Chapter 1212. Finishing Touches (2)

Chapter 1212. Finishing Touches (2)

Wiggins wasn’t so keen on shooting the breeze with the Iemoto.

Although he felt pity, trying to make his enemy feel better was something only a moron would do. Had the situation gone awry somewhere, even if only by a little, the one despairing right now would’ve been Wiggins, not the Iemoto.

Despite knowing this, Wiggins still responded because the Iemoto cut such a tragic figure right now.

“What you’ve done wrong was to stay here.”

The Iemoto looked up at Wiggins. “...Staying here?”

“Yes. This place isn’t a battlefield,” said Wiggins with a rueful shake of his head. “My lord is the type to stand and fight on the frontline. So, to him... Anyone who doesn’t fight can’t be called a martial artist.”

“You have to stand on the battlefield to be called a warrior? Is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s right.”

Wiggins’ gaze locked on the Iemoto had gotten a little colder. The pity in his gaze began dissipating. Trying to figure out why Kang Jin-Ho didn’t acknowledge the Iemoto helped him organize the messy thoughts in his head.

“This war must’ve been the most important war in your life. Even if you had won, you’d still have to contend with countless losses of your men. And defeat would’ve meant losing everything. Knowing that, why were you hiding in here? A martial artist of your skill level would’ve definitely been a massive help in the war. You should’ve been there, cutting down as many enemies as you could.”

“How foolish!” The Iemoto suddenly roared out in a fit of anger. “I am a king! My death would’ve meant the end of the war, too! Which king would be insane enough to risk such a danger and fight on the frontline?! A king must stay behind in the safe zone and watch the flow of the battle! That is the Art of War. That is how it’s supposed to be!”

“Sure, you might be right.”

Wiggins was sure of it now. The Iemoto’s reply told him everything he needed to know.

“You’re right.”

“...?”

“Your logic is sound. And your strategy is also correct. Common sense-wise, you’ve made the best decision available.”

The Iemoto shouted again. “Then, what did I do wrong?!”

“...You still don't get it?”

Wiggins could only stare at the Iemoto with renewed pity.

“My lord hasn’t denied your capabilities. No, he simply did not acknowledge you as a warrior. That is all. Commanding an army from a safe zone is what kings do, not warriors.”

The Iemoto’s eyes powerfully quaked.

Wiggins wryly chuckled. “What a dilemma this is, wouldn’t you say?”

In a way, this was a cruel development for a martial artist. While rising through the ranks until reaching the position of commanding the entire army, it’d be nearly impossible for a martial artist to maintain their primal desire to wield their weapon and bathe in the blood of their enemies.

The Iemoto must’ve gone through all the obvious steps to reach this point in life, which led to him making the most sensible choice.

But that choice wasn’t something a martial artist, a warrior, would’ve made.

Had they not already witnessed it?

Had they not already witnessed the sight of a wielder of absolute authority who could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted standing in the frontline to lead his army? To fight against the enemies and shed his own blood in the process?

A man who sat at the highest position in the Martial Assembly still stood at the forefront and faced the enemy. Not only that, but Kang Jin-Ho didn’t view that as a part of his duty.

In fact, he didn’t think that a king must deal with duties far more burdensome than everyone else’s. No, he stood at the forefront simply because... He was powerful.

A martial artist was supposed to fight. And in a battle, the most powerful should lead the troops.

That simple-to-a-fault mindset was the motivation driving Kang Jin-Ho forward. From the perspective of such a person, the Iemoto would obviously be disqualified as a warrior. No, the latter would be nothing more than a ruler, a politician, who used the power and authority he had swallowed up to manipulate the surroundings and gorge on benefits from a safe distance away.

Of course Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t get himself worked up to fight someone like that.

“You probably climbed the hierarchy successfully because you are not a martial artist. He wasn’t denying that. It’s just that...” Wiggins chuckled wryly again. “Your opponent this time was a bad match for you. Even if your defeat had been far worse, my lord would only have been happy to cut you down had you confronted him as a fellow martial artist.

“However... Your method isn’t quite enough to provoke my lord. It’s basically... Yes, let’s call it pointless. Meaningless. No more, no less.”

The Iemoto’s head slowly faltered as if all of his energy had abandoned him just then. Even his complexion seemed to have faded, too.

Wiggins sighed deeply. He used to see something similar to this rather often in the past. And it was the sight of a person who lost everything that propped their life up and had no desire to continue living on.

Even if the Iemoto walked away from here alive, he’d no longer be a living person. Even if Wiggins and Co. left him alone like this, the Iemoto would become bedridden for the next few days and wither away until drawing his final breath.

“Master,” said Wiggins.

“Mm. I know.”

To someone like that, only one thing could be considered an act of true mercy.

The Master raised his sword while approaching the Iemoto. The latter didn’t respond even as his executioner closed in. His eyes were empty. Not a hint of fear of death or obsession of life could be spied in those hollow eyes.

The Iemoto remained kneeling, his dead and empty eyes staring into the distance, as he muttered something inaudible to himself.

Although Wiggins could pick up snippets of that muttering, such as ‘martial artists’ and ‘my life’, he chose not to think too deeply about them. It’d be pointless, after all. All of it.

“...! Iemoto, sir!”

Having finally sobered up, Shinya cried out and tried to rush toward the Iemoto. Even the Japanese warriors standing beyond the border of the garden frantically charged at the knight orders. But their desperate struggles weren’t enough to reach the Iemoto.

Under the fortress-like defense provided by the knights, the Master quietly raised his sword high. His eyes locked on the back of the Iemoto’s somewhat slender-looking neck.

“Rest in peace.”

The Master had many things he could’ve asked or talked about. But he arrived at those three simple words after pondering what he should say.

Slice!

A chilling noise later, the Iemoto’s severed head tumbled to the floor.

Blood gushed out like a fountain from the Iemoto’s neck, while an expression impossible to describe in mere words remained etched on his face.

Wiggins stared at that severed head without saying anything, before walking over and picking it up.

‘You would’ve died a victor if you had picked a different profession.’

The Iemoto was, without a shred of doubt, a capable man.

He knew how to utilize his influence to the max and to employ the most suitable schemes at the right times. He was capable of mixing the sensible and the illogical to extract maximum benefits, and didn’t hesitate to do whatever was necessary to achieve his goals.

In short, the Iemoto was a man seemingly created to achieve one goal: victory.

But he made one fatal mistake, and that was becoming a martial artist.

The world occupied by martial artists was different from the surface world. Sometimes, people’s hearts overtook their brains, and at times, being a rock-for-brains could serve you better than being smart.

The Iemoto used his genius-level intellect to minimize his losses and trample on everyone else to become the head of Shinichi-kai. Meanwhile, a man who stupidly jumped headlong into conflicts he could have avoided and walked the narrow line separating life and death became the Kang Jin-Ho of now.

That was what separated the two men.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Wiggins muttered, “It seems we should wrap up this event now, Master.”

“Yes, it seems that way.”

The Master and Wiggins exchanged glances of inexplicable sorrow. An absolute warrior lording over Japan as a king... died so pitifully tonight.

***

Rumble, wuuoong...

Lee Hyeon-Su’s head snapped toward a sudden burst of light. That light indicated that the ones headed to Japan to deal with the Iemoto had returned.

However, why were they back so soon when it hadn’t even been five minutes?

Wuuoong...

The light gradually died down to reveal Kang Jin-Ho’s figure.

Lee Hyeon-Su rushed toward his boss’s side. “Assembly Master! You’re back home!”

Kang Jin-Ho briefly nodded. “

Mm

.”

“Where is Director Wiggins, though? Is he not coming, sir?”

“He stayed behind to deal with the aftermath.”

“I see. As for the Iemoto...?”

“Dunno.”

“...I’m sorry?”

Kang Jin-Ho pulled out a packet of cigarettes, took a cigarette out, and leisurely mouthed it. After lighting it up, he wordlessly puffed away while staring at the unhealthy smoke.

A hint of disappointment, maybe even hollowness, could be spied on his face just then.

“That man was not worth my time. I told the others to deal with him appropriately.”

“Oh, I see...” Lee Hyeon-Su slowly nodded.

Although he wasn’t sure what exactly had transpired, Kang Jin-Ho returning so soon could only mean the ones remaining in Japan should be more than capable enough to handle the Iemoto.

He wouldn’t have returned alone if that wasn’t the case.

“It looks like things went well on that side, sir.”

“

Mm

...”

An unreadable smile formed on Kang Jin-Ho’s face.

He could certainly say that things worked out well in the end. However, he didn’t feel like using that expression. His heart was still in turmoil when thinking about how many people had to die because of someone unworthy like that Iemoto guy.

‘I have changed a lot, haven’t I?’

His old self wouldn’t have felt bad at so many people dying needlessly. After all, his world had always been divided into three well-defined sections until now.

One was himself, the other was his ‘friends’, and the last one was his ‘enemy’.

To him, the justifications and circumstances of his enemies didn’t matter. At the end of the day, they were simply enemies. Why should he be considerate toward the situations of enemies trying to kill him? That would be the height of stupidity.

But now, Kang Jin-Ho found the deaths of all these people as unfortunate. It’d been better if those people had risked their lives on something a little more meaningful, but...

“Wiggins should be back soon,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“...Do you mind if I ask you about something, sir?”

“

Mm

?”

“When did you start thinking about dispatching the Round Table to Japan? I did think you were planning something, but it was so sudden for me. It seems to me that you requested their help before the war even began, you see...”

Lee Hyeon-Su had a reason for asking this. The request was made to the Round Table, yes, but the size of the force they dispatched was far too small.

That size ultimately proved adequate since the Japanese warriors pretty much had all left the country to invade South Korea. However, if the prediction had been wrong by a little bit, such a small combat force wouldn’t have been able to do anything.

Kang Jin-Ho wasn’t the type to pray for good fortune. If he really was planning to get the Round Table to invade Japan, he would’ve mobilized everything the organization had. Regardless of potential blowbacks. So, in short...

Lee Hyeon-Su’s intuition said that Kang Jin-Ho hadn’t mobilized the Round Table as a combat force. He must’ve had a different purpose in mind for them.

Kang Jin-Ho smirked. “I thought I told you this earlier.”

“...Sorry?”

“That I’ll personally go to Japan soon?”

“...!”

“This gate magic or whatever it’s called? Don’t you think it’s really convenient? I was planning to go to Japan soon, but the Japanese kindly invaded us first. So, that’s that.”

“...”

Lee Hyeon-Su grew speechless and could only stare at Kang Jin-Ho in stupefaction.

‘Wait. He was still holding on to that?’

Back when Shinichi-kai sent a cruise ship full of its combatants to invade South Korea, Kang Jin-Ho stepped in to give them a watery funeral. That hadn’t been enough for him, so he even tried to hop over to Japan and behead the Iemoto next.

However, everyone stepped in to dissuade him from doing that back then. But now...!

“Wowsers. How could you be so small mi...”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “

Mm

?”

“I-it’s nothing, sir. A... chivalrous hero does not forget their grudges, after all.”

Kang Jin-Ho’s cocked brow rose up even higher as he stared weirdly at Lee Hyeon-Su.

As for Lee Hyeon-Su, he was inwardly sweating profusely after catching himself almost saying Kang Jin-Ho was small-minded.

‘Yup, I must never get on the Assembly Master’s bad side.’

What a scary thing to learn that Kang Jin-Ho hadn’t forgotten about that grudge and kept looking for a chance to travel to Japan until now. And what a surprising thing it was to see Kang Jin-Ho finally making good on his promise despite his current condition.

Lee Hyeon-Su sensed Kang Jin-Ho’s critical gaze and hurriedly changed the topic. “Then, what will you do now, sir?”

Kang Jin-Ho stopped looking weirdly at Lee Hyeon-Su and resumed puffing away on his cigarette. “It’s time to go.”

“Go? To a hospital?”

“No,” Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “To finish this war. Get ready, since we’ll be heading out right away.”

“Yes, sir!”

Kang Jin-Ho briefly nodded and leisurely headed toward the Assembly’s main building in the distance.

His figure slowly stepped past the blood pooling on the ground and among the corpses still littering the scenery. Grey-white smoke drifted lazily away from him.

‘I’m so glad that I’m not his enemy.’

Lee Hyeon-Su was so relieved that he converted his job description from Kang Jin-Ho’s enemy to Kang Jin-Ho’s subordinate. On the other hand...

What a regretful thing it was that some people were still Kang Jin-Ho’s enemies. But they would learn soon enough.

They would learn what it meant to be Kang Jin-Ho’s enemy!