Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 493

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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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-What kind of creature is that?
“Woof!”

Crown Prince Albert Crossman, visible through the video communication device, regarded Kale with a puzzled expression.

-Such a cute creature paired with an irreverent fellow like yourself? The contrast is utterly jarring.

The fluffy puppy shedding fur in the arms of a man clad in pitch-black commander’s garb with crimson hair created an image of profound discord.

“Sigh.”

Kale’s expression darkened as he exhaled.

‘You want me to take this puppy?’
‘Yes. I would very much appreciate it if you would take our Boosuli with you.’

Before parting ways after leaving her residence, Sophies had spoken with elegant composure.

‘I cannot place complete trust in you. Therefore, I require someone on my side to observe your actions and report back to me.’

The messenger chosen for this role was none other than the puppy cradled in Kale’s arms—Boosuli.

‘But we’re heading into battle, and a puppy—’
‘Kale. Let’s take him with us.’

Rarely did Choi Han’s eyes flash with agreement as he endorsed Sophies’ words. Simultaneously, Ron nodded in assent.

‘Young master. Let us proceed accordingly. In matters of commerce, trust is the most essential element, is it not?’

With those words, Ron displayed a smile of disarming kindness that was almost unsettling in its brightness. In that moment, Kale felt a chill run through him.

‘Human! Let’s take him! That Boosuli is adorable! There’s something about him that makes me want to befriend him—such a peculiar puppy!’

Raon transmitted the same sentiment to him with cheerful clarity.
Kale wanted to tell Raon that if this continued, he would have to maintain his invisibility without lifting it and stay with them the entire time to avoid Sophies’ gaze, but he had no opportunity to do so.
Even the serious Gren and the Mercenary King Bud, brimming with quiet fury, voiced their agreement with Sophies’ proposal.

‘…Well, the young master should at least have a dog to keep him company….’
‘Exactly. You’d cause less trouble that way.’

Kale Heniatus looked at them as if asking what they were talking about, but Bud was speaking to Choi Han. Unlike usual, his demeanor was serious.

‘That’s a good idea.’
‘Right. This way, Kale will at least—’

The two, now quite close, looked at Kale, and he felt an inexplicable unease at their gaze.
In any case, as a result, Kale ended up traveling with a dog named Boosuli.

He suddenly recalled something Sophies had said casually before parting.

‘You don’t need to worry about Boosuli. If Boosuli gets angry, the enemy’s head will drop to the ground with a pop.’
‘…Pardon?’
‘Never mind.’

A graceful smile.
Sophies smiled elegantly and arranged their next meeting before departing.
Kale set aside thoughts of her for now and focused on his conversation with Alberu.

—Make sure to stay in contact even after you reach the Eastern Continent.
“Yes, hyung.”

He was scheduled to depart for the Eastern Continent soon anyway.
Alberu gazed at Kale for a long moment before finally speaking.

—…Truly.

Behind Kale stretched the frozen expanse of the Lake of Despair, locked in ice.
A light snow fell gently across the frozen surface, unusual for this place.

—Quite a spectacle.

And there, countless individuals stood ready, preparations complete for departure.

Across the vast lake.
The entire surface had become a magical formation, glowing with ethereal light.
Upon that luminous canvas, countless Elves stood in battle attire, their preparations finished and waiting.

So many Elf Warriors existed on the Western Continent.

Alberu couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.
All combat Elves, excluding the elderly and infirm along with those left behind in each territory for minimal defense, had gathered and were continuing to gather at the Lake of Despair where the World Tree existed.

“Young master, we have completed our preparations on our end.”

A middle-aged Elf approached Kale Heniatus and delivered his report.
Beside him, Fendrick bowed slightly to Kale Heniatus.

Originally a figure who had died early in the Hero’s Birth, but now a living, breathing existence. Fendrick, an Elf and a Healer, stood alongside Kale Heniatus once more after a long time.

And the middle-aged elf beside Fendrick was Zit, the Guardian Warrior of the Elf Village on Ten Finger Mountain.

Ten Finger Mountain—the place where Kale Heniatus had obtained the Destructive Fire and where the Elf Village that had lost a branch of the World Tree was located.

Zit, the Guardian Warrior who had lost his home after the World Tree’s branch was taken, had volunteered to lead the Elf Warriors and stood here as their representative.

Kale Heniatus met the gaze of Guardian Warrior Zit and opened his mouth.

“Are you nervous?”

Zit answered briefly to that question.

“It is war.”

For the Elves, this was war.
No kingdom on the Western Continent except Roan knew of it, but for the Elves, who were bound to the World Tree and had to protect their homeland, this was a battle for the survival of their future lives.

Therefore, their tension and rigid expressions were all natural.

At that moment, another voice came from Kale Heniatus’s right.

“This is war for us as well.”

Kale Heniatus’s gaze, which had been on Zit to his left, shifted to his right. There, the Dark Elf Tasha approached with Merry.

“We have also completed our preparations.”

She said this to Kale Heniatus and gave a slight nod toward Alberu through the communication crystal.
Alberu returned the nod and observed the Dark Elves standing behind Tasha.

Numerous Dark Elf Warriors emanated an aura of both tension and composure.
Though their numbers were far fewer than the Elves, they radiated the presence of those who had emerged victorious from countless battles.

They were among the magnificent sights that captivated Alberu’s gaze and sent a thrill through him.
Then Alberu spotted someone in this place who was particularly tense and particularly excited.

-Is that person a Spirit Summoner?
“Yes.”

A Spirit Summoner—a rare existence indeed. Beside him floated a faint crimson wisp of energy.
Kale’s gaze turned toward them, and when the Spirit Summoner Solly’s eyes met Kale’s, he gripped the straps of the bag on his back tightly and bowed his head respectfully.

I had decided to bring Solly along for this battle.
The Wind Spirit’s words to me as I held the spinning top in my hand explained the reason.

‘Chaos, destruction, war! To purify dead mana! And to counter the Dark Spirit’s power! The Baby Fire Spirit must go! Both Solly and the Baby Fire Spirit are mentally prepared!’

The Baby Fire Spirit, which possessed destruction as its attribute and claimed it could burn not only dead mana but also the Dark Spirit’s power—unlike other Fire Spirits.
If those words were true, then it would be the one who would suffer the most alongside me in these two wars, and it was absolutely essential that it come with us.

I surveyed my surroundings carefully, starting with Solly.
Numerous Elves and Dark Elves were visible.

“Your Highness.”

By the lakeside stood the Elf Priestess Adite, and behind her were the Tribal Chiefs from various Elf Villages.

“The World Tree wishes you safe travels and asks for your care. And I too humbly request your favor.”

Adite bowed slightly as she spoke, and I nodded in acknowledgment.

“I’ll handle this as quickly as possible and return.”

Then I turned my gaze toward Alberu in the communication crystal and opened my mouth.

“I’ll be going.”
-Yes, I’ll begin as well.

With those words, the video communication with Alberu ended, and his companions approached Kale’s side.

-Human! I brought Choi Han and Vicross!

Choi Han and Vicross took the places where Zit and Tasha had been, and Kale spoke to them and the Elves and Dark Elves above the lake.

“We’re heading to the Eastern Continent.”

A massive force began to move for war.

* * *

Beneath the Molden Mountain Range.
A small village with no proper name. Yet the people called it the Ghost Village. For the village’s very purpose was to turn certain people’s lives into ghosts.

Awooo—
The cry of a beast echoed through the village.

“Ugh, I really can’t sleep!”

One of the Ghost Village’s guards and watchers rose from his bed, running his fingers through his hair.
He gazed out the window.

“Do these damn mutts never sleep?”
“Just… sleep.”

His colleague on the adjacent bed mumbled while tossing beneath the blanket.
Yet the watchman furrowed his brow, observing the outside with a piercing gaze.

The Ghost Village.
For the past several years, the villagers had taken to calling it the Dog Village among themselves.

Stray dogs had suddenly flooded into the village in great numbers. However, these strays were all docile and prevented other wild beasts from invading, so the villagers had welcomed them quite warmly.

And for the past few days, these gentle dogs had been appearing particularly frequently throughout the village.

Awoooo—
Once again, the sound of a dog’s howl echoed through the night.

“…These damn mutts bark in shifts every single night!”
“You’re the one making noise! If you’re going to complain, take it outside!”

My companion’s irritation had fully awakened me, so I simply rose from the bedroom and stepped outside. I carelessly grabbed a bottle of liquor from the nearby table and shuffled over to the sofa, settling down with a sigh.

“Damn, this is suffocating.”

How much longer would I have to remain in this village, watching Sophies and her subordinates?

“We could just kill them. His Majesty the King has far too soft a heart.”

I felt pity for Elysnet I, who cherished her younger sibling, and fury toward Sophies for opposing her. I brought the bottle to my lips.

The liquor was potent, and warmth spread through my chest in an instant.
That was when it happened.

Awoooo—
Awoo—oooo—

“Cough, what the—?”

I spit out the liquor and bolted upright from my seat.

“Have these mutts gone mad?”

Awoooo— ooooo—
Woof, woof woof!

From all directions, the sound of dogs barking erupted in unison.

“Damn it! What’s going on?”

Startled, I clutched the bottle and threw open the door to the watchers’ quarters, stepping out into the night. A crisp, cold wind swept across me.
My brow furrowed with irritation.

“Where is all this barking coming from?”

It happened in that instant.

Kuuuuu—
The ground trembled.

“Huh? What’s happening? Why is the ground shaking?”

The wooden palisade encircling the small village.
It had been erected to prevent Sophies’ former retainers from escaping and to ward off wild beasts.

A colossal wall of earth rose up and breached the wooden palisade.

“Insane…!”
“What in the world is this?”
“Why is the ground suddenly—?”

Lights flickered on throughout the village as people rushed outside. Naturally, the quarters where the overseers remained also lit up.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

A colleague approached the man who had emerged outside, demanding answers about the situation. Yet the man was too bewildered to respond.

Kuuuung— Kuuung—
The ground shook as the earthen wall rose and surged forward.
And atop that wall, figures descended into view.

“…Elves?”

They were not human.
And there were far more than just one or two Elves.

“Kyaaaah!”

Simultaneously, a scream pierced the air followed by an explosion.

“…The communication post!”

It was a facility housing a video communication chamber—one utterly incongruous with such a rural village.
The scream moments before had belonged to the Mage who operated that communication chamber. The overseers’ eyes trembled as they realized this, their gaze snapping toward the Elves ascending the earthen wall.

“…Elves attacked a human village?”

The moment the Administrator muttered those words.
Kale’s voice crackled through the communication device clutched in the hand of the first Elf to scale the earthen wall.

-Restrain all the Administrators.

The village, encircled by earthen walls.
All connections to the outside world were severed and would remain so.
Kale, commander of the Roan Kingdom and simultaneously commander of this Elf and Dark Elf legion, had issued his order. The Elf who heard it opened his mouth.

“If you wish to live, follow our every command!”

Simultaneously, Elf Warriors vaulted over the earthen wall, passed through the wooden palisade, and infiltrated the village. The Administrators began falling into their grasp.
It was not difficult for the Elf Warriors to identify the Administrators.

“This one!”
“These ones!”

Sophies’ people, who had been under surveillance, pointed out the Administrators.

From yesterday through this night, visitors had come to their homes.
All were dogs with papers clenched between their teeth. The master of those dogs had sent orders to the subordinates confined within these walls.
They began executing the first command by pointing out the Administrators.

“Go to the communication post!”
“Search the guard barracks!”

The Administrator, Knights, nobles, and handmaidens who had followed Sophies moved to carry out their respective orders.
Simultaneously, dogs stood beside the Administrators they had failed to identify.

“Have these dogs gone mad!”
“Woof, woof!”

The dogs revealed the Administrators to the Elves.

“Aaahhh!”
“Why are the Elves—!”
“You think the Kingdom will let this slide! Grrgh!”

Screams of the Watchers erupted from all corners, their cries reverberating through the village.
And upon the hill overlooking the entire spectacle below.

Knock, knock, knock.
Kale Heniatus rapped his knuckles against the door.
The door swung open moments later, revealing Sophies.

“The sight I have long awaited.”

Kale Heniatus gestured toward the world beyond the threshold as he spoke.

“Shall we depart for the Capital?”

Sophies approached Kale Heniatus’s side with an elegant smile gracing her lips.
There, a teleportation magic circle blazed with radiant light.

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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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