Chapter 65

# Chapter 65. <This Isn't Right>

"By the way, Sir, what about the guards? I heard that the deputy captain and the children are staying in Harris Village to take care of things."

Kael frowned at Hans's relentless questions. Regardless, Hans continued, holding On and Hong in his arms.

"The deputy captain said he would investigate the Dark Forest, right?"

The explosion in the Dark Forest. The deputy captain knew the cause from Kael, but to keep it a secret from others, he officially stayed behind to investigate.

'Sir, I'll take care of these trivial matters. But I won't stay in this place forever.'

Kael immediately erased the image of Whelsman's solemn face. It was pointless.

"The guards are no longer needed, so we parted ways at the city gate."

The whale siblings left at the city gate. Of course, the vials containing the swamp liquid were also in their hands. Half of them were in Kael's possession.

Hong's tail swayed. Hong would soon become stronger, and so would On.

"Hans."

"Yes."

"When did His Royal Highness say to contact him?"

Kael asked casually. But Hans answered very firmly.

"Immediately. That's what he said."

Kael's lips curled up. He must be in a hurry. Kael spoke leisurely.

"Then let's go."

***

Kael was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed. The mage responsible for the estate's video communication glanced at Kael.

"Are you ready?"

"Ah, yes, yes!"

The mage swallowed and continued.

"You can now communicate with His Royal Highness."

The mage looked at Kael, who was to be summoned by the Crown Prince. Unlike the mage, who was tense, Kael spoke very calmly.

"Then, I'll go in."

With a clear dismissal, the mage bowed and left the video communication room, glancing back a few times out of curiosity. Kael immediately activated the video communication and soon saw a face floating in the air above a translucent sphere.

Kael spoke immediately.

"Seeing the star in the hearts of our people, His Royal Highness, is an infinite honor—"

-Enough.

The Crown Prince's voice came through the screen.

Crown Prince Albert refused Kael's greeting with a look of disgust. Kael closed his mouth with a faint smile.

Albert in the screen stared intently at Kael. Seeing Kael sitting calmly and gracefully, Albert said bluntly.

-You really turned the Brac Kingdom upside down, didn't you?

Kael's smile deepened. It was the topic he had been waiting for. Why would he come to see the Crown Prince immediately if it wasn't for this?

'Among all, the Crown Prince's information is the most accurate.'

Kael remained silent, smiling as if nothing was wrong. That usually solved everything.

-From your silence, I assume you've heard about it.

See? Just sitting quietly solves everything.

-Rosalin Princess seems to have made up her mind. How could she wipe out the Grand Duke's family in one day?

The word "wipe out" made Kael's heart sink, but he didn't show it. He could see Albert's probing gaze. Albert was testing him.

-And she gave up the throne.

Indeed, Rosalin gave up the throne. Now she would reveal herself as a mage.

-But I heard there were two very powerful beings with her. Others might not know who they are, but I do.

The Crown Prince explained well.

Albert's sharp gaze focused on Kael.

-Aren't they your subordinates?

Choi Han and Lac. Kael told the truth to Crown Prince Albert, who was referring to them.

"My subordinates?"

They weren't his subordinates. Choi Han was just a man, and Lac was a trader. Kael could see the corners of the Crown Prince's mouth rising on the screen. He was leaning back on the sofa, saying casually.

-A sly one.

Kael didn't deny it. Albert shook his head at Kael and said bluntly.

-Why the Mage Tower?

The Crown Prince no longer sugar-coated his words in front of Kael. Kael looked at the Crown Prince seriously.

"Your Highness."

He straightened his back from the sofa. The Crown Prince also straightened, showing interest. Kael continued.

"I often think that I am similar to Your Highness."

The Crown Prince's face twisted.

-What a terrible thing to say.

"It is, isn't it?"

Kael calmly continued, ignoring the Crown Prince's clear disgust.

"Isn't the Rowen Kingdom just an ordinary kingdom?"

Silence fell. If the mage outside the video communication room had heard this, he would have been shocked. But Kael saw the Crown Prince Albert smiling as expected.

The Crown Prince now looked interested.

-You're going to speak bluntly?

"You're smiling now, Your Highness?"

-Well, it's the truth.

The Crown Prince didn't deny it.

The Rowen Kingdom. A place where neither the knights nor the mages were particularly strong. It had a long history but was mediocre in every aspect.

But Crown Prince Albert realized that in an era of chaos, being mediocre was not enough. He thought they needed something outstanding.

However, that wasn't something that could be formed in a short time.

It usually took decades, if not centuries, for a kingdom. So he made a decision.

Steal it.

Steal the outstanding features of other kingdoms and make them our own.

And a good target appeared before him.

The Kingdom of Wiper, once a land of mages.

Kael and the Crown Prince's gazes met. The Crown Prince said.

-You're quick.

A similar smile appeared on both their faces. This time, Kael spoke.

"I want the Mage Tower. And Your Highness—"

Kael and the Crown Prince spoke simultaneously.

"mages."

-mages.

A moment of silence fell. But soon, the Crown Prince covered his eyes and burst out laughing.

-Haha, really. I thought it was terrible to have another person like me.

After laughing for a while, the Crown Prince uncovered his eyes and looked at Kael.

-I'll support you in everything.

The Crown Prince waited for Kael's response.

"Thank you."

No more, no less. Just one word, but it hit the Crown Prince right in the ear. He saw Kael's confident attitude. So he asked.

-But why do you covet the Mage Tower?

Kael noticed the Crown Prince was probing him again. He was truly a difficult person to deal with. But it wasn't that hard.

'He must be wondering if I've noticed something about the north.'

In the first five volumes of 'The Birth of a Hero,' there was a constant mention of a threat to the Rowen Kingdom: the northern kingdom of knights. Crown Prince Albert was wary of them and prepared for their invasion.

War was an era of chaos, and chaos was a good opportunity for the prepared. One of those opportunities was the mages fleeing from the Kingdom of Wiper.

Without a proper force, the Crown Prince would use them to form a power base and expand his influence within the kingdom.

Kael, or Kim Roksu, often thought that if he had read beyond the fifth volume of 'The Birth of a Hero,' he would have known about the two new rising forces. One would be the northern knights.

'The other must be the Crown Prince in front of me.'

Especially, the black dragon's words about not being just a human gave him a clue. Kael smiled. The Crown Prince was probably testing if Kael knew about the north's movements and wanted the Mage Tower for that reason.

Kael spoke.

"I just want the Mage Tower."

-...I should have known.

Shaking his head, Albert saw Kael's sly smile.

"Then, why do you need mages, Your Highness?"

A soft, well-oiled smile appeared on Albert's face.

-I just want to embrace them.

It was pure pretense. But neither of them pointed it out. The two, sitting like a picture on the sofa, exchanged words leisurely.

-When will you leave?

"In a month. I plan to go then."

In a month, Kael would finish all his preparations and head to the Kingdom of Wiper. By the time he arrived, the civil war would be nearing its end. Kael imagined Tunka's stupid face glowing with gold.

-How will you travel?

"By ship."

-Guards?

Guards. At this word, Kael smiled. Albert realized his mistake.

-A useless question. Young Master Kael, take care of yourself. You're fragile, you know?

"I'll bring everything I need."

-It's surprisingly easy to communicate with you.

Kael and Albert, despite their vastly different appearances, had very similar smiles.

Three weeks later. Kael slowly opened his eyes. He rolled over. Yawning on the wide bed, he looked at the ceiling.

3 PM. He had just woken up. Rubbing his eyes, he stared blankly at the ceiling.

"I won. I woke up an hour later today!"

"Again, the youngest won. I don't understand why you keep waking up late."

The black dragon and Hong alternated their gazes between the clock and Kael. Kael rubbed his stomach with his right hand. He woke up because he was hungry. He mumbled with a lazy face.

"...The life of a rich unemployed person."

It was pure bliss.

For three weeks, Kael had done nothing.

He had named the dragon but asked for another month from the black dragon. He had delegated all other preparations to others, slept late, and woke up late, living a life of leisure within the viscount's estate. His family kept telling him to rest, so he was happy.