The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 234

Chapter 234
Yeon Ho-Ryeong’s oppressive aura bore down on the mercenaries. Their visions flickered; the smell of sea spray after a storm grew pronounced in the air; and for a fleeting instant, the moon above was not a moon at all but a glaring sun whose baking heat pressed hotly on their necks.
Unable to bear it, the mercenaries found themselves crashing to their knees while sweating profusely. Terror and confusion warred on their faces.
“Yeon... Ho-Ryeong?” one of the mercenaries muttered, and at those words, the entire group was overcome with disbelief.
The... Ruler?
How could it be him?
No way...
......
Yeon Ho-Ryeong bore the title “Ruler of the Sea,” and just as the name would suggest, Yeon Ho-Ryeong rarely left the sea.
While Ocean Guild
did
have various businesses tied to inland properties or trade, as guildmaster, Yeon Ho-Ryeong had others to handle those affairs. He himself was known to be a man obsessed with the sea and averse to land—it was even said that he’d faced his thunder tribulation while out at sea.
A sudden gust of wind swept past the group of mercenaries, and the old man who’d mumbled Yeon Ho-Ryeong’s name silently split in two, from head to crotch.
Yeon Ho-Ryeong recovered his guando, shook it until the blood came free, and slung it over his shoulder in a relaxed manner. The large sword was well over fifty centimeters in both length and width. It looked as tall as a door and half as wide.
“......!”
If the old man had friends, none spoke up. With eyes bulging in fear, the mercenaries crawled on hands and knees to open a path.
As mercenaries and assassins for hire, they had no one to rely on but themselves or the small teams they worked in. They had no fancy family or organization with deep pockets to support them. Whether they survived this disaster came down to Yeong Ho-Ryeong’s whim.
Yeong Ho-Ryeong sneered but took no further action. He strolled between the line of protesters and arrived before the health store’s front gate. Then, his eyes fell upon the front door... no, they fell upon what lay beyond it.
Boy, I can feel you.
As if responding to Yeon Ho-Ryeong’s feelings, his aura began to seethe and churn, crashing like waves amid a storm.
Strong.
So this is the person capable of enslaving my son...
His narrowed eyes turned an unusual red.
***
Health was innate. Some were blessed; others were not. But even among the blessed, Kang Hyeon-Ah had never met anyone like herself.
From as early on as she could remember, she had never once caught a cold, and despite her “roughhousing” in childhood, the worst she’d ever walked away with was a bruise or a scrape, whereas the other kids seemed as fragile as paper dolls...
And that was only the beginning; as time passed, the abnormality of her physique grew only more pronounced.
During her first gate delve, a goblin had snuck up and bonked her several times with its club. Needless to say, Kang Hyeon-Ah had not collapsed unconscious. And when she’d slowly turned around with wide, glaring eyes, the goblin had stumbled back, looking as if it'd seen a ghost.
Kang Hyeon-Ah smiled.
Father used to chuckle every time that story came up.
In fact, it wasn’t just her body. Her mental fortitude was also “freakish,” at least, according to others.
Her father had described her as someone who took everything in stride and faced the future without fear—and if she were honest, Kang Hyeon-Ah quite liked that description of herself. Of course, Kang Dae-Seong had a different opinion, often saying that if “reckless” and “oblivious” had a face, it would be hers. Kang Hyeon-Ah smiled warmly whenever he said this. As far as she was concerned, Kang Dae-Seong’s teasing was just a sign of brotherly affection.
In any case, one day after training, her father had called her to his study. There, he’d said, “Hyeon-Ah, you lack dexterity, but among the three of mind, skill, and body, you were born with both great strength in mind and body. In fact, I suspect your strength of mind is the source of your indifference to worldly affairs. It's a mentality well attuned to sensing and controlling mana...
“Your talents are many and unique, but dexterity is not one. My daughter, you bear the Kang surname, but the path of the sword is not for you. Set aside the sword, focus on what complements your talents, and follow the path meant for you.”
"Okay～"
From that day on, Kang Hyeon-Ah learned hand-to-hand combat.
She was the only one among her siblings, no, she was the only one among the entire family who swung her fists instead of a sword. But she didn’t mind. Compared to swinging a sword, she found it much more fun to jump around and make things crunch with her fists—and she was really good at making things crunch with her fists.
Moreover, although their training was different, she still got along with her siblings, so it wasn’t as if she’d been left alone. Kang Dae-Seong was especially supportive of her new fighting style.
“The way you swing your limbs ignorantly is just like a gorilla.”
“Gorilla? Do I look so solid in the eyes of my brother?
Hehe
. I’m glad!”
“You...
Sigh.
I’m saying that for the eldest daughter of a famous swordsmanship family to be studying hand-to-hand combat... Founder Peak Sword must be rolling in his grave.
“Mm, mm. He must be rolling in excitement!”
“What? No, dammit...”
In any case, she cherished those years the most; every moment was filled with hard work, but also laughter and fun.
But everything changed on
that
day eight years ago.
"What should we do?"
Protesters had swarmed the gates of their estate, cursing and shouting. Their father had lost consciousness, his status as a National Treasure had been revoked, and the National Assembly was taking steps to strip him of his ducal title.
In that tense moment, her usually taciturn little sister, who was so quiet that her siblings often treated her as if she were mute, spoke for the first time in ages. Her fingers trembled as they gripped Kang Hyeon-Ah's sleeve.
"I hate this country."
"......"
What could she say? All Kang Hyeon-Ah could think to do was give her sister a reassuring look while taking her small hand in her own.
In reality, none of it felt real to Kang Hyeon-Ah; she still felt that no matter how bad it seemed, somehow, someway, everything would return to normal in a week. After all, hadn't things always worked out for her family in the past? How could this time be different?
Just as she was thinking this, Kang Dae-Seong stormed out the front door while trailing a string of curses.
“Damn fucking bastards. I’m going to kill them all.”
Kang Hyeon-Ah watched him go without much thought; in any case, whether big or small, Kang Dae-Seong's style in handling problems was the same.
It wasn't until several days later that Kang Hyeon-Ah received the call.
—Ah, I couldn’t kill him.
“Who?”
—Ji Cheon-Myeong. I didn’t know his secretary was so strong... Listen. I’II need to leave the country. If I give them any reason to suspect that I’ve returned home, those bastards will use me as an excuse to raid the mansion. They will probably steal everything valuable while they are at it.
“You’re leaving? When? Where will you go?”
—I’m leaving for Russia now. There are things I need to pick up, so I might as well go there.
“Do you really have to? I just left for deployment. If you aren’t home, what about Jae-Hyeok?”
—Jae-Hyeok can take care of himself. Nothing about that kid is normal.
“That’s true.”
—Still, he might get lonely, so make sure to look after him until you return to the unit. Try to take leave more often... Okay, I’m hanging up. I’m going to call Jae-Hyeok one last time.
Kang Dae-Seong’s breathing over the phone was rough. He’d never been the sort to reveal weakness if he could help it, so his wounds had to have been serious...
Before Kang Hyeon-Ah could sink into thought, her phone rang again.
—Unit captain! I received information that the National Assembly will hold a vote to strip His Grace of his ducal title!
Her adjutant’s voice was urgent, and the words weighed like anvils on her mind. Combined with the news of Kang Dae-Seong’s failure and departure, the stone foundation of Kang Hyeon-Ah’s mind began to shift, and a rush of anxiety came over her. As a result, her straightforward personality sought a more extreme solution than usual.
“Prepare tanks and bombs.”
Four words... just those four words was all it took.
By the time Kang Hyeon-Ah returned to her unit, the military police were waiting. Her adjutant watched her leave in chains with a smile. And within the hour, she found herself imprisoned in a military facility, stripped of her human rights.
That marked the start of hell.
Even in her simplicity, the pain of being treated like livestock in a darkened cell for eight years was unbearable. Gradually, her strong spirit crumbled at the edges, and she started experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations.
It was only during her martial arts training that she felt a sense of clarity. She quickly understood that the best course of action was to practice martial arts rigorously every day, pushing herself until exhaustion took over. And so, she continued thus, day after day, week after week, year after year... until one day—
Someone flipped on the corridor light and grabbed her hair through the bars.
“Just step back. Then I’ll overlook everything you did today.”
By the voice, she realized it was Cha Seung-Min. His voice was rough and his words were rushed, and he reeked of blood. Thoughts churned inside Kang Hyeon-Ah’s pounding head, but all of that came to an abrupt halt when she heard another voice.
“...Sister.”
Jae-Hyeok?
Having been kept in darkness for eight years, the hall light had forced Kang Hyeon-Ah to shut her eyes. But she wouldn’t mistake Jae-Hyeok’s voice.
Is Cha Seung-Min’s desperate state his doing?
Cha Seung-Min coughed and said, “Once you achieve more merits and become a National Treasure, change the law. Then, whether you visit or release your sister will be entirely up to you.”
Cha Seung-Min’s breath was hot in Kang Hyeon-Ah’s ear, and she felt something pressing against her neck. It was rather sharp, but that was all. More than anything, its presence against her neck clued her into what was happening.
Cha Seung-Min is injured, and he’s trying to use me to threaten Jae-Hyeok. He’s afraid, afraid of my little brother...
In Kang Hyeon-Ah’s memory, her younger brother only reached up to her waist. He might be a prodigy carrying their family’s expectations, but he seemed far from being able to accomplish anything on his own. However, it seemed he’d grown up. Even Cha Seung-Min, the strongest man in the military, had been driven to desperate straits by her little brother.
Thinking of this, Kang Hyeon-Ah was unable to control her joy and tried to shout, only for her dry throat to lock up. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d tried to speak anything louder than a whisper, and she was suddenly struck by a fresh wave of guilt. How long had she been trapped here? How many years had she left Jae-Hyeok all alone?
Kang Hyeon-Ah grimaced.
I acted like an idiot back then.
Jae-Hyeok would criticize her, she was sure.
Will he ever forgive me?
The thought of facing her little brother and hearing what harsh but true words he might say made Kang Hyeon-Ah squeeze her eyes shut even tighter.
Then there was the sound of glass shattering, and the sterile hall light that had been shining through her eyelids suddenly vanished.
“My sister seems to be in pain.”
Jae-Hyeok spoke then. And everything in the moments following happened in a blur. Before she knew it, Cha Seung-Min fell dead and Jae-Hyeok was hugging her tightly.
Her heart pounded in joy, but it didn’t last. Jae-Hyeok’s arms and back were so much thinner that his embrace felt unfamiliar, reminding her of just how long she’d left Jae-Hyeok alone. Guilty and ashamed, she couldn’t bear to face him. And so...
“So, you pretended to faint?”
“Yes.
Hehe.
”
“......”
Jae-Hyeok looked at Kang Hyeon-Ah, who was smiling with embarrassment and scratching her head. He could understand why she’d done it, but what flustered him was that he’d failed to see through her act.
What happened to my insight?
Furthermore...
“Did you have to squeeze so hard? Well, fortunately, my bones aren’t shattered. It’s just a mild dislocation.”
“Um, sorry...”
In fact, Jae-Hyeok was less calm than he appeared. His body far surpassed he limits of a normal human. His Stamina stat was so high that he could withstand an ordinary player's sword strikes and walk away with only minor wounds. And yet Kang Hyeon-Ah had
accidentally
dislocated his bones with a simple hug.
It didn’t make sense.
After all, Kang Hyeon-Ah had been imprisoned before reaching S-class. It wasn’t as if her cell housed monsters she could level from.
Shouldn’t I be much stronger than her? Just how can she disrupt my senses and squeeze me like a two-year-old?
Then, Jae-Hyeok was reminded of the dark, cramped cell in which his sister had been kept, as well as the pin camera used to watch her. Kang Hyeon-Ah remained mentally fine despite enduring a life alone, trapped in that dark space, and the answer to how she’d done it was obvious: Train, train, and train some more—after all, that was all Kang Hyeon-Ah could do.
In other words...
“Sister, did you get a title or something?”
“Huh? Did I?”
“... Did you forget how to open the status window?”
“T-that’s right. There was such a thing.
Hehehe.
”
To someone else, her words might seem like a joke, but not to him. He tearfully hugged his sister.
“Thank you. Thank you for staying strong all these years.”
Kang Hyeon-Ah’s eyes trembled as Jae-Hyeok held her in his arms. At some point, he had grown as big as her in the years she hadn’t seen him.
Eight years ago, it was she who’d let him down, yet it was he who’d saved her and he who was comforting her...
He’s really grown up.
Kang Hyeon-Ah wore a fragile smile.
“I, I am the one who is grateful. I—Brother, watch out!”
Kang Hyeon-Ah threw Jae-Hyeok aside like an extra pillow.
Bang!
Jae-Hyeok crashed into the wall, and Gam Woo-Seong came charging from the back room while shouting a question to Kang Hyeon-Ah, “Enemies!?”
“Uh, yeah...” Seeing Jae-Hyeok getting up unharmed, Kang Hyeon-Ah coughed awkwardly and took a moment to collect herself. Once she did, her sharp gaze shifted toward the garden outside the building. “Enemies.”
Above the pond that Gam Woo-Seon carefully maintained, a burly man stood on the water with his arms crossed.
“Why are you fighting among yourselves?”
He tilted his head in a confused manner.