By Zephyria 
“Haa….”
Ho-eun bolted upright and blinked slowly. His entire body was damp with cold sweat. At the same time, he felt chilled. As he absentmindedly wiped his face, he heard a fluttering sound.
Lifting his gaze, he saw the tent surrounding him swaying in the wind. It took a long while for Ho-eun to realize that he was currently in a military tent—and that the Crimson Rain Brigade flag he had seen flying into the sky moments ago was merely a dream.
But he felt uneasy. He felt as though there was a reason he had such a dream. He was terrified that because he was Tae-muk’s Bondmate, a partner joined by heaven, he might have sensed some impending misfortune.
“No….”
Scrambling to his feet, Ho-eun rushed out of the military tent without even putting on his shoes properly. Immediately, a piercing light clawed at his eyes.
“Ugh….”
Covering his eyes with his arm, he staggered for a moment. His hair fluttered chaotically in the strong wind. His thin Sokjeogori fluttered along with it, revealing his lean frame.
A scholar should never have come outside in such a state, but he had no room to worry about such things.
Shaking his head and resisting the glare, Ho-eun finally managed to secure his vision. He saw the soldiers of the Crimson Rain Brigade. Everyone was moving busily, carrying weapons, wood, or shovels. He saw some cutting wood and others hammering nails.
Ho-eun stumbled through the soldiers, searching for Tae-muk. He looked exactly like a madman.
Just then, a passing soldier spotted him and widened his eyes.
“Goodness, Young Master! Even if it is spring, you’ll catch a Gobul if you come out dressed so thinly. The wind is cold here by the river….”
Approaching without hesitation, the soldier took off the cloak he was wearing and draped it over Ho-eun’s shoulders. Ho-eun grabbed the soldier’s arm tightly. It was a rude gesture, and something he would never have done normally, but he was blinded by desperation.
“The General, have you seen the General?”
“The Commander?”
“I must see the General… but….”
Ho-eun faltered mid-sentence and swayed. Dizziness surged through him. Having writhed in immense sorrow, tension, and terror throughout his sleep, he felt extreme fatigue.
“Young Master!”
The startled soldier shouted. Ho-eun tried to put strength into his legs, but he couldn’t stop his body from collapsing. His knees finally slammed onto the ground, and the impact made his lean body rattle as if it were about to break.
“Young Master!”
“Oh my, Young Master!”
Other nearby soldiers rushed over in surprise. They all grabbed Ho-eun’s wrists or elbows, trying to support him. Ho-eun waved his arms, trying to stop them.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. Just tell me where the General is….”
It was then.
“Ho-eun.”
The voice he had been desperately searching for reached him. Ho-eun snapped his head up. Standing among the crowding soldiers was Tae-muk. His hair was slightly disheveled, as if he had run hurriedly from a distance. In his eyes, which were always indifferent yet sharply honed, there was a subtle trace of anxiety. He had likely heard the soldiers shouting “Young Master.”
In an instant, Ho-eun’s face became damp, as if he had been splashed with water.
“General….”
He called out to Tae-muk. At that, Tae-muk strode toward Ho-eun with his long legs. The soldiers who had been supporting Ho-eun let go and stepped back. Instead, Tae-muk held him firmly.
“What’s wrong?”
“General….”
“Yeah. What is it?”
Tae-muk personally leaned down to examine Ho-eun. With a pale face and beads of cold sweat, it was obvious at a glance that he was not in good condition. Moreover, his eyelashes were soaked and the corners of his eyes were red….
“What is this. Did you cry? Why? Are you hurt somewhere?”
Despite Tae-muk’s continuous questions, Ho-eun did not answer. Instead, he reached out to touch Tae-muk, fumbling as he stroked his arm, elbow, wrist, and hand.
The military uniform felt familiar beneath his palm. The firm body inside was the body he knew, and the scent his nose reacted to first was his scent.
It really is Tae-muk. It is Tae-muk, his God of War. He… is alive. He is alive, perfectly fine, just like this.
Ah, the dream wasn’t a premonition; it was just a cruel nightmare.
Realizing this, Ho-eun felt his trembling body calm down. Then, as if struck by lightning, he realized how foolish he looked right now and how many eyes were watching him.
Gasping, he sprang up. He tucked his messy hair behind his ear and bowed his head.
“Ah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“No, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”
As he tried to step back, Tae-muk pulled his hand.
“What exactly is fine?”
“I’m really, really fine. Please don’t mind me and get back to your work. I’ll go change my clothes. Coming out in this attire….”
Ho-eun rambled while clutching his clothes. Then, realizing belatedly that the Crimson Rain Brigade cloak was draped over his shoulders, he used it to cover himself.
“…….”
Tae-muk looked down at Ho-eun silently. Then, he took his hand and pulled him into his embrace.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you back.”
“…….”
Ho-eun did not refuse that.
As he headed toward the military tent holding Tae-muk’s hand, Ho-eun kept adjusting his grip and checking Tae-muk’s presence with sidelong glances.
On the other hand, Tae-muk looked only straight ahead with his characteristic expressionless face.
“…….”
Ho-eun sat blankly on a slope halfway up the mountain. Normally, he would have looked around for something to do and bothered the soldiers, but perhaps because he had exerted so much energy while sleeping, he had no desire to do anything today.
“…….”
Hugging his knees and resting his chin on them, he stared vacantly at the wide river located at the foot of the mountain.
The current encampment of the Crimson Rain Brigade was on a high mountain near the Amnok River. This was because the Devouring Ghouls had to cross the Amnok River to reach Hanyang, and high ground was advantageous for tracking their movements.
And in front of that river, hundreds of soldiers were digging the ground. Perhaps because they were all strong, they dug with great strides, and the depth was already immense. At a glance, it looked several times taller than Ho-eun.
And among those digging the ground was Tae-muk. Tae-muk was likely the only person in the world who would personally dig the ground despite being a General.
“…….”
Ho-eun stared obsessively only at Tae-muk. Even though the distance was too far to see his face clearly, he kept watching. Then, he occasionally turned his gaze toward the horizon beyond the river. Whenever he did, his chest felt tight, as if he had sudden indigestion. It was because he could imagine countless Devouring Ghouls surging over that horizon like a wave.
From what he had seen before, the Fan Types were swarming. There might be Devouring Ghouls smarter and stronger than that one. Thinking of that made a sigh rise naturally. However, he pressed his lips tight and endured it. He feared that Tae-muk might run to him at the sound of his sigh.
Surely, at this distance, with the wind blowing like this and the river flowing loudly, how could even Tae-muk hear a single sigh? But then again, one never knew.
“…….”
It was while Ho-eun was alternating his gaze between Tae-muk and the horizon.
“Young Master, what are you doing?”
A familiar voice came from behind.
“Oh….”
It was Man-soo. Having regained consciousness previously, Man-soo had recovered steadily and was now in a state where he could walk without support. Still, he was quite gaunt, his face lacked color, and his blunt arm was wrapped in bandages, making him look like a wounded soldier to anyone.
Ho-eun quickly stood up and bowed.
“Brother Man-soo. How is your body feeling?”
“Hurts like hell.”
Man-soo made an exaggerated pout. At the playful sight, Ho-eun let out a dry laugh unconsciously before quickly composing himself.
Man-soo walked down the slope with short steps. He was carrying a bundle in his arms. Seeing this, Ho-eun tried to move toward him to help carry the load. However, Man-soo spoke with a firm face.
“Whoa, stay there. I’ll come to you.”
“But….”
“What if you slip on the way? You’ll get a scratch on that pretty face.”
“…….”
At those words, Ho-eun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He felt truly ashamed of himself for being so lacking that he had to be worried about even by someone missing an arm. He felt even more embarrassed since he had shown such an unsightly side of himself in front of people today.
Man-soo practically slid down the slope where green grass was just beginning to sprout. Then, he dropped what he had brought in front of Ho-eun.
“Want to do this with me?”
Ho-eun examined the things scattered on the ground. Larger than Ho-eun’s body and shaped like a flatfish, it was none other than a kite.
“Is it a kite?”
“Yeah. We just need to color it.”
Man-soo plopped down on the ground. He then untied the bundle he had been holding under his arm. Inside were ink, dyes, scraps of cloth, and a water pouch.
“Ah, yes. I will join you.”
Ho-eun sat beside Man-soo. Man-soo placed the kite and dyes in front of him.
Thus, the two sat side by side looking at the river and began to color the kite. Mixing the dye in water, adding ink, and dipping rolled-up scraps of cloth to dab onto the kite was not a particularly difficult task.
Ho-eun slowly dyed the kite. Then, he absentmindedly looked at Man-soo’s kite, which was already half-colored. Holding the kite steady with both feet, the man with one arm skillfully applied the dye with his single hand. His touch was rough, yet remarkably meticulous, thorough, and bold.
“You are very skilled with your hands, Brother.”
Ho-eun said with a surprised expression. Man-soo replied with a grin.
“Right? It’s a relief that it was my left arm that got eaten.”