Chapter 70: That’s How It Was Back in the Day

“…Did you just call me a dummy brain?”

“What else would you call a kid who’s good at working but incapable of doing their job? A dummy brain.”

“……”

“What? You don’t know what I’m saying?”

Limon chuckled seeing Wei-Ling’s ice cold glare, clearing showing her discontentment at his comment.

“Oi, dummy brain. Do you know why the princess made a company like Guardian for me?”

“Is it not because the Master of Swords has neither the heart nor the confidence to run a business?”

Wei-Ling blatantly mocked Limon’s incompetence.

“No, it’s because she wanted me to act as a mentor.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“It means there hasn’t been a single mentor stupid enough in all of history to beg the emperor for money to fund their budget.”

Wei-Ling scowled from Limon’s words.

Meanwhile, Limon clicked his tongue. It was obvious from her face alone. Not only was she not understanding his words, she didn’t have the heart to, either.

‘Tsk. I was supposed to focus my mind on training only, too.’

He could just leave things be. Guardian wouldn’t be ruined either way, since Wei-Ling was actually still competent.

‘Guess I have no other choice.’

Limon got up from his chair.

“Lead the way,” he ordered bluntly.

“The way to where?”

“Where do you think?”

He smiled coldly as Wei-Ling gave him a doubtful look at the unexpected order.

“The establishment that’ll give us money, work, and results, of course.”

And two hours later…

Five Black Dragon Clan subsidiaries got wrecked.

***

Wei-Ling was used to restraining herself. Camouflage and endurance were the basics of the Void Progression Sword, after all. And as much as she had been a secret aide to the mysterious Li Ching-wei, she naturally had to get used to doing her job without asking questions.

But right now, the endurance she’d trained went poof. She couldn’t handle it any longer.

“…Just what are you thinking?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking you, why are you wreaking havoc in the clan’s subsidiaries?”

“Isn’t inspection part of our company’s duties? So that’s what I did. What other reason do you need?” he asked carefreely.

He was right, in a sense. Guardian was a company exclusively in charge of the Black Dragon Clan’s security and inspection.

But Wei-Ling had good reason to look down upon Limon like he was the degenerate of the century and question him.

“Are you really calling this an inspection? You crashed through the main doors, and knocked down everything and everybody. Even the security.”

After stepping in himself, the acts Limon committed in the Black Dragon Clan’s subsidiaries were all essentially the same.

First, he would crash in through the main doors.

“I’m here to see your boss.”

“Have you set up an appointment? I don’t believe you have.”

“I can’t see them without an appointment? You little dicks, don’t you know who I am? Tell the boss to come out right now!”

He would then start a scene out of nowhere demanding to meet an executive.

“Oh? You’re blocking me? What, you gonna kick me out? …All-fucking-right, you cunts. Try me if you can!”

It would only be after the security team and all the office workers crowded in to stop the chaos. He knocked out everyone, then raided their offices. Flipping over desks and cabinets, with documents and office supplies littered across the floor.

“Tsk, kids these days. Back in my day, the boss was glued to their office chair. Where the hell are these so-called ‘bosses’ fucking off to?”

“I’ll be back. Tell them to stay put, yeah?”

He would swagger out without even taking any of the documents he flipped over.

The employees watched as Limon stepped on the papers they’d worked on day in and day out, utter devastation in their vacant eyes. Not even Wei-Ling could look at them.

“Hm, maybe that wasn’t really an inspection.”

“Are you serious?”

He did seem to have some self-awareness, at least.

Limon scratched his cheek and looked at Wei-Ling’s icy glare, shrugging.

“But I can’t just cut their throats or fire them on the spot. Even imprisonment is considered ‘too far’ these days. It’s a new generation, after all.”

“…Just what is your definition of ‘inspection’?”

“Uh, creating chaos everywhere so no one can get any work done and beating anyone who resists to a pulp. Duh.”

“Are you seriously serious?”

“What? That’s how things were back in the day.”

“……”

Limon tilted his head to the side. ‘What’s the problem?’ He seemed to ask.

Wei-Ling was at a loss for words.

If he was acting innocent, she would have laughed sarcastically in his face. But she couldn’t bring herself to say anything to him with that honest mug of his.

“[You know that’s not an inspection, right boss? That’s wreaking havoc!]”

“Are they any different?”

“[…Very...]”

“Hm, really? I thought an inspection was just this generation’s way of saying ‘wreaking havoc’.”

“[How could you say that with a straight face? Just what kind of inspection did people do in the past? Huh?!]”

How appalling.

Yoo Na-kyung, who was perched atop Limon’s head, shook her head after helping speak for Wei-Ling. They both thought the same thing.

‘Princess, just why in the world did you take in an anachronictic, murderous demon as your husband?’

‘Uhm, princess… I think you chose the wrong guy…’

But regardless of whatever was in the two girls’ minds, Limon simply got out of the car and looked up at the tall building standing in front of him.

***

***

“Hm, this place is pretty big. Is it a big deal or something?”

“[Boss, do you really not recognize this place?]”

“I can tell just from the name alone that it’s a Black Dragon Clan subsidiary.”

“[Do you really not know what Black Dragon Architecture is?]”

“Am I supposed to know?]”

“[Normally, yes. In terms of both sales and technology, it’s one of the top international buildings in the world.]”

Yoo Na-kyung was baffled. The Seven Dragon Group had the riches of the entire world. While lacking compared to the seven major holding companies, there were still several subsidiaries that were just about the same size as most of the world’s major companies.

One of those was ‘Black Dragon Architecture’, a major company that grew by building branches of Hotel Leviathan in various parts of the world.

Limon wasn’t interested, though.

“But it’s still not the best.”

“[…It’s in the top ten of architecture firms, you know.]”

“You try being my age. After you turn 100, you’re not even gonna want to remember the world's best.”

‘What do I care about just some random company that couldn’t even be the best?’ Limon spewed casually.

“I would advise you to be cautious.” Wei-Ling’s cold eyes bore into Limon. “It may not be the best, but unlike the other subsidiaries, it won’t be so easy to wreak havoc in.”

Perhaps it was his unbearable ego that caused her to speak up.

“Ah, really?”

Even after Wei-Ling softly threatened him, Limon did not display an ounce of worry. Instead, he grinned in anticipation.

As soon as the automatic doors opened, he stomped into the Black Dragon Architecture building with a roar.

“Tell your boss to come out!”

“Yes sir. Here he is.”

“……Eh?”

“[Eh?]”

Even Yoo Na-kyung looked confused. The lobby was vacant—unfitting for such a big company.

But that wasn’t why they were taken aback. It was rather because of the man who came in, bowing with his hips at a perfect right angle the moment Limon started hollering.

“Who are you?”

“Ahahaha, my name is Wang Ki-neung. I have always had respect for the Master of Swords. It is a great honor to meet you here.”

“I meant what the hell do you do here?”

“Well, of course. I am the very person the Master of Swords is looking for.”

“…You’re the boss of this place?”

“Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Wang Ki-neung, head of the East Asian branch of Black Dragon Architecture. I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

The middle-aged man bowed once again, this time holding his business card out.

Limon eyed him and turned around. His gaze turned even more peculiar than before as Wei-Ling nodded to him.

‘I mean, I’m not mad that someone bigger than I expected showed up.’

Limon didn’t know too much about Black Dragon Architecture, but he did know that the head of the East Asian branch was a big deal. Just the fact that he was the one man in charge of the 77 Central States Federation made it clear he was the big shot.

Federation of the 77 Central States made it clear he was the big shot.

“Are you really the head of the East Asian branch?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then why are you being so servile? Your hips are gonna break if you keep doing that.”

“Servile? Goodness! Is the Master of Swords not the princess’ future husband? It is not servile, but obligatory to show respect to someone like you.”

“Really…?”

His mustache curled out sideways, with a permanent beaming grin on his face. He rubbed his hands together like a fly.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

No matter how he looked at him, Wang Ki-neung came off more like a doormat than a businessman. Limon was taken aback.

‘Well, looks aren’t everything.’

As an experienced old man himself, Limon shook off his preconceived notions.

“Then why are you here? I’m looking for the boss.”

“Oh, goodness. Someone as lowly as the boss is not the person the Master of Swords should be looking for. Please, let me know if you need anything. I will take care of it directly.”

In that instant, an odd smile crept up on Limon’s face.

“That gives me the impression you knew I was coming.”

“Why, of course not! It only happened to catch my ear through some grapevines about a few lazy idiots who failed to aid the Master of Swords.”

“You heard through the grapevines about events that only happened a few hours ago? You’ve got some pretty sharp ears there.”

“I am part of the Black Dragon Clan. My ears are indeed sharper than the others,” Wang Ki-neung stated matter of factly.

Limon’s smile grew bigger. The mere fact the other companies he’d been to couldn’t carry out such a simple task made it clear Wang Ki-neung was more than just a simple doormat.

‘I thought I’d have to make at least ten stops… Today’s a lucky one for sure.’

“Oh, it must be inconvenient to talk here. Would you like to come inside? We just happened to receive some good tea.”

“Good tea, huh… Not bad.”

Limon didn’t say no to the offer. And so moments later, he found himself baffled in the room Wang Ki-neung led him to.

From the old mural covering an entire wall to the crystal chandeliers and various kinds of furniture. The office was decorated as extravagantly as the penthouse Li Chingwei stayed in at Hotel Leviathan.

But that wasn’t all. The real surprise was the pork belly grilling on a brazier on the table with a bottle of rice wine next to it. It was as if it had been prepared for him.

“…The ‘good tea’ was alcohol?”

——

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