CH 473

“We're here,” said the boat's captain. Their boat was slowly approaching an island cloaked in darkness. The captain shifted his gaze over to Kang Jin-Ho. “We can't get any closer than this, unfortunately.”

“No, it's fine,” said Kang Jin-Ho while picking up his duffel bag from the floor.

“Here. Take this with you.” The captain handed a walkie-talkie to Kang Jin-Ho. “The standard arrangement usually is for me to come and pick you up in twenty-four hours. But you wanted to stay here for three days. Did I get that right, sir?”

“Yes, that sounds about right.”

“If something happens in the meantime, please use this walkie-talkie to call me. Let me show you how to use…”

"No, it'll be fine," said Kang Jin-Ho while casually tucking the walkie-talkie away in the back of his trousers. He wasn't going to use it, anyway.

“But, uh... Sir, you might fall ill, or something else could happen, so...”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “Even if you show me, I won't remember how to use it. Unfortunately, I'm not very good with using devices like this, you see.”

“...Okay. But let me show you, anyway.” The captain insisted and eventually pulled the walkie-talkie out from Kang Jin-Ho's trousers, then began pressing this and that button. “See? You press here to turn it on and press this one here to talk. It'll connect you to my side. Oh, and before you try to contact me…”

The captain depressed a red button on top of the walkie-talkie. That caused a loud beeping noise to burst out from both the captain's and Kang Jin-Ho's walkie-talkies.

“Did you hear that? Pressing this red button first will alert me to incoming calls, you see? Let it beep for four or five seconds before pressing this button below it to talk to me. It's easy enough, right?”

“Yes, it is.” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. Even he should remember something this simple.

“You have enough water and food?”

“Yes. Don't worry about it,” Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly.

“Mister Kang, listen. All sorts of things tend to happen when you're out alone in the wild. Even if you think it's nothing to worry about, please give me a call. Don't try to brush it aside,” said the captain while making a rather worried face. “I don't usually accept customers wanting to visit uninhabited islands alone, you see? Some of them... let's just say they don't have good intentions. I'm only doing this as a special favor, so... Please contact me if a problem arises, okay? I'll come as soon as possible. Promise me, sir!”

“I will. Don't worry.”

“Okay, then... See you later, Mister Kang.”

Kang Jin-Ho figured the captain was done with his warning, so he jumped into the water without any hesitation.

Splash!

Since the boat had gotten as close to the shore as possible, Kang Jin-Ho's feet did land on the solid ground underwater, but he was still submerged up to his chest.

“Take care of yourself out there, Mister Kang. I hope you have a great fishing trip!”

“Thank you,” Kang Jin-Ho briefly nodded back to the captain and headed toward the dry land.

'What a nice guy.'

Kang Jin-Ho thought to himself while glancing at the boat behind him. The captain seemed fundamentally a nice guy who cared about other people. That was easy enough to see when he did everything in his power and still worried about his passenger even after Kang Jin-Ho said it was all good.

Kang Jin-Ho hoped for the captain to return to the harbor without running into problems.

Splash, splash...!

The island filled Kang Jin-Ho's view as he got closer to the shore.

'It's larger than I thought...'

If he was being honest, Kang Jin-Ho expected to see an island similar to something depicted in a children's Saturday morning cartoon. Like, a roundish island with a lone palm tree in the middle. In other words, something a bit embarrassing for a grown adult to admit to other people...

However, the island before him was a lot bigger than he anticipated. So much so that Kang Jin-Ho wondered why it was uninhabited in the first place.

'Mm? Isn't that a house?'

The inky darkness of the night had covered the island, but Kang Jin-Ho could still clearly see a slate roof on the distant mountain slope. It seemed people used to live here only for them to leave for some reason, turning the island into an uninhabited one.

'Should I chalk this down to the differences in mindset?'

An uninhabited island mostly referred to a place where humanity hadn't touched yet, but the definition could also include those islands where people used to live before abandoning them.

Kang Jin-Ho was freshly reminded of the sad fact that his mindset could still be rather archaic just as his feet finally touched the wet sand of the shore. Once he climbed fully ashore and out of the water, he took his time scanning the area.

He was standing on a beach with several large boulders strewn about here and there. He could see that the end of the beach was connected to the mouth of a dense forest. Kang Jin-Ho studied the pine forest for a little while, then leisurely headed there.

Soon, his guests would arrive. Very soon. His guests, who were chasing after him for one purpose.

The moon coyly hid behind the cloud cover. The corners of Kang Jin-Ho's lips curled up as the fading moonlight receded from him.

He was finally standing on a land where modern technology didn't reach. And his pursuers would soon learn something valuable after setting foot in this place. They would learn what it meant to enter Korea.

Very soon...

They would learn this once-in-a-lifetime lesson!

***

Vincent was in an irritated state.

This boat he was riding on rocked a little differently than he thought it might. And this subtle difference was souring his mood more and more for some weird reason.

'...Bloody hell!'

Obviously, someone as highly trained as Vincent wouldn't get seasick. Then, why was he getting this irritated?

Rationally speaking... None of what had happened so far should sour Vincent's mood to this degree. He and his team might be moving slowly, but there was no doubt that they were gradually tightening their chokehold on Kang Jin-Ho. They even prevented any potential variables, too.

Objectively speaking, it was possible that Kang Jin-Ho had no idea the Round Table's team was after his life. Actually, the odds of that were pretty good.

The Chevaliers on the boat were sending dissatisfied gazes at Vincent. They had understandable reasons, though. Kang Jin-Ho didn't even know about the Chevaliers' existence. But Vincent still forced his men to run around doing this and that. No wonder they weren't feeling happy about it.

The likeliest scenario waiting for them was Kang Jin-Ho, who had been enjoying his nighttime fishing, greeting the Chevaliers and dying without understanding what happened.

'That... is the power of information.'

When Vincent thought about it, Kang Jin-Ho seemed like a pitiful man. Even if the country he was in was small, it still boasted its own ecosystem and its own power structure.

A shark swimming in a great ocean wouldn't ignore a bullfrog ruling over a pond. However, this wasn't about deciding who was stronger of the two. No, it'd be more correct to say the question was all about who had lived a tougher, more fierce life. And the answer to that wouldn't be a simple one.

Vincent believed Kang Jin-Ho had lived such a life. Korea's standard of martial arts might be poor, but you'd still need a lot of effort to unite this country's martial society under one banner. Especially if the country in question didn't boast a lengthy martial history and established customs and systems in place.

Someone who pulled that off couldn't have been an ordinary person. And, if they were to follow the original script, that man should be enjoying a life of great comfort by now. Obviously, enjoying all the riches and pleasure afforded by his status was given, and he should've been able to do whatever he pleased.

'...If only South Korea was located somewhere else, that was.'

Vincent wasn't wrong about thinking that way. Even now, martial artists who had taken over small nations in Southeast Asia and Africa were living like kings. That was not because they were powerful individuals, no, but more like nobody paid attention to their countries.

We are "pawread dot com", find us on google.

For instance, look at the situation unfolding in a certain African nation which had been taken over by its hidden martial society. On the surface, it was a democratically-ruled nation enjoying a period of stability, but anyone who learned about its actual situation would've been left aghast by the horrifying dictatorship it was under.

However, no one really cared. Even though this African nation's ruler was drunk on earthly pleasures and needless luxury and committed all sorts of unmentionable atrocities, no one on the international stage paid much attention. That was because all those things were happening in a world 'removed' from everyone else's.

However, South Korea was different. This place was a bomb storage and a missile silo built into one. One should never take their eyes off this place.

If Kang Jin-Ho wasn't a Korean, and the land he ruled over wasn't Korea... Maybe he'd have more time to enjoy his status. Even if he got involved in a situation that required international intervention, it wouldn't have happened immediately.

Unfortunately, Kang Jin-Ho was a Korean. And he lorded over South Korea. And that was why he had to pay the ultimate price. He might find it hard to swallow that his fate was decided by regional geopolitics, but...

'Well, even if it's lamentable, what can anyone do about it?'

Vincent knew he shouldn't be compassionate toward his targets. He shook his head to free his mind from all these distracting thoughts. It seemed this weird displeasure was affecting his ability to focus. He glanced at Mathieu and quietly asked a question. “How much further?”

“Sir. I just heard from the ship's captain that we've almost reached our destination. He said we should arrive in less than a dozen minutes or so.”

“A dozen minutes or so...” Vincent rubbed his chin.

Only the field agent accompanying them could converse in Korean, so getting prompt replies from the ship's captain was turning into a needlessly frustrating process. Vincent was irritated by this cumbersome affair, but what could he do about it other than grin and bear it like a man?

“...In any case. Are you sure we're heading to the island that Kang Jin-Ho is on?”

“Sir. We received word that a ship had dropped off a customer in one of the deserted islands.”

“Mm? Do ships around here share information like that?”

Mathieu shrugged his shoulders. “Well, sir. There are lots and lots of little islands around here, so I think the fishermen do exchange minor info like that among themselves just in case something bad happens. And they are from the same port town, so…”

“Hmm...” Vincent slowly nodded.

He looked up at the heavens, hoping to calm his mind. The crescent moon letting off a slightly azure light was looking back at him. This scene of an ocean's undulating surface reflecting the moon was...

'...It's a little eerie, isn't it?'

Vincent hoped for a soothing scenery, but his mind felt more unsettled than ever.

'Something untoward usually happens like clockwork on a night like this...'

Vincent dazedly thought that before gritting his teeth.

'What the hell are you thinking, Vincent?'

He was a proud Chevalier. A Chevalier who should not know fear! Yet, to think he was nervous about hunting down a lone Asian!

'I should be ashamed of myself...!'

Vincent couldn't help but acknowledge that his current state was abnormal. He wasn't sure why, but regaining his calm seemed almost impossible, at least not right now. Just as he began to seriously ponder if he should hand the command over to Mathieu, the latter suddenly cried out first.

“Captain! I can see the island!”

The destined island approached them even before Vincent had a chance to decide... As if it was a phantom suddenly appearing from the darkness! Then again, the entire ocean was seemingly veiled in the thick darkness of the night. It was unsurprising that no one could notice a land mass until it was practically right next to them.

“So, that's the island, huh...?” Vincent narrowed his eyes after almost being overcome by the sight of the darkness-covered island. “...It certainly carries a sinister vibe, doesn't it?”

Looking at a pitch-black island smack-dab in the middle of an ocean was something not many people would get to experience. Vincent glanced at his comrades and noticed that they were just as 'overcome' by the sight of the island as he was.

The noise of the boat's engine and the waves crashing into the hull tangled up into a chaotic mess.

“Sir, I just heard from the ship's captain. Apparently, docking on the island is impossible, so we must disembark once the ship is near enough to the shore. We'll be provided with a walkie-talkie to contact the boat once our... fishing trip is finished. If we don't call, the boat will come to check up on us after thirty-six hours.”

“Mm...” Vincent smacked his lips while briefly mulling over his options.

Without a doubt, some people would die on that island tonight. How would the local fishermen take to the situation where some people went 'missing' on this island?

'...I guess it won't matter.'

It shouldn't be a problem, anyway. Vincent and his knight order wouldn't face much of an issue trying to leave here... Unless Kang Jin-Ho was still alive after the mission, that was. After killing the target, the Chevaliers could just tell the boat's captain that Kang Jin-Ho wished to remain on the island, then speedily get on a plane to leave the country. If not, they could always use the French embassy's hospitality.

As long as Kang Jin-Ho was dead, the aftermath would be resolved one way or the other.

The boat neared the island and began slowing down.

“Okay, we disembark!” Vincent cried out before jumping off the boat first. Other Chevaliers followed suit and entered the ocean one after the other. The three boats, used by the Round Table's agents to get here, turned around and headed back to the port once their passengers had disembarked and reached the beach.

'And so, the point of no return has been crossed.'

This was a deserted island in the middle of an empty ocean. Either they die, or Kang Jin-Ho would die tonight. Now that he was here, Vincent felt his nerves calm down instead.

“...A nice night for a requiem, then?” Vincent muttered quietly. Although it was quite unfortunate for Kang Jin-Ho, there was no way he'd survive what was about to happen after the full-strength Chevalier knight order had reached the island unscathed.

While he was wondering where he should start the search first...

Bzzzzzz!

Mathieu's satellite phone began buzzing noisily. He frowned and pulled the device out. A satellite phone like this, carried by all Round Table agents operating globally, ensured they could speak to their counterparts even from a deserted island like this one.

Mathieu confirmed the caller ID, and his expression hardened immediately.

“What happened!” He hurriedly answered the call and cried out. And he shouted again after the report from the other side reached his hearing. “What do you mean by that?! Boats have left the harbor? When?!”

That was when bright spotlights suddenly switched on and shined on the Chevaliers.