TBOAH!Rex raised his head and turned to look at his counterpart from the TCF!World and decided that he should at least trust his counterpart - there was a degree of confidence in the TCF!Rex that TBOAH!Rex did not recognize. Grigori returned her gaze to the Palantír at the front of the room as the record continued.
Crown prince Valentino waved away the Caro Kingdom’s administrator as he stepped forward in order to personally guide them. Cale had been watching this extreme friendliness as Imperial Prince Adin started to speak.
“I got to see your face and I got to see our young master Cale’s face, so I should head back now.”
“I thought that you were going to stay until the military meeting tonight?” Crown prince Valentino who had been chatting with the Caro Kingdom’s administrator looked toward Imperial Prince Adin with disappointment.
Adin responded back with disappointment as well. “I feel worried about leaving the Empire for so long, but Duke Huten is here, so isn’t that enough?”
“I guess that is true.”
Imperial Prince Adin patted Valentino’s shoulder.
“I pray for your victory. I am not saying this as the Imperial Prince of the Empire, but as your close friend.”
“…Thank you.” Valentino was truly thankful.
“Duke Huten, soldiers, the Empire’s Knights Brigade, and the Empire’s mages. I know how much you’ve done for me. We will definitely win.”
“Yes! That sounds like the friend that I know!”
TBOAH!Valentino noticed the way, TBOAH!Harol, TBOAH!Toonka, and TBOAH!Litana all began to scowl toward the Palantír - the object of their animosity was quite obviously the mention of the Empire's soldiers and TCF!Valentino scowled hatefully for the lies that he had once so blindly believed.
The Caro Kingdom’s people and the ones from the Roan Kingdom who did not know about the Empire watched the two heirs share their bond of friendship with smiles on their faces. However, one person did not fall for it. Cale’s expression had turned stoic without anybody noticing.
‘This is weird.’
Imperial Prince Adin was acting weird.
‘Why is he acting so friendly?’
He felt chills on the back of his neck and had an ominous feeling.
‘Furthermore, sword master Duke Huten, the Knights Brigade and mages?’
He had sent pretty much everyone except the Alchemists. The Empire was being extremely benevolent to the Caro Kingdom.
It would be a beautiful story if it was a true friendship. However, there was no way that the Imperial Prince would do that. It would be beneficial for the Imperial Prince if the Indomitable Alliance won.
– …Weak human. That Imperial Prince bastard’s smile is giving me the creeps.
‘See. Our Raon noticed it as well.’
Raon on the lounger with his siblings from both timelines, practically preened with delight that Cale called him so familiarly in his own mind. He liked this a lot and beside him, TCF!Ohn gently patted Raon's head, while TCF!Hong excited praised Raon.
"That's right, our youngest is the best!"
Cale looked toward Adin with even more suspicion. It was at that moment. Imperial Prince Adin’s gaze turned toward Cale.
“It was nice seeing you again.”
“It was my pleasure, your highness.”
The rest of the people from the Roan Kingdom watched Cale and the Imperial Prince’s conversation with a smile. The fact that Cale seemed close to the Empire’s Imperial Prince made him seem reliable. Their smiles turned even brighter soon enough.
“Are you the Roan Kingdom’s newest and youngest sword master?” The Imperial Prince had approached the Roan Kingdom’s pride and new hero, the sword master Choi Han. The Roan Kingdom’s Knights Brigade and First Mage Brigade felt proud seeing the awe in the Imperial Prince’s eyes. However, one person did not fall for it. Cale suppressed the corners of his lips from going up.
‘Oh, how interesting.’
The Imperial Prince’s gaze was on Choi Han and Mary, however, he spoke to Choi Han instead of Mary, who had her head down.
“I didn’t know that the guard knight from before was such a strong person.”
He then reached his hand out toward Choi Han. It was not easy for the Imperial Prince to reach his hand out toward someone like Choi Han, who had no titles nor rank. However, Choi Han was a sword master. On the outside, he seemed to be the youngest sword master on the continent.
“The birth of the youngest sword master. Can I shake your hand?”
At his seat near the front of the Palantír Hall, TCF!Choi Han scoffed, an expression of arrogant contempt revealing itself across his face.
"What's with that look?" TBOAHChoi Han asked.
"Well... the bug appeared..."
"Hmmm... Actually, this one was worse than that cockroach Redika..." TCF!Rosalyn spoke up quietly.
"Oh really?" TBOAH!Lock spoke up for the first time since today's records began. Several people on the TCF!World side nodded.
"Yes, he even managed to make the Young Master-nim mad!" TCF!Lock replied with a firm nod. Everyone seemed to take great interest in seeing this, but Grigori didn't even suggest showing it, her mind seemed to be focused on something else as she looked around the hall from her lounger. Naur soon continued the record, and everyone fell silent in order to keep watching.
The Imperial Prince looked toward Choi Han with a gentle expression that was full of admiration. Cale scoffed internally while watching him.
‘Was his reason for coming here to scope out the enemy?’
Choi Han and Mary. Had the Imperial Prince wanted to see them with his own eyes? Cale could finally feel that the Imperial Prince was feeling a bit nervous. How could he not be?
On the surface, the Empire and the Roan Kingdom were currently extremely close to each other. They both shared the pains of being hit by magic bomb terror incidents, while Cale had even received the Empire’s Medal of Honor. However, things started to go awry from Cale’s territory. Cale could imagine how much anger was underneath the Imperial Prince’s mask. Cale could leisurely watch the Imperial Prince while knowing that this person who wished to control everything would not have his way.
Smirks came from several different people, they all looked particularly vicious.
<Chapter 214: Now Do You Get It? (5)>
Crown prince Valentino started to speak. “I guess that we can each defend a tower.”
He smiled and looked toward Cale and Duke Huten, who both understood his intentions. The chief continued to speak.
“Yes, your highness. Since Castle Leona is built to the north of the shores, the central tower will be manned by our Caro Kingdom and the northern tower by the Mogoru Empire. As for the southern tower, mm.”
The chief hesitated for a moment before looking toward Cale.
They were originally planning on leaving the southern tower to the Roan Kingdom. This was because they had promised a large number of reinforcements. However, the actual number that showed up was…pitiful. Although the quality may be better than anyone else, there were less than 100 people.
"Hmmm, Naur, stop for a bit..." Grigori suddenly called out, and Naur stopped the record. The room consequently began to brighten as the paused image on the Palantír turned dim. Grigori then stood up and turned to face her guests, her expression was serious and her usually gentle gaze was scalding and penetrated each of them as it passed over them .
"As you know Arm and the Northern Alliance used the Bear Tribe and Dead Mana bombs that in the TBOAH!World led to the demise of many and the loss at Castle Leona. In the TCF!World, the Caro Kingdom defended the central tower, while the north tower was protected by Duke Huten and the Empire’s forces and finally the south tower was defended by the Roan Kingdom. However, due to the Dead Mana, both the Caro Kingdom as well as the Empire’s army were unable fight, thus leaving only the army and heroes of the Roan Kingdom to fight against the Bear Tribe who spread Dead Mana across the Caro Kingdom’s shoreline and were retreating back to the sea to dock their ships on the other side of the coastline..." Grigori gave everyone from the two timelines a few minutes to process her words before she resumed her announcement.
"For the people of the TBOAH!World, I am sure you already know how devastating this battle had been during your timeline, especially since the Caro Kingdom of TBOAH!World did not have the alliance with the Roan Kingdom."
"Was the outcome different for the TCF!World?" TBOAH!Valentino asks and beside him TCF!Valentino scoffed.
"Of course it was!" He responded with conviction and a burning anger in his eyes. "We all survived because of the Dark Elves of the Roan Empire, the heroes of the Roan Empire, and because of the Commander."
TCF!Valentino has no issue with blatantly informing his counterpart that history would have repeated itself if not for Cale Henituse' silver shield. TBOAH!Litana perked up, she recalled her counterpart mentioning something about Cale Henituse's silver shield and she was becoming more and more impatient to see how he had used it to save the Jungle.
"I will also mention this now, clearly so that everyone knows... The bishop of the Church of the Sun God pissed off Cale-hyung. Thus Cale responded in a manner befitting of the situation. As such, if any of you here react similarly... Please do not expect any mercy or protection from me. If you show animosity toward Cale-hyung and his family, I will not protect you." Grigori now states her favouritism clearly.
Those TBOAH!World people who were still harbouring remnant, lingering prejudice and xenophobic attitudes toward Dark Elves, stiffened and felt their hearts' clench with an icy grip of fear as Cale, seated beside TCF!Alberu and Kim Rok Soo at the front seats, raised his head and his cold glare swept over the guests of the room, his gaze was so cold and deep that it almost felt inhumane.