Chapter 11

# Chapter 11. <Found>

“Young master. I heard everything from Hans this morning. I will do my best to prepare, even if it’s just a little, so you can shine in the capital.”

As he stepped out of the earl’s residence, Kael’s shoulders trembled. He recalled the conversation he had with Ron as soon as he woke up this morning. In fact, it replayed automatically without him even trying to remember.

“Is this your first time outside the estate? I’m really good at rabbit hunting. I’ll hunt rabbits for you when we camp.”

Ron’s deep and kind voice echoed in Kael’s ears. It seemed to come from far away, like a hallucination through the fog.

The sight of Ron explaining how to hunt rabbits early in the morning terrified Kael.

“Be careful when dealing with timid and small animals like rabbits. You never know when they might run away, so you have to observe them closely and kill them at the right moment. Oh, and after catching them, you need to remove their guts. I’m really good at that.”

Kael had to turn away from Ron, who was making a gesture of slicing open a belly with his hand. Ron seemed excited, but Kael felt like he was being teased, though he couldn’t quite understand why. Still, he was relieved that Ron was willing to go to the capital with him.

“Bicross can follow me as my personal chef.”

Ron, Bicross. Kael had already told Hans about bringing the two of them when he left the mansion this morning. Of course, Ron was there too.

“Hans. I want to bring Bicross as my personal chef for this trip.”

“May I ask why? He’s in charge of the second kitchen and is very busy.”

“I don’t know. Anyway, I can’t eat anything that’s not made by Bicross. I’m taking him, so just remember that.”

Hans was taken aback, and Ron was smiling, seemingly pleased that his son would be going along. Kael had a strange feeling that he was being teased, but he was more relieved that Ron was willing to go to the capital with him.

“Young master. My son will be very happy. We actually had plans to go to the capital together. I’ll make sure to tell him exactly what you said.”

Ron’s words reassured Kael. He was worried that Bicross might refuse, but it seemed he would enjoy leaving the estate and going to the capital.

Kael walked through the misty streets of Western City early in the morning, thinking about the people he would bring with him to the capital. Although the situation was a bit different from what he had read, he couldn’t give up the opportunity to gain an advantage.

“Master. You came early today.”

The bakery owner, who had seen Kael a few times, greeted him more casually. Kael asked brusquely.

“So, the bread?”

The bakery owner smiled and handed over the bread.

“Of course. But is today really the last time?”

“Why? Do you want more money?”

“Yes, I do.”

Kael’s lips curled into a smile. He liked this honest answer. He patted the bakery owner’s shoulder and headed towards the slums.

“I’ll come back if I want more.”

The bakery owner watched Kael disappear into the fog, praying that he would return and spend a lot of money. That’s what he hoped.

Kael frowned when he saw the siblings waiting for him, as usual, in the morning mist. He had come much earlier than usual, and it seemed they had been waiting for him all night, huddled together. The younger brother was almost leaning on his sister.

The siblings looked up at Kael with their mouths tightly shut. Their hair and clothes were damp from the misty morning.

Of course, Kael pretended not to notice.

“Here, take it.”

The boy took the food for both himself and his sister. After seeing the boy take it, Kael turned and headed towards the wall where the man-eating tree was.

‘Thank goodness for the fog.’

The fog made it difficult to see. The slums hill, the second highest place in Western City after the lord’s castle, was even more shrouded in mist. No one would be able to see what Kael was doing or what he was getting.

- More, more, please.

As usual, Kael heard the soulful, pleading voice. He poured the bag of bread into the base of the tree. The darkness inside the hole gradually turned white. Kael felt a slight smile on his lips, thinking that his efforts weren’t in vain. Then, the voice continued.

- So, so delicious!

The voice was cheerful.

- The soft texture, especially the third bag of bread, was the best. It seems that food has evolved over time! We didn’t even have bread back then! The wheat must have grown in a place with better soil. Wheat isn’t all the same—

…The voice was giving a detailed food review.

The flood of words hit Kael. This wasn’t in the book.

The soulful voice was now venting its grievances through a food critique. Kael’s frown deepened. He was grateful for the thanks, but the voice was getting too loud.

- Ancient times didn’t have such flavors. The dark forest creatures always gave me tasteless food.

But when the ancient story began, Kael waited a bit longer.

- Of course, I was expelled from there. For being too greedy. What a ridiculous reason. I came out with my companions. We wanted to set the world right.

Kael needed to hear the ancient story since he required the ancient power. But when the story ended and the voice started talking about the relationship between bread and obesity, Kael interrupted.

- I can’t give up this taste even if I gain weight. It’s so unfair to die eating dirt!

“Yeah, it was a great and professional food review. A bit noisy—”

Kael’s words were cut off by another voice.

- You understand my critique! You’re a good kid! Thank you!

…The conversation seemed to make sense, even though it didn’t.

Kael couldn’t quite grasp the situation. But the voice didn’t continue after the thanks. Kael looked at the tree in front of him.

“Interesting.”

The man-eating tree, the black tree, was turning white. Green leaves began to sprout. The scene was even more mysterious in the fog.

A deep, resonant sound, rather than a damp one, came from the tree. Kael knelt down and sat in front of the tree’s base. White light was pouring out of the hole.

Kael reached into the light and closed his eyes.

‘This is it.’

The warm and solid power that enveloped his hand made Kael smile. At that moment, he heard the voice one last time. It was clear and warm.

- I will protect you.

Whoosh.

For a very short moment, a bright light enveloped Kael. The light was silver, and it seeped into his body, gathering in his heart.

“Phew.”

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. It didn’t hurt. It felt warm, and the pure power made him feel good.

Kael immediately lifted his shirt.

‘Got it.’

On the spot where his heart was, a small silver shield was etched into his skin. It wasn’t a tattoo. It was a beautiful and ornate shield, as if painted with ink, marking his chest.

The shield would prioritize protecting its owner’s life. The place of this vow was right over the heart. The shield would stay with Kael until his heart stopped beating.

“Not bad.”

He could feel the power surrounding his heart. It wasn’t alien. Instead, it felt solid, protecting his heart and pulsing strongly.

This is how the ancient power left its mark, according to its own characteristics.

Kael used the ancient power as he had read in the book *The Birth of a Hero*.

Whoosh.

The 'Unbreakable Shield' appeared in front of Kael.

A sturdy silver shield, large enough to cover Kael’s upper body, had silver wings attached to both sides. These wings allowed the shield to move a certain distance. The size of the shield could also be adjusted.

He gauged the strength of the power, which felt like it was part of him. The ancient power was useful because it immediately felt familiar. That’s why heroes used it as a crutch.

Kael smiled.

‘At least twice.’

Based on the current strongest person, Choe Han, Kael thought he could block at least two mid-level sword techniques if Choe Han used his sword skills.

‘It’s more defensive than I thought it would be as a crutch.’

The 'Unbreakable Shield' does break, but it doesn’t disappear. When it receives an attack of a certain intensity, it breaks but leaves a minimal protective layer around the heart.

After some time, the power would recover, thanks to the heart’s vitality.

A beating heart. That heart gave strength to the shield, and the shield gave strength to the heart. If the heart became stronger, what would happen?

‘It would become even more solid.’

There were countless ways to strengthen the ancient power. Kael planned to enhance this shield further during his trip to the capital.

So, even if someone like Choe Han tried to kill him, he would have the strength, the shield, to last at least 10 minutes, no, 5 minutes.

The ancient power, like the man-eating tree, is hard to obtain unless it’s ‘accidentally found.’ Kael Hennithus, who knew the most about these accidents up to Volume 5, was probably the one who knew the most.

Kael’s lips curled up. He reached out and touched the shield. The texture was good, but one thing bothered him.

“…It looks too holy.”

When he fully revealed the power, it looked like the holy shields that knights in myths carried with their swords.

Of course, the previous owner of this shield, the goddess, was tired of gods, and Kael just didn’t like gods.

‘Well, I won’t be using it much, anyway.’

He would leave the fighting to others. If there was a terrorist attack in the capital, he would use the shield in its faintest and smallest form if he was in danger.

After returning the shield’s power to his heart, Kael tapped the now white tree and left. The drizzle in the fog wet his shoulders.

He liked the fog but hated the rain, so he quickened his pace and headed for the earl’s residence. He needed a carriage.

Then, he heard it.

Meow.

Meow.

Kael’s neck tingled. Just before the earl’s residence, he saw two pairs of golden round eyes. Kael’s face crumpled.

Two very pitiful-looking kittens, drenched in the rain, were meowing and approaching him. They rubbed their faces against his legs one by one.

“Master, what is it?”

Hans, the butler, greeted Kael as he arrived at the earl’s residence. Hans’s eyes widened, and he looked shocked. Kael clicked his tongue and extended his hands.

“Stop talking nonsense and take them.”

Hans’s eyes wavered.

“S, such cute, adorable, and charming kittens.”

The butler seemed to be a good candidate for a butler. The two kittens nestled into Hans’s arms, who was at a loss on how to handle them.

Kael’s lips curled up as he passed the kittens.

“Oh, by the way, they quiet down if you feed them. And they are siblings.”

The two kittens shivered and their golden eyes widened, looking at Kael.

“Huh?”

When Hans repeated the question in a daze, Kael approached him and stroked the kittens’ heads.

He had his suspicions, but now he knew for sure.

When he smelled the faint scent of the herbs he had given them from the silver kitten’s body.

When he smelled the faint scent of the steak and bacon cream pasta he had given them this morning as he picked up the kittens.

He was certain. The events of the past few days made sense in Kael’s mind.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

The golden eyes of the two kittens wavered aimlessly. Kael smiled, looking at the siblings he had been feeding for the past few days.