Silence filled the bedroom.

Crown Prince Alberu’s eyes widened.

“What did I just hear?”

He recalled what Cage had just said.

“What do you think? Do you intend to make the White Star’s pronouncements a reality?”

“Make the White Star’s pronouncements a reality? Is that what the God of Death said?”

Alberu was truly shocked this time.

“This is unexpected.”

Alberu felt a shiver run down his spine the more he considered the current situation. Didn’t that mean what the White Star said might become reality?

The God of Death.

Alberu began to ponder that god.

“…That church doesn’t have many followers.”

People who believed in the God of Death were scattered throughout the Roan Kingdom. This was similar to most other churches within the Roan Kingdom.

“It’s because the Roan Kingdom has no national religion.”

Some found it odd that the Crossman royal family, said to be blessed by the Sun God, hadn’t chosen the Church of the Sun God as its national religion.

“I’d have to be mad to take the Church of the Sun God as our national religion.”

But from Alberu’s perspective, as well as the rest of the Crossman household’s, the Sun God was a fearsome entity that kept a watchful eye on them.

“Now that I think about it, there isn’t much known about the Church of the God of Death other than the vow of death.”

But the God of Death was acting so aggressively regarding the White Star issue?

A single thought struck Alberu.

“I need to investigate this.”

He needed to gather information on the God of Death and his church.

Alberu glanced at Cale as he organized his thoughts.

“…Will this punk really accept a god’s will?”

He was curious.

At that moment,

“That, that-”

Cale began to speak.

His body stiffened, and his emotions slowly began to show on his face, as if he were truly shocked.

“That goddamn God of Death!”

“Oh.”

Alberu was impressed.

“He’s willing to curse a god without hesitation!”

He knew that Cage would deliver the message to the God of Death.

Alberu was amazed by his little brother for the first time in a long while.

Cale didn’t care; he was extremely angry.

“He keeps pulling these crazy stunts these days.”

“Is the God of Death a crazy bastard?”

Cale was furious. He subconsciously pounded his chest with his fist.

“I mean, he brought two people from the innocent Choi family here and even made a deal to try to bring a third. Then he dragged me here when I was relaxing on vacation, reading a novel.”

He was also the one who started this countdown that Cale hadn’t wanted, talking about sending him back or letting him stay here.

“…Now he wants to interfere with my dreams too?”

Being someone who receives a god’s will wouldn’t allow him to live a carefree life; it would force him into hiding because everyone would be hunting him.

A truly vicious and chaotic glow filled Cale’s gaze as he quietly muttered.

A sound that didn’t seem to fit the situation filled the bedroom.

Clap- clap clap, clap-

Someone was clapping.

Everyone turned toward the woman.

Cage was clapping with a very satisfied smile on her face.

She then began to praise Cale.

“Young Master-nim! Your tone just now, cursing the God of Death, was magnificent! Hahaha!”

She laughed loudly before slowly taking drinking glasses from her baggy sleeves.

“Young Master-nim, you’re rejecting the offer, right? You truly are wise! A god’s will, my foot! You should live as you please. You can’t live your life doing what others want.”

A bottle also emerged from her sleeve.

Alberu gasped in surprise.

“How does she keep a bottle and glasses hidden in her sleeves?”

It was amazing.

“Let’s drink, since we share the same desires! Ahahaha!”

Cage seemed quite happy.

The reason was soon revealed.

“You gave him a good one! Hahahaha!”

They didn’t need to ask who he had given a good one to.

Cale looked toward Cage, who was happy to have given the God of Death a good one, and began to speak.

“I suppose you expected this response?”

She answered Cale’s question while setting the alcohol on a nearby table.

“I assumed that’s how you would respond, Young Master-nim. Was I wrong?”

“No. You made a shrewd observation.”

Cale responded without hesitation and sat down at a chair near the table. He then made eye contact with someone.

Flinch.

Cale’s shoulders subconsciously began to shake.

“Hmm?”

Alberu and Cage, who looked in the same direction after seeing Cale’s reaction, flinched as well.

Alberu saw Choi Han standing there.

“…What’s wrong with him?”

Alberu had seen Choi Han’s sharp gaze before, but he had never seen Choi Han looking so blatantly vicious.

Choi Han, quietly staring at one spot, his eyes burning with anger, was far more vicious than Cale’s angry expression just moments before.

“…His stoic expression is even more terrifying.”

Choi Han slowly closed his eyes as Alberu pondered this, continuing to observe Choi Han.

Choi Han recalled the first time he went to see the World Tree.

Raon and Cale had met the World Tree before that, but this was Choi Han’s first time.

Cale had chatted with the World Tree, keeping his hand on its trunk.

Choi Han had heard what Cale said to the World Tree.

“Are you saying the God of Death is targeting me?”

The World Tree had said that the God of Death was targeting Cale.

Choi Han had asked Cale about it later.

“Did the God of Death do something?”

“…Mm… you see.”

That was the first time Choi Han had seen Cale unable to properly respond.

“Cale-nim.”

“…Mm. He seems to want to take something from me.”

That was what Cale had said after Choi Han pressed him for an answer once more.

Elf priestess Adite had said something when Cale gave that response.

“Is it death?”

Choi Han had thought that was the answer after hearing her say it.

He thought the only thing the God of Death would want from a person would be death or something related to death.

“No. It’s not like that.”

However, Cale had firmly stated that Adite was wrong.

But Choi Han had seen it.

He had seen Cale’s unique expression when he was worried about something.

Choi Han instantly realized that what the God of Death wanted from Cale was something so important that Cale couldn’t openly tell the others about it.

Choi Han opened his closed eyes.

“…The God of Death wants Cale-nim to receive his will? He wants to take something from him?”

“Absolutely not.”

His emotionless voice sounded very cold.

A bundle of black energy fluctuated next to Choi Han.

“…I, the great and mighty, will not even leave gods alone.”

It was the invisible Raon.

His chaotically sparkling dark blue eyes appeared within the black energy that enveloped Raon, to the point that his body couldn’t be seen.

“Mm.”

Cale felt a slight fear after seeing the two of them.

It was frightening to see these two black figures acting like this at the same time.

Cale was slightly scared but feigned ignorance and asked Cage a question.

“Why is the God of Death acting this way towards me?”

“Ah.”

Cage and Alberu were finally able to take their eyes off Raon and Choi Han and snap out of it.

“Hmm.”

Cage seemed to contemplate Cale’s question for a moment before opening the bottle and filling the glass.

Chhhhhhh-

Cage took a large gulp once the glass was full.

“Ahhhh-”

A happy smile finally appeared on her face.

However, her gaze was serious.

She looked at Cale and began to speak.

“Even I do not know why the God of Death is acting this way towards you, Young Master-nim. He hasn’t said anything about it.”

Tap. Tap.

She gently tapped the empty glass on the table before continuing.

“Mm, however.”

Cale waited for her to continue, and Cage continued without filtering anything, as was her nature.

“Remember how I was taken hostage earlier?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Do you happen to know the identities of the people in grey robes?”

“Aren’t they servants of the Demonic race?”

Cage glanced at Alberu after hearing Cale’s response. Cage relaxed, and Alberu seemed to know about it as well.

“That’s right, they are servants of the Demonic race. I realized it the moment I saw them use their powers.”

It was an instinctive realization for Cage.

Squeeze.

She tightened her grip on the glass as she continued.

“But that isn’t a big deal.”

“…Not a big deal?”

Alberu unintentionally interjected. It couldn’t be helped.

How could it not be a big deal when servants of the Demonic race showed up?

“Your Highness.”

Cage looked at Alberu.

“Are all gods in the world good and just?”

“…What?”

“Are all believers good and just?”

Alberu didn’t respond.

Cage looked at the silent Alberu before filling her glass again.

“Isn’t it obvious that there would be servants of the Demonic race since there are servants of the gods, their opposites?”

Cage knew her thoughts weren’t normal.

But there was something she had learned while living in the world.

“Everything has two sides to it. If there is white, then there is black. That is an obvious law of nature.”

Cale looked at Cage with a strange feeling.

Cage’s inherent worth became apparent whenever they talked.

That was why she could make such decisions and act without hesitation.

Of course, Cale had no positive or negative thoughts about her values. He had no intention of thinking about it. It was none of his concern.

“Anyway, their existence isn’t a problem.”

Tap.

The bottle was placed on the table.

“The problem is…”

Cage’s gaze darkened.

“That items from the Demon World have crossed over to our world.”

Cale thought about the drums on the battlefield and the White Star’s white mask.

The drums and the mask.

They should both be items from the Demon World.

Cage took another gulp of alcohol.

Clack!

She continued speaking after slamming the glass on the table.

“It’s also the fact that those items are being used for evil. They are being used to harm people.”

Those were problems for Cage.

She couldn’t just sit back and watch that happen. Although she was excommunicated from the church, she still used the powers of that side.

Having those powers came with a level of responsibility. That was her philosophy.

“We need to destroy those items. Hopefully, before they harm even more people with them.”

Cage looked at Cale and continued.

“There’s no need to follow the God of Death’s orders. I won’t follow him either. But I still want to destroy those items.”

Cage had seen the people who were cowering in fear after being taken hostage.

“Young Master-nim. You plan on fighting against the White Star, right?”

Chhhhhhh-

Cage placed a new glass in front of Cale and filled it with alcohol.

“Please take me with you. I promise I’ll be useful.”

She then waited for Cale’s response.

And then, she smiled.

“Ahh. This alcohol is a bit bitter.”

It was because Cale picked up the cup and drank the whole thing at once.

She could feel Cale giving her permission with the empty glass. Cage’s smile widened.

Cale simply looked at her without saying much.

“…I need both Saint Jack and Cage.”

The chances of the Demonic race getting involved in future battles were high, so he needed Jack and Cage.

It would also be beneficial in many ways to have Cage by his side as the promised date with the God of Death drew closer.

Cale filled her glass.

“Wow, you’re filling it so much.”

Cage laughed and picked up the glass.

At that moment,

Clang. Clang.

They heard someone tapping on the window.

Everyone inside the bedroom turned toward the window.

“…A bird?”

A beautiful black bird was tapping on the window with its beak.

They had never seen such a bird before, as it wasn’t one of the birds that lived in the Roan Kingdom. That’s why they found it odd.

Was it the enemy?

Everyone had that thought.

A sense of nervousness filled the bedroom.

The bird seemed to realize this, lowering its wings to show it had no intention of attacking.

“Should I open the window?”

Cale cautiously asked Alberu, who nodded.

“It seems to have come looking for us, so let it in, but we will surround it as soon as it enters.”

“I will open it.”

Choi Han walked toward the window, hand on his sword hilt, and opened the window.

Click. Screeeech-!

The window slowly opened.

Flutter-

The bird elegantly entered through the window. Choi Han closed the window as he drew his sword. Raon was slowly gathering his mana as well.

At that moment,

“The situation has changed slightly. That’s why I came myself.”

“Hmm?”

Cale recognized this voice. It was a voice already etched in his memories.

“…Duke Fredo?”

Cale could see the beautiful black bird flying toward him.

The bird elegantly landed on the table and opened its beak again.

“Yes, it is I.”

The bird elegantly fluttered its wings once before folding them and focusing its gaze on Cale.

The black bird majestically asked, as Cale was shocked by this unexpected visit.

“Cale Henituse, what do you think? Have you considered it yet? I want to quickly drink your blood.”