Without giving anyone more time to find their composure, Naur continued the record.
<Chapter 197: There’s a Dragon? (2)>
All of the video communication devices were consistently shining red. Basen Henituse, the second son of the Henituse family, looked out of the window of the information monitoring room.
TBOAH!Basen blinked in surprise, shocked to see that unlike himself who had fought alongside his father and mother during the Henituse War, his counterpart from the TCF!World was elsewhere.
“Is it because they had known about the wyverns beforehand, and that’s why they’d all been allocated different roles?!” TBOAH!Basen’s mind was full of questions. He almost felt envious of his counterpart who had the luxury of not having to take another’s life in order to save his own (a reality that TBOAH!Basen had to face during his experiences in his final hours).
This room was located in the tallest tower of the castle. Although this should be the busiest room in the Henituse estate right now, everybody was just standing there with blank expressions.
“Ahem… well, we were shocked too…” TCF!Basen tried to explain himself, however no one in the hall blamed him because just like for the others this was their first time experiencing a war of this scale (the group of shocked individuals of course did not include Cale’s company who were by now well aware of how Cale operated).
This was especially true for Basen, who was holding a video communication device in his hand as he stood there with his jaws dropped. Someone’s voice could be heard through the video communication device.
– Hahaha, my goodness.
Alberu Crossman. It was the voice of the crown prince. He was currently observing Rain City through the video communication device. He had seen Cale’s shield, as well as the higher than expected number of wyverns. He also saw the hundreds of monster skeletons, as well as the Dragon skeleton.
‘That crazy bastard.’
“Why thank you for noticing our efforts Hyung!” Cale smiled brightly at TCF!Alberu, but just before he could launch into a buttery tirade of flattery toward the Emperor of Roan, Naur continued the record – cutting him off. Cale inwardly sulked, offended that Grigori’s underling would hinder his petty plan to get revenge on TCF!Alberu and TCF!Choi Han once again.
He was thinking that Cale was a crazy bastard. However, Alberu felt the tips of his fingers going numb as he watched that crazy bastard through the screen.
‘We can do it. It’s possible.’
‘The entire Roan Kingdom will become heroes.’
This crazy bastard had never said anything that he could not deliver. That was the reason Alberu had chosen to believe him, and the sight in front of his eyes was beyond his expectations.
‘Your highness, the Henituse territory will ignore all communication from the temples starting this moment.’
That was what Cale had said as he called forth the necromancer. Alberu had immediately responded back.
‘I will take responsibility for it.’
TBOAH!Alberu wanted to pull his hair out in frustration. Now that he was seeing how his counterpart had done it, he realized it would have been maybe possible for their side to have done similarly. However there was one thing he needed to know about first before he could be entirely sold on the fact that he had missed a golden opportunity in their TBOAH!World.
“Where had they gotten all those flying skeletons for Mary to use?!”
The question bothered him so much that he decided to swallow his pride and ask his counterpart during the next break.
Alberu mumbled to himself as he watched the large Flying Skeleton Brigade heading toward the wyverns.
– Looks like I have no choice but to take responsibility.
He then started to smile. However, there was someone else who could not smile at the current moment. It was Clopeh Sekka, the Guardian Knight who was dreaming of creating the legend of the Sky Conqueror. He had a stiff expression on his face.
‘…Skeletons?’
He had never seen such a sight in his life.
“Obviously not… it’s a sight no one has seen before!” Sherritt exclaimed with pride and playful delight ringing in her tone. She and the other dragons were really looking forward to seeing Mary using her Flying Skeleton Brigade take out those, as Raon had called them earlier, ‘puny things’. Sherritt felt that Raon’s assessment of those wyverns was very accurate , they were large but weak compared to her precious son, and they were almost cute. She chuckled mischievously to herself and then sat back and continued watching with the others.
However Cale did not share the delight and relief of the other dragons, this was because he knew something that they seemed to have forgotten – the existence of the fake Dragon Slayer, Syrem. He began to worry about how TBOAH!Eruhaben would react to the news and the truth about the death of his friend Olienne, the Green Dragon – thus far no mention of him had been made and TCF!Eruhaben had avoided mentioning him the same way TBOAH!Eruhaben avoided talking about Pendrick’s death.
Grigori’s eyes swept the room, she knew all about Cale’s concerns, but at the same time she knew that the others were close enough to being ready to hear both the bitter news as well as seeing the good sights that Cale would display in the records which would soon follow. She smiled gently toward Cale, her soft expression reassuring him that she would help everyone when the time comes. The record soon continued drawing their attention back to the scene as one of the knights called out to Clopeh Sekka.
One of the knights on a wyvern quickly approached Clopeh. The knight was staring at him through the helmet, however, Clopeh only saw the wyvern that the knight was riding. The wyvern let out a screech as it shook its head left and right. It seemed as if it was afraid. Fear. That word made Clopeh look past the approaching skeletons. He was looking at the large black Bone Dragon. This dead Dragon was making the wyverns afraid. Clopeh lowered his head.
It's true that the first appearance of that ‘overlord’ was as intimidating as it was terrifying. However there was one disrespectful wyvern that insisted on acting brave in the face of the harbinger of its doom – naturally that wyvern belonged to the bastard Clopeh who still hadn’t received the enlightenment of Caleism.
He looked at the mutant wyvern he was riding on. This one was baring its fangs toward the Bone Dragon. It was acting as if it was looking at a prey. Clopeh tightly clenched on the reins around the wyvern’s neck.
Although Raon wanted to say that this stupid thing died because it did not know it’s place, he still could recall how it had been robbed of its freewill and forced to kill itself because of the fake Dragon Slayer and that reminder stopped him. It had not been a fair nor honourable death for that wyvern, so it was not something that could be spoken about lightly or used for mocking Clopeh.
Raon may be young, but he’d learned a lot of things during his journey at Cale and their family’s side, so he knew what should and should not be said. Raon had also learnt something important after watching Cale; he learnt how Cale knew the power of words and how he was always very careful with his words toward him, TCF!Ohn and TCF!Hong.
Cale even apologized the moment he found out that back when he’d rescued Raon he’d used the same phrase about the money he’d spent on Raon. Raon looked up at Cale and recalled how horrified Cale had been and how quick Cale was to apologize for his mistake – even though he himself, his Mom Sherritt, and his counterpart did not care about it because they knew Cale had not meant it maliciously.
Raon paused for a moment and tried to recall a time after this one time that he’d ever heard Cale talk about spending money on them, the youngest Dragon of the TCF!World quickly realized that Cale never did such a thing. It surprised him and made him look toward TCF!Ohn to get her opinion as well as confirm his own conclusion.
Flying off the back of the lounger, Raon settled down next to his siblings and called out to them in their minds. He asked them his questions and watched them closely as they also began to think about it too. Getting lost in their own little bubble, with no one the wiser, the rest of the guests in the Palantír Hall were all focused on the record.
They all heard and saw the bullshit Clopeh was saying and felt the Goddess’ disapproval toward Clopeh heighten when the foolish mortal declared that Mary was not a hero as well as how he ordered the bears, one half to find Mary and the other to destroy the castle walls.
Kim Rok Soo and the TBOAH!Henituse family were practically trembling in their seats watching all this with both fear and anticipation strangling them the whole time.
“Well, at least he got what he deserved…” Grigori reminded herself and then exhaled her tension and anger while using her magic to gobble up the same emotions that the others in the hall were feeling after hearing this too.
The knights could hear the Bear’s shouts. Clopeh finally started to smile. There was Clopeh who was smiling while the people of the Henituse territory had grim expressions on their faces. There was a drastic difference in their expressions. However, the people on top of the castle walls heard some odd noises at that moment.
“…Huh?”
It was a roar. The Henituse territory was a territory that was surrounded by hills and stone mounds. Even Rain City, the central city of the territory, was surrounded by mountains. The roars were coming from the mountains. They were the roar of animals. The trees started to shake and the wind started to roar.
In his place near the middle of the Palantír Hall, Gashan smile nostalgically as he recalled that fateful battle and all the things that had transpired since then.
One of the soldiers who was clutching onto his spear heard someone comment on the roars.
“They’re late.”
‘Late?’
The soldier tried to look toward young master Cale before he stopped moving. Large animals were headed toward them. No, they were people, but also animals at the same time. The Tiger tribe.
True to his word, Cale had given them a new home, and helped them even get revenge. In comparison they had done very little to repay him, merely fighting a couple times and that too they had never lost anyone during the fights… all because Cale Henituse prioritized maintaining the most advantageous position in every battle he led them into.
The Tigers were all coming down from their mountains and preventing the Bears from approaching. The soldiers could hear the knights starting to speak behind them. Many of the knights across the castle wall were shouting the same thing.
“They are the Tiger tribe that moved into Harris Village this winter! They are our fellow residents!”
While Gashan sat reminiscing, the others were looking on in awe. Right before their eyes they were seeing Cale’s plans fluidly coming together one by one and falling into place perfectly. Even if Cale declared that they were late – having the alliance with the Tiger tribe was still enough to throw the enemy off because it added explosive strength to the Henituse side.
The knights then took out their swords.
“The enemy will not get past this castle wall! We will not let them get past us!”
It was the moment that the knights holding their swords looked toward Count Deruth. Count Deruth looked toward Countess Violan, who had come out with armour as well.
The knights lowered their swords as the Count gave them the signal.
“Commence defensive formation!”
The knights started to shout and the few soldiers who had been training since last year quickly proceeded to move. The soldiers with spears and bows followed them into the formation as well.
TCF!Violan noticed that Mueller’s promise that everything was prepared was redacted, she glanced first toward Cale and then toward the Goddess before deciding that there must be a reason for the mix-blood Dwarf Rat to not be shown in the records, so she let it go.
Something was appearing on top of the thick castle walls. It soon became visible that there were catapults appearing on the castle walls. The large catapults started to aim toward the Bears. These catapults that were equipped were all sorts of magic devices were Mueller’s masterpiece.
At the unfamiliar name TBOAH!Deruth and TBOAH!Violan blinked and looked toward their counterparts for answers.
“That… he is also someone Hyung-nim picked up and brought home.” TCF!Basen answered their unspoken question.
“Ahhh… another stray?” TBOAH!Beacrox muttered under his breath, there was a mild hint of amusement found in the glint of his eyes.
So it wasn’t just the Tiger tribe and Mary and the Flying Skeleton Brigade. There was also someone else, someone capable of creating these catapults that further reinforced the castle walls. Another piece of the unseen puzzle fell perfectly into place in the minds of those closely following Cale’s exploits and his adventure across the two continents.
The knights started to shout, “We are stronger on the ground!”
The atmosphere on the castle wall quickly changed. This scene made Clopeh start to frown.
‘Just what the hell?’
What the hell was going on?
TCF!Alberu smiled brightly in pleasure. He really liked seeing how much Cale frustrated their enemies. Of course, not being the one on the receiving end of Cale’s schemes was always a rare and wonderful pleasure. That’s why getting to see Clopeh’s confusion was such a reward to him especially, after all, this was the bastard that had tried to lay his hands on TCF!Alberu’s Roan.
His sword, no, the aura around his sword, swung forward to destroy even more skeletons. The Bone Dragon behind the Flying Skeleton Brigade was just floating there without doing anything.
‘These stupid bones aren’t the problem! There are Tigers that don’t exist in the Western continent, and what the fuck is up with those catapults? Why does a rural territory, a stupid territory with nothing but rocks, have all of these things?!’
“Why is he complaining about rocks… I mean if we have rocks isn’t it logical that we would be adapt at finding ways to launch them?! Is he really that stupid?” TCF!Lily was concerned about the brain power of this man who she knew was now following her brother around with religious fervour.
“Ahhh, don’t worry about that lunatic White Snake, Nice Lily… he just became stupid ever since he went up against our Human!” Raon spoke up from the front to reassure Cale’s little sister so that she wouldn’t waste her time worrying about useless things either.
Although it wasn’t the capital of any kingdom, it seemed better equipped than most capitals.
TCF!Tasha felt like she was beginning to understand once more why Cale hadn’t been impressed by the former Whipper Kingdom’s mages hideout she’d shown back then, compare to this, the hideout really wasn’t as impressive. She nodded and conceded defeat, offering the back of Cale’s head a thumbs up in approval.
One of the smaller skeletons that had lost one wing was flapping its other wing as it roamed around Clopeh. Clopeh started to get angry. He couldn’t let it continue like this. Clopeh looked at the still numerous skeletons as he turned his wyvern around. He could see Cale smiling once again.
‘I need to get rid of that bastard first.’
“Hah, you dumb bastard… good luck with that… not only did you fail to do anything you said you would, you even went off the deep end and switched sides!” TBOAH!Fredo clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes like a hypocrite. This was all very entertaining, but he had many of his own questions that hadn’t been given even the slightest smidgen of answers yet.
It was a matter of momentum. The white wyvern’s black pupils started to change colour. They became as red as fire. The wyvern then started to increase its speed as it charged toward Cale. Clopeh lowered his head in order to stick close to the wyvern.
TBOAH!Choi Han frowned and closed his eyes for a moment, TBOAH!Rosalyn recalled the wyvern’s eyes turning red during the battle too, but she hadn’t paid much attention to it because there was already a lot going on back then. Both she and TBOAH!Choi Han wondered if there was some deeper meaning to this change that they had missed. They both returned their gazes to the Palantír, looking to it for answers.
They were moving at an extremely fast speed. However, he was still smiling. Cale was still smiling at them. He looked toward the approaching white wyvern and started to speak.
“Come.”
Rok Soo simply could not resist the urge to let out another chuckle of disbelief as an incredulous expression painted itself permanently across his face.
The Bone Dragon that had been still this whole time finally started to move. The person behind Cale started to move as well. The invisible Mary was moving her hands. Her face was pale as she controlled the Bone Dragon. However, there wasn’t even an ounce of hesitation in her movements. These bones were all just decoys. The Flying Skeleton Brigade suddenly screeched and started to run. However, ‘that,’ started to move without making any noise. The Bone Dragon’s empty eye sockets suddenly lit up with black glow. It then quickly started to fly toward the shield.
“It's terrifyingly beautiful!” Rok Soo chuckled and then he sniffled before blinking his eyes rapidly as he tried to keep himself seated and continue watching. He knew that things could change in the blink of an eye and that the battlefield was really a place where anything could happen, so he was trying hard not to let his guard down, but Cale on the Palantír continued to show him crazy new things one after the other so he couldn’t help being sucked into the insane craziness that followed Cale around.
The Bone Dragon opened its mouth as it aimed for the white wyvern’s neck.
“Shit!”
There was another futile roar from Clopeh’s white wyvern.
The white wyvern revealed its fangs as it tried to fight back. However, the black-eyed Bone Dragon did not get pushed back even though it was just a pile of bones.
“Ugh!” Clopeh urgently pulled on the reins.
However all its efforts were further rendered useless because Mary and her Bone Dragon had set their sights upon it.
The Bone Dragon opened up its wings in front of the Henituse Castle wall. Anybody would think that this sack of bones was guarding the Henituse Castle.
Seeing this sight filled the TCF!Henituse family with a very strange sense of comfort too.
The white aura clashed with the black light. The white wyvern’s claws and teeth rushed toward the Bone Dragon at the same time. However, the dead mana just shook rather than disappear. The Bone Dragon did not even have a scratch on it.
TBOAH!Mary was in awe – she hadn’t known that the bones of the Dragon were that sturdy – she was truly fascinated by her counterpart who was controlling something so large and powerful in an actual battle. The sense of responsibility that TCF!Mary carried really was an eye opener for TBOAH!Tasha and TBOAH!Obante as well – this was not like the Caro Kingdom's battle where Mary had controlled two wyvern skeletons, or the battle against the Lich Tower Master of the Mogoru Empire – this was a very serious and dangerous battle where the young girl they raised was growing in a way that they had never imagined or even considered that she would want to grow in.
The shield began to shake once more as the wyverns started to ram into it again. They seemed focused on destroying the shield. The wyverns that now all had red eyes even tried to rip the shield apart with their claws. However, Cale still remained calm.
Watching Clopeh struggle brought hope to the hearts of the TBOAH!Henituse family who had begun to gather closer to one another as the ferocity of the wyverns and the bears grew worse within the record.
“Choi Han.” Cale started the last step of his plan.
“Yes, Cale-nim.” Choi Han did not say anything else as he stood next to Cale. Cale got rid of the silver light connected to the shield from one hand as he continued to speak.
“It’s your turn.”
“…There was something for me to do?”
Cale had not told Choi Han what he needed to do. That was why Choi Han had been standing by Cale’s side like a shadow in order to protect him.
However, Cale had determined what Choi Han would do a long time ago.
“Use all of your strength.”
“…Is this the new history that you were talking about?”
Choi Han could see Cale smiling with a pale expression at his question. However, Cale’s calm voice answered Choi Han’s question.
“Yes. It is your history that you will write in this place.”
TBOAH!Choi Han flinched, his eyes going wide as his face turned pale. In the TBOAH!World the records of his accomplishments and good deeds were spread thanks to TBOAH!Alberu's efforts to raise him and make people aware that someone was fighting their enemy even when the situation seemed hopeless. However according to these records of the TCF!World, Cale Henituse had granted his TCF!Choi Han the chance to write his own history and to make a new name for himself.
It felt similar to what TBOAH!Alberu had done for him, but somehow at the same time, it felt different as well. TBOAH!Choi Han couldn’t understand why he felt the way he did, but he then decided to keep watching so that he could figure it out. As always the Palantír did not fail to give him the clues he needed to understand his counterpart.
‘My history that I would write in this place, my second hometown.’
Those words were echoing in Choi Han’s mind.
TBOAH!Choi Han gulped and felt his heart thump harshly in his chest at the word, ‘hometown’. TBOAH!Rosalyn and TBOAH!Lock both gulped and looked toward TBOAH!Choi Han, they were concerned for him and wanted to comfort him, but they also knew that this was something TBOAH!Choi Han had never shared with them. So they glanced toward TBOAH!Alberu and noticed the matching expression of concern for TBOAH!Choi Han on his face as well.
The soldiers around them looked toward the pair in confusion. They were wondering what the two of them were doing during this emergency situation. Cale took a sword out of a magic bag at that moment and pointed the handle toward Choi Han. It was a sword that Mueller had forged.
“It’s yours.”
TBOAH!Choi Han gulped, the blows just kept coming for him now, but they somehow did not feel as devastating as they had felt days ago. TBOAH!Choi Han wondered for a brief second if he were getting used to the painful differences between himself and his counterpart. He was unaware that it was Grigori's power that was working within him to heal the painful wounds left by the dissonance in his soul.
Cale was planning on giving Choi Han his original role in the novel. This would be when Choi Han becomes a hero. The Birth of a Hero. The fifth volume may have ended, but all he had to do was create a new opportunity for the birth of a hero.
“I’m sure you know best what you have to do.”
Cale looked toward Choi Han and gave him an order.
“Come back soon.”
Choi Han received the sword from Cale. He did not debate it much before taking it out of the scabbard. The blade was shiny, unlike the scabbard. Choi Han smiled brightly toward Cale.
“I like this sword.”
Kim Rok Soo's expression turned pensive as he watched this scene – he took a moment to recall the details he'd read about in the fifth volume of The Birth of a Hero and then bowed his head and looked down at his own hands as he admitted to himself that Cale had already done more than enough to repay a debt that wasn't even his to repay in the first place. Kim Rok Soo felt that small nagging feeling of insecurity that he had stolen someone else's place rise up within him again, but then Cale bumped his shoulder into Rok Soo and offered him a slice of apple pie.
“Your face looks like you tasted something bitter, here… Eat this and stop thinking about useless things!” Cale ordered him. Rok Soo adhered to the suggestion of his Soul Swap Partner reminding himself that he and Cale had both agreed that they were happier in their new lives – he took a bite of the pie and savoured the wonderful sweetness that flooded his mouth. The record continued without hesitation.
The sword started to rumble at that moment. Black hair and black eyes. An aura the same colour as the teenager-looking man’s eyes and hair started to cover the sword.
“S, sword master……!”
The soldier gasped before covering his mouth. The black aura was shooting up into the sky. Sword master. The young man who was known as Cale’s guard was actually a sword master.
“Ahhh, everyone else really was shocked!” TCF!Lock gasped in amusement, he'd heard about it from TCF!Ohn and TCF!Hong, but to actually see it for himself was really amusing. All the people who didn't follow Young Master Cale or know much about him had their various expressions of shock exposed by the Goddess's Palantír.
“That's right because we hid the fact that I was a sword master, even that snake was caught off guard!” TCF!Choi Han added casually.
Necromancer, sword master, and the Tiger tribe. Then there was Cale who was giving them orders. A different emotion other than fear was giving the soldier the chills. It was at that moment.
“I will kill him and return.” Choi Han calmly stated what he needed to do. His role was to kill Guardian Knight Clopeh. Kill Clopeh, or at least the white wyvern that he is riding on. However, Choi Han suddenly saw Cale motioning toward him. Cale was even stuttering a bit.
“L, let’s hug before you go fight!”
‘Hug? In the middle of a battle?’
TBOAH!Zed raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. TBOAH!Alberu understood what Cale Henituse was doing – or at least he thought he did, but when he spied on his counterpart and saw the way TCF!Alberu was grinning he didn't feel so sure about it.
Choi Han wondered if Cale even had such an affectionate side. He gave a light hug to Cale, who was still keeping the shield up with one hand.
TBOAH!Choi Han sat with a blank expression upon his face – he decided not to nag or get unnecessarily worked up about these details anymore.
“There are certain facts and sides of my counterpart that I should just ignore for the sake of my own sanity.” He told himself while nodding his head and then returning his gaze to the Palantír.
Cale shouted in a loud voice in order for the others to hear, “I trust you!”
Choi Han suppressed his emotions as he answered back, “…Thank you very much. I will definitely return with his head.”
‘Why is this punk saying such a thing?!’
Cale whispered in a quiet voice so that others could not hear.
“Don’t kill him.”
Why waste such a useful pawn and kill him right away?
TBOAH!Alberu sighed, he now understood why TCF!Alberu had been smiling so strangely. His counterpart really had a strangely twisted sense of humour – it was very much unlike his own. TBOAH!Alberu thought that TCF!Alberu found it entertaining whenever Cale was misunderstood by one of their group. TBOAH!Alberu could not understand it, but he couldn’t deny that if he were also in his counterpart’s position – reaping the benefits of having someone like Cale Henituse on his side, he too would confidently find pleasure and amusement in strange things.
TBOAH!Alberu wanted to slap his own mouth for the stupid shit he'd spat out at his counterpart a few days ago. TBOAH!Alberu deeply regretted his outburst ever since the second after he'd said those crude and cruel things out of envy, jealousy and anger.
Cale looked toward Choi Han, who was still so innocent albeit hanging out with him for so long, as he continued to speak. His voice sounded wicked.
“Pick up both of those white things.”
“Ah.” Choi Han let out a gasp.
Cale’s expression seemed to be saying that it was obvious. It would be a waste to kill him right now. Shouldn’t he at least figure out how to control the wyverns before killing Clopeh? Furthermore, there was so much money to be made if he caught that bastard.
“I will successfully complete this mission.” Choi Han jumped off the wall through the gap that Cale opened up in the shield for him. His feet then landed on the black bones of the Bone Dragon.
“Oh my!?” TBOAH!Dodori's eyes widened and he sat straight, his eyes sparkling as a new legend was being created right before his eyes – he wanted to grab his counterpart and demand to know why his counterpart hadn't told him about this incredible sight, however when he glanced toward TCF!Dodori, he recognized the similar look of surprised pride and delight on TCF!Dodori's face.
“Ahhh, so he didn't know just how incredible this sight was when he found out about it…”
Choi Han lightly jumped on top of the Bone Dragon. He stood up straight and looked toward the two white things. Choi Han, whose senses were beyond the limits of normal human hearing, heard Cale’s faint but firm voice.
“Start.” Cale gave the order.
The still anonymous sword master and the Dragon, an existence that had been forgotten about in the world. The two beings who would soon be recorded in the continent’s history started to move following Cale’s order.
“I mean I knew that this happened… but it's so different from what I imagined when I read about it…” TCF!Dodori mumbled. Toonka was also feeling the same way as the TCF!World Pink Dragon. Reading about this moment is very different compared to seeing for themselves.
Valentino felt that this was ten times better than watching Cale step onto the back of the flying wyvern skeleton during the Battle of Castle Leona. Jopis also felt that this scene was on par with that time when Cale had summoned the Stone Snake and then stood on it as they went forth to destroy the maze walls in the battle for the Molden Kingdom.
There were various other similar sentiments among the other guests of the Palantír Hall, so Grigori and Naur gave everyone a few minutes to process their thoughts before the next record began to play.