Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 945

“L-Lord!” Wiggins shouted, horrified at the sight of Kang Jin-ho pressuring the Master.

The Master couldn’t properly utilize his mana right now. A martial artist who couldn’t handle their ki [internal energy] was no different from an ordinary person.

If the aged Master were to directly face Kang Jin-ho’s murderous intent, it wouldn’t be strange if he died of a heart attack on the spot.

Kang Jin-ho, hearing Wiggins’ urgent cry, withdrew his killing intent.

“Hmph.”

Kang Jin-ho leaned back on the sofa.

“My apologies. I wasn’t considerate.”

“No, it’s nothing,” the Master said, clearing his throat and shaking his head.

If a martial artist was defeated in a duel and injured, they had to endure the aftereffects. It was unsightly to ask for consideration just because one had been defeated and injured.

“Cough! Cough!” The Master kept coughing, and Wiggins took out water from the refrigerator and handed it to the Master.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

On the surface, it looked like elder abuse. In reality, Kang Jin-ho was older than the Master.

The Master, after drinking the water, placed the bottle on the table. He then wiped his mouth and looked at Kang Jin-ho again. Kang Jin-ho was staring at the Master with cold, calm eyes.

“Were you not satisfied with the conditions?”

“I presented the best conditions I could offer. No one else could offer better terms.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

“Conditions, you say?”

“Yes.”

“You speak amusingly.”

Kang Jin-ho’s voice was a bit subdued. He didn’t sound angry, but rather annoyed.

“If I accept those conditions and don’t keep them, what do you plan to do then?”

“Deals in the martial world are based on trust.”

The Master quickly regained his composure.

Even after experiencing Kang Jin-ho’s overwhelming force, he didn’t seem the least bit intimidated.

‘Indeed, he is the Master.’

Wiggins couldn’t help but admire the Master.

Even though Kang Jin-ho could kill the Master at any time if he wanted to, knowing it intellectually and experiencing it firsthand were two different things.

The Master had experienced it firsthand and was still maintaining his composure.

That was a level of calmness Wiggins could never reach. This was why he couldn’t help but acknowledge the Master.

“Trust, you say?”

“Yes. Trust.”

“You can trust me?”

“Yes. That’s what I’ve determined.”

“Why?”

The Master smiled faintly.

“Because you have a firm will, Lord.”

“To be precise, it’s not that I trust you, Lord. It’s just that I’ve determined that if the direction you’re heading and the direction the Round Table is heading align, there’s no need to distrust each other.”

“Regardless of me?”

“I can’t say it’s unrelated. But that’s not all there is to it. The trust I have in you is a bit emotional, so it’s hard to explain.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly stared at the Master. Their gazes intertwined in the air.

“Trust, trust. That’s a good word.”

A smile formed on Kang Jin-ho’s lips. But Wiggins knew that smile was definitely not a pleasant one.

“You talk so well.”

“…Yes?”

“You’re incredibly arrogant. It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone more arrogant than me.”

Wiggins realized here that Kang Jin-ho was aware of his own arrogance. It was a very encouraging fact, but it was a shame that this was where it came up.

“Did I make some kind of mistake?” the Master asked, looking clueless.

From a while ago, he couldn’t guess or understand Kang Jin-ho’s reactions at all.

“Why does that trust have to be fulfilled only on your side?”

The Master closed his mouth.

“I have no reason to trust you. Isn’t that how deals work? The one making the offer has to prove their trustworthiness. But you’re acting as if it’s natural for me to trust you.”

The Master’s eyes trembled.

And even Wiggins realized it.

He was right.

Since the start of this conversation, the Master had not once proven how he would keep his promise.

But that was too natural. It was a statement from the Master of the Round Table. Until now, no one had ever tried to doubt him. Because that’s what the Round Table and the Master were.

Kang Jin-ho was pointing that out now.

This wasn’t just a pointing out.

It was a declaration that the authority the Round Table and the Master held in Europe didn’t work here. That declaration became a sharp knife, stabbing the Master.

Proving each other.

That was something that happened between equals.

Even though the Master had acknowledged Kang Jin-ho, he hadn’t lowered himself to an equal position with Kang Jin-ho. Kang Jin-ho was pointing out that fact and telling the Master to meet his level.

“I was a bit rude.”

And the Master accepted those words.

It wasn’t that he had intentionally tried to disregard Kang Jin-ho. It was just that he was too accustomed to the authority of the Round Table.

Kang Jin-ho quietly stared at the Master.

The weight of that gaze made the Master clench and unclench his fists.

‘Has there ever been a negotiation this tense?’

At least not in his memory.

He had met countless people called big shots, but no one had ever pushed him like Kang Jin-ho. Kang Jin-ho was that difficult of an opponent.

He was rash and willful. Yet, he always hit the core. There was no one more difficult to deal with.

“But please know that my rudeness was not meant to disregard you, Lord. I was just a bit complacent.”

“A bit isn’t it.”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head and looked at Wiggins.

“From what I’ve heard, the Round Table is a place where the Master and the Knights are equal and decide everything together. Isn’t that right?”

“…That is correct, Lord.”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head back to the Master.

“Then let me ask you here. Do you have the authority to decide all of that?”

The Master’s brow furrowed.

“Of course, the Round Table…”

The Master stammered. It was something that rarely happened. The Master’s silence weighed heavily on the air.

“Of course, I don’t have the authority to handle everything on my own. But my influence within the Round Table is higher than any Knight. If you agree with me, Lord… I will definitely pass this agenda with the authority of the Master.”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t answer and took out another cigarette.

He lit it and slowly inhaled the smoke. The smoke he exhaled scattered low into the air.

“Is that how you guys do business?”

“Say whatever you want, and there’s no guarantee. But if we concede everything, we’ll try our best?”

“I…”

“What if it fails?”

The Master closed his mouth.

“Are you going to use ‘I tried my best, but it failed, so there’s nothing I could do’ as an excuse?”

“I will definitely make it succeed.”

The Master quietly looked at Kang Jin-ho.

“I know how important this is for the world and East Asia. I will definitely make it succeed, even if it costs me my life.”

“You seem to think your life is worth a lot.”

“But I don’t.”

Kang Jin-ho raised his hand, and Wiggins moved closer.

“Wiggins.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“If this person returns to the Round Table, what are the chances of him succeeding in what he promised?”

Wiggins glanced at the Master. Then he looked away. After a moment of thought, Wiggins opened his mouth.

“I’d say it’s less than 10%.”

“Wiggins!” The Master called out to Wiggins, but Wiggins didn’t answer him.

“The Master of the past might have been able to do it. But the current Master doesn’t have as much authority as he used to.”

“Why?”

“It’s probably because of me.”

Wiggins smiled bitterly.

“The Master favored me. He might think he was just pushing me a little while staying neutral, but the Knights are sensitive. In the Round Table, where everything has to be equal and fair, even that small difference can create a big sense of disharmony.”

“I see.”

“It might have been different if the Master was trying to deal with someone other than the General Assembly. But if he tries to make a deal that fully supports the General Assembly, where I’m involved, the Knights will look at the Master with suspicion.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly nodded.

Wiggins was a traitor.

It wasn’t that someone didn’t step up and demand that the price of betrayal be paid, but no organization would ever leave a traitor alone.

But to not only leave him alone, but to cover up his sins and even support him?

Even if that support was directed towards the General Assembly and not Wiggins, there would be people who would object. Because humans are emotional creatures.

“It’s difficult, then.”

“That’s what I think.”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head towards the Master.

“What do you think?”

The Master couldn’t easily refute it.

He wanted to argue that it wasn’t true, but the moment he heard Wiggins’ words, he could see what would happen in his head.

Especially Knight Levo, whose influence in the Round Table had recently increased rapidly, would never let this situation slide. He was someone who would try to negotiate on other matters, but he would never compromise on anything involving Wiggins.

Moreover, he didn’t think that even his own Chevaliers [knights], whom he had boldly sacrificed, would be considerate of the Master’s situation.

“Empty promises.”

Kang Jin-ho stubbed out his cigarette.

“Go back.”

Kang Jin-ho slowly got up from his seat.

“Wait!”

“I’ve heard enough.”

“But Lord!”

“You don’t understand.”

Kang Jin-ho glared at the Master with cold eyes.

“The reason I’ve kept you alive until now is out of respect for you. Because I respect a master who has walked a different path and completed his own martial arts, and because of your attitude of not running away even when you knew you would lose, I’ve kept your head attached to your body. But if you keep pushing it, I won’t find any reason to keep your head on your body.”

The Master tightly closed his mouth. There was no room for rebuttal. But was he supposed to go back like this?

Without gaining anything?

At that moment, Wiggins opened his mouth.

“May I say something?”

Kang Jin-ho looked back at Wiggins with indifferent eyes.

“I’ve come up with the best way to narrow the gap between our positions. Please, listen to my opinion.”

“Speak.”

Wiggins smiled confidently and opened his mouth.

“We need to change the Round Table a little.”

The Master’s eyes widened.