It didn't take much longer for the more perceptive members of the hall to question why TCF!Choi Han was avoiding the Goddess' gaze, but when TCF!Alberu turned away from TCF!Choi Han they did too – eventually everything would be revealed… it was only a matter of time anyways.
<Chapter 165: Somehow Once Again (5)>
The alcoholic Alchemist Rei Stecker looked around the rowdy plaza.
“Ah this is when he received a third-grade Mogoru Medal of Honour from the former Emperor in the plaza outside the former Mogoru Empire's Royal Palace.” TCF!Rex provided the explanation for his counterpart and the others who did not know. He had a very amused smile on his face as he watched his own clueless and naïve expression upon the Palantír.
“I'm a very different person now as compared to back then…” he thought to himself and then inwardly whispered gratitude toward Cale for forcing him to grow and change into the man he had become.
He then looked toward Cale with chaotic eyes. Rei had heard that Cale was the white-haired priest. He had also heard about Sir Rex. Rex was also looking toward Cale who was on the platform. He had a complicated expression on his face.
The two of them heard Billos’s voice at that time.
“The young master-nim did the same thing in the Roan Kingdom. He hasn’t changed at all.”
“In the Roan Kingdom?”
Billos nodded his head at Rei’s question and raised his voice on purpose.
“He also prevented the Roan Kingdom’s Plaza Terror Incident on his own but did not want any other honour than the joy from saving others. He only worried about others who may still be suffering.”
The citizens who heard his voice were shocked. The way they looked at Cale started to change. At the same time, the subordinates that Billos had planted throughout the plaza were bringing up stories about Cale. The noble who had also thrown his body in danger during the Roan Kingdom’s Plaza Terror Incident. Furthermore, a person who had come to participate in the investigation of the terror incident at the Vatican. Those stories continued to spread throughout the plaza.
Nods and murmurs of agreement and praise went around the hall for some time and for the TBOAH!World people who didn't know anything about Cale except for what had been shared with them through the records, their understanding of Cale was deepening. Meanwhile the depth of trust and loyalty Cale's family and friends had in him deepened with every mention of the numerous good deeds he had done – deeds which had also, unfortunately, endangered himself.
The alcoholic Alchemist Rei almost gasped after hearing Billos’s stories.
“…What an amazing person.”
Choi Han, who had been standing there stoically, then started to speak.
“Cale-nim has always been like this.”
Choi Han sounded proud as he said that. Rei and Rex could not help but look at Cale with an odd expression after sensing a strong level of trust in Choi Han’s words.
“Young Master Cale would faint if he heard this!” TCF!Rosalyn suddenly spoke up with a snicker. TCF!Lock who was taking a sip of water at that moment spluttered and let out a coughing choked gasp of laughter as he tried to control both his coughing fit and his laughter at his Noona's statement. TBOAH!Lock sympathetically patted TCF!Lock's back in order to help him clear the water from his lungs and find his composure again.
He hadn't known TCF!Rosalyn was such a liberal person, his Noona, TBOAH!Rosalyn, certainly wasn’t like this. For this reason it made TBOAH!Lock think that it was sad that not only him, but TBOAH!Rosalyn and TBOAH!Choi Han were also robbed of their peace of mind and their freedoms to express and simply be themselves because of the continuous battles and wars and all the fighting they'd been forced to do in their TBOAH!World.
The Palantír showed how Cale headed down from the platform as the Emperor started a short speech. Everyone saw that bastard Adin waiting for him at the bottom. Adin didn't seem to be too happy, although he was apparently trying his best to maintain his smile. Adin started to approach Cale before suddenly stopping. It was because of Alberu.
“Good save Your Imperial Majesty!” TCF!Cage declared with another radiant smile upon her face. TCF!Alberu turned toward her and Taylor and then chuckled.
“Of course, I'm Cale's Hyung… I have to cover for my Dongsaeng, no matter how troublesome the situation may be!” TCF!Alberu grinned charmingly.
Taylor and TCF!Cage shared a look between themselves before sighing.
“Ahhh, we were so close to being Young Master Cale's noona and hyung too…” TCF!Cage laments dramatically, she even went so far as to dash fake tears from her eyes.
TBOAH!Alberu frowned, to be honest, he really did not like how carefree and relaxed his counterpart was, it was like his counterpart wasn't him at all and that made no sense, because as far as he could see, TCF!Alberu had not transmigrated, reincarnated, or even regressed and yet he acted as if everything was in the palm of his hands. It frustrated TBOAH!Alberu and made envy and jealousy gnaw at his insides like a living ravenous beast.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to do something like that?”
“I apologize, your highness. The idea suddenly popped into my head while I was up there.”
Alberu’s reprimanding tone made Cale bow toward Alberu and Adin. That made Adin start to smile as he patted Cale on the shoulder.
“No need to apologize. I thank you for thinking of our citizens.”
“Thank you very much for being understanding.”
Adin, who was observing Cale who seemed to be relieved, heard Alberu starting to speak once again.
“You did something similar at the last terror incident. You always put others before yourself.”
Adin’s expression slightly changed after hearing that Cale had done something similar last time. Cale smiled back at Alberu before quietly returning to his spot.
Grigori’s expression looked strange as she stared at Adin on the Palantír and then she shook her head and let out a huff of heavy emotions as if she were casting a weight off her chest simply by exhaling.
“Let's move along, shall we?” she recommended.
She decided not to mention to anyone that this little backstabbing bastard called Adin had the audacity to hope Cale would overuse his Ancient Powers and die on several occasions.
Grigori deemed the information as valuable fuel to the already volatile fire that resided within all of them.
“I'll mention it when they're watching Adin get the beating of his life and they start to feel sorry for him…” she nodded to herself and then focused on the new record that was about to begin.
The targets of soul dissonance healing this afternoon were Rex and Rei Stecker, however there were also other people whose dissonances were being indirectly soothed and healed as well with each record that played through the Palantír. Thus Grigori felt that it would be okay for everyone if she played these records as well.
<Chapter 297 – Back (3)>
Cale pretended to be hurting as he moved away from the center of the dirt wall. His eyes were quickly moving.
‘Most of them don’t know about golems.’
It was possible that only the royal family and the Alchemists’ Bell Tower knew about the golems.
The sudden and unexpected sight of those monstrosities caused sharp exclamations of horror and alarm from everyone in the Palantír Hall. Grigori corked her head and smiled innocently.
“I'm about to reveal a secret that only Cale and very few perceptive people who are still alive know about, so pay close attention to this record.” She ordered the guests of her hall. And so the slightly less traumatized Litana and Toonka and several others in the hall from both timelines gulped down their remnant fears and returned their attention to the Palantír.
Loud noises could be heard as the golems destroyed the gate and the dirt wall around it. They could not fit through the gate. The dirt wall that was close to ten meters tall allowed Cale to clearly see the side of the golems as they walked by.
‘There are the controllers.’
There was a seat for the controller on the golem’s shoulder. Alchemists were sitting inside half-transparent glass domes.
“Young master-nim, they seem to be the contro-” Hilsman who was urgently speaking to Cale in a low voice suddenly stopped talking. He could see the look in Cale’s eyes. Contrary to the shocked crown prince Valentino, Cale’s gaze was the same as usual. Hilsman was able to tell because he had served Cale for a long time. It was a calm and collected look. Cale was more rational and calmer than ever before. He also didn’t seem like he had given up. Hilsman started to calm down as well.
Jopis nodded, she had realized it too during her own encounters with Cale, Cale had that unique ability because his eyes were expressive in a way that was very different from others. He was able to influence those around him by his mere appearance and demeanour. Cale also possessed the ability to motivate and encourage others naturally even when he didn’t mean to do so. Several people shook their heads, putting aside their thoughts which were distracting them from focusing on the record as the Goddess had commanded them to do.
Cale was observing the golems that were walking by him to the battlefield. He was looking for something. It was something that should exist if it was like any other golem that appeared in fantasy novels.
‘Where is the core?’
The golem’s core. It was the golems’ weakness and the easiest way to destroy it. Cale was looking for that. He lifted his head and looked at the sky.
TBOAH!Alberu blinked and stared at the Palantír.
“Wait… was that it? Was that all? The Young Master Cale was barely even taken aback by them…” TBOAH!Cotton exclaimed in surprise. TCF!Fredo smiled cheerfully and shrugged.
“Aigoo, this son of mine, he's always looking for the best way to break things as soon as he sees something new!”
“Your Majesty, in Commander Cale's defense, whenever something new does appear it's always something that's better off broken anyways!” TCF!Cotton corrects him with a shrug.
Imperial Prince Adin was observing Cale.
‘He seems to be shocked.’
The fact that Cale was looking at the empty sky and not at the golems let Adin feel that Cale was extremely shocked and astonished even though he had a calm expression on his face.
“Oh look, he takes after his bastard liege! The White Radish also had a lot of misunderstandings while assuming things about Cale!” TCF!Alberu cursed with a snarky tone and an arrogant expression on his face. He really hated seeing that bastard Adin near Cale.
Meanwhile TCF!Cotton and TCF!Fredo were still reminiscing about their conversation from a few seconds ago. They took a moment more to think about the stone statues and the ‘device that was meant to turn the White Star into a member of the demonic race’ and then shared a look of agreement and understanding – those kind of ‘new things’ certainly did need to be broken!
“True… That's very true!” They both nodded to each other and then sat back to continue watching the record.
TBOAH!Cotton and TBOAH!Fredo shared a suspicious look of disbelief with each other and then sighed heavily. Thus far they had received no useful information about how their own counterpart’s alliance with Cale came in existence and they weren't yet convinced that the red-haired human that everyone thought so highly of could have been the one to destroy ‘those things’. TBOAH!Cotton shivered and clenched her fists, while TBOAH!Fredo traced his fingertip along the rim of his wine glass.
TCF!Eruhaben was feeling territorially angry about the nonsense that comes out of TCF!Fredo's mouth every time he opens it, but Naur continues the record before he could grumble about TCF!Fredo and how annoying TCF!Eruhaben finds him to Sherritt.
– Human!
However, Cale was looking for something invisible in the sky. The golem’s cores. It was the being that would be able to quickly find the hidden cores. Raon Miru.
– Human, are you looking for the orb that is the source of the golem’s powers by chance?
‘I knew it! Our Raon Miru is great and mighty!’
“Ohhh, Teacher is praising Hoobae again!” TCF!Dodori cheered excitedly. TCF!Mila smiled and nodded before lightly beginning to brush her fingers through her son's cotton-candy, curly, pink hair. TBOAH!Dodori leaned into his mother and nuzzled into her hand when she reached out to stroke his hair too. Both happy pink dragons smiled and returned their gazes to the Palantír as it continued.
Cale stealthily nodded his head. He made it look like he was admiring the golem’s strength. Of course, Cale and Raon were looking for the golems’ weakness.
– Human, they are all located in different spots! One is in the arm, one is by the heart. They are all different!
‘They used their brains.’
That was what Cale was thinking. Now they would need to try multiple times per golem in order to find the golem’s core.
‘But we have Raon.’
We have a Dragon. Our Dragon was better than a ghost at tracing the source of power. Cale’s mind started to calculate things as he finally saw a way out.
The Dragons from both timelines couldn’t help feeling pleased that Cale trusted their youngest and praised him for having the skills to locate things like the Golem's cores. They liked that Cale always trusted Raon and their kind and highly regarded their skills.
It was at that moment.
– Human, but something is weird about those orbs.
‘What? Weird?’
Cale hesitated. What was there that Raon would call weird? Cale suddenly had a question.
‘…What is the golem’s core made of?’
TCF!Rei and TBOAH!Rei fell silent. Both their grim expressions did not change even once while the expressions on the people around them all became curious and pensive. For the others who did not know, this was a topic they hadn't bothered to think too strongly about. However, Grigori showing this record forced them to think about things they ordinarily wouldn’t have.
What was making the golems move?
– Human, it is not mana or magic stones.
‘Yes, I expected that much.’
Cale thought about something else.
‘Is it dead mana?’
However, Raon’s answer told Cale he was wrong.
– …It is different than dead mana as well. There’s something else in there with it.
‘Something else along with dead mana?’
TBOAH!Tasha and TBOAH!Obante looked toward their counterparts and both Mary from the two timelines. However, TCF!Tasha and TCF!Obante ignored their stares and instead focused on how sensing the Black Despair in the Golems had felt for Cale and Raon Miru. They were curious, but also apologetic toward the pair because it was unfair that they, who were so very young, had to carry the memory of these terrible experiences for the rest of their lives.
Cale started to frown. All living beings eventually die. Dead mana comes out of them upon their death. That was just another side of nature.
TCF!Cage nodded in agreement, TCF!Mary and TBOAH!Mary both felt touched even though Cale was merely thinking factually about the truth. His convictions on this matter also led the others who trusted and believed in him to change their stereotypical prejudices against Necromancers and Dark Elves as well. TCF!Mary felt her heart flutter with a semblance of warmth and affection.
“Young Master Cale-nim is kind!” TCF!Mary said in a hushed voice.
“That's right… he is very kind.” TBOAH!Mary agreed with an equally as monotone reply.
However, that core had something else in addition to that.
– It’s depressing.
Raon’s voice filled his mind. Raon was talking about the thing that was mixed in with the dead mana.
– I can sense anger, sorrow, and grudge inside of it. They’re shouting! I can hear them! There are all sorts of things intermingled inside the orb!
Raon’s voice was slowly getting louder. The young Dragon was able to feel the things inside the orb better the more he inspected it.
– Human! This is terrible, this is so sad!
The things inside the dead mana.
– … I heard the voices of children! N, no! I hear all sorts of voices inside the small golems.
The hall turned dead silent as shock enveloped everyone. Even though they were starting to suspect and were trying to mentally prepare for it, it was still shocking and it rendered everyone immobile and rigid in their places. Grigori allowed the taut tension to linger for a few more minutes and then she erased it with her divine mana, allowing everyone the clarity to recall how to breathe and blink and loosen the tension in their bodies once again.
Cale started to frown.
‘…Perhaps?’
He quickly recalled the Alchemists’ Bell Tower’s past. The Alchemists’ Bell Tower had gathered children from the slums 15 years ago to experiment on and kill. They also gathered slaves throughout the Western continent to experiment on after that. What was the Alchemists’ Bell Tower experimenting on and what were they trying to create? Why did they research dead mana?
Cale’s eyes started to fill with anger. He looked toward the large human-shaped golem.
‘What if these golems were what they created through those experiments?’
Cale was almost certain about what they were made of.
‘You scummy bastards!’
TCF!Rei and TBOAH!Rei closed their eyes, one drowning in the guilt of the unfulfilled remorse and guilt that had remained with him even after he'd died, while the other was reassuring the phantoms and ghosts that still lingered in his mind that they could all now rest in peace because the Alchemists' Bell Tower was gone, along with all the people who hurt them.
Cale himself was not a good person, but he wasn’t a total scumbag like them. Hilsman looked toward Cale after feeling Cale’s hand tighten around him.
“Young master-nim?”
Cale’s face was calm contrary to his clenched fists. His eyes headed toward the battlefield.
The TCF!Henituse Family blinked in unison and corked their heads when out the corner of their eyes they saw Rok Soo suddenly sit up straight in his seat. Rok Soo had a strange glint in his eyes and his expression looked equal parts diabolically mischievous and angelically intrigued. That was the only head's up anyone attentive enough would receive.
< Chapter 299: The Back of the Neck (2)>
Although Vice Captain Hilsman wanted to cheer at the sight of the golem being destroyed, he patiently suppressed such emotion and spoke to Cale while carefully looking at the Imperial Prince.
“…Young master-nim?”
He was taken aback. Cale was clutching the area over his heart.
“Young master-nim! Are you feeling ill again? Do you feel like you’re going to throw up blood?”
Vice Captain Hilsman’s voice could be heard.
– Human! What is it again? Choi Han and I found these terribly sad things!
Raon’s urgent voice was heard in his mind.
– Human, you have to hurry. This is a big problem! I, I think it’ll be hard for even me to handle! Do you think gramps can do it?
“Young master-nim, is your heart hurting?”
However, Cale couldn’t properly hear them.
Concern filled the expressions of TCF!Eruhaben, TCF!Ron, TCF!Fredo and TCF!Deruth. TCF!Alberu and TCF!Choi Han also began to frown with concentration. Since Raon and Cale weren't here to explain this to them, no one was feeling reassured right now. They all instinctively knew that if they turned to the Goddess for answers she would merely gesture to the Palantír as if to tell them all to keep watching. So without any other choice they did exactly that.
There was a lot going on in his mind. A terrible cry and black smoke. It was the moment he could only see and hear those things coming from the stopped golem. His heart began to beat madly. The inside of his body rocked violently.
‘What’s going on?’
That was also the thought on everyone's mind in the Palantír Hall. Valentino vaguely recalled Cale's strange reaction at that time. He also remembered how Cale had soon after cast away his act and attacked Adin. Valentino thought that this time he would be able to see what had driven Cale – who was always cordial and composed - past his tolerance threshold, he was sure that the Palantír which was showing this record would reveal it all.
It was then that the always quiet voice rang in his mind. It was the Vitality of the Heart.
– It’s the same as that time.
‘That time?’
Cale breathed in deeply at the beating of his heart and questioned what was going on.
The guests of the Palantír Hall began to calm down because it seemed like the answers they were expecting was coming now that the Ancient Powers were talking. It also became clear to them all that Cale's reaction and gestures that he'd been showing weren't because he was in physical pain, but rather because his Ancient Powers were in uproar within him.
This time the Indestructible Shield, the gluttonous priestess’s voice was heard.
– We had to fight thousands of golems back then. Golems are existences made of dead mana and suffering souls. The core’s liquid is a terrible and horrible thing.
“Thousands?!” The alarmed gasp came from TCF!Tasha – as someone who had been on the frontlines and had faced those terrible monstrosities the thought of how many innocent lives were lost during the Ancient Times chilled her blood.
The dragons from both timelines turned toward Sherritt to ask her if this was true. Sherritt merely nodded - she'd experienced and heard plenty of these tales from Nelan back then, but they were all vague and distant memories to her now. Hearing Cale's Ancient Powers talking about them though were bringing back the memories, some of those memories were painful even for her.
Next the Sound of the Wind, the thief, chimed in.
– Golems. If you want to run away together from that then use my power. If you want to protect your people and your home, then use the power of the earth.
Use the wind to run away together or use the earth to protect everyone.
– And lastly.
Another voice stepped in at that moment. It was the Sky Eating Water.
– And if you want to destroy them?
– Our names aren’t just for show.
Cale thought over her words. If he wanted to, ‘destroy,’ then…
Taylor was intrigued, he was studying every detail and word that the various voices of the Ancient Powers were saying from within the Palantír with great attention to detail. Fearing that he may forget some of these important details he asked Cage if she had more paper and a quill for him to write with. Grigori smiled elegantly and conjured a notepad and modern pen for him – both appearing in the air in front of him and after giving her an eager bow of gratitude, Taylor began frantically writing everything from this record down.
The Sky Eating Water whispered while he was thinking.
– What would we need to eliminate both the ‘dead mana’ and the ‘black despair’ within the golems?
There was only one answer. Cale said the answer out loud, “…Fire.”
The Fire of ‘Destruction’. The Super Rock’s voice could be heard.
– Do you know why that cheapskate ended up setting fire to the northern area of the Western continent? Of course, it started for a different reason as well as to help the Sky Eating Water, and um, there was also the fact that this nut-job went crazy, but…
The time when the northern area of Western continent was set on fire. It wasn’t an easy ordeal no matter how crazy you were. However, the Fire of Destruction was only able to save it by going mad. He was able to save the Western continent.
TCF!Dodori and TBOAH!Dodori straightened up and began to pay attention after hearing the Palantír mention the Super Rock. They got to hear the voice of their favourite Ancient Hero and it thrilled the two Young Pink Dragons immensely – however TBOAH!Mila and TCF!Mila were too focused on the actual content of what the Super Rock was saying to share their sons' enthusiasm.
TCF!Eruhaben and TBOAH!Eruhaben thought about the World Tree when the Super Rock mentioned the Fire of Destruction setting the northern area on fire. In TCF!Eruhaben’s mind, because he knew a little more about the truth than his counterpart did, he could understand what the Super Rock meant when he said that the fire was started to help the Sky Eating Water.
Unfortunately TBOAH!Eruhaben did not have this vital piece of information and was left feeling frustrated and annoyed that he lacked the finer details necessary to understand these things.
TBOAH!Eruhaben turned to TCF!Eruhaben and frowned.
“Explain what you know during the break!”
“Haaa… sure, let's talk a bit more during the break.” TCF!Eruhaben conceded with an expression of resignation and reluctance.
In actuality, TCF!Eruhaben was beginning to feel bad for his counterpart who had died without knowing or experiencing all the things he had experienced and lived through thanks to Cale and Raon and all the other children who had come looking for him.
– This cheapskate was the one who eliminated the greatest amount of black despair and golems in the Western continent. That was why he was a hero at least to all of us. Fire and light. The one who surrounded himself with the fiery thunderbolt and used fire and light to fight against despair.
– The true power of the complete fire is to destroy or purify everything.
Destruction or purification. Nature’s element of ‘fire’ was somewhere that contradictory existences coexisted.
The Super Rock's words were a revelation regarding the true extent of Cale's Fire of Destruction. It also caused lightbulbs of realization to go off in numerous people's heads.
“Hey… does this mean that if the Young Master came in contact with dead mana, he could possibly burn it and cure himself—” A resounding slap silenced Archie.
“That's the kind of shit you keep to yourself Archie!” King Shickler hissed furiously. Paseton and Witira were also glaring at Archie. Archie bowed his head and shut up, he actually felt fearful of the sudden murderous intent that was fixated on him and regretted opening his mouth all the way down to his very soul. Grigori sighed and shook her head, she had not anticipated that Archie would be so foolish as to let his inside voice out all of a sudden. Still though she was grateful that the Whale King had shut Archie up before the rest of his crazy question could have slipped out.
Cale heard the voice of the fiery thunderbolt that had been quiet until now. Its voice was serious for the first time.
– Golems and black despair are existences containing the despair of those who have been deprived of their lives. Their deaths weren’t natural but the result of black magic.
‘…Black magic? Not alchemy?’
“I see… so Alchemy is not bad, but rather it's Black Magic that is bad…” TCF!Rei sighed gratefully. He was worried about how everyone would misunderstand and start ostracizing alchemists in the future, but since Cale knew that there was a difference between the two, TCF!Rei was certain that Cale would not allow any injustice due to a misunderstanding to occur in the future.
“Because such a thing would interfere with his retirement plans as a slacker.” TCF!Rei nodded to himself in relief.
The voice that lost its lightness was infinitely low. The Fire of Destruction spoke its will and beliefs for the first time.
– We need to get rid of that damn thing. No one’s lives should be taken away like that. People need to protect their lives.
Cale could feel the five ancient powers roaring together for the first time. They all shouted at the same time.
– Get rid of that!
On the Palantír everyone saw Cale relax his grip on his chest and then heard Hilsman and Raon ask Cale if he was alright. They watched how both of them noticed that Cale's expression had changed. Everyone could see that one side of Cale's mouth had turned upward into a crooked semblance of a smile. The Palantír continued revealing Cale’s inner thoughts as he straightened up again.
‘To think that these damn ancient powers and I have the same thought.’
He liked it very, very much.
‘Yeah, we have to get rid of that. It’s not in my character to let that go.’
That was very inline with Cale's true personality and everyone was filled with the relief that he seemed to be fine again.
One of the powers that Cale had gathered started to lift its restrictions after seeing that his new owner’s will matched his former owner, the hero’s will. Those powers were originally ones that didn’t need a plate. The flame of the one called the greatest ancient warrior began to rise again within Cale’s body.
“Wow…” Valentino exclaimed with bated breath. Neither he nor the others would have ever known the extent nor the significance of Cale's display of power back then if not for the Palantír revealing the conversation between Cale and his Ancient Powers. They had all been awed and terrified of that power.
However the truth was that such power had manifested as a result of the combined wills of both Cale and the Ancient Hero's combined desire to protect everyone and purify the dead mana and Black Despair. It was something that could not be achieved by just anyone, nor was it something that others could dare to look down on.
“Incredible… truly incredible!” Gashan whispered with a benign smile and a nod of supportive approval – Cale truly never failed to shock and amaze him either.