Chapter p2-1: TCF Part 2 - The Laws of the Hunt (Prologue)

<Part 2 - The Laws of the Hunt>

Prologue

Cale gently closed his eyes.

He took down the White Star and got rid of the sealed god by sealing him again.

But now...

"Hunter households..."

< The Hunters have become an organization. They are hunting humans. >

'Okay.'

"Let's rest after taking down these bastards."

Cale calmly thought to himself.

'I have money now.

I have a reliable backer.

I have a house and a villa.

I have land where I can farm.

I have everything necessary to have a slacker's life.

But my surroundings are not peaceful.

I at least need my territory and I at peace.'

"I'm certain that it will become quiet once I take down these bastards."

'As for taking down these bastards?'

"It's worth trying."

Cale brushed his face with both hands, an action that seemed contrary to what he was saying.

It was because there was one problem.

"...Those Hunter households are in multiple worlds?"

'...A world where black magic is officially recognized, a wuxia world with the ancient Chinese Central Plains, a world where Beast people are the majority, etc etc.

Fuck.

It looks like I'll be busy for a while.'

<It's exploding. An incident is exploding (1)>

Cale asked once more.

"Is it the Hunters?"

Billos, who was looking up at Cale with a sharp gaze, did not look like a worthless man on the run.

His gaze held something that surpassed wrath and a sense of betrayal... it was fear.

"Y, young master-nim-"

Billos's low voice could not stop shaking.

"A, are they the H, Hunters?"

Billos's hand that Cale was holding was severely shaking.

"They, they......!"

Billos's eyes were looking at something as he mumbled without being able to finish his sentence. His pupils were shaking intensely as if he was recalling a memory of the past or experiencing the nightmares of last night again.

"Mm."

This was the first time Choi Han saw Billos like this.

"...They......!"

Billos was trying his best to keep talking.

"Billos."

Cale spoke to Billos in a low voice.

"Get some rest first."

The pupils that had been wandering aimlessly focused on Cale. This was the first time Billos saw Cale looking so calm.

"Billos, who is standing in front of you right now?"

"...Young master-nim-"

Cale's voice, expression, his everything was extremely calm.

"It is safe here."

Billos slowly closed his eyes. He then realized something. Cale Henituse was the person who had held his hand that had been floating aimlessly.

'He's not the type of person who would usually do something so melodramatic.

No.

Although he seems like that on the outside, he is someone who frequently does things like this.

I'm sleepy.'

The Sandman was sprinkling sand in his eyes.

"You can sleep."

He could hear Cale's voice despite his vision becoming blurry and that finally allowed him to peacefully let the Sandman do his job.

"He's asleep."

Cale checked on the sleeping Billos and let go of his hand.

"Saint-nim, if you would please."

Cale looked toward the door that was still open because he had rushed in.

Crown prince Alberu was standing in front of the door with Saint Jack.

"Yes, young master-nim. Of course."

Saint Jack urgently rushed over to Billos. A holy light was already wrapped around his hand.

Cale was standing stiff as he raised his head toward the ceiling.

"Huuuuuu."

Cale let out a short sigh.

"It looks like I need to put some things in order first."

Cale had a need to analyze the current situation and there were people with him as by his side was their rightful place.

* * *

In a decently sized area within the Puzzle City City Hall Annex...

It was an empty room with only a few chairs.

"So..."

Only Cale and a few of his friends were in this room right now.

"Let's figure out the current situation."

Tap. Tap. Alberu Crossman continued speaking while tapping the armrest of the wooden chair.

"These Hunter bastards exist behind the sealed god and the White Star. Currently, these Hunters move under the control of five families. Is that right?"

"Yes, your highness."

There had been seven families in the past, but only five now because the Red Bloods and the White Bloods were no longer a part due to perishing or betrayal.

"Furthermore, someone from your maternal family, the House of Thames, came to give you some information. He said that the Duke's House of Orsena and the Flynn Merchant Guild have aligned with the Hunters."

Cale added on in a serious voice.

"That person from my maternal family then ran off with my money."

"...Yes, yes he did."

Alberu nodded his head with a stoic expression on his face and continued to speak. His face then stiffened.

"The Duke's House of Orsena, who seemed to have aligned themselves with the Hunters along with the Flynn Merchant Guild, is actually his Majesty's subordinate?"

"To be more accurate, his Majesty called them his hunting dogs."

"And Royal Father is planning on doing something to go up against the Hunters with the Duke's House of Orsena?"

"Yes, your highness. His Majesty stated that he was chasing after the Hunters for a personal reason."

This was information Cale had received while speaking in secret with the king, but he had no hesitation in informing Alberu and his friends.

'He never told me not to say anything to anybody else.'

King Zed probably expected Cale to tell Alberu and his friends. He was smart enough to consider that.

'He might have even considered a lot more things.'

Alberu scoffed once before speaking.

'His Majesty said that there was one last thing he needed to do. He said he needed to catch some damn rats."

"Did his Majesty go to the capital?"

"Yeah."

The king, who had arrived at City Hall quite visibly and loudly, had quietly returned to the capital with the Chief of Staff and swordsman he brought with him.

That was why Alberu was able to negotiate with the representatives of the different kingdoms in peace.

"Haaaa."

Alberu scoffed once again as if he was in disbelief.

- Choi Han, Choi Han!

Choi Han, who had been quietly watching Cale and Alberu, slightly flinched after hearing Raon's voice.

- I think that the crown prince and our human are both very, very angry right now! Are they going to go destroy the Hunters?

Raon's voice oddly sounded as if he really wanted to go destroy them.

Choi Han thought that Cale would definitely go to destroy them but just shrugged his shoulders and avoided answering.

'...Billos.'

They were not close with him but he was definitely one of their people. He was someone Choi Han had known for quite a long time since he left Harris Village and met Cale.

"First."

Alberu brushed his face with both hands.

"First of all."

There was a rare look of anger in Alberu's gaze as he repeated his words. Choi Han could not ask what he was angry about.

"First of all, it looks like I will need to speak with Royal Father. You hear what Billos has to say as soon as he wakes up. I will send some people to the main location of the Flynn Merchant Guild to get some info-"

Bang!

Alberu stopped talking after hearing a bang on the door.

Bang, bang! Bang!

It sounded quite urgent to be a regular knock and then they heard the Knight Captain's voice, no, his shouting.

The person who always focused on being serious was almost screaming.

"Your highness!"

Cale and Alberu made eye contact.

Click.

Choi Han opened the door even without Alberu saying anything.

"Your highness-!"

Cale looked at the Knight Captain's face.

'Fear?'

There was fear in the Knight Captain's eyes.

It meant that something unbelievable must have happened.

"Knight Captain, what is-"

"The palace, the king's palace is destroyed, your highness!"

'What? The Roan Palace was destroyed?'

Cale along with everybody else in the room was at a loss for words.

'Not just any palace but the king's palace?

Then, then-'

Cale could not say it out loud. But Alberu managed to ask.

"What about Royal Father?"

His voice was calm.

However, Alberu had walked up to the Knight Captain and was tightly holding the man's arm.

"Knight Captain! Hurry!"

"That, that, currently-"

The Knight Captain's face was pale. There was only one thing that could make him like this. Everybody could feel what he was about to say.

"Knight Captain. Stay focused."

The Knight Captain flinched at Alberu's tone before looking into Alberu's eyes and then immediately speaking.

"That... We are currently unable to determine his Majesty's location. The King's Palace is completely destroyed so they cannot tell what is inside!"

"How does that make any sense? What about the knights and mages of the King's Palace? The Chief of Staff, that strong person is there! No."

Alberu shook his head.

He then spoke into the air.

"I must go to the palace, sir."

Alberu requested toward the invisible Raon as soon as Choi Han opened the door.

"I got it."

A young but low voice echoed through the air and a teleportation magic circle was immediately created.

Alberu was at the center of the black teleportation magic circle.

"Your highness! That is not all!"

However, the Knight Captain, who had now snapped back to his senses a bit, urgently continued speaking.

"The Duke's House of Orsena caught on fire and it is said that young lady Orsena is responsible for all of it!"

"Orsena?"

Alberu's gaze turned toward Cale. He recalled what the two of them had just been talking about.

The Knight Captain added on.

"That is the report I have received so far, your highness."

"Your highness."

Cale, who had been silent during this report, spoke to Alberu.

"Let's go, your highness."

He stepped onto the teleportation magic circle with Alberu.

"Ron. Protect Billos."

"Yes, young master-nim."

Ron bowed without giving any opinions.

Alberu looked at him for a bit before speaking to the Knight Captain. His voice was extremely calm.

"You stay here. Make sure people remain quiet about things so that information is leaked to the foreign kingdoms as slowly as possible."

"Your highness, the palace is dangerous right now! I heard that all members of the royal family are currently taking shelter. I will go with you! There are terror incidents happening all over the capital right now-!"

Alberu cut the Knight Captain off.

"Me? I'm in danger?"

He watched as Choi Han stepped onto the teleportation magic circle and stood next to him.

Furthermore, the dragon who made this teleportation magic circle was with him as well.

Cale, Choi Han, and Raon.

Alberu felt the three individuals around him and blinked. His hands and feet that had turned cold and his mind that had blanked out slowly filled with warmth.

"Right now."

He was sure of it.

In this land...

"There is no member of the royal family who is safer than I am."

The Knight Captain closed his mouth as soon as he saw Alberu's gaze. His eyes were burning up despite his calm demeanor.

"The King's Palace was destroyed and his Majesty is unable to be located."

Based on how the Knight Captain only told him the urgent information, he had no way of knowing everything about the Roan Palace and the capital right now.

However, he was certain that the capital was in pandemonium.

Something happened, but...

He had no way of knowing what happened.

He was unable to determine the reason for or the people involved with this sudden tragedy. He only had a vague idea about the culprit.

That was why Alberu could firmly say this.

"That is why I need to go."

'With the strongest of my people.'

"Sir, let's go."

Alberu looked into the air and spoke and the Knight Captain finally bowed deeply."

"I will follow you soon, your highness."

Oooooong-- oooooong--

The teleportation magic circle rumbled and the spell was cast.

Cale saw it at that instant.

Alberu's tightly clenched hands turned red as if his veins would burst and his skin was turning pale.

Cale pretended not to see the cold sweats flowing down Alberu's face.

He chose to close his eyes.

- We teleported to the top of the crown prince palace.

Raon had teleported the three of them to the roof of the crown prince palace.

Cale opened his eyes after hearing Raon's voice. He then immediately looked in a direction.

He did not see something he should have normally seen.

He heard Alberu's empty voice.

"...It was true."

As they had been told, the King's Palace was completely destroyed without even a single pillar left standing.

************************************

Author's Notes

Hello, it is Yu Ryeo Han.

Part 2 has finally started!

I'm excited, shaking, and nervous. It is reminding of the first time I released a chapter. :)

This time... This time... 250 chapters, no, within 300 chapters... I plan on finishing part 2...!

It... should be possible, right? ㅠㅠ

Now then, I will do my best with Part 2 - < The Laws of the Hunt >!

Thank you very much.

I hope that you have a peaceful day.

- Sincerely, Yu Ryeo Han -