The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 308

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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 308. A New Feractrum (2)
The Northern Hill Region.
Between gently undulating ridges lay low peaks and valleys interwoven in a tapestry of terrain.
The Dwarves gathered here, unable to contain their admiration.
“The bedrock here is remarkably solid.”
“The foundation itself is stable. It’s optimal for water channel construction as well.”
“Most importantly, there’s no risk of subsidence in the central area.”
No land could have been more suitable for establishing a new Feractrum.
But.
“…Should we really be taking land like this?”
One Dwarf asked cautiously.
“The humans won’t just sit idle, will they?”
“There’s no way humans would willingly hand over land like this.”
“Gwesuau said it was fine, but….”
“It’s unsettling to move forward based solely on his word.”
The Dwarves’ expressions hardened one by one.
* * *
“An edict annexing the entirety of Edmond Territory, including the Northern Hill Region, into Whitewolf Territory.”
The parchment Leon handed me.
Within it was written clearly, just as Leon had said—’the Northern Hill Region and such shall be incorporated into Whitewolf Territory and such’.
I stored the parchment in my inventory.
The parchment was stored normally, confirming it had become definitively ‘mine’.
Thus, the Northern Hill Region became my domain.
Or rather, the territory of Whitewolf Territory.
Leon stared at me intently before opening his mouth.
“That said—.”
“That won’t do.”
“…I haven’t said anything yet, have I?”
“You were about to ask for permission to marry Seraphia, weren’t you?”
“No, that wasn’t it.”
No?
“I was going to ask how Seraphia has been doing.”
Leon continued with a somewhat melancholic expression.
“When you went missing, I was troubled by the fact that I couldn’t provide any assistance to the Territory.”
Well, that was understandable.
I couldn’t fault his reasoning.
Leon had his position to consider.
In the end, it had been the right decision.
Had Leon forced his involvement back then, matters would likely have become far more complicated.
The moment the Royal Court’s authority came to the forefront.
It would shatter political neutrality.
Then acquiring the Northern Hill Region must have presented considerable difficulties.
“Don’t concern yourself with it. We each had our positions to maintain.”
“….”
“Seraphia shares this understanding as well.”
“…I see.”
Leon’s gaze shifted away for a moment.
Though he made no effort to reveal it, his face betrayed a palpable undercurrent of remorse.
“So I’ve been giving this considerable thought—”
“That won’t work.”
“…I haven’t even said anything yet?”
“You’re thinking of marrying Seraphia and elevating House Whitewolf to the status of a prince’s family, aren’t you?”
Then the Kingdom itself would have no grounds to object.
“…Ah, no, that’s not it….”
He was lying.
“Do I appear to you as someone who’s lost his mind over Seraphia?”
That was exactly it.
“That’s certainly not the case.”
Leon’s eyes gleamed as he continued.
“Seraphia is the most beautiful, adorable, capable, sincere, and optimistic woman in the world, overflowing with grace and elegance, and possessing a warm heart besides.”
He was definitely smitten with Seraphia.
“Moreover, she is wise, considerate, refined in every gesture, and even the stars in the heavens don’t shine as brilliantly as she does.”
So he wasn’t in his right mind either?
“Therefore, I haven’t lost my mind at all.”
“…??”
“Loving Seraphia is the pinnacle of reason. Isn’t it perfectly natural to have one’s heart captivated by a woman so perfect and beloved?”
In other words.
He was admitting he wasn’t in his right mind.
“So, Adrian, have you no interest in accepting a dukedom?”
“All of a sudden?”
“With the territory you’ve just acquired, hasn’t Whitewolf Territory already transcended the bounds of a county?”
Well, that much was true.
“Can a dukedom really be granted so casually?”
“What’s to prevent it?”
“Well, naturally—”
“If you’re displeased, become crown prince instead.”
This man was truly something.
“As I’ve said repeatedly, become crown prince first, then we can discuss it.”
“I’m already setting a date for the crown prince investiture ceremony.”
“…Already?”
“Yes. The official announcement will come in a few weeks.”
Was that… a good thing?
I couldn’t quite judge.
So then, Leon—was it truly right to make him Crown Prince?
In any case, the flow of events diverged markedly from my previous life.
My slaying of the Beast Lord.
Leon becoming Crown Prince.
It all flowed toward a future brighter and more different than what had come before.
“In that vein, Adrian, have you no interest in accepting a dukedom?”
…Probably not.
“Why must the flow shift in that direction?”
“Because then you could propose to Seraphia in time for the Crown Prince investiture ceremony.”
So he simply wanted to marry Seraphia in the end.
“Absolutely not.”
“That’s fine. Your permission hardly matters anymore.”
“…?”
“Didn’t you say before? That you’d fill in the Aleph-Null point if Kai gave his approval?”
Ah, that.
“It’s still valid, isn’t it?”
“Of course.”
Not merely valid—it had actually worked out rather well.
“If Kai grants his approval, I shall fill in one point of Bet for you.”
“Hm? What’s one point of Bet?”
“Do you remember what I said the Aleph-Null point was?”
“You said it meant ‘never to grant permission for all one’s life.'”
“One point of Bet means ‘never to grant permission for all eternity.'”
Yet Leon’s eyes still gleamed with refusal to yield.
Perhaps he truly needed to be beaten down by Kai to come to his senses.
I shrugged once and turned my body away.
“Hm? Where are you going?”
“I must return to the Whitewolf Territory.”
“Already?”
“Is there any reason for me to remain in the Royal Palace?”
“That’s true, but so suddenly?”
“I have much work to attend to.”
I need to accumulate Sanity to transcend Predation [S+].
I must deliver dragon equipment to Iliana and Isolde.
I need to help construct Feractrum in the Northern Hill Region.
I must also secure additional quantities for further Runesteel Ore transactions.
‘Ah, come to think of it, did I ever repair Arcanoheart?’
I’d completely forgotten to check on it.
But what could I do.
I’d done my best regardless.
“I only managed to slip away to the Capital for a brief moment.”
“If you’re that busy, why not send someone else?”
“I did consider it, but the risks are simply too great.”
“Risks?”
“We’re transporting Dragon equipment, after all.”
Dragon equipment possessed immense value.
Whether it was the only one in the Continent’s history, I couldn’t say for certain.
But Broombar, the master of Arcane Engineering.
The Dragon equipment he personally crafted was undoubtedly the sole example in the entire history of the Continent.
“There are many who covet it, knowingly or unknowingly.”
“The Dragon equipment?”
“Precisely. Or rather, the Dragon corpse, to be exact.”
This was unavoidable—rumors had spread across the entire Continent.
As a result, activity from multiple factions had already been detected.
Wandering mercenary bands, bandit groups.
Organizations backed by high-ranking nobles, and more besides.
All manner of vultures were descending upon the Dragon corpse in Whitewolf Territory.
“…So that’s why you came in person.”
Leon nodded in understanding.
“For that reason, always wear the Dragon inner armor.”
“Mm.”
“With just that on, you won’t die of sudden illness or assassination anywhere.”
Well, thanks to the Runestone Pendant turning me into a cheat, I had no assassination worries anyway.
“Though you’ll have to wash it yourself.”
With that said, I left Leon’s Administrative Office.
* * *
Immediately after leaving Leon’s Administrative Office.
I exited the Royal Palace and turned my steps toward Whitewolf Territory.
And before I could use Dragon Impact.
◆A new player-owned territory has been detected.
◆Would you like to register the player-owned territory in “Management Mode”?
I registered the newly acquired Northern Hill Region in “Management Mode”.
◆Registering the player-owned territory in “Management Mode”.
◆Loading….
.
.
◆Registration complete.
A message of completion appeared, and information about the Northern Hill Region materialized before my eyes.
==【Whitewolf Territory 3】==
[Area] – 217㎢
[Population] – 0
[Prosperity] – Ruin
[Resources] – Abundant
Whitewolf Territory 3.
“I’ll need to go back and change the territory’s name first.”
Since I needed administrative approval, I couldn’t do it right now.
In any case.
The area was 217㎢.
It was a small size for a county.
“It looks like I added more than half of Beneron Barony last time.”
Considering that Whitewolf Territory 2 had been 282㎢ at the time, the figure made sense.
“Let me see….”
◆Native Resources – [Hardwood Trees], [Acorns], [Walnuts], [Peanuts], [Peat],
◆The area of undeveloped farmland is 49㎢.
◆Rye, potatoes, barley, and buckwheat can be cultivated.
◆No abandoned ruins exist.
True to its nature as a hill region, it was passable.
With so many mountains came decent native resources.
With flatlands came decent undeveloped farmland.
“But the resource scale is abundant?”
Nonexistent < Minimal < Scattered < Concentrated < Abundant < Overwhelming.
Based on the information alone, 'scattered' would have been appropriate.
◆Buried minerals exist.
"Buried minerals exist?"
Words materialized before my astonished eyes.
◆Iron ore, copper, tin, lead, silver, gold, coal, clay stone, rock salt, limestone, marble, manganese ore, hematite, lapis lazuli, sulfur, nickel, obsidian….
"Nothing like Runesteel, though."
For some reason, the buried minerals weren't 'rare' ones.
They were simply minerals.
Yet they possessed tremendous value nonetheless.
But seeing as they weren't listed among the native resources—
"They must be buried incredibly deep."
I wasn't sure if they went as deep as 11km Underground like Runesteel.
But it certainly seemed beyond the typical mining depth.
"That's why Count Edmond never discovered them."
In every way, they appeared to be buried far beyond conventional mining depths.
"The Dwarves would absolutely love this."
* * *
The Dwarves gathered in the Northern Hill Region.
Setting aside their concerns for the moment, the Dwarves meticulously examined the terrain suitable for Feractrum's establishment.
The hardness of the bedrock. The possibility of subsidence.
The presence or absence of geothermal activity, and so forth.
They verified each element with their eyes and confirmed it with their hands, conducting thorough inspections.
In the process of doing so.
They uncovered an unexpected truth.
"Good heavens! This place is overflowing with minerals!"
Iron ore, copper, tin, lead, silver, gold, coal, clay, rock salt, limestone, marble, manganese, hematite, lapis lazuli, sulfur, nickel, obsidian, and more.
Countless minerals lay buried in seemingly endless abundance.
"This surpasses even the Berka Mountain Range!"
The Berka Mountain Range, where Feractrum had once been located.
The Berka Mountain Range was a terrain formed over tens of millions of years as eroded rock was carved away in layers, making it a major source of rare metals.
Yet this place contained even more.
No—it overwhelmed it entirely.
It was itself a colossal treasure vault!
"How… how is this even possible?"
The Dwarves tapped the ground in disbelief.
"Structurally speaking, ancient tectonic movements have flipped this vertically…."
"Wait, could it be!"
When one considered it, Runesteel Ore lay buried near this hill region.
In other words, the geological strata were identical.
The Archean Eon.
The primordial geological layer cradling the origin of life.
During a period of intense crustal activity, sedimentary basins and volcanic activity were vigorous, allowing specific minerals to accumulate at high concentrations.
Among these, substances dissolved in seawater gradually settled, forming the Runesteel Ore Vein.
But beyond that.
Other materials appeared to have flowed into this place.
Therefore, this hill region had accumulated sediments over billions of years, allowing various minerals to be deposited here.
However.
"Establishing a proper foundation is extraordinarily difficult."
This place was no mere ore vein.
Feractrum.
In other words, it was the land destined to become the new homeland of the Dwarves.
"Once the foundation is properly laid, it should never collapse for all eternity—."
Conversely, breaking ground for the first time in this land was extraordinarily challenging.
* * *
Whitewolf Territory 3, where countless minerals lay buried.
With the Dwarves' technological prowess, extraction was entirely feasible.
"The problem is constructing a new Feractrum on this land."
Building a new Feractrum was an entirely different matter from mining.
Feractrum is fundamentally constructed in the "deep underground."
Therefore, it demands enormous resources and time.
Even with the technology, you cannot proceed without materials.
Even with materials, you cannot proceed without a foundation.
And a foundation cannot be erected overnight.
Level the ground, compact it.
Bury, compact again….
It takes a minimum of several years just to raise a single material.
But.
Once this land is recognized as my domain?
◆Activating 【Territory Yggdrasil Mode】.
On that land, I can use the functions of "Management Mode" as much as I wish.
Moreover.
With the title – Eccentric Lord, the 【Optimization Monitoring Tool】 function has been further enhanced.
◆Computing optimization metrics.
◆Application complete.
◆Yggdrasil operates according to the optimization metrics.
Yggdrasil clicks into place.
In a single moment, all the complex, bewildering, chaotic, turbulent, and scattered problems were resolved at once.
Most importantly.
"Feractrum was originally built upon the roots of Yggdrasil anyway."
The historical foundation was so abundant that a Dark Elf could rise from the grave and applaud.
* * *
Steelmaster, who had been carefully examining the land's veins in the hill region.
Soon after, he shook his head and spoke.
"Establishing the foundation requires tremendous physical force."
"Would explosives… not work?"
"Not a chance. This isn't just hard ground."
Steelmaster, an exceptional craftsman even among the Dwarves, swept his hand across the earth.
"This is bedrock from an age when a massive oceanic plate was driven beneath the Continent. In other words, it's primordial armor."
"Then…."
"You'd need at least an Arcane Steel pickaxe. Even then, the teeth would chip after a few strikes."
All the Dwarves fell silent for a moment.
It was that daunting and heavy.
This was certainly a land of opportunity.
But simultaneously, it was also a land of trial.
"We'd need to apply at least 10 tons of vertical pressure just to barely pierce through—."
It was then that Steelmaster reached that point in his words.
Kuguguguguguung…!!
The earth suddenly trembled.
Far in the distance.
A deafening roar echoing from somewhere beneath the ground rippled through the entire stratum.
"An, an earthquake?!"
"No. This land's structure makes earthquakes impossible!"
"From the start, this tremor feels like something surging upward from underground—!"
It was just as Steelmaster spoke those words.
Kuduk… Boom!
Something massive and colossal erupted from beneath the solid bedrock.

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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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