"It really tastes better than sweets!"
Raon's wings were vibrant and full of vitality as he ate cookies. Although he had a rather satisfied expression, Cale's expression was not as positive.
As soon as he heard about Ahn Roh Man from the Crown Prince, Cale took Raon with him and teleported directly.
Thanks to that, he was now in the Crown Prince's office.
"But, Human, the Crown Prince seems to be very busy! When will the Crown Prince arrive?"
Of course, only Cale and Raon were there without Alberu.
At that moment, the door opened.
"Huh!"
Someone gasped.
A surprised face met Cale's gaze as he lifted his head.
"…Shield Hero…!"
As soon as their eyes met, that person was surprised and involuntarily closed their mouth.
"Haa"
And Alberu, who sighed, also appeared.
"Finish this and present it."
"Yes, yes! Understood!"
Alberu closed the door and entered the office alone.
"Is that the new assistant?"
"Yes, this time I recruited a lot of people."
Alberu, sitting on the sofa in front of Cale, stared at him. Faced with that gaze, Cale opened his mouth.
"I clearly said I was going to visit the office, didn't I?"
"Yes."
Along with his words about Ahn Roh Man, Cale said he would come to explain. Alberu told him to wait a moment because he had something to do and left alone.
Because of that, Cale wondered why Alberu was looking at him with so much discomfort.
As if about to respond to that question, Alberu's mouth opened.
"Wouldn't it spread among the people that you've reappeared?"
"Do you think so? I haven't been hiding."
Alberu smiled ironically at Cale's response.
"The news that the Young Master Silver Sheild has returned to the palace will cause a stir."
Cale's face wrinkled. Apparently, Alberu had something to say, whether Cale asked or not.
"People will be looking for you a lot."
"Why?"
"For the mine."
Cale felt dizzy for a moment. It felt like he was on the edge of a cliff.
'The mine.'
The high-quality mines he received as a reward after dealing with the Black Blood Hunter Family in the Xiaolen World.
They included all kinds of precious stones and gems, from amethysts to diamonds.
Alberu was discreetly distributing them between Cale and Roan Kingdom after discussing it with Cale.
Of course, Alberu tried to carry out this process as discreetly as possible, but the information clearly leaked.
"It seems I've been too busy lately."
Upon hearing Alberu's words, Cale looked away.
"But it seems our Dongsaeng has improved a lot."
Cale, who had returned to Roan Kingdom after leaving the Central Plains, returned to his original form. In reality, apart from when Cale used the ancient power of Sky Eating Water in the Central Plains, he hadn't had physical problems. In fact, he had taken many healthy Divine Medicines, improving his appearance. He even gained a bit of weight.
"...Your Majesty, truly, truly-"
Cale opened his mouth but couldn't continue. Raon spoke on his behalf while eating a cookie.
"Crown Prince! You look really tired. Why is it that every time you look more like our Human?"
Cale avoided the Crown Prince's gaze.
"Sigh."
Alberu, who sighed, leaned back on the sofa.
"Of course, you've had more trouble than me."
He was sincere. Alberu, busy handling matters related to the Roan Kingdom, and Cale, traveling between dimensions to save worlds.
Just seeing this, Cale had more burden.
Cale casually mentioned:
"Still, isn't it fine because we recruited a lot of people this time?"
"There's no talent that I really like. Right now, there's too much to teach to use them immediately in practice."
Alberu, who was crossing his legs in disappointment, suddenly spoke:
"Have you seen Basen Henituse's face?"
"What?"
At that moment, Cale felt an inexplicable sense of danger.
'It can't be.'
Cale's gaze sharpened. When he unintentionally looked at Alberu with that gaze, this time Alberu avoided his gaze.
"It is said that your younger brother has accumulated a lot of experience in administrative matters from a young age. As the Count of Henituse becomes a Duchy, there is much to do and above all he works hard. Isn't his ability truly outstanding, recognized even by experts?"
"Why do you care about that?"
Unintentionally, Cale spoke in a disdainful tone. Alberu showed a bright smile.
"Simply put, if it's Basen, he's your younger brother, right? Then, wouldn't he be my younger brother too? So, I would like to have a conversation with him at least once."
"..."
"I also heard that your younger sister, though young, has considerable skills in swordsmanship. And not only does she stop there, but she's also striving to learn military tactics and strategies."
Cale began to feel uneasy.
Basen and Lily. Those two were Cale's family and also the last fortress for his dream of becoming unemployed. Weren't they excellent children who said their dream was to develop and protect the Henituse Territory?
"Crown Prince, our Human's pupils are shaking. Why is he acting like that?"
"I don't know."
Alberu smiled cheerfully.
"Crown Prince, your face suddenly improved! Is it because you're happy to see us?"
"Hahaha! It seems so."
Cale thought seriously
'That disgusting Crown Prince, how dare he try to bring my siblings to the palace? I can't allow that to happen.'
"I can't let my guard down."
"Hahaha!"
The Crown Prince simply smiled, a youthful grin lighting up his face.
Cale decided to meet Lily and Basen soon.
'Did they still have the same dreams?'
Of course, if the two are working towards a future beyond the Henituse Territory, Cale will gladly support them.
'...Even though I have no intention of becoming a lord.'
There's always a solution for everything. Cale fears that even though Lily and Basen have no desire to be palace servants, the Crown Prince's smooth talk might convince them otherwise. He worries they'll be lured into a life of endless work, as if working for the royal family is a simple task.
'That must be avoided!'
As an older brother, that's my duty, isn't it? So why do I feel this anxiety?
"I also heard that your younger sister transferred to the Raon Kingdom Academy and will participate in this year's opening ceremony."
Of course, there was a reason for the anxiety.
"Maybe I should go see the ceremony. Hahaha!"
Cale decided. If that guy goes to Lily's ceremony and tries to bother her...
'I will stop him.'
He wouldn't do anything without talking to Lily. They'd decide together if she yearned for a life beyond their current situation.
There's another thing. If she's interested in working for the Roan Kingdom, I'm happy to help her get settled. But if she's just looking to explore the world, it's important to consider how vast it truly is. There are countless opportunities out there, so it's good to have a clear direction.
"Crown Prince, our Human's expression has become very solemn! Why is that?"
"Hahaha!"
Cale completely ignored the conversation between the Dragon and the Quarter Dark Elf and internally committed. At that moment, Alberu's question came suddenly.
"What is Hyunpi?"
Ah, right, there was that too.
Cale's face contorted in disgust, like a withered cabbage. Alberu, in response, switched to a serious expression.
" Based on the Ahn Roh Man I encountered, his meticulous nature seemed to extend to every detail, making him an invaluable source of information. You said Blue was the Blood Demon, right? How did the Blood Demon put Ahn Roh Man in such a dangerous situation?"
Cale recalled the words that Alberu had conveyed.
- Ahn Roh Man was angry. He claimed someone named "Blue" challenged him to a real fight instead of their usual online battles, but then backed out. Ahn Roh Man accused Blue of almost exposing a secret from Ahn's past, something that could cause him significant trouble.
Cale slowly opened his mouth.
"Anyway, I'll explain. Hyunpi is a shortened word for PK in real life..."
He continued explaining in a monotonous voice. Alberu and Raon, who heard all those strange words, seemed not to understand them at first, but finally nodded their heads.
Alberu spoke with a serious expression.
"Hmm, it must have been quite a complicated situation. Ahn Roh Man also seems to have quite a bit of courage."
"...Eh?"
"I don't know if Ahn Roh Man was the president at the time of that incident, but the way he spoke means he held an important position. For a person like that to truly immerse himself in the world contained in a game and try to connect it with reality, doesn't that mean he made such a big decision that ended up creating that dark past?"
"...Uh-"
"According to your words, doesn't it imply that a dark past is something that accompanies you for a lifetime, locked in a corner of your mind, and occasionally reveals itself, making you remember your embarrassing or immature parts and making you feel ashamed?"
"Uh... Yes, I suppose."
"Hmm, it seems like Ahn Roh Man was really committed to the game world."
"...Is that so?"
"And the Transparent Blood Family, which has created this game world where a three-term president Ahn Roh Man opens his heart, must be really dangerous."
"...Really?"
Since everything seemed to fit, Cale nodded. Seeing this, Alberu continued speaking.
"For now, it seems you have a device that allows you to enter the game world, the same one Ahn Roh Man used when he was young. But are you having trouble connecting?"
"Yes."
Originally, Cale tried to connect using the arm left by the Blood Demon.
The game "Raise Your Own Absolute God!" seemed to connect through fingerprints.
"There are two steps in total. First, fingerprint, second, iris recognition."
He didn't know there would also be an iris verification.
Cale got stuck in the verification, unable to continue connecting.
"Hmm. For now, it would be better if you talked directly to Ahn Roh Man."
"Is it possible?"
"Yes."
Alberu had the Almighty Spear.
Within the gift that the Sun God gave him as the correct path, there was an AI called Taerang.
"I ordered Taerang to create a system that would allow communication through both sight and voice."
He looked at Cale and added:
"Of course, the way to do it is to log into the system and enter a code, of which Ahn Roh Man told me. He seems to have considerable knowledge in fields like systems and machinery."
"That's right."
Alberu brought out Taerang. Cale saw the shining white spear after a long time. He remembered the moment when the Crown Prince used this white spear to face a gigantic monster lion. He also remembered the image of Alberu using this weapon transformed into a gun.
"Wait a moment."
Alberu manipulated Taerang only a few times. When he gave it orders, the appearance of the spear changed.
Tick, tock.
A crack appeared in the middle of the spear. The crack that gradually expanded created a rectangular slot.
Alberu raised the spear.
At that moment, the light filtering through the hole filled one wall of the office.
Cale remembered a beam projector seeing this.
"Oh."
While Cale admired it, a screen appeared.
The image quality was poor, like that of a faulty TV. However, the screen slowly began to take shape.
"Is this the first time you've seen Ahn Roh Man's face through Taerang?"
"Yes."
Until now, they had only spoken through Taerang. The two sat together on the sofa, waiting for the connection with Ahn Roh Man.
"Ah, but Cale."
"Yes."
"There was something Ahn Roh Man said last time."
Alberu remembered many things Ahn Roh Man said. One of them.
'It's fun. So, the current owner is called Alberu Crossman. You're a Prince, and you must save the world from the Dragon Lion, right? After solving all of this, you will become the ruler of the Roan Kingdom, and even of the world. Well, listen carefully to the information I'll give you; you won't regret it.'
'...But it's interesting. You and I have many similarities. Perhaps you also have impure blood?'
"He said he considers himself as someone with impure blood."
Impure blood. Cale's expression showed a strange expression. Seeing this, he spoke while Alberu also had a similar expression.
"Do you feel uncomfortable?"
"I do too. But for now, keep it in mind."
It was at that moment...
-Coordinate confirmation complete.
-I will go ahead with the connection to Ahn Roh Man in the Third World.
With Taerang's voice, the screen instantly turned black.
Mentioning those words, the screen instantly lit up. And then, the face of a person appeared. Cale, paying no attention to the elegant and modern scene that seemed to be the presidential office, murmured to himself.
"Eh?"
The invisible Raon's voice, sounded without him noticing.
"...Eh?"
And Cale looked away from the screen to look at his side. One to the front, another to the side. After repeating this two or three times, Cale, without realizing it, muttered some words as he looked only at Ahn Roh Man and Alberu Crossman, who didn't utter a word.
"Anyone would say they're brothers."
They looked quite alike. Moreover, Ahn Roh Man resembled the Alberu Crossman from the time when he was a Quarter dark elf.
Light gray skin with brown hair.
Brown eyes.
Of course, Ahn Roh Man's brown hair was a bit lighter than Alberu's, but they looked quite similar. Additionally, Ahn Roh Man wore glasses and seemed a bit older. Although, in reality, he seemed to be in his thirties.
'The atmosphere is different.'
While Alberu seemed to be more sociable and active in external activities, Ahn Roh Man had a colder and more professional atmosphere.
- Human! This is amazing!
Cale, who kept looking from side to side while listening to Raon's voice, suddenly realized something.
'...So, he's the 1st ranker in the game's ranking, right?'
The well-mannered version of Alberu, is what you're saying? And that means he's a three-term president who almost lost his position, right? The surprise disappeared from Cale's face.
"So, this is new."
- That's right. Are you Alberu Crossman?
"Yes. Are you Ahn Roh Man?"
- Yes.
Looking at the two who were having a strange conversation, Cale looked at Ahn Roh Man, who was also looking at him.
- Are you Cale Henituse that Alberu Crossman mentioned?
Ahn Roh Man raised his tone towards Cale.
"Yes."
Cale expressed his affirmation concisely and was about to say more, but Ahn Roh Man, in a cold manner as if disappointed, spoke.
- You're not 'Blue.'
"Eh?"
- Blue said his hair is blue. Although it's a story from over ten years ago when I was 15, I remember the information about Blue clearly. It's a pity.
At 15 years old, in the second year of high school. Cale's expression became very calm. He suddenly felt extremely comfortable inside. That's why he asked.
"Mr. Ahn Roh Man, do you know anything about the company called Transparent Co., Ltd?"
He went straight to the point.
Is it because he resembles Alberu?
It seemed that the other party would prefer this kind of conversation.
And Ahn Roh Man responded as if that kind of conversation was familiar and didn't affect him at all.
- It's a transcendental corporation.
"Transcendental?"
- The world we live in. You said it was the Third World, right? Transparent Co., Ltd is a company that, transcending nations in this world, owns immense wealth and power. And I am from the owning family of that company.
What?
Cale paused for a moment.
What did I just hear?
He turned his head to look at Alberu.
Alberu also looked at Cale.
The two who were looking at each other turned to look at Ahn Roh Man again.
Cale opened his mouth.
"Are you a Hunter?"
And the answer came at once.
- What is that?
Ahn Roh Man expressed his disbelief with an innocent face.
"No, because you said you were from that family-"
- Oh, my father was originally the president of a small game company. And the vice president was my uncle, and my uncle's wife, who he married, was the daughter of the Transparent Co., Ltd family.
Ahn Roh Man spoke nonchalantly.
- My uncle betrayed my father, took over the game company, and went with my aunt to Transparent Co., Ltd.
Then, he smiled maliciously.
- The reason I explain this is because I heard that the reason you contacted me today was about the game. I'm telling you in advance because it will come to light when I explain the game.
Cale opened his mouth slowly.
"Your father's games...?"
- Raise Your Own Absolute God (Raising My Precious Absolute God). The original game and the core of the world were created by my father and mother, who took part as lead developers and planners.
On Ahn Roh Man's serene face, a small smile appeared.
But within it, there was a cold anger.
- The world's first virtual reality game. The game where you can't distinguish between reality and virtuality. That game where you can manipulate and twist the world to your liking is a game for Cultivating an Absolute God, right?
Virtual reality game.
When the word entered Cale's mind, Ahn Roh Man spoke as if it were no big deal.
- And I am number one in that world. Although it's not the world my parents dreamed of, it's still the world they created with their effort and sweat. Shouldn't I at least be number one there?
Cale nodded in astonishment.