Cale pretended not to know anything, calmly greeting Odeus:
- How convenient when you know everything about everyone.
— But no matter how convenient it may be, his knowledge is quite limited and can end at any moment.
It was an undeniable fact.
- Flynn? You must be connected to Bylos. Good to see you.
— I was shocked too. I didn't know that Bylos knew Young Master Cale. I haven't seen Bylos since he was a little boy, so I was very happy to see him again. I feel like I've had so many good encounters lately.
Bylos couldn't hide his complicated feelings when looking at Odeus. Odeus was the one who left behind the main Flynn Merchant Guild and went "free floating", starting a simpler life. In addition, Odeus was Bylos' uncle and the only person Bylos himself had good memories with from his childhood.
"Well, for Bylos he is a good man."
Alberu made a note on the edge of the paper not to reveal Odeus' secret to Bilos unless absolutely necessary. This is also a possible lever of pressure on Odeus Flynn. If he really controls the underworld of the two regions, then such a person cannot be discounted.
Cale let go of Odeus' hand and turned to Bylos:
- Let's go upstairs and have a drink.
The outbuilding was two stories high, with a small bar upstairs. Of course, Cale turned to Odeus:
- Choi Han and Rosalyn will be here soon, so the three of you can go up.
- I understand. I hope that I will have the opportunity to drink with you in the future, Young Master Cale.
He smiled and replied:
- Let's have a drink sometime soon.
"Kale doesn't seem to have anything against this man. So he really could be useful."
Cale patted Bylos on the shoulder as he continued to stand there with a thoughtful expression on his face and tried to go upstairs. However, all ten kids blocked his way:
- Thank you very much, Young Master Cale!
- Thank you very much!
Cale looked at the children thanking him in unison and thought:
"What a headache."
Locke felt a little sorry for the Young Master. He knew how loud wolf children could be. He loved them, they were his brothers and sisters, but even he suffered from them from time to time when the adults dumped the care of the other children on him.
There were ten children who emitted an aura that made Cale believe that they would be very strong in the future. Even though their parents, cousins, and other family members were killed right before their eyes, the strong and steadfast expressions in the little ones' eyes allowed Cale to understand that all of these little ones had managed to maintain their purity. They were not strangers to a sense of gratitude.
Choi Han looked at the crowd of noisy children with a strange but warm expression on his face. To him, they were not only Lok's juniors, but also proof that he could do something too.
From the moment they met at the city wall, his double fell under the influence of Professor Hanitus. He constantly monitored him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, essentially taking over the leadership of his first "exploits." And when the other him left Puzzle, Choi Han was genuinely worried that things would end badly. According to the "book," his solitary wanderings brought rather disappointing results.
But there they were. Ten small, vibrant, vital results. Cale may have been the cause of the change, but he wasn't there. Choi Han and Rosalyn were there. They had protected the children. They had done it. If his double could do it, so could he. It was very comforting.
There was no one among them who was too young. It seemed that all the children were between ten and thirteen years old.
"They probably need a tutor, not a nanny."
However, Cale decided that he would not be the one to provide them with a tutor to train, and waved his hand at Locke to clear the way up. The boy then turned and began to climb up. Although he did not respond and ignored the little ones, Cale could still hear the children continuing to shout their thanks after him. This gave the boy another chill.
- He's so cute when he gets scared by a pack of little wolves.
- You don't understand! Two wolf-slayer cats can't handle all ten at once!
— AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Bilos walked to the second floor right behind Cale.
- Young Master Cale, what have you done?
Cale answered the question without hesitation:
- What can I do for a peaceful existence in the future?
Bylos had a disbelieving expression on his face as he pulled some alcohol and a couple of glasses out of the cabinet. He then sat down across from Cale and filled his glass.
— …You don't see me in front of you?
— … Sorry, Young Master, I was too lost in thought.
While everyone was looking at the screen in anticipation of an interesting conversation, the little dragon, realizing that it was rather boring, decided to look around. He looked from one occupant of the chair to another, until he suddenly froze.
"I don't know what's bothering you, but you can't just drink alone."
— … Young Master Cale.
The young man filled Bylos's glass before answering:
- What?
- Odeus-nim is my uncle by blood.
Alberu, who felt the dragon's sudden tension on his shoulders, turned away from the screen and looked at the child, whose eyes had become completely black, his pupils had dilated so much, and followed his gaze. He, too, froze.
Odeus-nim. For Bylos, who was not allowed to use the last name "Flynn", it was forbidden to even call his uncle "uncle". However, Odeus was the only adult who treated Bylos warmly during his childhood.
In the novel, Odeus once said to Bylos: "I consider you my nephew and family. You are worthy of it."
Vitira, who was sitting right across from the elf-dragon couple, noticed their strange behavior and looked in the same direction. And in surprise, she grabbed the hand of the person closest to her. Mary.
This proposal became the starting point and turning point in Bylos' life. After he met Choi Han in the novel through Odeus, Bylos was amazed by the strength of the protagonist of the novel. He also decided to establish himself as a leader.
— Young Master Cale. Aren't you curious as to why Odeus-nim is running a small Merchant Guild even though he bears the surname Flynn?
Mary had not expected any physical contact at all, so she flinched in fear and looked at Vitira. Realizing that her attention was not focused on her, and the unexpected "grab" by the hand was most likely reflexive, she also turned around.
"Aren't you curious? I already know about it."
Odeus was the one who had complete control over the northwestern and central underworld. Cale filled his glass and replied casually:
— Do I need to pry about Flynn's name?
Then he drank the wine from his glass and saw that Bylos was smiling.
- I see. Perhaps the name Flynn is not such a great name.
- Whether it's you or Odeus, it's the same. You're Flynn too.
- I'm just a bastard.
Locke noticed the Whale Princess's gaze and looked in that direction as well. He then cocked his head to the side in confusion, in a completely puppy-like manner.
Cale snorted and replied to Bylos:
— Just because you're a bastard doesn't mean you're not Flynn. Everyone else just keeps thinking you're Flynn.
Catching a movement to her right out of the corner of her eye, Rosalyn wanted to look at the wolf boy, but suddenly her gaze caught on something. Her mouth involuntarily opened in shock.
Although the family may not have allowed Bylos to carry the name "Flynn", everyone else considered him a member of the family. That was why no one ignored Bylos even though he was a bastard. The name "Flynn" as the owners of one of the greatest Merchant Guilds in this world was quite a significant name. That was true.
Noticing the Future-Former-Crown Princess's inappropriate behavior, the father-son duo, also realizing that almost no one was looking at the screen anymore, turned to the source of the strange tension. It took all the self-control of hired killers to keep their faces calm.
Bylos looked at Cale before taking the bottle from the boy's hands and filling his glass:
- Young Master...
- What?
- I feel that you speak very well about the right things.
- I have a little talent for this.
- That's why...
- Mmm?
Eruhaben, sitting at the edge, did not see all these glances, completely focused on the screen, but noticed a strange ripple of black fog. Fortunately, it spread across the entire area of the ceiling. Knowing that the fog did not move for no reason, and the room was still very quiet, he turned to the others in search of the cause of the disturbance in the fog. His eyebrow quickly shot up.
— What did you steal with the things you borrowed from me?
Bylos could see the smile on Cale's face as he said this. Cale raised his full glass and answered slowly:
- I've already stolen one thing and I'm planning to steal something else.
He has already saved the dragon, and the rest will happen tomorrow.
Choi Han, who had been calmly looking at the screen until now, felt a bunch of strange looks on him.
Looking around and seeing eyes of varying degrees of roundness and shock looking at him, he asked:
— Something wrong?
He sincerely did not understand what could have attracted such close attention to his person.
Rosaleen raised her hand and pointed at something above his face, periodically opening her mouth but still unable to utter a word.
- Strange Choi Han, you have strange snow on your head!
On the sword master's black hair lay strangely shaped pieces of something of different colors. The pieces were yellowish, brown and red. The little dragon did not have a large comparative library of knowledge, so he described it with the closest familiar word. He had seen snow before. Venion had once entered a cave, shaking it off his head.
And by common consent of those who had many more options for comparison, Choi Han looked like a wild cross between a man and a lamb.
Choi Han immediately raised his hand in an attempt to shake off the "snow" and, feeling a faintly familiar texture, stared in surprise at the lump in his hand.
— …This is not snow, Dragon-nim…
- What is this? - the child was still looking at these strange things with a predatory expression.
- It's popcorn!
Now everyone looked at these pieces with hungry curiosity. Especially Bikros and Vitira. The legendary snack, approved by the God of Death. Although the presentation, of course, is specific.
The swordsman tried to shake off the excess food from his head, but it kept appearing on his head again and again. Moreover, what flew off his head did not reach the floor. Eruhaben decided that the God of Death really was a "Clean God".
"I want to try it!" Rosalyn even clapped her hands.
Having failed in his efforts, the swordsman did not know what else to do. The more he shook off, the more appeared. He blushed so much that even Lock would have envied him. This situation was even more ridiculous than the strange comments of the two princesses. He looked at the others and begged for help with his eyes.
"I think I have an idea," His Highness sighed slightly.
Alberu saw the eyes of the suffering teenager. He reached for the stack of papers and, taking the top sheet, rolled it into a decent-sized cone - the format allowed it - and, standing up, approached the victim of the gastronomic annexation of the head. Together with the little dragon, they carefully shook popcorn into the cone. The dragon shook it, and the prince folded new cones.
Everyone watched this action with curiosity and completely forgot about the conversation between Cale and Bilos.
During the "harvest" the child did not miss the opportunity to broaden his horizons.
- Strange God?
— Maybe we should go back to "Cleanliness"?
"Does popcorn grow on human hair?" the child ignored the remark and continued shaking the popcorn into a new bag.
- No. It grows in the fields, just like corn should.
- Why does it grow on Choi Han?
The answer did not come immediately. The fog swirled and seethed, but remained silent, until it finally said:
— …...It just happened. Just enjoy it while you can.
After this, the fog again froze into a continuous haze and showed no further signs of movement.
Eruhaben had never heard a more idiotic lie. But he noted this moment in the observation schedule.
When the paper container was filled with exactly ten pieces, the popcorn generation from the sword master's head finally stopped.
Vitira was delighted. The snack looked strange, but funny. At first glance, she would not have called it tasty.
The bags were handed out to everyone present by the happy dragon, who had not yet forgotten the lesson that the more you feed people, the more they will do for you in return. He hoped that this would work with popcorn too. The child himself returned to the chair with his portion, because no matter how comfortable the prince's jacket was, it would be uncomfortable to eat on it.
Bikros looked at what he had received with an extremely serious look. It was as if he was trying to understand its taste purely visually.
When everyone finally got a bite, there was a general chuckle of approval.
Choi Han was especially happy. He forgave God's mockery of his head as soon as he got a taste of his home world. It also brought back a couple of vague memories of going to the movies. He might not remember what exactly happened there, but the feeling from those memories was warm and joyful, so it was good anyway. He was ready to cry.
While everyone was trying the new snack, Cale managed to finish talking with Bylos and return home. They hoped that they hadn't missed anything important.
Of course, Cale was just enjoying the time he had spent and went home to prepare for the next day. He had to start moving in the middle of the night, which made him want to go to bed early that evening. Unfortunately, he couldn't do it:
— Ron?
Mary and the Black Dragon came to the conclusion that all three flavors were good, but sweet came first.
The servant bowed to Cale, greeting him:
"Young Master, this old man would like to make a request, if possible."
— A request?
Ron was surprised. It was not in his nature to approach the Young Pup with a request. Outwardly, he and his double were very similar in manners and actions. Although he had already asked for a "day off". He was curious about what was going on in his other self's head. There had already been some kind of shift in perception, they were already different, he wanted to know why. He took another piece of popcorn. Salty.
Ron raised his head and began to speak:
- Please take care of my son.
- Son? You mean Bikros?
— Yes?
- Why?
Bikros, who was currently savoring a piece of cheese and trying to figure out how to replicate it, froze and returned his attention to the screen. As entertaining as it was to study food from another world, his father in the other world was clearly about to do something stupid.
Cale saw the soft smile disappear from Ron's face. It was the first time Cale had seen such a harsh expression on Ron's face. Ron began to speak with that killer expression on his face:
— I need to hunt foxes.
- Apparently, I decided to hunt for the organization myself...
Bikros knew his father's strength, but he couldn't help but worry.
- Father. If you decide to do something similar here, I ask you to take me with you. Reinforcements never hurt anyone.
Ron looked at his son with a complicated look. On the one hand, his son was worried about him, and that warmed his heart. But on the other, he doubted his skills, and that was a jab at his pride.
He never answered.
Even though he was old, Ron was still a killer. Ron changed his expression again and began to speak:
"Our Young Master knows that I am the one who kills people, right?" The old man's face was currently stoic, and only the corners of his lips were slightly raised.
Cale felt the drunkenness disappear instantly. He felt a chill.
The only sound in the room was the quiet crunch of popcorn. Cale was right. Watching other people suffer while eating popcorn was much more fun.
Cale hid this cold feeling and trembling deeper and asked:
- And what?
Ron was about to smile softly again when he heard that little brat, the Young Master, speak in his usual annoying and rude tone, but he suppressed his urge and replied,
- So, I'm going to kill people.
"You just said that?" Rosalyn froze, her popcorn halfway to her mouth.
- Most likely, he wanted to see his reaction, - but the former butler reported. With all the due respectability of an elderly gentleman.
- Will you leave your son?
— Yes, sir.
— Are foxes people?
Cale knew how Ron the killer smiled. It was a very weak smile, just the corners of his lips slightly raised. It was what made the person looking at Ron think that it would be better if he didn't smile at all.
Everyone except the Molans agreed with Cale. It was truly a horrific picture.
Ron replied quite satisfied:
- That's right, I have to kill a group of foxes.
But his voice remained cold.
- Tear them to pieces.
There could only be one possible outcome: either Ron's body would be torn to pieces, or he would tear his targets to pieces. There was no third option.
If no one would have believed it before, now no one saw a third option. And Ron puffed up a little from the praise. For him, it sounded like the biggest compliment.
Cale felt goosebumps run across his skin when he heard the phrase, "tear them to pieces." Then the young man sank into thought.
Ron could see Cale standing there, saying nothing. His Young Master, that insolent brat, finally spoke after a few sighs had escaped his lips.
— … Go and come back.
— Huh?
This surprised many. Hadn't he dreamed of dumping the butler for good? The crunching changed to a thoughtful one. Only the child was rummaging around in the bag, looking for caramel popcorn.
The smile disappeared from Ron's face. Cale, who was already in his pajamas and lying in bed, continued speaking:
- I'll tell Hans that you're going on vacation. Contact me as often as possible. You can get money from the Flynn Merchant Guild with your ID plate. And why did you decide to leave Bikros to a nobody like me? He's an adult now and can decide for himself what to do with his own life.
"I suspect it's because the Hanityuz household has been safe up until now. And the Young Master, after his 'change of character', is more trustworthy."
- Mmm... crunch... looks like it.
Cale decided to think for a moment. Ron didn't want to go with Choi Han right now. Now that Lock had been able to transform into a controlled berserker state, Choi Han was fine without Ron or Bikros' powers.
But for Choi Han and more importantly for the peaceful northeastern region of the Roan Kingdom, Ron will need a year later.
— Do we know what will happen in a year?
— The only thing we know is that Choi Han will go to help the whale tribe around this time.
*Crunch*
— Cale said there was a war coming. He didn't say when. Volume 5 might involve more than just the whales versus the mermaids.
*Crunch-crunch*
- It makes sense...
- However, the duration of your vacation is only one year.
Cale leaned back against the pillows and continued:
- Enjoy your vacation.
"Because I have a job for you that needs to be done in a year."
- Don't get hurt while you're there.
Cale stretched out his legs, thinking about his wonderful dreams that would come true next year. Then he looked at Ron and shuddered.
The old man, who seemed speechless, was actually laughing quietly. That evil look made Cale hide under the blanket.
"What's going on here?"
Many in the room felt a chill run down their spines. They had never seen anything more terrifying than a laughing butler in their lives.
The black dragon dove headfirst into the paper bag, convincing himself that the great and mighty dragon was not afraid of the butler, and that this way he would find the desired sweet morsel faster.
It occurred to Alberu that the Molans simply had to have an attribute of darkness somewhere in them. You can't be so scary for no reason.
And Rosalyn came to the conclusion that if the butler had laughed like that in front of old Young Master Cale, she would have been in his place, too, treating her nerves with alcohol. The next popcorn was eaten in memory of Cale Hanitus's dead nerves. As salty as his tears about lost peace.
Cale's gaze froze.
Ron continued to laugh quietly, not paying attention to the boy.
"I thought that little bastard was a son of a bitch, but I, Ron Molan, turned out to be what you'd call him."
"I still don't understand when and why you changed so much?"
Ron, as funny as Cale was, still didn't feel like listening to the Young Master. Maybe it was because they weren't shown interacting that much. There had to be other interactions on a more mundane level. Little things that could change everything. Like the first "thank you" and the first cup of lemonade. But he would continue to watch and think.
Like a dog looking at his master, Ron, thinking he was a dog, replied:
- Young Master. I will report to you once a month, okay?
- Yes, do as you wish.
Being the professional killer that he is, Ron opened the door and walked out of the room without making the slightest noise. He then said one last thing before closing the door behind him:
- See you in a year, Young Master.
- It sounded like a threat!
- Ho-ho-ho... Thank you, Miss Rosalyn.
"What do you mean by thank you?" the prince almost choked.
Without waiting for Cale's response, Ron closed the door. Cale quickly fell asleep, relieved to be free of Ron's presence for a whole year.
— Can you imagine how good he feels now? A whole year without lemons and jokes about rabbits.
- A-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Dawn came and six people appeared before Cale. Among them were those he had called personally, and others who had been invited through Choi Han.
As the day of the incident at the square arrived, everyone put aside their jokes. Cale's plan to prevent it began to take shape.
Cale looked at Rosalyn and began to speak:
- Miss Rosalyn, brown hair suits you very well.
"It really suits you. But bright red still suits you better," the Vitira's nodded thoughtfully at this remark, continuing to chew the delicacy from another world.
"Thank you, friend!" Rosalyn threw her thick hair over her shoulder, almost dropping her bag in a gesture of unnecessary theatricality.
Perhaps not everyone has put the jokes aside yet.
Rosalyn didn't know exactly what was going to happen today, but she understood the seriousness of the situation when she heard the words "magic bomb" and decided to help. Cale also promised her something in return for her help.
- Really? I thought it would be easier for me to hide.
- Locke, you should be able to use the physical strength of a wolf without transforming, right?
- Yes, sir. It is possible.
Lock stood there, and it was obvious that he was nervous. The Black Sphere had already been placed by Choi Han yesterday, so each of the two teams had to find and take care of the four bombs.
- Miss Rosalyn and Lock will be one team. Choi Han, Dragon, On and Hong will be the other team.
Rosalyn had a confused expression on her face when she heard Cale split the teams. Locke had the same expression on his face.
Basically, the same as everyone else.
"Why is it just me with Rosalyn-nuna?" the wolf boy asked, and only then realized what he had said. Just because he called her that in another world didn't mean he could do it in this one. He blushed as deeply and quickly as Cale after half a bottle of wine in one gulp, and tried to apologize somehow, but the words stuck as they came out.
Rosalyn looked at the teenager in surprise. She hadn't expected him to call her sister. After all, they hadn't gone through the same trials as their counterparts. But they had, so why not? She had experience with younger brothers.
She patted the boy's shaggy head.
"This older sister is very happy that she has such a cute younger brother," she said with a sweet smile on her face.
For a moment, Locke felt like he had signed his own death warrant.
— How about you, Young Master Cale?
Choi Han, Black Dragon, On and Hong answered this question at the same time:
- Cale-nim, a little... Hmm... His physical strength...
— Weak.
- We don't need him.
- He is useless.
- A-ha-ha-ha!
- They just went and said it, haha, - Her Highness the Princess really liked the way this company worked. Both of them.
"Ah," Rosalyn sighed and looked at Cale. Locke seemed very surprised as well. However, Cale himself handed over the items he had borrowed from Bylos to Choi Han and answered confidently:
"I am weak, so I will only be a burden. I also need to prepare for the upcoming celebration as soon as the sun rises, so it will be difficult for me to go with you."
- He doesn't even argue with them!
— Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Almost everyone was smiling. It really did look funny.
Only the black dragon, finishing the last of the caramel popcorn he had found, thought that it was better for the tame human to stay out of trouble. Was it for nothing that he had fed him?
They were going to use the short period of time when the night shift guards would be changing to the day shift to enter certain areas where the bombs were located and begin disarming them. After that, while the Black Sphere would be active, causing a disruption in the mana flow, all participants would have to wait in certain locations to observe the secret organization members in the square.
- So far, everything sounds very smart and quite plausible to implement.
— All that remains is to see the execution.