By Zephyria 
It didn’t seem like he could get any useful information from the old man. Ho-eun already knew that Japan had coveted their land. However, the old man continued, tapping his plump knees.
“Rumors spread that they were making weapons, that they had already appeared on the coast, that they were kidnapping people… everyone was very worried. But then, suddenly and rapidly, the country began to shake, and it became the first among the neighboring nations to fall.”
Having said that, the old man turned his head for a moment to check on the wounded soldiers in the room. When he looked back at Ho-eun, he found Ho-eun’s eyes wide open. His eyes, already large, looked as if they might roll right out of his head.
“Did you say… Japan fell first?”
“Yes. The first.”
“Did Japan truly fall before any of the other neighboring countries?”
As Ho-eun double-checked, the old man nodded so vigorously that his white beard fluttered.
“Yes. I’m certain. The whole country was in an uproar at the news. After that, the Qing Dynasty and Mongolia fell in succession.”
Ho-eun’s eyes clouded with confusion. He could not understand the old man’s words.
“How… is that possible?”
“Pardon?”
“Japan is an island nation. That means it’s surrounded by sea.”
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“Then it would have been difficult for the Devouring Ghouls to reach Japan. How could it have fallen first? Shouldn’t it be the most intact country right now?”
“Uh… maybe the Devouring Ghouls swam across the sea.”
The old man answered with an expression that seemed to ask why he was being asked, or as if he didn’t care whether such a country fell or not. But Ho-eun was serious.
“Devouring Ghouls are not sea creatures. They have no webbing on their hands or feet, and no gills. I don’t know how long they can hold their breath underwater or how well they can swim, but… their bodies are not specialized for living in water.”
Therefore, the Devouring Ghouls would not have gone to Japan, bypassing numerous land-based countries including the Korean Empire. It was even more unlikely that enough of them crossed the sea to bring down an entire nation.
But why did Japan fall first? Was Japan a weak country? Did they lack a God of War strong enough to oppose the Devouring Ghouls? Did they fall before they could even take measures? But hadn’t it been said they were preparing for war?
While Ho-eun was pondering, rubbing his rounded forehead, the medic who had gone to find blankets on Tae-muk’s orders returned. Tae-muk shook out a blanket, sniffed it once, and then spread it wide over Ho-eun’s shoulders, saying:
“Maybe the Devouring Ghouls didn’t go to Japan.”
“What… do you mean…?”
“I mean they might have come from there.”
“….”
Ho-eun blinked rapidly. Saying they might have come from there meant that the Devouring Ghouls might have originated there? So, the place where the Devouring Ghouls first appeared was Japan?
Once his thoughts reached that point, things he remembered but hadn’t connected until now poured down like a torrential rain.
He had once heard a rumor that ‘Devouring Ghouls consider noses and ears a delicacy.’ Much like how the Japanese during the Imjin War cut off the noses and ears of Joseon people to prove their military achievements.
‘Do you know that Busan was breached once?’
Also, Devouring Ghouls that had taken boats had appeared in Busan, which is close to Japan.
‘Those Japanese hats. Helmets. They look exactly like those tentacles.’
The shape of the Japanese hats and the Devouring Ghouls’ tentacles were the same.
“Ah….”
Ho-eun let out a thin sigh. Everything became clear.
The Devouring Ghouls came from Japan.
* * *
Bang! Clack.
Bang! Clack.
Bang! Clack.
Every time Ho-eun pulled the trigger, the center of the targets, which stood irregularly in front of him, was pierced—thwack, thwack, thwack!
The narrow, long space behind the camp, hidden by lush trees, was a training ground Tae-muk had personally made for Ho-eun.
Ho-eun came here from time to time to fire his gun. Mostly it was for training, but he also came whenever he was thinking or worrying about something. Firing a gun sometimes helped organize the complicated thoughts filling his head.
He had come today hoping for that same luck, but even after firing dozens of rounds, his cluttered mind remained unorganized. If anything, it only grew darker and heavier.
“….”
Ho-eun looked at the tattered wooden boards and put down the gun. It was to refill the magazine.
Today’s gun was not the pistol he usually used, but a rifle as long as Ho-eun’s upper body. The magazine could hold five bullets, and there was the hassle of manually pulling the bolt to eject the casing after every shot, but it had the advantage of being more powerful than a pistol and capable of killing enemies at a greater distance.
It was another gun Tae-muk had taught him since they moved the camp. This was because Tae-muk believed it was better to know how to handle as many weapons as possible.
Ho-eun skillfully loaded the bullets into the magazine. Then, with a click, he loaded it and aimed at the target again.
“You’re doing well on your own now.”
“Uh….”
A familiar voice reached him. Turning his head, he saw Tae-muk leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. Ho-eun’s face immediately brightened.
“General!”
Setting the rifle down, he ran toward Tae-muk, his hair tie fluttering. The snow had all melted, so every step he took made a crunching sound as the soil crumbled. Upon reaching Tae-muk, Ho-eun folded his hands neatly and bowed deeply.
“You’ve come.”
After that, he naturally scanned Tae-muk’s body. He was checking if there was any blood or if he was injured. Fortunately, there were no bloodstains. The military uniform was intact, with no rips or tears. It seemed he hadn’t encountered any Devouring Ghouls today. Or perhaps he had washed up in the valley.
“Since you’re now a marksman, I suppose you don’t need a teacher anymore.”
Tae-muk expressed his disappointment while gently brushing away a stray hair from Ho-eun’s cheek.
“Calling me a marksman is too much praise.”
Ho-eun laughed softly. He could hit a stationary target in one shot, but a moving Devouring Ghoul was still too much. He needed more training. Ho-eun felt not a shred of satisfaction with his current skill. Since the battle in the fir forest, even the little confidence he had had completely vanished.
“And while I was shooting, I was thinking of you, General.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I thought you’d be listening.”
“….”
“And indeed, you did come after hearing it.”
Ho-eun lightly stroked Tae-muk’s arm as if telling him not to be disappointed. He knew that the sound of his gun was like a loud gong to Tae-muk. That was why he fired each shot more carefully, and thanks to that, his skill had improved this much.
“….”
Tae-muk glanced at the targets. The red centers painted on the wood were all smashed, and the color had disappeared.
“The targets are in that state, so why do you keep shooting?”
“Just… my head is a bit complicated.”
“Because of the Devouring Ghouls?”
“Yes.”
Recalling what he had heard from the old man a few days ago, Ho-eun let out a deep sigh.
“The fact that the Devouring Ghouls came from Japan is a huge piece of information, but there’s nothing more I can learn from it. No matter how much I think about it, it’s all just guesswork and predictions….”
“….”
“We need certainty to plan a strategy and minimize casualties in the next battle….”
Since that day, whenever Ho-eun had a question, he pried various things out of the old man, but he only found one more piece of information.
‘When did the neighboring countries fall? Let’s see, let’s see… Ah, Japan fell 32 years ago, the Qing Dynasty 18 years ago, and Mongolia 8 years ago.’
The speed at which countries fell was continuously decreasing. This meant that the Devouring Ghouls had become experts at bringing down nations and eating people, or that their numbers had increased. That was also important information, but it wasn’t practically helpful.
“But going back to where the fir forest battle took place seems too reckless. There might be another Fan-shaped Devourer there, and if that happens, someone else… might lose their life….”
Ho-eun groaned and rubbed his forehead. His eyes felt dry and his mouth parched; it felt like he was coming down with a cold. It hadn’t been long since he shook off the Fever Sickness. He sighed repeatedly at a body he couldn’t help but resent.
“….”
Tae-muk looked down at Ho-eun quietly. At some point, Ho-eun had become the center of the Crimson Rain Brigade’s strategic meetings.
While it was a proud thing, seeing it from the side wasn’t entirely pleasant. It was heartbreaking to see him blame himself when a strategy failed or when casualties were high, as they were this time.
He considered excluding Ho-eun from the meetings altogether, but he couldn’t do that because Ho-eun would be sad. In truth, he was also being of great help.
For now, he felt he had to cheer him up. If he left him like that, it was obvious that Ho-eun would end up with indigestion during dinner and turn pale.
Having thought that far, Tae-muk cleared his throat. Then, subtly squaring his shoulders and chest, he spoke in a low voice.
“The place we went to last time.”
“Yes?”
“The place where a lot of light hit under the big tree.”
“Ah, yes.”
Ho-eun easily recognized the place he was talking about. The place where golden sunlight poured over the pure white snow. The place where they had lain for a long time, using a giant tree as a blanket and untouched snow as a pillow.
Ho-eun looked up at Tae-muk with a questioning gaze, wondering why that place. Tae-muk tilted his head slightly and avoided his eyes.
“There… were flowers blooming there.”
“Flowers?”
“Yeah. I think they were azaleas. The same flowers embroidered on your handkerchief.”
At those words, Ho-eun’s eyes instantly lit up as if someone had shone a flashlight on them. His cheeks rose, the corners of his mouth curved, and his heels lifted slightly.