Chapter 556. Taking a Leap (1)
Zhang Dajing was driving a little... 'angrily'.
Now that he had decided to join Kang Jin-Ho's side, everything about his life needed to change, including where he lived. Rather obviously, he couldn't stay in a place funded by the Crimson King's faction anymore. From this moment on... Vator and the people of that faction were enemies.
Kang Jin-Ho's first order was for the two of them—Zhang Dajing and Vator—to join the Martial Assembly.
'Yes, I've lost my bloody mind...!'
Zhang Dajing slightly raised his head and glanced at the rearview mirror. The reflection of Vator's face indicated that the big man was at peace. And that was eating Zhang Dajing alive inside!
'That son of a b*tch...!'
Of course, Zhang Dajing was aware. He knew Kang Jin-Ho... wasn't really the bad guy here. If he was to point out who the villains were in this situation, they would be himself and Vator. After all, it was the Crimson King's faction that decided to invade Kang Jin-Ho's space to kill him for no reason, even though that man was simply minding his own business.
Even Zhang Dajing agreed that such actions required a harsh price to pay. However, he was a 'normal' man, not some noble warrior of virtue capable of objectively and coldly admitting his guilt! Unsurprisingly, he couldn't objectively analyze and reflect on his actions like a virtuous man.
Too much. That was what he thought about Vator's punishment as chosen by Kang Jin-Ho. And this excessive punishment had even sucked Zhang Dajing in, too.
A quiet little sigh escaped from Zhang Dajing's mouth. Due to how abnormally large Zhang Dajing was, he couldn't travel anywhere in regular cars. Only a modified van could do that job; renting a bus was pointless as no bus seats could accommodate Vator's huge frame.
So, even if Zhang Dajing didn't join the other side, he'd still be saddled with the task of driving Vator to the Martial Assembly. And that would be his last task ever for the Crimson King's faction. The difference now was whether he'd keep his life afterward or not. That was about it.
But that difference was enormous.
'I guess things must be chaotic back in the base...'
By now, the remaining agents must've figured out that Zhang Dajing and Vator had switched sides to South Korea. Soon, the higher-ups would receive the reports, and the entirety of the Crimson King's faction would do everything in their power to kill them.
Never forgiving traitors was one of the ironclad rules in the martial world, after all!
Just imagining the Crimson King's faction coming after him sent chills down Zhang Dajing's spine. However, what other choice could he have made under the circumstances?
He simply was not confident about carrying on with his life after handing Vator over to Kang Jin-Ho like some kind of a disposable product and washing his hands clean of it.
“Dammit...!”
Another curse escaped from Zhang Dajing's mouth despite his best efforts.
Obviously, he understood that the situation could only flow in this direction. However, understanding it with his brain and accepting it in his heart were two very different things.
“Zhang Dajing...” Vator quietly opened his mouth as if he could see through Zhang Dajing's mind.
“Yes, Sir Vator.”
“It's not too late to go back.”
“...”
“You don't have a reason to stick by me. From the get-go, you work for the Crimson King, not me. So, there's no reason to tempt fate in my company. I'm sure you can still pull yourself out of this situation right now.”
“Sir Vator... Thank you for saying that,” Zhang Dajing bit his lip. “However, I'm fine, sir. Really.”
“How come?”
“...I feel much better this way, sir.”
“I see. Now I can't even try to persuade you again,” Vator muttered slightly unhappily. If Zhang Dajing had said something else as his reason, Vator might have found a counterargument or two. But a reply based on feelings couldn't be overcome with logical arguments. “...Zhang Dajing?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What... should I do?”
“...!” Zhang Dajing gritted his teeth.
Judging from Vator's behavior until now, Kang Jin-Ho's hold over him didn't seem absolute. There were subtle peaks and troughs. A pattern of some kind. There were moments when Vator didn't seem capable of resisting whatever was happening to him. On the other hand, he seemed to regain some of his rational mind. Like right now.
It seemed that the further he was from Kang Jin-Ho and as long as no one mentioned Kang Jin-Ho's name... Vator could more or less make rational judgments.
Zhang Dajing cautiously asked. “Is it difficult to escape the... control, sir?”
“It's impossible,” Vator closed his eyes. “I've been resisting all this time. Constantly. But it's impossible to fight on. My soul is already in his grip, unable to escape. As if... As if I've made a deal with a devil.”
“...I see,” Zhang Dajing grimaced. This revelation didn't come as a surprise at all, considering how confident Kang Jin-Ho was earlier. “Is it difficult to endure, sir?”
“Only when I resist.”
“By how badly...?”
“I now know what one's soul burning away feels like. I am confident of resisting if it's only physical pain, but... Against the type of pain that feels like your existence itself is being snuffed out? There is no fighting back. What I fear the most is... the more I resist him, the greater the threat of my ego completely disappearing. If I resist beyond a certain point, I might really become a mindless idiot.”
“That son of a bi*ch...!” Zhang Dajing bit his lip again.
“Tell me, Zhang Dajing,” Vator asked in a weighty voice. “What should I do about this? I cannot make rational decisions on things related to him. You are the only person I can trust and rely on in this situation…”
Zhang Dajing's fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly. What was this heavy responsibility on his shoulders? And why… did his heart feel somewhat moved by this?
Like how Zhang Dajing believed in Vator and followed the big man, Vator also trusted Zhang Dajing and relied on his junior. Here was the reason why Zhang Dajing could never forsake Vator.
“Please do not worry about this, Sir Vator.”
“...?”
“Now that things have come to this, we don't have a choice but to trust Kang Jin-Ho.”
“You want me to trust him?”
“There is no other way, sir,” Zhang Dajing sighed deeply. “However, there is cause for hope as well. From what I've observed, Kang Jin-Ho is not an unreasonable man. He is not a type to assert his authority, and... Crucially, he's quite disinterested in what his subordinates do.”
“Mm...”
“Although he now has you in the palm of his hand, I believe he doesn't have any concrete plans on using you, Sir Vator. In that case, we need to stay under the radar and bide our time, sir.”
“For how long, Zhang Dajing?”
“That will depend on you, sir,” said Zhang Dajing while glancing behind him. “According to what Kang Jin-Ho said... The stronger you get, the weaker Kang Jin-Ho's hold on you will become. That is why you must become stronger as quickly as possible. And escape from that bastard's hold on you. Until then, I'll do my best to serve you.”
“However... I have no choice but to absolutely heed his command. Even now, I feel the urge to break your neck for speaking those... blasphemous things about him. That is my current condition, so how can I...”
“All you have to do is combine them, Sir Vator.”
“Combine?”
“Yes. Think of it this way. You are becoming stronger for Kang Jin-Ho. Combine the two goals, sir. If the people working for him become stronger... It will greatly benefit Kang Jin-Ho as well. It will be fine as long as the process is the same. Leave the distorting of the results to me.”
“...Your words make sense,” Vator nodded, then closed his eyes while crossing his arms. His expression failed to hide his anguish, however.
'Sir Vator...!' Zhang Dajing chewed his lip. 'No, don't be pessimistic. Let's look at the bright side.'
The net positive in this case was that Kang Jin-Ho wasn't such an evil man.
While monitoring Kang Jin-Ho, Zhang Dajing often felt this. If Kang Jin-Ho had been living in China, he would've lost everything, even his underwear. Taken to the proverbial cleaners and all that. Kang Jin-Ho was far too trusting of people and didn't place any restrictions on them, either. He didn't even bother setting up a minimum safety net while totally entrusting himself to such a flimsy concept called faith in humanity.
When Zhang Dajing was an outsider, such behavior seemed deeply idiotic. Now that he was going under Kang Jin-Ho's wings, though... It felt like the noose around his neck wasn't as tight as he feared.
'Maybe this... could be an opportunity.'
There wasn't much Zhang Dajing could do within the Crimson King's faction. More correctly, his life would've been no better than a disposable gopher ignored by the higher-ups right until the end.
If his life was destined for obscurity, nay, utter ruination... Then, taking this gamble didn't seem like a bad idea. A gamble where he'd start anew in a new environment and with a new group of people!
...That was what Zhang Dajing repeated in his head to comfort himself. And the Martial Assembly HQ visible in the distance felt so much weightier and more solemn than ever before.
***
“Are you really okay with this, Dad?” Elena worriedly asked.
“What are you concerned about?” Wiggins asked back while leisurely sipping his coffee.
Elena could only frown even more at this scene. “I'm having a hard time understanding you, that's why. After all, you've achieved everything you wanted with the Round Table, haven't you?”
“Is that how it looks to you?”
“And you've always told me that nothing is more honorable than the title of knight.”
“Yes, I did. I used to think that was the case.”
“I get that you were dissatisfied, dad. I mean... Nothing in this world can perfectly suit our taste, am I wrong? No matter where you are, I don't think it's possible to feel fully satisfied or fulfilled. However, throwing away everything you've achieved and starting anew just because you're dissatisfied? That's not like you, Dad,” Elena passionately spoke but still chose to swallow the final bit of her words which went along the lines of 'And let's be honest, you're a bit of a stuck-up too, aren't you?'
She didn't think saying that now wasn't going to be helpful to anyone. However, Wiggins smiled gently as if he could easily see through his daughter's mind.
After putting the coffee cup down, Wiggins sat up slightly higher in his chair and addressed Elena. “A father and his daughter might be very close, but such closeness sometimes can be an obstacle to understanding each other better.”
“...?”
“I've never told you this before, Elena. The truth was, I might have been proud of being a noble knight but never felt any attachments towards my so-called achievements.”
“I don't follow...?” Elena tilted her head. What was her father trying to say here?
“I'm not trying to achieve something here, Elena. I merely wish to change my world for the better, that is all. Since I can't build my ideal world with the Round Table, leaving is the only logical option left.”
“...The Round Table will never accept that explanation.”
“Yes... The world requires constant understanding. Unfortunately, we sometimes need to do certain things that others simply can't understand. It's just that I lacked the necessary courage to do so.”
Elena narrowed her eyes. “Does that mean you found that courage?”
“Rather than finding it... Technically speaking, it'd be more like he has given me the necessary courage.”
“Dad, I just don't get it. I don't get what you see in Mister Jin-Ho. I only see him as an incredibly dangerous individual. But you... What can you even do in his company?”
“Firearms are dangerous,” Knight Wiggins resumed sipping his coffee. “However, you can't fight wars if you refrain from using firearms because they are dangerous. Danger is not a reason for you to avoid using such weapons. No, it should spur you on to understand the weapon better.”
Wiggins stopped there to get another sip before putting the cup down. His voice sounded resolute as he addressed his daughter.
“I will assist Lord Jin-Ho. So he can change this world for the better. At the same time, I will change the world he wants to live in to the world I'd like to see.”
Elena frowned deeply. “Will that be even possible, though?”
“It won't be easy, yes. However, nothing in this world is supposed to be easy, Elena. And my job is to try my utmost best. Not as Knight Wiggins, but as Allen Wiggins, of course.”
Elena quietly nodded away. She still couldn't fully understand her father's intentions. However, since this was what Wiggins wanted, Elena thought that the right thing to do as his family was to cheer her father on.
“Do your best, Dad. I know you can do it.”
“Thank you. And now... It's time for you to return, Elena.”
“Huh? Return?” Elena blinked her eyes.
“Yes. I might have left the Round Table, but that does not apply to you. So, you should get ready to return to the organization's fold soon.”
“What are you talking about, Dad? How can I return to the Round Table when you're here?”
“Elena... You've already set out on your independent path over a decade ago. There's no need for you to chase after me. As the Round Table isn't unreasonable, they should understand your situation and accept you back. If not... Do you want me to write a letter of recommendation to the Master?”
Before Elena could answer, though... Someone else entering their room did.
“...There's no need for that, Knight Wiggins,” said the deeply-frowning Vincent as he walked inside.
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