Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 147

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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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Five days later.
Kale Heniatus gazed at the setting sun beyond the horizon and spoke.

“The winter sea is cold.”
“Human, cold again? Should I cast more warming magic?”
“…I was just making conversation.”

In truth, Kale Heniatus wasn’t particularly cold. The words had merely escaped his lips because of the biting wind. As I gazed at the crimson sunset, I felt my restless heart grow sharp and clear, and I opened my mouth.

“They’ve finally arrived.”

At my words, Choi Han, Rosalind, Raon, Gashan, and Paseton—in the form of a small humpback whale—all turned their gaze toward the horizon.
Beyond the horizon, tiny as dots, a few ships were visible. Dozens more would be following behind them.

The humpback whale Paseton moved closer to the coastal rocks from within the water and opened his mouth.

“Young Master Kale Heniatus, my sister says to tell you that we are ready.”

Beneath the waves, several members of the Whale Tribe and dozens of whales waited in position.
Kale Heniatus opened his mouth.

“Gashan.”
“Preparing now.”

The shaman’s closed eyes opened.

Caw, caw, caw.
Behind Kale Heniatus, the forest of Hice Island 9 rustled as dozens of crows emerged from the trees. Gashan spoke.

“Go.”

The crows scattered in a flock, swiftly dispersing toward the other Hice Islands.
They were messengers stationed on various Hice Islands—members of the Tiger Tribe and Whale Tribe, and couriers for Kale Heniatus’s group. Rosalind approached Kale Heniatus and spoke.

“Young Master, I understand why we stationed Merry and Ron together, but will Sword Master Hana be alright alone?”

Merry and Ron.
The two of them took charge of one of the Hice Islands designated by operational plan.

“No matter how much Sword Master Hana insisted on handling it alone.”

Rosalind trailed off, unable to shake her concern.
Sword Master Hana had declared she would take one of the Hice Islands herself. Before Kale Heniatus could respond to Rosalind, Choi Han spoke up.

“It’s enough.”
“…Based on your judgment?”

Choi Han smiled at Rosalind.

“Yeah. In my judgment, it’s enough. And I trained her.”

At Choi Han’s assurance, Rosalind fell silent. Swordsmen understood swordsmen best. It was Choi Han who had personally trained Rak and Hana throughout this winter.

Rosalind trusted Choi Han’s judgment and said nothing more. In that moment, I recalled what Hana and Ron had said.

‘Young master, please leave the densest forest to me. I will eliminate them all discreetly.’

Ron had said so with a cold smile instead of feigning kindness. And Hana had smiled and spoken.

‘Kale Heniatus. I’m enough alone. Don’t send me with other humans for no reason.’
‘Can you handle it alone?’
‘Whether I can or not isn’t the point. I don’t think I’ll be able to tell the difference. Once I see blood, I think I’ll just kill everything without seeing anything else.’

I tried to push away thoughts of these two bloodthirsty individuals.
Why had Dark turned such formidable humans into enemies?
Thinking it was a shame, I gazed toward the horizon.

I heard Raon’s voice.

“Human, the sun is setting! Now we destroy everything!”

What a bloodthirsty dragon.
I sighed and opened my mouth.

“Fall back.”

Whiiiiiii—

Wind began to swirl violently around Kale Heniatus’s body.
All preparations were already complete.

Kale had never pushed his power to its absolute limit.
Even the lightning of ‘Destructive Fire’ had not been unleashed at its peak.

But in this moment, he unfurled ‘Wind’s Sound’ without reservation.

Whiiiiing—

Raon had other matters to attend to and could not do this simultaneously, so I was the perfect choice.

Flutter, flutter.
Rosalind grasped the fluttering hem of her robe and retreated from Kale Heniatus.

“Rosalind, let’s begin.”

At Raon’s words, Rosalind nodded. The magic circle Raon had crafted with his greatest power was remarkably intricate and of tremendous scale.

Flutter, flutter!
The sound of garments billowing grew increasingly fierce.

Shhhhh—
The trees of the forest trembled. Rosalind raised her magical staff high. She had never unleashed magic of such magnitude before.
But she would do so now.

‘A tempest, no less.’

She plunged her staff into the hollow at the center of the magic circle, which was embedded with five supreme-grade mana stones.

Thump.
In that instant, crimson mana surged and bloomed from Rosalind’s body. Then, Gashan’s voice reached her ears.

“O wind that became the breath of those weary from toil. Dwell within this humble vessel and become a great typhoon.”

Rosalind lifted her head.
The Black Dragon had spread both front legs toward the heavens.

As the sun descended, the sky gradually turned deep indigo from the east, and black storm clouds began to appear overhead.

Massive storm clouds that would blanket half of the fifteen Hice Islands. Lightning and fierce winds accompanied them.
Rosalind gripped the staff planted firmly in the magic circle.

The mere thought of it was awe-inspiring.

Fluttering, fluttering.
She gazed toward where the wind was coming from.
Like Choi Han, she fixed her gaze on a single point.

Whiiiiiii.

Dozens of small whirlwinds were rising up around Kale Heniatus as their center.

Kale Heniatus’s shirt tails fluttered violently. He was generating whirlwinds with everything he had.

‘This is quite taxing too.’

Whenever my strength waned from summoning Wind’s Sound, Vitality of the Heart would respond and reinvigorate me.

‘…Something’s strange.’

The cycle was occurring with incredible speed, like a squirrel on a wheel.
My strength was gradually depleting, but whenever a whirlwind as strong as my fist formed, Vitality of the Heart would activate, allowing me to endure.

But something was off.

“Ugh.”

It was strange.
The cycle was accelerating.

At this rate, control would become difficult.

…Was this the extent of ancient power?
Beads of sweat began forming on Kale Heniatus’s forehead.

Whiiiii—

Splash, splash.
Waves rose and undulated in the sea along the Coastline. Paseton hastily retreated from the shore. Gashan and Paseton stared at Kale Heniatus with startled expressions.
Kale Heniatus appeared hazy, enveloped by countless whirlwinds.

“Ugh.”

A groan escaped from Kale Heniatus’s lips.

“Human, stop! If you get hurt, I’ll destroy everything!”

Raon shouted at Kale Heniatus, whose arms trembled as if seized by convulsions. Kale Heniatus wanted to open his mouth, but he lacked the strength.

‘I was going to stop anyway!’

That’s what I wanted to say.
But merely keeping the wind at my side was already overwhelming. Through the countless fist-sized whirlwinds, I locked eyes with Choi Han.

Unlike his clothes fluttering in the wind, Choi Han stood firm and resolute.

‘It’s not satisfactory yet, but I’ve still taken a step forward.’

That was what Choi Han had said after completing his training.

I nodded toward Choi Han, whose eyes met mine. He raised his voice.

“Begin!”

The moment those words reached my ears, I released the wind I had bound around me.

Whoooosh—
Tearing through the sea, the whirlpools surged toward their designated positions, following my will. I lifted my head.

Whissssh—
Along with the desolate sound of trees blowing from the Forest, the sky covered in dark clouds came into view. The ominous clouds spread increasingly wide toward the east.

I turned my head and gazed at the sky. As the red sun in the west disappeared, the hours of night gradually descended.

Storm and whirlpools.

The terror of the sea would manifest as something false.
Only in the vicinity of this part of Hice Island.

Kale Heniatus fastened the buttons of his shirt sleeve, which had been disheveled by the wind, and gazed toward the horizon. Dozens of ships that had appeared as mere dots in the distance were now revealing their true forms as they approached.

“We should hide ourselves as well.”

Rumble—

In that moment, thunder began to echo across the sky.

* * *

Pitter-patter.
Opid, commander of Dark Mage Unit 1, furrowed his brow as he watched raindrops falling one by one.

“Rain at this time? Is a storm coming?”
“It’s still just a few drops, sir. I suggest we move quickly and anchor the ships across the Hice Islands to assess the situation.”
“Can we do it before it gets any darker?”
“Yes, sir.”

Opid nodded at his subordinate’s words and surveyed the surroundings. People on dozens of ships were moving busily to prepare for the rain.

“Tsk, I should have brought more skilled sailors.”
“Commander, there’s no helping it, is there?”

Gretel, the vice-commander, approached and patted Opid’s shoulder.

“We can’t bring more sailors and increase the number of mouths to feed when we need to keep our identity hidden and move quietly. It’s already going to be a nightmare dealing with all these navigators.”
“Gretel, you’re right about that.”

Rumble.
As Opid looked at the sky, which emitted a sound just before thunder struck, an odd feeling washed over him.

That was when it happened.

Whoooosh—

A subtle sound, different from the noise of ships cutting through the sea, brushed against his ears.

Whoooosh—
Whoooosh—

But it wasn’t just once.

The rear.

Opid turned to look behind him.
He stood at the center of dozens of ships.
He gazed at the vessels following in their wake.

Kuuuuu—
A colossal cry echoed across the waters as an enormous form leaped into the air in the distance.

“…Whales.”

Whales.
About ten of them breached the surface in chaotic succession before sinking back into the depths.

Among them, one stood out.
A humpback whale—bearing an X-shaped scar across its back.

“…The Whale Tribe!”

Opid’s eyes widened.

The Whale Tribe was supposed to be in the North. Whale King Siceller never ventured from their domain.

Before setting sail, Dark Mage Unit 1 had moved based on intelligence gathered through the Northern 3 Nations. So why had the Whale Tribe’s successor appeared here?

“Commander! Those are the Whale Tribe! Why are they here?”

Vice-Commander Gretel furrowed his brow in alarm. Rather than answer, Opid issued orders to his subordinates.

“Make for the nearest Hice Island at full speed.”

Encountering the Whale Tribe at sea meant accepting catastrophic losses. No—it meant accepting death.

“Raise the black flag above the mast.”

After instructing his subordinates to raise the black flag signaling an emergency, Opid turned his gaze toward his vice-captain, Gretel.

“Gretel, bring all the crew members out.”
“Yes.”

Opid bit his lip as he watched his men move with urgency.

Whoooosh.
Uuuuuu—

The whales drew closer with increasing speed.

“Damn it.”

Opid’s expression twisted in frustration.

“Raising the flag!”

With his subordinate’s voice, the black flag slowly ascended.

Opid adjusted the sword at his waist. A top-tier Expert and intermediate Mage, Opid prepared to move in order to protect the ships.

That was when it happened.

“Huh?”

The navigator’s eyes widened.

Boom!

At the tremendous sound erupting from ahead, Opid looked forward.

“What is that?”

Suddenly, whirlpools surged up from the sea. From that moment onward—

“Captain, whirlpools suddenly appeared in the sea!”

Opid was already leaping across the decks of the tightly clustered ships with magic, moving forward before his subordinate could even finish speaking.

“Insane!”

Though only one whirlpool had erupted skyward, countless smaller vortices were spawning across the surrounding waters.

Whoooosh—
Rain began to fall.
Opid lifted his head.

It was dark.
In a night where even the stars had vanished, nothing was visible except the magical lanterns.

Ooooooo—
Only the cries of whales echoed across the waters. Opid issued orders to all the ships.

“To Hice Island! Get to Hice Island as fast as you can!”

The navigator beside him spoke urgently, his voice strained.

“But the whirlpools!”
“Navigate around them! The Whale Tribe is coming from behind. If you value your lives, get to the island!”

Once we reached land, we could fight properly. But on the sea during a raging storm, encountering whales meant only death.

“Captain, we’ve roused all the crew members!”
“Opid! It seems we cannot moor all the ships at a single location on Hice Island!”

Opid assessed the speed of the whales pursuing from afar and issued rapid commands.

“Split up and make for land wherever is nearest! Gretel, divide the unit members and send them out on the ships!”

The members of Arm Combat Unit 1 each commanded their own subordinates. Their numbers alone amounted to dozens.

Crash!
I watched as one of the trailing ships was caught in a whirlpool.

Ahhhhh!
Screams of the crew members pierced the night.

“Should we go rescue them?”

At the same moment his subordinate spoke, a sound reached Opid’s ears.

Kuuuuu—

A whale.

“No. We push forward. Only forward. Even if we lose a few ships, we can hold out on the island until tomorrow. And once we reach the island, send word to the center immediately.”

Screech. Screech.
Opid gripped the railing. The ship lurched. Gretel, the elite assassin and swordsman, was already moving to carry out Opid’s command.

“Damn it.”

What in the world was happening?
As the silhouette of an island faintly emerged through the darkness, Opid’s grip on the railing tightened.
There was no time to consider which of the fifteen islands this one was.

“…More Whirlpools!”

A harsh curse spilled from Opid’s lips.
Strange formations of Whirlpools churned between the islands. The rain and wind made it difficult to distinguish them from a distance.

“It looks like we’ll all be torn apart!”
“Just anchor wherever you can!”

The Whirlpools were positioned so that multiple ships could not pass through at once.
Dozens of ships scattered and dispersed to various locations on Hice Island.

Crash!
Crack. Opid glanced back. The side of one medium-sized ship was shattered. And he saw a humpback whale with its mouth open, roaring.

“Hurry!”
“Y-yes, we’re all coming!”

The navigator cried out urgently, feeling Opid’s blade at his back. Beyond the massive Whirlpools, a single Hice Island finally came into view.

The moment the ship touched the island, Opid issued orders to his subordinates.

“Quickly, move with haste and establish a defensive position!”

Opid’s subordinates quickly disembarked from the boat. Opid turned his gaze toward the island as he watched the other vessels scatter to avoid the numerous Whirlpools.

A small beach with a sandy shore.
Beyond the sand, a small Forest came into view. Opid immediately headed toward it.

An island standing alone between the Eastern Continent and the Western Continent.
It was an uninhabited island. Though startled by the encounter with the Whale Tribe, I needed to explore the Forest quickly and establish a foothold.

‘The whales will also have difficulty crossing the Whirlpools to reach this island.’

With a considerably lighter heart, Opid quickened his pace.
And the moment he stepped into the Forest.

Rustle.

Opid’s footsteps halted.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of human footsteps.
Opid stared straight ahead.

That was the moment. A golden line appeared.

Slash—
A golden line severing the trees of the Forest.

Between those golden lines, a figure emerged.
A woman whose face was covered entirely in a black web-like pattern. Her golden eyes gleamed brilliantly as she laughed.

“…Sword Master.”

Opid spat out a curse.
And at that very moment, a strange sound reached the scattered combat units.

Growl.

Figures with gleaming eyes appeared one after another, accompanied by the cries of beasts.
Ron, who had been staying on Hice Island 1, spoke to Merry.

“I’ll handle the assassins myself. Merry, you should rest.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”

Ron vanished into the darkness upon seeing Vice-Commander Gretel.

Kale Heniatus spoke while looking down with his arms crossed.

“What a magnificent mess this is.”

The panorama unfolding below was deeply satisfying.
The night was only beginning.

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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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