Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 272
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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 58. A Beautiful Night
When adventurers are asked about Ribensi, they typically respond like this.
“A city where the beginning of adventure unfolds, a city that loves adventure!”
Ribensi was a city that stirred the adventurous spirit.
For those who had visited several times, it was a familiar place, but for first-time visitors, unlike other cities, the sight of a metropolis where commerce, mercenary work, and adventure were particularly flourishing made their eyes widen in wonder.
Even Bob, a novice adventurer, was no exception.
“Wow.”
Twenty years old, and I had finally taken my first step as an adventurer.
‘Ribensi truly is magnificent!’
In small towns, there were only one or two inns, yet in Ribensi, several inns were already visible just in the plaza alone.
The novice adventurer gazed at the clock tower spire in the Central Square.
Two o’clock in the afternoon.
I needed to find an inn for tonight.
The novice adventurer Bob, anticipating his first night in Ribensi, looked around here and there before spotting a particular establishment and changing direction.
‘Oh! I love that inn’s name!’
He murmured the sign’s name and approached with eager steps.
“…the Inn of Hope and Adventure!”
Beside the sign, he also noticed the words “Grand Opening Today.”
From the inn’s name to the words “grand opening today”—the novice adventurer felt that this inn’s name was perfectly suited for someone like him, beginning his path as an adventurer in Ribensi.
But Bob had to stop in front of the inn. As he was about to enter, the building up close looked quite clean and impressive.
He hesitated to go in, suddenly remembering his shabby clothes, the worn secondhand bag he had purchased, and the meager amount of money in his possession.
It was then.
“Welcome.”
The Young Clerk at the entrance greeted him.
The novice adventurer, who had been crouching nervously, felt his anxiety ease at the kind greeting from the innocent-looking Young Clerk.
He cautiously posed a question to the Young Clerk.
“Did you open today?”
Bob waited for the answer from the innocent-looking Young Clerk, who like him hailed from the mountains—or more precisely, was a former Bandit—and the Bandit Clerk’s eyes gleamed as he spotted his prey and opened his mouth.
‘If I mess up the lines, it’s one glove each.’
Recalling Vicross’s gloves, the Bandit Clerk spoke with practiced warmth, rattling off his words smoothly.
“Yes, we opened today. We’re offering all our visitors a complimentary glass of beer and a plate of smoked chicken.”
“Oh! That’s wonderful! That’s enough to make a meal!”
Bob was excellent at playing along.
“Exactly. It’s our grand opening event for the next week. Additionally, guests staying with us for a month starting today will receive half-price accommodations.”
“Ooh!”
“And unlike other inns, we provide complimentary towels and amenities!”
“Wow, that’s incredible!”
As the Bandit and Bob’s exchange grew increasingly theatrical, someone interjected.
“Indeed. It’s a fine inn.”
When the red-haired handsome man appeared, Bob looked at him. With a questioning gaze, Kale Heniatus continued smoothly.
“I’m an inn staff member.”
“Ah, I see! I didn’t realize since you’re not wearing a uniform.”
“Not at all. I simply couldn’t resist joining in when I saw such a magnificent adventurer.”
Magnificent adventurer. At those words, Bob’s lips curved upward endlessly.
“Hahahaha! Does it look that way? I’m still a beginner!”
“My goodness. To my eyes, you appeared to be a young adventurer brimming with skill. Yet you say you’re still a novice—I can scarcely imagine how renowned you’ll become.”
Bob’s shoulders rose higher and higher.
In contrast, the bandit felt his skin crawl at the sight of Kale Heniatus, whom he’d never seen like this before.
That man, acting so kindly like a salesman!
Kale Heniatus extended his hand to Bob.
Bob grasped it without hesitation, and Kale naturally ushered him through the inn’s entrance while speaking.
“I’m delighted to welcome such a promising adventurer to our inn. Since you seem destined for fame, shouldn’t I learn your name beforehand?”
“Hahahaha! You’re too kind. Well, my name is Bob! I’m definitely going to become famous later!”
Bob.
At that word, Kale Heniatus thought of Tunka and faltered for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and handed the adventurer’s hand to the young clerk at the entrance, speaking smoothly.
“May your adventure be a magnificent one, Bob.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Bob cheerfully stepped into the inn.
He felt like a great adventurer already.
Kale Heniatus watched Bob’s figure, then observed Choi Han in uniform assisting with service on the inn’s first floor, and Vicross heading toward the kitchen in chef’s attire, before turning around. The bandit swallowed hard as he watched Kale Heniatus’s expression shift instantly to complete blankness the moment he turned.
Tap. Tap.
Kale Heniatus patted the young clerk’s shoulder. The clerk stiffened at the slow touch, but Kale Heniatus was simply offering encouragement.
“You’re doing well. Keep it up from now on.”
Tap. Tap.
The bandit nodded eagerly.
Kale Heniatus was satisfied with his response. Then he heard Raon’s voice in his mind.
-Making money! More, more, more money! They say little grains make a dragon’s rare treasure! I’m going to earn as much as a dragon’s rare treasure!
…This is terrifying.
Kale Heniatus ignored Raon’s words. But then the voice of the ancient power followed.
-Hehehehe, money squandering… happiness… precious… our money squandering.
Destructive Fire seemed to be gradually losing his mind.
Kale Heniatus found this stingy Destructive Fire terrifying in a different way than Raon did. The problem was that he empathized with him.
Money was precious.
Kale spoke as he watched the approaching figure.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Servant Ron approached with an easygoing smile.
On the opening day, Kale had somewhere to go with Ron.
“We need to go to City Hall, right?”
“Yes, I shall guide you.”
City Hall, the heart of Ribensi. I needed to go there and register the inn’s opening.
The Bandit Clerk beside me looked at Kale at those words, and Kale answered his gaze with a docile smile.
“We’re legitimate, after all. We love the law.”
The bandit avoided Kale’s smile.
‘…Terrifying people!’
Not a single mercenary had come to the inn’s opening ceremony.
Those obsessed with free beer were nowhere to be seen.
Why?
Because ‘Arm’ had wounded the mercenaries’ pride.
Of course, it wasn’t the real ‘Arm’ but ‘Real Arm’ who did it, but how could anyone know?
The Ribensi Mercenary Guild must be in emergency mode right now.
Yet our boss, who orchestrated this incident, was smiling peacefully. Especially the Assassin, the boss’s right hand, wore an even more serene expression.
“I’ll be back soon, so work comfortably.”
At Kale’s words, the bandit responded with tears brimming in his eyes.
“I will work with the resolve to be buried in these bones! Please trust me!”
Kale Heniatus wondered why that fellow was acting like that as he headed toward City Hall with Ron.
* * *
The moment Kale Heniatus arrived in front of City Hall, he could see a statue. It was a statue of the current Market Master.
“His term has about two to three months remaining.”
He nodded at Ron’s words while observing the face of the Market Master immortalized in stone.
The position of Market Master of Ribensi, held alternately by the two major forces that controlled Ribensi’s daylight—the Mercenary Guild and the Merchant Association—had been passed down through generations.
The Market Master’s term lasted four years, and the election would be held soon this year.
Of course, until now, the Mercenary Guild and Merchant Association had united to present a single candidate in alternation.
And the current Market Master was from the Mercenary Guild.
“Because the Market Master comes from the Mercenary Guild, the Dark was even more cautious.”
“But we ruined them anyway, didn’t we?”
At the words delivered with a smile, Ron nodded to the young master.
“Young master.”
“Yes.”
“You intend to bring the collusion between Mosteyu and the Mercenary Guild to light during this election, don’t you?”
How clever the old man was.
Kale Heniatus did not answer.
“If that happens, you’ll be able to strike down the Dark, Mosteyu, the Mercenary Guild, and all the forces involved in the underworld at once. Isn’t that right, young master?”
Kale Heniatus did not answer again, but Ron understood the meaning of his silence well enough to know the man that was Kale Heniatus.
However, Ron still did not know all of Kale Heniatus. Kale Heniatus handed him a business registration document.
“Here.”
“Shall I go and submit the business registration on your behalf?”
I only needed to fill out the documents I had received from City Hall in advance and submit them today.
Of course, Ron had obtained the documents beforehand and given them to Kale Heniatus, who filled in the blanks.
“Yes. Ron, you need to do this part.”
“Me, sir?”
“Yes, and there’s a section you need to fill in as well.”
Ron watched Kale Heniatus avoid his gaze, then opened the envelope and pulled out the documents.
【Inn of Hope and Adventure】
The inn’s name was correct, the address was correct, the inn’s size and number of staff were all correct.
But one thing was different.
“…Young Master.”
Ron called out to Kale Heniatus, but again, he did not respond. Yet Ron could not bring himself to look at Kale Heniatus without an answer.
His gaze was fixed on the innkeeper field.
That field had been filled in.
【Ron Mollan】
It was Ron’s name. And the final blank—the signature line that would confirm all of this as truth—remained empty. That was the only place Ron could fill in.
Ron recalled Kale Heniatus’s words. On the day I arrived at the Eastern Continent, when he pointed at me before the Former Bandit Leader and spoke.
‘You will become another ruler of the Underworld starting today.’
‘And this person will be your ruler.’
Those words were as much a command for Ron to become a ruler of the Underworld, and Ron, who had not forgotten his vengeance, gladly accepted them.
Now Kale Heniatus was giving Ron, who had accepted this, the foundation to build upon.
“It’s your turn now.”
At Kale Heniatus’s words, Ron let out a laugh far removed from kindness.
The Eastern Continent, where I had lost everything and returned. There, I had secured a place to begin anew.
Ron Mollan. A name that the Dark had surely forgotten by now.
‘The Dark wouldn’t have nothing to do, and there’s no way they’d find me by individually checking the names of small innkeepers.’
Knowing that, this puppy young master must have handed him these documents.
Ron folded the documents again and held them in his hand. Then he opened his mouth while looking at Kale Heniatus, who was staring at him.
“The citizens of Ribensi are quite dissatisfied with the Merchant Association and Mercenary Guild alternating the market management.”
Along with ordinary citizens, small business owners also harbored negative feelings toward this custom.
The Merchant Association primarily accepted only small to medium-sized merchant guilds capable of regional trade, and did not accept ordinary shops and stores as members.
“I will find the Market Master.”
Awkward conversation didn’t suit Ron and Kale Heniatus. Kale Heniatus preferred this approach as well.
“Do as you see fit.”
A benevolent smile bloomed brightly across Ron’s lips.
‘…What?’
Kale Heniatus felt a chill. The smile was far too bright, appearing almost sinister. Regardless, Ron, the Servant, continued to speak in a gentle tone to the young master who still feared him.
“As your Servant, I will do this properly.”
“…Sure, take it easy.”
Kale Heniatus turned away from Ron’s increasingly intense smile. To this puppy young master, Ron asked softly.
“Will you move again tonight, young master?”
Ron could see Kale Heniatus grinning wickedly. Kale Heniatus’s palms itched as he thought of tonight.
Why?
Because all the vaults of the Mosteyu Gang would be completely emptied tonight.
* * *
And when night fell, Kale Heniatus could see an enthusiastic six-year-old Young Dragon.
“Human, take this!”
Kale Heniatus accepted what Raon handed to him. He asked Raon with a bewildered expression.
“Why are you bringing a potato sack?”
“Money!”
Kale Heniatus flinched at Raon’s forceful voice.
But the Young Dragon was thrilled. It was a truly dragon-like display of affection for shiny things.
“Human! To fit all this dirty money, I need a bigger spatial pocket! I got this sack from that stoic Vicross and cast a spatial magic on it!”
Kale Heniatus looked down at the ordinary potato sack. It was surely the one Vicross had reluctantly given to the average nine-year-old.
In a corner room on the third floor of the inn, I could see the excited average nine-year-old.
“I can get my allowance today too!”
“They said they’ll settle everything at once later. I don’t know how many gold coins that will be.”
“I’m going to fill up my entire piggy bank!”
Raon approached Kale Heniatus, who was holding the sack carelessly, and nestled it deep into his arms as he spoke.
“It’s a very large-capacity spatial pocket! Human, trust only me!”
Kale Heniatus gripped the sack firmly and answered calmly.
“I trust you.”
I meant it sincerely.
The average nine-year-old was magnificent.
“Hehe.”
Raon spun in place excitedly. Through it all, the voice of Destructive Fire could be heard.
-…precious sack… precious money from bad guys… precious, valuable, and most beautiful money madness….
Destructive Fire was genuinely moved. Kale Heniatus reached this conclusion with equal sincerity.
That was when it happened.
“Kale Heniatus.”
“…Choi Han.”
Kale Heniatus accepted the items Choi Han handed to him.
A robe emblazoned with a crimson star and a black mask. Choi Han had taken the initiative to procure the crude uniform of the Real Arm.
…Choi Han, you’re having fun with this, aren’t you?
Aren’t you?
I wanted to ask, but Choi Han’s expression remained serious—the visage of one who moved for the sake of justice and peace. I thought once again that he truly was a righteous man, and I donned the robe.
As I did, Choi Han opened the third-floor window of the inn and spoke.
“Sir Kale, allow us to escort you. We shall proceed directly.”
I was astounded. Here they were, sneaking out through an inn window, yet they were far too excited about it. Still, I answered calmly.
“Indeed, going straight is rather impressive.”
I issued my command.
“We head to the Mercenary Guild first.”
Once this night passed, the Dark and the Mercenary Guild of Ribensi would clash in all-out war.
The corrupt elements entrenched in the underworld would beat and strike at one another of their own accord. I felt laughter bubbling up unbidden.
“A villainous smile, that.”
I pretended not to hear On’s remark.
Already, easy money glimmered before my eyes.
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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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