Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 635

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Dragon Hybrid raised his hand and tapped his chest.

“I’m already a failure in the eyes of the White Star.”

The White Star had saved the dragon’s heart and invested nine hundred years of effort, yet the Dragon Hybrid had ultimately become a half-formed dragon unable to achieve a third advancement.

“But if this failure appears in the form of a dragon and attacks him, wouldn’t the White Star be at least somewhat caught off guard?”

A hollow laugh escaped the Dragon Hybrid’s lips.
He knew it well.
Even if he became a Bone Dragon, he couldn’t end the White Star’s life. He was simply too weak for that. Fighting would only lead to his own dissolution in the end.
Yet he still wanted to try.
I still want to do it.

He looked up at Kale Heniatus.
The slight surprise that had crossed his face moments ago at the mention of Bone Dragon had quickly given way to composure.

“Merry.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“What exactly does it mean to be a Bone Dragon with will? I’d like to hear more details.”
“It’s quite simple.”

Merry answered in a voice like a navigation system.
Kale Heniatus and Erhafen’s gazes fixed upon her.

“If I create a dragon’s form from bone, I’ll inscribe a magic circle into that form to house the Dragon Hybrid. The difference from Sherit is that Sherit will maintain her appearance as she is now, but the Dragon Hybrid will become one with the Bone Dragon and won’t be able to maintain a separate form.”

Merry continued speaking while observing Kale Heniatus, whose thoughts remained inscrutable.

“This is because, unlike Sherit, the Dragon Hybrid has little life force remaining, so even with magic, the effect would be diminished. I’ve determined that maintaining a separate form would be impossible.”

Kale Heniatus’s mouth opened.

“Of course his life force would be low. But wouldn’t casting the magic require a great deal of mana as well?”

Merry’s gaze turned briefly toward Sherit.

“All of the Dragon Hybrid’s mana. And Sherit has agreed to help.”

Sherit, cradling Raon, stroked his back gently.
She offered a bitter smile at Raon’s upward gaze toward me.
Raon unconsciously lifted his front paw slightly.

“Then, then I should also—”

But Raon’s words never reached their conclusion.
Kale Heniatus’s cold voice posed a single question.

“Then, if that spell succeeds, the Dragon Hybrid will be free, unlike Sherit.”

The Dragon Hybrid’s and Kale Heniatus’s gazes collided.
The Dragon Hybrid stared into those deep eyes as if confronting the abyss itself.

“If Merry’s words are true, it sounds like I could move freely even without form?”

The corners of the Dragon Hybrid’s mouth lifted.

“…You don’t trust me.”

If the Dragon Hybrid could move freely, there was no predicting what actions he might take.
Kale Heniatus was concerned about that.
Worried he might harm his family.

The Dragon Hybrid found no offense in that thought.
Rather, the Dragon Hybrid found reassurance in Kale Heniatus’s cold gaze.

Raon and Sherit—those I dare not even call family. Kale Heniatus stood beside them, and he was thorough in his vigilance against anything that might harm his own.
That was why he looked down upon me with such coldness even now.
Truly, the Dragon Hybrid found his heart at ease in that very coldness directed at him.
A gentle voice flowed from his lips.

“Yes. Don’t trust me.”

Cough!
The Dragon Hybrid coughed so violently his body convulsed, spilling blood from his mouth.
Yet he opened his mouth once more.

“Haa… haa… My attribute is, ugh. Light.”
“And I handle dead mana, which is its opposite.”

Merry continued her explanation.

“I intend to embed dead mana throughout the Bone Dragon’s body where no magic circles are inscribed. Primarily for bone reinforcement.”

Kale Heniatus could see the Dragon Hybrid’s smile deepen as he listened to Merry’s explanation.
His calm voice followed.

“It can also be used as a bomb. Depending on the circumstances, it’s possible to detonate that body and attack enemies.”

Mutual destruction.
It was possible to attack enemies while gambling with one’s own annihilation.

“Furthermore, if the Dragon Hybrid acts recklessly, through this dead mana, the Bone Dragon’s body—”

She paused for a moment.
Because Raon had come to mind.

Normally, she should have said that the Bone Dragon’s body could be destroyed, and that the Dragon Hybrid could be annihilated the instant it was destroyed, so there was no need to worry about his recklessness.
But Merry chose her words carefully out of consideration for Raon.

“…we can prevent the Dragon Hybrid from acting against our will.”
“I see.”

Kale Heniatus rose from the chair beside the bed.

“To atone for your own sins.”

At those words, the Dragon Hybrid’s shoulders trembled slightly.

“You want revenge too, it seems.”

He had never spoken the word revenge aloud, yet his true intentions were completely exposed.
The Dragon Hybrid wanted to say that he wasn’t acting purely out of vengeance.

“I—”
“There’s a condition.”

But Kale Heniatus’s following words made the Dragon Hybrid fall silent.
The condition he had stated was.

“Abandon your thirst for vengeance.”

It was a difficult demand, after all.
An indifferent face reflected in the Dragon Hybrid’s wavering pupils.

“The war that unfolds ahead is not for your revenge. Nor is it to atone for your sins.”
“That is… I already know—”
“This war must be fought with the thought of saving even one more life, solely with the intention to protect.”

In that moment, the Dragon Hybrid closed his mouth.
A battle that must be fought with the sole thought of saving even one more life.

“The representatives of the Western Continent Nations are gathering for a conference. Their objective is to kill the White Star, but ultimately their goal is peace, and to protect their lands and the people who dwell there.”

Though they spoke of the grand word ‘peace,’ it was ultimately a battle to protect and find comfort.
And that was precisely what made it so difficult.
I wanted to walk that difficult path with ease.

“I am no different. I fight to protect myself and those around me.”

Land, people, myself.
A battle to protect anything and everything.
I was weary of battles where something was lost, and I saw no need for such things and did not wish for them.

“Your current emotions are useless to my plans.”

The Dragon Hybrid drew in a breath.
I continued speaking as I observed the Dragon Hybrid.

“Whether you discard or suppress your thirst for vengeance. If you hide that emotion from me and join this battle to protect, I will use you as I see fit.”

The thought of protecting someone.
The Dragon Hybrid’s eyes naturally turned toward one corner of the room.
Sherit and Raon, sitting on the sofa and looking at me, came into view.
In that instant, it felt as though breath caught in his throat.

I must pay for my sins, and I still desire vengeance.
That hasn’t changed.
I never intended to live a comfortable life.
Kale Heniatus before me surely understands this well.
After all, he recognized my thirst for revenge.
And yet, Kale Heniatus said the root of this battle was about protecting something.

‘…Do I have the right to protect anything, someone like me?’

The Dragon Hybrid couldn’t tear his gaze away from Raon and Sherit, even as countless thoughts swirled within him.
It only made the regrets of his past weigh heavier, suffocating him with each breath.
Then, as if he had sensed it, Kale Heniatus’s cold voice reached his ears.

“Don’t think about comfort. And don’t expect things to go as you wish.”

His gaze shifted toward Kale Heniatus.

“Whether your body breaks or not, what matters is taking each step forward. If your strength is insufficient, you won’t even see the White Star’s face before being forced to fight elsewhere to end this war. And eventually, the war will end.”

If he was weak, the war could end without him ever seeing the White Star’s face.
And he could die in the process.

“If you can accept all of that, then try.”

With those words, Kale Heniatus turned his back to the Dragon Hybrid.

“Heh, hehehe.”

Behind Kale Heniatus’s back, the Dragon Hybrid’s laughter echoed.

“…I’ve seen something.”

The Dragon Hybrid stared through Kale Heniatus’s back—the very person who spoke of fighting to protect something.

Kale Heniatus, who claimed to protect himself and his people, fought without regard for himself, dedicating his strength to his companions and others.
I had witnessed it, both as an enemy and standing beside him.

“Now I understand.”

The Dragon Hybrid had resolved to fight like Kale Heniatus.
He would suppress, at least for now, the vengeance and guilt he would carry for a lifetime, and fight just as Kale Heniatus did.
And even if he died in the process, that was something he would have to bear.

“I want to try it once.”

The Dragon Hybrid watched his master’s back, who didn’t even turn around at his words.
Kale didn’t turn back to look at the Dragon Hybrid either. Instead, he simply called out to Merry.

“Merry.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“When are you planning to do it?”
“As soon as preparations are complete within the week, I intend to proceed immediately.”
“Is it difficult?”
“It’s possible.”

Kale nodded, and that was the end of it.
He tapped Rak’s shoulder once as he stood before the open doorway, then stepped into the corridor.

“Thank you.”

But that voice made me stop in my tracks.

“There’s no need to thank me for this.”
“I know. I know, but I still wanted to say it.”

Sherit offered a gentle smile.
And Raon fidgeted restlessly.
Kale spoke in his usual tone.

“Have a good conversation. Raon, come find me once you’re done talking.”

To the tilting Raon, Kale tossed out his words curtly.

“We need to eat.”

Ha.
A smile finally bloomed at the corners of Raon’s lips.

“Understood, human! I’m going to have a chat with my mother and the Dragon Hybrid before I leave!”

Kale Heniatus nodded and stepped outside.
Erhafen was at his side.

“You’re not joining us?”
“Me? There’s no reason for me to be there.”

Erhafen glanced at Kale Heniatus and spoke bluntly.

“I was thinking of contributing some mana myself.”
“Since you’re doing it anyway, why not ask the other three dragons as well?”
“…Huh?”

Erhafen’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Kale Heniatus.
Kale Heniatus shrugged at that gaze.

“Wouldn’t six dragons’ mana be better than three? It would reduce the burden on each of you and produce better results.”
“That’s true enough.”
“And.”

Erhafen met Kale Heniatus’s gaze and hesitated.

“You should be more concerned about yourself than the Dragon Hybrid.”
“What?”
“I still have the jar with you.”

Though it had cracked, the jar containing life force remained in Kale Heniatus’s possession.
It was the object that would extend Erhafen’s lifespan.
Erhafen had refused it, but Kale Heniatus was determined to pour every last drop of that life force into him.

“Heh.”

The corners of Kale Heniatus’s mouth lifted.
For some reason, Erhafen felt a chill run down his spine.

“Let your guard down. The moment you do, your lifespan will increase.”

In all his long draconic existence, Erhafen had never encountered a being quite as unsettling as Kale Heniatus.

“…That’s quite a terrifying threat.”
“It’s not a threat. So please, don’t let your guard down.”

Kale Heniatus’s smirk bore an uncanny resemblance to Raon’s.
Erhafen knew this was touching and a good thing, yet somehow a sense of misfortune seemed to be rolling toward him like tangled vines.
So he tried to say something, but Kale Heniatus was faster.

“Are Duke Fredo and Solena here?”
“Huh? Oh. Right. We couldn’t keep them in the Heniatus Territory any longer, so we moved them here.”
“I see. I should go take a look.”
“I’ll show you. It’s right nearby.”

Erhafen pointed to the end room on the opposite side from where the Dragon Hybrid had been.

“That room is Duke Fredo’s, and the adjacent room is Solena’s. Merry has been taking care of them all this time.”
“Merry must have had a difficult time.”
“Dead mana and that attribute—Merry is the most knowledgeable among us about such things.”

Kale Heniatus followed Erhafen to the end room on the opposite side.

“Until just before we went to the Capital, Duke Fredo hadn’t regained consciousness.”
“That’s strange. I heard his recovery was swift.”
“That’s what I thought too.”
Creak.
Erhafen turned the door handle, and a slightly cooler air flowed out as the door opened.

“Hmm.”

I could see Duke Fredo lying there with a pallid complexion.

“Solena hasn’t regained consciousness either. The external injuries have healed and we’ve passed the critical stage, yet I can’t understand why neither of them is waking up.”

As I listened to Erhafen’s words, I approached Duke Fredo.
Duke Fredo, lying on the bed, was breathing regularly, but his quiet, closed eyes made him look as though he might never wake.
I slightly furrowed my brow at the sight and opened my mouth.

“Hmm. Duke Fredo needs to wake up soon so I can get information about White Star’s location— Ugh!”
“Kale!”

It happened in that instant.

“What the—!”

A powerful force yanked at me, nearly sending my body sprawling forward.

“Kale, are you alright?”

Erhafen quickly steadied me, and I turned my gaze toward the source of that overwhelming pull. It originated from my wrist.
It was my own wrist.

“…Duke Fredo?”

And the hand gripping my wrist belonged to Duke Fredo, who had been lying motionless as if dead until moments ago.
My eyes fixed upon Duke Fredo.

“Ugh…ugh….”

Still with his eyes shut, he struggled to part his lips, barely managing to force out a single word.

“…Blood….”

Blood?
My face began to contort.

“…Pan…a…cure…all….”

A panacea of blood.
Duke Fredo had once told me this.

‘Your blood is absolutely marvelous for vampires. The taste, the nutrition, the healing properties. It’s truly a cure-all.’

Recalling that moment, my lips parted.

“Damn it.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————