Duke’s Son: Re

Chapter 61

“Can’t you say it here? I don’t want to go all the way to the club room.”

Jaehyuk had made three demands to the shooting club.

First, the right to secure commissions.

Second, the activity funds provided to the club president.

Third, to respect and teach his team members well.

Apart from these, Jaehyuk had firmly declared that he had no intentions of involving himself with the shooting club.

He saw no reason to make the effort to visit the club room.

“Or you could just relay it through Dojin.”

Even Jaehyuk had a conscience.

He was well aware that the shooting club members probably despised him.

From their perspective, he was an unexpected and unwelcome intruder.

Showing up to extort money would only breed more resentment. In the long term, it was better to stay out of sight if he planned to continue extracting money from them.

As Jaehyuk spoke decisively, Yeonju countered.

“Does Dojin even know how to relay messages?”

“What?”

“He doesn’t seem to be good at communication.”

“Ah…”

Recalling Dojin’s demeanor, Jaehyuk continued pressing down the short ribs in his bowl with a spoon.

“Understood. But please, dismiss the members discreetly.”

“Haha, why? Are you afraid that the kids will throw a tantrum upon seeing you? Don’t worry. With the impression you left on them, it’s unlikely they’ll act that petty.”

“Isn’t the impression I left the problem?”

The two spoke in hushed tones, aware of their surroundings but appearing focused on serving themselves food, as if they didn’t know each other.

Revealing that Jaehyuk had some connections with the shooting club would not be beneficial.

For Jaehyuk, reputation was still a poison, and the shooting club did not want it known that they had been handed over to a freshman.

However, there was a problem.

“Wow, she’s really beautiful.”

“That’s Jang Yeonju. The granddaughter of Bow Saint Jang Hobum .”

Yeonju’s striking beauty and background were too remarkable.

From the moment she entered the cafeteria, most students couldn’t avert their gaze from her.

“Oh, Yeonju unnie…”

Even Chun Hyeji seemed partly dazed.

Despite her stomach growling from rolling in the snowy plains all day, forgetting to even serve rice, she gazed at Yeonju with admiration.

In contrast, Jinsung and Baesoo glared at Yeonju with cold eyes.

Not only them, but a considerable number of the Class B students were wary of her.

These were students who had heard rumors regarding the treatment with the shooting club’s new leader, Baek Dojin.

Jaehyuk, wearing a troubled expression, with Yeonju whispering to him persistently.

Just nearby them, while serving food, Jinsung could no longer bear it and stepped forward.

“Hello? Miss Jang Yeonju. I am Jinsung from the first year, Class B.”

Yeonju didn’t even have time to respond.

“I heard that the fame of Bow Saint is renowned even across Asia. But how can the granddaughter of such a prestigious family harass younger students?”

Jinsung’s introduction flowed rapidly like a barrage of words.

“I’ve heard the rumors about the unpleasant incident that occurred at the archery range recently. Jaehyuk wasn’t directly involved, was he? Isn’t it childish to bully someone just because they belong to the same team as the person who caused the incident at the range?”

His words were also a criticism aimed at himself.

The first time he saw Jaehyuk.

Jinsung had treated him as a criminal only because he was a member of the Kang family, similar to Gang Daesung or Gang Hyun-a.

He confidently declared that the real problem was with their lineage, Yaksha, and sneered.

He didn’t harbor any particular grudge against Jaehyuk or the Kang family.

He simply thought it was acceptable to do so.

The media that Jinsung had been exposed to since childhood naturally criticized and ridiculed everything about the Kang family.

However, after living with Jaehyuk for over a month, he found that he was also an ordinary person, much like them.

Jaehyuk was Jaehyuk, and the Kang family was the Kang family.

More than anything, what infuriated Jinsung now was something else.

“Damn it, Jaehyuk… Say something for once as usual. Are you tongue-tied just because she’s Bow Saint’s granddaughter?”

Jinsung had persistently been bullied by Jaehyuk.

Yet, that seemingly endless pestering had led to an unexpected improvement in his skills, causing him to eventually submit.

He preserved his pride by accepting the fact that Jaehyuk was someone special, unlike anyone else.

If Jaehyuk were a nobody?

Then Jinsung’s pride would crumble in an instant.

“Why are you just standing there dumbly?”

“…”

“Hm…”

While Jinsung raised his voice, Jaehyuk looked at him bewilderedly, and Yeonju smiled mischievously. She poked Jaehyuk’s side with her elbow.

“You have a lot of good friends, don’t you?”

She had known since the moment she extended her hand to the cornered No Junyup.

Jaehyuk’s greatest asset wasn’t his archery skills—it was his way of dealing with people.

And indeed, a significant number of first-year class B students seemed to value him greatly.

“We’re not friends…!”

Seeing the fiery gazes of the Class B students, Jinsung protested as Yeonju, possibly misunderstanding something major, was about to make another error.

“I know what worries you. But our members are also quietly looking forward to your visit. Especially since after Baek Dojin started acting as the leader. So please drop by the club room without any heavy heart.”

Yeonju whispered into Jaehyuk’s ear before waving her hand and leaving.

Seeing her tray filled with candy and cake instead of rice, Jaehyuk almost lost his appetite and hurriedly searched for kimchi.

“Thanks.”

“What?”

Jinsung, who felt wrongfully accused due to the bizarre misunderstanding, was taken aback by what he overheard.

But he hadn’t misheard.

All the Class B students behind him heard Jaehyuk’s words clearly.

“Thanks for worrying about me.”

“Don’t… Don’t be ridiculous! I wasn’t worried about you; I was trying to protect my honor…!”

“Hehe, that’s what friends do, isn’t it?”

“So, what’s your relationship with Yeonju unnie? Introduce me too!”

While Jinsung, his face flushed, denied his connection, Baesoo and Hyeji moved closer to Jaehyuk.

Somehow, since then.

Even without Dojin, Dahui, and Yujin, Jaehyuk no longer ate alone.

Slowly but surely.

A few but close-knit.

People were gradually gathering around the boy.

***

After finishing dinner.

Jaehyuk visited the shooting club room.

As Yeonju had mentioned, the shooting club members did not act hostile towards him.

Some even greeted him with smiles.

Judging from their requests for archery tips, it seemed they were intrigued by Jaehyuk’s archery skills.

‘My archery skills aren’t really something I can teach, though.’

Jaehyuk’s archery merely involved observing closely, aiming accurately, and maintaining concentration to release the arrow.

There weren’t any scientific principles or strategies to enhance accuracy.

If there were, he might have directly taught Dojin archery.

“Oh? Jaehyuk, what brings you here? Come in, have a seat!”

Upon arriving at the club president’s office, Baek Dojin welcomed him warmly.

Reclining on a large, comfy-looking chair, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his role as club president.

Glancing at the name plate where Dojin had scratched off No Joonyeop’s name and inscribed his own, Jaehyuk, curious and cautious, asked a question.

“You’re practicing archery diligently, right?”

“Of course! I even run over during breaks to shoot arrows!”

… Weren’t the breaks supposed to be short?

Jaehyuk, recalling the expansive area of the club premises, felt puzzled for a moment.

“You’re here. This is the list of commissions that came to the shooting club this past week.”

Yeonju followed shortly after. Upon seeing her, Dojin flinched slightly.

Sneaking away quietly like a mouse, Yeonju gave a warning to him.

“Go sleep at the dorm today?”

“Y-yes…”

Seeing Baek Dojin being so compliant was a first for Jaehyuk.

As Dojin scurried away, Jaehyuk tilted his head in confusion.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, he eats here and even sleeps here. It’s making a lot of members uncomfortable.”

“…”

So, being overly enthusiastic was also a problem.

Jaehyuk chuckled softly as he checked the documents.

There were a total of eight commissions listed. Most of the clients were corporate entities requesting the collection of specific resources from certain gates.

“This is the list of commissions received over a week?”

That was impressive.

If all eight commissions were completed, the rewards would exceed several hundred million won.

At this point, it wasn’t a club—it was a business.

Yeonju, with a lollipop in her mouth, spoke as if it were no big deal.

“These are the ones I filtered and sorted to match your level. On average, about 20 commissions arrive for the shooting club every week. Thanks to the seniors’ efforts, we’ve established a major footing.”

“So how much do you actually earn weekly?”

“It’s not as much as you’d think. We don’t have the capability to execute all the commissions.”

No matter how skilled they were, Lion’s Castle students couldn’t stand against seasoned professionals.

Even with 20 commissions arriving weekly, performing only a narrow selection was the limit for the shooting club.

“Besides, since we’re all long-range DPS, we often have to ask other clubs for cooperation when accessing gates. We split the compensation.”

Teams composed solely of long-range dealers, such as marksmen or archers, lacked sufficient ability to tackle a gate. They were completely incapacitated when encountering monsters or other elements resistant to projectiles.

After all, it was nearly impossible to form a party without a tanker.

“Hmm…”

After skimming through all eight commissions, Jaehyuk appeared somewhat reluctant.

“Are there any commissions we can fulfill within the Lion’s Castle?”

“Of course. But the rank of the commissions is low, so they might not suit your abilities.”

“They’re enough for me.”

Jaehyuk couldn’t recklessly leave Lion’s Castle.

The moment he stepped outside, numerous assassins would target him.

“… Is that so?”

He had secured the right to the commissions only to have him request low-level ones?

This boy truly had no intention of causing harm to the shooting club.

As Yeonju smiled, the moment passed.

“Hey, the student council! The student council is here!”

Members burst through the club president’s office door, in a panic.

Judging by their ashen faces, it seemed like a significant issue.

“Student council?”

“They said they have something to say to you, right?”

Yeonju sighed, rising to her feet to explain.

“The student council caught on to the anomaly that occurred in the shooting club. It’s not something they can easily overlook, which is why they need your help.”

“In comes the vice president!!”

Before he could hear more details, he was interrupted by loud commotion beyond the door.

Thud, thud, thud.

The ground reverberated with footsteps.

Students donned in crimson uniforms carried a palanquin as they came rushing in.

“… A palanquin?”

“Criminal Baek Dojin, for the crime of unlawfully seizing a club without the sanction of the student council, kneel before me.”

A boy clad in a hat, reclining on the palanquin, declared arrogantly.