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Cale stared at the suspicious recording device in his room at midnight.
At first, he was only awake because he couldn’t feel the children’s presence in his bed. Then he got up and found the device sitting nicely on his table with a note telling him to turn it on.
‘Well, what’s the harm?’ He turned the recording device on.
Then he heard someone cleared their throat. Someone familiar .
“Human! I know you can hear us! Happy birthday!” A loud cheery voice was heard from the magic device.
“Happy birthday nyaa!”
“Happy birthday Cale nyaa!”
Then two more energetic children voice emerged from the device.
“We wish you all the best! Thank you for being born and saving us! We love you so much! Our love for you is bigger than the world so you don’t have to worry about it running out!”
The three voices yelled their love for Cale at the same time with loud volume.
Unconsciously, the corner of Cale’s mouth crept up, forming a small smile of fondness.
Then different voices were heard.
“Dongsaeng, happy birthday. Thank you so much for being born and contributing so much in saving Roan Kingdom and the world. You can ask me for whatever you want for your birthday”
“Cale-nim, thank you for being born. Thank you too for approaching me that day and giving me a new family. If you didn’t, I don’t know what would happen to me. I wish you all the best that could happen to you. Happy birthday”
“Young master-nim, happy birthday. I wish you for the best from the bottom of my heart. Thank you very much for making an opportunity and even helped us in taking back our family’s home. This butler of yours will always be by your side and help you whenever you need it”
“Young master-nim, I always wanted to thank you for helping us taking back my and my father’s home. If not for you, maybe our grudge won’t disappear forever. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you ever wanted to try any new food or any delicacies, I will make it for you so please don’t hesitate to tell me anything. Happy birthday”
“Cale, my son, happy birthday. Thank you very much for being born in this world. You had saved us so many times and I want to thank you for it. Just so you know that I love you very much. Don’t forget that the duchy is your home and feel free to ask us if you need any help. I will gladly do it for my eldest son”
Cale could heard sniffles after every sentences.
“Cale, happy birthday to you. Thank you very much for accepting us as your family and for taking care of your younger siblings. We love you very much. Don’t forget to take care of yourself and to not push yourself very hard.”
“Hyung-nim, happy birthday. I wish for your well being. Thank you for protecting us all the time and for being a good big brother for me. I will be the duchy successor and make you proud, so please keep watch over me”
“Orabeoni, happy birthday! Thank you very much for all the things you did for us. I will become a really strong knight so that I can help you protect our territory! I wish you for the best and I love you!”
“Young master-nim, happy birthday. I wish you all the best. Thank you very much for helping me by providing me with highest-grade magic stones, mages, and opportunity to be the magic tower master. I will not forget your kindness. Please tell me if you ever need anything from me”
“Young master-nim, my siblings and I will not forget the help you gave us! Thank you very much for giving us a new home! I will be practicing hard to be the one to protect you someday, so please tell me if you need me, I will definitely help you right away! Happy birthday!”
The last sentence was said by a lot of voices loudly at once.
“Young master-nim, happy birthday to you. I am very thankful for all the things you did to me and our tribe. I am most thankful that you saved my little brother’s life. Our tribe will not forget about you helping us driving away the mermaids too. We wish you all the best.”
“Um- young master-nim, happy birthday! Thank you very much for saving my life that day. I am very indebted to you. We will send the highest quality rare pearls as our present to you. Once again, happy birthday!”
“Unlucky bastard, happy birthday. I will have to thank you for giving me the jar. Don’t forget to rest, you punk. I will be helping you if you’re ever in danger so don’t hesitate to ask me for any help.”
“Young master-nim, happy birthday. Thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to see the outside world. I will not ever forget your kindness. You have given me so many things that I can’t count it with all my fingers. You had created a space for necromancers and other dark attribute beings to live in this world and I admired you very much for it. I did not know what you would like, so please ask me for anything you wanted”
“Young master Cale, me and my friend would like to invite you to a drinking party. We are very grateful of all the things you did after all. You were one of the people who were kind to me even when my legs were still paralyzed. It meant very much for us. The Stan family won’t hesitate to offer help to you. Happy birthday, we wish you all the best”
“Young master-nim, happy birthday! I really think that all the thanks I’ve said to you weren’t nearly enough at all. Because of you, my sister survived from the dead mana poisoning. We even cleared all the accusations of killing the pope and revealed Mogoru Empire’s rotten side thanks to you. Let us two do you a favor sometime, so please ask us for help anytime!”
“Young master-nim, happy birthday. I’m here as the representative of our race to thank you for all you did to make us fit in the society. The dark elves will not forget the big help you did to us. If you ever need us, please call for us right away! We will not reject any request from you.”
“KAHAHAHA HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY FRIEND! What do you want? Money? Territory? Someone to fight with?! We will gladly give you any gifts you want!!— I’m sorry young master, he was over excited about your birthday. Anyways, happy birthday to the hero of the continent. We thank you from our deepest heart for all the help you gave us. Do you have any plans on visiting? We will prepare a banquet for you to celebrate. Please tell us any present you want, we will give it to you”
The second man talked in calm manner like he didn’t push the first man aggressively just before.
“Young master-nim, happy birthday! Thank you for being born and grew up healthy. We will send some presents to express our gratefulness for you! The jungle residents were able to live peacefully right now is because of your effort and we want to thank you very much for that. We know some presents will not compare to what you had done for us, but we sincerely hope you will like our gifts! We wish you the best and we hope you will stay healthy and happy.”
“Happy birthday young master-nim! We wish you all the best. Please come over again sometime, and please bring the dragon-nim with you!! Ah, the World Tree also told me to tell you that it wished you a happy birthday too!”
“Hey, happy birthday my friend! Are we going to have another drinking match? Tell me if you want to, I will prepare the best alcohol I have! Then I will tell you all the things that makes me grateful to you! — Ehm, thank you very much for practically saving us when we were being hunted by Arm, young master-nim. I’m very thankful that you helped us so many times. As this alcoholic bastard says, we would be very glad if you accept our invitation and some alcohol as gifts. Happy birthday”
Cale could imagine the second voice bowing towards him while the first one laughing.
“My son, Naru, happy birthday. Our race is very indebted to you and will do almost anything for you. Anyways, will you come if I prepare a banquet for you? We will have a father and son time as well in my mansion. Please tell me whenever you want to visit, I will surely prepare a lot of delicious cookies and a lot of present for you”
Cale shivered a bit at the statements.
“Happy birthday Cale! Thank you very much for being born! Because of you, our kingdom was pretty much safe at the war. You also helped so much in the investment in our territory. I’m sad that there won’t be much time for me to meet and worry about you anymore, but if you eat and rest well as well as keeping your body healthy, I will be rest assured! — Young master-nim, happy birthday to you. I wanted to tell you that I’m very thankful for your help in our Ubarr territory. We will not be in our position today if it’s not for you. Even if you brushed it off saying it wasn’t much, we are still very grateful to you. — Young master-nim, happy birthday. We may not have talked much, but I’m sure you still think us as your friends, who are allowed to worry about you. Please feel free to visit us and tell us more about you. We will be very happy if you do that. And we have sent our present to you, we hope you are happy with it.”
Three familiar voices, a man, a woman, and a man talked in turns. Cale subconsciously smiled a bit. They were helpful to Cale when he was adjusting with his new identity.
“Cale-nim happy birthday! Ahh how blessed I am to be able to wish a legend a happy birthday! I will pray for only the best to happen to you! And- and I will send you an absolutely great present! Of course not as great as you, but it will express just how much of a legend you are! And should I make banners? Yes, yes that would do. Then some statues, flower paths, banquets, and then—“
The recording of the lunatic’s mutters were cut off. Cale swore he is going to hit him the second his eyes saw that crazy bastard’s face.
“Young master-nim, happy birthday. Our tribe is most grateful that you provided us with such a great home. We did not know what to give to you, so please ask us if you want anything. And for my personal present, I had asked nature to be in your favor to the extent of my shaman power. Once again we thank you for all of the things you did for us.”
“Young master-nim, happy birthday! I wish you all the best! I will continue to serve you with all my heart! I have prepared some presents for you, the cute kitties, and the dragon-nim! Please always be healthy and I wish you all the best! — Young master-nim, happy birthday! This guard will always be loyal with you and train hard until I become a competent guard worthy to stand beside you! I wish for all the best thing to happen to our young master silver shield!”
The energetic voice Cale heard made him thought about how scared the first man was to him before, and about the little arrogance the second man had in him when he escorted Cale to the capital for the first time. It made him chuckle.
“Young master-nim, happy birthday. I am most grateful of your act of helping me become this kingdom’s queen. I had sent you some presents. I hope you will accept them. And, I think our Fluffy missed you. Please come here sometime, I will prepare a big banquet for you”
The voice of an elegant woman was heard with excitedly barking dogs as the background noises. Cale thought about her offer and wondered if the dogs are clean now. He had a little desire to pet Fluffy.
“Cale, happy birthday. Thank you for saving my son from the wretched people, and even made us meet. I have several things to give to you, and you can choose whatever you like. Please do visit the Black Castle often, as I want to hear more about my son from you.“
“Um, young master-nim, happy birthday! Thank you very much for exposing the alchemist tower’s true and rotten side. I still have a lot of worries about being the Mogoru’s king, but I will try my very best since you had created the opportunity to fix this kingdom! I wish you have a good life and please do not hesitate to visit the new Mogoru!”
The recording ended with several chatters of the children.
Cale sighed. It made him happy that so many people wished him a happy birthday with such sincere hearts. It filled his heart with warmth.
If he is a little less dense with his emotions, he would say that he loved the recordings very much.
“Happy birthday Cale!” Suddenly he heard the Ancient Powers’ voices.
“Cale, I wish for you to only eat good foods! This noona will tell you how to differentiate good restaurants from the bad ones someday!”
“Cale, I wish for you to live together for a long time with your family…”
“Cale, I can give you some tips to use my power with maximum efficiency. It’s good for looting from the bad people”
“Cale, do you want me to tell you some tips to get money? Let’s loot some rich people sometimes! Kahahaha!”
“Cale, I wish that you will live happily and make choices that you will not regret. I will absolutely help you in protecting your family”
“Hey, thanks for saving me. Want me to tell you about my journey when I ran away from that XXX god who wanted to chain me up? I think it will be useful for the future when you fight some XXX”
Cale thanked all the ancient powers.
He played the recording once again, and went back to bed. He wanted to listen to their voices while he sleeps.
Cale smiled fondly. He will not ever trade this for something else.
This precious, precious family of his.