Warlord Han Yegum

Another day began.

As the sun rose, Makjeong stretched his body in the morning chill, watching the fires in the valley below as soldiers lit stoves to cook rice.

“You awake?”

“Yes.”

Despite not having spent long as a soldier, Makjeong had already faced several near-death experiences in battle. Perhaps that was why he had adapted to life on the battlefield so quickly.

“Ayong, did you sleep well?”

“…Not really.”

Obyeok and Ayong, who had woken before him, looked exhausted. It was clear that the anxiety of being on the battlefield had kept them up.

Well, if someone could sleep soundly on their first night here, they wouldn’t be human, Makjeong thought.

He led the two down to the base of the mountain, walking back and forth to loosen their stiff, cold bodies as they waited for breakfast. As the sun rose, the soldiers formed lines to receive their bowls of mixed grain rice. As always, they ate while quietly wondering if the enemy would attack today.

Once breakfast was over, most soldiers returned to their squads, hoping they could simply rest until the next battle. With the palisades repaired yesterday, there was little left to do but wait.

Then came the call.@@novelbin@@

“Squad Leaders, gather at the top! Pass the message down!”

“Damn it. I hate it when they do this. It’s never good news,” Nam Pae grumbled as he made his way up the mountain to the command post.

Makjeong sat with one knee up, lazily scratching his back with his right hand as he turned to Gaesang.

“What do you think it is?”

“No idea.”

“They’re not gonna make us attack first, are they?” Makjeong asked, flicking dirt from beneath his fingernails.

“No way. We’re outnumbered as it is. Our job is just to hold this position. Unless the commander’s lost his mind… Heh.”

Gaesang pulled up his pant leg and scratched his calf.

The enemy hadn’t made any movements yet, but with all the squad leaders being summoned, murmurs of worry spread through the ranks.

Then—

Step, step, step…

Nam Pae returned, walking down the palisade. His face was twisted in irritation, and he was muttering curses under his breath.

“What is it?” Madal asked, running his fingers along the chipped edge of his axe.

Despite his usual bravado, even Madal looked nervous about what Nam Pae might say.

“Damn it!”

Nam Pae flopped onto the ground, cursing as he stared at the dirt for a moment. The tension among the squad grew, but he finally looked up and spoke.

“They’re planning a major battle at White Plains. And we’re being sent there. Damn it…!”

“What? White Plains?! Ah, fuck this!”

Thud!

Madal let out a string of curses, slamming his axe into the ground.

According to Nam Pae, Shang Kingdom had been pushing east to seize control of U Kingdom’s territories. Their main force was concentrated in White Plains, a vast, open battlefield. To ensure their success, they had also sent detached units north and south to secure a route.

Makjeong’s squad had been stationed in the south at Blaze Ridge.

However, those detached units had failed to achieve their objectives, suffering heavy losses instead. In response, Shang had decided to consolidate their forces, abandoning their flanking maneuvers and focusing all their might on White Plains.

To counter this, U Kingdom had begun pulling soldiers from various fronts to reinforce White Plains—including a hundred men from Blaze Ridge, among them Nam Pae’s squad.

Instead of defending a fortified position, they were now being sent to an open battlefield, where they would be forced into brutal hand-to-hand combat. The realization drained the color from everyone’s faces.

“…We’re fucked,” Gaesang muttered, leaning back against the palisade with a sigh.

Even the strongest among them—Gaesang, with his raw power, and Yeopchi, with his sword skills—knew how much more dangerous a chaotic field battle would be.

“Well, no use whining about it now,” Nam Pae sighed. “We’re leaving right away, so pack up and head down. Makjeong, Deokheung, grab the straw mats and blankets. Ayong, make sure to carry the water and ration containers.”

“Yes, sir…”

White Plains… Damn. Maybe I really should’ve run away last night, Makjeong thought bitterly.

But deep down, he knew—even if he could turn back time, he wouldn’t have fled.

Something still held him here, tying him down.

Let’s just go and see.

The atmosphere at Blaze Ridge had never been good, but now, it had sunk to its lowest point.

The hundred soldiers chosen for deployment trudged down the mountain like cattle being led to the slaughterhouse.

Once their numbers were checked, all supplies and rations were loaded onto ox-drawn carts, and the commander of Blaze Ridge came down to address them.

It was rare to see the officer in charge, but even now, his expression was grim. Though he tried to give an encouraging speech, it did little to lift the already shattered morale.

“Officer Pyeong, I leave it to you.”

“Yes, sir.”

And with that, under the command of Officer Pyeong, the Blaze Ridge detachment set off north toward White Plains.

Clatter, clatter…

The wooden wheels of the ox carts creaked loudly over the rough terrain. Behind them, over a hundred soldiers marched with heavy steps.

Officer Pyeong occasionally glanced back, shouting for them to keep up, but none of the men hurried. Their destination was far more dangerous than Blaze Ridge had ever been.

“Stop! We rest here for a while! Squad leaders, check your men!”

The officer finally called for a break, and the soldiers wasted no time collapsing under the trees beside the road.

Exhausted sighs and grumbles filled the air.

Madal, leaning against a tree, voiced what they were all thinking.

“This is fucked. It really feels like we’re marching to our deaths.”

No one disagreed.

Had they been allowed to remain at Blaze Ridge, behind their wooden fortifications, they might have survived this war. But now, they were being dragged into a battle where survival was far from guaranteed.

Makjeong glanced at Ayong beside him. The boy’s face was pale, filled with dread.

It was a look Makjeong had seen before—on countless conscripts, moments before they were sent into the slaughter.

Makjeong had been fortunate that his first battle had been a defensive one behind a palisade. Although he had come close to death multiple times, having time to adjust to combat behind a barrier had been a massive advantage.

“Ayong, don’t worry. We’re here, so you don’t have to be so scared,” Makjeong said, placing a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder.

Ayong hesitated before looking up at him.

“Were you scared too, hyung?”

“Scared? Of course! I nearly died multiple times in my first battle.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Makjeong regretted them. He had meant to comfort Ayong, but he had probably just made things worse.

“D-Die…?”

“But the others saved me every time. Look at them! Aren’t they reliable?”

Ayong turned to glance at the squad members sitting by the roadside.

…If nothing else, they certainly looked reliable. With their rugged, battle-hardened faces, they could easily be mistaken for a gang of bandits terrorizing the mountains.

Just as Ayong seemed to be calming down, Deokheung let out a long sigh.

“I must be fated to die this year. My whole squad was wiped out at Blaze Ridge, and I was the only one left. And now, they’re sending me to White Plains? The heavens must truly hate me… I really think I’m going to die this time…”

“Hah! Listen to this guy. What a load of crap. Looks like we’ve got a jinx in our squad.” Nam Pae turned to Madal. “Madal, just take your axe and send him off to his dear departed squadmates now.”

“Good idea, Squad Leader. I’ve been feeling uneasy too. I just know it—he’ll be the only one to survive again while the rest of us die. Deokheung, come here for a second. If you miss your old squad that much, I’ll send you right to them.”

“W-Wait! Don’t joke about that. Haha… I was just saying…”

Seeing Nam Pae and Madal’s sinister grins, Deokheung laughed awkwardly, backpedaling from his own words.

“Ayong, stick close to Deokheung. If history repeats itself, you might be the only two left standing,” Makjeong said teasingly.

Madal’s eyes suddenly gleamed with a new thought.

“Wait a second. This bastard probably survived because he ran away first. Hey, you little shit, you’re sticking with me from now on. If you even think about running, I’ll split you in half with my axe.”

“I-I would never! Really!”

“Deokheung, you know, Madal actually saved my life before,” Makjeong added.

“You sure about that? Maybe he was just killing everything in his way and you happened to survive,” Deokheung muttered.

“You little shit—!”

“Wait, wait! I was just kidding!”

Laughter erupted among the squad.

“Pfft!”

“Haha!”

“Why’s everyone laughing? Let me in on the joke,” a voice interrupted.

The source was Officer Pyeong. Having overheard the laughter amidst the otherwise somber mood of the reinforcements, he approached and sat down on a protruding rock.

With morale already so low, he had been worried about the men’s spirits. Seeing one group laughing must have been a relief to him.

“Nothing much, sir. Just beating some sense into a suspicious squadmate,” Nam Pae said.

“Haha, is that so? Well, don’t go too far. Every soldier counts right now.”

With the conversation dying down, Chobak took the chance to ask something that had been on his mind.

“Sir, what happens to archers like us at White Plains? Do we fight separately?”

Since White Plains would be a large-scale open battle instead of a defensive engagement, Chobak and Mukjin were concerned about how archers would be utilized.

If the archers were deployed separately, they might have a chance to be effective. But if they were thrown into the melee with the rest of the infantry, it would be too dangerous.

At Blaze Ridge, the terrain had been advantageous, and the skirmishes had been small enough for them to provide support with their bows. But in a massive field battle…

“Honestly, I don’t know. We’ll find out when we get there. Just wait and see. If I get any news, I’ll let you know,” Pyeong replied.

“Yes, sir…”

Chobak and Mukjin exchanged uneasy glances as they absently adjusted the strings of their bows.

As the conversation continued, two members of the squad—Makjeong and Deokheung—remained quiet, watching Officer Pyeong with keen interest.