The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

“Wow, is that for real?”

“Are they really building a fortress in just half a day?”

“I’ve seen the Purple Guild put up a makeshift fort before, but to see a real fortress being built like this….”

Players resting in the Monster Plains couldn’t hide their amazement at the impressive sight. Some even filmed the construction process, watching in awe.

One of the First Knight Order’s blitzkrieg tactics involved building fortresses using rapid construction methods. This was being carried out in various locations across the Monster Plains.

It wasn’t as difficult a task as it seemed. First, mages and psychokinetics leveled the ground. Guild members and players then stacked stone blocks they had in their inventories.

While the engineers refined the gaps and did the finishing touches, mages inscribed defensive magic circles on the fortress walls and interiors.

As a result of this process, in just three hours, a medium-sized fortress, 10 meters high and approximately 500 meters in diameter, stood in the Monster Plains.

Although the interior was empty with nothing but the walls, it was sufficient for defense and as a strong point. Upon entering the completed fortress, the players were convinced.

‘Pioneering the Monster Plains truly seems possible!’

‘With a fortress like this, we can defend against any monster or orc horde!’

Those who had their doubts about the feasibility after seeing the multitude of monsters now found no one with any reservations.

‘Honor points! If I just earn enough honor points, I too can become a lord of a pioneering territory!’

‘If luck’s on our side, our guild might have a chance too. Surely the First Knight Order can’t manage all that vast land by themselves.’

With this renewed determination, players’ fighting spirits ignited once more.

*

One month later.

The First Alliance, using the same method, drove deeper into the Monster Plains, pushing back the monsters. Their advance from the southwest to the northeast of the plains paused when they had secured about 30% of the entire plains.

“Operation Tidal Wave ends here.”

They had secured 90% of the current territory in just half a month. The reason it took another half-month to secure an additional 10% was:

‘The density of monsters reached its limit. Moreover, the orcs and the Empire have become aware of our presence, so we need to catch our breath.’

The monsters, continuously pushed back, had gathered excessively between the First Alliance and the orc tribe. The initial monster wave effect from Operation Tidal Wave had worn off.

The orcs, realizing they couldn’t retreat any further, formed a large alliance to block the monsters. The monsters, having nowhere to go, started settling within a narrow area, fighting among themselves to establish territories.

Thus, the current state of the Monster Plains was:

The First Alliance occupied from the southwest to the northeast, towards the center.

In front of them was the monster settlement of the forbidden zone. The orc tribe occupied the area from the west to the north past the monster territory.

The other monster settlements, driven out by the orcs, were positioned from the northwest to within the forest. In terms of proportions, it was roughly 30% for the First Alliance, 30% for the orcs, and 40% for the monster settlements of the forbidden zone.

Despite many opinions suggesting they could be more ambitious, Raul was resolute.

“This is enough for now. Our top priority is to fully develop the secured area and make it undeniably ours. Further pioneering can start after that.”

Although fortresses were built at critical advance points and front lines, they were hollow inside. If they overextended and faced a counterattack, all the effort could end up benefiting someone else.

‘And the players need motivation, too.’

Over a million players had been mobilized. What would happen once the plains were entirely pioneered?

It was inevitable that guilds would start fighting for control of more territory. This could lead to factions rising against the First Knight Order.

“Establish new defensive lines at the borders of the secured territory. Internal development is secondary. Make sure monsters or orcs don’t even think about coming this way.”

“Yes, Master! We will start construction immediately.”

They had prepared ample stones and materials before starting the operation. The remaining task was to prevent monster invasions until the fortresses were completed.

And the ‘territory distribution’. Guilds and players who contributed to the operation needed to be properly rewarded.

Of course, the ownership of all lands was under the Count of First and the Marquis of Ashton. However, Raul couldn’t manage every minor town or city himself.

Player guilds would be entrusted with these areas. Various materials needed to build the towns would be provided by the First Knight Order, while the manpower and actual development would be the responsibility of the player guilds.

An agreement had already been made to grant guilds autonomy in exchange for a certain tax.

‘Who knows how the situation will change, but if we want to coexist, we need to accommodate the players’ demands appropriately.’

Having their own territories would encourage them to fight earnestly against the orcs or the Empire. Distributing territory was only the start. Not everyone would get a territory they were satisfied with, and new players would keep arriving.

‘The rest of the plains will be for the players.’

For Raul, this meant avoiding direct borders with the orcs or the Empire and exhausting the players’ surplus energy and time, thus achieving two goals at once. Of course, to achieve this, the current secured land needed to be firmly held.

In any case, operation Tidal Wave had concluded successfully.

‘Now then….’

Raul’s gaze turned northward.

***

A vast underground cavern. Spheres of light, shining like the sun, illuminated the area from the ceiling below, making it as bright as midday despite being a cave.

At a glance, it was hard to tell this place was a cave. In the middle of this enormous cavern stood a large city. High steel walls and various buildings emitting steam.

The mechanical aesthetics immediately invoked a “steampunk” feel. Outside the city walls, a broad plain stretched out with various crops growing and livestock grazing freely.

It seemed the light spheres attached to the ceiling were more than just sources of light. Atop the city hall’s spire, located in the center of the city, a group of individuals was having a serious conversation.

“We have only six months of reserves left. If the battles intensify, we can’t even guarantee that.”

A dwarf standing about 120 cm tall spoke. His stout build was well-muscled, and his face looked quite mature despite his height. The hat he wore featured foldable goggles, and his long beard extended past his waist.

They were dwarves. The quintessential blacksmith race often found in fantasy tales.

“Are you saying the veins have dried up? Have you checked all the other cities?”

“Of course. We’ve double-checked with the other clans, but no trace of Seradium was found.”

“Haa, what are we to do?”

Tarro, the great chief of the Black Anvil Dwarf Clan, continuously stroked his beard with a troubled expression. The elders around him also wore expressions of concern.

Seradium.

A rare mineral not well-known. Humans considered it a useless rock, but in the hands of dwarf artisans, it transformed into an invaluable resource.

For the dwarves, it was essential for their various equipment and the operation of Gigant (combat golems).

“Maybe we should have dealt with those black-armored humans in the north from the start. We thought the south would be easier to target, but who could have predicted this dilemma?”

“What’s the point of saying that now? While Seradium is important, securing essential resources for settlement was the obvious priority.”

The northern forbidden area, the Ice Mountain Range. Though they all looked like snowy mountains, the resources they held varied greatly.

Mountains in the south held common but essential resources, while those in the north contained rarer materials. Thus, the dwarf clan that passed through the gate inevitably chose the south.

Moreover, unlike the quiet north, the sight of humans tearing through the mountains in the south was irksome to them.

“This is truly vexing. We’re certain it’s buried in the north. Isn’t that what the records of our ancestors indicate?”

“The problem is those so-called Empire folks occupying that area. How did they know to fortify it so thoroughly?”

The dwarves found themselves in a difficult position due to the Empire’s defensive measures. Unlike the humans in the south, who were pushed aside effortlessly, the Empire effectively countered every dwarf attack.

They blocked the ancient underground tunnels connecting the dwarven cities. They cleared out special minerals essential for summoning golems within.

Aware of the Titans’ difficulty in leaping, they made the underground city entrances maze-like and filled with traps. Most of the dwarves’ potential strategies were thwarted.

‘Of course, if we really put our minds to it, we could win…’

However, such an assault could bring considerable losses, endangering the entire race. Their Titans and other weapons were brought from beyond the gate and would take a long time to replenish.

With a population barely reaching 500,000, each individual was a valuable resource and talent, making it difficult to justify shedding blood in mere skirmishes with humans.

Furthermore, they couldn’t gauge the exact power of the northern human Empire. If a full-blown war broke out, and unimaginably large forces attacked, they might face annihilation before even properly settling in their ancestral homeland.

“Hoo. For now, war is the last resort. We must find another vein, and check if there are alternative resources. And… No, it’s too early for that.”

They might eventually have to negotiate with the humans. But past and present, humans were not a trustworthy lot. Weren’t the records from their ancestors full of warnings about “treacherous humans”?

Interaction with humans should be minimized until they were fully settled.

Waaahhhh!

At that moment, an emergency siren echoed throughout the building.

“What’s going on?”

“Is it the enemy?”

Bang! Crash!

The door burst open, and a young dwarf officer, his face flushed, rushed in.

“Great Chief, we have an intruder! A human has infiltrated the Grand Cavern.”

“What? A human? How did a human get here?”

For a moment, the Great Chief and the elders wore expressions of shock, which quickly turned to frowns.

“Still, did you sound the alarm over a single human? Such matters should be handled by the guards. Why report this to the council chamber?”

“Th-that’s the thing…. No one can stop him. The guards were overpowered, and the combat golems were destroyed. The Gigant Riders are currently holding him back, but who knows for how long…. The guard captain requested your assistance.”

“What! This is unacceptable. Lead the way immediately!”

The Great Chief and the elders sprang to their feet, scurrying with their short legs toward the scene.

‘A human strong enough to challenge even the Gigant Riders? Could it be a master? Alone? Why? What’s the purpose?’

Great Chief Tarro’s mind raced with questions. Upon reaching the high steel walls, the Great Chief’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“What… What is all this?”

Boom! Crash!

Rumble.

A fierce battle raged on the plain in front of the city gates, reminiscent of a full-scale war. At the center stood a blond man, calmly with his arms crossed, surrounded by a legion of autonomously moving weapons that were engaging the Gigant.

Raul had appeared in the underground dwarf city of 『Bergors』.

(To be continued)