Chapter 2
He isn’t a swordsman?
“...?”
The man doubted his ears.
What type of nonsense was this? This was a child of the Kangs, and his technique looked exactly the same as the Yaksha’s.
In his last moments, the man’s faltering mind was filled not with fear but with unanswered questions.
It was useless, however.
Jae-Hyeok’s flying sword had pierced the man’s forehead. He was reduced to a wide-eyed, cooling corpse.
“Tsk.”
Jae-Hyeok clamped down on his mind and shook off the flood of emotions easily. Killing was a means of survival, a means to an end. He’d known he would have to take a person’s life eventually, and he’d been fully determined.
Jae-Hyeok walked over to Butler Hwang. “Stay quiet and don’t move. I’ll call an ambulance.”
Hwang Hong-Gi was covered in blood, and he didn’t move.
Jae-Hyeoke grew worried. Although the high-grade potion had reknitted the wounds, the amount of blood lost could still be lethal.
Butler Hwang seemed too quiet.
Ignoring his own advice, Jae-Hyeok couldn’t help but call out hesitantly, “Butler Hwang?”
There was no reply.
Jae-Hyeok’s heart sank. He hesitated to check Hwang Hong-Gi’s pulse. Although he was determined to regain what had been taken from him, he found himself unprepared to accept a new loss.
He’d lost too much as it was.
“Butler Hwang?” Jae-Hyeok’s eyes became blurry, and his head was dizzy. A horrible feeling that he never wanted to go through again constricted his heart.
I failed him.
Had he noticed the attack sooner, Butler Hwang wouldn’t have suffered. No, in the first place, he shouldn’t have kept Butler Hwang by his side. If he cared, he should’ve kicked Butler Hwang out of the estate long ago.
Jae-Hyeok’s vision darkened. Quiet sniffles broke the silence.
In the end… did they have to take everything?
Even his mother… Why had she entered that death trap? That incident ten years ago seemed too similar to today’s.
Could it be that those who ruined my father influenced things even back then? Jae-Hyeok ground his teeth. Fucking bastards… Do you think I’ll just go along easily?
He looked at the crumpled letter in Butler Hwang’s hand. An invitation from Lion’s Castle. He’d already refused four times, but what other option did he have?
Just then.
“Young Master... When is the ambulance coming? I’m an old man, but I don’t want to die just yet.”
“Butler Hwang!” Shocked, Jae-Hyeok looked up to see Butler Hwang staring at him with a warm smile on his pale face.
“Butler Hwang! You’re okay!” Jae-Hyeok moved closer to Hwang Hong-Gi before he came to his senses and quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
“In any case, it is a big problem that you have no sense of economics. How could you use that expensive potion on me when it’s the only one left?”
“It’s okay.” Jae-Hyeok was smiling. “It’s okay. Once I make lots of money, I’ll support you, and you won’t have to worry about these things.”
Hwang Hong-Gi’s eyes reddened with emotion, but it wasn’t because of Jae-Hyeok’s words. When have I ever seen the young master smile so brightly?
***
[You have entered Lion’s Castle.]
The achievements of Duke Kang Dae-Guk were countless, and one of his most representative achievements was the preservation of Lion’s Castle.
Lion’s Castle was a field-type gate, and it boasted a large size that went beyond cities and counties to reach the provincial level.
Plateaus, hills, mountains, deserts, jungles, swamps, volcanos, glaciers, and large rivers—any number of environments, not normally found side by side, all coexisted within Lion’s Castle.
In addition, B-class or lower monsters respawned regularly in specific areas, which meant players could use Lion’s Castle to their liking.
In short, Lion’s Castle was the best gate for player development. It was to the point where many countries tried to extort it by force, though none had succeeded.
“Nice to finally meet you.”
South Korea had set up a player development agency in Lion’s Castle, and the agency accepted anyone with enough talent, regardless of age or status. The Yaksha’s son was a guaranteed talent. On its face, it was only natural for Lion’s Castle to covet Jae-Hyeok.
A place my father defended for his country… and in return, his country abandoned him…
Jae-Hyeok, who had been looking around with mixed feelings, finally replied, “Well, you’ve been flirting with me for a long time.”
Seol Su-Ah, chairman of Lion Castle’s board of directors, seemed blind to Jae-Hyeok’s sarcastic attitude. As one of the three National Treasures left in South Korea, Seol Su-Ah was no coward, yet she only smiled in response. “I’m rather persistent.”
Seol Su-Ah knew all too well the life the boy had led up till now. And considering the most recent raid on the Kang estate, and the fact that Jae-Hyeok had shown up here, she hadn’t exactly expected Jae-Hyeok to greet her with a smile.
Jae-Hyeok asked, “So, I’m here. I’ve accepted your letter. What’s the government and the Association playing at? The younger brother of the treasonous Kang Dae-Seong and Kang Hyeon-Ah, invited for a friendly stay at Lion’s Castle? Are all the high-ranking nobles dead, or are they plotting something?”
“You are the son of Duke Kang Dae-Guk before you are their younger brother. The government and Association have high hopes for your talent. In the first place, there’s no guilt-by-association system in South Korea.”
Jae-Hyeok stared flatly at Seol Su-Ah. “The reason my siblings have ended up where they are is because they’re my father’s children. I’m no different. What if I build up my power and take revenge on the country?”
“If South Korea is blessed with a player powerful enough to do so, they will be welcomed with open arms.”
Does she mean for me to do it if I can?
Jae-Hyeok’s mouth twisted as he accepted these words as provocation.
“Jae-Hyeok.” Suddenly, Seol Su-Ah spoke in a soft voice. Her smile faded. “Don’t misunderstand me. It will be hard at school. The other students grew up exposed to the media disparaging the Yaksha and the Kang family. They will be prejudiced against you, they won’t hesitate to antagonize you, and the teachers of the Association will be wary and suspicious of you.”
“...”
“You accepted my invitation because you had no choice. Only at Lion’s Castle can you grow. So, steel your heart and work hard—and make no mistake: if you fail, you will become others' prey.” Seol Su-Ah sighed, and the temperature in the Chairman’s office seemed to drop sharply. “Still, you understand this is the safest place for you, right?”
“...Yes.”
“Believe me or not, I will protect you from the outside world as much as possible, but there are limits to what I can do. Like any student, you will have to deal with the tricks and intrigues within the school on your own. Even the chairman of the board has various circumstances to take into account.”
“Well, after everything you’ve said, it’s still a bit ambiguous whether you are dependable or not, right?”
Despite his harsh tone, Jae-Hyeok relaxed his guard a little bit. He had to admit that Seol Su-Ah was doing quite a bit for him.
The people in the government and Association who actually hoped for him to grow were definitely a minority, if there was even anyone at all.
There must be an overwhelming number of people who want nothing to do with me… Nevertheless, she has been trying to get me admitted.
Jae-Hyeok stared at Seol Su-Ah before asking bluntly, “What do you want from me?”
Seol Su-Ah’s piercing blue eyes flashed.
“I want you to live the life you want.”
National Treasure White Night.
Jae-Hyeok suddenly remembered that the woman before him was his father’s equal.
Seol Su-Ah smiled and held out a small bead. “Here.”
“What’s this?”
“It is a magic power measurement tool. You can hold it in your right hand.”
“Hmm… ”
Jae-Hyeok held the bead in his hand.
However, the milky bead showed no change.
Seol Su-Ah’s eyes widened and she trembled.
A National Treasure was someone who supported the country. They had to keep composed at all times and in any situation. It was extremely rare for Seol Su-Ah to make the mistake of revealing her true thoughts with her facial expressions.
“Your Excellency?”
Jae-Hyeok tilted his head and Seol Su-Ah quickly cleared her expression.
“That’s everything, you can return the bead. Do you have any further questions?
“Actually, I do. This is a gate, right? The environment will be reset every time you clear a quest, so why did you put up so many buildings? It seems like a waste of taxpayers' money.
“Aside from the amenities, most of the educational facilities have in fact existed here since the beginning. Even this building isn’t new, although it has been renovated.
“I thought the style was unusual and old-fashioned. So Lion’s Castle was originally a school?”
“Most likely. That’s also likely why there are no quests here. It ensures stability, which is also why our player development agency was located here.”
“Wait, how can there be no quests at a gate?”
“I think it is more accurate to say that they haven’t been found. But it has been over 200 years, and there have been no signs, so quests here are virtually nonexistent.”
Maybe there’s still a reward left for the first clearance? Jae-Hyeok thought seriously.
“Jae-Hyeok? You look tired. Go back and rest. Do you know where the dormitory is?”
“Yes.”
After Jae-Hyeok left, Seol Su-Ah pulled out a piece of paper. It was a report that recorded the information of the culprit who dared to attack the duke’s mansion.
A sixteen-year-old boy defeated the Sword Demon… I thought he awakened as a player and developed a skill.
She was completely mistaken.
Jae-Hyeok was a normal person who hadn't awakened as a player yet. The senses of a National Treasure made it clear at first sight, and the magic power measuring instrument was wholly convincing.
Did an ordinary person really overwhelm the Sword Demon with pure swordsmanship?
It was said that a tiger could not give birth to a dog[1], but wasn’t this going too far?
Seol Su-Ah couldn’t help but laugh as she marked Jae-Hyeok as an awakener in the student record book. Jae-Hyeok wouldn’t be able to deal with the repercussions if it was revealed that he was still unawakened.
Those who feared the Yaksha’s blood would stop at nothing to get rid of Jae-Hyeok. It will be difficult to follow the classes for awakeners, but... Please do your best. You have to endure it.
Seol Su-Ah lowered her chin and closed her eyes, reminiscing about the past.
National Treasure Yaksha. The guardian deity of the precarious South Korea, and Seol Su-Ah’s only aspiration.
Naturally, she respected him, and he helped her a lot.
“I can finally return the favor to you, Your Excellency.”
1. Old Chinese proverb to the effect of “like father, like son.” ☜
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