Trash of the Count's Family Vol 2. Chapter 444: …Can I Take It All? (7)

The annex Cale was staying in was old and rather small.

Whoooosh—

“The wind’s quite strong this evening.”

“It certainly is.”

Responding to Team Leader Sui Khan’s subdued comment, Cale shifted his gaze downward.

Atop the highest point in Moraka Castle.

Cale stood unmoving on the roof of the main castle’s tallest tower.

With his arms crossed, he remained stationary.

“Human, shouldn’t we hurry and search for Choi Jung Soo?”

As Raon spoke, he subtly glanced at Sui Khan’s arm.

Even beneath the dark night attire, and though the wound was tightly bandaged to staunch the flow, a faint scent of blood still emanated from him.

While Sui Khan’s complexion had improved slightly, it remained pale.

The injury wasn’t deep, yet the bleeding persisted.

Meeeeow.

Hong entwined himself around Sui Khan’s calf.

Absentmindedly stroking Hong, Sui Khan began to speak.

“Raon.”

“Hm?”

Raon, who had been stealing glances at the team leader, flinched when their eyes met.

Sui Khan tilted his head back to look at the sky and remarked,

“Everything has its appropriate time.”

Following his lead, Raon also looked up, his gaze briefly captured by the star-dusted expanse.

The night sky in the Demon World possessed its own beauty.

“Naturally, when that moment arrives—”

Sui Khan resumed speaking, and Raon’s eyes were drawn back to Cale.

Observing Cale’s silhouette, Sui Khan wore a smile as if thoroughly enjoying the moment.

Everything has its appropriate time.

Naturally, when that moment arrives—

“Sometimes, waiting brings it to you. But other times, you can simply create it.”

And at this precise juncture, it was the latter scenario.

Knock, knock, knock.

Hearing a soft rapping, Clopeh turned his attention towards the door.

Bang.

The door swung open without awaiting permission, revealing General Mol, the Hand Behind the Back, commander of the Third Army.

“Did you manage to slip your brothers away?”

With a gentle smile, Clopeh extended both his hands forward.

“Would my being restrained satisfy you?”

“...You irritating fellow.”

Mol had pledged to keep Clopeh alive, but he had never specified the manner of his preservation.

One could not simply allow an individual possessing such critical information to roam freely.

Even if his martial prowess wasn't exceptional, a basic level of confinement was imperative.

Yet, Mol found himself vexed by the sight of Clopeh, who had already arranged for his younger brothers' departure and now stood alone.

“If I live, you live.”

With these words, Mol proceeded to bind Clopeh.

Silently observing his hands and feet being secured, Clopeh spoke as he watched Mol’s retreating back, after the man had assigned a middle-aged knight to oversee him before departing.

“General Mol.”

To the man clearly en route to claim the Pope—

“.......”

Mol turned back, his face grim, and Clopeh offered a piece of earnest counsel.

“When the path ahead is obscured, simply follow the light.”

“I haven’t the time for your drivel.”

Emitting a derisive snort, Mol vanished into the encroaching darkness.

As he merged with the corridor’s shadows, it appeared as though he himself had become a shade, seamlessly blending into the gloom.

Clopeh watched him go for a prolonged moment, then lifted his gaze towards the ceiling.

“If you remain still, you won’t die tonight.”

With this stark warning, the middle-aged knight closed the door leading to the corridor.

Now, only the two of them occupied the room.

Clopeh raised his head, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“Do you place your faith in the demon god?”

The middle-aged knight froze.

He was not among Mol’s contingent.

His allegiance was to Terosa.

Terosa held the belief that only the Demon King could ascend to become a demon god, and she followed him with an almost devotional fervor.

Clopeh had fulfilled his obligations; what followed was pure sincerity.

“A legend is set to unfold this night.”

“...Enough of your pointless talk.”

A subtle hint of apprehension lay beneath the middle-aged knight’s curt reply.

Clopeh, his gaze still directed upwards at the ceiling, wore a smile.

He no longer resembled the merchant encountered initially, nor the dignified and brilliant sole descendant of Count Lupe.

Why did that smiling countenance, brimming with unadulterated joy and anticipation, appear so menacing and disquieting?

“Will Lady Terosa be joining us tonight as well?”

“……”

“No. If General Mol has made his move, then the forces dispatched by Lady Terosa must already be within striking distance. This means she is already present.”

“……”

The middle-aged knight remained reticent.

Yet, his eyes remained locked onto Clopeh.

Then—

“!”

Suddenly, a disturbance erupted beyond the room.

Booooom—!

A distant detonation echoed.

Boom!

Boooooom—

The sounds of explosion grew progressively nearer.

“Hahaha—”

Clopeh then erupted into laughter.

Still gazing skyward, he drew the corners of his mouth upward with increasing intensity.

“Numerous individuals will witness it tonight.”

His eyes shimmered with sheer ecstasy.

“The true legend.”

“!”

At that precise instant, the middle-aged knight’s eyes met Clopeh’s.

The very moment Clopeh lowered his head from the ceiling to fix his gaze directly upon him—

“......!!”

He found himself utterly speechless.

Before he realized it, Clopeh stood directly before him.

Craaack—

An odd aura began to swirl around Clopeh’s hands.

The handcuffs and chains parted, but the middle-aged knight didn’t even have a moment to properly register them.

Crack!

Clopeh swung the chain as it was.

“Ghk!”

The chain entangled the middle-aged knight’s throat.

Dead mana…!

It wasn't ordinary aura, but dead mana.

And this power did not originate from the Demon World.

The middle-aged knight understood this fact—but far too late.

“Kh, khh—!”

His body went limp.

Clopeh gazed down at the unconscious man and began to search through his clothes.

Blink, blink.

Inside, a small magic orb was discovered.

Holding it up, Clopeh spoke:

“Lady Terosa. Is that correct?”

Raon had informed him earlier.

The middle-aged knight was carrying a magic communication orb.

“You place your faith in the Demon King because you believe he will ascend to become a demon god, do you not?”

Clopeh imparted a lesson to Terosa.

“You must refrain from doing so.”

Did he follow Cale-nim out of a belief that man would become a god?

No.

A god?

What significance could such a concept hold?

“You must believe in the being itself.”

Cale-nim.

That individual was already carving his own path through sheer existence alone.

He was actively creating a legend.

“If you are fortunate, you too may come to comprehend that being tonight. A being truly worthy of devotion, one that requires no preconceptions.”

—.......

No sound emanated from the other end. Nor was there any visual.

Yet, the magic communication orb was demonstrably functioning.

Clopeh let it slip from his grasp.

Craaack!

The magic communication orb shattered.

Without a second glance, Clopeh extended his hand.

Creeeak.

The corridor of the annex lay before him, enveloped in darkness.

Booooom—

Boooooom—

The sounds outside were immense.

But Clopeh slowly advanced into the quiet gloom that filled the corridor.

“The brighter the light shines, the deeper the shadow becomes.”

Operating in secrecy, he had now surpassed even Ron. Because of this, Clopeh was skilled at concealing the true extent of his abilities.

He was a shadow.

A shadow existing beside the light, clinging to it.

Therefore, he had to return quickly to the light’s side.

“Ha.”

Releasing a brief laugh, Clopeh proceeded along his chosen course.

Boooooom—

And the exact moment those explosions commenced—

a change registered in Cale’s eyes.

Vast numbers of troops were advancing upon the castle.

It appeared as though the entirety of the Demon King’s forces and the territorial armies from across Dioriel’s domain had been scraped together and marshaled here.

Furthermore, further back, light originating from teleportation arrays rained down. Not in a single colossal surge, but in disjointed bursts.

One after another, it seemed the Demon King’s Third Army was making its arrival.

—Cale. There are an incredible number of them.

The Demon King’s forces that Terosa had amassed from Dioriel.

Their numbers were truly substantial.

She was indeed an adversary not to be underestimated.

Terosa.

She must have been maintaining such a significant contingent of Demon King troops in preparation for Young Master Jimon’s potential ascension to lordship.

Dong, dong, dong—!

The bells shattering the silence of Moraka Castle’s night began to peal from all directions.

The tranquil Moraka Castle was no more.

Lights flickered to life throughout the grounds.

—Cale. Holy knights.

Holy knights erupted from concealed positions and surged towards the castle gate.

—They must have concluded there is no longer any advantage in remaining hidden.

The Ancient Tree spoke the truth.

Upon witnessing Terosa’s Demon King troops and the arriving Third Army, the Order’s faction must have determined that further concealment served no purpose.

“Mol has already initiated his movement.”

“That is correct.”

Cale could sense Sui Khan’s presence immediately behind him.

Even when observing Sui Khan now, alongside the children who appeared to be around ten years of age, Cale remained motionless.

—Sniff, sniff!

The sound of the wind’s sniffing grew audible.

The instant Cale’s gaze shifted towards the rear garden situated behind the main castle—

Boom!

A tremendous shockwave emanated from that specific direction.

“Now it is our turn to act.”

Wind began to swirl around Cale’s ankles.

Without any hesitation, he leaped from the rooftop.

Cale descended directly into the center.

Naturally, Sui Khan took the vanguard position before him.

On and Hong positioned themselves to Cale’s left and right flanks.

Raon assumed his post at the rear.

Within the rear garden of the main castle stood a secondary, smaller castle, approximately one-third the size of the primary structure.

The Pope was located there.

And General Mol had undoubtedly also proceeded to that location.

Boom!

The shockwave struck once more.

It had unmistakably originated from the rear garden.

—Sniff, sniff! I detect it! The scent of a divine relic!

General Mol had employed a divine relic, and the sound of the wind reacted to its presence.

Cale articulated his thoughts:

“If Choi Jung Soo has lost contact, then he has undoubtedly been apprehended by someone possessing greater strength than himself.”

“A top-tier holy knight.”

Sui Khan recalled the individual who had managed to wound him.

That particular holy knight possessed sufficient power to handle Choi Jung Soo.

“It wasn’t the one who injured me.”

That wound inflicted upon Sui Khan stemmed from a moment of unchecked emotion, his exposure, and a subsequent blow sustained during his escape. In a true battle, the individual responsible wasn't powerful enough to subdue Choi Jung Soo to such an extent that resistance was impossible.

“It would have to be the strongest among the holy knights.”

What if Choi Jung Soo had genuinely been captured?

“Or perhaps he fell victim to a different ruse, much like Choi Jung Gun did.”

And whether the outcome was the former or the latter—

“Choi Jung Soo must be in the building where the Pope resides.”

“Indeed. The Order would never leave a Wanderer to roam freely.”

“It matters not whether he is a Five Colored Blood Wanderer or one aligned with the God of Balance. In either scenario, the Order would detain him and seek to extract information.”

“Precisely. They won’t kill him.”

The fact that Choi Jung Soo had been apprehended by the Order solidified Cale and Team Leader Sui Khan’s conclusion that he was still alive.

Their discussion was so devoid of emotion that even a child of ten would have found it peculiar, observing them back and forth.

However, when Cale and the Team Leader embarked on a mission to recover one of their own, such coldness was their consistent demeanor.

Lives were on the line.

“The castle in the rear garden has a total of five stories. Three above ground and two below.”

Tap.

Lightly leaping from the roof, Cale positioned himself to overlook the rear garden and spoke.

“Young Master Jimon’s map only details the first and second floors.”

The initial and second underground levels, along with the third above-ground floor, remained uncharted.

“We were informed the Pope is staying on the third floor, and the underground levels are patrolled by holy knights.”

“That implies Choi Jung Soo is located there.”

“Yes.”

Standing beside Cale, Sui Khan responded with a detached tone.

“So, that's the reason you involved Mol?”

“Correct.”

Boom!

Another powerful tremor resonated through the air, prompting Cale to silently gaze down at the devastated rear garden.

The scenic beauty had vanished.

Along the path leading to the small castle at the garden’s far end, Mol stood his ground.

“That wasn’t the one who injured me.”

“I had suspected as much.”

The perpetrator who had wounded Sui Khan had likely ventured beyond the castle by now, possibly searching for Sui Khan, believing he had been rescued by the First Emperor or the Three Emperors.

A high-ranking holy knight was no match for a Five Colored Blood hunter Wanderer.

This was information unknown to the Demon King’s faction.

Currently, it appeared that Terosa’s Demon King forces and the Third Army, teleporting in from the Demon King’s castle, were encircling Moraka Castle.

And as time wore on, the Demon King’s castle seemed poised to dispatch further reinforcements.

This strategic advantage was precisely why Mol had targeted the Pope.

Because time was on his side.

However, they were unaware of the holy knight forces actively patrolling outside, seeking the Five Colored Blood Wanderer.

These forces were positioned to strike Terosa’s Demon King troops from the rear.

Ultimately, a brutal conflict was inevitable.

“One of the three top-tier holy knights is currently engaged with Mol.”

And—

“another will be on the exterior with Terosa.”

This indicated that the final one—

“The strongest holy knight will be stationed with the Pope.”

“He certainly would need to be.”

Mol commanded the Demon King’s Third Army.

Should he, by some improbable chance, defeat that top-tier holy knight and advance upon the Pope, it was only logical that the Pope would require the presence of his strongest top-tier holy knight.

And this very prediction proved to be accurate.

“So, in the end, your intention is to remain by my side?”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

The highest-ranking holy knight had initially planned to confront and eliminate Mol.

Instead, he chose to stay by the Pope’s side.

“There is no one here more valuable than Your Holiness.”

Despite the bluntness of his statement, not a hint of hesitation or uncertainty was visible on the highest-ranking holy knight’s countenance.

“And that individual is sufficient to deal with Mol.”

It was simply a foregone conclusion that the top-tier holy knight ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ would vanquish Mol.

Meanwhile, the Pope gazed out the window.

“How peculiar.”

He spoke with composed curiosity.

“No matter how I consider it, it doesn’t seem as though all of this was orchestrated solely by the Demon King’s faction.”

The commander of the Demon King’s Third Army had arrived so abruptly, and the Demon King’s forces were launching a coordinated assault this very night?

And they themselves had failed to detect even the slightest precursor to such an event until now?

Something felt amiss.

He turned his head.

“Hitelis. It appears someone has been manipulating events from the shadows.”

Hitelis, attired as a head steward, lifted her head from a kneeling position.

“Was there an unforeseen factor?”

“Yes.”

With an impassive expression, Hitelis delivered her report.

“The origin of this entire affair was the merchant known as Kase. The one who asserted lineage from Count Lupe.”

The Pope inquired softly,

“Do you believe that was the actual genesis?”

“If we consider not only the current situation but also other separate occurrences, then the earliest anomaly originated elsewhere.”

“And what was that?”

“A Wanderer.”

Hearing this, the most revered holy knight's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward.

“Weren’t there those Five Colored Blood hunters not too long ago?”

He addressed Hitelis with respect.

Regardless of differing power levels, she possessed a divine relic from the God of Chaos.

With the saint now gone, it could be said that she, alongside the highest-ranking holy knight, stood just below the Pope, on equal footing with him.

“Hitelis, are you implying that Five Colored Blood is behind all of this?”

If that were the case, it would certainly make sense.

“...Seeking revenge for what occurred during Primordial Night, within the holy land?”

Primordial Night.

The ambitious plan to bring the God of Chaos into New World had ultimately failed, and the Five Colored Blood hunters had discovered this truth.

Perhaps this incident was their scheme to disrupt the Order's ongoing activities within the Demon World.

It was at that precise moment—

“No.”

The Pope interjected.

“That entire event was merely a single step in the process.”

His gaze then turned towards Hitelis.

“Thus, the Five Colored Blood hunters were not the initial instigators either.”

“That is correct.”

Hitelis confirmed with a nod and looked towards the highest-ranking holy knight.

The Pope followed suit with his gaze.

In that instant, the highest-ranking holy knight vividly recalled an event that transpired much further back in time.

It wasn't something recent.

“...There was indeed one other Wanderer.”

A singular Wanderer whom the highest-ranking holy knight had apprehended.

Whether this individual was affiliated with Five Colored Blood, or perhaps a subordinate of the God of Balance—

their identity remained unknown, leading to their imprisonment and subsequent interrogation.

As a shadow fell upon the highest-ranking holy knight's eyes, Hitelis calmly stated,

“He is the genesis of all unforeseen variables.”

The Wanderer with brown hair.

The Pope then issued an instruction to Hitelis.

“Bring him before me.”

“Understood.”

Boom!

Just then, another violent tremor rocked the entirety of the annex castle, originating from the rear garden.

The Pope spoke once more.

“Should the circumstances turn unfavorable, do not hesitate to utilize the divine relic.”

A fleeting expression crossed Hitelis’s eyes.

“If that action is taken, he will lose all his value.”