The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 241

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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 241. The Territory Without Him (2)
The war room of Count Whitewolf’s Castle.
Seraphia sat in the conference room, listening to the scout’s report.
Malevolent forces threatening the Whitewolf Territory itself.
Armed groups that had swarmed in during Adrian’s absence.
Their scale was staggering.
But then.
“Some have been confirmed to be unnamed mercenary companies, my lady.”
“Mercenary companies?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
Seraphia’s eyes wavered.
Mercenary companies, of all things?
That was not all.
“We have also confirmed the presence of bandit gangs.”
“Some are believed to be foreign tribal forces.”
Bandits from beyond the border.
Foreign tribes from the frontier and beyond.
All were distinct factions.
Yet their purpose was singular.
“All of them are advancing toward the Whitewolf Territory.”
A combined force of fifty thousand.
A staggering army—the size of a minor kingdom.
“It appears we must prepare for war.”
Seraphia’s pupils dilated sharply.
War.
A stage where even the word “terrible” fell short, where survival became a cruel joke.
I lacked the courage to face such horrors.
‘Brother…’
My hands trembled.
What I felt in those trembling fingertips was far more than mere fear.
Responsibility. Crushing weight.
And the burden of choice.
—Seraphia, a count can determine the life and death of a single person, the fate of families and territories with a single command.
It was far too heavy.
—And when necessary, you must know how to cut off people’s livelihoods and send soldiers to their doom.
It was terrifying.
—That weight of responsibility. Sometimes you grow weary of thinking, wanting to abandon everything and flee. But…
Yet in those moments, I had to remember.
—It is a position one must endure regardless.
I clenched my teeth hard.
The cavalry would not arrive.
I had to carve my own path forward.
“Mobilize all reserve forces. Establish evacuation plans by village as well.”
“Understood.”
“Continue reconnaissance and provide updated reports on the front-line positions.”
“Your will be done.”
Seraphia did not falter.
Fear screamed at me to flee, yet I stood firm.
‘I must protect this land.’
Because I am Count Whitewolf.
* * *
The capital of the Battenberg Kingdom, Battenberg.
In the conference room of the Royal Palace at its heart.
Ministers gathered in the chamber shouted with fury.
“An armed provocation against Whitewolf Territory!”
“This is absurd!!”
“This is a provocation against the entire Battenberg Kingdom!!”
And rightfully so—Whitewolf Territory was undeniably part of the Battenberg Kingdom’s domain.
And a count’s title was bestowed by the sovereign.
Therefore, an attack on the territory was tantamount to a declaration of war against the Battenberg Kingdom itself.
Yet they waged war without even a formal declaration?
“This is a clear violation of international treaties!”
“If we tolerate such a precedent, the authority of the Battenberg Kingdom will crumble to dust!”
Leon immediately reviewed emergency responses alongside his ministers.
An emergency session was convened.
Border garrisons were reinforced at once.
And just as they prepared to pursue accountability against the invading kingdom and consider military intervention, a messenger arrived.
“Your Majesty, the force invading the territory appears to be an unnamed mercenary company.”
“Mercenaries?”
“They are not formally registered, and the employer remains unidentified.”
But that was not all.
“The armed groups are reportedly bandit gangs that operated south of the border.”
“The forces moving along Silan Valley are believed to be foreign tribal peoples.”
Bandits from beyond the frontier.
Foreign tribes from the borderlands.
The forces currently advancing on the territory belonged to no nation.
In other words.
“This is not an international violation but merely a regional conflict?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
The Battenberg Royal Court had lost its justification for intervention.
Yet I was not unaware of it.
“It is a coordinated operation.”
The Minister of Defense spoke with cold precision.
“Forces of different nationalities and origins are converging precisely on the Whitewolf Territory.”
“Are you saying they are acting in concert?”
“Indeed. There is someone pulling the strings from behind. Without question.”
Someone was deliberately isolating the Whitewolf Territory.
But who?
Leon compiled all the intelligence gathered thus far.
The mercenary corps’ employment routes were all different.
The bandit groups moved while evading surveillance networks.
No regular armies. No diplomatic documents.
Every trace had been erased.
It was impossible to identify who was behind it.
…Chillingly meticulous.
All information had been cunningly obscured to leave no clues whatsoever.
Thus even Leon could only surmise the intent.
The true identity remained forever beyond reach.
“This is not an official invasion by a foreign power.”
“There is no justification, and no one to hold accountable.”
“The Royal Court cannot respond through official channels.”
Of course, a response was technically possible.
But in that moment.
The one who draws the sword first becomes the Royal Court.
And the instant the Royal Court intervenes in a mere regional dispute, other territories gain justification to demand equal intervention.
Thereafter, the Royal Court bears responsibility for every internal conflict.
“Above all, the Langritd Magic Tower has come forward.”
Technology theft and unauthorized residence.
On these two grounds, they had declared an official investigation into the Whitewolf Territory.
For the Royal Court to move without any justification in such circumstances?
“It could escalate into a conflict between the Royal Court and the Magic Tower.”
“Perhaps the Count’s involvement should be approached with greater caution….”
The Langritd Magic Tower.
The cradle of all mages.
An entity that could never be dismissed, nor should ever be.
‘…A trap.’
A trap laid by the opponent.
‘They have orchestrated every move in anticipation of my actions?’
Leon had stepped onto the opponent’s board.
On that board, Leon was being played.
Cold sweat trickled down Leon’s spine.
‘Who in the world could this be…?’
This was the first time I had encountered such a thing.
I had been completely outmaneuvered in battlefield design.
The strategy to predict movements and neutralize them was far too meticulous.
I didn’t know who was behind this crisis—
‘This is no one to underestimate.’
Therefore, Whitewolf Territory was in danger.
Yet there was nothing I could do.
Leon bit his lower lip hard and asked.
“…What is Whitewolf Territory’s response?”
“There has been no official response. Instead—.”
The Minister of Defense pulled something out and unfolded it.
A banner with a white wolf drawn upon it.
Within it were crimson letters that seemed to be carved in blood.
[Only those who bear a destiny higher than the wolf may hunt the wolf.]
“What does this mean?
“Well, that is…?”
All the ministers tilted their heads in confusion.
* * *
Thousands of soldiers arrayed across the Snowy Plain.
As Seraphia stepped forward, Sarpedon, standing at the very front, struck his armored chest with a fierce blow of his fist.
“With this life, I swear I shall protect Whitewolf Territory!”
The sound of steel rang out loudly.
At that sound, the arrayed soldiers steeled their solemn resolve.
And Seraphia shook her head firmly.
“No!”
Her voice resonated across the plain.
Her silver hair danced in the wind.
Questions rose across the faces of Sarpedon and the soldiers.
Seraphia’s eyes gleamed as she spoke.
“This Territory is not land you should sacrifice your lives to defend.”
“….”
“It is a homeland you must survive to cherish together until the very end.”
A hushed silence fell over them.
Seraphia gazed at each soldier one by one.
Eyes like rubies set deep within her gaze.
The resolve burning within them pierced through every soldier present.
“I will forgive defeat and your return alive a hundred times, a thousand times over!”
But.
“I will never forgive a victory bought with death!”
“….”
“This is my highest priority command to all of you!”
The small, delicate Seraphia was nowhere to be found here.
The Empress of the Frozen Lands.
The commanding presence of the empress who ruled the Northern Region overwhelmed everyone.
“You must return alive!!”
The soldiers instinctively gripped their weapons.
Eyes burning with fierce intensity.
Sarpedon was the first to raise his sword high. Thousands of weapons followed in unison behind him.
And then.
“””””Charge!!!!!”””””
A thunderous roar engulfed the sky above the Whitewolf Territory.
* * *
Endless plains stretched forth.
Between them lay wheat fields ripened to golden hue and verdant vegetable gardens.
“Indeed, a land of abundance, just as the rumors suggested.”
Roshan gazed upon the landscape of Whitewolf County 2 with admiration.
“Though the naming sense leaves something to be desired.”
Roshan let out a quiet chuckle.
Commander of the Gale Mercenary Corps.
Black Dog Roshan.
He now commanded an army of five thousand strong.
And his original name was not Roshan.
Belloc de Harman.
Once, he had been the commander of the elite cavalry of the Delbian Kingdom and a seasoned veteran who had pacified countless battlefields.
There was a time when he was called the “Spear of Delbia,” and even the royal family bowed their heads to his commands.
That taste of power.
It had corrupted Belloc.
Belloc had dreamed of reaching even greater heights, and lost everything.
He became a traitor and was hunted down.
To survive, he changed his identity and became a mercenary.
And now.
He had accepted a contract and was pointing his spear toward the Whitewolf Territory.
The contractor’s name was not disclosed.
But he knew who it was.
Only one entity on The Continent could offer the throne of Delbia as payment to Belloc.
“A game of this scale is worth risking my life for.”
Belloc smiled wickedly from atop his horse.
He pulled the reins and surveyed the military formation.
And then, shortly after.
I encountered the armies of Whitewolf Territory positioned across the plains of the Frozen Lands.
The troop strength was approximately 1,500 soldiers.
However, according to Belloc’s knowledge, the total military force of Whitewolf Territory was around 5,000.
“They’ve dispersed their forces.”
Belloc was not the only one attacking Whitewolf Territory.
A combined force of 50,000 soldiers was applying sporadic pressure across the entire Whitewolf Territory.
To defend each region, Whitewolf Territory had no choice but to scatter its forces.
Ultimately, 1,500 soldiers to defend Whitewolf Territory 2.
It was a considerable deployment relative to the main force’s size.
“That much suggests Whitewolf Territory 2 holds significant strategic value.”
But our force numbered 5,000.
More than three times their strength.
“And they’re choosing direct combat?”
Belloc let out a scoff.
“Foolish.”
It was a foolish decision.
In war, numerical superiority is absolute.
Lanchester’s Law of Warfare, the first principle.
If both sides possess equal weapon capabilities, the difference in troop strength translates to a squared difference in combat power.
A threefold difference in troop strength means a ninefold difference in combat effectiveness.
Even with a handful of Master-rank knights, it was meaningless.
Numbers overwhelm skill.
This gap could not be reversed.
Besides, Masters weren’t common as dirt—no single territory could possibly have many.
Therefore, direct combat was the worst possible decision.
Guerrilla tactics and piecemeal destruction would have been the wisest course.
“Count Whitewolf is indeed young and inexperienced, it seems.”
A lord without war experience.
And burdened with the critical weakness of being a woman.
“A woman with no political acumen, no judgment, no courage—yet she sits in the Count’s seat.”
Seraphia Whitewolf.
In the end, she was merely a woman who could do nothing without relying on Adrian.
Belloc let out another scoff.
In any case.
The outcome of this war was already decided.
“All forces. Advance.”
With Belloc’s command, a roar of advance erupted from the troops.
Soldiers gathered from across the regions drew their blades in unison.
“Cavalry, block the front! Archers, drive them to the flanks!”
At Belloc’s command, the cavalry charged forward, kicking up clouds of dust.
The crossbowmen and archers in the rear began loading in unison.
Whitewolf Territory’s response was sluggish.
No—they weren’t responding at all.
‘As expected.’
Belloc de Harman’s lips twisted into a smirk.
And then, at that very moment.
A shout erupted from Whitewolf Territory’s camp.
“Hold formation! Archers, volley fire now!!”
In that instant.
Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!!
Countless arrows streaked through the air.
This time, Belloc’s reaction was sluggish.
No—he didn’t react at all.
‘From this distance…?’
They were well beyond the effective range of archers.
Belloc de Harman had traversed countless battlefields.
One glance was enough to gauge an archer’s effective range.
At this distance, arrows couldn’t possibly reach them.
“How foolish.”
Belloc de Harman let out another quiet chuckle.
But then something unexpected happened.
The arrows showed no sign of stopping.
They surpassed the conventional effective range and—
Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!
They descended directly upon the cavalry.
No—they poured down like rain.
Shrieeeeek!
The galloping horses collapsed.
Belloc de Harman’s expression froze in an instant.
“What in the—!”
Another volley erupted.
Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!!
A deluge of arrows blanketed the sky.
The cavalry ranks were swept away.
No one had anticipated such an effective range.
“Gaaaahhh!”
“Kraaagh!”
The cavalry soldiers were sent flying.
It happened in an instant.
The cavalry… completely annihilated.
“That’s impossible!!”
Belloc de Harman couldn’t close his mouth.
Not only was that impossible range absurd, but they were cavalry clad in sturdy iron armor.
Without the siege-weapon-class power of a catapult or ballista, you couldn’t even scratch heavy cavalry like that!
Yet they were completely wiped out?
By mere arrows from archers?
And from the front, no less?
“What?!”
…Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

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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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