Chapter 294: A Crazy Bastard and an even Crazier Bastard (3)

The group that was going to meet with the Grand Elder included Cale, Clopeh, and the Third Inquisitor, Erza.

‘Shouldn't the First Bishop be with the Pope?’

‘The Third Bishop will be at Her Holiness's side.’

And so, it was decided that the First Bishop, Mold, would accompany the group.

In the moonlit clearing hidden by the clouds. As the night grew darker, Cale's group began to move, hiding in shadows darker than the night itself, advancing cautiously.

Sss~

The wind blew, rustling the edge of Cale's cloak. In the hand hidden under the cloak, Cale held the Top's Whip.

‘There’s a guard on patrol at three o'clock!’

‘A knight is passing by the window on the third floor of the building to the southwest.’

Cale looked towards Erza. With a gesture, she changed direction, avoiding the patrol.

‘She does quite well.’

She seemed to know all the patrol rules of Exion Castle, moving cautiously but without hesitation.

‘It's not her first time doing this, don’t worry.’

Erza had reasons to be confident. A strange smile appeared on Cale’s lips. If Raon saw it, he would wonder what he was plotting.

- What are you thinking?

Super Rock interrupted instead of Raon, but Cale ignored him and followed Erza calmly.

‘As expected, it’s extraordinary.’

The First Bishop, who was at the end of the group, observed Cale.

‘Exion made me an offer.’

First Bishop Mold recalled the offer that Pope Casillia had heard from Exion.

‘They say they can provide me with a means to prolong life eternally.’

‘Eternally?’

‘Yes, eternally.’

Several Bishops accompanying them showed their surprise, except Horns. Even the Pope looked at Horns and said:

‘Does he mean a virtual reality game?’

‘It’s probably that.’

‘Exion gave me a special chance to experience it.’

Horns asked:

‘Will you tell Commander Cale?’

‘No need, he already knows.’

Casillia let out a dry laugh and sighed.

‘That offer doesn’t attract me at all.’

The First Bishop knew well why Casillia showed no interest in that offer. He watched Cale and Clopeh, who was behind him like a shadow, and thought:

‘She has no reason to keep living.’

The Pope had no desire to live. She only wanted to destroy.

‘No, that’s not it.’

But the First Bishop knew better than anyone. Casillia wanted to live.

‘I also want to prove that I’m alive.’

He wanted to prove his existence in this world, to affirm that he, too, was a living being. He yearned to make this known, no matter the means.

‘Horns, stay with the Pope. I’ll follow Commander Cale.’

That’s why the First Bishop decided to accompany Cale and his group. The reason was simple.

‘I want-’

He wanted to fulfill the Pope's dream and give her more years of life, even if the Pope and the other Bishops showed no interest in living longer. But the First Bishop was different. Even though he was a Dragon Half-Blood, he had inherited very little dragon blood, which, fortunately or unfortunately, gave him a longer life than the other half-bloods. Mold followed Cale Henituse, hoping to find a solution.

‘Truly, it’s extraordinary.’

While he walked through Exion Castle, almost as if he was strolling...

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, he stopped. The group had halted. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t realize.

‘What’s happening?’

The First Bishop lifted his head with a stern expression.

“!”

The entrance to the back garden.

Near there was a wooden cabin, the residence of the Grand Elder.

And at the entrance of the cabin...

“Welcome.”

A butler smiled at Cale’s group.

The First Bishop’s pupils contracted.

‘Damn it!’

The butler’s presence meant that the Three-Star Dragon, Exion, knew all their movements.

Then, that means-

‘Have they also discovered Commander Cale’s presence?’

What to do?

Should I go immediately to the annex and get the Pope out of the castle?

The First Bishop was blank-minded, thinking of the emergency. He looked at the Third Inquisitor.

“…….”

Erza’s face was pale, truly surprised.

‘Damn it!’

We must escape from here. Mold decided and approached Cale.

‘Huh?’

Then he stopped.

Clopeh Sekka, Commander Cale Henituse’s Knight bodyguard, had a soft smile.

The First Bishop felt strange and looked at Cale’s expression.

‘What?’

Cale’s expression was serene. As if he had foreseen this situation. And that thought was correct.

‘There’s a butler waiting in the Grand Elder Elf’s house!’

The Wind Elementals had already informed Cale.

‘The lights of the main library of Exion don’t go out! Exion was watching the annex from the window!’

‘No knight has patrolled towards the back garden. They used to patrol every hour, it’s odd.’

‘The knights at the back garden entrance have disappeared.’

Upon hearing this information, a strange smile appeared on Cale’s lips.

‘Well.’

He was genuinely curious about Exion, the Three-Star Dragon. He had expected his loyalty to be immense, being called the Dragon Lord’s Sword.

‘I might be wrong.’

But seeing what was happening, he thought his assumption might be incorrect.

‘He might be plotting something very shrewd to deceive me and the Pope’s group.’

He could be digging such a subtle trap that even Cale wouldn’t notice.

‘But it seems he really wants to talk to me.’

All the information seemed to indicate that Exion was being considerate and friendly with Cale.

What does the Three-Star Dragon Exion want to discuss with me?

‘Freedom... I found it...!’

But Cale had a rough idea of what it could be.

With a relaxed smile, he advanced.

“Ah!”

Erza, the Third Inquisitor, almost grabbed him, surprised.

“….”

Clopeh hit her hand.

Cale observed him and, without saying anything, stepped forward, removing the hood of his cloak.

The butler bowed his head respectfully.

“Were you with the Pope?”

“Do you remember?”

“My memory is quite good.”

He was the type of butler a Dragon like Exion would have by his side.

“You can have a comfortable conversation with the Grand Elder. And on your way to see the World Tree, I have made sure there’s no one else, you can go quietly. If there’s any inconvenience, I’ll be at the back garden entrance, let me know.”

When the butler finished speaking, Cale asked indifferently.

“What does Exion want from me?”

“…”

The butler was silent for the first time. Cale watched his face in silence.

“I have visited Ryan Castle and many other places in this world, you know?”

“?”

The butler looked at Cale curiously at the sudden change of topic. Cale, smiling, continued.

“You seem to truly follow Exion.”

“…!”

“And the knights too. The employees as well. They are not fake, they are real.”

Murmuring in a low voice, Cale’s dark brown eyes stared at the butler. Although the butler’s eyes were transparent, as if seeing through him, he found himself returning the gaze and nodded.

“I can’t say much, but I can give my personal opinion.”

He said calmly.

“Two hundred years. It’s not much time just for humans.”

The butler’s eyes showed conviction.

“It’s also a long time for Dragons.”

“Even for Exion-nim?”

A slight smile appeared on the butler’s lips.

“Sometimes, a play started for fun or as a means can become reality, can become one’s life.”

Did the play Exion started become reality?

Cale recalled the evaluation of the Third Star Dragons he received from Dennis of Har Kingdom. Especially the description about Exion.

<Exion pretends to be human.>

For some reason, when that thought clearly arose in his mind, the butler spoke again.

“My lord said that if I delivered this letter, the other party would agree to talk.”

The butler took out a letter elegantly wrapped. Cale took it and, after a moment of hesitation, broke the seal and unfolded the letter.

“!”

And he was surprised. He had seen completely unexpected information. Now he understood why Exion was acting this way and why he mentioned “finiteness” to the Pope when making the proposal.

<I have become a father. A child of my wife will soon be born.>

And the content continued.

<My wife is human. I want to sincerely protect my family. Even if that means betraying the Lord and destroying this world.>

Information provided by Har Kingdom.

<Exion pretends to be human.>

An explanation about him.

<He married the princess of a destroyed kingdom and calls himself Grand Duke.>

<He has formed his own territory, calling it the Grand Duchy, and has accepted humans as his subjects.>

<This is perceived as a form of amusement or an efficient means of governance.>

<However, although Exion's wife is human, she still appears young, so this information is being investigated.>

Now that he thought about it, among the Pope and the Bishops, was there any descendant of Exion?

‘…no.’

Ha.

Cale let out a short laugh, almost a sigh, without realizing it.

‘Certainly, it would be strange if there were only Dragons who wanted to use Dragon Half-Bloods.’

No two beings in the world are alike. He folded the letter and put it in his chest.

“First, we should have a conversation.”

With such content, they needed to talk, didn’t they?

He looked at the butler with a tone a bit more relaxed than before.

“Then, can I take care of my business first?”

“Yes. My lord has ordered to provide you with comfort.”

The butler discreetly withdrew from the log cabin, moving away from Cale and his group. Cale, observing the butler who had left, signaled to Erza and the first bishop, who didn’t understand the situation.

“Go ahead.”

Knock, knock.

Clopeh was already knocking on the door of the log cabin.

‘It’s definitely good that he understands without needing explanations.’

Cale looked at Clopeh with a grim expression, and then, when the door opened, tried to put on the best expression possible.

And from inside appeared a young elf, so young he didn’t seem like an elder elf.

Even...

“Here we have a madman who overcame hypnosis.”

Looking at Clopeh Sekka as if he were a truly curious creature, the Great Elder sighed at the butler, then gestured towards Cale.

“Come in. Although it’s modest, it’s better than outside.”

The butler greeted the Great Elder courteously. Erza, watching him, couldn’t believe it.

She couldn’t imagine that Exion's loyal servant would greet the Great Elder so courteously.

‘Is there something I don’t know?’

When the thought that she had seen a part of the ace up the sleeve that the Great Elder was preparing crossed Erza’s mind.

“Come, Third Inquisitor.”

At the Great Elder’s call, Erza quickly entered the log cabin.

Cale sat in the chair the Great Elder indicated and faced him.

“…”

“…”

When neither of them opened their mouths easily, the Great Elder spoke.

“The World Tree is an immortal being.”

“I know.”

The World Tree repeats death and birth. But its cycle is different from reincarnation. It doesn’t become another being but repeats death and birth being the same being. That’s why they are immortal.

“I see you know.”

“……”

“The World Tree wishes for its own disappearance.”

Gasp~

The First Bishop inhaled sharply at the Great Elder’s words. But the Great Elder didn’t pay attention to him and asked Cale.

“Are you sent by the Source of the World? You smell like the Source of the World.”

“Yes.”

Cale responded comfortably while thinking.

‘The World Tree hasn’t completely lost its sanity? It isn’t completely controlled by the Dragon Lord?’

When these doubts arose, the Great Elder spoke again.

“…Then, I’ll ask bluntly.”

The Great Elder, with a deep look that didn’t betray his true age, stared at Cale.

“Is the disappearance of the World Tree possible?”

Silence fell upon them. When no one could easily open their mouths, someone stammered and began to speak.

“That, if the World Tree doesn’t recover and disappears. Even if we save this world, won’t it be a problem? Without the World Tree, who will read the flow, convey the will of the Source of the World, and maintain balance?”

It was First Bishop Mold. With his question, the expression of Erza, the Third Inquisitor, also hardened.

‘I decided to see the end of this world with the World Tree.’

She recalled the words of the Great Elder. When he said the World Tree had no more strength to resist, she thought it meant the World Tree would become a shell and give its entire soul to the Dragon Lord. But finally, she understood what the Great Elder meant by mentioning the end of the world.

“I don’t know.”

The Great Elder answered calmly to Mold’s question.

“The energy flow of this world can no longer return to what it was before the Catastrophe Era. If the World Tree were in perfect condition and the Source of the World had all its power, it could be different. But both are severely damaged. In a few weeks, this world will end. There is no turning back.”

“What, what do you mean by that?”

When Erza, surprised, looked at the Great Elder, she saw a bitter smile on his lips.

“What I mean is that the end is near.”

He continued speaking.

“Of course, if we stop the Dragon Lord, we may not reach total destruction. But since we can’t reverse the collapsed energy flow, the world will deteriorate slowly. The World Tree can’t bear to see that.”

“No-”

Erza couldn’t say anything and looked at the Great Elder, then looked around. Then she stopped.

‘Huh?’

The First Bishop was looking at Cale. And Clopeh Sekka was looking at Cale with a soft smile. Erza wasn’t the only one noticing this strange atmosphere. The Great Elder was also looking at Cale intently while speaking.

“Am I wrong?”

“No.”

Cale quickly shook his head.

“You’re right. That prediction is correct. It’s true, but…”

With an awkward smile, Cale continued.

“The energy flow of Aipotu will return to what it was before the Catastrophe Era.”

Erza’s eyes widened, and the Great Elder remained silent as Cale, after a brief hesitation, explained the truth.

“I received some power from the Source of the World to return the world’s energy flow to what it was before the Catastrophe Era.”

It was like an air purifier.

“And I also brought a new seed of the World Tree. This seed was created with the energy of the World Tree here. We’ll just plant this.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Except for Clopeh, who was smiling, everyone was focused on Cale, who responded as if it wasn’t a big deal. But that wasn’t important right now.

“Anyway, since there’s a way to reverse it, let’s leave destruction and disappearance for later. First, let’s fix the hole in the World Tree. It needs to be fixed so the Source of the World won’t continue to be leaking. And, honestly, why are you asking me to make the World Tree disappear? I don’t know how to do it.”

“…”

With the Great Elder in silence, Cale continued speaking.

“But I thought the World Tree had completely lost its consciousness and was controlled, but it seems it can communicate with you. How is that possible? I’d like to talk with it too.”

Cale spoke directly.

“Let’s go see the World Tree first. Exion said he wouldn’t bother us, so let’s do it quickly.”

Why complicate things? They already knew what needed to be done.

“I’m quite busy.”

Bluntly, he mentioned his next plan.

“After fixing the hole in the World Tree, we need to go to the Dragon Lord’s lair and loot it before he arrives.”

The deep eyes of the Great Elder trembled. In his eyes was reflected the proud expression of Clopeh, who was looking at Cale as if he were something wonderful. Then, seeing the face of Cale Henituse, who seemed to want to finish the work as soon as possible, the Great Elder briefly closed his eyes and murmured.

“…There’s another madman here.”

***

Clack.

The back garden door, leading to where the World Tree was located, opened.

***

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]