Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 459

“Is this Korea?”

A brown-haired man, having passed through immigration, looked around the airport interior.

“It’s more bustling than I expected. Is it like this everywhere here?”

“I don’t think so. The country called South Korea is quite economically developed.”

“Really?”

“In terms of GDP, it’s close to the top ten.”

“Top ten?”

Vincent stared at Mathieu with wide eyes.

“If it’s close to the top ten, that means it’s a well-known country even among developed nations. But why do I know nothing about this country?”

“It’s a country with an oddly low profile…”

“…That’s strange.”

Vincent chuckled.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t that strange. GDP didn’t equate to national power, and there were too many countries with a strong presence around this nation to show off its ranking.

China, Japan, and even Russia were all positioned around it. Moreover, right above it was North Korea, a rogue state notorious worldwide.

‘Thanks to that, I’m realizing the importance of this mission.’

Even a country with a GDP in the top ten had a hard time making its mark in East Asia. Not only in the visible world, but the importance of East Asia was even greater in the hidden world [referring to the world of martial arts and supernatural powers].

And now, a country that had been acting as a buffer zone was starting to surge forward?

‘It’s an explosion.’

Vincent, newly aware of the importance of his mission, looked around with serious eyes.

The visible world and the hidden world were separate, but they were also inevitably closely connected. A country’s national power influenced the Murim world [the martial arts world].

‘And the strength of the Murim world also influences national power.’

Just like how the United States, with its short history and weak Murim, became the world’s strongest power and now possesses enough strength to threaten even China with its Murim.

If Korea was a country with that much national power, the synergy that could be created by the Murim world’s activity would be considerable.

‘I shouldn’t take this lightly.’

The task itself wasn’t difficult, but the repercussions of failure were too great. Vincent opened his mouth, determined to succeed in this mission.

“So, where do we go?”

“We’ve chartered a bus. They said it’s parked in the parking lot, so I’ll contact them to come here right away.”

“No, we’ll go.”

“Yes?”

“We don’t need to draw attention. Even if it’s an international airport, a group of foreigners taking a bus will inevitably attract attention.”

Mathieu was about to say something but stopped.

‘There are so many foreigners here….’

It didn’t seem like a group of foreigners, at most 50 people, taking a bus would be particularly noticeable, but if Vincent had decided, it was better to follow without complaint.

This was a mission.

If they brought up every minor personal disagreement, the command structure would collapse.

Besides, there was also the problem of which way to tell the bus driver to come. There were signs and maps, but foreign airports were always places that made people feel intimidated.

“Didn’t you call someone?”

“Sir, we don’t have any agents stationed in Korea. I considered calling agents from Japan or China, but they aren’t particularly familiar with Korea either, so it didn’t seem to make much difference.”

“Putting aside convenience, isn’t this a problem for the mission? It’s impossible for us to find that guy in this country where we can’t even speak the language.”

“Instead, the Round Table has agreed to send an agent. However, they said they can only join us in about two days.”

“Incompetent.”

Vincent clicked his tongue.

This was what happened when the British took the lead in the Round Table. They had always been good at sucking up money from colonies and living lavishly, but they couldn’t cook and didn’t know how to do anything properly.

“Alright, that’s fine. Everyone must be tired from the long journey, so it wouldn’t be bad to unpack and rest at the accommodation for a couple of days.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Let’s go by bus for now.”

Vincent shouted spiritedly, but Mathieu couldn’t move from his spot.

“What are you doing?”

“J-just a moment. I’m looking at the map right now, but which way is east?”

Vincent frowned.

“Ahem, look properly.”

But he didn’t have the confidence to find his way around a place he had never been to before by looking at a map. If he acted carelessly, he would only be embarrassed.

“Hmm, this won’t do.”

Mathieu raised his head and narrowed his eyes.

“When you’re abroad, isn’t it normal to ask for directions? Let’s find someone suitable and ask.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Mathieu looked around.

A suitable person.

It was unlikely that there would be an intellectual who knew French around here, so it had to be a young person who knew at least some English, and a sturdy man who wouldn’t be intimidated by them.

“Excuse me!”

Mathieu raised his hand and ran towards a man passing by.

“Yes?”

The young man looked slightly flustered as the Westerners swarmed towards him, but he seemed to regain his composure quickly.

When Mathieu asked for the location of the parking lot in English, the man’s face changed subtly.

‘Why, why are you asking me this?’

He seemed to understand, so he didn’t seem to not know English, but it seemed like he had little experience conversing with foreigners. The man started to think seriously.

‘Hmm?’

Vincent made a subtle expression as he watched the scene.

‘He’s handsome for an Asian?’

His strong features were likeable. Wasn’t it human nature to be attracted to handsome men and beautiful women, regardless of nationality or race?

“Uh, um…”

The young man opened his mouth.

“Go ahead. Straight. Um, turn left… right? Left…”

The man, who was trying to explain while stammering, hardened his face.

“Hmm?”

The moment Vincent felt a hint of murderous intent in his face, he tensed up!

“Come on! Go together!”

The man confidently took the lead and started walking.

…Wise.

And kind.

Thanks to the man’s guidance, Vincent and Mathieu were able to lead their group safely to the bus that was waiting for them.

“Thank you!”

“Merci!”

As they repeatedly expressed their gratitude, the young man smiled and waved his hand.

‘It doesn’t seem like a barbaric country.’

If you want to know the level of a country, you should see how they treat foreigners. Seeing the young man who had guided them, even wasting his own time, made Vincent’s impression of Korea much better.

“Then.”

The group, who had warmly seen off the young man, began loading their luggage into the bus’s cargo hold.

“Are we going to the hotel first?”

“Yes. Some of the information about the target is on the bus, and the rest will be received by fax and email.”

“To have to receive the information locally.”

“Night Wiggins was supposed to hand over the compiled information, but it seems to be taking some time.”

“Damn, those British guys who just eat roast beef. They’re probably saying ‘screw you’.”

Mathieu closed his mouth as Vincent cursed. The older they got, the more they had an incomprehensible hatred for Britain. Mathieu was also French, so he didn’t particularly like Britain, but he didn’t hate them to the extent that Vincent did.

“Anyway, it’ll be difficult to operate until the informant arrives, right? Let’s think of it as resting for a couple of days. It hasn’t been long since we finished the previous mission, so isn’t this a good thing?”

“Hmm…”

Vincent still had a displeased look on his face.

Resting before starting a mission was resting, but resting after starting a mission was not resting.

The time from when they took on a mission to when they finished it was what proved their abilities.

The fact that a meaningless waste of two days was being forced upon them in a time-sensitive mission was making Vincent uncomfortable.

“Alright. Since it’s come to this, let’s relax.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Tell the guys to get on. Let’s go to the hotel for now.”

“Yes.”

The moment Vincent and Mathieu, having confirmed that all the members were on the bus, were about to get on the bus.

Vroom!

A red Lamborghini approached them. Vincent looked at the Lamborghini with a slightly displeased gaze.

Driving such a car so recklessly….

The window opened, and Vincent’s face relaxed when he saw the young man he had seen earlier waving his hand from inside the car.

“He’s an excellent young man.”

“Indeed.”

The two, who had been warmly watching the Lamborghini drive away, got on the bus and sat down.

As soon as the two were seated, the bus slowly started to move.

“Did you say the information is on the bus?”

“Yes. We had the previously compiled information printed out and brought here from Korea.”

“Wasn’t that a bit reckless?”

Vincent’s gaze turned to the driver.

“Even if there are no informants, there are always people who are loyal to their country. Especially in a country like the Great French Empire. He’s someone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

“Then he’s trustworthy.”

Vincent nodded his head firmly.

It was an immutable truth that there had to be a gap between the hidden world and the visible world, but in this day and age, it was impossible to strictly adhere to this principle.

Especially for those who took on missions all over the world like the Round Table, the cooperation of the country was essential. That was why each European country had a department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support them.

“The documents?”

“Here they are.”

Mathieu took out the well-organized documents from a box placed next to the driver’s seat and handed them out.

“Let’s familiarize ourselves with them.”

“Yes.”

Vincent also unfolded the documents.

“Hmm.”

Vincent, having checked Kang Jin-ho’s personal information and photo at the front of the documents, smiled subtly.

“Anyway, I don’t think I get along well with Asians.”

“Yes?”

“They all look the same. What do you think? To my eyes, this person and the young man from earlier look similar, but I don’t think I can distinguish Asians.”

Mathieu kept looking at the photo.

Sweat started to form on his forehead.

“T-they look similar to me too, perhaps?”

“Really? You too think this mission…”

Vincent stopped speaking and suddenly raised his head to look at Mathieu.

“You said they look similar?”

“Yes.”

“No, wait a minute. I thought that young man was handsome for an Asian, but are you saying there are people who make me think that way all over the streets? Does this place only have elves?”

“What do you guys think!”

Vincent jumped up from his seat and shouted, and the members who were filling the seats started to avoid Vincent’s gaze.

“Y-you idiots!”

Vincent’s face started to turn red.

Then, did that mean they had been laughing and chatting with their target right in front of them, even seeing him off?

Vincent, having checked the vehicle information that Kang Jin-ho drove on the back of the documents, threw the documents he was holding to the back seat and shouted.

“Run to the hotel, you idiots!”

And so, the meeting between the Chevalier and Kang Jin-ho began in the best and worst way possible.