Chapter 166 – Perhaps (1)

Click.

Something that was even more shocking than the cold air welcomed Cale when he opened the carriage door.

"Y, young master-nim!"

There was someone who seemed very happy to see him, running toward him with both arms open.

It was the Dwarf-Rat Mueller. He did not even have his coat on properly as he ran toward Cale while looking as if he was about to cry.

"…What's wrong with him?"

Cale looked toward Choi Han. However, Choi Han shrugged his shoulders as if he had no idea either. Mueller arrived in front of Cale at that moment and started to catch his breath.

"Y, young master-nim."
"What?"

The normal Mueller would curl up in fear in front of Cale. Cale was confused at how different Mueller was acting than normal.

Mueller grabbed onto the side of Cale's pants at that moment.

'…What is going on?'

Mueller's desperate expression confused Cale, but he first pushed Mueller away before asking.

'Something is odd.'

Mueller's value was currently on the rise after designing the castle walls and the Golden Turtle Ship. Why did he seem so scared when he should be walking around with his head up in the air?

"I would rather follow you around! This, this is just!"

Cale motioned for Choi Han to take care of Mueller for now and entered Harris Village.

There were no guards in Harris Village right now.
The soldiers and knights who had been here earlier had all returned to the Henituse Castle.
Part of this was because it was a secret that Cale was moving the Tiger tribe to Harris Village, but most importantly, the Tiger Tribe did not need soldiers to protect them.

Furthermore, those soldiers and knights were currently training under the Knight Captain back at the castle.

Cale looked at the wooden fence that looked like Mueller had helped design before walking into the village that was surrounded by snow.

– Looks fun!

Raon started to speak.
Cale's expression turned odd.

"Mm."

He could see young Tigers, Wolves, and two kittens rolling around in the snow.

– I'm going to go play too!
"Do whatever you want."

Raon appeared in the air and rushed toward the children playing in the snow.

"Gasp!"

Cale heard a gasp coming from behind him. It was Mueller. The half-Dwarf seemed to have been shocked after seeing Raon, as he approached Cale once again and clenched onto his pants.

Cale did not push him aside this time. He looked toward the thirty-year-old man who looked like a child and started to speak with sympathy.

"Tigers and cats are from the same feline family."

Mueller nodded his head so vigorously that his head might fall off.
Cale let Mueller hide behind him. It was because there were Cats and Tigers running toward them.

"Wow! It's been so long!"
"You're finally here!"

On and Hong were the first to reach Cale. Choi Han, who was standing next to him, let out a chuckle. It was because he could see the corners of Cale's lips twitching.

"We missed you!"

The red kitten Hong, who was wearing thick clothes, rubbed his head on Cale's leg. Mueller quickly escaped to behind Choi Han instead.

"We heard you got hurt."

The silver kitten On, who had grown a bit after turning 12, circled around Cale. However, 12 was still young, so he answered back to the concerned child.

"Yes, I coughed up blood."

On and Hong, as well as the young Tiger and Wolves around them, all started to frown. Raon started to frown as well.

Cale did not care as he gulped after seeing someone approaching in the distance.

"Welcome, young master-nim."
"Yes, long time no see."

Compared to the tightly bundled up Cale, the shaman Gashan just had a thin layer of clothes on him. Gashan started to smile with his eyes closed.

"Deputy butler Hans told us what you did in the Empire."

What you did in the Empire.
Cale had been contacted by many places because of that.
All of the nobles in the Northeast, as well as nobles throughout the Kingdom, invited him to different celebrations. The only exception was Eric, who had sent a concerned letter checking in on Cale's condition.

Cale casually responded since he had heard this many times already.

"Is that so? Has nature not said anything else to you?"

"Huuu."

Cale flinched after hearing the noise coming out of Gashan's mouth.
He regretted asking about nature.

He blankly stared at Gashan who clenched onto his staff. At that moment, Gashan tilted his head a bit and started to speak.

"Nature has said that … the North will be filled with warm air this winter."

'Wow.'

Cale was amazed. However, his stoic expression made Gashan continue to speak without question.

"Isn't the Northern Alliance our enemy? I'm worried that warm air filling the North means that good things will happen to them."
"No need to worry about it."

Cale's confident voice made the warriors who came with Gashan look at him.
Cale smiled gently at them.

"We just need to do what we need to do. Things will go as we wish."
"…I see. There is no need to worry about things that are so far in the future."

Gashan nodded his head while Cale was thinking to himself.

'Nature really is psychic.'

Tap. Tap.

Cale turned his head to see a shocked Black Dragon tapping on his shoulder. The six-year-old was looking toward Gashan in amazement.

Cale heard Raon's voice in his head.

– Human! This is amazing! I'm sure that Tiger shaman does not know about the, 'Dragon's Rage!'

Dragon's Rage.
That was the name of the pillar of fire that Eruhaben had created.

Cale just smiled toward Raon.

'It is that smile again!'

Raon shook his head and flew toward On and Hong. The children now averaging nine years of age were whispering to each other as Cale ignored them and started to walk.

"Let's go home."
"Yes sir."

Home.

Choi Han and Gashan both followed behind Cale. Mueller made sure he stood as far away from Gashan as possible as he followed them while still holding onto Cale's pants.

* * *

The home Cale was talking about was naturally the Super Rock Villa.

There were some people who came to the entrance of the Super Rock Villa to greet him. Cale started to smile as soon as he saw them.

"So devious!"
"I feel like he's plotting something again!"
"You're right! It's that smile again!"

Hong, On, and Raon. The rapid-fire comments from these three were ignored as Cale looked toward the people at the cave entrance.

Normally, Lock, Hans, and Rosalyn would be the ones to greet him at the entrance. That was why he was expecting them to be here right now as well.

However, the people at the cave entrance were completely unexpected people.

"You're here?"

It was the sword master Hannah. She was leaning on the side of the cave with her arms crossed. Cale didn't pay much attention to her short greeting and instead looked toward the two people who made her move.

Shake shake shake.
The crazy priestess Cage. She was biting her fingernails while leaning on one leg and shaking her other. She was so deeply entrenched in her own thoughts that she had not even realized that Cale had arrived.

"You crazy god. Why do you keep appearing in my dreams and bawling?! Grab onto young master Cale's pants? What the hell are you trying to say?!"

Cage had not been able to sleep properly for the past few weeks.
She heard the voice of the God of Death in her dreams every night. He was sniffling and whining over and over.

How could a god act that way?
He always mumbled the same thing as well.

'Finally, finally! Cale, that human really was the real deal! I can now share a beautiful death with the world!'

That statement wasn't too weird.
However, Cage could not believe what he would say after that.

'Do you want to try being a Holy Maiden?'

Cage woke up at that moment every time and shouted back.

'What bullshit! You think I'm crazy?!'

However, she heard the God of Death's voice along with a severe headache when she responded that way this morning.

'Do whatever you want. That is the path you should take.'

He was telling her to do whatever she wanted to do.
That made her feel even more suspicious.

"Ca, Cage-nim."

She could hear Saint Jack's shaking voice.
The Saint Jack. He had been complaining of insomnia, headache and a shaking heart these past few days. He said that he did not hear the voice of a god and that he just felt weird every day.

Cage looked toward Jack as he called her name before her entire body started to shake.

An ominous feeling suddenly overwhelmed her.

"Son of a-!"

She cursed as she turned her head toward the direction of that ominous feeling.

She had felt this ominous feeling before.
It was the same feeling that she had felt when she made a vow in front of the God of Death to become a priestess.

No, it was more intense than that time.
The fact that she felt this when she made her vow was a secret, as nobody else had felt it.

"Cursing at me as soon as you see me? I actually like this kind of greeting."

Cage's gaze landed on Cale once she turned her head.

She took in a deep breath. She had heard about the amazing things that Cale had done in the Empire. She debated whether to start the conversation by talking about that, however, what came out of her mouth was something even she did not expect.

"Young master-nim, what did you bring with you?"

Cage's mind cleared up as soon as she asked that.

"Just what terrible thing did you bring with you?"

This ominous feeling.
Although the Church of the God of Death tries to wrap death up as something warm, Cage knew the truth.

There was nothing crueler than the fair yet unfair death.

Death visits all people, regardless of whether you are rich or poor, powerful or weak.
That was why it was fair.

However, it was also unfair because it would take the life of a good child while letting an evil bastard live until he becomes an old man.

Cage could tell that Cale had brought something with him. At that moment, she heard Jack's voice in her ear.

"•••Huh?"

The Saint Jack was looking at Cale with a confused expression. He was patting his chest as if he could not understand what was going on.

Cale started to smile even wider after seeing Jack's reaction.

'As expected.'

The crazy priestess Cage was an amazing person as he had expected.
Cage was more of the real deal than the Saint, Jack.

It was a long journey from the Empire to the Super Rock Villa.
However, Cale was not stopped by any of the priests from the Church of the Sun God nor the Church of the God of Death on his way back.

However, Saint Jack was currently hesitating to approach him while Cage was quickly walking over.
She then started to speak.

"Young master Cale, why do you have such a dangerous aura on you? It is not good for your health!"

Cale observed Cage's expression as she shared her concerns with him.

"Miss Cage and Jack-nim."

Cale leisurely pointed to the cave entrance.

"Let's head in first before we chat."

Cale took the lead as they headed into the underground villa.

A moment later, a teacup was placed in front of Cale. Deputy Butler Hans put some snacks in front of him as well before quietly heading out of Cale's room.
Cale leaned on the couch located in his room on the fifth floor of the villa for the first time in a long time as he slowly started to speak.

"Please drink some tea because our bodies are cold."

Cage and Jack observed Cale for a moment before slowly picking up their teacups and drinking their tea. Cage calmed down a bit after drinking the calming tea.

At that moment, two items were placed on the table.

An old compact mirror.
And.

"Pffff!"

Cage spit out the tea in her mouth.

A book.
Author, A Heartfelt Death.

Drip. Drip.

Some of the tea she spit out dripped down her cheeks to the floor. However, neither Cage nor Cale were paying attention to that.

Cale hid his nervousness as he started to speak.
A divine item.
Cale did not know much about divine items.

"What do you think?"

However, the crazy priestess Cage reached for the book without responding. Cale spoke once he saw Cage hesitating.

"Please take a look."

She immediately picked up the book as soon as he said that.
It was at that moment.

Shhhhhhh-

The white book suddenly turned black.

Bang Bang.
Cale turned his head after hearing someone banging on the window.

"Human! What are you doing? I sense a very scary aura!"

He could see Raon shouting with his face flat like a pancake on the window. He had flown over at some point after playing with On and Hong outside.
His quick speed shocked Cale, who then heard Cage's voice.

"…This..."

Cale turned his head back toward her.
Cale's heart was starting to beat quickly.
'How amazing would this divine item be?'

He could see Cage gulping.
She then started to speak.

"…This, this is a single-use item."

'Hmm?'
Cale was shocked.

"Excuse me? Miss Cage, what did you just say?"

'Did I hear wrong?'
Cale looked toward Cage again.
She recalled what the God of Death had said to her in her dreams and started to speak.
Cale started to become full of expectation once again as he waited for what she had to say. She continued on.

"I'm not so sure myself."
"•••Excuse me?"

It really was a single-use item.
Even Cage did not know anything else.

She then informed Cale of what she saw.

"This book only has one sentence that I can see."

Cale recalled what he had read after hearing her words.

< All of the world's lifeforms are beautiful once they are dead. >
< Do you wish to die? >
< Follow me! >
< Come learn about the easiest way to die! >

That was what he had read.
But it was just one sentence for Cage?

Cale now observed her with a different expression. She looked back at him and recalled something the God of Death had told her last night after weeks of endless sobbing and commenting.

'Heroes are existences that even gods cannot predict. It is now time for a hero to emerge.'

The Birth of a Hero.
The crazy priestess Cage pushed that thought away as she explained the sentence she read in the book.

"Are you curious about the method to kill death?"

The book with hundreds of pages was shortened into that one sentence.

***

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]