red. | LCF

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Eleven

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"Who were you calling, little guy?"

The seven year old dragon put the video communication device back on his spatial bag. He put it in his spatial pocket and then went to the village's Chief, she smiled and then lifted him up.

"My brother, he's four this year. I'm waiting for him to grow!"

He giggled happily.

He remembered when he turned four, his brother was born. That was one of the best days in his mighty life. He was with their to-be father during that time, and he was munching on cookies because he was upset he couldn't get stronger faster. He was too upset that he was shocked to hear his brother's voice. 

"When is his birthday?"

"November, like me!" Caleb enthusiastically answered. He liked being in the chief's care because he felt like he's healing his inner child by acting childish and filled with enthusiasm. "We have the same birthday."

"Really? What day?"

"The eighth!"

It would be the eight soon, and he's going to go back home soon so he can celebrate their birthdays. Eruhaben would obviously be there. Roksoo is going to demand so many sweet pastries and Caleb is so gonna enable him. Sweets are the best, and there is no other way it can be defeated.

"Hmm, it's pretty near, isn't it? A week's time. What gifts do you like?"

Caleb's eyes widened. "Cake!"

The chief laughed. "You really need to lessen eating sweets, you can get sick by anything too much. You might also get your teeth filled with sugar."

Caleb remembered his brother learning a cleaning spell for hygiene, mentioning something about electric toothbrush or whatever. Caleb knew all kinds of spells because smart like that.

"I can clean my teeth very well!"

"Sure. I'll buy you a cake. Now, let's wait for your hyungs to get back.  It's almost time for lunch."

Caleb hummed and rested his face in her shoulders. He missed his mother's hugs, and his golden father's nagging. He can't wait to get home to snuggled to his brother on their birthday.

For now, he'll be waiting for Choi Han and his party to come back from hunting monsters in the forest. After that time, he's also going to train with Choi Han who's slowly developing his black aura that, accodding to his memory, will turn into a pitch black monstrosity.

That aura was formed through years of despair after despair and it was a completed darkness by the time the last march towards the white bastard was even planned.

By the time he was close to finishing his lunch, Choi Han arrived in the cabin he was in. His clothes were cleaned and his hair was trimmed properly unlike how it was before he arrived in the village. While Caleb's clothes were made with silk and was hid by magic to look mediocre, Choi Han's clothes were made from leather and he still has his cape on. His sword was on his belt, as always.

Caleb's hair was still the same like how it was during his first turn, and his sword was hidden by magic to prevent others from thinking he's getting stronger. He mahy have quit hiding his personality and intentions by being trash but old habits die hard, and one of his habit is hiding his strengths.

"Choi Han Hyung, I'm done eating!"He said, as he speedrun his eating to train as soon as possible. Choi Han just chuckled and wipe his face with a towel, "I don't see you are. Slow down eating, you'll choke."

"Hmm!"

"Have you called your family yet?"

"Hmm!" Choi Han nodded as acknowledgement. Caleb continued eating and when he finished, it was halfway past twelve. After another thirty minutes, at exactly one in the afternoon did they finally started training.

Caleb's plate is bigger now compared to his first turn, and it's also worlds stronger. When he went to check on Cale, the seven  years old boy was still as bouncy and as happy as ever.

(Caleb sometimes wished he could've stayed like that, innocent and naive, if it means his mother could've also stayed with him.)

They trained under the sun like they do almost everyday and Choi Han's party watched and sometimes join in on the training. The warriors of the village always lose to Choi Han, despite them outnumbering him. That was why they all turned to him when he asked them to train him before.

However, there was one of them who can match Choi Han's strength, if not stronger. Caleb can feel it, his plate was fucking massive. He used a shiny sword that seemed like it was never smeared by filth of the monsters in the forest whenever they went hunting.

Caleb had never seen his aura, but he's sure as hell that this one's a swordmaster too.

This brown haired boy was brighter than Choi Han. His eyes were also filled with despair and it seemed like despite being in a happy village with warm villagers, he wasn't getting any better. In fact, the more he interacts with them, the more despair those brown eyes held.

He remembered, Choi Han was the only survivor of that tragedy.

He wondered where was this boy, who resembled Choi Han, when Harris Village was burned to ashes?

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Choi Han ruffled his hair, "See you after a week, be sure to train even if I won't be coming along."

"I'm planning to rest, Hyung. But I will!"

The rest of his party was currently training, and Caleb would be with them if he wasn't preparing to leave. Everything he owns (and stole, hoards, and bought) were with him in his spatial pockets and bags. He bought a bunch of sweets from stores around the village and even flew towards the Rain City just to get more.

He got inside a carriage, opened the window and bid goodbye to his mentor while the carriage were getting farther and farther away from entrance of the village. According to what he remembered, It would take less than a week for him to get to Rain City.

But he was a dragon, so of course he had to do something so his time won't be wasted.

After successfully having the hero-to-be as his mentor, he went to make a little hut using magic at least half a mile away from the entrance of the village. He gave the coachman a map to show him where they were going and proceed to take a nap after putting a shield around himself. The inside of the carriage were filled with sunset colored mana while outsiders unaware of the side effect of attacking said shield.

Caleb fell asleep easily after that.

He didn't took notice of a fancy carriage with a golden turtle crest engraved at the door that passed him in the middle of the journey.