Chapter 98

# Chapter 98. <The Inspiration Has Come>

Kale kept his eyes closed. However, Albert did not chide him for it.

After all, they were not just meeting a dark elf; they had to go to a dark elf village.

-There’s something I need to pick up from that village. I’m currently busy with what I and the dark elves helping me are doing, so it’s hard for me to move around.

Albert was growing stronger by using dead mana. The dark elves assisting him were currently active in the shadows, disguised.

-And a human needs to go.

It’s an item made by a qualified craftsman, but ironically, it’s a one-time use item. If it comes into contact with the blood of another dark elf, it immediately activates, and only other races or animals with no affinity to darkness can carry it.

Kale slowly opened his eyes. He leaned back into the rocking chair.

“What kind of item is it?”

His posture was so slanted that even the king would have called it arrogant. However, Albert only frowned and couldn’t even scold him.

-Huh, why do I have to deal with such a brat.

“What did you say?”

-Why do I have such a wonderful brat.

Crown Prince Albert let out a bitter laugh, finding his own words amusing. Somehow, the more time passed, the more Kale reminded him of himself when he was with the dark elves.

‘He’s got me by the balls.’

Ironically, that was why he trusted Kale Hennitus the most. Kale had kept his secret for almost two months.

“But if it’s difficult for you to move now, can’t you send one of your subordinates to get it later?”

While saying this, Kale remembered that Albert had a group of dark elves helping him.

-I don’t want to.

A shallow sigh escaped Albert’s lips. He was currently conducting this video call through a dark elf mage, not a palace mage, in secret.

-I have to go to the empire.

The empire? The crown prince of the Loen Kingdom?

Their gazes met.

-I’ve been invited to the opening ceremony of a festival hosted by the crown prince and the twin sun deities.

A festival?

An event that hadn’t appeared in the first five volumes of ‘The Birth of a Hero.’

Kale didn’t know about it.

But Kale immediately understood Albert’s situation.

The twin sun deities.

They were fraternal twins, each known as the sun deity’s devotee, the Holy Maiden and the Holy Knight.

The Holy Maiden and the Holy Knight, who always appeared in fantasy worlds, were supposed to make the world beautiful and infinitely kind, symbols of sacrifice.

“Hmm.”

Kale was momentarily speechless.

Do you know about them?

The Holy Maiden and the Holy Knight. In ‘The Birth of a Hero,’ they were a bit unusual.

They defined good and evil based on the standards of the deity they represented.

-After all, the sun deity’s church is the complete opposite of dark elves. If my dark elf heritage is revealed, then, well.

“Terrible things will happen.”

-Yes.

In the Western Continent, the dark elves were a despised and hated race. A crown prince with dark elf blood would be deposed.

Worse, he might be killed.

-Those twins will try to kill me.

Kale couldn’t argue with that.

The sun deity. The sun, as a symbol of light, hated darkness. It was because the beings that thrived in the absence of light were dark.

And the sun deity’s goal was to burn and destroy those it hated.

The twins, inheriting this trait, would try to kill Crown Prince Albert the moment they discovered his true identity.

To them, it would be justice.

‘This doesn’t feel good.’

A chill ran through his body, different from the one he felt when he heard the word ‘dark elf.’ Kale involuntarily spoke.

“Have a safe trip.”

Albert laughed easily.

-Actually, I was planning to go without you.

“But why is the crown prince suddenly holding such a festival and inviting you? He must have contacted other kingdoms as well, right?”

-He must be crazy.

Kale was momentarily speechless at Albert’s casual remark.

“…Aren’t you being too blunt in front of me now?”

The crown prince shrugged.

-I find it strange too. From what I know, the current emperor and crown prince have been trying to push the church away.

That’s right.

The reason Kale felt uneasy was because the crown prince hated the church.

Wanting to be the control tower, the crown prince had grown his power through alchemy. How could he like a church that couldn’t be controlled?

And the sun deity’s church was aware that the current emperor and crown prince were trying to push them away.

-So, why would such a crown prince suddenly celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sun deity becoming the empire’s main religion? Does that make sense?

“No.”

-Do you know what’s even funnier?

“What?”

-It’s also a celebration for the 500th anniversary of the alchemy tower.

Kale let out a sigh.

“Is the sun deity’s church okay with celebrating the alchemy event together?”

-If they say it’s okay, they must have contacted the various countries on the continent, right?

Their gazes met again.

“It’s suspicious.”

-Suspicious.

The corner of the crown prince’s mouth curled up.

-Don’t you think something will happen at that event?

It seemed like something would happen.

Or there might be some unknown scheme.

“I don’t know.”

But Kale tried to distance himself.

Religion was one of the themes that often appeared in fantasy worlds. Kale had no interest in religion and no particular thoughts about it.

‘I just don’t want to get involved, and I hate being bothered.’

He just didn’t want to be caught up in any situation.

Kale’s gaze moved outside the range of the video call device.

Raon tilted his head, wondering why he was looking.

No matter what, if someone tried to manipulate him.

‘No, it’s impossible to be manipulated.’

If he only took Raon, Joo Han, and Rosalyn with him, there would be no chance of being manipulated. If worse came to worst, he could just destroy everything, as he did on the sea. Kale had grown a bit more confident.

-But I don’t know.

But such pretense didn’t work on the crown prince.

-In any case, I’m asking you. I’ll make sure to give you a corresponding reward.

Kale didn’t immediately respond to Albert’s serious request.

Given Albert’s personality, he couldn’t send the second or third prince to the empire, so he had to go himself. After a long pause, Kale spoke.

“Your Highness, the star in the hearts of the kingdom’s people.”

Albert inwardly sighed. From his reaction, it seemed Kale was going to refuse.

But the next words made one corner of Albert’s mouth curl up.

“Where to?”

No matter how much he thought about it, Kale believed that among those currently with the crown prince, the only human who wouldn’t cause trouble besides the subordinates helping him in the shadows was himself.

There was no other choice.

He couldn’t just let him die.

Crown Prince Albert smiled and spoke.

-West. You need to go to the western part of the continent.

At that moment, a place came to Kale’s mind.

One of the five great wonders.

“Do dark elves live in the Land of Death?”

-You’re quite clever.

The Land of Death.

It was similar in name to the ‘Valley of Death’ but was a bit different from other natural wonders.

The Land of Death was the result of history.

It was the place where the last necromancer led countless corpses and fought the final battle. It was a desert.

During the day, the sand was as red as blood, and at night, it was as black as the night.

A place where new sand dunes were formed every day.

-There’s a dark elf village there. A city. You need to get the item from the leader of that city.

“Hmm, Your Highness.”

He had heard that the Land of Death, a desert, was extremely hot. Everything dried up and withered.

And it was summer now.

-Why?

A somewhat affectionate voice came from Albert. It was a sincere voice, not fake or forced. To that, Kale cautiously asked.

“Can’t I not go?”

A moment of silence fell.

Kale soon nodded.

“I have to go. I said I would.”

-Hmm. I’ll assign a guide to you. Since it’s a desert, you need to go with someone who knows the way.

A guide. If it was someone who knew the way to the dark elf village, it was obvious.

-My mother’s sister is there. Your aunt. Currently, only your aunt among the dark elves has the leisure to travel with you.

Albert added.

-She’s the one who commands the dark elves under me. You can trust her skills.

Kale nodded seriously. His expression was so solemn that Albert felt a bit guilty.

“Your Highness.”

-Yes, Lord Kale.

“Can I request expenses from Your Highness? Can I buy a lot of magic ice? I hate the heat. And can I decide the reward myself? This time, I’ll take money.”

Several questions were thrown at once. Albert looked at Kale for a moment before answering.

-Yes. Do as you please.

Kale smiled and replied.

“As you know, my mission completion rate is 120%, and I expect a reward that exceeds that.”

-I understand. Do as you like.

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

-Yes. I trust you.

After