Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 411

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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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Watching Jack’s anxious face, Kale felt the need to organize the situation.

“Kraaaaaaagh!”

Another horrific scream echoed through the air.
Kale flinched at the sound but opened his mouth to speak.

“Dead mana and sacrificing people? What does that even mean?”

I had already identified the locations of the four dead mana repositories owned by the Four-Directional Alchemy Towers through the Southern Alchemy Tower’s map.
Merry had departed there with the Dark Elves.

Above all, the dead mana repository owned by the Northern Alchemy Tower wasn’t inside the tower itself, but rather at a distance from it.
But there’s a dead mana repository at the center of the Northern Alchemy Tower?

It made no sense.
And sacrificing people as a power source, no less.

My face twisted.

The black despair that animated the golems.
It was far more horrifying than dead mana.

Crack.
I seized Jack’s arm firmly.
Only then did Jack, his expression somewhat calmer, answer my question.

“If you look at the Northern Alchemy Tower right now, you’ll understand the current situation.”

My mouth opened immediately.

“Raon.”
-Got it!

I could see Saint Jack, Vicross, and Clophe’s bodies rising into the air just like mine.
The Knights and Mages standing beside Saint Jack watched over them protectively.

“Hmm.”

But Kale, who had risen upward, had no time to look down below.
His gaze fixed straight ahead.

“The tower is opening.”

Ahead. Beyond the forest.
The Northern Alchemy Tower came into view.
Ordinarily, it should have resembled the Southern Alchemy Tower—a simple, unremarkable structure.

But its form had transformed from what I had known.

“As you can see, the appearance of the Alchemy Tower has changed.”

The Northern Alchemy Tower had split into four sections, creating passages in all cardinal directions.
And its center lay completely hollow.

Jack continued speaking.

“After the Dark Mages and Mages suddenly teleported in, the ground abruptly began to tremble.”

The earth resonated with the sound of colossal mechanical gears grinding into motion.
Then, the Northern Tower divided into four sections like pie slices, sliding backward, and a cross-shaped passage emerged with a massive circle remaining at its center.

“To see it more clearly, we’d need to get closer.”

Jack bit his lip.

Thud. Thud. Thud.
Golems were emerging one by one through the passages created in the tower.
The golems that had already entered the forest moved in formation, heading southward.
Toward the direction where ordinary territories, civilian settlements, and the Capital lay.

“The massive circle that formed in the center was entirely dead mana. Dead mana was gushing forth, filling that circle.”

Kale listened to Jack’s explanation and asked a question.

“Then what about people?”
“…They are allies.”

Vicross opened his mouth.

“Our allies?”

Jack shook his head.

“No. They are the enemies’ allies.”

Hah.
Vicross let out a sigh.

“Are you saying the enemies are sacrificing their own soldiers to that dead mana?”
“…Yes.”

Anguish flickered across Jack’s face.

“The moment that passage formed, the enemies began hurling their soldiers into it one by one. I tried to stop them, but there were far too many for us to engage.”

Jack had chosen to retreat for now.
Because if our soldiers were captured and fell into that place, it would be catastrophic.
He believed it was not the wrong decision. Yet he was a servant of the Sun God, a Saint and perhaps destined for an even greater station.

Because of this, every time he witnessed enemy soldiers cast into that dead mana liquid—that black lake—he felt an indescribable rage surge through him.

This death was different from falling in battle.

“Aaaahhhhh!”

Another scream echoed out.
Jack’s face contorted.
It was at that moment.

“Huh?”

He stumbled.
Kale Heniatus shoved Jack backward.

“Let’s go right now.”

Kale and Vicross’s eyes met. Vicross immediately offered his back to Jack.

“Get on.”
“What?”
“I’ll take you there.”
“Oh, yes!”

Jack quickly climbed onto Vicross’s back.
Kale began to channel Voice of Wind.

Whoooosh— whoooosh—
A small whirlwind swirled around his feet.

“Saint Jack.”
“Yes.”
“Would it be easier to approach through the air, or would traveling through the forest be preferable?”

Saint Jack fell silent for a moment, studying Kale’s serious gaze, before speaking.

“To reach the center quickly, we’d need to go through the air. But I’d prefer to go by ground.”
“Why is that?”

The Saint gazed toward the forest.

“Though we’ve withdrawn from the tower, our allies are still fighting a guerrilla war within the forest, doing everything they can to hold back the golems and enemy forces.”

The forest made such guerrilla tactics possible.
Soldiers, Alchemists, Knights, Mages—all scattered and fighting desperately to prevent the golems from advancing southward.

Screeeech! Boom!
Beyond the heavy footfalls of the golems, the sounds of their allies felling trees to construct barriers echoed through the air.

“I want to give them strength as we head toward the center.”

Light bloomed from Saint Jack’s hands.
It was the healing power he possessed.

I wanted to do something—anything—for my exhausted and terrified allies.
It was what I had to do.

Jack gazed at me with an earnest desperation to accomplish both tasks.

“Raon.”

My lips parted.

“You go skyward with Clophe. Turn invisible.”
“Understood, human!”

I turned to Vicross and spoke.

“You come with me to the ground.”
“Yes.”

As Vicross’s brief reply came, I uttered flatly:

“Fall.”

In that instant, Vicross and I plummeted toward the earth.

-Human! I’m taking this seasoned Clophe and turning invisible to hide near the tower! See you in a bit! And, and!

Raon’s voice suddenly erupted in my mind.

-I told you clearly before! Don’t overdo it! If you pass out, everything’s ruined! The world ends!

A wry chuckle escaped me.

Thud!
At the same moment, Vicross—carrying Saint Jack—and I landed on the ground. Those guarding Saint Jack approached us.
I studied their numbers with an odd expression.

Far fewer guards than originally planned.
Only the bare minimum remained.

‘It seems Jack sent the rest of the guard force to the battlefield.’

If Saint Jack had been in a position to move freely, he would have sent himself there instead of relying on protection.
But Jack could not afford to die or suffer serious injury.

Unlike Sir Rex, Jack needed to remain intact for a different reason.
While Sir Rex represented the symbol of a new Mogur, Jack embodied the radiant past of Mogur—a sanctuary of hope that the people of Mogur could lean upon.

Jack understood this better than anyone.

“What should we do? Please give us your orders.”

At the Knight’s question, Kale looked toward Jack. Jack nodded, and Kale immediately spoke.

“We will take charge of the Saint’s protection from now on. You need not worry about his safety.”

The Knight responsible for Jack’s protection was among the highest-ranking members accompanying Sir Rex. He was also the most skilled among them.
That was why he knew Kale’s true identity, and he felt reassured that Kale would assume the protection duties.

“Now, gather all the soldiers stationed within the forest.”

But at the follow-up command, he was taken aback.
Gather all the soldiers?
Still, the Knight quickly responded with a composed and resolute expression.

“I will carry out your orders.”

The moment those words ended.

Whoooosh—
The wind stirred.
And the Knight watched as Kale and Vicross shot forward toward the forest, toward the Northern Alchemy Tower.

Whoosh— Whoosh—
Kale plunged into the forest, still shrouded in the darkness of night.
He gripped the golden spinning top in his hand.

‘Kahahaha! You followed me! This place is destruction! Despair. Huh? Something terrible is here! That must be destroyed! Absolutely destroyed! Destroyed! Annihilated!’
‘Ugh, be quiet.’
‘What should we do?’

I asked the Wind Spirits to gather information for me.

“Especially find out about the strong ones.”

The Wind Spirits moved into action.

“Saint Jack, please continue with your explanation.”

Next, I turned to Saint Jack with a request.
Clinging to Vicross’s back, Saint Jack tightened his grip with the sudden acceleration and opened his mouth.

“The moment enemy soldiers fell into the dead mana, golems surged up from within it. Then Dark Mages entered and began controlling them.”

Dead mana and human lives.
So golems could move with just those two conditions, even without Black Despair?
Was it the same in ancient times?

-No.

The terrifying voice of Jjangdol reached me.

-In ancient times, golems moved only with Black Despair alone. It seems dark magic has advanced beyond what it was in the past.

The advancement of dark magic.
My expression hardened at the mention of its growth.

“Kugh, kraaaaaaagh!”

Another horrific and tremendous scream echoed through the air.

“Saint Jack, I’m increasing our speed.”
“Hold on tight.”

The moment I spoke and Vicross added his words, a visibly powerful whirlwind began to envelop the three of us.

Whoosh! Crack!
Vicross and I were launched forward.
At the same time, Saint Jack cried out through the wind.

“I’m starting too!”

Jack grasped Vicross with one hand and raised the other.
His physical abilities were hopeless, so this was all he could do. And it was something only he could accomplish.
Light began to pour forth from his entire body.

In the forest beneath the darkness.
There, the one who inherited the will of the sun began to spread healing light.

“…Saint!”
“Jack!”

All the allied soldiers—whether hiding, fleeing, luring enemies, or standing their ground against golems and foes—lifted their heads.
They felt their minor wounds and fatigue vanish as the healing light spread to fill the forest.

And at the center of that light.

“It’s the Saint!”
“The Saint!”

Two figures wrapped in light and wind, moving at tremendous speed, and Saint Jack riding on the back of one of them, came into view.

And then the voices of the allied commanders followed.

“Fall back! Move to the rear!”
“Get to the rear! Stop attacking! Fall back!”

In the eyes of the retreating soldiers, only a vortex of light surged forward, driving straight northward.

Whoosh-whoosh, crack!
I unleashed whirlwind slashes, shattering everything that blocked my path. There was no time to waste.
I couldn’t afford to dodge each tree and branch in my way.

‘Saint Jack has grown too.’

Even as I ran, I was impressed by the healing power that filled the forest.
Of course, it was healing the enemy soldiers as well, but I understood his heart well enough.
It couldn’t be helped.

“Block them!”
“Seize them!”

The shouts of the Black Mages controlling the golems echoed through the air.

Thud. Thud. Thud.
The golems rushed forward rapidly, attempting to cut off Kale’s party.

Why, you ask?
Darkness’s natural opposite was light, and the place where that light’s power burned brightest was the Sun God Church.
Though it was merely healing energy, as the sun’s power flooded the forest, it became an obstacle that choked the breath from the golems and Black Mages alike.

Imagine a being forced to live in darkness, constantly exposed to a space overflowing with light.
Who would welcome such a thing?

Thud. Thud!
I felt the golems drawing closer.

“Saint Jack!”
“Yes!”
“Use all your healing power!”

Jack clung to Vicross’s back, his eyes fixed on Kale ahead. Kale’s voice reached him through the whirlwind.

“Show them we’re here!”
“…Yes, absolutely brilliant!”

Jack poured forth even more healing energy.

‘He’s insane.’

Vicross was bearing the brunt of the healing energy’s effects right now.
As the healing power grew ever stronger, his body’s condition showed no signs of fatigue. Though he gained propulsion from Kale’s wind, running through the forest still demanded stamina. Yet there was no opportunity for his strength to wane.
Such was the overwhelming power of Saint Jack’s healing.

“We’re here!”

I lifted my head.

The golems that Crown Prince Adin had wielded were fundamentally different from these.
While some reached ten meters in height, most ranged between two and four meters—some perched atop the trees, others concealed within them. They were noticeably smaller than before.

Because of this, the Dark Mages controlling the golems became visible at closer range.
These golems seemed designed with mobility and precision in mind.

“So a Saint with nothing but healing magic came out wanting to die!”

The Dark Mage manipulated his golem.
The golem hoisted an enormous sword into the air.

“We’re going over.”

Kale Heniatus pushed off the ground with those words.
Vicross moved in perfect synchronization.

“Ugh!”

For a moment, Saint Jack felt the world spinning around him.
Kale Heniatus and Vicross vaulted over the golem in an instant. When another appeared, they dove beneath it.

Crash!
The golem’s axe came down where Saint Jack and Vicross had just passed between its legs.
Saint Jack’s heart pounded furiously.
They moved so swiftly that the world blurred before his eyes.

“Hold on tight.”

At Vicross’s words, Saint Jack gripped with all his holy power, clinging desperately.
His mind reeled.
But moments later.

“Ah!”

A piercing sensation pricked his skin, and Saint Jack looked ahead.
They had broken free of the forest.
The transformed Northern Tower came into view.

“What—what is that?!”

Saint Jack’s face twisted as he gazed up at the peak of the Northern Alchemy Tower.

Thud.
The figure at the summit kicked someone’s back with his foot.

“Aaaahhhhh!”

The kicked man plummeted into the dead mana lake.
Screech. Screech.
A golem surged upward from that place.
The fallen man wore nothing but ordinary soldier’s garb and clutched no weapon in his hands. He had not wanted to die.

At that sight, a suffocating wildfire ignited within Saint Jack.
It was then.

“The Lion King,” Kale Heniatus said.

I heard Kale’s voice.

The Lion King?
Saint Jack turned to look at Kale in surprise. Kale was already looking at me.

“Is the Lion Tribe member you mentioned to Bud earlier the man at that summit?”

Kale pointed to a man standing at the peak of the Northern Alchemy Tower.
That man sat in an ornate chair with an expression of ennui, flanked by someone who kicked soldiers off the edge.

“No. The Lion Tribe member I saw before we retreated into the forest was someone else.”

Saint Jack answered that the person I had seen was not this one, and asked with evident tension.

“Is he the Lion King?”

Kale heard the voices of the Wind Spirits.

‘Kale! That bastard is the Lion King! I saw someone bow their head earlier while calling him “Your Majesty!”‘
‘Wicked one! Annihilation! Destruction! Despair! Gift! Must! Do!’

Kale muttered under his breath.

“…A major player?”

With Becrock eliminated, another troublesome figure had emerged.
I turned my gaze toward the Lion King.

And the Lion King looked back at me.
Creak. The middle-aged man who had been sitting in his chair with ennui rose to his feet and opened his mouth toward those below. His voice was magnified—whether through magic or sheer power—so that those on the ground could hear him clearly.

“Are you the troublemaker I’ve heard so much about?”

That was the moment.
Upon being called a troublemaker, I felt the corners of my mouth lift.

-Human!

As I listened to Raon’s words, I muttered under my breath.

“This is going to be a mess.”

Hm?
Saint Jack’s expression grew puzzled at that murmur.

“What?”

But he soon lifted his head.
I could feel it.
As Saint Jack, I could sense it.

She was descending.
She had arrived.
Finally!

“Hana!”

Boom!
A figure crashed down onto the ground.

-Delivery complete as that chatty Bud requested! Hehe, here comes Hana, the destroyer of all things!

Kale watched as the figure emerged from where the dust storm had settled, listening to Raon’s words.

“You came?”

He greeted Hana, and she pointed her sword toward the top of the tower.
The Lion King stood there.

“Should I kill that one?”

Kale answered with a smile.

“Yeah.”

He continued matter-of-factly.

“I need to create an inferno in the meantime.”

In that moment, a timid voice echoed in Kale’s mind.

-Will you give me the mana stone?

Jjandol, Destructive Fire, asked cautiously.

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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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