Turning their attention back to the screen, everyone saw a red-haired aristocrat crawling down a narrow passage, which was admittedly quite a funny sight.
After a few minutes of crawling, Cale saw that the cave was getting wider.
"Taylor must have been really desperate. He crawled all this way even with his lower body not working."
Since you had to build the stone tower yourself, the Marquis's eldest son, Taylor Stan, had to come here in person. What took Cale five minutes would have taken Taylor much longer.
The spectacle suddenly ceased to be as funny as it had been a minute ago.
Young Master Taylor Stan's dedication was duly noted.
Also, many could not help but wonder, why do good people in this world have to go through all these nightmares?
Cale stood up when the cave widened enough and walked further. The deeper he went, the clearer the noise reached his ear.
*Swiiiiist! Siiiiiiist!*
— Where does such a flow of wind come from in the cave?
Finally, Cale found some fabric and a pillar that was probably a hut a long time ago.
After looking at her, Cale continued on his way.
*Sweee ...
The sound of the wind became even stronger. *Boom. Boom* He could even hear the wind slamming into the cave walls like a giant fist. Cale quickened his steps.
For some reason, the further Cale went, the more scared the others became. These sounds did not bode well.
"Wind. I wonder if it will sound like this when I obtain the Ancient Power 'Wind Sound' later?"
- You have started a dangerous enterprise, you unfortunate fellow.
- What do you mean, Eruhaben-nim?
- I'll explain later. Or, if he knows himself, we'll hear about it. Let's focus on what's happening.
Shield. Then Restore. Then Fast Feet. That was Cale's plan of action. The young man finally stopped, thinking about the next Ancient Power he planned to obtain.
It wasn't that he stopped moving, he just couldn't move any further.
"Wow…"
- Oh my God...
The observers looked at the scene with a mixture of shock, horror and awe.
It was much worse than Cale expected.
A large underground area appeared in front of Cale. At the same time, a huge deadly tornado came into his field of vision.
*Boom! Boom!*
The rocks on the cave walls were slowly being eroded by the tornado. There were quite a few rocks on the floor, which made Cale realize that this area was constantly growing.
- What power must this wind have to do this?
Rosalyn asked this in a half-whisper.
Judging by the rock fragments on the floor of the cave, it was originally a small grotto. Now it could fit a decent-sized village.
And all this was done by the wind alone.
It occurred to Choi Han that it was still dangerous to let this man go anywhere alone, no matter how sensible the red-haired man looked.
Although, he knew where exactly he was going?
The young man looked between the underground area and the path he had taken to get here. Cale felt like he would be blown away by the wind if he ventured inside. No, not just pushed away, but smashed against the wall, which would probably seriously injure him.
It was a strong wind.
- Mm…
Of course, the center of the tornado will be calm, since it was the Eye of the Storm.
- And how did you plan to get there?
"It would probably be impossible for Taylor to gain this power without Cage's help."
Now he understood why the novel said that the two had been fighting for a week. However, Cale began to smile. Now it would be a battle against time.
— The priestess's power is apparently much greater than we expected.
— As was the height from which Mr. Taylor's dreams collapsed.
The assembled people, without any agreement, promised themselves not to let Taylor into the cave under any circumstances.
And the methods for processing one specific Stan continued to multiply in the chef's head.
Cale stepped into the underground area where the violent tornado was swirling without any hesitation. The young man's red hair began to flutter along with his clothes.
Choi Han, Lock, Ron, Rosalyn and the little dragon jumped up from their seats shouting:
- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
At the same time…
- No, no! It will hurt you! You are very weak!
The dragon appeared at the back of the path and shouted.
- IT'S ME!
And at that very moment...
- …A?!
- What?
The dragon saw a large shield with silver wings that surrounded Cale.
Wings that shone so brightly that they could be called holy surrounded Cale, and a large shield blocked the winds. The shield and wings allowed Cale to be safe.
Everyone quietly returned to their seats, this time gazing at the shield. It was even more beautiful than the first time they had seen it. And Cale himself didn't even look human against its backdrop.
Everyone even felt a little ashamed. Against the backdrop of what was happening in the cave, they somehow forgot about the first Ancient Power.
The boy turned around, his eyes widening as they fell upon the Dragon.
- What the hell are you doing here?!
The Black Dragon didn't know what to answer.
The black dragon decided to himself that the other him had acted strangely. Why had he followed the man into the cave? He had just recently emerged from another one. He hadn't known that the man was going after the Ancient Power. Even though he was invisible... And the man hadn't done anything to him...
Instead, the Black Dragon simply slowly stepped onto the path. As Cale watched the dragon's unimaginable actions, he heard a quiet voice reach his ears, barely above the wind.
—… I… was just passing by.
- Tsk.
- Another "I", I should have said something else. A strange man - a slightly intelligent man. He won't believe it!
- What about, for example, Dragon-nim?
- That he got lost. Or mixed up the caves.
- Well, yes. Well, yes. It's logical. It's logical.
The Black Dragon's back shook as he heard Cale click his tongue, but the youth had no way of paying attention to the Dragon. The cave's wind had a three-hour cycle: three hours of strong wind and three hours of weak wind. This was the moment when the wind began to weaken. Of course, it would still become stronger the closer Cale got to the center.
Information about wind intensity cycles was carefully recorded along with rough estimates of what point in the day Cale entered the cave.
Nobody wanted to know what this wind looked like at the peak of its power.
*Sweee ...
- Very scary.
The wind was quite strong, questioning its title of "weak phase". The novel mentioned that a hundred and fifty year old man had to go through this strong wind to reach the stone tower.
- So, this is not the result of the influence of the Ancient Power, but a natural phenomenon?
— Nature is full of surprises.
Cale looked at the center of the cave again. A large underground area. In the middle of the tornado was a half-collapsed tower. It looked like there was no wind there. There were numerous scattered boulders next to the half-collapsed stone tower.
"I need to collect all these stones."
The problem was just getting to the tower. Laying the stones was not a problem.
Cale looked at the shield and the wings surrounding it before taking a step forward.
Which caused a minor heart attack in those watching.
No one should walk into the center of a terrible storm so carelessly. Shield or not.
Choi Han began to suspect that being this man's bodyguard was quite a task.
*Tan. Tan.*
The rough wind collided with the shield. Even though the silver shield was transparent, the sound was as if the wind was hitting a real metal shield.
This noise caused the Black Dragon, who had been looking away, to slowly turn around to look at Cale.
—…But you are weak…
The black dragon watched with wide eyes. Not only did it look magical, it was something he could learn. After all, if he could do that, he would be a very strong dragon, right?
The strange man clearly found it difficult to move forward.
However, Cale continued to move step by step towards his goal. And the Dragon saw it.
Cale smiled. This man who was nothing compared to the powerful tornado, this man who was even weaker than the kittens he traveled with, this man who was the weakest of all the people he traveled with, smiled as he pushed through this wind.
The image of the little man walking through the deadly tornado was so mesmerizing that the black room was very, very quiet. It was as if everyone was afraid that if they made a loud noise, he would stumble and the wind would finally get to him.
And looking at the target of that gaze, Cale continued to smile.
"It's doable. It's convenient."
It was a bit difficult and slow because of the wind, but the wind gusts actually felt like a light breeze. Compared to how Bikros was almost killed by Ron when he was teaching his son swordsmanship, it was child's play.
Some wanted to see the father-son duo, but firstly, there was an "unspoken rule of the room", and secondly, the spectacle on the screen was now in any case scarier than the old butler, no matter what Cale thought about it.
These thoughts made Cale feel again that it was indeed better to earn something without putting in much effort.
"Someone please explain to this man the meaning of the words 'effortlessly'. He's got something wrong."
When the wind became stronger, the shield was pushed back. To be honest, Cale expected to be pushed back several times. That was why he initially lowered the shield's strength and increased its size to the maximum. He planned to gradually reduce the shield's size each time he was pushed back.
Locke was amazed at how this man used such simple solutions that he would never have thought of. Wolves, as we know, do not think about their own protection.
And while Locke was thinking about this, Cale reached some important point on his path.
The novel said that as soon as you approached the center, you would hear a voice. It was supposed to be the voice of an old man.
— I still don't fully understand whether the voice is normal or not?
- He clearly expected this both the first time and this time. But the first time he didn't know that the force would be so talkative. Apparently, this is within some norm, but not without surprises.
— Could it depend on the method of obtaining?
- I don't think so. He fed the shield according to the instructions. So the method hasn't changed.
- Yes. But the shield in the "book" had no owner, which means he couldn't know the details.
Eruhaben and Alberu seemed to be having their own conversation.
Cale was waiting for that voice. The tornado would get stronger as soon as the voice started to be heard.
- I regret it...
He heard a voice. But it was a little strange.
- Hmm... I really regret it.
He was a sad old man.
— Tsk, tsk.
Cale clicked his tongue. None of these Ancient Powers were normal. Why did Taylor think the old man's voice was soulful? Cale couldn't understand Taylor's thoughts.
- So Taylor heard it too.
- It sounds like an echo of the past, which is what it should be.However, Cale stopped clicking his tongue and stood still.
- He who has the power that I am familiar with, I hope that you will receive my gift.
- Hm?
- WHAT?
This time it was Eruhaben and Alberu's turn to exclaim in shock.
- What are you talking about?
But they didn't answer. Their attention was completely focused on Kayla and the voice.
"The one who has the power that I am familiar with?"
This phrase caught Cale's attention. At the same time, the wind began to increase, sweeping through the underground area with renewed vigor.
"He's talking about the Unbreakable Shield?"
The only thing Cale could think of when he heard the words "familiar power" was the Unbreakable Shield. He hadn't said anything like that to Taylor in the novel. The wielder of this ancient power knew the wielder of the Unbreakable Shield? Several thoughts flashed through Cale's mind in an instant.
— Could the ancient powers be familiar?
- No. Ancient powers cannot be familiar.
- But their owners can.
This silenced everyone again. Something strange was happening with the Ancient Power again, and no one wanted to distract Eruhaben, who had the best chance of figuring out what was going on.
So far he has made the most detailed conclusions and was considered the smartest of them.
However, Cale still decided to take a step forward. The wind would only get stronger if he continued to stand here.
- I almost betrayed my comrades! I was a terrible person! Hmm... I was left to live alone and grow old. Isn't that a shame?
Cale could only hear the old man's voice every time he took another painful step forward.
— I always hoped that everyone would come back to life. However, my wish was something incredible. I could only cry and suffer! That is why I could not finish my stone tower.
"How annoying."
Rosalyn, not wanting to spoil the concentration, turned to Vitira in a whisper:
- He's right. This voice is even worse than the Unbreakable Shield's.
All she could do was nod in agreement. It was really unpleasant to listen to this.
Cale found the old man's sad voice incredibly irritating. The genuine self-deprecation, as if he really wanted to die. Cale hated it. The Epicureans were so much better.
The dragon child wanted to ask the meaning of the unfamiliar word, but seeing that everyone was sitting with very concentrated faces, he decided not to.
He'll ask later. If he doesn't forget, of course.
The young man focused on his body after being pushed back slightly and applied some force to his legs. He heard the voice again as he took another step.
"This power of restoration is useless. It only allows you to protect yourself. It could not be used in any other way. I am a complete nonentity."
Everyone continued to watch in tense silence as Kayle advanced. The Ancient Force continued to lament its unfortunate fate, but they were more interested in the Unbreakable Shield, which seemed to be on the brink.
"Only five steps left. Let him hold out!"
Five more steps. The center of the tornado was right in front of him.
*Boom. Boom. Boom*
The sound of the wind hitting the shield grew louder and louder, sounding like a man was beating on the shield.
"It might break."
"I did not die, even when the wind lashed me with its blade-like gusts.
It was an undeniable fact that the owners of all the Ancient Powers were extremely talkative.
Cale immediately regained his balance, reduced the size of the shield. *Boom, boom* The shield was now smaller, but in return it was much stronger. The shield could now withstand greater wind force.
They continued to watch as the young man fought against the wind, which grew stronger with each step. The Ancient Power seemed to be only gaining momentum in its whining as well.
One step.
— Restoration is a cursed power.
Two steps.
- My heart always beats. But I can't move on.
Three steps.
"I was afraid of pain because I was always wounded, and I was also afraid of death, the end of this pain.
And finally…
Cale took the final fifth step…
- Phew.
- Finally!
- He's fine.
— I got there!
- Well done, Young Master!
- This old butler does not approve of your recklessness.
- Well done, man!
- He'll shut up now, right?
In the general symphony of exclamations, no one understood who the owner of the latter was, but the question was asked with hope.
*Sshiiiiiiissshh...*
In the interior of the deserted region, it sounded like rain was falling around Cale. The Eye of the Storm. Far from this calm center of the region, the winds raged. Cale heard the old man's voice mixing with the sound of the wind:
— I decided to give up everything else so that I could continue living.
That was the last thing the old man said.
- Tsk.
"Who cares about anything else? The main thing is life."
The sword master thought about the words of the Ancient Power.
"Restoration is a cursed force."
Personally, he didn't think so. Clinging to life at any cost, despite the pain, was practically the meaning of his existence. And he couldn't give up and run away. There was nowhere to run. He, too, was afraid of pain and always felt it. He, too, was afraid of death, but he always fought it. He was the opposite of this old man.
And what did this old man achieve? He got scared and retreated. As a result, he didn't help his comrades or himself.
On this issue, he was on Cale's side.
Although he, it seemed, also had no intention of helping anyone.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting to live. The question is how you choose to live. Even if you were no longer in physical pain, were those years of mental pain worth it?"
This old man clearly had a lot of useless things he wanted to say. Cale clicked his tongue and returned the shield to his heart. The silver light surrounding him instantly disappeared.
The young man walked towards the half-ruined stone tower and squatted down in front of it.
It was an ordinary stone tower that you might find on the top of a mountain.
However, all the rocks here were black. Like the man-eating tree, this rock formation that had existed since ancient times was different from normal rocks. So was the wind that surrounded this area.
Mary was now sure that it was dead mana. She was just worried about what would happen next. Cale had no reason to touch the Man-Eating Tree, but the stone tower had yet to be assembled.
- Doesn't matter.
Cale, who had been thinking about making the tower aesthetically pleasing, changed his mind. It would be too annoying. He took a pair of gloves from his pocket and put them on before he began collecting stones to form the rest of the stone tower.
Mary relaxed instantly. The young Master put on his gloves. She didn't know why he did it, as his general appearance left much to be desired. Perhaps it was just a precaution or an innate squeamishness, but it was a very, very correct decision.
Rosaleen didn't miss her suddenly relaxed neighbor on the chair, but she didn't say anything yet. This girl was still the most mysterious of them. They still hadn't seen her face, but she seemed like a nice person to the red-haired witch.
She decided to wait until she opened up to them.
Or until it is revealed on screen...
*Clack. Clack. Clack* The stone tower was being built, the stones being laid one at a time.
- It's just...
Cale picked up the last black stone and carefully placed it on top of the stone tower. At that moment, a flash appeared.
Now they will witness one of the rarest phenomena in the world. For the second time in a few hours.
If you tell anyone, they won't believe you.
The black stones slowly turned pale. At the same time, Cale stood up and looked around.
The wind slowly died down.
-… A?
Cale ignored the Dragon's surprised voice and waited until all the wind died down. Then he crossed his arms over his chest and listened to the old man's voice. The young man simply had no choice.
So the wind was somehow connected to the ancient power?
- It's not clear at all. That old man made his way to the stone tower through the storm while he was still alive. That means it already happened.
— The legend could have lied.
— But the voice itself spoke about gusts of wind that "lashed him like blades."
- Hm…
"I tried to fight them. However, I did not know that I was so weak before pain. These were not the people who served the lord. I only realized that after we all went our separate ways, I was alone.
The old man's words caught Cale's attention. Then he remembered the words of the owner of the Unbreakable Shield:
"The people of the Forest of Darkness claimed to be God's servants, but they only gave me terrible things."
The Crown Prince had not written anything for a long time. He was afraid of missing something important. And this important thing was right in front of him.
The Forest of Darkness, the Unbreakable Shield, and this cave were all in Roan's territory. This Kingdom was the oldest on the entire continent. Whatever happened in the Ancient Times, it happened in his country.
He didn't like what he heard.
The young man had a bad feeling that he had learned something he shouldn't have.
He had a strange feeling that the things he had just heard were things he should never tell anyone else for the rest of his life.
Cale frowned even more as the old man continued speaking, a voice that only Cale could hear, causing the Dragon to hesitate as he looked at Cale who stood motionless.
"The other me probably thinks the man is a very strange man. Poor other me!"
— I collected the stones. I collected them. Hoping that I could go back, hoping that I could be happy. But then I destroyed the tower. I hated my selfish self.
*Sigh*
Cale let out a long sigh. This old man was really frustrating. Cale was starting to get annoyed.
- Man is selfish by nature.
- That's a good point...
- This doesn't only apply to people.
The old man's voice disappeared for a moment.
"Is it finally over?"
Cale began to smile, thinking that the old man had finally finished his lamentations. However, the sobbing voice appeared again:
— Hmm… My older sister said the same thing. She was a really great older sister. She was more reliable than anyone else. Ah, my older sister! *Slurp!*
- Oh nooo...
- Stop it!
- Stop.
— We already understood...
- Poor guy.
Rosalyn heard this voice a little like her younger brother. She really wanted to have an "educational" talk with him.
…The old man cried.
- I'll go crazy.
*Top. Top. Top* Cale impatiently tapped his foot on the ground. Cale didn't want to stand there like that. After crying for a while, the old man showed his gratitude:
Vitira tapped her foot as well. She would have sympathized with the Young Master, but they had been through the same thing.
- You are the one who came with familiar strength. This rough personality of yours makes me think of my older brother. I am very jealous of your roughness.
— First sister, now brother?
- He could have had a family.
- Why didn't he return to his family, but locked himself in a cave?
— From what we've heard, life in Ancient times was quite an undertaking.
And finally, the old man said the last words Cale had been waiting for. They were the same final words the voice had said to Taylor:
- Break it. Then you can "overcome" your limits.
*Tap! Crunch! Boom!*
The brightened stones flew, hitting the ground and walls. The Dragon, who was watching Cale, shuddered and stared at the young man as if he was crazy. However, the next scene made the Dragon let out a surprised sigh:
"Poor other self... Get used to it. A strange man does a lot of strange things. He is strange."
The rest watched with sadistic pleasure as the tower collapsed. They would have kicked it too. Hard.
- Wow…
Ruined stone tower.
A white light emerged from underneath it.
- Ooooooh!
A gentle vibration pulsed throughout the cave, felt beneath Cale's feet as the light rushed toward the young man.
Cale reached out to grab the light. At that moment, when the youth grabbed it, the light shot into Cale's heart like an arrow. The light arrow pierced Cale's heart before flashing and disappearing.
- Hoooo.
As strange and annoying as the power was, its first appearance seemed almost as sacred as the shield. But the shield was cooler. By far.
Cale took a deep breath. He then lowered his head to look under his shirt. The strange shield tattoo that was over his heart was gone and replaced with a red heart.
The young man immediately felt a new power inside his body. It was the power of the Living Heart, which would make his shield even stronger. Cale would also recover from any injury much faster than normal people.
Unlike the shield, which was a Super Power, this was more of an amplification of normal human capabilities. This regenerative power was so great that it managed to survive from ancient times to survive until now and be passed on to someone.
Cale raised his shield again.
- As I expected.
Cale began to smile. The symbol on the shield changed to a heart. The only difference from the tattoo on his chest was that it was silver instead of red. The young man then put the shield away before heading towards the exit.
Rosalyn didn't miss that Eruhaben's frown grew more intense as the force continued to speak. Deciding that they had already seen the most interesting part, she turned to the golden-haired elf:
- Eruhaben-nim?
- Mmmm?
- What's so strange going on here?
All eyes turned to Eruhaben. Only the Crown Prince was still looking thoughtfully at the ruins of the stone tower.
The ancient dragon, seeing the curious eyes of the interested audience, began to lay out his thoughts:
— Let's start with the fact that the Ancient Forces do not speak.
He said in a categorical tone, to the thoughtful nod of His Highness. And how does he know?
- But the Young Master expected this.
"Yes. But even he admitted that the reaction was not as written in the book," Vitira pointed out this fact, deep in thought.
- That's right, Miss Vitira. If during the acquisition of the Unbreakable Shield the voice's reaction to Cale's remark could be written off as a coincidence, since we still didn't understand whether he was talking to himself or not, then here the voice not only heard exactly what was said to it, responded to it, but also recognized another Ancient Power next to it. Ancient Powers shouldn't be so intelligent. How can I explain it to you...
He thought about it. If you delve into philosophical depths, the children won't understand anything at all. And judging by their uncomprehending round eyes, you'll have to explain it somehow.
"Aigoo...I'm too old for this..."
He continued with a heavy sigh like a being tired of everything in the world:
— I will try to explain with a very primitive example. Try to imagine a glass of water. Water can be sweet, sour, bitter, whatever. This will be a conventional "person", and its taste is his personality. You throw tea leaves into this water, this will be a conventional "Ancient Power". The water acquires some new properties. It invigorates, calms, warms, and so on. This is our shield and regeneration. But the water evaporates over time, and at the bottom of the cup, our conventional "tree" and "cave", only dried tea leaves remain. When you pour new "water" over these leaves, you can feel the taste of old water absorbed by the leaves, echoes of the previous owner. These were requests for more and whining. But what we see means that there is "water" left in our "glass".
Everyone sat in deep thought. In general, despite its primitiveness, it was a very clear example. Terribly clear. It was not for nothing that this elf was considered the smartest.
The Black Dragon also noted that tea is apparently also an interesting product. And more dangerous than bread.
Alberu, who, despite his thoughtfulness, listened very attentively, thought that he had not noticed any extra "water" in his "cup". Even if he had felt the "flavor" at the moment of receiving it, he would no longer remember it.
- And also the Ancient powers do not leave any traces on the body. Never heard of this before.
And again a strange nod from His Highness.
— But what does this mean for Young Master Cale?
Locke began to worry. Weirdness was never a good thing.
— Who knows? The shield no longer showed signs of intelligence and works as it should. Perhaps the last drops of "water" evaporate at the moment of transfer of the Ancient Power to the new owner.
While everyone was trying to imagine what it would be like to remain in one place since ancient times and wait for their heir, they somehow missed the conversation between the red-haired aristocrat and the black dragon, and the former even managed to crawl to the exit of the cave.
He returned the vines back to their original places, properly sealing the entrance to the cave.
Then Cale turned and began to speak as he walked away, his gaze directed towards the grassy area.
- I see that you are standing on the grass.
- How did he notice it?
The sword master was surprised. The dragon was small enough that it wouldn't leave much of a mark on the thick grass. As a master tracker, he noticed this, but Cale's observation skills were a pleasant surprise.
He saw four prints in the grass, each representing one of the Dragon's four paws. The prints quickly disappeared. The Dragon flew into the sky. Cale shook his head.
— I guess my family has finally grown up again.
— Did we miss something?
- Maybe…You miserable bastard, stop collecting everyone who is lying badly on the ground. Especially dragons."
Cale couldn't help but sigh heavily. It was obvious that the Dragon would continue to follow him in this invisible state. Just why was this Dragon such a noob if it knew ancient magic like invisibility? Cale thought that all Dragons were smart, but it seemed like this one might be different.
The shocked eyes turned to the ancient dragon this time.
- What does he mean?
Eruhaben looked down at the child. It wasn't that the man was wrong, the dragon was indeed behaving strangely under the circumstances, but it didn't seem to be behaving outright stupidly either. And since he was too lazy to go into detail about the behavioral peculiarities of the great race, he said something more neutral:
- He just hasn't realized your greatness yet.
- Aaaaaaah.
The two princesses and Mary couldn't help but smile.
Walking down the mountain, Cale saw Choi Han's surprised expression. He stared at the boy silently before finally asking,
— You... rolled on the ground?
"Shit".
The wind had tousled his hair and his clothes were dirty from crawling along the rocky and sandy entrance to the cave.
Cale answered Choi Han sternly:
- Yes, I did.
- How could he say such a stupid thing with such a serious face?
— AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
- Well, as long as no one tells him about the rabbits, he seems to be keeping a good face. But then Choi Han came up with an excuse himself. Convenient.
— I probably thought it was some kind of noble whim.
The sword master rubbed his reddening face with his palms. He was ashamed of his other self. What he had witnessed would never have occurred to him.
Choi Han looked at the boy with concern. Cale simply avoided his gaze.
That night, Cale told the kittens to deliver a message. It was a letter that was created with magic, making it impossible to tell who wrote it.
- Make sure they don't see you.
— That same anonymous help?
- It looks like it.
Alberu added another useful item to his shopping list.
The letter was meant to be a new hope for the priestess Kage and the eldest son of Marquis Stan, Taylor.
The image changed to another part of the city.
- It looks like we'll find out how Young Master Taylor reacts to the letter.
- So there will be something important in this.
— At the very least, we can get to know Master Taylor himself better.
Late at night, in a small two-story house on the outskirts of Puzzle Town. The only light in the area was the light on the first floor of this small house, shining through the windows. The eldest son of Marquis Stan, Taylor, the owner of the house, began to frown.
- What's happening?
- Damn it. Ugh. Leave me alone. Don't talk to me right now!
Kage, the priestess of the God of Death, clutched her head, struggling with terrible pain.
Locke was seriously scared:
- It looks really painful! What's wrong with her?
*Clang*
The beer mug fell from her hand to the ground. Taylor and his three men quickly approached the girl.
- Goldie, uncle?
- Yes, baby?
— What is beer?
- Hmmm... Something like liquid bread.
"L-liquid...????"
No one saw the horror in the child's eyes, they were too busy with what was happening on the screen.
- What is it? Is God telling you something again?
Taylor looked at her with concern. The God of Death spoke to Cage from time to time. It happened suddenly one day, and then it became periodic. Cage hid this fact from the church, and only Taylor and his three subordinates knew about it.
This information was surprising in itself. Cale's words that the God of Death did not abandon his priestess even after excommunication from the church sparkled with new colors.
- Oh, it's so annoying!
Everyone looked up again.
The God of Death was still pretending to be a simple ceiling with an interesting design and showed no signs of his presence.
"Did someone break in here?"
They were in a small house, but there were magical alarms all over the place. Taylor was too paranoid about his little brother to sleep without one.
- Such a security system costs a lot of money. Especially if they settled there for a long time.
- If he wants to save his life, he has no choice. With a younger brother like Venion.
After both of his tribes were destroyed by an assassin in his own room at the Marquis' estate, Taylor no longer considered his place of residence safe.
The list of activities for the future "leisure" of the younger Mr. Stan grew in the head of the younger Mr. Molan literally by itself.
- Cage. What's going on?
- Leave me.
*Slam!*
Cage swung the back door open. Taylor could only see the peaceful backyard. It was calm and peaceful, as always. There were several lanterns illuminating the garden, making it the brightest area of the house.
What could the God of Death have warned Cage about?
Considering that Taylor did die in the "original", it's unlikely to be an attack. All that remains is Mr. "anonymous help".
Cage rushed out, and Taylor followed her. The priestess walked all the way to the fence that marked the area and let out a sigh.
- Ha!
This place was just outside the range of the alarm signal. Above this fence was a small stone tower made of five small stone blocks.
It was large enough to keep a single knight inside, who could take refuge in it during a break in patrol.
—… It's crazy… It's really like that…
Harsh words flew out of Cage's mouth. Taylor rolled up to the girl in his wheelchair and began to look at the stone tower on top of the fence with confusion.
- Ha! What a clever idea!
Ron even clapped a few times.
— It's very symbolic, and they approached the issue with imagination.
— I wonder if it was them or if Cale suggested it?
- What does it mean?
After the young man's question, Cage read the message written in small letters next to the tower:
- "Break it if you want your wish to come true." That's what he says.
- Taylor Stan was looking for a stone tower...
- But the stone tower found him faster!
- And most importantly, it's much safer...
- Definitely!
Confusion and curiosity filled Taylor's face at the same time. The priestess sighed, looking at him and pressing her temples with her fingers.
- I vote for you to break it. No, it may sound crazy, but God says you break it.
- What?
"The God of Death is so involved in these events? First he wanted them to meet their 'benefactor' in the ruins. Now he's telling them to break the tower. He may feel sorry for his priestess, but it's still suspicious..."
This thought flashed through several heads, but no one voiced it.
- This is the first time God hasn't said some shit. Why is he talking so much today? He usually talks to me maybe once a year.
The strange relationship between God and his priestess will probably remain a great mystery of the universe. Such a degree of irreverence deserved a separate monument. Equally irreverent.
- What is this stone tower?
Cage turned to look Taylor in the eye.
— A turning point in our lives. That's what he said.
The God of Death had only ever come to Cage when she was sleeping. Sleep was like death. That was why sleep was the path for the God of Death. However, this time she heard her Lord God while she was drinking.
Kage thought that the God of Death was angry with her, that the priestess drank too much beer. That's why he was tormenting her so much. The girl wanted this God to stop paying attention to her. However, the God of Death had another message for his priestess.
- It's up to you. However, don't break it if you want to live a peaceful life. That's what he said.
- Peacefully, but not for long...
No one could find anything to add to this.
The girl looked at the stone tower. There was something below.
- There is a letter under the stone tower. I think it was built specifically for this purpose.
The girl turned to look at her best friend, Taylor. The young man had to watch from a wheelchair, so although he could see the stone tower, he couldn't see the letter underneath it.
"I don't feel any strange forces surrounding the stone tower.
While she wasn't as sensitive as a true mage, using her divine powers allowed Kage to be very sensitive and perceptive of her surroundings. She could sense if there were any curses or negative energy surrounding an object or place. She was a servant of the God of Death after all.
"It's a very useful talent," Bikros began to like Kage more and more.
Rosaleen agreed. She had a high sensitivity to magic, and it helped her out a lot. More often than she would have liked, actually.
The girl waited for Taylor's answer.
The young man looked up at the night sky before slowly turning to look at Cage.
- Destroy her.
The priestess immediately struck the stone tower in front of her.
*Knock. Knock. Knock*
The rocks fell from the top of the fence. Taylor just watched it happen.
— Have you noticed that the stone towers collapse very beautifully?
- Yeah.
"Don't break it if you want to live in peace?"
Taylor had never lived in peace, nor did he have the desire to live in peace. He was going to find a way to strengthen his legs and keep moving forward. And then…
"I will destroy this damn family!"
" I think Young Master Taylor will be happy to help us if we want to destroy Marquis Stan."
- That's very good to know.
Taylor extended his hand and Cage handed him the envelope. The young man immediately opened it and discovered that the letter had been written using magic to make the sender's handwriting unrecognizable. This was a method often used by nobles.
Taylor began to read without hesitation. The first two lines of the letter, visible in the light of the lanterns illuminating the courtyard, immediately caught his attention:
[The Crown Prince possesses an Ancient Power. It is called the "Healing Star" and is useless to him. It is a one-time use power that can heal any injury. He is willing to exchange it if he can find a method to keep the Second and Third Princes under his control.]
The Crown Prince stood frozen like a majestic statue to himself.
They looked at him in shock.
The question of how he knew so much about the Ancient Forces was dropped, and another one appeared. Why didn't he tell about it when he had the chance?
Although Rosalyn understood him perfectly. It was not for nothing that she showed her magical powers as being much lower than they really were. This is what saved her life during the assassination attempt. She was simply underestimated.
This trick won't work a second time.
Taylor's hands began to shake.
Together with the Crown Prince.
Everyone started looking at him with concern.
Had he already spent his power on someone? Or did he just not want to waste it on Taylor. It was a one-time thing, if the letter was true.
In any case, Albert Crossman was clearly too deep in his thoughts to be questioned now.
He will have to comment on this in any case.
It's not like he could escape from here...
- What is written there?