Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1096

‘Are you just going to stand by and take this?’

‘This is going too far.’ Knight Wellinger slightly frowned.

‘This has crossed the line.’

‘Then what are we? We’re not just subordinates who follow the Master’s orders.’

His eyelids throbbed.

Knight Wellinger pressed around his eyes.

‘I understand what you’re saying.’

The Master was currently exercising tyranny.

Yes, ridiculously so.

‘That Ma…ster…’

Wellinger respected the Master. No, to be more precise, he revered him.

The Master was that kind of person.

Despite having power, he didn’t wield it, and despite being able to have more, he didn’t reach for it. Even when it could benefit his country, he would endure losses for the sake of the greater good, and he was someone who discussed balance before profit.

That’s why he was someone to be respected.

But the Master now was not like that.

‘Our hands and feet are being cut off.’

‘At this rate, within a few months, we won’t be able to do anything. We’ll just become dogs that bark when the Master barks and crawl when he crawls.’

‘Please watch your language.’

‘…I’m sorry, Knight.’

Knight Wellinger sighed lowly.

‘But what he said isn’t wrong.’

From the day the Korean General Assembly turned the Round Table into a mess, the Master had changed.

The Master, who once valued harmony, balance, and equality above all else, had transformed himself into an absolute authority who wouldn’t listen to reason.

A change that didn’t make sense. He even suspected that the person had been replaced.

Knight Wellinger rubbed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

Finding the cause?

It was meaningless.

Knight Wellinger knew.

Historically, there were countless instances of virtuous rulers turning into tyrants. And the reasons were varied. But the root cause was one.

‘It’s because that’s who they always were.’

Every human being has a tyrant in their heart. How much they suppress that tyrant determines their character. The Master had simply decided not to suppress that tyrant any longer for some reason.

And one more thing.

At least as far as Knight Wellinger knew, there was no instance of a ruler who had fallen into tyranny becoming a virtuous ruler again. Once a ruler had tasted power and felt their own strength, they would never go back to the beginning.

Then there were only two options left.

‘Either die as a tyrant or be overthrown as a tyrant.’

‘……Excuse me?’

‘No, no.’

Knight Wellinger waved his hand.

It would be meaningless to say such things.

The other side had already rolled the dice. Now it was their turn to roll the dice.

‘It’s been a week.’

Knight Wellinger raised his head.

Knight Kramer was looking at him with a distorted face.

‘In just one week, our hands and feet are being cut off. From the small things to the big things. Now, we even have to get the Master’s approval to deploy the forces of each country.’

‘Q…’

‘Knight Wellinger, we are a coalition. We are not vassals serving an emperor called the Master. This is overstepping authority and intimidation. Isn’t this telling us to stay put and wither away?’

‘Hoo.’

He tried to hold it in, but a sigh eventually escaped his lips.

‘Until now, it was still bearable. But since last week, absurd orders have suddenly started coming down. While we were trying to figure out the situation, things have gotten several times worse. While we’re dealing with one thing that’s blown up, something bigger blows up.’

Knight Kramer’s face flushed.

‘I can’t take it anymore. Even if he’s the Master, this is…’

‘Watch your words, Knight Kramer.’

‘Knight Wellinger!’

‘I told you to watch your words.’

Knight Kramer shut his mouth tightly.

It would be foolish to antagonize Wellinger here. But he let out a rough breath as if he couldn’t shake off his anger.

Watching him, Knight Wellinger also closed his eyes and tilted his head back.

‘Master.’

This was a provocation.

No, it might be a declaration of war.

The Master’s orders were excessive by anyone’s standards. They were completely eliminating the rights that the knights had enjoyed and concentrating those rights on the Master.

As Kramer had said earlier, if things continued like this, they would not be able to do anything without the Master’s orders.

‘Is he Louis XIV?’

Absolute monarchy.

It was ridiculous.

Absolute power in the 21st century.

Human society had developed in the direction of weakening the power held by one person. But who would accept going back to the era of monarchy in this day and age?

‘Knight Wellinger, if we hesitate, we really won’t be able to do anything.’

‘I know.’

‘Then why do you keep holding back?’

Knight Wellinger frowned.

‘Listen, Knight Kramer.’

‘Yes.’

‘Do you think the Master doesn’t know what we know?’

‘That’s…’

‘He knows, he knows. He must know that if he keeps pushing down like this, it will eventually explode. Don’t you know how wise the Master is?’

Knight Kramer closed his mouth.

There was no one among those belonging to the Round Table who didn’t acknowledge the Master. He had maintained the Round Table without any issues for decades. Considering that the Round Table was a coalition of many countries, this was a remarkable feat.

That was the Master.

Even though he had aged, it was impossible to think that the Master had lost his sharpness due to age. If so, the Master must also be anticipating a backlash.

‘To do it even knowing means he’s prepared. But we don’t know what that preparation is at all. If we try to resist carelessly, we might lose something bigger.’

‘Then are you saying we should just wither away like this?’

‘It’s not like that, but…’

Knight Wellinger distorted his face.

‘Master.’

What on earth was the Master trying to do?

Just thinking about it made his chest feel tight.

‘One thing I don’t understand… why has he suddenly become more radical recently? Do you have any idea?’

‘I don’t know exactly, but…’

Knight Kramer sighed and opened his mouth.

‘There are rumors that Knight Wiggins was seen around the Master’s office.’

‘Wiggins?’

Kramer frowned.

‘Why is he in the Round Table? He’s not even a knight anymore.’

‘……If he comes in under the guise of an envoy from the General Assembly, we can’t stop him.’

‘Hmm…’

Knight Wellinger’s face contorted.

‘Damn it.’

There was always a sycophant next to a tyrant.

‘Wiggins, have you fallen that far?’

In the past, Wiggins was someone who had the expectations of all the knights. He became a knight at a young age and was expected to become the next Master. Even though there were concerns that Britain would monopolize the Master position for two generations, there was no particular backlash because Wiggins’ abilities were so outstanding and his character was excellent.

But the current Wiggins had fallen. Along with that Master.

‘And there’s a certain East Asian person coming and going.’

‘An East Asian?’

‘Yes. He seems to be from the General Assembly as well. I heard that he has set up his own place next to the Master’s office and is working.’

‘Working?’

Knight Wellinger’s voice rose.

‘Yes… If that work is related to the General Assembly, it can be understood. But circumstantially…’

Wellinger ended up saying something he didn’t want to say.

‘Are you saying he brought in an expert to manipulate the Round Table?’

‘That’s the assumption.’

‘……Master.’

Knight Wellinger covered his face.

Even if the Master had the desire to seize the Round Table and shake it as he pleased, he would have to hesitate at the execution stage. The Round Table had achieved perfect democracy, and he would never have thought about how to concentrate that system on the Master.

But the General Assembly was different.

The General Assembly had a system concentrated on the Assembly Head. If the Master wanted to change the Round Table into such a system, it would be faster to seek advice from the General Assembly, which was actually operating that system.

But not just that level, but actually bringing in people?

‘Call the knights.’

‘Have you made up your mind?’

‘For now…’

Wellinger sighed lowly.

They couldn’t just sit back and watch. If they let another half a year pass, the Master would completely take control of the Round Table and carry out a reign of terror. No, it might not even take half a year.

They had to stop it before that.

‘How many people are on our side?’

‘Most of them agree. But…’

‘But?’

‘The knights from France and Britain who have recently taken their positions are refusing to even talk. And… the biggest problem is that Knight Vesley is keeping to himself.’

Wellinger clenched and unclenched his fist.

‘Knight Vesley?’

Britain and France were understandable.

Britain was the Master’s country and Wiggins’ country. Considering that Knight Chadwick, who was hostile to Wiggins, had died in battle, there would no longer be any forces left that were hostile to the Master or Wiggins.

And France had suffered the most damage in this battle, and their hands and feet had been cut off. Even if they still had the desire to oppose the Master, it would be difficult to move.

The problem was…

‘Are you saying that Knight Vesley is keeping to himself?’

‘Yes. Judging from the fact that he seems to be in contact with the Master…’

‘Has he turned pro-Master?’

‘It seems so. And the knights who survived that day are also gathered around Knight Vesley and are not showing any external activity.’

‘Hmm…’

The knights who were there that day were the ones who had rebelled against the Master, led by Knight LeBeau. It was something out of a novel to use a traitor with importance. They were in a position where they could no longer be favored.

But they were taking the Master’s side?

‘What on earth happened there that day?’

He had heard the story of the Elder Knights being defeated. And he had heard enough about how devilish the General Assembly’s Head, Kang Jin-ho, was to be sick of it.

But for those knights, armed with such strong mental fortitude, to succumb to power and abandon their pride?

This was something he could not understand.

‘And it shouldn’t be happening.’

Knight Wellinger gritted his teeth.

‘Gather the opinions of the knights who are on our side. And even if there are knights who don’t agree, they wouldn’t oppose calling a meeting. Gather their opinions as well. We need to call a general meeting and confront the Master directly.’

‘That’s a wise decision.’

Knight Wellinger nodded.

‘I don’t know what he’s prepared, but…’

He had no intention of becoming a frog in a pot [a metaphor for being unaware of a dangerous situation]. He had to find a way before the water boiled and his flesh was cooked.

First, he had to figure out the Master’s intentions.

‘The Round Table belongs to those who belong to the Round Table.’

Not to that detestable General Assembly.