Teaser
One month later.
Cale got to relax for exactly one month. Honestly speaking, it was slacking off in his point of view, but everybody else saw it differently.
“Is he bored?”
Raon was observing Cale who was blankly staring out the window and eating summer fruits. Raon’s face was serious.
How could he not be worried? Cale was rocking on a rocking chair for the last two hours while looking out the window and eating fruits. He didn’t say a word or even frown.
He was plucking grapes one at a time to eat before just blankly staring out the window now.
“Weird, very weird.”
Now the slightly older kitten Hong was wagging his tail next to Raon while observing Cale.
Unfortunately, the two of them were rolling around on the bed and pretty far from Cale who was by the window. He did not hear what they were saying.
“He wakes up later and later every day. He is also eating less and less. He then goes to sleep earlier and earlier. He’s barely moving these days.”
Raon had a serious expression as he shared his observations with Hong. He then started to frown some more.
“He’s sleeping again!”
Plop.
The grape in Cale’s hand fell to the ground. Cale had once again fallen asleep while rocking in the rocking chair.
Raon’s eyes started to shake.
He was sleeping more, eating less, and not moving! This must mean!
“…Is he sick?”
Hong’ expression became serious as well as his ears perked up.
“No, that’s bad!”
The Cale that Raon and Hong were looking at seemed to have gotten paler as well. Of course, this was only the case because Cale continued to sit inside while everybody else was getting darker from the summer sun.
“…I don’t think that’s it.”
Only the silver kitten On shook her head as she listened to her younger siblings discuss. What she was seeing was that Cale just found everything to be annoying.
“No! I read something in a book Rosalyn gave me a while back!”
After learning all of the different languages of the continent, Raon was now reading fairy tales that Rosalyn was bringing for him.
“There was even one about a prince who fell into a curse that makes him sleep all the time!”
“Oh my god!”
Hong was shocked. Raon urgently continued to speak. Of course, it was not loud enough for the sleeping Cale to hear.
“I naturally checked to see if he was cursed or poisoned yesterday. Thankfully, he was not. That means that it is very likely that he is sick.”
‘My goodness.’
On was amazed that Raon actually checked to see if Cale was cursed or poisoned. However, Raon didn’t care as he just continued to speak.
“He is even worse after coming here to Harris Village and the Forest of darkness. It might be an unexplainable side effect of being in the Forest of darkness.”
Cale’s group was currently in Harris Village.
Of course, the reason it became ‘worse’ as Raon put it was because Cale was only able to really start the slacker life once he was away from the Count as well as other people in charge of the territory.
Although there were other people in Harris Village as well, they were mainly specialists here to finish the cemeteries and the restoration of the village.
There was no reason for Cale, who was only staying inside, to run into them.
Cale was currently in a small two-story house that was built after they came to the Forest of darkness last time.
‘Father, I want to personally see how the restoration is going since I have chosen to take responsibility for Harris Village.’
‘…Cale, they are still far from completing the villa you discussed.’
‘There are a lot of houses that the specialists are staying in. I just need one of the two story ones. I also think it would be best for Ron’s recovery to be done quietly in a remote village.’
‘Alright, I understand.’
Cale was filled with joy as he rushed over to Harris Village after getting his father’s approval.
Raon, who had no idea about this, was worried. At that moment, someone started to knock on the door.
Knock knock knock.
“Young master-nim!”
It was deputy butler Hans.
His voice made On and Hong stretch while Raon opened his wings up before folding them back.
Click.
“Sigh.”
The door opened, and they heard Hans sigh before flinching.
“Hello, Hans.”
“Nice to see you, deputy butler.”
“Deputy butler, I’m hungry.”
Raon, Hong, and On’s words made Hans start to frown. His cheeks were twitching while his nostrils flared.
“…I feel like my heart is going to stop.”
Hans grabbed his heart and shared his feelings.
He had learned about On, Hong, and Raon as soon as they arrived at Harris Village. It was very shocking at first, but he quickly recovered.
“Sigh.”
Cale, who was woken up, sighed as soon as he opened his eyes. Hans looked toward Cale and started to shout while looking like he was going to cry.
“I never knew such loveable and gracious beings existed! I feel so lucky to serve you, young master-nim!”
‘What the hell is he talking about?’
Cale just ignored Hans’s nonsense. Hans spent more time taking care of those children who averaged 7-years-old than Cale. The reason Hans came to Cale’s room every meal also seemed to be more about them than Cale.
“Deputy butler! What is there to eat?”
“Aigoo, Raon-nim. We have your favorite tender beef steak and a sweet vanilla ice cream that Rosalyn-nim and Beacrox worked together to create.”
Oh.
They were things that these children liked.
Cale slowly stood up while watching them interact.
“Ugh.”
Cale let out a groan.
‘Should I have done some stretches?’
His body was stiff after sitting on the rocking chair without moving for too long. However, Cale was willing to deal with this much discomfort for the slacker life.
He just thoughtlessly stared at the serious Raon and Hong before speaking to Hans.
“Is everyone here?”
“Yes sir. Their training must have ended early today.”
Cale nodded his head and headed down to the first floor.
There was a long table at the dining room on the first floor.
“Young master-nim.”
“Ron, you look like you are healthy now.”
“Yes sir. Here is your lemonade.”
Mm. Cale had an odd expression as he looked at the lemonade in front of him. Ron was pretty efficient with one arm as well.
Cale lifted up the cup of lemonade that he had not had for a while.
It was at that moment.
Tang!
A dish was slammed down onto the table. Beacrox started to speak with a vicious gaze.
“Why don’t you go clean up first?”
Cale flinched. He then realized that he recently showered and looked around the table.
‘They do seem pretty bad.’
Lock, the 10 Wolf children and Vice Captain Hilsman all looked terrible. They all looked shabby and sweaty.
“Haha, chef, please understand! We’re so tired after training that we need to eat something first.”
Hilsman laughed as he made an excuse and looked toward Cale who nodded his head.
“Don’t worry about me and eat.”
As soon as he said that, Hilsman and the Wolves started to eat. Choi Han was looking at them with satisfaction.
Cale asked Choi Han a question.
“You remember I told you not to overdo it, right?”
The Wolf children and Hilsman were currently training every day in the Forest of darkness. They flinched at Cale’s words and looked toward Choi Han.
The Vice Captain looked extremely funny as he had frozen while holding up his fork which was now shaking.
“Yes Cale-nim, I am not overdoing it with them. We are slowly building up.”
Choi Han answered with a gentle smile which made Cale not doubt him at all. He also did not want to know any more about it.
The Wolf children were looking at Choi Han like they were looking at a Drill Sergeant from hell, but they still took the initiative to go find Choi Han every morning.
‘Rather than children-’
They didn’t seem like knights. They felt more like special forces. Cale drank his lemonade and decided to forget about useless things.
“Young master Cale, will we stay here until the winter?”
Cale nodded his head at Rosalyn’s question.
“Probably. I am thinking about going back home in the spring. Please feel free to go wherever you need for your research. You can also let me know what ingredients you may need.”
“Thank you, young master Cale.”
“It’s nothing.”
Rosalyn was currently researching and experimenting with magic in the basement of this building. Cale was giving her his full support as she would be the liege of the future Magic Tower.
‘It’s good to have a lot of people I can ask for favors later.’
Networking was a very important tool.
Cale returned to his room after the meal and sat right back down on the rocking chair.
“Sigh.”
A happy sigh came out of his mouth. Cale wanted to spend the next 70 years just staring at the setting sun like this.
Raon and Hong started to whisper to each other while watching him.
“Is he sighing because he is so bored?”
“I think so. He probably wants to travel.”
On shook her head until she noticed an item in the corner of the room starting to glow. She quickly started to speak.
“The video communication device is glowing!”
‘Hmm?’
Cale was confused. The video communication device? Is someone calling from home?’
On continued to speak.
“It is red!”
Cale started to frown.
Cale had set it so that anybody who had a chance of asking for something annoying would make the device glow red.
And currently, there was only one person who would make it glow red.
It was crown prince Alberu Crossman.
“Oh! It is the crown prince! I will quickly connect his call.”
Raon suddenly became energized as he flew toward the video communication device.
‘You don’t really need to do that.’
Cale sighed after seeing Raon suddenly moving quickly and turned his rocking chair to face toward the video communication device.
“I am connecting him.”
A blue light started to surround the video communication device as soon as Raon finished his sentence. A small screen soon appeared on top of the device.
Cale could see that crown prince Alberu was smiling.
‘Just what is our relationship?’
Cale finally understood how Alberu must have felt when he called him ‘your highness the star of the kingdom.’
“I guess we have a pretty good relationship with each other?”
Contrary to what he was saying, Cale’s expression was as indifferent as before. However, Alberu was still smiling gently.
‘Something is weird.’
Cale had an ominous feeling. The bliss he felt in this past month of doing nothing seemed to pass by like a scene in a movie.
‘…I’m sure it’s nothing.’
“That is difficult. I am currently very busy.”
Naturally, Alberu just ignored Cale’s lies and said what he needed to say.
Cale flinched as what Alberu had said was pretty serious.
Alberu was currently gathering the mages of the Whipper Kingdom and strengthening his forces. It was the development of a force that would help protect the Roan Kingdom.
Cale was helping him to make sure the kingdom and his home sweet home would be safe for him to live a peaceful life.
Cale observed Alberu’s face to see that his eyes seemed full of concern even though his smile was bright.
He didn’t even look this concerned even when Cale had figured out his identity.
Cale sat up on the rocking chair and started to speak.
“Let’s hear what you have to say. Just what is it you need my help for, your highness?”
Cale felt chills on his back. He had not had this type of ominous feeling for a while. Raon and Hong, who were not visible to the crown prince, were sitting next to each other with their eyes sparkling.
Alberu started to speak.
‘I knew it.’
Cale expected him to say those words.
Cale closed his eyes and saw his slacker life waving goodbye before it disappeared.
Crown prince Alberu, who was a quarter Dark Elf, continued to speak.