Chapter 341 – Huh? (2)

The ancient Dragon Eruhaben ignored Cale who had seen his shaking hand.

"Hmm."

He could see Cale's gaze that was clearly concerned, but he ignored that as well. He then slowly walked over to the table where crown prince Alberu and Tasha were sitting.

The mountain of documents was moved aside and the table was filled with food.

"Huh? Young master Cale, you woke up."

Tasha woke up and started to stretch as she greeted Cale while Vice Captain Hilsman was busy chatting away as he put the dishes on the table.

"Ugh! I need to let people know that you woke up, young master-nim! You don't know how full of admiration everybody was after seeing your silver shield! I didn't know I would see something so holy and shocking in my entire life!"

Hilsman's eyes that continue to peek at Cale every so often as he talked were still teary.

"Young master-nim, at this rate, you'll end up as the first hero of the entire Western continent! Ahhahahahahahaha! This Hilsman will be so happy that I'll be crying hysterically on that day!"

He then continued on in a sobbing voice.

"For the last two weeks…sob, the past two weeks. You don't know how much I struggled with concerns and worries about you, young master-nim. I couldn't even contact the territory Lord-nim nor the Countess-nim, sob."

He really seemed to have been worried quite a bit, as Hilsman looked thinner than before. It would have been weird if he had not been worried, as the firstborn son of the household he serves had not awakened in two weeks.

Eruhaben watched Hilsman for a bit before sitting down next to Tasha.
He heard Choi Han's voice as he started to sit.

"Cale-nim."

Choi Han who had been quiet for a while approached Cale's bed before cautiously asking some questions.

"Do you think you can eat? Should I bring you some type of soup?"

Choi Han's voice was slightly shaking, although his face had a calm expression.
It was similar to Hilsman's shaking voice that was spouting whatever came to his mind after seeing that Cale was up.

Eruhaben ignored that voice as well as he picked up a slice of bread.
It was at that moment.

"Hehe."

He could hear Raon's laughter.
Eruhaben turned his head. Raon had flown over at some point and landed next to Eruhaben before smiling at him.

"…What is it, little kid?"

The ancient Dragon heard Cale's voice as he asked back.

"We will head to the Eastern continent after the meal."

Everybody stopped moving.
Tasha who had been checking Cale's complexion while stretching, crown prince Alberu who was clearing the documents on the table, Choi Han who was by Cale's bed, and the loud for no reason Hilsman.

And finally, even Eruhaben.
All of them flinched.

"Great! To the Eastern continent we go!"

Only Raon responded back with excitement. The crown prince started to speak after Raon broke the silence.

"…Are you still not fully awake yet?"

He seemed flabbergasted.

'You finally woke up after two weeks.'

On the other hand, Eruhaben kept his mouth closed, but his expression turned grim.
Cale leisurely started to speak.

"Choi Han, meat."

Choi Han quickly cut through the steak using his sword art and handed it to Cale.
Cale stabbed a piece of meat and placed it in his mouth before continuing to speak.

"I heard Imperial Prince Adin talk to someone."
"That's right! We heard him talk!"

Raon tapped at Eruhaben's side.

"Goldie! Listen to our human! You can even gain gold coins in your sleep if you do as he says!"
"Huuuuu."

Eruhaben let out a sigh.
Cale did not care as he always did things his way. He continued to say what he needed to say.

'Currently, Arm and the White Star plan to eat up the Eastern continent's underworld and the Mercenaries Guild.'

Cale recalled the conversation Adin had with his subordinate in the basement of the Alchemists' Bell Tower.

'Your highness, I still think it will be good to send someone to the Eastern continent. It doesn't seem right for you to personally go to handle a measly Mercenary King.'
'Please send me, your highness. I will go to the Eastern continent and take away the power to give you a new life from the Mercenary King.'

It was the information about how the Mercenary King had a healing power.

'There's no need. Arm will soon start to move to eat up the Mercenaries Guild.'
'Will Arm be able to do it?'
'The White Star-nim has been in the Eastern continent for the last few months to take care of it. That is why the Tower Master is also there to report about the war and take care of other things.'

The information that the White Star was aiming for the Mercenaries Guild and that he had been dealing with it for a couple of months.
Cale recalled those two pieces of information as he started to speak again.

"The Mercenary King supposedly has a healing-related power."

Cale's gaze headed toward Eruhaben.
The others then looked toward Eruhaben as well, and Raon started to speak to the ancient Dragon.

"Goldie! You must definitely go with us! If you don't, I'll destroy everything!"

The ancient Dragon with a pale expression did not say anything and just continued to eat. An odd silence filled the room.
However, that silence was quickly broken.

"Sob. Your first words after waking up after two weeks are to help someone again. I will definitely share this admirable story with the future generations!"

Cale ignored Hilsman. It was easier that way.
He turned his gaze away only to see the crown prince almost glaring at him. Cale quickly added on as if he was telling Alberu not to get the wrong idea.

"I plan on this being a short trip. I have no desire to start round two with the White Star right away."

It was the truth.

"I just plan to chat with the Mercenary King and bring back his healing power."

Raon's voice could be heard in Cale's mind.

– Human! Is the Mercenary King a good person? Will he just give it to you if you chat? It is a healing power.

'Who knows?
How would I know anything about the Mercenary King?'

Cale had no idea what kind of conversation he would have with the Mercenary King. That was why he just kept it vague.

"I will return as quickly as possible to help with the work in the Empire. I don't plan to take a lot of people and will only take the minimum number of people so there shouldn't be any extra work for the remaining people."

Yes, it was time for the crown prince to return to the Roan Kingdom as well.
He had been gone for too long.

"That is why I think you can head back now as well, your highness. I will thank you for this ev-"

"Haaaa."

He heard a deep sigh.

Clack!

A pile of documents was flung to a corner.

"Your highness?"

Cale could see crown prince Alberu who had thrown the documents aside start to brush his face with both hands.

'Why is he suddenly acting like this?'

The crown prince could not help but stare at Cale in disbelief.

'I can't understand him at all.'

Alberu could not understand Cale well anymore. No, he could understand, but he didn't want to spend the energy to understand him anymore.

'The punk who was unconscious for over two weeks wants to move as soon as he woke up to get a healing power for a Dragon?
Does that make any sense?'

Of course, it did make sense.

However, Alberu who had stealthily arrived at the capital in his Dark Elf form had seen Rosalyn's recorded footage of the battle.
Honestly speaking…

'It was shocking.'

Alberu had been quite shocked.
They had talked about Arm and the White Star may times, however, the battle against them was now going past what Alberu had expected.

The people who had fought against such a strong enemy were people that Alberu personally knew.
The atmosphere in this place had been terrible when the punk who had activated the large fiery thunderbolts and shield had lost consciousness.

"Cale."
"Yes, your highness."

Of course, the atmosphere had not been completely terrible.
They had managed to protect the Empire's capital and prevent the majority of the people from getting hurt. They had seen Cale lose consciousness before and it had never been for more than three days.

"What did you say your dream was?"

However, it was two weeks this time.
Alberu had hidden away in this bedroom during that time and completed all of the tasks he needed to do while observing the entire situation.

"Being a slacker, your highness."

Alberu started to frown after hearing that casual response.
He thought about the people who had cautiously approached Cale's bed for the past two weeks. The two Dragons had pretty much lived by the bed.

Alberu responded in an annoyed tone as Cale flinched after seeing Alberu's frowning face and serious gaze.

"I will definitely let you be a slacker."
"Wow."

Cale's face suddenly seemed full of vitality.

"Really?"

He quickly asked in an excited voice.
Alberu quickly responded back.

"You immature child."
"Excuse me?"
"Just eat your meat."

Alberu then got up and slammed the bedroom door closed as he left. Cale looked at the bedroom door in shock but nodded his head at a question that soon followed.

"Cale-nim."
"Yeah?"

It was Choi Han.

'I'm definitely going with you, right?"
"Yes, of course."

They might end up running into the White Star while going to meet the Mercenary King and Eruhaben was not in peak condition right now.
They would try to avoid a confrontation as much as possible, but Raon and Choi Han needed to be there with him if that happened.

He really wanted to take everyone with him, but that would be difficult given the current situation in the Western continent.

"…I'm relieved."

'Hmm?'

Cale found it odd that Choi Han was saying he was relieved with a vicious look in his eyes but just let it go.
It was because he still needed to hear someone else's answer.

"Eruhaben-nim?"

"Huuuuu."

The ancient Dragon sighed before nodding his head. Cale finally nodded his head in satisfaction and asked about something else.

"What does it mean to destroy someone's soul?"

Eruhaben's face stiffened up a bit.
He could see the serious look in Cale's eyes.

The White Star.

Cale had not stopped thinking about the White Star's existence.

"Also, the Dragon Catcher household. I wish to hear about any information you have on it."

Eruhaben had already thought about the things to tell Cale once he woke up.
However, something prevented him from responding back at that moment.

Click.

The door to the bedroom opened again with a small noise.
Cale's eyes opened wide. It was crown prince Alberu.

He had just left, but he was already back. Alberu walked over to Cale and tossed a document to him.

"What is this?"

Alberu still had a frown on his face as he explained.

"Information on the Mercenary King."

"Ohhhh."

The corner of Cale's lips were twitching.

'He really is an affectionate person.'

Cale started to smile as he looked at the documents with information on the Mercenary King.

"Your highness, you truly have a heart that is warmer than the warmth of the su-"

He had to stop his sucking up.
Alberu had cut him off.

"Even if the Roan Kingdom is on the Western continent and does not know much about the Eastern continent, the Mercenary King is still one of the strongest and most influential people on the Eastern continent. That is why we have at least some basic information about him."
"…It is very basic."

There were only three pieces of information about the Mercenary King.

< Bud Illis, 35 y/o. >

The Mercenary King's name was Bud Illis.
Cale continued to read the information on the document.

< He is a lunatic. >

That was the first of the three pieces of information. That alone made Cale start to worry about his trip to the Eastern continent.
The second piece of information.

< He is a sword master and is believed to have one special ability that we have not been able to determine. >

Cale's expression turned odd.
A special ability that they had not been able to determine. It made him think about ancient powers. He thought that it might even be the healing power that the Mercenary King was supposed to have.

"What do you think?"

Cale looked away from the document at Alberu's question and looked toward him.
Alberu was smiling. Cale started to smile as well.
"It is wonderful."

The third piece of information about the Mercenary King.

< He is crazy for alcohol. "Anybody who can drink well is my friend!" >

Cale sounded happy.

"My natural instincts as a trash is getting me excited."

Cale Henituse drank very well even though his face became red very quickly.
He already felt like he was friends with the Mercenary King.

***

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]