Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Making Plans and Meeting Their Counterparts, Cale in Cookie Heaven
A moderately big room with giant glass windows was bathed in sparkling moonlight while some unique figures sat in the middle of the room, debating loudly and equally chaotically.
Their voices carried through the spacious room, interrupting the otherwise idyllic atmosphere.
“Now, it’s quite obvious that- “
“No!”
“Yes! Everything points toward them.”
“Why is my champion not an option?”
“My chosen one will win!”
“Chosen one? What’s next? Will you tell them they’re a wizard?”
“Mine can at least count without losing precious brain cells.”
“You little-”
Now, while this may sound like a relatively sane and reasonable discussion, the participants of this argument were everything but average. Beings of a higher order that carry out their duties and control whole domains; in short, they were gods.
The God of Death, the Sun God, the God of War, and etc.
This kind of ensemble only happened every blue moon- and, they didn’t even have the occurrence of a blue moon as the Sun God disliked the color blue- but thankfully the point of all this was not as serious as some may think.
Naturally, if the arguments escalated any further war may be a valid option.
The whole point of this?
The God of Death crossed his arms, making his stance clear to anyone watching. “My Cale is far too beautiful and intelligent for someone like your lunatic, that Clopeh Sekka!”
Instead of being angered and disagreeing, the God of Winter slapped his hands on the table and exclaimed energetically, “But that’s the whole point of why Clopeh is better than anyone else! He sees Cale as his god and worships the ground he walks on. Who is better than him?”
Several protests rose but were skillfully ignored by the God of Death.
A beautiful woman with golden hair snorted unladylike and threw her hair over her shoulder.
“ Excuse you ? He needs someone with power and the ability to protect him. Someone who knows his secrets and accepts him the way he is, which is why my chosen one, Alberu Crossman, is perfect.” Her haughtiness was accented by her lustrous, golden hair and sharp eyes.
The woman in question was the Sun God, Angelina.
Most of the time, people misgendered her, yet the powerful goddess turned a blind eye to those actions since it did not matter to her and the thought of getting the truth into the stubborn, old men of her church just seemed like an annoying and pointless chore.
Convincing a wall to follow her creed seemed more possible than to talk some sense into those old raisins.
“Hah, you are all fools.” A man with a tall frame and scars leaned back in his chair, arms crossed and an amused smirk on his face. He was made out of pure muscles to a point that the golden goddess next to him looked like a child compared to his beefy self.
“The Crown Prince is not weak, I agree, but he’s also not the strongest, which is why my chosen one, Choi Han, is obviously the better choice. He already gave Cale everything and follows him everywhere like the loyal puppy that he is. What is one more step in their relationship?”
The God of War saw his actions as justified and contrary to his title, sat down peacefully with a satisfied grin on his face.
There were even more gods present, and each and everyone wanted their champion to end up with the hero, Cale Henituse.
Yes , this whole meeting of divine entities was based on the fact that they all wanted their chosen one to end up with the transmigrator. Talk about being busy and having to do important things, sure.
Cale Henituse, or Kim Rok Soo as he was once known, represented them all in a way. His heroic and selfless actions touched their otherwise indifferent hearts.
(Or at least his vast looting adventures scared them enough to pay attention to him before they noticed other qualities as well.
Be it love and care that touched their hearts or an incoming heart attack, it didn’t matter.)
They are gods, timeless entities that govern over worlds and their domains. Countless humans come and go, so it’s exceedingly rare that a god took notice of one of them, but almost all of them take interest in a single human? Unheard of.
They watched as he lived, bled, and sacrificed so much for his people. No matter the race, gender, or previous history. Cale gave his all and the people surrounding him repaid him with equal enthusiasm. The gods were the same. He saved the world, foiled the plan of a wannabe god and found out about Hunters, vowing to make them his next victims.
Even now, Cale wasn’t resting. The war with the Hunters was on the horizon.
This brought them to this point as they all wanted to do something for Cale. They knew - thanks to the God of Beauty and Lust - that many individuals were more than interested in Cale, therefore they wanted their champions to end up with him.
Cale was as handsome as he was beautiful. Naturally, there were many single ladies and lone men who would love a piece of the dense commander.
The original Cale Henituse, now Kim Rok Soo, was a handsome man with a strong but not bulky build and his signature short, flaming hair. But thanks to another soul taking over the body, some slight changes overturned his aura.
His unhealthy lifestyle and chaotic missions removed all meat from his bones to a concerning degree. Cale’s aversion to anything that involved working out deteriorated his muscles. Even so, his body may have started to look more frail, his manners and sharp eyes made his frame impossibly larger.
Authority was at his fingertips. People listened to him talking - with or without the use of his ancient power.
Combine this with his indifferent but secretly caring personality and nobody was surprised that entire nations fell in love with him.
The situational stupid commander was incredibly pretty- as well as petty, but that was another story -, although, some brave souls also called him handsome to his face.
The adjectives that were used to describe the illusive - during peaceful times - man vary, yet everyone agreed that Cale Henituse had not only a striking appearance but also an even more beautiful heart.
Not that Cale was aware of that fact. As terrifyingly intelligent he was in many areas as dense he was in others.
It has been six months since the war with the White Star. Six months since they sealed the God of Despair. Peace reigned and the possible suitors did everything they could for Cale to take notice of them but to no avail.
The impending multiple world-scale war also chipped away some of the enthusiasm they may have felt. Alberu and the others knew what was at stake. Their enemies existed for decades, even centuries, and his father, who may have had some information, played deaf. It was as infuriating as it was exhausting.
Their careful advances, slow and gentle since Cale deserved all the care they could give him, failed.
The dense bastard just didn’t get it and simply thought they were acting odd or were sick.
He once directly asked Choi Han if his stomach was alright after the shy swordmaster stuttered around a confession and leaned over to hide his flaming face after the embarrassment set in.
Another situation involved Paseton, who brought Cale an exotic bouquet made out of rare corals. Their iridescent colors reflected the setting sun, illuminating Cale in an enchanting light that stole Paseton’s breath away.
The time he needed to recover was used by Cale to deliver the corals to Pendrick. Cale thought Paseton brought him some unidentified fauna to develop new medicine, which was Pendrick’s day job.
A different scenario happened just a day before the gods met. Clopeh crashed Cale’s garden party with enthusiasm that couldn’t be rivaled.
He proclaimed Cale as his god, showering him in praises that sounded false but were actually voiced from the depths of Clopeh’s heart. The delivery of the compliments was questionable at best and the poor man ended up being kicked out for disrupting Cale’s nap.
Hence this meeting between the gods is taking place. Both humans and gods were at their wit's end with Cale.
Six months of watching the train wreck of failed attempts, they decided that divine interference was needed.
But how is the question?
The argument was still taking place in the background but the God of Death was sparingly listening. Rather, he was contemplating how to help that unlucky bastard as it was obvious that Cale couldn’t do it on his own.
(He was ignoring the fact that Cale wasn't even aware of any of it. The god is sure that Cale will thank him afterwards.)
An idea struck him.
“Silence.” The noises around him immediately ceased to exist and he shared his glorious plan, “ I have an idea.”
He took a deep breath before elaborating.
“Our biggest problem is that Cale just doesn’t realize their attempts, right? Why not show him how they feel about him? We could teleport them into a secluded area and show their story. Furthermore, Cale could finally share his remaining secrets with the rest of them as he has been thinking of doing for a while now. Two birds with one stone.”
The other gods thought about his plan and were impressed; a rare occurrence that would normally raise red flags faster than Cale scamming money from Alberu.
The Sun God chimed in, “Yes, and why just them? There should be more people to know about his deeds. Let’s include his allies and friends as well. This way, Cale can finally be free.”
(Let it be said that many gods are present but neither a God of Knowledge nor Intelligence, sadly, entered this round of stupidity. Calamities can't be avoided when the participants don't have enough brain cells to rub together and use them like they are intended to be.
The future knew this monumental moment as the 'Fall of Gods'.)
They didn’t even think about the possible rejection Cale could suffer. His people love him far too much and most of them only know the exchanged Cale Henituse, the original Cale was just a story that was proven wrong to them.
And for those who knew Original Cale, it has been almost three years now, some thought it was weird and asked Cale why he changed. He answered truthfully, sharing his experience.
Ron and Beacrox asked him that particular question and while it may sound cold, they both were glad that their Cale, the one they have now, came.
Ron was never close with Original Cale, even annoyed at him for acting the way he did but the Cale they have now is their family. The original one challenged his masterful patience almost daily.
It was true that Ron wasn't able to see through his attempts at helping Basen, an oversight on his part, yet the scathing words Cale threw at him and the insults to Beacrox were not something he remembered fondly.
Cale had the chance to trust Ron, since the butler never did anything that was against Cale’s interest, however, Cale never came to him. They didn’t trust each other during all the years and looking back, Ron agreed that he was at fault as well, but he didn’t carry the whole guilt.
Their Cale, the one they had now, was the one to reach out. He was the one who saved them and opened a path that didn’t involve mindlessly risking their safety.
He is the one who gave them hope, a home, and their revenge .
Beacrox did not remember the original Cale fondly. There were few things he took pride in, his food and combat skills sitting proudly at the top.
The way their Cale praised his food, the sparkle in his eyes at the prospect of getting more, was enough for the chef to know that Cale was telling the truth. This was when his interest arose. His heart and mind were completely conquered when the young master saved his father, destroying their enemies and risking his life while sharing precious knowledge about the mermaid poison like it was nothing.
Cale valued his father so much that he played many hidden cards without regrets.
The original Cale may have been misunderstood, but the idea of not having his Cale makes him homicidal.
The members of the Henituse Duchy reacted a bit differently after Cale shared his story with them.
They weren't angry or horrified at Cale.
Instead, they were simply disappointed in themselves for not noticing that Original Cale was suffering. Deruth knows he wasn’t a good father to Original Cale. He knows and will ask for forgiveness till his days end, but when Cale came and showed him how a family should behave, he made a promise to himself.
To cherish and love his family. Like he should have done from the beginning.
Looking at Cale as he was showering his siblings with gifts and all those small actions like smiling at them or patting their heads, made his heart flutter.
He wasn’t the smartest and knew that his original first son also at least partially loved Lily and Basen, he just didn't show it conventionally. The siblings told him about Cale giving them small flowers or leaving unsigned letters addressed to them when they were feeling down. Cale did so much for them, even when he was young and Deruth was too much of a coward to care for his hurting son.
It wasn't Cale who failed his family, but Deruth.
So, when their Present Cale shared his secret with them, it was disheartening to see the otherwise strong Cale looking lost as if he expected them to chase him out immediately.
Deruth loved Cale even when the soul was not his original son, for him, this just meant he now had one more child while the other was out of reach.
His heavy heart was soothed when Cale shared that his original son, now known as Kim Rok Soo, was happy. That he found his mother and they were a happy family in the other world. It gave him the strength to not move on- never move on as he still owed his son so much- but welcome a future where he didn’t have to be burdened.
Violan was sad that she couldn’t show Original Cale that she did care and apologize for her failure in providing him with warmth. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was that she wasn’t strong enough to support her children and Cale had to feel the need to act like trash so that Basen would be accepted in their society, destroying his own reputation in the process.
But the Cale she now has is also her son. Her intelligent, beautiful, and caring son. She failed the previous one but will not make the same mistake twice.
For Basen, at first, it was like his heart stopped beating. He thought that Cale was showing him love and care because he was finally useful, and being accepted by his brother as a part of the family but in the end, a new brother came.
A brother who accepted him the way he was, who loved him simply because he was Basen and wanted him to be the territory lord because Cale felt that Basen was more than capable enough to care for their people.
Basen couldn’t decide what to feel but when Cale shared Original Cale’s thoughts and actions, instead he broke down crying.
His original big brother cared for him .
He wasn’t disgusted, no, Original Cale sacrificed his future for Basen. Crying in his mother’s arms, the 17-year-old Basen felt like a child again, only after Cale comforted him by telling them about how happy Original Cale was, did he accept what happened.
In the end, the brother who bled for their land, the one who brought them presents and asked about their well-being was the one in front of him and Basen loved him as his older brother.
He will never forget Cale, who became Kim Rok Soo, silently praying to the gods’ for a beautiful life for his brother, yet Kim Rok Soo, who became Cale, was his rock that gave him the confidence to walk around proudly as a Henituse.
Lily, the youngest with just 9 years, doesn’t completely understand the situation but for her, it just means that she now had three older brothers. One that was always by her side, one that loved her but couldn’t be reached, and one that stood before her, protecting her and always reachable.
Maybe she was a cold person but Lily doesn’t want to think about a future where her orabeoni is not there, even if it means not having Original Cale with her. He loved her, yes, she knew this but it feels like a distant love.
Meanwhile, her Cale was like the sun.
For her and all their friends and family, he was warm, healing, and caring but for those who were threatening his people, he was merciless, ready to shine upon them with fire, heat, and destruction.
After the revelation, the people who found out had to accept that Cale was still their family, just a different Cale. Nothing more, nothing less.
This was a few months ago and the gods wanted Cale to be completely at ease.
Which was why his allies had to know the truth as well.
The gods continued thinking about the God of Death’s proposal when the previously silent God of Summer voiced his opinion.
“Wouldn’t it be even better to show them how the world would have looked like without Cale? The world or parallel version where the Original Cale stayed and was destroyed after the 20-year war? That way, the other world could also learn about his deeds and maybe even change their fate?”
Both words were once connected with a similar fate, it changed when Cale was transmigrated and went on his merry way to make mincemeat out of the original plot. They were now separated worlds, operating on their own plane.
This naturally would be done not as a grand plan to bring hope to the other world. If they learned enough and changed their fate? Great for them.
As gods, they see millions of worlds, worlds that die and worlds that emerge from nothing, only to tell their own stories before falling into the void once again. They had long ago turned numb and indifferent about things like this.
What counted for them were a selected few individuals and entertainment which is combined in their reasoning.
“Ohhh, I like that idea.”
“Yes, let’s do this.”
“Sounds good.”
“Count me in.”
Amid their agreement, a question was voiced.
“So, who will tell Cale about this and organize the happenings?” The gods instantly went silent. After all, every single one of them knows how Cale would react and they really didn’t want their temples to be burned down. Again .
The God of Death still has flashbacks when the word Saint is mentioned as his attempts at getting Cale to become his Saint backfired spectacularly with two temples and one holy land ending as casualties. And no new Saint.
(Yet.)
No mighty being felt brave enough, even the God of War was suspiciously silent, counting the cracks on the table. Some stared at him contemplating whether the God of War even knew how to count past ten or not.
“How about we just throw them together in a room?”
“Do you have a death wish? If you do, there are far easier ways to commit suicide that don’t require further victims.”
“Can we just talk to him? Explain our thoughts and get his cooperation?”
“Your temple will end up in debt if you try to get him to work for you. Didn’t you see what Cale did to almost everyone? … Mind you, now they throw their money at him simply because it’s Cale, but looting and Cale are synonyms.”
The conversations were getting out of hand as everyone tried to shove the responsibility onto someone else until the God of Mischief chimed in with a sly grin on his face.
“Why don’t we just summon him here and explain the situation of the other world? Cale acts like he doesn’t care but will at least try to help them, even if he calls this necessary for his slacker life instead of simply being truthful and admitting to wanting to help.” The gods quickly agreed and started preparing for the visitors.
Furthermore, as no one volunteered, five gods would welcome Cale and explain the situation. Naturally, they’d leave out the part where the main point of this scheme is to get him hooked up with one of their choosing.
The five gods in question are the God of Death, the Winter God, the God of Mischief, The Sun God, and the God of War.
Now, hopefully, at the end of this, their temples would still be intact.
XXX
Cale Henituse, the hero of both continents, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies, and the beloved of the gods, although the last one was unknown to him, was spending his days leisurely with his friends, family, and children.
While almost daily random people would show up on his doorstep and cause some kind of chaos, most of his day was spent sleeping and eating delicious food. Some time is spent with his children, playing and watching the residents of Harris Village wreak havoc at the training area but for some reason, Cale has been feeling weird lately.
A few weeks ago, while visiting his family in the duchy, Cale walked past an old portrait of Cale Henituse, the Original Cale who should have been around 17. It must have been shortly before they switched bodies, but what shocked him was how different he looked now compared to the original.
As the changes must have happened over time, Cale didn’t really notice but looking at the portrait, it seemed like he became a whole new person.
Sure, the long red hair was his own choice but from the face to the body everything was different.
His silky red hair frames an aristocratic face and while the original Cale had sharp, handsome features, Cale’s face was softer with pink lips, seductive eyes, and a pale, flawless complexion.
But the changes didn’t end there, no, while the Original Cale had a muscular build with strong shoulders and a detailed abdomen, Cale was soft without defined muscles and had a somewhat frail build. He looked androgynous, like a glass doll.
Most of his changes were thanks to his poor eating habits during the war as well as the ancient powers in his body demanding more nutrients than he could consume. His leisure lifestyle after the war, soothed out the remaining muscle definition since the only exercise in Cale’s arsenal was breathing.
Small changes, yet he looked completely different.
Even their eyes changed. The Original Cale had the look of a well-bred aristocrat, elegant and noble with just enough arrogance to never mistake him as anything but someone of a notable lineage.
Meanwhile, Cale’s eyes were indifferent. He looked more tired than arrogant, and while he oozed power, it wasn’t the type to force people to do his bidding in fear of getting beheaded for offending a noble. If some civilian stared at him fearfully, cale would just roll his calm eyes.
All those small changes created a new person.
However, in true Cale-Fashion, he simply ignored it.
It was not like it would harm him and he wasn’t dissatisfied with his current appearance either. More reason to slack off.
On a sunny day, Cale spent his afternoon lounging outside with a variety of fruits as snacks when his surroundings suddenly changed.
He found himself in a wide area with five individuals before him. Some he recognized immediately while others were of unknown origin. A default expression of pure annoyance immediately formed on his face while the word ‘no’ was already on the tip of his tongue.
“Cale Henituse, we brought you here with the hope that you may aid us in an important mission to save another dimension. The world I’m referring to is the world of the Birth of a Hero. Over there, you were not exchanged and the world faced ruin after a 20-years-long war with millions of casualties.”
The other gods worked hard at refraining from showing impressed expressions at the bullshit the God of Death was uttering. The god even kept a straight face and looked solemnly at Cale.
Cale looked mightily unimpressed while inwardly cursing the gods for interrupting his peaceful day. His objection was halted as he remembered the pained look in Kim Rok Soo’s eyes when he talked about the fate of their world before Cale arrived.
He knew that the world with Original Cale was destroyed as Kim Rok Soo told him during their meeting before the battle at Puzzle City. Cale knew that, and no matter how much he tried avoiding thinking about it, the knowledge that the people he now saw as family and friends found their painful end in another time made his entrails hurt.
However, the world Kim Rok Soo was describing should have been the one he is residing in now since Kim Rok Soo, or the previous Cale, regressed and then transmigrated, but it seems there are worlds out there where the exchange never happened.
The whole multiple worlds topic left a sour taste in his mouth.
Another, more happy, thought struck him.
Maybe there were worlds where he achieved a true slacker life?
Hmmm. Well, he is fine in his world, at present he can somewhat live his dream. Minor annoyances were ignored or removed, of course.
Cale was thinking about how exactly he would be able to help them as he is just a weak human and a refusal was once again on the tip of his tongue when the God of Death continued his explanation.
“Naturally, you don’t have to do anything. It’s more about getting your permission to share information that you and your group collected. Furthermore, your secret about being a transmigrator will be disclosed.” At Cale’s questioning expression, he clarified what the gods were planning.
Seeing as Cale didn’t actually have to do anything but watch his own life with his friends, allies, and copies of them- he can’t deny that meeting the originals sounds fascinating-, Cale decided to haggle with the gods.
They honestly didn’t expect him to work without gain, right?
After a few discussions and the gods almost quitting, Cale agreed to the event.
“When will we be transported?”
Cale was planning on sharing the information with his people so they could prepare but the hastily spoken, “No,” caused him to almost stumble on his way out.
The gods only smiled at him and Cale, before he could react, was transported somewhere else.
A frown was on the redhead's face as the smug mug of the God of Death disappeared from his vision
Opening his eyes, Cale found himself in a cinema-like room. High walls with no windows and many comfortable couches with small snack tables were facing a giant screen. It seemed he was the first to arrive as no one else was present.
The couches were grouped in different sizes, from four or five seats to more than ten.
Feeling hungry, Cale made his way toward one of the snack tables, completely missing the arrival of another individual while browsing the available treats. The cake and cookies looked especially appealing.
Contrary to the calm redhead , Alberu Crossman felt fear but masked it with a kind smile. A few seconds ago, he was in his office, contemplating how to keep the Second Prince and Third Prince in check and win back the favor of his father, when he was surrounded by a white light. After opening his eyes- which he closed due to the light-, he saw a big room with unknown furniture and an extremely gorgeous man.
Or was it a man?
Alberu didn’t have the time to think about something like this as the case of why he was transported here was still open.
Another white light announced the arrival of Choi Han , who was in a battle-ready position but relaxed slightly upon seeing the crown prince. His eyes, filled with despair and some madness, scanned the room and rested upon the humming redhead.
The noise they made notified Cale. He turned around with his hands full of cake and cookies while a deadpan expression decorated his face.
A staredown began.
Cale realized after a few seconds that the arrived individuals were not his Alberu or Choi Han, while the other two were surprised by the noble-looking man, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar.
“Who are you? And why are we here?”, Choi Han tried to take out his sword but an invisible power stopped him and he had to watch as his sword de-materialized in front of his eyes. His now empty hands were clenched into fists and both he and Alberu were getting agitated.
Cale swallowed his piece of cake and answered in his usual lazy tone.
“I think we should wait a bit more. We are probably not the only individuals arriving here. As for why? Maybe that will be explained later on?” There is no way in hell that Cale will do all the hard work while facing some strangers wearing the faces of his precious people.
And what is the best way? Acting like he has no idea as well.
Alberu and Choi Han exchanged glances but ultimately decided that the sickly-looking man didn’t appear to be a threat and started introducing themselves, although Alberu noted that the mysterious man ignored some of their questions.
“I see. My name is Alberu Crossman and I’m the crown prince of the Roan Kingdom. With me is my dear acquaintance, Choi Han. Would you give us the honor of knowing your name and from which kingdom you come from? Someone as beautiful as you should have been noticed, so I’m guessing that you originate from one of our glorious neighboring kingdoms.”
Alberu knew that he was laying it on thick but the unknown individual may have some answers and it’s not like he was lying.
Cale blankly stared at him, completely not up for dealing with the Crown Prince’s glib tongue and just nodded at him.
Multiple white lights interrupted their conversation.
Tower Master Rosalyn, Wolf King Lock, the assassin-duo Ron and Beacrox and many more. Be it regional nobles or foreign nobility, Alberu recognized most of them, although some unknown individuals were also present.
Cale was just annoyed that everyone present was not from his world. At the same time, he was also surprised by how different they appeared, compared to his idiots at least.
People started conversing with each other, throwing contemplative glances at the unknown or adverse individuals in the room. An aura of fear and hesitance cloaked them, forcing many to put on a brave front.
“Where are we?”
“What is this?”
Cale just stood there watching the chaos unfold and decided that eating cookies was the best course of action. Oh, the chocolate ones were really good, Cale mentally complimented. He took another bite while eyeing some cookies near him that were filled with marmalade and decorated with dried fruits.
Not all reactions were peaceful as some opposing forces started challenging each other.
Toonka and Queen Litana were in a fierce staredown with Toonka gnashing his teeth and Litana grabbing her spear. Their aides stood nearby, unsure if a fight was what they needed, however, just seeing the others made them angry enough to follow their emotional leaders’ actions.
Some nobles started throwing jabs at each other and the higher-ups bossed around those of lower standing.
If he wasn’t in striking distance, Cale would probably have sat back and enjoyed the show. It’s been a while since he felt so alone as no one on his side was present, even his children were missing.
The gods should hurry up with summoning them or they will face Cale’s wrath soon.
Alberu abandoned the unusual man near him and collected the nobles of his faction while greeting his father who arrived a few seconds ago. The Second and Third Prince were present as well.
Choi Han regrouped with Rosalyn, Lock, Ron, and Beacrox .
After a while, people became interested in Cale as nobody was able to identify him and no new people sought the red-head out, leaving him alone near a snack table. He didn’t care much for their curious glances, instead taking another well-made snack.
Cale’s focus shifted somewhere else as the white light stopped throwing new people into the room and the Henituse family was looking around in confusion. They looked scared with Lily clutching Violan’s skirt and Basen standing closer to an agitated Deruth . Meanwhile, Cale’s reaction got his attention.
He didn’t look lost, drunk or afraid. Just annoyed. When their eyes connected, he knew why. This was not the Cale of the Birth of the Hero dimension but the one who exchanged bodies with him. Cale , after recognizing him, started walking towards the snack table.
While grabbing a plate and adding sweets, the other interdimensional traveler casually greeted him like an old friend.
“Hi Cale, why do I have the feeling that everything is your fault? The last time we saw each other, you were cracking and bleeding, probably thanks to using Instant , right?” Cale - no, Kim Rok Soo smiled at him mischievously, a smile he would normally never produce.
There was some level of ‘the fuck are you doing? I am so done with everything and the event didn’t even start yet,’ on his face. Cale ignored it with expertise.
Hejust sighed, took a bite out of a cookie - cookies make everything better - and answered truthfully.
“Kim Rok Soo, you are…haaaa… Yes, it is somewhat my fault, although I just had to agree and the gods did the rest. It seems that the people here are a version of the Birth of the Hero where our exchange never happened and judging by the words of the gods, will not happen either. Why and how, I don’t know. They just told me that they wanted to help the other dimension, but I call bullshit.”
Cale took a bite of his cookie and continued with a grimace, “The gods are probably, no, certainly doing this for their own fun.” Nodding along, Cale took another bite of the cookie. Alberu’s were good and the White Star’s were just slightly better, mentally he made a tier list of all the cookies he ate so far..
Kim Rok Soo smiled, ignoring the various discussions around them.
“You are always up to something. How is the slacker life treating you? Did you even achieve it? I don’t get why I am here, well with you this calm and still in one piece, the crisis in our world should be over or at least controlled enough.”
Looking at Cale for confirmation, he then continued. “But what purpose does my appearance have? And as Cale? I gave that name up. I like - even thrive as Kim Rok Soo and my niece is waiting for me.”
“When in doubt, blame the Gods,” Cale shared his wisdom, getting a deadpan stare as a result.
Kim Rok Soo stared at Cale, making him uncomfortable and twitchy, before voicing another point that had been bothering him for a while.
“By the way, what have you done with your body? I know how I looked at that age and well, I was certainly handsome but you can’t be called handsome. You are far too frail, like what? Did you get cursed? And you look even weaker than before. With the state of meat on your bones, you could wear a dress and not need a corset.”
Cale continued ignoring the rambling Kim Rok Soo.
It’s not his fault he looked that way, working out is just too exhausting and this way nobody ever asked him to do manual labor. He even had to fight to be able to farm in a little spot.
Life is great that way and curse anyone who planned on him to do actual work.
During the conversation the Henituse family finally realized that one escaped and located him near the snack table, conversing with an ethereal-looking man.
Deruth felt uncomfortable looking at this exotic man, hoping that he was just someone his son knew and not a future spouse. Maybe a relative of Jour’s side as they do look similar.
…a bit too similar for his taste, now that he got a closer look.
Again, the white light made its appearance, stopping any and all activities. The people present watched as various copies of themselves were teleported into the room in different states of alert.
Kim Rok Soo watched with interest. The deal he made with God of Death was something he’d never regret. He was happy with his little niece, and his job where he’d soon be taking over the CEO position. ‘No more nightshift!’ he shouted gleefully from the top of his apartment when the news reached him. There were also people he saw as friends and his adorable little niece as well.
He had a home to return to and it wasn’t in the Roan Kingdom.
Yet, even so, there was always a part of him that wanted to know what one single soul could do to stop the destruction. What did Cale do to achieve peace? How did he save them?
Alberu Crossman was also watching but not with happy anticipation. He didn’t know what to feel when a copy of himself appeared. They appeared to be somewhere around the same age - give or take two or three years - and the other one apparently used the same disguising device, yet this is where the similarities ended.
Strong, like no burden laid upon his shoulders and with a more muscular physique, he stood there like everything had already fallen in place.
Alberu was annoyed.
The others were confused as well, trying to find their counterparts but most of them failed as there were only a few people, not even half of them, appearing.
Cale just continued decimating his cookie stack while Kim Rok Soo watched with anticipation, sensing chaos in the making.
The confusion on the other side only lasted for a few seconds before they organized themselves. Alberu took command, noticing that all of their allies - from Toonka over Duke Fredo to even the Dragon Half-Blood - were present. The only one missing was their dear commander but luckily someone like Cale, with a striking appearance and no self-preservation skills, was hard to miss.
Spotting him - of course near the snack table, where else would he be? - Alberu signed to Choi Han, and both of them made their way to Cale. Upon further inspection, they recognized Cale’s companion and Alberu, after seeing Cale’s apparent ease with him, deduced that the individual should be the previous Cale Henituse from their world.
“Cale-nim,” Choi Han called out when they were within speaking distance.
Cale, Kim Rok Soo, and the forgotten Deruth , who arrived a few seconds ago but wasn’t yet able to converse with the snacking duo, turned around.
Deruth put on a weird expression as he realized that the black-haired man is the Swordmaster who decreased the casualties during the Plaza Terror Incident a year ago. While admirable, he was also the one who beat up his son and took Ron and Beacrox with him.
After the incident, Deruth was busy with consoling Basen who witnessed the slaughter at the Plaza, taking note of Cale’s recovery only through a letter thanks to Hans .
However, at the same time, he’s not that person? Deruth wouldn’t have doubted the authenticity of the man if the other Choi Han wasn’t in his field of vision. Did they know each other? Taking in the familiar way Choi Han seems to be calling Cale, Deruth got ready to say something but was once again foiled his plans.
An authoritarian voice, seemingly out of nowhere, started speaking, successfully silencing the room.
Welcome to this room.
There are 2 simple rules that even fools are able to understand and disregarding them will lead to unpleasant consequences.
The word “unpleasant” was purred like the voice was actually begging them to disobey. Many felt shivers down their spine.
Rule number 1: No physical violence. If you feel compelled to verbally humiliate each other, be my guest but do not disturb the happenings. If you do, punishment will be handed out.
Rule number 2: Don’t try to leave this room. Sit patiently in your seat and go along with future instructions. Those who obey will get valuable information while those who see the need to interfere with divine authorities will have their memories erased.
You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. In every corner, the participants were processing the information they got.
Divine authorities? Did the gods arrange this? Why?
Those and many more questions were on their minds.
Suddenly, the silence was broken.
Crunch. Crunch.
The culprit behind this continued unbothered eating his cookies not sparing them a single glance.
You have been summoned here for one of two reasons. Number one, half of the people present will face a devastating war that will last up to 20 years, resulting in ruin. Your chance at victory is close to nil, the only way to survive the massacre is by listening, learning, and working together.
For easier communication this world will be given the title of Side A, while the other world will be called Side B.
Side A, you will watch the adventures of Side B that overcame the disaster in just 2 years, now living peacefully and restoring the minimal damages it cost.
Side B felt a bit - a lot actually - offended.
The war with the White Star destroyed a few locations. Sure, the souls lost in those encounters were low in numbers yet calling the damages ‘minimal’ was an insult to all the lost souls. Property damage could be repaired while every death was permanent and a loss for their world.
Puzzle City suffered the most in the Roan territory. The help of many tribes and countries working together made the reparations easier and quicker.
“…”
Thinking about it carefully, wasn’t the one who caused the most damage Cale? From blowing up islands over setting lakes on fire to collapsing the fake underground city…
Queen Litana, lovingly called Lina by close associates, realized that Cale was a new kind of amazing. Many other rulers felt headaches but ignored them because the person who caused them with all of his shenanigans was Cale, after all.
The atmosphere of Side A was almost the exact opposite. Fear creeped up their necks. Most have realized that the destroyed world is theirs as the other side was far too cheerful.
Reason number two, Side B, you are here to watch the happening from the view of your commander. You will see most of his thoughts and actions, hopefully getting to know him better and increasing your understanding of him. Some secrets will be revealed and before you begin to protest, he gave his approval to us disclosing them.
The voice sounded rushed like they were desperate to get out the last part before consequences hit them. What could a mortal do to a divine entity? Side A was confused but listened patiently.
Must be their imagination.
Commander? Appointing a military commander only happens when international threats jeopardize the peace of a nation, and even more confusing was the ‘your’ part. There were many representatives of different nations present but the possessive determiner ‘your’ signified that at least some of the nations followed the command of a single person.
Ludicrous, right?
It was simply unimaginable for those of Side A. Giving another nation the ability to command over their military?
Alberu listened and started taking notes about this ‘commander’. As soon as he was revealed, Alberu had to make connections with him.
The possibility that this person is of the Roan Kingdom is, at most, minimal.
Alberu knew that compared to other kingdoms, or especially the Empire, that they were lacking. No specialties, be it mages, knights, or technology. The kingdom wasn’t unified either as the future king hasn’t been determined yet. The title of Crown Prince was just that, an empty title.
Thanks to getting the hero of the Plaza Incident on his side, Alberu gained back some standing in the royal house, but the Third Prince was still favored.
Making eye contact with Choi Han , Alberu prepared himself for some gruesome hours of political play as soon as the first information was revealed.
Maybe not everything was hopeless, Alberu thought as he glanced at his counterpart. While his clothes were of high quality, they were of the simple kind. No embroidery, no frills, or medals. However, the way Alberu held himself spoke of confidence.
Of ease. Of trust. Of freedom.
Of power.
Maybe, he was just interpreting too much into it, yet Alberu couldn’t help but hope.
Now then, seat yourself.
There are no fixed places or orders in which you have to sit, switching is also allowed as long as you do it quietly during the following events.
After most of the people started obeying the instruction, silently swarming the couches while drawing a clear line between the sides as well as the respective countries, did the pandemonium begin.
Side B moved first.
The dragons took a table - a panicked and overwhelmed-looking Dragon Half-Blood included -, while Ron and Beacrox collected Bud and Glenn with Pendrick in tow. The poor elf didn’t know which god he angered as he was sandwiched between the resident alcoholic and the assassin-duo with Glenn silently suffering as well.
At another table, Toonka and Litana in the company of their aides were conversing in hushed whispers. Except that Toonka’s understanding of silence didn’t align with the concept of subtlety and he was his usual loud, boisterous self.
The representatives of the Breck Kingdom, Crown Prince John and Prince Pen, met up with Crown Prince Valentino on the way, spontaneously deciding to take a table nearby with their aides as well.
The residents of Harris Village split up peacefully, doing their best to ignore the neighboring table, where Cale’s cheering squad launched a last-minute meeting. Present were the leader, the one and only Clopeh Sekka with Vice-Captain Hilsman contributing his part.
Rock Sekka, who went completely ignored by his delusional son just sighed, questioning any and all life choices he made, meanwhile Queen Jopis joined them, elegantly sipping her tea.
A different table was cloaked in a comfortable silence.
Taylor and Cage looked like the epitome of comfortable, snacking and minding their own business.
Antonio Gyerre couldn’t say the same, his grandmother was eyeing the alcohol bottles that Cage produced seemingly out of nowhere as Sonata knew that they didn’t come near a snack table yet and mentally complimented Cage on that useful skill.
Antonio, on the other hand, was nervous. Everyone was acting like it was no big deal that they got kidnapped by some gods, some even laughed while putting the blame on Young Master Cale.
Maybe, if you follow Cale long enough all crazy occurrences will be seen as normal? Antonio didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing.
Gashan, having separated from his tribe, nodded to the neighboring whale table, being quite happy with his seating companions. Freesia smiled, Billos looked somewhat lost and Odeus felt both anticipation and fear.
Anticipation because he finally gets to know what the young master was up to. Fear because he knew that Cale, while friendly and caring toward his allies and friends, was worse than the opposite if you managed to make him your enemy.
At another table, Hannah was eying the many strong-looking individuals on the other side, somehow finding them lacking compared to their own. Many useless nobles and their weak counterparts. How boring. Jack was quietly talking with Rei and Rex.
Right at the front, two tables were taken as well. One was filled with the Henituse Family who only lacked one member, while at the other table many colorful personalities found their place.
Rosalyn, Lock, Tasha, and Mary alongside Cale’s children already seated themselves, awaiting their friends and family members.
And this is where the chaos started.
Side A was split up in their various factions, sometimes only one or two people filled a seating area. Cage being a good example of solitariness.
Duke Orsena, Marquis Ailan and Marquis Stan , the father of Taylor alongside his rotten son Venion , took up tables and observed the other participants.
The Second and Third Prince sat nearby their father while Alberu joined Choi Han , Rosalyn, and Lock , taking along his incognito aunt, Tasha , and Mary . If someone asked, they looked lost and lonely, and he as the crown prince should take care of people.
Obviously. Good impressions matter, after all.
Alberu and Choi Han were standing nearby Cale and Kim Rok Soo, awaiting their commander to make a move. Before Kim Rok Soo, masquerading as Cale, could decide whether he wanted to join Side A or B, he was gently pulled by Cale toward their side.
Deruth , still forgotten, wanted his son to join them at their table, yet he was once more getting professionally blocked by Cale in the process. His confusion only grew when they walked purposefully to Side B, instead of their Side A.
Many realized that the unknown re-haired man was not, as previously thought, from their world but rather from the other side. What confused them even more was the ease Cale Henituse had while talking with the man from the other side.
Some people blinked when they got the bigger picture, seeing the resemblance between the two men as more than just similar features. So far, most copies looked exactly the same, which was why it took a bit for them to get the connection.
Naturally, only a few got it. The rest just shuddered in disgust, seeing it as Cale abandoning them or something equally ridiculous.
Kim Rok Soo futilely tried removing his hand from Cale’s grip. Panic swallowed him as he wasn’t brave enough for the following destination. Cale walked leisurely with Kim Rok Soo in tow toward his family, uncaring of the gods and the haste some people displayed.
“Before you panic, they know that we switched and wanted to see you again. Use this opportunity,” he advised. Kim Rok Soo’s spluttering protest was held back by the reassuring smile Cale gave him. He nodded shakingly.
Depositing Kim Rok Soo by the Henituse Household, Cale made his way toward the table his group claimed as theirs. Raon was shouting inside his mind to hurry up. Not minding the chaos he created, Cale sat down peacully.
Before anyone could protest further, the voice chimed in again.
As you are seated, the event will soon begin.
A few reminders and general information.
First: you will be watching previous proceedings from Side B. They will be played mostly randomly with many scenes being skipped or not shown at all since it doesn’t matter to Side A. However, some non war-related events will be shown.
Questions can be asked, but whether the other side wants to answer is up to them. No forcing an answer and no violent actions.
Second: as the main culprit of those events has agreed to show his adventures, protests will be ignored.
Third: a general introduction will be initiated soon. Any questions beforehand?
Silence.
Jack timidly raised his hand. He couldn’t help but notice a few things.
“Ehm, if we are from two similar worlds, why are not all copies here? Side A has far more people but I also can’t spot some people from our side?”
The more intelligent and less naive people already realized why some souls weren’t present.
Side A still has to face most of the following events, and some happened already with different outcomes. To compensate, more people with influence and power were called to Side A.
The missing people at Side A already died while some changes on Side B prevented their deaths.
“What prevented their deaths?”
“Change?”
“How?”
“…I still don’t get it.”
Some parts will be explained soon. Any more questions or can we proceed with the introduction?
No one raised their hand or spoke.
Taking their silence as confirmation, the voice started explaining.
World A differs from World B thanks to the intervention of one single soul. This soul was swapped with a resident of World B and with minor knowledge of future events this individual changed the fate of World B.
The swap itself was initiated by the previous resident, Cale Henituse, while the swapped soul, Kim Rok Soo took his place.
Nobles started shouting and fervently searched for the aforementioned Cale Henituse. Those of higher intelligence already guessed that the suspicious red-haired man from earlier should be Cale.
‘They know each other?’ Alberu was certain that Cale and Cale knew each other. The easy talk earlier and how Cale dragged the other Cale towards the Henituse Family of Side B. He was still missing some information but noted down his guesses in one of the magically appearing note books.
Cale, who finally seated himself between his children and friends, was petting Hong and completely ignoring everything with a stoic expression. Alberu rolled his eyes, openly and without regrets, and handed his darling bastard of a friend a plate filled with cookies.
‘He’s still too thin,’ Alberu mentally complained.
Raon laid down on the lap of his human, enjoying the warmth his guardian provided. On deemed Choi Han as an acceptable pillow, purring contentedly when the swordmaster's skilled hands scratched behind her ears.
Side B was relatively calm compared to Side A. Many already knew the information, while for others, it simply didn’t matter.
Litana and Harol exchanged gazes, while Toonka laughed like a maniac.
“My friend is my friend! Hahahahaha!”
“Our savior was exchanged? Thank you for your sacrifice, original young master.” Litana knew that without Cale their world would have been doomed. Just looking at the haggard and despairing state of Side A confirmed her guesses.
“My God! He is a true legend!”
The Henituse Family was ignoring the commotion, instead they hugged and talked with Kim Rok Soo.
Their other son returned for a while.
Deruth couldn’t be happier. Showering him in love and speaking the words they couldn’t before. It was like that table was removed from reality; they were in their own little world.
Kim Rok Soo wasn’t crying. He really wasn’t. That place is just too dusty.
But… Talking with his previous family, seeing them happy, thriving even, it made the knowledge that he’ll leave them after all this is over a bit easier. He can leave them in Cale’s hands.
The world he is living in now is his home. His lovely niece is waiting. Wonderful friends and teammates. He found hobbies and talents in that new world.
The idea of coming back and again living in the Henituse County - he forgot that it became a Duchy, there was too much going on at that time - sounded ludicrous. No, Kim Rok Soo found his place, the place where he belonged.
Not to mention, the place he previously occupied was gone, Kim Rok Soo thought with a happy grin on his face. If Cale saw that smile, he’d complain about the other man using his old face to make weird expressions again.
But still, meeting them again after so many years, after burying their cold, dead corpses feels great. He made the right choice.
Count Deruth on the other hand was devastated, enraged, confused, sad, and disappointed. Why would his son leave? And why is his counterpart happy with that foreigner? He isn’t their son! A stranger took his sons’ place and Deruth just played house with him?
And…why is his Cale over at Side B? He doesn’t understand.
Violan, sensing her husbands’ chaotic state of mind, took his hand and hoped that things would be clarified soon.
We shall be watching Cale Henituse's adventures. Requests for special scenes or information can be made, whether they be carried out or not will then be decided.
Any more questions?
Deruth raised his hand, his eyes locked on Kim Rok Soo. Without receiving a prompt, he asked what was bugging him for a while now.
“Why is Cale over there? Is this even my Cale? ” Feeling paranoid but not knowing what else to do, Deruth had to know.
Do you wish to share?
Many were confused. Kim Rok Soo just sighed and stood up.
“My name is Kim Rok Soo, previously known as Cale Henituse of Side B. I’m the one who made the deal.”
“But if you are the previous Cale of Side B, where is Cale ?” Most people of Side A didn’t particularly care what happened to Cale, as a well-known trash. Maybe it’s better if he wasn’t present.
Kim Rok Soo answered truthfully.
“I don’t know. I was teleported here out of nowhere. Suddenly finding myself in my old body is not a joyous occurrence, I assure you.” What he didn’t say though, was that he is almost certain that Cale had something to do with this.
Cale on the other hand, sated thanks to a continuing supply of cookies and lemon tea, was practicing two of his favorite activities. Breathing and staring empty into space. He knew that once the show started, peace and quiet would be out of reach.
Better to recharge now.
Alberu and Choi Han sighed for the n-time that day. They couldn't help themselves and smiled at Cale’s adorable actions. Their commander was just the cutest, and if anyone noticed them approaching Cale from both sides, leaving Cale with almost no personal space, it was their business. No interference needed.
Rosalyn rolled her eyes. Men .
Noticing Tasha’s eyes sparkling, Rosalyn glared at her. Choi Han will certainly win this battle of affection for the dense commander. Tasha and Alberu can go home.
(She wouldn’t mind a chance herself, but knew better than to openly fight for him. A rabid puppy and a vindictive royal weren’t the easiest opponents.)
To drive home the severity of the situation, since some of you still don’t get, an event all of you should know will be played first.
The first scene you shall be watching is the Plaza Terror Incident of World B.
Now then, shall we start?