Trash of the Count's Family

# Gathered (3)

Boom- boom- boom-

Early morning as the darkness slowly disappeared and the sun started to rise… The sound of drums echoed throughout Puzzle City.

Not a single one of the many birds were chirping. The sound of the drums was the only thing that was heard, as if it would cover up all of Puzzle City.

“Human! Wake up! The drums are sounding!”

“It’s today, nya!” “Today, today is that day, nya!”

Today was the 50th celebration, the day to offer the sacrifices.

“Ugh.”

Cale couldn't breathe for a moment. He barely let out a breath and quietly mumbled.

“T, take your feet off.”

‘These little punks.’

The children averaging ten-years-old. The three children who were chubbier than when they were children averaging nine-years-old were pushing down on Cale’s stomach.

“Huff, huff.”

‘I thought I was going to die.’

“Aigoo. Human, you're so weak!”

“It’s okay that you are weak, nya.”

“…It’s… a bit understandable.”

Raon, Hong, and On commented one after another and shook their heads. Cale had expected it from Raon and Hong but looked at On with a bit of a betrayed gaze as he had not expected this from her as well.

On raised her front paw and pointed to the clock.

“It’s almost time to head to the temple, nya.”

Boom- boom- boom-

Cale listened to the drums as he observed the clock.

The celebration was to start at noon.

However, the preparations had started early in the morning.

Knock knock knock.

Ron knocked on the door and entered the room.

“Young master-nim, it looks like you will need to get ready.”

A cold gaze slightly revealed itself through Ron’s fake benign smile as he looked at Cale whose hair was a mess and overall look was shabby.

“Mm.”

Cale grabbed the cup of lemonade and quickly got up from the bed. He started grumbling.

“They’re telling us to come and go for no reason from the morning.”

Cale and the rest of the people staying in this place…

They were people who came as the person in charge of the sacrifices delivery from the different nations and territories or famous people who received the threat veiled as an invitation from the central temple. They were all forced to watch the celebration.

All of them had meaningless tasks to fulfill from the early morning. Furthermore, they had to do it all together.

“They’re just trying to tame all of you.”

That was right. This schedule was a taming process by the central temple and the White Star as Ron mentioned.

Cale's glabellas scrunched as much as his temper.

"Tsk. How annoying.”

* * *

In the end, Cale ended up coming to the central temple to do those annoying things.

Of course, he was alone.

Ron, Raon… He could not bring anybody else with him here.

He was currently on the third floor of the central temple where he could see out clearly unlike the first and second floors that were surrounded by the rock wall.

He could see all of Puzzle City.

There was a simple reason as to why Cale and the rest of the forced celebration spectators were brought here.

‘It’s an altar.’

Outside the rock wall surrounding the central temple…

There was an altar on a wide area that used to be a plaza in the past.

‘That’s where the sacrifices will die.

Close to 2,000 lives will be lost there today.’

They had been called here early in the morning to watch that and get scared.

“Young master Cale Henituse of the Roan Kingdom's Henituse territory?”

Cale looked away from the altar after hearing a voice.

“Mm. You're here. Your identity has been verified.”

The priest smiled warmly before moving to the person in line behind Cale.

“Prince Pen of the Breck Kingdom?”

"What is it?”

“What else? You ended up coming in the end. Your identity has been verified.”

Cale listened to Rosalyn’s younger brother respond with a grumble as he looked around.

There were hundreds of people gathered here from all over the Western continent.

“Mm.”

“Ahem.”

The people who made eye contact with Cale quickly looked away.

There were people throughout the room peeking at Cale and unable to hide their shock.

‘That person is here?’

After the initial shock, their faces were filled with curiosity, scorn, disappointment, or grief.

“Sayeru-nim. We have confirmed everybody on the list.”

“Really?”

In front of the room… Bear King Sayeru, who had been standing facing the group of people, nodded his head at the priest’s report and addressed the crowd.

“The celebration starts at noon so please wait here until you all move together when the times comes.”

the preparation of the

you are aware, priests are stationed all around so please let us know

priests are keeping their eyes on them and not to

refreshments. Isn’t this quite great of a

and then suddenly clapped

"Ah, in addition.”

the sky

starts. He wishes

fifth floor of the central temple… The White

celebration starts at noon… That was when the White Star would reveal himself to the people

‘Honorable my ass.’

his completely different inner thoughts. His face

Cale before continuing to speak with

highness, crown prince

the front

the group, Alberu was in the front as he

refreshments with the White

“…Of course.”

come this

him and Alberu

was the first time Cale saw Alberu’s face in person in this

Crossman had not called over or come to see Cale at their resting

them were not giving any signals through their eyes or greeting each

‘He looks terrible.’

with a

communication device, seeing Alberu in person allowed Cale to see that Alberu

“Oh no, your highness.”

he was sad

asking the White Star-nim about it? Ask him to allow you to stop praying. Ask him to

okay. Praying is

Your faith is very

Alberu just continued looking forward without any

son of

his temper. However, his

crown prince Valentino. Oh, the

who would have this secret meeting with the White

smile, you must smile. It is rare to have an intimate conversation with the White Star-nim

to the people standing next to him before looking forward

last person. Young master

room became even more silent at

Sayeru respectfully ordered Cale.

“Please come forward.”

started

who had fought against the White Star. The past did not disappear just because Cale

going to step

just quietly looked

Tap. Tap.

slowly started to walk. He stopped in front of

Cale, are you not going to

had not been smiling at all. There was an

called out to the person who was not looking at him in

“Cale Henituse.”

eyes of the person who had only been

“Priest Sayeru-nim.”

silent room. His voice was not loud

done as much as

looked at Sayeru and

me to

his body to

his face closer to Sayeru’s face. Sayeru could see the scowl

down this

of wrath, annoyance, and all sorts of other negative emotions. There were so many that Sayeru could see

defeated person slowly spoke, as if he was breathing out, with the scowl on

from me. This is my

step back,

“…Ha.”

short chuckle came out of

nodding their heads. They understood where

had come to Puzzle City to

had not shown any resistance and had even shown a lot of goodwill through it

people to think

realized

he was acting calm on

at

“Ha, haha-”

was laughing out loud now. He

isn't Cale Henituse if he

he had done everything for the sacrifice

to go against the White Star's

one time since you are saying that you are at your limit. I will put in a good word with the

patted

is no

who refused to make eye contact with

will be the next sacrifice? Nobody knows who

who turned away from Cale without any regrets, headed out of the third floor with

with anyone until that point. Many people were looking at him

‘Phew, that was close.’

relieved on

are far apart, but my condition might be revealed if I am close to the White

illusion as the basis, Cale had clashed

him to be as far away from the White Star as possible in order to not have

be bad if he found

that he did a good job to slither out of that situation and sat down on a chair a priest brought

in the room that was a bit more

Henituse is pretty much dead

he wants to survive. What’s with this half-assed

“…He’s done for.”

eyes

Time quickly passed by.

Boom- boom- boom-

It was now noon.

up at the person sitting down at the chair at the

The White Star.

that covered above his nose was sitting on a white

Woooooooooooooooo–

away from the altar… The residents of Puzzle City and

the center of the cheering crowd looking

on purpose with dividers to separate the cheering crowd with the forced spectators. Furthermore, Cale and the others got chairs as a

made it so that they could only see the people cheering and the White Star

able to see the sacrifices as well as they step onto the

Cale looked around.

some people who had no choice but to cheer but the crowd had a lot of followers of

spreading out of the

could see the

At that moment…

‘Mm.

Star looked

been a mistake but he was

not avoid the White Star's

“Pffft.”

laughed and

a clear sign that he was

for that

‘Ah, that scared me.’

Cale was relieved.

‘He didn't find out.’