Chapter 77

# Chapter 77: <The Good Person>

The atmosphere was being set well.

The gazes directed at Kale, who had entered the cave with gentle movements and settled in a corner, were peculiar.

"Thank you for letting me stay."

His tone was polite and affectionate. Naturally, the speaker was Kale.

Ritana, a red-haired man with the typical appearance of a central continent native, shook her head.

"It's only natural among travelers. You seem cold from the rain, so please warm yourself by the fire."

Still, she and her subordinates maintained a clear boundary with Kale. No matter how pitiful he looked from the rain, he was a stranger.

-What rain? I didn't get wet at all! And it was warm water!

Raon contradicted Ritana's statement.

Kale and On had torn off their raincoats near the cave entrance and entered using Raon's warm water and body temperature protection magic.

Kale patted On's back, who had performed quite well.

Meow.

On looked at Kale with a bewildered expression.

Ritana observed the two of them with a secretly sharp gaze.

'He doesn't seem like an ordinary person.'

Ritana hadn't noticed it when her subordinate had aimed a spear at him earlier, but now she saw that the man in front of her didn't seem like an ordinary adventurer or traveler.

He had a good build, but his posture and gait suggested he wasn't a warrior. He didn't seem like a mage or any other kind of strong person either.

Her intuition was correct.

-He seems a bit stronger today, like his claws.

Kale's body was enveloped in a faint aura of dominance.

While Ritana was scrutinizing him, Kale also observed her, as if glancing at her.

The people of the southern jungle, commonly known as Southerners, were characterized by their copper-colored skin and athletic builds, adapted for physical activity. Given their natural environment, they were quite nature-friendly.

Nature-friendly.

This trait had developed in two distinct directions: one into the culture of the Wiper Kingdom's tribal people, and the other into the culture of the Southerners.

The culture of the Wiper Kingdom's tribal people emphasized the firm natural truth of 'survival of the fittest' and 'struggle.' In contrast, the Southerners developed the concepts of 'coexistence' and 'leadership and group.'

An awkward silence fell between them. The one who broke the silence was a voice that seemed indifferent.

"The rain is heavier than yesterday, so we should leave the forest tomorrow, right, On?"

The man's affectionate way of speaking to the cat was as warm as the campfire. On looked at him in amazement.

-...Why is he doing that?

Raon expressed her confusion.

Ritana and her subordinates stared at Kale with stern faces. Ritana could guess one thing from what the man said.

"Um, excuse me—"

"You can call me Kale."

"Okay, Mr. Kale."

Ritana finally noticed the man's appearance properly. He had a magic pouch but no weapons, dressed casually as if he were out for a walk, and seemed to know the way.

Finally, the unusual atmosphere.

A thought suddenly came to her mind.

'...Is he a dragon?'

A legend came to mind. A dragon that grants wishes. The legend didn't specify what it looked like or how it appeared. Ritana felt her thoughts were absurd, yet an inexplicable tension rose within her.

At that moment, Ritana's gaze met Kale's.

The corners of the man's eyes curved.

"I'm not a dragon."

Ah. A sigh escaped her lips, and she felt a jolt. Ritana saw Kale brush the red hair that had stuck to his face from the rain.

"But I do know the way."

"...How?"

The jungle. Even she and her subordinates, who had navigated its complex and irregular terrain like it was their home, couldn't find their way here. Yet the man in front of her had managed to?

Ritana, who openly revealed her doubts, received a smile from Kale as he spoke.

"This child is a Miao child."

Kale stroked On. His gaze was infinitely gentle, like that of a saint.

"I met this child by chance in the slums and ended up together on a rainy day like this."

He looked outside the cave, his eyes filled with nostalgia, as if recalling that rainy day. On remembered it too. This wasn't the time for nostalgia, but On remained silent, his tail twitching anxiously.

"On, this child can control the fog."

"A precious ability."

Ritana marveled, thinking of the fog that enveloped the jungle.

"Indeed. After leaving the fief and wandering to various places, I learned about this place. In an ancient document I found by chance, I saw a phrase suggesting that this place is controlled by fog."

She turned her gaze from On to Kale. The more she looked, the more she sensed a noble air in his actions and tone. He seemed to be at least a noble.

"So, this child and I came here together."

Kale's eyes sparkled in the soft light of the campfire. Ritana and her subordinates saw it. Kale's calm but passionate voice filled the cave.

"I thought that with our abilities, we could give hope to those who have lost their way in this place and to those who wait for them endlessly. That's why we came."

-...This isn't right.

Raon muttered, confused, and On resigned himself, only wagging his tail slightly.

Kale smiled faintly as he saw Ritana's gaze change.

"Fortunately, when I controlled the fog, the way became clear."

He soon explained the secret of the fog. He described in detail how it caused mental confusion and disrupted mana, making it impossible to find the way.

"I see."

Ritana couldn't hide her bitterness.

"The legend—must be a myth."

If the fog and mana were the cause, the legend of the dragon's power was likely false. A sense of disappointment spread across Ritana's and her subordinates' faces. But on the other hand, Ritana felt it was for the best.

It was better than worrying about whether to set the forest on fire.

"Then, could you guide us when you leave tomorrow?"

"Of course. It's only right to help those in need."

Ritana's gaze towards Kale became even softer and warmer. He was as kind as he seemed. His extraordinary aura likely stemmed from his mindset.

Kale looked at her with a sympathetic expression.

"You must have had a heartfelt wish."

"It's fine. It can't be helped. I was even considering setting the forest on fire to escape. This is better."

Fire. The word made Kale's eyes flash with a strange light, which quickly disappeared.

"Fire. What a frightening word. I can feel how difficult a decision it must have been for the nature-loving Southerners."

"Do you know about the South?"

"Not very well, just from books. I love traveling and the diverse and beautiful landscapes."

-Hmm, I see. A weak human.

Kale felt a chill run down his spine at Raon's reaction but tried to sound cheerful.

"I've seen many books about the beauty of the jungle's mountains and rivers. Once we leave this forest, I plan to visit when I have the time."

"I see."

Ritana felt a mix of regret, sympathy, and bitterness. She couldn't lie or pretend not to know about the beauty of the jungle, which this person, who was looking forward to seeing it after leaving the forest, would soon discover.

Her subordinates' expressions darkened.

"Unfortunately, the jungle you'll encounter after leaving this forest won't be beautiful."

"...What do you mean?"

A day's journey from the forest, the jungle spread out, covering most of the southern region. It was a vast area. But why did Ritana come to this forest?

Because it was close to where the fire had started.

"The jungle is on fire."

"Really? Shouldn't it be extinguished immediately?"

"...It's a fire that won't go out or spread."

Ritana explained the fire currently burning in a corner of the jungle, looking at Kale's confused eyes.

"Since a certain day, the fire has been raging in the first zone of the jungle. That's the jungle you'll encounter after leaving this forest. Despite using water, magic, and rituals, the fire wouldn't go out, causing great concern. But it only burned the first zone and didn't spread further."

She muttered with a bitter expression.

"I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

It was a strange fire.

But Kale knew the true nature of the fire.

A fire that wouldn't go out even with magic or rituals.

The answer was alchemy.

Scientific alchemy, more so than magic. One country, in particular, was known for its advanced alchemy.

The Mogor Empire.

The empire, which possessed an alchemy tower, was behind this.

'To be precise, the Crown Prince.'

The Crown Prince, concerned about the unification of the jungle by Ritana and the combined forces of the jungle, had secretly orchestrated this.

But secrets in the world are hard to keep. Ritana, who set the forest on fire in the fourth volume, later realized it was the Crown Prince's doing and prepared to face the Crown Prince of the Mogor Empire and the concept of 'survival of the fittest' in the fifth volume.

The queen, riding a black leopard instead of a horse, led the warriors to protect the jungle.

'That's not my concern.'

Kale had no intention of getting involved in this. He planned to resolve the jungle fire issue, receive payment, and then deal with a few other matters before