"What do you mean?"
Mary's robotic voice was slightly shaking.
"I am saying I will give you a place to stay until winter. However, the place you will be staying is not a village or city where humans live as you wish."
The innkeeper slowly walked toward the door and locked it. His concerned gaze was focused on Mary.
Cale looked toward the innkeeper before continuing to speak.
"However, you can spend your time looking at the real sky and the beauty of the surface."
Although it would be in the Forest of Darkness that was full of monsters, it still had the beauty of nature and the beautiful sky that you could not see in this underground city.
"…I do not wish to burden you."
That was Mary's answer after a long duration of silence.
The word, 'burden,' made Cale start to smile.
"You are probably saying that because you still don't know me very well."
Cale sat down and looked up at Mary, only to see that she was wearing a black mask underneath her robe as well.
He continued to speak to the girl whom he had never actually made eye contact with.
"I don't ever do anything that will burden me."
Why would he do something crazy like turning the churches against him? He was offering this to her because he was able to give her a situation that would let her be on land without being caught by the churches.
"As for the next six months after that."
Mary had said that she was going to travel for a year.
Cale, naturally, remembered what she had said.
"I will help you so that you can escape from the Church of the Sun God at least once without dying."
The black hood flinched, as if Mary had jerked her head in shock underneath.
"Is that possible?"
The innkeeper interjected into the conversation. Cale had heard from Shawn that this old man was the one who treated Mary the most like his own family after Tasha had left.
"Is that really possible?"
Cale looked toward the old man asking him with a shaky voice and answered.
"A dragon's dead mana. I will give that to you."
However, his words were directed at Mary.
If her strength was at Rosalyn's level and she needed to avoid the priests of the Church of the Sun God, all he had to do was make her stronger.
It was only fair for him to do that much for someone who would make Ron a new arm.
"Young master-nim."
Ron, who had been quietly listening all this time, interjected. Cale raised his hand to stop him.
"Stop talking."
"But young master-nim. A dragon's dead mana is too precious, I am fine-"
"Beacrox."
Cale turned away from Ron and called out to Beacrox, who was still blankly staring at space.
"Didn't I tell you to go get some lemonade?"
"Ah-."
"Hurry up."
"Yes sir."
Beacrox avoided his father's gaze and rushed toward the kitchen. Cale offered Mary a seat.
"Sit wherever you like."
He seemed so relaxed that people would probably think he owned the place.
"First of all."
A voice started to speak from inside of the black hood.
"I will think about it after making the arm."
The black hood then turned toward a different direction. Mary was now looking at Ron. Ron just stood there and let the eerie black robe stare at him.
The GPS-like but emotionless voice started to speak again.
"It looks like your muscles are very well developed. Based on the balance between your right arm and your body, I would say you are someone who uses both arms. I will need to pay special attention while making your arm. We will probably need to put it on and test it out a couple times to get it just right."
"How long will it take?"
"…Probably about one or two months."
Cale leisurely took a sip of his lemonade. He seemed to be as relaxed as someone laying on a sunbed by the beach. He then said his conclusion out loud.
"Then we can do it in your residence up on the surface. Ron works where you will be staying anyway."
"My mind is chaotic and complicated right now."
The emotionless voice continued to speak.
"It seems like a very complicated problem. I do not wish to be a burden, but at the same time, I feel like it should be fine because you are very strong."
She was probably talking about Choi Han and Raon.
– She's right! The good girl is smart! She will not be a burden as long as I am around! I just need to destroy anything in our way!
Cale just let Raon talk as usual without listening. Dragons were naturally this scary.
"…I will come back later."
"Sure. But I am leaving in a few days, so come back before then with your bags packed."
Cale stood up and headed toward the stairwell to the second floor, as he had nothing left to say.
"Ah, drink some lemonade before you go. You should know our chef's abilities, since you'll all see each other quite often."
Mary had no reaction to that as she continued to watch Cale. Cale did not pay attention to her and just headed toward his bedroom. Ron followed behind him.
"Young master-nim."
It was rare to see Ron like this, without his benign smile.
"Who is that person and what is going on-."
"Ron."
Cale arrived in front of his room and turned the doorknob. Cale entered through the door and started to speak.
"It's okay to accept this much."
Cale didn't even turn to look at Ron before closing the door. He then quietly chuckled after hearing the voice that finally came from the other side of the door after a long time.
"Young master-nim, should I bring up some snacks?"
"Yeah, sure. Bring me something to drink too."
Cale then added on.
"Anything but lemonade."
Cale was tired of lemonades.
***
The knight who was guarding the gate into the desert at the village next to the Land of Death in the Caro Kingdom's Dubori territory was not very happy today.
"Crazy bastard, bossing me around like this because he's been a knight for just three years longer than I have."
The other knight was using his seniority to make this knight take the early guard duty.
The soldiers kept quiet and avoided the angry knight. They would probably end up dead if they ratted the knight out.
'He also takes all the money too.'
The money they made from people while guarding the gate was all monopolized by the senior knight. He did buy them drinks every so often, but how good would the alcohol in a small village like this be?
"He took those two gold coins for himself the other day too. Son of a bitch. You'll be in big trouble one day for taking-."
Tap!
"Ow!"
Something had hit the knight on the head. The knight started to shout while rubbing the back of his head.
"Damn it, what the hell! Who threw- huh?"
The item that hit his head and fell to the ground was a very small and round item.
It was a gold coin.
Money had fallen from the sky. The knight quickly picked it up and looked around. He did not see anything, even when he looked up at the sky.
'What the?'
The knight first put the gold coin in his pocket and glared at the soldiers. He was telling them to keep their mouths shut.
"I guess you kept your promise in the end."
Cale got on the carriage they left with the innkeeper at the village and answered Tasha's question.
"I'm just disappointed that it is not the same knight as last time."
'I will give you another gold coin if I return alive.'
The knight that Cale had said that to was, unfortunately, not here at this early hour.
"I should have just jumped the wall last time too."
"You probably wouldn't have been able to save the two peasants if you did that last time, right, young master-nim?"
Cale pretended not to hear Tasha. He was annoyed that Tasha kept trying to talk to him. However, Tasha looked at the cold Cale with a warm gaze.
"It's cool in here."
It was the most comfortable in this carriage that was fortified with magic. Cale leaned into the chair and turned his head. A black blob was stuck against the window looking outside.
Right next to it was an excited Black Dragon.
"Isn't it amazing?"
"Yes, Raon-nim. It is very amazing. Is that the village that I used to live in?"
"Even I do not know that!"
"Is that so? But I have never seen a village like this. It is so amazing."
Raon puffed up his chest after hearing the stiff voice.
"The real sky does not seem to have an end. It is difficult to fathom. It is so cool."
"You can look forward to the night sky as well. That is even cooler. It is the coolest if you see it at our house. I will also take you around the Forest of Darkness."
"Thank you, Raon-nim."
Cale turned his head away after seeing Raon and Mary chatting with each other.
"… Why are you looking at me like that?"
Tasha was looking at Cale with a gaze full of admiration. Cale turned away from the very awkward gaze and shouted out the door.
"Let's go!"
The carriage started to move. Cale pulled up his sleeve and pointed his wrist toward Cage.
"Miss Cage."
Cage, who was sitting next to him quietly, cautiously reached both of her hands out and gently placed them around Cale's wrist.
She then started to speak in a friendly voice.
"Bring forth the power of death to bring death and despair to those who wish to harm you. Your enemy shall wander in the darkness for eternity and will not be able to stop you. Your enemy will lose their eyes, their legs, their hearing, and their senses as they wander aimlessly for all eternity."
Cale just quietly looked outside while listening to the vicious chant. An eerie feeling surrounded his wrist, well, the bracelet on his wrist to be specific.
"I am finished."
"Cage, is the Blessing of Death always like this?"
Cage responded back in an excited voice.
"Of course! It is a blessing from the God of Death. Did you expect it to be gentle?"
That was the correct answer.
Cale was worried that the bracelet might become a cursed item after being blessed like this for a few days.
However, that would likely just benefit the crown prince even more, so he just let Cage continue to bless the bracelet.
"Are there any stronger blessings?"
"I plan to increase the strength of the blessing every day."
"I see."
She really was a crazy priestess.
Cale was relieved and continued to stare out the window as the carriage continued to move toward the capital.
***
"Is this my room?"
"Yes sir. You can stay here tonight, young master-nim."
Cale avoided Tasha's overly thankful gaze.
Cale's group was staying in the same inn at the village near the capital, like last time.
Cale opened the door to his room.
Click.
And then…
Bang!
He closed the door right back with a bang. Cale looked toward Tasha who was smiling. Cale let out a deep sigh before opening the door again.
He slowly dragged his feet as he entered the room. Tasha quickly closed the door behind him. At the same time, a familiar voice started to speak.
"This is not your room."
"Of course not, your highness."
The crown prince, Alberu Crossman, was smiling at Cale.
He had a fancy feast prepared in order to greet Cale.
"I did not know that you would come all the way out here to meet me."
"I am in a bit of a hurry."
'Hurry?'
Cale looked toward Alberu, who casually added on.
"Toonka became the commander-in-chief of the Whipper Kingdom."
Toonka's group had started to move after laying low for the past few months. The fact that Toonka was commander-in-chief meant that the Whipper Kingdom's royalty had ended up in Toonka's hands.
Alberu could hear Cale's indifferent voice.
"They've gotten a one-way ticket to hell."
Alberu started to smirk.
"Indeed. Although it has nothing to do with us right now."
"I guess he doesn't know your highness stole all of the remaining mages?"
"Of course not. How could the Whipper Kingdom know, when even our own people don't know much about it?"
Cale and Alberu made eye contact.
Cling.
The bracelet fell from Cale's hand and landed in Alberu's palm.
Siiizzle.
A noise that sounded like water hitting fire could be heard as a black smoke surrounded Alberu's body.
Click.
Alberu put the bracelet on his wrist.
"Your highness, this appearance of yours is quite wonderful too."
The quarter Dark Elf Alberu's true appearance appeared in front of Cale.
The blonde hair and blue eyes disappeared and were replaced with brown hair and brown eyes. Alberu's skin was definitely darker than most people as well. Even though he was only a quarter Dark Elf, the Dark Elf characteristics were very visible.
'It is probably because of the dead mana he absorbed.'
Thanks to that, more of his nature as a Dark Elf was developed than his human side.
"Why are you asking such an obvious question? Everything looks good when you are handsome."
That was actually true.
"The blessing of the God of Death. I'm relieved."
Alberu could feel the power inside the bracelet. He could also feel the impact of the blessings Cale gave to him as a gift as well. He shared one piece of information with Cale as he continued to sense the power inside the bracelet.
"Toonka is said to be going to the Empire in the Whipper Kingdom's heir's place."
Cale started to frown.
"…Sounds like it will be a mess."
"I agree."
Alberu then asked Cale.
"Will you be spending time at home?"
"Yes, your highness. That is indeed the plan."
It was at that moment. Raon started to speak in Cale's mind again.
– Ah! Talking about that idiot Toonka made me remember! The seed is starting to sprout!
The seed from the Magic Tower was now sprouting.
"What will you be doing?"
"I plan to farm a bit and rest."
His network, the seed, money, he planned to grow them all. Of course, he would just be giving orders and not doing any of the actual work.
"I don't think anybody would believe you will be farming when you have such an expression on your face."
Alberu felt iffy at Cale's face. He could tell Cale had a lot of different plots forming in his head. However, he quickly returned to the blonde hair and blue eyes appearance and said goodbye to Cale. He needed to quickly head over to the Empire.
Cale soon left the capital and headed back to Harris Village in the Forest of Darkness.
After spending over a month in that rural village, Cale woke up to listen to a message that Alberu had left him. He did not pick up the call last night because Alberu had called in the middle of the night.
– Just what the hell have you been doing?
Alberu's voice sounded quite chaotic.
– Why does Commander Toonka call you his friend? Why are you the hero of the Jungle? Even one of the Breck Kingdom's princes was asking about you and his sister. Everybody stealthily came over to ask about you before leaving. You're driving me crazy.
Cale just blankly stared outside while listening to Alberu's rant. Ron appeared at that moment and handed him a cup of water as well as some messages.
"We received contact from the Whale Tribe."
It was a letter from Witira.
< The ocean is peaceful for now. Young master Cale, the Whale King would like to show you the sea route. >
He received this letter from the North just as the weather was starting to get cooler.
"So annoying."
Ron pretended not to hear Cale's mumbling as he continued on.
"We also received a message from home. They were asking if you could come home so that they could see you, since it is festival time soon."
Multiple voices started to speak at once in the originally quiet bedroom.
"Festival?"
"Did you say festival?"
"Festival!"
Raon, On, and Hong who had all been asleep in the corner of the bedroom, suddenly shot up and rushed over. Cale ignored the puppy dog eyes they were giving him and laid back down on the bed.
"So annoying."
At that moment, He heard the last part of Alberu's recording. Alberu sighed before saying one last thing.
– Haaaaa, anyways, I am coming back with one of the Breck Kingdom's princes. Oh, and the Pope of the Church of the Sun God is dead.
"Huh?"
The Breck Kingdom's prince was fine, because he just needed to tell Rosalyn. But it was what Alberu said afterward that caught Cale's attention.
– The criminals are the twins who were the Church's Holy Maiden and Saint. They are said to be on the run, but nobody knows where they went.
'What?'
– Sigh, what a mess. What a total mess.
Click.
That was the end of the recording.
Cale and Ron made eye contact with each other.
"Contact Miss Rosalyn."
Cale continued on.
"Let's just ignore the rest." ((PR: Cause that works quite often for you Cale…) )
"Young master-nim, you are getting wiser as you get older."