Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Red Palanquin
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A red palanquin with golden tassels fluttering wildly.
It was wide open without outer walls or a roof, flaunting the passenger's appearance—and incredibly, it was being carried by 'students.'
The showmanship had gone beyond flashy. It was at the point where human rights needed to be discussed.
‘Ban Hui-yeol.’
Kang Jae-hyeok's eyes darkened as he recognized the identity of the boy seated in the palanquin.
Ban Family.
One of only five earl families in Korea.
They had produced S-Rank Players for four generations straight.
Countless people believed a National Treasure from the Ban family line was just around the corner.
There were even opinions that they might supplant the fallen House Kang and rise to ducal status.
"Hmm."
Ban Hui-yeol had also spotted Jae-hyeok.
He straightened his torso, which had been leaning against a headrest, and flashed a sly smile.
"Jae-hyeok, isn't it? Long time no see. Your face is like polished jade, your build imposing—grown just as I expected. Ah, you probably don't remember me. You were too young when we met."
"No, I remember."
"…Really?"
When Jae-hyeok replied coldly, Ban Hui-yeol's perfectly drawn eyebrows furrowed.
It wasn't displeasure at the rude attitude.
What bothered him was that Jae-hyeok remembered their meeting from ten years ago.
"How dare a cocky freshman speak so informally to the vice president?"
One of the boys carrying the palanquin bellowed.
He was a boy with impressively tanned black skin, likely from the coastal regions.
Ban Hui-yeol scolded him.
"How dare you raise your voice to the son of a ducal house?"
"A ducal house that's just House Kang."
"The ancestors of House Kang raised the nation's prestige to earn their ducal rank, so that honor should shine eternally. Even if House Kang's power has waned now, we mustn't lose our respect for them. Besides, that kid and I go way back— what's wrong with treating him cordially?"
"……."
Jae-hyeok looked surprised.
"Got a bit more mature, huh? I thought your personality was the same when I saw you using students like slaves."
"These are my dear friends. Even if pulling the palanquin is lowly work, does that mean I should treat them like lowly people? If this were the Joseon era, you'd be a full adult yourself, yet here you are spouting nonsense."
"Ah, still the same."
He had no self-awareness that he was spewing sophistry.
Ban Hui-yeol's twisted personality was exactly as it had been ten years ago.
Jae-hyeok thought associating with him might lead to drawn swords again, just like back then.
‘How did a guy like that become vice president?’
Remembering the rumors of the Student Council's immense power, Jae-hyeok's head already ached.
"Let's wrap up the reminiscing… Jang, how long are you going to stand there like a mute who ate honey? I told you to bring the criminal Baek Do-jin before me at once."
As expected.
From the moment he appeared, Ban Hui-yeol kept poking at Jae-hyeok's nerves.
"Why is Baek Do-jin a criminal?"
Jang Yeon-ju didn't hide her displeasure either.
She countered his nonsense logically.
"What nonsense is this about needing Student Council approval to compete for the Archery Club president position? The Student Council has no right to interfere in club internal matters."
"The Student Council allocates the clubs' budgets, which include the president's activity funds. And the most important factor in setting those funds is the candidate's capabilities."
Ban Hui-yeol gestured to the students in red uniforms, and the palanquin slowly descended.
"Setting No Jun-yeop's activity funds based on his abilities, only for them to end up in Baek Do-jin's hands—that's tantamount to deceiving the Student Council."
Ban Hui-yeol rose and stepped down from the palanquin.
His sturdy build was faintly visible through his thin robe.
Piercing eyes, thick eyebrows, high nose bridge.
Everything combined to create an impression of upright strength.
His gaze turned to the calendar hanging on the club room wall.
"And today happens to be the day activity funds are disbursed to presidents. What a mess. If the Student Council hadn't caught wind of the Archery Club president's change in advance, precious public funds would have padded the wrong guy's belly fat."
"Your words don't add up."
Jae-hyeok tilted his head.
"If Baek Do-jin really became Archery Club president, that means he beat No Jun-yeop, right? Doesn't that qualify him more than enough for the funds? If anything, he deserves even more support than No Jun-yeop—why treat him like a thief stealing activity funds?"
"Hmph."
Ban Hui-yeol snorted and gestured.
The tanned boy then pulled out a sheet of paper and unfurled it.
It was one of the target sheets the Archery Club used for practice.
"Not even a 10 or 9, not even a 1 or 2—just misses. This is a target sheet Baek Do-jin used during practice. The Student Council surveilled the range all night and scoured the incinerator to find this evidence. Beating No Jun-yeop with marksmanship worse than a savage? Who'd believe that?"
"……."
Jae-hyeok shot Jang Yeon-ju a skeptical glance.
‘You actually teaching Baek Do-jin properly?’
‘…Yeah. No Jun-yeop's been teaching him diligently.’
‘Then why's it like this?’
‘…….’
As the two exchanged looks, Ban Hui-yeol spoke triumphantly.
"Getting the picture now? The Student Council judges Baek Do-jin as merely a proxy for someone else. We're securing him to investigate that."
"There's no name on that target sheet proving it's Baek Do-jin's. You know it's not solid evidence, so you're using activity funds as a pretext to drag him off."
"We could follow due process if you want. But the Archery Club wouldn't."
Ban Hui-yeol asked Jang Yeon-ju.
"If No Jun-yeop's downfall gets announced, every Tom, Dick, and Harry will swarm to devour the Archery Club—can you handle that?"
"…The Archery Club president is still No Jun-yeop. I don't know where you're getting this nonsense to come stirring trouble."
"Plenty of people witnessed No Jun-yeop brutally assaulting Baek Do-jin. He even threatened him never to set foot in the range again. Yet just two days after the incident, Baek Do-jin starts showing up again? As if No Jun-yeop suddenly went soft on him—impossible. The Student Council has perfect intel on presidents' personalities."
Even if Jang Yeon-ju tried to play it cool, it was no use.
The Student Council had accurately gauged the Archery Club's situation.
"What the Student Council wants is info on whoever beat No Jun-yeop. We need to know who defeated the kid touted as the future leader of Korea's archery world."
"Why?"
"They might become a threat to Korea's archery scene later."
Ban Hui-yeol's eyes narrowed.
Jae-hyeok shivered, catching the glint of killing intent in that cold gaze.
‘Is that guy targeting Loren?’
The only figure the Student Council might peg as Baek Do-jin's backer right now was Loren.
Those close to Baek Do-jin were Kang Jae-hyeok and Chae Da-hee, but as mere freshmen, they couldn't have beaten No Jun-yeop.
Especially Jae-hyeok, whose level was only 10 during the recent entrance re-exam.
Even standing right next to Jang Yeon-ju wouldn't put him on the suspect list.
‘Student Council….’
He'd heard it was extremely hard to join.
A sort of royal club requiring excellence in strength, intellect, or status.
And likely harboring dangerous ideologies.
No normal organization would put a lunatic like Ban Hui-yeol in a key position like vice president.
‘What to do?’
Ban Hui-yeol had already decided his course of action.
He wouldn't care about logic or justification—he'd drag Baek Do-jin to the Student Council no matter what.
And he'd use any means necessary until he got the answers he wanted.
Meanwhile, the Archery Club couldn't resist aggressively. They had too big a weakness exposed.
It was at that moment, as Jang Yeon-ju looked troubled.
"We should tell the teacher."
"…?"
Jang Yeon-ju, Ban Hui-yeol, and the other Student Council members.
Everyone doubted their ears.
Jae-hyeok, drawing all eyes, explained to Jang Yeon-ju.
"Summing up what Ban Hui-yeol said, there's no basis to treat Baek Do-jin like a criminal right now. They're just suspicious of a backer and trying to pin a fake crime on him—we have to tell the teacher to stop it."
"But if we do, word'll spread that the Archery Club's done for…"
"So what? According to the Student Council, there's a monster behind Baek Do-jin so huge they made a guy who can't even shoot an arrow properly the vice president. The riffraff won't dare step up until that backer's revealed—they'll be too scared."
"Uh…?"
"Why not have the Archery Club advertise it themselves? Confess you had no choice but to put a bow-toting idiot as president because of threats from some insane monster—who'd mess with the club then? They'd avoid it to steer clear of becoming the monster's next target."
"Wait…"
Ban Hui-yeol sensed the mood shifting and tried to interject, but it was too late.
Jang Yeon-ju, having made up her mind, wore a wicked smile.
The moment he saw that mischievous grin, a memory Ban Hui-yeol had tried to forget flashed through his mind.
Ten years ago that day.
Kang Jae-hyeok had that same look right before kicking him.
"Tell the teacher? There's a limit to jokes…"
Unlike the flustered Ban Hui-yeol, the other Student Council members just snickered.
Dismissing the exchange between Kang Jae-hyeok and Jang Yeon-ju as nonsense.
It was natural.
Those enrolled at Lion's Castle were Players before they were students.
Beings who transcended ordinary humans regardless of age.
Imagining them running to a teacher like kids was absurd.
But the more extraordinary the being, the more they defy common sense.
"Not a joke?"
"……."
The Student Council members belatedly caught on, witnessing Jae-hyeok's innocent blinking expression.
This guy.
Big body, but just a pure kid.
"No pride? You an elementary kid or what?!"
"Yeah, a kid."
"Baby talk? What the hell is this psycho—!"
The tanned boy rolled up his sleeves but froze.
Jae-hyeok had thrust out his chin.
One hit, and he'd tattle for sure.
As the situation stalled, Ban Hui-yeol glanced out the door.
"No Jun-yeop, if word gets out you lost your president spot, it'll trash your reputation. Compromise here. Just hand over Baek Do-jin. You hate him too, right?"
The former Archery Club president.
Leaning against the door, he shrugged.
"Dunno. Like Jae-hyeok said, whoever beat me is one hell of a monster. I got hit by a freak natural disaster—would my rep really tank?"
"…Loren after all? The mighty president played by a foreigner?"
"Loren my ass. By Archery Club rules, I'd never lose to that guy even if the sky split."
"……."
It was the unvarnished truth.
Reading No Jun-yeop's demeanor, Ban Hui-yeol realized it and darkened.
Baek Do-jin's backer might be a bigger deal than thought.
‘Who?’
Student Council president level?
He pictured a few faces, then clicked his tongue, boarded the palanquin.
"I came today with a casual stroll in mind, so I was unprepared. Tell the one hiding behind Baek Do-jin: no activity fund increases until the Student Council verifies their skills. And…"
Jang Yeon-ju, No Jun-yeop, and Kang Jae-hyeok.
Their faces were etched clearly in Ban Hui-yeol's piercing eyes.
"You'll pay for humiliating the Student Council."
"Baby."
"Shut up! A noble without shame…! Hmph, let's go."
The palanquin carrying Ban Hui-yeol departed.
No Jun-yeop, who had watched silently, soon stuck out his tongue.
"Tattling to the teacher worked? I thought the Student Council wouldn't give a damn about teachers."
"That's why it worked on them specifically. The Student Council's power comes from teacher support, so they'd avoid clashing with them if possible. Of course, knowing that doesn't mean many could exploit it like this."
Tell the teacher?
He never dreamed such words would come from the duke's son who crushed No Jun-yeop in archery—a monster.
Jae-hyeok urged the two staring incredulously.
"Like I said, Senior Jang, find me a list of requests solvable inside Lion's Castle. No Jun-yeop, you go back and teach Baek Do-jin properly. How do you teach someone to miss even a 1-point target?"
"It's not my fault… Ugh, fine, got it."
A short while later.
The Archery Club members cheered upon hearing the somewhat(?) distorted rumor that the mighty Student Council had been forced to flee by Jae-hyeok.
***
"Why retreat so easily? Even if he tattles, what's the problem?"
On the way back to the Student Council.
The tanned boy couldn't hold back.
Among students, the Student Council's power was near-absolute.
Most alumni were bigshots, so even the Martial Force treated them gently.
For the vice president himself to fail against a mere club— what greater humiliation?
Most crucially, Kang Jae-hyeok was just a first-year.
The 'teacher' he mentioned wasn't a professor, but a regular teacher.
A mere teacher couldn't challenge the Student Council.
Jae-hyeok's threat was ignorable.
But Ban Hui-yeol thought differently.
"Ten years ago that day."
"?"
"Excellency Seol Sua was there too."
Ten years ago that day?
And Seol Sua?
What out-of-nowhere talk?
Ban Hui-yeol explained to the uncomprehending tanned boy.
"It means don't underestimate a duke's son. Judge a noble's potential lightly, and you'll regret it."
He knew Kang Jae-hyeok was Baek Do-jin's team leader.
But he hadn't expected the whole Archery Club to shield him too.
‘Jang Yeon-ju and No Jun-yeop's attitudes toward Kang Jae-hyeok…’
And the sudden backer for Baek Do-jin dropping from the sky.
Too many surprises in this incident.
‘Seol Sua must have pulled major strings for Jae-hyeok's enrollment to begin with.’
The Ban Family knew of the Yaksha and White Night connection.
Ban Hui-yeol judged Seol Sua likely involved in Jae-hyeok-related matters.
‘If Jae-hyeok is truly Seol Sua's vanguard…’
Was the Archery Club targeting association- and military-connected clubs dominated by their kids?
‘Well, we'll see.’
The brewing storm made Ban Hui-yeol smile.