Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 81

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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 18. We Meet Again?

“What do you mean?”

Count Derth asked despite already knowing. Kale was not someone who would fail to understand.

“Father, what is it that you fear?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Count Derth couldn’t respond immediately. But after a brief pause, his son answered for him.

“I’m afraid that we might be hurt.”

Count Derth’s gaze softened slightly. It was the same. What he feared was identical to what his son feared. Whether selfish or not, Count Derth was terrified of his fiefdom and family coming to harm.

“You must be aware that the Western Continent is on the brink of explosion.”

It made no sense for a nobleman who suddenly began repairing city walls and was investing in naval base construction—no matter the circumstances—to know nothing of this.
Through volume five, the Heniatus Territory had remained untouched by any war. But there was no guarantee it would remain so in the future.

“I tell this only to you, Father. The task His Highness the Crown Prince sent me to the Wipper Kingdom to accomplish is connected to one thing.”

Kale deliberately phrased it this way. By speaking thus, Count Derth—a man who cherished his son—would not inquire with the Crown Prince about the details, ensuring that suspicion would not fall upon Kale for working in secret under the Crown Prince’s orders.
Kale uttered a single word to Count Derth.

“The Northern Region.”

Both Count Derth and Mueller froze. The two men stared at Kale.

“The Northern Region has formed a grand alliance.”
“What!”

Count Derth’s brow furrowed deeply.

Kale understood his reaction perfectly. It was information of critical importance that would influence the fate of the Western Continent.

There are three kingdoms in total in the Northern Region.
Among them, the Paern Kingdom located at the northernmost point. The guardian knight of that place.
He had resolved to lead his knights southward toward the fertile lands.

Derth dragged his hand across his face and muttered as though sighing.

“…Not the Wipper Kingdom or the Mogur Empire?”

For a moment, Kale felt a subtle admiration bloom within him. Despite being confined to a remote fiefdom, Derth had discerned not only the Wipper Kingdom’s involvement but also the Empire’s aspirations to become the control tower—the orchestrating power.
Why would the Empire desire such dominance? Because the Eastern and Northern Regions were shifting, changing the balance of power.

“Kale, how does the North traverse the Canyon of Death to reach us? And there’s the Dark Forest as well.”

Among the Five Great Mysteries of the Continent, there was one place that defied explanation—yet its very nature made large-scale movement “nearly impossible,” which was precisely why it remained classified as a mystery.

The Canyon of Death.
True to its name, the most treacherous chasm on the Continent served as the dividing line between North and Central Regions. At the point where this line ended, the Dark Forest rose. Thus, the North found it extraordinarily difficult to descend into the Central Region.

Yet Kale, the Empire, and Crown Prince Alberu all knew of another way.

“Father, there isn’t only land, is there?”

At that moment, a voice long forgotten spoke up.

“…Ships?”

It was Mueller. The half-breed of rat-folk and dwarf turned his ashen face and swiftly rotated his enormous backpack to the front. Two rolled parchments protruded from the bag’s opening.
One was a castle blueprint. One was a ship blueprint.
As Mueller’s thirty-year-old eyes—now brimming with confusion—alternated between the parchment and Kale, Kale nodded calmly.

“Yes. There are ships.”

A deep sigh escaped Derth’s lips as he rose and walked toward the sofa in his office, settling into it. Kale approached and sat across from him.

‘But ships are not the end of it.’

Kale possessed one additional piece of knowledge that neither the Crown Prince nor his father understood.

Why had the other two kingdoms formed an alliance with the Paern Kingdom? In a nation of knights who had abandoned their pursuit of warm lands and devoted themselves solely to the indomitable spirit of martial prowess—where guardian knights were relegated to legend—they had managed to resurrect what was thought impossible into reality.

The Wyvern Knights.

I had gained the means to dominate the skies.
A medium-sized transport capable of traversing the Canyon of Death and the Dark Forest with ease. It was the optimal choice, save for long-distance flight magic that only someone like Rosalind or the Dragon could manage.

From that moment onward, the three nations began secretly constructing ships to dominate the seas as well. More than five years had already passed in this endeavor. Now, less than two years remained until completion.

Why else would Kale have wanted to help establish a navy in the Ubar Territory?

It would arrive soon enough. And by then, a future unknown to Kale would come.

‘The problem is that this is an overpowered protagonist story.’

‘The Birth of a Hero’ was an overpowered protagonist narrative. It was the kind of tale where something was an egg, but by the time you turned the next page, it had become a fully-fledged chicken.
To endure within such a story, I had to prepare as thoroughly as possible.

“Kale.”
“Yes, Father.”

After a long moment, Count Derth finally spoke. He regarded his son with unwavering attention.

“As your father, I believe your words, but as a lord, I must verify whether what you say is true. That verification will certainly not be easy, will it? After all, this is something you heard from the Crown Prince himself.”

Of course it would be. It was knowledge I could glean from reading the book, not something an ordinary nobleman could possibly know. Yet Count Derth had to make every effort to learn as much as possible before undertaking such a momentous task.

“I will verify this as quickly as possible. Even if my abilities as a father prove insufficient to uncover anything, I will believe your words.”

Count Derth rose from his seat and walked toward his desk.

“My son, I have learned something since I began handling finances.”

For generations, the Heniatus Count Family had merely accumulated wealth. Of course, they spent it as well, but this was negligible compared to what they earned, and Count Derth had never once believed he had truly spent money wisely.
He shared his realization with his son.

“It is that when the time comes to spend money, one must spend it astonishingly.”

During war, money becomes little more than a minor asset. But the results created by money before war begins—those become true strength.

“I will contact you soon.”
“Yes. That is sufficient.”

Count Derth answered with ease as he called out to his son, who was heading toward the office door.

“Kale.”
“Yes, Father.”

As he turned back, Count Derth recalled a conversation he’d had with his second son Basen not long ago and opened his mouth.

“Have you ever given thought to the matter of succession?”
“No, I haven’t.”

His answer was resolute, without the slightest hesitation. Count Derth found himself laughing at the identical response Basen had given.

“Good. Don’t concern yourself with such matters.”
“Yes, sir.”

Of course he wouldn’t. If the question of succession came up later, he would simply say he was stepping aside and leave it at that. Besides, Count Derth was still vigorous and would likely remain lord of the territory for at least another fifteen years or more—there was no need to dwell on it prematurely.

“Basen came to me and said he wouldn’t cause you any worry.”
“That sounds like Basen. He’ll do well by this territory.”

Basen was indeed a most suitable candidate for lordship.

“Yes. Rest well.”

Kale confirmed that Count Derth’s expression was pleased, and he too exited the office with a bright smile.

“My lord.”
“What is it?”

Mueller, who had followed him out, glanced around cautiously before asking Kale in a low voice.

“Is the goal of building the castle and ships… for the reason you mentioned inside just now—”
“Yes. That reason.”

I cut off Mueller’s words, unwilling to hear him elaborate further.
The goal was to build such a castle and ships so we could comfortably avoid war. I hated fighting. While they say life is a succession of battles, I had no desire to actually live within real warfare.

“Think of it as us creating a space where we will absolutely never die.”

Mueller’s eyes grew clouded with conflicting emotions. Kale draped a gift around his neck—a golden necklace.

“Then you’ll receive many more gifts while you’re alive.”
“I-I will absolutely create a safe space where nothing dies!”

Mueller’s face turned paler when facing Kale than it did with the cats or the Dragon. Kale was satisfied with that resounding vow. Gifts and kindness—that was indeed the answer.

* * *

A week later, Count Derth offered Kale a wry smile.

“I couldn’t obtain information about the Northern Region.”

When money couldn’t buy information, it was either nonexistent or so precious that no amount of gold could compare. Derth chose to believe the latter.

‘I’ve accumulated enough wealth anyway.’

There were limits to frugality. Derth spoke to his son, whose calm expression suggested he’d anticipated this outcome.

“My son, let’s attempt it.”

A smile played at Kale’s lips. He turned his gaze to the side. Derth hadn’t summoned Kale alone. The youngest, Lily, was still too young to involve in territorial affairs, but one other could manage.

“I’ll do my best as well, brother.”
“Good. This is where you, our parents, and Lily will live. Let’s work hard together.”

Kale, of course, planned to live leisurely in some quiet countryside rather than the territory later. So he’d excluded himself from the statement. Basen nodded with determination.

“Yes. I wish to live for my family and the territory until the very end.”

Unlike Basen, Kale—who wanted to live for himself—simply nodded along indifferently.

Immediately after this moment, a confidential document bearing the seal of a golden turtle was delivered to all relevant parties. A plan with a minimum timeframe of one year and a maximum of two had begun.

Kale’s eyes, observing the starting point of that plan, gleamed with unmistakable displeasure.

“Are you truly a hybrid of a rat-human and a dwarf?”
“Ahem, yes, that’s correct.”

Mueller stood alone on a chair and cleared his throat before answering the architect’s question.

“Oh my goodness! You must have incredible craftsmanship!”
“Impressive. With the precision of the Rat Tribe and the abilities of a Dwarf.”
“I’d love to see your skills in action!”

Mueller’s shoulders kept rising higher and higher.
Kale watched Mueller’s meeting with several architects from the territory from behind. Standing beside him was Countess Viollan.

“They’re capable people with tight lips, so it’ll be good to trust them with this. We’ve already drawn up all the contracts.”

Viollan, who oversaw the artists within the territory, could not overlook architecture among sculpture and art. The architects she had carefully selected were now marveling at Mueller, a half-blood of two races who were masters of craftsmanship and creation.

“To think you come from a Magic Tower designer family! It’s truly a shame we can’t introduce such a great person and must keep this knowledge to ourselves!”
“Indeed. My goodness, to actually witness the power of a Dwarf. We’re counting on you.”

Ahem, ahem! Mueller kept clearing his throat.

“I’m thirty years old this year. And my experience spans twenty-nine years. I’ve been looking at blueprints since I was one year old, and I’ve held a hammer since I was five. It’s been everyday life for Dwarves and the Rat Tribe.”

At Mueller’s words, I let out a hollow laugh. I had never seen Mueller like this before—dressed in his finest clothes with a golden brooch, speaking with such confidence. That was when it happened.

“He’ll be easy to manage.”

At Viollan’s calm voice, which felt almost indifferent, I felt reassured and made my request.

“Please look after Mueller.”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”

Viollan’s sharp gaze turned toward Mueller. Like a fox becoming king when the tiger is absent, Mueller played his role without knowing anything.

“You’ll check the blueprints before you leave?”
“Yes. I’ll return as quickly as possible.”
“Good.”

I simply smiled in response to the concern in Viollan’s eyes. I would have to leave again soon.

I had roughly organized the tasks that needed to be handled in the territory and returned to my bedroom, burying myself in the soft sofa. I glanced at Choi Han standing across from me and spoke bluntly.

“Choi Han.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
“…It’s only been four days since we arrived at the Territory. Already?”

Choi Han continued speaking.

“I’ll gather everyone from our group.”
“No.”

There was a reason I had called only Choi Han.

“This time, it’s just us.”

In that moment, the beings who always resided in my Bedroom revealed themselves.

Meow.
“It’s been so long since it was just us!”

Hong and On leaped lightly from the bed and approached Choi Han’s side.

“I’m obviously going too.”

The Black Dragon Raon descended onto the table beside the sofa, dispelling his invisibility.
Choi Han looked at the group that would be accompanying me. Then my voice reached him.

“Vicross will follow separately later. But for now, we move with this group. There’s something we need to handle with just us. You’ll understand.”
“…The Sten Marquis House?”

He was indeed sharp-witted. One corner of my mouth lifted slightly.

“Quick on the uptake. Get ready.”

The same group that had gone to meet the Black Dragon for the first time. The ones who had saved Raon gathered once more. This time, they would move for the Dragon again.
That night, an ordinary carriage bearing no emblem quietly slipped out through the back gate of the Heniatus Count Mansion and headed toward the Northwestern Region of the Roan Kingdom.

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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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