Chapter 91
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: No Reason, Right?
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Whether offended by the espionage leader's silence,
the interrogation sharpened even further.
Yet no one spoke up.
It wasn't solely out of fear of Wang Gineung.
They were just as stumped by this situation.
'If we had an alternative, we'd have used it by now, family head.'
'To think things would turn out like this...'
'Sigh.'
From the clan's renowned tracking experts to high-level tracers hired at exorbitant prices.
Despite deploying every possible means at their disposal, they hadn't even caught a whiff of the culprits.
It truly felt like chasing ghosts.
'It'd be better if they were actual ghosts. At least then, failing to find them would just be a laughingstock.'
The problem was that these culprits were very much living humans, steadily raiding other affiliates.
As a result, the Shanghai Wang Clan was drawing increasingly cold stares from the rest of the Black Dragon Clan.
They might have been spared if they hadn't stepped forward in the first place.
But having accepted investigative authority from Rimon and declared vengeance, the Wang Clan bore heavy responsibility for the ongoing damages from failing to catch the culprits.
'It's not about dishonor anymore.'
'The Shanghai Wang Clan might lose its status as a prestigious house.'
In that sense, everyone in the Wang household was equally anxious for an alternative.
The issue was that none existed.
"What if we request Guardian's cooperation?"
The moment the solemn voice rang out,
everyone turned to the martial leader with faces like they'd heard nonsense.
Not only was it rare for the usually taciturn man to speak up in such a situation, but his suggestion was utterly unexpected.
"Are you saying we should admit we can't catch these culprits on our own?"
"The more hunting dogs, the better. Especially ones with noses as sharp as Guardian's."
"Mm."
"That..."
The clan's executives stirred.
There was logic to the martial leader's words.
From the moment they'd hired tracers, the clan had already committed to using any means necessary.
Moreover, Guardian had proven its capabilities over the past month by thwarting the culprits' raids.
Considering it was nominally tasked with securing the Black Dragon Clan's facilities, it was the optimal choice.
"Impossible."
But Wang Gineung stated flatly.
Guardian's power could not be borrowed.
"We declared we'd avenge ourselves personally, and now borrowing Guardian's hand? What would others think of us?"
"Isn't our family motto to prioritize substance over empty pride?"
"Even substance has its timing."
"...Are you saying it's already too late?"
"Far too late."
Wang Gineung shook his head.
If they'd sought help from the start, perhaps.
But a full month had passed since rejecting Rimon's involvement, and the raids continued unabated.
The already precarious Shanghai Wang Clan would never live down begging Guardian for aid now—it would end their claim to prestige forever.
'If I'd known catching these culprits would be this hopeless, I would've considered other options.'
Wang Gineung sighed.
Who could have foreseen that even the Seven Dragon Society's power wouldn't suffice?
No one had anticipated it.
Except, perhaps, one person.
'Did the Sword Duke foresee this and reject my offer?'
Rimon had gladly accepted the request not to intervene but refused any compensation.
At the time, Wang Gineung had dismissed it as the stubborn pride of an antiquated swordsman blind to gain.
But was that truly the case?
Had he accepted that offer then, all the current backlash against the clan would have fallen on Rimon instead.
Rimon would have been branded a greedy corrupt official who abandoned the hunt for profit, while the clan could have played the victim and garnered sympathy.
By refusing payment, however, Rimon had sidestepped all responsibility for the incident.
In fact, by deploying Guardian to repeatedly thwart the culprits, he'd even built his reputation.
What if it wasn't coincidence?
What if he'd predicted this from the outset?
The Sword Duke was no rigid blade-master.
He was like an old, cunning tiger that overlooked entire mountain ranges, only stirring when the prey was ripe for the taking—like a king of the peaks prowling lazily.
'I should have realized it the moment that Sword Duke so easily stepped back.'
It was a futile regret.
It had been the best choice Wang Gineung could make at the time, and he'd make it again given another chance.
"Forget Guardian. Our only way to protect the family now is to catch these culprits with our own strength."
Wang Gineung steadied his kin.
And gazing at the shattered mural still stained with the vivid blood of his cousin Wang Gi-seong, he murmured lowly.
"By any means necessary."
"I see."
Li Chingwei flipped through the documents.
She stamped the seal, then opened a new file and continued in a calm voice.
"So the Shanghai Wang Clan has decided to stick to their current policy."
"Yes."
The elderly man in a suit.
Youin explained impassively.
"The family head is aware of the situation and has bolstered manpower to intensify the hunt for the culprits, but..."
"If they were findable with that, they'd have been caught long ago, wouldn't they?"
"They seem too frantic to notice even that obvious fact."
"What a shame. For someone as sharp as the Wang family head to misjudge the situation and waste the clan's time, manpower, and money."
"Shall we reprimand him?"
"I have no intention of blaming the Wang family head. The outcome would have been the same no matter who stepped up."
Li Chingwei stated matter-of-factly.
The Shanghai Wang Clan's head, Wang Gineung, was no incompetent.
A genius by birth, he'd reached the level of a master tracker—something others could only attain through grueling, bone-shattering training.
If even he was floundering?
It was cause to admire the culprits' cunning, not decry his incompetence.
"You think it's a skill?"
"Few methods could shake off our clan's tracking arts and high-level tracers so cleanly."
"Even with a skill for that purpose, could it truly evade the Wang family head's pursuit?"
"Of course, even a monarch would struggle."
Li Chingwei readily acknowledged Youin's point.
Though this was the Iron Age dominated by players, they were the Seven Dragon Society.
Holding the world's wealth and wielding absolute influence in the underworld—no player, however great, could perfectly evade their gaze.
"Unless they have a separate backer pulling the strings."
"You see this as an organized attack?"
"If we trust the Sword Duke's instincts."
"Indeed, then hunting the backer might be faster."
"You believe it that readily?"
Li Chingwei tilted her head slightly.
Any other clan would have scoffed at trusting some outdated instinct.
But Youin, who knew Rimon at his peak, wore a serious expression.
"The Sword Duke thwarted our century-long grand scheme with instinct alone. No reason not to trust his."
"The Sword Duke does have sharp senses."
Li Chingwei smiled brightly, as if she'd received praise herself.
Youin suddenly asked her.
"Did you deliberately assign a security firm like Guardian to the Sword Duke so you could borrow his sharpness in case something like this happened?"
"No, I just thought it'd annoy him the least."
"..."
"Though it'd be a lie to say I had no other expectations."
Youin gave a peculiar look.
By granting Rimon excessive authority over Guardian, she'd made the clan wary of her own gaze.
She'd alleviated the elders' pressure.
And prepared for contingencies.
The benefits Li Chingwei had reaped from handing Guardian to Rimon were countless.
Yet she spoke of them as mere side gains, with utmost casualness.
But that lasted only a moment.
Youin resumed his report at her next question.
"What of the other clans besides Shanghai Wang?"
"They're growing quite anxious."
"As expected."
"This isn't something to take so lightly."
Youin spoke gravely to Li Chingwei, who remained as composed as if hearing of a neighbor's house fire.
"It was manageable until recently, but since Guardian's prediction missed in the last raid, affiliate revenues have dropped across the board."
"That's... troubling."
Li Chingwei looked genuinely perplexed.
Unlike the demonic cult of old, the current Seven Dragon Society was a legitimate enterprise.
Operated not on faith, oaths, or fear, but on profits and gains.
A dip in core revenue was, in some ways, graver than hundreds dying in raids.
The dissatisfaction aimed at Shanghai Wang could easily turn on her.
For her, who needed to reclaim standing within the clan for her goals, it was a dire situation.
"Princess, why not ask the Sword Duke?"
That was why even Youin, usually content to silently follow orders, offered his rare opinion.
"You mean to catch the culprits?"
"Yes. No reason for us to avoid Guardian's involvement just because Shanghai Wang does."
To Li Chingwei, who tilted her head as if hearing an unexpected proposal, Youin calmly continued.
"If the Sword Duke leads the hunt, both he and you could win over more of the clan."
"You sound convinced he could find and punish them whenever he wants."
"Because he is the Sword Duke."
If he didn't step in at all, fine.
But who could evade Rimon's blade once drawn?
Li Chingwei gazed at the impassive Youin, then smiled softly and nodded.
"I think so too."
"Then..."
"But I won't ask him."
"...May I know why?"
"It was the Wang family head who asked the Sword Duke—who offered help—to stand down. What would it look like now if we went back begging for aid?"
"The Sword Duke probably wouldn't mind."
"Likely not."
Li Chingwei nodded readily.
Then added lightly,
"But Shanghai Wang would hold a grudge."
"..."
For Shanghai Wang to preserve its prestigious status now, it needed to catch the culprits itself, by any means.
Yet if Rimon, who had promised to yield, unilaterally eliminated them?
Reason enough for resentment.
"No matter how weakened, Shanghai Wang is still a prestigious house. If they decide to oppose the Sword Duke, it could sway others."
Resentments etched deeper than grace.
Even if Rimon bestowed favors on a hundred clansmen, one grudge from Shanghai Wang would outweigh and outlast them.
All the more because the foe was none other than Rimon.
"So, is there any reason the Sword Duke should step in anyway?"