By the time the recess had ended and everyone returned to the Palantír Hall, there was one less Henituse Family and one less Mary. TBOAH!Tasha and TBOAH!Obante gulp but keep quiet – they were also feeling like there wasn't much longer until it was there turn to be healed, they guessed it was their concerns for TBOAH!Alberu that was the reason the Goddess hadn't healed them yet.
“Now then… Children, there is something some of you wanted to see – the second battle of the Northern Alliance’s two-pronged attack… This is the battle between the Raon Kingdom’s Navy and the Northern Alliance’s 300 ships.
“Navy?!” TBOAH!Alberu gasped. Grigori smiled serenely and nodded her head.
“Yes, the North-eastern shoreline became the Roan Kingdom's naval base.” TCF!Alberu informed his stunned counterpart.
“How… how did you manage to finish it in time?!” TBOAH!Zed demanded because logically they would not have been able to complete the Naval base and all the necessary ship in time.
“Ahhh, that… well you see the ships… were… a—” TCF!Zed hesitated, he was honestly unsure what exactly his son and the red-headed son of Deruth and Jour had done to get everything ready in time.
“The ships were gift.” Cale curtly announced, he frowned slightly because he found it annoying that no one in the Hall seemed to remember that he received the ships from Witira in an earlier record. He turned his head and saw TCF!Alberu smirking.
Cale could only sigh heavily at the fact that his Hyung had become weird.
“He seems to really enjoy antagonising his counterpart… and they call me petty…” Cale huffed and then decided to ignore everything that appeared troublesome and annoying.
Grigori gave everyone a chance to quieten down before she continued to inform them.
“For the TBOAH!World it may come as a surprise, but Cale-hyung called this ‘Operation Ghost’. Let's begin right away if no one has any objections…”
As predicted no one felt the need to refuse the Goddess, so she joined them and took her seat on her lounger and Naur began the new record.
<Chapter 202: The Ocean is … (2)>
The Ubarr territory that is located on the Roan Kingdom’s North-eastern shoreline. The liege of the Ubarr territory, Popelina Ubarr, looked around while taking in the cold ocean breeze. Young lady Amiru, her future successor, was cautiously watching her.
Grigori raised her head toward the corner of the Palantír with a curious raise of her eyebrow – she was surprised that Naur was showing was the Ubarr mother and daughter duo, but then she glanced toward Kim Rok Soo and saw the nostalgic expression upon his face as he sit quietly beside Cale in the front row – she understood and nodded her head, allowing the record to continue. Rok Soo missed his old friends as much as he missed his family… Grigori felt sorry for him and also pitied him for not being able to ease his sorrow.
This was the spot where they could best hear the waves that were crashing against the naval base. This usually dark and quiet port was still dark, but not quiet today.
Grigori corked her head slightly as she also realized one other reason that Naur chose to play this full record – Naur obviously wanted to show TBOAH!Alberu and TBOAH!Choi Han how exactly Cale had snatched the attention and loyalty of everyone in the Roan Kingdom.
The teleportation magic circle flashed once more. Popelina reached her hand out in order to ask for a handshake.
“Welcome, Viscount.”
“Ahem, nice to see you again, Ubarr liege.”
The person awkwardly shaking the Ubarr liege’s hand was a Viscount who used to be a part of the southeast region’s Marquis Ailan’s faction. He was currently trying to blend in with the rest of the group while wearing his armour.
TBOAH!Zed and TBOAH!Alberu's eyes widened in surprise to hear that someone from another faction had come over to Cale side – it made them pay even closer attention to the record.
He left Popelina’s side and moved to where the other nobles were standing. None of them had bright expressions on their faces. The Viscount didn’t even greet the other nobles from the southeast faction as he looked around the naval base.
The Palantír strategically still did not reveal the sight of the naval base – it was keeping those of the TBOAH!World in suspense. However no one realized it yet, they were all following the scene and tried to understand what exactly was being implied about these nobles being here.
He then put his hand over his shaking heart. A person’s voice was still echoing in his mind.
‘The shield did not break.’
Cale twitched in surprise and then shook his head and pulled on his stoic mask of impassiveness and pretended to not be bothered by anyone or anything.
He recalled that intense battle. The Viscount who had watched that battle from his castle office could not help but run over here right away.
“What?! He merely said one thing and the nobles had come running to join the battle?!” TBOAH!Choi Han was shocked, he looked toward TBOAH!Alberu, with his gaze he asked TBOAH!Alberu if this was normal. TBOAH!Alberu met TBOAH!Choi Han's gaze and then shook his head in answer. Silent conversation passed between the two of them – they may not have the same friendship like their counterparts did, but the two were close comrades and knew each other very well after fighting against Arm for so many years.
That person would come here. The northeast region’s Military Commander, Cale Henituse. He would be coming here tonight.
Then the two of them from the TBOAH!World then turned to look at TCF!Alberu who was looking down at Cale with a shamelessly glib grin on his face. Unexpectedly, Cale was also smiling back at TCF!Alberu with an equally as mischievously scammy smile on his face too.
The Viscount recalled what Cale Henituse had said as he walked away from the oval table the last time they had met.
‘If it is the noble’s way to attach themselves to the strong, then you will soon have to decide who you need to attach yourselves to in order to survive.’
He needed to stick to Cale if he wanted to survive. This was his only chance to do that. His, as well as the other nobles, eyes were all continuously looking around. They could not hide their shock. They could barely make things out in the darkness. However, the numerous ships and the soldiers standing in perfect formation let them know just how long they had been training for this battle.
The Palantír revealed the shadowing silhouettes within the darkness beyond were they were all currently assembled. It was a shocking sight.
“Wow…” TBOAH!Cage gasped and Kim Rok Soo sat forward with his eyes bright with anticipation.
‘We’ve been left behind.’
The nobles realized that they had been left behind and that their strengths were puny in comparison. They also realized that they were not even in that person’s eyes. That was why they were here, waiting for the strong to arrive.
“Great… Cale you did a good job of putting them in their place!”
“Oh, please… this was nothing! Keep watching!” Cale casually clicked his tongue and rudely replied to Rok Soo's praise.
The video communication device in young lady Amiru’s arms flashed at that moment. She turned toward her mother and started to speak.
“He’s coming.”
The nobles all became nervous at her statement.
TCF!Rosalyn began to smile – she could already imagine the anticipation that would have seized everyone who overheard Lady Amiru's words – she couldn’t help admiring Cale ability to make people anticipate his arrival to this degree. Even she felt her pulse quickening with expectant restless energy. This was not a battle she had participated in, so she was really looking forward to seeing it for herself.
It seemed to be larger than any other time it had been activated. This meant that it was transporting a large number of people. The nobles standing around could not help but gulp. The teleportation magic circle flashed before silhouettes of people appeared on top of it. The Ubarr liege started to speak once they completed their transportation.
“Welcome, Knight Captain-nim and Mage Captain-nim.”
TBOAH!Alberu gulped, he knew that his counterpart was doing better than him, but to think it was already to this extent so early on in the war. It was an unfathomable difference between them. TBOAH!Alberu peeked toward Cale again and his envy pickled at his heart again.
The First Brigade of the Royal Knights could be identified by the royal crest on their armours. And then there was the other group that was being revealed to the world for the first time. The nobles had heard what the Ubarr liege had said. Mage Captain. They could see tens of people wearing robes that were covering their faces. Mage Brigade 1 was composed of the best of the best mages that crown prince Alberu Crossman had gathered. The Mage Brigade was revealed for the first time since its creation. The Mage Captain shook the Ubarr liege’s hand.
“Nice to meet you.”
TBOAH!Zed looked down at TBOAH!Alberu sympathetically, however he didn't know what he could say to his son to comfort him. He couldn't even blame the preparedness of the other world being because the TCF!World had the transmigrated Cale Henituse. TBOAH!Zed felt that it would be an insensitive injustice to make such a claim, especially since they in the TCF!World had fought many terrible enemies that they in the TBOAH!World hadn't even known about.
The face that was covered by the hood was that of Alberu’s aunt, the Dark Elf Tasha, in her human form. She was an Elementalist and not a mage, however, she was still leading the Mage Brigade. However, the Mage Brigade’s true leader was Rosalyn. Tasha was taking the captain’s spot instead of Rosalyn because Rosalyn was currently at the Breck Kingdom.
TBOAH!Rosalyn gasped abruptly in delight at the mention of her being the Roan Kingdom’s Mage Brigade Captain. Meanwhile, TBOAH!Tasha tensed purely out of habit when the record mentioned her being Alberu's aunt as well as a Dark Elf, however no one reacted because this was something that they all had come to terms with and accepted.
“Will he come soon?”
The Ubarr liege nodded her head at Tasha’s question. Tasha then silently led the Mage Brigade to a side of the room. The Royal Knights stood next to them.
“See… even Miss Tasha was anticipating Young Master Cale’s return.” TCF!Rosalyn gleefully wanted to tease Cale, but then spotted the scamming grin on Cale's face. It was an expression that gave her chills because she knew that Young Master Cale was up to something again. Urgently, she reached out and gestured to TCF!Choi Han to draw his attention to the suspicious smiles on TCF!Alberu and Cale's faces in the front row. TCF!Choi Han narrowed his eyes and then nodded to TCF!Rosalyn reassuring her that he would keep an eye on them.
The First Brigade of the Royal Knights was not very talkative. Tasha understood why they were almost speechless right now. The Mage Brigade naturally had a video communication device on them. She had shown the mages and the knights the battle at the Henituse territory as she led them here. They had seen that electrifying battle. It was a battle of existences that even Tasha had never expected to see. That battle between the Dragon Slayer and Cale’s group had shaken her up.
Tasha was so worried about the necromancer Mary and the rest of Cale’s group that she almost went crazy.
‘Although it seems that the knights went crazy for a different reason.’
Tasha peeked toward the Knight Captain. He had a face that looked like he was a stubborn man with a strong sense of responsibility.
TCF!Choi Han and Mary chuckled lightly at TCF!Tasha's thoughts in the Palantír. As he did, he recalled the way the Knight Captain had supported Cale and warned him and Mary about the annoying nuisances that Nobles could be after the battle was over when the nobles had ‘summoned’ Cale-nim to the Capital. As TCF!Choi Han could recall, the Knight Captain had been quite a fatherly man, a little rough around the edges for sure, but still good enough to look out of them all and make sure they were comfortable while they were at the Naval base.
The Knight Captain who seemed to be in his forties was quietly observing the teleportation magic circle. The rest of the knights were doing the same thing. They had seen a sword master. It had been a long time since the Roan Kingdom last had a sword master. However, a new sword master had suddenly appeared. He had also been riding on a Bone Dragon.
Everyone in the Palantír Hall thought back and recalled that awe-inspiring sight and nodded – they too could understand the reaction of the people within the Palantír. If it had been them too, they would have also reacted the same way. There were still even people from the TCF!World who couldn’t believe it had happened either - that's how incredible it was.
Tasha understood their, no actually, she understood the thoughts going through the minds of every person who had watched the battle. That was why she quietly waited as well.
Everyone shuffled in their seats, anxiously waiting to see what would happen next – the tension in the room was rising again as the earlier tension they'd felt while watching the Henituse Battle return to stir up their senses.
The teleportation magic circle started to vibrate once more through the noise of the splashing of the waves. They had been waiting for this. The nobles turned their gazes that had been on the Royal Knights and the Mage Brigade back toward the teleportation magic circle. The white light flashed as people started to appear one by one.
“Ah.” Someone let out a gasp.
“I mean… seriously… they can't be that intimidating—” TBOAH!Fredo’s thought went dead as his eyes widened. He set down his wine chalice and stared at this unexpectedly intimidating retinue that came through the teleportation circle one by one.
The first person who became visible had one of his shoulders bandaged up. Someone from the crowd let out his identity.
“…Sword master.”
They did not even know his name.
“I see… so hiding my-his- true power was better and more beneficial… but this is only possible because they in the TCF!World knew that a war was coming and that they were going to be fighting strong enemies… Back during the plaza incident in our world, we didn't have any choice but to fight with everything we had to save as many people as possible when the bombs were going off.” TBOAH!Choi Han rationally argued in his head – he didn't have any better excuse or criticism toward TCF!Choi Han for this. TBOAH!Choi Han was not in the means back then to conceal his power or hide – there was not Cale Henituse to step up and be the hero, it was a role he had to fill and it was a role that connected him to TBOAH!Alberu.
They saw someone wearing a black robe next to him. People could guess who she was even though she had been invisible throughout the entirety of the last battle.
‘That person must be the necromancer.’
TBOAH!Obante and TBOAH!Tasha were slightly surprised that no one in the Palantír were protesting or demanding that Mary be put to death - Cale's actions of elevating Mary and Choi Han as heroes really worked – it shocked both Dark Elves.
They were followed by Ron, who was wearing an assassin’s outfit including a mask, Beacrox in a swordsman outfit with a greatsword, and the mixed-blood Dwarf Rat Mueller, who was surrounded by two kittens. Cale’s group was appearing one by one. And the last to appear was Cale Henituse.
“Of course the main character has to—Holy shit?!” TBOAH!Cotton gasped in shock.
“You went there dressed like that?!” TBOAH!Cage exclaimed in horror.
Cale smiled and innocently corked his head toward the Palantír, implying that they should all continue watching.
He appeared on top of the magic circle and the crowd gulped. One of the nobles could not help but mumble.
“… Blood, the blood.”
The sight was truly shocking for everyone in the hall – TBOAH!Eruhaben frowned and looked toward his counterpart as something started to nag at the edge of his mind. He looked around at the TCF!Dragons and then at the TBOAH!Dragons around him and considered the possibilities, he was sure that the Goddess mentioned that people without dissonance had not been brought here, but the fact that all five dragons from both timelines had been brought here he was thinking that the other TCF!World Dragons didn't have any soul dissonance that needed healing, however something was nagging him ever since the Dragon Slayer had appeared on the records.
Cale still looked the same as he did at the end of the battle. Cale was standing there in the same bloodied outfit that he was wearing during the battle earlier in the day. His gaze was looking around at the group. However, the nobles did not think that Cale looked dirty or shabby. In fact, they felt the pressure of someone who had survived on the battlefield. Furthermore, it helped them realize that the war was just beginning.
“Ahhh… I see, so it was like that…” TBOAH!Alberu mumbled under his breath and pensively continued watching the Palantír as the record continued regardless of the reactions of surprise and shock from the others all round the Hall.
It was at that moment. The Ubarr liege started to speak.
“Salute.”
The nobles flinched at her statement. However, loud voices started to shout from behind them. The soldiers who had been standing at attention this whole time shouted in unison.
The unified greeting was bold and firm as the entire Navy saluted Cale so loudly that the entire shore seemed to shake. The Knight Captain as well as the other knights drew their swords and lifted them up – a Knight's Salute.
Everyone in the hall instinctively understood that this was done by the knights as a greeting – it was the way they greeted the people they needed to obey. Likewise the guests of Grigori's hall watched the record as the mages respectfully greeted their commander as well. The mages then started to create small orbs of light and sent them above the nobles and the soldiers and the dark North-eastern shoreline slowly started to light up.
Cale silently watched all of this before slowly starting to speak.
“Now I can see.”
He was not using the respectful way of speaking right now. However, nobody thought that this was awkward. It was so natural that nobody even realized it. No, they did not have the time to realize it.
TBOAH!Alberu frowned in pensive concentration – he could see it, feel it even, this was the correct way to handle people like them. Perhaps if he had seen and learned this method sooner he could have used the nobles more effectively in their own wars against Arm, the Northern Alliance and even against others who came to attack them in their TBOAH!World.
Unfortunately, TBOAH!Alberu had learnt this method of not charging about maintaining decorum and cordial relationships with the cowardly nobles who only sought after benefits that would satisfy their ambitious greed.
“There’s a lot of people.” Cale said just one thing while looking at the nobles.
The nobles could clearly see the way Cale was looking at them. They could tell that Cale was looking down on them. However, the nobles still did not dare to speak. The strength of Cale’s forces was at the level of the crown. In some aspects, it was even stronger than the crown. Furthermore, he was currently a hero.
The entire Roan Kingdom was still buzzing about the battle from earlier in the day. Cale’s name was on everyone’s lips. But, most importantly, Cale was giving off a different vibe. They could feel the aura of a ruler that was worlds apart from what they had felt in the banquet hall. These nobles, who were the most sensitive to who was strong, bowed their heads.
‘Funny punks.’
Cale tilted his head with a disdainful expression on his face as he watched this scene, but no one cared to call him out on his expression because they all already knew what he would say – he would explain his delusional about not being hero, it was something no one wanted to hear because it was the biggest delusion Cale had ever said.
Cale did not pay much attention to the people trying to suck up to him in order to survive as he turned in order to look at the soldiers. Their faces showed nervousness and concern, but also hope.
Cale started to speak. His low voice reached the hundreds of people standing there.
“Prepare to leave.”
That was the beginning. The atmosphere around the shore quickly changed. They had been expecting this order. Nervousness was on the minds of everyone here. However, Cale was not done speaking.
“Tomorrow night.” He spoke in a calm voice without any hesitation. “We will obliterate the enemy.”
And that was how the anticipation and anxiety returned to everyone from the TBOAH!World. Kim Rok Soo turned to look down at Cale and smiled fondly at him before shaking his head and letting out a chuckle full of relief and disbelief, there was still a glint of gratitude shining in his eyes, but Cale merely offered him another biscuit and then promptly went back to watching the record as the scene fast-forwarded to the next evening.
Cale was standing on the deck of a ship in a clean outfit the next night as he listened to Ron’s report. His hair was fluttering in the ocean breeze.
The Palantir talked about nearly 300 medium sized ships as well as the information that the Whale Tribe had sent for him. According to the Palantír Cale was paying attention to every piece of information. The record declared that Cale wouldn’t let his guard down anymore and that this upcoming battle would be the expression of his will not to do that.
The record went on with Mueller explaining the ships made by the Flame Dwarves who were terrible with magic and how Cale thought about it and considered having the Mage Brigade blast them with mage, but then decided against it because he remembered the magic scroll they had. The existence of them having these scrolls helped Cale to deduce that they had a strong magic level as well. Cale also deduced that the fact that the fake Dragon Slayer had fled to the ships could only mean that there was a healer among the mages on board there.
“Commander-nim!” Young lady Amiru ran over to Cale while wearing leather armour. A video communication device was shining red in her arms. Cale saw a small boat approaching their ship at that moment. He heard the following noises coming from the boat.
“Meeeeeeeow.”
“Meeeow.”
Cale started to smile at the sounds that he had been waiting for. On and Hong were in Choi Han and Beacrox’s arms. The small boat that they were on was heading toward Cale’s ship.
TBOAH!Ohn and TBOAH!Hong turned to look at their counterparts who were grinning and purring, rolling around among the cushions on the couch with their happiness and delight that Cale had not only been waiting for their return, but had also been listening for their voices. They liked this very much.
The eerie noise of the wind brushed by Cale’s ear. However, he managed to hear young lady Amiru’s report as well.
“The enemy ships have passed the third boundary.”
This was the third of four total boundaries. The enemy would soon approach the fourth boundary. Cale looked down from the deck of this ship that was currently located at the fourth boundary.
– All done.
The masterpiece made by the children averaging nine-years-old.
There were muffled sounds of gulps heard faintly around the room – they were nervous about seeing this so-called ‘masterpiece’ that had been made by these overpowered children.
The sound of leaves rustling in the air, something that was difficult to hear out in the ocean, could be heard. That noise started to surround the ocean around the fourth boundary. Fog.
TBOAH!Ohn suddenly sat up and stared with wide eyes at the sight of the fog on the Palantir, she hadn’t created anything like this before.
Fog was covering the ocean.
It certainly was different from the fog that her counterpart had filled the Duke Sekka's house with in that previous record – this was something else entirely.
The only boundary with an actual mark could no longer be seen because of the fog. This fourth boundary would be an invisible boundary of death for the enemy. Cale gave the order.
“Get rid of all noise.”
The name of this operation was, ‘Ghost.’
The entire fleet of the Roan Kingdom’s navy started to go quiet, starting from Cale’s ship. Silence filled the ocean. The ghosts were waiting for the arrival of their enemies.
“Of course they were…” TCF!Zed lamented as he brushed his face with both his hands and feeling oddly nervous but at the same time eager to see how Cale and his people had dealt with those bastards that had tried to attack the Roan Kingdom.