Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 158

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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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—sacrificing myself to protect them?

Kale Heniatus stood frozen before the Library entrance, unable to step inside.

‘…It’s not a dangerous place.’

At least the Library was a safe space. Until yesterday, Ben from the Roan Kingdom’s investigation team had conducted his survey there without concern.

Ben, the Crown Prince’s trusted aide who had been assigned alongside Kale Heniatus on the first day of the Spire Tower investigation.
As a Dark Elf skilled in reconnaissance, he had thoroughly mapped the interior of the Library and the entrance to the Secret Chamber, reporting that all was secure.

“My Lord?”
“Ah, let’s go in.”

Kale Heniatus snapped to attention at the Dark Elf’s call and stepped into the Library.

Creak.
Choi Han entered last, closing the Library door behind him.

“Kale, I’ll remain here.”
“Very well.”

Choi Han had been left behind in the Library as a precaution.

The high-ranking Mage Dark Elf turned his gaze from Choi Han to Kale Heniatus, observing him stride fearlessly toward the deepest reaches of the Library where the ancient texts lay. The Dark Elf followed in his wake.
The Dark Elves pursued him from behind.

“Are you talking about Prince Kale?”

Before coming to the Empire, he asked Captain Tasha about Kale Heniatus. Tasha opened her mouth with a subtle expression that was neither quite a smile nor quite a frown.

“You’re special. You’re a special person.”

What could make him so special?
What makes it special?

Suppressing her curiosity, the Dark Elf followed Kale. She also recalled the Crown Prince’s message.

‘I’ve revealed the entrance location, but only Kale Heniatus knows how to enter. Follow his instructions without question.’

Follow without question.
It was the first time the Crown Prince had spoken in such absolute terms.

The Dark Elf swallowed down her surging curiosity and came to a halt at the Ancient Texts Corner of the Library.

Kale surveyed the empty bookshelves of the Ancient Texts Corner—not a single ancient tome in sight. He recalled Saint Jack’s words.

‘The Papal See’s Library has always been managed by someone appointed by the Pope. The appointed manager controls who may enter the Ancient Texts Corner. First, go to the Ancient Texts Corner and examine only the bookshelves attached to the walls.’

Kale approached the bookshelves along the wall.

‘Among all the bookshelves in the Papal See, inscriptions are carved into the shelves.’

An inscription appeared before me.

【When morning comes, darkness vanishes. And all living things open their eyes.】

It was a doctrine the followers of the Sun God recited each morning.

‘Among them, there is one bookshelf where the inscription is written incorrectly. Subtly, just a few characters differ.’

Kale moved slowly along the wall.
The Dark Elf watched Kale walk leisurely like a tourist near the entrance Ben had confirmed yesterday.

Tap, tap. The slow sound of shoes striking marble echoed through the space.
Tap! Then the footsteps ceased.

Kale reached out his hand.

【When morning comes, darkness vanishes. And all living things awaken from their dreams.】

Jack’s voice echoed in my mind.
In the deepest corner of the Ancient Texts Corner, accessible only to the permitted—tiny characters carved into the middle of that bookshelf.

‘Press those characters and it will open.’

Long fingers pressed each character one by one.

I wake from the dream.

Kale Heniatus withdraws his hand.

Click.

The sound of something turning echoes through the chamber.

‘Young master, the door should open shortly.’

Whoosh—
Like leaves rustling in the wind, the bookshelf descends slowly with the faintest of sounds.
And a door emerges, emblazoned with the symbol of the Sun God—a golden sun.

-Human, when you open that door, I’m going in first!

Hearing Raon’s declaration, Kale Heniatus covers the center eye of the golden sun inscribed with three eyes.

Screeeech—
A piercing sound cuts through the air. The door slowly swings open.

A white chamber embedded with luminescent stones. A long corridor stretches before us.

-Weak human, I’m going in! Follow carefully behind me!

Kale Heniatus steps into the corridor. He glances back slightly at the Dark Elf standing behind him.

“Just follow me.”
“But, sir—shouldn’t I verify the mechanisms first?”

The Dark Elf watches as Kale Heniatus’s lips slowly curve into a smile at the entrance of this suddenly revealed secret chamber.

“It’s fine. Simply follow my lead.”

After all, a Dragon superior to any high-ranking Mage guides us forward.
Kale Heniatus turns his head without voicing this thought and walks into the corridor.

The Dark Elf watches him go, then hurries after him, leading the bewildered spirit along. He’d heard that the shield Dragon possessed only ancient power. Yet here he was, a high-ranking Mage, relegated to following behind.

‘They’re special. This person is special.’
‘You must follow his orders without question.’

The Dark Elf recalled those words and simply followed Kale Heniatus’s command, stepping into the white corridor. I trailed behind the noble walking without hesitation, and finally reached the chamber at the end of the white passage.

At the same moment, I was bewildered.

Kale Heniatus felt the same way. For an instant, shock rendered me speechless.

Raon’s voice erupted in my mind.

-Human! What is this?

My thoughts exactly.

-Blood!

Blood stains—dried and twisted blood stains—covered the entire white space. The cabinets and wardrobes that lined the circular chamber were all shattered, and chairs lay broken across the floor.

And between them, black marks were visible.
Black residue seeping into the marble floor and walls.

Kale Heniatus turned his gaze toward the Dark Elf. Both of their mouths fell open.

“…Dead mana.”
“Traces of dead mana.”

-Human, they must have used a dead mana bomb!

At the same time, Raon’s voice resonated in my mind.
Kale Heniatus opened his mouth, looking at the Dark Elf.

“You said many of the leadership were dead?”
“Yes. They were said to have died in the terror attack, but it seems some were hiding here and were killed.”
“…And the Empire used dead mana in the process?”

The Dark Elf furrowed his brow and answered Kale Heniatus’s question.

“I believe that must be wh—”

The Dark Elf paused mid-answer but soon finished speaking. I caught sight of a subtle smile playing at the corners of Kale Heniatus’s mouth.
Kale Heniatus felt a strange sense of wonder.

Was fortune smiling upon me in this Empire?

“The evidence comes rolling in, roots and all.”

Kale Heniatus resolved that the Secret Chamber must be exposed to the world.

I recalled a portion of the rumors I had instructed Choi Han to spread through the Alchemist days ago.

‘The Empire has lost the one who would carry the word of God. An evil force shall bring eternal night.’

Kale Heniatus surveyed the Secret Chamber left behind by the evil force. I posed a question to the Dark Elf Kora.

“Kora, does the Empire maintain the Papal See?”
“Yes. Even though it has fallen into corruption, they preserve it for its historical significance.”

Kale Heniatus made a resolution.

When I destroy the Alchemy Tower, I shall destroy this library as well.

The evidence of evil must be revealed to the world.

“Kora, move through here without leaving a trace or causing damage.”
“Understood.”

After issuing instructions to Kora, Kale Heniatus approached the marble table at the center of the circular chamber.
Unlike the wooden chairs scattered in pieces across the floor, the table remained in place, its surface darkened in patches with blade marks carved across it.

Kale Heniatus stood before the table and leaned forward.
The circular pillar supporting the table bore ornate relief carvings.

‘Your Highness, there should be a total of twenty-four suns with eyes carved into it.’

Suns were carved into the circular pillar, much like those on the entrance door.

‘Numbers are inscribed within each sun. Touch the third eye of each sun in order, from one to twenty-four.’
‘Then an inscription shall appear.’

Kale slowly touched each eye of the sun in numerical order.
And then he touched the twenty-fourth and final eye of the sun.

That was when it happened. Text appeared on the floor beneath the location of the twenty-fourth sun.

【Even when night comes, the sun does not disappear, and even when morning arrives, darkness does not vanish.】

At the same moment, a sound brushed against Kale’s ear.

Click.

That sound was not the end.

Click.
Click.
Click.

The successive sounds ceased on the twenty-fourth. Kale laughed—a faint, knowing laugh. Kora rushed toward him as he chuckled.

“Young Master! Are you alright?”

Kale lifted his head. He could see Kora’s face.

Descending.
The ground near the table slowly sank downward. Kale gestured to Kora.

“Come here as well.”

Kora watched as Kale descended further with the table, then leaped after him. With the graceful agility of a Dark Elf, Kora landed upon the table.
With a tap, Kora stepped down onto the table with the Dark Elf’s nimble movements.

As the underground chamber resonated with sound, Kale descended further.
With the sound of the Underground Chamber echoing, Kale Heniatus descended downward.

“The secret table. If you go through that passage, you’ll find the ‘real’ treasure.”

The floor ceased its descent. Kale straightened from his crouching position.
A shabby underground chamber came into view.
A shabby underground chamber came into view.

A cave that appeared to be constructed crudely and haphazardly. The ceiling hung low enough to brush against my head, and the walls were jagged and uneven.
My gaze shifted toward the objects placed within the cave.

‘There are coffins there.’

Ten coffins came into view.

‘Though they were branded as heretics, these are the coffins of true Saints.’

For centuries, the successive Popes—kings of the Religious Order—had labeled any righteous individuals who appeared to eliminate corruption as heretics, sending them on service missions to harsh regions.

But those heretics never returned.
They had never gone to serve in the first place; they had all been murdered.

Among those heretics, the important ones were buried in this cave.

‘When the Pope secretly brought Hana and me from the Orphanage, he made us live here. He said that if we didn’t want to die like this, we should obey his commands.’

The young twins received their education surrounded by centuries-old corpses and coffins.
Hearing this, I suddenly understood Sword Master Hana’s peculiar mental state.

“M-my lord, isn’t this a coffin?”

I heard Kora’s flustered voice.

“Yes. It’s a coffin.”

I approached the tenth coffin among them.

‘The tenth coffin contains no corpse. The Pope said that if I resisted, the next one to go inside would be me. To Hana, he said that if she resisted, her brother would be placed here. Truly, a mad Pope.’
‘In any case, this is the most secretive space in the Papal Palace. That’s what matters.’

Yes. That was what mattered.

“My lord!”

Kora rushed toward me in shock as I grasped the lid of the tenth coffin. But before he could stop me, I had already opened it.

‘My lord, the Pope’s treasure is inside the tenth coffin.’

A treasure not even disclosed to the leadership.

-Oh.

Along with Raon’s brief exclamation came Kora’s gasp of wonder.

“…My goodness.”

Five objects came into view, contained within paper or glass boxes.
Each one appeared precious and beautiful. The Dark Elf who recognized the identity of one item let out an exclamation.

“Heavens, the Tears of the Sun were here all along!”

A diamond the size of a human fist that had appeared at a secret auction in the Caro Kingdom fifty years ago. Despite being a diamond, it bore a golden hue and was called the Tears of the Sun.
The identity of the one who obtained the object remained unknown, but the highest bid had reached hundreds of billions.

That Tears of the Sun lay within the coffin.

“Young Master, this alone is extraordinary! The other items likely possess similar value if we investigate them!”

Kora could not hide his excitement.
Had these been ordinary gold or jewels, his reaction would have been different. Though only five in number, their value appeared exceptional.

‘And there are ten coffins in total!’

Kora spoke to Kale Heniatus with an eager expression.

“Young Master, shall we open the other coffins as well?”
“That hardly seems like a sound idea.”
“Pardon?”
“The other coffins all contain corpses.”

Kora inhaled sharply. His steps toward the other coffins came to an abrupt halt.
He gazed at the remaining nine coffins, swallowing hard.

“Ah, then we should consider these five as the treasures.”

Perhaps.
Kale Heniatus nodded as if in agreement with Kora’s words, yet in his mind, these coffins too were important keys.

“What about these coffins?”
“According to the Saint, they contain priests who opposed the Religious Order’s corruption.”
“Ah, I see!”

Kora could sense from Kale’s bitter expression that he understood without needing to hear more.

“…Such remarkable individuals left abandoned in a place like this.”
“Indeed. We cannot move them now, so let’s leave them undisturbed and ascend quietly.”
“Yes.”

Kora’s eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at the coffins. The sight of them confined in this narrow, shabby cave weighed heavily on his heart. Then, a hand touched his shoulder.

It was Kale.

“Kora, I understand your feelings. There will come a day to honor their spirits. Once we expose the truth of the Empire, won’t that opportunity arise? Until then, let us focus on our task.”
“…Yes! I understand!”

Kora took Kale’s words to heart as he gathered the treasures into his magical pouch.

‘He is certainly no ordinary person.’

Kora recalled the unwavering conviction in Kale’s eyes as he had just comforted him. Kale seemed absolutely certain that he could honor their spirits.
Of course, this was merely Kora’s own interpretation.

As Kale watched Kora gather the treasures, he envisioned a scene that would unfold in the near future.

In the not-distant future.
The figures within these coffins would become known as the true saints of the newly reborn Sun God Cult.

-Human! We must save those coffins! Caves are dreadful places!

Kale did not respond to Raon’s words.
Of course he would save them.

* * *

“Oh! Young Master Kale, how splendid!”
“Haha, thank you. Your Highness is truly radiant today!”

Alberu laughed heartily at my words and gave me a thumbs up.

“You’re a star tonight too! Truly magnificent!”

I spread both arms wide and smiled in response to his words.

-…Both the human and the Crown Prince are strange.

The invisible Raon muttered to himself.
Ben, the Dark Elf who had come as an escort, and Vice-Captain Hilsman also wore awkward expressions as they watched me and the Crown Prince. However, Alberu and I paid them no mind whatsoever.

We communicated through our eyes alone.

‘If we sold everything, we’d be looking at hundreds of billions. The Empire and Dark would be furious if they found out.’
‘Exactly. Isn’t it wonderful?’

We had obtained hundreds of billions with ease.

And those treasures were currently in my room, next to Choi Han.
The Crown Prince had suggested entrusting the treasures to Choi Han, the Sword Master. He had judged that it would be inappropriate for us to carry them on our persons while attending the banquet.

I agreed with his assessment. I recalled what Erhafen had said with his yawn.

‘The watchers have finally disappeared.’

After tonight’s banquet and a brief official ceremony tomorrow afternoon, the Roan Kingdom delegation would depart. Because of this, the watchers who had been in my bedroom were gone.

‘Perhaps, being those who conduct covert operations, they might be near the Papal Palace Spire Tower.’

They may have left to investigate the dead mana I had scattered in the garden near the Spire Tower. But I pushed such thoughts aside.

“Young Master Kale, let us go.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”

Crown Prince Alberu took the lead. I followed behind him, my smile deepening. My expression was more excited than when I had laughed together with the Crown Prince.

Whoooosh—
The Crown Prince turned his head back as wind blew from behind.

“Hmm? Did I leave a window open? Ben, check on it.”
“Yes. I’ll close the palace windows before we leave.”

Ben closed the two open windows and guided the Crown Prince once more. Kale Heniatus followed behind him. Raon spoke in my mind.

-Human, wasn’t that wind just now something you created?

The wind that had been blowing from behind the Crown Prince.
That wind was mine.

The thought of finding the divine artifact had me, Kale Heniatus, utterly exhilarated.

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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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