Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 660

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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 clapped his hands together, Mila calmly focused on her tasks, and Kale lay neatly on the bed with only his head turned toward the window, grinning from ear to ear.
Rak, the Tiger Tribe Warrior, stared blankly out through the terrace window.

“It’s… it’s an act, right? It’s fake, isn’t it?”

His voice trembled.
Erhafen falling. The sight was far too shocking to be dismissed as mere acting.

‘I know it’s fake, yet my heart won’t stop racing.’

Rak clenched his fists tightly, pouring strength into his hands.

“Rak, don’t worry! Grandpa wasn’t hit by the Lion Dragon’s attack!”

In that instant, Kale regarded Raon with a peculiar gaze.

‘…He’s too far away to even see clearly, so why is he so certain the attack didn’t land?’

Kale found Raon’s answer puzzling, yet Raon showed no sign of doubt whatsoever—merely smiling brightly and innocently.
Rak found himself unconsciously mirroring that pure smile.

“Rak. For now, proceed according to the plan.”
“Yes, sir!”

Rak answered firmly to Kale’s command while observing Kale, whose preparations were nearing completion.

“I’m fine.”
“…Understood, sir.”

At Kale’s assurance, Rak reluctantly turned his feet away and headed out of the office.
Kale watched the space where Rak had been for a moment before gazing out the window.

The massive body of the fallen Dragon.

The Dragon’s fall had inevitably destroyed part of the building. The impact sent dust and smoke billowing upward like clouds.
That scene delivered a shock to all but a select few.

“…Ah.”

Several of the Mages collapsed where they stood.
The shields they had erected to block the shockwave from the battle between the Dragon and the Monster had already dissipated, and all that remained in the Mages’ eyes was the fall of the Dragon—a being no different from the king of magic itself.

“So… so anticlimactic—”

Despite the fierce and violent battle that had unfolded, the fight felt strangely hollow.
The reason was simple.

“…It’s truly a monster.”

The Dragon had fallen, but the Monster remained unscathed.
The Monster stood perfectly intact, its shield unmarred, gazing down quietly at the fallen Dragon.
The Dragon had inflicted no damage whatsoever upon its opponent.
That fact left those watching feeling utterly hollow.

“…What the Dragon couldn’t do, now we must—”

Now we must do it ourselves?
The Mages couldn’t bring themselves to finish the thought.
But there were others who sank into even greater terror and dread.

“What, what happened? Did the Dragon really fall?”
“I don’t know! I can’t see from here!”

They were the soldiers stationed outside the City Wall.
The Soldiers had certainly seen the Dragon fall. Yet they could not easily accept this fact.
Those standing outside the tall City Wall heard the sound of the Dragon crashing against the ground inside the wall, but they had not seen it, so they could not accept it.
The quiet murmurs grew louder as more voices joined in, and the anxiety amplified in turn.

“Silence—!”

At a Knight’s shout, the Soldiers faltered and closed their mouths.
Normally, the Knight would have pressed the Soldiers harder for such carelessness, but he too was gripped by shock and fear, unable to say anything to the anxious Soldiers.
Then the Knight Commander stepped forward.

“All units, stand by! Do not act rashly!”

A communication device rested in his hand.
Despite his resolute shout, sweat streamed down his back beneath the armor, betraying his composure.

‘…Your Highness.’

He recalled Alberu’s brief words from moments ago and opened his mouth.

“As long as we do not strike first! That monster will not attack us!”

The soldiers’ gazes turned upward toward the creature in the sky.
Indeed, the monster merely stared at the Ancient Dragon, standing motionless.

“So do not be afraid!”

The Knight Commander shouted this to his soldiers, then moved forward. Knights of the next rank immediately followed in his wake.
They whispered their questions.

“Commander, what should we-?”
“Stand by?”

The Knight Commander nodded with a stern expression.

“We have no intention of striking first. Beyond identifying the monster’s weaknesses, we must properly assess the current situation. His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered us to wait.”

He commanded the knights.

“Ensure the soldiers do not succumb to fear.”
“…Are you saying we will maintain a standoff for now?”
“Indeed. His Highness wishes us to drag out time through a stalemate or lull. Convey the general situation to the soldiers as well.”

The knights acknowledged and summoned their subordinate officers or those commanding each battalion of soldiers.

Soon, word spread through their voices that they would begin buying time for the moment.
Though fear gripped the people, they found solace in the fact that they would not fight—at least not yet.

A fallen dragon. And heroes struggling against overwhelming odds.
And finally, the absence of their commander—the very symbol of victory.

The soldiers were relieved that they didn’t have to fight right now.
The Knight Commander observed their expressions carefully and thought of Albert Crossman.

‘Your Highness. I have conveyed your orders to the soldiers as you commanded.’

Buy time.
Make sure many people learn of this fact. The Knight Commander, who had faithfully carried out the Crown Prince’s orders, gazed into the City Wall.

A black Bone Dragon was descending rapidly.
It was heading toward where the Dragon had fallen.

“How should we treat it?”
“Shouldn’t we go check first?”

Inside Pursell City. Those who had been in shock came to their senses and immediately approached where the fallen Dragon lay.
In a sense, it was an ally, so they naturally had to check its condition. Especially the Mages, who held great respect and awe for Dragons, quickened their pace to get as close to the Dragon as possible.
Then.

“Stop!”

Everyone lifted their heads at the shout from the sky.
Crown Prince Albert Crossman kicked off the armor of the black Bone Dragon and descended below.

Boom—!
A small tremor rippled outward as his feet touched the ground.
Alberu rushed toward the Dragon with urgency.

“Everyone, fall back as the Crown Prince commands!”

Rosalind followed behind him.

“We cannot predict what mana fluctuations might occur around a Dragon in critical condition! Do not approach recklessly!”

At her words, the Mages flinched and stopped their advance.
Her words seemed reasonable enough.
Moreover, even if curiosity drove them forward, they could not disobey the commands of Crown Prince Alberu, who held the greatest power and magical prowess here, and Rosalind, who had become the Tower Master in all but name.

Above all, there was another major reason why it was difficult to approach carelessly.
As they drew somewhat closer, they could clearly see the Dragon breathing in shallow gasps.

“…What a mess.”

The Mage spoke those words while gazing at the Dragon—a creature that even magic dared not challenge.

The Dragon’s skin, ordinarily as unyielding as stone, was fractured and split open across its surface.
Like the spiderweb patterns formed when parched earth cracks and dries, the fissures ran from the Dragon’s claws through its upper body and across portions of its wings.
Even its brilliant golden hide had darkened somehow, its luster fading into a dull sheen.

“…Erhafen.”

Rosalind’s feet came to an involuntary halt as she approached.
Now she could see Erhafen’s condition clearly—something she had missed while battling the Monster Lion Beast with the golden dust swirling between them.
Words escaped her.

She had known Erhafen’s fall was a deception.
But seeing his state now, she realized that had he fought even a moment longer, that deception might have become a terrible reality.

Her head spun.

She had considered the possibility that someone might die in this war.
She had even steeled herself to the thought that someone might be her.
Yet the notion that her mentor—or someone as close as a mentor—might have actually perished left her gasping for breath.

“Erhafen.”

Then she heard Alberu’s voice.
Alberu tore off his helmet, revealing blonde hair and blue eyes as he approached Erhafen’s side.
His expression was rigid with tension.

‘I was worried about how to keep up the act, how to maintain the deception in case the White Star was watching.’

Now it seemed absurd that he had been concerned about how to react to Erhafen’s feigned death.

‘He was actually prepared to die.’

Erhafen’s condition was beyond description.
Only now did Alberu realize that those harsh, ragged breaths were not entirely false—some of them were genuine.

Swish.
His hand touched the cracked skin.

“Are you alright?”

Alberu’s voice had sunk deep and was slightly hoarse. It was a voice so unpleasant that those watching him couldn’t help but swallow involuntarily.

“Gasp… huff…”

The Ancient Dragon couldn’t respond.
Even knowing that dragons were great beings, the sight of him panting with cracked skin made one regard him with pity.

-Crown Prince.

But the moment Erhafen’s composed voice reached Alberu’s mind.

-Should I just stay like this?

The moment one of the dragon’s powerlessly closed eyes cracked open slightly, probing the situation.

-There’s nothing I can’t do.

The moment he praised his own performance.

“Sigh.”

Alberu’s gaze changed.

-…Why are you looking at me like you look at Kale?

Erhafen, who had opened his eyes just enough to see only Alberu’s face right before him, couldn’t hide his displeasure.
Regardless, Alberu placed his hand near Erhafen’s forehead. And he spoke with melancholy.

“…You’ve completely lost your senses. You still seem conscious, but you’re spouting nonsense.”
-What?
“Oh no! Erhafen, you mustn’t die! Don’t lose consciousness!”
-…Ha.

At Alberu’s earnest voice, Erhafen felt goosebumps rise.

‘What chilling acting skills.’

Even professional stage actors would pale in comparison.
But this was only natural. Alberu had concealed his identity as a Dark Elf Quarter resident and maintained his position through his own strength, without relying on his maternal family’s power. Had he not possessed such exceptional acting abilities, he would never have survived in this position.

Erhafen, who was silently marveling at this, heard Alberu’s whisper—so faint it was barely audible.

“He’s lost consciousness, so remain as you are.”
-Understood.

Immediately, Alberu raised his voice.

“His breathing—it’s growing weaker!”

Erhafen simply remained still. Alberu was handling everything himself.

“Your Highness! May I examine him?”

Rosalind, now fully conscious, quickly moved to assist Alberu. Alberu entrusted Erhafen to her care and turned away. Then, locking eyes with a Mage, he commanded:
Alberu entrusted Erhafen to her and turned away. Then he spoke to the Mage whose eyes had met his.

“Contact the nearby Temple right away!”

But Alberu shook his head, as if this alone was insufficient, and muttered to himself.
However, Alberu shook his head as if this wasn’t enough and muttered to himself.

“It’s not enough. I need to contact Saint.”

Treating a Dragon. Perhaps the Saint was the only one capable of such a feat.
Treating a dragon. Perhaps Saint might be able to do it.

I have to go myself.

At that moment, Alberu’s eyes caught sight of Rak approaching him.

“Decline.”

As soon as Rak saw Alberu, he lowered his head and gave a casual greeting. Alberu quickly placed his hand on Rak’s shoulder.

“I wish the Tiger Tribe and Wolf Tribe would stand guard around the Dragon.”
“Yes! We will guard him so that no one can approach!”

Rak looked toward the elder of the Wolf Tribe, and when their eyes met, the Wolf Tribe warrior nodded and began to encircle Erhafen.

“I’m counting on you.”

Alberu whispered softly as he passed Rak, and Rak whispered back quietly.

“Don’t worry. I will ensure no one discovers Erhafen’s condition and that no one approaches.”

Rak hesitated for a moment before adding more.

“…Your Highness…”

Alberu’s gaze turned toward him.

“Your Highness, it’s not… Just watch.”

Rak said nothing more. Alberu didn’t ask further either, instead gazing at the Ancient Dragon with closed eyes visible over Rak’s shoulder.

-Don’t worry about me. Thanks to you all, I finally have time to rest.

Even at the Ancient Dragon’s words, Alberu felt no relief whatsoever.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. We can save him.”

Instead, he raised one corner of his mouth at Rak’s confident voice.
He knew exactly where Rak’s conviction came from.
Alberu no longer kept his gaze on Erhafen and instead looked up at the sky.

The black Bone Dragon. The Dragon Hybrid and Choi Han were positioned in the air.
Choi Han wanted to come down to the ground as well, but someone had to demonstrate vigilance against the Monster Lion Beast. For the White Star’s sake, and for their allies’ sake.

Choi Han nodded at Alberu as if to say go and return quickly. At the same time, Necromancer Mary was heading toward the black Bone Dragon on a skeletal flying monster.

The Dragon Hybrid, Mary, and Choi Han.
With these three, they could sufficiently keep watch over the Lion Dragon and prepare for any emergency.

“I need to hurry.”

He headed toward the Pursell City Hall Office as if rushing to contact Saint Jack.
There, he needed to discuss the upcoming operation with Kale.

“Your Highness—”

Someone stopped him in his tracks.

“…Duke.”

It was Duke Derth.
An inexplicable anxiety etched itself across his face. Alberu regarded him with sympathy, yet—

“I ask that you wait here.”

He could not ask him to come along.
The Yeouiju—that orb connected to Earth—had gone to Kale. Moreover, Kale’s condition was in ruins.
He could not bring Duke Derth, who had come all this way for his son, with him.

“You will be able to meet soon.”

Instead, he offered only this consolation.
Duke Derth nodded shortly after. In place of his anxiety, an unwavering, resolute light filled his eyes.

“I will wait.”

Alberu bowed his head slightly in gratitude before heading toward the office.

* * *

Kale gazed at Mila.

“Teacher, only the final step remains.”

The golden cracks that had covered Kale’s entire body were now filled in with thread-like beige mana.

“Auntie! Does this mean the human is all better now?”
“I’m only gluing the vessel back together, so you mustn’t overexert yourself, yes?”
“Auntie, you’re amazing!”

Raon’s chubby cheeks jiggled with delight. He turned his gaze toward me.

“Human! Once this is finished, what will you do?”

Raon was curious about the next operation.
I answered without much emotion while gazing at the two orbs.

“I need to go home.”
“Huh? Home?”

Both Raon and Mila seemed puzzled, but I had a place I absolutely had to visit during this lull in the situation.

‘Kale Heniatus’ Mother’s Tomb.’

I had to go there. For some reason, I felt certain that clues existed in that place.
I organized my thoughts and opened my mouth while gazing at the two orbs—the Orb of Harmony and the communication crystal.

“It’s not off?”

Ron answered with a gentle expression.

-No, Young Master. It remains on.

And within the Orb of Harmony, Lee Soo-hyuk, Kim Rok-soo, and Choi Jung-soo sat in a row while Park Jin-tae peeked from behind, with Lee Soo-hyuk answering as their representative.

-I don’t know how to turn it off.

Both their voices were soft, yet their gazes were considerably sharp.
I felt uncomfortable about it, but time was running short. I looked toward Mila.

“Teacher, it will sting a bit.”
“Please, go ahead.”

Mila offered a reassuring smile and then took a step back from my side.

Whoooosh—whoooosh—
A beige wind swirled around her.
Raon stepped back, releasing the two orbs, and I closed my eyes. Mila glanced at Raon, then positioned herself directly in front of him, blocking his view.
Raon was about to protest that he wanted to see too, but the torrent of Mila’s mana sweeping through the office made him clamp his mouth shut.

“Raon. Stay still. This is an important moment.”

Mila was right—this was indeed a critical moment. I couldn’t let my curiosity interfere with healing Kale. Raon curled up and remained perfectly still, ensuring his movements wouldn’t affect Mila’s mana, not causing even the slightest disruption.

“Ah.”

With my eyes closed, I smiled softly.
A warm, comforting energy began to spread through my body. I could sense its origin.

The cracks that ran through my entire being—they were being filled by beige mana.
Like morning sunlight, like the winter sun at midday. That gentle warmth brought peace to my heart.

-Finally!
-Kale, your vessel will soon be whole again!
-What a magnificent dragon!

The Ancient Powers couldn’t hide their joy.
I felt genuinely pleased as well.

Creak—!

Then the door opened.

“Mm!”

It was Alberu, arriving in haste. He paused upon seeing the beige mana filling the entire room, uncertain whether to enter or retreat.
Then his eyes fell upon me.
My body was draped in beige mana like a spider’s web. Just as his face was about to contort in concern, I opened my eyes with a peaceful smile.
That was all it took.

“Gasp!”

My eyes flew wide open.

“…!!!”

I inhaled sharply in that instant.

“—!”

The warm sunlight transformed abruptly.
The beige mana filling the gaps became sharp daggers instead of comfort, shredding through my entire body.
Every part of my body burned with intense heat, followed by violent pain.
A suffering incomparable to what I felt when using the ability ‘Instant’ engulfed my entire being.

“…Ugh, gah-!”

I couldn’t form words.
This pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was an agony beyond description.
My limbs trembled violently, and cold sweat drenched not just my forehead but my entire body.

Uuuuu—uuu—
The vibration sound created by Mila’s mana enveloping the office.
At the center of it all, I endured the agony with a complexion that had turned not merely pale, but deathly white.

The three people inside the Orb of Restoration, Ron stationed as the representative in the video communication device, and the Mercenary King Bud—
Alberu, frozen like a statue outside the door.
Though the atmosphere was ominous, Raon, unable to see me through Mila’s presence, surveyed the surroundings.
Not a single soul could open their mouth.

Gradually, as the beige mana seeped into my body, the scars and wounds vanished.
My body healing, yet I suffered in silence, unable to utter a sound.

Unlike Raon, who could not see, the adults bore witness and thus could not bring themselves to speak.

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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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