Solo Swordmaster

Chapter 49: Sharing a Glass

The Sword Emperor, the first Swordmaster who slayed the seven dragons and opened the gates to the Heroes’ Age, once said:

“After succeeding in something one tried their hardest on,

Barely escaping a life or death situation.

When one gets blood on your clothes,

Or when one fails at something.

One tends to crave alcohol.”

…It was unclear whether those were the words of a Swordmaster or a Drinkmaster.

Frankly speaking, that just meant that the Sword Emperor was an alcoholic who drank every day.

But that’s judging him by modern day standards.

The Bronze Age was a time where alcohol was a rarity presented only to the dragon clan, and humans were completely banned from drinking it at all.

Well, not that he disliked alcohol, either.

“It was around here, I think.”

With that taken into context, Limon coming to this spot with a bottle of Soju after leaving the Infinity Guild was slightly out of joint with the Sword Emperor’s wishes.

This place wasn’t somewhere to come to without reason, nor was it a place to drink comfortably.

And yet, it was a place he had to come to.

Limon slowly glanced around the vacant lot with not a single soul in sight.

“It’s been cleaned up pretty well.”

It truly was a peculiar remark.

The vacant lot could only be called desolate.

Not a single tree was in sight, let alone buildings or streets.

But Limon knew what this vacant lot used to look like.

“Aside from the corpses, I didn’t think that the debris could be cleared out in just a few short days.”

A collapsed building with nothing left standing.

Dust was everywhere from the explosion.

200 brutally slaughtered corpses.

Recalling the river of blood that stained this vacant lot, Limon smirked.

That’s right.

This was Haechung C&T Corporation, the former main base of the Liberation Brigade.

The place Limon slaughtered Kang Jungsoo and 200 assailants.

It happened only a few days ago.

So the completely emptied-out space was incredible to see. There wasn’t even a speck of rubble.

Limon may have been in awe, but he wasn’t surprised.

After the Iron Age opened, it was routine for cities to change overnight and for mountains to change into rivers.

“Well, at least it’s not dirty,” he laughed.

Plopping himself down on the ground, Limon poured the Soju into two paper cups.

One was placed in front of him and the other across.

It was a cup without a drinker.

No one would drink from it.

But Limon knew there was someone to receive it even if they didn’t drink.

“Sorry I made you wait so long, Na-kyung.”

Limon said tiredly in the spot he had laid Yoo Na-kyung’s body down.

“I had to run in circles for a bit, you know?” he chuckled.

At first, he had thought that Lee Chun-gi was the only one he had to fuck up.

But then, he ended up discovering an unimaginable scheme from the Seven Dragons Association while pursuing the real culprit and ultimately ended up fucking up a Constellation.

The past few days were full of ups and downs even Limon was new to.

“Anyways, I got your blood debt.”

One thing was clear.

Limon had no more reason to wield his sword for Yoo Na-kyung’s revenge anymore.

Park had paid for his sins with death.

The snake behind Park was completely eradicated.

Li Chingwei’s innocence was accepted.

And Lee Chun-gi paid his own price after getting used.

Who else should he seek revenge from?

The other Constellations? It was unclear as to how much of a part they’d played in all this in the first place.

Aside from them, it could be stretched that a few politicians and government officials could be held accountable due to their inaction, like President Han Jungkook.

But Limon didn’t have the inclination to get his blood debt from them as well.

No, he wasn’t worried about the chaos that would come from such an act.

They simply weren’t even worth being killed.

It would have been different if they had played a leading role in this scheme from the beginning.

But killing roaches for acting like roaches was just getting revenge for the sake of it, not to collect a blood debt.

And above all, Limon knew.

Even if he didn’t intervene, they were bound to pay their price one day.

Though, whether they would be the only ones paying was unclear.

But that wasn’t Limon’s problem.

He was no longer a hero, and all connection he had with this nation have been cut off.

“I shall take care of the children you value more than your own life until they become adults.”

Though, maybe not all.

The only connection he had left was with the children of Hanbit Orphanage, maybe.

But even those children didn’t have connections anymore — they were orphans, abandoned in the process of trying to get rid of Limon.

And so, Limon was sure she didn’t have to worry about the children.

“So don’t hang around this world and leave in peace.”

***

***

Limon knew this was all just to comfort himself.

He knew blabbering on in this vacant lot changed nothing.

Yoo Na-kyung was already dead.

Whether he avenged her or held a memorial service, nothing he did would bring her back to life, nor would it make her go into the afterlife a little more peacefully.

But that was all the more reason Limon had come to this place.

Just as revenge is for the living, this too, was a ceremony for himself.

He needed this to cleanse himself of the emotional baggage left within himself.

A blade rusts if one does not clean the blood off it.

Hopeless resentment can only turn into poison.

“Here, have a glass.”

Slash—

The glass was sliced into two and the Soju inside spilled onto the ground.

“I’m drinking two since I’m your boss.”

Glug glug.

“Oh, what about Jungsoo? Who cares about the backstabbing swine? I’m just gonna go for the funeral feast.”

He poured the alcohol with his grief. A feeling some would call memories, some sadness.

Memories were bound to get blurry, and one day, will fade for the last time.

Reminiscing over such memories, Limon continued to fill his glass.

At times, he told jokes and showed off how he had gotten revenge.

Other times, he would look up at the moon in silence.

It was while he was talking over a drink alone.

“May I raise a glass for the departed soul as well?”

A girl in an oriental dress suddenly walked up behind him. How long she had been there was unclear.

Limon didn’t bother turning around.

He simply raised a paper cup.

“You didn’t even know Na-kyung.”

He was insinuating for her to give up the formalities if she was just trying to get brownie points from him.

But Li Chingwei stayed.

“I may have never met her, but one who was cherished by the Master of Swords is not unconnected to me.”

Li Chingwei stated matter-of-factly that a married couple was two hearts beating as one — a friend of Limon was a friend of hers.

Perhaps he was dumbfounded by the outdated mindset, or saw that she was being genuine, but Limon was silent for a while.

He let out a soft chuckle and nodded.

“Do whatever you want. She wasn’t one to say no to a drink from a stranger.”

“Thank you.”

Li Chingwei smiled as if expected that answer, and took a seat next to him.

She took out a bottle and glass from a box she came with and respectfully poured her glass with both of her hands.

Limon eyed her movements.

They seemed oddly experienced.

The minute his eyes went over the bottle next to her, he looked mortified.

“Isn’t that a Macallan? And made in ‘88?”

“Yes, it is.”

“If I’m not mistaken, that costs…”

“Hm?”

“……No, er… Nevermind.”

Just how much did the glass Li Chingwei pour cost?

Limon shook the image of wads of cash getting poured onto the dirt.

‘It's stupid to talk about money with her.’

The rich goes three generations, even after their downfall.

No matter how much worse the Black Dragon Clan was than before.

Regardless of whether they had already lost half of their shares.

Only the other princesses of the Seven Dragons Association and a select few Monarchs could even compare their riches to the remaining half of Li Chingwei’s gargantuan fortune.

That was how almighty the Seven Dragon Group’s wealth was — an organization with all the riches in the world.

“Na-kyung, you little brat. Look at you, living in luxury after death.”

Who knew a poor high-level player who donated all her paychecks would get to drink something so expensive after dying.

‘The world really is unpredictable…” Limon scoffed as he raised his cup.

“Unfortunately, Yoo Na-kyung’s body has already been incinerated.”

“I’m sure it was,” Limon nodded.

200 high-level players were killed here.

Publicizing such a thing would not only crumble the nation’s status, but also hold the ruling party responsible.

Most of the bodies here had to be incinerated to cover it all up.

One can’t prove a death when there was no corpse, after all.

Limon didn’t care to blame them.

No one would have visited Yoo Na-kyung’s grave if there even was one. She was an orphan.

But even he flinched at Li Chingwei’s next words.

“So I bought this land under Hotel Leviathan’s name.”

“…You bought this place?”

“Yes. This can be her gravesite.

It was only natural to make the place of one’s death into their grave if there is no body to bury,” Limon watched Li Chingwei say.

He turned his head forward again.

“Give it up. Na-kyung would have cried that it’s a waste of money.”

“Oh… I see that she was very frugal.”

“My ass. She just had the soul of a hobo.”

Limon smirked seeing Li Chingwei nod gravely.

Acting like he had a good idea, he added on, “ Make a playground, then.”

“A playground?”

“Yep. Na-kyung liked playing with the kids. She’d like a place for the kids to play in better than a grave.”

“Somewhere for children to come and play…?”

Li chingwei looked perplexed, as if she’d heard a difficult riddle.

Limon found himself thinking as he watched her.

‘I really can’t get a grip on this princess.’

She didn’t bat an eye when a sword was pressed against her neck as she calmly revealed a global scheme decades in the making.

On the other hand, she tilts her head at lighthearted jokes or just straight up believes them.

She’s innocent when you think she’s cunning, and she’s honest when you think she’s manipulative.

She’s as sly and deadly as a venomous snake under a glass cage, but she’s also like an orchid in a field of snow.

She was sharp and beautiful.

A contradiction.

Was the peculiar asymmetry because she was the Black Dragon Princess?

Or was it something else?

Watching his future bride and greatest enemy with a sparkle in his eyes, Limon asked.

“By the way, when are we getting married?”

It was an obvious question for a future groom to ask, but it wasn’t like a groom at all.

Li chingwei answered with a bright smile.

“I have no idea.”

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