The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 15

“Goodbye~”

With a click, the door closed.

Having seen off the last customer, Nakia stretched her arms out wide and began tidying up the shop.

“Lately, there have been more customers. Is it because of those people?”

The vials in the display case had significantly diminished. This could mean either that there were a lot of people falling ill, or that more people had the financial leeway to come buy remedies.

A month had passed since the people from Count Ashton’s household had arrived in Mira.

Despite being only about fifty people, the city had gradually come to life.

In the inner city, a massive construction project had begun, mobilizing people, and the count’s people, though not mercenaries, helped procure materials for each store or lent a hand with labor.

“They may be unusual, but they’re a welcome presence.”

She had received a great deal of help from them. Her shop was quite different from the usual stores.

She needed the kidney of a red-maned wolf, goblin nails, orc fangs, blood of various monsters, and other beast and monster by-products.

This was because Nakia’s profession was that of an ‘alchemist.’

Alchemists were explorers who synthesized various materials to create new substances. Nakia specialized in potion making among them.

Up until a month ago, it had been very difficult to procure materials since very few monsters ventured out of the Cursed Forest.

But the people from Count Ashton’s household somehow managed to find monsters daily and brought her their by-products.

At times, they brought so much she couldn’t afford to buy all of it, so they left the materials asking her to pay them back with the potions she made later.

And there was more. Every morning, when it was time to open the shop, Raul, the youngest noble of the Count Ashton’s household, would visit her personally. He would check if everything was alright overnight, if she needed anything, and chatted before leaving.

At first, she was wary, wondering if he had ulterior motives.

“Well, honestly, it’s not like I lack in looks anywhere I go.”

However, it soon became clear it was a misunderstanding. He visited other shops as well, engaging in similar conversations.

The clear fact was that he visited this shop every day.

It was a little thrilling for her.

Honestly, Raul was the most handsome and best-built of all the men she had encountered. His personality seemed good, and his manners were…

Snap!

Nakia patted her flushed cheeks lightly with both hands.

“Get it together. He’s just 15! That’s an 8-year difference with you! And he’s a noble!!”

Though he seemed like an odd noble, far from typical, there was no way a commoner like her could end up with him.

Click.

Locking the shop door and stepping onto the street, Nakia snapped out of her happy fantasy back to reality.

Like any ordinary girl, she dreamt of love, but her circumstances were far from ideal. For some reason, she couldn’t leave this city, and she had dear people to take care of.

Fortunately, thanks to unexpected kindness, her living conditions had improved recently, but there were still many challenges ahead.

“Niki~ Sister’s home!”

Arriving home, Nakia called out in a bright voice. However, strangely, there was no response.

“Is she sleeping?”

Her sick younger sister was so frail she couldn’t even walk around. She spent most of her day in bed, but she always made sure to be awake by the time Nakia returned.

Feeling slightly uneasy, Nakia hurried to the bedroom. And the moment she opened the door, her heart sank.

It was empty.

The bed where her sister always lay was completely bare, with only a small piece of paper placed on top.

“We’re taking your brother. If you want to save him, keep your mouth shut and wait for further instructions.”

Thud.

Nakia collapsed where she stood, her legs giving way.

‘Oh no, not that! That cannot happen!!’

She needed help.

Dragging her unwilling legs, Nakia rushed out of her house towards the city hall. But soon, she had to stop herself.

‘I can’t go to the city hall. The kidnappers might be watching me.’

The cold air made her mind clearer, and recent rumors came to mind.

– “Lately, there’s been a spike in abductions and disappearances. But all we hear from the city hall is that they’re ‘investigating,’ and no one seems to have returned.”

The Free City of Mira was renowned for its safety, but that was only true within the city limits.

For some unknown reason, the city guards never ventured outside the city.

So, when criminals escaped beyond its borders, most cases were handed over to mercenary or adventurer guilds, requiring an exorbitant amount of time to solve.

‘This can’t be happening! Niki could lose her life if she’s taken outside the city!!’

Suddenly, she remembered Raul’s face telling her to come to him if she ever faced any trouble.

Nakia resumed walking, her determination renewed.

* * *

“Nakia is headed towards the official residence,” came the message through the guild’s communication system.

Raul clenched his fist slightly.

Things were going as planned. Had she headed to the city hall, Raul would have had to act directly, which would have cost them precious time.

“All members, to your designated positions! Keep a strict watch on the marked target and report immediately if any variables arise. And knights, to my office now!”

After issuing orders, Raul activated the system.

‘Connect to the community!’

[Connecting to the community.]

Raul navigated through the expansive custom browser to enter the [Link] café, the only one of its kind.

The [Link] Cafe.

It was a private information café run by Bae Dohyun before his reincarnation, operating on a membership basis where only special members could access.

Bae Dohyun, being a highly popular star player, was able to gather information from numerous fans, his hired informants, and brokers.

It also served as a communication platform for solo rankers not affiliated with any guild, where hidden information was traded.

As a result, Bae Dohyun prided himself on having collected almost every piece of hidden information on Connect, making it a treasure trove of information.

But for some unknown reason, the [Link] Cafe remained untouched. For Raul, it was an unexpected windfall.

This allowed him to plan based on precise information rather than hazy and uncertain memories.

Raul focused on the ‘Free City of Mira’ tab in the café, looking closely at the quests listed.

‘Good. I’ve checked all the quests I can undertake. Now, the only thing left is to see if things will go as I’ve planned….’

He was fully prepared for what was to come.

“Nakia has arrived.”

The main character was here. Raul felt his heart race, wondering if he could really change her fate.

“Let her in.”

* * *

The mad alchemist. The witch starved for blood. The heretic of concoction. The breaker of taboos. These were all terms referring to one individual. Nakia, the owner of this formidable epithet, was an object of fear to all, regardless of whether they belonged to the Empire or the Kingdom. She would not hesitate to break taboos in her quest to develop new weapons, even using humans as test subjects. As a result, the Empire suffered greatly from her numerous creations of biochemical weapons, explosives, and biological armaments, while many in the Kingdom fell victim to her experiments. Moreover, the various healing and buff potions she provided to the Kingdom’s players were a significant headache for the Empire. It was said that for ten years, until she lost her life in a combined assault by the Empire’s three great demon generals and the player guild alliance, the damage she inflicted on the Empire surpassed that of the Kingdom itself. Her vengeance against the Empire was intense. Yet, the current Nakia was nothing more than a delicate girl, clinging to Raul and sobbing uncontrollably.

“Please help! Niki!! Niki!!!”

Raul embraced her, gently patting her back to soothe her for a moment before sitting her down on the sofa. Then, locking eyes with her, he spoke calmly.

“I’ll help you. Can you tell me everything from the beginning?”

Nakia’s emotions surged again at his kind words, but she bravely held back her tears and choked out,

“My sibling, Niki, has been kidnapped. They were definitely at home until two hours before I got off work. The neighbor lady was looking after them until then.”

Following Raul’s questions and her meticulous responses, Nakia pleaded,

“Please, you have to find Niki! Oh, the poor child. It’s all my fault… all because of me…”

Raul took her trembling hands in his and assured her,

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely find them. I even have a lead…”

“Really? Oh, please. I beg of you!”

Raul looked into her eyes, nodded, and stood up.

“I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything. Stay here and wait. Bernard here will assist you in the meantime.”

Bernard, who was standing by Raul’s side, slightly bowed to Nakia and added,

“If you need anything, please let us know. And madam, coming here was a wise choice. Our lord always keeps his word.”

* * *

As Raul left the room, Philip and Jake joined him.

“Pierce is making smooth progress in tracking. And Reynaldo, the mayor, has handed us the operation permit.”

Philip handed over the permit, and a quest message appeared upon Raul’s touch.

– Grade: D~B

– Objective: Raid the headquarters of an unidentified band of thieves.

Additional Objective: Destroy hidden bandit outposts in the forest and rescue hostages.

Description: An unidentified band of thieves is active in the forest surrounding the Free City of Mira. Mayor Reynaldo has commissioned the extermination of this band to stop them from disrupting trade and abducting citizens. Raid their headquarters to restore peace to the city.

Rewards: Large amount of experience points. Coins. Recognition from Mayor Reynaldo. ????

“Good. You’ve delivered the list of these rats as well, I presume?”

At Raul’s inquiry, Philip responded,

“Yes. The mayor was quite surprised. He says he’ll provide a separate reward later.”

The list Raul had handed over was a compilation of the names of spies from the band of thieves lurking within the city. Since arriving in the city, his subordinates had begun to monitor suspicious individuals, and using his own two eyes and the Connector Cafe to gather information, Raul had managed to identify the spies.

Having already invested a significant amount of money, Raul had no intention of leaving any risk factors unchecked before the final operation. Thus, he had handed over the list.

“Then let’s set off.”

Raul and the two knights mounted their horses and crossed the town. They needed to hurry if they were to catch up with Pierce, who was leading the way.

And as some individuals observed their figures, a few quietly began to move in the shadows.

(To be continued)