Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 155

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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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‘Does the Judgment of the Sun truly exist?’

The Crazy Priestess Kage, who had been listening to Saint Jack’s words from beside him, reacted with shock written across her face.
At that moment, I sensed something.

‘This is no ordinary object.’

Saint Jack answered my premonition by uttering a single word.

‘A divine artifact.’

A divine artifact.
An object bestowed by the gods themselves.
The Thief, who had once possessed the ancient power I now held—Wind’s Sound—had fled with a divine artifact only to meet her death.
It was a treasure of such magnitude. The Secret Organization Dark had been able to slay the formidable Blue Werewolf Tribe precisely because they possessed divine artifacts.

So I asked with barely contained anticipation.

‘Where is the Judgment of the Sun located? I shall retrieve it at once.’

But Jack shook his head with a bitter expression.

‘I do not know.’

Jack had merely heard of the divine artifact’s existence in passing during his education as a Saint under the Pope in his earliest years. After that, whenever Jack asked the Pope, ‘Do you possess a divine artifact?’, the Pope would respond, ‘A divine artifact? No such thing exists.’

Fake Saint Hana, who had been listening quietly to Jack’s words, let out a scoff.

‘The Pope said it doesn’t exist? Then it must be somewhere. That greedy old man must have hidden it away.’

Then Jack said something intriguing.

‘However, the Pope would not have been able to use the divine artifact even if he knew its location.’
‘Why is that?’
‘Because for the past five hundred years, the Popes have not been directly appointed by the Sun God. They have all been selected through meetings among the leadership of the Religious Order.’

Hana let out another cynical smile.

‘A leadership meeting? It’s nothing but a sordid power struggle.’

I listened to the conversation between the Mad Priestess, the Saint, and the Fake Saint Hana, and as it drew to a close, I asked Jack a question.

‘What sort of divine artifact is the Sun’s Condemnation?’

After hearing his answer, I set myself a new objective for this affair.

If fortune smiled upon me and I happened to find it, I would steal it.

‘But there’s no suitable method for it.’

There was no way I could know a location that even the Saint and Saint Maiden didn’t know. That’s why I added the caveat of ‘if fortune smiled upon me.’

Tap.
I turned my head to follow the hand that had landed on my shoulder.

“Let’s go inside.”

It was the Crown Prince.
Those who responded to his words were the on-site investigation team from the Roan Kingdom, including myself, and the Imperial Officials.

I followed Alberu into the Papal Palace alongside Choi Han, Erhafen, and the Vice-Captain.

The Plaza in front of the Papal Palace still bore the scars of the explosion.
The Papal Palace building itself had been partially destroyed by magical bombs.

Barricades had been erected along the scene of the incident, and beyond them, in the Plaza untouched by the blast, crowds of people had gathered.

“Capture the vile twin demons who destroyed the Empire and the Religious Order!”
“The Sun God Church is corrupt! A religion that lusts for power is no religion at all!”

The voices of countless people mingled and echoed through the air.

“Seize and execute those demonic beings who murdered the Pope!”
“The Sun God has no place in the Empire! The Sun God Church that slaughters Imperial citizens must withdraw!”

As the Empire investigated the terrorist attack, they uncovered and publicly revealed numerous atrocities committed by the Sun God Church. As a result, all relevant personnel, including the Priests who should have been within the Papal Palace, were currently under investigation, leaving the Papal Palace empty.

‘The Empire is quite entertaining, I must say.’

Kale Heniatus could discern that the Imperial Palace was deliberately leaving the gathered crowd in the plaza untouched. Certainly, there would be Imperial agents mixed among them.

Whether or not that was the case, Kale Heniatus paid it no mind.

-Human, human! Let’s find so much treasure!

Kale Heniatus gave a slight nod at the sound of Raon’s voice echoing in his mind.
He lifted his gaze.

The Alchemy Tower, visible from anywhere in the Empire.
The spire rose skyward as if piercing the sun itself.

In stark contrast, the gloomy and crumbling Papal Palace.

‘Ah, how thrilling.’

Fake Saint Hana spoke.

‘I told the Dark Organization about the secret chamber. The one where the Pope and the leadership collaborate. There are many religious treasures there.’
‘But I never mentioned the secret table that exists within that secret chamber.’
‘That’s the real passage.’

Kale Heniatus approached this with unprecedented gravity.
The path to treasure. One had to be cautious. Kale Heniatus had already concluded his discussion with Alberu to a certain extent.

‘Kale Heniatus. We shall execute this on the final day of the field investigation.’
‘Is that because the banquet occurs the very next day, Your Highness?’
‘Yes. While the Empire is in chaos from the banquet, we slip away.’
‘Understood. Then I shall be a diligent investigator until that time.’

Having finished his recollection, Kale Heniatus’s solemn expression caused the faces of the Roan Kingdom’s field investigation team to stiffen as well.

Crunch.
Kale Heniatus stepped on a stone that had fallen from the crumbling building, advancing slowly into the Papal Palace.

“Should we conduct the investigation on our own?”

Crown Prince Alberu responded to the Imperial Official’s question with a slight bow of his head.

“Yes. However, I would appreciate it if you could inform us of the location in advance and have one of our people accompany you during the investigation.”
“Hmm, is that so? Very well, we shall do as you wish.”

The Imperial Official swallowed a breath of relief at Alberu’s response, which showed no sign of displeasure. The Crown Prince divided the investigation team members and issued his instructions.

“The Central Building will be investigated by five of us, including myself.”

After assigning investigators to each building—the Central Building, the East Annex, and the West Administrative Building—Alberu pointed to the final structure and looked toward Kale.

“Lord Kale Heniatus, you and Inspector Ben are to investigate the Garden and the Spire Tower behind it.”

Kale and Ben’s gazes met.
Ben was one of the Crown Prince’s secretaries, appointed as an investigator for his skill in reconnaissance. Naturally, he was a disguised Dark Elf.

Kale opened his mouth.

“I have three knights as my escort, so I don’t believe we require additional security personnel.”

Alberu nodded as if it were of little consequence.

“Very well. You, Ben, and one Imperial Official here—three in total. Your three knights should suffice.”

Alberu immediately ordered them to proceed.
Kale gestured for Ben to lead the way and leisurely made his way toward the Garden.

‘There’s nothing in the Garden.’

Fake Saint Hana had said there was nothing to retrieve from the Garden.
The moment Kale stepped into the Garden, he could see the Imperial Official smiling awkwardly.

“…Well, it’s rather unsightly, isn’t it?”

The official’s eyes fell upon the trampled flowers. With bloodstains still visible, the Garden resembled a battlefield far more than a place of beauty. Unable to present such devastation favorably, the official could only manage an uncomfortable smile.

“Not at all.”

Kale spoke to him thus.

“It’s just that recalling that tragic moment pains my heart.”
“I see.”

The Imperial Official recalled anew that this young nobleman before him was one who had sacrificed himself to prevent terrorism. He listened attentively to the words of this righteous aristocrat.

“I sincerely hope you find the culprit and bring solace to those who have fallen, and comfort to those left behind.”
“…Those are truly noble words.”

Kale Heniatus strolled through the Garden, affecting a semblance of righteousness. Beyond the Garden, the Spire Tower came into view. A small window appeared at the very top of the tower.

The Imperial Official, noticing where his gaze had fallen, opened his mouth.

“Several hundred years ago, when the Papal Palace was established here, there was said to be a heretic. That heretic was locked away at the top of that tower.”

I had heard the same from Saint Jack.

“It’s a building with only stairs leading to the top—a useless structure. It hasn’t been used in several hundred years.”

The Fake Saint Hana had said the same.

…But what is this?

Thump. Thump.
My heart began to race.

The moment my gaze fixed on the Spire Tower, my heart started pounding. I opened my mouth while staring at the tower.

“Ben, let’s split up and investigate. I’ll head toward the Spire Tower.”
“Yes, understood.”

The Imperial Official withdrew toward the entrance of the Garden and spoke.

“Please investigate at your leisure. I shall remain here.”

In other words, he would be watching.

Kale Heniatus moved toward the Spire Tower without offering any particular objection to the Imperial Official’s words.

“Why do you ask?”

Choi Han followed behind Kale Heniatus.
Hilsman stayed with Ben, while Erhafen remained with the Imperial Official.

Kale Heniatus gave a vague answer to Choi Han’s question.

“No, my heart is just racing.”

My heart?
Doubt flickered across Choi Han’s face.
That was when it happened.

When we drew closer to the Spire Tower.
When the sole entrance to the roughly fifteen-story-tall, austere and merciless-looking tower came into view.

Choi Han saw it.

“Kale Heniatus, your hand—”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish and glanced around. Then he quickly positioned himself diagonally behind Kale Heniatus, blocking the Imperial Official’s line of sight.

Choi Han shielded Kale Heniatus’s right hand.

Whirrrrr—

A gentle wind swirled around Kale Heniatus’s right hand.

“Ha, haha—”

A low laugh echoed forth. The quiet laughter carried both admiration and bewilderment.
It was Kale Heniatus. I couldn’t suppress my laughter.

Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart pounded.

And my feet grew light.

The Wind’s Sound.
The Wind’s Sound surged within my body more intensely than ever before. I recalled once more the master of this power.

The greatest thief who had ever stolen from a god.
She whose audacity matched her swiftness.

Whiiiish—

The wind in my palm kept trying to fly toward the Spire Tower.

-Human, what are you doing? Why are you stirring up wind? Are you trying to destroy the tower with a whirlpool?

Raon’s grave voice echoed through my mind.

-Don’t do it! I saw your hands trembling last time! If you wish it, the great Raon Mir will destroy this pathetic tower! I’ll even destroy the Imperial Palace!

I spoke quietly.

“We can’t destroy it.”
“Pardon?”

-…We’re not destroying it?

Choi Han asked in return, and Raon answered with a tone of faint disappointment.
I wiped my eyes with my left hand.

I recalled what the Saint and Saint Maiden had explained about the Spire Tower.

‘Officially, we called her a heretic, but those at the top know the truth. The one imprisoned in that tower was the last true Saint Maiden.’
‘That’s right. And she tried to overturn the religious order’s corruption. But she failed and had to spend her entire life trapped in the tower, living a miserable existence.’
‘The Pope brainwashed us from childhood, always saying that anyone who acted like that Saint Maiden would end up with nothing but a wretched life.’

The Spire Tower where the true Saint Maiden had lived.
She who was imprisoned in the Papal Palace’s highest tower, gazing down at the religious order through a small window.

I recalled the question I had asked the Saint and his answer.

‘What is the Sun God’s Condemnation?’

The Saint answered with an ambiguous smile.

‘Condemnation, quite literally. Though it’s hard to believe, truthfully.’

He tilted his head and continued speaking.

‘They say the night will be stopped. A white night. A bright night will arrive, they say.’

The Sun God’s condemnation.
An entity that creates a polar night without darkness.
It was a sacred relic that only the Sun God Church could possess.

Kale Heniatus gazed toward the Spire Tower.

Here it is.
I felt The Thief, the Wind’s Sound, crying out silently to me.

Here it is.
A god’s possession lies in this place.

I opened my mouth.

“Choi Han.”
“Yes.”
“Tonight, we slip away from the Imperial Palace.”
“…What?”

Without even glancing at the astonished Choi Han, I spoke to Raon.

“Raon.”
-Why, human?
“Show that assassin in my room an illusion. One of me sleeping peacefully in my bedroom.”
-That one’s fairly strong. I’ll need to draw a magic circle with one mana stone.
“Use it.”

I could use it.
With a god’s relic at stake, what did it matter?

I opened my mouth.

“Tonight. I’m taking this Spire Tower.”

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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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