Screeeech-
Cale quietly watched the door to the room Alberu was resting in open slowly.
He recalled the situation from just a moment ago.
‘Human! There's a call from Count Deruth, no, Duke Deruth! Please don't tell Beacrox I said Count! He’ll get upset!’
It happened as he was resting in a different bedroom.
Cale had turned his gaze after hearing that statement only to see Gashan smiling.
‘He’s probably contacting you because of us Tigers and Lock.’
That was what Cale had expected as well.
‘Raon, connect him.’
That was why he had connected the call without thinking much about it.
But the moment Duke Deruth’s face appeared above the video communication device…
‘My son! You, a god, a god-’
Cale gasped.
‘Father. That’s not true. I don't know what you heard, but it is absolutely not true.’
‘My son! Such strong denial is affirming-’
‘That is not the case, father.’
Cale gasped once more after looking past Duke Deruth's face to see where he was at.
‘…Is that so?’
His father, Duke Deruth, seemed to calm down a bit before as he stepped back from the video communication device and leaned back on the chair.
Cale could then see it.
He was in the great meeting room that was at the center of the Henituse Lord’s Castle, the location where all vassals gathered together when something big happened.
Not just any meeting room but the great meeting room.
Cale became scared after seeing the chaotic gazes of the Henituse territory's vassals looking at him.
Furthermore, the rest of his family members other than young Lily were in the meeting room as well.
Right next to his father was Basen with a chaotic gaze and a shocked expression, but once he saw that even Duchess Violan's pupils were shaking…
Cale really thought that he was in big trouble.
He immediately started to speak.
‘Father. Where did you hear such nonsense?’
Duke Deruth slowly raised his head to look at Cale after hearing Cale’s question.
‘Cale. The Henituse ears are all around the kingdom.’
‘Then it hasn’t spread elsewhere-’
‘It hasn’t spread, yes, but our informer indicated that it seems to be slowly spreading.’
Deruth then said that the palace at the capital probably already knew about the rumor.
‘I think…it will probably spread past the Roan Kingdom and throughout the entire Western continent.’
Cale almost grabbed the back of his neck in shock after hearing that comment.
A regular hero and a hero who has received the will of a god were very different.
The level of reverence was different.
If a regular hero was enough to write a page or a chapter in the history books based on their merits, then a hero who has received the will of a god was enough to write an entire book thick with pages.
‘Hyung-nim.’
‘…What’s up?’
Cale nervously looked toward Basen who cautiously started to speak.
‘That, hyung-nim. Shouldn't there be no lies between family members?’
‘…Yes?’
‘Hyung-nim. Are you really not an envoy of a god-’
‘No.’
Cale cut Basen off before he could even finish.
An envoy of a god?
Those were some extremely scary words.
Cale looked at the members of the Henituse Duchy through the video communication device and sternly responded.
‘I am just a regular person.’
He thought it was weak.
He thought that this was not enough.
‘If I really received the will of a god, would I always fall unconscious like this? It’s only this way because I am a regular human being.’
That’s right.
I am not someone great who is connected to a god.
‘I am just doing something that needs to get done, but the White Star is coming up with unbelievable thoughts because I keep getting in his way.’
In the White Star’s point of view, it made sense why he would need to drag in the gods in order to explain Cale’s existence.
He was crazy enough of a bastard to do that.
Cale had sternly continued to speak.
‘Rather than focusing on unbelievable rumors about me, I think it would be better to focus on defending our territory since we never know when he may aim to attack the Henituse territory.’
Cale waited for a response from the people on the other side of the video communication device after saying everything he needed to say.
He wondered if this would be enough.
Duke Deruth was the first to respond.
‘…My son. I have come to a great realization thanks to you.’
Next came Duchess Violan’s low voice.
‘Cale, we trust you. So don’t worry. But do come home to rest whenever you are tired. Lily seems to be missing you too.’
Then it was Basen’s turn.
‘Hyung-nim. I respect you.’
Something was weird.
The atmosphere inside the great meeting room had turned even hotter.
Cale smiled and said goodbye as they at least did not seem to believe that he was an envoy of a god nor that he had received the will of a god.
‘Then I will be on my way now to work. I will stop by the territory next time.’
‘Okay. I should work as well!’
‘…It’s always work for you. Don’t push yourself too hard.’
‘Hyung-nim. I will work hard as well!’
Then the call ended.
Cale had sighed for a long time while looking at the disconnected video communication device.
That was why he had not known.
He had not seen Gashan and Lock’s fiery gazes as they watched his weary back as he curled up and sighed.
He had also not seen Choi Han shake his head while looking at Cale with an innocent smile.
Cale was deep in thought without knowing about his friends’ reactions.
“Cale-nim. Are you not going in?”
“Ah.”
Cale flinched at Choi Han's voice and snapped out of his thoughts.
He had ended up thinking more deeply about what had just happened than he expected.
Cale looked down at his arm.
It was covered in goosebumps.
That was how scary the conversation he had with the Henituse duchy just now was for Cale.
“Let’s go in.”
Cale gave a short response to Choi Han before entering Alberu's bedroom.
The Mage Captain and the General exited the bedroom and Cale lowered his head a bit to greet them before continuing to walk.
‘…Mm.’
Alberu gulped as he watched Cale walk in.
‘I don't think that punk even saw the expressions on the Mage Captain and the General’s faces.’
As the Mage Captain and General greeted Cale and walked past him… They were looking at Cale with an extremely complicated expression.
However, Cale had not seen their expressions properly.
‘What the hell is he thinking about that he’s not even looking around?’
Alberu thought that this was the reason such rumors about Cale were spreading as he looked toward Cale who was walking over.
“Your highness.”
“Hyung-nim.”
“Yes, hyung-nim.”
“Yes, my little brother. Why don't you take a seat.”
“Huuuuu.”
Cale sighed and sat down on a chair by Alberu’s bed.
Choi Han then grabbed the doorknob.
It was so that he could close the door so that they could talk in secret.
Click.
Alberu’s gaze changed the moment the door closed.
"What happened at the other three locations?”
There were four concurrent battles this time.
On the Eastern continent, there were the battles at the Molden Palace and the northern snowy mountain.
On the Western continent, there were the battles at the Lake of Despair and the Stan territory.
Cale explained the battles at the Molden Palace and the northern snowy mountain after hearing Alberu’s question.
“As for the Lake of Despair…”
Cale stopped for a moment before explaining about the third battle.
Cale had planned on immediately heading over to the Lake of Despair once they entered into the Stan castle.
‘Human! We got a call from Witira!’
He had received a call from Witira, the future Whale Queen, at that moment and his mind had become even more complicated after hearing about the situation on the battlefield.
“…The Lions along with Lion King Dorph who were trying to infiltrate the Lake of Despair apparently ran away after clashing with them a few times.”
“Even then?”
The crown prince found this to be odd.
“How weird. I can understand why the White Star ran away based on what you told me, but even the Lion King ran away like that?”
“Exactly.”
Cale agreed as he leaned back on his chair.
“The report I got from Clopeh Sekka was similar.”
He had called Clopeh Sekka right after talking to Witira.
‘…Something is weird. Cale-nim.’
Clopeh had said it was weird as well.
"According to Clopeh Sekka, Lion King Dorph's goal was the World Tree in the Lake of Despair.”
“But?”
“…He thought that the battle was not fierce enough and thinks that an investigation is necessary.”
“Is that so?”
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Alberu could see Cale tapping the armrest with his finger.
“I think I need to head over to the Lake of Despair.”
Cale thought that he should go to the Lake of Despair since he needed to talk to the World Tree about the fake World Tree anyway.
‘Something feels off.’
It was weird that Dorph had just escaped like the White Star.
‘A Dark Elf using an Elemental that eats other Elementals appeared.’
The World Tree was a parent and home for the Elementals.
Dorph who controls a Darkness Elemental. Dorph and the existence of an Elemental-eating Elemental were telling Cale that he could not just brush this aside.
“…But it is surprising.”
“What are you talking about?”
The crown prince continued to speak with amazement.
“I'm talking about the Endable Kingdom.”
“…Well, I guess it is interesting.”
A kingdom made of races with the darkness attribute.
It truly was interesting.
‘It's a bit sad too.’
There were probably differences between the Eastern and Western continents, but races with the darkness attribute were not welcomed on either continent.
He didn't know why the Endable Kingdom was created, but he was certain that many of the darkness attribute races had turned to the Endable Kingdom as they found it difficult to bear the hostilities outside.
It was at that moment. Alberu casually commented.
“It’d be great if we can form an alliance with them.”
Cale turned toward Alberu.
He stared at Alberu for a bit before opening his mouth to speak.
“I plan on meeting Duke Fredo soon as well.”
“He seems like an interesting Vampire.”
“He does.”
Other than how he said that Cale's blood was the greatest medicine, of course.
“I plan on stopping by to meet with the World Tree before immediately meeting with the Vampire.”
“Sounds like you'll be busy. Anything I can help with?”
Alberu instantly felt the mood change.
He felt that the sitting Cale’s body was covered by a grim aura as he asked that question.
“…Cale?”
“Your highness, no, hyung-nim.”
Alberu flinched as he made eye contact with Cale.
‘…What’s up with his gaze?’
Cale had a vicious gaze.
“Hyung-nim, your little brother has one request.”
“…O, okay. Tell me.”
Alberu could hear Cale sounding more desperate than ever.
His grim voice filled the bedroom.
“…Please stop the White Star’s nonsense from spreading.”
“…Ah.”
Alberu sighed.
Cale realized something at that moment.
‘Even his highness can’t do it. I'm screwed.’
Cale lowered his head and Alberu patted his shoulder.
“I will definitely let my little bro's slacker dreams come true. Trust me.”
Alberu could see Cale's gaze start to change.
Cale bluntly shared his inner thoughts.
“If it doesn’t work, I'm just going to run after taking care of the White Star. Nobody will be able to find me if I go into hiding.”
Cale avoided looking at Alberu who was looking at him with a pitying gaze. He then made eye contact with Choi Han who smiled innocently and started to speak.
“Cale-nim, you’ll get it done. You can do it.”
‘…This senior cheering me on like this is even more annoying.’
Cale looked away from Choi Han as well.
He ignored Raon's statement that made his body churn as well.
Cale was starting to get frustrated.
Knock knock knock-
Someone knocked on the door at that moment.
They heard a familiar voice as all three of them looked toward the door.
“Your highness, my name is Cage. I came to meet young master Cale-nim.”
The crazy priestess Cage.
She was standing outside the door.
Cale motioned to Choi Han who opened the door.
Screeeech-
Cage walked in with a bright expression.
“Hello.”
Cale immediately started to speak to Cage who was greeting them brightly.
Click.
Choi Han quickly closed the door as Cale's voice filled the bedroom.
“Miss Cage, I'm going to move past greetings since we greeted each other earlier. Miss Cage, why were you there earlier?”
Cage was not a weak person who would get caught as a hostage.
Why had she been called the crazy priestess in The Birth of a Hero?
The Birth of a Hero.
In the novel, Cage had killed half of the assassins who killed her close friend Taylor and was excommunicated for committing murder.
‘I just chose my loyalty and duty as a person over the will of the god. I believe that that was the right thing to do. I'm free now!’
She then left her mark as a soldier of justice on the battlefield while being called the crazy priestess.
‘Miss Cage's specialty was casting curses.’
Her curses were said to be strong because they used the powers of the God of Death.
Of course, he had never seen Cage fight yet.
‘There's no way such a person would get caught so easily.’
Cale looked toward Cage who was looking back at him.
Smile.
The corners of her lips went up and her bright expression quickly turned calm.
“If you’re asking me why I was captured as a hostage…”
Cage responded in a low voice.
“I saw them trying to kidnap innocent citizens, so I was going to get captured with them before finding an opening to f*ck them up and rescue the citizens.”
Cale heard Alberu mumble, ‘…f*ck them up?’ But he could not respond to that.
It was because Cage continued to speak.
“Young master-nim. The God of Death has asked me way too many times how I feel about becoming a Holy Maiden. It was so annoying that I would want to smack that damn mouth of his if he was in front of me.”
Cale felt his back slowly starting to get cold.
“But he said something to me today. He said that it might not be bad to give another human the Saint position.”
Silence filled the bedroom.
Everybody was looking at Cale since the moment Cage mentioned, ‘another human.’
She broke the silence and asked Cale a question.
"What do you think? Do you have any intentions of making the White Star's comments come true?”