Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1444

Wiggins hurriedly left the room.

‘To think they’d visit so abruptly.’

This sort of thing happens every time he deals with Americans. They don’t hesitate to drag their feet and stall when there’s no immediate benefit for them, but when they see a clear advantage, they move with excessive speed.

In other words, they thought this deal was a good one.

‘That’s great, but at least give us a call first!’

Wiggins rushed back into the room and flung the door open. Everyone inside turned to look at him.

“I’m a little late.”

Wiggins didn’t wait for a response and sat down next to Kang Jin-ho.

“Willie, one more glass.”

“Yes, sir.”

Willie brought a glass, and Reynolds smiled lightly as he poured wine into it.

“Bring another bottle of Armand de Brignac.”

“We have some in reserve. I’ll get it.”

“Please do.”

Reynolds smiled at Wiggins.

“It’s been a while, Knight, or rather, Mr. Wiggins.”

“Reynolds, I should call you Undersecretary now.”

He had seen this face a couple of times while working as a Knight of the Round Table in England [a prestigious organization of powerful individuals].

‘He was a tough one.’

A man who hid his sharpness behind a gentle smile. Of course, most people who worked in this field had that kind of edge.

“So…”

Kang Jin-ho cut through the lighthearted greetings.

“What’s the condition you want?”

Reynolds lightly lifted his glass to his lips. A smile bloomed on his face after taking a sip of wine.

“Actually, the proposals from the General Assembly are ones we have no reason to accept. It’s a matter of value.”

“Value?”

“It’s a matter of the value of us stationing troops in Korea. What benefit is there for us?”

Reynolds put down his glass and spoke in a serious tone.

“The reason I say it’s a matter of value is because it’s difficult to find any tangible benefits. We’re not sure if our troops stationed there can effectively contain China.”

“Didn’t you make the proposal?”

“Of course. That’s why I’m here. What I’m saying is that the General Assembly’s request is about exchanging that uncertain issue for something tangible.”

Stationing troops in exchange for money.

Since it couldn’t be measured, it was impossible to set a fair price.

“I reported to my superiors, and some said it was a bargain, while others said it was an outrageous rip-off. And this isn’t an issue that can be resolved through discussion.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded quietly.

Then, he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

Click.

Kang Jin-ho lit his cigarette and looked at Reynolds with slightly indifferent eyes.

“I think that’s enough of the preamble. Tell me what you want. That way, we can decide our position.”

Reynolds smiled, noticing that Kang Jin-ho’s tone had become a bit stiff.

‘He’s not upset.’

It meant he was dropping the formalities and getting down to serious negotiations.

‘I should play along.’

“Our request is simple. If you can convert this intangible value into a tangible one, we can give you more than what you asked for. Information, command authority, money… and even long-term support.”

“And what is that value?”

“The education you mentioned.”

Kang Jin-ho frowned.

“I don’t quite understand.”

“To understand, you need to know a little about the situation in the United States. All problems start there. What do you think is the biggest difference between the American and other countries’ Murim [martial arts world] worlds?”

The answer came from Lee Hyun-soo.

“Isn’t it that Murim are used as military forces? As soldiers?”

“No.”

Reynolds shook his head.

“We fundamentally believe there’s no difference between the two. Because Murim from other countries are also used as national military forces. After all, everyone is operating under a nation, right?”

“Uh…”

“And in Europe, the Murim world is following the same alliance system as the countries. It’s a chicken-or-egg problem, though.”

“I can answer that. The Round Table came first.”

“It’s good that there’s a conclusion to that question.”

Reynolds smiled. Then, he continued his explanation.

“The biggest difference between the American and other countries’ Murim worlds is who is in charge of operations, who gives the orders.”

Lee Hyun-soo tilted his head, looking completely confused.

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“No. It’s completely different. To put it more simply, in other countries’ Murim worlds, the person in command is a Murim practitioner, but…”

“Ah!”

“Hmm!”

Lee Hyun-soo and Wiggins exclaimed at the same time.

“In the US, it’s not a Murim practitioner.”

“That’s right.”

Reynolds nodded.

“This causes more problems than you might think. The biggest problem is that the power holders, who are ordinary people, don’t know the power of Murim. They don’t see them as anything more than enhanced soldiers.”

“Indeed.”

Wiggins nodded.

They were SOBs who were so rational that they became irrational. He could understand why they trained that way and why they were structured that way.

“Other places naturally form a Murim world over time as Murim emerge, but the US imagined a specific form of Murim and raised them that way.”

“Exactly.”

“But their crude imagination has trapped them?”

“I’ll have to decline to comment on that. It’s a sensitive issue.”

Reynolds smiled lightly, as if there was nothing he could do about it.

“That’s why the higher-ups don’t understand the current situation. Discussing the power balance between Murim is like asking them who’s stronger, a Japanese manga character or an American comic book character.”

“I think Superman is stronger.”

Reynolds’ face stiffened slightly at Lee Hyun-soo’s words.

‘He doesn’t get the joke…’

“I think the opposite. Anyway.”

Reynolds chuckled and continued.

“It’s not difficult to agree to all the requests from the General Assembly. But to sign that agreement, we first need to convince the opposition. They can’t accept that the SOBs, who have invested astronomical amounts of money, can’t beat the Eastern Murim who have trained in an old-fashioned way.”

Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“It seems like we’ve strayed a bit, but didn’t you say the point was education?”

“Yes, it’s education. If we frame sending them to Korea not just as a check on China, but as a form of educational training, they’ll invest as much money as needed. However…”

Reynolds wiped his forehead, as if he was having a hard time saying it.

“As with all education, there needs to be an excellent teacher…”

“I understand.”

Kang Jin-ho laughed.

In other words, they didn’t trust Kang Jin-ho. No matter how much they explained or showed videos, they couldn’t understand what they hadn’t seen with their own eyes.

“They’re not stupid, though.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed.

“In a way, it’s understandable. Confucius is called one of the four great sages, but if you explained the principles of the universe discovered by modern science to him, he might try to kill you for heresy. After all, wisdom is only effective within the boundaries of one’s worldview. To them, the world of Murim is no different from astrology. It’s occult.”

“Exactly.”

Reynolds nodded vigorously.

He seemed to really like Lee Hyun-soo’s explanation.

“And there’s probably talk of it being useless too.”

“That’s right, Wiggins. Actually, that side is stronger.”

“It’s not something we can’t understand.”

The United States had the strongest military in the world. They could solve most problems with their military power. So why would they bow down and take training in a field that wasn’t their specialty, with uncertain results?

‘They’re not just nitpicking, they’re being rational in their own way.’

He could now understand what Reynolds was saying.

In the end, the American way was multilateral agreement.

Even the president couldn’t decide everything on his own.

It meant that there was a conflict between those who supported paying the General Assembly and bowing down, and those who couldn’t accept it.

‘Probably a minority.’

Sharing secrets only made sense when it was a small group. They wouldn’t tell everyone about such a big issue.

“How many people?”

“Two. But it doesn’t have to be both. If just one changes their mind, it can move forward.”

“So, four in total?”

“I won’t tell you that.”

“Hmm.”

Wiggins stroked his beard and nodded.

“In conclusion…”

Wiggins’ gaze turned to Kang Jin-ho.

“You’re saying we need something to change the minds of those who are opposing it. That we need to do something to change the mind of that one person.”

“That’s right.”

“And the fact that you’re offering more than the agreement means that it’s that difficult?”

“Yes.”

Wiggins sighed and looked at Kang Jin-ho.

“What do you think, Lord?”

White cigarette smoke flowed from Kang Jin-ho’s mouth. Kang Jin-ho, who had been staring blankly at the ceiling, lowered his head and looked at Reynolds.

“You were acting busy, but you’re just beating around the bush.”

“Stop going in circles and just tell me what you want. What do I have to do?”

“Proof.”

“Proof?”

“Yes. Proof of strength.”

“I think I’ve done enough already?”

Reynolds gave a wry smile.

“That’s why I said it from the beginning. The people who command the Murim are ordinary people. They don’t really trust the effectiveness of the Murim they command. There’s no reason for them to think it’s strange that those they don’t trust lost.”

“Uh… wait a minute.”

Lee Hyun-soo’s face hardened slightly.

“Then, what they trust is… could it be?”

“Yes.”

Reynolds nodded heavily.

Lee Hyun-soo felt like he knew what the answer was going to be. But he hoped that answer wouldn’t come out.

Unfortunately, the answer that came from Reynolds’ mouth was exactly what Lee Hyun-soo had expected.

“The US military.”

The air grew cold.

Feeling the atmosphere, Reynolds cleared his throat a couple of times and opened his mouth.

“I’d like to formally propose to you, Lord. They will only acknowledge the value of the Murim world if you prove your strength against the US military.”

“…Fight against the US military?” Are you kidding me?