Trash of the Count's Family

TCF2-22

Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-

The black rain was as thick as the unexpected rainfall in the middle of summer.

Clunk. Clunk.

It also brought gusts of wind with it.

“The edge precinct black mages truly are skilled~”

Cale turned his head after hearing the melodious mumbling.

‘He’s smiling?’

The mercenary with disheveled hair was smiling while looking out the window. That made Cale think about his suspicions.

‘Is this bastard really a member of the Agents of Destruction?’

There were not many reasons to send a subordinate out of the capital no matter how many times Cale thought about it.

‘Hmm?’

Cale turned toward the Fourth Imperial Prince who was standing past Zero.

‘As expected, the trash demeanor is just an act.’

The Fourth Imperial Prince, who was looking out the window with quite a serious gaze, had both of his fists clenched. It was only for an instant, but he even cursed under his breath as if he was holding back his anger.

- Human! Will our team be okay? One was smiling like a fool before turning serious while the other was angry but suddenly chuckles and pretends to laugh!

As Raon mentioned, the two candidates had quickly hid their emotions.

‘The two of their emotions aren't the issue right now.’

Cale looked away from the two of them and looked outside.

Swooooooosh-

The black rain mixed with the wind and turned into something like a small storm.

And that storm-

Baaaaaang!

Slammed into the shield.

Crack.

A portion of the shield broke.

"Will this be okay?!”

One of the candidates became shocked and almost shouted to an aide to ask.

One of the aides stepped forward.

‘That person is the one who was speaking to the Margrave.’

Cale recalled that this was the last aide to speak to the Margrave before the Margrave left.

“Please don’t worry. There are over one hundred black mages in Precinct 9. In addition, they are all at least at the middle-grade level.”

The aide’s face was stiff despite telling them not to worry.

“This level of rain cloud is not enough to destroy it.”

The candidate who asked the question seemed a bit relieved after hearing the aide’s confident remarks, but Cale had a thought after hearing the answer.

‘What if it gets past this level of rain cloud?

Then what happens?

Will the shield break?’

Cale heard someone who had the same question as himself.

“Are there instances where it gets worse than this level of rain cloud?”

It was the Second Imperial Princess.

‘Hmm.’

The Second Imperial Princess had formed a team with two candidates who did not stand out much.

‘The team is set up so that the Second Imperial Princess would shine the most if they do their mission well.’

The aide closed her mouth for a moment at the Second Imperial Princess as Cale quickly came up with that assessment.

The rest of the candidates and their subordinates all turned toward her.

Clunk. Clunk.

The wind that seemed to be getting worse was slamming against the window.

Thankfully, there was no black rain hitting the window.

“Currently.”

The aide pushed up her glasses a bit as she responded.

“Currently, there are no rain clouds stronger than this.”

“...It sounds like there will be in the future?”

The aide sighed at the Second Imperial Princess's scary gaze.

“The rain clouds have slowly gotten stronger since the dead mana rain clouds first appeared, your Royal Highness.”

“Mm.”

Someone groaned.

"And the amount of time in between each instance of rain cloud has been getting shorter.”

“Is it impossible to determine the cycle of the rain cloud?”

“Yes, your Royal Highness.”

The Second Imperial Princess looked up at the ceiling for a bit before asking.

“What exactly is this rain? I've never seen something like this before.”

This was also Cale’s first time hearing about this.

‘This is different from the erosion methods the Church told me about.’

There were multiple methods of dead mana erosion spreading throughout Xiaolen, but there were some common symptoms.

‘The ground slowly turns black.

Or liquefied dead mana shoots up from underground in places where the foundation has lost strength.

Finally, river water polluted by dead mana flows down and erodes other pieces of land.

I’ve never heard of it being through rain clouds.’

The eroded lands did have dead mana fog but it was not something that moved.

“The Margrave should be explaining this for all of you, but I will give a short explanation because of the current situation.”

The aide walked toward a wall without a window.

Cale could see a long cloth that resembled a curtain on the wall.

The aide pulled at the cloth.

Chhhhhh-

“It's a map.”

map

had a map of

to see the edge villages of the ten

of the Empire that had turned black as well as the current boundary

the

the

precincts, including precinct

regions where the dead mana rain

Clunk. Clunk.

window was still

entire map in

has started

looked out

were in a high spot in the castle. The half-transparent

proof that the black

cloud appeared half

Plop. Plop.

were

not know about this when it happened half

Imperial Princess's voice

true. This is a

year was a pretty

didn't tell you about this

slightly nodded his head so that it would not be noticed

ago but nobody in the Empire’s capital knows

look

the Second Imperial Princess as

the issue to the Imperial Palace on a

already knows

“Yes ma’am.”

Princess looked at the First Imperial Prince and then

Cale did the same.

there without any expression on his face as if he was an ice sculpture while the Fourth Imperial

“Ha!”

Imperial Princess

a lot of

before looking back at

the rain

right, your Royal Highness. However, the rain clouds thankfully have not left the ten precincts so far and the rain only falls in these areas before

then heard Mary’s

“...That’s odd.”

mentioned! Why does it only rain in these precincts before

spoke in a nonchalant

is controlling the

people heard his voice as he spoke

is why it

hearing a voice behind

Margrave was

Plop. Plop.

black rain had almost ended and the wind was no longer

see the blue sky that was slightly grey beyond the

separate from each other but the blue sky was

half a year ago that the rain clouds were not a

Margrave in charge

a Marquis of the

we sent people multiple times past the wall to investigate the cause but we haven't gained any

Marquis Helson.

started to recall information about this

Margrave family that has been protecting the western part of the Empire for generations. He has a

was deep not to the Emperor but to

meant that he would not treat the Imperial

‘He’s a fitting character.’

was perfect as a test

priest Durst had sent a

a family. His only family member, his grandfather the former Marquis, met his death

his mid-thirties but did

Margrave didn't want another family to feel the pain he felt losing his family and

was said to be known by everybody in the

‘Mm.’

back a groan after recalling

< P.S. >

priest had added

the Margrave's grandfather had a

was a hidden believer.

Margrave was

is

course, the Margrave is not a

his grandfather's

of power despite being called heretics and treated as a cult, but it

are you smiling

comment and watched as Zero

“Is that our mission?”

after hearing the loosely asked question

with four members will all put finding the source of this

that mean the mission is a success if we simply find the

“That’s right.”

twisted smile appeared

the Margrave another

of the cause? Do we get

“Pffft.”

The Margrave scoffed.

sure you’ll be first

air in the

who had been anxious because of

were looking at each other warily or deep

calmly spoke

don’t

air sank cold

of the candidates here should be familiar with dead mana. You all have that great and

pointed

was pointing

you can survive through just because you are familiar with dead

appeared on the Marquis’

that if you wish

Boom.

Marquis stomped his

to their lodgings! You will be given areas to strategize with your teams and all necessary

eyes clouded over as he looked at the aide heading

aide who had stepped up was approaching

everyone. My name is Eaen and I am the top

Imperial Prince

determined the aides for the

did so,

looked up toward the

was only for an

at Mary but

with such

Margrave opened his

start tomorrow!

a soldier or a knight than

candidates equally as if they were

“You are dismissed!”

area

a year and they want us to take care

his

“Hyung-nim, this is impossible!”

Haaa, this is going to be

subordinates grumbled as

“Tsk.”

looked at them as if they were foolish before giving the

“To our lodging.”

“Yes, candidate-nim.”

at that

Clunk--!

Prince turned his gaze and