The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player 46

Chapter 46

Whirring.

An unknown magical pattern could be felt.

Raul concentrated mana in his eyes to look at the gate before him.

[F-Grade Dimensional Gate]

Total capacity: 300 people

Simultaneous entry limit: None

Current entry count: 0/300 people

Current stack: 0/2 stacks

Gate type: Subjugation

“Thankfully, the analysis holds up.”

Usually, the information one could get about a gate from the outside was limited to its rank.

The ranks were roughly divided into the spectrum of rainbow colors, starting with red for F rank, through to navy for A rank, and anything above S rank was black.

Thus, a gate emanating an ambiguous light made it difficult to determine its rank.

Moreover, apart from the rank, there was no way to know more about the gate until a few years later when gate analysis equipment would become available, aside from going in to check firsthand.

“This will be immensely useful.”

Thanks to the analysis, preparing to conquer the gate was clearly going to be much easier.

“Enter!”

As Raul gave the command, three members of the scout team were the first to go through the gate.

Following them, about 40 guild members, including Raul, entered the gate.

There was a brief period where everything seemed to go dark, as if losing sight, but in the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal, and they found themselves in front of a different forest than where they had started.

[Quest: F-Grade Dimensional Gate]

Rank: F

Objective: Subdue all monsters inside the gate

Time limit: None

Rewards: Experience points, Gold

A small quest window popped up on one side of their vision.

Seeing it, Raul couldn’t help but feel anew.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in a gate.”

Before he could indulge in reminiscence, Philip approached him with a report.

“Young master, all 45 members have safely entered.”

“Good, let’s not dawdle.”

The ones accompanying Raul were official members of the First Knight Order.

Purely affiliated with the guild were individuals like knights Philip, Jake, and Pierce, as well as the administrative director, Bernard.

The reason such an overwhelmingly excessive force was deployed for a mere F-Grade gate was singular.

“First, check the quest window on the right side of your vision. While the objective might be clear, be cautious because, in higher-rank gates, the objective might not be presented until after a reconnaissance. In gates that are not maze-like….”

This was to pass on how to use the system for conquering gates to the guild members.

Though they had already completed theoretical training, using it in practice was a whole other feeling.

“That’s enough for the explanation. Let’s wrap up quickly and move out.”

Following the command, the scouting team dispersed in all directions, and it wasn’t long before reports came in.

“Goblin sighting: 5 entities.”

“Goblin sighting: 7 entities.”

“Location believed to be a goblin village discovered. Approximately 50 goblins seem to be residing there.”

The reconnaissance was quick.

An elliptical field stretching roughly 2km in diameter, composed entirely of forest.

The monsters that appeared were the lowest grade goblin packs.

An unremarkable F-Grade Gate with nothing special about it.

And when Raul joined in, the roughly 240 goblins existing within the field were swept away in an instant.

-Gate clear conditions have been met.

-Quest completion rewards have been distributed.

-You will automatically return in 30 minutes.

-You can return at any time through a system command.

Raul chose to return without hesitation.

For now, at least, time was more precious than any spoils of battle.

Whish.

“Ah! You’re back!!”

Mercenaries controlling the area around the gate exclaimed in surprise.

Their astonishment was due to people appearing out of thin air without any prior sign.

As everyone, including Raul, evacuated, the ominous aura of the gate rapidly shrank until it became a small dot and then vanished into the air.

“Is it really gone?”

“Is it over?”

Mercenaries and onlookers murmured among themselves, but Raul paid them no mind and proceeded toward his mansion.

“What time is it?”

“The current time is 2:05 AM. It’s been about 30 minutes since you entered the gate.”

A knight waiting in the operations room informed him of the precise time, and Raul nodded after checking the system.

‘The timeline is unaffected. Then, there’s no need to hesitate.’

Raul reviewed the map in the operations room.

Excluding the royal inner city, there were a total of 50 red dots.

35 were F-Grade, 11 were E-Grade, and 4 were D-Grade.

“We’ll start a full-scale gate subjugation operation now!”

The original plan involved thorough training to synchronize the guild members and mercenaries before gradually tackling each gate.

However, the situation had changed.

There were more gates than expected, and the number of victims entangled was significant.

Fortunately, the difficulty of the gates didn’t seem much different from his past life.

Therefore, training was replaced with actual combat.

The operational goal was to first address the F-Grade gates, where most victims were reported.

Being their first actual combat, they safely divided into groups of 100, with 7 groups deployed initially and 3 groups kept in reserve.

Raul decided to stay in the operations room with Bernard to command the overall forces.

“I wish everyone good luck. Deploy!”

There was neither the luxury nor the inclination for speeches.

Following the command, the scout team members scattered in every direction, and soon reports started coming in. Raul dispatched his troops with a brief word. Tonight, perhaps some of them might get seriously injured, or even lose their lives. The burden and guilt of causing someone harm or death due to his commands weighed heavily on him. “But it’s unavoidable, isn’t it? I will encounter such situations countless times in the future.” Raul steadied his wavering heart, hoping earnestly for their safe return.

* * *

Josh. 21 years old. Class C mercenary. A prodigy. To briefly introduce myself, yes, that’s me. Wondering why I’m suddenly introducing myself? It’s because looking at those novice knights in front of me, my eyes sting with jealousy. They don’t look a day over 20, to be knights! Clearly, they must have been born to well-off parents, walking a path lined with roses, right?

I became a mercenary at the age of 18. My parents were tenant farmers, working on someone else’s land, and I had no desire to waste my life in the same way. Too ordinary a story, you say? Well, what of it! I proudly ran away from home and climbed from rank F to C in three years. Impressive, isn’t it? Ha, let’s not entertain the greenhorns.

Anyway, the reason I’m here among notable mercenaries, zoning out, is not unrelated to those young novice knights. Wouldn’t a kind-hearted noble offer mercenaries a chance to become knights, just like them? Without a second thought, I left my mercenary group.

Thanks to that, I’m here, but something feels off. Oh, is that noble climbing onto the dais now? He looks nothing like what I expected! Too handsome, perhaps? Is there an aura of holiness around his face?

And this smell. It’s unmistakable. The scent of a powerful being. I heard he was much younger than me, can you believe it?

I remember hearing about the Ashton count’s house. It was said to be an esteemed martial family once, though I’d never heard of them before. I thought maybe I was being scammed… but the moment I arrived at the manor, all worries were gone. A scammer wouldn’t own such a grand home, right? Plus, there’s a soft bed and fine meals. Long live the Ashton count’s household!

Lost in thought, it seems we’ve reached our destination. Something about a door and strategy, I honestly didn’t catch it. Just need to follow the crowd and show my worth when monsters appear, right?

Just watch. I’ll outshine those novice knights so much they won’t stand a chance!

Then, surely, I’ll get to wear that shiny armor, right?

But what’s that!? The door is swallowing people up?

Wait! Just a minute!! I’m not mentally prepared yet!

Aaaaah!!

* * *

“What an odd one.”

Jake chuckled.

The young man was trying so hard to look serious but turned his head back and, with tight, trembling lips, barely managed to cross the gate.

“Let’s see, Class C mercenary Josh. The young master told us to keep an eye on him.”

Jake slid the personnel file back into his inventory and stretched leisurely.

“Five goblins spotted.”

“Seven goblins spotted.”

“A location presumed to be a goblin village has been discovered. It seems to be inhabited by approximately 50 goblins.”

The reconnaissance was swift.

The field, roughly 2km in diameter and forested, was shaped like an ellipse.

The monsters that appeared were nothing more than the lowest-ranking goblin hordes.

It was an unremarkable, F-Grade Gate through and through.

And as Raul lent a hand, the roughly 240 goblins inhabiting the field were swiftly eradicated.

-The condition for clearing the gate has been met.

-Reward for quest completion has been granted.

-Will automatically return in 30 minutes.

-You can choose to return at any time through a system command.

Raul chose to return without hesitation.

Time was of the essence, more so than any loot could be at the moment.

Whooooosh.

“Ah! They’re back!!”

Mercenaries guarding the gate exclaimed in surprise.

Their astonishment was due to people appearing out of thin air without any prior indication.

As everyone, including Raul, emerged, the ominous aura of the gate rapidly diminished until it shrank into a tiny dot and disappeared into the void.

“Is it really gone?”

“Is it over?”

While the mercenaries and onlookers murmured amongst themselves, Raul paid them no mind and proceeded towards the mansion.

“What’s the time?”

“The current time is 2:05 AM. It’s been about 30 minutes since you entered the gate.”

A knight waiting in the operations room informed him of the exact time, and Raul checked the system and nodded.

‘No issues with the time warp. Then there’s no need to hesitate.’

Raul checked the map in the operations room.

Excluding the inner city where the royal palace was located, there were a total of 50 red dots.

35 were F-Grade, 11 were E-Grade, and 4 were D-Grade.

“We begin the full-scale gate subjugation operation now!”

The original plan entailed aligning the guild members and mercenaries through sufficient training and then gradually tackling each gate.

However, circumstances had changed.

The number of gates was greater than anticipated, and the victims involved were significant.

Fortunately, the difficulty of the gates didn’t seem to differ much from his previous life.

Thus, training was replaced with actual combat.

The operation’s initial target was the F-Grade gates, where most casualties had occurred.

For their first real combat, they divided into groups of 100, with 7 groups deployed first and 3 as reserve units.

Raul decided to stay in the operations room with Bernard, directing the overall force.

“Best of luck to all. Deploy!”

There was neither the time nor the inclination for speeches. There were still many mercenaries lined up to enter the gate.

Thanks to being under the care of a remarkable young master, I found myself in the unexpected role of a captain, something far beyond my fate.

Having grown tired of the rigid atmosphere of the knight order, I followed along with the idea of seeing the world, but who knew I’d rise to such success(?).

‘It is success, isn’t it? After all, I’m now a deputy knight commander with a hundred subordinates under my command.’

While I detest bothersome tasks, wearing the captain’s hat didn’t feel too bad after all.

Jake thought that he should stick closely to the young master in the future, since following him meant never being bored and always having plenty of money.

“Well, shall I also make my way in? Let’s get this over with quickly since it’s bothersome.”

With that, Jake and the second assault team entered the F-Grade gate.

* * *

“Uracha! Daha! Pasha!”

A young mercenary was going wild with bizarre yells of exertion.

By his side, five ‘Ratmen’— creatures with the heads of rats and the bodies of children—lay defeated.

‘Was his name Josh, I think?’

Jake nodded, seeing why the young master had told him to watch this one.

The mercenaries were divided into two types.

Those like Josh, who eagerly showed off their skills,

And those who would only move when given direct orders, content to keep their place.

There wasn’t a huge difference in skill. They were, after all, of similar ranks and had passed the selection test to enter.

But the contrast between the two types was undeniable.

What was more surprising was that all the individuals Raul had checked off belonged to the former.

‘The young master really has an eye for people.’

That’s why he gathered only those with promise to form guild members, right?

Anyway, Josh was definitely a cut above the rest.

It seemed like he hadn’t received systematic training, but his sword was filled with force.

He seemed to instinctively know where to swing his sword and how to move.

‘If he could only handle mana, he’d improve fast. His fighting style is exactly my type, and most of all….’

As Josh took down another Ratman, his eyes met Jake’s.

“Urachacha! Abiyo~!”

Josh leaped into the air with an exaggerated yell, dropping amongst a group of Ratmen.

“Pasha! Dusha! Ajaja!”

A chuckle escaped Jake’s lips.

‘He’d certainly keep things interesting if kept around.’

So, several individuals left a deep impression on Jake, and the assault on the gate concluded without any casualties.

Significant numbers of people were also rescued from the gate.

Excluding the deceased, nearly thirty people were saved, indicating how many the gate had lured in during that short time span.

The assault took about an hour and a half.

The outcomes for the other teams weren’t much different.

Though the first assault was over, rest was brief as many more people remained to be saved.

Raul continued to deploy ten teams to assault the gate without rest. As time wore on, the chances of the victims’ survival dropped.

It was late, but the capital city’s security forces also sent a rescue team, so perhaps more could be saved.

Thus, the hectic night passed, and at last, the sun began to rise.

(To be continued)