<Chapter 742: When I am the angriest?>
The next day after Cale spent a wonderful night sleeping on the grassy field of the Forest of Darkness…
The designer and owner of the luxurious boutique in the Henituse territory hesitated for a moment. Someone who looked like an ill-tempered nouveau riche young master but dressed extremely shabbily walked into the store. Behind him was an extremely handsome teenager in similarly shabby clothes behind him.
“Welcome!” The boutique owner immediately smiled and approached them. He then flinched.
‘…It’s red?’
The nouveau riche-looking punk had something red at the edges of his clothes. To be more specific, it was dark red. The boutique owner’s pupils started shaking.
‘…That’s the color of blood.’
Only fresh blood would leave such a color.
There had been a fierce battle between monsters in the Forest of Darkness last night, and the blood had gotten on Cale’s clothes as they walked past the sight of the fight this morning. The owner peeked at the nouveau riche-looking punk. He looked like someone who could be the boss in some back alley. This guy did look a bit clumsy, but…
‘His gaze is no joke.’
The way his eyes sparkled showed that he was no ordinary person.
‘…Blood!’
The young boy following behind him had an old scabbard on him. That scabbard showed faint signs of blood that had been stacked on for an extremely long period of time. The owner, who had once been a mercenary before he found his calling in fashion design and settled in the Henituse territory, knew that the Henituse territory had no back alley powers.
However, his instincts were telling him something.
‘…These are not ordinary people!’
Then some bag appeared in front of him. His eyes were almost blinded by the golden sparkle in the bag opened by the nouveau riche man. They were golden coins.
TCF!Bud and TBOAH!Bud both let out groans as if they were wounded and on the brink of death. Beside them TCF!Glenn and TBOAH!Glenn merely pressed their lips into thin lines and pretended not to notice their depressed best friend's agony.
“…Excuse me?”
He subconsciously looked at this nouveau riche nobleman. His heart was beating wildly. This was not an ordinary person.
‘…These people… gold, no, they may be a pile of luck……!’
“We want to buy some clothes.”
The nouveau riche-like person had a relaxed smile on his face as he looked around the boutique.
“Probably tens of outfits?”
The owner clutched his heart.
“They will be for this swordsman-nim over here. Ah. Please give me a few as well.”
The owner responded to the nobleman with full sincerity. “I, I will complete the requested task no matter what it takes!”
The boutique owner didn’t realize that he was talking like back in his mercenary days. He moved as quickly as the wind to get a seat and all sorts of snacks and drinks for the nouveau riche man.
He approached the teenage swordsman after the nobleman motioned with his chin.
“I will now take some measurements.”
“Excuse me? Ah.” The swordsman seemed a bit out of it.
“Yes, sir.”
He seemed very innocent once the owner got a closer look. The boutique owner couldn’t help but become curious about this nobleman who seemed to be overflowing with luck and this innocent swordsman.
“Do as he says.”
“…Okay.” Choi Han peeked at Cale who was sitting on the couch and eating cookies as if it was his own house before following the owner.
The owner did not see it because he was too focused on Choi Han, but a cookie next to Cale floated in the air before slowly disappearing.
– This is delicious.
Cale nodded his head at Raon’s comment and slowly moved the plate of cookies on the couch where Raon was seated.
In a similar manner Cale generously handed out cookies to the four kittens, Raon and to TCF!Alberu beside him while casually leaning back in his seat and letting out a content and relaxed sigh.
“Okay, please extend your arms out!”
The boutique owner was speaking energetically.
At that time, the Henituse territory’s largest and best jewelry store and the Henituse branch of the Flynn Merchant Guild was in chaos because of the people who came and left like the wind this morning.
First, the jewelry store. This jewelry store was one that had a thorough network with stores all around the Roan Kingdom with the main store at the capital.
“Sir, should we contact the capital?”
“Yes, do it! A, a jewel like this…! This brilliant gleam and the size! It’s also not a jewel created with modern methods! T, this is not something we can handle! We need to take it to the capital and put it up for auction or something!”
“Yes, sir! Oh, the Flynn Merchant Guild is contacting us as well.”
“I’m sure they are! They had to suddenly give a large sum of money in our store’s name! Y, you remember that sir’s name, right?”
“Ah, yes, sir!”
The employee who had never seen his manager this excited calmed himself down and looked at the document.
< Choi Han. >
The manager’s comments were at the bottom.
< He seems to be a swordsman and makes his butler take care of most things. >
The employee could not hide his curiosity and asked.
“Sir, that swordsman was the owner of the jewel?”
“Yes.”
“I, I thought it would be the man who seemed a bit vicious. I thought that the swordsman-nim was his guard knight.”
“I thought so as well but no. He said he was the butler. Apparently they have been friends since they were young.”
“Ah, that is why they chatted so casually with each other. Then I will contact the capital immediately!”
The manager inspected the jewel and mumbled to himself once he was alone.
“…Is he from the Henituse family? Is he trying to secretly pawn off some of the wealth? The House of Henituse is not like that though? …But where else would a rich person like this suddenly come from?”
“No… the swordsman who is supposedly the owner of the jewel did not look like a Henituse. Well, I guess the Henituse people all look different.”
“But the way he was spending money made him seem like a Henituse.”
“…They are even scarier than money.”
The thought of people spending money and causing incidents like the Henituse family made the manager’s heart beat wildly.
The occupants of the Henituse family table all chuckled in amusement and Kim Rok Soo let out a whistle to taunt the already flustered and apparently suddenly deaf Cale.
At the Henituse branch of the Flynn Merchant Guild around the same time…
“We probably need to contact Billos-nim about this, right, sir?”
“Did he go to work at the tea shop?”
“He probably did.”
“Then contact him immediately!”
The employee didn’t even look at his subordinate run out as he was busy tapping the desk with his finger and organizing his thoughts.
“…So an extremely wealthy man is trying to lay his roots in the Henituse territory? He’s also preparing and procuring everything he needs from the Henituse territory?”
He came to a single conclusion.
“This is going to be a big boom to the Henituse market.”
It was indeed a big boom. It was such a big boom that it made everybody lose their minds. Cale led Choi Han and the invisible Raon to many places.
This was a year before Cale arrived in the Henituse territory, but he pretty much knew where everything was located.
“I wish to buy some land.”
“Land?”
Choi Han’s pupils started shaking as he watched Cale.
‘Land?’ He looked back and forth at the bags in his hands and Cale.
There was a new luxurious carriage behind Choi Han as well.
“Yes, sir. I’m hoping to buy some land around Harris Village. I wish to build a villa.”
“Will you be staying there, sir?”
“No.”
The invisible Raon and Choi Han both flinched but Cale had no idea as he pointed to Choi Han.
“This swordsman-nim here. There will also be a child. It is just the two of them for now, but the number may increase in the future.”
“I see.”
The gold coins flowed out of the bag Cale placed on the table.
“Is it possible to make it happen quickly?”
“I, I will make it happen as quickly as possible! I will do whatever it takes even if we need to contact the Lord’s Castle!”
After that…
“A villa construction?”
“Yes, sir.”
Gold coins overflowed out of the bag once again.
“No matter what! I will build the best! The sturdiest! The most wonderful building for you, sir!”
“I will trust and leave it to you then.”
And after that…
“I have 30 years of experience delivering groceries, sir! Whether it is to the desert or to a lake, I will go wherever you need, sir! Please don’t worry!”
“Then I will not worry about it.”
In addition…
“Everything from here to here. It’s easy to remember, right?”
“Yes, yes, sir! I, I will pack it-”
“Delivery.”
“Yes, sir! I will deliver it to you!”
Choi Han was swept up in the boom that Cale had caused that he just blankly followed behind Cale.
– Hey, swordsman. T, that terrible bastard is a b, bit weird!
Even the silently following Dragon shared his chaotic thoughts with Choi Han.
However, Cale nodded his head and walked out of the store before speaking to them with a refreshed look on his face.
“I’m hungry.” On the contrary, his expression looked extremely full.
“Let’s eat.”
The swordsman who had spent tens or maybe over a hundred years fighting before appearing in this unknown world and the invisible black Dragon who had spent his life only inside a cave tiredly followed behind Cale.
They then saw the feast prepared for them in a private room of a restaurant.
“This place has the best steak in the entire Henituse territory. Eat up.”
The black Dragon was no longer invisible and already eating the steak.
“Of course the steak there doesn’t come close to our Beacrox’s steak though…” Cale replied to Raon who asked if the steak in the illusion had been any good. Although he hadn’t intended for it to be so, his voice carried over to TCF!Beacrox who immediately straightened in his seat with delight and pride, even while his counterpart narrowed his eyes and scowled with envy.
Meanwhile Raon huffed and replied to Cale – continuing their conversation – seemingly unaware of the attention that was now upon him and Cale.
“Of course, Gentle Beacrox makes the best food. Let’s have a picnic when we go back home.”
“That’s a wonderful idea!” Cale agreed when Ohn and Hong jumped up to stand on the couch and lean precariously against Cale while voicing their excited agreement. Cale smiled tenderly and reached out maneuvering his arm in order to gather Ohn and Hong more securely against himself.
Cale looked at him with satisfaction as he continued speaking.
“I will teach you to read now. I will also teach you general social norms. Learn them both.”
Choi Han and Raon made eye contact with each other without Cale noticing. Choi Han had a bitter smile on his face while looking at the black Dragon avoid his gaze. He then looked at the extremely relaxed Cale with an odd gaze. Cale’s gaze headed out the window.
The quiet yet lively Harris Village…
That place was currently a bit hectic with construction noise. A fancy villa was being built on the outskirts of the village. Of course, this was the building Cale had commissioned for Choi Han and Raon. Their main home would be the Super Rock Villa in the Forest of Darkness. It was probably because this was an illusion. Cale brushed aside the iffiness he was feeling and looked around him.
They were currently borrowing the home of someone who had temporarily left the village through the Village Chief as this small countryside village did not have an inn.
Choi Han and Cale were said to be living here, but naturally Raon was living with them as well. Cale’s index finger was tapping on the desk. His sharp gaze turned toward Raon.
“You don’t know……?”
“That’s right. It is difficult.”
The three years old black Dragon confidently nodded his head
TCF!Eruhaben felt a strange feeling of suspicion bloom within his mind. He couldn't fathom how this three-year-old counterpart of the genius future Dragon Lord could so shamelessly call something difficult - it made no sense to him. It was very un-dragon-like behaviour and he knew that even though Raon was different from other hatchlings, the child was not this bad. He began to frown with confusion and concern.
Cale asked once more. “You still don’t know how to read the letters?”
“That’s right. I think I will need to learn for at least a year to be able to read.” The short front paws pushed the book in front of him toward Cale. “It is difficult for me to learn how to read!”
‘Liar.’
"Ho!" Sherritt gasped softly as an idea and understanding of what the child on the Palantír was trying to do began to take form within her mind. TCF!Eruhaben'as eyes widened slightly as he caught on as well.
“It is also difficult to count! I can’t figure out how to properly use money!”
‘Liar.’
“I am strong but I am not smart! There is a lot for me to learn!”
‘Liar.’ Cale stared at Raon.
Raon scoffed and raised his head off his paws to frown at the three-year-old counterpart of himself that thought he was smart enough to get away with lying to Cale. However around the room, other people from both timelines were beginning to catch on with what the child was attempting to do.
“But aren’t Dragons great and mighty?”
“We are not great and mighty. Hey terrible bastard, stop trying to teach me stuff! I prefer to play!”
‘That I can accept. You should play when you are young.’
Playing properly was also experience and learning.
“Oh my…” TCF!Tasha giggled and cooed from her place beside TCF!Mary and her counterpart.
“This is too cute!!” TCF!Mary readily agreed.
“Hey, swordsman! Have you figured out how to read?”
“Mm.” Choi Han peeked at Cale without any signs of a smile on his face and quietly mumbled. “Reading is hard. I think it will take a long time to learn.”
Cale closed his eyes.
‘These little punks-’
Raon giggled cheerfully, guessing the intention of his three-year-old counterpart and the other-other Choi Han from the record and then leaving the front table to fly over to talk to TCF!Dodori about something.
It had been three days. Cale had spent all day and all night as Venion’s lackey for three days. Cale was now worried that the others would finish the test before him and thought that he needed to finish the test a little quicker.
However, the problem was that he had not gotten any other clues to help Raon forget his indignities since he got the ‘praise’ clue. Food, clothing, and shelter… The answer did not appear even after fulfilling all those things for Raon.
‘That’s odd.’
Raon’s current condition was far from when he was chained up in the cave. But why were things still the same?
Cale could not hide his confusion. At that moment… Someone knocked on the door of this small home.
Three knocks were heard upon the door - signifying someone really had come to see them.
“Are you there?” It was a familiar voice. He believed it was the voice of the village volunteer watchman.
“I’ll go out so practice reading.”
Cale ignored Choi Han and Raon’s grumbling face and opened the door. The door opened wide without any issue.
There was a loud slam as the recording in the Palantír showed Cale immediately slamming the door shut.
“Wow, shit!” Cale subconsciously swore as he tightly held the doorknob. “That was shocking!”
“What is going on?” Choi Han stood up and walked over. However, Cale’s eyes were looking at Raon. What Cale saw when he had opened the door just now…
“Who are those people? They looked like knights?”
Cale had closed the door immediately after seeing the magnificent crest on the carriage.
A chill went through the room. Raon who had flew over to TCF!Dodori returned to Cale and settled down to lean upon his shoulder from behind. Raon seemed to be seeking sanctuary from Cale, so Cale protectively coiled his arms around the small baby dragon and brought him to his chest cradling him close and offering him what he needed most.
He was looking at Raon as Raon’s eyes were opened wide while looking toward Cale, more specifically the door. A red snake wrapped around a stone mountain…
The carriage had the crest of the House of Stan.
The knight standing outside the door with the villagers who were shaking in fear was one of Venion Stan’s subordinates. This guy was Venion’s left hand man, someone who swung his sword not for the House of Stan but for Venion.
‘How did he find me?’ Cale quickly realized the answer.
“I was too showy.”
He had had too much fun in the Henituse territory. His mistake was letting loose and spending money like it was water because this was an illusion.
Cale could see Raon’s front paw slightly shaking as he sat there with a pen in his hand. The crest of the House of Stan… Raon had definitely seen that before. He must have seen the crest when he went to destroy the villa on his own.
“Ah.”
He finally realized something.
‘He was anxious. He was still scared.’ Three-year-old Raon and four-year-old Raon were different.
Furthermore, Cale Henituse and Venion’s lackey were different. Cale had rescued the four years old Raon with Choi Han, On, and Hong. He had led him to the outside world. However, while Venion’s lackey had released the chains binding Raon’s body down, Raon had to do the rest on his own. There was a simple reason as to why Raon had knocked Venion’s lackey unconscious. He was not helpful at all. He was weak. Even Cale had told Raon to mess him up before he left the cave originally.
An undeniable silence fell over the hall as everyone sat still and mute in order to observe how Cale would handle this situation.
Raon had destroyed the mountain but had to take the unconscious Venion’s lackey and travel to the Forest of Darkness alone despite it being his first time out in the world. This starting point was different from four-year-old Raon who followed Cale and his strong companions to see the world.
“That was my mistake.”
Cale nodded to himself even while keeping an eye on what his past-self was doing on the Palantír while he continued to gently pet Raon's head. Offering comfort to the child who sat still upon his lap.
Cale realized his mistake and understood what was making Raon anxious. Then the answer was simple.
The audience on the Palantír Hall fell silent as they watched Cale's expression change as he opened the door once again.
Cale opened the door and asked.
“Hello, what can I do for you?”
“…You know who I am, don’t you?”
Cale smiled and responded to the knight who spoke in a vicious tone to threaten him.
“Move.”
“What?”
“I said move.”
3 years old. Raon was young. He was very young. Cale realized that, while he knew that was the case, he had not considered the impact of that youth.
Four-year-old Raon had a lot he didn’t know as well, but he had slowly learned. Raon was smart, but he could not be good at everything. There was also no need to be good at everything.
‘For example, taking care of trash properly.’
Even if Raon destroyed the mountain and the villa… It was possible that people did not die. In fact, he might have just destroyed things as Cale told him to do.
‘I ran too wild in the Henituse territory. It’s my fault.’
He had thought that the House of Stan or the House of Tolz would not hear about him because they did not have a good relationship with the House of Henituse.
He had missed the House of Stan’s tenacity. The reason was simple.
‘We can get rid of him whenever we want now.’
Someone like Venion Stan was nothing now. It was just the fact that he made Raon anxious this whole time that was making him upset.
Cale walked past the angry knight who did not dare to attack him and headed toward the carriage. While the people in his way flinched and stopped moving and the villagers were watching from a distance wondering what was going on…
The sound of the carriage door creaking was heard and everyone held their breath.
Cale opened the carriage door and walked inside.
“…You bastard.”
Venion Stan. The bastard who was covered in bandages on his arms and legs was glaring at Cale.
Cale smiled brightly after seeing that gaze.
“You were alive?” He then added on. “Too bad. I thought you were dead.”
Although he was smiling, his eyes were extremely cold as he looked down at Venion Stan.