Solo Swordmaster

Episode #218. Because it’s natural.

* * *

“…”

Rose thought.

Originally, the seven dragons treated psionics as if they were breathing.

It was just that they created seventy-two kinds of people in order to pass that method on to humans.

And if you put Limon on the same level as the dragon, it’s not impossible to learn how to handle the psionic essence unconsciously.

I can also understand why performance was the way to go.

If it’s a form of swordsmanship or martial arts, the blade of the dragon slayer sword can cause a collision with the dragon psionic.

Besides, if the deep-dark violin had awakened the dragon psionic, playing would have been the most effective way to deal with the psionic.

In other words, that was the best solution the sword master’s instinct found.

“Of course, this is all just speculation.”

It was only the conclusion I came to after trying to figure out why Limon had dragon psionics.

It’s not like there’s any clear reason.

Rose looked at Li Qingyu as he spoke with a smile, and eventually let out a sigh.

“…surely the most logical conjecture, I admit.”

Dragon psionics have been dormant in Limon for almost a thousand years, and it has only recently awakened due to a few coincidences.

It was absurd, but there was no other way to explain this reality.

At least, it was a more convincing hypothesis than that Limon suddenly got dragon psionics.

“But Li Qingyu doesn’t prove your innocence.”

The problem is twofold.

One is that there is no guarantee that Li Qingyu did not know about it originally.

In particular, considering that he maintained the world peace plan while selling off nearly half of his shares in Leviathan, it is more reasonable to say that he knew everything from the beginning and arranged everything.

And another one…

“Anyway, it’s true that you’ve been hiding something about the eighth dragon psionic all along, isn’t it?”

Rose questioned Li Qingyu again with a stern face.

The eighth dragon psionic is also related to the long-cherished wish of the entire Seven Dragons.

Originally, as soon as it was discovered, it was necessary to convene the Seven Dragon Branches and inform all the princesses to discuss future policies on how to deal with it.

But what if you hid this fact?

It was a betrayal that would never be forgiven.

Even if she was the princess of the Seven Dragons… no, especially since she was a princess.

“Certainly there is no excuse for that.”

“Why did you hide that fact?”

“Well, why?”

Li Qingyu chuckled.

Then, in a playful tone, he asked again.

“Tell me about it, Rose. Why would I have to hide it?”

Even though the blade is stuck to my throat.

Looking at Li Qingyu, who seemed calm and unaware of his existence, Rose frowned.

It wasn’t because he was stunned by the boldness of even joking in the midst of this, but because it was such an important issue.

I wonder if it was the Golden Dragon Princess.

If Li Qingyu, the most cunning member of the Seven Dragons, did this at the risk of his clan being annihilated, he must have had a good reason.

And as for the reason, Rose also had a guess.

“…Are you worried about greed?”

“That is also the reason.”

One more time to nod.

Li Qingyu continued speaking in a calm voice.

“The swordsmith is the first holder of the dragon psionic discovered besides the seven of us. He may be the last retainer.”

“There is no guarantee that this will be the case.”

“Is it really so?”

“…”

Rose was silent.

The Seven Dragons have been working hard to create the eighth dragon psionic for over a thousand years.

However, even the genius of a noble family or a class master who inherited a lot of dragon blood couldn’t even come close to the essence of psionics.

And according to Li Qingyu’s guess, it was a natural result.

“If the psionic essence could only be obtained through the true blood of the ancestors, only three people other than us would have been able to do so in a thousand years.”

“You mean the three sword masters who fought against the ancestor?”

“yes. But the other two have already died a long time ago.”

The first sword master, Sword Emperor, who led two disciples to confront seven dragons and slashed three dragons in the last sword dragon war.

An apprentice of the sword master who terrorized the world by slaughtering one-tenth of humanity, and the worst sword master in history, the Sword Demon.

Now that the two of them are dead, only the swordsman is alive despite being bathed in the dragon’s blood.

Even if they search for another thousand years, there will be no more humans who can obtain the essence of psionics.

Li Qingyu, who spoke calmly, added a question to that.

“If we know that there will never be a dragon psionic holder again, can we still have a calm discussion?”

The seven princesses of the Seven Dragons.

The head of the seven clans, the world’s largest criminal organization before it was the world’s largest conglomerate.

As one of them, Li Qingyu smiled.

“Or will we fight to get our hands on the last sold-out item?”

it was never a fluke.

Even though they are tied together as the same Seven Dragons, they are originally different organizations. Depending on the situation, it could be confrontational.

Even more so, if the 8th dragon psionic was hanging, there was no need to say anything more.

Still, Rose didn’t hesitate to answer.

“That won’t happen.”

“Why?”

Li Qingyu tilted her head.

“I will stop any disputes in the Seven Dragons.”

“Is that really possible?”

“Even if it is not possible, we will make it possible.”

Hearing Rose’s firm words, Li Qingyu made a strange expression.

It was so reckless and absurd that even the Golden Dragon Princess couldn’t carelessly assert it.

But she finally nodded.

“Rose, you really could be.”

The Blue Dragon Clan is the conscience of the Seven Dragons.

Because of their righteous character and upright personality, they had a lot of friction with other clans, but they have built up deep trust beyond that.

If Rose, the princess of the blue dragon clan, intervened, the worst could be avoided.

However, Li Qingyu added a condition to it.

“However, if the other princess misunderstands the eighth dragon psionic like you now.”

“…what illusion?”

“It’s a simple story.”

Li Qingyu chuckled.

And he gave a light hint to Rose, who was looking at him with suspicious eyes.

“Of the seven ancestors of our Seven Dragons, the Sword Emperor was the first to challenge and single-handedly defeat Jibaekryonghyungun.”

“…?”

For a moment, I wondered why he was mentioning such an obvious fact.

Rose hardened her face.

Because I felt a strange sense of discomfort.

The unpleasant feeling that you have missed something very important.

Rose, who was retracing the story she had heard from Li Qingyu from the beginning to find the reason, was shocked as if she had been struck by lightning.

“…!!!”

“Did you realize it now?”

astonished

distrust.

thrill.

fear.

excitement.

Li Qingyu laughed at Rose, whose face was hardened with many mixed feelings.

Then he asked, looking straight into her lake-blue eyes.

“Rose, can you bet you can still convince the other princesses?”

Although she was definitely the one holding the sword to Li Qingyu’s throat.

Rather, as if she had been stabbed in the heart by an invisible blade, Rose only pursed her lips with a pale face, then bit her back.

finally realized

If Limon’s secret is known, the conflict between the princesses will never be avoided.

No, it’s rather fortunate that it ends in a dispute.

In the worst case, the Seven Dragons could be torn apart, and a slaughter battle could break out.

“So… you were hiding something about the swordsmith’s dragon psionic? To prevent the Seven Dragons from being torn apart?”

“Not the most important reason.”

“What is the more important reason than this?”

“Because of the person who will be the biggest victim if the information about the psionic essence is known.”

Rose fell silent in a different way than before.

I knew who she was talking about as soon as I heard it.

Of course he is strong.

To the extent that they have been fighting against the Seven Dragons for hundreds of years and have always won.

But that was the story when the Seven Dragons fought normally.

What if the entire Seven Dragons did not even care about the continuation of the clan and rushed in cooperation with each other with the determination to drop everything?

Even if you win, you won’t be safe.

Especially in this modern society where money and power are important.

“Rose, can you risk all this and tell the truth?”

“….”

If it was her before, she would have answered firmly anyway.

Nothing should take precedence over the long-cherished wish of the Seven Dragons, and what they need to think about is not whether to hide this fact or not, but how to prevent a riot.

But now?

Rose, who was making a complicated expression, suddenly lowered her gaze.

Then he looked down at his right hand holding the sword, to be exact, at the back of his hand, and spoke in a firm voice.

“…I’m the only one who noticed about the dragon psionics. But his psionics themselves were felt by all of the servant-class clan in London.”

“Is that so too?”

“My clan has been shut down, but you know very well that it would be useless.”

“I guess so.”

Li Qingyu nodded.

It was already expected.

In the past, when Limon used the Violin of Darkness to ‘predict’ the attack of the Liberation Brigade’s ghosts.

Youin, who was also there, sensed Limon’s psionic power and was stunned.

If he had even noticed that it was the essence of psionics, he might have had a heart attack or a coin intoxication.

And London is the heart of the British Empire.

It was a key point where each clan dispatched a class master, and that also meant that other princesses were also given information, albeit fragmentarily.

There is information about violinist Lee who handles psionics in a completely different way from the seventy-two kinds.

In fact, that alone was enough reason for the princesses of the Seven Dragons to show their greed.

“Ultimately, it is only a matter of time.”

“i know.”

“And you know very well what will happen to the other princesses when they find out the truth.”

Li Qingyu smiled at Rose, who spoke with a hard face.

“They will try to tear me apart.”

“…At least I won’t be tearing them to death alive.”

“Is it really so?”

Rose couldn’t answer.

No other princess will ever believe her words. They’d think they lied to them when they knew everything from the start.

Because she was the Black Dragon Princess.

Rose knew all too well how frantic they would be if that happened.

Because…

“At least you seemed to want to.”

“…what do you mean?”

“Be honest, Rose.”

Li Qingyu raised his hand.

It’s like touching a wonderful piece of art.

She asked quietly as she ran her finger through Rose’s sword pointed at her neck.

“Did you really never think for a moment that you wanted to cut me with this sword?”

“…”

“Isn’t it possible that among the reasons you secretly came to me, there was an expectation that you might be able to ‘process’ me without anyone noticing?”

It’s an outrageous speculation. It was an insult that the Blue Dragon Princess, who values honor and pride, could not bear.

Even so, Rose couldn’t say a word of objection. The moment

I realized Limon’s identity and

felt the dragon psionic.

One of the first things she did.

―Because it was to suppress the urge to tear Li Qingyu to pieces right away.

“There is nothing to be ashamed of. As a princess of the Seven Dragons, it is natural.”

Rose’s sword swayed and lightly cut Li Qingyu’s finger, which was running through the blade.

But she wasn’t surprised.

Rather, he just slightly curled his lips as he watched his own blood flow down the blade.

“You are jealous of me.”