Descent of the Demon Master

Chapter 955: Discussing (5)

Vrooooom…

Kang Jin-Ho’s Zoom-Zoom smoothly glided over the road.

His driving skills were improving by leaps and bounds every day. However, it wasn't his actual skills, but more like his ability to go along with the traffic flow had seen a quantum leap-like improvement!

Even so, Wiggins didn’t seem all that impressed by something, as evidenced by his constant nagging!

“But my lord, you already own an excellent example of superior British vehicular engineering than this.”

“Yeah, but driving that car is a little frustrating.”

“In my honest opinion, it’s this vehicle that seems far more frustrating to me. To think you’d forsake one of the best vehicles money can buy that boasts an excellent ride quality and a comfortable interior for a teenage boy’s toy like this!”

“…”

“I have to say, this so-called sports car does not match the prestige of the Assembly Master. Perhaps it’s time for a change in your favorite ride?”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head. Now he had to get permission on what cars he could drive? If he knew his passenger would be this opinionated, he would’ve told Wiggins to grab a taxi instead!

Kang Jin-Ho tutted slightly. “Sounds like your patriotic side has awakened after chatting to your former colleagues. Is this like your version of encouraging others to buy only the locally produced stuff?”

“I'm naturally disinclined toward this sort of immature and silly toy, my lord,” Wiggins nonchalantly said something that all lovers of exotic supercars might vomit blood over for!

“It’s my preference, so can you at least respect it…?”

“Tsk. It can’t be helped, then.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled helplessly at that.

It had been a long time since the two of them chatted like this. Of course, they had been in plenty of meetings and took care of things together several times, but those times didn't count as they weren't just sitting around idly chatting away.

“What about the Master?” Kang Jin-Ho casually asked.

Wiggins calmly replied, “He's scheduled to leave tomorrow.”

“Mm? He’s someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Is it okay to let him go so soon?” Kang Jin-Ho curiously asked. He was not blind and could see a bit of strained air between Wiggins and the Master of the Round Table.

Their prior relationship didn't seem as straightforward as a superior and a subordinate. Something about the way they interacted suggested they were much closer and more trusting than that. If Kang Jin-Ho was being honest, noticing this relationship dynamic played a major factor in his decision to spare the Master's life.

Even he wouldn’t want to hang around a dude who harmed someone as close as a family member to him. Even if Wiggins was prepared to go that far, Kang Jin-Ho’s stance wouldn’t allow it.

Protecting someone didn't just mean guarding their life, but also their treasured relationships and their way of life. Simply put, it meant protecting their everything. Since Wiggins was now one of Kang Jin-Ho's people, his relationships with others should be preserved as much as possible.

Wiggins explained his stance. “Yes, I'm a little rueful as well. However, the Master is far too busy for me to hold him back here and catch up for old times' sake. Besides, thanks to your… arrangement, I got to spend the whole of yesterday with him. And that is enough for me, at least for the time being.”

Kang Jin-Ho silently chuckled away. Seeing the naked hints of dissatisfaction on Wiggins' face was all he needed to know that things must've been hellishly awkward for the two men yesterday.

That didn't seem surprising when considering what Wiggins had done was akin to going AWOL from a company he worked for decades to join a rival firm, only to play a host to the CEO of his former workplace!

Such a thing might not sound like a major event if you were a random grunt low down in the pecking order. However, Wiggins was an executive director-tier, at the very least. Or, a vice chairman in charge of the firm’s research and development division!

Someone on that level in the hierarchy leaving and joining a rival firm would set the proverbial cat among pigeons, that much was for certain!

But now, two men in such a situation had to spend practically twenty-four hours cooped up in one hotel room. Even Kang Jin-Ho could guess how deeply uncomfortable it must've been.

Kang Jin-Ho smirked softly. “Ah, so… You had enough of the Master, then?”

“Although I'd like to speak to him again when our situation is less cutthroat and more easy-going… It's fine, my lord. Today isn't the only opportunity, after all. We will see each other soon enough.”

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Wiggins. “Do you believe the negotiation will go well for him?”

“I beg your pardon?” Wiggins asked back in slight confusion.

“You said you'll see the Master soon. Doesn't that mean you think the negotiation on that side will end favorably? Which leads to our deal being fulfilled?”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“No, my lord. I do not think that way,” Wiggins replied without hesitation.

“You don’t?”

“Yes. The Master will definitely fail. Desperately, pathetically so.”

“…?” Kang Jin-Ho stared at Wiggins in genuine puzzlement. If failure was inevitable, what was the point of their negotiation and adding that clause at the end? When none of it would mean anything? “Then… Why?”

A strange grin floated up on Wiggins’ face. “Failure itself doesn’t matter, my lord. What matters is the fact that the Master will taste the bitterness of such a crushing failure.”

“...Crushing failure, is it?”

“The Master is a man of theories. And as logical as a human could get. Being able to find terms that neither side could afford to pass up while stuck in such a dire situation makes him a truly remarkable man. Unfortunately…” Wiggins stopped talking there and wound the window down a little. As if this topic frustrated him a little. “...Others are not as remarkable as the Master, my lord.”

“Mm…!”

“Humans can never be free from their emotions. The Master believes that since he acted rationally, other Knights will understand and fall in line. From his perspective, thinking that way is unsurprising. He only favored me because he wanted to smooth out the handover of his position to me in the future.

“In other words, he wasn't on my side out of personal feelings. No, he simply saw me as the most suitable candidate.”

“I see. Then, what?”

“Other Knights would most likely not view the events that way. Knight Leveaux immediately moving to eliminate me right after I joined the Assembly is as good a proof as any.” Wiggins smirked smoothly. “Even if no one has said anything yet, their dissatisfaction toward the Master should have reached the maximum level by now. And they must be vying for a chance to vent their anger.

“So, can you imagine how they would react when the Master came here without consulting any of them and, upon returning from this unauthorized trip, recommended that they must support us one-sidedly? What do you think will happen after that?”

Kang Jin-Ho tutted slightly. “Their reactions will be explosive, I’m guessing?”

“Indeed, my lord. Indeed. It will blow up in the Master’s face. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to understand this.”

Kang Jin-Ho found this assertion initially strange. How could someone as objective and composed as the Master of the Round Table not realize something this elemental?

“Are you saying this is a case of how a monk can't shave his own head?”[1]

“It happens frequently throughout history, doesn't it? People who are too righteous and dedicated to their work are bound to fall out of favor with those in power, my lord. Their final fate is to get purged as thoroughly as possible. Although, each instance can be a little different to others.”

Kang Jin-Ho silently nodded away.

He had witnessed what Wiggins was talking about many times already during his time as the leader of the demon cult. Surprisingly enough back then, the demon cult did not actively seek out and destroy enemies deemed to have gotten too threatening to ignore.

No, that dishonor went to the orthodox sect bastards.

Ironically, these so-called orthodox bastards could not tolerate the most “perfect” orthodox martial artists. These “perfect” orthodox martial artists were overbearingly moralistic and far too righteous, making them the ideal examples of what it meant to follow the orthodox path. But watching them made others feel inferior in every aspect, too.

Such people were always brought down and eliminated at the hands of other orthodox bastards, not the demon cult.

‘But that’s how all humans operate, isn’t it?’

Kang Jin-Ho didn't even need to fall back on his experiences to understand this. Incorruptible government officials dying at the hands of the most influential or treacherous officials in the palace happened frequently throughout history, after all. Such was the frequency that such events didn't even qualify as a tragedy anymore.

“The Master most likely believes in his position. He hasn't done anything wrong in his view, after all. A man who hasn't done anything wrong wants to do something righteous? He must be thinking that he should be able to persuade any opposition, no matter how vocal, through dialogue. Unfortunately, such a thing will never happen.”

Kang Jin-Ho pulled out a cigarette and mouthed while still driving the car. He felt frustrated merely by listening to Wiggins’ explanation.

‘How ironic.’

Trying to do something right only weakened one's position? Kang Jin-Ho couldn't even wryly smile at this black comedy-like set-up because such a thing happened surprisingly often in reality.

After all, didn’t it happen to Kang Jin-Ho, too? His decision to release the Records of Asura publicly wasn’t inherently wrong. However, it still roused extreme opposition from everyone in power.

Sure, Kang Jin-Ho’s “expulsion” would’ve happened sooner or later even if he hadn’t released the Records of Asura, but this decision had definitely hastened his end by several years, at the very least.

Something similar was about to happen to the Master of the Round Table, too.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Wiggins. “So, what are we going to do about this situation, then?”

“Of course, we will have to interfere,” Wiggins smiled brightly. “Old people don't know how to change their ways, my lord. You hear about stories of old folks challenging themselves with something new precisely because such an event doesn't happen often. The Master has become too ingrained with the Round Table's system. You can't change someone like that.”

Wiggins’ voice grew more withdrawn, his bright smile already fading away.

“Unless we completely obliterate the system and start anew.”

“…” Kang Jin-Ho dazedly glanced at Wiggins. “So… The Master will get ousted?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“That will make him contact us again?”

“He won't have a way to do so because the Knights would have him arrested immediately. However, I've already made preparations for that eventuality. My agents still active in Britain will track down the precise location of the Master. And the people currently accompanying the Master will inform me right away if something happens to him.”

Wiggins turned his head slightly to look straight at Kang Jin-Ho.

“That is where you come in, my lord. You will step up to reorganize the Round Table from top to bottom. While the Master is unavailable, the Knights cannot mobilize the organization's troops. Which will leave their defenses wide open. Once you wipe out the hostile Knights, leaving behind only the friendly ones… The Round Table will naturally fall into the Master's… No, into your hands, my lord.”

The corners of Kang Jin-Ho’s lips curled up suspiciously. “Even after thinking up of all this, you’re still sending that old man back home?”

“Yes. Because, results-wise, it’ll be a net benefit for him.” Wiggins coolly nodded.

“What if this process doesn’t work out as you envisioned, leading to the Master’s death?”

“That… would be unfortunate,” Wiggins covered his face a little and didn’t say anything for a few seconds. Eventually, he sighed deeply. “However, sacrifices are inevitable in the pursuit of progress. Even if that sacrifice is the Master’s life this time… We still have to do it.”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t help but chuckle wryly just then. “You are not a good man, are you?”

“Oh? That means you’ve viewed me as a saint until now, doesn’t it? I’m much obliged, my lord.”

Kang Jin-Ho helplessly shook his head. He did suspect that Wiggins must’ve had a plan while granting the latter the authority to handle the negotiation. However, to think Wiggins’ plan would be this extreme!

‘Family, is it?’

What a laughable notion that was. Wiggins was trying to dump the Master, a man who was like his father, into the pit of Hell. Even if everything went according to plan, the Master would never recover from the trauma of being betrayed by the organization he had dedicated his entire life to.

“It’s rather cruel, isn’t it?” Kang Jin-Ho casually asked.

“Unfortunately, the Master's fate was sealed when he got on the plane heading to South Korea. In that case, I must ensure that at least he'd retain the Round Table. This is the best way for everyone involved to walk away happy.”

“Hmm…?” Kang Jin-Ho subtly cocked his brow. Was this really the best way for everyone, though?

He suddenly felt relieved by the fact that Wiggins was no longer affiliated with the Round Table. If this cunning former Knight had remained there and antagonized Kang Jin-Ho… Things could have become incredibly challenging for him.

“By the way, my lord? I’ve been meaning to ask you something. What happened for you to be in such a good mood…”

Wiggins' question was rudely interrupted by the ringing phone. Kang Jin-Ho picked up his mobile device with his free hand and confirmed the caller's ID, only to put the phone back down. His expression could only be described as weird.

Wiggins tilted his head. “...My lord? Aren’t you going to answer that?”

“No, it’s, uh… It’s fine.”

Why was Kang Jin-Ho acting so weirdly? His gaze kept drifting toward the phone resting in the center console. The ringing had been muted, but the phone was still insistently buzzing and vibrating away, demanding to be picked up. Eventually, though, the call ended, allowing Kang Jin-Ho to breathe a subtle sigh of relief.

“I was in a good mood because…”

This time, it was Kang Jin-Ho getting interrupted by his phone ringing again. His trembling eyes locked on the device angrily vibrating at him.

Wiggins, his eyes narrowed suspiciously, cautiously offered his advice. “My lord, I think you should answer the phone.”

“M-mm…!”

Perhaps realizing that he didn’t have a choice now, Kang Jin-Ho picked up the phone and tapped on the green icon. However, even before he could say anything, a vivacious voice exploded from the phone’s speaker first.

It was loud enough for Wiggins in the passenger seat to hear, too!

-Excuse me, jagi![2]

Kang Jin-Ho flinched grandly. So did Wiggins.

However, there was a distinct difference in how they flinched. Kang Jin-Ho’s flinch immediately led to panic and fluster, while Wiggins’ flinch quickly morphed into an evil smirk.

“I, I’m driving at the moment. Can we talk later?” Kang Jin-Ho urgently replied to the caller.

-Got it. Drive carefully, okay? Later.

Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly ended the call, then glanced at Wiggins, his expression unreadable. It was as if… he was trying to see Wiggins’ reaction?

“Hmm. Jagi? Is that what she said? Jagi, is it…” Wiggins's evil smirk deepened. “I'm still not fluent enough in the complexities of the Korean language just yet, so I don't fully understand what that word means. It seems I must inquire with Lee Hyeon-Su later on. Yes, I must…”

“…!” Kang Jin-Ho dazedly shifted his attention back to the road ahead.

Wiggins couldn’t leave things alone and began cackling at this sight. “Isn’t this wonderful, my lord? Ahh, yes. So very wonderful. So, so very…”

“Wanna know what it’s like to get kicked out of a moving car?”

“…”

Wiggins obediently clamped his mouth shut.

1. This is a Korean idiom. It means humans can help with other people's issues but can't handle their own or can't even see them in the first place. ☜

2. ”Jagi” means dear, honey, or darling in Korean. Pick the most appropriate one for this situation! ☜