By Zephyria 
It was merely a river, yet it felt as if they had already reached the walls of our fortress. Because of this, I held my breath and crouched even lower.
The Amnok River remained serene even in the face of the Devouring Ghouls. The water flowed at a moderate pace, the wind was calm, and there was not a single sign of human presence.
Kieeeeeeek….
Kak, kaak, kagak….
From within the writhing black shadows, a flickering tentacle popped out. A golden, fan-shaped one. As expected, it was that thing. It had left most of the Devouring Ghouls along the riverbank and ran along the water with a few dozen of them. It looked as if it were scouting the surroundings or maintaining a perimeter.
After scanning the environment to the left and right, the creature seemingly found nothing suspicious and returned to the pack. It was only natural. The Crimson Rain Brigade had not left a single footprint behind.
The Fan Type shook its tentacles—shrr, shrr—and issued some sort of command to the Devouring Ghouls. The tentacles glittered sharply as they caught the light.
“…….”
Ho-eun swallowed hard. He was curious about how they would cross the river, but he was also tense.
Then, the Devouring Ghouls began to plunge recklessly into the river. There was no hesitation, nor was there any fear.
Their swimming skills were not particularly impressive. Many flailed about, pushed by the current, or simply splashed around as if they had no idea what swimming even was. However, crossing the river itself posed no great difficulty. The black masses floating atop the blue river advanced steadily, albeit slowly.
It wasn’t surprising. He had expected them to cross without much trouble.
This was the lower reaches of the Amnok River. The river spread wide across a gentle slope. While the width was great, the water was not very deep, and the current was not strong. That was why the Crimson Rain Brigade had come here, and why he expected the creatures to do the same.
No matter how they had crossed the sea, there was no need for such a vast number of them to deliberately move toward a place where the water was deep and the current strong. Creatures clever enough to organize a vanguard would not seek out unnecessary risks.
The creatures splashed across the river and soon arrived on this land—the land where the Crimson Rain Brigade was stationed, where the Korean Empire stood, and where Hanyang lay.
Kaak, kak….
Kak! Karururu….
Like ordinary beasts, they shook their bodies vigorously to shake off the water and began to run again. As they passed over the pits dug by the Crimson Rain Brigade, the ground seemed to tremble slightly, but it did not collapse. The creatures didn’t seem to notice anything strange and continued to run forward.
“Whew….”
Ho-eun let out a sigh of relief. He then slowly moved his telescope to the side, tracking their movements. Clouds of dust rose in their wake. Through the haze, the glittering Fan Type tentacle was visible.
Ho-eun’s eyes narrowed as the golden tentacle came into clear focus through the telescope.
The Fan Type that had caused them great harm in the fir forest during the rain had died. Ho-eun knew this better than anyone, for he had killed it with his own hands. He knew this one wasn’t that same creature, yet a surge of anger rose within him regardless. He wanted to follow them right now, tear off that tentacle, and drive a bullet straight into its eye.
Just as Ho-eun exhaled sharply and gripped the telescope tight, the creatures passed over the mountain and vanished from sight.
“Haa….”
Lowering the telescope, Ho-eun let out a long breath. He had pressed his eye against the lens so hard that the area felt numb. He could feel a circular mark left behind. As he pressed his palm against his eye—
“Are we really just letting them go?”
Dong-ja, who had been hiding in the tent with Ho-eun, asked. Her voice was thick with anger.
“That Eater Bug bastard even has a fan-shaped tentacle. It’s strong and smart. Who knows what it’ll do later? Wouldn’t it be better to just kill it now?”
The words tumbled out in a rapid succession, her pronunciation unusually clear and her sentences concise. Her wide-open eyes glowed intensely. It was a gaze that looked as if she were already in the middle of a battlefield, fighting the Devouring Ghouls.
To this, Ho-eun replied in a soft voice.
“If we chase or kill them, the main force will find out. Devouring Ghouls can communicate through their tentacles even without speaking. Then the main force will change direction to avoid the risk.”
“…….”
“That would interfere with our operation. It would also make dealing with them more difficult, as we would have to chase them instead of waiting for them.”
“…….”
“And… other innocent towns might suffer the consequences.”
At those last words, Dong-ja’s sharpened gaze softened considerably. Ho-eun folded the telescope, bringing the conversation to a close.
“So, it is right to let them pass for now. They must not know that we are here.”
To ensure the vanguard passed without incident, the Crimson Rain Brigade had hidden their camp and erased all traces of their presence. This was also why they had used silent kites instead of conch horns or signal fires to announce the appearance of the Devouring Ghouls from across the river.
“…….”
Dong-ja said nothing more. However, anger continued to simmer on her face. The hand gripping her spear had turned white.
For a while longer, Ho-eun and the rest of the Crimson Rain Brigade remained hidden, suppressing their presence. Then, someone came running up from the foot of the mountain to deliver news to the soldiers.
“They have passed. You may come out. It is safe to come out.”
At those words, Dong-ja was the first to step out of the tent. As Ho-eun was slowly crawling out, Dong-ja grabbed his elbow with one hand and hauled him up like she was pulling a radish from the ground. Ho-eun was out in an instant.
“Thank you, Noonim.”
Ho-eun thanked her first, then brushed the leaves off his knees. However, Dong-ja looked around to check if something—or rather, someone—was there, then stepped close to Ho-eun and whispered.
“Young Master.”
“Yes, Noonim.”
“The Captain won’t let me fight.”
“……Pardon?”
“He only ever makes me dig holes or hammer nails.”
“…….”
Ho-eun blinked slowly. Then, he spoke in his characteristic calm voice.
“That is because Brother Man-soo hasn’t fully recovered yet.”
“No. Man-soo can walk well now. So I can fight too.”
“…….”
“Can’t you put in a good word for me with the Captain, Young Master?”
“…….”
Ho-eun looked at Dong-ja quietly. He knew why she was acting this way. Man-soo had been badly injured by a Devouring Ghoul. She must be angry and wanting revenge. If Ho-eun felt his blood boil just seeing a Fan Type, how much more must Dong-ja feel?
But it was impossible.
Tae-muk wasn’t excluding Dong-ja from combat because he disliked her. It was because he worried for her, and for Man-soo—fearing that she might lose her judgment to rage and shed even more blood.
Though they hadn’t discussed it, Ho-eun knew. He felt he would have done the same if he were in Tae-muk’s position.
Then, how should he soothe Dong-ja? If left alone, her emotions would only grow heavier and darker.
After a moment of thought, Ho-eun suddenly pouted his lips. He let his shoulders slump and twisted his waist awkwardly.
“Noonim… do you dislike me?”
“What?”
“You dislike being by my side, that’s why you’re acting like this, isn’t it?”
Ho-eun looked at Dong-ja with a face like a rain-soaked puppy. His delicate eyes clearly conveyed emotions of ‘I am sad’ and ‘I am hurt.’ Seeing this, Dong-ja jumped in place and shouted.
“No! I like you, Young Master! Why would I dislike you! I don’t dislike you at all!”
Dong-ja looked so aggrieved that her cheeks turned bright red.
“Really?”
Ho-eun asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Yes! Really!”
At her answer, which was more thunderous than firm, Ho-eun smiled faintly. He then gently patted her thick forearm and said,
“Then please stay by my side and protect me. I’m scared because Officer Oh isn’t here.”
Gil-sang and Seong-im, who had gone to escort the Mongolians, had not yet returned. In the meantime, someone was needed to protect Ho-eun; Tae-muk had placed Dong-ja by his side to protect him, and in doing so, protect Dong-ja as well.
“…….”
Dong-ja’s eyes wavered. Her face looked as if she didn’t know what to say. So, Ho-eun offered a friendly solution.
“When Officer Oh returns, I will speak to the Captain then. I’ll tell him that Dong-ja Noonim seems ready to fight.”
“……Really?”
“Of course. Actually, is there even anything to ‘prepare’? You are Dong-ja Noonim, after all.”
“Damn right! Just think of how many Eater Bugs I’ve killed so far!”
Dong-ja slammed her spear into the ground and squared her already broad shoulders even further. Ho-eun chuckled at her appearance, which was that of a natural-born general. He then leaned in closer and whispered, as if making a secret proposal.
“Since the urgent business is over, would you like to go to the military tent with me and have some chocolate?”
Dong-ja shut her mouth tight for a moment, then—
“Yes!”
She nodded so vigorously that her hair shook.
Every soldier was moving busily. Not a single person was walking slowly. A forced march with no time for sleep had continued for several days, yet no one complained. No one grumbled, nor did they even converse. A heavy tension hung over the area like a thick fog.
The fact that the vanguard of the Devouring Ghouls had passed meant the main force would soon arrive, and that meant battle was not far off.
“Young Master, be careful with your hands.”
Chilbok, who was sitting opposite Ho-eun doing needlework, spoke with concern.