The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 39

Throughout the carriage ride, Raul was lost in thought.

He had anticipated an update at some point, but couldn’t pinpoint when.

Even though he was in a rush, preparations were still far from complete.

He had been given a time frame of just one month.

It was a period that could be considered both short and long.

‘An update doesn’t mean things will explode right away. But if I miss this chance, my plans could be significantly delayed. I need to hurry.’

There was a limited time to monopolize the scenario and reap the benefits before other players entered the fray.

How he utilized this time would determine his choices moving forward.

‘First, I need to raise the guild level, right? I need to expand the guild members and visit the academy library… But when should I visit the other Free Cities?’

Raul gripped his head and screamed internally.

There was too much to do and not enough time.

Eventually, Raul spent the entire night planning and organizing.

* * *

In a well-ordered room that appeared to be someone’s office, a man was seen resting his chin on his antique-looking desk.

The room, darkened by drawn curtains, was illuminated by magic lamps and lanterns, and the silver mask covering the man’s face shone eerily under the flickering light.

“Let’s begin.”

As the man’s slightly raspy voice echoed, voices emerged from nine crystal orbs laid out on the table.

“Let’s start with the royal situation. Aside from regular meetings, the King has not been seen in the past week…”

“The Sword Saint did not attend his grandchild’s entrance ceremony. Instead, the principal…”

“The Marquis McNeil…”

These individuals were agents of the Empire’s intelligence agency, the Imperial Hounds, specifically the leadership of the hounds operating within the Ruben Kingdom.

The figures in the glowing orbs were also wearing different masks, making it difficult to discern their identities.

From the nine crystal orbs, a cascade of information regarding significant events in the Ruben Kingdom since the last meeting was reported.

The man, known as ‘Silver Zero’, unfolded his arms from his chin as the reports concluded and said,

“This morning, an order came from the headquarters. In exactly one month, the grand plan begins.”

“Finally!”

“Things are going to get busy.”

At Silver Zero’s words, the figures in the orbs cheered. They had been preparing in the darkness for a long time, and the moment to reap the rewards was approaching.

Bang!

“There’s no need for a fuss! We’ve only started the first phase, so don’t forget that your roles are becoming more important.

As Zero slammed his hand on the desk, the agents closed their mouths and nodded sternly.

“Agent 7. Have you finished investigating the matter with the Mira?”

“The initial investigation is complete, but the accuracy is lacking. Access to the site was difficult due to both the Mira and the kingdom taking great precautions.”

“And your conclusion?”

“It seems certain that the Randal Family was involved.”

“What a joke. There was no movement at all from the Randal Family’s main house. Are you expecting me to believe that those exiled to Mira managed to take down one of our branches?”

Agent 4, assigned to the Randal Marquis, shouted with a flushed face, but Agent 7 shook his head.

“Given the exposed situation, there’s no doubt. The Randal side in Mira made their move that day, they announced the subjugation, and the magical equipment embedded with power armor and tracking spells clearly point to them as the culprits.”

“But to think they could accomplish such a feat with their known strength!”

“Enough!”

Though Agent 4’s anger peaked, Zero intervened.

‘Is there anything unusual besides Randal?”

“At that time, the youngest of the Ashton county had also made a move. However, it wasn’t on our side, but against another hideout, according to reports…”

Zero tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought, before asking, “The possibility of them working together is almost none, right?”

“That seems to be the case.” From their investigation, such a scenario was nearly impossible.

Eliminating one possibility, Zero inquired further, “Any other clues?”

“Well, it’s not exactly clear, but there was talk that one of our spies might have spotted someone resembling ‘Gray’ at the time.”

“Gray, you say?” A peculiar image popped into Zero’s mind, and after a brief moment of consideration, he quickly came to a conclusion.

“For now, let’s stop the investigation here. With the big plan about to start, there’s no need to dwell on minor issues.”

“So, what level of response should we take?”

“In an ideal situation, we would hold the Randal household accountable, but we lack the resources for that. Let’s just issue a warning to the kin of the Randals involved in the incident as a conclusion.”

“I’ll proceed accordingly.” Now, in the households of the three cousins from the Randal household, a series of both major and minor incidents would begin to unfold.

And in time, they would undoubtedly face retribution.

“What about the academy matter? Wasn’t Jamieson supposed to become the head prefect?”

The one to answer Zero’s query was Number 3, in charge of the McNeil Ducal family.

“There’s been a complication. Not Dalton, as we feared, but unexpectedly, the Ashton family’s youngest, Raul, has emerged.”

As Number 3 glared at Number 6, Zero inquired again, “Raul… Number 6, what happened?”

“To be honest, it’s difficult to say. Until last year, he was under no one’s radar, but this year, he suddenly began to stand out. It’s still within manageable limits, but predicting what he might be hiding is impossible.”

“Will it affect our ongoing operation?”

“I don’t believe it will disrupt the bigger picture. After all, he’s only 15. Just a kid who’s barely reached adulthood. Plus, we intended to use him in the final phase, if at all, and we have alternatives if necessary.”

Zero, although nodding, felt slightly uneasy.

‘Raul. He seems to be popping up everywhere.’

But with the grand scheme unfolding, he couldn’t afford to pay too much attention to a 15-year-old.

“Keep an eye on Raul, Number 6. More importantly, we need to figure out ‘Gray’s’ reason for appearing at this juncture. Since accessing through the academy’s head prefect has failed, we need to plan our next move…”

After discussing a few more matters, Zero asked, “Number 8. How far have we come in tidying up the underworld?”

“One of the information guilds is giving us trouble, but we’re almost done. We’ll wrap it up before the grand plan starts.”

“Remember, one small variable can ruin the entire plan! We must be extra cautious in the next month to avoid any issues.”

However, they were unaware. They missed the small variable. The existence named Raul would turn out to be the biggest obstacle in their plan.

* * *

The next day, Raul rode the carriage to the academy as usual.

Though residing in the dormitory was the norm for students, exceptions always existed.

Nobles with houses in the capital could choose to commute.

Raul fully exercised his rights.

‘No need to be stuck in the dormitory when I have so much to do.’

Building friendships, romance, and club activities through dorm life were never in Raul’s mind.

He had enough of school life in his past life, and now, he had no leisure to seek the romance of his school days.

Therefore, Raul only enrolled in essential courses, scheduling them to be as condensed as possible.

As a result, he managed to secure an excellent schedule with classes only three days a week.

Stepping off the carriage and heading towards the main building, many people murmured upon seeing Raul.

“Is that guy the top incoming student? I heard he’s only 15, how did he manage to rank first?”

“Didn’t you see the video? This batch is filled with monsters, and that guy is no exception.”

“He’s also top in the written exam, right? Smart, skilled, good-looking… Truly, the gods are unjust!”

While some admired Raul for his grades and looks.

“A direct descendant of a prestigious family, huh? Damn, why bother with the academy at all if they’re just going to be pampered by their families? They don’t even need a diploma…”

“Hey, watch your words. If you offend the wrong faction, you’re going to make school life difficult for yourself.”

“Did I say something wrong? If I had access to elixirs and high-level swordsmanship training from a young age like they did, I’d already have been a knight and more.”

There were those who envied the lineage of others.

Raul, however, paid no mind to what others said. For him, life at the academy was merely a brief gate to pass through for a few necessities.

Upon reaching the entrance of the main building, a large notice board was displayed on both sides.

Although he had been notified late last night, the notice contained the results of the exam and the class assignments.

[Placement Exam Results and Class Assignment Notice]

-S-Rank (Rank 1~30)

1st Place: Raul de Ashton

2nd Place: Jamieson de McNeil

3rd Place: Dalton de Templeton

4th Place: …

As Raul confirmed the contents, a message indicating the completion of the placement exam scenario quest, along with rewards, appeared.

[Scenario Quest: Placement Exam]

Grade: D

Outcome: Succeeded in joining S-Rank, Achieved Top Incoming Student

Rewards: XP (Small), 500 Coins, ??? (Additional Reward)

The quest was graded D, suggesting it was not particularly difficult, and the XP and coin rewards were modest.

‘What’s the additional reward?’

He was slightly curious, but since it was only a D-Grade quest, he didn’t have high expectations.

The first day at the academy passed without incident.

The classes turned out to be of little benefit to Raul, as expected.

“Understanding Swordsmanship I,”

“Fundamentals of Mana Practice,”

“Beginner Weapon Skills,”

“History of the Ruben Kingdom I.”

The essential subjects were mostly basic courses, after all.

His classmates, perhaps intimidated by his family background and academic performance, didn’t make any attempts to approach him, and Raul, for now, remained equally disinterested.

Randal household’s Caleb, Dalton, Jamieson, and others seemed potential nuisances, so he merely familiarized himself with their faces and nothing more.

‘Let’s just keep it this way. I’d prefer being treated as if I don’t exist.’

Raul was quite satisfied with his day and was about to leave the classroom when someone came looking for him.

“Raul! Is Raul here?”

“I am Raul. What is it?”

The person appeared to be a staff member. He took out a small scroll of parchment and handed it to Raul, saying,

“This is regarding the privileges for the top incoming student. You can register at the library and the training ground by showing this. And Vice-Chancellor Alfredo Gray would like to see you. Could you visit the Vice-Chancellor’s office now?”

As soon as the staff member finished speaking,

– Additional Reward: [Meeting with the Great Sage Alfredo Gray] has been awarded.

A system message popped up, and a slight tension appeared on Raul’s face.

‘Why does this person want to see me?’

Alfredo Gray, a legendary figure, had never been met by Raul in his past life of 15 years; he only knew of him through rumors.

To meet in person with the historical figure who had led the allied forces against the empire was beyond what he had expected.

With a mix of anticipation and an inexplicable anxiety, Raul arrived at the Vice-Chancellor’s office.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

(To be continued)