Trash of the Count's Family Vol 2. Chapter 505: The Prince and the Father (10)

SPLASH, ROOOOOSH—

The night sea was not quiet.

SPLASH, ROOOOOSH—

ROOOOOSH—

But it was also quiet.

Countless pirate ships. Together with the naval warships placed sparsely in a wide circle around them, they were heading toward Island 19.

On a night sea where hundreds of ships, large and small, far exceeding several dozen, were moving, it could never be silent.

“.......”

“.......”

However, on the pirate ships and the naval warships,

Those aboard them, leading the ships, could not easily open their mouths.

One pirate, who had barely managed to calm his still-trembling hands, turned around without realizing it and looked back.

ROOOOOSH—

At the very end of the countless ships.

The ship moving at the very rear.

He could not see it because of all the other ships.

However, the rookie pirate recalled the sight of the ship whose Shark flag had been lowered, thought of the man who had controlled the sea atop that ship, and quickly turned back forward.

“You bastard, stop moving around uselessly and just row.”

At the words the veteran pirate beside him threw out, the rookie pirate stared straight ahead again and rowed.

Behind him.

He could not shake the thought that the one who ruled the sea was watching them.

He absolutely could not try anything foolish.

Because if he tried to run, he would end up being eaten by the sea.

SPLASH, ROOOOOOSH—

ROOOOOSH—

Amid the people’s silence, the pirate ships and naval warships swiftly headed toward Island 19.

ROOOOOSH—

And one ship was following them from the very rear.

The ship that moved leisurely with the flag of Pirate Shark, the leader of Island 19, lowered.

“Are you all right?”

Ebo, who had been imprisoned inside that ship,

General Ferry’s younger brother and a naval officer of Island 16, stared blankly at the man before him.

“Sir Ebo. Are you all right?”

“Ah.”

Only when Cale asked once more did he hurriedly come back to his senses and open his mouth.

“Yes, yes!”

Pirate Shark.

Even in front of that bastard, Ebo had not been intimidated in the least and had continued to resist.

Even though Ron had undone every rope binding him and seated him in a chair, he sat stiffly upright with a rigid posture and looked at Cale.

“Mm. I heard you were briefed on the situation to some degree by Ron.”

“...Yes.”

Ebo understood that the man before him was Cale Henituse, and that Cale and his companions were allies of his older sister Ferry.

“When we reach Island 19 shortly, you should be able to meet General Ferry.”

“...Yes.”

Ebo could do nothing but answer Cale’s words.

...How could he have that— that kind of power—

When Archie smashed the deck.

At that time, Ebo, who had already been imprisoned in the cabin below the deck, could see what was happening above.

After Ron rescued him, he was able to take in the whole situation even more clearly.

Someone who appeared to be a beastman.

A Sword Master.

Poison mist.

Someone who used a water whip.

Someone who used martial arts.

Not a single one of them was weak.

Even the middle-aged man who had approached stealthily and rescued him seemed like a high-level assassin.

He felt relieved when he heard that such people had decided to cooperate with his sister.

He was different—

But the moment the sea moved.

When an enormous wave rose,

When the sea made a prison,

When chains made of water surged up and wrapped around this ship,

That was—

An emotion he could not explain in words shook Ebo.

Overwhelming.

Awe-inspiring.

Beautiful.

He could not recklessly use any of those modifiers.

All sorts of emotions swept over him, and in the end, only one remained.

He’s frightening.

Terrifying.

The person before his eyes was truly frightening.

He looked like an ordinary human, and even seemed weak and frail.

Yet he ruled the sea.

“Sir Ebo.”

“Ye, yes?”

Ebo flinched without realizing it and answered.

Cale’s brow furrowed slightly.

What did that pirate bastard do to him?

Seeing how badly frightened Ebo was, Cale wondered what Pirate Shark had done.

That was why Cale, with what he considered a gentle smile, offered words meant to reassure him.

“You were following General Ferry’s secret orders, correct?”

“Ah.”

Only then was Ebo able to recall that he had been trying to deliver a secret letter in order to request allied support from the Seventh General.

Even when he had been captured by Pirate Shark, he had tried hard to keep this secret letter from being discovered, yet the moment he saw the divine might displayed by the man before him, he had forgotten all about it.

“Once you meet General Ferry on Island 19, you can finish carrying out your mission.”

With those words, Cale decided to give Ebo time to rest.

“Then please rest.”

With a glance, he conveyed to Ron that he should look after Ebo and also keep watch over him, then left the cabin without lingering.

The cabin that Archie had fortunately not destroyed was fairly cozy.

“.......”

Ebo reached out and placed his hand over his chest.

He felt the secret letter inside his inner pocket.

However, all his senses were directed toward Cale’s back as he shut the door and disappeared.

He had intended to go request support from the Seventh General in order to save Island 16, which was in danger.

.......

He would probably need to go straight to Island 7 after meeting his sister.

But.

But still.

Is there any need for that?

Island 19 would now fall into that man’s hands, and Island 16 would become stable.

In particular, that man was someone who called Island 16 a guardian and showed respect to it.

If that person, who was close to an ally, was there, would the entrance to the central sea not also be safe?

Moreover, the many pirates who had joined today’s battle would never run wild around this area again.

Then would the trade route from Solafla Port to the central sea not become even safer?

No.

Ebo broke away from those thoughts and recalled a more fundamental thought of his own.

He decided to be honest with himself.

...If it’s that person—

Not cooperation with the Seventh General, which would in effect be no different from entering under his command.

If they joined hands with that person, who knew how to respect them—

If it was that person—

Could he not end the current chaos, this war?

Ebo kept Cale’s image in his eyes until the very end.

Cale, who possessed tremendous power yet respected him and his sister.

CLICK.

Until the door closed and Cale was no longer visible.

*****

CREEEAK.

Cale was in another cabin.

He had dragged a chair over and sat on it, and he smiled as he looked at the person facing him.

“Looks like you’ve come to your senses a little.”

Mujeon.

A Wanderer with a Transparent-grade individuality.

The youngest of the third Emperor, Dragon King’s three sworn younger brothers.

“.......”

Mujeon said nothing.

GLANCE.

Cale’s gaze headed toward Mujeon’s ankle.

...Looks broken?

He looked at the Heavenly Demon.

“He’s strong.”

Cale had asked the Heavenly Demon and Choi Han to bind him.

The restraints that tightly wrapped around Mujeon were likely Choi Han’s work, and that fracture was definitely the Heavenly Demon’s doing.

Brutal bastard.

But he had done the job properly.

In that state, the Wanderer Mujeon would have a hard time running away.

His sword had been taken as well.

“Mujeon.”

Cale spoke calmly to Mujeon, who only glared at him in silence.

“The third Emperor, Dragon King, is dead.”

“......!”

Mujeon’s pupils shook, and his body trembled.

A violent reaction flashed across him, as if he had heard an unbelievable fact, but—

“Hmph.”

He snorted.

His expression seemed to say that such a thing could not be true.

“Oh.”

A strange light gleamed in Cale’s eyes.

“You don’t seem to be reacting that way simply because you don’t believe me?”

There was certainty in Mujeon’s appearance.

“Mm. Looks like there’s something that lets you know if the Dragon King dies?”

Mujeon did not react at all to the casual words Cale threw out.

“Looks like that’s right.”

But at Alberu’s words, who had drawn an answer from that lack of reaction, Cale nodded.

“Seems so. Seeing how there’s no reaction, I must be right. Looks like there’s some sort of device that sends news if the third Emperor, Dragon King, dies.”

Well, the Three Emperors.

They were the three most important people in the Five Colored Blood family and the strong figures who supported the family.

Whether those three, who crossed various dimensions, were alive or dead would be an important matter, so there was bound to be some preparation for it.

Cho and Ryeon didn’t know, though.

The Cho-Ryeon siblings did not know, but Mujeon did.

It might have been something he learned because he was the third Emperor’s sworn younger brother.

“But Mujeon. My words will soon become the truth.”

“.......”

“The third Emperor is currently trapped in the Demon King’s castle, and he will die soon.”

“......!”

His eyes shook again.

“And the third Emperor lost to me.”

“What?”

For the first time, Mujeon reacted to Cale.

“Why? You don’t believe it?”

“.......”

He could not refute Cale’s words.

The third Emperor, Dragon King’s sea.

And Cale, who had ruled that sea.

“.......”

Mujeon’s body trembled faintly.

Because he could estimate how serious it would be if all the information being delivered to him was true.

The Demon World and Cale Henituse have joined hands.

We do not know that the Demon World betrayed us.

Cale Henituse’s power is Five-Colored-grade.

At the very least, he can defeat the third Emperor, the weakest of the Three Emperors.

If so, other Transparent-grade individuals cannot harm him.

And he knows far too much information about us.

There is an internal traitor who has attached himself to Cale Henituse’s side.

And—

“Mujeon. Why do you think I am willingly telling you all this?”

Mujeon suppressed his trembling heart and spoke calmly.

“Are you not trying to intimidate me and obtain information through me?”

Please.

Please let that be his intention.

Mujeon wished for it.

He did not even realize that, without meaning to, he had begun speaking half-politely.

“No?”

But the instant Cale answered with a bright smile,

Ah.

Mujeon clearly understood what he had been privately guessing.

The reason Cale had willingly told him anything—

“...You will—”

His voice trembled.

“Are you going to kill me?”

SMIRK.

Instead of answering, Cale smiled and patted Mujeon on the shoulder.

“Watch him carefully.”

Leaving only those words behind, Cale headed out of the cabin with Alberu without any lingering attachment.

“Answer me!”

Mujeon raised his voice at the sight.

“I am asking whether you intend to kill me!”

But instead of answering, Cale glanced at Choi Han.

“Y-You!”

Mujeon, realizing that this meant to knock him unconscious, struggled in his bound body.

Then, at the single sentence Cale left behind, Mujeon’s body froze solid.

“Rather than asking whether you’ll be killed or spared, shouldn’t you be asking when and how you’ll die?”

At those words, so calm and utterly devoid of emotion, Mujeon’s body went rigid as if cold water had been poured over him.

A Wanderer.

A position gained after experiencing death once.

He did not want to die again.

Cale glanced at Mujeon’s deathly pale face, then left the cabin without hesitation and closed the door.

CLICK.

The door closed, and Alberu asked in a casual tone,

“A little more and he’ll spill everything, won’t he?”

“Right?”

They were sworn brothers who looked at each other and smiled in satisfaction.

“Young Master Cale!”

At that moment, Archie approached and spoke.

“Island 19 is in sight. We’ll arrive soon.”

Cale reached Island 19 with countless ships leading the way.

*****

“.......”

General Ferry stood there with a blank, soulless expression.

“General?”

“Ye, yes?”

At Cale’s call, she barely came back to her senses and looked at him.

“You found the documents well.”

Even at Cale’s praise, she could not say anything.

Older sister. That person rules the sea.

General! He is a strong person on a completely different level! He reminds me of the great general!

...General. All the pirates surrendered.

A battle won overwhelmingly, without major damage.

The several hundred ships that arrived at the port of Island 19.

Ferry could not forget that sight.

But Cale paid no attention to that Ferry.

This is important information.

He had obtained quite important information.

Cale, who was reading the documents Ferry had found, opened his mouth while keeping his eyes on the papers.

“The Third General was targeting Island 16.”

The documents contained the confidential exchanges the Third General had shared with Pirate Shark.

“This Shark bastard is quite helpful.”

The Third General had ordered that the documents be destroyed without fail for security, but Pirate Shark had hidden them securely inside his secret vault.

He had probably been anxious that the Third General might abandon him.

Thanks to that, Cale was able to learn what the Third General—more precisely, the bastard presumed to be a Wanderer—was aiming for.

“The Council of Seventeen.”

The Council of Seventeen, held on Island 1 where the great general stayed.

“He planned to activate the right of convocation held by you, General Ferry, and draw all the generals to the island where the great general resides.”

Cale felt as though he understood what the Third General Wanderer had been aiming for.

“General Ferry, why do you think the Third General would do that?”

“Ah.”

Ferry, who had been blanking out again, quickly came back to her senses and opened her mouth.

“Most likely, the Third General—”

Her gaze sank deeply.

“Intended to secretly subdue me, then activate the right to convene the Council of Seventeen that I possess while hiding that fact from everyone.”

After secretly calling everyone out like that.

“The Council of Seventeen that would be held on the great general’s island.”

When the Council of Seventeen was held, the defensive formation of Island 1, where the great general stayed, also had to stop while they entered and exited.

“At that time, the Third General likely intended to sweep away the great general and everyone else, then take everything for himself.”

Cale looked at Ferry’s deeply sunken eyes and smiled.

“I think the same, General Ferry.”

Ferry did not feel that gentle smile was purely kind.

As she unconsciously clenched her fists with tension,

“General Ferry. Right now, no one knows we have seized Island 19.”

Ferry thought that Cale’s eyes were gleaming dangerously, as if he had something enjoyable right before him.

Cale offered her a proposal in a whispering voice.

“What do you think about using the Third General’s plan?”

“!”

“We will sweep them all away instead. How about it? Sounds good, right?”

As she looked at Cale, who was smiling brightly, cold sweat ran down General Ferry’s back.