Chapter p2-24: TCF Part 2 - Who are you guys? (4)

<Who are you guys? (4)>

- It feels like it has been quite a while.

Alberu waved while still lying down on the bed.

- I guess you can contact us even from another dimension.

He looked pretty relaxed. However, Alberu's right arm and most of his upper body was covered in bandages.

His face was very pale. Furthermore, one of his cheeks was swollen red as if he was hit by something.

"Grandpa Ron! Crown prince!"

Raon shoved his face toward the screen in shock.

- It's been a while to see you too, Raon-nim.

"Grandpa Ron!"

Ron was a mess too.

Although Ron could use regular potions unlike Alberu, who had some Dark Elf blood in him, one of his arms was in a cast. Of course, it was his real arm and not the fake one that Mary had attached for him.

Furthermore, one of Ron's legs was in a cast as well.

- What is going on?

Beacrox appeared on the screen at that moment.

He seemed to have entered the bedroom.

"...What happened?"

Beacrox did his best to avoid Choi Han's vicious gaze.

"Your highness. Did something happen?"

Cale looked at Alberu, who avoided Cale's gaze and looked up at the ceiling.

- I thought it was weird that the name Cale Henituse appeared on the video communication device. Did you call using the divine item?

"Your highness."

Cale called out to Alberu in a low voice and Alberu finally looked at Cale. Cale could sense it at that moment.

'He's angry.'

Although Alberu looked pretty relaxed and calm, he was quite angry.

Ron seemed to be feeling the same as his benign smile was more exaggerated than normal.

- I'll give you a short breakdown of the current situation.

Beacrox poured some tea into the crown prince's cup on the nightstand. It was odd for Cale to see Ron just sitting down like this.

- Mm.

The crown prince sat up and leaned against the headboard. He picked up the teacup and hesitated after realizing it was lemon tea before drinking it.

- After you left-

"Yes, your highness."

- The eldest son of the Flynn Merchant Guild died.

'What?'

The palace had been protecting the eldest son of the Flynn Merchant Guild.

They couldn't put an outsider like him in a deep part of the palace because the King's Palace was destroyed, but... He had been thoroughly surrounded by guards inside the palace.

- He was poisoned.

The crown prince was not done speaking.

- ...Also, the youngest young lady disappeared.

The only survivor from the Duke's House of Orsena... The youngest young lady had disappeared.

- Right in front of my eyes.

A smile appeared on Alberu's face. His smile was twisted because of his rage.

- Cale.

"Yes, your highness."

- Take this offering of karma.

Cale's eyebrow slightly twitched.

- The people shouting that are hunters, right?

"Yes they are, your highness."

- Okay. Then the person I faced must be a hunter.

The Hunters shouted 'Take this offering of karma' as they traversed through dimensions. Of course, they have to pay the price for it first.

Bang!

Raon slammed the table with his front paws.

"Is it because of the Hunters again?!"

Cale debated for a moment whether he should tell Raon not to do that because Raon had been slamming the table with his front paws quite often lately, but...

'Those shitheads-!'

He too was filled with anger and annoyance.

'Why do they keep barging into Roan when we aren't doing anything?!

And they took the youngest young lady? They also killed the eldest son of the Flynn Merchant Guild?'

And most importantly...

"Haaaa. These bastards-"

Cale was filled with anger after looking at Ron and Alberu's conditions.

He truly could not understand this situation.

Whether it was him or his friends... They were all people who would live peaceful lives and not cause any issues if they weren't messed with first. Of course, Alberu was the crown prince and the future king, but it wasn't like he was someone with a tyrant's disposition. He was the type to cheekily handle the kingdom's affairs and pull out things to benefit him.

"...It's so annoying."

Cale flinched.

'Did I say that out loud?

No, that was definitely someone else.'

Cale turned his head.

Choi Han was quietly standing there while glaring at the screen.

Both Raon and Cale looked at Choi Han with shocked expressions. Choi Han didn't care as he repeatedly gripped and released the handle of his sword.

"Are your injuries serious?"

Sui Khan looked at Alberu and asked.

- Not really.

"Both of you look like you have serious injuries. Did other people get that injured as well?"

- ...I am the most injured.

Alberu could see Cale's face turn quite unsettled through the video communication device screen as soon as he said that.

"Haaaaa."

Cale didn't know what to say after hearing that the person, who knew better than anybody else that he was the crown prince, was fighting in the front and got injured.

He asked a different question instead.

"Could you please give a more detailed explanation, your highness?"

Cale saw Alberu's gaze move in a different direction at that moment.

'Hmm?'

Alberu was pointing at the screen with an odd expression on his face.

- Choi Han.

His finger was pointing at Choi Han.

"Excuse me?"

The crown prince, who was looking at the confused Choi Han with a piercing gaze, nodded his head as if he accepted something.

- Yes, he was similar to you.

As the anger disappeared from Choi Han's eyes and turned into question marks...

- Choi Han, just like you... People who looked like Koreans but were wearing a completely different style of clothes barged in, grabbed the youngest young lady, and disappeared instantly.

Alberu had gone to Korea as the Dark Tiger and knew about modern clothing.

Such a person was saying this.

They looked like Koreans but the clothes were different from the Korean clothing that he saw?

- Their clothes were peculiar. I've never seen such clothes before. It was a bit... old-fashioned.

Cale's mind quickly started to move.

If it was clothes the crown prince had never seen...

Furthermore, if it was related to the Hunters and they shouted, 'take this offering of karma' as they traveled through dimensions?

He could form a conclusion.

"...Did they come from the Central Plains?"

The Central Plains. It was highly likely that the Hunter was from the Church of Blood.

- As expected.

Alberu nodded his head as if he had expected this.

"Is the damage severe, your highness?"

- ...Another palace was destroyed.

A second palace was destroyed in addition to the King's Palace.

"The Hunters are evil! Destroying one was enough! Two is too much!"

Raon shouted in anger but Cale was focused on what Alberu said next.

- They called the youngest young lady a sacrifice as they took her.

'...This is driving me nuts.'

Cale was getting a headache.

'It looks like I'll need to head to the Central Plains right away after taking care of things here in Xiaolen.'

He organized his thoughts and started to speak.

"...Will you be okay, your highness?"

Alberu chuckled at the question.

Two palaces were destroyed in a short period of time. Furthermore, the crown prince was injured in the battle against the intruders and they had gotten away.

- Well, there will be no issues of foreign kingdoms looking down on the Roan Kingdom because of this. Plus, the restoration is continuing without any changes. There's just the issue of having to build another palace.

The crown prince was speaking as if it was no big deal, but everybody knew the truth.

They knew that too many terrible things had happened to the Roan Kingdom at once.

- What about on your side?

Cale sighed and gave a short response at Alberu's question that was said to change the topic.

"If she wants to..."

- ?

"It looks like Mary could become the Empress here. Of course, it'll change based on what Mary wants to do."

- ?

"Ah, and I am being treated even holier than as the Saint for the God of Death."

- ?

"I presume that we are going to seriously flip this world over before we leave."

- ...Flip the world over?

Alberu looked at Cale in shock.

- What the hell are you going around doing?

"The same as usual, your highness."

Beacrox looked at Cale with quite the suspicious gaze. He then looked at Choi Han, who was stoically standing there as if there were no issues and Raon, who was nodding his head over and over in agreement.

He also saw a young boy with white hair he had never seen before leisurely eating snacks.

- Haaa.

He sighed and thought to himself.

'It looks like they'll take care of things properly.'

- ...I'll need a more detailed explanation.

Alberu started to speak again.

However, they could not grant his request.

Swooooooosh-

There was a strong gust of wind.

The window clunked.

"It's coming again."

Sui Khan looked out the window toward a black rain cloud that was heading toward the wall.

Cale immediately stood up. Raon started to speak.

"Mary isn't here yet!"

"We will contact you again, your highness."

- Okay. I understand.

Cale looked at Alberu, Beacrox, and then Ron before speaking again.

"Everybody, let's take care of ourselves as we work."

- ...He is one to talk.

Cale heard Beacrox mumbling but just ignored it. Ron asked at that moment.

- Where are the kiddos, young master-nim?

Cale gave a short response.

"They'll be here soon."

Eruhaben was going to go get On and Hong tonight. On and Hong were currently investigating the state of affairs at the capital. They had set up some things to insure that the two of them would be safe, but they were planning on bringing them over as quickly as possible.

- I'll see you later.

The call ended with Alberu's goodbye.

"Let's go."

Cale immediately opened the door.

"Oh! Are you planning on heading out, sir?"

The aide for Team 6, Eaen, was running toward them.

"Yes ma'am. Our liege has not returned yet."

- Human, I'm heading to the gate first!

Raon turned invisible and flew away first. He seemed quite concerned for Mary even with Eruhaben stationed at the gate.

"It is dangerous to go outside, sir!"

"Is it not allowed?"

"...That's not the case, but..."

The aide mumbled as she responded to Cale's question.

"I'll head over first, sir."

Choi Han had the black hawk on his shoulder as he headed out of the castle first.

Peek. Cale looked out the hallway window.

The rain cloud was approaching quicker than it had done so yesterday. The wind was stronger as well.

The comment about the rain cloud getting stronger day by day was the truth.

'Mm.'

Furthermore, the Margrave was on top of a tower inside the wall giving orders.

That might have been why the black magic shield surrounded Precinct 9 quicker than it had done so yesterday.

"Aide-nim."

"Yes, sir."

"Please deliver this note to the Margrave-nim."

All expression instantly disappeared from Eaen's face.

"Are you trying to solicit something from him?"

"Pffft."

She could see the masked man smiling underneath the mask.

"I do not know why the Margrave looked at my liege so fiercely yesterday. I also do not know why the top aide seems to be roaming around our lodging quite a bit."

The stoic expression disappeared from the aide's face. She started to smile as well.

"Solicitation is not allowed."

"Hmm. I guess he must have some personal business with us."

Cale handed the note to her again.

"We too have some personal business with the Margrave. Please deliver it to your uncle."

"......."

Aide Eaen... She was the Margrave's distant relative's niece and his only remaining blood relative. She sighed before taking the note.

"I probably shouldn't read it, right?"

"You can read it. If you are confident enough to deal with the consequences of what you read."

"Mm."

"However, I recommend that the Margrave reads it first. It'll probably be better for you to read it after that."

"That sounds like a plan."

Eaen carefully placed the note in her inner pocket. She made eye contact with Heni Wishrop's subordinate again.

"Are you not curious about the Marquis-nim's intentions?"

"We will just need to hear about it as well. Until then."

Cale wasn't that curious about the Marquis' intentions.

'His goal is obvious.'

It was the Marquis who would have a headache if the former Marquis being a heretic was revealed.

'But I am curious.'

He should not know that Cale had a relationship with the Fire of Purification. However, there was still something he wanted from Mary.

'Well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.'

Cale didn't put much thought into it and headed out of the castle.

"Mm."

But he stealthily brushed off one hand and then the other.

Crack. Crack.

Gold and red currents crackled in Cale's hands.

- I want to bring down thunderbolts!

- Calm down.

The cheapskate of the Fire of Destruction was going wild while the Super Rock was sincerely calming him down.

- It reminds me of the past! I burned it all when darkness was about to descend on the Western continent! Even the World Tree can't stop me!

- Woah, woah. Calm down, calm down. Cale, do you have any money? Give him some money.

Cale ignored the conversation between the two ancient powers.

"Mm."

Eaen, who had been watching him leave, quickly started to move as well.

* * *

"What is this?"

"Marquis-nim, that esteemed individual's subordinate asked me to deliver it."

The Margrave scowled at Eaen for coming to see him while he was busy, but his face relaxed after seeing the note she stealthily handed him.

That esteemed individual.

She was talking about the nineteenth candidate.

"They sent one first?"

"Yes sir. I did not make any gestures."

"I see."

Marquis Helson confirmed that the people around him were all busy guarding against the rain cloud and that only those who were on his side were there before opening the note.

What would that side have said?

"Mm."

"...Marquis-nim?"

The Marquis quickly folded the note back before Eaen could read it.

"Uncle?"

Eaen could see the Marquis' face turn pale.

'What is going on? What could be written on there?'

She was curious about the contents of the note.

However, she could not see it. The Marquis quickly put the note in his pocket as he spoke.

"Tonight. Let them know to meet me tonight."

"Yes, Marquis-nim."

The Marquis grabbed the ledge of the tower.

Shaaaaaaaaaaa-

The black mages and their shield were managing to block the black rain.

The shield broke and then was mended over and over.

The Marquis clenched his eyes shut.

'How did they know?'

This was what was written on the note.

< I heard heretics are to be executed immediately? >

'...Heni Wishrop. How does she know about that?'

The Marquis realized that the proposal he was going to offer her was not the issue. He got the chills and rubbed his neck.

"Mm."

His eyes noticed Heni Wishrop as she entered into the wall. The First Imperial Prince came in behind her and her subordinates were headed toward her.

Baaaaaang---!

It was at that moment.

"Marquis-nim! The shield has been breached!"

It was now past the shield getting a crack, there was an actual hole in the shield.

"Hurry up and close it!"

The shield was quickly closed but some black rain had entered through the hole.

"Tell the Dark Elves to absorb the black rain! Evacuate the civilians! It'll be hard to stop it if the ground starts to erode!"

The Margrave raised his voice.

He couldn't even think about the contents of the note anymore.

"Ah."

He gasped at that moment.

Tap. Tap.

He heard some bones clacking before an umbrella appeared in the air to block the black rain. The black rain that touched the bones was absorbed into the white bones.

"...As I expected."

Heni Wishrop. She was standing under the umbrella greeting her subordinates.

"Mm!"

The Margrave then made eye contact with one of her subordinates.

"He was the one who gave me the note."

He heard Eaen's voice but the Margrave could only see the subordinate who was smiling.

- Human, why are you smiling like that? Are you about to scam someone?

Cale ignored Raon's voice and leisurely looked away from the Margrave.