The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 109: Madness (1) (Part 1)

When someone like Herald visited the County, his personal status as a Royal Knight wasn’t particularly high.

But it was different for Royal Knights assigned to protect the royal family.
The moment they were entrusted with such a task, they borrowed the authority of the royalty itself.

Thus, attacking a Royal Knight under such circumstances was an extremely serious matter—practically equivalent to treason.
Yet, the reason I didn’t hesitate to act had nothing to do with fear.

First of all, it was because Walter’s provocation was something even the Imperial Army would’ve backed down from.

Secondly, I had made a promise to Iliana.
A promise to endure all political pressure from the Marquess of Segretus.

And thirdly—

‘They won’t be able to charge me with a crime anyway.’

It was because I knew the royal family could never accuse me of anything.

And for good reason—Queen Marceline’s target wasn’t me.
Her goal was Serapia.
Specifically, Serapia’s debut into the Royal Social Circle.

But one does not simply debut in the Royal Social Circle.

Those of low status aren’t even allowed to participate.
Even if one holds a high rank, a tainted reputation bars entry altogether.

The Royal Social Circle had once kicked out a duke’s daughter simply because her attire was deemed shabby.

Now what if they accused me of a crime?
I’d be labeled a traitor.

And if the heir to the House of Whitewolf became a traitor, then the entire House would be branded as such.
Which means Serapia, affiliated with that House, would also be the daughter of a traitorous family.

A daughter of traitors debuting in the Royal Social Circle?

‘Unthinkable.’

In other words, all of Queen Marceline’s carefully orchestrated schemes would go up in smoke.

Now that the King was bedridden with illness,
and Queen Marceline was serving as regent, there was no way she’d risk holding me accountable.

But what if, against all odds, Queen Marceline did try to blame me?

Even then, I wouldn’t care.
Because either way, I wasn’t going to harm Walter.

I had the justification that Walter had insulted me.
Even a royal shouldn’t insult a noble so casually—
especially not a high noble like a Count or above.

In short, if it went to trial, I could avoid charges of treason.
There wouldn’t be any trouble with inheriting my title.

Granted, a formal trial would involve all kinds of headaches—

‘But I can deal with that.’

In exchange, Queen Marceline would have to give up all her schemes.
Not just hers—
but even the plans of the Monarch of Darkness
and the schemes of the Emperor himself would be completely upended.

And so—

◆ Transcendent Skill, Berserk [?] activated.
◆ [Sanity] – 106
◆ Berserk [?] is applied at grade [B-].

◆ Skill, Promote Metabolism [C+] is enhanced to grade [B-].
◆ Combination Skill, Metabolic Overdrive [U], has surpassed its limit!

Now they’ll understand—why the Imperial Army always ended up toothless after crossing paths with me.

◆ Ultra-Combination Skill, Accelerated Heartbeat [E], activated!

‘You messed with the wrong person.’

Now I’ll show them exactly why the Imperial Army called me [The Predator of Madness].

Attacking a Royal Knight in the royal palace—especially one guarding a member of the royal family—
was effectively the same as attacking royalty itself.

But Walter wasn’t feeling anger.
Instead, he felt… disoriented.

Because this wasn’t how the plan was supposed to go.

Adrian, the Mad Dog of the Count’s House.
A name no noble in the Battenberg Kingdom could possibly be unaware of.

The plan was simple—
provoke Adrian, get him riled up enough to lay a hand on Walter.

Touching royalty, regardless of the reason, was an act bordering on treason—
an unforgivable crime.

The goal was to make Adrian publicly display his madness.
To turn him into a laughingstock for the entire kingdom.

To utterly destroy his credibility, cement his incompetence, and sabotage his path to inheriting the title of Count.

And in return—

The Marquess of Segretus had promised generous compensation.
Strengthening his position in the royal palace, and even securing several future benefits.

Walter was the third prince—last in line to the throne.
But if he had the Marquess of Segretus, the kingdom’s Chancellor, backing him…
he could gain the upper hand in the succession race.

The plan had been perfect. And simple.
Adrian was a mad dog—easy to manipulate.

And so far, that part had gone according to plan.
But everything afterward—

SMACK!!!

—was spiraling out of control.

Ellen was suddenly struck and slammed into the palace wall.
He couldn’t even process what had happened.

How did Adrian attack him? With what?
All he knew was that Ellen’s armor had been torn like paper.

“You let your guard down, and your master nearly died because of it.”

Adrian walked forward, his steps steady.
Even as he approached the wall-pinned Ellen, he didn’t spare Walter a single glance.

And Walter couldn’t say a word.

“…Guh!”

It felt like his heart was being crushed.
His lungs tightened. His body refused to move.

He tried to speak, but it was as if his throat was sealed shut.

Adrian’s aura was overwhelming—
like a wall that could never be scaled.

“Vice-Captain!”

The other Royal Knights cried out.
One by one, they drew their swords and radiated deadly intent toward Adrian.

“How dare you pull this madness here of all places?!”
“This is no place for a wild mutt like you to run rampant!”
“We’ll cut your breath short and cleanse the palace of your filth!”

Their furious roars echoed through the great hall of the palace.

But Adrian didn’t flinch in the slightest.
He looked at them calmly, then opened his mouth slowly.

“Do the Royal Knights smear courtesy on their bread instead of butter or something?”

In that instant, an invisible force erupted from Adrian.

No wind blew through the hall.
Yet his clothes billowed wildly.
Fwoosh, fwoosh!
A crimson-black aura surged up around his body.

It stripped him completely of his humanity.

His eyes no longer bled red—they gleamed with madness.
The pressure he emitted made him feel like something far beyond human.

All the Royal Knights froze in place.

…That pressure—it wasn’t human.
There was no way… no way that a mad dog could radiate something like this.

“H-HRRAAAGH!!”

Walter shrieked and collapsed where he stood.
He couldn’t even think to run.

At that moment—

“…Kgh.”

Ellen, who had been slammed into the wall, stirred and slowly rose to his feet.
His armor was torn, his forehead bleeding—
yet he hadn’t lost his fighting spirit.

“Ellen…! Ellen!”

Walter called out to him in a voice nearing a sob.

That earlier blow had only landed because Ellen had been careless.
If Ellen got serious, he could take that mutt out in one strike!

“Kill that bastard right now!!”

Walter roared with full conviction.

But that conviction was—

BOOOOOM!!

—shattered by a thunderous crash that tore apart the palace wall.

“Gah…!!”

Ellen was once again slammed into the wall with an ugly scream.

Everyone stood frozen in disbelief—
but no one was more shocked than Ellen himself.

‘Just now…’

He’d been hit in the stomach.
But when? With what?

Not for a single moment… not even once—

‘I didn’t perceive it?’

Ellen was overwhelmed.
The sheer, absurd speed left him in a state of disbelief.

And that confusion—

CRACK!

Translatin_Otaku

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