Chapter Text

After Elmi had calmed down somewhat, Cale walked out of the cave and was about to ask Elmi to fly them back when he bumped into a soaking lion with dark brown mane that was walking on two legs—

—wait, no, that was Bob.

“What are you doing here, Bob?” Cale asked with a frown, his hand tightening on his cane in case of another attack.

“Oh, you’re the magical not‑Mage Young Master from before!” Bob greeted cheerfully. “I was just playing with the whirlpool!” He pointed toward the largest whirlpool.

Cale blinked at the combination of whirlpool and playing, but simply shrugged and nodded—until he noticed something. “It’s smaller?” He asked in confusion.

The whirlpool that had been the largest before had shrunk, and from the look of it, would soon disappear.

“Hm?” Bob glanced back, disappointed. “It’s shrinking. How disappointing.”

He had been hoping to play again.

“Is it because I smashed that spinning top at the bottom?” Bob wondered aloud.

“Spinning top?” Cale asked curiously.

“There was this spinning top under a giant rock at the bottom.” Bob explained, before suddenly perking up. “Oh, right, magical Young Master! I have an Ancient Power too now! Hahaha!” He laughed in satisfaction — and he had every right, because it meant his luck was great.

So, the whirlpool was caused by an Ancient Power. Cale thought in understanding, connecting the dots from what the black lion had said.

“That’s Thief.”

Cale blinked at the voice he hadn’t heard in a while — the voice of the original owner of his Shield Ancient Power, the Glutton. Thief? Was the original owner of Bob’s Ancient Power a friend of Glutton’s?

“Yes, she was one of us.” Glutton replied, sounding slightly disappointed.

“Noona.” The Crybaby added, also sounding disappointed.

Were they hoping I would be the one to receive Thief’s Ancient Power, so they could reunite? Cale thought, crossing his arms. How would I even get to the bottom of the ocean without knowing I needed to?

“We’re not blaming you!” Glutton hurried to clarify.

“Yes, not your fault, and we didn’t say anything either.” Crybaby added quickly.

Shaking his head, Cale returned his attention to the black lion, who was still laughing like a loon.

“Do you even know how to use your new Ancient Power?” Cale asked, effectively shutting him up.

“Kinda?” Bob scratched his head. “Isn’t it just making the air spin around?”

Cale’s eyebrow twitched.

Somehow, hearing that made him feel annoyed.

“Bob.” Cale grabbed Bob’s white shirt, dragging him along before leaping out of the cave.

Before they could plummet into the rocky sea below, Cale kicked off the wall and hurled them further into the open sea. Then he created his Shield, expanded it, and used it as their landing platform. “If you think your Wind‑attribute Ancient Power can only make the air spin around, you’re an idiot.”

Cale released him and shoved him back slightly, scowling in annoyance.

“Hey!” Bob started to protest, then paused. “Well, I’m not exactly smart.”

Cale stared at him blankly.

“Anyway, you will train in using your newly gained Ancient Power.” Cale said, crossing his arms. “I won’t let the Ancient Power belonging to the friend of my Ancient Power be wasted on you.”

“Oh, training?!” Bob brightened immediately, dropping into a battle stance. “Do you want to spar?!”

Cale swiftly pulled out his cane and bonked him on the head. “We’re not sparring, idiot.” He snorted, pointing the cane at him. “Do you think your Ancient Power — the one that can create a giant whirlpool — is weak? No, it’s damn powerful!” His scowl deepened. “So I won’t let you go back to the Whipper Kingdom until you master how to use it.”

Bob stared blankly, patting the sore spot on his head. It had happened too fast for him to react.

“Do you understand, idiot?!” Cale demanded, bonking him again.

“Stop bonking me!” Bob complained, nursing another bump on top of the first. “I understand, damn it!”

“Start with the basics then.” Cale ordered, raising his cane threateningly. “Make a ball of wind.”

“Make a ball out of wind?” Bob looked confused. “But wind is shapeless?”

“Use your head to figure it out, idiot!” Cale snapped, bonking him yet again.

Bob looked even more bewildered — he had tried to dodge, but still got bonked. This redhead is too damn fast!

“What are you waiting for?” Cale snapped, raising his cane as if to bonk him again. “Begin!”

As if a soldier standing before a commander, Bob — not wanting another bonk — hurried to obey.

It wasn’t that the bonks were painful, but they were annoying. Especially because the redhead had stopped calling him Bob altogether, and now only called him idiot.

As dumb as Bob was, he still had his pride!

For the next few hours, until late into the night, Cale demanded Bob attempt various things with his newly gained Wind Ancient Power — and bonked him on the head whenever he failed to grasp the instructions immediately.

“Look, I made a ball of wind!”

“Good. Now make it a whirlwind.”

“What?”

Bonk!

“I said stop bonking me!”

Bonk!

“Then start already! No questions!”

And the cycle continued.

“I did it! A whirlwind!”

“Now make ten of them!”

“What?!”

Bonk!

“Damn it!”

By the end, Bob — who had originally thought his Ancient Power could only spin air around — had been forced to discover far more. He could now form balls of wind, conjure whirlwinds, create a giant tornado, and even manage a short flight.

Cale only ended his impromptu tutoring when Bob nearly coughed up blood from overusing his Ancient Power.

“I guess you’re not that much of an idiot, Bob.” Cale nodded in satisfaction, crossing his arms with an arrogant smirk. “Still an idiot, though.”

“You Spartan tutor!” Bob growled in complaint, nursing his head that was aching from all the bonks. “Stop calling me idiot!”

“I’ll stop when you stop being one,” Cale replied plainly, stepping off his Shield and heading toward the mainland.

One of the tasks Cale had demanded was for Bob to control his wind to push the Shield toward shore — turning it from a floating platform into a pseudo‑rowboat without oars.

“Your ship will be ready by morning,” Cale said with a backward wave, before slipping back into his own room through the window.

“Weird noble,” Bob muttered, watching the redhead disappear. He shook his head and trudged off to his own room.

✧✧✧✧✧

Once safely back in Cale’s room, Elmi removed his invisibility magic and excitedly told his Hyung and Noona about his new name and its meaning. The Kittens grew just as excited, congratulating him and making sure to call his name often, as if to etch it firmly into memory.

Following the joy of the Black Dragon finally receiving his name, Elmi went on to tell them about Cale’s impromptu tutoring — and how fun it had been.

The kittens laughed at the mental image of Cale bonking Bob on the head. They didn’t like Bob much, especially after learning he had attacked Cale earlier, so the thought was extra satisfying. But then, a worrying thought struck them.

“Uh, Cale?” On and Hong looked at him with dread. “You won’t be like that when you train us in the future, right?”

“Why would I do that?” Cale asked in confusion. “All of you are smart children, always eager to learn.”

The children beamed at his words — and promptly attacked him with cuddles.