Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1101

There’s no way he could have ever felt it.

Not even once.

Knight Bellinger was a powerful man.

No, even the word ‘powerful’ was insufficient to describe him.

That’s what a Knight’s position was like.

How many warriors belonged to the Round Table?

Even though it was said to be a time of decline for warriors, the Round Table was where warriors from all over Europe gathered. Despite sending only the elite from each country, the number of warriors who gathered at the Round Table was enormous.

Among those gathered warriors, there were those who were on a different level, and they became Knights.

It wasn’t that they were on a different level because they became Knights. It was that they could become Knights because they were on a different level.

What does that mean?

Knight Bellinger’s eyes fell on the person sitting in front of him.

Knight Brunet.

He was the one who succeeded Knight Lebeau as the Knight of France. However, Knight Bellinger had known Knight Brunet for a long time.

Since decades ago, in fact.

It couldn’t be helped.

Becoming a Knight wasn’t something you could achieve just by trying hard. Those who were destined to become Knights were always far ahead of their peers from the start.

Just by watching, everyone knew who would become a Knight in the future. Just like a needle in a pocket can’t be hidden, those with ability and talent would eventually stand out, even if they didn’t try to show off.

Those who became Knights were that outstanding. Enough to make everyone in their generation despair.

Yes.

To put it simply, they were powerful.

Most of those who became Knights were like that.

From their childhood to the present, they had never once been in the position of the weak.

Their innate talents were different.

The effort they put in to develop those talents was different.

They couldn’t be weak, and they didn’t want to be weak. They had never even considered the possibility of being in a weak position.

That’s why…

That’s why this moment felt so unfamiliar.

Thud.

Thud.

The sound of footsteps.

Yes, it was just the sound of footsteps.

It wasn’t like he was putting force into his steps to threaten anyone. It was just that Knight Bellinger was a warrior, so this small sound pierced his ears. To an ordinary person, it was such a small sound that they wouldn’t even be able to hear it.

A sound that could be hidden if one wanted to.

But it was a footstep that was simply taken without hiding it.

However, that insignificant footstep was now tightening around Knight Bellinger’s heart.

He couldn’t take his eyes off it.

Everyone in the hall was staring at the dark corridor as if they were possessed.

Why?

Because they heard the name Kang Jin-ho?

No.

No, it wasn’t.

Even if they hadn’t heard that name, their reaction wouldn’t have been any different.

Think about it.

If you were enjoying your ordinary daily life and turned your head, only to find a huge tiger staring at you?

Could you take your eyes off it?

No.

You wouldn’t even be able to blink. If you took your eyes off it even for a moment, it might pounce and bite your throat.

Run away?

You couldn’t even think about it.

If you encountered a wild beast at close range, you couldn’t even turn your back. You could only freeze like a stone, hoping that the beast wasn’t interested in you.

Yes.

This was the way of the weak.

If you turned your head and saw not a tiger but a small puppy, no one would stop moving. They would either welcome the puppy or ignore it, doing whatever they wanted.

Losing your freedom due to the presence of another was something that the weak had to experience.

That’s why Knight Bellinger was currently flustered.

Weak?

Knight Bellinger?

Everyone here?

The words ‘Knight’ and ‘weak’ were the most incompatible combination in the world.

Knights were powerful.

They could become Knights because they were powerful. There was no way a Knight who wasn’t powerful could exist in the world.

Knights had to be powerful. Always, at any moment!

But if that was the case…

Why couldn’t Knight Bellinger take his eyes off that corridor even now?

And why did his heart rate increase every time he heard the low footsteps piercing his ears?

‘What on earth…

What is coming?

What…’

The footsteps didn’t stop.

Thud, thud.

Low and unhurried footsteps. Just as the sound seemed to be getting louder, a silhouette appeared from the darkness.

Thud.

And finally, the man’s leg extended out of the darkness and into the hall as if flowing with water.

Thump.

The sound of his foot stepping on the marble floor echoed through the deathly silent hall.

‘That man is Kang Jin-ho…’

Knight Bellinger stared at Kang Jin-ho with wide eyes.

He wasn’t big.

The rumors he had heard were so outrageous that he had a vague image of a giant in his mind. The Kang Jin-ho he saw in person was, by his standards, rather small.

A typical East Asian impression.

His slightly Westernized features were noticeable, but other than that, there were no particularly distinctive features.

He didn’t have strong muscles.

He didn’t have a sharp impression.

He looked like a typical East Asian man that you could often encounter if you went outside the Round Table and walked the streets of London.

But…

He could tell.

That man was definitely not ordinary.

If he were ordinary, he wouldn’t be able to explain Knight Bellinger’s current state.

His muscles were hardening like stone.

His teeth were clenched as if they would break, his whole body was tense, and blood was rushing to his face. His fists were clenched so tightly that the blood couldn’t circulate, and his feet were pressing down on the floor as if they would break it.

His body noticed it first.

How dangerous that man was.

Before his mind could receive and interpret the information, his trained body was already screaming.

What tormented Knight Bellinger the most was the confusion.

He had never felt such an emotion before.

That’s why he couldn’t properly understand what he was feeling right now.

‘Do I want to run away?’

Right now, from this place?

Why?

He had never run away from anyone before.

For him, retreating was no different from death. He had never even considered running away in front of any enemy, in any crisis.

There might have been strategic retreats, but retreating because he was afraid of an enemy was something that could never happen.

But…

But why did he feel like this?

Kang Jin-ho, who had entered the hall, slowly looked around at everyone sitting at the Round Table.

Knight Bellinger, watching that, couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

‘It’s as if this place has become a huge dining table.’

It was not a thought that one should dare to have at the sacred Round Table.

However, Knight Bellinger couldn’t shake off the thought that filled his mind.

“It seems I’ve interrupted,” Kang Jin-ho said, looking at the Master. The Master smiled and stood up from his seat.

“Not at all. Welcome, Assembly Head. It’s an honor to have you observe,” the Master said.

“Hmm.”

The Master pointed to the empty seat next to him with both hands.

“You can sit here.”

Without a word, Kang Jin-ho walked over and sat in the seat the Master had indicated. At the same time, everyone watched the scene without saying a word.

Except for one person.

Knight Besley.

His gaze wasn’t directed at Kang Jin-ho. His eyes were fixed on Knight Bellinger.

His eyes were saying.

– Don’t forget those words.

Knight Besley was telling Knight Bellinger that no matter what problems there were, he wanted him to uphold the principles until the end.

Those words were now like a dagger piercing Knight Bellinger’s heart.

According to the rules of the Round Table, someone who wasn’t a Knight couldn’t sit at the Round Table.

Observation was allowed, and entering the hall was also allowed, but only Knights could sit at the Round Table. That was an absolute rule that had never been broken since the Round Table was first created.

But at this moment, that rule was being broken.

He had to point it out.

He had to be angry.

He had to shout right now. He had to tell him to get up from there immediately.

But…

His mouth wouldn’t open.

As if his lips were glued together, his mouth wouldn’t open at all.

Knight Besley’s eyes formed a strange arc.

Mockery.

It was clear mockery.

Blood flowed from his crushed lips.

He felt like his vision was going white from the humiliation. But even so, Knight Bellinger couldn’t do anything.

He could only suppress the terrible humiliation that flowed through his entire body.

“Let’s continue the meeting,” the Master said, turning his head.

“It’s unusual for an observer to watch the meeting, but there’s no need to worry about it. The meeting won’t change.”

The Master’s voice was gentle.

However, no one here felt the gentleness in his voice.

If someone held a knife to your throat and spoke gently, who would think that it wasn’t a threat?

“Now, is he qualified?”

Mockery.

His gentle voice contained mockery. But no one could accuse the Master’s mockery of being rude.

The initiative had already completely shifted to their side. And that was just because one person had appeared.

“Then, I understand that no one has any complaints about the Assembly Head speaking. Assembly Head, then.”

Kang Jin-ho glanced at the Master and then turned his head.

“Lee Hyun-soo.”

“Yes, Assembly Head.”

“Speak.”

“Yes!”

The right to speak had been passed on.

It wasn’t like they had gone through any great procedure. Kang Jin-ho had simply passed his right to speak to Lee Hyun-soo.

But that was enough.

No one dared to think about whether this procedure was correct.

“Ahem, I will continue my statement,” Lee Hyun-soo said, clearing his throat slightly and opening his mouth with a smile.

“Unless the Elder Knights are resealed and have not passed on their voting rights, you do not have voting rights. Currently, the only person who has voting rights at the Round Table is the Master.”

It was a stretch.

Anyone could see that it was a stretch.

If the Elder Knights had taken their voting rights, then the moment they all died and disappeared, the voting rights should naturally return to the Knights.

However, that wasn’t something that was stipulated by law. No one had anticipated such a situation. That’s why there was a problem.

Ambiguous laws can lead to different opinions depending on how they are interpreted. The moment different opinions arise, which side is right is determined not by reason but by power.

“Therefore, the Master has the authority to issue orders. I hope this answers your question.”

Lee Hyun-soo took a step back.

The Master, who had received the baton, looked at Knight Bellinger with a smiling face.

“How is it? Has your question been answered?”

“…Master.”

Knight Bellinger bit his lip tightly. He had chewed on it so much that he could taste blood in his mouth.

“Even a mouse will bite a cat when cornered.”

“That’s right, that’s right. I know that. However…”

The corners of the Master’s mouth curled up subtly.

“I’ve never heard of a cat being afraid of being bitten by a mouse. Don’t you think so?”

The possibility of negotiation had disappeared.

Knight Bellinger glared at the Master with murderous intent.