Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 589

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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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Chapter 126. Before the Sun Rises

Kale’s gaze shifted back to Alberu.

‘I cannot be certain whether the information beneath the rock concerns a sealed god. However—’

I felt certain it would prove useful.
Currently, I had slipped out of the Central Shelter and was conversing with Alberu and Choi Han in the vicinity.

“So here’s the thing.”

Alberu broke the brief silence and spoke.

“I need to explain the current situation to you.”
“Yes. Please do.”

Alberu’s lips moved silently for a moment before he exhaled like a sigh.

“All the Eastern Continent kingdoms, except Molden, have sided with the White Star.”

My brow furrowed.

“So if I leave the Eastern Continent, there’s a high probability I’ll have to reclaim the encampment stationed near the Gate of the Demon Realm.”

The Eastern Continent had endured this long only because Alberu remained there to hold the line.
The Eastern Continent had no desire to attack the Western Continent’s future king first.
If they did, it could easily spark a war between continents.

“And if we reclaim the encampment this time, it may become difficult to establish a foothold in the Endable Kingdom again.”

Choi Han, who had been listening, opened his mouth.

“Your Highness, what will happen to our allies trapped within the Endable Kingdom?”
“Erhafen said that with the Priest of the War God at their side, they can hold out for several more weeks inside.”

He added, looking at me.

“And the Molan Family, the Mercenary Guild, and Duke Fredo have agreed to remain on the Eastern Continent to help. The Elves and Dark Elves have taken on the role of liaison.”

Kale’s mouth opened.

“You’ve already made plans to return to the Western Continent.”

Kale and Alberu’s gazes met.

“Yes. It’s inefficient otherwise.”

Both their eyes remained calm.

“I must save you and our allies trapped within Endable. That hasn’t changed.”

Alberu continued.

“But simply gathering and stationing ourselves near the Endable Kingdom is inefficient. Even if we tried to infiltrate the Endable Kingdom right now, the black barrier covering the Sinkhole prevents entry even through teleportation magic. The same applies to those trapped inside.”

Of course, judging from how the White Star had negotiated with other kingdoms on the Eastern Continent, there might be ways for them to escape beyond the video communication channel.
In any case, Alberu had simply been watching and waiting all this time.

“So rather than waste that time, it would be better to research other methods, wait for the right moment, and prepare.”

The moment Alberu was waiting for.

“When your test ends.”

That moment would be when Kale escaped from the test.

“I’ll be able to tell, won’t I?”

And Alberu could prepare accordingly, knowing this in advance.
Kale gazed quietly at Alberu before opening his mouth.

“If Erhafen’s personnel are safe, you may proceed in that direction.”
“Right.”

Alberu added with a slight smile.

“If our allies in Endable are in critical danger, I’ll just push forward regardless.”

Though they were smiling, Choi Han and Kale could sense that Alberu’s words carried profound sincerity.
Choi Han’s lips parted.

“…I should be helping them too.”

As his colleagues struggled traveling back and forth across the East-West Continent, Choi Han felt nothing but remorse.
Alberu offered a wry smile, and then Kale spoke up.

“Why is the Eastern Continent allied with the White Star?”
“…I’m not certain about that either.”
“The Molan Family and the Mercenary Guild must be investigating it.”

Alberu simply nodded in response to Kale’s perceptive remark, acknowledging that he grasped the situation without needing further explanation.

“Then what is the current situation on the Western Continent?”

As Kale inquired about the Western Continent, Choi Han leaned in attentively.
It was where his home—his other homeland—existed.

“I intend to secure cooperation so we can provide maximum support.”

Alberu’s voice carried more weight when discussing the Western Continent than when he had spoken of the Eastern Continent.

“It seems we’ll need to gather the strongest individuals possible.”
“The strongest…?”
“Yes. We need the strong.”

Both Kale and Choi Han nodded at Alberu’s resolute tone.
They understood why he was emphasizing the need for powerful allies so intensely.

“Kale. You said you saw eight statues of unranked monsters, didn’t you?”

The eight sculptures that Kale had witnessed on the altar in the Underground Chamber beneath the Endable Kingdom.

“And two of them seem to be even stronger than the most powerful monster you’ve encountered.”
“Likely so.”
“Then naturally, we need the strong.”

The Dark Tiger’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“The issue is that it’s difficult to draw in those who serve the kingdoms, and time is running short.”

Even as the kingdoms of the Western Continent spoke of cooperating for continental peace, they hesitated greatly to send their strongest—those directly tied to national power—into potentially fatal situations.
Alberu understood their reluctance well enough, and he had no desire to forcibly conscript the unwilling.

“That’s why I’m troubled.”

With Kale and Choi Han present, Alberu could afford to voice such concerns.

“With the Eastern Continent unified, we lack strength both in quantity and quality. I must gather powerful individuals by any means.”
“…There are strong ones, though.”
“Hmm?”

At Kale’s words, Alberu’s gaze shifted toward him.

“What are you saying?”

Pressed by Alberu’s sharp inquiry, Kale opened his mouth with a peculiar expression.

“There are powerful ones who haven’t yet chosen a side.”

Such beings existed?
Alberu’s eyes widened, and he spoke at once.

“Who?”

Despite his urging, Kale paused in thought before slowly parting his lips.
And a single word emerged.

“Dragons.”

Beings whose very existence carried immense power.
The supreme combat lifeforms of the terrestrial realm.
Only Dragons fit that description.

“What?”
“Besides Raon and Erhafen. There are quite a few, aren’t there?”

Alberu stared at Kale for a moment, rendered speechless, before finally speaking.

“Ha, haha—”

A short burst of laughter escaped me.
Alberu contained his amusement before speaking.

“That… actually makes sense.”

It truly did make sense.
Drawing dragons into this battle.

Kale leaned toward Alberu as he spoke.

“I have Lord Sherit and Erhafen, who knows the dragons’ locations best. And there’s Raon, who possesses the exceptional qualities of what people call a lord’s sense.”

There was no need to shoulder this enormous burden alone.

“Brother.”

If there were cards I could play, I would use every single one.

“Let’s bring the dragons into this as well.”

Kale smiled.

“We’re not doing this just for our own survival, are we?”

The tiger’s mouth corners lifted slightly, revealing its fangs.

“Your Majesty. And this is a matter connected to the Demon Realm.”

That’s what Sherit said.
In the past, whenever the true Gate of the Demon Realm showed signs of opening, or when it did open, the dragons closed it.

“If we can only find the scattered dragons. They will help us at least once.”

Alberu’s mouth opened.

“…Bringing in dragons too will make preparations even tighter.”

Despite his words suggesting things would be tight, his eyes gleamed with vitality.
The gaze of someone who had found a path forward.

“It will work out.”

Choi Han added his own bright remark.
Then Kale spoke up abruptly.

“It will certainly be tight, but when we charge in, we’ll have something reassuring. A Dragon, after all.”

Choi Han and Alberu exchanged glances at Kale’s words before nodding in agreement.

“That’s true.”
“Indeed it is.”

Kale gazed into empty space for a moment, a smile playing at his lips.
If he could gather the scattered Dragons and persuade them…

“Heh.”

At that peculiar laugh, both men turned to look at Kale.

“That white one will probably be shocked too.”

Kale’s expression, as he gestured toward the White Star, was cheerful for the first time in a while.

* * *

The Royal Palace Library, situated within the Roun Royal Castle.
A place that existed in secret deep beneath it.

“Crown Prince! Should I start now?”

Alberu, who had been leaning against the stone chamber wall, nodded at Raon’s signal.

“Yes. I’m counting on you, Raon.”
“Got it! I’ll do my best for the Crown Prince! Since you’re giving me delicious cookies!”

Currently, only Alberu and Raon occupied this space.

His gaze turned toward the massive boulder that occupied one wall of the Stone Chamber.
Sentences inscribed upon the rock came into view.

【O cursed descendants of blood.】
【May the hand of the Sun God forever remain at your side.】
…
【When he who harbors that darkness becomes the leader, the sky shall crumble and the earth shall overturn.】

Alberu had come to search for records of the Sun God that might be buried beneath this boulder, based on the accounts left behind in the book that Saint Jack had brought.

Saint Jack, Kaige, and Hana had intended to come here together, but Alberu brought only Raon with him.
The three of them waited outside the Library with the others.

It couldn’t be helped.

‘Because I don’t know what might emerge.’

And.

‘I don’t know what might be left behind.’

Secrets about myself.
Secrets about the Crossman Family.
I had no intention of disguising those secrets as something else.
I simply wished fewer people knew.

Because it was not a pleasant story.
That’s why I came with Raon.
Because this young Dragon knew that Kale was Kim Rok-soo.
And knew my identity as well.
In the current situation without Choi Han and Kale, the only one Alberu could truly open his heart to was this six-year-old Dragon and Aunt Tasha.

“Then let’s begin!”
“Yes.”

Raon’s plump front paws moved toward the boulder.
Whoooosh—
Black mana began to gather and concentrate at Raon’s front paws.

Alberu pondered as he observed this.

‘According to the Library’s design, removing that boulder won’t affect the Library’s foundation at all.’

Since the boulder’s size matched exactly the Stone Chamber’s wall, if he could extract it cleanly, there would be no difficulty in examining what lay beneath it.

Black mana surged toward the boulder.

Uuuuung—
The boulder began to vibrate.
With Raon’s elevated mana control, the boulder started to shift.

Crack!
The Stone Chamber wall touching the boulder gradually crumbled, fissures spreading across its surface.
Alberu couldn’t hide his tension watching the sight unfold.

What could it be?
What secret, what hidden truth lay concealed beneath?

“…This is troublesome.”

Alberu’s brow furrowed.
Raon cried out in astonishment.

“Crown Prince! It won’t budge!”

The boulder merely trembled slightly, refusing to move an inch.

“Raon, please step back for a moment.”
“Understood!”

Alberu passed Raon and approached the boulder.
Despite the fissures spreading across both Stone Chamber walls, the boulder remained pristine.
He recalled what Jack had spoken.

‘Between two colossal cliffs facing one another, the sun rises. Where the sun ascends, the sun’s memories shall be buried.’
‘And only those who have overcome the sun’s curse can reach the sun.’
‘Only they can retrieve the memories buried beneath the boulder.’

His lips parted.

“…Only I can extract it.”

Alberu slowly extended his hand toward the stone.

“Hmm.”

Nothing happened.
He merely felt the warm surface of the stone.

“…Warm?”

The stone was warm?
A flicker of intrigue danced across Alberu’s eyes.
He pondered deeply.

What would this stone respond to?
He contemplated.

And he decided to test a few ideas that came to mind immediately.

“Crown Prince!”

As Raon cried out in alarm, Alberu swung his dagger.

Slash!
A thin cut appeared across his palm.
Drip. Drop.
Blood flowed from the wound.

‘This stone curses the Crossman Family, and it responds to those who have overcome that curse.’

And how would the stone know this?

‘…Blood.’

His first hypothesis was blood.
Alberu pressed his bleeding palm against the stone.

That was the moment.

Kuuuong!
“Ugh!”

With a deafening boom, Alberu’s body staggered in an instant.

“Gasp!”

My head spun.
As if blood were draining from me rapidly, my legs lost all strength.

“Crown Prince!”

Raon rushed forward in alarm, trying to support the Crown Prince’s back with his front paws as he stumbled.

“Ow!”

But Raon jerked his paws away in shock.

“…It’s burning hot!”

The Crown Prince’s body was searing like flames.
Alberu steadied his breathing and spoke to Raon.

“I’m fine, Raon.”

And I stared ahead.

“So this is the answer, then.”
“Huh!”

Raon’s eyes widened in shock.
The stone was transforming.

The rock was melting away.
Against Alberu’s body, burning like flames, it slowly melted as if responding to the blood.

Alberu watched silently as the characters carved into the rock began to fade away.
And finally, when the stone ceased its melting.

“…Ha!”

He stepped back and burst into laughter.

Roughly half of the rock had melted away.
Within the exposed interior, another inscription was carved.

Alberu recalled the sentence that had been written on the original rock.

‘O cursed descendants of blood.’
‘May the hand of the Sun God forever remain at your side.’
‘Never dare to reach for the heavens.’
‘For the sun shall always rise.’
‘When darkness is planted within your bodies.’
‘When he who harbors that darkness becomes the leader, the heavens shall crumble and the earth shall overturn.’

And he gazed upon the newly revealed inscription.

【When he who harbors darkness sets his sights upon the world.】
【When the heavens crumble and the earth overturns.】

Alberu’s gaze turned toward the ground where the rock had melted away and vanished.

【O bloodline of the Crossman Family who walks a different path than the First Crossman.】
【Only you shall be able to possess this spear.】

There lay.

【When the world has fallen into darkness.】
【It is the moment for the sun to rise.】

A white spear.

【You who possess your own conviction.】
【Draw this spear.】
【Advance forward.】
【Fight to protect your conviction.】

And.

【And become the sun.】

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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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