The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 93: Continued Connections (2) (Part 1)

A sudden intrusion by an uninvited guest.

“Hyaaah!?”

Startled, Iliana jumped with a squeal, her blue hair scattering in all directions—
And the alchemical tools around her began flying everywhere.

The dropper she was holding floated into the air. She instinctively reached out to grab it—
“Ah, ah…!”

—only to lose her balance and fall hard to the floor with a thud.
The impact shook the workbench, knocking over a beaker—

Crash!

A small owl-shaped glass bottle shattered, and a silver spoon engraved with a magical sigil flew off into the distance.

Multicolored powders from small containers scattered across the floor, and a volatile liquid from the beaker splashed and spread into the air like mist.

A complete and utter mess.

“Iliana!!”
“Eeek!?”

A voice full of fury shook Iliana to her core.

She had fallen hard and it hurt like hell, but with the approaching footsteps echoing ominously, she forgot the pain entirely and began trembling.

Then—someone approached.

Iliana slowly looked up.

The first thing that caught her eye was a crest embroidered in gold gleaming at the hem of his robe.

When she looked a little higher, she saw numerous ornate rings on his fingers.
His robe, made from fine silk, sparkled with gilded magical patterns and gemstones.

And when she finally met his gaze, an elderly man with a hooked nose was glaring at her, frowning deeply.

His name was Craven—
A Chair Mage at the Langrid Magic Tower.

Langrid Magic Tower.
This tower was first established by Arcanis Lilseyn, the original archmage.

Wishing to change the world through magic, Arcanis opened the path for all those who desired to learn it, passing magic down to humanity.

Built with that philosophy, the Langrid Magic Tower had continued its legacy for thousands of years, producing countless sages and magicians.
To this day, it remained the origin of all magical knowledge on the continent—a cradle for mages.

In that sense, Craven, a Chair Mage at the Langrid Magic Tower, was—

—a senior mage with great achievements in the magical world, a high-ranking magician who received special support from the tower for his advanced research.

Craven led key projects for the deepening and expansion of magical knowledge, teaching and overseeing other mages—a true authority in the field.

“What in the world do you think you’re doing!!”

Craven’s voice was old yet razor-sharp.
Iliana flinched, her nerves spiking, her whole body shrinking.

An apprentice mage, Iliana.
In front of Chair Mage Craven, she was nothing more than a mouse before a cat.

“I—I’m sorry…….”
“Sorry? Do you even realize how expensive this commission is?! Are you trying to ruin my reputation on purpose!?”
“N-No! Absolutely not!”
“Then what do you call this disaster in front of me?”
“I—it just slipped—I didn’t mean—”
“A slip? Does this look like the kind of mistake that can be overlooked?”
“P-Please don’t worry! None of the important materials were damaged…!”

Iliana scrambled to her feet and held out a bundle wrapped in cloth.

It contained the materials commissioned by the Frecce Merchant Guild, each one worth over 20,000 gold—a fortune.

“Hmm. You’re sure not a single one is damaged?”
“Of course!”
“If anything turns out to be wrong, Iliana, you’ll be held fully responsible.”
“………”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“…Y-Yes, sir.”

Only after her hesitant reply did Craven nod.

“Ahem.”

He cleared his throat and glanced around as if trying to lighten the atmosphere.

It was clear he had something else to say.

“I-Is there something else you needed…?”
“Not much. Just that paper you submitted recently.”
“Which one, sir…?”
“The one discussing the possibility of removing a monster’s madness at the genetic level.”
“Ah… yes.”
“That thesis. How about publishing it under my name instead of yours?”
“…Excuse me? But…!”

“As a Chair Mage, it’ll carry more weight if the research is credited to me, rather than to a mere apprentice like you.”

Iliana lowered her head.

“Have you forgotten who pays for the books you read and the meals you eat?”
“I… I’m always grateful, sir… truly.”
“Then you’ll publish it under my name, yes?”
“…Yes, sir.”

She didn’t think it was wrong.

It was the absolute law of magic, and especially of alchemy—Equivalent Exchange.

To gain something, you must give something of equal value.

To light a fire, you need wood.
To earn money, you must offer something in return.

For Iliana to live at the Magic Tower, to read her beloved grimoires, and to study Magicology—
She had to pay an appropriate price.

“Yes, yes. And from now on, any such papers should be published through me. It’s better for you that way, too.”

That was the price she had to pay.

Iliana slightly lowered her head again.
Seeing her obedient attitude, Craven gave a satisfied smile.

“Once the cure is complete, deliver it yourself, Iliana. I need to focus on the thesis presentation.”

And with that, Craven turned on his heel and left the laboratory.

Iliana bit her trembling lower lip.
Tears welled up in her sapphire eyes—

But she held them back with all her might.

Silently, she began cleaning up the mess.

Her light-blue hair fell over her face, hiding her expression. But through the strands, the redness around her eyes and the slight quiver of her lips peeked through.

Her fingertips trembled as she picked up shards of broken glass.

As she wiped up the scattered powders, she paused for a moment, gazing blankly around the lab.

She let out a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

“…….”

She quietly lowered her head, swallowing the tears she couldn’t let fall.

“…Hkk…”

But in the end, her sob broke free and echoed faintly through the lab.

A brutal back-and-forth with the golden leech.

It briefly reminded him of the sprint race he had back in the County, though only for a moment.

Still, thanks to that (*?), he was able to arrive at Adelon’s shop in a single burst of speed.

He opened the shop door and stepped inside—

Ding-a-ling!

A soft chime rang out.

Soon after, Adelon, who had been seated at the counter, spotted me and—

“You’ve arrived!! Lord Adrian!!”

He sprang to his feet and bowed at a full 90 degrees.

At least this time, he didn’t smash his head like before.

Looks like he’s learned his lesson.

As Adelon lifted his head again, he noticed Kai following behind me.

“Oh! Sir Kai, you’ve come as well!”

Adelon greeted him with a bright smile.

It seemed the two had grown quite close recently.

Still, there was nothing worth asking about, so I cut straight to the point.

Translatin_Otaku

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