Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: The Blacksmith's Request
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[Hit.]
"Whoa…!"
Exclamations poured out from all around.
It was because Baek Do-jin, who seemed like he might have ADHD, had for the first time struck a perfect bullseye on the target.
It was an achievement gained in just half a day since Jae-hyeok had begun teaching him.
No Jun-yeop hadn't managed it despite ten days of effort, so the impact was huge.
"Is that guy's talent really on the level of an Archery Saint?"
"In some ways, it's even beyond that. Think about Jang Yeon-ju. Even the world's greatest Archery Saint wouldn't teach someone without talent."
"I want to learn from Kang Jae-hyeok too…."
The Archery Club members even felt a faint sense of respect toward Jae-hyeok for turning the mad dog into a human.
They had already taken a liking to him from the Black Rock Tuna incident, so their hearts were easily swayed.
"I'll kill him… I'll definitely kill you, Loren!!"
"S-Some kind of illegal drug might have been administered…"
It was around then that some club members began eyeing Do-jin's state suspiciously, as he was flipping out and radiating murderous intent nonstop.
Ding-a-ling!
Jae-hyeok's phone rang.
"Hwang Butler, is the errand done?"
A smile bloomed on Jae-hyeok's face as he answered the call.
"Good. I'll wait for you in front of the Gate."
***
"You can't go out?"
Jae-hyeok couldn't cross the school gate of Lion's Castle.
"To leave the Gate, a student needs an outing permit. You don't even know that basic school rule? Pathetic."
"I'm not trying to go into the city. I just want to meet someone briefly at the entrance. Don't they usually handle cases like this with some flexibility?"
"Kids these days have no manners. Talking about flexibility to an adult."
The Martial Force wasn't friendly toward students.
Depending on their affiliation, they even harbored resentment.
To understand why, one needed to grasp the structure of Lion's Castle.
For starters, Lion's Castle was part of Pearl Island.
Though Lion's Castle was a national academy, the major shareholder of the Gate known as Pearl Island was the Baekya Foundation.
As the name suggested, it was a foundation established and run by White Night.
White Night herself was the true owner of Pearl Island.
However, due to the law stating that all B-rank or higher Gates persisting on the Korean Peninsula must be managed by the Korean government, Pearl Island took on the nature of a public institution.
That was the reason White Night had to sell 49 percent of the shares to the government—and also the secret behind her taking the chairman position at Lion's Castle.
Having bought the shares, the government that entrusted Lion's Castle to her found itself in a bind.
They had divided up Pearl Island, but in the end, White Night had monopolized even greater power.
The government hurriedly dispatched the military to Pearl Island while selling off some of its shares to the Association and guilds.
They had opened the coliseum to effectively check White Night and her foundation.
The government, military, Association, and guilds demanded rights to the resources generated from Pearl Island and the operation of Lion's Castle, based on law and shares.
And using the excuse that Pearl Island's environment was dangerous, they dispatched their elite agents.
That was the background behind the existence of nine martial organizations in Lion's Castle, a place that was supposedly a school.
The nine Martial Forces shared the stage of Pearl Island but were in competitive relationships due to their different affiliations.
And the Security Force was also a Martial Force.
It had been born because the government backed the Association's claim that the reconnaissance teams operated by the Baekya Foundation alone couldn't guarantee student safety.
Under the pretext of maintaining public order, they were spread across all of Pearl Island, but their true nature was the eyes and ears of the Association. They were too busy monitoring the Martial Forces under White Night.
From their perspective, students were nothing more than reckless bandits who barged into dangerous zones at will, driving them crazy or stealing property—Monsters.
They disliked students, if anything, and had no reason to be friendly.
'And this guy…'
The Security Force member who recognized Kang Jae-hyeok's face scowled.
The younger brother of Kang Dae-seong, who had assaulted the Association Chairman and fled, dragging the reputation of the Korea Player Association down to rock bottom.
Just looking at his face made his blood boil.
'A dirty bloodline strutting around with his head held high—what an end-times sight.'
Not content with luckily obtaining the Leech King's ring, he'd even received a high-grade elixir from White Night?
The Security Force member barely suppressed his boiling resentment and waved his hand dismissively.
"No need for long talk. If you're not bringing an outing permit, get lost."
Jae-hyeok stared at them silently for a moment before calling Kim Jin-myeong.
"Teacher, I'd like an outing permit. Where are you right now?"
"Hmph."
The Security Force members snorted derisively.
When students got into unexpected accidents outside, the teacher who had approved their outing bore the greatest responsibility.
There was no way a teacher would recklessly issue a permit to a newbie just three months into enrollment.
"……."
As expected.
Kang Jae-hyeok couldn't even explain the purpose of his outing and hung up.
He'd been rejected flat-out.
The corners of the Security Force members' mouths twitched.
Seeing the baffled expression on Jae-hyeok's face, which somewhat resembled Kang Dae-seong's, gave them a strange sense of satisfaction.
But ten minutes later.
"Jae-hyeok! Did I keep you waiting long? Huff, huff."
"No. I said I'd come to you—why'd you come all the way here yourself?"
"……."
The Security Force members' faces stiffened.
It was because of the outing permit handed over by Kim Jin-myeong, the first-year Class B homeroom teacher who had come running, panting.
It granted permission for Kang Jae-hyeok to go out, with no specified duration.
Essentially, it was a free pass.
Something only a select few top performers among the second-years possessed.
"Jae-hyeok's a busy kid, so please don't nitpick over trivial things from now on. You guys who usually don't give a damn about students—what's with being so strict… Jae-hyeok, I'll head back to the faculty office. Take care of your business and come back."
"Yes, thank you."
After a light exchange of greetings with Kim Jin-myeong, Jae-hyeok stepped toward the swirling Gate beyond the school gate.
His attitude—ignoring the now-mute Security Force members—was dignified and aloof.
***
[Exiting the Gate.]
The sensation of crossing a Gate was extremely unpleasant.
It was equivalent to a dimensional leap, putting great strain on body and mind.
'I'll need to get used to the nausea from using Gates frequently.'
"Cute. A first-year?"
Players guarding the Gate entrance glanced at the dizzy Jae-hyeok.
High-level players who guarded the Gate entrance 24/7.
They were commonly known as Gatekeepers.
Some Gatekeepers showed interest as Jae-hyeok presented his outing permit to prove his identity.
"The young master of House Kang, who awakened a bloodline skill."
"Can House Kang make a comeback?"
"Even if that kid becomes a National Treasure Candidate, it's impossible. House Kang has lost its entire support base."
Stuck guarding the Gate in three shifts, they inevitably got bored.
The Gatekeepers' range of activity was extremely limited, but paradoxically, their interests were boundless.
They had high community usage and accumulated all sorts of trivia knowledge, with some even deep into conspiracy theories.
That meant many cast sympathetic glances at Jae-hyeok, suspecting the circumstances behind House Kang's downfall.
'It wouldn't hurt to build rapport with these guys.'
Jae-hyeok quickly judged after analyzing their attitudes.
He greeted each of them as politely as possible.
Screech!
Moments later, two bikes pulled up in front of the Gate.
The Gatekeepers were a bit impressed.
"He was waiting for the Archery Club Leader and the Archery Saint's granddaughter."
"Not bad for second-years. I thought they were well-mannered, but he's already built quite the network."
"Hwang Butler!"
"Young Lord!"
Jae-hyeok and the Hwang butler were sharing an emotional reunion.
"You look radiant since I last saw you. No shadows on your face. Do you have plenty of outlets to vent your anger, making life worth living?"
"I wouldn't say life is worth living, but the food tastes better, so I sleep well and recover from fatigue easily. Living apart from you is doing wonders for my health."
"It feels like just yesterday you came running after getting whacked by the eldest young master's wooden sword and clung to me… and now you've grown enough to enjoy independent living…"
"Hahaha! Has Hwang Butler finally lost it to old age?"
"This old man's back will snap. Ease up on the arm strength."
"Don't worry. I have potions."
"……."
Were they on bad terms?
It was while Jang Yeon-ju and No Jun-yeop stared at the two in bewilderment.
"Kang Jae-hyeok. The youngest of Dae-guk back when he was still young… Yes, those pitch-black eyes jog my memory."
The Song family blacksmith, who had seemed senile, observed Jae-hyeok with deep eyes.
"Even all black, they shine like lacquered ebony. Still brilliant. The world treated you harshly as a child, yet you endured without peering into the abyss. Impressive. Truly admirable."
Only then did Jae-hyeok release his hold on the Hwang butler's waist and bowed politely to the Song elder.
"It's an honor to meet Master Blacksmith Song Seong-ik, who supported House Kang's golden age. Father will surely have sweet dreams upon hearing you accepted my invitation."
Sweet dreams.
A phrasing reflecting the reality of Yaksha, who had been declared brain-dead and would never open his eyes again.
Shadows fell over the already dark face of the Song elder.
"Seeing your devoted figure makes me miss Dae-guk all the more. I must visit the mansion."
As Jang Yeon-ju and No Jun-yeop tactfully withdrew to keep watch around them.
Jae-hyeok chatted idly with the Song elder.
A man who remembered facets of Father's past unknown to him.
Parts of the conversation with the Song elder tugged at the boy's heartstrings.
"So, you've found Iyargurt?"
The Song elder, who had suffered greatly escaping from Gri Shi, was in a greatly fatigued state. They agreed to continue the unfinished stories another time and got to the main point.
"Yes."
As Jae-hyeok drew his blade with resolve, a blood-red aura poured from its sheath.
The form of the phantom blade revealing itself was changing in real time.
The inky blade turned transparent like red glass, and the edge, which had been on one side only, now appeared on both.
The Song elder shuddered.
"…That's it. Iyargurt. Oh, gods. You've granted this old man's dying wish before I go."
The Song elder's reaction was far more intense than Jae-hyeok had anticipated.
Jae-hyeok asked cautiously, as astonishment nearly akin to shock flashed in the trembling eyes.
"Have you… actually never seen it yourself either, Master?"
"Of course. You might have thought it was Father's cherished blade, but the truth is different. Iyargurt has been missing for nearly 200 years, so perhaps even your father knew little about it."
"But how do you know about it, then?"
"It's from the ancestral words passed down through the Song family."
The Song elder's expression gazing at Jae-hyeok softened endlessly.
"It said that only the blood of House Kang, worthy of ascending to the world guarded by the God of Blacksmiths, would reclaim Iyargurt. Jae-hyeok, this old man wants to hammer iron once more solely for you—will you permit it?"