Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 235

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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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“…So sudden.”

It truly was sudden.

“I suddenly can’t go berserk. Even when I try, I don’t know how. I need to overcome this and solve it quickly, but I don’t know the way. Really, why did it—”
“Rak, when did it stop working?”

Tap, tap. Rak froze at the sound of Raon’s hand patting his shoulder. His pupils wandered anxiously back and forth.

I can’t go berserk.
A sudden regression.
Rak knew exactly when it happened. That’s why he couldn’t speak of it. Speaking would make him seem far too pathetic and worthless.

“Well, um, when it stopped working was…”

Rak’s lips turned pale blue.
Then Kale’s voice reached his ears.

“That’s fine.”

Rak hesitated and looked across at him.

“It’ll work again someday.”
“…What?”

A composed expression befitting his calm voice reflected in Rak’s pupils. He felt the clear emotion displayed on Kale’s face, and he could hear that same emotion plainly in his voice.

“For now, you need to put on some weight. Play around, eat, and laze about.”
“That’s right! Rak, you’re way too thin!”

They spoke with the leisurely attitude of people on vacation. At their demeanor, Rak’s lips trembled before he uttered a single word.

“…But war is coming soon.”

War.
Such a terrifying and dreadful word.

“So?”

Yet the attitude that came back was far too composed.
Rak felt something surge up inside him without warning. He opened his mouth.

“Ever since I heard about that war, something’s been wrong!”

Damn it.
The moment the words left his lips, Rak’s expression crumbled. He lowered his head and buried his face in both hands.

His berserk state wouldn’t activate.
Not since hearing about the war from Rosalind.

The Indomitable Alliance was coming to wage their final war against Breck Kingdom.
From the moment he learned that fact, his heart had raced. And his berserk state wouldn’t activate.

“Since then, ever since they said we’d go to war, I can’t enter my berserk state. Everyone else fights together when it’s time to fight. I should be able to, but right before the war, the moment I heard those words, I can’t enter my berserk state.”

Rak despaired at this reality.
He despaired at himself.
It was obvious to anyone that his condition at this timing was exactly what it appeared to be.

“…Like I’m deliberately avoiding the war, like I’m afraid. I need to grow stronger faster so I can actually help.”

Rak recalled Rosalind’s helpless expression and his companions’ confusion upon hearing of his condition after so long apart.
Their worry and concern only made him despise himself more.

“Choi Han and Rosalind saved me and my siblings.”

Rak never believed he had come this far alone. There were far too many people who had guided a timid, fearful creature like him to this point.

“The Young Master saved and took us in again. I should be repaying that debt! But I can’t even do that, and look at me now!”

That’s why Rak hated himself.
He was ashamed.
Wolf King or not—he was nothing but a pathetic creature.
Rak let out a bitter laugh as he stared at his trembling hands.
In that moment, Kale’s voice reached him.

“That’s possible.”

Kale Heniatus set down his fork and fixed his gaze upon Rak.

“Rak.”

A voice calling me forward as if to say, come here. The boy slowly lifted his head at that voice. Kale opened his mouth, acknowledging his own mistake.

“You have other people by your side.”

Rak had never seen this expression on Kale’s face before.

“I left you alone so you might understand the loneliness of a wolf. But I never wished for you to suffer. I never wanted you to be afraid.”

Kale wasn’t so depraved as to wish such things upon a child.
Knowing that the boy had family, he’d thought—how lonely could he truly be? But this timid creature seemed to have felt not loneliness, but burden and pressure instead.

Loss.
In the original story, Rak awakens and grows tremendously through the death of the Healer Fendrick.
Kale had no intention of committing such madness. The boy was only fifteen. He wouldn’t do something so insane.

“You don’t need to rush.”
“…You saved me. You believed in me.”

Rak, who had been stammering his words, suddenly found his voice caught at Kale’s question.

“Will you abandon me if I’m weak?”
“What—”

Such nonsense.
Abandon.
Rak’s eyes widened in bewilderment, and he saw Kale smiling at him.

“Of course not.”

Kale picked up his fork once more.

“Don’t ask obvious questions. Just eat.”

Of course.
Rak found himself at a loss for words once more.

“If you wish to repay my faith in you, then show me you’re healthy first. And watch closely—your companions, your family, are stronger than you imagine.”

I saw Raon slide a fork toward me. Then Kale’s voice continued.

“I’m capable enough to look after one of you even in wartime.”

Kale’s face wore a smile tinged with jest—an expression I was seeing from him for the first time today. I slowly grasped the fork again and brought food to my lips.

For the first time in ages, I could taste the food.
While I’d been in the Canyon of Death, no matter how exquisite the meal, I’d felt nothing—but now the flavor returned.

“…It’s delicious.”
“Then eat plenty.”

I watched Kale push a bowl of food toward me and continued stuffing my mouth. Otherwise, something else might spill out. I swallowed hard, pressing down the surge of emotion with each bite.
Otherwise, something else might burst out. He forcefully pushed down the surge of emotion welling up inside him by stuffing food into his mouth and swallowing hard.

Raon was quietly watching Rak like that. The Black Dragon’s blue-black eyes turned slightly to one side. The 6-year-old Dragon looked at Kale Heniatus and chewed the meat in its mouth.

* * *

After feeding Rak until he was full and sending him off, Kale looked around the now-quiet tent.

“Three hours of sleep should be enough.”

For that, I had to get at least a short nap. Of course, there were sentries on watch, but getting some rest now was part of my responsibilities.
To do that, he had to get some sleep, even if just a short nap. Of course, there were still people standing guard, but getting sleep now was one of the things he needed to do.

“What is it, human?”
“Set up a video communication connection.”
“Connect the video call for me.”

Kale Heniatus thought of Rak and decided he should call him.

“Honestly, it’s hard enough just taking care of myself in this situation, so how am I supposed to protect that big guy Rak?”

I couldn’t rely on my pure strength alone. So I decided to leverage my connections instead. I watched as Raon prepared the video communication device.

“But human.”
“What?”

I met the gaze of the six-year-old dragon looking at me while I was about to establish the video connection. Raon asked, watching me.

“I haven’t undergone my first growth yet. Is that still okay?”

I recalled Raon from before, buried under blankets, digging tunnels while lamenting that without his first growth, he wasn’t great. I wondered why he was bringing this up now.
I considered whether it was because of Rak’s rampage, but seeing the dragon’s hopeful eyes, I opened my mouth to respond.

“I think I answered that before. Don’t ask obvious questions.”
“…Is it okay even if I’m weak?”

What are you talking about?
I was exasperated by this dragon—who was anything but weak, terrifyingly strong in fact—yet I answered bluntly.

“The you I met in the cave seemed weak back then.”

The small front claw that had been fidgeting with the circular video communication device stilled.

The cave.

At my casual words, Raon recalled when we first met.
Myself, bound in mana restraints, utterly helpless.

Back then, I was weak. So weak I couldn’t escape anywhere, forced to live in the darkness of that cave as though I couldn’t hear or think of anything.

And then I was saved.
Even though I wasn’t strong, I was rescued.

I felt the rough touch of a hand clumsily stroking my head. Along with my small sigh came a murmur: “Six years old is still just a kid.”

“Raon, even if I’m weaker than you, I’ve lived at least thirty more years—no, wait, at least fifteen more years than you. But I’m still weaker than you. Weaker than your front claw. Is that a problem?”

I hastily corrected my slip of the tongue and looked at Raon.

“Not a problem at all.”

At the Young Dragon’s resolute answer, Kale nodded as if that settled the matter. Raon attempted to reconnect the video communication while stealing glances at Kale.
Then he opened his mouth again.

“Human, why did you save me? I’m just curious!”

Raon watched as Kale leaned back in his chair and answered in a casual, flowing manner.

“Why save you? I just did.”
“Why do you travel with me?”

Kale, noting that Raon had unusually many questions today, answered with blunt honesty.

“Do you need a reason?”
“Don’t you need a reason?”

Why he saved me and why he travels with me.
Is there truly no reason for these things?
Raon had never asked before, but he was genuinely curious. Nothing in the world exists without reason. Everything has causality, and events unfold through that causality.
There must be some reason why he and Kale travel together.

The dragon wanted to know what that reason was. To him, the human—who had lived at least fifteen years longer—offered an answer.

“Your home is our home. Isn’t that enough?”

Your home is our home.
Raon rolled the words around in his mouth. For some reason, they lingered on his lips in a way he couldn’t quite explain. He turned the words over in his mind for a long while before swallowing them.
And then, his heart felt full.

The six-year-old dragon’s lips curved upward ever so slightly.

“That’s right! Human, that’s enough!”

Kale watched as Raon, revived by something, fluttered his wings and spoke with conviction.

“Video communication.”
“Oh, right! The magnificent me will do it right now!”

Soon the video communication connected. Kale left Raon alone as he rested his face on his own lap, grinning contentedly, and finished the entire call.

And I headed straight for bed.
Once the war begins, I won’t be able to sleep properly again.

Three hours.
Precious hours indeed.
For the sake of this precious sleep, I lay down on the bed without hesitation, still in my uniform so I could spring up at a moment’s notice. I could see Raon extinguishing the lamp inside the tent.

Raon soon settled onto the bed beside mine. But I paid no mind and closed my eyes.
After eating my fill with Rak, sleep came easily and naturally.

“Human, human.”

Just as I was drifting off, I heard Raon’s voice.
…So this is what a six-year-old with endless questions was like. The dread of those questions washed over me. And true to form, Raon posed one immediately.

“Human, if you go back to the past, will you save me again?”

Why was he like this today?

“Don’t ask obvious things.”
“Human, if you have to become weak again like before to save me, will you still save me?”

I stirred in my drowsy state and placed a hand on top of Raon’s head. As I felt myself sinking deeper into the darkness of sleep, I opened my mouth to speak.

“Of course I will.”

With those words, I fell asleep. Raon stared at me for a long while, then nestled against my side, curled into a ball, and closed his eyes.

Even if weak, I would save him.
Those words echoed in Raon’s ears. Thanks to them, sleep came easily.

Soon the shallow breathing of an adult and a young dragon filled the tent.

* * *

And the next day.

Beep beep— beep beep—

Kale Heniatus flinched as the alarm blared harshly in his ears. His eyes needed to open, but sleep still clung to him stubbornly.

“…Ugh….”

I tossed and turned, forcing my eyes open. The ceiling of the dark tent came into view.

Beep beep beep— beep beep—

The alarm. It echoed through my tent and those nearby, rousing everyone awake. I pushed myself upright.

“Ugh.”

A groan escaped me. I raised my hand to rub my eyes, then froze.

“Hm?”

Something felt wrong.
This dawn was far too quiet.
It should have been loud. Someone should have been poking my stomach relentlessly.

Silence.
Instead, I heard something else.

Huff huff.

Someone’s breathing.
But it was far too ragged to be called gentle.

I turned my head slowly.

Beep beep— beep beep—

Through the alarm’s wail surrounding the tent, my eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, could make out a presence.
Right beside me. A figure curled up, sleeping.

The Black Dragon’s curled form was visible.

I slowly reached my hand toward Raon’s forehead.

Wheeze… wheeze.

I had heard this labored breathing before.
Kale’s palm pressed against Raon’s forehead.
Kale’s face contorted.

Burning hot.
Far too hot.

His body was a blazing inferno.

I could see the black wings hanging limp and powerless.
I could see the face with eyes closed, lost to consciousness in the grip of fever.

War would unfold in the early dawn soon to come. Raon was ill.

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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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