Cale looked grave. His mind was more complex than ever.

“…If the Henituse household truly becomes a Marquis…

No, if it becomes a Duke’s household!”

They were wealthy, wielded immense influence in the naval forces, and would hold the title of Duke or Marquis? Just thinking about it made Cale feel as if his carefree life was dissolving into an illusion, waving goodbye.

“Nah, no way.”

The nobles of the Roan Kingdom would have to be mad to allow one household to accumulate such wealth, power, and prestige. Furthermore, how shrewd was Crown Prince Alberu Crossman? No matter how much trust he placed in Cale, would he prioritize his family’s advancement?

“Young master-nim, are you alright?”

Cale turned to see Witira observing him with a peculiar expression. She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“…Young master-nim, why are you rejecting all this?”

She found Cale Henituse’s rejection of such a prestigious position, title, and honor to be quite strange.

“Why else?”

Cale grumbled, his face furrowed in a frown.

“Things like that are bothersome. I already have enough to do.”

He had plenty to do after disposing of that White Star bastard. Even as a slacker, he needed to farm, fulfilling the promise he made to team leader Lee Soo Hyuk.

Farming wasn’t easy. Kim Rok Soo, having lived his entire life in cities, was more accustomed to a job like serving in the Eastern Continent’s “Hope and Adventure Loving Inn” than farming.

“I need to learn about farming.”

He couldn’t do a poor job if he was going to create a field and start farming. He needed at least a basic understanding of farming.

“The children will be watching me.”

The children, averaging nine years old, would be by his side, watching him farm. If Cale half-heartedly farmed with them watching? If he tossed the seeds and didn’t care about the field at all?

Cale might not care about helping with the children’s education, but even he wouldn’t do something like that.

He needed to play, eat, rest, sleep, and now farm. He was already worried about not having time to rest because of the farm, so who cared about a prestigious position? A title? He didn’t need any of that.

Witira seemed to sigh as she addressed Cale, who appeared lost in thought.

“…Young master-nim, taking care of the White Star is truly difficult, but you should still accept what is yours.”

“Hmm?”

Cale sensed something in Witira’s words. She seemed to misunderstand him, viewing him as someone willing to sacrifice himself. He needed to clarify.

“I’m not talking about the White Star. I’m not talking about the present, I’m talking about the future.”

“The future?”

“Yes. I need to farm in the future.”

“Mm, yes indeed, a small field to start, and I’ll plant easy-to-grow crops.”

“…Farm?”

“Yes. What else is there for me to do after getting rid of the White Star? I’m just going to return to the Forest of Darkness and live a quiet life.”

Just thinking about it made Cale happy. The villa in Harris Village, the Super Rock Villa in the Forest of Darkness, Sheritt and Raon’s castle. Isn’t living quietly in such magnificent places the slacker life of his dreams?

“…Living quietly in the Forest of Darkness?”

“Yes. What do you think? Doesn’t it sound great?”

Cale smiled, envisioning this happy future. He then gazed out towards the edge of the northern ocean.

“I’ll treat the profits from the Eastern continent’s inn as my pension and live a comfortable life. It sounds wonderful!”

Cale looked relaxed. However, Witira frowned, unsure of what to say.

The Forest of Darkness. What kind of place was that?

It was a place on the Western continent with the strangest and most formidable monsters, demanding vigilance even with a Dragon by his side.

Wasn’t that the reason the Henituse territory had built a large stone wall to separate the Forest of Darkness from the rest of the territory?

Furthermore, the Henituse household had been known for generations as the guardians who protected the Roan Kingdom from the Forest of Darkness. The world after defeating the White Star. That world would be peaceful, as Cale mentioned, aside from wars between kingdoms or different beast tribes.

“But in such a world, young master Cale…

He wants to abandon all titles and positions, and remain in the dangerous Forest of Darkness to protect the world and ensure peace?”

No. That wasn’t all.

“He wants to farm in that dangerous Forest of Darkness? Is he saying he wants to transform that place into a bountiful land that benefits the world? He also wants to do it quietly, without seeking wealth or honor in return?”

Witira felt frustrated. She then heard a quiet murmur beside her.

“…It was real.”

The quiet but passionate voice made her look. Witira saw Clopeh gazing at Cale with a peculiar expression.

Clopeh clenched his fists.

“Finally!”

Clopeh had finally grasped a part of Cale Henituse.

Until now, Clopeh hadn’t been able to determine if Cale was foolish or intelligent.

Sometimes Cale acted like an emotional fool, while other times he treated Clopeh like a puppet.

However, Clopeh now understood why he couldn’t tell.

“He’s different from me.

Cale Henituse… this man, has no greed.”

Cale always claimed to be greedy, but his desires weren’t for wealth, honor, or power.

It was a greater greed. A greed Clopeh couldn’t imagine.

“…His greed is to create a peaceful world!”

Clopeh realized Cale Henituse’s lofty ambition after hearing about his desire to farm in the Forest of Darkness.

“That person is choosing seclusion because he doesn’t want to become a faction that threatens the world!”

A world without the White Star. What would be the strongest faction? Who would lead?

Who would have the greatest influence across both Eastern and Western continents?

It would be Cale Henituse. Could the wise Cale Henituse not know this?

“I’m sure he knows it well.”

That was why Cale Henituse, for the sake of world peace, would live in seclusion to prevent further chaos.

“However, if another White Star, or a faction similar to the Indomitable Alliance I started, appears again…”

Cale Henituse would return to the world, to fulfill this unattainable desire for peace. This greed was so vast that Clopeh could only say Cale Henituse had no greed. It wasn’t something the word “greed” could properly describe.

“…He will truly become a legend.”

A strange sense of passion enveloped Clopeh. His questions vanished, everything fell into place.

“Cale Henituse is an extremely formidable person.”

Clopeh Sekka also dreamt of becoming a legend, but his dream was for himself. But if someone was willing to erase themselves…

“He’s the real deal.”

His gaze shifted from Cale to the others. He saw Choi Han, chuckling, observing Cale with a “nothing I can do about you” expression.

“Cale Henituse has extremely strong allies who would follow him to the ends of the earth if necessary.

That’s frightening. Very frightening.”

Clopeh felt both fear and excitement.

“I’m also on Cale Henituse’s side.”

His lips curled into a wide smile. He then looked at another strong individual who had been moved by Cale.

“Young master-nim, I truly hope your dream comes true.”

Witira, suppressing her frustration, forced a smile. Cale tried to return it but failed.

“I pray that the fertile and vast fields you create in the Forest of Darkness will be full of crops every year.”

Cale frowned.

“What the hell is this whale saying?! Vast fields?! Who said anything about vast fields?!”

Cale opened his mouth to correct her. At that moment…

Pfft.

He heard a chuckle.

“It’s just small-scale farming. Not a vast field.”

Choi Han, with a genuine smile, addressed Witira and turned to Cale.

“Isn’t that right, Cale-nim?”

Cale saw Choi Han’s pitying gaze, the same gaze Kim Rok Soo’s peers had given him when he spoke nonsense.

It made him uneasy, but Cale nodded.

“Precisely. Small-scale farming indeed.”

– Human! Are we farming? What will we grow? I’ll water the field with magic! Human, Choi Han said we need chili peppers and beans to make gochujang and doenjang! Let’s grow those first!

Cale’s expression hardened as he listened to Raon’s excitement. However, Witira and Clopeh, unable to hear Raon, began to think differently, seeing Cale’s expression change while Choi Han struggled to contain his laughter.

Choi Han had glimpsed into Choi Jung Soo’s memories. It happened when the 25-year-old Choi Jung Soo, with his colleague and friend Kim Rok Soo, met the guild leader of Korea’s largest guild responsible for Seoul’s Section A.

The guild leader had offered Kim Rok Soo a position.

“Kim Rok Soo, why don’t you join our guild? I highly value your abilities. We’ll give you the best treatment.”

“But I don’t want to.”

“…May I ask why?”

“I plan to work here until I can become a slacker.”

“What? You’re going to keep working in that company that pays you peanuts and offers no fame?”

“They’ll at least take care of me in retirement.”

“…You’re going to silently work there until retirement?”

“Probably not silently, but mostly, yes?”

“Ho!”

The guild leader shook his head, sighing and muttering to himself.

“…What an amazing mindset.”

Kim Rok Soo had looked at the guild leader as if he were the odd one. Choi Han recalled Choi Jung Soo’s feelings as he looked at Kim Rok Soo at that time.

“Kim Rok Soo, this bastard, is doing it again. And that guild leader should have understood when he said he wanted to be a slacker, so why is he mentioning the rest of this nonsense? The team leader and Kim Rok Soo, they’re so similar, sigh.”

That had been Choi Jung Soo’s feeling. Choi Han understood Choi Jung Soo’s feelings as he looked at Cale, Witira, and Clopeh.

Pat, pat.

He patted Cale’s shoulder.

“What do you want?”

Cale looked at him with a grumbling expression, and Choi Han responded with a genuine smile.

“I will help you farm.”

“…This bastard, no, why is Choi Han acting like this?”

Cale was bewildered, and began to speak.

“Let’s go see Mary for now.”

Cale, Raon, and Choi Han left Witira and Clopeh behind, heading towards the Land of Death, one of the Western continent’s forbidden regions.

Three days later, Cale stepped onto the teleportation magic circle as Rosalyn watched him leave.

– Human! I’ll be right behind you! See you in a minute!

“Congratulations, young master-nim! Choi Han and Mary will be there soon!”

“…Okay.”

Cale weakly responded, and the bright light of the teleportation magic circle soon obscured his vision. He heard Rosalyn’s cheerful voice.

“I don’t know if it will be a Duke or a Marquis, but I hope it’s a Duke!”

“Damn it!”

Cale closed his eyes, letting the teleportation take him to the Henituse residence in the Roan Kingdom’s capital. He had received a call from Count Deruth while working in the Land of Death’s Underground City, to discuss a plan to deal with the White Star.

Count Deruth was smiling brightly, mentioning the issue the Crown Prince had raised last time.

“Cale, let’s see each other again after a long time in the capital. Can you make it?”

Cale said he would definitely be there.

“…Who knows what would happen to me without me being there?”

He needed to ensure nothing happened. The entire ceremony had to pass without Cale Henituse receiving anything. Cale resolved to personally ensure that.

Paaaat!

He solidified his resolve as he was blinded by the bright light. He would definitely do something to bring him closer to his slacker life.

“Hyung-nim.”

He opened his eyes in a familiar location after the light faded.

– Human! I’m here!

He heard Raon’s voice in his head as he looked around at the Henituse family’s capital residence’s underground training ground, unchanged in the past two years.

“Welcome, hyung-nim.”

Even Basen, who came to greet him, was unchanged.

“Thanks, Basen. Long time no see.”

Basen was the only one greeting Cale. No one else was present. This was unusual, as he had heard Lily, his father, and mother were already in the capital.

“Are they all busy?”

In that brief moment of thought…

“Hyung-nim.”

Cale and Basen met eyes.

“I’ve been waiting for you for a very long time.”

The seemingly frail but stubborn boy looked at Cale with passionate eyes.

“What’s with him?”

Cale thought Basen was acting strangely. However, he soon calmed himself. It was better that only Basen was there.

“Basen.”

Basen looked directly at Cale upon hearing his name. He had heard everything Cale had done, and the rumors surrounding him.

Basen suddenly recalled the young Cale Henituse who had looked at him with a pitiful expression a month after he had come to live in the residence.

“[You are part of the Henituse household. Remember that. No matter where you go, your last name is Henituse. Don’t you remember what Father said? Listen to me unless you are an idiot. Tell people that the Henituse blood flows through you, no matter what.]”

“[How can I… ]”

“[Shut up and do as I say. Otherwise, you won’t be able to live in this house. Do you think the cousins and the others would leave you alone? Are you going to act like an idiot?]”

His hyung-nim had never raised a hand against him, even when he was treated as an outsider, only guiding him. Basen knew that was the best Cale could do to help him.

“[You need to protect your mother. At least you… ]”

Basen still didn’t understand why the young Cale had looked so sad. The young Cale and Cale’s mother. No one would speak of Cale’s mother.

Basen began to speak, looking at his hyung-nim.

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

Cale slowly spoke, looking back. The main reason he had come to the capital. This was the first step.

The underground training ground was quiet. A voice broke the silence. Actually, not one voice, but two.

“Hyung-nim, I wish for you to become the territory lord.”

“What do you think about becoming the territory lord?”

They spoke simultaneously. Basen and Cale.

“Me as the territory lord?”

“You want me to be the territory lord? Why?”

Both their eyes flickered as they looked at each other.

– Hmm? Neither of you want to be the territory lord? Then let’s ask little Lily if she wants to do it! She’ll destroy all enemies with her greatsword! She seems like she’ll become stronger than Basen and you, weak human! She’s reliable!

Raon excitedly shouted into Cale’s mind.

Clunk.

They heard the training ground door open, and Cale saw Lily appear at the right moment. He heard Raon’s voice.

– Oh! Human! It’s the future strong girl, Lily! She became stronger again!

Perhaps because Raon was chattering so loudly… Cale subconsciously asked Lily a question, still slightly stunned.

“Do you want to be the territory lord?”

Lily’s jaw dropped. She seemed shocked, speaking to herself without greeting either Cale or Basen.

“What is going on?”

Lily’s thoughts were clearly visible, and this was the thought going through everyone else in the room except Raon.