Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 551

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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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Clang! Clang! Clang!
The restraints fell to the ground.

The Ranger Unit members stretched their limbs, finally freed from the shackles that had weighed them down for so long.
Glance, glance.
Yet their gazes kept drifting toward a single point.
Vice High Priest Cotton stood there.

Rustle, rustle.
She flipped through the documents in her hands with rapid precision, one page after another.
Her plump hands trembled as she gripped the papers.

Slap!
Having finished reading, she handed the documents to Solena and turned her gaze toward Kale Heniatus, opening her mouth to speak.
And she began.

“What in the hell—!”
“Does a Vice High Priest really get to talk like that?”

Kale Heniatus offered a gentle smile. But Cotton’s eyes had turned sharp and piercing.

‘…I’ve been outmaneuvered.’

A sudden change in strategy—she wanted nothing more than to grab Duke Fredo by the collar and shake him senseless.
But what’s done is done. I had no choice but to follow this new plan.

‘Still, it’s not a bad strategy.’

I turned away from Kale Heniatus, who gazed at me with that smug expression.
Seeing this, Kale chuckled softly and shifted his attention toward Bud.

“Go.”
“Got it.”

Bud approached Kale Heniatus, Rosalind, and Erhafen.

“Commander?”

The Ranger Unit members looked bewildered, but Bud flashed them a grin.
Sniff, sniff. He wrinkled his nose.

“Because I need my strength.”

Instead, Rosalind brushed past Bud and took her place beside Gren.
Bud pointed to Rosalind.

“She’s my substitute.”

Rosalind smiled warmly and shook hands with Gren.
She opened her mouth, looking at the Ranger Unit members and Kale Heniatus.

“Once the signal comes, we’ll be ready to move immediately.”

Kale Heniatus bowed his head slightly to her.

“I’m counting on you.”
“Don’t mention it. See you later.”

Rosalind waved her hand gracefully, and Cotton fluttered her loose priestly robes as she headed toward the Underground Shelter entrance.

“Follow me.”

She handed out priestly robes one by one to those who had followed me.

“These are the robes my loyal subordinates wear.”

Small insignias were carved into the shoulders.
She continued speaking as she distributed masks and hats as well.

“Changing hair color with magic is child’s play, isn’t it?”

She spoke to Kale Heniatus, but her gaze was fixed on Erhafen.
Erhafen snapped his index and thumb together lightly.

Snap!
With that crisp sound, Kale Heniatus, Bud, and Erhafen’s appearances transformed.
All three now bore common brown hair, though the shades varied among them.
Kale Heniatus carelessly swept his light brown hair back and draped a priest’s vestment over his clothes.

Creak.
Vice High Priest Cotton opened the door.

“We’re heading to the Demon Temple now. Follow closely.”

Outside the door, the Vice High Priest’s actual loyal subordinates were already waiting.
Kale Heniatus, Bud, and Erhafen moved toward the center of their formation.

“Let’s go.”

Cotton led the way, with the subordinates following behind.
From the center of the group, I gazed toward the innermost reaches of District 2 in the distance.
An oddly shaped white marble temple came into view.

That was the Demon Temple.

* * *

“I-I cannot do this!”

Count Mok shook his head, his face drained of all color.
But the figure standing before him tilted his head slightly to one side.

“Are you in a position to say what you can or cannot do?”
“What do you mean—”
“If you can’t, you die?”

Hiss.
Beneath the black half-mask, the corners of his mouth curved into a smile of exquisite beauty.

‘This madman!’

Count Mok glared at the informant Bob standing before him with that cheerful grin, as if he could tear him to shreds.

“Ugh!”

But he soon had to groan under the crushing force of the rope constricting around me.
And a calm voice reached me from behind.

“Why not just kill him?”

Count Mok’s face drained of all color.
The Dark Elf hybrid before his eyes was not frightening. The creature possessed an unusual talent for magic, but that was no great obstacle for Mok.

However, the woman standing behind him was another matter entirely.

“I simply want to erase anything connected to the White Star.”

And the momentum she unleashed surpassed even Dragon Fear.
Cold sweat streamed down Mok’s face as that power focused solely upon him.

“Hehe. Count Mok, you look absolutely pathetic.”

Mok’s face twisted as he watched Duke Fredo smile with languid amusement at him.

“…You traitorous bastard—”

*Clang!*
In that instant, a sharp blade materialized before him.

“Quiet. Just answer whether it’s possible or not.”

Choi Han’s sword was leveled directly at him.

‘Damn it all!’

Mok felt genuine indignation surge through him at the entire spectacle.

‘How did I, of all people, end up in such a wretched state!’

It was enough to turn his stomach.
Regardless, the weakest yet most vicious of them all slid a document across the table toward Mok.

“Here’s the script.”

Alberu spoke gently to Count Mok, who was glaring at me.

“When I give you the signal in a moment, just report to the White Star exactly as written in this script.”
“…How could I possibly lie to my lord and say that I’ve captured this Black Castle?”
“Why? Just do it.”

At the response from informant Bob, Count Mok found himself at a loss for words. Regardless, Alberu rose from his seat and patted Count Mok’s shoulder.

“Now, if you stiffen up like before and get caught, your life is forfeit. Practice plenty so you can do it naturally. Naturally. Understood?”

Count Mok’s shoulders sagged heavily.
Alberu left him in the room and stepped outside with Duke Fredo and Choi Han.
This was because Lord Sherit had agreed to keep watch over Count Mok.

The three entered the adjacent room immediately.
The moment we stepped inside, Raon sat before the video communication device, fluttering his wings.

“Still no contact from the human!”

This was the War Room.
Alberu pointed to a seat in the War Room for Duke Fredo, who still believed he was Bob.

“Please have a seat and wait.”

Alberu, Choi Han, and Fredo took their positions in the War Room.
They now waited only for Kale Heniatus’s contact.

* * *

“Vice High Priest.”

The Priest bowed his head slightly to Cotton with a solemn expression.

“Even though it’s difficult, this is a joyous day, so please hold on just a bit longer.”

She gently encouraged the Priest, whose hands were full of souvenirs to distribute to the kingdom’s citizens, before heading into the Demon Temple.
Her Loyal Subordinates followed in step behind her.
Of course, the Loyal Subordinates’ hands also carried various items, including souvenirs.

“Ah! Vice High Priest! Did your outing go well?”
“Of course. I’ve brought back everything we needed.”
“Oh, how fortunate!”

The Priests spoke to her or offered respectful greetings.
Cotton heard a whisper from directly behind her back.

“Impressive.”

Cotton let out a small laugh.

“Silence.”
“Your eloquence as Vice High Priest is quite remarkable.”
“This level suits our enemies well enough.”

Cotton lightly countered Kale Heniatus, who was following her while disguised in a mask and priestly robes.

Kale observed the surroundings discreetly rather than watching her.

-The atmosphere is better than expected.

Erhafen’s voice echoed in his mind. Kale nodded subtly without drawing attention.

The Demon Temple.
This place, which the High Priest oversaw with particular care, showed few kingdom citizens inside the building despite the festival.

‘Most of them were in the garden outside.’

The Demon Temple had set up dozens of broad tables in the garden to entertain the arriving kingdom citizens.

Sniff sniff.
The sound of Bud sniffing came from directly behind.
The more frequently Bud sniffed, the deeper Cotton ventured into the Demon Temple.

“Stop here.”

Cotton stopped in her tracks.

“Those carrying supplies, deliver them to your designated locations. The rest of you, follow me.”

She commanded her subordinates, and in an instant, more than half of them dispersed to their respective positions.
Cotton proceeded forward again, this time accompanied only by Kale Heniatus’s group and a few of her loyal subordinates.

-That must be it.

Kale gazed at the enormous door before him as he heard Erhafen’s words.
A black door, utterly incongruous with the white building, blocked the way ahead.

“Vice High Priest.”

The priests stationed before the door, armed with swords and spears, recognized her.

“You must be busy even on a day like this.”
“Not at all. Vice High Priest, have you come to offer prayers?”

Cotton nodded to the priests who served as gatekeepers.

“It’s such a joyous day that I wanted to pay my respects before things grow busier.”
“Understood.”

The priests opened the door.
The massive door, bearing considerable weight, required several of them to push it open together.

Creeeeak—
The door opened slowly.

‘Hah—’

Kale barely stifled the gasp that threatened to escape.

‘What is that?’

A vast cavern.
At its center, upon a towering platform, stood a human statue with an expression so grotesquely menacing it defied description.

“Let’s go in.”

Cotton stepped into the cave.
Kale Heniatus followed, matching the movements of his loyal subordinates as they entered.

‘…It’s cold.’

Unlike the vibrant world outside, the interior of the cave was chilly.
An unusually frigid air permeated this place, colder than anywhere else. The temperature, combined with the grotesque human statues, sent shivers down my spine.

Thud!
The black door closed again.
Kale Heniatus turned his gaze toward the sealed entrance. At that moment, Cotton’s voice reached his ears.

“No one disturbs my prayers.”

He regarded Cotton. Meanwhile, her loyal subordinates swiftly moved to the black door at her gesture and took their positions with rigid posture.
Whoosh.
Of course, they drew weapons from their garments.

“Since this place was created, it has been a ‘rule’ that no one opens this door while Gersei, myself, and the White Star offer our prayers—until they are finished.”

Hiss. Cotton smiled.

“That way, the White Star can proceed with becoming a demon without interruption. And now, that rule has become advantageous for us.”

With those words, she approached the statue.

“We’ll descend underground through a hidden passage concealed within this statue. Wait a moment.”

Kale Heniatus waited as instructed, shifting his gaze toward the statue.
At that moment, Bud stepped closer beside him.

“Who is it?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.”

Erhafen answered.
He regarded the statue with a puzzled expression.

“Quite a ferocious and despairing human face. But I have no idea who it is.”
“Neither do I. If the White Star erected a statue like this, it must be someone related to the White Star.”

Bud nodded at Erhafen’s words and turned his gaze toward Kale Heniatus.

“Do you recognize the face?”

It was merely a casual question.

“Roughly.”
“…What?”

In that instant, not only Bud but also Erhafen and Cotton looked at him in surprise.

“You know who it is?”

However, Cotton’s reaction was the most pronounced. She stopped opening the passage and stared at Kale Heniatus in astonishment.

“When did you see it?”
“I have no intention of explaining. Just open the passage.”
“Sigh…”

Cotton scrunched her face and resumed manipulating the mechanism to open the passage. Judging by the peculiar energy swirling around the ring on her finger, it appeared to be a device that required special power to operate.

“Who is it?”

At Erhafen’s question, Kale Heniatus shook his head.

“The White Star’s true face.”
“Hah—”

Erhafen released a genuine sigh.

‘Remarkable.’

Erhafen, who had been observing the statue wondering if such a ferocious expression could exist on a human face, now found himself regarding it with entirely different feelings.

‘What could have driven the White Star to wear such an expression?’

A strange emotion stirred within him, and with it came a question.
Just as the Vice High Priest had said.

‘How does Kale Heniatus know the White Star’s true face?’

Erhafen had not yet heard the information obtained from Duke Fredo.

“Quite the fierce expression. He would have looked decent with a normal face.”

Bud offered his observation while gazing at the statue.
And Kale Heniatus regarded the statue bearing the White Star’s true visage with peculiar feelings.

‘Wearing such a grotesque expression on my face—it’s absolutely repulsive.’

Looking at the statue, Kim Rok-soo and the White Star bore a striking resemblance.

‘This must be destroyed without fail.’

Kim Rok-soo would never wear such an expression.
Kale Heniatus approached the statue with a sour feeling.

‘Did the White Star wish to make people worship him?’

The existence of such a statue in the center of the Demon Temple struck Kale as absurd.
It seemed the White Star was far from sane.
Kale drew closer, wanting to examine it more carefully.

Screech—click, screech—
Then, Kale watched as the statue rose upward. He stopped in his tracks and looked toward Cotton.
Cotton pointed to the passage that had opened as the statue ascended.

“I’m going in, so follow closely.”

She proceeded without hesitation into the passage.

“You wasted time because of the hostages, so we need to hurry a bit.”
“We still have nearly an hour, don’t we?”
“…Didn’t you check the details from Duke Fredo?”
“I did.”

Kale Heniatus gave a vague response and descended into the passage below.
It was an ordinary underground passage, though its dimensions were quite substantial—easily spacious enough for a dozen or so adults to traverse comfortably.

‘Something feels off.’

The cool sensation I had felt in the cavern earlier grew more pronounced.
I could distinctly feel that the temperature here was considerably lower than outside.

‘…This is strange.’

And strangely, I found myself gripped by unease in this atmosphere.
An inexplicable anxiety washed over me, and goosebumps rose unbidden along my spine.

‘Why is this happening?’

Then Cotton’s voice reached my ears.

“As you can see from the information we received from Duke Fredo, the underground facility is divided into three separate sections.”

She descended rapidly into the depths.

“Gersei and the White Star can access all three locations, but I can only enter two of them.”

Tap. Tap.
The footsteps of four people descending the staircase echoed through the passage.

“However, the most critical location is the third section—the one I cannot access. Today, we must enter that place and destroy it without fail.”
“What is your basis for claiming the third section is the most important?”

I questioned her about information that had not been included in what she had previously shared with me.
Why was Cotton emphasizing the importance of the third section?

Soon we had all descended from the staircase.
Cotton spoke with a grave expression in her eyes.

“We don’t have time, so I’ll explain as we go. I do have concrete evidence for this.”

Her pupils gleamed with conviction regarding the evidence she had uncovered.

“This is the first underground chamber.”

Where the staircase ended. The space appeared to be a naturally formed cave.
But what filled it was anything but natural.

“It’s a dead mana storage. The White Star periodically absorbs the dead mana from this place.”

Black liquid rippled within dozens of beautiful, massive glass vessels.

“Each of these was someone’s life, wasn’t it?”

Bud’s expression darkened with bitterness.
But Kale Heniatus calmly opened his mouth as he counted the glass tubes.

“We’ll need to move all this black liquid elsewhere.”
“That’s my responsibility.”

Erhafen approached the glass vessels.

“I appreciate it.”
“It’s a simple task.”

Erhafen said it was simple, but it was no easy feat. The quantity was substantial.
His hand brushed against the glass vessel.

In that instant.
Beep beep beep beep— beep beep beep beep—
A sharp alarm pierced the air.

“…Damn!”

Cotton’s face went pale.

“We’ve been discovered!”
“What?”

Kale Heniatus rushed toward her in alarm.
Cotton pulled a small orb from her pocket.

“That signal was meant for me if my loyal subordinates were discovered! But who? Who found them out? It wasn’t the White Star!”

She turned to Kale Heniatus, her words tumbling out urgently.

“It must be Gersei! It has to be Gersei who found them! If the White Star had discovered them, my subordinate wouldn’t have had time to send me a signal at all! He would have been killed instantly!”

She bit her lip.

“But why? Gersei shouldn’t have come for another hour. Why did he arrive early? We’ve maintained this schedule for years—what variable could have changed?”

Confusion swirled in her eyes.

Beep beep beep beep—beep beep beep—
The warning alarm grew increasingly louder.

Bud, who had been watching this unfold, approached Kale Heniatus in alarm.

“Hey, what do we do?”

That was the moment.

Crack!
Fissures began spreading across the orb.

“Damn it!”

Cotton hurled the orb into the air.

Boom!
The orb exploded moments later.

“…This orb was connected through the power of those who serve the demonic beings. Only a priest of equal standing could have shattered it.”

Fear and urgency crystallized in Cotton’s gaze.

“I’m certain now. Gersei found us out.”

She looked toward Kale Heniatus.

“He will chase after us.”

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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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