Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1302

Lee Hyun-soo wore an expression of utter happiness.

‘Saved some money.’

Of course, the Assembly had plenty of money.

But money is always better when saved. Anything that can be handled with someone else’s money, not my own, should be taken care of as much as possible.

“Are you that happy?”

“It’s only natural.”

“I feel a bit uneasy.”

“Pardon?”

Kang Jin-ho sighed.

“Even if it’s something we’re doing at your request, it’s still taxpayer money.”

“Oh, my, our Guild Leader is being so naive again.”

“Huh?”

Lee Hyun-soo clicked his tongue and said,

“It’s a shame and something we should avoid when taxes are used in vain. But that’s only before it’s allocated.”

Kang Jin-ho, who had no idea how taxes worked, just blinked.

“It’s not like they’re going to allocate new taxes when we ask for money. They’re paying for our requested expenses from the money already allocated for activities.”

“What’s the difference?”

“No matter how much money we spend, it’s not like taxes are being wasted. It’s just that those bastards’ dinner changes from a course meal to a triangle kimbap [a common Korean snack, a rice triangle wrapped in seaweed].”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes twitched slightly.

“Huh?”

“Looking at those bastards, they seem to be living well off their activity funds. Did you see what they were wearing earlier? It’s all designer brands. How can a civil servant wear designer brands? Does that even make sense?”

It does make sense, why wouldn’t it?

They’re part of the National Intelligence Service, and if they’re in an overseas department, they’d get a lot of danger pay, and they could also be from a wealthy family.

Why is he so cynical?

“Anyway, it’s not like we’re wasting tax money by using it, so you don’t have to worry.”

Wiggins chuckled beside him.

“His personality is terrible, but he’s not wrong. In fact, those kinds of informants tend to get a lot of activity funds.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

“The first one to grab the loose money is the one who gets it. And…”

Wiggins stroked his beard and continued,

“It’s also compensation from the state, and it’s like we’re taking care of their work for them, isn’t it? I think we deserve this much.”

It was a strange calculation.

But Lee Hyun-soo and Wiggins looked at each other and nodded, agreeing with each other’s opinions.

‘I shouldn’t get influenced.’

It was necessary to maintain a proper distance. He respected both of them very much, but Kang Jin-ho didn’t want to think like them.

“So, what about that Director Lee?”

“He went back. He left with his shoulders slumped.”

“I felt a bit sorry for him.”

Bang Jin-hoon snorted.

“That bastard deserves it. Anyone who tries to take the lead from the start should get their joints kicked and roll on the floor to come to their senses.”

Bang Jin-hoon didn’t like Lee Jong-wook’s face at all.

“What’s with all the fuss?”

Bang Jin-hoon’s face twitched.

“It’s not about being fussy, it’s that those nobodies are trying to disrespect the Guild Leader.”

“Oh?”

Wiggins curled up the corners of his mouth into a smirk.

“I need to re-evaluate Director Bang’s loyalty to the Lord. Elder Jang Min will feel competitive.”

Bang Jin-hoon waved his hand.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that disrespecting the Guild Leader is the same as disrespecting the entire Assembly. And that bastard is crazy, how dare he talk back to the Guild Leader? I’d snap his neck backwards.”

Wiggins chuckled.

‘He’s right, though.’

Kang Jin-ho was trading on equal terms with the Prime Minister. That was only possible because Kang Jin-ho respected the government.

‘The Knights don’t have superiors other than the heads of state of each country.’

When Wiggins was active as a Knight in England, no one could give him orders except for the Queen and the Prime Minister. That’s what it meant to represent the martial world.

Moreover, Kang Jin-ho was the Guild Leader of the Assembly, who cleanly surpassed the status and prestige of a Knight in Europe. Lee Jong-wook was not someone who could dare to challenge him.

Even the head of the National Intelligence Service would have to take a step back, but a director from the National Intelligence Service was trying to match him.

If the same thing had happened in Europe, he would have been executed on the spot without any chance of an excuse.

“Isn’t it because the system hasn’t been established yet?”

In Europe, the government and the martial world had coexisted for a long time since the days when it was called a kingdom, not a government. But Korea was now only at the stage of laying the foundation for the system.

There was no standard for how they should treat each other. That’s why problems arose and things went wrong.

“That’s why we need to be more firm. That way, those bastards won’t act recklessly, will they?”

“Hmm, you’re right. I was too lenient.”

After listening, Bang Jin-hoon was right. The relationship between people depends on how they react to the situation.

If you tolerate and laugh off someone who has been rude, they will not see you as a nice person, but as someone they can take advantage of.

“It wouldn’t have been bad to teach him a lesson.”

Lee Hyun-soo puffed out his chest.

“It’s okay. I did my best with all my heart.”

Lee Hyun-soo flicked his index finger and gave a satisfied smile.

“It’s meaningless for us to torment him. The real torment is maximized when you’re tormented by your direct superior. He’ll probably have to go through hell to get that approved. If it goes up about four levels, he’ll want to jump out the window, right? It would be great if the approval went all the way up to the Prime Minister.”

‘A cold-blooded bastard.’

‘A bastard who wouldn’t bleed a drop even if you stabbed him with a needle.’

The directors were once again realizing what kind of person Lee Hyun-soo was.

“Anyway, Lee Hyun-soo and I have to go to China, so please take care of the Assembly while we’re gone.”

Kang Jin-ho looked around at everyone and said.

“Don’t worry, Master.”

Bator snorted.

“There’s nothing much going on here now. More importantly, please contact us immediately if anything happens. I don’t want to imagine a situation where something happens to the Master in a faraway land.”

“I promise.”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head slightly and looked at Lee Hyun-soo.

“You’re taking the alarm, right?”

“I will contact you immediately without a second’s delay.”

Lee Hyun-soo spoke confidently.

“I absolutely don’t want to die, so if I think there’s even a slight danger, I’ll request support without delay. Even if this incident escalates into an all-out war later, don’t blame me.”

This was worrying in a different way.

Wiggins shrugged.

“It’s enough if the Lord returns safely.”

“Okay, then I’ll leave the Assembly to you. I don’t think I’ll be coming to the Assembly before I leave the country.”

Kang Jin-ho got up from his seat.

“Take care.”

“Shall we see you off at the airport?”

“No, please…”

“Why? We can even make a banner for you.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head at Bang Jin-hoon’s jest and walked away.

“I’ll contact you, Guild Leader.”

With everyone seeing him off, Kang Jin-ho went outside. The directors, who had been sitting there for a long time, changed their expressions only after hearing the low exhaust sound fading away in the distance.

“Bator-nim.”

“Yes.”

“In case of an emergency, can we secure an escape route to Mongolia?”

“It’s possible. I’ve moved all the people I can mobilize to the border. But I’m still worried about having to pass through the Black King’s territory.”

“We can’t say for sure that the Black King is an enemy, so we need to keep that in mind as well. And Director Bang?”

“Don’t worry.”

Bang Jin-hoon shrugged.

“I’ve already arranged a ship to be launched in international waters. Just say the word, and I’ll have the trained guys storm into China.”

“Good.”

Wiggins scratched his chin.

“I’ve already requested a magician from the Round Table who can do long-distance travel. Even if it’s a difficult distance for me alone, I might be able to break through if there’s someone to help. And…”

Wiggins looked at Lee Hyun-soo with cold eyes.

“In the event of such an incident, you will be excluded from the rescue. You know that, right?”

“Of course.”

Lee Hyun-soo replied with unwavering eyes.

“The primary rescue target is unconditionally the Guild Leader. Master, please don’t waver. A second can decide fate.”

“That will never happen.”

“Then I’m relieved.”

The directors looked at each other.

It was right for Kang Jin-ho to take the lead in this matter. It was something they couldn’t solve on their own. But that didn’t mean they could just leave it to Kang Jin-ho and feel relieved.

If they lost Kang Jin-ho, everything they had done so far would lose its meaning. That’s why they felt that even securing several escape routes for Kang Jin-ho in case of an emergency was not enough.

Of course, if they talked about this in front of Kang Jin-ho, he would scold them for doing useless things.

“Director Lee.”

“Yes.”

“Can you monitor the National Intelligence Service in reverse?”

Lee Hyun-soo narrowed his brow slightly.

“It won’t be easy, but…”

“Think of a route. They know too much about us now. If they were just simple informants, it would be one thing, but they’re an organization. If they’re an organization, they’ll try to benefit from the information they’ve acquired. If we miss their movements, we could suffer great damage in the future.”

“I’ll make it happen.”

“Good.”

Wiggins nodded, seemingly satisfied.

“If you think of a new route, please tell us immediately. And we need to mobilize more troops than we originally planned. If information has leaked to the Chinese government, there’s a high probability that the Red King’s faction has acquired it.”

The Red King’s faction.

The atmosphere turned cold at the mention of that name.

Some thought of the Red King’s name, and others thought of Cai Keqiang’s name.

Either name was enough to tighten their breath.

“If we can resolve this matter cleanly, the Assembly’s influence will be solidified. The Guild Leader seems to think it’s a simple matter, but it’s a more complex and sensitive issue than he thinks. You all know that, right?”

“Of course.”

Bator and Bang Jin-hoon nodded their heads vigorously.

They knew the sensitive political situation in East Asia better than Wiggins.

“I don’t know how far the situation will escalate, but we don’t have the capacity to take care of everything. From the moment the Guild Leader leaves for China, all of the Assembly’s forces will focus solely on ensuring the Guild Leader’s safety. So, please do your best.”

“Understood.”

“Don’t worry.”

Wiggins nodded and leaned back on the sofa.

‘North Korea, and China… It didn’t feel good.’

The two most troublesome names for the Assembly were intertwined at the same time. Even Wiggins hadn’t expected the name of North Korea to be involved here.

‘Maybe things could get bigger.’

The powder keg that was East Asia was already lit and could explode at any moment. Now that the Korean martial world had occupied Japan, there was no turning back. China would now consider Korea not as a potential enemy, but as an actual enemy, and the eyes of other countries would also be focused on Korea.

‘It’s either a crisis or an opportunity.’

This trip to China would decide it.

Who was the enemy, and who was the ally.