The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

-『Breaking News』 Interspecies sightings within the secondary barrier of the Forbidden Zone.

-Elemental Jungle pioneer vanguard annihilated. Perpetrators identified as ‘Elves’?

-Northern Forbidden Zone, ice Mountain pioneering team encounters massive golem forces and retreats. Multiple reports: “It seemed like there were operators inside the golems.”

-Enchanted songs heard in the Devil’s Sea? Pioneering team members entranced by magic leapt into the ocean and drowned.

-Who’s in the Monster Forest? Purple Association enforces pioneering defense line. Players who crossed the barrier report, “Monster numbers have drastically increased.”

– Are these the harbingers of the second wave?

Fifteen days into the new scenario, the exploration of what was expected to be promising new pioneering sites hit an impassable wall.

As hinted in the scenario, the former rulers of the conquered lands began to reveal themselves. However, no one had seen them up close.

There were many vague sightings, but no one had come face to face with these mysterious beings. This sparked intense debate within the community.

-The fantasy protagonists have finally appeared! Elves in the east, dwarves in the north, sirens in the south, and the west—who knows? It’s all fantasy now!

-I always thought it was strange. Connect borrowed from classic fantasy settings, but there were no non-human races, only humans. I guess it’s finally finding its footing.

-I’m not sure if those guesses are accurate, but I’m excited nonetheless. It seems like there’s more diverse adventure content now.

-Developers, are you watching? New races revealed—when do we get to play as them? I want to be an Elf!

-That seems unlikely. How about Orcs? Just make it happen.

-No escapism, please. I also think Orc sync rates would be the highest.

-Damn it, I don’t want to be a Dwarf.

-Hahahahahaha!

-Don’t get your hopes up. They can’t even change the appearance of existing avatars. Different races? Unlikely.

-Developers, do your job! Shouldn’t the game be less stressful?

-But don’t you get a weird feeling? Most of the pioneering teams seem to have been wiped out. Is this setting up for a war between races?

-Totally agree. This definitely looks like a setup for a big conflict.

-I have to admit, seeing the big guilds take a hit is satisfying. National guilds have been getting cocky lately, and it’s annoying.

-Absolutely. Why are national guilds even involved in a game? They don’t contribute to my spending but take fees for everything.

-Let them be. They’re just 2nd-rate guilds anyway. They’re just picking up the scraps that the First Knight Order left behind.

– I’m reporting racial discrimination. Our beautiful Elves and Siren ladies can’t have bad personalities! Clearly, the pioneers did something wrong, duh.

-What’s with this idiot?

Despite the community’s varied opinions, the major guilds pioneering the Forbidden Zone were thrilled.

“Elves, you say? Are we certain they were Elves?”

“It seems almost certain. Some survivors from the annihilated reconnaissance teams definitely saw pointed ears. Besides, isn’t the dungeon guardian here a ‘Dark Elf’? There’s enough consistency.”

After hearing his aides, the guildmaster of 『Republic of Korea』, An Bummo, fell into deep thought.

‘This is… an opportunity.’

Hunting monsters could only yield by-products and material items.

But Elves?

In the fantasy genre, Elves were known for possessing the most valuable magical items and rare materials.

Their equipment.

Their craftsmanship.

Their knowledge.

And the Elves themselves.

If those could be acquired, ‘We could change the current balance of power!’

This was a chance to upend the situation where they lagged behind the First Knight Order and Purple Guild.

And it wasn’t just them.

Hardly any time after the rumors began spreading, messages started pouring in from everywhere.

If you capture Elves, I’ll buy them at a high price.

Trade Elven jewelry for equivalent artifacts.

Bring back young Elves….

Secure a genuine Branch of the World Tree….

Nobles, magic towers, slave traders, and even sponsor players…

Interest in the newly unveiled Elves was overwhelming.

Guildmaster An Bummo decided.

“Summon our allied guilds immediately. Reach out to Daesung, crown, and New Star Guilds as well. The agenda is to form an ‘Elf Extermination Squad’.”

“Understood, Master!”

An Bummo’s eyes gleamed with greed. And he wasn’t the only one. Every national guild—Great Japan from Japan, Zhonghua from China, s-US from America, slava Russia from Russia—mobilized.

The large guild alliance, blinded by greed, began organizing squads to hunt these newfound prey. But who would end up being the true prey?

The flames of a new war began to blaze fiercely.

*

“Guuurrr!”

Crack! Boom!

A Twin-Headed Ogre over 5 meters tall uprooted two massive trees and swung them around. With each swing, wooden huts and fences were shattered, sending debris flying everywhere.

“Block it, chwik! Don’t let it reach the center, chwik!”

“We need to buy time for the children and elders to escape, chwik!”

Green-skinned figures stood in the Ogre’s path. Orcs wielding crude iron weapons charged at it, but…

Crack. Thud!

Greenish blood splattered over the tree trunks. Yet, the Orcs were fearless. Regardless of their comrades’ heads being smashed or bodies being mangled, they relentlessly charged at the beast.

Crunch.

Eventually, the tree could no longer withstand the force and snapped.

“Kuuaaaagh!”

But the Twin-Headed Ogre did not weaken; its roars only grew more explosive. Hurling the broken tree, it began crushing Orcs with its bare fists and tearing them apart with its hands.

It even shoved Orcs into its mouth, chewing them to pieces. The weapons the Orcs used to exploit any openings couldn’t pierce the Ogre’s tough hide, making the situation desperate.

‘To think they’d attack when our warriors were away….’

The elder of the Orc village, struggling with his old body, gripped his hand axe tightly. The humans appearing at the northern forest’s edge were the problem.

Like hyenas, they occasionally attacked the hunting warriors. While some of the village’s warriors were out scouting the northern forest, this disaster struck.

‘I must buy time until the hunting warriors return.’

Their luck couldn’t have been worse. Even the few warriors left to guard the village were out hunting. The few remaining warriors were quickly turned to pulp by the Ogre.

Now, only he, who could manipulate the forces of nature, remained. Elder Buruba of Dekend Village took determined steps toward the Ogre.

“You beast, I’ll take you on, chwik!”

Buruba threw his axe, hitting the Twin-Headed Ogre’s navel.

“Kuwaaa!”

As the beast locked eyes with Buruba, he quickly dodged.

Boom!

The Ogre’s fist cratered the ground, and Buruba ran towards the opposite end of the village, throwing another axe. Infuriated, the Ogre turned to chase him.

However, his aged body couldn’t keep up with his intentions. Barely twenty paces later, the Ogre caught up to him.

‘Oh, ancestors! Please look after our tribe.’

With a prayer, buruba swung his worn axe against the rock-like Ogre’s fist.

Thud!

“Guuurrr!”

The Ogre roared in pain.

‘Huh? What happened…?’

Buruba, ready to die, looked up at the Ogre in shock.

“……!”

A large battle axe was embedded in one of the Twin-Headed Ogre’s heads. The beast, in evident agony, clutched its head with one arm and glared somewhere else.

It seemed to have forgotten Buruba.

“How dare you harm our kin, chwik! You shall pay with your life, chwik!”

Thud! Swoosh!

A large shadow passed over Elder Buruba’s head as he collapsed.

Boom!

“Guuurrr!”

The Twin-Headed Ogre staggered back, blood dripping from its clenched fist. Charging towards the retreating Ogre was a figure riding a beast—one rider, one wolf.

‘A Wolf Rider! Where did they come from?’

Elder Buruba’s entire body shivered with excitement, unconsciously clenching his fists. Even among the Orc race, there were exceptionally strong individuals.

Adult Orcs who honed their skills in hunting and combat and could use the power of nature were recognized as Orc warriors.

Among these warriors, the truly exceptional ones became elite orc warriors. And among the elite orc warriors, those chosen by the ancestral spirits earned the title of great orc warriors.

But standing above even them were the elite warriors known as Wolf Riders. These were at least high-ranking warriors who had earned the loyalty of ferocious Giant Wolves.

Small tribes might not even have a single Wolf Rider in their ranks; they were the ultimate elite. In Dekend Village, to which Elder Buruba belonged, there was only one elite orc warrior who was a Wolf Rider.

Whizz! Crack!

The Wolf Rider, appearing out of nowhere, demonstrated immense power fitting his reputation. The seemingly invincible Twin-Headed Ogre groaned in pain, bleeding from multiple wounds.

Each swing of the Wolf Rider’s battle axe tore through the Ogre’s hide, broke its bones, and soaked the ground in blood.

“This is the end, chwik!”

Finally, the Twin-Headed Ogre, kneeling, had its two heads severed and sent flying by the battle axe.

“Waaagh!”

A tremendous cheer erupted from the village. Tribe members, who hadn’t dared interfere in the Wolf Rider’s battle, rushed out from everywhere, shouting victory.

The Wolf Rider, covered in the Ogre’s dark red blood, emotionlessly retrieved his axe from the beast’s severed head.

‘Younger than I thought. And such an extraordinarily trained body.’

The Wolf Rider appeared to be over 2.4 meters tall, almost matching the physical stature of a Great Chief. Besides, the black wolf he was riding seemed special.

‘Where did he tame that?’

The wolf appeared about 1.5 times larger than the village War Master’s wolf, with eyes that held a mix of ferocity and serenity.

“Who is the representative of this village, chwik?”

Pulled from his daze, Elder Buruba hurriedly stepped forward.

“The Chief is away, chwik. I am currently representing the village, chwik. I am Elder Buruba, young and strong warrior, chwik.”

“Ah, I expected as much, chwik. I pay my respects to your courage as a warrior, Elder Buruba, chwik. I am Nakadu, the warrior who follows the wind, chwik.”

“Ah, a warrior who follows the wind, chwik. Thank you for saving Dekend Village, chwik.”

Elder Buruba spoke enthusiastically to Nakadu. A warrior who follows the wind meant a wandering warrior without a fixed place.

If Nakadu could be persuaded to stay, the village’s stability would be ensured during these perilous times.

“Warrior Nakadu, chwik. Could you use a place to stay, chwik?”

Under the welcoming hospitality of the villagers, warrior Nakadu took up temporary residence in Dekend Village.

*

「You’re quite the actor now, Raul. It suits you more than I thought, heh.」

Rabel said while playfully tapping on the muscles beneath the green-skinned form.

「Enough teasing. Speaking this way, with all the “Chwik Chwik” every time I talk, is exhausting.」

Raul, in the guise of Orc Nakadu, sighed deeply. Upon entering the Monster Plains, Raul used his 『Gray’s Polymorph Ring+5』 to transform into the Orc warrior Nakadu.

Orc mannerisms, speech patterns, and customs were meticulously documented in his café 『Linkage』, making the replication process simple.

Any awkwardness was ironed out during ten days spent traveling from the south to the north of the Monster Plains. Now, Raul blended seamlessly, even fooling the seasoned Orc elders.

Grrr.

The black wolf traveling with him, named ‘Gale’, was none other than Han Seohyun’s summoned creature.

Borrowed specifically for this mission.

While there were usually constraints about summoned creatures being far from their masters, Rabel and Nakia, the experts in such matters, resolved this issue.

Blending into Orc society proved to be relatively straightforward.

The Orcs’ life in village units and their nomadic tendencies made the presence of a “warrior who follows the wind” quite plausible.

While a Wolf Rider might draw more attention, it wasn’t out of place enough to raise significant suspicion.

‘Orcs aren’t as fast as humans at spreading rumors or news.’

Even if he were to arouse suspicion, it would be after he had achieved his objective and disappeared.

‘Time to get started.’

Raul’s sharp gaze turned northward, towards the Empire’s pioneering site.

(To be continued)

TL’s Corner:
Damn, Raul is insidious.
Will he have an alliance with the against the empire?
Also, we have dwarves, elves, sirens, and orcs.