Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 52

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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 12. Lost in Thought

I considered my options.

‘Should I just bolt?’

But the Whale Tribe member’s eyes were fixed directly on my face with unwavering focus. His grip tightened—I could hear the sharp crack as his fingers gouged deeper into the cave floor. Even on death’s door, his grip strength was formidable.

A question surfaced in my mind.

‘A Whale Tribe member poisoned by mermaid venom?’

One word flickered through my consciousness.
Hybrid.
That was the only answer.

Suddenly, passages from “The Birth of a Hero” surfaced in my mind. The Whale Tribe, with numbers as sparse as dragons themselves. There were no hybrids among them.

‘But there was one dead hybrid, wasn’t there?’

My brow furrowed slightly. I wrestled with the dilemma.

“Cough…”

The Whale Tribe member could no longer crawl forward. He lay trembling on the ground. Then, the Black Dragon’s voice echoed in my mind.

-Human, will you simply leave him?

The Black Dragon posed the question subtly. I didn’t answer, rising to my feet instead. Pointless sympathy, extending an unnecessary hand—that was something I refused to do.

“Hey.”

I approached the hybrid Whale-man and crouched before him. The prone figure lifted his head.
A long-haired man. True to his Whale Tribe heritage, his devastatingly beautiful features—the kind that could turn elves and squids alike green with envy—fixed upon me.

“…save me…”

To such a plea, I responded with cold indifference.

“Yes. I’ll save him.”

A Hybrid Whale-man. If my assumption was correct, this creature might find living more painful than death. He surely knew that himself.
I recalled the conversation the Whale King had shared with Rak.

“You are a pureblooded Wolf Tribe member.”
“Why is that?”
“My child is not pureblooded.”
“Hmm? Wasn’t your sister pureblooded?”
“Not her. I had a son. He was not pureblooded. So… he suffered greatly. He was too weak to live in the sea.”
“Then he lived on land?”
“No. Being worthless, he departed this world before me.”

The Mediator of the Sea and King of the Whale Tribe. He possessed blue hair and eyes. The face of the one now before me was obscured by darkness, but it matched the description of the Whale King almost perfectly.
I spoke while gazing into those ocean-blue eyes.

“Sleep for now. When you wake, everything will be fine.”

The blue eyes blinked slowly several times before the eyelids closed. I watched the unconscious Hybrid Whale-man for a moment, then approached and examined his legs.

“How is it?”

As the Hybrid Whale-man lost consciousness, the Black Dragon emerged from the shadows and approached. It conjured a small sphere of light. The legs became clearly visible.

“It’s a mess.”

Whale Tribe skin was extraordinarily thick and resilient. Despite their smooth, flawless appearance, it was incredibly strong. But hybrids lacked that advantage. That’s why the mermaid’s venom had penetrated through the skin.
The Black Dragon regarded me with a peculiar expression as I examined the man.

“…You are a truly strange human. Strange despite your weakness.”
“Spare me the commentary.”

I pointed to the man and issued an instruction to the Black Dragon.

“Submerge him in water.”
“…Did you lie?”

Shock washed over the Black Dragon’s face. A reptile’s expression of astonishment was quite severe.

“You said you’d save me. Human, you’re weak, but you keep your promises, don’t you? And now you want me submerged in water! Are you trying to drown me?!”

A deep sigh escaped Kale’s lips. He reached out and grasped one of the luminous orbs drifting aimlessly through the air. It wasn’t hot.

“It’s to save you.”

He added further.

“Once we submerge that bastard, remember the corpse we saw during the day?”
“…What exactly are you trying to make me do?”
“What do you mean ‘make’? Just cut off one of the corpse’s arms and bring it.”

The Black Dragon’s mouth fell open. Kale paid it no mind and headed deeper into the cave. After all, the Black Dragon was the type that wouldn’t voice objections even if he acted this way.

“…Fine. I’ll do it.”

As expected, the Black Dragon was obedient. Kale didn’t look back and continued toward the cave’s interior. He needed to finish this quickly and return before the village grew noisy.

The cave wasn’t deep. It ended quickly.

‘Found it.’

The opportunity Tunka had discovered. It was a ‘small pool’. Kale retrieved one of the items he’d brought in his wetsuit pocket. It was an alarm device—a magical apparatus that would alert him if anyone approached this area.

‘I’ll pick it up before we leave.’

Kale collected a small amount of water from the pool in a glass vial.

‘Water that suppresses fire.’

Ordinarily, water is strong against fire. But this water’s strength carried a different meaning. If Rak brought back the item and I soaked it in this water, allowing its properties to permeate through, something extraordinarily rare would be born.

A treasure that would save the withering jungle.

Kale returned to the cave entrance. In the time he’d been gone, the Black Dragon stood there with an uncomfortable expression, holding one of the mermaid’s arms, while the Hybrid Whale-man was completely submerged in water.

“Let’s go.”

At Kale’s command, the Black Dragon sighed and flew the Hybrid Whale-man, the mermaid’s arm, and Kale back to the residence.

The moment Kale returned to the residence, he was greeted enthusiastically by On and Hong.

“You’re back at just the right time!”
“The butler has been knocking on the door so hard just now!”

Even without the cats saying anything, I could hear Hans’s voice from beyond the door. He sounded nearly on the verge of tears.

“Young Master, you said you’d kill me if I woke you, so I’ve been knocking instead. Young Master, would you please open the door?”

Kale stripped off his wetsuit and pulled out a device from his magic box, tossing it to the Black Dragon. Then, throwing on a bathrobe, I flung the door open.

“Young Master, Amir asked me to check if she’s safe. So please wake up and open the door-”
“Why?”
“Oh, Young Master! …Were you bathing?”

Brushing back my wet hair, I answered Hans’s question languidly.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I was soaking in the saltwater bath here.”
“Ah, so you were in the bathroom. Then since you weren’t sleeping, I suppose I won’t die after all.”
“…Is that so?”
“I apologize, Young Master.”

After clearing his throat with a soft cough, Hans examined Kale and spoke.

“You’re not injured anywhere, are you? Things are in quite an uproar outside. After those loud explosions earlier, something seems to have happened in the sea.”

Kale gazed out the window through which I had entered. Despite the late hour, the village was now completely lit up. And I could see lights heading toward the sea.
With development just around the corner, it seemed Amir had boldly ventured into the sea despite the whirlpools.

“There was quite a loud noise. But I couldn’t determine exactly what happened?”
“Amir said she was heading out to sea. I believe we’ll understand soon enough.”

Amir would likely be exultant.
The whirlpools of the Central Island had vanished. That alone would cause the value of this sea to skyrocket.

“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Then go.”

Kale issued the dismissal order coldly, and Hans bowed respectfully before quickly leaving the room. At the same moment, the Black Dragon deactivated the invisibility magic device, revealing himself alongside the Hybrid Whale-man, who had one mermaid arm resting on the boat’s edge.

On and Hong, upon seeing the mermaid arm, remained motionless in the corner of the room. The cats were unnecessarily timid.

Kale went to the bathroom and returned with a basin filled with seawater from the saltwater bath. The Black Dragon watched this curiously, but Kale paid no mind and submerged one of the mermaid arms into the seawater.

Ssshhhhh—

A sound like something burning erupted, but in reality, the withered arm rapidly expanded and regained its proper form. At the corpse’s dramatic transformation, On and Hong dove straight under the bed to hide.
The corpse would expand like this before rapidly decomposing. Kale observed the Whale-man’s legs. Unlike before, they were now mixed with seawater and a greenish viscous fluid.

Kale drew his blade.
In that instant, the unconscious man’s eyelids trembled, and his body began to twitch.

“He’s about to wake up? Human, put the blade away!”

The Black Dragon shouted, and the man’s eyes opened. At that moment, Kale raised his blade high. Kale smiled reassuringly at the Hybrid Whale-man whose eyes had met his. The Whale-man’s pupils wavered.
The blade moved.

Thunk.

The blade pierced the mermaid arm’s skin and sliced through it. Liquid flowed from the wound—mermaid blood. The moment it touched the seawater, the mermaid blood was restored to its original state.
Kale spoke to the man whose pupils were trembling.

“Perfect.”

The flowing blood dripped onto the Whale-man’s legs. Ssshhhhh. The greenish fluid on his legs began to evaporate as it mixed with the mermaid blood.
Kale extended the arm, blood still flowing from it, toward the man.

“Drink it before the blood rots. That’s the direct cure.”

Back in Volume 5, this was the treatment method Rosalind had discovered to save Rak after he was injured when she recklessly charged at a mermaid. It was still an unknown method.

The man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, had trembling pupils. On, Hong, and the Black Dragon felt the same.
Yet in the end, the man recovered. He had drunk the blood.
He had witnessed the greenish fluid disappearing from his legs.

Observing the Hybrid Whale-man with a somewhat hollow expression, Kale said what he needed to say.

“Why? Isn’t it you who created this arm, this corpse?”

The man’s expression hardened. Kale let out a quiet laugh at the sight. Here he was, covered in mermaid essence, looking flustered when asked if he’d killed them. It was almost pathetic.
Kale dropped the final drops of mermaid blood onto the Hybrid Whale-man’s legs, then plunged the arm into the basin. In the saltwater, it began to decompose and dissolve. Watching it intently, Kale spoke.

“If you’re a whale, you need to return to the sea by morning at the latest to fully recover your strength. Go on your own once you wake.”

The man’s face turned cold. A sharpness emanated from him—different from Choi Han’s, but equally cutting. It was the distinctive edge of someone who had lived his entire life being compared to others, regarded as inferior to his own kind.

“How did you know I was a whale?”
“Who else would kill three mermaids like that?”
“…I must return to my homeland.”

Kale sensed he was about to hear some unnecessary story and waved his hand dismissively.

“I have no interest in hearing your pointless tale.”

So he hadn’t asked for a name, nor had he shown the man to Hans.

“You asked me to save your life, and I agreed to do so. That’s all there is to it.”

Kale collapsed onto the bed. He should have showered, but exhaustion took precedence.

“I’m sleeping. Leave quietly.”

Kale closed his eyes. With the Dragon present, there was no danger. He recalled the final words the Whale King had spoken to Rak.

【”That’s why I don’t want to lose any more family.”】

Kim Rok-soo, who had lost his entire family, had indulged in a moment of meddling. Of course, he had no intention of losing anything in return.

A benefactor to the king. Whether it was the current Whale King or the woman who would become one in the future, this favor could prove useful when they eventually met.
Moreover, above all else, the Whale Tribe had to win in any conflict with the mermaids. With a peaceful mind, Kale drifted to sleep. And the next morning, Phaethon was already gone.

The red cat Hong reported the news.

“He said he’d come back again at night.”
“There’s no real need to—”

I trailed off and shrugged my shoulders. But moments later, a deeper sense of doubt washed over me—wondering if all this was truly necessary.

“Young Master Kale! I came early this morning because I wanted to share some amazing news with you!”

Amir’s face was radiant with joy—a rare sight from someone usually so composed. She had just come from the seaside and arrived with her entourage dressed in rain cloaks.

“Do you know what the news is?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea.”

Unlike the excited Amir, I remained composed. Or rather, somewhat reluctant.

“The Whirlpools—the Whirlpools in front of the Central Island have disappeared! Without a trace in just one day!”

I did that. I turned my gaze away without being able to speak of what I had done. Beside Amir stood that skilled Fisherman and his knights.
And Tunka was there.

A man with long, tawny hair stretched like a lion’s mane, just as the book had described. With a savage appearance that looked capable of swatting an orc’s cheek clean off, he smacked his lips and muttered.

“What a shame. I wanted to dive into that Whirlpool once. Should I dive into something else instead?”

Truly, that was the kind of thing only a madman like Tunka would say.
Then Amir spoke to me with an animated voice.

“Young Master! Since the Heniatus Count Family is our investor, I’d like to show you that sight. The peaceful waters before Ubar. Would you come with us to the Central Island?”

Until someone from the Heniatus Count Family arrived, I needed to show some level of commitment to this matter. I drew a gentle smile as I looked at Amir. And I asked.

“Will all of these people be going together?”
“Yes.”

At Amir’s firm answer, the corner of my mouth twitched slightly.
Amir, who didn’t notice that twitch and only saw the gentle smile, pointed to Tunka and spoke.

“Ah, you haven’t met this person before, have you? He’s the one who nearly got caught in the Whirlpools before. Sir Pae, this is Young Master Kale Heniatus.”

Rice? Kale’s expression became peculiar.
Tunka drew a smile across his fierce face. It was more terrifying than an ogre’s.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Bob.”

Bob. Even when using an alias, Tunka always chose something ridiculous like this.

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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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