Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 137

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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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Yet the show remained a distant prospect, with countless pressing issues looming before it.

‘Of course, this is not a problem I need to solve.’

Kale leisurely sipped the tea renowned as a specialty of the Jungle. Currently, I sat with Jungle Queen Ritana, engaged in conversation over tea.

Clink. The moment Kale set the teacup upon the saucer, Ritana’s voice reached my ears.

“According to the information received from the Saint, much of the research conducted at the Alchemy Tower was devoted to warfare and assassination.”

As Ritana spoke of the Tower, her face contorted with revulsion. Kale could discern what that disgust signified. My lips parted.

“To conduct such research, one would need to perform extensive experiments, wouldn’t they?”

At Kale’s subtle remark, Ritana nodded and gulped down her tea in large swallows.
It must be scalding. Kale wondered if Ritana’s palate would survive unscathed.

Thud!
Yet seeing Ritana set her teacup down roughly upon the glass table, Kale said nothing. Fury blazed within Ritana’s dark eyes.

“I cannot forgive this. How could they slaughter so many beasts and people so brutally!”

Kale watched the enraged Ritana and took another sip of tea.

Whether alchemy or magic, warfare or murder—experimentation was an inevitable necessity. And those experiments were typically conducted upon orcs and goblins.

In Kale’s view, even that was hardly an admirable approach, but the information regarding the Alchemy Tower this time was steeped in cruelty that transcended such methods.

The Empire remained one of the few nations still maintaining slavery.
Naturally, the test subjects were slaves.
Moreover, countless animals had also perished.

Thus, in the Jungle—where slavery did not exist and where beasts were companions—such revelations could only kindle fury.
The Queen regarded Kale and spoke.

“Isn’t it truly cruel, even in your eyes?”
“It is.”
“Exactly. So we must save them.”

Hmm?
Kale stared at Ritana while holding his teacup. For some reason, her intense gaze sent a chill down the back of his neck.

“Young master, I harbor ill will toward the Imperial Palace and the Alchemy Tower.”

The burning of Zone 1 had been a joint effort between the Crown Prince and the Alchemy Tower.

“However, I have no intention of seizing Imperial lands, nor do I wish to kill Imperial citizens. I simply want to eliminate that… well, the leadership. And to stop such research.”
“…Should I convey this to Crown Prince Alberu?”

Ritana nodded with a slight smile.

“Yes. Please tell the Crown Prince that this is our position.”

Kale nodded.
Currently, the Roan Kingdom served as the center connecting the various kingdoms.
It could not have been otherwise.
Apart from Kale and the Crown Prince, no one on this continent yet possessed accurate knowledge of the current situation.

Wiper, Breck, Jungle.
These three regions only knew that the Empire and the Northern 3 Nations were in a cooperative relationship. Only Kale and Crown Prince Alberu’s faction knew of the Secret Organization’s existence, with Dark as their combat unit.

And the existence of this Secret Organization was to be revealed at the conference.

Kale nodded and set down his teacup.

“I’ll convey it that way. But Ritana…”
“Yes.”

Kale interlaced his fingers on the table where he had set down his teacup, his expression turning serious. Ritana’s face hardened in response as she regarded him.
Kale opened his mouth.

“Why not just destroy the Bell Tower entirely while we’re at it?”
“…Pardon?”
“Ah, ‘destroy’ was too crude a word. Let me rephrase—collapse it instead.”
“Pardon?”

Ritana stared at Kale for a moment, struggling to comprehend. His voice remained eerily calm.

“Their cruelty simply inspired the thought. Don’t you share that sentiment, Ritana?”
“…I suppose so. But it’s not exactly a simple task, is it?”

The Bell Tower, despite its name, was an impregnable fortress—far more so than the Magic Tower itself, save for the colossal bell adorning its roof.
Kale nodded in agreement with Ritana’s words.

“Indeed. It would be no simple matter.”

Ritana felt a peculiar flutter in her chest, but seeing Kale’s composed acceptance, she picked up her teacup again and spoke.

“Destroying a Bell Tower that has stood for centuries would be difficult. Though it would be nice if we could.”
“Quite so.”

Kale agreed with Ritana’s words, his mind already turning to other matters.

‘When I destroy the Bell Tower, I could bring along several warriors from the Jungle Queen’s forces.’

Kale was already contemplating the destruction of the Bell Tower. It had to be done.
It would eliminate one of the pillars supporting the Empire.

The Empire rested upon two pillars—Alchemy and the Sun God Church—with the Imperial Family as its roof.

Currently, people spoke of the Sun God Church, one of the Empire’s pillars, crumbling. But Kale intended to topple the Bell Tower and erect a new pillar in its place.

A new Sun God Church.

‘Or rather, it would be more accurate to call it a foundation than a pillar.’

What if I remade the very ground upon which the pillar would stand? The thought intrigued me.
But that was not my task to undertake.
I would simply have others destroy the Bell Tower, and afterward, I would observe from the shadows. That was precisely why I was going through all this trouble now.

One of those concerns spilled from Ritana’s lips.

“Then, will you be looking after the Saint and Saint Maiden, my lord?”

Kale had already told Ritana that he would take the Saint and Saint Maiden with him.

“Yes. If you are comfortable with it, I would like to do so.”
“I have no objections.”

If they were truly the Saint and Saint Maiden, they would prove useful when pressuring the Empire later. But the Saint Maiden was a fake, and the Saint was only half-baked. Ritana had already extracted all the information she needed from the Saint, so she had little use for either of them.

“Then I shall take them with me.”

Ritana quietly observed Kale, who was about to shoulder the burden of the twins—perhaps even a time bomb waiting to detonate. Kale offered a gentle smile.

“And you understand about the black robes?”
“I do. Secrets must be kept strictly.”

The Crown Prince had told Ritana that there existed a being capable of countering dead mana bombs. Kale had brought that being, and naturally, it remained classified—Ritana had not breathed a word of it to anyone except Bin and a few of her direct subordinates.

Ritana rose from her seat, glancing at her empty teacup.

“Shall we end this here?”

Kale had nothing more to say, so he stood as well. She looked at him and asked.

“Will you leave immediately?”
“I intend to move as quickly as possible once the Saint Maiden recovers.”

Ritana nodded with a knowing smile at his answer, as if she had expected nothing less.

“Yes. With you by her side, she should recover quickly.”

She could achieve the greatest revenge.
Ritana swallowed the rest of her words. The greatest revenge that Kale spoke of—living happily. It seemed as though Kale would teach the twins exactly that.

‘How can a person always think of others first like that?’

She had no confidence she could live as Kale did. Instead, she resolved to do her very best within her own position.

“Young master, I shall take responsibility for escorting you to the Coastline later.”
“Yes, thank you.”

Kale wanted to tell Ritana that an escort wasn’t necessary, but the prospect of being troublesome made him simply accept her kindness instead.

‘I have two Dragons.’

An escort was unnecessary given Kale’s full strength.

* * *

Clatter. Clatter.
The carriage rattled with each bump along the dirt road. A single carriage was heading toward Harris Village.

Click. Whoosh.
The window by the coachman’s seat opened. Ron’s face appeared, serving as the coachman.

“Young master, it has rained these past few days, so the road to Harris Village is somewhat rough. I ask for your understanding.”
“The sofa is quite comfortable, so it’s fine.”

Kale answered while surveying his surroundings.
Across from him, Erhafen gazed out the window with his legs crossed. Tasha sat atop the carriage roof.
The space was too cramped, and traveling with two Dragons was simply too burdensome.

And beside Erhafen and Kale himself—that space was a complete mess in Kale’s eyes.

First, Sword Master Hana occupied quite a bit of space as she leaned back against the carriage seat. She held Merry’s hand while draped in a white robe.
Beside the two women sat Saint Jack and Raon. The Black Dragon spoke.

“Saint, have you never been to the Dark Forest before?”

It was the tone of an emperor speaking to his subject. Saint Jack answered respectfully.

“No, Dragon. I only left the Imperial Capital for the first time when I escaped this time.”
“I see! I shall show you around! I will show you the Village too!”

Merry, who had been quiet, joined the conversation.

“I also could not see the world until the Dragon showed me. There are many good places in this world.”

Both Merry and the Saint were equally oblivious to the ways of the world, yet somehow they harmonized perfectly with Raon.
Kale and Jack exchanged glances while silently clicking their tongues at the sight. Jack bowed his head to Kale, his hands carefully wrapped in bandages.

Since Kale needed to bring the Saint and Saint Maiden to Stone Cave, he introduced his companions to them. Among that group were two Dragons.
At that moment, the Saint spoke to Kale with a deeply moved voice.

‘Indeed, it seems light walks alongside someone of such profound purpose.’

For Kale, it was not a particularly welcome reaction. The Saint Maiden, however, seemed quite pleased.

‘Excellent. This will work perfectly.’

There was no need to ask what she meant to accomplish.
She was so delighted at the mention of two Dragons. Hana was thrilled at the prospect of revenge.
Kale found such a reaction far more comfortable.

“Sigh.”

Kale momentarily thought he had let out the sigh himself.
But he hadn’t. Gold Dragon Erhafen stared intently at Raon, then turned his gaze back out the window. He muttered while looking outside.

“My goodness, I’ve never seen a Dragon guide anyone in all my days. The end times are upon us, truly.”

Lately, Erhafen had been invoking the end times quite frequently.
Kale had grown accustomed to it, so he simply leaned back against the sofa. He chose to rest fully until they arrived at the Underground Villa.

Not long after, Kale returned to the Underground Cavern with his new companions. Those who had remained at the Mansion approached and welcomed them.

Yet the eyes gazing upon the Saint and Saint Maiden held more than mere warmth. Kale observed his companions’ expressions carefully.

“Oh, new family members!”

Only the oblivious butler Hans remained cheerful, while the Wolf Tribe Children watched Vicross and Ron carefully. Then Vicross spoke.

“I’ll need to prepare meals for two more people.”

Once Vicross moved past the moment, the Wolf Tribe Children released the tension that had gripped their bodies. Kale’s gaze turned toward Choi Han and Rosalind.
Choi Han gazed calmly into the distance, while Rosalind smiled when her eyes met Kale’s.

Rosalind and Sword Master Hana.
The two had already fought once before on the sea. Kale recalled the conversation they had exchanged during that battle.

‘Wow, this sister is incredibly strong?’
‘Right? I’m a bit of a powerful mage.’

‘…So there’s another mage besides you?’
‘We’re a Secret Organization, remember?’

The image of golden auras shooting forth and magic flying through the air painted itself in my mind. I found myself wearing an awkward smile at Rosalind’s grin.
That was when it happened.

A white robe stepped forward.
With a soft rustle, Sword Master Hana lowered her hood.

“Mm.”
“Ah.”

Hana’s face, covered in black spider-web-like scars, was revealed. Several of them let out quiet gasps.
Seeing this, Hana lowered her head.

“I appreciate your support.”

A hand appeared before her. Hana lifted her head. Rosalind was extending her hand.
Hana began to reach out but hesitated upon seeing her own grotesque hand.

Yet another hand swiftly grasped hers. It was Rosalind again. She spoke to Hana.

“Welcome.”

Rosalind and my gazes met. I nodded to Rosalind. She truly was the one who understood my intentions best.

Kale Heniatus stepped forward. He spoke to his colleagues who were looking at him.

“We’re exhausted, so let’s rest for now.”

For now, I simply wanted to lie down because I was tired.

* * *

Several weeks had passed.
As the peak of summer waned—a season worthy of the term “tropical night”—Kale sprawled across the marble floor exactly as he pleased.

‘The stone is so refreshingly cool.’

The expansive 5th Floor had been cleared of its carpet, and Kale was leisurely indulging in comfort atop the cold marble.

Aaaahhh!
Woooah!

Energetic voices continued to drift through the windows from outside. Training was in full swing. Of course, none of it concerned Kale himself.

Pop. Pop. Plucking grapes one by one, Kale muttered indifferently.

“It’s about time I heard from him.”

In that instant, a chill far more penetrating than any marble could provide settled against the nape of Kale’s neck. His gaze immediately snapped toward the desk.

The communication device was glowing red.

The Crown Prince.
This was Alberu calling.

“Sigh.”

Kale rose to his feet. This was the call he had been expecting.
Until now, he had been lounging about, gathering energy in preparation for this moment. Now it was time to expend it.

Kale headed toward the 5th Floor door to answer the communication device.
He intended to summon Raon or Rosalind.

But there was no need.

Creak.

The door opened with a faint sound, and Raon was already entering.

“Ra—”
“Don’t speak.”

Hm?
Kale paused mid-stride.

Raon’s shoulders drooped as he flew toward me. His wingbeats lacked vigor. The corners of his eyes sagged downward.
Raon drifted through the air with his front and hind legs hanging limply at his sides.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

I had never seen Raon in such a state before.
Then another figure entered the room. Or rather, another dragon entered.

“Erhafen.”

It was the Gold Dragon Erhafen.
Erhafen glanced at Raon before turning to me and opening his mouth.

“Ahem, well. I’m not saying this to boast, but—”
“Yes?”
“That one is quite intelligent. He learned in a month what should have taken three.”

What was he talking about all of a sudden?
I couldn’t make sense of Erhafen’s sudden comment or Raon’s dejected appearance. As if my bewildered expression were invisible, Erhafen continued with what he had to say.
His own expression was equally perplexed.

“But he hasn’t grown.”
“…I’m sorry?”

What did that mean?
Erhafen spoke to my confused silence as though he himself couldn’t comprehend the situation.

“He hasn’t undergone his first growth.”

Hm?

“It’s time. Why hasn’t he? If I prepare the vessel quickly, he should grow larger and—”

Only then did I understand what Erhafen meant. I turned my head to look at Raon.
Our eyes met.

“…Human, do not make me speak.”

With that, I wriggled into the blankets of the bed.

“…I am great, so I will do what I must.”

Even so, I activated the video communication device.
Kale watched as the video communication device glowed blue with my magic, connecting to the Crown Prince, then turned his gaze toward the bed.

The blankets bulged outward in a round lump the size of me.
Erhafen left the room with a sigh, and Kale could see the Crown Prince’s face floating above the video communication device, which was positioned quite far from the bed.

The Crown Prince blurted out the moment he saw Kale.

-Why do you look like that? Are you suffering from the heat?

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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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