Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 480

Knight Wiggins couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat trying to suppress his laughter at the farce unfolding before him.

Never before had he felt such regret that the mouth part of the masks the Knights had to wear was open. If the mask had covered his mouth, he would have turned off the microphone and burst into a fit of laughter.

Just seeing the flustered expression on Knight Levo’s face on the screen was enough to guarantee him a month of sound sleep without insomnia.

‘That mask is a blessing for you, Knight Levo.’

He could see sweat trickling down from under the pure white mask that covered his forehead to his nose. Knight Levo, who always displayed impeccable manners and a relaxed demeanor, was so flustered that he couldn’t even think of wiping away the sweat.

This situation was the perfect appetizer for him.

He felt like cracking open a can of beer right away, but Knight Wiggins was a man of self-control. There would be plenty of time to have a beer after the meeting.

As soon as he received Elena’s call, Knight Wiggins convened the meeting. Convening a meeting was always a difficult and burdensome task, but today, the finger pressing the button felt exceptionally light, and his voice explaining the situation was filled with a cheerful tone.

“Is this true?”

Levo’s suppressed voice sounded almost ecstatic to him. What more could be said?

“This is information from Von Elena. If you doubt its veracity, you can contact the Chevaliers [Knights] right now. Knight Levo, I ask you, are you able to reach the Chevaliers?”

Knight Levo’s lips tightened. He could almost see his inner lip being gnawed by his front teeth.

“No. I haven’t been able to reach them for over ten hours.”

Knight Wiggins shrugged.

“As you can see.”

No further explanation was needed. Elena’s information and Wiggins’ situation matched perfectly. What more needed to be understood? Anyone who demanded additional evidence here was not worthy of sitting at the Round Table.

Of course, no one asked for additional evidence, but no one spoke either. The matter was so shocking that everyone was holding their tongues.

To Knight Wiggins, this long silence sounded like a magnificent orchestra. If music is something that pleases people through hearing, then this silence was excellent music to him.

“Let me summarize.”

The Master, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up.

“Based on the information from Von Elena and various circumstances, it seems that all the Chevaliers dispatched to Korea have been captured and detained by Korean martial artists.”

A low groan escaped from the group.

It was a fact they already knew, but hearing it from the Master felt like a confirmation of their doom.

“What is the casualty count?”

“Knight Wiggins, answer.”

Knight Wiggins cleared his throat and spoke.

“Miraculously, there seem to be no casualties. According to Von Elena’s report, Kang Jin-ho captured all the Chevaliers with almost no resistance.”

“Bullshit!”

Knight Levo jumped up from his seat.

“They are Chevaliers! Are you saying that these Chevaliers surrendered without even fighting the enemy?”

“I never said that, did I?”

“Isn’t that what you’re implying?”

Knight Wiggins smiled. Even if he was seen as a frivolous person who rejoiced in his allies’ failures, he couldn’t help but express his joy at this moment.

There was nothing more enjoyable for him than seeing Knight Levo seething with anger.

“I am merely relaying the information from the informant.”

“This….”

“Enough.”

The Master brought the situation under control.

“I understand how you feel, Knight Levo, but now is not the time to be angry. Do not forget that while we waste time like this, the Chevaliers are suffering.”

Knight Levo slumped back into his seat. Everyone looked at him with pity. Even Knight Wiggins couldn’t help but feel sorry for him at this moment.

How could he not feel pity?

The Chevaliers, who had been sent in with loud boasts about how easy it would be to deal with one Eastern martial artist… were not annihilated, but taken hostage.

If they had all died, they could at least have gained the justification of sacrificing themselves for the Round Table, but the fact that they were all captured without a single casualty was a result that robbed them of even that justification.

‘I can’t help but feel sorry for him.’

But contrary to his thoughts, he kept smiling.

“The problem is how to resolve this situation.”

At the Master’s words, someone spoke up.

“Shouldn’t we first figure out where things went wrong? If we rush to a solution without examining the problems, we might repeat the same mistakes.”

“That’s right, Knight Wiggins.”

“Yes.”

“As the one who took charge of this matter first, can you offer your opinion on what went wrong?”

“Of course.”

The Master set the stage.

“The biggest problem is that we completely ignored the warning signs that were already there.”

“Hmm…”

Knight Wiggins, enjoying the Master’s appropriate interjections, spoke as if singing a song.

“Von Elena is a brilliant and capable informant. She had already stated that Kang Jin-ho was an extremely dangerous individual and that attempting a clumsy assassination would bring terrible consequences to the Round Table. But everyone at the Round Table ignored that fact.”

Fingers fidgeting, eyes slightly avoiding the camera. Could there be a more enjoyable reaction?

“Even my warning as a Knight was not heeded. The failure was inevitable because the Round Table’s principle of respecting informants and considering them all members of the Round Table was not upheld.”

“That is so.”

The Master nodded.

“Even I am the same. I forgot that each of them is a member of the Round Table and ignored their opinions. At the very least, we should have accepted her opinion and taken the step of dispatching additional agents and reinvestigating. We skipped that crucial process due to being busy, so it is only natural that this result occurred.”

It was a piercing self-reflection.

Knight Wiggins thought this was the greatness of the Master.

Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone dreams of being a perfect being without mistakes, but those who do not make mistakes must be gods, not humans. Humans are beings that make mistakes.

But the Master was someone who knew how to reflect on his mistakes and accept the mistakes he had made. That was why he was able to hold the heavy position of the head of the Round Table.

“We must reflect sufficiently. But it is also true that we cannot just keep reflecting. Since the Chevaliers are being held hostage, measures for them must take precedence over reflection.”

The Master continued in a serious tone.

“The fact that they were captured alive means there are demands, doesn’t it? Knight Wiggins, what are their demands?”

“First…”

Knight Wiggins hesitated slightly.

He wondered if what he was about to say was appropriate for the situation. But even setting aside the question of appropriateness, he couldn’t bear not to say it.

“I would like to offer my sincere condolences to Knight Levo, who must be greatly concerned about the entire Knight Order being captured.”

*Crack.*

The sound of Knight Levo grinding his teeth came through the speaker. Knight Wiggins, with an extremely pleased expression, looked at Knight Levo and continued.

“However, regarding this matter, I think it would be better to hear directly from Von Elena, who had direct contact with Kang Jin-ho, rather than from me. We could suffer another disaster if proper opinions are not conveyed.”

“I agree. Connect her.”

“Yes.”

With the Master’s permission, Knight Wiggins connected Elena’s line through the channel he had prepared. As Elena’s face appeared in the corner of the screen, Knight Wiggins gave a triumphant smile.

“This is Von Elena.”

“First, I would like to express my gratitude for the hardships you have endured in this matter.”

“It is nothing, Master. It was my duty as a member of the Round Table.”

“Yes. I would like to praise you more, but time is short, so I hope you understand. Please explain the situation first.”

“Yes.”

Elena laid out everything she had seen and heard. The faces of those listening to her report changed from moment to moment. When all the explanations were finished, a heavy silence followed.

“This is hard to believe.”

It was the Master who broke the silence again.

“So, are you saying that Kang Jin-ho single-handedly annihilated the elite martial artists of the Nanahoshi-gumi? And without a single scratch?”

“Yes.”

“Are you certain?”

“All the Chevaliers witnessed it. Otherwise, would the Chevaliers have surrendered without even fighting the enemy?”

“What do you think? Do you think that action has tarnished the honor of the Round Table?”

It was a very sensitive question.

Even Knight Levo, who was tempted to tear Elena’s mouth apart right now, couldn’t help but focus on what Elena was about to say.

“No. It was a wise decision. If they had not surrendered, the Round Table would have had to bear their losses, and the relationship with Kang Jin-ho… and furthermore, with the Korean martial arts world, would have become irreparable. The Chevalier Commander’s choice was wise and gave the Round Table an invaluable opportunity.”

“An opportunity, you say?”

“It is an opportunity to improve the twisted relationship. Master, as I reported before, Kang Jin-ho is someone we should not antagonize. He is not just a being who shakes the peace of East Asia. He may be someone who will swallow East Asia itself.”

“Thank you for your report, Von Elena.”

“You are welcome. Everything is for the Round Table.”

Everyone silently watched the empty space where Elena had disappeared from the screen.

What should they say first?

“Bring me a price that will satisfy him…”

The Master muttered to himself.

“This is no ordinary matter. It would be one thing if it were just a matter of paying a price for the hostages, but he is even demanding a price for us trying to take his life.

Judging from Von Elena’s report, he is an extremely arrogant being. The price that can satisfy such a person will certainly not be small.”

“Moreover, we are in a situation where we have to repeatedly make offers unilaterally.”

“That’s right.”

The Master sighed deeply.

With a single misjudgment, they had been cornered. If they had known things would turn out like this, they should have listened to Knight Wiggins’ warning. The price for betraying his trust even once was so great.

Then, Knight Levo spoke up.

“There is another way.”

“Knight Levo?”

Knight Levo, who had been grinding his teeth, slowly opened his mouth.

“We can give up on rescuing the Chevaliers being held hostage in Korea and attempt to assassinate Kang Jin-ho again. That could also be a solution.”

His voice, filled with malice, silenced the room.