Solo Swordmaster

Chapter 39: That's Why

Idealists will say that human beings cannot be assigned a value.

But not many would say ‘yes’ when asked if they would give up their wealth to save a person.

Realists will say that human beings can indeed be assigned a value.

But not many would be able to answer how much it would take for them to sell their lives.

Determining the value of a human being was difficult — an ancient conundrum with no definite answer, even today.

Yet…

“To be honest, I had luck on my side.”

Here sat a girl challenging that conundrum with everything she had.

Truly, Li Chingwei was an oddity to declare that her clan’s gargantuan fortune was nothing compared to the value of Limon.

“…You had luck on your side?”

“Yes. When we first planned this out, we were expecting to go until at least a hundred years.”

The white-haired man looked mortified.

“The Master of Sword had so much renown, we were unsure if it would dwindle after centuries — millennials, even,” she continued with a grin.

That was no overstatement.

He was mankind’s guardian who pierced the Demon God.

The Hero who resolved the elemental crisis that swept over the Americas.

The renown Limon Asphelder had built over the many centuries was so grandiose, there was no sign of its decline until a little over 30 years ago.

“But the people astounded me.”

In that sense, the change people brought upon after the arrival of Constellations and players were indeed surprising.

“They had already forgotten the Master of Sword’s renown in not a hundred, but just 30 years.”

Players had gotten drunk off their suddenly acquired powers.

The powerful were blinded by the riches in the Dungeon.

And the people started taking peace for granted.

They soon forgot the memoirs of the past.

Maybe buried would be more accurate.

There wasn’t any one single individual to blame.

Everyone had unanimously buried Limon’s feats and turned the Swordmaster into a laughing stock. As if they were ashamed that the past savior of the world was just someone who could swing around a sharp knife well.

“Strange, isn’t it? How quickly the people forgot about the Master of Swords. Quicker than our own predictions, when we were the people behind it.

Li Chingwei added her own suspicions on top of Limon’s as she continued, this time with a peculiar smile a little different than the one before.

“It’s not like a celestial entity would have intervened.”

Her tone was lighthearted but her eyes were not laughing.

Limon raised his brows.

“…Did the Constellations play a bigger role in speeding up my downfall than you guys?”

“I would be deemed insane if I told this to anyone else.”

“Well, at least you’re self aware.”

Limon frowned.

If it had been anyone else but him, the Black Dragon Princess would have indeed been considered one crazy bitch.

“If what you’re saying is true, that means that the Constellations are brainwashing the players.”

“Not that far. I just figured that Constellations might have some influence over a player’s subconscious, is all.”

“That’s what brainwashing means.”

What they were saying was absurd.

Straight up nonsense.

The mentality the majority bore in this Iron Age is that the Constellations were great transcendent entities who gave the people protection and fortune.

Even the biggest nut job conspiracist would have claimed it to be rubbish.

But instead of correcting herself, Li Chingwei calmly continued.

“As I have already told you, the Seven Dragons Association has spent several decades working hard to achieve and maintain world peace.”

“I know.”

“The most important part of that was gathering information.”

“I’m sure it was.”

As someone who was given the title of ‘Guardian of Humanity’, Limon could relate to her as he nodded.

“The reason I started to become suspicious of the Constellations was because I found something peculiar in the data I gathered.”

“Something peculiar?”

“There are more than a few people whose personalities changed after becoming a player.”

“It’s common for people to change when they suddenly get a hold of a lot of power.”

“That would be the case for people who acquired a lot of it. But what if I told you that even those who only got a little changed as well?”

The changes she saw in people below level 10 and 20…

Making a deal with some insignificant Constellation who weren’t even considered to be players…

Someone who loved swimming was now hydrophobic and despised water.

Someone who studied all their life to become a doctor now wanted to become a professional boxer.

Limon narrowed his eyes.

“Things like that aren’t impossible, though.”

“Sure, if it was a single case in a hundred. But what if over 70% of the players went through such changes, be it large or small?”

***

***

“…Seven in ten players had a change in their personality?”

“According to the statistics counting players who have been in a contract for over ten years.”

“I’ve seen players for decades and never felt such a change.”

“It would be hard to feel those changes the longer you’ve seen them. This is something that slowly happened over the course of several decades.”

Of course anyone would start getting suspicious if people changed overnight.

But what if that change gradually happened over a year? A decade?

Sure, people would think that they’re a little different than how they were, but no one would think of that as weird.

Even those who went through the changes themselves.

“But you would know, Master of Swords. You know that the nature of people doesn’t change so easily.”

“……”

“Do you think these big changes are normal when there weren’t any incidents or reasons for it?

Limon could only stay silent upon Li Chingwei’s elaborate explanation.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to change their character or their way of living after going through a near death experience or something that only happens once in a lifetime.

But for 70% of players to change personalities?

What if the remaining 30 were in the process of changing, or just hadn’t noticed yet?

Was it absolutely certain that the Constellations had nothing to do with these changes?

“…Even if that’s true, it’s not enough to go straight to doubting the Constellations.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Even if the players were indeed changing, it couldn’t be counted as solid evidence that the Constellations were brainwashing them.

It could very well be that the players were just being influenced by the temperment of the Constellation they dealt with.

If that was the case, many wouldn’t really care.

They’d say that their personalities changing was nothing compared to the benefits their Constellations gave.

“That’s actually why there is no one else in the Seven Dragons Association on edge about the Constellations. At most, some are just cautious of the rising influence of players.”

“…So why are you so on edge towards them?”

“I may not know a lot about the Constellations, but I do know one thing.”

They had never brought hardship into this world, nor did they jeopardize the Seven Dragons Association.

Therefore, why was she acting so wary of the Constellations based on something as minor as a change in a player’s character?

“All good in this world has a cost.”

“…A wise answer to a silly question.”

From the elementalists and gods to the Seven Dragons — there have been many non-human entities throughout history that weren’t Constellations.

But not a single one of them did good for the world for free.

Sacrifice, love, faith, and obedience — each were paid for in their own way and gave their benefits accordingly.

What did the Constellations get in return for making a deal, judged from superficial feats, and giving the people powers?

Did they turn the players into a spectacle?

Of course, it was entirely possible that they were beings that had transcended God and could afford to give that much.

Think of it like a wealthy man paying for a monthly television subscription.

But the Constellations Limon had seen so far were not all that great.

And above all, he knew many gospels about life after having lived for so long.

The more cheap something looks, the heavier its price.

“Yes, but too many in this era do not know of something so obvious.”

Li Chingwei gave a small, bitter smile and sighed as she looked to the shattered remains of a once beautiful decoration that Chao had broken.

“There are more than a few people, even in our association, who have been influenced by the Constellations.”

The Seven Dragons Association kept their world peace plan top secret.

Not even their very own members knew what the plan was, even while carrying it out.

Only the princess of each clan and the Elders knew its true depth.

If their plan was exposed, all the work they had done would have been in vain.

Worst comes to worst, Limon could have intervened.

Their borderline paranoid secrecy and the faster-than-expected downfall of the Swordmaster had resulted in people like Chao.

In other words, they were members who were accustomed to the current generation’s mindset and greatly underestimated Limon.

Chao had still behaved as he did, even after listening to the tales of Limon while he was Li Chingwei’s guard.

There was no saying how horribly the rest of the Seven Dragons Association probably thought of Limon.

In the end, not even the Seven Dragons Association, the gray eminence of the world, could escape the grasp of the Constellations.

“How can you guys get caught in your very own schemes…?”

“It’s ironic.”

Li Chingwei’s face was slightly flushed, shameful.

But she had one more thing to add.

“Perhaps it was inevitable.”

One who uses poison must be prepared to ingest it themselves.

They lacked preparation.

No— they were negligent.

Just as those ignorant got drunk from the power and riches the Constellations and the Dungeon gave them,

The Seven Dragons Association had also fallen into their own pride as undercover rulers of the world. They were blinded by the wealth and honor stepping into the sun had brought them.

The other clans’ lack of caution towards the Constellations and Limon made that evident. They no longer felt the need to maintain world peace.

This outcome may have indeed been inevitable.

It may have been the natural passing of time that no one could avoid.

“That’s why I put everything on the line to propose to you.”

“…Are you saying that I’m the only one in the world who can stop the Constellations?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Li Chingwei nodded, going on as she watched Limon with tranquil eyes.

“Now that the players have taken over the world, the only one who can go against time and protect the Seven Dragons Association is the Master of Swords.”

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