Alberu Crossman stared at Cale, who was avoiding his gaze, with a piercing gaze.
– Hey crown prince, is the Western continent going to war again if this continues?
He listened to Raon ask the question in a cute voice as he organized the mess in his mind. However, the words that actually came out of his mouth were simple.
"I'm going to go crazy."
"Mm."
Cale pretended not to hear the crown prince. However, his mind was a complicated mess right now as well.
Crown prince Alberu had given Cale the golden plaque to ask for the Caro Kingdom's understanding, thinking that Cale was going to pull a fast one over the White Star in the Land of Death.
That was what Cale had expected at first as well.
'Who knew it would be like this?'
However, things didn't go as Cale expected.
Cale and Valentino had felt a giant earthquake and seen a large pillar of fire in the Dubori territory as soon as their conversation ended well.
That was the beginning of Cale having to fight against the White Star in the Dubori territory, unlike his original plan, while Valentino had to lead the Knights Brigade to the Dubori territory as well.
Furthermore, crown prince Valentino had pulled in troops from the nearby territories as well, surrounding the Dubori territory with a large number of troops.
Valentino had then faced the White Star's group who were attacking the territory and the residents of the territory once he entered into Dubori.
'…I guess crown prince Valentino and the Caro Kingdom saw that as the White Star declaring war on them.'
It was indeed a declaration of war.
The White Star's original plan was to use Illusionist Elisneh to control the territory lord and blame Cale for everything.
However, that had failed, leading the White Star to earn the wrath of the Dubori Lord's relative who was a strong power player in the Caro Kingdom. He had also earned Valentino's wrath.
"Dongsaeng, why are you not saying anything?"
Cale faintly smiled toward Alberu who was standing with his arms crossed while looking at him. As Alberu became even more flabbergasted and was about to scoff…
"Your highness."
Choi Han interjected into the conversation.
Alberu greeted Choi Han.
"Oh, instructor-nim, how many days has it been since we saw each other?"
"Your highness, please speak normally."
"But I am speaking normally, instructor-nim."
Cale and Choi Han made eye contact.
The two of them realized that Alberu was upset because of this complicated mess. Choi Han coughed before starting to speak to Alberu again.
"It looks like crown prince Valentino revealed most of the White Star's evil deeds through this document he sent around the Western continent?"
"Correct. He seemed to have been in a rush or extremely angry. Well, maybe he was filled with a desire for justice as he wrote about pretty much everything the White Star has done."
Only vague rumors about this existence known as the White Star had spread to others who were not closely involved with the situation.
The information about this evil White Star had been publicly revealed after Valentino's document went around.
Choi Han started to speak.
"That must mean that the other kingdoms are chaotic right now too."
"That's right. They must be scared."
The White Star's actions that were now revealed to be true and not just rumors had caused fear, anger, and anxiety in the other kingdoms.
The person who was responsible for the Western continent's Indomitable Alliance. Add on the black magic that had placed the Mogoru Empire into chaos.
He was the start of the chaos on the Western continent that had been peaceful without any large wars for a long period of time.
"That must be why everybody is contacting the Roan Kingdom."
"They probably want to gather around our Roan Kingdom at the center again since we were the vanguard in the war against the Indomitable Alliance."
That was the reason Alberu had been in a meeting until such late hours.
These calls symbolized the fact that the Roan Kingdom had become that strong of a kingdom, but it also meant that the Roan Kingdom might get swept up in the atmosphere and place themselves in a disadvantageous position.
"Anyway, what happened to the White Star?"
Alberu plopped down on the bench next to Cale as he asked Choi Han the question. He then took something wrapped in a handkerchief out of his pocket and opened it on his lap.
– Wow! Thanks crown prince!
"Meeeeeow!"
"Meeeeeow!"
He had grabbed random cookies on his way to the garden.
The noise of the children averaging nine-years-old eating the cookies filled the area, and Choi Han watched them for a moment before starting to speak again.
"The White Star is currently running wild in the Land of Death."
"Running wild?"
"Yes, your highness. He is running wild as if he has gone crazy."
"…Why?"
Choi Han looked toward Cale and Alberu's gaze naturally turned that way as well. Cale started to smile. It was a mischievous smile that made Alberu nod his head right away.
"Looks like you at least managed to smack him from behind."
"The back and the front. I hit him from both sides."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, your highness."
Alberu who had never seen Cale speaking in such an excited manner observed Cale who was about to keep speaking.
Cale continued speaking with joy.
"First, I cut off one arm from the Bear King who is his right arm. I also cut off the White Star's left arm. Hehe, I crushed both of his secret bases too, kehehe."
Cale definitely saw it.
He saw the corners of crown prince Alberu, the man with a terrible personality, start to twitch and go up.
To be more specific, it twitched and slowly went up more each time Cale described how he had smacked the White Star around.
Choi Han asked Alberu a question at that moment.
"How do you plan on proceeding?"
"Who knows?"
Alberu had a headache.
He and the Paerun Kingdom's Clopeh Sekka had been the ones spreading those vague rumors about the White Star.
This was so that they could gather as many allies as possible should there be a battle against the White Star in the future.
However, that was for the future when they were prepared for war, not right now.
"All of the other kingdoms are riled up because of what happened in the Caro Kingdom. They can't help it because there's nowhere on the Western continent that has not been stabbed in the back or harmed by the White Star."
As he mentioned, the northern kingdoms, the Jungle, the Whipper Kingdom, the Breck Kingdom, the Roan Kingdom, the Mogoru Empire, and the Caro Kingdom. All of them had been stabbed in the back or harmed by the White Star.
Of course, there were smaller nations, free cities, and principalities that had not been harmed by the White Star, but they had received indirect harm from the wars such that they were showing strong support for the large kingdoms' actions.
"They're all so riled up that they look ready to fight right away. But there will be a lot of casualties if we fought right now."
That was the reason Alberu had a headache.
The White Star and his subordinates were not people they could easily defeat.
Alberu wanted to keep the damages as low as possible. That was why he wanted to think calmly and slowly prepare to destroy the White Star's forces at once rather than responding to the riled up emotions right now.
However, slowly preparing was no longer possible after what had happened to the Caro Kingdom.
Of course, the Roan Kingdom could take a step back and join the battle after finishing preparations, but the Roan Kingdom currently had the image as a strong nation and a leader among the Western continent's kingdoms.
He could not lose that identity either.
It was no wonder his mind was a complicated mess.
"Hyung-nim."
He saw Cale who was smiling annoyingly at that moment.
It made him upset that he started to frown again.
"Why don't you call me your highness?"
"Yes, your highness."
"…What is it?"
Alberu could see Cale start to smile brightly at his question.
"What you are afraid of right now is not that you'll lose to the White Star, but that you'll receive a lot of damage in the process, correct?"
"...Yes."
The information he heard about the White Star from Cale helped him understand that the White Star's forces were strong, but there were many strong individuals on the Western continent as well.
They should be able to win.
He was just fearful of how they would win.
Why did the ancient times end after that final battle?
The battle between the ancient White Star and the strong individuals had only left destruction for both sides.
The world would have needed to greet a new era in order to be able to rebuild.
"Your highness, there is a solution."
Alberu looked toward Cale's firm gaze that was telling him there was a solution.
"What is it?"
Cale was not someone to bluff about something like this.
Alberu was waiting for the solution with a small level of hope. Cale calmly started to explain.
"Grow the playing field even more."
'Hmm? Did I hear some nonsense?'
Alberu thought he had heard something weird.
"I'm saying we should grow the playing field even more."
However, that was not it.
"…What did you say?"
"Grow the playing field even more. The Eastern continent is a mess right now as well."
"…What's going on where?"
Why was he suddenly talking about the Eastern continent?
"No way, are you-. You mean to pull in the Eastern continent as well when you say to grow the playing field?"
Cale smiled and pointed to someone.
That person quickly walked in front of Alberu and greeted him.
"We met last time, didn't we? Bud Illis at your service, your highness."
The Mercenary King who had been crouched in the corner suddenly got involved. Alberu opened his mouth after seeing Bud, but the Mercenary King didn't give him any time to say anything as he continued to speak.
"We attacked the White Star's faction, Arm's secret bases on the Eastern continent today. In addition, Cale Henituse learned about one important piece of information."
Alberu flinched after hearing Bud say that they had attacked the secret bases before turning toward Cale after hearing, 'important piece of information.'
Cale started to speak.
"One of the White Star's subordinates is an Illusionist."
"So what?"
"That person cast an illusion on the Dubori lord and controlled him. The Caro Kingdom's nobles and the royal family will be angry at this Illusionist."
Nobles who cared so much about face would feel extremely angry at the fact that one of their own was controlled.
"By the way, that illusionist is from the Eastern continent."
Alberu's eyes clouded over. Cale was not someone to say useless things.
In that case…
"…Who from the Eastern continent?"
"Elisneh the 1st, the monarch of the Molden Kingdom, one of the strong kingdoms on the Eastern continent."
"Ha!"
Alberu's eyes sparkled.
"We might be able to grow the playing field by quite a bit at this rate."
One of the White Star's subordinates or cooperators was the leader of a kingdom.
Alberu could not believe that fact. It was something similar to the Mogoru Empire.
Cale started to speak at that moment.
"The Eastern continent has many strong kingdoms that have friction with each other. Arm was a source of pain for them. So, how would the other Eastern continent's kingdoms and factions react if they find out there is a monarch who is on the same side as Arm and a part of the organization that controls black magic?"
Cale pointed toward Bud once again.
"Furthermore, the person who provided the most manpower to attack Arm's secret bases was the Mercenary King."
The Western continent's Roan Kingdom's future king Alberu Crossman and the leader of the Eastern continent's Mercenaries Guild, Mercenary King Bud Illis.
The two individuals shook hands with each other.
Bud started to speak.
"On the Eastern continent, only the Mercenaries Guild knows about the White Star who is behind Arm. However, I plan on letting others know now."
"Sounds good."
"I will grow the playing field quite a bit."
Alberu quickly started to think.
The Eastern continent and the Western continent.
If both continents started to move at the same time to push the White Star's forces out, even the strong White Star would not be able to last.
Cale smirked before starting to speak.
"Your highness. Let's use the numbers advantage to push the White Star out."
Alberu slowly started to smile.
"Call me hyung."
"Yes, hyung-nim."
He would be very busy from here on out, but Alberu was relaxed knowing he had found a way to reduce the damage as much as possible. He asked Cale a question with a relaxed expression.
"So, why is my dongsaeng who should be in the Land of Death over here? Did you need something? Do you need another golden plaque?"
Cale smiled and responded.
"I came to tell you something just in case an unexpected situation might happen."
"What is that? Feel free to tell me anything."
"Yes, sir."
Cale nodded and continued to speak.
"The White Star may come to the Roan Kingdom later on. Specifically, to the northeast region."
"…What did you say?"
"I mentioned that the White Star was looking for a power, right? I got that power this time. The White Star shouldn't come to the Roan Kingdom if things go as planned, but the situation at the Caro Kingdom let me realize that things don't necessarily go as I planned."
Cale continued to speak with a relaxed heart.
It was probably not going to happen, but he was telling Alberu just in case it ended up happening anyway.
"So, I came to tell you to be prepared just in case, sir. You don't have to worry though. My friends and I will quickly follow him if he does come and kick the White Star out."
"Son of a…"
"Excuse me?"
"…I understand so just go, go away."
"Yes, sir. I am leaving now."
Alberu looked toward Cale as if his insides were flipping over. However, he sighed and started to speak as he watched Cale step onto Raon's teleportation magic circle.
"Cale Henituse."
"Yes, your highness."
Alberu observed Cale who looked like a mess before continuing to speak.
"Don't overdo it. The Roan Kingdom is probably the kingdom that is most prepared on the Western continent to fight against the White Star."
Alberu had worried about the Roan Kingdom's citizens getting hurt by the White Star ever since learning about his existence. That was why he had continued to prepare without letting go of the tension, and, although it might be difficult to defeat the White Star, he had prepared enough to fend him off without any damage for at least a short duration of time.
Alberu smiled toward Cale who was looking at him.
"Stop getting hurt so much. You are my dongsaeng."
Cale was also a citizen of the Roan Kingdom.
Not only Cale, but most of his group were Roan Kingdom's citizens.
"You are all Roan Kingdom's citizens, so come home if things get tough."
Alberu was someone with the task of protecting the kingdom's citizens.
"Don't do anything that puts your life in danger."
Alberu could then see the group starting to teleport away.
– Don't worry, crown prince! We'll come back safely!
He thought about Raon's bright voice and the smiling people who teleported away before turning around.
He headed back to the meeting room without any hesitation. He had a lot of things to do.
* * *
Cale opened his eyes in a new spot.
He heard Raon's voice in his mind.
– Human! Let's make it so that the White Star can't go to the Roan Kingdom! We can't let our house or the crown prince's house be destroyed!
'Of course.'
Cale had just gone to warn the crown prince for a potential situation; he had no plans on letting the White Star step on the Roan Kingdom's soil at all.
"Tasha, Mary."
"Young master-nim!"
"You're here, young master-nim?"
That was why Cale had returned to the Land of Death.
He then lifted his head. He could see the ceiling of the empty Underground City.
"Young master-nim, there is one hour left!"
There was now one hour left as Dark Elf Tasha mentioned.
The Land of Death.
The desert where dead mana smoke rises for a few days a year.
There was one hour left until dead mana smoke started to rise on this black desert.
Cale grabbed the golden turtle badge in his hand.
Ooooooong.
The badge started to vibrate at the sealed Blood-drenched Rock's scream.