The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 128

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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 128. The Unfinished Battle
Leon’s sudden offer to grant me Beneron Barony caught me completely off guard.
The Northern Region was divided into three major zones: the Frozen Tundra, the Snowy Plains, and the Snowy Mountains.
The Frozen Tundra Zone at the forest boundary.
The Snowy Plains Zone where mosses and lichens thrived.
And the Snowy Mountains Zone at the edge of survival itself.
Whitewolf Territory was positioned at the boundary between the Snowy Plains and the Snowy Mountains.
Beneron Barony, meanwhile, was the territory most adjacent to Whitewolf Territory, situated in the Frozen Tundra Zone.
In other words, an environment where vegetation could flourish.
One could even raise animals like reindeer.
Hunting and fishing activities were also possible.
Most notably, the timber that grew while enduring the Frozen Tundra’s bitter cold.
Its quality was so exceptional that calling it the finest across the entire Continent would hardly be an exaggeration.
Beneron timber was a name known to every noble in the kingdom.
“As it happens, the supply of Beneron timber has been cut off, and the nobles’ discontent is considerable.”
And rightfully so—Beneron timber was used everywhere, from noble manors and military fortresses to the major structures within the Royal Palace itself.
Naturally, the profits from it were astronomical.
“I’ll give you Beneron Barony, so rake in the wealth and develop your territory grandly.”
“Can you really grant territory so freely?”
“What’s stopping me? It has no master anyway.”
“The other nobles will surely object—”
“Then what? If you’re upset, become a prince yourself.”
…I’m going to lose my mind, seriously.
Leon, how am I supposed to handle this?
Obviously, Leon couldn’t distribute territories so recklessly.
The succession dispute hadn’t ended yet.
Currently, Leon held the rank of prince, not crown prince.
No matter how much he was acting as regent, he couldn’t simply hand out territories like this—but.
“Once the situation at the Royal Palace is settled, I’ll transfer Beneron Barony to you immediately.”
“Are you becoming crown prince already?”
“It’s all thanks to you.”
How was I supposed to accept this?
“In any case, I made it clear that I will not consent.”
“What must I do for you to permit the marriage?”
“Nothing you do will make me permit it.”
“I’ll give you as much money as you ask for.”
“If you give me Aleph-Null Gold, I’ll consider it.”
“I’ll bestow upon you the rank of duke.”
“I just rejected the rank of count.”
“I promise the full support of the Royal Court.”
“Become Crown Prince first, then we can talk.”
“What if I command you with the authority of a prince?”
“Then you’d have to make me a traitor.”
“What if I kneel and beg?”
“That won’t work.”
“What if I plucked the very stars from the heavens for you?”
“That won’t work either.”
In that instant, Leon’s golden eyes gleamed with intensity.
Present Sight [L]—his ability.
He was attempting to analyze and comprehend the reason behind my steadfast refusal.
But my opposition stemmed from memories and knowledge of my past life.
Even an absurdly powerful ability like Present Sight [L] couldn’t analyze what it had no access to.
“…What on earth is your reason?”
Leon asked, bewilderment coloring his voice.
There was something melancholic in his expression.
He seemed to care for Seraphia far more than I’d realized.
“Rather, I should be asking you. What’s your reason? Why did you suddenly—”
“I’ve fallen for her.”
“Fallen—what?”
“Fallen for her. At first sight. Completely.”
“What?!”
Seraphia, who had been listening quietly, jolted upright in shock.
Her face flushed crimson as she struggled to comprehend what was happening.
I found myself equally bewildered.
“Please don’t jest.”
“Does it sound like a jest?”
Using Weak Point Detection [U], I could discern the truth.
…He was sincere.
“I cannot comprehend this.”
“There’s no need to.”
Leon added with casual composure.
“You need only grant your permission.”
Seraphia’s face, already flushed, had turned crimson all the way to her ears.
I swallowed a sigh inwardly.
It seemed the confrontation with Luseria was the catalyst.
He must have fallen for her then, when both he and Seraphia were present.
Though I couldn’t fathom which aspect had captivated him.
“That’s not acceptable.”
“It matters not. I shall propose until I receive your consent, so I am already as good as married to Seraphia.”
“…Are you in your right mind?”
“You seem perfectly fine.”
“What exactly have you fallen for in Seraphia?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
“I am.”
Leon drew in a deep breath—
“She’s beautiful. Capable. Spirited. Intelligent. Resolute. Sincere. Bright and optimistic.”
“….”
“She carries herself with dignity befitting a noblewoman. Her heart is warm. The way she dedicates herself to you—it’s remarkable. She always considers others before herself. That tendency to shoulder everything alone is her only flaw, but even that is impossibly endearing.”
“….”
“She’s never weak, yet sometimes she wants to lean on someone—and I find myself falling for that too. Most of all, the way she cries is maddeningly lovely.”
“Love—no, cry—what?”
“When you were unconscious, she wept terribly, asking if her brother was dying.”
My gaze naturally shifted toward Seraphia.
Her face had turned crimson, now resembling a ripe raspberry.
The heat radiating from her seemed ready to produce wisps of steam any moment.
“Th-that’s—! Th-that’s n-no—!”
Seraphia bit her lip hard, desperately trying to offer some excuse—
“Ahhhhh!! Please don’t mind it!!”
Unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, she wrapped her face in both hands and curled into a ball.
Seraphia huddled there, trembling slightly.
Leon continued.
“As you can see right now, she’s maddeningly lovely. Why would I need any other reason?”
“There’s more?”
“Adorable yet strong-willed. Sometimes scatterbrained, yet mysteriously charming because of it. The fact that she doesn’t realize how lovable she is—that’s attractive too. She’s cautious about everything, and yet—”
“…That’s enough. Please stop.”
He was thoroughly smitten.
Which made this all the more absurd.
—Had the Hero Ian not existed, Leon would have become the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces.
Leon, who might have become the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces.
Though he claimed to have no memories of his past life, I never imagined Leon could fall for Seraphia to this extent.
Yet thinking about it carefully… Ian was no different.
Not to this degree, but Ian also thought Seraphia was “prettier than The Saint.”
But by any objective measure, that wasn’t the case.
Seraphia wasn’t unattractive, but she couldn’t compare to Isolde, who transcended subjective beauty standards through her sacred power.
Did those destined to be Supreme Commanders simply have a nature to fall for Seraphia?
It was something even my Predator’s Instinct [S] couldn’t discern, so how would I know?
In any case, Leon had never shown such affection toward any other woman.
But if it were someone else, that would be one thing.
Seraphia—that is, The Frost Lord—was absolutely unacceptable.
It was precisely then that my head began to throb painfully.
—Your Highness! Captain Lucas! This is a disaster!!
A cry echoed from beyond the door.
—Queen Marceline, who was imprisoned in the Underground Dungeon, has apparently been found dead!!
Both my eyes and Leon’s widened simultaneously.
* * *
The sudden news of Queen Marceline’s death.
Leon and I immediately rushed to the scene.
Seraphia insisted on coming along, but Leon firmly stopped her.
I agreed with Leon’s judgment.
There was no need for her to witness a murder scene firsthand.
“I’ll tell you the details later. For now, wait here.”
At my words, Seraphia ceased her protests.
Knights were stationed at the scene.
However, they were not Royal Knights.
Their uniforms and atmosphere were different.
As Leon and I approached, someone came forward and bowed respectfully.
“You have arrived, Your Highness.”
Sharp eyes and an unwavering demeanor.
His economical movements conveyed both the bearing of a knight and the dignity of nobility.
I recognized his face.
“Captain Lucas. What is the meaning of this?”
Lucas, a field commander of the Allied Forces.
He was now the Captain of the Royal Guard.
And the head of House Arsente, perhaps?
That was likely the case.
When I activated Predator’s Instinct [S], information about Lucas materialized before my eyes.
==【Character Information】==
Name: Lucas Arsente
Classification: Mammal, Human
Gender: Male
Age: 41
Trait: Indomitability [E]
◆Indomitability [E]
: The user possesses an indomitable will, granting resistance to abnormal states such as [Confusion, Fear, Charm]. Additionally, by wrapping this indomitable will around the body, all damage is reduced by [-60%], and the user can withstand fatal attacks with [certain probability].
It was immediately clear that Lucas had not obtained his position as Captain of the Royal Guard by mere chance.
After all, an Epic-grade ability could inflict damage even upon a Lord.
Conversely, it was a grade capable of resisting a Lord’s attacks.
Lucas’s Indomitability [E] was an ability that applied even against Lords.
Yet reading the description, one had to wonder what kind of ability this truly was.
Wrapping an indomitable will around one’s body—
What even is the concept of wrapping one’s will around one’s body?
Naturally, such a force doesn’t exist in reality.
Yet it undeniably exists in reality.
An ability born from individual imagination, manifested through Auror.
In other words, Lucas is a ‘Master’s Knight’.
“Captain Lucas. Queen Marceline, who was imprisoned, has died? Does that mean she took her own life?”
“We’ll need to investigate further, but at present, the likelihood of murder is high.”
“Explain in detail.”
“The corpse is not intact.”
“Can I examine it directly?”
At my words, Lucas’s gaze turned toward me.
And without a moment’s hesitation, Lucas opened his mouth.
“To prevent contamination of the scene, no one can enter.”
“I’ll take responsibility.”
Leon stepped forward to vouch for me.
But Lucas remained unyielding.
“I’m sorry, but even Your Highness cannot enter.”
The kingdom’s final shield, the Royal Guard.
Leon had not yet been officially invested as Crown Prince.
In other words, Leon could not command the Royal Guard.
In any case, Lucas was exactly as he had been in my past life.
Yet he wasn’t entirely inflexible.
Had he strictly adhered to principles, the Lucas of my previous life would not have followed the fallen Leon, nor would he have become a field officer of the Allied Forces.
But in a situation like this, principles had to be maintained.
Leon and I had no choice but to turn our steps away.
And the moment we rounded a corner of the Royal Palace, I whispered to Leon.
“Your Highness, could you draw Captain Lucas’s attention?”
“I’m not sure what you’re planning… but understood.”
Leon nodded lightly and turned back to walk away.
I quietly watched Leon’s retreating figure—
◆Skill, Assimilation [C+] is activated.
My form gradually disappears, blending with the surrounding environment.
An ability that even fooled the Royal Knights.
But completely deceiving a Master’s senses was difficult.
“By the way, Captain Lucas. Have you identified a suspect?”
After confirming that Leon had drawn Lucas’s attention, I carefully entered the Underground Dungeon.
* * *
The dungeon where Queen Marceline had been imprisoned.
It was the same place where I had been imprisoned.
The only difference was that Royal Guards were watching with an iron grip.
“….”
“….”
Not a single flaw in the guard’s stance.
Every entrance leading into the dungeon was perfectly controlled.
But unless one was Lucas, it would be impossible to detect the presence of Synchronization [C+].
I ventured deeper inside.
A pitch-black darkness devoid of even a sliver of light greeted me.
Naturally, I couldn’t use torches or luminescent stones.
But that was fine.
◆Activating skill: Low Light Vision [D+].
The message materialized before my eyes.
Soon, I could make out the form of the dungeon hidden within the darkness.
And.
‘Hmm.’
I was right not to bring Seraphia along.
I’ve witnessed countless scenes like this from the war with The Empire.
But Seraphia hasn’t.
This was hardly a sight for a sixteen-year-old girl to see.
Though even if she had come, she wouldn’t have been able to see it anyway.
I examined Queen Marceline’s corpse carefully.
‘It’s certainly difficult to believe she took her own life.’
The damage to the body was far too severe.
Had she ended her own life, it couldn’t have been this gruesome.
Above all, Queen Marceline’s arms were bound tightly in chains.
I shifted my gaze to examine the state of the dungeon.
Thick stone walls and heavy iron doors.
Everything was intact.
‘There are no signs of forced entry.’
That could only mean someone on the inside had helped.
But the Underground Dungeon’s security was entirely under the Royal Guard’s jurisdiction.
In other words, Lucas managed it directly.
If that were the case, it would mean Lucas was complicit….
‘That’s impossible.’
That’s out of the question.
There’s no possibility worth considering.
The Lucas I know would never betray the Royal Court or conspire with traitors.
Therefore, someone else must have infiltrated past Lucas’s watch.
But then.
‘To slip past the Master’s surveillance….’
That would be difficult even with the power of Synchronization [C+].
Not only had I failed to secure a complete genetic template, but I could never fully escape the Master’s perception.
Even if I somehow managed to infiltrate without being detected.
But assassinating Queen Marceline and slipping away unnoticed was impossible.
The moment Queen Marceline was killed, he would know.
Even Ian couldn’t accomplish that.
Therefore, to my knowledge—.
There was only one being capable of such a feat.
One who could commit the act brazenly, murder Queen Marceline right before Lucas’s eyes, and have all memories and information erased—.
The Darkness Lord.
He had intervened directly.

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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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