Duke’s Son: Re

Chapter 44

A monster’s corpse could be turned into money.

Mana stones, skin, muscles, bones, and blood. Even roots and innards were sometimes traded.

The corpse of a hobgoblin, though relatively less useful, could also fetch a price of up to two million won.

Of course, this was only when the corpse was in its ‘intact state’.

The hobgoblins that Jaehyuk had hunted were all in pieces, their muscles and bones melted by poison. Those heavily soaked in venom had their mana stones damaged to the point of being worthless.

Moreover, it was an emergency situation at the moment.

The master of the hobgoblins could already be rushing to this location.

It was not a time to waste on trying to sell mangled corpses.

“Alright. I’ll buy them all.”

Yet, Department Head Gu agreed to the deal without hesitation.

Thanks to Jaehyuk’s efforts, the entire party remained unharmed.

Department Head Gu himself had taken an arrow with a concealment spell to the shoulder, but apart from that, the employees managed to pass through the ambush without a scratch.

Jaehyuk’s actions of ‘demanding a reward’ with the damaged bodies fell within the boundaries of reason.

‘Making such blatant demands makes it easier for me.’

He had planned to reward him all along.

Jaehyuk’s level had been exactly 10 during the nationally broadcasted review for re-admission.

Yet, in less than a fortnight, he had grown strong enough to annihilate 23 C-rank monsters on his own.

Even considering the help of artifacts, he was a genius.

He was highly likely to become a National Treasure candidate.

It would be favorable to gain favor and establish a rapport when such a chance arose.

“I’ll give you 200 per head.”

Jaehyuk offered them at market price. He was already packing the shredded corpses into the employees’ backpacks.

“Are you seriously asking 200 for this…?”

While the team leaders turned pale, Department Head Gu raised the price instead.

“I’ll purchase everything for one hundred million total. Think of it as our gratitude for protecting our staff.”

“What do you mean gratitude? He was tasked to guard us in the first place. What gratitude?”

Team Leader Baek grumbled, unable to hold his tongue, but Jo Sunghyun intervened.

“Are you feeling alright?”

He took out two bottles of potion from his pocket and politely offered them to Jaehyuk.

“I’m concerned that our benefactor might have internal injuries. Please tend to your condition first.”

Jaehyuk’s eyes widened.

The two bottles of potions Jo Sunghyun handed over were a deep crimson red, like blood.

They were extremely high-grade potions, impossible to buy even for a fortune.

It was the same type he used to save Steward Hwang.

“Are you really giving me this?”

“Thanks to Kang Jaehyuk’s help, the families of Jaekyung remained safe. Consider this as a small token of our gratitude. I’d be thankful if you’d give me another chance to express my sincere appreciation later.”

“I’ll accept it gratefully if you’re offering.”

Just like Team Leader Baek mentioned, Jaehyuk had merely done his duty.

As a guard and a noble, he was obligated to protect them.

Nonetheless, he was delighted to receive an unexpected reward.

‘That’s why a noble should live like a noble.’

The staff had finally gathered all of the hobgoblin’s corpsees.

Jaehyuk clapped his hands.

“Alright, let’s get moving. We’ll proceed slowly on the way back.”

“A summoner capable of calling forth 23 C-rank monsters should be, at the very least, an A-rank player. If we encounter them, we’ll be annihilated before even getting a chance to resist. It’d be better to leave Lion’s Castle as soon as possible, wouldn’t it?”

“If we leave Lion’s Castle now, it will indicate to the enemies that we completed our schedule earlier than usual. That would mean admitting we took down the hobgoblins, which we absolutely shouldn’t do. We need to claim it was the work of someone else.”

“Indeed… Cleaning up the corpses will take time, and trying to determine who did it will delay them. The more normal we act, the more cautious the hobgoblins’ master will be in fearing an unknown enemy.”

“That’s it exactly.”

The reason Jaehyuk had enforced the purchase of the hobgoblin corpses was not out of greed.

It was a necessary cleanup while asserting rights as well.

Setting the price at 200 per head was simply following market rates.

“Shall we then return through the usual route, and by nine o’clock head back here again?”

“Yes, besides, you haven’t harvested all the sky herbs yet, have you? Let’s depart.”

“Hmm.”

Department Head Gu watched Jaehyuk, who took the lead with admiration.

If given enough time for contemplation.

Department Head Gu would have decided the same as Jaehyuk.

But Jaehyuk made decisions immediately as situations unfolded.

‘For just a 16-year-old, his insight exceeds the ordinary.’

Though it’s common for players to achieve greatness before adulthood, either becoming A-rank players or tackling top-level gates alone across the world.

It’s rare to find players who combine both might and intellect.

‘That kid’s something else.’

Department Head Gu glanced at Jo Sunghyun.

Even Jo Sunghyun, who was once stingy even with buying coffee for gatekeepers, now seemed to admire this gesture.

‘It was good to give a valuable gift after all.’

Department Head Gu wasn’t particularly fond of Jo Sunghyun and even disliked his overtly kind demeanor.

However, he was a devoted servant of Jaekyung Pharmaceutical.

Since his sister thrived as an executive at Jaekyung, he also intended to devote his life to the company as his final rest.

He hoped that the owner’s family would exhibit good conduct.

Meanwhile, Jaehyuk was meticulously surveying the mood of his party.

‘Regardless of ranks or attitudes, Jo Sunghyun’s status seems the highest.’

The employees assumed they were targets as soon as they realized the hobgoblins were summoned monsters.

They never entertained the thought it could just be a coincidence.

Their lack of curiosity about who was behind it was curious, confirming that Jo Sunghyun’s status might be special.

A status so significant that it wouldn’t be strange if threats came suddenly from anyone.

‘Expressing the employees as family and willingly giving away two extremely high-grade potions, he must be someone in Jaekyung’s succession line.’

The party reached a valley where clear, cold water flowed.

By now, it was three o’clock in the afternoon.

Had they followed the original route, they would have been gathering Blue Light Lycoris and Siberian dogwood at this location then.

However, the group had harvested enough lycoris and dogwood earlier in the morning.

“Pass the time pretending to gather herbs.”

Jaehyuk instructed the employees as he stood near a waterfall.

The refreshing sound of the water felt as though it cleared his mind.

‘Level 24.’

Thanks to the appearance of the hobgoblins, his level increased by four.

He needed time to adjust his body and get accustomed to the raised stats.

With so many eyes watching, showing elaborate training would be unwise…

‘I might as well practice martial forms.’

The subject of the first quest given by the lion statue was martial form.

Although gathering many people was crucial for obtaining the highest reward, elevating his martial form level was also important for Jaehyuk himself.

“Haa.”

The basis of the martial form was alignment. Consideration for integrating with the environment was also necessary.

Aligning himself with the center of the waterfall, Jaehyuk straightened his back and slowly drew his sword.

With a reverent mindset, he began with the gesture that became his family’s face, moving forward with deliberate, steady motion.

“…!”

Watching Jaehyuk, Jo Sunghyun widened his eyes in shock.

‘A martial form? No, this is more than a basic martial form. There’s martial arts ingrained in it.’

Jo Sunghyun was a graduate of Lion’s Castle.

He was an elite who completed rigorous training.

Despite being halted at C-rank due to his First Skill not aiding in battle, this reversed explanation that he became a C-rank player without any First Skill assistance crept into limelight.

Had he lacked talent, he wouldn’t have convinced his father to let him attend.

He would have pursued an education in a prestigious school rather than Lion’s Castle, learning the knowledge necessary to inherit the family business.

This implied Jo Sunghyun had enough capacity to roughly perceive the essence of Kang family’s martial form, realizing martial insights upon understanding certain elements within the martial form.

‘Interesting.’

As Sunghyun awkwardly tried to imitate the martial form, a warm smile spread across Jaehyuk’s lips watching him.

Admiring Sunghyun, who glimpsed fragments of Kang family martial arts and strove to grasp what he felt.

A noble is one who guards and leads their nation and people.

With this in mind, Jaehyuk began to slow down his martial form.

‘Try following along now.’

The elegant gestures separated like puzzle pieces and imprinted themselves on Sunghyun’s retina.

‘Great fortune!’

Sunghyun shuddered with realization.

He acknowledged that he was being taught by a young boy.

This opportunity was one he couldn’t afford to miss.

Drawing upon intense concentration, he experienced Transcendental Focus for the first time in his life.

Overwhelmed by an influx of too much information and knowledge threatening to scorch his brain, he teetered between agony and clarity.

Yet, with each painful groan, Jaehyuk’s unhurried movements restored Sunghyun’s composure repeatedly.

Kang Jaehyuk, a noble, and the Kang family…

The name of the once-fallen duke was engraved deeply into Jo Sunghyun’s mind and heart.

***

As twilight descended, Park Mincheol, a school administrator from the Steel Guild, arrived at Arcane Canyon.

Having memorized the terrain, he thoroughly investigated the area once more, identifying the locations of the sky herbs and predicting where Jaehyuk might be alone.

‘It’s likely one of those four spots.’

His body quickly became drenched with sweat as he began setting traps.

Installing traps that only triggered under specific conditions was an extremely delicate task, demanding immense focus through the use of his First Skill.

Perhaps because of that—

“What the…?”

Park Mincheol noticed the presence too late.

Attempting to draw a weapon out of alarm proved futile.

Boom!

An unknown figure grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into a wall.

Park Mincheol’s face, smashed in one blow, squashed his cheekbones and nasal bridge. His body writhed with pain and terror.

He nearly asked instinctively who it was, but stopped, knowing he could die with just a wrong word.

Understanding the moment was critical, Park Mincheol pressed his face to the wall as deeply as possible instead.

Though jagged rocks and dust tore at his eyes and wounds, he persistently suppressed groans to stay alive.

“Had you injured my children, you wouldn’t dare stay here, would you?”

His efforts bore fruit.

Appearing to approve of Park Mincheol’s attempt to appease, the stranger’s tone softened slightly.

“Seems like it was indeed the reconnaissance or security team. Truly atrocious timing. I should keep a low profile for now. But, you see—”

“Aarrgh!”

Park Mincheol finally screamed.

The dreadful sensation of fingers boring through his scalp and tapping his skull shattered his composure.

“What’s with these crude explosives? Did trash like you really aim for my things?”

How infuriating.

The figure grabbed Park Mincheol’s head with one hand, veins standing out in his eyes with murderous intent.

But if he committed another incident here, the Armed Forces would mobilize in earnest.

Killing worthless trash posed too great a risk.

To strike again at the third son of Jaekyung, he had to refrain until the Armed Forces’ vigilance eased.

Suppressing murderous intent forcedly, he whispered into Park Mincheol’s ear.

“Remember this. Should you target my possessions once more, your skull shall be crushed slowly.”

Park Mincheol nodded frantically, only realizing he was alone afterward.

After disarming the trap with quivering hands, he immediately fled the scene.

A guardian shielded Kang Jaehyuk.

There was a reason Yun Sangho disappeared without a trace.

Realizing the shocking truth, Park Mincheol planned to submit his resignation to two places as soon as he returned to his lodge.

One to Lion’s Castle, and another to the Steel Guild.