Chapter 47
An Unfamiliar Tremor
The camp was bustling from the early dawn. With the soldiers’ morale restored, they were preparing in earnest to march against the Yuldo Kingdom.
The commanders, fully armed, mounted their horses one by one, and the soldiers gathered their weapons and lined up in formation.
The rear units charged with transporting supplies were busy feeding the mounts and packing cooking gear.
Only the occasional sound of calming an excited horse broke the tense hush that lay over the entire camp.
Danseol, too, had been up since dawn.
Her body had recovered enough that she wanted to see the soldiers who would take part in this expedition.
“Take this medicine twice a day after each meal.”
“Thank you for taking care to give this to me, Your Lady.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard — you haven’t fully recovered yet.”
“I’m in the rear support unit anyway, so I’ll be fine.”
The soldier receiving the medicine from Danseol blushed at the gentleness of the attention. He still looked like a boy; the armor he wore made him appear heavier than he was.
“There’s nowhere on a battlefield that isn’t dangerous.”
“…Yes, I’ll remember that.”
The soldier’s voice was thick. He tucked the medicine Danseol had given him carefully into his pack because he didn’t want to make a spectacle of himself by crying.
While on campaign, nobody had ever shown such concern for him — an ordinary soldier, not even comrades who shared his fate.
Especially among those of high rank.
To many commanders, soldiers were little more than livestock to be used. If one died, another could simply replace him.
But not Danseol.
“No life is unimportant.”
When someone once asked why she took such pains caring for the troops, Danseol answered like that.
Her reply was short, but it resonated. It meant she regarded them not as animals but as people.
After that, her popularity among the soldiers rose steadily.
“Lady Dan! Seeing you this early makes me feel energized!”
“Have you eaten? You always tell us not to skip meals — I worry for your health.”
“Give it to me! I’ll carry it!”
Wherever Danseol went, soldiers rushed to greet her. Some even snatched at her pack eagerly.
“It’s not even that heavy.”
“A beautiful lady like you shouldn’t be carrying this at all.”
“Thank you.”
Danseol let out a faint smile at the soldiers’ odd logic.
‘Such simple people…’
She felt ashamed that she had once disliked them merely because they were from Hwangseon-guk. The thought that it didn’t matter if they lived or died, and that she had been indifferent, made her feel guilty when she saw how they liked and followed her now.
Maybe that’s why she tried even harder.
Which made receiving praise uncomfortable — she didn’t think she deserved such affection after having hated them without reason.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
The soldier who had been carrying Danseol’s pack turned pale and prostrated himself flat on the ground.
Gyeom was walking over from across the way. He, too, was fully armored for the campaign.
On the chest and shoulders of the armor layered over his black clothes was an ornate dragon motif symbolizing the emperor’s authority. A long red cloak trailed behind him and fluttered handsomely as he walked.
His hair was tied up and fastened with a small golden coronet, and he carried a helmet with red tassels in one hand.
“Hail to the Emperor, the sun of Hwangseon-guk!”
Despite the soldier’s hearty greeting, Gyeom did not reply. He glanced with displeasure at the soldier prostrate beside Danseol and at the pack in the man’s hands.
At a glance, the bundle contained cloth and medicine — Danseol’s belongings.
“Did you report this to your commander before coming here?”
“W-well…”
“I asked him to help.”
As the soldier began sweating and stammering, Danseol stepped forward.
“You may go now.”
“Yes.”
At Danseol’s words, the soldier bowed to both of them and hurried back to his position. Gyeom’s eyes glinted sharply as he watched the man’s retreating back.
“Hmm. What brings Your Majesty all the way here?”
When Gyeom’s gaze felt unusual, Danseol started a conversation with him. Luckily his attention shifted from the soldier to her.
“My lady is here — isn’t it only natural that I come?”
“Ah… yes.”
Danseol mumbled a reply, unsure how to respond to the embarrassing remark.
“But you don’t seem very happy.”
Gyeom studied Danseol’s tense face.
“You smiled at that soldier so readily, yet here you are….”
Danseol’s eyes widened at the unexpected reading.
She didn’t immediately understand what he meant.
‘So that’s why the soldier was chased away…’
She found the idea that the emperor could be jealous of a mere soldier absurd.
‘Besides, that man doesn’t even like me.’
To Gyeom, Danseol was just one among countless enemies who sought his life — the only difference being that she had some use. So the thought that he’d be jealous of a soldier seemed not just ridiculous but impossible.
“Don’t go poking around here and there under the pretext of treatments and whatnot.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I mean be careful while I’m away. Among dogs, there are always some lunatics who covet their master’s prey.”
Although everyone appeared favorably disposed toward Danseol, that was because the emperor, Gyeom, kept watch. If he were to leave for the expedition for a long time, things could change.
No one would dare touch her openly, but caution was still wise.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Also, stop wearing those pants and stay put until I return.”
Satisfied with her answer, Gyeom turned his back.
It was time for him to go.
“This time…”
Danseol called out just as he was about to leave.
“When will you return?”
Gyeom slowly turned. He could see Danseol’s pale face standing a short distance away.
There was clear concern in her bright eyes — whether she admitted it or not.
As Danseol’s gaze fixed solely on him, Gyeom felt a strange thrill.
It felt like finally taking hold of something he had been unable to possess.
“This time will be a bit long.”
Danseol’s face hardened at that answer. The heat within Gyeom stirred anew.
“But I promise. I’ll return by the next full moon.”
“…I understand.”
“Then go.”
When color faintly returned to Danseol’s face, Gyeom turned away again.
A smile was unmistakably on his face as he walked toward the lined-up troops.
“If we go ahead, that will put us at the Yuldo garrison.”
“Tricky terrain.”
Listening to the commander’s report, Gyeom surveyed the surrounding landscape. It wasn’t as mountainous as Hwangseon-guk, but this region had many rainforests; dense woods stretched widely.
Thick trees and undergrowth formed a natural barrier, making marching and fighting in such a place a real nuisance.
“If we go around this forest, we’ll reach the plains.”
Gyeom nodded. If they could lure the Yuldo forces out to the plains, that would be advantageous.
But Yuldo would likely think the same.
“Don’t go around — cut straight through the forest.”
Everyone’s eyes widened at Gyeom’s order.
“If we do that, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”
“But Yuldo won’t expect us to come through here.”
Yuldo would naturally assume Hwangseon-guk would take the easier route around the forest and advance through the plains. The forest is both a hindrance and a hiding place; the dense trees would conceal Hwangseon-guk from Yuldo.
“But supplies can’t go through there, Your Majesty.”
Chief Taesu — who had been quiet until now — stepped forward to voice his opinion.
While men and horses could perhaps make it, the supply wagons laden with grain and fodder could not cross the forest. Wheels would snag on roots and break; the uneven ground made it unsuitable as a supply route.
“The general is right.”
For some reason, Gyeom agreed with the prefect’s assessment. Encouraged, Chief Taesu spoke up again.
“Your Majesty’s plan to catch the enemy off guard has merit, but I think it would be better if, besides the supplies, the soldiers and warhorses go around the forest and march through the plains.”
He was determined to take the vanguard and earn credit.
If General Cheon Taesu returned from the war with Yuldo without a single achievement, just standing by like a scarecrow, he would be ridiculed.
And after subjugating Yuldo and seizing the territory, he’d need unparalleled achievements to be able to claim control of it.
“My mind hasn’t changed. Only the supplies will go around and be moved to the plains.”
“Then I will be the vanguard—”
“General, you will defend the supply route.”
Gyeom cut off Taesu’s objection with an insulting order.
