Adalie waited until everyone stopped laughing (which took fifteen minutes) before playing the next episode.

Chapter 13: Picked It Up (6)

But behind that satisfaction, Cale suddenly felt chills on the back of his neck. It was because Ron drank the lemon tea without any complaints.

TBOAH! Cale and Rok Soo looked at the TCF! Cale on screen in pity, knowing how scary Ron, in any world, is.

"I guess we should applaud you for being... brave enough to do... that?" Rok Soo hesitated in the end, seeing that each word he said made TCF! Cale more and more embarrassed.

Clack.

Why did the sound of the teacup being placed on the table feel so loud? Thankfully, it was not just Cale being paranoid. Choi Han, who had been quietly enjoying his tea, started to frown.

"Why don't you enjoy your tea a little more quietly?"

Ron held back his laughter after seeing Choi Han take a peek at Cale before speaking in a more respectful tone to him.

TCF! Cale looked at TCF! Choi Han who only smiled innocently before shrugging, not caring at anything at all. When he stopped looking, TCF! Choi Han immediately glared at TCF! Ron who only smiled.

Today, he had found a decently useful sword for Choi Han. It was a sword made by the same blacksmith as the one who made Beacrox's cooking knife.

'Want to try it out?'
'I will not fight against someone who is trying to cut someone else with a cooking knife.'

"I don't cut anyone with my cooking knife." TCF! Beacrox said with TBOAH! Beacrox nodding in agreement.

"I have a different set for that." TBOAH! Beacrox continued.

His son, Beacrox, kept nagging Choi Han to fight him with that sword. It was because Beacrox learned a bit about Choi Han's strength from that short bout last time, and wanted to find out more. However, Choi Han continued to reject him.

'Ho, what a funny punk. What, do I need to bring a bloodied sword like you?'

Choi Han closed his eyes for a moment before opening them back up and responded to Beacrox as if he was confirming it for himself.

'I, I will now be someone who protects. He said even I could do it.'
'What the heck are you saying?'

Ron watched his son and Choi Han's cute bickering, before following Choi Han to come see Cale. He didn't expect to hear such a precious thing.

'I can't live as a trash forever.'

That was what Ron was thinking about as he drank the lemon tea. But it looked like he was glaring at Choi Han. Cale was watching that scene with satisfaction.

"So you weren't glaring at me?" TCF! Choi Han asked with a blink. 

TCF! Ron didn't answer but only smiled benignly, silently cursing that his thoughts were revealed. It annoyed him since it made him feel... dare he say it, vulnerable which he hasn't felt since the time where he was forced to run away with his son.

Ron and Choi Han's relationship in 'The Birth of a Hero' was just like this. They were always at each other's throats, but still continued to travel together. They were tied together by a contract, but they both knew they could also rely on one another.

TBOAH! Choi Han and TBOAH! Ron begrudgingly agreed.

Cale thought that a lot of things got twisted because of his actions to not get beaten up, but it looked like their relationship was forming in a similar manner.

"I don't think they are." TCF! Mary said in hesitance while TCF! Obante nod.

"It's just young master Cale's wishful thinking." TCF! Hannah said with a small smirk. 

'It is disappointing that it got twisted a bit, but my life comes first. I can't let the novel dictate my life.'

Many nod at this thought. Even if the novel did speak about the future, him just transmigrating in the novel was bound to change things.

For Cale, his life was the first priority. After that, it was that everybody living within his territory lived peacefully. What else could you need?

"Cough." Adalie accidentally chocked on the water she was drinking, tears welling in her eyes as she tried to calm her sudden laughter at that sentence.

'If only you knew, my friend.' Adalie thought with pity. 'If only you knew.'

"Sweet teas are really the best."

Ron flinched at the words that Cale happily said.

Both versions of Ron in the room flinched as well.

The tea time for these three individuals ended in the middle of the down...po..ur...

"Um, is something wrong with this, Miss Adalie?" TCF! Alberu asked after hearing the words stutter towards the end. However, before Adalie could answer, the screen went fuzzy for a bit before a new scene arrived.

Ron was observing Cale being friendly with this greedy Billos and clicked his tongue. It was because he thought to himself, 'Why does it matter to me if that puppy young master is close to Billos?'

"True." TCF! Cale nod, ignoring the sudden change of scene and not noticing how those who knew him since child (both Henituse families, Ron, Beacrox, and Hans) flinched.

"Tsk. I guess even dislike creates affection."
"I don't want my dislike of you to turn into affection."

"I wasn't talking about you." TCF! Ron said while TCF! Choi Han, after glancing at TCF! Cale, glared. 

"I know." he lowly growled before whispering. "Still, it does hold true to an extent."

TCF! Ron, who heard, just smiled but agreed on the inside. 

Thankfully, Rok Soo was answering TBOAH! Cale's questions about what happened to the screen so both of them didn't hear Ron's comment on the screen.

Ron let out a sigh after seeing that the clueless Choi Han had misunderstood.

"Not you, punk."

Ron's gaze was on Cale.

Ron was planning on heading to the capital anyways. It was because he had a bad feeling about it. He had been thinking about it countless times ever since Choi Han came out from the Forest of Darkness and entered the city with that dense murderous aura on him.

"Was his aura really that dense?" Rasheel asked in curiosity as both versions of Ron and Beacrox nod. Both Choi Hans frowned in disgust, not wanting to be associated with their enemy.

"It was very obvious for those with experience." TCF! Ron answered the dragon. 

"Wonder why you didn't notice it." Soo Hyuk told TCF! Cale, unaware that everyone's attention went towards the two.

"Probably too scared that he would beat me to notice." TCF! Cale answered. "If I didn't know what he would do in the future, I would probably have notice it."

"True." Jung Soo nod. "You are very sensitive with the auras of people."

(Note: This is not canon, I just want to think he is sensitive because he has been living his life being on guard with people.)

Many found the fact amazing and took note of it, especially TCF! White Star whose interest towards TCF! Cale grew.

The reason Ron had to hide out in this territory. The reason he had to escape from the Eastern Continent. It looked like he needed to research the people responsible for it one more time.

"Glenn." TCF! Bud whispered to his friend who just nod. It seems like TCF! Glenn will talk with the Molan patriarch later. TBOAH! Bud and TBOAH! Glenn saw what their TCF! versions talked about and decided to do the same.

'Wouldn't it be appropriate for me to make sure our puppy young master safely arrives at the capital and safely leaves as my final duty as his servant?'

"Final?" TCF! Adin spoke with a raised brow. "Aren't you still with him?"

"Seems like something happened for it not to happen as planned." TBOAH! Jack commented with a kind smile. "I guess it is a good thing since they are close."

Those who heard TBOAH! Jack looked at him with dumbfounded expressions, even his own sister. How innocent was the saint to mistake TCF! Cale's actions into closeness? 

TCF! Jack was nodding in agreement with his counterpart.

He claimed...

The screen shut down for a few moments before a new scene arrived. 

Ron remembered how the young Cale had consoled his father when his mother died. He also saw how Cale hated his stepmother and her family, but never caused a ruckus with them, even when he was drunk.

"Young master Cale..." many whispered in sadness while both versions of the Henituse family felt an arrow stabbing them for the nth time. They, mostly the parents, were finally seeing how bad they treated their eldest, especially Deruth.  

'But he...

Those without much patience, like the dragons, felt annoyed. Why was the show glitching so much? Adalie looked at the screen in worry while calling someone who she knew could help but, unfortunately, nobody was answering the call.

18 years. Ron had watched over Cale for too long.

"It has been a long time if I think about it." TBOAH! Cale mused with Rok Soo nodding in agreement. While some people might find that timeframe short (e.g. dragons and White Star), most humans in the room agreed.  

* * *

Cale returned to his chamber immediately after returning to the estate, only to find the two baby kittens staring up at him.

"Ah, I forgot about the two of you."

"Meow!" Hong meowed while hitting TCF! Cale lightly with his paws, a little annoyed he forgot them but kind of understood since they weren't close at that moment.

He should have brought Choi Han, who cherishes small animals. Choi Han had returned to his own room after saying that his heart needed to become stronger to be someone who protects.

"Pfft." some people laughed.

When Cale laughed and asked who Choi Han was going to protect, Choi Han responded that he would let Cale know once he became stronger. That answer gave Cale the chills. Cale didn't know why someone as strong as Choi Han would want to become even stronger.

TCF! Choi Han smiled, happy that TCF! Cale views him strong and promises himself to become stronger.

"Young master."

Hans approached Cale as he was staring at the kittens.

"Young master, what do you think? Aren't they even cuter, lovelier, and more adorable now? They are so mean though, they wouldn't even let me pet them. Haha!"

Hans crouched next to the kittens and looked up at Cale with satisfaction. His expression was so full of admiration that it surprised Cale and Ron. His expression was not related to the cuteness of the kittens.

"Don't you agree?"

This strong butler candidate seems to like cats very much.

"Oh, um, I guess so."

TCF! Cale looked at the two cats beside him with a small smirk as the two cats mirrored his looks. 

"It seems the two kittens got Hans under their control." Rok Soo said in amusement while earning himself two proud meows.

The two kittens, that were sitting on a silk cushion that came from who knows where, definitely looked fuller and healthier. What kind of magic did this deputy butler do in that short amount of time? 

"No magic, young master." TCF! Hans answered smiled happily.

However, the two kittens continued to avoid Hans's gaze. It seemed to be a very stereotypical relationship between a butler and a cat.

"Kitten-nims~ why are you always ignoring me?" TCF! Hans asked while the two kittens just inched closer to TCF! Cale, hiding their small smirks. TCF! Cale, who guessed the reason, smiled mockingly at his butler.

'Isn't it obvious? They want you to remain as their slave. If they become close to you, you might become more lenient at how you serve them.' Adalie thought while looking at the drama in amusement while eating popcorn.

"Then I will be heading out now, young master. Please call me if there is anything you need for the kitten-nims."

"Forgotten by his own butler." Jung Soo teased while pretending to wipe his tears with a white handkerchief. 

"Just go."

After verifying that Ron got Hans to leave, Cale avoided the sparkling eyes of the kittens as he went into the bathroom. At that moment, the kittens' ears fell down.

But then.

"Hooo."

Ron approached the kittens after getting Hans to leave. Only Ron and the two baby kittens were currently in the bedroom.

"You are children of the Cat Tribe."

The golden eyes of the kitten's turned sharp. However, Ron did not seem to care, as he verified that the bathroom door was closed before standing in front of the kittens.

"Good."

There was an odd smile on Ron's face.

"Well...that's not creepy." TCF! Tasha sarcastically said to TCF! Kora and TCF! Shawn who both nod in agreement.

"It's scarier since he made sure young master Cale wouldn't see or hear what he was about to say." TCF! Shawn said with a small shiver. 

The Cat Tribe was known for their sensitivity to their surroundings. The Cat Tribe was one that was better known in the Eastern Continent than the Western Continent, but there was no way that someone like Ron, who was involved with assassinations, would not know about them.

Unlike most beast people, who became violent when they went berserk, the Cat Tribe became stealthier and sharper. That was why they were a scary tribe, although they were not at the level of the Wolf, Tiger, or Lion Tribes.

There was only one thought on Ron's mind as he watched the two Cat Tribe children. It was a sudden thought, and they were still young, but...

'I can teach them.'

"Apprentices?" TCF! Beacrox asked his father who only nod with a smile. 

Ron checked to make sure that the door to the bathroom was closed once again.

TCF! Cale was glad he didn't see what TCF! Ron was doing. If he did, he might have had a heart attack and pitied the two kittens (his children).

The Cat Tribe put a lot of importance on relationships. If they trust someone once, they will never betray them. They were suspicious by nature, but, like the Wolf Tribe, they valued interpersonal relationships.

Children of such a tribe came looking for Cale on their own accord. Ron thought it would be nice to give his puppy young master a farewell present.

"How...sweet." TBOAH! Choi Han commented before frowning. "What's the catch."

TCF! Ron only smiled at him, not giving any answers. Hong and On didn't care what motives TCF! Ron had. They only cared that they could become stronger and help their... guardian (father) with things so the two looked at TCF! Ron who only smiled wider when he saw it. 

Ron moved a bit closer to the Cat Tribe children. He then reached out to caress the head of the slightly larger silver kitten.

Slap.

The silver kitten slapped his hand away and quickly moved away to the corner of the room along with the red kitten.

TCF! Cale silently patted the heads of the two kittens while nodding in agreement.

'Yes.' he thought. 'Slap the vicious man's hand away.'

Raon, who got jealous, flew to sit on TCF! Cale's lap.

"Hoo."

Ron's eyes turned curious. These Cat Tribe children seem to have already figured him out. It made sense, since they needed to quickly recognize people like him, people who were close with death, in order to live for a long time. Even if cats do have nine lives, they needed to treasure them. The Cat Tribe was known for their long lives as well as their stealthy night movement. In this regard, they were stealthier than anyone else. Ron started to smile.

"One child is fog and the other one is poison."
The silver one was fog and the red one was blood, or poison. Even if they did not become killers, they had the right foundations to become shadows. The silver kitten turned its head away as Ron said that, while the red kitten snorted. The two siblings had no desire to become killers who gave off such a thick scent of death.

The two kittens in the room nod at their past selves' thoughts.

The two kittens scoffed at Ron, as if they knew about his identity as an assassin already. Once Cale came out of the bathroom, they were still sticking very close to each other as they looked up at Cale.

"Stop looking at me."

They immediately stopped looking at him once he said that.

"Ron. Go get me my meal from Beacrox."

"Yes, young master."

"What a... discrete way to shoo your butler away." TCF! Duke Fredo, who wanted to test his luck on talking without being seen again, sarcastically said in amusement. Unfortunately, he wasn't lucky and the dragons saw him.

"Who are you?" Mila asked in curiosity and a little bit of wariness. While it was confirmed everyone on their side are allies, it was still good to be alert, especially when the person didn't want to reveal themselves. Having no choice but to reveal himself, lest he gets attacked, he stepped out of his dark corner and smiled at everyone while ignoring the glares and gasps he felt and heard from the bad side.

"I am Duke Fredo of the Endable kingdom which none of you probably heard about." he said with a smile as TBOAH! version of him followed his action and appeared before them all.

"Your not human." Eruhaben stated with a glare. "What are you."

"A vampire." TBOAH! Duke Fredo replied with a smile. "Now, let's continue watching, shall we? I have no plans on answering any of your questions, after all."

Ron left and Cale sat down on the couch and looked toward the two kittens. He then spoke to the two kittens who were whining in a corner far away from him.

"You two are part of the Cat Tribe, aren't you?"

The two kittens nodded their heads without making eye contact with Cale.

"Are you planning on following me?"

There were no responses to this question.

Instead, the red kitten slowly walked over and rubbed its cheek on Cale's leg, while the silver kitten approached Cale soon after and started to tap Cale's foot with her front paw.

"Aww." some females on the room couldn't help but coo at the cute interaction shown.

Cale already had a plan for these two siblings. He nodded his head and made up his mind about the kittens.

"Then make yourselves useful."

The kittens immediately responded.

"Meeeow."
"Meow!"
"Answer in human language."

The pupils of the silver kitten, the older sister named On, started to sparkle as she spoke. 

"I want to eat meat. I'm still hungry."

The red kitten, the younger brother Hong, tapped Cale's leg as he added on. 

"I want to eat cake."

Cale responded to both of them.

"I will give you a lot of meat and cake, so you know what to do, right?"

"Be useful!"
"Be useful!"

Some of the people in the TBOAH! world doesn't know what to feel at this scene. While it was heartwarming, they couldn't deny the fact that TCF! Cale was telling them to be useful or else. The TCF! world was better because they were familiar with TCF! Cale's rule of paying for your stay.

The kittens immediately replied, and that was how the two siblings, who were kicked out of the Fog Cat Tribe, became a part of the Count Henituse's household.

Four days later, Cale joined his family for breakfast for the first time in a while. Count Deruth looked at his son, who was wearing extremely simple clothes, and started to smile.

"I guess you are leaving today."

Today was the day that Cale would leave the Henituse territory and head toward the capital.

The TBOAH! Henituse family felt nervous for the next few chapters, knowing that they will finally see TCF! Cale's journey to the capital where the bombing will happen. The TCF! world, on the other hand, was excited to see the birth of 'young master silver shield'. 

Poor TCF! Cale felt shivers all over his spine.

"Um, I'm just gonna do something real quick, watch without me first, okay?" Adalie said before rushing out of the room, phone in hand with a worried expression on her face.