– What else could it be?
Crown prince Alberu's bright smile was visible on the other side of the screen.
– You're screwed.
"…Haaa."
Cale brushed his face with both of his hands after seeing Alberu smile while saying that he was screwed. Alberu seemed to be enjoying this right now.
On the other hand, Sir Rex and Billos had turned pale.
Their gaze was on the black Dragon who was patting Cale's leg.
"Human! Do you not want to see the Imperial Prince? Cheer up!"
Pat pat.
Raon's chubby front paw continued to tap on Cale's leg. Sir Rex and Billos just turned away in shock.
"…It's a Dragon. I really did find a golden thread-"
Billos was mumbling, but nobody was paying any attention to him.
Alberu just chuckled and shook his head.
– This is bad. The Imperial Prince is asking for you. As an honorary citizen of the Empire who received a medal of honor, shouldn't you go?
'Damn it.'
Cale held himself back from saying that out loud.
– But it really seems like the Imperial Prince is in a rush. He needs you to put out the fire.
That was the reason.
The Empire was looking for Cale because of the fire.
The fire that Cale's Fire of Destruction had started in front of Maple Castle was still burning strong.
The Empire knew about the pillars of fire in the Gorge of Death.
Seeing as how Rosalyn, who had been at the Gorge of Death, was with the Whipper Kingdom's forces, they were worried something similar might happen to them.
That was why they were looking for Cale who had put out the Jungle fire.
"It's not like I can say no."
Cale commented as if he was sighing.
"Umm, why can't you say no?"
Sir Rex cautiously asked. Cale shrugged his shoulders and started to explain.
"They will start to get suspicious if I don't go. They'll think that the Roan Kingdom is supporting the Whipper Kingdom."
The Mogoru Empire was already pressuring the Breck Kingdom.
The Breck Kingdom keeps telling them that Rosalyn has long been kicked out of the royal family, but that only continued to fuel the Empire's suspicions.
Of course, they couldn't officially do anything as nothing was proven.
"Mm, it puts you in an awkward position."
"That is the case."
It was when Rex, Cale, and the pale Billos all nodded in agreement.
– You don't have to go.
"…Excuse me?"
Crown prince Alberu did not hesitate to say that.
– Miss Rosalyn had some precious footage.
"Precious footage?"
– Yes, and I have a copy of it too. He understood once I showed it to him.
'What could it be?'
Cale felt chills on his back for the first time in a while. However, crown prince Alberu was calm.
– Miss Rosalyn recorded you suffering on the bed in the Eastern continent's inn.
'…Ah.'
Cale started to frown.
Suffering on the bed in the Eastern continent's inn.
That was when he had been coughing up blood and shivering after earning the Sky Eating Water.
Ron had shown Rosalyn a short glimpse of his suffering when she had called.
'When did she record that? More important, why did she record that?'
Raon shouted as Cale's face filled with shock.
"I didn't see that! My eyes were closed so I couldn't see it!
– Raon-nim, it has been erased.
'Erased my ass.'
Both Rosalyn and Alberu still had the footage, however, Alberu brushed it off like this while knowing that it was not something to show to a six year old, even if that six year old was a Dragon. Raon had not been able to see Cale in pain because he could only hear things at that time.
"That's too bad!"
Cale watched the conversation between the crown prince and the Dragon with disbelief. Alberu made eye contact with him at that moment and happily added on.
– I told the Imperial Prince you are in recovery and in a lot of pain. He seemed to be so shocked and said that he hopes you survive so that he could see your smiling face again.
Alberu did not like that footage at all, but could not forget the Imperial Prince's shocked expression. Anybody would find it to be shocking.
'I understand what kind of sacrifice the Roan Kingdom's hero had to make in order to protect the Roan Kingdom.'
Alberu had responded back to Imperial Prince Adin's comment.
'We can't ever forget about all of his sacrifices. That is why the Roan Kingdom plans to protect Commander Cale Henituse and let him focus on his recovery.'
'I understand. I would do the same thing.'
Alberu added on to the frowning Cale.
– So you don't need to worry about the Imperial Prince. He would never imagine that you would be helping the Whipper Kingdom.
"We can't do that."
Crown prince Alberu flinched and looked toward Cale.
The corners of his mouth were slowly going up as if he had never been frowning. Alberu could not help but ask after seeing that expression.
– You're going to go?
You're going to the Empire's side in order to see the Imperial Prince?
"Yes sir."
– Ho.
Cale heard Alberu's shocked gasp but he was calm.
"What would the Empire think about me if I went to help the Empire even when I was in so much pain?"
They would think that he was not just an honorary citizen, but someone who truly loved the Empire.
– You sly bastard.
Cale simply turned away and looked toward Billos. Billos seemed shocked, but Cale coldly asked a question.
"Billos, when are they saying the Alchemists' Bell Tower's Vice Tower Master and the Imperial Prince are planning on leaving?"
Billos recalled the information he had heard and quickly answered back.
"Within the next week, young master-nim. That's what I would guess based on how they were packing the supplies."
He had used his network as a merchant as well as bribes in order to find information on the military supplies when he had learned about this. It was not a secret.
"It is supposedly already decided and they will soon announce it. They need to calm the hearts of the citizens after all."
"Only the Alchemists' Bell Tower's Vice Tower Master is moving?"
"Yes sir, but obviously alchemists are going with them."
Cale and crown prince Alberu made eye contact.
– We never seem to see the Tower Master.
"That does seem to be the case."
The Tower Master of the Alchemists' Bell Tower had never publicly shown himself after taking on the disciple from the slums.
– Either way, isn't the Vice Tower Master the actual leader of the Bell Tower right now?
"I believe so."
– That person will be out of the capital during the war.
Cale responded back.
"It'll be an empty house."
Although they didn't know where the Tower Master may be, the effective leaders known as the Imperial Prince and the Vice Tower Master would leave the capital.
Well, the Emperor would still be there.
Cale turned his gaze toward Sir Rex.
"We need to loot an empty house."
Flinch.
Sir Rex could not help but shiver.
It was at that moment.
"Are we looting again? We always loot whenever we come to the Empire! Let's just loot them all!"
Silence filled the room after the six-years-old Dragon's shout. Cale held back a sigh and shook his head.
"It's not like that."
"Human, it's not?"
"Yes."
"Then what is it?"
Cale put a hand on Sir Rex's shoulder and gently patted him as he started to speak.
"Let's kneel for a bit."
"…Excuse me?"
'What?'
Rex's pupils were shaking, however, Cale's pupils were firm.
"Gather some people."
"Excuse me?"
"I will send you the signal within a week, so gather some people who'll be willing to kneel."
"What-?"
They needed to make the move when the self-proclaimed owners of the Empire were not present.
They would take the first step to destroy the Bell Tower by having these average or poor citizens kneeling in front of the Alchemists' Bell Tower.
"And you know the path, right?"
"The path?"
Cale answered with a serious expression after seeing Sir Rex become flustered at this incomprehensible flow of conversation.
"The path you took to escape from the Alchemists' Bell Tower."
Sir Rex's face stiffened up.
That path.
That dirty and scary path that he had escaped through in his Cat form while leaving his sister and brother behind.
It was one of the underground sewers coming out of the Alchemists' Bell Tower.
There were a significant number of corpses in those underground sewers.
"I'm certain that you remember that path."
The path to secretly enter the Alchemists' Bell Tower.
Of course, Rex still knew about it.
He had gone back to that path when he made up his mind to get revenge for his siblings and reveal the truth to the world. He had gone back to that path before he made up his mind to become a knight.
However, there were now guards watching the sewers, while the path had become even narrower and had been blocked with iron bars.
He could not fit anymore after growing bigger in the past few years. He had hated himself at that point. He thought that he should have come a bit earlier. He might have been able to see his sister and brother one more time if he had done that.
"…I cannot fit there anymore even in my Cat form."
"It doesn't matter."
"…It will be narrow for your two Cats as well."
"That's fine."
Cale confidently answered back to Sir Rex's concerned expression.
"Wouldn't a rat fit in there?"
"… I suppose so?"
"Then that's enough."
Cale knew a Rat who was a coward but listened to his orders well.
The mixed-blood Dwarf Rat Mueller. He was able to transform into a Rat form even as a mixed-blood Dwarf Rat.
Alberu interjected at that moment.
– You must be Sir Rex.
"Your highness-"
Alberu knew Rex's face but had been pretending not to know until now. Rex still had the Roan Kingdom's offer in his hand.
Crown prince Alberu put on his majestic princely smile on his face.
– Just relax and think about it without feeling any pressure. Nobody is forcing you.
"…Your highness."
Rex had a complicated expression on his face after seeing the majestic but warm smile on Alberu's face. He then lowered his head and responded back.
"…There are many issues, but the royal family is the biggest issue."
Rex raised his head back up and looked at Alberu's hair through the screen.
Alberu's hair was a beautiful blonde color that resembled the sun.
"I don't know if the Empire's citizens would accept someone like me who does not have the golden hair."
Alberu had an odd smile on his face.
The Roan Kingdom's Crossman royal family had been known to have the Sun God's love since a long time ago. Their blonde hair was the symbol of that love. That golden glow was the symbol of royalty.
– I guess the Empire does puts emphasis on gold as well.
The Mogoru Empire had the Church of the Sun God as their national religion and had a story similar to that of the Roan Kingdom.
< The bloodline of eyes that glow gold underneath the sun. >
That was the symbol of the Mogoru Empire's royal family.
Eyes that glow only underneath the sun. It didn't matter what color their eyes were most of the time. However, the fact that only glowed gold underneath the great sun had been a reliable source of support for the royal family.
Billos chimed in at that moment.
"But hasn't that symbol existed much longer in the Roan Kingdom?"
The Roan Kingdom had the longest history on the Western continent.
That was why the Roan Kingdom's citizens like Billos believed that the symbol of the sun had originated from the Roan Kingdom before it was stolen by the Empire.
– Sir Rex.
"Yes, your highness."
– The outside does not matter, while history is meant to be changed. There is no need to linger in the past.
Rex bit down on his lips after hearing Alberu tell him that his outer appearance was not important. He became energized hearing this prince who seemed to fit the position better than anybody else trying to cheer him up.
'…No need to linger in the past.'
Rex repeated that statement in his mind.
On the other hand, Alberu made eye contact with Cale and shrugged his shoulders. It was ironic because Alberu was the quarter Dark Elf who cared more about the outer appearance than anybody else and was hiding his true appearance.
Cale slightly nodded his head toward Alberu.
What Alberu was saying to Rex was something that he was telling himself as well.
Cale started to speak once the room became silent.
"Then I will hang up now. I am busy, your highness."
He truly was busy.
He needed to hurry up and prepare before heading back to Maple Castle.
***
Paaaat!
Cale stepped out of the teleportation magic circle once the bright light had disappeared.
"Young master Cale!"
"Cale-nim."
He could see Rosalyn and Choi Han standing there. Chief Harol was with them as well. Raon was naturally in his invisible state.
Rosalyn urgently started to speak.
"Young master Cale, I heard that the Imperial Prince and the Vice Tower Master were heading here. But are you really going to the Empire's side? Are you going to help the Empire?"
Rosalyn quickly stopped talking after seeing the gaze in Cale's eyes. His eyes looked serious.
She could see a glimmer of his blood-like red hair even though it was currently white.
"Yes, I will be going to the Empire."
Rosalyn opened and closed her mouth a few times after hearing Cale's response before finally managing to speak.
"I thought you were going to show the Empire a sea of fire?"
Her voice sounded shocked as she asked.
"But you are also going to put out that sea of fire?"
Cale was the one to start the fire.
Cale would also be the one to put out the fire.
Rosalyn couldn't really understand it. Choi Han was not talking but his pupils were shaking.
Cale was flabbergasted himself but answered after a long time as he had no choice.
"…Yes, I am doing it all."
He would play the drum and the janggu. ( This is a Korean idiom about how one person does everything. Usually you have one person playing the drum and one playing the janggu (a Korean instrument), but in this case he would play both, which means he is doing everything (hence the title). )
He would play every single instrument in the damn band.