Solo Swordmaster

#240. useless thoughts.

“I just need to heal my body, but you are so merciful that you extend my lifespan by using precious medicines.”

“Can it really be called mercy that the time to feel pain and remorse is that much longer?”

“Because there are many people who would give up their entire fortune to feel that pain and remorse for as long as possible.”

“I guess he’s good at talking.”

Limon speaks naturally.

Maia snorted pessimistically.

Herman, who was watching the two casually talking as if this was nothing, asked without knowing himself.

“…Is it really possible to artificially increase a person’s lifespan?”

“What an obvious thing to say.”

Limon laughed.

Originally, the average human lifespan was less than half a century.

It was not only that many people lost their lives due to various tribulations such as wars, bandits and natural disasters.

Infectious diseases, food poisoning, parasites, etc.

It’s because all kinds of diseases cut off life span.

Even pneumonia, which is now easily treated with antibiotics, was once considered a feared disease with a mortality rate of over 30% and leaving great aftereffects even if it is cured.

In that sense, medicine and medicine are the same as history itself in which mankind has struggled with the limits of their natural lifespan.

Now, if you ask whether it is possible to increase lifespan artificially, it is a question that is thousands of years late at the latest.

More than anything else, Limon had reason to laugh when he heard that question.

“Hey, sculptor man. Who do you think healed you?”

“…”

Herman finally understood.

This cynical and pessimistic woman is the pinnacle of a clan that has always been at the forefront of the development of human medicine from the Bronze Age to the present.

When it comes to making medicine and treating diseases, he is the master of living, aging and sickness that no one has surpassed yet.

That she was the green dragon princess who had inherited the position of the best doctor in the world for hundreds of years.

Maia was cynical as she saw Herman shivering and realizing it with his heart, not his head.

“You don’t have to like it that much. As I said before, Lee’s treatment is not over.”

“Hmm… Are you saying the disease itself isn’t cured yet?”

“exactly.”

The fact that the disease seems to have healed is only the result of the increased lifespan, which eased the disease and made it invisible.

It is not yet known how long the aftereffects of the disease will remain.

Looking at Maia who spoke coldly, Limon smiled.

“Then we can check.”

“Even if you don’t tell me, I’ve already prepared a detailed examination.”

“Does it even need a detailed inspection?”

Limon shook his head.

Then, looking back at Herman, who still had a bewildered face, he opened his mouth with a meaningful face.

“There is no better way to check a sculptor’s body. Isn’t that right, Mr. Sculptor?”

After a while.

Looking at the deep gold carving knife in the glass case, Herman swallowed dry saliva.

It’s time to look at Limon, who smiled and took out the case, and Maia, who watched him with sharp eyes.

Resolutely determined, he picked up a carving knife.

= >

Τέλεια μπάλα

(perfect ball).

The golden brilliance flowing from the carving knife shows the same task with the same letters.

Hermann reached out without hesitation toward what he had failed to do before and could not even dare to try again.

Knock Knock!

As the light is cut away, the rectangular parallelepiped mass quickly changes into a spherical shape.

I don’t feel the pain that always came.

Even if you do not forcibly suppress the shaking, your hands will not shake or the carving knife will not slip.

It is so natural that normal people would not feel any inspiration.

However, for Hermann, who had been suffering from illness for the past few years, the obviousness was so thrilling and ecstatic.

move your hand

The sculptures are being cut away.

according to one’s own will.

By moving his own two hands, he turns the perfect image in his head into reality.

As the sculpture approaches the ideal, it is a proud sense of achievement that rises.

The joy that is sweeter than wine aged over a hundred years and fantastic than drugs made him devote himself to carving as if he were intoxicated.

And finally, the moment when the imaginary image is perfectly overlapped with the sphere made of brilliance.

Fanfam!

“…Whoa.”

With a colorful explosion of light that seemed like a firecracker exploding, the two spheres of light floating in the air spun and scattered.

A sight of unmistakable success as opposed to shattering failure.

After seeing it, Hermann, who got out of his immersion, put on a proud but regretful expression.

However, Maia’s gaze watching the scene was cold, and Limon also did not lose his composure.

“At least it doesn’t seem to interfere with sculpting.”

“What is certain is that we will have to wait and see, at least until the next step.”

“Hey, don’t say anything obvious.”

When Hermann is puzzled by Maia’s cold gaze, as if observing an experimental animal, and by Limon’s meaningful words.

The scattered golden brilliance came together again in the air, creating new shapes and letters.

= > ♀

πάντων χρημάτων μέτρον ἐστὶν ἄνθρωπος.

(Humans are the measure of all things)

“…!”

the moment you saw it.

Herman opened his eyes.

He already knew that there was a second level to the carving knife test and that the difficulty would be much higher than the first level.

However, the process that emerged after the perfect ball was beyond his imagination.

‘Venus of Milo (Αφροδίτη της Μήλου)…!’

It is the essence of ancient Greek aesthetics and one of the best sculptures that most perfectly expresses the golden ratio.

What was really astonishing to Hermann was that the statue of Venus had two arms intact.

Existing statues of Venus de Milo do not have arms.

The Venus of Milo is more famous because it is praised that it looks more beautiful because its arm is lost, and Hermann has always thought so.

I just imagined what it would have been like if it had two arms every once in a while.

However, the appearance of Venus de Milo with arms was far beyond his imagination.

How can I describe this statue?

beautiful? noble? sacred?

Unfortunately, all those words were negated as soon as they came to mind.

It felt like an insult to this statue of Venus to describe it in such words.

So, after recalling and erasing countless words, only one expression remained in Hermann.

perfect.

Absolute beauty that can only be expressed in one word was contained in this statue of Venus.

‘Should I sculpt this?’

It is a test that required a perfect piece that did not allow even a speck of error for the perfect ball, which was the first step.

Just by sculpting a full body figure to that level, the level of difficulty changes beyond imagination.

How much more so if what you have to carve is such a perfect statue?

‘…I can see why Senaf and Ming gave up.’

Herman muttered to himself.

I couldn’t figure out why they, who were originally competitors, recommended me, but now I understand.

Even if this is a first-class sculptor… No, rather, it was a test that made me feel even more despair because he was a first-class sculptor.

In fact, right now, Hermann’s mouth was drying up with tension as well.

But he didn’t give up.

Compared to the despair of being sick, this was nothing.

Above all, his passion for challenge and greed as a burning sculptor fueled his desire even more by using even his despair as fuel.

Herman slowly moved his carving knife with his eyes shining like a challenger rushing to a difficult challenge.

* * *

Looking at the flower garden from the throne of the artificial flower garden on the lowest floor of Quetzalcoatl is a long time.

Maia suddenly asked.

“How are you feeling?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It feels like the sculptor who sold himself into slavery and asked for treatment couldn’t achieve what you wanted.”

As if he was laughing at the act of selling his dignity for an unfulfilled hope.

Maia with a cold sneer.

Limon’s answer to that question was simple.

“I am feeling the anticipation.”

“…what do you mean?”

It was right after I saw that Hermann failed to complete the Venus statue because of his shaky fingertips despite his passionate attempts at sculpting.

Why are you talking about expectations instead of regrets and disappointments?

To Maia, who frowned and asked, Limon answered naturally.

“I have sculpted that much with a body that is not yet fully healed, but I can’t wait to see what kind of skills I will show when I am fully healed.”

“Heung Do you think he can be cured?”

“That’s right, because you’re the master who said that the sculptor’s treatment isn’t over yet.”

“Have you forgotten that I also said that I cannot guarantee his recovery?”

“But you didn’t say that it couldn’t be cured, did you?”

If you don’t trust her, who is the best doctor in the world, and trust her, then who else can you trust?

Watching Limon speak shamelessly, let’s be silent for a while.

Maia soon became cynical.

“It is good to live life positively, but it is better to keep in mind that the greater the hope, the greater the despair.”

Even seeing Maia with a pessimistic attitude, unlike a doctor who deals with life-saving medicine, Limon was not shaken.

I just replied with a smile.

“It’s still better than no hope.”

Maybe it’s because I didn’t like that shameless attitude.

For a while, I want to raise my already sharp eyes even more sharply and look at Limon.

Maia immediately opened her mouth sharply.

“Get out of here for today.”

“If that’s the master’s wish, I’d be happy.”

As if as if as a slave, how could he refuse the master’s order, Limon greeted politely and left the artificial flower garden.

Maia, who was glaring at his back, murmured in her heart long after Limon had disappeared.

‘In terms of not knowing what’s inside, he’s truly like the Black Dragon clan.’

Maia knew.

when the disease cannot be cured.

Or when the outcome is less than expected even after treatment.

The resentment and distrustful eyes sent by the patient or the caregiver.

Even Herman right now.

At first, he was overjoyed just by being able to sculpt.

When I failed to carve the statue because of the shaking of my hands, I was frustrated as if the joy right before was a lie.

‘Even if it’s not because of psionics, he’s a really strange guy.’

But Limon wasn’t disappointed at all.

It was different from resignation or giving up, where there was nothing to be disappointed about because I didn’t even expect it.

It didn’t look like he was deliberately hiding his regret to flatter himself or be polite.

Trust for no reason, as if he believed that only Maia could cure Hermann, and that if she couldn’t help it, it would have been impossible anyway.

The calmness, as if she could find another way if things didn’t work out there, felt too strange to her.

‘Why aren’t you afraid of me?’

The weirdest thing is those eyes.

Even in the Seven Dragons, it is basic to be shunned.

Not to mention the same Green Dragon clan, even Barbara and Arbella, who are aides, always look at themselves with fear, even though they give respect and loyalty.

There was no such fear in Limon’s eyes at all.

As if watching a child who is behaving irritably.

Or as if dealing with a wounded beast.

It was always calm and relaxed, but only had a sly look.

‘Is it just that I’m good at acting?’

‘or not…?’

Only one so far.

Maia inadvertently made a nostalgic look at that gaze that resembled someone she had last seen a long time ago.

But that was only for a moment.

“…a useless thought.”

Maia kept a sneer on her, as if laughing at herself for having vain thoughts even after talking about the futility of hope.

Whether Limon really knows no fear.

Whether it’s just hiding your fears.

Nothing changed anyway.

She is the Green Dragon Princess.

It was because she was the most lonely princess of death among the seven princesses of the Seven Dragons, who had been alone since she woke up from her egg.

Just like it always has been.

while denying access to others.

In a flower garden made up of countless herbs and poisonous plants, she gently closed her eyes.