Teaser: A spell circle summoning a demon
“Young master-nim!”
The Vice Captain's face was pale. Both of Cale’s hands were shaking and there was blood coming out of his mouth and nose.
“Cough, ugh!”
Cale continued to cough up dark red blood and could not control himself.
All of the Empire’s people could see it.
‘These goddamn useless ancient powers! Damn it!’
Cale was not in pain.
He was also not hungry.
His body became stable almost right away thanks to the Vitality of the Heart, however, he was still bleeding for some reason. He heard the Super Rock's gentle voice at that moment. The water has started using its power in your body. You’ll become healthier.
‘Fucking lies!
How am I getting healthier when I am coughing up blood?!’
However, Cale had felt it as well. The Vitality of the Heart was moving more energetically than ever before. He could feel it working hard as if it was happy and he was in less pain than when he had used the fire or the rock.
It didn't even feel like the amount was decreasing.
Boom boom. His heart suddenly started to beat wildly. New blood was spreading throughout his body.
However, that was not the issue.
“Ugh!”
Cale could not help but frown as he continued to spill out dark red blood in this process of getting healthier.
“Y, young master-nim. H, how can this be? My goodness, my goodness! You said you were only going to use a little! My heart is ripping into pieces! The Roan Kingdom's hero cannot look like this!”
Vice Captain Hilsman continued to support his body as he shouted.
“Yooooooooooooung maaaaaaaaster-niiiiiim! This Hilsman feels like I'm going to die! Sob! T, there's so much blood! Healer, healer! Where is the healer?!”
Hilsman's eyes were red as if some veins had popped. His veins in his neck were also visible as he shouted with a red face.
“Hurry up and call the healer to save our young master-nim, to save the Roan Kingdom’s hero! It's dangerous if he faints again!”
Cale was getting nervous.
He had told Hilsman to play along but not to overdo it like this. But Hilsman seemed to be writing a drama or something as he exaggerated it quite a bit. …Uh, mm, human, are you okay? I want to say something too, but I can't because of the talkative Vice Captain.
It was to the point that the six-years-old young Dragon had to hesitate and not say anything. Human, are you okay?
However, Dragons really were vicious. If you feel like you are going to faint or like your plate is going to break just let me know. I will destroy everything and take you to the Eastern continents to loot all of the baddies’ safes! I'm warning you!
Raon continued on before letting out a small sigh after seeing the way Cale was looking at Hilsman. I'm relieved! Our human is looking at the talkative Hilsman as if he's crazy! Human, you really must be okay! I'm glad!
“Sooooob! Young master-nim! Our Henituse territory's most precious and brightest star! Sooooob!”
Cale found Hilsman and Raon to be too loud.
He wanted to tell them that.
“You’re too, ugh, cough!”
However, he was bleeding too much and could not say anything.
‘Driving me nuts.’
He was going crazy being unable to speak.
“…Commander Cale.”
Cale raised his bloodied face. He could see Valentino approaching him with a priest. The Caro Kingdom’s crown prince seemed ready to cry at any moment.
Dark red drops of blood dripped down Cale's chin to his black uniform.
Crown prince Valentino was extremely sad.
“You really-”
‘I think I know what you are trying to say, but it’s not like that!’
Cale had a lot to say to Valentino who couldn’t get any words out but had to hold himself back. It was because someone else approached them.
It was Adin.
Adin was frowning as he walked over with the Alchemists’ Bell Tower’s Vice Tower Master and Honte.
He kneeled on one knee and made eye contact with Cale. Cale's dark red blood dirtied the Imperial Prince’s gold uniform, but Adin didn’t seem to care about that as he reached his hand out.
Grab.
He grabbed Cale's bloodied hand that was shaking.
“Are you okay? I'm sorry. I wasn’t asking for this much.”
Adin seemed to be both thankful and in pain.
“I think my saying I trust you must have been a burden on you. Thank you, thank you very much.”
Thank you.
The Imperial Prince's gratitude made the Empire’s forces and the nobles finally manage to look around. They could see the clear spring sky and the wind that was once again blowing from the Empire to the Whipper Kingdom.
The hell that was approaching them had disappeared and the sun was shining properly again.
One of the nobles mumbled to himself. He heard the Imperial Prince's voice at that moment.
“Priest! Save him. We must save Commander Cale.”
“Yes sir. Yes, your highness.”
One of the priests of the Church of the Sun God who came with crown prince Valentino sat down and put his hand on Cale's body to heal him.
However, the priest’s hand was stopped by someone before it could reach Cale.
“…Umm, knight-nim?”
The priest looked toward Vice Captain Hilsman in shock. Hilsman looked toward Imperial Prince Adin with a sad expression as he started to speak.
“Your highness, I’m sorry but could you please get a medic without divine powers or healing abilities?”
The Imperial Prince's eyes clouded over for a moment. He looked toward Hilsman and sounded almost as if he was scolding him.
“How could you just ask for a medic in such a dire situation! You need to use divine power or healing abilities.”
“That-”
Hilsman seemed hesitant as he looked toward Cale.
Adin also looked toward Cale who had a faint smile on his face as he shook his head. He was saying he didn't need divine powers.
“The young master-nim’s body has gotten significantly weak so it is bad for foreign powers to come in. Your highness, please get a medic.”
Cale coughed up more blood and weakly nodded his head.
‘Yes, divine powers or healing abilities are not good.’
It would be bad if they realized that he was fine.
Furthermore, the Vitality of the Heart had restorative and healing powers. Everything would be ruined if a high-ranking priest showed up and realized that.
“Ho.”
Someone gasped.
It was crown prince Valentino.
“I didn’t know young master Cale’s body had weakened that much.”
He couldn’t hide his disappointment.
Adin had a similar expression. However, Adin was laughing on the inside.
‘He really is going to die soon.’
He was probably not allowing divine powers because he is afraid of the aftershock of adding a new power into his body.
Adin looked at the blood that Cale had coughed up.
There was a significant amount of blood. It was quite amazing that he was still alive.
However, all living beings will eventually succumb to death.
Death does not even spare the heroes.
Cale Henituse would die a little bit faster because of this incident. He was quite happy about that fact.
The fire was out.
He also moved forward the death of a person with three ancient powers.
That also puts a halt on the rising Roan Kingdom.
Finally, he could cruelly and mercilessly punish the Whipper Kingdom.
The Whipper Kingdom must pay the price for standing up to the Empire, no, to Adin himself.
“Commander Cale.”
He was still holding Cale’s hand.
He had not let go of his suspicions that Cale and Rosalyn were working together until just this moment. However, all of his suspicions minus about one percent were gone now.
That was why Adin put on a sad but smiling expression as he looked toward Cale.
“We will definitely remember your sacrifice and respond to it with positive results.”
Cale put on a faint smile that seemed to be saying, ‘thank you and I am okay.’
He then started to think.
Cale looked toward the Imperial Prince as well as the Vice Tower Master and Honte behind him and continued to think.
‘Things are going as planned.’
Things were fine even though he had completely put out the Dragon's Rage.
Cale's group had been moving while expecting the full force of the Empire's alchemists, mages, and knights. They also considered a large number of Lions being a part of the Empire’s forces.
Their plan was to have the Whipper Kingdom defeat the Empire at its full power.
Piiiiiii- Piiiiiiii-
He could hear the sound of the flute coming from the Whipper Kingdom.
Cale let go of Imperial Prince Adin's hand and started to speak like a General of justice.
“Your highness, ugh, I trust you. Peace will, ugh. Peace w, will come.”
Of course, he also peeked at crown prince Valentino who was behind Adin. Valentino bit down on his lips. He repeated Cale's words in his mind.
‘I trust you. Peace will come.’
Cale was naturally looking at Valentino.
‘Yes. Do it right. Do it as we planned.’
Cale was relieved knowing that Valentino looked like he would do things properly.
It was at that moment.
“Yes, Commander Cale. The Empire’s strength will soon sweep away the battlefield and the Whipper Kingdom.”
‘Aigoo. You're so wrong.’
Cale held back a chuckle and looked toward Adin. He then flinched.
He was smiling.
Adin was smiling differently than before.
Something felt different.
Cale felt his back getting cold.
Adin then started to speak.
“I will let you know about something. I will show you the Empire’s secret weapon.”
‘…What did he say?
A secret weapon?’
Cale’s eyes opened wide.
An alchemist ran up to Vice Tower Master Metelona at that moment and whispered in her ear. She blinked before informing Imperial Prince Adin.
“Your highness, the preparations are complete.”
‘What preparations?’
Cale looked toward Adin. Adin lowered his head and got close to Cale.
He then whispered in Cale's ear.
‘What?’
"The alchemists managed to restore one of the lost ancient civilization's technologies."
Golem.
They were made of dirt or gold and resembled humans, although their size depended on the creator's desire. There was a core instead of a heart inside a golem’s body, and the controllers used this core to move and control the golems.
Cale was starting to get nervous.
Golem. It was something that often came up in fantasy novels.
‘…That comes out in The Birth of a Hero as well?’
Cale felt the tips of his fingers start to shake from this unexpected development.
The Imperial Prince gave Vice Tower Master Metelona and the Tower Master's disciple Honte an order.
“Go ahead and start.”
The Vice Tower Master shouted out.
“Activate!”
Ooooooong-
The magic circle started to rumble.
Tens of mages and alchemists were surrounding that magic circle. …Human, something is very odd! Something odd is about to come out!
Come out.
Something was being summoned to the magic circle.
The ground continued to shake.
Cale started to get an ominous feeling.
And once that rumbling finally stopped…
Boooooooom-
A bright light flashed as large beings were summoned to the battlefield.
“M, my goodness-”
Cale could feel Vice Captain Hilsman's shaking hands.
The golems appeared.
Each of them was large enough to take your breath away and were ready to fight.
They were scary to look at.
Humans would seem like ants if these things were on the battlefield.
"Adin, a, are those really golems? Those golems that disappeared during ancient times?”
Valentino continued to speak without waiting for Adin's response.
"Are you going to sweep away the Whipper Kingdom with those things?”
Cale took his eyes off of the golems and looked toward the Vice Tower Master and the Tower Master’s disciple. They were calm. Finally, Cale stopped his gaze on the Imperial Prince.
The Imperial Prince was looking at Cale.
Adin started to speak once the two of them made eye contact.
“What do you think? Doesn’t it feel like the war will end soon and peace will return?”
‘Damn it. Son of a bitch!
How do we defeat these things?’
He put on a gentle smile on his face and responded back.
“Yes, your highness. It does seem that way.”