The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 98

Bustling.

“It’s been a while. It’s completely changed since my last visit, hasn’t it?”

Raul was strolling through the streets of the Free City of Mira with Nakia and Jake.

Nearly a year ago, on his first visit to Mira, the city had felt vast and desolate.

The structure of Mira consisted of the inner city, where the market house and government offices gathered, followed by a simple structure encased by just one outer wall.

However, the distance between the inner and outer walls was incredibly vast, covering an area tens of times larger than that of an average baronial castle.

Considering the city could house over a million people but was home to fewer than a hundred thousand, it was no surprise that the inside looked empty.

Moreover, more than half of the city’s land was being used for agriculture, which could make one think that the long outer wall was unnecessarily built.

But now, a year later.

Mira had changed so much that it truly deserved to be called a city.

Raul, having bought more than a third of the land outside the outer wall of Mira, had divided it into sections and progressed with large-scale civil engineering works.

And now, the fruits of that endeavor lay before their eyes.

“Gosh, can it really change this much in just a year? It might look simple, but in terms of scale, it seems no less grand than Thurium,” Jake remarked.

“I was surprised myself. Buildings were being completed overnight. It’s all thanks to the Master and the First Knight Order,” Nakia responded, having stayed in Mira and witnessed the city’s transformation firsthand.

Indeed, they realized just how quickly buildings could be erected with a set goal and the investment of money and manpower.

Raul had divided the construction project into three main zones.

The first was a commercial district.

Centering around a spacious plaza, various shops, restaurants, and pubs had been planned and built.

As a result, besides the original center, four new commercial hubs were established, boasting weapon stores, armor shops, general stores, grocery stores, and numerous other convenience facilities and outlets densely packed together.

Since the demand wasn’t fully there yet, only the most accessible bustling area had officially opened for business. However, with the introduction of players, more businesses were planned to launch accordingly.

Thud, thud.

The sound of a hammer striking could be heard from a large forge set up behind the weapon store.

As Raul entered the forge, the head blacksmith hurriedly bowed his head in greeting.

“Welcome, Master.”

“You’ve been working hard. Are there any inconveniences in your work?”

“Of course not. A forge filled with such premium equipment from the furnace to the bellows is probably unparalleled, except perhaps directly by the royal forges. Thanks to the magic circles, even the minor issues are resolved, increasing our production several-fold.”

“That’s a relief. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to request it from the guild. How about the apprentices? How are they doing?”

“Where did you manage to find these talents? Their skills are visibly growing by the day. In about six months, I bet they’ll be fully capable of handling their own.”

The forge was bustling with about ten seasoned blacksmiths and dozens of bright-eyed apprentices, all sweating it out together.

When war breaks out, the value of each craftsman becomes immeasurably precious.

With plans to continuously increase the number of soldiers, securing craftsmen responsible for supplying weapons was also crucial.

“Focus on improving skills rather than worrying about production numbers. And as I mentioned before, you and a few other skilled workers will soon be mobilized to create ‘that.’ So, don’t neglect your research.”

“Of course. I’ve been studying the samples you provided both day and night.”

“I’ll continue to send samples as they become available, so don’t hesitate to use them for thorough research. And don’t forget to maintain strict security.”

“I’ll manage it meticulously, rest assured.”

“Thank you; I’m counting on you.”

Raul was planning to start developing and manufacturing ‘Power Armor’ soon.

Until now, only a few mage towers had been exclusively producing them. The biggest issue had been the technical challenges, but more so the difficulty in securing raw materials.

However, with the gate opening and the forbidden zones lifting, the supply of materials would naturally increase.

Preparations to secure materials had already been completed, leaving the task of securing skilled craftsmen and mages.

They managed to solve the issue of craftsmanship to some extent by utilizing the current gate outbreak situation.

Lords fleeing to the capital sought Raul to reclaim their territories, and in exchange for a modest monetary reward and craftsmen, Raul managed to negotiate.

In normal times, skilled workers would never be a bargaining chip, but the lords with immediate crises had no choice.

Some even considered themselves lucky to exchange people instead of money.

Thus, solving requests from about ten places, he secured hundreds of skilled workers from various trades, laying a solid foundation for industrial and commercial revitalization.

‘The problem lies with magic… but I think a solution will emerge soon.’

Although stuck domestically for now and hence postponed, the issue of mages seemed likely to find a solution upon visiting the Leslie Kingdom, abundant with mage towers.

Leaving the forge, Raul and his group visited various production facilities and shops, including leather workshops, accessory workshops, and carpentry shops, before moving on to the next district.

Opposite the square, with bars and restaurants on one side, there was an area formed for lodging and residences.

“Doesn’t it look a bit stuffy, though? It’s better than a barracks, I guess, but I wonder how many people would actually pay to stay here…”

Jake tilted his head as he spoke.

In the residential area, four-story buildings almost identical to each other stood in a neat line.

‘What would players think when they see this?’

Simply put, these four-story buildings had a structure similar to studios or small single rooms.

Rooms just big enough to fit a single bed and a desk filled the buildings.

From Jake’s point of view, it might have been hard to imagine people living in such tiny rooms, but modern people were familiar with this structure.

Raul thought that players didn’t need fancy accommodations anyway, so this should be sufficient. For players, a lodging was merely a place to safely sleep when they returned to reality.

Eventually, even accommodations like these would become scarce due to their limited availability. Land in the Free City was finite, while the number of players continued to increase.

Increasing the capacity, even if it made the rooms a bit smaller, was actually beneficial from the players’ perspective.

‘With preparations like these, the number of people sleeping on the streets should decrease.’

And, of course, Raul’s pockets would grow thicker from the rent. But not all accommodations were four-story single rooms.

As they moved closer to the inner wall, a completely different upscale residential area appeared. Elegant houses with private gardens and spacious yards lined up along walls.

This place was prepared for nobility fleeing from war or wealthy player guilds to use as hideouts. Though the rent was a bit high, given the limited number, people scrambled to get in due to the luxurious and stylish interior.

Passing the upscale residential area towards the downtown, a large building that caught the eye from afar appeared.

[First Hotel]

A 15-story building constructed with a special permit from the market.

In the world of Connect, where architectural techniques had yet to reach modern standards, it was an ambitious project created with the help of mages applying layers of magic circles.

The interior of the building was decorated more lavishly and beautifully than the finest hotels on Earth, and the rooms were equipped with modern conveniences through the use of various magic circles.

This place was intended for guests of special status only, anticipated to become a landmark that would elevate the prestige of the First Knight Order and Raul.

It was already completed and in operation, with some nobles, who had fled to Mira following the Gate incident, occupying its rooms.

Providing the top-floor room for Mayor Reynaldo had led to him conducting more of his official duties here than in his city hall office.

“Welcome, Master. Mayor Reynaldo has been expecting you,” the hotel manager greeted Raul. Having arranged to meet the mayor, who then suggested they convene here, Raul couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride.

Riding the magical levitation elevator to the top floor, Raul entered what could be considered Mayor Reynaldo’s office, where the mayor greeted him with open arms and a bright smile.

“Ahh, young master Raul, it’s been too long! Do make your visits more frequent.”

After Raul was officially granted the title of viscount, it was natural for Mayor Reynaldo to address him with honorifics, to which Raul responded just as naturally.

“It’s been a while, Mayor Reynaldo. I’ve been hearing about your doings. How have you been?”

“Hahaha! Lately, I’ve been enjoying life thanks to you, my lord. Who would’ve thought those haughty nobles would lower their heads like this?”

Reynaldo joyfully recounted moments of previously arrogant local lords desperately seeking help, vividly amused by the turn of events. Raul played along for a while, lifting the mayor’s spirits before bringing up the main topic.

“As I’ve mentioned before, we’re expecting a large influx of foreigners soon. Have the preparations we discussed been arranged?”

“Certainly! Upon your words, I’ve thoroughly prepared everything – from guides to assist the foreigners’ adaptation to training facilities and amenities. They’ll be astounded, trust me.”

“As I’ve said, this is all a matter of competition. We must attract as many players as possible to ensure our investments shine. Please remind your staff of this.”

With a total of 16 free cities in the kingdom, new arrivals were initially assigned randomly, but later players could choose their starting location.

Raul’s goal was to draw as many of the initial players as possible to Mira and other free cities within the Ruben Kingdom, within which he had influence, especially since Mira was close to his own lands.

‘It seemed odd in hindsight,’ thought Raul.

Connect Corp had claimed to select players through a lottery, but the truth likely lay elsewhere.

This was because a significant number of the first 1,000 players to enter Connect had maintained high rankings for a long time.

One might think early access naturally offered advantages, but Connect was different from ordinary games. Here, innate attributes, skill proficiency, and assimilation rate mattered more than level.

‘It was later revealed the assimilation rates of the initial players were exceptionally high.’

And in his past life, Bae Dohyun was among those first chosen.

(To be continued)