Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1401

Lee Jong-wook sighed softly.

“It’s not something I can do anything about, I told you.”

[If not you, who else can do it?]

“It’s not that only I can do it, it’s that I can’t do it either. Frankly, what kind of deep connection do I have with that side to be having this conversation?”

[You have to do it.]

Lee Jong-wook’s face contorted.

‘This is like talking to a parrot…’

There are things in this world that can be forced, and things that can’t be resolved by forcing. This is clearly the latter, but it seems they don’t think so on the other side.

“It’s strange that this kind of thing is falling on me in the first place. I’m just a department head, aren’t I?”

[The director was dismissed, so what does a department head matter?]

“Are the deputy directors old men? And I’m in charge of overseas affairs, not domestic affairs.”

[This isn’t the time to distinguish between domestic and overseas. Don’t you know why I’m clinging to you like this? I don’t want to do this either. But there’s no channel, no channel! If I could solve it by going myself, I wouldn’t be begging a greenhorn junior!]

“Ha…”

My head is starting to hurt.

“I’m driving right now.”

[Are you living in the Stone Age? Or is your car 20 years old? Is it impossible to talk on the phone while driving?]

“That’s not it, I can’t concentrate on driving. Are you going to take responsibility if I get into an accident?”

[Anyway, I won’t say much more.]

‘You’re already saying a lot?’

[Please contact Kang Jin-ho one more time. The higher-ups are extremely worried. The election is not far away, and you know that if something else blows up here, it will be impossible to fix.]

“Is winning or losing an election that important? Since when did we become the guys who clean up after the regime? No matter which regime it is, there’s only one thing we have to do, isn’t there?”

[Don’t preach such unrealistic ideals! And do you think I’m doing this just to win the election? If we look like we’re going to lose the election, who knows what unreasonable measures they’ll take to make the situation worse!]

“…Anyway, I’ll contact you again later.”

[Please do.]

Lee Jong-wook pressed the button and hung up the phone.

‘Damn it, they’re using me like a puppet.’

When they were locking people up and driving them to the brink of madness, and now they’re acting like Lee Jong-wook is their only hope.

Even if things change as soon as you open your eyes in this world, shouldn’t people have at least a shred of decency?

‘Well, if they had any, they wouldn’t have climbed to that position.’

It’s a world where you have to be shameless to succeed.

A large apartment-like building began to come into Lee Jong-wook’s view.

‘The world has gotten better.’

Who would believe that’s a detention center?

I don’t know about the inside, but the outside looks like an apartment.

Well, even if it’s a detention center, they can’t deliberately build a new building to look shabby.

Lee Jong-wook presented his ID and went inside, parking his car in the parking lot. He got out and looked around. Finding a smoking area in the corner, Lee Jong-wook trudged over and lit a cigarette.

‘I should quit…’

I’ve been smoking more lately because the stress has been too extreme. I used to barely smoke…

Lee Jong-wook slowly inhaled the cigarette, then turned his head to look at the large detention center building.

It’s not even funny.

All the pain of the world is melting inside that flashy building.

Lee Jong-wook threw the cigarette, which he hadn’t even taken three puffs from, into the ashtray and walked towards the detention center with a low sigh.

“This way, please.”

“Thank you.”

“Uh, this is originally…”

The warden of the detention center slightly pushed up his glasses.

“You know that visits are not allowed except in the visiting room. Please make sure this doesn’t leak to the outside.”

“Yes. You don’t have to worry.”

The warden cautiously observed Lee Jong-wook’s expression.

Lee Jong-wook felt the gaze but made an effort not to show any discomfort.

It must be absurd.

He must have received a call from the unimaginable higher-ups, but the guy who actually visited is a fresh-faced young man.

“You said you’re from the National Intelligence Service…”

“Ah… yes.”

Loose-lipped.

I don’t know why he has to say such things one by one.

The warden’s face slightly hardened at the mention of the National Intelligence Service.

It’s always like this.

If it were a guard instead of the warden, they wouldn’t have reacted much to the mention of the National Intelligence Service. The power of the name of the National Intelligence Service is stronger for older people than for younger people.

‘Of course, they’re probably thinking of the Agency for National Security Planning [the former name of the National Intelligence Service], not the National Intelligence Service.’

Lee Jong-wook consciously ignored the warden’s reaction. He doesn’t want to worry about such things right now. He’s about to be crushed by the problems piled up on him.

“But what business does the National Intelligence Service have…”

“Warden.”

“Yes? Ah, yes!”

“It’s business.”

The warden, understanding the meaning of not interfering any further, immediately nodded.

“If you wait here, we’ll bring him soon.”

“Alright.”

The warden gave a short bow and went outside.

Lee Jong-wook sat on the sofa and quietly looked around.

‘It’s desolate.’

Is it because there’s not much furniture?

No, it’s more accurate to say it’s barren than desolate.

It’s a terrible place to live, but it might be perfect as a detention center. This is where those who have lost come.

Whatever it may be.

Not long after, the door opened. Then, a familiar face walked in through the open door.

Hollow eyes.

Dry skin.

Unkempt hair and glasses.

Lee Jong-wook stood up from his seat.

“It’s been a while.”

The man quietly raised his head and looked at Lee Jong-wook.

Lee Jong-wook clenched his fist.

The moment his half-opened eyes looked at him, he felt strangely eerie. It wasn’t like there was any venom in his eyes, but still.

“Please, have a seat, Prime Minister.”

Kim Myung-chan quietly looked at Lee Jong-wook, then sat down across from him without a word. Lee Jong-wook opened his bag and took out a cigarette and a tumbler, placing them in front of Kim Myung-chan.

“What’s this?”

“It’s coffee. I got a cup from the cafe in front.”

Kim Myung-chan chuckled.

“Did you put a confession drug in it?”

“I don’t do such low-level things. I’m not confident in handling the aftermath either. More than anything…”

Lee Jong-wook quietly looked at Kim Myung-chan and said.

“Is there any need to use a confession drug on the current Prime Minister?”

“…That’s right. There’s nothing to find out.”

Kim Myung-chan silently reached out and opened the lid of the tumbler. The fragrant scent of coffee spread through the room.

Kim Myung-chan took a sip of the coffee without hesitation and slightly frowned.

“It’s bitter.”

“I guess I should have added some syrup.”

“It’s not my taste, but I guess I should be grateful for this. I can’t understand people who drink bitter coffee. Coffee should be sweet.”

Kim Myung-chan looked around and got up from his seat. He picked up a stick of sugar from the water purifier in the warden’s office and put it in his coffee.

“Now it’s a bit more palatable.” Kim Myung-chan put down the tumbler, picked up a cigarette, and put it in his mouth. Then he slowly lit it.

“Hoo…”

Only after taking a couple of puffs of the cigarette did Kim Myung-chan’s gaze turn to Lee Jong-wook.

“Why did you come?”

“I just felt like I should stop by.”

“Did you want to see a dog that lost a fight? Are you going to spit on me? You have a bad taste.”

Lee Jong-wook sighed softly.

Then he looked at Kim Myung-chan with eyes full of pity. Kim Myung-chan clicked his tongue, annoyed by the gaze.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m someone who used to come in and out of detention centers like my own home. It’s much better these days. It’s warm and has good facilities. Back then, when you came to a detention center, your hands and feet would get so cold that you’d want to cut them off.”

Kim Myung-chan gave a bitter smile.

“I’m living comfortably, like I’m in a hotel.”

“Your body might be.”

“Isn’t your mind in hell?” Kim Myung-chan looked at Lee Jong-wook without answering.

“Why did you come?”

“I came because I have something to ask.” It was a different answer to the same question.

Kim Myung-chan quietly nodded and leaned back on the sofa. He took a long drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke.

“Ask away. There’s nothing I can’t answer.”

Lee Jong-wook hesitated for a moment, biting his lip slightly, and then opened his mouth.

“Why did you do that?”

“Why?”

Kim Myung-chan didn’t answer.

Lee Jong-wook, staring at Kim Myung-chan, shouted as if having a fit.

“I warned you several times, that you shouldn’t do that! I told you several times that everything would collapse! You said you understood! You said you’d find another solution!”

Lee Jong-wook’s voice became rough.

“Why would someone like you, Prime Minister, do that! If you had stopped then, we wouldn’t have come this far! If only then!”

Kim Myung-chan quietly looked at Lee Jong-wook.

Unlike Lee Jong-wook, who was flushed with excitement, Kim Myung-chan’s face looked utterly calm.

“I respected you.”

“That’s why I can’t understand it even more, why you made that decision. I… I don’t understand at all.”

“Hey, Lee.”

Kim Myung-chan smiled and called out to Lee Jong-wook. ‘Lee’ was the title he used when he was promoting Lee Jong-wook.

“Did you just say you respected me?”

“…I did.”

Kim Myung-chan said as if amused.

“Because I was a pro-democracy activist?”

“If not that, then because I was the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea? Or because I was someone who didn’t give up resisting the dictatorship even while being brutally tortured? Or because I’m someone who doesn’t bend my will?”

“I…”

“Hey. Why don’t you understand?”

Kim Myung-chan smiles.

“All of that was possible because I didn’t give up.”

Lee Jong-wook couldn’t say anything.

He just bit his lip tightly.

“If I had stopped there, things wouldn’t have come this far. But I’m the kind of person who doesn’t know what giving up means. If I had to give up, I would have given up a long time ago. The end for a person like me is only one of two things. Either I succeed by not giving up, or I go to hell by not giving up.”

“…Prime Minister.”

Kim Myung-chan quietly took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.

“Usually, everyone sees hell. I’ve just been lucky to survive all this time. Do you think there weren’t better people than me who died in those days? They were all people who couldn’t even be compared to me. I was just moderately soft and knew how to read the room, so I survived like a cockroach.”

“Hey, Lee.”

Regret filled Kim Myung-chan’s face.

“I’m not a person worth respecting.”

“I’m not worth respecting.”

Kim Myung-chan looked at the ceiling with a bitter face.

Lee Jong-wook closed his eyes without realizing it.

He’s calm.

A person who shouldn’t be calm is calm.

Rather, that’s why Lee Jong-wook could know more clearly.

Kim Myung-chan will never be able to recover.

A giant of an era that decorated a page of modern history was collapsing here now.