Chapter 183 – Young master-nim, you really are… (2)
"Destroy? Destroy what?"
Hilsman asked in confusion, but Cale ignored him and walked out of the bar.
He walked directly from the third floor of the bar to the entrance.
Many people watched Cale as he walked forward without any issues. The majority of them were residents of the Gyerre territory, who were shocked that Cale could still walk without any issues even after drinking all day.
Hilsman was also amazed at this before he noticed an empty bottle in Cale's hand and ran after him in shock.
"Y, young master-nim!"
"What is it?"
"Please, put the b, bottle down first ...!"
"Ah."
He had forgotten about it.
He had forgotten that he was holding a bottle.
Swish.
Cale lifted the bottle up.
"Ahh!"
Hilsman recalled something that had happened two years ago. He recalled the trash that threw bottles at the gangsters within the Henituse territory. Hilsman had to take care of the aftermath at that time.
"…Are you drunk?"
"Excuse me?"
Cale frowned and stared at Hilsman, who had raised both arms in the air before handing the bottle over to Ron.
"Ron."
"Yes sir."
The bottle disappeared and Cale left the bar. Ron handed the waiter the bottle and payment for Cale's drinks before leisurely following behind Cale. He naturally made sure to grab the Vice Captain, who was standing there with a blank expression.
"Mr. Ron, what is young master-nim trying to destroy?"
Hilsman had been more respectful to Ron ever since he had learned of Ron's abilities. A hidden expert. That was Hilsman's opinion of Ron.
"I'm not sure."
The servant responded benignly.
"Wouldn't he be talking about destroying houses?"
"…Excuse me?"
"Alright, let us go."
Hilsman urgently chased after Cale with Ron. He caught up and stood right next to Cale, who was standing at the center of the bridge with a completely sober expression.
'…The young master-nim is someone who does things on a large scale!'
Hilsman knew that Cale had said many times that he was going to do things lightly and destroyed many things in the process. That was why he was debating what he should do.
He heard Cale's voice at that moment.
"Vice Captain."
"Yes, young master-nim."
Hilsman looked toward Cale, who was looking down at the flowing river.
It was an artistic sight, with the red-haired Cale standing between the river and sky that had both been dyed red by the sunset.
There were not many people crossing the bridge due to the time of day.
Actually, there were never many people crossing this bridge between the slums and the shopping district.
Hilsman could hear Cale's voice that was extremely quiet such that only those close to him could hear it.
"Apparently a noble household's butler heads to the slums in order to bring food to the poor every so often."
It was an unexpected story, but the Vice Captain listened to it and responded back.
"What a good butler."
"Yes. Although, that butler is a staff member of the household that kidnaps citizens of the southwest region and sells them off as slaves."
"…Excuse me?"
Cale looked toward the slums across the bridge.
"That butler just headed over to the slums. He was heading toward the ten houses where the citizens are imprisoned in the basement."
'Need to destroy them.'
Vice Captain Hilsman slowly realized what Cale was planning on destroying.
"Hilsman."
"Yes sir."
"What do you think about it?"
Cale waited for Hilsman's answer, and the knight soon responded back.
"A knight takes action whenever he sees injustice."
Hilsman added another statement once Cale looked toward him.
"However, if it is something related to our liege, we will hold ourselves back regardless of what it is."
"Is that part of the Knight's Creed as well?"
"No sir, it is my personal thoughts."
A knight takes action whenever he sees injustice unless it is something related to his liege.
It could seem unfair, but that was Knight Hilsman's personal creed.
Cale did not look negatively upon Hilsman's personal creed, as Hilsman was someone who made it to the level of Vice Captain in the Henituse Estate that valued, 'us,' first.
Cale stopping leaning on the bridge and started to speak.
"Then let's not hold back now."
"Yes sir!"
Cale looked toward the shopping district on the other side.
Freesia was sending him a signal.
This signal was the one that said that the people who were following Cale had returned to their master.
Their master was naturally Antonio Gyerre.
There was no way Antonio would not put a tail on Cale. Cale had decided to make his move in the open while knowing that Antonio had done this.
Cale started to walk toward one of the shabby houses. It was the first house across the bridge. The ten houses continued on in a zig-zag pattern starting from this first house.
Cale stood in front of the first house.
"Hello?"
A middle-aged man in front of the yard cautiously spoke while looking at Cale, who seemed to be a noble, as well as the knight beside him.
At the same time, he had a look of despair as if he realized that he had run into a drunk noble based on Cale's red face.
Cale asked the middle-aged man a question.
"Do you live alone?"
"Excuse me? No. I live with my family."
"Is that so?"
Cale smirked and continued to speak.
"Bring your entire family outside."
"Excuse me?"
"I will give you 10 seconds."
"10. 9."
Cale started to count. The middle-aged man became anxious at Cale's counting before urgently moving after seeing Cale stop counting in order to make a comment.
"I guess you think this noble's words are funny."
That made the middle-aged man instantly go inside the house.
All of this was visible from the buildings in the shopping district across the street. The other people living in the slums quickly entered their houses and locked their tattered windows and doors.
'Looks like a crazy noble is causing trouble.'
They all felt that way. The middle-aged man bringing his family out felt the same way.
He walked out with his wife, two sons, and a daughter.
"Young master-nim, this is my family."
The middle-aged man was shaking and his family seemed pitiful. At the same time, the Black Dragon started to speak in Cale's mind.
– There are people in the basement. A lot of them. There are some children as well.
The Black Dragon's voice was vicious.
– They all look so thin. I think they have been starved. They are also dirty. I don't think they have been able to wash themselves for a while.
Raon continued to speak in a sad tone.
– …The young ones were beating the people in the basement until just now. I want to kill them all.
Cale looked toward the two sons and the daughter that the middle-aged man claimed were his children. His gaze made them lower their heads as if they were scared of the noble.
Cale asked the middle-aged man a question.
"So it's just the five of you?"
The middle-aged man flinched for a moment before starting to speak as he bowed in a very respectful manner.
"Yes sir! I brought my entire family out as you requested, young master-nim!"
– They are not his family. They were calling each other leader and assistant leader inside. Now they are lying as well! Bad! They are very bad!
Raon was serving as a lie detector without even being told to do so.
Cale looked down at the middle-aged man without much reaction. That gaze made the middle-aged man who had been bowing peek up and become anxious.
Cale was smiling.
The crazy noble who seemed to be drunk was smiling.
'What did I get myself into?'
The middle-aged man could see the Chryshi butler in the distance, who shook his head as if to tell the man to take care of it himself.
He heard the noble's voice at that moment
"Then there should be nobody inside the house since your whole family is out here."
The middle-aged man knew the slaves were inside but did not say anything as he contemplated how to give this noble what he wanted.
However, the noble, Cale, was beyond the middle-aged man's expectations.
"The house is old. It is very shabby."
Cale casually added on as if he was throwing a stone into a river.
"So, I am going to destroy it."
"…Excuse me?"
The middle-aged man really believed he had heard something wrong. However, the noble in front of him was serious.
"What is it? I'll give you a new house. Is there a reason I can't destroy it?"
"Well, you see…"
The knight who had been standing silently stepped forward. He still did not speak. He just clicked the sword in his scabbard a couple of times while looking at the middle-aged man.
'What the hell? What kind of situation is this?!"
The middle-aged man could not believe it.
Although it was a shabby house, it was still a good house for being in the slums as it was right across from the shopping district.
Why would he suddenly destroy this house?
It was at that moment.
"I will destroy it in five seconds."
The human trafficker was going crazy.
However, he could not tell this noble to not destroy it because there were people inside. The slaves in the basement would naturally die if the house was destroyed.
"5."
The noble started to count.
"4."
The Chryshi household's butler turned his head.
"3."
It was his way of saying, 'let's forget about those slaves.'
"2."
However, he suddenly had a question.
How would this young noble destroy the house?
Could this one knight do it?
"1."
The answer to that question was soon revealed.
"0."
Cale announced the end of his countdown as the Black Dragon started to speak in his mind.
– I put a shield on the basement as well as the entrance to the basement.
"Ha, haha-."
Cale started to laugh.
This made the human traffickers confused.
Oooooooong-
They then heard a rumbling noise.
At the same time, the noble reached out with his hands.
Paaaat!
They saw a pair of wings.
They could also see a large shield.
"…Huh?"
The shield with wings surrounded the house.
It was as if it was trying to make it so other people could not see the house.
Silver shield.
Although the southwest region was far from the capital, the middle-aged man, as well as the baron's butler in the distance, were both familiar with this shield.
"…Perhaps?"
The butler thought about a single person.
He was thinking about the famous noble of the kingdom.
This was someone who was not famous for his strength nor abilities, but for his just mindset. Since they were in the Gyerre territory that was close to the Empire, it was even easier for the butler to recall the name.
"…Cale Henituse?"
The butler gasped as soon as he said the name.
Poke.
The tip of a sharp blade was at his back.
"You can't say our young master's name as you please."
Ron, who was wearing a mask, lightly poked the butler with his dagger.
'Something is wrong.'
The butler finally realized that something must be wrong. His thoughts were proved to be true soon enough.
"Y, young master-nim, are you really going to destroy our house?"
The middle-aged man started to speak to Cale with a pale expression before closing his mouth. He could see Cale's eyes.
That was not the gaze of a drunk person.
He had been so focused on the red face that he had not looked at Cale's eyes before this moment.
The middle-aged man couldn't say anything after seeing Cale's cold gaze, as well as the crowd that was looking at what was going on from both the slums and the shopping district.
Cale finally gave the middle-aged man an answer.
"It's been 5 seconds."
5 seconds had already passed.
The large shield started to head down.
– I will use my magic to support it as well!
The silver shield that was fortified with Raon's magic fell on the house that was surrounded by the silver wings.
Crack.
It started with the sound of the roof slowly breaking.
However, the noise started to get louder and louder.
Boooom-
The ground was rumbling as the house completely fell.
"Ah."
The middle-aged man stumbled before falling on the ground from the rumbling. He had a blank expression as the wind and dust blew past his face. He could see the house crumbling to the ground through the half-transparent wings and shield.
'The stupid slaves!'
The slaves he needed to sell were crushed underneath the house.
He was certain that they would be crushed to death as it was a crudely built basement.
The crumbling noise was so loud that he couldn't even hear their screams.
'What do I do?
How could there be such a terrible situation?'
It was at that moment that the human traffickers started to frown.
"Young master Cale!"
Antonio Gyerre and his knights were riding toward them on their horses.
Cale kept the Indestructible Shield up as he looked toward Antonio.
Antonio got off the horse and quickly walked over to Cale. He was frowning.
"What are you doing?"
Antonio had been outside to deal with some things when he heard that Cale was drunk and trying to destroy a house in the slums. He had thought that Cale was at least a decent human, but the rumors about him being trash seemed to be true.
Just take a look, Cale still had a calm expression after destroying a house.
"You came faster than I expected."
'I came quickly?'
Antonio let out a gasp.
"Ha! Young master Cale, do you know what you just did?"
"Of course. I destroyed a house."
"…You know I was not being literal-!"
"I destroyed the house of a human trafficker."
Antonio instantly closed his mouth.
The people watching on the bridge, the knights nearby, and even the human traffickers themselves could not say anything.
However, Cale did not care about the silence at all.
Paaaat-
His silver shield floated up and moved to the next house.
Cale approached the destroyed house as soon as the shield moved up.
– It is right here. Human, over here!
Cale stopped at a spot above the rubbles. He then started to clear the area. Hilsman approached Cale, who was quietly removing the rubbles.
"Hilsman, move this pillar."
"Yes sir."
Hilsman easily moved the tall pillar.
Cale could finally see the door on the ground.
The door was completely fine without a single dent.
Cale bent down and lifted up the door.
Screeeech.
Cale could see a group of people curled up without any space to move in the cramped basement.
All of their skinny faces had expressions of confusions.
Cale looked toward them and started to speak.
"You're safe now."
He stood back up and looked toward Antonio.
It was then that Antonio realized that Cale's eyes were clear.
"Young master Antonio."
The shield opened its wings above the next house.
"A, aaaahhh!"
The human traffickers who were observing the situation started to run out of the houses. Cale pointed to them and continued to speak to Antonio.
"Let me borrow your knights."
"Ah."
Antonio gasped before sending the knights to capture the people running away. He also sent one knight toward the castle.
Cale sent a signal at the same time that caused Freesia to start to move toward the other houses with her subordinates.
"Meeeeeow."
On and Hong also started to move after letting out casual meows. They would block the majority of the escape routes with poison fog.
Finally, Ron, who still had a mask on, waved at Cale while still holding the Chryshi household's butler by the neck.
'That vicious old man.'
Cale shook his head while listening to Raon's comment in his mind.
– How disappointing. I didn't know he would come this early. We only destroyed one house.
'Right?'
Cale wished Antonio had come after he destroyed all ten of the houses.
Cale started to speak again.
"One more."
– Really? Alright! I put a shield over the basement! The kidnapped people are safe! My shield is great and mighty!
Boooom-
Another house was destroyed.
There was no reason to destroy it because Antonio had shown up so quickly, but Cale still chose to destroy it.
It was because he was angry.
The sight of those lifeless faces in the basement made him want to destroy something.
Paaaat-
The silver light coming out of Cale's hand disappeared.
The silver shield soon disappeared as well.
Shaaaaaaaaaaaa-
A breeze started to come out from the rubbles of the house.
"Cough."
Cale lightly coughed before wiping away the bit of blood coming out of his mouth.
'This much is nothing.'
There wasn't much burden on his body as it was the Indestructible Shield and Raon's magic working together. He didn't stagger nor cough up blood. However, for some reason, the strength of the shield seemed to be getting stronger.
Cale was satisfied with the small cough and the tiny bit of blood as the Vitality of the Heart worked to heal him right away.
Raon was fluttering his wings with a vicious expression, but Cale still casually turned his head as he could not see him.
"…Young master Cale."
He made eye contact with Antonio Gyerre. Antonio was stiff.
Cale started to speak at that moment.
"Shall we chat?"
Of course, the topic of the discussion, as well as the start and finish of the discussion, were all up to Cale.
***
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]