The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 177

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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 177. Transaction (2)
After the fight with Kim Fujiwara Bloodhound.
Time moved swiftly for Marzen.
The rubble from buildings destroyed in the battle was gradually being restored.
But.
Marzen’s condition was not.
Bruised ribs, a throbbing shoulder.
There wasn’t a single place on my body that didn’t ache.
That wasn’t all.
Whenever someone spoke to Marzen, my body would flinch reflexively. I’d been beaten so thoroughly that I’d developed trauma from it.
Both body and mind were utterly shattered.
Right then.
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking from outside the door.
Marzen’s body trembled with a start.
Both hands shot up in front of my face.
My body moved reflexively to avoid being struck.
The fight had ended long ago.
But Marzen’s body and mind were still trapped within the Barrier Space.
Marzen took a deep breath and steadied my mind.
Yet memories from that time kept flooding back, churning my thoughts.
* * *
Immediately after my defeat at the hands of Kim Fujiwara.
Marzen had every confidential secret of the Unofficial Distribution Network extracted from me.
Not spoken.
Literally ‘extracted’.
As if Kim Fujiwara could see through my every thought, he stripped away all my information.
Resistance?
It was impossible to even dream of it.
Any attempt at resistance only meant I would be beaten.
Thus Marzen had no choice but to lose everything I had built.
“…What are you planning to do with me now?”
Marzen asked in a tone of resignation.
Kim Fujiwara offered no answer.
After falling into deep thought for a while—
“I’ve reconsidered.”
He spoke in a measured tone.
“Step down from your current position.”
Marzen ground my teeth together.
…I knew it would come to this.
His promise to keep the position was never meant to be kept in the first place—.
“Instead, I shall elevate you to a higher station.”
“What did you just say?”
My eyes snapped wide open.
“A higher station? You mean… you’re going to promote me?”
“Precisely.”
“Do you even comprehend what that entails?”
“What’s there to comprehend? I’m simply offering you advancement.”
“You don’t know who occupies those higher stations—”
“You speak as though they were the very apex of The Empire itself.”
“…Did you know?”
Kim Fujiwara offered no response.
But for me, silence was answer enough.
‘This is absurd…’
I couldn’t conceal my shock.
The intelligence required to identify The Empire’s existence was staggering in itself.
But what truly astounded me—
“If it’s The Empire, they could certainly purchase my rune steel at the highest price on The Continent.”
—was his audacity.
The Empire.
The absolute supreme power of The Continent.
The absolute arbiter that determines the order of The Continent.
Beneath this name, all hold their breath.
With a single word, they erase entire cities from the map as though it were nothing, and only those who submit or prove their worth survive.
I was one of them.
My homeland was the information city of Inforen.
Now it was a Free City erased from the map.
The price for finally uncovering secrets that should never have been uncovered—secrets of The Empire.
Thus, all power and might on The Continent dare not raise their heads before the name of The Empire.
But Kim Fujiwara was different.
“If I elevate you to the apex of The Empire, the profit I gain would be considerable, would it not?”
He showed no intimidation despite knowing it was The Empire.
Rather, knowing it was The Empire, he sought to exploit it.
…Was he blinded by greed?
Perhaps that was it.
Yet somehow, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it might be something else entirely.
An inexplicable chill ran down my spine.
“Who is your current superior?”
I swallowed hard.
I no longer entertained the thought that I could hide anything now.
“It’s Barelto Al Banas.”
“The Director-General of the Empire Commerce Ministry Distribution Bureau… is that correct?”
“H-how did you…!”
Marzen’s mouth fell open in shock.
…This intelligence was simply incomprehensible.
Even in Marzen’s hometown, the information city, nothing approached this level.
If someone had dug this deeply into the Empire’s secrets?
They should have vanished long ago.
The Empire had erased an entire city from the records.
Eliminating a single person was nothing to them.
Yet Kim Fujiwara sat before me, perfectly intact and lost in thought.
And as if peering several moves ahead in his mind.
“Here’s what we’ll do.”
His eyes gleamed.
“Beyond your jurisdiction, there are several Unofficial Distribution Networks that connect to the Empire, are there not?”
Marzen fell silent once more.
Nothing but astonishment washed over me.
As he said, the Unofficial Distribution Networks were not all-encompassing.
Countless Unofficial Distribution Networks stretched across the entire Continent.
Marzen was merely one such tributary.
Many tributaries like Marzen converged, flowing into the vast ocean that was the Empire.
And the one who oversaw all those currents was Barelto Al Banas.
The practical administrator of the Empire’s finances and a pillar of the Empire’s leadership.
“Leak information about your Runesteel to each distribution network. Then they’ll approach me to secure it.”
Just as Marzen had done.
“And I’ll eliminate each one who comes to me in turn.”
“…Eliminate them?”
“I mean I’ll crush them all.”
Just as I had done to Marzen.
My words failed me once again.
What kind of confidence was this?
Those who oversaw each distribution network were far from ordinary.
Each one was at least Marzen’s equal.
Many were even more formidable than Marzen.
He would handle all these powerhouses?
This wasn’t confidence.
It was arrogance—no, sheer—
“Do you think I’ll lose?”
…Marzen remained silent.
It seemed entirely unlikely.
“And if I suffer the consequences, wouldn’t that be beneficial for you as well?”
…That was also true.
If Kim Fujiwara faced ruin, I would be liberated.
Reaping rewards without lifting a finger.
There was nothing disadvantageous for me in that scenario.
But what if Kim Fujiwara didn’t face consequences?
What if, instead, I purged all the officials of the Distribution Bureau?
“After that, I will begin moving Runesteel outside The Empire’s control.”
Runesteel was a precious strategic resource beyond measure.
The higher-ups would never tolerate Runesteel operating beyond their grasp.
“In such circumstances, if you succeed in negotiating with me, what would happen?”
My standing would skyrocket.
My influence within the Distribution Bureau would surge instantaneously.
And perhaps.
“Even those above Barelto Al Banas might take notice of your usefulness.”
The possibility of my ascension to The Empire’s highest echelons would materialize.
It wasn’t an impossible plan.
That’s why I was astounded.
The fact that he had devised such a scheme in so brief a span was not merely shocking—it was terrifying.
However.
There was a problem.
“The higher-ups won’t overlook the possibility of collusion between you and me.”
The Empire’s Information Bureau was no fool.
When no one else could negotiate, only I succeed?
It was more than suspicious.
Therefore, the Information Bureau would—
—immediately launch an investigation based on the suspicion that I had been colluding with Kim Fujiwara Bloodhound from the start!
…That was their likely course of action.
“Precisely.”
“And your contingency plan is—”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“…?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
Kim Fujiwara offered no answer.
Which meant.
“You’re telling me to evade the higher-ups’ suspicion on my own?”
“If I’ve set the table for you, shouldn’t you handle the dining yourself?”
…
“It seems you’re laboring under some misunderstanding.”
Kim Fujiwara continued, his gaze turning glacial.
“This is a transaction, not patronage.”
“….”
“I help you ascend to a higher position, and in return, I secure the greatest profit. That is the transaction.”
Mutual exploitation.
Nothing more.
“…And if I refuse?”
“You already know what happens, don’t you?”
In truth, Marzen had no choice in this transaction.
It was coercion in all but name.
“Then we are now in the same boat.”
“A boat where only I drown if it sinks.”
“Then you’d best ensure it doesn’t sink, wouldn’t you?”
Kim Fujiwara departed with a smile.
* * *
Marzen exhaled a series of deep breaths.
Memories from that time kept surfacing unbidden.
I pushed them away forcefully and spoke to my Subordinate outside the door.
“…Come in.”
Only then did my Subordinate cautiously open the door and enter.
I questioned him immediately.
“What is the situation?”
“That is….”
My Subordinate paused briefly before speaking slowly.
“All personnel from the Distribution Bureau who made contact with Kim Fujiwara have vanished.”
“…All of them?”
“Y-yes. Every last one has disappeared without exception.”
My body trembled once more.
Everything had unfolded exactly as Kim Fujiwara planned.
The Distribution Bureau officials had contacted Kim Fujiwara after learning of the Runesteel information I leaked.
“Word has it that Liu, the Battle Inspector, and Eden Swallow, the Security Director, have also….”
Men far more skilled than myself.
“…they too have vanished, it seems.”
Yet all of them were utterly destroyed.
…Truly, there existed no monster more beyond control.
“What of the higher-ups?”
“They’ve initiated emergency analysis. The Information Bureau appears to have begun their investigation as well.”
I took another deep breath, steadying both body and mind.
And so.
I had boarded the same vessel as Kim Fujiwara.
A boat where only I would drown if it sank.
But if I navigate this ship well without sinking it….
“I’m stepping out for a moment.”
Marzen’s gaze grew colder than ever before.
* * *
How many days had I wreaked havoc?
“It’s quieter now.”
No one approached me anymore.
They seemed to have realized I was a madman beyond their control.
“By now, they must be in complete chaos.”
Without a doubt, they were investigating every detail of Kim Fujiwara Bloodhound’s past record and personal relationships.
But search all they want.
They would find nothing.
“Perhaps it’s time to return to my original form.”
When one’s very existence evaporates and vanishes, what could they possibly do about it?
Even the Empire’s Information Bureau cannot perceive what does not exist.
Kim Fujiwara Bloodhound has no identity, no nationality, no past.
A phantom, truly.
They would surely go mad with frustration.
With such thoughts, I returned as Adrian Whitewolf.
Since it had been physical transformation, Regeneration [B+] restored me swiftly.
After returning to my original form.
I quietly made my way back to Caravana.
And as I stepped into the inn where I had been staying—
“Adrian, you’ve returned?”
The innkeeper bowed twice at the waist in greeting.
Caravana is a Free City.
Thus, my status as a nobleman held no sway here.
Yet perhaps because the Night Brew had increased revenue exponentially.
“Shall I prepare a meal right away? Or would you prefer a bath first?”
The innkeeper treated me like royalty.
I did need to replenish my calories anyway.
“Then might I trouble you for a meal?”
“Of course! Rest in your room and I’ll have it ready in no time!”
And with that, she dashed toward the kitchen—
“Oh, that’s right!”
She stopped in her tracks, as if remembering something.
“There’s someone who’s been waiting for you since this morning.”
“…You mean me?”
“Yes. Over there, the person sitting in that corner.”
I turned my head in the direction the innkeeper pointed—
‘Marzen?’
Marzen had come looking for me there?
Marzen rose from his seat as our eyes met.
His strides toward me were unhesitating and purposeful.
Could it be that he’d discovered my true identity?
That didn’t seem to be the case.
After all, the one who came looking for me was Marzen, yet not Marzen at all.
To be precise, someone whose appearance had been altered by Polymorph magic.
“I am Corent Rashen, the head of the Trade Union.”
That was the situation.
It didn’t seem he had come seeking me out because he knew my true identity.
“What brings the head of the Trade Union to seek me out?”
“It’s nothing complicated.”
Marzen paused to choose his words carefully before speaking.
“I came hoping to procure monster meat.”
…What?
“Monster meat, you say?”
“Yes.”
…What’s this about, suddenly?
“I heard that you once sold monster meat to the Raven Dung Merchant Company.”
“That is true.”
“Then, would it be possible to procure the same quality of monster meat as what you sold back then?”
What is this…?
‘Ah.’
I understood the situation.
It stemmed from something I had said to Marzen.
-I dislike noise, you see. For that reason, I once handed over runesteel to the Predator Merchant Company not long ago….
More precisely, words that Kim Fujiwara Bloodhound had spoken to Marzen.
-Well, what can I do? It was my own fault for becoming enamored with monster meat.
-….
-But it certainly was delicious. Though it came at a troublesome price.
-….
-So I was wondering—could you procure monster meat? These days, even places like the Night Tavern don’t seem to sell it anymore—.
-What are you trying to say?
…That was where the conversation had ended.
And coupled with that exchange.
“There’s no reason it can’t be done. I’ll pay whatever price you ask.”
Judging by the earnestness I saw in Marzen now.
‘Could it be that he’s trying to give me monster meat as a gift?’
…It seems he’s eager to make a good impression on me.

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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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