Chapter 164 – Somehow Once Again (4)

Alberu started to frown.

"Why?"

He first asked for Cale's reasoning.
He could see Cale Henituse beckoning him to come closer to the bed. He wanted to scoff, but decided to play along since Cale was a patient.

Cale lowered his body toward the crown prince and whispered in his ear.

"Sir Rex has decided to join us."

'Rex?'
Alberu could not recall who that was. However, seeing Cale's red hair made him remember Rex.

Alberu looked toward Cale.

"You crazy bastard."

He could not help but swear. The Dark Elf Kora next to him flinched but returned to normal after seeing the expressions on the faces of Cale's guard knights.

"Why?"

Cale responded after hearing Alberu asking him once more.

"I'm sure some information about Sir Rex has spread to at least the nobles in the capital."

Alberu nodded his head. Even a foreigner like him had received information about the knight named Rex. Alberu recalled the information he had been given.

A knight originally from the slums.

"…The slums?"

Cale responded to Alberu's slowly forming train of thought.

"He is someone who escaped from the Alchemists' Bell Tower and knows the truth."
"…We need to save him."

Cale quickly added on.

"I already saved him."

Cale could see Alberu falling into a state of deep thought.

Alberu did not know about the divine items.
However, he knew about most of the other things.

The Saint and the Holy Maiden.
The Alchemist who is not a part of the Bell Tower.

Cale had learned about the Alchemists' Bell Tower and the Empire's plans through them. That was why Alberu instantly understood the value of Sir Rex.

Alberu started to speak.

"What does that person have to do with you stepping forward as a hero? Don't you hate being in the spotlight?"
The Cale that Alberu knew did not like being the center of attention.
Cale admitted to it.

"I definitely hate it."

A lot of restrictions are placed on you if you are the center of attention. You also have to pay attention to how you act around people. Even if Cale was the type that did not care about what other people thought, not being in the spotlight was the best way to live a quiet slacker life.

However, it was okay this time.
Cale responded to Alberu, who was looking at him.

"But it is okay this time. I plan to put heroes forward in the future that will make the people forget my name."

"Ha."
Alberu brushed his face with his hand.

"I guess you plan on making Rex a hero as well."

Cale started to smile.

"We will make the people lose faith in the crown and the nobles. Shouldn't we have someone to fill their spot?"

Alberu did not say anything. He agreed with Cale's sentiments.

"A knight from the slums. Also, the person who attacked the Vice Tower Master in order to reveal the truth hidden within the darkness."

Alberu's gaze turned similar to Cale's gaze.

"Good. Very good."

He was satisfied with the current situation.
They would profit a lot as long as Rex was not caught.

'I'm sure this punk wouldn't put him somewhere only for him to get caught.'

Cale would have been thorough with where he placed Rex. Alberu started to speak.

"It is only beneficial for me if you get a medal and become popular."

The Empire's treatment of the Roan Kingdom's envoy had gotten much better already.

It was because of last night's incident.
The Empire had focused on their high-rank nobles and could not take care of the lower ranking nobles, including the lower ranking envoy members.
Furthermore, they also had to prevent the news about the attempted assassination of the Vice Tower Master.

That was why they did not prevent the information about Cale from getting out.

Since it was something that would get out anyway, they had no problem letting the actions of a foreign noble, something that would have the least effect on the Empire, become the biggest point of focus.
Thanks to that, Cale's actions had spread like wildfire.

Although he was a foreign noble, the fact that he had prevented the Roan Kingdom's Plaza Terror Incident and the fact that they did not have any good news since the war with the Whipper Kingdom made this a great story for the Empire.

Alberu got up. He had a lot to do.

"Get some rest."
"Yes, your highness."

Cale nodded his head and laid back down. Alberu clicked his tongue at Cale's actions, but his face showed concern and sorriness as he opened the bedroom door.

"How is he, your highness?"
Alberu looked at Daltaro and the Empire's administrator next to him as he shook his head. However, the words coming out of his mouth were different than his actions.

"Young master Cale is fine."

However, the fact that his words did not match his actions affected Daltaro even more. He wondered if he should go inside and ask how Cale was doing.
However, Alberu said something that made him change his mind.

"He used his power too much yesterday. We should let him get his rest."
"Yes, your highness."
"Plus, we still have a lot to do."
"…Indeed, your highness."

Daltaro knew Alberu was right.

Alberu had stopped to see Cale on his way to see the Imperial Prince, who had taken control of this incident. That was why Daltaro was with him as the leader of the envoy.

"Let's go."

Daltaro and the rest walked away from Cale's bedroom at Alberu's command.

* * *

At that moment, Cale was laying on the bed eating the cookie that Raon had brought him. Choi Han, who had a long night, approached him and whispered in his ear.

"Mr. Billos asked if he could see you."
"Bring him over."

Choi Han started to move again at Cale's command.
A few hours later, the Flynn Merchant Guild's Billos entered Cale's bedroom while saying that he had some precious tea to help Cale relax.

He sat on the chair next to Cale's bed and continuously wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

There was sweat on Billos's fat face even though it was the middle of winter. Cale started to speak to Billos.

"Thank you."
"Young master-nim!"

In the end, Billos raised his voice to call out to Cale.

"What?"

Cale's casual response made Billos unable to speak.

Billos had told Rex the location of his secret residence. No, he had locked Rex up in his secret residence.

Billos's gaze turned toward Choi Han as he thought about the chaotic moments of last night. Choi Han smiled gently at him as they made eye contact.

However, the statement Choi Han had made after stealthily evacuating Rex's friends and family and then locking Rex up in the secret residence remained on his mind.

Rex had wanted to be together with his family and the other members of the organization.
However, Billos had determined that this would not be possible. The other organization members would be fine in the secret paths and unknown caves of the slums because the Empire did not know of their identities, however, someone like Rex, whose identity was completely known, needed to be somewhere where he could be safe from magic.

Billos's secret residence was somewhere with a shield that defended against all magic because it was somewhere that Billos's uncle Odeus, the ruler of the Roan Kingdom's northwestern underworld, had created for any emergency situations when he was in the Empire.

Billos recalled what Choi Han had told Rex as he put him in there.

'You are a dangerous bomb. If you go off, you will not kill just yourself. You will kill everybody involved with this incident. So quietly stay here like a dead rat.'

He never expected such words to come from Choi Han whom he thought was the pure and silent type.

''You might be fine with other people getting hurt for the greater good, but I will put my family, something that took me so long to get, first.'

Billos also didn't expect Choi Han to have such thoughts.

Choi Han did not have any family to Billos's knowledge. No, he had no blood relatives.

'So Choi Han's family must be ...'

Cale bluntly asked Billos, who turned away from Choi Han and was now staring at him.

"What the hell are you looking at?"
"…It is nothing."

Billos pushed aside the thoughts in his mind and took out a magic bag.

"Here are the items you requested."

Cale pointed to the table and Billos put the bag on top of it. Cale asked him at that moment.

"How much do you know about the Caro Kingdom?"
"Excuse me?"

"Why are you suddenly bringing up the Caro Kingdom?"
Billos had expected to talk about other things with Cale today. He was a merchant after all. He had a good idea about what Cale had done until now, as well as the reason behind the actions of last night.

That was why he wanted to benefit from taking those dangerous actions last night.

"Excuse me, young master-nim. I think I need to report to you about last night first."
"No need."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sure you took care of it."

Billos closed his mouth.

Earlier, as he was heading to the palace.
Billos had gathered the information he heard from Choi Han, as well as every piece of information he could gather throughout the capital, in order to confirm some things.

The Sun Palace. Although he had not seen it in person, he had heard that it was a palace with a luxurious and large hall. One of the towers of that palace had started to fall.

The person in front of him had prevented it from falling all by himself.
He then coughed up blood and needed to be supported back to his bedroom.

Billos thought that Cale looked paler than usual today. Cale asked him a question at that moment.

"Billos, why do you think I left you with that task?"

He had already determined the answer to this question.
Billos started to speak.

"I guess you find me trustworthy."
"Of course."

Billos held back a sigh.
He was no longer sweating like a hog. He was feeling relieved.

"Young master-nim, are you talking about the auction house in the Caro Kingdom?"

Cale nodded his head at Billos, who quickly understood his intentions. He had already discussed it with the crown prince as well.

Of the items they had found in the secret room, two of them needed to be taken care of. This was because the two items would be difficult for the Roan Kingdom to publicly handle.

"I want to participate in the secret auction house's VIP auction."
"…The next one is the new year celebration auction in February. Is that the one you are talking about?"
"Yes."

Caro Kingdom.
They were more famous for the auction house than the forbidden zone desert that hid the Dark Elves.

This VIP auction was the most secretive yet public auction in the oddly developed Caro Kingdom.

'The Birth of a Hero,' had discussed this auction when it described the Caro Kingdom.

"Billos, is it possible?"

The VIP auction.
There was a reason neither Cale nor the crown prince were participating as themselves.

These two items that they found in the cave underneath the secret table originally had owners. Even Cale could not understand how they had ended up in the Pope's coffin.
However, these two items were publicly known to still be in possession of the original owners.

"Yes sir, it is possible. Are you trying to auction some things?"
"No."

Billos started to frown.
Why did he want to go if he wasn't planning on auctioning things?

Cale did not respond to Billos's question and gave him another order.

"Can you send invitations to two people?"
"Invitations?"
"Yes. An invitation telling them to participate in the February auction."
"… I understand. Do I just need to do it stealthily?"
"Yes. Make it so that they cannot tell who we are."
"Sounds great."

Cale said one more thing to Billos.

"I will make it so that you get the transactions fees of the deals."
"…Sounds like a large transaction."
"It is."

Billos nodded his head and got up.

"I will see you next year, young master-nim. I suppose I should head to the Henituse territory in February?"
"No."

Cale told Billos the location of their next meeting.

"The Gyerre territory."
"… I understand. Will you be there starting from the new year?"

Billos calmly asked, even at the unexpected answer of the Gyerre Territory. Cale shook his head.

"I can't be certain. I will probably head down from the North to the Gyerre territory."
"The North?"
"Yes."

Billos did not ask anything else. He understood it as Cale spending some time in either the Roan Kingdom's Northwest or Northeast before heading to the Gyerre territory in February.

However, the North that Cale was talking about was neither of those locations.

Vice Captain Hilsman walked Billos out while Choi Han asked Cale a question.

"Cale-nim, are we pushing back the young master Antonio situation until February?"
"We have to. I ended up staying in the Empire longer than I had expected."

Staying in the Empire longer than expected had thrown off his plans.
He needed to push back the plan about using young master Antonio Gyerre's weakness for a later time.

Cale shrugged his shoulders at Choi Han, who seemed to be concerned that their plans had to be changed.

"We have no other choice. It is almost the new year. Shouldn't we spend the new year at home with our family?"

"Ah."
Choi Han let out a small noise. Cale started to pet the Raon's round head that had suddenly appeared as he continued to speak.

"I said I would be home for the new year, so I have to go."

He had told both his father and On and Hong that he would spend the new year at home. He had to keep his promise. ((TL: Such a good boy.) )

"Don't you agree?"
"You are right. Cale-nim, you are definitely right."

Choi Han smiled innocently as he nodded his head. Cale watched Choi Han before telling the two Dragons and the one human their upcoming plans.

"We will spend the new year at home and then head up north."
"Human, are we going to see the Whales?"
"Yes."

Witira had frequently brought up the contract for the sea route. Cale was planning on preparing a place for the Tiger tribe before heading up north to meet with the Whale tribe.

'But that's not all.'

He picked up the magic bag that Billos had brought and handed it to Eruhaben and Raon. Eruhaben, who had been looking at Cale with a suspicious gaze, picked up the bag and asked.

"Are they alchemy ingredients?"
"Yes sir."

The Black Dragon's eyes opened wide at Cale's response as he started to shout.

"We can make the pillar of fire now!"

The bag was full of the ingredients used to create the Empire's pillar of fire.
Eruhaben smirked as he answered back.

"Of course. This great Dragon can make anything as long as I have the ingredients, little kid."

Cale observed the ancient Dragon who seemed to be a bit tired as he thought about how there was another task to add to his agenda in the North.
Raon looked at Eruhaben with sparkling eyes as he asked.

"When do we get to use this?"

The Gold Dragon flinched.
This pillar of fire would be an improved version of the one that the Empire had created. Although they needed to conduct some tests in the process, they could not use it as they pleased.
That was why he could not easily answer the question.
The Black Dragon and Eruhaben quietly looked at each other.

However, someone casually answered their question for them.
It was Cale.
"Probably early next year?"
"Hmm?"
"Hmm?"

The two Dragon turned toward Cale, who casually added on.

"It'll be warm if we start a fire somewhere cold."

The Gold Dragon Eruhaben's face had a questioning gaze.
'Warm? I'm sure he knows that it is not only at that level of strength?'

At that moment, he heard Raon's voice.

"Let's show it to the Whales as well!"
"Sure."

"Haaaa."
Cale ignored Eruhaben's sigh and laid back down on the bed.
It was nice to be warm during the winter, and being underneath the blanket to be warm was the best.

* * *

However, he headed up to a windy platform a few days later.
One of the administrator's voice was echoing in the area through a magic amplification device.

"We will now present a medal to the valiant young master Cale Henituse, who showed a sense of sacrifice in the Empire!"

'I like what he said.'
Cale looked forward with that thought on his mind.
The Emperor was welcoming him with a benign smile.
Behind him in the plaza outside the Empire's Royal Palace was a massive crowd looking up at him.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]