Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1105

“Knight.”

Knight Bellinger opened his eyes, the voice piercing his ears. Several knights were gathered before him.

“What should we do now?”

It was a strange sight.

Knights were supposed to be the representatives of their respective nations, paragons of excellence and strength. Yet, as they stood there, awaiting his instructions, there was no trace of that greatness. They fidgeted like dogs needing to relieve themselves, and he felt a surge of contempt.

‘I suppose it can’t be helped.’

In a way, it was understandable.

A middle schooler might seem like an adult to a kindergartener, but to an actual adult, a middle schooler is still just a child. To truly gauge someone’s ability, you have to challenge them beyond their current limits.

But these knights had never truly been pushed beyond their limits before.

They were exceptional individuals, yes, but they also had the immense power of the Round Table backing them.

The best talents from each country operated with the Round Table’s support. In such a situation, what real difficulties could they possibly face?

In other words, Kang Jin-ho was the first and most formidable obstacle these knights had ever encountered.

So, it was understandable that they looked like they were on the verge of tears.

He understood it intellectually, he really did. But at the same time, he couldn’t suppress the rising anger.

“At this rate, we’ll lose everything.”

No.

He had to be honest with himself.

They had already lost everything.

The moment they retreated without questioning the Master, even after convening a Round Table meeting, they had forfeited their rights and qualifications.

Now, they were nothing more than rubber stamps, passively accepting the Master’s dictates.

They might still wield influence within their own countries.

But that was the extent of it.

If that was the case, there was no point in bowing their heads under the banner of the Round Table.

“If it’s going to be like this…”

“That’s enough.”

Knight Bellinger raised his hand, silencing the other knights.

“What we have to deal with is the Master.”

To be precise, it was Kang Jin-ho.

But Knight Bellinger didn’t say that, not wanting to further demoralize them. It was better to make them think they were dealing with the Master than to admit they were being outmaneuvered by Kang Jin-ho.

“The Master is hunting us right now. He’s laying traps and driving us into a corner. If we try to resist with force, the Master will be delighted. He can then use force without hesitation.”

“How can the Master handle us alone?”

“The Master isn’t alone. There’s the General Assembly.”

“Ugh…”

The General Assembly. Yes, the General Assembly and Kang Jin-ho.

‘We should have stopped that alliance from the beginning.’

They had been caught in a rebellion and lost an Elder Knight. The Round Table’s power had plummeted. To overcome that crisis, forming an alliance with another group hadn’t seemed like a bad choice.

That’s what he had thought.

‘Was he planning this from the start?’

His teeth clenched involuntarily.

While they still trusted the Master, the Master was steadily executing his plan to devour them. Realizing that, hostility surged within him.

“Then what should we do?”

“Damn it.”

For the first time, a curse word escaped Knight Bellinger’s lips.

“Think, think! Don’t just open your mouths like baby birds waiting for their mother to feed them! You’re not the Master!”

At Knight Bellinger’s harsh words, everyone fell silent.

Knight Bellinger raised his hand and covered his face.

‘Damn it.’

He had lost his composure.

He knew he shouldn’t show this side of himself, he knew he had to remain calm, but he couldn’t control his emotions.

“…I’m sorry.”

“No, Knight Bellinger. We understand we went too far.”

“We were too frustrated… I apologize.”

Knight Bellinger waved his hand dismissively.

“No, it’s not that.”

They were all backed into a corner.

The Master and Kang Jin-ho were too powerful of enemies. Those powerful enemies were opening their dark jaws, trying to swallow them whole. In this situation, who could remain calm?

“Don’t forget.”

So, first, he needed to get everyone back on track.

“We are knights.”

Knight Bellinger didn’t know how much meaning those words held for them now. But it was the only thing he could say at the moment.

“Don’t waver. Don’t forget your pride. And don’t forget your responsibility. We’re not doing this to satisfy our own greed. It’s to restore the Round Table. We can’t just stand by and watch the Master’s tyranny any longer.”

“That’s right!”

“You’re absolutely right!”

Knight Bellinger hid his true expression.

Regardless of his inner turmoil, he had to project strength and resolve.

“Let’s freely share our opinions. Does anyone have a good idea?”

A moment of silence fell.

But the silence didn’t last long. Knight Kramer quickly raised his hand.

“Knight Kramer, do you have a good idea?”

“Knight Bellinger, I don’t know if I should say this, but I think the core of this issue is Chairman Kang Jin-ho.”

“…That’s right.”

It was an undeniable truth.

The reason they were paralyzed was Kang Jin-ho. The Master wasn’t the real problem. If the knights united, they could deal with the Master at any time.

But Kang Jin-ho was different.

‘Above all, his unconventionality.’

If Kang Jin-ho was just strong, they wouldn’t be so worried. The real problem with Kang Jin-ho was his audacity, his complete disregard for decorum and established rules.

From Kang Jin-ho’s perspective, anyone might think he had to coerce the knights to achieve his goals.

But no one would ever think of beheading a knight at the Round Table.

Kang Jin-ho was someone who couldn’t be bound by convention.

The expectations placed on someone in the position of chairman didn’t restrain Kang Jin-ho at all. He was completely free. That’s why it was impossible to predict what he would do.

“If we don’t bind that Chairman Kang Jin-ho, we have no chance of winning.”

Who didn’t know that?

They were in this predicament precisely because they didn’t have a solution.

Kang Jin-ho was the one who single-handedly annihilated the Elder Knights. Even if all the knights attacked together, not a single one would survive. They couldn’t mobilize all the knight orders either. Britain would never allow that.

Besides, even if mobilization was possible, could they stop Kang Jin-ho even if they mobilized all the knight orders?

That was just a gamble.

“But the method…”

“Knight Bellinger, try to think differently.”

“What do you mean?”

Knight Kramer wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued.

“Solving Kang Jin-ho doesn’t necessarily mean killing him. We just need to make him step away from the Round Table. After all, he’s an ally, isn’t he?”

“…That’s right.”

“An alliance is ultimately about pursuing mutual benefits. If we can offer him greater benefits, or if Kang Jin-ho concludes that allying with the Master is no longer beneficial, he will step back.”

That was true.

Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t have any deep loyalty to the Round Table. He was only involved because allying with it and supporting the Master was advantageous to him.

If there was no benefit, he wouldn’t bother traveling all the way to Europe.

“Then what are you suggesting?”

“Do we have any benefits to offer him?”

“No.”

Knight Bellinger said firmly.

They could offer him benefits. But the benefits they could provide, the Master could also provide. So, there was no incentive for him to switch sides. To offer him more than that, they would have to concede even more than they had already given to the Master. That would be putting the cart before the horse.

“That’s right. I don’t think so either. Then the direction is clear, isn’t it? We have to make Kang Jin-ho believe that getting involved with the Round Table is a loss for him.”

“How?”

“Literally.”

Knight Kramer said with a tense expression. Normally, he would have maintained his composure, but asking him to be calm now was too much.

“From the moment the General Assembly formed an alliance with the Round Table, I conducted a personal investigation into Kang Jin-ho.”

“From then?”

“Not investigating the person who annihilated the Elder Knights would be a dereliction of duty.”

At that moment, the faces of several knights turned red.

‘Everyone was too accustomed to the Round Table’s way of doing things.’

If necessary, the Round Table would issue instructions. So, if there were no instructions, there was no need to conduct a personal investigation.

That was probably what everyone was thinking. Knight Bellinger wasn’t much different either.

“Anyway, according to my investigation, Kang Jin-ho has a strong attachment to the people around him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Basically, he prioritizes the people close to him. It seems he even considers the General Assembly as a secondary concern.”

“So?”

“Attachment means they are precious. Isn’t it possible that he might value them more than the benefits he gets here?”

Knight Bellinger’s face twisted.

“Don’t tell me?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

“Listen here, Knight Kramer.”

Knight Bellinger’s voice was filled with force.

“Just because they’ve gone astray, are you suggesting we should do the same? Can we still call ourselves knights if we target their families or do such things?”

“You misunderstand.”

“…Misunderstand?”

Knight Kramer shook his head.

“We need to address that point first. We must never touch Kang Jin-ho’s family. The moment we do, a war will begin between Kang Jin-ho and us. A war with no surrender, no truce, a war that can only end in one side’s destruction.”

It was a chilling statement.

To wage a war with that Kang Jin-ho that wouldn’t end until one side was destroyed?

He absolutely didn’t want to experience such a situation.

“Other knights, please keep this in mind. Never touch Kang Jin-ho’s family.”

“Umm, then what are you suggesting?”

“Isn’t it enough to target someone else other than his family?”

Knight Kramer said firmly.

“Someone who Kang Jin-ho would value more than the benefits he could get from the Round Table. If we can capture such a person, we can make Kang Jin-ho step back.”

Knight Bellinger’s face hardened.

“But that’s…”

“Yes, it’s dangerous.”

Although he said that, Knight Kramer didn’t seem to have any intention of backing down.

“But the situation is already dire. We can’t find a solution without crossing a dangerous bridge. Knight Bellinger, make a decision!”

Knight Bellinger squeezed his eyes shut.

Knight Kramer’s words were correct. There was no way to resolve this peacefully without taking a significant risk.

“Draw up a plan.”

“That’s a wise choice.”

“But…”

Bellinger spat out the words.

“Once we start, we have to do it thoroughly.”