Solo Swordmaster

Episode #241. imitate the gardener.

* * *

Looking down at his hands for a long time.

Hermann, a man with a burly build and gray hair, let out a heavy sigh.

‘There is no end to human greed.’

A few days ago, I couldn’t even hold the cup properly.

Until then, I thought that as long as the disease was cured, there would be no further wish.

In fact, I felt great joy when I was able to sculpt again after receiving Maia’s treatment.

However, what filled his heart at this moment was depression and despair, not happiness and satisfaction.

The challenge faced as soon as his hand healed.

It is because the failure to carve the perfect Venus de Milo statue left a great regret.

‘I wouldn’t have made that mistake if my hands had held out a little longer…’

At first, I thought everything was better.

But that was an illusion.

As time passed and his stamina declined, the disease recurred again and his hands trembled.

The fact that he couldn’t make that perfect piece because of his illness, if not because of his own lack of skill, made him regretful.

‘…Well, even if my hands held out, there’s no guarantee that I would have been able to do it.’

Herman smiled bitterly.

In fact, even in his prime, he had never made a sculpture of that level.

Even a sculpture of a similar level had to take as little as a few weeks to as long as a year to complete.

Even more so, he tried to make such a perfect piece right away.

It was really greedy.

‘Anyway, I don’t know how to look at Lee from now on.’

Embarrassed, he thought of Limon again.

He came to find himself who had given up everything and sold himself to receive treatment, but he felt sorry for not being able to achieve what Limon wanted.

Of course, after a little more treatment, you will be able to do that piece.

However, if level 2 is this much, can you make it to level 3?

No, even if he did it up to level 3, would he be able to pay the reward for curing himself with that alone?

‘I’ll have to repay this grace somehow…’

How to pay off this debt.

While Hermann was immersed in trouble.

As he sat on a bench on the roof and gazed at the floating garden, something strange passed by in his vision.

“lee?”

“Woman Sculptor Yangban. What are you doing here? Is your treatment over today?”

“Since the morning treatment is over, they told me to take a break, so I went out for a short walk… Then what are you doing here?”

“I am a slave.”

Ladder on the side.

Two-handed scissors over the shoulder.

Even the dull work clothes there.

Limon, who looked like the perfect gardener, said with a shrug.

“My master seems to be very curious and wants to test out everything this new slave can do.”

“So you’re here to work as a gardener this time?”

“What is that?”

“…That must be a lot of trouble.”

Herman let out an involuntary laugh.

I knew Limon was busy these days.

Not to mention cleaning, ordering errands to buy food from a restaurant 50 kilometers away in 10 minutes, or carrying a mountain of luggage.

Maia had been making him do all sorts of things.

A scout watching an athlete…. Or rather, like a researcher who throws experimental animals into all sorts of environments and observes them.

‘Is it really worth it?’

An order that would originally be considered bullying.

Nevertheless, the reason Hermann had no choice but to understand was that Limon was actually carrying out most of the instructions with ease.

I’m just having a bit of trouble with my hair.

When it came to using my body, I did everything naturally, as if I was used to it.

Of course, he was also a human being, but he showed signs of being a bit clumsy at things he had never done before.

But that’s only the first time.

Maia’s instructions were increasing in difficulty as each day passed because she quickly realized the tricks and did it skillfully after doing some work.

I didn’t know that he would even work as a gardener, though.

‘Anyway, that Chairman Maia seems to have a mistake…’

Now, rather than observing what he can do, Hermann smiles bitterly at his behavior as if he were trying to test what he can’t do.

Maia appeared on the roof.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh no big deal. I just met the sculptor Yangban.”

“Have small talk after you finish what you were told to do.”

“You’ll give me time to chat when you’re done! I am always grateful for your mercy.”

Should I say it’s sly?

Should I say shameless?

As soon as he grabbed the horse’s pod, Maia kept a cold sneer at Limon, who quickly took a break.

“Okay, if you finish your work well, I will give you enough time to rest.”

“Thank you…”

“Instead, if I don’t like the garden you’ve decorated, even a little bit, then you know I won’t have time to sleep, let alone rest.”

“Come to think of it, Master, I don’t think you need a break.”

Limon immediately changed his words with a single smile on his face.

A swift retreat like Noh Kang-ho.

However, instead of accepting Limon’s escape, Maia kept a deeper laugh.

“Do you want to work without sleeping until the day after tomorrow?”

“…I’ll start right away.”

A master who knows too well how to handle a slave.

Limon grumbles openly, but eventually approaches the nearby garden tree with pruning shears.

Looking at him, Herman shook his head.

‘How can you act like that against Chairman Maia? Anyway, I need to know about one big thing that my friend Lee also went to.’

He said Maia was difficult.

It’s not that I have a bad feeling.

No, rather, as a benefactor who healed him, he was rather likeable.

Even so, meeting her made me nervous.

It wasn’t just because of Maia’s unique pessimistic mood, cynical tone and sharp eyes.

Like a mouse meeting a snake.

Or like the goat that saw the spider.

Strangely, whenever he met Maia, he naturally got goosebumps and became anxious.

Just as the survival instinct naturally possessed by living creatures warns of the danger.

It wasn’t just him.

The other green dragon clans I saw here also often held their breath and swallowed dry saliva in front of Maia.

That’s why Limon’s strangeness of calmly even joking with Maia was all the more remarkable.

At least, because it was Hermann, he admired that his liver was a little big. Others, including Arbella, looked at Limon like a madman.

‘Fortunately, Chairman Maia doesn’t seem to be particularly offended.’

Surprisingly, Maia was the same.

Her remorseless nature makes it possible for a slave to be punished for being cocky like Limon.

It was because he didn’t point out his attitude or issue harsh orders, even if he was sharp-tongued or scolded like he is now.

Arbella accepted it with a snort, saying that no researcher is angry with lab animals… but…

‘…Anyway, that friend will have a hard time this time too.’

For a while, he watched Maia with strange eyes.

Hermann smiled bitterly as he looked back at Limon, who was ready to trim the garden trees.

I knew that Limon was gifted for bodily work, but a gardener isn’t just good at cutting trees.

Being a gardener itself was a job created to make the gardens of high-ranking people more beautiful in the past.

It was a job that required knowledge, experience and artistic sense rather than physical strength.

Therefore, it is essential for first-class gardeners to be proficient in flower gardening and landscaping, and in many cases, they also have architectural knowledge.

Even to make Maia happy?

It would have been impossible unless a royal gardener was brought in from somewhere.

Hermann thought so.

Until Limon starts to scissor.

squeak.

“…?”

for a while at first.

he didn’t understand

Why did he stand up straight the moment Limon cut off the branches of the garden tree?

And as if possessed by something, I have no choice but to watch the scissors.

clap clap.

Scissors follow.

branches are cut off

Herman’s eyes widened.

So, a long time passed.

When Limon finally finished trimming all the garden trees and put down the scissors, his eyes almost popped out.

‘That’s…!’

The one on the Venus de Milo statue.

The goal that the platinum carving knife demanded of him.

Looking at the ‘perfect sculpture’ that embodies the most ideal garden in the world, Hermann couldn’t help but drop his chin.

* * *

“Welcome, Princess.”

“It’s been a while, Zixuan.”

A neatly dressed middle-aged woman greeted her politely.

Looking at Zixuan, Li Qingyu smiled.

“I don’t know if it came to me so suddenly and didn’t bother me.”

“Don’t even say things like that. The princess gave us the honor of visiting in person, but we have to stop our business.”

“That’s a happy story for the princess of the clan, but it’s a story that the president of Leviathan can’t welcome.”

“I’m so glad that such a princess came to visit, so this insensitive thing stopped saying something. Please look at the dismissal.”

“Take it easy. I have no intention of firing talented people like Zi Xuan.”

“That is very much appreciated.”

Even though it was obvious that it was a joke, Zixuan smiled as if he was more relieved.

Well, it was natural.

No matter what anyone says, Li Qingyu is a princess and the president of Leviathan.

Apart from being a member of the Black Dragon clan, Zixuan, the general manager of the Sao Paulo branch of the Leviathan Hotel, was an opponent who had no choice but to keep an eye on him.

Especially since their princess unpacked at the hotel prepared by the green dragon clan.

So, Zixuan asked with subtle expectations.

“I have prepared a penthouse. Shall I direct you right away?”

“No, I have no intention of moving my dorm for the time being.”

Li Qingyu shook his head.

It was easy to misunderstand if he, who was already under surveillance, even stayed at the Leviathan.

Even Barbara, who guided her right away, showed her doubts after learning that the destination was Leviathan.

“I am truly sorry.”

As Leviathan’s general manager, Zixuan understands the obvious, but can’t hide his regret.

Li Qingyu spoke calmly to her.

“I have a few questions for you instead.”

“Ask me anything. I will do my best to answer.”

Zixuan answered confidently.

As the general manager of the Leviathan Hotel, I was confident that I could see through most information about Brazil.

“Have you ever heard the word ambrosia?”

But the moment he heard Li Qingyu’s question.

Instead of the confidence she had just a moment ago, she asked back with a look of bewilderment and confusion on her face.

“…Where did you hear that story?”

“It happened by chance.”

“The princess is embarrassing me that she, who is in charge of the Brazilian intelligence network, obtained information that I, too, did not fully grasp yet, just two days after arriving.”

“If you didn’t get it right, does that mean you have the information itself?”

“It is not enough to call it information. I’ve only heard rumors a few times.”

Zixuan felt embarrassed.

Of course, she also had something to say.

Thanks to Li Qingyu selling nearly half of Leviathan’s shares to another clan, the current Black Dragon clan is in a position where it collapses and is almost cut in half.

In the midst of this, digging into all the little rumors was a daunting task in many ways.

Li Qingyu did not bother to blame Zi Xuan because he could have guessed the situation.

I just asked calmly.

“It’s okay if it’s not confirmed information, so tell me what you know about ambrosia.”

“If you don’t mind the rumors, I’ll understand.”

As Leviathan’s general manager, it was embarrassing to report unconfirmed rumors, but the princess’s will must take precedence above all else.

That’s why Zixuan spoke the rumors about Ambrosia he had heard in a calm voice.

“Ambrosia is…”