Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 232

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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 50. The Obvious

Kale Heniatus returned to a corner room on the third floor of the Old Tavern. He stationed Ron outside the door before immediately requesting a video communication connection with Raon.

“Human! So, the slightly unhinged one—did you fight today?”
“Fight? What’s there to fight about.”

Yet despite his words, Kale’s expression was far from pleasant.

He recalled the battle in the Caro Kingdom. Back then, he’d foolishly believed Clophe’s word that the Dragon Hybrid was weak, and how much suffering that had caused him.
Whenever he thought of that time, he wanted to overturn the entire Paern Kingdom agreement and everything else on the spot.

Crackle, crackle.
He watched as the image gradually materialized above the video communication device, waiting for Clophe to appear. He’d made a firm resolve about what he would say. Just one thing.

-Lord Kale.

But Kale was taken aback.

“…First, stop clasping your hands together.”

On the video communication screen, Clophe appeared with his hands pressed together in a prayer-like posture, gazing at Kale.

-As expected, Lord Kale finds this burdensome.

Clophe Seka lowered his hands, which had been neatly clasped together, his expression perfectly composed. Kale’s face twisted into an indescribable, peculiar expression. His face was fine, but the man was clearly unhinged.
His expression looks fine, but he’s clearly lost his mind.

“Wait.”
Wait a moment.

Kale Heniatus stopped Clophe mid-sentence and asked.

“I’ve been curious about this for a while now, but why do you keep calling me Mr. Kale? Your position is higher than mine anyway. Just call me Gongja. It looks strange in front of others.”

Kale believed Clophe would understand his meaning perfectly.
Kale Heniatus thought that Clophe would understand his meaning well enough.

-That is impossible. Kale Heniatus is neither a prince nor a commander. Kale Heniatus will illuminate this continent as a—
“Enough.”

I couldn’t bear to hear what came next.
I didn’t want to hear the word that started with that letter. I swallowed a sigh and opened my mouth.

“Why the silence until now? Why contact me only at this moment?”

Clophe could see the cold gaze directed at him, contrasting sharply with the calm voice emanating from the video communication screen.

It had been well over a week since Kale led the Whale Tribe to strike the Paern Kingdom’s Northern Coast Guard.
Kale had given them a week, yet Paern Kingdom had remained silent throughout that period. And only now, after considerable time had passed, did they reach out.

Despite such circumstances, Clophe smiled, showing neither anxiety nor anger—only seeing Kale’s composed demeanor.

-One cannot arrive empty-handed, can they?

The corners of my mouth lifted.
As expected, this man’s mind works well.

“Right. One cannot conduct business empty-handed.”

The battle of the Caro Kingdom.
Having witnessed those results, Paern Kingdom would have realized they now needed an alternative to the Indomitable Alliance. And they would have understood that the Roan Kingdom held the key to that alternative.

Creak. I leaned back against the worn chair and gestured to Clophe with my chin.

Show me.
Show me what Paern Kingdom has brought after dragging out time like this.

“I will see and judge.”

I, the Roan Kingdom, had sufficient time to judge after seeing what they brought. Clophe restrained the smile that kept threatening to spread across his face.

‘My instincts were right after all.’

The path to legend.
Upon hearing the story of the Caro Kingdom battle, Clophe felt goosebumps rise across his entire body. Particularly, the emergence of the Dark Elves and the tale of Kale’s shield blocking the arrows of light sent shivers down his spine.

That Mage of ‘Arm’. Due to the incorrect information I had possessed, I must have certainly underestimated that mage’s power.
Yet to overcome such a formidable enemy that appeared so suddenly.
Wasn’t that the very image of a ‘hero’, no—a legend?

Baek Sa’s eyes had glimpsed a future where I would survive. That’s why he prepared with all his might.

-The Indomitable Alliance is currently barely holding on as it crumbles.

It was an obvious statement.
From Roan to Caro, they had been nearly annihilated in two great wars.

-However, we cannot retreat like this. Especially since ‘Arm’, which has now become the center of power, is arguing for a final decisive battle.

‘Arm’s final decisive battle.
Without even seeing it, I could guess where that battle would take place.

I recalled two people.

Rosalind, who abandoned the throne and chose the path of a mage.
And Rak, who would walk the path of the Wolf King.

The Breck Kingdom where they resided.
The Canyon of Death there.

“The final battle will be at the Canyon of Death, then.”

Clophe’s lips finally curved upward in a smirk. It was because of my expression, which showed I had already figured everything out.

-As expected, your foresight is remarkable, Kale. Since you are destined to become a legend, such insight is only natural—
“Clophe.”

I cut off the madman’s rambling with ease. I gazed at the white-haired guardian knight Clophe, who was looking at me.
Currently, only a few people from Roan and Paern knew of Clophe’s whereabouts; others believed him to be missing or dead in the Heniatus Territory.

That’s why he’s useful in so many ways.
I slowly opened my mouth.

“If it’s you. The weakened Indomitable Alliance, no—let me rephrase that.”

The Canyon of Death. Naturally, Kale Heniatus would emerge victorious from that battle. The victor could then savor the spoils of war. But what of the defeated?

“The Canyon of Death. After this final war, the three northern kingdoms of the Western Continent will be devastated—their military strength utterly shattered. Paern, Ascosan, Norland, all weakened.”

A weakened north on the Western Continent.

“Wouldn’t that weakened northern territory be an irresistible prize for someone?”

Devouring a weak opponent.
Could anything be easier than that?
It might have been Kale’s misunderstanding. But then, why would the Dark continue to waste so much military strength while urging the Indomitable Alliance to prepare for one final confrontation?

Could it be that the Dark had concluded it could no longer secure southern territories through the Indomitable Alliance, and was now considering the northern lands as a fallback option?
The Lion Tribe, Bear Tribe, and Flame Dwarf Tribe belonging to the Indomitable Alliance—surely they would desire their own territories?

Then would they covet the south, which had become harder to obtain, or would they hunger for the easier northern lands?

The answer was obvious, wasn’t it?

“Clophe Seka, the true enemy lies within.”

Kale had issued a warning to Clophe—to Paern.
That was the moment.

-Hehehehe.

Kale could see Clophe Seka suddenly laughing like a madman.

-Hehehehe, as expected of you, Kale, hehehehe.

What was this?
Kale’s pupils trembled.

He had merely warned against the Dark, yet this man seemed to be losing his mind even further. Kale instinctively pressed himself as far away as possible from the video communication screen.

-Human, this guy doesn’t seem just a little unhinged.

It was a moment when Kale’s thoughts aligned with those of the six-year-old Black Dragon.
Clophe’s voice came through.

-I have prepared it.

Prepared?
The man who had been laughing like a madman suddenly grew serious again. Kale Heniatus felt a twinge of unease, but his expression shifted as Clophe continued speaking.

-A route to strike at Ascosan and the Norland Royal Palace.

What?
Kale Heniatus froze. He stared at Clophe Seka. His face was calm now, but madness gleamed in his eyes.

-I have prepared a route from the Paern Kingdom that can strike at Ascosan and the Norland Kingdom via the shortest course. Additionally, I have set up a large-scale teleportation array at the Paern Kingdom Knights Order Training Ground. That is why I was slightly delayed.

There was one thing Kale Heniatus had overlooked.
Clophe Seka was a madman who had prepared for war against the entire continent to make himself a legend.
He had always been mad. A man who created means and methods for his purposes.

-I intend to offer that route to the Roan Kingdom. No, I will offer it to you, Kale.

A smile began to bloom at the corners of Clophe Seka’s mouth.

-You said that ‘Arm’ might become a threat to the Northern Kingdoms, did you not?

Clophe Seka.
He understood all too well that his family’s true nature was that of the White Fang. His own nature was the same. Yet he also felt thoroughly that he was a man of the Paern Kingdom.

Why was that?

It was the Paern Kingdom’s royal family and leadership who had elevated the White Fang family to the position of guardian knights.
They were all the same.
A bright smile seeped into Clophe Seka’s face.

-Kale, what ‘Arm’ might do—that is our Paern Kingdom’s specialty.

Becoming an enemy from within.
The Paern Kingdom was confident in this.

-If we do it before ‘Arm’ does, it will suffice. No, if you do it first, Kale—if Roan does it first, that will be enough.

The Paern Kingdom had found a way out and presented a deal.
Kale Heniatus spoke his true thoughts to Clophe, visible beyond the video communication channel.

“…This crazy bastard.”
-Hahaha, don’t you need to move quickly to keep up with a legend?

Kale spoke firmly to Clophe, who continued laughing.

“Put your father on.”

I needed to have a conversation with someone sane.
Kale chose to speak with Rock Seka, the Duke—a rational man—instead of Clophe.

* * *

And when all the video communications ended, Kale wiped his face with both hands.

-Weak human! Does the Roan Kingdom dominate the entire North?
“…Is that even possible?”

I let out a hollow laugh at Raon’s words. Yet somehow, the back of my neck grew cold.

-But if you listen to that white-haired rich bastard, even if the Roan Kingdom can’t take the land, they can threaten the three Northern Kingdoms, right?

I couldn’t respond to Raon’s words this time.
Eventually, I opened the door, driven by unease.

Click!
The door opened and Ron appeared. I spoke firmly to Ron, who was looking at me.

“I’m going back to the Western Continent. I’ll return within a month, so you know what to do.”

Ron understood my meaning perfectly and spoke kindly.

“I’ll have Ribe set up a plan to take over the Underworld. A month should be perfect for preparing the inn’s opening as well.”

Ron was truly reliable.
I looked at the Dragon standing beside Ron. The Ancient Dragon answered curtly.

“I need to visit the Dragon while you’re away. Riben will need to know the history.”
“Thank you.”

The Ancient Dragon volunteered to uncover the secrets. After a brief word of gratitude, I returned to Jjangdol Mansion in the Roan Kingdom on the Western Continent, bringing the nine-year-olds with me through the teleportation circle.

* * *

I finished my preparations at Jjangdol Mansion and moved to another location.
Dressed in a neat black uniform, I arrived at the teleportation point as my vision brightened.

“Your Highness.”

Crown Prince Albert Crossman.
There he was.

A secret teleportation circle within the Royal Palace.
Through it, I arrived at the palace discreetly.
The moment I saw the Crown Prince’s face, I reflexively spoke.

“Today as well, you shine with the brilliance of this kingdom’s rising sun, your passion—”

My words stopped short.
I returned to my usual tone and asked Alberu.

“Your Highness, forgive my impertinence, but why do you look like that? What happened?”

Crown Prince Albert Crossman’s face was a mess.
He looked exhausted, weighed down by troublesome matters. And in the way he stood to greet me, I could sense the weariness of life itself.

‘…Do I have more work to do?’

My anxiety surged sharply.

“…Kale Heniatus.”

Alberu’s voice, calling me by name instead of my title of Commander for the first time in a while, was utterly lifeless. Without thinking, I found myself contemplating whether I should teleport away immediately. Then came that moment.

Alberu spoke in a tone more serious than ever before.

“You seem to surround yourself with nothing but troublemakers.”
“Pardon?”

Troublemakers?

“Ah.”

I quickly grasped the meaning behind his words.
The companions who had remained in the Capital while I was away on the Eastern Continent.
Choi Han, Merry, and Hilsman.
I nodded in acknowledgment.

‘That’s right. With someone like him, it would have been difficult to manage Choi Han, who can’t act, and the pure-hearted Merry.’

Even Crown Prince Valentino of the Caro Kingdom found them challenging—how much more so would Choi Han and Merry be? I understood perfectly.

“Indeed, Choi Han and Merry are quite difficult to handle.”

One was far too righteous and incapable of deception, while the other was simply too genuinely kind.
I could see Crown Prince Alberu letting out a hollow laugh at my words.

“…Your standards for difficulty are quite remarkable.”
“Pardon?”
“…Never mind. It’s nothing.”

Alberu shook his head dismissively and turned to walk away, while I followed behind him with a puzzled expression. Then Raon’s voice echoed in my mind.

-Choi Han’s laughter really was strange.

What are you talking about?
I watched the Crown Prince’s back as I moved toward the exit leading from the underground chamber—where the secret teleportation point was located—and headed toward the surface.
That’s when the Crown Prince’s voice reached me.

“You seem like someone who receives plenty of love.”
“…Are you truly unwell somewhere?”
“…You’ve had quite the ordeal.”

I couldn’t make sense of the flow of this conversation at all. I simply followed behind Alberu, bewildered.

Click.
Alberu turned the doorknob leading to the surface, and as the door swung open, a space unfolded before us.
The office of Crown Prince Albert Crossman, recently relocated.

It would serve as my office even after becoming king.
The office was overflowing with stacks of documents. The moment Kale Heniatus recoiled in distaste at the sight, a voice rang out.

-Your Highness!

I turned my gaze toward one wall.
A video communication screen occupied an entire section of the wall.

-Your Highness Kale, it’s been a while.

A face appeared on the video communication screen.
Unlike Kale, her brilliant crimson hair evoked the radiance of the midday sun.

Rosalind.
She greeted me with a smile.
I returned her greeting with a smile of my own.

“It has been quite some time, Rosalind.”

She let out a grin and spoke.

-So the Indomitable Alliance is coming down in two days?
“Yes.”

At my brief response, Rosalind’s smile deepened.

-And we’ll finally see the Bear Tribe, the Lion Tribe, the Dwarves—all of them this time?
“That’s right.”
-And the Flame Dwarf Tribe created the device to cross the Canyon of Death?
“Yes.”

Rosalind, dressed in a robe over leather armor, traced her raised lips with a finger.

War with the Indomitable Alliance.
Even as I hoped it would never come to pass, part of me eagerly anticipated this moment.

She remained in Breck Kingdom even as her comrades fought during the war between Roan Kingdom and Caro Kingdom. She hadn’t even sent them a direct video communication. While part of her trusted they would win, the fundamental reason was singular.

Rosalind.
She felt the blood of royalty flowing through her own veins. Royal blood. Though she had rejected the throne, that blood still coursed within her.
And that blood had instilled fury in her. Royal blood could not forgive those who dared encroach upon its domain.

Breck Kingdom and my family, and my precious people who would come to aid Breck Kingdom.
To protect them all with my own hands.
And to express my rage toward those who dared covet this land.

With Kale Heniatus’s assistance, Rosalind had spent time growing stronger alone. She felt an exhilarating surge of anticipation as the long-awaited moment drew near, and she asked Kale a question.

-Can the enemies cross the Canyon of Death?

Rosalind could see Kale’s smile.

“That is merely an impossible fantasy.”

A resolute answer—the enemies crossing the Canyon of Death was nothing but imagination.

-See you soon.

Rosalind ended the video communication with a brief farewell.
Kale turned to face Crown Prince Albert. Albert gestured with his eyes for him to speak, and Kale’s lips opened.

“Your Highness, I must gather more people.”

The tail end of winter.
Before spring arrived.
Kale Heniatus began preparing for the final confrontation with the Indomitable Alliance.

—————
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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