Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 166

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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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Ominous.
That was Kale’s immediate thought upon hearing the sentence.

Rustle, rustle.
The Mad Priestess flipped through the book’s pages rapidly. She continued speaking as she examined the contents.

“Every page. Every single page contains only that sentence.”
“…To me and others, it appeared to be a simple essay.”

Of course, the original content wasn’t exactly a “simple” essay either, but it certainly hadn’t evoked such an eerie feeling.

Tap. Tap.
Just as I was about to sink into contemplation, I sighed at the dragon’s claws tapping against the window and opened it. Raon quickly slipped inside and declared solemnly.

“Ominous indeed!”

Then he pressed himself against my side and glared at the book in Kage’s hands. The Mad Priestess, who had been staring blankly at this series of actions, opened her mouth again as she caught my gaze.

“Actually, I don’t see it as letters either. When an incomprehensible combination of characters enters my vision, that sentence simply appears in my mind.”

When she paused briefly, I posed a question.

“What does ‘killing death’ mean?”

The Priestess shook her head.

“I have no idea. Why create something so complicated? As if a tender heart would—”

Kage’s words grew increasingly rough. She began cursing, then suddenly caught herself and continued with a slight cough.

“There is a book containing the teachings of the Death God in our Religious Order. We interpret the words within it and have established them as doctrine.”
“Does that book contain a phrase similar to this one?”

Kage smiled at me, who understood her meaning immediately, and spoke.

“Not exactly. But the Death God is said to have spoken words like this.”

She recited the contents of a book she had been forced to memorize as a child to fall asleep. Only after memorizing all of it would the Priests allow her to rest.

“Death is not an ending.”

The Death God spoke these words as he claimed a life.

“At the moment of death, we are granted two choices. The righteous path and the twisted path.”

Ssssshhh—
Black light swirled from the book once more.

Both Kale and the Priest faltered, yet she continued with unshakeable composure.

“The moment one steps onto the twisted path, another moment of choice shall arrive at its end.”

Rustle—
The pages turned, stopping at a single sheet.

Kale opened his mouth to ask what was written there, but the rough voice of the Crazy Priestess Kage, who was reading that very page, silenced him.

“What a mad god indeed.”

Kale flinched, and Kage spoke to him.

“Are you curious about the method to kill death? She asks once more. Are you curious?”

At the Crazy Priestess’s question, Kale opened his mouth.

“Not in the slightest.”

Truthfully, I harbored no curiosity whatsoever.
What I had thought would be a treasure worth fortune turned out to be a deeply unsettling object.

“Right, human. There’s no need to possess such a dangerous thing.”

Raon tapped my arm with his front paw and grinned approvingly. I swallowed a sigh at the sight.
On the journey back from the Empire, I had also asked the ancient dragon Erhafen about the divine object. At that time, Erhafen shook his head.

‘The language of gods has no interpretation. Only those permitted may hear and read it.’

Kale asked the Mad Priestess.

“Are you curious, Kage?”
“I’m not curious about it either.”

As expected.
Kale pointed to the book, appreciating how their thoughts aligned in moments like this.

“Could you keep it safe for me?”
“Of course. I heard that Death God artifacts are nearly all gone now. I’ll store it and hand it over whenever you need it, Young Master.”

She tapped the book’s cover.
Her manner suggested she was dealing with a troublesome burden rather than a precious treasure.

“It’s filled with such a terrifying aura that ordinary people would likely suffer nightmares or sleep paralysis if they carried it around.”
“So that’s why I had nightmares!”

Raon exclaimed and glared at the book even more intently.
Kale tilted his head slightly to one side.

Nightmares? Sleep paralysis?
I had slept soundly. Deeply and peacefully.

‘That’s strange.’

I found it odd, but then I turned my head toward a sound I heard.

Splash, splash.
The tea in the cup rippled, threatening to spill over the rim.

“…Saint Jack?”

Though I called out to him, Saint Jack couldn’t even respond properly, trembling violently.
The teacup in Jack’s hand looked as though it would fall at any moment.

‘What’s wrong with him now?’

I furrowed my brow, wondering what this was about. Then Jack’s voice came.

“I-I just suddenly felt cold, so I was trying to drink some tea. I was going to, but…”

Cold?
Just as Kale Heniatus felt puzzled, someone snatched the teacup from Jack’s hand.

Clang!
Kaige, who had roughly set the teacup on the table, spoke firmly to Jack.

“It is divine.”

Divine?
Kale Heniatus’s confusion deepened.

“Jack, that is the presence of a god.”

The Crazy Priestess Kage understood what Jack was sensing. A cool and fearful sensation that no warm tea could soothe.

‘…So one can feel it even without hearing the god’s voice.’

She felt that Jack becoming a Saint was also destiny.
Though he could not hear the god’s voice, at least he could feel the god’s gaze. She opened her mouth.

“The presence of a god is frightening, cool, and cold.”

Even if others cursed the Death God for weeping, she did not lose sight of the essence.
Just as she could live by her own convictions even after excommunication, because she understood how to perceive the essence, she did not flee from the divine.

“…Kaige.”

Jack looked at Kaige while clasping his trembling hands together. When the Death God Priest’s touch reached his body, he became somewhat calmer.

“Jack, what do you wish to do?”

When she asked, Jack reached out his hand.
His fingertips extended toward the hand mirror.
Then, the hand mirror was placed upon his open palm. Kale Heniatus had placed the hand mirror on his palm.

“Do as you wish.”

At Kale’s words, Jack slowly opened the compact hand mirror.
With a soft click, a cracked and tarnished mirror came into view.

“Ah.”

Jack’s eyes widened. He stared at Kale with an expression of shock.

“There… there are letters on the mirror…!”

Letters here too?
Kale asked in a considerably calmer state.

“What does it say?”

Jack tore his gaze from Kale and trembled as he stared at the mirror.

“Condemnation. It says condemnation.”

The letters inscribed on the mirror seemed to embed themselves in my mind.
Simultaneously, I could clearly understand that this hand mirror was the ‘Condemnation of the Sun God’.

The Sun God was not merciful.
As a deity of absolute right and wrong, even mercy was merely an action born from rational judgment.

Yet because it was rational, it was also merciful.
Evaluations made without leaning toward power, affection, or pity were often merciful.

And the moment Jack saw those letters, he felt relief.
That condemnation was not directed at him.
Yet he was terrified. And burdened.

Anger emanated from the divine object.

“Young master, I don’t have the confidence to keep this.”

Kale accepted the hand mirror that Saint Jack extended toward him. No letters appeared to him on the mirror. Nor did he sense any chilling aura.

“I’ll keep it safe.”

The Saint’s smile faded as Kale continued speaking, though relief had briefly crossed his face at my initial response.

“However, when you go to the Empire, Saint Jack must take this mirror with you.”

From my lips flowed the story of Ray the Alchemist and Lex the Cat-Human, along with detailed accounts of the Papal See’s collapse and the protesting citizens of the Empire.

Jack listened to everything in stunned silence, staring blankly at me. I met his gaze and spoke.

“We must save them.”

Focus returned to Jack’s eyes at my words.

“…Yes. We must save them.”

Jack nodded, and the Mad Priestess comforted him. He responded to her encouragement with a gentle smile.

“Young Master.”
“Yes.”
“I respect you.”

Jack spoke once more to me, who had said nothing.

“I want to save people like you do, Young Master. I want to be like you.”

Faced with Jack’s pure expression, I could only nod in response. I couldn’t bring myself to tell someone so genuinely kind and good to emulate me.

“Then I should be going.”

I finished my tea and rose from my seat. The two priests saw me off as I opened the door to the 5th Floor.

“Young Master.”

I inhaled sharply.
Eyes filled with nothing but whites stared back at me.
Eyes filled with only the whites were visible.

Gashan was a tiger shaman.

“Why, why?”

Kale stammered without realizing it, caught off guard by the fierce atmosphere. But Gashan’s expression remained grave.

“Nature suddenly said a great power descended, so I came. Is something wrong? Are you alright, Young Master?”

Wow.
He really is perceptive.
Kale simply nodded at Gashan’s concern to show he was fine.

“I’m fine, so don’t worry—”
“What?”

Gasp.
Kale drew in another breath.
Raon raised his voice.

“Old Golden Dragon! Don’t you see our human is startled? If you keep popping up out of nowhere like that, our human’s weak heart will give out!”

…Give out.
Kale covered Raon’s mouth as he continued with even more ominous words, offering an awkward smile to Erhafen.

After returning from the Empire, Erhafen had gone back to his Rare.
And somehow he had teleported here, now standing at the entrance to the 5th Floor stairs, looking down at us.

“Goodness, a little brat like that is a dragon.”

Erhafen stared at Raon with eyes that had transcended exasperation into enlightenment, then shifted his gaze to Kale.

“Here.”

He handed Kale a bottle containing purple liquid. Raon’s eyes sparkled as he approached the bottle.

“Is it Dragon’s Wrath?”

Tiger Gashan flinched at the name Dragon’s Wrath, but Kale answered without concern.

“No, it’s from the Empire. Dragon’s Wrath is something else.”

The purple bottle in my hand was an Imperial item I had stolen from Maple Castle back then.

“Why is this necessary?”

At Raon’s question, I placed the bottle into my magical pouch and answered.

“To sow discord between the Empire and the Northern 3 Nations.”

Gashan flinched at my matter-of-fact words. It seemed like he had just heard a plan of considerable scale.
Then Raon’s voice rang out.

“Ah, I see!”

His tone was characteristically light and cheerful.
Gashan found himself troubled.

‘…Have I truly come under someone of such grand ambitions?’

But there was no point in worrying now.
I turned to Gashan and asked.

“Can your tigers climb cliffs well?”
“…Pardon? Cliffs?”
“Yes. Rather treacherous ones, actually.”

Gashan answered honestly, caught off guard.

“Well, if they’re warriors…”

A smile curved across my lips.

“Is that so?”

Gashan found himself gripping his staff tightly. Nature seemed on the verge of warning him of something ominous, yet it remained silent. Because of that silence, he listened intently to my words.

“Once the weather clears, let’s head to the Canyon of Death.”
“…Yes? The Canyon of Death?”

One of the Five Great Mysteries. The Canyon of Death.
That gorge, known as the most treacherous on the continent, was an environment where monsters, people, and beasts alike struggled to survive. Beyond its formidable terrain, even plants found it difficult to take root and flourish. The high altitude meant the weather was perpetually harsh.

Gashan swallowed hard at Kale’s suggestion to go there. Kale spoke matter-of-factly.

“The dragon’s wrath will descend upon the Canyon of Death.”

Heh.
Gashan heard the ancient dragon’s hollow laugh.

“What audacity from one so cursed by misfortune.”

Erhafen added with evident pride as he looked at Kale.

“That’s right. The more misfortune dogs you, the grander you must play.”
“Thank you.”

Kale accepted the compliment with composed embarrassment. Gashan simply watched this scene unfold in silence.

“Gashan, I have some matters to discuss with Erhafen. Would it be alright if I took my leave?”
“Ah, yes.”

Gashan nodded blankly and watched as Kale and Erhafen made their way to Rosalind’s laboratory. Then Raon approached him.
Gashan found it strange—it was the first time the Black Dragon had ever approached him of his own accord. Raon spoke to him.

“Hang in there!”
“Pardon?”

Gashan asked in confusion, but Raon simply flashed a smile across his plump, rounded cheeks and quickly followed after Kale.
Gashan watched the retreating figures of one man and two dragons for a long while before departing Kale’s room alongside the two priests who had just emerged.

* * *

“Ride upon my back?”

At the Coastline of Ubar Territory.
Late into the night, Kale lifted his head, relying on the faint light before him.

“Yes. We will guide you to our Village.”

A massive humpback whale bearing an X-shaped scar offered its back.
Witira spoke to the hesitant Kale.

“Raon and Prince Kale, along with your companions—you are all worthy of riding upon my back.”
“That’s right! Please ride on my back as well!”

Paseton, the Whale Tribe hybrid, nodded in agreement with his sister’s words and offered his back toward Kale.

“Mm.”

Kale hesitated before finally opening his mouth under the siblings’ gaze.

“I’m sorry.”
“Pardon?”

When Paseton asked for clarification, Kale tightened his fur collar and replied.

“The winter sea breeze is too cold.”

Riding on a whale’s back would be far too frigid.
Paseton’s mouth fell open as he let out an understanding exclamation.
Kale gestured toward Rosalind and Raon, then looked at Witira.

“Give me the teleportation coordinates. Raon and Rosalind said they’d teleport us.”

Witira’s expression darkened.

“Ah, well. Prince Kale.”
“…What is it?”

A hint of unease crept over Kale.
Mid-January. In this bitterly cold season, I was secretly meeting with the Whale Tribe siblings on an island designated to the Heniatus Domain, off the coast before Ubar Territory.
Now I needed to travel to the Whale Tribe’s village for the maritime route. Witira wore a slightly awkward smile.

“It’s because of the glacier.”

Hm?

“Our village sits atop a massive glacier. It’s always drifting slightly, so it’s difficult to measure precise teleportation coordinates.”

Well, if that’s the case—
Kale fell into thought before speaking.

“Raon, flying magic must be freezing too?”
“Very cold! Human, I will catch a cold.”
“…A warming spell, please.”

I had no idea the Whale Tribe Village was situated atop a moving glacier.
Since the Northern 3 Nations were keeping watch, I assumed it was at least a landmass attached to the Continent.

Kale observed Choi Han silently tying a small boat between two whales, and Rosalind cradling On and Hong while weaving magic throughout the vessel, before he finally moved.

He boarded the boat with a melancholy expression.

The inside of the boat seemed far preferable—the whale’s back would be far too cold.

“Human, I ride on the smaller whale’s back! It’s refreshing!”

Kale let Raon’s voice drift past his ears as he wrapped himself tightly in blankets.
And several days later.

“My.”

Kale disembarked from the boat with an exclamation of wonder.
Raon was nestled in his arms—Raon, bundled snugly in blankets.

“Achoo!”

Sniffle. Raon’s nose twitched.
Kale let out another exclamation of wonder.

“My, even dragons catch colds.”
“…Even the great catch colds.”

Kale carried the grumbling Raon down with a whine, cradling him in his arms.

“Beautiful.”

Houses made of ice came into view.
The dwellings, glittering in the sunlight, resembled mansions crafted from diamonds.

“Welcome to our village.”

I took in the brilliant village vista alongside Witira’s bright voice. And I was taken aback.

Crash!

With a tremendous sound, an ice-built house shattered. From within my arms, Raon’s voice reached my ears.

“Oh? There’s a person!”

A figure was being flung from the house like a projectile.
That person must be from the Whale Tribe too, right?

I looked toward Witira.

“Only that house is like that. I’ll need to build a new one.”

I pondered as I heard her matter-of-fact words.

…Something’s strange here too.

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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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