It hadn't even been two days in.
That's all it took for Ron to try and come back to him. How that happened he wasn't sure. But yesterday, his illness was so bad that he couldn't even be conscious for more than half an hour. He was cursing the God of Death up to the high heavens, regardless of how helpful that bastard had been.
Charlotte had been micromanaging him, since Hans was too scared to do it. But all of his food was handled by her also, completely disregarding Beacrox's attempt to cook for him. She had been nagging his former chef on how Cale couldn't handle heavy meals, oily and garlicky foods.
Cale thinks that it's a bit extreme. But Charlotte countered in private, that regardless whether for everyone else the Molan duo had left two weeks ago, but for Cale it had been two lifetimes without the Molans, he was allowed to feel hurt over the fact they had easily discarded him without any words as soon as they had the sign they were looking for.
Basic decency. She said.
(Of course she was aware of his regression and reincarnation. She was, after all, a servant for the God of Time.)
As for Choi Han, well... Everyone is keeping him away from Cale. Or if there were instances, Cale and Choi Han would have the children accompany the two to lessen the probability of Choi Han aggravating Cale thus worsening his condition.
But the thing is... Choi Han had been so attentive? Sure it was a bit (a tad) annoying that this hundred something years old man with a baby face was treating him like a glass doll, like hello? Sir, you had beaten me up more than two weeks ago. He was clumsy, but at least he was trying?
It was both of their fault why his people are being hostile to Choi Han. Well... While his words did provoke Choi Han, a simple punch would have sufficed, not putting him in an almost five day coma.
"Here is your cabbage soup, Young Master," Cale looked at Ron with incredulity. Of all soup available? Why cabbage soup? He looked at Charlotte for help, thinking that she would disagree. But to his shock, she was nodding in agreement with the old man's action?
"It is good for your health, my lord," The betrayer, Charlotte, said. He wanted to make a face, but everyone, especially his children, Ohn and Hong, were looking at him expectantly. So he just had to suck it up and finish this then.
The soup had a very familiar taste, Beacrox must have cooked this. His children's eyes were shining when he finished the cabbage soup. Well, everyone cheered when he finally finished it all.
("Why is everyone cheering?" Choi Han, who is beside Beacrox, asked a knight.
"Young Master-nim finally finished his meal!" The knight joyfully said, "Even with Charlotte-nim, he hasn't finished his meal because he couldn't stomach it. This is a development that the Count-nim would like!"
Beacrox turned his head around to cover his face that was turning pink.)
Hours later, he had already talked with his children about this dragon rescue. They were very willing to help when he told them that the dragon was a mere four years old.
(The siblings looked at each other.
Yep. Their father (or mother, he was too feminine right now to be called father, they're not gonna lie) is gonna give them a sibling soon.)
"Charlotte," The white haired maid appeared beside him, "Call for Choi Han."
Charlotte bowed and left the room. It wasn't even that long for the two to appear. Cale drank the lemonade that Ron somehow managed to convince Charlotte to have him drink, and asked Choi Han.
"Have you ever seen a dragon?"
"...A dragon?"
"Yes."
"I've seen something similar once."
'Similar, my ass.'
Cale knew what Choi Han was talking about when he said something similar.
Forest of Darkness. He was talking about the vicious monsters deep inside the Forest of Darkness. Among those terrifying monsters were creatures that were somewhere between lizards and dragons.
Choi Han had killed that dragon-like monster as soon as he advanced from the middle stage to the final stage of his Dark Destruction Sword Art. He knew that from the novel he had read when he was still Kim Rok Soo.
"You did? How was it?"
Cale pretended to not know about the event, and asked Choi Han. Choi Han was the only other person in Cale's room right now aside from Charlotte and the children.
"...It was a monster."
"How so?"
"Its appearance, its strength, everything. It was a monster in all aspects."
"Is that so?"
Cale nodded his head and continued to speak. But his actions and his words were completely opposite.
"Then you have not seen a dragon."
"Excuse me?"
"Dragons are like people."
Clack. Cale put the cup with the lemonade that was both sweet and sour down on the table. He then responded to Choi Han, who was looking at him with curiosity.
"Dragons, Beast people, Dwarves, Elves, they are all like humans. Why? Because they also have emotions and lives."
And that was the truth. While in the past, he didn't discriminate, he wouldn't care. But living through a catalyst and his childhood as Rok Soo changed his perspective, a lot.
"However."
Choi Han might have noticed Cale's sudden change in demeanor. He sat up straight and focused on what Cale had to say.
"Such an existence has fallen into darkness since it was born. The only thing currently lighting up the darkness in its life is torches, and it has never even seen the light of the sun. What kind of life do you think it is having?"
Tap.
Cale tapped the table with his index finger.
"It is being forced to become an existence without rationality."
Tap.
He tapped on the table once again.
"It has had to suffer through its loneliness, without any family or anything to lean on."
Tap.
Choi Han's gaze fell every time Cale's finger tapped the table. Choi Han's fists were clenched underneath the table, to the point you could see his veins starting to flare up. Cale did not know about this, as he continued on.
"It is tortured and abused every day, and is only left alone when it is barely alive."
Choi Han's expression stiffened, and anger was in his eyes. Cale knew Choi Han would react this way. There was no way a good person like this would not get angry after hearing such a story. He should also have figured out why Cale brought up such a story in the first place.
Cale took another sip of his lemonade, before finishing up his story.
"And that existence is nearby."
A short silence filled the room. Cale looked out the window, before slowly turning his gaze to look at Choi Han. He didn't know what Choi Han was thinking about, but his whole body was surrounded by a bloody aura.
'Is he getting angry at the fact that he is being abused because he is a good person?'
Contrary to Cale's hypothesis, Choi Han was currently recalling the tens of years he had to survive on his own in the Forest of Darkness. And also the fact that this fragile person knows. Was the redhead thinking of going there?
That was why the silence continued for a while. Finally, Choi Han made eye contact with Cale and asked.
"Will you save it and try to tame it?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Excuse me?"
Cale acted on reflex, and asked back in shock. Choi Han also became shocked at Cale's questioning his sanity.
"Why would I try to tame it?"
Cale waved his hand around like Choi Han was crazy.
There was no way that a dragon that was abused by humans would be willing to serve a human. In fact, it probably was full of hate and disgust for any and all humans. Even if that human was the person that saved it.
Dragons believe that they are above all creatures, including humans. This is a natural instinct for dragons, so, even without being in contact with any other Dragon in its whole life, it will still feel this way.
That was why dragons cannot grow under humans. This attitude makes it impossible to domesticate and train Dragons without using torture and abuse to break down its mind.
'Dragons are born extremely arrogant. But, most importantly, if I raise a dragon...'
Cale could feel it. He felt like he would get wrapped up in some annoying incidents if he raised a dragon.
There were less than twenty total dragons in the Eastern and Western continents combined. Raise one of those dragons? That was pretty much the same as saying, 'I will be at the center of all the happenings of the continents, and besides, the stress of raising a dragon would not be good on my body.'
It was also a dragon that was supposed to die, according to the novel(guide book). It would be better for it to go off into its own little world and not get in anyone's way.
Cale was definitely against this dragon coming with them. As long as he gets rid of the mana restriction chains, this four year old dragon will live a much better life than Cale. Dragons weren't called the kings of the world since birth for no reason.
"Then?"
"Why are you asking such an obvious question?"
Cale laughed at Choi Han's question before he answered.
"Let it go so it can live a free and peaceful life. Shouldn't a dragon live like a dragon?"
"...I see."
Cale sighed, and looked forlorn, "And even if I did... Who knows what would happen."
There was silence.
"Then will we be saving that dragon?"
"Yes. So I need your help."
"Anything. I really will do anything to help."
Cale was worried that Choi Han would escalate the situation, and shook his head.
"No need to go overboard. I have no plans to kill anybody, if possible, either. We will do it as quietly as possible."
"I see..." He murmured, then glanced at Charlotte, "Would—"
"I would always be beside my lord," Charlotte sternly said.
Choi Han nodded, "You really—"
"Go tell Hans to prepare some alcohol on the first floor."
"Are diff- what?"
Charlotte and the children frowned at him. So did Choi Han, but they did as told. But they did not let him leave the room, when they came back, Charlotte only had one full glass of alcohol.
"But I told—"
Charlotte cut him off, "With all due respect, my lord, your body is barely accepting food as it is. Alcohol would probably make it worse, we are willing to compromise with one glass."
Shit. Charlotte really knows him well.
Ohn frowned, Cale looked away and sighed.
"Fine." He reached for the glass, as he was about to drink it, he told Charlotte, "You know what to do."
Charlotte nodded and waited for him to finish the glass. They all did their individual task, as they left him alone in his room. He immediately sat down on his bed, clutching his stomach.
"Fuck." Cale cussed. She was right, his weak body can't even handle one glass of alcohol anymore. He took deep breaths, and drank at least three of the pills that were given to him in any case of pain.
Those Gods better do something about this shitty body. Or else he would find a way to burn their temples down.