Chapter 80: Fl.u.s.tered (2)
A large hailstorm covered the ground.
The fire suppressing water ate up the fire, along with everything else.
“Cale-nim!”
“Young master-!”
The water also ate up Cale.
Choi Han started to quickly move again. Rosalyn used speed magic to rush past him first.
They could not see Cale.
The strong wave ate up everything without regards to friend nor foe.
Sizzle-
A large amount of water vapor started to rise up from Section 1. There was so much that you could see in front of you.
That symbolized just one thing.
The fire was being put out.
Instead of the black smoke from earlier, white water vapor shot up to the sky. The Wolf boy Lock just watched this with a blank expression. He looked down after feeling that his feet were getting cold.
The large amount of water that had covered up Section 1 began to flow out toward Lock, and now the safe zone as well. However, the water that touched Lock’s feet was no longer as strong as the wave.
“Ah.”
Lock turned his head after hearing someone gasp. It was one of Litana’s subordinates who had been heading over to her. They were blankly staring at the water below their feet as well. The Jungle people who were peeking out of the tents earlier, as well as the ones who were standing outside of the tents with curiosity, all were now standing outside.
Drizzle.
It was raining. They were all standing under the rain while looking at their homes.
Siiiiizle-
The water vapor was still rising up into the sky. They could not see in front of them, but they could also no longer see the fire.
“Y, young master-nim!”
Lock finally came back to his senses. He also followed Choi Han and Rosalyn and ran toward Section 1. Rosalyn and Choi Han had already reached where Litana and Ten were standing. Litana finally came back to her senses once they approached her.
She was already drenched in water. But she had definitely seen it.
“Cale-nim!”
“Young master Cale-!”
She had seen what had happened to Cale.
The wave had swallowed Cale before it had consumed the fire. That man was the first to get pummeled.
“Te, Ten!”
Ten immediately started to move after hearing her call his name. Ten started to move toward the boundary where the water vapor was rising. It was at that moment.
Siiiiizle-
Driiiizle-
Between the sound of the water vapor and the rain, a new sound could suddenly be heard.
Swiiiiiish-
It was the sound of wind.
This gentle wind that reminded them of the spring fluttered by Ten and Litana. That wind then reached Choi Han and Rosalyn. That wind made the two people finally stop running.
“Ah, right.”
“Ha.”
Rosalyn let out a gasp-like laughter. She had become fl.u.s.tered and forgotten about it. She had not been acting rational.
Once she rubbed her eyes, she could see a new sight.
“Cale-nim.”
Choi Han could see the gentle wind create a path through the water vapor. At the end of that path was a silver light.
Choi Han knew what that light was.
They could see a glimpse of Section 1 through the path created by this wind. It was black. They could also see evidence of things having been burnt by fire.
They could see someone standing there on top of these burnt ruins.
It was a man with hair as red as the fire they could no longer see.
A large silver s.h.i.+eld and wings were covering the man. Litana did not even notice that Ten had stopped, as she was mesmerized by the sight.
Paaaat.
The silver wings opened up before disappearing with the s.h.i.+eld. Once it disappeared, the only thing left standing there was that man, Cale. Cale then started to stagger.
LItana’s eyes turned wide and the Black Panther, Ten, started to move. Choi Han and Rosalyn also crossed the boundary to approach Cale. Cale had put a hand on his head and was frowning.
His head was full of Raon’s voice.
I was enjoying the water and forgot the s.h.i.+eld! That was why it was a bit late! I’m sorry, human!
Cale couldn’t say anything. He had been busy admiring the wave that he created that he had also forgotten about the Indestructible s.h.i.+eld.
Ah right, s.h.i.+eld!
He only came back to his senses after hearing Raon shout that, and so he had activated his s.h.i.+eld as well. That was why he was holding his head that was temporarily smashed by that water bomb.
‘I used too much of it for no reason.’
He was drenched and cold for no reason.
I’m really sorry! I, I was not great!
The 4-year old’s frustrated voice filled Cale’s dizzy head as he quietly whispered.
“I still managed to live thanks to you.”
You, you weak human! I am an idiot!
Cale wanted to stop Raon from blaming himself, but he could not do so. It was because Choi Han, Rosalyn, as well as Litana and Ten, were approaching him. Choi Han quickly started to support Cale.
“Are you okay, Cale-nim?”
“Are you okay?”
Rosalyn quickly used temperature management magic on the drenched Cale.
“Miss Rosalyn, you know that I won’t get hurt.”
Choi Han and Rosalyn looked at each other after hearing Cale’s casual voice. Raon was with Cale, while Cale also had the Indestructible s.h.i.+eld. It was only now that the two of them remembered this. An embarra.s.sed voice continued to speak.
“Why did you keep shouting my name so loudly like that. I had to come out quickly because of that.”
Cale started to grumble while fixing up his wet hair and clothes. He looked very calm. However, he was standing on top of a land that had been completely burnt to a crisp.
‘Do I not have much affinity with water?’
Cle recalled what had happened when he met Witira last time. He didn’t enjoy getting drenched every time he was around water. It was because he found wet clothes to be annoying.
Cale moved away from Choi Han, who was supporting him, and stood up straight. It wasn’t like he had gotten hurt. Thanks to the Vitality of the Heart, his condition was great.
“Let’s go.”
He started to walk and Choi Han and Rosalyn followed behind him. The two of them were smiling, but Cale didn’t care much about it as he approached Litana, who was stiffly standing a short distance away. She had already gotten off of the Black Panther.
“Miss Lina.”
Litana could clearly see Cale after hearing his gentle voice.
She had been in a daze, looking around at everything else once she realized that Cale was fine.
The lush forest and Jungle that started once you got out of the Whipper Kingdom. Section 1, a place that was so beautiful that they described it in books, was now completely burnt black.
That sight made it difficult for her to breathe.
“Grrrr.”
Litana, who had been watching Cale, turned toward Ten after hearing him growl.
Ten was looking at the black ground and the entire area that had turned to ashes and was rubbing his head on the ground. Litana bit down on her lips.
At that moment, she could hear Cale’s voice again.
“It looks like you should go.”
“…Excuse me?”
She could see where he was pointing to when she looked back toward him.
“Ah.”
She could see her subordinates and the Jungle people and animals in the safe zone. She knew where she should be looking right now. She should be looking over there at them and not the black forest. She could hear Cale’s voice again.
“It looks like there is nothing left for me to do here.”
She turned back around to make eye contact with Cale. He looked calm and gentle, yet strong. She had seen what he had done. The water vapor was still rising up to the sky. He was the one responsible for creating the water that put out this fire.
She had been wrong. He was not a weak person. He was strong.
“…How much of the power did you have to use?”
He had mentioned that there was a limit to how much he could use. Litana was curious about how much was left.
“I have a decent amount left.”
Although he was enjoying himself when he used it, Cale was feeling irked now that he thought he used too much of the power. His face subconsciously had a bitter smile on it. He didn’t like that he had wasted some of the power uselessly.
“…I understand.”
Seeing Cale working hard to smile and hide the bitterness, Litana looked toward her subordinates who couldn’t cross the boundary, as well as the Jungle people approaching them from the safe zone and started to ask.
“Mr. Cale, shall we go together?”
He was the hero today. He deserved the praise and applause for his actions. However, Cale’s response was not what Litana had expected.
“Your highness.”
“Lina.”
She quickly corrected him.
“No, what they need right now is you, Miss Lina. They need their Queen.”
Cale turned his head toward the safe zone. Litana turned her head as well. The Jungle people who were getting drenched in the rain were crying in joy. Even though they could see the black ground clearly as the water vapor disappeared, they were hugging each other in joy.
Cale felt tired just thinking about standing in front of them. That was why he wanted to just end it on a good note here.
“I believe this is the result of all of your persistence for the last two weeks. I do not wish to be the center of attention.”
That was what the drenched and pale man had said.
“I just want to go to that beautiful place and see the sunset. I really want to see that sunset right now.”
He wanted to just dig up the Magic Stones and leave. He had moved more than usual for this Jungle situation.
“…I am jealous of the Roan Kingdom.”
“Excuse me?”
Cale did not hear Litana’s words clearly, so he looked toward her. Litana started to smile and shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
Litana swiftly got on Ten and crossed the boundary line. Sitting straight up on the Black Panther, she was sitting higher than the Jungle people, even with her short stature. She put some strength into her throat and started to shout.
“The fire is out! I’m sure that everyone here has seen it!”
“Nature is fair like time. As time goes on, we will be able to recover our forest! So today will be a day we celebrate a new beginning!”
Rooooooar!
Ten shouted out like he was agreeing with Litana.
Driiiizle-
The sound of the rain filled the silence for a moment.
Waaaaaaah!
The void was then filled with the cheers of the people. Even now, the water that Cale had created was rus.h.i.+ng toward the sh.o.r.es of Section 1, putting out any small, remaining fires along the way.
Human, you will catch a cold! Hurry up and go rest!
Cale ignored Raon’s nagging as he was guided by Litana’s subordinates. The place they took him to was a quiet and clean tent that they had quickly prepared for him.
“Please let us know if you need anything.”
“I do not need anything. I just want to rest quietly. If possible, I would like to leave as early as tomorrow as well.”
The subordinates who had crossed through Oorim to get to the Jungle with Cale had expressions of disbelief on their faces. However, they still gave Cale a positive response.
“Yes, we will do our best to prepare whatever you need.”
Once the subordinates left, Cale looked around the tent. Choi Han and the rest were guided to other tents. However, there was someone who had followed Cale.
“Raon.”
Raon revealed himself after being called.
Tsk.
Cale clicked his tongue. He picked up a towel and started to dry off the drenched dragon. Raon had even forgotten to put a s.h.i.+eld around himself while being mesmerized by the wave.
“Dry yourself, human! You will catch a cold!”
Cale snorted at the 4-year old’s action before scrubbing Raon’s face. Raon just sat there while Cale dried him.
Cale threw that towel to the side before using another towel to dry his hair and taking one of the orbs he had received from Billos out of his pocket.
“Connect.”
“Alright, human.”
Raon seemed to be happy about something, as he connected the magic communication device without any complaints. Cale sat down on a wooden chair as the magic communication device flew in front of him and connected.
A person soon appeared on the magic communication device.
Huh? Why do you look like that?
It was crown prince Alberu.
You look like a drenched rat.
Cale could see the mocking smile on Alberu’s face as he put on the gentle smile he had put on for Litana.
How about you not smile like that?
As expected, it did not work on Alberu. Cale immediately put on his usual smile and leaned back on the chair. Alberu was used to this relaxed looking Cale.
“Your highness, the star of the Roan Kingdom, how is Marquis Stan’s family?”
He had been out of contact for three weeks while he went to Hoik Village. He had done a lot in these past three weeks. This was one of them.
How? It is currently changing the person in control. Why are you so curious about it?
At that moment, Raon’s voice filled Cale’s head.
Is it finally time for my revenge?!
Marquis Stan and Venion. The things they had done to Raon.
In order for Raon to completely overcome the trauma of his past torture, he needed to get revenge toward those who were involved in it.
Cale had to hear Raon’s plans for revenge like a lullaby every time the two of them were alone.
Dragons will never forget such shame. Raon was looking to get compensation for his lost time and destroyed sense of confidence.
That was the natural instincts of a dragon, the violent rulers of the world.
Alberu observed Cale with an inspecting gaze.
I’m letting you know because I am getting something in return for it, but I really can’t understand why you are curious.
“It is only so that I can do things that you will like, your highness.”
Seeing Cale lie like it is nothing made Alberu snort.
However, this was the truth.
“I am telling the truth.”
It would be good for Alberu as well. Alberu was feeling iffy about Cale’s expression, but there was something he needed to do right now. That was why he started to speak.
Hurry back to the castle.
“Yes sir.”
Cale had no issues saying yes, since he was planning on going there anyway. Of course, Cale wasn’t going to rush over. He was going to do whatever he needed to do here first.
He chatted with the crown prince about a couple different things before ending the conversation. He then ate some food before falling asleep. Of course, he had to listen to Raon’s plans for revenge like a lullaby, as usual.
The next morning.
“Miss Lina, I wish to go over there.”
Cale was telling Litana that he wanted to go to the sh.o.r.eline. There was no reason for him to stay here any longer.