Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 188

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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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Now that my interest is piqued, shouldn’t I set things in motion?

The VIP auction held in February to commemorate the new year. It unfolds over three days in secret at the topmost floor of the Golden Tree gambling house.

Yet it was difficult to call it a secret auction when both the dates and attendees could be ascertained. Of course, everyone wore masks within the auction hall, but it was all traceable through visitor records to Begus City.

The reason it was still called a secret auction was because the auction items remained unknown until the event itself.

The Golden Tree staff never spoke of the items that appeared in the secret auction. They had sworn the Oath of Death regarding auction item security before the Death God Priest.

‘Yet rumors always find a way to spread.’

Before the secret auction, whenever a rare item was discovered on the Western Continent, and its whereabouts became difficult to trace immediately after, people’s minds turned first to the secret auction.
Thanks to this, not only the VIPs but also the common folk watching from afar heard endless rumors.

That was why.
I sent information to only the Sinten Merchant Guild Master and the Sun God Church Bishop of the Caro Kingdom.

“Hilsman.”

At the snap of my fingers, Hilsman immediately stood before me.

‘Three hundred billion? Three hundred, three…!’

Despite his brisk movements, Hilsman’s mind contained only the number I had uttered.

‘Should I report this to the Count?’

The sheer magnitude of the sum left him wondering whether he should report it to Count Derth Heniatus. Until now he had thought it ordinary, but this was a substantial amount even for a wealthy fiefdom.
Then my voice reached his ears.

“Hilsman.”
“Yes, yes?”

His vacant response made it abundantly clear his mind had wandered elsewhere. But I was not the sort of master to fault him for such things.
Of course, since he had not yet sworn the oath of vassalage, I remained his master only in his heart.

“Don’t mention this to the fiefdom. I’m gathering this money as a precaution.”

A precaution?
Wasn’t this far too substantial a sum to merely set aside as emergency funds?
Doubt began to crystallize in Hilsman’s mind.

“You’ve already anticipated what might unfold this year, haven’t you?”

Ah.
A soft exclamation escaped Hilsman’s lips.
What would happen this year.

I couldn’t know everything Kale Heniatus was orchestrating, but by observing his movements, certain patterns emerged. Particularly regarding the Empire and the Northern 3 Nations—I could discern the broad strokes.
And that creature called Dark as well.

Only then did Hilsman grasp what the precaution truly meant. Simultaneously, I understood Kale Heniatus’s intention.

‘He’s accumulating funds to use if war erupts later—if the fiefdom or kingdom faces a crisis!’

Now the necessity of such a substantial sum became clear.
It was money for the peace of the fiefdom, and by extension, the kingdom itself.

With such a purpose, a meager sum would never suffice.

Hilsman thought once more that the Silver Prince was truly worthy of his reputation. Moreover, this was an experience one could never gain had I chosen the path of ‘becoming a commander.’

‘I chose well.’

The decision to follow Kale Heniatus, to grow stronger.
I was satisfied with it all.

“Yes, my lord. Of course I won’t report it.”

At Hilsman’s spirited reply, On shook her head in disapproval.
On glanced sidelong at Kale Heniatus. He accepted the answer as though it were only natural.

As Hilsman felt a pang at that matter-of-fact response, Kale Heniatus was indeed preparing for the ‘precaution’ exactly as On had anticipated.

‘I need to earn aggressively before the war breaks out. That way, we’ll have an easier time surviving afterward.’

Once the war ended, I planned to erase the word “work” from my life and inscribe “unemployed” in its place. To achieve that, I needed to earn now.
Kale Heniatus made a firm resolve.

Meanwhile, Bilos felt an odd premonition as he listened to the conversation between Hilsman and Kale Heniatus.

‘…So the young master wasn’t accumulating wealth simply because he enjoyed collecting money?’

The dialogue between the two men seemed to contain a greater future and cause than Bilos had initially perceived.

‘I understand the matter concerning the Empire. But is there something more beyond that?’

A merchant’s instinct spoke to him.
An opportunity—or perhaps a catastrophe—was approaching.

Bilos’s eyes, which had been searching and probing in all directions, met Kale Heniatus’s gaze. He faltered at the intensity of those eyes fixed upon him.

“Bilos, why do you think I went north? Find the answer. Then you’ll see the money.”

The moment Bilos heard Kale Heniatus’s words, it felt as though a brilliant light flashed through his mind. Though faint, that illumination revealed to him how he should act.

“Young Master, whenever you have need of me, please call upon me.”

Bilos’s openly flattering smile indicated the choice he had made. But Kale let it pass and looked down at On and Hong.

The two children, who had grown considerably from the tiny kittens they were two years ago into young felines, opened their mouths knowingly and revealed their small fangs.

“On, Hong. Bring Ron here.”

Meow.

Hong’s whiskers twitched as he cried out. It seemed something fun was about to happen.

And that expectation proved correct.

* * *

That night.
Hong nestled in my arms as I gazed down at the rooftops below. Well-fed and well-rested, with Hans’s meticulous care, I stroked Hong’s soft fur.

“True, it seems the Sinten Merchant Guild Master was quite desperate as well. Wouldn’t you say, Bilos?”
“Yes, yes.”

Bilos answered Kale’s question hastily, yet felt a chill creeping down his spine.
He followed Kale’s gaze downward from beneath the roof. Of course, he himself was crouched and clinging to a rope.
In contrast, Kale stood at ease atop the roof’s peak, Wind’s Sound bound to his feet.

‘…The young master has been concealing his true power.’

The power Kale possessed extended far beyond merely the shield of ancient strength. An ordinary person would struggle to even stand upon such a sharp, steep rooftop, their courage wavering.
Bilos himself had needed Hilsman to carry him here.

‘I knew so little about the young master.’

Bilos recalled Kale’s past.
Kale Heniatus, once infamous as a wastrel. He had known that Kale merely pretended to be one. Yet only now did this truth strike him with its full weight.

‘That’s right—would a true wastrel possess such extensive knowledge of the Western Continent?’

Kale was well-versed in the nations of the Western Continent, their renowned landmarks, and influential figures. To acquire such knowledge from a remote fiefdom in the Northeast Rowan Kingdom would have required deliberate study.

‘He must have studied in secret.’

And cultivated his physical strength all the while.
By this point, Bilos found Kale to loom larger than himself—a bastard who had spent his life accumulating power.

‘What future does he envision?’

Bilos sensed it as a man, transcending mere financial interest.
The countless records of history whispered the truth: when one who conceals himself begins to reveal his true nature to the world, the world transforms.

Bilos gripped the hanging rope tightly and shifted his gaze to follow Kale’s.

‘…And the hidden power he possessed was not his alone.’

The mansion where the Sinten Sub-Tower Master was believed to be. Around it, a strange mist swirled into view.
He had known Kale traveled with Cat-Human Race members, but he never realized they could manipulate mist itself.

‘And I never knew he commanded such covert information networks and formidable allies.’

Masked members of the Information Organization moved at Kale Heniatus’s command. Though Bilos maintained personal intelligence operatives as a merchant, he had never encountered anyone quite so covert.

‘To approach the Sinten Merchant Guild Master so discreetly! That’s practically the caliber of a top-tier assassin.’

He couldn’t get a sense of who this person was at all.

If Bilos had known that this person was Ron, who had been brewing him lemon honey tea just yesterday, he would have been shocked beyond measure.

But there was someone here even more shocked than Bilos.
The owner of the mansion Kale gazed down upon.
Flavin Sinten.

The man who had elevated the Sinten Merchant Guild to this position, who dreamed of becoming the greatest merchant guild in the Empire and, moreover, across the entire Western Continent.
He sat tapping his wine glass against the table, his face contorted.

“…How did he find out?”

Tap. Tap. Tap.
Each time the wooden cup struck the wooden table, the sound rang out, yet it could not silence Flavin Sinten’s thoughts.

‘The Flame Crystal!’

When he had been deliberating whether to align with the Empire or the Pope, he had naively thought, why not both? It was then that one of his connections to the Pope had been the Flame Crystal.

The Pope, who had posed as an exceptionally virtuous priest, harbored considerable greed—particularly material desire. The guild master had presented the Flame Crystal the Pope desired and thereby deepened ties with the Sun God Church.
Naturally, it had been done in secret from the Empire.

‘That of all things would become my weakness!’

Flavin Sinten’s gaze turned to one corner of the table. An unfolded invitation lay there.

【The Flame Crystal will appear at this auction. If you wish to see it first, be at the location and date written on this invitation.】

“…Damn bastard. Just let me find out who you are.”

Flavin ground his teeth, unable to contain his rage.
Because of this matter, he had to come to the Caro Kingdom auction house despite his already hectic schedule. Moreover, since this was something that could not be revealed to the Empire, he could not bring a large entourage openly.

He could not even bring the Assassination Guild he cultivated.

‘The Crown Prince’s gaze is too sharp for that to work either.’

Since the failed assassination attempt on the Alchemy Tower’s Sub-Tower Master last year and the subsequent collapse of part of the Palace of the Sun, Crown Prince Adin had grown acutely vigilant toward covert organizations within the Empire.
Under such circumstances, Flavin Sinten could not risk crossing the border with his Assassination Guild in tow. He could not expose his weapon at a time like this.

‘…Still, there’s no real danger to me, is there?’

He had brought along the Vice Guild Master of the Assassination Guild and a high-ranking Expert swordsman as escorts. Unless a Sword Master appeared, his life would not be in jeopardy.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of his wine glass being tapped continued in steady rhythm.

‘First, I’ll capture the madman who sent the invitation, and if the Fire Crystal truly exists, I’ll seize it.’

He could not afford to leave any weakness unaddressed.

Tap. Tap.
Boom.
Tap-

“…Hm?”

An anomalous sound reached his ears.
Flavin Sinten set down his wine glass.

Boom.

He turned his head. A window half-obscured by curtains came into view.
Only then did Flavin Sinten notice something peculiar.

“…Fog?”

The Caro Kingdom, with its arid climate. In the dead of night, without a single drop of rain.
A thick fog seized his attention.
A faint sheen of perspiration formed on his palm.

The fog was crimson.

That was no ordinary mist.

Creak.

The door opened.

“Guild Master.”

It was the sub-guild master of the Assassination Guild.

“Check it.”

At the guild master’s command, the assassin immediately moved toward the window. Inspectors stood beside Flavin Sinten, who watched. Flavin Sinten quickly gripped an antidote potion in hand and drew out a magical artifact inscribed with shield magic.

That was when it happened.

Tap.

Once more, the sound of something striking the window echoed through the room.
The inspectors gripped their sword hilts.
The assassin, dagger in one hand, swept the curtains aside in an instant.

Whoosh—

The curtains parted.

There was no one there.

“Hmm.”

The guild master exhaled softly.
Meanwhile, the assassin discovered an object left on the empty terrace.

It was not the source of the tapping sounds against the window. What had made those sounds remained utterly unknown.

Only a small invitation lay there.

The invitation soon appeared before the guild master, resting in the assassin’s palm.
A brief message was written upon it.

Rang-3.

It was a VIP auction hall seat number.
The Merchant Guild Master stared at the assassin and his escorts with eyes that seemed to pour forth light itself.

“What in the world have you done?”

While the mist spread and someone infiltrated to leave behind this invitation, the escorts and assassin had accomplished nothing.

Yet the Merchant Guild Master’s expression froze at the words of the senior expert that followed.

“Master, my sincerest apologies. I rushed over the moment I saw the mist, but I sensed no presence whatsoever. As you instructed, I was maintaining the escort formation.”

Before arriving here, they had discussed and predetermined how to proceed with the Merchant Guild Master’s protection. It was something the Master himself had confirmed.
He had grown angry, believing they had grown lax and failed to follow through with the plan as agreed.

But reality painted a different picture.
The assassin spoke quietly as well.

“Master… until now, I have sensed no presence of any kind. I only saw the mist and heard a single sound.”

Only then did Flavin Sinten grasp the gravity of the situation.
A master so formidable that even the sub-guild master and two senior experts could not sense a trace of their presence.
An invitation left behind by such a master.

He swallowed hard. The Merchant Guild Master felt goosebumps rise across his entire body. He stared intently at the seat number written on the invitation.
Goosebumps covered her entire body. She stared intently at the seat number written on the invitation.

That reason was fear.
That was fear.

I’m back.

Ron, wearing a mask and with his voice modulated, made his report. Kale turned his gaze away from the Mansion he had been looking down at.

Let’s go.

Kale returned to his lodging, hoping that Flavin Sinten would come to understand the precariousness of his position in that stillness.
Kale Heniatus returned to his lodging, hoping that the Sinten Merchant Guild master would come to realize his own situation in that silence.

* * *

The next day, I set out for the Golden Tree with a newly purchased magical pouch in hand.
Naturally, it was an empty magical pouch meant to hold three hundred billion.

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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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