Duke’s Son: Re

“Is this a dream?”

The students couldn’t believe what they were witnessing in the middle of the cafeteria.

The scene was that surreal.

Two boys, covered in food, were furiously throwing dishes around.

Exquisite delicacies scattered in all directions.

Had a teacher not hurriedly intervened upon entering the cafeteria, many students might have resorted to surviving on cup noodles for lunch.

“You both will receive a penalty of 10 points each!”

“What?”

“……”

Jaehyuk and Dojin slumped in despair.

***

“……”

Jaehyuk was half out of his mind.

He had stuffed some bread into his mouth but wasn’t even thinking about chewing or swallowing it; he just kept cramming in more.

’20 penalty points in just half a day of school…’

Could it be…?

‘Is this… no, very dangerous?’

Me.

The only(?) bloodline of Yaksha and the rightful heir Kang Jaehyuk, was in danger because of mere penalty points?

‘Kim Jinmyung, Park Geoseo…’

Crunch!

Grinding his teeth, Jaehyuk crushed the bread in his mouth while recalling the faces of the teachers who had issued the penalty points.

‘Neither of them looks weak…’

Nevertheless, they were at a level similar to the bandits who had attacked his mansion a few days ago.

If he ambushed them, he was confident he would win without fail.

‘If I beat them until they beg for mercy, won’t they delete my penalty record?’

The idea of respecting his teachers naturally didn’t dawn on him on the first day of school.

To Jaehyuk, who had never attended a school, there was hardly any difference between teachers and students.

‘First, find out their movements and kidnap them in a deserted place…’

“There’s a way to erase the penalties.”

Jaehyuk, lost in serious thought, was suddenly brought back to reality.

The small boy sitting opposite him, who was eating his meal expressionlessly, spoke with an earnest look.

“Kill the teacher who gave the penalties and erase the grade record.”

“……”

“I’ll carry it out, just that my weapon’s a bit flashy… you keep watch nearby.”

Baek Dojin’s voice was still shaking with anger. He was like watching a growling beast. A Chihuahua wearing a lion’s mane?

“What were you thinking just now? Should I kill you first?”

Baek Dojin’s senses were remarkable too.

He saw the troubled look in Jaehyuk’s eyes and sensed his murderous intent.

Yet, Jaehyuk didn’t flinch.

He shrugged lightly and laughed it off.

“You speak of killing people too casually. Kid.”

“… I don’t speak lightly of it. I understand the weight of death.”

Jaehyuk thought Baek Dojin would just flare up again, but surprisingly, he responded calmly. The fury, urgency, and worry on Dojin’s face were clear to Jaehyuk’s senses.

It seemed like he had a complicated story.

Jaehyuk threw a piece of bread.

“Seriously, you reckless guy. Someone who understands all that wants to kill someone just over penalty points?”

“Then what should I do? I already have 45 penalty points. At this rate, I’ll be expelled for sure.”

“Wow, you’re hopeless. Wasn’t it just ten days ago that the entry ceremony took place? You managed to rack up 45 points in ten days?”

“How is such a thing even possible… which idiot gets 45 penalty points within ten days of entering? I’m a second-year student.”

“A second-year? You?”

“Gah!”

Punch! Punch!

Both Jaehyuk and Dojin found themselves cornered rather conveniently(?).

This time, instead of plates and fists, they exchanged pieces of bread.

Because it was such a minor disturbance, no teachers came running, and as a result, they continued their fight to the end. Jaehyuk, having clinched victory, wore a triumphant smile.

“I won because I ate 8 more pieces.”

“D-damn it… to lose even at this…”

The two boys realized they had common ground with each other.

Gradually, their sharp tones softened.

“As a victor’s right, let me advise you. Don’t kill people recklessly; unless it’s self-defense, you’ll end up in jail.”

“But bad guys deserve to die.”

“True, but just because someone gave you a penalty doesn’t mean they’re necessarily bad, right? After all, it’s a fact we broke school rules.”

“But I’ve never seen anyone give 10 points at once. It feels unfair, almost malicious.”

“… Isn’t 10 points the minimum?”

“Generally, it’s 1 to 3 points, though?”

“Should we kill them?”

“……?”

Jaehyuk shivered.

Receiving 10 points for fighting in the cafeteria was something he could somewhat understand. He was, after all, a 16-year-old adult, unlike the small boy before him.

Didn’t their fight nearly result in hundreds of students skipping lunch?

However, the penalty he received from Kim Jinmyung felt different.

He had merely warned those who had crossed the line first, and for that, he received 10 points?

“Let’s just ‘reasonably’ convince Park Geoseo to delete the penalty record.”

“What if persuasion doesn’t work?”

“Well, then…”

“I understand. Sounds plausible.”

“Oh, no! What’s plausible about that at all?!”

While they were seriously discussing plans, another voice chimed in.

It was a female student sitting at the same table as Jaehyuk and Dojin.

Arriving at the cafeteria later than others, she wasn’t fully aware of the situation.

The girl was unlucky.

She had merely sat at the last available table and ended up sharing a table with the two boys.

During the boys’ conversation, the girl tilted her head hundreds of times. She was so bewildered that she couldn’t even eat properly, her spoon wandering without finding its way to her mouth.

“Is it a student’s attitude to talk about harming a teacher or taking action lightly like that?!”

“Is she a bit short in understanding…?”

Baek Dojin looked at the girl, who had sauce smeared all over her mouth, with a mixture of pity.

Surprisingly, Jaehyuk defended the girl.

“Don’t talk recklessly to someone who’s not well.”

“You’re right… I was rude indeed. So what do we do with her?”

“A rogue I met a few days ago said that leaving a witness alive was a no-no.”

“H-help!”

The new student, che Dahui, was not someone in pursuit of wealth or fame. She had awakened solely with the noble determination to protect citizens.

A failed gate-clearing quest.

She had witnessed firsthand the sight of monsters pouring out and destroying cities, massacring people. To her, players were heroes.

She had entered the Lion’s Castle to become someone’s hero as well…

“P-please spare me!!”

…wanted to live, so she pleaded with the troublemakers, even tearing up.

“Hey, can’t we even joke around?”

“Y-yes, it was a joke.”

Staring eyes poured from every corner of the room, making Jaehyuk and Dojin turn away, feigning innocence.

Anyone could see it was an act to avoid the current situation.

Che Dahui pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, her face reddening when she noticed it was stained with sauce.

“And yet, you call yourselves students of the Lion’s Castle? Have you no shame before His Grace the Duke Kang Daeguk, who dedicated himself to protecting this place?! A player exists essentially to defend people based on what should have been learned from him! You should study history instead of thinking about harming others… Wubwub!”

The girl, who had been frantically yelling, was silenced by Dojin’s hand covering her mouth.

“Shut up! Our plan because of you…!”

“Let go. You’ll make her sick.”

“……?”

Dojin was taken aback.

Jaehyuk’s voice was too gentle for his expectations.

He thought he had figured Jaehyuk out within their 20 minutes of acquaintance, but here was an unexpected side.

“Did he eat something wrong?”

“I guess we ate porridge because of you.”

While Dojin grumbled, he did release his hand.

Thanks to Jaehyuk’s demeanor, the atmosphere calmed down a bit, but Che Dahui was relentless.

“You still shouldn’t harm…”

“Don’t worry.”

“What? You won’t do anything bad?”

“Yeah, we won’t. We only want to erase our penalties.”

…nothing seemed to have changed?

Despite the kindness in his expression and tone, Jaehyuk still seemed to be brewing some mischief.

Che Dahui, impressed by his blatant audacity, explained with a complicated expression.

“Y-you can erase penalty points by achieving high grades in exams or training.”

“Oh, really? Then there’s nothing to worry about?”

Jaehyuk showed an interest while Dojin’s face darkened.

“Tsk… If it were as easy as you think, would I have 45 penalty points?”

“That’s surprising. With your skills, I thought you’d score high in practicals.”

“Uh, well, though I am strong, I’m not all-rounder. In every field, there are always those better than me.”

“So whether you’re laughing or angry, could you pick one feeling rather than both at once?”

“Anyway! Unlike you, the freshman runner-up, the fire on my feet is urgent!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll put out that fire for you.”

Jaehyuk grinned.

“I’ll help you handle yourself better. In return, you must join the team I’m forming.”

According to the manual, lion’S Castle constantly conducts team-based lessons and competitions. Some competitions even offer elixir rewards for winners.

For Jaehyuk, finding useful people is a priority.

“So, you’ll help me?”

A first-year wanting to teach a second-year?

From Dojin’s perspective, who was among the elite in the second year, he should have felt displeased.

But Dojin had personally experienced Jaehyuk’s skills just a moment ago. There was no reason to refuse.

“Well, if you insist so much, I’ll accept your offer. Hah. Hmm.”

As he struggled to suppress the laughter, Jaehyuk gazed nonchalantly at him.

“But thinking about it, it feels bad. Why do you keep thinking I’m the runner-up? I’m not even the top.”

“Well, isn’t it because the heir of the Silla family enrolled this year?”

“Silla…? That makes sense… An opponent with silver hair should naturally be a few notches above me.”

Jaehyuk accepted it readily.

The Silla house had long been celebrated for producing national treasures.

Even the Kang family seemed small before Silla.

Moreover, in Jaehyuk’s current unawakened state, he didn’t have the qualification to harbor a competitive spirit against the Silla heir.

‘But if I awaken and level up, the story might change.’

After all, his father was more excellent than the head of the Silla house in their generation.

“But why did the heir of the Silla family enroll here? Wouldn’t it be faster to grow by going into gates with retainers?”

Certainly, Lion’s Castle had its advantages.

One point was its extremely diverse ecosystem.

It was a place where one could experience and learn about many environments encountered in gates.

However, the Silla heir was in a position to accumulate ample experience safely even in actual battles.

“Perhaps they’re trying to build connections and develop leadership skills?”

“Deliberately making connections here…? Hmm…”

Although it sounded reasonable, Jaehyuk thought differently. He felt there was another hidden motive.

“Um…”

In the midst of this serious atmosphere, che Dahui raised her hand.

“The runner-up is me.”

“……?”

“I-I’m the freshman runner-up….”

“……?”

This…thing?

The two boys’ eyes conveyed their thoughts, making Dahui puff up her cheeks in frustration.