BXBX NOVEL Chapter 99: Season of the Harvest (5)
The past few days had aged his father enormously, and his ashen face took Sang-hoon by surprise. He decided to proceed with sincerity.
“Father, you don’t have to worry about debt issues. Master Kang Min-hyuk has solved the debt problem, and I have pledged my undying loyalty to him and his cause. Because of his virtue, I became a 3rd circle mage and escaped from the bonds of debt. So, you can put down the heavy burden of the Jeong family. I, Sang-hoon, will take the reins now.”
A heavy silence fell.
It wasn’t necessarily the case that the Gaju decides when and who will lead the next generation, but Sang-Hoon directly asked the Gaju if he could take over. It was a rare occurrence.
“It was a heavy burden, as you said. Even before I took the place of Gaju, the prestige of the Jeong family had fallen to the ground, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t change that reality. Investing in the magic business was my last resort.”
Jeong Moon-sung laughed bitterly.
Running a business without his son’s knowledge put a lot of pressure on Jeong Moon-seong’s mind. He wished only to reclaim his name and leave something worthwhile to pass down to his son. The reality, though, was cruel, and he soon fell into a twisted hellscape.
“As soon as I fell into such great debt, I knew that I wasn’t worthy of upholding the Jeong family name. I’m sorry. All that our family possesses now is a name, nothing more. Other families are blessed with virtues and victories, but all you have to hold onto is the faded reputation of the men that cling to your ankles.”
It was not a succession of power; it was the transference of weight.
“I’m sorry, my son.”
Tears of shame and regret welled up in his eyes. Knowing the thorny path his son would walk in the future, he couldn’t control his wriggling emotions.
“I have one last question.”
“Please speak.”
“Kang Min-hyuk…can you trust him?”
Jeong Moon-seong was stepping down from the stage. Knowing that he had no control over the future, he had anxiety about the man who was leading Sang-hoon.
His greatness did not affirm his goodness. Moon-sung had initially encouraged the relationship between his son and Kang Min-hyuk to help Sang-hoon’s growth. It had worked. Implicit loyalty, though, was another matter entirely. Was his son following the right person?
Sang-hoon had no doubts. His trust for Kang Min-hyuk ran deep. Before long, he said in a firm voice,”Yes. Master will lead the Jeong family and me along the path of glory.”
Beyond the Jeong home, with sunlight filtering merrily through the window, the world moved as steadily as ever. However, within its walls, a shift had taken place: Sang-hoon had inherited the family name. It was his responsibility now. He pledged.
“From now on, only two things in this world will receive my focus: the revival of the Jeong family and Master Kang Min-hyuk – a man who will later be called the Archmage.”
It was the moment when his underlying roots were firmly established deep in his heart.
* * *
The magical academia was buzzing. The reason was the birth of a magical genius. Jeong Sang-hoon, who won the magic contest held in Seongdong-gu, also won another contest a few days later. There were quite a few skilled players in the magic contest, which was limited to those under the age of nineteen – among them was a mage named Eric Schmidt – renowned as an American magical genius. He had reached the third circle at age eighteen and was deemed the United States’ top wizard. It was predicted that Schmidt would have no major contenders but Sang-hoon smashed expectations.
The final fight was a confrontation between Sang-Hoon and Eric Schmidt and Sang-hoon’s superior control destroyed Schmidt. The American media was amazed.
[…Eric Schmidt, our country’s greatest young wizard, was defeated by South Korean Sang-Hoon. The final resulted in an undeniable defeat that shocked all who saw it. Eric Schmidt did not consistently take the initiative against Sang-Hoon, and Sang-Hoon did not allow Eric Schmidt any time to form a close magic connection. After the finals, I had no choice but to inquire about Sang-hoon. Where the hell did this monster come from? Jeong Sang-hoon formed the third circle at the age of only seventeen, and his skillful expression of magic showed a glimpse of his massive potential. As it turned out, he was a descendant of the Jeong family, who had been called masters of magic in the past. His victory sparked a signal that the Jeong family had been revived.]
The American media was rattled.
Not only that, but also the world magic academia paid attention to Sang-hoon.
[Jeong Sang-hoon: who is he!?]
[The talent of a future archmage born in Korea]
Several forces moved quickly. Some already made a move to recruit Jeong Sang-hoon, but his interview blocked the source.
“I’m really happy to have won this magic contest. There was a lot of help around me, which aided my victory. The Department of Magic professors have given high-quality teaching, and Dean Choi Byeong-ho gave me sincere support to compete. And Kang Min-hyuk. Without his help, I would be no-one. I really, really want to say thank you to them.”
By showing a certain affection for the Department of Magic, he made a reason to reject the proposals around him. Due to his move, people paid attention to the Department of Magic.
-What’s in the Department of Magic?
-I think I should go into the magic department right now. Yoo Jae-myeong, the world’s best wizard, was also from the Department of Magic, and now it’s produced Sang-Hoon. Most of all, Kang Min-hyuk is a student in the Department of Magic. It’s more than just a couple of achievements; it’s clearly a hub of excellence.
-It’s said that if a coincidence is repeated, it is no coincidence at all. There is a pattern there – I don’t think we can disregard the Department of Magic’s importance.
-Korea is producing the best mages of our time! We must study there!
It was an outcome that could have caused Choi Byeong-ho to scream with joy. The stock price of the Department of Magic increased sharply.
As the noise of success filled the department, another figure rose to the surface from within.
It was Lee Hak-beom.
* * *
How did the public view Lee Hak-beom? As a great scholar? A researcher who succeeded in great research like Kang Min-hyuk? No…Kang Min-hyuk brought up Lee Hak-beom during the presentation, but nobody remembered his name.
“Lee Hak-beom is a great researcher? Honestly, I’m afraid I have to disagree with that. When the studies conducted have more than a 90% success rate, Kang Min-hyuk is the forerunner. What has Hak-beom accomplished? Double casting and everything else recently discovered at the department of magic have little to do with him – I don’t know why Kang Min-hyuk continues to work alongside him.”
Kang Min-hyuk shone brightly. The resulting shadow completely covered Lee Hak-beom. Although Lee Hak-beom was a recognized researcher in Korea, many people did not know his name worldwide.
It was exactly three months ago that Lee Hak-beom got on a plane to England.
The British Magic Association was conducting a very special experiment, and it ran into difficulties and asked for help from the Department of Magic. Specifically, it was hoping for Kang Min-hyuk’s help, but an unexpected person came out.
“I will send Professor Lee Hak-beom. He’s a gifted researcher and would certainly be of great help to your study.”
At the time, Kang Min-hyuk was in the process of training. Lee Hak-beom appeared on his behalf, and although they kept it to themselves, the British Magic Association was disappointed.
There were better researchers than Lee Hak-beom in the British Magic Association. Wayne Lapierre, the chief researcher, had an incredible talent that Kang Min-hyuk also admired. They thought they didn’t really need Lee Hak-beom’s help, but they couldn’t refuse the Department of Magic’s courtesy. Both Lee Hak-beom and the Department of Magic were closely related to Kang Min-hyuk, so they were well-matched.
But…
Exactly three months later.
The British Magic Association had totally changed their minds about Lee Hak-beom. Wayne Lapierre, impressed by what he saw, spoke to the association’s president, Wayne Burns.
“It was finally successful! It’s only a small stone, but I’ve definitely used the ‘dimensional passage’ to move the stone in space successfully! This is a great achievement! We have stepped into a realm that we have only dreamed of, and with this discovery, space magic will make tremendous progress!”
He couldn’t help but get excited.
Space magic was an unknown realm that the sorcerers were hoping for. Wayne Lapierre was hung up on spirit magic, but this time he finally achieved the desired result. In the process, Lee Hak-beom’s virtues were prized.
“It was destined that we would invite Professor Lee Hak-beom. Why the hell isn’t he recognized in the world magic academia? He discovered an extremely important clue. Without Professor Lee Hak-beom, we would still be wandering in the obscurity of space magic.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s more than that. Prof. Lee Hak-beom’s participation has improved the efficiency of the research team beyond simply finding clues. He was like a lab maestro. I wanted him to teach me.”
Wayne Lapierre was a known genius. However, Lee Hak-beom had exceptional talent as the head’ of the lab. Wayne Lapierre’s seldom praised people this way, and it was a new experience for Wayne Burns.
‘Did we misjudge Lee Hak-beom?’
To be honest, Lee Hak-beom was not on the recruitment list. He was only accepted due to his close bond to Kang Min-hyuk, and he never saw him as an important person. His mind was quickly changing. If Lee Hak-beom’s potential was real, then things that happened before should be viewed differently.
“People think that Kang Min-hyuk’s presentation is entirely his credit. If you look at Lee Hak-beom’s interview, that would be true, but there is a reason Kang Min-hyuk does not let Lee Hak-beom go. He is a great researcher, and he has the skills to help Kang Minh-yuk’s research.”
Both Sang-hoon and Lee Hak-beom were gaining notoriety through their relation with Kang Min-hyuk and their own merits.
When their conversation had ended, Wayne Burns immediately contacted Suha. “Please bring Professor Lee Hak-beom to my room right now.”
Kang Min-hyuk had become a big fish that the world was drooling over, but Lee Hak-beom was different. He was in England. He was available. And he was very gifted. Together, they could achieve great results.
Where could there be more joy than the British Magic Association for a researcher?
Wayne Burns expressed his desire for Lee Hak-beom with a burning gaze.
“He must be recruited. His recruitment will raise the quality of the British Magic Association to the next level.”