Chapter 72: Better Than Expected

Flup.

The dress slipped down skin softer than the silk it was made of. Reaving a beautiful doll-like figure, Li Chingwei took out the binyeo holding her hair up.

“Why, is that so?”

Her voice was calm.

“Yes.”

“No wonder there was a sudden surge of meeting requests from the clan members affiliated with the domestic subsidiaries. It was all thanks to the help of our Master of Swords.”

Lightly brushing her free falling hair with her hand, she walked lightly to a marble bathtub, steam rising out of it. Slowly, she let herself into the steamy water.

“But why are you telling me this, Chao?”

A thin curtain veiled the bathtub. A woman in men’s clothing kneeled on the other side of the curtain.

“Did you want confirmation? Whether I really founded Guardian to strengthen my power through fear and strife?”

In a knowing voice, Li Chingwei read straight through Chao Wei-Ling.

Perhaps it was because she’d hit the nail on the head, or because she could step no further into such sensitive territory.

“Yes.”

With a settled voice she agreed, as Li Chingwei silently nodded.

“To get straight to the point… Yes. Those were my intentions calculated in my plan.”

Wei-Ling’s face dropped, finally hearing the answer she couldn’t bring herself to accept.

“But it is you, Chao, who have brought matters to the point they are at now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Chao. There is a possibility that none of this would have happened if you’d done your job properly.”

“…Are you saying I should have taken action before the Master of Swords stepped in? To pillage our clan subsidiaries like he did?”

“Is it a hard truth for you to accept?”

A shadow loomed over Wei-Ling’s face, guilt from her mismanagement and unanswered questions swelling up within her body.

“I’ve felt this way for a while now, Chao. You truly are old-fashioned,” Li Chingwei smiled.

“……”

“Oh, I am not blaming you for that. I am always grateful for your unwavering loyalty. That includes your old-fashioned ways—something not easily found within our clan.”

Those were not empty words. From Psionics and martial arts, to culture. Everything in the Black Dragon Clan was specialized for scheming, manipulation, and conspiracy. It would be incredibly difficult to find someone more old-fashioned than Wei-Ling.

That was why Li Chingwei took her in as her aide, in fact—she valued her straight-arrowed character more than her loyalty or talent.

“But if you don’t let go of your prejudice, you won’t be of any help to the Master of Swords. Rather, you would be getting in his way.”

“Does that mean I am not competent enough to be his assistant?”

“There is no doubt you excel in terms of business. But otherwise… I’m not sure.”

Wei-Ling clenched her fists. The princess’s avoidance of a direct answer was clearer than any direct answer.

She’d just been told she would only get in the way of Limon. Limon, of all people! The man incapable of understanding a few simple documents and always scratching his head. She’d get in the way of such a guy?!

She had been an elite in the Black Dragon Club ever since a very young age. She could not wrap her head around that implication.

In that instant, an icy cold voice rang through the air.

“Do not underestimate the Master of Swords, Chao. He is a swordmaster. One who has lived his life cutting through his problems with a sword, rather than scheming.”

It was a sharp voice that seemed to read her subconscious.

“But he is a strong and experienced man. He has lived through both the Bronze Age and the Heroes’ Age—and survived. He is humanity’s last swordmaster, who has saved the world from calamity countless times.”

He’d gone toe-to-toe with a dragon who devoured a God. He’d won the war of Swordmasters. With just a sword, he had cut down many ‘absolute rulers’ and kept peace in the world.

An immortal guardian.

Recounting Limon Asphelder’s past, Li Chingwei’s heavy gaze at Wei-Ling could be felt from the other side of the curtain.

“Do you think all of that was achievable with only swordsmanship?”

“…Are you saying that I should not look down on a strong, experienced man?”

“I cannot give you a sure answer. Not even I know if his second blade is his old wisdom, or something else.”

‘I don’t know everything in this world,’ Li Chingwei had answered with a chuckle. All the ice cold tension dissipated as her light-hearted tone returned.

“But there is one thing I am certain of.”

“What is it?”

“If you keep only perceiving him as some brutish swordsman, Chao… You won’t be able to assist the Master of Swords.”

How could one who looked down on their master act as their hands and feet?

Wei-Ling hung her head—she knew. The princess’ light-hearted tone was a warning in disguise. She was advising her out of genuine concern.

“…Why?”

“Why did I put you as his assistant?”

“Why did you make the Master of Swords your husband, even going as far as to give him a high-risk company to give him more power?”

That was why Wei-Ling had to ask, despite knowing that she was overstepping. If Limon wasn’t just a plain swordsman like Li Chingwei said, that meant that his management of Guardian could very well decide if he would gain complete control over the clan.

A hesitant silence hung in the air.

“I had to.”

“You… had to?”

“Yes.” Leaning back into the bathtub, Li Chingwei looked up at the ceiling lights shining like a starry night sky. “There is a need for the Master of Swords to gain authority of our clan—of all seven clans in the Association.”

***

***

After the incident dubbed ‘The Mad Dog’s Mayhem’, Guardian’s cogs began to turn.

Ignoring how he’d gotten them, Limon had gathered quite a number of contracts. Going over them would give them work for several months, at least.

Of course, with the only two employees of Guardian being the CEO and his secretary, there was a limit to the amount of work they could handle at once.

But Wei-Ling, as competent as she always was, recruited temporary employees from Leviathan. It was closer to outsourcing, but it would give the company the ability to run like a proper security and inspections company.

It was progress. The fact that an empty shell of a company was starting to function properly was a great feat. But that didn’t mean the outcome was all positive, either.

“Have you heard what the Limon Asphelder did?”

“Who wouldn’t know in our clan? Good god, I can’t believe he would just crash subsidiaries and force contracts out because no one would give him any work to do… That goddamn lunatic.”

“They’re saying over five people almost died that day. Including Chief Wang.”

“The Shanghai royal family head?”

“That’s right. He was beaten to the brink of death without nary a chance to defend himself.”

Word of the ‘Mad Dog Mayhem’ had spread like wildfire within the Black Dragon Clan. There were many varying reactions.

“The head of the Wang family is still a master of a prestigious apostle-rank family. I can’t believe such a man was helplessly beaten… The Master of Swords still lives up to his name.”

Some feared Limon’s strength.

“I just don’t know what he’s thinking. He wasn’t angry whether he got the bribe or not. Why would anyone wreak havoc while making sure to pick up all of the bribes on his way out?”

Some were anxious about his unknown intentions.

“Plus, I heard he just leaves all the work to his subordinate and slacks. All he does is stick his head in the company every once in a while, apparently.”

Some were disgusted by his sloth.

They all had differing opinions based on the versions of the incident they heard, but the conclusion they all came to was generally the same.

“We should ask the Princess if she can keep the Master of Swords under control.”

“At the end of the day, she is the only one who can stop him.”

“The princess must exercise more caution towards the man.”

Whether it was for safety, caution, or to analyze the situation, the Black Dragon Clan ran to their princess. It was the only safe plan they had, when they didn’t know what would happen if they crossed paths with the mad dog.

And Li Chingwei, detested for being the very reason for the downfall of the clan, had skyrocketed in esteem overnight into the eye of the hurricane.

Some were suspicious about the sudden change, but that didn’t make a difference. The only way to steer clear of a powerful inspection agency was to look good in the eyes of those powerful. There was a reason why those in power in the past gave enormous power to their direct inspections agency.

There was just one problem. The more support for Li Chingwei grew, the more a certain someone’s esteem dropped exponentially.

“[You’ve got one hell of a rumor being passed about you, boss.]”

“What rumor?”

“[Well, there’s a lot. A perverted gramps lolicon, a degenerate gangster who gets off on violence, an incompetent sweetback pimp.]”

“Hm. That’s not too bad.”

“[…Then what is…?]”

“There’s no assassins, at least.”

“[What a clear line for ‘bad’ you’ve got there.]”

Limon chuckled. He didn’t care a single bit what horrible things were being said about him in the Black Dragon Clan. He was a sworn enemy of the Seven Dragons Association, to begin with. Not only was it impossible for his reputation to get any lower, it was nothing compared to the atrocities he was called in centuries past.

Rather, it was an entirely different issue that was giving Limon a migraine.

“Man, I really can’t work this one out.”

“[Can’t work what out?]”

“The violin. I thought I finally got the hang of it, but I’m not improving any more.”

“[…You do realize violinists would kill you if they’d heard you say that, right?]”

“What? I’m not wrong,” Limon said apathetically.

It was true he wasn’t progressing anymore in his lessons. It was like there was a brick wall in front of him.

But Yoo Na-kyung looked baffled.

“[Because there’s obviously nothing more to learn. Did you not hear what Julia said? There’s nothing more to teaching you!]”

“That’s just in terms of technicality. I still lack in other aspects compared to Julia.”

“[Don’t you think it’s abnormal in the first place to compare yourself to one of the top violinists in the world after just a single month of lessons?]”

“I mean, I can’t help it,” Limon said bluntly. He glanced over at the box with the abyssal black violin inside. “I need to grow my skills no matter what to defeat the curse of this violin.”

——n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

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