Trash of the Count's Family Vol 2. Chapter 353: Tears (2)

Drip. Drip.

A dark liquid continued to fall from the temple's ceiling.

Crackle. Crackle.

Meanwhile, bolts of lightning were slowly accumulating and intensifying above Cale's hand.

– …A sea of fire!

He could detect the stingy person's excited voice.

Simultaneously, he heard the voices of the Wind Elementals.

‘The dead mana is accelerating its flow! Soon it will go boom! Boom! It’ll explode!’

‘We're at our breaking point! Lasting an entire week was already our absolute best effort!’

‘This is bad! This is really bad!’

The dead mana, which had been dripping slowly, began to flow faster, now falling like a small stream.

Cale unintentionally vocalized his thoughts.

“…It’s far noisier than I had anticipated.”

‘Wow! He really can hear us! He said we were loud!’

‘We *are* a bit loud! Right? Sorry. These guys are always like this.’

‘Kahahaha! Let’s make it even louder for him! It’s been ages since a human could hear us!’

‘…Voice…can hear it… A friend… A friend…is someone who… Listens to their friends’ voices……’

“Haaaa.”

Cale's expression began to crease in a frown.

Yet, his eyes rapidly scanned his surroundings.

He glanced towards the space where the altar had been, as well as the pathway leading to the exit.

That path was already submerged halfway in dead mana.

Crumble. Crumble.

The black marble began to disintegrate.

‘It's breaking apart! Everything is going to be destroyed! Sob, it's so sad! Everyone will perish, what are we going to do?!’

‘The inhabitants of that island smelling of alcohol are doomed! The fish too! And the plants! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Those poor fish! Waaaaaaaaah!’

“…This is truly driving me insane.”

A portion of the Wind Elementals started to weep.

Their volume was undeniably significant.

Even amidst this dire situation, Cale’s gaze drifted to the top’s whip he held in his hand.

‘Did I acquire something utterly useless? Forget gaining strong allies, I just feel like I've accumulated more burdens now.’

Cale's expression gradually reverted to its usual stoicism.

At that precise moment, he heard the thief's voice.

– …Ahem, hem! You won't hear the Wind Elementals' voices if you release the top's whip!

The thief added awkwardly.

– Let's refrain from destroying it.

‘Hooo.’

Cale looked down at the whip clutched in his hand.

He opened his mouth to speak.

“Should I break it?”

‘Gasp!’

‘Gasp! H-he mentioned breaking it!’

‘Perhaps we were excessively loud!’

‘Children, this is precisely why I advised quietude.’

‘D-don't break it! I wish to converse with humans!’

‘Hooo.’

The corners of Cale’s mouth twitched upwards.

It seemed the Wind Elementals sought to avert a scenario where their ability to communicate with Cale would cease.

However, the specific reason remained unknown to him.

– Cale, these Elementals will become dependable allies for you!

‘Allies?’

Cale's smile broadened.

He then adopted a gentle expression.

“Hey Wind Elementals, you were the ones who guarded me here for the past week, weren't you? Thank you.”

A radiant smile, much like the one Alberu Crossman would display when addressing nobility, graced Cale's face.

‘……Uh, yeah! It wasn’t difficult though! Sure thing, no trouble at all!’

‘Wow! He expressed gratitude! He thanked us!’

‘I'm relieved… It doesn't appear he'll break the whip. In any case, let's keep it down a bit!’

It was at that juncture.

Crack.

Crack, crack!

A substantial fissure appeared on the temple ceiling.

‘Gasp! There's a hole in the ceiling!’

He could hear the Elementals' panicked cries.

Concurrently, Cale perceived an unusual sound.

Oooooooong- ooooooong-

The temple began to tremble.

Cale felt the vicinity shaking more intensely than before, providing the confirmation he sought.

‘It's about to collapse soon. The black mountain is going to erupt. This dead mana reservoir will explode.’

The temple shuddered once more, as if affirming this impending destruction. The Wind Elementals' reactions became even more dramatic.

‘What shall we do?! We don't know how to purify dead mana!’

‘…I am so sad. Sooooob.’

Some of the Elementals quietly averted their gaze towards a single figure.

He was the sole living person on Wind Island.

Cale Henituse.

He was intensely focused on the breach in the ceiling.

“…Wow.”

The marble had fractured and peeled away from the temple's roof.

Beneath it lay transparent glass.

Cale could peer inside the glass.

It was filled with dead mana, appearing to be an infinite lake of the substance. He felt as if he were at the bottom of this lake, gazing upwards.

“Where are we at this very moment?”

Cale inquired of the Elementals.

‘This is the heart of the black mountain!’

‘The central control area for the mana storage facility. It is the deepest and most central point within the black mountain you observed.’

Cale began to speak.

“How utterly magnificent.”

He recalled the thief's words from the past, remembering them with perfect clarity.

It was something she had stated when he had fortified the Fire of Destruction.

‘For me to unleash my true potential, the fire must first reclaim its original power.’

‘The might of a free wind extends beyond mere movement and whirlwinds. Wind permeates all existence.’

‘It is most beautiful when shared with others, rather than when it is experienced alone.’

Wind and fire.Cale began to speak.“I shall commence purifying the dead mana now.”Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa- The wind continued to circle Cale. He extended his right hand towards the ceiling.“Which of the Elementals wishes to accompany me?”A gentle breeze stirred within the temple. °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •°Yet, Cale found no tranquility in this place.‘Me! Me!’‘I want to help! I wish to do a good deed!’‘We will be free if you purify this place, truly free!’‘Aaahhhh! We won’t have to worry anymore!’One of the Elementals cried out loudly.‘De! Stroy!’Cale let out a chuckle and focused all his bodily strength into one point.Crackle, crackle.The flames filling his body converged towards his hand.“Amass the wind for me.”Cale softly implored the Wind Elementals.The Wind Elementals guarded this place, yet they also eradicated all living beings without hesitation using their wind blades.They were not merely benevolent and pure beings.A cruel aspect was inherent in them, as they were a part of nature.“Wind blade.”The very technique that made Wind Island a place of dread.“Use it to carve into this mountain.”Cale gently instructed them to slash at the island.His body, encased in a wind barrier, shot upwards towards the ceiling simultaneously.Craaaaaack!Responding to his ascent, the wind transformed into a blade and began to strike the dead mana on the other side of the glass barrier blocking his path.Clang!The glass shattered.The liquid dead mana began to spill out.Cale opened his mouth to speak at that precise moment.“Erupt upwards.”Shhhhhhh- A soft wind sound was audible.And then, as the entire vicinity was engulfed in darkness... A spear imbued with rose-gold light shot upwards, piercing through the gloom.* * * It had been seven days since Cale had set foot on Wind Island.Night had yielded to morning.“...Damn it.”Beacrox Molan donned a pair of white gloves before drawing his greatsword from its sheath.“Bud Illis, has anything like this ever transpired before?”The Mercenary King, Bud, flinched under Ron Molan’s piercing gaze before replying.“...Never. I have neither witnessed this firsthand nor encountered such an event in any records.”The ship had remained anchored outside Wind Island for an entire week.Bud Illis, standing on the deck, appeared visibly troubled. His gaze remained fixed upon Wind Island, one of the Eastern Continent's Three Restricted Areas.Tap.Someone ascended to the deck at that moment.It was Choi Han.“The wind has grown exceedingly faint.”The time was 10 AM.It was two hours prior to their scheduled infiltration of Wind Island to locate Cale.The winds surrounding Wind Island had diminished notably over the past week.And approximately ten minutes ago, the colossal whirlwinds encircling Wind Island had abruptly vanished.“...So this is Wind Island?”Bud’s close companion, the mage Glenn, the sole survivor of the Poeff lineage, wore a bewildered expression.“How appalling.”As the wind receded, the obsidian island became increasingly discernible.It was indeed fitting for a Restricted Area.However, he had no time to dwell on its appearance.Something swiftly flew overhead, landing directly before the Mercenary King, Bud Illis.‘...A Dragon.’Mage Glenn observed the ancient Dragon fixing an incensed glare upon Bud. Its eyes, now resembling the round pupils of a reptile, were fixed on Bud.“Bud Illis, you claimed this was merely land tainted by dead mana?”“...Pardon?”Eruhaben began to furrow his brow upon witnessing Bud’s blank inquiry.“Eruhaben-nim?”Ron cautiously approached the ancient Dragon. It was at this juncture.“Raon!”Choi Han called out to Raon. A minuscule black speck in the sky descended rapidly, growing larger as it approached. Raon looked towards Choi Han and shouted back.“I am aware!”Upon hearing the response, Choi Han propelled himself off the deck.Aries magic enveloped him the instant he did so.Ron, observing Choi Han, detected an unusual sound.Ooooooo- It was not the sound of the wind.The bulk of the wind surrounding Wind Island had dissipated, leaving the area remarkably tranquil.However, an odd resonance could be perceived.Oooooooong- ooooooong- Ron’s gaze gradually shifted towards the increasingly visible black island.The island was vibrating.“It’s weeping!”Ron looked towards Raon.He could see Raon cloaking himself in dark mana.“It is weeping from the island itself.”‘Weeping? Who is weeping? Could it be Cale?’Ron’s mind raced with questions upon hearing the ancient Dragon’s low utterance.“That island is not simply poisoned by dead mana.”He had been unaware due to the potent winds that fiercely guarded it.Both the island and its surrounding vicinity had been shielded by formidable winds, preventing him from sensing its true nature.However, as the winds receded, Eruhaben could now feel the presence becoming significantly more pronounced.

Only Raon, Choi Han, and Eruhaben were able to perceive it clearly; it was only the three of them who had noticed the anomaly.

The ancient Dragon’s finger gestured towards the ominous black mountain.

“Within that dark mountain lies a substantial concentration of dead mana.”

Ron’s demeanor shifted perceptibly.

“Furthermore, this island, no, this mountain is currently in a state of violent upheaval, akin to a volcanic eruption. Do you comprehend the implication?”

Beacrox, maintaining a silent vigil nearby, interjected,

“Did you not mention that the young master-nim was situated within a temple beneath that very black mountain?”

However, his question was met with a profound silence.

“Damn it.”

Mercenary King Bud emphatically kicked the deck, prompting Glenn to swiftly enact flight magic upon him. Glenn then applied the same magic to himself, ascending rapidly skyward.

Eruhaben’s speed surpassed Glenn’s. He was hurtling towards the dark island with considerable velocity.

Yet, there were individuals who moved even faster than Eruhaben.

“Raon.”

“I am aware! We shall hasten there immediately!”

Enveloping Choi Han, On, Hong, and himself within a shimmering silver shield, Raon surged forward towards the black island.

Ooooooo-

The rumbling intensified dramatically upon reaching the island’s vicinity. The very ground appeared on the verge of fracturing, poised to erupt at any moment. Choi Han clenched his teeth, his attention drawn to Raon’s voice in his ear.

“I know our human! He is likely unable to emerge because he is occupied with purging the dead mana within that mountain! I am absolutely certain of it! Our human is a truly good person!”

Choi Han recalled Cale’s actions during the Whipper Kingdom’s conflict with the Empire, when he had purified the golems and the encroaching black despair. He knew Cale possessed the power to neutralize such dead mana.

But what had transpired with Cale afterward? Choi Han vividly remembered that critical juncture.

Cale had lost consciousness following the purification of those malevolent forces.

“And he’s probably famished from running out of provisions!”

“...He’s an absolute imbecile!”

“So incredibly frustrating!”

The children, who were all nine years of age, voiced their exasperation. Yet, their words were largely lost amidst the growing cacophony, their voices barely audible to one another.

Oooooooong- ooooooong-

The seismic rumbling was now overwhelmingly loud, comparable to the mournful cries of those who had perished and transformed into the specter of black despair.

Choi Han instinctively bit down on his lip once more.

It was at this precise moment.

“Stand back.”

Choi Han and the nine-year-old children recoiled involuntarily. A figure had materialized beside them at the temple’s entrance – it was Eruhaben.

Eruhaben, now surrounded by tens, no, hundreds of emanating white gold orbs, stood as an imposing barrier, blocking their advance.

Observing Eruhaben’s ashen countenance and the hundreds of white gold orbs radiating a potent, dangerous energy, Choi Han began to speak.

“Goldie!”

However, Raon’s response was swifter.

“Allow me! You should rest, old man!”

Raon swiftly appended his declaration:

“I shall rescue our human and obliterate all of this as well! I will erect a shield to contain everything! Have no concerns! For I am magnificent and mighty!”

Choi Han offered a nod of agreement.

Yet, they observed Eruhaben emit a dismissive snort.

Eruhaben then inquired in a low tone,

“Can you not sense it?”

“Pardon me?”

Choi Han questioned, to which Eruhaben turned his attention to Raon, stating,

“Retreat. Activate your shield.”

Raon was on the verge of responding, his refusal to step back stemming from his urgent need to save Cale.

However, Raon’s normally round eyes widened considerably.

Oooooooong- ooooooong-

The island vibrated intensely. The mountain at its core… Raon’s gaze remained fixed on this mountain as his eyes widened further.

A slow smile began to spread across his draconic features. His small front paws instinctively moved, tapping against each other as if in applause.

Oooooooong- ooooooong-

The rumbling intensified with even greater ferocity. The protective whirlwinds that had once encircled Wind Island had completely vanished.

Despite this, the small Dragon began to exclaim,

“...Human!”

His attention was directed towards the black mountain. Beneath that imposing peak… Boom. Boom. Boom. A rhythmic thrumming, reminiscent of a heartbeat, began to resonate.

Boom. Boom. Boom!

The sound grew progressively louder. Raon could distinctly sense it. Deep within that mountain, saturated with dead mana… a potent, fiery presence was emanating from its depths.

This sensation was familiar. It was a power intrinsically linked to someone who was perpetually beside him, someone whose presence he consistently observed.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The escalating explosions grew more pronounced. The children, all nine years of age, bore witness to the unfolding spectacle. The black island was visibly beginning to fracture. The dark rocks comprising the mountain crumbled, and fissures snaked across the ground.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The concussive force propelled itself upwards. Raon could feel it. The previously faint warmth was intensifying, surging from the island’s base towards its apex.

The Dragon, who had subconsciously brought his short front paws together, commenced shouting,

“Human!”

‘It’s the human! This is the human’s fiery power! It’s the very power that eradicated the black despair!’

Though Raon was aware that Cale was fundamentally unharmed, the mere thought of him possibly being in peril spurred an overwhelming desire within Raon to rush to his aid. The palpable sensation of Cale’s presence ignited an uncontrollable surge of emotions within him.

And finally...

Baaaaaaaaaang!

A tremendous explosion erupted from the mountain's summit.

It resembled the fury of an erupting volcano.

The mountaintop cracked open, and something began to surge upwards.

What erupted wasn't lava, but rather dark, dead mana.

Yet, Raon's face lit up with a bright smile.

“It’s our human!”

The black substance was instantly consumed.

The black liquid erupting from the peak was almost immediately devoured by a rose-gold flame.

As the black liquid vanished, a massive rose-gold fire shot up, piercing the dark mountain.

Surrounding this brilliant flame, other elements became visible.

Swoooooooooooosh- Swoooooooosh-

It was the wind.

The whirlwinds, which had previously receded, now fueled the roaring fire. Strengthened by the wind, the inferno consumed the dead mana.

The wind acted as a bellows, enabling the fire to burn with greater intensity and spread wider.

The mountain was ablaze.

The peak burned a fiery red, as if its dark, dead mana origins were a forgotten memory.

Then, a piercing gust of wind sliced through the inferno.

Within that gust, a lone figure could be seen.

Cale Henituse.

He gazed down upon the mountain, clutching both the ancient artifact and the whip from the summit in his hands.

Severance from the world.

Such a concept held no relevance here. Cale found himself subconsciously addressing the individuals swiftly approaching him.

“I am relieved.”

Furthermore.

“...We are all alive.”

Cale could feel it – the undeniable truth that he, along with everyone else present, had survived.

His face contorted into an expression that blurred the lines between laughter, tears, and a frown.

This was because Cale honestly didn't know what kind of expression was appropriate for this moment.