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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Rumble.
The maze in the lobby crumbled. The warped building reverted to its original form. Li Chingwei, feeling the restrictions on her movements lift, sighed softly.
“It’s finally over.”
“Shall we disengage the formation?”
“Yes. We’ve captured all the intruders.”
Yo Ouin, with Li Chingwei’s permission, gestured to the Silent Dragon Unit.
A moment later, the Leviathan shimmered, and the darkness surrounding the building dissipated, revealing a large contingent of warriors in plain clothes, forming a tight encirclement.
“We should thank them for their assistance. They must be busy with the affiliates, yet they came to our aid.”
“There’s no need for thanks. Aiding the Princess is our duty.”
“Doing one’s duty is something to be grateful for.”
Li Chingwei smiled.
The attacks on the affiliates hadn’t ceased with Ryu Kang-chul’s death. Those without Guardian contracts, lacking Infinity Guild’s protection, had suffered heavy casualties.
These warriors had come to her aid despite the chaos, a gesture she appreciated, especially considering how she had been ostracized by the clan for her association with Limon.
‘At least I don’t have to worry about the clan’s support for now.’
She didn’t believe their sudden display of loyalty was genuine. It was likely motivated by Limon’s display of power.
Having witnessed the Sword Saint’s might, they were now eager to curry favor, realizing that his sword could be turned against them if they opposed his engagement to her.
But it didn’t matter. Whether genuine or not, their obedience was enough.
They were the Black Dragon Clan, masters of schemes and intrigue, and she was their princess.
“Doing what’s expected is surprisingly difficult.”
“You think so?”
“If those intruders had done what was expected of them, they wouldn’t have been able to set foot in the Leviathan so easily.”
“…Indeed, you are right.”
Yo Ouin readily agreed.
The Specters of the Liberation Brigade, including Vellus, had been so focused on the Seven Dragons Association’s reputation that they hadn’t properly investigated the Leviathan itself.
Vellus hadn’t realized that even without Limon’s intervention, he wouldn’t have escaped alive.
The Leviathan, fortified with dragon formations, magical barriers, and spirit guardians, a fortress built with the Seven Dragons Association’s vast resources, a place even Sword Masters hesitated to approach…
“Can I leave the rest to you?”
“Yes, please rest assured. I will handle everything.”
Yo Ouin, despite his broken arm, answered calmly. Li Chingwei didn’t question his ability.
He was the General Manager of the Leviathan for a reason. She could entrust the aftermath to him and focus on other matters. Matters like dealing with a certain temporary security guard.
“Should I address you as Infinite Monarch?”
“Please, call me whatever you like.”
“No, I can’t do that.”
Addressing a Monarch so casually could easily be misconstrued as disrespect, a scandal she couldn’t afford. Both she and Lee Cheon-gi, leaders of the Seven Dragons Association and the Ten Great Guilds, wielded immense influence.
Their every action was scrutinized.
“Frankly, I’m surprised.”
“Surprised by what?”
“I didn’t expect you to be so… diligent.”
It was a valid observation.
Even securing a security contract with a Ten Great Guild was a remarkable feat. For a Monarch to personally act as a security guard was unprecedented, even for Li Chingwei, who had hired him.
Lee Cheon-gi’s answer was simple.
“My employer is… rather demanding. I wouldn’t want to risk slacking off.”
“I see. Showing off wouldn’t have worked with him.”
Li Chingwei chuckled, recalling Limon’s complaints about the exorbitant fee paid to Infinity Guild.
If Lee Cheon-gi had pretended to fight, Limon would have called him a fraud and likely dealt with him personally.
“You seem to know the Sword Saint well.”
“Of course. I’m his fiancée.”
It was only natural for a bride-to-be to know her fiancé. She tilted her head.
“You seem to have something you want to ask about him.”
“Not particularly, but there is something I’d like to know.”
“For example, why he spared you, a Monarch, while killing his former friend?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s obvious.”
She didn’t need to read his mind. His gaze, fixed on Eugene’s body ever since he arrived, had revealed the nature of his question.
“Can you tell me why?”
“Yes. The reason he spared you is quite simple.”
Li Chingwei nodded.
It was an answer anyone familiar with Limon would know. But an answer Lee Cheon-gi, despite his intelligence, would likely never realize on his own. She smiled sweetly.
“Because you’re a fool.”
“…I wasn’t looking for a joke.”
Lee Cheon-gi, after a moment of silence, replied softly, his composure commendable despite the absurdity of her answer.
“Fortunately, I wasn’t joking.”
Li Chingwei’s smile didn’t waver. She was being completely serious. She explained her reasoning, why she considered him a fool.
“When the Sword Saint summoned you to the Blue House, you went alone.”
“You’re calling me a fool because of that?”
“Yes. Challenging a Sword Master to a one-on-one duel is something no one has dared to do in centuries.”
“…”
Lee Cheon-gi fell silent.
Before meeting Limon, he might have dismissed her words. But having fought him, he now understood what a Sword Master truly was.
Facing a Sword Master alone was like jumping naked into an active volcano and trying to swim to the other side of the earth. And considering how such an act would be perceived… calling him a ‘fool’ was an understatement.
“…And that foolishness is why he spared me?”
“Yes. Because of that foolishness, he saw you not as an enemy, but as a challenger, seeking to reach the pinnacle of power.”
If Lee Cheon-gi had truly been the mastermind behind the hostage situation and the trap, he wouldn’t have faced Limon alone.
He would have prepared a strategy, layers of contingencies. A schemer, who relied on plots and machinations, and an absolute ruler, who relied on his own power, thought differently.
By appearing before Limon alone, he had proven his innocence.
“And the Sword Saint is generally lenient towards such pure challengers.”
“Why?”
A king threatened by rebellion wouldn’t show mercy.
Why was Limon different?
Li Chingwei smiled.
“Do you think an elephant would be enraged by an ant bite and vow to crush it?”
“Even an ant can kill a lion if it bites in the right place.”
“Yes, but not if it challenges the lion to a duel.”
“…”
Lee Cheon-gi, slightly offended by the analogy, offered a rebuttal, then fell silent.
Li Chingwei chuckled.
“That’s why the Sword Saint is indifferent to challenges and personal threats. He doesn’t even perceive them as such.”
A king executed rebels to instill fear and maintain his power. But a true absolute ruler didn’t need such theatrics.
He could defend his throne against any challenger, any number of times, with his own power.
“If the Sword Saint had eliminated every challenger who sought his position… well, I imagine most of the existing nations would have been destroyed long ago.”
“…That seems like an exaggeration.”
“Many nations and organizations have challenged his authority.”
During the chaotic Heroic Age, many nations, seeking to dominate the world with a Sword Master at their command, had clashed with Limon, the master of the Sword Tower.
To those who sought to monopolize the ultimate asymmetrical weapon, a Sword Master, the Sword Tower, offering its teachings to all of humanity, was an obstacle.
If Limon hadn’t ended those conflicts swiftly and decisively, the world’s history would have been different.
“Of course, those who resorted to underhanded tactics and harmed innocents paid the price.”
Limon’s true wrath was reserved for those who harmed the innocent, those who targeted those close to him. And those who incurred his wrath never escaped punishment.
Li Chingwei’s gaze met Lee Cheon-gi’s, hidden behind his hair.
“He took your eye not because you challenged him, but as a warning. You lost innocent subordinates because of your foolishness.”
“…I see.”
Lee Cheon-gi finally understood.
Limon’s words, dismissing him as too foolish to be punished, were meant literally.
If he had been even remotely involved in Na-kyung’s death, he would be dead. And he finally understood why Limon, among all the Sword Masters, was called the Guardian of Humanity.
A being capable of destroying nations on a whim, yet choosing not to… it was a reason for reverence.
“Have I answered your question?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then you should understand the warning I’m about to give you.”
“…What warning?”
“Don’t mistake his mercy for weakness.”
Li Chingwei smiled sweetly.
“Keep that in mind, Infinite Monarch.”
Her voice was calm and steady, but her eyes, devoid of any warmth, were deep and dark as a swamp.
“I’m not as merciful as he is.”
Her demeanor was casual, as if she were discussing tea and snacks, but her words were chilling.
“If you betray his trust and raise your sword against him again, if you forget his warning and become a puppet once more…”
“…I will use the full force of the Seven Dragons Association to destroy you.”
Lee Cheon-gi, nodding slowly, thought to himself, a domineering fiancé and a threatening fiancée, a match made in heaven.
“Oh, and while we’re at it, I have a question.”
Li Chingwei, satisfied that her warning had been received, continued casually, as if she had just remembered something.
“Why were you targeting me before I met the Sword Saint?”
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