—The greatest surprise show in history…
The public is in shock at the Cheong Wa Dae announcement that the “Cheong Wa Dae attack was part of an emergency response drill.”
The floor leader of the National Peace Party stated, “Mocking the citizens for any reason is unacceptable.”
—Why did the Infinity Monarch, Lee Cheon-gi, appear as the Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson?
It was just as expected.
The newspapers were plastered with a single topic.
It was because the impact of Lee Cheon-gi’s press conference was that significant.
The public, already buzzing from the Cheong Wa Dae attack, had been turned upside down like a dungeon gone berserk because of that press conference.
[This is a conspiracy!]
[What do you mean by that?]
[Think about it! Does it make sense to blow up the entire Cheong Wa Dae just for a single drill? This is a trick by the current administration to raise their approval ratings!]
[No, I think that’s a bit of a stretch. If you actually look at the recent crime rates of High-level Players…]
There were current affairs debate programs where people argued over absurd conspiracies or stated the reasons why such emergency drills were necessary.
[What the hell. I sold all my stocks thinking a civil war was going to break out. It’s not even April Fool’s Day, so what’s with this national-level fraud?]
[Congrats! Dark! Dragon!]
[You’re an idiot if you were fooled by a show like this.]
[A Monarch? You really believe a Sword Master geezer turned Cheong Wa Dae upside down by himself? LOL.]
[It felt too murderous to be a play, though.]
[Sword Master XXX, Bluster Master OOO.]
There were internet message boards where people were already laughing, chatting, and cursing as if everything were a thing of the past.
[In this era where even Cheong Wa Dae collapses! A special deal on a special product just for you!]
[Yes. Speaking of this product, it is a hallucination-type item officially authorized by the Infinity Guild, and it was even used when setting up the Cheong Wa Dae incident…]
There were home shopping channels, advertising agencies, and various companies trying to make money by linking themselves to this incident somehow.
Like ants swarming toward honey.
All sorts of people were biting, licking, swallowing, and chewing on Lee Cheon-gi’s press conference.
Their directions varied wildly, and even within the same media outlet, the content, claims, and atmosphere often ran in polar opposites.
However, there was one thing.
There was one commonality without exception.
“Not a single person believes that the Sword Lord actually committed treason, do they?”
A girl wearing an Oriental-style dress spoke.
Hearing Li Qingwei’s mumble of wonder, Limon gave a light snort.
“Do you think there would be? I gave that jerk a stern warning not to spout words he couldn’t take responsibility for.”
“Usually, there are always people who keep talking regardless.”
“That depends on the situation, too.”
Limon put down the newspaper he was reading.
He continued as he looked at Li Qingwei, who was tilting her head.
“Originally, the ones who make a fuss at times like this are the attention seekers, but when everyone’s attention is focused on that idiot, who would want to talk about a washed-up old man like me?”
Those words hit the mark.
In fact, the focus of the stories circulating everywhere was only on the current government and Lee Cheon-gi.
No one thought of Limon as being at the center of this incident.
Even those who spoke of conspiracy theories and suspicion were setting aside the possibility of Limon’s actual treason for the time being.
“Not a single person believes that the Sword Lord actually committed treason, do they?”
Li Qingwei, a girl in an Oriental-style dress, muttered in wonder, and Limon snorted.
“Do you think there would be? I gave that jerk a stern warning not to spout words he couldn’t take responsibility for.”
“Usually, there are always people who keep talking regardless.”
“That depends on the situation, too.”
Limon put down the newspaper he was reading.
“Common sense has a way of transcending logic, you know.”
Sleeping with a fan on will cause suffocation.
Having your photo taken will steal your soul.
The sun revolves around the Earth.
If you think about it carefully, these are logics that are beyond absurd and can only be called superstitions.
Nevertheless, the reason there was an era when almost everyone believed them without a doubt was not because they were foolish.
It was because it was common sense.
Lee Cheon-gi’s press conference was exquisite in that regard.
It provided a plausible reason for those who were anxious to fit this situation into common sense somehow.
No matter how ridiculous that reason was.
—
“To hold such a press conference after calculating this far, the Infinity Monarch was unexpectedly a tactician.”
“Tactician, my foot.”
As expected of someone from the Black Dragon Clan.
Li Qingwei nodded in admiration of the scheme.
Limon, seeing her expression, looked incredulous and spoke sarcastically.
“I can guarantee you, that guy just turned the whole table over because he found it bothersome to deal with everything one by one.”
“Are you saying he did it without any calculations?”
“Yep!”
Li Qingwei’s eyes widened.
To hold such a crazy press conference without thinking.
For the Black Dragon Clan, where schemes and conspiracies were instinct, it was a story that truly transcended imagination.
However, Limon nodded without hesitation.
And then he revealed his reasoning.
“Because I used to be like that.”
“That is a very persuasive statement.”
Limon was also once a supreme being.
Therefore, he knew it well.
He knew that rather than weaving troublesome schemes, it was the way of a supreme being to simply crush everything with power and authority.
Normally, it would be an act of foolish bravado, but simply because the subject was a supreme being, it became the perfect answer.
That was what it meant to be a supreme being.
In fact, the reason the claim that this was all a “show” gained credibility was only because it was Lee Cheon-gi who announced it.
If someone else had said such a thing, it would not have been dismissed so easily.
“I should have expected it from the moment he said he’d handle the cleanup himself… I’m the idiot for trusting a guy like that.”
“At any rate, you were cleared of the false charges, weren’t you?”
“That’s why I’m not calling myself a sucker.”
“Uh, well. Is the difference between an idiot and a sucker that big?”
“As big as the difference between a premature shooter and a eunuch.”
“That is a huge difference…”
It seemed to be a very easy-to-understand analogy.
After muttering impressively for a moment, Li Qingwei suddenly asked.
“By the way, do you feel any regret?”
“I do. If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have beaten that jerk Lee Cheon-gi a few more times.”
“I don’t mean that. I mean losing the chance to gain fame again by announcing the fact that you defeated the Infinity Monarch.”
“Fame? What fame? Beating a guy who acts like a bread shuttler isn’t something to brag about.”
Thanks to this press conference, the treason charges vanished, but the fact that he had defeated Lee Cheon-gi was buried along with them.
Anyone else would have swallowed their tears in frustration.
But he didn’t feel regret.
He just continued indifferently.
“Besides, even if I announced it, who would believe it? There are plenty of people who would gouge out their own eyes and deny it even if they saw it in person.”
“That’s true.”
Li Qingwei readily agreed.
She knew how sturdy the blind faith in common sense was.
Just looking at people’s reactions to this press conference made it clear.
In fact, she herself was the one who had spent decades creating that common sense in order to ruin Limon.
“More than anything, when I think about the swarm of flies that would gather if that news got out, I’d rather act as if it never happened.”
She blinked once.
As if she understood the meaning behind those words a beat late, a smile played on Li Qingwei’s lips.
“You’re saying you don’t like playing the role of a convenient swordsman.”
“Because there are those who only know it’s feces or soybean paste once they taste it,” Limon replied nonchalantly.
If people believed that he had defeated Lee Cheon-gi, he would certainly gain fame.
In exchange, the number of people trying to use him would also increase.
One could tell just by seeing how a parasite like Park Hyun-gun had attached himself to Lee Cheon-gi, a supreme being of this era.
Since he had no faction or affiliation, many would believe that Limon would be easy to manipulate.
Of course, such people could be helpful depending on how they were used.
However, Limon, who was already busy enough dealing with the Constellations and disliked abusing his power more than necessary, found nothing more bothersome than that.
“Well, anyway, thanks to this, I can win the bet. I should be satisfied with that much.”
“A bet?”
“Yeah. There’s a certain fish-eyed girl I bet with on whether I could clear my name of treason.”
He chuckled for a moment, thinking of Sia, who had looked stunned as if she were watching the sky fall when she saw Lee Cheon-gi’s press conference.
Limon then sank deep into the sofa.
He looked at Li Qingwei with eyes full of interest.
“So, does it look like getting the elders’ permission for our marriage will be a bit easier with this?”
As if it were someone else’s business, Limon asked about his own marriage.
It was ironic, but Li Qingwei wasn’t flustered at all.
She simply smiled and answered.
“I’ve already received it.”
“…Received it? Already?”
“Yes, though a few conditions were attached. They aren’t very difficult conditions, so you can consider it almost a guaranteed approval.”
“If they were the type to agree so readily, I don’t think they would have opposed it in the first place?”
“The elders are people who know the Sword Lord’s strength well. After opposing it, they must have realized that they do want the Sword Lord after all.”
Limon made a subtle expression at Li Qingwei’s calm answer.
Being of a certain age himself, he knew well how stubborn old fogies could be when they dug their heels in.
Even so, if the elders had dropped their stubbornness so quickly, wasn’t it because they had been backed into a corner by someone to the point where they had no other choice?
“Tsk, then I was happy for nothing when the treason charges were dropped.”
“Please don’t think that. There are definitely benefits gained from the Sword Lord clearing his name.”
“You mean being able to use me openly as a swordsman?”
“No, being able to hold our wedding proudly in public.”
“It’s sad that I can’t deny that.”
Limon let out a short laugh.
To him, who could sweep away a country like this with just a few swings of his blade, or to Li Qingwei, who could collapse an economy with just a few instructions, a charge like treason only held that much value.
“Anyway, then do we just need to hold the ceremony now?”
“Once we go through a few procedures.”
“Procedures?”
“I am the Princess of the Seven Dragons Society, after all. From booking the wedding hall to deciding the guest list, there’s quite a lot to prepare.”
“Hmm, I suppose so…”
Limon nodded.
Even for an ordinary newborn couple, it was common for wedding preparations to take several months or even years.
Moreover, there was no way the marriage of Li Qingwei, the head of the Seven Dragons Society and owner of the Seven Dragon Group, could be handled overnight.
“Well, if you ever need help with anything, just let me know. I have nothing but time, anyway.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’ll help with most things.”
Limon nodded calmly.
Li Qingwei looked at him with sparkling eyes and asked.
“Then, could you spare some time tomorrow?”
“I don’t mind… but why?”
“I happened to have a task that needs to be handled soon, and I definitely need the Sword Lord’s help with it.”
“Is there someone you want me to kill?”
“No.”
“Then is there something you want me to smash?”
“It’s not that either.”
Li Qingwei giggled at Limon’s truly swordsman-like questions after he pondered briefly what his help might be needed for.
Then, with a meaningful smile, she spoke.
“If I had to say, it’s actually the opposite.”