Chapter 475 – No, I told you it was a mistake! (2)

Alberu immediately sat down across from Cale and started to speak.

"Didn't you say that there was almost no chance that the White Star would come to the Roan Kingdom?"

Of course, Alberu had prepared for the worst and was planning extra defensive measures in case the White Star showed up.
However, the question he wanted to ask right now was not whether or not the White Star was coming.

"Cale Henituse. What the hell happened in there?"

The large explosion in the desert…
And Cale's group who looked dirty but looked fine while sitting in his bedroom…
And finally, the disappeared White Star.
He was curious about the story behind all of this.

"You see…"

Cale debated how to explain this. However, Cale scratched his head and started to speak as this was something he needed to explain to Alberu.

"First of all, I will explain it exactly as it is, your highness."

Alberu nodded his head while looking at Cale's slightly awkward but stern demeanor.
He then looked around at the others.

His Aunt Tasha and the Dark Elves must have gone somewhere as they were not there. Based on how calm Cale was, they must just be elsewhere and not injured.

'Choi Han is fine, the person called Beacrox is fine, the children and the necromancer seem fine too.'

All of them looked to be okay.

'But why do they all have such expressions on their faces?'

Everybody around Cale had weird expressions.
It was a hard to explain expression that showed neither the sorrows of defeat nor the joy of victory. Only the red Kitten was eating a cookie while wagging his tail.

– Hey crown prince, this is delicious!

He couldn't see him, but the great, mighty, and cute Dragon seemed fine as well.
Alberu felt the odd vibe in the room and looked toward Cale.

"Your highness."
"...Yes."

Alberu became nervous after seeing the grim expression on Cale's face.

"Speak freely."
"…My original plan was similar to the plan I mentioned to you earlier. We were going to make the White Star mistake the 'Fake Underground City' that the Dark Elves created to be where the earth attribute ancient power was located."

Cale was planning on dragging the White Star to the fake Underground City and act out a scene where he took the earth attribute power in front of the White Star's eyes.

Cale had already taken the earth attribute ancient power from the Roan Kingdom, but he was going to act this out so that the White Star would have no reason to invade the Roan Kingdom's northwest region to find it.

Of course, that was not the only thing they had planned.

"At the same time, we were planning on harming the White Star and a portion of his forces even if we had to destroy that underground area."

Alberu already knew about this as well.

"And?"

He asked Cale and soon received a response.

"…I failed."

Alberu was silent for a few seconds after seeing the sad look on Cale's face before quickly responding.

"It's fine. You can't always be successful."

Alberu frowned a bit after seeing Cale not saying anything in response. Cale brushed his face with both hands.
Alberu had never seen Cale like this before. He did not like seeing the usually pompous and calm bastard acting like this.

"Everything you have done until now has been amazing already. And it's fine as long as all of you made it back alive. You remember what I said, right? I told you to come back to the Roan Kingdom if it doesn't look like it will work out."
"…I remember it."

Cale responded that he remembered with a serious look on his face before shutting his mouth again.
That made Alberu remember that this punk had just become an adult.

'A punk who has always succeeded probably feels frustrated and angry after failing like this.'

He finally realized that the odd vibe in the room was because the others were wary of Cale's current emotions.
Alberu then remembered something and started to speak.

"But by the reports I received, I heard there were dead bodies found in the desert."
"They are from the White Star's side."
"Really? It doesn't look like you failed completely."

Alberu exaggerated a little bit more trying to console the serious Cale.

"If some people from the White Star's side died, doesn't that mean you damaged the White Star's forces as you intended? That's enough."
"That is not the problem."

'Hmm?'

Alberu stopped consoling Cale after seeing him sternly shake his head.

'There's a different issue?'

"Your highness."
"Yes. Speak freely without worrying about formalities. Call me hyung too."

He continued to treat him gently.
However, Cale quickly started to say what he needed to say as if he didn't hear that gentle tone at all.
Alberu had no choice but to realize that the odd vibe in the room was not because of what he had thought earlier.

"I… Couldn't trick the White Star at all."
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Didn't I mention that there was something I had originally planned?"
"Yes?"

Cale could not understand what just happened with the White Star no matter how many times he thought about it.

"But you see… The White Star realized almost immediately that the Underground City was fake."

Alberu's expression stiffened.

"…Does that mean your entire plan became useless?"
"Yes, sir. That is why the White Star will come to the Roan Kingdom's northwest region since he knows that the Land of Death does not have the power he was looking for."
"Ah."

Alberu finally understood the situation.

"That was why you said the White Star would soon invade the Roan Kingdom."
"Yes, sir. That's right. But you see…"
"Yes?"

'He has more to say?'

Alberu wanted to quickly plan more things to prepare for the White Star's invasion, but he needed to hear what Cale had to say first.
He waited for Cale's next words with a serious mindset. Cale soon continued to speak.

"I did manage to trick him."

'Hmm?'

"…What do you mean?"

Alberu was so confused he might have had question marks written all over his face.

"No, your highness. To be more accurate, I didn't trick him."

Cale still could not believe it.

"That White Star bastard tricked himself."
"Hmm?"
"I didn't do anything."
"…What are you talking about?"

Alberu slowly started to frown at this hard to understand situation.

"So, basically… Cale, you are saying that you had no intention of tricking him and didn't do anything to trick him, but the White Star somehow tricked himself?"
"That's right. That's absolutely correct, your highness. You truly are the wise star of the Roan Kingdom."
"Stop talking nonsense."

Alberu was slowly starting to get annoyed.

"What is it? How did the White Star trick himself?"

He felt the atmosphere in the room turn odd again as he asked that.
Cale, Choi Han, Beacrox, On, and even the bright Hong all looked iffy.

– Hey crown prince, I think the White Star has gone crazy.

Even the cute Dragon was saying such things.

– But crown prince! Why do the corners of your lips twitch every time I talk to you?

"Ahem."

Alberu quickly fixed his expression after the cute but also great and mighty Dragon asked that question.
However, that expression quickly crumbled.

"Your highness, the White Star… He thinks that I am a transmigrator who has possessed multiple bodies for hundreds of years to chase behind him. He thinks I am only appearing in front of him now to stop him after preparing for hundreds of years."

Blink, blink.

Alberu's long eyelashes fluttered twice.
He then opened his mouth to speak.

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

He could not understand what Cale had just said. He then slowly repeated the things he had heard.

"So, the White Star thinks you are someone who has possessed body after body for hundreds of yea-, he thinks you are trying to kill him or something?"
"Yes, sir. He played the drums and clapped on his own before coming to that conclusion."
"Ho!"

Alberu gasped.

"W, what kind of stupid idiot-"

He stopped the words he was about to subconsciously say about the White Star and closed his mouth. Alberu finally realized the reason for the iffy expressions on Choi Han, Beacrox, On, and Hong's faces.
Alberu's expression became like theirs as well.
He looked at Cale up and down before starting to speak again. He still sounded full of disbelief.

"…You…that, don't look like, you have… transmigrated through different bodies for hundreds of years though?"

'You? Did the White Star really have such stupid thoughts after looking at you?'

That was what Alberu's expression was saying.

Cale oddly felt bad while looking at that expression.

'What's wrong with me?'

He couldn't understand how the White Star could make such a mistake, but seeing this kind of reaction upset him as well.
However, he needed to accept the things he needed to accept. He needed to know how to calmly assess himself in order to not have such mistaken thoughts as the White Star.
Cale coolly started to speak.

"Right, sir? I just come off as a slacker who has nothing to do."

'That's not it either…'

Alberu held back the retort that he was about to blurt out. Anybody could tell that he was not a slacker with nothing to do, and he pitied this busy bastard who talked about being a slacker whenever he had a moment to spare.

'I'll definitely let him be a slacker in the future.'

He felt like he needed to show Cale a taste of the slacker life because he felt sorry for him.
Alberu confirmed his thoughts about his pitiful sworn brother's dreams and started to speak.

"…You're not, right?"

He asked just in case.

'Honestly speaking, it kind of makes sense why the White Star would make such a mistake.'

Cale had accomplished too many large accomplishments for them to be coincidences. However, Alberu knew a side to Cale that the White Star did not know.

'If he is someone who has possessed different bodies to stop the White Star… Would he keep people he cherishes by his side?'

The number of people around Cale was slowing growing.
Cale Henituse was someone who would not hesitate to put his life on the line to protect them.

Cale was too affectionate and trying too hard to make this life as peaceful as possible for someone who has possessed different bodies for hundreds of years with the singular goal of defeating the White Star.

He was someone who gathered as much money as possible for his future goal of being a slacker.

'And who cares if he is a transmigrator?'

Honestly speaking, Alberu Crossman cherished the current Cale Henituse and not the Cale Henituse from two years ago who was famous for being trash.
If the body possession part was true, then it would be very sad for Duke Henituse's household but not for Alberu.
It might seem cold, but those were Alberu's honest thoughts.

Alberu quietly waited for Cale's response.

"Your highness."
"Yes."

Cale started to speak toward Alberu who had asked, 'You're not, right?'

"…You're not perhaps believing the White Star's bizarre misunderstanding, are you?"

'Your highness, are you believing that unbelievable nonsense?'

That was what Cale's gaze was saying and Alberu started to frown at that disrespectful and cheeky gaze.

"No. Not at all."
"Right?"

Cale started to smile.
However, he really wanted to calmly look around.

'There's no reason for everyone to know the truth.'

The only thing the White Star had gotten right was the transmigrator part, but Cale had no plan to share that information with anyone other than Raon and Choi Han.

'The truth isn't necessarily the best response.'

Cale looked toward the Dragon half-blood who was sitting away in a corner. However, he soon had to turn his gaze.

"So, what do you plan to do from here?"

Alberu watched Cale take out multiple video communication devices instead of responding to his question.

"These are the video communication devices that Eruhaben-nim sent over a moment ago."

Eruhaben said he would stay in the Dubori territory just in case as he delivered the video communication and recording devices via magic to Cale.

"Based on the contents on the devices, it looks like the White Star has returned to the Eastern continent for the time being."
"I'm relieved. He's not headed for the Roan Kingdom right away."
"Yes, sir. But you see…"

'There's another but?'

Cale confirmed that the bedroom door was closed and asked Raon to turn on one of the recording devices as Alberu started to frown.

"Please take a look."

Ooooooong-

A screen appeared above the recording device with a quiet noise and the White Star's conversation with Sayeru appeared in front of Alberu.

– …It looks like I need to visit the Gate to the Demon World.
– …Someone the other side has prepared…
– Furthermore, I might not be the only one who has received a power from another world…

The White Star and Sayeru's conversation continued through the loud noises of the crumbling Underground City, stiffening Alberu's face the more he heard.

– …It's more urgent to investigate Cale Henituse than to absorb this tiny amount of dead mana smoke.

Alberu looked toward Cale with a stiff expression once the White Star finished speaking and the screen became quiet.

"…Cale Henituse, why are they bringing up the Gate to the Demon World and what is the, 'other side,' they are talking about?'

Cale started to smile.
He knew the smart Alberu would figure out the important parts right away.

"Your highness. I need information on the Gate to the Demon World. Especially ancient documents. Oh, and a few Dark Elves are heading north right now."
"…North."
"Yes, sir. The oldest living sage is there."

The sage who has lived the longest amount of time.
That was the World Tree.

Cale had needed to go meet with the World Tree anyway.
He had asked Tasha to go to the Elf Village with the World Tree and deliver his message to the World Tree before he could go there.
Although Dark Elves and Elves did not get along, they should treat the Dark Elves well because Cale had sent them.

Alberu made sure he remembered Cale's words as he gulped.

'The other side.'

'The other side,' that the White Star had mentioned as he brought up the Gate to the Demon World.
Those words made him think about something he didn't want to imagine.

'…There's no way, right?'

He heard Cale's voice at that moment.

"Your highness."
"What is it?"
"Does the Crossman Royal family have ancient records? Either that or records on the original Crossman Royal family?"
"…Why are you looking for that?"
"Your highness."

There were only three places in the Roan Kingdom where a boulder was on their symbol.
The Henituse household and the Stan household were the only ones within the noble families.

And the last place was the Roan…
It was the kingdom itself.

Marble and Granite.
The radiant sun that rises between two cliffs.

The crest that is still fluttering on the flag that sits at the highest spot in the kingdom.
That was the symbol of the Crossman Royal family and the symbol of the Roan Kingdom.

The Crossman Royal family was known to have the blessing of the Sun God.
Would that be just a legend as well?

Cale looked toward Alberu and nonchalantly continued to speak.

"I think that I will need it."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Alberu tapped on the armrest for a while.

Tap!

His index finger finally stopped, and he started to speak.

"I will prepare all the files I think you might need."
"Thank you very much."

Cale got up after hearing that response.

"I don't know where the White Star is right now, but he said that he needed to ask the other side something, so he shouldn't come to the Roan Kingdom right away."
"Okay."

Alberu also got up from his seat.
Cale looked at him and continued his report.

"The Mercenary King who has returned to the Eastern continent will send some people to the area around the White Star's second secret base. They will do their best to observe the White Star's movements or any changes to the secret base, so I will let you know if anything changes."
"Okay."
"And please let me know right away if the White Star invades the Roan Kingdom. I will immediately head back."

Alberu quietly observed Cale who said that before opening his mouth.

"I got it. It looks like you have a lot of places to go to?"

Cale started to smile.

"Yes, sir. There are a lot of places."
"Okay. Get going. I will quickly prepare the documents so come back soon."
"Yes, sir."

The group who finished their preparations gathered around Cale.
Raon approached him and asked.

"Human! Where are we going?"
"Are you going to where Aunt Tasha is? Are you going to meet the sage?"

Alberu asked as well and Cale shook his head.
Cale made eye contact with the Dragon half-blood.

"There's another sage in addition to the sage up north."

The person who had experienced the end of the ancient times and the start of the era after that.
Dragon Lord Sheritt.

"I'm going to go meet with that person."

The Dragon half-blood looked toward Cale with shaking pupils. Cale nonchalantly continued to speak.

"Raon. Let's go to your black castle."
"Oh! You mean our house?"

The black castle located in the Forest of Darkness.

"Good! Let's go right away!"

Cale closed his eyes while looking at the Dragon half-blood who could die at any moment.
A bright light soon flashed, and his body headed for the Forest of Darkness.

"Welcome back."

He opened his eyes to see Lord Sheritt smiling brightly at them from inside the black castle's hall.

***

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]