13: Fated To Be Here

"I am leaving, your highnesses."

"Hyung."

"Hyung-nim."

Alberu added and og!Alberu just watched the two in disbelief.

-Bye! Crown prince!

They just finished discussing their plan and Cale has to leave for the Jungle. The Jungle is currently under Elisneh the First's illusion and he has to release them.

Not to mention, there are hundreds of highest-grade magic stones there and Cale has to get them. It will be very useful. 

"Be careful, dongsaeng."

Alberu was going to stay with og!Alberu to help him with some work as he does not want to get stressed over Cale and whatever he is doing.

Raon was naturally with Cale so he will be safe.

In addition, Eruhaben and Mary were probably already planning to follow Cale after Alberu informed them about Cale's plan to go to the Jungle. Everyone will never leave Cale with only Raon.

Although he listens to the children, there are times that he will not, especially if the situation is tight.

But that is not the only reason he chooses to stay. It was because of his other self. Alberu has to train og!Alberu.

There is a spear in the underground library and he will let og!Alberu gets it. After that, Cale and the others will bring dead mana for og!Cale while he trains og!Alberu how to use the spear.

"Later."

Cale said and then.

Pa-paaat!

Cale has already left with the invisible Raon.

Meanwhile.

Og!Cale has already gone back to the Henituse mansion in the capitol after he and Cale talked about his mother's death and its real reason.

He has to leave early as Cale asked him to find where the Ancient Power called 'Vitality of the Heart' is. And Cale thinks it was just around the Roan Kingdom as Taylor died somewhere in the Roan Kingdom.

Additionally, Cale told og!Cale to just wait and don't steal the ancient power and does not touch it because they will give it to someone useful in the future. Someone they can trust.

"... Why did he look so happy receiving a golden plaque?"

Og!Alberu said as he looks at Alberu.

Earlier, as they were in the middle of their discussion, Cale ask for travel expenses to og!Cale and golden plaque to og!Alberu.

Alberu was only sighing in the background so og!Alberu was wondering.

"Don't worry. Cale will use it for something that will help us."

All the money that Cale extorted from him, Alberu found out that Cale never actually uses it for his own. Rather, he always uses the money for something that will help them with their fight with the White Star.

Even though he was so greedy with money, he never uses it for himself but for everyone. He truly is a good bastard.

'He really believes in him.'

Og!Alberu thought and then asked.

"You seem to be in a genuine relationship? I thought it was all an act."

He still does not get why Alberu and Cale were so close to each other that they even shared their secrets. They look like they are real brothers.

"I never trusted someone to an extent like how you trusted Cale Henituse. Not even Choi Han."

For og!Alberu who was desperate to survive while also hiding the fact that he was a quarter-dark elf, a creature that uses dead mana—he has no choice but to trust no one except for his Aunt Tasha.

'Even I don't fully trust this guy.'

Although Alberu has all the evidence that he and Alberu are indeed the same person, and with og!Cale admitting that he and Cale are the same person, it just won't do for him. Therefore og!Alberu decided to observe for now.

Alberu held a sigh before answering.

"That guy, have you noticed how similar he is to us?"

That guy, of course, is Cale Henituse.

"I did notice."

Og!Alberu always tends to avoid someone similar to him because he feels wary of them. And for the short amount of time that he was with Cale, he knew he was indeed the same type of person as he is.

Nonetheless, he did notice that og!Cale is not as sly and meticulous as Cale and inexperienced when it comes to scams, but they are still similar for some reason.

"Plus, he is an intelligent bastard. We think the same way and he knows my intention without me telling him. Quite dangerous."

The way Cale was saying how the plan will go and how he badly wants to smack the White Star from behind and all, he looks like someone who can do whatever he says. He is dangerous because he can think like that.

To add, Cale can easily read og!Alberu and that makes him more dangerous than he already is. Because og!Alberu cannot hide anything from him.

"I agree."

Alberu chuckles before continuing.

"At first, I didn't fully trust nor care about him. I only saw him as a mere pawn. However, he is someone who always bleeds when fighting on the front lines to protect our kingdom and its people. I cannot help but trust him."

Alberu remembered the time when he was doubting Cale's intention. He then thought that they really come a long way considering how their relationship is now.

'I never intended him to be my little brother, but it just happen.'

He thought it was weird now if Cale and him suddenly part ways and never see each other again if not needed. Visiting Cale to one of his villa and Cale visiting him in his office even in work hours for cookies and money—it became part of their lives now.

Alberu started to smile genuinely than his usual scammer smile.

"Hmm."

Og!Alberu hummed as he could tell Alberu cares for Cale.

"I learned that he was a good person but is also a real idiot who does not even care about his health. Without any of his friends, he cannot even take care of himself."

Cale has these unbelievable beliefs that he was rather healthy and that it was fine when he can't eat on time. He even scold Alberu at times claiming he was working too hard that he lacks rest when it was the opposite.

"I did notice he was skinnier."

Og!Cale still has his muscles while Cale does not have any.

"I know right? I get lots of headaches because of his idiocy."

Og!Alberu then remembers Cale's stoic face while happily eating cookies. He even finishes all the cookies in the jar that was in his office.

"He looks like a child though."

Cale's age at this time was supposedly 20 and 21 in their said timeline. And 20 and 21 is still a child. How his minds work is not that of a 20-year-old but the way he acts around when not scamming indeed befits a 20-year-old. Or even younger.

He was like a child that easily gets happy and satisfied drinking sweet tea and eating cookies.

"He is an immature child who is only greedy for money. He enjoys everything sweet that I always have to prepare cookies and tea every time he visits my office."

"Oh..."

Does this guy personally prepare cookies and tea for Cale? He, the crown prince himself, prepares Cale's tea and cookies...?

'Ha!'

Very surprising indeed.

"That Cale, is he a magician or a swordmaster?"

He said Cale was always fighting in the front lines while bleeding. If so, that means he was strong. What power does he possess?

"Ancient Powers."

Alberu said without worries. Cale was known for his ancient powers so it was not a secret to keep.

"Ancient Powers?"

It may be power from ancient times and said that only those lucky ones can found and acquire them but it is not particularly strong. It was not very powerful.

He also has an Ancient Power as well and it was given by his mother, which is why he was knowledgeable about Ancient Powers than most people.

"Yes. My little brother possesses a lot of strong ancient powers. I am guessing it is somewhere around 10 because he tends to keep them a secret. No one knows exactly how many."

"That many!"

Og!Alberu gasped in surprise.

How lucky is that bastard to be able to acquire a lot of Ancient Powers?

"His plate does not break?"

Having a lot of Ancient Powers in one plate, og!Alberu was convinced it will burden one's body.

"His plate did broke but it was thankfully fixed by a great and mighty individual. Now it is balanced therefore he was fine. However, if he overuses it, he coughs blood."

"I guess that explains why with such a weak body, he was fighting in the front lines and always bleeds."

Cale, if compared to og!Cale, is pale and thin. He looks very unhealthy.

Something is bothering og!Alberu though after he heard what Cale's power is. Now that he thinks about it...

"You said he was an Ancient Power holder. Then who was using teleportation?"

He saw that Cale teleported away using magic. So then, who was casting it?

Smile.

"Someone great and mighty."

Alberu only smiled and have no intention of revealing Raon's existence even to this og!Alberu unless Cale permits to.

Raon is a Dragon but he was still a child. It is dangerous if his existence is revealed.

They then talked more about Cale. Like how they meet, how they worked together in the war, how they eventually become sworn brothers, to telling each other's secrets. But Cale's secrets were never revealed as Alberu does not want to.

The more og!Alberu listens to Alberu, the more he was liking Cale.

"I even want him to be Prime Minister but he hates working."

Alberu was still thinking of how to convince Cale because he felt like Cale's intelligence is going to be wasted if he only becomes a slacker and a farmer.

'It is such a waste.'

"I don't understand why someone who is a hero and a legendary figure only wanted money and a slacker life."

"I know right?"

Isn't it very strange? More like, isn't Cale very strange?

Everyone in his shoes will probably accept all the rewards of his achievements and hard work. He risked his life, fighting in the front lines after all. He deserves every reward they can give him but Cale never receives one except for golden plaques?

"However, he whined like a child whenever I threatened his slacker life."

Cale's will about his slacker life is very firm and unyielding.

"Haaa... I am not surprised."

In just one day, he learned tons of ridiculous things that he is not surprised anymore if there are more surprising things he will hear from Alberu.

"Anyway, I need to train you."

Og!Alberu raised an eyebrow. Now that was unexpected. It was not something he thought he would hear from Alberu.

"What? Train me? Is that the reason you told me why you wanted to stay here?"

Og!Alberu did suggest that one of them should stay so that he can observe and judge them. However, Alberu said he also has other reasons to stay so he will stay.

Alberu stood up from the couch and face og!Alberu.

"Of course. You are still too weak. You can't even defeat me with full power."

Og!Alberu was astonished and was not able to reply immediately. He admits that he cannot defeat this 'Alberu' and that he is weak.

"In the future, fighting is inevitable. You need to get stronger."

Alberu was really serious in training him and was not bluffing.

"But first, I need you to get a certain weapon in the underground library."

Og!Alberu frowned.

"What are you talking about? What weapon?"

He had been to the underground library after he was chosen as the crown prince. But he had never heard nor found a weapon that Alberu was talking about.

"Specifically, a spear. It was under the boulder where the curse of the Sun God is written."

"... There is something like that?"

Naturally, he has seen the boulder many times in the past.

That same boulder with the curse that was making og!Alberu anxious and scared. He was scared that if becomes King, a being with darkness attribute, the curse will befall the Roan Kingdom.

Alberu then followed.

"I recently just found out. It was a very powerful weapon and is needed in the future."

But a weapon was hidden underneath it? A very powerful one at that?

"You need to cut your palm. With blood dripping, touch the boulder and it will melt. A new testament will appear and you will find a divine item."

"... Huh? A what?"

A new testament? A divine item? He never heard of this before? Not even the former head of the Crossman household has any ideas as they only fear the curse and wanted to avoid it by becoming head.

'Will it work?'

Alberu thought. Because as long as the Sun God has not yet accepted that og!Alberu is not someone like the Ancient White Star, it will probably not work.

'I hope so.'

Alberu can only hope that Angelina, the Sun God, will accept og!Alberu and grant him the divine item.

"A new testament? Then what about the curse?"

If there is a new testament... Is there something written in there that will help him with the Crossman household's curse?

Suddenly, a newfound hope began to rise to og!Alberu.

"Hmm... this is complicated."

Nevertheless, he does not know whether Alberu was lying or not. However, there is also no reason for him to lie, is there? If there is truly a weapon that is a divine item buried within the boulder...

Alberu then said.

"That is why you should witness it with your own eyes."

Og!Alberu did not say anything.

It could be false hope, however.

'However, I still want to go.'

There is no harm in trying. That is why og!Alberu had decided.

"I will go."

Alberu nodded as if he was already expecting og!Alberu will go.

"Good. Only you will go there. I will take care of some of your works so be at ease."

Without asking for og!Alberu's approval, Alberu already sat down on the table after changing his clothes similar to og!Alberu with magic and began to do work.

Og!Alberu was surprised though. Alberu looks so comfortable as if he was using the table and the office for a very long time.

'I guess it is true that we are one.'

He then sighs. However, after what Alberu said, he thought of something.

"... Cale Henituse."

Og!Alberu whispered but enough for og!Alberu to hear.

"What about him?"

Alberu answered without even looking at og!Alberu. He just continued reading and scribbling.

"... Does he know?"

About him being a dark elf and the curse that the Sun God bestowed upon them?

Alberu stops working as he smiled at his question and then asked instead of answering the question.

"Do you know why the best thing I have ever done in life was bringing Cale in the underground library?"

He was asking while looking og!Alberu in the eye.

"... How so?"

It was not the answer to his question.

The best thing he had ever done in life was bringing Cale to the underground library? That is another surprise.

"I was a quarter dark elf that uses darkness attribute. I feared that the curse will fall to the kingdom once I ascend the throne."

Og!Alberu flinches at the mention of the curse but Alberu did not see him.

Even if he had become the crown prince through hard work, he was still anxious because of the curse. He wants the throne but he was worried at the same time.

"That idiot, stupid bastard little brother of mine. He said something that makes me confident of becoming king."

Og!Alberu was not able to reply. He just waited for Alberu to speak.

Something came into Alberu's mind at that moment and it keeps on repeating.

'Alberu Crossman. Your highness, your existence is natural.'

'You are fated to be here.'

'Hyung-nim. Please become king.'

"Fate."

"Hm?"

What about fate? Og!Alberu does not know and has no idea what Alberu was talking about.

"A cute dongsaeng of mine once said that I am a natural existence and that I am fated to be here."

What Alberu just said, og!Alberu felt like his heart was beating faster as he waited for what Alberu would say next.

Alberu pointed to the center of the table with his finger.

"Here in the Roan Kingdom. And be King."

Og!Alberu's clenches both his fists. He keeps quiet while looking at the reflection in Alberu's eyes. It was his reflection.

'Fate. I am fated to be here.'

Alberu also looked him in the eye.

"Alberu Crossman. You must become King."

Then Alberu took his eyes off og!Alberu and resumed working. But he still has something to say.

"Don't worry about the curse. You are not a bad person."

"... Of course, I am not."

He might be a bastard that manipulates other people, it was for the kingdom's greater good and its people. Alberu and og!Alberu had never done something that will endanger their people.

At that moment, og!Alberu turned his back to Alberu and began to walk to the door. However, before opening it.

"Alberu Crossman."

Calling Alberu, 'Alberu'—means acknowledging that he was Alberu Crossman and that they are the same person.

"I will be King."

Then he left the office and Alberu was now alone.

Alberu then whispered his response to og!Alberu's declaration.

"Naturally."

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