Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 669

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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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Rustle.
The figure who moved with unwavering steps revealed themselves at the shore of Lake of Despair. The Black Knight who had guided them bowed their head and retreated.

“We have arrived.”

Above the frozen lake’s surface, a violent whirlwind swept across in turbulent spirals.
Wheee—wheee—
Beyond that whirlwind, beneath the lake’s surface, lay the Elf Village where the World Tree stood.

-Human! There are Elf warriors hidden within that whirlwind!

The warriors were likely concealed in preparation for enemies who might invade the forest or threaten this lake.

‘Or perhaps they cannot leave the whirlwind without cause.’

Such circumstances typically arose when a formidable enemy stood directly before them.
Kale Heniatus gazed upon the one the Elves had deemed a dangerous foe.
A figure standing on the barren ground near the lake’s edge.

“It has been a long time.”

It was Count Hubesa.
She did not turn to look at Kale Heniatus, her gaze fixed solely upon the whirlwind above the lake.
Clad in black armor, she stood with her sword planted in the ground, her hands resting lightly upon its hilt.
Yet her unwavering, rigid posture made it clear she was far from relaxed—every muscle coiled with tension.

“Yes. It has been a long time.”

Kale Heniatus moved forward slowly.

Count Hubesa.
One of the four nobles of the Endable Kingdom.
A knight who led the riders of black horses and wielded ‘despair’ as her attribute, much like Choi Han.

‘Though the nature of her despair likely differs from Choi Han’s.’

Kale Heniatus stood beside her and opened his mouth to speak.

“Did you betray the White Star?”

Count Hubesa let out a low chuckle.

“Getting straight to business the moment you see me?”
“We’re hardly the sort to exchange pleasantries, are we?”
“Heh. True enough.”

A faint smile lingered at the corners of her mouth.
Neither of them looked at the other. Hubesa’s laughter faded.

“I haven’t betrayed him yet. But I intend to in the future.”
“To say you haven’t betrayed him seems a stretch—your subordinates were just suppressing allied forces moments ago.”
“That’s hardly significant enough to call a betrayal.”

Kale Heniatus opened his mouth with an impassive expression.

“Why?”

Why did she intend to betray him?
I asked for her reason.
In a situation where I might join hands with an enemy who sought betrayal, understanding that enemy’s intentions was only natural.

“…A knight…”

Count Hubesa paused there, took a breath, and spoke again.

“A knight protects her liege, her kingdom.”

It was an unexpected statement, but I listened quietly.

“I never agreed to this.”

Her voice, despite the rigidity of her posture, trembled with barely contained emotion.

“I do not consent to sacrificing the people of the Endable Kingdom.”

A flicker of intrigue crossed Kale Heniatus’s eyes.

‘Now that I think about it, something was off.’

Kale Heniatus recalled a scene from his memories when he had been Prince Nar.

‘This matter concerns the festival, and it is a proposal initiated by Marquis Gersei.’
‘Marquis Gersei’s proposal requests permission for all priests throughout District 2 to conduct a large-scale ritual on the final day of the festival.’
‘The ritual’s purpose is to express gratitude for safely passing through this year and to wish for peace and happiness to grace the future of the Endable Kingdom.’

Marquis Gersei, a priest serving the demonic forces. He had conspired with the White Star to orchestrate something during the festival.
At that time, both Kale Heniatus and Duke Fredo had questioned the festival, but the matter had been left unresolved when Kale underwent the trial of the Sealed God before the festival.

‘Thinking about it now, that large-scale ritual was likely a summoning.’

It must have been a ritual related to the Sealed God or an unranked monster.
And such rituals always required ‘sacrifices.’
First, it had been the Wolf Tribe Children.

‘Then came the Vampires and Dark Elves.’

In other words, the citizens of the Endable Kingdom.

‘Certainly, there was a reason why the White Star and that priest Gersei conspired only between themselves.’

Among the four Endable nobles, the Vampire Duke Fredo and the Dark Elf Count Mok, currently imprisoned in the Black Castle of the Dark Forest, would naturally oppose the White Star’s summoning ‘sacrifice.’
Slowly, Kale Heniatus’s gaze turned toward Count Hubesha.

‘And it seems Count Hubesha also opposes that sacrifice.’

Perhaps sensing Kale Heniatus’s gaze, Count Hubesha slowly turned her head to meet his eyes.

“A king who betrays his own people and kingdom.”

The voice that had been turbulent moments before now settled into a calm, even chilling tone. That cold voice spoke as if reciting an immutable law.

“Such a king must not exist.”

The White Star, king of the Endable Kingdom. Since he had used his own people as sacrifices, this was a betrayal, and therefore the king must be eliminated—such was her declaration.

“I accepted the position of nobility solely for the sake of the Endable Kingdom and its people.”

Kale Heniatus’s expression grew peculiar upon hearing Hubesha’s intent.

“Then why didn’t you act sooner? Some of the Dark Elves under the Endable Kingdom already lost their lives as sacrifices. There were knights present at that time too, weren’t there?”

The Dark Elves who served beneath Count Mok of the Endable Kingdom. Some of them had perished as sacrifices in a summoning ritual conducted by the Bear King Sayehr.
By the time Kale Heniatus arrived, only a carriage stained with blood remained.

“By that time, you would have already known what the sacrifices were.”
“I had subordinates whose intentions differed from mine. The groups that followed them went under the Bear King Sayehr.”

Not everyone could share the same purpose. Those who sympathized with the White Star were made to act separately in this matter, concealed so they wouldn’t be noticed.

“And… I… we….”

She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“We cannot attack the citizens of the Endable Kingdom.”

The White Star, the Bear King, the Priests. They were all citizens of the Endable Kingdom.

“That is the constraint carved into us and the condition of our contract.”

Upon hearing those words, Kale Heniatus voiced a question that had long puzzled him.

“Are you—are you all ‘human’?”

A faint laugh escaped from Count Hubesha’s lips.

“We were ‘human’ once.”

Yet beneath her laughter, a distinct anger kindled in her eyes—the kind of fury that had a specific target.

“It would be more accurate to call us weapons.”

Kale Heniatus quietly repeated those words in his mind.

‘Beings who were once human and have become weapons.’

To Kale Heniatus, she appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary person. Yet it was undeniable that something peculiar emanated from Count Hubesa and her subordinates—a subtle discord that set them apart.
Count Hubesa swiftly extinguished the fury burning in her eyes as she met Kale Heniatus’s unwavering, indifferent gaze.

“Our past is not something you need to know.”

For Count Hubesa, their past was one of the lifelong burdens she and her people would have to bear.
Unwilling to dwell on such uncomfortable matters, she shifted the conversation.

“Where is Duke Fredo?”
“Why?”

Count Hubesa’s hand slowly closed around the hilt of her sword.

“Duke Fredo. And Count Mok, whom you’re holding captive. I wish to meet with them both. Regardless of what your eyes perceive, we cherished the people of the Endable Kingdom, even if we harbored ambitions of power.”

She averted her gaze from Kale Heniatus’s piercing stare.

“I am wicked. I deemed the Wolf Tribe Children acceptable as sacrifices while refusing to allow the people of the Endable Kingdom to be used in such a manner.”

Her eyes turned back toward Kale Heniatus once more.

“But my information will prove valuable.”
“…So you wish to make a deal?”
“Yes. I know where the White Star is. I will tell you everything—his location and the operations he is currently orchestrating.”
“Then what do you want from me in return?”

Count Hubesa stated what she desired from Kale Heniatus in exchange for such valuable information.

“Kill the White Star and preserve the Endable Kingdom. That would benefit you as well, would it not?”

Kale Heniatus joining hands with Duke Fredo—that alone gave Count Hubesa much to infer.

‘The Endable Kingdom will likely be preserved. Duke Fredo would not have sided with Kale Heniatus without such assurances.’

Yet uncertainty gnawed at her, and Count Hubesa waited for Kale Heniatus’s response as his lips parted to speak.
And finally, Kale Heniatus opened his mouth.

“Well.”
“…What?”
“Think about it for a moment.”
“Kale Heniatus! We need to eliminate the White Star as soon as possible—”
“And?”

I asked indifferently, and Count Hubesha found herself momentarily at a loss for words at my casual tone.

“Count Hubesha. There’s something you mustn’t misunderstand.”

But I had plenty more to say.

“I have nothing to lose.”

The White Star’s location?
It would be nice to know.
However, judging by the rumors spreading across the Western Continent right now, the White Star will reveal itself whenever I desire it to.
Moreover, as long as the Guardian Lion Dragon—a monster beyond classification—stands firm, the White Star won’t be foolish enough to attack me recklessly when I’m the one who needs to eliminate that monster instead.

“Count. You and I are not in a position to make a deal. It’s you who needs something.”

Of course, eliminating the White Star and preserving the Endable Kingdom were already among my objectives that needed to be accomplished.
But there was no need to tell Count Hubesha this.

“I’m going to think alone for a moment.”

Count Hubesha’s eyes twitched slightly. I spoke in a light tone as if I were simply stepping out for a stroll, paying no mind to her reaction.

“While you’re thinking, consider what you can offer me and what you need to ask for. And also think about what you must give in return if I grant your request.”

Deals and requests were entirely different things.
But I had no choice. Duke Fredo had already secretly withdrawn at least half of the Mercenary Guild Ranger Unit members and hidden away the Wolf Tribe members under my command. In doing so, they had accepted their own sacrifices.
A deal could only be made in such circumstances.

“I’ll take care of some business for a bit. It won’t take long. In the meantime, come up with an answer quickly. If you can’t provide one—”

I left the rest unsaid.
But the meaning was already sufficiently conveyed to Count Hubesha.

“…Ha, haha.”

A slightly strained laugh escaped my lips.

“Yes. Think it over.”

She spoke while watching Kale Heniatus’s retreating figure.
Kale Heniatus nodded slightly and moved forward.

“I’ve come to see the World Tree.”
“…Understood.”

Whiiiii—whiii—
The Elf warrior, concealed within the whirlpools above the Lake of Despair, bowed at Kale Heniatus’s words and guided him forward.

“Young master.”
-Human, should I go too?
“Wait here for a moment.”

Kale Heniatus left Ron and the others behind as he proceeded.
There was no other choice.

‘I cannot speak of it yet.’

Today, I had much to discuss with the World Tree. I could not bring my companions to such a meeting.
As Kale Heniatus walked, his expression gradually hardened.

The moment he set foot in the Elf Village, Priest Adite appeared to greet him.

“Welcome, Prince. I shall guide you to the World Tree.”
“Yes.”

Perhaps she noticed the terrifying coldness in Kale Heniatus’s eyes, for she smiled warmly and quickened her pace.

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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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