Whoosh.
The fierce mana storm gradually subsided. At its center, Count Melvin abruptly opened his eyes, which glinted sharply like those of a predator before the intense light faded away.
“Phew….”
He exhaled deeply, staring at his hands with a sense of profound emotion.
‘I’ve finally overcome it!’
It had been decades since the Count Ashton’s house had produced a Master, and during this time, its standing had waned. No matter how well one managed politics or the domain, the fate of a noble martial house ultimately rested on the Master’s strength.
Some mocked the Count Ashton’s house for focusing on battling monsters at the borders and neglecting the kingdom’s central politics.
Even within the Count’s territory, some argued that attention to central politics was essential for increasing royal support and developing the domain. But Count Melvin believed that was not the fundamental solution.
Instead of wasting time in the central political arena competing for power, it was better to swing the sword one more time. His belief was ultimately proven correct.
‘Of course, I didn’t achieve this on my own….’
At that moment, the door burst open, and Raul and his companions rushed in.
“Father, are you okay?”
Raul, looking worried, broke into a bright smile upon seeing Count Melvin.
“Congratulations on reaching the Master level! You’ve worked hard, Father!”
“Congratulations!”
Amidst the congratulations from his companions, a smile appeared on Count Melvin’s face.
‘Thinking one must overcome such hurdles alone was merely my stubbornness.’
He wasn’t alone. He had a loving family, people to protect, and trustworthy subordinates. All these people were also his strength and foundation, yet he had been too narrow-minded.
‘I owe Raul another debt.’
But why did it feel good to owe his son this debt?
“Thank you. Now it’s my turn to— Ugh….”
Suddenly, the Count clutched his chest and staggered.
“Father!”
Raul, alarmed, moved to help, but the Count held up his hand to stop him.
“Just, just a moment.”
His face had turned pale with the intense pain in his chest. He steadied himself and took a deep breath. While he had successfully crossed the barrier and felt powerful mana within his mana reservoir (dantian), the uncontrollable movement of his mana along with the pain indicated it was out of control.
“Calm your mind and let the mana flow freely. Trying to force control will be more dangerous.”
“…Who are you? Could it be!”
As he recognized a semi-transparent figure emerging from behind Raul, the Count’s eyes widened in shock. If he was right, this figure should not have been able to appear here.
“Hmm. You remember me from 16 years ago. If you know who I am, don’t push yourself and listen to me.”
“Father, follow master’s advice; it will at least do you no harm.”
Welcoming Caldenas as his master, Raul’s words seemed to kindle a spark in the Count’s eyes. Realizing there was no harm in heeding the advice, he let down his guard and followed the instructions.
Rumble.
Like a dam breaking, the turbulent mana flowed through his mana pathways, flooding his entire body.
Gag!
Count Melvin retched, expelling black, blood-like bile after the excruciating pain subsided and his mana circulation completed.
“Count!”
The knights shouted in alarm, but the Count’s complexion had noticeably improved.
“Master, what happened? I could feel that father had broken through the barrier.”
Raul asked with a worried tone. Caldenas responded with a gentle smile.
“If he had naturally broken through the barrier, it would have been different. But in Melvin’s case, some suppressive force had been preventing him from advancing. Therefore, while his mana reservoir and paths should have expanded and strengthened, they remained unchanged even as his mana quantity and refinement increased. Essentially, he surpassed the barrier to Masterhood, but his body isn’t yet fully adapted to contain his mana and enlightenment.”
Count Melvin wiped away the bile with his sleeve and asked with a more relaxed expression.
“Master Caldenas, what should I do now?”
“For a while, expect recurring pain and uncontrollable mana surges. But this is a natural flow, so do not resist it.”
“You mean I just have to leave it be? How long will it take before I can wield my sword again?”
The Count was desperate to grab his sword and eliminate the enemies of the Count’s house immediately.
However, the situation wasn’t that simple.
“As it stands, you must refrain from using mana for at least a year.”
“That’s too long!”
“Of course, if you do nothing. But with my help—and Raul’s—you could cut the time significantly. With proper guidance, it could take just two months to adjust.”
The Count sighed deeply and grimaced as another wave of pain hit him. Caldenas added while watching the frustrated Count.
“Whether this is a blessing in disguise or not, it appears your level has surpassed even the upper Master level, Melvin. The very forces that held you back also contributed to your training. Just as others break through the barrier and then train for decades to ascend, you seem to have leaped over in a single bound. That kind of backlash is inevitable.”
“A Master of the highest level!”
Raul exclaimed in surprise. Among the three Masters currently in the Ruben Kingdom, the Swordmaster Marquess de Templeton was known to be at the highest level, Master highest rank. Marquis Clifford of the McNeil house was at the intermediate level, and Count Hudson of the Randal house was only at the lower level.
If Caldenas’s words were true, Count Melvin had instantly become the second highest-ranked knight in the kingdom.
“Of course, to exhibit skills matching your actual level, you’ll need to learn a lot. Simply reaching Master level doesn’t mean you immediately gain the corresponding skills.”
If Caldenas had vanished during the previous Gate crisis, Count Melvin, unlike other Masters, would have no one to seek advice from even after reaching his level.
“Thank you. And I look forward to your guidance, Master Caldenas.”
Count Melvin had many questions but bowed his head for now.
“Thank your son, not me. If it weren’t for him, you and the Count’s house would have been in ruins by now.”
“Raul, you rascal…”
Raul, embarrassed by the praise, averted his eyes from the Count’s moist gaze.
***
The Count’s awakening and breakthrough were kept strictly confidential. Count Melvin’s physical condition wasn’t fully stable yet, and if an assassin were to strike, all could be lost. The Count himself also wanted his revival to remain a secret.
“With this opportunity, we need to sort everything out.”
The Count desired to identify who were true friends and who were enemies within the Count’s house.
A few days later, when Dylan returned to Conford Castle, he burst into tears upon seeing his father awake. His sobbing, given his large frame, sounded almost monstrous, prompting the use of a soundproofing spell—an open secret.
Raul, meanwhile, stayed by his father’s side, summoning Regnator to call Caldenas whenever the cooldown allowed. Since Caldenas was in a semi-phantom state and couldn’t directly assist the Count, Raul had to step in.
‘Like this?’
‘That’s right. Think of weaving mana into fine threads… just like that.’
Helping his father manage his mana flow brought Raul significant accomplishments. Not only did he learn to handle mana more precisely, but he also gained firsthand experience of how a Master’s mana moved.
Meanwhile, Viscount Jaden’s forces, who had retreated to Baron Garriott’s territory, refrained from significant actions, instead observing the movements of the Count’s house.
The Count Ashton’s side, too, had redeployed some knights to neighboring territories but refrained from initiating attacks, closely monitoring the situation. With Count Melvin having ascended to Master rank, they felt confident in countering any of Viscount Jaden’s moves.
Thus, the turmoil following the Count’s collapse began to stabilize. Of course, some vultures still awaited the Count’s death, but outwardly things appeared calm.
Despite this, Raul had an uneasy feeling.
‘The lack of clarity is even more annoying.’
He unfolded the message lingering in his field of vision.
-Main Scenario NPC Count Melvin de Ashton has overcome ‘enforced constraint’ and joined First Knight Order.
-Count Melvin de Ashton is now a semi-player character under the Connect system’s guidance.
-System conflict detected. An error has occurred.
-The enforced scenario 『Fall of the Count Ashton’s House』 has been nullified due to critical error.
-All quests associated with this scenario have been nullified.
-A replacement scenario is being prepared.
-Rewards obtained by player Raul from this scenario will be partially retracted.
-『Warning』 Player Raul incurs ‘Karma’ due to excessive intervention in the enforced scenario.
-『Warning』 Beware. Player Raul may face unforeseen misfortunes at any time.
‘Karma, huh.’
It was a term Raul hadn’t heard before in the Connect system. After all, in his past life, there had never been an instance where an enforced scenario was nullified.
It was impossible for players to interfere with an enforced scenario’s NPCs. Scenario-designated NPCs followed predetermined actions almost as if receiving divine directives.
Though some assisted players, none had ever joined a player guild. This was why mega guilds of the past opted for ‘extermination’ rather than ‘recruitment’ to disrupt scenario progress.
If Raul hadn’t been straddling the line between PC (Player Character) and NPC (Non-Player Character), such an anomaly might never have happened.
‘Discovering these possibilities is a good thing, but it does leave some concerns. However, I don’t regret it.’
Having a Master-level father as backing was invaluable. Additionally, protecting the family that could provide significant support was worthwhile. While unpredictable, the concept of ‘Karma,’ could manifest in various ways, it seemed worth the risk.
And that potential misfortune was approaching Raul faster than expected.
Clunk.
The door opened, and Kane entered the room with a grave expression.
“Master, we’ve received a message from the capital. The royal permission has been granted for territorial wars requested by six baronies against us.”
“What? Explain in detail!”
“This morning, an emergency meeting was held at the royal palace to address the backlog of territorial war requests.”
“An emergency meeting?”
Since the Gate incident and the subsequent attack on the palace, the royal family had been struggling to exert its power. The King, devastated by the sudden loss of multiple heirs and the royal guardian knight, deteriorated in health rapidly.
Since succumbing to illness last winter, major state affairs had been postponed indefinitely. Raul, therefore, had assumed the territorial war matters would remain unresolved. The turn of events was unexpected.
“It seems the third prince has started to make his move. Reports indicate that he convened a meeting with his supporting families to process pending issues. They apparently used the royal seal, suggesting the King’s approval.”
“Hmm.”
The timing didn’t surprise Raul; the days were numbered for the King, and the lack of a designated successor meant turmoil was inevitable.
“Why specifically territorial wars, and why was permission granted for a war involving our territories? Didn’t we have connections within the Ministry of Justice to handle such situations?”
Raul differed from Count Melvin.
Although he wished to avoid political entanglements, securing minimal influence was necessary. Through alliances formed during the Gate crisis, he maintained covert cooperation with several influential figures capable of swaying royal decisions.
“That’s because… the third prince has approved all submitted territorial war requests.”
“What…?”
The atmosphere was undoubtedly tense.
(To be continued)