Chapter 88: I Suppose It Is A Gift (1)
Translator: miraclerifle
Editor: Borderline Masochist
Cale, who was coming out of the bedroom and heading to the back door, ran into Odeus.
“Odeus, very satisfactory performance.”
Odeus didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at Cale’s comment. However, based on the results of everything, he had only happiness on his mind.
“No, the pleasure was mine. I am very happy about the overflowing benefit I gained.”
“I’m sure.”
Cale didn’t even play along to say that the fee Odeus received was small.
The deal was for Cale to get rid of Venion from the Southern Underworld after all.
“I’ll contact you next time.”
Odeus did not want to see Cale ever again. His instincts that he had built up through his long life were telling him that it was dangerous and that he would suffer greatly. However, his vast experience was also telling him that it was unavoidable. He will have no choice but to see him again.
“Of course. I will let you know where I am every so often.”
“Good.”
Cale got on the carriage with Beacrox in the driver’s seat. The driver who had brought the carriage to the Stan territory had already returned.
“Odeus”
“Yes sir?”
“You know what to do with the basement, right?”
Odeus’s eyes slightly shook. He looked toward where the entrance to the basement near the back door used to be. Now it was just a pile of rubble.
“...I will take care of everything properly.”
“Good.”
Odeus had seen the remains of the feast as well as the broken torture devices in the basement before it was destroyed.
‘Total bullshit about him being a good person.’
There were no good nobles with a strong sense of self-sacrifice. There were all vicious and sly.
“And I don’t want you to tell Billos about what happened.”
“Secrets are the life of such commissions.”
“Yes, I know. It definitely is the main part.”
Both of them started to gently smile at each other. However, neither of them was smiling internally.
“Then, off I go.”
“Please have a safe journey.”
Odeus’s goodbye was very sincere like he wanted to never see Cale again. Cale smirked at Odeus’s goodbye and closed the carriage door.
Beacrox started to drive as soon as the door closed.
The carriage left the Stan territory and headed toward the Kingdom’s western region. They continued to quickly travel other than resting during the night.
“Bored?”
Cale, who had been looking out the window, turned his head after hearing Choi Han’s gentle voice. Choi Han’s unique pure smile was on his face as he was handing On and Hong some snacks.
"No. Not bored!”
“I enjoy rolling around doing nothing the most”
Choi Han laughed and responded back.
“You guys really are similar to Cale-nim.”
‘...Is he talking shit about me?’
Cale focused on Choi Han after hearing what could be both a compliment or a dig and then turned his gaze to On and Hong.
The carriage was currently between the Roan Kingdom’s Northwest and Southwest region. Basically, they were currently in the Western region of the Kingdom. If the Northeastern region where the Henituse territory lies was famous for its marble, the Northwest to the West region was famous for their granite.
That was why there were a lot of stone mountains in this region.
Choi Han continued to speak.
“I came here last time too but there really is nothing other than stone mountains.”
‘Choi Han passed through here before?’
Cale questioned that fact in his mind before quickly figuring it out.
Rosalyn. He probably passed through here when he went to the Breck Kingdom with Lock to help Rosalyn out.
“Did you pass by when you went to the Breck Kingdom?”
Cale had an odd feeling after seeing Choi Han’s reaction to his question. Seeing Choi Han hesitating to answer gave him a bitter feeling. Cale continued to speak like nothing was wrong.Read latest chapters at nov(e)lbin.com Only
“Did you cause a mess in the Breck Kingdom?”
“...It wasn’t like that.”
Cale did not ask anything else. He did not want to know. It was enough that he heard the results of it from crown prince Alberu.
However, there was something else he needed to ask.
“Did you pass by the Ten Finger Mountain when you went through the West?”
“Hmm? Is there a mountain with such a name? I have never heard it before.”
On, Hong, and Raon seemed interested in the unique name as well. Their sparkling gazes asking Cale to explain made Cale scowl.
Tap.
Raon put his paw on Cale’s knee.
“Human, explain! I am curious!”
In the end, Cale had to explain.
“There are many strong rocks called granite in the West. However, not everything is made of such rocks. Still, at the border of the West and Southwest region are ten granite peaks next to each other.”
Alberu sighed before pointing to a table on one side of the office. However, he noticed that Cale had always walked over there and sat down on what seemed to be the most comfortable couch.
“People will think you’ve been here a couple of times.”
“It is my first time here, but I feel like it is very welcoming.”
Cale had no problem using that glib tongue of his. Alberu looked toward Cale who sat on the couch of his choice while keeping the seat at the head of the table open for him and sat down.
“I thought I told you to come as quickly as possible.”
“That is why I cut into my sleeping time to rush here, your highness.”
Alberu snorted at Cale’s response. He didn’t know what Cale had been up to, but the person who was supposed to be in the Northeastern Henituse territory had come in from the West.
And he knew exactly what had happened in the West, no, the Northwest region right now.
“You are a very suspicious person.”
Alberu took a sip of the tea that his servant brought over and just quietly observed Cale until the servant left the room. There was quite a lot for him to discuss with Cale today. He also had a lot of requests for Cale as well.
- The crown prince has a sneaky look on his face.
Cale agreed with Raon’s assessment and pretended not to notice Alberu’s gaze. The gaze was one that seemed to want to take a lot from him today, however, that thought and their relationship will go the opposite way.
Click.
The servant left the office with a small click of the door. Alberu was about to speak but there was someone who started to speak even faster.
“Your highness.”
‘Huh?’
Cale made eye contact with Alberu who seemed confused. Raon was speaking in his mind as he did that.
- After dealing with both things, I am now certain. He really is an odd existence.
Cale took a magic bag out of his pocket.
“I have prepared a present for you.”
“...For me?”
“Yes, for the star on the minds of our Kingdom’s-.”
“Enough.”
Alberu was not happy at hearing that Cale had a present for him. In fact, he looked toward Cale with even more suspicion. It was because of the things that had happened with Cale up to this point. However, he could not lie and say that there was no anticipation in his mind at hearing about a present. A few weeks ago, Alberu had already received one of Cale’s so-called presents under one of the Flynn Merchant Guild’s people.
“Let’s first take a look at this present.”
Cale slowly opened the magic bag with Alberu’s permission. Raon’s voice rang in Cale’s mind as he took a small glass bottle out of the bag.
- He has a darkness attribute.
Tap.
The glass bottle was placed on the table.
“... What is this?”
Cale showed with his actions instead of answering.
Squeak, squeak. The lid of the glass bottle slowly opened.
This small glass bottle was full of black water.
The lid opened completely, and an invisible substance slowly started to come out of the bottle.
- I am used to this smell. I smelled it in the Black Swamp.
The scent of the dead mana slowly started to fill the room.
This was one of the items he received from the Whale King on their way to the Whipper Kingdom.
Unlike Cale’s other bottle, this bottle only had dead mana with no poison in it.
? of what he received from the Whale King was in this small bottle.
“...You-.”
Cale slowly closed the lid back while seeing that Alberu could not continue to speak.
“Your highness, of course, this present is not free.”
There was no way Cale would give something so precious for free.
It was poison for humans and not precious at all.
However, Cale remembered what Raon had said about Alberu the last time they were here.
‘Why did this puny human called the crown prince dye his hair with magic? It is at a level that only a great dragon like me can notice. Did another dragon dye it for him? No, is it a different type of power?’
A different type of power. Raon was able to tell that it was different than natural mana because he was a dragon, but he was not sure of exactly what it was.
It made sense because Raon had never experienced it before.
However, he had experienced it now.
Dead mana.
Cale mumbled like he was talking to himself.
“Probably not a demon, black magic, or a necromancer.”
Dead mana.
It was used by those with the darkness attribute to use magic. Of course, it was very different than regular mana. Magic Devices that were made to detect mana could not detect dead mana. Especially if the dead mana was used by a high-tiered race.
“I heard that the late Queen was an average person, but that people thought she was part Southerner because her skin was a bit dark.”
Raon mentioned that the crown prince had regular brown hair.
His hair and eyes were regular but Alberu was known for his looks. People also said that the crown prince’s mother was a beauty as well.
“Dark Elves have dark skin, but I heard that a mixed child of a Dark Elf has skin similar to the Southerners.”
Cale looked toward Alberu and finished his deduction.
“So then, the child of a half-blooded Dark Elf?”
The crown prince answered more confidently than Cale expected.
“You’re driving me crazy.”
“I guess I was right.”