Trash of the Count's Family Vol 2. Chapter 385: The Birth of Evil (2)
The long-awaited return to the center of the Seven Evils.
The former residence of Dragon Lord Neo, and now the fairy-tale castle currently managed by the vicious Dark Bear.
Flaaash!
With a brilliant flash, Cale’s group crossed from the Lan Kingdom into the Seven Evils by teleportation.
“Uh—”
Cale gave an awkward smile.
“There are a few more people now, huh?”
That was when it happened.
Thud!
Around a hundred people dropped to one knee all at once.
But the chilling thing was that their speed and force were identical, so the sound was like a single person moving.
“We greet the Heavenly Demon!”
They were Demonic Cultists.
The massive castle where the final boss of the Seven Evils stayed.
The beautiful white castle, lovely like one out of a fairy tale, was surrounded by fluffy clouds like cotton candy, but its scale was quite enormous.
Compared to the other Eight Evils, the Seven ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Evils had the second-largest field, and it was a castle with a grandeur befitting that.
Naturally, the hall on the first floor of the castle was also extremely wide.
“......”
Swish.
The Heavenly Demon raised a hand.
Thud!
At that, the hundred or so people drove their heads to the floor and bowed even deeper.
“Ma!”
At their shout, the Heavenly Demon simply stood there in silence, utterly unconcerned.
“Ha ha—”
Cale looked at the vicious Dark Bear, who was smiling awkwardly.
This cute little bear was rubbing his two hands together as he somehow tried to come closer to Cale.
“Ha ha, Young Master, it’s been a long time.”
Behind that bear cub, it was the tiger beastman Gashan who waved lazily and greeted him.
“Eek!”
The little bear flinched in shock when he heard Gashan’s voice from behind and came scurrying over to Cale.
He glanced back.
‘Gasp!’
Gashan, with white pupils and all sorts of patterns carved across his body.
Around him, two crows were circling while letting out ominous cries.
Cling.
The vicious Dark Bear unconsciously grabbed hold of Cale’s pant leg.
Gulp.
Cale Henituse, the worst among evils.
To think he would become this welcome.
‘There are too many crazy bastards!’
After Cale’s group left, starting with the dragon half-blood Pope of Apitoyu, they had gradually been going through the process of being registered as semi-NPCs or NPCs.
Of course, work on forming the Black Castle portal was also proceeding at the same time, and because of that the vicious Dark Bear had often ended up facing another group of Cales.
Because of that, he had learned something.
‘These people are the most normal!’
Cale, Choi Han, the scary baby dragon, and the terrifying two cats!
They were the most ordinary.
And those Demonic Cultists who had crossed over saying they would assist the Heavenly Demon—
‘Crazy psychos!’
The way they acted after saying they had found a new place to establish evil looked exactly like some kind of cult devotees.
The others were strange too, including the beastman Gashan.
‘And the dragon half-bloods were strange too!’
Starting with the Pope, the dragon half-bloods who gradually crossed over here saying they were going to create some “Mir Knights.”
Those bastards were quiet, and that was why they were scary.
In truth, there were many others besides them who were strange and frightening.
‘...Of course, the strangest one is—’
Gulp.
Dark Bear suddenly felt a chill down his back.
“The faces are all familiar after so long.”
“Lord Eruhaben.”
A delighted smile spread across the corners of Cale’s mouth as he had been looking dubiously at the Demonic Cultists.
Pat, pat.
He absentmindedly patted Dark Bear’s head and warmly greeted the ancient dragon Eruhaben.
“You’ve been busy with the portal, haven’t you?”
The Black Castle portal.
After completing registration as a semi-NPC, Eruhaben—next only to the former Lord Sheritt, who could not leave the castle, in magical knowledge—had been forming the portal in cooperation with the researchers of the Third District.
On top of that, he was also helping restore Apitoyu, which had been turned into a complete mess by the Purple Blood family hunters and the dragon factions of Apitoyu.
“It was manageable.”
Eruhaben answered indifferently, then opened his mouth while glancing subtly toward Dark Bear.
“Dark Bear. This fellow is more capable than I expected. He took care of all the little things, so it made things easier for us.”
Oh.
Cale looked down at Dark Bear in admiration.
And Dark Bear could not bring himself to turn around and look at Eruhaben.
‘Ho.’
He could not forget the reaction Eruhaben had shown after becoming a semi-NPC.
‘So you’re saying dragons are mobs users can hunt whenever they want?’
‘Pardon? W-well, that’s still impossible for now, but—’
‘It may become possible in the future?’
‘If y-you level up and do various things—’
‘Ho. Interesting. Very interesting.’
There had been some kind of madness in Eruhaben’s appearance as he laughed and said it was interesting.
‘Can dragons level up here too?’
‘Pardon? S-semi-NPCs can’t level up—’
‘Really? Hahahaha—’
Dark Bear still could not forget that booming laughter.
For some reason, from that moment on, he had avoided Eruhaben and run away from him.
Pat, pat.
“You worked hard.”
Instead, he took comfort in watching Cale, who was roughly patting him on the head.
‘That’s right. I, the great Dark Bear!’
The one to whom I devote my loyalty is our great worst among evils!
The leader of all these beings!
The living worst!
There is only our Lord Cale Henituse!
Grin.
Just as the corners of Dark Bear’s mouth were about to rise—
“Is it hatching soon?”
A subtle current passed through the air at Eruhaben’s voice.
Cale pointed at the flower-patterned cloth tucked under his arm.
“Yes. It looks like it will be born in seven days.”
From 95.2%, the recovery rate had started climbing very slowly.
[Recovery Rate: 95.21% (Time Remaining: 6 Days 23 Hours 21 Minutes)]
[Birth Ceremony Progress: 0%]
[Reward Grade: Undetermined]
And on top of that, it had also told him the remaining time.
‘Within the remaining time, I’ll have to raise the birth ceremony progress to 100%.’
That would probably improve the reward grade too.
‘It really does seem like this little guy is the one getting the reward.’
[* Rewards for the target will vary depending on event completion rate. (Grades F to S)]
As Cale checked the quest description, Eruhaben voiced his doubt into his ear.
“From what I heard, um, I thought hatching was supposed to be a somewhat warm process.”
Eruhaben had already caught on to Cale’s way of handling things. That was why he had noticed one peculiar point in what Cale had said.
“Why did you urgently call for Clopeh Sekka?”
Clopeh Sekka.
Glance. Eruhaben’s gaze turned toward the two people who had not yet approached.
Clopeh Sekka and the former Pope Kesillia were together.
‘Hm.’
The ancient dragon felt a little uneasy just seeing those two standing together.
‘When did they get close?’
Clopeh Sekka. At some point that bastard had ended up standing together with Pope Kesillia in a noticeably friendly atmosphere.
Of course, Pope Kesillia’s eyes refused to leave the dragon half-blood Eruhaben Miru.
“......”
But she could not quite bring herself to approach.
As if he understood that heart, Eruhaben’s brow wrinkled slightly. In truth, he too, for some reason, found it hard to approach Eruhaben Miru easily.
“Ah.”
At that moment, the ancient dragon saw Cale smile.
“It’s good that the two of you are together.”
What?
Cale welcomed Clopeh Sekka and Pope Kesillia.
“Mm. Very reassuring.”
With a satisfied look, he looked at the two in turn, then finally turned to look at the Heavenly Demon.
‘Hm? What?’
To be precise, he was looking at the subordinate standing beside the Heavenly Demon.
At that meaningful gaze, Eruhaben felt a sense of foreboding, and his eyes quickly swept around Cale’s surroundings.
“Heehee!”
“Hehe!”
“......”
The average ten-year-olds—Raon and Hong were grinning, and On was smiling. They looked like they were having fun.
“......”
Rosalyn avoided his gaze, and Choi Han looked somewhat blank.
“Hehe.”
And Crown Prince Alberu Crossman was smiling brightly.
Extremely suspicious.
And the Heavenly Demon, after receiving Cale’s gaze—
“......”
He had an expression that was highly interested and yet deeply reluctant at the same time.
‘What is going to happen?’
The ancient dragon had just begun to remember the times Cale caused trouble after not doing so in a while, when Cale opened his mouth and spoke his real purpose in earnest.
“In seven days, a great legend must be born.”
His voice was grave.
“!”
Dark Bear flinched.
A legend?
“The new evil of the Seven Evils. The birth of a great evil must be known by the Eight Evils, and furthermore, by this entire continent.”
Huh?
Dark Bear loosened the paw that had been clutching Cale’s clothes.
Slide.
The pant leg moved away from his front paw.
Step. Then Dark Bear too retreated a step.
Seven days later. Was that not supposed to be Eruhaben Miru’s day of birth?
As the temporary final boss, Dark Bear already knew that Eruhaben Miru might become the new boss of the Seven Evils.
But—a legend?
“Ho.”
Clopeh Sekka let out a low exclamation.
“......”
And Pope Kesillia’s eyes flashed.
The dragon half-blood.
She, who had never been able to belong anywhere and had been turned away.
Eruhaben Miru. As a dragon half-blood, he was the one who had stood against the former dragon Neo, whom Kesillia hated, and protected everyone.
He would inherit Dragon Lord Neo’s place, and she had decided to protect him.
And his new life—
‘You’re saying we should make it into a legend?’
And one great enough that everyone in this vast world would know it?
The birth of a dragon half-blood—
You were saying to make it into a legend?
The continent of Apitoyu.
The first Pope Kesillia, who had possessed the ability to found an order there that worshiped dragons like gods and, in just over two hundred years, make it seize control of the entire continent.
A strong heat began to enter the former Pope’s eyes.
“Heavenly Demon— is this something we must do?”
At his subordinate’s question, the Heavenly Demon answered with a smile.
“Well, wouldn’t it be fun? I plan to help too.”
The Central Plains martial world.
The Demonic Cult that had carried on a long and tenacious history there.
An order that worshiped the Heavenly Demon as a god.
Their madness often made even strong martial artists sick of them.
And for them, any kind of ritual—any ritual that made something into a legend—
“We do have a great deal of experience with that.”
It was familiar work they had always done.
“......”
Step.
Dark Bear took another step backward.
Tap.
Startled by the sensation against his back, he turned and saw it was the ancient dragon Eruhaben. Dark Bear hurriedly tried to pull away, but the moment he saw the emotion rising on the ancient dragon’s face, he unconsciously grabbed Eruhaben’s pant leg too.
Meanwhile, Pope Kesillia spoke in a calm voice.
“If it must be made known to everyone, I think it would be best to prepare a birth ceremony, invite the mid-bosses of the Seven Evils, and open the castle so the residents of the Seven Evils can witness the ceremony.”
Her voice was soft and even, but strangely full of heat.
“Additionally, we should notify the other final bosses of the Eight Evils about the birth ceremony. If we summon them here, we may expose ourselves, so rather than an invitation, I think a notice would be better.”
That was why Dark Bear was afraid.
People from the Heavenly Demon’s side quietly joined in too.
“I believe the ritual must be solemn and overflowing with majesty. This is not just a birth, is it? It is the birth of evil.”
“I think it would be good if it also contained holiness.”
As Kesillia and the Demonic Cultists murmured back and forth—
“Lord Cale.”
One person opened his mouth.
It was Clopeh Sekka, who had done nothing but stand there with a smile at the corners of his mouth after that first exclamation.
At last, he opened his mouth.
“The real thing has appeared!”
Raon muttered that quietly, and everyone heard it and pretended they had not.
Swish.
Clopeh Sekka stepped forward.
And standing before Cale, he quietly looked at Eruhaben Miru’s egg wrapped in the flower-patterned cloth.
“As a rule—”
His voice, bearing a sacred atmosphere, slowly rang through the hall.
“A legend does not need to be announced.”
As a rule, a legend does not need to be announced.
“It is simply something one sees with one’s eyes, hears with one’s ears, feels on one’s skin. Something one comes to know with every breath one draws.”
Cale Henituse.
The legendary path he walked was not a ceremony made deliberately, nor a story fabricated with legend in mind.
Clopeh Sekka knew that better than anyone.
Because the very person who had once schemed while wishing to become a legend had been himself, and he had finally come to understand the way the real thing did it.
“All we need to do is show it.”
A ceremony?
Even without that, if they showed it, that would be enough.
“The evil being created here.”
Clopeh’s smile deepened.
“The birth of evil. If they merely witness its signs, everyone will gather.”
And naturally, they would create the story, the legend.
Clopeh Sekka raised his head and looked at the ceiling.
The ceiling of the hall with fluffy cotton-candy clouds floating there.
“Ah—”
Clopeh could see that soft cotton candy turning into something vicious and ominous.
“I can see evil.”
As he showed a pure, spotless smile—
“Clopeh Sekka.”
Cale reached out and patted Clopeh on the shoulder.
He was truly dependable.
“This time, try everything you want to do.”
If he left it to this bastard, then the birth ceremony—
“I’ll help with all of it.”
The reward grade would start at S, at the very least.
*****
Rumble—
The castle where the boss of the Seven Evils stayed.
The so-called Cotton Candy Castle.
The residents or resident mobs of the Seven Evils who were living in the village near that castle looked toward Cotton Candy Castle with uneasy eyes.
Rumble—
The sky above Cotton Candy Castle, which stood at the center of the vast meadow, was crying.
“W-what is happening?”
Flash, flash.
Reddish-gold lightning briefly revealed itself between the clouds.
And on top of that—
“Clouds like those—”
The sky was being covered in dark red clouds.
Ominous.
Truly ominous.
Caw, caw—
And crows began appearing from all directions, flocking toward Cotton Candy Castle.
Caw, caw—
The sky covered by countless black birds swarming in.
“...That’s ominous.”
But the expressions of the ones saying that were not bad.
Because they were beings living in the Seven Evils.
And because they were living beings inside a world based on fairy tales, a world where each of them had their own story.
“The trees, the trees—!”
Someone cried out, almost like a scream full of joy.
“The trees are growing like disgusting monsters!”
The sky cried. Dark red clouds appeared!
Crows flew in from every direction!
And on top of that, the trees were growing grotesquely!
“Damn, now even a storm!”
Even the storm, all things sinister were gathering toward Cotton Candy Castle.
As if a great evil that the hero of a fairy tale would have to defeat at the very end were being born.
Thump thump.
While stories about Cotton Candy Castle spread rapidly through the Seven Evils—
“Human, aren’t you overdoing it?”
“...Damn it.”
Cale was regretting it.
But his hand was still pressed to the ground.
Those grotesquely growing, strangely shaped trees—Cale was currently making them grow with the help of the Indestructible Shield, just as he had once done in the jungle.
“Haa.”
Even the Heavenly Demon let out a sigh and released more dark red aura.
“Lady Mary.”
“Yes.”
“It is your turn to step in.”
Necromancer Mary nodded while gripping a bone in one hand.
Rattle.
The ground shook. Now it was the skeletons’ turn to step out.
All vicious omens were heading toward Cotton Candy Castle.
“It’s not enough.”
Meanwhile, Clopeh Sekka was feeling a lack.
His gaze turned toward Eruhaben, Rosalyn, and Raon.
Looking at those gifted in magic, Clopeh Sekka said,
“It is not enough.”
There was madness in Clopeh Sekka’s eyes.
That was Rosalyn’s judgment.
“Evil must be more evil-like. Enough that the bosses of the Eight Evils focus on it.”
In a soft voice, Clopeh Sekka approached the three beings.
That night.
A black pillar of light shot up from Cotton Candy Castle.
And that light stretched out in every direction, so that line could be seen throughout the field of the Seven Evils.
Caw, caw—
Along that line, crows, and skeletons buried here and there, emerged and moved only toward th