Solo Swordmaster

Chapter 54: Press Release

The attack on the Blue House incident, where Limon infiltrated the Blue House, wiped out its security, and held the president hostage.

It was not an exaggeration to say that the entire nation had been plastered with that one piece of news over the past couple of days.

Not only was the incident that much of a big deal, there were also many corners to dig into.

The fact that the culprit was a hero of a past nation, the fact his intentions were unknown, the fact Limon couldn’t be stopped, and the scene of the Blue House in absolute ruins.

And to top that off, Limon and Lee Chun-gi’s relationship.

Each and every factor was full of suspicion headline-worthy. There were even programs dedicated to this case alone.

“Oi, Reporter Kim. Any sources?”

“Lots. It’s booming thanks to humanity’s guardian.”

“Aw, c’mon. None of that common easy stuff. I mean more like ‘why humanity’s guardian committed treason.’”

“You think I'd be here if I knew that? I’d already be on the run with the article if I did.”

The press was also curious about the truth behind this case. In fact, their curiosity was much worse than everyone else.

As easy as it was for them to access information, there were also that much more confusing and conflicting sources.

“I’m not even sure this is real life.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just think about it. You think it makes any sense he crashed the Blue House all by himself? Look how many high-level players there were, from the president to the security guards!”

“He’s humanity’s guardian, after all.”

“That’s back when there weren’t any players. Isn’t he just a civilian with some above average swordsmanship?”

“That’s true…”

They’d heard testimonies at the academy of those who fought Limon. It’s just that the testimonies were ridiculous.

He’d caught a bomb with his sword.

The bullets dodged him.

His sword cut through skills.

With the testimonies being that absurd, it was almost suspicious—as if they were all on psychedelics.

Of course, realistically, it was the general consensus that the government was giving false testimonies. With the common sense being that an ordinary civilian could not possibly do what even a player couldn’t, it was a purely logical conclusion to come to.

“Besides that, what about the part where he crashed in through the main doors?”

“Uhm, it’s probably because they didn’t want to give out the real intrusion route, right?”

“Of course. What nutcase would actually do that? Unless their brain is made out of udon noodles or something.”

Two regretful truths:

Limon was not someone within the scope of common sense. And although his brain wasn’t made out of flour, he was a man who’d been called a mad dog for practically an eternity.

“You know, I looked into some old records mentioning Limon while I was at it, and man, it really is something.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Yeah. They all say something like he split the seas with one swing of a sword, or went around the world 37 times in a single day. It’s all going way past fiction at this point.”

“Tsk, tsk. Damn those old folk and their exaggerations…”

“I guess those exaggerations worked in the past. They had to use something for propaganda.”

“Yeah, that’s back when people thought Robin Hood was real. Who would believe such a thing nowadays?”

That was why those who worked in the press all had migraines over this. They were experts in making one fact into ten different things and creating issues and gossip over things that didn’t even happen.

But that had its limits. As much as all eyes were on them already, it was hard to send out false testimonies or records like they were real.

The citizens aside, their boss would be the first person to kick their ass.

“Damnit, the Blue House needs to do a press release if we’re going to publish anything. What’s up with the media blackout without even feeding us anything?”

“I know, right? Normally, they would have been straight up about it.”

Another reason the press couldn’t publish anything was due to the government’s peculiar response. When incidents like this happen, the government usually sends out a press release saying ‘the crisis is over, everyone can relax.’

It didn’t matter if no one believed it. The fact they were lying through their teeth would assure people the government was going around like normal and everything was fine.

And there were a surprising number of people who actually believed it, too.

But this time in particular, the government was pushing back their press release far more than what would be normal. No, they went beyond pushing it back. They were silencing various media networks.

It was as if they were scared of hitting someone’s nerves if any nonsense went out. And thanks to that, all sorts of rumors were going around the world.

“The president is already dead.”

“Limon ran off overseas.”

“Everything was a government setup.”

The press would have typically been on the frontlines either spreading or denying those false rumors. But they couldn’t even handle the hot gossip because they had to tiptoe around the government.

It was driving them crazy.

“Let’s wait for now. Maybe today, something reasonable will come out.”

“It better. It’s the first press release they’re doing after the incident.”

It was why they were on the edge of their seats. Depending on the contents of the press release later that day, they would finally be able to publish something.

Some of them were dead set on using this chance to ask sensitive questions. Blue House spokesperson or not, they were going to show them the consequences of neglecting the peoples’ right to knowledge.

Creek—

But moments later, from the cameramen mindlessly recording the press conference room, to the reporters firing up their commentaries with vigor. Every single person in the room could only freeze with their eyes popping out of their sockets as the doors opened.

A man walked in.

The reporters went blank, unsure if they were dreaming.

He ignored their gazes as he walked up to the podium.

His hair was down to cover one eye as the man in a white suit adjusted his newly made spectacle.

“What are you doing?”

A tranquil voice asked with a stoic expression.

Yet one sentence from him made the frozen reporters jump with fright.

Infinite Monarch Lee Chun-gi looked into the camera as he continued in a low voice.

“Start the press conference.”

***

***

Chaos, shock, confusion.

The reporters in the press conference room as well as almost everyone watching the broadcast was feeling the same thing.

“< Uhm, sir? We were told this meeting was arranged for the Blue House’s official statement…>”

“< That is correct.>”

“< …Then why is the Infinite Monarch holding the press conference?>”

A reporter asked hesitatingly, unable to hold back their bewilderment.

It was a question on behalf of everyone.

Lee Chun-gi was a Monarch who did not go on camera unless it was absolutely necessary.

It was extremely rare for him to talk to the reporters directly. Even in the Infinity Guild press conferences, he would send a spokesperson.

Yet here he was, in the Blue House press conference room.

It was truly out of the blue.

Some reporters even looked around the room, thinking they’d come to the wrong conference.

But as soon as Lee Chun-gi started to speak, they were swept into a completely different state of confusion than before.

“< I will be the spokesperson for the Blue House today.>”

“< ……???>”

Question marks appeared above the reporters’ heads in unison. It was like they couldn’t believe their own ears, or their brains were refusing to understand.

Every single one of them froze with a blank face as if they were under [Status Effect: Confusion].

Barely managing to get themselves together, they opened their mouths with a look of bewilderment.

“< Why? What kind of nonsense is that?!>”

It was nonsense. That was the only way to put it.

Lee Chun-gi may be a Monarch and the guildmaster of Infinity Guild, but he was not a government affiliate.

He did not have the right, the authority, or the grounds to speak for the Blue House. It was like a movie star, professional athlete, or the CEO of a major company speaking on behalf of the Blue House.

A reasonable point to be made indeed.

They could only be baffled.

But Lee Chun-gi cut off their confusion in a beat.

“< Is there a problem?>”

In an instant, every single reporter who looked like they were itching to ask more questions shut up.

Lee Chun-gi slowly looked at each reporter like he was open to any complaints they had.

As soon as the reporters made eye contact with his infinitely tranquil ones, they’d realized.

Unlike any other celebrity, he was not someone they could dare challenge authority.

Of course, not many realized skills such as [Coercion], [Subjugation], and [Threat] were secretly influencing them.

Not that it mattered if they knew.

This was the Infinite Monarch standing in front of them. One of the ten absolute rulers of this world.

It was a simple dictum.

He wasn’t accepting silence as a yes, he was forcing it to be as such. And no one stepped up to argue.

Adjusting his spectacles in the silence he’d so easily acquired, Lee Chun-gi continued.

“< First, as all of you may know, I will start with an official statement regarding the small incident at the Blue House that happened a few days ago.>”

‘Small incident?’

‘Holding the President hostage was a small incident?’

‘How?’

The statement hadn’t even begun.

The opening alone made either the reporters’ eyes dart back and forth, or contort their faces.

If the person speaking was a spokesperson… No, even the president himself, there would have been a flood of questions.

“< Let me begin with the conclusion.>”

But they did not know it was really only just the beginning.

The opening was nothing compared to the shock they would get at Lee Chun-gi’s following statements.

“< It was all a ‘show.>”

“< …What?>”

“< In other words, the high-level players’ attempt at a coup d’etat and the Blue House invasion was all part of emergency drill training.>”

The reporters’ jaws dropped to the floor.

But Lee Chun-gi did not give them any regard. With a stoic face as always, he continued.

“< This was due to concerns over the recent increase in social indifference to the criminal activities of high-level players, and with the special cooperation of the PAB with the government…>”

It was all a planned drill.

The hostage situation was all a play.

It confirmed many problems with the Blue House's security and emergency response system.

They would reform the PAB to resolve these issues, and there would be smoother responses regarding high-level player deviations.

Furthermore, the Infinity Guild will take liability for the damages caused in the Blue House from the training.

So on, and so forth.

With some long winded explanation, the bottom line was simple.

All of this was just a ‘show’ and they were to act like nothing ever happened.

In a way, it was a very Blue House-like statement, but it was all the more baffling as the reporters finally flipped out.

“< Do you expect us to believe that?!>”

“< What will you do if you don’t?>”

“< What…?!>”

“< Are you going to put your careers on the line to claim that Mr. Asphelder suddenly committed treason and that the government couldn’t save the president from getting held hostage?>”

As soon as they heard that, the reporters were at a loss for words once again.

It was true. That would be even more unrealistic.

Especially when ‘putting their careers on the line’ didn’t sound like a joke, they could only fall silent. To take responsibility for their articles was something much too unfamiliar and difficult for them.

They only put their energy into gossip and scandals without an ounce of interest about the actual truth, after all.

Lee Chun-gi calmly told them.

“< If you aren’t, please shut up.>”

If you can't take the responsibility, consider it at the very least.

If you aren’t even going to think about that, then don’t bother to run your mouths in the first place.

‘He was going to make anyone who ignores this warning responsible himself.’

—Was what he said, in short.

A reporter finally snapped and shouted out.

“< Th-this is media suppression!>”

Lee Chun-gi did not bat an eye.

“< Suppression… What a funny thing to say.>”

His eyes bore into the reporter’s as he continued.

“< All I told you was to take responsibility for what you publish. If that is suppression, are you saying you’re going to spread canards you can’t even stand behind?>”

“< ……>”

The reporter shut up with a blue face before he could even make a point.

Lee Chun-gi took his eyes away from the man and scanned the press conference room.

“< Any other questions?>”

It was a final confirmation, a last chance.

But no one raised their hands.

Rather, they either flinched or darted their eyes, hastily averting themselves from any responsibility.

As if he didn’t have any expectations in the first place, or as if he already knew this would be their reaction, Lee Chun-gi looked away from the reporters with a stoic face and faced the camera.

“< Then the press conference is over.>”

With an overly simple ending, the cameramen, as well as the studios and announcers all went blank.

Having wrapped up the press conference, Lee Chun-gi walked out.

The empty podium was stuck onto the TV screen until the dead silent room started buzzing with murmurs.

A white-haired man stared.

Only after staring at the screen for a long, long time did Limon express his thoughts.

“……Wow.”

——

——