Descent of the Demon Master

The sensation of the shirt's fabric rubbing against the Master's wrist felt more abrasive than usual. Even though he had worn this get-up every single day of his adult life, something about it felt a little off today. A little awkward.

The Master slightly flicked his head back. Even the feeling of the shirt collar around his throat felt too tight for his liking.

When he thought about why, he realized his attire during his stay in South Korea had been slightly more casual than this. He had no idea that simply not tightening the tie or leaving the top-most shirt button undone was enough to transform how a business suit felt to a person.

‘It seems I was enjoying my brief freedom, then?’

The Master chuckled hollowly.

Wearing formal suits everyday had dulled him to not realizing how stuffy such a get-up could be. However, spending a few days with the top-most shirt button undone was enough to make him feel that this suit was too tight and restrictive.

Even though he wore this style throughout his entire adult life!

How sly was a human heart, then? And how sly was the Master in that sense, too?

The Master wordlessly rubbed his face. Not dressing up properly for a few days couldn’t have made him feel this stuffy and frustrated. No, it must be… Maybe it was the easy-going nature of the Martial Assembly and South Korea that had influenced him. Which was something he didn’t want to admit!

The Master closed his eyes and pondered. Only fools would turn a blind eye to reality just because something they didn't want to acknowledge was happening right in front of their noses. The wisest thing in this case was to admit to himself. To accept what was happening to him.

So, the Master accepted it. Accepting it wouldn't change anything about him, anyway. He should return to his old self, to the persona of the Master of the Round Table, after sucking in several deep breaths. There was no doubt in his mind about that!

Knock, knock…

Before he could do that, though, his hearing caught the sound of someone knocking on the door.

‘It’s not quite enough…’

The Master hadn't finished controlling and calming his mind. But regaining his composure was not going to happen now with someone disturbing him like this.

There was no helping it. Life never really worked out perfectly according to plan, after all.

The Master sighed under his breath, then opened his eyes. “Come in.”

The door to the room silently opened, and an escort smartly stepped inside. "Master. Knights have finished convening.”

“Hmm… I see.” The Master slowly nodded away.

Knights physically gathering in one place like this was a rare event. After all, each Knight must lead their respective nation. Even if the value of their existences were indelibly tied to the operations and preservation of the Round Table, they still had to deal with all the disparate matters found in their nations. And that task was not child's play, either.

‘I can’t even imagine how the Round Table survived in the ancient past.’

How did an international organization like the Round Table manage to keep existing in the past when the telephone hadn't even been invented yet?

Although that question might sound like an indecipherable mystery, the Master already knew the answer. The Knights of the past didn't suffer from the excessive level of work their present-day counterparts had to deal with. After all, the flow of incoming information back then wasn't as insane as it was now!

“Very well. Lead the way,” said the Master.

“Yes, sir. Allow me.” The escort bowed his head before taking the lead.

The Master stepped into the classy but old-fashioned lengthy corridor connected to his room, then subtly pushed his mask up his face.

‘How cumbersome…’

The mask felt through his glove came across as cold and ill-fitting.

The Master could only helplessly chuckle. A frog that saw the world outside the well could never go back inside that well again. Even if the price of jumping outside out of curiosity was to wither away and die!

For the Master, the price he must pay for straying outside the well was this unending thirst.

A massive white doorway stood imposingly at the end of the corridor. The Master sucked in a quick breath at this sight. Regardless of what he thought, he must never show his colleagues any signs of internal agitation.

After all, he was the Master. The core of the Round Table!

After erasing all traces of agitation on his face near his eyes, the Master pushed the door open unhesitantly and stepped into the hallway. There it was, an impressively antiquated large circular table that seemed to solely exist to preserve the ways of the past. And the Knights sitting around this table, waiting for the Master's arrival!

‘The ways of the past, is it…?’

The Master subtly hid his jaw area while stepping inside. He was trying to hide the hint of sneer trying to creep into his expression.

Not too long ago, the Master would have no problem accepting this scene as the Knights' way of upholding the Round Table's tradition. However, he now couldn't help but think that this sight was rather old-fashioned and stale.

Eras changed. The world at large changed. In that case, what was the point of trying to hold on to the customs and ways of the past in this era?

After all, weren’t these all… fake? Imitations trying to look as good as the original?

Things created in the modern era would have paid more attention to user-friendliness. Yet these people still tried to bring back the ways of the past. When things were more cumbersome and inconvenient!

Whether it was that Round Table or the Knights sitting around it… They all seemed so unnatural.

“Fuu-woo…!”

After letting out that sigh under his breath, the Master settled down on the Round Table’s seat of honor. Although, it was nothing more than a wooden chair with a fancier-looking carving as the backrest to denote it was the center of the seating arrangement.

Once he was seated, the Knights exchanged some meaningless small talk. It seemed they had already exchanged greetings with each other while the Master had been slightly delayed in his arrival.

“Then, let us get this conference on the way. The first item on the agenda is…”

At least the Master was still happy with how the Round Table was pragmatic in its approach to carrying out its duties. He slowly nodded in approval as each item on the agenda was dealt with without any unnecessary distractions.

‘Indeed. What matters in the end aren’t tradition and customs.’

Even if the Round Table contradicted itself in some sense, there was no denying that the organization was instrumental in making the world a little more peaceful than before.

Someone out there was enjoying their new life right now, thanks to all the hard work of the Round Table and its members.

...And shouldn't that be enough?

“With that, we have finished voting on all the items scheduled for discussion today,” said one of the Knights.

“Mm,” the Master nodded. That was when everyone’s gaze focused on him. Their eyes were obviously not asking him to announce the end of the conference.

“It seems it’s my turn to speak,” said the Master.

“Yes, it is, Master.”

The gazes locked on the Master weren’t all that friendly. And the Master was fully aware of why.

“Then, let us start with my apology first,” the Master bowed his head slightly. “Even though it was within the privilege afforded by my position, I still recognize that going to South Korea by myself was rather thoughtless of me.”

“Kuh-hmm…!”

Subtle snorts and harrumphs of disapproval came from various corners of the Round Table. This was a problem they couldn’t openly criticize, but it still must be pointed out somehow.

After all, the Master could go anywhere he pleased. That was his right, and no one could forcibly make him stay. However, South Korea was currently considered the most sensitive topic within the Round Table. Going there without getting the agreement of all the other Knights first was an act of looking down on everyone here.

“Master?” Knight Leveaux suddenly raised his voice.

The Master glanced at him. “Yes, Knight Leveaux?”

“If you don’t mind, please tell us what happened during your trip to South Korea.”

Knight Leveaux spoke formally and politely. However, his true intention didn’t seem so polite. He was subtly pressuring the Master by indicating that no one was free from reporting their activities to the Round Table… Even if it was the Master himself!

...Of course, the Master obviously was ready to fulfill his duty.

“Of course, I was about to explain and discuss what happened over there. As you may have heard, yes, I've traveled to South Korea and met with Wiggins and Kang Jin-Ho.”

The Knights’ subtle flinching reaction when Wiggins was mentioned became even more pronounced when Kang Jin-Ho’s name was brought up. The Master’s brows quivered slightly just then.

‘They are still on guard against Kang Jin-Ho, then…’

Their attitude made some sense, however. In their minds, Kang Jin-Ho must be a monster that seemingly appeared without warning in East Asia to rock the entire world. No more, no less. And they most likely had never thought about what kind of ideals the man, not the monster, named Kang Jin-Ho held or what motivated him to do all those things.

How did he guess that? Because the Master himself had not been interested in what kind of a person Kang Jin-Ho was not too long ago. He only focused on the ripples created by Kang Jin-Ho's existence. That all changed after the two men finally met each other.

That was why the Master was confident that the story for these people must be the same.

“Please wait…!” Knight Leveaux raised his hand to halt the proceedings. He seemed to mull over something, then the light in his eyes began gleaming strangely. “Did you say you contacted Wiggins, Master?”

The Master wryly smiled at that rhetorical question. It seemed Knight Leveaux still hadn't gotten over his unhealthy rivalry against Wiggins, even though the latter had abandoned the Round Table quite some time ago.

“Yes, I did.”

“But Master, Wiggins is a traitor!”

“Obviously I know that. However, a traitor or not, we must utilize anyone and everyone deemed necessary to our mission. Isn't that the kind of pragmatism the Round Table pursues?”

“...For now, I have nothing more to add,” Knight Leveaux backed off. However, he didn't even bother to hide his dissatisfaction in his voice.

The Master sighed at this development.

‘As the Master, you must be fair to everyone, but…’

Knight Leveaux seemed incapable of hiding his hostile emotions toward specific countries and individuals. If he became the next Master… How much chaos and unrest would descend on the Round Table?

‘Even though I wish to stop that eventuality…’

Even the Master wouldn't have any avenue to prevent the Round Table's system from selecting Leveaux as his replacement! After all, didn't Wiggins say this? That the Master was also nothing more than one of the cogs in the machine called the Round Table?

“Getting back to my explanation… Yes, I have something to discuss with all of you. I hope you will be patient enough to listen to my opinions and views.”

The Master calmly resumed his explanation.

***

The atmosphere in the Round Table’s conference room was cold. Still.

By then, the Master had finished informing the Knights of what he had felt, the contents of his negotiation with Kang Jin-Ho, and how the terms of the negotiated deal would impact the Round Table.

The Master felt a hint of thirst creeping in. So, he took a nearby bottle of water and gulped it down in one go. While crumpling the empty bottle, he scanned the rest of the Knights and asked, “So… What do you all think?”

“Master…” Knight Leveaux slowly raised his voice while resting his chin on his hand. He seemed to be pondering something for a long while before saying out loud what was on his mind. “So, what you are saying is… Your opinion is that we should go all in with our support of the Martial Assembly under the condition that it must never attack other countries. Did I get that right?”

The Master nodded. “Yes.”

“But why?”

“Mm? What do you mean, why?” The Master frowned slightly. Despite his in-depth explanation, why did Knight Leveaux ask that?

“Master. You support someone when there is something to be gained, correct? However, you have not mentioned what we will get out of supporting the Martial Assembly.”

“No, I have already mentioned it. We will ensure the continued peace in East Asia.”

“Oh, Master…” Knight Leveaux muttered, his voice as cold as ice. “Am I to assume that you honestly believe our support will be enough? Enough for the Koreans to rise up and secure their footing while sandwiched between China and Japan?”

“Yes, I do. They have all the elements for it.”

Knight Leveaux didn’t say anything else and simply glanced at other Knights. They all nodded in silence and held Leveaux’s gaze.

The Master continued to speak. “I know my opinion sounds strange to you. However, from what I have observed, the Martial Assembly and Kang Jin-Ho can…”

“Please wait,” Knight Leveaux suddenly cut the Master off. “Before we decide on this topic, I fear we need to vote first on something much more urgent and grave. I hope you accept this deviation, Master.”

The Master scowled slightly. Introducing another topic while the Knights were already in discussion was indeed a deviation from the tradition. “We can always discuss that later, Knight Lev…”

“No, Master. We need to do this now. Only by resolving this issue first can we determine whether to support the Koreans or not.”

“Mm?” The Master's frown deepened in confusion as he stared at Knight Leveaux suspiciously. Something that must be resolved first? “What is this urgent topic you wish to bring to our attention first, Knight Leveaux?”

“It’s simple, Master.” Knight Leveaux leisurely got up, then suddenly unsheathed the sword from his waist.

Although his action could be seen as threatening, no one else rebuked or stopped Knight Leveaux. After all, unsheathing one's sword did not specifically mean a show of force in the Round Table.

To a Knight, their sword signified their will. By unsheathing it, Knight Leveaux was revealing to others his intentions to risk his position and beliefs for what he was about to do.

He climbed on the Round Table, then scanned all the others sitting around it.

“I’d like to begin the vote to determine if we will impeach the Master of the Round Table!”

The air in the room rapidly grew icy-cold.