Duke’s Son: Re

Chapter 2

“Not a swordsman?”

“……?”

The man couldn’t believe his ears.

Being born the child of the Kang family and using sword techniques resembling those of the Yaksha, what kind of nonsense was this?

Even as he lay dying, curiosity, not fear, drove the man.

It was a dire curse.

With his forehead pierced by the flying sword, he became a cooling corpse, unable to close his eyes until the end.

“Tsk.”

Jaehyuk easily brushed off the emotions sweeping over him.

To him, murder was a means of survival and achieving his objectives.

He had long been aware that the moment would come when he would have to take another’s life and steeled himself for it.

“I’ll call an ambulance, so stay still.”

“……”

Jaehyuk checked Hwang Hong-gi’s condition first.

Though many wounds had healed, the blood loss was still concerning.

“Right, just keep your mouth shut quietly… huh?”

It was good to stay still, but was it too quiet?

With his heart sinking, Jaehyuk hesitated as he was about to check Hwang Hong-gi’s pulse.

He was someone who had suffered many losses before.

He was ready to reclaim what had been taken from him, but he hadn’t yet braced himself to accept new losses.

“No… no? Steward Hwang…? Steward Hwang…!”

His vision blurred.

His head spun.

The dreadful emotions he never wanted to experience again tightened around his heart.

“Ugh, ugh…aaah…”

I had been lacking.

Not noticing the enemy’s attack right away had caused Steward Hwang to suffer.

No, I should have struck Steward Hwang off at the house long ago.

He should not have been kept by my side.

It’s all my responsibility…

Jaehyuk sobbed quietly, and his eyes gradually darkened.

Why did Mother head for certain death ten years ago?

Did the power brokers, who reduced his father’s sacrifice to worthlessness, exert some influence even then?

Just like the intruder now targeting his life, who took Steward Hwang’s life…

“Eventually… do they only feel satisfied after taking everything away…!? You bastards…! Do you think I’ll just take it lying down?”

Gritting his teeth tightly as if to break them, Jaehyuk shifted his gaze to the mail held in Hwang Hong-gi’s hand.

An invitation from the Lion’s Castle.

He had declined it four times.

But now, the only option left for him was…

“You, when is the ambulance coming? This old man’s gonna die…”

“…!”

Jaehyuk hastily wiped his eyes and looked up. Hwang Hong-gi was looking at him with a warm smile on his pale face.

“Honestly, your lack of financial sense is concerning… How could you use the only expensive potion left on me when our family finances are down?”

“It’s fine. I’ll make enough money and feed you potions for the rest of your life until you die, steward Hwang.”

Did I ever see the young master smile so brightly?

Tears welled up in Hwang Hong-gi’s eyes with emotion.

***

『You have entered the Lion’s Castle.』

The feats of the Yaksha Duke of the Empire were countless.

Among them, safeguarding this place was the most representative accomplishment.

Lion’s Castle.

It boasted an enormous area equivalent to a province, surpassing cities and counties, as a field-type gate.

Environments that would ordinarily struggle to coexist, such as plateaus, hills, mountains, deserts, jungles, marshlands, rivers, glaciers, and volcanoes, were diversely distributed within the gate.

Additionally, monsters below B-rank emerged ‘systematically’ in ‘designated zones’.

This meant they could be utilized at one’s preference.

In short, it was the perfect gate for player development.

So much so that numerous countries tried to seize it unfairly.

“Nice to meet you. We finally meet.”

Korea had set up a player development institution within the Lion’s Castle.

Regardless of age or status, anyone with ‘talent’ was accepted as a student.

It was only natural for the Lion’s Castle to desire Jaehyuk, the talented son of a ducal family, and even a child of Yaksha.

“Well… you did pester for quite some time.”

The place protected for the sake of the fatherland by his father.

Yet, the homeland abandoned his father…

Jaehyuk, observing his surroundings with mixed feelings, responded curtly.

The director of Lion’s Castle.

He acted as if he didn’t know manners towards Seol Soo-ah, one of the only three remaining national treasures in South Korea.

Describing his attitude as simply courageous would be an understatement.

His attitude surpassed mere courage.

Yet, Seol Soo-ah just smiled warmly.

“I’m quite persistent.”

She couldn’t bring herself to criticize Jaehyuk’s defiant attitude.

Not being old-fashioned, and aware of the pain the boy had endured.

Considering even the attack he had recently experienced… The rage and hatred Jaehyuk harbored must have reached an uncontrollable state.

“What on earth are the government and the association thinking, wanting me to enroll here? I’m the brother of those treasononous convicts, Kang Daesung and Kang Hyun-ah. Are the high officials all bullet-ridden in the head?”

“Before being their brother, you’re the son of the Duke, Kang Daeguk. The government and the association have high expectations for your talent. Also, there’s no guilt-by-association law in Korea.”

“Did you all have your brains sprayed with machine gunfire? The reason they are like that is because they were children of my father, and if I later gain power and seek revenge on the state, what then?”

“If a player arises who is strong enough to oppose the state, it would be a welcome achievement.”

‘Are they daring me to try?’

As Jaehyuk accepted this as a provocation, his lips twisted.

“Jaehyuk.”

Seol Soo-ah called the boy’s name in a gentle voice.

Her smile faded instead.

Removing the facade, she showed sincerity.

“School life will be tough. The young students, who grew up exposed to media disparaging the Yaksha and Kang family, will harbor bias against you and won’t hesitate to be hostile. Moreover, the teaching staff affiliated with the association will constantly be wary and suspicious of you.”

“……”

“Arm yourself with resilience and endurance. Exert a little extra effort than the others. Build your skills so that no one dares to see you as an easy target.”

The temperature in the director’s office dropped sharply.

It was the aftermath of Seol Soo-ah exhaling a breath unheard by Jaehyuk.

“You understand that this place is relatively safe for you, right?”

“… Yes.”

“I will also try my utmost to protect you from external threats, but there will be limits. Like any student, you’ll have to deal with nasty connections and conspiracies on your own within the school. Even a director has various circumstances to consider.”

“Is it reassuring or not… kind of ambiguous.”

Despite speaking grumpily, Jaehyuk lowered his guard slightly.

He noticed that Seol Soo-ah was straining herself quite a bit.

Even if the government and the association expected much from Jaehyuk’s talent, it was likely a minority opinion.

There were overwhelmingly many who found Jaehyuk, with all his danger factors, disquieting.

‘And yet, she’s worked hard to get me enrolled here…’

Looking directly at Seol Soo-ah, Jaehyuk asked pointedly.

“What does your… the director want from me?”

“To live the life you desire.”

“……!”

Suddenly.

Jaehyuk glimpsed into the depth of the blue eyes.

National treasure, White Night.

He realized that the young woman before him was an existence on par with his father.

“Here, take this.”

With a wide smile, Seol Soo-ah handed him a small sphere.

“This is?”

“It’s a magic measurement orb. Hold it in your right hand.”

“Hmm…”

Jaehyuk grasped the orb in his hand.

But the milky orb showed no change.

“…!”

A National Treasure is an entity that supports a nation.

They maintain a cool head in any situation. It was extremely rare for them to make the mistake of revealing their true feelings through their expressions.

But at this moment, Seol Soo-ah’s eyes widened, her body slightly trembling.

It was a clear thrill.

“Director?”

When Jaehyuk tilted his head, Seol Soo-ah quickly composed her expression.

“Yes, please hand it back. Do you have any other questions?”

“This is a gate, right? The environment should reset whenever a quest is cleared, but haven’t you built too many buildings? Were all these built with taxes?”

“Most of the educational facilities, excluding amenities, originally existed here. This building, for instance, wasn’t newly built but renovated.”

“I was wondering why it had a peculiar and historic style… Was Lion’s Castle originally a school?”

“Perhaps. That’s why quests don’t occur here. Consequently, the safety is ensured, allowing the establishment of the player development institution.”

“Is it possible for a gate to not have quests?”

“It’s more accurate to say they haven’t been found yet. But since over 200 years have passed without signs of a break, we practically assume they don’t exist.”

‘Does that mean the first clear rewards might still be available?’

Jaehyuk pondered with a serious face.

“Jaehyuk? You look tired; why don’t you rest now? You know your dormitory’s location, right?”

“Yes.”

After Jaehyuk left.

Seol Soo-ah pulled out a document.

It was a report detailing the information on the criminal who dared to raid the Duke’s mansion.

‘When I heard a 16-year-old boy defeated a sword spirit, I thought he had already bloomed a 『skill』 and awakened as a player…’

It was a complete misunderstanding.

Jaehyuk was an ordinary person.

He hadn’t awakened as a player yet.

This was something that a National Treasure’s intuition had discerned at first glance, and the magic measurement orb had confirmed.

‘Did an ordinary person dominate a sword spirit through pure swordsmanship…’

It is known that beasts bear beasts, but this instance had gone too far.

Unable to suppress a wry smile, Seol Soo-ah marked Jaehyuk as an ‘awakened’ individual on the student record.

Because if it were revealed that Jaehyuk was not yet awakened, the repercussions would be beyond handling.

Already fearful of the Yaksha’s bloodline, those unable to tolerate Jaehyuk would stop at nothing to eliminate him.

‘It will be hard to keep up with the classes for awakened students… Please hang in there. You must endure.’

Resting her chin upon her hand, Seol Soo-ah closed her eyes gently and recalled the past.

National treasure, Yaksha.

The guardian once precariously protecting Korea.

To Seol Soo-ah, he was her only hope.

Naturally, she had revered him and received tremendous assistance.

“I can finally repay my debt to His Excellency.”