Trash of the Count's Family Vol 2. Chapter 384: The Birth of Evil (1)
Raon’s cheeks were puffed up.
“Raon.”
“......”
There was no answer either.
“......”
His puffed cheeks became even puffier.
“......”
The two cheeks, blown full with as much air as he could stuff into his mouth, were plainly telling the story of Raon’s mood.
Especially those drooping eyes clearly showed that Raon was in a very bad mood right now.
“......”
Beside him, Hong was crouched down, all crumpled up like a sheet of paper that had gotten soaked in water.
“Well.”
The Heavenly Demon let out an exclamation of admiration.
From Cale’s face as he looked at Hong and Raon, he read two contradictory emotions.
‘He even ignored the Wanderer—’
On Cale’s face as he looked at the two drooping little brats, irritation and urgency coexisted at the same time.
‘That bastard is in quite a bind right now.’
So even a Wanderer and a god were beneath the drooping corners of those two little brats’ eyes.
“Ha ha—”
The Heavenly Demon laughed.
Then he suddenly realized something strange.
“......”
What?
What was this situation right now?
“......”
The Heavenly Demon realized that Choi Han, Rosalyn, even Alberu besides himself all had quite a troubled expression on their faces.
Right now, aside from him, everyone was fidgeting over the depression of those two little brats.
‘Huh?’
It was absurd.
The Heavenly Demon had no choice but to make a dumbfounded expression.
The place where they were currently staying was not the inn they had stayed at before.
‘Dark Vein.’
Dark Vein, one of the Lan Kingdom’s Five Great Powers—or rather, now that the Cooperative Alliance had collapsed, one of the four groups.
It was the safe house where Pasote, the head of that place, had been staying.
Since the Heavenly Demon’s appearance had become known, Cale’s group needed somewhere to stay in secret. And Pasote, who had first stepped forward and kept Choi Han by his side as a guard, lent them this safe house.
Because of that, for the past while Cale’s group had been able to leave the average ten-year-olds and Rosalyn here and go to the royal palace without any particular worries.
If not, the ones who had witnessed the fight between the Wanderer and the Heavenly Demon would have come to the inn looking for the Heavenly Demon, and the average ten-year-olds and Rosalyn would have had a very troublesome time.
“......”
Anyway, what greeted them when they arrived at that safe house was Raon, who had received Rosalyn’s message in advance.
Cale asked Raon,
“How is Eruhaben Miru?”
And then he went silent like that.
Hong, who came toddling out right after, also went silent when asked the same question.
“...You know.”
At that moment, Raon opened his mouth.
“Yes. Yes. Go on, tell us.”
Choi Han responded at once.
The Heavenly Demon stared at Choi Han in surprise at that affectionate response, but Raon let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh.”
At that, Choi Han flinched.
The Heavenly Demon wondered if this was really the same bastard who had been interrogating the Wanderer So Hee.
‘You don’t have to worry about dying.’
‘But don’t say you want to die either.’
‘Because that’s not something you get to decide for yourself.’
That bastard who had spoken such vicious words to So Hee was now fidgeting anxiously.
“Follow me first.”
Flap, flap—
Raon suddenly turned around and guided Cale’s group with slow flaps of his wings.
“......”
With a somewhat dispirited face, Choi Han trudged after him.
“Hah—”
The Heavenly Demon was dumbfounded, but for now he followed after Cale.
Then he sent a voice transmission.
—Looks like there’s still no sign that the egg is going to hatch?
Eruhaben Miru, the dragon half-blood.
The Heavenly Demon had seen his end.
That brilliant light as he exploded while embracing Dragon Lord Neo.
‘It was magnificent.’
And when, in the end, he had prolonged his life as an egg inside this game world, the Heavenly Demon had looked forward to it.
Because he had been curious how strong Eruhaben Miru would be once he was born.
“......”
The Heavenly Demon looked at Cale, who gave no response even to his voice transmission, then shifted his gaze away.
Even though he felt the Heavenly Demon’s gaze leave him, Cale showed no particular reaction.
Because he had realized something from the behavior of Raon and Hong.
‘Looks like some kind of problem came up.’
Raon and Hong would not react like this just because Eruhaben Miru had not hatched.
Something had clearly happened.
But whatever it was, it had also not been urgent enough for them to send word in a rush to Cale while he was staying at the royal palace.
‘What is it?’
The dragon half-blood.
‘What happened to him?’
In truth, from Cale’s perspective, there had been an element of uncertainty.
Eruhaben Miru had originally been a living being outside the game.
He had become an egg inside the game and started a new life again.
Even if this New World felt like a real world, this place was still ‘virtual.’
Could that environmental change have created some kind of problem for Eruhaben Miru?
‘Hm.’
Cale’s expression was indifferent, but his thoughts were fairly complicated.
Because his own judgment had been reflected the most in making the dragon half-blood turn out like this.
Flap—
Raon stopped his weak flapping and spoke toward the paper-covered door ahead.
“I brought our human.”
“Yes. Come in.”
On’s voice was heard.
‘Hm?’
It’s calm?
The moment Cale noticed that On’s voice sounded the same as usual, a strange light flickered in his eyes.
On was mature, so she did not easily reveal her inner thoughts, but when she was depressed, there was a particular tone she had when she spoke.
A way of speaking that showed it even while acting like nothing was wrong.
The moment ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) Cale, who knew that, had his eyes sparkle—
‘What is it? Did he suddenly discover some treasure or something?’
The Heavenly Demon, who had been observing Cale, could not hide his bewilderment.
Slide.
Right on time, Hong and Raon opened the door.
“Hm?”
And Alberu tilted his head to one side.
“?”
A question mark also appeared on Choi Han’s face.
“...What? It looks the same.”
The Heavenly Demon’s indifferent voice rang out around them.
Wrapped in a flower-patterned cloth and set atop a very expensive-looking cushion and blanket, there was the egg.
That egg looked perfectly fine.
Because of that, Choi Han and Alberu also revealed their confusion.
There was not really any problem visible in its appearance.
That was when it happened.
“That’s the problem. It looks the same.”
At Cale’s indifferent voice, Rosalyn responded.
“...What was the recovery rate the last time you saw it?”
At her question, Cale answered.
“Eighty percent.”
Once it had reached that recovery rate, Cale had left the egg in the care of the average ten-year-olds and started engaging in outside activities.
‘And once it reached ninety-five percent, we were planning to go to the Seven Evils.’
Cale checked Eruhaben Miru’s status window.
[Eruhaben Miru]
[Status: Before Hatching. (Recovery Rate: 80%)]
[Title: Half-Human Half-Dragon Possessing Light and Time]
All this time, Eruhaben Miru’s recovery rate had risen quite quickly.
But why was there no change now?
“...Human, I don’t know why it’s like this.”
“...Hing.”
The moment the corners of Raon’s and Hong’s eyes drooped even lower—
“I don’t know either.”
On spoke calmly as well, but Cale noticed that even the corners of On’s eyes had turned ever so slightly downward.
For On’s eyes to droop that much meant she had been worrying about it a great deal.
“That can happen.”
Cale spoke in an even more indifferent tone than usual as he approached the egg.
“In fact, its recovery rate rose too quickly up until now.”
“That’s true. It became an egg when its soul was practically on the verge of shattering, so the recovery rate rising that quickly was already a miracle.”
Rosalyn hurriedly chimed in.
“Well, for anything, the closer you get to the later stages rather than the beginning, the harder it becomes to grow.”
Alberu also continued.
“......”
Without saying much, Choi Han slowly edged over to Cale’s side.
All of the adults except the Heavenly Demon gathered around near the blanket where Eruhaben Miru’s egg was placed and crouched down.
“Human, but it doesn’t even rattle!”
Eruhaben Miru.
An egg whose beautiful pattern was formed by black, platinum, and violet blending together in an exquisite way.
They were saying that egg did not even rattle.
“That can happen.”
Cale spoke indifferently, then patted On, Hong, and Raon on the head one by one. At that rough touch, the corners of the average ten-year-olds’ eyes gradually lifted.
“It’s probably sleeping.”
And at Cale’s next words, the average ten-year-olds perked up with interested expressions.
“Yes. Our little brother Cale is right. It would need a great deal of strength to break out of the egg, so I suppose it’s sleeping right now.”
“That’s right. The recovery rate hasn’t fallen. It only paused for a moment, so there’s nothing wrong with that at all.”
Alberu and Rosalyn hurriedly backed him up.
—Cale. Isn’t it bad if this stops?
—Young Master, shouldn’t we go to the Seven Evils right now and show it to that vicious Dark Bear? If its recovery, which had been going smoothly, has stopped, that means a variable has occurred, doesn’t it?
But the two of them were, in order, pouring all kinds of words into Cale’s head through magic.
‘These adults!’
Cale’s face nearly twisted, but he endured it.
“Huu.”
Instead, he let out a sigh.
He stretched out his hand.
“Hey.”
His hand moved toward the egg wrapped in the flower-patterned cloth.
At the same time, he thought,
‘Should we go to the Seven Evils.’
Should he ask Dark Bear?
‘Or Lady Sheritt?’
Should he ask Lord Eruhaben or the dragons?
How does a dragon egg hatch?
“Eruhaben Miru. Why are you suddenly doing this?”
Slide.
The moment Cale’s hand touched the egg.
Flaaash!
Black, platinum, and violet light, all tangled together, poured out.
“H-Human!”
[Status: Before Hatching. (Recovery Rate: 80%)]
Yes, it had clearly been eighty percent.
[Status: Before Hatching. (Recovery Rate: 82%)]
[Status: Before Hatching. (Recovery Rate: 85%)]
Eighty-nine percent.
Ninety-two percent.
“The recovery rate is shooting up!”
“Our human only touched it, and the recovery rate is sh-shooting up!”
“It looks like it’s going to hatch soon!”
The average ten-year-olds exploded into chaos.
“...Ha ha—”
Choi Han laughed awkwardly with a troubled face.
Smirk.
Alberu let out a derisive laugh with an expression that said he had realized something.
The Heavenly Demon and Rosalyn stared at Cale with extremely interested expressions.
And Cale—
Tinkle~
For some reason, he heard a bell ringing by his ear.
“......”
[Event Quest Generated!]
An event had appeared for Cale.
A rare quest that only a small number among the countless users playing New World could receive.
It was an Event Quest.
“...Goddamn game.”
Recovery rate ninety-four percent.
The number was shooting upward like mad, and words appeared before Cale’s eyes.
[Event Quest: ‘The Birth of a New Evil’]
[The ruler of the next Seven Evils is about to be born.]
[The birth of a legend recognized by all of the Seven Evils!]
[Every legend has an extraordinary story from the moment of its birth!]
[Please create one scene from that legend!]
“...Hey.”
Cale spoke as if grinding the words out between lips pressed tight.
“You waited for me because you couldn’t give the kids the quest?”
Eruhaben Miru would not have created the quest, but he would certainly have known it existed.
For some reason, Cale was struck by the certainty that that was the case.
Rattle.
Eruhaben Miru answered him.
“Human! Rattle, Eruhaben Miru rattled!”
“Wow! It finally moved!”
“It looks like it’s going to hatch soon!”
...Goddamn it.
The moment Cale squeezed his eyes shut—
“Recovery rate ninety-five percent!”
At Raon’s cry, almost like a cheer, he snapped his eyes wide open.
Ninety-five percent.
That was the number at which they had originally planned to go to the Seven Evils.
“Human, now let’s go to the Seven Evils! We have to hurry!”
Wooooong—
Raon hurriedly began laying out a teleportation circle.
Maybe because he was excited, his wings were flapping nonstop like helicopter blades.
“......”
And Cale looked into the air.
The quest window followed him.
[The birth of the new leader of the Seven Evils will be announced throughout the entire game system.]
[Create the story of a gigantic evil whose birth will make all living creatures of the Seven Evils tremble!]
[* The standard for judging the story will be comparison with previous legends.]
[* Based on the ultra-advanced system, event progress will be displayed.]
[* When progress reaches 100%, the leader of the Seven Evils will be born.]
[* Rewards for the target will vary depending on event completion rate. (Grades F to S)]
“Haa—”
He unconsciously let out a sigh, then spoke again like a groan.
“...You’re telling me to create a birth scene that belongs in legend and myth?”
There were countless legends in existence.
And within them, the births of heroes and evils were always mystical, or grand.
And he had to create that?
“Raon. Did you finish making the teleportation circle?”
Cale made a decision.
“Yes! It’s all ready, Human!”
The large teleportation circle was completed immediately.
Because Raon had already been preparing it.
“Contact the Seven Evils and tell Lady Sheritt that we’re coming too.”
“Understood, Human!”
While Raon busied himself and Rosalyn assisted him, Alberu came over to Cale.
“What happened?”
“A quest popped up.”
“What’s it about?”
“To create the birth scene of a legendary evil and make the rumor spread, starting from the Seven Evils and then throughout all of New World.”
“...What?”
Whether Alberu stared at him in bewilderment or not, Cale let out a sigh.
He still did not fully know why the system had given this kind of quest.
‘I can guess, though.’
All of the current leaders of the Eight Evils would have stories.
But Eruhaben Miru did not.
It was probably telling him to make one.
That also meant it was giving Cale’s side that much autonomy.
‘Which means the system is acting in a way that benefits us.’
There was a high probability that Won, the AI derived from the system, was involved.
“A legend, huh—”
One corner of Cale’s mouth crooked upward.
“Hey, Eruhaben Miru.”
He picked up the egg wrapped in the flower-patterned cloth and tucked it under his arm.
“I’ll make you into a truly great evil.”
Rattle. Rattle.
Eruhaben Miru urgently sent some kind of signal.
“The reward grade goes from F to S?”
Ha ha.
Cale laughed.
Rattle. Rattle.
The egg reacted even more violently, but Cale gently stroked it.
“I’ll make sure you get at least an S-rank reward.”
S was the maximum.
Rattle rattle.
Watching the egg, Hong tilted his head and said,
“It somehow looks anxious!”
At that, Cale wore a benevolent smile and kept stroking the egg.
“It must be anxious, thinking about being born soon.”
Rattle rattle.
While Alberu looked at the egg as if he felt sorry for it, Cale added to Raon and Rosalyn, who were trying to contact Dark Bear of the Seven Evils,
“Raon. Tell Lady Sheritt to bring over that bastard, Clopeh Sekka, too.”
“Understood, Human!”
Raon answered right away, and Rosalyn beside him—and the other adults as well—stiffened.
Receiving the adults’ gazes, Cale spoke with a gentle smile on his face.
“He knows legends better than anyone. We should call in an expert.”
Ha ha—
Cale laughed.
Rattle rattle.
Eruhaben Miru was fiercely expressing his opinion.
[Recovery Rate: 95.2%]
[Birth Ceremony Progress: 0%]
[Reward Grade: Undetermined]
“Ha ha—”
After checking that the rising recovery rate was slowing down more and more, Cale decided that if he was going to do this, he would do it properly.
After all, it was not his birth ceremony. It was Eruhaben Miru’s birth ceremony.
“Birth is something to be blessed. I’ll give you a magnificent birth ceremony.”
Cale smiled with the utmost benevolence as he patted the egg.
R-r-rattle—
For some reason, the egg faintly conveyed its intentions as if it had given something up.