Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 224

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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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Vice-Captain Hilsman, who had been following behind Kale, quietly approached his side when Kale stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brow with his eyes closed.
Choi Han and Merry stood motionless, watching the scene unfold. Then they heard Hilsman murmur something softly to Kale and flinched, their shoulders trembling.

“Young Master, are you feeling dizzy, perhaps?”
“…No.”

Kale slowly opened his eyes again. Irritation welled up within me as I looked at Hilsman’s face, which appeared somehow bright and innocent.
Hilsman’s expression clearly showed concern for me, yet it still seemed bright—no, foolish.

Without realizing it, my true feelings spilled out.

“Why is living so damn difficult?”

I couldn’t play, couldn’t rest. Simply lounging in bed all day had become such a precious luxury.
Kale shook his head and resumed walking.

Hilsman watched his retreating figure with a sorrowful expression.
Tap. A hand touched his shoulder.

“Let’s go.”

It was Choi Han. Hilsman turned his head, then froze upon seeing Choi Han’s face.

“Y-yes. Let’s go.”
“We must hurry and follow. The Young Master moves quickly in all things.”

Merry overtook both Choi Han and Hilsman, dragging her black robe across the ground as she attached herself directly behind Kale. This was the first time Hilsman had seen Merry move with such speed.
Choi Han followed behind her, and Hilsman recalled Choi Han’s expression once more before unconsciously touching the back of his neck with a chill, then followed after Kale.

-Weak human, living is naturally difficult. I realized that in my second year as a dragon. Of course, as you live, there are more good days. I realized that in my fourth year as a dragon. Weak human, let’s eat something delicious! That is happiness!

And Kale’s mind was still filled with the voices of Raon and Jjangdol.

* * *

To resolve that noise, the method Kale chose was to approach what was presumed to be the source of the problem.

—It’s been a while, sir.

The Crazy Priestess Kage appeared, waving both hands leisurely.

Jjangdol Mansion.
A video communication channel existed there—one that couldn’t be carried elsewhere but was set up by Raon to allow contact with only me.

The Crazy Priestess Kage, and behind her stood a blonde brother and sister.
Sword Master Hana, who had survived the dead mana, and the half-Saint Jack. Both of them offered their greetings to me from behind Kage.

—Sir, I heard you’ve accomplished something remarkable. As expected, you seem to be someone who follows the true light within your heart.

At Saint Jack’s pure expression, the faces of Kage, Hana, and myself all grew uncomfortable. And in that moment, Sword Master Hana interjected.

—You have to leave my share.
“Your share is already plenty. And you know what happens when we go to the Empire, right?”

A smile was drawn across the face tangled with black spider webs.

—I know. I’m training while waiting for that moment. The Imperial Palace will be drenched in blood.

My expression grew uncomfortable.
I had no plans to drench the Imperial Palace in blood. But without hearing my response, Hana said what she had to say.

—What about Merry?
“She’s doing well. She seems happy meeting the Dark Elves after so long.”

The moment Hana heard my answer, she disappeared from the video communication screen with her sword in hand as if her business was done. Jack’s voice came through.

—Hana is always diligent in defeating the evil Dark and saving the Empire. She wishes to help you, sir.

The flawless, radiant smile of the ordinary-looking man pricked my conscience. But there was something I needed to confirm first.

“Kage, what’s the status of the stone pillar?”

Kage’s expression grew clouded.

—It was yesterday.

She recalled yesterday.

—I had this unsettling dream this morning. It felt like the Death God had peeked in for a moment? It was so strange that I took a walk around the Dark Forest with Sword Master Hana to check. I wanted to see if there were any enemies.

But there were no enemies.
No monsters approached Sword Master Hana, who emanated both golden aura and black smoke. So I thought it was just an unsettling dream.

—But the moment we entered the Underground Cavern.

Boom!
A tremendous sound reverberated through the Underground Cavern.
Startled by the noise, Crazy Priestess Kage ran toward its source and finally saw what had caused it.

—It made a loud crash when it broke.

A piece of chain lay in the palm of her hand. Countless chains had been wrapped tightly around the stone pillar. Some of those chains had ruptured, producing a deafening sound.

—After that, the stone pillar became a bit strange.

Crazy Priestess Kage spoke with an uneasy expression.

—Rather than shaking, I’d say it was trembling?

Kale Heniatus’s face grew equally uneasy.

“Then there are still chains remaining?”
—Yes. About one-fifth of them remain. And I’ve already applied emergency treatment to the broken sections of the chains using the Death God’s power.
“We’ll need to leave soon.”

Crazy Priestess Kage waved her hand dismissively.

—You don’t need to rush. It doesn’t seem like it will break immediately. And if anything bursts out, I’ll stop it all with the Death God’s touch or Sword Master Hana’s aura. I was excommunicated, but I was still a priest, so I can’t easily say the word “kill.” Hahahaha!

As Crazy Priestess Kage’s hearty laughter rang out, Kale Heniatus wiped his eyes with his hand.

‘I need to return quickly.’

I had no way of knowing what these people might do next.
The Mad Priestess, Sword Master Hana who was even crazier than the Mad Priestess, and a blind half-baked Saint Jack. Only now did I realize how terrifying this combination of three truly was.
Wasn’t it the kind of combination that would destroy everything wherever they went, then heal each other and continue on as if nothing happened?

‘…My villa cannot be destroyed.’

I couldn’t afford to lose one of my assets set aside for a comfortable retirement.
Since I had business to attend to on the Eastern Continent anyway, I couldn’t possibly overlook the matter of the stone pillar.

The Eastern Continent.
That was where I needed to go to find the water of judgment.

‘After that, I need to wear the crown.’

Once my body’s balance was restored, I intended to acquire this crown that supposedly favored dragon blood.

“Human, human! Are you going home? Is everyone gathering at Jjangdol Mansion?”

At Raon’s bright voice, I set aside my wandering thoughts.

“Yeah. Everyone needs to gather.”
-Oh, Young Master. I’ve prepared liquor from the fruits that grow in the Dark Forest. I’ll open it once everyone arrives.
“…Very well, Kage.”
-I was bored, so I carved several wooden cups. For yours, Young Master, I specially carved a silver shield. Look forward to it. When you pour the fruit liquor into the silver shield cup and drink it, it’s exquisite!
“…I’ll contact you soon.”

I gave a cursory response to Kage, who bid farewell with hearty laughter, and to Saint Jack, who cheerfully mentioned that he’d also prepared fruit liquor with her and urged me to come quickly, then ended the video communication.

“…Goodness, my head.”

I held my head in my hands.

‘…I still need to contact Erhafen and Clophe, those crazy bastards.’

At that moment, with a click, the bedroom door—where only Raon and I had been—opened. Seeing that Raon hadn’t turned invisible and remained visible, I opened my mouth.
It was surely one of Choi Han, Merry, or Hilsman entering.

“What—”

Kale Heniatus’s movements came to a halt. He turned his head.
Choi Han, wrapped in bandages in places, and Merry in her black robe.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

Wheels rolled as a large tray entered the bedroom. Atop the tray that Choi Han pulled in were wine and food in abundance.
Kale heard the sound of Raon swallowing his saliva with audible gulps.

Choi Han spoke to Kale while feeling the scorching gaze of the Dragon fixed upon him.

“I thought you might be hungry.”
“Excellent work, Choi Han. You’re truly clever and remarkable.”

Kale sprang to his feet and transferred the food from the tray onto the table. Magic from Choi Han, Merry, and Raon assisted, and in an instant the table overflowed with dishes.
Kale sat at the table and opened his mouth.

“Where is Hilsman?”
“…He is teaching the soldiers about shield combat and deepening relations with the Caro Kingdom Knights.”

Shield combat?
Socializing on the battlefield?
Kale’s expression grew puzzled, but recalling Hilsman, who had grown close with the warriors even in Tunka’s Wipper Kingdom, he accepted it as reasonable.

And his hunger was too pressing to worry about anything else. Kale immediately began eating. The others soon followed suit, and only Raon’s exclamations echoed across the table.

“Human, this tastes amazing! You eat too! Merry, you eat this! Choi Han, you need to eat so you recover quickly!”

Before Raon, who was busy transferring delicious food from his plate to others’ plates after each bite, Kale sighed deeply and continued moving fresh plates of food across the table.

It was when Raon transferred a piece of steak to another companion’s plate and Kale placed a fresh steak before Raon.

Beep, beep—beep, beep—

The communication device placed at the center of the table emitted a red light and wailed urgently.
This was an emergency call.

Kale wanted to hurl the steak plate at the sound, but because it was meat, he carefully set it down instead. And simultaneously, he thought.

‘Breck Kingdom? Rak? Or Rowan again?’

Kale Heniatus sighed and turned his gaze toward the video communication device, and Raon’s voice reached his ears.

“Gold Dragon Grandpa!”

Gold Dragon. It was a video communication from Erhafen.
Erhafen, who had received Kale’s video message last time but hadn’t responded, was now calling.

Kale wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth roughly and spoke with resolve.

“Connect it.”

Wondering why Erhafen was reaching out urgently, various thoughts hardened Kale’s expression.
Raon immediately connected the video communication, and as the screen appeared above the device, a magnificent man with platinum blonde hair revealed himself.

-It’s been a while.

Erhafen, offering his greeting, cut an elegant and impressive figure that clearly displayed the majesty of a dragon. Erhafen looked at Kale and Raon beyond the video communication device, as well as Merry and Choi Han, and a faint smile lifted the corners of his stoic face.

At that moment, Erhafen could see the light in Kale’s eyes.

-…After all this time, why do your eyes look like that?

In that instant, Kale opened his mouth and blurted out.

“Do you have a son?”

Cough.
Choi Han suddenly choked, and Merry quietly set down the fork she was holding. Raon’s round eyes turned toward Kale.

But Kale was thinking of one person.

A platinum-haired Dragon Hybrid.
Certainly, each dragon in an era possesses a unique color distinct from other dragons.

Kale honestly didn’t know about Dragon Hybrids. But if the blood of a dragon and a human were mixed equally, wouldn’t the Dragon Hybrid also inherit that dragon’s distinctive coloring?

The only platinum-colored being Kale knew was the Gold Dragon Erhafen. Kale’s composed gaze fixed on Erhafen, and Erhafen too stared intently at Kale before slowly opening his mouth.

-Yes. The horrors of war can drive humans to madness. I understand. Are you struggling greatly?

What an unfortunate human. Tsk, tsk.
Erhafen’s disapproving click of his tongue was accompanied by a look of pity directed at Kale. Then Raon’s paw, smeared with steak sauce, tapped the back of Kale’s hand.

“Weak human, that platinum hair from earlier—it’s a dyeing spell.”

Ah.
Exclamations of surprise came from Choi Han and Merry, while Kale found himself at a loss for words. Instead, Raon explained to Erhafen about the Dragon Hybrid.
After hearing the entire story, Erhafen opened his mouth and uttered a single word.

-…How fascinating.

Kale gazed at the Gold Dragon once more.

-It should be dead for that to be normal.
“Pardon?”

Kale found himself involuntarily asking back at such a grim statement, and Erhafen tilted his head as he spoke.

-Do you know why dragons are unique beings? Because others cannot bear the burden of it. Of course, Dragon Slayers can hunt dragons. But consuming a dragon and inheriting its blood, its complete ‘uniqueness’—that’s an entirely different matter.

Erhafen’s expression held both gravity and curiosity.

-It’s fascinating. Normally, dragons don’t produce offspring with humans. The child would be overwhelmed by the dragon’s blood and suffer until death. No matter how crude a dragon might be, they don’t go that far.

Dragons are rational beings.
Despite appearing wild and emotional on the surface, dragons are fundamentally inclined toward rationality. Even when they encounter humans during their amusements and fall in love, they refrain from bearing children.

That was their reason.

-But something actually endured that and survived?

Erhafen’s curiosity about the Dragon Hybrid deepened.
The fact that it had survived was astonishing.

-Judging by how it fled to avoid the little one, it must have completed at least its first growth phase.
“Gold Dragon! Do Dragon Hybrids go through a first growth phase too?”
-Of course, little one. It has dragon blood mixed in.
“Ah, I see!”

Raon asked Erhafen casual questions, seemingly pleased to see him after so long, and continued the conversation. That was when Kale noticed something odd.

My expression grew increasingly strange.

Until now, I had been too distracted by Erhafen’s striking appearance and the mention of a son to notice anything, but now I could finally see what was truly there.

“…Lord Erhafen.”
-What is it?

One dragon spoke through the video communication channel, while the other turned his head to look at me. I slowly opened my mouth.

“The scenery looks familiar.”
-Ah, it’s near your home.
“…The Jjangdol Mansion?”
-Yes. The Dark Forest.

Had I noticed something wrong with the stone pillars?
My expression turned grave.
That was when it came.

-My house collapsed.

What?

-So you’ll help me out and take a look.
“Pardon?”

The urgent message that had been glowing red.
I finally understood the reason for that call.

-You know Ten Finger Mountain, right? Where the Elf Village was.
“…Yes, I do know it.”

Unease. Something felt deeply wrong.

-You were the one guarding the World Tree branch there, weren’t you?
“That’s right.”
-It was stolen a few days ago.

Ah.
I heard Choi Han’s deep sigh.

-I went to the Elf Village because of that matter, and when I returned, my Rare had collapsed. Heh, so with only a year left to live, I did something like this.
“…Are both of them Dark?”
-The Elf Village is certainly Dark, but my Rare shows no clear traces. I need to investigate. But here’s the thing.

But here’s the thing.
Why did that sentence sound so terrifying?
Kale felt a creeping sense of unease. The source of that anxiety was soon revealed.

-Where exactly in the Caro Kingdom are you?

At the Ancient Dragon’s question, my lips froze. In that moment, Raon answered cheerfully.

“Leona Fortress! The largest room on the third floor of the southern annex of Leona Fortress!”

He even rattled off the exact coordinates and geographical location. I tried to cover Raon’s mouth, but his words came faster than my movements.

-I see.

Click.
The video communication abruptly cut off.
Soon, a strange sound echoed through the bedroom.

Whoosh.

A brilliant platinum light flooded the bedroom. As the light faded, a voice rang out.

“It’s been a while.”

It was Erhaben.

“Gold Dragon!”

Raon flew over eagerly toward Erhaben. But Erhaben stopped short upon seeing my expression.

“…Why do you look like that?”

Erhaben had anticipated that Kale would find his visit burdensome or annoying and simply brush it off. That’s why he’d prepared a gift, but the Kale he encountered was somewhat different.
Raon also noticed the expression on Kale’s face.

“Human! Why are you smiling like that again?”

Kale ignored the remarks from the two Dragons and gazed at the being who had come with Erhaben.

“Ah, yes. It has been quite some time, Lord Raon. To see you after such a long while makes you even more gloriously adorable. This Elf Fendrick discovers yet another happiness in this world.”

Fendrick offered Raon a lengthy stream of flattering greetings before turning his gaze to Kale.

“It has been a long time, Young Master.”

To Fendrick, the eternal fan of Dragons who spoke properly once more, Kale slowly approached and extended his hand.

“It’s been a while.”

Kale smiled brightly.
Fendrick—unable to handle spirits, but possessing Healer abilities. He had died early in the original story, yet he was skilled enough to handle the Healer role within Choi Han’s group.

His healing power, which carried natural force similar to divine power, would appear at first glance to be healing power derived from divine force.

The Empire and the Religious Order were a package deal.
Kale had not forgotten that fact.

In that moment, upon seeing Fendrick, something flashed through my mind.

“Fendrick, I’m so glad to see you.”
“Is that so? Our connection was brief, yet I’m delighted to be welcomed so warmly.”
“Yes. Then shall we do something good together?”
“…Pardon?”

Kale had resolved to topple the Empire and the Religious Order from the bottom up.
That way, the people below could fill that void and rebuild the foundation anew.

“From today on, you are merely a pure believer who worships the Sun God.”
“…Yes?”

Fendrick looked flustered, glancing between the two Dragons. Erhafen quietly retreated a step backward, while Raon fluttered his wings with delight at the mention of something good.
Fendrick eventually turned his gaze back to Kale.

“And then, by chance, you gained the power to save people. You awakened that power through one person of unwavering faith and goodness. He is like a pioneer.”

That person was, of course, the half-Saint Jack.

“Fendrick.”

With a radiant smile, I asked him.

“I’ll provide you with food and lodging for a while. You’ll earn your keep, won’t you?”

Earn your keep.
Fendrick hesitated at those words.

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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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