The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player 54

Chapter 54

Raul’s prediction was spot on.

On the tenth day since the gate appeared, the captain of the capital’s guard visited the mansion.

“…which is why the First Knights’ Division’s permit to enter F-Grade gates has been revoked.”

“What the heck, that’s nonsense, mmmph—mmph!”

Jake, who was listening alongside, got so furious he tried to erupt, but Philip forcefully covered his mouth.

“Is that so? There’s nothing we can do then. What about the E-Grade and D-Grade gates?”

Raul calmly inquired, to which the captain of the guard responded with a regretful look.

“Those are fine. I’m embarrassed to ask, but please continue as you have been.”

“That’s a relief, at least. Who will take over the F-Grade gates, then?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I’ve heard that various houses will share the responsibility. Sigh, what a situation…”

This was somewhat expected.

After all, F-Grade gates are less dangerous, good for showing off, and if luck allows, one might encounter monsters worth some money.

“Understood. If any problems arise, please feel free to contact us at any time. We’ll always have a reserve force ready.”

Raul spoke politely, eliciting a moved expression from the captain.

“Truly, young master Raul is a person of virtue. If only other nobles were half as committed as you, this country would be…”

“You flatter me. It’s uncertain how things will unfold, but the Count’s house and I intend to continue protecting the capital and its people to the best of our abilities. That’s our duty as nobles, isn’t it? So, we look forward to continuing our cooperation.”

Raul asked respectfully, lowering his head, prompting the captain to hurry in responding with a salute before whispering.

“Many are saying the Count Randal’s house might be behind this incident, but there’s a strange rumor. Some suspect not the Treasury Minister’s faction but another… There are some aspects that bother me personally, so I thought to inform you, Lord.”

“Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate your concern.”

After a bit more conversation, the guard captain departed, and Raul called his officers.

“Everyone’s heard the news?”

Bang!

“This is an outrage! What did we do to deserve being barred from entry?”

Jake couldn’t contain his anger, slamming his fist on the table and shouting.

“Indeed. We expected this, but it’s too much.”

“The nobles of the capital are as greedy as they say, it seems.”

“Let’s all calm down. This was bound to happen anyway.”

Philip soothed the knights.

“Aren’t you upset, Captain?”

Jake asked, to which Philip gave a wry smile.

“What’s there to be upset about? Seems you lads have lost your discipline enjoying the outside air too much. A knight’s primary role is to follow orders. The royal command has been given, and if the Young master agrees to follow it, so should we. And when it comes to mobilizing the troops, what did I say, Jake?”

“… Not to be swayed by emotions, to remain calm and rational, and to plan strategically.”

“Exactly, keep that in mind.”

With Philip’s words, everyone regained their composure. Raul smiled contentedly and opened his mouth to speak.

“As Sir Philip said, since the order has come down from the royal palace, we must follow it. It seems everyone feels it’s unfair, but in reality, this situation is not at all disadvantageous for us.”

“What do you mean?” Jake asked, confusion apparent on his face.

Raul explained calmly, “To be honest, F-Grade gates can be handled by regular soldiers. Isn’t it too wasteful to deploy expensive mercenaries for such tasks?”

“That is true. Initially, we deployed a hundred men, but now even fifty seems excessive,” acknowledged Jake.

“The level of loot obtained as well. We actually benefit more from focusing on gates ranked E or above,” Raul added.

Everyone nodded in agreement, but Jake asked again, “But then, we’ll have surplus forces. There are only 11 E-Grade gates, and D-Ranks are entered only by masters and guild members. Are you planning to keep the mercenaries idle?”

“Not at all. The remaining forces will also take part in cavalry training and head out to deal with gates outside the city walls. There are many villages near the capital with unattended gates; it’s about time we addressed that,” Raul advised.

The knights looked convinced by his reasoning. Gates appeared primarily in populated cities and castles, but naturally, they also emerged outdoors.

The issue was that while preparations were made for gates appearing in cities or villages, those found in the open were essentially left unattended.

Raul had anticipated such times and had already located all gates within a half-day’s distance from the capital. The officers could only admire Raul’s foresight.

“Probably, this state of affairs won’t last long. The one-day insects greedy for loot will soon drop out. Perhaps they might even request us to take over F-Grade gates again,” said Raul.

“One of the knights innocently asked, “Do they think they can order us around like we’re some mercenary band?”

Raul shrugged and responded, “This is the kingdom’s capital. A den full of political tricksters. Nothing that happens here should come as a surprise.”

“But being dragged around like this is a bit much, isn’t it? We are volunteers, not the central army,” another pointed out.

“That’s why we need public achievements and fame. We have to become figures they can’t easily interfere with. And indeed, we’re already seeing some results,” Raul shared.

“Results? What kind of results?” someone inquired.

Raul presented an official document and explained, “Look closely. Besides the directive prohibiting our unit from entering F-Grade gates, there’s no other specific instruction. What does that tell you?”

There was silent contemplation among the knights until Bernard spoke up, “It means they felt compelled to restrict access but also felt too burdened to dictate our every move. Should you decide to withdraw your troops back to your dominion, the royal family would find itself in a difficult position.”

“Exactly. If I had been seen as easily manipulatable, they would have definitely moved our unit according to their whims through conscription. However, the reputation we’ve built over the past ten days has prevented that. Of course, the name of our house also played a role,” Raul elaborated.

The knights nodded in understanding.

“So, let’s focus on issues outside and continue on our path. Our goal is to conquer gates and grow through real combat experience. Everything else will naturally follow. Officers, continue to focus on leading the mercenaries and personal growth as you have been,” Raul instructed.

“Understood!” The officers responded energetically.

Pleased, Raul nodded and then inquired, “What about the squire’s progress? Will they keep up with the schedule?”

“Absolutely. Nearly half of them have already surpassed their expected level. The rest aren’t too far behind. They’re bound to be quite surprised,” Bernard assured him.

“Any issues with the paperwork, Bernard?”

“Wow~”

The spectators watching the procession couldn’t quite grasp what was going on but cheerfully cheered nonetheless.

“Whoa. Make way. It’s Lord Asen, the fourth son of the Kerrington family.”

“Greetings to the lord!”

Bill quickly bowed his head to greet the young man.

“Is that it?”

“Pardon?”

“The gate. Is that it?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Understood. Tell the soldiers to stand back. They’re in the way.”

“Understood. What about the horse, though…?”

“The horse…?”

Asen failed to understand what Bill meant, prompting him to explain further.

“If no servant came with you, we can take care of it.”

Only then did Asen comprehend, suddenly showing anger and yelling,

“Have you ever seen such insolence? Are you telling me to dismount? Move! This is why lowborns are…”

“No, that’s not what I meant… Ugh.”

Bill hurriedly tried to explain, but he never got the chance.

A knight standing by kicked Bill away.

“That’s no way to behave. Didn’t the lord tell you to move? I will complain about this incident to the captain of the guard. Please proceed, my lord.”

“Yeah. I’m tired; I wish to conclude this quickly.”

“Of course.”

Bill, rolling on the ground, was ignored as they, along with the troops, ventured into the gate.

“Ptui.”

Bill spat out the dust and got up as a subordinate officer approached him.

“Are you alright?”

“I don’t know. I clearly asked. It’s not my business whether their dealings go mad or die.”

Inside the gate, the atmosphere was filled with much denser and wilder mana than outside.

It wasn’t a suitable environment for sensitive animals to endure, hence the directive against allowing horses’ entry had been issued.

‘Seeing them come unprepared, without even checking basic information, they’re in for a tough time.’

The brought-along soldiers were another issue.

Though in uniform, Bill could see they were untrained conscripts, clear as day.

Most of the mercenaries were barely equipped E, F-Grade novices.

Compared to the elite First Knight Order, the difference was night and day.

‘It seems like I’ll be cleaning up corpses today.’

The feeling that today’s work might extend longer crossed his mind.

(To be continued)