Chapter 14
“Let me ask you one thing.” Lee Gi-Bok’s curiosity exceeded his anger, so rather than throw a punch, he controlled himself and calmly asked Jae-Hyeok a question. “Why did you pretend to be a senior? What’s the intention of a freshman claiming to be a senior?”
“What?” Baek Do-Jin replied. He'd known Kang Jae-Hyeok was a madman, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.
Jae-Hyeok replied, “I never did that?”
“You’re going to deny it? You didn’t say anything when I called you senior. Yet now you’re going to deny it?”
“Ah, that? I thought it was a title used as a sign of respect because I’m stronger.”
This person is completely crazy. Lee Gi-Bok developed a firm understanding of Jae-Hyeok and started to loosen up his hands.
He said, “So the reason you’re talking informally is because you think you’re stronger?”
“No? Don’t students usually talk informally to each other? Everyone in my class speaks informally with each other.”
“......?”
“......?”
Lion’s Castle was technically a military institution.
They honed their weapons skills and abilities, took tactical lessons, trained in terrain adaptation, hunted monsters, went on low-level raid expeditions, and so on.
The school also taught and practiced killing techniques.
The intensity of life at Lion’s Castle was similar to that of a military institution. The training itself was drilled as if they were in a life-or-death situation, leading to quick and simplified communication between the students. For this reason, there was a culture of classmates talking informally to each other. Because there were many people of different ages in the same year, the list would have been endlessly complex if everyone had to address each other according to a genealogy of older brother, older sister, and younger siblings.
For the same reason, Lion’s Castle also encouraged informal communication between the juniors and seniors in different school years. After all, there were also times when the training of the juniors and seniors overlapped. Team-based training and competitions were a good example of this since students from any year could form a team.
Granted, South Korea was still South Korea.
The country was rooted in centuries of Confucian education, so the students were still obsessed with the hierarchy between seniors and juniors. Moreover, there was also a big difference in ability between year levels, so the juniors had a reason to respect their seniors.
“Come to think of it, that’s right. Why would there be a problem with students talking informally to each other?” Baek Do-Jin, who’d been treating Jae-Hyeok as a madman, changed his attitude. There was no problem with Jae-Hyeok talking informally to students. Why would there be? But Do-Jin added, “Still, impersonating a third-year is a bit... Are you crazy?”
Jae-Hyeok was exasperated, “Why are you saying I did this and that? I never impersonated anyone.”
“Oh, okay. Then I guess this matters over. We’re leaving.” Do-Jin made the final verdict and was about to leave with Jae-Hyeok when Lee Gi-Bok spoke.
“No matter what, there’s still a hierarchy between seniors and juniors in different school years. Even we, as second-years, treat our seniors with respect, so it’s an insult when a junior acts how you did.” He grabbed Jae-Hyeok by the shoulder.
Lee Gi-Bok had entered the school in his mid-thirties. He treated the young third-years who were half his age as seniors, but he couldn’t be treated as a senior when it was his turn?
It was unpleasant.
“Traditions must be preserved,” he declared.
Do-Jin refuted it. “Traditions are terrible. And is it really a tradition that makes you bow down to your seniors? Or are you afraid of being beaten and embarrassed by someone younger than you if you don’t?”
“...Baek Do-Jin, you’ve always been hostile to me.”
“Yes, I don’t like you. You pretend to be cheerful, but you are actually insidious, right? Someone who is different on the outside than on the inside is hateful.”
Lee Gi-Bok said, “I thought you were just jealous of my tall height.”
“Bullshit. I will be much bigger when I’m as old as you.”
Seeing their chance, the other second-year students ganged up on Do-Jin. “Tsk. I don’t think so.”
“Impossible. If you want to be taller than Gi-Bok, you’d have to be at least two meters. How can you suddenly grow fifty centimeters?”
“Kyaak!”
Baek Do-Jin grew frenzied when the second-year students started heckling him. He struggled to swing his short limbs, only for Jae-Hyeok to grab him by the back of his neck. Jae-Hyeok suggested to Lee Gi-Bok, “Let’s act in moderation. If you think you deserve to be treated as a senior, I will treat you as a senior in the future. Understood?”
"Too late.”
Lee Gi-Bok’s thick forearms swelled.
He had dreamed of being a player since he was a child.
After training hard for over twenty years to pursue his dream and steadily raising his level inside Lion’s Castle, Lee Gi-Bok’s stats were among the top in the second year.
He declared, “I don’t want to accept you as a junior. From now on, your only choice is to tremble and bow your head whenever you see me.”
A declaration from the powerful was an unchangeable prophecy.
Lee Gi-Bok bent his wrist sharply.
Bang!
The stronger the beast, the better it was at hunting; Lee Gi-Bok’s punch headed toward Jae-Hyeok’s side with speed and accuracy, and the power was so great that the picture frames and flower pots decorating the hallway shook.
The surrounding students gasped. They hadn’t thought Lee Gi-Bok would really hit a freshman. Of course, that freshman did deserve a beating, but with Lee Gi-Bok’s strength, wouldn’t he end up dying?
As the surprised students were feeling worried, Baek Do-Jin said with annoyance, “Seeing how agitated you are, it seems like Jae-Hyeok touched a sore spot.”
Huh? At that time, Lee Gi-Bok inwardly clicked his tongue. Something hard blocked his powerful surprise attack. It was Jae-Hyeok’s scabbard, which was hidden behind his thin coat.
“Hmph. Lucky.” Lee Gi-Bok hadn’t noticed the scabbard until then. Now that he had, Jae-Hyeok wouldn’t get lucky twice. He laughed and swung his fist again.
His fist would only take a second to reach Jae-Hyeok, but during that short time, goosebumps rose on Lee Gi-Bok’s skin.
“......?”
“......?”
He’d caught Kang Jae-Hyeok’s eyes.
In those eyes, which were supposed to belong to an innocent boy, he saw boredom, annoyance, tedium, and… something else. Something new had kindled in those dark eyes.
What was it?
Ah. Lee Gi-Bok realized. Spirit and dignity.
The majesty in that gaze was something Lee Gi-Bok had always dreamed of having, no matter how impossible he knew it was.
This young boy already had the eyes of someone who stood at the peak.
The Kang family.
Kang Jae-Hyeok.
This was someone who was born noble. His family's ruined state couldn’t hide his shining lineage.
Thump!
A thousand thoughts flashed through Lee Gi-Bok’s in an instant. And before he realized it, his fist was once again blocked by Jae-Hyeok.
Jae-Hyeok’s still-sheathed sword had appeared in his hand at some point.
“That’s it.”
Jae-Hyeok flicked his sword, knocking aside Lee Gi-Bok’s fist, before he slowly brought the tip up to Lee Gi-Bok’s chin.
Even then, Lee Gi-Bok hadn’t noticed the threat. He just stared blankly into Jae-Hyeok’s eyes. The spirit and dignity he saw there was something he’d long wished for himself.
“Good. That’s how you should look when looking at me,” Jae-Hyeok whispered. His voice was deep and firm to the point where it took root in Gi-Bok’s heart.
“Remember this. I let you go this time.” Jae-Hyeok had originally intended to smash his head, but the look in Lee Gi-Bok’s eyes had changed his mind. He liked that look.
Jae-Hyeok shrugged, took one last glance at Lee Gi-Bok, and urged Baek Do-Jin.
“Let’s go eat. I’m going to die of hunger.”
“Let’s race to see who gets there first.”
“Hmph. So childish,” Jae-Hyeok said before suddenly taking off at a full sprint.
“Uh? Kang Jae-Hyeok! You filthy bastard!” Baek Do-Jin chased after him.
The hallway fell into silence. Lee Gi-Bok was still stunned while the other students were confused. What had just happened?
From the perspective of those ordinary second-year students, Lee Gi-Bok’s confrontation with Jae-Hyeok wasn’t even a fight. Lee Gi-Bok only hit Kang Jae-Hyeok’s scabbard twice. It was more like an older senior admonishing a younger junior. He’d ended up criticizing Jae-Hyeok calmly without being harsh.
Because the students were standing behind Lee Gi-Bok, they hadn’t seen Jae-Hyeok’s threatening gesture with the tip of his scabbard.
“Gi-Bok hyung-nim? Are you okay?”
“...Why wouldn’t I be okay? What are you doing? Aren’t you going to eat?”
Lee Gi-Bok snapped at the students and wiped away the sweat running down the tip of his chin. His sleeves were soaking wet.
Could he win if he fought properly?
Of course, his odds were good at this point. He didn’t know Kang Jae-Hyeok’s skills, but the other person was just a freshman. On the other hand, Lee Gi-Bok was over level 20, and the power of the Skill he’d gained from his long training was great.
There was a reason his magic power test had been red—he had the potential to become an A-class player, which was the minimum qualification to be the head of a guild, and he’d planned for long years to do just that, to one day stand at the top of his very own guild.
But now…
Lee Gi-Bok had realized he was like a frog in a well; his ambitions and dreams felt so small compared to the ocean of ambition he saw in Jae-Hyeok’s eyes. It overwhelmed him with a desire to follow Jae-Hyeok.
He got the sense that if he did, he would become a part of something even greater.
***
“Isn’t it funny?”
After eating, the two of them headed to the training ground.
Jae-Hyeok grumbled as he opened his phone to check for any reply from Butler Hwang.
“Why does the phone only go off in the dormitory?”
“I heard it’s because setting up arcane transmission towers is very expensive. That’s why they’re only installed in the safe zone.”
“That’s funny. Emergencies can occur in danger zones, too, not just in safe zones. If they’re going to install transmission towers, they should’ve set them up in the training grounds or monster respawn areas. In any case, I doubt it really matters to them how much tax money they spend. Hmph. It’s probably all the taxes that my father earned.”
“Aristocrats don’t pay much taxes, right?”
“Without the gates and cities my father protected, the overall tax revenue would’ve decreased. You should infer ten things from hearing one. Do I really have to break it down for you?”
Bored, Do-Jin replied, “I’m not interested in random stuff like that, so just explain your training plan.”
“Random stuff like that? Random like that?? These days, people don’t know how to thank Duke Kang Dae-Guk. Sigh, damn. I’m seriously going crazy,” Kang Jae-Hyeok grumbled to himself.
The two boys arrived at the third training ground.
It might be a weekend, but there were a lot of students working on their personal training. Everybody was serious, and not a single person wasted their time when it came to training.
The enthusiasm energized Jae-Hyeok. I’m glad I came to this school. He liked Lion’s Castle more and more.
A green-haired boy who was training caught Jae-Hyeok's eye. He thought the dyed hair was flashy, but judging from his facial features, he was a foreigner.
“...Why is a foreigner here?”
Were they wasting the taxpayers’ money on foreigners now? Jae-Hyeok couldn’t help frowning. The green-haired boy sensed his gaze and turned to look at him.
Uh?
Jae-Hyeok was stunned.
“Loren...?” Baek Do-Jin looked like he had seen a ghost.
The green-haired boy’s gaze fell on him.
“It has been a while, Do-Jin.”
“You, fucking… ”
“Your parents are safe in my care. There is no need to get so worked up.”
“Loreeeeeeeeen!!”
Before Jae-Hyeok had time to make sense of the situation, Baek Do-Jin lunged at Loren with a greatsword taller than himself in hand.
He looked ready to kill.
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