The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 27

“This madness…”

The transgressions of Baron Zender didn’t just end at the party. To make it worse, for Raul’s accommodation, the Baron had vacated a non-main building, a secondary structure of the mansion, rather than the main building itself. Claiming the main building was too bustling with external guests and provided a secluded place for undistracted study, as explained by a servant, made it impossible not to curse under one’s breath.

Having no intention of staying in a secondary building upon his visit, Raul, backed by his knights, forced his way into the main building. Entering the third floor of the main building, Raul couldn’t help but question the sanity of Baron Zender. The place, designated for the count and his family’s exclusive use, was brazenly inhabited by Zender’s own family.

Seeing Baron Zender nonchalantly seated in the count’s office, without anticipating Raul’s intrusion, Raul could no longer contain his fury. “What excuse do you plan to spout, Baron Zender? Dare you claim that usurping the count’s office is a tradition of this noble house!?”

Yet, Baron Zender seemed to have an explanation ready. “This is merely a temporary arrangement. The count hardly visits once a year, wouldn’t leaving it empty be a waste?”

“Get out this instant! If the mansion is not vacated by today, I will have no hesitation in beheading every single one of you, be it relatives or otherwise!” Raul thundered with a steely voice, causing Zender to exit the office with an angered expression.

Following him out, Raul declared, “And from this moment forward, you are stripped of your stewardship. If you have any complaints, present valid documents tomorrow proving your rightful execution of duties as a steward.”

Yet, Zender, with an incredulous snort, left the premises.

* * *

Until the moment Zender and his family departed the main mansion, Raul held his place in the office. The office was filled with various documents concerning estate management and financial operations. Raul had been wary of Zender possibly destroying documents, but it seemed he hadn’t even considered retrieving any.

‘He must’ve thought, what could possibly happen overnight….’ It was a clear underestimation of Raul and his party. Bae Dohyun, not from a prestigious university, had graduated with a degree in business administration and gained years of experience working in a small trading company. Bernard was an expert in handling matters related to the estate.

Come tomorrow, Zender would regret his mistake profoundly.

“The baron has left the mansion with his family, my lord,” Philip reported, stepping into the office.

“Did they? Left without a fuss?”

“It’s a bit curious. They took only the necessary clothes and left quietly.”

“At the sight of it, their ulterior motives are quite apparent, aren’t they? Thinking they’ll return eventually, why bother packing everything in a hurry.”

“Would it have been better to take more time to settle things slowly?” Philip worriedly asked, but Raul was adamant.

“Rotten parts must be cut away quickly. The longer we delay, the more time Zender has to plan his schemes behind our backs. It’s far more efficient to strike him down in one fell swoop while he underestimates us.”

Raul had initially preferred to let things slide to some extent. However, Zender’s actions were beyond tolerable. His antics made it clear that he would become a recurring problem in Raul’s future endeavors.

‘Until a proper place is secured in the capital, this will serve as the First Knight Order’s branch office. I can’t let strangers mess around in my house.’

Moreover, there were plenty of tasks to attend to in the capital, Thurium. Raul couldn’t afford to waste time in a petty power struggle with a baron of no significant repute.

“There might be other backers behind the baron; I wonder if anything unforeseen might occur.”

Pierce too voiced his slight concerns, but Raul smiled confidently, reassuringly.

“Don’t worry. It doesn’t matter what tricks the baron tries to pull. You gentlemen should have a bit more faith in our county.”

At Raul’s words, Jake suddenly put his arms around Philip and Pierce’s shoulders and said,

“What’s with all the worry? Let’s stop talking about things that give us headaches and go explore the mansion. We just have to do as the prince commands, don’t we? Isn’t that right, Your Highness?”

Raul chuckled and nodded.

“You might need to exert some effort tomorrow, so you gentlemen should go and rest now. Bernard, you stay behind. Dismissed!”

“Come on, let’s get out of here quickly~!”

As Jake quickly led the knights away, Raul caught Bernard’s eye.

“You know what we need to find, right?”

“Your Highness, this is my specialty.”

“We don’t have much time, so let’s get started right away.”

Then the two began to sift through the pile of documents in the office.

* * *

Clang! Clang!

In thin air, two daggers moved as if dancing, clashing against each other.

Their movements were sharp, as if each was seeking an opening to exploit.

“One more!”

At Raul’s shout, two more daggers joined in.

A total of four daggers split into pairs, tussling in mid-air.

However, that confrontation was short-lived.

One pair of daggers seemed to twist unnaturally, then suddenly lost balance and spun wildly before dropping to the floor.

“Huff, huff…”

On the opposite side of Raul, Bernard’s face was drenched in sweat.

Shriek.

Raul, who retrieved the daggers floating in thin air with psychokinesis, spoke in a bright voice.

“You’ve improved a lot. To think you could handle two daggers like that in less than two months.”

“Phew. I still have a long way to go.”

Bernard steadied his breathing and spoke stiffly. However, Raul’s praise was sincere.

It had been only about a month and a half since Bernard awakened wind-related supernatural abilities through a skill book.

But it was not just controlling the wind; the fact that he had become so adept at using daggers in this way indicated an extraordinary talent.

‘I naturally use psychokinesis, so it’s easy for me, but for a wind mage to precisely manipulate weapons this way is truly not easy.’

Initially, Raul, being a psychokinetic mage, did not know the training methods of wind mages.

He only suggested a path based on how famous wind mages in the past utilized their supernatural abilities.

The most similar technique involved using the wind to manipulate weapons in thin air.

Truthfully, it wasn’t yet practical for combat, but that would only be a matter of time.

Given the current rate of improvement, he figured it would take about six months to reach an intermediate level.

Reaching the intermediate level would make one a multi-faceted supernatural ability user as versatile as any wind mage.

“Shall we try some physical combat training next? As I said before, it’s not easy to exhibit power with just one supernatural ability. In the beginning, combining various methods and techniques makes it easier to improve proficiency and efficiency.”

Raul used his own psychokinetic enhancement technique as an example to guide Bernard.

He taught Bernard how to enhance physical combat by using the flow of wind, similarly to how psychokinesis can aid movement.

But just when they were about to start proper physical combat training, Bernard stopped moving and said,

“It seems we have a visitor.”

Shortly after, Raul also sensed the bustling movement.

“Indeed, a master of wind. No one can match his long-range detection ability.”

It seemed that even during training, he was following the instructions to feel distant sensations through the wind accurately. Raul nodded in satisfaction and concluded the training.

“Let’s go. As the host, we should properly welcome our guests.”

“Understood. Shall I bring the things we’ve prepared?”

“Yes. We must fully claim the reward for last night’s efforts.” A slight smile curled on Raul’s lips.

‘After Lord makes that face, trouble always follows. I hope the Baron doesn’t get into any unnecessary mischief,’ Bernard thought, shaking his head as he left the training ground.

***

“What, did someone bury a treasure trove here? Why have so many gathered, I wonder,” Jake clicked his tongue as he looked over the people filling the first-floor banquet hall. At a glance, there seemed to be over thirty individuals who looked like nobles, and including their guards, the number was close to a hundred. The problem was, this wasn’t the end of it. It looked like some had even brought their private soldiers, as hundreds of troops were milling about outside the mansion. Moreover, among the guards, some seemed quite formidable. It looked more than Raul and his party could handle by far.

‘This won’t be easy, will it? Does the Lord really have a plan for this?’ Jake worried, sensing the visitors’ overwhelming presence.

Meanwhile, Baron Zender, standing at the forefront of the visitors, wore a relaxed expression throughout.

‘Things have gone well.’

A misstep here could have cost him his entire stewardship, but that wasn’t what was important. Instead, the young Lord had naively taken the bait, presenting a golden opportunity. If not now, he might have just ended up as a bystander.

‘With him away, I need to wrap everything up. Only then can I secure my place.’

He glanced back. The nobles, buzzing with serious chatter, were visible. These were the kin of the Count Ashton, residing in the capital. Though most lacked their territories and held titles only, they wielded some influence in the capital, dining on the nation’s dime. The reason they gathered here was due to last night’s events. The youngest son of an Count who had just arrived in the capital had not only ruined a party hosted by Baron Zender but also dismissed him from his stewardship and ejected him from the mansion! This wasn’t just about Baron Zender.

The capital’s nobles often held banquets in the manner of Zender, using the Count’s hall and funds. Moreover, the mansion maintenance fees provided by the main family subtly ended up in Zender’s pocket, eventually reaching them as well. Could they tolerate having their financial benefits seized overnight?

Furthermore, Zender relayed the incident without mentioning his mistakes. The fact that he hosted the party in his name, misused the Count’s office, or mistreated and relegated Raul to an annex went unknown except to his allies.

‘Half of these fools know nothing. They’re real idiots, oblivious to the mess they’re in.’

But after today, they’d have no choice but to side. It was just the beginning. The main family, arrogantly isolating themselves in their country estates, pretending to be refined. The fools content with the meager sums doled out annually as if charity, expecting to be fawned over, would soon regret it.

‘Brother, I don’t know what you were thinking entrusting the young son with the seal, but I’ll make good use of it.’ Imagining the Count clutching his head upon hearing the news, Baron Zender smirked venomously.

(To be continued)