Chapter 7

Jang Il’s newfound realization had carried over to him completely.

It was no wonder he had become so confident.

The entire camp was in an uproar because the army would march out at dawn the next morning.

There was plenty of equipment to prepare, but more importantly, the new recruits had to be drilled one last time.

Even if it was cramming knowledge into their heads at the last minute, it would at least help them survive on the battlefield. As a result, quite a few of the recruits looked as though their souls had already left their bodies.

Amid all the commotion, Jang Il practiced his sword as he always did.

He had no family to look after and barely any belongings to pack.

More than anything else, he was curious to see what the Jang Il of his previous life would do before the coming battle.

Even before the first rooster crowed, smoke began rising throughout the camp.

Since they were setting out early in the morning, breakfast was being prepared before dawn.

“Today’s food is actually decent. Guess they loosened the purse strings because we’re marching out.”

Chewing on real chunks of meat for the first time in a while, tasting enough salt to notice it, along with various spices that actually made the meal enjoyable, Jang Pae looked thoroughly satisfied.

He knew perfectly well it was nothing more than an attempt to suppress the soldiers’ complaints about the dangerous operation.

Still, as someone who constantly grumbled about military rations, he welcomed the improvement.

After breakfast, while the troops lined up for departure, Jang Pae addressed his men.

“I’ve said this over and over. Don’t act like cowards, but don’t go around trying to become heroes either. Stay right in the middle. Follow my orders, and even if you end up crippled, you’ll still be alive. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

The squad leaders answered with unusual discipline.

If nothing else, everyone trusted Jang Pae’s ability to survive on the battlefield.

Even the recruits straightened themselves after seeing the veteran squad leaders.

Not long afterward, the army finally began its march.

Only then did Jang Il finally get to see Thousand-Man Commander Ryu Man—the man Jang Pae constantly called an “idiot.”

Just as rumored, he clearly came from an influential family.

Even from a distance, his noble bearing was unmistakable.

Mounted atop a spotless white horse and clad in gleaming armor, he looked exactly like the heroic figures spoken of in village tales.

While Jang Il couldn’t help admiring the sight, Jang Pae merely snorted.

“Hah. Look at this fool. Says we’re carrying out a surprise attack, yet he’s riding a horse so white it shines from miles away. And what’s with that flashy armor? All style and no brains.”

Whether it was because he’d survived countless battlefields or simply saw things differently, Jang Pae’s perspective couldn’t have been more opposite.

Jang Il cautiously asked,

“…Still, he must be skilled, right?”

“I’m sure he is. He’s from that famous Ryu Clan, after all. Probably around the same level as the fellow you killed.”

“I certainly hope so.”

At the very least, Ryu Man had to be capable of defeating the commander of the enemy reinforcements if this operation stood any chance of succeeding.

Jang Il wasn’t saying it lightly.

The army reached its destination three days later.

The information gathered by spies inside enemy territory had been too vague, forcing them to send scouts ahead for confirmation.

If anything, arriving in only three days was impressive.

That was thanks to Jang Pae.

The scouting mission hadn’t been assigned to him.

He had volunteered.

Scouting demanded constant vigilance and was exhausting work, yet he insisted on going.

“Lately I’ve been sleeping poorly. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

It wasn’t simply because he distrusted Commander Ryu Man.

His instincts in situations like these had always been exceptionally sharp.

Otherwise, he never would have survived so many dangerous missions.

This time as well, he trusted his intuition and personally investigated.

The result convinced him he’d made the right decision.

The enemy commander’s banner bore the character Baek.

“So the Five Great Martial Families didn’t send one of their own… This just became troublesome.”

Ironically, it would have been better if one of the Five Great Martial Families had been leading the enemy.

Judging from Ryu Man, a prestigious clan would likely have sent some inexperienced youngster eager to earn merit and a title.

But if the commander wasn’t from one of those famous families…

That meant the position had been filled by someone who had earned it through genuine ability.

Which also meant he wasn’t someone an inexperienced noble like Ryu Man could hope to defeat.

As soon as he returned from scouting, Jang Pae immediately urged Ryu Man to abandon the operation.

In his eyes, the mission had almost no chance of succeeding.

But Ryu Man paid him no attention.

Instead, he glared coldly.

“Enough! How dare you suggest I flee like a coward? Have you lost your mind?”

Rather than looking worried, Ryu Man seemed delighted.

He believed that if this operation succeeded, his reputation would soar far beyond his expectations.

Seeing straight through him, Jang Pae stopped trying to persuade him.

Instead, he made a request.

“In that case, I’d like to reposition my unit. I’d like to move from the rear to the center of the formation. Please grant permission.”

“Oh? Very well. Considering your contribution during the scouting mission, I’ll allow it. You’re a clever man.”

“Thank you.”

Ryu Man looked highly pleased.

To outside observers, it would appear that Jang Pae fully supported his command.

After all, if he truly believed the battle was hopeless, remaining safely in the rear would have been the obvious choice.

Yet the moment Jang Pae stepped out of the command tent, his face twisted with irritation.

“That damn fool’s practically sticking his neck out for the enemy’s blade.”

His words made it obvious he completely disagreed with Ryu Man.

The only reason he had requested the center was because he believed it offered the best chance of survival.

If Ryu Man died or lost to the enemy commander, Jang Pae intended to flee without looking back.

To do that, the center was the ideal position.

Someone stationed in the rear wouldn’t immediately know what was happening at the front.

The moment he returned to his own men, he gathered them together, explained the situation, and ordered them to keep absolutely silent about it.

BOOM!!

As the waiting enemy drew close, they activated their trap.

It wasn’t anything elaborate.

They simply rolled boulders, rocks, and logs down onto the approaching soldiers.

The road wasn’t particularly narrow, nor was the trap especially massive, so the casualties were limited.

But it was enough to halt the advance and throw the attackers into confusion.

That alone fulfilled its purpose.

“WAAAAAH!”

Ryu Man charged forward together with two elite hundred-man companies composed largely of members of his own clan.

Slash! Slash!

Leading from the front atop his white horse, Ryu Man displayed truly remarkable martial skill.

It was difficult to believe he was still so young.

His abilities were easily those of a first-rate martial artist.

Now everyone understood why he’d ignored Jang Pae’s warnings and insisted on launching the attack.

Nor was he the only impressive one.

The two hundred-man companies guarding him fought with extraordinary discipline.

Calling them elite hardly did them justice.

They moved as though sharing a single body, perfectly supporting Ryu Man.

Breaking through everyone in their path and cutting down all resistance, they forced the already confused enemy into retreat.

But their momentum didn’t last long.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sound of war drums echoed across the battlefield.

The enemy formation shifted.

At the same time, a force appeared beneath a banner bearing the surname Baek.

Ryu Man immediately halted his horse.

Soon, a middle-aged general with an impressive long beard emerged from the enemy ranks.

Spotting the Ryu banner, he smiled broadly.

“The Ryu Clan? Looks like I’ll be earning quite an unexpected achievement today.”

Looking down upon Ryu Man with complete confidence, the enemy general provoked him openly.

Ryu Man bared his teeth.

“That bastard’s mine! Just buy me some time!”

His white horse neighed loudly as he charged.

The two hundred-man commanders escorting him looked visibly uneasy but hurried after him.

Thus began a battle whose outcome seemed inevitable from the very beginning.

CLANG! BOOM! CLANG!

At first, Ryu Man gained the upper hand.

His magnificent white horse certainly helped, but more impressive still was the relentless sharpness of his spear techniques.

The Baek commander seemed fully occupied just defending himself.

Seeing this, the two hundred-man commanders—who were desperately holding off the surrounding enemy troops—began to regain hope.

If Ryu Man could simply kill the enemy commander, the pressure crushing them would instead become a blade pointed at the enemy.

Unfortunately…

That hope proved to be nothing more than a fleeting daydream.

As Ryu Man’s breathing grew heavier from attacking recklessly without restraint, the Baek commander finally bared his fangs.

CLANG!!

“So… that’s all you’ve got?”

“Haa… haa… Shut up!”

Infuriated by the mockery, Ryu Man forced himself to suppress his ragged breathing and thrust his spear forward once more.

But the terrifying sharpness his attacks had possessed earlier was gone.

Slash!

From that moment onward, Ryu Man could do nothing but defend.

Then…

His head flew into the air.

Thud.

Thunk.

“Your commander’s head is right here! Surrender!”

The enemy general impaled Ryu Man’s severed head upon his spear and raised it high.

In that instant, the momentum of the battlefield shifted completely.

“Damn it! That fool stayed an idiot right to the very end! How could he lose that fast?!”

Jang Pae’s face darkened.

Not only had Ryu Man collapsed far sooner than expected, but the enemy commander was clearly an experienced veteran.

Moving his unit to the center had suddenly become a terrible mistake.

At that moment, Jang Il spoke.

“If I kill that general… will that solve the problem?”

“…What?”

Caught completely off guard, Jang Pae couldn’t understand what he was asking.

Jang Il calmly repeated himself.

“I want to know whether killing that general will give us a way to survive.”

“Well… if you can actually kill him, survival won’t even be the issue.”

Survival wouldn’t be the issue at all.

The crumbling morale of their army could completely reverse.

After measuring the distance between himself and the enemy commander, Jang Il nodded.

“Then… I’ll be back.”

“What?!”

Only then did Jang Pae realize what Jang Il intended to do.

He hurriedly tried to stop him.

But by the time he turned around…

Jang Il had already plunged straight into the heart of the enemy army.