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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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[I’m going to check on the children…]
Pop!
Na-kyung, looking exhausted after Limon’s shocking declaration, teleported away. Shortly after, an unexpected visitor arrived.
“Did your conversation with Clan Leader Wang go well?”
“…What are you doing here?”
Li Chingwei, entering the reception room, tilted her head at Limon’s grumpy question.
“Is this a bad time?”
“No, it’s not the timing. What about the rest of the work?”
“I delegated the document sorting to other clan members, but it’s taking longer than expected. I came down to take a short break.”
“You can process documents without sorting them.”
“It’s a matter of efficiency.”
She replied casually, explaining that proper rest was essential for optimal performance. Limon gave her a dubious look, then glanced at the cart she had brought with her.
“Is that why you’re here? With all that?”
“A tea break with refreshments is more effective.”
“That’s a rather elaborate ‘tea break.’”
A steaming teapot, a seven-tiered cake stand, assorted snacks… it was more of a tea party than a simple break. Limon scratched his cheek as Li Chingwei wheeled the cart inside, replying casually,
“There’s something to celebrate. We don’t have time for a party, so this will have to do.”
“…You didn’t come with me earlier because you were preparing this?”
“Perhaps.”
Li Chingwei smiled enigmatically, setting out the refreshments and pouring tea.
“Congratulations on subduing the Shanghai Royal Family, Sword Saint.”
“Is that something to celebrate?”
“Of course. You now have a faction within the Seven Dragons Association loyal only to you.”
Li Chingwei smiled sweetly. Until now, Limon’s authority within the Black Dragon Clan had been derived from his engagement to her.
Even Guardian was operating out of a building she had provided, staffed with personnel she had assigned.
But now, things were different. He had proven his power as a Sword Master, and he had acquired the Shanghai Royal Family’s forces.
No one within the Black Dragon Clan would underestimate him now. He finally had a foundation, a foothold within the Seven Dragons Association.
“The Shanghai Royal Family’s power and wealth are considerable. They’re more than enough to serve as your vanguard.”
The Shanghai Royal Family, a prestigious clan with assets exceeding those of many corporations, possessed considerable resources and manpower, enough to maintain their own martial forces.
If the Seven Dragons Association were an empire, and each clan a kingdom, the Shanghai Royal Family was a powerful vassal, controlling its own territory. And Limon had just acquired that territory. It was a significant gain.
Even the most skilled knight was just a swordsman without land. But a lord, with his own domain, could contend for power. The Shanghai Royal Family was just the beginning.
With them as his foundation, he could expand his influence, accumulating wealth and power, like countless warlords throughout history who had risen from humble beginnings.
“And among the Constellation powers you’ve acquired, there’s one that will be particularly useful for expanding your influence.”
Limon’s victory had brought him more than just fame and the Shanghai Royal Family.
The power he had absorbed from Ryu Kang-chul, Eugene, and Vellus’s Constellations had greatly expanded his capabilities. But the most significant gain was his mastery of the Black Abyssal Violin.
He had assimilated the power of three Constellations with a single performance for Eugene.
And for both Limon and Li Chingwei, this was crucial. With the side effects of absorbing starlight gone, he could now slay Constellations without limit.
“With so many gains, how could I not congratulate you?”
Li Chingwei beamed, as if she were the one who had benefited.
Limon chuckled.
“Then the congratulations shouldn’t be limited to me.”
He took the teapot from her hand. Li Chingwei blinked, surprised, then smiled, offering her teacup.
He poured her tea, saying calmly,
“Congratulations on regaining control of your clan, Black Dragon Princess.”
“The elders still hold considerable power. It’s a bit premature to celebrate.”
“It’s just a matter of time.”
Limon smiled.
Li Chingwei’s gains were even greater than his. She had dispelled the decades-long distrust within the clan and reclaimed her authority as a princess.
And in the Seven Dragons Association, a criminal organization with roots in a religious cult, the princess’s authority was absolute. It was remarkable that she had orchestrated this entire incident, risking her own position, just to secure Limon.
“You used this incident well.”
“A crisis is an opportunity.”
Li Chingwei clinked her teacup against his, continuing calmly,
“As you said, regaining control of the clan is just a matter of time. There are other things to worry about.”
“The Liberation Brigade?”
“Yes.”
Limon wasn’t surprised. He had been discussing them with Na-kyung.
“Do you think we can track them down?”
“Frankly, it will be difficult with just the Black Dragon Clan’s resources.”
“I figured as much.”
The Liberation Brigade was a ghost-like organization, evading even the world’s most powerful intelligence agencies. And they had proven their strength by disrupting not just the affiliates, but the Leviathan itself, with just three members.
Of course, they wouldn’t have been so brazen in the Central 77 Federation, where the Black Dragon Clan’s influence was weaker, a mere branch compared to their main headquarters, a nation protected by Limon for centuries.
But even considering that, they were a dangerous enemy, difficult to find, and even harder to capture, even for Grand Duke-level experts.
“And there’s something else I’m worried about.”
“Worried? You?”
Limon raised an eyebrow.
Worry seemed out of character for the cunning Black Dragon Princess.
“Do you remember when we first met? The Infinite Monarch was pursuing me.”
“Hmm… yes, now that you mention it.”
He had been preoccupied with collecting his blood debt at the time, but it wasn’t something to be ignored.
For a Monarch, an absolute ruler, to target Li Chingwei was a provocation that could escalate into a war with the Seven Dragons Association.
“I asked him about it when we met earlier. Why he was pursuing me.”
“And what was his excuse?”
“He said he wanted a treasure of the Black Dragon Clan that I possess.”
Limon’s eyebrows shot up.
He stared at her, then asked seriously,
“What treasure?”
“I wonder.”
Li Chingwei tilted her head, mirroring his expression of curiosity.
“He described it as a supreme treasure containing the power of our ancestors, capable of granting its owner absolute power.”
“…I’ve fought you people for centuries, and I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Limon’s frown deepened.
“How strange. I’m a princess of the Seven Dragons Association, and I’ve never heard of it either.”
Li Chingwei chuckled, as if sharing his bewilderment.
“So, I asked him where he heard this rumor, and he gave me an interesting name.”
“…Don’t tell me it’s him.”
“Yes, Director Park, Park Hyun-gun, the one you personally dealt with.”
Limon’s expression turned complex.
“It’s not surprising. He was in charge of managing Infinity Guild for the Infinite Monarch. All important information went through him.”
“But what if the information was false?”
“Indeed.”
“…For a Monarch to believe such a dubious rumor, it must have been convincing.”
“And few organizations could fabricate and disseminate such information without alerting even the Ten Great Guilds.”
“And he…”
“Had connections to the Liberation Brigade.”
The fact that Park Hyun-gun had used the Liberation Brigade’s headquarters as a trap, planting explosives and luring Limon there, was proof of their connection.
It was plausible that the Liberation Brigade had used him to spread misinformation.
“So, the Liberation Brigade used him to instigate a conflict between Infinity Guild and you?”
“Perhaps. But I don’t know if their goal was simply conflict, or something more.”
Li Chingwei shook her head.
Park Hyun-gun was dead, and even if he were alive, he wouldn’t have known the Liberation Brigade’s true motives. She had brought this up for another reason.
“The important thing is that the Liberation Brigade might have infiltrated other Ten Great Guilds as well.”
“Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?”
“Based on a single example, yes.”
Traitors could be found anywhere.
“But what if a Specter of the Liberation Brigade claimed that even if the Seven Dragons Association fell, the Ten Great Guilds wouldn’t intervene?”
“…Are you sure?”
“I used the Soul-Snatching Demonic Eye Style to extract that information.”
“Damn it…”
Limon cursed.
He knew the power of the Soul-Snatching Demonic Eye Style, a technique so potent it could force even a Specter like Vellus to reveal such a secret.
“If the Ten Great Guilds are involved with the Liberation Brigade, this is beyond the Black Dragon Clan’s ability to handle.”
The Ten Great Guilds were the dominant power in this era. Even with their numerous high-level players, the Liberation Brigade, a mere criminal organization, shouldn’t have been a threat.
But if they had infiltrated the upper echelons of the Ten Great Guilds, as they had done with Lee Cheon-gi through Park Hyun-gun… they might be facing a much larger threat than they had anticipated.
“Yes, it is, with just the Black Dragon Clan’s resources.”
Li Chingwei readily admitted their limitations. But Limon caught the underlying implication.
“…So, you’re saying you need the entire Seven Dragons Association to deal with the Liberation Brigade.”
“Exactly.”
It wasn’t a new concept.
The Liberation Brigade had simply accelerated the need for it. From the moment they decided to confront the Constellations, uniting the Seven Dragons Association was inevitable.
The problem was how.
“You don’t have the authority to mobilize the entire Seven Dragons Association, do you?”
“No.”
The Black Dragon Clan had sold nearly half of the Leviathan’s shares.
Li Chingwei’s influence within the Seven Dragons Association was severely diminished.
“So, you have to convince the other heirs… is that even possible?”
“Not through conventional means.”
“And unconventional means won’t work either.”
Limon frowned.
Even he couldn’t force the other princesses to cooperate. If they could be swayed by threats or coercion, they wouldn’t have opposed him for centuries.
They needed their voluntary cooperation, which was unlikely, especially with Li Chingwei, engaged to their sworn enemy, as their advocate.
“I thought so too… but…”
“…Why the past tense?”
Limon, seeing her strange expression, was puzzled.
“I’m not certain, but I believe there’s a chance I can persuade at least one of them.”
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