The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 97

“The problem is as follows: We have obtained a prophecy that the Holy See has kept hidden and not disclosed.”

[“When the shadow of darkness strengthens, the light of salvation shall be tainted black. Doubt, and doubt again.”]

“By ‘shadow of darkness,’ do they mean the empire’s bastards?” Pierce asked in a detached tone, to which Kane responded.

“For now, it seems the order suspects not a specific force but the gates. They fear something related to ‘darkness’ might emerge from the gates.”

Rabel, who appeared suddenly, looked at the text of the prophecy and said, “That’s a reasonable interpretation. Remember the demons and demonic tribes we saw within the castle’s barrier? It’s possible more of those bastards could pour out in the future.”

Her existence was already known among the leadership, and she often attended meetings concerning matters of magic or monsters.

“Could it be the vanished dark mages reappearing? If the empire begins activities, it seems likely they would reveal themselves too.”

“That’s a possibility. According to the historical records, when the empire was defeated, the dark mages who followed the emperor disappeared as well. It won’t hurt to be cautious.”

Nakia spoke from a mage’s perspective, and Rabel agreed with her. After Nakia joined, the two often exchanged thoughts and conducted research together.

After all, they were the only high-level mages in Raul’s camp at the time. That’s when Raul spoke up.

“The identity of the darkness might not be so important. It could be the empire’s bastards, devil tribes, or dark mages. The critical thing is the fact that those who appeared as saviors might betray us. We must focus on this point and prepare for the future.”

“What are you planning to do?” Philip asked, to which Raul shrugged.

“There’s no set answer. The best course is to prevent situations where betrayal could occur, and the next best is to strengthen our power so that even if there is betrayal, it won’t matter.”

It wasn’t possible to devise detailed plans against those who had yet to appear.

“I plan to use them as much as possible. Since they are called saviors, they will surely be of some help in some way. But I have no intention of just standing by and watching. We are the masters of this world. Peace achieved through others’ hands isn’t going to last.”

“You’re absolutely right. We don’t know what these so-called saviors are made of, but it’s our own people we need to take care of!”

Jake snorted, burning with fighting spirit. Though unspoken, the eyes of Philip and Pierce also shone sharply.

“Kane. Deploy more informants in the sixteen free cities. We have a lot to do there. Don’t worry about the expenses.”

“Understood. I’ve been expanding our intelligence network mainly using the local residents anyway.”

“Sir Philip, please pay a bit more attention to training the knights and soldiers and try to secure as many troops as possible.”

“Leave it to me.”

“And Dalton. Your role is going to be important from now on.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve gained enough experience managing the mercenaries so far. How different could it be with foreigners?”

Dalton had been granted the title of baron for his merits in the previous capital. Frankly, the influence of the Templeton ducal family played a part, but what harm was there in good fortune?

Being a friend of Raul, Dalton was the only person in the leadership who could speak informally with him.

And the reason this was allowed was because of the role Dalton was expected to take on. Raul planned to make Dalton the face of the First Knight Order.

A noble yet flexible and lively young knight with excellent skills, Dalton’s background was solid enough to prevent any disrespect from others.

So, along with managing the players they’ll be signing on in the future, he will also serve as a sort of spokesperson.

He had always preferred a relaxed atmosphere over a stiff knight order, so there were no issues.

“When outsiders appear, the situation will become more chaotic than it is now. However, if they keep walking our path without faltering, I’m confident a glorious future awaits us. I’m counting on each and every one of you moving forward.”

With those words, the last meeting before the New Year concluded.

Over the past year, waking up in the world within the game, they have been doing our utmost in preparation for the future to come.

Whether our efforts will bear fruit, whether they truly can make a difference, will now be put to the test. But Raul was not afraid.

Unlike his past of struggling alone, he now had a strong family and colleagues who believed in him.

There were things he had to protect, things he desired to conquer. Strengthening his will to overcome any obstacle that might come his way, Raul took a determined step forward.

* * *

Fall of 2035.

An article was posted in a gaming community.

[Connect Co., Ltd. achieves success in developing Full Dive Virtual Reality game]

– What’s Full Dive anyway? It’ll probably just be the same old VR rig with a few tweaks and sensors strapped to the limbs.

– The academic world has long since concluded it’s impossible. No need to get excited over nothing.

– The academic world is a joke, does that guy even eat?

– But what company is Connect? I’m hearing about it for the first time.

– Seems like a startup. Shows up as a multinational robotics development company?

– This must be a tabloid trying to play with stocks.

– It’s an unlisted company, though?

– Why is everyone blowing a fuse here? Just wait for the game to come out and judge it then.

Most people thought this was another lie. Since the development of VR games, although the goggles changed form and the resolution improved to almost lifelike quality, the mechanism hadn’t changed.

It involved wearing external equipment, employing sensors and detection functionality to create virtual realities close to real life.

A device that directly links to the brain, like those seen in novels or movies, not only hadn’t been commercialized but there were no reports of its development either.

That’s because the human brain is a sensitive and complicated research subject. And then, out of the blue, a ‘Full Dive’ virtual reality game is announced – who would believe it?

The article seemed to quietly fade away. However, a promotional video (PV) released shortly after reignited the controversy.

[World’s first Full Dive virtual reality game PV Video Released.]

The video began from the sky. Below the viewpoint of a flying bird, vast mountain ranges and dense forests swiftly passed by.

Then, as it lifted its head to look ahead, a small dot-like object could be seen approaching from the distance. The sound of the wings grew louder, and finally, the shape of the dot-like object came into clear view.

“Kwaaaa!”

A large lizard with wings, known as a [Wyvern], was flying straight towards they.

It opened its mouth filled with sharp teeth and dived directly at they.

“Pheeew~!”

The shrill cry of a hawk erupted as the distance between them closed rapidly, and it seemed they would collide at any moment when suddenly the view shifted dramatically.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Clang! Crash!

Gwaaaa!

This time, the perspective was that of a knight on horseback.

Knights wearing flashing blue armor on either side drew their swords in unison and charged forward.

Ahead on the plain, a battle was raging, soldiers and monsters clashing together.

“Huff, huff.”

The rough breathing of the knight was audible as the knights’ brigade finally charged into the battlefield.

Slash!

Thud!

A blue sword aura soared as the sword swung, tearing monsters to shreds.

But then, appearing before the knight, was a four-meter-tall terrestrial tyrant, an [Ogre].

Shrrrk, thwack!

“Aaargh!”

The knight and his horse were sent flying, spewing a fountain of blood, as they were struck by the arm of the ogre.

Yet, the knight bravely started to run towards the ogre head-on. The scene changes again to a hill overlooking the battlefield.

Mages in red robes stood on a magical circle made of mysterious blue runes, chanting spells in unison.

Soon, their magic was cast, raining fire down on the back of the monster horde’s formation.

Blaze, boom!

Just as the monster formation seemed to collapse into a sea of flames, small-horned demon-type monsters began pouring out from a sinister black gate that appeared among the flames, followed by a man in a blood-red suit.

A man with two horns and blood-red eyes looked this way, letting out a rotten smile and snapping his fingers.

Whoosh.

Black smoke with the face of a demon engulfed the mages, and the sight went dark.

Then, monsters continued to pour from the gate, filling the plains as they surged forward, accompanied by the text.

[The world of Connect]

People screamed, and castles were set ablaze.

[Has fallen into crisis]

Knights clad in white armor and cloaked in blue mantles gaze down upon the monsters surrounding the castle.

[O Heroes]

The knights charge towards the monsters.

[Save the World]

The view returns to the eyes of a bird at the beginning, revealing the earth now in ruins.

[Coming Soon…]

-What’s this? It feels like a movie trailer.

-The CG is insane, it’s so realistic it gives me chills.

-I mean, the content is predictable, but it’s visually captivating.

-Could this really be actual gameplay footage? If so, this game is legendary.

-Don’t get too excited in the comments. Ever seen a game that lives up to its commercial? Typical.

-The first and the last scene, are those real? Can an eagle really fight a wyvern?

-Fight? More like get swallowed in one bite.

-Anyhow, this has got to be one of the best game PV videos ever.

-So, when is it coming out?

Half-doubtful and half-hopeful, people began to eagerly anticipate the release date after the cinematic PV.

And when the official release schedule was finally announced, the news and online communities exploded with excitement.

[Connect Inc. officially announces the release of their new game ]

[A promotion for early adopters, offering three months of free usage exclusively to the first thousand consoles through a lottery!]

[Revealing the game’s exclusive capsule connection device. Monthly rental plus subscription costs a total of 500,000 won.]

[Game access will be granted through a weekly lottery among applicants.]

-Are you kidding me? A game console subscription costing 500,000 won a month?

-But considering the price, it seems like there’s really something to it. And a capsule, huh? Could it be full-dive VR?

-I’ve already applied. Only 1,000 units available initially adds a rare value, right? If it’s not fun, I could still sell it for a premium.

-Did you even read the article? It’s personal use only. You can’t let others use it, nor sell it. Wanna get caught?

-What’s with the weekly lottery? It’s not even a lottery ticket.

-So you didn’t apply?

-Already did.

-Lol

Despite the controversies over its high price, the number of pre-registration applicants exploded.

The lucky 1,000 selected would have the privilege of using it for free for three months, compelling even the most practiced gamers to apply.

Competition soared as even those looking to profit from the transfer ignored the notification.

When registration finally closed, the competition ratio had surpassed 100,000 to 1.

Over a hundred million people worldwide had applied.

And on December 24th, just before Christmas, the lucky thousand were announced, and the much-rumored capsules began being shipped around the globe.

(To be continued)