Chapter 1543 Face to Face (3)

“There is nothing to be concerned about, Master.”

Wiggins grinned brightly while walking down a corridor in the Round Table.

“Yes, the Martial Assembly has formed an alliance with the American government. But America isn’t the same as the other place. This alliance will not affect the Assembly’s relationship with the Round Table.”

Wiggins then pointed to himself.

“Besides, don’t forget that I’m also in the Assembly.”

The Master of the Round Table furrowed his brow at that attempt at lightening the mood. “I’d rather believe a turtle than believe you, Wiggins.”

“Oh, my. It’s rather disheartening to hear you say that.”

The Master narrowed his eyes. “It seems your stay in South Korea has changed you somewhat, Wiggins. Since when did you become so smarmy like this?”

“Oh...” Wiggins sheepishly scratched his cheek. “I’ve been trying to be conscious of my behavior, but it keeps slipping out of my control. My disciple’s smarminess must’ve rubbed off on me during my attempts to mentor him.”

“Hmm...?” The Master stared weirdly at Wiggins. “Is it now? Not because you’ve always been a smarmy character?”

“Of course that’s not true.”

“A human’s true nature is revealed when they are free from restraints and pressure. Perhaps this is the real you, Wiggins.”

“Haha...”

“The odds seem particularly high, no? After all, you’ve always been... a black-hearted character.”

“Please don’t tease me like that.”

When Wiggins solemnly replied, the Master ended up chortling away. He merely spoke of his honest impression, but that constituted as teasing? In that case, what choice did he have other than changing the topic of their conversation?

“We are not concerned about the Martial Assembly forming an alliance with the Americans. With the Assembly gaining greater and greater prominence every passing day, interested parties reaching out to you was only a matter of time, after all.”

“Indeed. Still, I assure you that the Round Table will always remain as the Assembly’s first and number-one alliance partner. My job is to ensure this status quo remains, after all.”

“Hmm...”

“And you also don’t have to be alert all the time, either. My lord won’t treat other alliances as importantly as the one with the Round Table, you see?”

“Hmm?”

“My lord won’t readily hop over to America or other places even if they are facing some sort of issues. No, he will only do that for the Round Table.”

“Really now? How much for that lip service, Wiggins?”

“Oh? Are you questioning my lord’s sincerity?”

The Master tutted. “This is exactly why I keep saying you’ve changed. You’re being truly smarmy. Like a snake. So much so that even I’m tempted to beat you up where you stand.”

Wiggins blinked his eyes. “Master, you never used to talk like that before.”

“That was because I was also restrained back then.”

...Restrained by the gigantic system called the Round Table, that was!

Whether it was the Knights or the Master, this system was like one big charade, an elaborate stage play. Each role demanded certain inclinations and a level of competency. And the ones filling these roles did everything in their power to meet those demands.

Within such a gigantic system, there was no room for humans to exist, which was rather ironic, all things considered.

A system humans had built up over a long period eventually turned into an oppressor of the people it was meant to serve. Perhaps this system was the evidence of the forefathers of the Round Table uncovering the absolute and unchanging truth about life itself—that humans were the most untrustworthy creatures in the entire world.

Clack!

The Master opened the door to his office and entered, then pointed to a large table ahead of him. “Take a seat.”

“Mm...”

Wiggins entered and scanned the interior of the office. This wasn’t the same old Master’s office as before. The furniture was on the simpler side, but...

But the space itself is much larger and grandiose.

Could this be a display of how much greater the Master’s grip on power over the Round Table had gotten?

“Don’t make that face now,” said the Master. “I moved my office closer to the center of the Round Table so that I can handle the increased workload more effectively and communicate faster with the relevant parties. This was the only available space.”

“I see. I don’t really have a problem with it.”

“You don’t?”

“No. I don’t see it as... a disagreeable change, Master. I’m also no longer the same person as before, anyway.”

Being modest and easy-going was fine. But a leader of a large organization still needed a certain level of prestige that matched their status. Wiggins and Lee Hyeon-Su had experienced lots of trouble in the past because of how excessively modest Kang Jin-Ho was in such things, hadn’t they?

“Well, if you think that way. It makes it easier for me. Coffee or tea?”

“Tea, if you don’t mind. It’s been a while since I last visited Britain, after all.”

“Then, allow me.”

“Thank you.”

The Master personally prepared the tea for the two of them. After putting the cups down on the table, he sat on the opposite side of Wiggins.

Wiggins savored the aroma of the tea. “This is good tea.”

The Master slightly raised his brow. “I’m sure you can drink good tea in Korea, too?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure about that. It’s not possible to recreate this exact flavor in another country for some reason. Maybe it’s the water, or I’m just being irrational.”

Wiggins casually shrugged again.

“However, I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing for me. After all, drinking tea like this in Britain helps me feel like I’m back home.”

“Rather sentimental, aren’t you?”

The two men chuckled and resumed savoring the tea.

Wiggins eventually broke the silence first. “How are things going at the Round Table?”

“It’s not an exaggeration to say everything has been more or less dealt with.”

“Oh? Already?”

“Don’t say it like that. I almost died in the process, after all. I’ve lost at least ten pounds already.”

“But... how is that possible?”

“I’m not lying about almost dying. No one could have predicted that a man could die from getting buried in mountains of paperwork, after all!”

The Master cackled loudly.

A cramped smile formed on Wiggins’ face. “I see. Yes, hard work alone isn’t enough sometimes.”

“Indeed, indeed.” The Master smirked wryly. “It’s also a bit disheartening, in a way.”

“How so?”

“All the things I wished to achieve during my long years in the Round Table but failed to do so... I achieved them all within half a year. And all I needed for that to happen was a change in the situation.”

A hint of grave seriousness flickered in the Master’s expression.

“This experience finally taught me why those in power turn into tyrants and dictators in the end. Listening to everyone’s opinions and finding the best compromise wastes far too many resources.”

“Yes... Manpower, time, financial burden, and even the emotional toll.”

“Indeed,” the Master groaned deeply.

One must not fear the cost if they wished to uphold the ideals of democracy. That was the rule the Round Table adhered to until recently. However, now that the Master had experienced the reformation of the Round Table, courtesy of Kang Jin-Ho... He couldn’t help but question everything he had done until now.

“Isn’t it obvious, Master? A truly capable dictator can produce results several times better than a parliament bound by rigid rules.”

“Indeed.”

“Even then, history still rejects dictators because men with power are bound to get corrupted. And there is no guarantee that the next dictator will be capable, either. Avoiding the worst-possible outcome of an incompetent dictator taking over is better for the progress of mankind, and that’s one of the reasons why we gravitated toward democracy, isn’t it?”

The Master slowly nodded. One could argue that no democratic process could match a capable dictator wielding his power for his people when it came to efficiency.

“But, Wiggins. Weren’t you a devotee of the old system?”

“Yes, I was. And that helped me see the limitations of said system,” said Wiggins before grinning wryly. “Shall we move on from our ancient past, Master?”

“Ancient past... Yes, this story has already become an ancient tale for us.”

The Master contemplatively nodded.

When he viewed this story as an ancient tale, yes, it felt like something that happened in another lifetime. The time after Kang Jin-Ho’s appearance leading up to now felt so, so much longer than the time before his appearance, after all.

That could only mean that the density and frequency of events had been rather intense.

Many unprecedented events that he might never experience again happened relatively close to each other, after all. It made sense that those memories would remain branded on his soul for the rest of his life.

“In other words, the new system has finally settled in,” said Wiggins.

“Indeed. But there is still some opposition.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. However, this is something we’ll have to live with. It doesn’t matter which system of governance we go with, there will always be voices of discontent.”

“Yes... And in the past, I tried to embrace those voices, too.” The Master sighed softly. “However, seeing how much tougher it has gotten for me, maybe I’ve gotten too old now.”

Wiggins didn’t argue back and kept sipping his tea. However, that didn’t mean he agreed with the Master.

It’s not that you’ve gotten old, Master. No, this is more convenient for you.

Why did the dictators grow more and more restrictive and authoritarian toward their people? Simply put... Because that made things much more convenient to rule.

Humans would always prefer things they thought were more convenient for them. Practically no one would volunteer to do things the hard way.

One extra step might not feel like a burden initially, but after a while? Even the most patient people would find that step cumbersome and inconvenient. Dictators had the power to eliminate this extra step. Which meant they would eventually create a system of governance where his orders were carried out without going through additional checks and balances.

...That was the story for the Master of the Round Table.

In that regard... My lord certainly is a remarkable man, isn’t he?

Kang Jin-Ho could have created such a system within the Martial Assembly if he wanted, but he hadn’t done that. As a matter of fact, he increased the directors’ authority and tried to keep himself in check. He never brushed aside the opinions of the ordinary Assembly members and always tried to accommodate the complaints of the directors.

Some people might think that should be how it was supposed to be, but...!

If that’s true, we would’ve never had dictators popping up throughout history. And humanity wouldn’t have created a system of governance like democracy to stop dictators from seizing power, either.

It wouldn’t be difficult for people without power to comply with their system of governance. But for those with enough power to overturn the system? Suppressing their power and complying with the system would prove to be incredibly tough for such people.

Yet, here was Kang Jin-Ho, doing precisely that without batting an eye. The failures in his previous life could be the reason, but even if that was true, could every person with a similar history as Kang Jin-Ho restrain themselves till the end? That seemed rather unlikely.

On the other hand...

Hmm. Is this down to the difference in the individuals themselves?

The Master used to be vehemently against this style of leadership. But he had adapted to it in no time at all and began strengthening his control over the organization. The man who resisted so much and tried to maintain the Round Table’s soul was nowhere to be found now.

Did Wiggins feel bad about it? No, not really.

If it had been his old self, then maybe. But now, he didn’t react to every little change the Master had gone through. He, too, had changed a lot since then, after all.

“Thanks to the Assembly Master rooting out the rebels in one go, my job had gotten so much easier,” said the Master.

“Are they still confined to the underground prison?”

“Yes, that is so.”

Wiggins grew puzzled by that revelation. “That’s unexpected. Considering your inclination, I thought you’d have released them and ushered them back to work by now.”

“That’s not as easy as it sounds,” the Master groaned deeply. “Neutralizing their hostility is difficult. They wouldn’t suddenly become more cooperative just because I released them, after all. Undoubtedly, they would only put on the pretense of cooperation while scheming behind my back. Not an easy matter, indeed.”

Wiggins grinned deeply. Well, if it was your old self... You would’ve said that dealing with such matters was all a part of progress.

The Master seemed corrupted by power now. The man himself kept saying that he was only in this position despite his age because no one else could be trusted with the job, but... In reality, that was what all dictators used as an excuse while rejecting the idea of retirement.

Replacements could always be found. But those corrupted by power would inevitably convince themselves that no one else—other than them, of course—was suited for the leadership position.

“My lord might pay the Round Table a visit soon,” said Wiggins.

“Hmm, is that so? When can I expect him?”

A hint of interest and vitality flickered in the Master’s eyes. Wiggins deftly caught that, of course.

He’s rather cooperative, isn’t he?

It meant the Master knew that Kang Jin-Ho was the source of his power.

That’s all we ask for.

With the situation like this, the odds of betrayal should be near zero.

The Master would continue his crackdown on the Round Table to maintain his position. And on top of that, he wouldn’t hesitate to offer up the power created through the crackdown to Kang Jin-Ho, either.

One could say this was what happened in Japan, results-wise, even if the “how” of it was not the same.

With this, the Round Table is completely ours.

A subtle grin spread on Wiggins’ lips. “It shouldn’t be too far from now. Of course, I’ll have to remind my lord gently a few times first. However, maintaining the relationship of trust and cooperation between the Round Table and the Martial Assembly should take utmost priority, at least in my opinion.”

“Indeed, I agree.”

The two men faced each other and smiled affably—even though their inner thoughts didn’t exactly match their expressions.