Descent of the Demon Master

Chapter 585. Agonizing Over (5)

“It's time to make our decision, Master,” said Knight Leveaux, his attitude forthright and coercive.

The expression of the Round Table's Master distorted as he listened. Of course, his mask ensured no one could spot his displeasure.

'How did things end up this way?'

The Master wanted to remain objective. Level-headed. After all, that was the ironclad rule of being the Master of this organization.

Without a doubt, these masks were created not for the purpose of hiding the wearer's identity but to hide their emotions. The predecessor who decided on this policy of wearing masks must've had a torrid time hiding their overwhelming emotions!

And that was exactly the Master's situation right now. Without this mask on his face, everyone would've guessed what he felt about this particular subject matter. For the first time ever, the Master was grateful for being forced to wear this pitch-black mask.

Knight Leveaux continued to speak. “Master, Knight Wiggins' betrayal is crystal clear at this point.”

“Hold on,” the Master abruptly cut Knight Leveaux off. His emotions were getting too heated for his liking. “It's true that Knight Wiggins has relayed his intention to leave the Round Table and dedicate himself to Korea's Martial Assembly.”

The Master stopped there briefly to collect himself and catch his breath. It felt like saying those words had re-stoked his calming emotions instead.

'Just what are you thinking, Knight Wiggins!'

Even though the Master had favored him so much... Even though the Master had placed so much faith in him!

Sure, it's true that Knight Wiggins had been lumped with an exceptionally challenging task, but that was all for the sake of preparing him for the day he took over the Round Table's Master position. Considering all that... Why did he have to go and create such a situation like this!

This matter was simply far too grave. Too grave even for the Master and his considerable authority to sweep under the carpet!

“However, Knight Wiggins did not say he would antagonize us from now on, either. So, rather than assuming betrayal, we…”

“Master!” Knight Leveaux gruffly called out, his voice becoming a little shriller. His rebuking tone immediately got on the Master's nerves. “Of course you could be right, Master. I deeply respect the fact that you always consider our positions first. Someone like me can't even dream of matching your magnanimity.”

Was that a subtle hint of sarcasm contained in Leveaux's words? Maybe it sounded that way because the Master was unhappy, but he thought he could detect some snarkiness in the French knight's voice.

“However! I do not think this situation should be viewed with your magnanimous heart, Master. Knight Wiggins was deeply involved in the Round Table's affairs. He knows more secrets about our organization than anyone. Not only that but...! He could also possess the most amount of information among the knights.”

Instead of sarcasm, Knight Leveaux's voice now contained a hint of criticism. He seemed to be asking why the Master saw fit to grant Knight Wiggins so much excess information. As a matter of fact, those words were a thinly-veiled attempt at humiliating the Master by implying that he had no eyes of discernment for people.

Unfortunately, the Master couldn't do anything about this mutiny other than biting down on his lip.

Knight Leveaux spotted the Master's figure faintly trembling in rage. A subtle smirk floated up on the French knight's face.

'Hah. Serves you right, you dumb old fart.'

Seeing the Master, a man who always exercised a measure of preternatural calmness, tremble in anger like that gifted Knight Leveaux quite a lot of satisfaction. In some sense, the Master should be pitied, but whose fault was it, to begin with? Indeed, the Master had no one to blame but himself.

'I do acknowledge your capabilities, Master. However, your eyes for people are the absolute worst.'

The Master's fall had been decided when he chose to favor Knight Wiggins instead of Leveaux. Whether it was about one's abilities, knowledge, or even experience, Leveaux was simply superior to Wiggins, yet the Master still chose to support his fellow Englishman instead. And the consequences of that choice had come back to bite him in the rear.

“A man with access to so many secrets joining a different organization! Master, do you not see the implications behind that? A trustworthy man would certainly keep all the secrets to himself. However!” Knight Leveaux roared while stomping on the ground. “A truly trustworthy man would never screw over his old workplace in this manner! At the very least, he'd report the situation to you and other knights, then go through the proper handover process! How can we even talk about trust and whatnot when he abandoned his post without a word to anyone? This is clearly betrayal!”

The Master's hand subconsciously went toward his face to rub his eyes, but...

'...Curse this bloody mask!'

Every now and then, the Master's moods would be at the pits, and this mask would feel like the most annoying thing in the whole world. Now was one such moment.

“So, I ask of you, Master! It's time to make your decision!” Knight Leveaux pointedly asked. He obviously had no intentions of letting go of the reins of this meeting. In fact, he was mercilessly yanking at it! “It would've been better if a crisis of this nature had never happened, but now that it has... We must deal with it. And the way to do so is extremely straightforward.”

As those words came to an end, Knight Leveaux slowly scanned his fellow knights. They all clamped their mouths shut after noticing the spooky coldness in his eyes.

Leveaux spoke in a cold voice. “We... eliminate the source of the leak!”

“Wait!” the Master shouted back. “To eliminate the source, we will have no choice but to declare war with South Korea's Martial Assembly! Do you think you can handle the responsibility that comes with making such a decision?”

“Master...!”

“Knight Wiggins has already committed himself to serving the Martial Assembly. I don't want to admit this, but Wiggins is now a member of that organization! If you wish to eliminate him, then you'll be fighting a war against the Assembly. Surely, you must understand what that means, Knight Leveaux!”

“Master... If it's necessary, we must do it.”

“No, Knight Leveaux,” the Master glared at Leveaux, his eyes extremely cold. “You'd do well to not forget your original duty.”

“My... original duty?”

“That's right. Do not think of my dissuasion as merely an act to shield Knight Wiggins from your criticism. I am fully capable of separating official and private matters. And that is why I can tell you this, Knight Leveaux. You are currently going against the Round Table's principle!”

Knight Leveaux tilted his head as if he couldn't understand what the Master was saying. “Master, I must confess, I can be a rather slow-witted man. I can't possibly see everything you see. That is why I ask you to explain what I have missed instead of berating me like this. Even though I'm a dullard, I shall do my best to understand your points.”

The Master sighed under his breath when Leveaux responded in this manner.

'You sly fox...!'

Knight Leveaux didn't have a reason to be so overbearing here. The justification and the knights' sentiments were on his side, after all. So, he could've expressed his desire to avoid confronting the Master during this conference and that would still have greatly weakened the latter's position.

The Master was fully aware of how crafty Leveaux was. As far as managing an organization or building a case against someone was concerned, the Frenchman was commendably as capable as the best in the world. On top of that, he even boasted the decisiveness to do unsavory things if it was deemed absolutely necessary. Unfortunately...

'That is precisely the issue with you.'

Knight Leveuax might not think this way, but the Master had never discriminated against him. As for the 'why' the Master favored Knight Wiggins? It had nothing to do with one's abilities.

How wonderful it would've been if Leveaux figured this out for himself, but...

“Tell me, Knight Leveaux. Why does the Round Table exist?”

“...I don't understand the question, Master.”

“Our organization does not exist for the sake of our own benefits. No, our duty is to maintain peace.”

“Yes. Of course.”

“However, you're suggesting we must wage war with South Korea to eliminate the source of the information leak,” said the Master in a solemn voice. “You've put the cart before the horse, Knight Leveaux. We are supposed to fight for peace. So, how can you suggest that we must destroy that peace instead!”

“But, Master...!”

“Listen until the end, please,” the Master firmly put his foot down, forcing Knight Leveaux to take a step back.

Even if Leveaux was confronting the Master here, it'd be impossible to make light of the difference in their ranks, experience and knowledge.

“Knight Leveaux, your recommendation is most definitely not for the sake of maintaining peace. No, it's solely for the Round Table's benefit. However, does not our rule say we must choose peace if the choice is between it and potential benefits?”

Leveaux grimaced slightly. “...Indeed, that's correct.”

“East Asia is a powder keg ready to blow at any given moment. However, instead of doing our absolute best to prevent the explosion, you wish to fan the flames instead? Is that something a knight of the Round Table should even say?"

The Master's rebuke was heavy. Heavy enough for Knight Leveaux to stop yanking on the reins and retreat one step. However, he was still not prepared to withdraw his protest.

“Master, I fully understand what you want to say to me. However...! Please think about this.”

“Think about what exactly?”

“Because your opinion is correct... We must hit South Korea as soon as possible!”

The Master scowled deeply. What kind of sophistry was this?

“As you all know, East Asia is a powder keg ready to blow at any second. That region's state of affairs is no longer under our control. When we failed to eliminate Kang Jin-Ho to stabilize the region, and when Knight Wiggins threw his lot with the Martial Assembly... That's when our influence over South Korea ceased to exist, Master.”

“Mm...!”

Even the Master had no choice but to agree. With Wiggins now on the side of the Martial Assembly, the Round Table would have a far harder time trying to influence that Korean organization.

“In that case, war will inevitably break out in that region. But now, what if Japanese or Chinese forces secure Wiggins as one of the prizes for this war? Can you imagine what might happen?”

“...Oh!”

“Isn't that...!”

Gasps leaked out of other knights' mouths. Even the Master couldn't stop gulping in dread.

'Indeed, that could be a problem.'

Regardless of what anyone said, China and Japan were two of the biggest factors in maintaining world peace. On the surface world, North Korea and the Middle East were usually the sources of trouble on the global stage, but the situation in the hidden world was completely different. It'd not be an exaggeration to say China and Japan could be the source of all trouble in the martial world!

But then, what would happen if one of those two nations 'acquired' Knight Wiggins? A man who held almost all the intimate knowledge of the Round Table?

It'd be the absolute worst outcome. From that moment on, dealing with China or Japan would grow several times more dangerous and difficult. They would know all the tricks the Round Table could use, after all!

Even so...!

“Of course, something like that might not happen, Master. Knight Wiggins could take his own life before being captured or keep his mouth shut regardless of all the cruel torture as a sign of his loyalty. However! This matter is far too grave for us to bet everything on that possibility, Master!” Knight Leveaux stared straight at the Master. “Master... Allow me to be frank. I've never held a good impression of Knight Wiggins.”

“You...” The Master bit his lip.

Leveaux was systematically shutting down any potential escape path. By relying on crystal-clear justification and the graveness of this situation, he was relentlessly pressuring the Master.

If only his political savviness could be directed in something good... The Master would've unhesitantly made Leveaux the next Master candidate!

“However, I assure you that my opinion is not motivated by my personal feelings. Please understand that I'm doing this for the sake of the Round Table and world peace, Master. Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you. We exist solely for maintaining peace. Even so...! If the Round Table ceases to exist...! How can we work toward our goal? That is why I implore you to make the correct decision!”

The Master weakly leaned against his chair after all of his escape paths had been blocked off.

'How... How did we end up this way?'

What Knight Wiggins had done was far worse than imagined. Even he probably didn't expect the situation to devolve to this point. And this distortion began with Knight Leveaux's snake-like forked tongue!

“Both of you, please wait.”

One of the knights silently observing the situation suddenly raised his voice.