Solo Swordmaster

#252. Command with the power of scales.

* * *

Headquarters in Quetzalcoatl.

As befits the world’s number one pharmaceutical company, the lobby, which was always bustling with visitors, was as quiet as ever today.

It wasn’t without visitors.

It was just that all the visitors held their breath on their own, so it felt especially bleak.

What made them like that was the strange atmosphere at Quetzalcoatl headquarters.

Of course, the number of guards has doubled compared to usual.

From doctors and researchers in white coats to receptionists who should always smile.

It was because all the green dragon clans were exuding a bloody atmosphere.

‘…What’s happening?’

Most of the visitors were embarrassed by this strange atmosphere, but did not dare to ask the reason.

What happens if you buy the grudge of the green dragon clan?

For the inhabitants of the South American continent, who have learned painful lessons over hundreds of years, going against their planting was the biggest taboo.

Despite knowing the atmosphere around them, no one of the green dragon clan did not let go of their faces.

One reason.

It was because of an incident in the laboratory.

The mere fact that an assassin infiltrated Quetzalcoatl’s headquarters is something to be astonished, but their princess was attacked.

As a member of the Green Dragon clan, of course, they had no choice but to sharpen their swords.

However, there was one that gave off the most bloody atmosphere among them.

“You mean unconscious?”

“okay. The princess helped me overcome the hurdle, but it seems that when I was in danger of death, my body entered a state of suspended animation on its own.”

“Then when will you wake up?”

“Okay. I could wake up in a few days at the earliest, but…”

“…You mean you might not be able to wake up like this.”

“It’s unlikely, so don’t worry too much. Don’t you also know what kind of martial arts Arbella learned?”

Barbara did not answer.

I just stared at Arbella lying unconscious in the middle of the intensive care unit beyond the glass wall and quietly opened my mouth.

“It was my fault.”

“what are you talking about?”

“I should have been the princess’s chief aide long ago.”

If only he had been acknowledged as Maia’s aide by making his mark sooner.

So, if I had been by her side during this situation, I would not have done the stupid thing of throwing myself like Arbella.

The old woman, Elder Giselle, who was wearing a white coat, frowned as she watched Barbara speak.

“Be careful with your words. Don’t you know that it was a great privilege for you and Arbella to be able to be close to the princess?”

“…”

Barbara was silent.

Originally, it is common for the seven dragon princesses, especially the green dragon princess’s entourage, to be subordinate level masters.

No matter how prestigious the clan, it was unconventional that she and Arbella, who were still mere masters, were selected as Maia’s aides.

“…Of course, Carra’s business happened, so I understand what you’re saying.”

Why did Maia do such a shocking thing?

Knowing the reason, Elder Giselle did not blame Barbara.

The fact that these two sisters fiercely competed for the position of senior aide was proof that they had not forgotten Carla, their mother.

“But make no mistake.”

But that didn’t mean that Giselle had completely overlooked Barbara’s mistake.

“It is an honor to be a close aide to the princess, and it is the duty of the clan to lay down one’s life for her.”

Giving one’s life for a princess is natural.

In that sense, Arbella’s act of defending Maia by throwing herself into it deserves praise, albeit foolish.

If you get caught up in personal affection and forget that obvious fact, we will hold a council of elders and take away your entourage.

Before being a teacher, as the elder of the clan, watch Giselle sternly admonishing you, and be silent for a while.

Barbara lowered her head slightly and opened her mouth.

“Please take good care of Arbella.”

“Tsk, shall I take good care of me?”

Giselle finally clicked her tongue as she turned her back and left Barbara, leaving only those words.

Then he turned his head again and looked at Arbella, who was tightly fitted with life support equipment, and muttered quietly.

“This is also an unavoidable fate… It seems foolish.”

Carrado, the mother of the two.

Even those who served the previous princess.

The entourages of Princess Green Dragon have always accepted their destiny and regarded it as pride.

As an aide, Giselle calmed her eyes while lamenting over the ugly students who didn’t even have the most basic attitude.

“Don’t be too sorry, Arbella. Even if you die, the road you are going on will not be lonely.”

* * *

After leaving the intensive care unit.

Upon hearing about Arbella’s condition from Barbara, who came straight to the artificial flower garden, Maia hardened her face.

But that’s only for a moment.

Soon she was coldly sneering.

“Hey, just being unconscious with that much. I know how much Arbella has been neglecting her training.”

An aide who sacrificed himself to protect himself. That was too cold a statement to say in front of the sister.

But Barbara wasn’t thrilled.

Instead, he just bowed his head and begged her forgiveness.

“I apologize on behalf of Arbella for causing unnecessary concern.”

“No.”

Maia cut it off.

Then, as he stared at her, he added a word.

“I don’t want to receive an apology from someone else, so please ask me for forgiveness in person after that stupid thing happens.”

“…I will tell you that.”

One time to snort at Barbara, who could barely answer but couldn’t bear to raise her head.

Maia asked in a cold voice.

“What was the follow-up?”

“The clean-up of the laboratory is complete. There are a lot of broken medical devices, but I think they can be restored in a few days.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway. What I want to know is who sent them.”

Among the medical devices in the laboratory, there are many that exceed billions of units.

Maia simply dismissed all of that as such.

Barbara answered her with a hard face.

“As a result of searching the route from which the test subject was obtained, we found out that the chief of police was bribed by Ambrosia and intentionally leaked the test subject to us.”

“Action?”

“I tortured them to find out who was behind them and then detained them.”

Kidnapping, torturing, and detaining the chief of police?

It was an atrocity that could have been committed in Brazil, where public security was a mess.

But Maia asked the question without raising an eyebrow.

“Who was behind it?”

“As expected, it was a gang with connections to the Forest Guild.”

“I’m so excited that I’m even going to be boring.”

Maia snorted.

From the moment the gang was written as an assassin, he was certain that the Forest Guild, to be exact, was the monster lord Gula.

Because only the Green Dragon Clan or the Forest Guild could move the gang like limbs in South America.

One problem.

Even knowing that, there was no way to retaliate right away.

“Have you still not found the home of the Forest Guild?”

“…sorry.”

It was an absurd answer.

Not knowing where the base of the famous teenage guild was was as absurd as not knowing where the capital of a country was.

But Maia wasn’t disappointed either.

I don’t know if it was a few years ago.

It was only natural that he did not know where the Forest Guild’s headquarters was now.

Because…

“Apologetic. Is it not your fault, Barbara, that he fled to the Amazon?”

…Because Maia herself was the one who destroyed the former headquarters of the Forest Guild, which was more luxurious than most royal palaces.

So Maia frowned.

In the end, all of this happened because she didn’t finish it properly at that time.

But even if you regret it now, it’s useless.

She calmly gave instructions.

“Send the bribed police chief to Lab 13.”

“Lab 13… You mean the drug lab?”

“Since you are such a big fan of drugs, I will give you the honor of being the first to experience a new type of drug we have developed.”

Maia smiled coldly.

No matter how great the green dragon clan’s pharmaceutical technology is, it is not easy to develop only drugs with few side effects.

If you try a few of the drugs that have the most severe side effects, even non-general high-level players will become disabled within a few days.

“Shouldn’t everyone know what happens to the one who betrayed us?”

“…I will instruct you to return it when the experiment is over.”

If you go through the 13th lab, no matter how sane it is, within a few months you will go crazy with withdrawal symptoms, tear your own throat and die.

That would be enough to remind them of what the green dragon clan was like.

“How can I track down the Forest Guild?”

“The chase is over.”

“If you say it’s done…?”

Barbara put on a puzzled expression.

Naturally, I knew that an order would come to find it by any means necessary.

So I even prepared to plow the entire South American continent, but I didn’t know that Maia would give such an order.

Seeing her like that, Maia twisted her lips.

“I don’t mean to give up. Instead, it means that we will entrust the pursuit to a more suitable person.”

“…?”

“In that sense, Barbara, there is something you need to do right away.”

* * *

Shortly thereafter.

Limon, who had been called by Barbara, looked at Maia with a puzzled face.

“…Find the headquarters of the Forest Guild?”

“exactly.”

“Am I alone?”

It was an absurd instruction indeed.

Finding a needle in the sand is about the same.

Finding just one guild in the Amazon, which occupies more than half of the world’s rainforests.

It wasn’t something even a sword master would have to do to one individual.

However, Maia’s answer to him was clear.

“You have to let the hounds find the prey.”

“I am a slave, not a hound.”

“But it is the duty of a slave to do whatever the master tells him to do. Isn’t it?”

“Well that’s it.”

Take a moment to scratch your cheeks.

Limon asked casually.

“But are you really going to be okay?”

“Is there any reason not to be okay?”

“If I really find the base of the Forest Guild, the scales will tip quite a bit.”

Limon looked at Maia’s wrists alternately and made a meaningful expression.

Even though she was wearing elbow-length gloves, Limon could clearly see the tattoo of a white scale on her wrist.

Now their balance is equilibrium.

Five weights were placed on each other’s scales.

However, if Limon makes a contribution as a slave, the black balance weight increases and exerts force on Maia.

Would you be willing to take such a risk, Limon asked spitefully.

“Do you think so?”

“…?”

“It’s about time.”

There’s no way I’m unaware of that obvious reason.

Rather, when Limon narrowed his eyes as he saw Maia with a cold laugh.

A change has happened.

Click Degur.

The moment you want to hear something rolling.

Suddenly, two black marbles rolled in the opposite direction from the scales engraved on Limon and Maia’s wrists and started leaning sharply to one side.

When Limon blinked when he saw that the 5:5 balance weight had changed to 7:3 at once.

Maia twitched her lips.

“As long as you swore by your sword, it must be a clear fact that this balance weight has the power to exert force on the opponent. Isn’t it?”

“…why are you checking that?”

“I command you with the power of scales.”

Limon put on an expression of doubt.

Seeing him like that, with a sneer on her face, Maia gave the 『Order』 with a sharp voice like a blade.

“Please go to sleep.”

Wow!

and that moment.

Maia’s scales are shining.

One of the weights in the tattoo disappeared as if evaporating, and Limon’s hand holding the carving knife became lodged in his neck.