The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 102

“So, Raul, are you saying that you originated from ‘Earth’ just like the outsiders and were reincarnated here after losing your life?”

“Yes, and in the process, I regressed to the past,” Raul explained his past to Rabel and Caldenas without holding back.

He didn’t want to hide the truth from those who had become intertwined with his fate.

With a lot to do in the future when encountering players, he didn’t want to keep repeating explanations like excuses to them.

Then, why did he reveal it now instead of from the beginning? It was such an unbelievable story, even Raul himself wasn’t confident in it.

It was only after confirming the appearance of the players as he remembered and the normal operation of the Connect system that he decided to reveal the truth.

“Now that I’ve heard this, it all makes sense. The information in the Connection Cafe, it wasn’t prophecies about the future, but rather events Raul experienced sorted out,” Rabel realized.

Rabel had thought of the Connect system as something concrete, embodying the power of God. But it turned out that the humans from Earth were tools to access this Connect world.

From Rabel’s perspective, who had thought of Raul as an envoy of God, it was a shocking revelation. However, just for a moment.

‘When you think about it, it’s not entirely wrong, right? It doesn’t make sense for an ordinary human to experience regression and reincarnation. He must have received a clear blessing from God!’

Rabel was convinced. That Raul was reincarnated here to meet her was definitely not a coincidence. Caldenas, who had been deeply lost in thought, seemed to have a similar idea.

“It’s a story that’s hard to believe readily. But one thing is certain, Raul, there must be a reason behind your reincarnation,” Caldenas spoke with a tone tinged with regret.

“Maybe, like me, there might come a moment where you have to make a certain choice, Raul. Those who possess extraordinary power inevitably bear corresponding responsibilities. The crucial thing is that when faced with that moment of choice, you have to make the decision based on no one else but your own will. And to do so, you have to become stronger. Those who are not strong can only be swayed by their surroundings.”

Looking back at the long years spent bound in the seal, Caldenas pondered whether that was truly his own will. Humanity in crisis. The few chosen humans who can prevent it.

At the time, he believed it was his will. A noble sacrifice for the peace of humanity. But now he couldn’t be sure. Perhaps he hadn’t made the decision driven by the lack of other alternatives.

Or maybe it was just self-justification disguised as a sense of righteousness. If only he had the power back then. If he had the power to reverse that irrational choice, would the outcome have been slightly different?

“It’s all in the past anyway.”

His regretful eyes turned to Raul. A young man filled with determination and overflowing potential. It seemed like he was looking at his past self. And perhaps that’s why he didn’t want this young man to tread the same path as him.

He hoped that he could face the injustices and absurdities of the world without being swept away, and break through confidently. There was a newfound strength in Caldenas’s gaze.

* * *

After Raul revealed the past, Rabel and Caldenas began to act more actively. Rabel spent most of his time during the day gathering information from Earth and the internet.

“It’s truly amazing. A sea of information connecting the whole world! I can’t even imagine what we could do with this.”

“The scientific technology on Earth is really fascinating. It would be great if we could utilize it here as well.”

Curious like a fairy, Rabel gathered and studied various information through the internet. Sometimes, he would ask Raul about things he didn’t understand, fueling his passion for learning.

“I thought I would be interested in the diverse cultures and dazzling sights on Earth, but I was wrong.”

Raul reflected on the fact that he had underestimated Rabel based on her appearance alone. Although she looked cute and pretty on the outside, she was a sage who had endured thousands of years in the library.

Raul couldn’t even imagine how vast the knowledge and wisdom she had gained from all those years of reading and learning. Having endured hardships over the years, he hoped to take it easy now. So, he asked subtly if taking it easy would be alright.

“Don’t worry, I’m doing this because I enjoy it. With a little research, I might be able to help Raul. Even if Raul can’t go to Earth, there might be a way to get revenge on those bastards using the internet. Doesn’t that sound promising?”

Rabel was overflowing with enthusiasm, and there was no way to dampen it. The training sessions with Caldenas became much more rigorous.

If it felt like he had just been going through the motions of training before, now Caldenas actively began teaching swordsmanship. As evidence of this, Caldenas formally took Raul as his disciple.

He was a figure who had contributed to the development of swordsmanship in prestigious families of the Ruben Kingdom, including the Ashton household. Naturally, he knew the strengths and weaknesses of swordsmanship well.

“Ashton household’s swordsmanship is undoubtedly excellent. The destructive power utilizing the two-handed greatsword can be considered the best among the kingdom’s swordsmanship. However, a swordsmanship that is too one-sided will gradually reveal its shortcomings as it reaches higher levels.”

Surprisingly, Caldenas personally demonstrated the Ashton Viscount’s swordsmanship, ‘Bear Crush,’ as he explained.

“The reason why Bear Crush has become a great swordsmanship is because of the exceptional physical abilities of your family. It allows you to execute movements that would normally be impossible for ordinary people. However…”

He said firmly as he planted his two-handed sword into the ground.

“It’s not suitable for you.”

“….”

Raul knew it too. Just by looking at his father, Count Melvin, and his older brother, Dylan, he could tell. Their physical abilities exceeded those of ordinary humans. And unfortunately, Raul’s body could never reach their level no matter how hard he trained.

“I’m not telling you to abandon the family’s swordsmanship. It’s practically in your blood. But using it in its current state may torture and damage your body, potentially even leading to your downfall.”

Raul bit his lip. It was a problem he was actually feeling these days. While he had reached the level of an Expert in terms of understanding mana, his physical progress had almost come to a halt.

Although he was trying to compensate for the lack through mana assistance and enhancement techniques, he felt the limits.

Caldenas grabbed Raul’s shoulder and spoke firmly.

“Let me pass down my swordsmanship to you. Since our roots are the same, your progress will be quick. And someday, when you reach the level of mastery, you might be able to refine your family’s swordsmanship to suit yourself. What do you say?”

“Thank you. I’ll do my best, Master.”

And so, Raul set aside the Bear Crush he had mastered so far and began to delve into a new swordsmanship. Although he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret, in a way, it was a tremendous opportunity.

Without saying it himself, Caldenas was undoubtedly a master surpassing masters. To have him personally pass down his swordsmanship, how could one possibly have any complaints?

Even though his swordsmanship proficiency had been reset from Intermediate Level 8 to Level 1, it didn’t mean he had regressed in skill.

Caldenas’ swordsmanship was known as the ‘Infinity Sword,’ characterized by endlessly connecting and changing sword forms. As Raul had already been unfolding his swordsmanship in a similar manner, it matched him well, which was likely why Caldenas had recommended it.

However, it was natural for Caldenas not to be impressed by Raul’s skill.

“Don’t obsess over connecting sword forms too much. Keep unfolding it repeatedly, and at some point, you’ll naturally find the way forward for your sword. Right now, just focus on feeling the flow and understanding it.”

With Caldenas’ timely advice and demonstration, along with physically guiding Raul through Regnator, progress was bound to be swift.

* * *

In the morning, he handled estate affairs, in the afternoon, he conquered dungeons and gates on the outskirts of the estate.

Then, in the evening, he trained with Caldenas in the secret training ground beneath the Lord’s Castle, and at night, he briefly conversed with Rabel before drifting off to sleep.

This had been Raul’s daily routine for almost a month. As the estate expanded, the workload he needed to focus on increased.

However, by appropriately arranging deputy lords and managers, the workload had significantly decreased compared to the beginning, and soon it would run smoothly even in Raul’s absence.

The gates and dungeons needed to be managed consistently. Estate guards patrolled regularly to check for any new gates appearing to prevent unnecessary dungeons from increasing.

Managing dungeons was essential at the gate level as closing a dungeon required much more time and effort. For dungeons that generated income or were rich in resources, raid teams were organized mainly by guild members.

Unlike gates, dungeons had free access and no restrictions on the number of entrants. After a certain amount of time, the monsters would regenerate, and the same was true for the guardians.

Within the dungeon existed something called the “Subjugation Gauge,” which would fill up as one repeatedly dealt with monsters and guardians. Upon defeating the final boss, the “Dungeon Administrator,” the dungeon would be destroyed.

Therefore, in lucrative dungeons, players intentionally avoided dealing with guardians or managed the subjugation intervals to prevent the gauge from filling up.

Of course, there was always the risk of an “Outbreak” in dungeons left dormant for a long time; however, for the time being, such events were prevented by difficulty adjustments.

Raul would conquer dungeons and gates whenever time allowed, to increase his level and proficiency. However, as his level exceeded 80, it became inefficient to tackle gates or dungeons.

It was a situation that had to be endured until higher-grade gates appeared.

Clink.

Kane entered the study. Setting down the stack of documents he brought on the desk, he reported, “Here is the list of outsiders you requested, Master. We’ve completed investigations on everyone except for 17 out of the 2,000 individuals who visited in the first and second weeks.”

New players were being added at weekly intervals. As a month had passed, they were already in the third intake.

“We’ve checked all the connections from the free city ‘Ignit’ in the Marcus Kingdom, without missing anyone,” Kane added proudly.

“Good job. You’ve worked hard dispatching operatives and managing them even from afar,” Raul acknowledged.

“It’s just something that needs to be done. Compared to before, we have sufficient budget and support, so it’s enjoyable to work. Hahaha.”

After exchanging a few more words, Kane left the study. Raul took a deep breath and focused on the report Kane had brought, containing information that had piqued his curiosity for a long time.

“Phew. This is nerve-wracking.”

According to the information written here, Raul’s plans were about to reach a turning point. With a pounding heart, he calmly began to read through the report to see which path he would take.