Still, he couldn't help but pass a little judgment.
'This Knight might be handsome, but he's clearly some rube who doesn't know what's good for him.'
"Miss Liya, the Duke wishes to see you."
Just then, a servant in a maid's uniform approached them.
"There's a banquet tonight. Levi, it wouldn't be too late to leave tomorrow after you've attended," Liya said to Levi with a smile before turning to the young maid beside her. "Fela, please arrange a room for this Knight."
She perfectly embodied the grace of the nobility. Her earlier attempt to recruit him seemed like a casual remark, and she showed no anger despite being so openly refused.
With that, she floated away gracefully.
Levi, however, had no regrets.
He had wanted to refuse the invitation to the banquet. Now that he had the Pioneer Order, he was itching to head for the Unclaimed Land and make his mark.
However, he decided against it, considering it would be a bad look to show signs of insubordination so soon after becoming their Vassal.
The maid, Fela, led him out of the Knight Hall.
They walked down a long corridor and made several turns. Just when Levi was starting to feel dizzy, they finally arrived.
"Sir, we've arrived at your room."
Levi yawned and stepped inside as the young maid bowed slightly, gesturing for him to enter.
'Damn these filthy rich bastards!'
He couldn't help but curse inwardly, his face a mask of envy.
The floor was covered with a fine velvet carpet, which alone had to be worth dozens of silver coins.
On the carpet sat furniture made of Red Needle Wood, their spacing meticulously arranged. The layout must have been the work of a true master.
The sight was incredibly pleasing, soothing Levi's long-standing obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
The floor-to-ceiling window on the opposite wall not only flooded the room with sunlight but also offered a clear view of the castle gardens.
Looking down through the window, he could see several lavishly dressed children playing while a few maids stood watch nearby.
'Some people are born in Rome, and some are born to be beasts of burden.'
Levi glanced at the weathered Leather Armor he had worn for years, too attached to replace it, and couldn't help but sigh.
In his past life, a room like this would be the equivalent of a luxury flat—something he couldn't have afforded even if he sold his ass for it.
But now, the Pioneer Order in his pocket filled him with confidence.
'There will be a castle, and there will be beast-eared maids!'
...
In truth, Levi was not from this world.
He had been a recent graduate from a third-rate university who immediately became just another corporate drone.
One night, he was playing Mount & Blade. He had finally saved up enough money and recruited a full party of Militia, ready to go all out. But the moment he stepped out of the city, he was mercilessly captured by bandits.
Furious, he resorted to the classic character import/export cheat, maxing out all his attributes to go on a rampage. But as soon as he saved the changes, his vision went black, and he woke up here.
'Never use the export cheat! It's a trap!'
That was the conclusion Levi ultimately reached.
Three years ago, he had transmigrated into this world, into the body of a Desolate Baron. And along with his soul came that modified Mount & Blade character panel.
Relying on his godlike Attributes, he had tried his hand at being a robber who "helped the poor by robbing the rich," worked as one of the Mercenaries, and even ran a trade caravan.
But alas, it was only enough to scrape by.
Trying to truly make it big, to build something glorious, with an Elf on one arm and a Beast-eared Maiden on the other... that was a different story entirely.
The nobles were like vampires, bleeding him dry. At least fifty percent of any hard-earned money had to be handed over.
There were city-entry fees, poll taxes, and that son-of-a-bitch "Grand Earth Maintenance Fee."
It was a first for Levi; he had never heard of such a tax.
They claimed that every step he took damaged the great earth, and this tax was for its "maintenance."
He got so pissed off that he ran the pockmarked tax official through with his sword on the spot.
He then kicked the severed head so it hung from a streetlamp. Only then did his anger subside.
'As expected, a streetlamp is the only fitting final destination for these damn capitalists!'
However, this act earned him the enmity of a nobleman, making it impossible to stay in the Western Territory. That was what brought him to the Southern Territory to seek his fortune.
Only Magic can defeat Magic.
He adopted the strategy of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
He dusted off his predecessor's title of Desolate Baron, made a name for himself in the fighting pits, and finally earned the title of Pioneer Lord.
As for a higher title? That would depend on how much land he could develop.
The Legendary Pioneer—Richard Orlando.
He had carved out an entire Empire single-handedly.
Levi was confident he could do the same.
For one simple reason: he had a cheat system.
At that thought, he couldn't help but pull up the Attribute Panel he hadn't checked in a long while.
[Levi Targaryen]
[Level: 22]
[Experience Points: 13484/100000]
[Power: 45]
[Agility: 43]
[Intelligence: 12]
[Charm: 41]
[Assignable Attribute Points: 21]
[Skills: Iron Bone 13, Strong Strike 11, Strong Throw 10, Strong Bow 10, Weapon Mastery 9, Shield Defense 9, Running 15 (Max), Riding Skill 11, Mounted Archery 10, Item Management 1, Persuasion 8] (Note: Max Level is 15)
[Assignable Skill Points: 0]
[Weapon Proficiency: One-Handed Weapons 685, Two-Handed Weapons 551, Long Pole Weapon 501, Bow and Arrow 530, Throwing 629, Crossbow 310] (Note: Max Level is 720)
[Assignable Weapon Points: 1050]
When he'd first cheated, he had avoided completely breaking the game. He'd only exported a level-one character whose Attributes were maxed out, not the level itself.
After all, if he had set them all to 999, his character would have become a blur, zipping across the entire map in a second, faster than the game could even render.
Looking back now, he was filled with regret. If only he'd set everything to 999. He couldn't even imagine it... if he punched the ground now, would it trigger an earthquake?
Still, even with his current Attributes, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call himself Levi the Invincible.
A normal adult's attributes were only around three or four points. A glance at his panel showed he was more than ten times stronger than an ordinary person.
And that wasn't even factoring in the system's exponential scaling, rather than simple linear progression.
As a result, it was impossible to say exactly how many times stronger he was than a normal person.
All he knew was that during his years in the fighting pits, neither the so-called Snow Warriors from the Northern Lands nor the famously valiant Green-skinned Orcs could withstand a single slap from him.
Even the Ogres, standing four or five meters tall, were all for show—more bark than bite.
He had been deliberately saving his Attribute Points and Weapon Points.
He had discovered that through training, his Attributes could be raised naturally, independent of his Skills.
So, his plan was to first raise his Attributes through physical training and only spend the points when he hit a plateau, thereby maximizing their effect.
Besides, his current stats were more than enough for now. There was no rush to allocate the points.
'Is today some kind of special occasion? Why are so many nobles rushing here?'
Through the large window, Levi could clearly see nobles and their retinues flooding through the gates of the magnificent castle.
As Vassals of the Iseley Clan, they would not normally be summoned to the castle unless something major was happening.
Certainly not for a mere banquet.
Levi had a bad feeling, a sense that a storm was brewing over the Highland.
But none of that concerned him. After tonight, he was heading to the Unclaimed Land to start his life as a Pioneer Lord.
'True strength is the power to not give a damn!'
...
In the spacious room, Levi practiced his Swordsmanship, clad in a simple linen tunic and wielding a silver One-Handed Sword. The blade, forged from an unknown metal, was etched with exquisite patterns and looked extremely expensive.
There were no flashy, ostentatious moves—only simple, unadorned thrusts, upward swings, and cleaving cuts.
With his immense power and extreme speed, learning techniques to enhance his strength would be like teaching an elephant complex martial arts.
It would only hold him back.
Of course, with his One-Handed Weapons proficiency at over six hundred points, his Swordsmanship was already second to none.
It would be no exaggeration to call him a Swordsmanship Master.
But technique only truly mattered when facing an opponent of equal standing.
And so far, Levi had yet to meet an opponent who could force him to rely on it.
Just as Levi put down his sword, a knock came from the door. After he gave his assent, a Maid entered and spoke respectfully.
"Sir Levi, the butler sent me to remind you that the banquet will begin at seven o'clock in the castle's grand hall."
[One-Handed Weapons Proficiency +5]
[Experience Points +60]
"Understood." Levi sheathed his sword. "Prepare hot water for me. I wish to bathe."
"Yes, sir."