Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 408

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

The Mage Becrock turned his gaze away from Rosalind.
He gazed down at his helpless allies being overwhelmed by the alchemical bombs and the relentless assault, speaking with cold indifference.

“Didn’t I tell you? I’ve figured out how dead mana and living mana can coexist. So naturally, that means I can control both, doesn’t it?”

Crackle. Crackle-snap.
Grey mana began to swirl around Becrock.
Thud.
The Southern Tower Master slipped from Becrock’s grasp and plummeted toward the Southern Tower, consumed by flames.

-Human!

Kale felt the front paws touching his back as he floated through the air.
Only Raon could have found him while he was cloaked in invisibility.

“What’s happening?”
-The clever Rosalind used the mana stone to create increasingly larger waves of mana, and Becrock blocked them with a grey shield, but then he suddenly devoured the Southern Tower Master like that!
“…He swallowed dead mana and he’s perfectly fine?”

Kale stared at Becrock in disbelief.

When a living human takes dead mana into their body, they experience excruciating pain.
Of course, there was one exception.

“A Black Mage…?”
-…Dead mana and living mana cannot coexist.

If that were possible, even dragons would have accepted dead mana and wielded black magic.
Dead mana didn’t have to be obtained by forcibly killing people or living creatures like the servants of the White Star did.

Eventually, all living things die naturally.
When they perish, dead mana naturally flows forth.
This was why the Dark Elves of old lived near graveyards and sustained themselves by absorbing the dead mana that seeped from those places.

“…What?”

Kale’s eyes widened as he gazed at Rosalind and Becrock.

“Raon, Rosalind’s hands are—”

Kale could see Rosalind’s hands trembling as they emerged from beneath her crimson robes.

Was she injured somewhere?
It didn’t seem like it.
If she were, Raon would have rushed in.
Then what was it?

“Kekeke, your hands are shaking.”

Becrock answered Kale’s unspoken question.
He spoke while observing Rosalind’s hands.

“Too heavy for you?”

He gestured toward the spatial pouch that no longer released mana stones.

“Do you know why I didn’t use all the mana stones myself and instead distributed them among my subordinates?”

Crack. Crackle.
Around him, dead mana and mana collided, expanding in volume.
The gray mana grew increasingly massive.

“I’d burst from overindulgence.”

Kale paused at those words.

“Mana stones are crystallized mana. Handling dozens, hundreds of them alone? You’d explode and die.”

Becrock let out a scoff, and Rosalind, her face hidden beneath her robes, bit her lip.

“At best, you’d need to distribute them within set limits, not all at once.”

Dozens distributed as dozens.
A hundred distributed as a hundred.

“So Rosalind, there’s a limit to how much mana you can handle at once.”

The evidence was none other than Rosalind’s trembling fingertips.

“…Don’t spout such nonsense.”

Rosalind’s murmur reached Becrock’s ears.

“Kahahaha!”

He burst into laughter at her words. Then, still chuckling, he spat out his command.

“Head to the surface.”
“Yes!”
“Yes, Tower Master!”

In an instant, the Black Mages and Mages each formed pairs and rushed toward the surface. And Sir Rex shouted after them.

“Throw the bombs!”

Alchemical bombs soared through the air and detonated.

Boom! Crash!

-Hey, Kale. At this rate, things are going to become a complete mess.

Bud, still maintaining the communication link, spoke with a voice full of concern.
There were still plenty of alchemical bombs remaining.
However, if the Black Mages and Mages joined in and attacked with mixed mana, our forces would likely struggle.

Crackle. Snap.

-Insane… the mana keeps growing.

The grey mana continued to swell, larger and larger and larger.
Bud watched it with a fed-up expression. Kale also gazed at Becrock with astonishment.

“Pretty fascinating, isn’t it?”

Becrock spread both arms wide, proudly displaying the grey mana to Rosalind.

“The dead and the living continue to collide, growing ever stronger. Do you know what sets this apart from mana stones?”

He gazed affectionately at the gray mana swirling around him.

“To manipulate this blended mana—ten units of it—I only need to expend three units of my own power.”

Such was the magnificence of blended mana.
I would channel three units of power to initiate the process, and they would collide with one another of their own accord, multiplying into ten units of force.

“Impressive, isn’t it?”

Becrock’s crimson eyes gleamed from within his robes.
Those eyes spoke volumes.

“How is such a thing even possible?”

Becrock perceived the confusion and bewilderment in the red-robed figure’s gaze—the fact that he wielded both magic and dark magic simultaneously seemed to perplex him.
A deep smile spread across Becrock’s face.

He spoke with casual confidence.

“I know a bit about you. When I heard you were an exceptional mage, I became curious and looked into you.”

Becrock’s and Rosalind’s eyes met.
Becrock continued with unhurried ease.

“And I was astonished. We share far more similarities than I expected.”

Whoosh.
Becrock’s hand moved.

Uuuuuung—
The blended mana that had been colliding softly began to converge all at once.
Even as this occurred, he continued speaking calmly while holding Rosalind’s gaze.

“First, we’re nearly the same age.”

Twenty-four years old.
Both Becrock and Rosalind shared the same age.

“And we’re both quite brilliant. We’ve distinguished ourselves in magic.”

In that moment, Becrock’s smile twisted into something bitter.

“But I was born a pauper. Unlike you.”

Becrock gazed down at the soldiers beneath his feet.

“I was like those vermin.”

Born into a world where I had no wealth, no power, no innate advantages—destined to live a wretched existence like those insects below.
But he possessed something different from them: a ‘talent’ that transcended such limitations.
That’s why even his master, the White Star, cherished him.

He was a genius. And he was diligent.
He’d bled through his efforts.

Becrock was certain of it.
He had learned magic under circumstances incomparably harsher than Rosalind’s, and precisely because of that, he had achieved greater results.
And for those results, someone’s sacrifice was only natural.

If only I could climb higher.
And for his own magnificent achievement as a genius, what did it matter if the talentless, the powerless, died a little?

His gaze turned toward Rosalind.

“You must have learned magic so comfortably, didn’t you?”

That’s why he despised Rosalind.
Royal blood, abundant wealth, a skilled master to teach her—she’d learned everything with ease.
On top of that, she traveled with Kale’s group, so her reputation was spotless.

“So why should I teach someone like you?”

Uuuuuung—
The gathered gray mana began to take on a distinct form.

“The great heroes recorded in history rise from the bottom to achieve greatness. You’ll probably just be a supporting character sacrificed along the way.”

Whoooooosh—
The sound grew louder and louder.
Even those locked in combat paused, glancing upward.

And those who looked up froze.

“…A Dragon?”

Someone had uttered the words without thinking.

Gray mana was gradually taking the form of an increasingly massive dragon.

“You must have learned magic from dragons, right? From a dragon and all.”

Becrock laughed with amusement, recalling how Rosalind had learned magic comfortably from the Black Dragon and the Ancient Dragon.

“It would be fun if you got eaten and died by that dragon. Kekeke.”

Roooaaarrr!
The massive dragon made of gray mana let out a tremendous roar.
Some were so overwhelmed by its majestic and dominating presence that they fell into fear, their minds blank.
But Becrock was simply delighted.
How could he not enjoy controlling a dragon so renowned as great in this manner, and using that dragon to kill Rosalind?

Crackle. Crackle!
The gray mana—the gray dragon—continued to grow larger.
It had already overwhelmed Rosalind’s crimson mana.

Bud, watching this through the video communication screen, shouted urgently.

-Hey! Aren’t you supposed to go do something about this? Why are you going down?

The reason was that Kale Heniatus was descending to the ground rather than going to Rosalind.
Kale answered matter-of-factly.

“Helping with ground combat.”
-What about Rosalind?
“She said she’d handle it herself. I have to trust her. I’ll rescue her if it gets critical.”
-Hey! Isn’t that critical right now?

Bud, who had been shouting at Kale Heniatus, flinched.

Craaaaaah!
The grey dragon began to flap its wings.

“Why so quiet? Scared? Kekeke!”

Becrock spoke to Rosalind with ease.
The figure in the crimson robe hung her head low. Becrock’s laughter only grew louder.
That was the moment.
A voice emerged from the robe.

“How pathetic.”

What?
Becrock’s gaze turned toward the crimson robe.
He was taken aback by the crude language unbecoming of royal blood, but more than that, he was astounded that she would say such a thing in this situation.

Meanwhile, Rosalind slowly lifted her head.
She let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head side to side. Then she spoke to Becrock.

“The biggest maggot here is you, you bastard.”

Rosalind recalled Rak and Choi Han in this moment.

I hadn’t heard the full details of Choi Han’s life, but I’d heard he’d lived alone through hardship, separated from his family.
That the Dark Forest was his homeland.

What about Rak?
What hardships had that child endured? And the other Wolf Tribe Children?

And Merry?
Raon?

As she thought of her companions, she reflected on her own life.

“…I’ve lived comfortably.”

My life has not been entirely comfortable.
There were hardships, but regardless, I possessed both wealth and power from birth.
As a member of the Royal Family, I have enjoyed countless privileges.

“So what?”

Did I commit wrongdoings because of this?
I did not.
I never took for granted the blessings I received, and I stood at the forefront of the Breck Kingdom, leading the charge in the Canyon of Death.
I lived without shame.

But now, I felt ashamed.
Why?

“I was embarrassingly frightened.”

For a moment, I was taken aback by that creature’s immense gray mana.
And I wondered if he might be a more talented Mage than myself.

But in that instant, I heard it.

-Rosalind! I told you not to worry about the human! You’re a genius!

Raon’s voice reached my ears.

-You have genius in you too! Grandpa acknowledged it!

The corners of Rosalind’s mouth began to rise slowly.

At that moment, Kale Heniatus headed toward the ground.
Even as he descended, Bud’s murmuring reached his ears.

-Still, to fight against such a monster.
“Be quiet.”

Bud’s expression turned aggrieved at Kale Heniatus’s words.
But Kale Heniatus paid no attention to that expression, his thoughts turning to Rosalind.
Just before he chose to descend to the ground, Raon had spoken to Kale Heniatus’s mind.

‘Human! Rosalind is losing right now!’

I was startled by those words.

‘But she will win very soon!’

However, I felt reassured by what followed.
Losing now, but winning soon—that’s what it meant.
A subtle smile played at the corners of Kale’s mouth.

Choi Han, Rak, Rosalind.
These three were essentially the main heroes of the ‘Birth of Heroes.’ And all three had the temperament to destroy the royal palaces of other kingdoms without hesitation.
Come to think of it, Raon always praised only Rosalind as being clever.

Raon continued speaking.

‘Human! Both the Golden Dragon grandfather and I think Rosalind is a genius! Think about it!’
‘The clever Rosalind used dozens of magic stones in the Canyon of Death!’

And at this very moment, those same words Raon had spoken to Kale echoed in Rosalind’s mind.

-Rosalind! You easily used dozens of magic stones even in the Canyon of Death! You coughed up some blood then, but how about it? You handled them well!

Rosalind saw her own trembling hands.
But she thought.

Am I struggling right now?

No. I’m not struggling.
She clenched her fists. As she applied force, the trembling forcibly stopped.

-That Becrock fellow seems to be a genius at creating magical laws.

The Black Dragon acknowledged what deserved acknowledgment.
Still, there was something that needed to be conveyed.

Both Erhafen and Raon had reasons to believe Rosalind would become a Tower Master.
And there were reasons why they had nodded in agreement to Kale’s magic stone strategy this time.

-How clever you are, Rosalind!

Becrock, a genius at crafting magical formations and rules.

-You possess a gift for wielding mana!

And Rosalind, blessed with an innate talent for manipulating mana itself.

Suddenly, Rosalind recalled her childhood self playing with mana. After completing all her royal heir lessons, only when midnight fell could she finally indulge in handling mana.
Those were the moments when she was truly happy—she had yearned to become a Mage someday, to be able to wield mana freely.

-I believe you should become a Tower Master! Clever and kind Rosalind!

Clever and kind.
That was how Raon saw Rosalind.

After creating chaos, the complicated and tedious tasks left behind—Rosalind always handled them without complaint. Though Kale Heniatus had brought mana stones and offered assistance in constructing the Magic Tower, Rosalind didn’t seem to work for those reasons alone.

Moreover, the cautious Choi Han, Hana, and Merry all felt at ease around Rosalind.
Furthermore, Raon remembered Rosalind coming to find Kale Heniatus, risking exposure of her royal identity, all for Rak during his first rampage.

-And if it really doesn’t work out, let’s smack that bastard on the back of the head together! And that ugly gray fake dragon! Our grandfather is cooler, and, uh, our m-, anyway! There are even cooler dragons!

Raon’s chatter reached her ears.

“Did she go mad seeing such overwhelming power?”

In that moment, Becrock’s scornful voice also reached her.
Rosalind had been staring blankly at the gray dragon.

“What?”

But soon his brow furrowed.

“…Hehehehe.”

Rosalind laughed.

Becrock grimaced at the sight. Her speech and actions were unbecoming of royalty. Moreover, the red mana was now subsiding.

“How tedious.”

I couldn’t be bothered to continue fighting.
The once-fascinating existence had become dull. It would be far more worthwhile to hunt down and kill the assassin who severed my wrist.
Becrock sneered as he spoke.

“Go.”

Roooaaar!
A dragon forged from grey mana spread its wings wide and descended upon Rosalind.
The sharp fangs visible within its gaping maw and its enormous claws seemed poised to shred her apart.
The wind alone generated by those massive wings was enough to make Rosalind’s body sway.

In that instant.

“How interesting.”

Rosalind moved forward with those words.

“Huh?”
“…Why?”

The mages watching were bewildered.

“Hahahaha! So you’ve decided to die!”

Becrock’s shoulders heaved with laughter.

Rosalind charged directly toward the grey dragon.

-Hey! Hey! Isn’t Rosalind going to get hurt like this? Huh?

Bud cried out in genuine urgency.

-…Huh?

Then, without realizing it, Bud’s response came out dumbfounded.
What in the world was this?
He was bewildered.

And Kale Heniatus laughed.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

He looked at Rosalind.

Riiiiip!
The spatial pocket tore open before their eyes.
It was the spatial pocket Kale Heniatus had given to Rosalind.
It shredded in her hands.

Tens, hundreds, thousands upon thousands.
An incalculable number of mana stones erupted outward.

Whoooooosh—
Crimson mana surged upward and consumed them all.

Crack. Crack.
The mana stones shattered. The pace accelerated relentlessly.
Boom! Boom!
Eventually, explosions erupted with each destruction.

Rosalind enveloped the crimson mana and mana stones within her grasp.

“…Is that even possible?”

The enemy Mage staring upward muttered in a daze.

“She’s insane! She’ll explode to death doing that!”

Relentlessly.
The crimson mana consumed the mana stones without pause.
Rosalind’s entire body blazed crimson as though engulfed in flame.
She gazed at the gray Dragon and spoke with cold certainty.

“Never underestimate my ambition.”

My hands trembled.
My entire body shook.
But Rosalind continued to devour more and more mana.
She dominated it.
She seized it within her grasp.

-Human, what did I tell you? Rosalind is brilliant! A genius! More so than that bastard! Grandfather said Rosalind is brilliant!

Kale heard Raon’s cheers.

-Rosalind is beyond standard when it comes to manipulating mana itself!

That was the moment.

Boom—

With a deafening roar, Rosalind, wreathed in crimson mana, collided with the massive gray dragon.

And Kale witnessed it.

The crimson mana tearing apart the gray dragon’s unfurled wings.

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