Chapter 1156: Chapter 1156
“Welcome back, Wiggins.”
The Master tried to smile as Wiggins stepped out of the portal. He briefly had to rub his chin first before finally breaking out in a warm enough smile, however.
‘It’s getting harder to smile at Wiggins.’
What a strange thing this was. He and Wiggins couldn't be called close friends, but that didn't mean they weren't on friendly terms, either. Despite that, though, the Master still couldn't smile naturally.
He tried not to be conscious of it, but this moment still confirmed it. This was how wide the chasm in power the two men wielded had become. Wide enough for the Master to be uncomfortable in Wiggins' presence!
The Master managed to force his lips to curl up as high as possible. “It’s getting harder to see you in person these days.”
“My apologies, Master. I know I should come around more often, but I’m swamped with work on the other side, you see...”
“You don’t have to force yourself to say that. We both know it takes a lot of effort to open a portal connecting such a distance, anyway.”
“But, Master, you are still powerful enough to perform magic quite easily, aren’t you?”
“I’m no longer like my old self, Wiggins,” said the Master while grinning wryly. “In any case, shall we get going?”
“Of course.” Wiggins nodded, then followed the Master through the corridor.
The Master glanced behind him at Wiggins. “I might still be a martial artist, but do consider my age.”
“I believe it’s still too early to say that about yourself, Master. How about two decades from now? That sounds fair.”
“Nonsense. I've been stuck at a bottleneck for the longest time, Wiggins. And I can feel that my strength has declined over the years. In other words, I've already reached my peak, and the only thing waiting for me is a downward slope.”
“...Surely, that’s an exaggeration, Master.”
“No exaggeration involved this time,” the Master slowly shook his head. “I’ve been alive for a long time. I might have gotten a little wiser and perhaps a little more flexible than my younger days. But those things can’t replace the vigor of my youth. If I fight myself from a decade ago, I’d lose every single time.”
“No need to make that face, Wiggins. This is an inevitable drawback of getting older, and no one is exempt from it. Well, except for one man, that is.”
“That, I agree with you,” said Wiggins, a wry grin on his face.
Even he was envious of Kang Jin-Ho at times. The latter had somehow gained a young body to complement the power of knowledge only age could provide. Since that was the case, how could Wiggins not be envious?
‘Of course, I still wouldn't want to go through what my lord has experienced...'
There was a reason why Wiggins wouldn’t say Kang Jin-Ho had the rub of the green, though. And that was... He knew how much of a hellish journey it was for Kang Jin-Ho to get this far and acquire all these things.
Wiggins thought the cost his lord paid to regain his youth was far too excessive.
However, if he was being technical about it, it wasn't as if Kang Jin-Ho had regained his youth. No, it'd be more correct to say the time paused here while Kang Jin-Ho had to travel to a figurative Hell.
Anyone who envied what Kang Jin-Ho possessed now was a fool who had no idea the pain and suffering he must've gone through.
‘As for the Master...'
Wiggins stealthily scanned the Master. And the latter’s mouth was clamped shut like an obstinate old man’s. The Master wouldn’t have made that kind of a face in the past.
Was it because of his advanced age? Or was the blame squarely on the bumpiness of everything he had experienced recently? Whatever it was, the Master had clearly changed.
‘However, no one stays the same.’
Wiggins wasn’t an exception either. In that case, what he and others should focus on wasn’t whether they had changed or not but whether they were still on the right track or not. In that regard, it seemed Wiggins and the Master were still heading in the right direction.
“Master, can you tell me more about what has happened?”
“We’re on our way to the briefing. Join us,” said the Master.
Wiggins nodded gravely. “Thank you for your consideration.”
It wasn't as if he didn't trust the information the Master had summarized, but Wiggins would rather hear it directly from the agents themselves and not miss anything. That was how important this matter was.
The Master opened the door to the briefing room and entered first. Two Round Table agents were already inside, waiting. The men got up and politely bowed.
“We greet the Master of the Round Table!”
“For the glory of the Round Table,” the Master replied with a simple nod before taking up the seat of the honor. Wiggins silently stood next to him. “Gentlemen, let’s get to it. What’s the situation in Japan?”
“Sir. We've detected a large-scale movement within the Japanese martial society.”
Wiggins’ expression stiffened as he listened.
The Martial Assembly also had been monitoring Japan’s movements, but the previous battle on the sea meant Koreans had to greatly scale back their scope of activity on Japanese soil.
At least in the surface world, tourists continued to travel to Japan. Unfortunately, the martial world was not soft enough to allow non-martial artists to loiter about in its backyard. Disguising oneself as a regular tourist to gather information wouldn't be all that effective.
Which meant receiving the Round Table's assistance was essential.
The Master asked the agents, “Do we know how many Japanese warriors are participating?”
“We don't have a clear number yet, sir. It is impossible to monitor the entirety of Japan, after all. However, since we were able to detect nearly one thousand combatants in and around Tokyo... Our estimation is closer to five thousand in total...”
“Five thousand?” The Master unconsciously rubbed his chin.
Five thousand martial artists? That was a shocking number to contend with, indeed!
In the modern era when a nation’s military could mobilize hundreds of thousands of soldiers, five thousand soldiers might sound like a pitiful number that would not change the outcome of any given war. However, in the world of martial arts? That number was massive enough to completely ransack a country and then some!
The first thing to consider was the extreme difference in 'mobility,' so to speak.
In modern warfare, foot soldiers have lost most of their value as the military's firepower. It didn't matter how many soldiers there were, they still couldn't defend their positions against a bombing raid. And they couldn't even stop a squadron of tanks, either.
Even then, soldiers were still seen as the core of the military, all because they were the only military unit that could occupy the enemy territory. It wasn't as if you could control the occupied land while stuck inside a tank, after all!
In that regard, 'martial artists' as a military unit shouldn't even be allowed to exist as it broke all the rules.
Not only were they capable of moving at a speed far exceeding tanks but they could also be far stronger than a tank depending on the cultivation realm. And they could easily occupy the territory they had taken over.
Unlike tanks that would lose their combat capability once their fuel and ammo had run out, martial artists would continue to wreak havoc while securing supplies on their own as long as they were provided with semi-useful weapons.
In short, a capable martial artist was a literal one-man army. Not just any but one that didn’t need a supply line!
So, for such people to invade in their thousands?
‘It’ll be Hell on Earth!’
Even during a war, a thousand-plus special forces soldiers suddenly attacking the enemy's rear held the potential to completely change the war's outcome. In that case, what would happen if five thousand martial artists boasting greater combat capability than special forces entered Korea without facing any resistance?
Wiggins couldn’t even estimate how bad the resulting carnage would be.
“However, five thousand...!”
When the Master gasped loudly, the agent grimly shook his head. “Sir, that number does not include the enemy combatants from the Kanto region.”
“The regions of Kanto and Kansai historically have always been at odds with each other, sir. That was why Kansai's martial society acted on its own without Kanto's participation during the last invasion attempt.”
“However, we have a credible report of Kanto's people participating this time. When that happens, the number of enemy combatants will be even higher.”
“...Are you suggesting it’ll be more than five thousand?”
“Sir, with Kanto’s participation, it’s not just their numbers going up we should worry about. Quality-wise, we estimate their combat strength will improve by at least 50%.”
The Master sucked in a deep breath in shock. “Are you suggesting we might be dealing with as much as... ten thousand enemy combatants?”
“According to our estimates...”
The shock in the Master’s expression grew even greater, his complexion pale as a sheet of paper.
‘Japan’s strength was this much?’
How many warriors could Britain mobilize in a war? Even if the standards were lowered as much as possible, the number wouldn't be more than one thousand.
That number just might creep past one thousand if the British tried every means at their disposal, but anything higher than that would be impossible. Sending that many warriors on a military expedition would already be a gamble with the fate of Britain at stake, after all!
That was the situation for Britain, so for another nation to mobilize a great army of almost ten thousand! How was that even possible?
“However, that doesn't sound realistic,” said Wiggins while shaking his head. “I think it's wrong to assume that the martial artists detected in Tokyo are native to the city. If I were the leader of Shinichi-kai, I'd have summoned everyone to the city well ahead of time before the invasion date.”
“Mm! I agree with that assessment.”
The Master nodded to express his agreement with Wiggins. Even he found this number to be too unrealistic.
Wiggins continued to voice his opinion. “Even if every martial artist Kanto and Kansai can produce has been summoned, the number should still be no more than five thousand. If the leader of this expedition is not a moron, he must've learned from the previous battle that random riff-raffs wouldn't be much of a help.”
Wiggins narrowed his eyes. “The ballpark should be around... two thousand enemy combatants.”
Now taken aback slightly, the agents alternated their gazes at Wiggins and the Master.
They were the ones who personally collected and collated the information. But to think Wiggins and the Master would use their info to grasp the situation even better than they could!
“The real issue is... not the number but the where,” Wiggins rubbed his chin, then glanced at the agents. “The initial thousand. Do you know where they are headed?”
“Sir. Their movements seem erratic and disorganized, but overall, they are moving west.”
That was in Korea's direction. However, the Japanese warriors would run into the ocean if they kept going that way.
“Does that mean they didn’t learn anything from the previous encounter?”
Even though the Japanese experienced a chastening defeat while traveling on a ship, they still wanted to use that route?
‘...No, that can’t be it.’
Wiggins hurriedly shook his head.
The one thing a strategist must never do before planning an attack was never to underestimate the enemy. Doing so would make it difficult to figure out the enemy's true intentions.
No matter how stupid the leaders of the Japanese martial society were, they still wouldn't resort to the same method as before after that defeat.
In that case, what were the alternatives?
What should one do to bring two thousand warriors into the Korean peninsula?
Through the... airport? That wouldn’t be feasible. The Korean side could easily control who entered the country through their airports, after all. Withhold the permission to enter, and even the mighty warriors of Japan wouldn’t be able to get off the plane.
Wiggins grimaced. “It seems they have made some kind of arrangements.”
The Master nodded. “Yes. Be careful with this, Wiggins. I’m sure your side has already made ample preparations. However, don’t forget that the Japanese were also figuring out the best way to cut your heads off.”
“Yes, Master. We are aware.”
Wiggins contemplatively nodded, knowing he should never underestimate what the Japanese were capable of.
Although the Martial Assembly received a massive confidence boost after thoroughly trouncing the Japanese, that outcome was only possible thanks to Kang Jin-Ho going wild inside a confined space.
There was no guarantee the same thing would happen this time as well.
Once the agents finished the briefing, Wiggins grew somber as various thoughts swirled in his head.
The Master studied Wiggins’ expression before quietly asking, “Are your side ready for what’s about to come?”
“Yes. It was obvious what would happen, after all. Obviously, we tried our best to prepare. It's just that... I can't help but think that what we can see is not the end of the story.”
“I’m sure that is the case.”
“I’ll have to return to the Assembly, Master. We need to finish our preparations, too. Since that’s the case, Master, your side...”
“No, I already know,” said the Master, cutting off Wiggins mid-sentence.
Wiggins nodded as if there was no need to continue. He turned around to leave. “Then, please excuse me. I must be on my way.”
“The gate should still be open. I won’t see you out,” said the Master. He sighed quietly after Wiggins hurriedly left the briefing room.
‘Japan versus South Korea, is it?’
The bitter animosity of the two nations’ martial societies was about to come to a head in the form of an open war. And East Asia’s situation would be violently thrown into chaos from the outcome of this war.
...And that chaos could also potentially devour the Round Table!
If Kang Jin-Ho died, and the Martial Assembly was destroyed during this war, the Master's authority over the Round Table would also vanish. That would fracture this organization in an instant and lead to a breakout of a civil war among its members.
To prevent that possibility from happening, the Round Table must assist the Koreans. Korea's victory, one where it managed to preserve as many of its combatants as possible, would be the only way for the Round Table to continue with its vital reforms.
‘Yes, I know all that. But it still feels terrible, doesn’t it?’
For the sake of another nation’s benefits, the Round Table must shed its own blood. What an irony this was.
However, the Master had no say in this matter. Now was the time for him to endure, even if that meant he must munch on poisonous grass!
The Master gravely issued a new order to his subordinates.
“Summon Sir Besley, immediately!”