Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1121. Delivered (1)

‘What a stupid bastard.’

Besley was walking through a dim corridor with a stiffened face.

Most of the Knights of the Round Table were shocked by what they had experienced to the point of being unable to stand up under their own steam. However, Besley and his clique still managed to hold onto some semblance of calmness through all that madness.

Was it because Besley’s heart was unshakable? Of course not!

The only reason he still maintained some level of human-like facade was solely because Kang Jin-Ho’s fury was never directed his way.

If that devil had placed Besley under the same level of pressure as what Wellinger had experienced... He would also have crumbled and morphed into a madman who didn't recognize himself.

That was why Besley couldn't bring himself to mock Wellinger. But when it was about his fellow Knight's poor judgment, he could certainly do that.

Why did that idiot still try to fight when the end result was so obvious?

How could Wellinger not know something as simple as “knowing how to put oneself in another's shoes?”

The Knights were too full of themselves. They put too much faith in their martial prowess. Worse still, their sky-high confidence wasn’t limited to their physical might, either!

However, their attitude was understandable.

What if Knights like Leveaux, Wiggins, and Wellinger hadn’t mastered martial arts and lived within the ‘normal’ society? Would they have lived ordinary lives? Definitely not!

It wouldn’t have mattered what the profession was, they would still have distinguished themselves in one way or the other.

They might have become legendary athletes, or produced research worthy of Nobel prizes as scientists or academics. As businessmen, they could have rocked the world of finance with their business savvy.

How could Besley be so sure, though?

‘Simple, really. You don’t become a Knight just because you’re very good at punching people!’

Martial artists sometimes deluded themselves. And that delusion involved the false idea that martial arts were meant for physical purposes only.

That idea was only true in the early foundational stage. However, for a martial artist to attain the next level, one’s physical aptitude alone wouldn’t be enough.

One should possess deep insight into oneself, an understanding of the world at large, and be capable of overcoming philosophical quandaries tormenting them, too.

Simply put, being strong in martial arts was the same as being strong as a human being. But these Knights only knew how to apply that standard to themselves to elevate their own status. They viewed Kang Jin-Ho as an idiot with a high cultivation level.

They did that without realizing who the real idiot was!

Wellinger’s defeat came about for one simple reason—his inability to acknowledge Kang Jin-Ho’s ‘strength’.

If only Wellinger and Co. acknowledged that Kang Jin-Ho was a greater existence than they were, and that it’d be impossible to control him as they would have liked to, their situation would have been so much different now.

‘But you couldn’t do that, and that’s why you’re martial artists...!’

Besley groaned under his breath.

Acknowledging your opponent as better than you without crossing swords once? And then bowing your head in humility? Such a thing would never be easy for a martial artist.

Maybe the one thing that determined the fates of Besley and Wellinger was as simple as if one had 'fought' Kang Jin-Ho before.

If Besley hadn’t confronted Kang Jin-Ho before, the one responsible for creating this latest situation might have been him, not Wellinger.

Besley stared at the large doorway and sucked in a deep breath. After fake-coughing once, he knocked on the imposing doorway. “Excuse me, it’s Besley.”

“Please come in, Sir Besley.”

The Master granted his permission, but Besley knew the one granting it was actually someone else.

Besley sucked in another lungful of air, then pushed the door open, his expression tense. He was greeted by the sight of the Master’s office.

Four people could be seen inside. In the seat of honor was not the Master, but Kang Jin-Ho. To his left and right were the Master of the Round Table and Wiggins. And finally...

“...?”

A hint of confusion invaded Besley’s tense expression. He could see Lee Hyeon-Su kneeling in the corner of the office for some reason.

‘What is he doing down there?’

The sight of Lee Hyeon-Su never losing his confidence and calmness despite getting kidnapped and his life being in danger left a strong impression in Besley's mind. But now? Lee Hyeon-Su was grumbling away like a little kid, his expression containing every type of dissatisfaction known to mankind!

Besley frowned slightly. “Why is that person...?”

The Master replied sheepishly. “It’s a punishment of sorts. Apparently, not even a five-year-old would follow a stranger these days just because they were offered sweets.”

“...”

Although that reason sounded exceedingly logical, it also seemed a bit weird in this situation!

Lee Hyeon-Su testily shot back. “But she wasn’t a stranger, though! She was the Master’s personal secretary, sir!”

Wiggins chuckled softly. “Isn’t it strange for you to not view the secretary as a stranger, my dear disciple? It’s your fault for not being wary of her at least a little bit.”

“Wha?! How could I be wary of her, master? When we’ve been working together side by side for the past several days? Isn’t that enough to say we’ve grown close enough?”

“Hoh-oh? Can I relay that message to Miss Lee back home, then?”

“Yes, it’s my fault, master! Definitely! Should I raise my hands as well?”

“...”

Even before Wiggins could respond, Lee Hyeon-Su voluntarily raised his hands up high in the air.

Wiggins tutted disapprovingly at this sight. “Really now? Is that how you want to present yourself?”

“...What do you mean, master?”

“You're supposed to be a man, aren't you? How could you let yourself be under the thumb of a woman? Even we the British, renowned the world over as the pinnacle of gentlemanly conduct, do not let women handle us that way.”

“Gentlemanly conduct, my foot! It’s more like hooligan-ly conduct, master. Why are you calling yourselves gentlemen when you push your wives and girlfriends aside every single evening and rush to the nearest pub to enjoy a game of football on TV over several mugs of beer? Italians might laugh themselves to death if they heard you.”

“...” Wiggins clamped his mouth shut after that strong rebuttal had rendered him speechless.

“Besides, it's not me who's letting her, it's her who's the bossy one! Don't you know she can be super scary?! How can I ‘handle’ THE granddaughter of Lee Jung-Geol? Not getting beaten up is all I can ask for, you know. Since everyone here knows that I can never beat her in a fistfight, will you take the responsibility if she beats me up for being a smart-ass?”

Kang Jin-Ho animatedly nodded. “Yes, yes. He’s right, you know.”

These two men seemed to be in agreement over something strange.

“Kuh-hmm...!” Wiggins hurriedly fake-coughed to signal his desire to end this discussion that could lower the Martial Assembly’s prestige further in the eyes of outsiders, then moved on to the next topic. “Let’s forget about that for now, since our guest has arrived. Shall we move on to the real topic at hand?”

“...Then you could’ve at least helped me back to my feet before someone entered the office, you know.”

Wiggins nearly blurted out, Hey, you dumbass! You know I don’t have the authority to do that!

Instead of shouting out, though, he sneaked a quick glance in Kang Jin-Ho’s direction.

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow while staring at Lee Hyeon-Su. “Come over here.”

Besley’s expression subtly crumpled when he heard that. He heard Kang Jin-Ho say “Come here” far too many times for his liking today, but this one gave off a strikingly different vibe from the rest.

“Yes, sir!”

Even the one heeding the command reacted differently, too!

Lee Hyeon-Su hurriedly got up and raced toward Kang Jin-Ho’s position.

“Be careful from now on.”

“Yessir! I’ll engrave your warning to my heart!”

Kang Jin-Ho coolly nodded.

One could argue that Lee Hyeon-Su had no way of resisting the kidnappers. However, this incident wouldn't have happened in the first place had he not let his guard down.

Although it might seem like an obvious thing to have people watch over Lee Hyeon-Su, he was still a martial artist. Protecting himself should ultimately be his job.

Lee Hyeon-Su wasn't dissatisfied with this treatment since he also knew that.

When the smiling Lee Hyeon-Su settled into one of the empty spots on the couch, the Master maintaining his silence suddenly addressed Besley. His face was even more haggard than Besley’s. “Take a seat over here, Sir Besley.”

“Of course, Master.”

The Master lightly clapped his hands once Besley took the seat. When his new secretary entered the office, he ordered refreshments to be brought in. Once she left, the Master’s tired, withdrawn eyes shifted back to Besley.

“You must’ve been greatly shocked by what transpired earlier today.”

“...”

Besley wasn’t thinking of saying, “No, I’m fine, sir,” in this situation, since he was greatly shocked, after all. Anyone who didn’t shouldn't be called an owner of a steely heart but more like a nutcase needing urgent psychological help!

“How are the Knights holding up?” The Master asked.

Besley stared back at the Master, his expression unreadable.

As the Master of the Round Table, asking about the well-being of the Knights was not something strange. However, the Master was trying to seize control of the Round Table and run it like a tyrant. So, asking a Knight such a question when he had not agreed to become a full-on collaborator seemed a bit premature.

At the very least, shouldn't the Master ask Besley if they wanted to work together first?

However, Besley had no thoughts of pointing this out.

First of all, he was not an idiot. He could see that the Round Table would never go back to how it used to be.

The correct etiquette and the accepted way of doing things from the past would no longer be seen as correct or accepted.

The procedures and systems propping this organization up until now would disappear, replaced by ruthless efficiency, speediness, and the drive to secure benefits above all else. Considering that, this change seemed par for the course.

Secondly, the Master was far too tired to care about sticking to etiquette and whatnot. Which was exactly the same as Besley's current mood.

He wasn’t cold-hearted enough to argue about sticking to etiquette and correct procedures with a person making such a haggard face.

“How they are holding up, you ask... I’m not sure how to answer that, sir. None of them has recovered from the shock yet, you see.”

“Mm...!”

“Give them a few days, and most should regain their wits. But depending on the person, I fear some will not be able to carry on as Knights anymore. In other words, they need to be replaced.”

“I see,” the Master deeply sighed.

Even though it had to be done, and the Knights were antagonistic toward the Master, those people were still the core of the Round Table, its guardians.

The Master obviously did not feel great knowing that all of the Knights would suffer from serious mental trauma, and that quite a few might end up as cripples from the day's event.

“I see. What about those in your clique, Sir Besley?”

Before replying, Besley stealthily glanced at Kang Jin-Ho first. “Well, thanks to the Assembly Master’s generosity, we’ll only need a few more days off. That should be enough.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Besley had never once said he’d cooperate with the Master or Kang Jin-Ho. Yet the Korean still protected Besley and his faction as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. And the Master was discussing the situation with Besley as if they were already in the same team.

“Sir Beslely...”

“Yes, Master.”

“Please help us.”

“...”

And there it was. The Master belatedly approached the topic he should have done sooner.

After grandly sighing, the Master addressed Besley again.

“As you can tell, the Round Table is in the middle of a transformation. And today’s incident will surely accelerate this transformation process.”

Besley agreed with that sentiment.

It’d be impossible for this organization to remain the same. Any changes to the Knights signaled changes to the Round Table, after all. Since the Knights would never be the same from today onward, it was only natural that this place would experience noticeable changes, too.

The Round Table and the Master were now truly riding on the proverbial tiger's back. And it was too late to consider jumping off now!

“I can’t do this alone, Sir Besley. I need your help.”

“Even though you say that... How much help will I even provide you with?”

“Please don’t say that. Of course you’ll be helpful.”

“But...” Besley groaned deeply. “I'm not trying to whine like a kid, sir. I genuinely don't know what I can contribute here. If you ask me to assist you, then sure, I’ll do as you ask. But it’s not like I can stab myself in the throat, Master.”

“...”

Besley stared straight at the Master. “Sir, what you’ve been trying to do, is it really for the sake of the Round Table?”

He asked one question he should never ask. However, he still went ahead and asked it, anyway.

And now, the ball was in the Master's court. Here was his opportunity to clear the air.

The Master silently stared at Besley before gravely speaking up again.