Chapter 9: Discharge
At long last, news arrived that the war had finally come to an end.
The moment Jang Il heard it, he let out a loud cheer.
At last, he could return to the home he had missed so dearly.
“Are you really that happy? That’s a little disappointing.”
Seeing Jang Il shouting with joy, Jang Pae frowned.
Only then did Jang Il realize he had gotten a bit too excited. He cleared his throat awkwardly and shook his head.
“Ahem… Of course, I’m also sorry that we’ll be parting ways.”
As Jang Il nervously watched his reaction, Jang Pae glared at him for a moment before suddenly chuckling and ruffling his hair.
“I’m just joking. I know how much you’ve wanted to go home. Why would I be upset over something like that?”
“You really haven’t changed, even after getting promoted.”
“If a person changes that easily, what’s the point? Hahaha.”
After Ryu Man’s failed operation, Jang Pae had recovered his severed head and helped swiftly secure the battlefield.
Thanks to that achievement, he had been promoted to Senior Hundred-Man Commander.
His promotion had been incredibly fortunate.
Under normal circumstances, many obstacles would have stood in his way.
The first issue was that the credit rightfully belonging to Jang Il had been voluntarily handed over to him.
More importantly, Jang Pae himself had been promoted less than a month earlier, and the officers from the Ryu Clan had originally been first in line for further advancement.
However, one of the two Hundred-Man Commanders assigned to protect Ryu Man had died during the battle.
The surviving commander was abandoned by the clan.
According to the official reports, they were judged to have failed in properly supporting Ryu Man.
Of course, everyone knew that the entire disaster had been caused by Ryu Man’s own arrogance.
Still, someone had to take responsibility for the death of a direct descendant of the Ryu Clan.
That much was unavoidable.
Where there is punishment, there must also be reward.
And because Jang Pae had brought back Ryu Man’s head, he received an enormous reward.
On top of that, someone was needed to temporarily command the unit.
As a result, Jang Pae naturally became the Senior Hundred-Man Commander.
“Hahaha! This country bumpkin actually became the Senior Hundred-Man Commander! It’s all thanks to you, Brother Jang.”
Although the title still contained “Hundred-Man Commander,” the position was essentially that of an assistant Thousand-Man Commander who could even act in the Thousand-Man Commander’s place.
Even soldiers who had served for decades couldn’t reach such a rank without powerful connections.
Yet someone from a remote frontier family had obtained it at such a young age.
No wonder he was so overjoyed.
If news of his promotion had already reached his family, they were probably holding a grand celebration.
Jang Pae wasn’t the only one who had been rewarded.
Jang Il had also received an extraordinary promotion.
“You’re a Hundred-Man Commander now as well. I never imagined you’d get this position before all these fellows.”
“The influence of the Ryu Clan really is incredible.”
“It’s not just the Ryu Clan. The higher-ups noticed your achievements too. You wouldn’t believe how many officials came because of you.”
Indeed, investigators had come to question him three separate times.
Considering the unbelievable accomplishments he had achieved, even Jang Pae—who had witnessed them himself—found them difficult to believe.
Naturally, many suspected the reports had been fabricated.
Some even investigated Jang Il as a possible spy.
However, after confirming that he was merely a young conscript with no influential background—and hearing from Jang Pae that he intended to leave the military after the war—they ultimately recognized his achievements.
The martial world occasionally produced astonishing young prodigies who far exceeded their age.
They simply concluded that Jang Il was one of them.
That was why he had skipped directly from Senior Squad Leader to Hundred-Man Commander.
His rewards weren’t limited to rank.
He also received five bolts of silk and three taels of gold.
Although the silk wasn’t of the highest quality, silk itself was already a luxury.
Combined with three taels of gold, the reward was worth roughly seventy taels of silver.
While Jang Il was overwhelmed with joy, Jang Pae looked slightly disappointed.
“If the enemy commander you’d killed had belonged to one of the great families, you’d have received twice as much.”
“Even more than this?”
Only then did Jang Il fully understand why Jang Pae had been so furious when Ryu Man had tried to steal his accomplishments.
Jang Il’s official discharge took place five days after the announcement that the war had ended.
Just as Jang Pae had predicted, the kingdom began reducing the size of its army by encouraging soldiers to retire.
The moment Jang Il heard the announcement, he immediately applied for discharge.
The compensation exceeded all expectations.
He received thirty taels of silver.
Adding that to the salary he had earned as a Hundred-Man Commander, Jang Il now possessed a considerable fortune.
Holding such wealth in his hands, he wanted nothing more than to return home as quickly as possible.
With this money, his mother and younger siblings would never have to suffer again.
Knowing Jang Il’s feelings after spending so much time with him, Jang Pae prepared one final surprise.
Neigh!
As a congratulatory gift for his discharge, he bought him a horse.
“As you can see, it’s not a particularly fine one. It was originally used as a pack horse.”
“Commander…”
“Oh, come on. It’s nothing special. If you’re really grateful, then next time we meet, call me Big Brother.”
“…Thank you… Big Brother.”
Perhaps Jang Il’s sincere gratitude reached him.
Jang Pae absentmindedly stroked his thick mustache.
“That’s more like it. You should’ve called me that from the beginning. Do you know how disappointed I was?”
“I’ll definitely come visit you again.”
“What for? Just travel safely. Don’t dawdle around and end up getting drafted again.”
“Hahaha. Understood.”
Now they could laugh about it.
But when Jang Il had first been forcibly conscripted simply because the village needed to fill its quota, he had been filled with anxiety.
War itself was terrifying.
Even more than that, he had constantly worried about the family he had left behind.
The horse snorted softly.
Neigh…
Thanks to the experience of his previous life, Jang Il had become surprisingly skilled at judging horses.
After carefully examining the animal, he smiled in satisfaction.
“You’ve got better blood than I expected.”
At first glance, its small frame made it seem unsuited for cavalry.
Yet its glossy coat, powerful hooves, and unexpectedly well-developed muscles suggested that, depending on the circumstances, it could even serve as a cavalry mount.
There was no way such a horse had been chosen by accident.
Jang Pae had clearly gone out of his way to find it.
With a horse like this, even allowing for a comfortable pace, he could reach his hometown in four days.
The thought alone brought a smile to Jang Il’s face.
And so, at last, he obtained the discharge he had longed for.
Mojung was a city on the outskirts of Kang Kingdom, connected to one of the nation’s major transportation hubs.
However, because it lay close to the hostile Kingdom of Yi, its economy had never developed very much.
Recently, though, Mojung had entered a period of unprecedented prosperity.
Since Kang had achieved a decisive victory in the war against Yi, the city was no longer considered a dangerous frontier settlement.
At the same time, discharged soldiers were all passing through Mojung.
The entire city had become bustling with activity.
Less than ten days had passed since the war ended, yet lodging had already become so scarce that travelers had to pay extra just to secure a place to sleep.
“Suspicious fellow.”
As soon as Jang Il entered the lively city, he was stopped at the gate.
It wasn’t surprising.
Without his military uniform, aside from his unusually large build, he looked no different from any ordinary country boy.
But he carried a sword.
And he was riding a horse.
Naturally, the gate guards found him suspicious.
“Sigh… Just a moment.”
Having already gone through this several times, Jang Il sighed softly before taking out his discharge certificate.
The reactions upon seeing it usually fell into one of two categories.
Either they suspected it was forged…
Or they immediately apologized.
The difference depended entirely on their judgment.
Fortunately, these were city gate guards.
Even if it was only a small city, they recognized the document as genuine at once.
“G-Good heavens! You’re a Hundred-Man Commander! Please forgive our rudeness.”
“It’s fine.”
The moment people heard that such a young man was a Hundred-Man Commander, countless eyes turned toward him.
Depending on the region, the position was equivalent to a respectable government military officer.
It was a rank with enough authority to command considerable respect.
Uncomfortable under everyone’s gaze, Jang Il urged his horse forward and quickly entered the city.
“Even getting a meal is difficult.”
Jang Il visited several inns, but every one of them was already completely full because of the crowds.
He could probably find a room by paying extra.
But having grown up poor and knowing the value of money, he dismissed the idea entirely.
Instead, he bought a simple flatbread from a street vendor and filled his stomach while thinking about his next move.
“I only stopped here to begin my journey comfortably. Who would’ve thought it’d be this crowded? At this rate, I don’t even know where I’ll sleep tonight.”
That wasn’t his only concern.
It was becoming difficult even to buy feed for his horse.
As he stood there eating and thinking, someone approached him.
“Are you looking for a place to stay?”
Turning around, Jang Il found a young girl—several years younger than himself.
After a brief pause, he nodded.
“I am.”
“Then would you like to stay in our warehouse? I’ll only charge twenty copper coins.”
“Can my horse stay there too?”
“For a horse this size, yes. But then it’ll cost forty copper coins. I’ll provide plenty of feed, though.”
“What about fifty copper coins, including dinner?”
“Hehe. You know how to bargain. Deal.”
If one looked closely, similar conversations were taking place throughout the city.
Since the inns had no more vacancies, ordinary citizens had begun renting out whatever space they had.
The problem was that they couldn’t offer proper rooms.
Most only had warehouses.
Unless people were truly desperate, they usually refused such offers.
But after enduring military life—and having grown up in poverty—sleeping in a warehouse didn’t bother Jang Il in the slightest.
More importantly, he was delighted that his horse would also have a place to stay at such a low price.
He followed the girl as they left the marketplace.
Just then—
A commotion erupted in the center of the market.
Clatter! Clatter!
“Move! Get out of the damn way!”
A thug came charging through the crowded marketplace on horseback.
He swung an enormous saber with one hand, slashing wildly as he rode.
Several people had already been cut.
The rider was heading straight toward Jang Il and the girl.
Only then did the girl realize the danger.
She froze in terror.
Whoosh!
Fortunately, she was not struck by the thug’s blade.
Jang Il seized her around the waist and pulled her safely aside.
Slice!
Crash!
A sharp sound split the air.
At the same moment, the thug was violently thrown from his horse.
“AAAAAH!”
The impact alone should have knocked him unconscious.
Yet, perhaps because he knew martial arts, he somehow remained awake.
Instead, he screamed in agony.
Spurt!
The fall itself wasn’t the real problem.
Only after hitting the ground did he realize that the hand holding the reins had been cleanly severed.
Unable to endure the overwhelming pain, he rolled across the ground, clutching the bloody stump while screaming.
The horrifying sight left the young girl trembling in shock.
Gently patting her back to calm her, Jang Il said,
“There are all kinds of strange people when a city gets this crowded. We’d better get moving.”
“Y-Yes.”
Agreeing completely, the girl hurriedly led Jang Il away from the scene.
