Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1783

“……What do you mean? Are you saying the Guild Leader is going to leave the General Assembly?”

“Leave? What are you talking about? What nonsense is that?”

Jang Min thumped his chest as if frustrated.

“Listen carefully.”

“Yes.”

“Why has the Demon Lord [a title for Kang Jin-ho] been pushing himself so hard until now?”

“Well….”

Bang Jin-hoon, about to answer, tilted his head.

He had a vague idea of what it was, but it wasn’t easy to put it into words.

“Well, people are just like that sometimes.”

Jang Min stared at Bang Jin-hoon with all the contempt he could muster. Bang Jin-hoon, feeling the glare, unconsciously turned his head away.

“You idiots, the only reason the Demon Lord has been pushing himself is because he was afraid you’d all die.”

Lee Hyun-soo chuckled at those words.

‘He’s not wrong.’

It was an extreme way of putting it, but it hit the nail on the head.

“If the Demon Lord hadn’t pushed himself so hard, you’d all be dried fish by now. Whether you died at the hands of the Hong King, the Japanese, or the Chang King!”

“Ahem.”

The directors all coughed quietly.

“He’s been running around like a madman, trying to save you useless lot, and now that things are a bit safer, he wants to rest, and you think that’s strange? I feel like ripping out your hearts and setting them on fire.”

“……You have a very creative way of cursing, Elder.”

“Shut up!”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun-soo flinched and lowered his head.

Jang Min looked at everyone with cold eyes.

“Right now, you’re taking what the Demon Lord has been doing for you for granted.”

“That’s not how a cult should be. It’s basic that the followers should serve their leader and make them comfortable. But you’ve become so used to being fed that you’re acting like a bunch of bloated pigs.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled faintly.

‘We’re not members of the Demonic Cult, though….’

He desperately wanted to object, but even he didn’t have the guts to joke around with Jang Min when he was fuming like that. Everyone else here was probably the same.

Kang Jin-ho was someone who would take a joke if you made one, but Jang Min was the type who would cut your head off and call it a joke.

“Well….”

Fortunately, Wiggins spoke up instead of Lee Hyun-soo.

“Come to think of it, it’s a wonder the Guild Leader hasn’t collapsed from overwork. If his cultivation wasn’t so high, he would have collapsed several times already.”

The directors all nodded.

They were well aware of how much work Kang Jin-ho was handling. And in the midst of all that, he didn’t neglect his martial arts training and even oversaw the training of others.

‘He’s not human.’

He had practically thrown his life into the General Assembly.

Having lived such a life, it was understandable that he was exhausted now.

“But there’s one thing I don’t understand.”

“What is it?”

Wiggins narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

“We clearly defeated the Chang King, and the Chang King faction is being dealt with.”

“That’s right.”

“The Hong King faction as well… We need to be wary, but they are no longer a threat to the General Assembly. Both in terms of motivation and ability.”

Everyone nodded at those words.

“But that doesn’t mean all threats have disappeared. We’ve already seen the existence of the Black King with our own eyes, haven’t we?”

Lee Hyun-soo’s expression hardened at the mention of the Black King.

“The Black King is alive and well with his own forces, and the Lord is letting his guard down? I don’t understand that.”

“I think I know why.”

It was Bator who answered Wiggins, not someone else.

“Bator?”

Bator scratched his head with his large hand.

“It’s not easy to explain in words, but you could call it a martial artist’s intuition?”

“……I wish I could share that martial artist’s intuition with you.”

“Don’t rush me, I’ll explain.”

Bator opened his mouth, looking like he was having trouble organizing his thoughts.

“So, that Black King guy…”

“Yes.”

“He wasn’t interested in us at all.”

Wiggins frowned.

What did that mean?

“A being of that level wouldn’t have any reason to care about us, would he?”

“You sure know how to put it nicely.”

Bator grumbled once before continuing.

“It’s a bit different from that. Even the martial artists who reached the absolute realm like the Hong King and the Chang King didn’t completely exclude us. After all, it’s guys like us who decide the outcome of a battle between forces.”

“Hmm, I think I understand what you mean.”

“But the Black King is different. From beginning to end, he was only interested in his master. He treated us like we were just background scenery.”

Bator clicked his tongue as if his pride was hurt.

But what he felt was exactly that. In that place, the Black King never once looked at them. From beginning to end, he only had Kang Jin-ho in his sights.

“The master probably felt that even more clearly than I did.”

“Wait, just a moment.”

Bang Jin-hoon waved his hand as if he didn’t understand and asked.

“So, what does that mean? Please explain it in a way that I can understand.”

“So….”

As Bator struggled to explain, Lee Hyun-soo spoke up instead.

“The Black King is targeting only the Guild Leader, not the General Assembly. So, we won’t be exposed to his attacks. Is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s right.”

“……And the Guild Leader probably felt that more clearly than Bator, so he judged that we were no longer in danger….”

Lee Hyun-soo scratched his chin.

It felt like the pieces were falling into place.

“In other words, the Guild Leader has judged that the General Assembly is now safe. Whether that’s a conclusion he reached rationally, or something he instinctively knew.”

“It’s probably closer to the latter. The Lord isn’t the type to worry about those kinds of details.”

“So, there’s no need to overdo it anymore….”

Lee Hyun-soo’s expression became strange.

“This is, it feels a bit….”

Lee Hyun-soo, about to say something, let out a hollow laugh.

“No. Of course, this is just our speculation, and I know it’s not necessarily correct, but….”

Lee Hyun-soo shook his head.

“It’s a strange feeling. Actually, I should be proud that we’ve reached a point where we no longer have to worry the Guild Leader.”

Bator chuckled at those words.

“Why? Do you feel like a child abandoned by their parents?”

“……I want to retort with something really scathing, but I can’t deny it.”

“That’s how independence is.” Jang Min, who had been listening to the conversation with a displeased expression, opened his mouth.

“It seems you’ve understood the situation.”

Everyone looked at Jang Min.

Old ginger can’t be ignored [a saying that means experience matters], and Jang Min was the first among them to figure out Kang Jin-ho’s condition. So, his words naturally carried weight.

“Just to be on the safe side….”

“It’s not just to be on the safe side, you are an old woman.”

“What did you say?”

Jang Min glared, and Bator laughed.

“Ahem, anyway, don’t go running to the Demon Lord and say anything unnecessary. If he hears that the General Assembly doesn’t need his attention, he’ll try to start working again.”

“……I guess so.”

“If you have even a little bit of conscience, you shouldn’t interfere with his rest, even if you can’t do anything for him. If anyone tries to be meddlesome, I’ll break their neck.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed deeply at Jang Min’s words.

“But there are things that the Guild Leader needs to handle….”

“You idiot!”

Jang Min’s voice boomed. Lee Hyun-soo flinched at the force of it.

“Didn’t I tell you not to take what the Demon Lord has done for granted! How many of those things are actually things that the Demon Lord has to do!”

“You’re all useless! If you just do your own jobs properly, the General Assembly will run smoothly. Remember my words!”

“Understood.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“Kkuung.”

The directors made different noises with different expressions.

Jang Min smirked at them.

“The Demon Lord is a god who has descended into the mortal realm.”

“……Don’t say such fanatical things, old man.”

“Listen to the end.”

Jang Min glared.

“But he is also human. Humans can’t run forever. If you keep running, you’ll eventually get tired and need to rest. The Demon Lord has run enough. It’s time for him to rest.”

“Hmm.”

The directors nodded with stiff faces.

Looking at the heavy atmosphere, Lee Hyun-soo realized once again how much influence Kang Jin-ho had on this General Assembly.

‘It’s not like he’s not coming out at all, just the fact that he’s taking a break is causing this kind of reaction.’

He, Bang Jin-hoon, and even Wiggins could be like that. But even Bator was making a sad face, which was quite unexpected.

“Kkuung, then I guess we’ll just have to handle the things we were waiting for.”

“Director Lee.”

“Yes.”

“Then Director Lee will approve the MK matters first. We’ll report to the Lord separately when he comes back.”

“I understand.”

Bang Jin-hoon snorted.

“Then I’ll take care of the issue of treating the kids. It’s about time I started checking on them and discharging them.”

“Do that.”

In a short time, some division of roles was established.

But Lee Hyun-soo, who was watching the meeting, didn’t have a clear expression.

‘A General Assembly without the Guild Leader….’

To be precise, it should be called a General Assembly that Kang Jin-ho has stepped away from. Even Lee Hyun-soo couldn’t guess how it would run.

‘This, there might be some problems….’

Lee Hyun-soo frowned.

There is no second-in-command in the General Assembly. Of course, the members of the General Assembly practically recognize Lee Hyun-soo as the second-in-command, but Lee Hyun-soo knows how meaningless that title is.

The only reason he can step up and handle things is because Kang Jin-ho is backing him up. He is the type who actively uses the power of his position, not someone who can do anything on his own.

If Kang Jin-ho doesn’t support him, he can’t do anything on his own.

Of course….

Lee Hyun-soo looked at the directors with slightly uneasy eyes.

‘Those guys won’t suddenly start fighting each other to seize power, will they?’

As long as Kang Jin-ho is still around, that won’t happen. The directors don’t have any particular desire for power either.

The problem isn’t that, but that each of them has such strong personalities. How many times have they spouted nonsense during meetings?

When Kang Jin-ho was there, he would immediately silence them with a glare, and sometimes even hit them to keep things in order, but now that won’t happen.

“Augh….”

Lee Hyun-soo pressed his temples, thinking about what was going to happen.

‘Just thinking about it is giving me a headache.’

Jang Min had warned them, but Lee Hyun-soo thought that he should meet with Kang Jin-ho separately for the sake of the General Assembly.