Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1064. Responding (4)

While frowning slightly, Kang Jin-Ho addressed Wiggins again. “...How much money are we talking about here?”

“Well, please take a look...” Wiggins brought out his report and cautiously pushed it toward Kang Jin-Ho.

When Kang Jin-Ho perused the report, though... His hands began trembling for a few moments. “Wait. This is a bit...”

“Yes, my lord. I’m aware it’s a rather princely sum.”

“...!” Kang Jin-Ho dazedly looked away from the report and at Wiggins.

The English gentleman smiled awkwardly. “Unfortunately, that's what it's like with reagents, my lord. Even though things we use seem like useless junk to outsiders, mages still need to burn through these valuable items at a bankruptcy-inducing level.”

Wiggins sighed while sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

“If I’m being honest, even I didn’t expect the expenses to run this high, my lord. I’ve been getting a painful lesson lately on why mages are considered a class fit only for the aristocracy, unlike knights...”

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“Uh... Mm...?” Kang Jin-Ho clamped his slack mouth shut.

One's bloodline meant little as a knight as this class placed much higher importance on physical abilities. Or, more correctly, even a person of a commoner background could be adopted into an aristocratic family to receive sufficient support if they displayed the potential to become a powerful knight in the future.

However, that story didn't apply to mages.

Only those of aristocratic background could join the class of mages. As a scion of an aristocratic family himself, Wiggins believed all this time that the nobility's typical sense of entitlement was the root cause of this situation. After finding himself in the role of an instructor nurturing a large number of mages, though...

He finally learned that the true reason was something else. Unless one had stashed considerable wealth away, it’d be impossible to even dip a toe into this profession!

As proof, he only had to look at the sky-high cost of training the low-class mages.

‘I now understand why the Master of the Round Table was always worried about the finances of the organization...’

Wiggins sighed deeply again.

Kang Jin-Ho put the report down. “Will your expenses always be this much moving forward?”

“I can say the expenses... won’t always be this astronomical, my lord. However, uhm... Well, the budget for the classes might still...”

Kang Jin-Ho helplessly chuckled. He couldn't remember the last time Wiggins fidgeted and hesitated like this. What seemed more ironic to Kang Jin-Ho was that the Englishman's behavior wasn't due to some dumb mistake he made but money!

“For now, I’ll approve this expense.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Wiggins sighed once more. “I always wondered why the Round Table nurtured too few mages despite the organization's needs. And one of the theories I had was that the Round Table's continued decline was the ultimate cause, so I tried to increase the number of disciples this time, but... My apologies, I did not expect this kind of setback.”

“I see. What’s your takeaway from it, then?”

“My lord, this incident taught me to appreciate the love my parents have shown me even more. I should have done more for them while they were still with us. When I think about just how much they had to spend raising this unfilial son who couldn’t even become a full-fledged mage...”

“...Wiggins, let’s not stray from the topic, shall we?”

“Oops. Please forgive me,” Wiggins chuckled wryly. He was being serious just now, though.

‘We need to find a solution here. And soon, too.’

Thanks to Lee Jung-Geol stopping at nothing and resorting to every dirty trick in the book to enrich himself to the point of obsessiveness, the Martial Assembly was swimming in money right now. That didn't mean all that wealth could be poured into the nurturing of the mages, of course.

This wasn't the issue of whether or not there was enough money in the bank but more to do with the “cost-effectiveness” of this venture.

Nurturing a mage cost dozens of times more than raising a common-or-garden martial artist. So, imagine what might happen if a mage couldn't produce a result befitting the investment. Who would want to spend all that money to nurture mages in that case?

Kang Jin-Ho coolly leaned back. “If money can solve this issue, I see no reason to stop. Right now, we don’t have a money problem, so we will continue supporting your class... for the time being, at least. However, sooner rather than later, you will have to think of a different solution.”

“Understood,” Wiggins sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time today. “Oh, and I have another matter to discuss, my lord. It's not as significant, but...”

“Eh? Another one?”

“...?” Wiggins dazedly stared, forcing Kang Jin-Ho to smile awkwardly and sneakily look away.

It seemed that, despite Kang Jin-Ho's attempt to present a cool facade, he was still fed up with the mages trying to bankrupt the Martial Assembly. That had to be the most likely explanation for his response.

“It’s not related to the mages, but... Ahem. The Chevaliers requested to formally join the Martial Assembly, my lord.”

“Mm?”

Wiggins coolly shrugged. “Most of the Chevaliers, including Vincent and Mathieu, expressed their desire to stay with the Assembly.”

“Why?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. He couldn't understand why the Chevaliers would want to remain here.

Of course, whether the Chevaliers stayed with the Assembly or rejoined the Round Table, their actions ultimately didn’t matter to Kang Jin-Ho. That didn’t mean he could understand the Chevaliers’ decision to become the full-on members of the Assembly.

After all, they were finally free to return to their homes back in France.

Kang Jin-Ho knew better than anyone here what it felt like to be “imprisoned” in a foreign land, unable to go home. That was why he went out of his way to make the Chevaliers’ stay in Korea as comfortable as possible after they agreed to help.

But now, to hear that the released fish willingly swam back into the net?

Wiggins tried to explain. “There must be several reasons influencing their decision, my lord. I'd wager the biggest reason is France no longer having a leading voice within the Round Table's affairs... and also, the likelihood of being ostracized, unintentionally or otherwise, by the rest of the organization.”

Kang Jin-Ho went, “Ah...!” while nodding, his mouth slightly ajar.

When he thought about it, wasn’t that obvious?

Knight Leveaux, the culprit behind the attempt to drive out the Master of the Round Table and take over the organization, was French. Even if the nation of France was not kicked out of the Round Table, its representative Knight would certainly lose the right to voice their opinion. Not only that, but the support from the organization would most likely get cut off, as well!

“Also, the situation within France should not be welcoming toward the Chevaliers. Even if Leveaux had done something monumentally stupid, he was still France's representative Knight at the end of the day, my lord. Chevaliers were supposed to obey Leveaux's commands, but they stood in opposition and even fought against him.

“After what happened, it’d be safe to assume that their careers in France are as good as finished.”

“Mm...!” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. He now understood why the Chevaliers wanted to remain in the Assembly. Had he found himself stuck in a similar situation, even Kang Jin-Ho would've racked his brain to decide what to do next.

“And the Chevaliers personally must’ve enjoyed their time spent in the Assembly, my lord. Because they also had the option of finding refuge in another country if they no longer wanted to associate with our organization.”

“I see... However, can we do that? Accept the Chevaliers into our ranks?”

“It shouldn't be difficult, my lord. The Master must ensure the Chevaliers' continued protection. If he doesn't, his critics would say he has forsaken his allies when they needed him the most to deal with the worst crisis in their lives. Although the Chevaliers' affiliation cannot be formally changed, the Master can certainly make it look like they are officially dispatched to assist the Assembly.

“Of course, they will have to swear that no one but the Master can order them around. At least, to keep up with the appearances, that is.”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. “I see. And your advice is?”

“We must accept them, my lord,” Wiggins replied without hesitation as if there was no need to even think about it. “The pragmatic benefits include their presence enabling the improved training regime for our own people. The number of our members mastering Western martial arts has increased considerably, and I alone cannot train them all. Not only that, but the Chevaliers have proven their considerable combat strength, too.”

The Chevaliers had proved their combat strength had surpassed other knight orders of the Round Table during the previous expedition. And that included Britain's own Garter Knight Order, too.

Even if they fell a bit behind when compared to the top elites of the Martial Assembly, they were still undoubtedly stronger than the average Assembly martial artists. In that case, why would anyone reject the idea of welcoming such a powerful combat force into your side?

“And there is another, more urgent reason to accept them, my lord. The Round Table still holds antagonistic views toward the Assembly. Even with the Master's cooperation, it'd be unrealistic to expect the fundamental hostility of the Round Table's members toward us to soften. In this delicate situation, the Chevaliers joining our ranks could prove to be a significant moment.”

“I see. Then, Do what you think is for the best. Wiggins, I grant you full authority.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

Lee Hyeon-Su grimaced a little, thinking that the term “full authority” was being thrown around too frequently today.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Bang Jin-Hun next. “Then, anything of note, Director Bang?”

“No, sir. Nothing to report from my end.”

“...Mm? Does that mean everything is going smoothly?”

Bang Jin-Hun helplessly chuckled. “No, sir. Trying to guide newborn chicks around will never be easy, and the process of guiding them has also increased the amount of stuff I need to study as well. As you can imagine, things are pretty hectic for me at the moment.”

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho subtly grinned. After all, he could perceive all the substantial qi flowing within Bang Jin-Hun's figure.

‘This is beyond what I’ve expected...’

Kang Jin-Ho always rated Bang Jin-Hun highly. And he never underestimated or belittled the former Assembly Master. But that evaluation had always been toward Bang Jin-Hun the human being, not Bang Jin-Hun the martial artist.

As a martial artist, he wasn't exactly worthy of Kang Jin-Ho's evaluation until now. However, the hint of powerful energy emanating from Bang Jin-Hun was enough to pique Kang Jin-Ho's interest.

‘Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised...’

Despite living in a wasteland of martial arts, also known as South Korea, Bang Jin-Hun relied only on his own talent and strength to become a threat to Lee Jung-Geol. Someone like that should be able to become even stronger with good cultivation methods, a suitable environment, and enough time to devote himself solely to cultivation.

Bang Jin-Hun was still considered a youngster in the world of martial arts, after all!

“I see. Is there anything else?”

Bang Jin-Hun shook his head. “No, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su next. “Chief Lee.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I want you to examine Director Bang's current tasks, then delegate what can be delegated. Director Bang, please focus on the training course as well as on improving your own cultivation.”

“Understood, sir!” Lee Hyeon-Su unhesitantly bowed.

As for Bang Jin-Hun, his cheeks twitched somewhat ominously, but he still bowed deeply. “Thank you, Assembly Master!”

“Still, you must not take your foot off the accelerator, Director Bang,” said Kang Jin-Ho. “Not just on the training course, but your cultivation, too.”

“Thank you. Actually, I’ve been wondering if I should discuss something related to this topic with you or not...”

“Mm?”

“Sir, I need a sandbag.”

A strange smirk spread on Kang Jin-Ho’s lips just then.

It was obvious that Bang Jin-Hun wasn't talking about a real sandbag here. No, he actually meant an opponent he could fight and experiment his newly established martial art with. Not just any sandbag, but one that was sturdy enough to not get injured by Bang Jin-Hun's strongest attacks. And one that wouldn't cause a problem later on!

Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin while grinning. “Don’t you already have three sandbags to rely on?”

“The largest sandbag does fit almost all of the requirements, but, uh... That sandbag’s been a bit unstable lately as if it’d explode at any second, you see? My bad, sir, but if you have some spare time...”

“I hear you. Tell me when, and I’ll try to free up some time on my end.”

“Thank you, sir!”

Vator, who had been silently listening, suddenly opened his eyes wide. “Wait a minute. Were you talking about people, not actual sandbags? Then... Am I the largest sandbag?”

Kang Jin-Ho and Bang Jin-Hun silently stared at the big man. He sure was not very quick on the uptake, was he?

Vator’s expression contorted. “What do you mean, Director Bang! That I’m unstable?!”

Bang Jin-Hun tutted, unimpressed. “You know why. You've been mastering demonic cultivation lately. What if you lose your mind after I accidentally punch you in the face? And try to kill me for real!”

“Wha?! Isn’t my master also a demonic cultivator?! And what about the old fart, too?!”

“Both of them are experts of demonic cultivation, Sir Vator. But you’re still a newbie at this. I ain’t gonna risk my neck like that.”

“Huh. Is that so...?” Vator bared his fangs and ferociously smirked. “Master! I also need an opponent to test out my attainment in demonic cultivation! However, my opponent cannot be someone stronger. My purpose is to learn restraint, you see? Lo and behold, we have a perfect opponent right here! Someone who might not die even if I slip up a few times!”

“Hah?” Bang Jin-Hun cocked an eyebrow. “You do know the embarrassment will kill you if I knock you down inadvertently, don't you?”

“Director Bang, it seems too much hot air has filled your head to the brink of explosion! However, no need to worry as I shall deflate you in no time at all!”

“I don’t think you can, though?”

“Come outside, now! We shall get started right away!”

“Come on now, you might really get embarrassed, you know?”

Kang Jin-Ho facepalmed in despair just then.

‘Please... Please! If you’re gonna fight, then at least act like adults, okay?!’

Please, you damn idiots!