Chapter 94
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Going with Plan B
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Guardian.
The recently established subsidiary had become one of the main culprits making the Black Dragon Clan constantly doubt their own judgment.
"Guardian? Ain't that the company the princess set up just to give that bastard a position?"
Back when it was first founded.
The Black Dragon Clan had dismissed Guardian as nothing more than a facade to grant merits and status to a has-been.
"Ah! Now I get it. It's a place to make that bastard do his bastardly deeds!"
After Rimon turned the subsidiary upside down.
The quick-witted ones began suspecting it was Li Chingwei's surveillance agency to consolidate her power.
"Hmm, well, they did make contributions blocking those ferocious beasts, so maybe it's not just for show. Should we sign a short-term contract too...?"
After predicting the ferocious beasts' attacks.
The pragmatic ones realized Guardian was a useful security firm after all and started inching closer.
"Contract my ass! The fact that I even thought that bastard's company was usable for a moment means I'm the crazy one!"
And when the predictions missed the mark?
Everyone turned around, cursing that you couldn't trust the Sword Duke after all.
In just a few months short of a year, the evaluations swung to such extremes that even the Black Dragon Clan, who had to shift their stance accordingly, were left in disarray.
It couldn't be helped.
Even a normal firm would see its stock soaring with that kind of performance, but Guardian was Rimon's company.
"What? They blocked it again?"
That was why.
After Guardian, which had repeatedly failed in predictions, accurately pinpointed and blocked the ferocious beasts' targets once more.
The Black Dragon Clan had no choice but to flounder.
Signing a contract outright would bruise their pride, but ignoring it meant worrying about the beast attacks.
"That Sword Duke bastard! Either do your job right or fuck it up completely—pick a lane! Why do you keep flip-flopping?!"
Guardian's reputation kept changing.
Yet amid it all, Rimon consistently got flak whether he did well or poorly.
But they didn't know.
The ones with the most complicated thoughts from this failed attack were someone else entirely.
"Hey there, comrade. What're ya plannin' now?"
"......"
"Say somethin', will ya? Weren't you the one, comrade commander, who was dead sure they couldn't block it?"
"......"
"What, embarrassed? Don't be shy now. Even monkeys fall from trees—it's natural for a comrade to mess up sometimes, right?"
"Comrade."
"Oh, finally got somethin' to say?"
"Could you shut the hell up before I rip that mouth of yours?"
A calm face and steady voice.
Yet the braided-haired man, brimming with clear killing intent, made the beady-eyed youth clamp his mouth shut instantly.
The man who silenced the noisy nuisance generator slowly ran a hand through his hair.
"It's not that I let my guard down, but honestly, it was unexpected."
"What's unexpected about it? Ya just messed up, comrade..."
Kwachik!
It happened in an instant.
The youth's jaw tore open, his body flying back like a rubber ball.
The man ignored the sight.
He merely rested his chin on his hand and murmured to himself.
"I thought it was just some profiler or detective good at reading minds, but this level... maybe I should suspect a fortune-teller or prophet."
"......Hey, comrade. Ain't that a bit much?"
"Think calling 'em a fortune-teller is too much of a stretch?"
"Who said it was too much?! It's that attitude of yours—blowing off someone's jaw and acting like nothin' happened!"
"And nothing did happen, did it?"
It was an injury that would have killed an ordinary person or left them twitching on the brink of death.
Yet the youth, pristine without a scratch, snapped at the braided-haired man in outrage.
"Even so, a guy's got feelings, y'know!"
"Hm, fair point."
"Took ya long enough?"
"In that vein, let me ask: my mood's utterly foul right now, so could you die for me?"
"That's what ya meant by fair?!"
Regardless of the youth's outburst.
The man didn't twitch an eyebrow, calmly soliciting his opinion.
"More importantly, what's your take, comrade?"
"I think appointin' ya as commander was a huge mistake, comrade."
"Cut the crap that makes me wanna use you as cannon fodder. I'm asking how the Seven Dragon Society figured out our attack locations."
Was it his serious demeanor?
Realizing the braided-haired man was genuinely asking, the youth swallowed his anger with effort.
He scratched his head and replied.
"Wasn't it that detective usin' his brain to figure it out, comrade?"
"Think before you speak. No genius could deduce our dice-rolled targets."
"Then it must be some prophecy skill, right?"
"Are you an idiot? Prophecy skills can't pierce our 'Holy Veil'."
"Then why the hell're ya askin' me?!"
"I wanted to check an IQ-zero fool's perspective, but as expected, zero help."
"......Comrade, I'm beggin' ya seriously—could ya let me rough ya up a bit?"
"Of course not. Unlike you, comrade, I actually die when I die."
Thoroughly pissed.
The man flatly refused the youth, who was already brandishing a knife with wild eyes.
He slipped a hand into his pocket and met the youth's gaze head-on.
"Instead, how about a deathmatch until one of us drops? I'll accept that. Wanna try?"
"Don't get so serious, man. I was just jokin'."
The youth slyly hid the knife.
His nine-tailed-fox attitude deserved mockery, but the man showed no smile.
He was solely focused on pondering who had disrupted his perfect plan and by what means.
"Hm... I'm really curious what method they used to read my thoughts."
Too precise for deduction.
Too vague for prophecy.
His curiosity piqued by the Seven Dragon Society's technique for a moment.
The man looked regretful.
"If I had more time, I could've staged a terror attack somewhere to observe, but it's tight. Regrettable."
"Orders came down?"
"Yes. Seems the 'higher-ups' want this wrapped up quick, so we go with Plan B."
"Ya really gonna do it?"
"To get results fast in this situation, we have to take some risks."
"Hm, can't argue with that."
The youth nodded in reluctant agreement, face subtly uneasy.
It wasn't a plan he liked, but with orders from above, wasting time on pranks was off the table.
"By the way, is the crazy comrade behaving?"
As if it just occurred to him.
The man asked, and the youth clicked his tongue.
"What kinda nonsense is that? That nutjob stayin' put? She's runnin' wild on her own, givin' me a massive headache."
"For someone like that, she seems awfully quiet."
"Bombs look quiet till they blow, don't they?"
"Fair point."
The man nodded slowly.
By modern standards, none of them were sane, but the blonde woman was in a league of her own.
They hadn't even used her for attacks since the Black Dragon Construction incident.
"Just in case, contact her. Ops start soon—tell her to stay put till then."
"Think she'll listen?"
"Cut her allowance if not. Even a lunatic won't rampage on an empty stomach."
"Huh? Why tell me?"
"You're the one handling her stipend, aren't you?"
"I ain't never done that. The crazy comrade's allowance comes from you, commander."
A brief silence.
"Think logically: grunts like you handle the chores."
"Talk sense. Money stuff always goes wrong if you don't manage it."
"No excuses. So how's the crazy one funding herself now?"
A longer silence.
"She must be dipping into the ops account or... "
"Forget we shut down all company-related accounts due to the Seven Dragons' net?"
"......She saved up from before?"
"To your dimwit eyes, does that live-for-today, should've-died-yesterday psycho seem like a saver?"
A very long silence.
Only then did the man and youth realize they'd left a starving beast loose on the streets without food.
They stared at each other before speaking in unison.
"Contact her quick."
"Go check on her now."
"Me, die?"
"Better you die than her screwing ops by going berserk."
"Ain't your life—why so casual?!"
Someone once said.
Communication is key.
Even psychopaths weren't exempt—and they paid the price, dithering for a good while.
"Thanks."
"Thanks for what?"
"That advice you gave last time. Helped me sort out a headache."
The person in question, tuning her guitar while humming, tilted her head at the sudden comment.
Yujin's eyes sparkled at Rimon's words.
"So, partner, ready for a show?"
"Dunno. Still kinda tough, but..."
What a music brain.
His hesitant answer to her question—everything boiled down to music and performances—lasted only a moment.
Rimon trailed off at Yujin's eyes, welling up like an abandoned puppy.
After careful thought, he added,
"......If it's just a little?"
"A little ain't enough for me."
The tears cleared, but her face brimmed with dissatisfaction. Rimon replied flatly,
"Don't get greedy. Once this is over, I'll jam with you plenty."
"Really? Promise?"
"Yeah."
Rimon nodded readily.
After all, Yujin's tip had let him block the beasts.
Busy as he was, he'd make time for her as thanks.
"OK, then here."
"......Why the guitar?"
"Advance payment's standard in contracts!"
"So you're using that excuse to squeeze another song out of me?"
"Yup! We met, and you leave without playing? Too sad!"
"Smooth talker."
Rimon tsked at Yujin, openly greedy and not even pretending otherwise.
She grinned at him.
"But dinner's on me today!"
"On you? Broke and chased by debts."
"Not anymore."
Yujin thumbs-upped triumphantly at Rimon, who grumbled but took the guitar.
And declared proudly,
"I'm gettin' back to work."