Solo Swordmaster

Chapter 21: Clearing Your Name for Dummies

“Status report."

"< Nothing has happened yet. >"

Park Hyun-gun, more commonly referred to as Chief Park, took pride in his job.

With a title as basic as secretary, it was hard to gain respect. But if it were the right individual…

From guild management to various business and political negotiations.

As the person carrying out the Infinite Monarch's will, his influence was by no means small. The biggest CEOs and guild masters — world leaders, even. None dared to tread lightly in front of the man.

Some would instead laugh behind his back, calling him an ass in a lion's skin.

But their mockery meant nothing in the face of the benefits to being the Infinite Monarch's tool.

And that's why his face was contorted into a grave frown.

"You're saying you haven't been able to find a single person?"

"< As I have just said, nothing has happened yet. >"

“Do you think that makes sense?!”

Bang—!

Park Hyun-gun slammed his desk and viciously grilled the person on the other end of the line.

"After how many Tracers I gave you, and you still can't find the Princess' precise location?! What have you been doing this entire time?"

"< No matter how many Tracers there are, we have no way to pinpoint the location of a target if they do not move. >"

"If the target doesn't come out, then get closer your damn selves!"

"< That isn't possible. >"

"Huh?!"

"< I believe you of all people should understand that Leviathan is no ordinary hotel. >"

"I'm aware that it's one of the holding companies of the Seven Dragon Gr— >"

"< That's legally. >"

"……"

Park Hyun-gun shut his mouth at the person’s comment.

There was no way that he, the Infinite Monarch’s tool, wouldn’t know what that meant.

"< Let me be clear. Even if it is the Infinite Monarch's orders, we will not act on something so suicidal. >"

"You… Do you think that's something you'll have the courage to say to the master's face?!"

"< Allow me to ask you something in return, Chief Park. What might happen if this mission ends in failure? Will you be willing to be held accountable? >"

"…!"

He clenched his jaws, but he couldn’t bring himself to say that he would take responsibility.

'That arrogant brat…!'

Instead, Park Hyun-gun decided to change the subject.

"Then, at least get a trace of Limon Asphelder. You're not incompetent enough to lose track of that gigantic school bus, are you?"

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"< Isn't it just a presumption that Limon Asphelder is at Leviathan? >"

"I'm done talking to you. Just find anything out. If it's still like this tomorrow morning, you're not going to get away with it!"

Not giving the person on the other side a chance to reply, Park Hyun-gun irritably hung up the phone.

It wasn’t like him.

Even if he was Lee Chun-gi’s secretary, he was still talking to the best Tracer in 『Infinity Guild』. Just the fact that they were one of the top players in the guild alone made them someone he could not give unilateral orders to.

And yet, his anxiety had made him incredibly rude.

'Goddamnit! I need to bring results to the table, fuck!'

The Infinite Monarch was not a forgiving one.

If one brought results, they were rewarded generously. But if they failed to do so, that man's generosity would be replaced by unrelenting wrath.

Considering that, Park Hyun-gun was in deep trouble.

Not only did he lose the Black Dragon Princess's trail, but also failed to get rid of Limon.

‘This is my last chance!’

Park Hyun-gun knew that there wouldn't be a fourth chance.

And as a longtime close aid to Lee Chun-gi, there were many grudges against him for influencing many events and incidents.

If the wolf wouldn't eat him, the ravens would.

He had no choice but to do his utmost in this matter.

'All I have to do is confirm that Limon Asphelder is residing within Hotel Leviathan.'

He cooled his mind and gathered his thoughts.

'As long as I can prove she is hiding a traitor, I can get to her.'

No matter how big of a conglomerate the Seven Dragons were, all they had was money.

It wasn't enough to overcome a Monarch's influence when they dominated the dungeon industry, the very foundation modern society had built itself upon.

On top of that, the Black Dragon Clan was the most deteriorated among the seven clans.

If a reason could be found, not even her own clan would stand for their princess and make an enemy of a Monarch.

'If that doesn't work, I'll get another hostage……!'

There was murder in Park Hyun-gun's eyes.

Given how he went out of his way to rescue the children, Limon must be soft-hearted.

As expected of someone who was called a hero.

He thought that he would be able to take Limon down if he took people acquainted with the Swordmaster like Kang Jungsoo's father and his other relatives as hostage.

But what the tool didn’t know, was that he was wrong about the Seven Dragons Association.

Although, thankfully, he would never come to realize that.

Instead…

Bang—!

“Chief Park! There is a problem!”

“Just what do you think you’re doing?!”

Park Hyun-gun scowled at his pale subordinate’s face.

It was unacceptable for a subordinate to enter a boss' room without permission.

“Get out this instant! Who do you think you are?!"

“Now is not the time, sir! Just… Just turn on the TV!”

“Huh?"

Confused, Park Hyun-gun reached for the remote with a doubtful expression.

"< One two three. Mic test. One two— >"

He immediately understood why his subordinate ran into his room in a craze.

"< Can you hear me? You can, right? You better hear me loud and clear. >"

It wasn't the time to quibble over formalities.

A young man with white hair was jeering, hogging almost every TV channel in the nation.

The sight of Limon Asphelder's surroundings made Park Hyun-gun’s jaws drop.

"< If this doesn't get broadcasted to the Infinite Monarch, this dude's head is coming off. >"

Instead, he would come to realize just how ridiculous of an idea it was to think hostages would work on Limon.

***

***

Let us go back in time for a bit.

Just a few minutes before Park Hyun-gun's eyeballs popped out of his sockets seeing the TV, there were others who were frozen with that exact expression.

It was an extremely rare sight to see.

But this was something that went way beyond 'most unexpected emergencies'.

"How's it going, gentlemen?"

Said a youthful man with clean, white hair. A faint scar on his eyes, and a sword hanging around his shoulders.

The man who was famous in the past, but forgotten after his reputation deteriorated.

And now a widely known, blacklisted traitor to major organizations after the emergency dispatch that was released the day before.

Limon Asphelder looked at them frozen in shock, and teased them.

"When someone suspicious appears, you should press the emergency button and initiate your response team. Isn't that right, gentlemen?"

“Wh-what the fuck?!"

Alarmed, they shook. And instinctually, one of the guards screeched at the calm Limon.

“This is the Blue House*, you fucking lunatic!!”

“So?”

He titled his head in a crooked stance.

At the sight of this, they finally stopped being blue with shock, and did what they were supposed to do.

Which was to make a commotion — ringing the alarms, calling for reinforcements, and pulling out their guns.

Riiiiiing—!

“Freeze! I’ll shoot if you move!”

"Get on your knees with both hands in the air!"

"Huh? What's going o— Holy shit, Limon Asphelder?!"

"I said get on your knees!"

“I-is he the real thing?”

Did they want him to kneel or freeze? They were all yelling at once.

It seemed like the communication wasn’t clear, either. The dispatched policemen had only brought their riot shields and batons, looking flustered after arriving at the scene.

Only after dozens of police cars surrounded the area, did all the guards finally crawl out of wherever they were.

Bystanders were filming everything from afar, mistaking the situation for some kind of event.

Standing his ground in front of the Blue House’s main entrance, Limon was dumbfounded as he watched the scene unfold.

"Who the hell's in charge of you fools……"

It was obvious that whoever was in charge must have gotten their position through bribes or personal connections.

Now that wars were long gone, incompetency had taken over.

As a matter of fact, one's competency was inversely proportional to how important one's position was.

Welp, that's what allowed Limon to get outside the Blue House in the first place.

He clicked his tongue as he thought over his original plans.

Deciding that he didn’t need to wait any longer, he held the sword that was hung over his shoulder properly and started to walk slowly.

“That’s what I came to see, anyway."

Slash—!

“……Huh?”

The people with guns froze on the spot.

By the time they noticed Limon take a step forward, he’d already passed by them.

But that wasn’t why they froze. Instead, they were frozen from seeing both them and their colleagues’ guns in pieces on the floor.

Before they could even blink, all they had left in their hands were the handles of what used to be a gun.

They knew, if Limon had any bloodlust when he passed by them,

It wouldn’t have just been their guns.

While everyone was holding their breath, Limon calmly continued forward.

It was as if time had stopped.

“I don’t know if they’re hiding in a bunker, running for dear life, or staying where they are like a fool”, said Limon. “But whoever it is, tell that bastard you call your president.”

He was mankind's last Swordmaster, the nation’s hero and the guardian of humanity.

At least, that was what he once was.

A goner with an old fashioned way of thinking, wholeheartedly believing that doing something grandiose was better than being framed.

In a single horizontal swing, Limon split open the main gates of the Blue House.

And he continued with a delightful grin,

"Tell him the treacher's come to commit treachery."

——

——