Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 300
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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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Thump, thump—
Kale Heniatus’s body trembled violently.
A deep resonance echoed from within his body.
The crimson lightning tattooed like a mark above his heart.
That lightning began to seep gradually into his body.
Of all the ancient powers, only this tattoo was vanishing from his body.
‘Black magic.’
In “The Birth of Heroes,” black magic had been explained in exactly one paragraph.
【Necromancers and Black Mages.】
It was a story mentioned when the Sun God Church put the Necromancers to death.
【The two were identical in their use of dead mana, but while one operated within nature’s bounds, the other was nothing short of a rebellion against nature itself.】
【Black magic, known to have vanished after ancient times, was an existence that defied the natural order.】
Kale Heniatus gazed upon the existence created by defying that natural order.
A golem.
Voices filled with chaos from the Mogur Empire side reached his ears.
“What is the identity of that person?”
“If he shattered even the largest golem, won’t he destroy the others just as instantly?”
While the nobles and high-ranking officials cried out, the soldiers, conversely, shrank back.
Screeeech— screeeech—
Black smoke and a bone-chilling wail.
Certainly, this was a powerful weapon our Empire created—a golem—yet something horrifying was flowing from it.
“…What, what is that?”
It was grotesque.
Moreover, those attacking the golems didn’t appear to be priests and holy knights of the Sun God Church.
“…Something’s off.”
“Yeah, something’s definitely off.”
The soldiers began watching for signs from their superiors.
The moment Kale Heniatus noticed this and a flicker of interest crossed his eyes, Crown Prince Adin’s voice rang out.
“Metelona!”
Sub-Tower Master Metelona raised her hand and shouted.
“Attack that swordsman who destroyed the Empire’s blade and the ancient sacred relic golems, and attack the birds!”
The mages and alchemists launched their assault in unison.
Hundreds of spells surged toward the battlefield once more.
“Ha, haha—”
Kale Heniatus burst into laughter.
‘These pathetic bastards.’
Choi Han, Clophe, and the bone sparrows were currently close to the golem unit. Yet they were launching attacks in that direction?
Predictable.
‘They’re trying to conceal it.’
It was a ploy to obscure that black smoke and those horrifying cries.
A means to suppress the confusion spreading among the soldiers and nobles.
Boom! Boom!
Rosalind from Wipper’s side countered with magic of her own. She had no choice. The bone sparrows needed protection.
Boom! Crash! Crash!
Black smoke and horrific cries were swallowed by the explosions and thunderous roars of magic.
-Human! Choi Han and I destroyed the golem and saw the black liquid flowing from that orb. We need to eliminate it! But I don’t know how, so I can’t do it myself! We need to call Grandfather Golden Dragon!
Through the deafening noise, I heard Raon’s voice.
At the same time, I lifted my head. A skeletal bird soaring upward to evade the magic. Upon it rode a swordsman in a black helmet.
-And Choi Han was acting strange! It was as if he were bewitched by that black liquid!
…Choi Han was acting strange?
-But what do we do about those thirty-plus golem orbs? This is a disaster! Who’s supposed to destroy them all! We need to save everyone, but I’m—I’m great but still haven’t learned enough!
I clenched and unclenched my fists repeatedly.
‘Should I step forward?’
No—I have to.
I can’t leave this alone.
It must be eliminated.
But if I do, all the smoke and mirrors the Empire has been putting up until now becomes worthless. I’m in a position where I need to help Sir Rex.
That will become incredibly difficult.
Moreover, if I step forward, the Roan Kingdom will be drawn into this battle as well.
Yet the Roan Kingdom could no longer bear to see its people’s blood spilled.
That was when it happened.
The voice of Destructive Fire reached me.
-There were other beings besides me who could purify that black despair.
There were?
I don’t need to step forward?
-Dark Elves and Necromancers.
Ha!
I was astounded.
The Dark Elves, whom people despised and forced to hide away. And the Necromancers, who were meant to be destroyed by the Sun God Church and the Light Attribute Sect.
-They too are part of nature.
Yet nature had never abandoned the Dark Elves or the Necromancers.
A single voice echoed in my mind.
The Black Desert, the Land of Death. A person who had lived underground there.
‘It felt as though every blood vessel in my body was bursting. In such agony, to survive, I had to learn to wield dead mana. So among dark mages and Necromancers, I chose to become a Necromancer.’
At ten years old, Merry had chosen to become a Necromancer to survive.
And now, to save the people on this battlefield, I needed her—Merry.
The more I thought about it, the more bitter laughter spilled from my lips.
“Human, are you okay? Did you lose your taste because you’re too angry? You can’t become like Clophe!”
Dark magic had been disguised as alchemy in the presence of the Sun God Church?
It was absurdly hilarious.
Boom. Boom!
The resonance within my body grew fiercer.
My body burned hot.
The flames were growing larger and larger.
-Human! I’ll contact the old gold Dragon grandfather right now!
I left Raon to his own devices. It was true that Erhafen was necessary.
The noisy Imperial encampment.
I spoke, standing apart from them alongside Prince Valentino.
“Bring Merry.”
I issued the command toward the video communication device in Vice-Captain Hilsman’s possession.
-Young Master?
I heard Rosalind’s voice, but I ignored it and continued speaking.
“Don’t destroy the golems for now. Just hold them back.”
My eyes darted rapidly between the Crown Prince, the battlefield, and Maple Castle.
‘Once Raon finishes contacting Erhafen, I’ll reach out to the Crown Prince immediately.’
And then we move.
I had made my decision.
That was when it happened.
-Human! Human!
Raon’s urgent voice came through. In that instant, my heart sank.
‘Has something happened to Erhafen?’
Raon’s voice came through again.
-I couldn’t reach the golden Dragon grandfather!
Ah, seriously.
My face crumpled when Raon stammered out his next words.
-Human! A message just came through on that video communication channel!
A message?
From whom?
-The Jungle! Ritana sent it!
Ritana, the ruler of the Jungle?
Why would she…?
She was currently leading the Jungle warriors toward a region of the Jungle near the Southern Empire.
Ritana and I had changed our original decision to aid Wipper, instead planning to attack the Southern Empire when the Empire suffered defeat in its second battle against Wipper. Additionally, Prince Valentino’s Caro Kingdom would make its move at that time as well.
Besides, Prince Valentino’s Caro Kingdom will also make its move by then.
Raon urgently recited the message contents.
-‘Young Master! The Jungle is under attack! The Empire is attacking Jungle Zone 7!’
Kale Heniatus felt his mind go blank for a moment.
Jungle Zone 7.
Among the Jungle’s fourteen zones, Zone 7 was the heart of the Jungle, where a massive river cut across the territory.
And for generations, the palace of the Jungle’s supreme leader, the King, had stood there.
It was no different from the Capital itself.
The Empire had struck there?
This was catastrophic.
‘Zone 7 won’t have many warriors right now! And Ritana isn’t there either!’
Damn it!
Kale Heniatus’s gaze snapped toward the Crown Prince.
That bastard Adin definitely knew and acted accordingly.
He moved knowing that Ritana and the warriors weren’t in the Jungle.
-And he sent: ‘Young Master, it seems there was a spy in our Jungle after all!’
Kale Heniatus clenched his fists tightly.
A spy.
At the mention of that word, I recalled when the Empire had set fire to Jungle Zone 1 in the past. Yes, that’s right. There was no way a foreign power like the Empire could have orchestrated that alone without an informant.
Of course, given that the Empire still seemed unaware of the Four Races One Alliance including Roan, the spy was likely not among the leadership.
“…I was careless.”
No, I was foolish.
“Young Master?”
Vice-Captain Hilsman cautiously called out to Kale Heniatus, whose expression had suddenly hardened, but he didn’t hear it.
In “The Birth of a Hero,” the spy on Tunka’s side had been revealed. However, there was no spy reporting on the pillar of fire in Jungle Zone 1.
So I had simply assumed the Empire was acting alone.
But at the same time, Kale Heniatus felt doubt creeping in.
‘How could the Empire attack Jungle Zone 7, the very heart of the jungle, without encountering the jungle’s warriors?’
Ah.
The moment the question formed in my mind, the answer came to me—and Raon spoke it aloud as well.
Ritana relayed the message.
-‘A flying object has appeared. It bears the Mogur Empire’s flag!’
The Empire possessed the means to dominate the skies.
Indeed, Crown Prince Adin was no easy opponent.
While publicly striking at Wipper, he boldly attacked the jungle from behind—the very force plotting against him.
Boom! Boom boom!
Spells continued to collide, and between them, skeletal birds and golems engaged in what amounted to a war of attrition.
Wipper did not attack the golems; they focused solely on defense and endurance.
It was because of Kale’s orders.
Kale was aware of this.
Then it happened.
Raon delivered one final message to me.
-‘Young Master, I apologize, but I must withdraw. I need to save Jungle Zone 7! According to the warrior’s report, alchemists have appeared on the deck of the flying object and are attempting to summon something. I’m uneasy about it. Once I learn what it is, I’ll contact you immediately!’ Raon said. Human, they’re summoning something!
Raon spoke hesitantly.
-What if it’s something like a golem?
The warriors would have only minimal defensive forces, and Jungle Zone 7 would be populated mostly by ordinary people.
What would happen if a golem—or that black despair—covered the land?
Destructive Fire spoke.
-The Black Despair originated from dead mana, and thus it is poison to all living beings, no different than dead mana itself. In fact, it is an even more potent poison. Those creatures possess the ability to curse.
-Hell will unfold.
At that moment, Kale Heniatus opened his mouth.
“I need to crush them.”
Vice-Captain Hilsman and Prince Valentino, who had been watching him, widened their eyes in shock. Yet Kale continued speaking.
“Summon them.”
Kale’s hand traced a single character in the empty air.
A sharp sound cut through the silence. Then he gently pushed away Hilsman, who had been supporting him.
“Young Master? Huh? Young Master! Where are you going?”
Hilsman tried to grab Kale in alarm, but Kale ignored him and moved forward with unhurried steps.
Toward Crown Prince Adin. Slowly approaching the center of the battlefield where he stood.
The chaotic battlefield.
“Commander, shouldn’t you rest? It’s too dangerous.”
“Commander, please take a moment to recover.”
The nobles and Imperial soldiers watched Kale advance toward the center of the battlefield, their voices filled with concern.
Yet Kale’s gaze remained fixed on a single point, ignoring them entirely.
Crown Prince Adin, standing with dignified composure at the center.
Relaxed and alone, he turned his head and his eyes met Kale’s.
“Commander, what is the matter? Are you alright—”
The instant he spoke.
Wind erupted beneath Kale’s feet.
It was instantaneous.
Like an arrow, his body shot forward.
Kale extended his hand.
And clenched his fist.
“Are you alright— cough!”
Crown Prince Adin gasped for breath.
His nape was seized in a pale grip. In that instant, Adin understood.
‘It’s not pain!’
Despite the white appearance, the grip was extraordinarily powerful. The Crown Prince’s head tilted backward, and he saw dark amber eyes gazing down at him.
The owner of those eyes—Kale Heniatus—smiled brilliantly and spoke.
“The back of my neck feels tingly.”
It happened in mere seconds.
“What! Commander!”
“Your Highness!”
“What is the meaning of this!”
The Imperial side erupted into chaos.
Yet Crown Prince Adin gazed at Kale Heniatus with the corners of his eyes crinkling.
“Y-yes, indeed, *cough*, one must never abandon suspicion.”
The reason he had not discarded that one percent of doubt.
And the reason he was smiling,
‘Can he truly act so boldly?’
Can the Roan Kingdom, can Kale Heniatus truly act so boldly?
And there he was—Kale Heniatus, smiling even more brilliantly than Adin himself.
He whispered near Adin’s ear.
“Listen, Adin.”
*Cough*.
As Adin exhaled the breath he had been holding, Kale’s voice reached him, laced with amusement.
“I will absolutely kill you.”
Crown Prince Adin froze.
His eyes burned with genuine fury—the murderous intent of someone truly bent on my death.
In that instant, Raon’s voice echoed through my mind.
-My magic isn’t working! How is this possible? Is this even magic? It’s on par with the old Golden Dragon! Same as me! Human! Shield!
I immediately deployed my unbreakable shield. Suddenly, black wind arrows shot toward me from the right.
“Ugh!”
The impact forced me to release the Crown Prince as I was hurled backward. Thanks to my shield and Raon’s protective barrier wrapped around it, I remained unharmed, though the shockwave still rattled through me.
Yet I smiled and looked at the figure now standing before the Crown Prince.
Honth, the Tower Master’s disciple.
Despite his lifeless body, his eyes blazed with vitality. I spoke to him.
“You’re the Tower Master, aren’t you?”
Honth smiled.
“Interesting words from you. I was uncertain, but you have a dragon too.”
So he’s not denying it?
And he’s already sensed the dragon?
The last remaining red star must be the Necromancer.
I surveyed my surroundings.
I saw confused nobles and soldiers, people hesitating whether they should attack me or not.
Metelona, the Sub-Tower Master of Alchemy, cried out. It was the perfect moment by her judgment.
An opportunity to seize me while simultaneously striking at me and Roan.
“Seize that wretch who dared strike His Highness!”
To lay hands on the Crown Prince. To have dared grasp his throat and attempt his death.
Such a crime warranted beheading.
Metelona could not fathom why I had suddenly attacked the Crown Prince, and she deemed it either a grave miscalculation or rash judgment on my part.
“Seize him at once! Show no mercy!”
At her repeated command, soldiers, knights, and mages surrounded Kale Heniatus, preparing to strike.
Heh.
I let out a small laugh.
Everything was ruined.
I had destroyed my own plan to pretend to side with the Crown Prince and move from the shadows.
I should have remained hidden.
‘Damn this concealment.’
How could Merry alone have eliminated both that golem and the one in the Jungle?
I had to step forward myself.
And once Merry acted, my involvement—and Roan’s—was inevitable.
‘These fools move openly without hesitation, so why should I cower in hiding?’
And beyond that.
Having witnessed this situation, the source of the golems, their despicable scheming.
“I can’t stomach this any longer.”
My reckless nature surged to the surface.
“Burn it all down. Let’s burn it all down.”
The moment my eyes gleamed with resolve as I muttered those words.
Boom! Boom!
The turbulent energy that had been roiling within my body ceased.
Simultaneously, Metelona cried out.
“What are you doing?! Seize that fool standing there!”
But her voice was drowned out.
I shouted with a voice far louder.
“Sun God Church followers, all ordinary Imperial citizens fall back!”
What?
Those approaching, especially the Sun God Church followers, froze at the sudden command.
Sun God Church followers. More than two-thirds of the Imperial Army were adherents.
In their eyes appeared Commander Kale Heniatus, shouting with veins bulging in his neck. He was the man who had spoken his sentiments by comparing them to Sun God doctrine when receiving his Imperial commendation.
He cried out.
“You have witnessed black smoke and black arrows! Those villains wield dead mana!”
Dead mana.
The Light Attribute Sect priests and followers froze this time.
The Sub-Tower Master, the Crown Prince, and Honth all looked toward Kale. His eyes blazing with vitality, Kale shouted with all his might.
“I just witnessed His Majesty’s eyes clearly!”
Raon spoke.
-Human, it’s coming soon!
Kale continued.
“He has been ensnared by black magic!”
Black magic.
At that word, Sub-Tower Master Metelona froze.
‘How could he know of black magic?’
Black magic was known to have vanished in ancient times, and she believed no one in the world remained who had witnessed it. Even a Dragon would not recognize it immediately.
Because a Dragon’s lifespan was roughly a thousand years, and ancient times were ten thousand years ago.
“Cease your nonsense! Seize that fool at once! He is merely a puppet of Roan, not an Imperial citizen!”
Metelona cried out, and several Knights began drawing their blades toward Kale.
That was the moment.
-He has arrived, human!
Whoooosh!
Brilliant light engulfed the battlefield.
Simultaneously, a teleportation circle materialized beside Kale Heniatus.
“What?”
“Ah!”
The knights’ blades froze mid-swing.
Moments before, Kale had inscribed a single character in the air with his hand.
Jack.
Summon Saint Jack.
That face—known to every devotee of the Sun God Church throughout the Empire.
A man with a gentle, serene countenance materialized before them.
The Saint and Saint Maiden. Those accused of terrorism or the Pope’s assassination, who had fled and vanished.
Yet the Imperial Army could not speak upon seeing Jack.
Shhhhhhh—
Radiant light poured forth from Saint Jack’s form.
It was sacred power infused with healing.
The shallow wounds of the knights and soldiers gradually mended beneath the enveloping luminescence. The eyes of the infantrymen wavered at the sight.
The touch of sunlight was far too pure and warm to belong to a terrorist.
Clang.
Thud.
The blades of the faithful knights hesitated, and the weapons of the faithful soldiers fell from their hands.
Kale Heniatus opened his mouth.
“We shall advance.”
The words the Sun God Church had proclaimed when vanquishing the Necromancer.
We shall march toward the light.
Words similar yet different flowed from Kale Heniatus’s lips.
It was only natural.
From this moment forward, Roan, Wipper, the Jungle Kingdom, and countless others—including Necromancers and Dark Elves—would stand together.
It was simply a new history to be written by all the people of multiple kingdoms, multiple religious orders, and multiple races.
Unlike the past when Necromancers and Dark Elves were oppressed, a new enemy would be clearly defined.
That enemy was the Crown Prince and black magic.
‘If I must reveal myself, then I’ll simply create a new game board.’
Fight on a new board, then.
Kale Heniatus attacked the Crown Prince’s neck. And the Saint appeared.
This shocking scene would be etched into everyone’s minds.
Kale Heniatus gazed at Saint Jack.
Saint Jack, summoned so abruptly, could not fully comprehend the current situation.
Yet the moment he saw Honth and the black smoke in the sky, he unknowingly spoke, following Kale Heniatus’s words.
“Together, we shall overcome.”
It was the meaning of the world he had newly learned while standing beside Kale Heniatus.
Immediately after.
Wheee—wheee—
The sound of a whistle pierced the air.
The Imperial Army looked up.
The largest skeletal bird hovered overhead. The White-haired Priest and the helmeted swordsman reached out their hands toward Kale Heniatus and Jack.
Birds belonging to those who appeared to be Holy Knights surrounded them.
As if they had come to rescue the Saint.
Then, they witnessed a scene.
“…L-Light!”
“That is—!”
A different light appeared—one distinct from the radiance that had been binding the Imperial Army’s wounds.
Saint Jack’s light was so brilliant it barely registered to the eye.
It was golden like sunlight, yet simultaneously suffused with a crimson hue that evoked dread, as though stained with blood.
Raon cried out in genuine astonishment.
-Human! You look incredibly powerful right now!
The crimson-gold light began to envelop Kale’s body.
A power intertwined with the crimson of Destructive Fire’s blood and the radiance of purification.
Kale heard the voice of Destructive Fire.
-Shatter despair. I beg of you.
A forgotten flame, known to have burned brilliantly before vanishing, had returned to the world once more.
Kale mounted the White Bone Bird and shouted. His eyes locked with those of Crown Prince Adin and Honth.
“Destroy the golems created by dark magic!”
I would obliterate them all.
After so long, the instincts of a reckless warrior surged to life within me.
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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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