distracting himself with a different topic. It was odd that the swordsman had somehow missed him while he buried every other villager.
“Mm.” Cale let out a small groan. In truth, he still didn’t know how he ended up there, so he couldn’t give a proper explanation. “I apologize, Count-nim. I don’t remember what happened before waking up.”
Deruth frowned. “You don’t remember?”
Cale put on a complicated expression on his face and shook his head. To tell the truth, Cale still had an uncomfortable feeling in his chest. He didn’t know why it’s there or why it’s never going away. He wanted to go back to his world as soon as possible, but he also didn’t know how to do so. Would he need to redo everything here in order to go back?
‘I might need to find Cage so I can ask the God of Death about this.’
On another note, Cale wasn’t sure it would work since this might still be a part of the tests. While deep in thought, he concealed his inner emotions so the others around him wouldn’t get suspicious.
The count furrowed his eyebrows and let out an exhausted sigh. “You are my late wife’s nephew, so I would only prefer you get treated since it also appears you might have trouble with your memories. Hans, prepare the guest room and call the priest there instead.”
The people around them finally started moving at his command. Deruth turned back to his newly introduced nephew with a chaotic expression.
“Let’s speak again once you’re feeling better.”
“Of course, Count-nim. Thank you for your generosity.”
Deruth quickly turned around and started to walk out of the room. It was obvious this situation was overwhelming for the older man.
Cale let his smile falter. He concluded that he really doesn’t exist in this world, but why? He’s suspicious of the changes that might occur since he already watched it happen in his own world. If this really is the illusion, then Alberu, Choi Han, and Raon might remember him. It would be troublesome if they did. Would Choi Han attack him now that Cale is actually here? Is he more vicious than in the original plot because he couldn’t take out his anger on Cale like he did in the Birth of a Hero?
Cale suppressed a shiver that crept up his back.
‘It’s best to avoid angering him if I find him. Let’s look around when I have the time.’
“But I thought the late countess was the only one left of the family?”
Two maids of the Henituse Estate were discussing the event that just took place. Specifically the appearance of Cale Thames.
“I thought so too, but he was so similar... He couldn’t have lied, right?”
“Who lied?”
A third voice spoke up from behind them, causing the maids to turn around in panic.
“M-My lady!”
Violan Henituse overheard their conversation after she finished talking about Basen’s departure for the Capital with a butler. Out of curiosity, she approached the two. They immediately bowed down upon sighting her.
“We apologize, my lady! We will return to our duties at once!” One of the maids exclaimed anxiously. However Violan was not very angry at either of them.
“Don’t worry. What were you discussing just now?”
The maids looked at each other before standing back up. One of the maids bit her lip as if reluctant to explain what happened. The other one lowered her head and started talking in a careful tone.
“My lady... another survivor was found by the investigation team sent for Harris Village today.”
“Hm.” She had heard a bit about it from before, so she wonders why the maids seemed so anxious.
“...He said his name was Cale Thames, my lady.” The maid swallowed. “...More specifically, the nephew of the late countess.”
Violan’s eyes widened at the words. The late countess was Jour Thames, Deruth’s first wife. Her mind immediately flew to her husband. He must have heard about this already.
“I see... thank you.” She said slowly before turning around to search for her husband. Violan never had any negative thoughts towards Jour. If anything, she saw her more like a distant friend who brought life to the estate when she was alive, and respected her dearly. Deruth, on the other hand, might react badly at this sudden revelation.
Having passed his office, she stood in front of their bedroom and gently opened the door. Inside sat Deruth on the bed, head buried in his hands. He seemed to be so lost in thought he hadn’t heard her come in.
“Deruth.” She called out, causing him to snap his head up to meet her eyes.
“Violan.”
He showed a tired and pale face. His complexion looked worse than earlier that day. Deruth stood up, but kept quiet.
“I heard about the survivor.” She informed him while walking closer. His face scrunched up to a frown. “How are you feeling?”
Deruth sighed helplessly and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know what to do, Violan. I didn’t think there were any relatives left of the Thames family. But...”
‘He looks just like her.’ The words went unsaid. He couldn’t bring himself to say it in front of his wife. That would be too cruel.
She inspected his face carefully before choosing her next words.
“Let him join us for dinner.”
Deruth looked up at her, her statement caught him by surprise.
“I would like to meet him. How old did he say he was?”
“...I never asked. But he looked to be around 20 years old.”
“Hm, a young boy who experienced a horrific event. Possibly having lost any other family or friends too. Since he is familiar with Jour, let’s give him a place to stay, no?”
The man in front of her let out a deep sigh and a small smile stretched on his face. Any tension in his shoulders left at hearing her suggestion. “Yes, love. Let’s do that.”
Truly. He had been anxious about the reactions of his family. He didn’t know how he should treat the young man appearing to be his first wife’s nephew. Luckily, Violan was here to guide him thoroughly.
‘Yes, let’s invite him for dinner’
He nodded to himself. This would do as a start.
Notes:
Deruth is inwardly panicking and Violan is a supportive wife. I love family fluff, we love family fluff, everyone loves family fluff.
No but fr I love Violan sm she’s literally the best. I also think Deruth deserves to suffer just a teeeny tiny bit, but he tries his best, guys TvT
I’m actually excited to see more of Cale and Deruth’s interactions in this series, as well as his siblings, and Choi Han, and Violan, and Ron and Beacrox UGH EVERYONEEEEE
I can’t wait until Alberu pops up too
Chapter Text
Cale was resting in one of the guest rooms provided by Deputy Butler Hans. Despite claiming he was completely fine, the butler still followed his lord’s command and insisted on getting checked by the priest he brought. Unbeknownst to Cale, him being reluctant to get healed caused Hans to worry even more and would later report this to the count.
Cale on the other hand, only thought someone else could use the energy from a priest since was okay. So, after receiving unnecessary Devine healing, Cale laid down on the bed, lost in thought.
He felt odd when he thought about his ancient powers. None of them respond to him, but he can still feel his ability to use them. To test it out, Cale reached one of his hands into the air and summoned a whirlpool.
“Hm.”
Nothing felt weird now that the Vitality of the Heart started working properly. Cale thought about the other stages of the test. He was able to use his ancient powers during most stages except for the illusion he was currently in. While ancient powers follow the soul, he supposed they were blocked because he was in someone else’s body at that time. However, the fact that he can use them now but not hear them has not happened before. He couldn’t tell if this was an illusion or not, but something told him it was real.
With a groan, Cale covered his face with his hands and tried to summarize his thoughts, going over everything that happened.
He had appeared in Harris Village after the massacre, barely missing Choi Han. Hilsman had found him but no one seemed to recognize him, so Cale assumed his counterpart in this world was either dead or didn’t exist to begin with. Based on the fact that most people reacted to ‘Thames’ and not ‘Cale’ made him believe the latter more than the former. It was fairly familiar to the first part of the God of Despair’s Temple’s test.
What was bugging Cale was the familiar house he saw in Harris Village. The stage of the temple right before getting here had Cale switch between the bodies of Venion Stan’s lackey and a servant of the first prince, Alberu Crossman. During that stage, he had saved Raon, met Choi Han, showed them the Super Rock Villa, and built a house in Harris Village. Specifically, the same house he noticed when he woke up.
Cale couldn’t understand it. Did he ever leave the illusion? Was it truly an illusion?
Either way, he needed to get out of here to complete the temple and kill the White Star, but how? There have been no clues or explanations from anyone since waking up.
Cale needed to find Choi Han. He didn’t know where he was since he originally left the Henituse Territory quite quickly after reporting the incident to the count. However, Cale wasn’t sure he could trust the original plot anymore. No, he definitely can’t.
He also needed to find On and Hong. That was a priority.
Despite wanting to rest, Cale couldn’t relax. He needed to gather more information about the current situation. Reluctantly, he sat up on the bed and exited the guest room. The halls were mostly empty, save for a few maids and guards who focused on their duties. It seemed like word had spread fast, considering the odd looks he got before they refused to meet his eyes again.
it was a bit odd getting such stares. It wasn’t the scared looks he got when he first transmigrated as Trash Cale Henituse, nor was it the horrifying eyes that glinted with admiration after the Plaza Terror Incident. While Cale didn’t particularly like the fact that so much attention was pointed at him, he appreciated that they turned away as quickly as possible.
‘Mm. Let’s go to the kitchen.’ He hadn’t had anything to eat for a few hours now, and upon waking up, his hunger had increased as if he used his ancient powers a lot. Luckily, there weren’t any soggy apple pies here this time.
Cale approached the kitchen door and opened it without knocking.
SWISH!!
A knife flew by him out of nowhere, barely missing his neck and dug itself deeply into the wooden door.
Cale’s breath caught in his throat and he froze. He looked at the culprit with a wary gaze and flinched when he met the cold eyes of a familiar chef. The chilly gaze gave him goosebumps.
“Who are you?”
Beacrox was standing alone in the kitchen, a murderous expression on his face. Sweat started to tickle down Cale’s neck.
‘What the..? Beacrox?’
Cale was quiet for a few moments, stunned by the sight of the torture expert he expected to have left with Choi Han and Ron.
‘What is he doing here? He should have left by now...’
Something must have gone wrong. The original plot has changed. Cale was a fool to hope it hadn’t when there were already a lot of signs.
At his silence, Beacrox’s eyes darkened. Cale didn’t move from his spot at the doorway.
“I asked you a question.”
“Uhm.” Cale didn’t know what to say. It was odd being treated like this by Beacrox. He desperately tried to suppress the shiver that crept up his spine. He hoped there wouldn’t be a day where Cale was on the other side of that gaze, but it seems like the world really hates him.
‘Scary...’
He hesitantly cleared his throat, coughing into his shaky fist. “My name is Cale Thames. I apologize if I interrupted you.”
The chef’s eyes shifted at the name, but otherwise showed no change in his expression. The other man slightly raised his eyebrow, as if he’s asking for Cale to elaborate.
“I come from Harris Village.” Cale tried to compose himself and forced his voice to sound steady. “I haven’t eaten in a while, so I thought I’d stop by the kitchen for a bit.”
“...”
Beacrox kept his eyes on Cale, looking him over from head to toe. After a while, the chef turned around and focused back on the food on the counter.
“Thames.” The other muttered silently.
“Hm?”
“What do you want?”
‘What?’
...Was he asking what he wanted from Beacrox or what type of food he’d like? Cale pressed his lips together into a thin line. It was hard to understand this version of Beacrox. Cale felt like this man was even more vicious than the one he was familiar with.
“...Anything is fine.” Seeing Beacrox not changing at all, Cale assumed he answered correctly. He sat down at one of the tables in the kitchen and waited patiently. Should he try getting information from Beacrox? It might be a bad idea since Cale had no idea how he would react. If anything, the assassin seemed to be a bit more angry today than usual. Cale looked back at the knife that was still embedded in the door and shivered at the memory. That could have gone straight through his throat.
‘Does this mean Ron is also still here?’
He did not want to meet the scary old man again, especially if he was also more aggressive and vicious in this world like his son.
A plate was put in front of him and he saw Beacrox’s unchanging, flat expression. With a quick nod as a thank you, Cale turned his attention to the food in front of him.
‘Definitely not an illusion. This feels too real.’
He missed Beacrox’s cooking. It was only now that he really felt the hunger that he had hardly been able to ignore. Cale looked back at Beacrox who just began to chop up some food. Debating whether he should ask or not, Cale eventually opened his mouth and spoke.
“I heard a swordsman stopped by to report the incident in Harris-“
BAM!
The rhythmic cutting of the food abruptly stopped with an aggressive bang against the counter. The knife the chef had been holding was now stuck in the cutting board. The man was silent as he still held onto the knife with a hard grip.
‘Definitely more vicious...’
Cale kept quiet as he felt a chilling sensation. With a bit of strength, Beacrox pulled out the knife and resumed slicing the food. Cale could see the deep cut he left in the cutting board.
“Yes. He only stopped by.”
“Mm.”
‘Should I really continue?’
Cale confirmed Choi Han being sighted in Rain City, but why didn’t Beacrox follow him when he left? Did they never meet because Cale’s version in this world wasn’t here to connect them?
This was too problematic. Cale dreaded that he might need to work extra hard in this world.
“He’s not here anymore?” Cale tried to ask.
“No.”
“Do you know where he went?”
“...”
Beacrox was silent this time. Cale figured this was all he could get from the other man for now.
“I don’t.”
At Cale’s surprise, the chef still answered him. Content with what he got so far, Cale focused back on his food. He wouldn’t want to risk that knife flying at him a second time. Once he finished his plate, he thanked Beacrox and promptly left the room.
“...”
The moment the door closed behind him, another presence showed itself in the kitchen.
“He reeks of blood.” The voice coldly commented.
“He has the same smell as them.”
“...”
The both of them knew what Beacrox was talking about. Just like the swordsman, this new face smelled the same as those people. Beacrox couldn’t stop himself from throwing the knife at the man, an obvious threat. It was only when he learned his name and saw how scared he was, did Beacrox realize he was like the Punk and turn his back to him.
“...Thames, huh?” The second voice belonged to Ron who hid himself when he sensed someone entering the kitchen. In the past, Ron wasn’t sure he would ever repeat that name again. Yet, here he was. The red-haired man was interesting. Both for his identity and what his true intentions are.
“Let’s observe him a bit more.”
His son only gave a curt nod in response. Ron didn’t stop the cruel smile that appeared on his face.
Notes:
THE ASSASSIN DUO IS HEREEEEEEE
Man it was hard writing a scared Cale, but I think it fit pretty nicely
Chapter Text
Cale found himself at the dinner table, surprisingly dining with his family. He wasn’t prepared to be invited to dinner by his parents, but it wasn’t an unwelcome request. This gave Cale a chance to introduce himself to Violan and his siblings. It was also an opportunity to gather more information.
Cale had been exploring the estate for a bit after he left the kitchen, looking for any changes. All of it was the same. A relief on Cale’s part, he wouldn’t like any unpredictable changes in a house he learned to call home.
Basen and Lily were glancing at him in curiosity, while Deruth awkwardly sat silent in his chair, unsure of what to say. It was only Violan who seemed comfortable enough to ask him questions.
“You look quite young, Sir Thames. May I ask how old you are?”
“Please have no trouble calling me by my first name, my lady. I am currently 20 years old.” His humble tone made her slightly relax her stoic features. Cale had already planned how to act around his family members and decided to take on a friendly act. This way, he would be able to gain their favor and not sound suspicious. He ignored how a genuine smile subconsciously slipped through at times.
“Very well, Young Cale. I’m delighted to see you healthy after what happened to you.”
“Yes, thank you for your concern, Countess-nim. Thanks to your generous hospitality, I have recovered quickly.” He said with a pleased nod. At the mention of Harris Village, Cale also saw an opportunity to ask about Choi Han’s whereabouts, a subject he was hoping the count knew more about than Beacrox.
“If I may ask, I heard a swordsman came to report the incident?”
He noticed how Lily immediately perked up with interest. Cale chuckled inwardly.
“Ah, yes.” This time it was Deruth who answered, clearing his throat. “He said he immediately made his way here after the attack. However, he also left as soon as he could. Insisting that he needed to go somewhere and didn’t have time to stay.”
It was definitely different from the original plot. It made Cale feel iffy. He was slightly disappointed for not getting any particular helpful information. It seems like his father also doesn’t know where he went.
Cale frowned. “I see...”
His behavior did not go unnoticed by the others around the table.
“Young Cale, are you familiar with the swordsman?” Violan asked carefully.
“I am,” he nodded, surprising the others. “I met him around a year ago in Harris Village when I was traveling. I thought I’d stop by and say hi. However, something came up and the next thing I know, I woke up after the destruction of the village.”
His explanation was a bit suspicious, but no one questioned him after seeing his expression, mistaking the frown for something else. Most around the table knew what he meant with ‘something came up’. It was undoubtedly related to the incident in Harris Village. His sentence hinted that something else happened to him before the massacre.
Deruth recalled the report he got from Hilsman. The young Thames had no belongings on him except for a Spacial Bag. Anything else might have fallen victim to the destruction. In truth, it’s a miracle he survived, and with so little injuries.
“It’s regrettable. If we can help you in any way, don’t hesitate to contact us.” Violan showed her cooperation despite the flat expression, and Cale gave her a thankful smile.
Unbeknownst to Cale, the couple had observed the newcomer ever since he joined them for dinner. For a man who claimed he traveled a lot and most likely met many commoners rather than with nobles, his knowledge of etiquette surprised them. Violan briefly thought it might be because of his blood. As a descendant of a fallen noble family, this man might’ve been taught proper etiquette from his ancestors.
‘He speaks in a respectful manner and sneaks in compliments at the right time.’
Cale Thames also had an aura of nobility around him. Had Deruth not known who he was, he would have thought Cale was born a nobleman. He got curious about the people who raised this man.
“Sir Cale,” Deruth slowly put down his fork. “Where are your parents? If possible, I would like to meet them.” He’s been wondering about this for a while now and couldn’t contain himself anymore. The count risked receiving a sharp glare from Violan for the sake of his sudden question, and tried his best to avoid her gaze.
Cale actually pondered this question earlier just in case he got asked. The fact that Deruth asked such a question made Cale feel slightly uncomfortable in his chest, but shook off the feeling. He couldn’t explain his actual parents were in another world, so the story he came up with is slightly misleading.
“I apologize, Count-nim. I don’t know where my parents are.”
The room turned silent and Deruth frowned deeply, his fists clenched tightly as he looked at Cale, immediately regretting having asked. His sentence could mean a lot of things, but Cale’s main intention is to prevent them from asking more about this matter. It appears it also worked based on the chaotic expressions on everyone in the room. Even the servants frowned at what he said. Except for Lily, who looked at him with big eyes.
“Then Mister, do you not have a home?”
“Lily!” Basen scolded her immediately. While she was young, a question like that could offend someone greatly.
“It’s alright, young master Basen.” Cale chuckled, uncaring. He did have a home back with his true family, but he wasn’t sure how to explain that, so he chose to say something else. “My lady, I like to travel a lot, so my home changes quite frequently.”
“Ohhh.”
The mood slightly relaxed at the light answer Cale gave the youngest at the table. Basen silently let out a sigh.
“If I may ask, what does young lady Lily wish to be when she grows up?” Cale asked, striking up a conversation with his little sister.
Lily’s eyes sparkled at the question. “I’m gonna be a knight! And I’m gonna protect our home and help Hyung when he becomes the count!”
Violan and Deruth both observed Cale for his reaction. In the past, there have been nobles who try to tell their daughter to focus more on her studies instead of swordsmanship. However, Violan and Deruth have chosen to let Lily be with her dream and to encourage her isntead. Violan’s shoulders slightly slumped at the bright smile Cale showed on his face.
“Oh my, that’s an admirable dream. I have no doubt the young lady will succeed in achieving her goal.”
“Really?” A large grin spread across Lily’s face.
“Absolutely.” Cale nodded with certainty. He has already witnessed Lily’s progress for two years. At the rate she is training in his world, she might become the youngest sword master to ever exist. “Say, if the count and countess allows it, I can introduce you to the friend I mentioned earlier? He’s very good with the sword.”
Lily snapped her head to her parents with eager eyes, waiting for their approval. A small smile appeared on Deruth’s face and he gave a slight nod. Happy and satisfied, Lily sat back down in her chair with a giggle. Once the conversation ended, Violan chose to speak up, pleased with Cale’s way of talking with her daughter.
“Young Cale, you said you travel a lot? Where were you planning on going after visiting your friend?”
“If I’m not mistaken, there will be an event held in the Capital in a few days. That will be my next destination.”
“Ah, yes. The royal family is celebrating the king’s 50th birthday. Basen will soon leave to travel to the Capital as our representative.” Violan explained smoothly. ”You could join him for your journey there.”
In truth, Violan also wanted to make sure he was safe. There’s no guarantee that the enemy that attacked Harris Village isn't still out there.
‘So the original plot hasn’t changed.’
While there are a few changes compared to what happened in ‘The Birth of a Hero’, the main events are still the same.
“Thank you for your kind offer, my lady. As long as it is okay for young master Basen as well.”
Basen was slightly startled when the attention turned to him, but quickly regained his posture and straightened his back. A stoic expression on his face with no hint of the surprise that was shown a few seconds ago.
“Uhm. I have no problem with it.”
Violan nodded towards her son and looked back at Cale. “Know you have a place to stay if you journey in our territory.”
Cale smiled, grateful. He had not expected them to treat him so kindly, a stranger with nothing but a familiar family name. It was a nice surprise.
“Thank you, countess. I am indebted to you.”
The next day, Cale got ready and went on his way to inspect the Gluttonous Tree. His main goal is to find On and Hong, and he would probably need some food just like last time. He can’t trust that it will go similar to when he first met them, or be sure they’re actually there. Too much is pointing at different changes, and he’s also meeting going to the tree a different day than when he went in his own world. However, Cale needed to start searching now if he wanted to have time before leaving for the Capital.
“Oh! Mr. Thames!” Hans suddenly spoke up after seeing him in the hallway, stopping him from venturing outside. “Are you going somewhere?”
‘He’s probably here to keep an eye on me.’
It wouldn’t surprise Cale if Hans has been told to report what Cale does to the count. It’s a measure of security and trust.
“Yes, I was thinking of going for a walk. It’s been a while since I’ve been in Rain City.”
“Ah, of course! I am Deputy Butler Hans. If there’s anything you need, please come to me.” He swiftly introduced himself. He hadn’t had the time to do so before because of the panic around Cale’s injury. So, it was only now he properly got to meet Cale in a relaxed environment. “The count wanted me to deliver this to you, in case you lost anything precious and needed some extra money.”
Hans pushed an envelope into Cale’s hands. A very familiar envelope. One that contains a lot of money. Cale might have underestimated Deruth’s generosity to one of his late wife’s relatives.
‘Let’s act modest.’
“Oh, I can’t take all this, Mr. Hans. It’s too much.” He put on a gentle smile.
“Not at all, Sir Thames.” Hans smiled back, but Cale only shook his head.
“I have already received so much from the count and countess by letting me stay here. I cannot accept this.”
“Please, Sir, the count insisted!” Hans easily answered back with a pleased smile on his face, and further pushed the envelope into Cale’s arms.
Chuckle.
“If that’s the case, it would be wrong of me to say no to the count’s kindness. Please deliver my thanks to him. I’m truly indebted to the Henituse family.”
It was quite ironic for Cale, who was a Henituse, to say this.
After thanking Hans one more time, Cale was on his way out of the estate. The walk to the slums wasn't far, with only a stop to buy some bread on the way. Soon enough, Cale could see the man-eating tree in the distance.
‘Let’s check it out first before searching for the kids.’
It still looked just as monstrous as it did the first time he saw it. Cale frowned at the sight. Did copies of his ancient powers exist here too? It would be troublesome if they did. He couldn’t risk the White Star getting his hands on them, but Cale didn’t have any room left for his plate. In any case, he would need to use Embrace on each ancient power for this world, or give them to someone else.
Nearing the hill, a small voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
“Wait! You can’t approach that t-tree!”
Cale instantly stopped in his tracks the second he heard that familiar voice. Turning around to look at the culprit, he saw two faces he clearly recognized. Cale didn’t realize how much he missed the children while being stuck in the test until he saw their faces again. A pang of pain struck his heart.
On and Hong were standing not far away from him with the same shabby appearance as the first time they met.
‘Hm. Do they look even more malnourished than before?’
He frowned at the realization, but his expression caused the two siblings to flinch and back away. After calming his heart, Cale ignored the warning and continued to walk towards the tree.
“You can’t go there! It’s a tree of death!”
‘Tree of Death? Is that a new name instead of the ‘Man-Eating Tree’?’
How come it’s different this time? Did the myth about the tree change? With a skeptical expression, Cale approached the tree and stood in front of it. He searched for the hole that should be in the ground, but saw nothing. Cale noted it was another drastic change for this world.
“Stop! You’re going to die!”
Hearing Hong’s voice again, Cale dug in his pocket and took out the bread he bought earlier that day. Looking towards the two siblings, he walked up to them. On immediately put Hong behind her in a protective manner. The sight made Cale want to frown again and press his lips together, but he refrained from doing so, keeping a flat expression. Without a word, he pushed the bread in front of On.
“You’re clearly malnourished. Take it. I wasn’t going to eat it anyway.”
With clear hesitation in her eyes, she snatched the bread from his hands and backed away again. Satisfied, Cale turned back to the tree and resumed walking towards it.
“You can’t die.”
“I won’t die.”
His certain voice made them quiet down. Since Cale didn’t know what would happen this time, he stood in front of the tree for a few minutes, thinking. Because there was no hole, there shouldn’t be an ancient power either. The first time he was here, he hadn’t noticed the deadly mana crawling inside the wood like spiderwebs.
‘Was that there when I received the shield..?’
How close had he been to death so early on?
— Cale! You’re here!
Cale flinched as the familiar voice of Glutton yelled inside his head.
‘Glutton?’
— I’m so happy to see you, but it’s so confusing. My power is still within your soul, yet my consciousness was trapped here! I could only travel between the Super Rock Villa and the tree.
‘What?’
Her consciousness was trapped inside the tree? Does that mean his other ancient powers are also trapped at the same locations the trials took place? Would Cale need to travel to every single place to retrieve their voices?
— I’m not sure if my consciousness will stay here or if I can leave with you now since you found me. I don’t know if it will work though. Maybe you can try and purify the tree? That might be a way to free me.
‘Purify it, huh?’
Glutton’s suggestion seems worth a try. If this works, it would be easy to find the others’ consciousness too. Cale looked back at the siblings who still watched him intensely. This time, he hadn’t scared them away.
With a huff, he turned back around. He didn’t care if they saw him do this, he needed to make them trust him after all. Using the Fire of Destruction would attract too much attention, so there was only one other ancient power he could use.
Cale stretched one of his arms out and a beautiful silver light enveloped his hand. White roots grew out of the ground and crawled up the tree, starting the purification.
It was a holy sight to anyone witnessing it.
When he let his hand fall down a few moments later, the monstrous tree now had the appearance of a beautiful holy-looking tree, just like in his world.
‘It worked.’
— It worked! I can feel it!
Cale stood there, observing the tree a bit more, before turning back and walking down the hill without hesitation. The cat siblings were gaping at him, the bread was completely forgotten in the shock of seeing him use such a power. Cale smiled as he passed them and said one last thing before leaving.
“Now it’s not dangerous anymore.”
With his back turned to the children, he didn’t see the looks on their faces, nor did he see the determined nod they gave each other.
Now that he’s got their attention, all he needed to do was create another opportunity for them to approach him.
*****
Ron’s eyes followed the slowly disappearing individual before focusing back on the tree. He was curious about the man, so he decided to follow him once he left the estate. He realized it was fortunate he did, because what he saw was not magic or any other ability he recognized.
‘He’s definitely not normal.’
Nothing had particularly seemed out of the ordinary, except for the fact that he knew his way around despite only visiting Rain City a few times before. At first, it seemed as if he wanted to check out the myth about the Tree of Death like many other unafraid tourists. However, observing the glowing tree that looked almost like something holy, Ron wasn’t sure what to think.
‘I don’t know what he did to the tree or what kind of power he used.’
A white light emitted from his hand and pure, glowing branches surrounded the disgusting-looking tree and turned it into this. Did he purify it?
‘A descendant of the Thames...’
A chilling smile crept up on his face. Ron felt the urge to laugh, and a low chuckle escaped him.
‘Those children from the Cat Tribe seem interested in him.’
Despite the remark, he had no thoughts of preventing them from approaching him.
‘I’ll watch him a bit longer.’
Notes:
The Gluttonous Tree is called the Man-Eating Tree in the novel because the ancient power absorbed life (and corpses) into the hole. However, since the Indestructible Shield doesn’t exist in this world, there is no power to suck up anything like a black hole. Instead there’s only a tree imbedded with dead mana, making it impossible for anything living to grow around it. That’s why it’s called the Tree of Death.
Anyway, ON AND HONG MY BABIESSSSSSS I LOVE THEM SO MUCHH
Chapter Text
Despite it only being a few hours after Cale purified the man-eating tree, word had already spread fast and it soon reached Billos’ tea shop. Cale was calmly sitting at one of the tables, waiting for the right time to leave. He was relaxed because no one recognized him here or would give him any looks.
‘It’s quite nice not getting recognized all the time. This time, I’ll do everything without revealing my identity.’
It was a good plan. It was hard to operate undercover in his own world because he was a count’s son and because of his interference with the Plaza Terror Incident. However, it was different this time. Not many knew of his family name, ‘Thames’, so unless he reveals it, he will simply be another stranger.
Cale got familiar with Billos in a similar way he did the first time. The man undoubtedly had his eyes on Cale now. He kept eyeing him from the other side of the room, but Cale didn’t care.
He wasn’t sure if he needed to rescue Raon again or if this actually was still the ‘illusion’ from the past stage of the temple’s test.
‘I need to get to the Super Rock Villa either way. Might as well check it out while I’m there.’
Glutton said the Super Rock Villa was a place for all of his ancient powers’ consciousness to gather when they weren’t at their respective locations. If they were correct, Cale might be able to free them all at the same time instead of searching for each one of them separately.
After checking the time, Cale left the tea shop and began to walk around the slums again. This time, he had cake with him instead of bread. Cats usually shouldn’t eat cake, but this was an exception. Besides, Cale knows the cat children’s love for sweets.
Once a few minutes passed, a meow finally reached his ears.
A red kitten, Hong, started to circle around Cale. He rubbed himself on his legs and On also approached him soon after, quick to follow her brother.
Meowwwww.
“Sigh, you must be hungry.”
Cale played along and crouched down, dirtying one of his knees, but he didn’t care. If there was anyone else looking at the scene, they might question why someone of elegance would do such an act. But they were alone.
He carefully unwrapped the cake, and spoke to the kittens.
“I only have cake with me... Do you like cake?”
Meow!
Hong didn’t waste any time starting to eat the dessert, his eyes were smiling big. On rubbed her head on Cale’s hand as she watched her brother eat.
“Do you have a home?”
Cale was pretending to talk to them despite not expecting an answer.
“Do you want to come with me?”
Meowww
“I’ll feed you.”
‘Truly. Food solves everything. They were less cautious of me this time.’
It wasn’t hard to convince Hans to care for the kittens. He happily whisked them away for a proper bath and a healthy meal not even minted upon seeing them.
“You’re going to search for the swordsman?”
Now, Cale was seated once again at the dinner table with the rest of the Henituse family. However, he could not relax. Not when Ron of all people stood beside him, watching him with a hawk eye.
Cale felt a shiver travel up his spine at the intense gaze of the older man. He quickly tried to shake it off and avoid the scary eyes.
Recalling the question asked by Lily, who had gotten very excited at the mention of Choi Han, Cale forced himself to focus.
“Yes, his house was one of the destroyed ones in Harris Village, so I plan on starting there.”
“That’s quite far from here, even with a carriage.” Violan remarked, sipping her tea. “Are you sure you want to go back there?”
Everyone knew what Violan meant with her question. Cale was involved with the incident and everyone had the impression that he was a victim who experienced something traumatic. Cale on the other hand, didn’t think like that about the situation.
“Yes, it might be far. However, since I don’t want to miss young master Basen’s departure for the Capital, I would need to find a mage or buy a teleportation scroll. So please don’t worry, Countess.”
Violan frowned at the answer she got, but chose to leave the subject in favor of answering him on another matter.
“No, that won’t do.” She shook her head. “We can provide you with such trivial things.”
“Thank you, my lady, but it’s really not needed. You have already done enough for me.”
She watched him silently before turning her gaze to her husband. Deruth, who was receiving the sharp look from his wife, awkwardly cleared his throat by coughing into his hand.
“Ahem, I uh, I agree with Violan. There is no need for you to spend money on such a small matter.” He said, repeating her words.
Right as Cale was planning on answering back, a teacup was placed in front of him. The sight of a scary yellow made him freeze. Reluctantly, he looked up to see Ron’s benign smile.
“Lemon tea, Sir. It’s good for your health.”
Cale lost all courage he had to speak back to the couple and suppressed a chill from seeing the secret assassin’s smile.
‘I can’t even escape it in another world..?’
“...Thank you.” He slowly spoke up in a trembling voice. Picking up the tea despite his inner thoughts, and masked his fear.
At his slow answer, Ron’s watchful eyes turned into crescents, but he finally backed away. Cale let out a silent sigh of relief.
‘Vicious...’
“Mister Cale, when are you planning on leaving?” Basen asked him a question for the first time that evening. Since their last time dining together, Cale had insisted on getting called by his first name. It felt weird being referred to as ‘Sir Thames’ by his own family.
“Tomorrow morning, young master Basen.” Cale gave him a polite smile. “I will make sure to get back with my friend before we leave for the Capital.”
“You sound quite sure you’ll find him.” Violan pointed out.
“I have an idea of where he might be.” Cale didn’t notice Beacrox’s odd gaze on him. In fact, he tried to avoid his eyes ever since he entered the dining hall. “If I don’t return before departure, I can meet up with young master Basen on the way. There is no need to wait for me.”
Deruth began to frown. “Why wouldn’t you come back in time?”
Cale turned his head to look at his father. “If I don’t find Choi Han where I believe he will be at, I might need a bit more time to search for him.”
“Choi Han? Is that his name?” Lily perked up at the name Cale uttered in his sentence.
“Yes, Lily.” Violan answered her. “Choi Han is the name of the swordsman who reported the incident in Harris Village.”
It wasn’t surprising she knew about his name. He probably had to tell the count when he arrived at the estate. Cale wondered how well-known Choi Han is with the servants of the house.
“Mister Cale! Could you tell some stories about Mister Choi Han? Is he strong?”
“Lily..!” Deruth yelled out at her, reminding her to behave herself. Cale, however, didn’t care and only smiled back.
“Of course he’s strong, young lady Lily. He’s one of the strongest people I know.”
‘If you exclude the dragons.’
Lily’s eyes sparkled even more.
“What would you like to know?”
Cale watched the two kittens jump around on his bed in delight. They had been cleaned and fed with the help from Hans. The sight brought a sense of déjà vu to Cale. He couldn’t help but miss his own world’s version of the cats.
He couldn’t afford to become too attached. It was dangerous to stay here too long.
“Hey, you’re siblings right?”
Both children froze at his words. They looked guarded and tense. The corners of Cale’s mouth curled up and he repeated what he said the first time he met them.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
Ohn and Hong’s eyes shook. Cale didn’t let them recover from the first shock. He leaned forward and spoke with a whisper.
“You’re from the Cat Tribe, aren’t you?”
The kittens remained silent. Instead of backing away, On and Hong slowed approached him and rubbed themselves on his legs. At least they didn’t see him as a threat.
“If you want to follow me, you’ll have to pay for your meals.”
Meowwww
Meow
“Speak in a language I can understand you.”
“I want to eat meat. I’m still hungry.” On’s eyes sparkled as she answered him.
“I want more cake.” Hong joined in and sat down in front of Cale.
“I can give you more meat and cake. Do you know what to do?”
“Pay for our meals!”
“Work!”
This tale went pretty similar to the one in Cale’s world. He hummed, satisfied with the results.
‘I’m glad they were more cooperative this time. I don’t have much time left before Basen leaves.’
Because Cale arrived in this world a few days after the massacre of Harris Village, he didn’t have as much time to work as he did before. Cale would need to find Choi Han as quickly as possible tomorrow and hopefully come back to the estate the same day.
‘Basen will leave in 3 days. If I don’t find Choi Han tomorrow, I have one more day to search for him before departure.’
It was enough. Cale already had an idea of where to search, so hopefully he will find him rather quickly.
“In a few days, I will leave to travel to the capital.” he informed the kittens. “Before that, I’m going to search for a friend, but I will be back in time. Do you wanna come with me or stay here?”
“Come with you!” Hong immediately shouted his decision.
“Who is your friend?”
“He’s a swordsman. There’s also someone else I’m going to search for.”
Cale moved his gaze to Hong and pointed at him.
“He’s younger than you.”
“Younger than me?”
Cale nodded. If he was right, Raon should be with Choi Han. However, since he can’t confirm it, he might need to free him from Venion again.
‘I hope it doesn’t come to that though.’
Yes, that would be troublesome.
“It’s no problem, young Cale. I can leave a few knights with you on your search.”
Deruth stood in front of Cale with Basen beside him. Cale was on his way out to the main exit of the estate when he stumbled upon the two. His father, having asked if he was leaving, insisted on sending a few knights with Cale.
“I’m incredibly thankful, Count, but there is no need.”
But if he did, it would ruin Cale’s plan. He wouldn’t have an opportunity to walk into the Forest of Darkness if there were multiple people with him.
“Still, I would like for you to accept my offer for your safety. Harris Village has recently gotten attacked and you were caught in the middle of it. It’s only right that I, as a Lord, think of my people’s safety.”
For some reason, his father seemed very stubborn this time.
‘Did Mother convince him to do this?’
It wouldn’t surprise Cale if it was also Violan who suggested he joined them for dinner the other day. Ever since he first met her in his own world, he always had the impression that she was a very capable woman who knew the right thing to say in any situation. Cale wasn’t very close to Violan, but they’ve had their moments. Deruth, on the other hand, was still a bit awkward when speaking to Cale, but he was improving.
“Please don’t worry, Lord-nim.” Cale reassured. “I have traveled alone for a long time, and if I do find Choi Han, I will have nothing to worry about.”
His statement showed a large trust in the swordsman, and Deruth could do nothing but press his lips together. He sighed deeply. It was hopeless to convince the young man. Deruth was no doubt curious about the relationship between Choi Han and Cale, but refrained from asking. Actually, he was curious about everything regarding Jour’s only relative.
Meanwhile, Basen had been glancing at the two kittens in Cale’s arms during the whole conversation. On was sitting comfortably in his embrace, while Hong easily balanced himself on Cale’s shoulder. Luckily, no one questioned the sudden appearance of the cats. A favorable situation for Cale.
Seeing his younger brother’s intrigue, Cale let a smile show on his face.
“Young master Basen, would you like to pet her?” He gestured to the relaxed On. Upon hearing Cale’s question, she stopped mid-lick of her fur, tilted her head, and looked at the boy in front of her.
Basen was silent for a bit, caught off guard by the question directed at him. After glancing at Deruth, he slowly moved his hand in front of On’s face. It hovered in front of her, inches away from touching. After a while, it seems like On grew bored of the waiting, and pushed her head under his hand.
He slightly flinched, but soon started to pet her. Cale could see how Basen’s shoulders relaxed at the touch of the soft fur. He let the younger boy pet the cat until he seemed content and withdrew his hand.
“Don’t worry, young master.” Cale stood back up. “We will return quickly.”
Basen’s ears turned red out of embarrassment and he cleared his throat. “Yes, I wish you a safe return.”
Deruth watched the whole exchange with a soft expression.
After ripping the teleportation scroll, Cale and the children found themselves in the middle of the Forest of Darkness.
‘Ugh... it’s much easier to travel with a dragon.’
Cale felt slightly dizzy. The realization made him miss Raon. He shook off the nausea he got from the teleportation and looked around. The coordinates should have landed him slightly away from the Super Rock Villa.
“Where are we, nya?” Hong asked out loud.
“The Forest of Darkness. There are monsters here, so don’t let your guard down.”
Almost right as Cale said that, a groaning sound came from beyond the shadows.
‘Hm?’
The hair on his arms stood on edge. Cale scanned the area the noise was coming from, and a disgusting-looking monster emerged from the darkness. It resembled a monstrous wolf, baring its teeth and growling at them. It was disgusting to look at.
The cats hissed at the beast with their ears pulled back. Cale tried to ignore the claws that dug into his skin through the clothes.
“Mm...” Cale let out an irritated groan and raised his free hand. He hoped he hadn’t needed to use his ancient powers, but he wouldn’t put the children in danger if he could prevent it. Sharp wind blades gathered around the three of them and shot out at the monster, easily killing it. The wind died down and Cale ventured forward, ignoring the curious stares from the children.
“What power was that?” On let her curiosity take over. She remembered the holy-looking tree Cale left behind the first time they met, but it didn’t seem like the same power he used now. She was a bit confused. This human was very weak, yet had hidden powers that made him strong.
“It’s an ancient power.”
“Is that what you did to the Tree of Death?” Hong hopped down from his shoulder to walk beside him.
Cale gave a simple nod in response. “I purified it.”
Meow!
On and Hong looked up at Cale with clear interest on their eyes.
“I want to get strong!”
“Me too!”
They yelled in unison, Cale didn’t pay any attention to their enthusiasm. The villa should be close now. He hadn’t been sure if he wanted to teleport near it, considering there might be a dragon guarding it. So he decided to walk towards it in case he accidentally set off any alarms.
CRACK
A rumbling cracking of branches suddenly started to echo from the direction of the Super Rock Villa. Cale narrowed his eyes, squinting to see what was going on. The rumbling sound only got louder, as if it was rapidly approaching the three.
‘What—‘
Cale hastily took a stance and put his arms up, almost in reflex.
A swarm of monsters were rushing at them, horrific screams emerging from the darkness. The monsters destroyed anything in their path.
‘What the hell is happening?’
Notes:
ON AND HONG ARE HOMEEEE I’m so happy
We also get to see some interactions between Cale and the others in the Henituse Estate!
Let me know what you think and if you have any ideas for the future
Chapter Text
A silver light shot out from Cale’s hands, and a sturdy, half-transparent shield surrounded them. On and Hong, clearly distressed, ran back to Cale and climbed up to his shoulders. Their sharp claws dug into his skin, but he couldn’t care. The monsters that appeared out of nowhere like a roaring storm, relentlessly smashed and ran into the shield. While some monsters chose Cale as their next target, other monsters just ran past him. They continuously hit the shield hard, not caring for the pain they received. The shield would not budge, but blood was splattered on it, caused by the monsters themselves.
‘What the hell is happening?’
The three were completely surrounded by the swarm of monsters, yet they couldn’t touch them thanks to the shield. This odd anomaly didn’t happen in Cale’s world, and he is sure the Birth of a Hero did not mention anything about this.
‘What caused them to go on a rampage?’
Knowing no one could answer his question, Cale pushed the shield forward a bit and made the monsters tumble over. Droplets from the Sky Eating Water gathered in his other hand, and Cale controlled it to slash at the monsters beyond the half-transparent wall.
— Careful, Cale. Although the monsters are weak, my shield is receiving a lot of damage.
Glutton warned him, reminding Cale that he shouldn’t push himself. He already knew it himself. While his ancient powers did return to him, something was wrong. He hadn’t felt it clearly until now, when the monsters pushed and hit the shield. A familiar pain in his chest started to slowly build up, but Cale showed no change in his expression.
RAHHH!
The monsters wouldn’t stop coming in waves. Some even kept running past him, almost like they were scared of something.
— Cale! Watch out!
Right at Glutton’s warning, something dark and powerful hit hard against the shield.
“Ugh!”
The shield shook at the impact, and Cale stumbled from the shock. Blood immediately filled his mouth, already threatening to force a cough out of him. The dark energy changed direction, just as fast as it appeared, and began to kill the monsters around him. Cale could make out a blurry figure that followed the black force.
‘Wh— Is that-?’
He stood still, trying to catch sight of the figure again. The black energy kept eating at the monsters like a horrific tsunami. Cale felt his heart rate speed up. The roaring around them started to die down, but Cale’s gaze only followed the figure. He couldn't even focus on the sharp claws from the shaking kittens. It was only when every single monster stopped moving that Cale slowly let down the shield.
It was painfully silent once the terrifying groaning stopped. Only the chilly wind remained. In front of him stood the culprit to the army of corpses around them. Broad shoulders, unique black hair, and a shabby, bloody cape. They still held onto their lowered weapon, the tip brushing the leaves beneath them. Even with their back turned to Cale, he had no problem figuring out the identity of the person.
‘Choi Han.’
He found him. Much easier than he thought. Cale was somewhat relieved and nervous at the same time. Having found him so early saved him a lot of time. On the other hand, Cale remembered how the black aura slammed into his shield. Choi Han shouldn’t recognize him, so he might attack him at any time. Cale still thought it was weird that such a large swarm of monsters suddenly appeared, but he figured it was the swords master they were running from.
Cale’s shoulders slumped, and he felt the kittens tremble silently in his arms. He repulsively tightened his arms around them even further, not realizing he’s giving them closure. In turn, Hong buried his face further into his chest, while On watched Choi Han with piercing golden eyes. Cale was about to call out to the other man when he was cut off by a sword that swung right in front of him, stopping inches away from slashing his throat.
Startled, Cale held up his chin to avoid the blade. He didn’t dare move from his place. Choi Han had a murderous expression on his face. A chill ran down Cale’s spine, and he swallowed hard.
‘Fucking scary...’
This was bad. Judging by the dark glare, Choi Han was clearly hostile to him. He could kill him at any moment, does Cale make the wrong move. Choi Han kept his hand steady. If he wanted to, with just a step forward, he would pierce through Cale’s throat. Since Choi Han appeared to see Cale as an enemy, he wasn’t sure the Vitality of the Heart would be fast enough to save him.
“...Who are you.”
It sounded more like a demand than a question. Records of the even-more-vicious Beacrox replayed in his mind. They were both more aggressive.
“...”
Cale wasn’t sure what to say. He knew this Choi Han was different, but he can’t help but feel weird at being treated like this by the sword master. He swallowed his nervosity. Should he tell him his real name? If it’s the same illusion as he experienced as Venion’s lackey, then it's been a year since they last met. Cale couldn’t be sure Choi Han still remembered him.
Choi Han’s dark face grew restless at Cale’s silence, and he changed his stance. Lowering his head, he glared at Cale with daggers of eyes.
“...I asked you a question.”
Well he would have to say something to not get killed at the spot.
...Would he even be able to die? He shouldn’t be able to if he’s still part of the temple’s tests. Cale shivered at the thought. He wouldn’t want to test it out either way. Cale wanted to shake away the thought, but he was still too scared to move. He eventually opened his mouth—
SWISHHH
Suddenly, Cale’s vision was filled with a black blob rapidly flying towards him.
“Ugh!”
Cale fell backwards. The black blob crashed into him without slowing down, and both cats had jumped off his shoulders with a cry. Cale felt dizzy as his back landed harshly on the ground.
‘What..?’
Something grabbed at his clothes, and he slowly opened his eyes. In front of his face were two, wide, sapphire eyes, staring at him.
‘Raon.’
The black blob that flew into him was Raon. Raon who was free from Venion and together with Choi Han in the Forest of Darkness.
‘It really is the same illusion.’
But was it actually an illusion?
The young dragon kept quiet as he inspected Cale’s face with a serious expression. He wasn’t sure if Raon somehow recognized him despite Cale having a different appearance, or if Raon just crashes into every intruder he sees.
The big blue eyes stayed on him, not minding the stares from the cats or Choi Han.
Hesitating, Cale slowly broke the silence.
“Dodam?”
The blue sapphire eyes started shaking.
*****
Choi Han felt himself freeze when Dodam flew by him. His young friend, who he miraculously met a year ago, chose to stay at the villa when Choi Han said he would go out for a bit. A lot of monsters had gathered in a certain place in the forest and he felt he needed to let out some anger ‘clean up’.
However, as he was chasing the monsters, a holy-looking light brightened up the dark trees, and he saw a person. There shouldn’t be anyone in the Forest of Darkness, no one would be stupid enough to enter knowing the dangers. Choi Han was the only exception. Both because Choi Han’s second house was in the dangerous forest, and that he has spent years here before. Suspicious of someone who shouldn’t be in such a place, and definitely not this far and close to the house, he raised his sword.
At first, Choi Han was careless when he shot out his black aura at the monsters, hitting the shining light. The point of his self-assigned ‘clean up’ mission was to relieve some anger, but it took a turn when he caught sight of blood-red hair and a staggering figure. Seeing the scared, but cute, kittens in the man’s arms, he swiftly changed his goal and decided to kill all the monsters before confronting the stranger.
Then, Choi Han felt another shock travel through his body when he heard the red-haired man call out Dodam’s name. He froze in his steps and realized this man hadn’t been shocked by the sudden appearance of a dragon, nor should he know his name. Ever since meeting Dodam, they have been careful to not reveal him to anyone. So why. Why does this stranger know—
“Cale?” Dodam whispered. It was almost inaudible, but Choi Han heard it. His heart stopped.
Cale. Choi Han could recognize that name anywhere. The person who found Choi Han and led him out of the forest. The person who freed Dodam and gave them a place to stay before leaving the body AND DIED—
And...
And he was right in front of him?
For a long time when Choi Han would walk around Rain City with Dodam, whenever they heard a name instinctively similar to ‘Cale’ (even just slightly similar), they would stop and listen in. Days and nights had gone by when Dodam gloomily asked if Cale would ever come back, if he was even still alive. Choi Han couldn’t answer him and only silently hugged the child. Since their first encounter, they never found the mysterious man again. Until now.
Choi Han unconsciously lowered his sword and watched how Cale— the man’s eyes widened at the whisper. Soon, he pushed himself up on his elbows and the corners of his lips turned upwards.
“What was that?”
“H-HUMAN!!”
Dodam screamed at Cale and tightened his grip on his clothes, causing wrinkles to ruin the outfit. Choi Han saw the man wince at the loud yell, but didn’t move to stop the dragon. He wiped his mouth(blood. why was there blood—)and struggled to sit up with Dodam still clinging onto him.
Choi Han felt it was hard to breathe, like he had run for a whole week without stopping.
“...Cale? Is that you?”
The man looked at Choi Han who had spoken without realizing it. After a short while of silence, Cale nodded in confirmation.
“Ha..!” Choi Han let out a breathless sigh and tried to control his roaring emotions.
“W-Where were you?!” Dodam yelled out loud. “No! It’s not safe here. You’re very weak! Let’s go to the house!”
And with that declaration, Dodam swiftly teleported everyone at once.
*****
Nyaa!
On and Hong shook off the dizziness from the sudden teleportation the second they appeared in the villa. Cale also had trouble regaining his posture. Swallowing the remaining blood in his mouth, he blinked away the dark spots in his vision and heard how the kittens spoke in excited voices.
“Wow! Youngest is so strong!”
Cale sat up properly and nodded. “Dodam is a mighty dragon after all.”
Despite the tense situation, his relaxed demeanor calmed down the atmosphere. Choi Han kept watching him in silence as Dodam scrambled to answer.
“Y-yes! I am the great and mighty dragon! Dodam Miru!” The young dragon introduced himself after noticing the talking cats. He turned back and moved his round head closer to Cale, never letting go of his clothes. “Human, you remember!”
“Nya, are you our youngest?”
The children started to talk to each other as Cale pushed himself to stand up again. Raon, or rather, Dodam was much easier to carry than the 6-year-old Cale was used to. Still, it didn’t change the fact that Dodam is a bit heavy, so Cale tried his best in not dropping him as he stood up.
He swayed a bit when he got on both feet, but felt himself steady when a large hand held his upper arm. Turning to the side, Choi Han moved to hold him up, and Cale gave a small thanks. The swordsman was watching him intensely, never looking away or speaking up. Cale started to get a bit nervous at the prolonged eye contact .
‘..Is he angry at me? I did disappear for a whole year.’
Cale still doesn’t understand how he’s here again or why it’s been so long instead of just appearing where he disappeared in this world. He also hoped the other man wasn’t too angry towards him like Beacrox was, and would impulsively beat him up for leaving him and Dodam like he did. Well, to be fair, Cale couldn't exactly control it, and he needed to move on to the next stage. Besides, while he’s now certain that this is a real world, he was under the impression that it was an illusion the first time they met.
At that same time, he got reminded of the ancient powers that should be somewhere here. Cale’s arm was released and he looked around a bit to observe the room, slightly avoiding Choi Han’s melancholic eyes. Apart from the children’s loud chatter, another voice slowly spoke up beside him.
“This is the villa you showed me and Dodam.” Choi Han watched him with slumped shoulders and tilted his head to catch Cale’s attention. His whole posture made him look something like a sad puppy. Cale turned back to look at the swordsman. “...Do you remember?”
“...”
Why was Choi Han acting like this? Cale couldn’t understand it. He slightly parted lips.
“Of course.”
How could he not forget? It happened only a few days ago for him. Choi Han gave him a small and hopeful smile. He was happy that this person remembered him, even if it was a whole year ago since they last saw each other. Choi Han wondered what had happened to him during that time. The memory of their first time meeting each other cause the smile to shift and turn downward.
“Cale-nim, Harris Village...” Choi Han clenched his fists and furrowed his eyebrows. “I’m sorry. The house you built for us... the people there, I couldn’t protect them.”
‘Ah... that’s why..’
Choi Han also seemed a bit different, just like Beacrox’s aggressive behavior. This could be connected to why the story has changed so early on.
“It’s okay.” Cale shook his head. “I even heard you reported the incident to Count Henituse. You handled the matter well.”
Cale wasn’t sure if he could comfort Choi Han. He didn’t really know how. The other man kept quiet about Harris Village the first time they met in Cale’s world. So how come he’s so open about it this time around?
Choi Han’s eyes shifted and his lips trembled. He looked down at his clenched fists and tried to relax. Cale, seeing this, offered a suggestion he already planned to bring up with Deruth.
“Choi Han, I have become familiar with the Count of the Henituse Territory these past days. If possible, I could suggest restoring Harris Village.”
Choi Han snapped his head up and looked into Cale’s eyes with an emotional expression. Cale didn’t know what the swordsman was feeling, so he let his words sink in. After a while, Choi Han put on a shaky smile on his face. Seeing the grateful expression, Cale felt a bit awkward. He wasn’t sure how to react.
“HUMAN!”
Dodam suddenly yelled right into Cale’s ear, making him wince. Their moment was unceremoniously interrupted.
“Are you going to turn back into the terrible bastard at night?!”
It looks like Dodam had been explaining how Cale and him met for the first time to the kittens. Cale exhaled deeply and was a bit happy at the change of subject.
“No, this is my true appearance.”
Dodam and Choi Han looked at him with great interest, seemingly observing every gesture of his face. Cale felt even more awkward at the intense gazes.
“Nya! You’re really pretty.” Hong said without a care and didn’t even look confused at the dragon’s question. Like it was completely normal to ask if Cale was going to turn into somebody else.
‘Did Dodam explain everything to them?”
Cale knew his face was handsome and made any clothes look good, but it was different when someone actually commented on it. Once again, Cale fell silent and was unsure of what to say back.
On snickered behind his back and whispered quietly enough so Cale wouldn’t hear her. “He’s embarrassed.” Hong only laughed out loud. The three children had seemingly gotten closer the past few minutes since meeting, sharing stories and joking together while Cale and Choi Han talked. It was good they warmed up to each other so fast.
Cale sighed, feeling hopeless. Dodam was still looking up at him.
“Hm?”
“Human, where did you go?”
“...”
Cale felt the emotion behind the question and pondered what to say. He technically went back to his own world before trying to enter the next stage of the temple. Then, something went wrong and he was transported back here. 1 year into the future from his last departure. It was an unexplainable situation. He couldn’t tell the complete truth.
“...I don’t know.” But he could tell a part of the truth. Cale truly didn’t know what happened. This was the easiest to say. Both for himself and for the sake of the young dragon. “For me, only a few minutes passed before I woke up here in my own body.”
“Huh?! A few minutes!” Dodam repeated loudly and flew into the air. Choi Han was also looking at him with widened eyes. The realization made Cale also conclude that he hadn’t aged at all since then. Did time fluctuate and caused Cale to appear in the future? Would he come back the same when he found a way back to his world? Or did time here pass at the same pace?
“When did you wake up?” The sword master asked cautiously.
“Just a few days ago.” Cale stated, snapped out of his train of thought. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell Choi Han it was right after the massacre of Harris Village. He decided against it. Mentioning the destroyed village would only make the atmosphere gloomy again.
Then, without warning, a loud noise echoed in his mind.
— Cale! You’re here!
— Oh- he found us!
— Hey! What is happening?
Cale flinched at the explosion of voices, and he instantly turned his body slightly to look around. His behavior was odd to the other ones present, and Choi Han visibly frowned.
“...Cale-nim?” Concern showed itself in the swordsman’s eyes, but Cale couldn’t focus on that. He narrowed his eyes. The ancient powers had been quiet until they suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Why now? Why not before when Cale first entered the villa?
“Sorry...” he started, turning back to the other four. “Some.. old friends of mine just greeted me.”
“But there’s no one here...” Choi Han took a hold of his sword and also looked around, more alert than before.
“I didn’t sense anyone either! Where are they!”
‘Did Dodam put up barriers around the villa? Is that how he found me earlier?’
Cale shook his head and focused back on the matter at hand. “Just like how you, Dodam, can talk in other people’s minds, my friends can do that too.”
“Oh!” Dodam’s wings fluttered. “Are they mages?”
After a year of freedom and staying with Choi Han, a human, Dodam was bound to find out more about the world. It’s not weird that a dragon, who is considered to be a master of mana, would take interest in mages. Cale wondered if the young child had some time revealed himself to a mage like he did with Rosalyn. If that was the case, Cale would need to know in order to prepare for the future. As long as it wasn’t some bad bastard, it should be fine.
“...Not really.” Cale answered slowly. He hadn’t even planned on mentioning the ancient powers or that they could speak to him. He already noticed Bud’s reaction at that. Still, this should be enough so they don’t search the whole forest for an intruder.
— I’m here with Cale! He freed my consciousness by purifying my tree!
— Sob! I don’t want to be here anymore...
Cale was already getting a headache from the voices. Glutton was explaining excitedly to the other ancient powers while every single one of them chattered up a storm. Cale felt somewhat relieved at the same time. What Glutton said was true, and now he only needed to find a way to get them back.
Choi Han watched Cale’s perplexing face and the way he massaged his temple with a low grumble. He didn’t speak up, only observed the other in silence. To Choi Han, even seeing Cale in front of him was an anomaly. Cale’s sole existence was a clear mystery, and there was so much Choi Han wanted to ask. How did he appear as someone else? Where did he go when he disappeared from his previous body? Why is he here now? What is he?
It wasn’t the time to ask anything right now. This was only the second time they’ve met, yet, Choi Han felt somewhat close to him. Like an old friend he knew a long time ago. He didn’t want to let him go again.
“Choi Han, Dodam.” Cale stopped holding his head and caught the attention of everyone present. “I will travel to the Capital with the young master of the Henituse household in two days. I need to go back before dinner.”
“Can we come with you?!” Dodam flew in circles above Cale’s head, not missing a beat in asking the question. Choi Han felt the desperation in the young dragon’s voice, and could relate. He didn’t want to separate from this person so soon.
Cale huffed out a breath. “Do whatever you want.”
A chorus of joyful voices filled the room.
Notes:
Choi Han was actually silently raging on the inside from the incident in Harris Village. The reason he didn’t stay in the Henituse Estate was because of Raon, their second home(Super Rock Villa), and that he was still very angry. Unlike in TBOAH and TCF, Choi Han has a place to return to, hence why he didn’t go on a journey to the Capital.
Because of this, it’s also why Beacrox was so angry at the mention of Choi Han. It’s also why they never left or followed him. I love how they hate each other so much I just had to increase it a bit more tihi
Yes, Dodam did put up barriers around the Villa and actually recognized something about Cale’s soul BECAUSE HE’S SPECIAL AND OF COURSE WOULD RECOGNIZE HIM
MY BABIES ARE REUNITED
PS Choi Han mightttttt develop some COUGH separation anxiety, but only for our dear Cale! <3 ;D
Chapter Text
“Haaaaa....” Cale breathed out a loud sigh. Right before leaving the Super Rock Villa, Cale had restocked some money and talked to his ancient powers. Unlike how he acts in his own world, Cale freely talked to his ancient powers out loud. The others would sit silently as he walked around the room and spoke with no one. Had Cale appeared to be a completely normal person, they might have questioned his sanity. However, Cale knew his existence was weird to the other ones in the room, so his behavior wasn’t that odd. In fact, it was quite nice to act so freely.
‘I quite like being weird to others.’
Cale was a stranger to everyone in this world. It meant he could say what he want, do what he want, and act like he want without many people questioning him.
Choi Han, who only heard half of the conversation, could only guess what Cale was talking about. He was also silently observing him, only sometimes talking to the children and getting to know On and Hong. He apologized for how their first interaction went, sheepishly giving them a smile when they commented on how scary he looked when he ruthlessly slayed all the monsters in the forest. Choi Han didn’t mention how angered he was from the incident in Harris Village, resulting in his cold demeanor and killing intent.
Meanwhile, Cale felt hopeless when he found out he can’t get back his ancient powers’ consciousness at the Super Rock Villa like he and Glutton had theorized. He did retrieve Super Rock, but the rest of the ancient powers were stuck at their respective locations. With a sigh, Cale realized he would need to travel to every place once again.
What he did find out was that he needed to use the right ancient power for the right place. Cale used the Indestructible Shield at the man-eating-tree and got back Glutton. He tried the same thing with the Super Rock, but it didn’t work. Only after manipulating the stone around him did the old man give the confirmation that he felt the change.
The children’s eyes widened at the scene, and Choi Han was gaping at him, clearly startled by the small earthquake and display of power. Cale overheard Dodam excitedly ask what power that was in a quiet tone, seemingly to not disturb Cale. The two cats happily answered that the first power was an ancient power and explained what Cale had done to the ‘Tree of Death’. Choi Han could only gape at Cale, still stunned from both the scene in front of him and the story he hadn’t known of before.
‘…But he’s weak?’ Choi Han couldn’t help but think.
At least this was a place where Cale could reach all of his ancient powers whenever he wanted. It wasn’t as effective as when they were with him, but it would work momentarily.
Once he deemed himself to be done searching the Villa and ended his conversation with the ancient powers, he asked Dodam if he could teleport them back to Rain City.
“Don’t tell me what to do, human!” The young dragon stubbornly yelled before summoning a magic teleportation circle.
As the spell surrounded everyone, the ancient powers eagerly yelled goodbye to Cale and told him to hurry back. With a nod, he swiftly disappeared into thin air.
Cale had left early in the morning to start his search as quickly as possible, so it was around lunchtime when they arrived back in Rain City. Now, Cale found himself at a restaurant with the others. The cats were in their human forms, happily eating the food served. Dodam made a place for himself in Cale’s lap.
— Human! I wanna try that one too!
The dragon was also happily eating what was served, only telling Cale what he wanted through speaking into his mind. Luckily, sneaking food to Raon was something Cale was used to, so it wasn’t a problem to do it again.
“Choi Han.”
The man looked up from his food when he heard his name. Cale was holding eye contact, preparing his question.
“Have you met the Henituse Family?” He already knew the latter met with the count when he first arrived at the estate, but whether he encountered any other member of the family was unclear.
Choi Han set down his fork and looked at Cale through his bangs. “No... I only met Count Henituse when I went to report the incident in Harris Village.”
“I see.” Cale nodded and leaned his head on his hand. “Well, remember when I mentioned I’ve gotten acquainted with the family lately?”
A nod.
“I have been invited to dine with them ever since I arrived at the estate. During dinner time, they naturally asked about my future plans and I mentioned that I was searching for you.”
Choi Han flinched at Cale’s statement and looked more awake than ever. Cale continued casually, pretending to not notice.
“I’m informing you because I have a feeling you might get some questions. The young lady of the household is quite interested in swordsmanship and looked very excited when she heard about you.”
Cale wasn’t sure if the count would let Choi Han stay at the estate or perhaps fix a room at an inn. Cale wasn’t the oldest son of the Henituse Family in this world, they had no reason to show any hospitality to a friend of his. Either way, Cale hadn’t even expected to receive a guest room at the house. It was a nice surprise to not have to spend money on an inn like he originally intended to do.
He figured it would work out eventually. His conversation with Choi Han ended at that and he resumed observing the children’s laughter.
*****
Choi Han felt the words die down on his tongue when he heard what Cale had to say. A wave of emotions washed over him like a tsunami and he felt his heart ache. Cale had been searching for him. It hadn’t been a fateful encounter. This man, who exhibited a classy aura that Choi Han couldn’t even compare to, went out of his way to find him. Him, a man he only met once before, and who had nothing but his sword.
Well, he also had the villa, but that was another gift from Cale. Honestly, Choi Han wondered why he gave them so much just to disappear afterwards. Wouldn’t he want the villa for himself if he ever came back? Yet, Cale hadn’t said a single word about it.
Choi Han wasn’t sure Cale knew it, but he meant a lot to the swordsman. In a way, Cale was the one who saved him. Despite their weird first interaction, he led both him and Dodam out of the Forest of Darkness and the cave they used to live in. He showed them a village with actual people, bought Choi Han extra pairs of clothes, and gave them two large houses to live in.
Cale gave Choi Han a home. Even when one of their houses got destroyed, they had another residence prepared. That’s the main reason why he didn’t stay in Rain City after he met the count, also because he had Dodam to take care of. At some point, Choi Han wondered if Cale somehow knew one of the houses would get destroyed in the future. He was a man who was hard to understand after all.
Choi Han owed so much to Cale. From this point and onwards, he swore that he would always be by this man’s side. To help him and keep him safe.
He rubbed his misty eyes and happily let a blinding smile light up his face.
Spending the rest of their lunch filled with laughter from the children and amused huffs from Cale, they eventually left to journey to the Henituse Estate. They were currently in the center of the city and it would take around an hour to get back without a carriage. While Cale thought about calling a carriage since it would be no problem with the amount of money he had, the children wanted to explore some first.
“Human! I want to look at the sweets!” Dodam exclaimed excitedly with a whisper. Hong, who had turned back into his cat form with his sister, agreed with an eager nod.
“Haahhh, fine.” Despite the sigh, Cale didn’t protest. Choi Han flashed him a smile and Cale led them to one of the open stalls.
“I haven’t been much in the city.” Choi Han admitted. “Me and Dodam usually stayed at the house in Harris Village. We only went to the city if food, medicine or clothes were needed.”
The smile slightly faltered at the memory but he was able to shake off the feeling. Choi Han realized he felt more at ease since he reunited with Cale. That he somehow calmed him down whenever his mind wandered. There was a sheepish look on his face when he turned to the other man.
“I’m a little embarrassed to say I don’t know where to find most of the things here.”
Choi Han didn’t know how many times Cale had been in Rain City, but it looked like he knew his way around. Even when he was... whatever he was. Choi Han didn’t know where his knowledge about things came from. At one point, he doubted if Cale was even human, but the weak man in front of him could be nothing but human. Unless he managed to hide his true identity from the skilled swordsman.
Cale gave a small chuckle. “It’s understandable. I have a good memory, so I hardly forget things.”
The comment was nonchalant and relaxed. The fact that Cale hinted at his Record ability went unknown to Choi Han.
— Human! I want to try that one! The round and brown one!
Dodam, who was still invisible, flapped his wings in between Cale and Choi Han, and spoke in both of their minds so they could hear him clearly.
“That’s... an apple pie.” The swordsman looked up when he heard the hesitating voice. Cale’s face had turned slightly more pale than his usual paleness, and he stammered out the sentence.
“Nyaa!”
“Meow!”
On and Hong seem to agree with the dragon, also focusing on the apple pie. Choi Han didn’t know what Cale was thinking about to have such an expression, but chose not to say anything when the other man complied with the children’s request.
“Hello there, gentlemen! What would you like?” The woman behind the counter asked in a joyous voice, clasping her hands together.
“Give me 5 apple pies. Pack all of them up except for one.”
“Huh? Oh— yes, of course! Please wait a moment.”
Dodam was still invisible, but the previous chatter in their minds quieted down. The cats were also looking at Cale with big eyes.
— H, Human are you sure?! 5 is a lot!
Choi Han was also looking at Cale, slightly stunned with a sense of déjà vu at the scene. Only after thinking for a while did he remember the familiar situation at their first meeting. Cale had walked around Rain City and bought a lot of things for Choi Han and Dodam, just like today. His heart warmed at the reminder.
At the same time, a record of the children’s love for apple pies flashed in Cale’s mind. While the soggy apple pies still gave him chills, he couldn’t say no to those eager faces.
“Apple pies is popular among children.” The excuse flew out of him. “Plus, I’m packing up the rest of the pies so you can eat them whenever you want.”
The woman behind the counter pretended to not hear him, not sure if he was talking to the intimidating man beside him or someone else.
“Here you go, sir!” She swiftly finished packing the apple pies and put them on the counter.
“Thanks.” Cale said and threw her a gold coin.
“Hu— what?! S-Sir!!”
“Hm?”
“This is too m-much!” The baker in front of him was the same one Cale bought bread from in his own world. Just like his first time gifting her a gold coin, the reaction was similar.
“It’s fine. Take it.” He didn’t waste any time taking the pies and leaving to prevent hearing any further protests. As he gave the 4 apple pies to Dodam and prepared a few slices for the children, he noticed their gazes on him.
“H, human.” On stammered out. “Wasn’t that too much?”
Cale only laughed in response and gave her an apple pie. “Don’t worry. Spending money is one the best things I know.”
Choi Han could swear the other man almost looked proud when he said that. He chuckled at the scene and the kids soon started to munch on their pies.
“Mister Cale?” A familiar voice spoke up behind them, and Cale turned to see Basen standing a few meters away. Two knights stood beside him, observing Cale. Basen had a stoic expression on his face, completely identical to Violan’s default one. Both in personality and appearance did Basen look like a copy of his mother.
“Young master Basen.” Cale called back and gave a small bow as a greeting. Choi han followed suit, a bit slower than Cale.
Notes:
A loooooooot of text and inner dialogue this time but ITS FINEEEEE. There will be more drama to come, trust
Cale has ptsd from apple pies 100%
Choi Han is completely devoted to his dear Cale-nim and would kill for him 100% no hesitation
Chapter 10: The Bread Incident
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The young boy eyed the cats once more. It was an odd sight to see; two cats munching on apple pies, but he didn’t comment on it. Instead, Basen moved his gaze to the black-haired man beside Cale and inspected him from head to toe. Cale made sure Choi Han changed into clean clothes before they left, so he should look more presentable than the previously bloody and ripped clothes he wore.
“Since you left early in the morning, I suppose you just got back? I’m glad you returned safely.” Basen said politely with an emotionless expression, closing his eyes and reopening them again. “Is this your friend, Mister Cale?”
Choi Han flinched at the word ‘friend’ and his eyes grew wide. Cale simply smiled and gestured to the man beside him with the hand that wasn’t holding On.
“Indeed. This is Choi Han, the swordsman I mentioned to you before.”
“Ah... Hello, young master Basen..” Choi Han awkwardly repeated what Cale said earlier. The only time Choi Han met a noble that wasn’t Venion Stan, was Count Henituse. At that time, he tried to be as formal as possible when he reported to him despite his inner desperation, and left as soon as possible. The count had been serious but kind. Meeting a boy who looked stoic as ever made Choi Han unsure how to react.
Luckily, it didn’t seem like Basen minded his tone and gave a small greeting back.
“What brings you here, young master?” Cale asked with a smile. Basen turned back to look at him, but didn’t say anything. He only stared for a few moments. Basen’s odd silence made Cale question himself if he said anything wrong. Looking at the guards beside the young boy didn’t help, as they only looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. In the end, Basen opened his mouth slowly.
“Mister Cale... are you okay?”
“Hm?”
The question caught him off guard.
‘...Why is he asking that?’
Basen didn’t look him in the eye, but slightly to the left somewhere under his head. He also looked hesitant, and pressed his lips together, unsure what to say. Cale followed his brother’s eyes down to look at his clothes and notices a small blood stain at his collar.
‘Shit... I forgot about that.’
Earlier when Choi Han slammed into Cale’s shield with his black aura, the impact caused Cale to cough up some blood. He didn’t notice he accidentally left a stain on his clothes. No wonder the waiter at the restaurant acted so weird and nervous around them. Cale just thought Choi Han had appeared quite imitating to the waiter, but it seems like Cale was actually the reason for their odd behavior.
He looked back at Basen and gave him a reassuring smile. “Ah, please don’t worry, young master Basen. The familiar injury I had when we first met isn’t something that can easily go away, but it is no problem. It was only minor.”
Choi Han side eyed him and internally questioned what injury Cale was talking about. He knew about the blood stain on his clothes from before but felt too guilty to point it out. Had Cale gotten injured before they met?
Basen on the other hand, knew what Cale was talking about. He heard from Hilsman that the man had coughed up blood when he was first found and said it was a reoccurring internal injury. If the blood stain is related to that, then it was both understandable and a bit worrying.
“I see... Have you gone to see a healer yet?”
“Ah, there is truly no need for that. It has long since passed.”
“...”
Cale didn’t want to concern Basen with bringing a healer. Last time was already too much and unnecessary when he was actually completely fine. Basen also seemed to leave the topic at that, remembering Cale’s first question.
“...Alrght then, I was just preparing a bit before we leave for the Capital.” The answer was simple and vague, but Cale didn’t focus on that. It appeared that Basen was also still a bit awkward around Cale. It was understandable, considering his identity and sudden appearance at the estate.
“I see. We just arrived back in the city and were simply exploring. I planned to call a carriage and go back to the Henituse Estate in an hour. It is a good idea to fix some preparations before departure.” He easily agreed with Basen’s statement and continued the conversation.
For a few moments, Basen was quiet once again, obviously thinking about something. Choi Han kept silent during their talk. He didn’t know proper etiquette here, nor did he know how to act, so he let Cale do the talking. So far, this noble seemed nice.
“Uhm, Mister Cale.” Basen started to speak slowly, seemingly wanting to ask something. Cale patiently listened to him.
“We also planned to stay for only one more hour. There is no need to call a carriage when you can travel with us. After all, we will be spending a journey to the Capital together.” Basen spoke with a steady voice, doing his best to hold eye contact with Cale’s reddish-brown eyes.
Cale couldn’t help the smile that curled up his lips. “That’s a wonderful idea, young master Basen. We would be honored to accompany you.”
Choi Han simply nodded in agreement, still quietly observing the situation. Hong, who was in Choi Han’s arms, decided to make himself comfortable and relax after finding the conversation boring. The apple pie was gone now. Only a few crumbs on his face showed signs of it ever being there. Judging from how happy Dodam sounded in Cale and Choi Han’s minds, it seemed like the little dragon also enjoyed the apple pie while staying invisible.
— Human, Choi Han! This dessert was so good! I’m so happy we bought more!
“I was planning on visiting the blacksmith before we go back. Choi Han, you need a new sword, don’t you?” Cale turned to the startled swordsman. “I’ll make a request for the blacksmith to finish it before our journey.”
“W-What? Cale-nim, there’s no need!” Choi Han spoke up for the first time in a while, frantically trying to convince Cale it wasn’t necessary. While he did need a new sword, the thought of making Cale use his own money to give him a sword made him feel bad. This man had already done so much for him, and he continued to help. Choi Han felt an overwhelming wave of emotion and gratitude wash over him. He would need to repay Cale for everything.
Basen slightly narrowed his eyes before returning to his stoic expression. “Will Sir Choi Han also accompany us to the Capital?”
Cale ignored the black-haired man beside him and answered Basen with ease. “If it is okay for young master Basen and Count Deruth, of course.”
“I have no problem with it.” The boy quickly answered. Cale let out an amused huff.
Walking around the city’s market took slightly longer than what Cale had anticipated. Instead of staying for one hour, it’s now close to two hours. Meanwhile, Dodam excitedly shouted in Cale’s mind and pointed at stuff around the market.
— Oh! Can we go over there? That looks tasty!
The little dragon has seen most of the things before, but it was a different experience when the human was here with him. He felt carefree and joyful. Choi Han tended to the kittens while Cale and Basen talked. Only sometimes when he got asked a question, did he give a small answer that satisfied the other person.
The sword Cale requested from the blacksmith is the same design he gave to the Choi Han in his own world. Seriously, Cale didn’t understand why Choi Han didn’t spend money on a new sword and instead kept the one from the Super Rock Villa a whole year ago.
“Mister Cale, you seem to be quite familiar with the paths around Rain City.” Basen suddenly commented, breaking Cale’s train of thought.
‘Ah, this again.’
It was very similar to what he and Choi Han discussed before meeting with Basen. At that time, Cale answered by saying he had a good memory. He wasn’t sure why he hesitated when talking with Basen.
“I’ve visited Rain City’s market quite a few times in the past.” He ended up saying. It wasn’t exactly a lie. But ‘a few times’ was an understatement.
Basen nodded in confirmation. “So you’ve told me.”
Choi Han stopped to look up once he heard Cale’s sentence. Unlike Basen, Choi Han could actually guess Cale was lying. He didn’t know if he was lying or not, but based on their first weird encounter with each other, he was sure Cale wasn’t a normal human. Of course, Choi Han didn’t know that Cale was telling the truth.
The two guards with Basen kept quiet the whole time, save for a few moments when they were talking to the different store owners or with their young master. Cale noticed their lingering gazes on him, but paid them no mind. He expected such reactions after choosing what his last name would be. His striking red hair didn’t particularly help in diverting attention either.
The guards weren’t the only ones who looked in his direction. Many of the citizens around them had a hard time disguising their curiosity at the mystery men walking with each cat in their arms beside the heir to Henituse County. Actually, Choi Han looked more like a guard than a friend following along with his quiet demeanor. Cale didn’t pay these people any mind, only focusing on the silver kitten in his arms and to keep the flow of conversation between Basen and him going.
However, their peace was interrupted by a loud yell from behind them. The shout made them slow down to see what was happening. An angry man made the whole market momentarily stop with his roaring voice.
Cale winced at the noise.
‘What is this lunatic yelling about—‘
“Ugh!”
Right at that moment, a small force harshly bumped into him from behind, making him stumble forward. Hadn’t it been for Choi Han who once again saved him from the fall, Cale would have fallen head first into the ground.
‘What is up with people crashing into me today?’
The thought irritated him and he turned around to confront the culprit, but stopped when he saw a young and dirty girl on the ground. She was holding a loaf of bread in her arm. Brown and messy short hair, shredded clothes and bruises on her knees. The girl was obviously from the slums. She looked very distressed and panicked, like she would bolt at any moment.
"Thief!” The man from before shouted one again and pointed straight in Cale’s direction. It didn’t take a genius to understand the girl had stolen from the baker.
The young girl looked even more panicked than before and desperately tried to stand up.
“Ah!”
One of her arms got grabbed by a man in armor, specifically, one of Basen’s guards. Choi Han’s pupils shook and he took a hold on his scabbard, clearly angry at the scene. Ohn and Hong also looked alert with their ears pulled back and the fur on their backs slowly standing up. Both had hopped down to stand beside Cale and Choi Han.
— What is he doing to her?!
Dodam angrily yelled in his mind. Cale sighed deeply at the chaos and turned to the silent Basen behind him. Feeling hopeless at the cliche scene. Why must this happen to him? It wasn’t in the Birth of a Hero.
“Young master Basen, please let me handle this.”
His younger brother had a complicated expression before lifting his gaze to Cale. He unconsciously relaxed at seeing the certain look in the other’s eyes. It helped clear his mind.
“Herman, please release her.”
The guard looked surprised and conflicted, but eventually listened to his young master’s command. Cale put a calm hand on Choi Han as he passed him (telling him to calm down), and crouched down before the girl, dirtying his knee. By this time, the angry baker managed to completely make his way through the crowd and started shouting again.
“She stole my bread! Arrest her!”
His noisy voice startled the girl even more and she froze on the spot, noticing the amount of eyes on her. Her breathing picked up, hugging the loaf even tighter. Cale frowned. If she squeezed the bread any more, it would only get crushed and not very pleasant to eat. Yet again, people from the slums valued a crumb of food even more than their lives. The scene brought a sense of nostalgia; remembering how he met On and Hong.
“Hey.”
The girl snapped her head to look at the one who spoke to her in fear. A relaxed man with beautiful red hair took over her vision. He looked so pretty with those shimmering reddish-brown eyes and fancy attire. The image temporarily made her forget her fear as something about him calmed her down.
“Are you hungry?”
She flinched again at his voice, but weakly nodded her head. The baker roared in anger once more and she hastily spun around to search for the threat. Her breathing picked up again.
“Hey, look at me.” Cale called out to her. He noticed the early signs of a panic attack and tried to move her attention. “Focus on me, don’t care about that guy.”
“What?! Who the hell are you?”
Another knight in the area approached the man and tried to reason with him. Seeing how he tried to calm the baker down instead of going after the girl hinted that he already understood the situation. He had no doubt recognized Basen and acted accordingly since he wasn’t doing anything about the girl. Cale appreciated the knights with some common sense. They made it much easier for him.
Cale succeeded in averting the little girl’s attention to only look at him. Her dirty clothes reminded him of On and Hong, as well as a familiar hunger Cale has felt in his life as Kim Rok Soo. He recognized those desperate eyes. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Come on, are you hurt?” He took a hold on the girl’s hand and helped her up. She shyly shook her head, careful to not drop the bread.
“It’s not good to steal.” His next words made her pull her hand away from him. Clearly alarmed, she frantically looked around for a way to escape. However, before she could run away, Cale leaned closer. “I won’t let him touch you.” He slowly whispered to her before standing up.
The little girl looked stunned for a moment before hesitatingly turning around to look at the baker. The man was glaring at her, not listening to a word the knight was saying to him. Basen kept observing him from a distance. Cale couldn’t see his expression, but he could feel the eyes on him. Choi Han and the children also relaxed slightly when Cale approached the situation. A level of trust in their human calmed them down.
“Are you her guardian?” The man growled, turning his focus to Cale.
He shook his head. “No.”
“Then mind your own business and give her here.”
Choi Han tensed up, ready to draw his sword. The kittens hissed at the man, but no one paid them any attention, too focused on the drama between the two men. His statement caused the little girl to flinch again and looked at Cale with a pleading expression.
Cale exhaled deeply, already tired of everything.
‘Why must this happen to me?’
It was such a cliche scene too. An interference that sometimes happened to the good main character in fantasy novels. Never did he think he would be in the center of it all. No. This was just a coincidence. It didn’t mean anything.
Instead of answering the man, he dug in his pocket and took out a silver coin.
“Is this enough?”
“Huh?”
“The bread. This should be enough to cover the cost.”
Cale spoke in a flat tone, ignoring the sudden silence around him. Behind him, Choi Han let out a shaky breath while Basen’s eyes were wide. The young girl looked up at Cale with a gaping mouth, her lips trembling. Shock traveled through her body at the kind gesture of this stranger. She couldn’t stop herself from shaking with overwhelming emotions.
“Uh.. yes, that’s more than enough.” The man stumbled over his words, eventually answering Cale.
“Then take it.” His voice held no warmth and urged the baker to hurry up. The man had lost any lingering anger at realizing this man was someone of importance, and quickly approached him. At first, he hadn’t noticed the elegance he carried himself with, or how the young master of Henituse stood behind him. The girl was forgotten in the hurry of taking the money and leaving as fast as possible. He couldn’t risk angering a noble for the sake of his bakery.
The citizens around them who pretended to not be looking soon turned away. The drama was over, there was nothing left to see.
“Haaaa...” Cale had both his hands on his hips and breathed out a long sigh. “Seriously, why is it always me..?” He grumbled quietly until he sensed a pair of eyes boring into his skull. Looking down, Cale saw the look of wonder in the little girl’s eyes.
“Hm?”
“...”
The girl huffed out small breaths and clenched the bread in her arms. Opening and closing her mouth as if not knowing what to say. Her odd behavior almost worried Cale that she was ill or couldn’t breathe properly because of some sickness or something. Cale crouched down to her lever once more and looked her in the eyes.
She tended up when she felt his large hand gently take hers and slid something cold into her hand. She looked down at the items he gave her and gasped when she caught sight of a beautiful gold shimmering in the sun. It was the most prettiest gold she has ever seen. Almost as pretty as the man in front of her. The girl snapped her head up to look at Cale, her breath caught in her throat. Cale put a finger over his mouth, silently telling her to not say this to anyone, and stood up.
She panicked when she realized he would leave, and hurriedly threw herself at him before he had the chance to turn around. Squeezing the bread in her arms, she clenched around the golden coin and gave him a half embrace.
The action startled Cale. He felt awkward, not knowing what to do.
‘What now..?’
In the end, he simply patted her back a couple of times until she let go. With an emotional smile, she ran away and disappeared through the crowd. Cale huffed out a sigh and turned back to the others, wearing a small smile he hoped no one saw.
Notes:
Cale: it’s not good to steal.
GoD: That’s ironic coming from you……
Ok true story guys. I’ve had the idea for this chapter for a longggggggg time. Like the first time the thought came to me was when I was reading “Looting as a family activity” which, btw, IS THE BEST TCF FANFIC I’VE EVER READ I’M SO HAPPY THEY’RE CONTINUING IT :DDDD
Anyway, I had the thought of people stopping and tense up to see when Cale ‘the trash’ wasn’t actually trash and instead helped the girl who bumped into him. I just HAD to include it here. Like how WOULD the citizen react when the trash turned out to be nice??? Ugh I love sm
Next chapter we get Basen’s inner thought process about the whole matter! ;D
Chapter 11: Returning to the Estate
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Basen couldn’t bring himself to look away from the scene unfolding in front of him.
In truth, he was reminded of his sister when he first saw the young girl. She had short, brown hair just like Lily, and they seemed to be the same height too. He wanted to stop the guard when he harshly grabbed the little girl’s arm, but also knew that he had no reason to stop him. The girl stole something and broke the law, yet something told him to do something about it. Basen suppose there’s still a lingering part of him from when he and his mother were still commoners. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest.
Then, when he looked at Mister Cale who called out to him, Cale with such certainty in his eyes, Basen automatically relaxed. For what reason, he wasn’t completely sure.
Ever since he met Cale Thames, Basen hasn't known how to act around him. There was a weird sensation, fogging his brain, that told him he could relax when the man was there, but he brushed it off. Mister Cale was still a stranger after all.
Basen also saw how his father reacted to this man and how skillfully his mother concealed her inner emotions to act professionally. It was undoubtedly different from how they treat normal commoners or guests. They were careful in their words, hoping to not offend the man and expressing their generosity tenfold. Basen was 14 years old and the heir. He has been taught to observe different expressions and eventually learned the subtle changes in his parents’ faces over the years.
The appearance of a man claiming to be a relative of his father’s first wife came as a shock to the whole estate. Cale Thames’ name and the meaning behind it is also a reason why Basen doesn’t know how to act around him.
But he felt something change.
Mister Cale didn’t exactly change, it was more something within Basen did.
When Basen first met Cale, the impression he left on the young heir was a calculative person with a lighthearted facade. He acted humble towards the county and showed respect like any other person of lower status should do. When Basen looked into his eyes a few moments ago, he could feel the control this man already had of the situation, and decided to let him take over. True to his expectations, he handled it extremely well.
Mister Cale first calmed down the distressed girl, then dissolved the matter by paying for the bread, and avoided an arrest against a child. Almost like Cale was an experienced leader (he really did seem to be one), it looked like he knew exactly what to do. Being so reliable truly made everyone around him to calm down. Basen was relieved and impressed. He wasn’t sure if he could have handled it as efficiently as this man did.
When Cale crouched down to the girl again, Basen couldn’t hear what he was saying, but understood the look of admiration on the girl’s face. It was only when the girl threw herself forward and tightly hugged his legs that Basen understood it all. In the little girl’s hand was a golden coin, a bit too large for her to conveniently hide in her palm.
The sight made his heart swell. There was no doubt the guards beside him also saw the shiny object. He could imagine the kind act moved more hearts than just his own. Basen could almost laugh at the awkward expression Cale had as he carefully patted the girl’s back. Choi Han, on the other hand, didn’t conceal his laughter as any tension immediately left his shoulders.
“Nyaaa!”
The cats wasted no time in jumping out of Choi Han’s embrace and ran towards Cale the moment he turned back around, face stoic as if nothing had happened. Yet, Basen could see a subtle smile form on his face before vanishing again.
“Ugh...” Basen heard the redhead grumble to himself. “My knees are gonna break from bending down so much.” The cats got louder as if laughing at him as he still picked them up despite his protest.
The black-haired swordsman chuckled cheerfully as he also approached the other man. “Are you okay, Cale-nim?”
“Hm? Yes, why wouldn’t I be fine?”
Basen quietly observed the scene for a few more seconds before deciding he should also walk up to them.
“Ah, young master Basen. We’ve spent some time at the market now, shall we go back to the Henituse Estate?”
If anyone saw the small smile that appeared on Basen’s face, they didn’t say anything.
“Yes, let’s go back, Mister Cale.”
Having arrived back at the estate, they were greeted by the servants who tended to both Basen and Cale. A few of them seemed to recognize Choi Han, and Hans, who had been informed in advance of Cale’s objective, happily welcomed him. The deputy butler was professional and didn’t question why his lord’s son had arrived with their guests.
The count was apparently kind enough to have already prepared a guest room for the returning swordsman, having expected he would come back soon with Cale. As Choi Han was led to his room, Cale got informed that the count and countess wished for him to dine with them once more if he was feeling alright.
“You’re going to eat dinner with the young boy’s family? I’m going with you!” Dodam exclaimed with vigor. The young boy he was referring to was of course Basen.
Cale sighed, knowing he couldn’t stop the dragon from doing what he wanted.
“Fine, but you need to stay silent.”
“Don’t worry, Human! I’m really good at staying hidden!”
Cale left On and Hong inside his room before leaving. Now, he was talking with Dodam in a hushed voice, walking through an empty hall. Soon enough, they started to near the dining hall, and Dodam turned invisible at the sight of other people. A servant greeted him upon seeing Cale approaching, and led him into the dining hall where everyone else was already seated.
“Ah,” Deruth voiced the moment he saw Cale. “Young Cale, welcome back from your trip. I heard everything went well?”
Cale gave a polite bow to the couple and sat down. “Thank you, Count-nim. Thanks to your generous help, I returned much more quickly than anticipated.”
‘I’ll keep up this act for a while longer.’
Acting like this wasn’t favorable for Cale, it took too much energy. However, it was necessary for the sake of his reputation in this world and the impression his family got of him. If Cale was too relaxed or acted how he usually would, he might be seen as disrespectful or uncaring while receiving help from a county. If that happens, he will lose the support they’ve given him. It was much easier to have a place to stay provided for you instead of having to work for one yourself.
After all, Cale currently has nothing. He needs to build it all up again. A thought he dreaded every time he came to think about it.
‘I want to go home.’
“Did you find the swordsman?” Lily asked with sparkling eyes, leaning halfway out of her seat. The young lady had been waiting for their return the whole day, but couldn’t come see Cale until now because of her studies.
“Yes, young lady Lily. Choi Han was at the place I predicted. He’s currently resting. Which reminds me; thank you dearly for sharing your kindness with my friend too”
No one saw how the invisible Dodam made his way under the table and settled in Cale’s lap. Violan, who noticed Cale’s choice of words, spoke up for the first time since he first came into the dining hall.
“And where exactly is that place? I heard you got injured while you were away.”
Violan had most likely heard about Cale’s ‘injury’ from either Basen or one of the guards that accompanied him on the market. He immediately changed out of the bloody shirt the moment he came back. Cale internally sighed at the repeated question.
“Please don’t worry about the injury, Lady Violan. It is an occurrence that sometimes repeats, but it doesn’t put me in any danger.”
It was still concerning. To have such a weak body to cough up blood all the time worried Deruth.
At the mention of the injury and its description, many of the elder servants remembered the late countess. Jour was known to have beautiful crimson red hair, but also a frail body. Cale Thames was like a copy of her. It was even reported that she coughed up blood on the day of her demise. They couldn't help but connect that thought to Cale’s sentence.
‘To think such a young man is also so ill.’ A maid shook her head regrettably.
Unaware of the others’ thoughts, Cale continued. “As for the place I found him at; it’s in a forest close to Harris Village. A specific location where we first met.”
His answer was once again vague, but it was enough. He technically did not lie and only slightly twisted the truth. The story seemed believable based on the past things Cale has said about Choi Han. While Violan didn’t show any reaction, Deruth visibly frowned, both coming to the same conclusion.
‘The Forest of Darkness..? Surely not...’
However, they couldn't continue that train of thought, because their food just arrived. Oddly, Beacrox, a chef who should still be in the kitchen, was among the ones serving the food. Upon catching sight of the cold stare Beacrox was directing at him, Cale got nervous.
‘What is he doing here..?’
This was the second time they encountered each other in the dining hall after Cale’s visit to the kitchen. The chef looked indifferent without any change in his expression. It was like they were meeting for the first time, so Cale naturally adapted to that thought.
“Thanks.”
Cale quickly thanked the servant and started to eat the delicious food once the others began. It wasn’t a particularly uncomfortable atmosphere for Cale, but rather nostalgic. This dinner hardly felt any different from the other ones he shared with his family in his own world. The realization made Cale slightly pause. It wasn’t good if he became too comfortable in this world.
“Mister Cale.”
Violan was once again the first one to break the silence.
“I hope the food is to your liking.”
Cale, who was pretending to have never tested noble food because of his identity as a traveler, easily agreed with Violan.
“Indeed, my Lady. The meal is delicious and well made. The chef must be very skilled.”
Beacrox narrowed his eyes from his place behind the redhead.
“Ah yes,” Deruth joined in on the conversation. “You will be leaving in two days with Basen. Have you prepared everything you need?”
Basen looked up at the mention of preparations and his mind immediately flew to the incident that occurred earlier that day. It went unnoticed for everyone except for Cale. He silently huffed with a smile at the subtle reaction.
“Yes. There is also something I would like to ask.”
Cale recalled the question he asked Basen when they met at the market. Even if he said it was okay, it was best to ask the lord of the house too. Seeing Deruth's gesture for him to continue, Cale opened his mouth.
“I was wondering if my friend, Choi Han, could also join our trip to the Capital?”
Asking to bring along a friend could also mean Cale is asking for Deruth to make room for Choi Han as a guest for the carriage. But Cale planned for Choi Han to leave halfway through the journey and later meet up in the Capital again, just like in his own world. It would be unnecessary to complicate it so much for just a short time.
— Human! Can I try the bread? It looks tasty!
Cale naturally ignored the young voice echoing in his head.
“The swordsman?”
Cale nodded. “Yes, however, there is no need for the Count-nim to make any more preparations. I wouldn’t want to burden you with this as you’ve already done so much for me.”
“So you’re only asking if he can come along? Well, I suppose that shouldn’t be a problem, but wouldn’t preparations be needed either way?”
“In a way, yes. On another note, Choi Han is a skilled swordsman, so to make things easier, he could be placed as a temporary guard.” The suggestion was sudden, but not too surprising. Cale have talked and explained about Choi Han’s potential to Lily the previous days, so they understood how much faith Cale had in the swordsman.
It was also a good suggestion, as it wouldn’t trouble Deruth as much as preparing for another guest the servants would look after.
“Hm.” The count thought for a moment, before coming to a conclusion. “It’s a good idea, but for Sir Choi Han to join the Henituse Knights, even though it’s temporary, I would need to see his skills for myself.”
It was a bit different to what happened in Cale’s world. At that time, Cale was a legitimate child of Count Henituse and no one except Deruth could turn down his decision to bring Choi Han along. This time, he had to work a bit more to convince his father to agree with him, but it worked in the end.
‘It seems like Choi Han will need to fight all of the knights in this world.’
Content with how the conversation turned out, Cale sat back in his chair. What he didn’t know was that Beacrox, who had been listening to the whole conversation, made a decision to convince the count about something else himself that evening.
The next day, Choi Han stood at the training grounds and listened to a man called Hans speak.
“So there is no need to worry! All you need to do is spar with a few of the knights to show what you can do.”
Choi Han hadn’t known beforehand that Cale talked with the count to make him join their party. He moved his gaze slightly to the side and saw Cale and Count Henituse calmly speak to each other. Though, he also noticed how the older of the two had a hard time keeping eye contact.
“In fact, I believe you will do great! We’ve heard many wonderful stories from your friend.”
Choi Han’s attention was grabbed by what Hans said.
‘Stories?’
The swordsman tried to recall what Cale said to him when they reunited. He told him he had mentioned Choi Han to the others, but that’s as far as he knows.
“I’m very excited about seeing you show your skills, Mr. Choi Han! I’ve heard you’re very good with the sword.”
Choi Han didn’t know whether to feel embarrassed or happy that Cale praised his skills so that Hans caught swift on what he said. He sneaked another glance at Cale. Coincidentally, the man turned his head to focus on the swordsman at the same time, suddenly making eye contact.
Choi Han slowly waves his hand clumsily, cheeks showing a tint of red from embarrassment. Cale only gave a nod in response, too far away to see his awkward expression clearly.
Once the final adjustments were finished, the swordsman got called in to start a duel with one of the knights. Cale looked at him from afar, showing no nervousness of the situation. He was confident Choi Han would do well. He stood beside his father, watching the first duel begin.
Choi Han held tightly onto a wooden sword instead of the old one from the Super Rock Villa. Another knight, the current judge, yelled for them to get into their positions before finally announcing the start of the duel.
“Gasp!”
The first match ended in seconds.
Notes:
I was thinking about what to do to include Beacrox and Ron on the trip to the Capital and thought: why not make Beacrox interested after hearing that both the mysterious Thames and the PUNK from Harris Village would join?
Anywayyyy, WE’RE NEARING THEIR DEPARTUREEEE and now Choi Han gets to kick some ass💪😼he’s SO trying to impress Cale
Chapter 12: How could a wooden sword be dangerous?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Cale sighed. He knows he told Choi Han to not hold back completely, but was this necessary. Actually, yes it was. On another note, it was good that Choi Han showed off so much. It means they would look at him more than Cale. A good thing.
Cale observed the swordsman’s expression and found no changes. His gaze was drawn to the knight on the ground. He looked frozen, staring straight at the tip of the sword that pointed at his face. His labored breathing was the only thing that could be heard in the silent training area. No one uttered a word, to stunned by the quick match.
Choi Han had skillfully stopped the knight from swinging his weapon and made it fly out of his hands, landing on the ground a few meters away. The action ended in only a few seconds. His speed was so remarkable that the audience doubted if they could believe their eyes. But one thing remained unchanged; Choi Han was standing, the knight was on the ground.
“...”
Deruth was equally shocked, but managed to hide his surprise through a neutral face. He wondered who this swordsman was the first time they met in his office. The young man in dirty and bloody clothes had looked exhausted, not showing a tint of emotion behind his dark face. Yet, despair was hidden beneath his blank eyes. Despite the name of the village rattling something deep within Deruth, he masked his emotions to provide help to the only survivor of the massacre. Another thing he doesn’t quite understand.
Until now.
The black-haired man, who appeared so young, was excellent with the sword, just like Cale said. Deruth was suspicious of Choi Han ever since the investigation team informed him exactly how all of the assassins were brutally murdered. Assassins, who killed an entire village, were all dead. The reason for death was slashes made from the size of a sword. His main suspect had been the only survivor of the terror incident. It was only now that he could confirm that thought. At the same time, he also decided to let him be because of how close his Cale seemed to be with him. Deruth wouldn’t want to take away the only friend his nephew had from the horrific incident.
Yeah. Nephew. A part of Deruth saw Cale as his nephew despite them having no connection other than Jour. In truth, it hadn’t been planned for Deruth to join watching the duel, he actually planned on sending Hilsman to report to him. But when he heard Cale was going to be there, he made an impulsive decision to abandon his work and come to the training grounds. Deruth had to admit he hadn’t formed a plan when he made the decision, so he also didn’t know how to act or what to say to the young man.
He sneaked a glance at the redhead and was startled to unexpectedly meet his eyes.
“...”
They both had turned to look at each other at the same time. An awkward silence took over them for a few moments before Cale decided to speak.
“What do you think, Count-nim?”
Deruth looked back at the duel and noticed how the second match had already finished. Much in a similar manner as the first one. Choi Han was standing before the fallen knight, pointing his sword at her. She was scowling at him, showing a different reaction than the previous one.
“...He’s skilled.” Deruth croaked out, still slightly distracted by their sudden eye contact.
The ‘sparring’ (it was more like a one-sided battle) continued all while Choi Han barely broke a sweat. Every time another of the Henituse Knights got defeated, the judge of the match turned to look at his lord, but seeing no intention of stopping, he continued to bring forth another contestant.
Cale recalled what he told Choi Han before the match started.
“Choi Han, while I’m sure you know, it’s best to hide your strength.”
Choi Han looked at him with big eyes, listening intently to every word. Cale spoke to him quietly, almost like a whisper.
“There is no need to go overboard, just use enough strength to defeat them.”
‘Don’t use your aura’ is what Cale wants to say. Luckily, Choi Han seemed to understand and bobbed his head to give a nod.
“Yes, Cale-nim.”
As the nth match began, Cale noticed the other knight’s expressions. Some showed a tint of awe at the swordsman’s skill. It was truly impressive how fast he could immobilize his opponent. While his swordsmanship was remarkable, his hits were rough and fast. The times a knight managed to last a few extra seconds, they noticed how different his fighting style was. It wasn’t something anyone recognized, almost as if he was self-taught.
While some practically had stars in their eyes, others were looking at Choi Han with slight jealousy. The elder knights, who had practiced their whole life, didn’t really like getting defeated and humiliated by a teenager. But Choi Han remained unchanged and kept fighting without question.
“Alright. Sir Choi Han, please spar with me!”
In the end, Hilsman, the vice captain, also chose to challenge Choi Han. The whispers among the audience finally began to die down, excited to see the skilled vice captain duel with the mysterious swordsman.
‘This is going well.’
It was odd how his father hadn’t stopped the matches to make a decision yet despite the clear evidence of how capable Choi Han was, but it was going well. If Choi Han managed to defeat Hilsman, which Cale had no doubt in, he would most likely immediately get accepted as a temporary knight like Cale suggested.
During the past matches, Deruth had decided to sit down in a chair prepared for him, seated a few meters away from Cale. Cale didn’t mind as the knights and servants surrounding his father followed him. Even if each match only took a few seconds to end, it’s been quite a while since they started because every knight present seemed to want to duel with Choi Han.
Cale actually felt his legs start to go numb from standing up so much.
“Okay.” Choi Han answered back in an indifferent manner. Some of the previous opponents might have gotten offended by his tone, but Hilsman maintained his smile.
The two took their positions and Cale crossed his arms. The count who sat a few meters away narrowed his eyes, observing the black-haired man’s stance.
The knight who judged the previous matches yelled loudly, catching everyone’s attention. “Start!”
Choi Han dashed forward, much like how he started the other duels. Hilsman, who had observed and took note of Choi Han’s movements, quickly changed into a defensive position.
Thud! Thud!
The wooden swords slashed against each other, and Hilsman was actually holding out longer than the other knights. Choi Han swung his sword diagonally, causing Hilsman to tense up, but still managed to block him. He had almost no room to attack back when the other swordsman kept sending hit upon hit.
They both ignored the excited shouting around them, fully focused on the fight. A particularly quick and hard thrust of Choi Han’s sword caused an opening in Hilsman’s defense.
“Agh!”
In a panic, Hilsman harshly pushed away from Choi Han. While Hilsman slid away, Choi Han stood firm like an unmoving wall. He jumped forward with a flat expression to chase him, having no plan on letting Hilsman recover.
The other man hastily stood back up, panicked. Hilsman saw a pair of black pupils focus on him and only him. For a moment, Choi Han didn’t look like a normal teenager anymore, but more like a beast hunting its prey.
And sadly, Hilsman was that prey.
The menacing figure was closing in fast. Hilsman reacted in reflex. With his breath caught in his throat, he swung his weapon without thinking.
“Ah!”
Crack!
The wooden sword in Hilsman’s hand flew into the air and he fell backwards. The movement was so fast that it blurred for anyone watching. No one had time to react when they realized the broken sword shot right IN CALE’S DIRECTION—
Swosh!
Cale’s vision darkened. Something black appeared in front of him. He felt strong but gentle arms embrace him. A large body pressed against his.
Like time had stopped, only the sound of broken wooden pieces falling to the ground was heard. No one uttered a word, stunned by the scene.
There wasn’t any heavy breathing from the person in front of Cale, but he could hear the fast heartbeat of the latter. The arms around him tightened momentarily, almost as if scared Cale would break, before loosening. The person pulled back, and Cale could see Choi Han’s twisted expression.
“...Are you okay, Cale-nim?”
Choi Han asked the other slowly, ignoring both the small pains in his back and the gazes of the crowd around them. His heart had skipped a beat when he saw the sword flying right at Cale. He moved without realizing he did, with only the thought of shielding his savior from any danger, not caring for the consequences. He couldn’t let him get hurt.
Once his heart calmed down and felt the other man secure in his arms, he got angry at himself. Angry that he got reckless enough to lose control of his strength. Angry that he let a sword get so close to hitting Cale. Choi Han can’t believe he let such a thing happen. That this is how he repays him for saving him a year ago?
He looked down at the red-haired man, sensing how calm he was despite the sudden scare. The reddish-brown eyes relaxed, it also made Choi Han subconsciously relax, shoulders eventually losing their tension.
“I’m alright, Choi Han.”
His reassuring words made Choi Han breathe out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding in. He saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned his head to look at the count who hastily stood up. Deruth wore a troubled look on his face, but immediately made his way over to the two. Choi Han watched him in silence, still not letting go of Cale. The lord and swordsman held eye contact while no one had the courage to disturb them. Eventually, Deruth made a decision.
“You’ve proved you’re capable of joining the knights. I accept you as a temporary guard for your journey to the Capital.” His statement was clear, leaving no room for protest. Not that anyone would, not after seeing what the young man did to protect Cale Thames.
“Dorothy,” Deruth called out to the maid beside him. The woman stepped up and bowed. “Call a priest for Sir Choi Han."
Cale reacted immediately, snapping his head to the other. “You’re hurt?”
Choi Han only showed a goofy smile. “It. Is. Nothing. Cale-nim,” he said in a stiff voice, not matching the puppy-like look on his face.
“You— Haa...”
Somehow, Cale felt irritated and sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. It seems like Choi Han can’t even lie properly when reassuring someone.
— What?! Choi Han got hurt?
The panicked dragon flew around in the room while staying invisible. They were back in Choi Han’s room and a priestess was currently healing the small nicks he got from the splinters. The wooden sword that flew out of Hilsman’s hand had cracked from Choi Han’s strength. Sharp edges and splinters had flown at Cale, together with halfof the broken sword, but Choi Han had moved in front of him.
It really wasn’t anything serious because of Choi Han’s strong body and endurance, but the count was extremely generous. Both to Cale and to Choi Han. He even insisted that Cale should get checked for any possible injuries despite how Choi Han took the hit for him.
— Strong Choi Han is so reckless!
‘Yeah. He really is sometimes.’ Cale agreed with Dodam who scolded Choi Han directly in his mind. At least the swordsman looked a bit sheepish at the scolding, but Cale could tell he wasn’t really listening.
“Sir, are you sure I shouldn’t use my powers on you too?” The priestess, seemingly done with Choi Han, directed her question at Cale.
“No, I’m fine.” He shooed her away. “Thank you. You can go now.”
“A-ah... Yes.”
The priestess finally left them alone and Cale turned back to Choi Han whose expression had become gloomy. Cale could almost see the imaginary puppy ears fall down.
“Ha...” he sighed. “It’s good you didn’t reveal your true potential. You even kept it at a degree to impress the knights.”
The fallen puppy ears immediately perked up, and Cale’s face scrunched up at the imaginary sight.
“And... Thanks for saving me, Choi Han.”
A tail started to wag from side to side. Cale narrowed his eyes.
“But there was no need for you to take the hit. You could have blocked the sword with your own or moved us out of the way.”
The ears and tail fell once again.
“I’m. Sorry. Cale-nim.”
‘This guy wasn’t sorry at all!’
Cale let out another deep, irritated sigh, feeling hopeless at the situation. At least it was a good thing he got approved by Father. Now Choi Han could travel comfortably for part of the trip. Then he would need to leave to find Rosalyn and Lock again.
A sudden thought struck Cale. It was very likely that Choi Han and Beacrox hadn’t met. While the chef did seem to know who he was, Cale can’t think of a scenario where they encountered each other without Cale’s help.
‘Ugh...’
He would need to introduce them to each other again before leaving. The thought of meeting with the vicious-and-definitely-more-aggressive chef again was not an exciting thought.
‘I need them to meet before we leave tomorrow.’
The carriage would leave early in the morning so they had enough time to travel and get to the Capital in time.
“Choi Han, are you hungry?”
“I’m not hungry, Human! So don’t worry!” Dodam exclaimed loudly, having already canceled the invisibility magic.
“Ah... Just a bit, Cale-nim.”
Cale nodded. “It’s understandable. You skipped breakfast this morning.” The preparation for the duels started in the morning and a servant had summoned Choi Han quite early. It was past lunchtime, so the kitchen should mostly be empty.
“Let’s go then.”
As Cale stood up, Choi Han also followed, quickly putting on a shirt and grabbing his sword to secure it around his waist. Choi Han has never gone anywhere without his sword. He always took it with him, be it for a stroll on the market or hunting monsters. Now it was no different.
The three walked through the calm halls. Cale gave a greeting to the passing knights, even if their focus was only on the impressive swordsman they heard about. Cale didn’t mind. He preferred it if they looked more at Choi Han than Cale. After all, he planned on making Choi Han the hero in this world too, without himself revealing his identity. It was the perfect plan.
The Second Kitchen came into view and Cale felt a weight on his shoulders. Dodam, now invisible again, rested his head on his shoulder and whispered.
“Human, are you hungry?”
He shook his head. “No, but Choi Han needs to eat.”
Ignoring the guilty expression on Choi Han’s face, Cale knocked on the door this time. (He didn’t want to risk repeating his mistake of suddenly opening the door without a warning and getting another knife flown at him.) Shortly after, he opened the door and was surprised to see it wasn’t as empty as he would have hoped.
Both Ron Molan and Beacrox Molan stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking at the people who entered. Actually, this was good. Now Cale doesn’t have to seek out Ron either.
“Ah, hello.”
Ron flashed him a benign smile, ever masking his previous expression. “Hello, young Thames. What brings you here?”
‘Scary old man.’
“My friend is hungry. He didn’t have the chance to eat breakfast this morning.” He gestured to the man behind him. “Could you make something quick for him?”
Cale didn’t like the hard look Beacrox was giving them. He felt the need to escape as quickly as possible and let them meet each other properly. The scary butler didn’t let his smile fall.
“Of course, Sir Thames. It shall be done.”
“Great. Thanks.” Cale shifted to look at Choi Han who didn’t move his gaze from the two people in front of them. His eyes were sharp, unblinking.
‘Does he recognize them?’
— …
Dodam had also gone quiet in his mind.
“Choi Han, I need to speak with the count for a bit. I’ll see you later.”
The taller man snapped his head to Cale so fast Cale was worried he might’ve hurt himself. He wasn't sure if he was imagining the betrayed look on the swordsman’s face or not. Whatever, he has done what was needed.
“See you later, Choi Han.” Cale didn’t look back as he left the kitchen. His beating heart finally began to calm down.
— Are we leaving Choi Han?
Cale kept walking without answering the dragon. His mind lingered on what had just happened.
— Don’t worry, human. Choi Han is strong.
‘Vicious bastards. All of them.’
*****
The moment the door closed behind Choi Han, everything sprang into action like a bomb waiting to explode. Taking out his sword, he swiftly reflected the deadly dagger that flew at his neck. Choi Han swung his sword, preventing the old man and chef from touching him, and slashed at both of them. They jumped back, ready to dash at him at any moment.
“What is a punk like you doing back here, hm?” The old man smiled threateningly. He caressed the dagger in his hand and touched his bleeding neck, surprised that the punk managed to nick him a second time since they first met.
“The rogue dog came back.” Beacrox muttered flatly while wearing a menacing expression.
Choi Han glared at the father and son duo with murder in his eyes. He ignored the provocation and stared at them in silence.
“Ah, that’s right.” Ron’s eyes turned into crescents. “It was that little puppy that brought you in, wasn’t it?”
Something inside Choi Han rattled as the old man dared to talk about Cale in such a tone. The room dropped in temperature. A dark and threatening aura gathered around him as he stared daggers into the assassin duo. His murderous expression deepened in anger.
“...Don’t you dare speak about Cale-nim like that.” He growled at the two, flashing his sword.
“Ho..!”
Beacrox’s eyes narrowed.
“I knew that man wasn’t normal, but to think he managed to tame a wild beast?” Ron chuckled.
“...”
Choi Han couldn’t care less what they said about him, but it was another thing to call Cale abnormal.
“Shut your mouth... You have no right to say that about him.”
The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. A single wrong move and the other side would attack without hesitation.
“Hah.”
Notes:
*a wooden sword almost hurt Cale*
Choi Han: *proceeds to hate anything made from wood*
Another fight broke out but Cale wasn’t in the middle of it??? Unbeknownst to him, Choi Han sent a message to the assassin duo through his intense stare. ‘Cale-nim don’t know’. Ron, amused by the situation, decided to play along
I love their hostility towards each other
Chapter 13: Rabbit Soup
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“The guards have all packed and are ready to leave. Deputy Butler Hans is currently informing the Lady of the last preparations.”
A butler stood beside Deruth and informed him about the last details before they were ready to leave. Despite it being early in the morning, there were many servants and knights walking around the entrance of the estate, preparing the carriage.
“Understood.” Deruth gave a simple nod at the bowing butler. Once they were left alone, he turned to his son who had patiently waited for him to finish listening to the report.
Basen looked up at his father in anticipation. Deruth then asked a question that had weighed his mind for the past days.
“Basen, are you truly okay with Cale Thames accompanying you?”
The young master recalled the red-haired man who suddenly showed up at their estate a few days ago. He knew his father felt differently about the mysterious man and wanted to give him anything he wanted because of his relation to Jour Thames, his father’s first wife.
The unpredictable decision to bring him along with Basen to the Capital has been decided rashly. In the beginning, Basen agreed out of politeness. It was only until recently that his thoughts about Cale changed.
He remembered the event on the market when a young thief ran into mister Cale. The calmness in his eyes as he handled the situation, the change in his demeanor when he bent down to talk to the scared girl, the generosity of gifting her a golden coin. Basen couldn’t help but see a young Lily overlapping with the girl. The overjoyed smile the girl gave the other man had washed away any lingering regrets. Basen didn’t realize how the corner of his lips curled up at the memory.
‘Hm?’
Deruth observed his son who usually wore a stoic expression just like his mother.
“I’m alright with him joining me.”
“...”
Deruth couldn’t help but smile back, curious. “You look quite happy, son.”
“Uh!” Basen’s cheeks immediately flushed a light pink. Deruth only laughed.
“I’m curious. Did something happen?”
The young man looked at his father, unsure if he should explain about everything or leave a few pieces out. Giving a golden coin to a commoner, even someone with an increasing reputation like Cale (being a Thames and all) could be considered disgraceful according to some nobles. Basen didn’t have a problem with it, as he was originally a commoner himself. Deruth was not, but he was sure he shouldn’t mind the act. His father isn’t like those other nobles.
“...There was an incident on the market the other day.” He started, seeing his father’s interested expression. “I was with Mister Cale at that time. I encountered him as he made his way back from finding the swordsman.”
Deruth hummed, amused by his son’s story. He did partly know about the event because of the reports he got from the guards following Basen that day, but it was also nice to hear it directly from the young boy. It wasn’t often they talked like this.
Basen continued with his stoic face. Although there was still a trace of a smile left in his eyes. “We met a young girl who was hungry. Mister Cale was kind enough to buy some bread for her. She was really happy.”
Deruth noticed how Basen left out how she actually stole the bread, but chose not to comment on it. He was happy to hear his son had grown fond of the red-haired man. It was like an invisible weight had left his shoulders. Deruth had also been surprised when he first heard the story. Surprised that such a young man could easily handle a chaotic situation like he did, and the kindness in his heart. The count wondered if that kindness bled through when he suddenly showed up with two dirty kittens. He just couldn’t reject the man. To be honest, it was quite adorable.
Basen was silently observing his father’s reaction and relaxed when the smile didn’t change.
“That was very nice of him.”
“Yes, it was.”
Deruth now understood why Basen was more willing for Cale to join him. The plan was also that he should ride in the same carriage as him. Deruth felt relieved to see there would be no problems.
The son finally said goodbye to his family and entered the carriage shortly after Cale. The redhead smiled friendly at the young master, internally troubled.
‘Beacrox is here. Why is he here?’
Before entering, Cale saw the familiar chef among the servants who would leave for the Capital. He already expected to see Ron come along, despite the fact that Cale didn’t know who he was assigned to since he doesn’t exist in this world. It was a nice surprise to know that Beacrox would also join them.
‘Whatever. It’s a good thing he’s here.’
It seems like the meeting between Choi Han and the assassin duo turned out well. Satisfied by his decision to introduce them to each other, Cale settled in his seat.
Meowww
Hong immediately climbed into his lap and licked his hand. Cale subconsciously began to pet him as Basen watched. Just like in his own world, On was sitting on a luxurious cushion Hans provided with a smitten smile on his face. He seemed to really like cats.
“I do hope it’s okay for the cats to be inside the carriage.” Cale addressed his younger brother who instantly snapped out of his daze.
“Ah, yes, of course.”
— Human! I also wanna stay with you!
The young dragon stealthily entered the carriage without anyone noticing. For anyone over-observing, they would notice the small dip in the cushion beside Cale from an invisible weight. Choi Han said he would guard the carriage just as instructed, so he was currently walking beside Hilsman who was bragging about his feats.
They eventually started moving not long after. Naturally, no one dared to touch a carriage with the Golden Turtle on, the emblem that represented the Henituse Family. Cale counted the knights stationed around the carriage and noticed something odd.
‘Hm? There’s more knights?’
In his world, there had been 15 knights, 5 soldiers and one special guard among a few servants. But here, it looked like the number of knights and soldiers increased to 30 knights and 10 soldiers. Then there was of course Choi Han.
‘Did mother add more guards? Why?’
A record of Cale asking his father to reduce the number of guards played in his mind. In order to not look extravagant, he had requested there would be as little people to accompany him as possible. Violan, however, didn’t want that.
‘It’s understandable there’s more knights if Mother could choose.’
Basen’s eyes had once again been drawn to the two kittens sitting by Cale. It was quite funny. Cale never noticed how much of an animal lover his little brother was back home. The corner of Cale’s lips curled up into a small smile.
“The young master seems to be quite fond of cats.”
His remark made Basen blink before his ears turned red. Cale chuckled at his antics.
“There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. Just reach out your hand and ask if On or Hong would like to be pet.” Basen kept quiet as he observed Cale’s smirk before slowly looking at the silver kitten; the only one of the two who wasn’t occupied by a hand petting them.
Without answering Cale, Basen reached his hand out just like instructed. On, having overheard the conversation, inspected the hand with big eyes. She would usually sniff it like most other cats did when confronted by someone, but this time she stood up on the luxurious cushion and leaped over the space between to land beside Basen. The boy jumped, startled by the action, but eventually huffed out a breathless sigh when she began to rub her small body against his side.
Badum.. Badum...
It didn’t take long before Hong also jumped over to the overwhelmed boy and Dodam took his place in Cale’s lap. Cale watched in amusement as Basen had it difficult to pet both cats at the same time while they climbed all over him. The sight made him think of his own brother back home. Cale would make sure to spend more time with Basen and Lily once he got back.
‘I’ll bring Raon, On, and Hong to play with them sometime.’
They already knew the identity of the three children, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Badum... badum... badum...
“...”
Was his heart slowing down?
Cale patted the area around his heart and frowned.
Badum. Badum. Badum. Badum.
Counting the heartbeat’s rhythm, he found nothing to be wrong.
‘Was I imagining it?’
It was weird, but it might just be nothing. Cale easily brushed it off and continued watching the scene before him, forgetting about it.
The carriage ride continued without problem until they were far from the gate to Rain City. It suddenly stopped when Cale heard voices from outside. The memory of bandits stopping Cale’s carriage when he first traveled to the Capital made him want to sigh.
‘Why must this happen to me twice?’
“What’s happening?” Basen asked out loud. Cale was about to answer when a face showed itself through the window.
“Young master, it looks like we will have to take a break. There seem to be quite a lot of rabbits here.”
Cale felt a chill crawl down his spine at the benign smile.
Basen frowned. “Rabbits?”
Ron hummed and turned to look at Cale. Cale felt uneasy and tried to conceal his feeling as best as possible from seeing how the smile widened on the old man’s face.
“Ah, this rabbit is different from the rabbit I was going to catch for lunch. Of course, these rabbits will not be caught by me but by other people.”
‘Vicious old man! I’ve already heard you say this once before!’
While showing no change in his expression, Cale prayed for the butler to go away. Basen furrowed his eyes as he heard screaming from outside the carriage.
“Don’t worry, young master Basen. Choi Han will take care of them.”
And true to his word, Choi Han stood in front of the swarm of bandits with glaring eyes. His mood was still sour from the incident yesterday in the kitchen, and for the fact that both the old man and chef came along today. He didn’t like how close they were to Cale.
Seeing the obnoxious bandits threaten them, threaten Cale, made Choi Han immediately draw his sword and dash forward.
He ignored the other knights shouting behind him and only focused on the enemies who dared try to harm his savior. The bandits screamed, realizing they chose the wrong people to raid. Choi Han ruthlessly slashed at them, broke bones, cut off limbs; completely without a single trace of remorse. He didn’t care if he got blood on his clothes, he just cared about getting rid of these pests.
The guards, who had been ready to help with defending the carriage, stood silently as they watched the angry teenager with gaping mouths. Hilsman was stunned at the sight and almost regretted boasting about his measly wins in the past. It was at that moment that he realized he wasn’t even close to this remarkable swordsman.
He felt dizzy as blood kept splattering on the ground. A similar scene overlapped in Hilsman’s mind.
The bloodbath in Harris Village.
It was undoubtedly caused by the same person who effortlessly slayed the bandits.
Once the last bandit stopped moving, Choi Han flicked off the blood on his sword and glared at the unmoving bodies.
“Try to threaten Cale-nim again and see what happens.”
The threat wasn’t heard by the unconscious bandits, but Hilsman gulped at the cold voice, noting to himself to never disrespect the young Thames.
Ron stood still by the window and looked at the scene with an emotionless expression. His demeanor soon changed back to a benign old man.
“The danger is over, young master Basen, Sir Thames.”
“...”
Neither of the two in the carriage spoke for different reasons.
— Strong Choi Han is angry! I saw the fight! He killed those bad guys in seconds! Hahaha! He was so cool!
Dodam yelled with excitement to the cats and Cale in their minds. Cale only shivered at the remark.
‘...He killed them?’
Cale found himself unfortunate enough to be served the same thing as he had been in his own world.
‘Ugh... Why rabbit soup again..?’
He had no appetite. A repetition of what happened in his world. It also didn’t help that Ron was looking over his shoulder. The butler seemed to have taken an interest in him, despite not being assigned to serve him. Well, Cale supposed Deruth told most of the servants to aid Cale at least a little bit. Still, no other butler or maid observed him with such intensity as Ron did.
“Do you not have an appetite, Sir Cale?” The old man finally spoke up.
“No.” Cale immediately answered back. Basen sat at the same table as Cale and slightly frowned.
“Is there something wrong with the soup?”
“No, young master. Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t have an appetite.”
Choi Han looked up from his own bowl. Ever since the incident with the bandits, every knight glanced at him from the corner of their eyes, clearly uncomfortable. The swordsman had displayed so much brutality that they didn’t know if the bandits were dead or just unconscious. Either way, no one walked away unscathed. Even the knights had a horrific image burned into their minds.
They didn’t hide their disbelief when the terrifying swordsman changed like a switch, acting completely innocent in front of the redhead.
“Do you have a stomachache, Cale-nim?”
“Nothing like that.”
Cale wanted to sigh. Why did he have to catch rabbits for lunch? He missed the kittens and Dodam. Although he was happy they could stretch their legs and play for a bit before they continued the journey.
Basen looked at Cale with an unreadable expression, having stopped eating and seemingly pondered something. Cale raised an eyebrow, wondering if he’s also going to ask him another useless question. The boy put down his spoon and looked Cale in the eye.
“Uhm, Mister Cale, do you not have an appetite because of the battle?”
“Hm?”
That still wasn’t it, but something in Basen’s voice differed from the other two. He almost sounded... hesitant.
“I mean... It’s understandable if it reminded you of what happened... um” The boy trailed off, glancing at Choi Han before speaking carefully. “...What happened in Harris Village, that is.”
Oh.
Basen thinks Cale might have been affected by the massacre of Harris Village. While it was a terrible incident, it wasn’t anything that scarred Cale. A part of him did feel guilty at not being able to save them, but at the same time, he appeared both here and in his own world after the attack. He couldn’t have prevented it even if he wanted to. Therefore, he didn’t let it occupy his mind.
Cale didn’t notice Choi Han’s piercing eyes at the sudden mention of Harris Village.
“It’s just... It happens from time to time that bandits try to raid us, but they usually recognize the Henituse emblem.”
“Hm.” Cale hummed. “I appreciate your concern, young master, but I am okay.”
“I see.” Basen turned back to his soup. His ears had a tint of red from embarrassment despite his neutral expression, but Cale didn’t mind. Ron had also gone quiet, letting the conversation be at the moment. It was only now that Cale noticed Choi Han’s gaze on him.
Seeing how they made eye contact, Choi Han asked a different question than what he really wanted to ask. That would have to wait until they were alone.
“Cale-nim, you said you travel a lot.”
This, of course, was only partially a lie and Choi Han knew it. Yet, he maintained the act, not revealing Cale’s true identity.
“From what I know, you have traveled alone for some time now. I’m just wondering if you know how to wield any weapons?”
Choi Han also knew Cale had multiple powers that he hides from everyone else, but he couldn’t help but be curious. The bright shield was extremely helpful since it kept Cale from getting hurt, and Choi Han hadn't seen much of his other earth-shaking power or what it could do. So can he defend himself if the shield ever stopped working?
“I don’t need to know how to use a sword. I have different ways to protect myself.”
“Hm?”
“Look around. I’m not alone, am I?”
Choi Han did as told and noticed the amount of knights surrounding the carriage and their resting place. There were about 40 people in total who all had experience in protecting. Upon moving his gaze to the knights, the men who had glanced and eavesdropped on them immediately snapped their heads in the other direction. Cale’s voice reached his ears.
“Why should I be worried?”
The eavesdropping knights’ hearts swelled with pride, showing small smiles and the praise. What Cale didn’t notice was that he set a flame in the knights who heard him. With determination in their eyes, they silently decided to protect their newest and precious guest to the best of their abilities.
“...”
Choi Han observed Cale for a few moments before standing up. “Please excuse me, Cale-nim. I will be practicing with my sword now.” He only addressed Cale as if he was the noble and not Basen. The younger boy didn’t seem to mind, though. Despite the disrespect.
Cale frowned. A very similar memory played itself in his mind. Instead of answering, he nodded as confirmation. Almost immediately after, Hilsman also stood up.
“Everyone, let’s begin training if you’ve finished eating.”
Many of the other knights wasted no time in responding to the vice captain and followed him to train.
Cale simply ignored them, feeling that it was better that way. Beacrox suddenly approached Cale and put down a new dish in front of him. Startled, he looked up at the chef who still wore a menacing stoic face.
“Oh, thanks.”
Beacrox simply nodded as he stepped back. Another person placed something in front of him and Cale instantly recognized the terrifying yellow.
“Bitter food and drinks like lemonade are the best to restore one’s appetite.” Ron smiled at him and retracted his hand. Cale refused to make eye contact with the scary old man.
“Thanks...” he said, not as enthusiastically.
Notes:
Poor Cale, needing to relive those terrible experiences
Chapter 14: An encounter with the worst terrible bastard
Notes:
Yes I know my hands are injured, it’s fineeeeee
It’s not as serious as it sounds, trust me ;p
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Cale pet the silver kitten in his lap as they entered the village of Stan Territory. They were nearing the place Dodam had spent the first few years of his life, and it certainly wasn’t very pleasant judging from the grumbling dragon beside him. Cale recalled the conversation he had with Dodam before their break ended.
‘Dodam, there is something I want to inform you about.’
Cale had pulled Choi Han aside as a disguise for talking with the dragon. This way, people won’t think he’s suspicious when he speaks to the air.
— What is it, Human?
Choi Han also listened with his full attention on Cale. This wasn’t something he wanted to keep from the swordsman either way. It was good if he also knew and could mentally prepare. This world’s Choi Han seemed to be slightly more aggressive just like Beacrox. While Cale doesn’t understand why that is, he can’t risk any unpredictable consequences for not informing Choi Han beforehand.
“Our next stop will be in a Viscount’s territory. Specifically the Tolz territory. The Tolz Family are underlings for Marquis Stan.”
The unpleasant name caused a silence to wash over the three. Cale continued despite Choi Han’s hardened gaze.
‘We’re going to pass the cave, and there is a chance we encounter Venion Stan.’
As Cale mentioned Venion’s name, the air around Dodam thickened. Cale could feel the anger radiating from the young dragon and reached into the air to pet his head. It would be bad if Dodam’s powerful mana exposed them.
Cale knew Venion Stan shouldn’t be a problem. After all, he had sent information and his weaknesses to his younger sister, Taylor Stan, and Alberu. However, Cale was also irritated how he couldn’t trust how it would play out. So even if there is a small chance they encounter Venion, he doesn’t want to take any risks.
“If it ever comes to that situation, there is no need for you to take action. Me and Choi Han will handle it.”
“I hate that bastard...” Dodam whispered, leaning into Cale’s hand on his head.
Cale nodded. “You‘ll have your revenge.” He sounded so sure with his statement that both Choi Han and Dodam seemed to calm down. Not much could quell their anger but it helped to a degree.
— Okay, Human.
The dragon still didn’t like the situation even after a few hours of traveling. Cale felt how Dodam buried his head into his side to hide, and it kind of hurt, but he didn’t say anything and just provided the silent comfort. Hans knocked on the door to the carriage and looked at Basen through the open window. He wore a polite smile.
“Young master, I will now go search for an inn.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
They stopped right outside the village entrance and Cale peeked at Choi Han. In Cale’s world, this village had reminded Choi Han of Harris Village, and the redhead saw a similar nostalgic look in the swordsman’s eyes. Hans didn’t bring Choi Han with him to find the inn this time to distract him, so Cale thought of what to say. In the end, Cale chose to ask something simple.
“Choi Han.”
The other man turned to him instantly upon hearing his name.
“Are you okay?”
Like being struck by lightning, Choi Han jolted on the spot. He looked momentarily stunned by the sudden question. The silence made Cale nervous. Cale also ignored the intense stare Basen was directing at him. (The young boy had Hong in his lap this time.) Eventually, Choi Han’s face bloomed into a sunny smile.
“Yes, Cale-nim.”
Cale nodded and leaned back into his seat.
‘That cliche scene might occur here too.’
His mind moved to the cliche incident that happened in his own world. Venion Stan should arrive soon. Thinking about it, Cale wondered if they would actually see Venion since Cale sent evidence of his crimes to both the crown prince and Taylor Stan. If it went like it should have, Venion should actually be locked away right now. However, Cale has learned not to fully trust the story. Plus, neither Choi Han or Dodam said anything about it when during their conversation earlier.
The reminder made Cale subconsciously move his hand on top of Dodam’s head. Of course, too subtle to let Basen catch the act. It honestly only felt natural to pet an invisible dragon without anyone noticing.
‘I must be used to it by petting Raon all the time.’
As Cale tried to move his focus from thinking about the cliche event, a thundering sound of hooves shaking the ground reached his ears. Like he was cursed, Cale saw another carriage rapidly moving in their direction.
“Haa...”
His disgusted expression also caught the attention of Basen who looked at where Cale’s eyes were drawn. The red-haired man heaved a heavy sigh as he saw Choi Han immediately dash at the old man who happened to be right in front of the moving carriage. The scene from his past repeated itself when Choi Han pushed the man out of the way and the carriage with the symbol of Marquis Stan on it abruptly stopped.
“Ugh...” Cale cringed at the terrible scene. While it was an event that never went away thanks to record, he had hoped he would never experience this again. Sadly, that was not the case. Alarmed, Basen abruptly stepped out of the carriage. Cale had no choice but to follow when his younger brother decided to confront Venion Stan.
— It’s that bastard.
Dodam spat out the words like it was venom. The dragon unconsciously clung to his human’s shoulders so hard Cale felt the claws beginning to dig into his skin through the clothes. Refraining from wincing, Cale patted Dodam’s head once again before stepping outside, signaling to stay quiet and calm down. Cale immediately called out to Choi Han before he could start to argue with Venion’s lackey.
“Choi Han.”
The man who was about to open his mouth in anger, stopped upon hearing his name. Cale gestured for him to get over here to which Choi Han hesitated but compiled without question. Although the anger didn’t leave his face, he still listened to Cale.
He helped the old man walk over to Cale and turned to look at him the moment the old man could stand on his own.
Venion might recognize Choi Han, which would be bad. That’s why Cale didn’t let Choi Han argue with the other woman and made him hurry over before Venion could see his face. Luckily, Cale was standing behind a wall of knights who dutifully followed Basen. Venion, who just stepped down the carriage, only had his eyes on the young master that approached him.
Cale narrowed his eyes with suspicion.
‘Why is he here? No, how is he here?’
Venion should be behind bars. After all that evidence, he shouldn’t be able to move around so freely.
Unless something happened to the mage Cale commissioned to send the documents…
As an ugly picture painted itself in his mind, Cale couldn’t say it might not be true. Marquis Stan did favor Venion a lot. Although Marquis Stan doesn’t care about his children, Cale doesn’t know him well enough to know if he would truly leave Venion behind. Cale wouldn’t be surprised if he somehow pulled some strings to prevent his favorite heir from going to prison.
And if he didn’t go to prison, then the mage is probably dead, and the documents lost. Taylor Stan wouldn’t know about the Star of Healing, and Venion was still free.
Cale would need to confirm this later..
Right as Cale’s train of thought ended, the blond man moved to tell his lackey to stand down, and stopped in front of Basen.
“Nice to meet you, young master Venion Stan.” Basen politely greeted him while holding out his hand, hiding his true feelings about the situation. Years of studying politics kicked in despite his nervousness.
The other man looked unimpressed as he observed Basen from head to toe with piercing eyes. Venion looked behind Basen and his eyes caught the symbol on the carriage. He eventually let out an ‘Ah’ sound, voice low and equally uninterested as before.
“Ah, it’s the fake heir of Henituse County.”
A chilly atmosphere washed away any tint of the friendliness that remained. The audacity to insult another noble so openly was absurd. Many of the knights stiffened up. And Basen, stunned by the insult, stood quietly. Cale narrowed his eyes. Even he wasn’t this badly treated when he first encountered Venion. Was Venion also more aggressive in this world?
Cale didn’t like the way he talked to Basen.
“Hm.” Venion scoffed. “I had heard there was someone who didn’t know their place in the Henituse household. But I suppose a commoner can have a hard time understanding the true meaning of nobility. Of course, a lowborn shouldn’t get ahead of themselves and act like a true heir. That would be ridiculous.”
Okay. No. That’s enough.
Cale’s patience had already run out. He pushed through the crowd of knights and raised his voice the moment Venion’s ugly face became clear.
“You have quite the audacity to disrespect a noble so carelessly, young master Venion.”
The man was taken by surprise when someone else injected into their ‘conversation’ and turned to look at the culprit. Venion’s face twisted at the sight of an unfamiliar red-haired man who also wasn’t of any noble household he recognized. He looked the other man up and down just like he did with Basen, noticing his pale face and bad complexion. Despite the clothes not looking very extravagant thanks to the lack of jewelry, there was an elegance about this weird man who smiled friendly at him. Venion somehow doubted his own capacity to see the if this man was a noble or not. This inner reaction made him momentarily pause.
Venion scowled. “...And you are?”
Either way, it was disrespectful to interrupt a noble like Venion.
Cale only smiled slyly, ignoring the question completely. “Your confidence is understandable, as you are the heir to Marquis Stan after all. Although it appears the rumors are correct...”
“Rumors?” The blond man asked.
“Yes, rumors about the young master’s sudden aggravated behavior. I heard the young master lost something a year ago when he visited this village. It must have been very important to the young master for him to become so... bold. Yes, truly a sad tale.”
Venion’s eyes began to shake.
“The young master seemed to hold this lost thing very dear to him, as he even went as far as to search in the Henituse Territory. I do hope you’ve recovered since that incident.”
Whispers began to spread among the knights and Venion’s face morphed into an angry one.
“...You. You dare disrespect me!” Venion shouted in anger, pointing a finger at Cale, a command. Dodam clenched Cale’s clothes in anger. Suddenly, one of the lackeys drew their sword, and was ready to swing at Cale. The sudden turn of events caused the other knights to yell in alarm, but the sword never had the chance to touch the redhead.
Clang!
“Huh?”
Choi Han, the young swordsman who managed to defeat all of the Henituse Knights, moved in front of Cale in the span of a single second, disarming the lackey immediately and making the sword fly. Venion blinked at the person and accidentally made eye contact.
‘Mm!’
A chilling shock traveled through him as his whole body flinched. The swordsman standing protectively in front of the mystery man, wore a horrifying expression that defied all reasons, and sent a violent shiver down his spine. This man’s eyes, wide and unblinking, seemed to pierce through Venion. He felt frozen, like an animal that was in the face of death.
“Y-y...”
He stammered and took a step back. The unmoving individual glared at him with terrifying black pupils.
“It’s you..!”
Venion’s eyes shook at the realization. He recognized the one who looked like he would do anything to rip his throat out. This man was the same one from the village his traitor-of-a-subordinate fled to with the dragon.
The dragon.
The dragon might be here.
Watching.
However, the anger couldn’t reach him when he stared into those eyes. Venion immediately backed away and returned to his carriage, yelling for the lackey to start driving again, not daring to spare another look over his shoulder. It was an unceremoniously funny scene to look at as Venion almost tripped over his own feet, lacking any of the grace he had before.
Everyone watched in stunned silence as the young master of Stan scurried away in obvious fear. Choi Han kept glaring at the carriage as Cale turned around to look at Basen. The moment Cale looked into Basen’s eyes, he saw a wave of emotions behind the wide eyes.
This version of his younger brother was hurt, more shy, and easily suppressed by the other nobles who trampled over him. Cale didn’t recognize him.
‘A fake heir, huh?’
It was ridiculous to say such a thing. Basen was the real heir whether people liked it or not. Both here and in Cale’s world, he needed to become the count so Cale could live peacefully. Basen should have learned how to stand up for himself. To talk back to other scumbags like Venion. Instead, he just froze on the spot and took the insult.
Cale didn’t exist in this world. That was a fact he now completely understands. Cale wasn’t there when Jour died, or when Deruth brought in Violan and Basen. Cale wasn’t there to ruin his reputation.
The only moment where Cale got to meet the original Cale, Kim Rok Soo, repeated itself in Cale’s mind.
‘I said this to Basen; You are part of the Henituse Household. Remember that. No matter where you go, your family name is Henituse. Tell people that the Henituse blood flows through you. Tell them that no matter what.’
That was what Kim Rok Soo had said to Basen when they were young. But there was no Cale in this world. There was no Cale who could take the focus off his brother. There was no Cale who could tell Basen to be more confident and not let people trample over him.
For how many years has Basen endured this torment?
For the first time since reading the Birth of a Hero did Kim Rok Soo understand why the original Cale acted like trash. The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Henituse.”
Cale spoke up in the silence. To address someone of higher status with just their last name was extremely disrespectful of a commoner, but that was not his intention. Basen’s shoulders momentarily tensed up.
“That is your name. Basen Henituse.”
He looked into his brother’s brown eyes. Cale felt that after the original Cale went through so much to go to such lengths, this was the least he could do to help his brother of another universe.
Basen didn’t let his tense shoulders relax, waiting on another insult to hit.
“A fake heir? How ridiculous.”
Basen flinched.
“Why would you be fake?”
“...Huh?”
“Your name is Basen Henituse, the oldest child of Count Deruth Henituse and the heir to the county.”
Cale was speaking while waving a hand in the air, as if stating the obvious. The young boy, ignorant of the stares of the knights behind him, stammered out a weak argument.
“M, Mister Cale. I’m... I don’t belo...”
But Cale didn’t let him finish.
“There are papers that confirm this. No matter where you go, people will recognize you as a Henituse.”
Dumbfounded, Basen could only stare at Cale with wide eyes. His upper lip trembled, yet he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Cale walked up to his younger brother and put a hand on his shoulder. The action caused him to flinch again.
“Basen Henituse, the blood of Henituse flows through you. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Basen’s eyes shook. Something in Cale’s speech struck Basen somewhere deep in his heart. He felt an ache in his chest, and uncontrollable emotions surged up. No one dared to interrupt them.
Cale, realizing the difficulty his brother had with suppressing his emotions, directed him back to the carriage.
“Let’s get back to the carriage, shall we? The wind is cold and I would like to get back. Hopefully, we find an inn soon.” Cale led Basen away from the silent crowd, making eye contact with Choi Han. The swordsman’s previous murderous expression had washed away, and he nodded to the other. Cale felt relieved that Choi Han understood him.
‘I’ll let Choi Han take care of the rest and make the knights resume working again.’
So many eyes can sometimes be hard to handle even for a noble. Especially when it’s about something personal. Basen’s shoulders slightly shook, but Cale never moved his hand. Basen wouldn’t want him to either. It was keeping him from being overwhelmed.
Once he calmed down, he had a lot to think about.
Notes:
Yk, the funny thing is that I remembered Venion should be in jail AFTER I wrote the whole thing, so I decided to change the plot a bit. Venion Stan is still free, and Cale has a theory about it. Poor Cale, so much more work.
Because Og Cale never moved the bad rumors to himself instead of Violan and Basen, the rumors kept circulating around the two. Also, because Og Cale never got Basen to become confident with himself, he had a hard time growing up with his cousins and all that. My poor baby has so many responsibilities as the heir and he isn’t even acknowledged as a real Henituse :(
Don’t worry guys, our dear Cale will make sure that changes 😌
(If you saw the first version of this chapter, no you didn’t)
Chapter 15: “The human’s last name?”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Choi Han didn’t move until Cale completely disappeared from his sight into the carriage. The chaos still lingered in his mind.
Despite being warned that they might encounter Venion, Choi han still held a deep hatred towards the man. He wanted nothing more than to lunge at him and beat him up into a plump. But this was Dodam’s revenge, and Cale told him to not cause any problems. There was one thing Choi Han was sure of whatsoever.
Cale-nim knew best. He was trustworthy. Choi Han couldn’t— no, he wouldn’t say no to him.
What mostly impacted Choi Han was what Cale said to young master Basen once everything was over. He wasn’t particularly focusing on what he was saying, but rather how Cale seemed so sure when he talked. There was not a hint of hesitation in his voice. It was another reason Choi Han held so much trust in the man. He just seemed to know what to do in every situation. Choi Han didn’t know if Cale was aware, but Choi Han could see how much those words affected the young Basen.
And it didn’t end with Basen. Just like how the words that weren't pointed at Choi Han, he still felt affected. Even the knights opened their eyes and felt the sincerity. For a moment, it looked like Cale was talking to someone close to him and not a young master of a noble household.
Choi Han shook his head and focused back on his task. He needed to decrease the tension between the knights and find an inn.
“Excuse me, young man.”
An unfamiliar voice caught Choi Han’s attention as he turned to look at the one who spoke. It was the old man from before. He had been staying back ever since Choi Han brought him behind the knights. It was only when the situation calmed down that he stepped forth again. The hero immediately flattened his features.
“Thank you so much for saving me back then. Uhm, my place is an inn. I heard you were searching for one.”
Choi Han wasn’t the right person he should be talking to, so Hans, who had overheard their conversation, injected with a smile.
“Oh, Elder? You own an inn?”
“Yes... It’s the village’s only inn. It’s also a restaurant.”
“Wonderful! Please lead the way!”
The remaining knights went to do their separate tasks when they heard what Hans said, and the crowd disappeared. Dodam, who had previously clung to Cale’s shoulders, made his appearance known to the swordsman.
— Choi Han, are you okay?
He subtly nodded, stealthily caressing the young dragon’s head.
— I hated that. The ugly bastard almost hurt the human. I want to kill him.
Dodam’s voice spit out venom between the words, and Choi Han couldn’t agree more. His hatred for the man only intensified when he chose to threaten Cale-nim’s life. He would make sure Venion got the karma he deserved.
— The human is so weak. I thought he was going to pass out if I didn’t hold him up. He needs protection! I will protect him with you out here!
Choi Han nodded in agreement. This was also a good idea in case that bastard decided to show his face again. As the carriage began to move again, Hans appeared beside Choi Han.
“Sir Choi Han, I’m very curious, where did you learn your swordsmanship?” The butler asked with vigor. Choi Han could instantly feel the curious stares from the knights behind them. “You were so fast to defend Sir Thames earlier. It was very impressive!”
While Hans easily praised Choi Han’s skills, he could only hear one thing.
‘Thames...’
— That name again! Is that the human’s last name?
It has appeared a few times now. When they first met, Cale only introduced himself with his first name. It was nice to have the full name. But there was something that was bugging Choi Han.
‘Cale Thames.’
It sounded... odd for some reason. But it shouldn’t. This was the first time he heard it, so why would it feel so weird to say out loud? It was almost like it didn’t completely fit him, yet a part of it still did. It was confusing.
“To be honest, you even looked quite intimidating hahaha!” Hans comment snapped Choi Han back to reality. Yet, instead of answering his first question, Choi Han said something else.
“Mister Hans, are you not angry?”
“Hm?”
“That man...”
“Ah... You mean Venion Stan. Yes, he did make me quite angry. He insulted my charge after all, plus he attacked Sir Thames. Who would not be angry?”
While the deputy butler still had a casual smile on his face, his eyes grew fierce. The admission calmed Choi Han down to a degree. He didn’t really know all about politics in this world, but it was nice to be able to share his anger with someone else aside from Dodam.
“But at the same time, Venion Stan is a nobleman. There’s only so much that a butler like me can do. The best thing to do is to act accordingly and listen to my master. Besides, the matter seemed to solve itself without me stepping in.”
Choi Han nodded. It was true. Cale took over the situation without much effort and even mentioned an embarrassing and sensitive event. Choi Han doesn’t know much about nobility either, but was certain the smile Cale gave Venion was not a friendly one. He felt slightly ashamed at revealing himself to Venion despite Cale telling him not to, but seeing his face made Venion leave much faster. So it was true, it eventually solved itself.
“Mr. Hans, when did Cale-nim arrive at the Henituse Estate?” Choi Han has been wondering about this for a while now and decided to ask. Ever since young master Basen mentioned Harris Village, Choi Han has been suspicious.
“Oh! You didn’t know? Sir Thames was found in Harris Village by our investigation team just a few days after you came to the county.” Hans easily recalled what happened, not realizing how Choi Han’s expression morphed into a shocked look.
“...What?”
— What?!
“Yes, he said he had been searching for you when something happened to him and he woke up in the village. Mister Cale was coughing up blood at the time and was extremely exhausted. Luckily, our priest healed him as quickly as possible the moment he got to the estate. Weirdly enough, he seemed to refuse treatment until he met the count.”
“What.”
This was too much. Cale had been found in Harris Village? Coughing up blood? Choi Han’s head got dizzy. That was not possible.
— That can’t be true! I searched the whole village! There was no one alive!
The emotional dragon yelled in his mind. Choi Han couldn't answer him, but he felt equally overwhelmed.
“No. No, that’s not possib...” Choi Han trailed off, clearly distressed. “There was no one else there. I couldn’t have missed him.”
Hans began to regret his decision to tell the swordsman when he saw the panic in his eyes. It was clear Cale Thames meant a lot to this young man, and they both had experienced something traumatic. Perhaps Cale hadn’t told his friend about this for a reason? Hans bit his lip, unsure of what to do.
“Maybe you simply did miss him.” At that moment, a third voice spoke up. Choi Han snapped his head to see the dangerous butler, Ron, looking at him with a smirk. He held his hands behind his back, and despite the friendly smile on his face, Choi Han could tell he was mocking him. Further back, Beacrox was sharpening one of his knives. It was clear he was also listening in based on the stare that was directed their way.
Hans started to sweat when Choi Han leveled a glare at the old man, taking a hold on his scabbard.
‘Abort! Abort!’
“U-Uhm, Mister Choi Han, how did you and Mister Cale meet?” Hans interrupted their staring contest with a shaky smile. “I’ve seen how close you are and I just can’t help but ask!”
The question made Choi Han temporarily forget his anger towards Ron and look back at Hans.
‘How we met...’
There were many words to describe their first encounter. Confusing, weird, and unbelievable. Choi Han knew he couldn’t truly tell them how they met. Not how Cale appeared as someone else, like he was possessing the body. Not how Cale saved a dragon from the bastard Venion. Not how Cale brought them out of the Forest of Darkness. It was too important to reveal. Choi Han wasn’t dumb. He knew what he shouldn’t say.
— The human...
Dodam mumbled with melancholy. He remembered the terrible bastard who served the worse terrible bastard whenever they came to visit him in the cave. Dodam hated them both. Then suddenly, the terrible bastard changed and managed to free Dodam in the span of a few minutes. It all happened so quickly it felt unreal the first few days after that.
Dodam now knew it was actually Cale who took over the terrible bastard’s body for a temporary time before disappearing and reappearing. Even after Cale officially left the terrible bastard’s body, neither Dodam or Choi Han could miss the chance of him coming back.
That’s why they kept the terrible bastard in their basement.
No one suspected a thing, not even the angry screams from the terrible bastard could be heard thanks to Dodam’s noise canceling magic. They kept him well fed and let him sleep on a comfortable bed for an entire year, just in case Cale came back and needed a comfortable body to possess again. They would make sure he felt comfortable.
No amount of bribing or insults from the terrible bastard would make them let him go. Even if it was such a small chance of Cale coming back. They couldn‘t risk it.
The house collapsed when Harris Village was attacked, and the terrible bastard died. Dodam felt depressed. He lost so much. His house, the kind villagers, the vessel he stored for Cale.
Then, the moment Dodam sensed his human in the Forest of Darkness, a heavy weight lifted itself off his shoulders, and a surge of excitement caused him shake. Memories from the past traveled back. Dodam felt happy again.
However, what Choi Han and Dodam could agree on was that there was one way to describe their first encounter.
“...Cale-nim saved me.”
“Huh?”
Choi Han voiced his and Dodam’s thoughts. The short, yet impactful sentence caused Hans to jolt in his place and for Ron to drop his smile. Even the knights around them made no effort to hide their shock. They looked at the sad smile on Choi Han’s face and felt the emotion behind it. No one spoke up as Choi Han continued to explain.
“He gave me a home. Cale-nim was actually the one who built my house in Harris Village before he left for me to live my life.”
Choi Han’s eyes were distant. There wasn’t anyone who had the courage to ask about what he saved such a powerful swordsman from. They could only imagine what kind of situation it was.
“I’m not sure where I would be by now if it wasn’t for him.”
“...”
His words stirred the hearts of anyone who heard him. Hans could see the sincerity in his eyes. He hadn’t known what to think about Cale Thames before, but now he felt an incredible sense of awe for the man. Each person could feel the weight of those words.
Choi Han turned to look at Ron. “That’s why I won’t let anyone disrespect him. No matter what.”
Ron was quietly looking back at him. Beacrox had also stopped sharpening his knives.
Hans breathed out a sigh.
‘Hah, Mister Cale. What a good person.’
Though, something else in Choi Han’s speech had also caught his attention. His smile slightly faltered.
‘...Mister Cale was the one who built his house?’
Hans knew every single important and powerful person who entered the Henituse Territory, but he had never heard of or seen Cale Thames before. He dug into his memories from a year ago, but couldn’t remember anything related to the matter.
To build a house from scratch needs a lot of money and the permission to build. Even if it was in a distant village like Harris Village. Hans questioned how they haven’t noticed him until now.
‘If he was so flashy, there should be records of him somewhere.’
He would need to report this to the count.
On and Hong were cuddling Dodam who was still grumbling.
“It’s okay, youngest! We’re gonna smack the shit out of that bastard!” Hong declared loudly, trying to cheer up his dongsaeng.
“Yeah! So don’t worry!”
The three were sitting beside Cale on the bed while their human was lazing around. They had arrived at the inn a few minutes ago. Cale, too exhausted after his talk with Basen that kept going for too long in the carriage, felt that all he wanted was to sleep. He closed his eyes, hoping that sleep could ignore the voices of the children. Choi Han was also in the room, smiling at the scene from his place in a chair.
Just as Cale felt his consciousness slip away, a heavy weight landed on his chest.
“Human!”
“Puh!”
Dodam crashed into him, fully waking Cale up.
“Ah, careful, Dodam.” Choi Han rose from his chair, picking up the dragon.
“Human!” Dodam repeated, ignoring the swordsman. “Is the bastard still here?”
“What?”
“I want my revenge!”
Cale sighed. “You’re going to get your revenge soon.”
“Do you promise?”
“I don’t lie about such things, Dodam.” Cale laid back down on the bed, pretting the dragon who managed to flee from Choi Han’s hold. A sudden idea struck him. “Actually...”
Dodam looked down at Cale with big eyes. The cats soon joined him and sat on Cale’s stomach.
“He has a house here.”
Dodam tilted his head.
“Why don’t we pay a visit?” Cale said with a sly smile on his face. A grin soon made its way into the three children’s faces too.
‘I’ll loot the bastard.’
Notes:
Man Choi Han does not get to rest for even a minute. He has already started to get heart attacks whenever something involves Cale 3
And ofc Ron is always there to tease him :p
Next stop: the even-worse-terrible bastard’s house! Yay!
Chapter 16: Looting as a newfound hobby
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The two humans and three children hid behind the trees planted a few meters away from the house. Cale had changed into black clothes and Dodam changed the color of his hair and the cats’ fur. The excited dragon had so much fun playing with the different colors until settling on a natural dark chocolate brown. Cale let the comment on how the ‘dangerous chef’s’ hair inspired Dodam go through one ear and out the other. He didn’t want to learn that unnecessary information.
Choi Han remained the same, with only a mask to conceal his face. His black hair could be passed off as a dark brown in the darkness, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Cale observed the guards stationed outside the house. There were quite a lot for just being one house.
‘Guess Venion got paranoid after Dodam escaped.’
Cale could count up to 50 guards patrolling and standing outside the house from his spot, but it shouldn’t be a problem with Dodam’s invisibility magic. They had a dragon with them after all.
“Dodam,” he whispered. “Could you make us invisible?”
— Sure, Human!
It didn’t take long before their shadows disappeared and they began to move. Despite the security, it was nothing compared to a dragon who practiced magic every day since he was freed. The guards didn’t notice a thing.
The house they planned on looting was the most fancy and largest house in the entire village. Everything about it told them it was for someone of importance. Someone with a lot of money. And Cale planned on stealing that money.
— Human, there are magic tools here! Can I take them?
Dodam effectively located all of the magic tools used for detecting any intruders. It was a good thing he noticed them early on. The young dragon seemed extremely enthusiastic about taking anything of use, to which Cale nodded in approval. Unless Dodam is careless with the magic tools, they shouldn’t go off. The dragon has practiced for an entire year after all, and Cale had no plans on alerting any guards.
Badum. Badum.
With light wind gathered at Cale’s feet, and moved to the window on the second floor without making a sound. At the same time, he ignorant to the curious stares from the others, but they still didn’t comment on it. The whole house lacked any source of light, meaning everyone except for the guards were asleep. Cale landed on the balcony to the study, the most valuable room. This was most likely where Venion kept any expensive equipment or papers. Choi Han was close behind him with the cats secured in his arms.
Badum—badum—badum—badum—
Cale frowned and stopped, patting his chest. He could feel his own heart very clearly. It was speeding up despite him not doing anything to cause it. He tried to take a deep breath to calm himself down but found it difficult to find the air. Maybe it was just the mask.
‘I’m not nervous either. I have no reason to be. So why..?’
Badum. Badum.. badum..
His heart was slowing down again. Something was weird. His body has never reacted like this before. Only a memory of when he first appeared in this world could connect to this, but it still didn’t explain much.
“Cale-nim?”
Choi Han’s hesitating voice whispered behind him, and Cale chose to ignore whatever just happened.
“Let’s go.”
Quietly entering the house, Cale squinted his eyes to see the dark room they were standing in. Signaling to start taking whatever they saw of value, the other four immediately searched the room. They found expensive jewelry, bags of special devices, and pouches of gold. Cale was of course mostly interested in the gold, something that did not go unnoticed by the children.
— Human! Do you like gold?
“Yes. Money is the best thing I know.” It was true. Cale still had some money left in his Spacial bag from his own world, plus the extra money he restocked in the Super Rock Villa, but he still felt like he was lacking. (He felt bad using the money he got from Father) This was nothing compared to what he used to have. The thought irked him.
‘I’ll need to find another bastard to loot soon.’
Unbeknownst to him, a fire sparked in the children’s eyes. Through silent communication, they started to search the entire room for anything that shimmered in the moonlight.
Choi Han looked at Cale for a long while after he had said that.
‘Hm?’
Cale noticed the intense look Choi Han was giving him and saw how he straightened his back when their eyes met.
“You look nice with brown hair, Cale-nim.”
The comment threw Cale off guard. He hadn’t expected a compliment from the swordsman. And definetly not in this situation.
“Thanks.” He didn’t know what else to say, but it seemed to satisfy the other man.
The redhead went over to the fancy desk placed in the middle of the room. Wrinkly papers were carelessly scattered on the clean wood with messy handwriting on them. Some of the papers were dusty and clearly older than the other ones. The mess made it look like someone had written the newer ones in a hurry before leaving the place as it was, not letting anyone clean it up.
Cale picked one of the papers up and instantly recognized a few peculiar words.
Harris Village. Dragon. Traitor.
He narrowed his eyes and activated Record. For someone who wanted to keep the dragon a secret, Venion wasn’t doing a very good job letting these papers lay open for anyone to read.
The papers contained information and reports about Dodam all the way back to when he fled the cave. Among the papers was a name; ‘Devran Reedlocke’ with a label saying ‘TRAITOR’ above it. Was this the lackey Cale woke up as in the test? It was very likely. However, Cale didn’t find anything helpful after reading the whole paper. Nothing said where he could be or if he was even alive. On another note, Cale wasn’t sure he wanted to know what happened to the body he possessed after he left.
The dusty papers commented on Choi Han’s appearance and how he might be related to the dragon’s disappearance. The wrinkly papers only had an unreadable handwriting. Like a madman had written about something traumatic in a panic, needing to note it down before he was forced to forget everything. It all looked like a year worth of research. Research Cale wasn’t planning on letting Venion keep.
“Choi Han.” Cale called out with a scowl. “Destroy these.”
“Hm?”
Choi Han turned to see Cale hold up a bunch of papers in a tight fist. He didn’t question the irritated look on his face and simply walked over to him.
“Actually. Let’s burn them instead.” He couldn’t afford these papers to be found by anyone else. “Dodam.”
The young dragon had heard what Cale said and flew over with a smiling face. “I’ll burn them! I’ll burn them!”
With an easy flick of his claw, a fire made from magic appeared in Dodam’s paw. He didn’t even look at what the papers contained as he didn’t really care. He was just happy to destroy something the terrible bastard valued. Meanwhile, On and Hong approached Cale carrying any shiny object they found.
“Here! I found this, nyaa!”
“Cale! Take this!”
When they left the study, Cale had more gold and magic stones than he thought he would find in just one room. They walked quietly through the empty hallways. The kids’ tails were wagging in delight when they found another expensive-looking detail to a furniture or decoration.
They would need to leave soon though, Cale hadn’t thought about staying for long. It wasn’t good risking getting seen by anyone.
Badum! Badum. Badum.
Cale ignored the uneven beat of his heart that started once again. He was planning on telling the other that they were leaving until they rounded a corner and abruptly stopped. On the other end of the hallway stood two knights, frozen in their place to mirror Cale and his group.
Well, guess they found Venion’s room.
*****
Thud!
Venion sucked in a deep breath. It sounded like something hard fell to the floor behind the door.
He hadn’t been able to sleep all night since the incident with the Henituse boy. All he could remember were those terrifyingly deep and angry black eyes that stared right into his soul. The thought of the damned dragon being here to get revenge shook him to the core.
Venion tried to shake off his unease and to relax back on his bed. He was safe here. There were too many guards around the house for an intruder to break in. Plus, his room was guarded by two highly skilled knights. They probably dropped something, those incompetent lowborn. Yeah, it was probably nothi—
Meowwww
A chill immediately coursed through his entire body. Venion flinched and froze as if a sword was pointed to his neck.
‘A cat. There shouldn’t be any cats here.’
His eyes moved to where the sound came from. In the window sat a silhouette of a small feline with the moonlight behind it. Its piercing yellow eyes reflected any light and stared right at Venion. The meow made him shiver.
How did it get up there? How did it get in?
There was so much security around the house. But a cat isn’t a dragon. The dragon is not here—
“Do you remember me?”
*****
Badum. Badum-badum.
Cale watched in amusement as both the dragon and the cats scared the bastard to death. He had no remorse for this man who tortured Raon without a care for 4 years just to try and tame him. It was an inhumane and insane act. He had what was coming for him.
Dodam would get his true revenge just like Raon did. They couldn’t do it here though, so it was enough to mentally torment the bastard as a start.
Badum—badum—badum—badum.
Both Cale and Choi Han remained invisible the whole time. He could feel the fear from the man who sat frozen in his bed. They had knocked out the guards outside his room, but there were still a lot around the house. The moment Venion screamed, they would leave.
Badum! Badum! Badum!
‘Argh...’
Cale felt his heartbeat increase unnaturally. He knew it wasn’t normal, so he tried to take shallow breaths in a slow manner.
‘Fuck. I can’t breathe properly.’
He held his hand against his heart again and squeezed around the area on his clothes.
“Ha... ha..”
Even if they were invisible, there was no barrier around him to block out the sound. Cale tried to control his breathing to be as quiet as possible. He knew how to breathe silently from years of hiding from monsters as Kim Rok Soo. Yet, it wouldn’t fool the sword master standing right beside him.
Choi Han frowned. He couldn’t see Cale but he could hear the shallow breathing. It didn’t sound intentional, but almost like he was in pain. It made him worry.
“No! S-Stay AWAY!”
When Venion yelled loud enough for it to be heard outside, it was their cue to leave.
Meowwww
The meowing from the cats went over Venion’s head. He hadn’t even noticed when they moved over to stand behind the black dragon. His only focus was on the glaring blue eyes in front of him. The man backed away and hit the wall behind the bed.
“Venion Stan.”
The young voice of the black silhouette echoed in the room as a mist of fog began to blind the corner of his eyes. Magic together with a powerful aura of mana filled the area around the dragon. He felt weak.
“I’ll come for you.”
The teleportation magic circle was complete, and they disappeared into the darkness with a blinding light, leaving the bastard alone in his room.
“Hahahhaha!”
“Nyaa!”
“He looked so scared!”
“You were so cool, youngest!”
Praises from the cats came immediately the moment they reappeared far away from the house, hidden between some trees. They couldn’t see the house from where they were, but the inn they were staying at wasn’t too far away. The three were jumping around, satisfied by the outcome.
“Haa... ha! Ha...”
Badum! Badum! Badum! Badum!
Cale’s head was dizzy. His heart was pounding way too fast in his chest.
“Cale-nim?!”
Choi Han was by his side in less than a second. His hands were hovering over him, unsure if he should touch him or not. Cale was clenching his hand hard over his heart, slightly leaning forward.
“Nya?”
“Human?!”
Choi Han’s yell caught the attention of the three children. Seeing Cale hunched over while panting heavily made them lose focus. Any joy from the event disappeared instantly.
“Human! Is something wrong with your heart?! Why are you holding your hand on your chest? Does it hurt?”
He almost didn’t hear the panicked voice over the loud beating of his heart that rang in his ears. With little strength, Cale shook his head and tried to regain his posture.
“I’m fine...” His dry throat only irritated him further, and Cale tried his best to blink away the blurry spots in his vision. His face was paler than usual in the dim moonlight they were standing under. The reassurance didn’t help against the heavy breathing and bad complexion.
— Cale... Something’s wrong.
‘No shit.’
Super Rock spoke in his mind with a worried tone. Cale closed his mouth to breathe through his nose and took his hand off his chest, ignoring the voice.
“Let’s go.”
The red-haired man began to walk back towards the inn. His movements were slow but steady. Still, none of the children or Choi Han took their eyes off of him. Choi Han was clearly worried, but also recalled what Hans had told him a few hours ago.
‘I think he said Cale-nim coughed up blood when he was found and was too exhausted to move.’
It was concerning. Choi Han has also seen Cale cough up blood. It happened when they first reunited in the Forest of Darkness. He felt an uncomfortable guilt squeeze his heart, fearing he might’ve been the reason for Cale’s internal injury. Choi Han had slammed into the shield with his aura before he knew who it really was. A blood stain remained on Cale’s collar for the rest of the day.
Badum! Badum! Badum!
Cale frowned but refrained from holding his chest. He didn’t want the others to feel any unnecessary concern about him.
Badum! Badum. badum...
‘Ugh..’
Cale swayed and stumbled forward, mind dizzy. Someone was shouting, but Cale couldn’t hear them.
“Ha..! Haa... ha..”
He couldn’t breathe properly and his knees wouldn’t hold him up. Hands were touching him, a tight grip on his upper arm and around his waist. Choi Han must have prevented his fall.
With a slurred mind, the only thing Cale could hear was the deafening sound of a slow heartbeat. Slow. It was too slow. Too slow for a normal heartbeat.
‘What the hell is happening to me?’
..badum....badum....badum
Cale leaned his weight on Choi Han who put his arm over his shoulder to keep him from falling. The children were shouting in worry. He didn’t want to worry them. A round head crashed into his chest again. A round head with hard horns also helped in holding him up. A dragon's head.
Raon.
Cale moved his shaky hand to caress Raon’s head.
“Haaah....”
Choi Han was speaking into his ear, trying to make him focus. But Cale couldn’t. Any thought gotl mushed up in his mind, like a hazy fog keeping him from thinking straight.
“...ho..! What a surpri...”
His consciousness floated in a cloud. Nothing felt concrete or clear. It wasn’t like Record. No, this was different. It was as if the blood couldn’t reach his brain as much as he needed it to.
The noise around him got quiet. The only thing that could be heard was Cale’s heavy breathing. His head was hanging low, but despite the chaotic thoughts, he felt how Choi Han froze in his spot and tightened his grip around him.
Taking a few more deep breaths, Cale blinked away the black spots covering his vision. Slowly, he lifted his heavy head up and looked ahead.
Two.
Two men stood in front of them, concealed in the dark a few meters away, but Cale recognized the ones watching him with intense eyes.
“Haa....”
Ron.
Ron and Beacrox stood silently by the trees. Cale looked into the eyes of the old man through his bangs. He held Raon tighter with the little strength he had.
Wait.
Dodam should be invisible! Right— this... this wasn’t Raon.
Cale observed the intrigue in the scary old man’s smile and shuddered. They didn’t react. Cale wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
Beacrox was silently standing beside his father. They both still wore their usual attire and not any dark clothes like Cale and Choi Han wore to blend in. It was like they just left the inn without many preparations.
“Mmm.” Ron smiled benignly. “I was quite curious where you were going when you decided to leave the inn in the middle of the night. And now you come back like this, Mr. Thames.”
Cale shuddered. Of course the old man knew.
Badum.. Badum. Badum—Badum—
His heart sped up again and he hung his head low, hugging Dodam with the arm that wasn’t over Choi Han’s shoulders. The action was answered with Dodam burying his head into his chest. Cale could hear a low growl from above him.
“You touch him, you die.”
The threat was real, but the father and son duo didn’t move an inch, completely unaffected.
“It’s... hah. -okay, Choi Han.”
The cautious sword master tightened his grip around Cale’s waist, but eventually listened to him. Ron put his hand against his chin.
“How interesting...” Beacrox muttered.
They stood there, watching each other in silence. Only the shallow panting from Cale could be heard alongside the rustling of leaves. He felt really thirsty and exhausted.
“Human...”
Dodam’s voice filled the silence. Both Cale and Choi Han turned to focus on the little dragon hugging Cale back. Ron and Beacrox still didn’t move, only observed them from their place a few meters away.
“Your heartbeat is weird. It’s not beating in a rhythm." Dodam looked up at Cale with worry in his eyes. The human slowly exhaled.
“...I know. It’s not supposed to do that.”
Ron finally moved forward with Beacrox quickly following his father. Choi Han tensed up again, and Cale could hear the warning sounds from the cats on the ground.
“It appears your heart is feeling quite uncomfortable in this environment. It would probably be best to return to the inn.” He held his hands behind his back, speaking in a humble tone to address Cale. “Let’s talk when you’re feeling better, shall we Mr. Thames?”
Cale could only suppress another chill crawling up his spine and tiredly nodded his head.
Notes:
The first thing Venion did after encountering Choi Han again was go to his study, take out a few papers and hastily write about him in panic. He hadn’t expected to see him again after so long, and in fear of Dodam coming back for revenge, he dug up papers from the past. Venion also wrote down about Cale and what his relationship with Choi Han could be. He didn’t let anyone look through the papers before going to bed, which is why it’s such a mess.
Devran Reedlocke you say? I just combined a bunch of names and called it a day— no but I kinda like it too tihi :p
Loot the bastard, Cale! Venion doesn’t deserve even a single coin. And now the children have learned about Cale’s obsession with gold :D how will this end—
And what’s up with Cale’s heart??🤔Why isn’t the Vitality of the Heart working?? The poor dude can’t catch a break, can he?
The original title for this chapter was suppose to be “looting gone wrong” but I thought this one was more fun
Chapter 17: “An uneven heartbeat.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It hurt to see his savior like this. Cale-nim was drifting in and out of consciousness by stumbling forward before quickly gaining his balance again. Luckily, Choi Han was always there to hold him up. However, even though he insisted Cale should just get on his back, the other man was stubborn to prove he was fine. No one believed him.
The walk back was quiet except for the heavy breathing.
When they got back to the inn, they also realized Cale’s room was on the third floor. Choi Han visibly frowned. Magic was out of the question since neither of them wanted to risk making anything worse by teleporting him. Dodam knew that it should be fine, but he was scared the human might faint from dizziness or that whatever was happening to him would get worse.
“Shall I help you get him up?” Ron turned to them with a smile and offered to help with getting Cale up to the balcony. Choi Han only glared at the two assassins as he made the decision on his own. Putting an arm under Cale’s legs, he secured the man in his anrms and jumped with impressive strength.
And Cale, too out of it because of the dizziness, could only hold onto Choi Han’s clothes with both hands as he felt himself leave the ground. The father and son duo followed shortly without problem. No one commented on how a butler and chef shouldn’t be able to climb so high that easily.
Dodam skillfully helped the cats fly up with flight magic. They didn’t make a sound when they entered the room. The dragon didn’t bother turning invisible again since everyone already knew of his existence. He recognized those two men from the first time he and Choi Han came to the Henituse Estate. With only their first interaction, the old man and chef had figured out what Dodam was. Although, they never told anyone about him, so Dodam deemed them partly safe. He still knew how much Choi Han disliked them.
“Lay him down on the bed.” Beacrox’s voice could be heard in the room as he quietly closed the balcony door behind him.
Even though Choi Han stubbornly ignored the chef, he still laid Cale gently on the bed. The children had already jumped up to join their human, and helped in pulling up the covers. Choi Han observed Cale’s face. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was slowing down, albeit not as quickly as he would have liked. Choi Han couldn’t tell if Cale was still awake or unconscious. It was probably the latter.
Ron and Beacrox stood beside each other and watched the scene in silence. Eventually, Choi Han seemed to have stared at Cale enough to deem it safe to turn back to the other two men.
Beacrox was the first one to speak up. “What is wrong with him?”
“Don’t speak about him like that.” Choi Han didn’t waste any time correcting Beacrox for speaking in such a disrespectful manner. While it was probably connected to Cale’s well being, Choi Han didn’t like his tone. Not when it came to his savior. Instead of falling into silence again, Dodam was surprisingly the one who answered the question.
“His heartbeat was weird.” Everyone turned to look at the black dragon. On and Hong immediately walked up to him on the bed and cuddled up close. “First it was really fast. Then it got really slow really fast.”
“Hm.”
“He was also breathing heavily and holding his chest. Like he had run for a long time.”
“How odd. It didn’t seem like anything triggered it.”
A condition where one's heartbeat changes at a frequent and unnatural rate. Ron had a theory about it, but he had never met someone with a problematic heart like this before. Even in his long life.
Recalling the reports about when this man was first found, Ron could connect these two events together. Both times did Cale Thames seem extremely exhausted to the point where he almost couldn’t move. Both times he was panting like it was hard to breathe. (Although you could blame the smoke for that.)
Cale had said it was an internal injury that reoccurred at sudden times. Most likely an illness he got early in life or at birth. The only thing missing this time was the blood. Well, the old man suppose it’s good thing it hasn’t come to that yet. The punk would be more problematic to deal with if that was the case.
Ron took a step forward, but halted when the punk stiffened up. He didn’t bother with a smile this time.
“Let me examine him.”
Reluctantly, Choi Han stepped aside.
The heavy breathing had calmed down by now, and the young man looked more relaxed. He was still too pale though, but blood seemed to start flowing back into his face.
The old butler sat down on the stool beside the bed. Taking the cold hand that laid on top of Cale’s chest, Ron put two fingers on a vein to feel his pulse. Just like the little dragon said, the rhythm of the heart was chaotic.
“An uneven heartbeat.” He confirmed.
“...”
“It’s calming down. He will probably be okay soon.” Ron turned to look at the black-haired man who had his hand ready on his scabbard. “Did you know about this?”
Choi Han felt guilt crumble up in his chest. He hadn’t known. So instead of answering, he asked a question himself.
“What do you want. Why do you keep following us?”
The dangerous assassin then began to smile that annoying smile again as his son spoke up.
“Isn’t it obvious? We already cleared this, didn’t we.”
“Of course, sir. Let this old Ron lead you to Count-nim’s office.”
An old man smiled benignly at Choi Han, not fazed by the bloody clothes. Choi Han knew from first sight that this man wasn’t normal. He also didn’t miss the murderous intent on his eyes. It caused him to stay alert.
Entering an empty room, a knife suddenly flew at him the second the door behind him closed. Choi Han took out his sword and efficiently deflected it. Sensing another threat from behind him, he spun around to see the old man ready to strike him down with a deadly dagger. The smile was still present.
Suddenly, a half-transparent black shield surrounded Choi Han, and the fight came to a halt. He saw the old man take a step back as another younger man took a stance.
“A dragon, huh?”
The two didn’t seem fazed at the magic despite Choi Han not being a mage. In fact, they even figured out what Dodam truly was instantly after seeing the shield.
“You scum. You dare walk into here after what you’ve done.”
The younger man with brown hair in a chef outfit spat out the words with a low voice.
“Quite the nerve, hm? Punk.”
There had been a clear misunderstanding, but when Dodam admitted that there had been assassins that killed all of Harris Village, Ron and Beacrox finally understood the situation.
But that wasn’t what Choi Han was asking about.
“No, why follow him? What do you want from Cale-nim?”
This time, they didn’t give an immediate answer. The only change was the widening smile on Ron’s face.
*****
Cale hadn’t fainted. Though he was somewhere between sleeping and staying awake. He could hear mumbling from around him, but he wasn’t lucid enough to comprehend any words.
His heart had calmed down, and he felt more exhausted than he had in days. The last time being when he first appeared in Harris Village. However, what he did hear was an annoying rock sputtering theory after theory.
— I don’t understand it. Why didn’t your healing power work? It should have worked. Especially since it’s connected to your heart. I’m not sure if it would have been different if you were born with an uneven heartbeat, but this hasn’t happened before, so why does it happen now?
Super Rock was chatting up a storm in his mind and Cale could do nothing but listen. He didn’t hear all of it, but could make out what Super Rock was getting at.
It was weird. He was almost unconscious and couldn’t hear the people around him, but he understood the ancient powers? Does it have to do with them speaking directly into his mind?
— I’m not sure either, but it felt like Crybaby’s healing got blocked. It still worked for most parts of the body, but not the heart. Why?
‘Blocked? Something is blocking the Vitality of the Heart?’
“Nya! The huma… ..ed!”
He could suddenly hear Hong’s voice really well. And his surroundings have gone quiet.
Had he moved? He couldn’t tell.
Cale was still too exhausted to bother opening his eyes. It was actually quite nice to lay here and relax since he didn’t have the energy to move. A part of him regrets looting Venion’s house. It would have been so nice to just stay in bed from the beginning.
“Mr. Thames. Are you awake?”
Nevermind.
Cale slowly opened his eyes after hearing Ron’s vicious voice. He was slightly startled at seeing the man sitting so closely to him.
A benign smile spread across his face. “Ah, you are. How are you feeling?”
Cale felt as if his heart would start beating quickly again at the sight of that terrifying smile, and forced himself to calm down. He was breathing normally now and couldn’t feel the squeezing pain in his chest anymore.
A large reptilian paw gently rested on Cale’s chest. Right where his heart was. Cale moved his gaze to look into blue sapphire eyes. Dodam stared at him with a serious expression, silently counting each heartbeat.
“Are you okay now, human?”
Cale let the corner of his lips gently curl up. “Yes. My heart is back to normal now.”
‘I think.’
“That’s good! Nyaa”
“Cale, if it starts hurting again, tell us!”
Neither of the cats had their gloomy expressions anymore. On stroked Cale’s hand while Hong settled beside Dodam. Cale slowly sat up as he began to pet the oldest of the children. Eventually, he turned to look at the other people in the room after feeling the silence.
Ron was still smiling creepily at him but had moved to stand beside his son. Beacrox just wore his usual stoic expression, however, Choi Han didn’t let them leave his line of sight.
Now, Cale could act like he didn’t know about Ron and Beacrox’s real identity. He could ask what they were doing out in the middle of the night. He could point out that they didn’t seem particularly concerned about the literal dragon in the room. But Cale felt like that might make the situation worse.
“Thank you for the help.” He chose to say instead. “It would be appreciated if you kept quiet about this.”
“...Ho!” Ron laughed. It caused Cale to get nervous.
“...”
Beacrox didn’t move from his spot, but when Choi Han began to glare, the chef’s expression changed.
“I suppose that shouldn’t be a problem. This old man will listen to Mister Cale-nim’s wish.” The old man bowed with a smile before he opened his eyes again and stared at Cale. The red-haired man felt uneasy. He never liked when Ron’s vicious eyes turned into crescents where any light disappeared. It only made him so much scarier.
“But Mister Cale, are you not curious?”
He was obviously referring to himself and Beacrox. Anyone else might also be suspicious of the butler and chef who were roaming the woods in the middle of the night, but Cale already had a guess. Besides, he wouldn’t explain what he was doing in the middle of the night in black clothing, so he wouldn’t ask them about it either.
“No.”
Cale looked away when he saw the terrifying smile widen. It caused him to miss the raise in one of Beacrox’s eyebrows.
Ron laughed again. ‘How adorable. He’s afraid of me.’
This puppy knows something. There is so much about him that’s weird.
First, he was found in Harris Village, injured but alive. The odd thing was that the other punk had somehow missed him. From what Ron understood through the reports, Choi Han had even buried all of the victims before leaving. Plus, he had a dragon with him that seemed very attached to the puppy. The chances of the both of them missing the man were slim, and to leave him despite their loyalty to Cale would be even more weird. Ron also questioned the vague story Cale gave them when they asked what happened to him. It’s painfully obvious he’s hiding something.
Then it was the fact that there were no records of the young Thames. Someone from a fallen noble family will always have past traces left behind. And other people will automatically pay more attention to them than normal commoners. But the fact that there isn’t even a record of an identification card, which is needed in order to enter Rain City, brings even more suspicion. His claims on having traveled to Rain City before doesn’t add up with the lack of identification. Yet, it still seemed like he knew his way around when Ron observed him.
There was so much suspicion about this man, and it only caused Ron to get even more interested.
His weird but holy purification power, his odd condition causing him to cough up blood, and an elegance to him wherever he goes are just the first few things Ron could list in his mind.
Ron did not have a hard time figuring out the identity of the disguised man when he saw him in the forest a few minutes ago. Despite the dark brown hair hiding his face, there had been something deep within Ron that told him like a whisper who it really was. The odd thing was that Ron had been calm when he saw two unidentified individuals sneak out of the inn. He didn’t know how he recognized Cale so quickly, despite the changed hair and disguise, but a weird feeling had told him it was the little puppy. That weird feeling was something that Ron had pondered ever since he first got it. Why did he recognize this stranger so easily?
However, there was one thing he and his son could agree on. Cale Thames is an interesting person, and it might be useful to keep an eye on him.
The reason Ron and Beacrox left for the Capital to begin with was because of the stench the swordsman had on him. They finally got a lead on the secret organization. And since this punk was so close to Cale Thames, the redhead might know something too.
Notes:
Cale is getting better, a good thing :)
Poor kids, having to see their guardian hurt like that. They deserve a lot of apple pies after this
Man, that last part was hard to write. I had to rewrite the last few paragraphs so much TvT but I think it turned out well. PLUS, Ron being able to recognize Cale despite only meeting him for the first time a few days ago?? 👀
AUTHOR’S NOTE: chapter 14 is slightly changed for the sake of the story around Venion Stan and Taylor Stan. For those who haven’t seen the update, it might be easier to understand the future chapters if you reread chapter 14. (Quick summary: Cale has a theory about why Venion isn’t in prison. He believes the Marquis might have pulled some strings to get rid of the documents before they reached Alberu and Taylor)
Chapter 18: Watch your mouth
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“Hello? Do you need something?”
When Hans walked into the entrance of the inn and saw vice captain Hilsman having a conversation with someone by the door. It was almost 7:00 am in the morning, and what looked to be a guard stood unmoving in front of Hilsman. Hans instantly recognized the Stan emblem on his clothes.
‘What is a guard from Venion Stan doing here?’
He remembered yesterday’s incident, the one where Venion Stan insulted young master Basen before running away upon seeing Choi Han-nim. It was a humiliating situation for the blond man, but Hans couldn’t imagine why a guard approached them. To get revenge and embarrass the Henituse Guards? To demand that they fire Choi Han who threatened their young master with a sword? (Even if he was actually just defending Mister Cale). Sometimes, rotten nobles like Venion couldn’t be reasoned with.
The butler scanned the room and saw how multiple other Henituse guards and servants eventually stopped what they were doing to watch the scene. His eyes fell on the black-haired swordsman who sat by a table. Even the adorable kittens were with him this time. Was it just him or were the kittens grinning..? Almost looking mischievously at the Stan guard.
Choi Han seemed uninterested as he looked towards the entrance. Hans couldn’t tell if he was listening or not based on the flat expression on his face. Honestly, the only reason Hans could think of to why a guard from Venion Stan was here, was specifically because of this swordsman. He just hoped Choi Han hadn’t done something else to anger the noble. It would be a pain to clean up after him. He is the count’s precious guest’s friend after all.
In a rash decision, he began to approach the swordsman with a cheerful smile. “Good morning, Choi Han-nim. Did you sleep well?”
“...”
Choi Han seemed surprised. It looks like he wasn’t expecting Hans to talk to him. Oh well, at least the kittens seemed happy to see him. Luckily, they didn’t mind when Hans started to pet them with a smitten grin on his face.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Hm?”
Hans stopped petting the cute kittens upon hearing Choi Han’s answer.
“I couldn’t sleep.” Choi Han repeated himself.
“Oh.” Han’s started. “That’s unfortunate. Sleep is very important to replenish your energy. Make sure you catch up on those hours later. Maybe you could sleep a bit before we leave?” Hans inspected the swordsman’s face and oddly enough, he couldn’t find a trace of sleepiness in his eyes. In fact, he even looked more awake than ever.
‘Weird... For someone who claims they haven’t slept at all, he sure looks fine to me.’
“Hm.”
Choi Han let out a groan and focused back on the cats. However, the trained Hans didn’t miss the furrow of his eyebrows. Something was troubling this young man.
“Is there anything you’d like to talk about?” The simple question felt casual despite its invitation. “Sometimes it’s better to talk it out with someone. Ah! You don’t need to say anything, of course. It’s just an offer.”
Choi Han was quiet for a few moments. The hand on the red cat stopped as he looked at Hans. The moment Hans saw his expression, he suddenly saw a different type of exhaustion in those eyes. One that wasn’t caused by lack of sleep.
“Mm. Cale-nim.” Choi Han mumbled.
“Did you say Mister Cale? Did something happen yesterday?”
The frown deepened on the swordsman’s face.
“He wasn’t feeling well last night.”
“Ah!”
Cale Thames’s condition. It was something that every guard and servant had been informed about before the trip began. The Lord had been very stern on making sure Cale wouldn’t get hurt during this trip, and to monitor his condition in case that weird illness came back. Therefore, everyone knew to immediately prioritize the young man whenever he showed symptoms of coughing up blood or exhaustion.
“His injury resurfaced? Did he cough up blood?”
Hans internally panicked. He still didn’t truly know what the illness was, as Mister Cale hadn’t told them anything. All he knew was that the illness suddenly attacked his body, causing him to become tired and cough up blood. Seriously, Hans would need to talk to him and get more information to be prepared for the future. Maybe they could even determine what kind of reoccurring injury it was?
“No... but something was wrong with his heart.”
‘His heart?!’
Oh no.
Oh no no no.
That was even worse. Hans hadn’t known the injury Mister Cale had was connected to his heart! While it was a relief that he didn’t cough up blood, a condition straining the heart could be even more dangerous!
‘Ugh! Why? Why hadn’t I known about this before? Why would Mister Cale not tell anyone about things like these? How serious is it?’
Cale did say he wasn’t in any real danger, but it didn’t help ease Hans’s mind. If he had an illness that affected his heart, anything could trigger it at any moment and it could get worse. Oh, how would his lord react when he finds out about this?
“He got better, but I stayed up to make sure he was okay. That’s why I didn’t sleep.”
For Choi Han’s part, it wasn’t completely a lie. While he did do other (illegal) things that night, monitoring Cale-nim’s health was one of them.
“A-ah. I see. Is that why he’s not up yet?”
Choi Han nodded.
“Okay.. good. He needs rest, it’s understandable. Next time something like this happens, don’t be afraid to tell me, Choi Han. Or anyone here, actually! Making sure Mister Cale-nim is okay is one of our top priorities. I will make sure our healer takes a look at him later just to be sure.”
“What? What are you saying?”
Hilsman’s voice suddenly rang out in the room and caught the attention of everyone near. Hans turned to look at him and saw the disbelieving expression on his face directed at the Stan guard. It sounded serious, and Hans couldn’t shake off the iffy feeling he got from the Stan guard’s weird stare. He apologized to Choi Han and stood up. Perhaps Hans should see what this is about. Just in case.
“Hello there, Sir.” Hans walked up to the two and stood beside Hilsman. “May I ask what is happening?”
The guard didn’t let Hilsman explain.
“Hello, Sir. I am a messenger sent from my young master. Last night, we caught sight of a suspicious individual sneaking around my lord’s house.”
“A suspicious person? How were they suspicious?” It was now that Hans noticed how the messenger kept glancing somewhere behind Hans and Hilsman. He wasn’t keeping eye contact with them. It made him frown.
“They wore black to hide their identities and managed to infiltrate my lord’s house. The young master wonders if the Henituse were victims of these people too.”
“I have already told you. There are no suspicious individuals in our group.”
Hilsman still didn’t look impressed as he shot back at the guard, which was also something Hans doesn’t understand. This guard seemed to be anything but disrespectful and is asking a simple question after such an incident. Maybe the explanation was a little vague, but still. Did he say something offensive before Hans approached them? It could explain Hilsman’s hostility.
“Yes, so you’ve told me. But is there a chance that maybe your night guards saw anything suspicious? Perhaps some of your guards missed something.” The messenger then mumbled to himself. “You are from Henituse after all…”
Ah. Hans knew where this was going.
“Now you question our capabilities as guards? I’ll have you know, every servant and guard have been trained to not make such a mistake.”
Hilsman seemed to get worked up because of this messenger. Hans could also feel a furrow in his eyebrows. The guard seemed to mirror their actions and frustration also showed itself in his face.
“But maybe I can just take a look and see if I recognize anyone? That red-haired man for example—“
“You dare accuse our people of such a crime? How unprofessional to come here, disturb our peace, and then blame us for something that happened to you? If there truly is someone who is untrained and clumsy, I can guarantee it is not someone from our side.”
It seems like Hilsman’s patience has run out. Hans could relate.
“I’m sorry, Sir, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Hans said politely. “It’s a tragedy that someone managed to break in yesterday, but we have answered any questions truthfully.”
“No— That man with red hair. Let me see him.”
“Look, I don’t know what business your lord has to request Mister Cale, but he is currently resting.” Hans raised his voice, clearly irritated by the situation. He didn’t notice how everyone else in the room stiffened up when they heard what he said.
“An illness caused him to be unable to leave the bed for the whole evening and night. There is no way he is to blame for your ridiculous accusations.”
At his words, even Hilsman quieted down. His angry expression had almost completely disappeared and a frown replaced it.
“I will tell you one more time, please leave.”
In the end, the messenger reluctantly left the inn and Hans breathed out a deep sigh. He rubbed his temple and smoothened his features so that any remaining trace of anger would be removed. As he slowly turned around after calming down, multiple knights and servants approached him.
“Sir Hans, is it true? Did the injury Mr. Thames suffered from come back?”
‘Ah. I shouldn’t have said that out loud.’
Hans had just revealed personal information to one of Stan’s guards, but he also felt it was necessary in order to get him to leave.
“I only just found out.”
“Did he cough up blood again?”
“Should I bring the healer?”
Ah, at least everyone took their task in checking on their lord’s guest seriously.
“Sir Cale is currently resting in his room. He did not cough up blood but it is best if a healer checks on him. Apparently, his heart was affected this time, so suggest we ask him once he—“
”His heart?!”
“Yes… I received this information from Sir Choi Han.”
All eyes turned to the swordsman who sat by one of the tables, feeding the kittens some food. He didn’t move his gaze from the entrance, having watched the entire scene in silence. Quietly, he spoke as he looked away.
“Uhm. Cale-nim should be okay now.”
His simple reassurance finally made the crowd slowly disperse. They all agreed to wait until their guest woke up.
Now that everything had calmed down, Hans could finally relax again. He didn’t have many tasks this morning except for waking up young master Basen. It was still pretty early, but they also planned on leaving early to get to the Capital as fast as possible.
“Alright everyone! We will leave in an hour!” Hilsman shouted so that all could hear. Everyone immediately began to prepare and pack up.
‘I should wake up young master Basen now.’
Right as Hans thought that, he saw how Choi Han also stood up with the cats in his arms and walked to the stairs.
“Oh, Choi Han-nim!” Hans called out to the man who turned around halfway up the stairs. “Are you ready to pack up?”
When Hans reached him, they both resumed walking up the stairs.
“Ah, yes. I am going to wake up Cale-nim.”
“Yes, yes. I suppose you haven’t packed yet? Do you want me to wake him up for you?”
“No... I’ll do it.”
Hans hummed at the quiet man. While he could sometimes feel intimidated by him, the deputy butler realized Choi Han was a good person. He was just a bit... too much when it came to his red-haired friend.
“That reminds me, Choi Han-nim. It looked like Venion Stan recognized you? Have you met before?”
What happened yesterday still marveled Hans. The way a noble backed away the moment he saw the young swordsman. He chose not to comment on how Venion seemed scared of the guy. Though, Hans suppose anyone would be if they were at the end of Choi Han’s glare. There was something about him that placed an uneasy feeling in everyone’s hearts whenever he drew his sword.
Maybe the incident in Harris Village was the cause of his behavior.
“...Yes.”
Choi Han’s low voice reached Hans’s ears.
“So you have met before? When was that?”
“A year ago.”
They met a year ago. Hans would have to look through the documents around Harris Village from that time. He could also recall that Cale mentioned something about Venion Stan visiting the Henituse Territory because he lost something precious a year ago. The deputy butler had a feeling those two events were connected.
Their next destination was Puzzle City. Cale felt weird coming back to this place. The last time he saw it, it was destroyed from the demonic monsters and a holy temple in the middle of it all. Now, it looked so peaceful and calm. Cale would make sure it was restored once everything was over.
It’s been a few days of traveling and camping outside, and Cale have luckily not had another episode of his heart beating weirdly since the night in the Tolz Territory. Even now, he still remembers the odd looks he got once he came downstairs the next day.
“Ah! Mister Cale is awake!”
“I heard your injury came back. Are you okay?”
Cale was taken aback when a bunch of people suddenly surrounded him the moment he descended the stairs. He looked at Choi Han who weirdly didn’t want to meet his eyes. Cale sighed and figured Choi Han mentioned what happened last night. Hopefully he didn’t say much.
“I’m alright. I didn’t even cough up any blood this time.”
His casual response didn’t help the troubled expressions the other servants wore. Eventually, Ron made his way through the crowd and flashed Cale a benign smile.
“Mr. Thames, I believe it is still best for you to see a healer.”
Unable to refuse the vicious man, Cale could only nod as he was taken away by Ron.
“Mister Cale, are you alright? You seem a bit pale.”
Basen’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He quickly composed himself and cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Yes, I am okay, young master.”
The two fell into a comfortable silence. While they did small talks here and there, it was exhausting to have a conversation lasting so many hours. Luckily, Basen didn’t seem uncomfortable with staying quiet sometimes. Perhaps even the cats helped in that situation.
‘Will Taylor and Cage be here?’
The first time he was here, Cale saw Cage and Taylor Stan in Puzzle City. He didn’t know why they were there so early when they should have arrived later, but Taylor Stan’s goal was the Vitality of the Heart. Cale wasn’t sure if the ancient powers existed before he came to this world, but he knows that no one should be able to obtain them now, at least.
‘If the Vitality of the Heart doesn’t exist, will Taylor still come here?’
If it didn’t exist, there shouldn’t be any records of it or give any hint for Taylor to follow. Still, Cale would need to get in contact with them for the future. Plus, he plans on contacting the God of Death through Cage and ask what the hell happened to him.
Choi Han will also leave soon. He needed to find Rosalyn and Lock in this world too.
Some time later, they had all settled into the inn. Cale was currently standing beside Basen and listening to Hans.
“We have reserved two days for Choi Han-nim, and have agreed to pay for the rest of the group depending on how long we end up staying.”
Ron flinched from behind Hans.
“Sir Choi Han won’t stay with us?”
“Ah, Ron.” Basen called out. “Mister Cale just informed me that Choi Han-nim will only be staying for two days before leaving. We will meet up in the Capital.”
“I see...”
Cale thought Ron looked slightly disappointed despite his smiling eyes.
“…”
No. Nevermind.
The smile that just widened viciously caused Cale’s hair to stand on edge. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining it or not, but the butler looked almost happy as he stared at Cale.
‘...What is he planning?’
“We arrived right before the Rock Tower Festival season, so the rooms were not that expensive.” Hans kept speaking and Record immediately began to replay a memory of this conversation in Cale’s mind. Once again, it was a complete repetition of what happened in his own world. “There aren’t a lot of rocks here, but the rock towers are quite interesting. Do you know the reason, young master?”
Basen opened his mouth at the question directed at him. “Don’t they build rock towers because of a legend?”
Cale sighed internally. This was all reminding him of that damned Sealed God. Oh, how he just wanted this to be over with already. He needed his slacker life now.
“Yes, you’re half correct, young master!” Hans nodded his head. “To tell the truth, it’s quite the sad story. The reason people build rock towers began as a form of worship. However, none of the prayers went through. That is because—“
“Because the city fell out of the grace of a god?”
The butler got quiet when the voice of Cale suddenly interrupted him. He was about to respond happily at realizing someone else also knew this story, but hesitated when he saw the redhead’s expression. The red-haired man’s eyebrows furrowed and his jaw was tense. Both Basen and Ron also looked silently at Cale, and it took a few moments for Hans to regain his voice.
“Yes... That’s correct. Mister Cale-nim, I’m surprised you also know about this! Did you study history when you were younger?”
Hans’ easygoing question was ignored. Cale only tiredly crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he started to mumble.
“The god was just sealed..”
Basen observed Cale’s features as he spoke. The man looked fatigued, as if recalling something irritating. Basen wasn’t very religious, so he didn’t know much about gods. But he has never heard of a sealed god before.
“Oh. I’ve, uh, I have never heard of this version of the legend before. Hahah.” Hans didn’t know how to react seeing this change of mood.
“Hm. It’s for the better that it’s sealed.”
“...”
Basen wondered how Cale knew this. If even Hans appeared to only find out about this now, where did this information come from? Did Mister Cale study gods while he traveled before?
Eventually, the poor deputy butler was saved when Choi Han asked Cale to come with him to talk.
Ron watched as the redhead walked out of the room, the conversation still filled his mind. There had been something in that gaze that was different. Cale Thames looked like he knew something. Something others shouldn’t know about. Even revealing a piece of information that no one had heard of before seemed suspicious.
There was a memory that came back to Ron. The time the puppy went to the Tree of Death. He’s still not completely sure what he did to make it glow, but Ron can guess he purified it based on the holy light. And that’s precisely his point. The light that came from Cale’s hands looked holy and appeared to be similar to divine energy. At the same time, he couldn’t tell what god is connected to that silver light.
Either way, Cale Thames was not normal. That’s something Ron has repeated a few times now. After he told them about a sealed god, a fact about a god no one knew of before, Ron was certain this man knew much more than he shows.
Cale Thames might be related to the gods.
Notes:
1. In TCF, Ron seemed disappointed that Choi Han would leave because at that time, the main reason they followed them to the Capital was bc Choi Han had encountered Arm and was a lead for the assassins. But would Ron truly be disappointed that the rouge dog would leave their SECOND information source unguarded?? 👀
2. The only reason Cale mentioned the Sealed God is because he is remembering what took place in Puzzle City in his own world. I’m not sure if the God of Despair is related to the legend or anything, so this is mainly Cale grumbling and hating on the god.
3. CALEEE WATCH WHAT YOU’RE SAYING WHEN AN OVER-OBSERVING ASSASSIN IS IN THE ROOM
AUTHOR’S NOTE: chapter 14 is slightly changed for the sake of the story around Venion Stan and Taylor Stan. For those who haven’t seen the update, it might be easier to understand the future chapters if you reread chapter 14. (Quick summary: Cale has a theory about why Venion isn’t in prison. He believes the Marquis might have pulled some strings to get rid of the documents before they reached Alberu and Taylor)
Chapter 19: A Bloody Solution
Notes:
WE REACHED 10,000 HITS???? RAAAAAAAAAH I’M SO HAPPY RN THANK YOUUUUU
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Some time later, Cale was walking towards the rock towers with the kittens, Dodam, and Choi Han. Dodam was really excited because he had heard from his siblings what Hans had said about the rock towers. Cale, on the other hand, took this as an opportunity to search for Taylor and Cage.
‘Sigh. Where would they be if they’re not in Puzzle City?’
He haven’t seen them yet. It was another change from his own world.
“Ron.”
“Yes, Mr. Thames?”
Hans was too busy to join them because of his duty as a deputy butler, so he insisted that Ron would come along instead. The man had apparently gotten paranoid after being told Cale’s injury acted up again, even if it was days ago. Cale supposes his overreaction has something to do with his father.
“We just met Venion Stan the other day.”
“That we did, sir.”
“Do you know where the oldest son of Stan is?”
Ron was quiet for a few moments before slowly opening his mouth.
“Taylor Stan was crippled a few years ago, causing Venion Stan to rise to the heir position. Taylor Stan seems to have hid away since then. May this old man ask why you want to know about him?”
“No.”
Ron smiled at Cale’s quick answer.
The story is the same, but Taylor was not here. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that Cale happened to see the crippled heir and priestess when he did. They could be in the city right now, but are just hiding in an inn or something.
Eventually, the children could see the rock towers in the distance, and the two kittens immediately showed their dissatisfaction.
On scrunched up her nose. “They’re...”
“...so ugly.” Hong finished.
— What?! Did funny Hans lie?
Dodam also sounded displeased. Cale expected this reaction. He had felt the same when he first saw them.
“Kitten-nims, this is the place where people pray and make wishes. Do you want to make a wish?” Ron asked with his hands behind his back.
On and Hong only grumbled in response. Since Ron already knew of their true identity, they could speak freely as long as no one else heard them. Choi Han had already bowed down with his hands clasped together. Cale couldn’t be sure what he was praying for this time since there are too many changes with this world. He was probably wishing he could go back to Korea.
‘Whatever. It’s none of my business.’
In the end, it was Choi Han’s business for what he wished for, but Cale was still looking at him when he stood up again.
— I wish the even-worse-terrible bastard will suffer for eternity!
“Nya! I wish for more cake!
“You’re not supposed to tell other people your wish.”
— Ah!
“Nya?!”
Ron chuckled in the background, clearly amused. When Cale looked up again, he saw how Choi Han had turned to him. He pressed his lips together and wore a complicated expression, almost as if he wanted to say something.
“What is it?”
Choi Han seemed to straighten his back after Cale called out to him. “Cale-nim, won’t you make a wish?”
“Hm. No. I don’t see the point in it.”
“You won’t make a wish?”
His odd answer made the children also focus on him. Cale thought back to when Choi Han first asked him this question. It’s funny how certain events repeat themselves but others don’t.
“Wishing for things will only cause you to have higher expectations. It’s much easier to live without expectations.”
Ron’s smile faltered and he observed the redhead’s face.
“I feel the same way with praying. If something bad happened, and it was caused by a god, why should I be the one to apologize? I believe it’s the gods who should pray for forgiveness.”
“...”
Cale was obviously talking about the God of Death. He still felt irritated because of all the things the God of Death has messed up and how it usually managed to affect Cale’s precious slacker life. Even now, Cale strongly believes the god is playing a part in Cale’s appearance in another world.
‘I swear. When I come back, I’ll destroy all your temples.’
Of course, for the others who just heard what he said, could not connect his thoughts to the God of Death. Choi Han felt a familiar overwhelming feeling again. He realized he often feels like this when he’s around Cale.
‘Cale-nim is right.’
Choi Han theorized that a god was the reason he was taken from Korea, his home. If they were the cause of his despair, why should he ask for forgiveness?
Choi Han wondered if a god had also wronged Cale-nim once before.
The next day, Cale planned on getting back the Vitality of the Heart’s consciousness.
“Mister Cale, you’re going to be hiking?” Basen asked Cale when he told him he was going to go into the mountains.
“I suppose...”
Cale didn’t like hiking, but it would do as an explanation for now. The children, however, were very excited for the so called ‘family trip’.
“Okay, be safe.”
“I will, young master.”
Unlike when he went to go get the Vitality of the Heart in his world, no one protested this time. It felt nice. Not even Hans insisted on bringing Ron again. Well, that might be because Cale sought out Basen when the deputy butler wasn’t around. So Cale left together with the three children and Choi Han. Once they were out of the city, Choi Han suddenly made a comment with a smile.
“I didn’t know Cale-nim likes to hike.”
“I don’t.”
Cale’s eyebrows had furrowed into a frown. He would ask Dodam to teleport them since that would be easier, but he hesitated when he saw how happy the kittens were. Even the black dragon circled around in the air once they were out of sight for any people.
“Human! This is fun! We should do this more often!”
Cale did not want to do this again, but could only sigh to himself. Feeling defeated.
“Oh! Are you already tired? You’re so weak, human. Do you want an apple pie? I still have more in my bag!”
“I want one, nya!”
“Me too!”
“I’m alright, Dodam.”
“Okay, Human!” Dodam cheerfully spoke as he gave the cats one slice of apple pie each. “Do you want one, Choi Han?”
“Yes, thank you, Dodam.” Choi Han reached his hand out to receive an apple pie and began munching on it together with the children. Cale wondered if his physique really was as bad as Raon and Eruhaben kept saying.
After a while, they finally arrived at the place Cale had told Choi Han to stay at last time. The children had run ahead of them, playing with each other until Cale and Choi Han caught up to them. This time, however, was different. Since he didn’t want to get dirty in the cave, it was smart to bring a dragon with him, so he kept quiet and let Choi Han and the others come with him the whole way.
“Cale-nim.”
But it was also Choi Han who broke the silence. He seemed hesitant.
“What?”
“Uhm. What do you think about Ron?”
‘Hm?’ Why was Choi Han asking him about this?
Cale recalled how Choi Han had suddenly brought up the fact that Ron was dangerous when Cale told him to wait for him. He had silently wondered if he wouldn’t bring it up this time because Cale didn’t leave him behind, but it seems like he was proven wrong.
“He’s a good butler.” As Cale observed Choi Han’s frown, it didn’t seem like that was the answer he was looking for.
“Cale-nim...”
However, as he said that, he wasn’t looking at Cale. Choi Han was glancing somewhere at the trees, so Cale just raised an eyebrow.
“Did you know?”
“Did I know about what?”
“That Ron is dangerous. Beacrox too.”
“Hm. Really?”
“You knew?” Choi Han looked at him with slightly parted lips.
Cale did know, but he wasn’t sure if he should tell Choi Han that. While it was suspicious that Ron and Beacrox suddenly found them in a forest, didn’t comment on the dragon, and even kept quiet afterwards, nothing in particular gave away that they were dangerous. Let alone assassins. But then again, he wasn’t young master Cale anymore. He could talk freely to his ancient powers without anyone(the children and Choi Han) questioning it. Because Cale knew he was seen as an anomaly thanks to how he first met Dodam.
“Choi Han, you and Ron are the same to me. Do you know why that is?”
The swordsman immediately seemed displeased at being compared to the assassin, but chose not to say anything.
“It’s because you’re both dangerous. In fact, if you wished for me to die, you would probably have no problem in killing me.”
“What?! Cale-nim, I would never! Please don’t say such things!”
Cale shook his head. “I’m not saying you would, Choi Han, and that’s precisely my point. Even if you’re both dangerous and powerful, I trust I won’t die.”
“...Why?” Choi Han looked very reluctant. He clearly didn’t like what Cale had said.
‘Why? Because killing me would only bring Ron more trouble than any benefit.’
“Because I believe in my heart.” That was also true. Cale hasn't been able to test out all of his ancient powers to see if they’ve become weaker or stayed the same, but something just feels right when their consciousness returns to him. The comfortable feeling of a warm blanket just tells Cale that a missing puzzle piece has been found and put in the right place.
So he really needed to get back Crybaby’s mind, even if he’s incredibly annoying at times.
When Cale returned his focus back to the running children, he didn’t notice how Choi Han began to slow down. The swordsman looked up at the trees with a sharp gaze. Years of being stuck in the Forest of Darkness shaped his senses, and he knew the old man had followed them despite not seeing him.
Well, he couldn’t see him until the butler let a smile show between the leaves.
They held eye contact as Choi Han walked, much slower than before. Choi Han doesn’t know what Ron was thinking about, but Choi Han is showing a clear warning to the older man.
‘Don’t follow us.’
The eyes turned into crescents for a few moments before Ron hid his presence again.
Their eye contact broke and Choi Han turned back to the others, fastening his pace so he would catch up with Cale.
After another few minutes of dreadful walking, they arrived at the cave with a slightly panting Cale. Although he tried to mask it to the best of his abilities, he was unfortunately surrounded by people with very keen ears.
“Cale... are you okay?” On put a paw on his shoe to get his attention. Her big eyes were full of concern.
“Don’t worry, On. I’m alright.”
“But you’re breathing heavily again! Does your heart hurt?”
Cale refrained from sighing. “It’s not like that this time. It was just annoying to walk up that hill.” He waved his hand in the air as he said it in a nonchalant tone. Choi Han frowned from beside him.
“...Human should exercise!” Dodam exclaimed loudly.
“Yeah! You’re so weak, nya! You need to train.” And then Hong joined in.
Cale did sigh this time. “Haaa... yes yes. Let’s focus on the matter at hand.”
The rest quieted down when the redhead decided to get down to business, wondering what their task would be this time.
“I need to get in there.” Cale said as he pointed at the small cave opening.
“...”
Everyone was silently looking between Cale and the small tunnel that was big enough for Dodam to comfortably walk through. The dragon eventually broke the silence. “But human, you’ll get dirty!”
“Yeah! You can’t get dirty!”
Cale looked at them as if they were stating the obvious. Why would he want to get dirty? He hadn’t planned on crawling through that again. “Of course not. There’s a bigger opening deeper into the cave, big enough for me to stand up. Do you know what to do?”
“Ah!” The children yelled in unison as they just realized Cale’s plan.
“Don’t worry, Human! I’ll teleport you inside!” The three kids immediately rushed to the cave entrance, leaving Cale and Choi Han to wait outside. It probably wouldn’t take them long, so Cale chose this opportunity to address the swordsman.
“Choi Han, I need you to guard outside until we’re back,” he said while crossing his arms. “It’s not likely that anyone followed us, so it should be okay. I won’t be gone for long.”
Choi Han nodded wholeheartedly. He didn’t mind waiting outside if it was Cale-nim who gave him this task. Although he was curious about one thing.
“Yes, Cale-nim. But... can I ask what you need from inside a cave?”
“Human! I’m coming back now!” Dodam’s voice echoed from within the cave.
Cale turned his head to look at the entrance as he spoke. “I just need to retrieve something...” Right as he said that, a black head peeked out from the cave.
“We found the opening! It’s so much bigger than I thought! Let’s go now, Human!” The dragon excitedly flapped his wings as a magic teleportation circle surrounded them. Choi Han stepped away to not get teleported, which caused Dodam to falter.
“Huh? Choi Han, you’re not coming with us?”
“I’ll stay out here, Dodam.” He answered back with a smile. And accepting as he is, Dodam nodded and completed the teleportation. The next time Cale opened his eyes, darkness filled his vision.
The inside of the cave was just like how he remembered it, and Cale could feel two creatures rub their bodies against his legs. Looking down, he saw On and Hong watching him with bright yellow eyes. Their eyes glowed thanks to their night vision.
“Nyaa, it’s super windy here!”
“I almost blew away!”
“Yes, it’s best if you stay back. I will be quick.”
“Huh?! But, Human! You will get hurt! Just a small gust of wind could knock you over!”
‘Okay... that’s a bit overdramatic.’
“I won’t get hurt. I have the shield, remember?” The kittens looked unsure, but stayed in their spot. Looking back one last time, Cale began to walk towards the center of the cave. As soon as the heavy wind blades neared him, a beautiful white light appeared in front of him. The winds clashed against the shield, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Woah...”
“It’s the light again!”
“How is he so strong and weak at the same time?”
He could hear the children’s cheerful chanting in the distance, but it was hard to hear over the seeping noise. Cale chose to focus on the matter in front of him. It was weird. Even if the Vitality of the Heart shouldn’t exist for anyone to obtain, the wind remained. It was like the trail for the ancient power was still there for an unknown reason. Cale couldn’t figure it out.
The Tree of Death, it was still poisoned with dead mana, but there was no hole to absorb any bread. He needed to use the roots from the Indestructible Shield to purify the tree.
Cale hadn’t been able to find the rock he bit in order to gain the Super Rock ancient power. The whole villa was still there, but there was no trail. In the end, he had to use the earth power to retrieve Super Rock’s consciousness. Cale wondered if each of these locations needed a confirmation that he was the owner of these ancient powers.
— Sob..! Oh, I’m so sad... so alone..
Cale was caught off guard when Crybaby’s voice suddenly filled his mind.
— Huuuuu... I don’t like this place.. sob!
“Crybaby?”
— Huh? Oh! Cale!! You came back for me! Please get me out of here! Sniff! I don’t like being here!
“Haa...” Cale could already feel annoyed at the whiny voice, but despite the old man’s irritating behavior, it was more useful to have his consciousness back.
“I’m here, I’m here.”
— Old man! We are also here!
— Oooh..! Thank goodness..! Huu..
Swoshhhh
Cale had pushed through the remaining winds and stood in front of the same rock towers from Cale’s world.
‘It seems like the trail might be the same?’
“Hey, old man, how do I get you back?”
— Uh.. I... I’m not sure...
“You don’t know? Cale lifted an eyebrow. Even Glutton had an idea of how to get her consciousness freed.
— I..! I’m so useless!! I’m sorry!!
‘Ugh.’ Cale sighed deeply to himself and kicked the rock towers. However, nothing happened.
“Hm?”
Everything remained the same. When Cale first got the Vitality of the Heart, the trial was to destroy the rock towers and the ancient power became his. But it appears these trials do not exist in this world.
— It didn’t work? Why didn’t it work? Oh, am I stuck here forever?!
Crybaby’s miserable shout was full of despair. Cale pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
“Look, I got back the others’ consciousness by using their ancient powers on their locations.”
— That’s right! Cale purified my tree and freed me! He also used the old man’s rock power to shake the villa.
— Hm, but this is a healing power. How can Cale use a healing power to help?
— …
Cale wanted to sigh again. Vitality. His blood was filled with vitality. The only method he could think of is to spill a little bit of blood. It probably didn’t need to be a lot, just enough for this place to recognize him.
He took out his Spacial bag and dug through it. Cale still had the dagger from the World Tree, but he couldn’t use it in this situation. He also noticed he had all the badges he used Embrace on, together with the Top’s Whip and the diary. It was a good thing he still had everything important on him, it would save him some time in this world.
(Cale chose not to think about the fact that the White Star is still trapped in the Golden Plaque....)
Cale eventually touched something sharp and pulled out a dagger. A dagger that looked a bit too similar to Ron’s...
‘What the? Why do I have this?’
Did the scary assassin accidentally put it in the wrong bag before Cale entered the temple? No, he wouldn’t have made such a mistake, so it was intentional? And when did he manage slip it inside?? Cale had always kept his Spacial bag on him the few days before entering the Sealed God’s temple, so Ron must have sneaked it inside when he wasn’t looking. The thought made him shiver.
‘Whatever. This works.’
Cale put away his Spacial bag and brought up the dagger to his palm.
‘This is gonna hurt... how annoying.’
Notes:
Cale: I’m going to burn your temples to the ground.
God of Death: Haha. I’m in danger.
Cale’s first solution to solve this problem is to hurt himself? My man has some issues
AND WHAT IS UP WITH THESE ANCIENT POWERSAAAH? WILL CRYBABY BE ABLE TO FIX HIS HEART NOW!??
Chapter 20: “What did you just call me?”
Notes:
WE REACHED 100 BOOKMARKS JUST A DAY AFTER GETTING 10,000+ HITS?? THANK YOUUUUU <33
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Cale hated pain. Papercuts were the worst, and now he’s willingly going to cut his palm? He was starting to wonder if this was really worth it.
The sharp dagger slid against his hand, and a stinging pain overtook him.
“Human?! What are you doing?!”
“Nya?!”
Dodam cried out and Cale flinched when he was suddenly reminded of the children. He had forgotten they were watching him. Watching him hurt himself. This was bad. He should have just made them leave and wait for him outside.
‘...Shit. Why did I do this?’
As Cale tried to turn around and assure the kids, he felt how the wound immediately tried to stitch itself back together.
“Fuck.” He grumbled in a low voice. Cale didn’t have much time before the injury healed, and he sure didn’t want to repeat this again. Cale also didn’t really know what to do, but figured letting the blood drip down on the rocks might be enough.
The wound healed quickly, and the blood stopped, but it didn’t erase the evidence of what had happened. His hand was still colored red from how deep he had cut into his palm, and the dripping blood stained part of his sleeve and clothes. It didn’t look very pretty.
‘Ha.. how did I manage to dirty another pair of clothes.’
— Ah! Cale! I can feel it! Sob! Something’s changing!
Cale could also feel it. Crybaby’s consciousness was transferring over to him. With a bright light that filled the entire cave, the winds also died down. As soon as the light disappeared and Cale could relax at the succeeded mission, three small creatures rushed up to him.
“HUMANNN!”
The flying dragon didn’t stop as he came closer to Cale, causing him to crash into him again. This time, however, Cale was a bit more prepared and only staggered backwards a few times before catching his balance.
‘Ugh.. ow.’
He avoided using the bloody hand to hold the young dragon up (he didn’t want him to get dirty) and therefore could only use one hand. Cale was, of course, not very strong, so the arm began to shake under the heavy weight. Luckily, it seemed like Dodam also noticed and quickly flew back into the air.
“Cale! Why did you do that?!” On asked loudly as she put her front paws on his leg.
“Yeah! Nya! Why did you do that?” Hong repeated after his sister, mirroring her actions.
“Don’t worry.” Cale was quick to reassure them. He hadn’t even meant for them to see that in the first place. “It’s already healed. I’m fine.”
The three children were quietly inspecting him and saw how the blood had stopped.
“A healing power too..? Nya?” Hong circled around him. Dodam was quietly looking at him with wide sapphire eyes.
“Human... are you human?”
The odd question made Cale scoff. To think a dragon, who could easily sense what kind of creatures people were, would ask him this. “Of course I’m human.” He crossed his arms, accidentally smearing some of the blood on his elbow and immediately pulled away his hand with a grimace. But to the children, his expression made them think he was in pain.
“A-Are you really okay? It doesn’t hurt?”
Cale sighed. “It doesn’t hurt.”
”Okay… but you have to promise to never do that again!” Dodam had a determined look on his face. Luckily, Cale never planned on doing this again, so it was easy to agree with the dragon. With that being said, they slowly began to walk back to the entrance, away from the rocks that were painted red.
— Hold on... what’s wrong with your heart?
Cale was about to question Crybaby’s sudden statement when a different voice reached his ears.
“Human, I didn’t want to interrupt you earlier, but there are other humans outside the cave.”
“What?”
“Yeah! Youngest said there were two more people besides Choi Han!”
“Plus! Youngest can feel Choi Han using his aura! Nya!”
‘What.’
People? There shouldn’t have been anyone who followed them. This has never happened. And Choi Han? He feels threatened enough to activate his aura? Cale needed to get there now.
“Dodam, teleport us out immediately.”
“Okay, human!”
As the black teleportation circle quickly engulfed them, Cale could only wonder what the fuck is happening. As soon as he could feel the natural air blow around him, he opened his eyes and saw... what?
Taylor Stan..?
*****
A few days ago, the God of Death had suddenly started to speak in Cage’s mind. A lot more than usual, much to her dismay. Most of it was just nonsense and she tried her best to ignore the annoying god. Even cursing him a few times to make him shut up.
Two days ago, his voice echoed in her mind again, but something was different this time.
“Argh!”
The priestess threw a glass into a corner and clutched her head in her hands. The sudden movement startled the two guards in the room, but her friend only looked at her in worry.
“Cage? What’s wrong? Is the Lord speaking to you again?” Taylor voiced his concerns in a gentle manner.
“Stop. Don’t talk to me right now.” Cage hastily sat down on one of the couches and hung her head low. It was always annoying when the god decided to speak to her, and every time, the pounding headache would return. The hands in her hair tightened momentarily, but she didn't stay quiet for long.
“Ugh! I hate this!”
“Cage. What is the Lord saying?” Taylor frowned. It wasn’t often the God of Death spoke to his friend, but he has started to get more chatty the past few days. Cage usually just waves it off as nonsense with a grumbling expression, but it was the first time in a while that she expressed her dislike so much, so openly.
Cage sighed deeply and looked into Taylor’s eyes. “We need to go to Puzzle City.”
“Huh?”
“Puzzle City. The God of Death wants— no, insists we go there. Now.”
Taylor faltered and brought his hand up to his chin, thinking. “Well, if the Lord says we should go there, I cannot see a reason to not go?”
And so, they began to journey to Puzzle City. It took a little less than two days until they entered through the gate. During the whole trip, both Cage and Taylor had been paranoid of getting spotted by one of Venion’s men, but it seems like luck was on their side. And then today, the annoying god had caused Cage yet another headache.
“Look, that bastard keeps nagging me about going outside of the city, and it seems to be the only way to shut him up.”
Taylor laughed lightly at his friend’s antics. Cage had informed him that the God of Death says they should go up a mountain outside of the city. That’s why they’re currently in a forest right beside Puzzle City.
“I wonder why? The Lord must think it’s really important if he has repeated it to you multiple times.”
Cage grumbled quietly. “Well, he seems to be talking about a person. But who would choose to live out here? In the middle of nowhere?”
“A person?” Taylor looked back at Cage with an intrigued smile. “Is this person special, then?”
Cage was quiet for a few moments, silently pushing the wheelchair forward. Eventually, she let out a low murmur.
“I don’t know. He kept repeating ‘my child’ this ‘my son’ that all the time.”
“Son? The God of Death has a son?” Taylor sounded surprised. This was the first time he had heard about this.
“I know right?! I was shocked too! I feel bad for whoever got targeted by this bastard of a god. No, actually, this guy is probably just as annoying as the God of Death!” Cage shouted so that everyone in the forest would hear her resentment towards the god. Taylor could only silently think about what he just heard.
‘The God of Death’s son? That could mean a lot of things. A human he considered his son? Or was this ‘son’ closer to that of a god?’
Taylor’s eyebrows furrowed again. He doubted the Lord would lead them to someone dangerous. At least not someone who would hurt them. So far, when any danger neared them, the Lord would be kind enough to warn them through Cage. So meeting this new person shouldn’t be a bad thing.
Well, Taylor was wrong.
As soon as they neared the location the God of Death was leading them to, a black figure appeared between the trees. Taylor raised an eyebrow to Cage and saw her frowning face.
“That’s not him...” She had mumbled very quietly, but Taylor had heard her.
‘This wasn’t the God of Death’s son? But there’s no one else here.’
When they got close enough, the black figure suddenly turned around and looked straight at them. They stared at each other for a few moments, well, it was more like he was glaring at the two of them. Cage instantly glared back at the man, equally hostile and alert as the sudden rudeness.
Taylor was about to open his mouth to address the latter when he saw the man pull out a sword from his scabbard.
A threat.
Cage didn’t waste any time moving in front of Taylor in a defensive position.
“What the hell are you doing? Do you threaten everyone you come across?” She growled at the swordsman and got ready to fight back in case he jumped at them. However, something else caught her attention.
‘What the..?’
There was a familiar aura around the guy. Although extremely faint, as if it had worn off over the years, Cage still recognized the aura of the God of Death on this man. This couldn’t be the son that bastard was talking about, could it?
No, Cage was sure it wasn’t.
The black-haired man didn’t move or speak. He only leveled Cage and Taylor with a piercing stare. Taylor anxiously observed the- man? boy? from head to toe. He actually looked more like a teenager, but still managed to feel so threatening. He moved his gaze down to look at their surroundings and noticed a small opening inside a stone wall.
‘A cave? Is he guarding it..?’
The swordsman then moved his sword to cover the cave entrance as if he had noticed where Taylor looked, and a different aura suddenly filled the air around him. Cage only tensed up at the increased pressure. This man was warning them.
It was at that moment that a light shone from behind the swordsman, and the silhouette of a person caught his sight. The remains of a teleportation circle disappeared and a beautiful red color filled their view.
Both Taylor and Cage froze upon seeing the elegant man who appeared out of nowhere. From the look on Cage’s face, this was the son they were looking for.
Red hair blew majestically in the wind, and the man brought up a hand to keep it away from his face as he opened his eyes. However, a different kind of red also caught their sight. While the red-haired man’s face morphed into a shocked expression, Taylor and Cage clearly saw the blood dripping down his hand. Even still, they couldn’t focus on that now. And based on his expression, it seems like he hadn’t been expecting them.
“Uhm.” Cage started. Having subconsciously lowered her guard caused the swordsman to retract his aura. “Are you him? The God of Death’s son?”
*****
“What.”
Cale stared at the two newcomers in disbelief. Any shock from seeing Taylor and Cage drained away and was replaced with betrayal upon hearing what the priestess just said.
“W, What did you just call me..?”
He ignored how On, Hong, and Choi Han (and probably Dodam too) were all gaping at him. Even they couldn't believe what they just heard.
Cale didn’t notice how Choi Han instantly zeroed in on his hand.
At first, he had immediately noticed that Taylor was still in a wheelchair, which would mean he did not get the Star of Healing and Cale’s theory about the Marquis destroying the documents might be true. However, that thought had quickly vanished when he heard what Cage was asking.
“...Cale-nim? You’re the God of Death’s son?” Choi Han mumbled out the words in disbelief.
While it did make sense in some way... with Cale’s mysterious existence and all, he still hadn’t expected this. Even as he was asking that, he didn’t make eye contact with his savior, only focusing on the injured hand with a frown on his face. Choi Han wanted nothing more than to grab his hand and inspect it thoroughly, but he hesitated because it didn’t look like he was hurting. Plus, Cale-nim only focused on the two people in front of him. Choi Han decided to check it out once he confirmed they weren’t a threat.
“What? No!” Cale put his face into his other hand and groaned loudly. “Ugh, that bastard of a god! He just does whatever he wants, does he? Son? No way!”
The priestess froze. Cage suddenly wanted to burst out laughing at this unexpected twist. It seems like this ‘son’ was quite like her! A sudden change of mood caused her to feel excitement in her chest, as if small sparks bubbled up inside her. She felt a sort of kinship at finding someone who hated the God of Death just as much as she did.
“Haha...”
Taylor looked up at the delighted grin on Cage’s face. He hid his shock from the red-haired man’s behavior and cleared his throat. A smile on his face.
“Ahem, hello sirs.”
He said it politely and efficiently caught the attention of the other man who raised his head from his hand. Taylor also took notice of the two kittens at his feet. Despite the odd additional company, he had to admit they were quite cute.
“Ah, my name is Taylor Stan. This is my friend, Cage. She is a priestess of the God of Death.” Taylor easily introduced himself. They had already agreed to show their true identities to this mystery man.
Said mystery man sighed and put the hand that was not bloody on the swordsman’s shoulder. Like a signal, the swordsman put away his sword, but still watched them from the corner of his eyes.
“I know who you are.” Cale felt hopeless in this situation. Having already given up, he didn’t hide the fact that he knew who they were. Besides, it was different this time.
They don’t know who he is.
“Ah, you did? Did the God of Death inform you beforehand?” Taylor’s smile didn’t disappear from his face.
Cale only clicked his tongue in response. “Tsk. No. That bastard is never useful, haa...” As the redhead breathed out another heavy sigh, he looked straight into Taylor’s eyes. “My name is Cale, and I’m no son of that bastard.”
The introduction was rude and direct, but it seems like Cage couldn’t hold herself back anymore.
“Yes! That god is such a bastard! So annoying! All he ever does is spout nonsense and make my head hurt so bad I wanna hit him with a hammer! Haha! Make him feel the same pain!” She was laughing between her sentences, clearly happy at being free to curse the god as openly as Cale was.
“I know, right? He just can’t mind his own business.”
Well, that single sentence confirmed their suspicions. This man seems to have at least met the god before. The weird part was that Cage couldn’t feel any divine power from him, only the powerful aura of Death that surrounded him. To be honest, it almost felt like a protection circle because of how thick it was, but she was also certain that she could only feel it thanks to her own divine powers (seeing how the others weren’t affected).
Taylor breathed out a laugh before focusing back on the red-haired man. Luckily, this man wasn’t as hostile as the swordsman was. “Mister Cale-nim, the God of Death had told us to come find you. We are still unsure why, though.”
“Hm.” As Cale casually hummed in response, he began to walk past the two and down the hill. Choi Han and the children immediately followed behind him but kept quiet in the presence of two strangers. Cale, on the other hand, had already guessed it was the God of Death who led them here. Although, he wondered why the story couldn’t go as it did in his own world. This was much more complicated, and that god was the reason something messed up again.
“I figured as much.” He didn’t look back to see if the two also followed him back to the city. “But I won’t help you.”
Taylor and Cage slowed down at the cold response and looked at each other with questioning expressions.
Cale looked over his shoulders to gain their attention. “What I do have is information.” He stopped and fully turned around to face them. “However, if I tell you about this information, I can’t really say you will have an easy life.”
Taylor and Cage tensed up. They still didn’t know what kind of information Cale was talking about, but even if Cage liked to curse the God of Death, they trusted most of his words. He had told them this might be the turning point of their lives. Taylor could only interpret that as a positive outcome.
‘Easy life my ass.’
Taylor’s life has never been easy, and he doesn’t want it to be. If this is an opportunity the God of Death recommends, he wouldn’t waste it no matter what.
‘If this is the turning point of my life, then I’ll overthrow this damn family.’
“I’d like to know, Mister Cale-nim.” Despite his inner thoughts, Taylor still wore a gentle smile on his face.
Cale nodded with an indifferent expression and resumed walking. “The crown prince is in possession of an ancient power. The Star of Healing.”
The name caused both Taylor and Cage to flinch. Their eyes widened as they realized what this meant.
“The Star of Healing is a one-use ancient power that can heal any injury. It is of no use to the Crown Prince and he is currently looking for a means to keep the second and third prince in check.” Cale’s voice was casual and calm as he explained further, completely ignorant of the shaky gazes on him.
‘A healing power that can heal any injury.’
Taylor trembled as he heard what Cale said. Like a heavy weight lifted off his shoulders, he felt like he could stand up and begin to walk right here, right now. An overwhelming happiness and gratefulness filled his heart with emotion and he couldn’t help but show a shaky grin.
“Even if your legs don’t work, the rest of you is still very much alive.” Cale felt tired. He didn’t want to have to explain all of this a second time.
“I don’t care what you do with this information. Oh, and,” The redhead turned back around, making the two snap their heads to him. “Of course this information is not free.”
He smirked at them. Since Cale technically didn’t steal Taylor’s only hope because the Vitality of the Heart doesn’t exist in this world, he had nothing to feel sorry about. And instead of replacing his last hope in exchange for the ancient power, he gave them a new one in this world. It was obviously not for free. However, Cale’s smirk dropped when he saw the weird smiles on the two’s faces.
“Of course, Mister Cale-nim. I may not have much right now, but I will become the Marquis and pay you back generously. Anything you want. You have my word.” Taylor seemed sure of himself as he promised to pay Cale back. Cage also nodded wholeheartedly.
“Sure...” Cale addressed them one last time before leaving them behind. “Taylor Stan and Priestess Cage. There is only one thing I need from you for now.”
The two friends were looking at him intensely, showing they were listening with eagerness. A fire had been lit in their eyes.
“You did not see us here today. You do not know who I am, and you only took a walk in the forest. Nothing else happened.”
Cage immediately nodded and put a hand over her heart. “Nothing happened here, Benefactor.”
Cale scowled at the nickname and turned back around. “Let’s go.” He didn’t look back as he hurried down the hill. Although he could still hear the crazy laughing from behind him.
‘Crazy bastards. All of them.’
He could finally breathe out a sigh of relief. All of that happening so quickly drained Cale’s energy. Oh, how he would love to crash on a nice and comfy bed right now. Cale would rest a lot when he comes back to his own world and everything is over. Slacking is the best, after all.
Notes:
Making himself bleed in order to retrieve an ancient power’s consciousness right in front of 3 children and then not explaining himself clearly? Cale, you are setting a bad example >:(
Choi Han is silently raging, and the children are questioning EVERYTHING right now. Cale-nim being able to possess a different body? Disappearing from existence for an entire year only to come back in his own body? And he is supposedly the God of Death’s son? Sounds reasonable
I’ve repeated this for a few times now but FOR THE SAKE OF THE READERS, I will explain it one last time. Since Cale met Venion, who should be behind bars, he had a theory about the Marquis taking action when the dragon disappeared. The Marquis might have been scared that Venion’s lackey-turned-traitor would expose them, so he eventually found the person who would deliver all the documents to Taylor and Alberu and disposed of them.
Of course, Cale would need a confirmation to his theory first ^^
Chapter 21: Family Comes First
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Basen stared at his father’s face through the video communication device positioned on the table. He made sure to call his father whenever he had the time to talk and report to him if anything major had happened. Hans stood politely beside him and quietly listened as they talked.
“I have informed the servants at the estate in the Capital about your arrival. As well as to prepare for Cale and his friend. Although, I heard it’s almost time for Mister Choi Han to leave?”
Father spoke with a gentle smile on his face. This conversation had so far been mostly about business rather than small talks, but it was still a comfortable atmosphere between the two.
A few days ago, Basen had called his father about two matters. The first one being about his encounter with Venion. Father had frowned deeply when he heard about the incident that took place (Basen didn’t mention how Venion insulted him), but later smoothed out his features when Basen told him what Mister Cale had said.
Deruth had been both surprised and amused to hear that Cale had skillfully taken control of the situation once again, and even humiliated Venion Stan through simple words. While the Henituse was a natural household, it didn’t stop Deruth from having his own opinions. And Marquis Stan and his heir, Venion, had been quite irritating from a year back now.
When Deruth listened to his son’s explanation, he could see the small smile he spoke with, as well as the slightly shaky voice, as if he was containing his emotions. It warmed his heart, thinking it was a good decision thing to bring Cale Thames along. It seemed to boost his son’s confidence and made him open up a bit more instead of showing his usual stoic face. It made him curious about what other interesting sides his new nephew had.
Then Basen told him about Cale’s worsening condition.
That wasn’t a very pleasant thing to hear. Ever since Deruth had first found out about Cale’s reoccurring injury, he had immediately started to search for other cases like this. Jour had a weak body, but the symptoms Cale had don’t match up. However, he had too little information to determine what it actually was.
Coughing up blood, overall exhaustion, and now heart problems? It just kept getting worse every time he got news of Cale’s condition. (In truth, since Cale’s condition seemed to be even worse than Jour’s, Deruth was scared he would meet the same fate as his late wife did.) Either way, anything he found suggested they would seek a priest, which they have already tried. Yet, the same injury came back as if it was an illness he was born with.
Deruth felt fruitless and saddened. Cale was, as far as he knew, Jour’s only relative that was left. The boy didn’t even know where his parents were, which mostly suggested they were deceased. Deruth knew how important family was, and a deep part of him wanted to care for this new family member.
Yeah. He also considered Cale to be an official member of the Henituse. Even if his last name is Thames, he is connected to them. Truth be told, Deruth can’t exactly explain this feeling. It’s just that there is something telling him it should be like this. He doesn’t particularly feel like this with his other nephews or nieces, but a deep part of him feels good when he can call Cale a family member.
“Yes, Father. We have booked so that Mister Choi Han will stay for two days. After that, we plan on meeting at the Capital.”
Basen broke his father’s thinking trance and answered his first question. Deruth smiled at him again and leaned forward, signaling to relax. The formal parts were over, and Basen was waiting for a different question to be asked.
“How have you been, Basen? Have you explored the city yet?”
And there it was. During every one of their calls, Father always started with business, and when that part was done, he would ask other questions as a father instead of a lord. Basen could also feel himself relaxing in his chair.
“Not yet, Father. We plan on staying here for a few days, so I have time.”
Deruth hummed and leaned back again.
They had been planning and preparing for Basen’s arrival at the Capital for a few days now. First, Basen would meet with the other northern noble households to discuss the event and other plans. It’s not the first time Basen has done this, so he is quite familiar with the others and doesn’t mind meeting them again. Eric Wheelsman, Amiru Ubarr, and Gilbert Chetter, they are all very nice to Basen and have never commented on his origins. That’s why he liked them.
Basen had also been thinking about something else for the past few days. His conversation with Cale after meeting Venion still replayed itself repeatedly in his mind whenever he went to bed. Even if it’s been a while since then, he keeps on circling back to those exact words.
‘Basen Henituse, the blood of Henituse flows through you. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.’
Cale had opened up Basen’s eyes. He realized what he said was true.
Basen was a Henituse, whether people would like it or not. He is also the heir as his father had announced, and Lily wished to become a skilled knight. A surge of excitement and emotions had coursed through him and he felt like crying after he heard those words, but he held in his tears.
Since that moment, Basen has been so grateful for Cale. He doesn’t really know why he is feeling so emotional and comfortable around this man who he only met a few days ago, but he can’t help but feel close to him. It was a weird feeling, but Mister Cale also acted very comfortable around him, so that might be the reason Basen feels like he can relax around him.
“Father... about Mister Cale.” The young boy mutters quietly. He had been planning on asking about this for a few days now, yet, he hadn’t felt confident enough.
“What is it, son?” Father slightly sat up a bit straighter at the question, something Basen has also noticed. Whenever Mister Cale’s name was brought up, his father would turn his head and listen.
“Uhm.. does Mister Cale count as my cousin?”
He saw how his father froze on the other side and sensed Hans’ flinch from beside him.
Basen knew he and Cale weren’t technically related in any way. Deruth wasn’t his biological father, and Miss Jour was Father’s first wife. There was no reason for Basen to call Cale his cousin, but he couldn’t help but ask.
“Ah...” Deruth breathed out a sigh. He had clearly been startled by the unexpected question, not expecting his son to think of Cale that way, but quickly calmed down. Seeing deputy butler Hans smile gently from beside Basen, he slowly opened his mouth to speak.
“Well... yes. I believe the right term might be ‘former cousin’.”
“But he is family?” Basen tried again. He didn’t know why he was acting like this. It just felt right to call Cale family.
Deruth was quiet again, taken off guard by his son’s sudden eagerness. Although it wasn’t very characteristic of Basen, it was also not unwelcome. Deruth wanted to laugh, he felt happy.
‘Ha… to think he managed to change so quickly in just a few days?’
“Yes, Basen. Cale Thames is family.”
Having it confirmed, Basen could only nod with slight embarrassment from his behavior. Although it did make him more calm.
Basen wasn’t stupid, he knew his father had been anxious about letting Cale stay with them despite his own feelings. He had over and over expressed how important family is, so while Cale is also important because he is part of our family, Father also cares about Mother, Basen, and Lily’s opinions.
Perhaps Basen also did this to help his father. He didn’t want him to worry anymore.
As an easy silence took over the room again, Basen noticed Hans from the corner of his eye. Looking up, he saw how the deputy butler’s head was turned to the window.
“Hans?”
Hans looked back at Basen when he heard his name and flashed him a smile. “Ah, it’s nothing, young master. It just seems like Cale-nim and Choi Han-nim have come back from their hike.”
“A hike?” Father asked with an intrigued expression.
“Yes, my lord. Cale-nim and Choi Han-nim had left earlier today to hike outside the city with the kittens. It appears they have finally come back after a few hours.”
“Is that so?”
Basen was still looking out the window from the second floor and could see two figures walking through the streets. It wasn’t hard to point out Mister Cale thanks to his bright red hair, a pretty color that suited him a lot.
He watched for a few moments as Hans spoke to Father and was about to turn away when he halted.
Choi Han had suddenly stopped in the middle of the street and grabbed Mister Cale’s hand. The action seemed to startle Cale as he turned back. Basen narrowed his eyes, trying to see what they were doing. Cale’s back was facing the inn, so it was hard to see, but Basen sucked in a breath when he caught sight of the hand the swordsman was gripping.
“Blood..?”
The low murmur did not go unnoticed by the attentive butler, who immediately snapped his head at his young master.
“Pardon? What did you say, young master?” Hans also looked out the window again once he saw what Basen was looking at, and he instantly understood what he meant.
Deruth began to frown seeing the tense expressions. “What is it? Is someone bleeding?”
He couldn’t see what they were looking at because the video communication device wasn’t facing the window, and the uneasy feeling only grew when his son suddenly stood up. Hans started to speak at that moment and grabbed the communication device.
“My lord, Mister Cale’s hand seems to be injured.”
“What?! What do you mean?”
“His hand is bloody. I can't see very clearly from up here, though.” Hans had already begun to follow Basen, who was hurrying down the hall.
Deruth’s frown deepened, and he felt a headache beginning to form in his head.
‘First he coughs up blood, then his heart causes him problems, and now his hand is injured?’
How likely is it that Cale would get hurt every time he’s out of view? It was weird. So far, every time the boy’s condition would act up, none of the Henituse servants or guards were there.
Cale had come back from finding his friend with blood stains on his collar. Then his heart had supposedly been beating in an uneven rhythm during one evening and caused him to be unable to move from his bed. (Again, without notifying anyone of the Henituse knights.) And now he comes back from a simple trip with an injured, bloody hand.
Deruth felt his own heart start to pound in his chest. Would he need to station a guard with the boy at all times to make sure nothing happened to him?
His trust in the otherwise capable swordsman began to sink a bit.
“Basen.” He called out to his son, who’s steps were faltering in the staircase. While Deruth wanted to know that Cale was okay, he could tell he was only a distraction for Basen, seeing how the boy glancing back all the time. They needed to prioritize getting Cale to a healer, again.
“Call me later, son. Okay?”
Basen stopped and stood still before nodding his head. “Okay, Father.”
Click.
The call ended and Basen resumed walking down the stairs. Hans carefully put away the video communication device and followed his young master as they both left the inn. Outside, they could see the two men standing not too far from them. So when they began to get closer, Basen slowed down.
“Mister Cale?”
The red-haired man immediately looked back over his shoulder the second he heard his name. Choi Han was still inspecting his hand without looking up, but Basen could see the amount of blood that was actually on his hand. It looked much worse up close than what he could see from his room in the inn. The whole palm was red and it stained the entire edge of the sleeve. Even to the point of leaving blood stains on his pants.
They were both staring at each other in silence. Basen and Hans weren’t hiding their gazes on his hand, and Cale could feel the back of his neck begin to sweat.
Cale hadn’t planned on letting anyone else see his hand. He had kind of forgotten about it when he suddenly encountered Taylor and Cage, but he carefully kept it hidden from everyone as soon as he saw other people. He was only in this situation now because someone couldn’t wait until they got inside the inn to check his hand.
The grip wasn’t tight , Cale could escape if he really wanted to, but the stern look on Choi Han’s face made him hesitate. And now Basen had found them.
“Uh...” He felt awkward and regretted his decision to cut his palm. It really got too messy and he had accidentally done it in front of the kids. What if just a small nick would have done the job?
Actually... his healing has improved since he first got the ancient power. It would have probably closed up before any blood had time to rush out. Still, he didn’t really enjoy this uncomfortable predicament.
Eventually, Hans spoke up.
“Mister Cale... are you okay? Did you hurt your palm?”
He technically did, but a different idea popped up in his head at that moment.
“Ah, no. My internal injury just came back for a moment, and I coughed into my hand.” Cale held up his arm as proof since Choi Han had loosened his grip enough to let go, but the sight became much clearer for the other two.
‘He coughed up that much blood?’
Basen’s eyebrows furrowed deeply. It was too much blood for just a simple cough as Mister Cale claims it was.
— Choi Han, the human is lying.
At that moment, Dodam voiced his thoughts in Choi Han’s mind.
— He took out a knife and cut his hand! Then he let the blood fall on a bunch of rocks and it got really bright! The human also seems to have a healing power. The cut disappeared immediately!
Choi Han’s gaze darkened when he heard the true story, lips pressed into a tight line and he clenched his fists. Cale-nim had hurt himself. Although it was probably for a good reason, seeing he apparently had regeneration and that a light had appeared, Choi Han couldn’t help but frown.
“I see...”
Cale watched his brother’s expression as the young boy spoke.
“Then, let’s clean your hand and find Miss Honoria.”
Miss Honoria was the group’s healer, and Cale had been unlucky enough to meet her a few times already. The lady is nice, but she always insists he drinks a bunch of healing potions like she’s determined to find a ‘cure’, which Cale thinks is completely unnecessary since he is okay thanks to the Vitality of the Heart.
“Yes, although Honoria-nim is currently buying more herbs on the market, so she is sadly not here right now. I suggest we find Beacrox-nim instead. He can clean Mister Cale-nim’s hand.”
“...”
Oh lord.
They would have to get Beacrox to clean a bloody hand?
Notes:
Deruth is a concerned father— cough I mean uncle
Basen is equally concerned:0
Dodam is a snitch
And Choi Han is feeling a bit murda murda ^^
Cale regrets everything + scared of the clean freak
That’s basically the chapter
(Choi Han will be a bit more impulsive and different from TCF because of his feral/portective behavior regarding Cale, which is why his actions might not always make sense if you compare them. But nonetheless, he is still our dear Choi Han who is just worried for his liege ^^)
QUESTION: Would you guys like more frequent but smaller chapters like these or longer but fewer chapters? The story won’t change either way
Chapter 22: “Benefactor?”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The next day, it was time for Choi Han to leave. Both Cale and Basen were there to say goodbye, and they weren’t alone either.
“Come back in one piece, my friend. Hahahah!” Hilsman was one of the few people there, and was patting Choi Han on the shoulder while joking with him. He had been very chatty with the swordsman these past few days, but he ignored the vice captain to look at Cale.
Choi Han recalled the conversation he had with Cale a few days ago.
“Choi Han, you will not stay with us during the whole trip.”
Cale-nim’s sudden statement startled Choi Han. He immediately frowned in disagreement.
“Why would Choi Han not stay the whole time?”
“Nya! Is he going somewhere?”
The children were also curious about the reason for this, so Cale continued to explain.
“There is a task I need you to do.” At his words, Choi Han straightened his back. “Choi Han, do you know how to protect?”
“Yes.”
The answer was quick. Much quicker than Cale had expected, because in his own world, Choi Han’s answer had been very different.
It seems like Choi Han picked up on Cale’s surprised expression and slightly shrunk in on himself a bit. “Although... it is hard.”
He had spent an entire year protecting Dodam and the people of Harris Village from the monsters in the Forest of Darkness. Dodam didn’t need much protection when they went hunting, but Choi Han felt responsible for the small dragon, and would always keep an eye on him. But when he thinks about it, what Cale meant probably didn’t fit what he had experience with.
‘Ah, that is more similar.’
That answer had been more similar to how Cale’s world’s Choi Han answered.
“Yes. It is harder to protect something. Can you kill?”
“Yes.”
The response was immediate once again. This time, with much more confidence.
“Of course Choi Han can protect and kill! He’s super strong!”
“Yeah! Nya! He killed all those monsters in the forest with just a swoosh of his sword!”
Even the children were agreeing.
“If you can kill, then you can protect.”
Choi Han fell silent when he heard what Cale said, but when he thought about it, it was true. Protecting someone or something meant keeping them from being in danger. If it meant killing people to protect them, and making sure they didn’t get hurt, Choi Han could do it.
As Choi Han silently nodded his head, he asked a question for himself. “Cale-nim, do you need me to protect someone?”
“Correct.” Cale said indifferently while recalling information about Rosalyn and Lock. “I need you to find and protect two people. The first person’s name is Rosalyn. She is a mage you will most likely encounter when you leave Puzzle City. Try and join her party.”
Choi Han was listening intently.
“The second person is a child, Lock.”
“A kid? Like us?”
“How old is he?”
“Will we get a new friend, Nya?”
“He is 13 years old and a beast person. He is from the Blue Wolf Tribe.”
“Another beast person?! He is like us!”
Choi Han frowned as Cale talked with the children. Even if he was set on fulfilling Cale-nim’s will, there was one thing he didn’t like about this. Going to find these people meant he would leave Cale alone.
Cale-nim said they would meet up in the Capital again, but Choi Han couldn’t ignore the uncomfortable pressure in his chest. He didn’t want to separate from this person.
“Cale-nim... must I go?” His voice sounded weak. Choi Han really didn’t want to leave Cale. If he did, what would happen to him? Those two dangerous people are still around, and Choi Han didn’t trust them in the slightest.
To tell the truth, Choi Han was also scared.
He and Dodam had searched for Cale for a whole year, and now that they finally found him, he didn’t want to risk having him leave again. He really, truly didn’t.
“...”
Cale watched the swordsman who looked like a kicked puppy. Even the children had gone quiet.
He didn’t understand it. Cale didn’t understand this Choi Han. This was another thing that was different from the one in his world. Choi Han had almost never refused him. Even at the beginning, he had been so busy with repaying Cale that he never said no to a task Cale had given him. So, why is this Choi Han different?
Cale leaned forward to make eye contact with the swordsman. “Choi Han.”
Choi Han looked into Cale’s reddish-brown eyes with a complicated look.
“Those assassins. They are targeting the Blue Wolf Tribe.”
“Mm!”
Everyone in the room flinched at Cale’s words. Choi Han immediately understood what ‘assassins’ Cale was talking about. He was talking about the ones that attacked Harris Village. The ones who killed his family.
And now those bastards are targeting innocent people again.
Choi Han’s blood began to boil.
Cale saw how the children’s eyes were shaking. Although On and Hong don't know who the assassins are (unless Dodam explained it to them), anyone could understand the situation Cale was talking about.
“Their goal is to kidnap the children and murder anyone else.” Cale’s words were harsh, but he needed Choi Han to feel affected. And it seems like it worked based on the trembling fists he kept clenching tighter and tighter.
“I need you and Dodam to find Miss Rosalyn and Lock, and save as many people as you can.” This time, Cale was also looking at Dodam.
Last time, Choi Han had gone to find Rosalyn and Lock alone, but managed to save 10 of Lock’s siblings. Cale really didn’t want to send Dodam, who was still just a child, but he felt it was necessary. Dodam is strong, just like Raon. He has faced many hardships, both mentally and physically. If he helped with defending the Blue Wolf Tribe, maybe there would be parents the children could return to.
“M, me too, human?”
Cale nodded and caressed Dodam’s head. “You are a great and mighty dragon. Also, you’re familiar with Choi Han. You will be able to rely on each other and save a lot of people together.”
Dodam fluttered his wings at the praise. He also didn’t want to leave his human alone, but slowly changed his mind. The human had saved him and Choi Han a long time ago, but Dodam hadn’t been able to save the people of Harris Village. This time, he would not let those bastards go so far. Besides, he could always entrust his Noona and Hyung to keep an eye on their human until he was back.
“Cale-nim... how do you know about this?”
It was odd. How did Cale know about the secret organization’s plans? Does it have anything to do with his weird ability? The one that made him able to possess someone else’s body?
It’s not that Choi Han doesn’t trust him, because he does. He trusts him with his heart, so he was more curious than skeptical. Plus, his desire for revenge hasn’t quelled at all even if he sometimes acts differently from his inner emotions.
He supposed it would be logical if Cale somehow got information by possessing someone from the secret organization. There were still so many questions to this man, after all, but Choi Han wouldn’t pry. If a god truly was involved, it would explain a lot.
“...I will tell you. Eventually.” Cales answer was slow but steady. He meant it.
“As long as you keep yourself hidden without revealing your identities, everything should work out. Can you do that for me?” Cale was speaking in a gentle tone and looked at the dragon, but they could feel how that question was also directed at Choi Han.
Then, the two nodded together with a fire lit in their eyes.
“Yes, Cale-nim.”
Choi Han still didn’t enjoy the fact that he would leave Cale-nim alone, even if it was only for a few days. He didn’t even have Dodam with him! But at the same time, he knew he had to do this.
Cale-nim walked up to him once Hilsman had stopped speaking, and tossed him a small bag. Choi Han effortlessly caught it and looked at Cale with raised eyebrows. In the bag were multiple potions, money, and other useful things. He hadn’t expected to receive such a gift right before leaving.
“What? You don’t want it?” Cale smirked at the dumbfounded look on Choi Han’s face. The swordsman immediately clenched the bag in his fist and a bright smile appeared on his face.
‘I’ve already received so much. And he keeps giving me more.’
“I will be back soon, Cale-nim.”
“Good. Come back home.”
Flinch.
Both Choi Han and Dodam flinched at the word ‘home’. However, they soon realized that was true. This was their home now, here, with Cale and the cats. Warmth spread in Choi Han’s heart. Oh, how he really didn’t want to leave.
At that moment, Ron also appeared behind Cale. “Yes, come back soon.”
He had an odd smile on his face that made all of Cale’s hair stand on end. He quickly averted his gaze to avoid eye contact with the scary man. (Cale didn’t notice how Choi Han’s easy smile turned into a heavy glare.)
“Goodbye, Choi Han-nim!” Hans easily broke the tension.
“Ahem! Yes, I will train hard while you are away.” Hilsman also joined in.
Beacrox kept quiet in the back, only staring at his father and Choi Han while sharpening a knife. It was quite the scary sight for someone like Cale.
In the end, Basen also stepped forth and bid Choi Han goodbye. “Have a safe trip, Mister Choi Han.”
Choi Han smiled at the young master and looked at the cats circling around his feet.
Meoww
Meow!
On and Hong were also saying goodbye to them even if they couldn’t speak around so many people.
— Goodbye, Human! Goodbye, Noona! Goodbye, Hyung!
Dodam mentioned every single person in Cale’s mind while Choi Han didn’t look away from the redhead. Cale felt how the swordsman kept staring at him, and he held eye contact with him without looking away. Eventually, Choi Han waved his hand at him.
“Cale-nim, I will definitely return. So wait for me.” He was smiling as he said that. Cale thought it was obvious, but didn’t question why Choi Han felt the need to repeat it and instead waved back.
“See you.”
As everyone had bid Choi Han farewell, the swordsman bowed down and finally left the inn. His steps were not slow at all, but quick and accurate. He now had a place to return to other than the villa. He and Dodam had a new home.
‘I need to make sure to properly complete this task.’
He would make sure to not fail. Choi Han would save as many people as he could. This time, he would succeed.
— Come on, Choi Han! We need to hurry up and meet the mage, Rosalyn!
Yes. Choi Han smiled. He would return home as quickly as possible.
*****
Cale and Basen watched the swordsman leave with a determined look on his face. Cale could feel a bit hopeful at sending Dodam with him. He couldn’t come with them even if he wanted to. Both because he had his own tasks to complete and because Ron had been irritatingly observant of him these past few days. And it didn’t end with him.
Even the servants and knights would stop and ask how Cale was feeling every now and then whenever they saw him. The nagging was annoying, and Hans definitely didn’t let him go anywhere without a guard in sight because of yesterday’s events.
Seriously. Cale doesn’t understand why they were acting like this. Even during the first trip to the Capital in his own world wasn’t like this. And he was the young master of a county at that time.
“Mister Cale, if I may ask, for what reason did Choi Han leave?” Basen suddenly broke Cale out of his thoughts with a question. He was looking up at him with a stoic face, but his eyes showed a tint of curiosity.
“Mm.” The red-haired man moved his gaze down to his younger brother. “I asked him to find someone for me. Someone I’ve met before, but I’m unsure if they will remember me.”
He was partially lying. Choi Han was looking for someone for him, and Cale had met Rosalyn and Lock before, but not the ones in this world.
“Ah, but don’t worry about where they will be staying. I can provide an inn for them.”
Basen immediately shook his head. “No need. If it’s a friend of yours, they can stay in one of our rooms. The estate in the Capital is big, after all.”
The redhead smiled at his younger brother, showing a clear ‘thank you’.
Cale didn’t notice how the assassin duo were both watching him.
Later that day, Cale finally had some alone time during a break since they had started to travel again. Well, he wasn’t completely alone, since the kittens refused to go anywhere else, so they followed him as he decided to rest underneath a tree a few meters away from everyone else. It was lunchtime, so they had stopped beside a forest to eat.
“Can we play? I wanna explore!” Hong jumped around while wagging his tail from side to side. On agreed with her brother and leaned her front paws on Cale’s arm.
From afar, multiple knights and servants couldn’t look away from the adorable scene. Cale looked peaceful as he sat under the tree with the wind making his hair flow elegantly. It melted people’s hearts when they saw how he talked to the cats despite not expecting an answer.
Of course, they didn’t know that On and Hong were beast people.
“Not now. I need to speak with someone.”
“...But there’s no one here? Nya~” On asked as she settled down, looking straight into Cale’s half-closed eyes.
— Ah.. is it me? Sniff.
Crybaby spoke in his mind. Ever since Cale retrieved his consciousness, he had been meaning to bring up what the old man muttered about before getting interrupted by Dodam. Crybaby had sensed that something was wrong with his heart, and Cale wanted to know what he meant, but he hadn’t had time to think about it until now.
On another note, Cale is also planning on asking Cage a few questions regarding the God of Death and himself. Cale knew he hadn’t been able to invite them to his party when they met, mainly because it was too troublesome (being a guest and not a young master anymore) and that another opportunity would come. If they didn’t meet again on the way to the capital, Cale would seek them out after the terror incident.
“Hm.” He hummed at the kittens, thinking about how to explain this. He didn’t mind talking to his ancient powers out in the open as long as it was only On and Hong who heard him. That’s what made it so nice to be mysterious and unnoticeable.
“Do you remember the friend I talked to back at the villa?”
Hong climbed onto his lap while On sat down beside him. “You mean that friend who was a mage but not a mage at the same time?”
“Uh, yes.” Cale slowly nodded. “A few days ago, in that cave, I found another... friend.”
“Another friend? Nya, can they also speak in your head?”
“Yes. I need to speak with him for a bit.”
Cale was grateful that the two siblings understood him so well. He also didn’t notice the odd looks he got from the cats, but they eventually accepted the situation.
— Ah... uhm.
— Cale, nothing in particular has changed since the day you freed his consciousness. I can still feel something blocking the Vitality of the Heart.
— Mm! B-Blocking? Ah! Sob! That’s what it feels like! I-It’s... It’s like I can’t reach your heart.. b-but my power should come from your heart! Sob! Why? Why am I so useless!
Cale felt himself sigh again. This was pointless if Crybaby was only going to keep up with this behavior.
“Haa... that’s what I don’t understand. My blood is filled with vitality, so shouldn’t the Vitality of the Heart work for the heart too?”
He ignored the curious gazes the cats were shooting his way.
— Sniff.. Well, h-how do I explain it..?
At that moment, Glutton joined in.
— Doesn’t it almost feel like something is... stuck? In your heart?
‘Stuck?’
— Yes! Sob... Yes, that’s—! Something is stuck! And it’s.. it reminds me of... of..
— Poison?
— Ah! No! Well, um. Maybe? I-It’s more like a root of despair...
His heart was filled with despair? What?
Cale frowned deeply, but recalled what happened before he first appeared in this world.
‘Accept the despair to enter your body, Cale Henituse’.
That’s what the Sealed God had said before Cale passed out. To accept the despair to enter his body, and Cale had immediately felt pain after the god said that. However, Cale doesn’t remember ever accepting despair, so how can Crybaby sense it? Did the Sealed God force despair into Cale, and it managed to latch onto his heart? It doesn’t make any sense.
If despair is stuck in his heart, and the heart makes the blood flow in his body, doesn’t that mean his blood is getting poisoned by despair?
“Are you saying I’m dying?”
Cale’s sudden question made both cats flinch violently and looked at him with wide, sharp eyes. They still didn’t say anything, but Cale could feel how they began to tremble. He reached out a hand to pet them, hoping they would calm down (and already regretting his decision to speak out loud).
— N-no.. Uhm. Sniff! I-It is stuck in your heart, but it, it doesn’t go any further. A-And it’s not spreading or affecting your heart right now, it’s just silently there... like a still ocean.
— Like we said before, something is blocking the Vitality of the Heart from reaching your heart, but I also think it’s preventing the despair from spreading.
Super Rock confirmed Crybaby’s statement. It would explain why Cale’s heart began to beat very quickly or too slowly at times. Although he can’t really predict when it will happen, at least they know the reason. An idea popped up in Cale’s head.
“But if it’s despair, can’t I purify myself?” Just like how he had purified the golems and dead mana, he should be able to purify whatever despair is stuck in his heart. He just doesn’t know how yet.
Cale can’t purify dead mana that has become a part of a person. If he tried to purify a person, they would most likely die. However, maybe it would be different when the host of the purification power has despair inside them?
— I-I don’t know.. I’m not… sniff.. I can’t reach your heart because of what’s blocking it, s-so..! Sob! I-I don’t know! I’m sorry, I’m so useless!
Cale sighed again and decided to give up the idea for now. He hadn’t felt like his heart would beat unevenly in a while now, so he should be okay for the time being. Instead, he took out his magical storage bag and rummaged through it.
Another thing he had been meaning to do is contact the God of Death. He doesn’t know if it will work by searching through the divine book he got, but it was worth a try. Cale grasped the book in his hands and took it out. On and Hong began to sniff it with interest as he opened up a page.
“…”
The pages were empty. Cale felt irritated.
“Hey, you bastard. You’re the reason I’m here, so you better start talking.” As he spoke, Cale ignored the frowning cats and only focused on the book. Seeing how nothing changed, he opened his mouth again.
“I’ll burn down your temples.”
Hearing the very-much-real threat, the book began to tremble in his hold. The shaking was very weak, but it responded nonetheless.
M Y
Words finally started to form on the page, although, the letters were very slow and shaky. As if someone without any strength left was being forced to write.
M Y C H IL D
‘My child’ stood in shaky letters, and Cale’s frown deepened. “You’re here, you bastard. Now, what happened.” Cale demanded an answer, but it seems like the god had trouble to provide one.
S O RR Y N O EN E R GY
The God of Death was apologizing, but also mentioned him having no energy. But why? Gods needed a compensation, like a deal, in order to use their powers to interfere with ‘fate’. But as far as Cale knows, if they did something without compensation, their energy would be drained. But what did this stupid god do to get all of his energy drained?
TE M P LE
Temple. The God of Death’s temple or the Sealed God’s? He probably meant the former, since that’s where he is the most powerful. Cale felt even more annoyed. Not only was it probably the God of Death’s fault he was stuck in this world, but now he is telling him to go to his temple?
And hold on.
How can he apparently speak to Cage and guide her to meet Cale, but he didn’t have enough energy to write in this book??
“Ughhhhh.” Cale groaned loudly and closed his eyes. The God of Death was extremely irritating. If Cale could choose, he would burn down his temples instead of going to one to reach him. Well, he can always do that once he’s back home.
‘How troublesome.’
There were no more words that appeared, and Cale eventually figured the God had disappeared again. He slumped against the tree, feeling more tired than he did before. All Cale wanted was a peaceful slacker life. Was that so hard to ask for?
“Tea, Mister Cale?”
Cale suddenly flinched as another voice spoke directly into his ear. Hastily turning his gaze to the culprit, he saw Ron’s benign smile as he loomed over him, teacup in hand. As the terrifying butler ignored Cale’s scare and reached the teacup forward, Cale could only subconsciously take it from him as he looked at Ron with a disbelieving expression.
“T, Thanks.” Cale stammered out, his heart was beating loudly in his chest, but he knew it wasn’t because of the despair this time.
“Of course, Mister Cale.” Ron continued to smile as he looked down at Cale’s lap, eyes slightly narrowing as he saw the book. “Are you reading? This Ron would recommend one of the books from our library back at the estate instead of a blank page. My Lord has many interesting novels.”
Cale was then reminded that he still had the God of Death’s book in his other hand, and quickly shut it close. However, Ron could clearly see what was written on the cover of the black book.
‘How to die peacefully? Ho ho..!’
Ron’s benign smile slightly widened. This was getting even more interesting the more he was around the young Thames.
A black book with such a title obviously referred to a specific god, and it was even weirder how it didn’t have a single word written on it.
Ron wondered how deeply mysterious Cale is. He’s going to love picking him apart.
The next day went smoothly and the sun was beginning to set in the distance. Cale was standing beside the still carriage while Basen stood a few meters away from him, talking with one of the butlers. Hans had stationed two knights to always stand close to Cale ever since he returned injured. It was quite annoying, but Cale easily ignored them.
The only thing he could think about at that moment was if he would meet Taylor and Cage again like last time. His mind had been occupied with this for the past few hours. In truth, the carriage should arrive here very soon if it all went accordingly.
Cale was thinking about what to do to sneak them into the Capital this time. They could go through the church, but it wouldn’t take long before Venion found out. Additionally, Cale couldn’t just make demands here like in his own world. He would need to convince Basen, who didn’t seem very confident in his decisions even as an heir.
On and Hong were climbing all over him while he was stuck in thought. The two knights kept sneaking glances at the trio and couldn’t help but smile as they made eye contact with each other. They were silently communicating between each other and could only stifle their laughter to the best of their abilities. It was quite the adorable sight, seeing the silver cat jump from his arms up to his shoulders while swinging her tail, and the red cat messing up Cale’s blood-red hair with his front paws.
‘Maybe I could already suggest a plan to Basen?’
As Cale had that thought, he lifted his gaze to search for his brother. However, the young boy had disappeared from the spot he was last seen at. Cale frowned and looked around until he spotted a carriage. A very familiar carriage thanks to Record.
‘What? When did they arrive?’
A unknown guard stood by the carriage while speaking to Basen and Hilsman. Cale immediately began to make his way over and lifted Hong off his head. He ignored the following knights and settled Hong in his arms, letting On stay on his shoulder as long as she kept her balance.
“What’s going on?” Cale’s voice grabbed everyone’s attention and Basen turned around to meet his eyes. However, before he could open his mouth, Cale had accidentally made eye contact with the person inside the carriage and a single word made him stop.
“...Benefactor?”
“...”
You have got to be kidding……
Taylor also seemed to be surprised by his mistake, but it was too late. Everyone who was close enough to hear the quiet mumble faltered and turned their heads to Cale. Basen included.
“Benefactor..?” Hilsman muttered the word to himself. “Ah, Mister Cale, you’ve met young master Taylor Stan before?”
Cale’s eyebrow twitched and Taylor could feel sweat gather at his neck. He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, he had just been so surprised to see the God of Death’s son with the Henituses. Cage was trembling while holding onto his forearm, suppressing her own laughter at his misfortune.
Cale wanted to sigh so badly at this ridiculous situation. Instead, he put on a light smile that made Taylor sweat even more.
“Yes. I have met young master Taylor before. We happened to encounter each other a year ago when I was traveling quite a lot.”
‘Ah.’
Taylor instantly understood Cale’s thoughts. It seems like the Henituse, who Cale seemed to accompany to the Capital, did not know of his relation to the God of Death.
“Haha, yes, we met this sir and he expressed his kindness by helping us during a crisis. I apologize for suddenly calling you ‘benefactor’, Sir. I was simply surprised to see you again.”
Taylor was accurately apologizing and explaining while pretending to not know Cale that much. He was referring to him as ‘sir’ instead of ‘Cale’.
“Hah, your words are too kind, young master Taylor. My help was hardly anything significant.”
But Basen’s thoughts were different.
‘He did not only help Mister Choi Han, no- save him, but he also helped Taylor Stan? How far does his kindness reach..?’
Basen wasn’t the only one who had these thoughts. Many of the knights and servants around him also admired the goodwill of this person. It was truly generous of Cale to help two strangers so much with nothing to gain from. Apparently, Cale had even built an entire house for Choi Han before leaving to continue his travels! How could someone just do that out of the good of their heart without expecting anything back?
Just like how Choi Han explained that Cale saved him, they wondered how far he truly went despite him trying to deny Taylor Stan’s claims.
‘I wish I knew him earlier.’
Deep inside, Basen knew he had slightly changed little by little since he met Cale. This man had opened Basen’s eyes, and he felt comfortable around him. Like Basen could entrust everything and anything to Mister Cale and it would all solve itself.
“But may I ask once again what is happening?” Cale spoke up again, the smile still plastered on his face.
“Ah.” Ron appeared behind him and stood beside Cale. “Young master Taylor proposed the idea of sharing our campsite for the night.”
“Uh.” Taylor wore a sheepish smile as he looked at Cale. “Of course, the idea is very sudden and we can leave if it’s too troublesome.”
Cage squeezed his arm as he spoke. He was hoping that Cale would be kind enough to lend them some extra help. Even if he has already helped them so much, it was much easier to talk with a familiar face. Taylor was hopeful.
“Don’t look at me. I am just a guest.”
The red-haired man pointed at the boy beside him and saw how Basen flinched. Cale wanted Basen to choose this time, although he would subtly guide him in the direction Cale wanted things to go.
“Ah! My apologies, young master-nim. It was disrespectful of me.”
Basen cleared his throat. “Ahem.. it’s alright.” He was looking at Cale from the corner of his eyes. Even if Basen had met with multiple nobles before and talked with them, he felt small beside the redhead, but he realized he had nothing to worry about when he saw the small nod from the taller man.
“I suppose it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Thank you, Young Master-nim.” Taylor’s smile returned to his face. “I would like to introduce myself formally, but it is a bit difficult for me to get out of the carriage... so I apologize.”
Cale was quick to answer him. “It’s fine. It’s just a simple introduction.”
Basen nodded in agreement. He also felt it was unnecessary for Taylor to step out of the carriage since Cale seemed so comfortable. There was no need for dramatic formalities in this situation.
“Yes, it’s alright.”
The boy shook Taylor’s hand as the blond man began to speak. “My name is Taylor Stan. This is priestess Cage, she’s been traveling with me.”
Cage peeked her head out and gave a big wave with her entire arm to Cale. “Hello again, Benefactor-nim! It’s good to see you again!”
Cale could feel a headache coming. The crazy priestess was loud enough for everyone to hear her compared to Taylor’s previous mumble. Now everyone was looking.
As her friend smiled sheepishly at her antics, Basen didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he chose to introduce both him and Cale to the two. “Nice to meet you. My name is Basen Henituse, and it seems like you have already met my cousin, Cale Thames.”
It slowly got silent, everyone was stunned for different reasons, and Basen was slowly beginning to regret his decision to call Cale his cousin out loud, but he couldn’t regret it at the same time. It was the truth after all. Cale was now family and his cousin.
‘Cousin?’
Cale startled when he heard how Basen introduced him, but he couldn’t bring himself to think much about it. No, he felt rather happy. It meant Basen saw him as family and it was pretty close to his own world. It didn’t feel as weird as being referred to as ‘Mister Thames’ by his own family.
‘Cale Thames? Thames?’
The two friends inside the carriage looked at each other. Cale had only told them his first name the first time they met, so it was a surprise to get a surname too. And to think he would be related to the Henituse? The guy didn’t look anything like Count Deruth.
In the back of his mind, Taylor barely managed to recall a vague memory of meeting a pretty lady with red hair during one of the Northern Noble’s events when he was younger.
‘If I’m right, the late countess had red hair.’
It would explain why he’s traveling with the Henituse.
“Hans.” At that moment, Cale called out to the deputy butler.
“Yes, Mister Cale-nim?”
“Do you mind helping them? Oh, and please prepare food and their tent too.”
It should feel weird that a guest was ordering a servant around. Despite the way he formulated it as a question rather than a demand, it should be the young master and heir telling them what to do. But at the same time, people’s image of Cale had just risen thanks to Basen calling him his cousin, which would mean he’s still of a higher status than most commoners. It felt weirdly natural to receive orders from this man.
Still, Hans was Basen’s butler, so he still looked at the young master to receive a nod for confirmation.
“Of course, Mister Cale, Young Master Basen. I shall do as you say!”
The next morning, Cale sat outside the tent by one of the tables with his brother beside him. On and Hong were with him again. It seems like ever since Choi Han and Dodam left, they didn’t want to separate themselves from Cale. On was sleeping over Cale’s shoulder while her brother had managed to get Cale to pet him. The people who looked in their direction couldn’t contain their laughter at seeing a cat slumped over his shoulder.
Beacrox approached him with three plates and put two of them down in front of Cale and Basen, the third one was meant for the cats.
“Thanks.”
“Thank you.”
Both of them nodded towards the chef and Cale began to eat with a satisfied smile on his face. He always enjoyed Beacrox’s food, no matter the world. It always tasted just as delicious. However, even after a while, Cale still felt the presence of the chef not leave, so he looked up at Beacrox.
“...”
“Mr. Thames.”
“...Yes?”
‘What did he want now?’
Cale still felt wary around the chef ever since their first encounter in the kitchen. Even now, the frown on Beacrox’s face made Cale nervous. Had he done something to make him mad? Would he try to throw a knife at Cale again?
“When will Choi Han come back?”
“Huh?”
Oh. Beacrox was asking about Choi Han. Were they getting closer and Beacrox wondered when he would come back?
A sly smile stretched across his face. “Don’t worry, Beacrox. You can meet Choi Han again at the Capital. I suppose you two must have gotten close these past few days?”
The frown was replaced with a scowl instead.
“No.”
Answering immediately, Beacrox turned around and walked away. Cale looked at Basen and could only shrug his shoulders as he watched the man leave. At least he didn’t stay unlike how Ron liked to do. The scary butler enjoyed standing over Cale’s shoulder whenever he accompanied Cale. Although, he would need to talk with the two assassins sometime. The future could change and Cale needed more people in order to not take any risks.
“Good morning, Benefactor!”
A familiar, cheerful voice snapped Cale out of his thoughts, and Cage and Taylor appeared in front of them. Cage plopped down on the bench on the opposite side of the two brothers while Taylor stopped his wheelchair beside the table.
“Good morning, Young Master Basen, Young Master Cale.”
Cale froze.
‘Young… Master?’
Why was Taylor calling him that? He wasn’t a young master in this world.
“Ah, did you not like that? My apologies, Mister Cale-nim.” The other man seemed to have noticed Cale’s stare and quickly corrected himself. “I just figured you should be addressed accordingly since you’re Young Master Basen’s cousin.”
Basen coughed into his fist and instantly avoided eye contact with anyone. Cage couldn’t help but try and stifle a giggle at the cute pair.
“I see…” Cale looked down at his food. “It’s fine. It was just a misunderstanding.”
“You’re not a young master?”
“Actually…” Basen was about to explain, but halted in the middle of his sentence. He silently looked at Cale for permission. Basen wouldn’t speak about someone else’s past so carelessly, and patiently waited for a response. He gave a small smile when Cale gestured for him to continue.
“I first met Mister Cale only a few days before starting our trip to the capital. He had been found in Harris Village just a few days after a massacre occurred there.”
The two friends were flinched by the story.
“What? A massacre?” Cage looked at Cale with different eyes from before.
Basen nodded. “Yes, luckily, he was mostly unharmed.”
“Ah, except for my condition, the Lord was very kind in treating me and had a priest heal any remaining issues.”
At the mention of his ‘condition’, everyone around the table shot him with odd looks. Basen hadn’t been prepared to reveal Mister Cale’s weird injury to these two people, but he supposed they might already know about it. They have met before, after all.
“Condition..?”
Or maybe not.
“Yes.” Cale nodded with a satisfied smile on his face, not fitting what he was saying at all. “My condition causes me to cough up blood from time to time. I am very weak.”
“Weak..?”
‘The son of the God of Death was weak?’
“Huh…” Cage muttered as she narrowed her eyes. “Is that why..?”
However, she quickly stopped herself from continuing that sentence.
“Hm? What do you mean, Miss Cage?” The red-haired man turned his head to look at the priestess with interest.
“Ah.” She let out a surprised sound, as if she had been caught doing something. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure I should…”
As she trailed off, Cage’s eyes fell on Basen instead, and Cale lifted an eyebrow. She was probably about to say something Basen shouldn’t hear. It was most likely about something regarding their encounter the other day. However, even if it was, Cale wasn’t really planning on letting Basen sit out on this conversation. Cale could always ask Cage more questions later, but he also figured he should bring up the idea of helping them sneak into the Capital. And he couldn't do that without the young master of the party giving him permission.
“It’s fine. What were you going to say?”
Cage seemed to hesitate. “Well… I think this ‘condition’ you have might be related to the… aura around you.”
“Aura?”
This was the first time he heard about this. He knew he had a particular aura around him thanks to the Dominating Aura and the fact that he has so many ancient powers in his possession, but was Cage mistaking that for something else? Or could she really sense his ancient powers? He’s pretty sure the Cage from his world couldn’t but this one might be different.
“Mister Cale, you know I’m a priestess, right?”
“Yes?”
Could Cage sense the traces of despair in his heart? That was the power from a god. It would be troublesome if she did.
“And you have… a kind of protective aura around you. It’s quite thick. Like a shield. Mister Cale, this is the aura of…”
She leaned in and looked around before whispering. “The God of Death.”
Clank!
The fork Basen had been holding fell out of his hand and landed on the plate, causing a loud noise to quiet down the entire area. He was looking at both Cage and Cale with wide, shaking eyes, ignorant of the other stares.
“The… The—“
“Hm.” Cale interrupted Basen with a hum and looked at Cage with calm in eyes.
“And you think this… aura is trying to protect me from my condition?”
Seeing how Cale was apparently not aware of the divine surrounding him, Cage slowly nodded her head. “Well, yes. At first, I just thought he was particularly fond of you, Mister Cale, but now I can understand he didn’t stop at that. It seems like he not only had his eyes on you, but also bless-“
“Stop.” Cale immediately put a hand up to hinder Cage from completing that horrific sentence and leaned forward. The hand that had been petting Hong moved up to rub at his temples, hiding his face behind the hand.
Cage immediately stopped talking at the sound of his command. She looked at her friend who only lightly shrugged his shoulders.
After a while of silence, Hong began to rub his body against Cale’s arm, making him look up from his hand. No one spoke up and let him think.
“Young master Basen.” Cale turned to his younger brother, who still wore a chaotic expression. “I would like to keep this information confidential. Is that okay?”
“A-ah… yes.” The boy slowly agreed with a hesitant look. “Uhm, but may I tell Father?”
Looking at Basen while silently petting Hong, Cale contemplated for a few minutes. If Deruth found out, he might become more cautious and kick him out. Finding out the guest they had been helping was actually someone with a god’s eyes on him would only cause them trouble. Both pestering from the church and the fact that the divine is involved, watching him.
But seeing those eyes who tried not to show desperation, he couldn't help but sigh. Worst case scenario, Cale would just need to stay at the Super Rock Villa instead. Problem solved.
“Haaa… okay. He can know, but no one else.”
“Yes! I will make sure of that.”
Seeing how the situation calmed down, Cale leaned back into his chair. On was still draped over his shoulder, sleeping so deeply you would have thought she was dead if it weren’t for the snoring right into his ear. Hong hopped down from the table and into Cale’s lap instead, urging him to continue petting the red kitten. Despite the weird atmosphere after the sudden revelation, it evened out when two kittens could warm up the scene.
No matter what, they couldn’t really take Cale seriously with two cats climbing all over him.
“Um.. Young Master Basen, I heard you were on your way to the Capital.” Taylor broke the silence with an awkward smile and changed the subject. “I know it might be inconvenient for you, but may I ask if we can accompany you?”
Basen was silently thinking as he looked into the other’s eyes. He already knew of the situation Taylor Stan was in, and his brother, Venion, was probably searching for him. That man wasn’t someone Basen really wanted to meet again, although he knew he probably had to do so either way at the celebration.
Still, they have already risked encountering Venion after letting Taylor Stan camp with them, so it should be okay to let them accompany them to the capital.
Besides, what Priestess Cage said about Mister Cale had blown Basen’s mind. Cale Thames, Father’s nephew, his cousin, had received a god’s blessing. A god had looked at Mister Cale, seen the injury he was suffering from, and cast a protective aura around him. The same god, the God of Death, had also probably prevented Mister Cale’s injury from getting worse. A god— a god! —had saved Cale. All of this made him wonder how bad Cale’s condition really was.
Basen wasn’t really a believer, but in that moment, he almost changed his mind.
“Young master Basen?”
“Yes?” Caught off guard, the young boy cleared his throat. “Ahem. Yes, you can travel with us to the Capital.”
A smile bloomed on Taylor and Cage’s faces. “Thank you very much! We won’t travel with you all the way. Just until we reach a nearby place.”
‘Just like in my world, he knows his boundaries.’
Taylor Stan was probably planning on using the church to enter the Capital, but it wouldn’t take long before Venion or the marquis found out.
“How are you planning on getting into the Capital?”
“Huh?” Taylor made a confused sound, surprised by the question.
“You must be trying to keep a low profile, but you can’t do that with the money you currently have. Besides, entering through the temple will probably cause Venion Stan to find out in just a few days. I have no doubt there are people who are willing to play politics in the church for a bit of extra money.”
“Wh- how did you—“ Cage exclaimed loudly before stopping herself. Instead, she looked at her friend who still had a surprised look on his face. Taylor was clearly stunned, not having expected to be called out like that by someone they recently met.
“Haha..!” A laugh then escaped him. All three of the ones around him (+ the only cat that was awake) kept looking at him.
“Oh my, Mister Cale-nim. It seems like you knew more about our situation than I expected.” Taylor smiled at him. “But you’re right. I have no money, and I need to keep a low profile in the Capital to avoid Venion. So, what do you suggest I do?”
The question was directed back at him, and Cale looked into Basen’s brown eyes. His brother was probably confused, but Cale believed in his ability to understand the situation quickly. That was the kind of person Basen was. A sharp noble boy, fitted for the heir title.
“I do have an idea of what you could do.” Cale didn’t look away from Basen even if he was speaking to Taylor. “But I would need permission from the young master first for it to work.”
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO Shadow08081 FOR MAKING THIS WONDERFUL PIECE OF ART! They are absolutely adorable and they look just as I imagined it when I wrote the scene! Hong is so happy to get some pets from Cale while On is sleeping comfortably over his shoulder. No one could take Cale seriously when this is what they see. SO MUCH LOVE TO YOU, SHADOW, FOR MAKING THIS AMAZING FANART!! <333
Notes:
Man that was a long chapter. For my own benefits, the future chapters might differ in size just so you know ;D
ANYWAY, Choi Han’s separation anxiety strikes again, but he pushes through (go Choi Han!)
I LOVE picturing On and Hong just being overly clingy with Cale and he just deals with it. Plus, everyone adores the sight tihi
Taylor and Cage are backkkkk and we get a few more thoughts from Basen (he’s warming up to Cale)
PLUS HE CALLED HIM HIS COUSINNNNNN NOW CALE IS AN OFFICIAL FAMILY MEMBER WOOO
And because nothing ever goes Cale’s way, Taylor accidentally calling him Benefactor-nim will always haunt him ^^
Chapter 23: Acting Carelessly
Notes:
WE HIT 1000 KUDOS YAYYYYYY 💋💋LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Screams. And blood.
“Argh! Get away! I’ll kill you!”
Lots of it.
Choi Han ruthlessly slashed at another assassin. The same man who dared to point a knife at a child, at an innocent person.
Dodam was here too. Choi Han couldn’t see him because he was invisible, but he could sense his presence. Dodam has been staying invisible the whole time, even around the mage. It was because Cale-nim had told them not to reveal the dragon’s existence. Still, it didn’t stop him from helping in killing the other attackers.
Slash!
The swordsman struck down his sword on a man who had grasped a child’s arm, and saw the terrified expression on a young girl.
“Go over there! You’ll be safe!” He didn’t have time to explain further, but it wasn’t needed. The little girl didn’t waste any time stumbling over to where he pointed with tears in her eyes.
The whole area was chaotic, and it was covered in blood. Everything resembled Harris Village so much.
Choi Han hated this, he felt his blood burn underneath his skin. Stepping on the fallen assassin’s chest (right where the wound was), Choi Han zeroed in on his next target and dashed at them, a terrifying glare on his face.
Rosalyn gathered her mana and preformed a spell at her opponent, sending them flying and crashing into a building. A young girl was running towards her, and she quickly cast a protection spell on her.
On a different note, there was another mage here. Someone invisible. Someone Rosalyn hadn’t noticed.
She was surprised and startled when she first felt the waves of mana raiding off the mage, and the fact that she felt so affected by this power compared to this person meant they were at least a highest-tier grade mage. And wasn’t that scary?
This person couldn’t have appeared out of nowhere, and seeing how they somehow fought well together with the swordsman meant the mage had been hiding between them for days. Rosalyn can’t even imagine how she couldn’t have noticed them or how they weren’t exhausted from using invisibility magic for hours a day. She hadn’t noticed them until they suddenly showed themselves by sending magic attacks to kill the enemies while still keeping up the invisibility spells.
If this person had some time decided to kill Rosalyn, she wouldn't have been able to stop them before it was too late.
It gave Rosalyn chills. She hadn’t felt this caught off guard before.
And then that swordsman…
Rosalyn looked over at her new friend, Choi Han, who ruthlessly killed any assassin that got in his way without an ounce of emotion on his face. He obviously knew something. He had been acting strange from the moment they met, as if he was in a rush.
And now they’re here. On a battlefield, protecting a Wolf Tribe from getting murdered by these bastards.
“Watch out!”
Bang!
The little girl from earlier shouted from behind her, and Rosalyn easily killed the person who managed to sneak up on her.
‘I can’t think about that right now.’
She needed to focus. Her task was to protect these people, while the other mage and Choi Han went wild.
Really. Those murderous black eyes could strike a chill down anyone’s spine.
Clang!
“Ugh!”
The sword in the assassin’s hand flew into the air, and Choi Han stabbed into her arm, pinning the bastard to the ground. The assassin screamed in pain, and looked straight into Choi Han’s wide, obsidian eyes that were devoid of anything but madness.
“Who are you.”
The voice was low, threatening. The assassin felt herself tremble, but suddenly bit down hard when she realized she was going to die.
“Hey!”
Choi Han gripped the woman’s jaw, but it was already too late. The effects of poison killed the assassin before Choi Han had the chance to interrogate her.
“…”
He stood up and looked around. Corpses of enemies and beast people as far as the eye could see. Blood, burning, screams of horror. The village was ruined. People’s homes were destroyed beyond repair. So much like Harris Village—
Looking over to where Rosalyn was, Choi Han saw children and adults, alive and breathing.
“Haa…”
Breathing out a quick sigh, he began to run again.
— Choi Han! What is happening to that wolf?
Dodam’s voice caused him to slide and halt. Choi Han looked where Dodam meant and saw two figures lying on the ground, a distance away from Rosalyn. A man clothed in black clothes lays dead a few meters away with a bloody, animalistic scratch covering his whole face. One of the people, a child, yelled at the other one lying down, shaking him and screaming.
“Hyung! Lock!”
At first, Choi Han thought the boy was dead, but running closer, he saw the heavy breathing and pained expression. He crouched down in front of the two and looked at the younger kid who he could guess was only 5 years old. So young. Too young for this—
“What’s happening to him?”
“I-I don’t know..! He, He jumped out when that man came and prot-tected me! T-Then he just collapsed!”
Choi Han frowned and shook the older boy. “Hey, can you get on my back?”
The boy seemed lucid enough to understand him as exhausted eyes looked up at him. Slowly, Choi Han lifted him to rest on his back and made his way over to Rosalyn who rushed up to them. .
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. He looks like he’s in pain.”
The kid from before followed them back to the group. A worried expression on his face.
Choi Han couldn’t save everyone, he knew that. So many lives had been lost, but compared to Harris Village, there were still people here. He had managed to save people unlike Harris Village—
Choi Han wondered what Cale would say.
When he felt Dodam’s presence beside him, he knew there were no enemies near them for him to worry about.
11 kids and…. 9 adults. All adults were injured.
Despite their fast pace, they had only arrived once the battle had already started. Blood had already been spilled, and many had died from the surprise attack. Choi Han doesn’t know how many there were from the beginning, and he’s not sure he wants to find out.
“Haa.. ha…”
The heavy, painful breathing in his ear reminded him of Cale-nim. Choi Han didn’t like this situation in the slightest, but even if he didn’t know what to do, someone else might.
“I… I know someone who can help.”
Rosalyn looked at him and the boy on his back. It only took a few glances for her to make a decision.
“Okay, but we need to be quick. It’s going to take some time to teleport all these people.”
“It’s fine. Dodam.”
— Got it, Choi Han!
A black light began to shine underneath their feet.
“Aldo! Can you take care of the rest? We’re going to the Capital.”
“Huh?”
One of the mercenaries they had traveled with before turned to him after swinging his sword at one of the remaining assassins.
Neither Dodam or Choi Han waited for him to answer. The mercenaries would be fine, they’ve held their own this far and could meet up at the Capital.
The black light formed a giant magic teleportation circle, and Rosalyn gasped from the amount of mana in the air.
“T-This!”
Swoosh!
The moment the teleportation circle activated, she realized this being, full of mana, was not a person.
“Have you been to the Capital before, young master Basen, Mister Cale-nim?”
Two hours away from reaching the Capital’s gates, Cale found himself sitting beside his little brother, looking at the two people accompanying them in the carriage. It’s slightly crowded with the cats here too, but no one seemed to mind.
“This will be my second time visiting the Capital,” Basen answered politely.
“Hm. I’ve been here a few times before.” Cale spoke nonchalantly as he began to pet On. Basen turned to look at him.
“Oh, have you stopped here before because of your travels, Mister Cale?”
“Travels?” Cage looked at him with interest.
“Yes. I used to travel a lot. I met you two on one of my trips last year. Do you recall?”
“Ah…” Cage quickly caught on and scratched her chin with a sheepish smile.
Like they had said before, the story of how Cale knew Taylor and Cage was simple. A year ago when he was traveling, he had met the two friends who were in a picky situation. After giving them some money to ‘help’, they went their own ways. Nothing meek, nothing less. The ‘Benefactor’ title was just an exaggeration.
“I see.” Taylor took over the situation. “Well, the current event in the Capital is a festival to celebrate the king’s 50th birthday. It’s a joyful occasion for both the people and for the noble gatherings. I suppose that is why you’re going to the Capital, young master?”
Basen nodded his head and reached a hand out to the red cat beside him. “Yes, the crown prince has prepared and invited all of the noble heirs to attend a gathering. I am going there before attending the actual celebration.”
“The crown prince….” The blond man mumbled to himself before focusing on Basen with a serious expression.
“Young master Basen, watch out for the crown prince.”
‘Oh my. I knew he said it like that straight to my face, but I thought he would do it a bit more carefully this time.’
Taylor Stan had been just as direct and honest as his other self. Cale thought it would have been a bit different since the whole situation has changed to a degree, and that it was Basen he was talking to this time, but it seems like he was wrong.
“I still have a way to gather information. Although this event has always been in place, summoning the heirs was the crown prince’s idea, so it’s not my first time meeting him.”
Cage looked bored beside her friend. Except for when it came to the kittens. Whenever she looked at them, a weird gaze appeared in her eyes. Almost as if she wanted to snatch one of them to pet herself. Basen just observed the two of them in silence. He has also met Alberu Crossman once before since becoming the heir, but he wonders why he should be careful of him.
“I don’t know how to explain it…”
“He has a glib tongue.”
“Ah! Yes, he has….” Taylor stopped before he could finish his sentence. “Or… I mean…”
Speaking so carelessly of a royal would not end at calling it disrespectful. For others, it was very brave of Cale to openly say the crown prince had a glib tongue, but he trusted the people in the carriage. No one here would report such a minor thing. Especially not when Taylor Stan had accidentally agreed very openly.
“Yes, that’s right. You knew, Cale-nim.”
"It's not exactly a secret.”
“I suppose it’s not… I have just never heard someone describe him better than you did. Haha.”
Basen brought a hand up to his chin. “A glib tongue… Well, I suppose it is true.” Basen was recalling the only interaction he had with the crown prince and could confirm it. He was quite skilled in praising people. Basen supposed that was one of the reasons why he’s so liked by so many people.
“Yes. Since he has a glib tongue, it can also be quite tiresome to get involved with him.”
“Hm. I understand, young master Taylor.”
“Haha, although, I still hope for you to enjoy the festival, of course.”
‘Enjoy the festival…’
Although the Birth of a Hero didn’t mention much about the Henituse since it was mostly focused on Choi Han, Cale had no doubt that Basen got injured during the terrorist attack. Too many people had died, lost their limbs, or their home. Cale slightly regretted that Basen would have to attend the celebration and be at risk when Arm appeared. However, there was not much Cale could do about that.
On another note;
‘Alberu Crossman.’
Cale would need to avoid his dear Hyung for now. He wasn’t planning on reaching out to him yet. Still, he did wonder about one thing.
‘If the illusion I experienced was truly a world, and I was jumping in time between Venion’s lackey and the servant, will he remember me?’
Unless the illusion where Cale pretended to be Venion’s lackey and the crown prince’s servant were two separate ones, the Alberu Cale had met should be the same one. If he also had his memories from ‘that event’, Cale was worried if the current present timeline and world he was in had changed.
‘The butterfly effect.’
If Cale had known what he thought was an illusion would affect him this much, he would have been more careful. At that time, he only had one goal in mind, and that was for the 15-year-old Alberu to stop feeling a sense of indignity.
He hadn’t cared about the consequences because Cale thought it wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass.
Also, the timeline was messy too. For Choi Han and Dodam, it’s only been a year since they first met Cale, but for Alberu, it would be 8 years. It’s a pretty long time, so Cale isn’t even sure he would remember him. As long as Cale doesn’t encounter Zed Crossman, he should be okay.
“Mister Cale-nim, are you not going to enjoy the festival?”
“Huh?”
“You have a crumbling expression, Benefactor-nim!” Cage answered for him with a playful smile, and Cale scowled at them.
“Don’t call me that, and I will be too busy to enjoy it. I’ll need to work.”
“You’re going to work?” Basen asked the question.
‘Why would he need to work? We already have money and everything he could ask for.’
“Yes. Work. So I will be a bit busy.”
“I see…”
As they were nearing the Capital’s gate, Cale handed Taylor a necklace, but it wasn’t a normal necklace. It had the ability to turn anything around it invisible for a limited amount of time. This was the second time Cale used this device.
“Get ready.”
Cale and Basen stood beside each other as they walked through the halls in the Henituse mansion located in the Capital. Sneaking Taylor and Cage in had been easy, and they were currently resting at an inn. Basen recalled the aftermath of their conversation after they first discussed the plan.
Taylor Stan and Cage soon walked away from the table and Cale and Basen were left alone. He looked at the two happy friends disappearing from view and let his gaze stay there for a few extra minutes.
“Mister Cale.”
However, Basen suddenly called out to him.
“Is this really alright?”
The boy wasn’t looking at him, but also kept his eyes on the spot Taylor and Cage had been sitting at just moments ago. When he turned his head to look at Cale, Basen saw a reassuring smile on his face.
“Don’t worry, I will take care of it. No one will know we are associated with them.”
He sounded so sure of himself that Basen couldn’t help but believe him. Basen trusted Mister Cale. He has proved over and over that he can be relied upon and will take care of any situation he decides to get involved with.
Perhaps this is why God has taken a liking to him.
Closing his eyes, Basen broke the silence between them.
“Mister Cale, I know you said you would be busy in the Capital, but do you have time to come with me to meet the other northern noble heirs?”
The question was sudden, and Cale looked at the other boy with raised eyebrows. “You want me to attend a meeting between nobles?”
“Yes… We are planning on having a meeting before the celebration, so unless you are too busy, it would be appreciated. Besides, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind since you are my c-cousin.”
‘Ah, now I understand.’
Cale now went by the name ‘Thames’, and some of the northern noble households have a history with Jour Henituse because of her status as a countess. And since Cale is a relative of her, Basen might want to introduce him to the people who knew Jour before, even if they were young.
‘I suppose it won’t be that annoying.’
“I have time.”
He probably didn’t even have to do anything than introduce himself and be polite.
Cale didn’t notice the small smile that crept up his face.
Basen smiled back at him, mirroring his expression. He felt happy that Mister Cale would come with him to the meeting. Although Basen has never met Madam Jour, he knew the other three northern heirs had met her. Especially Eric Hyung. Basen had heard stories about how Madan Jour enjoyed talking with Eric Wheelsman every time they met during a party or a gathering.
He hoped it would turn out okay.
“C-Cale! Mister Cale!”
Hans suddenly came rushing up to them with another servant behind him. He was frantically calling Cale’s name with a chaotic and stressed expression. Cale’s eyes narrowed as he immediately understood what was happening.
‘Choi Han must be back. Was Lock’s berserk mode triggered again?’
“M-Mister Cale! It’s Choi Han-nim—“
“Show me.”
His stern voice left no room to argue. Hans instantly turned on his heels and began to lead the two of them to the entrance of the estate.
Cale’s mind was a mess while Basen looked confused.
‘He’s back at the exact same time as he was in my world. I sent Dodam with Choi Han, so there should be more survivors this time.’
But if there were more survivors, there should be parents and adults that are alive. And if Lock is somehow going berserk again, then the adults should be able to handle him instead of Choi Han and Rosalyn.
As Hans opened the last door, multiple heads snapped to their direction.
“Cale-nim!”
— Human! Noona, Hyung! We’re back!
Choi Han called out to him, but Cale ignored him to approach a person lying on a couch. Obvious signs of a beast person going berserk could be seen, and Cale stopped in front of Lock, who wore a painful expression. The boy’s face was flushed and his breathing was labored. He would go berserk in a few minutes, and Cale needed to move him before that happened. Lock curled up on himself, clearly in pain and trying to keep his eyes open and awake.
Cale sighed and crouched down in front of the boy.
“Stop trying to resist and close your eyes. Everything will be okay.”
Lock’s tired eyes slowly closed as he looked at the red-haired man. His words repeated in his mind as he lost consciousness.
‘Uncle…’
Cale stood up again, taking notice of Rosalyn’s presence before Choi Han’s distressed voice spoke up.
“Cale-nim, why is Lock like this? None of the potions you gave me works. Rosalyn said it can’t be used on the Blue Wolf Tribe.” He was clearly anxious, and his voice gradually became louder. “I should be protecting him! Y-You said I should protect him.”
“Choi Han.” Cale interrupted the swordsman and ignored the questioning gazes. “How many people?”
‘How many people survived?’
“…”
Basen looked at the scene in front of him with a frown. Mister Choi Han, who Cale said would bring back a friend, had come back with a sick boy and another lady. However, Mister Cale had that look in his eyes again. Like he already had the situation under control. Like he knew this would happen.
“20.”
20 survivors. 11 children, including Lock, and 9 adults. It’s a great difference from his own world where only the children had survived. It was a good decision to send Dodam with Choi Han.
Cale turned his head to look at Rosalyn again. Seeing how she isn’t reacting to Dodam’s presence, he must have either revealed himself to her, or chosen to keep himself hidden this time. It’s different because Raon had gotten interested in a human with mana, and showed Miss Rosalyn some of his powers during this moment, but the cool-headed princess was calm.
Rosalyn raised an eyebrow at him when she felt Cale’s gaze on her.
— Human! What is wrong with the little wolf?
Cale sighed.
“He’s going berserk.”
“Berserk?” Basen spoke up and stood beside him.
“Yes. Miss, have you heard about Beast People going berserk?”
Rosalyn’s eyes sharpened at suddenly being addressed by the red-haired man, but she answered nonetheless. “I’ve read about it in books, but there was no information about fevers and pain like this.”
“It’s because it’s his first time.” Cale answered back nonchalantly.
“First time..?”
He turned his head to the boy who just muttered beside him.
“Beast people’s first time going berserk makes them lose their minds and only rely on instincts due to the sudden pain from a physical change. Once they regain their consciousness, they can use their berserk mode as a weapon.”
Many people were intensely listening to his explanation, slowly stiffening up when they realized what was happening.
“That boy is going to go berserk very soon now.”
“…”
Choi Han clenched his fists. Lock, who had closed his eyes, was still panting, his voice hoarse. Unlike the other people who might be worried about their safety, Choi Han worried for the young boy. He had lost his family with only a few survivors, watching them die right in front of him, and now he was suffering. Choi Han looked helplessly at Cale, wondering what to do.
“I don’t know who you are, but I can tell what’s going on.” Rosalyn had a deep frown on her face. “He’s just a kid.”
“I know.”
At her words, the other servants around the room were also reminded of that fact, and based on how stressed Choi Han seemed to be, they could only imagine what had happened before they came here.
“Young master Basen,” Cale called out to his brother. “Please make sure to clear the training grounds under the mansion.”
The boy nodded and gestured for Hans to get working.
“Choi Han.”
“Yes, Cale-nim.”
“The adult survivors. Are they injured?”
Someone flinched and mumbled. “What? Survivors..?”
Basen and looked at Cale with widened eyes.
“Yes, Cale-nim. Only the children are unharmed.”
“I see. Then, you two,” Cale pointed at both Choi Han and Rosalyn. “Bring Lock to the training grounds with me.”
— Human, am I also coming? No, I’m coming with you!
Choi Han immediately nodded and lifted Lock onto his shoulders while Rosalyn gave him an odd look before following a servant showing the way. Cale was also about to walk towards the training grounds when a hand grasped his wrist. The culprit was Basen who looked at Cale with a deep frown.
‘Ah, right. This must be confusing.’
Cale had slightly forgotten how the current situation might look to anyone else. Everything was so clear for him since it had already happened before and Cale was expecting this, but to Basen, who couldn’t have predicted this, must think it’s weird.
At least for now, the best thing he could do is to reassure the boy. Cale couldn’t risk losing the trust he built.
“I’m sorry for the confusion, young master. I will make sure to explain everything later.”
Basen looked into Cale’s eyes while staying quiet. This whole situation was puzzling. Mister Cale weirdly knew information about Beast People. And while Basen also knew about their berserk mode, it was the first time he had heard about what happened when they first went berserk.
What was weird about it all, was the fact that Mister Cale seemed to have already known this would happen.
‘He didn’t send Mister Choi Han to find a friend. He sent him away to protect people.’
Choi Han had told Cale that he was supposed to protect the wolf boy. Mister Cale had told him to protect him. Then he asked about survivors. They had come from a battlefield, and Cale knew about it beforehand.
It was all so confusing and caused a headache to form itself in Basen’s head, but at the same time, those reddish-brown eyes somehow managed to calm him down. Cale told him he would explain everything to Basen, and for some odd reason, he trusted him.
“Please don’t let anyone enter the training grounds.”
(This was Mister Cale’s first time at the mansion. How did he even know about the training grounds underground in the first place??)
“Will you go there?” Basen had to ask. Was Mister Cale planning on going there with only two other people when a beast person was going berserk a losing his mind? Anything could happen.
“Yes. I will go there.”
The two cats immediately surrounded his feet.
“It could be dangerous.”
Cale was surprised by Basen’s stubbornness. It wasn’t exactly what he had expected of the usually quiet boy. Sure, Basen had expressed his worry a few times in Cale’s world, but he always did it subtly without being overly expressive. However, he didn’t hesitate to show his concern this time.
‘Did Father tell him to keep an eye on me?’
So far, only Hans was annoyingly checking on Cale every now and then. He had also put at least two guards to follow Cale at almost all times, which Cale suspected was his Father’s orders. But it seems like Basen had also been influenced to check up on Cale. If this continues, it might mess with Cale’s plans.
“Would it help if this Ron could accompany you?”
Cale visibly flinched, not having expected the assassin duo to come up to them.
‘What the… when did they even get here?’
He hadn’t even noticed they were in the same room. Although Ron only asked if he could come, seeing how Beacrox also stepped forth and held his chilly gaze on Cale meant he probably expected to follow them.
Cale was a bit reluctant, but Basen nodded.
“Yes, that would be okay. Mister Cale, please take at least two of our servants with you.”
“Alright. That will work.”
Sighing to himself, Cale relented and let Ron and Beacrox follow him to the training grounds.
Notes:
Question: Is Lock included in the 10 wolf children or are they 11 children if you also count Lock?
Rosalyn is here and she is very untrusting of this whole situation ^^
CHOI HAN AND DODAM HAS FINALLY REUNITED WITH THE OTHERSSSS AND NOW LOCK IS ALSO HERE! I was actually unsure if I should make it so that Lock goes berserk now or later in the series but I figured it would work best if it happened now (for the sake of the plot).
Ooooooo Cale you gotta be more careful! Now you look even more sus
So, if I understand the Og plot correctly, Og Lock hid himself during the attack because his uncle told him to hide and he only came out of his hiding stop once everything was over because Og Choi Han and Rosalyn arrived AFTER the attack.
Then in Tcf, Lock found courage to defend his siblings when Choi Han and Rosalyn came to help DURING the attack, which is why he protected his siblings and triggered his berserk mode.
So in this scenario, Dodam helped in saving the Wolf Tribe and they had managed to get to the scene a bit earlier. That’s why there are adults that survived this time. So, when an assassin had gotten close to Lock’s younger sibling (who is only 5 years old and might not know the symptoms of a berserk mode) he acted to defend her which also caused him to go berserk.
Long and confusing explanation but it’s the best I could do :p HOPE YOU ENJOYED <33
Chapter 24: Don’t trust me, Patriarch-nim.
Notes:
Sorry for the late chapter, but I am back! (Although, school is starting in a few days so I might not have as much time anymore)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Dodam.”
— Got it, Human!
A half-transparent black shield surrounded Cale and the children together with the father and son duo. Cale had explained the rest of the details to Rosalyn and Choi Han while ignoring the scary smile on Ron’s face, so they were currently standing beside the unconscious Lock. Just like in his own world, the two had decided to act as Lock’s siblings.
It was also at that moment that the young wolf began to thrash around, clutching at his clothes as his body began to change. He was finally transformed.
“Did you reveal yourself?” Cale was speaking out loud in a calm manner. Rosalyn was too far and occupied with Lock to hear him, and anyone else already knew of Dodam’s existence.
— I helped protect the wolves and teleported us here, but I never showed myself! Just like you said, human!
“Good job. It’s okay to speak out loud for now, but keep yourself invisible.”
Cale didn’t mind revealing Dodam to Rosalyn, but it would be bad if the mage got distracted at suddenly catching glimpses of a dragon. Cale already figured Rosalyn could guess about Dodam since he had shown his magic, but he was still unsure how obvious he was.
“Human, why aren’t you using that?”
A child’s sudden voice caused Beacrox to tense up before calming down again. No one except his father noticed the slight change.
‘He’s probably asking about the Indestructible Shield.’
“Why would I need to use it when I have you?”
“Ah! That’s right! I am a great and mighty dragon!”
“Yeah! Nya! Youngest is really strong!”
“Ho ho!”
The laugh that escaped the scary butler reminded Cale of his presence and he pressed his lips together into a thin line. Luckily, Dodam hadn’t specified what he meant, so there was no way Ron or Beacrox could know what they were talking about.
Cale leaned back on the wall. “Might as well get comfortable. We’ll be here for two hours.”
“Specifically two hours?” Beacrox asked from beside him. “Is that the duration for a beast person first going berserk?”
“Hm, not necessarily. The wolf, tiger, bear, and whale tribes. They all lose their rationality during their first berserk mode which is why these main four tribes are considered the closest to monsters. The duration can change, but it will be for two hours in this case.”
“…”
While Beacrox moved his gaze back to the scene in front of him, Ron stayed still as he openly stared at Cale with a smile.
“I regret we haven’t gotten the chance to talk before your friend came back, Mr. Thames.”
‘Hm? What is he saying now? Isn’t he happy that Choi Han is back?’
Looking over at the assassin, Cale suppressed a flinch as Ron’s eyes curled up.
“You seem quite sure that it will last for two hours.” Ron kept his gaze on Cale, not breaking eye contact. “It’s almost like you knew this would happen. Very impressive.”
“…”
He wasn’t saying anything, but everyone know it was true. Cale hadn’t exactly been very subtle about his knowledge of the situation. To anyone paying attention to his words, this had been predicted to happen from the start. And of course would Ron make sure not to miss it. It was risky, but Cale had some time along the way given up on being secretive. At least not in front of the people he could trust.
‘I suppose the fact that this shouldn’t affect me when I get back to my world makes me careless.’
He was once again reminded that this was a repetition of the past, a different world Cale wasn’t planning on staying in. Here, no one knew of his origins or past. He had no reputation yet and could mostly do whatever he wanted.
“I have…” Cale mumbled in a low voice, but it was clear enough for the people around him to hear.
On and Hong didn’t move their heads from the wolf boy, completely focused on the fight. Slowly, Cale felt the weight of a dragon land on his shoulder.
“I have a lot of plans for the future.”
The reddish-brown eyes closed as he said that, refusing to look at the others in the room. Cale was surprised at himself for revealing this to anyone. Ever since he appeared in this world, his first thought was about how to travel back to his own world. Something had gone wrong in the illusion, and Cale was now convinced the part of the test that Cale thought was an illusion, had actually traveled him to a different world.
‘There are multiple worlds of Earth, so why shouldn’t there be multiple worlds of this one?’
Alternative universes.
It was a theory he had read about as Kim Rok Soo, and it got all too real when he became Cale Henituse.
Ron looked away from the red-haired man to watch the other punk in the room. His son was also looking in their direction, realizing the situation.
Cale Thames had planned ahead multiple days before this happened. At first, he found his friend, Choi Han, and took him with them to the trip to the Capital. Then Cale sent him away and the punk came back with two people after having supposedly fought in a battlefield.
Had Cale also known those ‘survivors’ he mentioned would get attacked? Is that why he sent the punk and dragon away?
If he did know about the attack, that would mean he probably had ulterior motives for accompanying the Henituse. Based on the dinner conversations he had with the Henituse family, Cale had planned on going to the Capital either way, and getting to go with Basen Henituse was just a bonus. The Thames punk had been calm when his friend returned with bloody clothes and two other people. Too calm for someone in his situation. The answer for that was obvious.
‘I have a lot of plans for the future, he said. It doesn’t just end there, does it?’
“The mage, was she a part of your plan?”
Beacrox voiced his question as his father’s train of thought continued. He didn’t miss the interest that showed in Ron’s eyes as Cale opened his eyes again.
“Yes.”
There was no hesitation in his voice.
“And the wolf?”
“Yes.”
Cale chose to be honest. Neither Ron or Beacrox knew him in this world. While it did feel weird since Cale wasn’t used to this treatment by the two assassins, it would go in his favor. He could act how he wanted and do what he wanted without them suspecting him. Because now, the Original Cale doesn’t exist (another phenomenon Cale can’t understand why).
“Are we also a part of your plan, Cale Thames?”
“…”
Ron smiled but didn’t look at Cale, only keeping his head turned forward. The children had gotten quiet a long time ago.
Badum.
Ron and Beacrox were a part of Cale’s plan. Whether Cale liked it or not, he can already suspect the father and son duo would want to get involved when they find out about Arm. After all, they followed the original Choi Han the moment they found out Arm had attacked Harris Village, and left the original Cale in Rain City without a goodbye.
Cale had no doubt they would be interested in the information he had.
“Yes.”
In the end, Cale answered Ron’s question truthfully, which earned him a low chuckle from the man.
“…”
Amidst the silence, Dodam began to rub his head against Cale’s. The red hair moved from an invisible force, and Cale openly reached his hand up to pet the round head.
Badum. Badum. Badum.
He let out a quiet, shaky breath and listened to his heartbeat. It has become a habit in the past few days. Every now and then, Cale would stop what he was doing to put a hand over his heart and listen. So far, nothing out of the ordinary has been found, and he hasn’t felt affected like he did that night in the Tolz Territory.
Cale counted every heartbeat and the pauses in-between. This time, it wasn’t moving out of rhythm, but it was unusually loud. Loud enough so he could feel the blood pulse through his entire body. His skin twitched with every pulse. Hopefully Dodam wouldn’t notice.
“On, Hong.”
However, instead of continuing to think about it, he called out to the two cats, who turned their heads to him.
“Watch how he moves.” Cale pointed at the wolf boy. “He is currently a threat, moving on instinct. Unlike humans, beast people can trust and move on their instincts alone. That’s what makes them so great.”
On and Hong’s sharp eyes zeroed in on Lock while they still listened to Cale. They were completely focused on observing him like they were told.
“Watch how he moves on his instincts and learn from his movements. Think about a way to take down a bigger, more threatening predator. Then, make it yours.”
The kittens were shaking from excitement, yet they still maintained a serious expression. Although, they couldn’t stop their swaying tails.
“Dodam.” Cale also decided to take this time to make sure the dragon would also learn something. “Watch how Rosalyn uses magic to make sure no one gets hurt, and how Choi Han uses his aura to protect Lock rather than hurt him.”
“I know, human. I am great and mighty.”
“Yes, you are, but look closely. It’s much harder to protect people than to hurt them. Though, I’m sure you already knew that.”
“…”
Dodam was thinking, keeping silent. After a while, he slowly spoke up again.
“…I will do it. I am a dragon. I can do anything.”
“Yes, you will succeed.” Cale nodded as he pet the round head, feeling satisfied at the outcome.
It was good if the children began to learn how to defend themselves. Of course, they already knew what to do in dire situations, seeing how On and Hong had managed to survive in the slums and escaped from their tribe. And Dodam was a dragon, who already knew a lot about magic from getting freed a year earlier than Raon. Cale didn’t doubt he ha ent that time experimenting with his magic in the Forest of Darkness. It was a good place for a young dragon that needed practice.
Plus, it never hurt to make sure. Since an opportunity to teach them without doing anything is right in front of him, who is Cale to look a gift horse in the mouth?
“Will we go berserk too? Nya?” Hong suddenly voiced his thoughts, which brought Cale back from his own mind.
“No.”
“….?”
The cats finally snapped their gazes at Cale. Ron and Beacrox also looked at him from the corner of their eye.
“Why wouldn’t Noona and Hyung go berserk? Is the Cat Tribe different?”
…Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. Now Cale needs to explain how he knew about this too. It wasn’t like he could just tell them that he actually met their tribe, who also told him the truth about the siblings. On and Hong were mutants and could not go berserk. However, that never stopped them from being dangerous and useful in Cale’s world.
“In special cases, beast people will never be able to go berserk.”
Cale looked down at the cats with a gentle gaze, slowly bending down to pick them both up. He now had a dragon draped over his shoulder and two kittens in his arms.
“The Fog Cat Tribe is no different from the other tribes, but you two are the special case I mentioned.”
Two pairs of yellow, piercing eyes stared at him. They were silent.
“However, just because you can’t go berserk doesn’t mean you aren’t strong. So, watch the wolf kid and find a way to defeat those who are physically stronger than you.”
“Human…”
“H, How do you know?”
“Hm?”
On didn’t look away from the red-haired human. She listened to every word very intently, not missing a beat, but she was curious about one thing. On and her brother had escaped from their tribe because of discrimination and abuse. At that time, living on the streets was much better than staying there and risking getting killed. Still, to this day, she doesn't know why their tribe acted like that to them, but here she is, finding out that neither her or Hong could go berserk from a man she had only known for a few days.
How did he know? Why is he so sure of that?
Cale was kind. He gave them food and shelter for the cold nights. The hunger that ate away in her stomach had subsided ever since she met him, and she would never go back to the streets again.
He was also very mysterious. That’s something anyone would know about once they spent a little time with him.
First, he had a bunch of ancient powers that looked so pretty and powerful. Then, he can apparently talk to voices in his head (she had been a bit concerned about that part but figured he wasn’t normal to begin with). Cale also knew a lot about stuff no one else would know about. He had freed Dodam after possessing someone else’s body, he had then disappeared for an entire year and come back saying he only experienced a few minutes between the two appearances. That was something she was sure had never happened before. At least not what is written in the books.
Either way, On knew he was weird. He was weird and mysterious and knew weird things too, but she would still like to know.
“How would you know?” she repeated, not in a demanding tone, but a curious one. Cale frowned.
How could he explain about this without it sounding too weird? While he had expected to receive a few questions from the assassin duo, he hadn’t prepared how to answer this question.
“Was it your friends?” Hong suddenly asked him.
“Friends..?”
“Nya! The friends that speak in your head!”
“Ho..?” Ron suddenly injected, having listened to the whole conversation. “Voices, you say?”
Cale felt himself begin to sweat. Why does nothing ever go his way?
“Human? You have more than one friend in your mind?”
“Haaa….” The redhead sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. He decided to put the blame on his ancient powers. “Yes… they were the ones who told me.”
— Huu… Cale….
“Hmm.” A low, rumbling hum escaped Ron’s voice as he looked at him with amused eyes.
It had been a good decision to come along. Despite the days where the annoying punk wasn’t here to cling to the young Thames, Ron hasn't found a good opportunity to speak to the boy without anyone else hearing. He also knows how much Cale seems to fear him, something Ron thinks is quite fun to tease him with.
Although, it bothered him to some degree since it probably meant Cale knew something he shouldn't know about. Any other day, he would have thought Choi Han revealed everything (he already tried to warn Cale at that time in Puzzle City), but based on how careful he seemed to be, Ron wasn’t sure Cale knew more than that they were dangerous. The flinches whenever Ron snuck up on him, the avoidance of eye contact, and the obvious signs of trying to make him go away. All of these signs pointed at an unexplainable fear that had started before he met Choi Han, and Ron, who was an expert in acting, could only conclude he knew something.
Then he reveals something about the little kittens that even they didn’t know about themselves.
The man was resourceful. He had a lot of information about beast tribes, knew proper etiquette, and had knowledge of things most people wouldn’t even consider.
“Did those ‘friends’ of yours also tell you about the attack?”
Ron doesn’t know if the ‘friends’ that the red kitten had mentioned were real or just something Cale said as an excuse for the children. If they were real, he suspects it’s more metaphorical than actual voices. And that could mean he had more people like the punk, Choi Han, who were the voices whispering reports to him.
He also didn’t miss how Choi Han came back with the same smell from the people who attacked Harris Village.
It makes Ron wonder. How deep does he have to dig to get the truth?
“…”
Cale had suspected he would be asked about this. Mentioning ‘survivors’ and not sounding the least surprised about all of this already hinted that he knew beforehand. Cale planned on getting Ron and Beacrox involved in finding the bombs for the celebration. He needed people for his plan, and preferably more than Choi Han and Rosalyn.
That’s why this was a good time to introduce them to the future events.
“Don’t trust me, Patriarch-nim.” The name caused him to receive two sharp looks from the men. “But I am also not your enemy in this situation.”
Beacrox narrowed his eyes at the red-haired man, thoroughly inspecting him. He wasn’t looking back at them, but Beacrox found no hesitation in his expression. This man knew. He knew who they were, that they were from the Molan household, that his father used to be the patriarch of that household, full of assassins.
‘He’s from the eastern continent?’
He had been suspicious of him from the moment he first walked into the kitchen. A man who reeked of blood and of those people. What was his goal…
“Patriarch huh…”
Meanwhile, Ron’s gaze darkened as his smile widened.
‘I’ll have to make my own judgment on whether you’re trustworthy or not, Cale Thames.’
Just like he said, Lock finally calmed down after two hours of fighting. His appearance was turning back to normal, and he collapsed into Choi Han’s arms from exhaustion.
The three of them were panting. Having defended themselves from every attack caused Choi Han’s heart to race and Rosalyn’s mana to strain. Nonetheless, no one seemed to be angry or disappointed.
“Haa..! Ha.. Hyung...” Lock called out to Choi Han through ragged breaths. “N, Noona, I’m sorry…”
Cale saw this as his cue to approach them. He had sat down after the first 20 minutes because he felt his legs shake from standing up so much, so it wasn’t exactly very pleasant to feel the popping of his joints when he got back up.
He walked closer to the wolf boy with the others following behind him before couching down. Lock turned his flushed face to Cale, barely able to keep his eyes open.
“It’s over now,” he chose to say. “You can rest now.”
The soothing voice calmed Lock down, and he relaxed his tense muscles.
‘Uncle…’
Slowly, Lock closed his eyes and let himself succumb to sleep. Seeing how the situation had calmed down, Cale stood up again and motioned for Ron and Beacrox to take care of it. They had already discussed what to do once everything was over, so it was easy to let the two servants do the work. Cale would notify Hans to help once they left the training grounds.
He dug in his pocket and took out a bottle.
“Hey.”
That was the only warning Rosalyn got before the bottle was thrown at her, but she had no problem catching it.
“A potion..? These don’t work on Lock.”
“I wouldn’t give a member of the Blue Wolf Tribe a potion. It’s for you.”
“…”
She was silently observing Cale. Most likely trying to detect any hidden meanings behind the act, but found none.
“Thanks…”
“No problem. You did a good job.” Cale turned to the crouching swordsman. “We need to talk.”
A curt nod, and Cale looked back at Rosalyn.
“You can come too if you want.”
Walking out of the training grounds, he was immediately met with multiple people rushing up to him. Basen was one of them. It seemed like he had been waiting outside the whole time.
“Mister Cale? Did everything go well?”
“Ah.” Cle let out a surprised sound. “Yes. Lock has calmed down and is currently unconscious. Ron and Beacrox are tending to him, but I suggest they receive some help.”
“Of course. Hans.”
“Yes, young master-nim.”
The butler didn’t waste any time getting to work, and Basen returned his gaze to Cale with a calm expression. His eyes held anticipation as he scanned Cale from head to toe, most likely awaiting the explanation he was promised.
“…”
Young master Basen.”
Cale would begin to tell Basen the lie he came up with. He couldn’t tell him the truth. Both because he felt he shouldn’t need to know about it, and that it could become dangerous to get involved. Even if Basen, as the heir, would want to know about all of it, Cale also couldn’t risk losing his trust. He didn’t want Basen to view him negatively. In order to proceed with his plan on a safe manner, it would be easier to have the Henituse as a backing.
“I did not know Choi Han would come back like this.”
Cale didn’t want to lie to Basen, but it was needed for this predicament. He also ignored how Choi Han subtly twitched at his words.
“You didn’t know he would bring back the wolf boy?”
“No.”
“And what about the miss?” Basen snuck a glance at the woman who had even brighter red hair than Cale. “Is she the friend you mentioned?”
Rosalyn tensed up and snapped her head at Cale with an untrusting look in her eyes. Fiery orange eyes stared at him as she gripped her staff, and Cale silently cursed in his mind.
In the Birth of a Hero, Rosalyn had been skeptical about befriending anyone, and Choi Han didn’t have any interest in companionship. It was only after they met Lock that they began to get closer. Then, in Cale’s world, Choi Han had decided to befriend Rosalyn because he wanted to properly pay Cale back. That had resulted in an easier and more trusting relationship.
However, Cale felt she was still very tense and on guard like in the Birth of a Hero, but also calm and friendly when it came to Choi Han and Lock.
…Was Cale the problem?
“Ahem… Yes, she is the friend I mentioned.” Cale spoke in a slightly awkward voice. There were still multiple servants and guards standing around them, forming a crowded circle and blocking off the hall.
“Anyway, I have met beast tribes before on my travels, so I recognized the symptoms of a beast person going berserk for the first time.” He told another story of his experience on the road with many eyes looking at him. “It’s usually older family members that help with someone’s first berserk mode, but seeing how the boy was alone and the look on everything (he didn’t need to mention the blood stains), I quickly assumed that bringing his parents to help wouldn’t be possible.”
At that moment, Basen, as well as many others, instantly understood it all and got the full picture. It wasn’t a very pretty picture.
Mister Choi Han had come back with bloody clothes and was in a similar state as he was when he came to report the incident in Harris Village, and that incident had been a massacre. It wasn’t hard to understand that something like that might have happened again. It also meant that the ones attacking Harris Village wouldn’t stop at just one village.
“I see….” Basen frowned. “Is that why you asked for survivors?”
His cousin nodded.
Basen understood. The wolf boy was tall, but looked to be younger than him, and based on his assumptions, the boy— Lock probably had to see a horrific event play out right in front of him. Mister Cale was indicating that he thought it was similar to Harris Village, which worried Basen. Because on another note, Harris Village seemed to be a sensitive topic for both Cale and Choi Han.
He knew Mister Choi Han felt affected. The reports told him he had seen his friends and family get murdered before taking action himself. Coming back to see such a familiar scene couldn’t have been a nice experience.
And then there was Mister Cale. Basen usually didn’t notice many changes in his expression, but there was a different look in his eyes as he spoke about everything. (Basen didn’t know it was because Cale was tired and stiff from two hours of sitting on the ground.) A deep part of him strived to be like Mister Cale. That’s why he carefully chose his next words.
“Well, like I had mentioned to you before, Mister Cale. Our mansion has a lot of rooms, so it shouldn’t be a problem to let them stay here for some time.”
Cale’s eyes immediately dropped any tension he still had, and he showed a small smile.
“Thank you, young master-nim. May I find a room to speak with Choi Han?”
“Of course. Tom can show you.”
Basen gestured to the butler standing beside him, who bowed down and began to lead them out of the hallway. The thumping of feline paws trying to keep up filled the area. Choi Han mouthed ‘thank you’ to Basen when he passed him, and Rosalyn did the same in a similar manner, expressing their gratitude.
Meanwhile, Cale swallowed the sigh that was about to escape him.
‘One event after another… Can I sleep soon?’
Notes:
Ron and Beacrox thinks Cale is sus while Cale only wants to teach his children TvT
Being careless? —> says stuff he should think about beforehand = suspicious behavior (Cale should really think before he speaks)
Basen was actually looking for injuries on Cale, but our dear redhead only thought he was interested in the explanation :D
Btw, I GOT FANARTTTT! If you’d like to see it, you can go back to the end of chapter 22 because the WONDERFUL art is based off a scene in that chapter <333
Chapter 25: Homesick
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Cale was tired. Too much had happened in such a short amount of time. That’s why he chose to gather everyone at the same time so he wouldn’t have to repeat himself. That’s also why Choi Han and Rosalyn are sitting across from him. The children had followed them into the room.
They were in a simple meeting room with two couches facing each other. A bowl of cookies sat in front of them, and Cale gave the children each one cookie to chew on. He also chose to ignore Rosalyn’s curious look at the two animals eating cookies with smiles on their faces.
Cale suddenly called out a name.
“Dodam.”
— Oh! Can I show myself to the mage?
“Yes.”
Getting a confirmation, Dodam canceled the invisibility magic, causing Rosalyn to flinch. Her eyes widened as she gaped at the scene before her. In front of her appeared a reptilian creature with smooth black scales and beautiful sapphire eyes.
‘A dragon!’
She felt her heart beat inside her chest. The one she originally thought was a mage, and later concluded was nonhuman, turned out to be a legendary dragon. This was something almost no mage would experience in their entire lifetime. The dragon, who the red-haired man called ‘Dodam’, rested his front paws on the man’s lap with a relaxed expression. She didn’t dare utter a word, only stared at the magnificent dragon as it watched her with just as much interest.
“Dodam.”
As Cale called out to him a second time, the blue eyes turned up to look at his face. Rosalyn let out a shaky, excited breath at the scene.
“Introduce yourself.”
The man was speaking incredibly disrespectfully to the dragon, and Rosalyn felt a lump in her throat. Yet, the dragon didn’t seem angry in the slightest as an adorable smile stretched across his face.
“Okay, human! Hello, little mage! My name is Dodam Miru, and I am a great and mighty dragon!”
Nothing but the word ‘cute’ could describe what she was seeing. Rosalyn was in disbelief, but caught herself before she could do anything embarrassing. She cleared her throat.
“Ah, hello, Dodam-nim. My name is Rosalyn, and it’s a great pleasure to meet you.” She put on a friendly smile. It was the first smile in a while that she didn’t need to force.
“Good job.” Cale easily pat Dodam’s head without acknowledging Rosalyn’s observing eyes. “My name is Cale Thames, and you have already met Choi Han.”
“Haha.” Rosalyn laughed gently. “Yes, Mr. Thames. As a mage, seeing a dragon and a human living together is quite the surprise. If I recall correctly, it was the Dragon-nim that helped so gracefully during the attack?”
Dodam bobbed his head up and down as he took a bite out of the cookie. “That’s right! The human is very weak, so me and Choi Han are here to protect him!”
“I see…” She looked back at Cale who fully agreed with the dragon, but thought it was odd. There was something more to this relationship.
At first, Dodam-nim had been with Choi Han during their journey, and helped in defeating the assassins that attacked Lock’s family. After getting attacked by assassins herself, Roslyn learned to be wary of the people around her, even her allies. So, even if she found Choi Han’s actions to not be a threat to her, she couldn’t help but notice how he seemed to have a goal, a task.
And the recent events only proved her point even more.
Choi Han had said he knew who to go to when Lock got sick. He showed his full trust to this person named Cale, and when they arrived, he immediately began to listen to him like a loyal knight. Choi Han trusted Cale to be reliable in this situation, and he was right to do so.
From what Rosalyn had gathered, Cale Thames had sent Choi Han to find her, which made her stay tense and observant. This person probably knew who she was, and had sent his subordinate to befriend her. Then Choi Han mentioned he should have protected Lock, that Cale had told him to protect the boy, which also revealed a hidden goal.
And a dragon, who appeared to be friends with Choi Han, also seemed to listen to this red-haired man in front of her. And since Choi Han had a task to complete, Dodam-nim must have also had one; something Rosalyn has a hard time believing. A dragon listened to a human? And even went out of his way to complete a mission said human had given him?
But at the same time, she couldn’t doubt her eyes that could clearly see a dragon sitting comfortably on a human’s lap.
“Mr. Thames-nim, I have a few questions if you don’t mind.”
Like the man had expected her to say this, he gestured for her to continue.
“Did you know about the attack?”
“…”
Choi Han looked at her with wide eyes as she spoke. Rosalyn only smiled at the swordsman, a completely different smile from the one she gave Cale.
“I noticed Choi Han seemed rushed, and he immediately took action without hesitation when we arrived at the village. Plus, a lot of other things point at you having assigned him a task. A task to find me, and protect Lock. Am I wrong?”
“You are not.” Cale causally reached for a cookie for himself as he answered her, showing no anxiety from being found out. “I did know about the attack beforehand, which is why I sent Choi Han and Dodam to help.”
The children were letting them talk, although after a while, On, Hong, and Dodam gre bored of the conversation and began to play with each other. Rosalyn glanced at the cute scene when the three children hopped down from the couch before looking back at Cale.
“Then, may I ask another thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“Do you know who I am?”
Cale knew she would ask that. Rosalyn had asked the same thing, albeit slightly differently, in his own world.
“I do, your highness.”
Choi Han flinched as his eyes widened even more, but he kept quiet. The crown princess of Breck ignored the commotion as she narrowed her eyes with the smile still present.
“If I didn’t know you had specifically sought me out, I would have asked why you wanted to get involved with me, but you have a goal in mind, don’t you? Mr. Thames?”
“Hah.” Cale laughed lightly. “Please just call me Cale, your highness.”
“Then you may call me Rosalyn, Cale-nim.”
Rosalyn looked to the black-haired swordsman beside her and found him avoiding her eyes. He looked guilty at being found out, but these past few days has told Rosalyn he did not know much. From his actions alone, he seemed to be someone whose goal was to not only complete his task in finding Rosalyn and Lock, but also to risk his life protecting Lock’s family.
When she thought about it, even if this Thames person was suspicious, he, just like Choi Han, had only done good deeds so far. He sent Choi Han and Dodam to save a tribe from getting completely killed, then he helped Lock by telling them about his condition, and even convinced the young master of the house to provide rooms for them.
‘No wonder the dragon-nim likes him.’
No matter how she saw it, this man had been kind and helpful. Now she only wanted to know what he wanted from her.
“You may stay here for as long as you’d like, Miss Rosalyn.”
“For as long as I’d like? You don’t wish to keep me here?”
Of course, she couldn’t rule out the possibility of him needing something from her as a princess.
“I have no reason to force you to stay. If you wish to leave, then I won’t stop you.”
Rosalyn wanted to scoff if it weren’t for the fact that this man was someone a dragon treasured. What he was saying was unbelievable. He went out of his way to send his subordinate to find her, bring her to him for a simple meeting, and then letting her leave without asking for anything? His thoughts were weird. She couldn’t understand him.
However, this man seems to not have told anyone else about her identity, seeing how Choi Han didn’t even know. Even the young master, the brown-haired boy, didn’t seem to recognize her. So she supposed Cale wouldn’t notify anyone else either.
“I see you haven’t contacted the royals… Thank you.”
“Of course.” Cale leaned back on the couch as he took another bite out of the cookie. “I should heed the will of the person involved in these matters.”
“You’re right, Cale-nim. I do not want that at all.” She shook her head elegantly. “If the royal palace ever mentions this matter, please convert that I did not want to tell them.”
“I appreciate it, Miss Rosalyn. This is my cousin's estate, after all.”
“Yes…. and he does not know who I am?”
“Unless young master Basen recognizes you himself, he does not.”
That would mean this man is recklessly making decisions without the lord’s knowledge. Rosalyn was impressed by his carelessns for the consequences. Although the people seemed to trust him despite the fact that he wasn’t someone in position for making decisions, Rosalyn would make sure this act of kindness from Cale wouldn’t backfire on his family.
“Alright. I am grateful enough that you’ve provided a place to stay. I’ll handle my own matters myself so it won’t bother you or young master Basen.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. That’s what is right.”
Rosalyn still felt slightly on guard, but the tension had lowered significantly. She still didn’t know his true goals, but perhaps it was the way he spoke that caused her to feel calm. It was an unexplainable emotion deep within her that told her to forget any doubts.
“Now, tell me what happened, Choi Han.”
Cale decided to end his conversation with Rosalyn at that moment and focus on Choi Han. The swordsman was silent for a while instead of beginning to speak immediately.
“….It went smoothly until we arrived at the village.” Choi Han bowed his head to Cale before continuing. “I met with Rosalyn and the merchants just like you said, and I will admit that I rushed to get to the village.”
Choi Han’s admission caused Rosalyn’s eyes to cloud over.
‘So he even knew I was traveling with mercenaries?’
“I didn’t arrive before the attack, but when it had already started. From that point, multiple people had already gotten murdered, but I immediately began to fight off the people together with Dodam.”
He paused.
“Cale-nim… those people…”
Choi Han hesitated, and Cale could already guess what he wanted to say.
“Don’t filter yourself.”
He meant it was okay for Rosalyn to hear. Choi Han continued to speak after hearing that.
“You… I heard from Hans that you had been found injured in Harris Village after the attack, but I promise I would have noticed you if you were there.”
Oh. That was not what Cale had expected……
“I, I was wondering if you… appeared there when I left?”
Rosalyn looked at him with an odd expression. He had been found injured? And Choi Han would have recognized him if he saw him? This was new, and it gave her some new information to paint this mysterious man with.
Cale only sighed. “Yes, I appeared there after you left. Why..?”
“Ah.” The other man regained his posture. “What I wanted to say was that those people who attacked Lock’s family were the same ones who attacked Harris Village.”
The princess realized at that moment that Cale and Choi Han had encountered these people before. She could also connect that it was probably the reason Cale knew about the attack on the Blue Wolf Tribe. From the sound of Choi Han’s voice, the attack on the village he was talking about must not have been good, seeing how even the person protected by a dragon had somehow gotten injured.
‘…But, why does it sound like they hadn’t met each other by that time?’
Choi Han asked Cale if he appeared in the village after he left, which could only indicate that they either were meant to meet up there, or that they met for the first time after the attack.
“Then there was a single man among them who had a symbol on his clothes. Five red stars. He stood over a wolf and drank his blood like a psychopath.” Choi Han’s voice turned into venom as he recalled his first encounter with Redika. It was obvious he would feel hate for such a person.
“I tried to kill them, no, I did kill them.” The swordsman’s eyes had darkened. “And anyone I captured committed suicide. The rest were teleported away by the man who drank blood.”
Choi Han looked into Cale’s eyes and addressed him.
“Cale-nim. Do you know who he is?”
Cale did know, but he was hesitating to reveal it. This Choi Han was more aggressive than the one back in his world. He might get even more suspicious of Cale and beat the truth out of him if he’s not careful. Well, he could always make a vow of death again. It helped last time and he needed to go to a temple either way.
“The blood crazy mage’s name is Redika, and the red stars symbolizes his position in the organization.”
“…”
The room got quiet, and everyone turned their heads to him. Even the children had paused their playtime to listen to him. Choi Han had a serious expression on his face, a weird expression that made Cale nervous. Rosalyn was also watching him with calculating eyes. He needed to follow up his statement before anything happened.
“….If I may ask, how do you know about this organization?” It was Miss Rosalyn who asked him.
“Mm.” Cale groaned. Guess they were going to the God of Death’s temple a bit earlier. “I plan on telling you three truths.”
When he first made this vow with his own Choi Han, Cale had not known about Arm’s goal, which was the first truth. However, after spending two years to defeat them, he knew what they were after, or, at least what the White Star was after. So, he couldn’t tell them the same thing since that would be considered a lie.
“Three truths? How will we know if what you’re telling us is true?” Rosalyn was hesitant. Even if he had openly let her listen in on their conversation, she wondered why he was including her in this too.
“We will go to the God of Death’s temple.”
Choi Han eyes shook at the name and immediately recalled what Cage said when they first met.
‘The God of Death’s son.’
Cale claimed he wasn’t a god’s son, but now he is going to that god’s temple?
“I will make a vow of death.”
Choi Han has never heard of the Vow of Death before, but the ominous title made him nervous.
“And put my life on the line—“
“No!”
A shout ripped itself from Choi Han’s throat and he immediately stood up from the couch, a panicked expression on his face. His sudden action caused Cale to startle and look up at the swordsman.
“Don’t put your life on the line!”
The swordsman was clearly disturbed by Cale’s statement. Rosalyn could understand him. It appears Choi Han really cares for Cale, and now when he hears that person is willing to put his life at risk, it’s obvious he would react like this. He truly was loyal.
“Choi Han, if I make a Vow of Death, you won’t have a reason to doubt—“
Thud!
“Ugh!”
At that moment, a force violently crashed into Cale’s side and caused him to fall down on the couch. The air almost got punched out of his chest, so he gasped in surprise and clenched his eyes shut.
“Gah!”
It was only after a few seconds that he finally opened his eyes again.
In front of him were two, blue and tense eyes that stared right at him. Dodam had crashed into him again with such force that made him fall down. The dragon was gripping his clothes, ruining the attire in the process.
Luckily, Cale’s head had hit the cushion that laid against the armrest of the couch, so he didn’t hit his head, but he was still taken by surprise.
“…”
No one uttered a word. Even Choi Han, who had been yelling just a few seconds ago, fell silent. Rosalyn could only watch with widened eyes and a hand over her mouth, but Cale couldn’t look at them.
“Human.”
Dodam’s voice was quiet like a whisper, but he had an incomparable determination in his eyes.
“You can’t get hurt.”
“I won’t get hurt.” Cale instantly tried to reassure the dragon, gently caressing his back in an effort to calm him down. “The Vow of Death will only activate if I lie, and I have no plan on lying and risk getting killed.”
“No.”
Dodam didn’t budge. He wouldn’t back down this time.
“You can’t get killed.”
“I won’t get killed.”
‘What is so hard to understand? I’m only doing this to make sure. I’m not stupid enough to try and lie in such a situation.’
“Haaa….”
A soft sigh came from a part of the room that Cale couldn’t see, but he soon knew the culprit when both On and Hong climbed up on the couch. He now had three children sitting in front of him.
“Cale, what Youngest mean is that you can’t make a Vow of Death.”
“What Noona said. You can’t risk your life.”
Cale felt confused. Making a Vow of Death would be the easiest. It wouldn’t be the first time he did it, and it worked well for the Choi Han in Cale’s world. So, why are they so reluctant in the idea? Cale has already made it clear what the condition for it is, so he won’t be in danger as long as he doesn't lie. Why is it different this time? Why did Dodam react like that? Why did Choi Han suddenly yell at him—
“…”
Maybe, maybe they are more different in this world than he thought. There have been multiple times when events from Cale’s world have repeated themselves, word by word, but maybe that also caused him to ignore the changes.
“Huu…”
‘Guess I’ll have to prolong going to the God of Death’s temple.’
“Alright. I won’t make a Vow of Death.”
The blue eyes brightened.
“Good! You are not allowed to risk your life, human. We will believe you either way!”
Choi Han nodded wholeheartedly as he sat back down. He finally felt his heart begin to calm down again.
Meanwhile, Rosalyn was baffled at this whole situation. Making a Vow of Death really secures one’s trust in the best way possible. It was because in this situation, unless Cale wanted to die, he would be forced to tell the truth. Rosalyn has seen people make a Vow of Death before, and it’s quite commonly used when it comes to confidential information and serious matters, so she wasn’t too surprised at the suggestion.
However, what did surprise her was the reactions. Choi Han had jumped up and denied the idea immediately after Cale first mentioned it, and while she had been focused on the yelling, she had also noticed the dragon from the corner of her eyes. As Choi Han was yelling speaking to Cale, Rosalyn saw how Dodam-nim’s demeanor slowly changed and he fully stopped whatever he was doing. It didn’t take long before he pounced on Cale quite gently for his strength, but still managed to knock the red-haired man down.
‘It seems like Cale-nim means more to Choi Han and Dodam-nim than what I thought.’
No subordinate who was only there for business would react like that. The dragon was truly attached to this human, and Rosalyn knew, as a mage, that no one should mess with what a dragon held dear. And in this case, it was Cale.
The cats being from the Cat Tribe wasn’t too much of a surprise either. She had suspected it ever since Dodam-nim began to play with them so openly.
“That’s right, Cale-nim.” She decided to help in this situation. “You have already proven you are willing to put your life on the line in order to secure the truth, so we will believe you.”
Cale was unsure of that, but knew he couldn’t win. Slowly, he sat up again, now with three children clinging onto him.
“Okay. Then I will tell you the first truth.”
He looked at every single one of them in the room before continuing.
“I know about the secret organizations future plans, and I want to work against them.”
”……”
Cale smirked.
“Do you still believe me?”
“Yes.”
His smile slightly faltered at Choi Han’s quick answer. The swordsman’s serious expression was back to show he really meant it.
‘I don’t want Cale-nim to risk his life.’
Even if Choi Han didn’t completely believe him to 100%, he wouldn’t let Cale-nim make a vow of death.
“Then, do you mind telling us some of these plans you know of beforehand?” Rosalyn’s tone was gentle. She wasn’t planning on risking getting the dragon riled up again.
The red-haired man nodded as he let the dragon hug him. On and Hong cuddled up on each of his sides.
“I knew about the attack on Harris Village and the Blue Wolf Tribe. Unfortunately, I was too late to inform anyone regarding the first incident.”
Choi Han knew Cale-nim was partially lying, but it was only because Rosalyn was here. It was because Rosalyn didn’t know Cale had possessed a different person a year ago to free Dodam and meet with Choi Han. Then his soul had left the body, most likely slept for an entire year for him to feel it was only a few minutes, and then woken up in his own body a day after the attack. There was no way for him to prevent it.
He also chose not to think about what Cale truly was, because even if his body was nothing but human, his soul, that could jump into different bodies and sleep for an indeterminate amount of time, might not be.
But that was something only Choi Han and the children knew about.
“I also know what they plan on doing at the Capital.”
Cale’s sudden words snapped Choi Han back to reality, and his eyes widened.
“Another attack? In the Capital?”
“Yes, Redika, the blood crazy mage, he will return during the king’s celebration.”
The room tensed up, and Rosalyn visibly frowned. A part of her wanted to ask him how he knew about all of this, but she knew her limits. She said she was going to take his word for it, and she can also not risk saying it’s fake when there’s a possibility an attack will happen in the Capital. Cale Thames should have no reason to lie about this.
Was this why he contacted her? He wanted help in preventing the attack?
“Basen, my cousin, will be there, and a lot of people are in danger. That’s why I traveled to the Capital. I plan on stopping these people from putting others’ lives on the line.”
“I will help.” Choi Han instantly answered him.
“Me too!”
“We’ll also help!”
Dodam, On, and Hong were also quick to join in with determination in their eyes. Choi Han once again realized how kind Cale was. He could run away if he wanted to, he could just send a warning to the royal family and let them handle it, but he chose to go out of his way to personally make sure no one would get hurt.
Choi Han also realized why he sent him to recruit Lock and Rosalyn. These people would help in saving lives, and Choi Han would never be one to turn down this offer. No matter the dangers.
“Yes, yes, but there is no need to get ahead of yourselves. We can discuss the plan later since I need to inform some other people too.”
“Cale-nim.” At that moment, Rosalyn addressed him respectfully. “Who are these attackers?”
“…”
‘I guess I could tell them.’
He had already revealed so much. They knew Cale had knowledge about the future attacks, and that he knew who the blood crazy mage was. They also knew his goal to stop them, (although his true goal is to find a way back home while he deals with Arm).
“The secret organization’s name is Arm, and they are a terrorist group.” Cale moved his hand to pet On as he closed his eyes. “Which brings me to the second truth.”
The second truth was the exact same thing he had said to his Choi Han.
“I despise Arm.”
‘They keep getting in the way for my slacker life!’
Despite his neutral tone, both the words and the scowl on his face told otherwise. Rosalyn could see the hate he had for the organization, and understood his emotions. From what she had heard, Arm had not only attacked Lock’s family, but also a village called Harris Village. Choi Han also held deep emotions in his eyes whenever he spoke about it, and she could easily guess what happened there.
The people of Harris Village must have meant a lot to them. It was most likely their home before Arm came and possibly murdered everyone. Even hearing how Cale knew about the attack but hadn’t been able to warn anyone unlike with the Blue Wolf Tribe already hinted that there was nothing left.
“Of course, human! I do too!”
Even Dodam-nim looked sad whenever Harris Village was brought up.
“Nya! We’ll destroy their plans!”
“Yeah!”
“We will.”
Cale agreed with the children and saw how Choi Han gave a little nod. He was also set on destroying Arm.
“Now, the third truth.” Everyone focused back on him once again. “I have no intention of harming you.”
“…”
The room got quiet.
“Pffft—“
Suddenly, a laugh erupted from Choi Han, who tried to stifle his chuckle. Cale only looked at him with a questioning gaze.
‘What is he laughing for…?’
“That’s obvious, human! Are you stupid?”
“Whu....?”
“Yeah, nya~ We know already.” Hong spoke as if Cale was stating the obvious.
Cale huffed and looked at Rosalyn instead, but she also tried to hide her smile behind her hand. Feeling hopeless, he sighed heavily.
The gloomy atmosphere had lifted.
Ron looked down at the little puppy sitting in front of him with a benign smile. Like normal, Cale Thames was avoiding his eyes as he quietly sipped the lemon tea. Ron knew he disliked the sour taste, but it was too fun to tease this young man.
“Mister Cale.”
The reason he had sought Cale out was because he was curious about one thing.
“I plan on leaving for a few days.”
And that was his reaction.
“Hm?”
Cale looked up at him with one of his eyebrows raised, questioning him. Although he had already experienced this once before, he was surprised Ron would come to inform him about it when he’s not the young master.
“Shouldn’t you tell Basen about that?”
Ron didn’t comment on how Cale forgot to use proper formalities when he addressed the young master of Henituse.
“Should I?”
“…”
Cale looked at the old man through his bangs. This time, he didn’t look away from those scary eyes. Ron was obviously after something. He had no reason to inform Cale about this, and he knew the scary assassin would just get up and quietly leave if he really didn’t have other business left here.
‘So why is he telling me this?’
Even the way he openly avoided his question about informing Basen first showed that he wanted something from Cale. He just didn’t know what.
In the end, Cale decided to say what he wanted to say.
“Come back in two days.”
Ron’s smile widened.
“Oh? Do you have plans in two days?”
Cale was showing his uncomfortable expression to the other man. He was pressing him for answers, which Cale could also think was somewhat understandable. Out of everyone Cale planned on getting involved in preventing the bombing, Ron and Beacrox knew the least.
“Yes. So come back in two days.”
He ended up repeating himself and took another sip of the lemon tea, cringing at the taste. At this point, Cale didn’t know if it was out of spite or that Ron genuinely thought Cale liked lemon tea, because he was sure the tea was made from 99% lemon juice and 1% tea. He lowered his teacup and was about to take a deep breath.
Badum!
A hand calmly moved to firmly grasp the backrest of the couch in a tight grip, and Cale felt his heart drop.
“…I didn’t think I would need to repeat myself.”
A looming figure blocked out the light from the lamp in the room, and Cale froze. Dominating Aura was unconsciously activated, stuttering in the process, but the person standing above him didn’t move. No, he was affected, but he pushed through.
“You might be Madam Jour’s only relative, and it’s my duty to serve you.” A vicious tone burned at Cale’s ears. “But I suppose there are times when we all make mistakes at our jobs, no?”
Cale slowly moved his gaze up, and saw Ron looking down at him. The benign— no, the smile he had on his face showed no traces of any friendliness.
The butler had turned into a predator, and Cale was his prey.
The hand holding onto the backrest was dangerously close to Cale’s neck.
He felt threatened. His heart showed it too.
“So, I will repeat myself again.”
Ron leaned in, a terrifying look in his eyes, and Cale wasn’t sure he could look away even if he wanted to.
“What are these plans you speak of?”
It wasn’t the first time Cale was scared of the man, but it was the first time he felt truly threatened by him. This man, who had raised the original Cale since birth, and continued to be Kim Rok Soo’s butler when he transmigrated into this world…. Cale didn’t recognize him.
His mouth was dry, but he still forced himself to speak. It wasn’t louder than a mumble.
“Arm.”
A single word made the smile on Ron’s face disappear.
“I have information about them.”
“…”
“So I need you back in two days…”
Ron wasn’t stupid in the slightest. He instantly understood what Cale meant.
‘Something will happen in two days, and those people are involved.’
Cale Thames was a suspicious man, no, ‘mysterious’ was a better way to describe him. He knew things. He knew who Ron was. He knew that he and his son were Molans. He knew about Arm’s future plans, and now he is saying he wants to involve Ron and Beacrox in whatever plan he has.
Ron’s original plan was to leave for a few days without his son. He would leave Beacrox here to watch the punk and Cale Thames as he went to investigate the secret organization during that time. Ron decided he have been sitting still by for too long, and he had finally gotten a lead on the people who killed his family, the people who killed his wife.
But now.
Now he has a bigger lead. A lead so strong that he could know about Arm’s future plans. Ron doesn’t understand how Cale knows about their plans. He might have installed a rat in their enemy’s army, but that would need to be someone of a high position to know about every attack.
Maybe that was why there were no records of a ‘Cale Thames’. He had erased any evidence of his existence to work against arm, and anccidentally slipped up and appeared in Harris Village without a history.
“Mm.” Ron hummed a light tone, completely different from the threatening aura he was pointing at Cale with. “Maybe I changed my mind.”
“…”
Ron leaned back again, but let his hand stay at the backrest.
“I’m curious. If I were to follow your plan instead of leaving, what would you want me to do, Cale Thames?”
He was asking what Cale would do now since Ron is deciding to stay. What would he ask of Ron if he were to follow his words?
“…Bring your son to my room tomorrow evening.” Cale spoke calmly as he ignored his beating heart. “The plan will begin then.”
‘I’ll tell you tomorrow.’
It was silent again, but Ron eventually accepted this. He finally, finally removed his hand and smiled down at Cale.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Thames.”
Cale didn’t let himself move until he heard the door close behind the old man.
Click!
“Haaa…..”
His shoulders immediately slumped. His shaky hand put down the teacup on the table, and Cale leaned forward to put his elbows in his knees with his face buried in his hands.
Badum! Badum! Badum!
The heart, that hadn’t shown any symptoms of the root of despair, didn’t stop beating wildly, and Cale felt as if he had run really far.
‘I can’t stay here. I want to go home….’
The people were different here.
They would react differently and Cale couldn’t expect them to go along with everything he says.
The young dragon’s name wasn’t Raon Miru, it was Dodam Miru; the dragon he freed at 3 years old instead of 4.
Cale hasn't known Choi Han for two years yet, and Choi Han doesn’t know about his true identity as Kim Rok Soo. They were building their relationship back from scratch.
And Ron…..
Ron wasn’t his butler. He was an assassin who didn’t fully trust Cale. Cale thought he was good at reminding himself of that. There had been too many times when the scary old man showed his true self as a ruthless killer, and there had been too many times Cale was scared to be the one he pointed his dagger at.
So why is he so surprised? He should have expected this.
He should have…
For the first time in a long while, Cale felt homesick.
Notes:
When Cale and Choi Han were left alone:
Cale: So? What is it?
Choi Han: …
Also Choi Han: *suddenly walks up to Cale and hugs him*
Cale: ???
Choi Han’s pov: I never want to leave Cale-nim again…
Anyway, Cale is finally gaining Rosalyn’s trust! She is mentally questioning EVERYTHING
Plus, poor Cale let down his guard and got himself in a sticky situation. He keeps forgetting these aren’t his people that he has known for 2 years. He finally saw the results of that carelessness.
Cale want home :(
Chapter 26: Misunderstandings can make things worse
Notes:
Sorry for the late chapter everyone! I had a really hard time writing the first half, which is why it took some time. So, here you get a slightly longer chapter as a compensation! <33
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Eric couldn’t stop his foot from tapping the floor continuously. He looked around the room to make sure everything was where it should be. It needed to be perfect.
The table had been set, every corner had been decorated remarkably, and multiple servants and guards stood inside the room in order to quickly tend to any needs.
Truth be told, Eric was nervous.
It’s been a day since the letter from Basen had arrived where he stated he wished to bring along a relative of his. Normally, Eric would be a bit hesitant because it was a meeting between heirs, but he was surprised because it was Basen Henituse who asked to bring someone. Besides, he couldn’t help but stop when he read the name.
‘Cale Thames. Thames.’
No matter how many times he read it, the name stayed unchanged. This Cale Thames person, Basen’s cousin, had met the Henituse just a few days before leaving for the Capital, but the way Basen described him showed he was already fond of this man.
The name ‘Thames’ wasn’t very well known, but Eric could never forget the only person he once knew had that surname.
Jour Henituse was a wonderful woman, and Eric held a lot of respect for her. A gentle, but playful personality that could sneak its way into anyone’s heart. She had no children of her own, but the role of a mother easily showed itself from time to time as if it was natural.
The first time Eric met her was when he was born, and the nobles had been invited to celebrate his birth. He can’t remember it at all, but from that moment, she had never been a stranger to him.
During gatherings where he was too young to understand anything, and was too scared to let go of his mother’s dress, Miss Jour had appeared.
Her beautiful red hair looked elegant in the sun as she smiled down at him. Talking with her had always been easy. He felt comfortable in her presence, and would always greet her when they happened to visit.
As he grew older, Eric began to learn about politics because of his position as the heir. Fully engrossed in his studies, he didn’t have much time to play with the other kids anymore.
Every time he would accompany his father to a meeting or gathering of nobles, politics would surround the area, and it soon became the only thing he could think about.
When Miss Jour once again approached him at a celebration, Eric had been fully prepared to continue speaking about his studies with her just like he had with everyone else who came up to him, but to his surprise, she didn’t even mention anything about politics at all.
Instead, she started asking him how he had been doing lately, and if he ever got to finish that painting he told her about the last time they met.
It was so natural that Eric subconsciously relaxed his tense shoulders, and a real smile formed on his face. For the rest of that evening, he threw any thoughts about work right out the window, and eagerly explained about his hobbies to the smiling Jour without focusing on anything else.
Eric was twelve years old when he found out Jour had passed away, and at that time, he couldn’t stop the tears from spilling as he hid in his room.
So, when he read that Miss Jour’s (supposedly) only relative would visit them, he almost jumped out of his seat.
Basen was a nice kid. A bit timid from time to time, and he needed to work on his confidence, but he usually wore a stoic face and was fitting for the position of the heir. He was 15 years old, and from what Eric had gathered, Cale Thames was older than him since Basen had referred to him as ‘my older cousin’. So, what bothers Eric is the fact that he never knew about this cousin.
Cale Thames must have been at least 6 years old when Miss Jour died, and since he was a related to her, Eric is surprised to only learn about him now.
‘If I do recall, Basen did mention in the letter that he had met Cale for the first time just a few days ago.’
It was understandable that he wouldn’t know about Cale if they only met recently. Still, it didn’t quell his curiosity.
How old was he? Had he met Jour? If he is her nephew, does that mean there are more Thames members? Is his hair just as red as hers? Does he speak like her? Does he act like her? Is he—
“Eric!”
“Huh?”
Eric made a stupid sound as he jumped from the loud voice. Turning around, he came face to face with Amiru Ubarr and Gilbert Chetter.
“Ha… I know it’s exciting, I am also a bit nervous, but please calm down?” Her tone was very different from the urgent one she had used just a moment before to wake him from his thoughts. Gilbert only smiled sheepishly at him.
“I suppose you’re right, Amiru…” Eric slowly let a sigh leave him. “Then, do you think—“
“Young master Eric.” A butler suddenly interrupted them. “The guests have arrived.”
“…”
His heart began to race again.
“They’re here? Right now?”
“Yes, young master-nim. Young master Basen and Mister Cale Thames will enter at any moment.”
And just as the butler finished speaking, the doors to the dining area opened and two individuals followed the servant guiding them.
Eric knew who they were. He had been preparing for this for days by now, and yet, it was completely unavoidable to look away from one of the two young men.
Red.
Beautiful, red, shoulder length hair.
The man who wore the surname ‘Thames’ truly resembled anyone of that heritage. It was unmistakably obvious; he was related to Miss Jour.
He heard how one of his two friends’ breaths hitched from behind him, and he knew they were just as surprised.
He was definitely older than Basen. If Eric had to guess, he would say Cale is around 19 years old. The thin body was dressed in a noble’s clothing, but despite the fact that he almost looked sickly pale, there was one thing Eric couldn’t deny.
Cale Thames was beautiful, just like Miss Jour.
“…”
Cale felt awkward. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but complete silence from the moment they walked through the door was not on his list. Eric Wheelsman had always been an extroverted man who didn’t fear talking with Cale the Trash. So, seeing him with a dumbfounded look on his face unsettled Cale.
‘Why aren’t they reacting? Not even Amiru or Gilbert are saying anything.’
They only stood still while observing each other. Well, it was mostly them looking at Cale as he watched their expressions.
— Human, why is everyone quiet and shocked? Didn’t they know we were coming?
Of course, Dodam was also with them.
In the end, Cale had enough and lowered his head to give a polite bow.
“Greetings. My name is Cale Thames, young master Basen’s cousin. I am incredibly thankful to be able to attend this gathering on such a short notice.”
He raised his head and saw how Basen was giving him a weird look before turning his eyes back to the other nobles. Cale’s introduction seemed to spring Amiru into action.
“Ah, it’s of no worries, Mr. Thames. We are happy to have you join us.” She talked smoothly with the skills of an elegant noble. “My name is Amiru Ubarr.”
“I am Gilbert Chetter.” Gilbert also introduced himself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Thames, and to see you again, young master Basen.”
“Greetings to you too.” Basen nodded his head to the two of them, returning the formalities.
Now it was only Eric who hadn’t said anything. He suddenly straightened his back and coughed into his fist, realizing his impoliteness by not welcoming his guests. He was the host, after all.
“…Shall we sit down?”
“However, Marquis Stan or the other dukes won’t be able to focus on anything, so I am sure it will be fine.”
Amiru had taken over the conversation with Gilbert, talking to Basen about the upcoming celebration.
“I understand.”
Cale was silently watching Basen answer Amiru with a nod. He was eating the food with a relaxed expression. It wasn’t as good as Beacrox's steak, but it was still delicious. He was happy they didn’t seem to mind him and kept talking like normally.
Well, except for Eric.
He was also included in the conversation, but was more clumsy with his answers as if he wasn’t clearly listening. It also didn’t help how he kept glancing at Cale.
“It’s likely that we will be seated together.” Gilbert chimed in. “Which would also mean Venion Stan would be there.”
Basen’s eyes slightly hardened and he averted his gaze at the mention of Venion. For some odd reason, he looked at Cale, who raised an eyebrow in response. The action didn’t go unnoticed by the others. Especially not Eric who was openly observing Cale.
“…”
— Why did everyone go quiet again?
‘I’m also wondering about that, Dodam.’
— By the way, Human, will I get my revenge on the even-more terrible bastard soon? I want to fuck him up!
‘….and where did he learn that word?’
Ignoring Dodam’s question for now, Cale was also questioning why no one was speaking. He looked at Basen again, who showed no sign of looking away from him. Cale didn’t really know what he wanted from him, but it was almost as if he was asking for him to speak.
Sighing mentally, he opened his mouth.
“Don’t worry, young master Basen. Venion Stan won’t bother you.”
He ignored the curious looks from the others and focused on his younger brother. As if he had been expecting the reassurance, Basen’s eyes relaxed.
“Mister Cale…”
Amiru called out to him with an intrigued look in her eyes. Cale had asked them to call him by his name since early, which is why he’s not referred to as ‘Mr. Thames’.
“Yes, young lady Amiru?” He answered back just as politely.
“I’m quite curious. Have you met young master Venion Stan before?”
None of them missed how he, a member of a fallen noble family, didn’t use formal titles when he mentioned Venion. However, they chose not to comment on it, letting the easy mood continue to flow.
— Yeah, lady! We looted his house and scared the even-more terrible bastard at night!
“I have. We encountered him on our way here.”
A few gazes tensed as he said that and they immediately looked at Basen.
‘It seems like this wasn’t the first time Venion verbally attacked Basen…’
Based on their reactions, Venion seemed to enjoy targeting Basen (he was even pretending to forget who he was before insulting him). Cale could imagine the other three heirs at the table would protect Basen from those types of nobles just like they did with Cale (although it was mostly to prevent Cale from lashing out.) That was something he would need to thank them for.
Sensing the gazes on him, Basen looked up.
“Might that be a reason for Venion to not bother young master Basen…?” Gilbert slowly asked. He couldn’t imagine what happened during their encounter for Cale Thames to sound so sure when saying Venion won’t approach Basen.
— Human! Tell them how funny he looked! We should have done more than just loot him dry!
“Well, yes.” Cale answerd back as he took a sip of his wine, trying to ignore the child’s voice that was laughing in his mind. “He ran away after all.”
“…”
“R, Ran away....” Amiru whispered quietly while a disbelieving look presented itself in her eyes. Gilbert looked equally confused, while Eric just sat there quietly. Amiru looked at Basen for help, but the boy only raised his chin proudly and confirmed what Cale said.
“It’s true. Mister Cale is quite good with his words.”
Not having expected to receive a compliment from Basen, Cale was surprised. Even if he was more insecure in this world, the young boy didn’t seem to have any problem talking about him. Couldn’t he use that confidence on himself instead…?
“Really…?” Eric, for the first time since they sat down, spoke up, even though it was barely a mutter.
It was unexpected. From what Basen is saying, Venion Stan ran away (Amiru doubts they mean it literally) from them after Cale spoke with him. Basen is claiming Cale Thames to be good enough with his words to make a noble avoid them.
‘Just what did he tell him??’
Little did they know, it was actually Choi Han who scared Venion away because of his connection to Dodam, but since Cale wasn’t noticing the misunderstanding, the others were left spiraling in their own thoughts.
“Eric Hyung, are you okay?” Suddenly, Basen turned the focus to the host of the gathering. The usually upbeat person had been spacing out and was weirdly quiet during this meeting. Amiru Ubarr and Gilbert Chetter might have a clue, but Basen and Cale were unaware of the reason.
“A-ahem.”
Eric cleared his throat at the sudden attention, but didn’t answer Basen’s question. Instead, he focused on Cale again. Cale was almost getting irritated by the change of personality from Eric.
‘Is he also different in this world?’
This was either a change that occurred because it’s a different world, just like how Beacrox and Choi Han are more aggressive just like how Ron didn’t trust him, or his weird behavior is just temporary. Cale hoped it was temporary. He didn’t want to deal with another drastic change.
“Uhm.” The other man started again, breaking the silence. “May I ask a personal question?”
He wasn’t only speaking to Cale. The two ‘cousins’ looked at each other for a moment before giving Eric a nod, missing the furrow of Amiru’s eyebrows.
“Go ahead, Eric Hyung.”
“Ah, yes. I was wondering how you two met? I have already heard from young master Basen that it was a recent encounter.” The easygoing smile returned to Eric’s face, but Cale could see how something was off about it.
To be honest, it was getting tiresome to repeat this story so many times.
“I was traveling to Harris Village to meet my friend, but something came up.” Instead of letting Basen do the talking this time, Cale went ahead and explained.
— ….
Dodam’s chatter suddenly quieted down, but Cale didn’t have time to think about that, nor did he have the opportunity to ask him what’s wrong with so many people around.
Three pairs of eyes slightly widened at the mention of Harris Village, and Eric’s pupils shook. It wasn’t long ago since they heard news of the terrible incident that struck the village, and it was truly heartbreaking, but Eric’s mind wandered elsewhere.
Harris Village was where Miss Jour went to when she died. She fell ill on the way home and in a carriage accident, her health failed her. However, now he hears that Cale Thames, a relative of Jour, went to that village to meet a friend.
While Eric was questioning who that friend was, he also wondered about something else.
‘Does Cale know about how Jour died? Does he know that it was a trip to that village that killed her?’
Eric had no ill thoughts against the village. He believed it to be an accidental coincidence, no matter how tragic it was. It’s not like he can blame the village right beside the Forest of Darkness as the reason for her death. No, he was more wondering if Cale actually knew about her history.
“I heard about the incident that occurred in that village. A very sad tale.”
Gilbert shared his sympathy to Basen, who was the heir to the county of that territory. It was a loss for both the people and for the Henituse.
“But…” However, Gilbert had picked up on something else. “Mister Cale, you said that something came up when you were visiting that village…”
Amiru gasped when she realized what Gilbert was getting at, and brought up a hand to her mouth when Cale nodded to confirm their theory.
“Yes. I was caught up in the incident, but mostly uninjured. It was the Henituse Investigation Team that later found me and brought me back to the county to heal.”
Cale looked calm as he spoke. Even if what he was talking about sounded horrible, he wasn’t exactly trying to make it sound dramatic. His relaxed mood also prevented the others from reacting dramatically.
“Count Henituse also showed his kind hospitality; something I cannot help but be grateful for.” He turned to Basen with a smile. Wide, brown eyes met his. “And I also got to meet a new family apart from myself.”
“Apart from yourself…?” Eric mumbled out the words. What does that mean?
“Mm. That was how me and young master Basen met.” Cale looked back at his food with a satisfied smile plastered on his lips. He was ignorant of the chaotic expression Eric wore, or the slight twitch in Amiru’s fingers. He was also ignorant of the warm look Basen got in his eyes.
“…”
Many were quiet after that, letting the information sink in. Neither Amiru or Gilbert were really that close to Madam Jour when she was alive, but they have met her on a few occasions and could tell how kind she was. It has been so long since they last saw a portrait of her, so when Cale Thames first walked into the room…
If Amiru wasn’t prepared, she would have thought Jour had risen from the grave. That was how close their similarities were. She wondered how Count Deruth felt when he saw him.
“I knew your aunt, Mister Cale.” Eric suddenly mumbled with a gentle and shy smile. “She was really a wonderful woman.”
Everyone was caught by surprise by the sudden change of topic. It was bold of him to bring up a deceased family member to Cale like that, but luckily, he didn’t seem to mind. Cale never knew her from when she was alive, and he could talk to her whenever he wanted because of the diary.
Basen also tensed up, unsure why Eric was bringing her up. It could be a sensitive topic, and even he hasn’t had the courage to mention Madam Jour in front of Cale.
— Human? You have an aunt? What is an aunt?
‘He doesn’t know what an aunt is..?’
Maybe Dodam didn’t know as much as Cale had expected of the dragon who had already experienced 1 year of freedom. He would need to teach hi: when they get back to the mansion.
The other nobles were still waiting for an answer, but instead of the reaction they were expecting, Cale simply smiled back at Eric.
“I heard she was.”
It was such a simple sentence, but he already revealed a lot.
“You heard she was? Mister Cale, did you not get the chance to meet her?” Eric was pressing for answers. His behavior was very uncharacteristic of him, and Amiru was wondering if she should intervene.
“No, unfortunately. Although, I did hear about her on my travels and figured out she was a relative of mine. It was quite nice to hear my aunt’s name again when I arrived in the Henituse Estate, even if I never got the opportunity to meet her?”
Eric frowned deeply.
“But how come you never met her? Didn’t your parents ever visit her—?”
Basen sucked in a sharp breath when Eric brought up Cale’s parents, and the whole table got quiet.
“…”
Eric looked at Basen’s tense gaze. The boy was clenching his fists with a clear warning. Eric was surprised. He never thought he would receive such a look from the shy Henituse, but at this moment, he noticed his mistake.
Turning to look at Cale, Eric felt regret pool in his gut. Cale’s eyebrows were furrowed deeply, and his lips were pressed together. Reddish-brown eyes were staring at Eric.
Realization sunk in.
Cale’s parents. It must have been a sensitive topic to breach, and Eric had done it so carelessly because of his own selfish curiosity.
He might have a bad relationship with his parents, or something happened and they’re no longer in his life. No matter the reason, it was clearly something that made Cale uncomfortable, and Eric inwardly felt how panic was surging up inside him.
‘Shit… no..’
The first encounter with Cale Thames, something he planned would go perfectly, was turning into a disaster. By the time that this meeting was over, Eric wouldn’t be surprised if Cale planned to never come back here again, and it was all his fault.
Oh god.
What if Count Henituse found out and felt angry since Eric offended his nephew? What would happen to the Wheelsmans connections to the Henituse? Did Eric just ruin years worth of friendly collaborations because of his big mouth?
However, unbeknownst to Eric, Cale’s frown wasn’t because he mentioned his parents. No, Cale had a great relationship with his very much alive parents, Deruth and Violan back at home, but there was no way anyone at the table could know that.
‘The hell?’
Instead, the reason for Cale’s frown was because of Eric’s behavior.
‘Why is he acting like this? Why is he so different in this world?’
He can’t really explain why Beacrox or Choi Han are more aggressive here than in his own world. He can explain why Ron is untrusting of him, and he can explain why Basen’s personality is different, but maybe Eric’s change is related to the first case.
‘Haa…. How troublesome.’
Now he needed to deal with an impulsive Eric too.
“Eric Hyung…” Basen’s voice was tense, but he still chose to remain calm. “Are you okay? You aren’t acting like yourself.”
‘Oh? So he’s not usually like this?’
Cale saw a small light of hope form in his eyes.
The anxious man felt hopeless in this situation, but Basen’s kind words (despite what Eric just did) encouraged him to speak.
“M-Mister Cale.”
“Hm?”
Cale looked at him with a confused expression, but Eric accidentally misinterpreted that look into an irritated one.
‘He must be really displeased.’
“I apologize for what I said.” He bowed his head to show Cale he was sincerely sorry. It was something very disgraceful for a noble; to bow down to a commoner. “I should have minded my words. I hope that you can forgive me.”
‘Forgive you for what…..’
Cale was so confused right now.
“Okay…. I forgive you.”
The hesitation in his voice only made Eric clench his eyes shut with even more regret. To him, Cale sounded like he was concealing his anger and accepting to forgive him because of the situation he was in. He was, after all, only a commoner sitting in front of four noble heirs. Anyone would feel pressured to stay respectful.
Eric lifted his head up again to see that Cale’s expression had softened, but the eyebrows were still furrowed. He tried to give a small smile to the red-haired man, showing how thankful he was that he forgave him.
“Ahem.”
At that moment, Cale cleared his throat and turned to Amiru Ubarr instead of spending more time in this confusing situation. He was completely dismissing Eric, who looked like a kicked puppy at the action, but Cale had something to say to Amiru now that he had the chance.
“Young lady Amiru, the Ubarr Territory consists of a harbor, doesn’t it?”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
She quickly met Cale’s friendly smile with one of her own, happy that they could move past Eric’s mistake. Basen also relaxed in his chair at seeing how unaffected Cale seemed to be, and made eye contact with Gilbert, who only shrugged as a reply.
“We do have a harbor, but the whirlpools are a distraction for its beauty.”
The helpful Basen chimed in at that moment, wanting to take part in the conversation since Cale was the one who started it. “I heard you were planning on making it a tourist attraction, Amiru Noonim?”
“Hahah. That’s right. I plan on bringing up the idea with his highness during the gathering before the celebration.”
“A tourist destination?” Cale pretended to sound interested as he smoothly approached his goal. “Would it be okay for me to make a suggestion, Lady Amiru?”
“Oh?”
Amiru turned her head to look at Cale with a curious gaze. Everyone else was also looking at him, and Basen’s usual default expression was nowhere to be seen. Amiru hadn’t expected Cale Thames to bring up a suggestion to this idea, but she supposed he had planned it since he was the one who brought up the harbor in the first place.
“Please indulge me, Mister Cale. What may this suggestion be?”
A sly smile curled up one of Cale’s lips. It was time to set his plan in motion.
“A navy.”
A group of 5 people could be seen standing together under the moonlight. An invisible barrier surrounded them, blocking out the sounds and making their voices quiet to anyone watching.
Ron had been waiting for this ever since his enjoyable talk with the little puppy. The day had come when Cale asked Ron to be back from his ‘trip’. Of course, he never left, deeming it more interesting to see what this young man had in mind.
The butler had gone to tell his son what he found out that night. It was a laughable memory to recall the scared face of the little puppy, and it got even more exciting when he finally got the truth out.
Ron has been lying low for too long. It was time he began to move again.
Cale’s head was turned to where a family stood and chatted happily with each other. Ron and his son, together with two redheads and a feral dog stood in the middle of a closed market. The sword master was sending a glare to Beacrox, and Ron couldn’t help but chuckle at the cute and irritated expression on his son’s face. Despite the stoic expression that tried to mask his anger, Ron didn’t miss the twitch in his eyebrows.
“Mister Cale.” Rosalyn elegantly called out to him, wondering why they were speaking about his plan out in the open and not inside. “Could I ask what we are doing here?”
Everyone finally focused and looked at the back of the red-haired man. He then turned to them and proceeded to tell them something that made all of them tense up.
“There are bombs here.”
His tone was so casual and calm that Ron would have thought he misheard him if it weren’t for his enhanced hearing as an assassin. Was that why he was looking at the family? Did this odd man sense something from that direction? Something no one else could?
“Ho? Did you say bombs?” Ron smiled benignly at the younger man, who immediately turned away with a flinch.
‘My, my. Did I scare him a bit too much?’
Ever since their talk, Cale always had an uncomfortable expression on his face and seemed to avoid Ron whenever they were in the same room. His behavior was a bit funny, seeing how comfortable and careless he had been the other days before Ron cornered him. It appears he didn’t mention their fateful encounter to anyone else either. From the way everyone else were ancting like normal, not even the feral punk or the little dragon knew.
“Yes…” Cale slowly answered Ron. “They’re mana bombs planted by Arm.”
Beacrox’s eyes snapped to him when he heard the name. He had already been informed by his father that Cale Thames knew more than he showed. Well- he wasn’t exactly very subtle, but still. Actually hearing that name from someone else who wasn’t his father made it all seem real.
They actually got a lead, and it was right in front of them. Beacrox would make sure not to let this lead escape.
“Mana bombs?” Rosalyn repeated with a frown.
Cale nodded.
“A newly developed mana bomb will explode here in 4 days. Both here and all around the plaza.”
Choi Han and Rosalyn stiffened up. Mana bombs were very hard to handle, but Rosalyn had met a mage from that evil organization that she could imagine would be able to succeed in that aspect. Cale had said his name was Redika, the blood drinking mage, and Rosalyn already saw his skills when he managed to teleport away so quickly. It made her cautiously look around.
Mana bombs would explode here, possibly killing a lot of people. Rosalyn finally understood why Cale had brought them here, as well as why he got Choi Han to find her. She finally understood what he wanted from her.
“The bombs could be buried anywhere. They could even be on a person without them knowing they are carrying a bomb.”
Choi Han’s clenched fists shook at Cale’s words. More people would die soon. He could already see the bloody scene in front of him. Cold corpses that created a sea of death, destroyed houses for no one to return to, and crying children, mourning the deaths of their parents. Choi Han saw Harris Village again. He recalled the horrible memory of seeing his newly gained home completely destroyed with no one left for him to save. He never wanted something like that to happen again, which was why he left to find Rosalyn and help Lock, who had been Arm’s next target.
Just like how he said he would help without hesitation back at the Henituse mansion, Choi Han would keep his word.
The invisible Dodam was probably also listening in.
“Dodam, Miss Rosalyn. Mana bombs are basically a lump of mana, so you can use your mana sense to check the places I tell you about.”
— Okay, human!
Dodam was quick to answer with excitement. He was eager to ruin any of that evil organization’s plans. Rosalyn, however, faltered. Many questions and theories went through her mind.
“You know where they are?” Beacrox’s dead tone asked Cale a question. He was slightly frowning with a distrustful look, but still arched his eyebrow as a sign of interest, completely ignoring the warning growl from the black-haired swordsman.
The younger Molan was a bit easier to look at for Cale. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact with Ron for more than a second. The feeling made him uncomfortable.
“I do.”
That was all Cale answered with…
Beacrox wanted to pester him for more. Like how Cale knew Arm’s plan, or how he knew where the bombs would be placed. He had heard about his father’s theory regarding this man. It wasn’t news that he didn’t have an identification, since it spread around the estate like a wildfire when he first arrived.
If Cale Thames had a mole planted in Arm’s organization, it would explain how there was no history of him ever existing. Everyone had a background, no matter the status of the person, there were always records of them visiting a place, buying stuff, or speaking with someone. However, Cale had none of that, even if he claims he used to travel a lot last year.
It was an obvious lie, and a lot could be explained if he was after Arm. Beacrox wasn’t ruling out the chance of him actually working with Arm and not against them, but there was also a lot of evidence that shows the opposite. Him sending Choi Han to save the wolves, and how he is involving two assassins in his plans are the main reasons.
“Miss Rosalyn, it will be hard to detect them since they are carefully hidden, but it should be fine.” As he said that, Cale smiled and brought up a hand to pet an invisible force on his shoulder. A child’s voice could be heard in the dark night.
“It’s a bit annoying, but I can do it.”
“That’s right. Dragons are great and mighty after all.”
“Y-Yes! I am great and mighty!”
It was cute how the little dragon would get excited at every praise from the red-haired man. Ron looked at him with an amused smile. This was turning out to be more fruitful than he had thought.
Cale showed them every location and how many bombs there should be. Everyone listened intently to his explanation without making them look suspicious.
“These are the ones that should be in their rightful location. It’s likely that you won’t find every single one just tonight since I suspect they will continue to plant more bombs until the day of the celebration, so make sure to check them every night.”
“Mister Cale, may I ask something?” Rosalyn politely asked him a question. She didn’t want to interrupt him, but there was something she was curious about.
“What is it, Miss Rosalyn?”
“I’m curious to know why there seems to be two possible locations for a few of them? Are you not sure about those?”
It was true Cale wasn’t sure. There were currently two possible outcomes of the attack as of now. The first one was how it went in the Birth of a Hero. That’s the information Cale had relied on when he first experienced the terror incident. However, he had missed a loophole. In his world, Cale had sent Choi Han early with a goal, just like now, which had resulted in him being able to save all of the wolf children. That had also been the reason there were only four bombs around the plaza, while the missing two were suicide bombers.
In this world, the plot had changed even more because the children weren’t the only ones saved, and he was worried Redika might have recognized Dodam’s existence. It wouldn’t surprise Cale if there was a third possible outcome because of this. That’s why he said it was two at minimum.
“Miss Rolsayn, it’s because there is a possibility that the locations might change. I don’t know what they will choose to do, if they will choose to plant all the bombs around the plaza, put more on people without them knowing, or if they will bring in more than 2 suicide bombers.”
“Suicide bombers.” Choi Han repeated the word, as if confirming what Cale said was true.
“How come you’re so sure of everything else except for this?” Suddenly, Beacrox was questioning him again with his arms crossed, not looking very amused. “Don’t you have someone planted in that organization so you can fetch more information?”
It was a bold claim, but he stood firm.
Cale only looked at him in disbelief.
‘…Is this what they think about me?’
Did they seriously think he… had some kind of secret organization for himself? That he had spies planted in Arm’s people?
“……”
Well… it didn’t sound too bad of an idea actually. Although, he wasn’t sure if he would ever do it. It would put the spy on too much of a risk, and he’s starting late if he wants them to get information about the attack. Cale could imagine the spy needed to at least be someone of a slightly high position to find out about their future plans, and he wasn’t sure how fast they could work.
And besides, if they are sent to war and refuse, Arm would undoubtedly kill them.
“No…” After some time of silence, a hesitant ‘no’ escaped his lips. “…It’s just me.”
“It’s just you?”
Ron’s eyes curled up as he spoke to Cale with a smile. His face turned even more scary when he saw Cale shiver and avoid eye contact with him again.
“Ho… ho…. Then I really wonder how you got this information. It’s not that you are the rat hiding among predators? No? Perhaps you were once a friend of theirs? Hm?”
Cale stiffened up as Ron talked and he snapped his head to him with a shocked expression. Reddish-brown eyes shook as he gaped at the older man.
Was he really that suspicious to be considered one of them…?
No, Ron was guessing he was either the spy, or he used to be a member of Arm. That was the most absurd claim Cale has ever heard of.
— Stupid lemon gramps! The human isn’t a part of those bastards!
Choi Han glared daggers at Ron. He wanted to tear this man into pieces for even looking at Cale-nim with such a gaze.
However…
Even he couldn’t deny what Ron was saying didn’t make a little sense. He was sure neither of the two assassins knew Cale’s secret ability, but when Choi Han thought about it, it made sense.
Cale could possess people. He could temporarily take over their bodies and use it to his own content. Choi Han wasn’t sure why he didn’t use his own body to free Dodam and find him, but perhaps there was a deeper meaning to it. He couldn’t jump to conclusions about Cale’s ability, since he doesn’t know much apart from this.
On that aspect, it wasn’t impossible that Cale had possessed someone from Arm, stolen information about their future plans, and then left the body before anyone found out. But that would mean they have been planning this from a year back, since Cale said he was asleep for an entire year until he returned in his own body.
Choi Han still didn’t know where he slept for an entire year. Maybe his body didn’t even exist at that time.
“Ah, I can finally see your eyes.”
Ron’s vicious voice broke the silence, and Choi Han turned to see Cale’s glare. He jumped at the sight. Choi Han had never seen Cale make such an expression before.
Rosalyn also looked at them in silence, not knowing what to say.
“What nonsense are you saying?”
The assassin smiled down at him, satisfied that his provocation worked. The little puppy, who had put on an easy smile ever since they first met, finally broke his facade. Even when Ron cornered him the other day, he had not let anything else but his stoic face (and obvious fear) show.
It was truly funny.
Beacrox watched Cale’s reaction in silence. The calm boy who could easily speak about bombs and murder was gone. He knew his father was provoking Cale, urging his true face to show itself. Beacrox wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but anger seemed to make him more human than what his mysterious identity was suggesting.
Madam Jour was the one who provided shelter for Beacrox and his father when they fled to the Henituse Territory. Beacrox’s first thought about the woman was how kind she was, but he later found her weird. She had an odd aura that made her different, just like Cale Thames.
While Beacrox was suspicious of him, it was interesting to see the similarities.
“Ron. Do you know why I called you and Beacrox out here?”
The angry expression on the red-haired boy’s face had calmed down when Beacrox looked back.
“You have no ability to detect any mana. You are of no use for this mission.”
It was insulting to a family full of assassins. Especially for the Molans, who used to rule the underworld and could still use their skills to even chase little rats if needed to. Ron only smiled as he admired the bravery of the young man who was internally shaking in fear because of him.
“It’s because during the celebration day, where everyone is gathered and about to die from mana bombs—“
Cale raised his voice.
“…”
A beat. Then a second one.
His eyes were serious as he met Ron’s gaze.
“I plan to smack them so hard in the back that I’ll make them bleed.”
The look on Ron’s face changed.
“And I need people to do so.”
Cale’s lips curled up. A sly smile on his face.
“Was I wrong to assume you wanted revenge, Patriarch-nim?”
Notes:
Eric be overthinking EVERYTHING
And no, Cale. He’s not different in this world. He’s just a little stressed
“They actually got a lead, and it was right in front of them. Beacrox would make sure not to let this lead escape. “
Haha whoops. Seems like Beacrox is also developing a……. different… type of separation anxiety. Welcome to the gangPLUS Cale is finally standing up for himself! Wooo! Go get him!
For those who don’t know, a mole is a spy that has infiltrated an organization of some kind, while a rat is someone who have betrayed their own side, mostly through passing on information about the enemy.
That’s why Beacrox is talking about a mole(spy) in Arm when he’s theorizing about Cale. It’s also the reason Ron is claiming Cale to be a ‘rat’ who has information about Arm because he ‘used to work for them’.
Chapter 27: Too big of a change
Notes:
I’m aiming to start uploading two chapters a week. So unless school is holding me back, that is the goal.
On another note, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 20K HITS!! I’m so shocked, I never thought I would get this much. Thank you so much for enjoying my work! Every kudo, bookmark, and comment is very appreciated.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Mister Cale was a bit scary.
Well, maybe Cale is not that scary, but it’s scary to sit in front of a noble.
Lock doesn’t really know what to do. He’s in a fancy room, sitting on a very expensive couch. Lock isn’t sure he has ever seen so much gold before. It feels a bit odd staying at such a classy place. Even if the servants are nice, he feels like he’s sticking out like a sore thumb.
Fiddling with the hem of his shirt, the young boy tried to make himself as small as possible, which didn’t help at all thanks to his height.
“Are you feeling better now?”
Lock flinched at suddenly getting asked a question, but Cale only calmly sipped his tea.
“Y-Yes!” He instantly answered back with a stammer, stumbling over his words.
After having transformed for the first time, Lock was completely drained of energy. He was then unconscious for a few hours after going through his berserk mode, and bedridden until he was healthy again.
Lock knew it was the man in front of him who made it possible to get well so quickly. He wanted to thank him. Thank him for a lot of things.
When Lock couldn’t leave the bed, he was worried about his family. He hadn’t been able to sleep at all for the past few days since nightmares of the event kept replaying itself in his mind.
It hurt. A lot.
But Choi Han hyung and Noona had been kind enough to visit his family and deliver their words to Lock. It made him cry. He was relieved to hear they were all okay and that any injuries had healed.
“What is it?”
“Whuh?”
Suddenly, Mister Cale spoke up again, and Lock snapped his head up to him before averting his gaze again. He couldn’t bring himself to look him in the eye for more than a couple of seconds. Luckily, Cale continued with his question.
“You seem like you want to tell me something.”
Did he? Did he look like that?
“Well, now is your opportunity.” Cale lazily moved his hand in the air as if he was telling him it was okay. However, Lock misinterpreted that as Cale wanting him to hurry things up.
“U-Uhm!” The boy timidly looked down at his lap again, building up his courage. “T-Thank you!”
A loud shout echoed in the room, and Lock instantly curled in on himself once he realized how loud he was. Still, what was said was said, but he also felt shame wash over him.
How could he act like this in front of a noble??
“I-I mean… I heard from Hyung that Mister Cale-nim helped m-me and my family a lot. S-So I’m very thankful..”
The panicking boy desperately tried to fix his mistake, not realizing how Cale had a nostalgic look in his eyes. A smile crept up the redhead’s lips.
“Yes. I did help a lot.”
“What? Ah— yes…!”
Lock kept squirming in his seat, clearly nervous and uncomfortable. It was so similar to the Lock back in Cale’s world that he couldn’t help but compare them. It seems like they luckily aren’t that different. Especially compared to the Birth of a Hero.
Silence returned to the room, and Cale could see how the young wolf seemed to want to say something else. Just like in Cale’s world.
That’s why……
“Lock.”
“Huh?”
Lock turned his head up at hearing his name and flinched. Cale was leaning forward with a pretty smile on his face, but it was his eyes that caught the young boy off guard.
The reason he couldn’t make eye contact with him was mainly because Lock wasn’t sure how to act in front of a noble, and figured it would be less likely that he angered him if he avoided his gaze.
The second reason was because of Mister Cale’s eyes. That reddish-brown color that shimmered in the early morning sun, and the way he looked at Lock…. It was hard to explain, but Lock could feel himself relax. There was something about that deep look that made him relax. He just doesn’t understand it.
Nonetheless, once their eyes met, the young boy found it hard to look away.
“That’s good.”
“What?”
“When you’re speaking with someone, you should look them in the eyes.”
Lock was taken aback, but even if he wanted to shy away, he couldn’t.
He also realized that Cale’s eyes weren’t mean, or hurried. Now that he was actually looking at him, Mister Cale appeared calm and patient. It was nice to look at him.
“….Oh.”
The red-haired man nodded and closed his eyes. He leaned back with a smile before opening his mouth again, looking straight at him. “That’s it. Now you have my attention. Is there something else you’d like to say?”
Lock stared at Cale with a nervous expression, still fidgeting with his hands, but he didn’t shout this time.
“I… I am an older brother.”
He was an older brother of 10 siblings.
“I was also a nephew, a-and I am still a younger brother.”
Lock’s uncle had sadly passed away in the attack, but unlike in Cale’s world, he now had more family than just his siblings. Older and more responsible adults could take care of the children.
“I-I am still their eldest brother, I still need to take care of my younger siblings. So I must get revenge.”
Cale was relieved at some degree. Lock had been the oldest of all of his siblings in Cale’s world. At 13 years old, he lost the people he could rely on, and desperately tried to reassure both himself and his siblings instead. He can remember. Even if it wasn’t very obvious, Cale knew how Lock valued himself. There had been more than one time where he insisted on getting involved in the battlefield. He wanted to prove that he was strong enough to also fight, but Cale couldn’t let him.
Lock was still a child, and Cale would not involve him in a fight unless he was 100% sure they would win. Just like when they blew up one of the Hais Islands.
A part of Cale wanted Lock to be able to let go of that responsibility now that he has adults to rely on, and another part of him was relieved to see it’s going like his world. Because just like in Cale’s world, Lock asked him to help with his revenge.
“Revenge…” He muttered the word out loud, making Lock squirm with nervousness. “Should you be the one talking about this with me?”
“…”
The young boy was quiet. He didn’t know what to say.
“A wolf.”
“Hm?” Lock raised his head at that.
“You are a wolf.” Cale had his smile back on his face. He decided to somewhat repeat what he had said to his Lock back home. “Wolves protect their family, and prioritize their family above all else.”
Lock’s face began to lit up at that. A small smile snuck up on his face.
“That is why you want revenge, and I understand you. I think you come from a prideful tribe.”
“…Ah. Thank you…!” The young boy took his pants into his fists as he looked at Cale with a shy smile. “And… please help me…”
“Is that fair?”
Cale interrupted Lock when he began to ask for help. Cale planned on involving the boy in defeating Arm either way, just like he did in his own world, but first…
‘Let’s put him on the right path.’
Lock was quiet. He was caught off guard when Cale interrupted him, and realized that for a minute, Lock forgot he was a noble. The boy sank in on himself again, shame and disappointment filled the bottom of his stomach, but he was also thinking about what the red-haired man said.
‘Is that fair… Is it fair?’
It wasn’t. From what Lock has found out through Choi Han, Cale Thames is really kind and helpful. Almost too helpful sometimes. That’s why he got ahead of himself and asked for even more when Cale already saved him once. Lock hasn't done anything to make up for that yet, and he can remember how Choi Han Hyung said he is still trying to repay his debt for something Cale helped him with a year ago (even if Cale hasn’t said anything about repaying him). So, why should Lock just try to take and take and not give anything back?
‘It’s not fair.’
“Lock.”
At that moment, Cale spoke up again. When the young boy slowly made eye contact with him, the disappointed expression he was expecting wasn’t present. Instead, that same warm smile from before was back.
“Let’s make a deal.”
“Huh?”
“Yes, a deal.” Cale leaned back on the cough. His eyes were calm. “What do you need help with, and what can you do for me?”
‘Ah. That makes sense.’
Lock agreed with Cale. This was more fair. He just…. didn’t know how he could be useful back.
As if sensing Lock’s troubled thoughts, Cale spoke up.
“You don’t have to decide now. You can think for a few days and come back to me when everything has been made clear.”
Big teal eyes looked into reddish-brown eyes. The wolf was obviously thinking hard. For Cale’s plan to work during the plaza terror incident, he needed people. Even if Dodam, On, and Hong will be involved, they won’t show themselves. So technically, they don’t count. Instead, Choi Han, Rosalyn, Ron, Beacrox, and Cale himself will make 5 people. If Lock is willing to get involved, he will also be there to represent them, but Cale refuses to make him fight yet.
“Mister Cale, have you been to our village?”
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Lock asked him a question he wasn’t expecting. An iffy feeling squeezed his chest because this was unfamiliar, and a frown appeared on Cale’s face. The previously big eyes instantly moved away when he saw Cale’s expression, and the boy spoke nervously.
“I-It’s just… You seemed to know a lot about our tribe a-and…. mm.”
The young boy’s shoulders stiffened as he lost his voice. Scared he offended Cale based on the irritated frown, Lock couldn’t help but clap his mouth shut. However, unbeknownst to Lock, Cale wasn’t irritated or mad. Instead, he was more concerned about why he was asking him that.
‘Was it something I said that made the change? Or did he ask me because I was too showy with my knowledge?’
Cale didn’t like it when changes occurred, but this didn’t seem to be a very serious one either way. He has experienced worse. (Like when Ron threatened him. He still can’t take his mind off of it.)
“It’s alright.” He eventually said. “And it’s true. I traveled a lot last year, and I happened to stop by your village around that time. That’s why I knew about the symptoms of a first berserk transformation.”
“Really…?” The eyes that previously looked away, opened wide again. Lock didn’t question more about it, even though he was a bit curious. Who did he talk to? There hadn’t been anyone experiencing their first berserk mode last year, so how did he find out?
However, even if those questions occupied his mind, there was another thing he was more curious about.
“But… Have we met before, then? I’m sure I would have recognized Mister Cale..”
Lock would have never forgotten him if he visited them before. Cale had a nice smile that practically burned itself into Lock’s mind so he could never forget. Even if he hadn’t personally met him, missing the pretty red hair was almost impossible in a village filled with basic, dull colors of hair.
Besides, Mister Cale was a noble. A noble! This place already showed how wealthy they were, so there’s not a chance he would have missed him! Especially not if he came with one of those sparkling carriages.
Unless…
“Ah, I had… a different appearance back then.”
“Ah....”
Unless he didn’t want to show himself. Cale had looked a bit hesitant when he said that just now. So, maybe he was hiding himself when he came to visit them? But why….
Nevermind.
Lock brushed off the thought. It wasn’t good to be curious about things like that. It’s not his business after all. Maybe Mister Cale had met with an elder for a brief moment before continuing his journey? Lock’s uncle knew everyone in the village. Maybe Cale had met him?
His uncle..
‘Uncle…’
Memories about what they had experienced suddenly struck him down like lightning. It’s hard to make himself forget about it, but it seems like his conversation with Cale managed to take his mind off the event, until now.
Lock misses his uncle a lot. Staying here alone in this mansion while he recovered, and also being unable to sleep, gave him a lot of time to think. Think about his uncle, about the assassins… about his siblings, about his home. Lock is sure he will never be able to return to his home. His village. So many had died that night. It’s a miracle that he’s even alive. It’s a miracle that Choi Han and Rosalyn came.
If it hadn’t been for his new Hyung and Noona, Lock is sure no one would have been able to survive. They were like a blessing from the gods.
The thought made him huff.
He, who was part of the Blue Wolf Tribe, a tribe that’s considered disowned by the gods, received a god’s blessing? It was ironic. Lock wasn’t religious one bit— the Blue Wolf Tribe couldn’t receive healing potions or divine power, so they could only heal using the traditional methods —but still… A part of him believed that perhaps someone took pity on them. That a higher being finally showed them mercy.
Lock looked up again to see the red-haired man sitting in front of him. He heard a lot about Cale from Choi Han Hyung. He knew how trustworthy he was, and how selfless he also was. He heard how Hyung would do anything for him, and that statement had a large impact on Lock. (A weird part of him told him he felt the same.)
He was also grateful. So, so grateful for all the things Mister Cale has done for him, for his tribe.
It reminded him of his uncle once again.
Cale reminded Lock of him.
Cale was kind, and Lock can distinctly recall a small memory from when he was about to transform. Mister Cale had been there, and said something to him. It was hard to remember the exact words, but Lock can still recall the feeling of being safe. A feeling like a warm blanket wrapping around him. It managed to make him calm down, and he is sure Cale was the reason for it.
Meanwhile, Cale looked at that sad expression on Lock’s face. He wasn’t sure what caused him to suddenly get sad. Either way, Cale planned on meeting with Billos again and to visit the other wolves.
‘Might as well do it now.’
“Hey, do you want to see your family?”
The sentence made Lock immediately perk up. Since the nightmare that occurred in his village, Lock has been longing to meet his family again. Apart from what happened, it’s the only thing he has been able to think about. Are they well? Is their stay comfortable? How are they dealing with it all?
Choi Han was really kind because he made time to visit his family who had already gotten familiar with the swordsman. It caused both his family and Lock an opportunity to exchange messages between themselves. That was something that really helped his recovery, and to tell the truth, Lock isn’t sure he would have been able to keep himself from breaking if it hadn’t been for their words.
And now, Mister Cale is willing to accompany him to meet his family. Lock was happy. He wanted them to meet this kind man.
‘Hm. Seems like it worked.’
Cale didn’t care if meeting his siblings would help Lock or not. The way the suggestion caused Lock’s sadness to go away was just a bonus.
The meeting with Lock’s family and Billos and his uncle was… exhausting to say the least.
The children were delighted to see Lock again, but Cale only looked away when they started crying. Instead, Billos introduced him to Odeus Flynn. However, it was only unnecessary small talk to get familiar, so they easily moved on.
What really was exhausting, was the fact that every wolf child felt the need to greet him. And it didn’t just end there, because all of the adults apparently wanted to express their gratitude, saying they heard a lot from Choi Han (damn you, Choi Han), Cale tried his best to just wave them off, but he couldn’t help but stay.
20 survivors. 11 children and 9 adults. Choi Han was right when he said every one of the adults had gotten injured, but Basen had been kind enough to send some physicians that could treat their wounds, so luckily, no one was in a critical condition anymore.
Not all of the injuries were visible, but he heard about their stories. Slashes at their stomachs and stab wounds were just the top of the list. One of them lost their eye, another didn’t have her left hand anymore. Cale stayed and listened. Even if he didn’t think much of his actions (he didn’t help much either way, it was Choi Han and Dodam who did everything), the wolves would beg to differ.
During the whole meeting, two guards came to accompany Cale. In truth, Cale thought it was ridiculous, but Hans had unfortunately caught them leaving, and insisted for Cale to take two guards at minimum. He thought the annoying butler’s overreaction would have passed by now since it’s been a while since he last coughed up blood, but apparently not.
Cale could only foreign ignorance to the weird smiles on the guards faces.
Lock had also spoken to the more responsible people of his family about the deal between him and Cale. Eventually, he approached Cale again and gave his suggestion. It was similar to the deal between them in Cale’s world. Cale would help in taking care of their tribe (he planned on rebuilding Harris Village either way) and in turn, they would work for him.
This time, Cale didn’t need the wolves to search the mountain containing the ancient power, so he figured they could work for him when he needed it. From this, he just earned a lot more people to help with his plan.
Cale left Lock with his family and gave a pouch of money before he left for the carriage. He said they should take a tour around the capital together, and instantly ignored how everyone’s eyes brightened. After that, Cale quickly made his way back to the mansion, and met with Basen.
The young boy had been at the gathering of nobles before the actual celebration and just returned from the banquet. Before he left, Basen asked Cale if he was willing to meet once it was over, so here he was.
“Welcome back, young master Basen.” A gentle smile appeared, and Basen easily met his eyes with his own smile.
“Hello, Mister Cale.”
The two began to walk through the halls at a slow pace.
“How was it? Did you meet his highness?”
“Yes… I couldn't help but think back to our conversation with young master Taylor.”
It was understandable. A few days ago, Taylor Stan warned Basen about Alberu when they sat in the carriage and were on their way to the Capital’s gate. That’s when Basen found out about Alberu’s true personality, a sly bastard to say the least.
“Mm.” Cale hummed in response, a bit amused. “How was he?”
“…”
Basen seemed unsure how to answer. Anyone who spoke about the royal family would be careful what to say. To talk badly about a royal could at least put someone behind bars, so it was understandable.
“He has… uhm..” Basen paused his sentence and looked away from Cale’s smiling eyes. Instead, he whispered the words. “…a glib tongue..”
“Hmhm.” Cale could only nod beside him. If they were alone, he would have urged Basen to speak comfortably with him, but it was a good precaution of his little brother to keep quiet when there were servants and guards around them. Even if they were Henituse’s people, you never know when there’s a rat among them, or someone who would be willing to play politics for the sake of some extra money.
“How so? Did he overly praise you to get on your good side?”
Basen snapped his head to look up at him. He was undoubtedly surprised by how open Cale expressed himself regarding the crown prince.
“You seem very comfortable talking about his highness, Mister Cale.”
The sentence didn’t really mean anything. If this was anyone else, they would probably try to warn Cale very subtly, but this was Basen. His words held nothing but curiosity.
“Do I?” Cale mused.
Curiosity threatened to question him further, but Basen held back. He huffed out a quiet laugh and calmed down again. It was a bit fun to speak with Cale.
“Venion Stan.” Instead, he chose to change the subject. “He didn’t look at me.”
The corners of Basen’s lips curled up at the thought. He had been very nervous to meet Venion again. Their last meeting hadn’t exactly been very good. It was a bit satisfying seeing him run away, but it wasn’t good by any means.
The way he had openly humiliated Basen and insulted him in front of everyone, in front of Mister Cale. It had been hard to swallow the lump in his throat. And then, when Cale stepped forth and began to make fun of Venion (Basen still doesn’t really know what he said, but he appreciated it), the blond man raised his sword at him.
Basen had been scared. Scared that Cale would get hurt, and how this would affect everything, but luckily, Mister Choi Han prevented anything from happening. Now, why Venion ran away still puzzled Basen, but he couldn’t be more grateful.
Because Venion didn’t even look at Basen during the whole banquet.
Even the other northern nobles had been surprised. And while Venion answered any greeting Eric Hyung sent his way, he completely ignored Basen. It was extremely disrespectful, but Basen didn’t care.
Turning to look back into those reddish-brown eyes, he saw an amused smile. Cale reached out his hand to ruffle his hair, which made multiple servants turn away. Anyone would think it was weird to see a commoner do such an act to a noble, even if Cale’s status had increased after Basen called him his cousin, but it felt more natural than anything.
“Good.”
It was a single word from Cale, but Basen felt bubbly inside. However, his next words made Basen’s eyes widen.
“Did anything… else happen today?”
The young boy was silent. He was surprised.. but he really shouldn't be.
“You knew…”
During the event, an unexpected guest suddenly walked through the doors. It was Taylor Stan and his friend, Cage. Basen hadn’t been sure about their business in the Capital, but now he understood. He quickly tried to mask his surprise when he saw them, and luckily, Taylor didn’t acknowledge him until later, pretending they didn’t know each other. Venion, however, finally sprang into motion and angrily shouted.
Many whispers and looks were sent Taylor’s way at that time, but they quickly died down when the crown prince’s calm demeanor entered. The rest of the event went smoothly.
It was surely a surprise Basen hadn’t been ready for, and now when he’s thinking about it, it was obvious Mister Cale was involved. Luckily, nothing happened to reveal the Henituse’s involvement, but Basen could’ve help but ask him about it.
“Mister Cale—“
“Cale-nim!”
Right as Basen was about to address Cale, a different voice interrupted, causing them to flinch before turning around. Standing in the middle of the hallway, Choi Han was panting like he had been running all over the place, which he probably did if Cale had to guess.
The swordsman instantly regained his posture and looked at Basen before bowing his head.
“I’m very sorry, young master Basen, but may I speak with Cale-nim?”
The request was very sudden, but Basen could see how rushed Choi Han looked. He didn’t mind very much. Although Basen would have liked to continue talking with Cale, he needed to get back to his room so he could call Father either way.
“That’s okay, Mister Choi Han.” Nodding his head to the swordsman, Basen turned to look at Cale one last time.
“Thank you for meeting with me, Mister Cale.”
“No worries.” Cale reached his hand out to ruffle Basen’s head once more before he turned around with Choi Han following him, Basen watched them for a few moments before he also began to walk.
‘I should report everything to Father.’
“Cale-nim.”
As soon as the doors to Cale’s room closed, Choi Han turned to look at him.
“Cale-nim.”
He repeated himself, making the redhead a bit nervous. Why was Choi Han acting like this?
“You said there could either be 5 or 4 bombs on the ground around the plaza.”
“Yes…?”
This was weird. If Choi Han chose to mention the number of bombs, it could only mean something had changed.
“Cale-nim. There were 7 magic bombs. We found 7.”
“..What?”
‘7 bombs?’
It was a lot more than what was in Cale’s world or the Birth of a Hero. In the Birth of a Hero, there were 5 bombs on the ground, and 5 bombs on people. Then, in Cale’s world, they had only found 4 bombs on the ground, while there were another 4 were on people, and lastly, the two suicide bombers.
But what did this mean? Were the other 3 on people then? Or are all of them suicide bombers?
It didn’t make any sense.
“Give me the map.”
Choi Han instantly took out a map and handed it to Cale, who spread it out of a table. The places they found them all had a cross on them. Almost all of them were very close to the plaza, but Cale still couldn't understand why Redika would put so many around the plaza when his goal was where all of the nobles were.
The method to bring the bombs into the plaza was to put them on people, and unless they increased the amount of bombs, it would not do as much damage to the Roan Kingdom.
“Haaa…..” Cale could do nothing but sigh, causing Choi Han to flinch. “There’s not much we can do. Let’s proceed with the plan like normal, but make sure to check the locations every now and then to make sure they haven’t changed.”
“Cale-nim…” Choi Han had a worried expression on his face. “Is this okay?”
“…”
Choi Han was naturally concerned. As a victim of Arm’s plans himself, he was also angry. He hated the fact that people would be put in danger, and he wanted nothing more but to rip Arm into shreds. But at the same time, he trusts Cale. With his whole heart.
Cale-nim knew what to do from the beginning, so when his predicaments didn’t go as planned, Choi Han got nervous. There were more bombs than they thought, and the frown on Cale’s face didn’t help.
Cale sighed again.
“It’s fine. What’s important is that the locations don’t change.”
‘There it is.'
The unsure frown had disappeared in the blink of ann eye, and Cale’s calm and certain voice came back. Seeing his usual self back made Choi Han subconsciously relax.
“We will steal the bombs tomorrow at dawn. That will be enough, and I will explain the rest to the others then.”
Reddish-brown eyes looked into Choi Han’s obsidian ones.
“Okay, Cale-nim.”
Choi Han answered with a small, sympathetic smile, but Cale couldn’t focus on it. He was nervous. Compared to Lock’s change, this was more serious.
‘7 bombs….’
This was bad. Anything could happen. Arm obviously changed their plans, but Cale couldn't figure out what would happen. It wouldn’t be too much of a problem if the extra 3 bombs were on people, because it was easy to find the remaining 4 in Cale’s world. But if they were suicide bombers……
No. it would be fine. In the worst case scenario, 3 suicide bombers would appear, but Cale could be ready. He had the Indestructible Shield, a dragon by his side, and Miss Rosalyn who could provide a magic shield.
It would be fine. He will make sure there would be no casualties this time.
“……”
‘Fuck…’
MANY THANKS TO Shadow08081 FOR MAKING ANOTHER WONDERFUL PIECE OF ART!! I’m so so happy whenever I get fanart and it still blows my mind. This chili style was so cute and Basen looks so shy!! Cale is being a good older brother too. SO MUCH LOVE TO YOU, SHADOW, AND THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN! <33
If anyone else is interested in sending me art, you can email me on [email protected]
Notes:
A 13-year-old Lock, who never left his own village, would obviously assume Cale was a noble. I mean, who wouldn’t?? He’s so elegant after all. ;> No one would suspect his identity is actually a commoner in this world hahaha!
Btw, I just adore this scene in the novel— the way Cale is basically teaching Lock —I just had to include it. (Cale, don’t deny it. You’re worried about Lock ^^)
Also, Lock is slowly joining the separation anxiety gang!
Basen is generally really quiet in Tcf, but he will be a bit different since the Og Cale doesn’t exist in this world. So, even if he has his stoic expression, I feel like he is slowly opening up to Cale, who is a stranger until a couple of weeks ago. Plus, since Cale has already showed Basen multiple times how reliable and comfortable he is, Basen will let himself smile from time to time. (THEY’RE SO ADORABLE TOO) Besides, there have already been multiple characters who stated how it feels like they knew Cale from before… sooooo :D
PLUS!! THE PLAZA TERROR INCIDENT IS REALLY CLOSE! WOOOOO! Time for some action!
On another note, I would like to announce another new fanfiction! This one is called “A Visit to Earth” and is about how Choi Han meets kid Kim Rok Soo back at earth and tried to help him to the best of his abilities. This is the summary notes for the first chapter:
*****
Choi Han couldn’t stop staring. In front of him, painting the snow a bloody red, stood a very small child.‘Kim Rok Soo.’
With a shaky breath, Choi Han crouched down and looked into those sunken and dark eyes. (Eyes that were so, so familiar)
“…Are you hungry?”
Or,
After Choi Han suddenly gets teleported back to Earth before the apocalypse, and had 1 week to do whatever he wanted, he has two goals.
1. Find Kim Rok Soo (top priority)
2. Find his hometown……Oh boy..
*****It currently has 2 chapters with 12k+ words, so if you’re interested, take a look! There’s A LOT of fluff and some angst. Because— obviously it would be angsty, but Choi Han Hyung is trying his best. :’)
Chapter 28: The Plaza Terror Incident (1)
Notes:
Reading this chapter with dramatic music will definitely help ദ്ദി(˘‿˘)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“A god? A god… oh god..”
Deruth was panicking. He couldn’t believe what he just heard.
“A-A god…….”
Cale, his nephew, Jour’s relative, had gained the attention of a god. The God of Death.
Basen told him. He explained about all that has happened. He told him about everything from how Cale last coughed up blood in Puzzle City, to what happened at the meeting between the northern nobles. Basen told him everything. But there was only one thing he could recall from their conversation.
On their journey, they met a priestess. A priestess of the God of Death.
The same priestess then revealed something about Cale.
‘A protective aura…’
She told them that Cale had a protective aura from the God of Death around him, and they guessed it was connected to his injury. It’s no wonder Deruth couldn’t find anything about Cale’s symptoms. It was related to the divine for god’s sake!
Apparently, a deity had found Cale and his condition, and given him a miracle. If a godly being took it upon themselves to cast a protective shield around somebody to prevent their condition from getting worse, and it still caused him to cough up blood, Deruth can’t imagine how bad it actually is.
‘If the god wouldn’t have blessed Cale, what would happen to him then? Would he have died? Died coughing up blood? Is he still in pain?’
He didn’t want to think about it. Deruth isn’t very religious, he cared more about his family and territory than gods, but in this moment, he might change his mind. Burying his face into his hands, the count could do nothing but pray. Deruth thanked the gods that they didn’t take away the only trace he had left of Jour. Because even if he’s incredibly happy with Violan and the family they created, a deep, lingering part of him would never be able to forget Jour.
But still… Cale still suffered. The young man still coughed up blood even with the intervention of a god..
Deruth wondered why the gods saved him.
‘It doesn’t matter.’
It didn’t matter why. He’s just glad Cale is here. Here and well enough to continue his daily life. A Thames, Jour’s nephew, his nephew. Deruth saw a lot. So much has improved since they found Cale in Harris Village. The main thing that changed was Basen.
As a father, Deruth was worried for his boy. Basen was a shy kid, and preferred to spend time with himself or Lily rather than the other kids his age. His confidence wasn’t great, and Deruth tried to make it better. He didn’t want Basen to feel out of place or like he didn’t belong, because he was a Henituse now, Deruth’s eldest child, and nothing in the world would change that. So, even if he became more and more comfortable around his family, he tended to retreat into himself whenever he met with other people.
It was worrying, but then Cale came.
Together, they left for their journey to the Capital. Deruth had been nervous everyday, hoping it would go well, but it seems like he worried for nothing. He saw and heard. Saw how Basen wore a small smile on his face every time they would call and he would report what had happened. The conversation usually ended with Cale’s name on their lips. He also heard the joy in his son’s voice. He spoke so freely compared to before, like a heavy weight had lifted itself off his shoulders.
It was an incredible change, and Deruth is so happy with his decision to let Cale join Basen to the Capital.
So to put it simply, so much had helped and improved since they met Cale, and the thought of a chance where they might’ve never crossed each other’s paths scared him. Because if the God of Death didn’t notice him, or chose to look past Cale, he might’ve been dead by now.
Perhaps it’s fate—
“Love?”
Deruth snapped his head up and met Violan’s calm but concerned eyes. He hadn’t heard her come in, too lost in thought to notice anything else.
“What’s wrong?” Violan took a few steps closer and sat down on a chair from the opposite of him, her stoic expression formed into a subtle frown. Deruth’s hair was disheveled, his noble clothes had wrinkles on them, and the pale face made it seem as if he had aged a few years from the last time she saw him.
“Did your talk with Basen not go well?”
“No, no… it did.” Deruth finally caught himself and shook his head, running a hand through his hair and messing it up even further. He looked around and let out a breathless sigh. There was no one in the room since he had since earlier sent them all out on Basen’s request, so he looked back at his wife with sunken eyes.
“There… ahem, I found something out is all.”
Violan, his smart and observant wife, raised an eyebrow at his response. Deruth clasped his hands together and leaned forward on his elbows, looking down at his desk.
“Cale… He’s..” he trailed off and pursed his lips together into a thin line.
This time, Violan visibly frowned. For Deruth to end up in such a condition about something regarding Cale Thames, their guest who Violan knew meant a lot to Deruth… What did he find out?
Her husband looked up again, and she saw his tense expression.
“Violan, I think he’s dying.”
“Mm.” She automatically groaned in response. Her own expression stiffened at his words. Violan knew from earlier about Cale’s condition, and it was worrisome. She also knew how much time Deruth spent to find a cure for his injury, but so far, nothing… Violan could only come up with one conclusion.
“Did his condition get worse?”
“No, no.” Deruth quickly shook his head again. “It’s more… that he’s on the verge of dying… I think.”
Violan was lost. His condition didn’t get worse but he’s on the verge of death?
“Love, what did Basen tell you?”
“Haaaa…..” A heavy sigh escaped Deruth’s lips, but he eventually opened his mouth to speak. “A god, Violan. Basen told me they met a priestess of the God of Death, who then claimed that Cale is protected by their lord.”
“….”
That…. wasn’t exactly what she was expecting.
“Protected?” Still, her calm expression remained, because acting rashly would do no one any good in this situation. Her husband had already been lost in thoughts and possibilities.
“Yes…” Deruth wiped a hand over his face again. “The priestess had apparently felt the aura of the God of Death around Cale, and they think it’s preventing his condition from getting worse.”
He’s rambling at this point, letting out every thought he has been drowning in for the past 10 minutes.
“Darling, Cale is still coughing up blood even when a god is helping him.”
Violin couldn’t tell if this information was true or not, but she knows her husband wouldn’t just jump into conclusions like that, so a part of her believes him. Though, what he’s saying is concerning. If a god truly is involved, there wasn’t much they could do. Divine healing seems to only help his fatigue, and the best thing they could do to help is monitor his condition. Even if she doubts that would make a difference, perhaps they can prevent him from experiencing these painful moments.
“Well…” she started. “You said the God of Death has already helped.”
As if unable to answer her, Deruth tried to open his mouth before choosing to give her a silent nod instead.
“Then that should be enough, no? Darling, we can only do so much if a god has decided to get involved, and from what I have seen, Cale doesn’t seem overly bothered by it.”
“Haa…” Deruth breathed out a quiet sigh, but felt himself calm down, his thoughts began to clear up. “You’re right… Basen did mention how he hadn’t been aware of the protective aura until the priestess told him.”
“Mm. Cale also told us it was an internal and reoccurring injury he lived with since a while back, but I was never under the impression he was hurting too much from it.”
Violan was right, and Deruth knew that. Even still, he couldn’t help but still worry. He would need to have Hans report to him more often. If this injury threatened his life enough for a god to take action, what other symptoms could show?
It was best to be cautious.
“Let’s trust he knows his own body.”
“Yes, alright.”
Whenever he came back from coughing up blood, Deruth can’t remember a single report where he was in pain. Sure, extreme exhaustion played a part, but it mostly never looked like it prevented him from continuing his daily life. So, unless Cale lies about him not being in any pain from the coughs (since not a single guard or servant has ever seen him when it happens to see if it hurts him), it doesn’t seem to bother him very much. On the other hand, Deruth isn’t sure how much he can trust, since Cale has lived with this for a while now, and an injury hurting the heart can’t not be painful.
Maybe Deruth should give him his own priest to follow him too…
“Did Basen say anything else?” Violan broke him out of his thoughts, and Deruth’s mind immediately began to wander from the previous topic.
“Yes, he told me a lot of things.” It was true. The God of Death wasn’t the only thing Deruth caught, even if it was the major thing that is occupying his mind. He was informed about other things like how they had met with Taylor Stan on their way to the Capital, and how he had called Cale ‘benefactor’.
‘Seriously…’
Deruth was beginning to wonder how many people Cale helped during his travels a year ago. At first there was Choi Han, then he finds out the crippled Taylor Stan is familiar with his nephew. Not to mention how Choi Han suddenly returned to the mansion with someone from the wolf tribe?
Even if Deruth greatly admired Cale’s bleeding heart, he also couldn’t help but worry. How much is he giving and not taking? How easily would someone be able to take advantage of such a kindhearted person?
Apparently, seeing Deruth not answer, Violan chose to ask him a question to get some information. She was curious about what else had happened to their son during the trip to the Capital.
“How about when Basen met with the other northern heirs? Did he tell you what they discussed?”
The purpose of the meeting was not politics this time. Instead, the meeting was mainly for preparations before the celebration, and what to expect at the banquet. Another sigh from her husband caused curiosity to glint in her eye, but she didn’t let it show on her face.
“Yes, apparently, Basen had brought Cale along to the meeting. It wasn’t something any of the other nobles minded, but I wished he would have spoken to me about it beforehand.”
For the past few days, the paper stacks on his desk had piled up, and Deruth was unfortunately not able to call Basen until today. The results caused a bit of a misunderstanding to take place before he could do anything to help…. If you could call it that.
During the meeting, Eric Wheelsman had not been acting like himself, and instead said something unnecessary. Deruth doesn’t blame him, he also almost said something inappropriate when he first saw Cale, but it didn’t exactly help the situation.
He also doesn’t really want to speak about Jour with Violan. Deruth loved Jour just as much as he currently loves Violan, but he felt bad about mentioning his deceased wife to her. However, his current wife was sharp and smart, and she also didn’t have any ill thoughts towards Jour. That’s why she had no problem assuming what could have happened at the meeting.
“Were perhaps their reactions to Cale unexpected?”
Really, Violan always knew what to say. Of course she would pick up on what it’s about.
Deruth slowly nodded his head. “Eric Wheelsman.”
Hearing the name of a young man, the Wheelsman’s heir, Violan understood. She knew from before how Eric felt regarding Jour Henituse, and it was understandable. From reports, he was quite fond of her when she was alive, but was also greatly saddened when she passed away. Seeing someone so close to her, both in appearance and by blood, must have been hard.
Violan doesn't dare compare herself to Jour one bit. Both for her own sake and in respect for the people who knew her when the wonderful woman was lively and well. Jour was her own person, and so was Violan. If anything, she felt a sort of kinship as the current countess to Jour, who was the previous countess.
Never had Violan heard anything bad about the woman, so a part of her admired her. Even if she never got the chance to personally meet Jour, Violan is aware how big of an impression she could leave on people. Especially children, seeing how Eric wasn’t the only one who enjoyed her company after all.
“Did he do something rash?” She asked her troubled husband in a calm voice. If he was bringing up the young man with such an expression, his reaction to Cale might’ve not been very positive.
“Basen told me how Eric was acting weird ever since they arrived.” His sentence already hinted at what happened. He must have been more affected than they could’ve predicted. “The boy stayed quiet for most of the meal, but after a while, he mentioned Cale’s parents.”
“His parents.” Violan repeated what Deruth said with a frown taking place on her face again.
“Yes…” He sounded exhausted as he recalled the report. Although Deruth’s curiosity about Cale’s origins almost painfully ate away in the pit of his stomach at times, he knew his limits. It took one simple answer from the young man during their first dinner together for him to make his own conclusions.
‘I don’t know where my parents are.’
That is what Cale said when Deruth asked about them. Even if the gloomy mood quickly vanished as Cale changed the subject, neither Deruth or Violan missed it. There was a weird and almost sad look in the red-haired man’s eyes when he answered his question. It would be one thing if he said they were dead, but stating he didn’t know where they were brought up a different question.
There was a very high possibility that something either happened to Cale’s parents, rendering him alone in the world without knowing if they were alive or not, or if they abandoned him instead. Deruth doesn’t know which option he prefers, but no child should need to experience neither.
“I see…” Violan muttered under her breath. “I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it.”
Eric was still young, even if he was an adult, so Deruth could understand him. Even he, who was a lord at that, almost did something stupid when Cale first arrived at the estate. Besides, Deruth had also made the mistake of asking about his parents, so he couldn’t bring himself to get mad at the boy.
He just hoped Cale wasn’t very affected by the question.
badum, badum, badum, badum—
‘Fuck. Why now?’
It really was a bad timing for his heart to start acting up. Crouching on top of one of the buildings around the plaza, Cale and his people were hiding. Everyone’s hair had been dyed a common brown, and half of their faces were concealed with a black mask. They wore a disguise, a specific disguise Cale had prepared beforehand.
Arm’s outfits.
“….ha…hah…”
Cale was trying his best to keep his ragged breathing under control. He couldn’t let anyone around him hear him. However, he didn’t try to conceal the hand that reached up to grip the area around his heart. The reason was because he could move freely when a dragon helped make all of them invisible, even if they chose to stay still until the right time.
The root of despair. It hit him during the worst time possible.
-badum-badum-badum-badum—
‘Ugh….’
Like it was the only thing he could hear, the sound of every heartbeat echoed in his ears. Every boom of his heart felt like it was shocking his entire body, and Cale was beginning to question if it got worse from last time.
— 15 minutes left.
But he couldn’t think about it for now. This was more important. Cale immediately signaled for the others to start working with a quiet snap of his fingers, and multiple presences around him disappeared, but there were a few who stayed. Lock was one of them.
The young boy stood beside him after insisting he would help… but he would remain at Cale’s side at all cost. Unlike how it went in his own world, Cale had more people to make use of, so he didn’t need to get Lock involved.
badum, badum, badum, badum
Trying his best to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in his chest, Cale got ready.
The assassin duo, Choi Han, Rosalyn and Dodam were the main group who slowly spread out to cover more ground without getting noticed.
They weren’t alone either. On the rooftops of multiple buildings, the adults from the Blue Wolf Tribe hid with the help of Dodam. Not all of them were fully healed, but Cale wasn’t planning on making them fight. After all, there was a reason Cale wanted to gather a lot of people.
‘Intimidation.’
They weren’t there as fighters, but to strike fear into the enemy.
badum. badum. badum.
While Cale looked down on the plaza, a familiar gold caught his sight. Alberu Crossman. It wasn’t the Alberu who Cale could comfortably visit or call whenever he wanted. No, this was the Alberu who Cale first met when the prince was 15-years-old, but nothing major seemed to have changed.
It was a relief. He still held the position of crown prince, the sly bastard.
Cale moved his gaze from Alberu and quickly found Basen. The young boy sat quietly by the northern table with the other nobles around him. (Including Taylor Stan whose legs were healed. Good.) Basen was completely oblivious to what will happen in just a few minutes, and Cale can only hope he tries to flee as soon as everything starts.
— I’m keeping them invisible, human!
Right as Dodam dutifully reported every movement of their party, Cale could hear Zed Crossman’s voice echo through the plaza.
“It has been 30 years since I became the ruler of this kingdom under the blessing of the sun..”
The king of Roan seemed genuinely happy. It was weird to see him like this when Cale already met the same one almost a decade ago in this world. And at that time, the kindhearted king had been nowhere in sight.
Even now, his moment of happiness would get destroyed, because the clock just hit 9:00.
Crackle!
From the opposite side of where Cale and his people were hiding, men dressed in black clothes appeared one by one, a red crackle made from a mage’s teleportation magic traced after them.
And on top of the clock…
Stood Redika.
“Huh?”
“What’s that?”
“What’s going on…?”
Confused murmurs began to fill the plaza, but Cale could see it. The lighthearted atmosphere was gone in an instant.
“Who are you people?!” King Zed shouted at the unexpected guests with a tense frown. “Get down from there right now!”
The knights and mages immediately began to run to the Bell Tower, making all of the previously calm citizens nervous instead. Multiple people dressed in black had suddenly appeared around the plaza which caused a disturbance, and Redika only maniacally laughed in response.
‘Just a little more.’
Cale rested a hand on a black kitten’s back, signaling for On to get ready. Both On and Hong were there. Their fur having been dyed a black to blend in with the clothes.
A red crackle of mana covered Redika’s hands, and the sky turned dark
“Should be fun.”
A chilling voice that caused a shiver to strike down through every person filled the plaza.
Shhhhh! Bang!
However, they couldn’t stand still. The red mana in Redika’s hand shot out in all directions, and screams ripped from the people’s throats.
“Aaaaaaahh!”
“Run!”
The chaos had started, and Cale hastily stood up. On gave a small nod in understandment, and as the invisibility magic was slowly canceled bit by bit, an ominous fog rose up in the air. The two kittens then hid at Cale’s command.
White fog spread out over the building tops, an off phenomenon that couldn’t be caused by nature. Many looked up in fear as a shiver ran down their spines, including Arm.
“What’s this?” Among them stood Redika with his hands lowered, making the attack come to a temporary stop. This wasn’t part of the plan, and there’s no way fog can just magically materialize in such a large city without human intervention.
Squinting his eyes with suspicion, Redika caught sight of something unusual.
“Ho…? Haha.. hahah!” The blood crazy mage suddenly started laughing again, but his eyes were no longer focused on the citizens on the ground. “A third party…?”
He sounded surprised, like he hadn’t expected more people to show up, and Cale could only huff under his breath. Redika wasn’t the only one surprised, and if it weren’t the civilians on the ground, it was the other members of Arm.
Soon, anger also began to build up.
“How dare…!” A man dressed in Arm’s outfit suddenly yelled. Which also drove the others to voice their confusion and anger about the unexpected people.
“Who are you?!”
“Such shabby uniforms..!”
Their eyes were moving everywhere. Seeing multiple people silently stand and stare at them from afar while dressed in the same clothes caused an Arm member to take a step back. Who were these bastards?
Everyone except for the wolf tribe already started running. Cale ignored the other attackers in favor of watching the plaza. Screams still echoed around and every noble, who would usually sit elegantly still, was panicking. Somewhere around there, two assassins, a mage, a swordsman, and a dragon were running around, searching for the remaining bombs.
— All seven bombs are dismantled! Choi Han found another one!
Just as Dodam reported to Cale, he saw how an invisible force pushed at a person before snatching their bag and holding it up in the air. All the while, the swordsman was skillfully dodging any royal mage who found out about his presence.
“Hey! Look at me!” Suddenly, Redika’s loud voice reached Cale’s ears and he found the crazy bastard pointing right at him. If Cale had his normal hair color, Redika might go crazy over the red, but it was currently a boring brown. Still, it didn’t seem to stop him from focusing on Cale of all people.
Finding no point in lingering on Redika, he ignored the crazy mage once more to search for Basen among the ground, which caused the blood crazy mage’s expression to worsen in anger.
— Smart Rosalyn found a bomb!
One more.
They needed to find one more bomb to reach the expected number. Basen was by the entrance, a painfully panicked and chaotic expression on his face, and Cale couldn’t help but look at him. It hurt a bit to see him this scared, but he shouldn’t be in danger. He would make sure of that.
“Why are you blocking the entrance?!”
“Let us out right now!”
The citizens were screaming at the knights standing in front of the exit, but Cale let his eyes wander.
Alberu stood firm just like he did back in Cale’s world. Despite the stressed mages trying to get him to move, all he did was inspect the chaos while observing the enemy. For a split second, when Cale almost turned away, their eyes met.
Ice surged through his veins as their gazes crossed. Cale couldn’t tell if he was just looking in their direction since they were so far away, or at him, but an uneasy feeling told him Alberu saw right into his eyes.
The blue eyes turned away from him soon after, and Cale felt baffled. Had he imagined it…?
“Argh! Don’t ignore me!” An angry shout made the whole podium shake, and another burst of mana shot out in all directions.
“Ahhhh!”
“Help!”
Booooom!
“You’re loud.” He muttered under his breath, glaring at Redika instead of thinking more of Alberu.
Everything was so loud, and Cale couldn’t help but wince with tension in his shoulders. It was at that moment that a part of the mana burst shot right in Cale’s direction—
“Mister Cale—!”
Lock moved in front of him in panic, having said his name without realizing, but it wasn’t needed.
Bang!
The deadly attack stopped in the air. No, a half transparent black shield appeared once the dust settled, and Cale’s deepened glare pierced through Redika, making his whole body shake under the pressure. But instead of fear, a mad smile creeped up on his face, causing Cale to become stiff with anxiety.
“Ah…” A low breath escaped the crazy mage.
— Stupid bastard! You dare try to attack my human?!
“The dragon is here…”
“…!”
Cale’s breath hitched.
‘Fuck.’
Redika recognized Dodam. This was bad. He had hoped Dodam would be kept a secret for a little longer, but the dangers just rose. He should have been more careful with letting the dragon run wild.
‘Whatever… I just need to make sure he doesn’t escape alive.’
Cale’s eyes darkened at the thought. He wouldn’t let him touch Dodam.
— Ah! Human! The last bomb was just found!
That makes 10. All bombs were found.
“Activate mana stability magic!”
The royal mages shouted an order and began to channel their magic. Right in time for when the bombs were going to go off, and Cale signaled for Dodam and Rosalyn to send them away.
Ooooooong.
A magic stability shield formed in the sky, and Cale watched how three items shot out in the air outside of the thin layer of mana. The citizen could only blankly stare at the sight, internally hoping everything would be over soon.
“Mana stability complete!”
Cale held his breath. At that moment….
Boooooom!
A large explosion occurred in the sky, and every mage around the plaza flinched at the amount of mana the shockwaves gave off. The explosion was so bright that it blinded everyone, making them freeze in place.
Cale didn’t let himself watch for much longer, and instead turned to look down on the people once more. He trusted his team that there wouldn’t be any more bombs, but he couldn’t prevent the relieved sigh at seeing nothing destroyed. Despite the trembling lips and terrified, shaky eyes, Basen was unscathed.
The plaza became deathly silent. So quiet that even a murmur of ‘magic bombs’ echoed in the people’s ringing ears. They were scared. Scared what would have happened if those bombs exploded in the plaza, if they exploded right where they were.
“Huh…” A confused hum came from Redika, whose gaze was still fixated on the smoke rising in the air from the magic bombs. His happy face was nowhere in sight. However, his piercing eyes moved to Cale instead, and sent shivers down his spine. He looked even more crazy when he wasn’t smiling.
“Did you do that?”
This was weird, and Cale frowned deeply. Why would Redika react like that? It didn’t match his personality at all, and that alone caused an iffy feeling to pool in Cale’s gut.
‘Are there not more bombs? Were those really all of them?’
Redika wasn’t doing anything, and the eerie silence didn’t help at all. They looked at each other for a while, no one doing anything to disturb them from their frozen state, and tension built up in the air. Eventually, the blood crazy mage moved, his eyes curled up into crescents.
“I knew it…”
‘What?’
What did he mean by that? What does Redika mean by ‘I knew it’? Even while those questions swirled in Cale’s mind, his words also sprang someone else into action.
badum. badum. badum. badum.
“What are you doing?! Who are you? Do you think you will be fine after attempting to commit such a death!” King Zed roared and broke the silence, causing the citizen to jolt with realization and panic to surge up again. No one was sure what was happening, or which of the mysterious groups the king was directing his threat to.
The fact that these people were trying to detonate magic bombs directly next to the royal family and nobles was no different than declaring war against the kingdom. It didn’t take long for every guard to run at the terrorists once more.
“Hahahah! How fun!” A crazy laugh made Cale’s face stiffen up. He secretly sent a message to Dodam to get ready just in case, who would also relay the message to Rosalyn. Something else was happening.
badum.badum.badum.badum.ba-
Snap!
Redika snapped his fingers, and more people clothed in black appeared. But it was not just two…
No. Four individuals with much-too-familiar backpacks teleported on top of the rooftops with a lingering crackle of red mana.
‘Fuck!’
Badum! Badum! Badum! Badum!
Cale’s heart was racing, but it was not something he could control. Despite the way his throat tightened with every breath, his mind was chaotic.
There were four suicide bombers. A total of 14 bombs.
But why? Why would they increase the bombs? Why would it change so much?
“Kahahah! Oh, the look on your face is wonderful!”
Half of Cale’s face was covered by a mask, but the widened eyes were still visible. At this point, everyone noticed how the blood crazy mage was more focused on the mysterious third party rather than the nobles.
All four of them took out three scrolls each and ripped them at the same time, giving them a shield, acceleration, and combustion.
They were already running. And two of them ran straight in their direction.
-badum—badum—badum—badum—
“Go! Now!” Cale shouted at the disguised wolves with urgency, and they immediately scattered at his command. It was only Lock who hesitated for an extra second before seeing the look in Cale’s eyes and turning on his heels.
— Human!
‘Fuck! Shit, shit, shit, shit—‘
The remaining two suicide bombers jumped from the Bell Tower, and Redika threw his hands in the air with a laugh.
Cale’s heart dropped.
They were running to the exit.
They were running at Basen—
Badum—badum! Badum.. badum….
Wind gathered around Cale’s feet, and he jumped. He jumped fast with strength he didn’t know he had.
He just knew that he needed to reach Basen before they could.
..badum… badum…. badum……
It hurt. His heart squeezed in his chest, and Cale felt himself unable to breathe.
— Human!!!
The two people, who had used acceleration magic, were rushing to the plaza at a fast pace where the most amount of people were.
One of them was rushing at the royal family, while the other….
‘Basen.’
“Aaaaaaaahh!”
“R, Run away!!”
“Dodge!”
It was too late to dodge, and it all happened so fast.
…badum.. badum…..
Landing in the middle of the crowd, Cale desperately reached out for the brown-haired boy.
‘Basen…!’
The Basen of this world wasn’t his brother. Cale would eventually leave all of them because he needed to get back to his own world. But even…
His hand grabbed at Basen’s arm, and he pulled hard. Cale harshly pushed the boy behind him, and took a stance in front of the crowd.
….badum………..badum…..
His heart was slowing down. Too slow.
The bomb was closing in. Cale reached his hands into the air.
“Explode!”
…..badum……..badum……..
……ba….
…..
When Cale’s heart stopped, all he could hear was the small whisper behind him.
“…Hyung?”
The sky brightened up again.
Notes:
I rewrote this chapter two times
Anyway,
Deruth is PANICKING!! I’ve been waitingggg to write about his thoughts regarding everything, because Basen said he would tell him about Cale’s relation to the God of Death a few chapters back. To be honest, i wanted the whole plaza terror incident to be a separate chapter, but when I squeezed in Deruth’s POV, i felt the ending was a good cliffhanger.
Poor you, Zed. Your birthday party is ruined :(
Honestly, this chapter was so fun to write even if i was struggling. ‘Been having this scenario replay itself in my mind for weeks i tell you, but since i imagined it so perfectly, it was SO hard to write down my thoughts. However, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Was going for as much tension as possible hihi ;D
And really, Cale? Your heart stopped? Cough cough…Skill issue🖐️🙄
No, but seriously. The root of despair in his heart had been hinting something would happen one or two chapters away (i can’t remember hahah) and it finally hit him. Even if there were 10 bombs in both TBOAH and Tcf, there were 14 this time? Making them four $uicide bombers? Nothing can ever go Cale’s way.
Alberu made his first appearance! :) But Cale couldn’t focus on him :( too worried for his brother, who happened to be in danger even if Cale tried to predict he wouldn’t. I feel like Cale has a hard time distinguishing the differences between his people and this world’s. So, even if he was panicking about not letting Basen get hurt, i believe his body also moved on his own.
Hopefully nothing bad will happen ¬‿¬
Chapter 29: The Plaza Terror Incident (2)
Notes:
Omggg over 100k words?? Whoopsie
Was planning on posting this a lot earlier…😃anyway, here we are! Part twoooo!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Basen couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move either.
He didn’t understand what was happening. Someone was pulling on his arm, trying to get him off the ground, but he couldn’t move. Couldn’t look away. Not from the man in front of him.
Basen knows he can’t recognize him. Or, he shouldn’t be able to. But somehow he knew.
‘Mister Cale..’
The man dressed in black, someone who wore the same outfit as the other terrorists…. He pushed Basen behind him, and stood in front of where the bomb would soon explode.
‘Why?’
He doesn’t understand it. Basen’s ears were ringing, and everything blurred except for Cale. It was all happening so quickly, but Basen felt like time was slowing. Almost to a stop.
Gloved hands lifted into the air. Basen wanted to reach out to him (just like how Cale is reaching out to the bomb). To pull him behind him just like he did with Basen. To get him away from the bomb that would undoubtedly kill them all as soon as it exploded.
For a moment, he saw someone else. He saw his father and his mother. Basen saw Lily, and his home. Was this how they describe your life flashing before your eyes before death?
He saw something else too. A blurry image of a boy, who looked to be around 9, but Basen knew he was older than him in the memory. He had red hair. Beautiful red hair. But he was yelling, and Basen was crying. He didn’t know why he was crying, but he was.
The red-haired boy gripped his shoulders, and Basen looked into those familiar eyes.
A Henituse.
He was a Henituse.
He should act like one, because the Henituse blood flows through his veins.
The blurred face cleared, and a single word left Basen as soon as the memory ended.
“…Hyung?”
The sky turned bright. A loud explosion sent shockwaves through everyone’s bodies, and Basen clutched at his head from the noise. He felt like his ears were bleeding, but he couldn’t look away.
Sound came back.
“Aaaaaaah!”
“Ugh, help!”
The screams of terrified people instantly filled the plaza. Basen thought he would also be screaming, but the surprise of feeling like his body was still whole left him speechless. But even then, that wasn’t what made him unable to move.
Once the dust cleared, everyone’s eyes snapped to the exit. A silver shield, so beautiful and breathtaking, lit up the whole plaza. It looked holy and divine even from afar. The shield was connected by a string of light, and a pair of divine-looking wings surrounded them like a comforting blanket.
A man. A man clothed like the attackers. He was standing in front of a group of nobles, holding up his hands that connected to the shield. No one had died.
Clannnggg!
The shield suddenly broke like pieces of glass, and the sharp shards disappeared into the air with a shimmering wind. Basen saw how Cale’s hands were shaking as they lowered to the ground, the beautiful wings disappearing in the process—
Thud!
But Basen’s blood ran cold when Cale’s knees gave out. He was hurting, he couldn’t stand.
Basen slowly reached his hand out to him, and took a step closer on shaky legs. He needed to help him. Hyung was in pain. He needed to—
Grab.
Something— no, someone grabbed at his arm, pulling him away from Cale. Basen immediately fought against the arms, and a scream tore itself out of his throat.
“NO! Let me go!” His hand was still reaching for Cale, who sat lifelessly on his knees, looking like he would collapse with the smallest gust of wind.
The loud shout shook the people into action. Guards began to run again, and Basen could do literally nothing but watch as one, two knights came closer, crouched down. Basen thought they would help, he thought they would save Cale, but instead of doing like he thought they would….
“No! What are you doing?! He saved us!”
The knights ignored him and took a hold of Cale’s wrists that hung limply by his sides. They harshly restrained him, and pushed him down. Cale wasn’t resisting (why wasn’t he resisting?) and without hands to catch him, he hit the ground. The guards were treating him like a criminal, and Basen clawed at the hands that held him back.
He wasn’t the only one panicking. There were shouts and screams all around them, but there was one voice who no one but Choi Han and the others could hear.
— I’ll kill him! He hurt my human! You cannot die, human! I’ll kill him!!
Rage. So much from the small dragon, but he shouldn’t be underestimated. A chilling laugh broke everyone’s thoughts.
“Kyahahahhaha! Oh my! I never expected something like this to happen!” Redika, who was still standing on top of the Bell Tower, looked down on the plaza with open arms. He clasped his hands together and breathed out a sigh. “Haa… a shame no one died. At least one person bled a little bit. You look so beautiful in red.”
What? No, Cale had saved everyone. Dodam followed through with every order. He made sure to cast a magic shield over his human’s shield when the bombs exploded. Even Smart Rosalyn ran to where the second bomb was at, so no one should have gotten hurt. Why is he saying that? There shouldn’t be blood….
— ……
Dodam’s breath stuttered.
Drip. Drip.
His h-human…
His human, who was pushed to the ground by those vile knights (Dodam wanted to kill them. To kill them all, but Cale had told him not to).
There were drops of a black liquid that slowly grew into a puddle on the ground. Right by his human’s face. The black mask covering his human’s mouth had turned into an even darker color.
Blood.
He wasn’t moving. His human wasn’t moving.
“Hahahahha!”
The crazy laugh began again, but Dodam’s ears were ringing.
“How do you like that?! You thought you had it all figured out, hmm?”
Dodam drew in heavy breaths as he watched his human. Rage rumbled deep in his chest.
“I don’t know how you knew, but I guess you weren’t completely prepared. Ah, I want to cut you up more! More blood!”
Shut up.
“Oh, and look at that? The beast is throwing a tantrum too?”
Shut up.
“Are you sad seeing him hurt? Seeing him bleed?”
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.
“He isn’t moving! Hahahah!”
SHUT UP. SHUT UP.
“Seems like he couldn’t even handle a single bomb! So sad. I want to cut his head off—“
“SHUT UP!”
Splash!
Something red exploded into the sky. Blood fell down like rain. The plaza turned silent at the horrific scene, and not a single person could move.
The blood crazy mage’s head exploded with a splattering noise, his lifeless body fell from the Bell Tower. Right as the trembling voice of a child echoed in everyone’s ears. A presence incomparable to a human’s shook the mages down to the core. Lungs tightening up in fear.
“Hah…! Hah…”
Dodam panted loudly, still seeping with anger. The mage was annoying. He hurt his human. He killed him! Redika deserved to die. He deserved a painful death, and Dodam regrets killing him so easily, but he couldn’t stop himself.
While remaining invisible, he slowly turned his body around. He saw Cale. He saw his human lying on the ground. Deathly still with two men holding him down.
“Let go…”
He ordered the evil humans. They were hurting him. They were hurting his human. Dodam wanted them to let go.
The knights wouldn’t move. Or, it was more like they couldn’t. Frozen by fear, they heard the command and knew it was directed by them, but the pressuring aura made them unable to their limbs to even flinch.
The dragon didn’t let them stay frozen for long, his patience quickly ran out. They were hurting HIS HUMAN!
“I SAID LET GO OF HIM—!”
Bang!
Right as the voice of the child roared through the plaza, something slammed into the ground, making dust cloud the air.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
The two knights holding Cale down flew off of him and crashed into the wall beside them, knocking them out.
Cale remained motionless, but his arms slumped beside him. However, everyone backed away in fear when another man landed in front of him, using his body to shield the unconscious man from anyone near.
The mysterious pressure doubled as the man flicked his sword as a warning. He glared at them with murder in his eyes, but no one noticed the slightly shaky hands.
Not even a second later, more people landed beside Cale. It was Ron and Beacrox. Ron met Choi Han’s eyes for a short moment before immediately crouching down. He didn’t waste any time moving Cale onto his back while supporting his head.
Ron couldn’t take off the bloody mask to check his breathin in front of everyone, and instead held two fingers against his pulse at his neck. The young man was unconscious, but blood slowly dripped out of his mouth. The lack of coughing was worrying. He could be silently choking on his own blood.
Slow. His heartbeat was slow, but it was there. Barely. It took one look at his son to relay the message.
“We need to go.” Beacrox’s cold voice sent shivers down everyone's spines, still frozen in fear. No one, not even King Zed, moved to stop them when a magic teleportation circle formed their feet.
They were gone just like that, and so was the pressuring aura. The people could breathe again.
It was only now that they noticed the lifeless bodies of their enemies lying on the ground around re plaza. Basen’s eyes shook when he realized Cale and his people had silently killed the other terrorists when no one was looking.
However, He couldn’t let his mind continue on that thought. Right now, all he could do is pray that Cale would be okay.
Basen hoped to meet him back at the mansion, even if it was a slim chance. Even if he wasn’t religious, he still looked up and prayed to the god who chose to save Cale once before.
‘Please be okay.’
“Human! Human!”
Cale’s vision blurred, a childish voice echoed in his ears.
“Look! It’s snow! It’s snowing!”
Raon, he recognized. Cale felt like he was floating. Like he was drifting away in a sea of water.
A scenery of white filled his line of sight, but he wasn’t able to make out anything of it. A silhouette appeared, two more. One was black, one was red, and the third one almost blended in with the white background.
“Hahah!”
A distant laugh echoed. The three silhouettes were jumping around. They were happy.
Cale wanted to join them.
“Hu…an!”
The black bundle of mass shouted. He knew it was calling out to him, also wanting him to join them. So, Cale reached his hand out, needing to get closer.
Raon.
But the three silhouettes became distant instead. They went further away, out of his reach. Cale strained his hand, wanting to call out to them, wanting them to wait for him.
Raon.
But it wasn’t they who were running away, it was Cale who was moving. He was falling, too quick. He has experienced this before. He knew this feeling.
He didn’t like this feeling.
Muffled voices rang in Cale’s ears, his mind sluggish. A dull pain in his chest made him flinch, and the voices grew louder. Hands were touching him, pulling at him. He couldn’t breathe.
Cale tried to claw at his throat, his lungs burned. Something grabbed his hand instead, preventing him from being able to move it. Cale desperately twitched, trying to get away. He needed to breathe.
The thing covering his mouth disappeared. He heard a gasp above him. It might’ve been his own. The hands tightened around him, and Cale’s head began to spin.
He wanted to go back.
Raon.
Cale wanted to find Raon again. Just like how he had been calling out to him.
He felt his mind drift again.
Instead, he opened his eyes and saw grey.
“Hey, sleep…ead.”
A different voice. Cale almost didn’t hear it.
“….you kno…………scare……hmm?”
Cale was lying down, his eyes blurred again. Fog surged in his mind, making it impossible to form thoughts.
He tried to move his head, a painful groan reached his ears.
“….hey….hey……..going…..kay?”
Hands were touching him again. There were two voices. Cale closed his eyes again.
“No, no…. don’t…”
He listened. Listened and opened his eyes again. Two silhouettes this time, on either side of him. They were human.
“Keep….es open. Dongsaeng?”
He knew that voice. Rok Soo knew that smile.
“Dongsaeng.”
“…k Soo. Kim Rok Soo.”
Hyung.
“…that’s…..ight. Don’t close………..dongsaeng.”
They were speaking to him. Rok Soo knew who they were. He regrets it. He regrets that he never said it.
Hyung.
Rok Soo remembers blood. He hated pain, but it wasn’t him who was in pain.
Another groan, and a painful stab in his heart made his mind swirl.
This time, he couldn’t stop his view from returning to darkness.
A gentle shake, but it made him nauseous. Rok Soo felt a hand under his head, another was holding his arm.
“Ugh….”
His surroundings were chaotic, and even more voices reached his ears.
“What’s wrong……..him?”
“….stop…the blee…..”
Kim Rok Soo tried to open his eyes again, to listen. It was hard to see. Everything was bright.
But the silhouettes of humans remained.
Hyung.
“….ey…….hear me?”
Someone spoke to him, a man.
His vision blurred again, and he felt like the tiniest bit of movement would strike pain through his body. Yet, the steady hands were still holding him.
“….hyung…?”
The person froze, and so did everything else around him. The loud noise of voices quieted down, and the hand on his arm momentarily tightened.
Hyung….
Rok Soo was tired. He couldn’t move his body.
Someone was breathing loudly, and he realized it was himself. Rok Soo’s lungs still burned with every breath, and his chest kept tightening into a painful knot.
“Ha…! …cough!…”
The voices came back like a tsunami, but it was hard to stay on the surface. Kim Rok Soo fell unconscious once again.
*****
It was like time froze when Cale, who had finally opened his eyes again, muttered the word ‘Hyung’ with dazed eyes. He was clearly not in his right mind, as he wouldn’t respond to either touch or when they called out to him. But what really irked Choi Han was the fact that Cale had mumbled that word while looking at Beacrox of all people.
Said chef had also become still as a statue. Everyone was taken off guard at what just happened. However, panic returned to Choi Han when a violent cough ripped itself from Cale’s throat. The blood followed with the action.
“H-Human!”
“Cale!”
The children were here. Dodam had quickly teleported everyone back to Cale’s room in the Henituse Mansion and found the kittens in no time. As soon as they appeared, Ron put down the now dazed Cale on his bed and removed the mask. The red-haired man flinched with a cough and Choi Han had gasped at the sight.
Even now, the blood kept coming like a waterfall out of Cale’s mouth. Beacrox was hunched over him, positioning his neck in order for him to not choke on his own blood. Ron was on Cale’s other side, holding his arm that kept wanting to grab at his throat while he performed some kind of medical technique Choi Han didn’t recognize.
Choi Han hated the fact that they were so close to Cale-nim. Oh, how he wanted to push them away and prevent them from doing anything worse. But Choi Han himself doesn’t know how to treat Cale, and the two experienced assassins were their current best shot.
All he could do was painfully stand by the bed, holding the children in order to prevent them from coming closer. They were clearly distressed, probably even worse than Choi Han. Both of the kittens shook in his arms, and he did his best to comfort the dragon gripping his clothes.
Rosalyn wasn’t here with them. Back at the plaza, she had gone for the other bombs at Cale’s command. While Dodam sent a shield to the other half of the plaza, and Cale protected the exit, there had been two suicide bombers who ran after the wolves.
However, the wolf tribe were fast. Rosalyn had managed to create a shield to save their people from one of the bombs, whereas the fourth one exploded as they chased after a wolf. The wolf was luckily unscathed from the quick report he received, and the only thing destroyed was the buildings.
Choi Han isn’t sure where they are right now, but he hoped they managed to flee from the royal guards. After all, the rest of Arm’s people were easy to get rid of when their only escape route was gone.
“Cough! Cough!”
The reddish-brown eyes (Dodam had removed the dye magic) clenched shut as another painfully wet cough shook his entire body. He then fell slack again, and Choi Han instantly realized with horror that Cale had passed out.
But the blood was still not stopping.
“Human! What’s wrong with him?” Dodam asked in a desperate voice. He was scared. His human’s whole jaw and throat was covered in blood so dark it almost looked black.
Dodam knew. He knew the color of that blood wasn’t good.
“Haa….” Beacrox breathed out a quick and irritated sigh and looked up at his father. There had been a flash of amusement in the old man’s eyes when the redhead called Beacrox ‘Hyung’ but his father didn’t let it stay for long. Focusing on keeping Cale alive is more important, but they didn’t have the resources to be sure of that.
“We need a priest.”
They couldn’t treat him with what they had. However, the Henituse had every kind of healer in the mansion. Everything from a normal physician, to a healer with magic potions, to a priest with healing powers. Even if divine healing hasn't managed to cure Cale’s internal injury before, it has helped with fatigue, so they have to try.
The only problem was that every single one of them still wore the Arm outfits that Cale had given them. They couldn’t let anyone see them like this. With a heavy sigh, Ron stood up and turned to Choi Han.
“You. Go change clothes and alert the servants.”
Choi Han stiffened up with a glare, but Ron wasn’t having it this time.
“Do you want him to die? You can’t be seen with that outfit. Now go.”
“What about you?”
“Worry about yourself.” Beacrox snapped back. They knew what they were doing and had prepared to change quickly beforehand. After all, no matter the situation, both Ron and Beacrox had been on guard for this mission. An assassin needed to be prepared.
With a final glare, Choi Han finally relented. The children were left in the room as he jumped out the window. With the urgency of the matter, Ron doubts it would take long before the first healer bursts through the door.
“Hold him up.”
The dragon was silently watching them with sharp eyes, noticing every movement. Beacrox followed his father’s orders. It would be harder to change the clothes of an unconscious person, but replacing the shirt would do for now since the symbol with the stars was the biggest giveaway.
As much fun Ron has with teasing the boy, he wouldn’t let their best lead on Arm go so easily. It also seems like the secrets to the young Thames increase the more he gets to know him.
A shield. They had all seen it. Beacrox too. Before, he had heard from his father how he had purified the Tree of Death in the slums. At that time, he described it like there were white vines that crawled up the wood before the whole tree started glowing.
It had looked almost holy, and that’s when they theorized he was in possession of divine powers without registering his abilities to the church. They didn’t mention anything, though. It’s not their business if he chooses to hide from the church or not.
On another note, the shield that Beacrox can recall, it had also looked divine in his eyes. If not for the pure silver light, then it was for the wings. Those large wings that covered the people behind him like a protective blanket, and then the sturdy shield that looked like it could defend from any threat.
Beacrox is sure that if it wasn’t for the horrible timing of his heart condition acting up, then the shield would have kept standing after the first bomb.
Whatever. He needed to change clothes before the healers would arrive. There was no time to keep thinking about this.
Basen had to hurry. The royal guards had been keeping them at the plaza for safety measures for too long. He needed to get back to the mansion.
Cale was hurt. He had been very hurt, and Basen thinks he might now know the reason why he coughs up blood. He still isn't sure though, because so much was happening and it was impossible to understand it all. However, maybe Cale’s injury is related to the shield.
The shield was beautiful. It had been so beautiful and pure that a deep part of Basen subconsciously relaxed when he saw it. Because he somehow knew it would protect him from the dangers. Because Cale would protect him. He knew it.
But then Cale fell. Like someone cut the strings holding up a puppet, he had fallen to the ground, showing no resistance to the guards that pushed him down. Basen had felt scared. He’s still scared. He’s scared of what happened to Cale, if he’s okay or not.
That’s why he needed to hurry. Right now, he’s sure no one other than Basen knows that Cale was the one who defended them against the terrorists. So, while he hopes Cale returned to the mansion, he can’t help but worry that he was somewhere else for the sake of keeping his identity a secret.
‘I’ll make sure everyone keeps quiet if they find them out.’
He couldn’t have any servants leak this information if the chance of Cale being exposed actually happened. If someone actually let out information to one of the other nobles, Basen isn’t sure what would happen.
On another note, if it came to that, Basen is also not really sure how he would make that happen. But right now, he just needs to focus on finding Cale and help him.
“Young master!”
Hans shouted from behind him, almost running to catch up. Basen hadn’t let any time waste the moment the carriage stopped outside of the Henituse mansion. Opening the door in a hurry, he began to walk. It wasn’t graceful at all of a noble, since they should let the servants care for them and help with things like escort them to a place or open doors.
That’s why Hans was panicking.
“Young master-nim! Please, you must rest.” The deputy butler frantically pleaded for Basen to rest. He had just experienced an attack that threatened his life, after all, but Hans also didn’t know that the one who really needed to rest was Cale.
The halls were unusually quiet from the moment they entered through the front door. Basen’s suspicions were already raised, and it seems like he was proved right, because as soon as they neared Cale’s room, everyone had apparently gathered there.
“Elvina.” He called out to a maid he recognized. Hans fell silent behind him, worry in his eyes. The sight was nothing but chaotic. Anxious expressions on everyone’s faces, and multiple people were running all over the place.
“Ah!” The maid turned around as she heard her name, face paling when she saw him. “Y-Young master!”
“Huh? The young master?”
“He’s back?”
“Young master Basen!”
The second Elvina shouted his name, all heads snapped his way. Multiple voices called out to Basen, and their expressions were a mix of anxiety and relief. Basen got straight to the point.
“What’s happening? Is Hyung alright?”
It should have been weird for Basen, a noble and count’s son, to suddenly ask for a ‘hyung’, but everyone knew who he was talking about.
“M-Mr. Thames…. H, He’s, um. He’s…” Elvina stumbled over her words, and any other day, Basen would let her finish.
“Elvina..” He heard his own desperate voice. His own expression was probably even worse.
“I-I…!”
The maid was trembling in her place, but it was at that moment that the door to Cale’s room opened.
Click.
All heads turned to the noise, and Basen saw Ron. Immediately, a sudden memory of the old man who appeared beside Cale at the plaza came to mind. The old man at the plaza had a greyish-blond hair color, but seeing how Cale had brown hair, he couldn’t rule out the possibility that Ron had been the one at the plaza.
There were gasps around him. Basen’s breath also hitched, but it was not only because of the red that stained the old man’s clothes.
Right before Ron closed the door again, Basen caught a glimpse of what hid inside the room. There was so much blood. Too much. A dark liquid painted most of the covers on Cale’s bed, along with the lower half of his face…
Basen felt nauseous. There was too much, too dark blood.
He looked dead.
Three other people were surrounding Cale, but Basen could barely see the recognizable priest robe on one of them. He was too focused on looking at the dying unconscious person on the bed.
Then the door closed, and he had no choice but to look straight at Ron instead.
“Ron,” he called out, trembling fists that made his nails dig into his hand. “What happened.”
The old man, who Basen has known since he first arrived at the Henituse estate with his mother, looked down at him. But those eyes weren’t the ones he had grown used to. They were different now. Basen isn’t sure if Ron is doing it on purpose or the fact that Basen now knows of his capabilities that changed it.
“…”
He was quiet, and not responding with his usual smile. Their surroundings had also gone quiet, everyone wouldn’t dare to interrupt them. Not after seeing the amount of blood on Ron’s clothes, not after seeing their young master’s chaotic expression.
The eyes changed, and the benign smile came back.
“Do not worry, young master-nim. The healers are currently tending to Mr. Thames and will heal him in no time. This old Ron will make sure of that.”
“……”
Basen didn’t have the courage to question him. No, Ron was a nice man. He was always polite, and while Basen didn’t talk with him most of the time, he saw the dedication he had to his job. Ron did his job as a butler better than anyone, which is also why everyone likes him so much.
Even now, Basen couldn’t question him. Because he was holding a bloody cloth in one hand, and looked at Basen with a smile that told him everything would be okay.
Would he be okay?
“C, Could you tell me what is happening to him?” He has calmed down now. Basen wasn’t questioning what had happened anymore. No, what he was asking was what happened to Cale. Why he was coughing up blood. Why he had fainted.
Ron wasn’t answering him immediately, but the smile was still there.
“Perhaps you could ask him that yourself, young master-nim.”
“……”
When his mind finally comes back to him, Cale wakes up with a jolt.
“Cough! Cough!”
Before he could even open his eyes, a cough that scratched the walls of his throat tore itself from him as soon as he took a deep breath.
“Ahh!”
“Human!”
“Nya!”
Small paws pushed at him while Cale screwed his eyes shut at the sudden pain from his dry throat.
“C-Cale-nim!” Choi Han’s voice reached him, and Cale can feel gentle hands help him raise his head, something cold touching his lips. He subconsciously grasped the glass of water and immediately swallowed the liquid, relaxing at the feeling.
With a groggy mind, Cale slowly opened his eyes once he was done drinking. The first thing he saw was three children’s worried expressions.
“Ah….”
“D-Don’t speak, human!” Raon was quick to demand, flying up to land on the pillow beside him, looking straight into his human’s tired, reddish-brown eyes.
“Yeah! You don’t need to speak, Cale! Just rest.” The two kittens also jumped forward and he was soon surrounded him on the bed.
Cale felt a bit overwhelmed, mind not completely out of the sleepy state he was in just a few seconds ago. Every limb on his body felt heavy, too heavy for him to be able to lift. His vision blurred a bit, so he blinked a couple of times before managing to focus again.
Everyone had gone quiet at this point; something Cale appreciated. Walking up so violently wasn’t very fun, and it sure was different how he usually wakes up after fainting. Slowly, a hand pried the glass out of Cale’s hold with such gentleness and carefulness that it took him a few extra moments to realize he wasn’t holding it anymore. Cale’s whole weight rested on an arm around his shoulders, and his heavy head laid against a shoulder. He hadn’t noticed.
With shallow breaths, Cale used whatever strength he had left and lifted a hand that gently landed on Raon’s head. The silent dragon looked at him with wide eyes for a few moments, not moving away or leaning into the hand petting him. Eventually, the beautiful sapphire eyes turned glossy, and Raon jumped forward, burying his face into Cale’s side (very carefully, of course).
“Nyaaa!”
The hug sprang On and Hong into action as they also jumped forward. Cale did his best to embrace all of them with one hand as the arm holding him up slightly tightened.
“Haaa…..” He let out a tired, but relieved sigh. Cale’s mind was beginning to clear up from his dizzy state, and it didn’t take long for him to recall the plaza terror incident to every detail thanks to Record.
The way Redika had teleported 4 suicide bombers to the plaza, the way one of them had gone straight for Basen, the way Cale had used his shield…. He remembers it all. Cale can also remember the moment before he fell unconscious. A terrible pain that squeezed his heart enough he felt that it would break under the pressure. At that moment, Cale knew something was wrong.
While he can remember the pain, he doesn’t know what happened after he fainted. Was everyone okay? Did anyone get hurt, or even died? Was Basen okay?
Cale looked up, instantly recognizing the walls of the Henituse mansion in the Capital. So he was back here. They must have fled soon after he fainted….. but wait—
Turning his gaze down, Cale didn’t see the outfit he was expecting. Instead, he wore clean white clothes without a tint of red on it. It took him by surprise, but was welcomed. However, even if someone had changed his clothes, that doesn’t rule out the fact that he was currently on his bed in the Henituse mansion, after having passed out disguised as Arm.
“Cale-nim?”
Choi Han.
Right.
Cale let go of the shirt he had a grip on, and moved his head a bit, making eye contact with the swordsman. It appears the arms holding him up belonged to Choi Han, his eyebrows still furrowed wit concern.
— Cale… I’m sorry….
At that moment, right as he was looking into Choi Han’s obsidian eyes, Crybaby spoke in his mind. His voice was full of shame. He didn’t specify what he was apologizing for, but Cale could take a guess. On another note, he still felt just as tired as he was when he first appeared in this world, so he figured Crybaby couldn’t heal fatigue related to the root of despair.
— Cale, please eat something! I’m so hungry.
Or he just needed energy.
What Glutton said was also true. Now that his heart didn’t hurt anymore, the uncomfortable hunger took its place in his stomach. It was kind of painful.
“….meat.”
“What?”
“I want meat.”
Choi Han looked a bit dumbfounded before he swiftly cooled his expression, lips curling up instead.
“Of course, Cale-nim.”
“Are you hungry, Human??” Dodam peeked his head out from his side. “Do you want an apple pie? I have a lot!”
Since Cale was still too exhausted to move, the children happily helped with putting a few pillows against the headboard of the bed while Choi Han held him close. The swordsman let Cale lean back comfortably into a sitting position before he got up. Walking to the door, he opened it without a care for the startled guards outside.
“Huh?”
Two guards had been stationed right outside the room by Basen, while the whole hallway was filled with servants who either did their work or was meant to keep an eye on Cale. Of course, Choi Han was the one who mostly watched over the redhead as he recovered, only sending a servant in if he needed to leave for a short moment. So the other maids and butlers purpose out in the hallway was mostly to keep their ears open and notify a healer if anything happened. Everyone was on guard after what happened to their young master’s cousin.
The moment Choi Han opened the door, they all turned their heads. He looked at each of them, gaze not staying longer than a second before it moved to the next one, then he opened his mouth.
“Cale-nim is hungry.”
A single sentence made the room freeze to a stop. It was silent enough the sound of a pin drop could echo in the hallway for everyone to hear. Very slowly, a maid slightly turned her head to look over Choi Han’s shoulder.
Clang!
There she saw an awake Cale Thames, sitting up on his bed and petting the two kittens on his lap. The thankfully empty silver tray in her hand dropped to the ground with a loud clang and shook the room.
“Mi-Mister Thames is awake!”
“What?!”
“He is?!”
“Immediately notify the young master!”
“Find a healer!”
“No! He said he was hungry! Go to the chefs instead!”
Cale tiredly lifted his head at the chaotic noise from beyond the door, but Choi Han had already closed it again, a reassuring smile on his face.
“Don’t worry, Cale-nim. The food is on its way.”
He felt slightly iffy seeing that smile on Choi Han’s face, but dismissed it just as easily as it had appeared, and true to his words, it didn’t take long for the door to open again. Although, it wasn’t the food they had been expecting.
“Ah…!”
The young voice of a boy, letting slip a voice crack, filled Cale’s ears. Basen stood in the doorway looking right at Cale, almost in disbelief. His eyes were wide, attire wrinkled in different places, but he was okay nonetheless. The realization caused Cale to relax his shoulders, a calm and pretty smile taking its place on his face.
“Basen.” Without realizing it, he accidentally addressed the young noble only by his name, but it didn’t seem like the young master noticed either. With trembling eyes, Basen made his way closer and slowly sat down on the chair that stood beside the bed.
“….”
He was quiet, so Cale decided to speak up.
“How are you?”
Basen flinched and looked at him with a complicated expression, a look Cale didn’t really understand.
“Haa….” From somewhere in the room, he heard a heavy sigh, but Cale foreign ignorance and tilted his head instead.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that….” Basen trailed off and hesitated, looking nervously at Cale before he stuttered out a word. “H-Hyung.”
Silence returned once more, and the boy instantly shrunk in on himself. It was almost like he was afraid of Cale’s reaction, but the latter wasn’t offended at all. Instead, a record just played in Cale’s mind, causing him to falter.
He can remember. While all sound disappeared and time slowed down, right when Cale pushed the shield to hold against the explosion, a mutter managed to reach his ears.
‘Hyung…. Basen called me that.’
Cale doesn’t know if he just upgraded his status from ‘Mister Cale’ to ‘Hyung’ or if something else caused him to call him that, but one thing’s for sure.
Basen had recognized him.
When Cale was in a disguise that covered his entire body except for strands of hair and eyes, when Cale’s hair and eyes had been dyed a plain brown to avoid being exposed, Basen saw right through him. He somehow knew that it was Cale even when he hid his identity so well.
‘How? How did he know?’
It didn’t make any sense. Why would Basen be able to recognize Cale when he did nothing significant to expose himself? He doesn’t even have a reputation in this world yet. Does that mean other people also know? Did other people also recognize him? Is that why he’s at the Henituse mansion? What happened while he was unconscious?
(Somehow, Cale can still recall how he felt his heart slow down to a stop, right before everything turned dark, but no one needed to know about that)
Millions of questions clouded Cale’s mind. So much that he almost didn’t notice the door opening again if it weren’t for the kittens that moved away to make room. Looking up, he saw both Ron and Beacrox walking up to him.
“Ah, how delighted this old man is to see you awake, Mister Cale.” Ron smiled as he set down a cup of tea by the bedside table, and to Cale’s horror, it was unfortunately lemon tea once again. (For some odd reason, Cale was almost happy to see them again. Keyword: almost)
The other assassin, Beacrox walked up to him and put down a plate in his lap. Cale received it with a ‘thanks’ and immediately took a bite, feeling energy slowly returning to his body. He couldn’t help himself after the hunger kept eating away at his stomach. Besides, Beacrox’s food was always too good to pass up.
‘Delicious.’
A satisfied smile made his lips curl up as he ate. A stillness settled over the room, something Cale came to notice after a few extra bites of his meat. He looked up and found all of them watching him with different expressions. The realization made him a bit awkward.
Basen was watching him without his previous nervousness, the children were the same. Except for Dodam, who had already turned invisible from before, so he couldn’t see his expression. Cale slowly turned his head and met Beacrox’s eyes instead. The chef had an odd look on his face, something Cale can’t really describe.
‘Why is he looking at me like that…’
No, why was everyone looking at him weirdly? Well, almost everyone. Choi Han was busy glaring daggers into the side of Beacrox’s skull for some unknown reason. Ron was also not looking at Cale. Instead, he held a hand over his mouth with an amused smirk on his face, showing a bit of teeth as his eyes turned into crescents. He was watching his son instead of Cale, holding back a chuckle at Beacrox’s obvious staring.
“…..”
— Human, is it not yummy?
Dodam also noticed how he stopped eating. Not really knowing what to do, Cale put down his fork and remembered what Basen asked him earlier, finding a way to avoid the gazes.
“Sorry for answering late. I am okay, Basen.”
The boy slightly twitched when Cale turned to address him. It also caused Ron and Choi Han to focus on him again.
“Are you really, Cale-nim?” Something in Choi Han’s question surprised Cale. Back in Cale’s world, the swordsman had never really spoken against him or questioned him after he said he was okay. Of course, Cale recognized some of the looks he got sometimes, but Choi Han never questioned him like this.
“Yes,” he chose to repeat. “I don’t feel any discomfort except for the fatigue and hunger.”
The reminder of his condition also caused a question of his own to arise.
“How… How long was I out for?”
He usually doesn’t pass out from only using the shield. Most times, he needed to use either one ancient power at 100% or multiple ones at the same time to push his body so far, but this was different. It was different because now, Cale had poisonous despair trapped in his heart.
Did it make a large difference? How many days— even weeks had he missed?
“You’ve been unconscious for three days, Mister Cale.” Ron was the one who answered, which made the red locks turn to him.
“Ah, only three?”
“……”
That was a relief. Three days was still more than he would have liked, but it’s considerably better than what he imagined. He still had time.
“Were you expecting yourself to sleep longer than three days….?”
“Hm?” At the sudden question, Cale found Beacrox’s dark eyes and flinched. The chef looked like he was one step away from committing murder with the way his fists flexed. Cale suddenly felt scared, a shiver crawling up his neck.
Did he say something wrong?
“Hyung..” The call caused him to look at Basen again. “Have you fainted for more than three days? Has this happened before?”
This situation suddenly turned complicated. Feeling a bit uneasy at how even Dodam wasn’t chatting in his mind, Cale debated how to answer. He could probably just tell the truth. He doubts he would be able to come back to this world once he leaves either way.
“Yes.”
It was such a simple answer without further explanation, but the room dropped in temperature. Feeling the tension Cale couldn’t understand, he quickly followed up his answer.
“Ah, but there is no need to worry. I heal very quickly, so I am fine.”
For some reason, no one seemed to believe him, but it wasn’t Cale’s problem. He could already feel the exhaustion leaving with every bite of his delicious meal, as well as how the Vitality of the Heart was trying to restore his energy now that he was awake.
“Uhm, may I ask one more question?” The young master spoke up again, albeit with a slightly more nervous expression.
“Yes, go ahead, Basen.” At this point, Cale had taken notice of his younger brother’s reaction whenever he spoke his name, and deemed it safe to forget any formalities when it came to just the two of them.
Basen’s shoulders were tense, and he scanned the room before speaking. His eyes looked at every person as he was seemingly confirming something. Eventually, when he looked back at Cale, Basen didn’t meet his eyes. Instead, the timid boy looked down at his lap instead.
“I won’t ask you why you were there… or w-what that power was.”
‘Ah, so he really did know.’
This confirms it. Cale’s theory about Basen knowing about his identity. This does complicate things. Cale had hoped he would be able to have his two identities separate from each other, but that might now be possible now. However, Basen did say he wouldn’t question him…..
“I just want to know…. Who were those people? Why were they attacking?”
“…..”
…Maybe it would be okay for Cale to tell him. Not everything of course, but a small bit of it all. With one hand holding the plate in his lap, the other one reached up to the boy’s hair, gently patting it while he gazed into concerned, brown eyes.
“This won’t be the last time the terrorists attack, Basen.”
At his remark, all heads snapped to him. Because of how focused Cale was at his brother, he didn’t notice the sharp look in Ron’s eyes or the way Beacrox shifted on his spot. Even Choi Han abandoned his mission to continue glare at the chef in favor of studying Cale.
Unbeknownst to all of the conclusions and thoughts of the others, the red-haired man continued.
“But don’t worry. I will take care of it.”
His attempts at trying to reassure Basen didn’t seem to help judging from the fact that the boy's face turned even paler.
“Y-You’re going to take care of it alone…..?”
“Hm? Of course not. I won’t be alone.”
He wouldn’t be. No, for his future plans to work, he needed more people to help fight against Arm and the White Star.
Basen was still looking at him with frowns on his face, and Cale didn’t really know what more to say to reassure him. Was he worried about the attacks? Of course he would be, it will affect the Henituse county and the entirety of the kingdom after all.
“Ha... there’s no need to be concerned. I’m planning on smacking them in the back so hard they won’t be able to get up.” With a hopeless sigh, Cale continued speaking, ignorant of the stares. “Besides, I’ll have recovered enough energy later today, so please prepare a carriage to—“
— No!
“Nya?!”
Nyaaa!”
“Cale-nim!”
The sudden outburst of all three kids plus Choi Han caused him to flinch. Cale turned to them with a questioning look as he felt two large reptile paws lightly move on his side, almost like Dodam wanted to push him to lay down.
“Wha....?”
“Ho ho! Does Mister Cale believe he will start working right after waking up?” Ron’s vicious smile caused all of Cale’s hair to stand on end, a shiver washing over him.
‘Working….?’
That was ridiculous. He wasn’t planning on working yet. He needed to do something else first.
“……”
But perhaps it will be a bit harder to leave the bed than he would have thought.
Thank you once again, Shadow08081 for making yet ANOTHER FANART!! I laughed so much when I first saw it and I’m so so happy hahahah! Cale looks so innocent but mischievous at the same time. He’s so silly. Tysm <33
If anyone else is interested in sending me art, you can email me on [email protected]
Notes:
I was originally planning on writing Alberu’s pov for the first scene, but for the sake of the relationships and plot, Basen was needed one again hahaha.
Cale’s heart did stop for a short while. The human body can survive if CPR is given within the first minute of a heart attack (which this basically was) but luckily, something helped restart his heart again. However, because of the different effects of the root of despair in Cale’s heart, it would be a bit different from when he passed out before. From what I can remember, he usually revisits memories from earth whenever he passes out until he meets with Lee Soo Hyuk again. This time, since Cale is in a parallel universe of his own, he will see memories of both Nameless 1 and Earth.
For example, I chose the first scene with Raon, On, and Hong because they are his PRECIOUS CHILDREN and he misses them. That scene is from Raon’s first snow. Then when his mind drifts again, he’s suddenly with Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo, a bit more aware than before but not by much.
AND THEN CALE MISTAKES BEACROX AS ONE OF HIS HYUNGS! BECAUSE HYUNG BEACROX IS EVERYTHINGGGGG TO ME
I have taken just a teeny tiny bit of inspiration of that scene from another WONDERFUL fanfiction I adore. That one is about how record has more recoil, but sadly I can’t find it. If you know what I’m talking about, ily hahshah.
Notice how he keeps calling himself Kim Rok Soo after the second memory ended? Well, he’s not exactly in is right mind, so Cale kind of temporarily forgets he’s not KRS anymore because the memory was so real.
PLUS! Did you also notice how, for the first few moments after Cale woke up, he called our little dragon Raon instead of Dodam?? However, as soon as he becomes more and more aware, it slowly shifts to ‘Dodam’ instead.
Btw the last scene, no, the whole part from where Cale woke up to the end, it was so chaotic. I kind of hate it, because I didn’t really know what I was writing TT TT it messed with my brain and I wanted to fit in more but I just didn’t know how toooooooo
Anyway, ALBERU WHERE ARR YOUUU???
Chapter 30: Unexpected Meeting
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Haaa…..”
Three days. It’s been three days since an unknown group decided to attack the plaza during the king’s 50th birthday celebration. Three days since the crown prince got stuck in his office with too much paperwork to do before he could rest.
Alberu groaned and buried his face into his hands, letting his thoughts replay the same moment from the event for the nth time. It’s been troubling his mind for days now.
People. Unknown people disguised in black clothes had suddenly teleported into the plaza, and attempted to murder all of the nobles with magic bombs. There had been a lot of them, and Alberu doesn’t understand how the security missed them until it was too late. However, he does remember when even more people in black began to appear.
Something was different with that group. At first, Alberu had thought they all belonged to the same organization, and he wasn’t alone in that thought. The second group had the same clothes as the first one, but the first attackers’ reactions is what made him question it. They seemed to be just as surprised as everyone else, apparently not having expected a third party to appear. His point was proven even further when the leader on top of the Bell Tower sent those suicide bombers in the second group’s direction.
‘They weren’t allies, but they still wore the same outfits?’
It was weird, but then a giant explosion occurred in the sky. Alberu had been observing everything, so he knows what he saw. The royal mages had also been shouting at a ‘criminal’ that appeared to be invisible as they very openly stole other nobles’ accessories like a bag or necklace. Either way, it all made sense when the stolen items flew into the air and exploded. At that point, Alberu could guess that the invisible individuals were also a part of the second group.
To be honest, Alberu was grateful for them. It was humiliating for the royal family to admit that an enemy had managed to sneak in, but at least no one died. He’s still not sure what their motive was, but from his observations and reports, it was more like they were trying to protect everyone rather than hurt them. Alberu doesn’t want to think about what would have happened if they hadn’t been there.
‘A secret counterterrorism force.’
That’s what Alberu decided to call them. The group somehow also knew of the terrorists’ plans and where the bombs were while the attackers didn’t seem to even have a clue on who they were. A difference in knowledge and a big advantage.
But there had been something else that was also weird.
‘That man….’
On top of one of the houses surrounding the plaza, a man dressed in black just like everyone else, stood and watched. He wasn’t particularly different from the other people, so Alberu still wonders why he chose to single out just that man.
“Haa…!” He sighed again and leaned back, an odd feeling settling within his chest as he began to tap his desk. Frustration built up, but it wasn’t for a reason he could name.
Actually, Alberu can explain why he looked at the man. From the moment they first appeared, something pulled at him. It wasn’t something physical, but rather it pulled on his heart, on his feelings, on his soul. So, when he listened at the overwhelming feeling and looked up, he met those deep eyes that stared right at him.
It had felt like lightning struck him down, like he knew who that was.
It felt like Deja Vu.
An indescribable feeling telling him like a whisper…. Alberu knows him. Or, he at least should recognize him. But he doesn’t, and the frustration eats away at him. He feels restless, even when he can usually sit by his desk every day for weeks.
The prince hastily stood up from his seat, letting the chair wobble before finding its balance again. He let the papers lay on his desk as he took off the necklaces around his neck. The blond color of his hair immediately washed away, as well as his eyes turning brown, his disguise disappearing.
‘Should I notify anyone?’
He paused for a moment before he reached for a black robe.
‘I’ll be fast.’
Click.
The front door to the bar closed behind him, and Alberu swept his eyes over the sea of people. It’s not often he goes out, even less in a disguise, so a part of him feels weird to blend in so easily. He changed his clothes before he left, and now wore ordinary dark clothes with a cape and hood to hide his elf ears.
No one minded him. Everyone was too focused on either the drink in their hand, or the enjoyable conversation based on the loud laughter. It was dark outside now. Having wandered around the streets for a while caused the sun to disappear, but the inn was bright and lively.
Alberu stood by the doorway, observing the people. It was a funny thing. That there could be a murderer in here. Without anyone knowing. The terrorists must have snuck into the Capital as normal people after all. The guards had confirmed their registered identification on a few of the corpses left behind.
An ordinary-looking person could be a hidden psychopath, and no one would have known. A lunatic in one corner, the other one could be a blood crazy mage. People look so normal and innocent when they act so happily in each other”s presence. A traveler to the right, a waiter serving drinks to the left, a lonely man with red hair by one of the tables—
“…”
Wait, red?
Alberu’s eyes got stuck on one person sitting by one of the windows. A man with striking, shoulder length, red hair, the most eye-catching color in the entire bar. No one else had such a hair color. Yet, Alberu doesn’t understand how he didn’t notice him at first glance.
Something pulled at him. The same feeling like before, but he only felt a sort of interest within him instead of the previous frustration. Impulsively, he made his way through the people without much thought until he was right in front of the red-haired man.
Creak.
The sound of the chair creaking had the man raise his head, and Alberu watched how his eyes gradually widened, albeit very subtly. He supposed he had that effect on people being the crown prince, no matter the appearance.
“Is this seat taken?”
Alberu found himself weirdly humorous, a joke slipping out of him. The man’s previous surprise easily disappeared, and an unamused expression took its place as he looked him up and down.
He couldn’t dismiss the pulling feeling again. The odd electrifying spark in his chest that was so familiar to the pulling feeling he got at the plaza disturbed Alberu a bit. It wasn’t something he could describe, but a wave similar to that of Deja Vu came back.
Although, he’s not sure he can call it that. After all, this will be the first time he met this young man.
“It seems like it is now.” Despite the flat tone, the man’s lips still curled up into a smile. He leaned forward and rested his head on one of his hands, tilting it to the side. “May I ask why you have graced me with your presence, sir?”
Alberu felt his own lips tick upwards. “Do I need a reason? You looked a bit lonely.”
“Oh, I’m never truly alone. Perhaps it is you?” The man answered with a huff and laugh.
“Mm. Perchance.”
On the table sat a bottle of wine and two glasses, however, they were both empty and the bottle untouched. The prince raised an eyebrow at the man.
“Even though you aren’t lonely anymore, you appear in a bar while sitting alone.”
“Well, of course.” The man leaned back again. “It’s my first opportunity to go outside after three days. I ought to enjoy myself a bit.”
Huh. Wasn’t that funny.
Three days ago was the exact date when the terrorists attacked. Had he been injured by one of the explosions without any of the guards noticing? Or had he just been hiding after the terrorist attack for safety measures until he deemed it safe to leave?
Alberu watched him in a new light, still maintaining his friendly smile, but his eyes sharpened just a little. He didn’t miss how the man also seemed to catch on too, his smile turned into a sly smirk.
“Really? What a coincidence. It will also be my first time going out after three days.”
“Hmm.” The man hummed a tone. He looked relaxed even with the slight shift around them just a second ago. “How come?”
Both of the glasses on the table filled up with a red liquid. Alberu received one of them with a small ‘thanks’ while the man took the other one. Still, he couldn’t drink tonight, so he let the glass sit in his hand. The man, on the other hand, brought up the wineglass to his lips, never breaking eye contact.
“Ahem.” Alberu cleared his throat. “Work can sometimes chain you down for a few days.”
Of course, he wouldn’t mention how, being a prince, he sat by his desk almost everyday.
“And what about you?” He let one arm stay on the table as a finger began to tap the surface.
The man looked at him from the corner of his eye. It took a moment before he put down the glass and was just about to open his mouth when he paused. Suddenly, the man’s eyes moved tho the side, and Alberu followed them.
Among the crowd of people in the bar stood another man dressed in dark clothes, similar to the red-haired man. The hair and eyes were black, a color Alberu has never seen on a person before, and he was watching them with a stoic, observant expression. Those obsidian eyes moved to Alberu, looked him up and down, before turning back to the red-haired man.
So he wasn’t alone? Was he meant to meet with this person instead?
Alberu felt like he was intruding. He frowns at the sharp, dark eyes, but doesn’t let anything slip from his act.
At that moment, the red-haired man moved his hand, almost in a gesture telling the other man to go away. It was a very small change, but Alberu watched how the black-haired man then turned around and disappeared in the sea of people.
Alberu looked back at the man once his friend(? Acquaintance?) was out of sight. His questioning look was met with a smile, but it only made him feel iffy. He raised an eyebrow, a silent question about what just happened.
But instead of answering him about the guy with black hair, or his previous question, the red-haired man brought up something unexpected.
“You know, an incident happened just a few days ago at the king’s celebration. It’s the talk of the entire kingdom.”
‘So now he’s mentioning the terrorist attack.’
It was obvious he was hinting at something, and Alberu might have a guess.
“Yes, I happened to be quite close when it happened.”
“Haha.” The man laughed before he quieted down, eyes that turned into crescents looked at him. There wasn’t anything humorous about the topic, but Alberu felt himself also smile at the next words.
“Me too.”
They sat in silence, watching each other, but it didn’t take long before the red-haired man spoke up again. Although, this time, his voice was lowered to almost a mumble.
“Then did you see it? The shield?”
The shield. If people weren’t talking about the terrorists, they would be talking about the shield. As someone who had seen it in person, from the moment it appeared in the sky, an image of it had burned into Alberu’s mind.
No other words than ‘divine’ could describe it. A faint, silvery glow, with large, beautiful wings. The shield had protected and saved a lot of lives. Many nobles got out unscathed thanks to the shield. The only thing the bombs destroyed was the surrounding buildings, letting everyone live, and it was all caused by one person.
That man….
“You’re him, aren’t you.”
Alberu’s suspicions got confirmed with the way the corner of the other man’s lips twitched upwards. However, the only feeling that took over Alberu was confusion. The question of ‘why’ repeated itself in his head.
Why would he tell him this? To the man, Alberu was a stranger, so what does he get from revealing his identity and risk getting arrested?
In another aspect, he also felt sort of relieved. He’s not sure why, but perhaps it’s because of the connection between them. Alberu can’t if the man can also feel it, but getting an explanation for the pulling on his soul that they are the same person, reassures him in some way.
“Are you going to report me?” The man asked him with a relaxed smirk, almost like Alberu didn’t just find out he’s a wanted man. (Although, Alberu’s not sure if that would be right considering he saved them more than hurt them.)
“You— Haa…..” Instead, the prince sighed hopelessly. And no, Alberu probably wouldn’t report him, but even if the man somehow knew that, it’s still not a good enough reason to reveal himself. “Do you want me to?”
“Haha. Of course not.”
Alberu admired the way the man kept a calm demeanor despite everything, but he also supposed it would be understandable considering it had been him who hinted at his true identity.
“How are you sure I won’t tell? All I need to do is raise my voice just a bit more…” Alberu wanted to know, but it was an empty threat, and the man seemed to know it.
“I just have a feeling you won’t.”
A ridiculous claim and source to trust, an obvious lie. However, instead of getting angry or pressing for answers, Alberu weirdly found his company to be fun. The thought also caused dread to settle in his chest.
Him? A crown prince befriending a criminal?
If the royal family found out about this, he’s sure the third prince would do anything to tarnish his reputation. Yet, Alberu wasn’t worried.
Instead, he reached out a hand to the man. “I’m Bob. Nice to meet you.”
A pale hand clasped his own, the sly smile was almost blinding. “What a coincidence. My name is also Bob.”
Alberu looked into reddish-brown eyes with interest. They were both using fake names, something painfully obvious to the sharp men, and didn’t have any shame in showing it. They held eye contact, it was a funny thing. For the first time in a long while, Alberu had fun. Always being stuck in his own office, almost to the point of living there since he made it connect to his bedroom, it had always been paperwork or meetings.
He never had time to relax. The crown prince either needed to maintain his image, or work so much he couldn’t do anything other than show fake smiles to an audience of naive, gullible people.
But this was a real smile, and it almost surprised him. In this true form, he wasn’t the crown prince of Roan anymore, just Alberu. It wasn’t often he was just Alberu, and he was still tense letting this side of him show, but the lack of attention was relaxing.
And this person piqued his interest.
The man suddenly looked past Alberu, seemingly watching something else. Soon after, he let go of Alberu’s hand and stood up from his chair.
“My apologies for not being able to stay any longer and continue our chat, but I am needed home. It’s late.”
“Ah yes, it’s quite regrettable, but I understand you, Bob-nim.”
A play of words that was so much alike how he talked with the other nobles. The difference was that the prince didn’t bother with the compliments, which actually made their conversation enjoyable.
The man pulled out a few silver coins and put them on the table before he looked back at Alberu.
“Then I hope we get to meet again soon.” He leaned in, close to Alberu’s ear, and slowly whispered two words. “Your highness.”
His whole body tensed up with a flinch. Smile dropping, and dark-brown eyes snapping to the man, but he had already begun walking to the door, not sparing him another glance.
Alberu felt his heart violently beat in his chest. It went from 0-100 in less than a second. The surprise of being addressed in such a way from a stranger in this appearance… it caused all of his hair to stand on end.
‘Shit…’
He let himself be too careless. This was bad. Alberu thought he had been careful. He looks nothing like the crown prince in this form since even the hood helped hide his face. Even if he let himself slightly relax, and might’ve slipped in a bit of flattery that was a bit too similar to his everyday ‘personality’, he never gave anything away.
‘He knew.’
The man had known from the beginning.
There were only a handful of people who knew about Alberu’s origins as a dark elf. A few of them were Tasha, the disguised dark elves acting like normal servants and guards, and the people back in the City of Death. Alberu kept track of every single one who knew about his true identity, and all of them were trustworthy enough not to go behind his back and exchange information for money.
However, there was one more person who knew.
‘Father…’
King Zed Crossman. There was a possibility that the red-haired man worked for him, but that would also mean he knew of the terrorists beforehand, which didn’t add up.
Alberu’s mind flew back to the moment he found out his father knew. The night in the library, his sudden appearance there as Alberu hid, and the mysterious attendant. It’s been years since that incident, but Alberu doesn’t think he can ever truly forget about it.
To this day, he’s not really sure what happened back then. The servant that had caused chaos in the palace disappeared after the incident, and there’s a high possibility the king either locked him away or killed him, and now, Alberu understood why.
Because when Alberu finally secured his position as the crown prince, the king brought him back to that same place he once tried to hide from him.
Alberu stood in front of a large boulder. Even though it didn’t move an inch, he felt intimidated. Like a dark figure was looming over him, watching.
< Descendants of the cursed blood. >
< The touch of the Sun God will always be by your side. >
< Never set your eyes on taking over the sky. >
< The sun will always rise. >
< The moment darkness is planted in your body. >
< The moment a person with that darkness becomes the head of the household, the sky will be destroyed and the ground will tremble. >
Alberu read those words over and over again until it was burned into his mind. He swallowed hard and clenched his sweaty palms. From beside him, Zed Crossman silently watched him. They hadn’t spoken a word from the moment he called Alberu to follow him. Even when he performed the technique to unlock the pathway to the boulder, it had been completely silent between them.
But Alberu was confused. He remembers the suspicious attendant’s words from years ago. He remembers how he had said the Sun God’s blessing was bullshit, that there was no blessing to begin with, and that all answers would be beyond the path he wanted Alberu to destroy. Now, he knows what place the servant meant, but he can’t, for the life of him, understand the other parts.
There was no blessing. No, it was a curse. What answers had he been hinting at? There were no such things as he had described.
“I wasn’t planning on showing this so soon.”
His father’s voice reached his ears, and Alberu moved to look at him, but Zed had already turned back to the boulder. It felt unfamiliar. They never speak with each other, Zed never looks at him. The only words they exchanged were about politics.
Yet, here they were. The fact that this wasn’t about politics caused Alberu to feel a bit of intimacy in the midst of his panic.
“This was what ‘he’ tried to show you.”
But of course…
Alberu knew who he was talking about. There could only be one person: the attendant.
“Only the previous heads of our household know about this.”
If it weren’t for the ominous feeling settling in Alberu’s gut, he would have felt some sort of kinship with his father, who just admitted he saw him as the future king.
“Yet, ‘he’ somehow knew about it.”
The newly announced crown prince understood. He understood why Zed acted like he had.
This was dangerous. Too dangerous. So much was at risk, Alberu would need to— have to look into that man.
Right as Cale magically convinced the others to let him out, he met the one person he wasn’t expecting.
Alberu Crossman, who still had a blinding smile despite not wearing his usual royal clothes. It had been a surprise when the familiar, yet unfamiliar man sat down across from him, but while it was odd, Cale didn’t really mind.
It wasn’t exacly how he thought his first encounter with this Alberu would go, but he couldn’t help but tease the man. He also confirmed a few things in the process.
Alberu doesn’t know who Cale is. Or, at least not his true name. Cale did intentionally reveal his identity as the ‘man with the shield’, and the skilled crown prince didn’t have any trouble figuring it out.
It was a bit fun to see his reaction.
On another note, it also reminded him of a thought that has been following him for a while now. Ever since arriving in the Capital, Cale has been thinking a lot, and decided to speed things up. He won’t stay here longer than he has to. Cale wasn’t planning on spending two whole years on this world. He couldn’t. He still had a family back home, and unless time flows differently, it’s crucial he goes back.
He’s still not sure what he needs to do to get back, but until he finds out, Cale plans on building everything up so this world will be stand on sturdy legs once the White Star attacks.
Even if he probably won’t ever come back to this world (Cale isn’t even sure he’s able to), a painful part of him regrettably admits he has become attached.
Can you blame him?
These people had the same faces and personalities as the ones back home. It was a scary thing, because Cale realized with dread that he began to get comfortable. There was so much he was still not used to. Like when certain people say or do something out of their character, but thanks to Record, he feels like he is slowly getting familiar with the changes.
Cale hated it.
He couldn’t. He just couldn’t.
“Cale-nim… who was he?” Choi Han suddenly broke him out of his thoughts. The swordsman was beside him as they walked the streets with dimly lit lanterns.
On his little outing, both Choi Han and Dodam accompanied him to the bar. The dragon had been throwing comment after comment about the weird man who sat down in front of them in the bar. Things like how he didn’t seem to be human, and that Cale should be careful because he was strong was nothing new. In fact, Cale had been expecting Dodam to pick up on that from the moment he laid his eyes on Alberu, so it wasn’t a surprise.
All the while, Cale had been keeping one hand on his glass, as the other sneakily pet the dragon without anyone noticing.
“He’s…” He trailed off and thought for a moment. How would he describe Alberu? “He’s someone I met a long time ago. Back when I didn’t look like this.”
Choi Han got quiet as his eyes widened. Both him and Dodam instantly knew what Cale was talking about. Was that another person he had saved?
— But human… why didn’t he recognize you?
Dodam spoke in both Choi Han and Cale’s mind. Since they were walking on the streets, people could see them very openly, even if no one was really paying attention to them.
— Why didn’t he realize it was you?
The question caught Cale off guard. He frowned.
“Should he have?”
Dodam only responded with a confused sound. As if what Cale is asking is the most obvious thing in the world. However, it does make Record replay a memory he got not too long ago. It had been weird how Dodam somehow knew he was Cale back in the Forest of Darkness. He’s not sure how he figured it out, and Cale hadn’t questioned it until now, but it was odd.
“Dodam, how did you recognize me when we saw each other again?”
Choi Han kept listening quietly to the conversation, probably keeping an eye for any possible listeners. This was a sensitive topic that couldn’t risk anyone hearing, which is why Cale is asking in a subtle way.
— Ah… this great and mighty dragon does not really know… I just felt it.
“Felt it? How?”
— Hmm. Like.. like something was pointing in your direction! Like! Like I’ve met you before! That’s how I knew.
“…”
‘So ‘something’ was telling him it was me, and it was like a feeling?’
The frown deepened as he thought. It was weird, and nothing he could have predicted. In a sense, this whole situation wasn’t anything that could be explained easily, and Cale was still unaware of many things.
While he’s not sure what this means, the weird feeling could be true.
“Choi Han, did you also feel it?”
“…No, Cale-nim.”
“……”
Weird. If Dodam really did feel a connection, it would explain why he crashed into him like he did back when they met again. It would also explain why Choi Han acted so hostile and didn’t recognize him. But why was only Dodam affected?
Cale thought back to Alberu. He had also been weird. A normal person might not have noticed much, but Cale did. The slight twitch in his eyebrow, the tick of his lips, the quick assumptions, and the most obvious thing out of all of it…
Alberu had singled out just Cale in a room full of strangers, his behavior had been weird. He had no reason to walk up to him, let alone start a conversation.
Perhaps Alberu also got that feeling, it just wasn’t as obvious as Dodam’s. But then again, why? Why would it be different?
Was it because Dodam was a dragon? Or did the connection wear out over the years? After all, it’s been only one year since Dodam first met him, but it’s been 8 years for the prince.
A thought suddenly struck Cale, one that could explain why only Alberu and Dodam felt it. After all, they had been the main focus from the temple’s test. They had been the reason Cale entered different people’s bodies and possessed them until the two finally felt better, recognized, and loved. That could be the reason why Choi Han didn’t feel anything, despite meeting Cale in the test.
Cale felt a nonexistent headache build up. Everything was so complicated. Even though he wouldn’t admit it, he was still a bit tired from waking up not too long ago, but he couldn’t even think in peace anymore.
‘Sigh… I miss home.’
Notes:
Sorry for the late chapter, everyone. I’ve been kind of feeling low recently so it took a bit of forced motivation to finish this chapter, even if it’s a bit short. I’ve realized I will need to focus more on myself in order to actually get work done, but hopefully it’ll get better very soon.
Anyhow…
Are they flirting?
I feel like they’re flirting.
I tried to make them not flirt.
This fic isn’t supposed to have ships.
It’s hard.AND ALBERU IS FINALLY HEREEEEEE!!! WOOOO man, I’ve been WAITING to write about him and it was so fun. Poor guy went from “ah happy new (criminal) friend” to “oh no…” in less than a second.
This world’s Alberu has secured his position as the crown prince earlier than Tcf Alberu. And why do we think that is? Cale of course☺️. since their first met, Alberu gained more confidence much earlier in his life, which caused him to get more opportunities to make himself the crown prince quicker. The results and Cale’s interference as the ‘attendant’ also causes Zed to show him the boulder earlier than he originally planned.
I’m currently rereading this at 22:00/10 pm, which isn’t that late but a long day combined with reading without glasses makes me too tired to check everything. So if you find a mistake, I’ll be happy to get notified of the issue
Thanks for readingggg <33
Chapter 31: “Damn you, God of Death…”
Notes:
30K HITS?? I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCHHHHH🫶😭thank you so much! I would really appreciate it if you leave kudos or a comment! I promise I read them all. Even your notes in bookmarks means the world to me🩷
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
A mental exhaustion took over him when he saw the temple standing tall in front of him. Cale wanted to sigh with his whole body, dealing with the God of Death was always a hassle.
He wasn’t alone. Originally, only Choi Han and the cats would have followed him with Dodam staying invisible at his side. However, Cale currently found himself between two Henituse knights, and for some reason, Beacrox too.
Not really sure why he insisted on coming along, the red-haired man could do nothing but nod at the request to come with them. But even then, both Basen and Hans caught wind of his visit, and insisted on letting at least two guards escort them.
Cale can remember the look on Basen’s face when he mentioned the God of Death, and saw how the boy slightly paled before nodding in understanding. While he doesn’t really know Basen’s thoughts or conclusions, he wouldn’t take any more risks and end up back in his bed before they even had the chance to leave.
— Human, everything is so white!
Thus, they stood outside of the Capital’s church. The Divine Book has been trembling in Cale’s spacial pouch since this morning, but he was keen on ignoring it.
“Let’s go in.”
With a simple sentence, they began to enter the church, guards close behind. This one was located in the Capital, which also meant it got more attention than the other churches of the God of Death. Therefore, the moment they walked in, they were immediately met with elegant and beautiful architecture.
Cale has never been to the Capital’s church, but it wasn’t surprising. Up ahead stood two priests, and he didn’t waste any time approaching them.
“May the dead be with you.”
Both priests greeted them, glancing first at the red-haired noble and the people around him. It was around noon, so there were multiple priests and visitors around the temple. However, one of the priests welcoming the group couldn't help but inspect them. The noble looked important for having four people surrounding him, where three had swords, and one looked scary with his dark and sharp eyes. Even the cats in the nobleman’s arms looked elegant enough to paint the picture to an even more classy extent.
"Priest.” Cale greeted him back. “Is there a prayer room available?”
The priest looked at the group for a moment before nodding. “Yes, please follow me.”
The way to the prayer room was quick. No one spoke in the silence, and they eventually stopped in front of a door. This was a room specifically used by nobles who came to pray.
“We are here, young master. Will you be going in alone…?”
— Of course he won’t be alone! This great and mighty dragon will accompany him!
The young dragon’s remark was naturally ignored.
The priest glanced at the other people and wondered if he should lead them to a different room. After all, many nobles who came to pray rarely do it in groups, as they prefer to be alone. That is why the church has specific and private prayer rooms for nobles that visit.
“No, Choi Han will come with me.” Cale then pointed at the black-haired man beside him before moving to the guards. “Please wait outside, and you…”
He stopped when he met Beacrox’s chilly gaze. Cale couldn’t find the words as they died on his tongue. Those dark eyes were scary, and a shiver snuck up on him.
“You… you can also come with me.” However, as Cale made his decision, a frantic priest interrupted.
“Y-Young master! Are you sure? I can fix a separate prayer room for the two gentlemen.”
“No need. I’m just going to speak to him.”
He didn’t specify who it was he was going to talk to, but the others either assumed it would be the two men following him into the room, or perhaps the God of Death. Nonetheless, the guards could only look at each other before taking their positions outside the door.
The priest stared hopelessly at the three individuals, plus the two cats, that entered a prayer room to talk…
*****
Bam.
Cale threw the Book of the God of Death on the single table in the room. It was now violently vibrating as if surging with energy. Cale guessed that’s a good sign since it would be easier to speak with the damn god.
On and Hong circled around the divine item on the table, both curious and slightly alert judging by the sniffing and slightly drawn back ears. Even Dodam had canceled the invisibility magic to take a look. It was the first time he saw the book since he had been away the first time Cale spoke to the god.
Meanwhile, Beacrox narrowed his eyes at the sight.
‘How to die peacefully… Father was right.’
The small piece of information he had gotten from his father from their journey to the Capital. He had mentioned Cale reading a book with only blank pages, yet it still seemed like he was reading actual words. On another note, the title suggested an obvious connection to the God of Death. And wasn’t it just such a coincidence that they were in his temple right now?
‘At least that confirms it. He really is connected to the gods.’
A stretched theory turned out to be true.
“Haa..!” At that moment, a loud an irritated sigh was heard. Cale was standing by the table, holding the book, and flipping through blank pages. He had a frown on his face as the kittens looked up at him.
“Ugh. Useless god.” He muttered to himself before roughly throwing the book back onto the table. Choi Han flinched in the background. The shaking had become even more intense, but nothing was showing. Cale was irritated. When he actually takes the time to get to this place to speak with the incompetent god, he won’t even answer.
“Uhm, Cale-nim, should it shake like that?” Choi Han asked with a doubtful expression, eyeing the book from the corner of his eyes.
“Yeah! What is this, human?”
Cale turned to the swordsman and dragon and opened his mouth with a tired expression. “It’s supposed to be a communication device for the God of Death, but the bastard won’t even speak to me after dragging me to this temple.”
His eyebrows twitched as he crossed his arms. At this point, Cale wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore. Both Choi Han and Beacrox had weird expressions on their faces, but the redhead feigned ignorance.
Shaaaaaa.
“Nya?”
Suddenly, the sound of paper moving reached his ears, so Cale turned around to see the book pages flip like there was a powerful wind in the isolated room. It was shaking so violently that it looked like it would lift off the table.
Which was actually exactly what it did.
Swish!
The book unnaturally moved and shot into the air.
Bam!
“Ugh!”
It hit Cale right in the face. His head was immediately beginning to spin.
“Cale-nim!
“Human!”
The voices became distant, and it was hard to keep his eyes open. Cale was falling.
Slowly, darkness filled his vision as he felt his consciousness slipping.
“Shit…”
Black.
When Cale came to, his head was still dizzy, and vision blurry, but he managed to slowly and carefully sit up with a groan.
“Ah! My child, you’re awake!”
An incredibly annoying voice that made Cale want to punch someone echoed in the void. Blinking away the dark spots, he looked up to see a handsome man, the God of Death.
Cale huffed and glared at the man.
“You bastard.”
“Haha….” The god had the audacity to sheepishly laugh. “I’m delighted you’re alright.”
“So now you have the energy to talk? I heard you were really chatty with Cage earlier.”
“Mm! Ahem… I wanted to speak face to face..”
Cale looked unamused at the other man’s awful excuse. He wanted nothing more than to rip those white strands of hair out of his head. However, Cale paused when he saw the suddenly observant look on the God of Death. He was looking him up and down with a frown, before settling right under Cale’s face. Right where his heart is.
“What,” he demanded, uncaring of his tone. The god snapped his head up to meet him again.
“Ah, I was looking at your despair.”
“Hm?” Now, that actually made Cale listen.
“Yes, uhm… it’s a bit weird.”
“What do you mean?”
“You shouldn’t have any despair left inside your body. That part is true.” The god nodded to himself and brought up a hand to his chin, still looking at Cale’s heart. “But the thing is… your ability…”
“…”
So he shouldn’t have any despair? Well, that was obvious, but it doesn’t change the fact that he still has. And it’s corrupting his heart. Cale still doesn’t understand why it had such an effect on him if it’s blocked. His ancient powers suggested it was akin to the God of Death’s power that blocked despair, but also any healing.
It’s still a weird phenomenon that his heart is somehow often okay even if there is despair inside it. Well, to be fair, it would be hard to understand considering he couldn’t feel anything but pain from it.
But the ability he spoke of…
“Record?”
“Cough, yes.. your ability is different from a normal memory.” He stated, bringing down his hand. “If it was just a distant memory, it probably wouldn’t have been able to grow this much, this quickly.”
The god didn’t specify what memory he meant, but Cale had a guess. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest.
“But because I can recall anything, there’s still a part of despair left? Even if it shouldn’t affect me?”
“Yes. Everyone has a bit of despair inside of themselves. You are a special case, my child.” He earned a glare from the name, and proceeded to pretend he didn’t see it. “Ahem, but that seed is also the reason the Sealed God could reach your heart.”
“It's spreading.”
“I-I’m preventing it!”
So it really was him who blocked it.
‘Why wouldn't it be? The bastard is the reason for all of this.’
Cale inwardly grumbled to himself as thoughts filled his mind. The God of Death mentioned he was an exception, but what does that mean? Cale is well aware of his memories and parts that he doesn’t want to remember. However…
‘Team leader.’
It had happened not too long ago, but the moment he met with Lee Soo Hyuk again, a part of him lightened like a weight lifted off his shoulders. That’s the first time Cale really let himself go, but he was happy.
‘Perhaps that is what makes it different, but I still could not completely get rid of the despair thanks to Record.’
“Then, why am I here?”
“Hm? Uh, you’re here because I wanted to speak with you…”
“Not that.” Cale sighed hopelessly at the literal God’s idiocy. “Why am I here? In this world? What happened?”
“Ah…” The God of Death suddenly looked uncomfortable at the questions, but it only shows he has an answer. “…I’m afraid I won’t be able to tell you much.”
The man with white hair inflated slightly when the latter mumbled something about a ‘good for nothing god’ before irritatingly waiting for him to continue. The god cleared his throat once more and began to speak.
“Well, uhm, you were supposed to move onto the next stage, wrath. However, energy circulated around you and caused a rip in the balance, for reasons I cannot name… It was about to send you, uhm, somewhere— but I helped! And that’s why you’re here.”
“…”
That was the shittiest explanation ever, but Cale guessed it can’t be helped. The god already warned him there wouldn't be much he could tell him, so this would have to do. The reason for the ‘rip’ is probably the Sealed God. Cale had felt something weird right before appearing in this world, and the only being that should have been able to reach him within the temple is the Sealed God.
Actually… how did this god intervene?
“How come you were able to reach me? I thought you couldn’t while I was still in the test.”
“Oh! An opening appeared when you were supposed to travel, and so I took it and it luckily worked.”
“Right… and what is this place? I know it’s another world, but I thought the tests of the temple were only illusions?”
At least, that’s what they should be. Every other part of the tests were illusions, and Cale wasn’t aware the Sealed God had so much energy to involve another world like this considering it had taken a lot of work to just send him back to Earth some time ago.
“Ah, that’s— hmm…” The man, who was just about to start talking, hesitated and seemed to be deep in thought. The subjects on different worlds are bound to be classified information.
It was quiet for a few moments, and Cale began to grow impatient.
“Well?”
“Uh…” The god hesitated once more before finally making a decision. He slowly opened his mouth. “This world was originally only an illusion of the past, just like you say. However, I can’t explain it fully to you, but it was created after something went wrong…”
A whole world was created out of an illusion? That must mean there were more gods involved, doesn’t it? The God of Death probably isn’t able to create an entire world. It also brought up a different question. Because Cale only appeared in different people’s bodies, then…
“Then, why don’t I have a counterpart here?”
It was odd. He did nothing to reveal he was Cale Henituse, and if this is a world of the past, the original Cale should be here, right? It was a complicated thing to understand, but since there seems to be a copy of everyone here, the deal between the original Cale and the God of Death shouldn’t have happened.
After all, 3 Earths existed, and Cale doubts Kim Rok Soo of Earth 2 will experience a transmigration. But even so, he couldn’t be sure.
“It’s because this world was created for of you. It's customized after you.”
“…what?”
‘I’m sorry…?’
It was hard to wrap his head around it. A world was created because of him? But how? And why? Was it because the illusion was meant for him? Or what is because he can’t remember—
“…”
Remember.
He can’t remember the original Cale. Kim Rok Soo had no memory of him except for the information from the book. There was no knowledge given to him before he was pushed into this body. A theory popped up in his mind.
If this world was based on him, his mind, his own assumptions, his expectations…
Cale felt awful.
But it still didn’t seem to make sense.
Cale had first appeared in this world as a servant of Alberu. That was eight years ago, and he guessed that’s where a change might’ve started. Since this world was connected to him, it must have caused a change. Both to the world and to Alberu, and since Kim Rok Soo’s soul and purpose appeared, the original Cale might’ve disappeared.
He has his own body right now, and it’s an exact copy of the one back in his own world, but what if this wasn’t his body? What if this was just a clone of the one who was supposed to be the Original Cale?
It was still an illusion when he met Alberu, and when he freed Dodam, but this world was created the moment ‘something went wrong’ and Cale woke up in Harris Village.
He was a replacement. A replacement for the original Cale’s counterpart. He didn’t belong to this world. Cale wanted to go home.
“How do I get home?” He heard his own small voice and cringed.
“Hmm…” The god hummed as he silently thought to himself. “During the… ‘accident’ I believe a part of this universe fused with the wrath test.”
“The wrath test?”
“Yes. I’m not completely sure how to get you back, as the rules are preventing me from helping… but I guess you can try to complete the wrath test inside this world…?”
Cale wanted to sigh with his whole being, and it appears his exhaustion shows on his face, because the god soon apologized.
“I am sorry, my child…”
“Haaa…” Cale actually did sigh, and buried his face not his palms. “Can you at least tell me how to?”
“U-Uhm… the truth is I don’t really know since it was still in the making when the ‘accident’ occurred…-“
“Ugh. You’re useless.” Cale verbally attacked him instead, making the other man sputter.
“B-But I do know it has something to do with the White Star!”
“…”
‘Of course it does.’
Hearing it, Cale felt stupid. Why wouldn’t the White Star be the reason for the wrath test? Cale doesn’t really know what could trigger his true anger, but that stupid guy with his ugly white mask and crazy god complex has been the reason he hasn't been able to achieve his slacker life yet. And that irritates Cale.
‘Guess I’ll need to kill two birds with one stone.’
He dreaded the work that lay in front of him, but if this was the method to get back to his world, Cale would do it. After all, he had already promised to speed things up, and he now had a goal.
“Fine, but…” Cale faltered, Record suddenly replaying a memory of three children playing in the snow.
‘Why that memory…?’
“How is my family?” He had been meaning to ask this for a while now. Even if he didn’t show it, anxiety was eating him from the inside at the thought of them fighting against the God of Despair alone.
“Ah! Don’t worry. Because this world is so unusual, and wasn’t meant to exist in the first place, time also flows differently.” For once, the god answered cheerfully without hesitation. “Back in your world, time is so slow compared to here that you could even say that time has stopped!”
“Time froze?”
“Well, not completely. But if I were to compare it… hm… maybe one day here would be equal to… one second? In your world?”
Now, that was just absurd. One day here, was one second back home? Even if it was unbelievable, a part of Cale felt reassured and relieved at the confirmation. Nothing would be greatly affected until he goes back. All the more reason for him to speed things up.
Perhaps it wasn’t too impossible, since Mary had experienced two weeks in the first part of the temple’s test, while Cale only spent a day or two.
“Cough! Cough.” Suddenly, a cough came from in front of him, and the God of Death held a hand against his mouth. “Mmh. Guess our time is up.”
“…”
So this was their limit of conversation. It’s fine. Cale has gotten to know a lot of things, and if he needs more information (like— really needs, he won’t ever speak to the god unless he has to), then he could try the book again. Without it hitting him in the face. He was still mad about that.
Slowly but surely, the dizziness came back too, indicating that he would fall unconscious again.
“Ah, and my child? One more thing. Even if the despair inside your heart activates at random, your anxiety level might increase the pain at times.”
‘What? I’m not anxious.’
“I’ll see you soon, my child!”
‘Ugh. You damn god…’
It was really noisy when Cale woke up. He didn’t open his eyes yet because of the sudden sleepiness, but he felt hands on his body. Someone was hugging him, and he was laying slack in their embrace.
If this was a different day, a day where Cale woke up to a nice bed, he would have probably kept sleeping. But this was not a comfy bed, and the urgent voices caused him to force his eyes open.
It was bright, which confirmed he was still in the God of Death’s temple. He blinked a few times before looking to the side and saw two, no, three figures. He recognized Beacrox among them, and he was holding a priest by the collar, seemingly asking him something. One of the Henituse guards stood by his side with a frown, but the image only wanted Cale to turn away and avoid those cold brown eyes of the chef.
Instead, he heard a different voice.
“Cale-nim?”
All noise abruptly stopped, everyone’s heads snapped to him. Choi Han looked down at him. It seems like he had been the one to catch Cale when he fell earlier, but judging from their surroundings, he couldn’t have been unconscious for long.
Cale sighed and tried to sit up, feeling a strong arms help him in the process as he clutched his still dizzy head.
There were paws on his leg, and Cale made eye contact with On and Hong’s worried expressions. A silent question to which he answered with a few reassuring pats.
— Human… are you okay?
Dodam had turned invisible to avoid the guards and priests in the room. He was the first one to break the silence even if it was only Cale who heard him.
He still answered.
“I’m alright.”
That seemed to spring everyone into motion. Beacrox let go of the frantic priest and approached him with the other knight. Another priestess was in the room, she stood beside the second guard. It seems like everyone had gathered after the small incident.
“Mister Cale, are you truly alright?”
Cale moved to stand up, something Choi Han helped him with before he removed his arms seeing how the red-haired man could balance himself on steady feet.
“Yes, I apologize for the inconvenience.” He answered Beacrox before turning to the priestess. “My condition appears to have acted up again. It was not my intention to cause a scene.”
Choi Han frowned at the words. Everyone who had witnessed the book suddenly shooting into the air knew it wasn’t his condition that caused him to faint this time.
However, Cale was unaware of these thoughts and used a humble tone in hopes of getting the believers to understand and forget about it. Unfortunately, they only looked at him with concern in their eyes.
“Sir, are you sure? You had just fainted and I would feel regretful not helping you. Will you accept some healing? It’s the least we could do.”
The priestess seemed to be more reliable than the other shaky man as she took control over the situation. But Cale only thought it was unnecessary. He hadn’t gotten hurt, and he only felt tired from the interaction with the god.
— Human, by the way, I hid the book in my spacial bag since it looked important to you. Even if I wanted to destroy it.
Cale ignored the vicious comment from the dragon and chose to answer the priestess. “Thank you for the offer, but there is no need. I just prefer to get back home right now.”
“Mister Cale, I suggest you at least receive some healing after your fall.”
“I agree, Mister Cale. Young Master Basen would feel more reassured knowing a priest has tended to you after such an incident.”
Beacrox’s comment made Cale pause, and a guard even further agreed with him.
In the end, he could do nothing but listen, seeing how everyone in the room wouldn’t leave him alone unless he got some healing. All the while, the scary chef leveled him with a stare, to which Cale desperately tried to avoid. Both guards also kept an eye on him, and all children were near.
Cale wanted to sigh. This was both not necessary and much more dramatic than it should be. But at least he’s not feeling tired anymore.
The journey back was definitely… annoying. They were remarkably quicker than when they were on their way to the Capital, but Cale can’t say he was very comfortable. It wasn’t exactly any different, except for the amount of watchful eyes.
Seriously… Cale can’t remember the last time he was truly left alone.
It seems like him passing out in the God of Death’s church was the last straw. He guessed it was kind of understandable since he was already pushing it by leaving bed right after waking up after the plaza terror incident.
Either way, wherever he had gone, he saw at least one guard or attendant following him with their eyes. Whenever he accidentally made eye contact with them, they only smiled humbly at him. Even Ron had (much to Cale’s dislike) begun to attend to him a lot more. Now it was even harder to avoid the old man.
‘Whatever. At least we’re back.’
Deruth, Violan and Lily stood by the entrance to greet them. The little girl was happily waving at them, while both parents scanned them up and down.
“Mother, Father.” Basen greeted them with a small smile once they got close enough. All of them surrounded the boy in an instant while Lily clung to his legs.
“Basen.” Violan’s voice was gentle, so was her eyes.
Deruth, on the other hand, was quiet as he patted his son’s shoulders and body to check for any injuries. Once he found none, he let his hand rest on his shoulder and smiled at him.
“Hyung! You’re back!”
“I’m back, Lily.” The boy repeated, caressing her head.
Cale stood with a distance between them. The sight was nice, his family caring for each other. But even if it was, that same uncomfortable feeling snuck its way into his chest again. (Was this how the original Cale felt?)
No. He should not feel like this. His family is still back in his world.
Choi Han stood beside him. He was observing Cale with something in his eye that he couldn’t really point out. Both kittens were in his arms, while Dodam put his whole weight on Cale’s shoulders, but he didn’t mind.
Reddish-brown eyes suddenly met plain brown ones. His father had turned to him, and Cale hates to admit he was a bit startled by the eye contact. The older man gestured for him to get closer, so he did.
Pat.
The hand on Basen’s shoulder moved to Cale’s. Dodam had carefully moved away to Cale’s other side when he saw the hand approaching, but a small part of the redhead shook at those familiar eyes.
'It's so similar.’
“Welcome back, Cale,” Deruth started. “I am happy you appear healthy.”
Those eyes. Why was Deruth looking at Cale like that? He wasn’t his son in this world.
“Thank you, Count-nim. Your people have shown great hospitality. My journey to the Capital was much more comfortable than it would have been had I traveled alone.” Cale answered back just as politely as he always did with this version of his father. However, as Cale gave a close eyed smile, he didn’t see how Deruth’s brows furrowed, his smile faltering. The count looked to the side and made eye contact with his wife. Violan also looked at Cale with a sharp gaze, but didn’t let it linger as the young man opened his eyes again.
“I’m sure the trip must have taken a lot of energy. The attendants have prepared your room. Basen can show you the way if you have forgotten. After all, it has been a while since you were last here.”
The boy picked up on his name and began to lead Cale into the estate. Basen also deserved to rest after such an eventful trip. Deruth was just happy they both were okay.
“Haa…” He sighed as soon as they were out of sight and felt Violan’s presence make itself known beside him, Lily having already been urged to go and play as soon as the two boys went to their rooms. Left were the couple, the servants, and guards. Deruth and Violan began to walk into Deruth’s office with Hans following. Once they were alone, Deruth turned to the deputy butler with a stern expression.
“Hans. Report.”
“Yes, my Lord.” The skilled butler answered quickly. Hans began to explain everything in detail from the moment they arrived at the Capital, up to the plaza terror incident. Even if both the count and countess had already heard of this before, a repetition and full report was needed. Especially when it comes to what Hans hadn’t been able to report to them.
“However, right before Young Master Basen came back to the mansion safely, the estate was already chaotic. Like I mentioned before, Mr. Thames’ condition suddenly came back worse than we’ve ever seen. It was on the day of the plaza terror incident, exactly after both parties left the plaza.”
Hans didn’t mention how one of the ‘parties’ died. It was knowledge anyone would know by now.
”I regret that all of our guards failed to notice his symptoms. We only found out after Sir Choi Han alerted a maid while Mister Ron and Beacrox were already found on the scene, treating him.”
“How was his condition?” Violan interrupted him. While she did know that Cale had passed out with a lot of blood, she never got the details of the report.
Hans turned to the countess and politely answered her question with a slightly grim expression.
“Mr. Thames’ heart was beating very slowly, and he kept coughing up blood for a long while.”
“How long?”
“…”
Hans hesitated after that. After too long of a pause, he slowly parted his lips, looking down at the floor.
“F, From the point Mister Ron said it started… to the moment it began to fade…” Hans clenched his fists. “One hour and 17 minutes, my Lady.”
Deruth has researched a lot about diseases and injuries related to coughing up blood in the past few weeks. So, he knew a lot of things he normally wouldn’t. And over one hour minutes is way too long for someone to continuously cough up blood.
“How was he after? It’s too much blood for a normal person to lose.”
“Ah, he was actually… pretty energetic when he woke up, my lord.” Hans' expression lightened just a bit. “We had our best priests and healers use their powers and multiple magic potions to ensure he would be alright. Mr. Thames was tired and hungry when he woke up, but it only took a short while before he was on his feet again.”
Losing so much blood should be critical. Deruth had not been there, but he heard from his son. They had talked immediately after Deruth heard of the incident and called with a panicked and worried heart. Luckily, Basen had been completely unharmed, but he could still see the trembling hands despite how the boy did his best to hide it.
Basen had also mentioned that he saw Cale. It was only for a moment, but the way he described it meant there must have been a lot of blood. For someone to recover like that was a miracle. Deruth guessed he would need to give those priests and healers a raise. Maybe he should appoint them to be Cale’s personal doctors?
“Ah, my lord. Another thing…”
“Hm?” The count moved his focus back to the deputy butler who was just reminded of something.
“Apparently, Mr. Thames had expected to remain unconscious for more than three days. It suggests he has experienced this before… and it might’ve been even worse at that time.”
“…”
That information was new, and it gave Deruth a bitter taste in his mind.
“Haa…” His wife sighed beside him, letting a frown show on her usually stoic face. It seems like both Violan and their son have gotten more expressive since they met Cale. Hans continued his explanation at their gesture.
“Furthermore, Mr. Thames wished to go to the Church of the God of Death before departure. However, because of his recent record of… incidents.. I suggested he take a few guards with him.”
That woke Deruth up.
‘The God of Death?’
He recalled the information he received from Basen when they had recently arrived in the Capital. His son had told him that Cale had a connection to the God of Death and that it was probably the god that was helping with his condition.
It made sense. It made sense that Cale would visit the god right after he was exposed to a violent episode that caused him to faint.
“I see.” He said with a breathless sigh. “We’ll, that’s fine. Although it was a good decision to send knights with him just in case, I hope they let him do whatever business he needed to do.”
Violan sneaked a glance at him at his comment, but remained silent.
“Yes, but… Count-nim..” Hans suddenly seemed uncomfortable again. Like there was more to tell. “Mr. Thames fainted again while he was in one of the prayer rooms.”
The room returned to a stillness once more. At this point, Deruth could only feel an impending headache that took over his abaility to properly process what Hans just said.
Seriously…?
‘How many times can one person be so unlucky??’
“B-But he did wake up only a few minutes later, and there was no blood! He also received divine healing from the priests and there haven’t been any more incidents on our way back to the estate, my lord.” Hans desperately tried to save, perhaps only himself, from the gloomy atmosphere.
Deruth listened to the frantic deputy butler while he was deep in thought. There had been many new pieces of information regarding Cale’s condition, but he never would have thought he fainted in a church of the God of Death.
But perhaps it was simply an unlucky coincidence. However, Hans had also said he didn’t cough up blood and was only gone for a few minutes before waking up again. It’s such a large improvement from the previous incident and the fact that there was no blood was a miracle. So maybe, just maybe, being in the God of Death’s church, or rather the God of Death’s presence itself, did help in lessening the injury’s effect.
“Alright. What about the people who attacked the plaza? Any information about them?”
“It remains the same, my lord. The royal family has not revealed anything other than what the public knows.”
“Mm. Let our people in the Capital know what to look out for.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The next morning, Cale woke up feeling he had slept very deeply. The familiar comfort of three weights around him helped. Now he was walking in the garden after having been pushed out of bed by Dodam.
Both Basen and Lily were also there. The young girl had insisted on spending time with her brother now that he was back, and honestly? Cale doesn’t really know how he got involved, but here he was.
It was sunny outside, something different from their trip. They had the misfortune of rain on the way back to the Henituse Territory, but it was only during one night. That’s the only time they had to stay an extra day, but they were still able to make it back quite fast.
Basen was rather chatty with him with On in his arms. Hong ran alongside Lily. Even if there were times they resumed to a comfortable silence, it always brought them back to a previous or new topic. It was nice mood.
Lily ran ahead of them with laughter in the air, saying she saw a butterfly. However, none of them had time to warn her of the misplaced gardening tools as she already stumbled over them.
“Ah!”
Cale had already walked up to her by the time she landed on the ground, Basen close behind. Crouched over the dirt, Lily instantly tried to get up.
“I-I’m fine! It didn’t hurt! Huh?”
Slim hands took a hold under her armpits and helped her up.
— Ah! Little Lily, are you okay?
The kids all surrounded her. Although one stayed invisible, both On and Hong went up to the girl to see if she was alright, but Lily could only turn around and stare at the crouched man in front of her.
Cale looked down at her clothes and found grass stains on them. She must have hurt her knees. However, Lily was still able to stand perfectly fine, so it was probably only a dull pain that would soon pass. He moved his own hand to grasp Lily’s wrist instead, inspecting her palms. They were dirty, but Cale could see the bloody scratches from the fall.
Behind him, Basen stood silently and watched. Lily is an adventurous child, so there were times she got injured. Basen has helped her up multiple times in the past, but he still paused when someone else took on that role, and it was none other than Cale. The boy could see Lily’s dumbfounded stance, not having expected Cale to help her.
Of course, she hadn’t spent over a week getting to know the man while experiencing a terrorist attack together. Still, the scene of Cale caring for his little sister while surrounded by two cats was quite adorable to see. Although, Basen would never say that out loud.
“That looks like it hurts.” Cale pointed out her injured hands, making Lily flinch. She had denied the pain, after all, but Cale saw right through her. “Pain is the worst. Come on, let’s find a doctor.”
“O, Okay.” The little girl nodded with big eyes.
The red-haired man gently held two of her fingers as he stood up again, making sure she could pull away if she would like to while avoiding her injury at the same time. The action snapped Basen out of his thoughts as Lily let Cale lead her out of the garden.
While the three of them walked side by side, something caught Cale’s attention. He turned his head and suddenly made eye contact with Violan, who had apparently seen the whole thing. A silent communication between them made up his mind as Cale subtly nodded to her.
Cale didn’t notice how both Basen and Lily looked at him and saw the whole exchange. Though Lily was too young to understand anything, Basen saw the hidden intent in his mother’s eyes.
‘She wants to speak to him.’
“Hyung, it’s okay. I can take Lily and find a healer.”
The other man turned his head to the young boy at the proposal, in thought for a few moments as he observed them. Cale looked to the cats following them close behind, and it almost looked like he was speaking to them. Eventually, he nodded in agreement and On and Hong trotted up to stand beside Basen and Lily.
“Alright. Take care.”
“We will, Hyung.” Basen smiled slightly at him as he took Lily’s other hand very carefully into his own. While the two pairs of siblings (plus a dragon) walked away, the mumbling voice of his sister reached his ears.
“Hyung, Mister Cale is really kind.”
The boy’s smile widened at the comment.
“He really is, Lily.”
*****
“You seem to be quite good at handling children.”
The countess came up to Cale while he was still watching the two younger kids leave. He had urged On, Hong and Dodam to go with them since he expected to be speaking with Violan, so they were left alone. He turned his head when he heard her voice, a thought instantly forming in his head.
‘I guess it’s not that weird…’
Raon, On, and Hong. Cale has been their guardian for a long time now. Learning how to care for them came naturally. Besides, he wasn’t alone in raising them. Ron and Beacrox were the ones who usually tended to them when Hans wasn’t there to dote on them. Ah, and he couldn't forget Eruhaben or Rosalyn either.
“Thank you for the compliment, Lady Violan-nim.” Cale answered politely as he turned to meet her.
Her appearance was elegant in her expensive dress and perfect hair, just like she always is. They both looked out at the garden, enjoying the scenery.
“I suppose you’ve met quite a lot of children on your journeys?”
“…”
As Violan spoke up again, the question caught Cale off guard. A part of it was true. He has met a lot of children, something Cale never really reflected on. Yet, the claim was about his knowledge on how to handle kids, and for some reason, it didn't seem right to agree with her. While he has met a lot of people, he never really learned anything from them. At least not about new experiences. No, the ones he learned from were Raon, On and Hong. Would the wolf children count?
“…I have three of them myself.”
“……?”
Silence resumed in the garden. Light winds blew in the trees, causing flower petals and leaves to rustle. Despite the stillness, Violan’s mind was not very calm.
‘This man, who is only 20 years old, has three children?’
It wasn’t something she could have ever imagined. Violan wasn’t a judgmental woman, so she would normally not see a problem and leave people with their own business. But only if it wasn’t for Cale’s condition…
His condition was bad. It caused him to cough up blood more than once every week even to the point of passing out. On top of that, he said he used to travel alone without any help while caring for three children?
Violan doesn’t doubt he would be a wonderful father. She has already gotten to know Cale’s personality and knows how kind he is behind that stoic face. However, she worries for his own health and the children’s. It can’t be good to see their father be so sickly, nor can it be healthy for him to need to prioritize them so much.
But there was also one thing that didn’t sit right with her. This was the first time she heard any mention of kids. If he had children, where were they now? They hadn’t been with him when the investigation team found him, nor has he expressed any worry over the matter.
A saddened feeling settled in Violan’s heart as she could only come to one conclusion.
‘Why must life be so cruel…?’
Violan slowly let her voice out again, asking a careful question. “How old were they?”
Cale thought for a few moments, wondering what he should say. Technically, Raon, On, and Hong from his world were older than the ones in this world. But at the same time, Cale is feeling a dilemma about what to choose between.
‘Haa…. I shouldn't have said anything to begin with.’
“The oldest is 12. She’s very mature for her age. Her younger brother is 9 years old, and the youngest is 6.”
Hearing that answer, Violan seemed to realize something. The ages didn’t really match with Cale’s so that could only mean they were adopted. (She also didn’t miss how he kept using a present tense). Does that mean he took them in? For him to have adopted the oldest one at birth, he would have only been 8 years old, which is way too young for someone to care for a newborn.
Violan guessed Cale must have adopted them later in his life. Most likely nearing adulthood. She felt for him. Violan had once lost a husband, so she knows death. But she could never imagine losing her children. If that happened, Violan isn’t sure how she could take it. (Basen had been such a close call. She could only thank the miracles of the world that he was unharmed.)
The countess glanced at the young man standing beside her. He was someone who suffered daily from an incurable injury, had no parents to rely on, and lost his children, his family. Yet, he still helped so many people with their respective lives without expecting anything back.
Sometimes, a part of her doesn’t understand him.
Notes:
Damn that beginning was so confusing. Basically, the past where Cale is feeling awful, it’s basically because he thinks his own assumptions about this world has also affected it. So for example, because Cale has no memories of the original Cale apart from his family and his interaction with Choi Han, he would not exist. Since Cale has no memories of Og Cale, Og Cale does not exist. That is his own theory, which doesn’t really work if you really think about it, but poor guy was stressing with new information so can you blame him?
Cale: I’m anxious about my family
God of death: ah, don’t be anxious. Your heart will hurt more
Also Cale: what? I’m not anxious you damn god. Shut upWhy did Beacrox insist on coming with him? To find out more about him, of course. ABSOLUTELY not because Cale called him Hyung and he wanted to keep an eye on him. Noooo no. ( ≖‿ ≖ )
Been planning that last scene for months nowww! Need some wholesome moments too, but both Deruth and Violan can’t help but make their own assumptions hahaha. The misunderstandings continueeee!
“Mister Cale is really kind.”
Oh Lily, Cale would be horrified if he heard you say that.
Anywayyyy, if you have any ideas for the future, don’t hesitate to write them! (This is actually a plea for help. I love Alberu so much and i have future scenes planned out but I’m desperate for more Cale & Alberu interactions) ∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° )
Chapter 32: Careful of your words
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
‘Cale Thames…’
That was his name. It took a few days for Alberu to find out his real identity, which was honestly a bit weird. There were no previous records of him, even to the point it was like he never existed until a few weeks ago. The only lead he had was the red hair, which eventually got them to Basen Henituse.
Cale Thames was from a fallen noble family connected to the Henituse, so it wasn’t a too odd of a combination to see the two young men together. However, because there wasn’t much about him to begin with, it took time for them to fish out information about him.
The moment the dark elves working for Alberu and his aunt had seen the Henituse heir together with the red-haired man, it was easy to find his name because of the needed identification for entering the Capital. However, the attendants and guards of Henituse were tight-lipped, incredibly so. No matter how much they pried, asked subtle questions, or even tried bribing, they never got any information related to the plaza terror incident.
The most information they got from some of the looser servants, who were just expressing their concern to a curious undercover citizen, was about ‘Mister Cale’s condition’.
That’s how Alberu found out Cale Thames possibly had a heart condition that couldn’t be cured. Now, Alberu didn’t know this man at all, and has only met him twice, so….
‘How come I’m feeling like this?’
He could taste bitterness on his tongue as well as a headache forming, but he didn’t understand why he reacted like this. Cale Thames was only a stranger after all.
“Haa…..”
Either way, the fact that almost none of Henituse’s people were willing to give cooperate regarding Cale Thames, it hinted that Count Deruth Henituse was most likely aware of the red-haired man’s second identity. Either he ordered his subordinates to keep quiet because of that, or he was just overprotectively keeping the young man beneath the surface.
‘But on another note, why is the Count so attached to Cale Thames?’
The earliest record they found on him was his appearance in one of the villages in the Henituse Territory a few weeks ago. The village had been attacked, something Alberu almost wouldn’t have known unless his skills as a crown prince came in handy when reading reports.
‘But that’s now far it goes… so how come the Count has taken a liking to him?’
Aunt Tasha mentioned to him how the previous countess’ name had been Jour Thames before she married Deruth Henituse, so maybe it had something to do with that.
‘Haa…. Whatever. It’s not my business.’
Even if he was curious, there were too many insignificant family affairs in noble families that wouldn’t bother him as a crown prince. This was one of those cases he doesn’t need to look into.
Alberu stood up from his desk and went out of his office. He was instantly met with two dark elves, disguised as regular guards, and they followed him when he began to walk down the hallway.
From what Alberu knows, Cale Thames has one companion aside from Basen Henituse. Just like with Cale, there was almost no information about the friend except for the fact that he is a swordsman.
However, the ones that appeared in the plaza terror incident were not just two people. No, they were close to thirty if he counted correctly in that panicked moment. So where were the other allies of Cale Thames? Probably hiding as normal civilians, just like he is doing, just like the terrorists did.
Nonetheless, so far, they hadn’t posed a threat to Roan. In fact, because they instead protected the people like they did, a part of Alberu felt like Cale Thames might be trustworthy. But it doesn’t change the fact that he had somehow known who Alberu was in his dark elf form. That was something that has been bothering him for days now, and he’s been tense ever since.
It was risky. To really secure his safety, the easiest method to get rid of the problem is to make Cale Thames disappear, but something within him told him it was a bad idea…
Alberu suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze was focused on a person right in front of him. Startled at seeing him, it took an extra moment before Alberu regained his posture and bowed down.
“Your majesty.”
“Alberu.”
A flinch. It didn’t stop with the surprise of suddenly meeting his father here. Zed Crossman almost never visited Alberu or his part of the palace, so the reason for his appearance must be because he seeked him out. However, it’s even less often that he hears his name from the man’s lips.
Alberu slowly stood up again, shoulders straight and a polite face, no trace of his surprise was left. Every interaction between them was done in awkward silence until his father deemed it enough. Just like now, they stared at each other without saying a word.
Behind Zed stood two of his most trusted subordinates. The Chief of Staff and his swordsman. However, they were the only ones who had accompanied the king to Alberu’s wing. Eventually, Zed slowly parted his lips.
“Cale Thames.”
The name Alberu had been thinking about for the past few hours came out of his father’s mouth. It startled him, but he didn’t let it show. Ever since that incident all those years ago, Alberu knew how many eyes Zed Crossman actually had in the palace. He knew about everything, and he saw everything. It wasn’t too weird that he also knew about ‘Cale Thames’, but it was weird how he brought it up with Alberu.
“Do you know him?”
The question was simple to anyone listening, but Alberu’s mind was chaotic. For Zed to not only personally come to confront Alberu, but to also directly ask him of this…
‘Does he know something I don’t?’
There must be a reason he chose to bring up this mystery person. Perhaps his father was already aware of his connection to the terrorists, but still. Who is Cale Thames to catch the attention of the king of Roan? However, even if he might know, Alberu isn’t sure he should confirm his father’s theory.
“I am aware he is in the company of the Henituse and travels with them, Royal Father. I also heard he’s quite charming among the nobles who have had the chance to meet him.”
A part of that last part was true. From the information his subordinates gathered, Cale had also met some of the northern nobles. Mainly, Eric Wheelsman, Amiru Ubarr, and Gilbert Chetter. On another note, Alberu didn’t know what they had talked about during their meeting (but something told him Cale played a part in the delighted idea of a navy that Amiru Ubarr had brought to him). He could only base the redhead’s personality from his own interaction with him.
Cale Thames, or rather ‘Bob’ had been comfortable to share a conversation with, but the last words they exchanged had overshadowed the rest, which caused Alberu to forget the rest of the chat until now.
His father inspected his smiling face but remained silent. He was waiting for something more, but Alberu wouldn’t give it to him this time.
“My apologies, but that is how much I know about him. I wasn’t aware his majesty had taken such an interest in Cale Thames, but I will make sure to report anything new about him.”
“No, no need.” Zed was quick to answer him back, causing Alberu to smile to himself.
They exchanged a few more words before the king finally turned around, walking back to his office. It told him that what Zed wanted from him was just about Cale Thames, and he was now done with the conversation.
Alberu continued to watch as his father slowly disappeared in the distance. The two guards kept quiet the whole time. It was an odd interaction with his father, and the crown prince slowly let a frown take place on his face.
‘What did he mean by that?’
That evening, Cale sat with the rest of the Henituse at the dinner table once more. A nostalgic feeling washed over him from being here again after the trip to the Capital. Honestly, this feeling is almost annoying at this point. Cale supposed he would need to visit his siblings and parents more often once he comes back home.
“So…”
Deruth’s voice was heard in the background, but it was quiet enough for Cale to still be stuck in his own thoughts. The truth is, because both Deruth and Basen had suggested coming back to the estate, the timeline is a bit messed up, and Cale would need to hurry to the Ubarr Territory at this point because it took some time traveling back. While he planned on speeding things up, there was one thing he couldn’t miss. It was the moment Paseton got attacked by the mermaids.
“I heard the Tree of Death has turned white.”
“....”
At the mention of the Tree of Death, Cale’s movement on his plate momentarily stopped before quickly continuing again, pretending as if nothing was wrong. However, as he looked up, he met his father’s gaze. Almost like he was only speaking to him instead of everyone at the table.
“Is that so…?” Cale spoke slowly as a polite but strained smile snuck up on his face.
“But Father, haven’t we already talked about this before?!” Lily suddenly joined the conversation. Her injection caused Deruth to twitch in his seat before smiling at her. “I heard one of the knights say it’s really pretty now! It’s shining too!”
Cale foreigned ignorance to his sister’s first statement for the sake of his own self. Of course the count of Henituse would know. Deruth has always been a responsible lord and would obviously be aware of what happened in his territory. It wasn’t weird that rumors quickly began to circulate from the time they were away.
The conversation progressed smoothly. Lily was eager to share her improvement with the sword with her brother while Cale watched them with amusement. Before they left for the Capital, Lily had the chance to briefly meet Choi Han. He had been a bit stiff in front of a noble, but still curious and eventually relaxed because of her natural and carefree nature.
And Choi Han, doing his best at teaching a 7-year-old, gave her a few tips to practice while they were gone.
“Cale.” Violan caught his attention. “From my knowledge, you accompanied Basen to the meeting with the other northern nobles before the gathering organized by the crown prince, correct?”
When Violan chose to speak about the meeting, Basen’s ears turned a tint of pink. He was reminded of his rash decision to invite Cale — even insist he would come along. While it all seemed to work out eventually, Basen regrets involving Cale in the back of his mind.
“Yes, that’s correct.” However, Cale answered without problem.
“How did it go?”
Deruth watched his nephew’s expression at his wife’s question, but he remained calm. Deruth had instantly recognized what Violan was referring to when she brought it up, and his mind went back to the young Wheelsman’s chaotic reaction. It was understandable to react like that. After all, it had taken Deruth incredible self restraint in order to not embarrass himself when he first met Cale.
He could also understand why Violan chose to ask. Eric Wheelsman’s words were mostly a mistake based on how stressed he had been when he later talked to his father, who also mentioned it to Deruth. However, in case Cale still felt resentment towards Eric, it might be best to be clear that it was a misunderstanding.
But the red-haired man didn’t even frown. While Cale did think back to Eric’s odd behavior, it wasn’t something he would say was particularly important to mention. Basen had said he didn’t usually act like that, so it’s fine.
“I believe it went well, my Lady. Eric Wheelsman was very welcoming of my sudden appearance and we had a pleasant time.” The memory of the meeting brought him back to the delicious food. It wasn’t as good as Beacrox’s, but it still suited Cale’s taste just fine.
Both parents around the dinner table observed him for a few moments of silence. Cale showed no negative reaction to the topic, so perhaps the mention of his parents had already left his thoughts. It brought relief on Deruth’s part.
“It does remind me of something…” When Cale suddenly continued his statement, the count snapped his head to him again. “It was very interesting to speak to young lady Amiru. I heard she would bring forth the suggestion of building a Navy by the shores to the crown prince.”
He set his plan into motion. Cale has been thinking about how to suggest the idea of investing in the building of the Navy to his father before finding the opportunity once Violan brought up the meeting.
“Ah, yes I also heard about that.” It wasn’t information anyone could know of, but since Deruth has close contact with Popelina Ubarr as one of the cooperative northern nobles, he had heard it from both Basen and the Viscountess.
“Indeed, it was very intriguing to hear her decision. I believe creating a navy is a great choice. With the right money and trained sailors, it would become a great asset to the Roan Kingdom.”
Violan watched him with curious eyes. “You seem to be quite interested in this matter, Cale.”
“Haha, of course.” Cale skillfully guided the conversation so he could easily move to his main point. “I don’t mean to rush your decision, Count-nim, but I suggest investing in this operation.”
“Oh?”
When the attention turned to Deruth, one of his eyebrows raised. Cale’s sudden suggestion wasn't something he hadn’t been considering, but it was entertaining to see his nephew so involved in politics, something Deruth wasn’t even aware he had experiences of. Truth be told, with the way he presents himself so knowledgeable in both politics and etiquette, Deruth keeps forgetting Cale is merely a traveler and not a noble.
“My Lord, I have come to realize something from our stay in the Capital.” As Cale continued, his easy going mood slowly disappeared. “The terrorist attack during the king’s celebration could have ended in a disaster. I believe this might be the start of more aggressive attacks.”
When the red-haired man mentioned the Plaza Terror Incident, Basen looked up from his plate. Memories of the terrifying incident flashed through his mind, as well as images of Cale. Ever since finding out about Cale Hyung’s involvement to fight against the terrorists, Basen realized he knew a lot more than he showed.
The young heir quickly understood why Cale had suggested a navy to both Amiru and his father.
“Father, I also agree with Hyu— Mister Cale. Based on recent events, being cautious and prepared is a good idea.” He nodded as he spoke, not seeing how the red-haired man’s focus had turned to him.
Cale didn’t expect Basen to include himself in the conversation, let alone help his suggestion, but it was a welcome gesture. The corners of his lips ticked up just a bit as he moved his eyes to the plate to hide his expression, taking a bite out of the delicious food instead. He would become a great heir now that his confidence is increasing.
Watching the two young boys cooperate with each other so smoothly, Deruth couldn't help but smile. The reminder of Basen almost dying from the bombs and Cale’s condition acting up wasn’t very pleasant, but seeing them speak with each other warmed his heart. It really shows their improvements in their relationship compared to what it was when they left the estate.
“Then I suppose I will need to speak to Viscountess Ubarr soon,” he told the two reassuringly, earning a pleased nod from Cale.
“Wonderful.” The red-haired man agreed with him, a sly smile taking place on his face as he directed his gaze to Violan. “If help is needed, I know a good architect who would gladly assist in designing the ships.”
“Oh? Consider my interest piqued.” Violan elegantly answered him. Although nothing was set in stone yet, if it came to a partnership with Ubarr, she would undoubtedly receive a lot of work. Her interest in art would play a role in future designs.
“Mister Cale.” All of a sudden, Lily spoke up. She looked at Cale with big eyes. “Where is Mr. Choi Han?”
When Choi Han was properly introduced to everyone, he had been staying in the manor and given a guest room just like Cale had. It was only for a few days, but he has not yet stayed in the Henituse estate since they returned. Lily only saw him when they greeted them after their journey, and the little girl had been excited to learn more from the skilled swordsman.
“Ah.” Cale thought of where Choi Han currently was, getting reminded to visit later. “He’s at an inn right now.”
“Why?” The question was innocent but direct. Cale didn’t mind.
“Some of our… friends are there. He’s staying with them for some time.”
Deruth instantly knew who he was referring to. It was most likely the wolf people and ‘Miss Rosalyn’. He was aware of the incident since Basen and Hans reported it to him soon after it happened, and he understood.
Deruth believes family is an utmost priority, and the story had reminded him of what happened in Harris Village and to Cale. The loss and pain they just have experienced.
With a deep frown, the count then realized the destruction of Harris Village and the Blue Wolf Tribe’s home was also caused by unidentified men. Perhaps this was what Cale meant when he said the terrorists would not stop…
Thinking more deeply about it, it really was a good decision to build a Navy. As a lord, he was aware about the tension brewing between the kingdoms. He did not know when, but war was most likely coming soon. It’s best to be careful and prepared.
“Mm.” Deruth silently tried to relax his facial muscles again and turned back his attention to Cale. “I heard about what happened and that some of your friends had gotten injured. I hope they are alright now?”
Surprised from the fact that Deruth was the one who brought the wolf tribe up (or the fact that he even knew about them. Although, Cale really shouldn’t be surprised), Cale paused his eating before swallowing and parting his lips again.
A small smile was present this time. Seriously, this conversation is flowing right where he wanted it to go.
“Yes, they are recovering well, but I’m afraid the inn can only be temporary.”
It was true. They couldn’t stay there forever. On the other hand, there were solutions like finding jobs within the county, but Cale needed to bring up another suggestion.
The smile turned sad as he put down his fork and locked eyes with Deruth.
“If I may, Count-nim, the remaining members of the Blue Wolf Tribe have lost their home. They have nowhere to return to, nor do they have any jobs left.”
Deruth watched him with a solemn expression. The dinner table went quiet with Cale’s next words.
“I am aware it is out of my power to make this request, but I do know a solution to this situation if you’d hear me out.” Cale spoke politely with a smile. This was it. “Harris Village.”
He had expected it, but it felt different hearing it come out of his nephew’s mouth. Deruth recalled Cale’s history with the village and found his request to be reasonable. It clearly held a place in his heart.
Hans told him what Choi Han had said about their first encounter. The swordsman had a fond look on his face when he told him Cale had saved him. He had both saved him, and given him a new home. Deruth remembers searching for his nephew’s name in the records of people commissioning constructions of houses from a year back around Harris Village, but only found the name Devran Reedlock who wasn’t even from the Henituse Territory. However, a part of him suspected Cale had used a different name, because no matter how much they searched, there was no Cale Thames in the system.
Yet, Deruth chose not to ask. It still felt weird at times when he was reminded a relative of Jour was actually alive. Sometimes he felt they were only strangers, other times he felt like they had already known each other for a long time.
Either way, Harris Village has proven to mean a lot to Cale, and who was Deruth to shoot down such a careful and polite request. He had the money to rebuild it, after all.
“I don’t suppose it will be a problem.” He told the boy with a smile, feeling successful at seeing him smile back at him.
Cale opened the door to the inn and walked inside. Three children running closely behind him.
None of the wolves had any money on them when they fled their homes, and he couldn’t ask for Rosalyn to cover the costs of available rooms in the inn. Cale had enough money for it both from Deruth’s generosity and the Super Rock Villa, so it wasn’t that much of a problem for him. However, it was still a great difference to what he used to have, and the reminder only irritated him.
‘I’ll need to loot the magic tower again.’
It's best to save up in this world too. When he goes back, he can just make sure the children are set for the future.
The part of the inn where the Blue Wolf Tribe was staying was full of noise. He saw happy children play and chase each other while the adults watched with amusement. The atmosphere had definitely become much lighter during the past few days.
His eyes eventually stopped on three familiar figures in a corner. Choi Han was speaking with Rosalyn and Lock with his back turned to the door. Cale couldn’t hear what they were saying from the other noise and the distance, but he watched how Rosalyn’s expression changed into a frown as she shook her head.
Instead of waiting, Cale chose to approach them and saw how both Rosalyn and Lock detected his movements. Their previous expressions were immediately changed to smiles.
“A-ah!”
“Mister Cale-nim.”
Hearing the name, Choi Han turned around right as Cale stopped by them.
— Hello, Choi Han! Little wolf! Smart Rosalyn!
“Meowww!”
“Meow.”
“Cale-nim.” The greetings came to an end as On and Hong got picked up by Choi Han and Lock. After having spent days with each other, as well as completing a mission together, the cats have gotten comfortable with the young wolf. “I thought you were going to eat breakfast with the Henituse.”
Cale simply raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of mood. While questioning what they were talking about, he eventually figured it didn’t matter. If it was something important, Choi Han would probably tell him.
“I already ate. I’ve come to inform you about something.”
The background noise grew louder as the others went quiet. With their attention at Cale, Lock looked at him with an uncertain look on his face, subconsciously petting the purring red kitten in his arms.
“Uhm… Mister Cale, should I be here?” He was wondering if he was included in whatever Cale was going to tell them, or if he should leave.
However, Cale only shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Do whatever you want.”
Getting the ‘okay’ from him, the young boy flashed him a shy smile but remained in his place.
“What is it, Cale-nim?” Choi Han asked him with a tint of curiosity, letting On climb onto his shoulders. It was quite a funny sight, seeing Choi Han’s questioning look with a cat on his shoulders.
“I’m behind schedule, I will need to hurry to my next destination. Preferably today.”
His words caused Hong to pause mid-lick, as well as everyone else. They could ask what ‘schedule’ Cale was talking about, but Rosalyn had an idea. She knew from before how Cale Thames knew about the secret organization’s plans and how he is working against them. The reason behind his knowledge interested Rosalyn greatly, but based on the interactions between the elder butler and the red-haired man, she has refrained from asking.
She could only guess Arm will be involved in whatever destination he is traveling to, and he needs to hurry.
“That’s what I wanted to tell you—“
— H-Human! I’m coming with you!
The reaction was immediate and unexpected, making Cale suppress a flinch at the loud voice. It seems like Dodam didn’t just speak into his mind, because Choi Han soon agreed.
“Yes, I will also follow you.”
“Nya! Us too!”
“Hm. I suppose it would be a good idea. Of course, as long as it doesn’t set you back.”
Cale was, to say the least, incredibly confused. He can understand that Dodam, On and Hong would come along. He had been planning on offering to bring them with him because it would be helpful to have companions. Especially a dragon that can instantly teleport to the Ubarr Territory instantly. However…
— Ah! Human, don’t frown so deeply! You’ll hurt your brain.
An invisible paw gently landed on Cale’s forehead, and he sighed as he slowly pushed it away, shifting the weight of a dragon to rest on his shoulders again.
“Miss Rosalyn, please don’t misunderstand, but why would you wish to come with me?”
That’s what’s bugging Cale. In his world, Rosalyn, Choi Han, and Lock were on their way to the Breck Kingdom at this point. Did the fact that they followed him back to the Henituse Territory change something? He had expected them to leave a little later than usual to make sure Lock’s family traveled safely, but now they won’t leave at all?
“Oh? Now I’m curious about why you would think that way, Mister Cale.” Rosalyn’s eyes curled into crescents. It wasn’t a secret that Cale already knew things he shouldn’t know, but she was curious to see how far it stretched.
Meanwhile, Cale felt sweat drip down his neck. Right. He shouldn’t know about her plans to go back to Breck.
“Ahem. I simply figured you were planning on returning to your home, Miss Rosalyn. The Ubarr Territory is not close to the Breck Kingdom, but perhaps I thought wrong.”
“Mm.” The only response he got was a friendly smile.
On another note, Cale thought back to his and Lock’s deal. It was simple, Cale would ensure the tribe’s safety, and in turn, they would work for him. In a sense, he could call it jobs since he is paying them with places to stay. Right now, he’s just waiting for Harris Village to be completed. In the meanwhile, they would be able to reside in inns.
That reminds him…
“Choi Han, I spoke with the count the other day.” As he addressed the swordsman, Cale lazily patted the invisible head on his shoulder and continued. “He has agreed to rebuild Harris Village.”
“…?!”
“H-Huh?”
— WHAT?!
Choi Han was startled when he heard what Cale said. Harris Village would be rebuilt? And Cale-nim has convinced the count? A surge of emotions erupted from within him, and Choi Han clenched his hands tightly.
Cale was so kind. He was the kindest person Choi Han has ever met. Sometimes, Choi Han wondered how he would be able to repay him.
He led Choi Han out of the Forest of Darkness, introduced him to civilization, built a home for him and Dodam and even gave them another home filled with precious possessions and money. It didn’t end there either. Since his return, he helped Choi Han once more after Harris Village got destroyed, fought against the enemy, and now he says he got the count to rebuild the village he lost?
It was too much. So, so much that Choi Han wanted to repay him. At this point, he felt it was hard to imagine him being separated from Cale. Choi Han wanted to work for him, to help him just as much as he helped him.
He knew from the way Dodam had fallen silent that the young dragon also felt the same way with many emotions overwhelming his heart.
“Yes.” Cale resumed speaking while looking into Lock’s wide eyes. “That will become your new home.”
The boy gasped, accidentally jolting Hong in his hold. The kitten glanced up while tilting his head.
Lock was also shocked by the news. His home and family has been the main thing he has been thinking about lately. In truth, he knows that it was Cale who sent Choi Han to help them, and he even knew how to handle his berserk mode. The thought of a new home, a new home for his family live in peace. He felt like crying, but he swallowed his tears with a different goal in mind.
“I’m not sure when it will be completed, but possible once we come back.”
“M-Mister Cale!” At that moment, Lock raised his voice, almost sounding frantic. “P-Please let me come with you too!”
“Hm?”
Cale stared at the boy with a flat expression. Lock was also asking to follow him? That’s a bit more people than he had anticipated, and he was planning on moving stealthily this time. Cale thought in silence for a few moments, causing Lock to feel even more nervous at his sudden and impolite request.
‘I guess it would be okay?’
Unless something goes wrong, there shouldn’t be a fight involved while they’re in the Ubarr Territory. At least not one where Lock would get injured, but at the same time, is it necessary to bring him along? He’s not the oldest anymore unlike in Cale’s world. There are capable adults this time.
“I don’t have a problem with it, but I suggest you discuss it with your family first.”
The reaction Lock was expecting never came. Even if it wasn’t set in stone yet, the possibility that he would be able to follow Cale-nim brought him joy and relief.
“Huh? Ah! Yes, Mister Cale. T-Thank you!”
Before Cale planned on leaving, there was one more thing he wanted to check. Dodam, On and Hong were playing in Cale’s room, so he took this opportunity to explore alone.
Because of the lowered sun, the halls were filled with a reddish-orange color. Knights were stationed along the walls every now and then, but they only nodded to him without questioning.
Soon enough, the halls gradually became quieter the less people were there, something that didn’t surprise Cale. Because his destination was, after all…
His room.
Or, the room he owned in his own world.
It was still there, and Cale stood in front of a very familiar door. For some reason, there was no one around this part of the estate, something that he found a bit odd.
“….”
Badum. Badum. Badum. Badum.
Was his heart acting up now? Why is it beating like this?
No, that wasn’t it. Cale has become familiar with the symptoms when the root of despair hits him, and this wasn’t it. If it was, he would feel pain in his chest while it was hard to breathe.
Instead, he was… nervous. Yes, that’s the right word.
For some reason, Cale was getting nervous. But why? He has no reason to feel this way. It was just a room after all.
‘Ugh. Get it together.’
With tense eyes, he silently pushed down the handle to the door and walked inside. However, his steps soon faltered.
“…”
His room looked… normal. It looked weirdly normal.
His bed was still there. Clean covers and fluffy pillows. Taking a step inside, Cale swept his eyes over every detail, swallowing hard. Even the large mirror in his room was there. It was so similar to what Cale is used to, and that’s exactly the problem.
If his counterpart didn’t exist, then how come it looks like this? There is no logical explanation for it, because he would need to be here and influence his room’s appearance for it to look like this. It didn’t make sense.
Cale was stressing at this point. He could still recall the God of Death’s words.
‘He said I didn’t have another version of me here because this world was created because of me… but what the hell does that mean?’
If it truly was molded to adapt to Cale, then he guessed his room existing could make sense, but that would also mean a lot of other things are the same as in his world. For example, the Super Rock Villa. When Cale was there, it looked similar yet different from the one he’s used to. Small details and different rooms played their part. It wasn’t his home.
Therefore, Cale quickly shot down the theory, but that brought him back to zero. If anything, the room shouldn’t exist to begin with, or at least not have this furniture. So why—
“Ah.”
A voice came directly from behind him. Cale turned his head around, but flinched at the person standing in the open doorway.
“…”
They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, not moving from their spot. It took 20 painful seconds of eye contact before his father finally began walking into the room.
Was he angry? Angry that Cale was sneaking around without telling anyone or asking? From what they know, he has no business here and might as well accidentally offend them for walking into this room.
Cale watched him the whole time, feeling a bit of embarrassment at getting caught snooping around, even if this was his room and his home. It’s just that Deruth doesn’t know that.
The older man stopped beside Cale, and turned his eyes away from him.
“……”
Instead, he kept silent as he looked around the room in a similar manner that Cale did. Deruth’s eyes drifted from the bed, to the mirror, to the closet, until it eventually landed on reddish-brown eyes.
That’s when Cale realized his father held no anger. No, Deruth’s expression did not show many emotions, but one was clear in those brown irises. He was sad.
The realization somehow calmed Cale down. He had been tense the moment he got caught, but guess Deruth won’t yell at him or tell him to leave like he’d thought. The red-haired man subconsciously tilted his head to the side.
“I see you’ve been curious about the estate.”
Cale refrained from answering the man. His slightly red ears and silence spoke for itself, causing Deruth to huff out a laugh. He then closed his eyes and muttered under his breath.
“Cale…”
“Hm?”
Truth be told, Deruth wasn’t expecting to hear from a servant that his nephew had gone to this part of the estate when he asked about his whereabouts. He was even more surprised when he saw the door to this very room be wide open.
“I was quite surprised to hear your name when we met.”
Deruth slowly reopened his eyes, a small and gentle smile crept up on his face as he gazed out of the window. The sunset illuminated light into the room. A memory began to replay in his mind,
“In truth, when me and Jour were young, we said our child’s name would be Cale if we ever got a son.”
He can recall the fantasies they had while they were young. A bright future planned ahead. Those memories caused Deruth to both feel nostalgic and sorrowful. He still misses Jour just as much as he loved her, but he has also become so happy with the family he has.
The first years after her death, Deruth was miserable. Depression caused him to not want to socialize at all, but then he met Violan. Violan was not at all like Jour, but he learned to love her just as much. The only similarity between his two wives is that both of them have incredibly kind hearts. He guessed that’s why he fell for them. Even if he still tiptoes around mentioning his first love in front of Violan, she never takes offense.
Truly, if Violan wasn’t the kind of woman she was, Deruth isn’t sure he would have survived the pain from loss.
When he first met Cale, Deruth felt like his whole world got flipped upside down. Memories of Jour replayed in his mind on repeat, he didn’t know what to do or how to treat him. Violan was there to help, and so were his children. They knew what to do and how to guide him through this, and Deruth wouldn’t have it any other way.
Knowing Cale has improved everyone’s lives, he felt happy. Lily is more encouraged about her training with Cale’s friend giving her tips, and Basen has become very close with Cale to the point of calling him ‘Hyung’.
In addition, Cale painfully looks like a copy of Jour. That’s something Deruth is reminded of everytime he sees him. Even the fact that his name is Cale is just a scary coincidence to the name his memories tell him about.
Sometimes, this red-haired young man sometimes feels like the son Deruth never got. A son with Jour…
“Count-nim, how come you treat me so kindly?”
“Huh?”
“…”
Cale’s mind was chaotic. Nothing makes sense anymore. His father was speaking as if the original Cale didn’t exist. That’s what the God of Death told him, and what Cale also believes. It’s not possible that Cale took the original Cale’s body either because of the changes. From the moment he woke up, he had the same clothes as before, his hair was still long, and he had his spacial storage bag. If he stole a body, his appearance would have been different.
So it comes to the conclusion that Cale just doesn’t exist, but then why is his room still here? Exactly like the one back home?
Why?
It was messing with his mind at this point. On another note, this brought Cale to think about another thing, Deruth’s behavior towards him. Was something else involved? If the world has these… weird phenomena of an added room, could other things also be different? Personalities? Time? Events?
“You might be her only relative.” Deruth spoke quietly like a whisper, studying the deep frown on Cale’s face. “Plus, you’re family.”
That hit Cale harder than he thought it would. He knew he was family, but it felt weird hearing it from a version of his father.
‘He probably doesn’t mean it like I think he does.’
Cale wasn’t his son in this world. He was his nephew, and Deruth was his supposed late aunt’s husband. It’s not the same, but a part of his heart still warms at the words.
“Oh…”
His father gave a light, but slightly sad chuckle at his answer. Silence returned once more as they both looked out at the sunset. It was very beautiful from this point of view. Cale thinks he doesn’t appreciate it enough sometimes.
Slowly, Deruth spoke up again.
“May.. may I ask you a personal question?”
“Go ahead.”
A pause. And a breath.
“Your parents. You mentioned you didn’t know where they were.”
Oh.
Honestly, Cale isn’t sure what to say. He can’t really say his parents are alive and well in another world, or the fact that Deruth is actually his father, just not here. It’d cause chaos.
“…are they dead?”
Or he could blame it on that. But… something within Cale pulls at him to not say they were dead. It feels wrong.
“I don’t know,” he settled on saying.
“…”
The older man let it sink in for another moment.
“What are their names? Maybe I can help…”
“I don’t know.”
“You…”
He faltered at the quick answer. Deruth knew the topic of Cale’s parents were sensitive to talk about, which is why he is so careful mentioning them. It’s very likely they are dead, but one thing he does know is that they are gone from Cale’s life.
To be honest, anything could have happened. A bad memory connected to their deaths could refrain Cale from speaking about them. It could also be that they had an argument before walking different paths, or there’s a possibility they abandoned him. Maybe they were forcefully separated?
Deruth didn’t know if his nephew lied when he said he didn't know their names. If it was a lie, he’s just showing he doesn’t want to talk about them anymore. That mostly supports his theory that something happened and he doesn’t want to find them even if they are still out there somewhere.
However, if he was telling the truth about not knowing his parents’ names, then Deruth can only imagine they’d died early or abandoned him as a child. But who took care of him then? He hasn’t mentioned anyone other than friends he’s met on his journeys.
To leave a child alone… The count frowned at the thought, but snapped out of it once he heard Cale’s next words.
“By the way, I will be leaving soon.”
“What?”
Even if this wasn’t the best situation, Cale thought he might as well inform his father about his next plans since they might leave soon.
“I wish to continue traveling like I did before. I plan on leaving tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?!”
“Hm? Yes.”
‘But… you just barely recovered…!’
It’s only been a few days since Cale’s condition acted up so much he was close to death, and now he already wants to continue traveling? It’s too risky!
“W, why so early? Shouldn’t you rest a bit more?”
“I wish I could, but I have… work to do.” Cale spat out the word ‘work’ as he spoke.
“Work? There’s no need to do work. I can help, I can just send someone to do that work!”
Cale frowned. Why was his father so insistent on keeping him here? “Thank you for the offer, but this is something I need to do.”
Feeling hopeless at being unable to convince him, Deruth desperately thought of what to do.
“It’s… it can be dangerous, though. With your condition, it can be dangerous without a healer near. Cale, you can take a few of my healers and guards with you! They’ll ensure your safety.”
That would be… a bad idea. Cale needed to not be noticed, so he can’t travel with an extravagant carriage with the Henituse emblem on and definitely not have guards surrounding it. It was okay on his way to the Capital but that’s only because they were escorting Basen, and Cale was simply there.
“I apologize… but I prefer if there weren't many people accompanying me. Choi Han and my other friends will be there.”
“But…!”
“Perhaps I can join?”
The moment a third voice intervened, the father and son instantly turned around to look at the culprit. In the doorway stood Ron with his everlasting benign smile.
“Pardon me, my lord, but the Lady wishes to speak with you, and I found the door to be open so I couldn’t help but hear the end of your conversation.”
“Ah…”
Ron spoke politely, indicating that he heard nothing else than what they had been discussing at the end. His sudden appearance had caught them both off guard, but the lord quickly regained his posture.
“And… Ron, you said you would like to join Cale on his travels?”
‘No. No thank you.’
There’s a possibility the scary old man would continue to follow him? Would Cale need to experience drinking even more lemons when he thought he was free? The man didn’t even leave before the plaza terror incident so he hasn’t had a moment of peace yet!
“Yes, my lord. I agree that it is… dangerous,” Ron spoke with a smile while making eye contact with Cale, causing him to shiver. “…for Mr. Thames to travel without anyone with experience in the medical field. If my son and I are allowed to join, we can ensure his safety as well as prepare healthy meals.”
Deruth seriously considered the suggestion and found it to be quite good. In the back of his mind, he knew Ron was more than what he showed himself to be, but he has proven himself useful and trustworthy after working under him for 18 years. Ron was the head butler, so Hans would have to take over his duties, but that also meant he’s capable of serving Cale. Beacrox was the head chef in kitchen 2, so he knows how to cook.
Plus, from the report Deruth had received after Cale’s fatal injury, he heard how the father and son duo helped Cale before the healers came. Therefore, they were also trustworthy when it came to his health.
The count then swept his eyes up and down Cale’s body while the latter looked at him in disbelief.
‘Hmm. He does look a bit too skinny.’
Deruth knew Cale had a weak build, but he thought that might disappear after regaining his strength after the massacre in Harris Village, but he guessed not.
‘Yes, Beacrox will make sure he gets the right nutritions.’
“That does sound like a good idea. What do you think, Cale? I really suggest you bring along at least some of the servants to help you, but since you wanted as few people as possible, doesn’t it sound good to only take Ron and Beacrox with you?”
Cale looked at him with a betrayed look, but still mumbled out a dumbfounded ‘I guess…’
“Great! Then I will prepare a carriage…”
“Uh! That won’t be necessary, Count-nim.” Cale was quick to interrupt. “My friend is a mage, she will be able to teleport us directly.”
“Ah, I see.”
“My lord, pardon me for interrupting once more, but the lady was asking for you.”
“Right, I see.” Feeling satisfied, Deruth turned to Cale with a smile. “Make sure to get some sleep before leaving tomorrow. I’ll inform the attendants to go pack your things.”
“Yes… thank you.”
Cale watched how his father eventually left the room with a confused expression. He had just agreed to let two assassins accompany him to the Ubarr Territory, but what he planned on doing there wasn’t even that dangerous. In addition, he wonders why Ron would suggest that.
When nothing happened, Cale raised his gaze to the man in the doorway.
‘Why isn’t he…’
Honestly, Cale was expecting Ron to follow his father out of the room, but pressed his lips together when he realized he wouldn’t leave. Ron remained in the doorway. He was smiling benignly while focusing on Cale. His chilly gaze caused him to suppress a shiver.
At this point, the sun was almost gone, painting the room a blue and purple-ish color instead.
Click.
The mood immediately shifted the moment Ron closed the door shut behind him with a click, never letting his eyes leave Cale’s, but they eventually dropped. The smile was no longer friendly, if it even was that to begin with.
“Sit down, Mister Cale.” He gestured with his hand to the couch to the side. “My lord has informed me that I am now in charge of taking care of you, so please rest your legs.”
‘What the…’
Despite being left alone, Ron continued his act. Cale raised an eyebrow, but sat down nonetheless when the old man pinned him with a stare.
“Is there something you want?”
Ron hummed in response as he casually sat down in the seat in front of Cale. It felt weird seeing Ron like this. Cale is so used to the one who kept his role as a butler in front of Cale and never stepped out of line. The Ron Cale knew could threaten him with lemon tea, and there had been way too many times Cale thought he would get killed, but he has come to realize something.
‘It’s so different.’
It’s very different feeling threatened and feeling like he would die at any point. Because Cale has gotten to know this version of his butler, he now knows that the Ron from his world would actually not kill him. He has seen the assassin’s bloodlust, but it was only when he met this man that Cale knew what it felt like to be on the other end of that bloodlust.
“I am quite curious about something.” As Ron spoke up again, Cale returned his focus to him.
‘What now…’
Will he ask Cale about Arm again? Ask him about his identity? Cale isn’t sure what he can tell him without accidentally revealing something that won’t do him any good.
“I would like to know your opinion.”
“About what?” Cale was beginning to get impatient. He didn’t want to stay here any longer than he needed.
“About taking a year-long vacation. I plan on hunting some—“
“No.”
Before he could stop himself, Cale instantly rejected the idea. The room turned silent without a single sound being heard.
At that moment, when Ron wasn’t responding, Cale suddenly realized his mistake. He slowly grew pale in the dim moonlight.
“…”
“No?” The old man’s lips curled up again.
‘Fuck…’
Notes:
Welp this chapter was longer than I had planned. Needed to leave it on a cliffhanger :p
Anyway, sorry for the long wait everyone! I was sick and then got better and now I’m probably getting sick again… yay!
Okay so,
ZED’S FIRST ACTUAL APPEARANCE IF YOU DON’T COUNT THE PLAZAAA! what is up with him? No idea ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Cale promised an architect, so guess he’s kidnapping Mueller again. Btw Cale knew he had nothing to offer by requesting they rebuild Harris Village compared to when he offered to help with the Naval Base. That’s why he lost the confidence. (also to look a bit pitiful so they would agree)
We get a few more changes! To begin with, why aren’t Rosalyn, Choi Han and Lock leaving? And secondly, CALE’S ROOM EXISTS?
Yk, I was really tempted to replace everything in the room with like a crib and baby things, but realized it wouldn’t help my future plans. But imagine if Cale saw that instead hahahha
Ron really isn’t planning on leaving anymore since he found out Cale is a much better lead than anything else, but he still wanted to tease and mess with him to see his reaction. Guess he found out something useful. Whoopsie?
Next chapter we go to Ubarr!! ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎
On another note, I have written another short 2/2 chapter fanfic about Ron and Cale! It’s basically about how Cale suddenly teleports to the past and appears when the Molan Household is getting attacked. He manages to save Ron, his wife and son, and Ron is very confused but grateful. Of course, they don’t know who Cale is until they come to the Henituse Territory and Ron proceeds to raise a baby with the exact same features as his savior.
The fanfic is called “Moments in Motion” and this is the summary:
—
His house is getting attacked from all directions, and the only thing Ron could do is run, trying to find Beacrox in the chaos.He suddenly froze when he saw an unfamiliar man with red hair drag his son behind him.
Without letting a single second slow him down, Ron jumped over the fence with a menacing look on his face, zeroing in on the enemy trying to abduct his son.
Ron just doesn’t realize yet that the mystery man will be the reason he and his family can escape alive.
—
Summary might change, but if you’re interested, check it out! <33
Chapter 33: The Dominating Aura
Notes:
Hello… I have no excuse for this delayed chapter ( ๑‾̀◡‾́)✨ BUT HERE WE AREEEEE ◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
He responded too quickly. Ron obviously suspected he knew something, which he did. The timeline is wrong. Ron should have come with this suggestion while they were still in the capital, but Cale had forgotten about it since it was never brought up.
And now, when he did ask about his opinion, Cale’s mind instantly flashed to the missing arm. Thanks to Record, he could recall the memory perfectly, and the sight always brought a bitter taste in his mouth. That’s why Cale spoke before he could think it through. He cursed himself for his mistake.
‘Besides, Redika isn’t even alive anymore…’
He heard from Choi Han. Redika had blown up, and Dodam was most likely responsible for it. How would this affect the future, though? The mage already figured out Dodam’s existence from when the dragon and Choi Han was sent to save Lock’s family, and he openly spoke about Dodam during the plaza terror incident. Cale worried about Dodam too.
Redika was destined to die either way, but this was too early. Plus, Ron should be fine now since the one who cut his arm off won’t be there anymore…?
“…I meant no, there is nothing that’s stopping you.”
“Really.” Ron was looking extremely amused, but Cale felt more threatened than ever.
“……”
When Cale didn’t give an answer, Ron’s expression slowly shifted into a cold look, smile still present.
“You know something.”
The accusation made him even more nervous. It was true. Cale knew a lot. He hasn’t exactly been very subtle about it either, but that’s because he trusts the people he’s around.
Cale is painfully reminded once again that these aren’t the people he truly has come to know.
The way his throat clogged up gave him an uncomfortable feeling. He didn’t know what to say to that, but being the target for those sharp eyes pressured him.
“You know…” Ron suddenly spoke up again, leaning back. “It’s truly intriguing to hear about ‘their’ plans from someone who can’t even explain where he got the information from.”
Cale felt sweat drip down his neck. This side of Ron was so foreign and unfamiliar.
“However, I think the way you speak is more interesting.”
He swallowed the lump in his throat and forcefully got the words out. “And how do I speak...?”
Ron smiled at him, forcing their eyes to meet.
“With certainty.”
The grip on Cale’s clothes tightened, causing wrinkles to destroy the expensive attire provided by his father. At some point, Cale had subconsciously crossed his arms, both to hide the shaky fists and to provide some kind of protection. Ron obviously knew more than he let on. Cale isn’t sure how or what he knows, but it feels like he’s entering a danger zone. A part of Cale wonders if the Ron from his world was also like this, but just never showed this side in front of him.
If that’s so, he wondered why.
“Too much certainty, in fact. So tell me, Cale Thames.” As Ron spoke, the old man’s eyes darkened. The smile was no longer friendly, but demanding and intimidating. Fitting for a patriarch, an assassin. “What would have happened if I chose to leave?”
Cale felt the color drain from his face.
‘Fuck. Fuck, he knows.’
Cale should have been more careful. He shouldn’t have been so carefree. Why did he think it would be okay? Just because he knew a version of Ron? The old man was sharp, and he proved his ability in this very moment. He picked up on the smallest things, and Cale let himself be too clumsy.
‘Dammit… this is bad.’
With hesitation, Cale inspected the other’s face. Ron kept his expression perfectly intact, a silent threat. He was pressuring Cale for answers, telling him he already knew everything.
Cale took a silent, shaky breath. “I don’t know.”
Ron looked unimpressed.
He wanted to look away from those eyes, to get out of here and hide from Ron forever, but he couldn’t. Not when Ron maintained their eye contact like this.
“I don’t know, because the future has changed.” He repeated himself, adding an explanation. This time, the assassin’s eyes changed.
“Had Redika still been alive…” He paused and saw the assassin shift at the name. “You would have lost an arm.”
“…”
The reveal created an agonizing silence between them. Cale wondered if he should have just kept quiet and not say anything at all. What if Ron didn’t even know he knew the future and was hinting at something else? Did he just screw himself over?
Meanwhile, Ron was lost in his own thoughts. This wasn’t what he expected, but the odd answer pushed his intrigue.
‘How would he know?’
Cale Thames was aware of Arm’s future plans, but how would he have known that Ron would lose an arm when he decided to go and investigate alone? It was too specific. Even if what he’s saying sounds unbelievable, the reddish-brown eyes, eyes that shows he has seen too much, makes Ron think he’s telling the truth.
Before they departed from the Capital, his son had approached him after he accompanied the young Thames to the church of the God of Death. They both knew the mysterious connection Cale had with the god, and figured it was a good decision to come with him. Beacrox described the book, and Ron recognized it upon the explanation, confirming his suspicions. However, he hadn’t been prepared to hear about when the book literally hit Cale right in the face, forcing him to a sleep-like state.
By now, Ron and his son weren’t the only ones who knew about Cale Thames and the God of Death, but the question was how far it reached. Who was Cale to the god? And what powers and resources does he give the boy?
It wasn’t too wrong of him to theorize about Cale receiving knowledge of the future that didn’t involve only Arm’s plans.
That’s why he chose to ask. “Do you know the future?”
Cale stilled in his seat once again, but desperately tried to keep his expression from revealing anything. He was extremely uncomfortable on this topic. Both because of the truth and his real identity as Kim Rok Soo, but also because it was Ron he was speaking about this to. Over and over again, he tried to tell himself it wasn’t the same one, but it was hard with how much similarities they had. They were basically copies of each other, but it would be okay. Cale would eventually leave this world, and then meet Ron again, a Ron who didn’t know about this.
Cale would be fine.
“I know…” He halted right before he continued. “…two possible futures.”
He had knowledge of his future, and what had happened there, but also the Birth of a Hero. Even if Cale had almost missed mentioning it, his memory helped him remember the novel where it all started.
“This timeline has already changed too much for the first future, but it’s still a bit similar to the second future.”
“What changed it from the first future?” Ron asked him. Cale isn’t sure if he really believes him, but the questions are indicating such.
Ron looked like he already knew the answer to his own question, but still chose to ask.
“Me.”
A short answer, but it explained enough. Still, Ron pressed on with a glint of curiosity in his eyes. Really, this reaction from him was too weird for him to actually believe Cale, but maybe it was for the better that he didn’t.
“And what happened in the first future?” It was an open question, but Cale knew what he meant.
He thought back to the Birth of a Hero. Cale hadn’t read more than the fifth volume, so he didn’t know everything that happened, but he does know how it ended. The original Cale had told him when they met for the first time.
With a deep breath, and dark eyes, he parted his lips. “20 years of war.” The room dropped in temperature in a matter of seconds. Cale looked tiredly at the old assassin. “You lose.”
“…”
It was the hard truth, and now Ron knew a possible future. Cale wouldn’t let it happen. He would complete this damned wrath test, kill both white stars, give the kids a warm home for when he’s gone, and seal away the god responsible for all this destruction. However, to do so, he couldn't let other people know about his knowledge.
“Ron, this cannot spread.” He said almost sternly. Just for the sake that the old man was truly listening. Even the smile on Ron’s lips had faded into a flat expression. “I hope you understand you cannot tell anyone. Not even your son.”
Silence returned to the room again. Cale was looking straight into Ron’s eyes to show how serious he was. If this information spread, it could cause chaos for them and ruin Cale’s plans. He couldn’t let it happen.
However, all this brought it back to one question. Ron and Beacrox had the chance to leave whenever they wanted. Since he fell unconscious after the plaza terror incident, Cale only slowed them down when they just got a lead on the people who destroyed their home. They could have left.
‘So why didn’t you?’
Ron’s lips ticked up for a moment before dropping again.
“How interesting…”
“Are you sure you have everything? Enough spare clothes? Do you need more money? I can get you some more if you need...” Deruth began to dig in his pockets only to find them empty. “I must have left it in my office… Hans!”
Cale watched how his father fretted over their departure with an exhausted face. It did remind him all too well of how Deruth was back in his world, but he already got up early to have enough time, so Cale was too tired to deal with this right now.
“Thank you, count-nim, but I will be fine.” He tried his best to reassure him, but the other man still looked at him with a contemplated expression.
“Please don’t worry, my lord.” Suddenly, Ron appeared beside him, causing Cale to flinch before quickly masking it again. The old man only smiled benignly. “I will personally make sure his health is good and keep him safe during the trip.”
His smooth words seemed to finally calm the Count down, but Cale only felt threatened by it.
‘Personally…? What is he planning?’
Despite how much Cale is used to Ron tending to him, after his conversation with this Ron, he isn’t sure he wants him to serve him anymore. He sighed mentally and subconsciously leaned away from the old man’s side.
A distance away, Beacrox stood and watched the scene with Choi Han warily looking at him from the corner of his eye. He was slightly glaring at him, but the chef paid him no mind. Beside them were Rosalyn, Lock, and another adult from the Blue Wolf Tribe. Her name was Nasyra and she was one of the surviving hunter wolves, making her skilled in combat and gathering food. Lock’s tribe had discussed it before letting the boy leave and decided that another adult would accompany him despite their trust in Cale. Her bulky figure reminded Cale of Toonka, but the friendly and cheerful smile broke the resemblance.
They eventually agreed when Cale confirmed that he wasn’t planning on doing anything needing combat unlike the plaza terror incident. He would call them when he needed them.
“Trust in Ron’s ability, Deruth. I believe he will be able to do his job accordingly even outside of the estate.” Violan came up from behind Deruth and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Basen and Lily stood hand in hand just a bit away, smiling at them. They were also here to say goodbye.
— Yeah! Human’s auntie! This great and mighty dragon will protect him too!
Without revealing himself, Dodam draped himself over Cale’s shoulder while he spoke into his mind. That’s also when Cale felt two pairs of paws on his legs. He carefully bent down to pick up On and Hong like it was natural, and they instantly made themselves comfortable in his hold. When Cale looked up again, he saw his father’s gentle smile in his direction.
“Yes, yes. Everything will be okay.” He finally seemed to have calmed down. “Call whenever you have time, Cale.”
“—and you’re always welcome to come back and rest for as long as you want.” Violan was quick to fill in.
Cale returned the pleasantries and they were soon ready to leave.
“Bye, bye, Orabeoni!!” Lily gave him a big wave while shouting, but the words made Cale freeze on his spot.
Lily had just called him brother, just like Basen did. Initially, Cale knew it most likely didn’t have a deeper meaning by it, but he still couldn’t help but be caught by surprise. He relaxed when he saw Basen’s sheepish smile.
‘She probably picked it up from him.’
He reassured himself. Even if Basen had known Cale was the second group in the plaza terror incident, he still doesn’t know why the boy began calling him ‘Hyung’, but it wasn’t too odd that the little sister would eventually also start calling him that.
Cale smiled gently at them, illuminating a beautiful painting. “Goodbye, young lady Lily and young master Basen.”
Still, with everyone waving goodbye, it felt like a scene straight out of a fairytale. Cale simply shook his head and waved back.
“Let’s go.” He spoke those final words and Rosalyn began to channel her mana. However, there were currently 10 individuals needing to teleport, so Dodam discreetly created his own teleportation circle they would use.
His vision turned white and he felt gravity pull at him, finally leaving the estate.
“There we go… huh?”
Instead of the view of the shores in the Ubarr Territory that they were expecting, they found themselves in front of a large, glorious villa. If you could even call it that…
With extravagant architecture and details to the walls, it looked more like a mansion than a house.
“Hoo...” Rosalyn huffed out a breath at the scene. Her eyes moved to the figure walking inside.
“We will only stop here for a bit, and I need to visit a place in the Forest of Darkness before we move on to the Ubarr Territory.” Cale spoke calmly with two cats and a dragon in his arms. Since Choi Han followed him without questioning, the others soon caught up.
“Woah…” Lock muttered as they walked inside. “H, Hyung, what is this?”
With the question directed at the swordsman, he turned around with a grin. “It’s mine and Dodam’s home. Cale-nim gave it to us when he saved us a year ago.”
Truth be told, Choi Han still wonders why Cale would just give this to them so easily. Well, from the sound of their last meeting before Cale left, it was almost like he wasn’t expecting to meet them again, so Choi Han can understand it to a degree. But why him, a stranger he seemed to threaten him more than help him?
A warm began to fill his heart at the thought. Choi Han would do his best to repay his savior.
Contrary to his quick explanation, Lock’s eyes turned wide. He knew Mister Cale was a kind man who worked to save as many people as possible, but he even gave away an entire house? At first, Lock had found him intimidating with his stoic face and forward way of speaking. However, his view of the red-haired man eventually began to change. Not only because of the stories he heard about from Choi Han, but also the terrorist attack on the plaza.
And after this, Lock is sure he will never be able to view Cale as intimidating or scary again.
Ron and Beacrox stood beside each other without truly walking inside. They were both looking at their surroundings with different emotions. It really was a beautiful building, but to think this belonged to the punk and dragon. In addition, Choi Han told them that it was Cale who gave them this place.
It just adds to Beacrox’s interest of the man. When did he get this? Where is this? Why did he own a house similar to a mansion? And why would he simply give it away?
Meanwhile, the moment Cale stepped further into the room, it exploded with noise.
— He’s back! He’s back!
— Do you know how long I’ve waited?! It’s XXX horrible over there! Get me out!
— Ah, everyone. Hello again.
Cale flinched at the burst of voices, something that didn’t go unnoticed for the sensitive people around him.
“Human, are you okay?”
“Cale-nim?”
“Nya?”
Dodam, who was still over his shoulder, turned to him with big eyes, but Cale couldn’t answer him. Without minding the watchful gazes directed his way, he began to speak out loud.
“Okay stop. You’re making my head hurt.”
— Cale, that’s not true… you don’t have a headache.
Crybaby exposed him without any remorse, but he likely didn’t realize the meaning behind Cale’s statement.
“Haa…. Whatever. Look, I’m only here for a short while, and I plan on getting the Dominating Aura before we leave. Then I’ll…”
As Cale trailed on, 9 pairs of confused eyes were locked on him. It only took a few seconds before the children realized what he was doing.
Rosalyn began to speak. “Mister Cale—“
“Ahh!” Hong then suddenly jumped from Cale’s arms to his shoulder instead, cutting off the mage.
— Please be quiet, everyone! Human is talking to his mage-who-is-also-not-a-mage friend!
Dodam spoke loudly in everyone’s mind to avoid disturbing Cale.
Many odd looks were exchanged at the little dragon’s weird claim, however, no one continued to speak. Rosalyn glanced at the swordsman in hope of getting eye contact, and a more detailed explanation. A mage who is not a mage at the same time? And he was speaking to someone else besides the ones in the room? Choi Han only helplessly shrugged with an awkward smile.
‘Guess he also didn’t know.’ Rosalyn thought helplessly, but was also filled with curiosity at this weird moment.
Ron’s eyes turned sharp as he observed the red-haired man in the center of the room. He was pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation before waving his hand in the air. It really looked like he was speaking to someone, but the problem was that there was nothing there. The air was empty save for the items and decorations scattered around them and hanging from the ceiling.
‘It does not look like a one-sided conversation. Then… voices?’
It was possible that there were voices that only Cale could hear, similar to that of ghost tales. It reminds him of one particular interaction they had with each other not too long ago.
It was when Lock was undergoing his first berserk mode, and Ron and Beacrox had accompanied the red-haired man and the children to watch the fight. During that time, the kittens had asked about some ‘friends’ that could speak in Cale head, relaying information and such to the young man.
When he first heard about it, Ron simply thought it was just the kids’ imagination or something Cale said to explain something he didn’t want to reveal.
‘However, seeing him speak as if there was truly someone else in this room….’
Perhaps what they were saying was true.
A mage who is not a mage. Mages could send voice messages into another person’s mind in order to speak without wanting anyone else to hear. The little dragon was still young and might not know everything about the world, but everyone could agree that what they are witnessing isn’t a normal phenomenon.
A few minutes later, the conversation ended with a nod from the redhead. When Cale looked back he noticed the eyes on him, full of curiosity and confusion. He felt a bit uncomfortable from the watchful gazes, and a hint of regret made its way into him.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have come here…?’
Cale should have waited to visit until another time without all of them watching, but he had been so caught up in talking with the ancient powers that he had momentarily forgotten about it. Still, as long as no one asked him about it, he wouldn’t mention it.
Their next destination was the swamp full of dark mana and monsters. For this, Cale took out a few black masks for the others to wear and changed the topic to avoid any questions.
“What’s this?”
“Protection from the poison. It would be bad if you breathe it in.”
A few of them stiffened up and put on the masks. Soon, Dodam was activating a second teleportation circle with the coordinates Cale had given them.
As soon as they arrived close to the swamp, everyone instantly felt how the air changed.
“I remember this…” Choi Han muttered to himself. From spending years in the Forest of Darkness, he believes he has developed some kind of poison resistance from the dangers the more his body gets used to the environment. However, even he avoided this place. “Cale-nim, are we heading to the swamp?”
“The swamp?” Narysa repeated the young swordsman’s words.
“Ah! That weird place?”
“You know about it?” Cale knew Choi Han would probably recognize it, but for Dodam to also know? He must have either spent a lot of time in the Forest of Darkness or Choi Han had shown him the different dangers. It was undoubtedly easier to travel when a dragon could teleport you out or kill any threats with a flick of his claw.
Hong then turned to look up at Cale with bug eyes, silently asking permission. With his sister nodding, Cale slowly let him down on the ground.
“Huh? K-kitten-nim!” In a panic, Lock called out to the red cat without hesitation, but faltered when said kitten began to happily munch on some leaves and berries in a bush.
“It’s okay, little wolf!” Dodam flew in front of him. “Hyung, can eat poison just fine! He’s getting stronger.”
“Mhm!” The cat bobbed his head up and down while he chewed on the leaves, he spoke with muffled sounds. “It’sh shuper delishous!”
They continued walking through the thick forest until Cale eventually noticed how Dodam was acting weird.
‘Is he reacting to the dragon’s mana?’
Seeing how he is only acting like this for now and seemed unfamiliar with everything, Cale guessed Dodam hadn't been here before. The realization that Choi Han had warned him about this place rather than showed it to him reassured Cale, and he felt grateful for the swordsman. He knew those two would be able to take care of each other.
“Human… what is that?” The dragon flew closer to him and asked in a wary voice, but instead received a pat on the head.
“That’s a dragon’s mana, Dodam.”
Rosalyn had to forcefully stop herself from letting out a noise of surprise. Had she heard correctly? Was there another dragon in the forest? Even if she felt anticipation in getting to witness another dragon in her lifetime, she also began to worry. Two dragons meeting each other were usually not very friendly, so how would the little 4-year-old black dragon handle the situation?
Even if she managed to conceal her feelings, some of the others also reacted to the red-haired man’s words.
Dodam shook his head. “No, it’s similar but not the same… it’s almost like it’s dead.”
“That’s right.” Cale gave another pat as a reward. Even this far away, Dodam could figure it out. “It’s a dragon who has once lived, but no longer does.”
“……”
A dead dragon. A dragon that hadn’t been able to return to nature because of the dead mana surrounding it. Just like in Cale’s world, the skeleton would become a great usage for Mary once he meets with her again.
Cale signed mentally. There would be a lot of things he needs to do.
“Mm!”
“…!”
Before the swamp could even be seen between the trees, a large wave of a powerful aura washed over them. It was like a tsunami coming at them.
— C……le…
A distant, inaudible mumble reached Cale’s ears, but only he could hear it. The owner of the Dominating Aura knew he was here, but why is the aura attacking them? This never happened before.
“W, What is that?”
“Such pressure…!”
The others were clearly affected by it, but Cale stood firm. His mind was running through multiple theories about why it was like this. Every trial for the ancient powers so far has been different than what he’s used to, and everytime Cale has been needing to use the same ancient power for each location.
Without further hesitation, Cale activated the dominating aura just enough to push back the aura attacking them. He walked in front of them and directed the aura towards the swamp, letting them breathe. Lock could still feel the power coming from Cale, something he was surprised by, but it was definitely easier to move when the pressure wasn’t focused on him.
Even Nasyra, who had seen Cale use his mysterious but beautiful shield to protect the citizens of Roan, was taken off guard.
‘What kind of power…’
Cale Thames was weak despite his multiple abilities. While not everyone knew, Cale actually possessed more than the shield. Choi Han, Dodam, On and Hong were witnesses to his display of abilities. A shield, the power to move the earth, a healing power, and now this.
Choi Han isn’t sure if this was a part of an ability or a separate one. No, actually, Choi Han doesn’t know what Cale’s powers are at all. It’s not magic or divine power, so what is it?
‘Cale-nim…’
“Mister Cale,” Beacrox then began to approach him, having recovered from the shock. “Why are we here?”
Mumbling, Cale didn’t remove his gaze from what laid behind the trees. “I just need to retrieve something…”
“…?”
Four pairs of eyes instantly snapped to the red-haired man. Choi Han’s fingers twitched as the children began to quiet down the moment they heard him speak.
The last Cale said that, he had come back with a bloody hand, and Choi Han knew what happened thanks to the dragon telling him. However, for Dodam, On and Hong, who has been there when their human suddenly brought a knife to his own palm and cut through the skin, dread began to fill them.
In a panic, they jumped on him without caring about the pressure pushing down on their shoulders.
“Nya! You can’t!”
“Don’t do anything stupid, nya!”
“Y-You can’t cut yourself again!”
When Dodam yelled out loud, their surroundings turned silent in the blink of an eye.
“…”
Cale stood frozen as he looked at the three children.
‘Whuh…?’
“What?”
For a moment, Cale thought he spoke out loud, but realized it came from behind him. Slowly turning around with three children in his arms, he met Beacrox’s glaring eyes. Cale instantly felt sweat drip down his neck. Beside the chef stood Ron with his vicious smile.
“Hoho? Did I hear that correctly?”
Shivers crawled down Cale’s spine, but apart from the old man, everyone was quietly looking at him. Choi Han was clenching his fists while dangerously locking eyes with Cale, and Rosalyn and Lock both had frowns on their faces.
‘Haa…. What a disaster.’
He would need to resolve this misunderstanding before it went too far.
“Dodam.” He turned to the worried dragon. “I hate pain. I don’t plan on getting hurt.”
Despite his steady words, no one was convinced. Dodam and the kittens silently communicated with each other, remembering the previous events where Cale got hurt. He willingly cut his palm in that weird cave, and jumped into fire when the bombs were going to explode in the plaza. They knew Cale can’t do anything about his condition, but the other things are a different story.
“But, human…”
“It’s fine.” Cale patted Dodam’s head and also made eye contact with On and Hong, reassuring them. “I promise nothing will happen. This isn’t dangerous as long as we don’t get too close.”
With his last statement, he put them down began to walk through the trees and bushed again. The others followed him with watchful eyes.
“Oh my…”
The moment the leaves cleared, a dark and ominous swamp showed itself. Gasps were heard from the individuals behind, and Choi Han had a dark expression on his face. He never liked this part of the Forest of Darkness, but now they were closer to the danger than ever.
It was just as Cale remembered, and he never stopped using the Dominating Aura to push back the attacking pressure even once. However, now that he was even closer, he heard a voice much clearer than before.
— Cale…
It was his ancient power.
— I’m sorry. I cannot control it.
The offending aura was uncontrollably pulsating in the air.
‘How do I retrieve their consciousness?’
It’s been something he has been pondering for a while now. Just like the Vitality of the Heart, Dominating Aura isn’t an offensive power that could materialize.
— Cale, maybe the crown is still there? Should we have the little dragon destroy the swamp again?
Glutton, who had been there when he first got the ancient power, made the suggestion. Cale also considered it, but because the whales were not here yet, and he was still planning on making them owe him a favor, they couldn’t destroy it for now.
“Cale-nim?”
While he did hear Choi Han call out to him, he couldn’t answer. He currently needed to focus.
‘If I can’t use Dodam, then I need to fish out the crown in a different way.’
Badum. Badum. Badum.
Ignoring his heart’s weird rhythm, he thought of a different method. Even if Cale didn’t wish to do this, it was the easiest way.
— Oh? Are you using that?
Super Rock had guessed right.
Cale wordlessly lifted a hand towards the black swamp, channeling one of his ancient powers. Even if it was filled with dead mana, water exists everywhere.
He felt the power pull something beneath them. However, Cale was very careful this time. Unlike the first time he used the Sky Eating Water while fighting the Mogoru Empire, he couldn’t go all out right now. The ancient power was destructive, but he knew how to limit it.
The ground began to rumble deeply, making everyone tense up.
“What? Do you feel that?”
“What’s happening?”
“Is the earth moving?”
Ignoring the surprised exclaims, Cale fully focused on controlling the Sky Eating Water. Using two ancient powers at the same time took a strain on him, but it would be fine with the small percentage.
Badum. Badum. Badum. Badum—
The surface of the swamp began to move in subtle waves, water had entered the swamp from beneath the earth and gathered in one place. Using his ancient power like this was a new experience, but Cale felt like he could see and hear everything. Every stream of water traveling underground sent information to him. He could basically feel the earth.
The water was pushing at the dead mana, searching through the swamp. Cale frowned.
‘I don’t feel it.
He knew where the crown should be, but he could only feel the intact bones of the dead dragon that lay hidden from the sun.
— I-Is it not there?
Crybaby chimed in with a concerned voice.
— But how would he get back the mind if the crown is gone?
His eyebrows tangled together, but Cale then made a decision. Even if he can’t find the crown, he might as well get the dragon out while he’s at it.
The hand moved further into the air and flexed, pulling the water to wrap around the skeleton and bring it to the surface.
“Huh?”
“W-What? That…!”
“…”
Dodam stared silently at the scene in front of him. His human was using one of his powers again, one they hadn’t seen before. Pure and clear water, very pretty water, emerged from the swamp. The black dead mana pushed away from the water as if not wanting to touch it. Like water and oil, they didn’t mix together.
However, the main reason for his silence was because of the thing that his human pulled out of the swamp. With wide eyes, Dodam looked at the skeleton resembling a dragon. Black bones with shimmering water wrapping around it. The parts weren’t connecting, but when it was held in the air, it resembled that of a true dragon who had once been born, then lived, and finally returned to the dead.
What his human said was true. However, even if it was a dragon, Dodam didn't feel particularly affected. It was mostly surprising seeing a being so similar to his great and mighty self! But of course, he was more great and mighty than this dead dragon.
But for the others, his thoughts would not be relatable.
Rosalyn watched the magnificent image with her jaw dropped, a hand rising to cover her mouth. A sort of excitement rushed through her, and the shock over Cale’s powers got overwhelmed by the dragon hovering in the air. Despite their surroundings, it was a beautiful sight.
“Hm…” When Cale hummed with a finger to his chin, everyone’s eyes looked back at him. “If it’s not here… then what?”
Lock looked at him with wonder. Both him and his aunt, Nasyra, had been properly introduced to the young dragon, Dodam, right before the mission in the Capital, but it still couldn’t compare to this. He snuck a glance at Choi Han and saw him just as stunned as he was, albeit the slightly proud look he had in his eyes.
Meanwhile, the assassin duo stood tensely in the back. None of them could have prepared for what Cale just did, however, it only made them more interested in him. Beacrox inspected the young man who still had his back to them.
‘Such power. Not only a shield, but also an odd aura and the power to control water?’
Nothing seemed to match with each other. What were these powers and where did he get them? In addition, how did he know about this place and how did he know about a deceased being like a dragon was beneath the dead mana? Either way, it didn’t change the fact he appeared to be more than he let on. The chef felt like it was the right decision to come with him. It was obvious he would lead them to Arm’s hideout.
Cale, on the other hand, was completely unaware of his party members’ thoughts. The only thing he could do was think of different ways to get the Dominating Aura’s consciousness back.
However, the more he prolonged using his powers, the more strain he felt. Therefore, Cale gently put down the bones on the ground and extracted the water, making it absorb back into the earth.
“Dodam.” He called out to the quiet dragon. Dodam instantly snapped out of his trance and fluttered his wings.
“Yes?!”
“Please put the bones away in your spacial dimension.”
It would be a gift to Mary later on. The little dragon nodded with a determined expression and immediately got to work. It was quite cute watching the dedicated dragon easily make the skeleton fly into the air, using magic to put every bone in its place for his own curiosity (because despite what he said, Dodam was a bit curious to see how it looked when it was complete), before finally making it disappear.
Seeing the child complete his task, Cale turned back to the swamp.
“What do I do now…?” He muttered to himself, but also to try and get some help from his ancient powers. With the Dominating Aura still activated, the familiar voice of the previous owner of the power spoke.
— Domination…
‘Hm?’
— Show your power.
A sudden realization struck him. In every other location, Cale had to demonstrate that he was the owner of the ancient powers. He didn’t notice it until now because he had been frequently using the Dominating Aura either way, but maybe he needed to do something more.
He needed to show dominance. To not only push back the power, but to dominate it.
With a new goal in mind, Cale increased the power behind the Dominating Aura.
“Kyuk…!”
“Mm!”
Just like it was before, the others felt an obvious change. The difference was because Cale couldn’t only attack the swamp, but he needed to surround it with power. Even Choi Han, who could withstand most auras since he was a sword master, felt his hands begin to tremble and sweat dripped down his neck. He couldn’t imagine how it was for everyone else.
‘Cale-nim…’
It was an incredible moment, despite the impending pressure.
— That’s right! Sniff! Something’s happening!
— It was this easy all along?
Yeah… really. It was this easy?
Cale felt a bit dumbfounded. He hadn’t needed to pull out the skeleton or use the Sky Eating Water to begin with. Either way, he has already done it, so it doesn’t matter anymore.
Just like Crybaby said, Cale could also feel the change. Slowly but surely, the Dominating Aura’s mind was transferring back to Cale, completing the ancient power.
When he stopped, the attacking pressure was also gone. Cale felt refreshed and wholeheartedly decided to ignore his booming heart or how much it affected him. The root of despair decided to start digging at his heart again, but it wasn’t that violent unlike the other times. That’s why he deemed it safe.
An odd sense of calm settled in the forest. Since the aura had scared away any animal or monster, the air was now free of any danger. However, this also means that monsters will begin to get curious about this place they can suddenly enter.
‘It’s best if we leave soon.’
However, there was one thing he still needed to do. Digging in his spacial bag, Cale pulled out a glass bottle and pulled the lid away. It was a similar one he had used the first time he gathered the dead mana. A bottle with an anti-decomposition magic placed on it. Since he was here right now, he might as well get some dead mana from the future. Although, Cale would still leave the swamp for when he helps the whales, but it didn’t hurt to have some on him.
Without him knowing, the rest of the group was still watching his every move.
“…!”
Choi Han flinched the moment Cale began to walk closer to the swamp. In a hurry, he dashed forward and grabbed the red-haired man’s arm before he could get hurt.
“Cale-nim!”
He pulled him back, making the surprised Cale almost stumble on his feet.
“Huh?” He let out a surprised sound and looked over his shoulder to see the swordsman.
“Cale-nim, you said you wouldn’t get hurt!” Choi Han didn’t remove his hand on Cale’s upper arm. The swamp was still very dangerous and touching even a bit of that water could give serious consequences on one’s body. Choi Han was scared to see that happen to Cale. No, he would not let it happen. No matter what.
Ron clicked his tongue and shook his head.
The others quickly came forth and surrounded the pair while Cale only looked at them with a confused expression.
“I’m not going to get hurt?” Cale didn’t understand. Seriously, why was Choi Han reacting like this?
“But, Cale!” On jumped on him. “The swamp is dangerous! You can’t be near it!” Her brothers nodded together at her statement, both also had worried expressions.
“Haa…” Rosalyn sighed hopelessly. “Mister Cale, may I ask what you were trying to do?”
With the same confused face, Cale held up the bottle without a word. “……I was just trying to gather some dead mana.”
No one asked him for what purpose, but still looked at him questionably. Still, they figured he probably had a plan about it, and Lock was suddenly reminded of something.
“I-I can do it instead, Mister Cale-nim!”
“Huh?” Cale turned to the young boy and instantly frowned. He knew the swamp was dangerous, but also thought he could handle it himself. He would, by no means, make a child risk himself getting poisoned because of this.
“Forget it, kid.” Nasyra, the surviving warrior from the Blue Wolf Tribe, then interrupted and pushed her hand down on Lock’s head. “You won’t go near the swamp either, ‘kay?”
She began to pat him to compensate the rough action. Lock seemed like he was used to it, but still looked at her with a betrayed expression. Both wolves were quite tall, and Lock was by far the tallest person among all of them despite his age. Cale began to wonder if everyone from the Blue Wolf Tribe was this tall. Nasyra turned back to Cale and began to explain.
“Our tribe has been abandoned by the gods, that is true, but we lack of the darkness attribute. However, even if we can’t use dead mana, we still have some kind of resistance to.” She walked up to him by the time she finished explaining and flashed him a smile. “So, let me do it. It’s safer that way.”
Cale inspected her for another moment before handing over the bottle to her. The skilled fighter, despite her muscles, operated with carefulness. As she gathered the dead mana, not a single drop landed on her, and she soon stood up again and handed back the clean bottle to Cale.
He gratefully accepted it, storing the information about the Blue Wolf Tribe into his mind. It was quite interesting to find out about such a thing, but it did make sense. Seeing how dead mana would be a great threat for them in the future, Cale thought this piece of intel was good to have.
“Thank you. We are finished here now, so let’s move to the Ubarr Territory now.”
He still has some time before Paseton would get hurt. Cale just hoped everything would go smoothly from now on.
Notes:
The first scene was kinda impulsive and then it just escalated and now Ron knows that Cale knows about the future! Yay?
Cale was seriously stressing with his conversation with Ron. I just love writing about his misery when it comes to these two ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´- it’s so much fun to write the tension they have tihi
However, I hope you have noticed Ron’s subtle change too! He no longer sees Cale as a threat, but more as a subject of interest, a lead to get revenge, and someone he needs to follow to gain that revenge. Of course, Cale doesn’t realize it hahahah, and is therefore haunted by the fact that this Ron and TCF!Ron aren’t the same person ;D
Also, ‘first future’ is obviously referenced to TBOAH while the ‘second future’ is TCF timeline. And despite what Cale thinks, Ron 99% believes him when he explained about everything!
And Cale really needs to think about his actions hahahha poor kids will never forget what he did in the cave in puzzle city.
Was the last scene an excuse for the others to find out about his ancient powers and the dragon? Yes.
Could I have made Cale use the sound of the wind to fish out the nonexistent crown? Yes, but it would be messyyyy
Could I have simply made Cale get back the dominating aura by using the right method to begin with? No?? what fun is that? ᵔ ᵕ ᵔBtw, nothing confirms that the Blue Wolf Tribe has a resistance to dead mana, but I thought it would be a fun headcanon to add. When I was thinking about it, I actually thought Lock had the darkness attribute but it didn’t make sense since it wasn’t mentioned in the novel. Plus, the internet says Arm targeted groups that has been ‘abandoned by God’ and lacks of the darkness attribute, so therefore they’re kinda in the middle of everything.
Anddddd I kinda wanted to create some drama around Cale again while giving our new character Nasyra some spotlight! ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ (Adding her was also impulsive and I have no idea how this will affect the future yet tihi)
NEXT STOP: UBARRRRRR!
Chapter 34: Entering the Ubarr Territory
Notes:
HELLOOOO! So happy to be back once again even if this chapter was delayed quite a lot. The main reason was because I need to focus on some other large projects in my life right now, like school or personal matters for example. I also had a hard time figuring out how I would write the Ubarr arc so I did experience some writers block but hopefully it’s gone soon.
On the other hand, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!! 45K+ HITS?? ARE YOU KIDDING?? I’m honestly so happy, tysmmm! (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)♡
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Cale and his group teleported a distance away from the main city in the Ubarr Territory in order to hide from prying eyes. It was bright outside, so the change from the dark forest to a shimmering ocean made Cale’s eyelashes flutter shut a few times from the pain.
“Ah! Human, be careful! The sun could hurt you!”
The cute Dodam was by his side in an instant, actually hugging Cale’s entire face in a not very gentle manner to hide him from the light.
“Mmph!” Cale would have fallen backwards if it weren’t for the broad chest he bumped into. Choi Han smiled at them and helped Cale by steadying his shoulders.
A chuckle was heard from behind him, but Cale feigned ignorance for his own sake and instead tried to get Dodam off of him.
“Yes, yes. I’m fine.”
His eyes began to adjust to the light as soon as Dodam nestled in his arms instead. He wasn’t invisible since there wasn't anyone around. They had teleported to a cliff, after all, and a beautiful ocean came to view.
Unlike how it went in Cale’s world, they didn’t travel with a carriage this time, nor did he have servants or guards with him. Well, that’s only if you don’t include the assassin duo and Choi Han, who was acting as his personal guard. The main difference was that this time, Cale came unannounced. Even if he and Amiru Ubarr had gotten familiar with each other during the meeting, he doesn’t believe he has the right to ask for a place she would provide them.
‘Whatever. It doesn’t matter either way.’
Cale had enough money to rent an inn multiple times over thanks to his father’s generosity.
“Alright. Let’s go find an…”
“Cale, nya! What’s that over there?” He was suddenly interrupted by On, who was looking out over the ocean.
“Is it a fish, Nya?”
As everyone turned their heads, Cale clearly saw what they were referring to. In the distance, so far away he had problems seeing what it was, water splashed violently as something quickly made its way to the shore.
However, the more Cale looked at it, realization soon washed over him, his face paling in the process.
‘What— this crazy…!’
It wasn’t a giant fish like they had thought. Instead, Cale saw strong arms move at a rapid pace in the water with mane-like hair drenched wet.
‘Toonka, you bastard!’
Cale was in disbelief while he watched the crazy warrior swim towards the shore. While he had read of something similar in the Birth of a Hero, seeing it with his own eyes was completely different.
‘I can’t believe it… Did he really…?’
No, Cale didn’t even want to think about it. It had caught him so off guard since in Cale’s world, Amiru had rescued Toonka after finding him in the sea while thinking he was in need of help. Instead of that happening, Toonka was now making his way here on his own, clearly without any signs of drowning.
‘Why is it different?’
Cale thought back to the conversation he had with Amiru when she introduced him to ‘Bob’ and was reminded of a reason.
‘She said she was inspired by me after I used the shield.’
Since Cale never used his shield as ‘young master Cale’ it would be different. Amiru wouldn’t feel the inspiration of saving someone, and therefore not set out on the ocean and encounter Toonka. It didn’t make a lot of sense, but it was the best conclusion he had at the moment.
Thinking about it, Cale felt a bit iffy regarding the change, but shook it off. It probably wouldn’t affect the future very much.
“What? Is that a person?”
As Toonka got closer, Rosalyn made a surprised noise and asked her question out loud. Cale looked back at the crazy bastard trying to fight the sea and felt a shiver down his spine. It was probably best to try and avoid Toonka in this world.
“Let’s just… ignore it for now.” He began to walk again, a bit quicker than before. The others followed with lingering gazes.
It didn’t take too long before they reached the city and arrived at an inn. The one Cale chose was close to one of the tall cliffs of the harbor. It gave him the opportunity to watch over the whole harbor and the islands that took up space on the ocean.
The whirlpools looked as intimidating as ever, but Cale planned on dealing with them in a similar manner as he had done in his own world. However, there is a possibility they wouldn’t be needed because of the future he is planning.
Cale has been thinking about change a lot recently. He thought he generally had a pretty good way to grasp a new change. After all, he had suddenly woken up in a different world, and in someone else’s body without panicking, so he really didn’t understand why this was different.
Either way, ever since his last talk with Ron, he realized something. While he does know what happened in his own world and in The Birth of a Hero, this would be different. From the moment Cale entered the indignity test and possessed two people for a short period of time, the future changed, and at this point, it’s useless to try and go back to the right path. It wouldn’t work.
That’s why Cale has chosen to try and stop thinking about what should happen. No matter how much he might struggle with it, the future would change, and he would change it from both his world and The Birth of a Hero so that he could no longer rely on the story he knows.
The bed he was laying on wasn’t very comfortable, but it worked. With three children cuddling up close to him, Cale closed his eyes shut with an exhausted sigh.
“Human, look! The sea is so blue!”
Cale was hovering in the air with the help of Dodam’s magic. Him, along with two cats and surprisingly, Rosalyn, were floating above the water in broad daylight. The reason for this outing was for Cale to check on something and make sure the coming steps in the story went accordingly. Had it been something else, he wouldn’t have cared for the timing, but Paseton’s life was on the line. It was important that Cale timed it perfectly in order to save him and gain King Sheckler’s trust.
However, when he mentioned visiting one of the islands, Rosalyn had suddenly asked if she could join him. He didn’t know the reason for it, but after seeing her silent smile, he figured he didn’t need to know.
“Meow…”
On and Hong, despite not being afraid of height, sure didn’t like the sight of water being so close to them. Cale could feel their claws dig into his shoulders, but chose not to say anything.
“Indeed, Dodam-nim. The sun shines quite beautifully.” Rosalyn decided to humor the dragon for a bit. “Can you see how the sea shimmers from the light reflecting on it?”
Dodam gasped, delighted as he narrowed his eyes and fluttered his wings. “It does! It’s shining!”
It’s obvious the dragon would be excited. Apart from yesterday, this would be the first time Dodam saw the ocean. That is, of course, unless Choi Han brought him outside Harris Village and the Forest of Darkness, but Cale doubts it.
When an anxious whine came from Hong, who in turn began digging in his claws even deeper into Cale’s skin, he felt it was a good idea to move.
“Let’s go down…”
“Okay, Human!” Dodam, flying around in circles, controlled the flight magic around them to slowly lower them to the beach. The cats felt relieved with finally founding solid ground, far away from the scary water. Both Cale and Rosalyn landed elegantly in the sand, but when Cale intended to let down the two kittens, On looked up at him.
“Cale, could you hold us a bit longer? The sand will be annoying to brush off.”
Cale looked at the grey cat in his arms and the way she buried herself into his hold, trying to appear cute. He only sighed in response. “Alright.”
However, even when the sand disappeared beneath their feet, On and Hong stayed in his arms, and he made no effort to push them away. It was only after Hong saw something interesting that he hopped down, On following behind him.
“Human, can I look around? Can I?” Dodam suddenly appeared right in front of his face, and Cale gave a short nod. The dragon danced in the air before following his siblings, who still stayed in his line of sight as they continued their exploration.
Rosalyn chuckled beside him. “They seem to like you quite a lot.”
Cale looked at her weirdly, feeling a bit awkward and not knowing what to say. He shrugged instead of answering, something that was actually pretty disrespectful to a princess in disguise. However, Rosalyn, who wished to be treated like a normal person, brought up her hand to her mouth and let out a soft laugh.
“Haha, well I suppose it’s a good thing to let them play for a bit. Though, aren’t you worried they might get hurt?”
“I trust their abilities in taking care of themselves.” Cale answered with a nonchalant wave of his hand as they walked. “Besides, if they do encounter any danger, I’m sure Dodam could probably teleport them away.”
“You don’t think they would try and fight a possible enemy head-on? I’ve heard children around their age can be willing to prove themselves.” Rosalyn had no doubt the little dragon would be able to destroy any foe threatening to attack with just a flick of his paw, but she was curious about Mister Cale’s response. Despite what he said, it was obvious he cared about these three children that had no connection to each other or Cale himself.
It made her wonder how he had come to travel with two children from the cat tribe, and a literal dragon.
“Not really, they are strong enough even if they get attacked, but there’s also something I’ve told them about if they ever find themselves in a tricky situation.”
“Oh?” Rosalyn sounded intrigued. “And what’s that?”
The rustling of leaves and childish laughter could be heard around them. Cale put one hand on his hip as he spoke.
“That it’s always okay to run. I told them that if they ever find themselves in a situation they are sure they won’t make out unscathed, they should run. That way, they can come back with stronger backup and smack the enemies in the back harder than before.”
“…”
Just then, three bundles of fur and scales ran in front of them, disappearing from one bush to the other. The distraction caused Cale to focus on the happy children, bu it also caused him to miss the fleeting look Rosalyn was giving him.
She was in deep thought at what she just heard, but in the end, she couldn’t help the gentle smile that broke out on her face. “Mister Cale.”
The man turned to her as she called out his name.
“Has anyone ever told you that you have a way with words?”
“…”
“Haha, you always seem to know the right thing to say.” She laughed again when he didn’t answer her.
That’s something she noticed recently about the mysterious Mister Cale. He always knew what to say, no matter the situation. He also prioritized everyone’s health above his own, but he was also stubbornly denying his own kind actions, saying it was for a different reason when everyone could see through his embarrassed facade.
She had to admit, it was quite adorable. Even now, it seemed like Mister Cale didn’t really know how to respond to compliments. It was at moments like these that she was reminded of his true age. There were so many times he acted more mature than what most others around his age were, so it was pretty refreshing seeing him act like this too.
“May I ask something, Mister Cale?”
“Hm?”
“What is the real reason you wanted to visit this island?”
Cale paused as she looked at the smiling Rosalyn. He knew something was up, but he hadn’t thought she figured out he had a real reason. Before he spoke, he felt his own lips curl upwards.
“I’m here to search for something?”
The amber eyes slightly narrowed at his vague answer, but soon relaxed once more. “And what might that be? Perhaps I could help.”
Instead of meeting her eyes, Cale turned forward again, looking into the deep forest while still wearing his smile.
“Corpses.”
“Huh?”
Rosalyn froze in her steps. Had she heard correctly? Why was Mister Cale looking for… corpses? No, why should there even be corpses here in the first place? Was this something connected to Arm? The secret organization? Had they been here? And she had just been taking a stroll… unaware of a possible murder happening near her.
Seeing the mage’s reaction, Cale could already guess the thoughts running through her mind. “Yes, if I remember correctly, there should be three mermaid corpses on this island.”
“What? Merfolk…?”
Rosalyn watched how Cale continued walking as if nothing was wrong, but she was suddenly hit with another piece of information. Before she could even ponder what that meant, her mind began to swirl with thoughts.
First of all, there were mermaid corpses on this island. Rosalyn had never encountered a mermaid before since they are usually hidden creatures of the darkness attribute, and she had never been to this part of the sea before, so this would be a first for her, although she’s not sure what to feel about meeting dead ones instead of a living being.
Secondly, how in the world did Cale know about this? She stared at him from the corner of her eye for a moment. It was such an odd detail to know of, and for what reason does he have to seek them out? It was one thing to have a conversation with a mermaid or try and get information from them, but Rosalyn cannot for the life of her understand why he would need to find a corpse of one.
Perhaps to inspect them? To search for something else?
Truly, Mister Cale is still a mystery no matter how much she thinks she’s starting to understand him. However, there’s one thing that Rosalyn does know, and that is that she trusts him… partly. After seeing him act during the plaza terror incident, he has proved that he is trustworthy, so for now, she will follow him to check out what he’s searching for.
Cale glanced at the silent mage beside him. She seemed to be deep in thought, but it wasn’t his business what she was thinking. He had already figured it wouldn't do any harm telling her, since she won’t know about his future plans. Besides, he’s only going to check it out, and how could that ever be dangerous.
“Then, Miss Rosalyn, may I also ask a question?” Since she had already asked one from him, he thought he might as well do the same.
The words seemed to bring her back, and she studied him for a moment before elegantly nodding. “Very well, what are you curious about?”
“I would like to know why you wished to come along?”
It wasn’t anything he had to know about, but thought he could ask now that he got the opportunity for it. Rosalyn let out a soft exhale.
“Because of you, Mister Cale.”
“I see— what?”
This time, Cale stopped in his tracks and looked at Rosalyn. Her expression was indifferent, having already masked her surprise from what he recently revealed to her. Cale, on the other hand, could only stare dumbfounded.
‘She followed because of me?’
Cale thought her suspicions of him had already calmed down a bit.
“I was curious to see what you were up to since you spoke of this place so carefully, and it seems like I was correct in my choice, seeing how you somehow ended up searching for corpses instead.” The red-haired mage put her hand against her cheek and hopelessly shook her head.
‘Hey… no, wait a minute…’
Cale wanted to say something, but he was truly at a loss of words.
“Human! There’s something weird up ahead!” Either way, he didn’t have time to speak because Dodam’s voice suddenly invaded his ears again with a loud shout.
“It smells really bad… like rotten fish.” On was the one who commented, and Cale let out a deep sigh.
He shook off whatever feeling he was having from rosalyn’s words and approached the children instead, it was best to just ignore whatever had just happened. However, even as he turned his back to her, Cale could basically feel the smile that grew on Rosalyn’s face.
‘Crazy bastards… all of them.’
Walking forward, a familiar sight came into view. Cale was still standing in the shadows of the trees, but could clearly see three dried mermaid corpses sitting against a rock near the sea.
“Oh my…” Rosalyn stopped beside him, observing the scene with hardened eyes, shoulders suddenly rose with tension.
Hong shuttered and clawed at Cale’s legs to make him pick him up. “Are those mermaids? I’ve only heard about them before!”
“It looks like they were crushed to death, Nya!”
“Look! There’s even blood under their webbed hands, so it must not be long ago.”
There were three corpses, just like how it went in Cale’s world, which also meant everything would go according to plan. However, Cale still couldn’t help but feel all of his hair stand on end.
‘Why is everything so destroyed…?’
This was similar, yet very different at the same time. The mermaids were in the same positions as he remembered, but their surroundings were utterly destroyed. Broken trees and multiple waves in the sand hinted at a rather horrific fight. It didn’t look like this at all when he first came to the scene back in his world.
It looked like a fierce battle, one where the victor barely made it out alive.
On the other hand, Cale frowned deeply at the sight of the mermaids. Despite them being on the same spot, they looked different. It wasn’t the same ones.
‘I might need to hurry.’
Badum. Badum. Badum, badum—
It caused Cale to receive an uncomfortable feeling in his heart. It didn’t help how his heartbeat accelerated either. He cursed inwardly before turning around.
“I’ve seen what I came to see. Let’s go back.” Holding Hong in his arms, Cale began walking back into the forest. For a moment, he caught Rosalyn’s curious eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something before hesitating and closing her mouth again.
They continued at an unhurried pace. Hong had jumped down by now to play a bit more with the other two before they needed to leave again. Cale was mostly focusing on trying to calm his heart, the God of Death’s words echoed in his mind.
‘Even if the despair inside your heart activates at random, your anxiety level might increase the pain at times.’
Cale was not anxious. Plus, he hated pain, so he was set on keeping a cool head during every moment.
“Mister Cale.” Suddenly, Rosalyn’s voice caught his attention, and he turned his head to her. “Since you seem to know something about the mermaids, I’m quite interested in knowing why they are there. Could you tell me?”
It’s not like Cale was very subtle in letting her in on his knowledge about this, so it was an expected question. Cale easily answered. “I don’t know why they were there, but they were obviously killed by something.”
“Yes, there were clear traces of a fight... Do you happen to know what killed them?”
Cale huffed out a breath. “What other sea creature could kill three merfolks?”
The answer was obvious, and Rosalyn seemed to get it after only a few seconds of thinking. After all, there weren’t a lot of options to choose from when it came to matters of the sea. “Are you saying there’s a member of the whale tribe near?”
This time, Cale only shrugged his shoulders. Just thinking about Paseton and what situation Cale might find himself in caused his heart to race, so he opt to feign ignorance for now. The important thing is that he knows where to look when the time is right. Paseton won’t die immediately, and Cale still don’t really know how long it takes for the poison to set it, but he would be fine for a while at least. Besides, Cale also doesn’t really know when Paseton arrives at the cave, so it’s better to keep according to schedule.
“Human, by the way.” Dodam abruptly stopped running around and looked up at Cale. “I never mentioned it before because they seemed to be far away, but there’s some weird lunatic on the island.”
The words caused Cale to freeze. There was someone else here? Who? Cale hadn’t seen any ships or boats stationed around the island, so what lunatic is Dodam talking about? Was it Paseton? Had he, for some reason, never left the island? But Cale also doubts Dodam would explain him as a weird lunatic considering he might be injured.
It was at that moment that a distant laugh echoed between the trees. Cale instantly stiffened up, his eyes shook. He knew that laugh.
“The reason I told you now is because they seem to be heading in our direction.” Dodam, with big blue eyes, looked proud as he explained. “Human, should I hide?”
“Yes.” The answer flew out of his mouth before he even realized it.
Badum, badum, badum, badum—
The sound of laughter started to become clearer, as well as the noise of plants and trees getting crushed in favor of making way for the crazy bastard running at them.
“Fuck.” A curse escaped him, it caused everyone around him to flinch.
‘This cannot be happening.’ He thought to himself in disbelief, feeling panic rising within him. Then it hit him; right beside him stood a mage, a person who could weld magic with mana, someone who was in clear danger if she got exposed.
Snapping his head to the red-haired woman, Rosalyn stared straight into his frantic eyes.
“Miss Rosalyn, hide your mana immediately. No matter what should you show that you’re a mage—“
“Hahaha! There you are!”
Right as a booming voice was heard from right behind him, Cale’s eyes widened when Toonka entered his sight. The looming figure, approaching them quickly, jumped into the air with a threatening fist raised. Cale didn’t even get a second to think before he felt the impact shake the ground.
Boom!
Dust aired around them chaotically. A silver shield appeared in front of them, blocking them from the punch. Cale bit down hard, gritting his teeth at the unexpected turn of events and barely hearing the surprised meows. He thought Dodam might have yelled his name in his mind, but all he could focus on was the big idiot in front of him.
Unfortunately, said idiot had charged in without hesitation, something that baffled Cale even more.
‘What the hell is he doing here?’
Toonka had no reason to be here, and last time Cale checked, the warrior had swam to the harbor, not this island! Did he suddenly decide to come visit the islands after he checked out the harbor? Does that mean he also swam through the whirlpools that could easily drown a person if they ever got stuck in one?
Luckily, Toonka seemed to slightly falter after meeting the shield that still wouldn’t budge.
“Huh? What’s this? This is not magic.”
With his fist still making contact with the shield, Toonka looked confused. He flattened his hand instead, trying to see what kind of shield it really was, but his confused behavior caused the main panic to calm down. Still, Cale chose to keep up the shield just in case.
— H-How dare he! How dare this bastard try to hurt my human!
Dodam roared in his mind, but seemed to keep in mind what Cale had told Rosalyn earlier. No display of magic or mana at any cost.
“Excuse me.” Rosalyn suddenly spoke up in the silence. When Cale turned to her to warn her not to say anything, he flinched at the expression she was making. “But what in the world do you think you’re doing?”
He hadn’t noticed that she put a hand on his shoulder because he was too busy keeping up the shield, but now, he could clearly feel the tight grip she had. In addition, the calm, yet, menacing expression she was wearing gave him chills.
Her voice made Toonka temporarily turn his head away from Cale, who the shield was connected to. “Huh? But I could smell magic over here. Are you a mage? Hah? Are you?”
Cale was beginning to get a headache from all of this. On and Hong surrounded his feet, fur raised with tension in the air. He needed to direct the situation as soon as possible.
“There’s no mages here.”
“But I can smell mana! Where are they?!”
Furrowing his eyebrows, Cale guessed it might be Dodam that Toonka was smelling. It wasn’t the first time a strong person could ‘smell’ his presence despite him hiding himself, although that always involved Raon instead. From what Cale knows, Toonka won’t easily leave them alone either, unless he gets to fight or is somehow convinced there really is no mage here.
Cale can’t sacrifice Rosalyn for this. That is straight up off the table. It would be best if she hid completely. When Cale accepted her following along, he had never expected to encounter the one person who hated mages so much he was willing to do anything to tear them apart.
This was bad. Not only has the story changed again, but his first encounter with Toonka was a disaster. In fact, Cale's goal of not meeting Toonka at all had failed miserably. How could he have known the bastard chose just this island to visit?
Instead, he sighed heavily and let both of his hands fall. The shield stayed up no matter if he held out his hands or not, and Cale began to dig in his spacial bag. He did have something to blame on.
‘This will hopefully get him to leave.’
“This might’ve been what you… smelled.” Cale pulled out a large orb and held it up for Toonka to see. “It’s a magic bomb, so it’s obviously filled with mana.”
While Rosalyn barely managed to hide her surprise (and a tint of interest and excitement at the discovery of a magic bomb), Toonka looked in closely with narrowed eyes as he pressed his whole body against the unmoving shield, making Cale feel the uncomfortable pressure.
“A magic bomb? Then, are you a mage? Why do you have a magic bomb?”
Seriously… this was starting to become annoying.
“I’m not a mage. I’m planning on selling it instead.”
Even if Toonka hated mages, he would not be able to question this any further. Cale has brought forth evidence of the magic, and it was an item, not a mage. Fortunately, disappointment soon showed itself on Toonka’s face, indicating that he believed the story. Cale let out a silent sigh of relief. Please let this be over now. He would like to get away from this buffoon as soon as possible.
“Argh… can a mana bomb really smell that strongly?” He looked like he was thinking hard about it as he watched the orb in Cale’s hand before suddenly shrugging his shoulders. Toonka then began tapping on the shield. “What about this then? What is it? Are you strong? Come on, I wanna fight!”
Another panic washed over Cale. “No, I’m not strong at all. In fact, I am very weak.”
Toonka looked him over.
But it was true.
Cale was very weak. Even a dense idiot like Toonka should be able to tell that much.
Bang!
Yet, another punch landed on the shield. Cale flinched from it, looking at Toonka in disbelief.
“I don’t believe it! What is this? A new magic spell? You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you! Come on! Fight me!”
Rosalyn frowned even deeper while Cale cursed inwardly. This couldn’t escalate any further. If it did, Cale risked Rosalyn’s safety as well as the children’s.
‘Guess I’ll have to use that method after all.’
With a long sigh, Cale suddenly let go of the shield. It shattered into beautiful glass shards before disappearing into the air. Toonka almost lost his footing after having leaned onto the shield, but didn’t have time to regain his balance.
“What the—“
Swoooosh!
Suddenly, strong winds surrounded his large body. With a flick of Cale’s wrist, he ruthlessly sent Toonka into the air. The man yelled in surprise, even Rosalyn and the children couldn’t help but jump because of the turn of events.
Cale had to admit this whole situation gave him an irritating headache, and out of a small spiteful part of him, he let Toonka spin a few circles in the air before rough lung sending him flying into the forest.
The warrior landed with a crash, having broken a few trees because of his sturdy body. The sight actually caused a shiver to run down Cale’s spine.
‘This crazy bastard… how strong is he?’
Toonka, who groaned and tried sitting up in the mess of plants and trees, looked at the approaching Cale in surprise. He was just about to say something when the red-haired man interrupted him.
“Mages cannot possess ancient powers. I’m sure you know what that means as a warrior, don’t you?”
The moment he spoke those words, the other man froze, his eyes turning wide.
“An ancient power?”
There was one power that those from the non-mage alliance considered a pure power. These warriors only respect those with physical strength, however, ancient powers are seen as a blessing, as its heritage of human strength.
Just like how his demeanor suddenly changed, his views of Cale must have done so too.
Toonka was silent for a long time, seemingly struck by the discovery. Then, he stammered out a question.
“You’re not a mage?”
“No.”
“Them how did you know I was part of the non-mage alliance?”
Cale sighed again. “The Whipper Kingdom is currently facing a civil war. I’m not sure what you’re doing here, but your warrior appearance alone tells me you’re a part of the war. In addition, you tried to kill us immediately upon concluding that we were mages, despite that not being true.”
“Huh…” The other man made a short sound of realization. He took a moment to look down on himself before rising from the destroyed area. Instead, he stopped directly in front of Cale, forcing the redhead to crane his head up to hold eye contact.
Cale was sure Toonka didn’t mean to come off intimidating with the way his eyes screamed of curiosity, but Cale still maintained an unimpressed expression. He silently prayed to go back to his comfortable bed back at the inn.
Still, he didn’t say anything. Toonka completely ignored the gazes of two cats and a skeptical red-haired woman.
“Hey.” Cale called out to him. “Are you planning on destroying the magic tower?”
Toonka blinked. “Hm?”
“Make sure to not destroy it too much. I’d like to visit once there are no mages left in the tower.”
This time, both Toonka and Rosalyn looked at him weirdly for two different reasons. Cale realized he would need to explain this part to Rosalyn to clear up any misunderstandings, but he just needed Toonka to remember this detail.
“You want to… visit the magic tower?”
“Yes. I’m curious.”
There was no answer to Cale’s nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. He looked unbothered by the tall man towering over him. Toonka blinked another time before suddenly bursting into laughter.
“Bahaha! You’re very weird, haha!”
Cale let the comment go through one ear and out the other. “So? Will you do it?”
“Sure, sure, crazy bastard, hahah.”
“Good, I’m sure you know how to keep a secret?”
“Hehe, I like to keep interesting things to myself.”
‘Thank god…’
Cale felt his heart finally calm down. This whole ordeal stressed him out, but Toonka was finally listening. Right now, an incredible urge to go back to the inn took over him since everything was over.
“Haa… alright, let’s return.” Cale purposely left out Rosalyn’s name as he turned around and began walking, choosing to ignore the odd look she sent him once their eyes met. However, when they had walked a few steps, Cale could feel the eyes piercing the back of his skull.
He wanted to sigh again. “Why are you following us?”
“Because you’re interesting!” Toonka was now smiling big. “Hey, you promise to visit, right?”
“Yes, yes. I’ll come visit.”
“Great! Does this make us friends now?”
“Whuh…?” Friends? With Toonka? What a scary thought.
“You said you didn’t like mages, and you said you'd come visit me! So that makes us friends.”
Cale suddenly felt goosebumps on his arms. That wasn’t what he had said at all! How did this crazy lunatic misinterpreted his words so much? Cale felt like this would create a large misunderstanding, but honestly in this situation, it was important to not risk another big scene, and Cale just wanted to escape at this point.
"I'll come visit.” He chose to just repeat himself. “Go play with the whirlpools or something. You swam here, didn’t you?”
The buff man gave a smug smile in response. “Yeah? Didn’t you also swim here?”
This time, even the two kittens by Cale’s feet looked at Toonka like he was an idiot. They would never swim here! Both On and Hong prefer to be far away from the water, not wanting to get wet at all.
— Human, this guy is really weird.
Cale silently agreed. Instead he summoned the Sound of the Wind again, putting in some extra force because he was not just lifting himself, but one more person and two beast people. Whirlpools gathered at their feet, and Rosalyn only gave a look of surprise before she quickly adapted.
Without a word, they began to float in the air. Cale couldn’t have Dodam use his magic until they were far away because of Toonka’s sensitivity. Said man was looking up at them from his spot in the ground. He suddenly cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted loudly.
“What’s your name, friend?!”
‘Argh…! Loud….’
Toonka’s already booming voice became even louder, and they were not even far enough away for that to be needed. Cale was so happy they were on their way back so he didn’t need to deal with this anymore.
“My name is Toonka! What’s your name?!”
“Haaa…. Bob.”
This time, the cats turned to their guardian, but Cale just ignored it. Toonka seemed satisfied and beamed at them.
“Hahaha! Okay, friend! See you soon!”
Cale just turned around in the air and pushed the wind even further. It was quiet as they flew in the air as countless chaotic thoughts swirled in his mind. It was only after Toonka was out of sight that Rosalyn gave a dry chuckle.
“Well then, Bob. I’m very interested to hear about this, if you're willing to tell me.” Her voice held a teasing tone, but still managed to sound rather pressing on the matter.
Cale sighed mentally, preparing to explain it all to the mage who had just witnessed what was probably the weirdest encounter in her life.
The next few hours were relatively calm. Before the sun went down, Choi Han, Lock, and Nasyra could be found outside the inn, training together. Rosalyn stood a distance away to watch, and Cale didn’t even bother trying to find out where Ron and Beacrox were.
Once they all ate dinner, Cale disappeared into his room along with three children following him.
“Is it time now, Human?” Dodam flew above his head. It was now dark outside, and Cale had already informed the kids about what he was planning on doing tonight.
“Nyaa, come back soon!”
On and Hong said they would stay in Cale’s room the moment he said he would be swimming, but that worked well for him too. The goal was to get the Sound of the Wind quietly just like he had done before. It would cause less problems. In addition, he also planned on meeting Paseton without any other interference, so stealth was needed.
Wearing a swimsuit prepared for water, Cale petted the two kittens who stroked their bodies against his hand in response.
“Don’t worry, Noona, Hyung! This great and mighty dragon will keep the human safe!”
“Yes, yes. You’ll do great.”
Before leaving, Cale made sure to bring his spacial bag with him. It contained what he needed the first time he went to get the Sound of the Wind, and it didn’t hurt to be prepared. Just like the other trials for the first ancient powers, Cale had no idea if this trial would be just as weird as the rest of them.
Therefore, he secured the spacial bag and began walking towards the window. Cale’s room was on the second floor, so there should be no one possibly thinking he would leave through this way. The cats meowed in the background as he could feel Dodam flap his wings near his face.
‘It’s best to leave stealthily.’
So Cale opened the window and quietly jumped up on the window sill with the help from the Sound of the Wind.
However, just as he was about to jump down, he suddenly froze in his steps.
‘What—‘
Cale flinched and almost lost his balance from the sight. Just down below him, three pairs of eyes looked straight at him. They seemed to be just as surprised as he was.
“…Cale-nim?”
For some reason, Choi Han stood under the dark moonlight, looking up at him with big eyes. And for some reason, Ron and Beacrox stood in front of the swords master, like they had just been having a conversation before Cale suddenly planned on jumping out of the window.
An awkward silence followed.
“Ho?” Suddenly, Ron’s eyes curled up into crescents. “Ho, ho, Mister Cale? What brings you out on this peaceful night?”
The sly words gave Cale chills. He felt like a child caught stealing candy, which was just a ridiculous comparison. Beacrox gazed at him oddly, inspecting him from head to toe before raising an eyebrow.
“I was just…” Cale hesitated, unsure what to say to get out of this miserable situation. “…taking a night walk…”
No one in their right mind would ever believe him. Cale cursed himself for even saying something like that.
“Is that so…?” Ron was obviously observing the unusual clothes he was wearing, clothes that were specifically made for swimming. Even the fact that Cale obviously tried sneaking out caused the assassin to be filled with even more interest.
Instead, the old man just motioned him with his hand.
“It’s not good to let the warmth escape the room. Why don’t you close the window and come down here?”
And so, Cale found himself very much not alone while trying to get back the Thief's consciousness. Now, Cale was flying meters above the water with the help of Dodam’s magic. It had been unavoidable trying to convince Ron and Beacrox to let him go, so Cale reluctantly let them follow him to the beach. However, beyond that, it was easier to let them wait at the beach while Cale and Dodam flew out to the sea, but Choi Han had insisted on coming along, so there were now three individuals floating in the air.
However, Cale was deeply frowning for a different reason.
‘Where is it?’
The violent waves that should form a whirlpool in this very location were nowhere to be found. For a moment, Cale wondered if this was the right spot, despite what his Record ability told him, but the other ancient powers confirmed it for him.
— No! Trust me, it’s really there!
— I agree. I can feel a similar energy come from beneath the surface of the water. We’re in the right place.
Perhaps this was the trial in this world. From what Cale has understood from previous experiences, the ancient powers do not exist for anyone else to take, which means the trials also don't exist. However, remnants of it do exist, which means the surroundings are adapted to the ancient power.
So maybe since every trial need Cale to use his ancient power for them to recognize him as the owner, then it shouldn’t be that much of a problem.
“Dodam, release the flight magic.”
“Huh? But Human! You’ll fall in!”
“I won’t. I can also fly, remember?”
After some hesitation, the mana beneath his feet disappeared, and Cale quickly replaced it with his own wind. Choi Han asked him a question with a concerned face.
“Cale-nim, what exactly are you planning to do?”
“Oh! Human said he was gonna get back one of those voices again. You know, the friends in his head that are stuck everywhere around the world?”
Cale had given a short explanation to the children about the voices they wondered about, but hearing it himself, Cale felt like it sounded worse than what it actually was. Anyone hearing about voices in one’s head would instantly think they were mentally ill.
Of course, Choi Han actually had no such thoughts. He had come to know Cale and his abilities. He could possess other people’ bodies for a temporary moment, and knew about the future. In addition, Cale-nim was even considered the God of Death’s son, so the thought of him being able to speak to someone everyone else couldn’t see wasn't that weird to think about.
Cale-nim was simply that amazing.
On the other hand, what Choi Han’s mind actually flew to was the swamp back in the Forest of Darkness. At that time, Cale had also spoken to an invisible person just like he had done in the villa and in that cave in Puzzle City.
Honestly, Choi Han didn’t fully understand what happened each time, but he trusted Cale that it would be fine. What he didn’t trust, was Cale’s health. Seeing his savior stand over a deep sea caused his nerves to tingle. Was this really safe?
“Choi Han, Dodam, please step back a bit. Do you remember what I told you about these moments?”
Choi Han felt really reluctant in stepping back, but he had to trust Cale. If worse comes to worst, he would jump in without hesitation.
“Do you mean that we shouldn’t interfere?”
“That’s right.” Cale nodded. For full focus, there couldn’t be anyone else interrupting the trials for an ancient power. Even if this was technically not a trial, what Cale planned on doing would be best if everyone stepped back.
In the distance stood Ron and Beacrox on the beach, watching three figures float in the air.
Dodam then controlled the magic to push back Choi Han away from Cale while he also followed. Cale deemed it a good distance and turned back to look down on the calm water.
— Cale… please be a bit careful using your ancient powers… sniff.
Crybaby whispered in the back of his mind as Cale lifted his hands.
— Sob! You’ve been using a lot of different powers recently, even if it’s only a small amount… You need to rest too.
Cale ignored the old man’s crying and chose to focus on the Sound of the Wind. He will admit that he has been a bit careless with using his ancient powers the past few days, but it was necessary. Just like now, Cale needed to use his ancient power to retrieve the Thief’s consciousness.
He had thought for a moment how to activate this trial, but figured the only way was to pull forth the wind, and what better was there than to recreate the very whirlpool that was currently missing?
Splash!
Choi Han watched with wide eyes as waves suddenly formed below them in a circular motion. They became violent and harsh, forcing the water to move and form a dangerous whirlpool, identical to the ones already existing.
His gaze moved to Cale-nim who had his arms outstretched. Choi Han have watched him use his wind power before, but seeing it go to this extent was an incredible sight. Truly, Choi Han wondered how many powers Cale possessed.
It was a mesmerizing sight. A phenomenon that wouldn't be possible if it weren’t for human intervention.
Rumbleeeee.
Suddenly, a deep rumbling came from below. Like an echoing groan, it sounded ominous, and Choi Han narrowed his eyes. For some reason, in the middle of the whirlpool, something was bubbling on the surface. It was extremely subtle, but it wouldn’t escape the sight of a sword master.
Choi Han was just about to call out to Cale when suddenly every instinct inside of him screamed of danger.
“Huh?” Cale seemed to also notice something was wrong, but it was too late.
“Cale-nim!”
Choi Han reached out for the red-haired man, but couldn’t move because of the mana keeping him floating. Dodam flinched beside him, but visibly tensed up when something exploded from the whirlpool.
Swoosh!
Solid whips from water shot into the air, catching everyone off guard. Accelerated with the help of the wind, it happened so fast that Choi Han didn’t have time to reach him.
The whips suddenly caught one of Cale’s ankles and pulled.
“What the— Argh!”
“Human!!”
It only took a few seconds for Cale to disappear from Choi Han’s view.
Splash!
Cale was dragged underwater and Choi Han felt his panic spike. Cale-nim was in danger, he told them it wouldn’t be dangerous.
Choi Han needed to do something, his heart beating wildly. He needed to save him. He could not let Cale die, not after he had so much to repay him, not after Cale had done so much for them, for Choi Han.
“H-Human…!”
The dragon beside him began breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating.
“N-No! No, he… I was supposed to protect him! I-I was…!” Dodam seemed to be in a state of shock, not knowing what to do. “I-I’ll destroy everything! I’ll destroy the sea for hurting him! If he dies, I’m gonna kill everyone!”
Choi Han realized he wasn’t the only one panicking when the mana around them suddenly started fluctuating. Dodam was young, inexperienced. He had also lost a lot in his life, just like Choi Han has.
‘If he continues, it might worsen the situation.’
The swordsman knew the little dragon he had learned to call family. He also knew how much Cale meant for Dodam, for both of them. With a year of learning how to speak to this young child, who had seen too much of the world already, Choi Han tried calming him down to the best of his abilities in this frantic situation.
“Dodam, calm down, remember to breathe.”
Blue, wide eyes snapped to him.
“C-Choi Han, Cale is…!”
“I know. I will jump in and I will find him, okay?” If this was a different situation, Choi Han would have taken time to completely calm down the dragon, but Cale might drown if they weren’t quick. “You just need to be ready to pull us out, okay?”
“O-Okay…! Okay… I can do that— huh?”
However, right as Dodam was about to agree, the water suddenly began to grow violently. The waves, splashing almost threateningly, worried Choi Han even more. They couldn’t delay any further, he needed to move now before it became too dangerous for Cale-nim.
It was at that moment.
Swoosh!
“...!”
“H-Human!”
A spiral of water shot out from the whirlpool.
Choi Han flinched in the air, panic surging through him. It was powerful.
Sharp water blades mixed with wind formed a water tornado that connected to the cloudy sky. Like a storm was created out of nowhere, it pushed at Choi Han and Dodam who were still flying above the surface. But just as fast as it appeared, it also began to calm down. Choi Han shielded his face from the droplets that soared through the dark sky.
And there, amidst the calming winds carrying the water, a figure appeared. The swordsman subconsciously let out a breathless exhale, feeling his heart pound in his chest.
“Cale-nim?”
The figure turned around while standing on air and made eye contact with Choi Han and the latter scanned his savior for any injuries. He felt himself calm down even further when he spotted none.
*****
Cale was extremely irritated. This trial wasn’t anything like he thought it would be. It didn’t make sense that the minute he activated the ancient power, whips of water abruptly appeared and grabbed onto his feet. In addition, it had pulled him down so quickly that he hadn’t had the chance to get his hands on the magic tool that would let him breathe underwater.
It was too sudden, he wasn’t prepared.
And now he was drenched in water.
Cale slightly grumbled to himself. Despite the odd turn of events, it actually went well and was over rather quickly because of his lack of oxygen.
– I’m sorry, Cale. I couldn’t control it.
– Don’t be sad, Thief!
– Yeah, It’s okay. It was unavoidable, but it’s over now.
It had gone well. Cale had heard the thief speak in his mind the moment water surrounded him. They gave him clear instructions of what to do compared to his previous experiences, so it was easy to pull forth the Sound of the Wind enough to dominate the force trying to tie him down. It was a bit weird though, because even if the wind can manipulate water, it felt a bit too similar to how the Sky Eating Water’s trial had been back in his world.
Cale shrugged to himself and swallowed the taste of metal in his mouth. He didn’t need to think about unnecessary things now that his goal had been met.
“Humaaaaaan!!!”
A loud shout cut through his train of thought. Cale didn’t have time to brace himself before a black blob crashed into him.
“Ugh!”
The force from a dragon caused him to lose the little control he had of the Sound of the Wind and Cale felt the wind underneath his feet stutter. He was fully prepared to plummet right back into the water while wrapping his arms protectively around Dodam when a familiar mana surrounded them. The young dragon kept them in the air when Cale couldn’t, but refused to move from his hold.
“H-Human! Y-You…!”
“It’s okay.” Cale didn’t waste a single second before he began caressing Dodam’s head, cutting him off with a reassurance. “It’s alright. I’m fine.”
The dragon curled up on him even more, and Cale didn’t push him away. Soon, Choi Han floated towards them too. He had a worried expression on his face, but it lacked the fleeting look of panic that Cale managed to get a glimpse of before his vision darkened with water.
“Cale-nim, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just… cold.” Cale sighed. “We should get going now. Dodam, can you–”
The red-haired man stopped in the middle of his sentence when a weight rested on his shoulders. It was a soft fabric with a dark color. Cale turned to Choi Han, who had floated over to appear beside him. He was missing his cloak because he had given it to Cale.
“There,” the swordsman smiled at him. “You can’t catch a cold, Cale-nim.”
Cale wanted to say something about how he has never gotten a cold before, possibly thanks to the Vitality of the Heart, but shut his mouth once their eyes met. Instead, he looked away while rearranging Dodam in his hold.
‘I might as well make use of it.’
Having the cape surround him did help him not feel as exposed as he was only wearing the swimming suit on. Dodam also peeked his head out from the crook of Cale’s neck.
“Ah! I can help!”
In the span of seconds, Cale felt a warm breeze dry him off. It didn’t get him completely dry, but he was no longer uncomfortable and thee cloak still protected him from the chilly winds. Cale thanked the smiling dragon. It was a good thing that Dodam seemed to have forgotten about the quick scare just now. Instead, Cale chose to focus on his second task this night. They needed to find Paseton.
“Human, are we going back to lemon gramps now?”
“…Not yet.” Cale suppressed a shiver at the thought of the assassin duo. They had undoubtedly seen the water tornado. “Let’s go over there first. There’s an item I need.”
He pointed towards their next destination. Dodam and Choi Han only gave him a glance before the black dragon manipulated the mana beneath their feet. However, this time, he never let go of Cale, and Choi Han always floated close to him. They descended on a large rock that connected to the cave. It was only by now that Dodam crawled up to rest on his back while holding onto one of his shoulders instead.
The cave looked just like he expected it would. Cale strode forward without hesitation.
He had been wondering if the Dominating Water would exist in this world too since it was an ancient power. Cale’s largest theory was that it does exist, because unlike his ancient powers, Cale never absorbed this one. It’s a separate one, only existing inside the pond he found it at.
It would honestly be odd if he didn’t find it here.
“Cale-nim.”
A hand suddenly grabbed onto his arm, stopping him from moving. Choi Han spoke sternly, possibly having detected the creature that should be inside the cave.
‘Good, that means he’s here.’
“Human, be careful. There’s something there. It’s still alive, but it’s weak.”
“…”
Cale nodded silently and turned to the darkness of the cave. Paseton should have heard their voices by now, but what was weird was that Dodam didn’t choose to speak inside his mind this time. Last time, Raon spoke directly into his mind because he sensed Paseyon was there and moving towards them, but Cale began to feel a bit iffy with the ominous silence.
‘Why isn’t he making any noise?’
Even as Cale waited another moment, he heard nothing. Impatiently, the red-haired man took a few steps forward. It was hard to see inside the cave, but soon, Cale could make out a dark figure lying on the cold ground.
Without needing to say anything, Dodam created a ball of light with his magic to light the cave, and Cale paled at the sight.
The dark figure, Paseton, laid in a puddle of blood. Multiple scratches were visible on his body, hinting at a brutal battle.
Cale didn’t waste any time crouching down and turning the pliant body around. With a faint breathing, Paseton was motionless on the ground, completely unconscious in a sleep-like state.
But that shouldn’t be. He shouldn’t have fainted yet, or have so many injuries. Another change occurred, this time one that could cost someone’s life.
‘Fuck… Am I too late?’
Notes:
Sometimes, I imagine Rosalyn with a very strong British accent
In Tcf, it’s described that Amiru saved Toonka because she thought he was drowning, but it clearly states in TBOAH that Toonka could manage himself and survived the whirlpools, which is why it doesn't seem like he had any trouble swimming to the harbor. And poor Cale didn’t think he would want to explore the other islands too. (๑>•̀๑)
Now, logically, Cale wouldn’t need to wait until they found Paseton, but it needed to be in a specific order for the next chapter, so I chose it to be this way. I also kinda didn’t know how to write it in a way that it made sense, so just bear with me for now T T
(The one time Dodam calls Cale his real name is when he is in danger and not around to hear it˙◠˙3)
Btw Toonka will now absolutely, canonically think Cale and Rosalyn are siblings because of their hair LOL
The butterfly effect has struck again too. One small change has led to Paseton ending up in a much more critical condition. This will be cleared up in future chapters, but I’m curious to see if anyone has any theories!
anywayyy, I have a lot of plans for future chapters and I so just wanna hurry up and write them BUT NO, I CAN’T. It HAS to be in order, or else I would need to rewrite it all anyway. Zed will also appear soon again (no idea when though), and omg I have a scene in mind that I just cannot stop thinking about. It makes me so excited
But a small spoiler for the next chapter could be:
Chaos.
There will so much chaos. I plan on involving everyone. And when I mean everyone, I mean EVERYone.Thanks for reading!
Chapter 35: It just keeps getting worse
Summary:
PREVIOUS CHAPTER RECAP: The group finally entered the Ubarr Territory. Cale decides to visit the island where the merfolk corpses are supposed to be, and Rosalyn decided to accompany him. Surprisingly, Toonka was also on the island. Once night began, Cale went to try and get back the Thief’s mind, but of course the trial doesn’t go as planned.
Notes:
Here’s a little Christmas gift to everyone! I managed to finish this chapter extra early because I suddenly got a good idea and a lot of motivation, so I was luckily done with it before Christmas.
I live in Europe so I we celebrate on the 24th and I’m so happy! Hope anyone else who who celebrates Christmas will get the presents they want. Merry Christmas everyone!🎄 I want snow
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Badum, badum, badum, badum—
Cale’s heart accelerated at the sight. With tension in his shoulders, he frowned deeply and immediately went to check the half-blooded whale’s pulse.
‘It’s irregular… and weak. I need to hurry.’
Cale doesn’t know when Paseton was actually poisoned or why this fight seemed to be more violent than the one that happened in Cale’s world, but it didn’t matter in this situation.
“Cale-nim? What is… no, how is he?” Choi Han changed his question before he could complete it, but Cale knows what he was asking.
“This is a whale from the whale tribe. He seems to have gotten poisoned by the merfolks.”
Choi Han snapped back to the unconscious person, expression changing from suspicious to concerned. It’s not weird that he had been able to assess Paseton’s strength as a member of the whale tribe, which would explain his caution. However, learning that he was injured and from a beast tribe, he changed his view on him.
Cale could guess that Choi Han thought back to Lock while looking at Paseton. They are both from beast tribes, after all, and had been injured.
“Human, let’s save him! We-we have to save him!”
He subtly nodded to the dragon. “…We will, so Dodam, throw him into the water.”
“…”
Dodam and Choi Han looked at Cale with hesitant eyes before turning to Paseton, and then back to Cale again.
“O-okay!” Dodam stammered, still slightly taken aback. “I trust you, human.”
Honestly, Cale hadn’t expected Dodam to agree so easily, but didn’t bring it up. He could still feel his heart beating quickly, so for both his and Paseton’s sake, they should hurry. Then Cale remembered something and raised his gaze to Dodam.
“Oh, and bring an arm from one of those mermaids we saw earlier.” Cale paused for a moment and inspected Paseton again. “…or two actually.”
“…?”
Having said what he needed to say, Cale turned around and started walking deeper into the cave, his pace a bit faster than normal. Because his back was turned, he missed how Dodam and Choi Han silently communicated with each other before Choi Han nodded and ran to catch up.
Cale only gave him a glance and continued.
The cave wasn’t very large so it didn’t take long before he could see the familiar pond filled with mesmerizing water.
‘It’s here, that’s good.’
A majestic blue color lit up the pond’s surroundings, an obvious telling to its abnormality compared to usual water.
“What…?” Choi Han expressed his confusion with a frown, but didn’t say anything else. Cale’s heart wasn’t really calming down yet, but he forced his mind to become clear. At least it wasn’t painful yet, only uncomfortable. Every thundering beat caused his skin to twitch.
Without explaining, Cale hastily opened an empty bottle and filled it with the Dominating Water, only struggling slightly with the lid.
‘This should be enough.’
He was done with his business here, so there was no need to delay any further. Paseton was still injured to the point of passing out, so it’s best they move quickly.
—badum, badum, badum, badum—
At the entrance of the cave, the two men met up with the young dragon. Dodam had thrown a severed arm on the stones and checked on the body floating in the water. He perked up when he saw them coming.
“Human!”
“Good job,” he praised the kid. “Let’s go back to the inn now. We need to move him without alerting anyone.”
“But what about lemon gramps?”
“……”
Cale had honestly forgotten about the vicious duo for a moment… He had been so occupied with the dying whale that the fact that two assassins had seen everything and were waiting for them at the beach had left his mind. With a sigh, Cale told Dodam to teleport them back to the beach. It would be fine to treat Paseton there too.
“Okay,” Cale nodded reluctantly. “Teleport us to the beach instead.”
“Got it, Human!” Dodam fluttered his wings and activated the teleportation magic. He was probably excited to save another person. Cale only tiredly closed his eyes with a silent exhale. When he opened them again, he could feel the sand beneath his shoes, and in front of him stood two familiar men, who were quietly looking at them.
“…A whale.” Beacrox mumbled the question, but he sounded more demanding than curious in his tone.
Beside Cale and Choi Han was a man with unusual blue hair. For someone who knew the different races of beast tribes like Ron or Beacrox, figuring out Paseton’s identity wouldn’t be hard. The old man gazed at them with curiosity in his eyes before smiling benignly.
“Oh my, I was already intrigued to know what happened out on the sea when an abnormal tornado suddenly formed, but now I’m more curious to why you have brought a dying fish to land, Mister Cale?”
“Later, Ron…” Cale shuttered at the underlying words from Ron, but chose to focus on the task at hand. “We found him, and I’m going to heal him.” His stern words hid his anxiety, but it also left no room for argument.
The sand was soft, but it probably wasn’t a good thing if Paseton’s injuries got infected. Cale crouched down to the unconscious man once again. He looked pale and sickly with a pained expression, but luckily, the injuries had not gotten any sand on them yet.
Breathing out a sigh, Cale pointed to the mermaid arm that laid beside them. “Someone go and dunk that in the water, then come back.”
Multiple eyes locked on him, and they all stared for another moment. Recently, Cale has told them a lot of unusual things, but Choi Han still picked up the arm and walked to the water. Cale nodded his head and looked back at Paseton to properly check his wounds. On a closer look, it seemed to be more serious than he thought it would be. He had multiple scratches on his arms and legs, and his breathing was laboured.
Cale’s frown depended, his eyes slightly shaking.
‘Is the poison stronger or did he get injected with more?’
It was attacking the half-blooded whale more aggressively than it did in Cale’s world. It was unusual since Cale was sure the sea was a part of the story where his involvement shouldn’t have been able to affect. So how come it’s different?
Wordlessly, the red-haired man pulled out his spacial bag and began digging in it. At this point, Paseton might not wake up before he’s done, so it’s best to call someone else to take care of him.
While Cale pondered the question in his mind, two assassins thoroughly inspected the dying person.
Beacrox expression twisted at the sight. “He’s poisoned.”
It was an obvious remark, but not many had seen actual poison from the merfolks in person.
“Mermaid poison.” Cale answered shortly.
“There is no cure for mermaid poison. It’s useless.”
Cale stopped and looked up at the one who spoke. Ron made eye contact with him, his face was devoid of a smile and resembled the cold seriousness of a patriarch.
Without breaking eye contact, Cale gave a sly smile. “There’s always a cure to poison. It just hasn't been discovered yet.”
The red-haired man then pulled out a familiar conch from his spacial bag and turned away from the assassin duo, looking out over the sea. However, because of that, he missed the intense gazes that burned holes into his head.
Ron and Beacrox stood bewildered as they watched him. Cale had just told them he knew the cure for a poison no one knew about before. Ron wondered once again where this man had come from, but figured it wasn’t that odd that he knew considering his connections and the information he found out about him from their last conversation. However, this was yet another reason to stay with him. If he knew such useful information like this, their revenge would be easier to achieve.
Meanwhile, Cale, who was unaware of the inner thoughts of two vicious people standing right behind them, lifted the conch. Even if Paseton got healed, the fact that it seemed to be worse than he had expected made Cale feel iffy regarding the situation.
‘It’s better to take precautions.’
Oooooooong.
The conch emitted an ominous sound that was louder than he had intended it to be, but Cale only shrugged and hid it back in his spacial bag again. The noise caught the attention of everyone around him, and Choi Han glanced questionably in his direction once he was done soaking the arm.
“Human, what did you do?” Dodam asked with curiosity in his eyes. He hovered over Cale and flew around them while excitedly asking
“I called the other whales. They should be here soon.”
“What.”
“Huh?”
“His family?”
Cale nodded and dug in his spacial bag again while everyone stared at him. There were so many new things they’ve been finding out tonight. Beacrox slowly narrowed his eyes.
Choi Han silently put down the arm beside Cale while looking at it in disbelief. The dry mermaid arm had turned back to normal as if it was never cut off to begin with. It was at this moment that it clicked in Ron’s brain.
“Something so simple was the cure… It’s obvious.” He sighed to himself, not really surprised by the answer, more disappointed instead. For some poisons, the antidote contains a small bit of the poison, and since it is the merfolk that produce the poison themselves, blood is an obvious ingredient. For a moment, Ron wonders if this young man had gotten the answer from somebody else, or experienced the poison himself. If it were the latter, he would have been in a desperate situation. And honestly, with his condition, Cale really was lucky to survive if something like that happened.
However, Ron's train of thoughts screeched to a halt the moment Cale pulled out a dagger from his spacial bag. In the matter of seconds, his blood ran cold and his eyes widened. Even his son reacted to it, because no matter what, they would always recognize the symbol engraved in that hilt.
The red-haired man raised the dagger to strike the arm, but Ron impulsively caught it in the air. A chilly atmosphere washed over them in an instant.
“Huh…?”
His grip on the thin wrist was tight. Brown eyes stared intensely at the dagger in Cale’s hand. There was no smile left on his face as multiple questions rushed through his mind.
‘It’s identical to mine.’
It looked exactly like his own weapon.
Ron has had many suspicions about Cale Thames, but never did he think he would see his dagger in the man’s hands. It didn’t make any sense. Ron’s other hand subtly snaked into his pocket and could clearly feel it there, and there shouldn’t be two of the same model existing in this world.
Did someone give it to him? Was there more from the Molan household that survived the attack? The possibility he had once wished were true haunted Ron’s mind. For years, he had searched for traces of Arm and people he once knew as family, but there had been nothing.
There had been nothing until he appeared.
It was always Cale. Memories from their previous conversation rushed through Ron’s head.
If… If there was a possibility that there is a member of the Molan household out there, who also recreated his dagger and gave it to this man, it would explain why Cale knew about them. But if that’s the case, why didn’t he say anything? Cale Thames could have told Ron about his surviving family members and avoided being under his suspicions. So why?
But then again, what if that wasn’t the case? What if this man had taken the dagger by force? Despite the discovery, Ron couldn’t let down his guard.
The hand shook in his grasp, but Ron didn’t let go. His piercing eyes moved from the dagger to the young man’s trembling reddish-brown eyes. At this moment, Ron was emitting such a strong bloodlust that the area dropped in temperature, and Beacrox’s shock and sharp gaze only intensified it. The bloodlust then started clashing with another aura.
On the other side of Cale and the dying man stood Choi Han. His expression had darkened remarkably as he glared at Ron with a warning in the air. Slowly, he parted his lips.
“Let. go.” A demand, a challenge, a threat.
Ron didn’t listen. He only glared back at the swordsman. It was a rare look of complete seriousness that took place on the elder assassin’s face. He only broke eye contact when the cold wrist he was holding twitched as if trying to pull away.
“Where did you get this.”
“….”
The red-haired man, who was still crouching by the unconscious person, was weak in his grasp. Cale swallowed, and Ron could see the fear he held for him. Then, a small glimmer of courage shone in Cale’s eyes and he tried to pull away.
“We don’t have time. I need to—“
Ron yanked his arm back. “Answer me. Are there more Molans out there?”
Mana circulated in the air, and Ron was sure the dragon was warning him, despite the child thinking they were allies. Beside him, his son stiffened up even more and looked at Ron. It was a thought they had not bothered to entertain after serving the Henituses in hiding for so many years, but if there really was a possibility…
Ron watched how Cale actually scowled at him, something he had not done since his interrogation before the plaza terror incident. Cale spat out the next words.
“Of course there are.”
With just a single sentence, Ron lost his grip on the wrist that forcefully ripped itself from his hand. It was as if Ron’s whole world had come to a stop. Silently, he looked up at his son with his eyes widening subtly, the realization hitting him hard. His son, who had seen his mother die, who had his childhood taken away for him. Beacrox was now mature, a capable adult who could care for himself, but the moment they made eye contact, Ron could only see the same small 12-year-old child he once was on that horrific night.
There were more survivors.
A disgusting sound of something being stabbed made them both turn back to the mysterious red-haired man. Cale had just dug his dagger into the mermaid arm, causing blood to flow out like water.
Ron had so many more questions, but he realized this was not the right time.
Meanwhile, Cale still felt himself shake from within. Perhaps it was the cold from the remaining water that made him tremble, but he forced himself to steady his hand.
—badum, badum, badum, badum—
Nothing had prepared him for Ron’s reaction to the dagger. His mind had been too occupied with getting Paseton better to realize his mistake.
‘I should have thought about it beforehand.’
It was terrible timing, and the fact that Ron would have recognized the dagger hadn’t even crossed his mind. Cale wordlessly cursed himself but kept opening the wound on the arm. Quickly, he breathed out a silent, shaky sigh and let the blood cover Paseton’s injuries.
The atmosphere had turned tense with only the waves from the sea making noise. Cale was fully focused on treating Paseton, so he didn’t bother to look up.
One by one, every bleeding injury became even more gruesome because of the mermaid blood mixing with it, but he could tell it was slowly healing. At this point, Cale’s hands had become stained with a crimson red. He looked like he murdered someone, but honestly couldn’t care less.
When he paused to think how to make Paseton drink the blood to secure his health, Dodam piped up.
“Human… is he okay now?”
“He will be soon.” Cale stabbed the arm again. “Help me lift his head.”
Two pairs of hands lightly lifted Paseton to help him up. For a moment, Cale thought it was Choi Han, but suddenly met Beacrox’s deep and focused eyes. He was looking at him intensely. Cale didn’t question it and got to work.
Making an unconscious person swallow something was never easy, but they managed. However, Cale was frowning the entire time.
‘Why isn’t he waking up?’
Paseton had still been lucid when Cale found him in his world. He went back and forth from being awake and fainting, but he still responded well and could hold a short conversation. The fact that he wasn’t even making a single sound made Cale worry.
The red-haired man threw away the arm and spoke sternly. “Dispose of this.”
There wasn’t much movement from around him, but when Cale glimpsed back at the arm, the spot was empty. He proceeded to be lost in thought for another few moments, the others seeing his expression and keeping quiet.
Then, suddenly…
Crunch.
Footsteps suddenly caused a branch to make a crushing sound, and Cale lifted his head in surprise. He hadn’t expected anyone else to be out at this hour. Had they been found out? Had someone accidentally heard them?
But then, the moment Cale saw who came out from the shadows of the trees, he felt the headache that would soon come to bother him.
“Hahaha! I smell someone strong— Hm? Friend? It’s you!”
— It’s that idiot again!
Dodam, who had turned invisible as soon as he sensed someone approaching, exclaimed loudly in Cale’s mind while the red-haired man had a dumbfounded expression on his face.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me…’
For some reason, the one person who found them was Toonka of all people, and Cale wondered if the God of Death was just fucking with him at this point.
But Toonka, unaware of Cale’s inner stress at seeing him, did not hesitate to approach despite the odd scene he must be seeing. “Friend! Why are you out here so late? I thought you were weak. And where’s your sister? She didn’t follow you this time?”
“……..”
‘What.’
“Who…?”
‘What the hell is this guy talking about?”
“That red-haired lady you were with last time! Did you hit your head or something?”
‘You hit your head.’
Mentally sighing in his mind, Cale felt all of his energy draining almost immediately. He really couldn’t understand Toonka no matter how hard he tried. Did he seriously think he and Rosalyn were siblings…? It was a ridiculous thought only an idiot would entertain.
– Human, this guy is weird.
Cale agreed with Dodam. ‘Why did Toonka have to be here?’
“Who are you…?” Choi Han spoke cautiously, something that was understandable. To the other three, Toonka was just some random buffoon who suddenly appeared and claimed Cale to be his friend. Little did Cale know, it was actually the pained expression on his face that made Choi Han hesitate.
“I’m Toonka! Bob’s friend!” Toonka looked extremely happy declaring their friendship to the new people he was meeting, and turned to Choi Han. He was probably thinking Choi Han, Ron, and Beacrox were like Cale and also ‘hated’ mages. “Hey, you’re strong, right? I can smell it, so fight me!”
But the loud man’s words just made Cale want to sink into the ground.
“Bob?” Ron muttered to himself before looking back at Cale, his eyes glinting with something Cale couldn’t explain. However, the skillful assassin composed himself and quickly assessed the situation. “I see, it’s a pleasure meeting you, Toonka-nim.”
“Mm?” Toonka seemed to falter at the polite tone in Ron’s voice, but shrugged it off just as quickly. Instead, he focused back on Cale, or rather, the person beside him. “Who’s that? Did you kill him? I can help get rid of the body!”
‘You crazy bastard!’ Cale shivered at the vicious words.
— Stupid Toonka! We’re trying to save him! Not kill him!
“No.” The words flew out of the red-haired man’s mouth in an instant. “He was hurt, so I’m helping him.”
“But he’s so weak. Why save him?”
Toonka, who grew up in an environment where strength was everything, didn’t hesitate to abandon those who were weak, and probably never bothered to care for an injured person. Cale guessed he couldn’t tell Paseton’s true strength right now because he was so weakened from the poison.
He answered carefully without looking at the tall warrior, turning back to the whale. “It’s not wrong to treat those who are injured. If you do, it could even come back to help you in the future.”
Especially in war. It was a well-known tactic to use debt to gain another advantage.
“……”
Though, Cale wasn’t sure Toonka would understand what he meant, but figured that was his problem to be bothered with. Unbeknownst to Cale, both Choi Han and Dodam were moved by his words. They have both been saved by Cale, and would do anything to repay him wholeheartedly. In addition, Choi Han has now spent enough time with Cale to know his true kind heart. From the beginning, the swordsman had already decided to follow his savior until the end.
However Toonka didn’t leave, so after feeling the tall figure loom over Cale and Paseton, reddish-brown eyes glanced up again. Cale had an unamused expression on his face.
“What are you even doing here?”
“Ah, I smelled someone strong from this direction, so you!” A finger snapped in Choi Han’s direction. “You’re really strong, hahaha! Come on, fight me! I wanna fight!”
“No.” Choi Han didn’t spare a single glance at the intruding warrior. At this point, he could understand why Cale seemed to be so uncomfortable, and figured this man wasn’t supposed to be here.
“Haa….” Cale sighed deeply. “No one is going to fight, or do you want to alert the knights?”
“Meh, I can just defeat them too!”
“You…! Ugh…” A headache that didn’t exist before was sneaking up upon him. Cale hung his head low and groaned in his mind. “If you have no business here, please leave. I told you I would come visit you soon, so focus on getting back to the Whipper Kingdom.”
Just the mention of the Whipper Kingdom helped Ron and Beacrox understand in an instant. They quickly figured out this man was some kind of fighter, but it was so obvious now that they know of his origins, but then what Cale had said crossed Beacrox’s mind again.
‘He would go to the Whipper Kingdom?’
Meanwhile, Toonka just shook his head. “I’ll go tomorrow.”
It seemed impossible to talk to the other man, so Cale eventually yielded with another exhausted sigh. “Fine, but stay quiet and don’t intervene.”
However, at that moment, the otherwise limp body suddenly began to stir.
— H-Human, look!
“Mmmh…”
A weak groan came from below him, and Cale’s eyes instantly snapped back to the half-blooded whale. Paseton’s expression was scrunched up in pain, and was breathing loudly, but Cale still couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh.
Paseton was thankfully waking up. He was no longer on the verge of death, and would live.
“Oh? He’s waking up?” Toonka opened his big mouth again.
“Quiet.”
He quieted down.
‘So much work…’
So much trouble could have been avoided, but at least one problem was solved. Maybe Cale’s heart could completely calm down now.
Cold blue eyes slowly cracked open. Paseton’s condition was pale, and every limb tensed with exhaustion and pain, but he pulled through and opened his tired eyes. With a confused mind, the first thing he saw through his blurry vision was a red-haired man looking down at him.
Still slightly out of it, Paseton could only focus on calming his breathing. The pain was still present, and he felt like he was burning everywhere. Though, he didn’t immediately panic the moment he woke up, and only attempted speaking after groaning in pain once more.
“…W, What….?” His voice hurt as it scraped the walls of his throat, but the red-haired man, while holding a beautiful elegance in the air, slowly blinked and caused his eyelashes to flutter.
“You were dying.” Cale had no filter as he explained the situation to the obviously confused man. “And I saved you.”
With a little strength, Paseton’s eyebrows furrowed. “But… the.. poison...—“
“I took care of it. You’ll live.”
The whale lying on the ground felt his breath stutter. This was actually real. Paseton’s first thought upon waking up was asking if he was dead. The poison and scratches had hurt, a lot. Even when he passed out, he cried out his sister’s name one last time in hope for a miracle, but he knew he was dying. Yet, the words died on his tongue when he had seen the person entering his vision.
Slowly, Paseton could feel the cold sand underneath his fatigued body. As the person kept speaking to him, realization slowly dawned upon him.
He was alive. He had survived. A miracle did happen, and it was thanks to this man.
Emotions surged within him. Paseton felt like he was on the verge of crying when a different voice reached his ears.
“Do you think you can sit up?”
The whale flinched as another man came into view. It was only now that he realized he wasn’t alone. However, listening to the question, Paseton tried to feel if he had any strength in his arms. The pain had begun to subside at this point, which made it a little easier to move.
However, as Cale watched the struggling half-blooded whale try to sit up, he clicked his tongue and helped him up. He began digging in his spacial bag with his other hand and was just about to pull out a healing potion when the sound of waves suddenly became louder.
Whooooosh.
Cale paused and looked up. The noise made everyone else also turn to look out to the sea, and in the distance, water splashed harshly as something large was pushing it away.
“Oh? Oh? Hahaha! I sense someone strong coming! Do you think they want to fight?!” Toonka pounded his fists excitedly.
But it wasn’t just one, but multiple.
‘They’re here.’
— Human! I can see the whales coming!
“Take this.” Cale roughly pushed the potion to Paseton, who took a moment too long before grabbing it.
“T-That’s…!”
The moment the whale finished drinking it, his senses returned and could see the approaching figures in the distance. Cale saw how Paseton’s expression immediately lightened as his eyes widened.
“N-Noona!” He cried out, possibly of relief and happiness upon seeing his sister after almost experiencing death. It was an indescribable feeling.
Cale sighed quietly. Seems like he didn’t need to worry anymore. Paseton was healing, and he could quickly hand him over to his tribe. Finally, Cale’s heart began to calm the fast beating, but something was different when he looked up again.
“Huh?”
The whales weren’t slowing down… No, they were going too quickly, almost aggressively, as if preparing to jump onto land, as if preparing to destroy something, as if preparing to immediately emerge with a fight.
Badum, badum, badum, badum—
It made Cale’s hair stand on end, and in the next moment, the largest whale of them all shifted. Paseton stiffened up in less than a second, his hands flying in the air in front of his face as if trying to stop them.
“W-Wait! Noona!”
But it was too late. The large fin moved quickly in the water, causing a large wave to descend upon them.
Splash!
“Ugh!” Cale automatically covered his face from the incoming water as it drenched all of them. He coughed, not having expected it to happen, and felt the cold seep into his clothes once again, drenching both the cloak and his swimsuit.
‘What the? Why would she…?’
However, before he could question it in his mind, the large humpback whale jumped from the water and transformed into a beautiful person. There was something different about her, like a negative aura was radiating off of her. Witira, with piercing blue eyes staring right at them, landed elegantly in the sand.
She looked angry. Extremely angry.
The future whale queen was glaring at them so intensely that Cale felt his spine tremble from the pressure.
‘Fuck.’
“Get away….” She spoke with a low voice as a whip made of water formed in one of her hands. “…from my brother!”
Whish!
Without a single ounce of hesitation, she attacked with incredible speed. Flicking her whip, a deadly weapon of water approached them faster than one could blink.
Cale sucked in a quick breath, forcefully pushing at the shield to activate. But before he could do that, a figure moved in front of him.
Clang!
Choi Han had unsheathed his sword in an instant and blocked the attack. Sand flew in the air, dusting them all.
However, Witira showed no surprise and attacked again.
“Leave my brother alone… you pest.” She almost growled, spitting out the words. Her expression was menacing, frightening, fitting of the future ruler of the sea. Cale felt his heart begin to pound again.
—badum, badum, badum, badum—
‘Fuck!’
This was the worst misunderstanding that could happen. Witira probably thought they were the ones who hurt Paseton, and proceeded to swing her whip without any remorse for the ones she thought were unjust villains.
Behind her, three individuals also appeared in the sand, each holding a weapon of their own. It was the other members of the whale and orca tribes.
And when Cale thought it couldn’t get any worse, a loud laugh struck his ears.
“Hahaha! Finally! Someone who wants to fight!” Toonka began running before Cale could stop him. He jumped high into the air, focusing on the three individuals in the back and readied his fist to strike.
—badum, badum, badum, badum—
The fight became chaotic. Choi Han and Witira were clashing with their weapons while Toonka fought with the other ones. Cale felt it was hard to breathe.
“N-Noona— cough!” Paseton attempted to stand up and tried to call out to her, but coughed because of the sand and dust. However, the pitiful state of her brother only urged Witira to try and get rid of Choi Han, who was blocking her path, even move.
— H-How dare she look at my human that way!
Along the way, Dodam shouted angrily in Cale’s mind, but the sound of the young dragon helped Cale slightly clear his mind. His heart was beating loudly in his chest, but he pushed through the spikes of pain he was experiencing and reached out to where he knew Dodam was flying.
“Stop.” He sounded almost breathless as he caught a paw. Cale’s eyes were wide as he stared into an invisible space that quieted down. “You can’t be found out.”
If Toonka were to sense the mana, he would know Cale lied and it would put everyone in danger. He couldn’t let that happen.
“Watch out!”
Bang!
Suddenly, a hand yanked him to his feet, making him stumble. He crashed into a sturdy chest and Cale gasped as he felt a force slam down behind him. An attack landed just where he was crouching. He would have gotten hurt if it weren’t for Beacrox, who hastily pulled him up.
—badum-badum-badum-badum—
Cale gripped the clothes over his heart and gritted his teeth while two strong arms surrounded him, protecting him from the sand and water that flew in the air. He silently gasped, feeling his vision blurry with the pain.
Blinking away the blurriness, Cale tried to see what was going on.
But it was a total mess.
The beach was destroyed, resembling what it had looked like back at the island with the mermaid corpses, but it was so much worse. Toonka was laughing maniacally in the background, immediately getting up after having been tossed away by one of the beastmen, and Choi Han fearlessly blocked every single one of Witira’s attacks. He was set on keeping Cale safe from the one suddenly targeting them.
“N-Noona…! St-Stop it!” Unfortunately, Paseton’s desperate shouts also went unheard, too much was happening.
Suddenly, Cale felt Beacrox pull at him again harshly once again, almost urgently.
Danger was near.
Cale snapped his eyes up just in time to see the threatening view of a water whip in the air, flying to them with accuracy. His heart dropped, his blood grew cold.
Cale drew in a sharp breath and activated the shield without realizing it.
Boooom!!!
“…?!”
The area shook tremendously, causing everyone to momentarily pause.
Dust covered their view, but as soon as it cleared, a beautiful silver shield filled everyone’s eyes. It shone in the night sky, lighting up the darkened sand. Along with the shield were two magnificent wings. They were surrounding two people that stood together with a string of light from the shield connecting to a red-haired man.
Beacrox was looking at the shield with wide eyes.
It was as if time had slowed down, pausing the entire fight. Both humans and creatures locked their eyes on the scene.
However, just as soon as it appeared, the shield broke and the wings fell. The view was like a heartbreaking story. It was at that moment that Cale’s knees buckled and his body fell almost limp in Beacrox’s arms.
“Cough, cough!”
A wet cough, causing red to drip between thin fingers that covered his mouth. It was a sight a few of the people present had seen once before.
Dodam’s breath stuttered, and Choi Han felt something within him snap. Before he could stop himself, a dark aura shot out from him. He swung at the enemy, the one who hurt Cale, who made him cough up blood.
Black aura, powerful and threatening, as black as Choi Han’s frightening eyes, attacked Witira, snapping at her faster than the eye could see.
And Witira, who sensed the ominous feeling of being in danger, barely managed to bring up the whip right before the aura hit her.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
Water splashed around like rain as a body flew back. She had seen the black aura of a sword master, and probably would have gotten seriously injured if she hadn’t trusted her instincts. Witira gasped as she landed, feeling herself soaked with water, but her experiences as a fighter made her regain her fighting stance immediately and prepared to attack.
However, she faltered the moment she saw her opponent gone. Instead, the black-haired sword master she just battled against jumped to the people in the back, looking almost panicked with worry.
Witira had also seen the beautiful shield in the sky. The shield paused the fight, something that rarely happened during battle, but at that moment, everyone had turned to them because of the surprising and breathtaking sight. Witira thought the men that were surrounding her brother were strong and about to kill him, but then the red-haired man weakly started coughing up blood. It had caused her to become distracted for a second too long, and that almost cost her an injury.
However, seeing the dangerous sword master, who was ready to kill her now frantically tending to the fallen man, she paused and furrowed her eyebrows.
“Nonna!”
But then her brother’s voice reached her. Witira widened her eyes and snapped her head to him, breathing out a sigh of relief when she saw him standing up with one from the orca tribe helping him.
“Paseton!” She ran to him in an instant, hugging him as soon as she reached him. It felt almost unreal. For so many days had she searched for a brother she thought she lost, hanging onto a thin thread of hope.
“You can’t attack them!” Before she could even say anything to him, he pulled away and looked into her eyes. “They saved me!”
‘What…?’
Witira stiffened up and froze, her world crumbling in a matter of seconds. She was so happy he was alive, but hearing those few, but impactful words from her brother, she suddenly felt like the worst being in the entire world. Slowly, her gaze moved back to the red-haired man who was clearly in pain. Regret washed over her quicker than her anger had disappeared.
Meanwhile, Toonka, who had froze from seeing the shield and blood, snapped back to the whale he was fighting the moment Choi Han shot out his aura.
He grunted, expression turning sour. “…At first it was just for fun, but now you’re actually pissing me off!”
The whale flinched, but had no choice but to attack again when Toonka flung himself at him. The fight between them resumed.
“C-Cale-nim!”
However, Cale’s head was spinning. He was on his knees, coughing into his hand on repeat. Every single time a cough ripped itself from his throat, his heart felt like it was stabbed with a knife, sending ripples of pain throughout his entire body. His hands, which had already been bloody from before but were washed thanks to the water, returned to an even deeper crimson color. Even the cape he was still wearing had been stained with the ominous dark liquid.
Choi Han and Beacrox were on both his sides, steadying him by the shoulders so he wouldn’t fall. Choi Han was panicking, speaking quickly in his ear, and Dodam shouted anxiously in his mind.
— H-Human…!
His voice cracked.
— You can’t d-die! You can’t!
“Cough, cough!”
The voices around him were mumbled and it felt like Cale had cotton in his ears. In the distance, he thought he could hear Ron’s voice speak to him, but Cale wasn’t sure anymore. A painful headache struck him too, and his heart beat frantically. He wanted to answer Dodam, to reassure him that he was fine, but the blood made him choke.
“Cough…. cough, cough… ha—haa…”
—badum— badum, badum. badum…
Luckily, after what felt like an eternity, Cale’s heart finally began to calm down. The background noise of a fight cleared for him. His coughing also subsided, turning into heavy, raspy breathing instead. Cale closed his eyes shut, inhaled deeply and exhaled. When he opened his eyes again, he felt how every part of his body suddenly felt extremely exhausted and heavy.
‘Ugh…’
He groaned silently, cursing inwardly. So much had escalated so quickly. It was utter chaos.
And it was at that moment…
“What is going on?!”
A female voice, one Cale was very familiar with, and the whole area turned to a stop. Slowly, Cale lifted his tired eyes and saw a woman with green hair.
Amiru Ubarr, the one person he wished wouldn’t come here, had also joined the chaos, this time with a group of guards surrounding her. Her hardened and surprised eyes scanned the area, from the destroyed beach, to Toonka’s paused fight, and to the whale siblings, before eventually landing on Cale.
The moment their eyes met, Cale saw how her face visibly paled in the dim moonlight.
“M-Mister Cale?!”
For Amiru, who had just come to see people fighting with intent to kill each other, seeing the polite man she met during a meeting, Basen Henituse’s Hyung, bleeding all over and on his knees, she felt her breathing quicken.
There were probably around 30 guards that surrounded the beach, putting the fighting to an immediate stop where even Toonka, who usually wouldn’t care, stopped to look at the woman who just shouted.
Despite the chaotic situation, Amiru ran up to Cale in an instant, multiple guards following her.
“Lady Amiru.” Cale called out to her in a raspy voice, embarrassed for his bad complexion. She had been another person he planned on avoiding, but all the noise they were making must have alerted her.
“Mister Cale, w-what are you doing here? You should have told me if you were coming… Oh, what in the world am I saying? You’re injured and should be resting! Come, I-I will get you a priest immediately!”
Amiru panicked, looking like she was very close to ripping her own hair out from not knowing what to do. Cale felt sorry for her and tried to show he was alright by standing up. However, both Choi Han and Beacrox gently lifted his arms over their shoulders to give support before he could try it himself, and Cale honestly felt that was the best choice in this situation.
Even standing with help, he didn’t fully trust his knees.
Of course, Cale couldn’t see how he looked, so he didn’t understand the panic Amiru was truly feeling.
His hair was disheveled from the wind, his face pale with blood dripping down his chin, staining his clothes and hands, and he was covered in a mix of sand and water. Perhaps she should feel something else, wonder what he was doing here, but all Amiru could do was worry.
“Mister Cale, what are you doing here? I heard how you recently came close to death in the Capital! Y-You should definitely be resting in the Henituse Territory.”
Amiru’s words made everyone around her stiffen up. Two pairs of blue eyes shook the moment they heard what she said.
Basen Henituse had informed her how Cale Thames had suddenly come close to death the day that the plaza terror incident happened. Apparently, his heart condition had acted up, which caused him to cough up blood and become bedridden until he was feeling better. And as far as she knows, he should be resting since the near-death experience didn’t even happen very long ago. So why was he here? And involved in a fight at that?
So many questions were swirling in her mind, but at this moment, Mister Cale’s health was a top priority. She couldn’t risk him getting worse, especially not since his heart condition seems to be acting up.
Then she was suddenly reminded of the other people there, the possible culprits of this chaos. Amiru slowly turned to the people who were spectating the scene, her sharp eyes inspecting everyone as her expression turned dark.
“You do not only have the audacity to ruin my property, but also to fight against each other and cause someone’s health to suffer?” Her words stung made Witira and Paseton wince, immediately looking back to the injured person. “I do not know what reason you have for doing this, but this will not be accepted. All of you, come with me.”
The guards immediately began to move towards the beastmen and Toonka, preparing to make them surrender. However, none of them complied. Toonka immediately started yelling while the whales and orcas began to back away.
Amiru didn’t know they were beastmen, she had no way of knowing. The only human was Toonka, and he couldn’t be considered normal. Cale was about to open his mouth to call out to her when he was interrupted by a splash.
“What the— hey!”
Multiple sounds of splashes suddenly came from the water as the whales disappeared into the depths of the sea one by one. Amiru’s eyes widened as she realized the situation, and stood frozen in her place, gaping at the scene.
Only Witira and Paseton lingered for another moment, both looking at Cale with painful regret.
“I-I’m sorry…” Paseton muttered under his breath, hoping he understood him. “I’ll come back for you.”
And with that, the two siblings also jumped into the water, disappearing from sight. Amiru watched with a deep frown, looking like she didn’t know what to do. Cale chose that moment to speak.
“Lady Amiru.” His voice was still hoarse from the coughing, but he managed to get her attention. “Let me explain… please.”
Her eyes trembled for a moment before silently nodding. This was going to be a long conversation.
Notes:
At this point, Dodam and Choi Han trust Cale a bit more than what they did in Tcf because of their relationship and past, which is also why they usually never questioned him when he gave them odd instructions.
And pardon my ego but MY BRAIN IS SO BIG I CAN LITERALLY PREDICT MY FUTURE IDEAS?? The dagger was NOT intentional, trust me. It first appeared in this fic when Cale was going to c ut his palm to retrieve the Vitality of the Heart, and I literally changed it to being Ron’s dagger just a moment before posting that chapter, only thinking it was a funny detail that Cale could remember. BUT NOW THIS?? OMG IT WAS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY!
I struggled a lot with how this scene would go, because at first, I planned on having Toonka see Cale drenched, think Witira was hurting him, and then start fighting, but I also wanted more drama. And honestly, while I originally planned on having Witira misunderstand, I never really thought it would escalate this much hahaha! I hadn’t even planned on making Cale cough up blood, but once I saw the vision, it had to be that way hahah! Sorry Cale :p
Because Cale alerted the whales with the conch, not only Witira heard it. On the way, she met up with the other whales and orcas, and together, they swam towards the call. However, once they saw Paseton injured with four men around him, they quickly assumed the worst and any theory about who had the conch flew out the window. At that point, Witira just wanted to save her brother.
PLUS! Throughout this whole chapter, Cale has been showing signs of stress and anxiety, which ones trigger the Root of Despair and causes more pain.
I tried to make is as chaotic as possible with it just escalating and getting worse for every second that passed hahaha. Hope I succeeded with that, because it was really hard to write lol
Thank you for reading and merry Christmas!!🎄💗
Chapter 36: Surprise Visit
Summary:
PREVIOUS CHAPTER RECAP: After Cale found Paseton injured, he made quick work to save him. Ron is suspicious after seeing a dagger identical to his own in Cale’s possession, and Toonka is somehow getting himself involved. The whale tribe arrived shortly, but once Witira mistakes Cale’s group for hurting Paseton, she attacks without hesitation. It wasn’t long before Amiru heard the commotion.
Notes:
Hello my lovelies (ꈍᴗꈍ)♡ I know I’m cruel. And thank you so much for 60k+ hits!!! <33
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The Ubarr’s hospitality could very well be compared to the Henituse’s. Cale was seated in a comfortable bed after having bathed and gotten checked by a priest. Luckily, both his heart and the coughing had calmed down, so now only an endless hunger remained. He had a tray on his lap, and ate a luxurious piece of meat.
‘It’s not as tasty as Beacrox’s food, but the flavor is still good.’
Maybe he should have just informed Amiru of his arrival from the start if he would have received such a good bed and food from the beginning.
“Ah, I’m glad you’re feeling better, Mister Cale.”
Beside the bed sat Amiru on a chair. It’s not been very long since the fight occurred, and it’s almost morning soon. From the moment Amiru stopped the fight, she prioritized healing Cale while issuing orders to multiple guards and healers. Of course, since the Vitality of the Heart did most of it, not a lot of divine healing was needed and Cale was left to rest.
Cale nodded in response. Even if Amiru suggested they wait until he was rested before they properly speak with each other, Cale knows it’s best to handle it directly. Especially since Toonka was currently in the Ubarr’s hold and could receive a worse punishment than banishment like Cale wants if he doesn't get involved immediately.
He could see how Amiru’s expression turned into a frown, and Cale put down his utensils. He should start explaining what he planned to say. “Lady Amiru, I sincerely apologize for the property damage caused at the beach. It was never my intention for this to happen.”
She remained quiet, letting him talk. Cale thought she made a good decision. In this current situation, she has no knowledge of how it started or who the culprit of it all was. It was smart to regard Cale with caution while also keeping a good relationship through helping him. That way, she can make a proper decision after hearing him out.
He wasn’t alone in this room either. Opposite of Amiru stood Choi Han, still alert from everything. Both him and Dodam hadn’t left Cale’s side even for a minute and guarded him wholeheartedly. To them, who have only seen Cale cough up blood once before, this was rather mild in comparison, but they wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
For a moment, Choi Han looked at his savior with gentle eyes, thankful that nothing else happened and that he already recovered without even fainting once, but he couldn’t help but frown.
– Human, why are you acting like that again? Are you really okay?
In Cale’s mind, Dodam asked him anxiously, but he ignored it. Instead, he then began explaining a version of the truth.
While he talked, the Ubarr heir’s expression shifted continuously. The story he came up with was about how he, along with the other people who were present, took a night stroll along the beach. On the way, they stumbled upon an injured man and chose to help since they had the resources available.
Lady Amiru’s heart slightly warmed when she heard about their actions. She doesn’t know a lot about Mister Cale, but the way Basen Henituse spoke of him with such a soft tone and gentle smile, she couldn’t help but build up an image around him.
And it appears that his kindness reaches quite far. Not a lot of people would immediately help when they find someone injured, but he did so without hesitation.
It makes Amiru a bit hesitant about her earlier suspicions.
“As you saw, it turned out those people were part of the Whale Tribe.”
He would, of course, change the story a bit, but not enough to not make it unbelievable. In this current situation, Amiru had unfortunately seen a lot of the fight, but not enough for Cale to be unable to lie.
To tell the truth, it really was just a large misunderstanding, an incredibly stupid one that resulted in destruction. It pissed Cale off but still understood Witira’s actions. This was also the explanation that Amiru received.
“I see…” Her expression was troubled as her eyes moved to her clasped hands, but Cale knew she also understood.
“Lady Amiru, the Whale Tribe does not involve themselves with creatures of the land. Do you know why?”
She nodded her head and looked back into his eyes. “I know, Mister Cale. It’s to maintain peace between the land and the sea, isn’t it?”
“Correct. They do not attack and usually stays away. I hope you understand what was different this time.”
“Did they think you were the one who hurt that whale…?”
Amiru thought it was reckless to attack when the Whale Tribe didn’t even assess the situation beforehand. Even if it could hypothetically have been a hostage situation, how could they believe in their strength to reach the victim before the kidnappers killed them? It was illogical thinking, but a part of her could see how it all went down.
“I suppose they did.” Cale cut into another piece of stake as the hunger was still not satisfied. “As soon as the situation cleared, they luckily stopped attacking.”
“…”
Hopefully Lady Amiru would listen to his suggestion on what to do. If she hadn’t known the Whale Tribe was involved, then maybe she could have left them with a slap on the wrist like she did back in Cale’s world. However, if she chose to be unfriendly with the rulers of the sea, it could create conflicts no one wanted or needed.
Though, Cale supposed he should make up for some of the damage since Amiru probably won’t get the chance to speak with the Whale Tribe again after what happened.
“Alright. I can see how it happened now. Although, I regret that your health had to suffer for it. Luckily, it seems like you did get some protection.” Amiru smiled at Choi Han, who stood quietly beside the bed. “But may I ask who that other man was? The tall one? He kept referring to you as his friend.”
Cale refrained from groaning when Amiru mentioned Toonka. Of course that bastard would do something like that. Originally, Cale wanted to pretend to ignore Toonka and subtly suggest the punishment of banishment, but guess he couldn’t anymore.
“Ah…”
Cale slightly flinched at the low, unimpressed sound that came from Choi Han. The other man’s eyebrow twitched for a moment before his expression soothed again. Cale eyed him for a moment when he saw the slight irritation. Did Choi Han not like Toonka?
— That crazy bastard isn’t Human’s friend! He’s weird and only likes hitting things!
He flinched a second time when Dodam suddenly started cursing. Cale quickly cleared his throat to regain his posture.
“…I’m not sure why he’s calling me his friend. We only met briefly the other day and he was unfortunately involved in the misunderstanding that happened tonight.”
If he wanted to, he could very well put some dirt on Toonka’s name, but that would help no one, and Cale would prefer for everything to go quietly from now on.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door, interrupting their conversation. Once they were allowed entry, Cale saw Ron’s unpleasant face along with two kittens in his arms.
“Meow!!”
“Meowww!”
In an instant, On and Hong jumped from his hold and ran to Cale’s side, leaping onto the bed and cuddling up to his sides.
“Uhh…” Cale awkwardly pet Hong, who practically hugged his neck, letting his lower body hang limply. On stroked against him too, and Cale was soon multitasking in giving comfort to the two kittens who had no doubts been informed of the situation when he never returned to the inn.
— Noona! Hyung!!
“Meowww!”
Two cats and one invisible dragon excitedly greeted each other, and Dodam immediately began chatting rapidly, filling in his siblings with what happened.
Amiru blinked in surprise, her eyes slowly softening at the sight and a light chuckle escaped her.
“I wasn’t aware you had cats, Mister Cale?” The air easily loosened with the additional cute pair and Cale tried to meet her eyes with a ball of fur in his face.
“Yes… they have traveled with me for a while now.”
It was quite an adorable sight. Amiru had a lot of impressions of Cale, and most were either that of a professional and polite man, or someone who was deeply kindhearted despite the stoic aura he gave off.
However, seeing this, she could understand Basen. The memory of the young Henituse heir actually brought her back to another subject she wished to question about.
“My apologies, but I must ask again. Are you truly alright, Mister Cale?” She spoke softly, a careful smile on her lips. “I heard your health failed you during the day of the incident in the plaza, so I couldn’t help but be surprised when I saw you again.”
Cale glanced at her. He hadn’t expected her to be aware of that part. She must have heard about it through Basen or his father, so it’s best to find an easy explanation. Cale missed the darkening looks from the cats and Choi Han.
“Despite my condition, I heal quite quickly, so I felt better after just a few days’ rest.” He spoke while continuing to pet Hong, who had still not loosened his grip from around his neck. “And the reason for my travels is because I have some people to meet, so Count Henituse was generous enough to send some attendants with me.”
“Ah, that’s a relief.” Amiru breathed out a sigh. “Oh, there’s something else I also wished to ask you.”
“Yes?”
“Mister Cale, did you happen to see what happened at sea earlier tonight? I could only see from a distance, and it was unfortunately quite dark, but reports say there was a large water tornado close to shore.”
‘Ah, shit.’
Cale forgot about that part. Though, he supposed a large tornado wouldn’t go unnoticed, but it’s not like he intended for that to happen. Cale wanted to sigh, but remained his act.
“…Yes, I did catch a glimpse of it. Do you know what caused it?”
“No, we’re still investigating the location. It would be dangerous if something like that continued to happen, but we did notice something else!” Amiru’s expression then lightened up. “The whirlpools, Mister Cale! A few of them disappeared after the tornado.”
“Really? That’s very fortunate.” Cale smiled back and tried to lift Hong off him, but the kitten had dug his claws into his collar, creating a funny image of not letting go while slightly tearing at Cale’s clothes.
“Meow!”
Cale just sighed and let Hong lay on his chest again, feeling two bundles curl up further on his sides.
The two continued to speak for a few more minutes. During this time, Cale managed to clear up the misunderstanding and convinced Amiru to lessen Toonka’s punishment while fully ignoring the odd and gentle smile she had on her face the whole time. Eventually, Ron suggested Cale needed to rest to which Amiru immediately nodded and shortly left.
However, the moment Cale was left alone with the others, Ron turned to him with a chilling smile.
“Very well, Mister Cale. Shall we have a conversation too?”
Without hesitation, Cale laid down and pulled up the covers while desperately trying to suppress the shiver crawling through his spine. “I’m tired. We’ll talk later.”
“…”
Because he was turned away, the red-haired man missed the piercing stare from Ron and the threatening glare Choi Han sent him. But none of it mattered since they all listened and stayed quiet. Cale let the children cuddle up to him before letting himself relax for the rest of the day and coming night.
Unfortunately, despite Cale’s expectations of a peaceful night, he’s woken up by Dodam who shoots up from the bed.
“…huh?” he says sluggishly, blinking at the dragon who was suddenly on high alert.
“Youngest? What’s wrong?”
“Nya?”
The two kittens also woke up and climbed around the bed, and as Cale sat up, he almost jumped as he noticed Choi Han standing in the darkness, hand on scabbard and ready to draw it.
‘Did he never leave?’
“The fish are coming!” Dodam suddenly shouted angrily.
‘What? Fish?’
Cale was way too tired for this, but then something knocked on the balcony window, and he startled awake. On and Hong’s fur bristled as their ears pulled back, Choi Han drew his sword, too, and looked straight at the balcony where two figures stood. With the moonlight behind them, they threw a large shadow over the room, making Cale pause at the sight.
‘Wait… fish?’
Looking back to the balcony, Cale squinted his eyes and finally managed to see who it was. Behind the glass stood Witira and Paseton, the latter wearing a sheepish smile as he waved at them.
Cale never wanted to sigh more in his life.
“Let them in…”
‘Who thought a whale would be capable of stealth?’
Despite Choi Han’s reluctance, he still walked forward and opened the balcony door, letting the two whales inside. Paseton didn’t waste any time approaching.
“Sir! A-Are you okay?”
Cale flinched at his loud voice, it was in the middle of the night, after all. However, to anyone else, it looked like he flinched for a different reason, and Dodam instantly glared at the pair.
“You almost killed Human! His heart is very weak!”
“D-Dragon-nim…”
‘I wouldn’t have died from that…’
Both Witira and Paseton paled, more surprised by the revelation than the very obvious dragon in front of them. Their heads instantly switched between Dodam and Cale, the man in question only sighing.
‘Ha… why me?’
Unbeknownst to Cale, the tension in the room was thick. Witira couldn’t help but glance to the same man she fought just a few days ago. She didn’t know his name, but was sure she clearly remembered the black aura that crashed into her.
It was a swordmaster. This red-haired man, who appeared to be a noble, was surrounded not only by skilled people, but also a swordmaster and a dragon. Deep, obsidian eyes locked on her, and she leveled him with a stare, not backing down despite the predicament.
Still, Witira knew when she had done something wrong, and this was not the time for arguments. Her gaze locked on the man on the bed, two glaring cats on each of his sides. Looking at him now, up close, she realized how skinny the man was. A deep regret pooled in her gut.
Without another word, she bowed her head, knowing Paseton followed her quickly.
“I want to express my gratitude to you, young master-nim, and to apologize for what I have done.” Despite her dignity, Witira has made a grave mistake, and it almost cost an innocent person’s life. “Paseton told me everything, I cannot explain in words how much I regret my actions.”
“Huu…” The red-haired man gave a low, rumbling sigh. “Rise, it’s not right for the future Whale Queen to bow down to anyone.”
Witira couldn’t help but crack a smile at that, straightening her back. “You know of my identity.”
“It wasn’t that hard to figure out. Who else but the ruler of the sea could show such strength?”
Cale leaded back comfortably in his bed, petting Dodam’s head as the dragon snuggled up beside him, still fixating the two whales with a sharp stare.
“You caused me trouble.”
Paseton winced, turning his eyes to the floor. Cale slowly let his plan take motion.
He knew they would come visit. Maybe not break into his room in the middle of the night, but he expected them to return. After all, Witira would not be able to let this go after finding out the truth. Once Paseton explained everything to her, she would feel guilty and return, becoming in debt to Cale for saving her brother and getting falsely accused.
It all happened just like he expected. Cale met the blue eyes of the future Whale Queen, her gaze no longer holding the murderous intent like before.
“It is my fault.” She shamefully admitted. “My brother had been missing for days, and I was worried he would be gone by the time I found him. You, however, helped him. You saved him, and I made false assumptions before asserting the situation.”
Witira explained her side of the story, something Cale already figured out. Anyone in her position would probably do the same if they saw their brother bleeding out beneath a crowd of people. At least this helped Cale’s act.
“It’s alright. I understand why you did it. At least your brother is alright now?” He spoke with a gentle smile on his face.
— Human, why do you look like that again?
‘Because I need to benefit from this as much as possible.’
Like predicted, Paseton brightened up. “Yes! Thanks to you, sir, I managed to recover swiftly. Thank you so much. Had it not been for you, I would have died. We’re indebted to you.”
‘Bingo.’
However, instead of reacting, Cale continued his humble act. “Oh no. All I did was lend a helping hand. Anyone would do the same.”
“That’s not true, young master. You have the sea’s gratitude.”
Cale had to suppress the sly smile threatening to show, because if there was one thing he knew, it was that Witira was fair and would not feel indebted to anyone.
“Uhm…” Paseton spoke up again. “May I ask something, young master-nim?”
“Sure.”
The half-blooded whale seemed to hesitate, getting an encouraged nod from his sister. “I was poisoned by the merfolks, but you said you somehow took care of it. How?”
Cale suspected this question would rise. He had given such a vague answer when Paseton woke up because of the urgency of the situation, but he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to explain.
(In the back of his mind, Ron’s tense, threatening expression appeared in his line of sight, questioning, demanding, dangerous. Cale didn’t want to talk about it, but he knew he had to eventually.)
“Mermaid blood.” He simply said. “The way to cure the poison is through their blood.”
Ignoring the look of quick realization and admiration on the two whale’s faces, Cale crossed his arms. Choi Han was still staring at the duo that broke into the room, having relaxed only slightly after hearing their apology. He still thought they were undeserving to show themselves after hurting Cale-nim so much, but he could tolerate it for now.
“I see, thank you for telling us.” Still, Witira kept a professional mind, not showing how much she was truly affected by the new piece of information. After all, the Whale Tribe had lost too many because of the incurable mermaid poison, but to think the answer was so simple all along.
Cale smiled in amusement, preparing for the next stage.
“So, what do you want?”
The two blinked. “Pardon?”
“You didn’t come here just to apologize. You want something.”
“…”
Witira and Paseton paused. Had it been anyone else, they wouldn’t have seen through their hidden intentions, but Cale has already experienced this before. He knew what they wanted. Cale’s group was strong and could navigate the land that the whales could not.
A leader like Witira had no reason to miss such an opportunity.
The whale siblings looked at each other for a quiet moment before sighing, focusing back at Cale with mild wariness. “…You’re right.”
“Please do not worry, Count-nim. I recovered swiftly with the help of Lady Amiru.”
Cale sighed inwardly, staring at his father through the video communication device. Somehow, Deruth had gotten information about Cale’s condition worsening after getting caught in a fight. Cale suspected it was Amiru who told him. but he couldn’t point fingers at someone who was simply concerned.
But now he did have to deal with his father. Luckily, Violan sat beside the man, calming him down.
“Take a look at him, Deruth. Does Mister Cale seem unwell to you?”
“Well… no.”
“Then, I think you should take his word for it when he says he is okay.”
Cale sent her a grateful nod, to which the corners of Violan’s lips slightly curled upwards. Thankfully, that seemed to do the trick.
Deruth thought in silence for a moment before clearing his throat. “Ahem, very well. Don’t forget to visit soon, Cale.”
“I will, Count-nim.” And with that, the 30 minute call finally came to an end. Cale heaved a deep sigh, feeling the invisible presence of Dodam pressing on his shoulder.
— Money Gramps is funny.
That has become Dodam’s new nickname for Deruth ever since he watched the man try to shove more money into Cale’s pockets before they left for their journey. Cale simply let him, now rethinking his life choices.
Last night’s conversation took longer than he expected. Cale was already aware what Witira and Paseton were after, but he still pretended not to know to maintain his image. They finally agreed to meet up outside Ubarr’s inner city to avoid the people’s watchful eye, but by the time the two whale siblings left, the sun was already showing in the distance.
Cale could manage without a few hours of sleep. The Vitality of the Heart helped regain any energy lost, but it still didn’t stop Cale from mourning the time he could have spent sleeping instead of the conversation he had.
“Let’s go,” he said with a yawn on his lips.
***
Truthfully, Cale planned on just leaving without telling anyone, but thinking it through, it might cause more trouble than what it’s worth. However, he still had to say bye to one certain person.
“Toonka.”
“Huh?” The big buffoon of a man turned around, the crashing waves from the sea reaching their ears. “Oh, you’re alive?”
Toonka spoke with such a casual voice that Cale stopped to look at him with a dumbfounded expression. “…You thought I died?”
“Well, you were bleeding so much! I didn’t think you would survive. Does that mean you’re actually strong?” The man leaned in, towering over Cale with an excited gleam in his eyes.
“No, I’m weak.”
Toonka fucking pouted. “Okay.” He straightened up again and looked back to the ship he was about to board. Shaking off whatever feeling Cale was bothered by, he spoke up.
“I lessened your punishment to only banishment. You might want to think twice before throwing yourself into a fight.”
“They were asking for it.” Toonka simply answered with a smile, not affected at all by the fact that he was no longer allowed in the Ubarr Territory, but judging from his personality, he probably didn’t care.
‘This guy was hopeless.’
“Hey, come in two months.”
“Sure.”
“The world will have changed by then!”
“Yes, yes. See you then.”
Cale nodded to the other, letting the words he’s already heard once before pass between them. In the distance, a sailor yelled for everyone to board the ship, including Toonka.
Hopefully, Cale would manage to arrive in the Whipper Kingdom in two months. That is, after all, how long it will take for Toonka and his army to take down the Magic Tower. A thousand thoughts rushed through his head as Cale planned for the next step, they would need to leave soon.
The barbarian boarded the ship, and Cale watched the boat slowly drift away. Just as he was about to turn away, a loud shout pierced his ears.
“HEY! DON’T DIE YET, FRIEND!”
‘Gah…!’
The noise echoed through the whole harbour, making multiple people stop and turn. Cale cursed Toonka one last time, quickly marching away to pretend to not know him.
‘That bastard….’
Whatever. Cale would finally be free from lunatics for at least 2 months, and he wouldn’t say no to that.
***
On his way to the meetup place, two cats brushed against his legs as an invisible dragon rested on his shoulder. Leaving the harbor and splashing waves behind, Cale planned on leaving swiftly since he had already spoken to Amiru, but he didn’t get very far before a shout was heard from behind him.
“Mister Cale!”
‘Haa…’
With a sign on his lips, Cale turned around, putting on a neutral expression on his face. It wouldn’t do him any good to show irritation during such a moment.
— Human, look! It’s that lady again.
Just like Dodam said, Amiru Ubarr approached from afar with a friendly wave to catch his attention.
“Lady Amiru.” He addressed her, bowing his head slightly.
“Ah, I’m so relieved I managed to catch you before you left.” She breathed out a sigh of relief before receiving a small bag from the guard following her. “Please take this.”
‘Hm?’
Cale glanced at the outstretched pouch, not expecting to get a farewell gift. Amiru seemed to catch his surprise and confusion and began to explain.
“I’m certain Count Henituse already helped plenty, but I would still like to express my apologies for what you were exposed to in my territory.”
He quickly caught on. Amiru Ubarr appeared to still feel guilty for his unfortunate predicament even when she showed such hospitality. It was surprising considering how they’ve only met twice, but she already seemed to have a solid impression of him.
Well, who was Cale to refuse? Although, he couldn’t be hasty and instead put on a humble expression.
“Lady Amiru, thank you for your generosity but there really is no need. You’re too kind.”
Based on the widened smile on the latter’s face, it worked.
“I insist, Mister Cale. Besides, I believe you could make use of this.” Once again, she pushed the bag forward and into his hands. The remark cause Cale to pause. Something that would be useful?
Curiosity won over him as he gently took the pouch and opened it. The items inside suddenly made a lot of sense.
— Human, I like this human.
Even the kittens by his feet seemed to agree with Dodam as they meowed in unison, but Cale was left perplexed. Inside the bag were multiple bottles and vials of healing potions of different grades.
Looking at it, he didn’t know whether to feel grateful or offended. He didn’t get injured that often.
Cale simply shook off the thought and gave a smile.
“This is too much, Lady Amiru.”
“Not at all, I hope you have a safe journey!”
Cale couldn’t help but stare at the clear and swift dismissal. She completely ignored any of his attempts at refusing, but truthfully, it wouldn’t hurt to have more supplies on him in case someone else got injured, so he finally relented.
He let out a long, defeated sigh. “Very well, thank you for everything.”
Amiru chuckled. “No need. It’s just a small gift. I’m… happy I could help.”
Cale pretended to not hear the sincerity in her voice. He still didn’t understand how she was so open to him. In his own world, it was understandable since the original Cale and Amiru had known each other for years, but he was practically a stranger here. Either way, it worked in his favor so he wouldn’t complain.
“I’ll be leaving quietly,” he said. “No need for fanfare.”
She smiled. “The city will welcome you warmly, do you return soon.”
Giving her a slight nod, Cale turned away before she could say anything else. The fewer goodbyes, the better.
As he moves down the path and out the gate to the inner city, Ron suddenly materializes beside him. Cale almost jumped had Dodam not warned him a second before. Ron only smiled silently at him, and Cale suppressed a shiver, but the nod from the old man confirmed the preparations were complete.
Another sigh escaped him before he could stop it.
“Let’s get this over with.”
A group of 12 appeared in a flash, temporarily lighting up the dark forest from the magical teleportation circle.
Paseton wrinkled his nose as he looked around. Even as a half-blooded whale, he rarely traveled on land, so it was a different experience to be inside a deep forest without a source of water nearby.
“This is the Forest of Darkness? It looks… more normal than I thought.”
Cale twitched as familiar words repeated themselves once more. The whale siblings had the same reaction when he first told them about it in his own world.
“Be careful, though! There’s a lot of monsters here.” Lock spoke up as he went to stand beside Paseton.
Unexpectedly, the two beast people found familiarity in each other quite quickly. Despite their differences — one having grown up in a village and one living in the sea — Lock and Paseton quickly became friends the short time they got to know each other.
Even Witira glanced at the young wolf with curiosity, most likely sensing his presence as a pure-blooded and power once transformed.
“Really?” Paseton blinked. “Have you been here before, then?”
“Yup!”
Dodam suddenly interrupted, startling the younger whale. The dragon had noticeably calmed down since their conversation, despite the bumps in between, and he only still regarded Witira with a bit of wariness.
“This great and mighty dragon liked to smash the monsters into pieces! Me and Choi Han used to do it a lot!”
Without any context, Witira only looked confused, but no one offered an explanation.
“We are going back to the swamp, I presume?” Rosalyn spoke up, catching Cale’s attention. She smiled friendly at him, but there was still a slight scolding look in her eyes.
Cale still remembered when he came back to the inn after having been bedridden for 2 whole days in the Ubarr Estate. Lock and Nasyra instantly approached, and the young boy shyly asked if he was alright. They had received reports from Ron and Beacrox, who took turns visiting (much to Cale’s dismay), but it would have been chaotic if everyone went to check on him.
During their small reunion, Rosalyn simply stood to the side and smiled, and despite the innocence behind it, nothing about it felt friendly. Cale did his best to avoid meeting her eyes, but he could feel the silent urge to scold him from her.
Cale wondered if he preferred she would actually say something or not.
“Yes, we’re going back. It should be easier this time, considering the barrier was destroyed.” He hinted at the dominating aura that attacked them the last time they visited, but because Cale retrieved the ancient power’s consciousness, the aura was gone.
“Will the masks be needed again?”
On his other side, Ron asked without any differences in his voice, only quiet and chilling. The past few days have been torturous to be around the two assassins who didn’t seem to want to leave him alone.
“Masks?” Witira couldn’t help but react.
Choi Han nodded in response. “The air is poisonous up ahead. Don’t breathe it in.”
Dodam made quick work to pull out multiple masks from his storage dimension. Thankfully, they had more than needed as Cale predicted they would somehow end up with the whales in the forest.
Their surroundings were still eerily calm as they began to walk. Although, the last time they were here, they weren’t free of dangers either, but with so many strong people around, Cale wasn’t worried.
Hong stroked his body against Cale’s legs and looked up at him. “Can I go explore? Please?”
Cale shook his head. “Another time.”
They needed to be quick. Hopefully, they’ll get all of this done within a few hours, and it wasn’t safe for the kids to stray from the group. Hong only looked disappointed for about 5 seconds before getting over it and jumping on Choi Han, who easily steadied him.
They walked through the woods for a few minutes, occasionally stumbling across monsters, but whenever Cale tries to deal with them, Beacrox only put a chilling hand on his shoulder, leveling him with a stare and walked ahead.
Cale was left confused but didn’t dare move after the silent threat.
“Don’t worry, Mister Cale.” Rosalyn sang, smiling reassuringly. “Let us take care of this.”
“….”
The whale siblings only looked at each other for a moment before also stepping forth. The monsters are dealt with swiftly and they soon continue walking.
The swamp was getting closer, and Cale began to ponder as they traveled. The easiest way would be to quickly destroy the swamp and be rid of it. Dodam already had the bones from the dragon, so they wouldn’t need to pull them out anymore. All he needed was to confirm the favors he successfully got from the Whale Tribe and—
Thud!
“Ugh!”
All of a sudden, Dodam crashed into him, causing gasps to echo around him. Cale clenched his eyes shut as he stumbled backwards, thankfully bumping into someone else’s chest to catch his fall.
In his surprise, Cale immediately cracked an eye open.
“What—“
But the words died on his tongue the moment he made eye contact with two wide, sapphire eyes.
“Human.” Dodam whispered, a hint of excitement in his voice.
“Human, someone else is here.”
‘What?’
Cale instantly straightened up. The claws of the dragon dug into his collar.
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a dragon here!” Dodam shout-whispered, not wanting to raise his voice.
This time, everyone reacted.
“A dragon?”
“Huh??”
“Another one?”
“What is a dragon doing here?”
Cale felt a headache slowly form as he narrowed his eyes. This didn’t make sense at all.
A dragon was in the Forest of Darkness? Who? And for what reason?
Neither in ‘The Birth of a Hero’ or during his own experiences has this happened. It didn’t make sense that a dragon would be here, and although Cale don’t know what the others (apart from Raon and Eruhaben) did before joining him later on, it was illogical for them to come to this place.
He had to confirm it. “Are you sure? You didn’t just sense the remains from the dead dragon’s mana?”
“I would have known! Human, human. I couldn’t tell at first, so I tried to focus for a long time, but I’m sure!”
Nonetheless, Dodam was certain. There was no point in arguing, but despite the discovery, Cale couldn’t help but furrow his eyebrows, an uncomfortable anxiety building up at the unpredictable change.
“Let’s check it out,” he finally said, earning a smile from Dodam. “-without getting detected. Let’s be careful.”
They don’t know who it is. If it’s Rasheel, or perhaps Mila — he can’t know what will happen if they show themselves. After all, the only reason the other dragons managed to remain civil around them was thanks to Eruhaben, but without the golden dragon here, it was dangerous.
With carefulness, the group began to move closer, concealing any sound with silent footsteps. Trees and bushes blocked their sight, and Cale’s heartbeat picked up for a reason he knew was not because of the root of despair.
On and Hong were sticking close, and many knew the risk of encountering a dragon. It was widely known how the ancient beings prefer to be alone, never staying in groups and usually end up fighting each other out of hostility and because of a dominance of power.
Dodam was still young. They had been lucky to meet Eruhaben first in Cale’s world. Had it been anyone else, Cale wasn’t sure what would happen.
Even now, Eruhaben should still be in his lair, never leaving for the longest time before they met.
With slow movements, they pushed aside thick bushes, drawing closer to the point where they first felt the wave of dominating aura. It was much bearable now that it was gone.
Yet, lingering traces of something else caused the hairs on Cale’s arms to stand up.
Finally, Dodam surged ahead, his tiny form barely visible as he peeked his head from behind a large tree, staring straight ahead where the swamp should be. Cale stepped forward, emerging from the last of the trees that concealed his appearance. He glanced ahead—
And immediately froze.
A sudden chill gripped his heart, blood running cold in the matter of seconds.
There, standing in the distance, was a figure, one unmistakable familiar. With his back turned, the figure seemed lost in thought as he stared down at the swamp with a presence that sent a wave of dread crashed over Cale.
‘The dragon half-blood…!’
The words cut through his mind like a dagger, his heart pounding in his ears. White-gold hair glowed in the dark surroundings, appearing majestic in the eyes of anyone else. To Cale, it was a ticking time bomb.
Cale caught the motion out of the corner of his eye — Dodam was about to approach. Panic surged through him, and before he could think, he reached out, his hand shooting to cover Dodam’s mouth in an attempt to silence him.
“…!”
The sound of Dodam’s surprised gasp was muffled beneath Cale’s hand. In an instant, the entire group froze, gazes snapping to Cale. Dodam’s eyes widened, barely containing a surprised squeak, but when his head pressed against Cale’s chest, the frantic thud of every heartbeat startled him into silence.
“Mister—“ Witira started with a whisper, but Cale didn’t let her finish. His eyes flashing with sharp panic as he snapped his head to her.
“—Quiet.”
His voice was hoarse with tension, causing everyone to recoil with surprise at his uncharacteristic reaction. A tense silence gripped at them.
“We need to leave.” Cale’s voice lowered, heavy with urgency. “We need to go. Now—“
But before anyone could respond, they all felt an impending danger. Instinctively, Cale removed his hand from Dodam’s mouth and swung it around.
A sudden, explosive swoosh fire through the silence.
Next came a loud bang.
Boooooom!!
“Ugh…!”
“Human!”
A fireball shot towards them, roaring like a wild beast before colliding with Cale’s shield. The force of the impact caused a jolt through his body, teeth gritting as he maintained his stance.
But his plate was still unstable, and the shield shattered.
Everyone reacted immediately, the tension becoming real as Choi Han, Witira and the others positioned themselves swiftly between Cale and the threat with hardened, resolute expressions.
It was evident. They were in danger.
As fhe smoke from the fireball began to clear, the figure of the Dragon Half-blood slowly came into view. His hand was still outstretched, the remnants of his power crackling in the air. His white-gold hair flowed from the explosion as two piercing eyes locked on the group.
Finally having turned around, he revealed the threatening stars sewn into the fabric of his clothes. The symbol burned bright and clear, revealing him of his true affiliation.
‘Shit, shit! This is bad.’
Cale’s heart pounded in his chest and the Dragon Half-blood stood there, unmoving, an undeniable threat. He still had all his powers. He isn’t weakened and at this point, Cale briefly thought it would be better to run.
The half-blooded dragon hummed a sound, deep and rumbling as he narrowed his eyes in a predatory gaze.
“A young dragon…”
Cale felt his heart drop.
Before he could react, Rosalyn instantly activated a magic shield, separating them from the member of Arm.
Witira’s face hardened with tension as she summoned her water whip, writhing and cracking with power. Choi Han stepped forward with a glare, his grip tightened on his sword.
Even Dodam, still dazed at the unexpected turn of events, slowly filled with rage at the sight of the mark on the Dragon Half-blood’s clothes. His body trembled, recalling how close the other dragon almost got to hurting his human.
“You…!” Dodam’s voice came out in a growl, shaking with fury. “You bastard!!”
But the Dragon Half-blood did not flinch, his gaze never changing as he spoke with an eerie hostility.
“Were you the one who did this?” His expression soured, sizing them up. Receiving no answer, he sighed, an audible, irritated breath escaping him as he leveled them with a glare.
Choi Han’s grip on his sword tightened the same time as Beacrox stood tensely with his greatsword, and Ron clenched the daggers in his hands. One wrong move, and a fight would break out without hesitation.
There was a dangerous pause, the air around them thickening.
“You ruined it.” The other muttered under his breath, not specifying what they destroyed. The Dragon Half-blood’s hand flexed, and the air began to fill with energy, cracking with magic as he prepared to strike again.
“Guess I’ll have to—“
Then his gaze slowly landed to Cale, and he suddenly stopped.
”…”
White-gold eyes locked on him, and everything seemed to pause.
Cale’s heart skipped a beat.
The Dragon Half-blood stared at him, eyes widened in a mix of shock and disbelief. The air grew still as the other scrutinized him, looking as if he didn’t believe his own eyes.
Cale felt an unease travel through him as the half-blooded dragon’s lips parted, and then, with a hesitance that made the tension even more unbearable, he muttered a word that caused the whole area to freeze.
“Father…?”
Notes:
YES. YOU READ THAT RIGHT.
I had so much trouble figuring this scene out, as well as how the pieces between Witira and Paseton’s appearance to the swamp, but with some help from a friend, we managed to come up with a pretty good idea lol. To start, the dragon half blood wasn’t supposed to be the one there cause I kinda forgot he existed but once it was brought up, it all was just perfect hihi
Mind you, Cale had just almost passed out from the root of despair along with the aftermath of his ancient powers. If he had passed out, it would have probably taken him a few days to wake up fully recovered, meaning his plate is still unbalanced and not fit for use. Also, the dragon half blood currently has all his powers and (I think) he’s considered stronger than Dodam right now. Which is why Cale didn’t want to fight without proper preparation.
ON ANOTHER HANDDDD, I just had to include that last part ¬‿¬. I love the resemblance between Cale and Barrow and I don’t understand how they weren’t mistaken as each other more apart from Bud’s little interaction. BECAUSE THINK ABOUT IT! From afar, they have the same eye color and hair color. With enough clothes, you can’t tell the difference in their build, and the main factor would be their ancient powers that the dragon half blood most definitely sensed.
Don’t question it too much, I have a whole plan for this ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧
By the way, would everyone want a quick recap for every previous chapter in the summary? I’m aware the uploads have a large gap in between so maybe it’ll help refresh some memories without needing to reread it all?
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will not let Cale catch a break, and I just realized we’ve had two major fights in just the last 2 chapters lol
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