Chapter 661: I guess I do have to step in? (3)

Cale was in so much pain that he was about to go crazy.

'Holy shit......! This is just hurting a little? This is what she calls stinging a bit?'

It was unbelievable.

- ...Uhh...mm...are you okay?

- Keep it up! Just a little longer, it'll be over soon!

- Cale, you can do it.

- Truly a merciless Dragon.

Cale could hear the ancient powers mumbling in his mind.

Unlike them who were cheering him on, Cale didn't have any strength to respond.

'Why the hell-, why the hell is my mind getting clearer as the pain continues?!'

It was so painful that he wished he would faint or something, but instead his senses were getting sharper as time went on.

His sense of touch, sight, smell, etc... he could feel all of his senses brimming with energy as time went on.

'I'm getting better. My plate is finally being connected together.'

Cale could tell what was happening without even looking down at his body.

That was probably why every second felt as if it lasted for a whole day. He turned his head through the pain and made eye contact with Mila.

He started to mouth something.

'I shouldn't have trusted a Dragon-'

No words were coming out. However, Mila gently smiled at him, as if she knew what he wanted to say without him actually saying it.

"Teacher, it'll be over soon."

As she mentioned, the beige-colored mana that was covering Cale's body had mostly been absorbed into it, so that it was only visible around his neck and face area now.

Cale bit down on his lips in relief after hearing that it was almost over.

Mila brightly said something at that moment.

"The head area will hurt a little, just a tiny bit more."

''This motherfucking-!'

Cale swore internally since he couldn't even mouth it anymore as he looked toward Mila with desperation. Mila gently told him it was coming.

"It's going to happen... right now."

"...Ugh!"

The bed Cale was on started moving. It was because Cale's body was shaking uncontrollably at this sudden pain.

"H, human!"

Raon peeked his head out from behind Mila after hearing Cale's extremely painful grunt.

"Huff. Huff."

What Raon saw was Cale, who was lying face down on the bed while breathing heavily. Cale was clenching his hair with both hands as he stuffed his face into the pillow.

"Human, are you okay?!"

Raon approached Cale in shock after seeing how he was drenched in sweat.

His eyes sparkled after looking at Cale properly, as he had not done so the first time because he noticed all the sweat.

"Huff, huff. I'm fine."

The way he was breathing heavily while responding made him sound tired, but his face was completely healed without a single scar or crack left on it.

"Human! You look like a baby!"

Raon just shared his honest thoughts, and Cale had a look of disbelief as he moved his hand to brush his face. He could feel his soft face that didn't have a single scar or pimple on it.

He slowly turned toward Mila.

'Scary Dragon.'

He thought to himself that Mila was the scariest and most vicious Dragon as Mila gently smiled at him after noticing his gaze.

"Teacher, your plate was connected very cleanly without a single scratch, so you don't have to worry about your plate anymore."

The ancient powers reacted to that statement. The Super Rock was the first to share his excitement.

- It's true! Cale, it's completely clean without any signs of having been put together!

- Wow. It really is. This Dragon might be vicious, but she sure is talented. Wow, this is great.

The Sound of the Wind chimed in as well in a shocked voice.

"My power... Connect Together is quite useful for putting things together without leaving any traces of it happening. However..."

There was something Mila had to say to the now healed Cale.

"However... I cannot use my power twice on the same person."

That meant that she would not be able to use her abilities to heal Cale if his plate was to break again.

"Teacher, your plate is large, but it is weak as glass. So, please be careful."

The smile was gone on her face as she said the following.

"There is no next time."

Her cold voice filled the office. The gust of wind caused by her beige mana was gone and the entire office was quiet.

Raon clenched his fists together after hearing what Mila had just said.

'Never! I will never let the human be like that again!'

Raon had made up his mind, and the others who were looking at him all felt the same way.

"You look like shit."

Cale turned toward Alberu, who was walking into the office.

Alberu was frowning while looking at Cale with an unapproving gaze.

"Your highness, you look terrible as well."

It was because Cale snickered and responded that way.

"Haaaaaaaa."

He sighed and looked away from Cale as he walked over to the two orbs on one side of the office.

"Ron."

- ...Your highness.

"How about you stop watching and hurry up and come over here?"

Ron's face showed none of his usual benign smile while looking at Alberu.

Ron looked around.

On, Hong, and Dodori were pacing nearby as they could not come close to the video communication device. Beacrox walked over after seeing the serious expression on Ron's face. Gashan and the Ranger Brigade members were here as well. Finally, there was Rasheel, who was sitting down with a sassy look on his face.

Ron looked back at Alberu and started speaking.

- I will be right there, your highness.

"Sounds good. Now, Mercenary King, can I leave the Eastern continent to you?"

Alberu now looked at Bud, who was with Ron. The Mercenary King looked at Cale on the bed with a somewhat blank expression for a moment before nodding his head.

- Please leave it to us. Princess Jopis's side and my mercenaries are enough to handle things over here. The Sez Kingdom will be with us as well.

It was at that moment.

"Dodori-nim and Rasheel-nim cannot come right now."

Alberu turned toward Cale, who was behind him, before frowning again. The way Cale was putting his jacket on made it obvious that he was about to get up.

Cale slowly got off the bed and walked up to Alberu and the others.

"This monster, the Lion Dragon, responds when strong individuals appear. The monster might start moving if Mila-nim, Dodori-nim, and Rasheel-nim are all in one spot. We will have Mila-nim and Dodori-nim wait near Puzzle City for now."

Cale looked toward Alberu after feeling something was off.

"...Why are you-?"

Alberu was looking at Cale with an extremely annoyed expression.

"Are you planning on fighting right away?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. You."

Alberu's mind was a complicated mess as Cale pointed to himself with a confused expression on his face.

He had seen how much pain Cale had just been through.

That was why he wanted to tell the owner of this feeble body who needed rest to take a break, even if his plate was connected back together.

But Cale Henituse needed to fight with them in this current situation.

He was extremely apologetic for having to do that and thankful to Cale for being able to do that.

He was angry at this mother fucking situation.

Alberu's mind was a complicated mess because of the mix of all these emotions.

'I'm sure he'll say that he will fight, but if his plate breaks again-'

He quickly got rid of the terrible thought and shook his head. It was at that moment.

"I'm not going to fight."

"...Huh? You're not going to fight?"

"Yes, your highness."

It was Alberu's turn to look at Cale with a confused expression on his face. Cale didn't care and continued speaking as he didn't have any time to waste.

He thought this was great. Alberu and the Eastern continent... He would save some time as he could tell two sides his plan at the same time.

"Our goal is to make the White Star appear in front of the Lion Dragon. That is why it is important that it looks like Eruhaben-nim and I are unable to fight. In such a situation, it is better that I don't show myself on the battlefield."

Alberu agreed and nodded his head. He then asked a question.

"Then where are you going?"

Wouldn't it be better to stay in the office to talk strategy and lead everybody in the shadows while saving his energy for when the White Star appears?

Alberu wanted to ask that, but Cale's response put him at a loss for words.

"I plan on going to my mother's grave."

Silence filled the area for a different reason this time.

"...Uhh-"

Alberu, who knew about Kim Rok Soo, was at a loss for words and took a minute to figure out which 'mother' Cale was talking about.

"...Mm."

Mila groaned and covered her eyes with her hands.

-.......

As for Lee Soo Hyuk, Kim Rok Soo, and Choi Jung Soo inside the cintamani, they just stayed silent because they didn't know what was going on.

Even if they wanted to say something, they were still shocked at how much pain Cale seemed to be in as he was being healed.

And finally, the video communication device...

-...Shit.

Mercenary King Bud sighed.

Ron was standing silently next to him while looking away. His eyes were fluctuating, but Bud couldn't even think about looking at Ron as he started to speak.

- You, what are you thinking- hey, it's not that, right?

"Hmm?"

Cale looked at Bud with a weird expression after hearing his shaking voice.

Bud covered his mouth with one hand as he frowned.

- Cale. You must absolutely not have weird thoughts like that.

"Huh?"

Bud felt frustrated after hearing Cale speaking as if he had no idea what Bud was talking about.

'Do you really think I wouldn't know what you are thinking about if you feign ignorance?'

They were currently in a calm moment in the middle of a fierce battle. Why else would Cale go visit the grave of his mother who passed away when he was young?

Bud had an idea about what Cale was thinking based on the things he had seen and heard.

'...He's definitely going there to firm his resolve.'

When Mercenaries are facing a big war, about to go on a dangerous mission, or when they received a mission that they must complete successfully... They would often go home or to the graves of deceased family members to calm themselves or make up their minds.

'This bastard that has been nonchalant this whole time is going to visit his mother's grave this time-?!'

It must have meant that there was a big change in Cale's mental state.

Bud could not understand the mind of this punk who was barely 20 years old and felt sorrow, despite not knowing everything Cale was carrying on his young shoulders.

Bud controlled his teary heart and slowly started to speak.

- You must survive. We must all survive no matter what.

'Why the hell is he acting like this all of a sudden? What nonsense is this?'

Cale looked shocked as he observed Bud.

"Of course we have to survive. My goal is to live a comfortable and healthy life in the future."

- I see. Let's make sure we do that.

Bud warmly nodded his head at Cale with a sparkle in his eyes. Cale wanted to turn the video communication device off as soon as he saw Bud's reaction.

But Bud said something before hanging up first.

- I will receive your firm resolve and work hard too! Let's overcome things together!

Click.

Bud had shut off the video communication device after saying that.

That was why Cale didn't know.

"I am heading over."

"Yes, sir. Please stay strong, Patriarch-nim."

Ron, On, Hong, and Beacrox... The four of them as well as a few others including the Dragons had left.

Bud looked back at the remaining members of the Molan Household, mercenaries, and Ranger Brigade members who were looking at him.

They looked a bit relaxed after this first victory. Bud needed to teach them what it felt like to be desperate.

He called only the leaders of the allies to explain Cale's orders.

He could only tell a few people about Cale's orders since people were supposed to think that he was unable to fight right now, so Bud decided that this would be enough.

"We will definitely win!"

"The war is not over yet. In fact, this could just be the beginning. Let's finish this business on the Eastern continent with our own hands!"

"We must show our will!"

The chief executives' gazes changed.

Their pupils were fluctuating just like Bud's.

"Yes, let's do it!"

Bud wanted to use this momentum to get rid of all traces of the White Star on the Eastern continent during his absence.

"Mm."

Cale, who had no idea about this, had an iffy expression on his face while looking at the now-off video communication device before turning around and heading toward Raon, who was peeking at him.

"Raon and I will be back soon so please contact me on the video communication device frequently, your highness."

"...Okay."

Alberu looked as if he had many questions, but Cale did not explain anything.

He could not mention the conversation he had with the real Cale Henituse just yet. Cale was planning on explaining things after confirming something at his mother's grave.

"Are you heading over there right away?"

"No, your highness."

Cale took a robe out of his spatial pocket bag.

Raon's magic turned his hair brown.

"I plan on heading over to my father first."

Before heading to the real Cale's mother's grave... He needed to see Duke Deruth's face first.

Meeting with the real Cale Henituse let Cale fully accept the fact that he was the one who needed to look after his family here.

* * *

"We're here."

They were on a small mountain with a vibrant forest, unlike the other mountains that were used to mine marble.

Actually, it was probably more accurate to call this a hill.

Cale looked at this hill that was located right behind the Henituse Estate for a moment.

"Human! This place is eerie!"

Raon fluttered his wings while floating next to Cale.

And then behind Cale...

"Hyung-nim."

Basen was standing there with a stiff expression on his face.

He seemed to have been planning on going to Puzzle City as well, since he was wearing leather armor.

Basen peeked at Raon and hesitated before he asked.

"Are you going to go alone?"

He sounded extremely concerned.

Cale was in a rush, but he motioned to Basen.

"I don't really want to go alone."

Cale didn't know where his birth mother's grave was located among the numerous graves of the Henituse ancestors. It would take quite a while to look for it himself.

Basen should know where it was located.

Besides that reason, Cale could only say one thing to Basen, who was concerned that Cale was suddenly going to his mother's grave in the middle of a war.

"Little brother, let's go together."

Basen flinched in shock while looking at Cale, who was motioning to him with his hand.

—