Solo Swordmaster

#246. Do you know now?

* * *

While Maia was in the lab, Limon was entertaining guests.

A precious guest, the princess of the Black Dragon Clan.

“It smells really good.”

“Is that so?”

“yes. I have drank a lot of Longjing tea, but this is the first time I smelled such a good scent.”

“It must be that the quality of the tea leaves is different.”

“I guess that’s what it is?”

Li Qingyu nodded in agreement.

Among the major subsidiaries of the Green Dragon clan, there are seed and bio industries, so it was understandable that the level of tea shown at Quetzalcoatl headquarters was different.

Despite that, the car that came out at the banquet last time had an ordinary feel.

Since tea wasn’t that important anyway, Li Qingyu put down the teacup he was holding and asked calmly.

“Has anything happened in the meantime?”

“There was nothing particularly great about it. Like I said yesterday, I started learning sculpting, or the owner’s physical condition looked especially bad today.”

“Even though the latter is a common occurrence, I think Maia managed to allow the former.”

“We’re not in a normal master-servant relationship, are we?”

Limon shrugged.

Both he and Maia see through to the fact that this relationship is only a facade anyway.

Because each other’s interests matched, they only maintained a false master-servant relationship while acquiescing to that fact.

“…That’s such an ominous word.”

Looking at Li Qingyu, who had a somewhat subtle expression, Limon smiled.

“Don’t worry about anything. There’s not much time left anyway, so in the meantime, do I have to reveal my identity?”

“Indeed, it is.”

After thinking for a while, Li Qingyu nodded and nodded.

Her concerns were a little different from Limon’s, but it is certain that he will be freed in a few days.

‘Even if you’re a swordsman, it won’t have as much of an impact as learning sculpting for a few days.’

The most dangerous deep-dark violin is in charge of himself.

Besides, considering the time it took for Limon to learn the violin, even if he learned sculpting from now on, it would take at least a month to wake up the Seven Arcs.

To Li Qingyu, who calmed his anxiety with rational judgment, Limon asked casually.

“I’m more curious about the results of the investigation on ambrosia than that. Did you find out anything?”

“Unfortunately there is.”

“Why do you feel like you’ve found out something unfortunately?”

“I got that ambrosia.”

“…?”

The more I listened, the better, but Limon put on a doubtful expression at the explanation, which was not a reason for his unhappiness.

However, the moment Li Qingyu took out a vial of golden liquid.

He had no choice but to harden his face.

“Is this ambrosia?”

“yes.”

“…Are you sure about that name?”

“Actually, I wanted to ask that too.”

Let out a sigh gently once.

Li Qingyu looked at the medicine bottle on the table and continued.

“Because only the green dragon clan or the swordsmith can confirm whether this medicine is really ambrosia or ‘another medicine’.”

Limon frowned and picked up the vial.

Shake the bottle, open the lid, smell it, put a few drops on the back of your hand, and so on.

Take a moment to examine the golden liquid in various ways.

In the end, after licking the medicine that fell on the back of his hand, Limon put down the medicine bottle again, spat out the ambrosia, and opened his mouth coldly.

“Nectar (Νέκταρ) is not.”

“is that so?”

Li Qingyu’s slightly relieved expression.

However, Limon’s words immediately darkened her face.

“Instead, they are very similar.”

“How much are you talking about?”

“It could be said to be a clone of Nectar.”

“…That’s a big deal.”

“I’m glad it ends up being a big deal.”

Limon frowned arrogantly.

Li Qingyu can’t hide his puzzled expression.

Yuna-kyung tilted her head looking at the two of them.

[I’m saying that because I’m a 0-year-old baby, there are a lot of things I don’t know. Why is nectar such a big deal?]

“It’s natural that you don’t know. Nectar is forbidden knowledge to most people.”

[Forbidden knowledge?]

Yuna-kyung tilted her head.

After staring at her, Li Qingyu looked back at Li Mon and confirmed that he nodded before opening his mouth calmly.

“Do you know the nickname of this country?”

[You know that.]

“Then, do you know when that nickname started?”

[Uh… I don’t know that far. I just heard that it was called that a long time ago.]

“Yes, this is a story from a very long time ago.”

Li Qingyu started talking like that.

* * *

A long time ago.

The beginning of the Age of Heroes, which began when the Sword Emperor died after defeating the seven dragons.

The world was in turmoil.

As the governance structure of the Seven Dragons, which ruled the entire world, collapsed, rebels and liberation armies emerged in various places every day.

Of course, the Seven Dragons did not collapse easily.

A master like Giraseong.

Endless financial power.

Fanatic loyalty and organization.

The Seven Dragons, which had all of that, was still the most powerful force in the world until then.

However, it was possible because it was not long after the end of the Bronze Age.

The Blue Dragon clan loses control of Europe, including the British Empire, by the sword king, Richard I.

Just as the White Dragon clan hid in Jerusalem after losing its hegemony in the Middle East to the black Rashid al-Din Sinan.

As time passed and the number of sword masters increased by one or two, the Seven Dragons gradually lost their power and had no choice but to fall into the shadowy forces.

“It was the same with the green dragon clan that hid in the shadows like that.”

Unable to handle the sword master, the green dragon clan eventually abandoned their position as ruler and fled into the jungle.

Fortunately, there was an Amazon in South America, and in that primeval jungle blessed by an ancient spirit, he was able to avoid even the sword master’s attention.

“And from then on things turned the other way around.”

[…The Green Dragon Clan, who was kicked out of the rebellion, became a rebel instead?]

“Yes, at that time, there was no group as good at guerrilla warfare in the jungle as the Green Dragon Clan.”

Of course, he is proficient in all kinds of medicine.

As expected of the former rulers of the South American continent, the green dragon clan, who were knowledgeable about the jungle and the situation in each region, were indeed a tricky opponent.

Even a sword master could not protect the entire continent as long as he had only one body.

Thanks to that, the green dragon clan was able to continue their tenacious resistance for decades.

“But in the end they collapsed. What do you think is the reason?”

[Uh… I don’t know.]

“Because I was betrayed.”

[A traitor came out of the Seven Dragons?]

“No, there were no traitors in the green dragon clan at that time.”

Li Qingyu shook his head, looking at Yu Naqing, who opened his eyes wide.

The Seven Dragons Association is an extremely solid organization.

In particular, as religious tendencies were stronger in the past, it was rare for a traitor to come out of the clan even with any threat or conciliation.

One problem.

It was true that the green dragon clan was not fighting alone at the time.

“Instead, there was a traitor among the residents who received the grace of life from them.”

[…yes?]

“There has always been a human who would choose to sell his lifesaver for a few pieces of silver rather than go through the trouble of repaying the favor.”

The green dragon clan has been the best doctors and healers since the Bronze Age.

There were countless number of sick people saved by them, and thanks to their cooperation, the Green Dragon clan was able to wage a guerrilla war for decades.

But that’s why the betrayal of the collaborators was even more fatal.

“Because of the betrayal of the collaborator, more than half of the Green Dragon clan, regardless of age or gender, were slaughtered when their base hidden in the jungle was discovered.”

“Even the green dragon princess of the time died fighting to save her family.”

“The rest of the clan embraced only the eggs left by the princess and fled into the jungle shedding tears of blood.”

Yuna-kyung held her breath.

She vaguely knew what being a princess meant to the Seven Dragons.

That’s why I couldn’t dare imagine what kind of feelings the green dragon clan had to run away as a scapegoat for a princess they had to protect with their lives.

“The Green Dragon clan found out who sold them out only belatedly.”

“And I watched as those who praised themselves as benefactors stole gold and silver treasures from their burnt-down stronghold.”

“What do you think they did after that?”

[…Did you find the people who betrayed the Seven Dragons and get revenge?]

“No, I made a medicine.”

hide in the jungle

Chewing the flesh of an animal.

eating grass roots

to make new medicines.

Referring to the efforts and tenacity the Green Dragon clan had poured in over the past dozen years, Li Qingyu quietly concluded his words.

“A drug that can be mass-produced most easily in the world, is more effective than any other drug, and has no side effects and only enhances addiction.”

[…!]

“And I released the drug indefinitely.”

The results were devastating.

The drug, which was provided unlimitedly at a low price without any side effects, quickly spread throughout South America.

Just like alcohol or cigarettes… or more popularly.

After that, there was no such thing as a traitor appearing.

Those who had tasted the drug they made even once lay down in front of the green dragon and licked their feet in order to taste the drug.

“Even the green dragon clan stopped producing the drug as soon as all the people in South America were poisoned.”

People in South America were willing to sell their wives and children to obtain the drug.

However, the green dragon clan never made the medicine again. At best, only drugs with minimal side effects were distributed by improving existing drugs.

To those who already knew the taste of heaven, it felt less than a piece of rotten bread.

Even so, those who were already addicted to drugs had no choice but to keep begging for the cheap drug to quench their thirst.

Even though he is physically fine, he struggles with withdrawal symptoms that are more terrible than any other drug.

“Do you understand now?”

The name of the drug they created at the time was nectar.

It is the most perfect drug in the world that made the green dragon clan the ruler of all drug organizations.

Yuna-gyeong, who had been staring blankly at her as she spoke in a calm voice as if she were reading a fairy tale, opened her beak only after a while.

[Is that… the revenge of the green dragon clan? Turning all the inhabitants of the South American continent into drug addicts and enslaving them?]

“That’s how it is.”

[…My God.]

Yuna-kyung groaned.

It wasn’t because of the unimaginable revenge method that was possible only because the green dragon clan was well versed in medicine.

It was because I realized a fact hidden in Li Qingyu’s explanation.

[The fact that Brazil is still called ‘the country of drugs’ means that the revenge is still going on!]

A country where all drugs are legal.

The country with the cheapest drugs in the world.

And a country where more than 95% of the people use drugs like alcohol or tobacco.

The reason why this absurd country exists is because the green dragon clan continues to provide drugs, and isn’t that proof that the revenge isn’t over?

Yu Na-kyung, who shouted like a scream, questioned as if arguing without realizing it.

[Does that make sense? The person involved in the grudge had already died hundreds of years ago, and he continued to take revenge on unrelated people as well as his descendants!]

“It makes sense.”

Looking at Yuna-kyung, who was speechless at the prompt response, Li Qingyu calmly continued.

“Because they are the green dragon clan.”

repay the favor.

Revenge for grudges.

life for life.

A narrow-minded, vicious, and ferocious clan that still inherits that old law.

That’s why he doesn’t give up, and once he starts something, he’s the embodiment of tenacity that never stops until he sees the end.

That is the green dragon clan.

Even after thousands of years, they are the most extreme and dualistic clan in the Seven Dragons.

Li Qingyu, who explained calmly, smiled and added a word.

“And don’t forget one important thing.”

[…What is it?]

“We are called the Seven Dragons.”

That moment.

Yuna-kyung held her breath.

Because I finally understood.

The largest criminal organization in human history that ruled the shadows in the past and sought to overthrow the world many times.

Destroy the country with prophecies.

Smuggling alone causes national bankruptcy.

Even the king of a country is manipulated or assassinated like a puppet.

An organization that has done something as terrible as just poisoning a continent with drugs for each clan, with only different means.

That it was the Seven Dragons.

He had only mistakenly thought he knew about the Seven Dragons, but in reality he knew nothing.

And…

“Now you know why the Seven Dragons were called the Demonic Cult, right?”

That this black-haired girl smiling brightly in front of him was the most cunning and dangerous princess in the Seven Dragons.

Realizing it again, the baby bird had no choice but to swallow dry saliva.