Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 49

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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 11. Into the Maelstrom

Amir, unaware of the turmoil churning through Kale’s mind, observed his darkening expression and continued speaking, thinking it was just like him to react this way.

“When I saw him being rescued, he appeared to be from one of the tribes of the Wipper Kingdom. Based on his clothing and physique.”

It was definitely Tunka.
With each word Amir spoke, Kale’s face grew paler.

The people belonging to the Non-Mage Alliance, which opposed the Mage Alliance, were once tribesmen who had been scorned as savages within the Wipper Kingdom.

But there were no savages in this world.
All humans possessed the same intellect, and as time passed and history flowed, they simply grew and developed in ways suited to their own circumstances.

The tribesmen who eschewed magic and claimed the harsh mountains and coastlines of the Wipper Kingdom had concentrated on maximizing the raw physical strength inherent to humanity itself.
And they sought to topple the Wipper Kingdom—a power structure where only mages enjoyed comfort—and return it to its primordial form.
The citizens of the Wipper Kingdom followed those tribesmen. Foreign nations prattled on about savages seizing the kingdom, but to the kingdom’s people, they were no savages. They were simply free people.
Instinct had brought down the nation of reason.

‘The problem is, Tunka is genuinely ignorant.’

A clever savage? Such expressions existed, but in Kale’s assessment, Tunka was nothing more than a simple, ignorant man—one who possessed only brute strength.
And an ignorant fool was the most terrifying kind.
Because reasoning with them was impossible.

“My lord, you needn’t worry too much about that man. His physical recovery is remarkably swift.”

Kale waved his hand dismissively at Amir’s words, his expression hardening.

“I’m not worried at all. I merely hope he receives treatment for a long time.”

Thus Kale expressed his fervent wish that he would not encounter the man before his departure. Amir, as well as the knights who had escorted her from the Capital, regarded him with warm eyes.

Kale had no time to concern himself with such looks. Why had Tunka appeared now? That question alone was enough to make Kale’s head throb.

“Amir, would it be possible for you to show me to my quarters?”
“Of course. You haven’t fully recovered yet, have you?”
“No, I’m still in pain.”
“Oh my, let’s hurry then.”

Kale Heniatus watched Amir quicken her pace with a grave expression, then adjust her stride to match his own. A thought crossed his mind.

‘Even if Bilos is from the Flynn Merchant Guild and possesses exceptional abilities, how could he be so certain that a civil war would break out? How could he know so quickly?’

Kale was familiar with Bilos’s capabilities, so he hadn’t given much weight to their previous conversation. But now Bilos was a bastard rejected within the guild itself. His access to information would be limited.
Yet the fact that Bilos knew allowed for one inference.

‘The civil war is unfolding faster than what the book described.’

With that thought, all the pieces fell into place. But then, what had accelerated the civil war?
Kale didn’t dwell deeply on that fact, however.

The crucial point was that Tunka had drifted ashore. That meant he had been attacked by mages, his ship destroyed, and he had returned from the north with power in his grasp.
If that was true, then history remained unchanged.

The divine power that had struck terror into the hearts of mages. The pinnacle of pure human strength. Tunka had survived in the seas, mountains, deserts, jungles, volcanic regions, the frozen lands of the north—all of them—using nothing but the raw power of his human body.
Tunka, who had endured nature itself. The mages who wielded mana, the very force of nature, could never defeat him.

‘Unless it was a Dragon.’

If it were a Dragon, Tunka would simply die in a single blow.
The moment Kale Heniatus arrived at his quarters, he claimed he needed rest, dismissed everyone from his room, and spoke while gazing at the ceiling.

“Hey.”
“What is it, human?”

The Black Dragon revealed itself. Kale gave the Black Dragon a firm instruction.

“Stay by my side for a while. Don’t go anywhere.”

I had learned from the situation with Choi Han and the Black Dragon. If I tried too hard to avoid Tunka, I might end up meeting him anyway and gaining an extra burden. I needed to prepare for that possibility.

“I’ll do as I please.”

The Black Dragon snorted dismissively at Kale Heniatus, turning away. Yet watching the flutter of its wings, Kale was certain the creature would heed his words. It was a being whose body and language spoke in contradiction.
Once Kale had informed the Black Dragon, his mind grew at ease. Only then did he survey the room around him. It was a mansion situated on elevated ground in a small coastal village—he’d heard it was established when the current patriarch of the Ubar Family took office.

‘It doesn’t quite fit.’

The mansion was far too fine for a small coastal village. That fact suggested Amir’s mother, the current lord of Ubar Territory, had harbored ambitions to develop the waters before Ubar the moment she assumed her position.
And the fruits of those ambitions were slowly beginning to manifest after a decade.

‘Drawing in Gilbert Territory and receiving support from the Wheelsman Family—that’s not something accomplished in a short span of time.’

Before departing Ubar Territory, Kale was scheduled to meet with the lord. By that time, the lord would be coming here from the city where the lord’s castle stood.
Kale committed the schedule loosely to memory and positioned himself before the window. Through the expansive panes, the coastal village spread below, and beyond it, the entirety of the Cliff of Wind came into view.

The Cliff of Wind.
For centuries, the waters before the cliff had been tormented by whirlpools that churned daily, tormenting the people of Ubar Territory who sought passage to the wider sea.
Yet there was reason the lord valued these waters so highly.

Though there were two other villages along the coast, this village occupied the center between them. With its crescent-shaped shoreline, flanked on both sides by sheer coastal cliffs, this was the only one of the three villages whose geography made it easy for ships to anchor.
Moreover, large and small islands were positioned directly before the village, creating a visually exceptional landscape. From a military standpoint, it could be called an even better location.

Tomorrow morning, Kale planned to travel to the smallest island positioned at the center of those islands. In the waters directly before that island lay the ‘Wind’s Sound’—the source of all the whirlpools.
Tunka had described the Wind’s Sound in a book like this:

“A quiet yet chaotic power.”

It was precisely the power Kale desired.
A power to escape quietly and swiftly, to confound the strong. The corners of Kale’s mouth lifted slightly. He found himself anticipating tomorrow morning.
That smile soon transformed into one brimming with contentment.

“Young master! Uncle Vicross specially prepared seafood dishes for you!”
“Uncle was so excited because we’re by the sea!”
“That’s right, Kale! Please eat plenty!”

Kale gazed contentedly at the ten wolf children bringing food into his room.
He had told the others that these wolf children were Rak’s cousin-brothers, that they had all lived in one village before losing their families to bandits.

The contentment deepened in his smile. Of course, this warmth was not born from affection for these ten alone. Kale’s gaze turned toward Vicross, who was pulling a tray through the doorway behind the children.

Ron’s son, the head chef, and a man with exceptional counseling abilities—Vicross. He typically maintained an extremely meticulous appearance, with not a single wrinkle in his clothes or speck of dust upon them.
Even now, that remained true. Yet the area beneath his eyes had darkened considerably.

“Young Master, please eat.”
“Yes, thank you. I made the right decision entrusting you and the others with helping Vicross in the kitchen.”

Kale Heniatus picked up his fork while thanking Mess, the eldest of the ten wolf tribe children at twelve years old.

‘Young Master, we want to work too. Rak said nothing comes free.’

During the journey, the wolf tribe children, led by Mess, had arrived at Kale’s carriage and asked to be given work. At that time, Kale had assigned them to assist in the kitchen.

‘Hmm, I think it would be better if we helped with the Knights Order work. Still, we’ll do our best.’

The twelve-year-old boy Mess was confident and composed, unlike Rak. He also possessed an accurate understanding of the Wolf Tribe’s strength. That was precisely why Kale entrusted them with kitchen duties.

‘You’re still children. Dangerous work like that of the Knights Order is premature. Help Vicross prepare vegetables and such.’
‘Just as Rak said, I see. Yes, we’ll work hard.’

The children who said they would work hard did so with genuine diligence. Perhaps because of this, Kale found his lips twitching upward as he observed Vicross appearing increasingly exhausted with each passing day. While the wolf children set the table and carried away dishes, Vicross remained standing in place without leaving.

“Uncle, aren’t you going?”

The wolf tribe children were lively and bright. They called Vicross “uncle” and treated him with remarkable warmth.

“…I’m going.”

At those words, the children left the room first. The wolf tribe children, as if they had never been born in a mountain village, all wore neat clothing with their hair perfectly groomed.
This was the result of Vicross’s direct leadership.

‘Looking at it this way, he’s quite the proper nanny.’

Kale thought that if Vicross knew what he was thinking, the man would immediately search for a kitchen knife. He pretended not to notice the piercing gaze Vicross directed at him. Vicross lived outwardly as a polished and courteous chef. He simply could not bring himself to treat the wolf tribe children coldly. He merely gazed at Kale intently from time to time.

Kale spoke to Vicross as he picked up his fork and knife to leave.

“I’ll enjoy it. Thank you always for the delicious meals.”
“…Yes.”

The door clicked shut as Vicross exited. Kale let out a terse remark upon witnessing this.

“Why does he insist on doing my father’s work?”

Vicross didn’t need to bring the food himself. Yet from some point onward, whenever he found a spare moment, he’d taken to handling one task after another that Ron used to do. Thanks to this, Kale had no opportunity to feel the absence of Ron’s meticulous attendance—either Vicross or the Wolf Tribe children would come to serve him instead.
Kale spoke while gazing toward the corner of the room.

“Come and eat.”

Kale’s dinner companions—On, Hong, and the Black Dragon—rushed to the table and began devouring the food. Kale leisurely enjoyed his evening meal while watching the sunset paint the sea beyond the window in crimson hues.

And the next day.

“Good to see you.”
“The pleasure is mine, Young Master.”

Kale exchanged greetings with the elderly man before him.
A fisherman who had spent decades navigating the waters before the Ubar Territory, coexisting with whirlpools—the seasoned veteran of this small coastal village bore skin darkened by countless hours spent at sea, with deep wrinkles etched around his eyes.

“Trust in me alone, and you’ll reach the Central Island safely.”

Amir, standing beside them, nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. He’s an excellent sailor, so with him, you’ll be able to travel freely anywhere in the waters before Ubar. I should accompany you, but I have matters to attend to.”
“No trouble at all. Simply introducing me to such a skilled fisherman is more than sufficient.”

It would have been inconvenient for Amir to come along. Kale had already decided who would accompany him on the boat today. The fisherman asked Kale a question.

“Will the three of you be traveling together?”
“That’s right. Let’s depart.”
“Yes, please come aboard.”

Kale boarded the vessel—small in size but sturdy with solid walls and a ceiling. The Vice-Captain followed him aboard. Since he was accompanying them, there was no need to bring other knights. Moreover, since the islands were uninhabited, there were no concerns to worry about.

“Young Master, I wish you a safe journey.”
“Thank you.”

Hans, the head butler, saw Kale off while cradling On and Hong in his arms. The cats On and Hong squirmed, trying to escape Hans’s embrace as he approached the water’s edge. They loved the scent of the sea but despised the water itself.

I’ll fly there myself.

The Black Dragon would naturally turn invisible and follow in secret. As the last person boarded the vessel, Kale Heniatus offered a light jest.

“Vicross, I hear there are rare delicacies in the nets we’ve cast near the island. It would be good for broadening your palate.”
“…Thank you, my lord.”

Vicross, summoned by Kale Heniatus to join them, boarded the boat with a reluctant expression. Once everyone was aboard, Kale Heniatus spoke to the fisherman.

“Let’s set sail.”
“Yes, sir.”

The fisherman—the captain of the small vessel—began rowing alongside his son. The churning sea cared little for a superior boat or speed-enhancing magical propulsion.
Only experience accumulated over decades mattered. The old man’s oars proved far more useful.

“The boat may rock quite a bit, so please hold the railings firmly.”

The Elderly Man spoke calmly, and the boat departed. Moments later, Kale Heniatus cursed under his breath.

“Damn it.”

The boat swayed violently. The small vessel teetered precariously along the edge of a whirlpool that seemed to devour everything in its path. The undulating sea, as if ready to swallow them whole, rocked the boat mercilessly. Splash, whoosh—amid the cacophony of water sounds, the old fisherman cried out.

“Haha! My lord, isn’t this whirlpool truly magnificent?”

The fisherman was a man of remarkable courage. Kale Heniatus, his face drained of color, swatted away the Vice-Captain’s hand as it clutched at his collar.
He felt seasickness coming on.

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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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