The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 131

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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 131. A Reversed Future
The Royal Palace typically maintained an air of solemn dignity.
But today was an exception.
The corridors of the Royal Palace were filled with hushed murmurs and hushed conversations.
“Is that truly the case? The Second Prince—”
“Hush! Mind your tongue. Don’t you know the walls of the Royal Palace have ears?”
The high nobility and senior officials within the Royal Palace.
Their whispered words continued endlessly.
“But Your Honor, the claim that the Second Prince murdered Queen Marceline—”
“Goodness! Murdered? It’s merely speculation, not yet confirmed. Do not speak so carelessly.”
The rumors circulated only among those in the know.
Yet no secret remains perfectly hidden.
The servants and maids of the Royal Palace moved cautiously between the murmuring nobles and officials, and the rumors eventually breached the palace walls, shaking the entire Capital of Battenberg.
[The murderer of Queen Marceline was the Second Prince Blake!]
As this rumor spread, people gathered in the streets of the Capital, whispering among themselves.
“Is it truly the case that Prince Blake murdered Her Majesty the Queen?!”
“No, that cannot be! How could he kill his own mother…”
“Could it be a conspiracy?”
“If it were, the Royal Guard wouldn’t have issued a warrant for his arrest!”
The loyalty of the Royal Guard belongs solely to the throne.
Protecting the royal family is their absolute duty.
Should anyone threaten the throne, even if they are of royal blood, their blades will cut without hesitation or mercy.
“Then, that means…”
This was not a completely fabricated story.
At the very least, it was a rumor grounded in some basis of fact.
“Is it truly the case that the Second Prince…?”
The rumor gained credibility and swelled with substance, spreading beyond the Capital and eventually throughout the entire Kingdom.
And so, as the entire Battenberg Kingdom was thrown into upheaval—
“Wait, then what happens to the succession to the throne?”
The King, already bedridden with illness.
While he was on death’s door, accusations of treason against the Second Prince Blake emerged.
“In a situation like this…”
“Obviously…”
From the Royal Palace to the Capital.
And throughout the entire Kingdom, turmoil began to spread violently.
* * *
My consciousness was hazy.
When I tried to move my body, a heavy fatigue pressed down upon my limbs.
I slowly opened my eyes.
A familiar ceiling.
It was the Guest Chamber of the Royal Palace—the very room where I had been staying.
Only then did the memories come flooding back in an instant.
‘…Did I lose consciousness?’
As I raised my body slightly, the cloth slipped away.
The wet compress that had been resting on my forehead fell away.
It was no longer moist—the water had long since dried.
It seemed like it hadn’t been changed in quite some time.
Scanning my surroundings, I noticed someone sleeping face-down in the corner of the room.
Disheveled silver hair and a small frame.
I didn’t even need to activate Predator’s instinct to recognize her.
Seraphia.
But why was she sleeping so uncomfortably over there?
I considered waking her, but seeing how soundly she slept, I left her be.
As I sat up fully, the bandages wrapped tightly around my chest constricted painfully.
The wounds Blake had inflicted.
I had managed to sever Blake’s left arm, but the price was a deep gash across my chest.
Yet the searing pain that tore through my entire body wasn’t simply from that wound.
The ultimate skill—Predator.
The extreme physical overload had shredded every muscle fiber, the bone density had fractured under the pressure, and my entire nervous system had been severed.
Fortunately, the fact that I could still use Regeneration—
‘It’s been twenty-four hours since I lost consciousness.’
I used Regeneration to fully recover from my injuries.
I supplemented the depleted calories by retrieving oil from my inventory.
As my body recovered, my thoughts began to clear.
‘…I can’t keep doing this.’
Honestly, I had been fortunate.
If I had continued fighting Blake any longer…
‘It would have been truly dangerous.’
I was already suffering from skill overload.
Even with Blake’s left arm severed, the situation had been extraordinarily perilous.
Yet to restrict the use of Predator…
‘Its utility is too exceptional.’
Every time I used it, my body screamed as though it would shatter, but the results were undeniable.
The war with The Empire hadn’t even begun yet.
In the battles to come against the Lords and their commanders, and ultimately in my final confrontation with The Emperor, Predator would be absolutely essential.
And strictly speaking, the problem wasn’t with Predator itself.
It was the side effects of Predator.
Namely, the extreme physical overload that was the true issue.
‘I need to increase my stats further.’
At minimum, I needed to reach a level where I wouldn’t lose consciousness.
But as my abilities grew stronger, the burden on my body would only increase.
‘I need to acquire rare abilities that can offset the damage my body sustains.’
And so, ultimately—.
‘I’ll make it so there’s no problem maintaining Predator state at all times.’
My final objective was to transform Predator[M] from a temporary ‘berserk state’ into a constantly maintainable ‘default state’.
Beyond that, there were martial principles I hadn’t yet mastered.
Currently, I had only grasped Flow and Stiffness.
Just those two.
I needed to master the remaining four and make them my own.
‘…Still so far to go.’
Truly distant and treacherous.
Even now, I couldn’t envision myself approaching Ian’s strength.
But they say the hardest metal must pass through the hottest flames.
The Blacksmith, hero of the Allied Forces, once told me:
-Even the Continent’s greatest legendary blade begins its tempering with a single hammer strike, Predator!
Nothing is completed overnight.
Ian’s present didn’t arrive in a single day.
I too am merely stacking countless days upon one another.
I steeled my resolve and reorganized my thoughts once more.
Second Prince Blake.
At first, I was certain Blake was The Darkness Lord.
But as the battle continued, doubt crept into that certainty.
Blake as The Darkness Lord?
‘He was weak.’
Of course, in absolute terms, Blake was hardly weak.
He surpassed Memoria, the Dark Legion Commander.
But considering the level of ‘Lord’—.
The six existences The Emperor acknowledged through recognition, not breeding and slaughter.
Among them, the strongest Lord.
A tier beyond even The Frost Lord—another level entirely.
For The Darkness Lord, he was… absurdly weak.
It was strange for me to say this, having ultimately collapsed during our fight, but he was literally ‘absurdly’ weak.
To be honest, Blake’s strength was nothing more than ‘Legion Commander’ tier.
If so, there were three possibilities.
The first was:
‘The information I possessed about The Darkness Lord was incorrect.’
The Darkness Lord wasn’t the strongest Lord.
Perhaps my knowledge was simply imprinted wrong due to the power of Oblivion.
And the second possibility was:
‘Blake isn’t The Darkness Lord.’
The third and final possibility.
‘Blake never fully became the Darkness Lord.’
According to the information I’d uncovered from The Vanished Social Club, the Darkness Lord was a being that was ‘created.’
Therefore, having returned to the past, there was a possibility that the Darkness Lord had not yet reached completion.
That made sense.
‘The Emperor hasn’t subjugated all the Lords.’
In other words, if The Emperor had only recently brought the Darkness Lord under his control, he might not yet display the full power of the supreme Lord.
But this was all mere speculation.
I couldn’t say for certain which scenario was true.
Unlike the other Lords, the Darkness Lord was literally shrouded in darkness—hidden from knowledge itself.
Either way, if I interrogated Blake, I could uncover the truth—.
‘But Blake….’
In my last memory, he had escaped.
Lucas had tried to stop Blake, but all that remained where the blade passed was the dissipating remnants of mist.
Yet I had a lead.
Leon’s current ability.
Leon had clearly sensed Blake’s presence.
‘I need to meet with Leon.’
Leon surely knew something.
* * *
The Royal Palace always maintained a solemn atmosphere.
‘What is this?’
Yet today it was absolute chaos.
Nobles streamed through the palace corridors in an endless procession—.
“Your Highness Leon! The Hidelont family has always supported you! And we always will—forever and ever!”
“Even if others whisper about Your Highness Leon! Our Clemens family has never wavered!”
“Eternal loyalty to Your Highness!”
The nobles who had supported Leon displayed their devotion—.
“We swear to serve only Your Highness.”
“The Belstein family likewise pledges our loyalty to Your Highness.”
The neutral nobles now swore their allegiance—.
“Your Highness, how deeply this sudden turn of events must grieve you.”
“The Artencia family has prepared a humble gift along with our condolences. Merely a few boxes of gold ingots, so please don’t feel burdened….”
“Your Highness! Do examine the gifts that have arrived at Silva River Port. We’ve prepared things we’re certain will please you.”
“This carries no particular meaning, merely personal gratitude! Hahahaha!”
The nobles who had not supported Leon rushed to win his favor.
Thus, throughout the Royal Palace, boxes filled with gold ingots and jewels exchanged hands, while all manner of precious artifacts and magical tools were presented in tribute.
“Wait, didn’t the Rosfeldt family oppose Queen Marceline just recently?”
“Well, that was….”
“Now you offer your loyalty? Does Your Highness Leon seem so easily swayed to you?”
“Ha! And what of the Ortaion family? Do you measure loyalty in mere coins? Now I understand the true caliber of House Ortaion. Tsk, tsk.”
“…What? Are you finished speaking?”
“Hey! Where do you think you’re putting your hands!”
“You started this quarrel first!”
“What? You?! You bastard—!”
In the very heart of the Royal Palace, a brawl had erupted between nobles—a complete and utter chaos.
* * *
After all the commotion, I finally entered Leon’s office.
Leon sat at his desk, processing mountains of documents.
His eyes darted rapidly across each page, and his quill moved ceaselessly as he organized approvals, authorizations, and directives.
It took him mere seconds to review each document.
It was the same extraordinary work pace I had witnessed in my previous life.
Yet he wasn’t merely skimming through them carelessly.
He cut away unnecessary items with decisive strokes and marked questionable clauses with his quill, issuing corrections.
Items with unclear intent were set aside separately.
The Allied Forces had gathered all the power of the Continent.
Since the Allied Forces comprised numerous factions, races, and nations intertwined together, Leon had to manage not just simple battle command but also supplies, treaties, troop deployment, and internal affairs.
As the field commander of the Allied Forces, Leon assisted the supreme commander Ian while skillfully handling all of these matters.
Precise information analysis and swift judgment.
And meticulous administrative capability as well.
I hadn’t realized it then, but truly, this was the present.
Though his appearance had transformed into that of a beautiful youth, Leon’s abilities remained unchanged from his previous life.
Therefore, what surprised me was not Leon’s work pace.
“What is all this?”
Enormous treasures were scattered across the floor of his office.
“…Hmm? Oh, these are things the nobles left behind outside.”
The nobles had gathered in front of Leon’s office as if staging a siege, creating a spectacle.
It seemed he was referring to them….
“Why did they leave these behind?”
“They called them bribes.”
“Bribes? …Ah, I see.”
I could roughly understand the situation.
In simple terms, it was currying favor.
These bribes were meant to earn Leon’s approval.
While I had been unconscious, the nobles had each made their decisions.
Accordingly, the situation had been completely sorted out.
‘No wonder.’
I had wondered what all the commotion throughout the Royal Palace was about.
And when I entered Leon’s office with a free pass, I had questioned why they sent me such jealous and envious glances.
…They were envious that I could meet with Leon alone.
“Would you take some of this?”
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“It’s a token of my gratitude.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ve done everything for me.”
“But I didn’t-.”
“You restored my lost memories, saved the Kingdom from the brink of collapse, and most importantly, caught the murderer. You’ve truly done it all, haven’t you?”
◆Leon’s favorability toward you has increased!
◆Leon’s favorability toward you is now in [Trust] status.
◆A person in [Trust] status trusts you completely, relies on you, and will follow you in all things.
◆Leon will gladly bear any loss for your sake.
…Should I pass out one more time?
Then Blake might get caught too.
“But you let Blake escape.”
“I let him escape. Not you.”
…In any case.
“It’s the least I can offer for what you’ve done. Besides-.”
Leon continued, glancing at me with a slight smile.
“It’s also a bribe to score points with my future brother-in-law.”
…He still hasn’t given up on that.
“You can take it all if you wish, but since the nobles sent this as a gesture of goodwill, take only half.”
His intentions were somewhat impure….
But he was offering it.
I didn’t particularly refuse.
Money was always better to have more of, especially now when I was trying to expand the power of Whitewolf Territory.
◆You store ‘Solarium’ in your inventory.
.
.
Thus I obtained 2.5 million gold.
‘It’s a bit disappointing.’
For a bribe from nobles, it seemed rather meager.
After all, the Dark Merchant Company had been prepared to give Seraphia 10 million gold as a bribe.
But that was simply because the Dark Merchant Company’s financial power was extraordinary.
In Battenberg, the most expensive capital in the Kingdom, prices were steep.
A meal at a modest dining establishment here cost roughly 2 gold.
2.5 million gold was enough for a single person to live idly for 1,157 years.
Even if expanded into a large-scale merchant operation, it was an enormous sum obtainable only through considerable transactions.
Yet the Dark Merchant Company earned and spent such sums like pocket change, which explained why Queen Marceline had allied with them.
Thus, what I had stolen from Queen Marceline-.
No, extorted-. No, seized….
In any case.
Along with that, I managed to generate 12.5 million gold in revenue.
‘I’ve completely recovered all the costs I invested in the Territory Quest.’
The expense of sweeping clean the market of Frecce.
I recovered all those costs and generated additional profit on top of it.
Thus, the funds currently in my inventory amount to—
A staggering 82.5 million gold.
It was overwhelming wealth, far beyond merely reassuring.
“You can use subspace magic too? …Though it didn’t look quite like magic?”
“It’s something similar.”
Leon didn’t seem particularly inclined to press further, so he asked nothing more.
“Are you alright physically?”
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
“That’s fortunate, it seems.”
Leon nodded lightly and returned to his administrative work.
Somehow, Leon’s current [L] ability allowed him to grasp my physical condition at a glance.
The more I observed it, the more broken the ability seemed.
But precisely because of that, he must surely know something about Blake as well.
“Speaking of which, Your Highness.”
“Speak.”
“When you perceived Blake. Did you notice anything unusual about him?”
At that, Leon set down his quill for a moment.
As if recalling that moment, he fell into thought—
“…He was a different entity.”
“A different entity, you say?”
“It means he wasn’t Blake.”
“Do you mean he was a fake Blake, just as in my case?”
Memoria, who had perfectly replicated me.
Leon’s current [L] ability had been able to distinguish the difference between Memoria and me at a glance.
“That wasn’t quite it.”
Blake was not Memoria.
Besides, the information I grasped with the Predator’s instinct [S] wasn’t false either.
In other words, he was not Blake Battenberg (Memoria).
Yet could Leon’s current [L] ability have perceived something that the Predator’s instinct [S] couldn’t grasp?
“Blake was Blake. But to my eyes, it seemed as though something entirely different was borrowing his body to exist.”
“Could you elaborate more specifically?”
Leon tapped his fingers thoughtfully as he fell into contemplation.

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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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