Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 517

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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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The seat where the King sits.
The chair positioned directly one step below it.
Alberu sat there, gazing down at the officials stationed below the stairs.

“Your Majesty! An urgent request has arrived from the Northwestern Region from the Magic Corps!”

Albert Crossman listened to his subordinates’ reports with his eyes closed.

“We must send additional forces to them at once! It appears that those who seem to be subordinates of the White Star are planning to attack Marquis Taylor Sten’s territory!”
“The Magic Corps and Knights Order currently dispatched to the Northwestern Region cannot stop the enemy’s assault on their own, they say!”

Reports flooded the grand hall—first that the number of White Star subordinates who had infiltrated Northwestern Roan was considerably larger than anticipated, and then that their strength was formidable.

“We must send forces immediately to protect Sten Territory!”

Meanwhile, there were those who objected to such words.

“That’s impossible! The moment we dispatch more forces to the Northwestern Region, the troops defending the Capital will be reduced!”
“We are currently in wartime! We cannot reduce the Capital’s forces!”

A general contorted his face as he raised his voice.

“Then are we abandoning Sten Territory?”
“That’s not what I’m saying! The Capital is a place that cannot fall, so we must keep the forces here as they are! Rather, wouldn’t it be better to requisition troops from other regions and send them to the Northwestern Region?”
“Is that even a suggestion? That won’t work! The forces we have to counter the White Star Faction are insufficient with mere provincial fiefdom armies!”

One could not stop a massive tempest with straw.
If they sent provincial armies as he suggested, they would likely only lose innocent soldiers’ lives without even dealing a blow to the White Star Faction.

“But we cannot withdraw more forces from the Capital.”

The official shook his head with a stern expression.

“The Capital and this place are the center through which all of Roan flows. If this falls, the entire command structure collapses.”

The official’s gaze slipped toward Alberu before returning.

‘…If the White Star came to the Capital instead of Sten Territory and something happened to him, it would be catastrophic.’

That outcome had to be prevented at all costs.
Roan’s growth and stability depended entirely on Albert Crossman standing firm at its center.

Yet from the perspective of the opposing bureaucrats, they could not simply allow Sten Territory to crumble.

‘…This is our first proper battle against the White Star. If we show weakness here, the war ahead will become far more difficult!’

Moreover, morale would plummet.
They could not stand by and watch that happen.

“You said you believed the item the White Star seeks is in the Northwestern Region? He will surely head there, so we must defend that location first!”

The official engaged in debate with him struck his chest in frustration as he spoke.

“But what if those enemies exploit the Capital’s vulnerability and assault the Royal Palace itself?! If His Majesty comes to harm, who will take responsibility?!”

The official who had spoken realized his misstep and fell silent.
He had been far too direct.

For a moment, the others ceased speaking as well, and silence blanketed the chamber.
Everyone was gauging Alberu’s reaction.
Then the official who had made the slip gathered himself and opened his mouth again.

“Your Highness. The Capital must not fall.

More precisely, the King and Alberu within the Royal Palace must not be captured by the enemy.
Another official then spoke up.

“…Then what do you propose?”

No one answered that question.

Sten Territory was also part of Roan’s domain and had to be defended.
It would be ideal if they could hope for it to endure through their own strength like House Heniatus, but House Heniatus was exceptional—such a feat was realistically impossible.

Yet they could not reduce the Capital’s forces either.
The Roan Kingdom, more than any other power, understood the White Star’s strength all too well.

‘And right now, Young Master Kale Heniatus and his subordinates aren’t even here!’

The strongest forces had departed from Roan.
Naturally, the bureaucrats’ concerns could only deepen.
That was when it happened.

“What you’re all discussing comes down to two matters.”

Alberu’s lips, which had been sealed shut, finally parted.

“The first is that Sten Territory must not fall in battle and be seized by the White Star Faction. Thus, additional troops must be dispatched.”

Amid the busy signals of the video communication device, the retainers gazed at Alberu with tense eyes.

“The other concern is this: if troops are dispatched in such a manner, you fear the enemy might exploit the reduced garrison and invade the Capital to seize the Royal Palace.”

Soon Alberu would choose one of the two matters the retainers had been debating.
The retainers could not help but feel tension, uncertain what decision he would make.

“So the question becomes whether the White Star Faction is targeting the Northwestern Roan, or whether they’re targeting me and His Majesty.”

A retainer listening carefully opened his mouth with caution.

“Your Highness. As you know, losing a single fiefdom is manageable. But if the supreme leader vanishes, that organization will inevitably crumble. Furthermore, should you become a hostage of the White Star Faction, the likelihood that all of Roan would be dragged along is high. That must be avoided.”

He spoke with conviction.

“Therefore, we must instruct Sten Territory to hold out as long as possible, and strengthen the Capital’s defenses in preparation for when they fall.”

Alberu, who had been regarding him with an unmoved gaze, opened his mouth.

“Tell me—when Sten Territory falls, do only the lands get taken?”

The retainer’s words caught in his throat.
Alberu continued speaking calmly as he observed the man’s reaction.

“The lives and homes of the kingdom’s people living in that territory will be lost first.”

That could not be allowed.
A smile played at the corners of his lips.

“You all deliberate deeply, but when you think about it clearly, it’s a simple problem. The answer is quite straightforward.”

In that moment, one of the retainers, catching onto Alberu’s thoughts, hastily opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty! I understand what Your Majesty is thinking. But that is—!”

He could not continue his words.
Alberu raised his hand, silencing him.
Instead, Alberu continued with what he had been saying.

“Since we don’t know what the White Star desires, let us gather both of the things he might want in one place.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty, that cannot be done!”
“Why can’t it be done?”

At the cold gleam in Alberu’s eyes, the retainers fell silent.
Alberu then regarded each of the retainers around him slowly, one by one.

‘The White Star will either target the Northwestern Region or come after me.’

Looking at how the situation was unfolding, that much was clear.

Because if the White Star intended to take the ‘power’ he sought from the Northwest and leave, there would be no need for such a commotion.
He could simply infiltrate in secret, steal the power without being detected as much as possible, and depart.

Yet he now reveals his subordinates and threatens the Sten Territory.
What could that possibly mean?

‘…It means his information is lacking.’

The White Star surely did not know the exact location of that ‘power’.
If that were the case, there were two courses of action he might take.

One was to seize all the lands suspected of holding that power and search through them one by one.
The other was to capture someone who might know where that power lay and extract the information.

And in Roan without Kale Heniatus, the one most likely to understand where that power lay would be the one receiving reports from Kale Heniatus himself.
Alberu decided to willingly play along with the White Star’s assumptions.

“Do you truly believe me to be weak?”

After all, the White Star would know little of Alberu’s true nature.

“Then you labor under a grave misconception.”

He issued his command to his retainers.

“The troops. And myself.”

Alberu rose from his seat.

“We march together.”

He gestured to the servant standing before the door.
Creak—
The door swung open, and servants stationed outside entered the grand hall bearing the object Alberu had commanded them to fetch.

“Ah…”

The retainers could not suppress their gasps upon seeing what entered the grand hall.
Alberu descended the dais and crossed through his retainers to stand before the servants.
More precisely, he stood before the object they had brought.

He ran his hand across it.
It was armor bearing the symbol of Roan.
Armor etched with the radiant sun rising between cliffs.
As he caressed the armor, he commanded his retainers.

“We depart shortly. Make ready with all haste.”

The retainers clenched their eyes shut or steadied their resolve, bowing deeply.

They understood the moment the armor entered this grand hall.

Their leader.
The Crown Prince had already decided to head to the battlefield before coming here.

He had already made all his decisions before the meeting even began.

They bowed at the waist and answered to Alberu’s command.

“We accept your orders!”

Albert Crossman.
His first battle since setting out was about to begin.

* * *

My feet sank deeper with each step.

“…This is maddening!”

Bud finally cursed under his breath and quickened his pace, striding forward several steps faster.

“Get on my back.”
“Ugh, huff. I’m fine—”

Without waiting for a response, Bud hoisted the rat-like Pae onto his shoulders despite his protests.

“Ugh, really, I’m fine, Captain.”
“Quiet.”

Though Pae was small in stature, he carried considerable weight, and Bud’s feet sank even deeper into the snow with each labored step.

“Damn it.”

My nose itched.
As I unconsciously twitched my nose, Elf Soros approached and spoke to me.

“Are they drawing near?”

His expression was urgent.
Soros’s face, asking if the enemies were approaching, was drenched in sweat. Saint Jack clung to his back.

“I apologize. I should be using more of my healing power.”

Bud immediately shook his head.

“No, Saint Jack. Because you’ve been using your power all this time, no one has fallen behind. Besides, your strength is needed elsewhere.”

Saint Jack offered a gentle smile while his apology lingered in his eyes.
Yet he couldn’t stop glancing nervously over his shoulder.

Bud bit his lip at the sight.
Then a voice rang out from the very front of the column.

“Clouds are gathering!”

Bud’s gaze snapped forward.
Those who were still relatively uninjured all carried the wounded or exhausted on their backs.
At the very front of the group were two figures.

The Mollan Family Elder among them cried out toward the sky.

“A blizzard may be coming!”

Bud’s eyes followed suit, lifting toward the heavens.

Dark clouds were rolling in.
The weather on the Snowy Mountain changed by the moment. Soon this mountain might be engulfed in a blizzard.

Turning his gaze back to the front, Bud’s eyes met those of Vicross, who stood beside the Mollan Family Elder.
Vicross called out to his allies.

“We just need to turn that corner. We can escape this place.”

Bud sensed Pae hesitate at those words.
Pae murmured.

“…Beyond that corner is a cliff?”

Bud also faltered momentarily, but he moved when Vicross moved.
Everyone pushed forward with all their remaining strength.

They could not stop.
They could not afford to waste even a moment of this precious time.

‘It’s almost time.’

Vicross felt the same urgency.
He thought of those following behind him.

‘I must lead them.’

Vicross was the one responsible for this evacuation. Therefore, he found himself in a paradoxical situation—he had to be both cautious and hasty simultaneously.

‘Originally, it’s a cliff!’

He could now sense that the precipice was drawing near.
And so he opened his mouth.

“Increase our pace!”

He quickened his stride.
And finally, he rounded the corner marked on the map and reached the first destination.

“This is a cliff! We must stop!”

Pae’s voice rang out from the rear.
And as he had anticipated, everyone came to a halt.

Thud. Thud.
Bud rounded the corner last, and Pae, carried on his back, was able to reach the cliff’s edge.

“Ah.”

A gasp escaped Pae’s lips.
In that moment, Vicross spoke calmly.

“This is the closest point connecting this mountain to the one in the west.”

The cliff before them and the cliff of the opposite mountain directly ahead did not quite touch, but the distance between them was the shortest possible.

Pae muttered without realizing it.

“…A bridge.”

And now the two cliffs were connected.
Vicross’s voice grew firm.

“We are grateful.”

Standing where he bowed were two Mages.

“Not at all. Since this is the Tower Master’s command, we must ensure it is done properly.”
“We have been waiting. We came upon Rosalind’s orders. We too ask for your cooperation.”

Rosalind, who had descended the Snowy Mountain to find Kale’s group out of curiosity, had not come alone.

While separated from Kale’s group, she had spent most of her time at the Roan Royal Palace.
And during that time, she had made extensive preparations.

Preparations for her own goal—the Magic Tower.
And she was currently bringing part of that plan to fruition.

As a result, several Mages had begun to remain by Rosalind’s side. They were those who wished to support her vision.

The Mage pointed to the empty space beyond the cliff where there should have been nothing.

“It is an ice bridge that we and Rosalind created together.”

A bridge now existed where empty space should have been.

“It is an ice bridge capable of supporting approximately 500 people. So please proceed without worry. There are also magical formations in place for any unforeseen circumstances, so you need not be concerned.”

Bud gazed beyond the massive, sturdy ice bridge.
Mages who had come with Rosalind were stationed there as well.

Then Vicross’s voice rang out.

“Those carrying the wounded will cross first in order, guided by our Molan Family personnel.”

The people began crossing the bridge swiftly.
Bud watched from the rear, waiting for his turn to cross.

Patter.
Then, he looked up upon seeing something white falling into his palm.
At the same moment, the Mollan Family Elder and the Mage raised their voices.

“Let’s hurry! We don’t know when the snow will turn into a blizzard!”
“Check the ice bridge’s stability and increase our pace!”

The situation grew more urgent.
Bud found himself glancing backward without thinking.
Vicross approached him and opened his mouth.

“It will be fine.”

Bud closed his eyes tightly.

“That’s right. We’ll manage it.”

Saint Jack whispered to himself, his voice calm yet filled with earnest longing.

“…Everyone will be safe.”

Saint Jack thought of his younger sister, Hana.
She was not here.

Nor was she alone in that absence.
Ron, the children, Rosalind, Choi Han.
And Kale Heniatus as well.
None of them were here.
They had separated from the group earlier and were now waiting for the enemies to approach.

Patter. Patter.
The snow began to fall more heavily.

Jack, along with Bud and Vicross, gazed toward the rear and earnestly hoped for their companions’ swift return.

* * *

“…It’s time for the enemy to arrive. Shouldn’t we head out soon?”

The moment Hana spoke in a low murmur, everyone’s gaze turned downward.
They were currently hidden in a position overlooking the area below, waiting for their enemies.

“Damn it! Did this blizzard just come out of nowhere?”

At Kale’s words, Choi Han looked toward him.
Despite the rough, irritated tone, his eyes gleamed with intensity.

But Kale didn’t return Choi Han’s gaze, instead watching the increasingly fierce snowfall and the darkening sky.
He murmured softly.

“…It will sweep them away properly.”

The snow that would overturn the enemies would soon begin.
By nature’s hand.
And by mine.

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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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