Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 478

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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 106. Follow Me!

The Dragon Hybrid stared at Kale Heniatus with trembling eyes.

“…You’re giving me a chance…?”

Kale Heniatus shook his head.

“No. It’s not a chance I can give unilaterally.”

Kale Heniatus stepped away from the Reception Room door and walked down the corridor. The Dragon Hybrid followed behind him like someone entranced by a ghost. Kale Heniatus stopped in front of one of the corridor windows.

The Dark Forest stretched out beyond the window, and gazing upon it, Kale Heniatus opened his mouth.

“First, the chance I mentioned could fail. We won’t know until we attempt it.”

A chance.
The Dragon Hybrid turned the word over in his mind again and again.

A chance to start anew.
Yet it could fail, and only through attempting it would the outcome be revealed.
Kale Heniatus’s calm voice reached his ears.

“Right now, we cannot know if it will succeed or fail. Moreover, this is not something I can do alone.”

Kale Heniatus’s gaze turned toward the closed door of the Reception Room.

The two Dragons beyond that door.
Lord Sherit, who dwelled in the Black Castle, and Raon Mir, the master of this Black Castle.
It was a matter to be decided by the will of these two Dragons.

Kale Heniatus said nothing more. Yet when the Dragon Hybrid saw the Reception Room door toward which Kale Heniatus gazed, he could comprehend what he meant.
The two Dragons beyond that door were the ones who could grant him a second chance.

The moment he grasped this truth, the Dragon Hybrid emptied his heart once more.
He opened his mouth to Kale Heniatus.

“…Thank you.”

Kale Heniatus’s face contorted.

“It’s not an opportunity I can give you.”

He approached the Dragon Hybrid.

“And I’ve told you repeatedly—I dislike you. What you’ve done is etched far too vividly in my mind.”
“…I’m grateful simply that you spoke of an opportunity at all.”

Even if that opportunity were never granted, the Dragon Hybrid was grateful to Kale Heniatus merely for uttering such words.

Back then, in the Canyon of Death battle, had Kale not given the defeated and falling Dragon Hybrid the choice to live or die—
He would never have experienced a moment like this.

The Dragon Hybrid recalled the days spent working at the Eastern Continent Inn.

Intense pain had made every moment of labor agonizing.
Few people had approached him there.

Yet in that place, he had come to understand how others lived their lives, what a vibrant city truly felt like.

At last, the Dragon Hybrid set aside all else and gazed at Kale with nothing but gratitude in his eyes.

Kale Heniatus’s face crumpled further.
It was as if he were witnessing something unbearable.

‘…How strange.’

He had said the Dragon Hybrid would surely die, that he would live confined in a limited space with no freedom to leave.

Of course, if things proceeded according to Kale’s true intentions rather than what he had told the Dragon Hybrid, the reality the Dragon Hybrid would face would be far better than expected.
Because someone who appeared happy despite such circumstances now stood beside Kale.

Yet, hearing Kale’s words at face value, they were nearly identical to what the White Star had done.

‘…Why does his gaze shine like that?’

Nevertheless, the Dragon Hybrid gazed at Kale with eyes that gleamed quite brilliantly and softly—eyes that seemed to blend the look Vice-Captain Hilsman had worn when he cried out “My lord!” and the gaze Ritana of the Jungle Kingdom had fixed upon him while exclaiming “My lord! You are—”

‘I can’t get used to this.’

The one who had always looked twisted and malevolent now gazed at me with such eyes—it was truly unbearable to witness. Without realizing it, my genuine feelings spilled out.

“If anyone saw this, they’d think I’m letting you live comfortably? Don’t misunderstand. I can’t stand the sight of you resting easy, of you not receiving proper punishment for your sins. Understand?”

I spoke harshly, irritated and frustrated, and the Dragon Hybrid nodded.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be this way. I have no desire to rest comfortably, nor any intention to forget my sins.”

…Sigh.
I felt that my conversation with the Dragon Hybrid wasn’t connecting on a different level entirely.

‘It’s not a feeling. We’re simply not communicating.’

I furrowed my brow and stared intently at the Dragon Hybrid. At my gaze, he offered a gentle smile and bowed his head slightly.

This is maddening.

If the Dragon Hybrid chose to live by the method I had suggested, and if that method succeeded, I intended to use him to the fullest.
And I planned to order him to cooperate in restoring, as much as possible, the damage he had caused.

“Kale!”

It was at that moment. I saw Choi Han approaching with a worried expression. He paused briefly upon seeing the Dragon Hybrid, but soon spoke.

“The castle was trembling, so I came back in alarm.”

Choi Han had gone out to search for Rak and the children, and when the castle began to shake, he had returned alone in surprise.

“Mm. It’s fine.”

I found it awkward to explain the full circumstances, so I simply offered an uncomfortable smile.

Click.
At that moment, the door to the Reception Room that had been closed swung open.

“Kale.”

Sherit gestured to Kale from outside the door.

“Would you mind coming in for a moment? Just you?”
“Of course.”

I instructed Choi Han and the Dragon Hybrid to wait elsewhere before stepping into the Reception Room alone. My expression grew peculiar.

“…You…”
“Human! Mother made it for me! She said she created it especially to give to me!”

Gone was any awkwardness—the word “mother” now flowed effortlessly from Raon’s lips.
I watched Raon fluttering his wings as he spread strawberry jam on bread at the table.

Just moments ago, the boy had appeared despondent and lifeless. Now he seemed vibrant and full of energy.

What a relief.
Truly a blessing.

“Human! Mother has specially permitted you to eat the jam she made! Try it!”

I observed the bread—or rather, what might have been jam held together by a mere foundation of bread—before turning my gaze toward Sherit.

Sherit wore a gentle smile.

‘What is this?’

I had only stepped out of the Reception Room briefly, yet both dragons appeared to be in better spirits.
But I soon noticed that despite Sherit’s smile, her fingertips remained pallid, and though Raon feigned cheerfulness and brightness, his fluttering wings lacked their usual vigor.

I could see how Raon watched Sherit’s expression each time he called her “mother,” and how Sherit observed Raon’s demeanor whenever he spoke to me.

‘Sigh.’

I swallowed my sigh and accepted the jam-laden bread that Raon offered.
Then I spoke honestly.

“There’s far too much jam on this.”
“Oh, you’re right!”

Raon’s eyes widened as he finally noticed Jem.
Kale found the young dragon so distracted that he felt half sympathetic and half irritated by the dragon hybrid, so he spread some of Jem onto bread appropriately and ate it.
And he ate.

“It tastes delicious.”

He gave Sherit a thumbs up and asked casually.

“Did you hear that?”

Sherit and Raon flinched and drew awkward smiles.

“Seems like you did.”

Kale slightly furrowed his brows as if troubled.

He had deliberately kept the conversation quiet, but it seemed they had heard the exchange between Kale and the dragon hybrid from outside the door.
A dragon’s senses shouldn’t be keen enough to hear voices through a firmly closed door, should they?

“Conversations within this castle reach my ears well.”

At Lord Sherit’s awkward response, Kale nodded.

Indeed, Sherit was an entity of this castle. So her claim that conversations within it reached her ears held considerable credibility.

-Hey, Mom’s face suddenly turned serious, so I asked her to tell me! I was the one who pushed!

Raon urgently confessed to Kale, pouring out his words in a rush.
Kale nodded at the two dragons’ words and opened his mouth.

“You’re curious about what I told the dragon hybrid, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I’m curious.”
“…Have you two finished your conversation?”

At Kale’s question, Raon and Sherit looked at each other and smiled.
It was a smile tinged with sorrow, yet their gazes fixed only on each other were poignant.

“There is much more to discuss with Raon, but we decided to hear your story first and then talk together.”
“I see.”

Kale Heniatus calmly acknowledged the two dragons’ approaches and spoke immediately.

“I’ve been considering placing the Dragon Hybrid here in the Black Castle.”
“…As expected.”

Sherit nodded and opened her mouth.

“The opportunity you mentioned—you’re referring to that child existing in this castle as I do, aren’t you?”
“Similar, but the Dragon Hybrid must not possess power as you do.”

Beyond that, even the castle walls surrounding the Black Castle—unlike Sherit, who could venture out to some degree, the Dragon Hybrid would need to be bound to the castle itself. This was someone who could not be revealed to the world. Moreover, since the Dragon Hybrid possessed exceptional magical knowledge and was skilled enough to create teleportation scrolls for the White Star Faction, I intended to extract that knowledge and ability.
He was someone who couldn’t be known to the world. Besides, since the Dragon Hybrid was exceptionally skilled in magical knowledge and capable enough to create teleport scrolls for the White Star Faction, I intended to take his knowledge and abilities for myself.

After hearing everything, Sherit opened her mouth once Kale finished.
As Sherit listened to all of this, she opened her mouth the moment Kale finished speaking.

“It’s hard to restore a body once it’s broken down. And now only a human body remains. That guy’s body is too damaged to bring back to life. It’s impossible.”

Sherit swallowed those words unspoken.
Sherit swallowed those words.

“…wouldn’t it be possible if there were an object that could give life force?”

At his words, she let out a soft chuckle.

“Pardon?”
“What?”

In response to Kale Heniatus’s question, she shook her head.

“It’s something I have to take responsibility for.”

Perhaps all of this began because of the Oath of Death that Sherit shared with the Dragon Slayer.

“…Is that so?”
“…Is that so?”

Kale’s expression hardened at something he hadn’t known until then. He suddenly recalled how the Dragon Hybrid had spoken with such a commanding aura, asserting that there was only one outcome: either immediate death or six months of agonizing suffering before death.

‘…Was the jar something that couldn’t be used from the start?’

According to Sherit, the jar intended for use on Erhaben might have been utterly useless to the Dragon Hybrid from the beginning.

“That child’s body isn’t a matter of treating ordinary illness or merely extending lifespan. He’s a chimera—an imbalanced human form with the dragon’s power stripped away.”

Moreover, dark attribute power was embedded in his body, leaving him in a state of constant agony.
The Dragon Hybrid had already lost the dragon’s power, leaving behind only an imbalanced human body that had endured nine hundred years. That body had reached a state beyond recovery, with his inherent light attribute and the darkness within clashing endlessly.

To overcome all of that, he would need to remove the dark attribute power and correct the body’s imbalance.
Only then could one consider whether to use vital force.

‘And to overcome the imbalance, he would need dragon’s blood and heart once more.’

Such a terrible ordeal must never happen again.
And didn’t the Dragon Hybrid despise himself for being a chimera?

Sherit kept the detailed explanation to herself and opened her mouth.

“Now I understand why you said you couldn’t determine whether your method would succeed or fail.”

This castle, which had become the Black Castle under Raon’s dominion, was originally the White Castle.
Sherit had devoted her remaining lifespan to preparing countless spells and arrangements for her children within this castle.
And one of them was precisely her existence at this very moment.
An illusion, yet one possessing self and memory.

That was why Kale Heniatus had said he couldn’t determine whether such a form was possible for the Dragon Hybrid.

“This is a matter requiring time.”

Sherit understood that this problem would need research and contemplation. She gazed at Raon, and her brilliant child’s eyes grew only deeper with thought.

“Human!”
“What?”
“Leave!”

Kale Heniatus hesitated and looked at Raon.

“I need to talk with Mother! Human, get out!”

Kale Heniatus felt strange hearing Raon tell him to leave for the first time, but he went without complaint.
Raon then asked him a question.

“By the way, human, when and where are we going?”

Kale answered as he closed the reception room door.

“I’m planning to visit the World Tree as soon as possible.”

Since Raon seemed quite exhausted, I had considered asking Rosalind if the two of us could make the trip together.

“Human! Why do you say ‘I’? I’m going too! We’re going together!”

Kale simply shrugged instead of answering. At that moment, Sherit asked.

“Why the World Tree?”

Sherit flinched the moment her gaze met Kale Heniatus’s dark brown eyes.
Kale’s special power. It lingered in his eyes. Kale opened his mouth while meeting her gaze.

“What kind of being was the Ancient White Star?”

And.

“Do you know anything about the Gate of the Demon Realm?”

Kale watched Sherit’s expression change.
Bang!
She kicked back her chair and shot to her feet, her mouth opening.

“…Are the demons invading?”
“Pardon?”
“Then the Divine Realm’s gate would open too, wouldn’t it?”
“Pardon?”
“Have you seen the Celestials?”
“…Pardon?”
“Is a war between demons and celestials breaking out? Then the White Star wouldn’t be the problem? Why didn’t I sense anything? This is strange?”

Her eyes blazed with intensity. It looked like she might dash out at any moment.

“…A Celestial-Demon War?! Why didn’t you mention something this important?”
“No. Wait. Lord Sherit.”
“Good heavens! Celestials and Demons?! Then this world…?! Is that why you’re going to meet the World Tree? Is that it? Just how many burdens are weighing on your shoulders? Hmm?”
“No. Wait.”

Kale Heniatus was flustered.

No, it doesn’t seem like it’s quite at the level Lord Sherit is imagining?

“Where is Erhafen? If it opened, the Divine Realm would have surely sent some signal! I would have felt it!”
“But—”

Kale Heniatus recalled a conversation he had once shared with Erhafen and the Elf Healer Fendrick at Erhaben Rare.

‘Lord Erhafen. Could it be… Could it be that the Demons are…?’
‘… Fendrick. Your imagination has always been quite remarkable.’
‘Then it’s not the case?’
‘Of course not. When Demons move, the Divine Realm sends us a revelation.’

Kale Heniatus could still vividly picture Erhafen’s eyes looking down at Fendrick with pity for bringing up the Demons.
Sherit appeared urgent.

“Raon, no! I’ll contact Erhafen! If he’s a Dragon, he would have felt it all! It’s strange that you and I didn’t feel it.”
“No—”

It’s not strange; it’s correct that we didn’t feel it.
Lord Erhafen said last time that the Divine Realm never contacted him.
He said no revelation came.

“Good heavens! A Celestial-Demon War!”

…It doesn’t seem like it’s a Celestial-Demon War.
Kale Heniatus watched Sherit blazing with fervor and couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
Raon stared blankly at the two of them with his mouth agape.

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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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