Raon could see someone walking toward them from within the darkness. "Human!"

It was Cale. Raon instantly flew toward Cale.

"Human, Human! I can feel the power of Earth in you! You're getting as great and mighty as me!" Raon sniffled and looked toward Cale with admiration.

Everyone else approached Cale to congratulate him with a happy expression.

Raon raised his voice, although his expression seemed happy. "Human! Stop trying to do everything at once and just relax a little."

"Raon." Cale cut Raon off.

Raon felt something odd while looking at Cale who called his name. Cale was smiling. Cale was smiling brightly.

"...Human, why are you laughing like that?"

Cale responded to Raon. "I found you a lair."

'Hmm?' Raon's head tilted to one side.

Everyone also looked at Cale with curiosities.

Cale started to speak to all of them. "Follow me."

Cale walked back into the darkness. He then observed the expressions of his people when they arrived at the area at the end of the path.

Raon looked at the villa that seemed to be more luxurious than most palaces before turning to look at Cale. "...Human! This!"

"It's our villa. Didn't I promise you that?"

"Human, do you mean that?"

Cale nodded his head and responded back. "Yes."

"Alright!" Raon flew in a circle with excitement before landing next to On and Hong to celebrate together.

"Wow, young master Cale, do all Ancient Power give out things like this to their successor?" Rosalyn was impressed at the sight of the mansion.

"Miss Rosalyn, if you don't mind, could you go and get Hans as well as the Wolf children?" Cale smiled and take out a magic stone to give to Rosalyn. "A bribe."

"The highest grade magic stone! Thank you very much, young master Cale." Rosalyn hummed in excitement.

Even as a Royal, this is still the highest grade of magic stone she had seen. "If I could get one magic stone every time I run your errands, I won't mind doing it forever."

Cale chuckled as Rosalyn drew the teleport magic circle for the Harris village.

"Let us wait for everyone first."

"Yes, young master." Ron smiled in awe.

"Yes, Cale-nim." Choi Han nodded and just looked around at the statues in the garden.

Beacrox doesn't say anything, but he had some bad feelings about the huge villa.

**************************************

Half an hour later...

Everybody was gathered together now.

They were currently all sitting in the large first-floor hall of the five-story villa.

They could not hide their shock after looking at this place.

Cale started to speak. "Look around and pick a room on either the second floor or the fourth floor. The third floor are off-limit, while the fifth floor is my room."

"Will we be living here, young master?"

"Yes. For now. It'll depends on situation."

Hans's eyes suddenly were full of energy. He nodded in understanding.

Meeow.

Meow.

On and Hong approached Cale. Raon was naturally with the two of them as well.

Raon looked up at Cale and started to speak. "Then our room is the fifth floor?"

"Yes, the whole floor is our room."

"The whole floor!?" On was stunned. She look at the space of the first floor.

"Oh, it sounds so big. I wanna see it now."

"Let's race there, Hyung."

"Yes, let's race!"

"Ah, be careful." Cale warned.

"I'll look after them." On assured, patting her chest.

"Okay, I'll leave them to you, big sister."

The fifth floor was large enough to share with three children. Cale turned his gaze away from the children and looked around.

Beacrox touched the dust on the stair railing before immediately taking out a white glove. Cale could not tell what was going through Beacrox's mind right now.

Cale looked at everyone moving around to take a look at the villa before approaching Choi Han.

Choi Han seemed to be the most shocked of the group. "...I didn't know that such a place existed in the Forest of Darkness."

Cale, who was standing between Choi Han and Rosalyn, understood Choi Han's sentiments. 'He did live in here for tens of years and suffered quite a bit.'

That was why it made sense that he would be upset that such a peaceful place existed in the Forest of Darkness.

Cale could hear Rosalyn's admiration from the side as well.

"How is it still fine after 10,000 years? It looks like a place that has only been vacant for about a year. The inside even more amazing then the outside." Rosalyn looked toward Cale and shared her sentiments.

"Right? Miss Rosalyn, it really does feel like that. Doesn't it feel like time has stopped in this place for 10,000 years?"

"You are right young master Cale. It does feel that way."

Time had stopped. That was the accurate explanation of this place. Rosalyn agreed with Cale with a bright smile on her face.

Cale casually added on after seeing her smile. "Miss Rosalyn, do you know what this place is?"

"The place where you earned the power of earth?"

"That is correct."

Cale looked around once more. Ron and Beacrox had gone upstairs. The three children was currently on the second floor. He could also see the rest of the group.

'They're all within range to hear my voice.'

After verifying that everyone would be able to hear him, Cale said something that would light a fire in all of their hearts.

"The former owner of the ancient power was known as the Guardian."

The Wolf children who had been admiring the sculptures on the first floor perked their ears toward Cale.

"According to the legend, he is the Guardian who protected this Northeastern territory."

"Really?"

Lock and Choi Han, who were next to Rosalyn, as well as Beacrox, who was at the top of the stairs, showed interest at what Cale was saying. They were interested in knowing about the owner of this place.

"He did not hesitate to stand in the vanguard and protect the people when the continent was shrouded in darkness."

"What an amazing person."

"Right? This is what he said as he left this villa to me."

Everybody was naturally interested in what the Guardian had said while leaving this exorbitant villa to Cale.

Cale noticed the focus on him before he started to speak. "Protect. Guard."

The voice also said to sacrifice, but there was no need to tell the others about that word. He just needed to tell them the things that would not making them worried about him.

Cale put a bitter smile on his face. "I don't know why I started to think about the future situation when I heard that."

But they needed to understand that the situation would require them to get even stronger.

"Ah." Rosalyn let out a quiet gasp.

The future situation. Enemies from secret organization called Arm had appeared and the continent was now the calm before the storm.

"...Cale-nim." Choi Han looked toward him with a very worried expression.

He always felt that Cale somehow knew about the future and the future he knew wasn't a good future.

That's why Cale seemed to look for ways to get stronger as if to prepare for something. He doesn't have time to rest.

Cale smiled and made eye contact with Choi Han. "Why are you looking at me with such focus?"

"No, nothing. I just thought that Cale-nim is an amazing person." Choi Han smiled sincerely.

Cale's turn slightly red, he scratched his cheek. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

He then looked past Choi Han and made eye contact with Lock, who was next to him, and continued. "Well, anyway, after hearing what the former landlord had to say, I thought it would be good if everyone could stay here together."

Although Cale was speaking sheepishly, everybody understood the determination behind his words.

'Protect. Guard.' Cale had gathered them here after hearing those words. He did not need to say it out loud for them to know that he brought them here in order to protect them and for them to guard the future together.

"...Young master Cale, you really...." Rosalyn smiled and looked toward Cale with an expression that seemed to say that there wasn't much they could do about Cale.

'What is it? I'm really what?'

Her smile became thicker after seeing Cale look at her with an expression that seemed to be asking what he had done. The rest of the group had similar reactions as well.

"Well, anyway." Cale shrugged his shoulders and continued to speak in a sterner voice. "I'm sure that we are going to face many difficult issues in the future."

Every country in the Western continent will be at war, one after another. It was just a matter of time.

Tap. Choi Han could see a hand on his shoulder. It was Cale's hand.

Cale kept his hand on Choi Han's shoulder as he looked around the first floor as well as the second floor. His serious voice filled the hall. "I trust you. All of you."

Silence filled the hall for a moment.

Choi Han started to think. 'I was wondering how many people in the world would be able to say that they trust someone so casually and so lightheartedly. Cale-nim was probably the only one who could do that.'

However, Choi Han could feel the weight of Cale's hand clenching his shoulder. He could feel the weight of Cale's words being transferred over to him.

At that moment, a serious voice echoed in the hall.

"I will get stronger!" It was Raon. He fluttered his black wings and confidently started to speak. "Human, do not worry! A great being like myself getting stronger means that I will be even greater!"

It was a vigorous voice with not even an ounce of hesitation.

Choi Han clenched his fist after hearing Raon speak. It was the same for Lock and the other Wolf children.

At that moment, a smile appeared on Cale's face before quickly disappearing. He looked around only to see that everyone's excited expressions had turned slightly serious.

Cale, who had wanted this atmosphere, started to speak again. "I am still lacking in strength."

"That is right, Human! You just sit back! Don't get involved and end up coughing up blood again!" Raon sounded serious.

Raon's seriousness made Cale feel warm, however, he spoke normally toward the group who were looking at him.

"That is why there is only one thing I can do. I will do whatever I can to help all of you out."

Raon started to shout. "I am able to do well on my own! That is why I am great and mighty!"

'Ah, he keeps ruining the moment.' Cale coughed awkwardly, he was trying to create a serious moment, but realized that it would be difficult with Raon around.

At that moment, Choi Han, who had been quietly listening, started to speak. "I will get stronger in order to protect everyone."

Cale patted Choi Han's shoulder. Choi Han could feel Cale's level of trust in him through that pat.

Choi Han's fists were clenched, his eyes looked focused, and he had a look of resolution on his face. All of the members of the group looked determined.

At that moment, Cale started to think.

'Everyone getting stronger meant that the chance they got hurt is lower. As long as the final battle is different from the past life....'

He had lit the fire, and that fire was burning with even more passion than Cale was expecting.

It was burning quite dangerously, like a wildfire that could not be stopped.

**************************************

Two days later, Cale regretted his actions after seeing the training ground that was covered in dust and blood.

"Ugh!"

"Are you going to fall just like that?"

"No! I will not fall!"

Choi Han and Lock were training while saying things that sounded like something the main character of a children's cartoon would say.

Lock, who was in his berserk state, was covered in injuries.

Choi Han, on the other hand, had heavy metal balls all over his body as he shouted toward Lock. "Come! You cannot fall if you want to get stronger!"

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Lock let out a shout before rushing toward Choi Han.

Similar scenes could be seen throughout the area. Everybody was training as if their lives were on the line. Blood, dust, sweat, and injuries appeared everywhere.

'I didn't expect this much.' Cale was slightly anxious about how hard everyone was training. 'Is this okay?'

It felt like they would all get significantly stronger if this continued. Cale, who was banned from any kind of training, could only watch silently.

**************************************

Another day passed by.

'All of them had become weird.' Cale, who was still banned from training for some reason, sat down on a bench near the fountain and looked around.

First, he looked at Choi Han.

"......" Choi Han was meditating in a lotus position on top of a boulder. A black aura was coming out of his body. Choi Han seemed like a typical martial arts master.

Cale started to speak. "Hans, how long has he been training like that?"

"19 hours, young master-nim. Aren't you proud of him? Ah, that passion!"

'...Not at all.' Cale was more worried than proud. 'He skipped his meals.'

Cale lifted his head and made eye contact with Hans. "...And how long are you going to stay like that?"

"I'm not sure."

Choi Han had been training Hans as well. Since Hans was someone who was always at the house, Choi Han thought that he should at least know some basic defenses.

'But to stay in the invisible chair position-'

Cale could see that Hans's legs were shaking.

Hans must have noticed Cale's gaze, as he started to awkwardly smile. "Haha, young master-nim, I will definitely get stronger in order to protect you. That is a butler's duty."

"Yes. I trust you, Hans." Cale smiled and answered.

"Yes sir! I will not let you down!" Hans responded in an energetic voice.

Cale just turned his head away from Hans only to see someone else.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Ahh!"

"Eeeeeeek!"

The Wolf children were all training together.

Some of them were nearing their first berserk transformation. They would get even stronger after that.

'Lock is training with Beacrox and Ron.'

Cale blankly watched the Wolf children train like they were the main characters of a drama.

Someone approached him at that moment.

"Young master Cale."

"Miss Rosalyn."

Rosalyn peeked over at Hans before approaching the bench and sitting down next to Cale.

She looked around the square before starting to speak. "Everybody seems to be hard at work."

"Indeed. They're amazing. Is everything also going well with you, Miss Rosalyn?" Cale's gaze turned toward Rosalyn.

She was currently focused on research. She just needed to take one more step in order to reach the level of a highest-grade mage.

"Just so-so. I have some problems but I don't have anyone to ask, Raon-nim is still too young, even if he's improving very fast."

"I guess if we have an adult dragon, it'd be great."

"Right~? But not any Dragon-nim will be as friendly as Raon-nim. He's unique, one of the kind." Rosalyn smiled. "He learnt from the best."

"Thanks."

In the end, they sat that and have small chats until dinner time.

***********************************

Tsuki: here you go... Enjoy!