Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 296

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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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“Young Master!”

Hilsman rushed forward urgently, catching Kale Heniatus as he stumbled and collapsed.
The Vice-Captain’s face had gone deathly pale. Kale’s hands trembled slightly, and blood poured from his mouth and nose.

“Cough, hack!”

I continued spewing dark crimson blood, unable to steady myself.
Every Imperial soldier witnessed this spectacle.

‘These useless ancient powers! Damn it all!’

I felt no pain.
I wasn’t hungry either.

My heart’s vitality stirred, and my body stabilized rapidly, yet strangely the blood kept flowing. Then Jjangdol’s gentle voice reached me.

-The water has begun to exert its power within your body. You’ll recover well.

Insane talk!
How could spewing blood possibly mean getting healthier!

Yet I understood to some degree. My heart’s vitality moved more vigorously than ever before. I could feel it working diligently, as if delighted, and it didn’t hurt like when I used fire or stone power.

Only dark crimson blood continued to flow endlessly.
It didn’t even feel like the bleeding was decreasing.

Thump, thump. My heart pounded more fiercely than ever. Fresh blood spread throughout my body.
But that wasn’t the problem.

“Hack!”

Even as I was recovering, my face contorted as dark crimson blood streamed down.

“Y-Young Master. H-How can this be? By the heavens, by the heavens! You said you’d only use a little! My heart is breaking! The hero of Roan Kingdom cannot be seen like this!”

Vice-Captain Hilsman continued to grip my body, crying out in anguish.

“No, no, no! I, Hilsman, feel as though my heart is being torn to shreds! Sob! To think you’re losing so much blood! Healer, healer! Where are you?”

Hilsman’s eyes had turned crimson as if blood vessels had burst. His neck bulged with veins as he cried out with a flushed face.

“Summon the healer! Save our young master, the hero of Rowan! If he collapses any further, it will be dangerous!”

I was bewildered.

‘Has he lost his mind?’

I had ordered Hilsman to act appropriately in response to my own actions. Yet he was performing as if creating the masterpiece of his lifetime, pouring his entire soul into it.

-…Uh, um, human, does it hurt? I want to say something too, but this talkative Vice-Captain won’t let me get a word in.

Even the six-year-old Young Dragon was hesitating with a reluctant voice.

-Human, are you alright?

But the dragon remained fierce nonetheless.

-If you lose consciousness or your body seems to waver, I’ll just destroy everything and take you to the Eastern Continent, and we’ll live by robbing the vaults of bad people! Consider yourself warned!

Then Raon spoke with a small sigh the moment he saw the look in my eyes as I gazed at Hilsman.

-Thank goodness! Our human is looking at the talkative Hilsman with contempt! Our human must really be fine! Thank goodness!
“Sob! Young master! The most precious and radiant star of our Heniatus Territory, young master! Sob!”

Hilsman and Raon were far too loud.
I wanted to tell them to be quiet.

“Qui—ugh—cough!”

But blood poured out so profusely that I couldn’t speak.
I was going mad.
Without being able to speak, I felt as though I would lose my mind.

“…Commander Kale Heniatus.”

I lifted my blood-stained face. Prince Valentino approached with the Priest. The Crown Prince of Caro Kingdom’s face was contorted as if caught between tears and composure.

Drip. Drip.
Dark crimson droplets traced down my chin, staining the black uniform beneath.
Prince Valentino’s heart ached.

“You really—”

I could sense what he was about to say, but that wasn’t it at all!
Kale Heniatus had much to say to Valentino, who could only swallow with difficulty, but he had to hold his tongue. Between them, a figure appeared.

It was Adin.
Crown Prince Adin approached with the Alchemist Sub-Tower Master and his apprentice Honth in tow, his expression twisted with anguish.

He knelt on one knee and met Kale’s gaze directly. Kale’s dark crimson blood stained the Crown Prince’s golden uniform, yet he paid it no mind as he extended his hand.

He grasped it.
He took hold of Kale’s trembling, blood-soaked hand.

“Are you alright? I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to come to this.”

Adin’s expression was both grateful and tormented.

“My words of trust must have become a burden for you. Thank you. I truly thank you.”

Thank you.
At the Crown Prince’s words, the Imperial Army soldiers and nobles finally saw their surroundings clearly. The clear, bright spring sky, and the wind blowing once more from the Empire toward Wipper.
The approaching hell had vanished, and the sun shone forth its light anew.

“…We’re alive.”

One of the Imperial nobles murmured. In that moment, the Crown Prince’s voice reached his ears.

“Priest! Save him. You must save Commander Kale at all costs.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The healing Priest of the Sun God Church who had come with Prince Valentino took his place and reached out his hands to Kale’s body to begin treatment.
Then, the Priest’s hands were stopped before they could even touch Kale by someone.

“…Excuse me, Knight?”

The Priest looked flustered and turned to Vice-Captain Hilsman. Hilsman gazed at Crown Prince Adin with a sorrowful expression before speaking.

“Your Highness, I apologize, but I must request an ordinary healer without divine or healing powers.”

For a moment, something flickered in the Crown Prince’s eyes before vanishing. He pressed Hilsman with urgency.

“With injuries this severe, an ordinary healer? We must use divine or healing powers.”
“That is—”

Hilsman’s gaze wavered uncertainly before turning toward Kale Heniatus.
Adin followed suit, looking at Kale, who offered a faint smile and shook his head. It was a signal that divine power was unnecessary.

Adin heard Hilsman’s voice.

“The young master’s body has become extremely weakened. If any foreign energy enters carelessly, it could prove disastrous. Your Highness, please allow us to bring an ordinary healer.”

Kale Heniatus coughed blood and nodded weakly.

‘Right, divine or healing powers won’t do.’

If my intact body were discovered, everything would unravel.
Moreover, my heart’s vitality was itself regeneration and healing. If a high-ranking Priest capable of detecting that appeared, the entire situation would collapse into chaos.

“Sigh.”

A sigh escaped.
It was Prince Valentino.

“To think the young master’s body has weakened so much.”

He could not hide his bitterness.
Adin wore a similar expression. Yet internally, Adin was smiling.

‘He truly won’t last much longer.’

If his body couldn’t even accept divine power, how violently were the ancient forces within him colliding right now?
Perhaps the aftermath of that collision was so fearsome that it prevented him from even using new power—divine power itself.

Adin gazed at the blood Kale Heniatus had shed.
It was tremendous. The fact that he remained alive rather than dead was remarkable.
Yet all living things eventually perish.

Death comes even for heroes.
Because of this incident, Kale Heniatus would die a bit sooner. That fact was deeply satisfying.

The fire extinguished.
The death of the three holders of ancient power accelerated.
A brake applied to the rising Roan Kingdom.

And finally, he could now deliver a harsh and merciless punishment to Wipper Kingdom.
Wipper Kingdom must pay the price for daring to challenge the Empire—no, for daring to challenge Adin himself.

“Commander Kale.”

He still held Kale’s hand.
Until just moments ago, he had not completely dispelled his suspicions regarding the cooperation between Kale and Rosalind. But now he had erased them all, leaving only about one percent of doubt remaining.

Therefore, Adin opened his mouth, deliberately mimicking a sorrowful yet smiling expression as he addressed Kale.

“We shall remember your sacrifice well and repay it with results befitting such devotion.”

Kale drew a faint smile, as if grateful, as if saying he was fine.
And he thought.

‘The results will be frozen to death.’

I held the Crown Prince and the Sub-Tower Master standing behind him, my disciple Honth—these three figures within my sight as I reflected.

‘Everything proceeds according to plan.’

Though I had completely extinguished the fire born from the Dragon’s wrath, it remained within the scope of my design.
My party had moved thus far while anticipating the maximum combat capacity of the Empire’s Alchemists, Mages, and Knights, and calculating the Lion Tribe’s numbers at their peak as well.

Thus, Wipper Kingdom had formulated a plan to defeat the Empire at full strength.

Wheeee— wheee—

From far away in Wipper Kingdom, the sound of a flute drifted across the distance.
I released Crown Prince Adin’s uncomfortably persistent hand and spoke with the gravitas of a righteous commander.

“Your Highness, *cough*, I believe in you. Peace will, *hack*, peace will come.”

Of course, Prince Valentino behind Adin glanced over as well. He bit his lip, turning my words over in his mind.

‘I believe in you. Peace will come.’

This wasn’t about the Empire’s victory—it was about the Western Continent, our peace. Along with his desire for vengeance against the Empire, Valentino felt something else stir in his chest.
Naturally, I was watching Valentino’s reaction.

‘Good. You’re doing well. Stay the course.’

Seeing Valentino’s solemn expression, I felt a measure of reassurance that he would perform his role flawlessly.
Then came that moment.

“Yes, Commander Kale Heniatus. Soon the Empire’s might will sweep across the battlefield and Wipper in an instant.”

Hm. Stop deluding yourself.
I suppressed a bitter laugh and looked at Adin. Then I froze.

He was smiling.
It was different from any smile I’d seen before.

Something felt off.
A chill crept down the back of my neck.
Adin’s mouth opened.

“I’ll tell you about it. Our Empire’s secret weapon.”

…What?
A secret weapon?
My eyes widened.
In that instant, an Alchemist rushed to Sub-Tower Master Metelona’s side and whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes, then opened them and spoke to Crown Prince Adin.

“Preparations are complete.”

What kind of preparation?
Kale Heniatus looked at Crown Prince Adin. The Crown Prince lowered his head and leaned closer to Kale.
Then he whispered.

“Golems.”

What?

“The Alchemists have restored one of the lost civilizations of antiquity.”

Golems.
Beings fashioned from clay or metal in human form, their size varying infinitely depending on how they were constructed. Instead of a heart, golems possessed a ‘core’ within their bodies, and their operators used this ‘core’ to animate and control them.

Kale felt bewildered.
Golems. A common trope in fantasy.

‘…They appear in “The Birth of a Hero” too?’

The content from five volumes ago contained no mention of golems. Not even the word itself had ever been referenced.
Experiencing something entirely new for the first time, Kale felt genuine trembling at his fingertips.
At that moment, the Crown Prince spoke to Sub-Tower Master Metelona and Honth, the Tower Master’s disciple.

“Begin.”

The Sub-Tower Master cried out.

“Activation commencing!”

Kale could soon see a colossal magic circle being drawn with cascading light across the training ground of the Imperial Army garrison.

Uuuuuung—

The magic circle, created in an instant alongside the light, began to vibrate.
Dozens of Mages and Alchemists surrounded the circle.

—…Human, something feels wrong about this! Something strange is about to emerge!

It emerges.
Something is ‘summoned’ upon the magic circle.
The earth trembled.
Kale Heniatus felt a wave of unease wash over me.

And finally, when the trembling ceased.

Kuuuung—

Bathed in brilliant light, colossal entities were summoned upon the earth.

“Th-this is impossible—”

Vice-Captain Hilsman’s trembling hand transmitted its quivering directly to Kale Heniatus.

Golems had appeared.

Thirty-some black entities, each possessing a colossal frame towering ten to fifteen meters high.
Each one was a breathtaking behemoth—beings that could stand against humanity itself upon the battlefield.

It was horrifying.
Should these creatures take the field, mankind would appear as nothing more than insignificant dust.

Kale Heniatus heard the voice of Prince Valentino. His voice trembled.

“Adin, are… are those truly golems? The ancient golems that vanished from history?”

Valentino continued urgently without waiting for Adin’s response.

“Will you sweep through the Wipper Kingdom with these?”

Kale Heniatus tore my gaze from the golems and regarded the Sub-Tower Master and the Tower Master’s disciple. They remained composed. Finally, my eyes settled upon the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was watching Kale Heniatus.

The moment their gazes met, the Crown Prince’s lips parted.

“What do you think? Does it not seem as though the war will soon end and peace will arrive?”

Damn it. Cursed!
How am I supposed to overcome that?

The back of Kale Heniatus’s head tingled. Simultaneously, his eyes gleamed with intensity.
Yet a gentle smile played at the corners of his lips.

“Yes, Your Majesty. It appears so.”

Kale Heniatus. Whether it was a golem or anything else, he was a man who could only find satisfaction by repaying any affront tenfold.

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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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