Meant To Be 2

Thank you for the continuous support lovely readers! (っ'▽｀)っ

Warning(I think): Alberu being angsty.

Note:

Bold font - from novel/fanfic

[] - cut sentences/paragraphs

- Author's Note

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Chapter 486: Peeling layer after layer 3

"...What about my ancestor?"

"...I said that he was a criminal?"

'Is there something wrong with my ears?'

It's exactly what both the crown prince was thinking.

But that was proven wrong.

"I don't think so your highness" tboah!Cage said "Everyone here heard it as well"

As everyone agrees.

Alberu looked not majestic at all as he stuck his finger into his ear.

"I think something's blocking my ears."

"Pyah~"

tcf!Bud scrunch his face "What do you mean you want to be that something?"

"So you want to be his earwax- No! don't answer it! I don't want to know" tcf!Toonka decided he doesn't care.

"Ah. Then should I explain more clearly?"

"No need. My ancestor was a criminal, haha. How could I hear such nonsense?! Hahaha-"

"Your highness, you heard correctly."

"Huh, so that's what it is" tcf!Cale has absolute confidence that he was not lying about it. So he must have acquired information about that.

Though he might not be sure if it's only his hypothesis but if it is correct then he could somewhat understand what the boulder meant.

"Hmm?"

"Huh?"

Cale and Alberu blankly stared at each other again.

"It's like talking about something but it flows above his head" og!Cale said.

"And then started talking about something else entirely" tboah!Cale continues.

"Yeah, that's Cale, that's Cale right now" Both finish.

Which said person ignores.

The two of them were silent for a while.

"Ah, the awkward silence where you caught the person you were talking to was not listening to you" tcf!Toonka said

"Or" tboah!Toonka adds "that moment where you both are discussing but has different topics"

"Based on experience?" The Mercenary King asks.

"Experiences" was their answer.

Alberu soon started to frown.

"This is probably the most shocking thing I've heard in a while!"

"...Is that so?"

"Is that so?!"

Alberu started to frown even more.

'I was planning on telling him about the royal family's secret and talk about if I deserved to be king... So, what the f*ck is up with this nonsense?'

"Dang, I kinda feel sorry for that crown prince" it's not like tcf!Rasheel started caring about other races but dang that transmigrator is a whole new level of confusion!

As the said crown prince was pinching his nose groaning like he was in pain.

He had decided to share this secret with Cale Henituse.

He was pretty much the head of the Crossman household already as he had the seal, but King Zed Crossman had seriously opposed his decision.

Alberu had ignored that opposition and brought Cale here.

Cale must have asked about information on the Crossman Royal family because he thought it might be useful to fight against the White Star.

Alberu knew this as well and wanted to help him defeat the White Star.

However, there was another reason as well.

'...My weakness.'

His actions today were pretty much showing Cale Henituse his weakness.

"And now that weakness was shown to everyone here"

Both Alberu thought bitterly.

Is this chapter only to cause him harm?

To let everyone know more of his weakness.

And to let him realize that the one he grows fond of doesn't support him?

This chapter of information annoys him.

It's bad enough that everyone here already knows his dark elf form. It's a good thing that the slime threaten them to keep it a secret but now another secret, another weakness of his was being shown to everyone here.

He'd hope he could still salvage this situation.

Worst come to worst he'd just ask (scam) the slime 'nicely' to do something about this.

"Besides it was the system's fault anyway." He bitterly thought.

Said slime slowly hides and becomes one with the wall.

[]

Alberu was able to reveal these two secrets and weaknesses because it was Cale.

'Because he realized what I was.'

This bastard was someone who had recognized that he was quarter Dark Elf but had no negative feelings about them.

This bastard was someone who helped him.

This bastard was similar to him.

That was why he had brought Cale Henituse here today with a heavy heart.

"I truly trusted him"

tcf!Alberu sigh.

He once again felt the feeling of being betrayed by someone you trust.

This is one of the many reasons why he doesn't give his trust just to anyone.

Yet he gave it to him...

And now... he felt betrayed.

But-

'He's speaking nonsense?'

He had thought Cale had a screw loose quite often, but Alberu could not stop frowning. He started to speak almost as if he was sighing.

tcf!Cale frown at being thought of as someone with a screw loose.

He makes perfectly fine decision that prioritizes his slacker life so he huffs at the crown prince's rude thought.

"You see those words on the boulder?"

"Yes, sir. I can?"

'Ah, this bastard.'

Alberu held back his anger and continued to speak.

"I wonder if he still looks hot even when he's angry?"

tcf!Cale thought about it.

He acknowledge that His Highness is good looking so he concluded that yes. Yes, he will still look hot.

tcf!Cale then freezes.

"Why am I even thinking about that?"

He then shrugged.

"Pyah"

"Why would the slime say that I always appreciate pretty faces?"

He shrugged once again and ignores it.

"That boulder is the only record of the Crossman household other than the orally passed down information."

Alberu focused on one sentence on the boulder.

"It says the world will turn to chaos if someone with darkness becomes the king of the Roan Kingdom or the head of the Crossman household."

"I guess so."

"Ha!"

Both Alberu could only laugh in disbelief.

He had expected this.

Why was he stupid to trust him?

He practically just knows about the transmigrator because of the information that they've read so he shouldn't feel so close to him.

... but why does he still feel that sting that pierces his heart hearing that rejection from him.

'What?'

Alberu was at a loss for words after hearing Cale agree with it so easily.

He then realized something.

'...I thought he would be different.'

He thought Cale would not act like this.

He thought Cale would read those words and say something along the lines of, 'Why should we care about the Sun God's curse? Darkness my ass.' That was what he thought Cale would say.

Ah... Yes, this was the reason.

Throughout what he read about Cale, the crown prince thought that he was worthy to be by his side.

To trust him and to hope that Cale who was like him would support him to take the throne regardless of his bloodline.

"I can't believe I become so foolish" light in the crown prince's eyes was fading turning cold at the emotions that he could not explain that were swirling within.

"Ha!"

Alberu realized he had hoped to hear something from Cale and started to laugh.

He wanted to hear Cale say, 'forget the record and do a good job ruling the kingdom.'

Alberu subconsciously raised his hand to brush his face. He was feeling very odd right now. It was hard to describe the emotion he was feeling right now.

Dejection?

Disappointment?

Maybe embarrassment?

How should he explain this emotion? He could not tell. He just put a majestic smile on his face as he did when he faced his vassals.

Both Tasha leans toward her nephew, giving him that silent support that he needed right now.

tcf!Tasha too had hope that the young master Cale would've been one of the most trusted person to be beside her nephew. Because she knows herself that she was just not enough.

He needed more people, people that would accept him for who he is, people that will be his greatest allies that he could trust.

But she still has hope that the young master says the words that her nephew wants-no needs to hear.

He then turned toward Cale.

"Cale. It should be terrible if I become king because of the Sun God's curse, right?"

Cale started to frown at that moment.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Hmm?"

"Hmm?"

The crown prince who was about to fade behind his metaphorical mask paused.

"What are you trying to say?"

"It should be me who should say that!"

tcf!Alberu want to facepalm (preferably tcf!Cale's face) because he was being frustrated at his confusing words!

Cale grumbled quietly as if he as talking to himself before ignoring Alberu and walking toward the boulder. Alberu quickly followed behind Cale after seeing his unexpected reaction and urgently started to speak. Something seemed weird.

"There will be a curse if a Dark Elf like me becomes king!"

"Excuse me?"

"Something terrible will happen because of me if what is written on the boulder is true. I am someone who should not exist in the Crossman hou-"

"I don't think so?"

"...Huh?"

"..."

Both Tasha smiled at the blank expression of her nephew who was processing what the young master said.

She smile as she knew that what she hope for will come true.

Alberu could see a blank expression on Cale's expression.

"Alberu Crossman. Your highness, your existence is natural."

Both Alberu flinched.

Ba-dump

Ba-dump

Ba-dump

The crown prince could only hear the sound of his heartbeat as he repeated those words.

Alberu flinched and repeated Cale's words as if he was saying it to himself.

"...I am supposed to be here?"

'Me?'

"Yes, sir. You are fated to be here."

Both crown princes keep looking at that words.

What ...

He keeps repeating those words that Cale said.

What.. is this feeling that was bursting out?

'Unbelievable!'

Alberu subconsciously opened his mouth and retorted Cale's comment.

"...But you agreed with what I said earlier. You said, 'I guess so.' when I said the world would flip over and the Sun God's curse would rain down of someone with darkness becomes king."

'What?'

That was what Cale's expression was saying. He then started to mumble.

'The Sun God's curse, my ass.'

The words Alberu had been hoping to hear had come out.

"Ahahaha"

Both Crown princes laugh.

"Ahahaha"

They laugh and laugh and laugh.

"Ahahaha"

"Human, I think you broke the crown prince!" sweet tcf!Raon whispered-shout towards his human.

tcf!Cale glance at the crown prince "How scary" he shudders.

However, he could not figure out what was going on because his mind was a mess right now. The chaos was visible on his face.

Cale looked toward Alberu as if he was being weird.

'Why is this smart person acting like this today?'

"YOU-!"

Both Alberu can't even finish his sentence because of how unbelievable this- this idiot was saying!

tcf!Cale doesn't understand why both Alberu was acting like this.

And for quite a while now he also doesn't understand why his Alberu was lamenting about trusting him.

"I mean, he shouldn't trust a trash like me" tcf!Cale shrugged.

Cale had this thought because he had no idea how much this statement about darkness had weighed on Alberu since he was young.

He started to speak again as he thought he didn't explain enough.

"I read an ancient document. It was so old that it turned to dust as soon as I read it."

Cale suddenly started to talk about something else but Alberu chose to listen quietly.

'Your highness, your existence is natural.'

Those words were stuck on his mind. The things Cale was saying started to fill his mind over those words.

'Your highness, your existence is natural.'

Both Alberu was now feeling jovial.

'Your highness, your existence is natural.'

It's like all his grievance was a lie.

'Your highness, your existence is natural.'

And now he feels elated as he heard and repeated those words his dongsaeng said to him.

He wasn't wrong.

He wasn't wrong to trust this person.

tcf!Alberu was glad to have him by his side.

tboah!Alberu was glad to have met him.

"That document had some information on the ancient White Star's appearance."

Cale said that it was from an ancient document because he could not say that he had heard it from the Super Rock, one of his ancient powers.

'Do the original owners of the ancient powers normally talk to other people like they do to me?'

He did not know for sure, so he chose this other explanation.

According to what Bud said on Wind Island in the past and what the Super Rock told him, you could not hear the voices of the original owners once the ancient powers became completely absorbed into the user's soul.

The Super Rock said that Cale's situation was unique, but he kept that to himself as he had no way of knowing whether there were others like him.

"Ah, so that means as long as the ancient power is not completely absorbed into the user's soul then you could still hear the original owners of that ancient powers" tcf!Choi Han asks though.. "it's easy to understand but hard to do"

tcf!Rosalyn agrees "I mean how do you not absorb all of it? Usually, the moment you get it, the ancient power will be completely absorbed in you"

"Guess Cale-nim is just that special" tcf!Choi Han shrugged. His Cale-nim is amazing after all!

"Yeah" tcf!Lock agrees, however "but young master also said that there was no way of knowing whether there were others like him who can hear the ancient power"

"Well," tcf!Rosalyn said "currently he's the only one we know"

"The appearance of the ancient White Star?"

"Yes, sir."

Cale pointed toward Alberu.

Of course, he pointed respectfully with both hands.

"Your highness, I thought about you as soon as I read the description. It was very similar to the appearance of the man who would become the sun of the Roan Kingdom."

"...Just what-"

Alberu closed his mouth without finishing his sentence. His mind quickly started to move.

This is why tcf!Cale finds it easy to converse with his highness. That's why he was confused about why that smart person was talking nonsense about not being King back then.

Cale's hands started to move and headed toward the boulder in the stone chamber.

"Alright then, the words here talking about the descendants of the cursed blood. And the part about never setting your eyes on taking over the sky."

Cale pointed to the word darkness on the boulder.

"And finally, this darkness over here."

He looked toward Alberu and continued to speak.

"Your highness. There is something that I am hypothesizing."

"What is it?"

"The White Star's sky attribute. I believe it may be from the Demon World."

"Ah."

Alberu gasped.

Both Alberu is starting to understand.

And not only him but some of the people in the room as well.

He heard Cale's cheerful voice at that moment.

"What's he so happy about?"

"Maybe he's having that feeling of accomplishment when you solve a hard puzzle"

Little Lily who heard the Mercenary King said "Who cares? As long as Oraboni is happy that's all that matter"

She smiles as her Basen-hyung agrees with her.

"Now then. Please let me explain the words on this boulder using my hypothesis as the basis."

"The descendants of the ancient White Star."

"Yeah... I still can't get over the fact that the Crossman family is the White Star descendants" tcf!Cage whispered towards tcf!Taylor.

"Well... it's still a hypothesis" tcf! Taylor whispers back. "Though young master Cale might be right"

"Do not seek out the sky attribute."

"If one of you receives the power from the Demon World and ends up in possession of the sky attribute ancient power... The sky will be destroyed, and the ground will tremble as the world turns into chaos."

Cale pointed to the last two sentences.

"This seems more like a prophecy than a curse? Or maybe a warning?"

"Why is it that they need to be so roundabout?" og!Cale understands that there are things that need to be said in a riddle but there are also times that those things need to be said in detail.

tboah!Cale explained why "Imagine all the heartache it could spare if they've just written it frankly, Hmph!" Why be so mysterious if there's a need to give a warning?

Alberu brushed his face with both hands.

"Pfft."

He could not help but laugh.

He opened his mouth to ask.

"What about when I said the world would turn to chaos if someone with darkness becomes the king of the Roan Kingdom or the head of the Crossman household earlier? You said, 'I guess so.' Why did you agree with me?"

"Because the world would turn to chaos if the White Star bastard becomes king?"

"Ah, this bastard-"

Alberu could not hold back as he shouted toward Cale.

"You should have clearly explained yourself from the beginning if that was the case!"

"My dongsaeng is really cute"

tcf!Alberu sighed but the smile on his face was genuine.

He could not help but feel elated.

To know that his existence is natural.

That he was fated to be here.

That he was meant to be.

Cale flinched at Alberu's shout that sounded like a scolding while looking at the smile on Alberu's face with a confused expression.

'Why is he smiling?'

Cale found it odd that Alberu was smiling.

tcf!Cale also finds it odd that both Alberu in this room is smiling at him.

He ignores it.

"...Your highness."

"Hyung-nim."

"Yes, sir. Hyung-nim. Umm, it might just be a hypothesis, but your ancestor might be the ancient White Star?"

Based on what Cale knew, the ancient White Star had suddenly appeared in the world and died in the final battle.

There were no records of his family, his past, or his relationships.

That was why there was no way of knowing whether he had any descendants, but for some reason, Cale felt like he was right.

'Either way, it's not something good.'

Cale frowned at Alberu who seemed to be happy for some reason. Alberu raised his chin and asked him back.

"So what?"

"I guess that's true. You're right. There's nothing you can do about that."

tcf!Cale nodded agreeing with it. Why bother about it when the sin of a parent is of course not the sin of the child.

So ancestors and descendants, who cares?

Alberu used his hand to suppress the corners of his lips from twitching after seeing Cale nodding his head.

Alberu had been shocked to hear that the ancient White Star could be his ancestor.

Both crown prince agrees.

It was shocking but he wasn't a villain like that.

However, he wasn't a villain like that.

".. A villain Alberu Crossman.." tboah!Cale thought "Why can I imagine him looking so hot in a villain outfit"

He pauses.

And flush a little.

"Why am I thinking about him anyway?" Tsk.

He shrugged.

Furthermore, the past kings of the Roan Kingdom he knew about were never evil nor harmed the Roan Kingdom's citizens even if some of them were useless kings. The kingdom had been in difficult times because of their inability to lead properly, but the future generations took responsibility and fixed it in order for them to survive until now.

'They thought that they could avoid the Sun God's curse only by being the king of the Roan Kingdom.'

It was funny, but the heads of the Crossman household for generations had fought to survive.

That resulted in the Roan Kingdom being the oldest kingdom on the continent.

"Well, at the very least it resulted in something good"

"Next time when they pass on a warning, I hope they make it clearer!"

og!Cale and tboah!Cale huff.

Alberu's goal was to take the Roan Kingdom past this point of being just the oldest kingdom and making it even greater.

"Ah! Your highness, I told you that I was going to meet a sage, right?"

"Yes."

He gently responded to Cale and waited for Cale's next words with a relaxed mind.

"That sage was the World Tree."

Everyone stiffen.

"The skewer!"

They rage out.

tcf!Pendrick flinches at the scary aura that was seeping out of everyone. "I'll pray for you World Tree-nim"

"Huh?"

'Who did he say?'

Alberu's jaw dropped. The World Tree was an existence he had only heard about in legends. However, Alberu's expression calmed down after hearing what Cale said next.

"That World Tree said that you were fated to exist in the Roan Kingdom, your highness."

"Huh, so he's destined to be king" For many years, og!Cale saw just how majestic his Alberu was, so he wasn't really asking, it was more of a statement.

"Well, even without the world tree saying that I'm pretty sure the crown prince will still be king" tboah!Cale said with absolute.

tboah!Alberu who heard that felt something flutter inside of him. " Even he believes that I'm meant to be king" he thought not knowing what tboah!Cale was thinking.

"I mean he's the only one who likes torturing himself with all of those responsibilities." tboah!Cale thought with absolute.

Cale could now tell why the World Tree randomly mentioned that Alberu was fated to be here. That was why he calmly shared his thoughts without any hesitation.

"Hyung-nim, doesn't that mean you becoming king and living as you wish is the right way to go?"

The crown prince truly needed to become king for the Roan Kingdom to prosper.

Said crown prince was still not coming down from his high to the point of not hearing the next sentence.

Cale once again made up his mind that he needed to push for Alberu to be king in order to live peacefully as a slacker without having to worry about the Roan Kingdom.

San crown prince who didn't hear that and tcf!Cale who believes in that, everyone sweatdrops at tcf!Cale thought.

Well if tcf!Cale was really serious about that dream, everyone hope it will come true.

Because they really thought that he needed it after all those things they read that he will be doing.

Cale firmly shared his desires with Alberu who was standing there looking at him with an odd smile.

"Hyung-nim. Please become king."

Alberu started to speak as if he was accepting that will.

"Of course. I must become king."

Alberu quietly brushed his face.

Cale could see his true quarter Dark Elf appearance as his dye magic was removed. Alberu looked at his reflection in Cale's eyes as he started to think.

'Fate. I am fated to be here.'

"Yes, I am fated to be here."

Both Alberu repeated those words.

Meanwhile,

"You know that part looks like it comes from a romance Manhwa, looking in each other's eyes, seeing his true self by just a stare" og!Cale teased tcf!Cale which said individual ignores.

"What's a Manhwa?"

"Something awesome!"

og!Cale answers tboah!Cale questions with glee as he discusses the wonders of modern imagination through a written story with amazing visuals.

Alberu thought that bringing Cale here was one of the best things he had done in life.

It helped him get rid of his self-doubt.

He quietly looked at Cale who seemed to be thinking about a lot of things while looking at the boulder before starting to speak.

"By the way, little brother."

Cale's stoic gaze headed toward Alberu.

"The Molden Kingdom. No, you want to flip over the Molden palace and capture the Monarch?"

He could see the corners of Cale's lips twitching as they twisted up.

[End... Preparing next]

"Run Molden Palace! Run!" tboah!Bud cackles

"May the Molden Monarch rest in peace" tcf!Dodori gleefully said.

"Well, except if it was an enemy, then suffer in the hands of the crazy red hair!" tcf! Hannah maniacally laughs.

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A/N:

Manhwa is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons.

I'm a shy person so I might not reply to your comments but I do read and appreciate them (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

Trash of the Count's Family does NOT belong to me and so are the other fics. All credits go to the owners.

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