The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 32

“What did you say!? You insolent brat!”

Dave roared as he desperately swung his sword with brute force.

Having perfectly anticipated Dave’s movements and the path of his blade, Raul counterattacked, swinging his sword to deflect the greatsword.

Clang!

Although Raul’s sword shattered upon the direct collision, it managed to slightly throw Dave’s arms, still clutching his weapon, into the air.

Seizing the fleeting moment of vulnerability, Raul didn’t miss his chance.

Swoosh—thwack!

Like a swift swallow diving, Raul plunged into Dave’s embrace, his clenched fist soaring to neatly send Dave’s chin flying.

“Ugh!”

Raul, with his head swirling, followed the staggering Dave to deliver the final blow.

“Take a good rest!”

Infusing his fist with mana, Raul struck a heavy blow to the temple, causing Dave to lose consciousness and his body to noisily roll across the hall, sprawling against the wall.

“The verdict, referee?”

Raul, dusting off his hands, inquired as Haphael called out with a reluctant voice.

“Victory to Raul. This duel is declared a win for Raul’s side.”

Silence ensued.

No cheers or sighs were heard, as everyone stood dumbfounded while Raul, alone, picked up the shattered remains of his sword and headed back to the stage.

“Such a pity. It was quite a favored sword.”

“Well done.”

Philip bowed slightly, speaking calmly.

“It’s nothing. By the way, Philip, once this is all over, make sure to secure that last fellow I faced. Seems like he carries the mark of the Empire.”

Philip visibly flinched at Raul’s words, then nodded.

“I did think his movements were unnaturally stiff for his level.”

Raul, receiving a new sword handed by Pierce, turned to look at the vampires and muttered to himself.

“Now, let’s see what happens next.”

* * *

Baron Zender couldn’t believe the reality before his eyes.

His proud eldest son was a Sword Expert.

Though he had resorted to some minor underhanded methods and had not been at that level for even a year, he was still an Expert.

So why was a 15-year-old kid standing unharmed, and his own son rolling on the ground?

“This is absurd. That brat must have cheated! It’s invalid, this is invalid!”

He shouted like a madman for a moment, but no one responded.

And in that silence, Baron Zender sobered up.

‘Oh no, if this ends like this, I’m doomed!’

There was no other choice but to somehow get the documents stamped.

Some might wonder why go through such lengths over mere documents.

But to some, certain documents could be worth much more than their face value.

‘I need to hold onto those documents. Only then can I rely on the support from Viscount Jayden or Count Randal’s Household!’

In the hands of the powerful, even the most fraudulent documents could work wonders.

Holding the documents would ensure his family couldn’t easily harm him.

With this in mind, Baron Zender yelled out.

“Snatch the seal from the brat right now! What are you doing? Attack, all of you!!”

Hesitant at first, Baron Zender’s vampire associates also shouted in desperation.

“We’re all in this together! Strike!”

Finally, dozens of guards and soldiers, armed and ready, started advancing towards Raul.

Noticing their approach, Raul let out a wry smile.

‘As expected, it comes to this.’

After issuing a certain command through guild communication, Raul drew his new sword.

“Shall we mingle for a bit, then?”

“I’ve been waiting for that word!”

At Raul’s words, Jake excitedly brandished his sword, eager to charge towards the enemies. But others had moved before him. With a rush, they positioned themselves.

“No one shall pass through here!”

“We’ll protect the young master with our lives!”

Around twenty individuals blocked the path in front of the podium, swords drawn towards the enemies.

‘This is quite unexpected,’ Raul thought, scratching his cheek at the sudden appearance of these individuals. They were none other than the servants who had been carrying tea and dishes just a moment ago!

Clang! Clang!!

“Do not falter! We must not let them through!!”

“These vile creatures! They shall not lay a finger on the young master!”

Surprisingly, the servants did not retreat under the attack of knights and soldiers. If anything, they might have had the upper hand if numbers were equal. Moreover, these servants were mostly teenagers or in their county twenties. Even though expert-level knights hadn’t joined the fray yet, it was no less remarkable. Raul, examining their information analytically, seemed to realize something and smiled.

‘Ah, it seems I’ve stumbled upon a treasure unexpectedly.’

Just then, Baron Zender, enraged to the point of fury, shouted, “You lowlifes!! After feeding and sheltering you when you had nowhere to go, this is how you repay us! With betrayal, repaying kindness with ingratitude!!”

In response, one of the servants retorted loudly.

“Ha! Speaking of kindness, who swindled the donations meant for us, you highway robber!”

“Indeed, how shameful of us to have resented the Count’s family, not knowing the truth. Had it not been for the young master, we might have continued this absurd servant life!”

With voices full of anger, the servants condemned the baron. Their true identity was that of ‘Kingdom Academy cadets’, recommended by the Count of Ashton. Those who performed well in the adulthood tournament typically underwent basic training before securing a chance to enroll in the Kingdom Academy. The Count’s family not only provided recommendation letters but also supported their academy fees.

However, the problem arose during vacation periods. The capital and the Count Ashton’s territory were too far apart. Many supported cadets wished to stay at the academy, but during vacations, the dormitories closed. Intended to provide lodging and training expenses in the capital residence, the baron embezzled all these funds.

On top of that, using accommodation fees as an excuse, he exploited them as servants, pocketing the actual servant hiring expenses as well.

“In some ways, it’s quite remarkable. Scraping together everything, filling his pockets. He certainly had the skills to be entrusted as a steward,”

Jake remarked, clicking his tongue. Raul agreed, “Yes, he must not have been like this when he first became the steward. Ultimately, it’s like putting the cat in charge of the fish, really.”

“But what should we do now? If those guys really get involved, the kids might get badly hurt.”

“Don’t worry. It’s about time for our arrangement to shine.”

“What do you mean?” Jake tilted his head in confusion, but Raul merely smiled.

And right when Baron Zender was deliberating whether to deploy his secret weapon, Raul’s strategic planning shone brilliantly.

Boom!! Shrieks and crashes!

“Make way! Who dares to block our path!!”

The mansion became chaotic outside, and some soldiers, pale as death, rushed to the baron and his kin. “What’s happening?”

“It’s, it’s a disaster! Out, outside!”

“Speak properly! We have hundreds of our forces outside, who would dare to attack?”

“It’s, it’s from the main family!”

“What!?”

Bang!!

The doors of the hall burst open, crushing a few soldiers beneath them.

“Who goes there? Who dares to brandish a weapon in the estate of Count Ashton!?”

A giant of a man, over 2 meters tall, with a blood-stained greatsword slung over his shoulder, bellowed loudly.

His voice was so powerful that the entire hall seemed to shake, and some soldiers covered their ears and stepped back.

The people inside the hall turned pale with shock upon recognizing him.

“Such an inhuman stature?”

“Are those the arms as thick as a man’s waist from the rumors?”

“It’s, it’s Young lord Dylan!”

“Why is the heir of the Ashton household here!?”

The one who had kicked the door open was none other than Dylan de Ashton, Raul’s older brother!

Dylan crossed the hall as if nothing could stop him, and people unconsciously made way for him.

Following him were twenty knights clad in brilliant golden armor.

It was the Golden Bear Knight Order.

But naturally, not everyone was quick to react.

A guard, caught off guard by Dylan’s presence, instinctively drew his sword.

…

Dylan came to a halt, his gaze briefly lowering to identify the cause of obstruction and in the next moment—

Bang!!

Thud!

With a casual backhand, Dylan not only shattered the knight’s sword but also sent him flying through the air.

The knight crashed through the wall of the hall more than 5 meters away and vanished outside.

‘Good heavens.’

‘The kingdom’s top physical monster indeed!’

‘Is that even humanly possible?’

The crowd instinctively took a step back.

As if nothing had transpired, Dylan casually resumed walking toward the podium, finally locking eyes with Raul.

“Little brother~~~!”

All semblance of ferocity vanished as Dylan dropped his greatsword and spread his arms wide, rushing to embrace Raul tightly.

“My brother! Are you hurt anywhere? No one’s been bothering you, right? Have you been eating well?”

Lifting Raul into the air, Dylan spun him around, checking him over for any injuries.

Dangling in the air like a puppet, Raul finally regained his senses and gently tapped Dylan’s hands, saying, “Brother~ I’m getting dizzy. Let’s talk down here!”

“Huh?”

Only then did Dylan notice Raul’s slightly pale face, hurriedly setting him down and laughing awkwardly.

“Ha-ha. Right, you’ve grown a bit during these two months. But your body, what’s that about? As a man, you should aim to have splendid muscles like your brother here!”

As Dylan flexed his arm, his bicep swelled as though air was pumped into it, seemingly as thick as Raul’s waist.

‘My father might be a monster, but physically, my brother seems out of human boundaries. The problem is…’

“Um, brother. You didn’t travel all the way here like that, did you?”

It was only then mentioned, Dylan was bare-chested, wearing only a cloak over his shoulders.

His muscles, so well-defined they seemed more beastly than human, fully commanded everyone’s attention.

Such a physique inevitably caused a mix of intimidation and defeat among men.

“Eh? Why bother with clothes? Besides, being in the capital, it’s only right that as many people as possible witness this perfect body, right brother?”

‘Good heavens.’

Raul felt his head throb at the thought of the heir to the Ashton estate walking topless around the capital.

Sigh.

Patting Raul’s head, who was visibly troubled, Dylan spoke.

“A man should be bold. If you, Raul, had a wonderful body like mine…”

Turning around, Dylan glared at the nobility trying to avoid his gaze and continued.

“Would those damned curs dare to draw their weapons?”

While his logic was peculiar, Raul couldn’t deny there was some truth in his brother’s words.

(To be continued)