Trash of the Count's Family

The crow observed the fainted rat in Choi Han’s hand. The crow on Cale’s shoulder approached the rat and thoroughly observed it.

“The Illusionist seems to control rats.”

Choi Han put the fainted rat down and picked his sword up again after hearing the certainty in Gashan's voice.

Slaaaaash, slash!

The ground underneath the entire alley was flipped over. Choi Han frowned every time he stabbed his sword into the ground. Once the sword stabbed a certain length into the ground…

‘…There’s a path!’

He felt a small underground path that small animals such as rats would be able to cross. Choi Han quickly flipped the ground over. He then raised his senses to become as sensitive as possible.

Squeeak, squeak-

He then heard a quiet noise. Choi Han turned his head. Somewhere in the dark alley… A shaded spot in the corner of the wall that even Choi Han who was hiding there had ignored…

Squeeak, squeak, squeak!

Choi Han made eye contact with a rat that started to run away. He looked around at the ground, the alley, on top of the wall, and then across the Dubori territory.

‘…We're on top of the White Star's palm!’

He had no idea where else those small rats might be hiding. He had no way of knowing where they might be hiding and observing them.

‘Since when…since when were we being observed?’

Choi Han got goosebumps on his back.

Had they been observed by those rats as soon as they entered the Dubori territory? Or were they being observed long before they even arrived at the territory?

‘The rumbling we felt in Young-en when we were meeting with crown prince Valentino. Was that rumbling from the West we felt the Illusionist's doing as well?’

Choi Han had known the White Star was strong this whole time, but for some odd reason, he had not been afraid of the White Star. He felt as if the White Star was an enemy they could defeat at any moment.

‘Why did I have such thoughts?’

The White Star and his subordinates were not people they could look down upon.

The White Star had clashed with Choi Han and the others many times, but it had been as if he had been hiding himself every time. The situation in the Mogoru was something he did by making the Empire's people move.

But now, the White Star was revealing himself without hiding at all in the Caro Kingdom’s Dubori territory. It felt as if the White Star’s power, influence, and abilities were coming out of hiding and surrounding Choi Han.

‘…Shit.’

Choi Han finally started to feel a sense of danger.

‘I didn't think I’d only realize I was stuck in a spider web until after I was already stuck.’

Since they entered this small city with the Lord’s Castle, no, since they entered the Dubori territory or even the Caro Kingdom, they had been caught in the White Star’s web and had been moving on top of his palm.

Caw, caw.

Choi Han realized he could not hear anybody speaking through the crow's cawing.

‘Even Cale-nim is quiet.’

He felt the weight of this dangerous situation even more after seeing that both Gashan and more importantly, Cale, were quiet. His gaze headed toward his silent liege.

“…Cale-nim?”

Choi Han could see the silently smiling Cale. His smiling gaze met Choi Han’s eyes. Choi Han then realized why he had not been scared of the White Star until now. Every time he was about to be shocked because of the White Star’s strength, there was someone who was always smiling as if it was nothing.

“Choi Han, there's none left around us now, right?”

Choi Han closed his eyes after hearing Cale’s question. His sensitive swordsman’s senses were activated again and he soon opened his eyes.

“There are no living creatures other than us here.”

The Illusionist's rats were nowhere to be found.

“Is that so?”

Cale then crouched down on the ground. The ground that Choi Han had overturned earlier… Cale put his hand inside the now soft dirt.

Caw, caw.

A few crows surrounded Cale and Choi Han. Choi Han's eyes opened wide as this small area outside the White Star's gaze was created.

The Western continent’s common language was being written on the ground.

< Choi Han, Gashan. They won't be able to see this. >

There were no rats nearby. That meant that they would not be able to read these words.

Shh.

Cale quickly erased the words he had just written. He then started to write something else in the ground.

< Go call your friends over right away. >

‘Friends?’

The crow looked toward Cale in confusion but Cale shook his head. Choi Han also looked confused but Cale kept on writing.

Go call your friends over right away. And then…

< Tell your friends in the desert about our situation. >

Choi Han started to move his hand.

< Cale-nim, who are you talking to? >

Who was Cale giving this order to? Cale looked at him and started to speak.

"The White Star used his head very well.”

Shhhhh.

words on the ground were covered up

fire with an illusion and made us rush here in shock. He separated Raon and I with the mana disturbance and hid

Gashan's existence. They

had something the White Star did not know about. Cale

We’ll be back

it’ll

destruction. I

Cale and rose

you heard the

them

Cale-nim, I

had

be a luxurious feast today for the esteemed guests

are you planning on

heard Gashan’s voice

“First.”

looked toward Choi Han. Cale started to write on the ground again as Choi Han was about to question

strong can probably bewitch

starting to write more things. The crow read what Cale was writing before leaving Cale’s shoulder and

Caw, caw.

the crows left Cale’s side at

Shhhh.

rid of the evidence. Cale then motioned toward

Castle where the luxurious feast was

visit because

never expected a

his armor raised his wine glass

Clang!

a different glass

stand guard for the first time in a long while!

to touch this new suit of his. There was a gold-plated badge with the Dubori crest on

don't know where the lord found such talented people to

subordinate and took a sip of the wine. His eyes then peeked toward the center

useless and greedy lord who had no thoughts about taking care of the territory. Today was the day they were celebrating these people the lord had brought over a few

for such a dazzling feast to happen in the

were beautiful chandeliers, expensive

who knew we would get to enjoy such luxuries after guarding the entrance to the

two were people who guarded the city walls heading into the

giving by calling everyone

man who was listening to his subordinate knight let out

‘The lord’s giving?’

the Lord-nim but those new individuals

he looked toward the three people standing next

three had paid for this feast and had brought over the

the Dubori territory? I can’t understand what they saw in the lord to want to serve him. Something

Screeeech-

ear after hearing

“Ugh.”

“Sir, what’s wrong?”

“No. It's nothing.”

his suit glowed red for a moment before returning to normal. His

you

course. Shouldn't we enjoy ourselves when such a grand welcome feast is taking part

about the three individuals had disappeared from the laughing knight’s mind. He picked up

Plop.

“Hmm?”

frowned and looked up. He could see the banquet hall's old ceiling that was

they should replace the ceiling or something. There

get you a new

subordinate tactfully replaced the wine glass

‘That scared me.’

person hiding in the

had created a small hole in the ceiling

‘Do it properly.’

Han with a vicious glare. Choi Han who had made the hole erased his

shook his head side to side as he mouthed silently. A small

there are no

nodded his

Cale-nim, there are no rats in the

“Haaaaa.”

out a sigh before stretching his legs out

‘These… rats!’

dirty as he was covered in dust

would be this hard to move around while

Lord’s Castle while dodging the rats throughout the Dubori

He truly is great and

roll around in the dirt as the new employee Kim

‘…Why! How?!’

Cale finally felt the difference between his physical abilities

Tap. Tap.

holes in the ceiling. There were two holes

looked through one of

‘Ha!’

scoffed in disbelief. A fancy feast. He could see people enjoying themselves. Cale thought about the different rooms in the castle he passed by before

research room, the

Only black mages were

can't receive crown prince

mana disturbance, which probably meant that crown prince Valentino gave

everybody raise

territory lord raise his glass through the small hole. The

over here! These are the people who will help the Dubori territory develop

pointed to three

‘Aigoo.’

Cale sighed.

White Star,

mask and the feeble-looking Bear King were smiling while wearing fancy suits.

that person

hair was smiling while standing between the Bear King and

‘It’s not here.’