Chapter 528 – Mountain after mountain (1)

Silence filled the bedroom.
Crown prince Alberu's eyes opened wide.

'What did I just hear?'

He recalled what Cage had just said.

'What do you think? Do you have any intentions of making the White Star's comments come true?'

'Make the White Star's comments come true? That's what the God of Death said?'

Alberu was truly shocked this time.

'This is unexpected.'

Alberu got the chills the more he thought about the current situation. Didn't that mean that what the White Star said might become reality?

The God of Death.
Alberu started to think about that god.

'…That church does not have too many believers.'

People who believed in the God of Death were spread out throughout the Roan Kingdom. This was similar to most other churches within the Roan Kingdom.

'It's because the Roan Kingdom does not have a national religion.'

Some people have found it odd that the Crossman royal family who were said to have been blessed by the Sun God did not choose the Church of the Sun God as its national religion.

'I'd have to be crazy to take the Church of the Sun God as our national religion.'

But from Alberu's perspective, as well as the rest of the Crossman household's perspective, the Sun God was just a fearful entity who kept its eye on them.

'Now that I think about it, there isn't much known about the Church of the God of Death other than the vow of death.'

But the God of Death was acting so aggressively regarding the White Star issue?
A single thought popped up in Alberu's mind.

'I need to look into it.'

He needed to gather information on the God of Death and his church.
Alberu peeked toward Cale as he organized his thoughts.

'…Will this punk really accept the will of a god?'

He was curious.
It was at that moment.

"That, that-"

Cale started to speak.
His body was stiff and his emotions were slowly starting to show on his face as if he was really shocked.

"That motherf*cking God of Death!"

'Oh.'

Alberu was wowed.

'He's willing to even swear at gods without any hesitation!'

He knew that Cage would deliver the message to the God of Death.

Alberu was amazed by his little brother for the first time in a long while.
Cale didn't care as he was extremely angry.

'He keeps doing these crazy shits these days."

'Is the God of Death a crazy bastard?'

Cale was very angry. He subconsciously pounded his chest with his fist.

'I mean, he brought two people from the innocent Choi family here and even made a deal to try to bring a third one over. Then he also brought me here when I was just relaxing on my vacation and reading a novel.'

He was also the being who had started this countdown that Cale had not wanted, talking about sending him back or letting him stay here.

"…Now he wants to get in the way of my dream too?"

Being someone who received the will of a god would not allow him to live a slacker life as it would force him to live in hiding because everybody would be trying to find him.
A truly vicious and chaotic glow could be seen in Cale's gaze as he quietly mumbled.

A noise that did not seem to fit the situation started to fill the bedroom.

Clap- clap clap, clap-

Someone was clapping.

Everybody turned toward the woman.
Cage was clapping with a very satisfied smile on her face.
She then started to praise Cale.

"Young master-nim! Your tone just now as you cursed the God of Death was fabulous! Hahaha!"

She laughed loudly before slowly taking drinking glasses out of her baggy sleeves.

"Young master-nim, you are rejecting the offer, right? You truly are wise! The will of a god my ass! You just need to live as you want. You can't live your life doing what other people want."

A bottle came out of her sleeve as well.
Alberu gasped in surprise.

'How does she keep a bottle and glasses hidden in her sleeves?'

It was amazing.

"Let's drink since we share the same desires! Ahahaha!"

Cage seemed quite happy.
The reason was soon revealed.

"You landed him a good one! Hahahaha!"

They didn't need to ask who he landed a hit on.
Cale looked toward Cage who was happy to land a hit on the God of Death and started to speak.

"I'm guessing you expected that I would respond like this?"

She answered Cale's question while setting the alcohol up on a nearby table.

"I assumed that's how you would respond, young master-nim. Was I wrong?"
"No. You made an astute observation."

Cale responded without any hesitation and sat down on a chair by the table. He then made eye contact with someone.

Flinch.

Cale's shoulders subconsciously started to shake.

'Hmm?'

Alberu and Cage who looked in the same direction after seeing Cale's reaction flinched as well.
Alberu could see Choi Han standing there.

'…What's wrong with him?'

Alberu had seen Choi Han's sharp gaze in the past, but he had never seen Choi Han looking so blatantly vicious.
Choi Han quietly looking at one spot while his eyes were burning with anger was many times more vicious than Cale's angry expression just a moment ago.

'…His stoic expression is even scarier.'

Choi Han slowly closed his eyes as Alberu had that thought and continued to look at Choi Han.

Choi Han recalled the first time he went to see the World Tree.
Raon and Cale had met the World Tree prior to that meeting, but that had been Choi Han's first time.

Cale had chatted with the World Tree while keeping his hand on her trunk.
Choi Han had heard what Cale said to the World Tree.

'Are you saying that the God of Death is aiming for me?'

The World Tree had said that the God of Death was aiming for Cale.
Choi Han had asked Cale about it later.

'Did the God of Death do something?'
'…Mm… you see.'

That was the first time Choi Han had seen Cale be unable to respond properly.

'Cale-nim.'
'…Mm. He seems to want to take something from me.'

That was what Cale had said after Choi Han pushed him for an answer once more.
Elf priestess Adite had said something once Cale gave that response.

'Is it death?'

Choi Han had thought that that was the answer after hearing her say it.
He thought that the only thing that the God of Death would want from a person would be death or something related to death.

'No. It's not like that.'

However, Cale had sternly said that Adite was wrong.

But Choi Han had seen it.
He had seen Cale's unique expression he had whenever he was worried about something.
Choi Han instantly realized that what the God of Death wanted from Cale was something so important that Cale could not openly tell the others about it.

Choi Han opened his closed eyes.

'…The God of Death wants Cale-nim to receive his will? He wants to take something from him?'

"Absolutely not."

His emotionless voice sounded very cold.
There was a bundle of black energy fluctuating next to Choi Han as well.

"…I, the great and mighty will not even leave gods alone."

It was the invisible Raon.
His chaotically sparkling dark blue eyes appeared within the black energy that wrapped around Raon to the point that his body could not be seen.

'Mm.'

Cale got slightly scared after seeing the two of them.
It was scary seeing these two black individuals acting like this at the same time.
Cale was slightly scared but feigned ignorance and asked Cage a question.

"Why is the God of Death acting this way to me?"

'Ah.'

Cage and Alberu were finally able to take their eyes off Raon and Choi Han and snap out of it.

"Hmm."

Cage seemed to contemplate Cale's question for a bit before opening the bottle and filling the glass.

Chhhhhhh-

Cage took a big gulp once the glass was full.

"Ahhhh-"

A happy smile finally appeared on her face.
However, her gaze was serious.
She looked toward Cale and started to speak.

"Even I do not know why the God of Death is acting this way towards you, young master-nim. He has not said anything about it."

Tap. Tap.

She tapped the empty glass on the table gently before continuing to speak.

"Mm, however."

Cale waited for her to continue and Cage continued without filtering anything, similar to her personality.

"Remember how I was caught as a hostage earlier?"
"Yes, I do."
"Do you by chance know the identity of the people in grey robes?"
"Aren't they people who serve the Demonic race?"

Cage peeked toward Alberu after hearing Cale's response. Cage relaxed and continued as Alberu looked as if he knew about it as well.

"That's right, they are people who serve the Demonic race. I realized it the moment I saw them use their powers."

It was an instinctual thing for Cage.

Squeeze.

She tightened her grip on the glass as she continued to speak.

"But that really isn't a big deal."
"…Not a big deal?"

Alberu unintentionally interjected. It could not be helped.
How could it not be a big deal when people serving the Demonic race showed up?

"Your highness."

Cage looked toward Alberu.

"Are all gods in the world good and just?"

"…What?"
"Are all believers good and just?"

Alberu did not respond.
Cage looked at the silent Alberu before filling her glass again.

"Isn't it obvious that there would be people serving the Demonic race since there are people who serve the gods, their opposite?"

Cage knew that her thoughts were not normal.
But there was something she had learned while living in the world.

"Everything has two sides to it. If there is white, then there is black. That is an obvious law of nature."

Cale looked at Cage with an odd feeling inside him.
Cage's natural worth became visible whenever he chatted with her.
That was why she could make such decisions and act without any hesitation.

Of course, Cale had no positive nor negative thoughts about her values. He had no plans on thinking about it. It was none of his business.

"Anyway, their existence is not a problem."

Tap.

The bottle was placed on the table.

"The problem is…"

Cage's gaze sank down.

"That items from the Demon World have made it over to our world."

Cale thought about the drums on the battlefield and the White Star's white mask.

The drums and the mask.
They should both be items from the Demon World.

Cage took another gulp of alcohol.

Clack!

She continued to speak after slamming the glass on the table.

"It's also the fact that those items are being used for evil. They are being used to harm people."

Those were problems for Cage.
She could not just sit back and watch that happen. Although she was excommunicated from the church, she still used the powers of that side.
Having those powers came with a level of responsibility. That was her philosophy.

"We need to destroy those items. Hopefully, before they harm even more people with them."

Cage looked toward Cale and continued to speak.

"There's no need to follow the God of Death's orders. I won't follow him either. But I still want to destroy those items."

Cage had seen the people who were cowering in fear after being taken hostage.

"Young master-nim. You plan on fighting against the White Star, right?"

Chhhhhhh-

Cage put a new glass in front of Cale and filled it with alcohol.

"Please take me with you. I promise I'll be useful."

She then waited for Cale's response.
And then, she smiled.

"Ahh. This alcohol is a bit bitter."

It was because Cale picked up the cup and drank the whole thing at once.
She could feel Cale giving her permission with the empty glass. Cage's smile became even wider.

Cale just looked at her without saying much.

'…I need both Saint Jack and Cage.'

The chances of the Demonic race getting involved in future battles were highly likely, so he needed Jack and Cage.
It would also be beneficial in many ways to have Cage by his side as the promised date with the God of Death got closer.

Cale filled her glass.

"Wow, you're filling it so much."

Cage laughed and picked up the class.
It was at that moment.

Clang. Clang.

They heard someone tapping on the window.
Everybody inside the bedroom turned toward the window.

"…A bird?"

A beautiful black bird was tapping on the window with its beak.

They had never seen such a bird before as it was not one of the birds that lived in the Roan Kingdom. That was why they found it to be odd.

Was it the enemy?

Everybody had that thought on their minds.
A sense of nervousness filled the bedroom.

The bird seemed to have realized this as it lowered its wings to show that it had no intention of attacking.

"Should I open the window?"

Cale cautiously asked Alberu who nodded his head.

"It seems to have come looking for us, so let it in but we will surround it as soon as it enters."
"I will open it."

Choi Han walked toward the window with his hand on the hilt of his sword and opened the window.

Click. Screeeech-!

The window slowly opened.

Flutter-

The bird elegantly entered through the window. Choi Han closed the window as he pulled out his sword. Raon was slowly gathering his mana as well.
It was at that moment.

"The situation changed a bit. That's why I came here myself."

'Hmm?'

Cale recognized this voice. It was a voice that was already recorded in his memories.

"…Duke Fredo?"

Cale could see the beautiful black bird flying toward him.
The bird elegantly landed on the table and opened its beak again.

"Yes, it is I."

The bird elegantly fluttered its wings once before folding them and focusing its gaze on Cale.
The black bird majestically asked as Cale was shocked by this unexpected visit.

"Cale Henituse, what do you think? Have you thought about it yet? I want to quickly drink your blood."

***

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]