Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 533

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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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Kale wiped his tired face with both hands.

“Lord Kale. I understand. Maintaining composure while facing the White Star, and simultaneously acting out the pitiful appearance of a young boy—it is an extraordinarily difficult task. I dare not even imagine such difficulty.”
“Choi Han! It’s not that you can’t imagine it—you simply can’t act! If you try, it’ll be a disaster!”

Kale ignored the exchange between Raon and Choi Han, tossing his words dismissively toward Duke Fredo.

“Get on with it.”

His voice, laden with annoyance, came across as remarkably cold.
Choi Han and Raon fell silent, while Duke Fredo smiled leisurely and opened his mouth.

“You’re asking me to explain where the space is that transforms the White Star into a Demon, correct?”

Kale didn’t bother answering, as if questioning the obvious.

“Mm.”

Duke Fredo stroked his chin with his hand and continued speaking casually.

“There is one noble who did not come here today.”

Kale already knew who that person was.

“The one with the fan?”
“Yes. That man is both a noble and, simultaneously, a priest.”

Duke Fredo stated that his name was Gersei.

“Before I explain about him, I should first explain about the Endable Kingdom itself.”

The Duke turned his gaze toward the window.
A massive chasm existing in the Northern Eastern Continent.

“The Endable Kingdom is divided into several layers. Among them, the place classified as the capital Endable is known to span from the 1st Layer at the very bottom to a total of 3 Layers.”

Within this deep pit of the Endable Kingdom, the lowest layer was referred to as Zone 1.

“Zone 1 here is where the Royal Palace and the mansions of the Four Founding Nobles are located.”

Of course, there were various other facilities, including the Market.
However, given the presence of the Royal Palace and the Four Founding Nobles, this place could be said to be the most important in the Endable Kingdom.

“Are there only these four nobles?”
“Yes. For now.”

For now?
Duke Fredo’s lips curved upward at the questioning gleam in Kale’s eyes.

“My lord is quite a cunning person, I must say.”
“Why?”
“There are currently ‘Nobility Candidates’ in existence. The moment the Endable Kingdom steps out into the world and achieves the White Star’s primary objective, they will immediately become nobles.”

Nobility Candidates.
Kale’s expression shifted subtly, and his mouth opened.

“The White Star is channeling the desires of those who wish to become nobles into full power.”
“Precisely. A total of ninety-six formidable individuals—powerful beings who have never been revealed to this world.”

Ninety-six powerful individuals in total.
Choi Han’s shoulders tensed.

“Of course, they are considerably weaker than me.”

Duke Fredo flashed a grin, but Kale ignored it.

“Stop grinning uselessly and just speak.”
“Understood. Ah, our son is quite particular, isn’t he?”

Kale, Raon, and Choi Han all glared at him simultaneously.

“Ahem. Let me continue.”

Duke Fredo promptly returned to the original topic.

“The most central area is the 1st Layer. Above it, on the 2nd Layer, there are numerous Temples serving the Demonic Realm.”

Just as there were multiple gods, there were multiple demons, and temples existed for each demon they served.
The third floor housed various infrastructure and residential facilities coexisting together.

“In any case, Gersei, the Marquis, is the one who manages and leads the priests. He’s the High Priest.”

Duke Fredo paused for a moment.
A sinister smile, different from before, spread across his lips.

“He’s the one managing the device that transforms the White Star into a demon.”

Duke Fredo’s finger slowly pointed downward.

“Beneath this Zone 1. An underground chamber exists.”

A flicker of interest crossed Kale’s eyes.

“Is the device that creates demons located there?”
“Yes. I’ve only been there three times myself. Gersei and the White Star visit that place at regular intervals.”

Kale’s brow furrowed in an instant.

“If even you’ve only been there three times, how are we supposed to infiltrate it easily?”

Kale’s objective was to destroy that place.
But if infiltration itself proved difficult, that would be a problem.

“My son. Your father is quite a capable vampire, you know.”
“Stop spouting useless nonsense.”

Fredo brushed off Kale’s words lightly and continued speaking.

“Besides Gersei and the White Star, there’s one more person who can freely access that place.”

Hmm?
A person?

“The Vice High Priest.”

A cunning smile formed at the corners of Fredo’s mouth in that instant.

-Human! That’s such an unsettling smile! Ah! Humans smile like that too!

And Kale smiled in exactly the same way.

Vice High Priest.
Doesn’t it feel right?
Kale opened his mouth.

“That person wants to become a Priest, doesn’t she?”
“Yes. And she wants to become a Marquis too.”
“Then should we remove Gersei from his position?”
“Or we could just kill him?”

Remove from position or death.
Kale savored those words in his mind before opening his mouth.

“I’ll bring the Vice High Priest into this matter.”
“Right. Our intentions align perfectly.”

Fredo cast aside his languid gaze and gradually kindled heat in his eyes.

“Together with her, I’ll infiltrate that place without anyone knowing. After that, I’ll destroy the device and slip away secretly.”
“Wait.”

At that moment, Kale stopped Duke Fredo mid-sentence.

“I have a question.”
“If it’s a parent’s role to answer a child’s questions, then I’ll gladly resolve my son’s doubts.”

Kale ignored Fredo’s trite remark and asked.

“This task seems like it doesn’t require ‘me’ at all, does it?”

Infiltrate secretly, destroy the device, and escape without anyone knowing.
That simple plan could be executed by others besides Kale and his companions.

“No. I need you.”

Duke Fredo’s expression hardened.

“Those who belong to the Endable Kingdom are cursed and cannot destroy the device.”

He explained the ‘curse’ that only the Four Founding Nobles, the White Star, and the Vice High Priest knew about—something the other kingdom citizens were unaware of.

“To formally enter this kingdom, one must undergo a ‘rite of passage.'”
“Is that when you cast the curse?”
“Yes. The curse itself is quite simple.”

His finger pointed downward once more.

“They cannot destroy the device in the underground chamber meant for our great work.”
“And except for a few, they don’t even realize they’re cursed?”
“Exactly. They only think it’s a simple rite of passage.”

Kale pointed to himself with his finger.

“So that’s why you need me to destroy it?”
“Precisely. Our son is quite clever.”

Kale ignored Fredo’s nonsense and extended his hand toward him.

“Destruction is our specialty, after all.”
“Excellent.”

Fredo grasped Kale’s hand, and the two exchanged a brief handshake.

‘Hmm.’

Choi Han swallowed hard as he watched Kale and Duke Fredo.
Perhaps because Kale resembled Fredo from his childhood, the two seemed to work together perfectly.

-Choi Han! Fredo looks so similar to us that I can’t even tell if he’s human or not!

Choi Han couldn’t bring himself to agree with Raon’s words.

“Hehe. I’ll make sure to destroy it properly.”
“I’ll trust you on that. Hehe.”

For some reason, it felt like if he agreed, Kale and Fredo would cause serious trouble.

* * *

“Human! I’ve got a fresh perspective on the White Star!”
“My thoughts exactly.”

I nodded in agreement with Raon’s words, my expression one of utter astonishment.
I muttered in a dazed voice.

“…I never knew it could be this comfortable.”

I was currently sprawled out on a sofa.

“…Goodness. This is unbelievably luxurious.”

A sofa perfectly sized for a boy of about twelve years old to lounge across.
I lay on that sofa, rolling my body with contentment.

‘This is ideal.’

The current situation was absolutely ideal.

Being young meant no one would call me to work.
Rather, everyone assumed my young heart must be deeply wounded, so they all pushed me toward my room to rest.

‘And this space is the best part.’

This room was adjacent to Duke Fredo’s Bedroom.
Well, to be precise, it wasn’t exactly “adjacent.”

‘It’s one room over.’

My gaze shifted toward the mirror hanging on the wall.
It was the same type of mirror as the one in Duke Fredo’s Bedroom that led to the secret chamber.
The design was different, but its function was identical.

Duke Fredo’s Bedroom – Secret Chamber – Nar’s Bedroom.
The rooms were arranged in this sequence, with these three spaces forming a single floor.
Because of this layout, the room was exceptionally spacious, and this offered numerous advantages.

Shwack, shwack—
It was the sound of Choi Han’s blade cutting through the air.
Glance.
I, sprawled across the sofa, looked toward Choi Han, who was diligently practicing his swordsmanship in one corner of the spacious room.

“Human, this is delicious!”

And on the wide bed across from me, Raon was rolling around, using magic to levitate cookies in the air and popping them into his mouth one by one, munching contentedly.

“How fascinating, human! The White Star said he couldn’t taste anything, yet he gave me cookies that taste even better than the ones the Crown Prince gave me!”

Indeed, quite remarkable.
I turned my gaze to one corner of the room with a curious expression.

“…What a considerate uncle.”

My smile twisted into something rather contemptible.

On the large table.
An array of appetizing cookies and desserts, premium fruits, and expensive, ornate clothing along with various gifts were piled up like mountains.

All of them were gifts the White Star had just sent from the Royal Palace to Nar.

‘He certainly knows how to put on an act.’

The White Star wasn’t sincere, yet to anyone in the Endable Kingdom looking on, he would appear to be a kindhearted king genuinely caring for Nar.
I recalled what Duke Fredo had said.

‘The rumor that the White Star regards Nar like a true nephew is so widespread. He cherishes Nar. Because of that, not only the Nobility Candidates but even other nobles who sharpen their blades against me show kindness to Nar.’

Fredo continued speaking with a wicked smile.

‘Nar is a kind of sanctuary within Endable.’

Not because he was strong, nor because he was ruthless.
It was a sanctuary meant to protect the kind heart of a boy beloved by all.

‘How amusing.’

I swallowed a bitter laugh.

Beloved by everyone?
For Kim Rok-soo, who had long surpassed thirty years of age, receiving the love of “everyone” was an impossibility.
At least from his perspective.

‘Nar Von Izelern. This existence is nothing but an illusion.’

The Endable Kingdom.
It was the very embodiment of the illusion held by those who sought to invade and trample upon the East-West Continent.

“Hmm.”

I popped a fruit resembling the grapes that White Star had brought into my mouth and contemplated.

“Come to think of it.”

Perhaps it was because Choi Han detected the warmth in my voice.
He paused mid-swing and turned his gaze toward me.
In that moment, I smiled and spoke.
The more I think about it.

“It’s rather delightful.”

Nar Von Izelern.
This existence truly pleased me.
Duke Fredo had positioned him perfectly as a naive vampire.

I placed a cookie given by White Star into my mouth.

Crunch!
A cookie far more delicious than anything made in the Roan Kingdom shattered delightfully between my teeth.

“Hehe.”

My laughter filled the space.
Raon stopped eating his cookie and looked at me, then at Choi Han.
The Young Dragon and the swordsman exchanged knowing nods as they watched me laugh amid the cookies and gifts.

‘Choi Han, looks like you two are planning to steal something!’
‘Seems that way.’

Unaware of the exchange of glances between the two beings, I swept my gaze across the mirror that sealed the entrance to the secret space, then gestured to Choi Han and Raon.

“Come here.”

To the two who had grown solemn without my noticing, I whispered.

“We need to figure out what else we should do on our own.”

Choi Han responded with grave solemnity.

“Are we going to steal it?”
“…What?”
“Human, are you going to rob it?”
“…No?”
“You’re not?”
“I’m not? How surprising, human!”

I stared at Raon and Choi Han in bewilderment.

‘What do these two think of me?’

The twelve-year-old boy sprawled across the sofa with an utterly exasperated expression.

“Do you think that’s all I ever do—steal things?”

Choi Han remained silent.
Raon affirmed through silence.
I regarded the two of them with utter disbelief before tossing out my words.

“Do you know why an innocent person is terrifying?”

I smiled wickedly as I looked at the dragon and swordsman, both wearing question marks on their faces.

“Because they possess the courage to act recklessly without knowing fear of the world.”

Choi Han felt an inexplicable chill creeping down the back of his neck.
Without realizing it, he swallowed and opened his mouth.
“…What are you planning to do?”

Pat, pat.
Kale brushed the cookie crumbs from his fingers and spoke indifferently.

“Tomorrow at the council meeting, I’m going to propose an immediate attack to eliminate Kale Heniatus.”

Huh?
What?
The Dragon and the swordmaster’s eyes widened in shock.
Regardless, Kale’s smile only deepened.
He sprang up from the sofa and shouted with utmost seriousness and vigor.

“That villainous scoundrel Kale Heniatus who reduced Father to such a state! Nar Von Izelern must absolutely be defeated! I’ll drop a bomb on the council meeting busy with festival preparations!”

Kale’s gaze turned toward Choi Han.

“So, Choi Han.”
“…Yes…Kale.”
“Tell Duke Fredo to get some proper rest. Before he wakes up, this innocent fool filled with rage needs to flip the kingdom upside down a bit.”

Choi Han’s mind genuinely became complicated.
Was he really proposing to go eliminate himself with his own mouth?

‘What is Kale thinking? He must have some plan…’

But Kale spoke to Raon regardless of whether Choi Han was troubled or not.

“Ah, these cookies are delicious, aren’t they? Should I ask the White Star for more? I have a feeling he’d wrap them up generously if his nephew asked.”
“…For now, that human cookie-related idea seems like a good opinion.”
“Right? Hehe.”

The Black Dragon and the black-haired Sword Master stared at the laughing twelve-year-old boy with speechless expressions.

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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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