Chapter 1-3. When I opened my eyes"
As the writing faded, an image of a richly decorated room and two people inside appeared before the observers. Rosalyn thought of a magical recording device, but the quality of the image was beyond description. It was as if she herself was in that room right now. As a mage, she was very curious, could she create something similar? The little dragon also looked at everything with huge, curious eyes. It was literally the first time he had ever looked at anything outside the cursed cave.
Meanwhile, a man in a butler's uniform approached the sleeping figure. The action taking place before them was accompanied by an explanatory voice.
The boy could feel someone gently patting his body. The rough hand made him think of the hands of an exhausted parent. It was warm.
- Young Master, it's already morning.
But the voice was very deep. The boy felt a chill all over his body, and his eyes subconsciously opened. Instead of the bright sunlight coming through the window to warm the man who had just woken up, he saw an old man standing next to him with a satisfied expression on his face.
- It's surprising that you woke up only after the first try.
- A?
"Ho…" Ron chuckled quietly.
— Master wishes to dine with Young Master, as he did long ago. It seems that today will be possible.
The boy saw a mirror over the old man's shoulder. It reflected a red-haired young man who seemed embarrassed to see himself.
"I think that guy is me."
- Young Master Cale?
The boy turned to the source of the worried voice to find an old man who looked like a servant looking at him intently. But this old man was the least of the boy's concerns right now.
He heard it clearly.
Young Master Cale. The name was familiar. The boy said it slowly:
— Cale Hanities?
The old servant looked at him as if he were looking at his grandson.
- Yes, that's your name, Young Master. I guess you're still a little drunk.
- Mister Ron, you don't seem very surprised. Has this often happened to a real young master? - Vitira couldn't help but be curious. Although everyone without exception was interested.
"The young master really did like to overdo it with alcohol. He could be found in various situations," the former butler replied with a good-natured (creepy) smile.
Noting this to themselves, everyone turned back to the image, but Rosaleen couldn't help but say:
— If I were in his place, I would probably first hit the stranger near my bed and only then wonder what he was doing there.
Alberu remained silent, but in his heart he completely agreed. The realities of palace life.
Listening to the old man's words, the boy naturally thought of a name that was even more important than the name 'Cale Hanitus'.
-…Bikros…
— Are you talking about my son?
-…Boss.
- Yes, my son is a chef. Do you need him to do something for your hangover?
The guy felt that everything around him had gone dark, and he began to feel dizzy. He lowered his head, placing it on his hand.
- Ehh. Poor bastard...
The young man looked at the red hair that fell in front of his face. It was a bright red color, very different from his original black hair.
Cale Haniteuz. Bikros. Bikros' father, Ron.
These were the characters that appeared at the beginning of The Birth of a Hero, the novella the boy had been reading before he fell asleep the previous night.
He shook his head and looked around. He could see the bedroom, which was completely different from the typical Korean decor. It made him think of Europe. Every single thing in the room was extremely extravagant and luxurious.
"So he's from Korea too!" Choi Han thought. He was glad that he wasn't the only one. This joy, however, quickly disappeared when he realized that there would be no transmigrator in their world. But he hoped that he would be able to learn at least something about his home world. And somewhere very deep in his soul, the uneasy feeling that he didn't even want to acknowledge finally dissolved. The uneasiness that he had simply made up Korea and his entire life before the Forest of Darkness, in an attempt not to go crazy from loneliness.
- Young Master?
The man named Ron, the Old Man, who pretended to be worried and anxious.
- Cold water.
- Sorry?
He needed something to clear his mind. He saw Cale Hanitus's face in the mirror behind Ron.
"Everything looks normal. Cale probably hasn't been beaten to a pulp by the Protagonist yet."
His handsome face attracted the young man's attention.
When he opened his eyes, the boy became Cale Hanitus.
Cale Hanitus. The lowlife who was beaten half to death by the protagonist at the beginning of the novel "Birth of a Hero." It was him.
All eyes once again focused on the black-haired swordsman.
- Young Master, I suppose you don't want to bathe in cold water. Are you asking for drinking water?
Cale looked at Ron. Ron may pretend to be a kindly old man, but in reality he was hiding his true identity as a cruel and vicious man.
The boy looked at Ron.
- Please bring me some drinking water.
He needed to drink some cold water and clear his mind first.
- I'll arrange everything immediately.
- Please accept my gratitude.
Ron flinched and had a strange expression on his face for a moment, but Cale didn't notice.
- Hoo. How interesting, - Ron couldn't help but be amused. Words of gratitude were not forthcoming from the former young master. Ron always considered himself a very observant person, in his profession it was impossible not to be. For many years he had been hiding with his son and had to remain on guard, their lives depended on it. He wondered how long it would take his other self to expose the impostor?
"He's quite calm for a man in such a situation," Vitira said thoughtfully.
"He's probably in shock. It's understandable," Alberu noted.
Ron had to leave the bedroom, as there was only warm water in the room. When he was alone, Cale got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. If he really was inside the novel, he knew there would be a large mirror inside.
As expected, the full-length mirror was in the bathroom. Cale Hanitus, who was very interested in his appearance and physical condition, installed this mirror here. No one else in the house had such a mirror.
The man in the mirror had fiery red hair and a pretty decent body. It would be wrong to say that his body looked good…
"I really am Cale."
The guy in the mirror was indeed Cale Hanitus from the novel. Birth of a Hero was famous for its quality description of each character's appearance. That's why the guy in front of the mirror had no choice but to agree that he had indeed turned into Cale Hanitus.
People usually calm down when they are surprised and shocked? Cale, no, Kim Rok Soo, thought calmly about last night.
"No, that's definitely not it," the Crown Prince said, shaking his head. After thinking for a moment, he turned to the other alien and asked,
- Choi Han-nim, or is this normal in your world?
He shook his head with wide eyes.
It was a typical weekend day. It had been a while since he had read a real book instead of his phone, so he went to the library to check out some books. He checked out the entire series, as he planned to spend the entire day reading.
— What is a telephone?
"Is this a magical device for communicating with people, only without magic?" Choi Han explained as best he could.
The title of the book was, of course, "Birth of a Hero." He managed to get through volume five before falling asleep. But when he woke up, he had transformed into Cale Hanitus, the man the protagonist had mercilessly beaten in volume one.
Choi Han winced at the memory. At the same time, he thought that the droning about "lazy bastards" began to make sense if there were more than five volumes.
"Will everything be like it happened in the novel?"
He felt unnaturally calm. As the shock subsided a little, the young man's mind also calmed down. He began to recall the contents of the first volume.
— So there was shock after all?
- This is some kind of abnormal level of calm. Is he okay?
Everyone frowned, trying to imagine themselves in a similar situation and came to the disappointing conclusion that they themselves could not do it. They again turned their attention to the peculiar screen, since now important information for them was about to be revealed.
[Birth of a Hero]
This novel was about the birth of heroes in the Western and Eastern Continents, as well as their trials and growth. The main character was, naturally, a Korean. He was a student who was transported to the world as soon as he entered high school. In addition, his lifespan became equal to that of a dragon, making him almost ageless.
Feeling the sharp gazes on him, Choi Han had no choice but to awkwardly explain:
— I tried to get out of the Forest of Darkness for a long time. It took me many years. To be honest, I don't know how old I am right now, but outwardly I haven't changed at all during this time.
Sitting next to him, like the kind soul he was, Lock placed a hand on the swordsman's shoulder in support. He may not have known him at all, but the Forest of Darkness was a scary place, and being there for years must have been very hard. Choi Han smiled at the boy and said in a barely audible voice:
- Thank you.
"… This is bad?"
And our hero was about to be beaten by this man. The main thing, however, was that this unfortunate situation had not yet happened.
Cale tore his gaze away from the mirror and stepped into the bathtub filled with warm water. He leaned on the edge of the tub and looked up at the ceiling. It was the expensive marble described in the novel. The estate Cale lived in was indeed made of marble.
The young man began to mumble, looking at the ceiling.
— It doesn't look like I'll be bored...
His life, like Kim Rok Soo. There really wasn't much that was pleasant about it. He was an orphan and never had much money. He also didn't have a person he loved more than life itself, nor a friend for whom he was willing to give up his life. He continued to live because he couldn't die.
Yes, he couldn't die.He absolutely hated the idea of death or pain. He became an orphan after both his parents died in a car accident when he was very young.
Kim Rok Soo didn't like pain or death. No matter what it was, even if he had to roll around in a pile of dog shit, it would be better than being dead.
"That sounds very sad," Mary couldn't help herself this time.
"Also, this could be the answer to the question of why he is so calm. He just doesn't care," Eruhaben drawled.
Choi Han felt sorry for this Kim Rok Soo. His life seemed empty. But he understood him in a way. He himself had done everything for his own survival for years, including "rolling around in a pile of dog shit," even when he no longer knew why. Completely alone, with no hope of escape, having almost forgotten what it meant to be human, even then the thought of death was unacceptable to him. He had to stay alive at any cost.
- For this reason, I need to make sure first that I won't get beaten.
Cale didn't know what day in the novel it was supposed to happen, but he was sure he hadn't met the main character yet. The reason was simple.
— I don't have a scar on my side yet.
Cale Hanityuz, a lowlife of the Count Hanityuz family. A few days before meeting the protagonist, Cale got drunk and caused a real stir. He attacked everyone until he got a knife in his side. The wound was deep, which led to a scar.
What an interesting character. He got his wound not because he fought someone, but because he got drunk and threw a tantrum about how the alcohol wasn't very good quality. Cale met the protagonist after he got that scar, and after a short conversation, he was beaten half to death.
Everyone thought to themselves that the real young master was an extremely unpleasant person. Ron only sighed deeply, remembering the last years.
- Mmm…
Cale crossed his arms over his chest and looked deep in thought.
He didn't know what happened to Cale after he was beaten up in Volume 1. All that was known was that the main character, Choi Han, would experience many fateful encounters and overcome many trials to become a hero along with his team members…
Thus, the era in which he will prove himself to be a hero will begin. The Roan Kingdom, where Cale currently lives, as well as many other places in the Western and Eastern Continents, will be engulfed in war. This will truly be the time for heroes to show their full potential.
Cale frowned. Kim Rok Soo, the man who became Cale. His life motto was simple.
Life without pain. Enjoying the little joys of life.
Live a peaceful life.
Alberu couldn't help but frown. He knew about the beginnings of a civil war in the Viper Kingdom and the strange movements in the northern kingdoms. Considering that the wars seemed to be spreading across both continents, he couldn't help but wonder if they were related.
Eruhaben only sighed to himself. He had lived a long life, and in his memory, people had started wars many times, but none of them had reached a global scale.
"That seems like a pretty good motto to live by," said Rosaleen, trying to get the war out of her mind.
- Really.
-… As long as I follow the story, if it goes like the book, and if I accept the fact that I'm going to get beaten, the protagonist will take care of the rest.
For some strange reason, the boy could remember every line of the novel without any problems. Cale relaxed in the warm water, and with his clear head, he was able to come to a final conclusion.
— It's worth a try.
It was worth trying to avoid the war on the continent and live peacefully. This position of being a nobody was much better than his life as Kim Rok Soo. This manor was located in a small corner of the Western Continent, making it an ideal place to avoid the war. In the novel itself, there were many nobles who managed to avoid the effects of the war. Even if he couldn't completely avoid this development, Cale should at least reduce the possible damage to a minimum.
Choi Han couldn't help but think, "How could this man save the world?"
"He doesn't look like a savior yet," he said doubtfully.
After thinking for a while, Eruhaben finally said:
- Actually, from his point of view, it's a logical course of action. He thinks of this world as a book he's read, and books, especially about heroes, tend to end well. And if everything ends well, then why interfere? Wait it out and live peacefully. And from what's shown, we can also conclude that he doesn't know how and, most importantly, why he ended up there.
Alberu, crossing his arms over his chest, thought about this and agreed.
- Indeed. Moreover, we know that he did not finish the story and cannot know the end. And a person whose life motto is "live long without pain" would hardly actively interfere in a conflict that, in his opinion, will be successfully resolved without his participation. It is indeed logical to take care of one's own safety based on one's knowledge.
No matter how you look at it, it was difficult to argue with such arguments.
- Young Master, are you in the bathroom?
He heard Ron's voice coming from the bedroom. Cale thought about Ron's true identity. Ron was a murderer who left the Eastern Continent and crossed the sea. He pretended to be a kind old man, but the real Ron was a cruel and ruthless man.
This time, the object of their gaze was Ron. He only smiled kindly at everyone, causing everyone to shudder and turn away. Choi Han thought to himself that he was right when he felt the bloody aura around this man.
- Yes, I'll be out soon.
This informal interaction with the old man was completely natural behavior for him. Cale realized what he was doing and thought about what he would do in the future.
He needed to push this old man towards the main character and send him to meet him.
This old man could easily kill Cale with one blow, but he treated him like a puppy that he left alone because the puppy did not evoke warm feelings in him. He smiled gently, but inside there was not an ounce of care for Cale. In the novel, Ron leaves with his son with the protagonist after Choi Han beats Cale to a pulp.
The black dragon pressed himself even closer to Eruhaben. He was convinced that humans could not be trusted.
Cale put on his robe and quickly walked out of the bathroom. Ron stood there with a smile on his face and a tray with a cup in his hands.
- And here is the Young Master.
Cale picked up his cup and walked past the old man. He didn't want to come into contact with such a dangerous old man.
- Thank you very much.
Ron's expression looked strange again, but Cale had already passed him. The young man drank some cold water and began to think.
Ron looked at all this with an amused expression on his face. With such changes, the revelation should not take long to come.
"There are too many strong people here."
There were actually too many of them. No matter where the main character went, he always encountered powerful creatures, or creatures with some secrets and mysteries. These were both representatives of the human race and representatives of other races.
"I need strength so that at least I can protect myself."
To live long and pain-free on a continent that would soon be burning in the crucible of war, a decent level of strength was needed. Of course, it was not worth becoming too strong, otherwise you could bring other complications on your head.
"Not only is he calm, but nature has also given him a good brain," the ancient dragon thought lazily, watching the interesting man.
The little dragon and Mary just stared at what was happening. A completely new world was opening up for them.
Cale thought about the various fateful encounters that had happened in the first parts of the novel. The powers that strengthen the protagonist and his party members… He thought about the ones that would help him live a long time without pain. A couple came to mind. He just had to choose one of the options.
"Does he mean the Ancient Powers?" asked Alberu, frowning.
"He's quite enterprising…" Eruhaben chuckled.
Choi Han, meanwhile, couldn't figure out how he felt about it. On the one hand, the transmigrator wanted to take away the powers that should have been theirs. But on the other hand, it was hard to be angry when something you didn't have was taken away.
- Young Master, we will begin to dress you.
- Oh, that's right, thank you.
The door soon opened and a couple of servants came in to help Ron dress Cale. Cale didn't notice that Ron had a stoic expression on his face, unlike his usual self, as he was busy looking at the clothes the servants had brought.
Rosalyn turned to the former butler and said with a smile:
- It seems like it was quite a shocking morning for you.
- Ah, something simple today.
He hated really complicated outfits. Simple clothes that allowed you to lounge comfortably were much better.
- Yes, young master.
The servant in charge of clothing quickly pulled out a simple robe, and Cale dressed himself in the simplest of the options. After he finished dressing, the young man frowned. Even this "simple" dress was extremely extravagant and did not suit him.
However, the reflection in the mirror was quite beautiful.
"He's really handsome and any outfit looks good on him."
The face really was the most important part of a dandy. He looked in the mirror, adjusted his sleeves before turning around and looking at Ron.
Everyone had to admit that the young master was really lucky with his face. Albert could tell from his own example what kind of weapon appearance could be.
Ron was smiling like a gentle grandfather again.
- Ron, let's go.
- Yes, Young Master.
Cale followed Ron. It was nice that he didn't have to remember the layout of the manor's rooms. He just had to follow Ron and he would lead him where he needed to go. Every servant Cale met would flinch and bow respectfully before hurrying away, seeming to run away.
"Why are they so scared? Cale never hit people."
The silent question was directed at those who were familiar with the original Cale Hanitus.
After thinking for a moment, Ron and Bikros nodded:
"If I'm not mistaken, during all this time no one came to the estate with complaints about beatings.
Alberu frowned. He had heard something completely different. He had a strong feeling that there was more to these rumors than that.
He just liked to drink and gamble. Sometimes he would get drunk and make a ruckus. But that's why he was considered a disgrace to the family. He also didn't consider other people as people, except for the few he loved.
"Well, it will be even better if no one talks to me."
Cale thought about it quite calmly. It would be difficult if he were in the body of a model citizen. A nonentity could do as he pleased without worrying about anything. This was only possible because there was no desire to live the life of a model citizen.
- I'll open the door now.Certainly.
Alberu focused entirely on the image. This was a unique opportunity to learn the secrets of a noble family, especially one that maintained strict neutrality and did not join any faction. There was a chance to find something that he could use to win them over to his side. Buying information from information guilds was incredibly expensive and from what he had seen, the quality of the goods could easily be called into question.
Cale nodded at Ron. In the book, it was mentioned that Cale treated Ron, the one who had raised him like his own grandson since Cale was a baby, as kindly as he treated his father. It was mentioned that he always treated Ron like an individual. Of course, Ron didn't really think that way. That was why it was easy for Cale to talk to Ron. He just had to answer Ron's questions and treat him like an individual.
Ron listened in surprise. He had never heard of such a warm attitude towards him from his former puppy-master, although he had noticed that the latter treated him better than the vast majority of people. If he had taken a step towards him, gone a little beyond the servant-master relationship, would he have been able to stop the destruction of the personality of the once bright child? After all, he had seen an example of a child who had lost his mother before his eyes. It was his own son. A very unpleasant feeling stirred in his soul.
- I hope you enjoy your breakfast.
- Thank you. Ron, make sure you eat well too.
Cale walked past Ron into the dining room. He saw his family members sitting at the table. His father, the current head of the Hanityuz family, Deruth. Next to him sat Cale's stepmother, the Countess, and her son and daughter. The four people looked at the young man as he entered.
- You're late today, again.
Cale's gaze turned to his father as he spoke. In "A Hero Is Born," Cale's feelings for his father were described as follows:
[His father was the man Cale listened to. The reason why this worthless man never left home and got everything he wanted in the Count's territory was entirely because of his father, Count Deruta Hanitus.]
But unfortunately, Cale's father was different from the strong fathers in this novel. He didn't have any special skills or influence. He just had a lot of money. However, Cale really liked it. It was the perfect family environment to live a simple life.
"A surprisingly logical guy," the ancient dragon chuckled.
Now about the other three present.
His stepmother, who knew that he did not love her, and therefore avoided the young man.
Her smart firstborn, who found it difficult to deal with his much older brother, Cale.
And a cute little sister who studiously avoided her older brother Cale.
But it wasn't because Cale was bothering them, or because they were bothering Cale. They were simply treating each other like strangers.
The Crown Prince compared what he heard with what he knew himself. The eldest son, the scum of the family, often raised a ruckus and caused trouble in the city, but even when he was removed from the post of heir, according to eyewitnesses, nothing changed within the family. Conflicts between the Count's children never arose, although many expected it.
Cale thought it was such a wonderful environment to live in quiet solitude.
- Sit down.
- Yes, father.
Cale looked at the table set, which did not fit the simple definition of breakfast, and sat down. Then he felt something strange and looked up:
- Is there something you want to tell me, father?
-… No, I don't…
Derut looked at his son. The rest of the family did not take their eyes off him either. Cale made eye contact with everyone at the table. They all quickly looked away when the young man made eye contact with them before returning to his meal.
"They probably think I'm too difficult to handle."
Choi Han looked at the scene with a complicated look. He barely remembered his birth family, but he remembered the bright feeling he felt when everyone sat down to dinner. The atmosphere at the table was, well, oppressive. He wondered if all noble families were like this, or just this one?
Cale also returned to contemplating the table. The meal was more like a sumptuous feast than the usual breakfast he ate to fill his belly, and it made him smile. First, he cut half of the sausage with a knife.
"She's so juicy."
He didn't know if the juices started to flow as soon as he cut into the sausage, because it was handmade, or because the chef was just a good cook, but the sight of the sausage made him hungry. Cale smiled without even realizing it.
Klang!
He heard something fall and looked up at his younger brother Basen. Cale saw that his brother had dropped his fork from his hand.
- My apologies...
Basen apologized calmly, as befitted a person of his character as described in the novel. The servant in charge of the food quickly approached Basen with a new fork, and picked up the one that had fallen from the floor. Watching this, Cale thought that it was nice to be noble, before turning his attention back to the food in front of him.
Cale had just discovered the first good thing about entering a novel. This breakfast was extremely luxurious and incredibly delicious, so much so that his stomach was absolutely happy.
The smile never left his face.
- You miserable bastard, how little do you need to be happy?
For some reason, Eruhaben was very upset. He generally had a weakness for the poor and wretched. Not that he would ever admit it.
-… Ho?
He was so carried away that he did not hear Brother Basen's shocked cry.
Cale looked around, studying the dishes in front of him. Then he pointed his fork at a plate of fruit he didn't recognize. After filling his stomach with meat, soup, and bread, he wanted to try something new.
One of the fruits looked like an orange, but was more like a grape in color. Cale brought the fruit to his lips and bit into it.
- Mm…
At this moment, sweet fruit juice filled his mouth. The youth really hated sour fruits, so this extremely sweet taste spreading in his mouth made him swallow unconsciously.
At that moment he came across the gaze of his father, Deruta, who was looking attentively at his son.
- Cale...
Derut quietly said his son's name, but was in no hurry to continue, apparently hesitating. Then he began to frown, and his jaw muscles began to move. Cale did not like this atmosphere, and so he spoke first:
- It's delicious.
- Yeah, it tastes like garbage... Huh? You said it tastes good?
- Yes, it's delicious.
This time, Cale picked up another piece of fruit and smiled, once again feeling the pleasant sweetness in his mouth. The worthless Cale Hanitus had never paid attention to etiquette.
He probably shouldn't have done that while talking to his father, the head of the family, but it didn't matter. He was a complete nobody, for one thing.
"It's best to be a nobody."
The black dragon actually paid more attention to the food on the table than to the strange man's problems. He himself was being fed scraps, while the bastard Venion enjoyed a real feast, even more luxurious than this breakfast, every time he came to the cave. As God had promised, he did not feel hungry, but everything looked very appetizing. After a moment's hesitation, he climbed out of the adult dragon's arms and crawled onto an empty chair. It was strange to be without any restrictions, but it was the best feeling he had ever felt.
Eruhaben looked at the child doubtfully, but remained silent.
Rosalyn frowned at the scene. She felt sorry for both the young master and his entire family. The atmosphere there was terrible. But the "new" young master seemed like a funny person to her.
No one cared how he behaved. As long as he could stop the protagonist from beating him up, it would be a good life.
"Just as Mr. Eruhaben said," Choi Han thought to himself. "Wait and live." But as soon as he remembered what had led to the beating of the stupid nobleman, anger began to cloud his head again and he wanted to beat him up again. Or maybe twice.
As Cale had expected, no one criticized his complete lack of manners. In fact, a smile appeared on Deruth's lips as he began to nod.
- Yes, it is very tasty. It is nice to see you eating so much and enjoying your food.
Deruth really seemed like the only person who cared about Cale. He didn't even seem to care about how worthless his son was. Well, a truly caring father should probably try to fix Cale's personality... But the boy didn't care, because he wasn't the real Cale Hanitus.
- Yes. Father, please make sure you eat properly.