The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 187

Chapter 187
“Breaking News: Youngest son of the Yaksha overwhelms a member of the Association!”
“Breaking News: Sixteen-year-old swordsman severs the arm of an A-class sword demon with one blow!”
“Breaking News: The entire nation has eagerly awaited its next National Treasure candidate. Is it finally happening?”
Special news column:
Kang Jae-Hyeok’s rapid growth was a shock to many, a seeming bolt out of the blue—or was it? Four months ago, we all saw a streak of lightning hit the stage during Kang Jae-Hyeok’s admission re-examination. Some experts claim this was a sign of Bloodline Skill awakening, while others say...
All of South Korea was turned upside down.
No matter what media format it was, whether it was TV, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, or social media, the name
Kang Jae-Hyeok
was everywhere.
Inside the Community, he was even listed in the top searches, regional to South Korea.
National Treasure candidate—it was a title reserved for those with the potential to become a National Treasure, a grand force linked to the power of the nation.
They were rare.
At this moment, there were only two National Treasure candidates in South Korea. They were Shinra Kyeong and Jin Cho-Yeon.
It was a pitiful number compared to small and medium-sized countries, let alone the superpower countries, which boasted dozens of National Treasure candidates.
South Korea was suffering from an unprecedented famine.
A talent famine!
That was the reason why many Korean’s had high hopes for this year’s freshman runner-up, Chae Da-Hee. That was also why, at this time, Kang Jae-Hyeok’s comet-like entrance stirred everyone’s attention.
“Hello? Huh? Student Kang Jae-Hyeok’s academic record?”
Even Lion’s Castle was in turmoil.
Calls inquiring about Kang Jae-Hyeok poured in, and the teachers became so busy that they spent their time between calls complaining in the teachers' lounge.
“Vice Principal, we already have many things we need to prepare over the students’ break. Why do we have to deal with ers now, too?”
“Indeed,” Park Joo-Bong said.“We didn’t become teachers to clean up after one kid. Isn’t that right, Vice Principal?”
The teachers from the Association were particularly annoyed.
The vice principal, tired of the constant complaints, eventually addressed Kim Jin-Myeong.
“Teacher Kim, it’s no secret that your colleagues are under a lot of pressure right now. As Jae-Hyeok’s teacher, why don’t you handle contact with the outside?”
How could one person handle the barrage of phone calls? It was clear discrimination. In the first place, Kim Jin-Myeong’s position wasn’t any different from that of other teachers. However, he’d always been assigned more tasks.
"Yes, I understand.”
Nevertheless, Kim Jin-Myeong agreed willingly. In fact, Kim Jin-Myeong was smiling as he redirected all incoming calls to his number.
“What’s Kang Jae-Hyeok’s behavior like?
Hmm
. It isn’t good or bad—it’s not something so easily judged. I’d say he’s like an adult. Yes, an adult... ”
“No-no-no, I didn’t say he’s a saint. I said he’s an aristocrat. He’s the prime example of one, sacrificing himself without hesitation to uphold noblesse oblige. Not just me, but all the teachers of Lion’s Castle respect him!”
When did we ever respect him?
the teachers wondered.
When the teachers from the Association had received calls asking about Kang Jae-Hyeok’s usual behavior or grades, they’d either replied insincerely or distorted the truth in subtle ways.
After all, they were members of the Association before they were teachers. They were well aware that their organization was at odds with the Kang family, so they had no intention of helping Jae-Hyeok.
However, Kim Jin-Myeong was a teacher from a regular guild. On one hand, his lack of relationship with the Association led him to be discriminated against. But on the other hand, it meant he was beyond the Association’s control.
“For example, the child donated black tuna to a sushi restaurant... Yes, yes! It is a true story, a true story. Jae-Hyeok is actually a sweet kid! When he grows up, the South Korea that he will lead will be a hundred times kinder and more brilliant than it is now! All the teachers of Lion’s Castle guarantee it!”
“We don’t guarantee it!”
Eventually, the teachers were so incensed by Kim Jin-Myeong that they stopped redirecting their calls. But it was already too late. Kim Jin-Myeong had given long and detailed answers to the ers, so the number of repeat calls dwindled significantly.
This is fucked up.
What if the Association saw the press releases and yelled at them? The teachers of the Association realized they were ruined and had blank expressions.
Not bad, Park.
That was wonderful, Kim.
Kim Jin-Myeong exchanged glances with Park Joo-Bong, the teacher in charge of Class A, who had helped him subtly.
***
“This... How did this happen?”
Ji Cheon-Myeong’s body trembled as he stared blankly at the articles filling his feed.
He’d already tried to quietly handle the matter, but it only grew bigger. And the articles and comments were now even leaning in favor of Kang Jae-Hyeok!
“An insignificant brat dares to talk about becoming a National Treasure candidate?”
Ji Cheon-Myeong’s chair dissolved into dust, leaving him squatting behind his desk. It was a result of his mana resonating with his rage.
This is the first time I’ve seen him so angry since the Kang Dae-Seong incident.
When Ji Cheon-Myeong broke the armrests of his chairs, some sense of reason remained. His current state was different; only when a player was like a mad beast would their mana lash out so uncontrollably.
“Do you need to get so worked up?” A woman smiled seductively as she leaned on the edge of the sofa. “Just get rid of anything annoying.”
The documents laid out before her were full of information related to Kang Jae-Hyeok. The most striking thing was the last sentence: “The speed of his sword-drawing technique is reminiscent of the Yaksha.” It was an excerpt from Kwae Myeong-Su’s . And that one sentence had been enough to fill Ji Cheon-Myeong’s eyes with disbelief.
“The kids these days don’t know the Yaksha.” The woman placed a cigarette in her mouth and shook her head. “‘Reminiscent of the Yaksha’? Hmph, how pitiful. If Kang Jae-Hyeok’s skills reached anywhere near the Yaksha’s level, how could your head still be attached?”
The secretary frowned, “Department Chief Jin, please watch your words.”
“Am I wrong? The kid wants to avenge his family; naturally, he’s aiming for the president. The president hasn’t made any progress for eight years. If Kang Jae-Hyeok were really the second coming of the Yaksha, how could he handle it?”
“Department Chief Jin!”
The secretary’s temper slipped, and the atmosphere in the president’s office suddenly changed. It felt like the center of power had changed from the president of the Association to the secretary.
It was thrilling.
“You indeed act like someone who’s in the top three in the country. Tell me, then. Why do you stay as the president’s shadow? If all you’re going to do is gloat, why don’t you become the manager of the Gangnam branch and act as you please?”
“Stop. Forget it.” Ji Cheon-Myeong calmed down and stepped in to mediate.
The woman’s words could be taken as an insult, but they’d instead calmed him down.
“Department Chief Jin isn’t wrong.”
The from the Enforcement Department had to be exaggerated. Kang Jae-Hyeok hadn’t reached the Yaksha’s level, so it wasn’t too late to get rid of him.
“We’ll follow his wishes and hold the examination.”
This time, I’ll ruin him completely in front of the entire nation. He should just lie down next to his father.
***
Park Chang-Cheon had suffered from internal injuries while fighting Jeong Jae-Uk. Now that some time had passed, his condition looked even worse than before. His face was deathly pale, and it seemed as if he would never wake up again.
“Umm.”
Blood flowed from Park Chang-Cheon’s mouth and nose as he groaned.
Hae-Rin grabbed his hand tightly, and Elder Gu Suk jumped up.
“W-what’s going on? You gave him the medicine, so why is he reacting like he drank poison?”
“Don’t worry, it’s normal for the stagnant blood to be expelled. You are really impatient for someone your age.”
The old pharmacist was unfazed. After scolding the elder, he carefully fed another spoonful of silvery liquid into Park Cheon-Change’s mouth..
The old pharmacist watched the movement of Park Chang-Cheon’s throat as he swallowed. He stirred the contents of the porcelain bowl once more and scooped out another spoonful of the curse-dispelling medicine.
Moved by the kid's dedication, and with a dark elf heart in hand, the old pharmacist had wasted no time in refining the cure.
Father, please have strength.
You must wake up so we can repay the favor to everyone together.
Hae-Rin tightened her grip as she prayed earnestly.
“Hae-Rin... Elder Gu Suk... ”
Had her prayers reached him?
Park Chang-Cheon slowly opened his eyes.
His complexion was still poor, but his eyes were clear, a sign that the fog of his illness had lifted.
“Father... ”
“Master! Ahhh!”
Park Chang-Cheon sat up with the help of his daughter. Elder Gu Suk checked his condition several times before running out of the room.
Moments later, cheers erupted through the Guardian Guild’s building.
“The master has woken up!”
“Congratulations on the master’s recovery!”
Park Chang-Cheon is awake—
this long-awaited good news spread quickly through the open windows, carried on the breeze.
At the same time, ers scrambled, tapping on their phones or clacking on keyboards; the date for the National Treasure candidate exam had been decided.
Outside, the weather was warm and sunny. The cloudless summer sky hinted at a different future for South Korea.
Of course, no one had noticed it yet.
***
In the Geum family, within the main hall of the hanok[1], bathed in the light of the setting sun, an old man and a middle-aged man sat opposite each other, engaged in conversation.
“The youngest son of the Kang family has made too much of a fuss with this National Treasure candidate exam. ”
“I wouldn’t say he’s stupid, based on his previous actions, but he’s made a fatal mistake this time. I’m not surprised. The young are full of rash pride.”
“As long as the Association is in charge of the examination, Kang Jae-Hyeok has no chance of passing. They will use the pretext of the exam to appear fair while making him totally miserable.”
The middle-aged man, Geum Tae-Shin, laughed with satisfaction. “Rather, this turned out well. Kidnapping a wounded kid will be a piece of cake.”
The Gueums were the family behind the creation of the Sun Guild, one of the five major guilds in South Korea, and for the past few months, Geum Tae-Shin had been targeting Kang Jae-Hyeok, the only member of the Kang family whose whereabouts were known.
His immediate task was simple: to steal away the Kang family’s martial arts and make them the Geum family’s. That was the long-cherished wish of the old man sitting before him, Geun Tae-Byeok, the head of the Geum family.
However, it wasn’t easy. The guilds that he’d subcontracted had failed every time.
Fortunately, it seemed the situation had turned in their favor.
Geum Tae-Byeok moistened his dry tongue with a sip of tea before opening his mouth. “Is he stupid?”
“You are underestimating him. Kang Jae-Hyeok is clever. He took control of the Shooting Club behind the scenes and built connections with large names such as Ocean, Gugang, and Guardian without our knowledge.
“Rather,” Geum Tae-Shin continued. “The situation I’m worried about is quite the opposite.”
The sun was setting. Under the dimming glow, one of Geum Tae-Byeok’s eyes turned gold.
“You’re concerned that Kang Jae-Hyeok will show overwhelming strength and pass the examination? Indeed. The other forces have been passive until now. But an achievement like that would lure their attention. Once they covet the martial arts in that boy’s head seriously, it won’t be so easy for us to get them.”
If I’m not careful, by the time I get Kang Jae-Hyeok, he’ll already be a dissected corpse
... Geum Tae-Byeok muttered a few horrible words before issuing an order to Geum Tae-Shin.
“Move personally, before it’s too late.”
1. A hanok is a traditional Korean house. ☜