Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1299

“Yes. Then let’s proceed as planned.”

Kim Myung-chan quietly lit a cigarette.

Then, he slowly began to inhale. The sensation of the smoke passing through his throat felt particularly unpleasant today.

“Hoo-”

Kim Myung-chan, after exhaling a short puff of smoke, smiled faintly.

“The agreed-upon terms will be strictly adhered to. Yes. Haha, you don’t need to worry about that. Even though my life is as fragile as a fly’s, I can still hold on for now.”

Kim Myung-chan picked up a pen and scribbled a few things.

“Yes. Then, I’ll finish the preparations quickly. Let’s talk more later.”

After exchanging meaningless pleasantries, Kim Myung-chan hung up the phone and slumped back in his chair.

“Hoo…”

A throbbing headache began to set in.

‘That damn bastard.’

Lee Hyun-soo was a truly strange individual.

Considering his age, he should still be brimming with youthful energy, but he was more composed than a politician and sharper than any journalist.

Especially, the chilling aura that he subtly exuded made even Kim Myung-chan, a man of his stature, uneasy.

‘The General Assembly…’

From Kim Myung-chan’s perspective, Lee Hyun-soo was nothing more than Kang Jin-ho’s lackey. However, even dealing with Kang Jin-ho’s lackey was proving to be a struggle for Kim Myung-chan.

‘I’m getting old.’

To feel burdened by such a young punk.

Kim Myung-chan raised a hand and massaged his face.

But he had to admit it.

A politician truly falls when they become convinced of their own greatness, not when they lose public support. A great person would never make mistakes, they would never fail.

When they refuse to acknowledge their own incompetence and errors, politicians fall into arrogance and ultimately collapse.

Accept things as they are.

He had to accept and acknowledge the fact that he was being slightly swayed by a young upstart. Only then could he devise a countermeasure.

‘He’s certainly a frightening one, but…’

Kim Myung-chan sighed softly.

‘He’s still young.’

He was too hasty.

If Kim Myung-chan were in Lee Hyun-soo’s position, he would have focused on building a solid relationship for the long term rather than trying to achieve something in the short term.

Relationships built on profit end when the profit disappears, but those who are in the same boat share their fate until the end, regardless of profit.

‘No. Perhaps they don’t see us as people they’ll be with until the end.’

He had unconsciously looked down on Lee Hyun-soo again. It was a bad habit.

“Prime Minister, you don’t look well.”

“Is that so?”

Kim Myung-chan sighed and put a cigarette in his mouth.

‘How could I look well?’ He felt like his stomach was about to burst from the pressure.

Even though Kim Myung-chan was a seasoned veteran who had been through thick and thin, this matter was still a burden for him.

“Prime Minister.”

“Speak.”

“I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do.”

Kim Myung-chan narrowed his brows.

“Listen here, Lee.”

“Yes.”

“How long have you been helping me?”

“It’s been three years.”

“I see.”

Kim Myung-chan smiled.

Three years… it’s been a long time.

“When you’re in politics, you’ll inevitably face such a dilemma.”

“What kind of…”

“There will always come a time when my sense of good and the nation’s sense of good do not align.”

Lee Jong-wook nodded.

He had heard this many times before.

“A nation is ultimately just a collection of many people. The problem is that the definitions of justice and good that these many people hold are all different. Do you know what that means?”

“I do not.”

“The nation will never move in the direction I want it to. Compromising everyone’s opinions means that my thoughts and direction will also be chipped away.”

“That’s why the work of the nation is divided into four categories: things that must be done, things that can be done, things that don’t need to be done, and things that must not be done.”

Kim Myung-chan shrugged.

“The nature of a regime and a nation is determined by how they categorize these four things. And this matter…”

Kim Myung-chan’s voice grew stronger.

“This is something that any regime or nation would have to classify as something that must be done.”

“If you’re going to live as a politician, you should keep one thing in mind. There is no morality in a nation. Morality is a human emotion, a human direction. A nation is a place where humans gather, but it is not human. The emotions that humans have do not interfere with the nation.”

Lee Jong-wook sighed.

He knew the words, but they didn’t resonate with his heart. Perhaps he could become a good administrator, but he might be disqualified as a good politician.

“Even considering all of that, isn’t the risk too great?”

“The risk is great. But it’s nothing compared to the consequences of letting go.”

“What if it succeeds?”

“…What do you mean?”

“If this succeeds, we will become accomplices with the General Assembly. Considering what we stand to lose, wouldn’t they hold more power?”

“Perhaps.”

Surprisingly, Lee Jong-wook had grasped the essence of the matter.

Commissioning the General Assembly to assassinate North Korean high-ranking officials was like exposing their own weaknesses to the General Assembly. No matter how necessary it was for the nation, it was not justifiable for a nation to commission the assassination of an individual.

If this matter were to be revealed to the outside world, it would become a massive scandal.

Choosing the General Assembly as a partner was a blatant proposal to work together in the future.

“I’m honestly worried. We are exposed to them, but we cannot fully grasp their movements. If they have other intentions…”

“Listen here, Lee.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“A person can be foolish.”

“But a nation is not foolish. No, that’s wrong. A nation can be foolish too. But that depends on the situation.”

Kim Myung-chan rested his face on his clasped hands.

“We have thoroughly reviewed the concerns about them. And we have also considered countless ways to restrain them. This matter is just one part of that. Do you know what the worst-case scenario is?”

“That they will grasp our weaknesses and try to manipulate us.”

“Wrong. The worst-case scenario is that they and we become enemies.”

“An opponent that you can talk to and trade with is not scary. Because you can control them depending on how you create the conditions. But the situation you really need to worry about is creating an opponent that you cannot talk to.”

Kim Myung-chan shook his head. To completely break ties with the General Assembly?

That was the worst-case scenario that even Kim Myung-chan didn’t want to imagine.

It meant that an armed group within the Republic of Korea that could not be controlled by manpower would turn into an enemy. No one in the world would know how to deal with such a situation.

‘I have to prevent that at all costs.’

No matter what the price.

“So, does that mean we have no choice but to be mindful of the General Assembly?”

“Lee.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“Are you a politician or an administrator?”

Before Lee Jong-wook could answer, Kim Myung-chan spoke first.

“If you’re an administrator, you can think that way. There’s no need to stir up trouble. If there’s a vicious stray dog in front of your house, the best way is to throw it some food and befriend it. That dog might even protect our house.”

Lee Jong-wook nodded.

“But if you’re a politician, there’s one more thing to add. Even while befriending them, you have to know how to set a trap.”

“Providing adequate food to build adequate friendship and making adequate compromises is what an administrator does, while preparing high-quality meat and a pot to boil the dog while becoming completely friendly with it is what a politician does.”

Lee Jong-wook slightly bit his lip.

That meant that Kim Myung-chan was preparing the ropes to bind the General Assembly even while building a friendship with them.

‘Does he know about this too?’

He had a hunch.

Even though Kim Myung-chan was the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, he could not carry out such a task independently. It wasn’t a matter of ability, but a matter of authority.

However, since Kim Myung-chan denied it, it was difficult to press the matter further.

“And you don’t have time to worry about such things right now.”

“Yes.”

“Depending on how we succeed in this matter, the fate of the Korean Peninsula could change. Save your personal feelings for later.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Kim Myung-chan’s eyes darkened.

‘I have to do well.’

There must be no mistakes in this matter. If even a small mistake were to occur, it would lead to a situation where China and North Korea would become enemies at the same time.

Even if it was just a charade, the difference between covering your eyes and not covering them was enormous in international relations.

“Are you worried?”

“Of course. Why do you ask such a foolish question?”

“…It’s just that, compared to the gravity of the situation, you don’t seem that nervous, Prime Minister.”

Kim Myung-chan tilted his head and glanced at Lee Jong-wook.

‘He has eyes.’

He could only laugh awkwardly. It wasn’t a good thing for a politician to have their true feelings exposed.

Lee Jong-wook’s observation was not wrong. Compared to the importance and danger of this matter, Kim Myung-chan was not very nervous.

Although the numerous things that could happen if they failed flashed through his mind, the assumptions about that situation did not lead to a sense of crisis?

Why?

‘I can’t seem to imagine it.’

The very situation of Kang Jin-ho failing in the task he was assigned was not something he could picture in his mind. Perhaps the person who was overestimating Kang Jin-ho the most at this point was none other than Kim Myung-chan himself.

‘It’s a shame, it’s a shame.’

If they could become friends, it would be an incredible source of strength.

But Kim Myung-chan knew. In the world he had stepped into, there was no such thing as an eternal friend.

If they couldn’t be friends, then this was a world where they had to be crushed.

“Are the preparations complete?”

“They have been done in advance.”

“Pass the relevant information to them. And check if they have any additional requests.”

“Yes.”

“Especially, make sure to solidify how to contact the informants in China. Don’t forget. The people you’re meeting this time are agents, but they’re civilians. If you do things the way you’ve been doing them, there will definitely be problems.”

“I will think it over twice, three times, and again.”

“Alright. You may go.”

As Lee Jong-wook bowed and left, Kim Myung-chan took out a new cigarette and put it in his mouth.

‘I’m smoking more.’

Kim Myung-chan, who was about to light the cigarette, chuckled.

“I’m the one who starts the work, and the nation is the one who takes responsibility…”

Covering the eyes and pretending not to see.

But that was the most important thing in this world.

‘This is where I am for now.’ But someday, he would rise. To a position where he wouldn’t have to take responsibility even after starting the work.

Perhaps the General Assembly, no, Kang Jin-ho, might be the key.

Kim Myung-chan put the unlit cigarette in his mouth and closed his eyes.

A thick drowsiness seemed to be pulling him into an endless darkness.