Chapter 228
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: I'll Go With You.
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Li Chingwei smiled faintly.
Relaxed and composed, as always.
With that signature serene smile that revealed nothing of her true feelings, she asked again.
"So, to sum it up, the only sculptor who might be able to unseal the second Seven Arcs is bedridden with an illness and unable to work?"
"Yeah."
"And you've decided to cure him in exchange for his help in unsealing the Seven Arcs."
"Something like that."
"I see... That does sound like the best approach."
As if she finally understood.
Li Chingwei nodded slowly.
Whether it was to stop the Liberation Brigade or to uncover the secrets of the constellations, unsealing the Seven Arcs was absolutely necessary.
In that sense, treating Hermann's illness was undeniably close to the optimal solution.
For players whose strength rose simply by leveling up, it might be different.
But true masters in any field, especially artists, didn't just pop up overnight.
It was far quicker and more reliable to heal a proven talent than to wait around for some unknown new genius.
"The question is who you can ask to treat him."
Li Chingwei smiled faintly as she turned to Aynsha sitting beside her.
As if to say, Why didn't you stop him?
Despite her smiling face, the subtle pressure in her gaze made Aynsha avert his eyes with a blank expression.
"...I tried to talk him out of it. It's not my fault. I'm innocent."
Aynsha muttered to himself in his usual curt tone.
Li Chingwei stared at him for a long moment.
Then she turned back to Rimon and asked calmly.
"Is that really the only way?"
"He already tried the Holy Lord's healing, and it didn't work."
"But if it had some effect in easing the illness, then healing it with skills isn't entirely impossible."
"Well, if a top-tier healer dedicated years to it, maybe."
"...So players are out of the question."
"Even setting aside whether it's possible, you can't hand fish to a cat."
Bringing players into anything related to the Seven Arcs was too risky.
You never knew how far the Liberation Brigade's influence extended—like with Prince Edward or Claire.
And even if they weren't connected to the Brigade, the constellations might interfere.
"What about magical treatment?"
"I already checked with that old hag Sir Gr, but she said his illness is practically tied to his lifespan—normal magic won't cut it."
"Then using magic to treat it would violate the gods' taboo."
"Exactly."
Magic was originally bestowed by the gods.
Thus, it had to be used only within the bounds the gods permitted. Even the Grand Witch could only skirt the edge, never fully cross it.
There was only one way to do it.
"We can't use black magic that requires sacrificing innocent lives as offerings."
"Quite right."
'In the end, there was never really a choice from the start.'
Li Chingwei gave a wry smile.
She had known there were no other answers.
She'd just fought to the bitter end, even knowing the odds were against them—like times when you had to fight despite knowing victory was impossible.
But now that even that resistance proved futile, she had no choice but to admit Rimon's proposal was the best option.
"...If only it were an illness the elders could treat, things would have been simpler."
Rimon shrugged at her murmured regret.
"Not to downplay their skills, but you know there's only one person who can heal a patient even the Holy Lord couldn't cure."
"Yes, I do."
Li Chingwei nodded.
Then added bitterly.
"Including just how dangerous it is to meet 'her'."
"Don't worry. That's why I'm going myself."
'Which makes it even more dangerous.'
Anyone else might end up dead, so he was going himself as the best choice.
Li Chingwei hid her dismay behind a smile as Rimon spoke so matter-of-factly, then continued calmly.
"If the Sword Duke reveals himself, 'she' won't meet you willingly. She'd probably hide even tighter."
"Probably."
"Do you have another plan in mind?"
"What else can I do? Hide my identity, track her down, and ask nicely."
If turned away at the door, he'd think of something then.
Li Chingwei couldn't help sighing at Rimon's nonchalant attitude.
The princess of the Seven Dragon Society was already the world's richest woman.
Even back in its criminal organization days, but even more so now as the Seven Dragon Group conglomerate, she wasn't someone a regular person could just meet.
And not just any princess—her, especially.
But Li Chingwei's sigh wasn't because Rimon's plan was absurd.
Quite the opposite.
'If he chose this on instinct too, it's downright terrifying.'
If some stranger went straight to 'her' begging for treatment, there'd be three possible outcomes.
Ignored.
Horribly killed.
Or left as good as dead.
But if the one asking was Rimon?
Even without prophetic sight, Li Chingwei was certain things wouldn't go that way.
For one, Rimon wouldn't die quietly. And if 'she' had heard about the London incident, she'd want to meet him anyway.
What if she figured out Rimon's secret in the process?
She definitely wouldn't let it slide like with Aynsha and Rose.
'...This is tricky. Really tricky.'
Aynsha's foresight wasn't helping, and Rose was too busy to even attend.
It'd be nice if she could just come clean to Rimon, but that was absolutely impossible.
You don't drink seawater just because you're thirsty. Telling him the truth now was something she had to avoid at all costs.
'If I can't stop it anyway...'
How to handle this dilemma.
After pondering alone for a moment, Li Chingwei finally nodded and spoke.
"No helping it, then. If that's the case, I'll arrange a way for you to meet 'her'."
"You have a way?"
"Yes. But only if the Sword Duke grants me a favor in return."
"Huh? What favor?"
Rimon looked puzzled at the unexpected request.
Seeing this, Li Chingwei smiled faintly and revealed the best solution she'd come up with for this bind.
"I'll go with you."
"Hm."
By a clear-running river.
There sat Hermann, rod cast into the water, lost in thought.
'No matter how I think about it, it's impossible.'
It had only been yesterday that he'd been swept up in Rimon's bold promise of a cure and accepted without thinking.
Everything had felt surreal then, but after sleeping on it and thinking calmly, he couldn't shake the feeling he'd been tricked.
At least there were no special demands.
If the price had been his entire fortune, he might have agreed in the heat of the moment yesterday.
'Of course, the young man traveling with Chairman Aynsha couldn't be a con artist...'
Hermann gave a wry smile.
He knew that mindset was exactly what made one ripe for scams.
Yet he didn't regret accepting because of the young man's peculiar aura.
His rough speech felt natural rather than grating, despite being young enough to be his son.
His arrogant yet confident attitude that made even the wildest claims seem possible.
And above all, those deep, serene eyes.
They made Hermann think 'No way' in his head while harboring a faint 'What if?' in his heart.
'Hope, huh.'
He'd abandoned such things after giving up sculpting.
Realizing he still harbored such naive feelings made him chuckle dryly.
'Still, not bad.'
In the end, Hermann smiled.
Whether that young man—Rimon, was it?—found a cure or not.
It would take years for results anyway.
If he could hold onto this hope until then, accepting the offer was worth it.
Far better than just waiting blankly for death.
Weeeee.
"Hm?"
A strange noise came from somewhere.
A sound he'd never heard in these woods or even back in the mundane world.
As he wondered at it briefly, Hermann's eyes widened.
The source of the noise.
A flying object appearing from far across the sky.
He could only call it that because it was what you'd normally term a plane, but...
He'd never seen a non-helicopter plane descending vertically.
Shwooo.
As Hermann watched in stunned silence, the craft landed in a clearing by the river amid fierce winds.
The moment its hatch slid open.
Seeing who stepped out, Hermann involuntarily made a baffled face.
"Hey, sculptor. Doing well?"
"...We just saw each other yesterday. Why ask after my health?"
"Half courtesy, half checking if you're ready for the trip."
"Trip?"
Absurd or baffling?
He couldn't decide.
At Rimon's inexplicable words upon arriving in this bizarre flying machine, Hermann blinked blankly.
Rimon grinned at him.
"Doesn't matter if you're not ready. Get on anyway. Long way to where the one who'll treat you is."
Having practically kidnapped the dazed Hermann into the cabin.
The vertical takeoff craft, SDW X-17, shot straight up again and headed west.
Inside, Rimon muttered admiringly.
"Damn, this thing's got some solid performance."
"The Silver Dragon Clan would be thrilled to hear the Sword Duke say that."
"...This is Russian-made? Not American?"
As if he'd never admired it.
Rimon eyed the craft suspiciously.
Li Chingwei smiled faintly at his face screaming it might crash any second.
"Rest easy. The Silver Dragon Clan customized it as a private jet, but the airframe itself was imported from America's EK."
"Ah, got it."
Only then did Rimon relax against his seat.
Li Chingwei chuckled again at his blatant reaction.
The one actually dumbfounded was Yuna Kyung, sitting on a violin case, whispering with Shera's ghost.
[...Team Leader, we've got a Seven Dragon Society princess right here, and that's your reaction? Isn't that a bit much?]
"Much? Please."
Rimon snorted.
"You don't know about Chernobyl? They were researching some new power source—nuclear this, elemental that—and blew up a whole city."
[Well... Anyone pioneering new tech makes mistakes sometimes, right?]
"New tech my ass. It's all knockoffs they stole and copied."
[You're the only one who'd call Bahamut Corp products that.]
Yuna Kyung looked incredulous.
What made her even more baffled was Li Chingwei nodding as if it were spot on.
"True, the Silver Dragon Clan and the Russian Khanate did steal a lot of American tech."
[...Princess sis, can you say that?]
"Facts are facts. They used to botch the copies so badly, accidents were common."
Li Chingwei smiled faintly.
Now called the Seven Dragon Group, the Seven Dragon Society was once a criminal syndicate dubbed the Demonic Cult.
Back then, Silver Dragon products were synonymous with shoddy knockoffs stolen and replicated from everywhere.
"But thanks to relentlessly copying tech, Bahamut now boasts the world's top cutting-edge technology."
"Top? Still miles behind America."
"That's a whole other league."
Too unfair to compare copycat to original.
Rimon just snorted at Li Chingwei's chuckling remark, offering no further rebuttal.
He might call them fakes, but fact was, only the Silver Dragon Clan could mimic American tech so closely.
So Rimon changed the subject.
"Anyway, Princess. You sure you're okay with this?"
"If it's safety, don't worry. We've got escape parachutes and lifeboats just in case."
"...Not what I meant, but didn't you just say their tech was reliable?"
"Better safe than sorry."
She trusted Silver Dragon tech but wouldn't bet her life on a clan that might slip spy chips into private jet mods.
Rimon stared oddly at her beaming explanation for a moment.
Then he chuckled.
"Smart cookie."
"Just prudent caution befitting a Seven Dragon Society princess."
"Yeah, figures."
Rimon nodded.
Any Seven Dragon princess would prepare similarly.
That was the nature of their seven clans.
...Though one might have forgotten, being from a prophecy-reliant clan where foresight was all the prep needed.
"That's actually what I wanted to ask."
"What do you mean?"
"Why you're risking it to come with me."
Li Chingwei smiled faintly at Rimon's baffled expression.
"Nothing grand. Just picking the best option."
"You going yourself is best?"
"Yes. Better than some stranger begging for treatment. Me going raises the odds she'll agree."
"That's really all?"
"Need another reason?"
Rimon looked skeptical.
It made sense, yet felt off somehow.
Not a lie, but not the full truth—like an empty shell.
What was the real reason she was hiding?
As Li Chingwei met his openly dubious gaze with unwavering smiles.
[Uh... Team Leader, got a question 'cause I'm confused.]
Clueless or too perceptive?
Hard to say.
Yuna Kyung's perfectly timed intervention in the tense air made Rimon reluctantly shift his gaze to her.
"What?"
[Aren't we heading to meet a Seven Dragon Society princess?]
"Duh."
[So why talk about risking danger? It's not a warzone.]
Yuna Kyung was puzzled.
A normal girl, maybe.
But Black Dragon Princess Li Chingwei was the strongest of the Black Dragon Clan, able to protect herself anywhere.
They weren't storming a hazard zone—just visiting another clan's princess. She couldn't fathom the worry.
Rimon and Li Chingwei exchanged odd looks at her.
"...You've been hanging with the Black Dragons for months. Still don't get it?"
[What's with the chicken brain stare? Birds can miss things too!]
"Sorry. Assumed you'd know, so never explained."
[What?! I'm the weird one for not knowing?]
Yuna Kyung bristled at Rimon's tongue-click.
Li Chingwei smiled wryly at her belated surprise.
"No, it's understandable. The Seven Dragon Society folks you've met so far were a bit biased."
[Biased how?]
Head tilted in confusion.
Li Chingwei smiled faintly.
"Think every Seven Dragon clan is as 'normal' and 'innocent' as the Blue or White Dragons, and you're in for trouble."