Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 72

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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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“How did you know?”
“Mana taught me.”

A twisted smile played at the corners of Herrol Codian’s mouth as he watched Kale answer so gently.
Mana taught me—it was a rather famous phrase, one the Tower Master had often spoken before his death.

Herrol Codian. Born between Tribal Warriors and Mages, he possessed the traits of both, yet his appearance bore no resemblance to the Tribal Warriors whatsoever.

“…Are you planning to use my bloodline as a weakness?”

Rather than answer immediately, Kale turned his gaze to admire the panoramic view overlooking the twentieth floor.

The Birth of a Hero. Within that narrative were countless memorable supporting characters and extras. Herrol Codian was one of them.

His mother had died giving birth to him alone, and his father never knew of his existence. That truth had been the genesis of Herrol’s rage.

‘But he never knew.’

In ‘The Birth of a Hero,’ only the author and readers could discern the single line that rendered his anger poignant.

【Herrol Codian. He was born from the love of two people, yet tragically could never know this truth.】

The book had not elaborated on those details. It only mentioned that the Tower Master had met and loved someone during a training journey in his youth.
Kale kept his gaze fixed beyond the window as he spoke to the Tower Master’s son, who had destroyed the Magic Tower.

“What sin does blood commit that you would seize it as a weakness?”

Herrol offered no response. Kale turned his head to meet his gaze directly.

“Isn’t it your side that’s in a hurry?”

Before the autumn harvest season arrived. Now, as spring gave way to summer. Those who had risen to their feet, unable to endure the taxes the Magic Tower extracted, desperate simply to survive.
Herrol had to satisfy their desires to some degree. Only then could another madness unfold.

Herrol desired war more than Tunka ever did. He wished to obliterate the very seed of every mage in the world.

“…There’s a Mage among your party, I see.”
“That’s right.”

Herrol Codian could sense mana as keenly as the Tower Master himself, though he lacked the ability to wield it. He could not possibly be ignorant of Rosalind’s true nature. The Dragon, of course, existed beyond such perception—he would not have sensed it at all.
Herrol Codian observed Kale, who appeared not merely composed but unnervingly serene, and posed his question.

“What do you intend to do with the Magic Tower, coming from the Roan Kingdom?”

Kale’s brow furrowed slightly. He offered Herrol Codian a clear statement of fact.

“The Magic Tower is mine.”

Herrol Codian fixed his gaze upon the red-haired man standing at the apex of the Magic Tower, speaking as he gazed out through those lofty windows.

“I share what is mine with no one.”

Would I be mad enough to surrender it to the kingdom? Kale recalled the time he had squandered reaching this place. It was impossible. The Magic Tower would become the material for constructing comfort—the most impregnable fortress in all the world.

Herrol Codian’s eyes grew turbulent before Kale’s very gaze.

‘A madman with intelligence—no wonder he deliberates so much.’

This lunatic’s ultimate objective was the eradication of Mages. And a return to antiquity. He yearned for a world of ancient power—one built solely upon innate talent and the strength of the body, nothing more.

Ironically, the world this fool desired, having once lamented his lack of talent and sought to overturn it, was one where talent held even greater sway. Which was precisely why he was mad.

“…Is it not the Mages within the Wipper Kingdom that Prince Kale desires?”
“Me?”

A hollow laugh escaped Kale’s lips, as though the very notion were absurd. He possessed Raon Mir and the Black Dragon.

“I have no further need for Mages. A far greater existence stands at my side.”

-…Human, the scenery here is magnificent! The great me is here, human!

Raon’s voice reached his ears, but Kale paid it no mind. Herrol Codian appeared troubled. And well he might—the Mages would indeed be spirited away by the Crown Prince regardless. Even if Herrol Codian’s reasoning held some merit, what of it? The Kale before him was not the Crown Prince.

‘Though I shall offer the Crown Prince a measure of assistance, naturally.’

What he called assistance was in reality a way to saddle Herrol Codian with debt.

“Well then, Herrol Codian, my strategist.”

Herrol Codian could see Kale looking refreshed, a stark contrast to his own turbulent thoughts. Kale pointed toward the door.
That was the moment.

“Kale, five minutes have passed.”

Their private conversation had come to an end.
Choi Han poked his face through the open doorway to announce the time was up, and added one more thing.

“And the others have arrived as well.”

Others? As confusion flickered across Herrol Codian’s face, Kale spoke to him.

“You’ll hear the details from my people.”

As those words ended, two figures appeared through the open doorway. Bilos and Vice-butler Hans. Hans’s arms were laden with a full briefcase of documents.

Why would Kale have summoned Bilos and Hans? Obviously for a situation like this.

Herrol Codian felt Kale’s hand settle upon his shoulder. Tap, tap. Kale patted it gently as he spoke.

“Work it out well.”

At that leisurely tone, Herrol Codian let out a laugh that sounded almost like a sigh, then quickly returned to his usual affable expression.

“We’ll work it out well, then.”

He left that brief reply and immediately approached Hans and Bilos. As Hans and Herrol Codian conversed, Bilos drew closer to Kale and whispered carefully.

“Young master.”
“Yes?”
“Should we put the payment under my name for now?”

The payment method was arranged with Bilos as the intermediary. Bilos would receive money from Kale and then pay the Non-Mage Alliance. This was necessary due to issues with currency exchange and such.

Of course, Bilos would actually be receiving money from the Royal Family rather than from Kale, but the Non-Mage Alliance had no way of knowing that now.

“Fine.”
“Then I’ll set a deposit and arrange payment within a month.”
“Do as you see fit.”
“However, there is one thing…”

Kale opened his eyes lazily, watching Bilos smack his lips together. The expression seemed odd, so Kale gestured with an uncomfortable look, urging him to speak.

“How much… are you thinking, sir?”

The Magic Tower—a magnificent structure steeped in ages of history. The very edifice that people believed had every magical device destroyed save for the transportation mechanisms. And a building despised by the kingdom’s populace.

Kale extended a single index finger before Bilos. At the sight of it, Bilos’s pupils widened with surprise, and he asked cautiously.

“…A hundred million?”
“No.”
“A billion?”

Kale did not answer.

“…Ten billion?”

At the hesitant question, Kale nodded.

“Roughly that amount.”

Compared to the minimum several tens of billions of gelrons required monthly for military provisions alone, it seemed a modest sum. Yet in the current moment, it was substantial funds needed to stabilize the kingdom’s people. The value of such money varied greatly depending on how it was spent.
Besides, it was the Crown Prince’s money to pay, not mine.

Bilos furrowed his brow slightly and whispered low, yet with remarkable speed.

“But it’s completely destroyed? I mean, normally the Magic Tower would require hundreds of billions. It’s that massive. But right now the magical devices are entirely non-functional?”
“That’s why I’m saying ten billion at most. Price it as a bare skeleton of a building and discount accordingly. And you can spend more money—purchase the surrounding lands generously as well.”
“…Pardon?”
“There’s something I can sell for the same price as this Magic Tower.”

A brief silence descended.

“Hah.”

Bilos exhaled a deep sigh.

“I’m not certain about the details, but we should maximize profits regardless, shouldn’t we?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll negotiate the price down.”

Satisfied with the response, Kale offered a smile. Bilos’s expression grew hollow at that smile, but he soon hung a grin on his face like a merchant weighing coins.

“My heart trembles when such enormous sums are involved, Young Master.”
“You’re excited and jumping around.”

Bilos did not deny Kale’s words. He bowed politely and then approached Herrol Codian at a leisurely pace.
The Non-Mage Alliance had no use for the Magic Tower anyway, and considering the kingdom’s people’s anger, they either had to destroy the Magic Tower or take equivalent action. Under those circumstances, it was better to extract profit from it.

“Kale.”

Choi Han and Vicross approached. Vicross glanced around the Tower Master’s Chamber and then asked Kale a question.

“Will you be cleaning everything out?”

Kale answered gently to that question.

“Strip it completely bare.”

The moment Vicross released a relieved sigh, Kale straightened from where he had been leaning against the window and moved forward. There was no need to examine anything else.
After all, I would be returning tonight.

* * *

A deep furrow etched itself between Kale’s brows. Tunka’s voice reached him.

“You’re not feeling well?”
“That’s right.”

At Kale’s indifferent response, Tunka’s face twisted. The surroundings were incredibly loud. The Tribal Warriors were enjoying celebratory toasts welcoming the new warrior.

Tunka was not ignorant of their current budget either, yet his own prestige mattered more to him, and he had to lead people under the name of warrior. That was likely why his advisors had prepared this evening’s toast ceremony.

“…Weakling.”

Kale pointed toward Choi Han as he observed Tunka, whose swollen face clearly showed his displeasure with the current situation.

“Still, we have the protagonist, so it should be fine. Besides, I’m weak, so I need to rest.”

Kale gave Choi Han—who was equally displeased—a gentle push, and Choi Han reluctantly shuffled toward Tunka’s group. Hilsman was naturally positioned beside him.

“Hahaha! I can feel the romance of these Wipper Kingdom warriors! A toast, you say! How splendid!”

The Vice-Captain had indeed experienced his share of social interactions.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

Kale departed from the celebration without hesitation. Vicross was the one who attached himself as Kale’s escort. He headed toward the tent of Kale’s group, positioned quite a distance from where the soldiers gathered, and asked a question.

“Should I simply guard the front of the tent?”
“Yes, I’m going to sleep.”
“Understood.”

Vicross was easy to communicate with. No unnecessary explanations were required.
For this reason, Kale gathered three individuals inside the tent. Of course, one had to bend down to see them.
On, Hong, and Raon sat in a line on the ground.

“Did you find it?”

On and Hong broke into broad grins.

“We have a sense of where it might be!”
“We’ve roughly found the area!”

They were absolutely thrilled.
Kale had already changed into his night clothes. He looked toward the Black Dragon Raon and spoke.

“To the Tower Master’s Chamber. I’m counting on you.”

Kale, On, Hong, and Raon were able to reach the Tower Master’s Chamber on the twentieth floor while evading the eyes of others through flight magic and invisibility magic. All the alarm magical devices had already been destroyed previously, and since everyone was occupied with the celebration, only a few sentries were posted at the entrance. This had been Tunka’s explicit order. Truly, he proved useful at times like these.

Whoooooosh—
Hahahaha—

Laughter and applause echoed through the air, mingled with the strains of song. Below the firelight, Tribal Warriors and soldiers danced together in jubilant celebration, as though they hadn’t held a feast in ages.

Kale slung the magical pouch casually around his waist and observed the Cats, who guided him with silent steps. Following their stealthy movements—befitting their nature as shadow-dwelling felines—I descended the staircase. Using magical devices would leave records, which was out of the question.
Yet Kale’s expression grew increasingly troubled.
He stopped precisely at the fifteenth step and asked aloud.

“…Where exactly is it?”

Regarding Mueller, ‘The Birth of a Hero’ described it thus:

【Mueller used his small frame to slip into a secret wall hidden within the Magic Tower’s staircase. Only his family and the Tower Master had known of this passage through generations. The coward concealed himself there. Too frightened of the guards to emerge, he voluntarily imprisoned himself.】

Which staircase? At what level?
Hong spoke, her lustrous crimson tail swishing gracefully.

“Basement Level 1, sir!”

Damn. I’d miscalculated the location. Kale suppressed a sigh and quietly activated Wind’s Sound, gathering the Cats into my arms. Then I spoke to Raon.

“Follow me.”

Kale’s body descended the staircase with extraordinary speed. Tap, tap. The sound was so faint that the soldiers guarding the entrance would never hear it.
The Magic Tower was known to have twenty floors above ground and three below.

“Th-that’s incredible!”
“In an instant!”

-Fast as a claw, human, despite being weak!

Receiving praise from the average seven-year-olds, Kale stood before the staircase descending to Basement Level 1.

“Around here?”
“Yes!”

The Cats said they detected the scent of rat-folk. But even these children couldn’t pinpoint the exact location. Kale, however, could open it once I’d read the book and learned where it was.

‘They really did write down the most useless details.’

‘The Birth of a Hero’ provided explanations for every minor character and extra who appeared, even for a single line. That was my advantage.

Kale retrieved a small metal rod from his magical pouch. On and Hong flinched at the sight. Regardless of their reaction, Kale proceeded to tap the wall with the rod as he descended the stairs, one step at a time.

Clang.
Tap.

“Where could it be?”

Clang.
Tap.

The red-haired man hummed softly as he descended the stairs, each one faintly illuminated by embedded luminescent stones.
Kale felt quite pleased that he could save Mueller, that pitiful extra character who was supposed to have died—starved to the brink of death, crushed and broken to pieces, forced to witness his family’s graveyard desecrated. At least this outcome was far better.

Clang.
Tap.

However, the expressions of the cat and dragon following behind him were far from pleased.
That was when Kale descended another step and tapped the wall.

Thunk.

“Found it.”

The wall appeared identical to all the others, but what lay behind it would be different. Kale’s smile deepened. He withdrew a mana stone from his magical pouch and began to feel along the wall.
Since this required delicate work, Kale proceeded with considerable caution.

‘According to what I learned, there should be five grooves arranged in a star pattern at regular intervals on the wall.’

Kale found the five star-shaped grooves and pressed the mana stone against the center of the star pattern. That was the moment.

With a soft grinding sound, the wall shifted and swallowed the mana stone. Kale stepped back cautiously.

A strange creaking echoed through the air as the wall slowly opened. A very small figure gradually came into view. Kale prepared to offer a warm greeting as the face became visible.

“…Huh?”

Something was wrong.

“Waaaahhhhh.”

A very small coward was trembling violently, his face drained of all color. As if he had encountered a ghost—no, a serial killer—Mueller stared at Kale with a pallid expression, shaking uncontrollably.
It was a reaction somewhat different from Kale’s intention to have Mueller regard him as a hero who had saved him.

“H-hic, *sob*!”

He even hiccupped. Kale offered Mueller the most benevolent smile he could muster and greeted him.

“Hello?”

Yet Mueller trembled even more violently, seized by terror. On, Hong, and Raon regarded Mueller with sympathy. Kale was bewildered.
Why was this fellow acting like this?

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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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