The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 7

Their Destination, the Free City of Mira

The Free City of Mira was one of the first ‘starting points’ that players visited after completing their tutorial. This meant it was a treasure trove of quests and hidden items.

Raul intended to gather lucrative quests, equipment, and talents while staying in the Free City of Mira.

And of course, he wasn’t planning to do it alone but with his companions!

‘I’m really looking forward to what’s ahead.’

Raul smiled subtly, his smile seemingly malevolent for reasons unknown.

Five days later, Raul’s party arrived at the outskirts of the Free City of Mira without any issues.

‘It wouldn’t have hurt to encounter some problems…’

He needed real battle experience if he was to level up quickly and regain his former strength.

It felt like a loss that they had brought along sturdy escorts yet had encountered no trouble.

Trying to shake off the disappointment, Raul mounted his black steed and gazed out at the vast forest unfolding before him.

That’s when Philip, leading the group at the forefront, approached.

“Young master Raul, once we cross that forest, we will be in the territory of the Free City of Mira.”

“The forest is as dense as I’ve heard. We have to pass through it to enter Mira?”

Philip nodded in response to Raul’s question and pointed toward the forest.

“Yes. Mira’s borders are all blocked by such dense forests. And since the trees in the forest can’t be cut down, it’s difficult to pass unless it’s by the designated path.”

The Free City of Mira. Another name for it was [God’s Domain], because it rejected human influence—whether it was the border forest or various places within Mira.

Trees cut down would regrow in an instant, hunted animals would be replaced by new ones from somewhere, and monsters, regardless of how many were killed, always maintained their original numbers, making it impossible to exterminate them.

The problem was that anything taken from the forest—whether it was felled trees, gathered herbs, or hunted animals—couldn’t be brought out of it.

It was as if divine objects couldn’t be tampered with, vanishing into thin air the moment they were tried to be removed.

‘Well, it’s meant to be a hunting ground for players. It would be troublesome if the residents could meddle freely.’

If the residents could exploit the resources, the place, a treasure trove of infinite resources, wouldn’t be left alone by the surrounding kingdoms.

“There have been reports of bandits around this forest path, but don’t worry. Would they dare to mess with our Count Ashton’s household?”

As Philip spoke with pride, Raul nodded and then ordered,

“Let us depart. We need to reach Mira by today.”

“Understood. Everyone, we’re moving out!”

Philip headed back to the front. Raul, watching his back, suddenly looked around.

The knights and soldiers’ armor and cloaks, the banners held by the banner-bearers, the three carriages, and the harnesses of the horses—all bore the emblem of a roaring golden bear.

‘It’s truly unmistakable.’

The Count Ashton’s household was prouder than any other in the kingdom, showing off their family emblem wherever they went.

‘But to maintain such pride, one must have the strength to back it up. If they were really that strong and dignified, they would not have been the first to fall.’

The imminent crisis facing the family was something he could thwart, knowing roughly what and who to expect.

But what about after that?

There was a limit to what he could do alone. He had learned that painfully in his past life. That’s why, in this life, he had to make full use of the family’s power.

As long as the Count Ashton’s household held onto ‘that’, the threat would continue.

To overcome this crisis, Raul had to become stronger, and so did the family itself.

Raul etched the family emblem into his mind once more before driving his horse towards the forest.

“More of them have already appeared.”

A presence spying on Raul’s party from between the forests was felt.

Still, there would be no immediate attack. As Philip said, the power of their family was not to be trivialized, so no ragtag band would dare to attack them.

However, once they left this area, trouble would surely erupt. The enemies would have ample time to prepare, and by then, the numbers in the party would have also dwindled.

“I wish they would bring as many as possible. The more experience, the better.”

What they probably couldn’t imagine was the significance of a hardcore player monopolizing a hunting ground for a month.

* * *

As expected, Raul’s party exited the forest without any conflict and found themselves in a vast plain.

Small mountains and forests surrounded a lake-like body of water on either side of the plain, with several large and small villages visible in between.

“This place is incredibly vast. It’s almost comparable to a count’s territory, isn’t it?” Jake, who appeared out of nowhere, exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s about right. It’s a large territory encompassing more than a dozen dependent villages. We would need this much space for self-sufficiency, wouldn’t we?” Raul replied, as if it were obvious, making Jake’s eyes sparkle.

“Then there must be a lot of things to enjoy here too, right? I thought it was just the countryside; this is a relief. Haha.”

“It’s better not to have high expectations. The land is vast, but it lacks substance, and the population is thin. I heard the city’s situation isn’t too comfortable either.”

However, it seemed Jake wasn’t really listening to Raul’s words. Maybe because the Free City of Mira, visible on the horizon, looked much larger than the Count’s main castle.

“The city is that big; surely it will be fine. You’d better not start exclaiming in surprise about all the fascinating things once we get there!”

“I guess you’ll be quite disappointed once you know the reality. But since we’re not here for leisure, it doesn’t matter much.” Raul could only click his tongue internally.

It took a while longer on horseback before they could reach the city.

Upon reaching the city gates and preparing to be inspected, a small chime sounded, and a sparkling message appeared on one side of Raul’s vision.

– The system has been updated.

– A new function [Connect Community] has been unlocked.

– A new function [Guild] category has been unlocked.

– New quests [The Starting Line of Adventure], [Skill Collector] have been registered.

Raul’s eyes sparkled upon casually checking the message.

Up until now, the so-called game system was limited to checking information panels and inventories. He worried that other features might not be available until the official service launch…

“Excellent! Meeting certain conditions might unlock more features!”

With this, he could widen the gap even further between himself and the others.

Just as Raul was about to check the new functions, Philip approached him with a message.

“Young master Raul. The mayor is waiting for you. Shall we visit him immediately?”

“That’s the plan. The party members can secure temporary lodging, and only the knights will accompany me.”

“Understood.”

It seemed that checking the system would have to wait. Meeting the city’s leader was evidently more important.

Raul boarded the prepared carriage and immersed himself in thoughts while looking at the street scenes.

“It’s worlds apart from my last visit. Back then, I had to go through hell just to catch a glimpse of the mayor for a year…”

As a player, it was difficult to meet even intermediary managers without raising the city’s contribution levels. To get better quests, one had reluctantly to start with lower-ranked ones to increase contribution levels.

Now, being immediately invited by the mayor and riding in a private carriage upon arrival reflected a whole new experience. The mayor probably invited him as a courtesy since a child of the Count’s family had arrived, but Raul had much to gain from the mayor.

“It won’t be a bad story for you either. So, I hope you make a wise choice, Mayor Reynaldo.”

Raul hummed a tune and sported a leisurely smile as he looked at the approaching mansion.

* * *

Reynaldo Hart.

This 44-year-old man was dressed in a neat suit with brown hair.

At first glance, he looked like an unremarkable scholar, but he was actually the mayor of the free city of Mira.

Having held the office for eight years now, he was incredibly disheartened.

His slumped shoulders and heavy expression were tell-tale signs of his feelings.

He had been confident when he first became mayor.

“Although my father took care of his health, I am different. I will definitely transform Mira into the best city on the continent!!”

He had ambitiously prepared new projects to change the constitution of the city.

But it all proved to be futile.

It seemed as if delving into the domain of the gods was an impossibility, as the mages, clergy, and priests from other races he had invited all shook their heads in disappointment.

Although he had attempted to transform it into a tourist city, the prideful nobles found no attraction in a city filled with common citizens.

He had tried to process special products to become a trade city, but the lack of raw materials and inconvenient transportation made it difficult to attract major merchant fleets.

In the end, the only option left was to become a training ground or resort for knights and noble children, as it had always been.

For Reynaldo, who dreamed of the city’s true independence, it was nothing short of a defeat.

“So, who has come to visit?”

Exhaustion was evident in Reynaldo’s voice.

“Sir, it is the youngest son of the Count of Ashton, Raul, accompanied by 50 attendants.”

Hearing his secretary’s words, Reynaldo’s expression softened slightly.

“Ah, the rumored frail third son, eh? He couldn’t have come for training, so perhaps for a recuperation? In any case, with so many people, they’re bound to spend some money.”

Noble children had been causing trouble and headaches by the day, worsening the already dire situation of the city.

At least Raul was not known to be a troublemaker, despite being weak.

“Let him in when he arrives. And make sure to prepare some decent tea. We need to show our hospitality to such an important guest.”

After giving his instructions, Reynaldo leaned back and closed his eyes slightly.

‘How long do I have to keep cleaning up after these kids? I wish that the day of the prophecy would come already.’

The prophecy passed down through the Hart household since the founding of the Free City.

It spoke of strangers who would one day venture into divine territories and bring great change to the continent.

Whether or not that day would come within his lifetime was uncertain, and Reynaldo did not wish to spend his life waiting as his father had.

However, Reynaldo was beginning to feel exhausted enough to start relying on that prophecy.

Just then, a knock and his secretary’s voice sounded.

“Mayor, Sir Raul has arrived.”

“Is that so? Let him in.”

Reynaldo got up from his chair, preparing to welcome his guest.

‘First, I need to put out the most urgent fires. Since it’s the Count Ashton’s household, a family that deals in monster by-products, maybe I can persuade the young man to invest.’

And the moment the door opened.

“Welcome, Sir Raul. We sincerely welcome you to the free city of Mira!”

A radiant, welcoming smile blossomed on Reynaldo’s face.

The weary appearance, marked by the accumulated fatigue up to this point, was completely gone.

(To be continued)