The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 111

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 111. Infiltration
A dungeon located deep beneath the Royal Palace.
The windowless cell was dominated by absolute darkness.
Within that lightless prison.
The darkness consumed everything around it as though it possessed a will of its own—
‘It’s brighter than the Infinite Labyrinth, at least.’
Either way, without Kai’s aura to illuminate the space, I would be blind.
Yet darkness was no longer my weakness.
◆Skill activated: Low Light Vision [D+].
With the notification, my translucent tissue membrane and light penetration capacity enhanced dramatically, allowing me to discern the prison’s features hidden in shadow.
Thick stone walls and heavy iron doors.
Damp water stains across the floor.
And the iron chains binding my hands.
‘The visibility is better than expected.’
Even without possessing a complete genetic sequence.
It was no coincidence that Noctura was called the Master of Night.
Through Noctura’s ability—Low Light Vision [D+]—the prison’s interior became crystalline.
I was leisurely surveying the cell when it happened.
Clang!
The prison door suddenly swung open, flooding the space with blinding light that seared my eyes.
With my tissue membrane and light penetration already pushed to their limits by Low Light Vision [D+], my eyes felt as though they might split.
Low Light Vision [D+] remained an imperfect ability, lacking a complete genetic sequence.
I had not yet absorbed Noctura’s exceptional pupil adjustment function.
‘I’ll need to be careful about this.’
◆Skill deactivated: Low Light Vision [D+].
As I switched it off, my blurred vision gradually returned to normal.
My sight adjusted quickly.
A Royal Knight stood before the door, guarding the Underground Dungeon—
“…Come out.”
His expression made clear his displeasure with me.
I paid it no mind, raising both hands and waving them.
“You’re not going to unlock these?”
The Royal Knight glanced at me once, then exhaled a short sigh.
He withdrew a key from his belt.
Click!
The chains fell to the floor with a cold metallic clang—
“…Return to the Guest Chamber. The Royal Court has decided to press no charges whatsoever.”
The Royal Knight’s clipped voice reached my ears.
“What became of Seraphia?”
“She was released long ago, so she should be in the Guest Chamber, should she not?”
And with that, the Royal Knights whisked out of the dungeon.
Just as I expected.
The Royal Knights seemed to spread courtesy on their bread instead of butter.
I massaged my wrists and gathered my thoughts.
‘They released me just like that….’
I had anticipated at least a light punishment.
After all, the Royal Court carried its authority.
But to release me without any punishment whatsoever.
This was no different from the Royal Court bowing to me.
With this, Queen Marceline would suffer considerable political damage.
Yet despite this choice, there were two interpretations to be made.
‘Was it because of Seraphia?’
First was Seraphia’s sudden intrusion.
Seraphia, who had subdued the Royal Knights in an instant, was also imprisoned in the Underground Dungeon on the same charges as me.
They couldn’t punish me lightly even if they wanted to.
Because Seraphia would have to be punished as well.
If that happened, she couldn’t even attend the Royal Society, so they had no choice but to forgo any charges, accepting the political damage instead.
The second reason derived from this was—
‘The Empire definitely intervened.’
It was the result of The Empire’s pressure to ensure Seraphia attended the Royal Society without fail.
Now my suspicion had become absolute certainty.
However, I still couldn’t understand why The Empire had invited Seraphia to the Royal Society.
Nor could I fathom what they intended to accomplish there.
So—
◆Activating Skill, Assimilation [C+].
I decided to find out for myself.
My form gradually disappeared, assimilating with the surrounding environment.
It was at this very moment that the Royal Knight who had stepped outside reappeared.
“Why aren’t you coming out… huh?”
The Royal Knight tilted his head in confusion and glanced around the dungeon.
He looked around bewilderedly, unable to see me despite my being right before his eyes.
“…I didn’t see you leave? When did you go out?”
Perfect concealment that even the Royal Knight couldn’t detect.
Truly, this was the power of a Chameleon.
However, the continuous caloric expenditure was considerable, so I had to keep that in mind.
‘Then let me go.’
I slipped out of the Underground Dungeon.
Numerous corridors and passages came into view.
The Royal Palace, with dozens of chambers intertwined like a massive labyrinth.
Finding the Queen was a more complex task than I had anticipated.
But now my senses rivaled ESP in their acuity.
Focusing on my perception, I detected several distinctive presences that bore the hallmarks of Queen Marceline.
‘It’s been a while since an infiltration mission.’
The infiltration into Beneron Barony hardly counted as one, after all.
* * *
A moonless night, the darkness absolute as clouds swallowed even the starlight.
In Queen Marceline’s bedchamber, only the faint flicker of candlelight dancing along the walls disturbed the profound silence.
Thick shadows draped the room in impenetrable darkness.
Then a woman emerged from the gloom.
A woman cloaked in black, her face concealed.
She stepped from the shadows to face the Queen, her voice dripping with provocation.
“Summoning me to your bedchamber at this ungodly hour… I confess I prefer rolling about with men, but if it’s Her Majesty the Queen, I’m always willing to oblige—”
“I selected this location precisely because prying eyes cannot reach it.”
Queen Marceline answered calmly, her eyes gleaming with purpose.
The woman shrugged once and stepped forward.
She withdrew something from her garments.
“What is that?”
“A magical artifact that detects mana wavelengths within a fifteen-meter radius. Whether object or living creature, if even a trace of mana dwells within it, this device will sense it.”
“Are you suggesting you doubt me?”
“Hardly. It’s simply that the Royal Palace has many ears.”
Whirrrrr—!
“Even Your Majesty’s bedchamber is not beyond suspicion.”
Queen Marceline offered no further comment.
Caution never hurt anyone.
“No mana traces detected nearby. As for vermin—”
Whirrrrr—!
“None of those either.”
Only then did the woman lower the hood of her black cloak.
Her face was revealed.
Deep, alluring eyes and a captivating smile.
Her luxuriant hair, woven with crimson and ebony, shimmered with a subtle luster even in the darkness, accentuating her striking beauty.
“Then allow me to convey the matter at hand freely.”
“…Freely? Do you have any idea what humiliation your organization has brought upon me—!”
“That hardly seems our responsibility.”
At the woman’s response, Queen Marceline pressed her lips firmly shut.
The woman was not wrong.
A catastrophe born of Prince Walter’s reckless actions.
“Your Majesty was already aware of the relationship between Baron Segretus and Prince Walter, were you not?”
Of course, darker intentions lay beneath those words.
“Yet you took no measures to prevent it—that was your choice, Your Majesty the Queen.”
Yet that too was Queen Marceline’s failure—her inability to control Prince Walter.
Queen Marceline gritted her teeth inwardly.
The woman, as if to soothe her, withdrew a small leather pouch from her bosom and offered it.
“Still, only Your Majesty the Queen can resolve this situation.”
Queen Marceline examined the contents within.
“…Why is there only this much?”
The amount was absurdly insufficient.
Not even half of what had been promised.
“The truth is… we suffered a catastrophic blow on our end.”
“A blow? What do you mean by that?”
“Have you not heard of the recent collapse of Violess?”
She knew of it well.
As a queen, how could she not know of rumors that had set the entire Continent ablaze?
“As a result, our financial distribution channels have been completely severed….”
“I see.”
“But that’s not all—”
The woman swallowed hard before continuing.
“The collapse of Obscura in Violess was the decisive blow. Especially since the Holy Kingdom touched Obscura’s funds….”
Obscura.
A method and place for laundering illicit funds.
From what I’ve heard, astronomical sums of money lay dormant within Obscura.
If all of that were lost, the damage would be far from trivial.
“The other Black Markets have also suffered cascading, devastating blows. Currently, we have no viable means of distributing funds.”
“….”
“Regrettably, for the time being, we have no choice but to reduce fund distribution and focus on establishing a new Obscura.”
“So you’re asking me to be satisfied with this?”
“Yes.”
“You call that an explanation—”
“Please understand this as merely an explanation of our circumstances.”
“…An explanation?”
“If you grant us a little time to restore our funds, I will provide you with double what was promised.”
Queen Marceline swallowed her words.
She could keep the funds already in her hand while receiving double the promised amount—that was more than satisfactory.
As Queen Marceline’s momentum subsided, the woman spoke again.
“Then may I speak in earnest now?”
“What must I do?”
“First… postpone the succession ceremony of Count Whitewolf.”
“Postpone the succession ceremony?”
“In the current situation, there is no way to prevent Adrian’s succession.”
That was true.
The primary reason was that Seraphia had renounced her claim to the countess title.
Since she had withdrawn of her own accord, there was no justification to obstruct Adrian’s succession ceremony.
“Therefore, we must win back her favor through the Royal Society.”
“Is your plan to make her reassert her authority over the countess title?”
“In any case, the previous count left everything to her.”
“Adrian—when he was nothing more than a wastrel, that is.”
“In truth, that aspect perplexes us as well. He was clearly an unremarkable scoundrel, yet somehow….”
The woman’s face betrayed her confusion equally.
“Regardless, in the current situation, winning her favor is paramount. In that regard, the King is….”
The woman paused mid-sentence, gauging Queen Marceline’s reaction.
“Do not worry. The King will not awaken.”
“I trust Your Majesty has handled the matter well.”
The woman bowed carefully, and Queen Marceline spoke slowly.
“So how exactly do you intend to win her favor through the Royal Society?”
The Royal Society does not conclude in a single day.
Over many days, there are tea gatherings, banquets, salons, contests, and balls.
Through these various events, the daughters of noble houses showcase their charms.
In doing so, they forge connections with the heirs of other noble families and find suitable matches.
“First, at the tea gathering, approach her and cultivate goodwill.”
“Goodwill?”
“We shall exploit the fact that Whitewolf Territory is a land of harsh conditions.”
As she spoke, the woman withdrew a large box from the darkness.
Inside lay gleaming gold coins and exquisite jewels.
“Sponsor her with these funds in the name of the Royal Court.”
“…Such an enormous sum?”
“To place her in debt so that she cannot refuse our requests, is this amount not necessary?”
Queen Marceline’s eyebrows twitched momentarily.
“Did you not say she suffered a catastrophic blow?”
“It is a matter important enough to warrant such a catastrophic blow.”
“A mere girl from the borderlands is more important than myself and the entire Royal Court?”
“Please forgive me. That was not what I meant.”
“If that is not what you meant—.”
“Whitewolf Territory is a land of considerable importance to us.”
“…That insignificant borderland?”
A frozen wasteland where bitter cold persists year-round?
A survival threshold region where agriculture is impossible and life itself barely continues?
“Indeed.”
“What value could it possibly hold?”
“I cannot disclose that, but we must secure both her and the territory without fail.”
“In other words, you wish me to surrender the territory?”
“I believe Whitewolf Territory alone would be a bargain price for bringing down the First Prince… or was I mistaken?”
Queen Marceline’s eyes narrowed slightly.
I could not fathom this woman’s true intentions.
In other words, our purposes differed.
Yet when interests aligned, deals were struck.
“Until the First Prince falls from the throne, we shall dedicate all our strength to cooperating with you.”
Queen Marceline answered with silence.
“Once we gain her favor at the tea gathering and establish a debt between us—”
The subsequent banquets, salons, and contests.
The woman laid out the detailed plans that followed.
And they were plans so meticulous they sent shivers down my spine.
As queen, I had witnessed countless political machinations and intrigues, but this plan was truly…
Each stage interlocked with the others, designed with precision.
Every possibility calculated to minimize the variable of failure.
Like a hunter laying traps and waiting, she employed every conceivable means and method to achieve a single objective.
I could indirectly perceive just how terrifying and ruthless this woman was.
Therefore, to that extent.
I could be certain that with her cooperation, bringing down Leon would be no difficult task.
“And the final ball is most crucial. At the ball—”
It was at that very moment.
The woman suddenly cut herself short and extended her hand to the side.
Shhhhh—!! Boom!
A strange magical force tore through the air, and with an explosion, the wall shattered.
The woman’s gaze sharpened as she examined the debris.
But there was nothing beyond the broken rubble.
“There seemed to be a little rat here…”
Her eyes vigilant, scanning the surroundings.
Queen Marceline gestured toward the magical artifact.
“Whether object or living creature—didn’t you say it detects anything imbued with even a trace of mana?”
Yet the magical artifact showed no reaction.
“…I seem to have been overly cautious.”
The woman calmly withdrew her hand.
Soon after, the Royal Knights of the palace, sensing the commotion, rushed frantically to the scene.
“Your Majesty!”
“Are you unharmed!!”
The sound of armor rattling and footsteps echoed from beyond the broken wall.
And only then—Zzzzzzzing—!
The mana detection artifact shrieked loudly.
The woman bowed her head respectfully toward Queen Marceline, as if offering an apology.
“It seems we must conclude for today.”
Then I lifted my gaze toward the shattered wall.
I’ll have to ask you to put the repair costs on my tab.
With a faint smile, I vanished into the darkness, concealing my presence.
* * *
The Royal Knights rushed into the Queen’s chambers in an instant.
They surrounded Queen Marceline and surveyed the area from all sides.
“Your Majesty, was there an intruder?”
When a Royal Knight inquired, Queen Marceline calmly raised her hand.
“It’s nothing serious.”
“But Your Majesty, that is….”
The Royal Knights’ gaze turned toward one side.
The collapsed wall of the Royal Palace lay in ruins.
It was difficult to brush past such a thing casually….
“I said it’s nothing serious.”
When Queen Marceline spoke, things were different.
The Royal Knights hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances before finally withdrawing.
Yet they couldn’t seem to leave entirely.
“Then while repairs are underway, please stay in the annex. We shall provide our protection.”
Queen Marceline nodded lightly in agreement.
The Royal Knights moved about cautiously at her consent, maintaining vigilance in all directions.
Until they had all departed—
I remained perfectly still, holding my breath and keeping my body curled tight.
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
My heart pounded wildly.
Truly—
‘…I nearly got caught.’
…I felt as though I’d aged a hundred years.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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