Even after regaining his consciousness, Count Melvin found it difficult to move his body easily. The state of his debilitated body was one thing, but the fact that his mana was not flowing at all was a shocking revelation for him.
For a knight who had trained for decades, losing mana was akin to losing his life. However, Count Melvin’s concern was more focused on the state of his territory than his own condition.
“…So where is Viscount Jayden now?”
“He’s staying at Barony Geriet with his followers.”
Raul explained step-by-step what had happened in the territory after the count had collapsed, and Melvin listened with his eyes tightly shut.
“…Ha, this is all my fault.”
Count Melvin was never a politically savvy individual. With innate talent and consistent effort, he achieved remarkable success in swordsmanship at a young age, gaining his family’s support.
His boisterous and bold nature, combined with the charisma from his achievements, made people follow him, ultimately leading him to inherit the countship. The problem arose after he assumed the countship and failed to take care of lingering issues.
Some close advisors suggested he should deal with Viscount Jayden, but Count Melvin refused their advice. Since the succession was settled, Melvin was confident he could lead the count family without spilling his siblings’ blood.
In reality, though Viscount Jayden had committed the inconsiderate act of selling off his inherited land, aside from that, the count family had sailed smoothly.
Count Melvin’s charisma was enough to suppress any discontent from other lords. Moreover, focusing on internal development and improving strength over politics had proven to be the right choice, allowing him to cultivate an elite knight order and strong soldiers.
This was evidenced by the fact that they managed to handle the recent gate crisis without significant damage.
‘But perhaps I was too lenient.’
The brighter the sun, the darker the shadow. Melvin had not anticipated that those who harbored discontent would stir trouble once the charismatic count had fallen. And certainly, he did not expect that his eldest brother, Viscount Jayden, would consider returning to their territory.
Judging by Raul and Dylan’s responses, they seemed to have been preparing for this scenario….
‘Those brats have outdone me. They’ve grown so well; there’s nothing more I could ask for. Perhaps it’s time for me to retire. Could this be God’s will?’
Count Melvin, in his relentless pursuit to become a master, had encountered an insurmountable wall. It was unlike any challenge he had faced before—a fundamentally different kind of limitation.
Every time he tried to break through, it was as if he could hear a divine voice saying, ‘You can go no further.’
Ultimately, he hadn’t managed to overcome this barrier; instead, he had lost his ability to use mana altogether. Perhaps this was the fate designated for him.
‘…But I still believed I could surpass it!’
His frustration was so intense that the sound of his grinding teeth echoed in the room, and his hands, gripping the sheets tightly, were drained of all color.
But what could he do? It had already come to this. Just as the count was about to release the tension in his hands, “Are you going to give up?”
“…What?”
“Are you going to give up on being a Sword Master? On the county? I asked if you’re going to give up on everything!”
“What are you talking about, Raul?”
The count’s eyes snapped open as he looked at Raul. Raul, not averting his gaze, spoke again.
“If not, then don’t make such a defeated face! That’s not the look of my father or the head of the Count’s family!”
“……!”
“Father falling? It was just cowardly scum using foul poison. The lords defecting? They were garbage that needed to be dealt with anyway. Mana not moving? Were you ever a man who was worthless without mana!?”
As he watched Raul’s face, slightly flushed from excitement, Count Melvin raised his hand to cover his own face.
“Krkrkrk, Khahaha, Puhahahaha!”
A big laugh erupted so strongly that the bed shook.
Thump.
The count ruffled Raul’s hair with his large, bear-like hand.
“Your old man showed a pitiful sight. You’re right, this isn’t the Melvin de Ashton I know.”
He had momentarily forgotten. He was not a perfect being from the start. Continuous challenges and relentless effort had made him an excellent swordsman, the head of the countship, and the father of three children.
‘Give up…? How ridiculous.’
In fifty-five years of life, that was a word he had never once considered. Just as Raul said, his life’s weight was not so light as to be shaken by such trivial matters.
‘Am I at my end? Destiny? If this is destiny or the will of God, I will destroy it all!’
Count Melvin resolved never to show a weak side again in front of his son, who believed in him so much.
Crack.
“Roar!”
Like a roaring beast, the previously slouched Count Melvin bolted upright. His shriveled muscles swelled and tensed, causing his patient gown to rip and tear.
“Gooorrrr!”
Rumble!
As the count rose and concentrated his strength, waves of mana emanated from his body, pushing objects away.
“No, you mustn’t! Forcing your mana to move like that could cause mana reflux or even rupture your mana circuits!”
Nakia shouted in alarm, trying to stop him. But her attempt to approach the count was blocked by Raul.
“Why…?”
“Everyone has something more important than their life. Father wants to reclaim that right now.”
“But no matter how important it is!”
Raul immediately opened guild communication.
「Philip, enhance the security level on the 5th floor of the mansion immediately. No, designate the entire main building as a restricted area and prohibit any unauthorized entry.」
「Yes, Master.」
「Ensure that no one approaches the mansion without authorization until further notice, except for Dylan. I will take full responsibility!」
Meanwhile, the count’s body was trembling violently, and the irregular waves of mana were sweeping through the room.
“Nakia, set up a barrier to isolate this room from the outside immediately. Can you do it?”
“…Yes, I’ll do my best.”
“Rabel! Stabilize the mana in this room and cast auxiliary spells on Father.”
“Leave it to me!”
Rabel fluttered her wings, flew over the count, and sprinkled fairy dust, bestowing a fairy’s blessing.
‘And as for me….’
As Raul activated Regnator, golden armor covered his right arm and half of his upper body. A radiant aura burst forth, bathing the count’s body in a warm light.
“Hmm. As expected… Something is suppressing the count’s manahole. That explains the imbalance in his mana levels, stage, and body condition.”
It was the conclusion of Caldenas, who materialized as Regnator activated, carefully examining the count’s state.
“Is there a way to resolve this?”
“Well. This isn’t a matter of personal will or stage; it’s due to an external factor. Someone or something is preventing him from progressing to the next level.”
Caldenas refrained from mentioning that it was likely the power of a being comparable to a god.
“Urgh! Gah!”
Count Melvin’s condition appeared dire. Just like when he first collapsed, his body started to swell, blood vessels bulged, and his complexion turned a bluish hue.
“It’s the early symptoms of mana reversal! At this rate, it’s really dangerous. Master, if you’re going to do something, do it quickly!”
Nakia’s urgent warning met with Raul’s nod as he advanced, braving the turbulent waves of mana emanating from the Count.
“Father, can you hear me?”
Count Melvin’s head barely nodded in response to Raul’s voice, letting out a faint groan.
“The issue with your mana and the barrier you’re facing is akin to a curse. It’s a petty trick set by someone envious of our family.”
Crackle.
The mana surged violently in response to the Count’s anger. Raul brushed aside the turbulent energy with his hand and continued.
“Of course, you could eventually break such a vile curse with your power alone. But the world won’t wait for us. Right now, the Count’s house, and we, need your strength!”
Raul brought up the guild interface.
“So this time, please don’t refuse my request. Allow me to share the blessing of the gods with you! Shatter that dreadful wall and fight alongside us!”
Like a vision, a prompt asking if Count Melvin wanted to join the guild appeared before his eyes. Simultaneously, everything seemed to come to a halt.
Creak.
The world and time froze.
-『Warning』 The player is currently attempting to interfere with a main scenario NPC of the enforced scenario.
-『Warning』 Changes to the main scenario NPC may cause errors in the scenario. The player is advised to stop their actions.
-Calculating enforced scenario error…….
-A critical error may occur in the enforced scenario 『Fall of the Count Ashton’s House』.
-If the enforced control over the current Count Melvin is released, all 3,281 related quests associated with player Raul may vanish.
-The influence of ‘Raul’ in the 『Count Ashton’s House』 could drastically decline. For the sake of player Raul, please make the right choice.
The sudden system message displayed. Raul, with a cold look in his eyes, read the message and whispered softly.
“Screw you.”
-If the enforced scenario 『Death of Count Melvin』 is completed, 13 hidden epic scenarios such as 『New Master of the Count’s House』, 『Youngest’s Rebellion』, and 『Savior of the Count Ashton’s House』 will be prepared for player Raul.
-Don’t you want to become the true master of the Count Ashton’s house, with vast territories and powerful knights? Follow the player-customized scenarios provided by the Connect system. In the near future, you’ll become the true protagonist.
-『Warning』 If an error occurs in the enforced scenario 『Fall of the Count Ashton’s House』 due to player Raul’s interference, all 27 related quest rewards achieved during this scenario may disappear.
-『Warning』 Twisted scenarios may cause the system’s enforced control to adversely affect player Raul.
Ignoring the warnings, Raul remained resolute. His whispered defiance marked his decision to move forward, regardless of the system’s reprimands.
“Screw that.”
If there was something good, they should have given it sooner.
‘Not that I ever planned to take over the Count’s house anyway. Now it’s too late to make a fuss about it.’
And not receiving some quest rewards wasn’t going to kill him. The quests disappearing? Really? If one scenario ends, a new one will certainly emerge.
Mere warnings were not going to change Raul’s mind.
‘Whoever you are, stop these useless warning pop-ups and just create a new scenario.’
With a smirk, Raul shouted,
“Get to work, creator!”
Shatter.
The frozen world cracked like glass, and Raul found himself standing before the Count. And then:
『Join Accepted』
As the text in the air sparkled and glowed, the mana surging from the Count stopped abruptly.
“Everyone, out of the room quickly!”
At Caldenas’s shout, Raul grabbed Rabel floating above the Count’s head and, holding Nakia by the waist, leaped out of the room (barrier).
Whiiing, boom! Boom!
As soon as Raul exited, a fierce windstorm centered around the Count erupted, and the terrifying mana storm began to be drawn back into his body.
“Ugh! What’s happening!”
“Everyone, get down and move away from the room!”
Philip, standing guard outside, grabbed two knights and moved them slowly away from the room, while Raul supported Nakia and distanced themselves from the room.
Wooosh.
Mana swirled inside the mansion, but fortunately, the non-combatants had already been evacuated.
“How far have you completed the barrier?”
“There’s one around the room and another around the mansion’s center. It’s a bit shaky, but it should hold and keep the effects inside the mansion.”
Nakia, having distanced herself, planted her staff on the ground and poured mana into the barrier.
The unexpectedly turbulent mana made it difficult to maintain the barrier.
“Leave the mansion’s barrier to me. I can control it sufficiently.”
Rabel also took out a small magic stick, reinforcing the magic circle engraved on the wall.
“Hahaha, I’ve witnessed the birth of many masters, but this kind of backlash is a first. The level he should have reached long ago had been forcibly suppressed… truly remarkable.”
Caldenas gazed at the center of the storm with a satisfied expression, eyes gleaming with anticipation of the incredible entity about to emerge.
Meanwhile, Raul tightened his fists, basking in the mana storm.
He had no interest in being pulled along by the scenario’s flow.
A second life. From now on, I’ll craft my own scenario!’
Raul’s eyes blazed fiercely with a golden hue.
(To be continued)