Chapters 50-52. In the Whirlpool"
The segment began by showing them the coast of Ubarr territory. Apparently, nothing interesting happened along the way.
- Hmph! It smells like salt! Is this the sea?
The ginger kitten, Hong, looked out the open window of the carriage and sniffed the air. Cale nodded in response as he received the small round object handed to him by the Black Dragon.
"Hong has never seen the sea?" Bikros seemed surprised.
- Apparently so, why? - the swordsman raised an eyebrow.
— How did cats get to the Western Continent if not by sea?
Hmmm…
— Is this concentrated mana from the Magic Bomb?
The Black Dragon nodded at Cale's question and said:
- Yes, now we can create a new Magic Bomb.
Eruhaben looked at the human-dragon duo with undisguised interest. The little dragon, after receiving freedom from the red-haired manipulator, learned to do strange and rather large-scale things. Either find a bomb, or throw it far away in the still not quite stable flow of mana. Now he has learned to do them himself. Dragons really do become independent very early, but not to that extent. But you have to give the kid credit, he copes with his lessons perfectly.
Cale immediately cheered up after this confirmation and opened the carriage window wide. A cold sea breeze blew into the carriage and the young man looked at the northeastern sea. There were many islands in the ocean. There were many such small islands in the northeastern sea.
Silver Kitten, He, was also excited.
- Oh! Look at this sharp rock!
The sharp rocks they encountered along the entire route along the sea evoked not only fear, but also awe.
Cale looked at the Cliff of the Winds, the most beautiful landmark in the Ubarr family's territory. There were many small islands near this cliff.
The sword master finally understood what Cale and the Crown Prince had meant when they said tourism was useless here. The view from the window was quite unnerving. The cliff was beautiful, but if that was the most beautiful sight, then that was sad. So far, the only kind of tourism he could think of was extreme tourism.
Between the cliff and the islands were numerous raging whirlpools. These whirlpools were the reason why the sea in the Ubarr territory was so dangerous.
"The Mage Slayer ended up on one of these islands after surviving a shipwreck in one of these whirlpools. He ended up discovering the Sound of the Wind."
Alberu carefully wrote down Tunka's further description and assessment of his strength, under the curious gaze of the little dragon.
- What is written here? - the paw pointed to the longest word.
"It says 'strongest' here, Dragon-nim. And this word is 'barbarian,'" the prince explained patiently. "An elf teaching a dragon to read? His grandfather would go crazy."
Blue eyes looked back at the sheet of paper, searching for familiar letters.
"I just need to get my hands on this Ancient Power before he does."
If everything went as in the novel, it was still too early for Tunka to show up here. Cale thought there was no chance he would run into Tunka, and looked out to sea with satisfaction. This trip would go smoothly if he could avoid Tunka.
Cale, who was happily looking out the window, was able to see something on the horizon.
- Hm?
Cale rubbed his eyes a little, but the picture didn't change:
— Isn't this a whale?
A pod of large whales shot jets of water into the air as they crossed the northeastern sea. Cale suddenly felt an ominous premonition and clutched the ingredients of the Magic Bomb in his hand.
- Miss Vitira, is this by any chance the Whale Tribe?
"Sorry, it's hard to tell from this distance. In our animal form, we're no different from other whales," she just shook her head.
Whales usually lived in the northern sea. This was true for the Whale Tribe as well. Only during the war with the mermaids did the Whale Tribe come further south.
The Whale Princess nodded her head in agreement. It was just as the Young Master had said.
- I'm sure it's just a pod of whales. Lots of whales heading north. It's not strange, is it?
The Black Dragon's voice came from inside Cale's head.
— I feel a strong presence.
These words struck the young man's brain like a hammer.
"It looks like it's one of us," Vitira admitted. Although she wondered who it could be. She certainly didn't see herself in a pod of whales.
That was why Cale frowned when they arrived at the small village near Wind Cliff.
- Young Master Cale, did you fall ill on the road?
Cale shook his head at Hans' question.
- No, I just have a bad feeling.
- Ah, it must be due to the presence of rocks. However, our coachman is a master, so you don't have to worry.
It must be admitted that the road they were traveling on was indeed not for the faint of heart. And what the ducklings were hoping for when they went to the prince with an offer of tourism was completely unclear.
Cale ignored Hans's useless comments and extended his hand towards the approaching man.
- Long time no see, Young Lady Amiru.
- Greetings, Young Master Cale.
Amiru had a small, calm smile on her face as she greeted Cale and his entourage.
"Young Lady Amiru looks much calmer and happier than she did during her first days in the capital," Rosalyn was glad to see that the girl was doing well.
"She got what she had been striving for - the development of her territory. And with the support of the most reliable allies she had. Her pride in herself is understandable," Alberu looked thoughtfully at Amira. The naval base was indeed the best solution for this rocky coast.
However, something that Cale thought could never happen. This terrible situation began when one of Amiru's knights came to tell the girl:
"My lady, the man we saved has come to his senses," the knight quietly informed Amir, quickly approaching her.
- Oh, is that so?
"Did you save them?"
"What are the odds?" Eruhaben frowned. How unlucky could this guy be?
— We were surveying the coastline and nearby islands to establish a new naval base when we found and rescued a shipwrecked man. He appears to have regained consciousness.
"I have a very bad feeling about this."
"We were discussing what to do when we found him unconscious and being sucked into the whirlpool, but I remembered what you did in the square and decided that we needed to save him," Amiru continued talking to Cale. "Because every person's life is precious, right, Young Master Cale?"
The young man answered this question after a long silence:
- … Certainly.
"I knew Young Master Cale would answer exactly like that.
Cale couldn't even enjoy the beauty of Amir's smiling face right now. All he could think about was the details of how the novel described Tunka's situation.
"Judging by the description, it's better for them not to meet at all," Rosalyn drawled.
Choi Han nodded. And wondered how long it would take his double (and himself) to defeat Tunku. And then another thought occurred to him. His eyebrow twitched.
"Nooooo. It's impossible."
Amiru, who couldn't figure out what Cale was thinking, thought that the serious expression on the boy's face was due to how concerned he was about the man's condition. So she continued speaking.
— Judging by his clothes and build, this man is an inhabitant of the Viper Kingdom.
It was definitely Tunka.
Cale's face turned pale as Amiru continued speaking.
"Poor guy…" Eruhaben was a little unhappy that the bravest of the ducklings was telling Cale such bad news.
- It's good that he found out about it in advance. He could have accidentally stumbled upon it.
The non-mage faction that opposed the mages in the Viper Kingdom were barbarians who ignored magic.
Roughly speaking, there were no barbarians in this world.
These were people who focused entirely on strengthening the human body rather than relying on external factors such as magic.
They rebelled because they wanted to destroy the current Viper Kingdom, which was created only so that mages could lead an easy life, and return it to its original form.
As a vicious but still good person, Choi Han thought about what he heard.
Civil war is scary. Was the superiority of one class over the kingdom's inhabitants worth such sacrifices? And how easy was the life of the mages if the non-mages were supported by the entire population of the country? Where is the King looking? And what would he do as a hero if he was dragged into the disassembly of the Kingdom of Viper? If Cale knows so much, then they must have ended up there at some point.
The barbarians used instinct to destroy this kingdom of logic.
"The problem is that Tunka is very stupid."
A smart barbarian? Some said so, but in Cale's opinion, Tunka was a simple and stupid man who turned out to be very strong.
And stupid people were the most terrible people.
Alberu rolled his eyes and agreed with this statement. You never know what to expect from such a person. And the worst thing is, it is useless to prove anything to stupid people. They lived in their own version of reality.
This was because it was impossible to talk to them.
"Young Master Cale, you don't need to worry about this man. He seems to be recovering very quickly."
Cale laughed off Amir's words.
- I'm not worried at all. In fact, I would prefer that he continue his treatment for a long time.
Cale could only hope that Tunka would recover until he left. Amiru, as well as the knights who were with her in the capital, all looked at Cale with warm expressions in their eyes.
"Poor guy, if this Tunka is as strong as you say, then he will come to his senses very quickly," the Ancient Dragon shook his head sympathetically, causing a couple of agreeing chuckles.
But in general, the situation in the Kingdom of Viper passed him by a little. Although formally he lived there himself. He had not left his lair for a long time and generally paid little attention to people. And it turns out there are such passions there. Well... He still doesn't care, really. People are constantly squabbling with each other, it's none of his dragon business. However, he has never seen such intolerance towards magicians.
While he was distracted, Cale had already asked to be taken to his room. The boy was unwell, who would refuse?
Cale only had one thought in his head as Amiru walked forward with a serious expression on her face before slowing down to Cale's speed.
"Bilos may be three times Flynn and four times a talented trader, but how can he be so sure of a civil war? How did he manage to find out so early?"
The fact that Bylos had already managed to find out about this meant that history had changed.
"The civil war must have happened earlier than in the novel."
Alberu, in parallel with Cale, was thinking about what could have caused the shift in the timeline? Cale could not influence the situation in another country. Of all the mages, he had only contact with Rosalin. And she had not even reached the Kingdom of Viper. There was still a possibility that the secret organization could have done something in response to the failure in the Kingdom of Roan. But it was strange that only the time had changed, and not the events themselves, according to Cale.
Tunka survived thanks to nature and its harsh elements. There was no way that mages who use mana, the power extracted from nature, could defeat such a man.
"Maybe the Dragon will be able to kill him?"
The dragon could probably still kill Tunku with one blow.
"Of course he can, stupid man!" The dragon looked at Cale with eyes that clearly showed that he couldn't believe the stupidity he had just heard.
Eruhaben looked at the child indulgently. He was proud of him.
Cale said he needed to rest once he was in the residence and sent everyone out of his room before looking up at the ceiling and speaking.
— Hey.
- What is it, man?
The Black Dragon appeared. Cale began to speak seriously to the Dragon:
- Stay close to me and don't go anywhere.
— From the outside it might seem that he is worried about the dragon.
- A-HA-HA! It's true. It's so funny.
Cale had learned something from the situation with Choi Han and the Black Dragon. If he tried to avoid meeting Tunka, he might end up in even bigger trouble instead. He needed to prepare for this moment.
"If he also manages to accidentally give Tunka shelter, I won't even be surprised."
- But, you must admit, it would be funny.
- Cale is a tamer of vicious personalities.
- I will do whatever I want.
The Black Dragon snorted and turned away from Cale. However, the way his wings flapped let Cale know that the Black Dragon would listen to him. He said one thing, but his body said another.
"Stupid man. You are my doppelganger's pet. Don't say such obvious things."
As Cale looked around the room, Choi Han continued to think. How could he have ended up in Viper? Cale had said that the organization had been constantly leading him away, distracting him from the chaos that the Western Continent was plunging into. So there was a high probability that he would meet Tunka. But the man's personality didn't match his own.
Although this could not be said now. He had changed greatly in this room. Just as his double had differed from him, having gone down a different path, he himself was no longer following the path of his "book development."
He remembered himself at the moment he found himself here. A lump of sheer despair, anger and distrust. His first reactions to the events shown could not be called good. Or even adequate. If all the subsequent deaths and destructions were weighing on that "him", adding to the already existing burden on his soul, then he could admit that his character could become worse and worse. It was not for nothing that he became a "leader".
"Unlike my book version, I have hope."
And did "he" have any hope? Given the reason they were gathered here, if there was, it was quickly fading.
Throwing his sad thoughts aside, the swordsman returned his attention to the screen. He had missed something, but since everyone was silent, nothing serious had happened. Or funny. The reaction to that would have been even faster.
Cale thought about this meeting for a moment before standing in front of the window. Through the large window, he could see the entire village, as well as the Cliff of the Winds.
Cliff of the Winds.
For hundreds of years, the water in front of the cliff has been swirling around in a whirlpool, causing headaches for Ubarr residents trying to sail out to sea.
Tomorrow, Cale was supposed to go to the smallest island. The Sound of the Wind, which was the source of all these whirlpools, was right next to this island.
Tunka said the following about Sound of the Wind in the novel:
"How can a force that can keep the coast in a state of chaos for hundreds of years be quiet?" Albert asked rhetorically.
Just the noise of all the whirlpools that was constantly in the village already cast doubt on the statement about "quiet". It was stupid to even argue with "chaotic".
"The ancient powers are so strange," Bikros shook his head.
This was exactly what Cale was looking for.
A power that would allow him to quickly and quietly escape, causing chaos among his enemies. Cale began to smile slightly, looking forward to tomorrow morning.
That smirk soon gave way to a full-fledged smile that was filled with satisfaction.
- Young Master-nim! Uncle Bikros made this seafood just for you!
- Uncle is very excited about the sea!
- That's right! Kayle-nim, please eat properly!
Cale looked with satisfaction at the ten Wolf Tribe children who brought food to his room.
"Did the wolf cubs bring food to the Young Master?" Vitira looked at this with wide eyes.
Locke didn't immediately recognize these children as his brothers and sisters. They looked completely different.
"Just don't tell me..." The sword master looked at the last person to enter the room.
Everyone turned their heads towards the shocked Bikros.
The smile widened. It wasn't because he liked the ten little girls. Cale's eyes were fixed on Bikros, who was carrying the trays behind the children.
He seemed no different from himself right now, but the chef had impressive bags under his eyes.
Ron looked from his son to his doppelganger, unsure how to react. He couldn't picture Bikros surrounded by children. He could see it right now, but it still didn't register in his head. The look of torture on the doppelganger didn't escape him.
- Please eat, Young Master Cale.
- Thank you very much. It was a good decision to have you all help Bikros in the kitchen.
Bikros jerked in place. His precious kitchen...and ten fanatic children, as Cale had described them. He hadn't felt such horror in a long time.
Choi Han choked on a laugh when he saw that emotion in the torture master's eyes.
Cale thanked Mace, a twelve-year-old boy who was the eldest of the Wolf Tribe's ten children, before picking up his fork.
- Young Master, we want to work. Lok-hyun told us that we can't sit on your neck.
The Wolf Tribe children, led by Mace, broke into his carriage during a journey and asked him to give them some work. That's when Cale assigned them to help Bikros.
"For what, Young Master?"
— Mmm… We think it would be better if we trained with the knights, but we will still do our best.
Mace, 12, was confident and calm, unlike Lock. He was also well aware of the strengths of the Wolf Tribe. That was why Cale was even more adamant about their need to help Bikros in the kitchen.
- You're still kids. It's too early to do something as dangerous as training with knights. Help Bikros with the kitchen stuff instead.
- You really are like Lok-hyun. Yes, we will do our best.
"No, guys, Lok-hyun thought exactly the same as you," Vitira noted, looking at the blushing boy.
The wolf boy himself thought that it would be hard to find a person more unlike him than Cale.
But Rosalyn, Choi Han, Eruhaben, and Alberu noted that Cale was trying to keep his promise to Locke to keep the kids safe. They are strong kids, but that doesn't mean they need to push themselves to train so soon after everything that happened.
The children who said they would work hard actually worked hard. Maybe that was why, but Cale couldn't help but smirk at the sight of Bikros, who seemed to be getting more and more tired as the days went by. Bikros just stood there while the Wolf Tribe children set the table and then left.
- Uncle, aren't you coming?
The children of the Wolf Tribe were bright and pure. They called Bikros uncle and treated him as a member of the family.
- This is so cute!
Bikros felt very strange. Something hit his heart. But it didn't hurt.
— … I'm coming…
The children went first, hearing his answer. They were all dressed cleanly and had their hair in order, as if they had never lived in a remote village before.
It was inevitable under Bikros' leadership.
"Now that I think about it, he'll be a really good babysitter."
Looking at the children, it was hard to argue with that statement. Even for Bikros, to his horror.
They looked like little servants who had been learning this since childhood. Clean, combed, and clearly better organized than they had been shown the first time. Apparently, they had put all their energy into the task they had been given. Bikros looked over the results of their work critically. But they had even laid out the instruments correctly. Had they managed to learn? They would be useful.
Cale avoided Bikros's gaze, thinking that he would come at him with his cooking knife if he knew what Cale was thinking about.
"Judging by his face, it's not exactly paranoia."
Bikros was now a clean and respectful cook. He could not be cold in the presence of the children of the wolf tribe.
All he could do was glance at Cale frequently.
The young man, in turn, watched as Bikros took the instruments and headed out of the room, and only then said:
- Thank you for always giving me such delicious food.
— … Yes, sir…
A strange pain in his heart begged the chef to forgive his Young Master. Bikros listened.
Boy.
Bikros left the room and closed the door behind him. Cale looked at her and began to speak:
— I don't know why he's trying to do his father's job while he's away...
Bikros had no reason to bring him food. However, the chef slowly did Ron's work whenever he could. Unfortunately, this deprived Cale of the opportunity to take advantage of the freedom Ron had left behind.
Children of the Wolf Tribe or Bikros always appeared to take the place of an absent servant.
"Most likely, knowing that Choi Han would leave, I asked him to look after the Young Master.
— Just like before your day off, you asked Choi Han about the same thing.