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.”

took off the hood of the robe and Deruth smiled

you

and pale, but his eyes were full of

had a safe

returned safely from going to his birth mother, Drew Thames’s grave, and then realized something

is a reason I must

instead of responding. Duke Deruth

will give it a go. Should I keep

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

only I should know. You will not have to worry about anything coming out of my

toward Alberu. He was looking directly into Alberu’s eyes

realized something

‘They’re similar.’

could see Cale Henituse in Duke Deruth’s appearance. He thought that they didn’t look similar at all, but they did share the

said something

do have one

“What is it?”

do not like meaningless

daggers. That was why

“It won’t be meaningless-”

“And.”

Deruth cut

He then smiled.

want any meaningless

And then…

like meaningful sacrifices that much

“Ha.”

despite having been

He realized something.

Soo inside Cale

They’re similar.’

and young master

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

He is a member of

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

had passed on

the

be recorded in history. Live for

had a bitter smile on his face as

‘Well, that isn’t happening.’

was certain that Cale’s story would be recorded quite a bit in this

household had given up on peace and happiness

and happiness are difficult to gain. That is

Deruth continued

will take what I just said to heart…

did not

also did not

keep

“Father.”

Deruth turned toward Cale.

your health as

I will do

finally appeared on Deruth’s

observed Cale and

so easily must be because someone like Duke

appeared on Alberu’s

nothing to do with

Alberu a lot when he was a child, however, the current king just started treating Alberu as a

had no

I needed that

Tasha. He

there be people who are sad? Would anybody cry

Alberu closed his eyes.

have easily answered that Tasha would be the only one to be affected if he died. But he was sure that

cry. They would be

Han, Rosalyn, and the others… There were many people who would be

that he had such certainty about this while also feeling that

* * *

do

– Chhhhh, chhhhhh.

static in the video communication

could hear a voice

looks like we will

discuss it once

I, chhhhh, have no,

Alberu! Crown prince

The call suddenly ended.

Baaaaang!

“We need to hurry!”

the southern area

green covered in trees and grass. Inside the palace at the central region of

up from her seat and immediately headed out of

“Is everybody gathered?”

yet, my Queen. The warriors from the southernmost sections have yet to arrive. It is the farthest from here and they seem to be

gathered together under the

Alberu Crossman’s words during that

second team once

Grrrrrr—!

got in its back and gave an order to the

are heading for the

Oooooong– oooooong–

circle activated at the center of

seen

Paaaaat-!

* * *

light and a person’s figure could be seen

first person to appear almost

so strong that the

“Where is he?!”

person’s voice was extremely loud

reinforcements from the

Toonka. He gathered just his personal troops as the first

person who

“Who are you?”

man in armor

was a golden turtle crest visible on each

temporarily taken the Commander position while his

“…You…are Cale Henituse’s father……?”

I hope that

“Oh! Fwather!”

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

“First!”

of the teleportation magic circle, an open area behind the City