Chapter 533 – Mountain after mountain (6)

Cale brushed his tired face with both hands.

"Cale-nim, I understand. Maintaining your calm while dealing with the White Star, especially while pretending to be a sad young boy, is very difficult. It is so difficult I can't even imagine trying to do it."
"Choi Han! It's not that you can't imagine it, you're just bad at acting! Bad things would happen if you tried to act!"

Cale ignored Raon and Choi Han's conversation and nonchalantly commented to Duke Fredo.

"Hurry up and tell me."

His annoyed voice sounded very cold.

Choi Han and Raon quietly closed their mouths while Duke Fredo smiled leisurely and started to speak.

"I'm guessing that you're asking me to explain about the place where they will turn the White Star into a member of the Demonic race?"

Cale didn't even respond, as if he was telling him not to ask something so obvious.

"Mm."

Duke Fredo brushed his chin with his hand before continuing to speak.

"There's a noble who didn't show up today."

Cale knew who it was.

"The bastard with the fan?"
"Yes. That bastard is a noble and the chief priest at the same time."

Duke Fredo had said his name was Gersey.

"I guess I need to explain about the Endable Kingdom before I explain about him."

The Duke looked out the window.
The large hole at the northern part of the Eastern continent.

"The Endable Kingdom is divided into many floors. Of them, the areas that have been labeled as 'Endable,' are the lowest three floors."

The Endable Kingdom that was located in this giant hole started with Section 1 on the lowest floor.

"This Section 1 is where the royal palace and the first four nobles' residences are located."

Of course, there was a market and many other facilities as well.
However, this place could be seen as the most important place within the Endable Kingdom because the royal palace and the first four nobles were located here.

"Are you four the only nobles?"
"Yes, for now."

'For now?'

Duke Fredo smirked while looking at Cale's questioning gaze.

"The liege is quite a clever person."
"Why?"
"There are currently noble 'awaiters.' They will immediately become nobles as soon as the Endable Kingdom goes out into the world and the White Star accomplishes his first goal."

Noble awaiters.

Cale's expression turned odd before he started to speak.

"The White Star will use the greed of those who want to become nobles as his strength."
"That's right. There are 96 of them, and they are all strong individuals who have never appeared in the world before."

96 strong individuals.
Choi Han's shoulders tensed up.

"Of course, they are much weaker than I am."

Duke Fredo smiled, but Cale just ignored it.

"Stop smiling for no reason and keep talking."
"I understand. My goodness, my son is quite difficult."

Cale, Raon, and Choi Han. All three of them glared at Fredo at the same time.

"Ahem. I will keep talking."

Duke Fredo quickly returned to the topic at hand.

"The first floor, that is, the most central region. There are multiple temples for the priests who serve the Demonic race on the second floor above us."

There were different temples as, just like the gods, there were multiple Demonic races.
The third floor is where most foundational facilities and residential dwellings are located.

"Anyway, the person who leads and controls the priests is Marquis Gersey. He is the Chief Priest."

Duke Fredo stopped talking for a moment.

Smile.

A different kind of smile appeared on his face.

"That bastard is the one who maintains the device that will turn the White Star into a member of the Demonic race."

Duke Fredo slowly pointed down with his finger.

"Underneath Section 1… There is an underground area."

Cale's eyes clouded over.

"Is that where the Demonic race creating device is located?"
"Yes. I've only been there three times as well. But Gersey and the White Star go there routinely."

Cale started to frown at that moment.

"How can we easily infiltrate a place even you've only been three times?"

Cale's goal was to destroy that place.
But that would be difficult if they even had issues going in.

"My son. Your father is quite the talented Vampire."
"Why don't you cut the crap?"

Fredo ignored Cale and continued to speak.

"There is one person other than Gersey and the White Star who can freely go in and out of that place."

'Hmm? A person?'

"The Deputy Chief Priest."

A wicked smile suddenly appeared on Fredo's face.

– Human! What a questionable smile! Ah! Human, you're smiling that way too!

Cale was smiling the same way.

The Deputy Chief Priest.
Wasn't it obvious what they wanted?

Cale opened his mouth to speak.

"That person wants to become the Chief Priest?"
"Yes. She also wishes to become a Marquis."
"Then she'll need to make Gersey renounce his position, or…?"
"Make him die?"

Renounce his position or die.

Cale repeated those words in his mind before starting to speak again.

"You're going to drag the Deputy Chief Priest into this."
"Correct. She and I share a common desire."

Fredo's sluggish gaze slowly started to look fired up.

"We will infiltrate that place with her without anybody knowing. Then we will destroy the device and quickly sneak back out."
"Hold on."

Cale stopped Duke Fredo at that moment.

"I have a question."
"If it is a parent's duty to answer their child's questions, then I will happily answer my son's question."

Cale ignored Fredo's stupid comment and asked his question.

"I don't think I'm needed for this based on what I heard?"

Stealthily infiltrating, destroying the device, and quietly escaping.
Such a simple plan did not require Cale or his group to accomplish.

"No, I need you."

Duke Fredo's face stiffened.

"Those who are a part of the Endable Kingdom are cursed so that they cannot destroy the device."

He started to explain about this curse that only the first four nobles, the White Star, and the Deputy Chief Priest knew about.

"People properly joining this kingdom must go through a rite of passage."
"That is when they are cursed?"
"Yes. The curse is simple."

He pointed down with his finger again.

"It just makes it so that they cannot destroy the device down there that is needed for our grand vision."
"But only a few people know that they are being cursed?"
"That's right. They just think that it is a rite of passage."

Cale pointed to himself with his finger.

"That's why you need me to destroy it?"
"Exactly. My son is so smart."

Cale ignored Fredo's nonsense again and reached his hand out.

"Destroying things is our specialty."
"Sounds good."

Fredo grabbed Cale's hand and the two men had a short handshake.

'Mm.'

Choi Han internally groaned while looking at Cale and Duke Fredo.
Maybe it was because Cale looked like a young Fredo right now, but the two seemed to be quite coordinated with each other.

– Choi Han! Our human and the Duke whom I can't tell is crazy or not look similar!

Choi Han could not agree with Raon's comment.

"Hehe. We will destroy it into the ground."
"I will trust you. Hoo hoo."

It seemed as if doing so would make Cale and Fredo cause a big issue.

* * *

"Human! I am looking at the White Star differently now!
"I feel the same way."

Cale agreed with Raon's comment before nodding his head with a shocked expression.
He started to mumble to himself with a blank expression.

"…I didn't think it would be so relaxing."

He was currently sprawled out on a couch.

"…My goodness. I didn't think it would be this comfortable."

It was a perfectly sized couch for a 12 years old boy to lie across.
Cale was rolling around on that couch.

'This is ideal.'

His current situation was very ideal.
He was young, so nobody was calling on him to do anything.

In fact, they were all pushing him to his room, saying that his young heart must have been terribly shaken by this incident.

'This area is the best too.'

This room was the room next to Duke Fredo's room.

Of course, it was not actually the 'next' room.

'It's the next, next room.'

Cale gaze headed toward the mirror on the wall.

It was the same as the mirror in Fredo's bedroom that led to the secret area.
Although it looked different, it served the same purpose.

Fredo's bedroom – secret area – Naru's bedroom.

That was the layout of the three rooms that made up the entire floor.

Because of that, the room was very large and there were many benefits.

Swiiiiiiiish swiiiiiiiiiiiish-

That was the sound of Choi Han's sword cutting through the air.

Peek.

Cale peeked toward Choi Han as Cale laid on the bed. Choi Han was diligently training in one corner of the large room.

"Human, this is delicious!"

As for Raon, he was on the large bed on the other side of the room, rolling around and munching on cookies he floated them through the air with magic, one by one.

"Human, this is so shocking! The White Star can't taste anything but sent cookies that are even more delicious than the ones the crown prince gave me!"

'I know, right?'

Cale looked toward a corner of the room with an amazed expression.

"…What a nice uncle."

Cale's smile was so twisted it looked evil.

On top of the large table…
There were many delicious looking cookies and dessert… Luxurious fruit… And even fancy clothes and many other gifts piled up as high as a mountain.

They were all presents that the White Star had sent Naru from the palace.

'He's very good at acting.'

Although the White Star didn't mean it, anybody in the Endable Kingdom who saw his actions would think that he was a benevolent king who cared a lot about Naru.
He recalled what Duke Fredo told him.

'People even say that the White Star treats Naru as his own blood nephew. That's how much he dotes on me. That's why the nobles' envoys and even the other nobles who keep their blades pointed at me are gentle to Naru.'

Fredo had continued to speak while smiling wickedly.

'Naru is a form of purity in the Endable Kingdom.'

Not because he was strong. Not because he was cruel either.
He was a form of purity because they all wanted to protect the gentle heart of the boy who was loved by all.

'What bullshit.'

Cale held back a sigh.

'Loved by all?'

Based on his long life with over 30 years of experience as Kim Rok Soo, he knew that it was impossible to be loved by all.
At least, that was what he believed.

'Naru Von Ejellan. This person is an illusion.'

The Endable Kingdom.

It was an illusion for the people who wanted to invade and trample upon the Eastern and Western continents.

"Hmm."

Cale ate something that looked similar to a grape from the things that the White Star sent him as he started to think.

"Man, the more I think about this…"

Maybe it was because he heard the pleasure in Cale's voice…
Choi Han stopped swinging his sword and turned to look at Cale.

Cale smiled and continued to speak at that moment.
The more he thought about it…

"This is good."

Naru Von Ejellan.

This existence was quite good.
Duke Fredo had done a good job painting him as an innocent Vampire.

He ate a cookie from the pile.

Crunch!

This cookie that was more delicious than the ones made by the Roan Kingdom broke into pieces in his mouth.

"Hehe."

Cale's laughter filled the room.
Raon stopped eating a cookie and looked at Cale before looking toward Choi Han.

The young Dragon and the swordsman nodded at each other while thinking about Cale who was laughing as he looked at the cookies and presents in front of him.

'Choi Han, I think he's going to loot them dry!'
'It does seem that way.'

Cale who didn't notice them exchanging glances looked at the mirror that connected to the secret area before motioning to Choi Han and Raon.

"Come here."

Cale almost whispered to the two of them who had become serious.

"We should do something more."

Choi Han seriously asked.

"Are we going to loot them?"
"…Hmm?"
"Human, are we stealing things?"
"…No?"
"No?"
"No? Human, I'm surprised!"

Cale looked toward Raon and Choi Han in shock.

'How do these punks see me?'

The 12 years old boy lay on the couch with an insulted expression as he responded.

"Do you think I always steal things?"

Choi Han could not say anything.
Raon's silence showed his agreement.

Cale looked at the two of them in disbelief before casually asking.

"Do you know why innocent bastards are scary?"

Cale smirked while seeing the questioning gazes of the Dragon and the swordsman.

"They have the courage to run wild without knowing that the world is scary."

Choi Han felt the back of his neck getting cold for some reason.

He subconsciously gulped and asked.

"…What are you planning on doing?"

Pat, pat.

Cale brushed the cookie crumbs off his fingers before nonchalantly responding.

"I am going to suggest at the grand assembly that we immediately attack and get rid of Cale Henituse."

'Hmm? What?'

The Dragon and the swordsman's eyes opened wide.
Cale didn't care and his smile became wider.

He jumped up from the couch and shouted in a serious and energetic voice.

" 'Cale Henituse, the evilest enemy in the world who turned my father this way! I, Naru Von Ejellan, believe that we must defeat this enemy as soon as possible!' That's the bomb I will drop on the grand assembly that is busy preparing for the festival!"

Cale's gaze headed toward Choi Han.

"So, Choi Han."
"…Yes…Cale-nim."
"Tell Duke Fredo to relax and rest for a few days. This angry yet pure bastard needs to flip the kingdom around a bit before he wakes up."

Choi Han's mind was truly getting complicated.
Was Cale going to tell them to go get rid of him with his own mouth?

'What is Cale-nim thinking? I'm sure he must have a plan.'

Cale didn't care whether Choi Han was confused or not as he started to speak to Raon.

"Ah, this cookie is delicious. Should I ask the White Star for more? I feel like he'd send a truckload over if his nephew asked for it."
"…I think that at least your cookie-related thought is a good suggestion."
"Right? Hehe."

The black Dragon and the black-haired sword master looked toward the smiling 12 years old boy with expressions that seemed to say that they were at a loss for words.

***

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]