The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

‘Found it.’

Raul’s eyes glowed a golden hue as he wore a meaningful smile. Like the orcs, the dwarves who returned to the forbidden zone lived in clan units.

Unlike the orcs, however, the dwarven clans had robust connections, functioning almost like a kingdom, which allowed them to exert considerable power despite their limited numbers.

There were dozens of such dwarf clans. They had seized underground cities hidden beneath the Ice Mountain Range and were in the process of rebuilding them.

‘Even among dwarves, each clan has different technologies.’

Raul was here for a specific reason. He had business with the great chief of the Black Anvil Clan.

“You audacious fool! Do you know where you are causing trouble?”

“Leave this place at once!”

Several towering combat machines, nearly 5 meters tall, known as Gigant, surrounded Raul, exerting pressure. They were bulky and appeared cumbersome, perhaps modeled after dwarves. Yet, their stance was stable and sturdy.

But the Gigant were not Raul’s only adversaries. Steel golems, each about 2.5 meters tall, stood between the Gigant, searching for openings.

“Fire!”

Ratatatat! Bang bang!

Marksmen stationed behind the fortress walls and the combat golems unleashed a barrage of crude, trumpet-shaped magic guns.

Of course, they posed no threat to Raul.

“W-What’s happening?”

“The magic bullets have no effect!”

“Is it a defensive barrier?”

“No, it’s something different. He’s not even wearing power armor.”

“Never mind that, just keep firing!”

Boom! Bang!

The magic bullets exploded about 3 meters away from Raul, as though hitting an invisible barrier. This was Raul’s psychokinetic field.

‘A magic gun, huh? It’s been a while since I’ve faced one.’

Magic guns became widely distributed after the dwarves’ appearance. Their power varied widely.

From mass-produced models that anyone could fire as long as they had magic bullets, to high-end versions that amplified the user’s magic power, there were numerous types.

Overall, their potency was decent. Although slower in firing speed and projectile velocity compared to Earth’s firearms, the firepower was unmatched.

After all, the bullets themselves were imbued with magic. Some magic bullets could even penetrate the physical defense fields of power armor.

‘But that’s not the problem.’

Magic guns were notoriously expensive, often called “money guzzlers”.

The cost per bullet was astronomical. Being hand-made rather than mass-produced and requiring costly materials, their price was sky-high.

Thus, while the dwarves, who could craft them, relied on them as primary weapons, among players, they were considered expensive showpieces.

No matter how valuable a monster they hunted, the cost of the bullets outweighed the rewards. Regardless, magic guns were ineffective against Raul.

Their physical power was inferior to Earth’s firearms, and their magical destructive power fell short of actual magic. They were inadequate to pierce Raul’s superior psychokinetic field.

‘Though, it’s slightly annoying.’

The explosions and shards of magic bullets flying around displeased Raul, who made a casual gesture with his hand.

Slash! Shink!

“Gasp!”

“Be careful!”

“No! My gun….”

Dozens of daggers shot out from behind Raul, severing the barrels of all the dwarves’ magic guns.

“You! You insolent fool!”

The Gigant surrounding Raul tried to press in with their heavy bodies.

Fwoosh! Clang!

Weapons radiating aura blocked the Gigant from approaching. No matter how formidable the Gigant were, only aura could counter aura. The Gigant with mana blades were no match for Raul.

“How long do you plan to just watch? If you thought you could protect the city with this level of force, I’m disappointed.”

Raul extended his hand towards the nearest Gigant.

Creak.

“What is this?”

A Gigant wobbled, and though its rider tried to control it, the machine couldn’t move.

Whoosh, crash!

Then, with a slight twist of Raul’s wrist, the 5-meter-tall Gigant hurtled through the air and crashed into the steel wall.

Thanks to its sturdy construction, neither the wall nor the Gigant was severely damaged, but the dwarves were astounded.

‘My, goodness. How much does that thing weigh?’

‘How can he toss a Gigant with just a gesture?’

‘He’s a monster!’

Of course, these were the thoughts of the ordinary dwarves. The Great Chief and elders had different thoughts.

“You arrogant human! Do you think you can overpower us with that odd trickery?”

Thump, whoosh.

One of the elder dwarves leapt off the wall. With a burst of light, a newly summoned Gigant wielding a massive axe imbued with aura struck down towards Raul.

Boom!

“Did we get him?”

“How could anyone withstand that unarmored? Even in another Gigant, it wouldn’t be easy.”

“Serves him right, that human!”

Everyone thought Raul had been smashed by the elder’s Gigant.

However, “What on earth are you?”

Raul stood there, arms still crossed. Three swords, burning with aura, blocked the hulking axe of the Gigant.

‘A master-level beginner? Three swords are sufficient.’

Raul realized his training with Caldenas had not been in vain. Previously, even with aura-infused weapons, he couldn’t have blocked such an attack using psychokinesis alone.

However, it wasn’t the most efficient choice.

‘The mana and mental power consumption is enormous. It’s still not practical for real combat.’

But visually, it was highly intimidating. The elder’s Gigant, who had leapt in with aggressiveness, couldn’t easily approach. And Raul’s goal wasn’t to brawl with the dwarves here.

“Stop!”

From atop the wall, Great Chief Tar’o shouted, causing the Gigant unit and the elder to step back. Raul’s weapons, however, still hovered menacingly in formation in the air.

“What is your purpose, human? Why are you causing such a commotion here?”

“Are you the one in charge of this clan?”

“Yes, I am Tar’o, Great Chief of the Black Anvil Clan.”

Clatter.

The weapons circling Raul were swallowed into his inventory. Of course, no one would dare underestimate Raul now.

“Great Chief Tar’o, I wish to make a deal with you. I am Raul de First, Count of the Ruben Kingdom and master of five underground cities in the southern Ice Mountain Range.”

In that moment.

Click. Ratatat.

The dwarves who had relaxed their guard tensed up again.

“What?! You’re the leader of the humans settled in the south?”

“How dare you! Do you know where you are?”

“Great Chief, we must capture him immediately!”

The dwarves had fought the most battles with the humans in the south since their return to the forbidden zone. Even now, sporadic skirmishes continued at the entrance of the Ice Mountain Range.

“Enough! Silence, all of you!”

As the leader of a large clan, tarro was a deep thinker. There must be a good reason why Raul came here alone, exuding such confidence. Despite his impressive displayed skills, it seemed Raul had much more up his sleeve.

‘Moreover, this place is far from the frontlines, in the heart of the Ice Mountain Range. That means this man made it through numerous cities and clans to get here….’

This indicated that the human before him was incredibly dangerous. There was no need to provoke such a man unnecessarily and spill the blood of fellow dwarves.

“A deal, you say. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but we have no intention of dealing with humans. Leave if you have no other business here!”

While he wasn’t looking to be hostile, he also wasn’t about to form an alliance. Tar’o thought this was clear enough, but….

“Isn’t this what you need?”

Thud.

A sack dropped from the air. From it spilled the one thing they had been desperately searching for.

“……!”

“Seradium? How did a human…?”

The precious mineral Seradium, which the dwarven race had been desperately seeking, lay before them.

“Now, do you have any interest in a deal?”

Great Chief Tar’o, watching Raul’s indifferent demeanor, bit his lip and spoke.

“Open the gates!”

“Great Chief!”

“Are you really going to make a deal with this human?”

“He could cause who knows what trouble if he gets inside!”

The dwarves, including the elders, murmured in discontent at the chief’s command.

“Enough. Do you still not understand? If he truly intended to fight, our brethren’s blood would already be flowing. Captain, isn’t that right?”

“…Yes, that’s right. Many combat golems and weapons are damaged, but no one is dead or seriously injured.”

“……!”

Is that really true?”

The dwarves, with surprised expressions, looked down again from the wall. The entrance was in disarray, yet it was astounding that no one had been injured despite the intense battle.

“And what does it matter if he is a master? Do you think we cannot handle a single individual?”

“Of course not, but…”

“Then follow my orders.”

“… Understood.”

Creak.

As the steel gate slowly lifted, a smile crept onto Raul’s face.

‘It worked out just as I planned.’

One might wonder why Raul instigated a fight if he intended to negotiate from the start. However, it was a necessary step. The races that returned through the Gate were inherently on edge.

Moreover, for reasons unknown, their hostility towards humans was profound. Even the massacre of players during the forbidden zone’s pioneering efforts revealed their deep-seated animosity.

‘In such circumstances, sending a polite envoy for negotiation or trade would have been futile.’

In his previous life, it had taken over three years to reach a point of negotiation or trade with these races. Had the threat of the Empire not been as severe, even dialogue might not have been possible.

Regardless of the method, the fact that he was now sitting down to negotiate with the dwarves meant Raul had already achieved his objective.

‘Now, how shall I play this?’

Given that he already knew their every move, Raul was halfway to victory.

*

“So, you’re saying not only will you give us the Seradium you have, but you will also give us the city with the Seradium mine?”

Great Chief Tar’o asked in disbelief.

“That’s correct. More precisely, I will help you take it.”

The Seradium mine was located in the north of the snow mountains, in one of the underground cities occupied by the Empire. The Seradium Raul had brought was collected from scattered deposits within the Gate and dungeons.

“What do you want in return? If it’s Gigant-related technology, we cannot agree to that.”

Gigant manufacturing was a closely guarded secret and the source of the dwarves’ power. No matter how valuable Seradium was, they could not part with their technology.

However, Raul had no interest in that from the beginning.

‘With Power Armor in hand, I have no need for Gigant.’

Although it would be a nice bonus, it was clear it wasn’t on the table.

“I want three things. First, I need some materials processed.”

“Materials? What kind?”

The dwarf’s curiosity was piqued, as expected of a craftsman race. Raul chuckled and retrieved some items from his inventory.

“Oh! Those are!”

Not only Great Chief Tar’o, but the surrounding elders also gathered around the table.

“Demon horns, dragon bones, and orichalcum. Can you handle these?”

The demon horns were obtained from several encounters and battles with demons. The dragon bones were collected from pseudo-dragons, lesser dragonlings, undead chimeras, and the like, which served as Gate Guardians.

Orichalcum was an exceptionally rare magical metal secured in small quantities from Gate Guardians and dungeon bosses. While Raul had amassed these materials, no human blacksmith in Connect could process them adequately.

Hence, he had come to the dwarves with this request in mind. The dwarves gulped audibly.

‘When was the last time we handled materials like these?’

‘Ah, I want to touch them. Imagine the beauty of items crafted from these!’

‘Oh, my creative spirit is surging! With just a piece of this, my incomplete hammer…!’

Their eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Ahem! While these are challenging materials, if it’s me, I can definitely process them. Just tell me what you need.” said Great Chief Tar’o, trying to maintain his composure.

Expecting such a reaction, Raul smiled and put the items back into his inventory.

Sigh.

Someone sighed in disappointment as Raul spoke again.

“The second condition is a non-aggression pact. Not with all of humanity, but specifically with me.”

Tar’o nodded in agreement.

“As long as the terms are suitable.”

The Black Anvil Clan was one of the more moderate dwarven clans. Avoiding unnecessary conflicts wasn’t a bad deal for them.

“And the final third condition….”

“This is…!”

Great Chief Tar’o’s eyes widened in shock.

(To be continued)