Trash of the Count's Family (Web Novel)
chapter-724

Alberu urgently asked.

“Raon-nim, what about any other power? Maybe the shield-”

“None! None at all! I don’t feel any others!”

Raon pulled at the hems of Eruhaben's clothes.

“Goldie gramps! Go with me to confirm! Let’s also figure out where Choi Han, Rosalyn, Mary, and that crazy Clopeh are as well!”

“…Okay.”

Eruhaben, who moved closer to the orb as Raon wanted, soon frowned.

“I don’t feel anything.”

He could not sense anything from the orb.

“This is weird!”

Raon pointed to the yellow piece.

“I don’t feel anything from the other pieces that are not our human’s. I don’t feel the human’s presence from earlier either.”

Eruhaben did not dare to put his hand on the orb and could only glare at it as he started speaking.

“I don’t feel anything at all.”

Raon also could not touch the orb and just shook his head side to side.

“This is weird! The human’s presence, mm… I don’t feel it right now! But I'm sure I felt it a moment ago! It was the power that makes him seem strong! The power that uses when he's trying to scam people!”

Raon said that as he put one of his front paws over his chest.

One thing…

There was one thing Raon had not told Eruhaben about yet. He had ignored it for now because he thought that he should immediately tell the others about sensing Cale’s presence.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

His heart had settled down again.

‘That’s weird!’

Raon had felt his heart beating faster than usual when he felt Cale’s power earlier. Eruhaben was looking at Raon for a bit before he asked.

“Raon, your attribute was the present, right?”

“That’s right!”

Eruhaben frowned.

It was highly likely that Raon was not lying about sensing Cale’s power earlier. In that case, how was Raon capable of doing that? And why was it Cale of all people?

“Mm, it probably has nothing to do with your attribute.”

The present.

Raon's attribute had not manifested yet, but…

‘It is likely to be related to the present instance in time since it is called the present. But that should have nothing to do with sensing Cale's power from that piece.’

Eruhaben flew over to Raon who was still roaming around the orb and told him that they should go back down.

Alberu watched the two Dragons for a bit before turning toward the closed temple door.

“At least we know that Cale Henituse is currently in that test using an ancient power?”

It was also a power that had nothing to do with battle.

Alberu found it a bit odd that Cale was the last one remaining in the sloth test but he was certain about one thing.

‘I guess he’s doing something.’

That meant that Alberu could worry less about him.

* * *

5 Days.

That was how long Cale had spent in this place.

“What are you doing?”

He closed his notebook as he responded to the voice next to him.

“Nothing much.”

“Really?”

"Why?”

Cale finally turned to look at his classmate who smiled at him.

“You look more relaxed lately.”

“What are you talking about?”

Cale brushed the question aside. However, his friend was right.

Freshman Kim Rok Soo's life…

It really was nice and relaxing.

His classes were entertaining after taking them for the first time in a long while and, although he was still feeble, his youth meant that he was not as tired.

There was also nobody messing with him nor any sort of accidents or incidents.

It was peaceful, quiet, and lively.

It made him think that this was what it would be like to live in peace.

‘It’s also fun.’

His time as Kim Rok Soo had started on Monday and it was now Friday. The book club he had joined during this time was the liveliest social activity he had ever done.

‘But my relationship with Choi Jung Gun is still so-so.’

He was supposed to meet Choi Jung Gun on Saturday and that was just one day away, but they only had a few simple conversations and had not gotten close.

“Ah, is first period math today? I'm so dead.”

The bell rang at that moment and Cale heard his friend’s grumbling as he opened his textbook and his notebook.

‘What was for lunch today?’

Cale thought about the lunch at the Cafeteria before he leisurely looked toward the teacher walking in.

Shhhhhhh-

Yellow dust was surrounding him, no, it was overwhelming the entire classroom.

The yellow dust was going in through his nose and being absorbed into his body every time Cale took a breath.

Cale had no idea about this as he flipped a page in his notebook and moved his pen.

Cale finished his classes and after school studying before returning to the orphanage.

“Rok Soo.”

“Hello, ma'am.”

The guidance counselor at the orphanage warmly welcomed Cale. They were not very close but she was someone who showed concern and goodwill toward Cale.

She peeked at Cale's face for a bit before speaking to him as he was about to head to his room.

“Rok Soo.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“It truly puts me at peace.”

“Excuse me?”

Cale stopped walking to look at her. She smiled brightly and looked not at Cale but the door he walked through as she answered.

“Your high school seems to be a good fit for you. You look very good.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. You look much more relaxed than before. It makes me so relieved to see that you have adjusted well.”

Cale’s gaze that had been sharp and made it seem as if he was annoyed at everything was now full of life.

That was really nice to see.

“Well, I think that I have adjusted well too, ma'am.”

“Really? That makes me feel even better.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Alright, go on in. I'm sure you’re tired.”

Cale gave a short but respectful bow and headed toward his room as she gestured for him to go inside. To be more specific, it was the two-person room that he was using alone.

Click.

Cale closed the door and looked around his room.

He could not see it, but the room was not just covered in yellow dust, no, it was full of it. Cale had no idea about this and went to open the window.

The spring breeze came in and circulated the air in the somewhat stuffy room.

Cale smiled after feeling the breeze, changed clothes, and went toward his desk.

The yellow dust did not move despite the breeze.

“The spring breeze sure feels nice.”

He picked up his backpack that he had put on the ground and put it on top of the desk.

Ziiiiiiiiiiip.

The backpack zipper was opened and Cale pulled out a reference book and some things he needed for studying.

“It’s so nice.”

He took out his notes and pulled something else out.

Tang, tang.

It was an orb split into two that would have been a sphere when it was intact.

Cale’s mouth opened.

“It’s still just the past.”

Cale’s gaze sunk cold as he looked down at the two pieces of the cintamani.

Shaaaaaaaaaaa-

The pages of his notebook flipped from the breeze coming in through the window.

Shhh-

On the page it stopped on… There were a lot of things written on there.

< Raon, On, Hong, Roan, Puzzle City, Alberu Crossman, Rosalyn, Choi Han, Henituse territory, father, mother, Basen, Lily, Mary...... >

There were numerous people's names, people’s titles, and location names.

Cale had repeatedly written these things during the five days of classes.

He nonchalantly commented while looking at his notes.

“This test makes you forget about reality.”

The contents of this so-called sloth test… Cale had long since figured it out.

He was ready to get out of this test and move onto the next stage at any moment.

The reason he still stayed in this place despite that…

“Pffft.”

An extremely cynical smile appeared on his face.

He reached toward the bookshelf on the desk. He opened his notebook.

< Single-lifers. Hunters. Choi Han, Roan. Flynn Merchant Guild. >

The other danger that might approach in the future.

Enemies he may face after getting past the White Star and the sealed god.

“I only have one goal.”

Cale’s immediate goal was to reseal the sealed god. He also wanted to finish the White Star off. It was important to take care of these things quickly.

However, the ultimate goal of doing all of this was to get peace for the people around him and for himself.

He needed information for that.

“Choi Jung Gun.”

He believed that Choi Jung Gun would have information about single-lifers, Hunters, and all sorts of other useful things.

Of course, he might not be able to get any answers about the Flynn Merchant Guild, the Orsena Duchy, and their relationship to the Hunters because this was the Choi Jung Gun during when Cale was a freshman in high school.

However…

“I need to loot him.”

Cale looked down at his hands.

He clenched and then unclenched his fist.

Crackle.

A rose gold thunderbolt roamed around his hand before it disappeared.

– Cale, you’re going to use me in this world?

The cheapskate fiery thunderbolt asked, and…

– This is an interesting world.

The Super Rock chimed in as well.

The world they were calling interesting was the world when Cale was a freshman in high school.

However…

‘It’s the same.’

Cale could use his powers. Although he was freshman Kim Rok Soo on the outside, everything inside was Cale of the present.

Choi Jung Gun.

He was someone who might be a god or some eccentric existence similar to a god.

‘It’ll be good if we can just use our words, but…’

He might need some strength to go up against that guy.

Ooooooong-

Cale felt the aura around him, the Dominating Aura, as he spoke out loud.

“It’ll be good to look strong, right?”

– Are you sure you are not trying to pressure him and threaten him?

Cale simply ignored the Super Rock's comment.

Saturday at 8 am.

Meeting Choi Jung Soo and Lee Soo Hyuk was an extra benefit.

His goal was Choi Jung Gun. That guy was the main reason Cale was going.

Furthermore, he had a lot of things to ask that did not have to do with the future.

Why was Kim Rok Soo's memory of the first semester of his freshman year so blurry?

‘There's something I can't remember.’

Cale was sure of it, and believed that Choi Jung Gun was the key to get an answer.

However, would Choi Jung Gun simply hand all this information over?

‘Absolutely not.’

Based on how the God of Death had acted all this time, it did not seem easy.

Of course, he didn't think it would be hard because it would not be easy.

Cale recalled the Dominating Aura and sat down on the chair.

“Was this due on Monday?”

‘Then there’s no reason for me to do it.’

He pushed his study material to the side and started writing the names and titles from his memories once again.

This experience was quite fresh for someone like Cale whose usual problem was that he remembered things too well.

However, he did not want to experience this ever again.

* * *

“You're here?”

“What is it? Why do you have such an awkward look on your face, sunbae-nim?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Choi Jung Gun let out some fake coughs at Cale’s stern response and looked away before pointing to a pretty large building.

“Anyways, let’s go. We need to be at the event area by 9 am. The event starts at 10 am. We do have plenty of time though.”

The building next to this tranquil park resembled an auditorium or a gymnasium.

There was almost nobody here, probably because it was so early on the weekend.

Choi Jung Gun had told Cale to meet him in front of the building, but Cale asked to meet a bit earlier at the park because he was unfamiliar with this area but had been around the park. Cale’s gaze headed toward the building.

The event about Korean Martial Arts…

Cale walked behind Choi Jung Gun as he thought about the person he would meet at this event.

Choi Jung Soo. That punk should be here.

‘I want to meet him peacefully.’

Cale wanted his mind to be at ease when he met Choi Jung Soo.

"Are you not coming?”

Choi Jung Gun was walking in front of Cale but looked back after noticing that Cale was not moving.

Cale started to speak at that moment.

“Nelan Barrow.”

Cale felt the temperature drop around him as soon as he said Choi Jung Gun's other name.