The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 127

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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 127. The Lion of the Allied Forces (2)
Adrian’s shocking declaration that he would refuse the succession to the earldom.
Seraphia desperately tried to persuade him.
But Adrian’s resolve was unwavering.
Seeing Adrian’s steadfast determination like that.
A memory suddenly surfaced in Seraphia’s mind.
When was it?
It was a conversation she’d had with Adrian over a meal long ago.
-I have no intention of becoming the head of House Whitewolf. Even less intention of becoming the lord of the Territory.
-Is it… because of me?
-Yes.
Adrian made no effort to deny it.
He didn’t even seem inclined to deny it.
At that moment, truly.
I was truly heartbroken.
-Then why did you return to the family? If you have no intention of becoming the head or the lord, then why—
-I have something to do.
-Something to do…?
-….
-…When you finish what you have to do, will you leave the family?
-When the task is done. In whatever way, you and I will have no reason to meet again.
I couldn’t know what that task was.
Adrian didn’t seem inclined to tell me.
But it meant he would stay with the family until then.
I vowed to change Adrian’s heart no matter what.
I swore I would make sure Adrian never left the family.
I pledged again and again that I would never give up.
But—
“I will not accept the succession to the earldom.”
…It seemed I couldn’t do it.
Adrian’s task was finished, and I had failed to change his heart.
In the end, I could not become Adrian’s sister.
And so Adrian now intended to leave the family.
Seraphia swallowed hard.
“I will! I will work harder! I’ll study and try more than ever! Anything at all!”
She clenched both fists tightly.
“You don’t have to handle family affairs! I’ll take care of everything related to managing the Territory! I’m far inferior to you, but….”
Her voice grew increasingly strained.
“I may not be able to help you, but at least… I won’t hold you back.”
Her eyes reddened.
“So that’s… that’s it…!!”
Please don’t leave.
The final words, choked in my throat.
No further sound could escape my lips.
If I opened my mouth even slightly, I feared I would burst into tears.
Then Adrian might despise me for it.
He might think me childish, whimpering, pathetic.
And then truly.
I might never see Adrian again.
Seraphia swallowed her sobs by sheer force of will.
She bit down hard on her trembling lips.
Yet the tears pooling at her eyes insisted on falling freely.
Seraphia lowered her head.
And in that very moment.
“I’m not leaving.”
…What?
* * *
Seraphia lifted her head tentatively.
Her eyes were deeply flushed.
“You’re not leaving the family, you say?”
“That’s right.”
Whatever thoughts had occupied my mind, I harbored no intention of abandoning Whitewolf Territory.
“B-but you just said you wouldn’t inherit the title….”
“That’s all it is. Why would you interpret that as me leaving the territory?”
Simply put, it meant I would not assume the title of Count.
“Seraphia, you inherit the title.”
“Eh…?”
“I will have my own work to do within Whitewolf Territory.”
“Wh-what…?”
“It means I will support you.”
I had not come to accept Seraphia.
My feelings toward her remained unchanged.
They likely always would be.
Seraphia. The Frost Lord.
The Allied Forces’ greatest enemy.
The witch who took Ian’s left arm—the hero’s arm.
I know this.
That it all belongs to a past life.
Yet it remains vivid.
My comrades, frozen solid by ice, their bodies rigid in death.
The subordinates of the Special Task Force had become cold tombs devoid of life.
I still could not, and would not in the future.
Accept Seraphia.
But separate from that.
‘There is no longer any reason to kill Seraphia.’
I had to acknowledge what deserved acknowledgment.
The reason was simple.
When, where, how, and why had Seraphia fallen to become The Frost Lord?
I had found that answer.
She had awakened The Frost Lord’s authority through the Infinite Elixir.
She had awakened as The Frost Lord through The Vanished Social Club.
But now it was different.
Seraphia had awakened The Frost Lord’s authority through Iliana’s cure.
Through the Bond Skill, Mental Communion [E], she had awakened as The Frost Lord.
In doing so, she had not ‘fallen’.
She had not submitted to the Abyss Spider.
As long as she remained influenced by the Successor’s Will [EX], Seraphia had never truly fallen.
So now it was time to make a decision.
‘I will not kill Seraphia.’
Even without hearing Ian’s regrets.
Now it was the opposite.
Even if Ian tried to kill Seraphia, I would stop him and persuade him otherwise.
This was the first reason I would renounce the title of Count.
The second reason was….
‘The Empire will move aggressively.’
Memoria had fallen to my hand.
The breeding ground had come to nothing.
Luseria and the Abyss Spider had been annihilated.
Queen Marceline had been imprisoned as a traitor.
The Battenberg Kingdom was no longer within The Emperor’s grasp.
The Emperor would not simply sit idle.
The Predestined One.
In other words, the kingdom to which Seraphia belonged.
The Emperor’s reach toward Seraphia would continue to extend. To prevent that, I could not leave the Whitewolf Territory.
No—I will not leave.
Furthermore, The Emperor would seek to place the Battenberg Kingdom in the palm of his hand by any means necessary.
Perhaps through military intervention.
He might even resort to war.
I cannot rely solely on Ian’s aggression.
In truth, everything so far had been mere conjecture.
I wasn’t certain whether Ian was drawing aggro.
But that was no longer the case.
The collapse of Violess.
Luseria had stated that the Dark Merchant Company suffered a devastating blow through it.
The rumors spreading across the entire Continent were known to the Dark Merchant Company, known to all of the Continent.
Naturally, the news had reached Ian’s ears as well.
And the collapse of Violess—it had never occurred in my past life.
Of course, it was attributed to Isolde’s actions.
My name was completely excluded.
Moreover, thanks to Isolde’s rampage, even the Dark Merchant Company failed to discern my existence.
But Ian would surely know.
Ian absolutely knew of my existence hidden behind the great event of Violess’s collapse.
Yet he did not reveal himself.
‘Ian is currently in The Empire.’
He was drawing The Emperor’s attention in The Empire, binding his hands so he could not move easily.
Indeed, Iratum had said at Violess:
-In any case, since the distant presence and that person cannot move at present, there must be no discord whatsoever.
The Emperor was currently in a state where he could not move.
Above all, The Emperor was searching for Ian.
In other words, all eyes of The Empire and The Emperor were concentrated on Ian.
This was why there had been no additional measures despite The Empire’s plans suffering serious damage.
And—
it was the reason I had been able to move freely all this time.
But now I could not rely solely on Ian’s aggro.
The subjugation of the Lycanthrope.
The fall of Avarus.
The annihilation of Iratum and Crawlgar.
The collapse of Violess. Memoria’s death.
And the situation where Luseria and the Abyss Spider had been eliminated.
‘The Empire’s gaze will turn this way.’
Attention would no longer be concentrated solely on Ian.
Therefore, I intended to investigate The Empire as well.
I planned to grasp The Empire’s movements and how it would act, search for Ian, and if necessary, even enter The Empire’s territory.
In such circumstances.
‘Becoming a count is not favorable.’
If I became a count, restrictions would arise in my activities.
Bound by the kingdom’s laws and the regulations of noble society, I would be unable to accomplish things that could not be resolved through legitimate means.
[We hide in moonlight and walk beneath starlight.]
Subordinate to the Allied Forces Command Special Task Force.
Special Forces Duke Commander.
I am not the brilliant starlight of a count—.
I must hide within the dark moonlight of a scoundrel.
◆What about the Quest then?!?
Text suddenly materialized before my eyes.
◆If you don’t inherit the count’s title, you can’t clear the Territory Quest!!
◆Then the “Management Mode” function will be restricted?!
◆Are you saying you’ll now abandon Whitewolf Territory?!?!
As expected, the text seemed to read my thoughts, but naturally I had no intention of abandoning Whitewolf Territory.
I had no intention of abandoning Whitewolf Territory.
Far from abandoning it, I intended to make it flourish all the more.
To that extent, the “Management Mode” function was necessary.
An absolutely essential function for operating the territory stably.
But this too presented no problem.
==[You are inheriting the count’s title, Father!]==
[Objective] – Receive recognition from the Royal Court
[Reward] – Partial “Management Mode” functions unlocked
[Refusal] – “Management Mode” functions restricted
As the Quest’s contents made clear.
It was asking me to receive the Royal Court’s ‘recognition.’
That didn’t necessarily mean I had to ‘inherit’ the count’s title.
◆Wait…?
I didn’t need to officially inherit the count’s title.
Recognition from the Royal Court.
Not long ago, I would have had to obtain it from Queen Marceline.
So ‘inheritance’ was the only answer.
There was no way Queen Marceline would recognize me.
But now things were different.
With Leon seizing actual power, the situation had turned completely around.
In other words, now ‘recognition from the Royal Court’ simply meant receiving recognition from Leon standing before me.
“This is quite an unexpected situation, and frankly, it’s rather disconcerting.”
Leon let out a sigh.
But perhaps he sensed the unwavering resolve in my intentions.
“Hmm, this becomes quite problematic….”
Leon muttered with a serious expression.
“Is there a problem?”
“There is. A rather significant one at that.”
“Wouldn’t it suffice to simply honor Father’s will as written?”
There was no need to complicate matters.
Yet he spoke of problems?
Leon continued, his gaze grave and penetrating.
“Adrian, this was the second matter I wished to discuss with you.”
“I’m listening.”
“I intended to propose to Seraphia.”
…What in the world was he talking about?
“But if Seraphia becomes a count, I cannot propose to her, can I?”
One cannot take a count as a princess consort.
Leon would have to become a son-in-law entering the family.
Yet a prince cannot become a son-in-law.
“Adrian, why don’t you just become the count instead.”
Leon reached for the royal seal without hesitation.
Clap!
I barely managed to seize Leon’s hand before the seal could be impressed.
“What madness are you speaking?”
What absolute madness was this?
“Eh…?”
He was the Frost Lord.
Of course, I would not allow him to awaken as the Frost Lord any longer, but that remained unchanged.
“Absolutely not.”
It was absolutely impossible.
Whom Seraphia married was none of my concern, but not Leon.
Sending the Allied Forces’ lion to marry the Frost Lord?
There were limits to madness.
“Let go of this.”
“I cannot.”
“That’s an order. Release it at once.”
“Do it yourself.”
“Resorting to brute force? How cowardly.”
“Using authority? How cowardly of you.”
Our gazes locked.
“Has she not made her debut in society?”
“A debut does not necessarily lead to marriage.”
“That is merely your opinion.”
Both Leon and I turned our eyes toward Seraphia simultaneously.
“Eh, um…?”
Seraphia remained dazed.
Leon spoke in the gentlest of tones.
“Seraphia, what are your thoughts on this?”
“Yes? What?”
“I wish to hear what your heart desires.”
“Ah, well….”
Seraphia’s gaze wavered uncertainly.
But only for a moment.
“It is an unparalleled honor that Your Highness regards me so favorably, however—.”
Seraphia chose each word with deliberate care as she continued.
“If my brother objects, then I as well….”
Leon exhaled sharply.
Just as I thought he was giving up—.
“So the real target was you after all.”
Leon regarded me with a solemn expression.
“This is the third matter I intended to discuss with you.”
“What do you mean all of a sudden—.”
“A terrible incident occurred in Beneron Barony.”
“….”
“And the death of Count Edmond, who granted the title to Baron Beneron, seems rather suspicious as well.”
The cruel incident orchestrated by Avarus.
Avarus had murdered Count Edmond under the guise of an accident, transformed into Baron Beneron using Transmogrify, and consumed the barony.
He had converted all the territory’s inhabitants into homunculi, but my intervention reduced his plans to nothing.
All evidence had vanished in the process.
But Leon’s current sight[L].
A retroactive recognition—using present information to piece together certain aspects of the past.
Based on the reports from the Royal Investigation Unit that had come to examine the barony, Leon appeared to have grasped the entire situation.
…That’s a truly absurd ability.
It wasn’t without reason that Ian had assessed he would have become the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces otherwise.
In any case, based purely on the circumstances, I was the culprit.
Of course, it was all Avarus’s doing.
But there was no way to prove it.
“At first, I was uncertain. It was hard to believe that Whitewolf Territory possessed the military strength to annihilate Beneron Barony.”
“….”
“But watching you fight this time, I could tell. No—I could be certain.”
…Damn it.
“Do you know? Murdering a nobleman is a capital crime that can warrant execution. And if all the inhabitants of Beneron Barony were slaughtered on top of that….”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Of course not.”
Leon flashed a grin.
“I’m simply trying to make a good impression on you.”
“…I beg your pardon?”
“I’ll cover it up.”
“Can something like this just be covered up so easily?”
“Why not? I’m serving as regent.”
…Whether this is villainy or something else entirely.
“I must confess, the catastrophe in Beneron Barony was not my doing.”
“I know.”
“…?”
“No matter how I look at it, you’re not that kind of person. It’s obvious you wouldn’t commit such a terrible act.”
“Then you have no intention of catching the real culprit?”
“You’ve already caught them, haven’t you?”
Leon’s current ability [L].
…The more I see it, the more absurdly broken it is, truly.
“But the other nobles won’t see it that way. So I’ll cover it up for you—all of it, including the vault that was emptied. Tax exemption as well.”
“What’s your reason?”
“What else? Earning points with my older brother-in-law.”
Leon smiled with ease.
I almost said something but held back.
The Beneron Barony incident had been a persistent thorn in my side.
If the Royal Court pressed the matter, it would have been quite troublesome.
But since he was offering to cover it up willingly, there was no need to refuse.
“How many points did I earn?”
“Five points.”
“Oh! Is there anything else I can earn points for?”
“If the Royal authority would recognize me as a noble—”
“Recognized.”
◆Territory Quest… [Inheriting the Countship, Father!]… has been… cleared….
This actually worked.
◆You have obtained 3,178,000 Quest Experience Points!
◆Your level has increased!
Shortly after, I received the clear bonus experience as well.
Substantial experience, but only +1 level.
My current level is now 109.
Once I surpassed level 100, the required experience had become absolutely insane.
In any case, the reward for this Quest wasn’t primarily experience points.
◆The [Resources] function of 「Management Mode」 is now unlocked.
◆You can now check information about resource status in your owned territory, buried rare minerals, undeveloped farmland, abandoned ruins, and more through the [Resources] section of 「Management Mode」.
◆New function [Resource Search] has been added!
“How many points did I earn this time?”
“…Ninety points.”
“Excellent! So how many points are left until marriage approval?”
“Aleph-null points remain.”
“Hm? What is aleph-null?”
“It means I will never approve it in your lifetime.”
“That’s the fourth agenda I wanted to discuss with you.”
“What are you—”
“I’ll give you the Beneron Barony.”
No, why is he really like this.

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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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