A Request to Cripple the Heir

"We've received intelligence that someone at the academy is targeting you, young master."

"...Me?"

No, what the hell is this right at the start?

"There are plenty of people at the academy gunning for me. Is this connected to the mission?"

I asked Parnello Ramichi out of pure curiosity, and he shook his head.

"If it were just that much, neither you nor the Calione family would need to step in directly. We'd dismiss it as childish pranks from immature kids. But what if a request targeting you came into one of the organizations under Calione's umbrella? That changes everything, doesn't it?"

A request aimed at me.

"An academy cadet?"

"Yes. The request specifies: 'Inflict injuries on Seoul Hero Academy cadet Han Yujin requiring 12 weeks or more of treatment.' It seems you've made quite a few enemies at the academy, young master."

Parnello looked at me with a smile, almost proud. It felt weird seeing that.

I'd resolved to walk this path and braced myself for this kind of life, but I never expected it to make someone this pleased.

"The request came into the Gangbul Office in Jongno. It's not directly one of ours, but it's an information brokerage that pays us protection money to operate."

As the rulers of the underworld, most organizations in Korea's shadows maintained cooperative ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ties with Calione, even if not formally under us.

And apparently, these guys who took the request were in that boat.

"Since it targeted an academy cadet, they asked Calione for help, which is how we found out. We can call it fortunate."

"So, what do we do? It's not like I should let them injure me for 12 weeks as requested."

Parnello burst out laughing at my joke.

"Unfortunately, that's not possible. The moment a request targeting you reached Calione, it became an assault on the heir handed straight to 'that' Calione family."

In other words, Calione was taking this job.

And the reason he'd called me here was...

"Normally, this request assigned to you would mean punishing the client who ordered the heir's beating. But given your hidden identity at the academy, it seemed right to get your input first."

He was spot on.

The second I stepped in as Calione to punish them, it'd expose my identity to more people at the academy.

So, I came up with a better idea.

"...Right now, what's my cover identity at the academy listed as?"

"As far as I know, you're the heir to one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the Hanwol Group subsidiaries your mother ran."

"Then my personal secretary, Han Seojun, is also tied to Hanwol Group?"

"Yes."

That makes it easy.

"How much was the request fee?"

"They received 50 million credits. Our cut coming into Calione is 20%, or 10 million credits."

"10 million credits... Not bad. Gangbul Office, right? Let them do whatever they want."

"...Pardon?"

"Wouldn't it be a waste of money? They took the cash, so they should do the job. I'll just handle my own defense."

And honestly, I didn't even need to get personally involved this time.

"Pull a few organization members from security and transfer them into the Hanwol Group protection team I'm assigned to."

Hey, I'm supposed to be a chaebol heir. Time to use the security detail for once.

"They'll figure if they touch me at the academy, it'll be trouble, so they'll try something outside... Oh, right—are those Gangbul Office guys useful to Calione?"

Parnello shook his head at my question.

"They're the type we can use and discard anytime."

"Perfect. If we flip it on them in that state, they'll tuck tail on their own."

And if we snag the client's info beforehand and use it as leverage, we'd score big.

"Info on the client?"

"Right here."

Classic Calione. They'd already compiled everything into a neat file.

"Hm? Check this out."

And of course, a face I recognized was right there in the file.

Seeing the Character Compendium alert chime confirmed the info was legit.

"Guild heir, huh. No wonder his ego's like that."

Still, last shred of conscience? Funny that he ordered a beating instead of a hit.

"So, no job today?"

"Yes. The original plan was to kidnap him somewhere quiet, extract his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠motives, and 'educate' him not to blab... But you seem to have it all figured out, so no need."

Educate him...

It sent a chill down my spine.

All I could do now was pray they backed off on their own...

* * *

Four days passed.

Over those four days, the kids trained hardcore in the club room's training grounds, sparring rooms, and dungeons, filling their weak spots.

The result?

"Ahh... Boss. I feel like I could take anyone right now."

"You got your ass handed to you by the president yesterday. Still, not bad today."

I'd joined the kids for dungeon training today.

The bugs on the first floor had respawned already, even though it hadn't been long since our last run.

Unlike their clumsy panic at first, Youngje and the other two cleared it smoothly.

"What do you think, Yujin? Got potential?"

Sea-a asked.

Three days until the all-out match against them.

The kids had given it their all, but they still seemed anxious.

"Potential? More than enough. Keep this up, and we won't lose."

Having watched them these past four days, I was certain.

We could win now—no way we'd kneel.

Because had I trained them normally these four days?

Hell no. I'd crammed every growth method from the game, forging them into elites. These were Famiglia members.

When they complained of fatigue, I got healing foods via Leg Move's connections and snuck them premium elixirs from the mansion.

No way they'd lose to some bronze club.

"Rest at home until Monday—no injuries. Next week'll be busy, so recharge."

"Next week?"

Jinwoo tilted his head at my words.

Oh, right—the academy hasn't announced the class ranking matches yet.

"Once we smash the Ranger Club, everyone'll be chasing us."

It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was unannounced, so I glossed over it and wrapped up.

All-out on Monday, class rankings from Tuesday... Insane schedule, but what could I do? My karma.

We finished the usual routine and hopped into Han Seojun's car heading home when—

"Young master, we've got a tail."

"...Again?"

"But it's different this time. Always sedans before... Today it's a van. And other vehicles tailing us too, including the van."

Meaning more manpower.

"Skip the house—head to one of Calione's abandoned factories. They're being this bold; no reason to run."

"Yes, young master. U-turning now."

Han Seojun swung the car around.

Fewer people around as we entered the factory and warehouse district.

The van that had been shadowing quietly pulled up beside us and rolled down the passenger window.

A man gestured for us to lower ours.

Han Seojun complied, and the guy aimed a pistol at us.

"Pull over there."

"Hah."

Han Seojun let out a dry laugh—pointing a gun at Calione muscle was laughable—and glanced at me.

"Give 'em what they want."

"Understood."

He parked in the rundown factory lot as ordered.

Our tails boxed us in front and back—no escape.

"Amateurs. I'd park tight to ram-proof it."

Han Seojun shook his head, sizing them up from the parking alone.

"Get out."

Figuring we couldn't bolt, one of the guys pouring from the cars aimed his gun and menaced us.

"Who the hell are you to order us out? This car—"

Two shots at the driver's window.

Silencer with magic mods—dead quiet.

"Hah, these bastards. Bulletproof glass? You think you're hot shit now?"

Obvious intimidation shot at the window.

An outdated peashooter that wouldn't faze an Awakener, but they thought it'd scare us.

"This is fun."

"...Pardon?"

"First time getting threatened by armed goons outside the academy."

Calione's heir cowed by a pistol? I swallowed a laugh and stepped out.

"That ain't a real gun, is it?"

To show my cube's real piece, I touched it.

Sensing trouble, the pistol guy whipped it toward Han Seojun.

"Hey, kid! Situation sinking in? Pull any unique gear or funny business, your driver's first. Got it?!"

His shout drew goons armed with bats and clubs surrounding us.

Mana on the weapons—they'd brought Awakeners to snag an academy cadet.

They even chuckled among themselves, cocksure of their edge.

"Kids are so predictable. Hope all jobs are this easy."

"Hey, we ain't greedy. Just break one arm and one leg each. Clean and simple, right?"

The guy behind me slung a bat over his shoulder and laid out demands.

Arm and leg... So, injure me before the all-out to secure a win.

"No answer? Silence means yes, then..."

He swung the bat in the air, closing in.

I sighed, glanced at Han Seojun.

"Han Seojun."

"Yes, young master."

"Let's start."

He tapped his earpiece.

"Security team, commence."

Dozens of black vehicles roared in from afar.

For now, it was time to be Han Yujin, chaebol heir with his guards—not Eugene Han Calione of Calione.