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Trash of the Count's Family (Web Novel)

Chapter 279: Do you want to live? 3

However, aside from feeling flabbergasted, Cale

felt a strange vibe.

He couldn’t see the person who could be

considered a set with Toonka.

“Where is Chief Harol?”

Chief Harol Kodiang. Cale didn’t see the crazy

bastard born from the unfortunate fate between
the master of the Magic Tower and the citizen.

He was the calm yet insane bastard who hated

mages and wanted to rid the world of magic.

‘Clopeh is a peaceful bastard in comparison to

this guy.’

However, he couldn’t be seen even though Cale

and Choi Han had arrived.

In order to avoid the eyes of the Whipper

Kingdom’s people who were hostile against
magic, a teleportation magic circle was secretly
created in the basement of the royal palace.

It was a place that was under close supervision

since it was a space used by a part of the royal
family and the kingdom’s leaders.

That was why Toonka and his subordinates, as

well as the mages dispatched by the Roan
Kingdom, were the only ones there.

But Harol Kodiang, the one commanding the

military operation and everything related to the
war, wasn’t there with them?

It didn’t make sense

‘Looks like something happened.’

Cale realized that something must have

happened in the Whipper Kingdom.

Did Toonka notice the look in Cale’s eyes?

Toonka started to frown. The combination of
Toonka’s big build and fierce looks made his
grimacing face look scarier.

Cale observed Toonka’s expression and started

to think.

‘If he fought with that face, all the Empire’s

knights would be frightened.’

However, despite his vicious-looking face,

Toonka looked at his subordinates and spoke
with a sigh.

“Follow me. We will head over to where the

Chief is.”

Toonka turned around and headed towards the

entrance first. He could hear Cale’s voice coming
from behind him.

“What’s the problem?”

Toonka hesitated for a moment before opening

his mouth.

It was something that Chief Harol was supposed

to talk about with Cale, but it wouldn’t make a
difference even if he was told ahead of time.

“After the Imperial Prince made his speech, the

Empire sent the Whipper Kingdom a secret
correspondence.”

‘What?

The Empire’s Imperial Prince sent the Whipper

Kingdom a secret correspondence?’

Cale, who had been busy meeting the Dwarves

and Bears and completing other preparations
after the Imperial Prince’s speech, frowned at
this news he heard for the first time.

‘Why did the bastards who declared war on the

Whipper Kingdom suddenly send them a secret
correspondence?’

Creak.

The door opened. Toonka could not see Cale nor

his subordinates and looked straight forward as
he stepped out and responded.

“The Empire offered a proposal.”

Commander Toonka currently felt angry and

frustrated.

Cale recalled the Toonka from the past who

would smash everything to pieces and never
looked back as he ran off. He liked that kind of
Toonka.

Unfortunately, Toonka couldn’t act as he used to

in the past due to his current circumstances.
Suppressing his frustration, Toonka informed
Cale about the current situation.

“The Empire stated that they loved peace and

that we should surrender Maple Castle if we
didn't want to see everyone in the Whipper
Kingdom die.”

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‘Ha!’

Cale could not believe it.

The Imperial Prince of the Empire had instilled a

sense of pride in the hearts of his people as by
stating that they would fight a fair and just war.
While playing the part of the proud Imperial
Prince up front, he was splaying out negotiations
and threats behind the scenes.

But was that bad?

‘Not at all. In fact, he is doing very well.’

Blood is shed during war.

People die.

Under such circumstances, it was clever of the

Empire to demand the return of Maple Castle
through threats or conciliation or whatever, as
opposed to war.

Perhaps it was a wise move to use the position

of the Empire.

‘Furthermore, Toonka and the Whipper Kingdom

are known as loners.’

The loners of the Western continent.

It made it easier for the Empire to covertly

pressure the Whipper Kingdom who was known
to be the loner.

As such, Cale couldn’t help but be wary of

Imperial Prince Adin.

If it was crown prince Alberu of the Roan

Kingdom, he wouldn’t act as Adin had done.

‘Alberu keeps his promises to his people.’

If the people were told that they would be

fighting fairly, that is what he would have done.

This was the reason Cale thought Alberu was

the most similar yet different from him.

It was also the reason why Imperial Prince Adin

was similar to crown prince Alberu, but
ultimately different as well.

This made Cale feel uncomfortable with Adin.

Adin’s resemblance to crown prince Alberu

meant that Adin was somewhat similar to Cale
as well.

So, Cale started to speak as he stared at

Toonka’s back.

“And?”

Return Maple Castle.

It didn’t end with just that.

It wouldn’t end with just that.

The Empire’s pride and ambition wouldn’t let

them just stop with Maple Castle.

If that was the case, why would Toonka be

worrying and talking so wearily?

Toonka scoffed and answered Cale’s question.

“They want 100,000 people of the Whipper

Kingdom for 80 years.”

“…What?”

‘They wanted what?’

This time, even Cale struggled to understand

immediately. There was something that came to
mind, but it was difficult to confirm that as the
answer.

“Harol will explain it to you. Follow me.”

Toonka walked out the door.

Cale followed suit with a sense of foreboding.

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The Empire wanted 100,000 people from the

Whipper Kingdom for 80 years.

‘Why does this sound like the Empire wants the

power to use 100,000 Whipper Kingdom people
as slaves for 80 years?’

Cale followed Toonka out of the basement and

sternly started to speak.

“Let’s get to Harol quickly.”

Cale had to meet Chief Harol more than

anything right now.

Cale followed Toonka out and looked around the

Whipper Kingdom’s central palace.

‘It looks more extravagant than Roan’s palace.’

Unlike the sparkling exterior, the interior had a

completely different feeling.

‘It’s pretty empty.’

There weren’t many people around.

Furthermore, those who came and went did not
have happy expressions.

Cale, who was currently disguised as a priest,

looked around the royal palace, which was the
center of the Whipper Kingdom, and noticed the
surrounding atmosphere.

‘There’s a sense of defeat all around even before

the fight.’

Why was it like this?

Although Cale couldn’t tell what kind of

atmosphere surrounded the soldiers and
warriors because they weren’t in the central
palace, he noticed that the government officials,
knights, and guards all gave off and air of defeat
from their expressions.Human, it feels like we
already lost! Why is everyone’s faces like that?

‘That’s what I’m saying.’

Cale felt that something was off. He glanced at

Choi Han who was beside him. Choi Han, whose
appearance was hidden with a robe, was also
looking around at his surroundings.

Seeing this kind of atmosphere is probably a first

for him.

There was a mood that made everything seem

like it was limp and sinking.

Cale recalled that mood and asked Toonka, who

was in front of him, a question.

“How many people know about that

correspondence?”

“About 2 or 3 people other than our side.”

Our side.

Those words referred to the natives who were

the initial members of the non-mage faction with
Toonka and Harol, which were namely his close
subordinates.

‘Ha!’

Cale finally realized what was going on.

‘Those people passing us by with an air of

helplessness aren’t the people on Toonka’s side.’

Cale started to speak.

“It seems that there aren’t many of those that are

on our side at the central palace.”

Toonka hesitated for a moment and then

answered.

“…Correct. As expected, you’re very smart.”

‘Smart? More like it’s just obvious.’

It was only then that Cale noticed all the people

glancing furtively at Toonka while passing by.
There was a mixture of discontent, dread, and
fear in their eyes.

Toonka’s continued to speak.

“This central palace is where the royal family

stays.”

The Whipper Kingdom was still a monarchy.

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Toonka and the non-mage faction tore down the

Magic Tower and emerged as influential people
in the kingdom.

However, the royal family remained the same, as

well as the royal family’s faction of the nobles,
and the government officials within the kingdom.

Cale had arrived at the innermost part of the

central palace before he even realized it.

There were no more passersby around them.

In addition, there were familiar-looking warriors

everywhere.

This place could be clearly felt as ‘Toonka’s

place’.

“This is the operations room.”

Toonka stood in front of the operations room.

However, there were native citizen warriors
glancing at Toonka as they stood by both sides
of the door.

Toonka asked the warriors a question.

“What is it?”

“Commander, it’s just that…”

One of the warriors looked at Cale and hesitated,

unable to answer. Toonka, who saw this, knitted
his brows as he forcefully opened the door.

Click.

He was still the hot-tempered, unhesitating

Toonka. Thanks to him, Cale could hear the
voices past the open door.

“Chief Harol, why are you rejecting the Empire’s

offer?”

It was not a familiar voice.

Toonka stopped in front of the open door. Cale

could see Chief Harol as well as his advisors
through the gap, confronting someone who was
wearing a crown and surrounded by knights.

The person wearing the crown and speaking, the

one who just spoke was the king of the Whipper
Kingdom.

Cale recalled the Whipper Kingdom.

While the citizens were used as experimental

guinea pigs in the Magic Tower and the
kingdom’s people were heavily taxed and
treated as slaves, the Whipper Kingdom’s royal
palace quietly spectated from the sidelines as
they reaped the benefits given by the Mage
faction.

The Whipper Kingdom became rich from the

magic items created from the only Magic Tower
on the continent.

Unlike the citizens of the Whipper Kingdom who

suffered from poverty, the Whipper Kingdom’s
royal family lived a more affluent life than ever
before.

The king, who ruled the royal palace and the

kingdom, flinched when he saw Toonka.
However, he quickly turned away from Toonka
and looked at the Chief Harol.

“Chief Harol! Say something!”

While the Whipper Kingdom’s royalty watched

the Mage faction from the sidelines, they also
did not suppress the Anti-mage faction when
they appeared.

That was why the non-mage faction kept the

royal family intact after taking down the Magic
Tower.

The Whipper Kingdom’s king never stepped in to

manage the affairs of his kingdom.

That king raised his voice when he heard of the

Empire’s invasion. He shouted at Harol with a
desperate look on his face.

“We’re finished if the Empire attacks us!”

We’re finished.

Chief Harol bit his lips at the statement. It was to

prevent himself from bursting into laughter.

The ‘we’ that the king spoke of was the royal

family and the powerful elites at his disposal.

The people of the Whipper Kingdom were not

included in that ‘we’.

Harol was surer about that than anyone else.

That was why he kept his eyes on the king even
though he was aware of Toonka and Cale’s
party.

“Your majesty, the Empire does not just want

Maple Castle.”

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The king and the royal faction said that they

should accept the Empire’s offer.

“Your majesty, isn’t there another demand that

the Empire made in that correspondence?”

Chief Harol glanced at Cale and continued to

speak. He recited the offer proposed by the
Empire.

“Maple Castle must be returned and a portion of

the Whipper Kingdom’s land surrounding that
area must be included. In addition, the Whipper
Kingdom must provide free manpower to
develop the recently devastated Maple Castle
and the surrounding area, as well as the portion
of land that will be given to the Empire from this
offer.”

Cale gulped.

However, Harol was not finished.

“The work force is to be solely made up of the

Whipper Kingdom’s citizens, numbering 100,000
people, and the kingdom must fulfill this quota
yearly for 80 years to promote the development
of the land.

Cale closed his eyes.

Raon’s voice echoed through his head.Human!

Isn’t that just saying the Whipper Kingdom’s
citizens will do all the work while they get all
the benefits?

‘Exactly.’

To demand that the Whipper Kingdom provide

100,000 of its able-bodied people yearly to
work free of charge for 80 years was basically
demanding them to send 100,000 people to the
Empire to become slaves for 80 years.

Harol’s voice was heard again.

“Your majesty, don’t you understand what this

means?”

The king flinched before speaking with a calm

expression. He had steeled himself before
coming to look for Toonka and Harol.

Of course, he was only able to do this because

he believed they would not kill the king right
now. He spoke calmly and with a majestic
demeanor.

“I support the non-mage faction.”

He then continued with a tight expression.

“I would accept the Empire’s offer.”

Harol started to frown.

‘I should have killed him earlier!’

Harol should have killed him when he tore down

the Magic Tower. He had kept him alive because
he didn’t want to cause any more chaos.

Now that time has passed, he couldn’t kill the

king so carelessly. If he revolted against the king
and killed him in the face of war, the people of
the Whipper Kingdom, who should come
together and fight against the Empire, would be
shaken.

Harol swallowed his anger and spoke.

“…Your majesty, no matter how you look at it,

demanding a hundred thousand people to labor
as such is basically making them slaves, isn’t
that so?”

The king exclaimed with astonishment.

“Slaves?! Isn’t the Empire simply requesting for a

temporary labor force? If we just accept that
offer, we can live.”

‘Ha.’

Harol was stunned.

80 years was temporary? And that didn’t make

them slaves?

Harol found the king, who knew the Empire’s

intentions yet feigned ignorance, despicable.

Even during the time when the mage faction and

the non-mage faction were fighting, the king
feigned ignorance and fully immersed himself in
protecting himself.

Chief Harol, couldn’t help but raise his voice.

“Your majesty, where will you find those

100,000 people?!”

Exactly who was he planning to send to the

Empire to become slaves?

The king answered immediately as Harol

shouted.