Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 614

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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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Raon had once rolled around on Kale’s bed while eating a cookie and said something.

‘Human!’
‘What?’
‘I wish this cookie were even bigger!’

Kale, sitting on the sofa, answered without hesitation.

‘Then make a bigger one.’
‘Make one?’
‘Yeah. Make it as big as you want. If you want to do it, do it.’
‘Oh. I can do that?’

Kale answered indifferently to that question.

‘What’s stopping you?’

That’s right!
Nothing’s stopping me!

Bigger!
As big as I want!
As much as I desire!

Kale had never said anything wrong except for all that talk about becoming unemployed, taking it easy, and claiming he wasn’t a hero. So Raon had carved those words deeply into his heart.

That’s why Raon decided to do as he pleased and first surveyed his surroundings.

Boom! Boom!
Outside the black shield, explosions erupted endlessly across its surface from attacks aimed at shattering it from all directions.

‘Hmm!’

The probability of those attacks breaking the shield immediately was slim.
But if they continued, the shield would eventually shatter.

‘I can’t leave Rosalind and Rak like this! I need to hurry!’

Raon quickly approached the largest statue.

The Wolf Tribe Children were still asleep.
Though they remained bound in chains, Raon had carefully broken only the restraints constricting their bodies, fearing that shattering all the chains in this chaos might startle them awake and cause them further distress.

‘Hmm!’

The statue was crafted from a material Raon could not identify.
At first, he’d thought it was stone, but upon attempting to lift it, he realized it was not.

His plump front paws grasped one of the statue’s legs and lifted it slightly.

“Ugh!”

It felt as though it might crumble if he lifted it any further.

Psssh—
As he applied a bit more pressure, dust scattered and the material seemed on the verge of disintegrating.

Raon puffed out his cheeks in frustration and pouted his lips.

“But there is a way!”

Carry the entire altar away!
Raon removed his plump front paws from the statue and placed them against the altar’s base instead, then began infusing mana around the statue.
He needed to gauge how much of the altar he could sever as one piece.
I had to figure out how much of the Altar to cut out in one piece.

“…huh?”

That was when it happened.

“…Ugh!”

He quickly approached another statue and infused mana near its base.
Soon after, Raon approached another sculpture and injected mana near its base.

“What the…!”

The Black Dragon’s wings trembled in shock.

“It’s connected!”

A statue touching the Altar floor.
Beneath that statue, a small circular conduit was connected.

“How strange!”

I could sense an odd energy flowing through the circular conduit.

“It’s being injected!”

And that strange energy was being channeled through the conduit and injected into the statue.

‘…It’s similar to dead mana!’

Though the exact nature of the strange energy was difficult to discern, it seemed remarkably similar to dead mana.
Raon urgently began tracing the origin point of this conduit using his magical power.

Beads of sweat formed.
Faced with the bewildering situation, Raon concentrated so intensely that perspiration beaded on his forehead.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even as this unfolded, the assault on the black shield continued relentlessly, with Rosalind and Rak engaged in combat.

“Unlike your bold entrance, you’re only defending?”

Despite the Bear King Sayehr’s mockery, Rak remained near Raon’s shield, wielding his enormous shield.

Crash! Boom! Crash!
The shield relentlessly blocked the endless barrage of light arrows raining down from all directions.

Unlike the trivial attacks from other enemies, Sayehr’s light arrows could significantly impact Raon’s shield.
And contrary to reports that Sayehr had lost an arm, he possessed both arms intact. However, his movements appeared labored, and with his pallid complexion, he merely continued firing light arrows from every direction.

Rak murmured quietly to himself.

“…I will not forget…my purpose….”

The purpose for which I raised my shield.
The reason I chose defense.

Lord Sherit, my teacher, once said that the best defense is a preemptive strike.

‘But I am different.’

Lord Sherit had told me:

‘Think for yourself about why you fight, and what your true purpose is.’

Reason and purpose.

‘I fight to protect.’

The Wolf Tribe.
We belonged to the ranks of powerful beast-kin, alongside the Bear Tribe, Lion Tribe, Whale Tribe, and others.
Of course, compared to other powerful beast-kin, we were said to be a step below in raw strength.
Yet we were still formidable.
The Wolf Tribe, drawing upon our inherent nature, was known to employ combat methods that were quite primal and destructive.

Moreover, we cherished our families and our tribe above all else.

‘I will master both in my own way.’

I reined in the explosive energy that surged through every fiber of my being.
Lord Sherit, my teacher, had said:

‘You must know when to fight. Never forget your true purpose.’

My purpose now.
It was neither to kill that creature nor to recklessly destroy this place.

‘To save the children and steal the statue.’

I needed only to hold to that.

‘When the time comes next.’

At that moment, I could use this raging power.
For one who suppresses their strength and waits for the opportune moment, that chance would surely come.
Rak raised his shield.

Crash, bang, crash—!
Arrows of light collided with the shield and burst apart.

Even so, he glanced to the side.
Rosalind, fighting near the black shield, came into view.

Crack.
Another highest-grade mana stone shattered.

Crash—
Simultaneously, a massive inferno erupted from Rosalind’s hands toward the enemy before her.
And that enemy was.

“Hmm, a troublesome opponent.”

The Lion King.

“Though not impossibly difficult.”

The berserk Lion King tore through the inferno with ease. Black smoke coiled around him.
Rosalind bit her lip as she watched her flames dispersed so effortlessly.

‘That black smoke must be darkness power channeled through dark spirits!’

I cannot allow him the opportunity to fully wield that power.
If that darkness spreads across the sky, some of our allies below without the corresponding attribute affinity would be unable to fight properly.

‘I cannot give him any opening.’

Then.

‘I must attack without pause!’

Rosalind, opposite to Rak’s approach, unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks upon the enemy.

Boom! Boom!
Most of the massive explosions echoing through this place were Rosalind’s handiwork.

“Hmm!”

That’s why even Lion King Dorf couldn’t recklessly charge in.

“No matter how much she relies on mana stones, her mana control and offensive magic level—”

—rival that of a dragon.
He left the rest unsaid.
Because she was his enemy.

“Of course, once those mana stones are depleted, you’ll be like a rat in my palm.”
“Don’t you think you’ll die first before that happens?”

Rosalind’s lips curved upward as she posed the question, and Dorf gave a slight shrug.

“That won’t happen.”

Because.

“The statue cannot be moved.”

Rosalind’s hands, which had been launching attacks, faltered.
But soon enough, she resumed casting her spells.

‘I’ve already heard from Raon. If we try to carry the statue away, it will shatter.’

So we’ll cut the altar itself and take it with us.
Then Dorf’s voice reached her.

“Why?”

He was laughing languidly.

“You’ll try to carry away the altar itself?”

This time, Rosalind stopped her attack and looked directly at Dorf.

“Then that would be quite troublesome for you all, wouldn’t it?”

At the same moment, Rosalind heard Raon’s voice echoing in her mind.

-Rosalind!

The young dragon’s voice was urgent.

-These statues are connected to some kind of conduit beneath the altar!
-And that conduit is transmitting a strange energy to the statues!

Strange energy?

-But that energy seems to be providing nourishment, like it’s feeding them!

Rosalind’s expression hardened.

Nourishment.
Were these statues not inanimate objects after all?

‘…And what could that nourishment possibly be?’

She had a terrible feeling that whatever nourished them was nothing good.

“Ah. So the dragon has figured it out now?”

Lion King Dorf laughed with ease.
Sayehr had also ceased his assault and now stood beside Dorf, chuckling softly.

In contrast, Rosalind’s expression grew increasingly tense.

-Cale! If we sever this conduit, the statues might crumble!

A conduit supplying that strange energy—that nourishment.
Raon sensed that destroying this conduit would somehow affect the statues as well.

-I’m trying to trace where this conduit originates, but it’s too far away—I’ll need more time to figure it out! So I’m telling you first!

In the Underground Chamber, a coffin connected to eight statues traced an odd pattern.
Raon had attempted to use mana to locate the starting point of the coffin, but the one in the Underground Chamber led toward the Sinkhole wall of the Endable Kingdom.

It had climbed the wall and headed upward again.
So Raon needed a bit more time to explore.

That was when it happened.

Beep beep beep—beep beep—
An emergency signal came through the video communication device shared between Rosalind and me.

“Gasp!”

I stopped exploring entirely and pulled out a video communication device in alarm.
This signal rang whenever one of our allies needed to make a hasty retreat.

‘Someone’s fleeing in a panic!’

My heart pounded wildly.

‘But there are no humans here!’

For some reason, the thought that there were no humans made the signal feel all the more urgent to me.

—Huff, gasp!

Ragged breathing came through the communication device.
The screen flickered and shook, making it impossible to see clearly.

It seemed they had sent the signal hastily while keeping the device tucked inside their clothes.

“This is serious!”

And I was so startled that I even forgot I had my front paws on the ground.

The one sending signals to everyone—to me, Rosalind, Alberu, Erhafen, and others.

—Huff, currently heading to District 2, the Temple-dense area!

Gren Puff.
A close friend of the Mercenary King, and wherever he went,

-Ron Mollan and I must flee hastily-! Gasp!

Ron, On, and Hong were there.
None other than Ron himself was fleeing in desperation.
And On and Hong were with him as well.

Raon’s eyes widened as a firm voice reached him from beyond the shield.

“Let’s just go.”

It was Rosalind.
The startled Raon felt his panic gradually subside as he met Rosalind’s resolute gaze.

“The statue isn’t the problem, Raon.”

The primary objective.
Everyone survives.

In that moment, Raon heard another ally’s voice through the communication device.

-I’ll head to District 2.

Alberu told Ron he was going.
Raon felt his resolve strengthen as he saw Rak nod in agreement with Rosalind, and he pressed down with both front paws.
His mind became crystal clear.

Then.

“I lost Kale Heniatus. Will I lose this as well?”

Boom!
A figure descended from the sky to the ground.

The White Star.
His arrival was immediate, and Rosalind swiftly unleashed her magic.

Whoooosh—
Before the flames could fully unfurl.
The White Star leaped over Rosalind and Rak.
Landing atop the black shield, he swung his fist down with tremendous force.

Crash—!
With a deafening boom, cracks began spiderwebbing across the black shield.

Crackle—
Through the fractured shield, the White Star glimpsed the Black Dragon, his round eyes blinking.
The weary White Star spoke with quiet resolve.

“Let’s see this through to the end.”

Raon gazed into those exhausted eyes.

Blink. Blink.
As his eyes closed twice, the corners crinkled into crescents.

“Heh.”

Raon’s lips curved upward.

“I don’t want to see this through! You idiot!”
“…What?”

Shatter—!
The black shield shattered completely.

“Saving the humans is enough!”

Simultaneously, Raon surged with mana.

Snap. Snap.
The chains fractured under the black mana, and some of the children stirred, beginning to stir awake.
Whoooosh—
Raon’s magical power became a circular nest, cradling the children.
The statues he merely brushed past, leaving them untouched.

“I’m leaving!”

The nest surged upward at tremendous speed.

“Next time I’ll come back to steal—no, to destroy this place!”
“That’s entirely up to—”

The White Star moved toward Raon, who was rising skyward within the nest above his head.
But then.

Boom!
“Ugh!”

He was sent flying to the side by the sudden collision of immense power.
The White Star’s face contorted.

“…This Ancient Dragon! Finally showing his true strength!”

Erhafen’s golden mana suddenly erupted, slamming into the White Star.
It was a far more formidable force than what he had displayed during their earlier clash.

“…Hah.”

Erhafen concealed his trembling hands as he caught his breath in shallow gasps.
In that moment, Rosalind and Rak quickly boarded the nest.

“Golden Dragon Grandpa!”

Erhafen chuckled softly at the round eyes gazing at me after so long, then surged upward with the nest.

The White Star and several others shot into the air, attempting to pursue.

“I won’t allow it.”

But the power of Merry, the protagonist who had flown away with the black sphere, still lingered in this place.
White bone.
Dozens of skeletal monsters materialized, blocking the path between them and the nest.

“Damn!”

To the White Star, they were merely weak and cumbersome skeletal monsters.
Yet those skeletal flying monsters had bought sufficient time for Raon’s nest to escape.

The White Star heard a cheerful voice.

“White Star! Goodbye! See you soon!”

A chubby foreleg jutted out from the nest’s entrance, waving left and right in farewell toward the White Star.
And at that very moment.

“…Damn it!”

Alberu piloted Merry’s skeletal wyvern, racing swiftly toward District 2 where the temples clustered together.
The black cord in his hand enabled aerial control. Of course, it couldn’t match the responsive movements of a living wyvern like Merry’s.
But he had to make do with this aerial control for now.

Alberu bit his lip.

‘Ron Mollan sent an urgent signal!’

Anxiety gripped him.

‘Priest Gersei. That bastard is strong too.’

Gersei, who fought using a fan.
Beyond his position as a priest, he was a formidable opponent.

‘I was only supposed to follow from behind—did the priest discover me?’

The situation was impossible to gauge.

“Hmm!”

Alberu turned his head at the wind he felt from behind.
Vicross was likewise riding one of Merry’s skeletal wyverns, following in his wake.
Understanding his companion’s resolve fully, Alberu increased their speed instead of acknowledging him.

Whoooosh—!

At that moment.

“Signal flare!”

I saw the magical signal flare that Gren had launched into the sky.
Near the northern part of District 2.

Alberu hurried toward that location.

And then he saw it.
Gren, running frantically.
And Ron, On, and Hong.

Ron’s fleeing figure was somewhat unfamiliar.
But.

“…What is that?”

Alberu paused for a moment.

“…Isn’t that the priest?”

One leg of the unconscious Priest Gersei was being held in Ron’s grip.
Priest Gersei, having lost consciousness, was being dragged across the ground as they moved.
His clothes were a complete mess because of it.
But that wasn’t what mattered.

“…Poison?”

Whether poisoned or not, an odd purple hue had spread across the priest’s face.

“A nosebleed?”

On top of that, blood was streaming from both his nostrils.
On one purple-tinted cheek, cat paw prints were marked like bruises.

Meow!
Meow!

Two cats were dragging Gersei along as they bolted away, running gleefully beside Ron as he fled.
They almost seemed to be laughing.
Alberu found himself blurting out without thinking.

“…That’s terrifying.”

An elderly man and children.
Whatever had transpired, they were clearly formidable masters of their craft.

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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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