The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 278

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 278. Promotion
The Imperial Palace lay shrouded in silence.
A breathless, suffocating quiet.
Yet Elowin remained motionless for a long moment, her breath held as though frozen, unable to lift her head.
The lingering traces of that transcendent presence—the one that had pierced her consciousness mere moments before—still clung to her.
A faint tremor rippled through her entire body.
Elowin gritted her teeth and steadied herself.
She drew in a deep breath and carefully rose to her feet.
Her gaze remained fixed downward as she moved forward.
The moment she stepped beyond the Imperial Palace’s threshold, the world snapped back into reality.
Elowin raised her hand toward the empty air the instant she left District 1.
Light flashed brilliantly.
The texture of the air shifted, and a transmission circle activated, connecting her directly to the Information Bureau.
Elowin steadied her breathing and opened her mouth.
“All Information Bureau personnel below the rank of Director—I hereby issue Command Grade Xeros.”
An absolute grade where existence itself becomes zero.
It superseded all commands and operations; if necessary, even ongoing missions could be erased.
The transmission circle trembled violently.
Countless seals and insignias materialized in the air as acknowledgment signals from each department lit up in sequence.
“Rune Steel transactions resume immediately. This command is Grade Xeros. Effective now, all obstructive elements among relevant departments and personnel are to be removed.”
Elowin’s voice remained unwavering.
“Accordingly, Chancellor Barelto is hereby dismissed from all duties, effective immediately….”
Elowin’s pupils flickered, just for an instant.
Chancellor Barelto.
He was undoubtedly the most obvious obstacle capable of hindering this transaction.
“From this moment forward, I will only confirm his corpse.”
Elowin’s gaze turned glacial.
* * *
District 4—the Commercial District.
At its heart stood the Distribution Ministry Headquarters.
The topmost floor of a colossal black structure spanning thirty stories above ground and ten below.
An enormous map dominated the front wall, its surface densely inscribed with trade routes, supply chains, and logistics lines spanning the entire Continent.
Beside it hung heraldic banners bearing the symbols of each Kingdom.
Below these, multiple magical communication conduits glowed with light.
Illumination descended not from windows, but from the magical lamps embedded in the ceiling.
Within this space, a man exhaled slowly.
His eyes held the deep russet hue of ancient wood.
Light descended from the magical ceiling lights rather than the windows.
A man drooled.
Deep reddish-brown eyes like an old tree.
Hair as dark as obsidian.
Before him gleamed a pristine nameplate.
[Empire Commerce Ministry Distribution Bureau Director – Marzen Re Ordell]
I gazed at the nameplate for a long moment.
…Truly.
I never imagined I would sit in this position.
I genuinely didn’t expect Barelto, that towering figure, to vanish in an instant.
And yet, that alone could not have secured this seat for me.
The position of Director was not something one could reach through sheer competence alone.
Lineage, pedigree, loyalty, achievements—
Even with all of these combined, they would fall short against the political machinations entangled in this office.
And not a single one of them—
—favored me.
Therefore, resistance was inevitable.
Even water has its hierarchy.
And when a rolling stone dislodges a fixed one, there are limits to what is acceptable.
Looking purely at promotion rankings?
I wasn’t even among the candidates.
And yet—
There was no internal resistance.
No formal objections.
Despite the timing being perfect for obstruction, none came.
The reason was simple.
Someone had crushed all resistance and objections from the Distribution Bureau.
There was no formal meeting.
No discussion of personnel matters.
Just a single command.
And with that, everything was decided.
And the reason this was possible was—
Knock, knock.
—Director, Kim Fujiwara Bloodhound has arrived.
“Show him in.”
My gaze turned toward the door.
Click.
A man entered through the quietly opening doorway.
Skin without a single blemish.
Features arranged in perfect harmony.
Hair white as fresh snow, brighter than his eyes.
One might even call him a saint in masculine form—
“I am Kim Fujiwara Bloodhound, proprietor of the Raven Dung Merchant Company.”
“….”
“It is an honor to meet you, Director Marzen Re Ordell.”
Kim Fujiwara bowed his head.
Yet that slick attitude of his was something else.
It didn’t match his appearance at all.
“Stop it. You’re making me uncomfortable.”
Marzen shook his head as if disgusted.
But Kim Fujiwara’s lips curled upward in a grin.
“What’s there to be uncomfortable about, Director?”
“….”
“I’m merely a humble merchant, while you oversee the entire Distribution Bureau as a noble imperial official.”
“It’s the title ‘Director’ itself that makes me uncomfortable.”
“What’s wrong with calling the Director ‘Director’? Di-rec-tor?”
This bastard really knew how to push it.
Marzen simply exhaled a deep sigh.
…There was no point in arguing.
He’d lose anyway.
Besides, he had no grounds to complain in the first place.
Marzen’s position here was entirely thanks to Kim Fujiwara.
In essence, Kim Fujiwara was his superior.
More precisely, he was the captain of the ship Marzen had boarded.
Or more accurately, the captain of a ship that would take only Marzen down if it sank.
“…Let us proceed with the negotiation.”
Marzen shifted the topic and got to the main point.
* * *
“The Empire has accepted most of your proposal.”
Marzen dove straight into business.
He’d considered teasing further.
But there was no reason to waste time.
In any case.
‘As expected, they couldn’t refuse the proposal.’
But the word “most.”
That meant not everything had been accepted.
“Some clauses have been modified.”
Marzen placed the documents on the desk with a soft thud.
“Regarding the advance payment clause in the contract terms: the eight hundred billion in final payment will be paid in full, but the deposit has been changed to installment payments.”
“Is it merely a financial matter?”
“Something like that.”
“…?”
“They’re asking to increase the additional transaction volume.”
I reviewed the contents of the documents.
There were no changes to the unit prices.
The shipping conditions remained the same.
What differed was the transaction volume.
[150,000 tons]
Three times more than the previous amount.
‘So he’s determined to draw Ian in.’
150,000 tons of runesteel was enough to arm four to five legions.
If The Empire obtained such a quantity?
The Empire’s power would become extraordinarily formidable.
Therefore, it seemed The Emperor’s reasoning was that Ian’s assault would be inevitable to prevent this.
‘Hmm.’
That’s what troubled me.
Was drawing in Ian the right move?
But it was a golden opportunity to infiltrate the Imperial Palace.
‘If things go wrong, I’ll just escape with Ian anyway.’
That’s why I’d created the Ghost Merchant Company as a cover identity.
“It will take some time, but we can secure the quantity.”
“….”
Marzen was at a loss for words.
He hadn’t expected anyone to say 150,000 tons of runesteel was ‘possible.’
“However, it seems the deposit will need to be increased.”
Marzen collected himself and replied.
“That’s why the deposit was changed to installment payments.”
“…?”
“A deposit of 3 trillion. All to be paid in kind.”
“….”
This time, I was the one left speechless.
Indeed.
The Emperor was truly The Emperor.
“That’s quite generous.”
We were simply on different levels.
It was another level of another level entirely.
And well.
It was a rigged game anyway.
“Agreed.”
There was no need to drag this out.
“Let’s consider the negotiation concluded then….”
I closed the documents and looked toward Marzen.
“There are a few matters I’d like to request your assistance with.”
“What is it?”
“Could you investigate the Special Operations Bureau for me?”
The Imperial Secret Service.
It was a clandestine organization technically under the Information Bureau, yet it operated under its own separate chain of command.
None other than The Emperor’s direct orders.
In other words, the Special Operations Bureau served as The Emperor’s hands and feet, executing various operations.
“…Do we really need to touch that organization?”
Marzen’s expression hardened.
“It’s an organization that doesn’t even appear in official documents. Only a select few within the Information Bureau are aware of its true nature.”
“That’s precisely why I’m asking.”
A moment of silence.
Marzen exhaled deeply and rubbed his temples.
“…What do you want? Organizational structure? Operational records?”
“Just the operational records would suffice.”
“Hmm.”
“To that end, I’ll tell you who the director is. It’ll make tracking their activities much easier.”
“The director?”
“The head of the Special Operations Bureau.”
“You…know that?”
Marzen’s eyes widened considerably.
Shock, wariness, disbelief.
His gaze was a complex tangle of conflicting emotions.
‘Well, I nearly died uncovering this myself.’
It was information of the highest classification.
But then again.
It wasn’t exactly a shocking revelation.
“The head of the Special Operations Bureau is Aurec Ordan.”
“…The Director of the Empire’s Information Bureau?”
“That’s merely his official title.”
His true position was Director of the Special Operations Bureau.
The Information Bureau was nothing more than a façade to conceal the Special Operations Bureau.
The Information Bureau and Special Operations Bureau were entirely separate entities.
Consequently, the Information Bureau was effectively run by the Deputy Director.
‘Elowin Barjein.’
The Deputy Director of the Information Bureau and the one overseeing its operations.
Simultaneously, she served as the implicit liaison with the Special Operations Bureau.
In essence, she maintained an independent communication channel with the Imperial Palace.
‘Her capabilities in directly handling intelligence were somewhat lacking.’
But her operational abilities were exceptional.
The current internal network within the Information Bureau.
Reports and approvals.
Information filtering systems.
And even the structure that allowed the Information Bureau to operate independently.
All of this was essentially the result of what I had created.
In any case.
“If you could investigate the activities of the Special Operations Bureau—”
“Is there more to investigate?”
“It’s not an investigation, but rather a question.”
I took a moment to gather my thoughts.
When I revisited Langritd Magic Tower this time—
No, when I investigated it again, what I focused on was the “higher authority” that the Council of Elders spoke of.
And the answer that followed.
—I’m sorry, but I cannot disclose that.
They seemed unwilling to speak even if it killed them.
But when I shoved hundreds of millions of gold into their mouths—
—From ancient times, Langritd Magic Tower has possessed an undisclosed singular authority.
As if they had no choice.
The Elders opened their mouths.
—It is the “Supreme Decision Right,” the power to make decisions without going through the Council of Elders’ deliberation.
Normally, the Council of Elders is the highest deliberative body.
But when the Supreme Decision Right is invoked, that entire structure becomes nullified.
—However, whose authority it is, we’re not entirely sure…
Unfortunately, the Elders did not know its true nature.
More precisely, the Elders I had bought did not know.
Only an extremely small number of the highest Elders knew the activation pathway.
And the highest Elders had not been bought.
It was because access itself was impossible.
Therefore, at that point.
I could make an educated guess about who held the Supreme Decision Right.
“Is it possible that The Empire controls the Council of Elders at Langritd Magic Tower?”
“….”
A brief silence fell.
Marzen did not answer.
However, it was not a response like the Elders—evasive or claiming inability to speak.
“…There might be a possibility to that.”
Marzen fell into thought for a moment before speaking again.
“There were multiple points in the distribution flow connected to Langritd Magic Tower.”
Marzen, now Minister, had access to far more information.
Higher-level information that had been unreachable before was finally becoming accessible.
“However, there were no official administrative channels or formal procedures that could be held accountable.”
Marzen lowered his gaze quietly.
“I cannot say for certain, but the likelihood of some connection existing between The Empire and Langritd Magic Tower is quite high.”
“Then I’d appreciate it if you could investigate the matter.”
“…So it was an investigation after all.”
Marzen let out a dry chuckle.
Yet his eyes already bore the look of someone who had decided where to begin his inquiry.
‘Truly capable, as expected.’
In my past life, I had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by Leon.
But that was only because Leon’s abilities were extraordinarily exceptional.
It wasn’t that Marzen was incompetent.
Nor was it that
his judgment was slow.
“Ah, and regarding the terrorist.”
“The terrorist?”
Marzen tilted his head in confusion.
“Do you mean Invictus?”
“…?”
This time, it was my turn to tilt my head in confusion.
Why would Ian suddenly—
‘Ah.’
From The Empire’s perspective, Ian was indeed a terrorist.
But from my perspective, the terrorist was someone else entirely.
“I was referring to the terrorist from Caravana.”
Blake.
He had vanished without a trace after the Caravana incident.
And at the time, Marzen had said:
“The Empire is protecting and concealing the terrorist’s whereabouts, is it not?”
It had even been classified as top-secret intelligence.
Both his identity and location
were accessible only to a select few at the highest levels.
Well, I already knew his identity.
But I had no way of determining his location.
Now, however, with Marzen’s current position and authority, access should be possible.
“Could you also ascertain that man’s whereabouts?”
At that, Marzen’s expression twisted slightly.
“…You’re really squeezing me for everything, aren’t you.”
“You’ve been promoted—you should treat me to something.”
Marzen exhaled a small sigh.
“What else do you need me to do?”
“Since you’ve brought it up, if I could ask for a few more things….”
I had reaped the full benefits of Marzen’s promotion—
No, I had benefited tremendously from elevating Marzen.
* * *
Imperial Central Intelligence Agency Conference Room.
Dozens of magical projection panels floated in concentric layers at the center.
Hundreds of agents monitored the situation from their respective stations.
“Kim Fujiwara has left the Distribution Bureau.”
With the report, the central panel immediately projected his movement route.
Elowin confirmed it and spoke.
“From this moment on, do not take your eyes off him for a single instant.”
“Understood.”
The agents’ hands moved with practiced speed.
The panels’ light realigned.
Soon, Kim Fujiwara’s trajectory was projected with precision.
“No anomalies in movement pattern.”
“Trace detection at 99.8%. No errors.”
The surveillance agents’ reports continued unabated.
Elowin’s eyes sharpened in tandem.
“Link with external surveillance networks immediately. Run predictive analysis on his movement route.”
“Command received. Activating tracking algorithm.”
Hundreds of agents moved with urgency.
Elowin stared intently at the panels.
And in that very moment.
“…What? Why is this—?”
A surveillance agent’s voice trembled.
An urgent cry pierced through the conference room—
“S-Signal anomaly detected!!”
Elowin’s face hardened like stone.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————