Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 929

Vroom.

Lee Hyun-soo, who was driving, subtly shifted his gaze to the rearview mirror.

Sitting in the back were Wiggins and Kang Jin-ho. Even though they had been traveling by car for quite some time, the two hadn’t exchanged a single word.

‘Is this really okay?’

He was a little worried, to be honest. The Master.

The head of the Round Table that dominates Europe.

They were on their way to a meeting with such a person.

And yet…

‘Can we really be this unprepared?’

This was a meeting with the head of another nation. In the revealed world, a summit could be a crucial event that could determine the fate of a country.

Of course, even if it didn’t go to such extremes, it was undeniably a very important meeting. That’s why summits are battlefields of fierce information warfare.

What does the other party want?

What will they say?

What are their preferences?

How can we negotiate to maximize our gains?

Normally, endless meetings would be held to investigate and apply such information…

“Haaam.”

Wiggins yawned languidly and patted his mouth.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’

How could a warrior be tired just because he didn’t sleep well? He should just say he was bored and couldn’t stand it.

Wiggins stretched slightly and glanced at Kang Jin-ho.

“Lord.”

“Hmm?”

“How much do you know about the Master?”

“The Master?”

“Yes. Or rather, the Round Table.”

Kang Jin-ho slightly opened the window.

“Would it be okay if I had a smoke while we talk?”

“Of course.”

“Then I will too…”

Lee Hyun-soo subtly tried to join in, but Wiggins smiled.

“I can never understand you Koreans. Smoking is a personal freedom. Why do you need my permission for something like that?”

“Then I’ll have a smoke.”

“No.”

Wiggins replied nonchalantly.

“I may not understand it, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Where did you learn such a bad habit of smoking in front of your elders?”

He’s Korean, through and through.

Lee Hyun-soo silently put the cigarette he had taken out back in its pack.

‘They say a dog at a temple for three years can recite a sutra.’

After living in Korea for a few months, he’s become a 꼰대 [kkondae – an older person who is condescending or acts like a know-it-all].

“If you’re going to be like that, isn’t the Guild Leader also smoking in front of an elder?”

“How can I be an elder in front of the Guild Leader! He’s over a hundred years old! He’s a living fossil! He’s an old geezer!”

“But according to the family registry, his age is…”

“Isn’t showing respect for the elderly a virtue in East Asia?”

Kang Jin-ho looked at the two with a disgruntled expression.

“I don’t think I’m that old.”

“A hundred years old is old.”

“That’s true.”

It felt like they were messing with him.

He wanted to protest, but he couldn’t deny the truth. Kang Jin-ho let out a deep sigh.

He wanted to shout that he was young at heart, but it was also true that his friends of the same age treated him like an old man. In this case, it wasn’t ‘young at heart,’ but ‘young in body’ that was more accurate.

“Still, it’s a good thing. The Master is known to be quite old, so those who deal with him often find it difficult. You’re not behind in age.”

“Isn’t that advantageous for us?”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

At this point, it was hard to tell if they were cheering him on or messing with him.

Just as Kang Jin-ho was about to say something, the car arrived at the hotel. Lee Hyun-soo parked the car at the entrance.

Kang Jin-ho and Wiggins opened the doors and got out of the car. Lee Hyun-soo, who handed the keys to the parking attendant, looked at the hotel with a slightly nervous expression.

Normally, he wouldn’t be nervous about a hotel, but now was different. Considering who was inside this hotel.

‘The Master…’

A big shot among big shots.

Unless it was one of the Three Kings of China, it wouldn’t be easy to find someone more powerful than the Master.

They were on their way to meet such a person.

Two conflicting emotions were mixed in Lee Hyun-soo’s heart. The tension of having to face such a big shot from now on, and… the bewilderment that he wasn’t as nervous as he thought he should be.

‘Indeed.’

Compared to the Master’s reputation and status, his presence didn’t feel real.

The difference between the West and the East might have something to do with it, and the fact that the Round Table was a powerful but distant group on the other side of the world also seemed to play a role.

It was true that a powerful nation right next door was more threatening than a superpower far away.

‘I need to be more realistic.’

The Round Table was too dangerous to ignore for such reasons. It was a clear fact that they were exerting their influence all over the world.

Moreover, they had come to Korea themselves.

That meant their purpose was clear. And perhaps that purpose was…

Lee Hyun-soo’s gaze subtly shifted to the side. Looking at Kang Jin-ho’s calm expression, he couldn’t tell what this person was thinking.

‘He might really not be thinking anything.’

Come to think of it, even if the Red King came to Korea to meet Kang Jin-ho, it didn’t seem like Kang Jin-ho would meet him with any grand plan. He would just meet him because he was asked to.

As his thoughts reached that point, his head started to ache.

‘Is this really okay?’

It wasn’t that there was a reason why a strategy meeting hadn’t been held. From Lee Hyun-soo’s perspective, it was burdensome for him to interfere in a meeting between such big shots.

Moreover, it was also a problem to just ramble on without properly understanding the other party’s position.

Everything was left to Kang Jin-ho.

That’s how it should be…

‘But it would be nice if he could at least show some tension.’

Kang Jin-ho’s face was so calm that it made him feel uneasy. No matter how he looked at it, he didn’t seem like someone going to a serious meeting.

“Where is it?”

“We’ve booked a conference room. They should be waiting by now.”

Lee Hyun-soo quickly stepped forward.

‘Should I have brought some of the guys?’

They had come with the minimum number of attendants. He had decided that it wouldn’t look good to bring a large entourage to a meeting with such people, so they had also come with the minimum number of people.

But now that they were in this situation, he even thought that a little bit of that pressure might have been necessary.

“Welcome. Please follow me.”

A hotel employee who had been waiting guided them to the elevator.

Normally, Lee Hyun-soo would have made some comments about such service, but at this moment, he had no thoughts at all.

He took the elevator to the upper floors as guided by the employee. Then, he walked towards the conference room. The luxurious interior didn’t catch his eye at all.

Lee Hyun-soo swallowed hard as he saw the door to the large conference room.

Then, something touched his shoulder. Lee Hyun-soo was surprised and turned his head, and Wiggins was smiling lightly.

“There’s no need to be so nervous.”

“Yes?”

“They’re probably just as nervous as we are. No, maybe they’re even more nervous than us. We have to deal with the Master, but they have to deal with the Lord.”

It felt like the tension in his body was leaking out.

He was right.

He had been too focused on the fact that the other party was the Round Table and the Master. They must be just as burdened by Kang Jin-ho.

No, objectively speaking, the burden on their side was much greater. If Lee Hyun-soo had to choose someone to deal with, he would never choose Kang Jin-ho.

Thinking that way, he felt a little less tense.

What was Kang Jin-ho thinking right now?

As if he knew what Lee Hyun-soo was thinking, Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth.

“I should have brought Bator.”

“…Yes?”

“He would have been happy that there was a door he could easily go through.”

Lee Hyun-soo chuckled.

It was true that Bator would have liked that big door.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes.”

Exchanging jokes made him feel much less tense.

Knock knock.

The hotel employee knocked on the door. Then, without waiting for a reply, he opened the door.

Kang Jin-ho slowly walked into the conference room.

The Master, who was sitting at the head of the table, stood up. The black mask, the neat suit, and the white hair visible above the mask were very impressive.

Indeed, there was something overwhelming about his appearance alone.

“I feel like I should say ‘Nice to meet you,’ but it’s a bit awkward since it’s not our first time. It’s nice to see you again.”

The Master bowed politely.

Kang Jin-ho also returned the Master’s greeting with a light nod.

“Likewise.”

“Pfft!”

A dry cough burst from Lee Hyun-soo’s mouth.

‘Informal speech?’

Ah, no…

It doesn’t matter, right? These people aren’t Korean, so how would they know if it’s informal or formal…

‘Ah, they do.’

The face of the translator was turning bright red.

Goodness, he learned well. He looks like a white person, but how does he know Korean so well?

As the translation was being done, the Master raised an eyebrow.

“This seems like it will be an interesting meeting.”

Then, the Master turned to look at Lee Hyun-soo and Wiggins.

It was very embarrassing.

‘I’m an idiot for expecting anything to go normally.’

What was normal about anything Kang Jin-ho did?

‘It was always like this.’

Recently, Kang Jin-ho had been acting so normal that he had unknowingly let his guard down.

“Let’s take our seats first.”

Lee Hyun-soo didn’t realize it, but the initiative of the meeting had already been passed to the Master. Even though it was happening in Korea, the progress of the meeting was being led by the other side.

‘He’s really skilled.’

Wiggins was aware of that fact. The fact that the meeting was being held at the hotel where they were staying, and that they had taken their seats before the agreed time, made it seem like they were welcoming guests.

Lee Hyun-soo was definitely lacking in this aspect.

He was basically skilled at planning and administration, but he didn’t have much experience in power struggles with other factions or organizations. Well, he had power struggles. With his fists.

‘I was a bit careless.’

Wiggins also couldn’t actively step forward. He knew he should, but the original sin he carried with the Round Table held him back.

And…

‘Master, you’ll soon find out.’

That this arrangement itself was meaningless.

Such actions to seize the initiative are only meaningful when the other party is acting normally.

But Kang Jin-ho, as Wiggins knew, was a person who was about a light-year away from normal. The Master would soon find that out too.

“By the way…”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t sit down and spoke while looking at the Master.

“Do you wear a mask when dealing with people? I heard you value etiquette?”

It didn’t seem like he was being serious.

The Master, after hearing the translation, raised his eyes and looked at Kang Jin-ho.