The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 236

Chapter 236
「This just in, several sources have come forward regarding yesterday’s commotion around the Association's central headquarters. The regional branch managers fell under attack during a meeting to elect their next president. So far, only one survivor has been confirmed. Officials have yet to make a statement... 」
......
「Breaking—officials have confirmed the attack on the Association. Moreover, according to several of their statements, the one responsible for the killings was none other than Kang Jae-Hyeok. Is this an act of political interference? As of right now, Kang Jae-Hyeok’s whereabouts are unknown.」
......
「 We’ve got another coming in from the ongoing congressional press release. It seems that yesterday... Kang Jae-Hyeok assaulted one of Korea's top military prisons, during which he broke out his sister, disgraced Lieutenant Colonel Kang Hyeon-Ah. Initial estimates on property damage range in the hundreds of billions...」
「This just in, the Ministry of Defense has announced the death of General Cha Seung-Min, who happened to be visiting the prison when it came under attack. They... have named Kang Jae-Hyeok as the culprit. 」
The news broke rapidly, leaving anchors bewildered and confused, but the public's confusion was even more pronounced.
The main pillars of the Association and an army general were killed overnight? And the one responsible was none other than their cherished young hero, Kang Jae-Hyeok, the hope of Korea?
The public was in turmoil.
But it was the politicians who were knee deep in the chaos:
“Let it go. There is no reason to overrule the information embargo! We’ve already shared the facts of yesterday’s incidents. There’s no need to piddle around with additional voting and press releases.
“I disagree. Already, rumors are circulating that the new National Treasure candidate committed a string of unprovoked murderers. How can we let such inflammatory rumors spread without correcting them?”
“I second this. Those branch managers were all responsible for oppressing the Kang family and stealing its property. With its ducal pedigree, how could the Kang family stand this? Kang Jae-Hyeok had just cause to pursue his own justice. In a similar vein, General Seung-Min is guilty not only of violating Lieutenant Colonel Kang Hyeon-Ah’s human rights but also of conspiring to steal a ducal family’s techniques. Rest assured, our Jeongdo Party has already completed a thorough investigation. We only wish to share this corrected with the public.”
Of the three-hundred-fifty-three members of the National Assembly, around a hundred of them attempted to present an objective case for yesterday’s events.
Most of those hundred members belonged to the Jeongdo Party. As for those outside the Jeongdo party who spoke fairly in Jae-Hyeok’s defense, their desire to see Korea flourish in the coming years no doubt played a big role. Of course, their choice to side with Jae-Hyeok was only possible because there was a thorough list of reasons they could point to justify Jae-Hyeok’s behavior.
As for the remaining two-hundred-fifty-some odd members of the National Assembly, they worked hard to present Jae-Hyeok as a ruthless villain.
“Investigation? Don’t make me laugh! I read your , and right away I see that most of your evidence is based on the testimonies of the survivors. Who’s to say if they were bribed by Kang Jae-Hyeok?”
The head of the Gangnam branch and the prison warden had witnessed everything within their respective sites, including the conversations between Jae-Hyeok and the branch managers as well as General Seung-Min. Needless to say, their testimony painted a clear justification for Jae-Hyeok’s actions. However, witness statements were one of the weaker forms of evidence. In a world where lies were cheap, two people’s testimonies were hard to trust.
“Indeed. Why did Kang Jae-Hyeok spare them? They must’ve been bribed behind the scenes.”
“That settles it. We won’t agree to share this with the public. The Jeongdo Party has clearly gathered half-baked evidence in hopes of stirring up sympathy and muddying public opinion. The people of Korea are not fools, and we will not allow them to be played as such!”
“Agreed! In the first place, he killed a general. Frame it however you like, it’s quite clear that Kang Jae-Hyeok’s underlying motives were personal in nature. I, for one, will not allow Kang Jae-Hyeok to damage the pillars of our nation for his own selfish reasons!”
“Well said! His was an act of treason; Kang Jae-Hyeok should be stripped of his status as National Treasure candidate!”
“... With all due respect, I think we should all take a moment to evaluate the climate before coming to a decision. It’s said that the military’s top brass has requested approval for a kill-on-sight order for Kang Jae-Hyeok—but it remains to be seen whether the president will approve it or not. He and his secretary have been awfully quiet.”
“Seconded. When Kang Jae-Hyeok killed Ji Cheon-Myeong, the president released a statement congratulating Kang Jae-Hyeok on becoming a National Treasure candidate. Is that not tacit support for Kang Jae-Hyeok’s actions?”
“Preposterous! How can you compare what happened during Kang Jae-Hyeok’s candidacy exam with this incident? The president’s approval is not blind... And regardless, if the president
were
to ignore public opinion and the voices of the National Assembly to protect Kang Jae-Hyeok, it’s clear how far his approval rating will fall. Would he do something so reckless?”
“... The president's opinion aside—and to my fellow party member’s earlier point, even if this were a personal vendetta, should we really pursue it? After all, the Guardian Guild and the Shinra family are openly allied with the Kang family. Even just stripping Kang Jae-Hyeok of his position could bring about unforeseen consequences.”
“Guardian? Bah! What’s one Guardian Guild compared to the might of a nation? Don’t forget, their headquarters were left in ruins by that villain Jeong Jae-Uk. Even with the guildmaster’s return, the damage to their foundation is obvious. If you ask men, it’s a wonder if they still even belong among the top five guilds.
“As for the Shinra family, they have earned the respect of the entire nation precisely because they have always stayed within their lane and respected the choices of this nation's democratic system. They won’t interfere over something like this.”
As the heated discussions continued, the leader of the Jeongdo Party, Ha Yul, became increasingly uneasy as she observed the atmosphere of the National Assembly; more than two-thirds of the three-hundred-fifty-three politicians who were present wanted to see Jae-Hyeok punished.
Since when did this country become so rotten?
Looking at the red-faced politicians shouting into their microphones with spittle flying everywhere, all Ha Yul could see were the flailing tendrils of a deeply rooted corruption. Just how many of her peers were involved in the Kang family’s fall eight years ago? Just how many had stolen a piece of the pie afterward? Judging by the wild looks in their eyes, the answer was clear: way, way too many.
Ha Yul balled her fists on her lap.
Shameless rodents.
For the last hour, her ears suffered under continuous tirades painting Jae-Hyeok as a wildcard and a selfish, bloodthirsty villain.
She’d had enough.
But so what?
No matter how hard she screamed into her microphone, no matter how pointed her words or clear her case—it wouldn’t change the outcome. Winning over a few fence-sitters won’t matter before the corrupt majority.
Of course, each political party’s say was weighted according to the number of seats they held, and as the leading party, Jeongdo held a majority. Technically, they should've been able to overrule the babbling opposition, but even among her own party members, nearly half sided against her, which was much more than she’d expected.
You idiot...
Ha Yul blamed herself. How could she have been so blind to extensive corruption within her own party?
Her fists loosened, and Ha Yul sighed.
I’ve become muddled in my old age. I’m not worthy of this seat.
Should she retire? Looking at the mess going on around her, she wanted to. But Ha Yul was worried...
If I leave, how long will it be before someone else comes along with the heart to cleanse the corruption?
Yes, she was incompetent. But at least she hadn’t become rotten. And looking back, there truly had been many temptations. How many people could endure it?
Ha Yul shook her head.
No.
I’m not special. If I can do it, then there are people out there who can do it better.
Change will come eventually, with or without me. I only hope I’ll live long enough to see the political landscape change for the better...
At that thought, a sense of defeat washed over Han Yul.
“W-what?”
“Again! Check it again!”
Suddenly, overlapping ringtones filled the congressional chamber until the entire room was awash with the noise. Dozens of politicians sprang to their feet and began barking into their phones.
All of them were members who had served at least three terms, old foxes adroit at lying with their faces and much as their tongues. Yet in that moment, their facades slipped; almost unanimously, their shouting ceased and their complexions turned pale.
Ha Yu was at a loss seeing this.
What’s going on? Did a world-grade gate crop up or something?
“Uh, Representative Ha... you should probably check your messages.”
It was only after another politician spoke to her that Ha Yul remembered her phone was on Silent. She checked it and saw dozens of missed calls and text messages.
The content of the text messages was all the same: “Yeon Ho-Ryeong declared his support for Kang Jae-Hyeok.”
“... What?”
The Ruler of the Sea...
He was the biggest bigshot in Korea and was also active outside of Korea.
No matter whether it was the guild or businesses, he didn’t run anything under his own name, entrusting everything to an agent.
This wasn’t out of laziness but to avoid any direct links to Korea’s economy. After all, many foreign countries had classified Yeon Ho-Ryeong as a pirate and would not hesitate to use him to seek recompense from Korea if there was evidence of national support backing him.
That said, everyone in the know knew that Yeon Ho-Ryeong was a true patriot. Many people not only respected him but also relied on him and the goods he brought back from the sea.
Suffice to say, Yeon Ho-Ryeong was a hot potato that Korea refused to give up on. Despite his delicate situation, however, this man had actually just openly announced his support for the Kang family...
“Fuck!”
A round of swearing broke out in the Congressional Chamber. Just when the public was in turmoil, just when they had all the pieces they needed to tear down Jae-Hyeok, strip him of his National Treasure status, and work together with the military to either kill or confine him—Yeon Ho-Ryeong, that behemoth, had to come from left field and side with the Kang family.
Now that all their plans were ruined, it was understandable for tempers to flare.
Meanwhile, a grin finally split Ha Yul’s gloomy expression, and with a mocking gleam in her eyes, she leaned toward her microphone and said, “So, about that corrected . Have any of you reconsidered?”
***
The world was taken by surprise. A few hours earlier, the media had been questioning and criticizing Jae-Hyeok's character. Now, all those related news articles had been removed. Meanwhile, the news broadcasters became jarringly supportive, relaying how all those who’d died by Jae-Hyeok’s hand had transgressed the Kang family, and so Jae-Hyeok was warranted to seek his justice.
Of course, news of Yeong Ho-Ryeong’s alliance with the Kang family was conspicuously absent from domestic news sources—and of course it was. Not one in the country wanted to attract China and Japan’s ire if they could help it.
Unfortunately, the foreign news stations were not so considerate, and thereafter news quickly spread:
“Did you hear? The Pirate King announced his support for a young Korean genius! Kang Jae-Hyeok, I think his name was.”
“What, really?”
“Would I lie? Check your feed. The news is spreading like wildfire...”
Following Jae-Hyeok’s candidate exam, people outside of Korea had shown little interest in the results, which was no surprise; the prevailing impression of current-day Korea was as a rather backwater country with few talented players. Add to that the fact that the story of Jae-Hyeok’s candidate exam sounded simply fantastical—and most foreigners assumed the Korean government had exaggerated more than just one or two aspects.
Moreover, becoming a candidate and becoming a National Treasure were two separate matters. There were thousands of candidates all over the world, so the news of one more cropping up in a foreign country was just another drop in the pond, and a distant one at that.
Thus, up until now, the only reason Jae-Hyeok was somewhat known cross-nationally was due to his connection with the Thunder Emperor; Jae-Hyeok himself had never been the focus.
But this time it was different. And it wasn’t only the ordinary folk who’d taken an interest.
“His surname is Kang?”
“Yes, he’s the Yaksha’s youngest.”
Yeon Ho-Ryeong's announcement had become an international hot topic. In particular, China and Japan’s reactions were the most intense. After all, these two countries had suffered the most from Yeon Ho-Ryeong’s plundering over the years.
“Let’s send some people to Korea.”
To the two countries, it was the perfect opportunity to twist Korea’s arm. After all, the Kang family might’ve declined, but Kang Jae-Hyeok was still an aristocrat from a legitimate ducal bloodline. The actions of a nation's aristocrats represented the nation. This would be the closest they’ve ever come to directly tying Yeon Ho-Ryeong to the Korean government.
“Oh, and send down the order: make Kang Jae-Hyeok like his father. He has to pay the price for consorting with Yeon Ho-Ryeong.”
China and Japan—two powerhouse countries full of elite talents incomparable to Korea started to move.
It was as Jae-Hyeok expected.
***
Kang Hyeon-Ah crossed her arms.
“Why do it? Are you tired of living? Is that it?”
Jae-Hyeok smiled.
“I know what I’m doing. And it’s necessary, too. Luring China and Japan to act is the perfect test. Whoever comes to me first is most likely the one directly responsible for putting Father in a coma.
From the perspective of those who took down the Yaksha, the revival of the Kang family would never be a happy thing. And now that Jae-Hyeok had openly sided with a behemoth like the Ruler of the Sea, his mad ascent in status and influence would alert foreign countries to that very real possibility.
The more persistently he was targeted by one or both of the countries, the more certain he could be of their involvement in the past incident eight years ago.
“Sister, listen carefully.”
Jae-Hyeok’s eyes had become warm after meeting Kang Hyeon-Ah, but now they suddenly changed, abruptly darkening until they were reminiscent of doorways to an abyss. The hatred and murderous intent therein made even Kang Hyeon-Ah shudder.
“You might have to kill people in the future. Are you ready?”
“Jae-Hyeok...” Kang Hyeon-Ah began, and at that, Gam Woo-Seon’s ears perked up from where he sat nearby.
As expected of an older sister, it seems like Kang Hyeon-Ah is prepared to act as Jae-Hyeok’s breaks. Good lass—
“Do you want to make a bet with me on who kills more people?” Kang Hyeon-Ah finished. Her expression was as radiant as the sun.
Gam Woo-Seon pursed his lips as if he’d just eaten something sour.
Kang Hyeon-Ah... Aish, she really hasn’t let down her surname...
Looking at Jae-Hyeok and Hyeon-Ah’s big smiles, Gam Woo-Seon got the impression he was staring at two runaway trains.
Meanwhile—
“Yaksha, you truly have good children.” Yeon Ho-Ryeong muttered with a look of envy, causing Gam Woo-Seon to sigh in frustration.