Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1113

‘That fool.’

Knight Besley walked down the hallway with a stiff expression. Most of the knights who had been guarding the Round Table were so shocked that they couldn’t even get up from their seats, but Knight Besley’s faction maintained the most composed demeanor among them.

Was it because Knight Besley had a stronger mind than them?

No. That wasn’t it.

The reason he was able to maintain a somewhat human appearance was because Kang Jin-ho’s blade had never been directed at him. If he had been subjected to the same level of pressure as Knight Bellinger, Knight Besley would have become a madman who had forgotten who he was by now.

So, he couldn’t criticize Knight Bellinger on that point. What he found pathetic was Knight Bellinger’s judgment in betting on a situation with such an obvious outcome.

Why couldn’t he see it?

Humans should be able to put themselves in others’ shoes.

The knights were caught up in their arrogance.

They were overconfident in their own strength. Moreover, that overconfidence wasn’t limited to mere martial prowess.

It was understandable, though.

If knights like Knight Levo, Knight Wiggins, and Knight Bellinger had lived ordinary lives without learning martial arts, would they have lived mediocre lives?

Absolutely not.

They would have excelled in any field. If they had played sports, they would have become legendary sports stars, and if they had studied academics, they would have produced research results close to winning a Nobel Prize.

And even if they had run a business, they might have become entrepreneurs who shook the world.

Why?

Because the position of a knight isn’t something you can achieve simply by being strong in martial arts.

Warriors sometimes make a mistake.

They think martial arts is just about using the body. But while that might be true at the basic level, simply having physical aptitude isn’t enough to reach the higher levels.

You need to be able to overcome deep introspection about yourself, an understanding of the world, and even philosophical contemplation.

In the end, the strength of martial arts is synonymous with the strength of a human being. But the knights applied that fact to themselves, elevating themselves, while thinking of Kang Jin-ho, who was stronger than them, as just a fool who was only strong in martial arts.

They didn’t even know who the real fool was.

The reason Knight Besley failed was simple.

He didn’t acknowledge Kang Jin-ho’s ‘strength.’ If he had acknowledged that Kang Jin-ho was above him and that he couldn’t control him, his situation would have been very different now.

‘But if they could do that, they wouldn’t be warriors.’

Knight Besley sighed.

To acknowledge that an opponent you haven’t directly crossed swords with is superior to you and to bow your head?

That’s not an easy thing for a warrior to do.

Perhaps what determined the fate of Knight Besley and Knight Bellinger was a very simple thing: ‘whether they had directly crossed swords with Kang Jin-ho.’

If Knight Besley hadn’t faced Kang Jin-ho directly, it might have been Knight Besley, not Knight Bellinger, who had started this whole thing.

Knight Besley took a deep breath and looked at the large door in front of him. He cleared his throat and knocked on the door.

“It’s Knight Besley.”

“Come in, Knight Besley.”

The Master’s permission was given. But Knight Besley knew very well that it wasn’t the Master who had given this permission.

Knight Besley took another deep breath and opened the door with a tense expression.

The Master’s office.

There were four people sitting there. The one sitting at the head of the table was not the Master, but Kang Jin-ho. To his left and right were the Master and Wiggins, and finally…

Knight Besley’s tense expression subtly changed. His gaze turned to Lee Hyun-soo, who was kneeling in the corner.

‘Why is he like that?’

His composure, despite being kidnapped and having his life threatened, had left a deep impression. But now, Lee Hyun-soo was grumbling with all the dissatisfaction in the world on his face.

“…Why is he there?”

The Master replied with an embarrassed expression.

“These days, even five-year-olds don’t follow strangers just because they’re offered candy.”

It was a very appropriate, yet very strange reason.

“No, he wasn’t a stranger! He was my secretary!”

Wiggins chuckled.

“It’s strange that you don’t consider that secretary a stranger. It’s definitely your fault for not being cautious at all.”

“No! We’ve been together for days, so why would I suspect him! Isn’t it natural to think we’re close by now?”

“Can you say that to Deputy Lee?”

“It’s clear I made a mistake! Should I raise my hand?”

Without even waiting for a response, Lee Hyun-soo raised his hand on his own. Wiggins clicked his tongue at the sight.

“Do you want to?”

“…What?”

“You’re a man, but you’re so weak with women. Even the British, who are known as a nation of gentlemen, aren’t that weak with women.”

“A nation of gentlemen, my foot. It’s a nation of hooligans. Every evening, they throw away their wives and girlfriends and gather at the pub to watch soccer and drink beer. What kind of gentlemen are they? The Italians would laugh themselves to death if they heard that.”

Wiggins, having nothing to say, closed his mouth.

“And it’s not that I’m weak, it’s that she’s strong! How am I supposed to handle the granddaughter of Lee Jung-geol! It’s a miracle if I don’t get beaten to death. From the start, I can’t win even if we fight fist to fist, so if I get cocky and get hit, will Master take responsibility?”

Kang Jin-ho nodded his head vigorously.

“That’s right, that’s right.”

He seemed to be sympathizing with something strange.

“Ahem.”

Wiggins, not wanting to show the shameful side of the council any longer in front of others, cleared his throat and tried to wrap up the situation.

“Since we’ve called him, let’s get to the point.”

“…Then you should have at least let me get up before I came in.”

‘Dude, that’s not my authority!’

Wiggins glanced at Kang Jin-ho. Kang Jin-ho narrowed his eyes and looked at Lee Hyun-soo.

“Come here.”

Knight Besley’s face slightly soured.

He had heard the words ‘come here’ quite a few times today, but the feeling was very different from what he had heard earlier.

“Yes, sir!”

And the reaction of the listener was also different.

Lee Hyun-soo quickly got up from his seat and ran to Kang Jin-ho.

“Be careful from now on.”

“I will keep that in mind!”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

In a way, it might have been an unavoidable situation for Lee Hyun-soo, but it was also true that it wouldn’t have happened if Lee Hyun-soo hadn’t been careless.

It was natural for others to care about Lee Hyun-soo, but as a warrior, he had to protect his own safety.

Lee Hyun-soo also knew that fact, so he didn’t have any particular complaints.

As Lee Hyun-soo sat down with a smile, the Master, who had been silent all this time, opened his mouth. His face looked more haggard than Knight Besley’s.

“Sit over here.”

“Yes, Master.”

As Knight Besley sat down, the Master clapped his hands. After ordering a drink from the new secretary who had come in, the Master looked at Knight Besley with sunken eyes.

“I imagine you were very surprised.”

The words ‘no, I wasn’t’ wouldn’t come out of his mouth. He was incredibly surprised.

If there was anyone who wasn’t surprised after going through something like that, they weren’t strong-hearted, but rather someone who had something wrong with them.

“How are the knights doing?”

Knight Besley looked at the Master with a subtle expression.

As a Master, there was nothing wrong with asking a knight that question. But for a Master who was trying to seize control of the Round Table and become a dictator, it was a bit premature to ask a knight who he wasn’t sure he had yet won over.

At the very least, he should have first offered Knight Besley to join him.

But Knight Besley had no intention of pointing that out.

First, Knight Besley also knew that the Round Table was different from the past. The etiquette and processes that were once taken for granted would no longer be so. The system and procedures that had supported the Round Table would disappear, and efficiency, speed, and profit would take their place.

From that perspective, this was a natural change.

Second, like Knight Besley, the Master was also very tired. Knight Besley wasn’t a cold-blooded person who would discuss procedures and etiquette with someone who had such a face.

“The situation… I don’t know how to answer that. Everyone is still reeling from the shock.”

“Hmm.”

“They’ll recover to some extent in a few days, but some of them may not be able to perform their duties as knights. They need to be replaced.”

“I see.”

The Master sighed.

No matter how unavoidable it was, and no matter how much they were his enemies, the knights were the core of the Round Table. He couldn’t feel good after hearing that they were all suffering from trauma and that some of them might become useless.

“How are those who are with you?”

Knight Besley glanced at Kang Jin-ho once and then continued.

“Thanks to the Lord’s care, they should be fine after a few days of rest.”

“That’s a relief.”

Knight Besley had never once expressed his intention to cooperate with the Master or Kang Jin-ho. But Kang Jin-ho had protected them as if it were natural, and the Master was asking Knight Besley about the situation as if it were natural.

“Knight Besley.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Please help me.”

And then, he belatedly went through the process that should have been there.

The Master sighed and said.

“As you know, the Round Table is changing. Moreover, due to today’s incident, it will change even more rapidly.”

This was something Besley also agreed with.

The Round Table could no longer be the same as it was in the past. The change in the knights meant a change in the Round Table. Since the knights could no longer be the same as before, the Round Table could not be the same either.

The Round Table and the Master had climbed onto a running tiger. Now they couldn’t get off.

“I can’t handle this alone. I need your help.”

“Even if you say help… will I be of any help?”

“Why would you say that?”

“Well…”

Knight Besley sighed deeply and continued.

“I’m not complaining. I really don’t know what I should do. If you ask me to help, I will have to help. But I can’t put a knife to my own throat, Master.”

Knight Besley looked directly at the Master and said.

“Is what you’re doing really for the sake of the Round Table?”

It was a question that could never be uttered. But Knight Besley ended up asking it.

And now it was the Master’s turn to answer that question.

The Master, who had been quietly looking at Knight Besley, opened his mouth with a heavy voice.