Chapter 769: The Birth of a Hero? (4)

There was a ruckus outside the door at that moment.

"They're fine! Everybody except gramps is fine!"

"That's great, nya!"

Hong and Raon's excited voices rang through the door and echoed in the room.

Click.

The door opened and a white-haired woman entered. It was former Dragon Lord Sheritt. She walked into the bedroom alone and gently smiled at the people inside.

"I'm probably better off than everybody else."

Sheritt did not seem to have any changes at all. However, nobody smiled back after hearing that.

Lord Sheritt. She was a being without a physical body. This illusion had no choice but to always look the same.

"Eruhaben."

She then approached Eruhaben, who was holding the jar. She spoke in a calm voice.

"Please live and look after Raon. The other children too."

Cale was certain.

'He can't get out of it anymore.'

Cale could see Eruhaben's eyes start to fill with a lingering attachment to this world as Sheritt continued speaking.

"Not just On and Hong. Maes and the other Wolf children are quite young. Lock is still young too. They all still have a lot to learn. So please look after them."

Sheritt added one last statement.

"Please do it for me."

Eruhaben slowly lifted his body.

His gold hair was now a dull grey. Cale could see Eruhaben's body starting to crack, with it starting from the fingertips holding the jar.

The bodies of Dragons were said to return to nature once they died.

Was it Eruhaben's time now?

"…I now have so many more things to do at the end of my life."

Eruhaben then smiled. It was an awkward smile but his gaze was firm as if he had made up his mind.

He slowly lifted the jar in his hand. Then he let out a short breath.

'Mm.'

Cale looked around. Rosalyn took a deep breath. She seemed even more anxious because Eruhaben was her teacher. Mila and Sheritt looked relaxed.

"It's full of water."

Eruhaben then placed the jar up to his lips without any hesitation.

'Huh?!'

Cale's eyes opened wide as he watched. His jaw dropped as well.

However, Eruhaben was already gulping down the liquid in the alcohol bottle-shaped jar.

"Uhh..."

"What's wrong?"

Sheritt looked at the baffled Cale and asked.

"Eruhaben-nim seems to have forgotten something."

"Hmm? Forgetten what?"

"No, that-"

Cale hesitated while looking at Eruhaben who was focused on drinking the water.

Mercenary King Bud Ills. He had said something about using this artifact when they were on Wind Island.

'That ancient artifact will fill with just enough water for the user who decides to use it on themselves.'

'Once you drink the water, any issues related to vitality will be cured to the point you want. Of course, it may be a bit painful depending on the situation. My stomach did not feel good when I used it.'

Bud had said that it might be painful when someone uses the jar. This probably depended on how much of the jar's vitality was used.

Eruhaben was not simply healing injuries right now… He was trying to extend his original lifespan.

The jar would probably, no, the jar would definitely break today. What Eruhaben wanted required quite a lot of vitality.

As a result, if Eruhaben was to end up in pain because he used the jar… It probably won't be a small amount.

Cale had assumed that Eruhaben remembered that as well. But seeing him gulping it down like this…

'…He must have forgotten about it. Is this really okay?'

While Cale's pupils slightly shook…

"Yes, more, more! Keep drinking!"

Sheritt cheered Eruhaben on while Mila and Rosalyn silently cheered with warm gazes. Eruhaben continued drinking without any breaks as if it was not filling him up at all.

'I have a bad feeling about this…'

Cale did not dare to say anything and felt his back getting cold as water continued pouring out of the jar nonstop.

Craaaaaaack-

It was at that moment.

"Huh? A crack-!"

The jar started cracking. Mila shouted in an excited voice at the same time.

"Color is returning!"

Luster slowly started returning to the dull hair. The dark grey color was slowly disappearing.

'Oh, is he making it through without any pain?'

As Cale's face was about to light up…

Craaaack-

Once the jar cracked a lot more…

"Ugh!"

Eruhaben's shoulders jerked back.

"Eruhaben-nim!"

"Shit!"

Rosalyn and Mila tried to support Eruhaben through their shock, but they saw someone who was quicker than them.

"You cannot stop, Eruhaben-nim."

In a calm tone and with quick movements…

Cale had Eruhaben's chin in one hand and the jar in the other hand.

"Just stop drinking for a moment when you need to groan. And breathe through your nose. Even if you stop for a moment, you need to keep drinking until the end. You need to keep drinking even if you are full. You cannot stop because it hurts, Eruhaben-nim."

Eruhaben's fingers holding the jar were shaking.

"You remember what Bud said, right Eruhaben-nim?"

Eruhaben clenched his eyes shut at Cale's question.

He finally remembered what Bud had said and his whole body felt numb. His limbs were shaking as if they were asleep and pins were poking at them as his whole body became covered in sweat.

However, he could not stop now. Eruhaben drank the water that continued to fill up and drank again.

'Apparently, I really wanted to live.'

He finally realized how much he had wanted to live.

Craaaaaaaaack, craaaaaack-

The jar was cracking nonstop. Eruhaben drank the vitality from the jar and then drank some more.

For some odd reason, he was not full.

It was as if the nutrients seeping into his body were spreading through his body and filling it with energy.

"You need to live long enough to see Raon grow up, Eruhaben-nim."

Eruhaben responded by continuing to drink after hearing Cale's calm voice.

'Young master Cale.'

Rosalyn was looking at Cale as if she was seeing a new side to him.

She was concerned about Eruhaben whose whole body was shaking, but seeing Cale being calm and collected gave her a sense of relief.

It was at that moment.

"It's breaking."

The moment Mila said that…

Craaaack—!

A long vertical crack appeared on the jar and a gap started opening.

Cale released his grip on the jar.

Clang!

Half of the jar fell to the ground.

"Huff!"

Eruhaben started falling back at the same time. Mila quickly supported Eruhaben and laid him down on the bed.

"Ugh!"

"Eruhaben-nim!"

Cale grabbed Eruhaben in shock.

Blood was dripping out of the ancient Dragon's mouth.

'It's enough to make him bleed? Didn't Bud say that it was only enough to make his stomach hurt?'

Dark red blood continued flowing out of Eruhaben's mouth without stopping. This was the first time Cale saw any of his allies bleeding like this. As concern was about to appear on his calm face…

– …This…

A husky voice spoke in Cale's mind.

It was the Sound of the Wind.

She was someone who knew a lot about the jar from Wind Island.

– …That Dragon named Mila put that jar back together properly.

Shhhhhhh-

Gold dust fluttered and caused a breeze.

Cale could see Eruhaben's appearance changing rapidly.

– That Dragon's going to be young again.

The ancient Dragon's skin was so smooth to the point it was sparkling.

His gold hair was so shiny that it looked as if stardust was scattered on top of silk.

"…Ho."

Cale gasped and looked at Mila. She was the person who knew the most about healing within the group here.

Mila smiled.

"I guess you're a young Dragon again."

Eruhaben stopped coughing up blood and slowly opened his eyes.

Cale and the ancient Dragon made eye contact.

"…I think I'm going to live too long."

The ancient Dragon smiled awkwardly.

"…I guess I wanted to live long..."

He then avoided Cale's gaze. The door slammed open and the children averaging nine years old rushed in.

"Gramps!"

"Meeeeeow!"

"Meeow!"

The children could not hide their shocks after seeing the blood by Eruhaben's side.

"Gramps! Y, you have to live a long time!"

"Our youngest is right, nya! You have to live long, nya!"

"You need to be healthy, nya."

Eruhaben awkwardly smiled at Raon, Hong, and On, who were so concerned that they didn't know what to do, before he let out a fake cough.

Cale chuckled and turned his gaze to the children averaging nine years old.

"Why did you guys suddenly rush in?"

These children were not the type to barge into the bedroom without knocking. This was especially true for On, who would observe the situation before coming in.

On moved away from Eruhaben and approached Cale. Raon raised his voice as well.

"Human! Tasha contacted me! She said that the King just barged into your room!"

'…What? The king went to my room? Why? Did he seriously have nothing better to do? What's the rush?'

"We can't contact Grandpa Ron nor Choi Han!"

"…Miss Tasha told you that?"

"That's right."

Cale immediately stood up. Rosalyn stood up at the same time. The two of them made eye contact.

"Miss Rosalyn."

"I'll cast teleportation right away."

The fact that a Dark Elf like Tasha contacted Raon meant something else as well.

King Zed Crossman. Alberu had started to make a move to go up against him.

* * *

Choi Han lowered his head. Ron also had his head down next to Choi Han while talking.

"My apologies, your Majesty. The young master-nim is currently having trouble regaining consciousness so it may be difficult to see him right now."

Ron was lowering his head toward King Zed Crossman. Behind him was the Chief of Staff, who looked completely frazzled as if this was an awkward situation, and a swordsman who had a look on his face that made it feel as if he wouldn't even bleed if he was stabbed.

Of course, there were many other guards and attendants lined up in the hallway behind the Chief of Staff and the swordsman.

"Your Majesty."

The Chief of Staff looked around before speaking.

"How about coming back tomorrow? I completely understand how concerned you are about the Commander, but as I mentioned earlier, I don't think it is right to see someone who is unconscious."

The Chief of Staff could not hide his anxiousness.

Ron peeked at him and had a pretty good idea as to what was going on.

'The Chief of Staff informed the King exactly as I told him.'

The Chief of Staff would have reported to the King that Cale was in critical condition.

'But the King still came here.'

There was nobody here who could stop him.

People from other kingdoms could not act out in the Roan Kingdom since they were foreigners, but King Zed was the King of the Roan Kingdom.

There was nowhere that he was not allowed to go. There was also nobody who had the balls to stop him.

'It does seem like the Chief of Staff wants to stop him though.'

The sight of the King forcing his way here trying to see the Commander who was between life and death…

People would not speak kindly about it.

'The King is not someone who would normally act like this.'

Ron bowed even more to King Zed who was silently looking down at him.

The King was plotting something.

He had just not told anybody about it.

That meant that until Cale got here, no, even if Cale came back, Ron needed to send the King back.

Screeeech.

Ron heard the door open at that moment and his intuition told him something.

'He's here.'

The person who could stop the King had finally appeared.

"Royal Father."

The pale crown prince in a wheelchair opened the door to his room and came out to the hallway. The crown prince looked quite terrible and even had a thick blanket around him.

The crown prince's subordinates were behind him.

"Royal Father, I have prepared a warm cup of tea. I know you enjoy tea a lot."

King Zed actually did not like tea.

Only a few people knew that. Alberu was one of those few people.

The King silently observed Alberu before he started walking.

"Yes. I do like tea."

The King headed toward Alberu with indifference.

"This was wrong of me. I should have come to see my son first."

Alberu then motioned to the knight behind him.

"I will push him."

The King grabbed the handles of Alberu's wheelchair and slowly started pushing it.

"Are you okay with me pushing it?"

"Thank you very much, your Majesty."

Alberu had called the King, 'your Majesty,' and not, 'Royal Father.'

Zed did not say anything about it and started pushing the wheelchair.

Others tried to quickly follow behind them, but Zed raised his hand to stop them and the two of them went into Alberu's bedroom alone.

He observed the bedroom in front of him and nonchalantly commented in a dry voice.

"Are you concerned that a lame-duck old man is acting out?"

Alberu was also looking forward as he nonchalantly commented.

"What reason would I have to be concerned, your Majesty? There is nothing I am scared of or need to be scared of."

Alberu raised his head and the King lowered his head.

The two of them were looking at each other.