Chapter – 07
The destination they were heading toward was [Free City Mira].
It was one of the “starting points” that players would visit first after completing the tutorial. And that meant there were countless quests and hidden items waiting to be discovered there.
Raoul planned to stay in Free City Mira and gather as many worthwhile quests, pieces of equipment, and talented individuals as he could.
Of course, he wouldn’t be doing it alone. He would have his companions with him!
I’m really looking forward to what’s coming.
Raoul smiled faintly as he imagined his upcoming schedule. For some reason, his smile looked strangely sinister.
Five days later.
Raoul’s party arrived at the outskirts of Free City Mira without encountering any particular problems.
I wouldn’t have minded if we’d run into a little trouble…
If he wanted to level up quickly and recover the skills he had possessed in his previous life, he needed actual combat experience.
He had even brought such a formidable escort with him, yet nothing had happened. It almost felt like he was losing out.
Trying to ease his disappointment, Raoul mounted a black stallion and gazed at the vast forest spread out before him.
At that moment, Philip, who had been leading the group from the front, approached him.
“Lord Raoul, once we pass through that forest, we’ll officially enter the territory of Free City Mira.”
“As I’d heard, the forest is incredibly dense. We have to pass through this forest to enter Mira, right?”
Philip nodded and pointed toward the forest.
“That is correct. The entire border of Mira is blocked by dense forests like this. Apparently, it’s impossible to cut down the trees, so it’s also difficult to pass through anywhere other than the designated roads.”
Free City Mira.
It had another nickname: [The Domain of God].
That was because the forest surrounding its borders, as well as various parts of Mira itself, rejected human interference.
Even if someone cut down a tree, it would grow back in an instant. Even if they hunted an animal, another one would appear from somewhere else.
The same was true of monsters. No matter how many were killed, their population always returned to its original number, making it impossible to exterminate them.
The real problem was that the trees they cut down, the herbs they gathered, and the animals they hunted could not be taken outside the territory.
As if objects belonging to God were not meant to be touched carelessly, they would instantly turn to dust and disappear into thin air.
Well, it’s basically a hunting ground for players. It would be troublesome if the residents could freely exploit it.
If the residents could harvest resources from the area, the neighboring kingdoms would never have left this place alone. After all, it was a treasure trove of seemingly infinite resources.
“I’ve heard that bandits run rampant around this forest road, but don’t worry. Do you really think those lowlifes would dare lay a hand on the Ashton Count’s family?”
Philip spoke with obvious pride.
Raoul nodded and gave his order.
“Let’s move. We need to reach Mira today.”
“Yes, sir. Everyone, move out!”
Philip returned to the front of the group.
Raoul stared at his retreating back for a moment before suddenly looking around.
The armor and cloaks worn by the knights and soldiers. The flags carried by the standard-bearers. The harnesses on the three carriages and their horses.
Everywhere he looked, the emblem of a roaring golden bear was proudly displayed.
At this rate, there’s no way anyone could fail to notice us.
The Ashton Count’s family was more proud than any other noble house in the kingdom. That was why they openly displayed their family crest wherever they went.
But you need enough power to protect that pride. If they had truly been that strong and confident, they wouldn’t have been the first to be destroyed.
The crisis that would soon befall his family could somehow be prevented. He already knew roughly what would happen and who was responsible.
But what about afterward?
There was a limit to what he could accomplish alone. He had learned that lesson painfully in his previous life.
That was why, in this life, he had to make full use of his family’s power as well.
As long as the Ashton Count’s family refused to give up that thing they possessed, the threat would continue.
To overcome that crisis, Raoul himself had to become stronger, and the Ashton Count’s family had to become stronger as well.
Raoul etched the family crest into his mind once more before urging his horse toward the forest.
Several of them have already shown themselves.
He could sense people watching Raoul’s group from among the trees.
Still, no one would attack them right away. As Philip had said, the family’s strength was too formidable for mere rabble to recklessly pick a fight with them.
But once they left this place, something would definitely happen.
Their enemies had plenty of time to prepare, and by then, the size of his group would have decreased as well.
I hope they bring as many people as possible. The more experience points, the better.
They probably couldn’t even imagine what it meant for a Hardcore player to monopolize a hunting ground for an entire month.
As expected, Raoul’s group passed through the forest without encountering any conflict.
What appeared before them was an enormous plain.
On both sides of the plain were small mountains and what looked like lakes surrounded by forests. Large and small villages could also be seen scattered here and there.
“It’s much bigger than I expected. Isn’t this almost as large as a count’s territory?”
Jake, the resident chatterbox, had apparently approached without Raoul noticing. He looked genuinely surprised.
“It should be. It’s not just a single city. The territory includes more than a dozen dependent villages. It needs to be this large if they’re going to be self-sufficient.”
Raoul answered matter-of-factly.
Jake’s eyes lit up.
“Then there must be plenty of things to enjoy, right? I thought it would be some boring countryside, but that’s a relief. Hahaha.”
“You’d better not get your hopes up too much. The land is vast, but there’s not much to show for it, and the population is small. I’ve heard the city isn’t exactly thriving either.”
But Jake didn’t seem to take Raoul’s words to heart.
And it was understandable. Free City Mira, visible at the end of the horizon, looked considerably larger than the Ashton family’s main castle.
“The city is that huge, so surely that’s not true. Don’t be surprised later when we arrive and there’s all sorts of amazing stuff!”
He’s going to be pretty disappointed once he learns the truth. It doesn’t really matter, though. We didn’t come here for sightseeing anyway.
Raoul could only click his tongue inwardly.
Only after riding for quite some time did they finally arrive at the city.
And the moment they reached the city gate for inspection, a faint ding sounded.
A sparkling message appeared at the edge of Raoul’s vision.
– The system has been updated.
– New feature [Connect Community] has been unlocked.
– New [Guild] category has been unlocked.
– New quests [Starting Line of Adventure] and [Skill Collector] have been registered.
Raoul’s eyes flashed as he read the message, despite having checked it without much expectation.
Until now, the game’s system had amounted to little more than checking his status window and inventory.
He had been worried that perhaps he wouldn’t be able to use any other functions until the game’s official release…
Yes!! If more functions can be unlocked by meeting certain conditions, there may be even more features waiting for me!
If that were the case, he could widen the gap between himself and everyone else even further.
Excited, Raoul was about to check out the newly unlocked functions when Philip approached him.
“Lord Raoul. The mayor is waiting for you. Would you like to visit him immediately?”
“Of course. Have the rest of the party find temporary lodging. Only the knights will accompany me.”
“Understood.”
It seemed he would have to postpone checking the system.
For now, meeting the person in charge of the city was more important.
Raoul climbed into the prepared carriage and gazed at the streets outside as he fell into thought.
This is completely different from when I visited before. Back then, I spent an entire year struggling just to get a glimpse of the mayor’s face…
As a player, it was difficult to even meet a mid-level administrator without raising one’s city contribution.
If you wanted to receive good quests, you had no choice but to complete low-grade quests and steadily increase your contribution, whether you liked it or not.
But now, he had been invited by the mayor immediately upon arrival and was even riding in a private carriage.
It felt strangely surreal.
The mayor had probably invited him simply out of courtesy because a member of the Count’s family had arrived.
But Raoul had plenty of things he wanted to obtain from the mayor.
It won’t be a bad deal for you either. So I hope you’ll make the wise choice, Mayor Reinaldo.
As he gazed at the approaching government residence, Raoul hummed softly and wore a relaxed smile.
Reinaldo Hart.
The forty-four-year-old man had brown hair and wore a neat formal suit.
At first glance, he looked like an unremarkable scholar.
But he was, in fact, the mayor of Free City Mira.
He had already served as mayor for eight years, and he was thoroughly depressed.
His drooping shoulders and heavy expression made his feelings obvious.
When he had first become mayor, he had been full of confidence.
My aging father was too cautious, but I’m different. I’ll definitely turn Mira into the greatest city on the continent!!
And he had actually put his ambitious plans into action, attempting to transform the city’s entire economic structure.
But everything had turned out to be a waste of effort.
The Domain of God wasn’t called that for no reason. Developing the territory was simply impossible.
The mages he had invited, the priests, and even priests of various non-human races had all shaken their heads in despair.
He had attempted to transform the city into a tourist destination, but proud nobles found little appeal in a city filled with ordinary citizens.
He had also tried to turn Mira into a trading city by processing its local specialties.
However, the lack of raw materials and poor transportation made it impossible to attract large-scale merchants.
In the end, the only thing left was what Mira had always been—a training ground or resort for knights and the children of nobles.
For Reinaldo, who had dreamed of making the city truly self-sufficient, the reality was nothing short of crushing.
“So, who was it that came to see me?”
Reinaldo’s voice was filled with exhaustion.
“The youngest son of the Ashton Count’s family, Lord Raoul. Apparently, he arrived with fifty attendants.”
At the secretary’s words, Reinaldo’s expression softened slightly.
“Oh, the third son who’s rumored to be so frail. I doubt he came here to train, so perhaps he’s here to recuperate? Either way, with that many people, they’ll probably spend a fair amount of money before they leave.”
The city’s financial situation was already poor.
To make matters worse, the sons and daughters of nobles who had recently visited had been causing trouble almost every day, giving him constant headaches.
Raoul might be weak, but at least no one had called him a spoiled troublemaker.
“Let them in when they arrive. Bring out some decent tea as well. He’s a fairly important customer, so we should at least show him some courtesy.”
After giving his instructions, Reinaldo sank back into his chair and lightly closed his eyes.
How long am I going to have to spend cleaning up after these brats? I really wish that ‘day’ from the prophecy would finally come.
A legendary prophecy had been passed down through the Hart family for generations, ever since the founding of the Free City.
It spoke of outsiders who would one day visit Mira, develop the Domain of God, and bring about great changes across the continent.
Even if the prophecy were true, there was no way of knowing whether such a day would arrive during his lifetime.
He didn’t want to spend his entire life waiting for that day, just as his father had until his recent death.
But by now, Reinaldo had grown so exhausted that he had begun relying on that very prophecy.
Just as he was sighing deeply, there was a knock at the door, followed by his secretary’s voice.
“Mayor, Lord Raoul has arrived.”
“Already? Tell him to come in.”
Reinaldo lifted his exhausted body from the chair and prepared himself to receive his guest.
I’ll put out the most urgent fire first. The Ashton Count’s family makes quite a bit of money from monster by-products, so perhaps I can persuade the young brat to make an investment.
And the moment the door opened—
“Welcome, Lord Raoul. I sincerely welcome you to Free City Mira!”
A bright, professional smile blossomed across Reinaldo’s face.
There was not even a trace of the exhaustion that had plagued him moments earlier.
