Trash of the Count's Family (201-400)

Chapter 392 - The crazy one, the innocent one, and the laughing one (2)

'Something seems weird?'

Bud could not understand Clopeh Sekka's current demeanor at all.

'Wait, didn't Clopeh Sekka become a captive after his defeat at the Henituse territory battle?'

But would his defeat and becoming a captive be the end?
Bud could see the wheelchair Clopeh was sitting on.

'As expected, his condition is not good.'

According to the Mercenaries Guild's newest information on the Western continent, Clopeh Sekka was currently staying in the Paerun Kingdom but not showing himself very often.
People had been questioning his health since the man who used to lead the Paerun Kingdom's strongest Knights Brigade was not coming to the training grounds at all.

Clopeh Sekka sitting in the wheelchair right now seemed to prove those rumors.

'...Then it is most likely that this happened to him when he became a captive.'

That was why Bud had expected Clopeh and Cale's relationship to be a political one with both extremely hostile toward each other on the inside even though they were on the same side during the Breck Kingdom's Gorge of Death battle.

He had especially expected Clopeh Sekka to have strong hostility toward Cale.

'But what the hell?'

Bud was shocked.
Forget hostility, Clopeh was looking at Cale as if he was looking at a god.

'He even has his hands clasped together!'

Bud's mind was turning chaotic.
Clopeh started to speak at that moment and his voice echoed in the bedroom.

– I am filled with sorrow that I am unable to join you in that legend.

Bud's expression turned even worse.
He looked toward Cale with a baffled mind.

'You, you'll respond differently, right?'

Bud waited for Cale to speak with the smallest of hope that Cale would be able to calm his mind.
Cale then started to speak as if to answer his question.

"Then why don't you join me this time?"
– Will it be written down in history?
"Mm, probably?"
– It must be part of your legend.
"...Ah... sure."

Cale decided to just brush past Clopeh's craziness. Bud started to frown, but Cale didn't care even an ounce about Bud's reaction.

"Your influence in the North should have grown by now, right?"

Cale could see Clopeh start to smile at his question. The originally loyal smile instantly turned to show a snake's evil nature.

– It is quite large now.

That was enough.

The Indomitable Alliance.
The alliance that had started the Western continent's war early in the year was a combination of Arm and the Northern three kingdoms.

But the Indomitable Alliance was defeated after the war and the Northern Kingdoms of Paerun, Norland, and Askosan fell under Clopeh's Paerun Kingdom's control.

"Some black mages will soon pass through the North and into the Paerun Kingdom."

Cale did not say anything else and looked at Clopeh.

– You want me to observe the black mages' movements in the North.

Clopeh understood him as Cale expected.
Most people would have asked if Cale wanted them to capture the black mages.

"Why not capture them?"
– If there was a need to capture them, I'm sure you would have already caught them, Cale-nim. But the fact that you are leaving them alone until they get to the North would mean that you have a plan to use them for something, am I wrong?