Trash of the Count's Family

Click.

There was silence after the sound of the door closing.

“…Cale.”

Deruth Henituse was the first to speak. Deruth, Cale’s father… couldn’t stop his eyes from shaking as he headed over to the robe-clad Cale.

“Duke.”

However, someone got in the way of this emotional father-son reunion.

“Your highness?”

Alberu Crossman quickly walked over to the Duke. Deruth, who was still in his armor, looked more tired than earlier.

“Duke. There is something I need you to do for me. That is why I urgently and stealthily came to find you.”

Urgently. Stealthily.

Deruth, who realized the seriousness of those two words, stiffened up while Alberu heard Raon’s voice in his head.

– I cast the noise blocking spell.

Alberu immediately continued speaking.

“I am going to die soon.”

“…Excuse me?”

Deruth wondered what he had just heard.

“Excuse me?”

That was why he asked once more, and Alberu, looked at the empty area past Deruth’s shoulder as he recalled what had just happened.

‘Dongsaeng. You returned earlier than I expected.’

‘Your highness.’

‘…Your expression doesn’t look good.’

Cale and Raon had barged into the Puzzle City City Hall office.

Clopeh had just burst out of the room after saying that he would set the rumors straight and tell people the truth, while Choi Han said he had a bad feeling about what Clopeh would do and chased after him.

Alberu, who was left alone, had been organizing his thoughts about what else needed to be done. That was when Cale and Raon had arrived.

He could not feel happy after seeing the expression on Cale’s face.

His expression gave Alberu a bad feeling.

‘Why are you smiling as if you’re going to scam someone?’

Cale Henituse. This bastard was smiling. He was smiling as if he was about to cause a big incident.

‘Hyung-nim.’

Cale had that mischievous smile on his face as he walked over to Alberu and put his arm on Alberu’s shoulder.

‘…What the hell are you doing?’

‘Hyung-nim. Please die.’

‘Hmm?’

As Alberu turned toward Cale…

‘Wouldn’t the only people left to lead the Roan Kingdom’s forces in Puzzle City be the Knight Captain and my father if you were to die, your highness?’

Alberu felt extremely iffy about this, but still responded properly.

‘Yes, as long as nobody else comes from the royal family.’

As long as the current king, Zed Crossman, and the second prince did not come to Puzzle City…

‘Taking into consideration magic, troops, mercenaries, and other nobles, it is highly likely that Duke Deruth would be the Commander.’

The Knight Captain would only lead the knights and soldiers.

‘If I consider the reinforcements coming from the other kingdoms as well, Duke Deruth, your father, would have the proper title to be Commander. Furthermore, Puzzle City is in the Roan Kingdom’s northeast region, so the leader of the northeast region would know about this place best.’

Smile.

The corners of Cale’s lips curled up.

‘That sounds great.’

Pat pat.

Cale patted Alberu’s shoulder with an extremely disrespectful expression. Alberu wondered if this bastard was drunk despite not getting easily drunk, but Cale whispered as Alberu stared with a grumbling expression.

‘Now then, please die so that my father can be the big boss.’

Alberu could see Cale’s face that looked really cold without even an ounce of a smile.

‘I need to catch a damn rat.’

‘A rat?’

‘Yes sir. The White Star is currently under my father’s command.’

Cale then gave a short explanation as to what had happened during his meeting with the World Tree and Count Hubesha. Of course, he did not mention the dagger the World Tree gave him. That was something that only Cale and the World Tree knew about right now.

Alberu snapped out of his thoughts and returned to the present.

“Duke. I will not really be dying. There’s just a need for me to pretend to die.”

Deruth’s face stiffened up even more at Alberu’s somewhat firm demeanor.

“…Does that mean that you have your reasons but are unable to explain it to me, your highness?”

“That is correct.”

Duke Deruth’s reaction would be most natural if he knew as little as possible.

“Duke Deruth, I hope that you can take care of Puzzle City once I die.”

“I heard that reinforcements from other kingdoms would soon be arriving.”

“That is correct. Please take care of them as well.”

Duke Deruth still had a stiff expression on his face as he walked past Alberu.

“Let me see your face.”

the hood of the robe and Deruth smiled after seeing Cale’s revealed

like you are not

and pale, but his eyes

a

mother, Drew Thames’s grave,

a reason

of responding. Duke Deruth immediately turned back toward

a go. Should

correct. You cannot tell anybody else, even your family members. Only the three of us here

know. You will not have to worry

looking directly into

realized something at that

‘They’re similar.’

thought that they didn’t look similar at all, but they did share the same blood and did indeed

something at

I do have

“What is it?”

not like

they were daggers. That was why Alberu immediately opened his mouth

“It won’t be meaningless-”

“And.”

Deruth cut

He then smiled.

did not want

And then…

not like meaningful sacrifices that

“Ha.”

scoffed, despite having

He realized something.

it is Kim Rok Soo

They’re similar.’

young master Cale have many similar

was not just their appearances that were similar; their core was

my son. He

and slowly increasing their wealth for generations. It was a household that lived in the corner of the Roan Kingdom’s northeast region with

passed on the following words

was the mindset of the Henituse household and their

is no reason to be recorded in history. Live for

a bitter smile on his face as

‘Well, that isn’t happening.’

would be recorded quite a bit in

of the people in the Henituse household had given up on peace

difficult to gain. That is why we set

continued to

highness, if both you and Cale will take what I just said to

did not

did not like

keep

“Father.”

Deruth turned toward Cale.

take care of your health

I will do

finally appeared

observed Cale and

world so easily must be because someone like Duke Deruth,

smile appeared on

has nothing to do

Crossman… The king had cherished Alberu a lot when he was a child, however, the current king just started treating Alberu as a future king candidate at some point.

had no idea why,

not like I

aunt, Dark Elf Tasha. He

Will there be people who are sad? Would

Alberu closed his eyes.

would be the only one to be affected if he died. But he was sure that it

cry. They

others… There were many people who would be

while also feeling that he really could not

* * *

prince Alberu! What do you mean by

– Chhhhh, chhhhhh.

a lot of static in the video communication device so the visuals were

a voice

like we will need to fight that Lion Dragon Guardian thing

it once

chhhhh, have

prince Alberu!

The call suddenly ended.

Baaaaang!

“We need to hurry!”

the southern area of the Western

covered in trees and grass. Inside the palace at the

jumped up from her seat and immediately headed out of

“Is everybody gathered?”

have yet to arrive. It is the farthest from here and they seem to be delayed because of the foreign

elite warriors of the Jungle were gathered

Crossman’s words during that static-filled call and made up

them as a second team once

Grrrrrr—!

Litana. She got in its back and

heading for the

Oooooong– oooooong–

at the

could be seen in other kingdoms as

Paaaaat-!

* * *

bright light and a person’s figure could be seen appearing

first person to appear almost stomped

His step was so

“Where is he?!”

voice was extremely loud as

the Whipper Kingdom are the first

Kingdom’s Commander Toonka. He gathered just his personal troops as the first round of

at the person who appeared in front

“Who are you?”

armor took one step

turtle crest visible on each of his

have temporarily taken the Commander position while his highness went out

“…You…are Cale Henituse’s father……?”

is correct. I hope that you

“Oh! Fwather!”

happy to see Deruth. However, Toonka shook his head and quickly

“First!”

tried to get out of the location of the teleportation magic circle,