The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 79

The flow of the early battle was overwhelming.

Nearly all the knights and commanding soldiers had been mobilized for the operation, so the majority of the enemy consisted of First-type Demonic Cavalry and regular troops.

Their numbers did not exceed 100, so it was impossible for them to stop Raul’s party, which was entirely made up of knights.

Crack.

As one Demonic Cavalry’s torso split open, a pole of the temporary barracks was cut off at the same moment.

Swoosh~thud.

The support fire from the rear pierced the enemies’ heads with such precision that it seemed determined to leave not a single one alive.

Thump.

No matter how resilient the Demonic Cavalry claimed their vitality to be, they couldn’t withstand the knights’ sword qi, and it took less than five minutes after the battle started to bring down all visible enemies.

“This is easier than I thought. Came here expecting a formidable hideout of theirs…”

“Don’t let your guard down. It’s not over yet.”

Philip rebuked Jake’s playful remark. Raul shared Philip’s sentiments.

‘Even if it were abandoned, they wouldn’t leave their main base this defenseless.’

How much time and resources must have been invested to construct such a sizable secret hideout beneath the kingdom’s capital?

It couldn’t have been left with just a few illusionary magic circles and the lowest grade Demonic Cavalry.

“Let’s divide our forces. Half will support the search for the taken, and the rest will target their command…”

Right as Raul was giving the order.

Rumble.

The entire underground plaza vibrated as if it were hit by an earthquake, and with a clanging sound, all entrances were sealed with iron bars, and all stairs leading up from the plaza vanished like a mirage.

“To defensive positions!”

At Philip’s shout, the knights pulled out large shields from their inventories and arranged themselves in a circular defensive formation.

‘Is this a trap?’

Once the vibration ceased and they looked around, they were completely enclosed as if surrounded by cliffs.

Clap clap clap.

Someone’s clapping, amplified as if through a loudspeaker, resonated loudly across the plaza.

“Ah, what do we have here? Fresh little mice have crawled in.”

Following the voice, they looked up to the top of the cliff where a group was looking down on Raul and his companions.

All of them wore masks that partially covered their faces, and among them, a man wearing a brass mask started to speak.

“Let’s see. Oh! Who do we have here if not the famous young master Raul himself? The savior of Thurium and the holy figure of the kingdom! What brings such a distinguished person to this humble place at a time when you should be busy saving some foolish lambs?”

While the brass-masked man was talking, Raul scanned the surrounding terrain. The square’s dimensions were approximately 200 meters in length and width.

The height of where they were positioned was about 100 meters. Though it was quite steep, it wasn’t a sheer cliff, and there were spaces near the entrances that made it feasible to climb up.

‘This won’t pose a problem for climbing.’

Had he brought ordinary soldiers, it would have been disastrous. However, those standing beside Raul were not just any knights, but superhumans who had transcended even the expertise of knights. The terrain seemed to be the least of their worries.

“Heh heh heh. I was regretting not being able to participate in the grand mission and having to stay behind, but who knew such a grand gift would come to us on its own!”

The man in the brass mask wouldn’t stop talking, while Raul had no intention of engaging in dialogue with the empire’s scum.

“We’ll split the forces into three. Sir Philip will take the right, Jake the left, and I’ll handle the center. Armor users in each group will lead, with the primary objective of closing the distance to the enemy. Everyone, prepare to charge.”

Following Raul’s order, the knights quickly took their positions and prepared for battle.

“Charge!”

At Raul’s command, the knights, clad in white armor, spread out in a fan formation and began their sprint towards the cliff.

* * *

“Foolish ones.”

Viscount Plank, the man in the brass mask, clicked his tongue and gestured with his hand.

Whoosh. Flash.

About thirty mages standing atop the cliff executed a variety of spells—fireballs, whirlwinds, dark arrows—all awaiting further instructions.

‘Had they simply surrendered quietly, they could have been spared to live as mages, not as magic-infected cadavers.’

That was the problem with these youngsters. Once pampered and praised, they foolishly rush in, thinking they are invincible.

Such foolishness not only endangered themselves but also their subordinates.

Tsk.

Viscount Plank clicked his tongue and maneuvered mana after caressing his ring.

Hum.

A giant magic circle concealed beneath the square’s floor emitted a faint light, and traps along with mechanical devices installed throughout the wall were activated simultaneously.

Poof. Grr.

Dark smoke poured out from a crevice in the cliff, quickly filling the underground square, while the magic circle inscribed on the basement ceiling pressed down the space.

“Heh heh heh. How does it taste?”

An area-wide curse and a gravitational magic circle, along with toxic gas and confusion-inducing potions, all sorts of large-scale debuffs descended upon the First Knight Order.

Consequently, the knights’ advance slowed, and some even stumbled.

‘Stupid knights.’

True to a nation filled with idiots who thought knights were the pinnacle, the knights here were almost completely ignorant of magic.

They foolishly believed the essence of battle relied solely on charging forward with sturdy bodies and armor.

‘It’s the mages, not the knights, who decide the battlefield, you imbeciles.’

Why bother when you can simply melt everything away before it even approaches, just like now?

“Wipe them all out!”

At Viscount Plank’s command, the mages’ spells poured down on the knights like a torrential rain.

Boom!!

Various magics clashed against the knights, noticeably slowing down their advance.

“Hmm, quite a few armor users in the mix,” came a thought, observing that there at least seemed to be a dozen of them.

Due to this, it appeared that the magical attacks were mostly ineffective. However, that was sufficient.

Unless they all were equipped with power armor, those using armor couldn’t easily break formation without compromising the protection of the knights.

“An armor user who can’t get close is just a very sturdy practice target,” the thought continued.

Power armor wasn’t invincible. It surely boasted an almost cheat-like defense mechanism that could negate physical attacks and magic, but activating this defense required a tremendous amount of mana.

If amplifying a sword’s energy took an amount of mana represented by 1, then the defense mechanism needed more than ten times that. This meant that under a barrage of magic like they were facing now, even the most remarkable power armor would rapidly drain its energy.

And with various debuffs and curses layered on top, it was clear they would barely make it halfway up the cliff before being annihilated. “Go ahead, struggle all you want. The ones who survive, I’ll take a special liking to. Heh heh heh.”

But just at that moment—

Snap!

A bright white radiance enveloped the entire underground plaza, distorting the ever-smiling face of Viscount Plank.

* * *

“Expected, but annoying,” muttered Raul, swathed in golden radiance, as he intercepted incoming magic with his sword.

His newly acquired skill, ‘Radiant Aura,’ had indeed proved its worth, living up to its role as a wide-area buff skill by eliminating all sorts of debuffs and curses that had plagued the First Knight Division at once.

Though it was a fleeting effect, it was enough.

Without power armor and exposed to debuffs, the knights utilized this time to consume potions, holy water, and scrolls.

“Experience really does matter. If I had come here unknowingly, it would’ve been a struggle.”

Raul had attacked secret bases and hideouts of the Imperial Hounds countless times in his past life. Naturally, he was well aware of how such places were defended.

Not preparing for large-scale debuff magic circles, traps, and curses would have been foolish.

Anticipating such situations, Raul had prepared an array of consumables, including antidote potions, potions to boost resistance, holy water to ward off curses, and scrolls to neutralize magic circles.

Of course, the best strategy would have been to bring mages, priests, buffers, and other support classes, but that wasn’t an option here.

“Knights are strong, but the lack of balance is regrettable. Once this crisis is resolved, I’ll need to look into recruiting guild members from other professions.”

Power-armored knights were near omnipotent, but they certainly had their limits. Putting these thoughts aside, Raul refocused on the battlefield.

I managed to handle various debuffs, but the enemy’s magical power was stronger than expected. If things continued this way, the armor users might be fine, but it was clear that the knights would suffer significant damage before even getting close to the enemy lines.

“Split the formation into two. Armor users, don’t worry about the knights and just plunge into the enemy lines! Knights, secure the space in front of the nearest entrance and defend. Once our forces penetrate the enemy lines and their magical bombardment weakens, then the reserve forces will move.”

With a screech and a loud crash, the leading armor users swung their powerful sword qi to smash several entrances that were barred with iron grates, and the knights following them formed a shield wall around the opened entrances.

Now with no need to watch their backs, the armor users leaped off the cliff with their light and agile movements.

Despite the continuous downpour of magical attacks, the armor users, only needing to protect themselves, dodged the magic or sliced through it with their sword qi, advancing steadily.

Raul, utilizing his great sword and psychokinetic flying blades, intercepted the magic as he climbed the cliff, now closing the distance to where the faces of the enemies were clearly visible.

“Hmph. The vermin are putting up quite a fight. Deploy the second line.”

However, the enemies were not willing to let them close the gap so easily. Another obstacle appeared to block Raul and the knights.

Upon Viscount Plank’s command, the empire’s magical cavalry dove down the cliffs.

“Scream!”

The magical cavalry, screaming as if their own lives meant nothing, launched a human wave assault towards the knights.

And the enemy mages, undeterred by the introduction of their own cavalry, continued their magical bombardment.

But, of course, the knights were not to be easily overwhelmed by such brute attacks. The armor users, planting their feet into the cliff, mercilessly cut down the falling magical cavalry and magic attacks.

A curtain of yellow light from the swords unfolded across various parts of the cliff, crushing the enemies’ assaults.

However, this resulted in most of the armor users getting bogged down. Only Philip, Jake, and Raul had the skill to push through the onslaught of magical cavalry and magic bombardment.

With a swift motion, Raul sliced through the falling magical cavalry’s head and leaped forward.

Unlike the others, Raul moved forward by stepping on platforms made of psychokinetic power, allowing him faster movement and easier handling of enemy attacks.

Aware that his fellow armor users were tied down, Raul wasn’t concerned.

‘Once we break into the enemy lines, this will all be solved.’

His task was to disrupt the enemy lines and weaken their magical bombardment. Once the enemy’s offensive slowed, the other armor users could catch their breath.

The distance to the enemy lines had now closed to about 30 meters. Just when he thought he could penetrate the enemy lines in a breath or two.

Suddenly, strong mana vibrations were felt from various points within the enemy lines.

‘Damn. Annoying obstacles have appeared.’

As Raul frowned, dozens of spells poured down towards him.

The relentless assault continued.

(To be continued)