Chapter 85 – We Meet Again? (4)

"H, how did this bastard!"

Rough words that were not fitting for a noble came spilling out of Venion's mouth on reflex. His hood slowly came off to reveal his entire face. It was completely pale.

The Black Dragon slowly flapped his wings as he approached Venion.

"Why are you so surprised?"

The calm and low voice reached Venion's ear.

"What is it, are you having a hard time recognizing me because I am not all bloodied up?"

Raon had a completely indifferent expression as he said that. He then slowly approached Venion while his black mana was fluctuating in the air around him.

Venion took a step back.

"Ugh!"

He stepped on one of his lackey's bodies as he continued to walk backward.

"Venion Stan."

The Dragon was speaking. Venion had never heard the dragon speak in the four years he had watched it get tortured.
It was also calling out his name.
The dragon in front of him was different from the existence that used to get beaten and bloodied by clubs and whips.
Although the dragon was still the same tiny size, that formerly tortured existence was standing in front of him as a higher-ranking race.

"I guess you never expected me to come back?"

Venion had never expected this. All he had thought about was how he needed to find the dragon and bring it back to teach it to learn. It was a foolish thought. The foot taking another step back had started to shake. He couldn't help it.

"W, what. What the hell is going on?"

The dark red fog approached him and started to move up, starting from this feet and moving up to his leg. It was like a snake was coiling around him. However, he could not run away.

"Nice to see you again."

That dragon that was greeting him had tied him up with his mana. This snake-like fog had now reached Venion's neck.

"Ugh!"

One of his lackey's grunted once more before becoming quiet.

Hiiiiss.

The wind sounded like a snake hissing by his ear. Venion looked very shabby right now compared to his usual self.

"N, Noooo!"

The fog reached just underneath his nose now.

He had never been through something like this before. He could not do anything with his body paralyzed by the dragon's magic.

The dark red fog slowly covered his nose and face. Venion tried to hold his breath but eventually, the fog entered into his nose.

He could not breathe. At that moment, he could see the dragon's face through the fog.

"I am very happy to see you, Venion Stan."
"…Ugh!"

Raon could see Venion's face through the fog. Venion's body was shaking after having absorbed On and Hong's lightly poisonous fog.
Raon slowly removed the mana tying Venion down.

Plop.

Venion fell down to the ground. He had already lost his consciousness prior to Raon removing his mana.

Raon just quietly stared at the fallen Venion. At that moment, a hand started to pet him on the head.
It was Cale. Cale had used the Sound of the Wind to lightly jump from the rooftop. He petted Raon's head as he looked down at Venion.
He could hear Raon's voice.

"Weak. He's so terribly weak."

Cale put on a bitter smile. It was because Raon sounded so upset. However, Cale asked him back.

"So, do you want to stop?"
"No, I will treat him the same way he treated me."

Cale patted that round head of Raon's after seeing him respond without a second of hesitation. He looked around before speaking once again.

"Start."

Tap, tap.

The kittens, On and Hong, who were on top of a nearby building, lightly jumped down. Once they did that, On controlled the fog in order to provide a path for Choi Han.

"They are all waiting at the entrance of the alley."

Cale could see Raon slowly turning invisible and gave the order.

"Tell them to come."
"Yes sir."

Two small carriages soon entered the alley and filled it up. A person came out of one of those carriages.

"Mm, good morning, young master-nim."
"Here they are."

The crazy priestess Cage gulped while looking at the unconscious lackeys on the ground, as well as Venion Stan, who Choi Han had picked up.
She had not seen what had happened in this alley. The fog had played a part, but it was mainly because Choi Han was in the front of the alley entrance guarding it.

She could see that the two lackeys were frowning even while unconscious and that Venion looked very pale with fear.

"We do not have time."
"Hmm? Ah, yes!"

She came back to her senses at Cale's serious tone and quickly ordered the two people who came with her to move Venion's lackeys.

While they did that, she approached Cale, who was about to leave with Venion in the other carriage.

"Remember, four days later."
"Yes, that is plenty of time."

Cale, who was confidently saying four days was enough, as well as Choi Han, who was throwing Venion into a corner, both seemed calm. That gave Cage the chills.

He felt different than the Cale Henituse who stepped up to protect everyone in the castle, as well as the same young master who helped her and Taylor out. However, Cale soon started to smile. He needed to act properly for his plan.

"Yes, I will trust you. Since you set the date, please remember it, young master-nim."

4 days. Cale thought about what would happen in these next four days as he gave a clear response to this priestess who was full of worries.

"Yes. It is impossible for me to forget, so please stop worrying. Absolutely."

Cale looked toward Venion as he continued to speak.

"Each day will feel like a year, so he will definitely not be able to forget it."

He then turned toward Cage and said goodbye.

"Then we will be off now."
"Ah- yes."

She would never forget the way Cale stared at Venion. It was so scary. She continued to watch the carriage until it disappeared out of the alley.

'…It should be fine, since he promised not to kill him.'

Cale promised to hand Venion over without killing him. Cage and Taylor trusted him since he wasn't the type to break a promise and because he was the reason that they were able to hatch such a plan in the first place.

"We should trust him since we said we would."

Cage firmed her resolve. She needed to start moving quickly starting today.

"Everybody is on the carriage?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Then let's go."

Her carriage left the alley as well. It was heading in the opposite direction of Cale's carriage.

Cale's carriage was heading opposite of the Stan territory's Lord's Castle. It was heading toward the quite luxurious section where the rich, the nobles, and the knights lived.
The streets were clean and all of the buildings looked fancy.

Click. Click.

The carriage that was moving across the early morning fog stopped in front of a single residence. The gate slowly opened.

Creeeeak, clunk. The carriage headed to the back of the residence as soon as the strong iron gates opened.

There was a door heading underground in this average looking residence.

"It's a nice house."

Cale made an observation as he got off the carriage and looked toward the driver. The driver had his head deep under a hood.

The robe's hood lifted up a bit in response to Cale.

"You can go."

Odeus, the man under the hood, slightly bowed before quietly and stealthily heading out of the residence's back gate.
He wanted to turn around and look at Cale once more, but held himself back.

'I was wrong about him.'

He had personally moved because Cale had told him it was something he couldn't leave to one of his subordinates. He now understood why Cale had told him to serve him. The things they were doing were not things anybody else could know about.

'A torture chamber.'

He was certain Cale was known for being a good person. He was also one who would sacrifice himself for others. However, that was not the real Cale. Even Choi Han, who was a good person listened to Cale's orders.
Odeus thought about his nephew, Billos, who had said he would follow Cale.

Odeus then started to move quickly as he needed to cover Cale's tracks for the next four days.

"The problem is that I am following him like it is normal."

Odeus mumbled in a quiet voice before disappearing into the fog.

Cale opened the door heading underground once Odeus disappeared.

Screeech.

A chilling noise was heard as the door slowly opened.

"Ah, you've arrived."

He could see Beacrox right by the door. Beacrox had arrived here yesterday evening. Son of the assassin, Ron, a swordsman, and chef. Beacrox held many titles. However, the one title being utilized right now was that of a torture specialist.

"Yes. Let's move him."

Choi Han lifted Venion up and headed down. Beacrox followed behind him while peeking at the Black Dragon flying next to Cale.

Cale pretended not to see Beacrox peeking at Raon. Cale had revealed Raon's existence to him yesterday.

He easily accepted it.

'I knew it.'

Beacrox accepted it as soon as Cale told him Raon was the one who brought them food when they were traveling to the capital. However, Beacrox had some issues with what they were doing, as Cale had not explained anything about Venion.

'But at least he follows orders well.'

Beacrox was very thorough with following through.

Cale felt that way about Beacrox even more as soon as he headed to the chamber underground.
The room was quite large.

"You set it up properly."

There were many types of equipment on one side of the room. Beacrox had prepared all of it. Cale gasped while looking at those vicious tools before turning to look at Raon.

"It is the same."

Raon calmly rated the room. This underground torture chamber was set up to look as close to the cave that Raon had to suffer in for the first four years of his life.

Choi Han put Venion on a chair. Beacrox looked toward Cale and started to speak.

"Do I just need to work on him?"
"Yes."
"What should I do to him?"

Raon was the one to answer that question. Beacrox had to speak to the dragon that flew in front of him.

"I will return everything I suffered."
"…Suffered?"

Beacrox did not know about Raon's story.

"Yes, I was abused for four years, dealing with being tortured and beaten day after day. I was also imprisoned in a cave. I want payback for my four years of suffering during these next four days."

The calm four-year-old's voice echoed in the room. Choi Han rubbed his face while On and Hong didn't know what to do.

Cale crossed his arms and looked toward Raon. Raon really was great and mighty. In Cale's opinion, it was difficult to calmly talk about your pains like Raon was doing.

"I will give you a basic rundown of how I suffered. First of all, I was whipped until this mighty dragon skin of mine was raw."

Raon briefly explained in detail everything that he had suffered through during the four years. Raon was very passionate as he explained it all to Beacrox, who was carefully listening. He wanted to pay Venion back for everything.

"And to keep hitting the spot that is already bloodied and injured is the most important basic knowledge."

Bang!

Raon stopped talking and looked toward the source of the noise.

Cale had kicked the chair the unconscious Venion was sitting on. Venion fell to the ground, but still remained unconscious. This made Cale wonder how strong of a sedative Hong had used to poison Venion.

Cale fixed his shirt as if nothing happened before starting to speak.

"Keep doing what you have to do."
"…I understand, human."

Raon returned to talking about his past. He just described the core of it, as he did not have much time. Silence filled the room once he finished.

Cale looked toward Beacrox and then started to smile.
Beacrox had taken a pair of white gloves out of his pocket. He always put these gloves on so that he does not get dirtied.

"Sounds like there will be a lot of blood."

He then took out another pair of white gloves and put it on over the first pair. Cale had never seen or read about Beacrox putting on two pairs of gloves.

"Beacrox."
"Yes sir."

Beacrox looked toward Cale at his calling.

"Make some food before we start."
"…Food?"

Beacrox looked toward Cale as if Cale was crazy. However, Cale pointed to Raon. Raon stretched his wings as if he agreed with Cale.

"Raon needs something to eat."
"That bastard hit me while eating, saying that seeing my blood made it easier to swallow the food."
"… That crazy son of a…"

Choi Han started to swear. Beacrox took out another pair of gloves before speaking to Raon and Cale.

"Looks like I need to prepare a feast."

This made Cale think that Beacrox really was weak against affection. He was a torture specialist, but whether it is with the Wolf children or Raon, Beacrox seemed to be very weak against children and affection.

Beacrox asked a question as he headed up to prepare the food.

"Shall I cripple him?"
"No need to do that."

Raon responded.

"Alright. Young master-nim, will you be down here as well?"

Mm. Cale let out a moan and started to frown at Beacrox's question.

'I don't really want to see it, but.'

He wanted to live in peace because he hated seeing blood or wars. However, this was a special occasion.

They had set up an invisibility magic device in the corner. It would be complicated if Cale's identity was revealed, so he could only watch in secret.

'I don't think I can enjoy a feast while watching a torture. I should just stick with wine.'

Cale knew it would be brutal. He's probably going to want to throw up and get angry at Venion. In a situation like this, alcohol was better. Cale tried to open his mouth to ask for wine, however, Raon started to speak first.

"I understand, weak human. No need to think about it. You do not need to watch."
"It's true. I feel like it may be difficult for you, young master-nim."

Choi Han continued to speak after Raon and even Hong and On nodded their heads. Cale started to speak with a shocked expression on his face.

"What are you talking about?"

Cale petted Raon's head before walking past him.

"If I don't watch, are you going to watch alone?"

There were some things you needed to see no matter how hard it was to watch. He then took a potion out of his magic bag and handed it to Beacrox.

"Use the potion if it looks like he is going to die. Then he will be able to last all 4 days."
"Of course."

Beacrox easily accepted it as if it was natural. In fact, it was Choi Han and the Black Dragon's responses that Beacrox did not understand.

"Then let me go get it ready."

Beacrox prepared the best feast possible underground. It was a feast just for Raon.

***

"Oo… ugh...."

Venion groaned and tried to move. His body felt heavy. Although he could feel every part of his body, it felt like he was lacking oxygen.
He soon came to his senses and tried to figure out what had happened.

"Gasp!"

Venion opened his eyes in shock. What he saw in front of his eyes was a feast.

A grand feast that even nobles would not usually see was in front of his eyes on a just as luxurious table. The Black Dragon looked down toward Venion from the table.

Clang!

Venion turned his head as he heard the clang from the chains on his limbs and neck.

"M, mm-"

He wanted to speak but could not say anything. The magic chains on his neck prevented him from speaking.

He could not say anything, just like how Raon had suffered.

Psssh, bang!

The whip was moving across the floor. It was a large whip with metal and glass embedded throughout the whip.
It was very similar to the whip that was used on Raon.

The masked man wielding that whip slowly approached Venion.

"Start."

Raon gave the order.

***

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]