Chapter 656 – Everything can be connected (6)

Kim Rok Soo who was in Cale Henituse's body…

And Cale Henituse who was in Kim Rok Soo's body…

The two of them could not take their eyes off of each other for a while.

"Cale Henituse."

The first to speak was Kim Rok Soo, who was currently using Cale Henituse's body.

"How am I able to meet with you?"

"I'm not sure. I was working the night shift and fell asleep for a moment to see that you were in this bed. But you see…"

The real Cale Henituse, who was making a kind of smile the original Kim Rok Soo would never make, mischievously asked.

"Aren't you planning on living in that body?"

The sudden question that was asked mischievously felt quite heavy. The real Cale Henituse shrugged his shoulders and added on.

"I plan on living the rest of my life in this body. That's why I plan on throwing away the name of Cale Henituse and living as Kim Rok Soo."

The real Cale Henituse's eyes were calm. They weren't shaking at all.

The real Kim Rok Soo quietly looked at the person who was in his real body before opening his mouth.

"…So you want me to call you Kim Rok Soo?"

"That's right. Why? You don't want to? Don't you plan on finishing your life as Cale Henituse as well? Then you should throw away the name of Kim Rok Soo now."

"Pffft."

Kim Rok Soo inside Cale Henituse's body… No, the person who had made up his mind to become Cale Henituse nodded his head and continued speaking.

"Sure. We'll do as you said, Kim Rok Soo."

"Good, Cale Henituse. Now our outer appearances match our names."

Cale looked at Kim Rok Soo, who was laughing and making gestures that he would never have made, and nonchalantly added on.

"I guess you've really been happy."

He recalled the moment he met with Lee Soo Hyuk and got the 'Embrace' ability.

Lee Soo Hyuk had handed Cale the ability and told him about the real Cale Henituse as he disappeared.

'Oh, by the way, the original owner of your body is living well too. He's happy. That is why Jung Soo, I, and everybody is happy.'

Kim Rok Soo had a bright smile that suited a twenty-year-old person and not someone in his mid-thirties.

"Yeah. I met someone I wanted to see for a long time."

Cale felt quite odd facing Kim Rok Soo, who was smiling in a way he had never smiled when he had been Kim Rok Soo.

"Who was the person you wanted to see?"

"My mother."

Cale was at a loss for words.

It was someone who had felt distant to Cale because she was not mentioned much in < The Birth of a Hero >. Duchess Violan felt more like a mother to him.

Now that he thought about it, Cale had never heard anything about Cale Henituse's birth mother during his time at the Henituse Estate.

It was pretty much taboo to talk about Cale's birth mother in that house.

Kim Rok Soo shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking after seeing the confused look on Cale's face.

"Cale Henituse, my mother reincarnated in the world you used to live in, the world I live in now."

"…She reincarnated on Earth?"

"Yeah. Earth 1. That's the world Team Leader Kim Rok Soo in his thirties is in."

Cale learned that his original world was Earth 1. He also recalled that Alberu's Unbreakable Spear Taerang came from Earth 3.

'Does that mean that the sealed god's test was on Earth 2?'

Cale pushed that potentially true but unverified thought to the side to focus on Kim Rok Soo's words.

"My reincarnated mother lost her parents when she was very young because of an unranked monster's attack and was left all alone. I'm trying hard to become her family."

A bitter yet proud smile was on Kim Rok Soo's face. Cale thought for a moment before asking.

"If she reincarnated, she should be younger than you, no?"

"Ha. She currently calls me uncle."

Kim Rok Soo shook his head as if he still couldn't believe it.

But the fact that he did not seem lonely made Cale understand why the real Cale Henituse made up his mind to live as Kim Rok Soo.

Kim Rok Soo sat up and looked toward Cale, who was leaning on the head of the bed.

"I want to tell you the details, but I don't know how much time we have so I'll stop this story there."

"Okay."

Cale shared his honest sentiments.

"I want to hear the details, but I'm kind of in a rush right now."

He was worried about what might have happened in Puzzle City and how his friends would be fighting while he was unconscious.

"But I've been here a few times to know that I can't get out of here whenever I please."

Cale could never leave this place on his own accord the few times he had been here.

"Really? I didn't know. I still have a lot of work to do."

Kim Rok Soo nodded his head as if he got some good information before hesitating for a moment and then adding on.

"…The family is all well?"

"Of course."

Kim Rok Soo smiled differently after hearing Cale's nonchalant but firm response. His sorrowful smile made Cale a bit emotional.

That was why he added on.

"Everybody is doing well. Father and mother are healthy. Lily is learning to use the sword. I want to make Basen be the territory Lord. But for now, he is just helping out with the administration of the territory."

"Hmm."

Kim Rok Soo scratched his forehead with his index finger.

"Cale, don't you think that Basen should be the next territory lord?"

"I'm not going to do it. Lily or Basen can do it if they want. Basen seemed almost willing to do it when I saw him last time."

Cale looked disgusted at the thought of becoming the territory lord, and Kim Rok Soo looked at Cale Henituse's expression that he would have never made if he was still in his body and started to speak again.

"His personality is a perfect fit for the territory lord. I guess he still doesn't think that the position should be his though."

Cale stared at Kim Rok Soo when he heard that.

Kim Rok Soo flinched before realizing something and quietly laughing.

"Basen… Yes, you're curious about Basen, right? You've probably been thinking about his age. We're only three years apart. You probably thought it was weird. It wasn't mentioned in The Birth of a Hero after all."

"The Birth of a Hero? You know about the book?"

"Of course. I was in your room when I opened my eyes and the book was there."

Kim Rok Soo answered as if it was nothing before debating for a moment and looking at Cale.

"When I first spoke to Basen…"

It had been less than one month since Basen came to the Henituse County with Countess Violan.

"I said these things to that kid at that time."

Kim Rok Soo recalled that moment and repeated the words he said to Basen to Cale.

"Basen. You are part of the Henituse household. Remember that. No matter where you go, your family name is Henituse. Got it? Don't you remember what father said? Listen to me unless you are an idiot. Tell people that the Henituse blood flows through you. Tell them that no matter what."

Basen had responded back saying he couldn't do that, and the young Cale had responded like this.

"Shut the hell up. Do as I said. Otherwise, you won't be able to live in this house. Do you think that the cousins and the collateral family will leave you alone? Are you going to be dumb?"

"Hmm."

Cale made a noise as he quietly listened.

"Cale."

Kim Rok Soo gently grabbed Cale's shoulder.

"I don't know whose blood flows through Basen Henituse's body, but that kid is my younger brother, Lily's older brother, Count Deruth's son, and Countess Violan's son. He's definitely someone with the mindset of Count Henituse's family."

Cale looked at the emotions flowing through Kim Rok Soo's eyes before closing his eyes for a moment and then opening them back.

He recalled Basen's face in his mind when he closed his eyes. Even if their hair color was different… He could see the weak yet stubborn face that resembled the pale Cale's face more than Deruth's or Violan's.

"Basen is my dongsaeng as well."

"...He is. What else do you need other than that?"

Kim Rok Soo removed his hand from Cale's shoulder while looking at Cale's expression that seemed to be saying that there was no need to respond to him. He then added on.

"You can ask Countess Violan about the details. You'll probably need to chat with her if you want Basen to be the territory lord."

Kim Rok Soo shook his head with nostalgic eyes, as if he was thinking about the past.

"…Haaaa. No matter how much I acted as trash and the cousins wanted to kick me out, the Countess and Basen wouldn't budge. You'll need to convince Countess Violan if you don't want to be the territory lord."

"Ah."

Cale let out a small gasp. Kim Rok Soo looked at him with confusion as Cale sternly corrected him.

"It's the Henituse Duchy now. It's no longer a County."

"Wow. That's amazing."

"Yeah. It is. We're quite an amazing household."

Kim Rok Soo had a bright smile on his face as he watched Cale nod his head. Cale frowned.

"…Hey."

"What's wrong?"

"…You… Don't the others say anything when you smile like that in my body?"

Kim Rok Soo touched the corners of his lips as if he was wondering what the issue was.

"What's wrong with my smile? They were all happy that their team leader-nim let them go home early."

"…Are you doing your job properly?"

"Of course. I'm going to make sure to save this world I'm living in right now. I'll make it so that the people around me can live in peace."

Cale closed his mouth after hearing Kim Rok Soo's response. He had the same desires as the real Cale Henituse.

This world where he was living as Cale right now… He wanted to protect this place. He would definitely protect this place.

"Ah, but is my smile really weird?"

Kim Rok Soo was still touching the corners of his lips.

"I think it gives off a mature feel and makes me look charming."

Cale almost scoffed in disbelief.

"Ho. You're talking about a mature feel with my face-"

He felt as if he would get a headache for a different reason. He had never imagined meeting the real Cale Henituse, but he definitely did not expect to hear such bullshit now that he somehow did meet him.

Kim Rok Soo responded as if there was no problem.

"Of course. I'm over forty years old after all."

'What?'

Cale's gaze turned sharp as he looked toward Kim Rok Soo.

"…Why are you forty?"

Cale had opened his eyes inside the 18 years old Cale Henituse's body.

Kim Rok Soo looked right into Cale's confused eyes and opened his mouth.

"The moment Choi Jung Soo died, the God of Death offered him a deal."

He was asked whether he wanted to stay alive and be transported to a different world or to save Kim Rok Soo.

The God of Death told Choi Jung Soo to make the decision, and Choi Jung Soo chose his death.

"The God of Death offers you a deal at the moment of your death or if you are in extreme danger that could potentially lead to your death. When I was forty… Umm, basically, the God of Death offered me a deal when I was about to die and I accepted it."

Kim Rok Soo. The real Cale Henituse had accepted the deal with the God of Death.

"The conditions the God of Death offered me were simple."

Cale could finally see the remorse deep inside Kim Rok Soo's eyes that was clearly different from Kim Rok Soo's bright smile.

That emotion was similar to Cale's own emotions.

Kim Rok Soo continued speaking to the one person he could share the conditions of his deal with.

"As soon as I returned to the moment I met Choi Han, the starting point that could change the fate of our world, I would go into the body of a person named Kim Rok Soo in a different world. That was the condition of the deal."

The God of Death had also told him that his mother had reincarnated into this Kim Rok Soo person's world and was living a lonely life.

"Do you know why I accepted that deal?"

Kim Rok Soo put his hand against his forehead as if he had a headache. He closed his eyes.

The eyes that were full of remorse could no longer be seen.

"Where should I start… Hmm…"

He was silent for a bit before finally starting to speak again.

"I hate Harris Village."

"Harris Village?'

Cale recalled the information about Harris Village after unexpectedly hearing about it.

The Forest of Darkness was one of the Forbidden Regions.

Harris Village was the village separated from the forest by a single wall. It was where Choi Han first met people of this world after finding his way out of the Forest of Darkness and where the Tigers, Wolves, and Cale's friends resided right now.

Choi Han left Harris Village and headed for the Henituse Lord's Estate after the people of the village were massacred by Arm.

Kim Rok Soo's eyes were still closed as he continued to speak.

"My mother said that she was going to visit Harris Village. There was something she needed to bury there. I found it odd that my mother needed to go to a village she had no connections with, a village that was just one of many in our territory."

His voice was calm, but the things he was saying were quite shocking.

"My mother left for Harris Village even though it was pouring rain and the wind was strong. I was quite worried because her body had always been weak. And then…"

Kim Rok Soo stopped for a moment as if it was difficult to say before continuing with a stoic expression on his face.

"She ended up seriously injured because the carriage tipped over on her way back due to the storm. She received treatment back home after that but unfortunately, she passed away."

Cale felt as if he could hear the roaring wind from that day despite never having heard it.

Kim Rok Soo was calm.

"But the carriage accident was not the reason my mother passed away. It wasn't that bad of an accident. Nobody other than my mother got hurt either. But everybody thinks that my mother passed away because of the injuries from the accident."

He sighed while keeping his eyes closed.

"I only learned about the real reason for her death after meeting the God of Death. My mother…"

He stopped for a moment and opened his eyes to look at Cale.

"I think that my mother expected things would end up like this."

As if he was opening a chest that had sunk deep down inside a lake… Kim Rok Soo started to share these old stories with the person who was living as Cale Henituse in his place.

"Cale."

Kim Rok Soo spoke with sorrow visible on his face.

"My mother possessed an ancient power."

'…What?'

Cale couldn't hide his shock this time.

Cale Henituse's birth mother possessed an ancient power. He had never expected that.

The Birth of a Hero…

The story of someone who was neither the main character nor a supporting character, the story of an extra in the story was being shared.

However, it was also the story of someone who just lived her life, even if it wasn't mentioned in the story.

—
Translator's Comments

Damn. What a revelation.

What will happen next?

***

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]