Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 584

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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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“But I find it hard to believe.”

Lee Soo-hyuk and Kale’s gazes turned toward one person.

‘The Busan Zone Leader.’

Kale’s eyes met those of the middle-aged woman who would become Busan’s Zone Leader in the future.
She was also the person Kale’s group had encountered in front of the North Gate.

Heo Sook-ja.
She tapped the table with her thin fingers and opened her mouth.

“I’ve seen quite a few people with special abilities over the years, but precognition is rather difficult to believe in. You’d agree with me on this point, Kim Rok-soo?”
“Yes, I do.”

At Kale’s calm response, Heo Sook-ja pushed her glasses up with her finger.

“So, to summarize Kim Rok-soo’s proposal, there are three main points.”

Three things flowed from her lips.

“First. November 6th. An unranked monster appears in Busan Seo-myeon.”

Her voice reached the ears of everyone in the conference room.

“Second. Unlike other monsters, the unranked monster is capable of destroying the New Central Shelter.”

Heo Sook-ja continued speaking while carefully observing Kale’s group.
Not all of Kale’s group were present in the conference room. Only a few were there, while most of the party, including the three monsters, rested in a separate space.

“Third. Therefore, we must prepare for this and either stop or kill the unranked monster.”

After stating all three points, Heo Sook-ja looked back at Kale.
Kale’s mouth opened.

“To be precise, it doesn’t appear in Busan Seo-myeon. It emerges from Gwangan-ri and advances toward Busan Seo-myeon.”

Heo Sook-ja’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Gwangan-ri.

“Gwangan-ri? Does that mean it appears from the seashore?”
“Yes. It emerges from the sea and moves toward Seo-myeon.”
“…The movement path is broader than I expected.”

Heo Sook-ja’s lips twisted into a grimace.

Heo Sook-ja and Lee Soo-hyuk.
From what Kale understood, they were two of the three central figures currently holding power in the Busan Seo-myeon Central Shelter.

“We should discuss this among ourselves for a moment.”

Heo Sook-ja turned her gaze toward Lee Soo-hyuk, who sat quietly with his sword sheath propped like a cane.

“Soo-hyuk. I want to trust what your close junior says, but we still need to verify the facts, don’t we?”

But the answer came not from Lee Soo-hyuk, but from someone else’s lips.

“Of course we need to verify, ma’am.”

It was the man who had encountered Kale’s group at the North Gate alongside Heo Sook-ja.
The man who would later become the leader of Daejeon’s Largest Guild. Ma Seung-jin.

Lee Soo-hyuk’s gaze shifted toward Ma Seung-jin. Ma Seung-jin flinched at that look but offered a wry smile.
It was a smile asking for understanding.
Only then did Lee Soo-hyuk’s eyes begin to move away from Ma Seung-jin toward elsewhere.
That was when it happened.

Lee Soo-hyuk, Heo Sook-ja, Kang the Healer, Ma Seung-jin, and three others seated in this conference room.
One of them opened their mouth.

“Ma Seung-jin is right. We need to verify.”

Heo Sook-ja and Lee Soo-hyuk.
The person called the center alongside these two in the Busan Seo-myeon Central Shelter.
Kim Woo.

Kale recalled the information about him.

‘Kim Woo. He was the one who competed with Heo Sook-ja to become the zone leader of the Busan Seo-myeon Central Shelter, but then left for somewhere else.’

And the two people beside Kim Woo were likely those who had followed him in the future as well.

Kim Woo quietly looked Kale up and down, the corners of his mouth lifting.
A voice tinged with faint amusement flowed from his lips.

“In this world now, should I just believe everything people tell me? There aren’t just one or two scammers out there. How many people look so flimsy that they’d collapse with a single punch, yet have rotten hearts inside?”

In that moment, Park Jin-tae’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Ha!”

An exclamation-like laugh burst from his lips.
At that sound, Kim Woo’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“What?”

Kim Woo’s gaze turned toward Park Jin-tae.
The eyes of the massive Kim Woo, frowning with displeasure, carried considerable pressure.
But Park Jin-tae opened his mouth while looking at Kim Woo with a distinctly displeased expression.

“What do you mean what? Mind your own business.”
“…You’re young to be speaking informally to-”
“You dropped the formality first, so what’s the problem with me doing it too?”
“Ha!”

This time, Kim Woo let out an exasperated sigh.
Regardless, Park Jin-tae looked toward Heo Sook-ja.

“I understand your hesitation to trust people in this changed world.”

At Park Jin-tae’s dismissive demeanor, Kim Woo scowled while looking at him.

“Hey. What’s your deal?”

But Park Jin-tae ignored him.
He wasn’t a frightening man like Lee Soo-hyuk, nor was he inhuman like Kim Rok-soo—he was someone with nothing to fear.

“If you think about just one thing, most of your suspicions will disappear. And you’ll see the truth.”
“What is it?”

Heo Sook-ja also ignored Kim Woo and spoke to Park Jin-tae.
Kim Woo and Heo Sook-ja. A subtle atmosphere of wariness flowed between the two of them.
Park Jin-tae glanced briefly at Kale Heniatus, Choi Han, Kim Min-jun, and Lee Jin-ju before opening his mouth.

“In this world where people fear traveling from one shelter to another because of monsters, why did we run all this distance without rest?”

In this current world.
No distance was easy for anyone to travel.
Especially when leaving behind a warm home.

“That alone should be enough to consider.”

Park Jin-tae said no more, leaning back against his chair and pressing his lips firmly shut.
Kale Heniatus looked at him, but Park Jin-tae avoided his gaze and lowered his head.

Heo Sook-ja observed the people from Seomyeon Shelter for a moment before speaking.

“Then let’s proceed with our meeting among ourselves for now.”

Kale Heniatus rose from his seat and opened his mouth.

“We’ll step out for a moment.”

Screech.
At that sound of a chair dragging, I looked toward the front.
Lee Soo-hyuk was also rising from his seat.

“Soo-hyuk, you should stay here.”
“Just a moment.”

At Heo Sook-ja’s call, Lee Soo-hyuk raised his hand in acknowledgment and opened the conference room door.
Then he offered a smile to Kale Heniatus, Park Jin-tae, and the others.
The group filed out one by one through the open door.
Park Jin-tae also paused as he passed through the door, looking at Lee Soo-hyuk.

“…Why do you look like that?”

The other people from the Seo-myeon Shelter looked perfectly fine. The one who had been picking a fight with Park Jin-tae just moments ago was not only fine—he was in excellent condition.

When Lee Soo-hyuk hesitated to respond to Park Jin-tae’s words, Kale Heniatus, standing behind Park Jin-tae, opened his mouth.

“We’ve been out rescuing people. He’s the Rescue Team leader on this side.”
“…Rescue Team?”

The Rescue Team was the reason he looked like this?
Park Jin-tae’s expression twisted slightly once more, and Lee Soo-hyuk looked at Kale Heniatus with genuine surprise this time.

“You know about that too?”
“Of course. Finding people who haven’t made it to the Shelter yet and are scattered about, then safely bringing them here. Isn’t that what the Rescue Team does?”
“Huh. You don’t miss a thing. Is that foresight?”
“Let’s hurry with the meeting, and call us when it’s done.”

Kale Heniatus said that much and looked at Park Jin-tae.

“Aren’t you going?”
“…Yeah, I’m going.”

Park Jin-tae sighed at Kale Heniatus’s blunt gaze and Choi Han’s murderous eyes over his shoulder, then stepped out of the room.

Slam!
The conference room door closed, and Kale Heniatus headed toward the Terrace in the hallway.
He stood on the Terrace and gazed out at the surrounding landscape.

Busan Seo-myeon Central Shelter.
This was Seo-myeon Station. A newly formed Central Shelter centered around this station, where subway lines 1 and 2 converged.

A massive Castle stood at the center of the station grounds.
This Castle too had a Korean-style tiled roof, and I stood on its mid-level Terrace, gazing out at the world beyond.

Lee Jin-ju and Kim Min-jun approached beside me. Lee Jin-ju spoke.

“All the buildings are arranged around this Castle.”

Kim Min-jun continued.

“And they’re all connected underground. That’s unusual.”

Kale nodded.

“Right. That’s a characteristic of the Busan Seo-myeon Central Shelter.”

Centered around this castle, numerous buildings were positioned throughout the area.
The expanse was quite considerable.

“Unlike the modern buildings scattered throughout, all the buildings with traditional Korean tile roofs are connected to the underground chamber. You can think of it that way.”

At Kale’s explanation, Kim Min-jun nodded.

Indeed, unlike the Central Shelter Kim Min-jun had visited before, buildings with traditional Korean tile roofs were visible in scattered locations.

Kale’s voice reached the ears of the group that had exited the conference room.

“Once we safely conclude this battle with the unranked monster, we’ll begin restoring the subway tunnels centered around Seo-myeon Station in this shelter.”

Although in the past this first battle with an unranked monster had ended catastrophically, the future Busan, just as Kale said, began reconstructing the city by utilizing the subway tunnels.

“If that happens, Busan will be able to rebuild society very rapidly.”

At that moment, a quiet voice came from behind.

“…Is it? Can you know even such things if you possess foresight?”

Kim Min-jun and Lee Jin-ju flinched, but Kale turned around without any concern.
There stood Ma Seung-jin, gazing at Kale.
Kale answered him as if it were nothing special.

“I am able to know.”

Then he approached Ma Seung-jin.

“Has the meeting concluded?”
“…Indeed.”

Ma Seung-jin scratched his head.

“I simply cannot believe it.”

In that instant, Choi Han and Park Jin-tae turned their gazes toward him.
Ma Seung-jin quickly waved his hand.

“No, that’s not what I meant. Ever since the world became like this, I’ve had trouble trusting others.”

Then he spoke with a serious expression.

“But I trust Lee Soo-hyuk.”

Click.
Ma Seung-jin opened the door, and Kale Heniatus stepped inside.

Heo Sook-ja opened her mouth as she watched Kale Heniatus and his group all take their seats.

“We’ve decided to trust Kim Rok-soo’s foresight for now.”

A faint smile bloomed at the corners of her lips.
Kang the Healer, who had been quiet, opened his mouth.

“If what you say is true, it’s invaluable information, and even if it’s not true, strengthening the Shelter isn’t a bad thing.”
“It would be a bad thing if it’s not true.”

At Kim Woo’s blunt remark, Kale Heniatus’s gaze turned toward him.
In that moment, Lee Soo-hyuk’s voice was heard.

“…Kim Woo.”
“What? Am I wrong?”

Kim Woo and Lee Soo-hyuk looked at each other.
Kang the Healer fanned himself repeatedly, as if the tense atmosphere was suffocating him.
Kim Woo spoke first.

“I’m still against it.”

His gaze turned toward Kale Heniatus.
His expression was quite serious.

“And Kim Rok-soo, even if what you say is true. According to you, unranked monsters are beings that would be difficult for all of us in this Shelter to fight together, right? That’s why you said you came to help.”

*Snicker*
His serious expression dissolved, and laughter spilled from Kim Woo’s lips.
His eyes gleamed with a hint of mockery as he regarded Kale Heniatus, Choi Han, and Park Jin-tae.

“Well, if you’ve come to help, you don’t look particularly strong to me.”

Park Jin-tae’s face contorted with rage.

“You bastard—”
“Kim Woo.”

Park Jin-tae turned to look at Kale Heniatus, who had cut him off mid-sentence.
Kale Heniatus regarded Kim Woo and posed a question.

“What if I am strong?”

Kim Woo faltered.

“…What?”
“Allow me to make a prediction. Or rather, let me state a present fact.”

Lee Soo-hyuk’s eyes widened with intrigue as he watched Kale Heniatus.
Kale Heniatus turned his gaze slowly toward the people from the Seomyeon Shelter before speaking.

“Heo Sook-ja. Kim Woo. And.”

Kale Heniatus paused briefly before continuing.

“Even Lee Soo-hyuk.”

In that instant, Lee Soo-hyuk’s eyes widened. Park Jin-tae’s did the same.
Yet Kale Heniatus’s words were far from finished.

“Even if all three of you attack me together, I will still win.”

Kale Heniatus’s finger pointed to a single location.

“Against me.”

Silence fell over the conference room in an instant.
Lee Soo-hyuk stared at Kale Heniatus with an intensity that seemed to pierce through him.

But soon Kim Woo shot to his feet, shattering that silence.

“What kind of nonsensical drivel is that—!”

That was when it happened.

Wee-wee-wee—wee-wee-wee—

A warning alarm blared throughout the Castle.
Kang the Healer’s gaze shifted toward Lee Soo-hyuk.
Heo Sook-ja opened her mouth as she looked at Kale Heniatus.

“…It’s a Level 3 warning alarm.”

From Level 8 down to Level 1, and then the emergency level.
Level 3 signified a rather dangerous situation.
Moreover, Level 3 carried one additional special meaning.

Thump. Thump. Thump!
“Coming in!”

The Messenger burst through the conference room door with violent knocks, shouting as he entered.

“Commander!”

The moment the Messenger opened the door, he looked directly at Lee Soo-hyuk and called out to him.

Scrape.
Lee Soo-hyuk rose from his chair.
Heo Sook-ja spoke, looking at Kale Heniatus and his group.

“When the Rescue Team that went outside encounters a critical situation and sends a distress signal, the Level 3 warning alarm is what the Messenger inside the Castle sounds in response.”

The Messenger then opened his mouth.

“The Rescue Team that went to the Yeonsan-dong area has reported discovering multiple people, but they’re now under attack by monsters and in grave danger! They’ve requested immediate reinforcements, and they’re saying that Commander Lee Soo-hyuk needs to come personally!”

Heo Sook-ja and the others from the Seomyeon Shelter, including Kim Woo, their expressions grew urgent.
The fact that they were requesting Lee Soo-hyuk meant they were under a considerable level of attack.

That was when it happened.

Screech.
The sound of a chair being dragged echoed through the room.
Kale Heniatus stood up.

In that instant, Park Jin-tae’s eyes flickered with interest, and he too rose to his feet.

Screech. Screech.
Park Jin-tae watched as Choi Han stood up simultaneously with him, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
Those quiet eyes suddenly looked terrifyingly sharp.

Smirk.
The corners of Park Jin-tae’s mouth curved upward.
Then Lee Soo-hyuk’s voice reached them.

“Good. Very good.”

Lee Soo-hyuk looked between Heo Sook-ja and Kim Woo, then fixed his gaze on Kim Woo.

“Me, Kim Rok-soo, Park Jin-tae. And Choi Han, was it?”
“Yes.”

Lee Soo-hyuk nodded at Choi Han’s response and opened his mouth.

“Then Choi Han.”

And he looked toward Kale Heniatus.

“Kim Rok-soo, does it seem like anyone else needs to go for rescue?”

Kale Heniatus answered without hesitation.
It was as if I had become a new employee named Kim Rok-soo.
But now I was Team Leader Kim Rok-soo.

“Kim Woo and one more person—let’s go provide rescue support together.”

Weeee— weee—
Between the warning alarms, Kale pulled forth a memory from his mind.

The Seomyeon Shelter’s Rescue Team.
This organization would later be recorded by various guilds and public institutions, earning recognition as a meaningful group.
Because he had been the Team Leader of such an organization, in the future, Lee Soo-hyuk became the Team Leader of the Company, and because of his credibility, considerable people sponsored and invested in him.

‘But that ending was not a good one.’

However, the end of this Rescue Team was not a good one.

Kale recalled one of the reasons he had hurried down.

The Yeonsan-dong Rescue Team annihilation incident.
It was an incident where all members of the dispatched Rescue Team were wiped out, except for Lee Soo-hyuk and one other person.
Lee Soo-hyuk never mentioned this incident at all.

But later, through records, Kale knew the truth behind it.
Kale’s mouth opened.

“I will demonstrate our capabilities right away.”

Lee Soo-hyuk smiled and looked toward the people from the Seomyeon Shelter.

“If Kim Rok-soo says so?”

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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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