The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 91

Caldenas seemed to have some idea of Raul’s family lineage already.

“Do you know who I am?”

At Raul’s question, he let out a chuckle.

“Of course not. I merely guessed based on the aura of mana emanating from you and your companions.”

Seen from the front, Caldenas had a very masculine and robust appearance. He had the common brown hair, stood about 190 centimeters tall, and had a muscular body that was well-proportioned—neither excessive nor lacking—giving an overall solid impression.

His outward age appeared to be in the late thirties to early forties, but given his prowess, it was difficult to guess his actual age. Raul bowed respectfully to Caldenas, who wore a carefree expression.

“I am Raul de Ashton, the third son of the Count Ashton. These are Sir Philip, the commander, and Sir Pierce, the vice-commander of the knight order I lead. It is an honor to meet a senior who has achieved such a noble state.”

“You’re a direct descendant of the Ashton family. Was Melvin the current head?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a child of the Ashton family.”

For a moment, he fell silent as if recalling something.

“Excuse me, but may I ask what your name is?” Raul inquired cautiously.

Caldenas responded with a bitter tone, “I am Caldenas. I once swore to protect this place as its guardian of the seal. As you can see, however, I failed to keep that oath…”

Caldenas turned his head and looked sharply at the back of the altar.

There, dozens of bodies, sliced into pieces, were scattered all over.

From their attire and the masks on their faces, it was clear they were mages and knights of the Imperial Hounds.

“Are they the culprits?”

“Yes. I owe you my gratitude. Thanks to you, although not all, I was able to punish these wretched beings.”

“What have I done? I am merely ashamed that I could not help you until the end.”

Raul replied humbly, but inside, he felt relieved that his choice had not been wrong. Since the agents of the Imperial Hounds had met such a mass demise, it was certain their momentum would be significantly dampened for a while.

Caldenas cast a penetrating glance at Raul and then his eyes lit up.

“Young man, how old are you?”

“I am fifteen this year.”

“Ho.”

Caldenas nodded as if slightly impressed and then said with a look of regret, “It’s a pity. You would have been qualified. If only I had a little more time…”

Though he did not say it explicitly, Caldenas was not only the guardian of the seal but also the hidden sword of the Ruben royal family and the unknown master to the kingdom’s mages. In the Ruben Kingdom, no one had bypassed the Master’s touch.

Those who reached the mastery traditionally visited here to inherit the methods of handling aura and techniques to elevate their realm.

In return, they pledged loyalty to the royal family and the kingdom, swearing not to provoke personal conflicts among the masters.

Despite the royal family lacking a notable master, the kingdom had sustained, and the prestigious warrior families persisted, largely due to Caldenas’s significant contributions.

The future order of the kingdom without Caldenas was worrisome, but that was a matter for those left behind. Unbeknownst to him, powder from crystallized mana was visibly leaking into the air from his chest.

“Is there anything I can help with?” Raul cautiously asked, noticing something was amiss with Caldenas, but he merely smiled wryly and shook his head slightly.

His prolonged existence over a millennium was due to his soul being engraved in the seal stone along with his vow to protect the seal. With the seal stone broken, his demise was inevitable.

“Rabel, is there no way?” In light of the circumstances being concluded, the system had returned to normal. When Raul inquired in his mind, Rabel, who had been inside the tome, came out and looked at Caldenas, their eyes meeting.

“Ho, a fairy?”

“You can see me?”

“Of course. Never thought I’d meet a fairy in the human world again. Surprising.”

“Eh? You’ve met other fairies before?” Astonished by Caldenas’s statement, Rabel flew up close to him, eyes wide with curiosity.

“Long time ago, when I wandered the continent. Yes, I met some. The blue-haired fairies of the lake.”

“Where did you meet them?”

“Uh, it was Lake Belladia. Now a forbidden region, in the monster forest to the west.”

“Ah…”

Though not her kin, Rabel was moved to learn that fairies were alive. There was a glimmer of hope that perhaps her kin could be alive somewhere too.

“Sorry, but that was over a thousand years ago. Not sure if they’re still there…”

“No, thank you so much for sharing such precious information. Oh, introductions are late. I am Rabelina Elliott Merdiane, but you can call me Rabel.”

“I’m Caldenas. But feel free to call me Cal.” As they conversed, Philip and Pierce asked Raul.

“A fairy, what’s this all about?”

“Does the Master also see the fairy?” Their curiosity was understandable, given Rabel wasn’t visible to ordinary eyes.

“Just a moment.”

Raul sought the knights’ understanding before asking Rabel,

“Rabel, can you reveal yourself in front of ordinary people?”

“Yeah. Thanks to the Skill Codex, I can now materialize. But why?”

“We’ll be together for a long time, so there’s no need to always hide. I was thinking it might be good to let at least the guild executives know about your existence.”

Rabel had endured a long and lonely time by herself. Raul thought it would be good for her to communicate and spend time with more people besides himself.

“If that’s what Raul thinks, I don’t mind.”

“Thank you.”

Raul then spoke to Philip and Pierce,

“I’m sorry for the late introduction. This is the fairy Rabel, who has been helping me out recently.”

“Hello? I’m Rabelina Elliott Merdiane, a fairy of the forest. Looking forward to working with you.”

Philip and Pierce’s eyes widened as the green-haired fairy suddenly appeared out of thin air to greet them.

“Pleased to, uh, work with you.”

Seeing the usually expressionless knights’ flustered faces brought a smile to everyone’s face.

“Let’s save the detailed stories for later. Rabel, how does Lord Caldenas seem to you?”

“Just a moment. Cal, pardon me, but I’ll take a closer look.”

Rabel fluttered around, examining his body from where mana was leaking, and then looked over the cracked sealing stone and the shattered barrier on the altar.

After inspecting this and that for a while, Rabel’s expression hardened slightly.

“This won’t do. The seal is completely damaged, and at this rate, Cal won’t last even 10 minutes before dissipating.”

Raul frowned at Rabel’s words, but Caldenas maintained a calm expression.

“It was my fate to be with the seal. When I think about it, it’s been a really long time. Although I regret that I couldn’t protect the seal until the end, it’s time for relics like me to make an exit.”

Strangely, Caldenas felt more at ease.

‘Maybe I was tired after all.’

Over 1,000 years spent guarding the seal, bound by the barrier, unable to leave the palace. Teaching the royal family and some skilled knights due to the restrictions, he spent his years.

There were times when powerful invaders appeared, and there were traitors from the royal bloodline, but he had managed to protect the seal somehow.

Though his life ended as the seal was broken, he felt relieved to put an end to the long, repetitive cycle.

However, he regretted not being able to see the world he had protected with his own eyes and not being able to personally punish the human traitors who ultimately destroyed the seal.

‘Perhaps that was not my role to play.’

Seeing the young Raul, who had achieved great things at a young age, he felt there was no need to worry about the future.

As he was making peace with his thoughts, Rabel, deep in thought, suddenly clapped her hands and said,

“I’ve thought of a way! There’s no time, so I’ll keep it short.”

Rabel swiftly flew and landed on Raul’s bracelet, ‘Regnator’.

“The answer lies here.”

According to Rabel’s explanation, just like the Skill Codex, the Regnator too had lost its original power.

Originally, the Regnator was a kind of ‘Ego Item,’ a piece of equipment with a soul embedded in it, but for some reason, that place had become vacant.

“This means that the Regnator can replace the shattered seal stone.”

As Rabel finished explaining, Raul cautiously opened his mouth.

“But that means…”

It was as if they were confining Caldenas again, who had been bound by a seal for a long time.

The realization was met with a quiet silence.

In the end, the choice lay with Caldenas. Whether to end his long life with the seal or to walk a new path, still ensnared by a soul.

There was no time for long thoughts. Before long, Caldenas’s body began to disintegrate into particles from the fingertips, scattering into the air.

Filled with agony, Caldenas finally spoke.

“I…”

* * *

With a crashing sound, Raul and his party emerged from the barrier, causing the ancient seal stones that had guarded the spot for ages to lose their light and crumble.

The interior of the temple, now surrounded by piles of what had become mere stone tombs and dead bodies, carried a desolate and lonely air, akin to a grave.

A long system message appeared in front of Raul, who wore a bitter expression.

[Notice]

All four ancient seals suppressing the dimensional gate have been released. With the second stage of the seal undone, gate erosion will accelerate.

– From now on, C-Grade gates will appear randomly.

– Monsters from forgotten dimensions will emerge through the gates.

– The concentration of mana in the world of Connect will increase. Residents’ compatibility with mana will improve, and achievements related to mana will be quicker.

– The growth of plants and animals will be stimulated. While food production will accelerate, the chance of mutations increases.

– The forces of darkness have resumed their activities. Hidden seals are more likely to be exposed.

– Some NPCs have transformed into scenario NPCs. Please be cautious not to conflict with scenario NPCs.

‘The real start is now.’

The seals were destined to be undone, and more would continue to unravel, bringing forth even more formidable foes.

The silver lining was that as the seals were undone, the residents’ growth would accelerate. Masters, now hard to find, would start appearing everywhere in just a few years.

‘That’s why I’m trying hard to recruit those with high potential.’

While they may not match the players’ growth immediately, over the long term, they could certainly catch up.

“Let’s head back now.”

Their business in the palace was concluded. There was no need to take responsibility for the enemy’s remnants.

Rushing out of the underground, Raul rejoined his subordinates who were protecting the royal family and safely returned to his mansion.

(To be continued)