Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 191

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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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The Bishop said nothing.
He merely looked Kale up and down.

Beyond the curtain, the Auctioneer’s voice rang out.

“Our first item is an exquisite quill adorned with beautiful fur. Naturally, the material of that fur comes from a beautiful beast-human, does it not?”

The voice was loud enough to pierce the silence within Terrace 1.

“How much do you want?”

A parched voice echoed through the terrace. The Servant began the transaction matter-of-factly. It was as good as revealing his identity as the Bishop.
He asked nothing else.

Who are you, do you truly possess the goods in hand.
Such questions held no importance whatsoever.

For a Bishop who had weathered every storm, a single line written on the invitation was sufficient.

【Do you wish to possess a divine artifact?】

The sentence written below lent credibility to the meaning of the invitation.

【I possess the Night’s Joy that the Pope kept hidden. Purchase this.】

The Bishop knew well that the deceased Pope was a greedy man. Thus, he had presented the Night’s Joy to him.
And he had come to suspect that the Pope possessed a secret chamber where such treasures were concealed.

Could a divine artifact not exist in such a place?

The Bishop desired to become Pope.
He was merely waiting for a small pretext now.

He gazed at the man before him wearing a white mask.
The masked man had not yet answered his question of how much he wanted. The mouth not covered by the mask slowly opened.

“The Night’s Joy shines even more brilliantly when touched by dead mana, does it not? Unlike ordinary natural materials that become corrupted upon contact with dead mana.”

The Bishop offered a chuckle to the masked man who spoke needlessly.

“Why? Are you thinking of taking that Night’s Joy you’re holding and conducting some experiment with the fake Night’s Joy in the Temple?”

A deflating laugh escaped—the sound of air leaking from a balloon.
The masked man shook his head as he looked at the Bishop.

“You old codger, you’ve got quite the temperament.”
“That’s what happens when you grow old.”

The Layman’s body stiffened. Yet he did not turn to look back.
The Layman held his breath, feigning ignorance of the conversation between the Bishop dressed as a Servant and the intruder.

“How much do you want?”

The Bishop inquired about the price once more.
Then Night’s Joy materialized before his eyes.

“You don’t seem to doubt whether I’m from the Imperial Palace?”

The Bishop answered curtly to the words spilling from the white mask.

“Whether you’re from the Empire or not, the fact that you’re a merchant trying to sell me goods remains unchanged.”

This man is quite clever.
Indeed. Whether from the Empire or not, what mattered to the Bishop of the Caro Kingdom was reclaiming Night’s Joy and the opportunity to touch the divine artifact.

Kale found the Bishop he’d met in this space quite agreeable. However, he did not correct the Bishop’s misunderstanding.

A merchant.
I was no merchant.
Rather, I was a hunter.

I would cast bait one by one, drawing my prey before me step by step into an inescapable trap.
The divine artifact was the first bait.
Because of the divine artifact, the Bishop would purchase Night’s Joy.
He would need to maintain his connection with me.

I opened my mouth.

“How much?”
“What? Ha!”

The Bishop let out a laugh that was almost a sigh of exasperation.
The man before him was insisting that the Bishop make the first offer. Yet the Bishop found this amusing.

Why?
Because he was a merchant who understood who held the advantage.

The masked man knew he held the upper hand and was attempting to pressure the Bishop. The Bishop favored such clever individuals.
They were far easier to handle. After all, no one understood profit quite like a rational human being.

“50.”

The Bishop offered 5 billion.
It was the price set when Night’s Rejoicing was first discovered.
Considering how long ago that was, it remained a considerable sum.
Yet Kale Heniatus remained resolute.

“How much?”

The Bishop answered calmly.

“60.”

A race between two bidders. The auction had begun in earnest.
The exchange was monotonous.

“How much?”
“70.”

The Auctioneer’s voice carried from beyond the terrace.

“We have 300 million Counds on the table! Do we have any further bids? Ah! 310 million Counds!”

Simultaneously, Kale Heniatus posed his question.

“How much?”

The Layman fluttered his sleeves at the two syllables I uttered again, fidgeting with visible anxiety. He kept hesitating as he stared through the curtain-shrouded stage ahead.

“80.”

The Layman drew in a sharp breath at the Bishop’s answer.
Both the Bishop and the intruder were truly suffocating people to deal with.

“How much?”

The moment Kale Heniatus asked once more, the Bishop realized the man before him was growing bored.

“100.”

10 billion.
The unit had increased.
The value had doubled, but the Bishop saw the gleam in the eyes behind the mask and understood at once.
It wasn’t over yet.

Before Kale Heniatus could open his mouth, the Bishop spoke first.

“150.”

Now I had wagered my faith and the Papacy itself on the value of the Night’s Ecstasy.
I added further.

“However, payment cannot be made in full after 100 billion.”
“How much?”

Hah.
The Bishop finally let out a sigh.
I narrowed my eyes and glared at the mask.

“Is the only thing that sticks to your mouth the amount you speak? What an impudent brat, showing no respect to your elders. With such a short tongue.”

It sounded like a rebuke, yet carried an oddly affectionate tone. There was even a hint of familiarity in the manner of speech, but Kale Heniatus was not one to be deceived by such theatrics.
Kale Heniatus grew tired of words and asked with his eyes instead.

‘How much?’

The Bishop spread both hands open as he answered.

“200.”

A sharp intake of breath escaped the Layman’s lips. He seemed startled by the sum.

“I can’t go any higher.”

The Bishop shook his head with a weary expression.
It genuinely appeared he had reached his limit. Yet Kale Heniatus recalled something he had learned back when he was Kim Rok-soo.

‘The shadier the bastard, the more they’ll push once more.’

The lessons his former team leader had once casually imparted to him came to mind.
That hard-won wisdom had proven accurate more often than not.

“How much?”
“Damn it, is this guy serious?”

The Bishop cursed openly.
Kale—or rather, Kim Rok-soo—had heard every conceivable insult during his years in that line of work, so he took it in stride. It was always the same: the dirtier the operator, the cruder their language became when cornered.

The Bishop closed his eyes and opened his mouth.

“…220.”
“230.”
“…You cunning bastard.”

The price of Night’s Joy had climbed to 23 billion Counds. The Bishop’s face drained of color as he wiped his brow. Yet Kale recalled another lesson from his former team leader back in those Kim Rok-soo days.

‘And if the bastard is shady but also loaded, push one final time.’

But Kale had no intention of pushing further.

‘Of course, unless he’s someone worth using—then you give him breathing room.’

Since the Bishop was someone worth keeping around, there was no need to squeeze him dry and destroy the relationship.
Kale watched as the Servant called for the Layman. The Layman rose from his seat, turned around, and produced a small purse.

“Alright. 10 billion it is.”

The Bishop handed it directly to Kale Heniatus.

“As meticulous as ever, I see.”

As if questioning when I’d dropped the formal speech, Kale Heniatus accepted the money pouch with courtesy, the corners of his mouth lifting. The Bishop clicked his tongue.
To him, Kale Heniatus added one more thing.

“Let’s meet again sometime.”

This time, the Bishop’s mouth corners rose.
It sounded like an invitation to visit with a gift in hand.

Kale Heniatus withdrew a note from his pocket and placed it on a nearby table. It was the location where the remaining 13 billion would be sent.

Whoosh.
The curtain opened again. Kale Heniatus took only the money pouch and vanished beyond the terrace.

The Layman who had feigned hesitation rose from his seat with an unbothered expression. With tension gone, his face looked as parched and cold as the Bishop’s.
His gaze was even more piercing.

“Look into the white-haired one.”
“Yes, sir.”

And the Bishop, who had posed as a Servant, bowed his head to the Layman. Click, click. The magical device in the Servant’s pocket activated, and the Servant’s face transformed into that of a man in his forties. His face, covered in fine scars, looked more suited to an Assassin than a warrior.

The Layman sat back down, sinking deep into the sofa. The Layman received the magical device from the Servant. Click. His face instantly changed to that of the Bishop.
He wiped his face and opened his mouth.

“Touching this wrinkled old skin is truly irritating work.”

The Priest’s voice had also transformed into that of an Elderly Man.

“Pretending to be old is exhausting too. Still, they don’t seem to know I killed the previous Bishop, do they?”
“No, they don’t appear to know.”
“Since he has white hair, look into Paern.”
“Yes.”

The Layman adjusted the magical device.

And as Kale entered Terrace 4, I had to hear Raon’s voice.

-Human, why did you use transformation magic and pretend not to know? A magical device of that caliber would be difficult to obtain! It’s precious!

Kale smiled.

“Young master, you’ve arrived?”

Bilos quickly drew the curtain as he watched Kale laugh and remove his mask.

“Was it resolved well?”
“Yes.”

Kale nodded.

-Human, why did you pretend not to know? I’m curious! And just as you said, the Layman pretended to be frightened, but his eyes didn’t waver at all.

Ignoring Raon’s words, I recalled what Saint Jack had told me. He had described the Bishop’s appearance.
Her true appearance.

‘The Bishop of the Caro Kingdom is a thin woman in her thirties with sharp features. That is her true form.’

Kale let out a hollow laugh.

“It’s truly terrifying.”

Indeed, this fantasy world was frightening.
That was when it happened.

Hmm?

A chill ran down the back of my neck.

“Young master.”

Ron offered me lemonade. As I felt the chill at the back of my neck, I studied Ron’s eyes. In that moment, Raon’s voice rang out.

-But human, are you done with your busy schedule now?

Roughly?
As Kale Heniatus nodded slightly, Raon spoke.

-You told me to ignore the Crown Prince, so I’ve been ignoring the video calls. But something felt off, so I’m mentioning it.

Hm?
You really ignored them?
Kale Heniatus hadn’t realized I would actually ignore the video calls so faithfully. He didn’t know how meticulously I remembered his words.
That’s why Kale Heniatus felt increasingly chilled.
Raon spoke cheerfully.

-He’s been sending signals since you started talking with the Bishop. I’ve already received the tenth video call signal!

What?
That Crown Prince Alberu contacted me ten times?

-And he left a voice message. So I’m only playing it for you first.

Kale Heniatus gripped the glass containing lemonade tightly.
The Crown Prince’s voice echoed through my mind.

-The Northern 3 Nations are moving.

…What?
Kale Heniatus didn’t comprehend it properly for a moment.

Paern is moving?
It’s still February?
The sea hasn’t even thawed yet?

Why?

“Damn it.”

Kale Heniatus downed the lemonade. My face contorted at the sourness.

“Young master?”

Bilos stared at me in shock. I tossed him the pouch of money I’d received from the Bishop. He caught it reflexively.
I gave him my instructions.

“Obtain the Wolf King’s traces.”
“Pardon?”
“There’s a billion gold inside. Figure it out yourself.”
“Y-yes? A… a billion gold?”

Whether Bilos was astonished or not, I continued.

“Ron and I are leaving first. Ron, take the lead.”

I had Ron, Bilos’s Servant who had accompanied us, go ahead, then immediately activated my invisibility and left the Terrace, heading swiftly back to my Residence.

-Human, another voice has arrived.

Raon spoke to me as I walked briskly.

-You should accept it. It seems we need to talk first.

I furrowed my brow.

‘Why would the Crown Prince want to talk with a minor noble like me?’

A chill ran down my spine, a sour taste coated my mouth, and suddenly something unexpected had erupted.

‘This is driving me insane.’

Irritation surged within me.

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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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