As Alberu sat in his seat, watching his allies surround the huge mana barriers, ready to strike and claim the life of any being that tried to make even a single threatening move towards the man inside the shield, he wondered if he should do something.
'No, rather than doing something, it's more about making sure that the atmosphere here settles down a bit. Cale Henituse should not feel pressured to suppress himself because people are worried about him getting hurt.'
Watching Cale being vulnerable was painful for everyone present there. For someone who had remained stoic through so much, something really taxing would have had to happen and this worried the members of room 3.
Choi Han was especially worried. He remembered how Cale had woken up after the fight in Mogoru and started crying. 'At that time, I am sure he met with Lee Soo Hyuk and received Embrace just as I received the Yong. But what could have happened now?'
The swordsman had seen Kim Rok Soo as a child who was a victim of abuse and had an idea of what Cale had suffered. But he was unable to know what kind of pain Cale had been in due to the loss of his parents.
At that moment.
"You all don't have to stand guard like this. The rules of this place are absolute. No one can hurt the other person here. Cale Henituse especially cannot be hurt." Contrary to his words, Choi Jung Soo was also standing next to the barriers, body tense and postured for a fight.
Even though he didn't want to, Alberu agreed. "We should get back to the viewing."
Sharpened gazes pricked at him. "Shouldn't we wait for Young Master Cale to come out?" Paseton asked worriedly. The barriers had prevented them from seeing Cale's breakdown but the few seconds of Cale, the man who had saved their world from damnation with a calm and composed demeanour, seeking support had shaken everyone up.
Alberu shook his head. "Cale Henituse is the type of person who doesn't understand other's care easily. We need to go at his pace. If we stay gathered around like this and overwhelm him, it's likely that he will return to his reticent attitude."
Room 2 was reminded of how Cale would push them all away every time they tried to help him or approach him. Alberu's words were true. This was not the time to think about their own desires, they needed to think about Cale more than ever.
"You are right." Kim Min Ah agreed. "Besides, isn't Cale with his family right now? He should be able to spend time with them without having to worry about the rest of us."
It took a few moments for everyone to agree. However the arrangement of room 3 was changed before the viewing started. The dragons and other strong allies like Choi Han, Rosalyn, Lock, the Whales, Tigers and the Sun God Twins stuck close to the barrier, forming concentric circles in order of strength.
Alberu sat towards the back, in order to have a good view of the larger part of the hall and respond to any change in the situation quickly. Ron occupied the darker corners of the hall while Beacrox sat in the front with his greatsword by his side.
Bud, Glenn and Fredo positioned themselves in other corners of the room, protecting the weaker people and monitoring the extremities of the room.
Finally, Mary and the dark elves formed a barrier around the seats. Mary's bones, covered in dark mana, remained suspended in the sky with black thread connected to her fingers while the dark elves pulled out a few bottles of liquid dark mana that they had started carrying around with them after having secured such huge quantities thanks to Cale destroying the enemy forces.
Room 1 and 2 paled when they saw room 3 turn into an impregnable fortress. 'There isn't a single gap in their defence! Just how did the transmigrator get all these people to act like this?' Alberu* was stunned by what he was seeing. At the same time, his hands itched with desire.
These strong and capable allies....'I want them.'
Choi Jung Soo waited for room 3 to finish its preparations, before turning back towards the screen. "You all wanted to see the Vow being made so we will get that over with while we wait for Cale to come out. After that we will watch the Sealed God's temple tests. Cale's wounds will heal sooner once we get bigger events out the way. There's also quite a bit of important information that you guys need to get from there."
Chapter 33: You (8)
......
Cale got up to step out of the carriage. Choi Han had been quiet ever since they got on the carriage, no, since they stepped out of Cale's room. He seemed to have a lot of complicated emotions storming through his head right now.
Cale only knew about Choi Han's personality until the fifth volume of, 'The Birth of a Hero.' However, there was one thing that Cale was sure about. Although Choi Han was a good person, he was not gullible. He was very smart.
Choi Han* was confused about the perception that the transmigrator had of him. After all, hadn't Choi Han* failed to save the world leading to the involvement of the Gods?
From the look of things, Choi Han* had always arrived late to situations he should have been ahead of. 'So what exactly made the transmigrator trust me so much?'
'If I tried to give an unbelievable excuse, he may believe me at first, but will definitely doubt me later.'
There were a few doubtful looks aimed at Choi Han at Cale's opinions of the swordmaster. Noticing this, Alberu smiles. "Instructor-nim has been overshadowed by my very talented dongsaeng so not a lot of people are aware of how smart he is. It's not that our allies are lacking, it's just that even if we were to be reborn multiple times over, doing what Cale Henituse can do will be very difficult for us."
More shocking than Alberu's words is the easy acceptance by everyone, even the dragons, in Room 3. By now, Rooms 1 and 2 had got a glimpse of what Cale Henituse was capable of but hearing about it and seeing it were different.
Choi Han may have been very lonely after living in solitude for tens of years, but that experience taught him how to survive on his own, and how to stubbornly persevere.
Choi Han may look at him favorably right now and follow him, but, as seen around volume 5 of, 'The Birth of a Hero,' he is someone who eventually wishes to be the leader. Choi Han is someone who will live to make his personal view of justice a reality.
"'Personal view of justice?'" Beacrox* has a severe look on his face. "What gives this punk the right to decide which version of a situation is just?"
Choi Han* frankly couldn't reply. Was this assessment a result of Choi Han's twisted nature? Was this true for Choi Han too? He clenches his fists a few times before looking up. "I don't know what happened in the past or what I am supposed to do if I have to make difficult decisions like delivering justice. I have only two aims right now- Arm's destruction and protecting as many people as possible."
Black eyes that were slowly losing their viciousness looked around at room 1. "I am sure a lot of people will not agree with my views and there will be conflicts in the future so I will do better to do just enough without forcing my views on anyone."
Rosalyn* smiled at Choi Han*'s words. "We have a chance at understanding each other and making allies here. Any gaps that we have can be filled by others."
Just a glance at the people gathered in the hall showed that Rosalyn*'s words were correct. There were groups of warriors, strategists, healers, supporters, leaders and heroes among them. With the information they were receiving, winning was possible.
"...It is too white."
The Temple of the God of Death that Cale saw once he alighted was completely white, without a speck of dirt to be seen. The believers of the God of Death considered white to be the color of death, and cleaned everything over and over again every single day to make sure there was not a speck of dust anywhere on the building.
'What an interesting place.'
The Temple of the God of Death looked like it wanted to show that people had nothing to fear about the night with their actions. They opened the temple to both believers and non-believers once the sun started to set.
Both Cages shuddered at being reminded of the hellish time they had spent in the Church. "Those bastards try to paint Death as such a warm thing but the reality is much more painful. It's a mockery of a normal person's life."
Cage*, who had seen Taylor die while his enemies lived in peace, was filled with even more contempt towards the God of Death and his priests. If an absolute concept like Death wasn't fair then what else could a person rely on?
'Apparently, the priests are all sleeping if you come during the day.'
It really was an interesting place in Cale's opinion. They were greeted by two priests at the temple entrance.
"May you be blessed with a peaceful rest!"
"May you be blessed with a peaceful rest!"
The priests of the God of Death were generally extremely bubbly. Although people may consider death to be the end, the philosophy of the Church of the God of Death believed that it was important to enjoy life as they headed toward the peaceful rest.
"If I had heard this philosophy before meeting Young Master Cale, I would have been persuaded by it." Witira tilted her head as she contemplated the words on the screen. "However, now I find them rather unpleasant. For a God that interferes so much with humanity, allegedly for our benefit, the God of Death seems like a hypocrite."
"Priest-nim."
Cale slowly approached the priest. The priest inspected Cale with a curious expression. Cale looked like he was either an extremely affluent noble or a wealthy merchant based on his outfit. But the man behind him looked like a beggar, although the sword on his waist made him look somewhat strong.
"What?" Choi Han was stumped at the priest's opinion. But then he saw past himself projected on the screen and he had to agree.
"Maybe you should have cleaned up before heading out." Lock comfortred Choi Han who could feel Beacrox's disgusted glare from all the way in the front.
"What can I do for you?"
"Is there an open Room of Death?"
The two priests' expressions stiffened. The priest who asked the question looked back and forth between Cale and Choi Han before asking.
"Haha. They must think Cale was some kind of scum taking advantage of a poor peasant." Bud was enjoying this chapter. From what they had seen so far, it was easy to misunderstand Cale's words and actions. Seeing those misunderstandings being clarified was amusing.
"Whose death will you be putting on the line?"
The priest peeked toward Choi Han as he said that. Choi Han currently looked like he had been rolling on a mountain and been suffering for a while. He also looked like he had not eaten anything for about two days, and seemed to be the type that would be easily scammed. The priest had a bitter feeling about this.
Everything that the priest thought about him felt like boulders piling on top of his shoulders. Choi Han vowed to always clean up properly the next time he stepped out in public.
The priest turned his gaze over to the affluent noble. Beautiful red hair and a handsome face. He was not very handsome, but it was enough to catch attention wherever he went. In addition, this man was currently smiling.
Cale* raised an eyebrow at the 'not very handsome' part. He hadn't really paid attention to his appearance over the years but he appreciated that the looks he received from his mother worked well on him.
He was, hence, surprised when room 3 protested.
"Was the priest unable to see Young Master Cale's face due to the poor lighting?"
"Young Master Cale is one of the most handsome people I have ever seen. How can anyone ever think that he is not very handsome."
"Well we have whales and elfs and dragons here so I can understand why Young Master Cale isn't the most handsome being big by human standards he is definitely the best looking one."
"What are you talking about? I thought Young Master Cale was a dragon when I first saw him."
"Oh, you too?"
"I am interested but also, I don't think you should ever let Young Master hear about this."
"....No one in that room is normal."
The last comment, muttered by a very much exhausted Kim Rok Soo makes Cale* nod vigorously. 'I am grateful for the compliments for the looks but I am going to ignore whatever else they just said.'
Cale smiled as he slightly raised his hand.
"Mine."
"Huh?"
Cale smiled once more at the confused priest.
"I will be putting my life on the line."
"Haaaaa. This unlucky bastard really goes around saying the damnedest things without any worries."
Choi Han put his hand on Cale's shoulder at that time.
"Cale-nim."
"What?"
Cale turned around to see Choi Han with a stiff, yet anxious expression.
"I will believe you even if you don't do this."
"Would you though?" Fredo quizzed. "Cale Henituse was acting completely different than what you had heard from others. He also had so many strong people by his side and now he was revealing information which made it seem like he was associated with Arm. So would you really have believed Cale Henituse in the long run?"
Choi Han shurgged. "If it was someone else than Cale-nim then I would answer negatively. But have you ever seen anyone who has risked his life so many times in order to save others aside from Cale-nim? I am not saying I wouldn't have not doubted Cale-nim at some point but just like everyone else, I would have eventually trusted him completely even without the Vow."
This made everyone think about how Choi Han was the only one to hear Cale reveal information under a Vow yet the trust all of them had in Cale was similar to Choi Han's.
Cale started to smirk and slowly responded.
"I don't think you will."
Choi Han will have no choice but to not believe him. How could he believe Cale when Cale was not planning to tell him anything? That was why they were at the temple.
'Why would I tell him everything? That'll just make me get involved in the mess.'
"Not only did Cale-nim reveal a lot of important things for the future, he also got involved in the mess all by himself. If I am still the supposed protagonist then I should join Clopeh Sekka in his cult for all that Cale-nim has done." Choi Han was exhausted by Cale's accusations painting Choi Han as a troublemaker when it was all Cale.
There was no reason for him to get involved with Choi Han that much. Cale wouldn't be able to live a peaceful life if Choi Han was around. It's already visible. Didn't Choi Han bring him more trouble to him by bringing all of the wolf children?
'He rides on the whales with the Whale Tribe to fight against mermaids in the future.'
"Who does what?? How dare a human try to ride on a whale's body? Do you want to die?" Archie* scoffed, not noticing how suspiciously quiet his other version was.
Room 3 just stared at the screen with a tired look as the extent of Cale's oblivion was rubbed in their faces.
In this human-centric world, Choi Han's position to embrace both humans and non-humans makes him start to change. The start of that is the Whale Tribe. The Whale Tribe that appeared at the beginning of volume 5 was, to be honest, quite scary.
Rok Soo stared at the words with an inpassive expression then turned around to face room 3. "You all have suffered a lot."
Room 2 nodded in agreement while those who were close to Cale in room 3 ran a hand over their faces.
'They were the deadliest predators.'
The Whale Tribe was the strongest of the Beast people. They were also the most beautiful Beast people. The Whale Tribe had different colors of black, grey, or pink, but they were all extremely beautiful. In comparison, the mermaids of this world had two legs and fins, looking like a human covered in scales.
'But they are so stubborn that they won't even be humble in front of a dragon.'
Rasheel* felt his eye twitch at the words. He was sick and tired of these ridiculous people taking a dragon's existence lightly. 'Those dragons in that room have gone crazy. They are following a human being so naturally. Now these creatures think that they can get away with being stubborn in front of dragons.'
Grumbling internally, Rasheel* reiterated to himself the thought he had had several times since joining this hall- 'No one in this hall is normal.'
The Whale Tribe was extremely scary. Although they were small in number, their casual punch could easily blow up a human's head. Even Lock could not lift a finger to the Whale Tribe.
"Hmm? Is there supposed to be a conflict between Lock* and the Whale Tribe?"
"But isn't Lock* friends with Choi Han*? Why would he fight people that Choi Han* was helping?"
"Maybe they were sparring?"
'Their temper is ruthless.'
Choi Han gets involved with all sorts of people and trouble as well. Cale had no desire to continue being involved with him.
"Priest-nim. The room?"
"Yes, we have one. I will prepare it for you right away. Please head to the basement."
"Thank you."
Cale started to walk behind the priest. Choi Han followed behind Cale with an iffy expression. Cale noticed Choi Han's movement, and leisurely walked toward the innermost area of the temple.
After walking for a long time, they could see numerous doors on one side of the wall. The priest opened one of those doors to reveal a staircase leading down into the basement.
"Death awaits you at the bottom."
"Great. Let's go."
"There couldn't be a better representation of Cale Henituse than this scene." Glenn sighed.
"Willingly walking into potential death while claiming that he isn't gonna get involved but gets involved nevertheless and helps other people without realising? Yeah that checks out with Cale Henituse perfectly." Bud snickered.
The priest watched Cale walking down the stairs without any hesitation with interest.
The, 'death,' that is mentioned in the Temple of Death also meant, 'vow.'
Death was something that was guaranteed to visit you at some point. It was not something you could avoid, and your responsibility was to accept your role in the world while you are here.
That was why the officials of the Temple of the God of Death brought the end known as death for those who go against their vow.
The words stuck out to the readers. "the officials of the Temple bring death? I thought the God of Death's power killed those who broke the Vow."
"The priests are blessed with the God's powers so they move on behalf of the God." Cage recalled all the jobs that she has to take up as a member of the Church. Being able to hear the God's voice made it even worse for her. "Of course, the God acts himself in certain situations but for small business, the priests are the ones who move."
Because of this, people who headed to this Room of Death, or sometimes called the Room of Vows, tended to be humble and serious. In contrast, this relaxed and confident person was really unique in the priest's eyes.
'It makes me think about priestess Cage.'
Startled by the mention of her name, Cage slowly smirked. " I like being likened to Young Master Cale. It's the highest praise I have received."
Alberu and Taylor who had experienced the same at some point or the other could relate with the sentiment.
She was someone who cursed the temple extremely frequently, but she was still loved by the lord. Cage. The priest suddenly thought about her, but quickly erased it from her thoughts. At the same time, Cage was becoming frustrated while hearing the lord's voice again.
"Ah, so that's what happened at that time." Taylor nodded as the reason behind one of Cage's bad mood episodes was revealed. He sympathised with his friend who was harassed by a God and had to suffer because of it.
After getting rid of the thoughts about Cage, the priest headed down the stairs behind Cale. Once they got to the bottom, the priest opened the door and informed Cale and Choi Han.
"Please wait a moment. I will get it ready."
The priest then entered into the room alone. Cale looked toward the closed door and started to speak.
"If you really don't think we need to do this, I will let you know one of the truths in advance. What do you think?"
Choi Han immediately responded.
"Yes, please tell me. I trust you."
"Is that so?"
Cale rubbed his chin with one hand before casually spitting the truth out.
"The first of the two truths."
Everyone leaned forward in order to hear what Cale had to say. Would he reveal his past? Tell Choi Han about how he was a transmigrator? Did he give any hints about it?
His gaze turned toward Choi Han.
"I do not know the secret organization's identity nor their goal."
"Ah."
Gasps echoed throughout the hall.
"I understand why Young Master Cale went forward with the Vow. It would be difficult for anyone in Choi Han's place to believe that the person who was able to figure out Arm's involvement in the dragon and Wolf tribe incidents was without further knowledge about the organisation." Shickler rubbed his chin.
The words do make Choi Han feel better. "I wanted to trust Cale-nim but after hearing something like that, I couldny help but question what he was trying to do and why."
"Hmm. Well, it would be unreasonable to believe in Team Leader under your circumstances." Kim Min Ah nodded.
"...What the-"
Choi Han's pupils started to shake. At that moment, they heard a click and the priest came back out of the room.
"You can enter now. The person putting their life on the line just needs to raise their hand once inside the room for the priest-nim."
"Thank you. We understand."
Compared to the relaxed Cale, Choi Han seemed extremely confused and anxious. The priest tilted his head in confusion at this, but quietly left the area. It was none of his business. Cale grabbed the doorknob as he turned to look back at Choi Han.
"The person who was going to risk his life was calm while the one who was safe was anxious."
"Isn't that what happens every time Cale Henituse is involved?"
"Hard to believe?"
"That, you see."
Cale could see Choi Han struggling to answer. Choi Han had said he trusted Cale, but he could not trust Cale's words. How could Cale not know? Did that make any sense? Choi Han then heard Cale's voice in his ear.
"I understand."
Choi Han looked toward Cale. Cale's relaxed expression made him seem very mature. Cale then started to speak.
"Let's go in."
Choi Han followed Cale into the Room of Death that was behind the white door.
......
[For the person who is putting their life on the line. The hand of the God of Death will touch the one who came with you. Once that happens, you can say your vow. Should you break your vow, death awaits you.]
What a vicious set of directions.
The vicious words made the wolf children draw closer to each other. The sight of Cale willingly and calmly coming face to face with death was a disturbingly normal scene for them, but it still stung.
Cale pushed the paper back to the priest after verifying that Choi Han had finished reading. The priest then lifted both of his hands up like Cage had done before. At that moment.
Ooooooooong- oooooooong-
The white room started to shake. Maybe it was because this was a place that served the lord, but a black smoke started to form around the priest once the room started to shake. The black smoke then surrounded both Choi Han and Cale before creating a connection between the two of them.
"...Is this the power of the God of Death?"
"Yes."
Cale responded to Choi Han's question before trying to feel the black smoke thread surrounding him. It happened when Cage made the vow as well, but the power of the God of Death reminded him of the stakes of this vow.
'I will die if I break this vow.'
A pained look marred everyone's expressions.
'In light of everything that Young Master Cale has done, this isn't much.' Ron toyed with the dagger in his hand. 'But this complete disregard for his own safety despite knowing it's dangerous....he shouldn't have to do all this.'
Even though Ron now knew that the person he was following for the past three years wasn't the one whom he had raised, he couldn't cut off the affection he had for his new master.
Cale was sure Choi Han felt it as well. That must be why his face stiffened up. Cale could feel the touch of the God of Death and started his vow.
"The priest in front of me guarantees that he cannot hear, and, if that is not the truth, he will pay the price with his life."
This was the general phrase stated first whenever a vow was made with a deaf priest.
"Furthermore, I, Cale Henituse, vow to speak the truth to Choi Han in front of the God of Eternal Rest, and, if what I say is even slightly a lie, I will immediately die in this spot to pay the price."
At this point, Valentino* raised his hand. "The transmigrator isn't actually Cale Henituse so why does the Vow work? Is the God of Death actively interfering throughout the Vow to make things work?"
"I guess that would be needed here. But since it's just a small interference then it should be fine? As long as the God of Death doesn't hurt Young Master Cale, he can be let off a little." Tasha shrugged.
Immediately. That word made Choi Han's face stiffen up even more. He was nervous.
At first, Cale debated whether to tell Choi Han everything.
I was transported into the novel I was reading. I am also Korean. That is why I know what happens until volume 5. This secret organization goes on to cause issues throughout the continent. The continent soon falls into a state of chaos because of a war.
Should Cale say all of that?
Or, should he say something like this? I was transported into the novel I was reading and ended up as the son of a wealthy noble. That was why I was trying to just live a peaceful life, but I remembered what happened in the novel so I changed it around a bit. I wanted to allow myself to live peacefully, even if the continent was in a state of war.
"It's good he didn't say any of that." Park Kyung Ho sighed.
"That bastard would have gone against his own words of living peacefully and then died because of his stupidity." As much as they hated the idea, there were very few people who couldn't see this actually becoming a reality.
Cale didn't like either of them. The first one might get him involved in the continent's war and make him die out on the battlefield, while the second one might lead to Choi Han's contempt killing him.
Choi Han* was getting seriously concerned with the continued mention of how Cale kept expecting Choi Han to harm him. "I don't know what happens in the future but that man's fear of getting beaten up by the other me is making me fear the future."
Bud couldn't hold himself back. "With how Cale called Choi Han a dangerous guy, we can just imagine that you would be even more vicious while fighting the enemies. Do you fault Cale for being scared?"
The words impact Choi Han deeply as he recalls how he has tried to keep his viciousness under control while around Cale. To find out that it failed miserably because of something someone did in another world was a huge shock for the poor swordmaster
Cale did not want either of those to happen.
"First."
First of the two truths.
"I, Cale Henituse, do not know the identity of that organization."
Sigh. Choi Han let out a deep sigh before covering his face with both hands. He slowly moved his hands away after a bit to see that Cale was still alive.
The Choi Han on the screen looked like he had aged 10 years just because of what Cale said.
Smiling wryly, Choi Han spoke. "I was half ready to see Cale-nim die in front of me because of whatever he was saying. It was so difficult to believe his words but him being alive was proof."
A few people felt that Cale's actions were rather cruel but there was truly no better way to handle the situation so it wasn't fair to blame Cale.
"I am being honest when I say that I do not know their identity."
It was the truth.
Cale, the original Kim Rok Soo, had read, 'The Birth of a Hero' until volume 5, but it did not mention anything about the secret organization's goals or identity. All it discussed was the actions of the organization.
The mood in the hall cooled down at this. "Just how many volumes does this damn book have if by volume 5 Arm hasn't even been introduced properly? And what kind of bullshit is the writer playing with the secrecy?" Lock* raged.
Hannah nodded, her eyes flashing coldly. "Even if they wanted to avoid suspicion by Kim Rok Soo or someone else questioning why the story was written like a guide book, they could have revealed a lot more about Arm in the beginning volumes in various ways without any problems."
"The worst thing is that the transmigrator went to that world with way too little knowledge of what he was up against. Saving kids from harm is very different from saving worlds from destruction." Mila* could understand why room 3 hated Gods so much.
"And one more thing. I am being completely honest when I say this."
The second of the two truths.
"I despise the organization and wish for it to disappear."
Naturally, Cale was still alive. He did not like these people that caused such incidents. They probably take part in the continent's war as well. Cale wished for them to disappear so that he could live calmly on a peaceful continent.
"Well," Bae Puh Rum sighed. He felt like if someone made a drinking game out of every time someone in this hall sighed because of Cale's actions, that person could die of alcohol poisoning. "What better way of fulfilling his dream than by getting involved in said war and bringing peace to multiple worlds with his own hands. It might not have gone how he imagined it, but hey! At least Team Leader was able to achieve a peaceful continent like he wanted."
Choi Han seemed like he was at a loss for words. He looked at the black thread connecting himself, the priest, and Cale, before repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fist. Cale flinched at Choi Han's scary expression when Choi Han started to speak.
"You were wondering if it was all a dream or not, right?"
"Dream? This was at the level of a nightmare."
"How can you hate them if you don't know them?"
"Because I know about a couple of the terrible things they plan on doing. The Black Dragon and Lock are two of them. Choi Han."
Cale pointed to himself with his index finger.
"I have lived my life as trash. That is my dream."
The expressions of the people in the hall changed upon hearing Cale's words.
"Who? Who has lived his life as trash? Did he even have time to act as trash in the middle of fighting all those monsters?"
"The God of Death is working overtime just filtering the lies in this one Vow."
"With how dense Young Master Cale is, he most probably believes the being trash part."
The outrage and indignation takes some time to calm down.
Choi Han's expression changed after hearing Cale say that his dream was to be trash.
"I have no desire to become my family's successor. Basen Henituse, my blood-related younger brother.
"Fuck! No!!"
The sudden yell and the sound of something falling and shattering fills the hall.
In room 1, the Henituse* family had paled drastically while Cale Henituse* and Kim Rok Soo looked furious and devastated.
"What? What's the matter?" Jack asked.
No one speaks for a while as if expecting something bad to happen right then and there. When nothing happens, it is Basen* who speaks up. "I am not hyung-nim's blood-related brother. I have different birth parents than hyung-nim."
Cale* grit his teeth as the grave implication of Basen*'s words dawned on everyone. "Those fucking Gods....if you are going to push someone in my body then at least tell them stuff properly. They had already revealed everything about me so why leave that out?"
Clenching his fists tightly, Choi Han glared at the floor. Watching this scene and listening to everyone made him realise just how dangerous this Vow was for Cale. 'Because of me...if only I had believed Cale-nim from the beginning then he wouldn't have to go to such extremes.'
"Whoever wrote the book better make sure they are good at running because if I catch them, I am gonna make them regret messing with Cale." Room 2 was also engulfed in the rage.
Only Choi Jung Soo, who stood next to the barrier, stared at the screen without any reaction. 'They will know the truth when we start the next viewing anyway.'
Checking that the Sealed God's Temple tests were set up to be viewed next, Choi Jung Soo relaxed as he expected this hall to blow up eventually.
I am hoping for him to become the successor."
This was also the truth. That was why Cale asked Choi Han a question.
"So then why would I have come to the capital as the representative of the Henituse family? Especially when I am hoping Basen becomes the successor? My father, the head of the household, told me to go, but I could have said no."
The interest in the conversation increased after finding out just how much the Gods had messed up. Everyone who was witnessing this scene paid attention to every word being spoken so they could tear them apart and find even the smallest sign of inconvenience for Cale and destroy it.
Choi Han answered after a duration of silence.
"...I am not sure."
"It is because I know what the secret organization is planning to do in the capital."
Alberu*, Choi Han*, Rosalyn*, Lock* and the Molan* duo relieved the memory and failure of that day as it was mentioned. Being unable to save the people was a pain that they could never let go of, even if it wasn't their burden to carry.
This memory was to be the driving force behind this group of heroes who would fight for the protection of their world.
Choi Han's pupils dilated once more.
"I cannot answer how I know. But they are planning to kill a lot of people at the capital. I couldn't send Basen to such a place. I want to prevent that incident from happening."
Kim Rok Soo felt his heart clench at Cale's words. It was easy to tell when the other was lying and when he was speaking truthfully based on the memories that Rok head recieved. So when Cale truly cared for Basen's safety, Rok Soo once again realised just how much he had to be grateful for towards Cale.
Of course, Cale was not planning to do anything and everything to put his own life on the line for others.
"After taking care of all of these issues as quietly as possible, I plan on returning to the Henituse territory."
"...You cannot tell me how you know?"
"Correct. I cannot tell anybody, no matter who it is, about it."
Choi Han's eyes were full of questions, but his mouth stayed shut.
Cale didn't know the identity of the secret organization but he knew about a couple things they would end up doing. He also despised them and wanted them gone.
Choi Han's head fell even more as he started to think things over. His head was a mess right now. Even still, the power of the God of Death coming through the black thread gave him serenity. He knew that Cale would die right here if he had lied.
The power of the Vow that remained with the people who had made the Vow. Choi Han had felt it disappear once and had almost lost his mind at that time.
Those who had felt the power disappear shared pained glances with each other. They never wanted to feel that uncertainty over Cale's life ever again.
"However, I will tell you one more thing."
One more. That made Choi Han quickly lift his head to look at Cale.
"The last truth."
This was the third truth Cale told Choi Han.
"I have no desire to harm you."
"Ah." Choi Han* finally grasped where Choi Han's trust for Cale came from. Someone who could stare at death and swear his intentions like this could most definitely be trusted.
'Did the man plan this?' The thought popped up in his head but the swordmaster quickly brushed it aside. Even if Cale planned for it, it didn't matter. After all, didn't Cale remain true to his words? He didn't manipulate Choi Han into any reprehensible actions for Cale's own benefit.
Cale was confident as he said that. He remained alive, which meant this was the truth.
Choi Han started to frown.
Tap. Tap.
Choi Han started to tap his thigh with his clenched fist. Although he was not tapping very hard, veins were popping out of his tightly clenched fist. He slowly raised his head. Cale was still alive.
"...I trust you."
The audience silently soaked in the scene from the past. This was the solid foundation of Cale's and Choi Han's companionship and this was the beginning of Choi Han's future role as Cale's Knight. The complete and absolute trust that those two showed each other here went beyond the trust between others in the group aside from a few.
Listening to that response that took so long to come out, Cale repeated the words he had said to Choi Han before they entered this room.
"I understand."
He then started to smile.
Sigh.
Choi Han sighed while still sitting at the table. He lifted his head to look at Cale. Cale's eyes were pure as usual, while stubborn.
Cale* cringed at the words. He never wanted to hear someone with Choi Han's face and name to ever say anything like that about him ever again.
Choi Han* also looked like he had eaten something really sour as his eyes darted towards the red head sitting in front of the screen.
"Cale-nim. Please promise one more thing. Then I will completely trust you."
'...I didn't think something like this would happen.'
Cale was feeling iffy about Choi Han's response. It shouldn't be a big deal because he would be able to find a way to twist anything to suit himself, but it was the phrase, 'completely trust you,' that was not sitting well with Cale. But it wasn't like he could say no right now.
"Sure. What is it?"
"Cale-nim."
"Yes?"
"I must get revenge on that organization. I think this is the first time in my life I've ever hated a person or an organization so much."
Anger filled Choi Han's pure eyes.
"Ok what is with the author and the pure eyes nonsense?" Cale* could no longer take it and finally burst. "Was the author blind? Or did he just wing it and write down whatever sounded pretty? Did the Gods expect the two to fall in love and get married in the damn Church itself?"
Watching the man breathing heavily from his outburst, Alberu* felt pity for him. They had forgotten that Cale and Cale* were sharing identities so even if they made a distinction between the two, it would be uncomfortable to hear things that were based on appearance.
Kim Rok Soo seemed to have no such thoughts as he slapped a hand on his mouth to prevent himself from laughing. 'Their faces!! I can't breathe! They look so hilarious!'
The flustered look on Choi Han's face, the look of absolute disgust on Choi Han*'s and Cale*'s indignant look were saved in Rok Soo's Record for future use and entertainment.
A sense of nostalgia could be seen behind the anger as well. Choi Han was probably thinking about Harris Village.
'Mm.'
Cale held back from letting that noise escape from his mouth. This was why he did not want Choi Han with him, even if Choi Han chose to follow him. Choi Han was a good person, but he would always finish something he made up his mind to do. That was why Cale waited for Choi Han's final request with nervousness.
Choi Han finally started to speak.
"Please tell me no matter what if you find out their identity."
"Ah-, well, sure."
'I thought he was going to ask something difficult.'
Eruhaben sighed. "Well it truly wasn't a difficult request since Cale willingly carried you to every place where Arm was supposed to appear and then thoroughly devastated them while believing it was all you."
"I....I am sorry..." Choi Han didn't know why he was apologizing but it seemed like the right thing to do.
Cale had a shocked expression as he made the vow.
"I, Cale Henituse, will inform Choi Han once I learn of their identity. I will pay with my life should I go against this vow. Good enough?"
"Yes, thank you very much."
Choi Han finally started to smile. He seemed to be relieved. Cale started to think while observing this Choi Han.
'How would I ever learn of their identity?'
The sound of people painfully smacking their foreheads at Cale's stupidity rang loudly. "Just how hard do you have to smack your head to be able to get that obvious?"
In order to find out their identity, actually, in order to even find the smallest clue about their identity, he would need to go down the same route Choi Han took in the novel. He would have to be crazy to do that. Once Choi Han gets out of the capital and the Roan Kingdom, he would run into all sorts of heroes; humans and non-humans alike.
Just thinking about it made Cale feel terrible.
"You know," Alberu started with a suspicious look on his face. "If you ignore everything that you have been through because of Cale Henituse, then his words seem really hilarious. I can feel that I am slowly losing my urge to beat him up."
Glenn pat Alberu's shoulder with a sympathetic look. "Stay strong, Your Highness."
"Then are we done?"
"Yes."
Bang!
Cale lifted his hand and slammed down on the table. His smash made the table slightly shake, and the priest opened his eyes and nodded his head. The area vibrated once more.
Ooooooong-
With that, the smoke disappeared into each of their bodies. It was slightly different from when Cale had experienced this with the crazy priestess Cage. Cale felt the two vows becoming ingrained into his body as he took a piece of paper out of his pocket.
It was the cheque for 10 million gallons. Cale put that money in front of the calmly seated priest and got up. He then said goodbye to the priest before heading out of the room. Choi Han looked back and forth between the money and Cale, before following Cale out of the room and closing the door. He then looked toward Cale with confusion.
"In our world we gave donations to Churches and temples but I don't know anyone who ever gave so much money to a priest for something like a confession. This might just be one of the biggest cultural shocks that I received here."
Cale casually responded to Choi Han's gaze.
"Nothing in life is free."
"I see."
Cale walked back up the stairs to find the priest from earlier standing at the entrance on the first floor.
The priest greeted the still alive Cale.
"May your life continue until its destined time."
'May it continue for much longer.'
'May he be with us for the longest time possible.'
'May he be happy and safe for all of it.'
It was their way of telling you not to break your vow so that you could continue to live. It was completely merciless.
"Thank you very much, priest-nim."
......
The screen paused as Cale finished speaking and Choi Jung Soo stepped forward. "The parts after this deal with the preparations for the Plaza incident. We will get to that later. For now, the Vow scene is over and, like I mentioned earlier, we will get to the Sealed God's temple tests next in order to heal the major injuries to Cale's soul."
Looking around at the people gathered in the hall, the man points to the barrier as smoke envelopes him. "Cale will be out soon. We will start the next viewing after that."
With that, he disappeared without a sound.
....
Inside the barrier...
Deruth felt like he was hit in the back of the head when he felt Cale slump weakly in his arms and the tremble of that frail body became stronger.
"Human?" Raon, snuggled tightly against Cale's chest, timidly called out. Neither the Henituse family nor the kids averaging ten years old could understand what they should do to help Cale in this moment.
Gathering himself, Deruth put some strength in his arms that were enveloping Cale. Drawing his son closer, Deruth let Cale hide his face in the crook of his neck, one hand constantly petting Cale's head. "It's okay. Let it all out, Cale. We will stay here with you."
Perhaps those were the words that Cale needed to hear because now Deruth could feel his shirt getting slightly wet. The sound of sniffling filled the space within the barrier.
"Oraboni..." Lily climbed on top of the bed and wrapped her arms around Cale's waist. Basen, who had been hesitating, joined her on the other side. Violan sat down opposite to Deruth and rubbed Cale's back in a soothing manner.
On, Hong and Raon stayed mostly still, just rubbing their cheeks against Cale's body to help make him feel better.
Wrapped up like this by his family members, Cale cries for a while. Some words escape his lips but the Henituse family does not recognise them. The kids, who had started learning Korean from Choi Han and Cale, could make out the soft 'eomma, appa' but couldn't grasp their importance.
In the end, the only thing they could do was stick close to Cale to show him support while waiting for whatever it was to run its course.
It takes a while for Cale to calm down. Surrounded by his new family, he finally lets himself properly mourn when that chance had been denied to him a long time back.
Leaning against Deruth, Cale thought of Kim Jungwoon, his birth father. When Violan softly called out his name, Cale closed his eyes and pretended that it was Kim Sanha instead.
Despite the Record playing in front of his eyes over and over again, Cale found it difficult to accept that he had actually been able to meet his parents once more. That he had saved them in a world and now Kim Rok Soo would live happily. Desperate prayers, similar to that one gloomy day when he had felt death claw at him, rose up within him once more.
'Be happy.'
'Don't lose them again.'
'Live happily with them forever.'
The sting in his palm from the flimsy medicine leaf digging into his flesh seemed to be the only thing grounding him.
Cale's arms around the kids eventually loosen as he exhausts all his tears and the tremble in his body subsides. With his eyes shut, he misses the concerned looks of his family.
"Are you feeling better?"
Violan's softly asked questions make Cale feel lost for a moment and he blurts out. "I am not your son."
The moment he finishes speaking, he wants to take it back. He didn't know what over took him in this moment but he hadn't meant to say that. How was he supposed to explain all of this now? Cale didn't think he could deal with this now.
As he panicked, Deruth's voice rang out from above Cale's head. "You are wrong."
Cale stiffened. 'Fuck they don't understand. They think this is a Henituse family issue.'
Although there was relief that he won't have to explain everything to them, there was also a part of him that felt disappointed that the Henituse family would never know the truth. So Deruth's next words come as a huge shock to him.
"Whether you are Cale or Kim Rok Soo....you are still my son."
'What.....what did he just say?"
Feeling Cale freeze, Deruth slowly pulled away from his son's body and lifted the redhead's face up. The face that Cale had associated with 'father' for three years appeared in front of him once more. "No matter who you live as, you will still be my son, Cale. As long as you accept me as your father, you will always be my son."
"I feel the same." A dainty yet slightly callused hand rested on his shoulder. "You have been our son from the moment you appeared in our lives. I hope we can continue that in the future too."
Without letting Cale answer, Lily and Basen also stepped forward with their demands. "Oraboni is oraboni. You are not allowed to say you are not our oraboni."
"Hyung-nim...you are a part of our family. You won't just suddenly leave, right?"
The kids in Cale's arms didn't want to be left out. "A name doesn't change anything! Cale-nya is still our family!"
"Human, don't say stupid things like you are not our family. I will destroy everything if you say that."
Cale sat in stunned silence as he tried to process what he had just heard. The kids already knew the truth about his identity so he understood their reactions but the Henituse family had reacted completely differently from what he had expected.
Rather than suspicion over how they found out the truth, it was blinding relief that overwhelmed Cale. They weren't rejecting him.
They weren't pushing him away for taking their son's place. They weren't disgusted by him.
As he rested his forehead against Deruth's shoulder, Cale honestly felt like a child again, seeking comfort and reassurance from an adult like this. "I am about 40 years old. Don't you find it odd having a son so close to your age?"
"Hiding their true age is common practice among nobles. If you don't tell anyone, we will hide it too."
Hearing Deruth casually reply back to his joke, Cale feels light. It's like a sudden weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He took in a deep breath before looking down at the kids in his lap.
The three pairs of clear pure eyes peering up at him in concern make him smile. He doesn't realise it yet that his smile looked so much more free and relaxed than it has ever done before.
The hand that reached up to pet the kids lightly was warmer and more loving than the kids had ever felt.
The arms that pulled in Lily and Basen seemed so much wider and held onto the two so much tighter.
And when the fumes that Cale was running were finally hitting rock bottom and Cale barely managed to lie down with his head on Violan's lap, softly asking her to stay while holding Deruth's hand, his voice had never been softer and sweeter, his grip had never been more insistent.
With his new family staying by his side while Cale clutched onto the memento of his old family in his hand, and slipped into unconsciousness.
When he would wake up next, it would be beside his family, who would greet him with the same warmth that they had shown him for the past three years.
And the time which had stopped for Kim Rok Soo will finally move for Cale Henituse.
Hello this chapter is super duper late.
If you are on the discord then you know that things have been pretty dicey for me lately with travel, work and health. This chapter ended up getting pushed back quite a bit. I didn't want to push it further back to next week so I am updating today.
I hope you guys like it. We will jump into Angst Wonderland starting with next chapter. I'll start out slow, I promise <3
Here's the discord link https://discord.gg/8nqgunbU