Pioneer Lord: I Have Conquering System

Levi learned from Count Andao that one of the Counts who had pursued them into the tunnel was Tess, a man he had once worked with.

Count Winter had perished in the sea of flames. The only thing recovered was a half-melted sword that proved his identity. Fortunately, Tess had survived. Unfortunately, he would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

Since they had worked together before, the Lord went to visit the Count, bringing a basket of apples he had swiped from Monvert.

The Count was housed in a luxurious tent. On the way, Levi even ran into other Northern Nobles who were also there to visit. They actually thanked the Lord for his gesture and managed to squeeze out smiles; the palpable exclusion he usually felt from them was gone.

Count Tess was lying on a low cot covered with a white sheet. After just one glance, the Lord couldn’t bear to look any longer.

This middle-aged noble, who had once sported a refined little moustache, now had no legs. His remaining torso looked like a strip of meat that had been tossed and turned in a fire until it became a blackened piece of jerky. If not for the familiar ring still on his finger, it would be impossible to recognize him as the once-dashing Count.

His chest still rose and fell slightly; he was clearly still alive.

Levi shook his head, placed the apples on a nearby table, and left the tent with Andao.

’I hadn’t intended to be secretive about what I’d said, but I never thought Tess would go and snitch on me. To be honest, I was pretty pissed off and planned to find a chance to teach him a lesson.’

’Now, seeing him in this miserable state... I couldn’t say I felt vindicated, but I certainly wasn’t happy about it either. All that was left was to sigh at the cruelty of fate.’

"When we found Tess, he was wailing inside his plate armor, which was glowing red-hot. After we pulled him out, the Ice and Snow Mages spared no effort and managed to save his life." Andao pulled a small glass flask from his breast pocket, unscrewed the cap, and took a swig. His tone was tinged with emotion. "The medics later determined that his suit of Orihalcos plate armor was what kept the wildfire from touching his skin directly. He held out for a while under the protection of his Combat Qi, but it was draining too fast. He had to abandon his legs and focus on protecting his upper body. That’s how he lasted until we got there."

He wasn’t an alcoholic; he just used liquor to numb the itching in his right hand. Now, though, for some reason, he felt the urge to drink even when it didn’t itch. "But Count Winter wasn’t so lucky," he continued. "He didn’t have high-quality Orihalcos plate armor, nor was his Combat Qi as deep as Tess’s. Shortly after the wildfire touched him, it melted his armor into a puddle of iron, then burned him to ash. If the hilt and half a blade of his sword hadn’t been lying beside that puddle, we wouldn’t have even been able to identify him."

It was only at times like these that Count Andao dared to speak so candidly with the Lion Hunter Knight.

Everyone seemed calm on the surface, but in reality, their inner rage was simmering, ready to boil over. It was the calm before the storm.

As such, no one had the inclination to continue ostracizing the Lord of High Cliff Castle.

"What is Fulina planning to do?"

Levi asked, looking at Black Stone Castle in the distance.

Count Andao followed his gaze, his tone calm and devoid of any emotion. "In three days, we will execute Regulo to consecrate our banners and appease the souls of our fallen brothers. Then, we will launch an all-out assault on Black Stone Castle and make Marquis Cross pay for what he’s done in blood!"

Previously, everyone had abided by certain unwritten rules, exercising restraint. For instance, captured enemy nobles were generally not killed outright but were instead used as bargaining chips for other gains.

That was why after Regulo, the Baron of Kalia Town, was captured, he had it relatively easy. Aside from an initial beating from Tess, he was reportedly treated well. He wasn’t free and was kept under heavy guard, but his meals were the same as any common soldier’s, and no one went out of their way to give him trouble.

But now, the enemy had used wildfire, a forbidden weapon of war. They had flipped the table, so no one could blame the Northern Nobles for breaking the rules as well.

And Regulo, the enemy Baron, would be the first Southern Noble they made an example of.

Levi remained silent. ’The moment Black Stone Castle falls,’ he thought, ’will likely be the moment Marquis Cross takes his own life.’

’To risk universal condemnation by using wildfire, he must have already been prepared to die.’

’When that time comes, the Northern Nobles’ fury will be unleashed on the other Southern nobles, and perhaps even on the commoners of Black Stone Castle.’

He sighed. ’It really is true what they say,’ he thought. ’In peace or in war, it’s always the common folk who suffer most.’

...

"When will you humans ever stop fighting?" Sophia asked. Though she had just finished her meal, she was still staring intently at the roasted potato in Levi’s hand, her craving clearly unsatisfied. She was practically drooling.

As a Giant Dragon, her appetite was naturally enormous. If allowed to eat freely, she could devour High Cliff Castle’s entire food supply in a matter of days. As a result, her portions were now restricted to three meals a day, just like an ordinary person.

It was nowhere near enough to fill her up and only served to satisfy her cravings.

A single, large meal could sustain a Giant Dragon for a long time, but the hunger pangs until the next one were still unbearable.

"I already made an exception and let you have an extra piece of lamb," Levi said, exasperated. But seeing the drool trickling down the corner of her mouth was too much to bear. He handed the potato over. "This is the last one for tonight. There are no more."

"Hee hee, I promise I’ll only eat this one." Sophia’s face lit up, and she popped the whole potato into her mouth, swallowing it in a single gulp.

"I’d like to know the answer to that more than you do." Levi peeled another roasted potato, took a large bite, and then asked out of curiosity,

"You Giant Dragons eat so much. With so many of you on Dragon Island, where do you find all that food?"

’Honestly, just feeding one dragon had nearly thrown High Cliff Castle into a financial crisis. It was hard to imagine how an entire island of them sourced their food.’

"It’s all Sea Fish that Old Bell catches. Every single one is bigger than I am." As she said this, her face twisted in disgust. "Even though they’re huge—one can feed me for three meals—eating them every single day is just awful! They taste terrible!"

"We’re just talking, so keep your hands to yourself!" Levi slapped away the small, fair hand that was sneaking toward his potato. A crisp SMACK echoed through the tent.

’So that’s it.’ Levi’s mind started turning. ’No wonder this Silver Dragon Maiden is so reluctant to leave High Cliff Castle. She’s never had truly good food before. Now that she’s had a taste of real delicacies here, she’s hooked.’

’The Lord decided that when he returned, he would have to cook for her himself. He would use the cuisine from his past life to completely conquer the stomach of this foodie maiden!’

Her plot having failed, Sophia looked down at her now red and swollen hand with a deeply aggrieved expression.

’This human was ridiculously strong... Her human form wasn’t as durable as her true body, but it was still much tougher than an ordinary person’s. And yet, he’d made it swell up with a single slap.’

Seeing Sophia’s frustrated expression, Zat let out a strange chuckle.

Being the truly headstrong kid he was, he had once sought out the Giant Dragon in her maiden form, wanting to test her strength.

In reality, he wanted to defeat her so he could go brag to others that he, too, had defeated a Giant Dragon.

But to his surprise, she was incredibly timid and refused to fight him no matter what. He ended up having to wager half a month of catching Wilderness yaks for her just to get her to agree to a match.

The result? In a single round, a punch from her small hand—which looked so delicate it might snap—landed on him, and he nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The immense force reminded Zat of his leader’s iron fists. Not wanting a grassy mound to mark his grave here next year, he immediately and decisively surrendered.

But unexpectedly, it was as if a switch had been flipped in her. From that day forward, she would excitedly seek him out for a match every day, putting her "bully the weak and fear the strong" mentality on full display.

That period had been an absolute nightmare for him, so seeing her get put in her place now, he couldn’t have been more delighted.

Just then, the tent flap was thrown open from the outside, and a figure swept in on a gust of cold wind.

"Who is it? I just got the fire going and made it warm in here, and you let all the heat out!" Sophia huffed, directly venting the frustration she felt toward a certain someone who kept cutting her rations.

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