The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 244



Chapter 244

The clash between the McNeil Marquisate and the Randal County. The battle for the throne between the 3rd Prince Herdian and the 4th Prince Jonas.

Many hoped for Jonas’s victory over Herdian, but realistically, it seemed unlikely. The McNeil Marquisate had been one of the kingdom’s four great martial families for a long time, gradually expanding their influence.

Having seized control of the capital, the central army, and the royal knight, their strength was unparalleled in the kingdom.

In contrast, the Randal County had only recently been included among the five great martial families. As a rising power, they had been actively expanding their influence throughout the capital and the kingdom.

Centered around Count Hudson de Randal, the young knight order was making a name for itself, but compared to the McNeil Marquisate, they were still considered inferior by the public.

Moreover, the McNeil Marquisate had five Masters on their side. Some even said that the Randal County’s challenge was too reckless.

“What do you think?”

Raul asked, putting down a newspaper that analyzed the current civil war. The editorial estimated the chances of the 4th Prince’s side winning at less than 10%.

“Well, I don’t think the analysis is wrong per se… But if Hudson, the Count I know, is involved, he wouldn’t engage in a losing battle. He’s not someone to take risks without a chance of success.”

Philip reflected on past events. Before Raul came of age, the Randal County’s rise was partly due to Count Hudson achieving Master status, but that wasn’t the entire story.

‘He’s a highly calculative and political individual who knows how to leverage his strengths.’

Count Hudson pressured neighboring territories into his sphere of influence and involved himself in various kingdom enterprises to bolster his family’s power.

Frequent clashes with the Ashton County were often due to him trying to seize their entitlements.

Philip believed that Hudson had a specific strategy if he was willing to challenge the royal authority with the 4th Prince as his figurehead.

“I agree. That sly fox wouldn’t dig his own grave.”

“Hm…? Do you know Count Hudson well?”

Philip’s question caught Raul off guard momentarily. He had almost mixed up the information he had gathered from his previous life. But Raul’s experience allowed him to recover quickly.

“I’ve done extensive research on him, given that the Randal household could be considered our arch-rival.”

“Of course. The Master would undoubtedly be well-informed.”

Philip nodded in agreement. Raul’s intelligence network had long surpassed even the Ashton County’s main house.

The presence of a capable person like Kane, Raul’s comprehensive support, and his systematic training of agents were key elements driving the success of the First Domain.

“Anyway, this war won’t be an easy ordeal for the 4th Prince’s side, either.”

“So, who do you think will win?”

“Naturally, the McNeil Marquisate will win.”

Raul’s answer was resolute. Philip had been hoping for a different answer, feeling slightly disappointed.

‘Of course. There’s a fundamental difference in their capabilities.’

However, Raul’s certainty wasn’t purely due to the disparity in strength between the two families. He was already aware of who the McNeil Marquisate had allied with.

“Of course…”

“……?”

“It’s only if we don’t intervene.”

“Could it be that you’re planning to get involved?”

Philip asked with a surprised expression, and Raul responded with a curious smile.

“No, not yet. The war hasn’t even really begun.”

And there was no need for Raul to intervene directly. He had plenty of people to act on his behalf.

*

-Breaking: Civil War Erupts in the Ruben Kingdom! 3rd Prince vs. 4th Prince.

-The Clash Between McNeil Marquisate and Randal County. Who Will Emerge Victorious?

-Experts Predict an Overwhelming Victory for the McNeil Marquisate, while the Community’s Mood Is…

-Purple Association: “Carefully Consider Your Faction in the Ruben Kingdom Civil War.”

Advises Against Aligning with the McNeil Marquisate.

The community was ablaze once more.

More than half of the total players had chosen a free city in the Ruben Kingdom as their starting point, making the outcome of this civil war significant.

Given that influential player-friendly groups like the First Knight Order, Purple Association, and Purple Guild were involved, it naturally drew significant attention.

-So who should win? The 3rd Prince or the 4th Prince? I heard neither side is particularly friendly with the First Domain.

– LOL, time to cut ties. Acting rashly has left them ostracized among the nobles. The First is declining, so everyone escape the Ruben Kingdom!

— Stock market troll, go back to your board.

– The First Domain seems to be maintaining neutrality, but can they handle the aftermath? Might be better to swallow their pride and side with one faction.

– Not sure. Maybe it’s better to stay neutral than to haphazardly support one side. It’s a game for us, but for NPCs, backing the wrong team could ruin their entire family.

– What should we do, folks? They helped me a lot when I was a newbie. How can we support them?

— Low-level players should stay out of it and go hunt instead.

— I’m not low-level, though. Level 63 shield warrior here. 『Screenshot』.

— Oh, sorry. Maybe you could spare some items…

— Me too, please…

-Don’t make hasty decisions. Just wait. We have an excellent guide, don’t we? Hint: Purple.

– Sounds right.

– True, but will it work this time?

The players were also uncertain about what stance to take. As previously announced, the Purple Association had opened up faction quests in the Ruben Kingdom for both sides.

They were keeping their promise of neutrality.

However, they strongly urged everyone to choose their faction carefully. As a result, even though the war had begun, players were still hesitant to commit.

‘The faction chosen by the Purple Guild always wins.’

Many were curious to see if this formula would hold true once again.

***

“Charge!”

“Breach the walls!”

Boom!

A siege was underway at a mid-sized fortress. Countless soldiers clung to the walls, and battering rams and other siege weapons pounded relentlessly against the fortress.

The attackers were comprised of the Royal Central Army and forces from local nobles supporting the 3rd Prince.

Since it was still early in the siege, the initial assault was being led by the local troops rather than the elite Central Army.

Perhaps this was why the fortress’s resistance was so fierce, preventing the attackers from gaining any foothold on the walls.

“…This is unexpected.”

An officer from the Central Army, who was overseeing the soldiers, looked troubled. This was not a strategically important location, nor was it even within Count Randal’s territory.

It was just a mid-sized noble family cooperating with the Randal County; such fierce resistance seemed unreasonable.

‘Do they not see the overwhelming numbers against them?’

Their forces numbered close to thirty thousand. In contrast, the fortress garrison had at most five thousand. The command assumed they would surrender.

This place was too far from Count Randal’s main territory for reinforcements to arrive in time, and it wasn’t governed by any of Randal’s blood relatives.

‘It’s problematic if we get bogged down here.’

The punitive force had a strategy to advance in five divisions to encircle the Randal County. Each division comprised a combination of Central Army and local forces, totaling thirty thousand each.

An army close to one hundred fifty thousand strong. While local troops were mainly conscripted with minimal training, the fifty thousand Central Army soldiers were the kingdom’s most elite.

The plan was based on the assumption that even if Count Randal concentrated his forces in one place, they could hold out until the other divisions joined.

‘If it starts like this, it’s going to be a headache.’

They would need to pass through at least five territories to reach Count Randal’s domain. If every territory resisted like this, the plan would be disrupted from the start.

Bwoooo!

Just then, a horn blast from the main camp signaled a retreat.

‘… What’s going on?’

It was still far from sunset. The elite Central Army, intended to seize the walls, hadn’t even been deployed yet. There was no apparent reason to pull back the troops, but orders were orders.

The officer gathered his soldiers and began the retreat to the main camp.

“What’s going on?”

Entering the command tent, he immediately noticed the grim faces of those inside. A close comrade pulled him aside and spoke quietly.

“Scouts have spotted enemy troops heading this way. An estimated twenty thousand.”

“Twenty thousand? Local troops numbering twenty thousand shouldn’t be a problem, should it?”

His comrade sighed at the question.

“That’s just one group. There are three forces converging here. A total of over sixty thousand.”

“……! So the enemy’s main force is heading this way?”

“The thing is….”

The punitive force advancing along five routes halted and retreated. Despite mobilizing an army of 150,000, they were forced to stop due to the overwhelming force of their enemy.

300,000.

Count Randal had mobilized a massive force of 300,000 to block the advance of the punitive expedition. In the main operations room of the Randal County.

A meeting was in full swing amidst dozens of seated officers.

“Ha! Just thinking about their astonished faces lifts my spirits.”

“They never imagined we could muster such a force.”

At the center of the room, alongside Count Hudson de Randal, were two other counts and about a dozen viscounts.

Count Beortio.

Count Lansis.

There were seven count-level families in the Ruben Kingdom. While Ashton and Randal were the most prestigious, the others weren’t small in influence.

And right next to the three counts sat a child who seemed out of place in the high-stakes meeting.

“Isn’t that right, Marquis Edmer?”

“Indeed. If we had more time, I could’ve mustered even more forces. It’s a pity.”

The child, appearing to be about thirteen, had a look full of life. More importantly, there was a fiery determination burning in his eyes.

Haras de Edmer.

Recently elevated to marquis after the execution of Beortio de Edmer, he was the nephew and adopted heir of the former marquis.

With the direct lineage of the prior marquis executed, thirteen-year-old Haras was the new leader. The swift punitive raid led by the 3rd Prince had failed to clean up thoroughly.

The strike aimed at the marquisate was sudden, focusing on seizing the main castle before they could respond effectively.

Given that the marquisate held the kingdom’s largest territory, occupying it fully required more time and troops.

Consequently, parts of the marquisate forces rallied under Haras, the new marquis, and Count Randal did not hesitate to extend his hand to them.

With the combined forces of the marquisate, three count families, and several supporting families, assembling an army of 300,000 was not difficult.

“Furthermore, the foreigners have proven useful. There were rumors that the Ashtons control the foreigners, but that doesn’t seem to be the case based on recent events.”

“Exactly. Thanks to the foreigners managing the Gates, we could mobilize our forces quickly. In some ways, they’re more useful than mercenaries.”

As the two counts pointed out, players played a significant role in establishing the defense lines. After the appearance of Gates, lords were required to assign a substantial portion of their forces to manage them.

With the grade of Gates increasing and their frequency rising, the situation became more dire.

Then stepped in the Purple Association.

The Purple Association utilized 『Sub-Scenario: Saviors of X』. The sub-scenario aimed to handle newly appeared Gates. Many players preferred this over the main civil war scenario.

The society provided lords aligned with the 4th Prince with players to manage the Gates, allowing for rapid mobilization of troops.

“So, shall we discuss the next plan?”

Contrary to expert predictions, the war entered a standoff. But neither side wanted a prolonged conflict. Inevitable clashes were on the horizon.

(To be continued)


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