The Ubarr territory's coast.
The whirlpools were still swirling around with many small islands located between them.
On the farthest island in the Ubarr territory.
"Killer Whale! Long time no see!"
Raon's front paws patted the Killer Whale Archie's slippery back. Archie held back his sigh as he looked toward Cale. Archie had a very disgruntled look.
"Young master Cale."
"What?"
"I will not give that woman a ride."
That woman.
He was talking about Hannah, who was wearing a white robe.
"Archie-nim."
"Paseton-nim, some things cannot be allowed."
Paseton, the small Humpback Whale, could not say much else after hearing Archie's stern tone, and gave Cale an awkward smile.
This was the sword master who had attacked the Whale tribe and killed many whales.
Even if she was betrayed by Arm and they were currently working together, there were still things that they could not allow.
The Killer Whale Archie had no plan on putting this former bitter enemy on his back.
Cale started to speak.
"Do whatever you want. We're going to tie a boat to you again like last time, so she can ride there."
They were going to tie a boat to Archie and another Killer Whale and have most of the group riding on the boat. Archie did not look happy but still nodded his head.
He then peeked toward the white robe.
'Tsk.'
He could see her ugly face.
His raging anger and Hannah's disgusting face made him click his tongue. He thought that she got what she deserved and was happy about it but was also angry at the fact that she was still alive. However, he also felt a bit sorry for her.
Cale looked at the group getting on the boat and the Whales before approaching Hannah.
"You get on the boat."
"Got it."
Cale then casually asked.
"The Whale tribe's anger will be directed at you as well. Will you be okay?"
Hannah responded with a question.
"Why do you ask such a question with a smile?"
Cale touched the smile on his face at Hannah's question as he answered.
"Then why are you smiling too?"
The sword master Hannah. She was trying to hold back a smile as well. Cale could tell that the current smile on her face was the result of suppressing her smile over and over again many times already.
Cale could tell how much Hannah had been waiting for this moment based on her words.
"Because I am happy. I can make them feel as much pain as I felt."
Hannah smiled brightly and touched her sword. Her face that was covered in black lines had a beautiful smile.
"I will dye the ocean with blood."
Cale looked toward her and started to think.
'She definitely is not normal.'
Of course, Cale preferred people like this.
Hannah started to speak after seeing Cale staring at her.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Should I cover my face?"
At some point, Hannah had started to not cover her face unless she needed to avoid people's gazes. Cale shrugged his shoulders and answered back.
"Do whatever you want. It isn't my business whether you cover it up or not."
Hannah blankly stared at Cale's indifferent response before starting to speak.
"Do you know why I'm showing my face?"
'Not really.'
Cale did not really want to know. He didn't care whether someone else covered their face or not. Hannah had a twisted smile on her face after seeing that Cale did not respond.
"People frown whenever they see me. Some look at me with pity while others think that I got what I deserved. But before they get to that point, they are all disgusted."
There was anger in Hannah's eyes.
"Each time someone does that, I think about what I went through. I'll make it so that I can never forget it. That is why I will not cover my face."
Hannah said that and then looked toward Cale. Cale had the same expression as before as he nodded his head and started to speak.
"Whatever you want."
Hannah's eyes lit up for a moment before returning to normal. A different kind of smile appeared on her face for a moment before disappearing as well.
The necromancer Mary who was watching the two of them touched the sides of the hood covering her face. Mary started to mumble to herself.
"It is difficult, but I am curious. I do not know if they would understand."
Nobody heard her mumblings.
Cale turned his gaze toward the Whales. He could see that the Whales who had heard what Hannah had said started to get odd expressions on their faces.
"Let's go to Hais Island 9."
Cale, Raon, Choi Han, Rosalyn, Ron, necromancer Mary, and the fake Holy Maiden Hannah.
Cale was taking with him a group that could easily destroy not just a ship but an entire island as they headed to Hais Island 9.
The ocean in the middle of the Eastern and Western Continents.
An island among the many in the ocean. That was where the Whale tribe and the Tiger tribe were waiting for him.
* * *
"Long time no see, young master Cale."
"Yes. Long time no see."
Witira was there to greet them when Cale's group arrived at Hais Island 9.
"I heard that you went to help the Whipper Kingdom in the Fall?"
Witira asked about how Cale had gone over to help the Whipper Kingdom out.
Toonka had not been able to progress any further after taking Maple Castle.
The Whipper Kingdom had reorganized themselves after taking over Maple Castle. They then advanced to another castle. However, the Empire responded with a strong presence this time.
Mages, knights, soldiers, and even advanced weapons. They were showing the true strength of the Empire that put their forces at Maple Castle to shame.
And this was the Empire without Alchemy.
The Whipper Kingdom tried their best but ended up having to retreat.
Cale did not try to hide his involvement in the Whipper Kingdom.
"I did. I did something big."
Witira smiled after seeing that Cale was not hiding his involvement before she asked.
"The Whipper Kingdom will stop with Maple Castle, right?"
"Won't that be the case?"
Cale followed Witira to the center of Hais Island 9 as he continued to speak.
"It is almost Winter. Even if they are getting funds from the other kingdoms, those kingdoms will start feeling a burden as well. The Whipper Kingdom will have to stop."
This much was just right.
The fact that they took over Maple Castle was a victory for the Whipper Kingdom. The other three kingdoms were satisfied that the Whipper Kingdom was holding up the Empire's attention.
Of course, the Empire, who had tried to easily take care of the Whipper Kingdom with the pillar of fire and the dead mana bombs, was in disbelief.
Witira smiled brightly and started to speak.
"Now that the Whipper Kingdom has stopped, is it our turn to move?"
"It is."
'Although your side will be moving more than mine.'
Cale did not say that part out loud. Instead, he focused on what Witira was saying.
"We are currently using the oceanic lifeforms to observe Arm's movement."
"Their size?"
"Neither the Tiger tribe nor we have the accurate number because they have become more secretive. What we were able to confirm was only twenty ships, so we think that there will be a lot more ships coming over."
Cale nodded his head and gathered the information in his mind.
Arm was one of the secret organization's branches. Cale did not think a lot of people would be coming over when he first heard that their First Battle Brigade was coming over.
However, the number made sense if the First Battle Brigade and some of their subordinate organizations were coming over all at once.
Cale started to speak again.
"Who did you say came over from the Tiger tribe for this meeting?"
"The shaman and three highest-grade warriors are here. The rest of the Tiger tribe is on another island."
"Is that so?"
Cale nodded his head at Witira's answer. He did not plan to see the Tiger tribe ever again after this situation.
At that moment, he heard Witira's voice.
"•••Yes. The shaman, mm, seemed to be anxiously waiting for you, Cale-nim."
"… Me?"
"Yes. He did not tell me why, but he said he really wants to meet the young master-nim."
Cale suddenly got the chills. He had not felt this kind of iffyness in a while. Cale slowed down as he headed to meet with the Tiger tribe members.
However, they had already arrived at the center of Hais Island 9.
There were three wooden buildings at the center of this small island.
"Young master Cale, are you not going?"
Cale stopped in front of those three buildings.
"No, just give me a moment to thi-"
Screeeech.
Cale started to frown at the sound of a door opening.
'I want some time to think!'
Why did things always happen when he tried to think? Cale continued to frown as he looked toward the building.
"Mm."
He then became anxious.
No, he flinched.
They were huge.
They were even larger than Toonka.
Although they were close to 2 meters in height like Toonka, their muscles were much more developed.
"… If I mess around and they hit me, it would be a one-way ticket to the afterlife."
The door had looked quite large, but seeing these large people coming out made it look small.
"Young master Cale, they are the Tiger tribe members."
Cale could tell even without Witira's explanation.
I am strong.
I am a Tiger.
That was what their bodies seemed to be saying.
"Young master-nim, this is my first time seeing the Tiger tribe."
"Human, Tigers are quite large!"
Ron and Raon's voice echoed in Cale's ears like background music.
"But human, that Tiger is a bit weird."
Cale could tell which Tiger that Raon was talking about. It was the Tiger in the middle of the group walking toward Cale.
The old man had a long beard and also seemed to be the largest of the group. His size made even Toonka seem like a cute little boy.
That old man had many odd tattoos on his face. In his hand was a very small staff.
Most importantly, the old man was walking toward Cale without any hesitation, even with his eyes closed.
'… That old man is definitely the shaman.'
Although his size was not typical of a shaman, that old Tiger definitely seemed to be the shaman.
How could anybody not realize that he was the shaman when he was wearing a white suit-like outfit?
The Tiger tribe's shaman and the three warriors behind him came over and stood in front of Cale. Cale observed the shaman's closed eyes. The Dominating Aura was subconsciously flowing out of his body.
The Tiger tribe's shaman started to speak.
"I was waiting for you."
The old man's eyes opened as he said that.
'Aigoo.'
Cale flinched.
His eyes were completely white with no difference between the pupil and the whites of the eyes. Cale had been caught off guard and was slightly afraid. Cale started to speak toward the white eyes that were looking toward him.
"… Do you even know who it is you were waiting for?"
The fact that the Tiger tribe was saying that they were waiting for him, as well as what Witira had said earlier, was making Cale feel iffy. Cale even wondered if Witira had told the Tiger tribe about how the Forest of Darkness would be a great place for them to live. It was a possibility.
However, he did not expect to hear what the old man had to say next.
"Do you believe in the Dao?"
Cale flinched once again.
Cale, who had been looking into the white eyes of the old man for a while now, was no longer afraid. It was now more of a feeling of caution.
'… This old man seems weird as well.'
He had a bad feeling about it. However, Cale answered back with certainty.
"No."
Cael was satisfied with his cold and short response. The old man answered back.
"I grew up hearing that I was spiritual."
'…He feels more like a medium than a shaman.'
This Tiger in front of him was different compared to the shamans that Cale knew about.
Shamans.
These could be considered the mages of the Eastern Continent.
They used all kinds of materials from nature to use the power of nature. Because of that, shamans always carried talismans or other materials with them.
Cale responded back with indifference.
"… I see. I guess you do look spiritual."
It was at that moment.
Boom!
The shaman old man stomped with his feet.
Cale flinched.
At that moment, the old man started to shout toward Cale.
"Nature spoke to me! And I heard what nature had to say!"
'That was scary.'
Cale put a hand over his heart to calm himself.
'Just what did he hear?'
Cale looked toward the old man and became shocked at what he heard.
"A red-haired man from the Western Continent. The man who is living a new life will come to find us."
'What?'
Cale flinched after hearing, 'the man who is living a new life.'
'He really seems like a medium.'
Cale looked back at the white eyes that were staring at him. The old man's beard was shaking as he suppressed his voice and continued to speak.
"It told me to flip it over."
"Hmm?"
Cale caressed his arm that was covered in goosebumps.
The Tiger shaman looked toward Cale and raised his voice.
"Nature told me that the red-haired man would be the one who flips over the ships of those damn bastards of the secret organization!"
His loud voice made it seem like the small forest on top of the island was roaring. Everyone else's gazes headed toward Cale and the shaman.
Cale subconsciously asked the shaman who was looking at him.
"How did it know?"
How did nature know about his thoughts?
That was giving him the chills.