Chapter 561. Having a Discussion (1)

“Mister Jin-Ho...” Lee Hyeon-Su cautiously raised his voice, his tone subdued. Calm.

However, his composed voice didn't reflect his actual state. After Kang Jin-Ho's words slammed into his brain, Lee Hyeon-Su's heart started pounding like crazy for the first time in a long, long while. It was as if he was in a reunion with his first love.

Even then, he knew he had to put on a calm, unperturbed front. He was worried about the conference room's atmosphere boiling out of control if he also became too excited.

“I get what you're saying. However... In reality, that is not as simple as you make it out to be.”

Kang Jin-Ho quietly stared at Lee Hyeon-Su, his gaze also calm. Cold, even. It was impossible to guess what he was thinking from his expression.

Lee Hyeon-Su felt pressured by that gaze and had to say something first. “Mister Jin-Ho, we are... weak.”

This was that one thing he loathed to bring up. However, it needed to be said right now.

“Of course, it's not like we're hopelessly weak. Objectively speaking, the Martial Assembly's situation has improved by leaps and bounds in the past few months. The constant war of nerves and localized conflicts with the Yeongnam Group used to be a major drain on the Assembly's manpower and resources, but we don't have to worry about that anymore. And, absorbing the Yeongnam Group without too much trouble allowed us to painlessly unify the command structure,” Lee Hyeon-Su took a short pause here to suck in a deep breath. “Not just from the Assembly's point of view, but also from South Korea's martial society... This is easily the strongest this organization has been since the founding of our nation.”

Of course, there were periods in history when Korea boasted a much livelier, stronger martial society than the modern era. However, people back then were still split into different factions, so the Korean martial artists had never spoken with one voice until now.

In that sense, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say South Korea's martial society was at its prime right now.

However, that didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. Even if the Martial Assembly was at its strongest point in history, it still couldn't compete against the neighboring nations.

“However, the neighboring nations will not sit still while we try to strengthen ourselves. If they think we're becoming a threat, they will stop at nothing to exterminate us.”

Wiggins frowned after listening to the translation. “However, Mister Lee... They won't leave us alone as a neutral territory even if we don't grow our strength. Historically speaking, those who bet their farm on balanced diplomacy have never enjoyed a good end.”

Lee Hyeon-Su slowly nodded. “Yes, I'm aware. Even so, such an extreme and pronounced act, like the one Mister Jin-Ho has suggested, is…”

“What a bunch of useless arguments,” Vator suddenly piped up to break his self-imposed silence. “You're all gravely mistaken. As far as this matter is concerned, my master's assertion is absolutely correct.”

Lee Hyeon-Su frowned. “...Why do you think so?”

“Because, they won't wait for you,” Vator snorted derisively. “You can't survive by keeping your heads down during the Warring States period. Forget national boundaries and look beyond that. East Asia is in the middle of its own version of the Warring States, with many, many warlords vying for supremacy. You think anything will change for you by putting your hands down and burying your head in the sand?”

“Mister... No, Sir Vator,” Lee Hyeon-Su sighed deeply. “I agree that we're in the era of conflicts. However, I think you're overlooking something. The Warring States period taught in school amounts to only a few pages, but in reality, the chaos has lasted for centuries.”

“Hmm?”

“By keeping our heads down, I honestly believe we can buy at least decades of breathing room. Even if we're in the modern era where things happen faster.”

“...Hah. Hahahahaha!” Vator suddenly started guffawing loudly. It clearly contained mockery and contempt, forcing everyone to shift their gaze and stare at the big man. Vator's laughter soon turned into a derisive smirk. “I wondered how amazing this organization was since my master calls it his home, but...! It seems only the bookworms are infesting this place!”

“Vator...” Kang Jin-Ho quietly raised his stiff-sounding voice.

Vator immediately lowered his head. “My apologies, Master.”

“Don't be so rude. Be more respectful.”

“Yes, Master!” Vator politely bowed to Kang Jin-Ho before turning his attention back to Lee Hyeon-Su. “I'm not the one who has failed to consider other points. It's you.”

Lee Hyeon-Su frowned deeply. “...Why do you say that, Sir Vator?”

“The Warring States period from history books was about nations fighting each other. It seems you don't understand the difference between kingdoms and factions.”

Lee Hyeon-Su grew puzzled by that but still continued to listen.

Vator grunted loudly. “A kingdom carries on through its royal bloodline. Even if the war does not end in my era, my sons and their descendants will continue and finish it. However, your opponents in this situation are not survived by their descendants. If they can't finish it during their time, it's over.”

Lee Hyeon-Su furrowed his brow.

“Whether it's the Crimson King or the other two kings... They are not young men in their prime anymore. So, I wager they will stop at nothing to conquer heaven and earth before their time is up. That war to end all wars... is not far from now.”

“M-mm...!” Lee Hyeon-Su sucked in a deep breath after realizing he hadn't thought about that.

Vator wasn't finished explaining his viewpoints and continued on. “So, they will try to deal with any hindrance or obstacle blocking their way. By any means possible, too. Which means, my master's opinion is correct. If you fail to strengthen yourselves on time and neglect to prepare for the upcoming epoch-changing war, you and everything you hold dear will be utterly destroyed. That I guarantee!”

“I agree with Mister Vator,” Wiggins raised his hand, then nodded weightily. “I've had many opportunities to closely observe conflict zones while working for the Round Table. Since every situation is different, it's impossible to say which option is the best one available. But I can confidently say that being lackadaisical in your approach will not work. All those who thought 'We will be fine' always paid a hefty price.”

“Even so!” Lee Hyeon-Su interjected, his expression stiff. “Pursuing a hard-line policy like this in our current situation can hasten our destruction.”

“Yes, that is a possibility. However, wouldn't you say there is a big difference in the potential reward?”

Lee Hyeon-Su's lips parted several times only to clamp shut. He wanted to say something, but the only thing coming out of his mouth was a soft groan. Obviously, he knew what these men were saying. However...!

'Damn it! This is not a game, you know!'

You could start over in a video game if you messed up somewhere. Unfortunately, they weren't living in a game but in reality. Failure meant their annihilation! In that case, minimizing risk as much as possible was the correct way of navigating this situation in Lee Hyeon-Su's opinion.

“Not agitating the...”

Kang Jin-Ho suddenly cut Lee Hyeon-Su off. “If there is a way to get stronger without agitating the other parties, I'm more than willing to choose that. So, I'm all ears.”

Lee Hyeon-Su couldn't say anything. Sure, he could think of dozens of plausible-sounding methods, but was any one of them actually worth staking his reputation on? Could he confidently say, 'Here is the silver bullet!' to everyone here?

Kang Jin-Ho stared at the frowning Lee Hyeon-Su before raising his voice again. “Yes, finding the most ideal solution would be for the best. I agree.”

Lee Hyeon-Su quietly bit his lip.

“However, doing nothing while trying to come up with that ideal solution is the absolute worst way to spend your limited time.”

Lee Hyeon-Su had no choice but to nod in agreement. This was the reason why he could never become a leader. Why he'd always remain as an aide!

There was no such thing as a perfect scenario in reality. Sometimes, one had to squeeze their eyes shut and bravely charge forward even with the clear and present danger facing them.

The courage to decide on the timing and method was called 'decisiveness'. And Lee Hyeon-Su lacked this courage.

“If you come up with a better method, inform me right away,” said Kang Jin-Ho. “I promise you, I shall stop immediately and heed your recommendation. Until then, I'd like you to follow my method.”

Lee Hyeon-Su sighed in resignation. Even if Kang Jin-Ho told him to shut up and follow, Lee Hyeon-Su had no choice but to do so. So, what could he complain about when Kang Jin-Ho was asking so courteously like this?

“Understood. I'll do as you say, Mister Jin-Ho. However, I'll continue searching for a way to stop this situation.”

“Good. As long as you try your best, I can't ask for anything else.”

“No need to worry about that,” Lee Hyeon-Su groaned, then gulped down a cup of water to quench this sudden thirst burning his throat. '...Am I too much of a realist?'

Nothing could be more dumb than trying to inject a dose of reality into a discussion of dreams. Lee Hyeon-Su knew this, but that didn't mean he shouldn't bring up the cold, hard reality. After all, he'd like to decline the opportunity to die as a dreamer. Humans were supposed to be grounded firmly in reality throughout their lives, weren't they?

“We are all aware of what our common goal is,” Kang Jin-Ho addressed everyone in the room. “As long as the threat from our neighbors is real, we must grow our own forces capable of fighting them off. If it was something I could've done alone, I'd have done so already. Unfortunately, that's not realistic at all. There is a clear limit to what a lone individual can do, after all.”

He was speaking from experience on this one. And he didn't want to go through that gruesome event ever again.

Even though Kang Jin-Ho was peerless under the heavens, he still didn't have enough strength to survive the combined assault of top experts from the orthodox and unorthodox sects.

'And that's what warfare looks like.'

Of course, Kang Jin-Ho wasn't aggrieved by his loss. This was how wars were fought, after all. People resorted to every trick in the book to win. If their enemy was stronger, they obviously should combine forces with allies. That was common sense. Why would anyone fight one-on-one against a stronger foe and taste defeat? Doing that was brainless and pointless.

Regretting after tasting defeat and losing everything was just as pointless, too. So, the only option was to become stronger. Not just Kang Jin-Ho, but everyone, too. So that no one would dare deprive him of what made him a human.

“The goal of becoming stronger is absolute. It needs to be done. I've been thinking about how to achieve this goal, too. Crucially, though…” Kang Jin-Ho held the gaze of each and every one in the room. No one tried to avoid locking eyes with him. “This is not something I can do by myself. I've wizened up now. I now know that I can't do everything. I also know that others can do a much better job than me in many things. That is why... Please lend me your strength, everyone. I'd like to tread this path with everyone by my side.”

A faint grin crept up on Bang Jin-Hun's lips. 'Yes, this was it...!'

Truth be told, the person most dissatisfied with Kang Jin-Ho in this room wasn't Lee Hyeon-Su. No, it was Bang Jin-Hun. He had reached the Assembly Master position through Kang Jin-Ho's assistance, which left him in a weird spot where he was no better or worse than a figurehead.

The power to make crucial decisions now rested with Kang Jin-Ho, and Lee Hyeon-Su held the most influence when it came to making those decisions. With the situation like this, who wouldn't be dissatisfied? Even so...

Bang Jin-Hun was surprised by himself. To be specific, the surprise was about how little his dissatisfaction was. He had been curious about why this was the case, and what Kang Jin-Ho said just now cleared all the doubts from his mind.

Kang Jin-Ho wasn't treading this path alone!

All martial artists held on to this belief: the strong was always right. That they were superior to everyone else. As such, they trusted their own judgment far more than other people.

That had been the case for Lee Jung-Geol and Kim Seok-Il. Even Bang Jin-Hun was guilty of this mindset. Within his own clique, Bang Jin-Hun was no better than a dictator.

But Kang Jin-Ho was decisively different in this case. Despite boasting strength incomparably greater than previous leaders, he didn't believe himself to be omnipotent. He knew he couldn't do everything, so he readily admitted to his weaknesses and unhesitantly asked for help from the people around him.

Sure, Kang Jin-Ho could be stubborn in some matters but didn't hesitate to open himself up to other opinions and recommendations. And that gave the impression that everyone was walking alongside Kang Jin-Ho on his journey.

This wasn't Kang Jin-Ho's kingdom. It was a community where everyone worked together to guide it into a better future.

“Then... Can I ask you for something, Mister Jin-Ho?” Bang Jin-Hun smoothly smiled and stared at Kang Jin-Ho.

Kang Jin-Ho also smiled back and nodded. “Sure. Please go ahead.”

“Before we start on this and that…” Bang Jin-Hun's smile deepened suspiciously. “...Please help me secure my position as the Assembly Master first. I'm getting a bit unnerved by how stronger people than me keep joining our ranks, you see?”

“...Oh.” Kang Jin-Ho reluctantly nodded when Bang Jin-Hun trampled on the beautiful ideal of working together in a community in search of practical benefits.