The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 67

“Oh no, Knight! Your helmet strap has come undone!!”

“Sir, could your equipment possibly need repairs?”

“Have you had something to eat yet?”

Throughout the examination hall, certain individuals were busily moving about.

They were the mercenaries who had come with Raul and the employees working at the mansion.

The people they usually talked to were mostly knights who were alone, or those who only had a single squire in tow.

Among those who attended the investiture ceremony, most of the mercenaries had come from places other than the capital.

Some had arrived in a hurry due to time constraints, and even those who arrived early often attended without proper preparation.

The term “mercenary” might sound quite romantic, but in reality, it was almost the same as being an unemployed wanderer without a proper income.

To maintain a mercenary’s life, the costs were high, from feeding and caring for a horse to maintaining armor and weapons.

For a mercenary, covering these expenses was by no means an easy task, and as a result, the conditions of the knights in attendance did not seem too favorable.

It was precisely to these individuals that Raul’s employees extended a helping hand.

“Come this way, and we’ll check your equipment for free!”

“If you need a meal, come and have something to eat before you go.”

“Your armor is quite dirty! Come over here, and we’ll clean it up for you.”

However, as mercenaries who had faced the world’s challenges, it was natural for them to be skeptical.

“There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world! Which trading company’s hawkers are you?”

“Hawkers? I am a servant of young master Raul of the Count Ashton Family. The services we offer to the mercenaries are all prepared by our lord himself, for the mercenaries who have come from afar. We will certainly not ask for money, so feel free to stop by!”

“The Count Ashton Family? Could it be that young master Raul is…?”

“Indeed. He is the Guardian of Thurium and the master of the First Knight Order.”

“Ahem… In that case, I will accept young master Raul’s kindness.”

Conversations like this were taking place all over the examination hall.

Outside the hall, on a spacious courtyard, there were rows of temporary booths and tents bearing the coat of arms of the Count Ashton Family and the First Knight Order.

There, specially invited blacksmiths were offering simple repairs and maintenance in temporary workshops, while chefs were preparing and serving food in a makeshift dining area.

The employees from the mansion were dusting off the armor and polishing the weapons until they shone, and in the temporary stable, horses were cared for, complete with ample hay.

Of course, there were basic services provided by the association for the participants, but they were nowhere near the level of those offered by the Count Ashton Family, and naturally, utilizing the services provided by the trading companies required payment.

“My goodness. Is all of this really for free?”

A knight mumbled almost in disbelief.

He had arrived at Thurium only at dawn today, leaving him no time to rest before he had to attend the investiture ceremony.

Naturally, galloping through the realm had left his armor dusty and his horse exhausted, not to mention he hadn’t had a chance to eat.

But then, deciding to give it a go and following the guide, he found in a blink that his armor was now gleaming and even the neglected secondary weapons had been sharpened, all for free.

Moreover, the meal provided was of a quality he hadn’t tasted in ages, reminiscent of noble households, leaving him astounded. But that wasn’t the end of it.

“We wish you great success, sir knight!”

Waiting at the exit, the staff cheered as they handed him a few items.

“Towels for when you sweat, some tea for refreshment in between, and snacks for when you feel peckish.”

“Oh my, how generous….”

At a glance, he noticed that the towels were embroidered with the golden thread of the Count Ashton’s emblem, and the water bottle and lunchbox bore the crest of the First Knight Order.

The items themselves seemed of high quality, durable enough for long-term use.

“And finally, this…”

“What’s this?”

The envelope, which looked quite luxurious at first glance, had the First Knight Order’s crest elegantly embossed on it.

“This is an invitation from Young master Raul, for you. It’s for a recruitment event next week, aiming to enlist new members for the First Knight Order and Knight Order. Should you need a place to stay, accommodations and meals are provided at the mansion, so please feel free to attend.”

With slightly trembling hands, the knight securely tucked the invitation into his breast pocket. He had never received such an invitation before, despite always seeking out open recruitment of the knight orders.

Moreover, with lodging and meals provided? In a world where one typically had to pay even to take entrance exams, he never imagined receiving such hospitality.

‘The First Knight Order, hm? I’ve heard they are quite renowned for a relatively new order. Perhaps I should apply?’

Before he realized, his heart had begun to lean toward the idea. Thinking it wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit them after the ceremony, he made his way to the examination hall.

* * *

The basic skills examination, which had started early in the morning, finished just past noon. Out of the nearly 1,500 participants, only about 300 had passed.

The large number of participants or perhaps a stricter standard of evaluation compared to previous years had led to some grumbling, but the fault lay in their own abilities.

As expected, Raul and the members of the First Knight Order all passed their evaluation. With the second examination, the map duel, looming ahead, various conversations were exchanged among the spectators.

Apart from involving knights in the appointment ceremony, a considerable number of nobles from the five major martial families residing in the capital attended the ceremony.

“Clearly, the level has dropped significantly compared to previous years.”

“Isn’t it obvious? The knights from our esteemed families hardly participated. It’s no surprise that the skills of these baseborn are lacking.”

The aristocrats gathered in the spectator seats were busy appraising the participants, particularly those from the Randal household.

“By the way, Lord Roy also passed the examination safely. Truly amazing for his young age!”

“Hahaha, wasn’t that to be expected? When Lord Roy gets knighted today, another star will be born in our Randal household. A certified knight at 23! Isn’t the thought just thrilling?”

“Indeed. The next newspapers will surely be plastered with stories of Lord Roy and our Randal household. The press seems to have shown up in droves today, it might finally be our turn to steal the spotlight.”

For a time, compliments about Roy, the tenth son of the Randal household participating in this ceremony, flew back and forth. Naturally, the conversation led to….

“But really, this tournament’s standards for judging seems to be a mess. How could they let such greenhorns pass?”

“That’s what I’m saying. No matter how slightly popular they’ve become recently, they’re still a new knight order, right? How could they all have passed?”

“Seems like those Ashton folks have really set their minds to it. Dressing up all sorts of characters in flashy armor to participate… tsk, tsk.”

“It’s their last act of desperation, isn’t it? Gouging out whatever money they can to put on a show. Throwing money around to hype up their son, and now it looks like they’ve even bribed the association.”

“Ugh, filthy wretches!”

“But their tomfoolery ends today. Today is the day their true colors will be thoroughly exposed.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ha, just wait and see. Our family has already made moves. That novice called Raul won’t be leaving in one piece today.”

“Heh, what a terrible shame. It’s bound to happen when one doesn’t know their place.”

“Enough about him, let’s focus on the spectacle. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find a useful hound or two.”

While the Randal household group was joyously chatting away, there were others who observed the scene in a heavy and tense atmosphere.

“So you’re telling me. The ringleader of that clown troupe is my youngest nephew?”

“That’s… yes.”

Despite the spectator seat being quite generously sized, it appeared far too small for the man.

The man, sprawling with his arms crossed and leaning back in the seat, was none other than Jayden, Raul’s great uncle.

Even past the age of fifty, his body, consistently trained, looked incredibly robust. His half-bald head and the long scar stretching from his left eye across his cheek to his jaw made him appear quite formidable.

Bang!

“How can one be so incompetent as to squander the capital mansion and all that wealth over a mere nobody like him!”

“I am, I am deeply ashamed.”

As Viscount Jayden slammed his armrest in fury, those around him quivered and begged forgiveness. Among the familiar faces were kin of the Ashton family, who had initiated conflict with Raul.

The main perpetrators, including Baron Zender and his family, had their assets confiscated and were imprisoned back in their ancestral home, while those who narrowly escaped purging managed to secure their release only after paying off the gambled estate’s value.

Without Viscount Jayden’s aid, they would have certainly faced bankruptcy.

‘Such useless lot!’ However, perplexing as it was, even these worthless men were necessary for achieving his ends.

“Titus. You were there, weren’t you? How could you let things escalate to this mess without doing anything? Have you forgotten you’re in charge when I’m away!”

“My apologies. Things progressed too rapidly, making it impossible to intervene. Besides, had I stepped in, the situation might have become even more complicated.” The young man responding firmly to Viscount Jayden was his eldest son, Titus. Despite being only twenty-seven, his prowess as an expert had earned him his father’s deep trust. Unlike his father, Titus was a tall, handsome man with a lean figure.

“Sigh. It’s in the past now, but mark my words, if you err again, you will be held accountable.”

“Understood. It wasn’t a mistake, more of an accident. It won’t happen again.” Titus seemed to overflow with confidence, perhaps due to his youthful vigor.

“So, what are those ridiculous-looking armored fools up to in the capital? What on earth happened while I was away?”

“It looks like ‘that man’ is planning to dip his toes into the kingdom’s political scene. He’s pouring money into pushing his youngest son forward, and the gullible citizens are falling for their tricks.” The ‘that man’ Titus referred to was none other than the head of the Ashton family, Count Melvin.

Viscount Jayden almost considered Melvin a sworn enemy and despised even hearing his name.

“Ha, that’s laughable. A country bumpkin should’ve just stayed put in the countryside.”

Having snorted, Viscount Jayden crossed his arms and fell into thought. The brother he knew had little interest in politics, nor did he seem the type to use his child as a shield for scheming…

‘Has the passage of time changed him, or was he simply acting all along while I was around?’

Regardless of the answer, it hardly mattered. Preparations for rectifying the wrong were almost complete, and whatever that man did, he couldn’t escape.

‘A decent prey has shown itself. He will make for a fine diversion.’

Viscount Jayden gazed at Raul with the predatory intensity of a beast eyeing its prey. Yet, he remained unaware of who the true hunter was, and who the prey.

(To be continued)