Chapter 396 – The crazy one, the innocent one, and the laughing one (6)

"It is right here."

They were at a tower with no windows slightly away from the central palace.
There were quite a lot of knights and soldiers surrounding the tower and guarding the only entrance inside.

Crown prince Alberu pointed at the door.

"The underground prison is located underneath this tower."
"Thank you for guiding me here."

Nobody dared to openly look at Alberu and Cale who were casually chatting.

– Human! They are all peeking at you!

However, all of the soldiers, knights, and even the palace officials in the distance were focused on Cale and Alberu.
It was because this was a meeting between two people who would be the Roan Kingdom's pillars for a long time.

Alberu casually commented at that moment as if it was nothing.

"Young master Cale, I guess everybody was curious to see if you were still alive? They keep peeking at you."

The knight standing right outside the tower entrance flinched.

There had been rumors about how he was in a coma or dead since Cale's battle at the Jungle such that many people in the Roan Kingdom were still talking about him.

So, it was obvious that they would all focus on him today, especially because he came to the underground prison with Alberu.
Alberu leisurely continued to speak.

"Not everybody working in the palace are my people, so I'm sure that many nobles will know about your condition soon enough."

Cale had a stoic expression as Alberu laughed, but the knights and soldiers nearby could not be at peace listening to this statement.
Alberu was saying that there were people in the palace who were providing information to other nobles.

The crown prince looked around at the knights nearby before casually commenting once again.

"Well, I'm sure you will all do what you have to do. Isn't that right?"

Alberu looked at Cale and smiled brightly. Cale held back his sigh after seeing the crown prince's public smile.

'How wicked.'

Cale had to hold himself back from shaking his head at Alberu's actions.

Alberu Crossman currently had the Roan Kingdom's greatest Mage Brigade under his command. Furthermore, although he had no backing behind him as the first prince, he was well-respected by the knights as a high-grade swordsman.

The fact that someone like that was acting like this right now meant that some of the knights here were providing information to one of the more powerful nobles in the Kingdom.

'He really is good at his work.'

Cale knew Alberu would run a tight ship as king since Alberu didn't show even the smallest of openings as he was leading Cale around.

However, Cale just smiled modestly and responded.

"Of course. How can everybody not do their jobs well when we are around you, our future sun, your highness?"
"Haha, I knew we understood each other well. Hahahaha."
'Thank you for feeling that way, your highness. Hahaha!"

Cale and Alberu both laughed out loud.

– …Both of you are laughing so weirdly.

Of course, Cale was just playing along with Alberu's act.

"Open the door."
"Yes, your highness!"

The still laughing Alberu gave the order and two knights quickly opened the door to the tower leading down to the underground prison.

"Be safe down there. I must go take care of business."
"Thank you very much, your highness."

Cale slightly bowed toward Alberu and walked into the underground prison.

– I'm coming too!

The invisible Raon was naturally with him.

Craaaackle.

Cale could see burning torches as soon as he entered the tower.

Screeeech- boom!

The door closed.
Cale did not look up, but down at the bottom of the tower.

He could see a staircase going down that never seemed to end. There were knights and soldiers located at set intervals all the way down.
They were the ones who guarded the underground prison.

Cale received silent greetings from them as he slowly headed down the stairs.
He recalled Alberu's explanation.

'The lowest level of the underground prison. There are five cells there and three of those cells each have one person in them right now.'

The three people imprisoned on the lowest floor of the underground prison.
These were Arm's red stars who were captured during the Roan Kingdom's battle against the Indomitable Alliance. They had all been caught in the Northeastern shores.

One of these three people was Syrem, the fake Dragon Slayer.

Tap. Tap.

Cale's footsteps were the only sounds in the area.
Cale continued to walk down this deep and endless staircase underground.

* * *

Syrem, the fake Dragon Slayer.
His whole body was chained down right now. His eyes were covered, and magic was cast on his mouth so that he could not even commit suicide.

The only things that that were left open were his ears.

'Fuck! Fuck!'

The only thing Syrem had been thinking about lately were curse words.
It could not be helped.

It was the beginning of this year. He had started with the invasion of the Henituse territory and then the Roan Kingdom's Northeastern shores before he was captured by Cale Henituse.

Syrem had just been waiting for the day he died since then.
Honestly speaking, he had lost his will to live.

'…Why haven't they killed me yet?!'

However, he was still not dead.
He had no way of knowing what was going on outside. Unfortunately, he had a pretty good idea that the Roan Kingdom had won the war as someone continued to bring him his meals every single day.

Syrem thought that he would die.

But why had they still not killed him?

He had no way of knowing when it was day or night in this underground prison. He had no way of knowing how much time had passed. It was more terrifying for Syrem that he was imprisoned in such a place waiting for his death than to actually die.

Of course, he had thought that he might be able to live because nothing had happened to him for a long time. He had the tiniest of hope of making it out alive. Even if the White Star did not come to save him, he still had that glimmer of hope of surviving.

But he had soon let go of even that hope.

It happened who knows how long ago now.
He had heard someone walking down this silent underground prison alone.

Syrem had heard the cell door screeching open before the person came and took off his blindfold.
That person had looked at Syrem and asked a question.

'How can you have any hope of living?'

That person was Alberu Crossman. It was the future king of the Roan Kingdom.
Syrem could not forget how Alberu had asked that question with a stoic expression without even mocking him.

'Do you really think there is a chance of you surviving?'

Syrem had given up hope after hearing that.
He had been left alone since then.

'I guess it makes no sense for me to think that I could survive.'

Which kingdom would let someone who tried to get rid of them live?
Especially when it was someone who held no value as a prisoner.

The citizens of the kingdom would revolt if they let him live.

'So, they should just quickly kill me!'

It was at that moment.

Tap, tap.

Syrem could hear the sound of footsteps coming from down the corridor.

Tap, tap.

Syrem became anxious.

It was just one person.
It was like when the crown prince had come down last time.

Tap, tap.

He heard only one set of footsteps.

'What could be going on?
Who could it be?'

All sorts of thoughts filled Syrem's mind.

'Is the crown prince coming down to tell me that I'm finally going to die?'

Syrem scoffed at himself for thinking that something like that would ever happen. He wasn't worth anything for someone at the level of the crown prince to personally come to tell him about his execution date.

But it was not a warden.
There were usually two wardens and at least one guard who came together to Syrem's cell.

'Then who could it be?'

Syrem could not fathom who it might be.
At the same time, he recalled a person from deep down in his memories.

'I'm the one who will decide whether you speak or not.'

Cale Henituse had said that as he took out the white crown. Syrem shook his head after recalling that conversation.

Tap, tap.

The footsteps slowly got closer.

'Let's forget about it.'

He would rather forget about Cale Henituse.

Screeeech.

Syrem could hear the iron cell door starting to open.

Tap, tap.

The footsteps became even closer.

Click!

Those footsteps stopped right in front of Syrem.
Syrem got goosebumps at this sudden unknown odd sensation.

It was at that moment.

Shhh.

The blindfolds over Syrem's eyes were slowly and gently removed. Syrem remained still even after the blindfold was removed.
However, he slowly started to open his eyes after not hearing the person speak nor move.

The torchlight was a bit blinding as he was in a dark underground prison, but he could soon look around.
However, Syrem could not look around.

There was a white mask.
He could see a man in a white mask in front of him.

He could also see red hair and brown eyes.

"M, my liege?"

He quickly called out for the White Star.
The only person he knew with a white mask, red hair, and brown eyes was the White Star.

The man in the white mask started to smile.

Syrem felt his heart sink at that moment.

They were too dark.
The brown eyes were not the White Star's bright brown eyes but a darker shade of brown.

'In that case!'

There was someone else with red hair and brown eyes in Syrem's memories.
However, that person did not wear a white mask.

But he was wearing a white mask this time as he stood in front of Syrem.

"Long time no see?"

Cale Henituse.

Syrem's face looked as if something had broken down as soon as he heard Cale's voice.
Syrem took in a deep breath.

He could soon see the Dragon's eyes looking at him from behind Cale Henituse's shoulder.
It was the same Dragon that had glared at him when he was fighting in the Henituse territory.

Push.

Cale's hand moved Syrem's head.
It forced Syrem to look away from the Dragon and look at Cale. Cale slowly started to speak.

"You are finally needed."

Cale could see Syrem slowly lower his head after hearing that statement.

Syrem, the fake Dragon Slayer.
He was going to die anyway.

Even if Cale became weak at heart and decided not to kill him, the Roan Kingdom's Nobles Meeting would decide to kill him.
The nobles who could not do much during the war would try to at least do this to show their existence.

Syrem will probably not have a peaceful death. The chances of that were very high.
The nobles would do their best to show their existence by getting rid of the seed of war and make themselves known as the ones who completely ended the war.

Cale made eye contact with Syrem who could not speak because of a spell.

"The Roan Kingdom's Nobles Meeting will soon decide on the date of your death. It will probably not be pretty."

Syrem's pupils started to shake.
Cale continued to speak to him.

"However, I have the power to at least give you as peaceful of an end as possible."

The shaking pupils focused once again and looked toward Cale. Cale started to speak again.

"My-"

Cale stopped for a moment and contemplated what word to use before continuing to speak.

"My friend is looking for you."

Choi Han had smiled innocently at Cale as he made a request.
It was when Cale, Raon, and Choi Han had left the Dragon Slayer village and were heading back to Sheritt's castle.

'Cale-nim, the fake Dragon Slayer Syrem. I will take his ancient powers.'

Syrem, the fake Dragon Slayer.
The ancient powers he possessed were the fake Dragon Slayer powers that the White Star had created.
It would not be able to defeat the real Dragon Slayer powers that the White Star possessed.

However, Choi Han had shared his desires with a look of certainty that Cale had never seen before.

'And I will become a new Dragon Slayer with my own powers, with my own hands.'

Dragon Slayer.
There was no need for there to only be one of them.

'Didn't they say that the strongest human received the title of Dragon Slayer? I can do it.'

Cale knew that Choi Han would be able to do it.

'Cale-nim, I will slash the sky in half.'

Cale decided to fully support Choi Han this time. It was because Choi Han wanted it. He needed to support people who wanted to achieve something with their own hands.

Cale moved away from Syrem and continued to speak.

"The sword will soon arrive."

It was the sword that would become the best in the world.

It was at that moment.

Tap, tap.
There were footsteps coming down the corridor.
Cale turned around once the footsteps stopped.

"You're here?"
"Yes, Cale-nim."

Choi Han had his usual innocent smile while standing outside the cell.

***

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]