Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 187

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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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-Human, what are these things!

Meow.
Meow!

I had taken a stroll.
To the Gambling House.

Kale Heniatus walked leisurely through the first floor, observing the ornate fountain, the magical gambling devices, and the tables arranged along one side of the space.

-Hey, human! Did you see that? I put in one copper coin and the magical device spat out gold coins!

The transparent eyes of the six-year-old Dragon darted rapidly across every corner of the first floor.
There was certainly no magic that would produce countless gold coins from a single copper coin. Whether through magic or alchemy, one must sacrifice something to gain its equivalent in return.
Mana is used to obtain fire, wind, and so forth.

The Black Dragon immediately grasped the essence of that magical gambling contraption, which required matching numerous fruit symbols. After two years of experiencing the world, the intelligent Dragon conveyed his realization to Kale with utmost seriousness.

-Human, have you no interest in stripping those magical devices?

“Good heavens.”

Kale was astounded. Simultaneously, he was impressed.

‘Dragons truly are different.’

The Dragon wasn’t suggesting he try playing with those slot machine-like gambling devices—he wanted to take them apart and disassemble them to understand how they worked.
Kale felt inwardly satisfied but feigned ignorance as he asked in return.

“Why?”

The place was so noisy that no one paid attention to Kale’s voice as he held a small cat in his arms.
Only Vice-Captain Hilsman, who followed with Hong cradled in his own arms, and Bilos behind him exchanged puzzled glances. Kale paid them no mind whatsoever.

-Why, you ask? One must understand the principles of operation. Do you not know this?

Hmm.

—So I’m taking all the money here! I’ll drain every last Silver from my piggy bank!

Kale’s expression grew bitter.
Indeed, the Dragon was remarkable. His thinking was far more practical than Kale’s own.
Kale seriously contemplated Raon’s opinion, but soon turned his gaze away as he watched people mechanically inserting coins—one Caro Kingdom currency unit per transaction—into the magical device.

Resignation, hope, desperation, obsession, despair. I had no desire to seize money that had accumulated with such a chaotic mixture of emotions.
If I was going to take it anyway, wouldn’t it be better to take the money from those who deserved it?

“Young Master, someone is heading up there.”

Bilos subtly pointed to one side. Kale’s pupils shifted toward the innermost part of the first floor.

A massive tree-shaped building wrapped in gold on the outside.
Called the Golden Tree because gold blooms from it, this place was a legal gambling house approved by the Caro Kingdom.

Anyone could enter by paying one silver coin, ten Caro Kingdom currency units, and upon stepping into the first floor, a fountain stretched in a straight line toward the innermost section.

Beyond the various fountains placed at regular intervals, there existed a corridor decorated with golden doors.

Called the Fruit of the Golden Tree, it was the passage leading to the upper levels.
Right now, a single person was being guided through that passage.

One of the two people Kale had been searching for—the one who had sent an invitation through Bilos from the Empire.

A middle-aged man who appeared to be in his fifties, wearing a stern expression.
Yet despite his stern demeanor, he possessed the exact countenance of a corrupt politician.

‘The type who’d be a three-term congressman absolutely plastered in corruption scandals?’

That was precisely the sort of man he was.
Unlike the composed Kale, Bilos let out an exclamation of admiration, his gaze fixed intently on the middle-aged man stepping through the open golden doors.

“…I never expected that merchant guild master would actually come.”

The middle-aged man was a merchant guild master.

One of the five fingers of the Mogur Empire’s merchant guilds.
The Sinten Merchant Guild.
While their commercial acumen was exceptional, their political influence was far superior—a merchant guild that had grown explosively within the empire over the past decade.

Flavin Sinten, the owner of that merchant guild.

Bilos was astounded that Flavin Sinten had responded to the invitation Kale had sent anonymously, but he drew a sharp breath at an even more astonishing revelation.

‘So the Fire Crystal truly is in the Crown Prince’s hands.’

Bilos himself was the one who had written the invitation at Kale’s command. Therefore, he knew exactly what bait Kale had used to summon these two individuals.

The Fire Crystal.
A jewel and necklace known to be owned by the Sinten Merchant Guild.

A mysterious gem discovered in ancient lava long ago, no flame could ever scratch it. A dwarf craftsman who had designed the Magic Tower subsequently took possession of it and crafted it into a beautiful necklace, or so the legend went.

It was known that the Sinten Merchant Guild had acquired it roughly a decade ago at the Golden Tree Auction House here in Begus City.

‘But how did the Crown Prince obtain it?’

Bilos could not fathom how this had come to pass. Nevertheless, he marveled at Kale’s resourcefulness.
In any case, this meant the Crown Prince currently possessed that necklace, did it not?

‘He must also genuinely possess the Night’s Joy.’

The Night’s Joy—another gem that would serve as bait to summon yet another figure.
Bilos recalled Kale’s words about this being a major undertaking and wet his parched lips with his tongue. Deep anticipation gleamed across his plump face.

‘At minimum, twenty billion.’

The Fire Crystal alone had fetched an official auction price of fifteen billion a decade ago. Since this was a covert transaction, the final amount would likely be slightly higher or lower than that figure.
Of course, this all assumed the Sinten Merchant Guild desired this necklace, but the fact that they had come this far meant they certainly did.

Bilos leaned in and whispered to Kale. His voice trembled with excitement.

“Your Highness, you’ll be parting with fifteen billion, then.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Pardon?”

He could see the bewildered expression on Kale Heniatus’s face.
Kale was truly taken aback.

15 billion.

“Bilos.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”

Seeing Kale Heniatus’s expression turn serious as if about to discuss something important, Bilos straightened his posture and waited for what would come next.

“I don’t quite understand why items at auctions are sold for tens of billions, or even over a hundred billion.”

Kale Heniatus couldn’t readily comprehend the prices of jewels and artwork that sold at VIP auctions.

“But they must be worth that much if they’re selling for such high prices.”

That value could be purely artistic, or it could be for investment or other reasons. And Kale Heniatus had every intention of respecting that value. So the pricing began from that auction price. The final valuation of the Flame’s Decree flowed from Kale Heniatus’s lips.
So the pricing started from that auction price. The final value of the Fire Crystal flowed from Kale’s lips.

“Pardon?”
“What?”

Bilos’s mind went blank for a moment at the number Kale had just uttered.

Did I hear that right?

And it wasn’t just any doubling.
It’s not just double either.

Kale Heniatus had definitely mentioned 300 billion.
Kale definitely mentioned 3 billion.

The currency unit that the Caro Kingdom used at auctions was the Caund, the currency of the Caro Kingdom. Given that it was a country with advanced commerce, the Caro Kingdom’s 30 billion Caunds would be worth approximately 35 billion when converted to the Roan Kingdom’s currency.

“That’s not someone who would talk nonsense!”

Kale Heniatus was not someone who would speak carelessly. Even if he seemed loose, he was rational when it came to calculations and his own interests.
Kale Heniatus wasn’t the type to talk nonsense. Even if he seemed loose and carefree, he was quite rational when it came to calculations and his own interests.

A price coming from such a person’s lips would naturally be one that could be realized.

“…Young Master.”
“Yes.”
“I will always be by your side.”

Bilos stared at Kale with the expression of a loyal retainer, piercing enough to bore holes. Kale naturally scoffed and brushed off the flattery without much concern.
Bilos grew more curious at this response, but he could not bring himself to ask. The Kale he knew was someone who would explain what was necessary, and by being at his side, one could naturally come to understand.

‘Still, I’m curious this time. Should I ask? But he’s not someone who would easily teach me anyway.’

Bilos’s thoughts were accurate.
This time, even if Bilos asked, I could not explain.

The information about the Slave Trading Merchant Guild that I had learned through Ron and Frigia was quite detailed.
The merchant guild name I heard in the first report was one I had never encountered before. However, through the subsequent reports that followed, I was able to discover the true owner of that guild.

The fact that Ron was currently not at this Golden Tree gambling house, and that Tasha had deliberately joined this group, were both things that happened after discovering that owner.

At dawn after destroying two houses, I gave a first report to Crown Prince Alberu through video communication. And the second information I received afterward, I also informed the Crown Prince.

Three out of the transaction profits belonged to the Crown Prince. Of course, by placing Antonio’s leash in hand, I was able to change the profit split from five to five to seven to three as promised, obtaining the seven.

I recalled what the Crown Prince had said.

‘-…So the backing of that merchant guild is the Sinten Merchant Guild?’

The backing of the merchant guild that had engaged in slave trading was the Sinten Merchant Guild.

The Sinten Merchant Guild that would trade the Fire Crystal.
How coincidentally they were entangled.

‘Your information network is truly impressive.’

It was naturally impressive.
It was Ron, and furthermore, the Assassination Guild members who had originally been active in the Southwest Region where the border with the Empire existed—they were Frigia and her colleagues.
They had identified the circumstances of a Slave Trading Merchant Guild employee visiting the Sinten Merchant Guild branch that existed on the Empire’s border, leaving with a large promissory note. Based on this, they conducted an in-depth investigation of that branch, and ultimately managed to intercept a secret letter sent by the branch manager through messenger birds, thereby obtaining the information.

‘Would you introduce me to your information network?’
‘No, Your Highness.’

It was naturally feasible since Ron and the Information Guild members had never been properly exposed to the world.

‘Your Highness, what should we do?’

Kale Heniatus asked how to handle the newly acquired information about slave trafficking ahead of the transaction with the Sinten Merchant Guild, but the Crown Prince turned the question back on him.

‘What would you like to do?’
‘Proceed as originally planned.’
‘As originally planned?’

Kale judged that the original plan was sound.

‘We sell the jewels and earn money from the Sinten Merchant Guild, while Your Highness conducts the investigation as planned and arrests the guild.’
‘…Squeeze every last coin from them, then arrest and dismantle the entire guild?’
‘Precisely.’
‘Excellent. Let it be done that way.’

With the Crown Prince’s approval, Kale could now proceed as he saw fit.

“Um, Young Master.”

Kale looked down at Bilos, who gazed up at me cautiously.

“I’m just so curious about how you’ll do it. Could I possibly get even a small hint?”

-Me too, me too! Three billion! Human, you are great—no, I’m the great one, but you’re impressive too!

Raon’s booming voice rattled through my mind. Kale’s brow furrowed from the headache caused by the noisy six-year-old’s outburst. At that reaction, Bilos, who had asked so carefully, hesitated. He wondered if he shouldn’t have asked. Then Kale surveyed the surroundings of Vice-Captain Hilsman, On, and Hong, who were just as curious as Raon and Bilos.
Bilos, who had cautiously asked about that action, hesitated. He wondered if he had asked unnecessarily. At that moment, Kale scanned around Hilsman, On, and Hong, who were curious about this as much as Raon and Bilos.

Kale’s mouth opened.
Kale’s mouth opened.

“Think about how the Sinten Merchant Guild came to be in that position. That’s your answer.”

Bilos’s expression, which had been intently focused, became ambiguous.
Meanwhile, Kale smiled.

How had the Sinten Merchant Guild risen to such prominence?

The Sinten Merchant Guild had grown explosively over the past decade, becoming the merchant organization with the strongest ties to the imperial family within the Empire.
It was also regarded as a guild with considerable political acumen.
Both Bilos and Kale knew this fact. Additionally, Kale possessed one more piece of knowledge.

‘And the Fire Crystal came from the Pope’s secret location.’

While it was ‘officially’ known that the Sinten Merchant Guild had owned it for the past decade, the necklace Kale had discovered belonged to the Pope.

What could that mean?

‘Either the Sinten Merchant Guild presented it to the Pope, or the Pope ordered them to retrieve it.’

It had to be one of the two.
And that information would make the Sinten Merchant Guild Master’s mind writhe with anxiety.

The current situation between the Sun God Church and the Empire said everything.

‘The Sinten Merchant Guild plays politics well, yet they’ve planted their feet in both camps.’

That would become a liability from now on.

Kale envisioned the Guild Master who had vanished through the golden door, thrashing like a fish caught on a fishing line. The image formed naturally in his mind.

Kale had no intention of merely squeezing money out of them relentlessly.
Leverage was something that could never simply be handed over.

Moreover, he possessed two pieces of leverage.
This necklace presented to the Pope, and evidence of slave trafficking.

How the Sinten Merchant Guild had grown explosively over the past decade became predictable through this incident.

When the Alchemy Tower ceased using children from the slums and orphans as test subjects, the Sinten Merchant Guild was likely one of the suppliers who provided alternative test subjects from that point onward.

That was how they had prospered.

Raon’s voice echoed in Kale’s mind, still brimming with admiration.

-Human, I will gather that much too! Human, what will you do with that money? Buy me an apple pie!

A mere apple pie was nothing.
Kale nodded casually.

Of course, I had already decided how to spend some of the money earned this time.

Through Ron and Frigia, I had gathered information about the Sinten Merchant Guild and created two additional copies besides the original.

One copy contained information to give to the Crown Prince.
The other copy was to be handed over to the two people hiding in the Empire and gathering forces—the Drunken Alchemist and Sir Rex, the Cat Tribe Knight.
Of course, I planned to hand it over to them later, not now.

‘I’ll strip them bare.’

I intended to systematically dismantle the Sinten Merchant Guild.
Only then would I be able to forget those faces filled with despair that I saw when I opened the basement door in the slums of Gyre Territory.

‘Earn money and do good. Perfect.’

It was quite a satisfying plan.

-…Human, why are you suddenly grinning like you’re about to pull a scam? One apple pie is enough for me!

I brushed off Raon’s words lightly and looked at another person Bilos was pointing at.

“…It seems like someone sent by that person.”

Another gem. Night’s delight.
My gaze caught on one person.

A lay priest in ordinary priestly robes. He hurriedly disappeared through the golden door, carrying treatment tools as if he had come for healing.

The priestly robes bore the emblem of the Sun God Church.

The Caro Kingdom is the second kingdom on the Western Continent with the most Sun God followers. Of course, compared to the Empire, their numbers are not that large.

And the Jewel of Night’s Joy was known to be kept in the Sun God Temple in Begus City of the Caro Kingdom.
It was truly a gem imbued with sublime meaning.

‘So he presented it to the Pope for his own position.’

The second person to catch was the Bishop of Sun God Sect in Caro Kingdom.
He could be considered the representative of the Sun God Church in the Caro Kingdom and was the most likely candidate to become the next Pope.

From now on, this man would become a guiding light and steadfast supporter for the incomplete Saint Jack’s path forward.
Though it would hardly be of his own volition.

It couldn’t be helped.
The next Pope of the Sun God Church would be Jack’s position, after all.

-Human! What kind of fraud are you planning to commit that you’re laughing so wickedly?

Kale Heniatus found himself naturally energized upon arriving in the bustling city.

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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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