Cale hid the chilly feeling and trembling, and asked.
"So?"
Ron was about to resume the benign smile on his face after hearing his little puppy young master speak in his usual annoying and rude tone, but suppressed it and started to speak.
"So, I'm going to kill people."
"Leaving your son behind?"
"Yes sir."
"Is the fox a person?"
Cale knew how the assassin Ron smiled. It was a very faint smile, with just the corners of his lips raised a tiny bit. It was one that made the person looking at Ron think that it would be better if he did not smile at all. Ron replied quite pleased.
"That's right. I have to go kill a group of foxes."
But his voice was cold.
"Rip them into pieces."
It would either be Ron’s body being ripped into pieces or his targets’ bodies being ripped into pieces. It could only be one of those two scenarios.
Cale got goosebumps at the phrase, ‘rip them into pieces.’ He then started to contemplate.
Ron could see that Cale stood there without saying anything for a while. His puppy young master finally started to speak after sighing numerous times.
"… Go and come back."
The smile disappeared from Ron’s face. Cale, who was already in his pajamas, laid down on the bed and continued to speak.
"I'll tell Hans that you are taking a leave of absence. Report to me every so often. You can receive money from the Flynn Merchant Guild with your ID plaque. And why would you leave Beacrox to a trash like me? He is an adult. He will figure out what to do with his own life.”
Cale decided to think easily. There was no need for Ron to be with Choi Han right now. Now that Lock was able to transform into a controlled berserk state, Choi Han would be fine without Ron or Beacrox’s strength.
But, for Choi Han, and more importantly, for a peaceful Northeastern region of the Roan Kingdom, Ron was needed one year later.
“However, the duration of your break is only 1 year.”
Cale leaned against his pillow and continued.
“Enjoy your break.”
‘Since I have work for you to do in a year.’
"Don’t get hurt while you are out there."
Cale stretched out his two legs, thinking he had reserved wonderful dreams for the next year. He then looked toward Ron and flinched.
The old man, who had been quiet, was actually quietly laughing. That vicious sight made Cale cower underneath the blanket.
‘What is going on?’
Cale's expression stiffened.
Ron continued to silently laugh without watching Cale.
‘I thought this little punk was a son of a bitch, but I, Ron Molan, is the one who is a son of a bitch.’
Like a dog that looks at his master. Ron thought that he was like a dog, and responded. [1]
“Young master, is reporting to you once a month enough?”
“Yes. Do as you please.”
Like an assassin, Ron opened the door and left the room without making a single noise. He then said one last thing before closing the door.
"I will see you in a year, young master.”
Without waiting Cale's answer, Ron closed the door. Cale quickly fell asleep, relieved that he was free from Ron for a year.
Dawn arrived, and six people were standing in front of Cale. There were some that he had personally called, and some that he gathered through Choi Han.
Cale looked toward Rosalyn, and started to speak.
“Miss Rosalyn, the brown hair looks good on you.”
Rosalyn was not aware of exactly what will happen today, but understood the severity after hearing the words, ‘magic bomb,’ and decided to help. Cale had also promised her something in return for her help.
“Right? I thought it will make it easier for me to run wild.”
Rosalyn had dyed her hair and pupils brown with magic. On and Hong were standing next to her.
“Lock, you should be able to use the physical strength of a wolf without transforming right?”
“Yes sir. It is possible.”
Lock was standing there nervously as well. Next to him were the Black Dragon and Choi Han.
Cale divided them into two teams. The Black Orb was already positioned by Choi Han yesterday, so the two teams each needed to locate and take care of the four bombs.
“Miss Rosalyn and Lock will be one team. Choi Han, Dragon, On, and Hong will be the other team.”
Rosalyn had a confused expression on her face after hearing how Cale divided up the teams. Lock had the same expression on his face as well.
“What about you, young master Cale?”
Choi Han, the Black Dragon, On, and Hong all responded to the question.
“Cale-nim is, a bit, uhm, his physical strength is…”
“Weak.”
“We don’t need him.”
“He is useless.”
Ah.
Rosalyn let out a gasp and looked toward Cale. Lock seemed to be quite surprised as well. However, Cale handed the items he borrowed from Billos to Choi Han, and confidently answered.
“I am weak and will only be baggage. I also need to prepare for the celebration as soon as the sun comes up, so it will be difficult for me to go with you.”
They were going to use the short opening when the guards for the night shift switched with the day shift to enter the areas where the bombs were located and start to dismantle them. After that, while the Black Orb activates and causes a mana disturbance, they will all need to wait at their determined stations to observe the secret organizations members and the situation at the plaza.
The birthday celebration was set to start at 9 am.
Cale looked at his watch before speaking to the six of them again.
“Alright then, please head to work.”
He then added on.
“Don’t forget to bring back the dismantled magic bombs.”
Rosalyn smiled and responded to Cale’s statement.
“You promised to give me one of them.”
“Of course.”
“Should be enough to pay for my services.”
It was definitely enough. Cale looked toward the terrace, that was now being used more as a door than as a terrace, and opened the window. A cool night breeze filled the room as the six individuals quickly rushed out of Cale’s room through the terrace.
Some left with invisibility magic while others left with very fast speed. Cale watched them leave and thought to himself that they were all very strong.
He was now left alone in the room.
Ooooooooong-
Cale slowly stroked the large shield and silver wings that appeared in front of him. Even if something unexpected happens, he would not die as long as he had this shield.
“…I’ll use a tiny bit of its strength if I need to do so.”
Cale patted the shield, that looked even more holy after having the heart crest engraved in it, and decided to use it without being noticed if there came the need to do so.
Cale sat down on the couch and practiced using just a small amount of the shield’s power, before noticing his reflection in the mirror.
‘It should be fine.’
The blood-crazed mage. It was said that this person went into a frenzy by the color red. That was why, in the novel, the mage went crazy after seeing Rosalyn for the first time, saying that they needed to cut Rosalyn’s head off to take her red hair and pupils.
Cale brushed back his hair, that was an even brighter red than Rosalyn’s hair, and started to think.
‘What are the chances that I’ll be in close proximity to that lunatic?’
Even if something like that happened, he just had to tell Choi Han to kill. Cale was not worried that his own head would get cut off. Cale relaxed and waited until Ron came to wake him up. Once Ron came at the usual time, Cale started to speak.
“Today will be your last day to serve me.”
“I can do it again in a year.”
That sounded terrible to Cale. He was planning on sending Ron to Choi Han immediately upon his return in a year. Cale was excited that he was getting rid of two baggages today, and started to speak with a light heart.
"Let's get ready."
Cale made all the preparations and headed for the palace. All the participating nobles were scheduled to move together. The Black Dragon was going to come to the palace to report on the progress.
After all of the preparations were completed, Cale got on a carriage in front of the residence’s main gate. It was not the Henituse carriage, instead, he was going to be riding with someone else today.
“Why did you want to go together?”
Amiru responded with a calm smile, as Cale asked the question while getting onto the carriage. Amiru had reached out and asked Cale to go with her today.
She got right to the point, since Cale did the same without even greeting her first.
“Young master Cale, what do you think about our territory building a naval base?”
Cale started to smile.
He had already received a letter from Eric letting him know that the tourism investment discussion did not go well. Eric said both Gilbert and Amiru were very disappointed. However, Amiru did not seem to be very disappointed. In fact, she seemed to have made up her mind about something else, something big.
He looked toward her and started to speak.
“Didn’t you already make up your mind, young lady Amiru?”
Amiru lightly nodded her head.
“Yes. I didn’t think it was a decision I could make on my own, so I contacted my mother. I plan to discuss it with young master Gilbert today as well.”
The creation of a new military base. Something like that was not easy to accomplish. The money wasn’t the issue, it was more about the relationship between powers within the territory that complicated things. Especially in times of peace, like right now.
That was why the crown would have their eyes on the Northeast. The east was the only side with access to the ocean, but, most importantly, there was a balance of power in the East. It would also be difficult for the high-ranking nobles in the other regions to influence such a base as well.
“Then young lady Amiru’s concern is that the crown’s influence in your territory will get stronger because of this?”
“Yes.”
Amiru gave a short answer, before continuing on.
“That is why I asked for this time with you today.”
It meant that she had something to discuss with him. Cale leaned on the back of the seat, and asked while in a comfortable position, as if he was in his own carriage.
“I am curious to know what your question is, but I think I need to tell you something first.”
He knew why Amiru was here.
“Any decision regarding the funds of the Henituse family is made solely by my father. A trash like me has no decision-making powers.”
The royal family would grant permission to build a naval base and invest huge sums of money. Naturally, the ownership of that naval base would then be passed on to the royal family.
When building a military base in a territory that is outside the capital, there are a lot of different contracts between the crown and the nobility for ownership and other logistics involving the military base.
There was a significant difference in manpower and funds between using the location as a military base than using the cliffs and the ocean for just tourism.
Amiru and Gilbert’s families were, honestly speaking, just average in wealth, lacking both the funds and the manpower to complete such a project.
That was what Amiru wanted to prevent. That meant that there was only one method.
Borrowing money from someone with a lot of money.
“Is that really the case?”
Amiru’s smile seemed very intelligent. She had entered the crown prince’s room during the wine party with Eric and Gilbert once Cale had left.
It was then that she learned that the crown prince was interested in the shoreline, even though he was not interested in tourism. When she returned to her residence that night, she thought about Cale’s words, and figured out his intentions.
“His Highness the crown prince was wary of the Whipper Kingdom and the kingdoms to the north. I could tell based on our conversation with him, so I sought out some information from the information guild.”
‘I knew it.’
Cale could tell from Amiru’s words that the crown prince and the royal family were aware of the fact that the Whipper Kingdom would soon face a civil war, and that the North was gathering their forces.
‘But this was unexpected.’
Amiru’s decision-making was on point. Amiru’s family was not doing very well right now, relying a lot on Eric Wheelsman’s family for help. It would have cost a lot to get information on foreign kingdoms through the information guild, but her willingness to spend that money to verify a single piece of information showed her personality.
Amiru looked toward Cale, who was quietly listening, before continuing.
“I heard the Henituse territory is currently fortifying its walls. I believe the Henituse family will be interested in the military, since it is a territory that does not allow any kind of invasions.”
Cale nodded his head at her statement and responded.
“I will speak to my father about it.”
“We will also send an official request as well.”
Cale and Amiru looked at each other and smiled.
If this naval base was to be created, the balance of power in the Northeast will shift to Cale, Eric, Amiru, and Gilbert’s four families. If the Henituse family provided the funds to have a steady influence in the base, the Henituse family would receive multiple facets of support from the base.
Amiru hesitated for a while, before continuing to speak.
“I am a bit worried because of the whirlpools, but there are paths that have been used for ages, and the whirlpool will actually serve as a defense to prevent foreign nations from invading. That is why I want to give it a go.”
Whirlpools. Cale prevented himself from smiling as soon as she mentioned the whirlpools.
That whirlpools will soon be Cale’s to utilize as he wishes.
‘Wouldn’t it be great to build a house on one of those cliffs and enjoy the sunset in the future?’
It would be difficult for him to stay in the Henituse estate once he hands control to Basen. Cale’s plan was to hide in some remote corner during the war, and then head to Amiru or Gilbert’s territory after the war was over to build a house on a cliff to relax while looking out at the sea.
It would be a good location, since it was pretty close to the Henituse territory as well.
“Thank you for your help, young master Cale.”
“Hahaha, to ask a trash for support. I have no power whatsoever, I am just delivering your message to my father.”
Cale waved it off, and started to laugh. However, Amiru did not believe his words at all anymore.
‘Amiru, you need to be cautious when you don’t have power. However, you need to be bold if you want to earn power.’
That was what her mother, the head of the Ubarr territory, had said as she agreed on the naval base. Amiru was similar to her mother. That was why she worked to be bold, even while remaining cautious. This was her philosophy for dealing with people as well.
“It is enough for you to deliver our message for us.”
Amiru reached her hand out to Cale, and Cale shook it. She then let go, before adding on.
“Please come visit the Ubarr territory next time. There are actually a lot of interesting places to see.”
“I will go if I have the chance to do so.”
The Sound of the Wind.
It will become Cale’s fast feet, and, at the same time, give him control over a whirlwind that can be used for both offense and defense. Cale thought about the Ubarr coast, where that ancient power was located.
“I hope that the opportunity comes soon.”
The carriage arrived at the palace as soon as he said that. Cale got off the carriage and looked around. The current time was 8 am.
The staff would already be at the Plaza of Glory to prepare for the celebration. The Royal Knights will allow people to enter at 8:30 am, filling the plaza full of people.
It will be a situation where it will be difficult for anyone to go in or out. The celebration will start thirty minutes after that, and Cale’s group will start looking for the hidden picture starting at 8:30 am.
Necklaces, bags, pendants.
The magic bombs will be hiding in all sorts of shapes. Cale’s group would find the people who have the bombs located on them. Well, it didn’t matter if they didn’t find them, since the answer will reveal itself.
“Oh, you’re here?”
Cale received Eric and Gilbert’s greeting, before standing next to them with Amiru.
"Everyone came early."
"Of course. We will start moving at 8:05 am.”
Eric said that to Cale, while his eyes were sending Cale another message.
Be still today as well.
Cale nodded his head while looking into Eric’s eyes, and reminded himself internally.
‘I do not know anything.’
As soon as he thought that, the crown prince appeared in front of Cale. The nobles would follow behind the crown prince today.
He then saw the person who arrived next to the crown prince, and covered his mouth with his hand. It was because he could not help but smirk.
“Oh my lord.”
“How is this possible?”
Eric’s shocked gasp and the murmuring of the nobles filled the area. However, Cale did not care about any of that. Instead, he lowered his hand while looking forward. Cale made eye contact with the person next to the crown prince.
The eldest son that had been pushed aside, Taylor Stan.
He was standing on his own two legs next to the crown prince. Taylor stealthily motioned with his eyes once he made eye contact with Cale.
At the same time, Cale could hear the Black Dragon’s voice in his head. The Black Dragon had entered the palace to give the current report of the situation.
Cale slightly nodded his head, and the voice continued.
Everything seemed to be going as planned.
Cale could not hear the Black Dragon’s voice after that. It seemed to have quickly returned to help the others. This Black Dragon surprisingly put all of his effort into his assignments whenever Cale gave him a task to complete. It made Cale want to keep ordering the Black Dragon around.
‘There shouldn’t be any reason for me to use the shield.’
Cale was thinking that he would not need to use the shield if things continued like this.
“All preparations have been completed.”
One of the knights shouted out loud, and the crown prince got on the Royal Parade Carriage and spoke to the nobles getting on the royal carriages behind him.
“Let’s go.”
Cale also got onto a royal carriage. The carriage soon started to move, and Cale sat there with his arms crossed while having a stiff expression on his face.
“Nice to meet you all again.”
The wheelchair-less Taylor greeted them.
“Nice to meet you. I am Amiru Ubarr.”
“…Nice to meet you.”
Taylor Stan, Young lady Amiru, and Venion’s lackey Neo Tolz ended up in the same carriage as them. Cale was wondering whether the crown prince purposely put them together in the same carriage.
It was Cale’s turn to introduce himself, but Cale just quietly sat there and looked out the carriage window. A trash was allowed to be this rude. He sat there with his arms crossed and looked toward the Plaza of Glory.
The chaos was not far away.