“M-my lord!” Wiggins cried out in alarm when he realized Kang Jin-Ho had begun pressuring the Master of the Round Table.
The Master could not utilize his mana at the moment. A martial artist who couldn't rely on their internal energy was no different from a regular person with zero cultivation. To make it worse, the Master was quite advanced in age, as well.
It wouldn't be strange for him to die from a heart attack right this instant after facing Kang Jin-Ho's killing intent head-on!
Kang Jin-Ho withdrew his killing intent when Wiggins’ urgent cry reached him. While leaning back against his couch, he grunted loudly. “Hmm...! My bad. I didn’t consider your situation.”
“N-no, it’s fine,” the Master hurriedly responded despite continuously wheezing and coughing away.
Dealing with injuries and side effects from a defeat was up to each martial artist. Not many things were as shameful as a martial artist pleading with the other party to be more considerate toward their internal injury.
“Cough! Cough!”
When the Master continued to cough and wheeze away, Wiggins quickly got up and took out a bottle of water from the nearby fridge.
“Thank you,” said the Master while accepting the water.
“No, don’t mention it, Master.”
On the surface, at least, what Kang Jin-Ho had done was no different from elder abuse. Even if he was actually far older than the Master!
The Master gulped several mouthfuls of water before placing the bottle on the coffee table. After wiping his mouth clean, he stared straight at Kang Jin-Ho to find the latter had been looking at him with coldly withdrawn eyes all this time.
“Assembly Master... Were you not pleased with my offer?”
“...”
“I've laid out the best possible conditions from my side. I promise you, no one will be able to match or top this offer.”
Kang Jin-Ho smirked slightly. “Did you say conditions?”
“That I did. Yes.”
“You sure know how to mutter some funny things, don’t you?” Kang Jin-Ho flatly replied, his voice somewhat withdrawn. Rather than anger, though... He was clearly irritated by this whole conversation. “What will you do if I agree to the conditions but don’t stick to them?”
“All dealings in the martial world are founded upon trust,” said the Master. He had finally regained his composure by now.
Even after experiencing the terror of getting crushed by Kang Jin-Ho’s pressure, the Master was not scared at all. Even though he was still defenseless!
‘As expected of Master...’
Wiggins was deeply impressed by this display. It was true that Kang Jin-Ho could kill the Master whenever he wanted. However, merely knowing this and getting a taste of it were two very different things.
But the Master maintained his composure despite getting the taste.
Wiggins could never emulate such composure. Knowing this, it was no wonder he instinctively acknowledged the Master for his mental fortitude!
Kang Jin-Ho responded to the Master. “Did you just say trust?”
“Yes. Trust.”
“And that means you trust me?”
“That’s correct. I identified you as trustworthy.”
“Why?”
The Master smiled. “It’s simple. You are determined, Assembly Master.”
“...?”
“I should clarify myself a little. It’s not you that I trust, per se. Since the future you wish to pursue aligns with the Round Table’s goal, I saw no need for both sides to stand at odds against each other. That is all.”
“Oh? So, it’s not about me, then?”
“I can’t say my decision isn’t entirely unrelated to you. But yes, you are not the main reason. The trust I have for you is based a little more on my emotions, so it’ll be difficult to unpack at this time.”
Kang Jin-Ho didn’t immediately respond and simply stared at the Master in silence. The two men’s sharp gazes collided mid-air.
“Trust, you say? Yes, it’s a nice notion, that. Trust...” Kang Jin-Ho muttered, a strange grin etched on his face. Wiggins could tell from that grin that Kang Jin-Ho was not in a good mood, though!
“You sure know how to run your mouth, don’t you?” Kang Jin-Ho grunted dismissively.
“...I beg your pardon?”
“I will definitely succeed!” The Master stared straight at Kang Jin-Ho, his voice calm. “We all know how crucial this deal is for East Asia and for the rest of the world. Even if I have to risk my life... I will make it happen!”
“Hmm. It sounds like you place a lot of worth on your life, then?”
“...”
“Too bad, I don’t,” Kang Jin-Ho gruffly muttered, then raised his hand slightly. That prompted Wiggins to come closer. “I want your opinion on something, Wiggins.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“In your opinion, how likely is it that this man will successfully pull off everything he said to me?”
Wiggins sneakily stole a quick glance at the Master before fixing his gaze elsewhere. He quietly pondered his answer before addressing Kang Jin-Ho. “My lord, in my opinion... The odds of success should be less than 10%.”
“Wiggins?!” The Master called out Wiggins’ name in shock, but Wiggins didn’t respond and continued to explain to Kang Jin-Ho.
“If this discussion took place in the past, then yes, it might have been possible. But the Master of now most likely does not enjoy the same level of authority and prestige as the past.”
Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes. “And the reason for that is?”
“Because of me, my lord.” Wiggins bitterly smiled. “The Master favored me the most out of all the Knights. I'm sure he thought he was being as neutral as possible while backing me, but the unfortunate truth is that the Knights are very perceptive. Even the smallest backing will be amplified into noisy discord in an organization like the Round Table where everyone is supposed to be equal and treated fairly.”
“That makes sense.”
“If the Master was trying to reach an agreement with a different organization, the odds might have favored him more. However, I’m now a part of the Assembly. If the Master attempts to wholeheartedly support the Assembly... I’m sure you can already imagine how suspicious other Knights will become.”
Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded away.
There was no getting away from the fact that Wiggins was a traitor. It was just that no one had stepped forward to demand due punishment for betraying the Round Table.
No organization in history willingly left the traitor alone, but the Master wanted to bury the hatchet and even offer an unprecedented level of support, too? Even if that support was meant for the Martial Assembly and not Wiggins, some people were still bound to raise vociferous objections to the idea.
After all, humans were creatures of emotions, not logic.
Kang Jin-Ho tutted. “In other words, it’s unrealistic.”
“Yes. At least, that’s what I believe, my lord.”
Kang Jin-Ho turned his attention to the Master next. “So? What say you?”
The Master couldn't immediately argue back. Of course he dearly wanted to say something in his defense. But listening to Wiggins helped him imagine what would happen in the near future.
Knight Leveaux, whose standing and influence within the Round Table had seen a meteoric rise in recent times, would never let this situation pass by without an incident. He might be willing to negotiate and compromise in many things, but not when it came to matters involving Wiggins. Knight Leveaux would never yield on this issue.
Not to forget, he was the Knight who unhesitantly cast aside his own Chevaliers as sacrificial lambs. There was no way he’d be sympathetic toward the Master’s circumstances.
“So, you’re a bounced check, then?” Kang Jin-Ho muttered while stubbing the cigarette out. “We’re done here. Go home.”
He then leisurely got up to leave. However, the Master urgently called out to him.
“Please wait!”
“I heard enough from you. You have nothing more to say.”
“But, Assembly Master!”
“Looks like you still don't understand your situation,” Kang Jin-Ho growled, his cold glare locking on the Master. “My respect for you is the only thing keeping you alive. I've left your head attached to your body because I respect a man who walked a different path than mine and reached the top in his preferred school of martial arts. And I respect your attitude of resolutely fighting till the end despite knowing you'd lose.
“However, it’ll be harder for me to justify letting you live if you keep being difficult like this.”
The Master clamped his mouth shut even harder. He had no more room to argue back. However, how could he go back empty-handed like this? When he had accomplished nothing?
That was when Wiggins suddenly butted in. “My lord, may I say something?”
Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Wiggins, his expression one of disinterest.
“I think I may have found a solution to bridge the gap between each party’s positions. If it’s not too much trouble, would you like to humor me on this one, my lord?”
“Fine. Go ahead.”
Wiggins smiled meaningfully while addressing the two men. “We should... transform the Round Table just a little.”
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