Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1779

The clanging of the slowly opening cell door made Reynold Nold chuckle mockingly.

“You can come out now, Deputy Minister Reynold.”

Reynold stood up and shrugged.

“Judging by the title, it seems I haven’t been dismissed. Am I right?”

“Yes, sir!”

Reynold smirked at the crisp, military response.

“Then, Colonel.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Go get me a warm Americano. Lots of syrup, please.”

Click.

“Huuuuu.”

The taste of the first cigarette in days was… well…

‘Not as good as I thought.’

It was dizzying. The taste of the cigarette in his mouth was bitter and acrid. But he missed that very bitter, acrid taste.

Click.

A door opened carefully, and someone came in with a tray holding a cup of coffee.

“Congratulations on your return.”

“Thanks.”

Reynold smiled and leaned back on the sofa. His confidence was evident in the way he tilted his head back.

“Has there been any further contact from above?”

“Yes. They just told me to wait. There are no orders to return to duty yet.”

“Hmm.”

Reynold nodded slowly.

‘That doesn’t matter anyway.’

The crimes he committed were quite varied and complex.

He had ignored orders from above and mobilized military forces, and even cut off communications when ordered to stop immediately. Depending on the situation, he could have been summarily executed.

Logically, his return was impossible. It wasn’t just a dishonorable discharge; he should have been court-martialed.

But…

“There’s a saying in Korea, I hear.”

“What saying is that?”

“A successful coup cannot be punished.”

“…That’s similar to what John Harrington said.”

“Indeed.”

Reynold smiled.

“They’re probably having a headache upstairs right now. They have no idea how to deal with me.”

What he did was something that deserved punishment. But on the other hand, he had brought enormous benefits to the United States.

The war between the Assembly and the Changwang Clan.

He had led that war, which had little chance of success, to a complete victory.

The immediate benefits to the United States might not be significant, but the future benefits would be enormous.

Just the fact that they had broken the spearhead of China’s Murim world [martial arts world] as it tried to expand into the world was valuable enough.

Moreover…

“Now there’s no stopping the Assembly.”

“That’s right.”

Having improved relations with the Hongwang Clan and crushed the Changwang Clan, the Assembly had secured a firm position, at least in East Asia. No, that position would certainly not be limited to East Asia.

Even the Round Table would not be able to escape the Assembly’s control. If not only Korea, China, and Japan, but even Europe, were under the Assembly’s influence?

‘It wouldn’t be strange to call it an empire.’

Of course, compared to the empires that actually existed in the world, its coercive power was undeniably weak, but in terms of the scope of its influence, it was no less than the empires that had existed so far.

“An empire and an emperor…”

Reynold chuckled softly.

What meaning would an empire that could not effectively control its people have?

The Murim world is a strange place.

In some ways, it’s as powerless as a sandcastle built on a beach. There are very few areas where they can use coercive power like the law.

But in Reynold’s view, that was more of a strength than a weakness of the Murim world. They have power, yet they are not subject to the control of the law.

In other words, they can use the enormous violence that can turn the world upside down without permission. Just like in this war.

“Huuuuu.”

Reynold slowly exhaled the cigarette smoke and smiled.

“Hey.”

“Yes, Deputy Minister.”

“What do you think of the United States?”

“…I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I mean exactly that. Do you think the United States, which was called the world’s police, can join hands with the Murim world, which breaks the law and enforces its will with violence?”

“…I don’t know. But I do know one thing.”

“What’s that?”

The colonel grinned.

“I don’t know if it’s morally right or wrong, but it’s clear what choice they made. The United States will join hands with the Assembly.”

“Why?”

“Because you were released, Deputy Minister.”

“You’re quite perceptive. I like that.”

Reynold smiled, satisfied with the answer.

The United States focuses on morality and rationality. But that’s just the image the United States projects to the outside world. In reality, the part that the United States cares about the most is not morality or rationality, but profit.

If it’s profitable, they wouldn’t hesitate to join hands with and support a dictator who massacred his own people, and if it’s an obstacle, they would trample on even the most outstanding leader.

In the end, the key is one thing.

How much benefit will the United States gain from joining hands with the Assembly? And that was something Reynold didn’t need to worry about. There were already people with twice his brainpower furiously crunching the numbers.

‘And they must have come to a conclusion, so they released me.’

Reynold was the one who was currently in charge of the connection between the Assembly and the United States.

“That’s why gambling is worth it.” If he had failed, he would have lost everything, but since he succeeded, he could gain everything. His position would not be shaken for a while.

“What about the Assembly?”

“They’re on their way back to Korea. I heard they arranged a chartered plane from China.”

“Hmm.”

Reynold stubbed out his cigarette and stood up.

“They wouldn’t do something petty like a travel ban, would they?”

“Of course not. You are not under any control, Deputy Minister.”

“Good.”

Reynold smiled and walked outside.

“Get the car ready. I need to pay my respects to His Majesty, who is returning from his visit to his family.”

“Right away, sir.”

Reynold whistled happily.

‘You have to pick the right side to succeed.’

The lifeline he had grabbed this time would never be broken.

“They’re arriving.”

“Hmm.”

Koh Han-bong looked at the chartered plane entering the runway with a slightly displeased expression.

“If we had moved a little faster, we wouldn’t have had to see them enter Korea on a Chinese-registered plane.”

“I’m sorry. It was my fault…”

“Enough.”

Koh Han-bong cut off the excuse in a cold voice.

‘Idiot.’

The giants who move the world have the insight to see the flow of the times. But Koh Han-bong was not such a giant. He was a man who knew his place, and he knew very well that he was no better than the ordinary politicians who were all around him.

Then how do ordinary politicians survive?

It’s very simple. Even if they can’t move one step ahead, they shouldn’t miss the obvious.

If the weapon of the giants who move the world is the insight to read the future, the weapon of ordinary politicians is their meticulousness and thoroughness.

In that sense, the mistake they made this time was a huge blunder. It was so bad that Koh Han-bong had to postpone all his busy schedules and rush to the airport to make up for it.

‘I’m not the only one.’

Perhaps all the bigwigs who are interested in the political situation are paying attention to this place right now.

Of course, even before, the Assembly and Kang Jin-ho were bigwigs who controlled the night of South Korea.

‘But now, the level is different.’

Having achieved a complete victory against the Three Kings of China, the Assembly’s influence had spread beyond Korea to the entire East Asia.

Perhaps, in terms of influence within East Asia, the Assembly might be higher than South Korea…

“I’m thinking too much.”

“Yes?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Koh Han-bong smiled bitterly.

The thought he had just had was a leap of faith, but the achievements of the Assembly were so great that such a thought came to mind. If they could continue to grow their influence, that leap might no longer be a leap.

“Let’s go. It’s the role of a politician to wave flowers in front of a hero when he returns.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

Koh Han-bong began to walk.

‘I wonder what kind of face Kang Jin-ho will have.’

He could guess what Lee Hyun-soo’s face would look like, though.

Woo-oong.

A temporary staircase was installed on the plane.

It wouldn’t be a bad choice to go directly into the airport building, but this method would be better to be considerate of those who had returned in the early morning hours to avoid prying eyes.

Soon, the plane door opened, and young men with sturdy physiques quickly began to get off the plane.

“I thought I was going to die of suffocation.”

“It was fast… but why couldn’t we open the windows? It was so frustrating.”

“Where can I smoke here? Can I smoke here?”

Koh Han-bong looked at the scene with a bitter expression.

‘I didn’t expect military-like strictness…’

But it would have been nice if they had a little bit of awareness of how great a thing they had done.

Koh Han-bong tilted his head, thinking it was fortunate that they had chosen the early morning hours to return to Korea.

“Where is the Assembly Head?”

“He should be on the first plane.”

“Hmm.”

Koh Han-bong nodded.

The reason he had asked again, even though he had received a report, was because the first person to come out of the door was not Kang Jin-ho. Usually, in such cases, the person with the highest rank would come out first.

“Hurry up, you bastards!”

“Why are you going down the stairs? Jump down!”

Perhaps because of the curses coming from behind, the Murim members of the Assembly got off the plane with great speed.

And then…

Thud.

Kang Jin-ho, dressed in black training clothes, came out of the plane with his hands in his pockets. He looked around and sighed deeply.

Click.

‘That’s a minor offense.’

Koh Han-bong frowned at the sight of Kang Jin-ho naturally taking out a cigarette, but that subtle feeling did not lead to dissatisfaction with the arrogant opponent.

The way Kang Jin-ho was sitting on the stairs, lighting a cigarette as if he had seen the world, was more like a neighborhood thug tired from a long flight than a powerful man who had returned after achieving great things.

“Ah, you can’t smoke on the runway!”

“…Just let me be. I feel like I’m going to die.”

“You haven’t been flying for long.”

“It was too stressful to be on the same plane as those guys. I’d rather have brought a monkey.”

“I agree with that.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head and trudged down the stairs.

Koh Han-bong couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

A victorious general returning home.

An emperor who has come to dominate the Murim world of East Asia.

Any words could be used to describe Kang Jin-ho without sounding awkward…

‘But it’s definitely not a fitting description.’

Kang Jin-ho is Kang Jin-ho.