Part 10.4 "Pet"
Chapter Text
A week later, Cale stepped out of the carriage. On the door of this carriage, the Golden Turtle of the Haniteuz family was visible.
- It's just like that time.
Cale agreed with the Black Dragon's words that sounded in his head.
"They're back in the square?" Locke asked, surprised.
"Most likely, some kind of celebration will take place in honor of the victims; this is normal practice," the Crown Prince explained.
- Let's hope that the Hand doesn't do anything this time.
Cale simply walked forward, only looking at his place. The squad of knights of the Hanityuz family, led by their vice-captain, led the Young Master in the center of their formation in order to protect him.
As Cale walked towards his goal, he heard someone from the crowd shout something that sent shivers down his spine:
- Oh! It's Young Master Silver Light!
Cale immediately frowned.
— Ghm… Khem…
— Eh
- What was that?
- Cool nickname? - Locke liked it. It looked very appropriate.
Cale saw a smirk on the vice-captain's face before he made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a fake cough and began to frown. The vice-captain leaned in slightly to whisper in Cale's ear.
"Young Master, I think they call you Young Master Silver Light because cool people like you should get awesome nicknames.
"Shit".
Cale bit back the harsh words that threatened to spill from his lips.
Young Master Silver Light, Young Master Shield, he didn't want to hear such trashy and embarrassing things. However, Cale knew that it would have been much worse if it weren't for the Crown Prince controlling all the rumors, and so he couldn't say anything about it.
- He-he-he...
Hearing the unexpected sound from His Highness, everyone turned towards him.
— I just thought, if the other "me" controls all the rumors, didn't he come up with this stupid nickname for him?
The very thought of it lifted his spirits.
- And you are cunning, Your Highness! - Rosalyn was also delighted.
Choi Han, Black Dragon, Mary and Lock looked confused. They liked the sound of it.
Eruhaben rolled his eyes again. He thought humans were pretty petty creatures. He left out the fact that dragons were even worse.
All he could do was stoically reply to the vice-captain, who shrugged:
- I'm sure they'll stop if I drink and do what I usually do, right?
— Ghe… Kha!
The vice-captain had nothing to say to this and chose to turn away. This made Cale start to smile, but the smile disappeared immediately. And this was due to what the vice-captain said next:
- I think it would be better if you abstained from drinking, since you have not yet fully recovered.
"This Vice-Captain is a bit strange. He was by Young Master's side the entire journey to the capital and saw that he wasn't causing trouble. Even Hans realized that Cale wouldn't do anything. Why was he so scared?"
— Reflex?
"We must remember that among the servants of the Haniteuz family, only the old laundress Louise did not raise any questions.
It was still a big, big question mark.
Cale was still officially recovering.
The official story was that he was injured because he used his Ancient Power, inadvertently exceeding his physical limits, to protect the crowd, thus causing a miracle that prevented the explosion.
- He even managed to get out of it here.
- Mm?
- And even more. Not only is everything presented as a coincidence, but now the general public will not allow pressure on him. He suffered sooo much for a good cause, and is now recovering. Take your hands off the sick boy, - Eruhaben said in a cheerful voice, even putting his hand to his heart.
The ancient dragon was extremely amused by this man. You have to be able to turn reality to your advantage like that. It doesn't come from reading a book. It only comes with experience. And doing it in a new world is doubly difficult.
This wonderful story naturally arose under the leadership of the Crown Prince. That is why the staff of the Haniteuz residence were busy protecting the injured Cale.
— And who exactly are they protecting him from?
— Like "Ducklings"? From any irritants?
In fact, even the Sword Master admitted that Eric Wilsman really did look like a duckling.
"Cale has interfered with some 'unknown group'. Most likely, he is being protected from their revenge or something like that," Alberu noted.
Actually, the prince's words made more sense. But it wasn't as funny.
Cale thought about his father, Count Deruth, who had also planned to come to the capital a few days ago. This is what Deruth and Violan said when they talked via video link:
- Cale, did you see the faces of those bastards? Your dad would kill them all for you! How dare they do this to a man who can't even swing a sword?!
"The reason why the Haniteuz family hasn't taken action is not because we're weak. Remember that, Cale. We haven't taken action until now because we're strong. In the future, no one will take such action against you."
— And again, it's strange… At first, the Hanityuzes seemed like a rather cool family. Then still strange, but not so cold. Now, such ardent support. Are they serious? — Rosalyn didn't know what to think. This family gave her the creeps. Being naturally rather suspicious, she couldn't help but think that the Count's behavior was just for show, and nothing more. At least for now. She also thought that Cale's idea of having a financial safety net was a great one.
"The Count can be a very temperamental person. And act on emotions," and although there was some truth in this, Ron also looked at it with surprise.
Eruhaben decided for himself that if Count Derut had been a "temperamental person", he would have influenced his wayward child. The transmigrator had admitted this at the very first "family" breakfast. And from the outside, his actions really did look like a show. Turned to face the child as soon as he became socially acceptable? That was a pity, in the opinion of the ancient dragon. So far, out of the whole family, he could only call the younger children normal.
While everyone was returning to the thoughts they had cast aside when leaving the county territory, Cale had already taken his place in the square, causing some wrong but good impression on one of the guards. He was the only one who entered the square without any obstacles.
Cale was dressed in a more luxurious black outfit than usual. When he got to his seat, he heard:
— Cale.
- Hyun-nim, you arrived here quite early.
Cale smiled at Eric Wilsman, who called out to him before standing in his assigned seat. It was a seat for nobles. Cale stood there too. But why?
Eric Wilsman, Amiru, Gilbert and all the other nobles could only watch Cale silently. This was because they had all heard the news about Cale.
Cale Hanitus refused to accept the medal and asked that it be given to someone else.
He also dragged his wounded body to participate in the ceremony.
Eruhaben was becoming more and more interested in the red-haired boy's personality. In fact, he was most interested in the fact that he had come to this event. During the incident itself, he had been calm. Even when he had stepped forward and raised his shield, he seemed completely unconcerned about the people who had been hurt. He had simply noted the fact that they were there. It hadn't bothered him much during his rest in the palace either. The incident had passed and that was it. Forgotten. Considering his desire to remain on the sidelines and not draw attention to himself, refusing the medal was understandable. But why had he come to a ceremony where everyone would be looking at him anyway?
Amiru Ubarr looked at Cale, who in turn was looking at the sky.
- Today is such a beautiful day. Probably because we are here to honor the fallen.
Cale's red hair fluttered in the wind, creating a sharp contrast with his black attire. Amiru had an intrigued smile on her face when she saw Cale with his usual confident expression.
- When did it become normal for everyone around?
- Perhaps it is because of you, Young Master Cale.
- Me?
Cale looked at Amira with confusion. The girl responded with a calm and warm smile. The young man considered this reaction strange, but still said what he considered necessary.
—Are you leaving today, Young Lady Amiru?
- Yes. But I heard that you are leaving tomorrow too. Will we see you on our Ubarr family territory?
After this ceremony, Cale was going to visit the Ubarr family territory.
- Right after the ancient power?
- Well, that's why he went to the capital, among other things. And it's dangerous to go into the county. You never know, Count Derut might decide that his son hasn't "recovered" enough to let him out of the house.
Judging by the Count's loud screams over the communication device, this could indeed have happened.
- Yes, I want to see the ocean.
- I heard. Is this necessary for your recovery?
- Yes. It's nice to get some fresh air.
"Get my ass back. I'm perfectly healthy and I'm going there to get even stronger!"
However, Cale agreed with Amiru out loud and nodded before adding,
- Of course, this is not the only reason.
- Oh, of course...
Amiru, as well as Gilbert and Eric, who were listening to this, all began to smile. Cale also couldn't help but smile. After today, all the nobles would know what was going on.
Development and investment for the military base in the Northeast Coast. That's why Amiru and Gilbert were rushing back to their lands, leaving the capital already this evening.
Of course, this was only possible because the Hanityuz family had agreed to provide a significant amount of money for the Amiru and Gilbert families' territories. This was another reason why Cale had to visit the Amiru and Gilbert families' territories.
"So the Hanituzes have agreed. That's very good news for that world." Alberu wondered how possible that was in this world. How could he pitch the idea of a naval base without looking like a usurping prince?
- Another good question: how much of this decision is about good relations between the four families, and how much is the fact of an attack on the eldest son of the count.
It was a fair point. An attack on a child and a bunch of other people might well have prompted a desire to strengthen the defenses of his region. But he had already given the order to strengthen the city wall. Hmmm…
Cale agreed to do as Count Derut asked him.
— We are counting on you.
- Take care of us, Young Master Cale.
Cale waved at Amir and Gilbert not to worry, and when he turned around, King Zed had already arrived.
- Here's another reason.
- Heh, he provided it for himself too.
- Now that's foresight.
Then the memorial ceremony and medal presentation began.
King Zed spoke in a loud voice that was stronger than ever. There were still many people in the square, but the atmosphere was completely different. It was very quiet.
— We have gathered here today to show that we do not tremble with fear.
King Zed addressed the crowd again. This was not only a warning to his enemies, but also an attempt to rally the people. King Zed looked down on the square from the very top of the platform, and then continued speaking:
- Many people showed their heroic side during this incident. We were able to protect this land, as in the past, thanks to our bravery.
Choi Han sat, listened to the King and thought. There were quite a few people in line to receive the award. But he couldn't figure out what they had actually done that was so heroic. The knights who had rushed towards the members of the organization hadn't caught any of them. The mages, instead of stabilizing the mana, were looking for an instrument to distort it. Of course, this played into their hands, but that wasn't the point. The priests were trying to evacuate the square, he could see that clearly. Amir and Gilbert had to go far enough to bring one of them to Cale. The only people who could be awarded a medal for "heroism," in the sword master's opinion, were Cale and possibly Rosalyn. At least, judging from the point of view of a person who couldn't hear Cale's thoughts. They had done a lot, too, but they weren't under immediate threat of an explosion. They collected half of the charges before they had a chance to explode, and the other half under the cover of the Mana Destruction Tool.
Choi Han didn't think these people were bad or question their potential to do something heroic, not at all. They were probably good, conscientious people. It was just strange for him to see people who had contributed the least to the situation being rewarded.
But he also remembered thinking that people needed hope. People needed heroes. So, even though he found it strange, he didn't mind it too much. He just hoped that the people being rewarded were truly worthy.
It seemed that King Zed looked at Cale at that moment, but Cale hoped that was not the case. Cale turned furtively to look at the sky behind the king. Then he thought about what the Black Dragon had said:
— The Sun God's blessing? I don't sense the power of any god from these weak people. The only one special among them is the Crown Prince.
And this information surprised Alberu very much. Of course, he knew that there was no Blessing of the Sun God. But there was a curse. It was still a divine power and the dragon should have felt it. There were only three options. The first and most unlikely, over thousands of years of family history, it had lost enough power that the dragon did not feel it. But divine powers do not work that way. The second, the curse is cast only on the monarch. But the dragon did not sense anything from his father either. But his father is a human. The third option, the curse was passed on not by blood, but in other ways, and worked only when a person with darkness inside occupies the throne. He did not even consider the option that the curse does not exist at all.
The others looked at the prince with curiosity, but seeing that he was deep in thought about something, they did not pester him with questions. The little black dragon fidgeted a little in the prince's arms and settled down more comfortably. His Highness's jacket was beyond all praise.
Rosalyn was generally indifferent to this information. Royal families often simply made up legends to distinguish themselves from others. The Crossman family's Blessing from the Sun God was known, but they never bragged about it or drew special attention to it, unlike the Mogoru Imperial Family.
— In this regard, we will now distribute medals to these heroic individuals!
King Zed started the award ceremony and everyone went one by one to receive their medal.
— Waaaaaaaah!
Applause filled the square as if it had never been silent before. The Black Dragon's voice filled Cale's head again:
— People are very interesting.
— Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Cale heard the Black Dragon's voice, as well as the crowd's admiration for the knight who had just received the medal. Cale felt like he could guess what exactly the Black Dragon found interesting.
However, since Cale was a human, he understood the feelings of the people who were still alive better than the Black Dragon. There was a time for sadness, and there was a time for worry.
"That's an interesting observation," Eruhaben continued to notice the little things. Ron nodded his head in agreement. He noticed it too.
- Which?
- That he "understands the feelings of people who are still alive." This implies, at the very least, that he has been in a similar situation before and survived.
"We've already noticed hints that his life before the move was not easy. This is practically confirmation," the former butler added.
Choi Han tried to imagine what could have happened. But as far as he remembered, their home world had problems with terrorists too. And their world didn't have magic or heroes. No hero would save you there. When he thought that his countryman had gone through something like that, he felt sad.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
That's why he applauded for every medal that was given out. The atmosphere was much better now. People were all enjoying the award ceremony as if it was a festival, this cheerful atmosphere allowed some people to get closer to Cale right now.
- Young Master Cale.
Cale turned to the speaker in a quiet voice and spoke to him in a full voice:
- What happened, Young Master Venion?
Everyone focused on Venion. This was an opportunity to learn more about him. And the faces of the observers were not kind. The Crown Prince gently stroked the growling child. The growling became quieter, but did not disappear completely.
- I heard that you refused the medal. Will you regret it?
The gazes of the nobles who were looking at the platform focused on Venion and Cale. Cale knew why Venion was smiling like that and asking him that question.
- I want to kill him.
Cale was just worried that Venion's body would explode right here. He hoped that the Black Dragon would calm down while thinking about the medal.
"This is…" the Sword Master began.
"A completely justified fear," Eruhaben concluded.
Cale did indeed refuse the medal. The reason was simple. He didn't want to get "the record."
On the top floor of the royal library is a record of all the past rulers of the kingdom. Just below them are the records of all the "heroes" who have received various medals for their services throughout the history of the kingdom.
The crown used the fact that they needed to continue to provide these heroes with their reward money, and so they needed information about them, and in reality this information allowed the crown to keep track of the "heroes".
"Do such records really exist?" Choi Han asked the Crown Prince.
- This is normal practice. Heroes are strong personalities. No Kingdom will take their eyes off them. This is an elementary precaution. If the hero is a good person, then there will be no questions about him. But they may not be, - the answer came from Rosalyn. In the Kingdom of Breck, such records also existed.
Alberu nodded his head in agreement. He didn't see anything shameful in this either. Information is power.
Choi Han had to admit that it wasn't just unfounded curiosity. Again, they thought in different categories. As a commoner, he didn't like the fact of being spied on. But it was natural for the ruling families to keep an eye on people who could bring trouble to the kingdom and the people living in it.
Cale began to smile as he looked at Venion and spoke:
- Why would I regret it?
Cale had nothing to regret. He received a worthy reward and most importantly:
— It's enough that we managed to survive.
He was able to survive the incident without sustaining any serious injuries. This was the most important reward for Cale, no, for Kim Rok Soo. The area around Cale fell silent. After a while, Venion spoke up to break the silence.
- … I understand.
- Yes. I'm also very shy. I'm too embarrassed to go up there to receive a medal.
"You miserable bastard, you're as shy as…" Eruhaben couldn't even think of an analogy quickly.
"As in the former butler of humanity?"
Almost everyone came up with their own analogue. And almost everyone had the same one.
Venion's expression turned strange. However, Cale shrugged and turned to clap for the other man who had just received a medal.
The Black Dragon was discussing how to quickly and easily kill Venion before looking at Cale and the people around him and shaking his head.
There were too many people looking at Cale now. Both the nobles and the people below were looking at Cale. The Black Dragon thought that it would cause Cale a lot of trouble if he killed Venion now, so he decided to act like Cale, and still continued to watch the ceremony.
"The kid is learning to control himself, which is rather strange for a dragon of his age and living conditions. Perhaps it was Cale's promise to kill Venion later that played a role. But in any case, he is too obedient for a dragon. But the poor boy does nothing strange with the dragon, so it is entirely his choice."
Meanwhile, the ceremony was coming to an end.
An uneasy wind, accompanied by rain, entered the square. Cale threw his disheveled hair aside.
The Crown Prince said that Cale did not need to come to the memorial ceremony today, but the young man showed up.
This was due to the fact that he knew how hard the death of loved ones is.
"No matter how much he pretended that he didn't care, he still came because he understood."
Choi Han felt sad again.
He ended his tribute by placing his hand on his heart. This prompted a response from Eric, who began to speak:
- Cale! What happened?! Does your heart hurt?
"Why did he think his heart hurt?" Choi Han raised an eyebrow.
"Because he laid his hand on it?" Albert answered.
- Aaaaah... - the swordsman seemed to understand.
- In your world, is this a normal gesture in such situations? - The ancient dragon guessed the reasons for such a reaction.
- That's right, Eruhaben-nim.
Cale smiled at Eric's reaction and patted his chest twice. He felt the gold plaque in his inside pocket as he did so. It was the reward he had received from the Crown Prince.
"The Crown Prince was more generous than I expected."
"This is a completely acceptable 'monetary reward' for his contribution to saving people," the prince was forced to admit.
This gold plate gave Cale two chances to buy anything, no matter the cost.
It didn't matter whether he bought two loaves of bread or two mountains. All that mattered was that Cale could only use this opportunity twice. Cale was going to use both opportunities as efficiently as possible in the future.
- But why a plaque? - Mary had already asked. After all, it was possible to pay in money, as Cale had wanted initially.
- It's much more diplomatic. Instead of valuing people's lives in gold, Cale was given the opportunity to buy anything. It's a much more generous gift. And if the details of his "gift" were made public, people would respond much more favorably to that than to a specific amount of coins.
While Alberu was explaining to those present why a gold plaque was a good gift, he missed the on-screen Cale's thought that the prince would soon regret his decision. But Ron and Eruhaben didn't miss it. They were very interested in what he had decided to buy.
Meanwhile, the Hanityuz capital estate appeared on the screen again.
That was why Cale, who had finished preparing to leave the next morning after returning to his residence, handed over a piece of steak along with three other items to the Black Dragon. The Black Dragon grabbed the plate with the steak on it, asking,
- What is this for?
These three items were all Magic Bombs with their detonation devices removed. The compressed mana still existed in these bombs. For now, Cale only planned to use one of these three bombs. A mischievous grin appeared on Cale's face.
- Destroy the whirlpool.
"He's going to do WHAT?" Rosalyn's mouth dropped open in surprise.
- Is that even possible? Aren't they summoned by the Ancient Power? - Alberu was extremely skeptical.
"Until now, the boy's plans were working just fine," Eruhaben drawled.