I Became a Sick Nobleman-Chapter 198: Variables

Before long, Ruel burst into laughter.

“Ah, I should be the one doing this? Look at my state.”

“Ruel-nim, perhaps it’s best for you to rest now?” Cassion considered taking the glass out of Ruel’s hand.

“No, no. I’m actually feeling quite fine. And I have something important to discuss with my uncle. It can’t wait.”

“Let’s leave it for tomorrow. You’ve had a bit too much to drink.”

“I’m not drunk!” Ruel waved his hand dismissively, downed another drink, and infused mana into his ring.

“Uncle.”

Watching Ruel manage to connect a communication link to Tyson, Cassion sighed heavily and rubbed his face. Whose fault was it, really? He blamed himself for offering Ruel alcohol.

-Ruel? Are you drunk?

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t Tyson’s voice that responded through the ring, but Ganien’s.

“No, I accidentally connected with the wrong person.” (Ruel)

-Cassion, aren’t you supposed to take care of the kid? You said he shouldn’t be drinking.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Just end the call.” Even without Ganien’s scolding, Cassion already had a headache.

“Wait, Ganien.”

-Why, Ruel?

Ganien inquired cautiously, sensing something amiss. What was Ruel going to say now?

“I’m not Ruel Setiria. But today, I became Ruel Setiria?”

-Wow, you’re really out of it.

Ganien finally seemed to relax and let out a chuckle.

At his laughter, Ruel frowned. “No, I’m serious. Why won’t you believe me?”

-Sure, sure. Let’s see how you feel when you wake up tomorrow. It’ll be quite the embarrassment.

“End the call now,” Cassion’s voice rose in annoyance. Why was he dealing with a drunkard?

-This is all new. Anyway, I’ll hang up before Ruel gets even more embarrassed. It’s not because of you, Cassion; it’s just out of concern as a friend.

Ganien stated confidently before disconnecting.

“Ha.” Cassion closed the bottle and helped Ruel to his feet.

“Just one more drink.”

“No chance.” He adamantly denied Ruel’s plea. Seeing Ruel’s flushed face turn paler by the second, Cassion realized he needed to step in.

“Uncle.” Cassion sighed at Ruel’s words. He ended up connecting the communication again.

-Ruel, are you…

Tyson paused. It was because of Ruel’s drooping figure.

“Please send portal devices to Cyronian and Kran.”

-What? No, is Ruel sick right now?

“You don’t have to reply since he’s drunk, Tyson-nim.” Cassion said in a flat tone.

-Drunk? Who? Ruel? Our Ruel?

Tyson’s eyes widened with each word, resembling a doll with changing expressions.

“Uncle, we need to deactivate the magic circle.”

“Let’s discuss it when you’re sober tomorrow.” Cassion nonchalantly responded to Ruel’s statements. But Ruel wouldn’t stop talking.

“The Great Man is on the move. I spoke with the king, who shared details about the pieces of the Great Man’s severed body. One of them isn’t in Leponia but in the Beast Forest, and he’s currently in the Neutral Zone…”

-Really?!

Tyson’s astonished voice startled both Ruel and himself, momentarily sobering him up.

“Yes. So we need to deactivate the magic circles before he makes a move.”

-I understand. I will prepare two portal devices immediately.

“Tyson-nim, at this moment, Ruel-nim isn’t in the right state of mind. How about discussing this with him tomorrow?” Witnessing Tyson take this seriously, Cassion let out another sigh.

-No matter how drunk Ruel is, I know he’s not someone to speak nonsense.

“Uncle.” Ruel called out to Tyson.

“Yes, Ruel. Do you have another request?”

“Uncle, if I’m not Ruel… then…” Ruel couldn’t bring his head up. He thought that borrowing the courage from alcohol might help him voice this, but it felt like his words were stuck.

-Ruel, do you recall what you said when we first met?

How could he forget? Those were the words he had uttered to Tyson during their initial encounter.

“I remember…”

-That’s when we started anew, so it doesn’t matter who or what you were in the past. That’s how you accepted me.

When Ruel raised his head, he saw Tyson beaming warmly.

“Yes.” Ruel weakly smiled and slumped down. Realizing he had genuinely blacked out, Cassion was left speechless. His drinking habits were truly peculiar.

-Cassion, you’ve been through a lot due to my foolish nephew. I apologize on his behalf.

“I appreciate it,” Cassion responded wearily.

***

When Ruel awoke, he frowned at the throbbing ache. Hearing Leo’s steady breaths, Ruel sensed the usual routine. For some reason, today he felt unsettled by this fact. fact today. Was it because of the story he heard from the ‘king’?

“Are you coming to your senses?” Cassion’s voice drew Ruel’s attention.

With one corner of his mouth lifted, Cassion was looking at him. “Do you happen to remember anything you said yesterday?” Cassion offered Ruel a drink resembling juice.

“No, not at all.” Ruel shamelessly replied without changing his expression.

“It smells… unpleasant?” Ruel wrinkled his nose at the drink’s odor. Instantly, he felt queasy.

“It contains ingredients to ease hangovers. Typically, beneficial things tend to taste bitter.”

Ruel hesitated but eventually took the cup from Cassion and gulped it down. The taste and smell were odd, but the effect was evident; Ruel’s expression showed he finally felt a bit more alive.

“Did uncle send the portal devices to Cyronian and Kran?” At Ruel’s question, Cassion hesitated.

“Didn’t you say that just because you were drunk?”

“No way! I told you I wasn’t drunk.”

Cassion let out an incredulous laugh at Ruel’s response. If that wasn’t a drunken state, then what was it?

“Uncle.” Ruel looked at Cassion with a doubtful gaze as he called for Tyson. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

-Yes, Ruel. Yes. Is your head hurting?

Tyson asked kindly, occupied with something on the screen, though it wasn’t clear what.

“My head’s throbbing a bit. Anyway, have you sent the portal devices to Cyronian and Kran?”

If it were Cassion, he might have missed a beat, but Tyson wouldn’t let any of Ruel’s words slip past. It needed to be done. Ruel regretted belatedly drinking the alcohol.

-Don’t worry, Ruel. I was just about to personally move and send them.

‘As expected.’ Ruel clicked his tongue, shooting Cassion a glance that said, “You’re unlike Uncle.”

The white gloves on Cassion’s hands were crumpled.

“Ruel-nim, based on my judgment, I’ve informed Ganien and His Majesty Adea of your message.”

“What do you mean? So you told them?”

Ruel breathed a sigh of relief, realizing his slip-up hadn’t caused any harm.

“Regardless of what you say while drunk, if it’s true, we can’t afford to waste time.”

“Indeed.” After Cassion’s reassurance, Ruel finally managed a smile of satisfaction.

-Ruel.

Tyson called Ruel.

“Yes. Please go ahead.”

-Can we really deactivate the magic circles now? Weren’t you worried about how the Great Man would retaliate once he realized that fact?

“You don’t need to worry anymore.” Ruel reassured, stroking the sleeping Leo. “I spoke with the king.”

-So what you said yesterday was true.

Seeing Tyson’s calm expression, Ruel quickly continued his story.

“So, what do you think his next move will be?”

-The magic circle…

Tyson realized that the Great Man wouldn’t know about the dismantling of the magic circle, just as Ruel had said.

-If… he recovers his body in the Beast Forest, his next target will surely be you, Ruel.

Tyson looked worried.

‘That’s right.’ Ruel raised the corner of his mouth.

Having retrieved one of his body parts, the Great Man’s logical next step would be to activate the magic circle to obtain the remaining parts.

“Exactly. It needs to be destroyed immediately. Please act fast, Uncle.”

-Understood. I’ll proceed at once.

With that, Tyson ended the call.

“Where is Prince Treitol now?” Ruel inquired, fiddling with Breath.

“He’s in the neutral zone.”

“Still?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Ruel inhaled Breath at Cassion’s response. After conversing with the king, he could anticipate the Great Man’s moves. The Beast Forest would likely be the next destination for the Great Man.

‘This is strange. The seal should be released first, right? Or has it already been broken?’

Ruel placed his hand on his abdomen, pondering.

Tap. Tap.

“The medium of the seal isn’t you…”

The king’s unfinished words echoed in his mind.

‘He must have wanted to say that it’s not me but another being who is the medium of the seal?’

Ruel’s thoughts raced. Who could this other being referred to by the king be?

Ruel shifted his perspective. When the Great Man was once a hero and then turned to evil, who was there at the time of the sealing, according to the facts revealed so far?

The first Setiria.

‘And the Guardians.’

Ruel’s eyes shook. In that moment, a chill ran down his spine. Why hadn’t he thought of this sooner?

“Cassion, connect me to Drianna immediately!”

“Right away.” Cassion swiftly activated the communication device in response to Ruel’s urgent request without a moment to be surprised.

-Ruel-nim, your face…

“Where’s Mayre?” Ruel interrupted, searching for Mayre before Drianna could inquire about his well-being.

-She stepped out for a moment.

‘At a time like this?’

Ruel felt a surge of anxiety.

“Jan!” As Ruel called, Leo woke up, and Jan quickly appeared on the screen.

-H-How did you know I was next to her?

“Please open the door right now! This is the Ice Castle!”

“Ruel-nim, how about calming down first?” Cassion advised, attempting to soothe Ruel.

Ruel’s complexion, already disheveled from the heat and hangover, worsened even further.

“Call Aris and Noah immediately!” Ruel demanded. There was no time for calmness. If the king’s message hinted that the Guardians were the medium of the seal, it explained the Great Man’s presence in the neutral zone. He must have eliminated all Guardians except Mayre.

‘Mayre is the last one.’

She was the last Guardian. Grasping Breath, Ruel’s hand trembled uncontrollably. The Great Man was meticulously executing his plan to reclaim his body.