Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 169

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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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Kale clenched his fist.
Crack, crackle.
He felt the electricity dancing within his palm.

“Human, why use lightning strike? Let me smash it! Just say the word!”
“Not using it.”

Kale gently pushed away Raon, who was thrusting his face forward, and walked ahead. The slightly slippery surface of the lake felt beneath his shoes.
At the same time, a warm breeze blew from the small passage formed along the blue light of the token, brushing past his face.

“Is something the matter?”

Kale waved his hand at Choi Han, who had approached urgently.

“Nothing in particular.”
“Then that’s fine.”

Choi Han answered quietly and walked into the passage, following Kale.

“Will we need to walk far?”

Kale answered casually to Paseton’s cautious question.

“We’ll need to walk for a bit, apparently.”

Erhafen had told me that it would take quite a walk from the lake to the entrance.
Rosalind gazed around the passage with curiosity in her eyes. Beyond the passage walls, which seemed wrapped in a transparent barrier, a fierce blizzard raged. Of course, Hong kept swallowing nervously as he watched the snow.

“Young Master Kale, it’s amazing how such a safe passage forms just by using the token. It seems the World Tree sensed that signal immediately.”

Rosalind was so delighted that she didn’t notice Kale’s expression. Kale responded with an unreadable face.

“I suppose so. That must be it.”

Choi Han paused at that response.
But Kale paid no attention to Choi Han’s reaction, instead pondering what Erhafen had said.

‘If I use this token, it will at least mark them as people I sent, so they should be able to pass through without falling victim to the poison.’

Erhafen had certainly said it would be a passable corridor, but this passage was quite pleasant at the moment.

Something felt off.
Kale felt uneasy, though not afraid.
The reason was that Jjangdol’s usual claims of self-sacrifice, which appeared whenever danger loomed or something threatened to explode, were absent today.

Instead, Jjangdol had asked if I should destroy something—and with considerable concern in his voice at that.

Kale gazed down at his palm.
The destructive flames still crackled there. Kale deliberately did not draw this power back into his body.

‘Was he actually trying to burn the World Tree?’

Kale recalled the Ancient Power Owner who loved money dearly and had a hobby of collecting coins. Along with that, he also considered the World Tree’s remarkably gracious response in opening the path.

‘Perhaps—’

The corners of Kale’s mouth lifted slightly.
At that moment, Orca Arch, who had been watching Kale’s expression, spoke up carefully.

“By the way, sir, have you ever met an Elf before?”
“I have.”
“Then you would understand what Elves are like, sir.”

Arch’s expression grew serious.

“Why?”
“The Elves of this lake are even more so than any Elves we’ve encountered thus far.”

Even more so?
Kale remembered Siceller’s assessment of them as ‘arrogant and ill-mannered Elves.’ As Kale showed interest, Arch spoke with greater emphasis.

“This is the Elf Village closest to the Whale Tribe, and we’ve met a few times at the Coastline for the exchange of necessary goods.”
“And?”

Arch let out a sigh.

“They believe themselves to be Elves chosen by the World Tree.”

Kale voiced a thought that had flashed through his mind.

“So the World Tree selected them?”
“Well, something like that.”

Archie let out a scoff.

“These Elves are incredibly arrogant, claiming they’re the only ones the World Tree allows to freely observe Dragons.”

Paseton cautiously joined the conversation.

“Yes, they have a strong tendency to look down on other races. This Elf Village in particular is like that. We’re here under the Dragon’s orders, but…”

Paseton trailed off awkwardly.

“But what?”

When Kale pressed him, Archie stepped forward.

“But they’ll look down on humans regardless. They mock the Whale Tribe too, calling us brutes with nothing but physical strength.”

Archie’s expression was one of exasperation.
Had Whale King Siceller not asked him to hold back for the World Tree’s sake, he would have struck them with his tail.
Seeing that expression, Paseton chose silence.

‘…Captain Archie is no pushover himself.’

Paseton had heard tales of how Archie responded to rudeness with even greater rudeness.
Then Kale asked the two whales a question.

“Do you know how the Elves feel about Dragons?”
“We do. They speak of reverence.”
“Have you ever seen an Elf and a Dragon meet?”
“We have not.”

As Archie said this, he glanced sideways at Raon. Then he spoke carefully.

“With Raon here this time, perhaps even the Elves will bow their stiff necks a little.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Pardon?”

I studied the two Whales with a serious expression, and they faltered under my gaze.

Surely, even if Raon was only six years old, he was still a Dragon—and with someone here to deliver a message from an Ancient Dragon, would the Elves truly dare to be rude?

Yet as the two Whales recalled the Elves’ characteristic arrogance, doubt began to creep in. In that moment, I spoke with a grave expression.

“They’ll cry.”
“…Pardon? Us?”

I told the bewildered Archie seriously.

“The Elves will.”
“…What?”
“They might weep with emotion upon seeing Raon.”

The Elves revere Dragons?
That would actually be preferable.

Archie and Paseton looked toward Raon. The Black Dragon spread his shoulders and wings wide, speaking confidently.

“I am quite great and very popular!”

Raon’s white fur rippled. He looked decidedly undignified.
Yet the two Whale Tribe members accepted the situation, observing our composed group.

I ignored the bewildered Whales and walked as the blue light of the token guided me.

‘Kale Heniatus. I must reinforce the World Tree’s defensive magic circle. I can entrust that to the little one and Rosalind.’
‘And deliver my words to the World Tree.’

Erhaben had called me aside before I departed northward and added this in secret.

‘Do not tell the little one.’

The words Erhaben intended to convey to the World Tree.

‘I have less than two years left. World Tree, I wish for you to give your fruit not to me, but to the dragon I send. That child learns everything from me.’

Erhafen added with a smile.

‘Kale Heniatus. Only you know of this.’

Kale answered the smiling ancient dragon as he always did.

‘Yes, only I will know.’
‘Good. I knew you would answer that way.’

Watching the satisfied Erhafen, I began thinking more earnestly than ever before about whether there might be a way to extend the ancient dragon’s life.

Erhafen wasn’t suffering from any particular ailment—he was simply facing death naturally as age took its toll.

‘But Erhafen.’
‘What is it?’
‘Are you welcoming death?’
‘…Is there any being in this world who welcomes death? I don’t want to suffer, don’t want to die. I suspect that’s true for humans and dragons alike.’

The ancient dragon answered calmly, yet I could sense the desire to live a little longer.
Watching him, I thought to myself.

‘There must be a way.’

Immortality was impossible by nature’s law. Yet there seemed to be Ancient Powers that could at least delay the ravages of age.
I paused mid-step as I contemplated the Ancient Powers within my memories, my thoughts grinding to a halt.

“We’re here!”

At Raon’s excited words, I looked down below.

Whiiiiii—
A massive chasm lay at the center of the blizzard.

“Human, the golden dragon grandpa said the World Tree is below this!”
“Right. First, Raon, turn invisible.”
“Me? Got it!”

Kale turned transparent, feeling Raon cling to his back like a child being carried, as he spoke to Archie and Choi Han.

“Archie, since you have connections with the Elves, go down first. Choi Han, you’re last.”
“Understood.”

Choi Han responded immediately while Archie stared down at the hole with a reluctant expression.
Tap. As Kale patted Archie’s back, he sighed and leaped into the passage where the bottom was invisible.

“This should be fun!”
“We should go soon!”

Kale was afraid, but faced with On and Hong’s gleaming eyes, he sighed and threw himself into the passage.
It was similar to when we descended to the Underground City before. The only difference was that this slide was at a steeper angle, making it considerably more dynamic.

-Wow! Human, this is fun!

Raon on my back was thrilled.
I resigned myself to his reaction with an annoyed expression, surrendering my body to the passage. Soon, light appeared at the end of the tunnel. My body plummeted into that light.

Splash.

Hmm.
My brow furrowed.
Unlike the Underground City where I had fallen onto soft cushioning with a gentle thud, this landing came with a distinctly unpleasant squelching sound.
I could see wet straw, soggy and waterlogged.

“Sigh.”

My fur coat was soaked. I stood up without relaxing my furrowed brow.

“Ahem, ahem.”

I could see beautiful Elves standing with ambiguous expressions as they looked at me. There were two guards at the entrance and three others who appeared to have come to greet me. The middle-aged Elf at the front let out a stifled cough.

I scanned over them and looked up.

-How fascinating!

It was fascinating, just as Raon had said.
A lake came into view.

Beneath the lake lay the World Tree and the Elf Village.
Above the village, a transparent barrier rippled along the water’s current, and I could see branches stretching through it.

“Ahem, ahem.”

I turned around instead of continuing to listen to the Elf’s incessant throat-clearing.

“Wow, this is amazing!”

After confirming On and Hong, along with the rest of the group arriving behind them, I approached the middle-aged Elf.
Orca Arch, observing the scene, thought as he watched the Elf’s ambiguous expression.

‘Just as expected.’

Arch observed the middle-aged Elf’s expression and realized they were uncertain how to treat him, caught between the human Kale and the Kale who had come under the Black Dragon’s orders.
Paseton wore the same worried expression as he gazed at me.

“Ahem, w-”

At that moment, the middle-aged male Elf opened his mouth.

He appeared to hold some position of authority.
I understood his reaction because of that. I also understood the Elves standing behind him with their faces tense and rigid.

The middle-aged Elf was suppressing his anticipation due to his position, while the other Elves were doing their best to control themselves and avoid acting rashly because of his expression.

The middle-aged Elf continued speaking.

“Are you… the one who came to deliver Erhafen’s message? Has… has he also come?”

Hm?
Arch was taken aback by the middle-aged Elf’s remarkably polite tone. He observed the middle-aged Elf carefully.
The Elf’s shoulders were trembling.

‘Why is he like that?’

The man who had conducted business so rudely every day seemed strange now.
At that moment, Archie could see Kale’s mouth opening.

“Raon.”

He uttered those two syllables.

“I’m here!”

Raon appeared.

“Ooooh!”

At the bizarre cry that followed, Archie turned his head in bewilderment. The middle-aged Elf clutched his chest and gasped in admiration. The other Elves did the same.

“…What?”

Why were the Elves acting like this?
The Whale Tribe members, witnessing the Dragon and Elves meeting for the first time, were flustered. However, Kale’s group, having built immunity through Fendrick the Elf healer, remained composed.

“I am the great Raon Mir!”

The Elves nodded their heads and memorized Raon’s name as if reciting an important lesson. One Elf looked ready to kneel, so Kale stopped him and helped him up.

“Thank you.”

Archie was shocked by the Elf’s smile directed at Kale, brimming with goodwill. But Kale had anticipated this reaction, so he merely found it somewhat bothersome.

“Where should we go?”
“Ah, yes.”

The middle-aged Elf wiped his sweat and continued speaking.

“You should go to the Priestess who serves the World Tree. Originally, the Priestess was supposed to come out, but she couldn’t because the World Tree suddenly issued a divine message.”
“I see. Then let’s go to the Priestess right away.”

Kale wanted to finish this quickly and lie down near the fireplace.

“Yes. Let me guide you at once! Huh?”

The middle-aged Elf turned toward the village thick with branches, then stopped abruptly in surprise. Kale’s face betrayed his own bewilderment.

A girl was rushing toward them.
Several Elves followed in her wake.

“…Priestess?”

Priestess?
At the middle-aged Elf’s words, I turned my gaze back to the girl.

‘Hmm?’

Our eyes met in that instant.

‘Is she looking at me?’

The sight of the rather mischievous-looking young Elf sprinting toward me sent an unexpected chill down my spine.

‘She looks so desperate.’

The Elf’s face was etched with urgency.
The young priestess rushed toward me with an expression of profound mission and desperate haste. As she drew near, the middle-aged Elf hurried toward her.

“Priestess, what is the matter?”

The priestess didn’t even glance at the middle-aged Elf, instead pointing her finger directly at me.

“Red hair!”

I flinched.
The young priestess advanced until she stood directly before me, her freckled face radiating grim determination.

I took a subtle step backward.
This priestess seemed rather peculiar.

Then, a sound reached my ears.

Clink.

The sound of coins clinking together.
I looked down at the Young Priestess.
The priestess lifted her head and extended the pouch in her hand toward me.

Clink, clink.
The pouch emitted the distinct sound of coins striking against one another.

The young Elf spoke abruptly.

“It’s old human world currency, but please take it! They’re silver coins!”

Hm?

“Come on, come on! Hurry!”

The priestess thrust the coins into my arms, and I accepted them. Then she rummaged through the folds of her wide sleeves and withdrew a flat, rectangular object.

“And here’s gold too! There are no gold coins!”

The young Elf appeared desperate.

“…What?”

Bewildered, I spoke in casual speech without thinking. But the young priestess paid no mind to it.

For ten years as a priest, the priest had never heard such an urgent message from the World Tree until now. The priest pushed the gold toward Kale again and spoke.

“The World Tree said to give money to the red-haired one! To give coins!”

Coins.
That word had bothered me from the start.
I opened my left hand.
Crackle, crack. The destructive flame asserted its presence.
As I looked back at the young priestess, she spoke urgently.

“Please accept it! Otherwise, she’ll burn everything! She’ll create an inferno!”

I contemplated the situation.
What in the world had this destructive flame’s master done?

The Elf Priestess was desperate.

“You said he was obsessed with coins, that he went crazy for them!”

Wasn’t he just an ordinary hero who loved money?
Kale was exasperated, but he accepted the Elf Priestess’s gold nonetheless.

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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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