Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 17

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 5. I Saw a Dragon

“…A dragon, you say?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve seen something similar.”

Similar, indeed. I knew exactly what Choi Han meant by that.
He was referring to the bizarre monsters that dwelled deep within the Dark Forest. Among them were creatures that existed somewhere between lizards and dragons.
Choi Han had slain such a dragon-like monster while simultaneously transitioning from the intermediate to the advanced stages of his black sword technique.

“You’ve seen one? Then what was it like?”

But I feigned ignorance and posed the question to Choi Han. Currently, only he occupied my chambers.

“…It was a monster, sir.”
“In what way?”
“In its appearance and its ferocity—it was a monster.”
“Is that so?”

I nodded absently and continued speaking, my words contradicting my actions.

“Then you haven’t truly seen a dragon.”
“Sir?”
“A dragon is like a human.”

I set down the cup of lemonade—now tinged with sweetness beneath its tartness—upon the table with a soft clink. I offered an explanation to Choi Han’s puzzled expression.

“Dragons, beastkin, dwarves, elves—they are all like humans. Because they too possess emotions and lives.”

Such matters were not what truly concerned me. The heart of the matter lay ahead.

“But here’s the thing.”

Perhaps sensing the shift in my demeanor, Choi Han straightened his posture, his gaze turning toward me.

“Such a being—without ever knowing it—was cast into darkness from the moment of birth. Never knowing what sunlight even is, they survive by clinging to the light of darkness itself. Do you understand how they live?”

I tapped my index finger against the table.

“Forced to become a being devoid of reason.”

Tap. My finger struck the table once more.

“Unable to lean on family or anything else, enduring loneliness.”

Tap. With each strike of my index finger against the table, Choi Han’s eyes grew darker. Beneath the table, his hand resting on his knee clenched into a fist, veins bulging across the back of his hand. Choi Han continued speaking, unaware of this.

“Surviving day after day through torture and abuse, barely clinging to life.”

Choi Han’s expression hardened, and anger flashed in his eyes. I had anticipated this reaction from him. This good-natured boy could not help but feel rage upon hearing such a tale, and he must have already understood why I was broaching this subject with him.
I took another sip of lemonade and concluded my story.

“And that being is somewhere nearby.”

A brief silence descended. I gazed out the window before turning my attention back to observe Choi Han. A murderous aura enveloped his entire body—whatever he was thinking, it was dark.
Perhaps his anger stemmed from hearing of such abuse inflicted upon an innocent. Yet contrary to my expectations, Choi Han was reflecting on his own decades spent alone in the Dark Forest, barely surviving.

That is why the silence stretched on. At the end of that silence, Choi Han met my gaze. He asked me a question.

“Will you rescue and take it in?”
“Are you insane?”
“Pardon?”

I reflexively responded in shock at his words. And at my outburst, Choi Han looked startled and repeated his question.

“Why would I take it in?”

I waved my hand dismissively.

A dragon raised under human abuse would hardly turn around and ask me to take it in. Rather, it would be filled with distrust and hatred toward humanity itself. Even toward the one who rescued it.

Fundamentally, dragons believed themselves superior not only to humans but to all living creatures. This was something akin to instinct—a feeling they experienced naturally without any need for learning.
That is why a dragon cannot be raised beneath a human. Consequently, breeding and training a dragon is nearly impossible, which is why their reason must be shattered through torture and abuse.

‘Dragons are said to be naturally arrogant by temperament. And above all, if one were to raise a dragon…’

I had a feeling. A premonition that I would get caught up in some needless incident.
There weren’t even twenty dragons across the entire East-West Continent. To take one of them under my wing? It was no different from declaring, “I will stand at the center of continental affairs.”
Moreover, this was a dragon that should have died. It would have been better for him to live like the other dragons—alone somewhere, lost in his own world.

In any case, Kale Heniatus was adamantly refusing. Even just removing the leash fitted with a mana control device would allow him to live better than I could. It wasn’t for nothing that he was called the King of Nature from birth.

“So?”
“So what? Why are you asking about something so obvious?”

Kale Heniatus laughed hollowly at Choi Han, who was staring at him intently, as if asking a trivial question.

“He should live freely and comfortably. Dragons must live according to the ways of dragons, shouldn’t they?”
“…I see.”

The tension drained from Choi Han’s fist beneath the table.

“So you’re going to save that dragon?”
“Yeah. So help me out a bit.”
“Anything. I will do absolutely anything.”

Seeing Choi Han’s eager attitude, I slowly shook my head, worried that this incident might spiral out of control.

“Don’t do anything and everything. There’s no need for that. I don’t even plan to kill anyone if I can help it. Let’s just keep this as quiet as possible.”
“As expected of you, Kale Heniatus—”

Choi Han began to speak with wavering eyes, but I glanced at the clock and cut him off, speaking first.

“Go tell Ron to set up some drinks on the first floor.”
“Dar— Yes?”

I decided to start with a drinking session.

* * *

The drinking session began in the early afternoon. Choi Han sat with a bewildered expression, looking blankly around. Everyone except him appeared calm.
And at the center of that peaceful scene stood Kale Heniatus, gulping down alcohol straight from the bottle. His face was gradually turning red—anyone could see he was getting drunk.

“Shouldn’t you stop him from drinking like that?”

Choi Han glanced at Hans beside him and asked a question. The vice-butler Hans, still unaware that On and Hong were cat-tribe members in kitten form, continued ferrying food to them. Of course, he answered Choi Han’s question cheerfully.

“Yes! There’s nothing in your hands, right? That means we’re safe! You said you wouldn’t throw bottles!”

Choi Han had been referring to Kale Heniatus, but Hans was talking about their own safety. The conversation was oddly misaligned, so Choi Han pressed his lips together and turned away from Hans. It was better not to touch Hans when he was next to the cats. Instead, Choi Han observed Kale Heniatus as his guard.

“Master, this liquor tastes excellent? Better than I imagined.”

Kale Heniatus, unaware that Choi Han was watching him, was genuinely marveling at the taste of the alcohol. It had been nearly two hours since the drinking gathering began. Some had refrained from drinking just in case, but most were enjoying the atmosphere.

‘They were so nervous during the first hour. Tsk.’

At first, when the soldiers heard that Kale Heniatus was hosting a drinking gathering, they assembled in their helmets. The moment Kale Heniatus declared he wouldn’t throw bottles today, the tense atmosphere finally dissolved.

“This village is small, but it’s surrounded by many mountains. This is a special liquor made with mountain fruits and medicinal herbs. That’s why it’s a bit pricey.”

True to the Elderly Man’s word, the liquor tasted quite excellent. Kale Heniatus admired it and, holding the bottle, placed an order with the old man.

“Do you have a lot of this?”
“Yes, quite a bit.”
“Then distribute it all to our party.”
“Young master, you don’t have to-”

The Vice-Captain waved his hand dismissively with a flushed face, but his eyes were fixed on the bottle in Kale Heniatus’s hand. The soldiers’ gazes were the same. This was not something Kale Heniatus would miss.

“Just drink. It’s my choice. Understood?”

The eyes of most soldiers, except for a few who had gone to report about the bandits, sparkled. It was the first time they had felt such anticipation looking at the bottle in Kale Heniatus’s hand.

Kale Heniatus watched with sharp eyes as the innkeeper, excited at the prospect of selling more, distributed the side dishes ordered along with the liquor to each table.

Kale Heniatus. This man had a strong tolerance for alcohol. His face flushed easily, and he caused so much trouble when drinking that everyone thought he was weak with alcohol, but in reality, he was someone who caused trouble with a perfectly clear mind.

Because of this, Kale Heniatus’s mind was sharp right now. After drinking for about thirty more minutes, he looked at Choi Han and spoke.

“Choi Han, come here and help me up. I’m going to rest now.”
“Young master, I shall do it.”
“Never mind. Vice-Captain, take the evening off. The rest of you as well. Didn’t you all fight yesterday? There doesn’t seem to be any real danger here now. I apologize to those standing guard, but the rest of you should enjoy yourselves for once.”
“Young master—”
“I’m exhausted. I’m going.”

It would have been quite troublesome if the Vice-Captain or the others had followed me. They offered no further resistance once Choi Han helped Kale Heniatus up. After all, he was the only one who hadn’t touched alcohol tonight, and he was the strongest among them. With such a capable escort at my side, there was nothing to worry about.

‘Now there’s only one person left.’

I could easily avoid the guards at the inn’s main entrance and those stationed outside, but Ron remained.
Both Hans and Ron were the type who would never enter a room if told not to.
The difference between them, however, was that Hans lacked the skill to even sense my presence, whereas Ron was frighteningly capable of such things.

‘This old man won’t care what I do either way.’

In truth, Ron wouldn’t care if I snuck out or did whatever I pleased—he never had before. However, he absolutely despised anything that became bothersome for him, so I needed to give him fair warning beforehand.
Kale Heniatus informed Ron, who was following along with Choi Han.

“Ron, I’m going out for a bit. It’s a secret. Understood?”

This old man enjoyed drinking, yet he hadn’t touched a single cup tonight. Instead, he had been staring at me intently the whole time—truly a frightening man. Even more frightening, Ron smiled with gentle kindness.

“Understood. I shall wait for your return.”
“Don’t wait.”

Wait for what nonsense. As expected, Ron simply nodded without another word, exactly as I had anticipated. I entered the room with Choi Han’s support.

“I’m going to rest, so Hans and Ron—don’t come in unless it’s an emergency. You know what happens when you disturb me while I’m sleeping, don’t you?”

Once, a servant had woken me instead of Ron, and from morning onward, I had subjected him to every curse imaginable. Though I never laid a hand on anyone, that servant later went around the Mansion saying it felt as though he’d been beaten with insults.

“Of course, sir. Please rest well.”
“Young master, I shall remain outside your door.”

At Ron’s response, my expression soured, but I soon watched the two of them leave and secretly instructed Choi Han, who was still supporting me.

“Come through the window to my room silently.”

Choi Han nodded without hesitation and followed the two men out of the room, the door closing behind them.

Meow.

“Now?”

At the question from On and Hong, who had followed me upstairs, I nodded and immediately opened the box. Click. As the magical lock disengaged, I retrieved a piece of clothing from inside the box, which had revealed itself once more. After changing into the new outfit, Choi Han entered through the open window. His eyes widened.

“Kale Heniatus?”

Before pulling on the black mask, I tossed the black garment in my hands to Choi Han.

“You wear it too.”

The device I had planted yesterday would temporarily halt the magical recording apparatus. But that alone was insufficient. I didn’t want to be discovered. That’s why I’d been drinking since midday and had prepared these clothes.

“What is this?”

On the black garment, five small red stars were embroidered as a pattern around one white star near the chest of the upper garment.

‘What else? Secret Organization clothing.’

The book “The Birth of a Hero” had described the Secret Organization’s clothing in meticulous detail—the very organization that had clashed with Choi Han repeatedly. Based on that description, I had specially commissioned these clothes. Just to be safe, I’d had the garment made separately and embroidered the star pattern myself. So up close it looked crude, but from a distance it appeared convincing enough.

Those who saw this outfit would not notice the crudeness and would only remember ‘five red stars and one white star on black clothing.’ Unlike the Marquis, who had directly encountered the Secret Organization, Benion had only heard tales of them. The report from his subordinates upon witnessing this outfit would bring him considerable frustration and anger.

“…Is this something bad?”

When I didn’t answer, Choi Han posed another question. With the black mask on, my appearance was unmistakably that of a villain.

“Yeah, it’s something bad.”

I curved my eyes—the only part visible between the mask—into a sinister smile.

“It’s bad for that bastard Benion.”
“Ah.”

Choi Han let out an exclamation and reached out to point at another mask in my hand.

“Please.”

Even the kindest person finds someone they dislike, someone they wish to teach a lesson. How much more so for one who had lived alone for decades, only just stepping into the world at seventeen years old, barely past that threshold of youth.

“Ah, and these two are children of the feline beastkin. They’re beastkin.”

Kale Heniatus introduced On and Hong to Choi Han as though it were nothing of consequence, and they exchanged greetings without further ceremony. The feline beastkin children, sensitive to a person’s true nature, had a vague understanding of Choi Han’s abilities, and Choi Han, having traveled with them all this time, had already discerned that these were no ordinary cats.

“That one is Choi Han. This is On, and that’s Hong. Introductions complete. Everyone prepare quickly.”

After a brief preparation period, Kale Heniatus commanded Choi Han, who emerged from the washroom dressed identically in black clothing and a black mask.

“Let’s go.”

Of course, I added this while standing before the second-floor window.

“When we leave from the second floor, carry me down. I don’t know how to fall safely.”

Choi Han sighed in front of me for the first time. On and Hong approached him and gently patted him with their front paws. Then I spoke to them.

“Let’s hurry.”

Our group escaped the inn safely and headed toward the mountain where the Count’s Villa stood—the breeding ground of dragons.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————