BW C107

Chapter 107

“Here. Take one each.”

Having finished his meal, Hoeun crouched down beside the girls and Jeongwoo. He then reached into his pouch and began handing out something to each of them.

“Eat up. They’re soft and nicely ripe.”

They were persimmons. At the house where Taemuk and he had stayed the night in Ramjae-eup, there was a persimmon tree, and these had been picked from it.

Normally, snatching fruit from someone else’s tree is frowned upon, but it was obvious that if left there any longer, they would fall and rot. Of course, Hoeun had not picked them himself; when he struggled, standing on tiptoe trying to reach, Taemuk plucked them for him.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you, Young Master.”

The girls, each receiving a persimmon, bowed politely to Hoeun. He smiled softly.

“Is it hard? Are you cold?”

“Hard? Not at all.”

Jeongyi answered firmly, yet her youthful face looked somehow grimy, as if she had grown pale and fatigued over the half-day. She must have never left the town before, and no doubt was very scared. Still, it was admirable that she answered so bravely without crying.

The girls bit into the persimmons with their skins on. The soft fruit slipped down their throats with ease, no need to chew much. Hoeun watched them fondly. One girl, her mouth smeared with soft persimmon, said,

“Young Master, your pouch is like a magic pouch.”

“Yes, chocolate, persimmons too. Could it be you’re an angel sent by God?”

“An angel? That’s something our parents wouldn’t even say…”

She laughed, but her expression suddenly hardened, and she quickly clamped her mouth shut. Bringing up parents before parentless girls was thoughtless and rude—immature. Hoeun forced a smile as if nothing had happened.

“Take your time eating. We still have a ways to go before departing.”

Hoeun looked over the girls one by one, then drew a persimmon from his own pouch. The soft fruit looked sweet and delicious. For the first time in a while, he salivated.

How long had it been since he last ate fruit? Though he had never lacked food since leaving home, fruit was scarce on the battlefield. He had not realized how much he missed it until after eating half a pancake and still craving persimmons.

Hoeun first plucked the calyx, slid his finger inside, and gently peeled away the skin. Soft, moist flesh emerged, as translucent and supple as rice cake. He bit into it with a soft “slurp.”

“Young Master!”

Someone called. Hoeun turned his eyes toward the voice, his mouth still full, and saw Gilsang sprinting full speed toward him. The man stopped abruptly before Hoeun, blocking his path.

“…Sergeant?”

Hoeun’s cheek was puffed out from eating, his expression puzzled as he called out to him. But Gilsang said nothing, instead drawing his sword from his waist. The blade gleamed sharply, and the girls all swallowed hard in unison.

Hoeun quickly swallowed the persimmon in his mouth, then about to call out to Gilsang again, Seongim appeared. She likely ran alongside but had fallen behind the faster Gilsang and arrived later. She drew her sword immediately and aimed into the woods.

“What’s—what’s going on—”

But Hoeun couldn’t finish his question.

A deep horn sounded, shaking the entire mountain.

A Jeokudae soldier was blowing a bugle nearby. At the signal, resting soldiers sprang up and took their positions as if by silent agreement. Among them, Dongja and Mansu were glimpsed moving quickly.

Some soldiers gathered the scattered refugees toward the center. Soon the Jeokudae soldiers surrounded them and turned their weapons toward the forest.

“……”

Hoeun’s chest rose and fell rapidly. Could it be that monsters had appeared again? But Taemuk should have already cleared the area; he’d gone into the forest before the meal.

Confused, Hoeun scanned the area for Taemuk but could see no sign of him. Earlier, when Hoeun fetched the persimmons, Taemuk had been nearby discussing the map with another soldier. Now, he was gone.

“No…”

Hoeun dropped the persimmons he was holding and abruptly stood. He needed to stay with Taemuk—for himself, and for Taemuk. He did not want to be apart any longer.

As he took a step, a hand suddenly grasped his sleeve from below. Hoeun looked down sharply.

“Young Master, please don’t go.”

It was Jeongyi, pale with fear, clutching him tightly. Beside her, frightened girls crowded close like barnacles. Jeongwoo’s eyes brimmed with tears.

At their feet, persimmons still half-eaten scattered among fallen leaves.

“……”

Seeing this, Hoeun could not bear to leave. Though Jeokudae soldiers surrounded him and Gilsang stood nearby, ensuring safety, he could not simply abandon them.

He bit his lower lip tightly, then sat back down among them, forcing a smile.

“It’s alright. You’ll be safe. Nothing will happen to anyone here. Everyone around is a strong soldier.”

The girls nodded timidly, still trembling with fear. Hoeun comforted them repeatedly, his gaze lingering on the forest visible between Gilsang and Seongim.

The woods, stripped of nearly all their autumn leaves, lay silent. Quiet, perhaps peaceful, but their mottled barrenness felt bleak and forbidding. Dry leaves skittered and rustled as the wind gusted, whispering across the ground.

Not long after,

Boom boom boom boom boom—boom boom boom…

The ground trembled as if giant unseen boulders were tumbling and dancing nearby.

The girls’ breaths quickened with the tremors, and so did Hoeun’s. Though he had seen enough monsters for one lifetime, he was still not used to it. A cold dread crept steadily from his limbs to his chest.

“……”

“……”

Everyone held their breath, as still as death, eyes unblinking. The silence sharpened the sound of approaching monsters, making it clearer and louder.

At last,

KAAARRRRR!

Between the trees appeared the monsters, four-legged and beastlike, racing toward the people. Though it was early winter and the day was not extremely cold, their breath steamed mistily with excitement and fury. The creatures collided with each other, sometimes bouncing back after hitting trees; one enormous beast even smashed a tree to splinters.

“Young Master, Young Master…”

The girls clung tightly to Hoeun as he spread his arms wide, shielding them. Even so, his frail arms could hardly protect them—it was more a comfort to their frightened hearts. As their guardian, that was all he could do.

Still, Hoeun himself was quite frightened. His chest ached, his stomach turned as if about to rebel.

Why again?

Why already?

They had barely escaped Ramjae-eup. He had thought they would not encounter monsters again until reaching the other town. Wasn’t that so? No matter how indifferent the heavens, such hardship should not come so fast.

And what crime had these innocent children committed? The guilt was overwhelming, beyond words.

KAAARRRK! Clack, crack, KAAARRRK!

The monsters closed in quickly. The one at the front leapt high, crushing a Jeokudae soldier beneath its massive paw. The soldier coughed blood. Soon, dozens of monsters swarmed the soldiers.

KAAARK! Clack, KAAARRRK!

At first, the soldiers and monsters swirled like oil and water, merely skirmishing. But soon, chaos erupted as the two groups intermingled and clashed indiscriminately. Occasionally, a monster charged deep into the crowd, biting a refugee by the shoulder and dragging them away.

Screams, shouts, cries, and battle cries burst forth from every direction.

Though chaos raged, Hoeun kept his composure, meeting each girl’s eyes and reassuring them:

“It’s alright. It’s alright. No one will get hurt. No one.”

Yet his words barely helped. The moment he finished speaking,

Thud.

Screeeeeech…

A monster arrived right before Gilsang. Without hesitation, Gilsang engaged fiercely. Each sword strike tore the monster’s hide, splattering blood around. The creature snapped angrily, but Gilsang was undaunted.

Meanwhile, Seongim remained vigilant at his side, adopting a defensive stance—not out of reluctance to fight, but following a prearranged plan. Should anything happen to Gilsang, she was to protect Hoeun.