Wind Island 2
Reacting to Reading
A/N:
Warning: I 'just wing it'. LOL
It's an angsty chapter!
Note:
Bold font with vertical line - from novel/fanfic
[] - cut sentences/paragraphs
- Author's Note
=================================================
Chapter 351: Severance 5
He saw someone that he did not recognize as soon as he opened his eyes.
'Who is this?'
It was a young boy who seemed to be a teenager.
"Are you sure that's not your future son?"
"But men don't get pregnant?"
What?
tcf!Cale looked at the idiots that needed smacking as he ask "Why are you even sure that this is the future!?"
"Well.. you weren't... you know... pregnant in the past..." was the brilliant reply.
tcf!Cale gives him a what-nonsense-are-you-spouting look.
"You're certainly not a territory lord in the past... Wait! Are you?"
"What? No. I'm just an ordinary citizen" tcf!Cale immediately shut that down. Just imagining himself a territory lord made him shiver.
("Lies! You're a celebrity!" Was cried from the other side of the room)
tcf!Cale sneeze.
His eyes opened wide once he made eye contact with Cale.
"Oh, my lord. You woke up right away, unlike usual."
Cale started to frown after seeing the teenager calling him, 'lord,' while looking directly at him.
'The moment you fear the most will greet you.'
The contents of the test popped up in his mind.
"...I'm the Lord of the territory?"
"Guess hyung-nim really doesn't want to be the territory lord" tcf!Basen thought that if that was what his hyung-nim truly feared then he decided to alleviate his fears by being the territory lord himself.
He smiled as he now know what to do to help his transmigrator hyung-nim.
Meanwhile,
"If that is his greatest fear, then he really is fearless" tcf!Alberu frowned as he was planning to make him his prime minister, though he still would give his slacker life as he promise... well maybe after his retirement.
tcf!Cale made a delinquen face. "Why do I sense a disturbance in my slacker future?"
'Is this related to what I fear the most?'
Cale's expression turned odd.
'This is what I fear?'
tcf!Cale knows that he doesn't want to be the territory lord... But to say that is his greatest fear?
He was having a bad foreboding.
"Are you still not fully awake yet, my lord?"
The way this teenager treated the Lord of a territory was similar to how he would treat a close adult. The teenager shook his head and continued to speak as Cale just quietly looked at him.
"Yes sir, yes sir. You are a very famous lord. You are the great hero who saved our Roan Kingdom as well as the Western continent and the Eastern continent from the evil White Star."
Cale started to frown again.
"What th-? What hero!?" tcf!Cale gaped horrified. Is this it? Is this the bad foreboding!? "Wait, no, this is just a test, of course" He exhaled a sigh of relief knowing that.
"So your greatest fear is being a hero?"
Og!Cale and tboah!Cale thought that it was kind of too late to fear that. "He will totally become a hero," They thought in sync.
tcf!Cale shudder at that mere thought, him? Become hero? Pft. He scoffs at that ... "and why is that slime looking at me with pity?"
The teenager has a mischievous smile after seeing Cale's reaction.
"The Lord-nim always puts on such an expression whenever I say that. Please get up. It is time for breakfast."
Cale looked toward the teenager who was heading toward the half-open curtains.
'Saved the world from the evil White Star?'
That phrase struck Cale the most over being called a great hero or the territory's lord.
'...Is this after everything is over?'
Was this test showing him the future after everything was done?
Cale's gaze that was following behind the teenager stopped somewhere.
He then flinched.
He could see a mirror.
'...I look to be in my mid-thirties.'
A mature face different than the original Cale of his twenties was looking back at him in the mirror.
"Mid-thirties Cale... Yum! Licky Licky~"
What the h-!?
Wait?
Who said that?
Everyone sends a curious look trying to find out who was the soon-to-be-dead idiot that has the audacity to say that.
It was a very tired and weak-looking face frowning back at him.
He was frowning the same way right now.
Chhhhhhhh.
He could hear the curtains being opened. Cale looked at the sunlight reflecting off of the mirror as he started to speak.
"How old am I?"
"Who cares? I'm sure you'll still look hot even when you're an old man!" The Mercenary King bravely (stupidly) said.
As everyone glares, still looking for the soon-to-be-dead idiot (now prime suspect Mercenary King) that said those 'yum' 'licky' words.
("Not the point Idiot!" cried by a certain highest-grade mage of the Mercenaries Guild.)
"Excuse me?"
The teenager asked back in confusion, but Cale did not mind.
He was in the middle of a test. He needed to gather as much information as possible if he wanted to quickly complete this test.
"Aigoo, lord-nim."
The teenager sighed as he responded back.
"You are 36 years old this year."
36 years old.
That gave Cale an odd feeling.
The Birth of a Hero. Kim Rok Soo's age before he transported into the novel and Cale Henituse's body was thirty-six.
The past doesn't matter" tcf!Alberu thought as he wholeheartedly ignored the original age difference between them.
He is the Hyung here!
Period!
Cale thought about his past when he had sat in a corner of his room rolling around his bed and reading 'The Birth of a Hero.'
"Hold up." tboah!Cale held up his hand. "You? Rolling around in bed?" Yes, he has to ask since everything that they've read about was that the transmigrator having an adventure.
And the only time he was in bed was when he was sick... or dying... now isn't that horrible. As tboah!Cale frown.
That thought was put on hold as tcf!Rasheel commented "Man, I can't seem to imagine that with his stoic face"
Everyone was now trying to imagine a stoic tcf!Cale that was rolling around in bed.
"Or maybe his face will become gooey since it's what he truly loves" someone supplied.
"Well... His face is sparkling right now soo.." og!Cale said as everyone look at the transmigrator who was sparkling at the mention of rolling around in bed.
The frown on Cale's face did not seem like it would ever go away, and the teenager must have been looking at him as he purposely made himself sound excited as he started to speak.
"It's been over 10 years since peace returned to the continent. It is all thanks to you, my lord."
"Thanks to me, my ass."
"Yes, you're lovely a-ck!"
The Mercenary King is now running and dodging for his life.
Why!?
He was only telling the truth!
Stating facts!
Cale subconsciously commented and the teenager responded back.
"Pfft! My lord, that is always your answer to that statement!"
The mischievous laughter made Cale slowly turn away from the mirror.
He could see the window that had been covered by the curtains.
He looked at the scenery outside the window.
"...This is the Lord's Castle."
It was Cale's bedroom in the Henituse Estate. The fact that the bedroom looked the same made Cale believe that this was the Count's Estate.
However, the scenery outside the window was higher than usual for it to be his bedroom.
Only the Lord's Castle had a room this high up in the Henituse territory.
It looked as if the Cale Henituse of this life had created his bedroom in the Lord's Castle.
'...Why did he put his bedroom in the Lord's Castle instead of the Count's Estate? Is he so busy that he can't even go home?'
tcf!Cale also asks the same thing in his mind... But he also had another question that has been bothering him since the moment his future self woke up...
Something was missing.
It was someone.
And it's not only one.
And he doesn't know how to feel about that.
Being a lord was already annoying, but he was also a busy lord.
Cale inputted that piece of information in his mind as he focused on the scenery outside the window.
He could see a clear sky and more buildings than he remembered down below, along with small specks of people walking by.
He watched this for a moment before starting to speak.
"...But."
It wasn't there.
Something that was supposed to be here was not here.
36 years old.
Cale Henituse who was now at the age where Kim Rok Soo disappeared started to speak.
"Where is Ron?"
the Cales frown.
tboah!Cale and og!Cale was trying to ignore it but like tcf!Cale, they already notice that Ron wasn't there. If what they knew about the butler, he was always the one who woke him up.
And they know for a fact that tcf!Cale isn't like them, so they were sure that unlike what happened to them, Ron won't leave the transmigrator side.
"Maybe he retired?"
Their thoughts were cut when someone said that.
They can't really imagine Ron ever retiring, they would rather believe that he was on a short-term mission. But it was also ok if he did retire and not something else.
... They will rather believe that.
"I don't think I'll ever leave your side young master" replied by the assassin butler.
'But you did leave me' was left unsaid, "well I guess he must be talking about the good Cale" tboah!Cale and og!Cale accepted that thought.
He wasn't here.
The person who should be waking Cale up was Ron.
"If he retired then that's good" tcf!Cale thought that if the assassin retired and goes back to manage his Molan household then everything is fine but if it isn't that...
He frown not liking where his conclusion was going.
What he also worries about is that Ron isn't the only one who was supposed to be there when he woke up.
The thought of them not being there makes something inside of him stir in an unpleasant way that he cannot express.
There were also other existences who should be here when he woke up that were not here. The existences who would yawn or say that they were hungry or wake up earlier than Cale and talk with each other about traveling the world were not here.
The children were not here.
"Why? Nya"
"Did we have a sleepover at the crown prince's place?"
"Why at my place?" the crown prince thought.
"But I can't leave human to his own device even if the crown prince has a very delicious cookie!"
"Let's just loot the cookies" whispered by the cute kitten.
A completely emotionless face turned toward the teenager.
"...Ah."
The teenager had a complicated expression on his face.
"That, my lord. Are you very tired?"
The teenager tried to change topics.
The Cales frowns deepened.
They did not like that answer as they were covered with a sense of trepidation.
Of what the test meant.
Of what the true meaning of greatest fear really is.
However, the teenager could only smile awkwardly and start to speak after seeing Cale's quiet demeanor and serious expression.
"Hero Ron Molan is in your heart lord-nim, along with the hearts of myself and the rest of the citizens of the continent."
Oh.
"I died" that's the only thing tcf!Ron could think of.
When he was reading, he really didn't think he could live this long. It might be a cold conclusion but his young master is safe and he helped stop the war.
He just hope that his son was safe and sound.
While he was having that thought, the place turn solemn.
They were now sensing how much serious this test to the transmigrator truly is.
"Haaaaaaaaa."
Cale let out a sigh. He closed his eyes.
He suddenly recalled the people who came to console him when he was watching over that funeral during his life as Kim Rok Soo.
Some of them had looks of pity on their faces as they spoke to him.
'Mr. Rok Soo, no, I guess I should call you team leader-nim now. Team leader-nim, we will all remember the sacrifices of the former team leader-nim and the others.'
Everyone wince.
They remember those Koreans on the other side of the room.
Those people who have a lot of impact on tcf!Cale.
His friends.
His family.
'Everyone will know of their great deeds.'
It was when the cataclysm had happened on Earth.
Many people had lost one or two family members.
The people under team leader Lee Soo Hyuk in the company that Cale had entered as a rookie were all people who were left alone with no family members.
Unlike Kim Rok Soo, who was an orphan long before the cataclysm, team leader Lee Soo Hyuk and the other team members had all lost family members due to the cataclysm.
That was why Cale, no, Kim Rok Soo, was the only one who could watch over the funeral.
tboah!Choi Han doesn't know what to feel, knowing his relative (the only one who was alive excluding him) would die.
He questions himself.
Is he destined to be alone?
He shakes his head.
His relative who was in the other room is currently alive, so there is still hope.
Hope that they will change their destiny
And now...
What the teenager just said passed through Cale's mind again.
It was the answer to Ron's location.
'Hero Ron Molan is in your heart lord-nim, along with the hearts of myself and the rest of the citizens of the continent.'
Cale closed his eyes.
Was he joking?
It was possible that this mischievous teenager was joking.
A calm voice started to come out of his mouth.
"What about On and Hong? Raon?"
The teenager responded back.
"...My lord-"
He sounded full of sorrow and concern. That was enough.
No...
Not the children.
Everyone was struck horrified that even those small children that they should've protected were also...
Raon, On, and Hong run and jump toward tcf!Cale, as tcf!Cale envelope them in his embrace.
Yes, they were scared about the future where they died.
But
They were more scared of leaving their human all alone.
"It's just a test Cale! It won't happen because we won't let it!"
"Human! I am mighty and strong! so I won't be defeated easily!"
"That's right Cale! We will always be with you even when you're hair turned gray!
To think that these small children would be the ones who would encourage him
Everyone let out a smile as determination overflows them to protect these precious children.
The children reassure their human with their presence, and if they felt the tremble in Cale's hand as the embrace tighten they let it.
Cale thought about the contents of the test once again.
'The moment you fear the most will greet you.'
We were too naïve.
That was what everyone thought.
Of course, someone like him wouldn't have just had a simple fear.
Someone so gentle and kind would have this greatest fear
To lose someone.
To lose those who are important to you.
He already experiences it in his original world, and now he will once again experience it.
They couldn't even begin to describe the affliction that he will once again go through.
Cale's pupils were shaking as if they were waves.
"...What a cruel test."
His eyelids were shaking. He didn't really know what kind of expression he should have right now.
'Wow, Kim Rok Soo was so terrible. He didn't even shed a tear.'
'I know, right? His friends and sunbaes all died, but how could his expression not even change?'
What!?
Everyone said in outrage. They now know that behind that stoic face lies a tender heart.
A heart that is strong for others' sake.
A heart that cares.
A heart that is willing to sacrifice himself to protect others.
'Expression not change? I did see him frown a few times.'
'He's terrible. What a terrible bastard. I wonder if he even knows what sadness is.'
Everyone was in rage.
"They don't have any right to judge him just because his incapable of expressing himself!"
"What do they want? A show? Tsk."
"People have different ways to express their grief and they should've known that!"
"Or maybe they do, but they just want to attack him"
Hearing that, now they want to not only rip them apart but feed their mangled bodies to the dogs.
"I'll remember those voices, find them, and make them regret every word they uttered" og!Cale vowed to make them suffer.
Cale jumped up from the bed. The teenager who seemed to be his servant came over as Cale walked toward the door he assumed was the restroom.
His servant started to speak.
"You do not have anything planned this morning."
'I'm the lord but I have nothing to do?
My father, Count Deruth, was always busy.'
He is.
tboah!Cale thought that even in the future his father is still busy
"Well, that's what being a territory lord is about" He accepted that fact and he can't fault his father for being a good lord, but sometimes he wish that his father would spend more time with them... with him.
Cale opened his mouth to speak.
"...What about the administrative tasks for the territory?"
The teenager tilted his head in confusion at Cale's question before responding back.
"His majesty sent amazing people to the territory for you, my lord. That is why you leave everything other than the very important tasks to them. H, his majesty said that he was granting your wish, my lord."
Cale's expression turned odd.
His majesty.
Cale's wish.
It made him think about Alberu Crossman.
"What did I say dongsaeng, I did promise you you're slacker life" tcf!Alberu said trying to lighten Cale's mood. He somehow doesn't like it when his Cale is sad even if he doesn't show it.
Hearing that his slacker life would be achieved would've made him delighted if it weren't for the first news... And knowing what the test is, he somehow had a feeling it will not be over with just that.
The king gave him enough support to be a lord who could slack off.
That sounded similar to how Alberu Crossman said that he would allow Cale to be a slacker.
"...What is his majesty's name?"
The teenager responded back to Cale's question with confusion.
"Robbit Crossman?"
Ah,
"Robbit? Whos that?" The pink haired dragon ask
"That's.." the red-haired mage frowned, not liking where the information was headed continued to say "The second prince of the Roan Kingdom."
"What?" tcf!Dodori scrunches his face "Why is he the King?!"
tcf!Mila smile helplessly at her son as she replied "It's either he wasn't crowned because of opposition or because he is.."
"dead" the crown prince said with finality because he was sure that he will not let anyone take the crown as long as he is still alive even if his real identity was revealed he will not give up.
But again that is as long as he was still alive.
Of course he will stay alive in their future to be crowned as King.
Little did he know that the transmigrator's embrace on the children tighten even more.
Only the children in tcf!Cale's embrace feels the tremble in their human's hand.
It was not crown prince Alberu's name.
That was the second prince's name.
"...How annoying."
Cale started to feel angry. On the other hand, his body became extremely cold as if he had been covered in cold water.
Cale did not know this, but the tips of his fingers were shaking.
The crown prince knows that he shouldn't feel happy that his dongsaeng is mad at his behalf after knowing that he was supposed to be dead.
But really, he can't help but feel like this since it means that he is somehow has been part of Cale's life big enough to be angry on his behalf.
However, his voice was still calm.
"I will be moving on my own this morning."
He then turned around and entered the restroom. He could see the confused servant outside the door, but Cale did not care.
He did not ask for his new servant's name.
He did not want to ask.
og!Cale knows that feeling.
Especially those times when he was still Cale Henituse.
When he lost his precious family.
And the war.
He knows those feelings.
Not wanting to know more about others.
Not wanting anyone to get close.
So it would hurt less.
When they leave him first.
When they would be snatched from him.
When he would lose them once again.
[]
There was a thick book in Cale's hand.
He was tightly clenching on the book, but it was so thick that it was hard to even leave a dent.
He had taken this book from the library at the Lord's Castle.
Cale spent all day looking for things.
He wanted to know what had happened in the past.
He wanted to know what happened in the 16 years that had passed by.
He swept through everywhere looking for information.
_ couldn't help but sigh.
He really is a warrior.
Even as he was going through this test. He decided to look for information.
Information that will help him overcome this.
Crunch.
He could hear the crunching of the leaves.
It was Fall right now.
It was late Spring in the real world, but it was late Fall here.
Cale only looked forward as he walked.
Crunch, crunch.
Leaves crunched under his feet.
However, Cale only continued to look forward and there was no emotion on his face.
Cale stopped walking.
"...Haaaa."
He couldn't help but sigh.
"...This is definitely a fake and crazy test, but..."
Again and again, an endless apology from the thief who was usually quiet.
She feels like an idiot for making this kind of test.
If she had known that the test will be taken by a self-sacrificing kind person.
She would have made this less cruel.
No. if she was in the right mind at that time then she could...
She know in herself that it was no use in what if.
She could only feel remorse at the result of her action.
It feels even worst when tcf!Cale isn't mad at her.
Yes, he was annoyed at her and hated the test.
But no hatred towards her.
She would rather he curse her than be understanding!
With that, she promise herself that she would assist and protect him. And she would do this right!
The book fell to the ground.
Plop.
The fallen book opened.
Cale could see the destroyed Henituse Estate.
Count Deruth, Countess Violan, Basen, and Lily.
tboah!Cale trembles with fear.
What if this happened?
Didn't they say that this was supposed to happen...
This was his absolute future.
He felt a paw in his trembling hand.
On who was still in tcf!Cale embrace and looks at him.
With steadfast eyes.
He remembers the words of those children.
The child that he doesn't know if they are still alive in the slum.
And oh how he would do anything to protect them.
These children.
His family.
It was time to talk with his future self as he looked toward og!Cale.
As the said person was trying.
og!Cale tries to control those memories of when he witnessed his family's death.
He said he moved on.
But deep in his heart, there was never a closure.
That part had never been healed.
He look towards his step-siblings who were hugging each other.
He sees how her stepmother hugs them and whispers probably reassuring words.
He sees how his father embraces them in his protective arms.
That's when felt a gaze.
He looks toward that gaze.
The gaze has the same color of eyes as him.
A gaze that he says he will do it.
He would protect his family.
'For both of us'
Deputy Butler Hans, chef Beacrox, and servant Ron.
When both Beacrox found out that his father died. He couldn't accept that.
But knowing that they both died so they could protect was something meaningful.
At the same time useless.
What's the use of dying if it was all in failure?
If their deaths amount to nothing but desolation.
tcf!Beacrox doesn't know if he should feel relieved that he too died along with his father so that he won't feel the grief of losing him or feel regret that he also leave his young master alone and let him face the grief alone.
While the chef was having mixed emotions, the transmigrator click his tongue.
He was late.
That was the only thing tcf!Cale could think about. Because if he was on time, then.. then he could've protected them.
None of the people related to the Count's household were in this test world.
Everybody related to Cale had died.
Cale was the only one left.
What a cruel test.
"You know, you could also not go through with this test" og!Cale wanted to apologize to Cale.
It was his deal that dragged him to experience all this hardship.
But he knows that apologizing would only just elevate his own guilt. So instead he chooses to say this.
He, himself knows how it felt like to lose everyone. And to experience losing someone important again is not something he wants anyone to experience.
tcf!Cale blink.
Yes, he could choose to not go through this.
But
For the sake of his current real world, he might still choose to go with this fake test world. He just has to remember that the test is fake.
Easier said than done.
When the time comes, he'll choose what to decide as he drowned out the thief's continues apologies in his head.
It was a severance.
He was split away from the world.
Chhh.
The late Fall wind turned the pages of the book.
tcf!Choi Han was griping his sword and have been flicking it in anger at himself.
For being weak.
Weak enough to die.
Weak enough to be helpless.
Weak enough to let his important ones die once again.
A hand was placed atop his that belonged to the person who is also someone important to him.
A hand that he also failed to protect in that test.
tcf!Rosalyn gave a firm squeeze and a determined gaze sending her message that both of them should get stronger so that this test would not become their reality.
That they will protect everyone.
And not leave the young master Cale all alone with the burden of their deaths.
"No.." tcf!Tasha trembles at the thought of Mary being killed. It was horrible enough to find out that her nephew died, and now Mary too.
She grabs both of their hands as she reminds herself that this is a test and that it is not real.
And that she would never make it real.
As she felt Alberu and Mary's hand grip in reassurance, that was the sign of her unwavering resolve to protect them.
Many names passed by as the pages turned.
On, Hong, Lock, Beacrox, Eruhaben, Jack, Hannah, etc.
The first thing tcf!Lock thought about was his little siblings. His remaining family. The second is the new family that he gained. And protecting them was what he set out to do and thus train hard for it. But finding out that he was still useless and couldn't protect them burns something within him. He looks at his hyung and noona, he looks at the young master Cale. He grips his hand. He could just wallow in grief or he could choose to become stronger, strong enough that this time he will be the one to protect them.
"Even me" tcf!Eruhaben knew that his time is also almost up and he thought that he won't have any regret. But looking at the transmigrator who was still embracing the children looking so lost, he doesn't know if he should still look for ways to extend his life, just so he could be sure that the unlucky transmigrator get his happy peaceful life.
Hannah and Jack both thought that knowing that they would've died without the transmigrator and dying for the transmigrator hit them a little differently. They would've willingly give their life for him. But now knowing that it was his greatest fear. They decided to treasure more and more the life that was given to them.
All of the pages with names were crumpled.
There were some light cuts on Cale's fingers.
He had gotten those papercuts while crumpling or quickly turning the pages.
His eyes were bloodshot.
The embrace tighten more and more with each word that was said.
He hated this.
He hated everything about this test.
tcf!Cale embrace on the children didn't falter as if to ground him and remind him that what he was reading and listening to was all fake.
It was all part of a test.
A test that he detests.
He listens to the children's voices giving him encouragement and reassurance of their presence.
Chhh.
The wind stopped and the book stopped on the last page.
Cale started to speak.
"Super Rock."
There was no response.
He tried calling all of the owners of the ancient powers. None of them responded to his voice.
- we're here Cale, we won't leave you.
- always remember that you're not alone.
- you may not hear us in the test but we are always with you and I'm really sorry for all of this.
The ancient power who only talks occasionally has been talking to tcf!Cale non-stop since the moment they find out the children died in the test and till now.
'I need to hurry up and complete this test.'
Cale had a reason to finish this test. No, he wanted it to end.
Cale picked up the book.
Those words caught his attention.
Cale changed directions.
He felt as if he knew where everyone would be.
The Super Rock Villa. The place Cale wanted to live in once everything was over.
The Forest of Darkness.
That was where he was headed.
"...I hate this."
He hated tests like this.
The back of the walking 36 years old Cale Henituse was extremely similar to the 36 years old Kim Rok Soo's back.
They frown at that.
They won't let it happen.
The fake test will remain fake.
And that Cale Henituse will not have to carry his allies' and families' death just as he was when he was Kim Rok Soo.
They will make sure of it.
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A/N:
Mahgosh! this is so hard to make, I keep restraining myself to not make this crack. I can't do angst!
Anyways! Thanks for reading! (ã¥ï¿£ ³￣)ã¥
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