Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 90

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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 20. Since We’re Already Moving

A few days later, Kale Heniatus descended from the carriage, inhaling the briny scent of the sea. Before his eyes, the waters still churned with several whirlpools in their violent dance.

“Young Master, it’s an honor to meet you.”
“You’re the one overseeing this operation?”
“Yes, sir.”

The administrator from the Heniatus Count Family bowed respectfully to Kale.
He was the chief administrator representing the Heniatus side among all personnel involved in the Naval Base construction. Three representatives—one from the Royal Court, one from the Ubar Territory, and one from the Heniatus Family—were stationed along the coastline.

“As several whirlpools have vanished, the number of usable islands has increased and the coastline has stabilized. We’ve been accelerating construction efforts accordingly.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Thanks to that, we’ve been able to construct ships at a much faster pace.”

The Naval Base construction. The Heniatus Count Family had made a substantial investment, adequately representing the interests of the Ubar Territory, which sought to minimize the Royal Court’s influence.
In return, they demanded corresponding benefits, one of which was the free lease of a portion of this coastline from the Heniatus Count Family.

“Shall I show you to your lodging first?”
“No. Wait a moment.”

Kale gestured with his fingers toward the carriage window from which he had descended.

The carriage door creaked open. A pallid dwarf emerged from within.

“Come quickly, won’t you?”
“Y-yes, sir!”

Mueller Horn hurried over and positioned himself between Kale and the administrator.
The rotund dwarf-hybrid, dressed in ostentatiously luxurious garments, had been well-maintained by the Countess with fine luxuries. Kale placed a hand upon his shoulder.
Kale placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Gasp! Y-yes, sir!”
“Ugh. Yes, yes!”

Mueller took a sharp breath and hurriedly handed the blueprints to the administrator. The administrator was well-versed in construction and coastal matters, as he was in charge of naval construction.

“…huh?”

The administrator examined the ship blueprint in his hand, glancing past Mueller toward Kale, whose pale complexion made him steal a cautious look at his young master.

“Young Master, this is…?”
“Yes. That’s the one.”
“I’ve never seen a ship design quite like this before.”

Kale paused momentarily at those words, then looked down at Mueller. He himself had been considerably flustered when he first saw the ship’s design.

‘Could this fellow also be a reincarnated Korean or something like that?’

Mueller felt Kale’s gaze sharpen and gripped the golden ring his spiritual mentor, the Countess, had given him. Witnessing this, Kale swallowed a sigh and met the administrator’s eyes.

“Still, wouldn’t it be impressive once it’s completed?”
“Impressive aside—”

The administrator trailed off. This transcended the realm of mere impressiveness.
Kale continued his questioning calmly, observing the administrator’s hesitation.

“It will be sturdy, at least, won’t it?”
“Yes. Quite sturdy, certainly, but—”

It exceeded mere sturdiness by far.
The administrator wanted to ask something.

Is this truly a transport vessel?
It looks more like a warship for naval combat.

But before the administrator could voice his question, Kale reached his conclusion.

“Then that settles it.”

The administrator couldn’t bring himself to continue. Yes, he supposed they were looking for an exceptionally sturdy transport vessel. Thus reconciled, he shifted to another concern.

“However, the cost will be quite substantial. Particularly the golden turtle section—”
“What’s there to worry about?”

Yet even that concern was trivial to Kale.

“I have plenty of money.”

A smile brimming with affluence played at the corners of Kale Heniatus’s lips.

“Truly, I shall endeavor to create a masterpiece!”

Kale turned away from the administrator’s expression—a mixture of newfound passion and solemn determination—and boarded the carriage.

“I’ll have your subordinates guide me to the lodging. You, meanwhile, shall converse with Mueller.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Young Master, safe travels!”

With Mueller bowing at a ninety-degree angle as his final gesture, Kale closed the carriage door. The carriage soon departed for the lodging, and the administrator could see Mueller’s shoulders straighten with unmistakable pride.

“Ahem, this vessel, you see, won’t be destroyed even if struck by a single magical bomb.”
“Yes. That appears to be the case. However, it seems we cannot construct multiple units.”
“Correct. The objective is a single vessel.”

Mueller cleared his throat repeatedly. He could already foresee that he would pilot not only the Lord’s Castle but this ship as well. Desperate to survive, he was pouring every ounce of his effort into the design.

“In fact, the secondary internal blueprints are nearly complete.”

Mueller’s body leaned back with a shrug, exuding unmistakable arrogance.

“Oh, internal blueprints?”
“Yes. I haven’t yet shown them to the Young Master, but I’ve established a clear concept.”
“What is this concept?”

Mueller spoke with absolute confidence.

“The greatest defense is bombardment!”

Striking first before being struck was always the superior strategy.
Of course, this was Mueller’s personal conviction alone—one that still required Kale’s approval and consent.

* * *

Upon arriving at the lodging, Kale quietly observed the assembled personnel in what served as his study.

“This time will not be simple.”

Everyone gathered except Ron, who had been sent to the bedroom, and Vicross, who was attending to him.

Three children averaging seven years old, Rosalind and Rak from Choi Han’s party, along with Vice-Captain Hilsman and ten Wolf Tribe children.

Kale had simply gathered everyone available and brought them along.

‘It’s not as though we’re marching to destroy a kingdom.’

Part of me thought it was excessive, but I lacked sufficient knowledge about the enemy’s scale. Bringing everyone was the right call.
The Mage Rosalind opened her mouth as she looked at Kale.

“Young Master Kale, are we traveling by ship to Hice Island then?”
“Yes. It appears we’ll be heading near Hice Island 5.”

Hice Island.
The collective term for the large and small islands between the Eastern and Western Continents. These islands were numbered in the order they were discovered.

Kale’s destination was Hice Island 5.

The fifth island discovered, and the largest among them.
It was also the closest to the Western Continent, making it accessible by ship. That was why Ron could navigate there by boat.

“So there’s a Mermaid Tribe base there, I understand.”
“A base on an island? That’s strange.”
“Which is why it must be a Dark base. So first, we—”

Kale’s ship’s destination was already decided.

“We’re heading to Hice Island 12.”

The twelfth discovered island—quite small.
It was the shortest distance from Hice Island 5.

“Um, but Young Master.”

Vice-Captain Hilsman spoke cautiously. Kale gestured for him to continue.

“You said we’d be fighting the Mermaid Tribe, didn’t you? You mentioned the Whale Tribe and Mermaid Tribe are at war.”
“That’s right.”

Vice-Captain Hilsman’s usual languid demeanor had given way to seriousness. He understood that Ron’s life hung in the balance. Watching him, Kale recalled his father Count Derth’s words.

‘Assassin or otherwise, he remains within my domain. Save him. We can deliberate once he’s alive.’

Count Derth had resolved to save Ron—a man whom others might dismiss as merely a servant—because Ron had stood beside Kale for over a decade, bridging the distance between him and his family. It was a father’s heart, not a count’s calculation.

“Young Master, but will it be alright? I’ve heard the Mermaid Tribe possesses Dark attribute, and they’ve grown stronger through dead mana and poison.”

Dark attribute, and dead mana on top of that. These were the two concerns weighing on Hilsman’s mind.
Rosalind provided the answer to that concern.

“It will be fine. Young Master Kale knows the solution to mermaid poison, and even with Dark attribute and dead mana, we can suppress it with a stronger force.”

The most common approach when battling Dark attribute users wielding dead mana was to minimize direct contact time and suppress them in a single overwhelming strike.

Overwhelming the enemy’s dead mana with superior mana, aura, or raw destructive power.

But dead mana had one supremely powerful counter.
Kale knew that force well.

Vitality.

‘Crude, but devastatingly direct.’

The logic was simple.
In the end, the living always prevailed over the dead. The most certain proof of a living creature’s existence.

Rosalind’s lips parted.

“Of course, when living beings fight Dark races that have consumed dead mana, blood is the most effective weapon—but it’s dangerous.”

Yes, blood.
And quite a substantial amount was required.
Even the weakest human could create a temporary barrier by spilling their blood when facing Dark attribute beings infused with dead mana, but only for a brief moment.

Of course, the probability of dying from excessive blood loss was far greater. A small amount of blood wouldn’t suffice against a powerful Dark attribute race.

‘Though blood proves useless against Dark Elves or Vampires, naturally.’

Dark Elves, being creatures of nature, possessed resistance to dead mana even when consumed, and Vampires were beyond consideration since they sustained themselves on blood.

In any case, according to ancient texts, the Demonic Races apparently delighted in staining the hearts of living humans with dead mana, creating hearts that beat in a lifeless state.

‘That’s insane.’

To Kale, it was absolutely insane.
Yet a thought had suddenly occurred to him, and he voiced it without hesitation.

“My blood would be remarkably effective for that.”

Blood flowing from a heart inscribed with the vitality of a heart—blood possessing regenerative properties, clinging to life more tenaciously than any other. And thanks to that regeneration, blood flowed ceaselessly. Could there be blood more potent against the darkness attribute than this?

It was merely a fleeting thought.

I’d need to experiment to know for certain, but even if I couldn’t exert my full strength against Mermaids, I could certainly hold my own against those who had consumed dead mana. Above all, ancient power belongs to nature and the innate strength of humans. It was a force imbued with vitality and the natural order—highly likely to be considerably resistant to the darkness attribute.
Above all, the power of antiquity belongs to nature in the natural world and the innate power of humans. It’s a power that contains vitality and the natural order of things. There was a high probability it would be quite strong against the properties of darkness.

Kale Heniatus imagined.

“Well, if I spill my blood—”

Kale let out a quiet laugh.
Kale let out a genuine laugh.

“Wouldn’t that look gross?”

Kale sensed the now-quiet atmosphere of the office and glanced at his companions. Then, into the silence, an angry voice erupted.
Kale Heniatus sensed the quieted atmosphere of the office and looked at his companions. Then anger echoed through the silent space.

“That’s insane! What kind of ridiculous idea is that for someone so weak! I don’t need your pathetic blood!”

Raon was quite angry.

“It’s strange. Very strange indeed.”
“That’s strange. It’s a very strange thought.”

At their reaction, Kale looked toward Rosalind. Rarely, Rosalind shook her head at him with clouded eyes. Her expression conveyed that he had spoken utter nonsense.
Kale wondered what was going on and looked at Rosalind. Rarely, Rosalind shook her head at Kale with clouded eyes. Her expression said he’d just spouted nonsense.

“There’s no need to go that far.”

I swept my gaze across the group. After observing Hilsman’s moved expression—though I couldn’t fathom why—I spoke with exasperation.

“Of course I have no such intention.”

Why would I waste my precious blood?
There are far better alternatives.
And would such a situation even arise?

I despised pain. In such circumstances, fleeing was the wiser choice. If I simply escaped with a single mermaid corpse, Ron could synthesize an antidote.
Raon flew near the sofa where I sat and spoke sharply.

“I will keep watch.”

Yet no one believed him.
I felt deflated by their reaction but soon dismissed it from my mind. Such a situation wouldn’t occur anyway. So I ceased worrying about it.

Instead, I rose from my seat.

“Where are you going?”

I answered the Dragon’s question.

“The Cliff of Wind.”

The steepest cliff along this coastline, with whirlpools churning below—that was my destination.
I stood atop the Cliff of Wind and gazed downward. The coastline bustled with activity from the Naval Base construction. Yet my attention soon shifted beyond the shore to the horizon of the sea.

“What do you intend to do?”

At Choi Han’s question, I shrugged and withdrew a horn-shaped conch shell from my magical pouch. Choi Han had seen this object before.

It was one of three items I had received from Witira when I met the Whale King on the sea voyage to the Wipper Kingdom.

“…Surely not?”

Choi Han’s suspicion grew.
I brought the conch to my lips, using the narrow horn-pipe opening rather than the shell’s wide mouth. And I blew.

Keeeeeeee—

A small yet piercing cry echoed across the Cliff of Wind. The conch shell shimmered with an ethereal blue light.

The sound was so faint that those gathered along the coastline failed to hear it. Yet those at a distance caught it clearly.

Two days later, in the gathering dusk. Kale Heniatus stood upon the Cliff of Wind, watching the sunset bring the night. The crimson sun was sinking beyond the horizon.

He suddenly pressed his ear against the conch shell, its surface rippling with blue luminescence.

Keeee—

A shallow, high-pitched sound reached his ears.

“They’ve arrived.”

Kale said.

“They’re here!”

Raon pointed his front paw toward the horizon beyond.

“Ha.”
“…Good heavens.”

Though he had anticipated this, Choi Han released a breath of wonder, while Rosalind, who had followed without understanding, gasped in awe.

Splash, splash.

The sea beyond the horizon churned and roiled. Through it emerged two massive whales and one smaller whale, drawing ever closer.
Kale turned from where he stood at the cliff’s edge to face his companions. They beheld the smile upon his crimson-haired face, more vivid than the sunset itself.

“Now we set sail.”

The guide had arrived.
Since we were going anyway, we might as well ride the whales.

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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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