Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1008

The atmosphere was heavy.

Knight Vesley leaned against the wall, feeling the oppressive air with his entire body.

Imprisonment.

Detention.

Well, any word would do. Any word would fit the current situation.

Officially, they were using terms like detention or confinement, but no one could deny that they were being held captive.

Knight Vesley’s gaze turned to the door.

A plain wooden door, not even magically treated.

A door that he could break down in less than a second if he wanted to, was keeping them locked up. How ridiculous was that?

Here they were, representing a nation, wielding power that could shake the world, yet they were imprisoned by a door made of wood that even an ordinary person couldn’t be confined by. It was ironic.

‘What’s going to happen to the Round Table now?’

His head was a mess.

He turned his head and saw that the others were wearing similar expressions. A mix of helplessness and anxiety. Some were still gripped by fear.

“Haa.”

A sigh escaped him.

‘They have every right to be like this.’

Even Knight Vesley hadn’t fully recovered from the battle. When he closed his eyes, the image of Kang Jin-ho relentlessly attacking him kept flashing in his mind.

If he was this shaken, how much worse must it be for the others?

‘Can we get out of this?’

He couldn’t be sure.

Kang Jin-ho had inflicted deep trauma on the entire Round Table. They could accept that they had lost. But the fact that all the Elder Knights, the legends of the Round Table, had attacked him together and still couldn’t defeat Kang Jin-ho was too shocking.

Such a powerful warrior.

The emergence of a warrior they had never imagined before had instilled deep doubt in the knights of the Round Table, including Vesley.

The reason so many of them were confined behind that small wooden door wasn’t because they were waiting for a response. It was because they were weighed down by deep doubt and helplessness, not the door itself.

‘Or maybe it’s fear.’

Vesley rubbed his face.

He was afraid too. The existence of Kang Jin-ho had instilled great fear in Vesley. The others must feel the same.

Could they resist him?

‘It’s impossible.’

The chance to resist was already gone. Vesley would never be able to fight Kang Jin-ho again. Just standing across from him would make his hands tremble and his body stiffen. How could he possibly fight him?

“Um… Knight.”

Knight Vesley turned his head.

One of his knights was looking at him with a subtle expression.

“What’s going to happen to us now?”

At those words, everyone’s gaze focused on Knight Vesley.

Ironically, this was the first thing they had said since they were confined. After more than half a day of heavy silence, this was the first question they had asked.

And sadly, Vesley didn’t have a clear answer to that question either.

“Well…”

Knight Vesley sighed.

“I can’t give you a definite answer. I don’t know what’s happening outside.”

“Is it okay for us to stay like this?”

“Since the Master is here…”

Knight Vesley shook his head.

‘This is terrible.’

It was none other than Vesley and the other knights who had driven the Master out. And now they were waiting for the Master to save them. It was utterly shameless.

But realistically, the only person who could save them was the Master. No one else could represent the Round Table.

“…Did we lose?”

It was a sudden question.

But this question accurately described the helplessness the knights were feeling.

They hadn’t even had a proper fight. Before Knight Levo took the Master’s seat, they couldn’t violate the Round Table’s laws and had to wait. And when they finally entered the battlefield, they didn’t even exchange a few blows before they had to watch the fight between the Elder Knights and Kang Jin-ho.

And after that fight, they were cornered and confined in a room.

The gap between what they knew and what they felt.

‘They must be confused.’

It wasn’t confusion from not knowing. It was the feeling of not wanting to accept what they knew. Yet, they didn’t have the courage to step forward and demand another fight.

‘How did the Round Table end up like this?’

It was a sad state of affairs.

“We have to admit what’s true. We lost.”

Giving them false hope with empty words would be poison. They had to face reality coldly.

“But…”

“It’s disappointing. But it’s not something to be discouraged about. How many times has the Round Table lost in its history? We’ve lost countless times, we’ve fallen countless times. But we’ve continued our will, and that’s why the Round Table has lasted for over a thousand years. Don’t forget that.”

“We lost. But we won’t remain defeated forever. We just need to get back up.”

“Yes, Knight.”

It was a lukewarm response.

But it was natural for it to be lukewarm. Even Knight Vesley didn’t think his words would be an answer. Whether the Round Table would survive depended entirely on Kang Jin-ho and the Assembly’s decision.

That’s when it happened.

Knock knock.

‘A knock?’

Knight Vesley looked at the door with a bewildered expression.

A knock.

Even if it was a door, they were currently imprisoned. And yet, a knock. Wasn’t that a bit too polite?

The door opened, and a person poked their head in.

‘Wiggins?’

Knight Vesley’s eyes widened as he looked at the person who had entered.

Wiggins, the knight from England. He had opened the door and come in.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. You can all come out now.”

“Come out?”

The bewilderment grew even stronger.

“No, wait. Knight… no, Mr. Wiggins. Did you just say we can leave?”

“Oh, Knight Vesley. I don’t know if I should say it’s been a while.”

“Could you answer my question first…”

“Yes, you can come out. The first round of negotiations is over.”

‘What negotiations?’

No, even if the negotiations were over, it was still the same. If they were being released, it meant that everyone else was being released too. Did they have the courage to release all those human weapons?

“I don’t know what you’re thinking.”

“You weren’t really imprisoned in the first place, were you? Surely you have the strength to open that door?”

“Of course, it’s not that…”

“I don’t think the knights of the Round Table would run wild without a plan just because we opened a door. So, there’s no need to maintain this troublesome situation. The Assembly will step back. So, you can all rest freely for a while.”

“What on earth…”

Vesley couldn’t understand what Wiggins, or rather, the Assembly, was thinking. The only thing he could guess was that the negotiations between them and the Master had gone in a positive direction.

“And Knight Vesley.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to see you for a moment.”

Wiggins smiled and went outside.

Knight Vesley looked around with a slightly dazed expression and then got up.

“Summon the external knights.”

“…The knights?”

“Yes. If we gather all the knights who aren’t here, we can meet the minimum quorum for the Master’s election. I plan to hold the election as quickly as possible.”

“Who are the candidates?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

At Wiggins’ words, Knight Vesley nodded. In the current situation, there was only one person who could become the Master.

But…

“This is the first time this has happened, so I don’t know what the Round Table’s laws say. A Master was impeached, and a new Master was elected, but now the impeached Master is going to take the Master’s seat again.”

“The review of the laws is complete. There is no law that says someone who has stepped down from the Master’s seat cannot become Master again. Everything will be done according to the will of the knights.”

‘Ah.’

—♦

If that’s the case.

“But really, the Master again?”

“Yes.”

Wiggins smiled kindly.

“That’s the most reasonable thing to do.”

He was out of his mind.

Knight Vesley thought that Wiggins would force his way into the Master’s seat. But that expectation was wrong.

“I don’t know what’s going on.”

“You don’t have to be wary. The Assembly just didn’t want the Round Table under Knight Levo’s system.”

“Anyway, Knight Levo was also a Master chosen by the Round Table. I apologize for removing him by force. But please understand that this was the direction to protect the Round Table.”

If you only listened to the words, it sounded like the statement of someone who had sacrificed themselves for the future of the Round Table.

But Knight Vesley knew that the situation wasn’t that simple.

“Can I trust you? I’m not stupid enough not to know that the knights who are out there could have their heads cut off as soon as they return.”

“We won’t do anything so pointless. Knight Vesley, you seem to think that the position of a knight is something great, but in reality, the position of a knight is just a position that can be filled at any time. If their heads are cut off, new knights will be elected. Unless we can interfere with each country’s right to elect knights, it’s a meaningless act.”

‘Ah.’

“—•丁”

“It’s okay if you don’t trust me. But you trust the Master, right? He’s currently in his office dealing with urgent matters. If you’re suspicious, you can talk to him.”

“If you go that far…”

Knight Vesley nodded.

“I will summon the knights. Urgently.”

“Thank you.”

Wiggins nodded and turned around.

“Oh, and…”

“Yes?”

“It’s okay for the knights to leave the Round Table. Whether they return or stay here, if they’re itching to get out, they can go to a pub and have a beer. I’ll leave that to the knights’ discretion.”

“However, the knights must stay in the hall. We need to start the election as soon as the knights return. And…”

“Yes.”

“Just as a precaution, please block the knights from entering the South Gate accommodations. There are a lot of troublesome people full of complaints there right now. There’s no need to create unnecessary trouble.”

There was no need to ask who those troublesome people were.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Okay, then.”

“Wait a minute!”

Knight Vesley stopped Wiggins.

“I have one question.”

“Yes. Anything.”

“Even if all the knights return, there’s no guarantee that the Master will be re-elected, is there? What are you going to do then?”

“He will be elected.”

Wiggins smiled.

“With the authority of the former Master, it has been agreed that an observer will attend this election. The head of the Assembly will be watching how the Master’s election proceeds from the side.”

“I hope it will be an enjoyable observation.”

Knight Vesley was speechless.

An enjoyable observation, an enjoyable observation.

Vesley shook his head.

At the same time, he wondered how the knights who hadn’t seen Kang Jin-ho would react.

‘Crazy bastard.’

Seeing that he was looking forward to this, he must have gone a little crazy too. Knight Vesley sighed deeply and returned to his room.