"Come on in."
Cale motioned for them to come into the room, and Cage pushed Taylor's wheelchair inside. Once all three of them sat down at the table, Cale did not even take a look at the alcohol before he asked.
"What is it that you want?"
Cale's voice was extremely cold and stoic as usual. However, this just confirmed in Taylor's mind that this person in front of him was not a trash. In fact, he was smarter than most people thought.
Taylor had not come here just to drink with Cale. Alcohol was only good when you were comfortably drinking with people you could trust. Drinking with others was just for easy conversation and observing the other party.
"What kind of person do you think I am, young master Cale?"
Cale quietly observed Taylor after hearing his question, before approaching his bed and picking up a pouch. He brought it back and put it on top of the table.
Clang.
A metallic sound filled the room as the pouch slightly opened. Inside the pouch were plenty of gold, silver, and bronze coins. Cale's confident voice filled the room.
"I don't know why you are heading to the capital right now, when every noble in the country's attention is focused on the capital, but I'm sure there is only one thing people like you who are heading into the lion's den want from me."
Cale had expected it from the moment they asked to follow him to the capital, as well as every time he felt their gazes during the trip.
"The wealthy Henituse family. You want money, right?"
Sigh.
The priestess Cage let out a sigh that was almost like a gasp of admiration. Taylor was someone who used to play at the top before falling off a cliff, but Cage was someone who had always been at the bottom. To someone like her, Cale was an unique individual.
He asked the deputy butler for alcohol whenever he had a free moment.
He did not care at all about what his subordinates did, and only ate the highest quality food.
He only stayed in the most luxurious inns, and always seemed to be relaxed. He also did not care about what he said to others.
However, he was definitely not trash.
Her friend Taylor understood this even better than she did.
"So you already knew."
"It was a piece of cake."
Cale answered as if it was not difficult to deduce at all.
"Based on how you are traveling, you look like you are lacking in money. In order to stay at the capital, especially stealthily, you need money more than anything else. I'm sure this was not originally your plan, but it was only natural to ask when you have the golden turtle traveling with you."
Taylor could not disagree with anything Cale just said. It was the truth. Cale Henituse was someone who did not try to avoid him, the eldest son who was pushed aside by his family. Asking Cale and hopefully getting some money was their best course of action.
Even if Cale said no, it didn't look like Cale would tell Venion about Taylor's request. Cale seemed to hate complicated things.
In Taylor's eyes, Cale was someone who voluntarily hid from others.
"Thank you very much, young master Cale."
Cale did not say anything like, 'you're welcome.' Instead, he was ready to put into play his plan that he had formulated and thought over ever since they started following him.
"Will you be leaving early in the morning?"
"Yes. We were planning on stealthily leaving, but came here to see you before we left. We need to take care of things on our own now."
Taylor's eyes were clear as he sat on the wheelchair. However, Cale could not see any positive feelings in Taylor's eyes when he made eye contact.
"Will you be entering through the temple?"
The moment Taylor's expression seemed to show shock at how Cale knew, Cage stepped in.
"Yes. We plan to enter through the temple."
They were planning to disguise Taylor as a member of the temple and sneak him in. However, doing so would alert the Temple of Death of Cage's location. Cage was willing to put herself in that kind of danger for Taylor.
However, even entering like that would not guarantee stealth. Cale poked at that problem.
"Even if you enter through the temple, Venion or the Marquis will hear about it within three days. They most likely have informants in the Temple of Death as well."
"…You really are very well informed."
Cage started to smile. There was something she suddenly realized about Cale.
"Young master Cale, I'm sure there is a reason you are so curious about our course of action?"
Tap. Tap.
Cale's index finger tapped on the table.
"Take this money and let the innkeeper know that you and your people will be staying one more day here."
Cale then lifted up his finger and pointed toward the two of them.
"As for the two of you, you will get on my carriage. The rest of your group will enter the capital one day later."
Screech.
Cale pushed the chair back and stood up. He then went over and grabbed another item from the magic box, and put it on top of the table.
"This is a magic tool that will make any lifeforms in a selected area turn invisible for five minutes."
This was the second item that needed to be rented under Billos's name.
'Young master, are you planning on stealing something?'
'Steal? No, I plan to break something.'
'…Break something?'
He was planning on using this item during the Plaza Terror Incident, but he had a reason to use it in advance now. Cale was thankful that it was not a single use item.
Silence filled the room once Cale stopped talking. Cage and Taylor looked back and forth between Cale and the item, and their lips opened and closed multiple times, but they could not say anything. They finally managed to ask after a while of silence.
"Why-"
Young master Taylor, who had been silent for a while now, slowly started to ask.
"Why are you doing this for us? You have nothing to gain from it."
'Why? I have to help you out a bit since I caused it. It's not like it is going to harm me in any way.'
In addition, if Taylor manages to take over the Marquis position, Cale would not need to worry about Marquis Stan or Venion's greed once the war with the foreign nations starts. That would help the Henituse territory remain quiet and allow Cale to live peacefully.
"Must I answer?"
"Yes. I want to hear your reason."
Taylor wanted to hear Cale's response. Cale stoically answered Taylor's question. The response was both brutal and cold.
"It's because you are so pitiful. I want to know just what is making someone like you, a cripple who doesn't know when he will die, do all of this. For the eldest son of a Marquis to ask the trash of a Count's family for money, it is just so pitiful."
Taylor's mouth slowly opened and closed, before he started to silently laugh. Taylor then patted his knees with his hands. He could not feel anything when he did that.
However, Taylor's eyes, nose, mouth, hands, and the rest of him was still alive. Taylor started to smile brightly.
"Thank you for your sympathy. I needed that kind of sympathy."
"However, there is one condition to all of this."
Cale did not pay any attention to Taylor's words of thanks.
"What is it?"
"Forget about everything."
Cale repeated himself once more, as he pushed the bag of money toward Taylor.
"Forget about every single thing that has happened."
Cale was showing that he was willing to help them, but did not want to be involved with them any further. Cage stepped forward. This was the reason she had come with Taylor.
"Young master Taylor and I will make a vow to the God of Death to not reveal anything. I'm sure that you are aware that anyone who breaks a vow made to the God of Death will die?"
"Yes, I am. Please make your vow."
Cale started to smile at her words. A vow made to the God of Death. It was because Cale believed in this famous vow that he was willing to help them out.
The priestess Cage could not help but laugh after seeing Cale smile about their decision to make a vow to the God of Death.
"I presume young master Cale will not be making a vow?"
"Correct. If things become complicated in the future because of this, I plan on revealing everything."
"To Venion."
"Yes."
Cale confidently answered the question. Hearing Cale's answer actually made Taylor feel much more peaceful. Taylor liked the fact that Cale was honest and said that he planned to reveal everything if it inconvenienced Cale in any way in the future.
"Cage. Let's do it."
"Okay."
Taylor and Cage. The two of them were no longer speaking formally in front of Cale. It was their signal to each other that they will reveal almost everything to Cale.
"We will start now."
Tonight was the night of the new moon. On these nights, when the moon was not visible, was when the strength of the God of Death was at its peak. Cage closed her eyes and gathered her hands together in front of her. It looked different than when people were praying. Her two palms were pointed toward Taylor and herself.
Oooooong.
A small vibration filled the air. At the same time, a black smoke started to come out of Cage's fingertips and surrounded the three of them.
'Is this holy power?'
Cale was filled with an odd sensation while feeling the power around him. It was definitely different from ancient powers, but it was still warm, even though it was black.
"I, Cage, a daughter of the eternal night, wishes to borrow the name of the night to make a vow alongside Taylor Stan. A vow is made with our lives, anyone who breaks this vow will descend into eternal darkness."
Cage opened her eyes and looked toward Cale and Taylor before continuing to speak.
"I, Cage, and Taylor Stan, vow to keep tonight's discussions a secret only to be shared with the witness, Cale Henituse. We will not discuss this with anyone else."
"With anyone else."
Taylor repeated the ending words. Cage closed her eyes after hearing Taylor's voice. The black smoke surrounded the three of them once again. And then,
Ooooong.
With another vibration, the smoke disappeared. The vow was finished.
"Pretty simple."
Cale could feel an odd sensation in his hand while sharing his thoughts. It was similar to ancient powers. He could sense the things related to the vow.
"The sensation you feel right now is the power of the vow. The moment we break the vow, young master Cale will be informed of our deaths as the witness."
"I see."
Cale easily accepted her explanation. He had no choice because of the sensation in his hand. He started to inspect the difference between the divine power and the ancient power inside of him.
At that moment, Taylor put the bottle of alcohol he brought at the middle of the table.
Tap.
The bottle now sat at the middle of the table.
"Young master Cale, will you have a drink?"
"A drink?"
Cale hid his desire for them to leave, and asked what they meant. Taylor nodded his head at Cale's question.
"Yes. Alcohol. Alcohol is necessary on a good day."
Taylor wanted to drink with Cale, someone he could not trust until recently. Cage seemed to have figured something out by his actions, and started to smile before putting her hand into the wide sleeves of her priestess outfit.
"Tada!"
Three shot glasses came out of her sleeve.
"Ho."
Cale looked at the shot glasses, the bottle of alcohol, and the priestess with disbelief. He could not believe that she carried shot glasses in her sleeves.
"Priestess-nim."
"Yes?"
"You are amazing."
She was a true alcoholic. Cale took a glass from her, and Taylor filled the glass. Once all three of their glasses were full, Cage asked Cale a question.
"Young master Cale, is it not weird that a priestess is drinking?"
Cale tilted his head to one side and asked.
"Is that any of my business?"
Cale did not care whether she drank or not.
"Wow. I really like you."
Cage shared her admiration while smacking her knee with her other hand. She then coyishly asked Cale.
"Young master Cale, do you not have any desire to get to know an older sister with a great personality?"
"Nope."
Cale sternly answered and Taylor quickly added on.
"…What about an older brother with a great personality?"
"Even less."
Cage and Taylor both started to laugh instead of being disappointed at Cale's answer. Cale could not tell what was funny about his response, but lifted up his glass and started to speak.
"Cheers."
Clang. The three glasses clanged together. A night of a new moon. There was no moon in the sky, but this alcohol that was deeper than the moon, and created a thread connecting these three individuals.
The next morning.
"Young master, shall we head out?"
Cale did not know whether Hans was slow or just found this to be funny. Deputy butler Hans had heard the situation from Cale and pretended to not see the two people in the corner of Cale's carriage, instead loudly asking Cale whether they should leave.
"Yes. Let's go."
Of course, Cale casually gave the command to go.
Two hours. They would arrive at the entrance of the capital in two hours.