Chapter Text
Authors' notes:
• This work, will be honest, has been brewing for a long time: we've been discussing TCF fandom a lot in the chat, and we wanted to express our opinions, and all the reactions have already been read... So here we are, writing this collaborative work ourselves
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• We do not claim authorship of the original novel. The text of the novel «I Became a Scum of the Count's Family» belongs to its author, Yulyeohan (Or Yu Re Han?). We reserve the right to modify it to fit the idea of the fanfiction, so we do not recommend using our work to familiarize yourself with the original
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Authors' notes to the part:
• Enjoy your reading
— I've been wondering what exactly happened on the Wind Island. — Eruhaben gave him a disapproving look, and something heavy, on the verge of resignation and apathy, settled in Cale's chest. — Since we have to reveal our secrets, I choose this one first.
How nice of this ancient dragon to choose not something of its own, but to immediately point a finger at Cale. Such set-ups are not forget, not let go, and do not go unnoticed, given the events that took place on that cursed island. Cale's gaze darkened, and he looked back at Raon, who raised his head in interest, deciding to postpone his interaction with Eruhaben for time being, when he could throw him to the wolves in retaliation. Suddenly, the walls of the room seemed to close, and Cale sighed in frustration, cursing the gods once again.
The scheme was simple and familiar: find a world with a lucrative offer, go there, find Hunters, solve the problems, and return home with advantage. After the Central Plains, Cale had come to expect this kind of thing from any contact with the world's, but Maat, this damned world of justice and truth, had surprised him. In the messenger, it didn't promise a favorable location, mountains of gold, or anything else that Cale had in abundance, but information and Hunter who had already been captured. It was impossible not to be happy about such a reward, and Cale naturally expected a trick.
The trick was in the world's requirements for this award. “I stand for justice, yes, but truth is the most important thing to me. You will reveal your biggest secrets, everything significant that you have lied about, omitted, or concealed”, – it was as burdensome as possible for Cale. Although he had promised Ron that they would talk when they returned home, he had no intention of revealing his cards, and working with that world Maat was exactly what he was afraid of. On the other hand, he didn't want to let go of the Hunter he had almost gotten for free: Cale was driven by a desire for free and painless gain, which had been his survival strategy for many years.
The last desire argument in favor of visiting the world was its unique mana. The very concept of this strange world was built on truth and reality, and even its mana, imbued with these intentions, had a different structure and properties. The local civilization had developed differently, not only in terms of history and culture, but also in terms of spells. From the brief summary provided by Maat during their conversation through the Mirror, it was clear that the people had developed spells that display memories and even incorporated them into their judicial system. Both spells and mana were focused on revealing the true state of affairs. Raon, who had been napping next to Cale during his correspondence, became strangely agitated and referred to the awakened attribute, the abstract “Present”, when the world Maat sent a spark of its mana along with the message.
Cale was promised the mana stone mines of the world, and Raon — books, spells, answer to any questions, and unlimited time to experiment in that environment. This sealed the deal.
It's wonderful at first glance, but uncomfortable and awkward on the second and subsequent ones. Cale frowned, but saw no point in protesting when the recording stirred in response to Eruhaben's question about Wind Island. The familiar, never-forgotten, and never-demmed sensation of that day surfaced from the subconscious, and everyone present winced, reacting strangely. The spell, which was set to auto play and operate independently, broadcast the settings of that time, and the hall was replaced by the island's landscape as seen from the ship's deck.
— Your memories are surprisingly clear, young Master Cale, — Rosalyn looked around with interest as she moved around the recording stage. Cale only gave a vague chuckle in response and sighed.
Alberu moved closer and raised his eyebrows, looking into Cale's eyes. Choi Jung Soo reluctantly pulled away from Cale, jokingly glaring at Alberu as a potential rival, while Sui Khan chuckled at this scene.
— You've never told me about this incident, donsaeng — Ron and Beacrox began quite obviously listening to the conversation that had started.
— You didn't have to know, — Cale stretched out differently, hiding his nerves from what was about to be shown and shifting the focus from what was happening to this dialogue.
Team leader, however, is not so easily fooled, having been trained to recognize the slightest nuances of Kim Rok Soo's expressionless face. He ruffled Cale's hair in his usual manner, earning raised eyebrows and a hint of relaxation.
The peaceful moment ended and the recording began to play.
— Cale-nim.
Choi Han approached him with a serious expression on his face.
“It doesn't look artificial”.
That’s why Choi Han was serious.
It wasn't an aura or mana. What was happening on this island was natural wind.
This wind was going crazy like a natural disaster.
Raon gasped and stopped flapping his wings for a moment – Cale was lucky to catch and hold him when the dragon fell. Alberu closed his eyes, Rosalyn pinched the bridge of her nose, Eruhaben put his hand to his forehead, and Ron and Beacrox frowned. Sui Khan and Choi Jong Soo moved even closer to Cale. All of their heads were flooded with thoughts at the same time, and their feelings intensified, but they weren't even their own, and they seemed to march Cale's position at the time of the memories.
— Cale-ya.— Team leader's voice sounded tense, as it did during combat preparations. — Is this really how the record feels?
— Record? — Ron raised an eyebrow.
— An ability that improved my memory,— Cale replied emotionlessly, — that one you saw in the Mercenary Archive.
Eruhaben's heavy gaze pierced his eyes and swept over his body, as if searching for hidden injuries or problems. People were gradually gathering together, suffering from headaches. Raon frowned, held against Cale's chest by his own trembling hands.
— I didn't realize that your memory is so detailed that it includes sensations, thought, and emotions, — Eruhaben sounded tired, and Cale chuckled mirthlessly.
They had only just started, but many were already suffering from discomfort. However, there was nothing fatal on the record, and an overly curious Eruhaben would certainly survive a minor inconvenience like overheating or a migraine. It is always important to be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions.
Now that what was not meant for other people's eyes and ears was being revealed, Cale was not prepared for the first time in his life.
Three Forbidden Region. This place was perfect for being one of them.
— You're always up for such an outing, young Master, — Ron purred melodiously, furtively wiping his forehead with his hand.
— Yes, Human! You should be more careful, since you're always walking around dangerous places! — Raon didn't sound even half energetic as he usually would have been.
Cale remained silent, his eyes not on the floor, but wearily fixed on a place where he would never see anything again. He looked fully into the past, or the future, and did not dare, did not want to wish for anything. The hand slowly strokes Raon's rough scales, and melancholy spreads over the rips of his finger. He didn't want to think about the Wind Island: something about that event, the strange entertaining of everything at once, the culmination of all the emotions in his life, made Cale resign and accept homelessness like an old friend. His emotions were tangled up in an unnecessary mess that he didn't want to unravel.
Emotions now seemed unnecessary and superfluous. Team leader for some reason looked at him very intently and even sadly, with such boundless understanding in the features that the eyebrows were automatically frowned.
The ancient dragon Eruhaben approached Cale.
— I haven't been here for a long time.
He turned to Cale and continued calmly:
— You don't need to go there.
— Eruhaben-nim, you know perfectly well that it was necessary.
The words scratched his throat, but they were no less true. Cale didn't do anything useless, and all his radical measures, decisions, and actions were indispensable, even though those around him stubbornly refused to see or acknowledge it.
Eruhaben remained silent, frowning at his headaches and blushing at the feverish properties of the record, as he had nothing to say in response.
Choi Jung Soo just shook his head, and Alberu rubbed his chin thoughtfully with his finger.
The record was slowly affecting everyone present, and everything was falling into silence.
Nevertheless, the same calm voice answered them all.
— I have to go.
Cale's response was confident.
— You know, young Master,— Rosalyn's voice sounded weaker than usual, and she was rapidly turning pale,— you didn't have to take everything on yourself.
— Yes, dongsaeng, rely on your hyungs!— Choi Jung Soo said it in a time that was a little quieter than it had been before, and the team leader was suspiciously quiet.
In these early stages, Cale simply allowed them to slowly become accustomed to the sensation of their brains being overloaded by the constant influx of thoughts, pinpoint sensation, and the two distinct realities – someone else's past and your own present. They need to learn to beat it on their own in order to be able to finish this deal with the world.
At that moment, Super Rock commented:
{Let's take this the difficult way}.
— Super Rock?— Choi Han tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, looking at Cale.
The man sighed, rubbed his bridge of his nose, and replied:
— My Ancient Power with the stone attribute.
After those words, a real nightmare began.
— Do you hear the voice of Ancient Powers, poor fellow?
— Cale-nim, is this how it should be?
— Young Master Cale, you never cease to amaze me.
— It seems that you're not only driving me crazy, but you're also losing your sanity. Hold on, Dongsaeng.
— Young Master, you have surprised this old man.
The Ancient Powers, however, were also raging in response.
{Why are they so upset about a couple of sentences, ha?!}
{As if I know, you Crazy kid. Cale's already going through a rough time, so hold on}.
{You're right, Thief. Let's be quiet at least for now}.
The presence of Super Rock in Cale's head full of Ancient Powers, this godforsaken nightmare, was indeed a blessing time and time again.
{A way where you have to sacrifice yourself or others. However, it will be painful and difficult for your body. You may suffer}.
{But at least your mind will be calm}.
— It's a very strange deal, don't you think, young Master Cale?— Beacrox sounded much less emotionless and irritable than usual, but there was a strange time in his voice and expression that Cale didn't understand.
Cale would have ignored anyone else, but he didn't want to be rude to the torture, so the answer, albeit meaningless, was given.
— Ancient Powers rarely offer clear and simple deals,— this is because there are no solutions without difficulties. Such a truthful, but bitter-to-swallow, life paradigm, according to which, we should learn to exist.
Cale opened his mouth.
A way where his mind could remain calm.
— This is the easiest way.
— It seems highly unlikely that your mind can be at peace, poor fellow. — Eruhaben tilted his head slightly away from the light and used his concentrated mana to hide from the illusory sun. — This record is disgusting, there's not a moment of peace.
— Yes, it's quite difficult to remember everything so clearly, — Alberu grimaced once again.
— Human, — the only one Cale paid attention to from the list of speakers was Raon, — didn't you say that there is no easy way?
Cale didn't respond to Raon, as he had done more and more recently.
— You're right, dragon-nim. — Sui Khan interjected, swaying slightly.— But often, we, weak people, want to believe, or even deceive ourselves, that at least one of possible options is easy.
— But why?
— Because people need to see something other than difficulties in life, so they don't get permanently tired.
Many of them listened to this conversation, which was surprisingly insightful for a child and someone who looked like a teenager. Attention farted between the recording, the discussion, the Cale, and the practiced eye noticed the growing tension.
— From here you need to go alone.
Cale was standing on the ship's deck.
The sea breeze that wanted over the recording made many people shiver, but it did nothing to help them relax. The smell of the ocean, slightly frosty, and deep, the sound of the waves, the feeling of splashing on someone else's skin, but almost like your own… Everyone except Cale looked dissonant.
Because of the fierce wind it was difficult to keep his eyes open, so he squinted.
Wind Island.
The wind from the island created rough waves, trying to push the ship away.
Everyone tried to get used to the strange feelings, but it was very difficult. By Choi Jung Soo's face Cale could tell that he wasn't in the mood for laughter – a characteristic expression like that he had only seen a dozen times in their entire acquaintance. Team leader was also more silent than usual, trending his usual calm and swagger for a somber determination. Rosalyn was applying cold compresses to everyone’s heads, Beacrox was glaring at the immune Choi Han, and Eruhaben was surrounded by dust particles, a sign of impatience, anxiety, and alertness.
— Cale, why were you on Wind Island?
And there it was, something Cale had expected but never wanted: questions.
He's used to keeping his plans a secret. This is not an apocalypse where everyone must know their positions, strategies, and movements, where everything is fixed, known, and predicted; it is not an apocalypse where the team – is equal, and a step away from the plan – is death. This is a different world, different people, and a different approach. They haven't become the most valuable thing in Cale's life, and they're not even close to that level of trust. He trusts them to act on their own in case of emergencies, but he doesn't share his plans with them. The previous team achieves this through fighting and logical arguments that it was necessary for survival, but this team only reveres and blindly follows. Cale doesn't want to involve anyone in his preparations beyond what's necessary, and he doesn't want to talk or explain anything that's not vital, he's too used to keeping things to himself.
But now it's time to explain, and there's no way out. Besides, what's the point?
— We were looking for a magical artifact to extend the life of Eruhaben-nim,— Cale glanced at the ancient dragon, who had not yet detected the veiled displeasure, as he explained himself to Alberu.
— In the Forbidden Region?
— We often visit the Forbidden Regions, Cookie Prince! — Raon was, obviously, getting used to the Record, fluttering his wings and playing with mana. — There’s a lot of fun!
Alberu's eye twitched, Rosalyn looked at Cale in surprise, and Choi Jung Soo burst into laughter.
— I wanna go with you!
— And me too!
On and Hong from the recording were hanging around the recorded Cale and tried to force themselves on him to help. Beacrox slightly smiled at this scene, as did Ron, and Cale hastily looked away from this spooky pair. Was it right to trust the Molans with the education of children? His not against immortality, frankly delightful skills of murder, but these creepy smiles… Cale would go straight to the grave if he ever saw something like that on On's or Hong's faces.
(And me!)
Raon's voice echoed in everyone's heads at the same time, causing many to squint in discomfort. The emotions of slight gentle irritation, humility, and something indistinguishable that didn't belong to them flashed by. Slowly but surely, everyone was starting to feel overwhelmed by information that their brains were not prepared for: Beacrox was turning red, Rosalyn was creating a gentle breeze with her mana, Eruhaben was breathing heavily, and Choi Han was bleeding from his nose. Cale pointedly turned away from Eruhaben, but threw a handkerchief to Choi Han and told Beacrox to unbutton his sleeves and top buttons, which he did immediately. Eruhaben would love without Cale's guidance and assistance – pettiness and dissatisfaction with the fact that his secret had been revealed first one and, moreover, gave Cale the right to ignore, which he habitually used. The rest of them are not to blame, and even if the Record is not too damaging, they don't have to endure minor inconveniences that can be easily resolved.
— I didn't know, — rang out Eruhaben’s voice, — you talked to Cale's head so often, little kid.
— I'm not a little kid! — With feigned anger Raon pulled himself out of Cale's arms with feigned anger and flew towards Euihaben to argue.
— Of course, of course. Why do you talk to him like that if he can't respond? Something tells me that you don't only do this in front of people who don't know about you.
Raon remained silent, and Eruhaben merrily chuckled. Cale stood indifferently to the side, masterfully ignoring the slightly worried and questioning glances of Choi Han and Rosalyn, respectively.
A trio of children pounced on Cale's body.
Rosalyn cooed softly, and Ron chuckled merrily. A moment later, they all winced in unison — the onslaught of three children on Cale's body was quite tangible, and the recording conveyed those sensations to them.
— Human, I didn't know it hurt you so much when we crashed into you! Sorry, we won't do it again!
— It doesn't bother me,— shrugged Cale, earning a few sideways glances.
— I thought that blow was quite painful for you, young Master,— Ron's face stretched into a creepy grin, and Cale ignored his own shiver.
— No matter.
The sooner this recording ends, the better it is for him. There is too little meaning in these insignificant dialogues and too much of a sense of impending shipwreck.
Mage Glenn Poeff crossed arms and spoke
— Impossible. This island shows the ancient artefact to one person with the wind attribute at a time.
Alberu with interest watched the unfolding scene, quite conversing with Team leader and glancing at all current persons. Choi Jung Soo was driving Cale into frenzy with his usual nonsense, which didn't register and stick in his memory, but it made him lower his shoulders and relax his eyebrows, and on the others Cale decided not to focus his attention. Whether it was denial it was or a resignation to the inevitable, it didn't matter; the steady tapping of his foot echoed in the room. He wanted to end it all before it even began.
Bud Illis pointed to a spot on the island that was hard to see.
— This is the entrance.
As if on command, many eyes focused on an unremarkable point on the island. The winds raged in physically visible wedges, tormenting at trees and the earth, howling and stirring the blood in their veins. The wild, uncontrolled elements – at first glance, it was clear why Wind Island had become a forbidden region.
— You always find dangerous places for your plans, young Master Cale,— Rosalyn's voice sounded lively and curious, unlike what she had said.
— It's a regularity which I'm not happy about myself, Miss Rosalyn.
However, it was somehow easier, simpler, and more familiar to be in danger. Cale had lived in such conditions for too long not to expect them and not act accordingly. Danger walked with him, and Cale genuinely relaxed in it.
— “Not happy”? — Team leader, Sui Khan, delivered his words with his usual smirk, squinting eyes, and the same expression that Cale would never see on his new body. — I can see that you're not saying what you mean, Cale-ya.
— Our donseang will never be able to deceive us,— familiarly dramatically patted Cale on the shoulder Choi Jung Soo, pursed lips.
Unlike in the past, Cale didn't shake his hand off or dismiss his words. Too frequent regrets about his ingratitude and feigned annoyance prevented him from stopping the band leader and Choi Jung Soo from reveling in and enjoying this closeness, so desired and longed for. They've all missed each other over the past endless long ten years.
Beacrox watched the exchange with an unreadable expression, Alberu – with a touch of melancholy and a little bit of vague joy, and Choi Han edged closer.
The recording continued without regard to observers' actions.
Then he continued with a worried face.
— Do you remember what I said last night?
Last night, Bud Illis told Cale about his voyage to Wind Island.
— Never thought that people come to forbidden regions as if they were their homes, — with an amused tone, said Eruhaben under Rosalyn's giggles.
Choi Han, who had taken a place next to Cale, also chuckled. Having returned from Eruhaben, Raon perked up and puffed up.
— Again Goldie Gramps underestimates people.
Cale chuckled in response:
— Some people should be underestimated, Raon.
Cale remembered what Bud had told him.
«In the deepest spot of the island there is a temple. Inside it is an altar with a jar.»
«This jar is filled with liquid when you give it to a wounded or dying person. The person will be healed if they drink this liquid.»
— The Mercenaries King, as usual, knows quite a lot. — Alberu leaned against the ship's railing. — Just how do you manage to make all these useful connections?
At first, Cale didn't dignify the prince's sad sigh with a response, inwardly mocking him, but eventually decided to tease him:
— You of all people should know about multitasking, dear Sun of the Kingdom.
Alberu remained silent, clearly remembering the multitasking he was talking about. Trying to drink coffee, change clothes, and sign documents at the same time was not a good idea in the first place.
An ancient artifact in the shape of a jar.
«But it has a limit, or it's just too old because it cracks every time it's used. Although I think this ancient artifact has a limited number of uses.»
The jar will eventually crack and shatter.
«According to my family's stories, this jug has been used three times.»
«You also must return the jar to the altar within one week.»
— This artifact seems quite useful and powerful, except for the fact that it must be returned and has a limited number of uses.— Rosalyn's eyes lit up with a thirst for knowledge, as they often did when it came about magic.— Raon-nim, can you tell me more about it and it's magical structure?
— Of course, smart Rosalyn! — Cale watched how Raon flew over to wincing from a headache Rosalyn, being the most cheerful of those present.
«If only we had as much energy as this kid.»
Cale turned and looked at Bud.
Wind Island.
The Bud's family once arrived on this island, established the first brewery, and have been running it ever since.
— Then it's clear where Bud knows so much about this island,— nonsensically commented Choi Han.
— So, who is Bud exactly?—Unwilling to explain the whole situation to Choi Jung Soo, Cale nodded to Choi Han.
— The Mercenaries King, nephew.
— You have here even that, hm! I should have visited this world much earlier.
Eruhaben raised his eyebrows when Choi Han called Choi Jung Soo his nephew. Beacrox and Ron also seemed pretty surprised, and Alberu was muttering in the corner about how there were two of them now. Cale just chuckled to himself; it was nice to see that he wasn't the only one suffering from this damned duo.
«People from my house inherit the Ancient power with wind attribute every second generation.»
When Bud said this, on his face appeared a bitter smile.
— Even I have never heard of the ancient powers being inherited. You, the unfortunate fellow, know more about the ancient powers at the moment even than I, the ancient dragon.
— This little bastard knows how to surprise,— Team leader chuckled carelessly, ruffling Cale's hair.— However, Cale-ya has always known more than he needs to too.
— That's the pot calling the kettle black*.
For someone who was deeply involved in political intrigue, subtle threats, blackmail, and information manipulation, Sui Khan's criticism was too harsh.
The ensuing silence was a result of a deeply ingrained understanding, not because the team leader had nothing to say. Silence was more comfortable and preferable than anything else.
«I am the guardian of the Wind Island. This was the will of my ancestor, who settled on this island. However, our ancestor did not leave us a reason why we should be the guardians of the Wind Island. But…»
Cale had never seen Bud look so serious in the short time he had known him.
«But he said that we had to make sure that the ancient artifact didn't fall into the wrong hands. He said to destroy it if there was a chance that someone malicious would take it.»
Alberu crossed his arms over his chest and silently moved his lips as he watched the projections of Bud and Cale. He analyzed, memorized, and took notes, which was why Cale respected him – he was quick to adapt and find opportunities in any situation, despite his migraines, overheating, and nosebleeds. Alberu shrugged slightly, as if to shake off Cale's gase, and continued his descent into the depths of information extraction. Rosalyn moved over to him and absorbed the new information too — being trained to be a princess, of her old habits of finding weaknesses and opportunities for intrigue she gets rid not fast. Choi Han listened out of interest, Eruhaben listened with half an ear, Raon, whom Cale had already lost track of, floated somewhere within the recording, occasionally chirping enthusiastically about the local mana through telepathy, and the Molans circled around Bud, discussing their countryman from the Eastern Continent in low tones.
After recalling Bud's words, Cale looked in the indicated direction.
The Mercenary King placed a flare in Cale's hand, in case he needed it in an emergency.
— Light a flare if you think you can't handle it. You can always reach the ancient artifact next time. And also, you have to finish everything within three days, even if the road there takes some time.
— Human!— Raon finally settled down and perched on Cale's shoulders. — Why didn't you use the flares? We've been waiting a lot for you and worried!
— Yes, Cale-nim, you could have returned instead of staying there for a week,— Choi Han's voice sounded almost offended.
— Against my will, here I agree with punk, young master. What prevented you from simply launching a flare?— Even Ron spoke up, breaking into a menacing grin.
Cale just looked around at everyone and didn't say anything. Something heavy settled in his chest, lifted and fell, twisted into a tight knot, and left a pulsating void under his ribs. The faces of those present slowly darkened, realizing that they would have to wait for answers from the recording rather than from Cale himself. They were used to hearing silence instead of explanations, and they were wary of how somber and humbly Cale looked. Eruhaben frowned, and Rosaline lost what little positive attitude she had, Choi Han became gloomy, Alberu grimaced, and Ron removed his fake smile. The tension hung in the air, strangely at odds with the changing illusory world around them and the recording that plagued their minds with images, sensations, and thoughts.
Three days.
Bud said three days was quite enough to go in and out.
Cale slowly nodded.
— Young master.
Ron examined his clothes before continuing.
— Please use the food and materials in the spatial bag as needed. You know what’s inside, right?
At these recording words, Beacrox's face turned dark and became looked terrible menacing:
— Young master, I thought you appreciated my food, but you haven't eaten much for that whole week.
— You're really good at cooking.
— Then what's the problem?
And in answer – silence.
— Yes, of course. I know that very well. I know everything you've just told me, Ron.
Cale hastily nodded.
Ron chuckled at the irony of the statement, Eruhaben shook his head, and Alberu's face was frozen in intense concern. Cale remained motionless, but his hyungs were beginning to realize that in near future they will need to act quickly.
(Human! Launch a flare if you need help! I will destroy this island!)
He could hear whispers of the evil dragon.
— Cale-nim, I'll be waiting for you here, outside the island.
— There's no need to wait on the ship.
Cale pretended not to hear Choi Han's remark.
Choi Han grimaced, and Choi Jung Soo patronizing patted him on the shoulder:
— In the first time, uncle? He often ignores us too. Hold on, old man.
– Cale.
– I will extend your life for your own sake.
Cale immediately interrupted Eruhaben, then pushed off the deck and took flight. He turned back to the crowd and waved his hand.
– I will return soon.
As the illusory Cale soared upward with the sound of wind behind him, the real Cale seemed to have detached himself from the world, his entire appearance conveyed a sense of indifference and apathy towards everything around him.. Sui Khan took his hand and began to continuously mutter:
— You don't have to hold back, Rok Soo-ya, Rok Soo-ya! You're not alone, remember? You don't have to hide from us. Jung Soo and I won't let anyone get close to you, do you hear me, Rok Soo-ya?
A gentle and calm, measured voice, but not exhausted, hoarse, or adult, but tired, not broken, and childlike. In Cale's eyes there was a hint of bitterness, but he still responded to the group leader's familiar ritual by pushing Choi Jung Soo's shoulder twice. He opened up to them in the same familiar and well-oiled way he always did, remembering all the little rules and ticks, knowing that he could rely on them instead of having to do everything on his own – and he did. Again. Out of respect, Choi Han took a few steps back, like a volunteer guard.
Ron only longingly, but slightly suspiciously squinted his eyes from a distance. « What the Rok Soo-ya?»
It was a quiet noise compared to the winds of the Wind Island, but the Sound of the Wind began to surround Cale's body.
Then he shot forward, toward the island.
All Cale's clothes fluttered, caught by the wind
He flew without hesitation toward the place Bud had called the entrance.
The space around the observers changed, and many of them were bent in half due to the rapid change in location. To the side effects of constantly having other people's thoughts, feelings, and memories in their heads added mild nausea because of fast transfer, and the feeling of the wind all over their bodies, of this flight that they were not used – flying with the help of ancient powers was different from any other form of flying.
The entrance to the Wind Island appeared before them in all its dangerous and uncontrollable glory.
«I haven't gone anywhere alone like this in a long time.»
He hadn't acted alone since earning the Indestructible Shield.
— That sounds like a nightmare.— Choi Jung Soo made a theatrical shudder, as he often did to relax himself and those around him. — What about the concept of personal life?
Raon made a very funny, slightly offended sound on Cale's shoulders.
{It will be very dangerous}.
{Be careful}.
Cale's lips curled into a smile.
He could hear the voices of owners of ancient powers.
— And yet it's unusual to hear voices in my head,— Choi Han muttered, and everyone loudly expressed their agreement.
«I guess I'm not completely alone.»
He could still hear the voices in his head.
— That sounds wrong on every level,— slightly hysterically chuckled Alberu.
— If with magic you can speak directly in others mind, why can't the ancient forces do the same?— Team Leader asked the question either sincerely or humorously.
— I've never heard of such a thing.— thoughtfully said Eruhaben.— And then this unfortunate fellow made a difference.
Cale just chuckled.
– Ancient power is the imprint of the past owner. You can completely absorb it into your foundation and unlock its potential, or you can leave an echo, a personality, as I did.
He answered, of course, not to Eruhaben, but to Team Leader group, deliberately not looking in the direction of the ancient dragon. Ron chuckled at such obvious disdain, and Rosalyn snorted along with Alberu.
As soon as he reached the spot the Mercenary King had pointed out, two large whirlwinds colliding with each other became visible.
However, Cale noticed between them a small gap.
«Cale Henituse, follow only the pathway I show you. It is the only way to avoid being cut by the blades of the wind.»
Cale thought about the pathway on the map that the Mercenary King had given him before rushing towards that small gap.
— It was very wise of the mercenary king – to tell you about even the pathway,— Ron's voice sounded fake, as if he wanted to reproach Bud for the foolish image he had chosen to portray.
— He just did the bare minimum of what we agreed on.
Cale answered gradually, sharply, partially dispelling this atmosphere of an impending storm.
This, unfortunately, was unlikely to help at the end.
At the same time, he heard the voice of the thief, the former owner of the Wind of the Sound.
{I was an ordinary person}, — the hoarse voice was full of sadness.
{But one day, my family was killed and our home was destroyed…}
The Molans exchanged glances with a rather unhappy expression, Choi Han and Choi Jung Soo bowed their heads at the same time, and Sui Khan and Cale looked into each other's eyes in a way that even the most grandiose or mundane, sincere or exaggerated words could not express.
That sadness slowly turned into anger.
{And then I became a thief. Eventually, I became the greatest thief on the Western continent}.
{All because I stole an ancient artifact from a temple}.
– The churches have too much influence.— Alberu clicked his tongue.
— Knock a couple of pegs out of them,— approvingly said Cale.
The others watched the conversation unfold with varying degrees of amusement and disbelief, distracted by the recording and its unavoidable sensations.
Cale could see the island as he passed through the gap between the two whirlwinds.
Wind Island, one of the three forbidden region.
«There is no life on the Wind Island.»
That's what the Mercenaries King told him.
«That's because there's only dirt and rocks there, poisoned by dead mana.»
Cale had already seen the black island.
— It's too risky to go into a place filled with dead mana.
Rosaline was, obviously, just worried, but Cale was getting tired of it.
— But it's necessary.
Indeed, did she know of any other ways to obtain the magic jug? Other powerful artifacts that could extend life? Because of their anxiety, all they didn't see and acknowledge the value, necessity of Cale's actions. If it were his old team, they would all be retraining in impartiality and risk assessment, but in this world, Cale had no desire to be a leader. It wasn't his responsibility – to teach these people and non-people common sense and objectivity, but the lack of both sometimes frustrated him. Emotions shouldn't cloud the eyes of logic, which is obvious, but for some reason, not everyone can understand it.
Team leader again unmistakably determined the moment and looked Cale straight in the eye with his understanding look, now quite different, but also still deep.
Rosaline was silent, and so were the others.
The Sound of the Wind continued to speak.
{I was an ordinary person, but I knew how to contact with wind, and I had another unique power}.
The powers she had in the past.
It was the Sound of the Wind.
It was made up of wind and sound.
{I could hear the wind's voice}.
The sound that the wind made.
{I could hear the voices of the wind Elementals}.
— This whip belonged to the Thief?— curtly asked Raon. He was pleased that his curiosity about the whip's origins and function had finally been satisfied. He was even able to get an answer to the reason why he couldn't hear the wind Elementals himself, even though his human could!
Cale patted Raon's head in approval, nodding briefly in response to the question.
Elementals were natural beings who were considered the closest to environment.
She was neither an elf nor an Elementalist, so she couldn't contract with an Elemental, but she could hear the voices of the wind Elementals.
She couldn't see or feel them, but just hearing them was more than enough.
{I haven't seen anything since I was born anyway. I just needed that sound.}
The greatest thief of antiquity was blind, but she could feel and hear everything.
{Find my Top's Whip. It will give you many strong, friendly, and perceptive, but temperamental allies}.
Raon almost painfully wriggled on Cale's shoulders, but the man, as always, didn't even think to object to the little dragon.
The woman with a hoarse voice softly spoke to Cale:
{I like your decision. Let's easily drive through this hard way. I will be by your side}.
Cale began to smile as he looked at the black island.
And the island was really black – Alberu along with Ron frowned at the sight of so much dead mana in the district. After the all war, none of the group was pleased to see such a sight, and they collectively grimaced in some way or another to express their disgust.
• • •
A week later, Cale still hadn't left the island.
Just like that, the tension from a simple thought that breaks away from the narrative and is not accompanied by a location, returned to the observers as if it had never left, and Cale felt his breathing becoming increasingly difficult.
The authors' notes to the part:
• The idea of writing a work has been around for a long time, and I'm glad that we've been able to get together and start publishing! Chapters will be released on Mondays at 16:43 (grassters)
• Hehehe, the heat has fused our brains into one big one, and now we've finally started this job! I sincerely hope that it will have its ending, and none of us will fall off along the way))) (Lizard)
• I'm asking a question for us in the future: Have we succeeded? I sincerely hope that we won't fail and will finish this massive project. As saying, we have faith! (Alexia)
• I really don't understand how I ended up here, but there's no way out of it now (Arashi)
• Now, try to guess who wrote this chapter
• Thanks for reading.
The translators' notes to the part:
• — That's the pot calling the kettle black*. : In original, it says "whose cow is mooing" (чья бы корова мычала) which is a Russian phrase (meaning to reprimand someone who has done something wrong and then dares to judge others. ), but I'm not sure if it exists in the same form in English, so I replaced it with a similar English version. (Dory)
• I'M SO SORRY FOR ALL THE GRAMMATICAL AND PUNCTUATION ERRORS. I don't know English very well, so the whole text first went through a translator, and then I edited it to match the original theme and the idea that makes up (?). Because of this, there may be a lot of unnecessary "The" or other articles. There may also be mistakes in the names of regions, ancient powers, or names, since I took their English translation from the Wiki, I really apologize for that. Also wanna say that there is no release schedule for the translation chapters yet, but I promise that I will try to translate chapter 2 within a month. Sorry for the delay, I have never translated anything before TT. And about “try to guess…”, to be honest, I think this also applies to you. Given the speed of my (and other co-translators) translation, I think you can also try to guess the author of this chapter and who translates the next! Also thank you for reading this chapter. I hope your day will be as good as this chapter. (Dory)