Solo Swordmaster

Episode #233. No wonder.

* * *

After the banquet.

After receiving Maia’s instructions, Barbara leads them to their lodgings, until Hermann enters his room with a tired face.

Unable to hide her bewildered expression, Yuna-kyung opened her beak only after a while.

[I have a lot of questions about that, but I’ll ask this one first.]

Yuna-kyung closed her beak.

And after taking a breath for a while, he cried out in astonishment.

[Team leader, did you even know how to say honorifics?!]

Limon’s response to Yuna-kyung’s astonishment, which erupted after a very long time difference, was to snap her fingers.

Fuck!

[Aww, why are you hitting me!]

“Why are you hitting me? It’s because I’m offended by you treating the sky-like team leader as a beast who doesn’t know manners.”

[No, but you’ve never done that before, right?]

Yuna-kyung pointed out sharply.

Even after living with Limon for several years, both before and after her birth, this was the first time she had heard him speak in an honorific way.

However, Limon’s attitude was calm.

“I did it because there was no reason to do that.”

[There’s no reason, even with Syr and Count’s sister, she just stopped talking!]

“The case is different now than it was then.”

[What’s the difference?]

“It’s literally the difference between needing and not needing.”

After hearing Limon’s answer, Yuna-kyung couldn’t help but be more confused.

It’s just spitting out words against normal people. Considering Limon’s age, it’s understandable.

However, it is standard for him to speak unflatteringly even to Sir, who is the elder, and even when he infiltrated the Countess Sea Serpent, Limon never properly treated him with respect.

Because I couldn’t understand why it was different this time.

[Oh good. Let’s skip the issue of honorifics for now… Then what about the deal?]

“What deal are you talking about?”

[What an amazing deal you agreed to serve as that scary sister’s slave for ten days! What did you think of that?]

“It was because Green Dragon Princess would heal the sculptor man.”

[That’s it, but…]

Yuna-kyung stuttered without realizing it.

In fact, Limon had no choice but to accept her offer in order to receive Maia’s treatment in the situation where Li Ching-yu had been refused the deal itself.

[Does this make sense in the first place? Where in the world is there a case where a life is demanded in exchange for treatment!]

Eventually, she swerved.

He decided to argue with Maia, who was not present, rather than deal with the old man verbally.

It was a perfect example of saying that even the king curses at a place where he is not present.

The problem was Limon’s reaction.

“What is so strange about it? That’s pretty common.”

[Yes?]

Yuna-kyung hardened at the unexpected answer.

To her, Limon said coldly.

“Have you never heard of a family who committed suicide because of hospital bills?”

[That and this are different things.]

“Really? Then, what about the case of borrowing money to pay off hospital bills and then becoming a debtor for the rest of your life, or dying without being able to receive treatment because there are no hospital bills at all?”

[That’s…]

Yuna-kyung was speechless.

She, too, is from an orphanage.

I have seen the director suffer from headaches because of the hospital bills whenever the children are seriously ill.

“Rather than demanding unreasonable medical expenses, it would be more merciful for ordinary people to become slaves and let them heal with their bodies.”

Limon quietly added another word.

Originally, there are two types of people who visit the green dragon family because of illness.

They are those who are suffering from an incurable or incurable disease, or who cannot afford hospital bills even if they can be treated.

Apart from the latter, the former treatment cost was usually difficult for ordinary people to afford.

What if you could get a chance to be treated directly by Maia, one of the richest people in the world, to the extent of becoming a slave?

It could have been rather unfair.

Whether money rots and I am rich.

Whether it’s the poor who don’t have money to buy medicine.

Because everyone has only one life.

“Furthermore, you seem to think too simplistically about slaves, but what the green dragon clan refers to as slaves is more like a kind of job.”

[…your job?]

“Yes.”

Limon said calmly.

In his long life, he has seen slavery in many cultures.

And among them, there were surprisingly many cases where being a slave was not taken seriously.

No matter how hard it is to make a living, if you become a slave, you are guaranteed food, clothing and shelter.

Of course, there were cases that were worse than death, such as war slaves, criminal slaves, or American white slaves.

However, on the contrary, in places where the system was well established, slaves were not only given wages, but they could buy their freedom at any time by collecting the wages and ransoming themselves.

Even slaves with special skills or expertise negotiated their own wages and retired with huge fortunes.

And the slavery of the green dragon clan was relatively guaranteed human rights.

[In short, being a slave of the Green Dragon clan is a professional job with guaranteed lifetime employment?]

“Something similar. The difference is that the slaves of the Green Dragon clan sell freedom and loyalty, just as modern hospitality sells smiles and kindness to customers.”

[No matter how much, I think there is a big difference between the service industry and slavery…]

“Okay. From what I can see, it seems to be there?”

Whether to be a slave to money and company.

Or will you become a slave to a person?

Except for that difference, I’ve seen many office workers who are just like slaves in the past, or even worse than slaves.

Limon said sullenly.

And remembering the days of PAB, when overtime was a daily routine, he smiled at Yuna-gyeong, who had a mysterious expression.

“Well, if you don’t agree, that’s okay. Because the point is simple.”

[The point?]

“Only those who have someone they want to heal, even at the cost of their freedom or risking their lives, need only come to the Green Dragon Princess.”

[…Since the team leader agreed, did you accept the proposal?]

“There’s no reason not to agree. All you have to do is serve as a slave for ten days at most.”

Limon snorted.

No matter what anyone says, he is Noh Kang-ho.

He was a cunning old man who could put down his petty pride and use everything from ambush to deceit without hesitation if necessary.

If I hadn’t been able to do that much, I would have died fighting the Seven Dragons or other sword masters long ago.

Compared to that, being a slave for 10 days wasn’t too difficult considering I was doing a part-time job.

“Actually, what I don’t agree with is something else.”

[Yes?]

Limon slowly looked back at Yuna-kyung, who was puzzled by the meaningless words.

And then he opened his mouth.

“Princess, what were you thinking when you said that?”

The black-haired girl, Li Qingyu, who had been silent until now, tilted her head at Limon’s question.

“What are you talking about?”

“The offer to pay for the treatment with your body.”

“That, of course, is the same reason that the Swordsman accepted Maia’s proposal.”

Li Qingyu smiled and replied.

However, Limon narrowed his eyes when he saw her with a calm smile as always.

“Trying to heal that sculptor nobleman? Are you saying you made such an outrageous offer just for that reason?”

“Yes, because that was the best way.”

“It’s the best…”

Take a moment to ponder the answer.

Limon nodded.

“Yes, if you thought so, that would have been for the best.”

Knowing the relationship between the Seven Dragons, he was able to guess many things.

At first, Lee Qing-wi’s intention to alleviate the conditions of the clinical trial through careful negotiations after deliberately offering an unacceptable price.

Even if he hadn’t stepped forward, Maia would have accepted Li Qingyu’s proposal in the end.

She is the Black Dragon Princess.

Because she was the smartest and deepest girl in the clan, specializing in scheming and intrigue.

So Limon looked straight at Li Qingyu with deep sunken eyes.

“In that sense, there is something I want to ask… Princess, what are you hiding?”

[Yes?]

Yuna-kyung was confused.

It’s not like a husband who has any doubts.

It was because he couldn’t understand why Limon was suddenly asking Li Qingyu such a question.

However, Li Qingyu was neither surprised nor embarrassed.

I just asked calmly.

“Why do you think I am hiding something?”

“There are many reasons.”

Limon replied calmly.

Even when he dared to come along to persuade the Green Dragon Princess, he felt something strange.

The Black Dragon clan was busy dealing with the damage caused by the Liberation Brigade’s attack.

Even more so, it was quite unreasonable for Li Qingyu to be away in this yard, which was even busier due to the aftermath of the London crisis.

“It’s like saying that making such an outrageous proposal to the green dragon princess was the best thing to do.”

Li Qingyu’s method may not be bad if you think about it only for the purpose of treating Hermann.

But what if you think about the relationship between the other clans and the reaction of the Black Dragon clan when they find out about this?

It was hard to think of it as the best.

From the beginning, the fact that she, the Black Dragon Princess, took herself as a test subject was humiliating enough to be recorded as a shame from generation to generation.

Nevertheless, if Li Qingyu said it was the best way, there is only one conclusion.

There was a reason that Limon didn’t know.

Even if he had to endure a lot of burden, he had to end the transaction with the green dragon princess in line with Li Qing-wi.

“What was strangest of all was that the green dragon clan’s child who had met me earlier avoided answering when I asked if I was an attendant.”

“…Did you notice?”

“There’s no way you wouldn’t notice. The fact that he didn’t deny it is obvious that he wanted to misunderstand the green dragon clan.”

A resolute denial is sometimes more convincing than a positivity.

But what if you neither affirm nor deny?

You can confuse your opponent.

And Limon had a vague idea of what confusion Li Qingyu intended.

“For example, misunderstanding that I might be a member of the Black Dragon clan.”

[The Black Dragon Clan? The team leader?]

Yuna-kyung was taken aback.

I never imagined that Limon, in disguise, would be misunderstood such an outrageous thing, even if he had dark hair.

However, Li Qingyu did not deny Limon’s speculation.

It seems I understand now.

He just nodded slowly.

“…So that’s why you acted like that on purpose.”

“You can’t put candles on the bride-to-be, can you?”

Limon said sullenly.

If it wasn’t for Li Qingyu’s intentions, no matter how urgent the treatment was, he wouldn’t have bothered to act like that.

That’s why he quietly questioned her.

“The problem is, no matter how much I think about it, I don’t know why you intended such a misunderstanding.”

“…”

“So, please explain. What are you hiding from me and why?”

Limon calmly says that if he has a reason to agree, he will continue to participate in the skit.

Seeing him, Li Qingyu felt a strange feeling.

If you hide a secret and make something up, you usually get angry and look at it, but first of all, ask why.

For Li Qingyu, who, as the Black Dragon Princess, was accustomed to deceiving everyone and being guarded against, that trust was too unfamiliar.

Especially since the owner of that trust is Limon, not anyone else.

That’s why Li Qingyu smiled.

“I can’t tell you.”

“…whether it’s the purpose of following me, the secrets I’m hiding from me, or the reason why I misunderstood me as a member of the Black Dragon clan. Are you saying you can’t say anything?”

“Not even one of you.”

Maybe because it was such an unexpected answer?

Looking at Li Mon, who raised his eyebrows slightly, Li Qingyu smiled bitterly inside.

All of that is related to dragon psionics after all. It was a secret that could never be told only to Limon.

Even if this meant losing Limon’s trust.

So Li Qingyu smiled and made up his mind.

A cold-blooded interrogation like a blade.

Unbelief as cold as ice.

“Well, if that’s the case.”

“…yes?”

But the next moment.

What Li Qingyu received was an answer that was far beyond her expectations.

“You said you couldn’t tell me? Then what should I do? I have to accept it.”

I don’t know if anyone else

If you said you couldn’t say it, there must be a reason for that.

So even if you don’t agree, blink your eyes while watching Limon so calmly and softly say that he will follow you for now.

Li Qingyu asked involuntarily.

“Don’t you think I fooled the swordsman to plot a bad deed?”

“I am your prospective groom.”

It seems like a stupid question.

Limon replied indifferently.

Then, looking at Li Qingyu, who opened her eyes wide, she continued to speak calmly.

“What if the groom doesn’t believe in the bride, no matter how much she prepares?”