Silence fell.
It was because Cale looked so vicious when he stated that it would be a shame if Adin died before he could kill him.
However, that silence was soon broken.
– Ha, hahaha-
Laughter poured out from the video communication device.
The bemused laughter fit very well with the refreshing coolness of the spring night.
– Hahaha!
However, the one who was laughing was Imperial Prince Adin.
– Huu, Cale Henituse. You really…
Imperial Prince Adin looked as if he was struggling to suppress his laughter as he took a few deep breaths and gently called Cale's name.
– You're really an amusing person.
It was a friendly voice.
He didn't seem to mind Cale's impolite speech and threat.
Several people frowned at Adin's voice. He was speaking with a tone that would make someone think that he was treating Cale as his close younger brother.
In addition, he was relaxed.
The people who realized that fact weren't able to stop frowning.
Rosalyn and Choi Han in particular did not have pleasant expressions. It was because the Imperial Prince had hit them from behind several times.
'No, it's a needless thought.'
Rosalyn shook her head.
What can the Imperial Prince, who is in the Empire and not here, possibly do?
She needlessly got anxious, but she shook off her useless worry.
Adin's voice was heard at that moment.
– Cale Henituse, what is it that you want?
Flinch.
Rosalyn, Litana, and Choi Han flinched. In particular, Litana, the Queen of the Jungle, immediately knew what Adin was trying to do.
Appeasement.
The Imperial Prince was trying to appease the leader of the enemy now that the Empire's army and his soldiers were being held captive.
– I want to know what you want. I thought about it carefully you know. What does Cale Henituse want? Money? Authority? Fame? Power?
Adin spoke in a pleasant voice that was characteristic of him.
– No, you don't want those things. However, you definitely want something.
Litana could see Cale staring silently at the video communication device. Meanwhile, Adin continued to speak.
– You earnestly want, 'something,' like I do.
Haha.
Adin briefly let out a burst of low laughter and soon spoke with pleasure or perhaps excitement.
– I know the truth. The world may call you a, 'hero,' but you don't look like a, 'hero,' to me. You're not even a good person.
'What kind of nonsense is he spouting!'
Litana subconsciously stepped forward at Adin's words. Cale's mouth opened at that moment.
"That's right. What you say is correct."
Litana's gaze shifted from the video communication device to Cale. She saw Cale staring at the video communication device with a peculiar smile.
– Right? I knew that my judgment was correct. I've been seriously thinking about you this time.
Swish.
The black cloth that was displayed in the video communication device was slowly drawn back.
Then Adin's face, which seemed to have a pretty good complexion, came into view. Nothing else was visible except Adin's face and the black wall behind him.
Adin's yellow-tinted brown eyes met Cale's dark brown eyes.
– Cale Henituse.
Adin and Cale.
The corners of both these people's mouths went up.
– You're someone similar to me.
'Similar to Adin?!'
Litana ended up taking another step or two.
Young master Cale was nothing like Adin. The Cale that she knew from the first time she met him in the fog-filled forest had put out the fire in Section 1 and has always been a righteous person.
He was someone quite different from Adin even though it couldn't be claimed with certainty that he was a good person.
"You're right. We are similar."
Litana stopped.
Cale acknowledged Adin's words once again.
He agreed that they were similar.
He himself stated that he was similar to Adin.
Litana looked around.
There were those like the Dark Elf Tasha who were just as confused as she was. Even the enemies looked taken aback. They seemed to be at a loss on what to do while witnessing the friendly atmosphere between the two leaders.
However, Litana gripped the spear in her hand tighter the moment she saw the expressions of Cale's group.
– Hahahaha!
Adin burst into laughter at that moment and proceeded to ask Cale a question.
– So, what is it that you want? Can you tell me?
"Of course. It's not like it's something that I can't share."
Cale nodded. He then looked at the Imperial Prince who was laughing in delight as if he was happy to meet someone like him and bluntly answered back.
"I want to be a slacker."
It was the sincere truth.
– What?
"I said I want to be a slacker."
'I want to wipe out all the people like you and comfortably enjoy the peaceful world as a slacker.
I want to live comfortably as a slacker without harming anyone else.'
Cale was being serious. It was a dream that he could confidently say in front of anyone.
– …Are you mocking my words?
"As if."
It was an earnest answer that was far from mockery.
"Hey, don't you know how hard it is to achieve my dream of becoming a slacker, huh? Are you dismissing my dream right now?"
Litana was at a loss for words seeing Cale acting like a classless delinquent for the first time without his usual charisma and elegance of a noble.
She could also see the mage Rosalyn who was shaking her head back and forth.
In addition, she could see Choi Han and Eruhaben silently nodding their heads.
"Hey, being a slacker is an even better job than being an Imperial Prince! It's been a long time since I met a person so similar to me so I told you about my dream, but you're dismissing it? Hm?"
– …Ha!
Adin let out a sigh-like gasp.
– It looks like you don't plan to converse with me at all.
"Ah, seriously. I'm being honest with you here."
Adin's eyes grew colder and colder as Cale pounded his chest in frustration.
– Are you saying that the person who controls everything from behind doesn't want anything?
"No, I said I want to be a slacker!"
'Why can't he fucking understand!'
Cale was genuinely frustrated, but everyone aside from his group simply viewed it as Cale completely mocking the Imperial Prince.
– Yes, yes. I get it.
The smile on Adin's lips did not disappear even then.
"Good, thanks for understanding."
Cale nodded and bluntly added on.
"Then sit tight and wait for me."
His laughter disappeared. He took in Adin's image from the video communication device and continued on.
"I'll be there soon."
Adin was still smiling the same as ever.
– Sure. War is a battle against time, so you should hurry. Let me know if you decide on what you want.
Adin spoke lightheartedly as expected.
– I'll give you a present for now.
'A present?'
Cale's eyebrows rose slightly.
Imperial Prince Adin's palm appeared on the video communication device's screen at that moment. There was a small orb in his hand that let out a cracking sound as it began to break.
It was at that moment.
Oooong-
Cale turned his head to one side.
He looked toward the source of the tremor. One of the Dark Elves nearby shouted with wide eyes.
"The magic stones, the magic stones in the cockpit are acting strangely!"
The Dark Elves that had entered the airship's cockpit and were binding the alchemist pilots were anxiously looking at the cockpit.
Ooong-
The airship's power supply.
The magic stones began to vibrate crazily and radiate heat. Cale started to frown as he heard Adin's voice.
– You know, I feel good when everything is in the palm of my hand. Didn't I tell you that?
Adin was laughing.
– My order was to, 'destroy,' the Jungle.
'Could it be?'
– I'm also always prepared for any kind of situation. I always keep in mind the possibility of my proud army failing to carry out my orders.
Screeech, screech.
Ooong, oong.
The magic stones continued to spew out more heat and the hull of the airship trembled.
Crack. Craaack.
Cale heard the tree trunks that he had tied up breaking. This was because the tree branches that had entangled with the airship's power supply units were shaken off due to the excessive movements.
The whole ship began to slowly heat up as if the ship didn't care if it broke.
The source that caused the heat and vibrations were the many magic stones in the cockpit.
Each of the magic stones served as the central control and steering mechanism as well as the switch to activate all of the different devices on the airship.
Cale made eye contact with Adin.
– Guess whether the airship has a self-destruction device or not?
'Ah!'
Rosalyn and Choi Han started to frown.
They were reminded of the Whipper Kingdom war.
Adin was someone who didn't care if his own army died or not.
He was someone who didn't care about the means as long as he got the desired results.
It was Adin who brought Honte as a suicide bomber during the war against the Whipper Kingdom. He even pretended to dearly value Honte.
What did he value the most this time?
'The airship!'
Rosalyn urgently shouted.
"We have to stop the magic stones!"
Ooong-
Red mana rose around her at that moment. She immediately approached the cockpit and started to frown.
"…Damn it!"
The magic stones were violently rotating, vibrating, and expelling heat in a way that was impossible to stop after the invocation of the self-destruction device.
"…It looks like they'll explode if we handle them the wrong way."
Rosalyn was not confident that she could easily maintain the balance of the volatile magic stones with her current magic skills.
The current situation of the cockpit was one where the magic bomb that were counting down would immediately explode if one accidentally mishandled the magic stones.
– Hahahaha!
Loud laughter rang out from Imperial Prince Adin. Cale turned his head to his side at that moment.
"Y, your highness-"
The face of the alchemist in charge was white with fright as he trembled. His body that he couldn't move was full of fear.
"Y, your highness, I need to liv-"
– Hahahahaha!
The alchemist's plea to be saved was buried under Adin's laughter.
However, the Imperial Prince's voice was buried under Litana's voice as well.
"Everyone get down from the airship! Evacuate!"
"Follow her majesty's orders! All Dark Elves immediately call your Elementals and move the people!"
Tasha followed up quickly with an order.
Cale slowly shifted his gaze with a frown on his face.
– It's a great gift, isn't it?
Adin saw Cale start to frown even more.
"…You're trash."
– It's always fun to see an angry face like that. After all, you're the one who suffers and gets hurt every time.
Cale's current actions were similar to when he rushed to block the Tower Master's disciple Honte's explosion.
Adin believed Cale was always on the losing end.
– I'll be waiting for you.
"…Son of a bitch!"
Adin could see Cale trembling as if he couldn't contain his anger to the point that the video communication device's screen was shaking.
"Young master Cale! What should we do?"
"Commander, let us escape for now!"
Imperial Prince Adin could hear Rosalyn and Litana urgently calling out to Cale. He started to speak cheekily while putting on an even more pleasant expression.
– You can try saving the others like you did last time. Ah, is it a bit difficult to open up a shield for this? Good luck.
He then burst out in loud laughter at Cale's subsequent actions.
– Hahahaha-!
Crack!
The video communication device was thrown to the floor and started to crack.
However, the sound was buried under the airship's tremors and the sound coming from the magic stones.
– Hahahaha!
Only the sound of Adin's laughter continued.
He couldn't contain his laughter at Cale throwing the video communication device down in anger with a frown on his face.
Crack! Craaack!
Cale stomped on the video communication device. The video communication device lost the visual connection, but Adin's laughter didn't stop.
He continued to speak rather happily.
– Your angry face is quite amusing, very amusing! Hahahaha!
Craaack!
The video communication device broke in half and the connection completely broke off after Cale violently stomped on it one last time.
– Hahaha- ha.
The Imperial Prince's laughter also stopped abruptly.
All connection with Adin was over. There were no longer any other video communication devices that could reach Adin.
"…Young master Cale."
Rosalyn flinched as she looked at Cale then approached him with a solemn expression and put a hand on his shoulder.
Oooong-
The airship heated up more and more and began to turn into a bomb on the brink of explosion.
"Young master Cale! I know that you are angry, but we must evacuate everyone right now! I'll also open up a shield so-"
"It's fine."
Rosalyn stopped her urgent words at Cale's voice which could be heard even as his head was bowed as he stared at the broken fragments of the video communication device.
Rosalyn's urgent expression changed in a peculiar way.
"Young master Cale?"
She could see Cale slowly lifting up his head.
He was laughing quite refreshingly.
He was laughing as if he had never been angry and as if his rage just now was all an act.
'…An act?'
Rosalyn could hear Cale's blunt statement the moment she slowly lowered the hand that she put on his shoulder.
"He's a bastard who doesn't understand the value of things. That's why guys like Adin are wrong."
"…Excuse me?"
Rosalyn was bewildered by Cale's sudden remark, but her eyes widened as Cale's gaze turned to one place.
Cale was looking in a direction as he started to speak.
"Wouldn't it be nice if we were able to make use of this airship? It would be a waste to throw it away."
Cale's gaze went beyond the shaking alchemist who couldn't move an inch.
Cale was looking beyond the alchemist towards another being even during the time when the alchemist was earnestly calling Imperial Prince Adin's name.
He asked the being who was still chuckling like he had been doing since then.
"Isn't that right, Eruhaben-nim?"
The ancient Dragon, Eruhaben.
He started to smile at Cale's following words.
"Eruhaben-nim, I'm sure that the Imperial Prince thinks that this airship is destroyed by now."
Cale could see Eruhaben slowly raising his hand. He recalled the conversation he had with Eruhaben before this operation began.
'Cale Henituse, I'll take care of the center where the airship is. Of course, you humans will take all the credit.'
'Ah! Eruhaben-nim.'
'What is it?'
'I'd like to reuse it if it's possible.'
'What a greedy bastard.'
It was obvious even if he didn't bother saying what he wanted to reuse.
The airship. That was it.
The ancient Dragon leisurely added on.
"Then all that's left is for you to have it."
"Yes, so what should we do now?"
Cale, who was excited to obtain the airship, was ready to put up his shield. He seemed ready to do anything.
Rosalyn admired Cale who coveted the airship as she approached to help Eruhaben after understanding the whole situation.
It was at that moment. Cale saw the relaxed ancient Dragon respond with arrogance.
"No, I got this."
"…Excuse me?"
The ancient Dragon snapped at that moment.
Snap!
White-gold mana surged from Eruhaben at the sound of the light snap.
"Ugh!"
Cale subconsciously covered his eyes with his hands.
It was bright.
An extremely bright white-gold light burst out from Eruhaben.
Everyone would think that this light was an explosion if a sound that could pierce the eardrum accompanied it.
Flinch.
A very small sound was heard when Cale took a step back despite himself.
Psssshhhh-
It was breaking.
The sound of something hard turning to dust could be heard.
– Human… As expected, Goldie gramps is great!
'What?'
There was sincere admiration in Raon's voice.
Cale slowly opened his eyes.
He looked around him.
Everyone who had taken a step or two back like him or sank to the group and had their eyes closed slowly opened their eyes one by one.
– Wow! Human! Look at the sky! Wow!
Raon's exclamation could be heard.
What Cale saw immediately after opening his eyes was a cockpit soaring high into the sky.
The airship and the cockpit that contained the magic stones and several other devices.
The metal-lined cockpit turned to dust while the magic stones that were within it began to climb up very high into the sky.
"Those magic stones will explode if you recklessly tamper with them and break the balance!"
Rosalyn's astonished voice was heard.
However, Eruhaben maintained the balance within the magic stones and sent them far up high into the sky, contrary to her concerns.
Then soon after.
Kaboooom! Booom!
A deafening explosion resounded in the sky.
The shining white gold dust embroidered the sky and slowly fell down.
Cale could hear Rosalyn's genuinely bewildered voice.
"T, that was no simple task. T, they were volatile magic stones."
He couldn't respond to Rosalyn.
Cale looked at Eruhaben instead. In front of him was the alchemist who had fainted while standing up.
The ancient Dragon was looking sourly at the alchemist, but grinned as he made eye contact with Cale.
"That was easy."
'That was easy?'
"Maybe it was because I tried it before long ago?"
'…How long ago was this? Five hundred years ago? A thousand years ago?'
Cale heard the voices of two Dragons in his mind at that moment.
– Human! You really are a weak human! Goldie gramps is super strong! But I think he overdid it! But, as expected, he's a Dragon! He's still fine! He is the greatest being after me!
The other Dragon's words were very simple and heavy, unlike the fuss that the excited six-year-old was making.
– I'm a Dragon.
'…As expected from a Dragon.'
Cale couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth that were twitching upwards.
– Weak human! Can I steer this airship? Let's go destroy the Imperial Prince!
The corners of Cale's mouth ended up going up as another voice was heard in his mind at that moment.
– I'm full.
It was the glutton.
– I'll leave the purification of the dead mana to you. You have to hurry.
Cale turned his head.
Black tree trunks filled the entirety of Section 7.
Then there was also Mary whose black robe dragged behind her as she climbed onto the airship.
He burst into laughter after seeing those two sights.
"Hahahaha!"
– Human, are you excited about destroying the Empire? I'm excited too!
Cale bent over and laughed refreshingly at the center of Section 7 in the middle of the night.