Chapter 393
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 393
Chapter Title: It's a Bit Subtle, Though.
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"So, you're saying it's best to hold off on such a massive expansion all at once?"
"It's uncharted territory, after all. Even if there are no issues right now, remember that magic always comes with a price."
"Thank you for the advice."
"No need to thank me. I'm quite intrigued by this myself, in more ways than one."
In the underground lab of Hotel Leviathan.
Syr let out a soft chuckle.
For her—the one called the Magic Queen, who had lived for thousands of years—even providing food via magic to a population in the hundreds of millions was a first.
The fact that she could conduct such an experiment for free made the volunteer work more than worthwhile.
And lately, another intriguing development had arisen.
"By the way, little black one, are you alright?"
"It'd be better to wrap up the food supplies as quickly as possible, but we've passed the worst of it already. Taking a bit more time won't be a problem."
"I'm not talking about that. I mean sending little white one along with her."
The question was so unexpected.
Unlike her smooth responses up to that point, Li Chingwei fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"Do you have something to say about Ainsa?"
"You know she has ulterior motives toward little white one, don't you?"
Syr wore a subtle smile.
With her thousands of years of insight, there was no way she could miss the peculiar atmosphere flowing between the Seven Dragon Society's princesses.
Yet Li Chingwei's voice remained calm.
"She'll be fine."
"You trust little white one?"
"If you're asking whether I trust Ainsa completely, that would be a lie."
Li Chingwei gave a wry smile.
After Rose Major had fallen and betrayed them all, trusting another princess would be utter madness.
Especially for the Black Dragon Princess, who trusted no one.
Still, she had allowed Ainsa to accompany him for two reasons.
One was Rimon's decision.
The other was...
"What I trust is that Ainsa is the White Dragon Princess."
"Meaning the White Dragon Clan's schemes won't work on you?"
"I have no intention of saying something so arrogant. I'm merely pointing out the nature of the White Dragon Clan."
"Hmm, that's a sharp observation."
The White Dragon Clan was the purest among the Seven Dragon Society, even more distant from schemes and plots than the Blue Dragon Clan.
Unless they followed a prophecy.
They were a clan incapable of devising and executing complex conspiracies on their own.
Thus, from the moment Ainsa joined Rimon, any hidden intentions she might have had were effectively reduced to zero chance of success.
The more they relied on prophecy to plan and act, the more likely they were to veer disastrously off course.
Knowing this, Syr's chuckle was brief.
She soon added with a sly smile.
"But be careful, little black one. Those who know the future are ruled by it, and nothing blinds the eyes quite like certainty."
At that moment.
Her obsidian-like beautiful eyes darkened deeply.
"...Where did you hear that?"
"That those who know the future are ruled by it? It's something I realized watching Cassandra."
"Cassandra—the prophet from the Silver Age?"
"Yes. Her foresight surpassed even mine and the Goddess of Fate herself, but in the end, the Great Witch was destroyed by her own prophecies."
She rarely divined fortunes herself because she had foreseen that one's downfall.
Syr, speaking with a touch of nostalgia, suddenly looked puzzled.
"But why do you ask?"
"I've heard something similar before, so I was curious about the source."
"Hmm, then it must have been from that Rimon boy. In this day and age, only he'd spout such an old adage."
"...Something like that."
Syr smirked at Li Chingwei's nuanced reply.
Players who boldly altered futures seen through skills for gain, and even the White Dragon Clan living strictly by prophecies for optimal outcomes.
To them in this era where prophecy was just a tool, such adages were mere superstition.
She knew few could grasp the fear and danger of knowing the future.
That was why.
Thinking of that rare white-haired swordsman among them, Syr wore a mischievous smile.
"Anyway, you must have your hands full, little one. Even a mere prophet would have been a headache, but now you've got a White Dragon Princess dead set on scheming by his side."
Was it concern?
Or anticipation?
Li Chingwei smiled faintly at the teasing Great Witch.
"He'll be fine. He's the Sword Duke, after all."
"Hmm, indeed."
The white-haired man furrowed his brow, tapping the armrest.
Rimon asked bluntly.
"So the crazy princess's threat to round up the revolutionaries and ship them all to the gulags was just bluff?"
The white-haired girl, perched on the bed sipping cocoa.
Ainsa replied curtly.
"It wasn't a bluff. Ekaterina would do it."
"But the timing could be a year from now, or ten years?"
"More precisely, it's when Riga pulls out."
"...So ultimately, it's all groundwork to keep me tied to her territory as long as possible."
"Yes."
"Tch, how vicious."
Rimon clicked his tongue.
Ekaterina's plan was complex yet simple.
First, use the bounty and equity negotiations as bait to draw Rimon in and saddle him with subjugating the Liberation Brigade.
Then Rimon couldn't leave the country until the Liberation Brigade was dealt with.
If he left with them still around, Ekaterina would crush the revolutionaries wholesale for the bounty, regardless of the bloodshed.
[Uh..., so in other words, using the revolutionaries to pin down Team Leader is that bun-head sis's plan?]
"Something like that."
That was why.
Yuna Kyung sounded uneasy.
She'd already been suspicious when Rimon brought Ainsa to his room late at night, wondering what was up.
Learning of Ekaterina and Ainsa's scheme only widened her eyes further.
But as she listened, something nagged at her.
[...Isn't this basically a hostage situation?]
At that instant.
Rimon's fingers stopped.
Ainsa's lips paused on her cocoa.
A strange silence descended.
Rimon never compromised on hostage situations; if this was one, he couldn't let it slide.
As Yuna Kyung realized she'd stepped on a landmine and swallowed dryly.
Rimon spoke.
"It's a bit subtle..., but calling it a hostage situation is a stretch."
[Huh? Why?]
"That crazy princess isn't holding hostages; she's just exercising her rights as ruler according to the law."
[...Sending over a million revolutionaries to the gulags?]
"So you think it's wrong to arrest an anti-government group that plotted to assassinate the head of state?"
[Well...]
Yuna Kyung was at a loss.
The numbers were huge and the sentences harsh, but they were criminals who had organized an assassination.
To her, Rimon said indifferently.
"Prison's lenient, honestly. Back in the day, they'd have executed the whole million."
[Isn't that a bit much?]
"Why? Most countries today treat treason and rebellion as capital offenses or life sentences."
Rimon snorted.
Killing even pet dogs.
Or condemning families and neighbors for generations just for association.
To him, who had lived in an era where arbitrary collective punishment was the norm, executing only the perpetrators was downright merciful.
[Still, there's a limit. What if innocents get swept up?]
"That's why I warned her. If even one innocent is among them, I'll step in."
[...That was what you meant?]
"Unfortunately, it seems that crazy princess didn't buy it."
Recalling how Ekaterina had laughed even more delightedly after his warning, Rimon sighed.
Whether from confidence in avoiding mistakes.
Or madness that craved amusement above all.
Her smile alone made it clear she wouldn't hesitate to subjugate the revolutionaries.
"The real headache is how that crazy princess is turning prophecy against us."
[Turning it against us?]
"Other than buying equity, she never demanded anything herself once. We stepped forward first to block the prophecies."
Rimon clicked his tongue.
He'd tasked Ainsa with negotiations to avert the future where half of Russia's people died.
That very act was obviously part of Ekaterina's plan to seize the initiative.
[Wait. So you're saying that bun-head sis fabricated the prophecy of half the Russian people dying?]
"No. Even a crazy princess knows I'd kill her for deliberately massacring half her citizens."
"Ekaterina plans to subjugate the Liberation Brigade and stir chaos. No massacres in the plan."
[Then if we reveal that prophecy, she might halt the subjugation...]
"Doubt it."
"She'd do it even more eagerly."
"She knows if it's not intentional, I can't hold her accountable."
"Plus, she thinks she has our weakness and exploits it thoroughly."
[...Your assessment of that bun-head sis is intense.]
"Naturally. It's Ekaterina."
This is basic for her.
As Yuna Kyung paled at Ainsa's flat remark—that Ekaterina was the craziest and cruelest princess in the Seven Dragon Society.
Rimon muttered, brow furrowed.
"Anyway, the key is what that crazy princess is plotting while keeping me stuck here..."
"Honey trap."
"Right, you seducing me is the plan?"
"Yes. I'll keep at it until it works. Success rate: 100%."
Just make it a done deal.
Watching Ainsa clench her fist expressionlessly, recalling Tata's advice, Rimon thought to himself.
'90% ulterior motives, that crazy princess.'
Ainsa might be oblivious, but Ekaterina—whose cunning rivaled the Black Dragons—couldn't have such a simplistic scheme.
...Though her slight madness made it terrifyingly possible she was serious about this absurd plan.
Thus.
Rimon spoke with a sigh.
"No choice then. Only one solution."
[What'll you do?]
"Eliminate the root cause."
[Hunt down the Liberation Brigade hiding in the revolutionaries?]
"Yeah. Whether to alter the prophecy or thwart that crazy princess's schemes. No better way."
[Sure, but how do you plan to find them?]
Yuna Kyung was skeptical.
The Liberation Brigade was this era's worst player crime syndicate.
Even with Charlotte's bounty making them fugitives worldwide, they hid so thoroughly their roots remained unseen.
But Rimon wasn't worried.
As a Sword Master, but more so as an old-timer from long years in the jianghu.
And as the former senior agent of the government agency handling player crimes since the Iron Age's dawn, he just smirked.
"What else? Time to channel my PAB days."