Duke’s Son: Re

Chapter 71

“I must have sinned terribly in my past life…”

“Why go all the way back to a past life? You’re like this because of what you did ten days ago.”

“…”

Noh Junyeob felt increasingly uncomfortable as he received a tackle from the very person who was physically and mentally exhausting him.

Baek Dojin, leisurely lying down and sipping on his drink, resembled a giant bedbug.

‘When will I ever be free from this guy?’

Kang Jaehyuk’s demands were simple.

He wanted Noh Junyeob to teach Baek Dojin to hit the target every time in ‘Beginner Mode’.

At first, Noh Junyeob thought it’d be a breeze.

In Beginner Mode, the distance between the person and the target was a maximum of 90 meters, with a target diameter of 120 centimeters.

Although the 10-point target only had a diameter of about 12 centimeters, even ordinary people could hit it with ample practice over time.

Skilled Mode doubled the shooting distance and shrank the targets by more than fivefold, hell Mode with moving targets, and Ragnarok Mode, which made targets even smaller with added cover and penalty rules—all needed high stats and shooting-related skills.

However, the Beginner Mode was akin to child’s play, enjoyable for everyone.

That’s right.

Noh Junyeob was confident.

He believed that even if Baek Dojin had no talent for shooting, as a player, he would quickly become a marksman in Beginner Mode.

Moreover, he anticipated that with his experience as a future bowman personally teaching him, Baek Dojin would easily master the Skilled Mode as well.

But how did things turn out?

Baek Dojin was still failing miserably even in Beginner Mode.

He missed the target less frequently now, but his best score remained stuck at 5 points.

‘Does he have a perceptual disability? It’s not just about having no talent or lack of focus.’

Noh Junyeob seriously doubted him as he looked pitifully at Baek Dojin.

‘A Shunpo wielder having perceptual issues? Isn’t that like the world unjustly targeting him?’

Shunpo is a notorious skill.

It requires designating coordinates without an inch of error and swiftly maneuvering magic power according to the designated path to utilize it perfectly.

Effectively using it in combat, where lives are at stake in an instant, was practically impossible.

None of the three prior Shunpo wielders before Baek Dojin had become high-rank players.

They had experienced severe injuries multiple times from using their own skill to the extent of developing a trauma that nearly sealed their Shunpo.

Geniuses with exceptional focus, magical control, and spatial awareness are rare, and the chance for such a genius to awaken Shunpo was virtually nonexistent.

‘Rare skills like Shunpo are indeed uncommon.’

Suddenly.

Noh Junyeob realized why Baek Dojin was obsessing over shooting, which he had no talent for.

‘Shooting is the best training method to hone the three key elements needed by a Shunpo user.’

Baek Dojin, that ignorant fool, probably didn’t realize it himself…

‘Kang Jaehyuk must’ve advised him.’

In any case, he was an intriguing fellow.

Despite his youthful appearance, he had an oddly wise and benevolent demeanor.

Junyeob looked blankly at his right hand.

It was the hand Kang Jaehyuk had held onto.

The strength and warmth that had been conveyed through the tightly held hand were still vivid.

Without that strength and warmth, Noh Junyeob might’ve succumbed to anger and humiliation, making a tremendous blunder.

‘At first, I thought he was just a madman…’

When challenged by a mere freshman.

Noh Junyeob had wondered if it was a new method of suicide.

He couldn’t imagine his defeat.

But Kang Jaehyuk defied everyone’s expectations and claimed victory, changing a lot in just ten days.

The most significant change was that the boundary between the two factions within the Ocean Shipping began to blur.

Noh Junyeob’s faction lost momentum from the moment he was defeated.

The Jang Yeonju faction, from when Kang Jaehyuk extended a hand to Noh Junyeob, could no longer mock Noh Junyeob’s faction.

What stood out even more was that Kang Jaehyuk was unable to distinguish between Noh Junyeob’s faction and Jang Yeonju’s faction.

Among the members who delivered Dark Abyss Tuna as per his instructions, Noh Junyeob’s faction and Jang Yeonju’s faction were randomly mixed.

When delivering… rather, when returning from completing the commission, they created a warm atmosphere that was so astonishing…

‘The reason Kang Jaehyuk undertook a low-grade task was indeed unexpected.’

Nobles… He thought they were nothing more than high-headed folks.

Of course, Kang Jaehyuk was certainly lacking in common courtesy too.

Bang!

Look even now.

Every time he entered the shooting booth, it was standard for him to kick the door open.

Several Ocean Shipping members jolted in surprise, their hands slipping.

“See? Shooting practiced only in quiet environments lacks practicality.”

Jaehyuk, who interrupted the training, rather berated the members.

Yet it sounded plausible enough that no one argued.

‘Though I still wonder if it’s necessary to kick the door…’

There are countless ways to create a noisy environment or surprise the members standing at the booth, right? Must you damage property?

… In any case.

Jaehyuk was rebellious yet strangely different from other nobles.

His reckless attitude contained an intent not to help himself but others.

Seeing him from the side naturally built affection.

‘The guys who were upset about being tasked with fish deliveries to Lion’s Castle students, let alone seniors akin to the sky, are now leading that guy anyway.’

As Jaehyuk entered the booth with firm steps, Noh Junyeob gazed at him intently.

Upright.

Jaehyuk stopped in front of Noh Junyeob and frowned.

“You don’t even greet the president when he arrives.”

“Uh…? Oh… uh…”

Not caring for seniority or anything else, Jaehyuk’s rebuking and authoritative demeanor was exceedingly natural.

Thus, Junyeob slyly got up, and as he reflexively lowered his head, the sideways Dojin clicked his tongue.

“You think he’s the president? I’m the Ocean Shipping’s president, not Kang Jaehyuk. Seriously, can’t differentiate a joke.”

“…”

“It wasn’t a joke but a test. The test results are concerning. Maybe you’ll go around claiming I’m the shooting department president?”

“… These damn kids and dogs.”

It was a moment soaked in shame for Noh Junyeob, who felt incredibly humiliated by realizing he was being toyed with.

“I’d like you to take on a commission.”

Jaehyuk’s expression turned serious.

“Have you heard of Gurisi? I’d like you to locate the blacksmith at the Song family castle while you’re there.”

“Gurisi?”

“Not Grui, gurisi.”

“… How should I know about that? You’re asking someone of my caliber, a future Bow Saint, just to find someone? Have you forgotten that?”

“You lost to Kang Jaehyuk though.”

“Baek Dojin, don’t interfere in conversations among humans.”

Cities, counties, districts, towns, townships, villages.

During the geomorphic transformation period.

Several administrative divisions from South Korea, regardless of size, disappeared.

Combined with damages incurred in North Korea, the total exceeded hundreds.

As South Korea adapted to the new world and unified with North Korea, several new or merged administrative divisions were established.

In this process, place names were often forgotten or distorted.

However, only scholars regretted this.

In modern society, the importance isn’t state geography but the number of gates owned.

People today were more familiar with gate names than place names.

Jaehyuk was no different.

“The security situation in Gurisi seems quite dangerous. The task is essentially close to an escort.”

“Escort? Do I move together with the client?”

“Yes. The task involves finding the Song family’s blacksmith with the client and safely escaping with both.”

It seemed clear it was a rather challenging task.

This was why Noh Junyeob questioned.

“Why aren’t you going there yourself then?”

Although he didn’t want to admit it, Noh Junyeob had been thoroughly defeated by Jaehyuk and lost his position as the Ocean Shipping president.

He thought the more challenging the task, the more appropriate it was for Jaehyuk to undertake it than himself.

“Well, you’re stronger than me.”

However, Jaehyuk thought differently.

“If we fought in a real combat format instead of shooting rules, I could hardly defeat you. Don’t you agree?”

“Huh, huh… That’s quite true…”

Noh Junyeob, pleased that his face was saved, had his lips twitch when Jaehyuk continued.

“But it’s a legend for a Ocean Shipping president to lose in a shooting rule battle.”

Baek Dojin interrupted again.

Unable to bear it any longer, Noh Junyeob locked him in a headlock.

“At that moment, Jaehyuk casually declared a shocking statement,

“Senior Jang Yeonju will be accompanying you, too.”

“What, what?”

Noh Junyeob jumped up.

“Moving together with Jang Yeonju, are you crazy? Is this a deliberate commission? Has the client lost their mind?”

“Should the client carefully consider the relationships of the students?”

“… That’s not the case. And how could an outsider know if our relationship is bad?”

Accepting it and calming down, Noh Junyeob asked,

“So, who is the client?”

“It’s me.”

“…”

Stunned by the unexpected answer, Noh Junyeob blankly stared at Jaehyuk for a moment before regaining his senses, veins showing on his forehead.

“You damn bastard, aren’t you deliberately trying to insult me? Did you take control of the Ocean Shipping merely to mess with me!!”

“Not at all. I just want to entrust the task to skilled and dependable individuals from the client’s perspective.”

“… Tch.”

If it was just ten days ago—

Noh Junyeob would have cursed him with foul language and even thrown a punch.

However, having undergone physical rehabilitation with Lauren and Jaehyuk, he learned humility.

Moreover, after observing Jaehyuk, he underwent a curious change of heart.

He decided to take on the request, curious to see what Jaehyuk was scheming this time around.

“How much’s the fee for the request? The value of a Ocean Shipping president’s service isn’t cheap.”

“You’re not the president.”

“… Seriously, this guy is bloody infuriating.”

***

That night.

Jaehyuk returned to the dormitory and sent a text to Steward Hwang.

-I’ll be sending two students early tomorrow morning for escort duty. They are people of substantial skill, so rely on them.

-Are they heading here this soon?

-Steward Hwang located the craftsman promptly, so I must act swiftly, too.

Steward Hwang’s information-gathering ability far surpassed Jaehyuk’s expectations.

He had thought finding a craftsman for the Kang family could take months or even years, yet he found them in just four days.

-It’s fortunate that the only thing Hwang can’t do is cook.

-It’s nothing much. I had Master Song’s contact saved on my phone.

-… But why did it take four days? Steward Hwang, can you only not cook?

-How was I supposed to do anything when they weren’t answering calls? Don’t misjudge this old man as incompetent. Anyway, are the two people arriving tomorrow perhaps your friends, since they swiftly agreed within a day to do your favor?

‘Friends?’

Though it might be accurate for Jang Yeonju, misunderstanding Noh Junyeob that way would be problematic.

-They aren’t.

-Indeed. Despite that, sending them within a day, could it signify they are loyal subordinates? How could you gather loyal followers already despite being a new student… (arms folded and sighing cat emoji) You don’t intend to mimic the first young lady and get sued for school bullying, do you? We don’t have the funds to hire a lawyer, so please restrain yourself.

“……”

Perhaps the person who mistrusted him the most was Hwang the Steward.

It seems that shared years of experience could be a venomous thing.

Reflecting on it while looking at the moon outside the window, Jaehyuk recited extemporaneous poetry before accessing the community.

As expected, there was a message waiting for him from the Honest Merchant today as well.

The message stated that he had finally secured incredible treasures.

His stance had changed completely from the first.

Now, he provided detailed information on the item he wanted to sell.

Only now was he beginning to adhere to the basics that a merchant should fulfill.

‘The more I think about it, the more vexing it is.’

He was a perfect target for letting off steam.

-None of the things you sell are worthwhile to pique my interest.

Click.

Feeling relieved after replying, and having healed his internal injuries from Steward Hwang’s words, Jaehyuk relaxed and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, in a large mansion located in a Western country.

“To think they weren’t satisfied with this much, they truly are a great individual. Maybe it’s time to take out that item and have a look…?”

The man’s eyes, who was known as the Honest Merchant in the community, gleamed brightly.