Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 116

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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It was exceedingly rare for an Elf to approach a human first. Beyond mere superiority, there was simply no reason to do so.
Yet the Elves of Ten Fingers Mountain Village, having found reason, approached humans with remarkable enthusiasm.
And that human was Kale.

“Is it difficult to answer?”

Kale stood foremost, avoiding the gaze of the Elf watching me. Of all things, the two Elves at the very front were an elderly woman and a young child. Kale turned to look at Tribal Chief Canaria.

‘I clearly said I wanted to leave quietly.’

Canaria offered Kale a gentle smile. That smile seemed remarkably irritating. Yet this situation was not her fault.

“My apologies. I only told my family.”

Kale turned his head at the apology. Fendrick wore an apologetic expression. The exposure of the departure time and location was Fendrick’s doing. Yet it was impossible to blame him severely for confiding in his family.

‘Well, if it’s come to this.’

He had at least avoided the worst—Raon revealing himself and receiving praise. So he chose the next best option. If he left a good impression on the Elves, wouldn’t they move diligently at his command?

“No. What is there to apologize for?”

A kind smile graced Kale’s lips. At that smile, Fendrick released a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Kale’s companions quietly averted their gaze.
Kale met the eyes of the young Elf holding the elderly woman’s hand before him.

“It’s not difficult to answer at all.”

His voice overflowed with warmth toward the Elf child. He recalled the question the child had posed.

‘Did you truly receive the Dragon’s blessing?’

Elves and spirits who desired an answer to that question were visible. Most Elves stared openly or peered furtively from a step back. Of course, the spirits also glimmered and murmured something, but their voices did not reach Kale at all.

Yet those voices reached the Elves.

‘This human is protected by a formidable aura!’
‘It must be the Dragon’s aura. I’ve never felt the Dragon’s aura before! I’m recording this in my spirit chronicle!’
‘Goodness, this human possesses an enormous abundance of natural elemental forces! Fire, water, wind, wood—all present in different forms.’
‘And on top of that, they also possess a natural force beyond the standard attributes!’

The spirits were in an uproar, each crying out in turn.

‘I’ve never seen a human like this. Not a spirit summoner, not an Elf.’
‘The Dragon would surely favor them! Ancient power, a human beloved by nature itself!’
‘A most peculiar human.’

The Elves who heard these words fixed their gaze upon Kale with deepening intensity. Among them were the Tribal Chief and the Guardian Warrior alike. Only Fendrick, unable to hear the spirits’ words, remained oblivious to it all.

Kale, like Fendrick, unaware of this commotion, opened his mouth to speak.

“The Dragon protects me, weak as I am.”

Ah.
Admiration rippled through the gathering.
In that moment, Raon’s voice—the presence who had remained invisible and pressed close against Kale’s back all this time—resonated within his mind.

-I know well, weak human.

Kale let the response pass lightly and smiled at the Elf child, crinkling the corners of his eyes. Yet that smile wavered slightly at the child’s next words.

“Wow! I’m so jealous! You’re the best! That’s amazing!”

The child’s three-part praise combo continued. And what followed tumbled forth, striking Kale’s ears.

“For three days in the World Tree Garden, in that Flower Field! I wanted to visit you while you were there, but my superiors were so strict I couldn’t go. I’ve never seen people so frightening—I mean, so strong! I don’t think even the human Royal Knight Order would be like that!”

As the child spoke, they kept glancing at Kale’s companions behind him. And they shuddered as if terrified. An Elf behaving that way toward a human.

How exactly had these people protected me over those three days?

Kale found himself thinking that it wasn’t because he had avoided the Elves and thus hadn’t encountered them, but rather that during those three days when he lay unconscious, his companions’ actions had caused the Elves to steer clear of him of their own accord.
And today, under the pretext of seeing Fendrick off, they had gathered boldly.

Beginning with the child’s question, Kale received several inquiries from other Elves. Most of them were children.

“How is the Dragon doing?”

Raon’s front paw tapped against my back as I maintained my gentle smile.

-Magnificent.
“Magnificent indeed.”

I answered as Raon instructed. Since things had come to this, why wouldn’t I want to be an extraordinarily fortunate human blessed by a great Dragon?
For some reason, I could almost hear the Elves’ affection meter rising like in a game.

“Wow! You’re amazing, aren’t you?”

Raon answered the child’s question first, naturally.

-Amazing and beautiful.
“Amazing and beautiful indeed.”

Wow!
The children’s exclamations followed, and the adults responded with calm yet excited affirmations. I was astounded. If a real Dragon were standing before them, they’d be ready to fall backward and applaud.

“The Dragon’s power is incredible, isn’t it?”
-There exists no being as strong as my body.
“Of course. You possess tremendous power.”

I answered consistently and courteously, like a wind-up doll. Raon’s voice grew louder in my mind.

-Indeed, I am the magnificent Raon Mir! And I’ve grown one year older!

My head ached from the noise surrounding me. Even so, I signaled Ron with my eyes, and he quietly stepped forward with Choi Han to clear a path.
I followed that path toward the entrance of the Elf Village, and as the young Elves walked alongside me, an elderly Elf spoke up.

“Would it be possible to meet the Dragon?”

-It’s possible right now!

Possible, perhaps.
I had no intention of letting the Elf meet the Dragon. Even if they did meet, I wanted to save that for a situation that would benefit me later. For now, being the human closest to the Dragon was sufficient.

Kale stopped in his tracks and spread his arms slightly.
The Elves who had halted their steps or were observing him from a distance heard his calm voice.

“Can you not feel the magnificent aura of this Dragon? Such great power—you Elves, closer to nature than any other race, will surely sense it.”

Naturally, the elder Elves and spirits could perceive the subtle yet powerful force surrounding Kale. It was as though a Dragon who had released its combat stance was leisurely circling around Kale without displaying its full strength. Yet would a Dragon, mad or not, follow a human around? And in hiding, no less?
It was surely the Dragon’s blessing enveloping that human—a protective barrier of some kind.

Kale continued speaking to the Elves who were nodding in agreement.

“I will speak well of you to the Dragon, and should the opportunity arise, I will arrange a time for the Dragon and yourselves to converse.”

The Elves’ heads lifted sharply. Yet they saw the darkness in Kale’s expression.

“However, now is not the time—as you all understand, the village is in dire straits, and terrifying events are occurring everywhere. It seems I must depart hastily.”

Several of the Elves nodded.
They were among those who had kept their distance, observing Kale from afar.

The village had been devastated. They had barely escaped the sudden assault targeting the World Tree’s branches. In such circumstances, they disliked the attitude of other Elves who seemed to revere not the Dragon, but this human.
Of course, it was right to respect and acknowledge one who received the Dragon’s blessing, but this excited atmosphere did not sit well with them.

Yet Kale’s words resonated with them. It became clear anew that the one who had saved them from crisis was the human before their eyes.
Kale still carried the weight of a heavy atmosphere. From him, who bore a faint smile, emanated a profound sense of responsibility. That responsibility became words that flowed forth.

“There is much to be done. Tasks given to me.”

The expressions of the adult Elves hardened.
It seemed they could understand what Kale intended to do without him saying it.

Surely it would be like the work he had done in their village, and like the many deeds he had undertaken as the Tribal Chief had told them—work that demanded sacrifice without material gain.
Kale sensed the atmosphere, now cooled of its fervor, filled instead with a different affection directed toward him, and he thought.

‘There is much to be done.’

Yes, indeed. There was much to be done.

I had to deceive Tunka and earn my share, and there were many people I needed to meet. Of course, I did not know the order in which these tasks would unfold, but all of them had to be done.

“It was a pleasure to meet the Elves, friends of nature, but I believe it is time for us to depart.”

Though the children still brimming with curiosity reacted to my words, the adults gently restrained them and opened a path for me.
I observed my companions, who had paused in their steps to follow me. Fendrick, an Elf and a healer, wore an expression of considerable emotion.

However, Vicross, Ron, and the Cats maintained expressionless faces, barely concealing their exasperation. Choi Han and Rak nodded as though my words were only natural.

-Human, this is exactly why I cannot leave you alone! You are so uselessly weak, yet so incredibly useful!

Ignoring Raon’s increasingly nonsensical remarks had become my daily routine. I attempted to resume walking but hesitated.

‘Hmm?’

The translucent spirits, who had been frolicking through the air as though causing absolute chaos, lined themselves up like lanterns at the village entrance, creating a path for me. They said something, though I could not discern their meaning, so I simply proceeded toward the entrance.

‘He seems like a decent person. It’s a shame he’s not a Spirit Summoner. I’d like to introduce him to my friends.’
‘He reminds me of the ancient heroes my mother spoke of long ago. They were like him too.’
‘He seems like a good person. I was uncertain before, but his aura truly feels virtuous.’

Not a single Elf scoffed at the spirits’ remarks, which would have left me speechless had I heard them. Only Tribal Chief Canaria greeted me at the entrance with an enigmatic expression.

“Tribal Chief, I shall take my leave.”

Rather than offering words of farewell in response, Canaria spoke differently.

“You mentioned your family’s estate is located in the Northeast Region, correct?”
“…That is correct.”

Canaria read the wariness that gathered in my eyes. At that sight, laughter finally escaped her. This demeanor suited her far better than her earlier composure.

“Young Master, I believe you are aware that you currently lack the power of earth. This Roan Kingdom is the Land of Stone. The power of earth is strongest here. After all, stone is the most powerful manifestation of earth’s strength.”

My eyes did not hide my true thoughts as I regarded her.

‘And?’

I had no desire to gain more power. If I were to acquire the power of earth as well, all five representative attributes of nature would be gathered. Wouldn’t that foreshadow a rather troublesome future?

Noticing Kale’s expression harden, Canaria carefully withdrew a wrapped book from her embrace and offered it to him.
When Kale refused to take it and looked at her with a questioning gaze, she explained.

“It’s a tome containing ancient legends related to the earth. An old book. For us, it’s a legend we can’t make heads or tails of, but perhaps it might be useful to you.”

Kale stared at the book Canaria extended toward him.
Ancient legends? He wanted it even less. He had no need for it.

But at her next words, Kale’s eyes widened.

“It’s quite an amusing legend, actually. Apparently, some hero with tremendous destructive power was obsessed with accumulating wealth. After this hero’s death, another hero recovered and preserved his fortune—and this is that hero’s biography.”

Canaria let out a derisive snort.

“Would a hero covet money? And this was a great hero who saved a frozen world, who desired no power, no title, no honor—yet his hobby was collecting coins? Does that sound plausible to you?”

She looked at Kale as if seeking his agreement. At her gaze, he too let out a scoff and nodded in accord.

“Of course not. A hero would never do such a thing. Besides, ancient legends are so muddled with falsehood and truth anyway.”
“True enough. In any case, this tome contains the legend of another hero—enemy and friend to the money-obsessed one—and this hero seems to have wielded the power of the earth.”

With a contemplative expression, Canaria placed the book into Kale’s outstretched palm.

“Truthfully, I don’t expect you’ll find ancient power within these pages. But if a book we have no use for might help someone who saved our village, wouldn’t that be worthwhile?”
“Isn’t it a precious book?”
“No, actually.”

Canaria considered embellishing her words, but chose honesty instead.

“In truth, we elves have a storage house for items we no longer need. This book was there, and I remembered it and brought it along.”

Even as she said this, she believed the book would be of little help to Kale. After all, she had visited the location described within its pages and found nothing.

‘But his luck is extraordinary.’

Ancient power was a force that required the kind of fortune heaven itself bestows upon its chosen bearer. This human before her had been granted five such fortunes. So Canaria, on the chance it might matter, handed over the tome.
Kale accepted the book with evident reluctance, his expression betraying his discomfort.

“Well, since you say the Elf Village has no need for it, I’ll accept it for now. It would be difficult to refuse such sincerity. And the power of ancient times isn’t something one can obtain just by seeking it.”
“That’s true. One needs fortune to smile upon them. Still, it’s quite an amusing and absurd legend contained in this book, so you’ll find it entertaining to read.”
“Yes, that’s so.”

I slipped the tome leisurely into my embrace and shook hands with Canaria.

“Should fate allow us to meet again, I hope to see you then, Chieftain.”
“Yes. I do hope you’ll visit again with the Dragon.”

-I’m right here, Chieftain!

Ignoring Raon’s cry, I exchanged a gentle farewell with the Chieftain. I felt the tome within my embrace and contemplated.

‘There was a reason the Flame of Destruction appeared near this Elf Village.’

Perhaps the Flame of Destruction had manifested near this village precisely because this tome existed here. The world held many seemingly random occurrences, yet many events carried their own causality.
I recalled the Chieftain’s words.

‘Would a hero covet money? A great hero who saved the frozen world, who desired neither power nor title nor honor—you think his hobby is merely picking up coins? Does that make sense?’

It makes sense. Why wouldn’t it?
Not long ago, I was the one who had scattered money before such a hero.

I was inwardly certain. The money-obsessed hero in this tome was the master of the ‘Flame of Destruction.’ And for some reason, I had a feeling that the one who was both enemy and friend to that hero was the master of the ‘Scary Rock.’
To be precise, stone was a subordinate attribute of earth, but it still fell within the earth attribute category.

‘So the master of the Scary Rock took the money of the master of the Flame of Destruction?’

Not the power of ancient times, but thinking of that money, my heart raced.
Power was something one could obtain if desired, or simply forgo. Wouldn’t it be enough to just secure the money?
I controlled the corners of my mouth that threatened to curl upward and offered a final greeting.

“I shall take my leave.”
“Yes. Farewell.”

I walked through the translucent veil of illusory magic that served as the entrance, exit, and boundary of the Elf Village. My companions followed behind me.

At last, I emerged from the Elf Village after several days. Then I stopped just outside that boundary, at the place where the barrier had once stood.

“Ha.”

A sigh escaped my lips. At that sound, my companions quietly averted their gazes toward the distant mountains. Choi Han and Rak coughed awkwardly and lowered their heads, while Ron and Vicross remained composed.
On and Hong, nestled in Choi Han’s arms, meowed softly while gazing at the distant mountains alongside everyone else.

-Human! Can you see the magnificent traces of our great battle? We destroyed it all!

Raon spoke with unmistakable pride.

Yes, we destroyed it all. I wondered why even the Elf Chieftain had thrown himself into reconstruction efforts. But seeing the landscape before me, I understood.
Trees had been completely uprooted and snapped in half, the ground overturned in countless places. Boulders lay shattered as though cleaved by sword blades and aura.

Yet I could say nothing.

-Human, the scar from your lightning strike is the largest! Do you see it? You possess considerable power, but never use it again!

Because my own actions had been the most devastating. Within the Gorge existed a vast circular expanse of blackened earth, as though a patch had been torn away. A desolate, barren wasteland of black ground.
I gazed at the distant mountains and spoke to my companions.

“Let us depart.”

Before I left the Gorge using the ancient power Wind’s Sound, I questioned Vicross.

“Is it not heavy?”
“No, sir.”

Vicross, carrying Belbert with his ears, eyes, and mouth all covered, appeared unburdened. Belbert, unable to hear or see anything, remained unconscious.

I confirmed my companions were ready, then left the Gorge. I headed toward Block Village. After swift travel, we arrived at the village quickly, but because of Belbert’s condition, I halted our steps at the base of the mountain rather than entering the village itself.

“Young Master!”

Hans, my butler, bowed respectfully to me. The young kittens On and Hong quickly nestled into his arms. I passed Hans and extended my hand toward someone I was delighted to see.

“Has it been three months?”
“Indeed, Young Master.”

Rosalind, returned from the Breck Kingdom, offered a fresh smile. In response to my questioning gaze, she withdrew a single sheet of paper from her embrace and showed it to me.

When war broke out, Rosalind would formally assume leadership of the Mage Alliance across both the Breck Kingdom and the Roan Kingdom.
Kale greeted her with a smile.

“Welcome back, Rosalind.”
“I wanted to hear that greeting.”

Kale released Rosalind’s hand as she laughed alongside him, then commanded Hans. He needed to meet with the Dark Elf Tasha.

“Hans, let’s head to the Capital first.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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