Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 399

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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 88. Now, Let’s Begin

-…Overwhelming?

Bud questioned Kale Heniatus’s words while observing the frantic flight of the winged monsters fleeing the castle in the distance. In that moment, Kale Heniatus’s response came through.

“That’s right. Magic is our strongest suit. There’s no need to overthink it.”

Bud could see Erhafen, Lord Sherit, and Raon beyond the video communication screen. Additionally, he recalled Rosalind, who was in the Roan Kingdom, and his colleague Gren Puff.

Furthermore, he thought of the Four-Directional Alchemy Towers and the mages under the White Star’s command.
The Alchemy Towers were merely called that in name, but they were actually a dark magic faction, and the White Star had brought together both the Empire’s dark magic and existing magical forces to wage this war.

Even so.

-…It would be strange if we were losing?

Magic.
Looking at it from that angle alone.

-It would be strange if we were losing.

However.

-But the White Star would know this too?

Because the White Star understood this aspect as well, there was a high probability that he had prepared something additional for this operation to overturn the Empire.

“For now.”

Kale Heniatus opened his mouth.

“The White Star will have difficulty fully involving himself in the affairs of the Four-Directional Alchemy Towers right now.”
-…Difficulty?
“Ah, I misspoke. It’s not that it’s difficult, but rather that there’s something more important he needs to attend to.”

Kale’s gaze turned toward Choi Han.
Rosalind waited in the Roun Kingdom Capital for Marquis Taylor Sten to complete the forged ancient documents, while preparing in the Northern Region to deceive the White Star.
Among those Kale could trust with intellectual matters, Rosalind was the most reliable.

“At the Castle of Light this time, the White Star fled while fighting us. It’s different from when he escaped from the Mogur Empire.”

When the White Star fled the Mogur Empire, he had been composed.
But this time was different.

“The White Star must be thinking that finding balance in his body is most important right now.”
-…So that’s why you laid the groundwork and decided to deceive him a month later?

Kale answered simply, looking at Bud’s clear eyes—a rare sight without the haze of alcohol.

“We’re scheduled to strike the Four-Directional Alchemy Towers in two weeks.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Bud’s eyes.
Originally, Kale’s plan was to strike the Four-Directional Alchemy Towers in two weeks.
But that schedule had been disrupted.

By the White Star, their enemy.

“We don’t need to adjust our plans to match the White Star’s, do we?”
-You seemed relaxed, but things have changed.

At Bud’s casual remark, Kale smiled.

He was right.
Just as Bud said, Kale had set his schedule with leisure. But now Kale had no time for that.
Why?

Between autumn and winter.
When the world felt a little colder.
That was when Kim Rok-soo’s birthday would arrive.

The God of Death said he would face a moment of choice on that day.

‘Why did he decide that on his own?’

God of Death, my foot.
Whatever choice I make, my foot.
I refused to accept the ‘situation’ itself that I never wanted in the first place.

I didn’t want this moment of choice.
Isn’t that the end of it?

I blurted it out while looking at my companions’ faces as they stared at me.

“I’m just annoyed.”

I was simply fed up.

What right does that bastard White Star have to make me suffer like this?
Am I the only one suffering?
Everyone is suffering.
Why should it be this way?
My goal is to be a man of leisure! Just a wealthy man of leisure who eats and plays!

I shifted my fundamental thinking slightly.

White Star is strong, but he’s an enemy to be defeated.
Instead of that thought, he became someone I needed to quickly dispose of for the sake of my leisurely life.

‘Yes, that’s more like Kim Rok-soo.’

I could hear the voices of Team Lead Lee Soo-hyuk and Choi Jung-soo from somewhere.
That was the moment.

“That’s it! The human finally said something I like! White Star is annoying! Let’s destroy everything!”

Raon’s voice rang out. As I looked at my companions nodding at Raon’s words or giving me expressions of “I told you so,” I lifted the corners of my mouth.

“Right. We should destroy him.”
-…Ha.

Bud simply let out a hollow laugh.
The guy who seemed to be agonizing over how to defeat White Star because he was so strong suddenly became confident, and the feeling was strange.
But that feeling was in a positive direction.

Why, you ask?
Because I’m not one to speak nonsense.

-What should I do?

Bud asked what his task should be.
And Kale answered immediately.

“When are the Alchemy Tower and the mages planning to strike the Capital?”
-The exact date wasn’t in the information the Singten Merchant Lord gave us. But it seems like it’ll come faster than the two weeks we planned for. It looked like information left behind in haste.
“Find out the exact date. You can squeeze it out of the Singten Merchant Lord. Or we can investigate it ourselves on our end.”

Kale paused and shook his head.

“No, I should go find out myself.”
-Then?
“Bud, contact Rosalind and Clophe and tell them to hurry.”
-And?

Rather than answer immediately, Kale first looked around at those present.
Ron, Vicross, Choi Han, the three Dragons, On and Hong.

“One by one.”

What needed to be done going forward was simple.

“We cut off the White Star’s limbs one by one.”

The Alchemy Tower, the mages, Dark, the Bear Tribe—all of it. Once we systematically eliminated each of those pieces, the White Star would be left alone.

“Let’s go first thing tomorrow.”
-Tomorrow? Not now?

Kale’s gaze turned toward On and Hong, and Raon. It lingered especially long on Raon and Lord Sherit.

“Yeah, I have to go tomorrow.”

Fighting was important, and work was important too.
But there were things that mattered even more.

“There are kids waiting for me.”
-Kids? What do you-
“Anyway, let’s talk tomorrow. I’m hanging up.”
-What? If you hang up like this!
“Is there anything else?”
-No. Nothing urgent to say right now, but still-
“Contact me again if you get any urgent information.”

Kale Heniatus’s gaze shifted back to Raon, who immediately cut off the video communication.

-Hey! You heartless-!

Bud’s words were cut short as the video communication shut down. Kale Heniatus looked at the group of children, averaging around nine years old, whose eyes sparkled with anticipation, and spoke.

“Let’s head home first.”

No matter how busy things were, I couldn’t just leave after coming home for the first time in so long.
Besides, I had children I needed to see.

“Young Master Kale.”

I nodded at the sight of Choi Han and Vicross approaching.

The Jjangdol Mansion had been empty since Kale Heniatus and his group departed.
My gaze turned toward the direction beyond the Dark Forest, where the stone wall separating the forest from Harris Village stood.

* * *

“It’s been a while.”
“Young Master.”

Leaving the others in the Dark Forest and bringing only Choi Han and Vicross, I visited Harris Village first and was able to see Rak, a member of the Wolf Tribe who had grown noticeably larger for someone who could still be called a boy.

After the battle at the Canyon of Death, there had been no significant moments shared between Rak and me.
The same was true for the other Wolf Tribe children, including Mess.

“You’ve all grown so much.”

As Kale had said, the Blue Werewolf Tribe children had grown considerably without anyone noticing. Children always do, after all. The rapidly matured youngsters greeted Kale with a mixture of awkwardness and joy.
Of course, Kale, noticing the distinctly mature glint in Rak’s eyes—too old now to be called a child—tossed out a question casually.

“Looks like you’ve been training hard.”

And the answer came not from Rak, but from someone else.

“He desired to grow stronger on his own.”

Kale turned his head.
There stood Gashan with white hair, dressed in a loose-fitting martial robe. Those pale white eyes, indistinguishable from the whites, remained fixed upon Kale.

Harris Village.
Tiger Tribe and Wolf Tribe children dwelled here.
Gashan gestured toward Rak with his eyes as he spoke to Kale.

“It seems he felt restless being separated alone.”
“No, I wasn’t—!”

Rak’s mouth fell open in surprise, but at the sight of Kale’s gaze, he clamped it shut and could not continue.

The Canyon of Death.
Back then, Rak had achieved a new form of berserk transformation, different from his original one. Had not silver hair tinged with blue—not the dull gray of before—enveloped Rak?

But since then, Rak had not had the opportunity to be with Kale.
He harbored no resentment about it. Yet, watching On, Hong, and Raon accomplish various tasks together, he felt a lingering sense of being left behind, a bittersweet longing.
Being with his younger brother Mess and the other Wolf Tribe children was good and brought happiness, but an inexplicable sense of loss and regret persisted.

The Wolf King’s diary that Kale had given him still lay on Rak’s desk.
Whenever he had a moment, Rak would look at it again and again.

But now, facing Kale after so long, Rak found it difficult to voice these feelings and thoughts. He feared being told he hadn’t grown at all, still as timid as ever. Yet standing before Kale, Choi Han, and Vicross, the words simply would not come.

That was the moment.

“Kids shouldn’t be fighting, you know.”

At Kale’s casually uttered words, their gazes met.
In that instant, Rak found himself blurting out without thinking.

“No, he’s not a child.”

I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.

“Well, I mean, he’s still young, but…”

Rak stammered in confusion, his words tumbling over themselves. Over Kale’s shoulder, he could see Choi Han smiling. Vicross was already surrounded by Mess and the other children, eagerly pulling out gifts.

“Um, that is…”

Thump.
As Rak fumbled for words, Kale’s hand came to rest on his shoulder.

“Late as it is.”

Rak’s gaze lingered on that hand for a moment before Kale’s voice reached him, and when Rak’s eyes returned to meet his.

“Thank you for protecting me and Raon back in the Canyon of Death.”

Ah.
Rak recalled the moment he had tried to shield Kale and Raon from the overwhelming assault of the Dragon Hybrid. His heart stirred strangely at the memory.

Squeeze.
But Kale’s firm grip on his shoulder left no room for further reflection.
Rak watched as Kale surveyed the surroundings.

By now, Gashan, the Tiger Tribe’s Tribal Chief, and other prominent members of the Tiger Tribe had drawn near. The rest of the Tiger Tribe warriors fixed their attention on the scene.

Rak saw Kale sweep his gaze across them before speaking.

“The tribes allied with Dark have been confirmed as the Lion Tribe, Bear Tribe, and Fog Tribe.”

Kale added those words matter-of-factly.

“That should be explanation enough, shouldn’t it?”

And Rak saw the dark smiles formed on the lips of Gashan and the other Tiger Tribe warriors. Gashan’s mouth opened.

“Then we know who to fight.”

Crack.
Rak felt Kale Heniatus’s iron grip tighten around his shoulder once more, and he watched as Kale’s gaze, which had been sweeping across the Tiger Tribe, finally settled on him and me.
Our eyes met.

“That’s right. I need your help.”

Rak felt the corners of his mouth lifting inexplicably, and his heart began to race with greater intensity.
In that moment, Kale’s flat voice reached his ears.

“The Tiger Tribe was forced to abandon the Eastern Continent, your homeland, because of Am. And it seems Am has summoned the Fog Tribe to the Western Continent.”

What is the most troublesome enemy in battle?
What is the most terrifying?

Kale considered it to be assassins.
Enemies whose appearance cannot be predicted, whose strike could come at any moment—such unpredictability made them both troublesome and terrifying.
Therefore, assassins among enemies had to be eliminated first.

‘Besides, I made a promise to On and Hong anyway.’

They were trash, and I wanted nothing more than to dispose of them.
However, since the lives of my other companions were at stake, I had no intention of acting on impulse. I would do this properly, ensuring it benefited us.

“I intend to strike at the Cat Tribe. They have no qualms about employing covert and cowardly tactics. What do you think?”

Gashan, who had been quietly listening to Kale’s words, remained remarkably composed and at ease.
Surely there was resentment at being driven from the Eastern Continent and anger toward the Lion Tribe, Bear Tribe, Am, and Cat Tribe who had taken their place.
Yet he remained calm.
The reason was simple.

“I will wait until you call upon us.”

Because they would reclaim it.
The Tiger Tribe that had once scattered, each dwelling on different mountains, was vastly different from the Tiger Tribe now unified under Gashan, hardened through countless battles and endless training.

“Rak.”
“Yes.”
“What do you think?”

Rak asked me the question while meeting Kale Heniatus’s gaze—those eyes that clearly said ‘those ones won’t do’ as he looked toward Mess and his younger siblings. Because of that, Rak spoke with ease.

“The Fog Tribe—could they be the tribe that On and Hong escaped from? I believe I heard about it from On and Hong before.”
“That’s right. Them.”
“Then I should help.”

Only then did Rak see Kale Heniatus remove his hand from my shoulder.

Kale Heniatus looked at the Tiger Tribe warrior brimming with invisible heat, Rak, and Gashan, then raised his hand to point in one direction.
In that direction stood a high stone wall.

The wall that divided Harris Village from the Dark Forest.

“Then let’s cross over that wall.”
“Suddenly, sir?”

Gashan’s expression grew puzzled. Kale Heniatus offered him—offered everyone present—a gentle smile.

So that our side wouldn’t suffer injuries, so that we could fight with overwhelming dominance.

“A new castle has appeared in the Dark Forest.”

All we needed was to become overwhelmingly stronger.
That was the most stable approach.

“There is a very wise person there who can help train all of you.”

Kale Heniatus had already obtained permission before coming here.
Gashan asked carefully.

“Who might that be?”
“Raon’s mother.”
“…Pardon?”

Gashan repeated the question with a blank expression, but Kale Heniatus simply shrugged lightly. Then he spoke to Rak.

“What are you planning to take on when fighting the Cat Tribe Soldiers?”
“…Young master.”
“In combat against the Cat Tribe Soldiers, poison is poison, but projectiles will rain down from all directions. There are limits to blocking them with magic or a sword, and limits to dodging them as well.”

Tension coiled tightly across Rak’s shoulders. He was still weaker than the Tiger Tribe. Even when he entered his berserk state, it was strangely difficult to summon true power.

‘Your potential is immense, so do your best.’

Gashan offered encouragement to Rak, but after hearing news of Choi Han, Merry, Rosalind, and Raon, Rak found the words somewhat frustrating.
Then a calm voice spoke to him.

“What do you think about shield techniques?”

Shield techniques?
Rak was momentarily taken aback by the sudden proposal.

“If you’re interested, I can pair you with the finest master.”

Kale watched Rak’s eyes widen in surprise and thought of Lord Sherit. Though she had moved to the Western Continent, she still had to remain bound to the castle. She wanted to do something, and Kale gratefully accepted her desire to help.

And so Kale proposed Sherit’s shield techniques to Rak, who still lacked a suitable weapon.
Kale wouldn’t place Rak, whom he kept by his side, in dangerous situations, but Rak still had many children to protect, including Mess.

“Vicross.”
“Yes.”

Vicross, who had been struggling with the Wolf Tribe Children, immediately straightened and looked at him.

“The destructive power of a greatsword is tremendous.”
“But it’s equally slow and prone to creating openings.”

Kale spoke, and Vicross responded calmly. Openings that are easy to create. As those words left his lips, Rak unconsciously thought of a shield. With a shield, he could protect his comrades from enemy attacks whenever they became vulnerable.
Gaps form easily. At those words, Rak unconsciously thought of a shield. If he had a shield, he could protect his injured comrades from enemy attacks.

He recalled a moment when he had protected something.

“Of course, Rak, if that’s not what you want—”

Kale Heniatus couldn’t finish what he was saying. It was because of Rak’s voice.

“Huh?”
“Huh?”

Kale Heniatus paused.
Rak had suddenly become overflowing with enthusiasm. He’d wanted to learn shield techniques, but not to this extent.

“I want to become a shield as great as the greatest one I’ve ever seen!”

No, there’s no need for him to become like my shield.
It’s not even that great.
Kale Heniatus’s expression grew peculiar.

“…The shield of the person who will teach you is far more incredible.”

Yes, absolutely.
Lord Sherit could be called the greatest when it came to wielding a shield.

“To me, the Young Master’s shield is the greatest in the world!”

That’s not true.
Kale Heniatus couldn’t bring himself to deny it as he watched Rak speak with such pure sincerity.
So he simply brushed it off vaguely.

“Right. Let’s talk about the rest after we destroy all the Alchemy Towers and come back.”
“Yes! Please go! I’ll be waiting!”

…Yes. It’s good to see him so spirited.
Kale Heniatus figured that good is good, and returned Rak’s bright smile with one of his own.

And the next day.

“I can’t tell if you want to live or die. Can you?”

Kale Heniatus offered a refreshing smile as he looked at Flavin Sinten, the Sinten Merchant Lord.

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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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