Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 571

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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 Heniatus stared at the Dark Tiger with a bewildered expression.
And he was not the only one wondering what on earth was happening.

“…This is insane.”

Park Jin-tae’s eyes trembled.

‘What in the world am I looking at right now?’

Since the world had changed like this, Park Jin-tae had never witnessed such a sight before.
Lee Chul-min, who had been rolling across the ground and sustaining injuries, approached Park Jin-tae and spoke.

“Commander, d-did that monster just introduce itself? Uh, Albert something?”

Lee Chul-min stammered over the monster’s name, unable to hide his astonishment.
He was more bewildered by the monster’s appearance, which didn’t seem monstrous at all, than by the foreign and unfamiliar name.

“Grrr-”
“Kiiee!”

Park Jin-tae turned his gaze toward the cries of the second-tier monsters, which were being pushed back by the arrival of the first-tier tasting-grade monsters.

“Grrr!”
“Kruu-”

The monsters were each letting out suppressed cries.
The sight left Park Jin-tae utterly dumbfounded.

“Ha!”

It almost felt as though the monsters were floundering about in confusion.
The monsters seemed to be panicked as well.

Park Jin-tae could not help but voice his innermost thoughts aloud.

“…Does this even make sense?”

At that moment, Park Jin-tae felt a chill creep down his spine.
An overwhelming pressure washed over him.

‘Hmm!’

But he didn’t turn around.
He’d felt this pressure before, several times now.

Lee Chul-min and Park Jin-tae watched as someone rushed past them toward Kale Heniatus, who stood close to the Dark Tiger.

“Kim Rok-soo hyung!”

It was Choi Han.
Choi Han’s startled voice reached Park Jin-tae and Lee Chul-min’s ears.
The Dark Tiger and Kale Heniatus heard it too.
The Dark Tiger—Alberu—tilted his head in confusion.

“…Kim Rok-soo? …Hyung?”

In that instant, Alberu caught a flicker of bewilderment cross Kale Heniatus’s eyes, and the tiger’s mouth curled upward.
The tiger’s jaws opened, and a surprisingly loud voice rumbled forth.

“Hmm. So you’re Kim Rok-soo’s younger brother.”

Kim Rok-soo’s younger brother.
Those who heard that voice gasped or fell silent in shock.
Lee Sung-won, who had been watching, involuntarily opened his mouth.

“This is insane. What kind of fairy tale is this?”

A tiger—and not just any tiger, but a Grade 1 monster, the Dark Tiger—calling a human his younger brother!
What kind of situation was this?

Then, an even more astonishing statement came.
Lee Sung-won saw a smile bloom across Kim Rok-soo’s bewildered face.

“Then I shall address you as Albert Crossman, sir.”
“Yes, younger brother.”

Choi Han approached the two of them, his expression one of utter disbelief as he stared at the scene.
Among the many who watched, Lee Sung-won found himself opening his mouth without thinking.

“…Sister… what is happening here?”
“…I… don’t know either.”

Then, Kim Min-ah’s older brother, Kim Min-jun, muttered something quietly.

“…The world is vast, and wondrous things are plentiful. If only we had a television… this would be breaking news….”

The Lee Siblings nodded quietly in agreement.
Even in that moment, the Dark Tiger and Kale Heniatus continued their conversation.

“Rok-soo. We need to talk for a moment.”
“I’ll clear a space.”

* * *

“Is this the space you were supposed to create?”

The Dark Tiger’s black eyes swept across the surroundings, a look of bewilderment crossing his gaze.

“It’s a space, isn’t it?”

At the blunt voice that reached his ears, Alberu turned his attention toward Kale Heniatus.
He could see a man of unremarkable appearance, worn down and gaunt.

Even Kale Heniatus, with his pallid complexion, appeared weak and sometimes stirred feelings of pity, but he did not look quite like this.

‘He looks starved.’

Unlike the wealthy and well-fed Kale Heniatus who sometimes neglected his meals, this was different.
With sunken cheeks that made his cheekbones protrude sharply, his appearance was enough to weigh heavily upon Alberu’s heart.

‘This one is particularly severe, but the others look similar.’

Alberu had surveyed the building windows and rooftop area earlier, observing the condition of the people here.
Many of them were in a malnourished state.
Of course, there were quite a few with robust builds, but those were fewer in number.

“What are you thinking about?”

At that moment, Alberu heard Kale’s voice—or rather, the voice of the man named Kim Rok-soo.

“…I was just thinking that the spot you’ve chosen looks rather unimpressive.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Because everyone is watching us right now.”

At Alberu’s words, Kale glanced around.

Most of the people, save for a few, had already retreated into the building.
And the rank-2 monsters still formed a wall at a considerable distance, encircling the area.

Currently, Kale sat in the center of the training ground—between the wall of monsters and the building, the very spot where he had just battled the rank-1 monsters moments before—facing Alberu.

Alberu had expected Kale to find some quiet corner, but instead he regarded him with bewilderment for choosing such an open space.
Yet soon enough, he understood the situation.

“Actually, this is probably the quietest place.”

It was a place neither humans nor monsters could approach.
If they kept their voices low and spoke quietly, no one else would be able to hear them.

“Hey, Kim Rok-soo.”

Alberu turned his gaze toward the voice calling out to Kale.
It was Park Jin-tae, one of those who had not retreated into the building.
Park Jin-tae hesitated under the piercing gaze of the Dark Tiger watching him, but quickly shifted his attention toward Kale’s voice.

“What is it?”
“Is it really okay to do this?”

Park Jin-tae’s gaze turned toward the rank-2 monsters still surrounding the training ground near the building.

“We’re safe, right?”

Kale answered without hesitation.

“Until 5 o’clock. As long as my elder brother Albert Crossman holds his position here in the training ground, the rank-2 monsters will not attack.”

Kale’s mind held clear records related to that.

【The Grade 1 Taste-Test monsters attacked the Central Shelter for several hours, tormenting and killing those inside.】
【After that, the behavioral patterns across all Central Shelters fell into exactly three categories.】

First.

【Precisely at 5 o’clock. When the leader of the Grade 1 Taste-Test monsters withdrew from the vicinity of the Central Shelter. Grade 2 monsters surged in.】

Second.

【Even when the leader Taste-Test monster did not withdraw from the Central Shelter, at 5 o’clock Grade 2 monsters inevitably flooded in.】

Third.

【Before 5 o’clock arrived, if the leader Taste-Test monster left the vicinity of the Central Shelter, Grade 2 monsters attacked without waiting for 5 o’clock.】

Based on these three patterns, Kale spoke with absolute certainty.

“You’re safe until 5 o’clock, so tell the people to get some proper rest.”

Park Jin-tae was uncertain, yet he had no choice but to trust Kale’s words. After all, he had proven himself time and again.

“Understood.”
“Yes. Rest well. We’ll need to fight later.”

As he spoke, Kale wore a peculiar smile. Park Jin-tae felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine, but he soon dismissed the sensation and returned to the building.

The Dark Tiger watched this unfold before opening its mouth.

“So now it’s just the principals left?”

Only Kale, Choi Han, and Alberu remained.
Then, Choi Han’s lips parted.

“…Your Highness.”

Choi Han’s expression was grim.
Alberu tilted his head with a tiger’s face, looking at him. At that gaze, Choi Han finally forced out a strained word.

“…Did you make a deal with a god?”

Alberu nodded readily.

“Yes.”

In that moment, Alberu could see the expressions on both their faces.

“Damn it.”

Kale Heniatus dragged both hands down his face.

“Why—!”

And there was Choi Han, approaching with an anger I had never seen from him before.

“Huh?”

Alberu let out a dazed response without thinking, and Choi Han, who had been about to rage at him, barely managed to hold himself back and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“I would have been enough. Why would you trade away your lifespan—!”
“Huh?”

At another vacant response, Choi Han felt his indignation surge up again without warning.

‘Someone else made a deal too!’

Someone else had made a deal with the God of Death!
Alberu must have offered his lifespan or something equivalent to it.
As Choi Han thought of this, fury blazed through his heart.

“This damned God of Death!”

An awkward voice reached Choi Han, who had finally resorted to cursing.

“I made a deal with the Sun God, though?”
“What?”
“Hm?”

Choi Han and Kale Heniatus’s gazes turned toward Alberu simultaneously.
Caught by that piercing look, Alberu found himself speaking without thinking, recounting the past events.

“I met Saint Jack.”

He explained how Kaige had sought him out at his tent, and how she had connected him with Saint Jack as an intermediary.

“And by returning the curse connected to the Crossman bloodline, I agreed to obtain a device that would allow me to communicate with you, Kale. A device that would enable only me to converse with you, he said.”

That device was none other than a communication crystal swirled with white and black.

“When he gave me the communication crystal, I thought I’d be able to video communicate with you. But it wasn’t.”

Alberu paused for a moment before continuing.

“It was a sleep-inducing device, he said.”
“…A sleep-inducing device?”
“Yes.”

Holding that communication crystal in one’s arms would induce sleep within five minutes, and one would remain asleep for one or two hours.

“He said I could converse with you in dreams. Only then did I understand what it meant that only I could speak with you.”
“Ah!”
“Hmm?”

Kale Heniatus let out an exclamation, and Alberu regarded him with confusion. Choi Han answered in his stead.

“Your Highness, the timeline here is different.”
“Timeline?”

Kale Heniatus continued.

“Time moves faster in the world where Your Highness is. Here, only two days have passed.”
“What?”

Alberu’s eyes widened.
Yet Kale Heniatus nodded, grasping the situation.

“…Indeed, if Your Highness spends the time sleeping here as the Dark Tiger, there would be no significant problem.”

Alberu sleeping for an hour or two there would translate to several hours here, but if the lengthy time I experience here is merely a dream, there should be no significant problem.

“Hmm, different timelines, you say. Still, it should be fine if it’s within a dream. I’m spending time with you all without affecting the reality where I exist.”

Alberto nodded in agreement. His mane swayed elegantly in the wind.

“Anyway, when I opened my eyes, this was the situation.”

Kale Heniatus quietly reviewed the recent battle in his mind.

‘…Something felt off.’

During the conversation with the Dark Tiger, its reaction had been slightly strange. That was when Kale Heniatus realized that Alberu had awakened as the Dark Tiger.
From that, he could deduce several other things as well.

‘The monsters that appeared on Earth are definitely connected to the Demon Realm or sealed gods.’

And there was one more thing.

‘The God of Death and the Sun God Cult. The gods might have tried to interfere in Earth’s situation.’

The evidence for that would be the preview monster leader right before my eyes.

‘Perhaps the only monster capable of communication. There might have been a deeper meaning behind it.’

While organizing his thoughts, Kale Heniatus noticed Choi Han’s shoulders stiffen.
Wondering why, he shifted his gaze and saw the tiger’s black eyes piercing through Choi Han with an intense stare.

“…Did our teacher make a deal with his lifespan?”
“Mm.”

Choi Han avoided Alberu’s gaze, and the Dark Tiger’s massive face contorted into a menacing expression.
It was quite fierce.

“I need to have a serious conversation with my teacher.”
“Mm.”

Choi Han looked away from Alberu’s stare and turned to Kale Heniatus, his eyes pleading for help.
And Alberu, after looking at Choi Han, turned his gaze to Kale Heniatus as well.

“Well. I’ve finished my general explanation, so now let me hear your story.”
“Hmm.”

This time, a swallowing sound escaped from my throat.
Regardless, the tiger drew a faint smile across his face.

“I’ve heard vaguely about tests and sealed gods and such things over the years.”

The tiger took in his surroundings with his eyes.
It was far too different from the world he had inhabited.

“…This situation doesn’t seem to be a simple test.”

Beyond the monsters, even the collapsed buildings and roads, the clothing and appearance of humans. The abilities they wielded.
Everything was different from the world where Alberu existed.

“And why.”

The most important thing.

“Choi Han remains exactly as he is.”

The tiger drew slightly closer to me.
My entire form was reflected in his black eyes.

Choi Han watched that figure with an anxious heart.
He bit his lip.

‘What should I do?’

When all manner of thoughts flooded through me, Alberu asked quietly.
It was the very question Choi Han had been dreading.

“Why do you appear different?”

I gazed at Alberu without speaking.
Alberu, observing that figure, continued his words. His question was not yet finished.

“I know you well.”

That’s how I could tell.

“The way you fought earlier, spitting blood—it wasn’t simply the demeanor of someone facing a test.”

The Kale Heniatus he knew appeared affectionate in many ways, yet possessed a coldness in certain aspects.
During the earlier battle, his face had been expressionless, but having known him for so long, Alberu could sense the desperation seeping beneath that mask, a certain resolve.

So he understood.
This place held some significance for Kale Heniatus.

“Where is this place? It must be connected to you somehow.”

Alberu asked Kale Heniatus.

“Could you explain it to me?”

He could see Kale Heniatus’s eyes gazing steadily at him.

“I will listen earnestly.”

Alberu added, recalling Kale Heniatus’s demeanor during the battle moments before.

“Anything. If it comes from you.”

In that moment, Kale Heniatus’s eyes wavered slightly.
Those eyes alone, unlike his other features, were identical to Kale Heniatus’s true self.
The deep dark brown eyes, as if they had never trembled, grew calm and fixed upon Alberu for a long while.

“Your Highness.”

After a long moment, my lips parted.

“Yes.”

Alberu waited for my next words.
Once I opened my mouth, I spoke again without hesitation.
At this, Alberu straightened his posture, as if ready to listen intently to whatever I might say.
After a brief silence, my words continued.

“Are Raon, On, and Hong doing well?”
“…What?”
“The children. Are they doing well?”

Alberu exhaled a sigh, his expression momentarily deflating.
But he answered nonetheless.
It was strange that Kale Heniatus hadn’t asked this the moment he saw him.

“They’re doing well. Choi Han must have told you, but at first they were quite confused. By the time I fell asleep, they had already destroyed everything—well, anyway. Ron Mollan, the head of the household, is taking good care of their meals.”
“I see. Are they eating well?”
“Yes. You said they needed to eat well, so Bob is making sure to feed them very properly.”
“I see. I am a possessor.”
“…What?”

For a moment, Alberu doubted his own ears.
He wondered if it was because of his tiger ears that he’d heard something strange.
Alberu could see Kale’s composed expression.
With that calm face, Kale continued.

“I possessed Kale Heniatus’s body two years ago.”
“…What?”

The tiger’s mouth fell open.
Kale spoke bluntly.

“For reference, I worked at a company until I was thirty-six in this world that I can see now. One day, I woke up in Kale Heniatus’s body, and I’ve been living as Kale Heniatus for two years now. I’m Kim Rok-soo.”

Alberu could only repeat the same words.

“…What?”

The Dark Tiger stared at Kale with a blank expression.

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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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