Chapter 350: Severance (4)
Translator: miraclerifle
Editor: Borderline Masochist
The Jungle, the North, the central region, and the desert.
All of those were places were on the ceiling art.
It was only the spot that the current Roan Kingdom was located. Only the continent’s northeast region was not drawn out separately.
‘Something is weird.’
Cale definitely correctly recalled what the glutton priestess of the Indestructible Shield had told him in the past. There was no way that his memory was wrong.
The Henituse territory that was famous for having a lot of rocks, specifically marbles.
The glutton priestess who had died there had said the following.
‘I can’t purify it.
‘That was why I could only eat it and die after being dyed black. I couldn't just watch the ground turn black and do nothing about it.’
‘I don’t think I can give up on this taste even if I get fat. It's so unfair that I had to die while eating dirt!’
The Henituse territory's slums. The glutton priestess had died there while eating the dirt that had turned black.
“According to the glutton, the Henituse territory area was dyed black as well.”
The Henituse territory, and therefore the Roan Kingdom as well, was supposed to have turned black like the Jungle and the North.
But that area was not shown in the art at all.
‘Why is that the case?’
He could not figure out the reason behind it.
He heard a different voice other than the thief at that moment.
The Scary Giant Cobblestone started to chime in.
- The current Roan was a land of boulders in the past.
Cale's eyes clouded over for a moment.
The land of boulders.
He was familiar with this phrase.
He thought about someone.
‘Taylor Stan!’
Crazy priestess Cage's close friend and the leader of the Marquis household that led the Roan Kingdom's Northwest region nobles.
The man who had once lost his position as heir.
Cale thought about the first time he had headed to the Roan Kingdom's capital with the crazy priestess Cage and Taylor Stan.
Taylor Stan had said the following as they chatted.
‘The Roan Kingdom is the land of ‘boulders.’ ’
That was related to an ancient myth.
It was something that Cale, who had only read < The Birth of a Hero > until volume 5, had heard for the first time at that moment.
‘If you look into ancient texts, there are a lot of stories about this land being connected to, ‘boulders,’ even before the Roan Kingdom came into existence. One of those stories is about how there is a boulder-like guardian over this land.’
A boulder-like guardian.
‘They say that this guardian was able to protect everything no matter what attacked. He was said to be the person who defended against the darkness in the front when the continent descended into darkness.’
The myth Taylor described and the missing land in the ceiling art started to come together in Cale’s mind.
‘The guardian is said to have stood as firm as a boulder even when his entire body was breaking down. That is how he protected this northeast region's lands and its people.’
Cale started to speak.
“...Was it you?”
The Super Rock responded back.
- I died with my entire body breaking down.
Cale closed his eyes and then reopened them.
“... Fuck.”
The man who always told him not to sacrifice himself had sacrificed himself and died.
Cale’s insides were starting to boil.
‘Why are there so many unlucky people like them?’
He called out the name of the person in his memories.
“...Taylor Stan.”
Taylor Stan had said something about the boulder guardian.
‘He is probably not well-known. I only found out while investigating ancient texts for information on ancient powers.’
Cale subconsciously started to frown.
“Why didn't I think about him?”
He had forgotten about Taylor even though he remembered the things Taylor had told him.
Taylor Stan was probably the person around Cale with the most information about ancient powers and ancient myths.
He had gained this information while desperately searching for a power that would heal his legs.
‘I need to meet with Taylor.’
The things he needed to do were starting to get organized in his mind.
However, Cale still had a question he needed to ask.
It was related to the results of the past.
“How did you defeat the person with the sky attribute if he was so strong?”
Oooooong- oooooong-
Cale could feel the gold top’s whip vibrating at that moment.
Swoooooooooooosh- Swoooooooosh-
Neither the people outside the island nor Cale inside the temple could tell what was going on. However, the wind inside Wind Island was starting to roar even wilder than normal.
Cale did not know about this as he heard the Super Rock's voice.
- A large number of people with ancient powers gathered together to fight against that man. Of course, there were some people with ancient powers who chose to be on his side.
Power versus power. A large-scale battle had occurred.
- The majority of the people with the powers now called ancient powers were a part of that battle. A large number of people fought against him.
We fought and fought again.
- That battle took over twenty years. We died as a result of that battle while barely managing to kill him as well. My body was destroyed as well.
The Super Rock calmly continued.
The Castle of Light.
Cale did not know anything about that place, however, that place might have information about the White Star or the Dragon Slayers and their village.
Cale made sure to remember this new information as he turned his head toward what he needed to do.
Oooooong- oooooong-
The top's whip was starting to vibrate stronger and stronger. Cale looked down at his hand that was not holding the jar.
Swoooooosh- Swooooooosh-
A small whirlwind appeared on his palm.
It was the Sound of the Wind.
“Will I hear the voices of the wind Elementals if I grab this top's whip?”
He heard the thief’s response.
- You are right. However, you won't hear it right away. It will be a bit difficult.
“...A bit difficult?”
‘It doesn’t come to me right away?’
Cale started to frown.
‘She talked as if I just needed to go find it, but that’s not the case!’
The corners of Cale's lips slowly curled down.
However, the thief did not say anything else. He could hear the cheapskate chime in.
- The thief seems to be scared to say it! Let’s just turn everything into a sea of fire! Kahahahahah!
‘...Isn’t he slowly turning crazy?’
Cale ignored the cheapskate. The thief started to speak again at that moment.
- I never imagined you would come in possession of this.
The thief was talking as if she was making excuses for herself.
- Mm, at that time. I had a need to test the person who would come in possession of this item because that person would end up gaining some strong allies.
Cale agreed with that.
“And...?”
But his voice sounded annoyed as he asked.
- And... Ahem, mm. I thought that the most important test would be about a person's character. But I was kind of desperate, angry at the world, and slightly crazy at the time...
“...And?”
- A, and...
Cale slowly started to get a bad feeling.
A test of a person's character.
That itself gave himself a bad feeling, however... The fact that she was saying that she created this test while she was crazy gave him the chills.
- Mm, I was thinking that someone who had similar experiences that I did would live a similar life to me and use this power for good.
“Enough with the useless explanations.”
Cale wanted the thief to get to the point.
“The contents of the test?”
- ...I'm sorry. I can't tell you that. That is the rules.
He opened his mouth to speak.
“Damn it.”
The thief could not say anything.
However, Cale thought about the things that the thief had just told him, thought about her character, as well as the situation that forced her to go crazy.
That was probably the contents of the test.
Cale put the jar down to one side.
He then brushed his face with both hands. He could anticipate the contents of the test.
- We will be with you. Just remember that.
Cale reached his hand toward the top's whip as he heard the Super Rock's voice. The thief started to speak again.
- The test will start as soon as you grab the top's whip.
Cale hand touched the top's whip.
Paaaat!
A gold light covered Cale’s view. He still clenched onto the top’s whip as that happened.
His world soon became dark.
He could hear the thief's emotionless voice at that moment. It was not the voice of the thief in his mind.
“The test will now begin.”
The test had started.
“The moment you fear the most will greet you.”
Cale Henituse.
The moment he feared the most.
Cale couldn’t help but scowl.
The Sound of the Wind. The owner of that voice had lost her family, friends, and neighbors before becoming a thief.
She had then left the ancient artifact made from their lives at this dead mana storage facility where they died.
It was a test created by that person when she was in a crazed state.
It was understandable.
However, Cale could not help but shout.
“Damn it, how is this a test of a person’s character?!”
Cale flinched as he shouted out.
‘Hmm?’
The warmth shining down on Cale’s face tickled his eyes. It felt like the morning sun.
‘Sunlight?’
It was at that moment.
He heard someone's voice.
“My lord, it is morning.”
‘Lord? Who? Me?’
Cale opened his eyes.
He could see the ceiling of his room at the Henituse Estate. He had opened his eyes while on his bed.