The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 30: Conviction (Part 2)

Then Serapia, who had been silently listening, asked,

“Then… the reason you’re founding a merchant group—is it to sell monster meat?”

“Exactly. I’ve already built the framework. I just need to staff it. On that note, I’ll be requisitioning a few soldiers and residents.”

“Huh……?”

Serapia looked dumbfounded.

She clearly hadn’t imagined I’d already formed a merchant group.

And rightfully so.

Building a merchant group isn’t something you can do overnight.

You need money, sure—but more than that, you have to set up an entire operational system from scratch.

But I was once the leader of the Allied Special Task Force.

Of course, the command structure of a special task force and the operation of a merchant company couldn’t be fundamentally the same.

But I had observed firsthand how the Allied Forces’ Supply Command operated.

The Allied Forces’ hero, the spirit master, led the Supply Command.

They traveled across the entire continent, supplying, managing, and distributing military goods for the Allied Forces—
A system so meticulous and terrifyingly efficient that not once during the war did the army go hungry.
I witnessed and experienced that flawless supply command system.

All of that astounding knowledge and experience is stored right here in my head.

I may not compare to the Allied hero or that spirit master,
but establishing a mere small-scale merchant group?
That’s honestly child’s play for me.

“In such a short time…?”
“How in the world…?”

Kai and Serapia, who didn’t know the circumstances, were in a state of constant shock.
Their gazes at me had shifted beyond curiosity—into suspicion.

Both wore expressions desperate for an explanation.
But I chose not to speak.

There was no need, no reason, no meaning in explaining everything in detail.
They were people I would have to kill anyway.
So why should I justify or persuade them?

Doubts are ignored.
Suspicions are crushed with authority.

“Well then, I’m off.”

I immediately turned and left the dining hall.

Adrian left the dining hall without another word.

Though he seemed cold and indifferent, Serapia finally felt certain as she watched his retreating back.

‘Big Brother has truly changed.’

Adrian had definitely changed.
The Adrian of his reckless past was gone.

‘Thank goodness…’

It was a relief.
She had been so worried he might have gone back to his unruly ways,
but it turned out to be a completely unfounded concern.

Maybe that’s why her gaze lingered on the empty plate with regret.

‘It was the first time my brother ever cooked for me himself…’

And Kai had snatched it up in a flash.
Though it was to check for poison, it still felt a bit mean.

But it was all out of Kai’s concern for her.
Knowing that, Serapia didn’t blame him or sulk.

…She just allowed herself to feel a little conflicted.

Still, seeing Adrian personally form a merchant group and work hard for the prosperity of the people—
that inner turmoil quickly melted away.

‘I need to try harder too!’

Just as Adrian was putting in effort, Serapia needed to push herself even more.
And with that, Adrian’s final words before leaving the dining hall echoed in her mind.

‘He said he’d be back…’

He said it like this was where he truly belonged.

Of course, Adrian had declared that once his “task” was complete, he would leave the family.
That he and Serapia would never meet again… but that was fine.

Serapia would make sure to change his mind.

Even if, right now, Adrian seemed to hate her enough to kill her.

So long as they lived under the same roof, an opportunity would definitely come—
whether he liked it or not.
That was the strength of family bonds.

After all, Adrian had cooked for Serapia himself.
Even if it was an “experiment,” like testing on a lab rat, they’d still grown closer by one step.

‘Family…’

Lately, Serapia had never felt happier.

The area under the rule of a state or sovereign: territory.

On the continent, territorial sovereignty was divided into three main categories:

Crown Dependency – directly ruled by a Monarch.
Territory – land granted by a Monarch to a Lord.
And Freien City – Free Cities.

A Free City referred to an administrative district granted full autonomy, unaffiliated with any nation.

Thus, Free Cities were not ruled by absolute powers like Monarchs or Lords.
Citizens of Free Cities were freemen, not subject to anyone’s rule.

By nature, Free Cities were privileged communities,
specialized and developed across various fields.

Frecce – a commercial city.

Frecce bustled with countless merchants and visitors every day.

Stone-paved roads saw a constant flow of horses and carts,
while shops and houses of red brick stood densely along either side.

In the wide central plaza, various shops and street vendors lined the old stone fountain.

Leather, crops, precious metals, food, and more—
Specialty products from every corner of the kingdom, each with their own hue, were on display in the shops,
while merchants attracted customers, haggled, and negotiated deals.

“Wine from the Kingdom of Venice! Not something you see every day!”
“Silkworms raised on mulberry leaves from the Forest of Porotina! The noble ladies will faint when they see the silk!”
“We have everything but the impossible! Come take a look!”

Carts were loaded with fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Artisans hammered away at weapons and armor.

The plaza rang with the clanging of hammers and the loud haggling of merchants.

Clatter, clatter.

A few worn-out wagons stopped at a corner of the square.
As shabby as their appearance, they took a tucked-away, shadowed spot.

Then, a few people stepped out from the wagons.
They began moving busily, as if preparing to set up a street stall.

Some of the watching merchants clicked their tongues.

Well, of course—they’d picked a terrible location.

They were clearly amateurs.
Yet here they were, claiming to be a merchant company in the Free City of Frecce…

[Predator Merchant Group]

As expected, it was a merchant group no one had heard of before.

Translatin_Otaku

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