The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 214

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Park Chang-Cheon greeted Shinra Kyeong politely. Both as the Shinra’s heir and as a National Treasure candidate, Shinra Kyeong deserved at least this much.

Most importantly, although the family head had been a bit rude, the rest of the Shinra family had shown him and Jae-Hyeok their due respect.

“I greet Guardian’s guildmaster.”

The silver-haired boy nodded in response. That alone was more than what the guildmasters of the other top guilds would receive. In fact, even most aristocrats never received a proper greeting from Shinra Kyeong.

Among circles of the aristocracy, Shinra Kyeong’s tendency to judge and dismiss others by unseen standards was notorious.

Shinra Kyeong then turned to Jae-Hyeok. “My apologies. The family head didn’t treat you as he should’ve.” To Park Chang-Cheon’s surprise, Shinra Kyeong then bowed ninety degrees. “The family head’s disrespect does not reflect the greater stance of my family.”

“Do you think you’re mature enough to criticize your father’s attitude?” Jae-Hyeok criticized in a sharp tone.

Shinra Kyepong was the sort who believed only aristocrats of high birth were worthy of respect. His views had already irked Jae-Hyeok, and that hadn’t changed now.

He wasn’t here to make friends; he’d come because the Shinras were a pillar of South Korea and needed to be protected. Shinra Hyeon’s attitude was beside the point. Not to mention, Shinra Hyeon was famously frugal with his time, preferring to be by sickbeds than at negotiation tables.

Jae-Hyeok wasn’t so narrow-minded that he couldn’t understand that.

In addition...

Jae-Hyeok had a faint suspicion: perhaps the intruders had already infiltrated the Shinra’s estate, and perhaps Shinra Hyeon was already aware of it. If so, his earlier dismissal held deeper intentions.

It felt like he was trying to drive us out as quickly as possible.

Even if Shinra Hyeon himself didn’t have time to eat with guests, having servants prepare a meal or a tour before they departed would’ve been an easy thing.

The more I think about it, the more sure I am. Something big is going to happen soon. But the Sant wants us to have no part in it. What can I do in a situation like this...

Just as Jae-Hyeok was lost in thought, Do-Jin’s stomach made a thunderous sound, and like a yawn or a sneeze, it seemed contagious—

Growl, growl...

Including Da-Hee and Hae-Rin, the stomachs of the other children grumbled. Even Park Chang-Cheon’s and other Guardian members’ stomachs followed suit.

They hadn’t eaten breakfast because they’d been nervous for Jae-Hyeok’s exam. Then, they’d missed lunch because of the debacle with the Bause assassin at Jae-Hyeok’s manor. Now that the sky was darkening, everyone’s empty stomachs cried out in resentment.

Jae-Hyeok glanced at the blushing people around him and made a suggestion to Shinra Kyeong.

“If you really feel sorry for me, at least treat us to a meal.”

“... Let’s do so.”

Shinra Kyeong nodded reluctantly. Offering food to guests was basic courtesy; most of Jae-Hyeok’s group might be ordinary commoners, but they were his guests now, so he couldn’t dismiss them carelessly.

***

Unlike Shinra Hyeon, who lived in a traditional hanok, Shinra Kyeong’s residence was surprisingly a Western-style mansion. Well, looking at the couple's portrait in the center of his living room, “surprise” might not be the right word.

Of the two founders of the Shinra family, Se-Hee and Lauel[1], Lauel was clearly a Westerner. As for Se-Hee...

The Saintess...

Jae-Hyeok of course recognized her; her face adorned the highest currency bill in South Korea.

During the Great Upheaval, Shin Se-Hee had saved millions of lives. Her deeds were on a completely different scale compared to the usual tales of heroes who saved hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of people.

Her merits were so great that, more than two hundred years later, many people suspect they had been exaggerated.

Thank you. Thanks to your dedication, I am alive today.

However, Jae-Hyeok didn’t doubt it for a second.

After all, take another grand figure from history, the Sword Saint: He was said to be able to split mountains and part seas with a stroke of his sword. And, indeed, traces of his historic battles still remained across South Korea. Since that was true, questioning the Saintess’s deeds seemed ridiculous in comparison.

Jae-Hyeok finished paying his respects before the ancestors’ portrait and turned to Shinra Kyeong. Apart from them, the others were in the dining room, filling their stomachs.

Shinra Kyeong spoke first,

“So, why did you come here today? There’s no way you came here just to spend time with me.”Shinra Kyeong might’ve wanted to bond with Jae-Hyeok in the beginning, but Jae-Hyeok had made it clear many times that the feeling was one-sided. Their ideologies were simply too different.

“The Baus family is aiming for us. Earlier today I...” Jae-Hyeok proceeded to recount his encounter with the Baus mage earlier that day.

After carefully listening to Jae-Hyeok’s explanation and studying the green skull brooch, Shinra Kyeong nodded.

“A fully combat-capable clone that gives off no presence... this is indeed a bit tricky. In fact, you weren’t wrong in your initial guess. Cloning is a variant branch of illusion magic, and a very high-level one at that.”

Shinra Kyeong started walking.

“It’s possible that the Baus family has already infiltrated my household.”

“I was thinking the same.” Jae-Hyeok bowed once more to Shin Se-Hee and Lauel’s portrait and followed after Shinra Kyeong.

As Shinra Kyeong neared the female maid dusting the window, he abruptly drew his sword.

“What are you—” Before Jae-Hyeok could react, Shinra Kyeong struck, carving a deep furrow into the girl's back. Flesh and bone split, and blood and internal organs splattered onto the ground. Nevertheless, Shinra Kyeong’s expression remained eerily indifferent.

“These Baus mages are already so proficient in an advanced branch of illusion magic. Lesser tricks like disguising one's appearance are surely a part of their kit.” Shinra Kyeong wiped his blade on the dead maid’s uniform. “Naturally, no one is safe from suspicion.”

Several other maids fell over each other, scrambling backward while screaming.

Jae-Hyeok gripped the hilt of his sword. Under the circumstances, he could only draw one conclusion: “You... Are you the Baus magician we're looking for?”

When did I get fooled?

Shinra Hyeon surely would’ve noticed if his son were an impostor. That meant the intruder had to have swapped places with the real Shinra Kyeong sometime after they’d departed Shinra Hyeon’s courtyard. That no one had noticed along the way was a testament to the impostor’s skill.

“The others have likely been poisoned, isn’t that right?” Shinra Kyeong calmly approached another maid.

"Stop!"

Jae-Hyeok dropped a hand to his sword hilt, but a powerful jet of wind pushed him off balance as he drew. A dark crescent of sword energy flew from his blade, but it flew askew. Shinra Kyeong easily dodged it and swung his sword mercilessly, cutting down two more terrified maids.

Jae-Hyeok noticed something then: the surroundings had become eerily silent. Aside from the three maids who’d just been slaughtered, the other staff simply watched in silence.

“There’s no way a servant of the Shinra family would scream so pathetically.” Shinra Kyeong explained while returning his zweihander to his inventory.

One boy and two girls burst into the room, having heard the commotion. One of the girls shared the boy’s striking pink hair—they were twins. Meanwhile, the other, glasses-wearing girl was striking in her own way; her expression was so bored and cold that one couldn’t help but look twice. Meeting her eyes, anyone would wonder if they’d somehow offended her.

They were all young vassals of the Shinra family—the very same ones who’d entered Lion’s Castle alongside Shinra Kyeong.

Meanwhile, Jae-Hyeok calmed down and sheathed his sword. The earlier blast of wind was a technique of the Shinra family. Clearly, the Shinra Kyeong before him was the real deal.

“How did you know that the first person you killed was a fake?”

“I didn’t,” Shinra Kyeong replied. “I found out by doing. My Shinra family’s powers are especially lethal to users of dark attribute mana, which includes the Baus family and their retainers. Had she not been one of them, my strike wouldn’t have cut through her so easily, and she would’ve lived.

“You’re saying you would’ve been fine with injuring her?”

Jae-Hyeok’s tone was thick with disapproval.

Shinra Kyeong retorted, “Is that a problem? As long as she’s alive, potions can heal her.”

Wriggle!

The bodies of the three dead maids started to change shape, reverting to their native appearances. Gone were the lithe, young girls; in their place were three ugly, middle-aged men.

“In the end, we eliminated them without any sacrifices. It’s a good outcome.”

Shinra Kyeong seemed unwilling to entertain any more objections. He diverted his gaze from Jae-Hyeok and walked toward the dining room.

“Ja-Ha, Ja-Du, please fetch a healer.”

“Yes.”

The twin siblings split up.

Jae-Hyeok quietly followed Shinra Kyeong to the dining room.

“Ugh...”

“S-somebody help...”

All of his companions were pale and groaning. It was as Shinra Kyeong had predicted. The intruders had disguised themselves as maids to poison the food.

“Do-Jin! Da-Hee!”

A look of genuine fear crossed Jae-Hyeok’s face. He rushed over to check their condition.

“Calm down. I can detoxify them.”

A white light engulfed Shinra Kyeong’s hands, and he started healing each person one by one.

Seeing his friends’ complexions visibly improve, Jae-Hyeok once again felt the greatness of the Shinra family.

Divinity...

The Shinra family’s unique power was so formidable that it killed those three clones in a single strike, while just the one earlier had been a strong enemy for Jae-Hyeok.

And that was the least of it.

The true nature of Shinra Kyeong’s divine power wasn’t to kill but to heal. So long as the Shinras lived, countless people could be saved.

Maybe that’s why the founder, Peak Sword, always stood by her side.

Jae-Hyeok frowned at the thought. Imagining himself protecting Shinra Kyeong like some henchman sent a fierce shiver down his back.

Glancing at Shinra Kyeong, whose forehead trickled with sweat as he worked on healing his friends, Jae-Hyeok’s heart softened a little.

......

......

Soon, nearly a third of Jae-Hyeok’s group had been detoxified. They even felt well enough to complain about stomach aches and nausea.

Jae-Hyeok was covering the grumbling Do-Jin’s face with a wet towel when he heard a shout.

“Y-Young Master! Those corpses! The corpses from earlier have come back to life!”

A maid rushed into the dining room and barely squeezed out those words before collapsing.

Jae-Hyeok hurried to support her and gritted his teeth. The maid was covered in burns and deep bruises. It had taken her everything to reach them.

“So you were here?”

Three blood-soaked bodies approached from the other end of the hallway. They were the very same Baus family invaders from earlier.

Viscera hung from their gruesome wounds. Their intestines in particular were dragging behind them like fleshy cables. There was no question as to their undead status.

Jae-Hyeok wrinkled his nose. Ugh. They truly are from the Baus family.

“Kids, it’s time to die.”

The zombies unleashed a swarm of fireballs.

Fire soon spread through the room, and the smiling portrait of the Shinras family’s founders quickly disappeared in the thickening haze.

1. Now we find out that Se-Hee/Sehee from Overgeared ended up marrying Lauel. Shinra is a combination of Shin (Se-Hee’s surname) and Lauel’s name, but in Korean, the character can be Ra/La. ☜