The Final Chance

Not Again

"Cale" Talking
'Cale' Thinking
"CALE" Shouting
°°Cale: Ancient powers

The picture on the top doesn't belong to me, credits to the owner of the picture

_____________________________________________________

Eruhaben, thankfully, had long since developed what he mentally referred to as his 'anti-Cale bomb mode.' His tolerance for Cale's unexpected revelations had been honed to such a degree that he no longer feared losing his sanity every time Cale casually mentioned something that would otherwise send anyone else into a spiral.

Instead, he merely shook his head in resignation, sighing once again, though this time there was a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Ahh, I don't know what to do with you anymore. Just do whatever you want, unlucky bastard," he said, his voice a blend of exasperation and amusement.

_____________________________________________________

A week had already passed since Whitra and Aries successfully completed their mission alongside Litana. The devastating fire that once ravaged the land had been extinguished, and now the Forest stood united as an ally to the sea.

Cale had taken the initiative to send a letter to Litana, outlining his plans for the territory he intended to claim. This decision came after consulting with the World Tree, which had informed him of the abundant benefits that awaited him should he proceed. Without hesitation, Cale agreed to the terms.

As he had mentioned to Eruhaben, his next step involved reaching out to the dragons to involve them in the upcoming festivities. However, at that moment, he found himself rather bored, prompting him to consider engaging in some mischief before making the call.

His current scheme revolved around sabotaging the White Star's base located near the Ubar shore. Yet, first, he needed to wrap up the conversation he was currently having.

Cale stood before Rosalyn, Lock, and Choi Han-the primary reason the White Star had managed to infiltrate the ball where Cale first encountered them. Rubbing his temples in frustration, he closed his eyes in an attempt to maintain his composure.

"So, you are telling me that you got sidetracked because Choi Han failed to uphold his role as a proper servant during the ball?" Cale inquired, his tone laced with incredulity. "And you felt compelled to cover it up because some nobles began to suspect him? This is precisely why I instructed you to behave as guards! I explicitly told you that Beacrox and Ron would excel in that role!" Cale mimicked mockingly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And what did you respond with? 'If we act like guards, we'll be too far away should something occur inside, so let us masquerade as servants while Ron and Beacrox operate from the shadows'"

His three children laughed from behind him, unable to contain their entertainment at the unfolding scene. The trio kneeling before Cale-Rosalyn, Choi han, and Lock-looked like chastised children, their expressions a mix of embarrassment and regret as they recalled the events that had transpired.

The father-and-son duo, Paseton, George , Archie, and Eruhaben, observed the situation in silence. Occasionally, George joined the children in snickering, while Archie muttered silent curses under his breath.

~° Flashback °~

"Let's split up so we can cover the entire area," Rosalyn instructed, her voice barely above a whisper as she walked alongside Choi Han and Lock, each of them balancing trays laden with an assortment of wines and desserts.

"We'll communicate through magic, understood?" Rosalyn asked.

"Yes," the two replied before parting ways.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly; they encountered no one until a noble waved at Choi Han, gesturing for him to approach while conversing with another noble.

Choi Han approached stiffly, bracing himself to 'perform' as a proper servant. However, the situation quickly deteriorated when the noble didn't even name the wine but merely gestured with his hand while continuing his conversation with the other noble.

Choi Han's mind went blank. "Huh?"

"Choi Han! What's the matter?" Rosalyn whispered urgently through their magical connection.

The nobles grew impatient, repeating the gesture and casting a glance at Choi Han while still engaged in discussion.

"Choi Han! What did he ask for?" Rosalyn pressed.

"I don't know! He's just making signs!" Choi Han replied, his voice laced with nervousness.

"What's the sign?" Rosalyn demanded, hurrying toward Choi Han, sensing that something was about to go awry.

Before Choi Han could respond, the noble turned to face him, joined by the other, both regarding Choi Han with evident annoyance.

"How many times must I repeat myself? Do you not possess the basic competence required to serve wine?" the noble inquired, hostility evident in his tone.

Caught off guard, Choi Han suddenly heard Lock's voice echoing through the magic of Rosalyn.

"Tsk! Can't he simply take the damn wine himself?" Lock muttered, irritation clear in his voice.

"Tsk! Who would have thought the Roan Kingdom was so careless in selecting their servants, especially knowing that the Emperor of the Seas would be in attendance?" one of the nearby nobles remarked.

As the murmurs of discontent grew louder, Rosalyn rushed to the scene, hastily offering her apologies.

"My sincerest apologies, sir. Please forgive him; he is a novice still undergoing training," Rosalyn said, her voice steady as she attempted to diffuse the tension.

Despite her efforts, it took considerable time to appease the nobles, and by the time they were finally dismissed, the ball was drawing to a close. They were completely unaware that the White Star had arrived until Cale, visibly frustrated, began scolding them.

~° End of Flashback °~

The room fell into a profound silence, punctuated only by the weight of Cale's steady gaze, which bore into them with a blank expression. After a moment, he let out a resigned sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose, choosing to dismiss Choi Han's shortcomings in favor of addressing his own curiosity about Lock.

Cale regarded Lock with an amused glint in his eyes. "Well, who would have thought you were capable of speaking like that?" he remarked, a smirk playing on his lips as he observed Lock, who now averted his gaze to the floor, clearly embarrassed by his earlier words.

If only Cale were aware that this seemingly 'innocent' wolf was only innocent in his presence; after all, he was mentally a nearly fourty years old man.

"Additionally, I am curious about how you managed to navigate through the ball. Do you possess any knowledge about the wine? Did no one request you to serve them?" Cale inquired, his question piquing the interest of the others in the room, who turned their attention to Lock.

"Ah, I merely happened to be fortunate," Lock replied. "The route I took was primarily filled with children, minors, and ladies. Most of them requested desserts, while only a few asked for wine, and they indicated specifically what they wanted."

"Hmmm, well, fortunate indeed," Cale commented, settling onto a couch while regarding them all with a knowing smirk. "Now, let's commence with our plan," he declared, a sinister smile spreading across his face-one that sent shivers down the spines of two particular sea creatures in the room, who had seen it far too often.

'Not again,' was the collective thought shared by many of those present.

_____________________________________________________