Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 435

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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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Alberu opened his mouth the moment he caught sight of Kale’s expression.

“You’re thinking I’m spouting nonsense right now, aren’t you?”
“No, sir.”

With an unruffled face, I reached for a cookie from the box placed in front of Alberu.
Crunch. After taking a bite, I opened my mouth.

“That won’t work.”
“…You’re refusing without even hearing what I have to say?”
“Yes, it won’t work. I’m busy.”
-Human! Your tone right now sounds just like Merry!

I ignored Raon’s comment and fixed my gaze on Alberu. He leaned back against the sofa with his arms crossed, utterly relaxed.
He stared directly at me and opened his mouth.

“Tell me… who do you think are the three most popular people in this kingdom right now?”

What kind of absurd question is that all of a sudden?
My expression and eyes rapidly shifted to something irreverent. But then I sensed something odd. The man who would normally make some quip about my disrespectful expression was staring at me with utmost seriousness.

He was asking in earnest.

My expression became even more peculiar. After a moment of thought, I opened my mouth with a reluctant look.

“…First place: the Crown Prince, Your Highness. Second place: Alberu Crossman. Third place: the Rising Sun of the Roan Kingdom. Is that correct?”

As I announced the rankings with an expression that seemed to say ‘there, take your cookie and leave’, Raon set down the cookie he was holding, and Alberu’s face twisted as if he’d bitten into an astringent persimmon.

“The Crown Prince! You’re that popular? That’s amazing! The Crown Prince is truly handsome! Your face is perfectly fine!”

Raon patted Alberu’s shoulder proudly, and Alberu wiped his face with both hands. Then he opened his mouth.

“First place: Choi Han. Second place: Kale Heniatus. Third place is Merry.”

Huh?
What?
Raon and my eyes widened.
The Quarter Dark Elf continued, observing the frozen Young Dragon and human.

“And fourth place would be me.”

Oh.
I let out a small exclamation of admiration.

“Choi Han is quite popular, isn’t he?”
“Merry is popular too! Human, it’s surprising that you’re second! I thought I wouldn’t even be on the list! Of course, I’m eternally zero in my own heart!”

I continued to murmur in amazement, and Raon flapped his wings excitedly. The Crown Prince, who had been observing this comfortable scene, finally spoke.

“…Choi Han is known to have come from commoner origins in the Heniatus Territory. Merry is the same.”

Tap. Tap. Alberu’s fingers drummed against the sofa’s armrest. This was the reason he had slipped out of the Royal Palace away from prying eyes.

“So the kingdom’s people rejoice in their accomplishments as commoners, wish to emulate them, and want them to remain Roan’s heroes. And the nobility.”

Nobility. At that word, my gaze shifted to Alberu.

“The nobility also wants to bind Choi Han and Merry as Roan’s heroes. But.”

The fingers drumming against the sofa pointed toward me.

“Separated from you.”

Bang!
Raon’s two front paws slammed down on the table.

“Absolutely not! Merry and Choi Han are our family! Crown Prince, who is this noble? I’ll destroy their house!”

In the midst of this, I opened my mouth, lost in thought.
A method for the nobility to bind Choi Han and Merry to Roan while separating them from me.

“Are you saying they would grant them titles and fiefdoms?”
“Yes.”

Once Choi Han and Merry each received their own titles and fiefdoms, they would inevitably be drawn away from the Heniatus Territory. More importantly, they would no longer be able to move as freely alongside me as they do now.

“It’s nothing but a proposal cooked up by a bunch of idiots who know only how to cling to power and rake in money.”

Alberu’s lips twisted upward in a bitter smile.

“The Nobility Council is particularly insistent about granting Choi Han a title and fiefdom.”
“Crown Prince, why only Choi Han? What about Merry?”

Watching Raon’s innocent eyes, Alberu smiled instead of answering. Yet when his gaze met mine, he couldn’t hide the bitterness in his expression.

I grasped the reason immediately.

“Because she’s a Necromancer.”
“…Yes.”

The reason they were trying so hard to pull Choi Han into noble society while being evasive about Merry.
It was because Merry was a Necromancer.

Currently, throughout the entire Roan Kingdom, Merry’s reputation was considerable. Yet there still existed those who harbored fear and contempt toward the Necromancer profession—one that wielded dark attributes and fought using bones.
Especially among the nobility who desired their own titles to remain exalted, there were those who viewed a Necromancer rising to a high position as a degradation of their own rank.

“And some of them have grown frightened after witnessing what happened in the Mogur Empire.”

Having witnessed what the Black Mages did to the Mogur Imperial Palace, its nobility, and the empire as a whole, they felt apprehensive about bringing a Necromancer—who shared the same dark attributes—into their world.

“There’s even talk of gradually restricting the Dark Elves’ access to the Royal Palace.”

Watching Alberu laugh bitterly, I furrowed my brow.
How much had Merry and the Dark Elves helped us?
Now these cowards, who had been holed up in their mansions concerned only with their own safety, would pretend to forget that assistance and pursue only their own greed and security?

“Rotten bastards.”

Alberu added nothing to the words that escaped my lips. Seeing his silence, I spoke again.

“I suspect the nobility won’t be satisfied with merely granting Choi Han a title and fiefdom.”

A title and fiefdom were insufficient methods to completely separate Choi Han from me and House Heniatus. Of course, I knew of a far more potent method.

“Which noble house wishes to become family with Choi Han?”

Blood ties, regional connections, educational bonds.
Among them, blood ties were the most powerful.
The most formidable method to sever Choi Han from the Heniatus Family while simultaneously bringing him to their side was through marriage—or better yet, becoming family.

Unfortunately, such tactics still held sway in this society.

Alberu had begun to respond to Kale Heniatus’s casual inquiry when he hesitated. He caught sight of the piercing gazes of the humans and dragon surrounding him.
With the crimson-haired man and the Black Dragon fixing him with such looks, Alberu abandoned his original response and spoke differently instead.

“…Why?”

Crash!
Raon’s two front claws came down powerfully against the table.

“Why? Because some noble is trying to use Choi Han by keeping him from being family with us and making him family with them instead! I’ll destroy them even harder than the White Star!”

Raon’s eyes blazed with fury.
Meanwhile, Alberu watched as Kale, seated directly across from him with his legs crossed, opened his mouth with an unhurried expression.

“Well, if Choi Han desires a title and territory, I believe he should obtain them. Shouldn’t he do as he wishes? The same goes for Merry.”

Unlike the blazing Raon, Kale remained composed.

“However, Your Highness.”

Crunch. Alberu gestured for Kale to continue while chewing his cookie.

“Why did you ask to borrow me and Choi Han?”

The corners of Alberu’s mouth rose as he chewed.

“You said you’d give us a free ride.”

Likewise, the corners of Kale’s mouth lifted.

“Kale.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know what position I hold now, and what position I will hold as the future king—a rank without title that even nobles cannot carelessly touch? I don’t even need an official post.”
“…Such a thing exists in this world?”

A position that neither the king nor the nobles could carelessly interfere with, yet one without title or official rank.
Doubt clouded Kale’s expression. Since possessing this body, he had never bothered to thoroughly understand the official positions of the Roan Kingdom.
Of course, he had committed to memory the information Count Derth had organized regarding each noble house and their heirs, but what use was knowing about positions when he had no intention of working? I deliberately paid them no attention. If rumors spread that I had sought out such information, it would be troublesome.
Yet such a peculiar position existed?

“Yes. There is one in the Roan Kingdom.”
“…What is it?”

Kale asked with keen interest. Alberu responded with a radiant smile.

“My teacher.”

Silence descended.

The Crown Prince’s teacher. Moreover, one who would become the king’s teacher.
This was not an official post, as the kingdom provided no salary, and title held little importance.
Furthermore, it was a position respected by all, and the king could not issue orders to his teacher carelessly.

In exchange, one who became a teacher could never hold office for life. This was a measure to keep the king’s teacher separated from power.

Alberu broke the silence.
Crunch. He ate a cookie.

“I grew up almost neglected in my childhood. That’s why I never obtained a teacher like the Second Prince or Third Prince did. Everyone assumes I studied on my own. Of course, Aunt Tasha helped me.”

Young Alberu had studied with tremendous difficulty.
Unlike other members of the royal family, he could not learn under a teacher’s guidance, so he had to painstakingly build up every foundation—royal studies, administration, politics, every discipline—from scratch.

“A true king’s teacher must be universally acknowledged as the greatest in their field.”

He smiled radiantly at Kale and Raon.

“My teacher’s position happens to be vacant?”

At that moment, Kale’s lips parted.

“…Master—”
“Yes, yes. My master position.”

Alberu nodded kindly and played along with Kale’s words. Then he immediately saw Kale’s face contort.

“…Me? Why?”

At the same time, Alberu’s face crumpled.

“Why would you be my master?”
“Pardon?”
“Not you.”
“Ah.”

How startling.
The moment Kale thought of himself becoming Alberu’s master, goosebumps erupted across his entire body. Instead, he thought of Choi Han.
He thought of Choi Han instead of himself.

To anyone’s eyes, it was clear that Alberu intended not to truly serve Choi Han as a master, but rather to elevate him to a position beyond the reach of the nobility’s grasp.
It was clear that rather than truly treating Choi Han as his master, Alberu intended to elevate him to a position beyond the reach of the nobility’s grasp.

“And come to think of it, isn’t Choi Han the elder who has lasted the longest in Roun?”

Alberu, who had been staring intently at the lost-in-thought Kale Heniatus, handed him a cookie. Kale Heniatus accepted it, and Alberu casually tossed out his words to him.

“Ah, yes. A suggestion. I’ll ask Choi Han— Wait?”
“Ah, yes. It’s a suggestion. I’ll ask Choi Han about it— huh?”

Regardless, Alberu opened his mouth and continued speaking with composure.
Regardless, Alberu opened his mouth and continued speaking calmly.

“Yes! Crown Prince, just as you say, they’ll definitely cause trouble! We’re busy farming, so we can’t have them causing trouble!”
“Farming? Well, anyway.”
“Farming? Well, anyway.”

Alberu handed a slice of cake and a fork to Raon, then continued speaking toward Kale.

“I’ve been reading fairy tales and novels about heroes and legends lately. It seems like these days, stories about becoming a warrior after encountering destiny during adolescence are all the rage.”

He had been investigating public perception of talents like Choi Han, Kale Heniatus, and Merry—individuals commanding the attention of the entire Western Continent—and in doing so, had read several recently popular novels.

“I got the idea from one of those stories.”

It was a tale depicting the friendship and growth of two people: a powerless prince without maternal relatives, scorned by the king, and a swordsman equally weak and overlooked until encountering destiny, who then grew strong.

An abandoned prince who had snuck out of curiosity about the outside world, and a swordsman who had just met destiny and was still growing but remained humble—both in their early teens. They happened to meet in the Market’s backstreets, and grew close while fleeing from gangsters together.
This story flowed from Alberu’s lips.

“…In the end, the two of them decided to become sworn siblings.”

The abandoned prince gained a powerful swordsman, and the swordsman with nowhere to rely gained a dependable backing.

“They became each other’s steadfast support, and everyone was moved by their friendship.”

He looked at Kale and asked.

“What do you think? Doesn’t the idea strike you?”

A way for Kale to become a man of leisure in the Roan Kingdom without title or position, avoiding the interference of other nobles.

The method Kale desperately desired could not be achieved simply by being strong and heroic. Unfortunately, the world prioritized a person’s current position over their achievements or abilities.

But what if Kale’s position became the king’s sworn sibling?
Who would dare touch him then?
As the king’s one and only precious sworn sibling, even without his own title, with a family of Marquis rank, no noble would easily approach him.

Of course, if Kale were given both title and position, the nobles would rush at him like vultures.

‘Because he would be a threat.’

If Kale Heniatus, the kingdom’s hero and the king’s sworn sibling, possessed both position and title.
Power would concentrate upon him, and not only the nobles but Alberu himself would have to fear Kale.

‘That is precisely why Kale Heniatus must have no position or status whatsoever.’

Only when such thoughts took root in the nobles’ minds would Kale Heniatus finally possess even a sliver of possibility to become a commoner.
This aligned perfectly with the earnest desire Alberu had discerned in Kale.

Moreover, this direction benefited Alberu both emotionally and rationally.
The kingdom’s yearning for a hero, and Alberu’s wish to claim Kale as his own—he would satisfy them all.

‘And in doing so, I spare Kale Heniatus further hardship, and I keep my promise.’

Alberu spoke with a satisfied smile.

“Become my younger brother. Alright?”

Kale’s expression remained reluctant.

“Me? Why?”
“You don’t want to be my brother?”

Kale found himself at a loss for words.

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Two days later, at the heart of Capital Whis, the nobility of the Roan Kingdom began gathering at the Royal Palace for a ceremony of merit and the grand banquet to follow.

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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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