The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 78

Squelch. Squelch.

Having walked against the current of a filthy, ankle-high sewer water for a while, a dead-end wall appeared.

“It’s right there.”

“What? There’s nothing there?”

Jake grumbled, but Raul’s golden eyes were already seeing through the wall.

Even those with scouting specialties like Kane and Pierce seemed to have noticed something odd about the frontal wall.

“Illusion magic that deceives the eye and a barrier magic circle preventing entry have been set up here. You can’t get through using normal methods.”

Kane, having already completed his investigation, explained without hesitation.

“Can you dismantle it?”

When Raul asked, Kane nodded with a slightly troubled expression.

“Dismantling the magic circle won’t be an issue, but there’s a high probability that someone inside will notice. What do we do?”

Kane asked, pulling out a peculiar-looking dagger. The blade, reflecting the light, was engraved with geometric patterns, almost certainly an artifact.

“Just a moment.”

Raul gently pushed Kane aside and carefully examined the magic circle.

Raul’s analysis, bathed in golden light, precisely analyzed the intricately entwined magic circles and separated each, presenting them as a three-dimensional image.

‘Is this an alarm magic circle?’

Beyond the wall disguised as an entrance, there were not only illusion and barrier magic but also alarm and teleportation magic installed.

Raul took out a dagger from his pocket and cut the key point of the alarm magic circle.

Crackling.

The magic circle resonated slightly but soon fell silent.

Raul, having retrieved his dagger, stepped back.

“Kane, proceed to dismantle the remaining magic circles. Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Swooosh.

At Raul’s command, the knights drew their weapons.

Raul’s choice was the den of the Imperial Hounds.

Without much thought, he chose the most realistic and profitable option among the three.

The gate was sufficiently dealt with by stopping the initial wave. After all, the defense of the capital was not Raul’s responsibility but that of the guard and the central army.

It was something that could be left to them and the general guild members afterward. As for the royal palace, there wasn’t much intention to get involved from the start.

Frankly, being a modern person, Raul had no loyalty whatsoever to the king, and the Count Ashton’s family wasn’t closely related to the royal family either.

And if possible, he didn’t want to twist the flow of the main storyline. That way, Raul could make use of the future information he possessed for a longer period.

From the outset, it was still uncertain whether they could intervene in the scenario’s progression. Moreover, despite having grown in size, the First Knight Order still had significant shortcomings.

If they got cocky and encountered a master-level enemy, they would be swept away in an instant.

Ultimately, Raul decided to raid the Imperial Hound’s empty house. Even if it wasn’t for the promise made to Kane, rescuing the captured would be a major gain.

Among those kidnapped were significant figures from mid-tier families and knights, after all. Moreover, by boldly destroying the hideout located in the heart of the capital, they could not only weaken the Imperial Hound’s influence but also possibly gather information from the hidden spies.

It was a two-for-one deal, as it also allowed for personal revenge against the empire. In his previous life, they constantly hindered Raul, but now it was his turn to pay them back.

‘How furious will those who return from causing chaos in the castle be when they find their hideout in ruins?’

Raul could barely hide his smirk at the thought. And soon after, the wall obstructing Raul’s party miraculously crumbled away, revealing a dark passage.

“Kane and Pierce will take the lead. Maintain as much stealth as possible, and once the battle begins, Kane is to focus on rescuing the prisoners, while Pierce tracks the enemy’s leaders. If the enemy’s level is deemed too much to handle, prioritize rescuing the hostages and retreat. Everyone, move in!”

At Raul’s command, 15 armored users and 35 knights, a total of 50 members of the First Knight Order, infiltrated the Imperial Hound’s hideout. Without any information on the hideout that had never been exposed in his previous life, Raul trusted himself and his guild members.

‘Let’s see the faces of those who troubled us so much. Just how formidable are they?’

Raul’s steps seemed unusually buoyant.

—

‘[Complete Liberation] isn’t far off now.’

A man lounged in an armchair placed in an antique study, gently swirling the wine glass in his hand. The man, who could put movie stars to shame with his looks, peered into the crimson red wine like it was blood.

Appearing to be in his early thirties, he was dressed in a trendy high-end suit, adorned with expensive accessories. Faint sounds of a battle could be heard from outside the window. However, the man seemed unbothered, humming to himself while enjoying his wine.

‘Soon, our empire’s citizens will enjoy such a prosperous life.’

Every word from the great Leader, His Majesty the Emperor, was without fail. The kingdom’s aristocrats had long been rotten, and the privileged classes were fighting among themselves to keep their interests intact.

Meanwhile, nobody cared about the exploited commoners. The ignorant populace didn’t even realize they were being exploited.

‘Only He can save this unjust world.’

Could there be anyone other than the Emperor, who cares even for the people of other nations, who embodies a true sage and a deity?

The words of his territory, that all citizens are equal and must be liberated from oppression and discrimination, still resonated vividly in his mind.

‘Has it already been over 10 years?’

A long time had elapsed since he left his barren homeland to infiltrate the Ruben Kingdom.

When he was first dispatched to the kingdom, he was amazed by the kingdom’s wealth of goods, and as time passed, he was once again surprised to learn that these abundant resources were concentrated among a few nobles.

This unjust society had formed because there was no strong leader like ‘His Imperial Majesty’.

‘Under the wise guidance of His Imperial Majesty, we must confiscate all wealth and distribute it fairly to eradicate this injustice.’

As he was about to take a sip of wine, reminiscing about the utopia where everyone is liberated from oppression and exploitation.

Crash.

“Viscount Plank, there’s trouble! An intruder has been spotted in the mansion’s cellar…”

A servant rushed through the door, causing Viscount Plank to spill his wine, staining his white shirt red. With a smile on his face, Viscount Plank rose from his chair and walked over to the servant, uttering venomous words that belied his expression.

“What a vermin. Do you even know how much this shirt costs? I made it clear that no one should enter during my wine time.”

“I’m, I’m so sorry. The knight insisted that I inform you immediately…”

Splat.

Viscount Plank splashed wine on the servant’s face.

Then, throwing the wine glass at the servant’s face, it shattered with a clang, sending shards flying in all directions.

“Is that knight your master, or am I? If you’re that stupid, just do as you’re told! What about this shirt, huh? How are you going to compensate for this shirt that you couldn’t afford in a lifetime, you vermin bastard!”

Whether he was displeased with the interruption of his contemplation or simply disliked the situation, Viscount Plank could not contain his anger.

“Pl, please forgive me, Lord!”

The servant knelt down, bowing his head, and with a smile still plastered on his face, Viscount Plank placed his hand on the servant’s head and uttered,

“Hold.”

It was none other than a magical spell. The servant’s body stiffened, and Viscount Plank, clutching a wine bottle, mercilessly struck the servant’s head.

Thud. Thud. Crash!

After ceaselessly swinging, the wine bottle finally shattered from the impact, and only then did Viscount Plank stop his assault.

Drip. Drip.

Dropping the remnants of the wine bottle, now dripping with red, Viscount Plank clasped his head in his hands.

‘Ah, such foolishness!’

To liberate, without even offering a chance for repentance, someone as ignorant as this. Moreover, because of this scoundrel, a valuable carpet and wine were ruined.

No matter how he thought about it, the cost of disposing of one vermin was far too great.

‘Ah! How great His Imperial Majesty must be to even attempt to embrace these irredeemable beings. But….’

No matter how much one thought about it, many among the kingdom’s seeds were beyond redemption, both high and low. Wasn’t it his role, as a faithful servant to His Imperial Majesty, to weed out such defects in advance?

Whoosh.

The body of a servant whose brain matter spilled forth was engulfed in blue flames, turning to ash. The Viscount, with an indifferent look, glanced over the scene before heading towards the door.

“There are rats that have crawled into the basement.”

It seemed more sacrifices were needed to quell the still unsettled rage. How they managed to pass through the magical barrier unnoticed was unknown, but, in fact, it was a welcome turn of events.

It would be an opportunity to secure more usable demonic beasts. Viscount Plank began walking down the mansion stairs with a pleasant smile.

* * *

Swoosh.

A yellow mana blade swept through the neck of an imperial demonic beast with ease. Having deactivated the magic barrier and walked through the hidden passage, it had been about 10 minutes.

They had entered quietly until now, but they had reached a point where they couldn’t advance without combat.

After defeating about a dozen demonic beasts standing guard at the end of the passage, Raul and his party finally arrived in a massive space.

“Wow. This is enormous, isn’t it?”

“How can such a space exist beneath the mansion…”

What appeared before their eyes was an underground chamber large enough to fit a colosseum where a coronation had taken place not long ago, with room to spare.

It was a space as high as about a 30-story building, and Raul’s group had entered through a large entrance located about halfway up its height.

Throughout the underground chamber, at least dozens of entrances were connected by stairs and pathways, and at the base, centered around a large square, were dozens of makeshift barracks.

“What should we do?”

Faced with a larger scale than expected, Kane asked, to which Raul, after surveying the underground chamber, responded,

“Searching will take a while. Kane and three knights of the third team will check the left side, Pierce and four knights of the fourth team will check the right side for prisoners. The rest will clear the enemies and head towards the opposite entrance.”

Fortunately, most of the enemy forces seemed to have headed to the royal palace, so the number of enemies didn’t appear large.

Unlike the other entrances without proper doors, there was a steel door with even a guard post placed opposite them. It probably led to a passage connected to the mansion.

Following Raul’s command, Kane and Pierce, along with ten subordinates, dispersed left and right, while the rest of the knights prepared for battle.

“All into battle formation. We must draw their attention to buy time for the search teams.”

Leaving the sniping team for long-range support, Raul and the knights started running down the stairs.

Noticing their intrusion, enemies began emerging from the barracks one by one, and Raul cried out forcefully.

“Charge. Annihilate every dog of the empire!”

“Charge!”

The moment the Imperial Hound empty house raid operation officially began.

(Continued in the next part)