C444
“That is…”
“Where is the Pope?” At Cale’s question, the housekeeper couldn’t give a proper answer.
“That’s something I can’t tell you.”
At that response, Cale smiled with satisfaction. And continued asking:
“Does young master Jimon know about the gray disease?”
“…!”
The corner of the housekeeper’s eye twitched. Again, she couldn’t speak. Cale leaned back in the chair and withdrew the Dominating Aura.
“Go.”
Cale dismissed the housekeeper. She barely glanced at Cale, and Cale, meeting her gaze, added something more:
“Go to young master Jimon.”
Although her tone was light and weightless, the housekeeper, her body trembling, gave a deep bow. She cautiously approached the entrance and grasped the doorknob.
“Ah.”
Cale’s voice reached the housekeeper’s back.
“Chaos purification is possible.”
The housekeeper breathed deeply.
Click. The housekeeper slowly exited the dining hall.
“…….”
Clopeh, standing by the window, observed the real butler, mixed among other employees, leaving the pavilion and heading towards the main castle, and then spoke:
“Cale-nim.”
“Yes.”
“It seems the system hasn’t collapsed as much as I thought.”
The corner of Cale’s lips curled upwards, and he nodded in satisfaction.
“Yes. It seems young master Jimon still has control of the Moraka castle.”
The employees and the housekeeper are moving according to young master Jimon’s will, avoiding the gaze of the Chaos God sect. Moreover, the housekeeper is loyal to young master Jimon. At least, within this Moraka castle, young master Jimon hadn’t lost everything to the Chaos God sect.
“He’s more useful than I thought.”
At Cale’s words, Clopeh smiled. He recalled the question Cale had asked a moment ago.
‘He asked if I knew about the Pope.’
And another thing.
‘He also mentioned the gray disease.’
As expected, Cale-nim didn’t consider young master Jimon simply as an ally. Clopeh felt an interesting excitement about how things would develop.
“Clopeh.”
At that moment, he heard Cale’s voice, and Clopeh came out of his thoughts. The moment he made eye contact with Cale’s piercing gaze, he felt a strange cold sensation. Cale’s mouth slowly opened.
“Stop thinking nonsense and eat.”
Cale, finding Clopeh’s bright gaze displeasing him, said that and began to concentrate on his meal.
“It’s delicious!”
“It’s more delicious than yesterday.”
“Ji ji. It’s delicious! Clopeh, eat it too.”
Clopeh smiled at the 10-year-old’s words and returned to his seat, picking up a spoon. Sideways. His gaze turned to Cale for a moment.
‘As expected.’
As expected, Cale-nim isn’t someone who should be underestimated. The moment he forgot that this place was reality and felt interest as if it were a story… Cale-nim reminded him of reality and prevented him from simply treating the world as something interesting.
‘As expected, he’s different.’
He’s different.
“Haha.”
Clopeh let out a low laugh and began to eat.
‘…I hope that madman isn’t plotting something.’
And Cale looked at him with an uncomfortable expression. Then, Cale could see team leader Sui Khan staring intently at him and Clopeh.
‘What’s wrong?’
When he asked with slightly parted lips, Sui Khan sighed and said:
“Eat.”
At those words, Cale silently ate. The food quality was definitely better than yesterday. A satisfied smile appeared on Cale’s lips.
* * *
The small pavilion where Cale was staying was old and small.
Fuiii-
“The wind is blowing quite strongly tonight.”
“That’s right.”
At team leader Sui Khan’s comment, Cale nodded and looked down. From the highest point of the Moraka castle, from the roof of the main castle’s highest tower, Cale stood motionless, arms crossed.
“Human, shouldn’t we go look for Choi Jung Soo quickly?”
Raon said that and looked at Sui Khan’s arm. Even though he was wearing a black suit for the night, and even though he had stopped the wound’s bleeding, a slight scent of blood emanated from it. Sui Khan’s face was better than before, but he was still pale. Because the wound’s blood, although not deep, wouldn’t stop.
Nyaaaong.
Hong rubbed his body against Sui Khan’s calf. Sui Khan stroked Hong and opened his mouth:
“Raon.”
“Yes?”
Raon, who had been peeking, flinched when their eyes met. Sui Khan looked at the sky and opened his mouth:
“Everything has its moment.”
Raon, who looked at the sky beside him, stared at the sky full of bright stars for a moment. The Demon Kingdom’s sky was also beautiful.
“Of course, at that moment-”
Sui Khan began to speak again, and following his gaze, Raon’s gaze also turned to Cale. Sui Khan was cheerfully smiling while looking at Cale’s back. Everything has its moment. Of course, at that moment…
“If you wait, it will arrive, but sometimes, you can create it.”
And now it was the latter.
Toc toc toc.
Hearing the sound of someone knocking on the door, Clopeh looked towards the door. Suddenly. Beyond the door that opened without waiting, was Mol, the Third Corps leader, The Hand Behind the Back.
“Did you already get your brothers out?”
Kind smile~
Clopeh extended his hands forward.
“Should they be captured?”
“…What bad luck.”
Mol had said he would let Clopeh live, but hadn’t said how he would do it. You can’t let go of someone who has information. Even if his strength wasn’t great, he at least had to take precautions. But Mol felt irritated upon seeing Clopeh, who had already gotten his brothers out and was alone.
“If I live, you’ll live too.”
With those words, Mol tied up Clopeh. While Clopeh silently watched him being tied up hand and foot, he told Mol, who had left the surveillance of Clopeh to the middle-aged knight and was leaving:
“General Mol.”
To Mol, who would surely go capture the Pope…
“…….”
With a cold expression, Mol looked at Clopeh, and Clopeh gave him sincere advice:
“When you can’t see the path, simply follow the light.”
“…I don’t have time to listen to nonsense.”
Mol scoffed and disappeared into the darkness. As he faded into the shadows of the hallway, he seemed to become a shadow, the darkness itself. Clopeh intently watched him and then shifted his gaze towards the ceiling.
“If you stay still, you won’t die today.”
The middle-aged knight warned and closed the door leading to the hallway. Only the middle-aged knight and Clopeh remained. Clopeh raised his head and looked at the ceiling.
“Do you believe in the Demon God?”
The middle-aged knight paused. He wasn’t one of Mol’s men. He was a knight from Terosa. Terosa venerates the Demon King as the only existence who can become the Demon God. Clopeh, having fulfilled his duty, sincerely said:
“A legend will unfold today.”
“…Stop saying nonsense.”
The rough tone of the middle-aged knight contained a subtle sense of unease. Clopeh, smiling while looking at the ceiling. His appearance wasn’t that of a merchant, nor the dignified and bright appearance of Count Lupeh’s only blood relative he had shown at the beginning. Why did that smiling face, full of pure joy and excitement, look so terrible and give him such an uneasy feeling?
“Will Terosa-san also come today?”
“…….”
“No. The fact that General Mol has moved means that the troops sent by Terosa-san have already arrived, so she must already be here.”
“…….”
The middle-aged knight fell silent. But his gaze didn’t leave Clopeh. Then…
“!”
Suddenly, the outside began to become noisy.
Kwaaaaaang---!
And an explosion was heard in the distance.
Kwaang!
Kwaaaaaang-
And the sound of the explosion was getting closer and closer.
“Ha ha ha-”
And Clopeh laughed. Still looking at the ceiling, he raised the corners of his lips.
“Many will see today.”
His eyes were full of ecstasy.
“The true legend.”
“!”
At that moment, the middle-aged knight made eye contact with Clopeh. The moment Clopeh, who had been looking at the ceiling, lowered his head and looked at him…
“…!!”
He couldn’t say anything. Because Clopeh was already in front of him.
A strange aura floated around Clopeh’s hands. Even though the chained handcuffs broke because of that, the middle-aged knight didn’t have time to see it.
Chcek!
Clopeh wielded the chains.
“¡Keok!”
The chains strangling the middle-aged knight’s neck.
‘Dead mana…!’
Dead mana, different from normal aura. And this isn’t the Demon Kingdom’s power. The middle-aged knight realized this, but it was already too late.
“Ke, kehuk!”
His body slumped. Clopeh, looking at the middle-aged knight who had lost consciousness, checked his belongings.
Blink blink~
There was a small magic device inside. Clopeh took it and opened his mouth:
“Terosa. Right?”
Raon had told him sometime ago. The middle-aged knight had a magic communication device.
“You must believe in him, thinking the Demon King will become a Demon God, right?”
Clopeh gave Terosa a lesson.
“You shouldn’t do that.”
Do you think Cale-nim will become a god and follow him? No. God? What importance does that have?
“You must believe in his very existence.”
Cale-nim. He’s already walking his own path. He’s creating a legend.
“If you’re lucky, you’ll also meet that existence today. An existence that doesn’t need a family, an existence to truly follow.”
-…
Although no sound is heard nor any image is seen from the other side, the magic communication device is working. Clopeh dropped the magic communication device.
Chzeok-!
The magic communication device broke. Without even looking, Clopeh extended his hand.
Creak. The dark hallway of the pavilion appeared before his eyes.
Kwaaaaaang---
Kwaaa---
The outside was noisy. But Clopeh slowly walked towards the calm darkness covering the hallway.
“The stronger the light, the deeper the shadows.”
Clopeh, who had surpassed Ron in stealth and had skillfully hidden his own power, further suppressed his presence. He’s a shadow. A shadow that surrounds the light, beside the light. Therefore, he must quickly go to the side of the light.
“Ha ha-”
With a brief laugh, Clopeh continued his path.
Kwaaaaaaaa-
The moment he began to hear that explosion… A gleam appeared in Cale’s eyes. Many troops were approaching the castle. It seemed they had gathered all the troops from the Demon Kingdom and Dioruel’s estate. Moreover, the light of teleportation magic circles was springing forth from the rear. But it wasn’t large and was scattered. It seemed the Demon King’s Third Corps was arriving one after another.
-Cale. There are many.
Terosa’s Demon King army. There were many.
‘As expected, she wasn’t someone who could be underestimated.’
Terosa. She must have hidden so many of the Demon King’s troops in case young master Jimon became the lord.
Deng deng deng---!
The sound of bells began to resonate throughout the Moraka castle, awakening the night. The silent Moraka castle no longer existed.
The lights began to turn on everywhere.
-Cale. They’re knights.
From somewhere, knights rushed out towards the main gate.
-It seems they decided they couldn’t hide anymore.
As Cheapskate said. Upon seeing Terosa’s army and the Third Corps arriving, the sect must have thought it no longer made sense to hide.
“Mol must have already moved.”
“Yes.”
Cale felt Sui Khan’s presence behind him. Upon seeing Sui Khan get up and the 10-year-old beside him, Cale still didn’t move.
-Sniff sniff!
Upon hearing the sound of the wind smelling… Cale’s gaze turned to the rear of the main castle, towards the gardens.
Kuung-!
A great vibration came from there.
“It’s time for us to move.”
The wind wrapped around Cale’s ankles. Cale unhesitatingly dropped from the castle roof. Cale at the center. Sui Khan was in the lead, as expected. On and Hong were at Cale’s sides. Raon was in the rear.
A small castle the size of a third of the main castle, located in the main castle’s gardens. The Pope is there. And General Mol must have gone there.
Kuung!
Once again, a great vibration. It must definitely have started in the gardens.
-Sniff sniff! I smell something! The scent of a Sacred Object!
General Mol used a Sacred Object, and The Sound of the Wind reacted. Cale opened his mouth:
“If Choi Jung Soo has lost contact, he’s surely been captured by someone stronger than him.”
“It must be a Supreme Knight.”
Sui Khan thought about the person who had injured him. That knight could be considered at the same level as Choi Jung Soo.
“It wasn’t the person who injured me.”
It was because Sui Khan couldn’t contain his emotions for a moment, he became careless and was discovered while escaping, resulting in being injured. If they fought seriously, it wouldn’t be that easy for Choi Jung Soo to be captured.
“Only the best knight could do it.”
To capture Choi Jung Soo…
“Or perhaps he was deceived like Choi Jung Gun.”
And no matter if the answer is the first or the second…
“Choi Jung Soo will be in the building where the Pope is.”
“Yes. The sect wouldn’t let go of a Wanderer easily.”
“Whether it’s a Five-Colored Family Wanderer or a subordinate of the God of Equilibrium. The sect will lock them up and get information from Choi Jung Soo.”
“Yes. They won’t kill him.”
Cale and team leader Sui Khan concluded that Choi Jung Soo was still alive because he had been captured by the sect. Their conversation was completely impassive. Even the 10-year-old was watching them. But Cale and the team leader always maintained this level of calmness when they were going to rescue a team member. Because it was a matter of life or death.
“They say the castle in the gardens has 5 floors: 3 floors above ground and 2 floors underground.”
Tac. Cale, after lightly jumping from the castle roof and arriving at a place where he could see the gardens, opened his mouth:
“Young master Jimon’s map only shows floors 1 and 2.”
They couldn’t find out about underground floors 1 and 2 and floor 3 above ground.
“The Pope is on the third floor, and they say knights are protecting the basement.”
“Choi Jung Soo must be there.”
“Yes.”
Sui Khan, who was beside Cale, said in an indifferent tone:
“That’s why you brought Mol?”
“Yes.”
Kuung!
Once again, a great vibration, and Cale calmly looked at the devastated gardens. The beautiful scenery had disappeared. Mol was standing on the path towards the small castle at the end of the garden.
“It wasn’t the person who injured me.”
“I thought so.”
The person who injured Sui Khan probably didn’t go look for Sui Khan, who seems to have been rescued by the forces of Three Emperors or First Emperor outside the castle? Because a superior knight couldn’t defeat a Five-Colored Family hunter Wanderer.
‘This is information the Demon King’s army doesn’t know.’
Currently, Terosa’s Demon King army and the Third Corps, who had teleported from the Demon King’s castle, seemed to be surrounding the Moraka castle. Probably, as time passes, more troops will come from the Demon King’s castle.
‘Therefore, Mol must have moved to target the Pope.’
Because time is on his side. But they don’t know about the troops of knights who are looking for the Five-Colored Family Wanderers.
‘Those troops will attack Terosa’s Demon King army from behind.’
In the end, a fierce battle will occur.
“One of the three Supreme Knights is Mol.”
And…
“Another is with Terosa outside.”
The last one…
“The strongest knight must be beside the Pope.”
“That’s right.”
Mol, the Third Corps leader. If he can defeat that Supreme Knight and go to the Pope… There must be a Supreme Knight to protect the Pope.
And that prediction was correct.
“In the end, you want to stay by my side?”
“Yes, Pope.”
The Supreme Knight was originally going to kill Mol, but stayed beside the Pope.
“There’s no one more valuable than the Pope here.”
In a dry tone, the Supreme Knight’s face didn’t show any doubt or hesitation.
“And Mol is enough for that guy.”
That the Supreme Knight would kill Mol was a fact that would surely occur. Meanwhile, the Pope looked out the window.
“This is strange.”
He calmly said.
“I don’t think this situation is simply due to the Demon King’s faction’s power.”
The Demon King’s Third Corps leader comes here suddenly, and the Demon King’s army attacks tonight? And we didn’t notice that? This is strange. He turned his head.
“Hitellis. It seems someone is plotting something behind this.”
Hitellis, dressed as a housekeeper, raised her head, kneeling on one knee.
“Are there any variables?”
“Yes.”
Hitellis reported with an expressionless face.
“The starting point of this matter is a merchant named Kase. Someone who said he was Count Lupeh’s blood relative.”
The Pope calmly asked:
“Do you think that’s the starting point?”
“If we also consider other events besides this, the first variable was somewhere else.”
“What?”
“The Wanderers.”
The Supreme Knight became interested at those words.
“There were Five-Colored Family hunters a while ago.”
The Supreme Knight sternly spoke to Hitellis. She’s someone who possesses a Chaos God Sacred Object, besides her strength. Now that there are no Saints, she could be said to be at the same level as the Supreme Knight beside the Pope.
“Do you think the Five-Colored Family is behind all this?”
Then it would make sense.
“…Is it revenge for what happened at the sacred place, The Primordial Night?”
The Primordial Night. The plan to make the Chaos God descend in the New World had failed, and the Five-Colored Family hunters had realized that. They might be trying to ruin what’s happening in the Demon Kingdom. That’s when.
“No.”
The Pope opened his mouth.
“That’s also a process.”
His gaze turned to Hitellis.
“The Five-Colored Family hunters aren’t the first either.”
“Yes.”
Hitellis nodded and looked at the Supreme Knight. The Pope also looked at him. At that moment, the Supreme Knight remembered something from the past. Not something recent.
“…There’s another Wanderer.”
A Wanderer captured by the Supreme Knight. Whether he’s from the Five-Colored Family or a subordinate of the God of Equilibrium. As they couldn’t find out his identity, they had kept him captive to interrogate him. As the Supreme Knight’s gaze deepened, Hitellis calmly said:
“That person is the beginning of all the variables.”
A Wanderer with brown hair. The Pope ordered Hitellis:
“Bring him to me.”
“Yes.”
Kuung!
At that moment, once again, the entire small castle trembled through the gardens. The Pope spoke again:
“If the situation isn’t favorable, use the Sacred Object.”
A gleam appeared in Hitellis’s eyes.
“If I do that, that person will no longer be useful.”
“The great plan is about to begin. The Wanderers are a valuable resource, but if they interfere with the great plan, it doesn’t matter if they lose their usefulness.”
“Yes.”
The Pope added:
“Also capture that guy called Kase.”
“Yes.”
Hitellis left the third-floor banquet hall where the Pope was and headed to the basement. She gestured to her subordinate, and he immediately moved to capture Kase. She put her hand to her chest.
Uung-
Had she heard the Pope’s order? The Sacred Object in her chest trembled slightly.
The Wanderer captured by the Supreme Knight…
That person will lose his mind today and become trapped in a gray world, a chaotic world.
‘If that happens, he’ll reveal all the information he possesses.’
Hitellis, despite knowing that someone’s mind was going to disappear, quickly moved with an impassive expression, because the completion of the work was more important than a Wanderer.
Kuung!
Seeing Mol and the Supreme Knight clash again, Cale opened his mouth:
“We’re heading to the basement.”
To rescue Choi Jung Soo. Cale jumped towards the gardens.
-Invisibility.
Everyone was covered by an invisibility spell by Raon.
Nyaaaong!
Nyaaaong!
On and Hong, after letting out a final groan, became so stealthy that their presence disappeared.
“I won’t look back, so follow me well.”
Sui Khan, who received the copied map, quickly took the lead. His steps were heading towards the blind spots. Fuiii- Cale, with the wind tied to his ankles, quickly followed him.
Now that the sect’s attention is on General Mol and the Demon King’s army… And now that the sect’s remaining attention is moving to find Clopeh Sekka…
Tac tac.
Now that Hitellis is entering the second underground floor and heading to where the Wanderer is…
Cale, the center of all the variables, infiltrated the small castle where the Pope resides. Cale entered the first underground floor and said:
“Begin.”
The moment he said that, On and Hong let out a short groan, hiding in the shadows.
Nyaaaong!
Nyaaaong!
“Wh-what?”
“At-attack- Kehuk!”
“Kueok, my breath, my breath-”
Fog and poison invaded the first underground floor, overwhelming the Chaos God sect troops guarding the entrance to the basement. Cale and Sui Khan unhesitatingly advanced into the fog, and headed to the second underground floor.
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