The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 51: Predator’s Instinct (2) (Part 2)

Right after the Lycanthrope was defeated…
The entire County erupted the moment the news spread.

The first to receive it were the soldiers stationed in the Count’s Castle.

“That thing about slaying the Ice-Drake… guess that wasn’t just luck.”
“Honestly? I didn’t believe it at first.”
“Same. I thought maybe Sir Kai did all the work and someone else stole the credit.”
“Exactly. It wouldn’t have been the first time.”

Adrian, the scoundrel of the House of Whitewolf.
His past tyranny was enough to make your blood boil.

“But did you see Lord Adrian fighting that monster legion?”
“Of course.”
“Is there anyone among us who didn’t?”

All the soldiers of the castle had gone out to fight.
That’s why they knew.

They had seen firsthand what kind of fear the monster legion, surging like an avalanche, could instill with its overwhelming numbers and force.

And they had seen how Adrian didn’t flinch in the face of that terror.
How he ran straight into the center of it.

They understood better than anyone what kind of resolve that must have taken.

“Know what I thought at that moment?”
“What?”
‘I think… I could stake my life following someone like that.’
“Wow. Since when did you grow a sense of loyalty?”
“…Beats me. I didn’t expect it either.”
“Same. I won’t lie—I felt it too.”

And this wasn’t the first time either.

Even during the Ice-Drake fight, Adrian had ordered the soldiers to fall back.

Against the Drake… against the Legion…
Adrian had always been willing to sacrifice himself for the troops.

And it was never out of blind bravado.

“His movements were unreal.”
“…Made me wonder if he was even human.”
“I mean, seriously—is he really human? Or some kind of monster?”

Especially that final outburst of flame—
The Dragon Rage Explosion that scorched the entire landscape—

“…Absolutely insane.”
“I kept questioning if my eyes were playing tricks on me.”
“Seriously, is he human? Or a dragon in disguise?”

And so, they could believe it now.
The leader of the legion—the Lycanthrope.

There was no longer any doubt in their minds that Adrian had defeated that monster.

In fact—

Even after taking down the Lycanthrope, look over there.
Huff! Huff! Huff!
Adrian was already back in the Trial Grounds of Frost, training his body with relentless intensity.

“How in the world did we ever call that guy a wastrel?”
“If that’s the new standard for being a wastrel—”
“—then what hope is there for the rest of us?”
“Right?”
“Exactly. If Adrian-nim is the minimum for a wastrel… wow. What kind of world is that?”

With that, the word ‘wastrel’ was forever erased from the soldiers’ vocabulary when it came to Adrian.

“Instructor Leverton.”
“…Y-Yes?”
“Where would Adrian-nim rank in the world of mercenaries?”
“Oh, that’s right! You used to be a mercenary, didn’t you, Instructor?”
“So? Where would someone like Adrian-nim stand?”

Mercenaries are divided into seven tiers:

Iron – just earned their mercenary tag.
Bronze – officially considered a mercenary.
Silver – active for over a year.
Gold – recognized as a veteran.

These four are generally considered the normal limit.
A ceiling that only those without special talent or skills can reach through effort alone.

By those standards, Leverton had once been a Gold mercenary.

He’d hit the wall at Platinum, and after receiving an offer from the previous count, he had settled down as an instructor in the County of Whitewolf.

“Well… I wouldn’t know…”

…He honestly couldn’t say.
Because his experience ended at Gold.

He’d never seen or experienced the ranks beyond that—Platinum, Emerald, Diamond.
To Leverton, those were simply another world. Another level.

“I… I really couldn’t say…”

And yet, if forced to answer—

Though he had neither seen nor experienced that realm himself…

Call it intuition.
Or maybe the discernment he’d honed while training soldiers all these years—

It felt like Adrian wasn’t just someone who could reach Platinum, Emerald, or even Diamond.
He could become a Master Mercenary.

And perhaps even—

A Mercenary King who surpassed even that.

…But seriously, is that even possible?
Who could’ve imagined such a thing?

A man with zero aptitude for mana becoming the Mercenary King?
Try saying that out loud in a mercenary guild and you’d get punched in the face.

But this was the man who brought down the Ice Drake, held back a monster legion on his own, and ultimately slew its commander.

Huff! Huff! Huff!

And above all, watching his insane training regimen only strengthened that conviction—

“Man… he’s really something else.”
“The more I watch, the more I’m amazed.”

The soldiers’ perception of Adrian had changed completely.

Meanwhile, the maids of the lord’s castle had also begun seeing Adrian in a whole new light.

They gathered in a small group on one side of the Trial Grounds of Frost.

“He’s running while carrying that? Whoa…”
“I don’t think I could even lift that steel equipment once.”

All of them couldn’t help but marvel at Adrian.

Especially at the way he was soaked in sweat, like he’d been caught in a downpour.
One of the maids, staring at his drenched body, whispered quietly:

“He’s probably going to take a bath after this, right?”
“Of course. He’s sweating buckets and completely covered in dust.”
“Then, you know…”

Leaning in close, one maid lowered her voice into a hushed whisper.

“Maybe he’ll need someone to assist him… with his bath?”

A brief silence.
And then—

“Wh-what are you even saying?!”
“She’s lost it! Totally lost it!”
“I was just wondering, okay? Besides, Adrian-nim has never accepted a bath attendant, not even once.”
“Huh, that’s true…”
“Even back when he lived recklessly, he never let anyone attend his baths.”

To be precise, he was meticulous about avoiding any situations that might be interpreted sexually.
Even though he’s changed a lot now, until just a month ago, Adrian was still known as a wastrel.

Gambling and indulgence were daily routines.
But oddly enough, he never slept with women.

He might slap maids.
He might tease and flirt with them.

But never once did he cross that line.
No one knew why—but that boundary remained untouched.

…Granted, he’d crossed every other line with flying colors.
But still.

“Still though…”

A younger maid murmured quietly.

“What if… he really does ask for help this time?”
“Huh?”
“After all that training, he’s probably completely drained. And didn’t he have us stand by today for some reason…?”

…Now that she mentioned it, they had.
Everyone’s face turned bright red in unison.

“S-stop! You’re making me imagine weird things!”

They all quickly looked down in flustered panic—yet their fingers were unconsciously twisting the hems of their skirts.

“…Should I just go and offer myself?”
“Offer yourself? What for?”
“To help him bathe.”
“What?!”
“Are you out of your mind?!”
“What if something really happens?!”
“Oh, come on. Even during his wastrel days, he never did anything like that. Why would he start now?”
“W-Well… yeah, but still…”
“You never know with people.”
“Exactly! Who would’ve guessed Adrian-nim would change this much?”

“…Then maybe… hm, hmm.”

The maid cleared her throat and blushed slightly.
Then, with a quick glance at Adrian—

“Maybe… even if something did happen… I wouldn’t mind?”

“KYAAAA! Look at this girl!!”
“Totally crazy, I swear!!”
“Look at her face! She’s totally imagining it right now!”
“I-I’m not!!”
“Not? You’re red as a beet!”
“I-I don’t care! It was just a passing thought, okay?!”
“A passing thought? You look like you’ve had it a hundred times already!!”
“KYAAAAAAA—!!”

The maids’ faces were all flushed crimson now.

“But… you don’t think Adrian-nim can hear us, do you?”
“Oh no!”
“What if he is listening?!”

All at once, they clamped their hands over their mouths.
And as if on cue, they turned to look at Adrian.

“…He’s so focused on training, he probably can’t hear us.”
“Y-Yeah… probably…”

The maids sighed in relief.
But their gossip continued in low, giggly murmurs.

Just like that—

To the soldiers and the maids alike, Adrian was no longer a wastrel.

He was a lord worth staking their lives for.
And a name that made hearts flutter for no reason at all.

Their gazes now brimmed with respect—and something like admiration.

“By the way, about Lady Serapia…”
“Yeah?”
“I heard she was seriously hurt… is she okay?”
“…No. She still hasn’t regained consciousness.”
“…I hope this doesn’t end badly…”

And with Adrian’s rising legend, another emotion grew quietly alongside it—
A deepening worry and unease for Serapia.

Translatin_Otaku

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