The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player 52

Chapter 52

The primary reason Raul entered the academy was to find an excuse to leave his territory, though he also had other motivations in mind.

One was to discover the hidden skill books in the library. And the other was to recruit promising talents hiding within the academy.

He had shortlisted a few candidates based on the information logged in the cafe, but the arrival of Gray completely shuffled the freshman roster, leading to a headache-inducing situation.

However, it was for the better, not worse.

The prime example of such promising talents was Dalton, who stood right before him.

It was still uncertain how much help he could be to Raul’s plans, but just his reputation alone made him worth befriending. ‘Grandson of Swordmaster Marquis de Templeton.’

He didn’t seem to think much of it, but being the grandson of arguably the strongest individual in the country was not something to be taken lightly.

In this connected world, the relationship between NPCs and players was quite complex.

While regular villagers or quest NPCs often had close relationships with players, nobility (especially high-ranking ones) tended to view players with suspicion and unease.

As a result, Raul, despite being at the pinnacle of players, had barely had any direct encounters with dukes or counts or above.

Now that he had reincarnated as the youngest member of a count’s household, even his status was not enough to secure a meeting with the Swordmaster.

‘But what if I became friends with Dalton?’

Though it was unofficial information, Dalton was said to be one of the few grandchildren directly cared for by the Swordmaster.

If he could meet and gain the favor of the Swordmaster through Dalton, it would undoubtedly be a win-win situation.

‘I need to think of a way to charm him, and this opportunity might just be perfect.’

Dalton appeared eager to visit a Gate, practically fizzling with excitement. However, access to Gates was not open to just anyone at this time.

Unless one had official permission like Raul’s First Knight Order, entry was granted only to groups with at least fifty soldiers accompanied by three or more formal knights. Regardless of being the Swordmaster’s grandson, Dalton couldn’t just waltz into a Gate on a whim.

“Alright. An F-Grade Gate shouldn’t be too dangerous.”

“Yes!”

As Raul silently nodded after a moment of contemplation, Dalton clenched his fist and let out a small cheer. Despite reaching expert level, he lacked actual combat experience.

Having spent his 19 years within his family, learning the sword through training and sparring sessions, he had no real-world experience to confirm his skills, and the repetitive training had started to bore him.

‘I made the right choice becoming friends with Raul. I thought something exciting would happen around him, but this is beyond my imagination.’

Honestly, Dalton had wanted to participate in subduing Gates after the incidents began.

However, within his family, there was nothing he could do. No matter how much favor he received from his grandfather, he was just 19 years old.

Moreover, even if his skills were excellent, that was only when compared within his peers; when considering the entire family, there were plenty who surpassed him.

Consequently, having no choice but to simply watch Raul’s exploits with envy, he couldn’t miss this opportunity.

“Thanks, Raul! I won’t forget this favor. When will we go? Today? Tomorrow? Just say the word!”

Dalton asked excitedly, to which Raul responded calmly.

“There’s a condition. First off, you’re the only one I’m taking to the gate. No servants, no guards, nobody else can go. Do you understand?”

“It doesn’t bother me. You know I don’t like dragging around those annoying people anyway.”

“And, I’d prefer if the fact that you’re coming with me to the gate remains a secret as much as possible. I’d rather avoid any backlash.”

“That’s fine by me too. I don’t like getting tangled up in family matters either.”

Raul was somewhat taken aback by how readily Dalton agreed.

‘Doesn’t he worry at all? What if I had ill intentions?’

But, on the other hand, he could understand.

Currently, there was no house bold enough in the Ruben Kingdom to turn the Templeton ducal family into an enemy.

Furthermore, Dalton hadn’t been a very significant figure within the ducal family yet.

Abducting him or causing him harm wasn’t likely to bring any benefit.

“Lastly, you need to get permission from the Duke.”

“What!?”

Dalton looked at Raul in shock, but Raul met his gaze squarely and said,

“It’s only natural, isn’t it? What if something happens to you? There should be at least one person to assess the situation before and after.”

“Ugh, do I really need permission?”

“Of course. We need to clarify that taking you is not just a whim but an official visit. Despite being my knight order, I can’t trouble them with personal matters.”

Dalton reluctantly nodded at Raul’s firm words.

“Fine, then let’s talk again once you get permission from the Duke.”

“Phew, alright. Damn, how am I going to persuade the old man? He’s bound to nag….”

Leaving a grumbling Dalton behind, Raul allowed himself a slight smile.

In truth, getting the Duke’s permission was just a pretext. He simply hoped that through this opportunity, the Duke might take notice of Raul, even if just for a moment.

It wouldn’t be a bad thing for Dalton either.

Typically, adults wished for the children to be more active.

Wouldn’t the Duke admire his grandchild’s fervent desire to participate in the gate subjugation?

‘…Or not. At any rate, charity work is out of the question, buddy.’

Regardless of the outcome, Raul wouldn’t stand to lose. No matter how much he was favored by his grandfather, he was just 19 years old.

Moreover, even if his skills were exceptional, that was only in comparison to his peers; within the entire family, there were plenty who surpassed him in talent.

Thus, having no choice but to watch Raul’s exploits from the sidelines, he couldn’t let this opportunity slip by.

It wouldn’t really be a bad thing for Dalton either.

After all, most adults hope for their children to be more active.

Wouldn’t the Sword Duke admire his grandson’s fervent desire to participate in the gate subjugation?

‘… Or not. In any case, volunteering is out of the question, friend.’

No matter the outcome, Raul wouldn’t be at a loss. Raul felt lighter and more at ease, anticipating that he would be able to attend his classes now.

***

“Did you have a good trip?”

“Well, it was somewhat uncomfortable.”

In the mansion’s conference room, Raul was engaged in a conversation with Bernard and Philip. Noticing the slightly weary expression on Raul’s face, Bernard couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle as if he had expected as much.

“Isn’t this what you wished for? If it’s too uncomfortable, should we stop now?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m just a bit tired, that’s all. Anyway, it’s not like this attention will last forever.”

Frankly, Raul didn’t have an aversion to receiving attention. In his past life, he had amassed a large following through personal broadcasting.

However, that was all online, and being the focus of attention in real life was not something he was accustomed to.

‘I’ve dealt with my fair share of hostility, though.’

Regardless, he wasn’t feeling too bad about it. Right now, gifts from those saved by Raul and his knights were piled up at the mansion’s entrance, and as they entered the gates, they were showered with the support and encouragement of the villagers.

Knowing that this popularity wouldn’t last forever, Raul thought it best to enjoy it while it lasted.

“In that case, we’ll maintain the current level of public relations management,” said Bernard.

Raul, curious, asked, “Wait. How many people have we deployed so far?”

With a swift motion, Bernard presented a document, explaining, “We initially deployed about a hundred mercenaries as rumor spreaders in the first two days, and we hired ten minstrels to consistently spin tales. About twenty operatives from our side have completed their basic training at the main house and are actively on the move.”

Of course, these efforts alone didn’t shape public opinion. Raul had personally met with the president of the news agency, [Voice of Ruben], through the sage Gray. One might underestimate the influence of a medieval news agency, but that would be a grave mistake. The media in Connect was driven by an elite group of ‘mages’.

Moreover, the head of the Press Association was one of the three great sages of the continent, ‘Genas White’.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Genas White was responsible for establishing the current news agency system. As a result, not even nobles or the king himself could exert undue pressure on the news agencies. To do so would be to challenge Sage White and the formidable group of mages.

In any case, the news agencies played a crucial role in disseminating important news quickly to the public through a network built by mages. Raul felt his mood lighten considerably as he prepared to attend his classes.

[The Voice of Ruben] was the largest and most influential media outlet in the Ruben Kingdom. Following the outbreak of the Gate incident, Raul met with the president of [The Voice of Ruben] the very next day, and without asking for anything in return, he disclosed some information he had about the Gate.

He left with only a wish that the number of victims would decrease, leaving the president rather perplexed in his wake. It was only natural that Raul became known through the media subsequently. Sometimes, not asking for anything proves to be the best negotiation tactic.

Raul didn’t stop with just the media; he also passed the information through the capital’s guard to the royal palace and to the Xenon Church, which currently oversees the Holy Empire’s Holy See.

“Might as well make use of everything,” he thought.

Now that he had officially begun his activities, it was crucial to quickly build a good reputation and accrue public merit, especially if he wanted to withstand the onslaught of player guilds that might soon enter the fray.

“Hmm,” Raul mused as he reviewed some documents, before finally speaking, “Double the number of bards. And have the charming mercenaries ready for deployment at any moment. We’re bound to face challenges soon.”

“What kind of challenges? From whom?” inquired Philip, evidently not used to this sort of discussion.

“The answer is obvious. The greedy nobles, who else? Now that the situation with the Gate has somewhat stabilized, they’re bound to want a piece of the action,” Bernard quickly answered.

“They’d be welcome if they were just participating in the Gate conquest, but we know that’s unlikely to be the case, right?”

“Everyone can’t be like young master Raul, after all. They’ll likely try to find faults and tarnish young master Raul’s reputation. After all, the bigger the fallout, the bigger the crumbs they hope to claim later,” Bernard added, visibly getting worked up.

Raul calmed Bernard down, saying, “They won’t get anything. They might see it as a goose that lays golden eggs on the outside…”

“But in reality, it’s nothing more than a pie in the sky. After all, only the chosen can take anything from there. Hahaha,” Bernard laughed, not often one to show such emotion, proudly looking at Raul.

“So, have you been keeping an eye on the spoils?” Raul asked.

“Of course. The guild members have secretly filled more than half of the underground storage through their inventories. Expanding several secret storages in the mansion’s basement well in advance was a stroke of genius.”

“We need to keep it a secret for the time being. If it becomes known that one cannot obtain spoils, the realm will be flooded with irresponsible lords turning a blind eye to the Gate.”

It was better for the news to spread later rather than sooner. This would ensure that the greedy lords would muster their forces and hire mercenaries, wouldn’t it?

“And it will also reduce the damage from the upcoming waves.”

Setting aside political issues, the primary goal was to preserve the kingdom’s strength as much as possible. Raul would do his best to protect the capital, but he couldn’t defend every domain in the kingdom by himself.

‘Let’s endure this tough period together.’

Of course, Raul had no intention of sharing the sweet fruits of his labor with anyone else.

(To be continued)