Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 98

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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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Kale Heniatus’s carriage, upon arriving at the Capital, did not enter the city itself but remained in the village closest to it.

“Dark elves in the Land of Death.”
“What of it?”

At Kale Heniatus’s question, the Mad Priestess Kaige regarded him. She appeared quite at ease, fanning herself and remarking about the heat. Had anyone observed her, they might have mistaken it for a tea time gathering.

“Well, naturally we must go.”

She was in the same predicament.

‘I was worried it might be something serious since I couldn’t remember the dream’s contents.’

What I had heard from Crown Prince Kale Heniatus was hardly a grave matter.

“So I need only bestow my blessing upon the object that Crown Prince Kale Heniatus receives from the dark elves?”
“Yes. Once a day until we arrive at the Capital, I would appreciate it if you continued to bestow the blessing of the God of Death upon that object.”

Dark elves. The blessing of the God of Death. Kaige’s mind grew complicated.
Dark elves were weak to the Sun God, and the God of Death was clearly superior to the Sun God. Of course, the Sun God had far more believers, but divine power did not correlate with the number of followers.

“Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“Who is going to kill a Sun God Priest?”
“You don’t think it’s me?”
“Crown Prince Kale Heniatus has no reason to fight the Sun God Priesthood. They favor you—wealthy, possessing ancient power. And above all, you are virtuous.”

Kale Heniatus did not refute her words. Except for the virtue part, by the doctrine of the Sun God Church, he was precisely the kind of human they would favor.
Then came the sound of knocking at the door. Kale Heniatus rose from his seat at the voice calling from beyond the modest inn room door.

“Let’s go! Hurry, hurry!”

It was a husky, boisterous voice.

“Kaige, there is someone I wish to introduce.”

Kale Heniatus moved toward the door. He grasped the handle and turned it.

“Oh! We have a guest?”

She was a woman of Kale’s height, and despite wearing robes, her lean, athletic build was unmistakable. She had joined Kale two days prior.

“They’re part of our group.”
“Ah, is that so?”

Kaige observed the woman who mixed formal and casual speech with Kale. The woman turned to Kale with a question.

“You told them everything?”
“Of course. Where we’re going, what we’re bringing back—I told them that much.”

The woman smirked at his response. Not everything, just those details—the implication was clear.
Kale, too, wielded that same ambiguous boundary between formal and casual speech with her.

Who is she? The moment Kaige wondered, the woman strode forward and extended her hand.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Tasha.”

She was a striking beauty with refreshing, open features. Kaige took her hand.
At that moment, Kale closed the door. It clicked shut, and Tasha’s face drew close to Kaige’s ear.

“Dark Elf. A guide.”

Their gazes locked.

“I’ve changed my skin color for now.”

With those words, Tasha studied Kaige intently. In that moment, Kaige smiled and introduced herself.

“Pleased to meet you, Tasha. I’m Kaige, an excommunicated priest of the God of Death.”

God of Death. At those words, the Dark Elf Tasha glanced at Kale. Kale shook his head—he hadn’t mentioned anything about the Crown Prince.

“Since we have a new member, how about a welcome celebration?”
“Do you have alcohol?”
“We have every kind of drink.”

Watching the two women exchange words with ease, Kale felt he had now said all he needed to say.

“Tasha, go.”

Tasha and Kale’s eyes met.
Among Kale’s current group, no one was unaware that Tasha was a dark elf. However, only Kale, Raon, On, and Hong knew that she was the Crown Prince’s aunt.

“Should we go through the Capital’s teleportation office?”

At Kaige’s question, Tasha shook her head.

“There’s a risk my disguise magic could be exposed. I think we’ll need to travel by carriage.”
“I see.”
“I do have identification papers.”

Saying she had identification to cross the border, Tasha showed her papers to Kaige.

“Everything except the name and age is forged.”

Kaige found it amusing and endearing how straightforwardly Tasha admitted everything. She examined the identification papers.

Tasha. Age 29.

Then Tasha’s voice, brimming with laughter, continued.

“Well, of course, you’d need to add a zero to the end of that age.”

290 years old.
Kaige looked at Tasha and asked.

“May I call you older sister?”
“As expected. You’re someone I like. Among humans, you’re only the third person who didn’t call me grandmother after hearing my age. Feel free to call me whatever you wish, Kaige.”
“Yes, older sister.”

Kale watched with his arms crossed. The Mad Priestess was calm now, but she had a love for drink and a hearty personality. Tasha seemed much the same.

‘…Will this be alright?’

Once their conversation seemed to have concluded, he watched as the two women linked arms and turned their gaze toward him.

“It’s hot. Let’s leave quickly.”

At that moment, Raon’s voice reached Kale’s ears.

-Liar! Weak human, aren’t you comfortable right now with your body temperature maintenance magic? I even crafted a refrigeration artifact for you!

True. It was a lie. Kale felt as though he were standing in the middle of autumn.

-Anyway, I’ll follow you while invisible. I’m always by your side.

It meant that whenever he grew hot, a being ready to cast magic was perpetually on standby. Better than air conditioning.

“I should head to the Caro Kingdom.”

Kale boarded a carriage bound for the Caro Kingdom, situated beneath the Breck Kingdom and attached to the northwest of the Mogur Empire, cradling within it the Land of Death.
Nestled in his possession was a new golden token bestowed upon him by the Crown Prince.

* * *

Click. The carriage door opened with a soft sound.

“The heat is no joke.”

Parched wind swept through the loose desert robes. Despite the setting sun, the air remained scorching.

“Young master, shall I bring you some cool lemonade?”
“Never mind. Just keep yourself cool.”

Behind Kale, Ron and Vicross descended, followed by Choi Han cradling On and Hong in his arms.

“Tasha.”

At Kale’s call, Tasha leaped lightly from the driver’s seat and approached.
Kale’s party now stood in a village at the western edge of the Caro Kingdom, where the desert began—a place that directly bordered the Land of Death in the Dubori Territory.

“If we slip out through the Western Gate, we’ll be in the Land of Death immediately?”
“Yes, sir.”

At that moment, the delighted voice of the Black Dragon reached Kale’s ears.

-A desert! My first time seeing one outside of books! Human, it seems you really must travel and witness everything firsthand! Books and reality are different!

Kale flinched and did his best to ignore Raon, who was saying something terrifying. Tasha, observing Kale’s flinch, asked with a bitter smile.

“Strange, isn’t it?”
“It certainly is.”

Kale agreed with her words.

The Land of Death. No human who ventured there ever returned.
That was why, alongside the legend of the necromancer, the place earned its ominous name.

Tasha’s lips curved upward.

“Why would there be a gate leading to a place people don’t return from? That’s what’s strange, isn’t it?”

Rosalind stepped down from the carriage and answered that question.

“It certainly is strange.”
“That’s right.”

Kaige also agreed.
Tasha opened her mouth to answer that question, but Kale pointed toward the City Wall before she could speak.

“I understand why they’d do it, though.”

The City Wall that Kale pointed to—a crumbling, low stone wall barely worthy of the name. People could be seen attempting to climb and scale over it.

“Grab them!”
“Grab them and beat them down!”

Aaahhhhh!
Along with the cries of the territory’s residents came the snickering laughter of soldiers.

“…What is that?”

At Choi Han’s question, Tasha wore a bitter smile. She glanced around before speaking in a low voice.

“The Lord of Dubori levies extremely heavy taxes. Taxes this village near the desert can barely afford. And beyond the desert lies the coastline, where people can reach other kingdoms or escape anywhere they wish.”

There was no need for further explanation.
Those attempting to scale the City Wall looked unmistakably like impoverished fiefdom residents.
Kale’s mouth opened.

“They built this gate to catch those who fled.”
“And also to apprehend fiefdom residents attempting to slip away through this gate.”

The Land of Death. Fiefdom residents fleeing to that desert to escape taxes as brutal as violence itself.

“Of course, their numbers aren’t large. But they continue to escape steadily. The Dubori family has ruled this fiefdom for generations, constantly raising taxes.”

Where good fiefdoms existed, there were always far more bad ones.

“Head to the City Gate.”

Kale approached a gate too small to be called a proper City Gate. Before it stood soldiers and two Knights.

“What is it?”

The Knight regarded Kale’s group with a crooked gaze. He used formal speech rather than casual language because their appearance suggested wealth.

Kale’s eyes briefly flicked toward the soldiers before returning to the Knight.
Just moments ago, two fiefdom residents attempting to scale the stone wall and escape to the Land of Death were being beaten by the soldiers.

“Ugh, p-please, spare us!”
“Audacious bastards. Did you think we’d be gone because it’s evening? If we’d gone to eat early, would you have escaped?! You ignorant fools!”
“W-we’re sorry! Knight, we’re sorry! We have no m-money, aaagh!”

The sounds of blows and trampling echoed.

“We’re looking to exit through the City Gate.”

The Knight hesitated slightly at Kale’s naturally flowing words, but soon twisted his face into a smile.
Kale produced a gold coin from the Caro Kingdom and handed it over. The Knight swiftly pocketed the coin and shouted to the soldier guarding the gate.

“Open the gate.”

The Knight gazed at the man before him—who appeared to be nobility, or at least wealthy—and offered a crooked smile.

“Live well.”

It was the finest farewell for those venturing into the Land of Death.
Creak, creeeeak— the sound of the City Gate opening reached Kale’s ears. He watched it swing open slowly.
The Knight’s voice carried across the threshold.

“I pray you do not become the blood that stains those crimson sands.”

Kale beheld the scarlet grains—more vivid than the sunset, more brilliant than his own crimson hair. They resembled a mountain formed from countless droplets of blood.

“I shall ensure it.”

Kale answered the Knight’s words.

“Huh?”

The Knight caught the object Kale tossed to him without thinking. Kale spoke as he watched the Knight.

“Release them.”
“Ah.”

A twisted smile played at the Knight’s lips once more. A proper Knight would never have opened this gate without authorization. The same held true for the other soldiers and guards.
But these were men to whom the laws of the Territory had never truly mattered. When the Lord commanded it, those beneath him followed suit.

“Hehe, what a kindhearted young master you are.”
“Unnecessary meddling.”

Kale watched as the two Territory residents he had freed stumbled away in their escape, then stepped beyond the gate. He offered the Knight one final remark.

“If I return alive, I shall grant you another gold coin.”
“Khehehe, I shall await your return.”

Receiving the Knight’s respectful bow—barely concealing his derision—Kale entered the desert.

Creeeeak— SLAM!

The City Gate closed without hesitation, its thunderous sound echoing across the wasteland.

“Why do you stare so?”

Kale Heniatus asked curtly, observing the group. He deliberately ignored Choi Han’s complex expression. After all, he was already dissatisfied with his own actions, and he had no desire to concern himself with others’ emotions.

“Tasha, guide us quickly.”

Despite the cold tone that might have made others hesitate, Tasha stood beside Kale Heniatus with a refreshing smile.

“Of course, of course. Our young master is truly kind.”
“Kind? Rather, it’s irresponsible.”

Kale Heniatus commanded Tasha, who was about to say more.

“Hurry.”
“Ugh, understood.”

Tasha took the lead ahead of Kale Heniatus.

“Let’s walk for a bit first.”

Tasha shot forward rapidly. At the sight, Kale Heniatus lightly kicked the sandy ground with his foot.
Tap. With that sound, Kale Heniatus’s body surged forward at tremendous speed.

Choi Han followed in pursuit, bringing On and Hong with him. Simultaneously, Rosalind cast Haste magic on herself and Kaige as she kept pace.

“Father, shall I help support you?”
“Nonsense. These old legs of mine are still sound.”

Finally, Ron and Vicross moved. Ron quickly matched Choi Han’s pace and crossed the desert with greater ease than anyone else.

“Running in the evening really is wonderful, isn’t it? Hahahaha! Let’s get as far away as possible!”

Tasha cried out boldly, shooting forward endlessly. Kale Heniatus marveled at the sight. It was neither magic nor physical strength.

‘Spirits.’

Dark elves—beings who deviated from nature’s order yet lived according to nature’s principles. Because they were elves, they could command spirits. Thus, even though dark elves defied natural law, they called themselves creatures of nature.

Whoosh, whoosh.
Sand particles leaped into the air, following the movements of Kale Heniatus’s group. Kale Heniatus found it remarkable how the grains of sand appeared reddish.
They truly resembled blood.

And so Kale Heniatus and his party followed Tasha for quite some time. They ran beneath the glow of sunset for a considerable distance, moving far from the City Gate, before Tasha finally came to a halt.

She gazed upon the sunset and spoke to the group.

“From this moment forward, commit this sight to memory.”

This sight?
The instant Kale Heniatus questioned her words, the sunset vanished completely from the sky.
The moment the sun disappeared.

“Wow.”

Meow meow meow!
Meow!

Exclamations of wonder escaped the group.
As the sky darkened, the sand grains beyond that distant horizon where the sunset had vanished transformed into black in an instant. It was a mystical and wondrous spectacle.

“Truly extraordinary.”

The black sand grains gleamed brilliantly.

-The same color as me! As expected, this desert is beautiful and magnificent, just like me!

Raon appeared delighted as well.
Kale Heniatus shared his own impressions in turn.

“It’s as though night itself has descended upon the earth.”
“Precisely.”

Tasha smiled faintly.

“Night has indeed descended upon the earth. But then, where must the earth descend to?”

At that moment, a breeze swept across them. A cool, refreshing wind.
Whisper, whisper. The sand grains began to roll with the wind. The desert rebuilt its dunes again and again.

“Sigh.”

Kale Heniatus understood Tasha’s words. He gazed slowly at the black sand drifting with the wind before responding.

“If night descended to the earth.”

Kale Heniatus’s gaze turned toward Tasha.

“Then the Dark Elves must have descended even further below the night.”
“Correct.”

Tasha removed the necklace from around her neck and cast it aside.

“Ah.”

A small exclamation escaped Rosalind’s lips. Skin as dark and lustrous as the grains of black sand. Eyes of deepest black. Hair of midnight. She resembled a black pearl given human form.
Tasha, who had previously borne the ordinary complexion of a Continental native, had returned to her true appearance and cried out.

“Now I shall guide you to the city of the Dark Elves.”

Wind whirled violently from her hands. A spirit, surely. That wind accelerated the movement of the sand.

In the heart of the desert, far from the City Gate where no others could see.
Where a sand dune had shifted, a colossal gate appeared in the earth below. Tasha lifted the circular door with all her strength.

“…Underground.”

Rosalind’s voice carried wonder and awe.
If night descended to the earth, then one need only descend further below the night.

“I shall go first. The last to arrive should descend while pulling the door closed.”

Tasha lightly hurled herself into the black void.

“I will close the door last.”

Hearing Choi Han’s words, Kale Heniatus stepped back slightly. The hole was so dark that nothing inside was visible. There shouldn’t be any risk of falling to one’s death, right?

-Human, let’s go!

Yes, with Raon here, everything should be fine.
Kale Heniatus dove into the hole while feeling the gazes of his companions upon him.

“Oh.”

An exclamation escaped from Kale Heniatus’s lips.
It was a slide. Kale Heniatus felt a heavy weight pressing against his back—Raon had clung firmly to him and was riding the slide as well.

-Human, this is fun! I want to do it again!

Descending the slide that led underground, Kale Heniatus plummeted endlessly downward, ever downward. Then, finally, a brilliant light appeared at the end of the passage.

With a soft, rather endearing sound, Kale Heniatus landed gently upon a fluffy cushion of cotton. And before his eyes, the city of the Dark Elves materialized.

Glittering lights adorned the ceiling, while colossal pillars supported the vast cavern above.
Trees, water, nature—a beautiful underground city welcomed Kale Heniatus.
A hand extended toward him. It was Tasha.

“Welcome to the City of Death.”

The City of Death. Kale Heniatus grasped Tasha’s hand and rose to his feet.

“It’s magnificent.”

Tasha smiled at his brief observation.

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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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