The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 243

Thunk. Thunk.

Rattle.

The floor hatch opened, and Raul’s group emerged from the underground passage.

“Well done.”

Alias, the head of the First Knight Order’s capital branch, greeted them.

“…Where are we?”

4th Prince Jonas asked, slightly frowning as if displeased with the dingy basement of an old mansion.

“This is one of the safe houses prepared by the First Knight Order. It’s located on the outskirts of the 4th Outer City.”

As he answered, Raul removed his hood and mask, then bowed his head.

“I apologize for the discourtesy, Princes. Given the urgency of the situation, please forgive the rudeness.”

4th Prince Jonas and 6th Prince Gerard’s eyes widened in surprise as they recognized him.

“My goodness. Isn’t it Viscount Raul? How is it that you…”

“Just as with the previous Imperial invasion, it seems we owe you a great debt once more. Thank you.”

Being men of propriety, they openly expressed their gratitude to Raul. Even the ever-suspicious Jonas relaxed his expression, beamed brightly, and patted Raul on the shoulder in recognition of his efforts.

Since they were acquaintances, they moved to the drawing room and shared stories of what had transpired. But the idle talk couldn’t last forever.

“So, what do you plan to do now? Although we escaped the palace, it’s still not a safe situation.”

A shadow crept across the 4th Prince’s face. Though they had escaped, the future was still fraught with uncertainty.

‘I’m grateful for the rescue, but…’

Jonas’ mind was in turmoil. Their enemies were the 3rd Prince Herdian and the McNeil Marquisate.

No matter how much protection the Ashton household provided, could Viscount Raul alone handle them?

To Jonas, it seemed nearly impossible.

‘…I would have preferred to be rescued by the Randal household.’

If that had been the case, he wouldn’t feel this anxious. If Raul and the Ashton household intended to use him for their own purposes….

The 4th Prince Jonas’ expression grew even stiffer. At that moment, Raul spoke calmly, as if reading his thoughts.

“There’s nothing to worry about. I have no intention of doing anything.”

“……?”

“As I mentioned, I have no intention of further involving myself in this matter once I help you escape the capital.’We do not interfere in royal affairs.’ That’s the policy of the Ashton household, and I wholeheartedly agree with it.”

There was no trace of deceit in Raul’s words.

The princes seemed momentarily bewildered by this unexpected situation.

But soon, the 6th Prince Gerard asked.

“In that case, why did you even bother rescuing us in the first place? If the family’s policy is non-interference, why didn’t you just leave us here?”

His question hit the mark, and Raul sighed deeply.

“… Hah. I won’t lie. Although my family speaks of neutrality, I personally believe that the 3rd Prince Herdian should not be king. That’s why I rescued you.”

“Wise judgment! The moment Herdian becomes king, a bloodbath will sweep across the kingdom. It’s madness to allow someone like him to ascend the throne! It must never happen.”

4th Prince Jonas raised his voice, cursing Herdian. Indeed, considering the recent atrocities committed by Herdian, Jonas wasn’t wrong.

“In any case, my intention is to see you safely out of the capital. So, please tell me, where would you like to go?”

Raul’s question made Jonas and Gerard fall into contemplation. The 8th Prince Aenbad still sat motionless, unable to utter a word.

‘His spirit seems broken. It will take quite some time for him to recover.’

What the fourteen-year-old had experienced was indeed too overwhelming. While Raul looked at the 8th Prince with sympathetic eyes, the 4th Prince Jonas appeared to have made a decision.

“I will head to the Randal household estate. Count Randal has the strength to oppose Marquis McNeil. Is that possible?”

“Understood. We will find a way to get you to Count Randal’s estate.”

“Thank you. I won’t forget this debt.”

Jonas was well aware of the strained relationship between the Ashton household and the Randal household.

Therefore, he appreciated Raul’s gesture.

“Gerard, what are your plans?”

“I…”

The 6th Prince Gerard turned his gaze and looked intently at Raul.

“If I asked to go to the First Viscounty, would you take me in?”

“… Of course, if you come, we will do our utmost to take care of you.”

Raul responded calmly, meeting Gerard’s gaze. After maintaining eye contact for a while, Gerard chuckled.

“I’m just joking. I’m not so clueless about the situation. I’d like to go to the Templeton Dukedom. Is that alright?”

Gerard then glanced at Dalton, who stood on one side of the room. Dalton met his eyes, smiled slightly, and shrugged.

“That can be arranged. And if I may suggest, wouldn’t it be wise for the 8th Prince to accompany the 6th Prince to the dukedom?”

The 8th Prince weakly nodded and then returned his gaze to the floor.

“Then it’s decided. We should move immediately. The longer we wait, the tighter the security will get.”

A short while later. After escaping the capital of Thurium through a secret passage, the group split up to head their separate ways.

Kane escorted the 4th Prince Jonas to the Randal estate. Dalton escorted the 6th and 8th Princes to the Templeton Dukedom.

The remaining members, including Raul, stayed near the capital to monitor the situation.

***

“Any news on them?”

“Not yet, sir. There have been no sightings reported.”

“I see.”

Standing on a terrace with an expansive view of the capital, Thurium, was a man with his hands clasped behind his back. Around ten individuals knelt, bowing their heads toward him.

The man standing with his hands behind his back was about 170cm tall, but his broad shoulders and solidly built muscles made him appear much larger.

“What should we do, my lord?”

“Hmm.”

Stroking his half-white beard, the man finally spoke.

“The plan proceeded as expected; there’s no need to exert effort in chasing them. I wished to confirm their tail, but it’s unfortunate.”

Thud.

“Forgive me, my lord! It was my incompetence that allowed them to escape….”

The man bowing his head and pressing his forehead to the floor was none other than the Master Delo, who had lost Raul and his group the previous night. A streak of blood trickled down his forehead.

“It’s fine. Ensure the next phase of our plan proceeds smoothly. You all may go now.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The kneeling individuals retreated.

Crunch.

“Fools.”

The man, Clifford de McNeil, head of the McNeil Marquisate, crushed an iron wine goblet with his palm.

“Indeed, it shouldn’t have been such a difficult task…”

Crunch.

A massive war hammer appeared out of nowhere, pulverizing the black shadow that had appeared behind the terrace.

“…but it seems hasty decisions are a constant problem.”

Thunk.

Another black shadow’s upper body was obliterated.

“I warned you not to appear behind me silently.”

This time, a black shadow materialized in mid-air in front of the terrace where Clifford was looking.

“You seem displeased. Perhaps you should have left it to us from the start.”

Clifford, uninterested, asked monotonously.

“So what’s your report?”

“Well, they were no pushovers. I didn’t expect them to reuse the underground passage we had previously employed.”

Moonlight revealed a cold silver mask beneath the hood of the shadowy figure.

“…….”

Clifford stared wordlessly at the masked man, who then waved his hand dismissively.

“…They seem to have already escaped the capital. We couldn’t identify them. I do have a guess, but it’s likely inconsequential.”

Clifford’s eyebrows twitched.

“Waste of time. Begone.”

“Yes, I’ll take my leave now.”

The masked man’s silhouette began to fade away.

“As promised, I will relay the princes’ locations to you soon. Farewell.”

Poof.

The man disappeared, and the corpses crushed by Clifford’s hammer vanished without a trace. Displeased, Clifford glared briefly at the empty air and then turned to walk back inside.

***

The news of the princes’ escape spread quickly, reaching every corner of the kingdom beyond the capital, Thurium.

There were no details about how or by whom the princes were rescued. But it was clear that this wasn’t what the 3rd Prince wanted.

As evidence, dozens of lower-ranked officers who were on guard that day were executed and their heads displayed throughout the capital.

“Where could the princes have gone?”

“Whoever rescued them, thank goodness! I thought that mad prince would become king for sure.”

“Rumor has it that the Templeton Dukedom was involved. Could it be true?”

“Whoever it was, just please, not the 3rd Prince…!”

The mood in the capital was grim. After the king’s death, the capital became heavily restricted, with a curfew imposed.

The disruption in supply lines made prices soar, and soldiers with fierce demeanors roamed the city.

Soldiers from the inner city regularly intruded into noble families’ residences, and dozens were executed publicly in the plaza every day.

Citizens felt their blood run cold and wished desperately for the situation to change. And a few days later, the whereabouts of the princes were revealed.

Count Randal’s estate questions the 3rd Prince’s succession, declaring, “4th Prince Jonas is the proper successor to the throne.”

A declaration of war on 3rd Prince Herdian and the McNeil family.

The Templeton Dukedom, protecting the 6th and 8th Princes, expresses strong disapproval towards the 3rd Prince, stating, “The will was not a forgery.”

Reports of new discussions among prestigious families about the method for selecting the next king.

Rip! Rip!

“You miserable wretches! Guards! Go out there and arrest every one of those journalists who wrote this nonsense!”

The 3rd Prince Herdian tore through the piled newspapers, shouting furiously.

“Y-yes, Your Highness!”

A palace servant hurriedly dashed out of the throne room. Several staff members had already lost their heads for hesitating when Herdian was in such a foul mood.

But even so, it was unlikely that any journalists would actually be arrested. Matters outside the palace were overseen not by the 3rd Prince but by the McNeil Marquisate.

“Brayden! Where is Brayden?”

Viscount Brayden, who had just patted the servant on the shoulder, adjusted his collar and stepped into the throne room.

“Your Highness, you called for me?”

Swoosh.

A torn piece of newspaper flew at his face.

“Explain yourself. This happened because you insisted on sparing my siblings! What do we do now?”

Even in the face of Herdian’s bloodshot gaze, Brayden remained calm.

“I don’t understand why you’re upset. Isn’t this actually a good thing?”

“What? A good thing?”

“I advised sparing your siblings because there was no justification to harm them. But now, look. They’ve provided us the justification themselves.”

“……. Continue.”

Herdian, calming down, gestured for him to go on with interest.

“The 4th Prince has dared to rally a count’s estate against the royal family, and the 6th and 8th Princes are again pushing the false will narrative. Now, if we were to capture and punish them, who would dare to criticize?”

Though it was a contrived and baseless argument, it seemed to make sense to Herdian.

“Oh, I see. So, when are you bringing them in? Capture them immediately and present them before me!”

At this, Brayden took a document from his breast pocket and handed it to Herdian.

“Here’s the decree to form a punitive expedition to capture Count Randal and the princes. With your seal, we can apprehend them as soon as possible.”

Swish.

Herdian pretended to glance over the document before immediately stamping it with the royal seal.

“You know I hate waiting, right?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

As Viscount Brayden left the throne room with the document, a slight smirk curled on one side of his mouth.

And a few days later.

Baang~!

With a resounding blast of trumpets, a large force marched out from the capital in a grand departure ceremony. The civil war for the throne of the Ruben Kingdom had officially begun.

(To be continued)