"Kuh-hum!"

"…"

It seemed Lee Hyeon-Su behind the steering wheel wasn't feeling so well. Kang Jin-Ho couldn't help but notice all that fake-coughing thing going on for a while now.

Then again, today's fine dust situation in Korea didn't look good, so coughing like that didn't seem so outlandish anymore.

"Fuu-woo…"

As for Wiggins, it sounded like the situation at home was too complicated to mention. At least, that was what all the constant sighs coming from him seemed to indicate.

Of course, Kang Jin-Ho knew he couldn't stop people from sighing like that. Even if he was Wiggins' superior, it was still wrong for him to interject himself into the latter's personal life, now wasn't it!

That was why Kang Jin-Ho had resolutely locked his gaze outside at the passing scenery for a while now and never once glanced inside the car's interior.

"Well, uh…"

Flinch!

When Lee Hyeon-Su tried to say something, Kang Jin-Ho flinched nastily in response.

"Whew…"

In this world existed one lone sigh that could transmit so much more meaning than a million different words. And that sigh from Lee Hyeon-Su fit the bill to a T.

Although Kang Jin-Ho was second to none when it came to having thick skin and wielding balls of top-quality brass, he still found that sigh nearly unbearable.

"Well, sir…" Lee Hyeon-Su muttered again, only to hesitate.

That prompted Kang Jin-Ho to groan and break his own silence. "You know, I'd prefer it if you just come out and say it."

"No, sir. What you did was… What was expected of you," said Lee Hyeon-Su.

"…"

However, now that the floodgates had opened, Lee Hyeon-Su didn't hold back and started his rapid-fire rant. "Yes, sir. Totally expected from you. Since it was an official summit and all, you were understandably left in charge of the talking part as our Assembly Master. So, yes. I totally believe we must prioritize your judgment, and we must unquestioningly obey your decisions. As far as those things are concerned, I have nothing to complain about."

Lee Hyeon-Su knew how to say some nice-sounding things. Too bad, the real thing hadn't even begun yet.

"However, sir!"

'Yup, here we go.'

Kang Jin-Ho now knew all about Lee Hyeon-Su's preferred methods of operation. That was why he could more or less predict what Lee Hyeon-Su might say, too!

In this sort of situation, he'd start off by saying some nice things, only to…

"Yes! Your decisions are usually right! That's what I think, but!"

...Only to say what he really wanted to say!

"But! There is a small problem here, sir! And that is my inability to comprehend why it had to be done this way! Why do you have to fight the Master of the Round Table?! Yes, I get that we're all martial artists here who only know how to fix problems with our fists. Even so, aren't we human beings, sir?!" Ṛ

And then, around here should be where he started dealing crit damage…

"Besides, sir! I don't see what we will get out of fighting the Master like this. Victory? That doesn't amount to anything. Adding another footnote in your resume about beating the Master of the Round Table won't make much of a difference at the end of the day, after all! You already boast many sizable and impressive achievements under your belt, don't you? Why beat up the Master and worsen the relationship between the two organizations? That is… my opinion, sir!"

And right about here would be when he started getting sarcastic.

"Of course, I get that we can no longer reverse the situation after it had come this far. However, sir! Please! Pleeeease! I beg of you to ask us for our opinions first! Please! If you were thinking of unilaterally deciding on stuff like this in the first place, why did you even bring us along? It's not like I'm your designated chauffeur, so why?"

Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded. His predictions were all on the money. How uncanny was that now?

"Fuu-woo…"

Unfortunately, though, Kang Jin-Ho still couldn't fully predict how Wiggins would respond to this situation.

Wiggins continued to sigh and groan before finally breaking his silence.

"My lord…"

At least Kang Jin-Ho was sure of this one thing. And that was Wiggins slowly morphing into Lee Hyeon-Su 2.0!

From what Kang Jin-Ho heard, Wiggins severely rebuked Lee Hyeon-Su for being so insolent and disrespectful toward their boss, but now…

'They are practically the same now, aren't they?'

Wasn't this the case of "

like father, like son?

" Or was it "

like disciple, like teacher

" in this situation?!

Lately, even Wiggins had become unhesitant and ruthless when landing critical blows on Kang Jin-Ho.

"Yes, I understand you behaving that way, my lord."

"…" Kang Jin-Ho's complexion grew a little flushed from shame. He would've much preferred Wiggins to get angry, though!

Kang Jin-Ho was inwardly feeling a bit sheepish for pushing the situation to the extremes when it could've been handled amicably enough. However, with Wiggins putting things like that, how was Kang Jin-Ho supposed to respond now?

"I thought that yes, my lord would react against frustration with the attitude of,

'Let's fight it out!'

I've considered that much in my calculations. But what puzzles me so much is… The Master actually went along with your antics, my lord."

Kang Jin-Ho felt rather wronged just then.

'Huh. Don't you think you're twisting the facts a bit too much there…?'

The truth was that Kang Jin-Ho never asked for a fight. No, it was the Master of the Round Table who threw that provocation out first! That exchange happened not too long ago, and Wiggins was there to witness it, so how could he switch the victim and perpetrator around like this!

This was why the public's perception of a person was so crucial.

Even Lee Hyeon-Su didn't find Wiggins' assertion strange. This proved that, in the minds of these two men, Kang Jin-Ho's image had been solidified as a troublemaker who provoked the other side first for fisticuffs!

'Sure, I did provoke the Master first, but…'

Kang Jin-Ho mulled that point briefly before moving on like a man!

"The Master is not the type of person to fall for such provocations. So, for him to respond this way… There must be some other nefarious scheme at work. My lord, you need to be more wary of this situation."

"Be wary, you say…?" Kang Jin-Ho chuckled slightly. "It sounds like you two perceive me as someone who starts things without a plan, but…!"

"Oh, really? Didn't you, though?"

"Yes, sir. You don't have a plan, do you?"

"…!" Kang Jin-Ho's cheeks just below his eyes twitched a little. Then, he looked away from these two as a hint of sorrow seeped into his expression.

'That Master must be highly respected by his people.'

Kang Jin-Ho remembered the members of the Master's entourage getting angry for their boss's sake. That indicated the Master's authority and prestige were highly respected and revered by his underlings.

On the other hand, Kang Jin-Ho was…

"My lord, please don't be dismissive about this. I believe we should have been more prudent."

"I'm telling you, sir. We gain nothing by doing this. Winning presents various problems, but losing won't make things any better either. Each and every action taken by the head of an organization will always be accompanied by massive risks, you know! But now…"

Kang Jin-Ho silently wound the window down. The air inside the car suddenly felt stuffy and unbearable. Maybe some cold winds on his face could…

"Sir! Fine dust! We're gonna get all the dust on the car's interior!"

"...My bad." Kang Jin-Ho sheepishly rolled the window back up.

Lee Hyeon-Su sulked unhappily. "Uh-whew! Can't even open the bloody windows, all thanks to those Chinese bastards! I might as well blame that bastard, Cai Kechang, for this crap!"

As a man who had zero involvement with the manufacturing industry, Cai Kechang might vomit blood if he heard all the insults aimed at him coming out of Lee Hyeon-Su's mouth. Perhaps thankfully, though, Cai Kechang's hearing wasn't good enough to extend to South Korea.

Lee Hyeon-Su gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Uhm… I think it's still not too late to call this thing off, sir."

"...Don't be ridiculous, Mister Lee," Wiggins scowled slightly while rebuking his disciple.

Even if this whole thing was a spur-of-the-moment development, it was still a decision made by the heads of two opposing organizations. One didn't have to be a genius to realize how much humiliation the side calling off the fight would have to swallow.

There was no other way to describe this situation. They were riding on the proverbial tiger's back. And it was impossible to jump off from it now!

It would be great if the Round Table backed out first, but that organization placed unhealthy importance on principles and saving face above all else. So, they would never call anything off.

Lee Hyeon-Su muttered in despair. "We already have bad blood with the Japanese, and things are even worse with the Chinese… So the only other major faction left is the Round Table, but now… If our Assembly Master beats up their boss… Isn't it basically like, uh, we're f*cked?"

"…" Wiggins didn't say anything and groaned some more.

'I didn't expect things to go this far.'

Wiggins did predict some kind of a clash between the Master and Kang Jin-Ho but never thought it'd snowball into something this massive. The reason for his expectation was simple enough.

'What was the Master thinking?'

How Kang Jin-Ho behaved shouldn't have mattered all that much, as the Master of the Round Table was not the type to fall for provocations. As if to prove that, most of the summit unfolded to match Wiggins' expectations.

Kang Jin-Ho spoke rudely and kept provoking the other side, but the Master remained unshakable and brushed the provocation attempts aside.

Wiggins naturally believed this dynamic would be maintained until the end of the meeting. Even if the Master decided to eliminate Kang Jin-Ho, he wouldn't have tried anything when the only company he had entered the enemy territory with was his entourage. His priority should have been leaving South Korea in one piece.

'That should have been the case, so how am I supposed to explain this situation?'

Wiggins had been thinking of dozens of likely outcomes before the summit. But this particular outcome wasn't a part of his prediction. It was… unexpected and brand-new!

So unexpected that Wiggins was tempted to applaud the creativity of Kang Jin-Ho and the Master for creating an outcome that rudely slapped everyone in the back of their head!

'Hah. Then again…'

A hint of a smirk formed on Wiggins' lips.

When did an event involving Kang Jin-Ho ever unfold in an expected direction? Since Wiggins now knew this, he tried his best to take into account Kang Jin-Ho's talent for surprising people. Even then, Kang Jin-Ho still found a way to surprise Wiggins.

The problem right now was that the surprise this time possessed a bit too much spice for his liking!

Lee Hyeon-Su muttered hopefully, "W-what if our Assembly Master holds back against the Master? And let him save some face?"

"Huh?" Wiggins stared in dismay at Lee Hyeon-Su. "Mister Lee, we're talking about the Master of the Round Table here. Do you think that's a position you can win in a poker game among friends? The Master is one of the top martial artists representing the West."

Although the Master wasn't the strongest, he certainly was one of the best.

His martial prowess alone wasn't quite good enough to be called the strongest in the world. After all, some people in the Round Table were stronger than him. However, the Master was still the perfect martial artist to represent the Round Table when looking at what the position symbolized.

But now, what did Lee Hyeon-Su say? Hold back and help him save face? What a ridiculous sentiment that was.

Lee Hyeon-Su worriedly asked, "T-then, does that mean our Assembly Master could lose?"

"…!"

Now that was something Wiggins didn't consider.

'Hmm. Is it possible for my lord to lose this encounter?'

Wiggins deeply respected the Master. But this respect was a little different from what he felt toward Kang Jin-Ho. With that in mind, Wiggins tried to calculate the odds and couldn't imagine an outcome where Kang Jin-Ho lost to the Master.

What if it was way back when Wiggins first arrived in Korea? Then, the Master would've had a chance of victory. Objectively speaking, the Master was superior to Kang Jin-Ho in several aspects back then.

However, what about now?

'I can't think of any.'

Wiggins couldn't see where the Master could triumph over Kang Jin-Ho. In his martial prowess? There was no need to even consider that since it was plainly obvious who was stronger between the two men.

What about life experience? Years of wisdom? Combat experience? Even in those aspects, the Master would one-sidedly lose. Kang Jin-Ho was a beast who lived most of his life on battlefields, after all. No one alive right now could rival Kang Jin-Ho when it came to combat sense or experience.

Unless the fight unfolded in a completely crazy fashion, Wiggins just couldn't see how the Master would emerge victorious.

'Wait… In that case, why did the Master decide to fight my lord?'

The Master should have already finished analyzing all these things, too. That was just who he was, after all. So why…?

"We've arrived," said Lee Hyeon-Su grimly.

Wiggins had been subconsciously wondering why their car was driving through a wooded area for a while now.

As if to answer his curiosity, the car soon stopped, allowing Kang Jin-Ho and Wiggins to disembark. They could see a wide-open plain, an unattended field of weeds, stretching in all directions.

Lee Hyeon-Su helpfully explained the situation. "This is one of the private lands the Assembly owns. I figured this place should do the job since outsiders don't come here."

"Mm…" Kang Jin-Ho briefly nodded.

Right after their arrival, the Master's car also arrived at the field and stopped right behind Kang Jin-Ho's vehicle. Without any hesitation whatsoever, the Master exited the car, his expression stiff and stoic.

'I genuinely can't understand…'

Wiggins had never seen the Master make a face like that before. From what he could remember, the Master always seemed relaxed. Seemingly with a lot of time on his hands. But now? The expression visible on his jaw area below the mask was as stiff as a human jaw could get.

It was undeniable proof that the Master felt an untold burden from the upcoming battle.

'Maybe I'll get to witness a new facet of the Master today.'

Kang Jin-Ho casually raised his voice. "Whatever it is…"

His voice prompted Lee Hyeon-Su and Wiggins to focus on him again.

"...We only have to fight, right?"

Lee Hyeon-Su cautiously spoke up. "Assembly Master, please remember that…"

"Enough," Kang Jin-Ho abruptly cut Lee Hyeon-Su off just then. And Lee Hyeon-Su could only clamp his mouth shut after noticing how firm and focused Kang Jin-Ho sounded.

He realized that no word would get through Kang Jin-Ho now. After all, he was now standing on a battlefield.

"I'll be back," said Kang Jin-Ho while striding heroically into the field.

That was when Lee Hyeon-Su finally muttered that one thing he was prevented from saying earlier. "Please remember that you mustn't kill the dude…"

If the outcome of this battle was one of them dying… Then, the world would definitely shoot past the point of no return and enter a state of unprecedented chaos.

Unfortunately, Lee Hyeon-Su knew only too well that nothing could dissuade Kang Jin-Ho in a battle mode.

All he could do was let his gaze worriedly chase after Kang Jin-Ho's back.