The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

“Hahaha, I look forward to working with you, Count Raul.”

“The pleasure is mine, Marquis Elrod.”

In a lavish reception room, Raul shook hands with a solidly-built man who appeared to be in his mid-fifties.

Marquis Elrod.

One of the three Marquises in the Marcus Kingdom, he operated the Hamart Mercenary Knights named after his family.

During the recent war of succession, the Hamart Household remained neutral, allowing them to survive the conflict unscathed. But satisfaction? That was another story altogether.

One of the houses deeply involved in the civil war lost its main force and was demoted to a countdom after falling out of favor with the king.

Conversely, the house that backed the new king was elevated to the first ducal house in the Marcus Kingdom, reaching unprecedented heights.

‘Damn it. Those Jesto bastards became a dukedom?’

But what could be done?

He could only blame himself for choosing safety over investment. And Raul knew how to exploit that very point. With the end of the civil war and the reorganization of power, other noble families were eager to develop their new territories.

Yet, the Hamart Household had missed out on the spoils, left licking their lips with nothing to show for it, looking for any opportunity to gain an advantage. That opportunity came in the form of the Forbidden Zone Opening.

Of course, the restriction was that only players could enter. But nobles didn’t care about such details. They naturally wanted to find any way possible to plant their flag within the Forbidden Zone.

‘But trusting those outsiders… that’s a different matter.’

As a marquis running a mercenary company, he was well-acquainted with the nature of similar players. They were like moths attracted to immediate gains, rarely sticking to any real commitments.

Even if a deal was struck, there was no guarantee they would keep it. Moreover, without permission, it was impossible to even enter the Forbidden Zone, making any potential issues even more complicated.

There was a real risk of fattening up the outsiders while being muscled out of the Forbidden Zone. That’s when Raul approached him. Initially, his request for a meeting was not warmly welcomed.

Even though he was merely a count, he commanded over ten Masters, which was burdensome—reason number one.

‘His First Knight Order drastically cut into our profits!’

As a competitor in the same industry, there was no reason to welcome him—reason number two.

However, after spending half a day talking with Raul, “Hahaha! Leave the rest to our house. I will personally ensure everything proceeds smoothly.”

Pouring wine himself, the once skeptical Marquis Elrod had his concerns about Raul completely washed away. The development of the Forbidden Zone.

Raul proposed a way to enter the Forbidden Zone, which was rapidly becoming the hottest investment item among the nobility. Though it sounded grand, it was essentially a straightforward cooperation proposal.

Raul would use his Purple Guild to secure key areas within the Forbidden Zone. The Marquisate would handle the development, protection, and revenue collection.

In return, the profits would be distributed according to the investment ratio.

‘I can’t trust outsiders, but I can trust Count Raul.’

Through the recent civil war, who gained the most fame?

It wasn’t the new kings of each kingdom or pre-existing powerful figures.

It was Raul.

The master of ten Masters, the owner of the First Knight Order. An incredible tactician capable of mobilizing hundreds of thousands of players as he pleased.

And he himself was a genius knight who attained the rank of Master in his teens. Every noble house on the continent knew Raul played a crucial role in quickly ending the civil war in the Ruben Kingdom.

Moreover, it was known that the First Knight Order and the Purple Association influenced the outcomes of other nations’ civil wars.

‘If he were an enemy, he’d be unbeatable. But as an ally, there’s none more reliable.’

Furthermore, someone with such a reputation wouldn’t scam a foreign marquisate.

“Hahaha, please make yourself at home as if it’s your own house.”

Thanks to the delighted Marquis, Raul stayed at the marquisate for three days, attending various parties.

“What do you think of the marquisate?”

“The Marquis seemed a bit frivolous, but I think we can trust him. Since they didn’t participate in the civil war, they have sufficient forces, and it looks like they’ve been preparing for Forbidden Zone expansion internally.”

“That makes sense.”

Raul nodded at Kane’s assessment. In fact, Raul knew the Hamart Household very well. In his past life, Bae Dohyun had settled in the Marcus Kingdom, and his main activity area was Hamart Marquisate.

‘He’s a calculative person but never crosses the line.’

Though he occasionally made derogatory remarks about outsiders, he was also meticulous about honoring contracts. Even if the other party was an outsider.

Moreover, Raul appreciated the Marquis’ strong anti-imperial sentiment.

‘The Marcus Kingdom dispatched the most troops and knights when they engaged in battle. The Marquis himself even stood on the battlefield occasionally.’

Thanks to these actions, Bae Dohyun had benefited greatly, and thus Raul had decided to cooperate with him.

“Then, I’ll leave the rest to you. If there are any additional negotiations or collaboration required, Kane can handle it and report back to me.”

“Understood. Although that’s unlikely, Master, please be careful as well.”

The two parted ways via the portal, each headed for their respective destinations. Kane was returning to the First County to act on Raul’s behalf, while Raul was heading to the free city of Zena in the Marcus Kingdom.

*

Flash.

The magic circle activated, and Raul was soon in Zena. In the meantime, Raul had shifted to his Bae Dohyun persona.

‘Hoo, it’s been quite a while.’

It had almost been two years since he last officially visited to invest in the free city.

Despite spending significant time here in his past life while strategizing for the eastern Forbidden Zone, the Elemental Jungle, it felt unfamiliar.

‘Wow, it’s changed so much. It was a backwater town till the end in my past life.’

While it wasn’t as developed as the free city of Mira, numerous five-story buildings lined the streets, and the bustling commercial area was thronged with players.

Free City Zena.

Located in the eastern part of the Marcus Kingdom, it was also the easternmost free city on the entire continent. Geographically isolated, it was known as one of the most underdeveloped free cities.

Yet, here it was, now showing signs of significant urban development.

‘Indeed, a city thrives when money flows.’

Unlike his past life, Raul had made substantial investments this time, and with the First Knight Order dominating the western Forbidden Zone, players had flocked to this location.

The benefits were evident.

“Recruiting for Elemental Jungle raiding team! Mages and Elementalists are welcome!”

“Top 1,000 tankers will protect you! Mage-type players, come this way!”

“Looking for superhumans with elemental powers! We have tough tankers ready to guard!”

The plaza resembled a bustling market as players sought party members for their Elemental Jungle raids. Though they could use Connect’s bulletin board or community to organize, the fact they were out here recruiting directly meant, ‘They’re desperate.’

Moreover, the demand was almost exclusively for mages, elementalists, and superhumans with elemental abilities. The players had presumably grasped the Elemental Jungle’s nature to some extent.

Murmur murmur.

Not only the plaza, but all corners and alleys of the city were teeming with players. The fervor for Forbidden Zone pioneering was palpable.

Raul navigated through the crowds and finally arrived at the First Knight Order’s Zena branch.

“Welcome, Master!”

The branch manager, Willex, greeted him warmly.

“It’s been a while, Branch Manager Willex. How’s the training going?”

“Of course, Master. We are training diligently to ensure we do not disappoint.”

Raul could sense a strong spiritual energy emanating from Willex.

‘He’s about to advance to a higher level soon.’

Branch Supervisor Willex was a ‘Tree Manipulator.’

Given the proximity to the Elemental Jungle, his position was fitting. Probably having fewer responsibilities compared to other branches, he seemed to have focused more on his personal training.

“The preparations you requested are complete. We’re on standby and can move in as soon as you give the word.”

“Good, I’ll be counting on you.”

Although the management of the pioneering site would be handled in cooperation with the Hamart Household, players were still necessary.

Thus, they had selected a cooperating guild that wanted to venture into the Elemental Jungle. The First Knight Order and the Purple Guild were already busy pioneering the Monster Forest.

‘And trespassing in another nation’s territory could lead to complications.’

While there was no official law declaring who owned the Forbidden Zone, the adjacent kingdoms might claim ownership. There was no need to stir conflicts over that land.

‘It’s sufficient to just take a share of the profits. A lone wolf never lasts long; sharing the spoils reasonably is the way to go.’

“Shall I guide you to your lodgings?”

“No. The schedule took longer than expected, so I’ll head straight to the Forbidden Zone. Lead me to the portal.”

“Understood. This way, please.”

Though Zena was the easternmost free city, the Forbidden Zone was still quite a distance away.A portal had been set up for regular travel near the Forbidden Zone.

Of course, there was a different portal for players, but Raul used the guild-exclusive portal.

*

“Jerica Guild is hiring mage mercenaries!”

“Kade Sun Guild is looking for ranger mercenaries!”

“Rank 900 Workshop Party has an open spot! Looking for one mage and one sub-tank!”

“Here’s a sub-tank!”

“I’m a Rank 2000 tank! I can take hits well, so bring me along!”

The pioneering camp at the entrance of the Forbidden Zone. Even the Elemental Jungle’s entry camp was bustling with players.

The difference was that the players here appeared to be of much higher levels, and there were many renowned guilds present. Raul (Bae Dohyun) smiled as he recalled old memories.

Once, players would line up to have Bae Dohyun in their party.

‘I never joined a fixed party, but I did participate in random parties occasionally.’

From time to time, he spotted guild names or emblems that irked him. These belonged to guilds that had been part of the grand guild alliance in his past life.

But Bae Dohyun ignored them and walked past.

‘I have urgent matters now, but we will meet soon enough.’

Even if he didn’t seek them out, another clash was inevitable. Bae Dohyun had grown too influential to care about these minor irritations.

Even without personally intervening, he had more than enough capable subordinates who could eliminate those pests with a single command.

Watching those self-important guild members strutting around was simply amusing.

“One person?”

The player guarding the camp exit asked.

“Yes, and?”

“That’ll be 1 gold.”

Raul licked his lips and handed over the gold to the player, who seemed to find it surprising that Raul paid the toll without complaint.

“You look like a ranker, but it’s dangerous to go alone. The forest may seem ordinary, but it’s very treacherous. If you haven’t found party members, would you like me to help?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Ah, alright then. Good luck.”

Dressed in high-level gear, anyone could see Bae Dohyun was a high-ranking player. He was equipped with the best armor and weapons sold at the First Knight Order workshop.

A moment after Bae Dohyun passed through the gate, the guard communicated with someone.

“A high-ranking solo player just entered. Yes, his gear is… No guild mark. Yes, I understand. We will proceed accordingly.”

Shortly after the communication ended, several players wearing cloaks began to trail Bae Dohyun as he left the camp.

(To be continued)

TL’s Corner:
Pack of Hyenas following Bae Dohyun…