The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 231

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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 231. The Incompetent Lord (2)
A Quest materialized before me, sudden and uninvited.
Its contents were as follows.
==[Compress an entire national standard into one Quest! Hey, you too can become an incompetent lord – Chapter 1]==
[Objective] – Develop and distribute toothpaste and toothbrushes
[Reward] – Reduced inter-racial conflict
[Refusal] – Stop spouting nonsense and complete this Quest immediately!!
Toothpaste and toothbrushes.
In my past life, they were quintessential tools for maintaining the hygiene of the Allied Forces.
And much like soap, they had been the catalyst for improving relations between Broombar and Rielin.
“I wondered where Ian had gotten such a brilliant idea.”
It appeared to have come from Mungu’s Quest.
And there seemed to be more.
The title bore “Chapter 1,” after all.
As expected.
◆Territory-linked Quest initiated: [Compress an entire national standard into one Quest! Hey, you too can become an incompetent lord – Chapter 1].
A territory-linked Quest.
Chain Quest.
A Quest with true “linkage”—where one Quest’s completion triggered another in succession.
Recalling the hidden chain Quest from before made this easier to understand.
“Ah, that’s right.”
The hidden Quest reward.
More precisely, the reward from the hidden chain Quest [The Death Lord is Loading].
I hadn’t checked it yet.
Broombar and Rielin had suddenly started fighting, after all.
Fortunately, the reward hadn’t disappeared.
“Let me check it now.”
◆You have an unclaimed Quest reward.
.
.
.
◆Would you like to view 【Journey of the Infinite】?
“Journey of the Infinite?”
I could roughly guess what it was.
Perhaps a research treatise related to infinity? A journal?
Something along those lines.
Therefore, Infinity [M] and Limit [M].
Either I would gain authority comparable to these, or—
Alternatively.
It seemed to be a reward that could increase my understanding of both.
“Could this really be given as a Quest reward?”
Quest is my ability.
In other words, Mungu and I.
It meant the two of us(?) were somehow connected.
Unless 【Mungu’s Journey】 had nothing to do with Mungu after all.
“Hmm.”
I felt I needed to verify this directly.
“I’ll have to check later.”
But there was no way I could verify it right now.
Based on my past experiences, there was a high probability I’d see visions related to Mungu.
And based on my past experiences, the moment I gained some broken ability, I’d almost certainly lose consciousness.
“There’s still too much to do.”
Broombar and Rielin hadn’t reconciled yet.
The territory-linked Quest had only just begun.
“I’ll be hearing from Marzen soon.”
With the Imperial Secret Service’s involvement, the reconstruction of Karabana had proceeded remarkably fast.
If I left my post, the Secret Service would shake the Whitewolf Territory using every means at their disposal.
Therefore, before that happens, I need to reconcile Broombar and Rielin to increase rune iron production, and turn the Whitewolf Territory into an impregnable fortress.
Administrative disruption, price manipulation.
Public discontent, facility sabotage, propaganda and the like.
I had to be fully prepared against the Secret Service’s subtle machinations.
I couldn’t afford to let my guard down now.
“The reward won’t disappear anyway.”
Whether it’s Mungu[M] or Extremity[M].
For now, it was something I’d have to postpone.
* * *
The barracks of the Whitewolf Territory, located in the Snowy Region.
As the influx of new recruits recently increased its scale, the territory’s barracks underwent massive expansion as well.
Thick stone walls.
Orderly rows of barracks buildings.
Fully stocked supply warehouses.
The barracks, enhanced by Dwarven engineering, displayed a grandeur as imposing as a fortress.
Sarpedon, now a proper soldier of the Whitewolf Territory.
And Sarpedon, now promoted to the rank of commissioned officer.
Sarpedon was conducting a military meeting with non-commissioned officers in the barracks.
Then, suddenly.
A fragrance caught his nostrils.
Sarpedon asked one of the non-commissioned officers.
“Hey.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That ‘older brother’ nonsense…. Ugh, forget it.”
Sarpedon exhaled deeply and asked again.
“Did you use that forest soap? Your scent is quite fresh.”
“You know well enough. I use nothing but that forest soap.”
The adjutant’s eyebrows twitched as if to say, why ask the obvious?
Sarpedon let out a hollow laugh and asked.
“Smells like Elves?”
“It’s not merely the scent of an Elf, sir.”
“Then what is it?”
“How should I put it… the fragrance of the first bead of sweat pooling in an Elf’s armpit.”
“…What?”
“Like the damp stain between an Elf’s thighs-.”
“You goddamn bastard!!”
Thwack!
“Ow! Why are you hitting me!”
“Why? I’m correcting this debauched military discipline!”
“I was merely exploring the essence of fragrance, so why-!”
“Exploring my ass!”
Smack!
“You need to wash your brain with soap, not your body!”
Thwack! Whack!
“When will this furry bastard ever learn to think with his head?”
“Still, thanks to the soap, the barracks smell has improved considerably.”
Another adjutant chimed in as if in agreement.
“Before, we had to hold our noses against the reek of sweat from all those men, but now the scent is like… forest freshness….”
Zing!
“…rather than anything else—a crisp woodland aroma that makes one feel almost noble.”
Aside from the Elf remarks, it was true.
Before, there was that stale bachelor’s stench from men crowded together.
The acrid sweat of relentless training.
It had been hell itself, reeking of every foul odor imaginable.
The stench had caused no small amount of quarrels and disputes among the soldiers.
But once the soap was distributed, it all vanished.
With laundry soap, even combat uniforms could be cleaned thoroughly, allowing for even more intense training.
A single bar of soap had dramatically elevated the quality of life and training.
But.
There was one smell even soap couldn’t solve.
Bad breath.
Sarpedon pinched his nose and bellowed.
“Listen here, you bastard! Did I or did I not tell you to stay at least three meters away when I’m speaking!!”
“Cough!!”
“Do you ferment your food inside your mouth before eating it?!”
“Hack!”
“Damn it! How does a stench like rotting sewage come pouring out of your mouth?”
“You’re… you’re being too harsh…”
“Too harsh? Your mouth is going to spread plague throughout the entire barracks!”
“That’s a bit of an exaggeration-”
“Enough! Just shut that rotten mouth of yours!!”
Soap couldn’t remove the stench from his mouth.
Sarpedon pinched his nose tightly.
Just then.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
Someone entered the barracks.
Graceful features resembling an Elf.
Yet a race no different from humans.
An Elviz.
None other than the guildmaster of the Greenleaf Trading Company.
It was Allerion.
Since the Elves settled in Whitewolf Territory, Allerion had leveraged his experience as a guildmaster to oversee military supplies for the territorial forces.
Sarpedon removed his pinched nose and spoke.
“What brings the quartermaster here?”
“Adrian has authorized new supplies to be distributed.”
“New supplies, you say?”
“Yes. Please take a look for yourself.”
Following Allerion outside the barracks, soldiers were carrying large crates.
Sarpedon opened one of the crates.
Inside were items he’d never seen before.
A long stick with bristles attached.
And a small ceramic vessel containing white ointment…?
“What is this?”
“They’re called toothbrushes and toothpaste.”
“Toothbrush? Toothpaste?”
He’d never heard such words in his life.
“What are they used for?”
“They’re for cleaning the inside of one’s mouth.”
“…?”
Cleaning the inside of the mouth?
“How does one use them?”
“You apply an appropriate amount of toothpaste onto this small brush and scrub every corner of your mouth.”
“I see.”
Words alone didn’t convey the full picture.
Just then, a sergeant major emerged from the barracks, reeking of stale breath.
“Hey, try cleaning your mouth with this.”
“Pardon? You mean me, sir?”
“That’s right.”
“But, but what if it’s dangerous?”
“You fool, would Adrian supply us with something dangerous?”
“Ah.”
“Besides, nothing’s more dangerous than your rotten breath, so stop complaining and use it.”
The sergeant major reluctantly accepted the toothbrush and toothpaste.
He squeezed the paste onto the brush and shoved it into his mouth—
“Gack! Ugh!”
Foam dribbled from the sergeant major’s lips.
“What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
“My tongue is incredibly spicy!”
“Spicy?”
“Yes! It’s so hot it tingles!”
Unable to bear it any longer, the sergeant major spat out the toothpaste.
“Ptooey! Is this poison? Am I going to die…?”
“What now?”
“My breath smells like Elves!”
“Is that good or bad?”
Sarpedon wrinkled his nose and stepped closer to the sergeant major.
“Let me smell your breath.”
“Haaaa.”
“…Oh?”
It was remarkably pleasant.
The foul stench that had reeked moments before had transformed into a crisp, forest-like fragrance.
“Is this for real?”
“Right? My breath really does smell like Elves now, doesn’t it?”
“Huh? Saliva scent?”
Allerion checked the toothpaste’s scent, skeptical that such a thing was possible.
Sarpedon waved his hand urgently.
“You can ignore what this fool is saying.”
“No, I’m serious! It’s like the saliva an Elf drools in their sleep…”
“Shut your mouth.”
As Sarpedon clenched his fist, the sergeant major sealed his lips tight.
Allerion smiled awkwardly and continued.
“Anyway, this toothpaste isn’t merely for cleaning teeth.”
“It has additional uses?”
“That’s correct. Let me see… Ah, I have just the thing.”
Allerion retrieved a bucket placed to one side.
A bucket discolored to a sickly yellow by water stains and mold.
The very sight of it seemed to reek.
“Such stubborn water stains and mold couldn’t be removed even with soap, could they?”
“That’s true, but…”
“However, if you apply this toothpaste and scrub—”
Squeak squeak.
“The mold and water stains vanish completely.”
“Wow!”
Sarpedon couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.
The subordinate officers who followed suit all gasped in unison.
“It actually comes off?!”
“Ohhh…!!”
“With that, we could finish cleaning the barracks in no time?”
“We could clean the latrines too, couldn’t we?”
“That might be pushing it, don’t you think?”
One officer shook his head as he spoke.
“Our latrines are pit toilets with holes dug into stone floors. The waste water accumulated there is months old.”
“Right, the stench is so foul that more than a few new recruits have vomited while sitting there.”
“You’re going to clean that with toothpaste?”
“Hell, even dumping toothpaste on it won’t help.”
“Ah, that’s no problem either.”
Allerion interjected into the officers’ conversation with a light smile.
“All the latrines in the barracks will be converted to flush toilets this time.”
Huh? What did you just say?
“Flush…”
“Toilets?”
Hearing a term they’d never encountered before, everyone’s heads tilted in confusion.
* * *
Battenberg, the capital of the Battenberg Kingdom.
The conference room of the Royal Palace located at its heart.
Hundreds of matters occurring throughout the kingdom converge here daily.
Yet rarely did a single incident command the entire kingdom’s attention as it did today.
In fact, it wasn’t merely the Battenberg Kingdom’s gaze that was fixed upon this matter.
“The entire Continent watches the Whitewolf Territory.”
The greatest reason was this.
Elves, who had vanished from sight, had settled in the Whitewolf Territory.
As a result, all eyes across the Continent turned toward it.
And to that was added the remarkable transformations occurring within the Territory as it grew at an extraordinary pace.
“They’ve carved new water channels through the land and reorganized the cultivated fields,” one official reported.
“They use something called ‘toothpaste’ to brush their teeth, preventing cavities and eliminating bad breath.”
“And they even employ what’s called a ‘flush toilet’—”
Sanitation practices across The Continent were far from pleasant.
After all, people indiscriminately disposed of waste in rivers, gardens,
and along the streets without any consideration.
As a result,
every alley reeked with a stench that assaulted the nostrils.
Come summer, maggots infested the streets,
and pedestrians frequently found themselves splattered with sewage while walking.
People carried parasols to avoid the filth.
Women had to wear high heels to keep from stepping in it.
Battenberg was no exception.
But Whitewolf Territory was different.
“Each household has plumbing installed. Simply pressing a handle releases a torrent of water that sweeps away all waste in one go.”
“The streets are free of sewage, and instead of stench, they’re filled with pleasant fragrance.”
“Women walk the streets without even needing to hold up their skirts.”
Report after report from court officials.
The eyes of the high nobility gathered in the conference chamber widened in astonishment.
It was something their understanding of the world could simply not fathom.
In that sense, this was far more than mere prosperity of a single territory.
It was rewriting the very standards of civilization across The Continent.
“Particularly, this thing called ‘soap’ has become extraordinarily popular…”
“A small chunk, resembling cheese, washes away dirt and grime instantly with just a rub.”
“And they say its fragrance is far more subtle and refined than even expensive perfume.”
“Thus, among the nobility, the use of soap has become a mark of refinement and culture.”
Each variety of soap possessed its own distinct fragrance.
“Among them, a product called ‘Forest Soap’ has become the most coveted.”
“Rumors of ‘Elven Fragrance’ have spread among the ladies of nobility, making it an unobtainable luxury.”
“Among devoted enthusiasts, it’s become a sensation under the name ‘The First Bead of an Elf’s Sweat.'”
“The Caldera Kingdom is purchasing Forest Soap, exchanging it for silver of equal weight.”
Consequently, the Territory’s revenues had skyrocketed.
“Observe the financial records of this Territory, Your Majesty.”
“This… is simply not the budget of a remote provincial territory.”
Whitewolf Territory was no longer a mere provincial holding.
A minor kingdom.
It was functioning as something far greater.
Now it was rising as an undeniable center of The Continent.
“The Territory’s influence has grown far too great, Your Majesty.”
“The people are becoming increasingly fervent in their devotion.”
“The authority of a count is being surpassed by the power they’ve cultivated themselves.”
“If they were to set their sights on the throne itself….”
A chilling silence descended upon the conference room.
The authority and prestige wielded by Whitewolf Territory were truly formidable.
“At this rate, we cannot rule out the possibility of House Whitewolf absorbing even the Nobility Alliance.”
“We must certainly take countermeasures.”
“Precisely. We must break their momentum by drastically adjusting taxes, imposing trade restrictions, and the like.”
The high nobility voiced their concerns for restraint.
The palace ministers expressed their worries.
Yet there was one person.
‘At last, the moment has come!’
Only Leon exulted inwardly.

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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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