The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 83

Why soup?

Looking down, Jae-Hyeok grumbled at the rice floating in the milk-white broth. It looked a little too similar to Butler Hwang’s porridge.

“How did you know?” Hae-Rin asked, staring at him. Her expression gave away her slight wariness. It was as if she had just now become suspicious of the whole situation.

Jae-Hyeok replied honestly, “I just saw what I saw, and it seemed like he was bullying you.”

“......”

Jeong Ru-Han wasn’t a fool. He was careful and always cared for her kindly. Even Hae-Rin herself had been grateful to him. Only today, had she become aware of the web he’d been spinning around her.

No matter how keen Jae-Hyeok’s eyes were, it should’ve been hard to see through their relationship. And yet he did. That meant only one thing.

He’s been watching me all along.

But why? Hae-Rin shrank back the more she asked herself this question. Jae-Hyeok’s intentions were hard to read. Hae-Rin’s suspicion built. She couldn’t accept that he’d helped purely out of goodwill.

Memories came to mind, memories of her father’s failing health and the guild being taken over by her uncle—back then, it had already been too late once she’d come to her senses.

Reflecting on the past, Hae-Rin became more certain: reality was harsh. The girl she was now wasn’t so pure as to believe in favors without a price.

Jae-Hyeok sensed her suspicion and answered honestly, “I heard the credits earned in Lion’s Castle are worth Community points. So, I’m planning to make the best team. I became interested in you while searching for a support—” He took a spoonful of soup, and his expression relaxed. It tasted good. Just how bad was Butler Hwang’s cooking to have made something that looked so similar but tasted so much worse? Shaking his head, Jae-Hyeok continued, “Then yesterday, I happened to hear a conversation between you and Jeong Ru-Han in the forest, leading to today’s events. That’s all.”

“......”

Hae-Rin’s snowballing suspicion quickly melted away. Now that she thought about it, Kang Jae-Hyeok wasn’t even in a position to use her status as the successor of the Guardian Guild to plot something. After all, the influence of a fallen aristocratic family wasn’t great.

“A support... I can’t use my power.” Even knowing his reason, she couldn’t agree to join his team. “My father was badly injured in an away competition a few months ago and hasn’t recovered. His... condition might worsen if I show that I am unfit to be the successor again.”

Lion’s Castle had many eyes and ears from the Guardian Guild. They would report directly to her father the moment Hae-Rin became a support.

I don’t think so. Jae-Hyeok had a different idea. What if Hae-Rin succeeded as a support instead of a tank? The Guardian Guild had been obsessed with attaching useless meaning to the shield, which was just a tool. Jae-Hyeok was sure this would be an opportunity to remind them of what the true meaning of Guardian was.

Still, this was something Park Hae-Rin had to realize for herself.

“Then, you can be a tank.”

“Aren’t you looking for a support?”

“I think we need you more than a support.”

His words were meaningful. Hae-Rin’s ears under her long hair turned slightly red, but there were no signs of agitation on her face.

“Park Hae-Rin, please join my team. I guarantee that if we work together, at the very least, you won’t regret it.” Jae-Hyeok extended his hand.

That hand, which was a tapestry of calluses and scars from training prior to awakening, became a symbol.

Did she dare to trust?

Hesitantly, Hae-Rin held his hand.

“Okay.”

***

“Goooooood!”

“It’s finally over, fuck! Everyone has worked hard!”

After completing the last course of the snowfield adaptation training, the first-year students of Class B hugged each other and expressed their joy.

Originally, they were intended to adapt to the snowfield in the second semester. Moreover, after the Death Knight’s killing of the Troll Lord, the difficulty of the training had increased greatly.

Even Kim Jin-Myeong had thought about giving up several times, so he was thrilled to see his students endure and complete the training.

“I’m proud of all of you!”

“It’s all thanks to your teachings!”

Kim Jin-Myeong and some students even shed tears.

The atmosphere was thick with passionate camaraderie.

“Why are you so excited when you’re a week behind Class A?” Jae-Hyeok suddenly criticized, bursting their rosy bubble. “Class A started climbing the volcano this week. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Where’s your pride?”

“...Can’t we just be happy today? Besides, I heard that even Class C has given up on their snowfield training. Isn’t our achievement amazing?”

“Isn’t it ugly to feel happy that you did better than Class C and not break down when you did worse than Class A? Why compete if you’re going to have a mindset like this? Do you take comfort in comparing yourself to someone who is worse than you every time?”

“......”

The sullen students looked at Kim Jin-Myeong, hoping he would make Jae-Hyeok shut up.

Kim Jin-Myeong only looked up at the distant sky and whistled.

The students' eyes turned to the trio of Lee Jin-Seong, Du Bae-Su, and Cheon Hye-Ji. Those three were always angry at Jae-Hyeok. Hopefully, they would do something.

The trio’s faces were flushed with rage, as expected. But the reason for it was different than expected.

“Kang Jae-Hyeok is right. Now isn’t the time for us to rejoice.”

“Do you know what the Class A people say every time they lose a match to Jae-Hyeok? They say that it is meaningless because the other Class B people are trash. They think they will be overwhelmingly number one in the class competition!”

“......”

Helpless, the other students gulped nervously. This... please, no....

They were worried Kang Jae-Hyeok would push them even harder. They’d just finished harsh training, so imagining how they would continue to be overworked without rest, they couldn’t help but despair.

Kim Jin-Myeong couldn’t stand the depressed students and stepped forward. “Y-yes. Of course, our Jae-Hyeok is right. Don’t get too excited. We should try harder and aim to win against Class A. But of course, you worked hard today. Rest well for now... ”

Kim Jin-Myeong was about to tell them to rest, only for his voice to go quiet. Jae-Hyeok was staring at him with cruel eyes.

The instructors watched in bewilderment as Kim Jin-Myeong took a step back while sweating. They wondered, Just who is the teacher here?

Clap clap.

Jae-Hyeok clapped his hands to grab everyone’s attention. “Dozens of instructors joined us to help us with our final training schedule. Thanks to that, we arrived here safely.”

There were countless obstacles in the middle of the snowfield. Without the belief that the instructors had their backs, many students would have been so afraid that they would have dropped out. In other words, it was a rare opportunity for everyone to be here, and Jae-Hyeok also had no intention of missing out. He coveted the elite monsters that dwelled in the center of the snowfield.

“We don’t know when we can come here again, so isn’t it better to get as many benefits as possible? Besides, it’s only 3 p.m. There’s time before midnight.”

From midnight until seven in the morning, the temperature dropped sharply in the snowfield, becoming so cold that even a B-class player like Kim Jin-Myeong couldn’t bear it.

The students complained.

“It’s 3 p.m. now, but are we going to be here till midnight? The cafeteria closes at 10 o’clock.”

“Convenience stores are open 24 hours a day.”

“W-we can make do with something quick to eat, but what about the teacher and instructors?”

Jae-Hyeok questioned in return. “Why? Do you think they are so petty that they’ll regret sacrificing one meal for their students?”

“......”

The instructors, who had been cheering for the students in their hearts, also took a step back and ended up beside Kim Jin-Myeong. They would seem childish and petty if they refused, so they could only stay quiet.

The students and instructors exchanged looks, each asking the other to do something.

“Excuse me.” Hae-Rin slowly raised her hand.

The students subconsciously relaxed. Jae-Hyeok was the type who would even hit a teacher, but they suspected Park Hae-Rin was the only student he wouldn’t touch. She was a girl who always quietly excelled in her role.

Her words definitely had a significant say compared to the average student.

Ohhh, Park Hae-Rin! Thought one student.

Another thought, Ah, just like in training. You always act when it’s important.

A different student exclaimed inwardly, Kang Jae-Hyeok’s only opponent!

They could hear the sound of elite monsters roaring, and the students who wanted to leave secretly cheered for Park Hae-Rin.

However, their hopes and dreams were trampled.

“I think Kang Jae-Hyeok is absolutely right,” Hae-Rin said.

“...Why is she acting like this?”

Had another Kim Jin-Myeong appeared? The students of Class B were frustrated, but Jae-Hyeok didn’t care about their feelings. As if unwilling to waste another second talking, he started running wild, bolting off and attracting the aggro of the nearby monsters.

“C-crazy! Wake up, everyone!” The instructors were shocked by the incoming monsters and quickly moved to protect the students.

Thanks to this, Jae-Hyeok was able to focus on hunting.

The increasing experience made him happy.

*** freewebnøvel_com

“This is our new teammate. Everyone, say hello.”

“Hello! I’m Chae Da-Hee, first year, Class A!”

“I’m a second-year student, Senior Baek Do-Jin. Let’s get along.”

“Hi, I’m... Park Hae-Rin.”

Finally, with four people gathered, they were qualified to create a team. Still, Jae-Hyeok couldn’t help but become a little nervous when he saw their faces.

Sigh. I’m the only normal person here.

Da-Hee and Do-Jin’s personalities were too simple, so they were likely to have an accident. Meanwhile, Hae-Rin was so reticent that her communication seemed problematic. If he, the only normal person, didn’t stay alert, he would be embarrassed in many ways.

Jae-Hyeok took a deep breath and said, “The reason we are here is to discuss an important issue before creating the team.”

“Are we finally going to choose a captain?” Baek Do-Jin wondered.

Da-Hee refuted, “The captain should naturally be Mr. Jae-Hyeok. It’s his team.”

“But I’m a second-year student?”

“What does that have to do with anything? Are you better than Mr. Jae-Hyeok?”

“No, but Jae-Hyeok might feel burdened by the position—”

“Ehem. We’re here to discuss the name of the team.” Jae-Hyeok got straight to the point, worried they would get stuck arguing in circles.

Do-Jin thought hard. “Hmm. What about Red Flag? My hair is red.”

Da-Hee raised a hand. “How about we use our last names and call it Kang Chae Baek Park?”

“Keh, if you’re going to do that, it should be Kang Baek Chae Park... ”

Of course, those two found something else to bicker in circles about... Jae-Hyeok looked at Hae-Rin, who already seemed tired of it. “Do you have any good ideas?”

“No.”

“......”

Weren’t they all useless? Jae-Hyeok was already tired from hunting all day. He stared blankly as Da-Hee and Do-Jin’s chatter faded into the background. Just then, another voice cut through the noise.

It was the former manager of the Shooting Club, Roh Jun-Yeop.

“By the way, why are you guys having your team meeting at the Shooting Club? Kang Jae-Hyeok, weren’t you hiding the fact that you occupied the Shooting Club?”

Clap clap clap!

Park Hae-Rin clapped with shining eyes. She had wondered why they were meeting in the Shooting Club, but she hadn’t expected the reason to be so amazing.

“Hehe. I also think Mr. Jae-Hyeok deserves applause.”

“That’s right. Defeating the manager of the Shooting Club in archery is probably one of the greatest achievements in the history of Lion’s Castle.”

Chae Da-Hee and Baek Do-Jin were also swept up in the atmosphere and clapped. In the end, they even gave a thumbs up.

Roh Jun-Yeop glared at them. “Is this how you should behave in front of the victim?”

“Ah, Jae-Hyeok has arrived?” At that moment, Jang Yeon-Ju arrived in the meeting room late and held out a briefcase.

“This is a request that arrived at the Shooting Club over the weekend. Jae-Hyeok, there is something I want you to see.”

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