Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 667

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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 138. A New Sun Has Set

【…What? There’s a Reincarnator near our precious one?】

The words being inscribed anew in the diary trembled uncertainly, as if in panic. Soon after, Jur Temps steadied her hand and wrote with confidence.

【It’s fine! That part is already finished, so the Hunter won’t appear! Don’t worry about our cutie!】

…That should be the case, right?
Even as I resolved that I would eventually need to learn more about the Temps Family, my maternal relatives, I made an even stronger vow to myself.

‘For now, let’s just not find out.’

To put that resolve into practice, I decided to lay some groundwork beforehand.

“I.”

The moment my voice was heard, the gazes of my companions who had come north with me turned toward me.
Ron and Vicross. On and Hong, each cradled in their arms respectively.
And the invisible Raon, along with another dragon, Rashil.

“Hey. A good human is speaking. Why do you keep squirming? Want to dig around?”

And finally, Lion King Dorf, being dragged along in a large burlap sack by Rashil’s hand.
These were my companions for this journey, while Dodori remained in the Heniatus Territory to rush to Pursulsi’s aid if any sudden changes occurred there.

‘It’s such a shame! I wanted to go too!’

The pink dragon Dodori was quite disappointed, but one dragon had to remain near Pursulsi, and the Half-Shaved Dragon Rashil absolutely refused to go to Pursulsi where Erhafen and Mila were without me.

‘…I hate it. No matter how great a nation is, such a stubborn old— I mean. Anyway, I’m going with you. And you know? That thing I said about being stubborn, what was it? That was a mistake. Forget about it. Ahem.’

Dodori and Raon stared at Rashil in bewilderment, but Dodori soon respected his wishes.

‘Well, our mom is pretty scary.’

As a result, Rashil ended up joining this journey.
Everyone’s gaze except Dorf’s turned toward me, including Rashil’s.

‘That’s strange.’

Ron Mollan’s eyes, fixed upon me, had grown cold and distant. My expression remained as stoic as ever, yet my gaze had grown more turbulent than usual.

‘No. Is it fear?’

Within that turbulence, fear seemed to bloom and fade like a phantom—present yet invisible. It was as though fear had taken root, only to be subdued by an iron will.
Then, Ron heard my words continue.

“Once this is over, I intend to rest for a while and spend time contemplating farming.”

For reference, my definition of “a while” was at least five years.
And “contemplating farming” meant I would actually set farming aside and simply rest during that time.
Moreover, the farming I spoke of was merely vegetable garden level—scattering a few seeds and calling it done.

“I’ll live quietly, as though I barely exist.”

At the same time, Ron heard voices of people conversing around them.

“Young Master Kale has protected us all this time, keeping the Western Continent at peace, hasn’t he? So this time too, he’ll handle everything himself.”
“…A Guardian of a Sealed God, no less…! How dreadful!”
“Don’t worry. As always, Young Master Kale and his companions will resolve everything. We need only pray for them.”

Vicross found himself glancing at his father Ron standing beside him. Ron’s lips curved into a gentle smile, yet his eyes were fixed upon those conversing behind Kale’s shoulder.

‘I don’t understand why such rumors spread, but it’s become troublesome.’

Vicross furrowed his brow at the rumors—similar to the truth yet entirely different.

‘I understand why people do this.’

A god. And a Guardian protecting that god.
The destruction of the Western Continent.
It was only natural that people trembled before such inflammatory words and sought something to lean upon.
Both Vicross and Ron understood this, yet they were Kale’s people. It didn’t sit well with them.
Vicross surveyed Ron and the village surroundings before turning his gaze back to me.

‘I’ll live quietly, as though I barely exist.’

His final words echoed in her ears.
Now merely twenty years old, the world called me a hero, but to Vicross, I was nothing more than the eldest son of House Heniatus—someone who would grow frail and weak without three proper meals a day, that was my greatest problem.
Vicross opened his mouth as he looked at me.

“There is no need to pay attention to baseless rumors.”

My gaze turned toward Vicross.

“What rumors?”

At my feigned ignorance, Vicross furrowed his brow.

‘…Truly foolish.’

From years ago, when I recklessly drank and engaged in reckless debauchery, Kale Heniatus had always been a foolish man.
At first, Vicross paid little attention, but the more he watched, the more foolish I became.

“…Hmm?”

In that moment, my eyes shifted with a different light.
Before Vicross could question why, I closed my journal and tucked it into my breast pocket. Then, after glancing around, the corners of my mouth rose.

“Interesting rumors are circulating?”

My eyes gleamed.

“How amusing.”

At that sight, Vicross realized something.

‘He truly had no idea.’

Vicross’s eyes grew cold with a different meaning, but I, unaware of this, approached Rashil.

“Let us enter the nearby inn for now.”

The contractor of the Fire Spirit—an inn operated by Solly’s Grandmother, a Spirit Mage.
Since the Spirit Mage was currently with the Elves, I would only see the Grandmother, but that place would surely have a cozy and quiet space for my party.
Tap, tap. I lightly kicked the burlap sack that was dragging across the floor with my shoe.

“There are a few things I need to recognize.”

The sack trembled finely as Lion King Dorf shivered inside the burlap.

* * *

-So, the mana trajectories in the forest near the World Tree Lake are in complete chaos?
“Hmm. So you’re saying rumors spread by the White Star are circulating throughout the entire Western Continent right now?”

Alberu appeared on the video communication screen.
And facing him was Kale.
The two of them spoke entirely different concerns.

“That’s right, Your Highness!”

Raon pressed his face toward Alberu on the screen, his invisibility already dispelled in the largest room the Innkeeper Grandmother had prepared.

“We were about to head straight to the World Tree, but strangely, we couldn’t lock onto the teleportation coordinates! The affected area covers the entire forest where the Lake of Despair is located!”

When teleportation coordinates couldn’t be locked, the most suspicious cause was an inability to determine coordinates due to mana trajectory disruption.

-…A mana disruption device?

It was a magical device that had been used before—sometimes by Kale’s side, sometimes by the White Star’s—to deal blows to each other.

“That’s highly likely! So we moved to a nearby village first to gather information here before heading into the forest.”
“But completely different rumors are spreading, and there doesn’t seem to be any useful information.”

Ron, who had just finished scouting the surroundings, supplemented Raon’s explanation.

“Your Highness.”

I finished my deliberation.

“I will meet the World Tree as quickly as possible, and then join you immediately afterward.”
-Right. I’ll handle the rumors on my end to some extent.

Alberu hesitated for a moment before speaking.

-…Will I definitely obtain a clue to sever the White Star’s reincarnation once I meet the World Tree?
“Yes.”

I had already discovered the method to sever the White Star’s reincarnation from the diary Jur Temps left behind, but I hadn’t revealed everything yet.
Only Raon was watching me with an enigmatic expression, his lips pressed firmly shut.

-Right… And you’ve captured Dorf?
“Heh.”

A short laugh escaped my lips.

-…Well. I’ll handle it appropriately.

Alberu wore a reluctant expression and asked nothing further. Instead, he left word that we should report to each other immediately if any new information surfaced, then cut off the communication crystal.
Just as I found it strange how hastily he’d disconnected, a door burst open beyond the fading crystal, and a voice rang out.

-Such false legends are absolutely! I will not-

Hm? Clophe Seka?
The voice of that eccentric fellow had reached me. And the communication crystal went dead.

‘Did he call him because we’re in the Northern Region?’

I thought there was little reason for Alberu to summon Clophe Seka, and I quickly dismissed the matter from my mind.
In the future, I would come to regret this decision deeply. I hadn’t known how utterly insane things would become once Clophe Seka was involved in what had started as a well-intentioned operation—I should have stopped Albert Crossman by the collar if necessary. I regretted it so much that I even drunkenly complained to Albert Crossman about it.
And the future Albert Crossman apologized on that point, saying, ‘I didn’t know he was such a madman.’

‘How strange.’

But the present me, Kale Heniatus, simply rubbed the back of my head, which felt slightly cold, and headed to the adjacent room.

Creak.
The door opened, and there stood Rashil with a bright smile that quickly shifted into a composed expression welcoming me.
I offered Rashil a gentle smile, and satisfied with it, I sat down beside him.

“Dorf.”

And I quietly looked down at Dorf, who was kneeling on the floor.

“Really, what a pathetic sight.”

Lion King Dorf’s appearance was utterly wretched from how thoroughly Rashil had beaten him. With his berserk state gone, his naturally lean frame made him look even more disheveled than a typical member of the Lion Tribe.
Not that I cared about such things—I gazed down at Dorf indifferently and spoke.

“That’s strange.”

It truly was strange.
Ever since we met in the Heniatus Territory.

“Why do you keep avoiding my gaze?”

At the slightest touch from me, Dorf flinched and refused to meet my eyes.

“Didn’t I beat him enough?”

At Rashil’s blunt remark, Dorf flinched again, yet he still refused to look at me. He merely stared at the ground.
My shoe entered the edge of his vision.
I stood directly in front of Dorf.

“I’ll be asking the questions now.”

The World Tree came first.
I couldn’t afford to spend much time on Dorf.

“You don’t need to answer right now.”
“That’s right. I’ll make you open that mouth of yours eventually.”

Rashil flashed a savage smile.

“Thank you, Rashil. You truly are magnificent.”
“This much is nothing.”

I turned my gaze away from Rashil, who was barely restraining the corners of his mouth from rising, and looked at the back of Dorf’s lowered head.

“Where is the White Star?”

The first question.

“What is the White Star trying to do with the Sealed God?”

Second.

“Did the White Star obtain power from another land?”

Third.
That concluded my questions about the White Star.

“How many more allies does he have?”

Fourth.
And last.

“And how did you come to devour the Dark Spirit and gain its power?”

Even my question directed at Dorf.
My gaze shifted toward Rashil. The dragon nodded and flashed a confident smile, as if to say trust me.
While I and the others went to meet the World Tree, Rashil would extract the answers from Dorf.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll get it all out of him.’

That was the boast Rashil had made during our journey here.
A dragon with particularly strong pride wouldn’t speak carelessly about such things, so it was worth trusting.

‘I need to go to the World Tree right away.’

I moved to end this brief encounter with Dorf, this one-sided conversation, without hesitation.

“Red-”

That was when it happened.
Dorf’s voice reached my ears.
Lifting his head, Dorf stared at me with eyes filled with shock.

“What does ‘red’ mean?”

Still, my indifferent gaze reflected Dorf without any emotion.

“How to devour a Dark Spirit.”

Dorf’s expression was seized by shock and disbelief, yet he spoke with measured calm.

“One who possessed a crimson radiance taught me this method.”

One who possessed a crimson radiance?
A peculiar sense of déjà vu washed over Kale.

“Who was this person? Why would they teach you how to devour Dark Spirits?”
“…When I was very young.”

Dorf shook his head as if tormented by a memory he wished to forget, one that surfaced unbidden.

“I was treated as a mutant within the Lion Tribe.”
“I have no interest in such circumstances.”

Kale had no desire whatsoever to concern himself with Dorf’s past or his tragic history.

“Yet you should listen regardless.”

A faint smile played at the corners of Dorf’s mouth—a smile akin to mockery.

“Before I met my liege.”
“…I suppose I must listen.”

Kale moved toward a chair and sat, his gaze fixed upon Dorf.

“A human once came to where my tribe dwelt, seeking me out—one who stood apart within the Lion Tribe. I could not see the face of that figure, wrapped entirely in robes. Yet they emanated a crimson radiance that blazed like the setting sun, gradually deepening into the hue of blood.”

Dorf closed his eyes and recalled that beautiful, mesmerizing crimson light. Hundreds of years had passed, yet that vivid clarity remained unforgettable.

“That person taught me the power to command darkness, the method to hunt Dark Spirits.”

Hunt.
That word lodged itself in Kale’s mind like a thorn.
That word lodged itself in Kale Heniatus’s ear like a thorn.

“That red light.”

Dorf’s voice trembled slightly.
Dorf’s voice trembled faintly.

“…It was similar to the light that hit you today.”

He shook his head.
He shook his head.

“No, it’s the same. It’s the same. That bright red color.”

I feel uncomfortable.
Unsettling.

“Is there anything else you want to say?”
“Is there anything else you wish to say?”

After speaking to that point, Dorf closed his mouth again.

“Rashil. I don’t have time, so I guess I’ll just have to go.”
“Rashil. Time is pressing, so I must take my leave.”
“Very well. I shall attend to all the details. There is nothing this magnificent being cannot accomplish.”

Cale tried to push away the uncomfortable feeling and headed for the door.

“perhaps.”

Before Cale turned the doorknob, Dorf’s voice was heard.

“Maybe… all of this is-”

After saying that, he kept his mouth shut. The words I spoke just a moment ago seemed like they came out inadvertently, unable to withstand the complexity.
He stopped there, his words trailing off. His previous utterance seemed to have escaped unbidden, unable to withstand the weight of its own complexity.
Click.

“It’s fun.”

It was Rashil who broke the silence.
It was Rashil who broke the silence.
He approached Dorf. Creak, creak. A faint sound echoed from the slightly worn wooden floor.
With his head bowed once more, Dorf felt the shadow descending upon him.

“Having many secrets is very fun. But dragons are the guardians of this world and one of those qualified to explore its secrets.”

It was then.

“…Huh…!”

Dorf’s whole body was shaking. His face distorted. He wanted to raise his head. But I couldn’t.

‘Dragon Fear… … !’

Unlike usual, Dorf is quite injured and exhausted. Dragon Fear poured out only on him. Even if Dorf wanted to, he couldn’t raise his head as the aura was pressing on his entire body, as if it was threatening to make him unable to breathe.

“For your information, I am completely different from the other guys.”

Rashil bent down and whispered into the ear of Dorf, who was bowing his head.

“It means you’re not nice.”

The ferocious dragon’s soft laughter covered Dorf along with the shadow it had created.

Lake of Despair where the World Tree is located.
The Lake of Despair where the World Tree stood.

“Human! Mana is mixed up from here!”

The winter forest was quiet unless the wind blew.
The winter forest was silent, so long as the wind did not blow.

“master.”

Cale looked at the strange forest where not a single wind blew.

“It has been determined that there are at least several hundred people in the forest. We will have to go into the forest to know for sure, but they are presumed to be enemies.”

Hundreds of people watched Kale with bated breath in the forest where mana was mixed up.

“The enemy.”

What if that identity is all enemies?

“Then you have to clean it up.”

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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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