HBWnovel Chapter 1012: Sorting Out (2)
Chapter 1012: Sorting Out (2)
Chapter 1012: Sorting Out (2)
“First of all... We have finished subjugating the Round Table,” said Wiggins while scanning the faces of his audience members. They stared back at him, their expressions slightly furrowed. “Of course, it is all thanks to my lord stepping forward to deal with the situation.”
“Don’t you think this whole thing was a bit of a letdown?” Bang Jin-Hun tutted unhappily. “After fighting those people myself, I can confidently say they are not weaklings. However! Just because their higher-ups got blown away, they choose to surrender immediately? I don’t get it, folks. I don’t get it at all.”
“I understand where you're coming from,” Wiggins nodded to say he sympathized with Bang Jin-Hun. “However, choosing to surrender could be a more rational solution from their point of view.
"First of all, they know they can't overpower us. Besides, the Master of the Round Table is also present, so it wouldn't be too late to alter their stance depending on how the situation unfolds.”
Bang Jin-Hun tutted. “Isn’t that basically them acting like wishy-washy cowards?”
“...If that's how you want to view this situation, no one can stop you,” Wiggins sighed. He promptly gave up on persuading Bang Jin-Hun.
He had a hunch that Bang Jin-Hun would never truly understand the Round Table’s point of view no matter how much it was explained to him. Besides, nothing would change even if Bang Jin-Hun was finally persuaded, anyway.
Kang Jin-Ho ignored Bang Jin-Hun’s complaints and addressed Wiggins. “So? What’s the next step?”
“Firstly... We'll reinstate the Master to his original position,” Wiggins replied while scratching his chin. “That should be the most optimal method to minimize the resistance from the Round Table.”
Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded in contemplation.
“However, master?” Lee Hyeon-Su suddenly raised his voice, indicating he wasn't as accepting as Kang Jin-Ho. “We did all the hard work, so giving the Master position back to... uh, the Master seems like we'll be making a net loss, wouldn't you say so? We'll be walking away with nothing to show for all our hard work.”
“Hmm...”
“I'm not expecting a huge payday from these events, but! I'm not interested in charity work, either.”
Wiggins grinned at that. “Indeed, Mister Lee. Indeed. Rest assured, even I’m not interested in walking away empty-handed.”
“...Oh.” Lee Hyeon-Su nodded. However, his expression still indicated that he wasn’t convinced.
Wiggins chuckled. “You still doubt me?”
“No, it's not doubt, but... Uh...” Lee Hyeon-Su thought about what to say before raising his voice again. “Please don't take this the wrong way, master. Since you knew the Round Table the best among us, it was inevitable that you'd be tasked with dealing with this organization. But I can't help but wonder if your personal feelings played a part in how you handled this task.”
Wiggins silently nodded.
‘He’s still unhesitant in things like this, isn’t he?’
No one could deny that Lee Hyeon-Su was the most involved with Wiggins out of everyone in the Martial Assembly. Others' relationship with Wiggins largely stayed as acquaintances, but not Lee Hyeon-Su. They were actually in a master-disciple relationship.
Even then, Lee Hyeon-Su unhesitantly let his weariness of Wiggins known.
It was as if he was making his position crystal clear that being the Martial Assembly's loyal chief of operations took precedence over being Wiggins' disciple.
“I understand where your uncertainty comes from, Mister Lee. And I admit that I should be more strict and thorough with my job to escape the cloud of suspicion still hanging over my head.”
“Well, uh, if you’re willing to go that far...”
Wiggins grinned cheerfully at Lee Hyeon-Su before shifting his attention to Kang Jin-Ho. “My lord. Objectively speaking, it's impossible for the Assembly to control the Round Table.”
“I'm not surprised to hear that,” said Kang Jin-Ho to indicate that he agreed with Wiggins' assessment.
There were two problems to consider here—the distance between the two countries as well as the size of the Assembly's combat force.
To effectively rule over a group of people, suitable military strength was absolutely crucial. In that case, what about the Assembly?
Either Kang Jin-Ho would have to stay in Europe, or most of the Assembly's combat force would have to be stationed here full-time.
Neither method sounded like a sensible solution.
“So, the only choice we have is to install a leader who is friendly towards the Assembly and ask for this individual’s cooperation.”
“Mm...!”
“And in my opinion, the Master is the most suitable candidate,” said Wiggins.
Kang Jin-Ho nodded slightly. “If that’s what you think is for the best, do it.”
Bang Jin-Hun blinked his eyes furiously and tried to cut in. “But, Assembly Master...!”
“It’s fine. This is what we’ve planned to do from the get-go, anyway.” Kang Jin-Ho casually waved his hand away.
“But...”
When Bang Jin-Hun tried to continue, Kang Jin-Ho decisively put an end to this discussion. “Enough.”
“...”
Once silence returned to the office, Kang Jin-Ho muttered disinterestedly. “We didn’t come here to get something out of these people, after all.”
“Eh...” Bang Jin-Hun gasped softly. That prompted Kang Jin-Ho to silently stare at Bang Jin-Hun. The former Assembly Master could only cough awkwardly at that probing gaze and nod away. “Y-yes, that is true.”
Kang Jin-Ho was right. They didn’t come to Europe to swallow up the Round Table. However, as if to prove Bang Jin-Hun was still human, his heart was set alight with greed after the Round Table had been subjugated.
If Vator had been genuinely suspicious of Wiggins, he wouldn’t have said anything and silently observed the unfolding situation to find any proof or pretext to eliminate the Englishman once and for all. But he wasn’t doing that.
‘Hah. Indeed, the Martial Assembly can be such a troublesome place.’
Wiggins smiled bitterly before addressing Vator. “No need to worry, Sir Vator. I’m also focused on finishing the matters here as quickly as possible so I can return to South Korea, you see?”
“Mm? You were planning on going back?”
“Of course.”
Vator seemed a little taken aback. “But... Shouldn’t you stay here if you wish to manage the Round Table situation more effectively?”
“I won't deny that staying here makes more sense. Even so, I've no desire to stay. The Round Table can be such a... boring place, you see? I can't let you have all the fun without me while tagging along with my lord, now can I?”
“Huh...”
“Also, the younger generation martial artists I've been mentoring are waiting for me back in Korea. As a tutor, it's unthinkable for me to forsake their education. So, I simply must return to Korea with everyone here. And that is one more reason why we need the Master.”
Vator weightily nodded away. Logic wasn’t the reason for him agreeing with Wiggins here.
Out of everything Wiggins said, the one about not letting others have all the fun without him resonated the most with everyone in this room. After all, others must've been thinking the same thing!
Vator grunted while leaning back. “So? What are you planning to do with the Round Table?”
Wiggins smirked. “I’ll force it to form an alliance with the Assembly.”
“An alliance? You think you can fool and subjugate the Round Table with a lie that obvious?”
“There are many ways to subjugate the enemy, but...” Wiggins’s smirk deepened. “The best method isn’t to use violence.”
“Mm? Then, what? Be friends?”
“No,” Wiggins firmly shook his head. “You suppress them through... fear.”
“...”
“The Round Table has already witnessed my lord's... The Assembly Master's godly strength. Things worked out favorably, so everyone here has witnessed what kind of a person our Assembly Master is.
“They might not understand the implications just yet. However, once they get bored out of their minds stuck inside those rooms, they will recall and mull over the spectacle. And soon, realize what it all means.”
Wiggins's smirk became a little more sinister just then.
“The fall of the legend that is the Elder Knights. The godly strength of the leader of the Korean Martial Assembly. The Master of the Round Table showing up in the hall but not being able to do anything besides watching. And finally, the sight of me offering my absolute loyalty to the Assembly Master...”
Wiggins began swishing his fingers in the air like a conductor.
“Once all those memories begin to intermingle in their minds, the witnesses will start to view my lord as the object of pure fear. Since all they can do right now is think and reflect, their fear will only grow fatter and more ominous. And when their own fertile imaginations are added to the fear...
“The memories of today will be branded into their psyche like a trauma for all eternity.”
“...”
“Yes, an alliance is indeed a nice-sounding concept, isn't it? It eliminates the sense of... repulsion. Rejection. However, can an alliance qualify as one if one side cannot refuse the demands of the other side? No, it doesn't. And I'll make sure that's what happens.”
Vator sighed under his breath while listening to Wiggins.
‘What a venomous fellow fella you are.’
He was wondering why Wiggins would go to the trouble of freeing the Master of the Round Table even before the battle had ended. As it turned out, though, Wiggins had already calculated things this far ahead!
Having people like Wiggins as enemies would make one's life very troublesome, indeed!
“Hmph. It’ll be great if things work out as you say,” Vator grunted. “However, I’m pretty sure the Master of the Round Table is no pushover.”
“Don’t worry. Things will work out as I envision,” Wiggins smiled meaningfully. “After all, the Master should know the truth already.”
“Truth? What truth?”
“The truth about... How going along is the only way to ensure his own survival!"
The air in the room rapidly grew icy.
Vator tutted loudly. “Huh. I'm beginning to pity that Master fellow. He probably trusts you quite a lot, after all!”
“I wonder... Does he really?” Wiggins shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll be a pleased rat if he does trust me, though.”
Vator slowly shook his head in defeat while Wiggins cackled and joked back.
‘Yup, no one here is sane. Not a single one!’
Of course, that was including Vator himself!