Ron thought this puppy was even more restless than the last one, no matter how calm he looked.
And Choi Han again caught himself thinking that being this guy's bodyguard was a separate category of heroic feat.
Cale didn't originally plan to destroy the maelstrom. He planned to take care of it using the Unbreakable Shield and the Viable Heart.
"But that was before I had the Black Dragon!"
He had no reason to do the hard work himself once the Black Dragon appeared.
- That's right, Tame Man! You don't have to strain yourself! Leave everything to my great and powerful double! - the dragon shouted from the Crown Prince's lap, not forgetting, however, to monitor the amount of bread in the food served. It was very comforting for him that it was not there.
Cale was eager to feed the Black Dragon, On, and Hong some fine food before sending his 'pets' away and welcoming his first guest.
- Human! - The dragon seemed to be very shocked.
Everyone waited with interest to hear what the dragon would say next.
- My double and the wolf-slayer kittens are always protecting you! You are our "pet"! - The dragon explained everything. It was all obvious to him.
The observers smiled at the mood of the little dragon. Except for Lok. He wondered if he would be reminded of the kittens' "dominance" over his race until his death. So far, that's exactly what it looked like.
- I don't know what you stole, but you did something incredible.
It was Bilos.
— I guess I'm a little famous today.
Bylos shook his head at Cale's words, who seemed unharmed. He saw Cale start drinking, claiming he was still hurt.
- You are truly famous, Young Master Cale. But are you sure you can drink yet?
- I have no reason to continue to lie in front of you.
- He is surprisingly honest with him.
- Bilos is a trader. It's one thing to keep quiet about something, even obvious, but quite another to lie to him. He's a good judge of character, as far as I understand. And it's much more profitable for Cale to keep him on his good side. How many people would rent out an item for a billion on almost their word of honor? - Alberu watched Bilos very closely. He was at the top of the list of potential allies. Flynn's own merchant guild was more on the side of the Central Region faction, if he remembered correctly. But Bilos, who was at odds with his family, could turn the game board upside down. He needed to build the right relationship with this man.
Bylos smiled as he filled Cale's empty cup. He then handed the boy the magical box.
- Here are the items you requested. Thank you for returning the items you took last time.
Cale returned the other items to Bylos through Choi Han. Cale patted this new box of items as he looked at Bylos.
- So the Mana Destruction Tool was never found in the bell tower.
- Choi Han was busy chasing the magician and the children were with him. Cale and Miss Rosalyn went to the palace and Dragon-nim did not leave Cale's side. So they could only take the Tool when the number of guards in the square was reduced.
- Well, that's what I'm saying. The guards didn't find the Instrument.
- Yes... - Albert needed to carry out some reforms in the ranks of the capital's guardians; they were of some use, like information guilds.
The young man had already decided how to use the first of two opportunities to buy something with the gold memorial plate.
He decided to buy some time.
Cale decided to buy some time in case the Northern Knights, dangerous creatures not only of the Roan Kingdom but also of the Breck Kingdom and other nearby northern kingdoms, began to move south.
All attention returned to the screen. Especially Ron and Eruhaben. They had not forgotten Cale's thoughts in the square. They were bursting with curiosity, but they did not show it outwardly.
Seriously speaking, besides the Northern Knights, there was also the Empire in the center of the Western Continent, the Mage Killer, and the Queen of the Southern Jungle. Cale decided to buy some time to be able to get away from all of them. It would be one thing if he was still on his own, but now there were others he had to take care of.
"The wolf cubs definitely made it onto that list. Did he count us, I wonder?" Choi Han was very interested in this question. Because his double had definitely put himself on that list. Or would do so in the near future.
— Bylos.
— You also deal with information?
— Not me directly, but I am aware of what has been happening lately.
Bilos was indeed a trader. He got the information he needed very quickly.
— The Western Continent is on the verge of collapse, and this is a great time for merchants like me to make money.
— Traders will strive for anything that will bring them profit.
Alberu carefully wrote down the most significant, in his opinion, details of the conversation and his thoughts on this matter. The traders were very smart people. And they were well oriented in the realities of the continent. Also, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of Bylos was very useful.
Bylos liked Cale, who understood traders well. He also liked that Cale didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.
- The Kingdom of Viper will soon be plunged into unrest. I'm sure you're already expecting it.
Bylos nodded. Mages and non-magicians could no longer coexist in the Kingdom of Viper.
Rosalyn thought that before she dealt with the Archduke, she would give him a small thank you. It was because of him that she hadn't reached the Kingdom of Viper and had turned to Huiss in search of information. Perhaps, by trying to kill her, he had accidentally saved her life. Not that it had helped him much, but still.
"That's why I'm trying to figure out how I can use this situation to make money in this chaos. Young Master Cale, what do you think would be the best investment?"
Cale answered Bylos' question easily.
- People.
The mages will be defeated in the civil war, and the Magic Tower will be destroyed. Then what will happen to the remaining mages? Not all mages will die after the civil war.
Alberu thought it was a very interesting question.
The Kingdom of Viper had the largest stockpile of magical devices on the Western Continent. There were many mages who stayed away from power and politics, but there would be no such mages in the Kingdom of Viper after the civil war.
In the novel, Crown Prince Albert Crossman was going to solve this problem. As for the destruction of the Magic Tower, Rosalyn was a top-level mage, she decided to create a new Magic Tower in another place.
If Alber managed to pull the surviving mages over to the Roan Kingdom, it would be an undeniable advantage. The mages of the Viper Kingdom were amazing experts in their field.
Rosaleen felt again that indescribable feeling of elation at the thought that she had finally succeeded. She had realized her dream. It finally extinguished the last hesitation that had been tormenting her. Now she could move forward without any doubts. It was refreshing.
Bilos was a very smart man.
- You think that magicians will look for a new home.
Cale didn't give Bylos a direct answer.
The Mages needed to lose the civil war for the Kingdom of Viper. It was the only way for them to move towards a better future.
Choi Han couldn't understand why the civil war had started. Surely there had to be a good reason? Maybe he just missed the point at some point?
However, Cale did not attach much importance to these things.
What he really wanted was something else.
The Western Continent's largest supplier of the most advanced magical devices, Cale needed things that would remain after the civil war.
"He decided to buy some kind of magical item that would help him?" Alberu raised an eyebrow, but did not stop writing.
The black dragon watched him closely. He thought he was beginning to understand the basics of this language. At least he hadn't seen any new symbols for a while.
- That would be smart. They'll probably sell them cheap, in an attempt to get rid of the magical legacy as quickly as possible.
— Inform me immediately as soon as the Magic Tower is destroyed.
— … May I ask why?
Cale shrugged and answered easily:
- You'll know when it happens.
Magic Tower.
Cale planned to buy it.
The sound of paper being torn sharply was heard.
Everyone looked a little apprehensively at the Crown Prince, who sat with two halves of a leaf in each hand.
The news was shocking to everyone, but there were individuals there who were extremely sensitive to financial issues.
Rosalyn opened and closed her mouth several times. She wanted to ask if Alberu was okay, but for some reason she didn't want to know the answer.
The Magic Tower would be filled with irreparably broken magic devices after the civil war. Cale also had the means to purchase this Magic Tower. Alberu would also be unable to do anything about Cale's actions.
The prince began to shake.
The black dragon, who saw Alberu's face from the closest distance, noted that the prince's eyes were surprisingly empty.
- I'm looking forward to it.
Cale agreed. He was looking forward to it too.
Buying the Magic Tower will buy him some time. It will give him time to protect himself from danger. It will be very expensive, but…
"Besides… It's not my money."
- Oooooooood... - The Prince seemed to be returning to reality. It happened faster than when the Mana Destruction Tool first appeared.
He looked at the screen and saw the main enemy there, if not of the world, then of himself. When he thought about the usefulness of the golden tablet as a gift, he did not expect that the red-haired bastard would immediately aim for something so big. He supposed that he could buy himself a house on the outskirts of the kingdom for a quiet life. But THIS house he did not imagine.
The former butler and the ancient dragon were jubilant in their hearts. The guy didn't disappoint. It wasn't entirely clear why he needed a bunch of incorrectly broken magic items, especially when there was a dragon next to him, no less, but there had to be an explanation. Cale hadn't done anything useless yet. Which meant there had to be a good reason.
Alberu took a few calming breaths. He was thinking the same thing as the older duo. The news of the purchase of the Magic Tower was very unsettling, but… Although Alberu "couldn't do anything about it," he couldn't hide it from him either. And Cale knew that. So he wasn't going to hide his purchase. That was already giving him pause. Just because he hadn't yet seen the direct reason for buying the Tower didn't mean there wasn't one. It didn't make the act any less bastardly, but it was worth thinking about.
While everyone was digesting the news they had received, a new guest appeared in the Young Master's room.
Cale looked at the open terrace window before flinching at the sight of whatever had thrown itself through that very window.
- What is this?
A palm-sized clay doll flew through the window. He and Hong jumped into the boy's arms in fear.
Vitira, who was less shocked by the purchase of the Magic Tower due to her lack of interest in life on land, was touched by the picture of the Young Master with two frightened cats and a curious dragon. They looked so cute that it was simply unfair.
This was because the face of this clay doll was simply terrifying. It looked more like a zombie than a doll. The Black Dragon spoke in Cale's head with its magic as usual:
- I feel the power of God.
— Brother.
A name popped into Cale's head.
Crazy Priestess.
— Cage.
Eruhaben stared at the clay figurine curiously. It was an interesting way to use the power of God. He leaned in to take a closer look.
As soon as he said this name, the clay doll, which had neither eyes nor ears, but a mouth, began to speak:
"I knew you would recognize me, Young Master Cale. This doll is connected to me. It is a disposable item that can only listen and speak.
She was indeed capable enough to call the priestess a necromancer.
Rosalyn noticed the black robe fluttering again.
"I was probably right in my assumption."
The sorceress pretended not to know any of this. Everyone in this room was gradually revealing new and unexpected sides. If Mary really was a necromancer, then seeing how hard it was for the Crown Prince to reveal his secret when he was almost cornered, it would be even harder for her. And they had something to discuss now anyway. So let it all come out in due time.
- Today we leave the capital. I am sure that Young Master Cale will not like the fact that we address you like this.
"Correct. Absolutely correct."
— However, Taylor said that he had something he wanted to tell you. "Young Master Cale, when I take back my position, no, when I rise one level above my original position, I will return to repay you for helping me." This is what he wanted to convey to you through me.
"So Taylor isn't going to reclaim his title of heir. He's going to immediately displace his father."
"It's in our interests. The more I see, the more trustworthy Young Master Taylor is," Albert drawled.
Everyone agreed with that. Taylor was a good person. And Eruhaben's pet duckling.
— Do whatever you want.
The clay doll began to smile at Cale's words before it began to melt. He and Hong dug deeper into Cale's clothes to hide as they watched the doll melt.
- Then please be healthy, Young Master Cale.
The clay doll disappeared without a trace.
"I must admit, it's creepy," Bikros drawled in a scary voice. He didn't like dirt at all, but here this thing was melting on the Young Master's carpet.The Black Dragon looked at the empty space where the clay doll had stood just a moment ago before turning his gaze to Cale.
- After this, I will be able to take revenge?
The black dragon raised its head when it heard its double's words. Now it waited impatiently for the human's answer.
Once Taylor Stan returns to power and becomes the master of Marquis Stan's estate, the current Marquis and Venion will have to face the wrath of this Black Dragon.
- Yes, at that time you can do whatever you want.
- Fabulous.
The Black Dragon decided when to take revenge after learning about the current situation at Marquis Stan's estate from Cale.
The dragon was going to strike Venion and the Marquis when they were at the brink of despair. He was going to show them what true despair was and make them suffer.
The Black Dragon happily flapped its wings. It was truly an evil creature.
"They decided to strike the final, crushing blow when Venion was on the very edge of the abyss," Ron was very, very pleased. He liked that line of thinking. He wanted to see it.
"Well, he really knows how to take revenge," the ancient dragon drawled. He hoped that they would take it out on him properly.
The black dragon vibrated excitedly. He liked this plan.
And Choi Han suddenly remembered the lemon tea he had slipped Ron and again thanked everyone in heaven for saving him from the fate of ending up on the list of those who had fallen out of favor with the red-haired nobleman.
The next morning, as soon as it was light, Cale was already standing by the carriage.
Rosalyn, Choi Han, and Lock were leaving them. Cale looked at the three of them with a calm expression.
"Kale-nim, if you see that bastard mage, tell the Dragon to kill him right away. The only thing you need to tell him is to cut off that bastard's head so he won't be as useless as me, who could only cut off his arm."
Choi Han had been spewing such vicious things since early morning.
Choi Han was once again being stared at.
- What? It's not that he was wrong!
- Stop scaring Young Master early in the morning.
"You left! Someone has to replace you," said the sword master with a wry smile, causing a wave of admiration for this heroic act. Only he dared to openly be rude to the butler. Eruhaben could still do it, but why bother?
"I will definitely become stronger and come back! So make sure you listen to Young Master while I'm gone. Think seriously about what I told you last time. It's important for your future. We all need to become stronger." Lock was surrounded by his ten younger brothers and sisters, telling them what he was thinking.
Locke looked at his youngest with love in his eyes. The children seemed happy and did not look scared. He believed that everything would be fine with them. They were smart children. The Young Master would hardly make the children blow up the whirlpools, so everything should be calm.
Rosalyn was whispering with the Black Dragon inside the carriage, and it was so quiet that even Cale couldn't hear them.
- Dragon-nim, this is a textbook on the alphabet of the Roan Kingdom, and this one is on the language that is the common language of the continent.
- Thank you, human. I am great and powerful, so I will learn everything quickly.
- Naturally. Dragon-nim is great and powerful. I pray that you will come up with a cool name for yourself.
- I'll ask him to come up with a name for me.
— … I'm sure if you tell him exactly what you want, he will understand.
— Hmmm.
Eruhaben, Rosalin, Alberu, and the Black Dragon himself all looked at the screen with varying degrees of shock in their eyes. A human choosing a name for a dragon. This was unheard of!
The dragon thought for a moment and decided that this suited him. He wanted to hear what options the human had. The tame human was surprisingly smart for such stupid creatures as humans.
Cale turned to Choi Han and interrupted him as the other man continued to talk about what Cale should do without his care:
- Kayle-nim, your survivability will increase if you can land one powerful blow before running away. Also.
- Enough of this nonsense.
Cale stoically continued talking to Choi Han, who immediately shut up.
"Hooo! Three cute kids aren't enough, but can one Cale calm him down?"
— Just make sure you don't get hurt.
— … Yes, I will definitely do that.
Cale didn't want to see Choi Han's innocent smile anymore, so he got into the carriage. Rosalyn jumped out as soon as Cale got in.
The young man felt the weight of the invisible Black Dragon, as well as On and Hong on his lap, after which he looked out the window and turned to Hans:
- Let's go.
While the servants of the estate went out to see the Young Master off, "cursing" him to return to the capital, Albert, sensing the imminent end of the fragment, began to collect the necessary papers. Very soon they would have to have a real brainstorming session.
— We look forward to seeing you in the future!
"What utter nonsense."
Cale had no intention of returning to the capital. He merely waved casually to those seeing him off, then closed the curtains.
This action was a signal. Cale's group had two more crews when he left the capital, which was different from how he arrived here. And so he moved northeast.
Ubarr. Cale headed toward the sea, which had been riven with whirlpools for hundreds of years.
And with that the screen went dark and the wall returned to its original state.
- Good! This was a very rich passage. I invite you to share your thoughts and ideas, - the Crown Prince looked at everyone in turn.
The sorceress was the first to speak.
"I think it will be easier and safer for all of us if the incident follows the 'original' scenario.
- As in "book"? Why? - Mary didn't understand. Locke also looked with curiosity.
"In the first option, all ten bombs were in the square. There were no suicide bombers. Less chance of missing a bomb," Choi Han quickly realized the most important difference that could help them.
- Right! That's exactly what I meant. We're safer this way.
- But why did they appear at all?
The room fell into a thoughtful silence. A lot could have changed, but what events played a decisive role?
"Wolves!" Locke suddenly shouted, startling everyone a little.
— Wolves?
- Yes! In the first scenario, everyone was killed, - the boy said with difficulty, - and in the second, there were witnesses.
— In the "original" they thought they had killed everyone and acted without fear...
- And in this they were seen and scared off. There were three adults there: me, Choi Han and the merchant. We would have done the same thing as Choi Han did, reported what happened to the local lord!
"Thereby revealing their existence," Alberu agreed, "in neither the first nor the second scenario, the organization knew that Choi Han was a survivor of the Harris village and could identify them.
- So, we are following a scenario where the crazy magician should not end up in the Blue Wolf tribe?
- Yes. We can't give them a reason to worry. Let them think everything went well. But I'm afraid the Blue Wolves will have to change their place of residence. Just in case. We might even have to destroy the village so the organization doesn't know what exactly happened there.
It was an interesting idea. Locke felt bad about destroying his home, but it was better to be alive and safe than to expect a blow at any moment.
- This still needs to be discussed with the village elders. They may have ideas too.
- Good. Options for action on the square?
- The Mana Destruction Tool is an indispensable thing in this case. We will need it to quickly find bombs planted on people. Moreover, we know that it will definitely work, - the princess was considering the safest options.
"But we'll also look for the previously planted ones in advance, right?" Choi Han frowned, "We might not have enough ten minutes for all the charges."
"We'll have more than ten minutes," Albert objected, "they were acting secretly, so the mages didn't know what was happening. I can order them to stall for time, and we'll have more."
- But it's better to remove the first five in advance, just like them.
- I didn't argue with that. But having some extra time is good anyway.
- Okay, but we could use more people involved. The same magicians to search for bombs.
- Is that a good idea? From what I understand, not every mage can sense a magic bomb. And the mages who were in the square are far from Miss Rosalyn. No offense, Your Highness, - Vitira doubted the competence of the mages.
Alberu nodded. He knew it himself.
"Actually, I think we need to keep up the pretense that the Kingdom doesn't know anything about the Hand. If they realize we know, they might change their course of action. So the operation itself needs to remain as secret as possible."
It sounded logical. And even Cale was on the same page. The less I change, the more I know.
"In that case, I suggest…" Alberu hesitated uncharacteristically.
Everyone waited impatiently for his next words. Having gathered his courage, he finally continued:
"Then I suggest we ask the Dark Elves for help," he finished rather abruptly.
It was still new to him to speak of it out loud outside the Dark Elves themselves, much less involve them in any kind of dealings.
Everyone was very surprised. No one expected such a proposal. Rosalyn was especially surprised.
"Your Highness, I know nothing about the Dark Elves, can you tell me what you mean?" the sword master asked as carefully as he could.
The black dragon stared at the prince with stars in his eyes.
Seeing the calm reaction of those gathered, he calmed down a little and explained:
— The dark elves are always present in the palace, in case I need help. They are all ours. And we cannot completely rule out the presence of people from the Hand in the palace. It is not easy to arrange this. Perhaps they were helped from within. And not necessarily by people from the Hand. Someone from Marquis Stan's faction can report unrest among the palace servants, and he will then pass it on. We need to limit the circle of those involved.
Everyone nodded. It was indeed possible.
"The Dark Elves are my family. They are good people, and they will help us. They are good at hiding, they are more sensitive to mana than the average mage, and they have elementals that can help the cause.
The ancient dragon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It was indeed a sensible suggestion. He nodded.
- That makes sense.
"Okay, then we rely on you, Your Highness," the sorceress turned to the Prince.
He nodded. It was very liberating that no one spoke out against it, or even looked like they did.
"What to do with a crazy mage?" the swordsman asked in a tense voice. He didn't want to lose him.
- And with a magician things become easier.
Everyone looked at Ron in surprise.
— While the Tool is working, the mage won't be able to cast spells, right? — seeing Rosalyn, Alberu and Eruhaben nod, he continued, — in our world, there will be no reason for me to go searching for information anymore, I will also be in the square. And given the help of the Dark Elves, there are more of us, and Choi Han can leave the search for charges to them and deal with the attackers. Redika won't be able to teleport himself or teleport others. While the Mana Destruction Tool is working, his only defense is the other members of the organization. The sword master is not a knight, it's not that easy to stop him. We don't know where the mage was supposed to appear after escaping. Our main task is to not let him leave the square at any cost. It's possible that he can even be kept alive for interrogation.
- How are we going to do that? - Choi Han stared at the former butler. A living mage is a problem. And he really wanted to kill him.
"Let's cut off his hands," the satisfied old man said simply.
Choi Han stared at Ron, who stared back.
- I'll take the right one!
- This old man will take the left one.
This vicious couple, for the first time in history, were on the same wavelength.
- Oooooo. We have a rough, but still quite excellent plan. What else can we discuss right away? - asked Alberu, throwing their plan on a new, whole sheet of paper.
— Naval base?
- I'm still thinking about how to push the Young Masters towards this idea. But they are wonderful people, that's also good to know.
— Buying the Magic Tower?Alberu flinched again, but quickly pulled himself together.
"Cale said he wanted to buy time. So there must be something in the tower that would help him with that," he said, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself of that. They looked at him with pity.
- Young Master Taylor is very ambitious about revolutionizing the family.
- That's very good. We'll help him with that in every way.
"So Venion will suffer, huh?" The dragon asked what interested him most.
- Only if he lives to see it, Dragon-nim. It all depends on you, - the child was stroked again. Now the belly.
"We can still discuss Bilos's suspicious behavior, but I suggest we keep an eye on him some more," added Alberu.
There were no objections.
— Then we decided.
"I think the next person the Young Master will meet will be me," Vitira said thoughtfully, "he's met almost everyone here, and he could only meet me at the ocean, where he's heading. But I can't imagine how I ended up there. We're far north right now."
That was also likely.
"Then let's continue and see, shall we?" The Crown Prince looked around again. Everyone nodded and got ready.
- God of Death-nim, we are ready.
The wall melted without comment.