Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 57

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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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“We occupy the north, the Mermaid Tribe the south. For decades, we’ve engaged in countless skirmishes across our respective continental extremes.”

Paseton finished speaking and turned his gaze toward Kale Heniatus, who reclined against the sofa and gestured with his chin for him to continue. On and Hong exchanged a glance at Kale before quietly withdrawing their heads from his lap and retreating to the corner where the Black Dragon rested.

“It was a conflict between the Mermaid Tribe, which sought to establish a kingdom, and us, who sought to check their ambitions. But six months ago…”

Paseton’s eyes darkened.

“The Mermaid Tribe’s behavior became… strange.”

Strange? Kale recalled the contents of the book he’d read about the Mermaid Tribe.

“They began crossing the boundaries that had been implicitly established and provoking us.”

Yes, Kale knew this part. From that point onward, the Mermaid Tribe gradually began constructing and attempting to dominate an oceanic kingdom. As the familiar narrative unfolded, Kale felt his unease ease somewhat. Then Paseton spoke.

“I have discovered the exact reason behind their actions.”

It must be about establishing a kingdom, then. The Whale Tribe in volumes four and five understood it that way, and hadn’t Choi Han moved to prevent it?

“Their objective was to seize control of the maritime routes connecting the Eastern and Western Continents.”
“What?”

Kale straightened against the sofa, his eyes fixed on Paseton. The question escaped him unbidden.

“But maritime routes are a human concern, aren’t they?”

There were several maritime routes connecting the Eastern and Western Continents, routes that humans had discovered. Yet even these were treacherous and distant, so trade between the two continents remained sparse.

And between the intelligent beings of the sea and those of the land, there existed an implicit agreement regarding these maritime routes.
The sea would not interfere with the routes. In exchange, the intelligent beings of the land would not meddle in oceanic affairs. This was the foundation of their understanding. That was why, when Choi Han became directly involved in underwater matters, he faced considerable obstacles.
But the Mermaid Tribe was violating this agreement?

Witira opened her mouth.

“At first, we believed the Mermaid Tribe’s new king was leading the movement to establish a kingdom. But the information Paseton gathered told a different story.”

A sigh escaped Kale Heniatus’s lips. He took a sip of the now-lukewarm tea.

‘I’ve learned something useless again.’

The problem was that this issue was far greater than anything he’d known before. It was bigger than the matter concerning Crown Prince Albert.

“And there was one more strange thing.”
“Wait.”

Kale Heniatus stopped Witira from continuing. He spoke.

“Just tell me why the Dark Forest came up. That’s all I need to know.”

If he heard any more, he felt something catastrophic would befall him. His anxiety was growing by the moment. Kale Heniatus could see Witira smiling faintly.
Why did the smiles of these beautiful Whale Tribe members seem so terrifying to him?

“Yes, now for that very matter!”

Witira answered brightly. Kale Heniatus’s expression darkened.

“As I mentioned, the Mermaid Tribe has grown stronger over the past month or two. And we’ve discovered the ‘material’ that allowed them to become stronger.”

Kale Heniatus closed his eyes. With a troubled heart, he slowly opened them and asked the two Whale Tribe members.

“Is this material in the Dark Forest?”
“Exactly! You figured it out right away!”

What kind of absurd coincidence was this? A material that strengthens sea creatures exists in the Dark Forest on the continent? Kale Heniatus was astounded.
More than anything, how could the mermaids even reach the Dark Forest? Kale Heniatus felt increasingly uneasy.

Paseton spoke with sparkling eyes and firm resolve.

“I clearly heard them mention a swamp in the Dark Forest. That’s why I had to flee. So we must go to that swamp and find out what this material is.”

He didn’t need to hear any more.

The Dark Forest.
Choi Han’s Harris Village.
Kale Heniatus recalled the ten young wolves currently outside his door. And he glanced at the corner of the room. On and Hong were positioned at an ambiguous distance from each other. Between that gap, the invisible Black Dragon would be present.

-What are you staring at, human?

I was thinking of building you a villa.

-So I am the most magnificent, aren’t I? Very well, I shall permit you to continue gazing upon me.

Kale Heniatus let out a blunt response.

“That’s problematic.”
“Pardon?”

The eyes of the Whale Tribe siblings widened. Yet Kale Heniatus did not look at them as he considered the matter.

What would be advantageous?

To determine what would be beneficial, there was something I needed to understand first.

“Humans must not involve themselves in the affairs of the sea.”

Witira answered immediately.

“We are well aware of that boundary. We have no intention of causing any harm to you, Kale Heniatus, and everything we have done has been carried out without permission and in secret.”

She then addressed the concern that Kale Heniatus harbored.

“Besides, the Mermaid Tribe initiated this first. They require a hand from the surface world to reach the Dark Forest.”
“Still, the risk is considerable. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Yes.”

I posed the second question I needed answered.

“Then what is your price?”

Kale Heniatus acknowledged the risks and asked for the price. A deep smile spread across Witira’s lips. Slowly, her mouth opened.
I knew what words would emerge from her lips.
It would be the condition the Whale King had imposed upon Choi Han.

“Maritime routes.”

Kale’s lips curved upward slowly.

“Among the maritime routes the Mermaid Tribe seeks to control, there is one they have designated as their top priority. A place humans have yet to discover. The safest maritime route exists there.”

Kale asked despite already knowing the answer.

“Where?”

Witira, unaware that he knew, spoke with confidence.

“Our sea.”

The Northern Sea of Western Continent.

“The Whale Tribe’s domain.”

Kale let out a soft chuckle and asked.

“Isn’t the Whale Tribe’s domain the most dangerous? It’s where the sea’s strongest beings hold their ground.”
“But it will be safe for you now. You will gain the right to use that place.”

Kale looked at her confident expression and spoke bluntly.

“I don’t need it.”
“…Pardon?”

Such a maritime route held no necessity for me. It wasn’t even granting the route itself, merely the right to use it—something I had no use for in my desire to live comfortably.

But then.

“Add one more thing.”

The maritime route would make my household wealthy and powerful. Of course, my younger brother Basen, who would become the lord, would suffer greatly. I spoke to the next Whale King, whose expression was filled with confusion.

“Lend me your strength whenever I need it.”
“Your strength?”
“Yes, your strength. Twice.”

When the northern knights descended toward the warm and abundant lands below, if only the Northeast Region could remain safe, I cared for nothing else. The whirlpools before the Ubar Territory. The Naval Base. Why would I have involved myself in all of this? With the contents of the book already significantly distorted, I needed to prepare.

“Interfering in human affairs is a bit much.”

Kale Heniatus let out a soft chuckle as he watched Witira’s reluctant expression.

“You tell me to take risks, yet you won’t do the same?”
“…Our tribe desires peace.”
“And yet you’re constantly fighting the Mermaid Tribe? That hardly gives you the right to say that.”

The Whale Tribe sensed danger from the strengthening Mermaid Tribe. It was a crisis they had never experienced before. They desperately wanted to eliminate that threat to preserve their own peace.

Kale spoke to the silent Witira.

“The Dark Forest is a realm of mystery. Strength alone doesn’t guarantee safety there. Especially not for those of you who know nothing of the land.”

Kale had intended to go to Harris Village anyway.

“I’ll help you.”

Choi Han had lived in the Dark Forest for decades. Yet even he didn’t know everything about it—only fragments. And after Choi Han, the human who knew it best was Kale.
And the human Choi Han knew second best was Kale Heniatus.

“I think I know what kind of swamp you’re talking about.”

Witira could see Kale speaking softly and gently with a slight smile on his face.

“The Whale Tribe wants to live as a peaceful supreme power, don’t they?”

Kale Heniatus could see that Witira’s posture had changed. She slowly shifted from a pleading stance to a negotiating one.

“That’s right. Lord Kale Heniatus is correct.”

The Whale Tribe, protectors of peace. But that was only an action they could take because they were strong. Wasn’t the Whale Tribe the one that turned the entire Sea upside down fighting when the Mermaid Tribe grew stronger?

“I, Witira, as the successor to the Tribal Chief of the Whale Tribe, accept your conditions.”

Despite Witira revealing her identity, Kale remained composed.

“You were the successor? Perfect. Then we can end this contract right here, right?”

He seemed delighted that the contract could be concluded immediately. He extended his hand and spoke to her.

“Should I speak more formally now?”

Witira grasped his hand and replied.

“There’s no need, Kale. I must conceal my identity.”
“Only I know of it?”
“That’s correct.”

Kale shook hands with Witira. That was sufficient. After the Whale Tribe siblings departed, Kale reclined deeply into the sofa. He gazed into empty space and opened his mouth.

“Hey.”

The Black Dragon appeared and responded curtly.

“Don’t say ‘hey.'”
“Then what should I say?”

I could see the Black Dragon settle onto the opposite sofa, its nostrils flaring.

“You figure it out, human.”
“Shouldn’t you call me Kale instead of human first?”

The Black Dragon snorted and evaded the question, but I regarded it with a peculiar gaze. Still, I broached the matter at hand first.

“Don’t you want a home of your own?”

I had been thinking about this for some time. Since I would be living with the Black Dragon anyway, wouldn’t it be wonderful to provide this being known as nature’s supreme existence with a truly magnificent dwelling?

“A home?”

The dragon’s wings fluttered. Dragons typically possessed strong independence. Of course, this one seemed somewhat different, but perhaps it was similar nonetheless. I nodded calmly at the dragon’s question.
Yet the Black Dragon’s reaction was strange.

“Are you going to kick me out?”

The black dragon’s wings fluttered. The surrounding mana pulsated and rippled. He seemed quite angry. Cale immediately opened his mouth.

“Well, if you think about it, it’s a villa.”
“Well, when you think about it, it’s a villa.”
“…A villa?”

Of course, there was a high probability that it would be an unintentional operation to slaughter monsters in the dark forest that also doubled as fun. The black dragon stopped fluttering its wings and laid down peacefully on the sofa and said.

“…I choose the land for the villa.”

The black dragon’s eyes, which had been blinking slowly as if he was falling asleep, suddenly became sharp and turned to Cale.

“You choose my name instead. The time is one month.”

Regardless of whether Kale’s expression became somber or not, the black dragon closed his eyes and fell into a nap. There was a smile of satisfaction on the dragon’s lips. Cale turned his head to the sound of giggling. On and Hong suddenly stopped laughing and pretended not to notice and asked Cale.

“When are you going home?”
“When are we going home?”

Cale answered the cats.

“soon.”

Two days later, Kale got on the carriage and was seen off by Lady Amir and Ubarga. The carriage slowly began to speed up, and Cale closed the curtains on the carriage window and spoke.

“You can turn off the device.”

At Cale’s words, the invisibility magic device was released, and the whale family siblings appeared. And then a black dragon appeared.
At Kale Heniatus’s words, the invisibility magic device was immediately deactivated, and the Whale Tribe siblings revealed themselves. And the Black Dragon revealed himself.

“What are you looking at?”
“What are you looking at?”

The black dragon and Witira looked at each other. The two were aware of each other’s strength. I also wanted to try it out.
The Black Dragon and Witira stared intently at each other. Both recognized the other’s strength. They both wanted to test it.
That was when it happened.

“Let’s go quietly.”

As Kayle spoke softly, the black dragon closed its eyes and fell asleep without saying a word. The carriage became quiet.

And a few days later. As soon as Cale arrived at Henitus Territory, Rain City, his face was scrunched up.

“Prince Cale!”
“Prince Kale!”

When did the rumor from the capital spread this far? Cale looked at the people cheering for his group and the carriage with complicated eyes.
When had the rumors from the Capital spread all the way here? Kale regarded the cheering crowd and his entourage with a complicated gaze.

It was then. A new cheer was heard.

“Silver Prince!”
“The Silver Prince!”

Cale’s face crumpled again. Is there any way to avoid hearing that cheesy nickname?
Kale’s face scrunched up again. Was there no way to escape hearing that cringeworthy epithet?

“The story of Confucius’ heroism has spread! Haha.”

He quietly steered his horse towards the carriage and came closer.

“I think the title of Silver Confucius is truly wonderful. I envy you, Confucius.”

widely! Cale closed the carriage window in front of the vice-captain.
Snap! Kale shut the carriage window with a sharp, dismissive motion in front of the Vice-Captain.

At that time, the black dragon quietly tapped Kayle’s knee with its front paw. Cale opened his eyes slightly and looked down. Looking at that gaze, the black dragon asked with rare caution.

“Is it home?”

Cale answered the question indifferently.

“Okay. We arrived at my house.”

On and Hong stretched, and the black dragon flapped its wings. At that moment, the vice-captain’s voice was heard through the closed carriage window.

“You too, Confucius. You always feel embarrassed!”
“You’re always so bashful, my lord!”

The vice-captain’s loud voice and someone’s cheering could be heard through the closed window.
Beyond the closed window, the Vice-Captain’s booming voice mingled with someone’s cheers.

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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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