The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 69

Compared to the branch stores, Ocean Shipping’s main stores received investments that were greater by dozens of times. Those stores were magnificent in size, had a gorgeous interior, and held constant promotions and events.

In addition, the price range of the menu was ridiculously low.

It was a level where they made almost no profit. However, generating a direct profit had never been Ocean Shipping’s main purpose. Instead, its job was to support the theme park that the parent company, Ocean Guild, would build in the western part of Incheon.

The Ocean Guild had mobilized all its subsidiaries, including Ocean Shipping, to penetrate deeply into the lives of the residents. The intention was to increase their influence by controlling the commercial district and suppressing the backlash from the residents when constructing the theme park.

Of course, the few main stores of Ocean Shipping were nothing more than dust in the grand scheme of things. It wouldn’t hinder the Ocean Guild’s grand plan even if it failed. However, it would have a direct impact on the performance of the president of Ocean Shipping.

I will completely fall out of favor, thought Yeon Ho-Rang, the eldest son of the Ocean Guild’s master.

The serious accident he’d caused in the past had already left him demoted. And now this? Unlike his younger siblings, who were active in the guild, he couldn’t even properly sell fish in a small store?

Father will never give me another chance.

Yeon Ho-Rangs’ father, Yeon Ho-Ryeong, was a great person. In thirty years, he had established his own guild and took control of the gates in the sea.

He had also earned the title of Ruler of the Sea, which was equivalent to a king, so it wasn’t an exaggeration to say he was one of the strongest players in South Korea. From a child’s perspective, such a father was too high up. He dared not expect his father’s warmth before proving himself worthy. But now, things had gone awry when he most needed to prove himself.

“Shit!”

Yeon Ho-Rang was unable to control his anger and sliced the nameplate on his desk in half. The title of Ocean Shipping’s president was insignificant to him.

“Explain what happened.”

Yeon Ho-Rang couldn’t understand where things went wrong. Black tuna was found only in the sea regions inside gates. It was delicious and nutritious, and it was popular in both China and Japan. If he wanted, he could sell the black tuna at a price six times what it was currently, but he didn’t. Ocean Shipping offered black tuna to its customers at a very low price, and they even hired top chefs to cook it. Despite this, they continued to lose a lot of customers.

How was that possible?

The pressure coming from the angry Yeon Ho-Rang was so strong that the executives couldn’t even breathe. One person barely managed to open his mouth.

“I-It’s Lion’s Castle. They are offering large amounts of black tuna to a small sashimi restaurant that’s located in the center of three of our main stores. Looking at the prices on the menu, I suspect that Lion’s Castle is supplying the tuna at no cost... ”

“Why?”

What the hell was going on?

“Why is the Lion’s Castle going to such lengths to disturb us? Do they intend to go against the Ocean Guild?”

It was a dangerous leap to assume that Lion’s Castle was going against the Ocean Guild, but he could think of no other reason for them to ruin a few subsidiary stores.

An executive immediately spoke up, “T-that’s impossible. I don’t think the school is directly involved. I suspect it’s related to a club’s activities.”

“Ah, a club... ”

Yeon Ho-Rang frowned.

Clubs in Lion’s Castle were basically mock guilds intended for students to gain experience prior to joining a true guild. Students created and ran the clubs among themselves, they received commissions, and they competed with each other. It provided a hands-on learning experience that embodied a microcosm of society. Of course, quite a few accidents occurred in the process. That was to be expected when children who knew nothing about the world received a measure of power.

Yeon Ho-Rang muttered, “Future pillars of the nation are reduced to delivering fish to a sashimi restaurant? Pathetic. Tsk,” Yeon Ho-Rang complained without considering the executives in front of him, who had been engaged in the fish business all their lives.

Yeon Ho-Rang felt like he was going crazy.

What could he do? His current position as the president of a subsidiary restaurant business left him as powerless as a sitting duck.

A duck? Me? Fuck!

He was in a crisis because of students playing around, and he could only lament. How should he get those little bastards to behave?

One of the executives had been watching him nervously, only to suddenly brighten. “D-Department Manager Kim! Isn’t your son a student at Lion’s Castle?”

“Oh... really? Department Manager Kim has such a good son?” Yeon Ho-Rang was immediately interested.

Department Manager Kim swallowed at the sight of his boss’ ominous smile. The boss had never paid so much attention to him before then. He spoke cautiously, “President, I’m sorry, but I have no intention of involving my son in company business.”

From an employee’s perspective, Ocean Shipping wasn’t a good place to work. Rather, it was more like an illegal company. Still, like any office worker, Department Manager Kim remained dedicated to his company and endured all types of humiliation in order to support his family. But he had raised his son with difficulty, and he was reluctant for his son to get involved with the company.

“Are you crazy?”

“Department Manager Kim, what is wrong with your way of speaking?”

The other executives criticized him for speaking in a firm but trembling voice.

Yeon Ho-Rang raised a hand to silence the others and said in a friendly tone, “What do you mean by the company’s work? Do I look like someone who would make a student do our work for us? Department Manager Kim, you must think I’m a villain.”

“N-no. I meant no such thing—”

“But you see, it wouldn’t be good for us adults to approach the students... Fuck, and having to tell them not to supply that restaurant with fish would be humiliating for us. That is why I hope your son can pass on our intentions at school.”

“I... I don’t know what position my son holds at school. Being a parent and child doesn’t mean we know everything about each other’s lives, right? Even if it is a trivial request, it might embarrass my son’s position. I must refuse—”

Before Department Manager Kim could finish, Yeon Ho-ran’s expression contorted, and he shouted, “Are you teaching me a lesson now? Why do I have to know where you and your son stand? It isn’t like my request is hard. Why are you speaking so much? Huh? Directooooor Kim!”

“Hiik!”

Yeon Ho-Rang picked up a golf club and a wave of blue aura erupted, causing a commotion. The executives paled and they hid behind Department Manager Kim, screaming for him to quickly concede.

What could he do? He was an office worker weighed down by power, class, and hierarchy. The moment Yeon Ho-Rang threatened him, Department Manager Kim’s face turned white.

Seeing the spirit leaving Department Manager Kim’s eyes, Yeon Ho-Rang put down the golf club and straightened his tie.

“Department Manager Kim, what is the reason for your child growing up so well that he can enter Lion’s Castle? It’s thanks to you, who worked hard to provide for your family. But more importantly, it’s thanks to our Ocean Shipping for providing you with a job and a regular salary. Don’t you think your clever son knows that? If he didn’t, he’d be a brat.”

“......”

“Just mention a few words to him. The company has done so much for you. Can’t you do this?”

Yeon Ho-Rang saw that his aura had cut Department Manager Kim’s shirt, so he pulled out a few checks and threw them at Department Manager Kim with a smile.

“Now, call him right away.”

***

Lion’s Castle.

“W-why?”

Kim Jin-Rae, a student of First Year Class B, had a white face.

He had been on edge after receiving a phone call from his father. His father’s voice had sounded really bad.

What type of club would put an ordinary office worker in danger?

His father had found out about a club that supplied black tuna to a sashimi restaurant for free and asked him to persuade them to stop.

However, Kim Jin-Rae was a freshman who had only entered Lion’s Castle three months ago. He didn’t know any club members, let alone have the confidence to find the specific club and persuade them to stop.

Based on their malicious actions, I don’t think it’s possible to talk to them.

A competitor of Ocean Shipping was giving away expensive ingredients for free. How many office workers like his father had found themselves in a difficult position from this crazy prank?

Kim Jin-Rae felt a great deal of both anger and fear toward this mysterious club. He gulped nervously.

“Aren’t you concentrating?”

“Hiik!”

Someone grabbed Kim Jin-Rae by the scruff of the neck, and he twisted around in fear.

Kang Jae-Hyeok stared back at him—yes, the same Kang Jae-Hyeok who’d transferred later than the other first-year students but had become the center of the class. He had natural talent, good looks, a great status, and the ability to make friends quickly—well, perhaps those last two were a bit of an exaggeration... In any case, Kang Jae-Hyeok was different from him.

Jin-Rae had only entered Class B because he’d awakened a useful Initial Skill. He was well aware that his talent was far behind the others.

On the other hand, Jae-Hyeok was full of talent. He mastered the use of the spear as well as the sword, and even his stats were incredibly high.

Jin-Rae often felt sorry for being in the same class as him. He knew he was bringing down their class average.

“S-sorry,” Jin-Rae apologized, covering his butt with both hands.

Jae-Hyeok looked at him and said, “Feel sorry for your family, not me.”

“Huh?”

“You almost died.”

It was only at this time that Jin-Rae looked at his feet.

Just one step. If he had taken one step forward, he would’ve fallen into a bottomless crevasse.

“Hiik!”

Jae-Hyeok tilted his hand and grabbed Jin-Rae, who was stepping back in fright.

“Strange. Kim Jin-Rae, you usually have good concentration and persistence. What’s going on today?”

“I-I have some advantages?”

Jae-Hyeok knew of his strengths that even he didn’t know about? Had Jae-Hyeok been watching someone like him?

“Of course.”

“Ah... ”

“How can there be a person who doesn’t have any strengths?”

The thrilled Jin-Rae let his guard down, a critical mistake. Jae-Hyeok kicked his now-revealed butt, and he flew through the air in an arc. Landing, he spotted a yeti rushing toward him and swallowed his tears.

H-he’s the worst.

Wouldn’t that vicious club be humane compared to Jae-Hyeok? At the very least, the club wouldn’t throw or kick their classmates at monsters, right?

Yes, let’s be courageous.

Kim Jin-Rae mustered his courage from a strange source as he battled the yeti.

Jae-Hyeok watched with satisfaction. Kim Jin-Rae’s fighting spirit was greater than usual.

As expected, people change when they are about to die. In his childhood, the Kang family had hundreds of warriors. They were all strong and valiant.

His father personally trained them, sparring and forcing them through repetitive training until they were completely exhausted, then pushing them off a cliff.

As a child, Jae-Hyeok had gained a lot of inspiration from it.

By the way... Jae-Hyeok turned his attention to Park Hae-Rin.

She is very observant. Earlier, when Jae-Hyeok had moved to save Jin-Rae, Hae-Rin had also been looking toward Jin-Rae, having noticed his danger.

Judging from how she handled a sword and shield, she seemed to have a tanking-type Skill. She would probably grow into a great tank.

I would’ve asked her to join if my team needed a tank. But what we really need is a support type. Unfortunately, none of the supports in Class B caught his eye.

I’ll have to keep an eye on other students during the duel evaluation.

If Jae-Hyeok were a normal student, then he wouldn’t be thinking about other students but himself; his second duel-evaluation opponent was once again from Class A.

It was even a fighter.

Fighters almost always had hand-to-hand type Skills that countered weapons, so they were strong in PVP.

Of course, Jae-Hyeok wasn’t nervous in the slightest. He had All Mastery. This time, he planned to demonstrate the ultimate mastery of martial arts.

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