Recap
"This guy is the descendant of the family that built the Magic Tower. He will certainly be helpful with reinforcing our walls."
Cale could see Deruth flinch. Castle reinforcement, Magic Tower, Cale knew Deruth had understood.
Deruth could see some traits that Basen had picked up from his brother, the seriousness in his gaze and the fact that he planned so much in advance for the worst. The no nonsense and the calmness. The calmness which Deruth is unable to have, even when he sees his oldest child covered in the blood of his enemies.
"Let's give it a try."
Count Deruth agreed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Even if Deruth agreed to try, he was still worried, it was obvious in his eyes.
"Father, what are you afraid of?"
Deruth could not answer the sudden question. However, his son responded after a moment.
"I am afraid that we will get hurt."
Deruth's eyes became cloudy. It was the same. The thing he feared was the same as his son. No matter how selfish it may be, Deruth was scared that his territory and his family would get hurt.
"I'm sure that you are aware of how the Western Continent's state of affairs is ready to blow up."
There was no way that the noble who suddenly started to reinforce the castle walls and invested in a naval base would not know.
Cale deliberated what he should reveal to Deruth, as he needs him to do it. But he doesn't want him to question his choices, nor know about the fact of his knowledge of the future.
Cale said one word to Deruth.
"Northerners."
Deruth and Mueller both flinched and looked towards Cale.
"The Northerners have created an alliance."
"What?!"
Count Deruth started to frown.
Cale understood Deruth's reaction. This was important to the Western Continent's state of affairs.
There were 3 kingdoms in the North.
The Paerun Kingdom was located farthest North. The Guardian knight of Paerun kingdom wanted to lead his knights brigade to the fertile lands of the South.
Deruth rubbed his face and sighed as he started to mumble.
"...It is not the Whipper kingdom or the Mogoru Empire?"
Cale was internally full of admiration. Although their territory was located in the corner, Deruth was aware of the Whipper Kingdom, as well as the Mogoru Empire's desire to become the control tower.
"Cale, how are the Northerners going to cross the gorge? There is also the Forest of Darkness."
Of the 5 Forbidden Regions, there was just one that was not a complete mystery. However, the shape of that area made moving large numbers of people, 'almost impossible', making people add it to the list of the Forbidden regions.
The Gorge of Death.
As the name indicates, this gorge, that was the most dangerous in the continent, became the dividing line between the North and the Central regions of the continent. As the end of that line was the Forest of Darkness. That was why it was difficult for the North to come down to the Central region.
"...Father, there are more than one ways than just the ground."
At that moment, he heard a voice.
"...Ship?"
It was Mueller. The dwarf and rat half-breed quickly took off his backpack with a pale expression. There were 2 rolls of paper sticking out of the backpack.
One was the blueprints for the castle, the other was of the ship.
Cale nodded his head at the chaotic thirty-year-old who looked back and forth between Cale and the paper.
"Yes. Ship is an option."
Sigh.
Deruth let out a deep sigh and sat down on his office couch. Cale went over to sit down on the opposite side.
'but it's not the only option.'
'2 other ways are by sky or by destroying the gorge.'
Paerun will have a Wyvern Knight Brigade.
He remembered the time, when those bastards destroyed his home and killed everyone in the territory. Only a handful of people aside from him survived. Hans and Hilsmen survived... but Hilsmen died shortly after as those bastards continued their assault.
He remembered those dark times and how much he wished it was him and not his family. Hans got hurt. So he left him with the Gyerre family and his hyung. Before he took the blade. He joined Aster and the Mercenaries fighting back, and when he saw that crazy legend lunatic, he didn't hesitate to kill him.
Now, he can... he will make sure no one dies, only the enemies. If he can learn how they tamed wyvern, it will definitely be a plus for him.
'they were the start of my spiral. So, this time they will be my driving force... nah, the White shit is still the driving force.'
"Cale."
"Yes. Father."
Count Deruth started to speak after a long time. He looked directly at his son.
"I trust your words as your father, however, as the lord of this territory, I must verify whether your statements are true or not. I'm sure it will not be easy to verify."
Cale knew it would be difficult. As Cale had experienced it first hand before, but he honestly didn't need Deruth's help at any fact. His original plans were to do it himself. But since Mueller is working for him, he plans to make use of everyone's talents to their full potential.
"I will try to verify it as quickly as possible. If your father does not have what it takes to find any information out, I will choose to trust your words."
"... there is no need for that. I will handle the protection against the Northerners personally. Whether Count Deruth believes me or not, it doesn't matter."
Cale mumbled, as he got up from his seat on the couch and started to leave. No one heard him, but it doesn't matter to Cale. As he lost all trust in Count Deruth for a long time, his father may love him and let him do what he wants, but that isn't what he desired. Now that Cale is not holding back his goals and preparing and recruiting without his knowledge, he wants in on his business.
Cale never intended to include his family in his plans, nor any of the other plans.
"Cale."
"Yes, father."
Deruth recalled the conversation he had with Basen as Cale turned around.
"have you ever thought about the issue of our successor?"
"Not at all. Basen is doing his best, isn't he?"
Cale answered seriously without hesitation. Deruth started to laugh after hearing Cale have the same response as Basen. Before remembering an old memory. Of his own sibling rivalry, or what seems like rivalry, as his own brother has no intention of being the heir.
"Yes, there is no need to think about it."
"Yes, father."
He was not planning to care about it. He doesn't even know if he will survive till the very end. Nor does he want the position, as no one want to be under the trashiest person on Roan kingdom.
"Basen came to me and said he will not do anything to worry you."
"Of course. Basen will be great for our territory."
Basen was a perfect fit for the next lord of the territory. Cale knows it, Deruth knows it, Violan knows it, even Lily. He even exceeds Deruth at times.
"Sure. Go get some rest."
Cale verified that Count Deruth looked happy before heading out of the office.
"Excuse me, young master-nim."
"What is it?"
Mueller looked around before cautiously asking.
"is the reason you are building the castle and ship because of what you discussed insi-"
"Yes. For that reason."
Cale cut the rat off so that he doesn't need to listen to a long rambling and answered.
"Just treat it as you are building a domain to prevent us from dying."
Mueller's eyes became complicated, as Cale placed a gift on Mueller's neck.
It was a golden necklace.
"Then you will live to get more presents like this."
"i,I will definitely make a safe place to prevent us from dying!"
Mueller turned the most pale when he was in front of Cale, even more so than when he was around the kittens or the dragon. Cale was satisfied with Mueller's confident answer. Giving presents and being nice really was the answer.
One week later, of Cale resting and sleeping in the family estate. Count Deruth called him and had the look of disbelief.
"I couldn't find any information about the North."
The reason for not being able to gather information even with money meant that it was precious information that could not be purchased with money or that it did not exist. Deruth picked the former.
'i have a ton of money piled up anyways.'
There was only so much you could save. Deruth started to speak to his son as if he had expected this to happen.
"Son, let's give it a try."
Cale just nodded, as he turned to his little brother who was also called.
"i will work hard as well, hyung-nim."
"Good. It is where you, our parents, and Lily will live. Let's give it our best."
Cale didn't include himself because he was planning to leave the territory and live in a small village in the future. Basen vigorously nodded his head.
"Yes. I want to live working for our family and the territory until I die."
Cale nodded and pat Basen's head at his statement. With that Mueller was put to work, to supply the plans for the built of the walls.
While Cale was watching Mueller interacting with the territory's construction workers. Countess Violan was next to him.
"They are all talented and know how to keep their mouth shut, so we should be able to trust them. We have created all of the contracts as well."
Since Violan was in charge of all the artists in the territory, construction could not be missing from the group. The developers that Violan meticulously selected were the best of the best, experts in their field. Even these experts were currently amazed by Mueller.
"The family that developed the Magic Tower. I am disappointed that we cannot show off such a talented individual to other people!"
"I know, right? My god, I never thought I'd be able to see a Dwarf at work with my own eyes. Please take good care of us."
Ahem, ahem! Mueller let out multiple fake coughs.
"I am thirty this year, but I have twenty-nine years of experience. I have been looking at blueprints since I was 1 year old and held a hammer in my hand since I was 5. this is typical of both the rat tribe and Dwarves."
Cale scoffed at Mueller's words. He had never seen Mueller look so confident. He was even wearing his best clothes with the golden brooch. It was at that moment.
"he should be easy to handle."
Cale relaxed after hearing Violan's observation and started to speak.
"Please take care of him."
"Sure. You don't need to worry."
Violan's cold gaze headed toward Mueller. They say that a fox becomes king when a tiger isn't around. Mueller did not know about any of this as he acted like a king.
"Will you go after verifying the blueprints?"
"Yes."
Cale just responded, as he has no reason to stay here except to visit and keep an eye on this tiny half-ling.
As he returned back to his room, to slumped into the bed with the children crawling around him. The heroes had returned to Harris Village, after Cale had sent them off.
"Human, you got many letters."
Raon pointed to the pile of unopened letters which had arrived specifically for him. 2 letter with the crest of the royal family on them.
Cale opened both of them and tossed one into the fire, before reading the next one. One of the letter was from the 2nd prince, who personally invited him to a party. The second was from the crown prince, who wanted to invite him to a tea party.
"Why did you burn on, nya?"
Hong asked as they watched the letter get burnt up by the candle.
"It's an invitation to a party, hosted by the 2nd prince. But to invite specifically me... they probably want to humiliate me for some reason. So, I see no point in going. As for this..."
"It's from the crown prince." On mentioned as she read from Cale's shoulder.
"... business talk or support talk... how annoying. Let's go to this one."
He grumbled.
"Want me to come along?"
The mind dragon asked from the couch he chose to rest on.
"Additional help is nice. I will leave it to you, Mieko. You can use your dark elf form should you please."
"Finally. I thought I would have to live my life as another cat. Even the children can change into their human form."
The purple eyed dragon whined.
"If you didn't pull that prank on us, our human would be more li-len- more merciful." Raon declared.
"Lenient, Raon."
Cale corrected him.
"Lenient. Got it. I will learn."
He left instruction for Aster and Hans. Aster to drag Beacrox later after him, while Hans was to teleport to the Capital first, to prepare everything else. As he left with the children and the dragons to the Northwest Region of the Roan Kingdom.