Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 407

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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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Becrock stared at the falling stones and crimson arrows with a panicked expression.

“…Damn it! Tower Master!”

Several mages forming a gray circle cried out toward Becrock upon seeing the crimson arrows.

‘Curse it!’

The mages’ pupils trembled.
They had no choice but to be shaken.

The arrow forged from crimson mana that had devoured dozens of supreme-grade mana stones possessed an absolutely colossal wave of force.
The mages floundered helplessly, and the Black Mages were no different.
Then it happened.

“Snap out of it!”

Mage Becrock’s cry pierced through the vibrations of mana and struck the ears of his subordinates.

“Southern Tower Master!”
“Yes!”

Becrock swiftly waved one hand, weaving a magic circle.
The Southern Tower Master’s dark magic circle intertwined and merged with it.

“Becrock!”

The Southern Tower Master’s gaze fixed upon the massive crimson arrow hurtling toward them at tremendous speed.

“Increase the speed.”

In that moment, Becrock’s emotionless voice reached their ears.
The Southern Tower Master’s eyes shifted slightly.
The panic that had gripped his features vanished, replaced by an expression of cold composure.
And he could now perceive Becrock’s casting, accelerated even further.

‘…Even with one hand, he’s faster than me!’

Magic and black magic intertwine most easily when casters weave their spells through hand gestures, blending their powers together.

The Southern Tower Master matched the terrifying speed of Becrock’s hand casting, drawing forth all the dead mana from his body and accelerating his own gestures.
Even as he did, he contemplated Becrock.

‘Truly, the one our Lord cherishes most!’

The Southern Tower Master had learned through the Bear Tribe how the White Star had rescued Becrock during the retreat from the Castle of Light.
How astonished he had been upon hearing it.

‘…Even the Tower Master of the Alchemy Tower was abandoned.’

The White Star cared not whether the Tower Master lived or died.
Of course, the Southern Tower Master had followed such a White Star for eighty years despite knowing this.

Why?
Because he was the most noble absolute being living an infinite life.
And black mages could only follow one who possessed the sky-attribute Ancient Powers. Only then could black magic emerge into the light and dominate all.

‘His power truly is on another level.’

He understood why the White Star cherished Becrock.

Becrock was twenty-four years old this year.
Despite being only twenty-four, his magical talent transcended humanity itself.
The Southern Tower Master stared ahead and spoke.

“It comes.”

A massive arrow arrived right before them.

“I have it.”

The moment the Southern Tower Master heard Becrock’s words, he completed all his spell casting and turned his gaze toward him.
The final move belonged to Becrock.

Crackle. Snap. Crackle!
Black magic and magic intertwined, forming a colossal shield.
Becrock stared at the tip of the crimson arrow beyond the gray shield and murmured.

“Come.”

The grey shield and crimson arrow collided.

Kwaaaaaaang!

A tremendous roar echoed across the battlefield.

“Ugh!”

Sir Rex involuntarily spilled blood from his mouth. A silver shield hung before him.
Yet the violent vibrations of mana still shook his entire body.

‘…Is this true magical combat?’

Mana colliding against mana.
The air itself seemed to tremble in fear.

Wind howled, and scorching air suffocated breath.
It was nothing like the slash of a blade.
It was a force that swept forth in harmony with nature itself.

Sir Rex’s gaze unconsciously turned toward Rosalind.
He could remain safe from the explosion’s impact thanks to Prince Kale’s silver shield.

‘…Rosalind.’

He saw her standing with her gaze fixed forward, without even a shield drawn.
Her crimson hair danced wildly in the wind.

No shield was necessary.

The exploding mana was consumed by the crimson aura surrounding her before it could even touch her.

Crack. Crackle.
Even now, magic stones poured endlessly from her spatial pouch, offering their mana to Rosalind.
At that sight, Sir Rex suddenly recalled a certain being.

‘…Like a dragon.’

He watched Raon and Erhafen clashing against each other.
Rosalind, enveloped in crimson mana that grew stronger as she absorbed the magic stones, resembled the dragon from that moment.

“As expected, it won’t be easy to finish in one strike.”

At Rosalind’s voice, Sir Rex snapped back to attention.

“Sir Rex, and Kale.”

Rosalind looked at Sir Rex, whose expression was tense, and Kale, whose face remained impassive.

Boom!
The collision between the crimson arrow and the grey shield still hadn’t ended.
But Rosalind realized this attack was merely the beginning. So she spoke to the two of them—no, to three, including the dragon hiding somewhere.

“I’ll handle this myself.”

Hm?
Sir Rex’s brow furrowed.

A magical battle.
The original plan was for Kale and Raon to fight alongside Rosalind.

“That’s different from the original plan.”

Sir Rex turned to look at Kale at his words.
Kale was staring at Rosalind. She grinned and spoke.

“I mean I’ll handle the Southern Tower Master and Becrock alone. Especially Becrock.”

Rosalind recalled the grey shield.
That enormous shield created in an instant.
It was a combination of dead mana and ordinary mana, matching her arrows infused with dozens of magic stones.

A young mage who could create such a thing.
Someone who dreams of becoming a Tower Master, just like me.

“I must be the one to face him.”

I want to take it on.
I feel like I have to take it on.
That’s not quite the right way to put it.

I have to take it on.
This was Rosalind’s judgment.
Having weighed everything—my companions, my own future, my ambitions.

Kale’s expression became peculiar.
It couldn’t have been otherwise.

-Human! I’ll handle the other Black Mages and Mages! And I’ll keep watch to see if Rosalind gets hurt or not!
‘Don’t worry! We’ll keep an eye on you!’
‘That’s right, that’s right. If it looks like you’re about to get hurt, we’ll make you escape on the wind.’
‘Kahahaha! What a magnificent spirit! Destruction! Annihilation! I like it!’

It was because of Raon’s words and the noisy chatter of the Wind Spirits.

‘Well, if they’re going to watch over me…’

At least there wouldn’t be much danger of getting hurt or being in peril.
And Kale understood Rosalind’s heart. He spoke casually, as if tossing out the words.

“So you’re trying to monopolize the most coveted prize. You certainly are greedy in times like these.”
“Isn’t that my charm?”

Rosalind answered with a smile.
Thud. Sir Rex’s hand came to rest on Kale’s shoulder.

“Please assist with the ground battle, Prince Kale.”

Kale readily nodded at Sir Rex’s attitude—proposing his task first while entrusting and believing in Rosalind.
That was the signal.

“Raon.”

At Kale’s call, a video communication portal appeared in midair.
And the video communication portal connected to somewhere.

“Let’s go.”

Sir Rex spoke, and Rosalind waved goodbye with a smile.

-Human! I’ll be watching you too!
‘Hmm, since there are three of us, I’ll go with Kale!’
‘I’m going. Chaos, destruction, despair!’
‘…Yes, yes. You’d be better off next to Kale.’

I could hear Raon and the Wind Spirits conversing.
Kale reached out and grabbed Sir Rex’s shoulder.

“Fall.”

In that instant, Kale and Sir Rex plummeted downward.
The moment we broke free from the gray circle, we descended toward the ground. Simultaneously, my body became transparent—Raon’s magic at work.

Boom!

The Southern Alchemy Tower crumbled.
And enemy soldiers stationed nearby.
Among them, a single figure could be seen landing on the ground.

It was Sir Rex.
Raon had cast an amplification spell on him for one hour.

Sir Rex, now on the ground, drew his sword and shield.
And he shouted.

“Begin the attack!”

Those words were the signal.

Crash! Bang!
Soon, the sounds of alchemical bombs detonating and weapons clashing erupted from all directions.
And as a bomb exploded in the nearest location—

“Sir Rex!”
“Sir Rex!”

A contingent of soldiers and knights burst out from the Forest toward the Alchemy Tower encampment.
They were Sir Rex’s men.

“…Go, attack! We only need to capture the rebel ringleader Rex!”
“Seize Rex, the slayer of the Royal Family!”

The nearby enemy forces took their stance and launched their assault against him.
Rex let out a quiet laugh.

Rebel ringleader. Slayer of the Royal Family.
Those were the crimes his enemies attributed to me.
On the surface, they might well be my crimes.

“…But I couldn’t leave it at that.”

Fierce determination ignited in Rex’s eyes.
Rosalind fought against Becrock and the Southern Tower Master—servants of the White Star. But those who now leveled their blades at me were the private soldiers of the Royal Family, nobility, and the powerful.

These men had to be defeated by my own hand and the people of Mogur.

“Drop your weapons!”

Rex shouted.

Clang.
Sir Rex released his sword from his grip.

“What, what is this?”
“Hmm!”

The approaching enemy forces hesitated.
The enemy commander was dropping his sword?

But it wasn’t only Rex.
Clang. Clang.
The soldiers behind him also lowered their weapons.
Instead, the knights shielded the soldiers and Rex, sheathing their swords and raising their shields.
A diamond formation took shape.

“What in the—”

Among the enemy soldiers who failed to grasp the meaning, someone who had caught on first cried out in alarm.

“Bombs! Take cover!”

Yet Sir Rex shouted as he withdrew alchemical bombs from his spatial pouch.

“Throw them!”

Sir Rex and his soldiers hurled the bombs in perfect synchronization.

Boom! Crash! Boom!
The endless succession of small explosions that had filled the forest erupted here as well.

“A knight abandoning his sword for such cowardice…!”

I heard the voice of an enemy knight who had retreated backward, crying out toward me with unmistakable contempt.
I let out a scoff at those words. Then I spoke to my soldiers.

“We are not cowards.”

The soldiers nodded at my words.
The knights did the same.

These were those who had come under my command after witnessing the battle at the Capital’s Alchemy Tower.
The soldiers and knights standing beside me now had all witnessed the barrage of attacks that black magic and the Empire had unleashed upon them.

Cowardice?
A knight abandoning his sword?

What did it matter?
War was a chaotic mess where some died and others survived.
It need not be beautiful.

One of the soldiers beside Sir Rex cried out in indignation.

“The cowards are you!”

That Knight. The noble he served.
During the Wipper War, that cowardly noble and his subordinate Knight had abandoned their soldiers.

But what cowardice?
They killed innocent people to create dead mana, and left soldiers to perish caught in that cursed magic?

The Soldier’s anger transcended into sheer exasperation.
Because of it, he gripped the alchemical bomb once more in his hand. A new weapon to counter black magic.

“Resume the assault!”

Following Sir Rex’s firm command, the Soldier moved into action.
Such attacks erupted across the entire battlefield.

‘Proceeding as planned.’

Kale withdrew one step from the battlefield and moved with calculated stealth.

‘The enemy forces lack even a moment to form their ranks.’

Caught off guard by the sudden assault, the enemy soldiers couldn’t regain their composure. Even as they attempted to reorganize their formations, alchemical bombs rained down from all directions, preventing them from consolidating their numbers.
Unplanned skirmishes erupted sporadically throughout the Forest and near the Southern Alchemy Tower.
Because of this, the enemy couldn’t gather their forces.

Standing alone atop a tree, surrounded by neither enemy nor ally, Kale opened his mouth.

“Report.”

A voice emerged from the video communication channel.

-Current situation report.

The voice of Mercenary King Bud reached him.
He was currently in the Mogur Capital.

-East, west, and north. All have entered their designated ranges as planned.

Due to the revised strategy, Sword Master Hana commanded forces in the east, Saint Jack in the north, and Drunken Alchemist Ray Stecker in the west, each leading their respective contingents.
Of course, the actual command of troops fell to trained Knights under each of them, while the three guided the overall direction of battle.

-According to the plan, everyone is focused on surrounding and sealing off the Alchemy Tower. We’re primarily concentrating on defense.

“What about the magic stones?”

Bud flashed a grin.
Four hours.
The time given before the Southern Alchemy Tower battle began.

-All acquisitions complete.

Kale’s lips curved upward.

-Our presence was exposed in the process, but everyone switched to defensive positions, so fortunately both the items and personnel remain unharmed.

The allied forces who departed east, west, and north deployed their strongest warriors and most covert operatives to the eastern, western, and northern Alchemy Towers, stealing the magic stones first.
Of course, unlike Kale with Raon and the Wind Spirits, they were all discovered during the theft, but it didn’t matter.

As long as they stole them.

-Knowing the magic stones were taken, the enemy doesn’t dare attack us recklessly.
“Still, warn them to be careful of joint attacks from the Black Mages and the Mage.”

Bud nodded.

Boom! Bang! Bang!
Explosive sounds reverberated around Kale. Along with them came screams and shouts from people, the clash of weapons.
The chaos was palpable. Yet he soon focused on Kale’s words.

“Once Merry contacts us, we move directly into phase two of the operation.”

Merry hadn’t sent word yet.

Necromancer Mary and the Dark Elves.
When they seized all the dead mana reservoirs.

Black magic would meet its end in the hands of Saint Jack and Merry.

Bud asked carefully.

-Can you make it by then?

According to the plan, the attack on the Southern Alchemy Tower had to be largely completed before the second operation centered on the Eastern, Western, and Northern Alchemy Towers.
Kale Heniatus pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Probably, it’s possi-”

But his words could not continue.

KABOOOOM!
A massive explosion thundered from the sky.

-Human!

And Raon’s urgent voice rang out.
Kale Heniatus looked up toward the sky in shock.
And I saw it.

“…That- that madman!”

A neck held in Becrock’s hand came into view.
A slender, fragile-looking neck.
That neck was slowly being torn apart by ashen mana.

Kale Heniatus shot into the air without thinking.
In that moment, the one whose neck was seized gasped out words.

“Why, why are you-?”

The Southern Tower Master.
He stared at Becrock, who held his neck, as if unable to believe it.

-Human! That Becrock bastard is devouring the Southern Tower Master’s black magic—no, dead mana!

Kale Heniatus heard Raon’s voice filled with shock.
In that instant, he saw the Southern Tower Master withering like a mummy.

Thud, crack.
Becrock snapped the Tower Master’s neck without hesitation.
Then he turned his gaze toward Rosalind.

“There’s plenty to consume besides mana stones.”

I heard Raon’s voice.

-…Dead mana and regular mana, coexisting together like that! It’s impossible! They’ll collide and destroy each other!

Yet before my eyes stood Becrock, proving that very impossibility was real.

“I was planning to just pretend to be a genius, but I should do this properly.”

What the hell is this bastard? What happened in that brief moment to make him like this?
I could only stare at Becrock, who had devoured his own allies and grown exponentially stronger, with horror.
And in my eyes, I saw it.

Rosalind’s troubled expression.

-…Human, Rosalind is losing right now.

Raon’s quiet voice reached me.

“Shocked? But do you know what? If you really want to become strong, you need to know how to sacrifice your comrades’ lives.”

Becrock laughed while looking at Rosalind.

“You’re Rosalind, right? Well, how could a mage from the Royal Family who’s lived such an easy life understand what I’m saying? Right?”

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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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