Descent of the Demon Master

“Another plate!”

“…”

“What is it? No more food?”

“No, sir. We’ll prepare more right away,” said Lee Jin-Ha.

The flight attendant did her best to stop her hands from trembling while taking the empty food plates and placing them on her tray. However…

Tap… Clack… Clack…

The number of empty plates was a bit peculiar, to say the least!

She got all these plates from only one passenger, but it was as if she had made rounds throughout the cabin!

“Stop bringing me tiny portions. Just dump the whole lot on a single plate,” said the man with a gigantic physique.

However, she didn’t. Lee Jin-Ha was a professional, after all.

“Understood, sir. We’ll do that.”

She didn’t act on her inner voice and responded to the unreasonable demand with a bright smile.

The job of a flight attendant was one of the toughest in the service industry. As a veteran of this industry, Lee Jin-Ha found demands like this one rather cute.

Some passengers these days were insane enough to demand the plane to turn around because their peanuts weren't removed from the packaging before being served. So, someone asking for more food didn't even qualify to enter the ranks of a-hole customers.

‘Ah, that is why… I was wondering why we were loading so much food.’

Lee Jin-Ha had wondered if someone at the logistics department made a mistake after spotting enough food to feed three hundred people being loaded onto a plane carrying a hundred passengers. As it turned out, however, that amount was right on the money!

It wasn’t just this gigantic fellow. Even those riding in the business section hoovered up at least two people’s worth of grub! But the food situation didn’t end there.

As if that wasn't enough to sate their appetite, many ordered an additional serving of ramen, to boot!

Thanks to their seemingly bottomless stomachs, the flight attendants were being forced to cosplay as cafeteria aunties!

‘Did they get on this plane to eat or something?’

The thing was, people who booked a plane ride just to enjoy the available cuisine were not as rare as one might think. However, their intentions were more about sampling the “variety of desserts and wines curated by the airline” or “checking out all the free food to see what’s what.”

Those who only wanted to fill their empty bellies, like these folks, were almost nonexistent.

But these folks, they… They were hoovering up the food carried by this plane at a scarcely believable speed as if this was their last meal!

Lee Jin-Ha pushed her tray into the food servicing area of the plane, then spoke in a trembling voice. “I need another portion for three… No, make that five people.”

“Again?!” The flight attendant on standby here shuddered, her eyes quaking powerfully from dread.

Lee Jin-Ha glanced around the shelves. “We have one of those large bowls, right? One for ramen, I mean.”

“Y-yes, we do.”

“That five people’s portion? Dump it in there.”

“Holy cow… Is that really for one person?”

Lee Jin-Ha tilted her head. “Ng?”

“I mean… Hasn’t he already eaten ten people’s worth of food? But he can still eat five people’s portions on top of that?”

“Well, I guess. He’s asking for it.”

“Can that all fit in a person’s stomach?”

“It doesn’t matter what we think, so please hurry and get the food ready. Wait, do we even have enough in-flight meals left to serve?”

“Well, uh… Out of what we have prepared for lunch, we only have ten people's portions left, Miss Lee.”

Lee Jin-Ha blinked her eyes. “...Didn’t we load enough food for three hundred people?”

“Yes, I know! It’s crazy…”

Lee Jin-Ha groaned deeply. “If we run out, we'll… We'll have to make do somehow. Geez, there's a first time for everything, now isn't it! Including strange customers like them.”

“...No one will believe us even if we explain what happened here. Although, it's not like we can talk about it, anyway.”

“Right…”

All the flight crew were issued with a gag order. They were told to never discuss what they saw and heard inside this plane.

Such orders were often issued whenever VIPs showed up, so this time shouldn't be anything different, but…!

‘But! Those people just don’t feel like the usual VIPs we get!’

Indeed, these people exuded a totally different vibe compared to all the VIPs Lee Jin-Ha had dealt with until now.

“Still…” The junior flight attendant sighed. “It’s not as hectic as we thought, which is nice.”

“Yeah, you’re right…” Lee Jin-Ha sighed softly, too.

All the flight attendants thought death was staring at them in the face when they heard one hundred VIPs would be boarding the plane this time.

VIPs were usually well aware of their special status. As such, they demanded service that was nothing short of perfection.

All the recent news stories about Karens and Kens causing ugly scenes during flights were a result of such mindsets. However, only a tiny fraction of such instances were reported to the media. As for those instances of people having a power trip that escaped the media scrutiny, well…

The ugliness of those instances should easily exceed most people's imaginations!

A flight attendant’s yearly wages were higher than that of a regular office worker not because they were responsible for the passengers’ safety, but more so for the fact that they had to deal with intolerable jerks. At least, that was the opinion of some people in this industry.

However, these passengers were…

“Other than how much food they eat… They are all surprisingly polite, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, they are,” Lee Jin-Ha slowly nodded.

The flight crew was understandably nervous about having so many VIPs on board, but no one here deserved the label of a jerk. Actually, they even acted like simpletons with zero malice to speak of! Also…

Lee Hyeon-Su loudly yelled, “What the hell is the matter with you, you dipsh*t?! I told you to stop running around inside this goddamn plane! You wanna die?!”

“I’m sorry, sir…”

“You goddamn punks… Just because one of you started doing something stupid, you all try to do the same sh*t?! Didn’t you hear me biting that f*cker’s head off?! Are you deaf!”

Also, a man who must be the representative of these burly men was doing a fine job of keeping the VIPs in line, too!

Lee Jin-Ha glanced at the other flight attendant. “Still, don’t let your guard down.”

“Understood, Miss Lee.”

“Considering what the higher-ups told us, we are not dealing with some ordinary VIPs here. Make one mistake and cause problems… And we’ll all be in deep sh*t. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

“Yes, Miss Lee!”

“Chief Bak is also really anxious right now. Pull your socks up and keep your wits about you, okay!”

“Yes, Miss Lee!”

That was when a loud voice came from the first-class area.

“Is my food not ready yet?”

“I-it’s coming, sir!”

Lee Jin-Ha urgently gestured with her hands, prompting the flight attendants to hurriedly warm up the in-flight meals in microwaves.

***

Chang Min grunted in displeasure. “Stop stuffing your face like that, you pig. No wonder you got as large as you currently are.”

“Let's get one thing straight here, old fart!” Vator grunted right back. “My body didn't reach this size because I ate a lot, got that? It’s because I’m this big that I have to eat a lot. You think I'd eat this much if I was as tiny as you?”

“Hah! Eat less, and you will surely shrink down eventually!”

“Hah?! I have zero fat on this body of mine. There is nothing to shrink down on me!”

“Zero fat, you say? Then, why are you such a weakling?”

“...Wanna fight and find out? If I’m a weakling or not?!”

“I don’t have to fight you to know that. Tsk, tsk…” Chang Min tutted disapprovingly.

Vator nearly blew his top, then tried to get up. However, he was forced to settle back down and sheepishly fake-cough away when Kang Jin-Ho glanced in his direction.

Kang Jin-Ho sighed deeply. “You two aren't kids anymore, so why…”

“But master! That old fart started it first!”

“My liege, I must protest my innocence! I did not start anything with that fool!”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head as another sigh leaked out of his mouth. It was good to see these two growing closer than ever before, but why did it feel like their mental age was regressing as they did so?

Wiggins suddenly leaned in closer and whispered to Kang Jin-Ho. “My lord…?”

“Mm?”

“Are you happy with this?”

Kang Jin-Ho turned around in his seat to face Wiggins. He wasn’t sure why the Englishman would ask that question. “What do you mean by that?”

“The Master wanted to be considerate toward you when arranging this plane. He thought you’d be happier traveling with a Korean airline.”

Kang Jin-Ho silently nodded.

Wiggins grinned brightly. “The important point to consider is that… The Master can exercise his influence over a South Korean airline if he wants to.”

“Mm…!”

“Of course, he wouldn’t directly order it around, but… The story should still be the same, wouldn’t you say? Using his influence over the British government to order a Korean airline around is not all that different from directly telling said airline to do whatever he wants, after all.”

Kang Jin-Ho finally understood where Wiggins was going with this conversation.

The Martial Assembly had to deal with various annoying details while trying to smuggle its members into the United Kingdom.

The organization contacted one of its closest allies, Jaegyeong Corporation, to which Kang Jin-Ho had a personal connection, to source a plane. But it had to be a cargo plane to avoid being detected by the other side. And they still had to pay through their nose to Jaegyeong as compensation, too!

Although that situation wasn’t the same as this one, the Master of the Round Table pulled off a similar feat with zero fuss and complication.

If only the Martial Assembly's influence on the South Korean government was half as extensive as the Round Table's on the British government… Kang Jin-Ho and Co. wouldn't have had to jump through so many hoops during this adventure.

“My lord, the Martial Assembly’s sphere of activity has already extended far beyond South Korea’s borders. Every recent event we’ve gone through involved foreign forces.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“If we stay on course like this, every event requiring extralegal solutions will force us to deal with annoying processes like this expedition. The overall efficiency will undoubtedly be poor as a result.”

“Mm…” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. Wiggins hit the bull’s eye on this one.

It was hard to appreciate something you only knew as some vague concepts. Now that Kang Jin-Ho had witnessed the power and influence the Round Table wielded, he could fully appreciate what Wiggins was implying. And no, it wasn’t just the plane thing that had left a strong impression.

The British army and the police flocked in droves after Kang Jin-Ho created that massive explosion. However, only one assurance from the Master was enough to send them back. That sight arguably left behind an even bigger impression in Kang Jin-Ho’s mind.

“So… We need to expand our sphere of influence, then,” Kang Jin-Ho calmly muttered.

“Yes, my lord. That's exactly it,” Wiggins replied with a content grin. “I've discussed this with you before. For some reason, the Korean martial society wields too little influence over its government compared to its counterparts in other countries. Perhaps it is an inevitable result of the Assembly's relatively short history. However, the time has come to at least attempt to expand our influence over South Korea's leadership.”

“Yeah. I've been tossing around a few ideas about that, actually,” said Kang Jin-Ho. It wasn't as if he was an idiot with zero plans of action, after all. “However… I can step up and deal with things, but that won't be a long-term solution.”

“You're correct again, my lord. There is a clear limit to relying on you all the time. To ensure the Assembly's continued growth… We need to foster a system where we're in close contact with Korea's political movers and shakers.”

...Which was easier said than done. Wiggins was the one suggesting this course of action, but even he didn't think this task could be completed quickly.

Kang Jin-Ho looked outside the plane window. “It feels like the end of one problem directly feeds into the next one.”

“But… Isn’t that how life is, my lord?”

Kang Jin-Ho leaned against the cushy chair. That was how life was…?

Although accurate, that opinion seemed cold-hearted and ruthlessly objective.

“Very well. I’ll keep that in mind. Anything else?”

“Yes, my lord. It’s regarding the Round Table.”

“I thought we were done with this topic?”

Wiggins chuckled. “Please think of it as a slightly more detailed report. I've requested the Round Table to provide us information on East Asia. The Martial Assembly might be located in Korea, but our knowledge of the happenings in our neighboring nations is near zero. The Round Table actually possesses more information on China and Japan than us.”

“Mm…!”

“Once we receive information… We must prepare for the next step.”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned. “...Doesn’t sound like that’s something only us two should discuss.”

“Indeed, my lord. Indeed. However, I believe it's wise for a leader to make some plans before others do.”

“You’re right,” Kang Jin-Ho quietly replied, his expression growing a little graver.

Wiggins smiled brightly after noticing Kang Jin-Ho's response. “However! It's still fine to enjoy the fruit of our labor for now, my lord. After all, forming an alliance with the Round Table is an incredible achievement. With this, we now have the backing of a foreign power strong enough to potentially interfere in East Asia's situation. And we're no longer isolated.

“It's not important whether the Round Table can provide immediate reinforcement or not. The mere existence of a helpline will create a considerable problem for those hoping to pressure us. No amount of money can substitute what we've acquired this time.”

“Is that right? However, will our enemies really think that way?”

“In my estimation, once they hear about this news…” Wiggins smirked meaningfully. “...They will feel like vomiting blood, my lord. Especially those who inadvertently became isolated instead. I'm sure they will have sleepless nights from now on.”

“Hmm…” Kang Jin-Ho casually shrugged. If he was being honest, he wasn't sure what was what exactly. However, since Wiggins said so, it must be true. After all, Wiggins was more adept at looking at the playing field and analyzing the flow of events than Kang Jin-Ho.

“Regardless of what, we've earned ourselves some extra breathing space,” said Wiggins.

“You think so?”

“Yes, my lord. Our enemies won’t make any hasty moves now.”

“Hmm…” Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. That was because his thoughts differed a little from Wiggins’.

‘Not all humans are as rational or calculative as you, Wiggins…’

If everyone acted logically and rationally, the world’s history wouldn’t have been pockmarked by countless wars. After all, the sides involved would’ve realized who’d win even before a single bullet was fired.

However, wars always broke out. Even now, someone was waging a war somewhere in the world.

People feeling the urgency were bound to make mistakes.

In that case, what should Kang Jin-Ho do now? Simply put… Nothing had changed for him.

It didn’t matter if the enemy made a mistake or a calculative provocation, Kang Jin-Ho’s job was to destroy any would-be invaders. That had always been his style, after all!

“It’s fine either way, so…” Kang Jin-Ho reclined the seat back as much as possible, then closed his eyes. “I want to go home as soon as possible and take a shower.”

“We’ll be home soon, my lord.”

The plane rapidly flew toward South Korea even as they chatted. This was the end of one of the wars being fought on Earth.