Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 215

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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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Chapter 47. The Reversal

The soldier gripped the shaft of his spear tightly, anxiety gnawing at his heart, and ascended the stone stairs.

Tap. Tap. Tap.
The stone stairs, worn by countless years yet sturdy, creaked beneath his feet with each step. His expression was as sour as biting into an unripe persimmon.

‘Why of all places!’

Beyond his comrade ahead, he could see the world outside.
They emerged from the stairwell exit.

A cool breeze swept past.
The refreshing wind brushed against his cheek.

Simultaneously, a vast, open vista revealed itself.

Leona Fortress.
Three towering spires encircled the massive castle. The soldier stationed on the city wall adjacent to the Southern Tower instinctively shrank back.

‘Not the Empire’s side, not Central, but of all things, the Roan Kingdom’s side!’

He was one of the few soldiers deployed to the Southern Tower. Rowan had said their numbers alone would suffice, yet a handful of personnel were still necessary for central command.
The soldier’s duties consisted mainly of messenger work and miscellaneous tasks. Of course, a spear for combat readiness was gripped in his hand.

“…It’s rather sparse, isn’t it.”

At the Senior Soldier’s remark, the soldier’s face contorted further.

Sparse indeed.
Truly.

Fewer than a hundred Roan soldiers.
A woefully insufficient number to garrison the towering spire—nearly the size of a small castle—and the southern city wall. The soldier turned his gaze to the vista before him and released a lament.

“The Empire’s side is overwhelming.”

The Northern Tower. There, the city wall bristled with Imperial soldiers, knights, and mages. And commanding them all stood Duke Hooten, the Sword Master.

And forming a triangle, the Central Tower positioned slightly behind the Northern and Southern Towers also bustled with countless Caro Kingdom soldiers reorganizing their formations.

But there was a far greater problem than that.

“…There are so many of them.”

From beneath the Southern Tower, the entire Caro Kingdom Central Coast lay visible.
The massive ships anchored along that coastline.

Since dawn today, the Indomitable Alliance and the Caro Kingdom Alliance had been in a standoff. For a soldier experiencing war for the first time, his hands and feet trembled.

If staying near the Caro Kingdom forces was difficult, he’d have a better chance of survival on the Imperial side instead.
No, even if fighting, he wanted to fight somewhere with a proper military structure!

The soldier’s expression grew increasingly clouded.
Enemy fleets so densely packed that the seawater of the coastline was invisible.
If the soldiers and knights within those ships launched an assault, this entire coastline would be overrun by enemy forces. Imagining those tens of thousands of enemies marching toward this fortress sent a chill down his spine.

Of course, they had prepared catapults and wooden stakes, setting up defenses against enemies who would come on horseback or on foot. But that was only the story of the Central and Northern Towers.

Not the story of this place—the desolate Southern Tower.

‘…No matter how strong those who came might be.’

The victory of the Roan Kingdom was a famous tale.
How much had everyone spoken of that unbelievable victory.

In truth, the soldier had volunteered to join the Roan Kingdom side of his own accord. Because their stories had set his heart ablaze.

‘I want to fight in a battle like that too, stand against powerful enemies and win! I want victory!’

With that resolve, he had volunteered for the Roan side, but the reality he now faced brought fear crashing down upon him.

“Why are you so frightened?”

The soldier lifted his head. A Senior Soldier—someone who had served as a soldier for at least ten more years than him, someone like an uncle. He hesitated before answering the senior’s question.

“Just… wondering if I can survive.”

Ambition and survival were two different matters.

“You shouldn’t lose heart like that from the start.”
“…That’s true, but it’s hard not to.”

The soldier’s gaze drifted toward the other towers before returning to its original focus. He hung his head low.

“The people from the Roan Kingdom are certainly strong. But when we fight in war, will they have time to protect us too? This place has few people, so there will be many gaps, and if that happens, we’ll definitely be the ones hurt first.”

The powerful from the Roan Kingdom might survive. They might even achieve victory.
No, the Caro Kingdom Alliance had expected to match the Empire’s current forces or even win. After all, the Empire had sent more troops than anticipated, and the defensive position held the advantage.

Yet the soldier could not be certain of that victory.
That uncertainty terrified him.

“Even yesterday, the other formations were busy doing their work, but on our side, the knights and mages are all just digging at the ground. I don’t even understand why.”

Yesterday, the Roan Kingdom forces assigned to the Southern Tower had spent the entire day digging into the earth.
I thought they were constructing traps, but it didn’t seem to be that.
When I asked the reason, I only received the answer that they were digging, which left me frustrated.

“They don’t even include us! But we’re supposed to fight together as allies!”

He had spoken to his senior, who was like an uncle to him, with the usual ease he always used. That was when it happened.

“Hmm, Commander. It seems he’s been thinking such things. I believe this is detrimental to morale.”

What?
The soldier froze. His senior stepped forward slightly, shielding him. The young soldier slowly lifted his head.

A group of people was ascending the Stone Stairs.
The overwhelming victors who had come from the Roan Kingdom.

The young soldier saw the expressionless face of the red-haired commander, Kale Heniatus. It wasn’t harsh or frightening in appearance, but rather an aura that made it difficult for people to approach easily.

Behind him came the youngest Sword Master Choi Han, the Necromancer Mary with her knights and mages, ascending in turn.
They were all from the Roan Kingdom.

“…Ah, um.”

The soldier stood speechless, his mouth hanging open in bewilderment.
Did you hear that?

The soldier saw a man grinning at him with a sly smile. He recognized this person too.
The one who had greeted the soldiers of the Southern Tower yesterday.
Vice-Captain Hilsman of the Knights Order belonging to House Heniatus of the Roan Kingdom.
It was Hilsman who had just spoken to Kale Heniatus.

What should I do?

The young soldier’s eyes darted about in confusion. That was when our gazes met—the young soldier’s eyes and Kale Heniatus’s eyes locked together.

“Do not worry.”
“…Pardon?”

The young soldier found himself repeating the words without thinking.
He could see the commander passing by him, heading toward the very top of the spire. The commander spoke quietly to the few messengers and errand soldiers stationed at the Southern Tower.

“I already consider you on our side.”

His indifferent voice echoed in their ears.

“Let us all survive today, and we shall share a drink together.”

Ah.
The soldier watched the back of Commander Kale Heniatus as he ascended toward the very peak of the Southern Tower’s spire. Behind him moved the Sword Master and the Necromancer.

Moreover, the soldier could see those lining up in a single file along the Southern Tower’s wall.
Mages from the Mage Battalion, and knights from the Roan Kingdom. They passed before the soldiers and took their positions closest to the wall’s railing.

A figure approached the young soldier, who had been watching all this in a daze.

“Ahem, it would be troublesome if morale were to plummet, so allow me to say a few words.”

It was Vice-Captain Hilsman.
He shrugged casually as he spoke.

“There is a famous saying in our House Heniatus, you see. Or rather, it is becoming famous throughout the entire Roan Kingdom. If you recall this saying, you need not fear.”

What did he just say?
The commander’s parting words lingered in my mind, their echo refusing to fade. But when Hilsman spoke again, the young soldier couldn’t hide his bewilderment, his gaze fixed upon him.
Hilsman felt the weight of a few soldiers’ stares and opened his mouth.

“The shield does not break.”

Aah.
Hilsman exhaled in admiration as though he’d taken a long drink.
Yet the soldiers could not conceal their confusion. Though Kale Heniatus’s shield was known to be formidable, this declaration had not yet reached the other kingdoms.

Vice-Captain Hilsman, seeing the soldiers’ bewilderment, added with a knowing smile.

“Just keep those words close to your hearts. Because all of us will carry this truth within our chests.”

All of us.
At those words, the soldier’s gaze swept forward. He saw the Mages and the Knights. Hilsman’s voice echoed in his ears.

“As we all fight together, these words will come to you naturally. So let us find our strength.”

With that, Hilsman hurried after Kale Heniatus, who had already vanished, ascending swiftly toward the top of the Spire Tower.

The shield does not break.

The soldier repeated those words in his mind once more. Then came the voice of the Senior Soldier—like an uncle to him, the one who had taught him spearcraft since childhood when he’d declared his dream to become a soldier.

“You need not worry.”
“…Yes.”

The worry dissolved.

“Let us do our duty well.”

At the words of the most senior among them, the few soldiers retrieved their horns, spears, and signal devices once more. Their role was to relay the overall state of the war and maintain seamless communication.
Commander Kale Heniatus possessed his own communication magic, but they were like the capillaries—essential for blood to flow without fail through every part of the body.

Their resolve had shifted, subtly but unmistakably.

Unaware of this, Kale Heniatus caught sight of Hilsman’s face as he arrived moments later and wore a displeased expression.

“Why do you look like that?”
“Hahaha.”

Hilsman laughed heartily, and I simply turned away. Whatever he’d said to the soldiers, their grinning faces left me deeply unsettled. Yet I had no time to dwell on their expressions.

“You’re here!”

Following Hilsman, a knight from the Caro Kingdom climbed to the very top of the Spire Tower. He was the knight assigned to assist me.
And he came from a family of healers.

Crown Prince Valentino, despite his position, had apologized to me multiple times. His apologies carried genuine sincerity.
Then, uncomfortable with my assurances that all was well, he stationed this knight alongside a mage capable of performing basic healing magic.

Only two people. A pittance of a number, yet in our current standoff, I could feel Valentino’s best efforts. He’d also promised to send more personnel.

Of course, I’d told him it wasn’t necessary.

I had wealth and potions. I was someone who stockpiled premium potions in my subspace. I had the means to protect my people.

“The wind is particularly fierce today.”

I nodded at the knight’s words.
My gaze turned toward the landscape beyond the Spire Tower.

Whoooosh—
Along with the harsh wind came the view of the Coastline.
The massive ships stationed there.
And the enormous Mountain positioned to the left of the Southern Tower.

My mouth opened.

“I can see the Land of Death from here.”

Far to the south, between the Mountain and the Coastline, the vast Desert that consumed the entire Southern Region—the Land of Death—came into view.
Now, just before sunset, the sand grains of the Desert gleamed blood-red.

The Caro Kingdom knight quickly spoke.

“The Land of Death is visible, but it poses no threat to us, so there’s no need to worry. The enemies have no reason to flee in that direction either.”

The Knight could see the Commander smiling as he gazed out at the desert.

“Right. We can’t afford to flee.”

The Knight felt an inexplicable chill in the Commander’s quiet voice. But he quickly collected himself and stated the reason he had come to find the Commander.

“Once dusk falls and night arrives, we will maintain our defensive posture, but our Staff Officer predicts the actual battle will commence tomorrow.”
“Why is that?”
“The terrain here is unsuitable for guerrilla night raids, and with such massive forces clashing, the Staff Officer has determined that nighttime is not conducive to the situation.”

The Knight gazed toward the Coastline with a somewhat relaxed expression.

“Furthermore, the enemy has not yet shown themselves once from the ships, have they?”

That was true.
Only the ships and a few people occasionally moving across them were visible; the other enemies could not be seen. They were all still inside the ships.

“They would need to advance on foot or with beasts of burden, but since they remain inside the ships, it seems unlikely to happen today. After all, they too must prepare before launching their assault.”

This was one of the reasons Caro Kingdom was so confident.
Fighting on land meant both sides would reveal their hands almost completely, making it no different from open combat.

Thus, as the sun set now, watching enemies who showed no signs of movement whatsoever, the Staff Officer boldly postponed expectations until tomorrow.

Kale Heniatus nodded without saying anything further.
The Knight bowed slightly at this response.

“Then I shall return below and await further orders.”
“Very well.”

The Knight regarded Kale Heniatus with a peculiar gaze—the Commander who issued no additional instructions—before descending the stairs below the Spire Tower’s peak.

‘He’s quite taciturn.’

Stories about Kale Heniatus—how he had spoken curses and harsh words to the High Priest—were quietly spreading. Perhaps because of this, the Knight found himself overlaying the Commander’s rough demeanor with his current taciturn nature, making the Commander seem mysteriously enigmatic.

“Now that I’ve reported, all I need to do is wait at the City Wall—”

His words could not continue.

Screeeeeech—

A piercing sound drove itself into the Knight’s ears.

“Ugh!”

At that sound, I clapped my hands over my ears. But I had to tear them away in panic moments later.

Boom.

The ground trembled.

“What?”

I grabbed the stone wall of the Spire Tower in alarm.

Screeeech. Screeeech—
Boom, boom.

Multiple sounds engulfed the surroundings.

‘What is this?’

I descended the stairs hastily, gripping the stone wall. Then I saw the messenger soldier.

Thud.
The spear shaft fell from the Young Soldier’s hand.
And a terrified face came into view.

Could it be?

I turned my head. At the same moment, a loud sound began to spread throughout Leona Fortress.

Weeeeee— Weeeeee—

War.
It was the warning siren announcing the beginning of war.

“…Damn.”

The Knight’s eyes widened.

Squeak, squeak-squeak.
It was the sound of wheels turning.

Squeak—
But soon the wheels seemed to acclimate, rolling smoothly without further protest.

Boom. Boom.
The ground trembled in tandem.
No—the Coastline itself trembled.

“What in the world—!”

The Knight could not close his mouth.

A ship was charging across the Coastline.
The hull of a medium-sized vessel that had cut through the seawater and emerged into view.
It was fitted with wheels.
Those wheels spun with tremendous force, propelling the ship across the shore and onto solid ground.

Unlike the immobile massive warships, the enemy’s smaller and medium-sized vessels were racing across the land.

‘Is such a thing even possible?’

The Knight’s mind flickered with doubt for a moment, but this was no longer a question of possibility—he was witnessing it with his own eyes.
Then a thought struck him like lightning.

‘The Northern Coast is sandy beaches…!’

The Caro Kingdom’s Northern Coast was renowned for its sandy beaches.
But the Central Coast was unique among Caro Kingdom’s shores—it had far less sand, with exposed bedrock visible just beneath a thin layer of sediment.

‘…Could it be that they chose the Central Coast not for proximity to the Capital, but for this?’

The Knight found himself speechless.

The small and medium-sized vessels that should have been confined to the sea were now charging toward the Castle like enormous war chariots.

The speed was absolutely staggering.

Hundreds of ships rushed forward against the increasingly crimson sky, their sheer presence overwhelming.
Then, figures began to emerge atop the vessels.

“Ugh!”

A sharp intake of breath escaped involuntarily.

Boom, boom.

Atop the ships thundering across the earth, massive shadows rose one by one.

“…Bear Tribe.”

Berserk Bear Tribe members.
The Fire Bear Tribe and White Bear Beastmen—the two most formidable clans known to exist—revealed themselves across the racing vessels. They were expected, yet their numbers were absolutely staggering.

The knight’s pupils trembled as he gazed upon the medium-sized vessel leading the vanguard.

“Krahahahaha!”

A savage laugh erupted from the figure.
A colossal body towering three meters high came into view.

White fur.
A berserk White Bear Beastman with crimson eyes charged toward the castle.

In response to that laughter, the other Bear Tribe members roared with savage glee. The sight was enough to shake the resolve of ordinary soldiers and knights untested by war.

Screech—crash.

The doors of the massive ships burst open.
Soldiers poured forth like swarms of ants.
As the enemy forces multiplied before their eyes, our soldiers found themselves swallowing hard.

“Disperse!”

The White Bear Beastman’s cry echoed across the Coastline.
In that instant, the ships divided into three groups.

Whiiiing— Whiiiing—

Leona Fortress continued to wail its warning alarm.
Yet the Knight heard none of it. All he could see were the Bear Tribe and ships advancing toward the Southern Tower, and the enemy soldiers and knights behind them.

‘What in the—!’

The momentum had shifted against us.
I felt it too. The pressure was different.

Then.

Tap.

I spun around in alarm, startled. A hand rested on my shoulder.

“…Commander.”

Commander Kale Heniatus appeared before me.
He removed his hand from my shoulder, bent at the waist, and picked up a spear.

“Take it.”

Then he handed it to the Young Soldier who had dropped his weapon.
The Soldier grasped the spear with trembling hands. Kale patted the Soldier’s shoulder and moved past him.

“You cannot afford to lose your weapon with the enemy before you.”

His calm voice carried an unshakeable composure.

The Commander passed the soldiers and took his position near the railing of the City Wall.
In a sense, it was the most dangerous spot.

Yet I could see the Commander’s composed face wearing a smile. My trembling hands steadied slightly.
Then I heard the Commander’s voice.

“Choi Han.”
“Yes, Kale Heniatus.”

I watched as a Sword Master who appeared to be a year or two older than me took his place beside Kale Heniatus.
Choi Han waited for Kale Heniatus’s next words.

Kale Heniatus gazed down below the City Wall.
He recalled some of the vast information that Guardian Knight Clophe had provided.

‘The fleet heading toward the Caro Kingdom is certainly being led by the Bear Tribe. They desire land.’
‘And they have likely hidden a secret weapon. The Bear Tribe and the Flame Dwarf Tribe—they are cunning and harbor many secrets.’

Kale Heniatus opened his mouth.

“That was it.”

That ship was the secret weapon.
It was surely a vessel crafted by the Flame Dwarf Tribe, masters of mechanical devices even if they struggled with magical constructs.

-Human, I sense the power of mana stones emanating from that ship.

‘The Flame Dwarves are the most insidious and cunning of all.’

Raon’s voice and Clophe’s intelligence merged together in my mind.

Poor at creating magical devices?
Yet the power moving that ship felt like mana.
The corners of Kale Heniatus’s mouth rose.

“Kahahaha! Come at me, all of you!”

I heard the rough voice of a berserk Fire Bear Beastman directed toward the Southern Tower. The massive White Bear Beastman from before was heading toward the Central Tower.
Cunning creatures—their savage cries and laughter were surely all an act.

“Sir, Commander. We’re receiving a transmission from Central.”

The Mage assigned to the Southern Tower alongside a Knight, equipped with healing magic, hesitantly extended the communication device toward me while looking at Kale Heniatus. Yet she was not looking at me, but at Kale Heniatus as he opened his mouth.

“We can’t lose a battle of momentum.”
“Pardon?”

She found herself asking before she could think.

“Choi Han.”
“Yes.”

Kale Heniatus pointed beneath the City Wall. Among the ships assigned to the Southern Tower, the Fire Bear Tribe members aboard the vessel charging forward at the front became visible. Kale Heniatus pointed to that ship.

“Destroy it.”

The moment he spoke.
Tap.
Light footsteps echoed across the City Wall.

“…Hah!”

The Young Soldier let out an involuntary exclamation.

He soared into the air.

The black-haired swordsman launched himself from the City Wall, ascending into the sky.
From his blade, a dark aura surged upward as if tearing through the heavens.

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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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