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.”

Cale took off the hood of the robe and Deruth smiled after

you are

and pale, but his

you had a safe trip to your

going to his birth mother, Drew Thames’s grave, and then realized something as soon as he looked into

there is a reason I must

responding. Duke Deruth immediately turned back toward

I will give it a go. Should I keep this

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

know. You will not have to worry about

looking directly into Alberu’s eyes

something at

‘They’re similar.’

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

something

do

“What is it?”

do not like

if they were daggers. That

“It won’t be meaningless-”

“And.”

Duke Deruth cut

He then smiled.

did not want any meaningless

And then…

do not like meaningful sacrifices that

“Ha.”

despite having been

He realized something.

Soo inside

They’re similar.’

young master Cale have many

appearances that were similar; their core was similar

my son. He is a member of the

their wealth for generations. It was a household that lived in the corner of the Roan Kingdom’s northeast region with the Forest of Darkness right

passed on

the Henituse

in history.

bitter smile on his face as he recalled

‘Well, that isn’t happening.’

would be recorded quite a bit in

in the Henituse household had given up on

That is why we set

continued to

and Cale will take what I

not

also did not

will keep it in

“Father.”

Deruth turned toward Cale.

care of your health

will do

smile finally

quietly observed Cale and

to this world so easily must be because someone like Duke Deruth, no, because the Henituse

smile appeared on Alberu’s

to do with

lot when he was a child, however, the current king just started treating Alberu as a future king candidate at some point. He did not treat Alberu as

had no idea why,

I needed that

Tasha. He also had his

die… Will there be people who are

Alberu closed his eyes.

few years ago, he would have easily answered that Tasha would be the only one to be affected if he died. But he was sure that it was

They would

Dragon, Cale, Choi Han, Rosalyn, and the others…

he had such certainty about this while also feeling that he really could not die a meaningless

* * *

What do you mean

– Chhhhh, chhhhhh.

video communication device so the visuals were not

could hear a voice through the

like we will need to fight

to discuss it once

chhhhh, have

Alberu! Crown

The call suddenly ended.

Baaaaang!

“We need to hurry!”

the southern area of

and grass. Inside the palace at the central

up from her seat and immediately headed out of her

“Is everybody gathered?”

from the southernmost sections have yet to arrive. It is the farthest from

Jungle were gathered together

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

second team once

Grrrrrr—!

She got in its back and gave an order

heading for the Roan

Oooooong– oooooong–

activated at the

could be seen in

Paaaaat-!

* * *

a bright light and a person’s figure could be seen appearing above the teleportation magic

person to appear almost stomped

step was so

“Where is he?!”

person’s voice was extremely

the Whipper Kingdom

Toonka. He gathered just his personal troops as the first round of reinforcements

after looking at the person who appeared in front

“Who are you?”

armor took one step

a golden turtle crest visible on each of his

am Duke Deruth Henituse. I have temporarily taken the Commander position

“…You…are Cale Henituse’s father……?”

is correct. I hope that you will follow my

“Oh! Fwather!”

Deruth. However,

“First!”

get out of the location of the teleportation magic circle, an open area behind the