‘There’s a Dragon among the people my father hired?
And it’s a Dragon pretending to be weak?
He has a delinquent-like smile while looking at us?’
“…I suddenly got the chills.”
Dragons were highly likely to be their allies.
But Cale felt chills on his back for some reason. It felt as if he would have to carry on some extra baggage.
“Hmm? Cale, did you say something?”
“N, no, it was nothing.”
“You must be tired. Let’s go inside.”
“Yes, father.”
Cale looked as if he was grumbling as he walked behind Duke Deruth who was walking with his shoulders opened wide and each step full of his steadfast conviction.
Duke Deruth started to frown after seeing the way his son was walking.
‘…There’s no strength in his step. It makes sense, he must be really tired.’
Deruth made up his mind to quickly erase that terrible bastard called the White Star from this world as Violan and he discussed.
He needed even more strong individuals to do that.
‘Hmm. Would it be difficult to hire the Whale tribe?’
Or…
‘Are there any Dragons anywhere? I can give them as much money as they want.’
As Deruth was thinking hard about it…
“Father, are you certain about the identities of the people you’ve hired?”
He quickly stopped concentrating and happily responded to Cale’s question.
“Of course! I used every information network our Duchy has available to select only those with verified identities! Don’t worry! We at least know where they were born and how they grew up! We were so thorough that we would even find out if there were any Dragons!”
‘…It doesn’t seem that way. Father, there’s a Dragon here.’
Cale put on an awkward smile because he could not tell his father the truth while Deruth looked sad after looking at Cale’s smile.
‘How tired must he be to force a smile like that?’
Duke Deruth was so upset that he wanted to choke the White Star and shake him around. He suppressed his sorrow at his son’s condition and walked past the garden to the estate.
Cale observed the strong individuals in the garden as he walked past.
He wanted to know which of them was the Dragon. He could not ask Raon who the Dragon was because there were so many people there.
However…
‘…All of their gazes look a bit odd.’
The numerous strong individuals’ gazes were odd as they looked at Cale and Choi Han behind him. Cale then made eye contact with an old knight.
The knight who seemed to be in his eighties walked over to Cale and reached out his hand.
“Young master Cale-nim.”
“Excuse me?”
The old man looked full of admiration as he kept his arm out.
“May I please shake your hand?”
“Ah.”
“This is Sir Babala from the Breck Kingdom. He’s been a central figure in the Breck Kingdom’s monster clearing plan since about fifty years ago.”
‘Why is such an amazing person here?’
Cale wanted to ask that question.
“This esteemed knight is here not for the money but to help you.”
Deruth had a satisfied smile on his face.
“Many of the others are here for the same reason.”
A lot of people did come because of the money as well.
But there were many others who were also here because wanted to work for Cale or help him out.
Sir Babala nodded his head.
“The Duke-nim is correct. I wanted to do what I could do to help the hero on his difficult path.”
Cale’s expression stiffened up.
He got the chills.
“Absolutely not. I am not a hero.”
Cale sternly shook his head and looked toward Choi Han.
“I am not much. If anybody is a hero, it would be my friends. My friends are the ones who truly deserve the honor.”
“Ah.”
Sir Babala gasped.
‘How could someone be so modest?!’
Cale’s face when he said that he was not a hero was serious.
‘He also didn’t forget about his friends and is trying to make sure they share a part of the spotlight!’
This old knight had not seen many people who truly wanted to push their friends and subordinates into the spotlight throughout his eighty plus years of life.
The ones who had truly meant it like this had all ended up great individuals who would go down in history.
“I just wish to live a quiet life. I am thankful that you still came to assist such a simpleton.”
Cale gave a short remark before letting go of Sir Babala’s hand.
He then slightly bowed toward the other hired individuals.
Cale started to think.
‘Choi Han should get more of the attention now, right? I told them that I want to live a quiet life.’
Cale was quite satisfied with himself for what he considered to be an appropriate response.
“…Young master-nim, you truly-”
Sir Babala could not finish his sentence. He stopped himself and looked at Cale with a calm expression before saying something else.
“Please get some rest young master-nim, I’m sure that you are tired.”
“Thank you very much, Sir Babala.”
‘I guess it worked.’
Cale thought that Sir Babala letting him go immediately like this meant that he had chosen the correct course of action.
He did not manage to see Sir Babala’s fists that were clenched tightly with resolve.
‘This is going to be the biggest battle of my entire life. I will put my everything on the line.’
The words of the young hero had sparked a giant flame in the heart of the old knight.
He was not the only one.
‘Yes. If I’m going to fight, it is most meaningful to do it in this historic battlefield.’
‘How could anyone be so good?! Haaaa. Heroes truly are different.’
‘He looks so pale that I can’t even be jealous of him because I’m too busy pitying him. Just how hard is he pushing himself?’
“He truly is a hero worthy of my respect!’
Cale didn’t know but the sparks inside all these individuals was heating up the air around the garden.
Cale flinched after hearing Raon say something.
‘Hmm?
He’s smiling the more I talk?’
‘Pink hair?’
Cale turned to his nine o’clock direction.
It was the middle of the night but the Henituse Estate was well lit.
Cale was easily able to spot the pink hair.
Raon was right.
He could see a person with pink curly hair truly smiling like a delinquent.
‘…Cotton candy? Poodle?’
The curly hair that wasn’t even moving with the wind was an afro.
The pink Dragon was slightly taller than Rosalyn and had a bow as tall as him on his back.
The area underneath his eyes was covered with a bandana and his forehead was covered by his curly hair that only his eyes were visible. His eyes that were closer to light purple unlike his light pink hair were looking at Cale.
Cale heard a different voice than Raon’s voice.
It was an extremely neutral voice.
It was a low voice that also seemed high.
Cale started to feel nervous as he felt the majestic and overbearing nature of that voice.
‘How did that Dragon know to come find me?’
Mayor Obante, the Dark Elves, and Elves were all looking for Dragons. Did rumors get out because of that?
‘No.’
They were moving stealthily that no such rumors should have leaked.
If that was the case, how did this Dragon know about him and why did an egotistical Dragon personally make his way here?
Dragons truly were difficult to understand.
Cale subconsciously felt his shoulders stiffen up.
He heard the curly-haired Dragon’s voice at that moment.
“Ah.”
Cale suddenly felt as if this Dragon was like a neighborhood kid.
What was going on?
Cale suddenly thought of Raon for some reason.
Cale slightly nodded his head.
He just felt as if this Dragon was not scary for some reason.
‘Contrary to what I’ve learned?’
Cale focused on those words.
‘Did he hear about me from somewhere?’
Cale became anxious once again.
The curly-haired Dragon continued in a meaningful voice.
‘Hmm?’
Cale felt odd after hearing that but he turned away from the Dragon and walked into the house for now.
***
Cale, Choi Han, and Raon.
Only the three of them were left in the bedroom.
“I will open the door now.”
“Okay.”
Choi Han opened the terrace window.
“Human, the breeze is chilly! Are your knees cold?”
The no longer invisible Raon brought a blanket and wrapped it all around Cale. He then flinched.
“He’s here!”
“I guess being a Dragon he knew right away.”
Tap, tap.
They could see the curly-haired Dragon landing on the terrace.
The curly-haired Dragon who looked the same as earlier calmly walked past the terrace and into the bedroom.
He then stood in front of Cale.
‘I probably should get up.’
Cale was about to get up from the couch to greet him.
However, Dodori, the pink Dragon, was not looking at Cale right now.
“Hey.”
“What is it?”
The pink Dragon crossed his arms while looking at Raon.
“What’s your name?”
Raon answered brightly as if he was happy to meet a new Dragon.
“It’s Raon Miru! The human gave me the name! It has the magnificent meaning of telling me to be a joyful Dragon!”
“…Is that so? How old are you?”
I am the great and mighty age of six years this year!”
Dodori’s stiff expression loosened and he started to smile.
“Hmph. So young.”
He then snorted and shrugged his shoulders.
Raon was tilting his head in confusion while the pink Dragon looked down at Raon with a serious gaze that seemed to be saying that he would teach Raon as the ‘adult’ here.
“You’re too young to know the world.”
The low voice that also seemed high still carried a lot of weight, making the others have to think about those words.
Cale quietly observed Dodori.
Duke Deruth had everybody he had gathered was an adult.
The pink Dragon Dodori had his unique hairstyle and seemed to be Cale’s age based on his appearance.
Dodori must not have felt Cale’s observing gaze as he slightly raised his head and looked down at Raon.
He had a somewhat haughty gaze as Raon asked with a bright expression on his face.
“Pink Dragon! I am great and mighty so I know a lot about the world! But how many years do you think I need to be to know the world like you do?”
“Hmph.”
Dodori snorted once more before opening his mouth to speak.
His gaze seemed to be saying he would make a special exception and teach Raon something.
Cale was waiting for his response.
This response would allow him to make a guess about Dodori’s age.
The age Dodori thought was necessary to know the world…
“I realized it after 14 years of my Dragon life. You need to be at least 14 years old to know a good amount of the world.”
‘…14 years old?’
Cale suddenly thought about Basen, Lily, Lock and the Wolf children.
Dodori didn’t seem to notice as he sternly continued to speak to Raon.
“Treat me as your sunbae. You are my hoobae Dragon.”
Raon dropped his jaw and blankly stared at him but Dodori ignored him and turned toward Cale.
His eyes were sparkling Cale couldn’t help but think of this pink Dragon as a kid next door.
“Ahem. Ahem. Cale Henituse.”
Dodori peeked toward Choi Han and Raon before continuing with his fake coughs.
Cale found this to be odd.
‘…He’s embarrassed?’
Dodori was embarrassed right now.
The pink Dragon continued to let out his fake coughs at Cale’s confused expression.
“Ahem. Your biography was ahem. Truly. Ahem.”
The curly-haired Dragon’s cheeks turned a bit flush.
“Ahem. It was truly inspirational! Ahem.”
‘…Hmm?’
Cale didn’t really understand what he had just heard.
The pink Dragon seemed to have gained courage after speaking once and his voice became a bit louder.
Step.
Dodori moved right in front of Cale and pounded his chest.
“That was why I personally came to see you, Cale Henituse! I didn’t know that there was already a Dragon by your side, but ahem. Anyway, anyway!”
‘…It’s actually three Dragons and not one Dragon. No. It’s four if you count the half-Dragon.’
Cale wanted to fix Dodori’s mistake.
However, Dodori didn’t give Cale any time to speak.
The pink Dragon suddenly opened up his arms.
He then clenched Cale’s shoulders that were wrapped up in the blanket.
A majestic voice full of resolve came flowing out of Dodori’s mouth.
“Just trust me! I will turn you into the greatest hero in human history!”
‘…What the hell, who is this crazy Dragon?’
Cale truly wanted to cover this nonsense spitting curly-haired Dragon’s mouth for a moment.
He heard Raon’s shocked voice in his mind.
Raon couldn’t help but be shocked.
His human was already the greatest hero in Raon’s mind.
There was no need to turn him into it.
‘I know, right?’
Cale barely managed to say that out loud and said something else.
“Dodori-nim, how did you hear about me to come all the way here?”
Dodori let go of Cale’s shoulders and asked back in a slightly confused expression.
“Hmm? You don’t know?”
His gaze seemed to be asking how Cale didn’t know about it.
Cale started to go back through his memories to see if he had met Dodori somewhere or heard about Dodori from anyone.
Unfortunately, there were no records of a pink Dragon in his memories.
‘The Dragon Mayor Obante saw was a different color.’
Cale gave a short response back.
“Yes sir. I don’t know.”
“Mm. I guess that’s understandable.”
Dodori nodded his head as if he understood before taking a book out of his pocket.
He was extremely careful as if he cherished this book a lot.
Cale’s gaze automatically headed to the book and Dodori started to speak in a voice full of admiration.
“This is a book about your story. It was the most touching book of all books I have read in my life.”
He must have read it quite a bit as the book was getting worn.
Cale questioned his eyes after looking at the cover.
The book’s title was < Young Master Silver Shield Cale Henituse, A Kind of Hero Who Will Never Be Seen in the World Again >.
Dodori started to speak quickly.
“There are hundreds of books in numerous versions throughout the Western continent that describe your story as well. The only disappointing thing is that there is no book published by the Roan Kingdom or the Henituse Duchy. The books are mainly records of bards and storytellers who have heard your story.”
Dodori was empathetic but disappointed at this situation.
The pink Dragon shared his disappointment out loud.
“I’m sure all of these books are being printed for the numerous citizens of the continent who are curious about your story despite your lack of consent. However, based on my analysis, each book has a lot of inaccurate stories! They are not accurate at all! Your exploits are not properly described!”
Cale suddenly had a thought.
‘Does that mean he read all of those hundreds of books? He even analyzed them? Why? Why would this Dragon analyze my story?’
Dodori was shaking his head as if he didn’t like it.
“I hope that a proper biography approved by you will come out soon! Has anybody approached you about compiling your stories for a biography? I can find you some famous history scholars! They will create a 10 volume minimum series with a high-quality hard cover, substantial content and realistic illustrations! The first edition can be a limited edition with a video recording device that has an interview with you! There’s also the distribution route throughout the entire Eastern and Western continents! I can prepare all of that for you!”
Dodori’s eyes were sparkling as he looked at Cale.
“Aigoo, my head.”
Cale had no choice but to clench his head with both hands.