Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 358

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

“…A roster?”
“Yes.”

Bud grinned widely at Kale’s decisive answer and spoke.

“Then let’s sneak off to the Mercenary Guild!”

Watching Bud agree so readily, I caught onto a single word.

“Sneak?”

Not just go—but sneak there?

“Yes. Sneak. We need to head to the city where the Mercenary Guild’s Central Headquarters is located.”

The Mercenary Guild’s Central Headquarters.
At those words, I immediately grasped what the Mercenary King was implying.

“…There might be Dark members watching in front of the Mercenary Guild.”
“Exactly.”

Bud pointed at me.

“And I suspect that by now, Dark members of mid-rank or higher have all memorized your face quite clearly.”

I had fought the White Star and would likely do so again.
While low-ranking Dark members might not know me, those of mid-rank or higher had almost certainly learned my appearance since leaving the East-West Continent.

“And unfortunately, among the Dark members searching for me near the Central Headquarters, there will definitely be some of mid-rank or higher, right?”

No further explanation was needed.
I nodded in understanding.

Currently, the White Star was using Dark to not only seize the Mercenary Guild but also capture and kill the Mercenary King.
The Mercenary King was moving about openly to avoid this.

My lips parted.

“Your official activities end at our inn, and if you suddenly appear at the Central Headquarters in such circumstances, it will draw unwanted attention. To you, and to our inn.”
“Exactly. So let’s keep things quiet.”

Kale nodded in understanding, then turned his gaze away.

“Grandpa! Are you feeling better now?”

Raon circled around Erhafen, examining him with concern. The Ancient Dragon let out a scoff at the sight, his expression tinged with arrogance as he opened his mouth.

“Kid, why are you stating the obvious?”

To all appearances, Erhafen’s complexion was perfectly fine. If anything, he looked vigorous.
Only then did Raon break into a wide smile.

“I’m relieved.”

Ron Mollan offered a gentle word to Erhafen, his voice notably soft. Vicross bowed his head slightly when their eyes met, while Choi Han offered a warm smile.

Erhafen felt a peculiar sensation.
Throughout his existence as a dragon, he had never truly experienced concern for his lifespan or health.
Yet now, in his twilight years—though he couldn’t quite understand the situation—he found himself receiving considerable worry about his well-being from those around him.

That feeling was truly strange.

“Golden Dragon Grandpa! I’ll build you a house later! Wait for me! I’ll visit all the time! I’ve saved up a lot of money!”
“I’ve saved up a lot of money too!”

Raon and Hong spun excitedly around Erhafen. On also lingered near the Ancient Dragon.
Erhafen gazed at the scene for a moment, then turned his head. His eyes met Kale’s.

It was merely Kale’s usual gaze upon me, yet for some reason, the Ancient Dragon found it difficult to maintain that eye contact.
But since I couldn’t simply avoid everything, I offered a smile. At that, Kale’s face contorted in displeasure as he turned away.

And as Kale averted his gaze, his eyes met the Mercenary King’s.

“What? Why?”

Kale spoke curtly to the Mercenary King, who was staring intently at him. Bud approached Kale and whispered in a low voice that others couldn’t hear.

“Did the Ancient Dragon definitely use the artifact?”

Kale gazed at Bud’s eyes beyond his spectacles. At that gaze, Bud smiled and spoke in a leisurely manner.

“Well, I was just curious why our friend suddenly went into the Training Ground alone first. So I asked one of several possibilities.”

The green eyes behind the spectacles curved with laughter.
And reflected in his glasses was Kale’s image, smiling just the same.

Kale spoke in equally hushed tones. But his voice was not quite that quiet.
Excluding the average nine-year-olds chattering excitedly beside Erhafen, those who had approached near Kale at a slight distance and were observing the scene.
Skilled individuals like Choi Han, Ron, and Vicross could hear his quiet voice.

“As for the artifact, there are no more artifacts that anyone other than Erhafen can use.”

From Kale’s perspective, this was the truth.
Though the artifact was in my hands, it had been left for Erhafen’s sake.

I could now see Choi Han looking at me, finally understanding my words.
And Ron and Vicross quietly nodded their heads.

Kale had suddenly entered the Training Ground alone. The group must have been curious about what Kale and Erhafen had done inside.
And they must have made their own deductions as well.

Kale turned his gaze back to the Mercenary King and spoke in low tones.

“So let’s hurry.”

For now, I needed to handle the tasks ahead as quickly as possible.

* * *

“…Is it really necessary to go this far?”

The speaker was Vicross.
He was crawling along the ground with a grimace contorting his face.

It was the floor of an underground tunnel with not a single light.
The tunnel was barely large enough for an average adult man to pass through, so dirt dust had to settle upon Vicross’s neatly groomed hair.

“I thought you were heading to the marble building since you said we were going to Resting.”

Vicross rarely let out a sigh, grumbling as he did.
He kept glancing at the dust clinging to his body and grimaced. His white gloves were already covered in dirt.

Resting, a free city located in the Central Region of the Eastern Continent.
It was home to the First Mercenary Guild Branch, which boasted a long history, and simultaneously housed the building that now served as the Central Headquarters.

The First Mercenary Guild Branch was a dilapidated three-story wooden structure located on the outskirts of Resting free city.
Originally, it had also served as the Central Headquarters, but approximately two hundred years ago, the Mercenary Guild purchased the heart of Resting and constructed a new Central Headquarters of considerable height upon that land.

The newly constructed Central Headquarters was built of marble, renowned for its remarkably beautiful and grand appearance.

Choi Han, crawling across the dirt floor of the underground tunnel ahead of Vicross, tossed out a remark without concern.

“Quiet.”
“…What did you say?”

Vicross’s expression immediately twisted in displeasure.
However, neither Choi Han nor Vicross could say anything further.

“…Both of you are loud.”

A low murmur from the Ancient Dragon reached their ears.
Erhafen was also crawling along the floor.

“Ha, ha, ha, haha—”

Burd Illis, the Mercenary King crawling at the very front, was drenched in cold sweat streaming down his back.
He opened his mouth.

“I, I apologize. If someone not authorized uses magic inside this tunnel, a signal is sent to the Mercenary Guild Headquarters.”

Magic circles were drawn at intervals throughout the tunnel.
They were sophisticated magic circles that seemed incongruous with the shabby appearance.

This was a secret passage known only to the upper echelons of the Mercenary Guild, and magic was forbidden for the unauthorized from the entrance of this passage, through the passage itself, and to the location at the passage’s exit.

“That’s enough. Let’s just move faster.”

At Kale’s calm voice, Bud flinched and quickly crawled forward. He added one more remark.

“Ahem, I should have mentioned this beforehand, but I only remembered after we arrived. Ha. Ha, haha—”

It was true.
So focused on secretly taking Kale away quickly, the Mercenary King Burd Illis had completely forgotten the characteristics of this underground tunnel.

Then Ron’s gentle voice reached them. His tone was quite affectionate.

“There should be a record of names at the end of this passage, yes?”

But to Bud, that gentle voice sounded chilling.
It sounded like a threat.
It was the kind of voice that said: if there’s no record of names at the end of this passage, I’ll assassinate you.
Bud answered with all his strength.

“Of course! There’s a room with a record of names at the end of this tunnel, Lord! That’s why I’m guiding you! Hahaha.”

The Mercenary King’s friend, the Mage, was currently infiltrating the Central headquarters in secret.
Left alone, Bud’s lips trembled again at Ron’s following words.

“I see. So we’ve been crawling for an hour now.”

That was right.
Kale’s group had been crawling for an hour straight.

“Weak human! Should we rest again? Your arms are trembling! Is it very difficult? Want an apple pie? The human struggled, so we rested twice, but we can rest again!”
“If it’s hard, we can rest again!”
“You’re sweating buckets by yourself!”

The voices of the average nine-year-olds amplified Bud’s cold sweat even more.

Raon fluttered his wings and drifted along leisurely as he moved, while On and Hong walked through the tunnel in cat form, moving happily and comfortably.
For the small-framed average nine-year-olds, this tunnel was simply fascinating.

“Ahem, if someone the Ancient Powers don’t permit uses it, a report will be sent to the Central headquarters.”

All Bud could do was make excuses.

“…Just hurry up.”

The moment Kale Heniatus uttered those words instead of a sigh, Bud’s crawling pace quickened.
Kale Heniatus swallowed back a hollow laugh at the sight.

My arms were trembling.
I had been crawling for an hour, but took two breaks in between. I was fine.
Even with the muscle loss, I hadn’t become completely frail.

I ignored the unusually excessive worry of a nine-year-old on average.
Instead, my mind was busy. I was recalling what Burd Illis had said before entering this underground tunnel.

‘This tunnel is a passage created by the first Mercenary King. Back when the Mercenary Guild was small and weak. When everyone saw us as merely expendable lives.’

A small house built in a small forest outside the City Wall of the free city Lipren.
The underground tunnel in the basement of that house.
That house was thoroughly secured by magical formations created by the Mercenary Guild.

‘This tunnel is the only path leading to where the ledger is located.’

I asked in response to those words.

‘Where exactly is the place with the ledger?’

The Mercenary King answered with a grin.

‘Beneath the First Mercenary Guild Branch.’

The three-story wooden building that was the First Mercenary Guild Branch had no path leading underground.
However, beneath it existed a secret chamber where the ledger—arguably the Mercenary Guild’s most vital information—was stored.

‘And that space will explode if you try to infiltrate it using force.’

This was why Kale Heniatus and his group were now crawling through the tunnel.

“F-Finally!”

I heard Mercenary King Burd Illis’s voice mixed with joy.
When I lifted my head, I could see faintly glowing stones beyond Bud’s back.

“The brighter stones are the entrance! The door! Hahaha!”

Bud broke into a wide smile for the first time in an hour. Then the voice of Ron, the servant, reached his ears.
It was a gentle and affectionate voice.

“My, it certainly took quite a while. Mercenary King Bud, will you have time for a conversation later?”

Bud felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
Though the voice was gentle, it carried an unsettling coldness.

“Y-yes, I’ll hurry!”

The Mercenary King moved swiftly and finally reached the end of the tunnel.
He fumbled with the luminous stones embedded in the wall of the blocked passage.

Kale could see the stones’ light fade with each touch of the Mercenary King’s hand.
And the moment he touched the final stone.

Rummmmmble—
A tremendous vibration shook the tunnel.
Bud spoke in a delighted voice.

“This is it!”

Ooooom.
The vibration ceased.

Boom!
A new entrance appeared with a tremendous sound.

“Follow me.”

Kale watched as the Mercenary King squeezed through the entrance, then followed in his wake.

“I’ll light the way.”

A clicking sound came after Bud’s voice, and a vast space began to reveal itself.

Patt. Paatt. Paatt.
The lights flickered on one by one.

A narrow underground tunnel. The space that appeared upon exiting it.
Kale pushed himself upright.
Standing tall, he surveyed his surroundings.

“…A library.”

I heard Choi Han’s murmur from behind me.

“Magnificent.”

Vicross muttered the words, forgetting even to brush the dust from his clothes.

“…Hmph.”

An exclamation escaped the Ancient Dragon.
I moved forward, leaving their reactions behind.

Tap. Tap.
The floor was stone.
And the moment I fully comprehended the sight before my eyes, Burd Illis spoke.

“This is the space I consider the Mercenary Guild’s greatest pride.”

He smiled as he introduced the space to our group.

“The largest and finest Record Library on the Eastern Continent.”

A vast underground space vast enough to contain several mansions.
Everything filling that space was books.

Books maintained in pristine condition through preservation magic.
Those books recorded only one thing.

“Records of the strong, documented by the Mercenary Guild over hundreds of years.”

The strong.
The first Mercenary King, and the First Mercenary Guild Branch, had begun recording information about the strong in order to survive.
Burd Illis approached Kale and spoke.

“While we call it a record of the strong…”

A registry of names.
The reason this record was important was not merely the information about the strong.

“In truth, it could be called a thousand years of Eastern Continent history.”

A space filled with tens of thousands of books, exceeding thousands of volumes.
Humidity, temperature, security, preservation magic—everything maintained the Record Library.

The Mercenary King spoke to Kale with a subtle smile.

“Well? Do you think you can find the information you seek in this place?”

Tens of thousands of books.
The group gazed at Kale and the Mercenary King.
Everyone’s expression was grim. Even the Ancient Dragon wore a clouded look.

Tens of thousands of books.
Within them, I had to find clues about the reincarnated White Star.

That was the moment.

“It’s been a while.”

The Mercenary King could see the bitter smile forming at my lips.
I spoke with a laugh.

“It really has been a long time.”

My cold eyes swept slowly across the records.

“What’s been a long time?”

At the Mercenary King’s question, I opened my mouth.

“I expected as much. With a thousand years of records, naturally there would be this much.”

In the space where the personnel records were kept.
I naturally assumed that records of this scale would have been preserved.

My fingers brushed past my eyes.

“I should record things again after such a long time.”

From the moment Kim Rok-soo entered this body, there was one thing that had puzzled me.

I remembered.

Clearly, Kim Rok-soo had seeped into Kale Heniatus’s body.
Yet somehow.

All the contents from volumes one through five of “The Birth of a Hero” and all the records I had inscribed over time came back to me without a single gap.
And even as time passed, those memories did not fade.
Moreover, every conversation I had shared with people while living as Kale remained perfectly intact in my mind, and those too did not disappear with time.

Memories that should have already grown hazy for an ordinary person.

Everything I wished to remember, I remembered.
Or more precisely, it had been recorded.

The moment I realized this fact, I understood.

My mind came here too.
No, more accurately—part of my ability came here as well.

I wiped the corners of my eyes.
Kale Heniatus’s irises were dark brown.
Kim Rok-soo’s irises were also dark brown.

Grade-1 ability user, Kim Rok-soo.
First special ability related to the mind: ‘Recording’.
Medium: Eyes.

His eyes slowly absorbed the countless records before him. Simultaneously, his steps carried him toward the tens of thousands of volumes surrounding him.
Kale unfastened the first button of his shirt as he encountered a familiar sensation he had long forgotten.

When recording, his mind would grow hot.
He loosened the collar button to dispel the suffocation.

It was a habit from when Kim Rok-soo worked.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————