Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 670

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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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Whoooosh—shhhhh—

Soon they reached a place where the World Tree stood at the center, surrounded by towering trees.

“I’d like to have a quiet conversation. Is that possible?”
“Understood. I’ll ensure no one nearby can hear us.”

That meant not just myself and the Elf, but the spirits as well would be kept away.
Satisfied with the answer, I approached the World Tree alone.
Adite bowed briefly toward the World Tree before withdrawing.

I walked at an unhurried pace until I stood before the World Tree.
Each time I visited, branches had broken and new ones sprouted in their place, yet the World Tree always felt the same.

“It’s been a while. I kept meaning to come, and now I finally have.”

I placed my hand against the bark and closed my eyes with a light greeting.

-Indeed, it has been quite some time.

The World Tree returned the greeting warmly, though with restraint.

-The world is in great turmoil. Yet you’ve sought me out—there must be reason. To visit me in such busy times and wish to speak with only me… what is it you wish to discuss?

But the words that followed were far from light.
The words I was about to speak were equally grave.

“…Do you know anything about Immortals?”
-Hmm?

The reason I hadn’t brought my companions.

“Immortals. Reincarnators, Single-lifespan beings, Possessors. Do you have any knowledge of these entities?”

Rustle.
I felt the diary in my possession stir, felt Jur Temps’s will within it move.
And I waited for the World Tree’s response.

-…I’m not sure. Should I just understand the words as they are spoken? It seems like you’re not asking about the meaning of the word itself.

That was correct.
Kale Heniatus wasn’t asking about such things.
He was asking if I knew anything about the laws that the Temps Family had been researching.

“Allow me to explain simply.”

Kale Heniatus didn’t reveal everything.
I merely explained simply what I had read from the diary—the concepts of the Immortals and the Single-Lived, among others. There was a need for this. Because there were things I needed to learn from the World Tree.

-Heh. So you divide and separately define such concepts?

The World Tree couldn’t hide its astonishment.

-Hmm. Some of this is the first I’m hearing of it. Exceptions and variables, you say.
-Remarkable. Truly remarkable. Where did you learn this?
“That, I cannot tell you.”

I said nothing about the Temps Family, those who hunt the Single-Lived, the Reincarnators, or the methods to kill each ‘variable’ and ‘exception’.

-Indeed, it would be dangerous to ask the source of such information. Hmm….

The World Tree fell silent for a moment, as if gathering its thoughts.
Kale Heniatus waited patiently through that time.

-The Single-Lived.

And when the World Tree spoke again, the first thing it mentioned was neither the Reincarnator nor the Immortal.

-Are you speaking of the Trial-Bearer?
“…Trial-Bearer?”
-Yes. It’s a term I coined myself, but among countless souls, I call those who live only one life the Trial-Bearer.

Trial-Bearer. It was a word I had never heard before.

-It seems the Trial-Bearer and the Single-Lived are similar concepts. Hmm. It’s remarkable that there exists someone in this world who has discerned this.
“…What is a Trial-Bearer?”
-Those who undergo trials, as the name suggests. Of course, there’s no way to know who in this world will be born as a Trial-Bearer.

Ah.
The World Tree let out a brief exclamation.

-Of course, there are races that don’t produce Trials-bearers. Dark Elves, Vampires, Wolf Tribe, and so on.

Races that don’t produce Trials-bearers—meaning those with short lifespans—didn’t exist?
That was a peculiar thing to say in its own way. The World Tree continued, noticing the question forming in my expression.

-Hmm. I suppose I can speak of this.

Once again, he distinguished between what he could and couldn’t say before opening his mouth.

-In the past, there was a Dark Elf entangled in a bitter connection with a Trials-bearer. Dark Elves aren’t all virtuous beings—evil exists among them as well.
-Unlike ordinary Dark Elves who consumed dead mana near graveyards or corpses, that Dark Elf killed living beings of their own volition and obtained dead mana from them.
-There was a Trials-bearer who lost their family to that deranged Dark Elf and nearly died.
-That Trials-bearer later overcame all stages of trials and became a great being, then carried out a single deed.

One part of it struck me particularly hard.

‘A Trials-bearer overcomes all stages of trials and becomes a great being.’

The Temps Family had predicted that after a short-lived one’s life ended, they might become a being of the Heavenly Realm or beyond—perhaps even a god.

‘Then could this Trials-bearer’s story also be the past of a god?’

I listened quietly as the World Tree’s words resonated through my mind, filled with questions.

-That Trials-bearer determined that any being who uses dead mana is ‘evil’.

The moment I heard those words, a certain being came to mind.

“…The Sun God?”

The Sun God Church had waged war against Dark Elves and Necromancers—all races that utilized dead mana—in the past.
The last Necromancer died in the Desert of Death at that time, and beneath that desert, both the Dark Elf City and Necromancer Mary were born anew.

-I did not say who that Trials-bearer was, and I have no intention of doing so.

The World Tree paused briefly, then continued as if having made a decision.

-But I do know one thing. That trialist currently regrets their past. Moreover, they now understand that the beings they once judged as ‘evil’ are actually part of the ‘natural order.’
-And so they wish to aid one of those ‘natural order’ beings.

The World Tree continued, its voice growing slightly gentler as it spoke further.

-That is all I can tell you.

‘Natural order.’ The moment I heard that word, Albert Crossman inexplicably came to mind. A being of the ‘natural order’ whom the Sun God was aiding. Of course, that being could also be ‘Jack’ or ‘Hana,’ those called the Sun God’s twins.

-…As for other concepts, they are unfamiliar even to me.
-Then am I the Immortal?
“That would be our assumption.”
-Indeed, it seems correct to view me as the Immortal.

As the conversation progressed to this point, I mentioned one final thing.

“And the White Star is a Reincarnator. To eliminate him, the power of an Immortal is necessary.”

That was the moment.
Whoooosh—whoosh—
The World Tree and all the trees surrounding it trembled despite the absence of wind, their leaves rustling against one another with a sound.

-…What is that sound?
“There exists an Ancient Power capable of seeing the rings of life within living beings.”

I began my explanation anew.

First, to completely eliminate a Reincarnator, one must destroy the great rings they possess.
Second, to accomplish this, there must first exist someone with the ability to see those rings.
Third, to destroy those rings, one requires the power of an Immortal.

-So you’re saying that you, who can see the rings, can use a weapon imbued with an Immortal’s power to completely prevent the White Star’s reincarnation and eliminate him?
“That is correct.”
-…Hah!

The World Tree let out a series of sighs as if utterly astounded.

-I can eliminate a Reincarnator? Extraordinary! I never could have imagined such a method! There is still so much about this world that remains unknown to me!

Soon after, he asked in a quieter voice.

-So in the end, I need a weapon imbued with my power.
“Yes. That’s why I’m asking about the sword you gave me before.”

When I had dealt with the Fake World Tree incident in the underground maze beneath the Molden Royal Palace, the World Tree had given me a branch resembling chopsticks through the Elf Healer Fendrick, calling it a sword.

-Hmm. That one does contain my power.

But the World Tree’s tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

-…It’s too weak.
“Pardon?”
-The power contained within it isn’t the real thing.

That was when it happened.

Boom–!

I suddenly felt a tremendous vibration ripple through my surroundings. Though my eyes were closed, I flinched at the sensation, yet I did not open them.

-If that method succeeds.

The World Tree continued speaking.

-Then I shall give you the real thing.

I wanted to ask what that meant. But I could already sense that something was unfolding around me.

Whoooosh–
The leaves rustled with increasing ferocity, their sound growing louder.
And the tremor beneath my feet continued to intensify.
It seemed as though something that upheld this land, this village where the World Tree dwelled, was stirring to life.

-I called the branch I possess a sword.
-But that branch is the youngest existence, unable to withstand even a fraction of the ages.

Boom—
The ground trembled violently.
In that moment, I felt it.
Something massive was surging up from beneath the earth.

—I must offer the oldest thing in my existence.
—It is the very foundation of immortality, a part of my being itself.

What surged upward was a root.

—The end of the root that has existed the longest.

With those words, I could hear the sound of something piercing through the ground’s surface and rising.

—Open your eyes and see for yourself.

I released my hand from the World Tree and opened my eyes.
Right before my feet.
There, a root the size of a small dagger—swirled with black and white—had emerged from the earth.

I could see only a portion of it, but I understood that the true body of the root still buried beneath the soil must be of tremendous size.
That must be why the earth had shaken.

I reached out to the World Tree again and closed my eyes.

—I shall sever the end of this root for you. Use it. It too is a blade.
—…I cannot bear to watch the world stain itself in darkness once more.

That voice carried the solemnity of a grave resolve.

—When you anoint it with the blood of your heart, the power of that root-blade shall awaken.

In that moment, I could only ask in return.

“Must it truly be blood?”
—Yes. The blood of your heart.

The World Tree was resolute.
I voiced my doubt to that unwavering conviction.

“What is the principle?”

What kind of principle required a weapon stained with the blood of one’s heart?
I couldn’t understand it at all. An irreverent expression was unwittingly spreading across my face.
Regardless, the World Tree remained resolute.
And firm.

-It’s simple. My body—once a part of this tree separates, it falls into a dormant state. To awaken this dormancy, I need the blood of a being imbued with the power of ‘healing’ or ‘regeneration’.
-That power must not be divine power, but rather the inherent strength of the living creature itself. Moreover, it must be blood obtained from the very origin point that serves as the center of that power.
-Only the owner of the blood that awakens this root can wield that power.

As an immobilized World Tree, I found myself possessed by an unprecedented will to help, now that I had discovered a way to aid the world unlike in ancient times.

-Kale Heniatus. You possess the ancient power related to regeneration and healing.
-And that power originates from your heart.
-So you must become the caster and use it. Besides, I hear you can also use the ancient power of growth rings, making you absolutely perfect. Perfect!

My expression gradually shifted into something peculiar as I listened.
The World Tree, oblivious to this, continued with what it had to say.

-It’s fine. You won’t die. The bleeding will be considerable and unsightly, but it will actually serve as a tonic for you. I guarantee that.
-Just close your eyes and do it—it’ll be over in no time. If you hesitate and waver, you might have to pierce your heart multiple times, so stab hard and decisively. That’s all there is to it.
-Easy, right?

Finally, my mouth opened.

“…No. It’s not easy at all.”

I pictured myself driving this root dagger into my heart, pulling it out, and then using the blood-stained blade to eliminate the White Star.
It was anything but easy.

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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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