Trash of the Count's Family (Web Novel)
chapter-674

It was an odd emotion.

The monster’s now dark red eyes were only looking at Alberu, but Alberu felt himself getting calmer rather than getting scared.

‘I want to take this thing down.’

He wanted to be the one to take down this monster.

No, he felt a NEED to do that.

It was an unexplainable emotion.

– Alberu-nim.

– Your highness.

Alberu heard two voices in his head at that moment.

– Alberu-nim, you will be able to defeat this Lion Dragon if I, Taerang, am with you. Please do not question Taerang’s abilities. An EX-Grade weapon’s capabilities are limitless. Furthermore, I am capable of bringing out the most of my strength against this Lion Dragon……

Taerang rambled on in a mechanical voice.

– Your highness. Are you drunk?

Cale just asked a short question.

Alberu’s expression turned odd as soon as he heard Cale’s question.

– Do you want to try taking it down alone and saying goodbye to the world?

‘Man, he’s speaking so viciously.’

Alberu held back a sigh. His calm emotions instantly disappeared.

He realized how stupid his thoughts had been once that calmness disappeared.

‘I wanted to take this thing down alone? I wanted to take a monster down alone when I barely got an attack in thanks to two Dragons and the Dragon half-blood helping me?’

Alberu completely erased those past emotions from his mind.

He then said something in almost a sigh.

“Do I just have to die now?”

He was talking to Cale.

– …I, Taerang, believe that I have just heard some nonsense. Proceeding to check if there are any issues with the system. The person holding this weapon cannot withdr…no, anyway, checking system.

Taerang responded with shock. Of course, it didn’t sound shocked at all because of its mechanical voice.

Gulp.

Alberu subconsciously gulped. The boiling desire disappeared and as he became calm and collected… Alberu could clearly see the dark red eyes observing him.

“…Danger… Urgent variable has occurred…must…ki…ll……”

The Lion Dragon was mumbling while holding up its shield, and one corner of Alberu’s lips curled up. It was slightly shaking.

“This is kind of vicious.”

He called out to Cale.

“Dongsaeng. Is it okay for me to play dead now?”

– Not at all.

“Man, you talk to me so disrespectfully.”

– I am a bit busy, your highness.

“…Huh?”

Alberu scoffed in disbelief.

‘He’s busy? I’m busy too. Listen to this extremely arrogant and disrespectful bastard!’

Alberu frowned underneath his white helmet. He then raised his arm.

Click.

The barrel of the gun was pointed toward the monster once again.

The barrel was not shaking at all, as his mind was as calm as his cold gaze.

“Well, I should do my job too.”

He pulled the trigger.

Tang-!

Once the gunshot echoed in the air once more…

Creeeeeak.

Inside a stable at a remote part of Puzzle City’s City Hall… This was a place that had not been used in a long time, leading to nobody coming this way.

The old doors of the stable opened.

A person wearing a black mask walked into this stable that had no horses and just had weeds.

“Cale-nim.”

“You’re here?”

The mask was removed to reveal a black-haired man. It was Choi Han.

Choi Han saw the numerous video communication devices located on top of the weeds.

There seemed to be about fifty of them.

“Where did you get all of these?”

“From Miss Rosalyn. I borrowed some equipment that is supposed to go into the Magic Tower.”

Rosalyn was currently pretending to nurse Eruhaben and observing things by his side. The approximately fifty video communication devices he borrowed from her were placed throughout this small and narrow stable.

‘In here-’

Choi Han thought to himself.

Inside this small stable…

‘All of Puzzle City is in here.’

He was in awe.

The fifty or so video communication devices were all showing different areas.

Inside City Hall…

The Puzzle City Plaza…

Outside of Puzzle City’s walls…

The main streets…

There were so many places being shown live in multiple directions.

The fact that there were fifty or so video communication devices in here meant that there was also the same number of video communication devices at these locations to film it.

Rosalyn was not the owner of those fifty or so video communication devices.

“I am surprised…how did Clopeh Sekka get his hands on so many video communication devices?”

“Yeah, who knew he would make video communication devices that work even without mages? The amount he has is shocking, but the invention itself is shocking too. I heard he even has some video recording devices.”

Cale nodded his head and sounded amazed as well.

But his eyes were looking through all of the video communication devices nonstop.

“Anyway, it made things easier. I can move stealthily.”

The video communication devices that did not require mages were spread out to allies he could trust in order to record different parts of Puzzle City.

“Huuuuuu.”

Cale let out a short sigh.

It was already early winter.

The temperature inside the stable was pretty low, but Cale’s forehead was full of sweat.

He undid another button on his shirt that was pretty much completely unbuttoned at this point and said something to Raon.

“Raon, make that screen with the Whipper Kingdom’s forces bigger.”

“I got it, human!”

As for the fifty-ish video communication devices in here… Of course, Raon was the one controlling all of them.

The fifty-ish video communication devices were being controlled with Raon’s mana to show Cale whatever he wanted to see.

‘I will learn!’

Raon was also thoroughly observing Cale, who was looking at the video communication devices while sweating.

He wanted to learn.

Cale noticed what Raon was doing but didn’t say much as he took a cup from Hong, who quietly came over.

“Hmm?”

“Grandpa Ron told me to give it to you!”

“…Really?”

It was a cup of lemonade with ice.

Cale blankly stared at the lemonade in the cup before looking at the smiling Hong and On, who avoided his gaze while holding the bottle of lemonade.

“Okay, did you check?”

His expression then turned cold as he looked toward Choi Han.

“Yes, Cale-nim. I checked it.”

Cale’s gaze headed back to the video communication devices once he heard Choi Han’s response.

Choi Han watched him as he continued.

“A total of three people are missing.”

“…Really?”

An odd expression appeared on Cale’s face.

Choi Han’s face stiffened up as well.

“Yes, Cale-nim. Three of the people Duke Deruth brought with him are missing.”

“Other than Dodori?”

“Yes. We are unable to locate three people right now.”

The strong individuals that Duke Deruth had gathered throughout the Western continent… Three of them were currently missing.

“Not one, but three. Pffft.”

Cale chuckled.

The Black Knight Count Hubesha said that she was certain that the White Star would be under Duke Deruth right now.

“If what Count Hubesha said is true, then the White Star should be hiding within the group of people my father brought with him.”

But something was weird.

“Three people are missing even though they didn’t go into battle?”

He needed to think about that.

Choi Han shared his thoughts with Cale.

“Either Count Hubesha was wrong or we can conclude that the White Star has started to do something.”

Cale pointed to a screen.

It was the screen that Raon had expanded. They could see Alberu getting back on Mila’s back and shooting his gun.

Cale then pointed at something else.

His father, Duke Deruth, appeared once Raon made that screen as big as the one with Alberu.

“It can be one of three things.”

“First, the White Star is hiding within the group of people my father gathered, but we are unable to figure out who it is.”

The White Star’s new earth attribute ancient power… He could be using that power that specializes in disguise to still be under Cale’s father.

“Second, the three people are the White Star or people working with him, and have gone into hiding to dodge our search.”

It would be difficult for Cale and the others to find the White Star and his subordinates if they tried their best to hide.

And finally…

“Third. Those three people, or maybe the White Star alone, have disguised themselves as someone else and are hiding within Puzzle City.”

“I believe it is most likely to be the third option.”

Choi Han responded to Cale.

“The White Star currently needs information on what we are doing. Cale-nim, he needs to have concrete information about you, his highness, and Eruhaben-nim’s conditions.”

Would he stay with Deruth’s group in such a situation?

Choi Han shook his head.

‘It is difficult to gather information there.’

Even though they were all strong individuals, they were mercenaries and unable to get much information.

‘It would be even harder to get information if he is hiding.’

Choi Han shared his conclusion.

“I’m sure that the White Star is disguised as someone else so that he can learn the condition of our allies.”

Cale nodded his head and sternly responded.

“We cannot set our minds to any of those three until the truth is revealed. Keep all three in mind as you move. Will you be okay with just Lock?”

“Yes. We have been moving very stealthily already. We plan on getting at least a little bit of information about everybody inside Puzzle City.”

They were going to expand their search from the people underneath Duke Deruth to everybody inside Puzzle City.

Choi Han sighed and continued to speak as he thought about how long it would take to scan everybody.

“The White Star seems to have been more thorough than we expected.”

“I’m not so sure.”

Choi Han turned toward Cale after hearing an unexpected response.

Tap. Tap.

Cale was smiling as he tapped his finger rhythmically on his knee.

“Who could it be?”

Cale’s eyes were observing the different parts of Puzzle City visible on the screens.

The subdued patience of a predator looking for his prey was visible in his eyes.

“White Star. Who the hell will you appear as?”

Cale was recording all of the people in his mind.

Cale had not only observed monsters while he was working at the company as Kim Rok Soo. In fact, he probably observed people more at times.

There were many things to stealthily investigate regarding guilds and the association.

Cale reawakened the senses from back then as he searched for the hidden enemies.

Choi Han walked over to Cale and started speaking.

“I don’t know who the White Star will appear as, but I believe I can predict when he will pop up.”

He looked toward the screen where his friends were fighting against the Lion Dragon.

His gaze stopped on Alberu Crossman.

“While his highness is in between life and death… I believe that is when the White Star will show up. No, I’m certain that is when he will show up.”

Cale picked up one video communication device.

It was the only one with a black screen.

“Your highness. Please get started.”

* * *

– Your highness. Please get started.

Alberu closed his eyes and then opened them again.

“We are going in at full force.”

He informed his three allies before looking down for a moment.

He could make out the Roan Kingdom’s soldiers. They were too far to be seen clearly, but it seemed as if they were looking up at him. He was sure that there would be a plethora of emotions in their eyes as they looked at him.

Expectations. Hope.

Maybe even concern.

They probably had a mix of positive and negative emotions.

However, the positive emotions should be greater right now.

Alberu, the crown prince of the Roan Kingdom, had injured the monster for the first time.

There were also a second Dragon and a Bone Dragon that was pretty strong as well.

“It is a bit disappointing.”

He would have to crush their expectations and hope.

“I wanted to be someone who never loses.”

He wanted to be a sun that never sets.

That desire had not changed.

However, even the sun gets covered up by the clouds or darkness from time to time.

However, it always comes back up.

It would be the same for Alberu.

He would be hidden for a moment but will reveal himself again.

“Crown prince. Here we go.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Mila’s body quickly charged toward the Lion Dragon with Alberu on her back.

A few moments later…

Someone let out a gasp.

“Ah……”

Something dark red shot out of the monster Lion Dragon’s mouth and struck Alberu.

A dark red light covered the area and everybody’s view for a moment.

“N, no……!”

“Your highness!”

They then saw the Roan Kingdom’s new sun start to fall.

—