Chapter 1115. Intimidating (5)

“

Whoa, whoa...

Please, you should calm down, sir.” Lee Hyeon-Su playfully raised both of his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I have no thoughts of resisting, you see?”

“...

Hoh

-

oh

?” Kramer scoffed at this unexpected response. “What, you don’t want to fight me?”

“Me? Fight you?” Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled and dismissively waved his hand. “

Eii,

don't be ridiculous, sir. I’m not going to do that.”

“Huh. Maybe you haven’t realized the situation you’re in? I’m here to kidnap you.”

“Of course I can see that. You obviously wouldn’t have brought me here to shoot breezes, after all.”

Kramer deeply scowled. He couldn’t help but think this Korean was a weirdo.

There could be some differences between Eastern and Western martial artists, but they should still value their honor above all else, including their own lives.

To a martial artist, getting forcibly suppressed by the others was easily the worst humiliation they could imagine.

Knights had to deal with indescribable humiliation after submitting to Kang Jin-Ho's brutal strength. Considering that, this brat should be shivering in rage right now.

But no hints of anger could be spied from Lee Hyeon-Su.

Kramer grunted. “You think this is a joke? A prank?”

“Of course not. But...” Lee Hyeon-Su casually shrugged. “I don’t need to worry too much about my fate here, you see?”

“Huh? Even though I can snap your neck in half this instant? How long do you think I’ll need to kill you?”

“Probably around one second, sir. Even so...” Lee Hyeon-Su smirked. “I’m sure an honorable Knight wouldn’t stain his honor by killing an unarmed powerless person.”

“A... powerless what? You?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“How so? No matter what you claim, you don’t look powerless to me?”

“That depends on perspective, sir. Let me ask you this, then. Between fighting against a heavyweight champion in mixed martial arts and a five-year-old who just started training, which one do you think is more dishonorable?”

“...?”

What was this brat even saying? Kramer’s expression grew a little dazed from confusion and flabbergast.

“Sir, what I'm trying to say is that defining the boundary separating a true martial artist and a powerless ordinary person is not that straightforward. If you don’t mind me being more honest with you, I’m trying to say you shouldn't bully people weaker than you.”

“Oh, is that right?”

“I’m weak enough to be considered a powerless ordinary person to you, sir. So, threatening me with your strength is no different from the dishonorable act of bullying powerless people.”

“Huh. Huhuh...” Kramer couldn’t help but chuckle in flabbergast. “You sure have a glib tongue, don’t you?”

“Then, how about this?” Lee Hyeon-Su grinned while raising both hands high up in the air. “As I’ve said before, I will not resist.”

“...”

“Whether you tie me up or throw me inside a sack, you do what you want, sir. But I won’t squeak out a word while you extract me out of this place. Absolutely zero resistance from me. So, are you thinking of threatening a man who isn’t resisting you?”

With that, Kramer was certain of it now. This Korean was not right in the head.

It wasn’t only Kramer who got bewildered by Lee Hyeon-Su. Michelle was also staring at the Korean in sheer shock. “Mister Lee, you... Aren’t you worried about us killing you?”

“Huh? Of course not. If you were after my life, why go through something this cumbersome? You could’ve killed me back in the office, and that would be the end, no? Offing me would be pretty easy for you, after all.”

“...”

“Whether you kill me or kidnap me, you’ll still have to escape from the Round Table pronto if you have not disabled every single CCTV camera in this place. Knowing that, I can easily deduce that your goal is to capture me alive, not kill me after luring me all the way to this... lounge. Isn't that right?”

Michelle nodded dazedly without realizing it.

It was indeed true that the order she received was to capture Lee Hyeon-Su alive. Killing him here would be no different from declaring war against Kang Jin-Ho. And that was one scenario the Knights wanted to avoid at all costs!

Of course, anyone with a functioning mind could have arrived at this conclusion after thinking for a bit. Even if that was true...

Being able to think straight in such a high-pressure situation as this one was still a remarkable feat, indeed.

From Lee Hyeon-Su's perspective, Knight Kramer was undoubtedly an apex predator. Confronting him mere meters away would be akin to an unarmed powerless person facing off against an irreconcilable enemy pointing a machine gun at him.

So, to be able to keep a cool head and objectively analyze the enemy's actions in such a situation, then decide on how to respond?

‘Is this guy even real?’

Michelle had encountered all sorts of personalities within the Round Table’s halls but still couldn’t suppress her flabbergast anymore.

Lee Hyeon-Su glanced at her. “Besides all that, why are you betraying the Master?”

He was even asking her questions now? At this point, Michelle was too stunned to get angry.

“I do not see this as a betrayal, Mister Lee. I might be the Master's secretary, but my duty has always been to safeguard the Round Table, not him. If this organization is heading down the wrong path, is it not our duty to correct its course?”

“Yes, that’s true. However, the wrong path, you say?”

“Being so close by has afforded me a great vantage point, Mister Lee. From a certain point on, the Master stopped making decisions. It was you and your colleagues from the Martial Assembly who had the final say, and the Master could only obey. I’m sorry, but I do not want the Round Table to become someone else's puppet.”

“Hmm, yes. It must’ve looked that way. I agree with you on that one.”

That point of view made sense from Michelle's perspective.

The mistake on Lee Hyeon-Su's part was trusting her a bit too much because of her job title.

The Master seizing full control of the Round Table didn't automatically mean everyone affiliated with the organization would start being loyal to him. After all, this was the Round Table, not the Martial Assembly. What he had done, and continued to do so, was use political power to bring the opposition to its knees.

‘I overlooked the possibility that the Knights wouldn’t be the only ones shooting for glory.’

Lee Hyeon-Su's focus was stolen by the existence of the Knights.

A mistake like this should still have been within the realm of 'forgivable'. Mistakes like this wouldn't be a big problem in most other situations, after all.

However, even trivial mistakes not worth talking about could snowball into something much more troublesome given half a chance.

“What a strange brat you are,” Kramer chuckled helplessly. “I’ll give you points for being so gutsy. However, you’ll soon come to regret your decision. I don’t mind keeping you alive. But that doesn’t mean you will be unharmed.”

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Crack...!

Kramer clenched his fists tightly.

“Because I’m going to make you spit out everything you know.”

Lee Hyeon-Su scoffed right back. “Sounds like you’re the one who doesn’t get it.”

“Say what?”

“I’ll tell you everything you want.”

Kramer’s brows rose up slightly higher in surprise.

“No need to waste your energy, sir. Because I’ll answer every question you have. All you have to do is ask away. Ask me what the Martial Assembly is really like. Ask me what we're scheming, what you need to do when confronting my Assembly Master, and what the Master of the Round Table's weakness is.”

“...?”

“I won’t just stop at giving you the facts here. I can even throw in extras like my personal opinion and even consult with you if that’s what you want. Hell, I can even tell you how many pairs of briefs there are inside my drawers back home. However, I must warn you that memories from my dark history will be off-limits.

“I do not know where you will take me, but it’ll surely have a bed to sleep on, yes? I’d dearly love to not kick the blankets out of sheer embarrassment later, you see?”

Kramer deeply scowled. “You... are insane!”

“Oh, thanks. As long as no physical violence is involved, I have no problem enduring humiliation or psychological torture. However, all this is on the condition that you don't hurt me physically.

“The moment you stupidly lay a hand on me, I will not open my mouth even if you kill me. Let me clarify this now when we have the chance. I am a man of my word.”

Of course he was lying. But these two wouldn’t know that.

Lee Hyeon-Su glared fiercely at Kramer and Michelle. He must convince these two that he was dead serious. Because... Even he had to admit that this was a bit of a risky situation!

“I don’t get it,” Kramer muttered, his expression still cramped. “Why does it feel like kidnapping you is actually a trap?”

“Oh, no, sir. That's a misunderstanding. We did think you’d target us in some way, but getting kidnapped from within the Round Table is still outside of our expectations. We should have considered that, with how vast this place is, some locations are bound to be outside the Master’s control... Then again, anyone capable of predicting that can't be human.

“Besides, I have a rule about not risking my life if I can help it. Something like that is an unnecessary gamble, you see?”

“Then, what do you think you're doing?” Kramer rapidly closed in on Lee Hyeon-Su, grabbed the latter by his throat, then slammed him against the nearby wall.

Bang!

Lee Hyeon-Su grimaced after the back of his head painfully smacked against the hard wall. “...Because of this treatment, I will refuse to answer your next question.”

“Hah?” Kramer cocked an eyebrow, then grabbed Lee Hyeon-Su’s jaw. “Don’t you have any loyalty? How can you betray your allies this easily? As a fellow man, you’re beginning to disgust me.”

“...To think you’d mutter something so idiotic as a Knight, sir.”

“Say what?”

“If you want to hear my answer, you better let me go. Sir.”

Lee Hyeon-Su glared with killing intent sharper than a treasure sword at Kramer.

Despite being a Knight, Kramer still got briefly cowered by that intense aura and falteringly released Lee Hyeon-Su’s jaw.

Now freed from the physical restraint, Lee Hyeon-Su coolly straightened his clothes, then glanced at Kramer. “It seems you’re still mistaken about something, sir. I'm not betraying anyone. In fact, you could say I'm loyally fulfilling my duty.”

“...What bullsh*t are you selling now?”

“What do you think my Assembly Master wants the most from me? What does the Assembly want me to do in this situation?”

Lee Hyeon-Su growled menacingly.

“You think it is for me to clamp my mouth shut and die under your torture? Shout at you like some kind of a loyal retainer from those historical dramas, that I'll never cooperate with my enemies? Of course not!”

Lee Hyeon-Su glared while gritting his teeth.

“No! My duty is to return without a single injury on my body. If it’s necessary for my survival, I’ll chew on manure. I’ll drink piss if I have to! As long as I can return unharmed! I will do anything to achieve that goal. That is my duty! I’ll even sell out the Assembly Master if I have to!”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s eyes grew more and more bloodshot.

“I must survive and return! That is the true sign of my loyalty!”

“...!”

“So, use me all you want. I'll be an excellent source of information for you. Ah, by the way? The quality of my information will improve or fall depending on how good the food and accommodations are. My time at the Round Table has taught me that nothing is better than being treated

right

, you see?

“Well, then. It seems we've been dilly-dallying for too long. How about we go on our way now? Staying here any longer can alert the you-know-who, after all.”

“Hah...” Kramer helplessly chuckled and glared, before suddenly reaching out to grab and choke Lee Hyeon-Su’s throat.

“Kuk?!”

A few seconds after his carotid artery was squeezed, Lee Hyeon-Su passed out.

Plop...

Kramer stared at the unconscious figure of Lee Hyeon-Su on the floor while clicking his tongue. “What kind of a bastard...

Urgh

.”

He did expect Lee Hyeon-Su to be someone

not

ordinary. After all, this brat even made Wiggins step back during the meeting, didn't he?

“Assisting” the Master from behind and voicing his opinion as a proxy instead of Wiggins was enough to prove Lee Hyeon-Su's credentials as a formidable foe.

However, this level of formidableness was something else altogether, now wasn’t it!

“Are all bastards from the Martial Assembly like him?”

That thought sent nasty chills down Kramer's arms.

Lee Hyeon-Su was not strong. Kramer could have easily broken his neck in the blink of an eye. Despite knowing that, however, the Knight of the Round Table was still spooked by a man he could kill with one finger.

‘Maybe we’re doing something incredibly stupid here...!’

This inexplicable dread washed over Kramer, but he knew it was too late to turn back now. Stopping now was worse than not starting this thing in the first place!

“Get ready. We’re leaving the Round Table.”

“Yes, Sir Kramer.”

While watching Michelle fold Lee Hyeon-Su inside a large black bag, Kramer sighed deeply.