The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 13

Bulter Hwang: Young Master, how are you now? I can’t sleep because I am worried about you.

Jae-Hyeok woke up early the morning and smiled when he saw the text. I feel the same.

It was the first weekend after entering Lion’s Castle. It had only been six days since Jae-Hyeok left home, but Butler Hwang already missed him so much that he couldn’t even sleep out of worry?

Butler Hwang likes me so much. I’m probably like his own grandchild, right?

As expected, he needed to support Butler Hwang for the rest of his life.

Jae-Hyeok’s smile grew wider before it suddenly disappeared.

Butler Hwang: Young Master, I can’t sleep because I’m worried you will be violent toward your classmates or argue with your teacher. I don’t expect you to study well, but do try and build friendships. Even the eldest young master, whom you revile so much, had at least one friend during his school days.

Jae-Hyeok grunted as he flicked down Butler Hwang’s long text message and sent a sullen reply.

Jae-Hyeok: The food here is delicious, so I’m not even thinking about you. Good luck with your sleep.

Why had Buler Hwang suddenly brought up Kang Dae-Seong? No, before that, why did Butler Hwang think he wouldn’t study well? If Butler Hwang thought he wouldn’t study well, then he didn’t know him at all.

Butler Hwang, it isn’t a flaw that I started late because it isn’t too late. I can make up for the time I’ve lost with hard work, so I’ll naturally become number one in my studies.

Shinras’ heir fought well, but that was no guarantee he studied well too. Jae-Hyeok could at least fight for first place in his studies.

I’m also not crazy enough to pick on my classmates and argue with my teachers... Oh wait.

Well, he supposed things had turned out like that...

As expected... Butler Hwang knows me really well. It must be because he has a lot of affection for me. Thinking as much, Jae-Hyeok’s mood improved.

He washed his face, changed his clothes, and stepped out of the room. Normally, he would’ve rushed straight to the cafeteria, but not today.

Instead of going down to the lobby, Jae-Hyeok climbed up the stairs. He stopped a group of students and asked, “The second-year dormitory is from the fourth floor and upwards, right?”

The second-year students who were going down the stairs nodded politely, and one of them replied, “Yes, that’s right.”

They hadn’t expected the stranger who’d come to the second-year living space and talked informally to be a first-year student. They took Jae-Hyeok for a third-year student from another building.

“Then what room is Baek Do-Jin in?”

“Baek Do-Jin? Um, he’s in Class B, so he must be on the sixth floor. As for Beak Do-Jin’s room number, I’m not sure... ”

“Where should I go to ask? Actually, can you find out for me?”

“Y-yes... ”

Why didn’t he just go to the dormitory superintendent’s office? The second-year students tilted their heads but still stepped forward to help Jae-Hyeok.

The position of third-year students in Lion’s Castle was extraordinary.

Most of their classes focused on hunting, so their experience and level were no different from those of active players. Often, the talented students were even sent directly to the guilds or Association upon reaching their third year.

Thus, the third-year students were perceived as lofty professionals rather than fellow students.

......

Inside the superintendent’s office in the main building of the men’s dormitory.

“What is it?”

Having been shaving in the back room, Lee Gi-Bok was given quite the start when a group of second-years barged into his office early in the morning.

In fact, Lee Gi-Bok was also a second-year student, like them. But that didn’t mean he was young like them. Lee Gi-Bok was in his thirties.

“What is it?” he asked.

“A third-year senior came to visit Baek Do-Jin. Can you tell us where he lives?”

“A third-year?” In any case, it was breakfast time. Lee Gi-Bok decided to meet this senior on the way to the cafeteria.

“The senior is probably in a hurry to meet him since he made the trip personally. And... it’s for that bastard Baek Do-Jin, so... ”

Baek Do-Jin must’ve caused an incident again. That’s the only reason why a third-year student would look for him. And if that third-year senior makes a fuss in the main building, I’ll be the only one who gets in trouble. Realizing the danger, Lee Gi-Bok didn’t hesitate. “I’ll show the senior around so you can go.”

“Yes... ” The students exchanged looks. Things were going to get interesting. Why was a third-year student looking for Baek Do-Jin? The answer was obvious. He was going to beat up that mad dog.

The other students knew Lee Gi-Bok couldn’t just stand by and watch. It was a sensitive issue, and if there was a disturbance in the dormitory, the superintendent would be penalized.

Gi-Bok hyung-nim might need to stand against a third-year student...

The older Gi-Bok was in Class C. But there were two kinds of students in Class C.

The first were normal people who had trained as a hobby. They tempered their bodies slowly and developed their Initial Skill late.

The second were talented people who had deliberately awakened late, prolonging their training in hopes of developing a desirable Initial Skill—on average, they developed two- to three Skills first, before settling on one to awaken. They were people who chose not to entrust their lives to luck and instead trained hard for decades longer. Lee Gi-Bok was one such person.

When his magic power had been tested, Lee Gi-Bok had received a red result, indicating his potential to become an advanced player. He refused to waste that potential, so he’d bided his time and trained hard.

Lee Gi-Bok was indeed talented in his own right. His dormitory superintendent position, for example, was a position that only students with high grades could volunteer.

And as a dormitory superintendent, Lee Gi-Bo wouldn’t allow anyone to run wild in his territory, even if that person was a senior.

......

I told them to go and eat so why are they following me?

Gi-Bok was feeling pressured. Despite his attempts to shoo them, the other students insisted on following.

He was going to appease the senior and send him out of the dormitory, but he couldn’t help feeling flustered with so many eyes on him.

I don’t want to show myself groveling in front of all these young ones.

Lee Gi-Bok was a person who endured more than twenty years of training with the sole intention of becoming an advanced player. Fortunately, his efforts paid off, and he got good results. However, it was hard to deny that his starting point was later than others. The three years he would spend in Lion’s Castle were more valuable than gold.

His ambition was to lead his younger classmates and juniors to build a solid network of connections. Then, he would create a guild based on those connections after graduating. For this reason, his self-image was crucial.

Lee Gi-Bok felt his footsteps getting heavier as he approached his destination. Soon, he slowly stopped.

Um? He’d found Jae-Hyeok.

Jae-Hyeok was in plain clothes since it was the weekend. And although his good physique– and well-defined features made him look more mature, he still looked younger.

Uh, he looks a bit younger than a third-year student. Isn’t he a freshman?

When Jae-Hyeok had first arrived at Lion’s Castle, Seol Su-Ah had shown a lot of sincerity by making Jae-Hyeok’s admission process convenient. Even when he was sent to the dormitory, she instructed the secretary to guide him there directly instead of leaving it to the superintendent. As a result, Lee Gi-Bok was unfamiliar with Jae-Hyeok. .

In the first place, the main building of the men’s dormitory had more than a thousand rooms, and there were several superintendents because it was hard for one person to manage. Students often didn’t see each other unless their schedules overlapped or their living spaces were near.

No, he isn’t a bit young. Isn’t he a lot younger?

Of course, there were teenagers in the third year—students who’d awakened young either because they had developed an excellent first Skill or because they had been satisfied with a mediocre one.

But even then, those third-year students were in their late teens. Jae-Hyeok looked younger still.

“Huh? I asked where Baek Do-Jin’s room is, but you brought someone else out of nowhere instead. Who’s this?” Jae-Hyeok questioned.

The second-year student that Jae-Hyeok had talked to previously stepped forward. “T-this is dormitory superintendent. The superintendent takes care of the rooms. This person will guide you to Baek Do-Jin’s room.”

“Oh... Is it like a butler? Guide me quickly, then.” Jae-Hyeok urged the group.

Was he a freshman or a third-year? Lee Gi-Bok was uncertain, but he quickly decided. No, he’s definitely a third-year. Only a senior would talk so informally and confidently.

“Senior, what do you want with Baek Do-Jin?”

“Why? Do I have to report my reasons for meeting with someone?”

Jae-Hyeok complained, “I’m already hungry after waiting for you, and now you want me to answer your questions? Ugh, I guess it’s true what they say: being too nice invites problems. Since I'm nice, I’m clearly being treated as a pushover.”

The main dormitory building boasted a thousand rooms and was beyond big. It had taken the students nearly twenty minutes to return with the superintendent. As far as Jae-Hyeok was concerned, twenty minutes was already a long time—enough to swing his sword many hundreds of times.

Moreover, it was still early, and numerous students had passed by while he’d waited in the hallway, but Jae-Hyeok didn’t ask them about Do-Jin’s whereabouts and waited silently. Since these people had said they would find out Do-Jin’s whereabouts, he’d returned their favor with trust.

Yet after waiting twenty minutes, the first thing they did upon returning was question him. Jae-Hyeok was less than pleased.

“......”

Lee Gi-Bok glanced at the other second-year students, wondering what sort of debt they owed Jae-Hyeok for him to speak about favors and injustice like this.

Shake shake.

The students shook their heads. They also had no clue what Jae-Hyeok was going on about.

Is he picking on me on purpose? Lee Gi-Bok wondered. It had been a long time since he’d last seen such a rude person.

Lion’s Castle might respect the hierarchy of grades more than age, but Lee Gi-Bok was in his mid-thirties and gave off a respectable aura.

Even the other third-years acted within the lines, but the guy in front of him didn’t seem to know what those lines were.

Even if he’s a third-year senior, there are still limits.

Lee Gi-Bok was displeased, but he suppressed it. The other person wasn’t just in his third year. He was also young and had a bad personality. That suggested one thing: there was a high probability this senior was highly skilled.

In addition, the fact that his face was unfamiliar could mean that he was dispatched often.

Lee Gi-Bok reassessed Jae-Hyeok’s young appearance. It’s rare, but the most talented students are sent out as early as their second school year. That would explain his youth.

Whatever the case, Lee Gi-Bok knew that he shouldn’t offend this Jae-Hyeok person easily. But with his bad temper, Lee Gi-Bok also knew trouble would arise as soon as Jae-Hyeok found the mad dog.

Lee Gi-Bok stuck to his plan of moving the confrontation outside even as he apologized politely, “I’m sorry. I failed to consider things from your perspective. I will call Baek Do-Jin right away, so please wait outside.”

Jae-Hyeok was immediately uncooperative.

“You want me to wait outside? Why?”

“Please understand that creating a bad atmosphere in the dormitory will make other students feel uneasy.”

“Ah? Am I going to create a bad atmosphere by meeting Baek Do-Jin? No, what type of nonsense is this? Are you actually a teacher, not a butler? Damn, you’re just like Kim Jin-Myeong. Annoying.”

This fucking guy, Lee Gi-Bok inwardly cursed. Why did he talk so much? And what was with calling him a butler? This guy’s personality did not match his appearance at all. He looked like the type to pose for photos quietly, but he was actually frivolous.

Wait? Calling me a teacher? The superintendents in Lion’s Castle could only be students, not teachers. A third-year student didn’t know this?

“Kang Jae-Hyeok? What are you doing here?”

Just as Lee Gi-Bok felt something strange, a small, red-haired person rushed out from the other side of the corridor.

Then, the mysterious third-year student complained in frustration, “I wanted to find you, but this person told me to leave the building. Is this something people do? Show up as a group and harass another person in the morning?”

“Crazy guys. Hmph. I guess there are many kinds of trash around here. In any case, Let’s go eat. We have to fill up our stomachs quickly so we can start our training.”

“Yes.”

“...Wait.”

Blood swelled in Lee Gi-Bok’s temples as he stopped Jae-Hyeok

“You’re... a freshman?”

Jae-Hyeok replied, “Yeah.”

“Then, why do you keep talking informally?”

“Ah, are you a teacher? Sorry, I thought you were a student.”

“......”

Lee Gi-Bok’s eyes became ferocious. He didn’t need someone like this in the guild he was going to make.