Chapter 2: It’s exploding. An incident is exploding (2)

Ash-colored light was shooting up to the clear sky.

"Let's go."

Alberu stepped off the roof without any hesitation. Mana was roaring around him.

"Mm."

Alberu turned his head.

– Hey crown prince! I'll take care of all the magic! You just do whatever you feel like doing!

Alberu was about to use flight magic but Raon was one step ahead of him and got everybody into the air. He thanked toward an empty spot in the air and started moving toward the King's Palace.

"Identify yourselves!"

Someone shot up into the air at that moment.

It was a royal mage.

"Y, your highness!"

He recognized Alberu, Cale, and Choi Han and urgently rushed over. The mage seemed happy to see them although there was an indescribable sense of misery and guilt on his face.

The Roan Kingdom's capital.

The King's Palace, which was located at the center of the Roan kingdom's royal palace, was completely destroyed.

This made no sense at all.

"I'm sorry, your highness."

"Report in first."

The mage slightly flinched at Alberu's calm demeanor before starting his report as they all moved toward the King's Palace.

"There was a continuous chain of large explosions before all the pillars crumbled instantly and the King's Palace fell."

"Ah."

Choi Han gasped. All of the pillars in the King's Palace broke at the same time. He knew what that meant.

Alberu opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally commenting.

"…I guess not many people would have managed to evacuate."

"…We are currently looking for and rescuing missing people and gathering the corpses."

In addition to the guards, there were a lot of people, such as attendants and individuals in charge of many things, working in the King's Palace. This palace had a lot more people than the other palaces as this was where the king resided.

Cale looked down and inspected the area.

"There were no signs at all?"

Alberu asked in a dry voice and the mage quickly stated the things he knew.

"The Magic Department detected a strong mana fluctuation as soon as we heard the explosions, your highness. However, we did not detect any signs of magic anywhere, including the palace's defensive walls, before or after that."

There were no screams coming from the palace right now.

People were gathered in groups urgently moving around.

"Anything aside from the magical signs?"

"Young lady Orsena requested an audience with his Majesty in the King's Palace one hour prior to the explosion."

"And?"

"The King's Palace crumbled immediately after young lady Orsena left."

"And?"

"Young lady Orsena is now missing."

Alberu turned his head to observe the mage.

"…Nobody was keeping an eye on her?"

The heir of a Duchy had visited the royal palace."

"We had people watching her, your highness."

"But?"

"They said that she suddenly disappeared."

Alberu's eyebrows slightly rose up and Cale turned to look at the mage.

The mage gulped before continuing on.

"It was not magic, your highness."

"It was not magic but she teleported?"

"Yes, your highness."

Cale had seen someone teleport without using magic before.

During the Sloth test when he was facing the illusions in the sealed god's temple… Cale and Choi Jung Gun had met the Hunters, Jung Yi-Rang and Park So Jin.

'Take this offering of karma.'

Hunter Jung Yi-Rang had disappeared instantly even though no magic was used.

"How did she teleport?"

"That is something I do not know-"

This mage did not have much authority.

Alberu looked down.

"I guess I can hear about it down there."

Alberu made eye contact with the second prince.

– We're heading down.

Their bodies descended down after Raon made that comment.

The destroyed King's Palace…

Pss.

Cale stepped on the debris from a destroyed pillar and landed on the scene.

"Your highness! Commander-nim!"

Many people recognized Alberu and Cale. However, there were a lot of people who were so busy that they didn't even notice the two of their arrival.

"Move the large ones first!"

"There's an injured person over here!"

It did not seem very rowdy when they were up in the sky, but the ground was covered in chaos.

"Please come this way first! This person's lung seems injured!"

"Leg, this person has no feeling in their leg!"

It was a horrible sight.

'This is the Roan Palace?'

Choi Han looked forward.

The King's Palace that had completely crumbled resembled a large hill. It was completely destroyed so that it held no shape anymore and the beautiful decorations looked ugly and weird now that they were destroyed.

"There is a body over here! It seems to be an attendant!"

Choi Han saw a limp arm visible through the debris and turned his head.

However, Cale and Alberu did not turn away from the horrible sight.

Alberu and the second prince did not even greet each other.

"Did you evacuate the royal family?"

The second prince responded to the crown prince's question with a tired look on his face.

"The third prince is on it, your highness."

"Your highness!"

The leader of the Mage Brigade, who had been at the palace, immediately approached Alberu.

"Report in first."

"Yes sir!"

The middle-aged mage was completely covered in dust.

"We are currently using magic to move the structural debris little by little but the speed is very slow."

Choi Han could not hold in his frustration and asked.

"Can't you use a large-scale spell to move all of the debris at once?"

The mage, who recognized Choi Han, shook his head.

"..It is difficult to differentiate between debris and people if we use such a spell. Furthermore, we may place any survivors inside in danger or lose some vital clues from the scene if we did not carefully move the structural debris."

The mage turned toward Alberu and continued speaking.

"We are currently using a spell to detect any living beings starting from his Majesty's dwelling. However-"

"It was destroyed the worst."

Of this hill of crumbled debris of the King's Palace… The king's dwelling place was at the center.

Alberu closed his eyes for a moment, opened them back, and addressed the second prince.

"I will take care of things here."

"Then I-"

You take the royal guards and check the barrier side. I need you to take care of figuring out who is responsible."

He was going to leave the defense of the palace to the second prince. Even if he was only giving some royal guards, it meant that he was giving the second prince some of the troops.

The second prince, who knew the meaning of such action, asked Alberu.

"…You want me to do that?"

"Yes."

The second prince was silent for a moment before he bowed his head.

"Okay. I understand… hyung-nim."

Alberu chuckled at how the second prince addressed him and then turned around.

"I trust you."

The second prince bowed and quickly started moving.

He seemed to have completely accepted Alberu as the crown prince and the future king.

As for Alberu, he was looking at Cale.

"I will do it, your highness."

Cale stepped forward.

Oooooong– oooooong–

The ground started to rumble with Cale at the center.

"Huh?! What the hell? Is it magic?"

"Tell them to stop if it is magic! The whole area might crumble if the rumbling goes wrong!"

"…It's the Commander-nim though?"

"Huh?"

"He seems to have come with his highness?"

The people, who had been frantically removing the debris, raised their heads.

– I guess it's my turn.

'Is it possible?'

– I won't touch any of the debris surrounding injured people.

The broken rocks responded to Cale's thoughts.

– I've done things like this quite often in the past.

During the ancient times, the Super Rock did more protecting than destroying and frequently rescued something or someone from broken things.

– The King's Palace is something made from the ground and made from rocks in the end.

Cale reached his hand out toward the King's Palace.

Now this pile of rocks that had lost its glorious appearance…

Boooooooom-

The ground started to rumble with Cale at the center.

"…Ah."

One of the attendants, who had been moving a destroyed piece of marble, gasped.

Crack.

It started with the small pieces of debris.

One by one, the things that were made from materials mined in the mines started to rise up to the sky.

"Everybody stop your spells!"

The head of the Mage Brigade shouted and people started to move back.

The debris they were standing on started floating up as well.

'Cale-nim.'

Choi Han was looking at Cale.

Cale seemed more focused than ever before.

'This is harder.'

Choi Han knew it.

He knew that it was more difficult to control your powers to do something like this than to destroy things.

"The pillar!"

"Finally...!"

The people watching clenched their fists.

The 10 largest pillars of all pillars that had supported the King's Palace… Nine of those pillars shot up into the air.

"This is enough, sir! This is enough to speed up the search!"

A mage shouted toward Cale in awe.

"There is a survivor over here!"

"Over here as well!"

Cale turned his head toward Alberu.

"It is fine to rescue them now, your highness."

Alberu nodded his head and immediately raised his hand to give the order.

"Resume the search!"

– Human, I'll take care of moving things! Don't overdo it!

Raon spoke into Cale's mind before the debris, pillars, and piece of the roof that were floating in the air moved to the rear garden of the King's Palace and other nearby gardens.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

There were loud noises as the pillars were placed in the rear garden as if they were stabbed into the ground.

"T, this-"

The people who had seen Cale and the others moving through the sky or had heard information from the site at the King's Palace shouted to inform the shocked people of the palace.

"His highness came with the Commander-nim!"

"These are pillars from the King's Palace! His highness is here! Tell people that the Commander-nim moved them!"

Information about Alberu and Cale's arrival was spreading throughout the palace.

The anxiety, fear, and concern on their faces relaxed a bit after hearing that news.

However, the looks on the faces of the people at the site of the King's Palace was stiffer than before.

"…Too many-"

"Stop there."

A knight stopped a junior knight from speaking.

He could anticipate what the other knight was about to say.

Too many people died.

People were blanking out while looking at the signs of people who had tried their best to escape, flailing around to survive. They blanked out looking at the pale faces of people they had greeted just a few hours ago this morning.

It was even more miserable at the bottom of the hill of the crumbled palace.

"Your highness."

The head of the Mage Brigade quickly followed behind the walking Alberu.

Alberu stopped in front of the only pillar Cale did not manage to move.

"…This person died."

The swordsman who was always by King Zed's side along with the Chief of Staff as if he was the guard…

That person was dead.

Alberu knelt down to look at the swordsman's corpse.

Cale stood behind Alberu and looked around.

This pillar was the pillar located in the king's dwelling, which meant that they were in the king's dwelling right now.

"…He couldn't even close his eyes."

"It looks like he was taken out in an instant without being able to react at all."

Alberu closed the swordsman's eyes after hearing Choi Han's comment. He then added on.

"There are no traces of the secret passage being used."

Cale and Alberu made eye contact.

"There are no signs that the secret passage I know about in the King's Palace was used."

"The Chief of Staff is not here either, your highness."

The King and the Chief of Staff disappeared without a trace.

The two of them looked at each other and thought of two potential reasons.

'Abduction or teleportation.'

The Chief of Staff was a mage.

The king either teleported away with the Chief of Staff or the two of them were abducted together.

"Either way, it is highly likely that he is still alive."

Alberu immediately stood up.

"Commander-"

"I will go visit the Duke's House of Orsena and the Flynn Merchant Guild, your highness."

Alberu pointed to Choi Han.

"Instructor-nim, you go with him too."

"Will you be okay, your highness?"

Alberu chuckled after Choi Han asked with concern about Alberu's safety.

Choi Han thought that Alberu gave off a cold demeanor.

"Of course not. No matter who it is or what their goal is… I must find out the answer first."

"…I see."

Choi Han had the thought that Alberu would not lose to most individuals who messed with him right now.

"We will head over first then, your highness."

A teleportation magic circle appeared under Cale's feet as he said that and Choi Han stood behind him.

– Human, should I take you to the Orsena Estate first?

"Is there a need to go somewhere that burned down first?"

The grey smoke shooting up beyond the walls of the palace…

He was certain that it was the Orsena Estate.

Young lady Orsena was missing and most of the Estate was said to have burned down.

Cale recalled something the fake Hilsman, the man who ran off with his money, had said.

'The second child of the Flynn family who has received young lady Orsena's sponsorship will soon become the merchant guild leader.'

The second child is aligned with young lady Orsena?'

The residences of the king and young lady Orsena, two people related to the Hunters… They were both destroyed.

If the Flynn Merchant Guild is still fine in such a situation?

"The Flynn Merchant Guild main location. We will head there first."

– Ah! I know the location because of Billos, that guy who spends money well!

Ooooooooong-

The teleportation magic circle started shining and Cale's body started to become faint.

"I hope you will tell me everything, no matter what you find out."

"Of course I will do that, your highness."

Cale let the teleportation magic circle take him after that short conversation with Alberu and addressed Choi Han.

"Choi Han, pull out your sword."

"Excuse me?"

As Choi Han asked back at the unexpected order…

Cale calmly continued to speak.

"We are breaking in right away."

Paaaat-!

Cale saw the bright light and closed his eyes for a moment. He could see the door to the Flynn Merchant Guild main location once he opened his eyes again.

The second child of the Flynn Merchant Guild who seemed to have aligned with the Hunters…

Billos's life was in danger as soon as the second child was named as the successor, leading Billos to come find Cale and ask him to destroy the Flynn Merchant Guild.

Cale had not managed to hear the details as Billos was not awake yet, but Billos was not the type of person who would ask him to destroy the Merchant Guild because of his emotions.

This Merchant Guild was Billos's dream.

"W, who goes there?! Where are you from?! Identify yourselves!"

"…I, isn't that the Commander?"

The guards at the door pointed their weapons at Cale and Choi Han.

"Choi Han, we don't have much time."

Someone who might have information…

They needed to capture that person before they disappeared. If not, they at least had to find some traces of evidence the person left behind.

A sudden visit was best for something like that.

"Break the door down first."

"Yes, Cale-nim."

Choi Han immediately swung his sword.

Baaaaaang—!

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiing–!

A loud alarm echoed through the building as soon as the door broke.

—
Translator's Comments

Time to break in.

***

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]