The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 79: Misunderstanding (Part 2)

Isolde answered without hesitation.
She fully acknowledged her fault and was ready to make amends.

And I knew that if it was truly within her ability, she would do anything I asked.

“For now, let’s start by changing clothes.”

I wrapped my cloak around Isolde and began walking.

While buying clothes for Isolde, I picked up some for myself as well.

Just like how Isolde’s divine power couldn’t restore clothing, my Regeneration [B+] skill couldn’t fix clothes either.

And since I was buying anyway…
I went ahead and bought hundreds of outfits in advance.

Thanks to my Infinite Inventory, I had no storage limits.
This way, I’d always have clean clothes ready to go.

“Let’s change your mask too.”

Isolde’s appearance was far too striking—she absolutely needed a mask.
But the white deer mask she had been wearing—while it did cover her face—stood out in its own way.

So the mask I chose for her was—

An Ogre mask.
It oddly suited her very well.

Isolde put it on without complaint.

“So, what’s this favor you want to ask of me?”

She got right to the point.
The more I interacted with her, the more she reminded me of our time in the Allied Forces.

I walked slowly, and Isolde followed behind me like a duckling.

“What do you know about the Gray Masks of the Black Market?”

“I know they’re a group affiliated with the Dark Merchant Guild.”

But it seemed she didn’t know their true identity.
Which made sense.
After all, I was the one who uncovered their secret back during my time with the Allied Forces.

It would actually be strange if Isolde knew at this point in time.

“Then do you know why the Dark Merchant Guild created the Gray Masks?”

“To hide their identities… right?”

Half right, half wrong.

“It’s to sow chaos in Baoless.”

“Chaos?”

“There’s no single Vister faction that’s seized total control over Baoless yet. Right now, power is split between two groups—”

“You mean the Crimson Banquet and the Black Grasp?”

“Exactly.”

The Crimson Banquet rules the red-light district.
The Black Grasp controls the gambling dens.

“But the Dark Merchant Guild’s Gray Masks aren’t even part of the conversation.
They could dominate Baoless if they wanted to.”

“What are you saying…?”

“I’m saying—they’re intentionally staying in the shadows.”

And the reason for that—

“Because war is the most profitable business of all.”

Baoless is a free city with no absolute rulers like a Monarch or a Lord.
Especially in the No-Go Zone, where power equals authority.

Anyone can take control if they have the strength to back it up.

So the fact that there’s no dominant faction means—

“Countless Vister keep fighting to claim Baoless as their own.”

It’s like a mountain without an ogre—where orcs, goblins, kobolds, gnolls, and every other kind of monster vie to become the new king.

That’s why Baoless remains in a constant state of chaos.

With that, the demand for illegal weapons, drugs, information, and supplies soared.
The Dark Merchant Guild¹ met that demand and raked in enormous profits.

“They’re deliberately creating a power vacuum to incite conflict among the vister groups.”

Constant conflict erupted.
Factional fights broke out almost every day.
The visters exploited innocent paupers.
Those who could no longer endure the exploitation ended up joining Bister groups.
And once again, the cycle of conflict resumed.

The result of that vicious cycle is the Baoless we know today.
Once the land of mercenaries who rebelled against a greedy marquessate, it became a city of criminals.

And behind it all—was the Dark Merchant Guild.
That is, the worshippers of corrupted souls.

In that sense, it wasn’t in the Dark Merchant Guild’s interest for any one Bister faction to grow too dominant—
But—

“There’s a simple reason they leave the Red Banquet of the Red-Light District untouched.”

The Dark Merchant Guild trafficked the daughters of noble houses abducted from various kingdoms.
Girls sold off because they couldn’t pay off their debts.
Women cursed by unknown spells, and so on.

“They make a fortune handing them over to the Red-Light District.”
“And the Black Grasp of the gambling dens?”
“They need to ensure that wealth never accumulates in Baoless.”

The dark force orchestrating all this from behind the curtain was the Dark Merchant Guild.
Not just Baoless—
They were manipulating entire kingdoms and the continent in this way.

And when the Emperor later invaded the continent,
They played a pivotal role in its collapse.

Just one year.
That’s all it took for every kingdom and city on the continent to vanish from the map.

Therefore, the Baoless black market had to be destroyed.
But of course, that was easier said than done.

Baoless was a critical stronghold for the Dark Merchant Guild,
So its security and defenses were airtight.

No matter how skilled I was, I couldn’t take on the entire Dark Merchant Guild alone.

So the original plan had been to hit and retreat.
Later, once I joined up with Ian, I’d make my real move—

“My request to you, Lady Isolde, is simple.”

Isolde Cordelia, hero of the Allied Army.
She wasn’t quite on Ian’s level, but she was among the greatest forces the alliance had.

When I stopped walking, Isolde—who had been keeping pace beside me—also stopped.

She lifted her gaze and looked at me.
Meeting her eyes, I spoke.

“First, the destruction of the black market.”

Ultimately—

“I’m asking you to help bring down Baoless.”

At that, a strange glint flashed in her yellow eyes behind the mask.
Her eyes, like twin topazes, gleamed with surprise.

“…Why the look?”
“To be honest, I thought you’d ask for something else.”
“Something else?”

Isolde stared at me.
She said nothing.
But considering my infamous nickname as the ‘Wastrel of the Count’s House,’ I had a pretty good guess.

“Were you planning to agree?”
“Not all the way.”

What is this girl even saying?

“Don’t joke like that, even as a tease.”
“I’m not joking.”
“……”
“I did try to kill you, remember?”
“That was a misunderstanding.”
“That’s your view. From the one being attacked, it’s just an excuse.”

…Anyway.

“But are the two of us really enough for this?”

Isolde looked at me with concern.

And rightfully so—
Challenging the Dark Merchant Guild was no simple task.
If it had been possible, she would’ve smashed them herself long ago.

“Don’t worry about that.”

Still, there was no need to worry too much.

“Like you once misunderstood, they still believe I’m a senior officer of the Dark Merchant Guild.”

They were utterly convinced I was Avarus.
At this point, they didn’t just believe it—they practically worshipped me.

And I had once served as a Special Ops Commando Captain,
Carrying out countless espionage and covert operations.

“Lady Isolde, shake up the black market from the outside. I’ll disrupt the Dark Merchant Guild from within.”

Sabotage was my specialty.
And once the black market started to tremble—

“All the Visters of Baoless, including the Red Banquet and the Black Grasp, will start to move.”
“……?”
“Once someone takes control of the black market, seizing absolute power over Baoless will be a breeze.”
“…Ah.”

Only then did Isolde let out a small sound of realization.
I couldn’t see her mouth behind the mask, but I imagined it slightly agape.

“So…
Would you care to raise a little hell with me?”

At those words—
Isolde’s yellow eyes gleamed.

“I believe I’ve already answered that.”

And then— Crack!
She clenched her armored gauntlet.

“If it’s something I can do—then I’ll do anything.”

And just like that, she vanished from view—

BOOOOOOM—!!

In the distance, an enormous explosion erupted from the black market.

REEEEEEE—! REEEEEEEEEEEE—!

An ear-piercing alarm followed, blaring throughout the area.
Magic barriers activated from all directions, unleashing unknown spells in response.

But Isolde couldn’t care less about barriers or wards—
Crash! Boom!
She just smashed through everything, charging headlong into the black market.

…Like an ogre.

And to top it off, the mask she was wearing was shaped like an ogre’s.
Honestly, she was only slightly less destructive than one.

“She’s exactly the same as ever…”

And just then—

◆ Hidden Quest [Perfect Weather for Raising Hell] has begun.

The moment that message popped up before my eyes—
I knew what came next.

Translatin_Otaku

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