By Zephyria 
70
“Yes.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“……”
Ho-eun also took a half-step toward the desk. Through the gathered people, he could glimpse Tae-muk’s hand moving over the map.
“I’ll go west and secure the shelter first. Dong-ja Noonim will go east to wipe out the Devouring Ghouls, heading straight to the school here. Afterward, once the western shelter is secured, she will help move people.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Oh Gil-sang, go straight to the hospital and help defend it.”
“Yes, I understand.”
After that, Tae-muk issued various other orders. Very clearly and decisively, without hesitation.
“Once you pass through the city gates, kill the Devouring Ghouls nearby, and have half of you guard the walls. Make sure no more Devouring Ghouls get inside. If you have time, either repair the breached walls or block them off. And the other half will push into the center of the village. Prioritize rescuing the people in the hospital and school, evacuating them to the shelter, and then wipe out the remaining Devouring Ghouls.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, I understand.”
With that order, everyone left the military tent. Soon, only Tae-muk and Ho-eun remained in the spacious tent. Tae-muk didn’t even look at Ho-eun as he entered another tent where his personal belongings were. Ho-eun, who had been standing blankly, followed him a beat later.
Parting the tent flaps, he saw Tae-muk taking off his clothes. He seemed to be changing into his military uniform. Ho-eun gasped and turned away, facing the tent wall, his back to Tae-muk’s naked form. He chewed on his lip while staring at the tent, then bravely spoke.
“Um……”
“You stay here.”
But before he could say anything, Tae-muk cut him off. Ho-eun involuntarily turned back to Tae-muk.
“Yes? But……”
Tae-muk, shirtless, was just slipping his arms into a white Yui. Without giving Ho-eun a glance, he continued.
“If those who attacked the town are much smarter and stronger than the ones we’ve met so far. Don’t follow me and get hurt for nothing, stay here.”
“Still, I want to go with you.”
Ho-eun said, taking a step toward Tae-muk. Even if he might get hurt, he wanted to go with him.
“Don’t be a nuisance and listen.”
“But……”
Then, Tae-muk, frowning, glared at Ho-eun.
“You’re the only one here who talks back to me.”
“……”
“It’s not like everyone else doesn’t talk back because they don’t have mouths, is it?”
It was an attitude that implied he shouldn’t dare to challenge him any further. Then he began to finish dressing.
“……”
Ho-eun bit his lower lip. Indeed, while Tae-muk was giving orders, no one had uttered a single objection, not even a question. But weren’t they the ‘chosen’ ones? Those who were chosen to go to the battlefield.
Ho-eun took another step toward Tae-muk.
“Then isn’t Man-soo Hyung, Dong-ja Noonim’s Bondmate, going either?”
“He probably is.”
“What about Officer Oh’s Bondmate?”
“……”
Tae-muk, who was tying the Yui’s strings, looked at Ho-eun again. His eyes seemed to ask why he was asking that. Ho-eun spoke clearly.
“Dong-ja Noonim and Officer Oh are both going with their Bondmates, so why can’t I go with you, General?”
It was quite a spirited rebuttal, but Tae-muk scoffed. Then, putting on his military coat, he said quietly.
“Because I don’t die.”
“……Yes?”
“When the other guys get bitten by Devouring Ghouls, they die if they don’t have a Bondmate.”
“……”
“But I don’t die.”
“……”
“I don’t need you.”
“……”
At those words, Ho-eun clenched his fist hidden in his sleeve. Just a few days ago, he had said that it was useful for him to be by his side, and now he said he didn’t need him. But Ho-eun decided not to be swayed by those words. He had clearly seen with his own eyes what he could do for him.
Ho-eun took two steps toward Tae-muk this time. Then, looking straight up at him, he said.
“Yes, you won’t die. Because you are immortal, General.”
“That’s right. So-.”
“So I will go with you.”
“Haa……”
Tae-muk sighed and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. His face was plastered with annoyance and weariness. But Ho-eun approached him closely and began to button up his military coat himself.
“Not dying means you can’t die even if you’re injured to the point of death, doesn’t it?”
Not that he doesn’t die, but that he can’t. It sounded strange even as he said it. But it must be a matter of course for Tae-muk. And that was a blessing from afar, but a curse up close.
“You have to endure being in so much pain while fully conscious, so why should you have to do that?”
“What?”
“I’m here. If I’m by your side, you can be in less pain. You can be in just a little pain.”
“……”
Tae-muk didn’t answer. Meanwhile, Ho-eun’s hands, which had been buttoning up each button, reached just below his chin. Ho-eun smoothed out the slightly folded collar, then lowered his arms and took Tae-muk’s hand.
“……”
Instantly, Tae-muk’s brow twitched.
Ho-eun gently rubbed the back of Tae-muk’s hand. The huge hand was hard and heavy. Soon, this hand would be stained with blood. That blood would be the blood of the Devouring Ghouls, as well as Tae-muk’s blood.
Ho-eun gripped Tae-muk’s hand a little tighter. And he looked up at Tae-muk intently. Tae-muk was reflected in his clear eyes. Tae-muk swallowed hard without realizing it, and Ho-eun spoke in his unique, calm voice.
“I won’t be in dangerous places. I won’t recklessly run at Devouring Ghouls. I’ll just quietly hide in a corner, and when you get hurt, I’ll run to you and hold your hand like this.”
“……”
“I’ll do nothing more and nothing less than that.”
“……”
“So please, take me with you.”
After speaking, Ho-eun lowered his eyes and waited for his decision.
“……”
Tae-muk didn’t open his mouth easily. Because they were so close, he could hear his breathing clearly. The longer that breathing continued, the more Ho-eun felt his palate drying.
He thought he would be a little sad if he was rejected even here. Of course, he would obviously be a burden if he went to the battlefield, and it would be right for him to sit here like a stone statue and wait for Tae-muk, but still, even so, he didn’t want to leave Tae-muk alone.
Everyone else was with their Bondmates, and it pained him to think of him, who would kill the most Devouring Ghouls and shed the most blood, being all alone.
So please, I hope you’ll take me with you, he thought, clenching his hand tightly, at that moment.
“Then go.”
Tae-muk said. Ho-eun looked up at Tae-muk in a flash.
“……Really?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Ho-eun grinned. He even shook Tae-muk’s hand gently. He was probably the only one in the world who would smile so happily even though he was going to the battlefield.
Tae-muk quietly looked down at Ho-eun like that. Then, shaking off Ho-eun’s hand, he said something out of the blue.
“Instead, don’t change your clothes, just go as you are.”
“……Yes?”
Ho-eun looked down at his attire. He saw a light purple Dopo embroidered with lotus patterns. It wasn’t particularly uncomfortable, but it wasn’t a very suitable outfit for the battlefield.
“Why……”
Ho-eun tried to ask why. But Tae-muk was already out of the tent.
Ho-eun vaguely thought that this expedition would also be with dozens of people. That was exactly the number of Crimson Rain Brigade soldiers who had come to the capital to find him. But this time, a whopping 300 people were setting out. As so many people rode their horses together, the ground rumbled. Dust swirled thickly, making it difficult to even open his eyes properly.
They had to ride day and night for a full day to reach their destination, the town. They rested a couple of times in the middle, but they rested for the horses, not for the people.
While riding that long distance, they didn’t see a single Devouring Ghoul. There was only a vast plain and a dense forest. It was eerily quiet, as if they had all gathered somewhere.
And when night passed and dawn was just beginning to break, the wall surrounding the town could be seen in the distance.
The towering wall didn’t seem to have anything particularly wrong with it to the naked eye. There were no bloodstains, and no screams were heard. But strangely, it was desolate, quiet, and chilly.
“……”
Ho-eun swallowed hard. It took a day for the soldier guarding the town to come to the Crimson Rain Brigade’s base, and another day for us to come here. It had been a total of two days, so there was no way of knowing what had happened in the town in the meantime. If something had happened, it was bound to be something bad.
According to Gil-sang, it was the closest town to the base, so they often stopped by to get necessary supplies. It was quite a large town, with many children and friendly people.
Just from those words, Ho-eun was worried about the people he had never even met. He hoped they were all safe, that they had hidden well. He had already seen the townspeople who had been massacred once, so that wish was even greater.
The Crimson Rain Brigade continued to ride until they were close to the city wall. Then, at some point, Tae-muk, who was leading the way, stopped. He gestured to the soldiers behind him. Then he pulled on the reins and moved to the left. Fifty soldiers followed him.
“……”
Ho-eun also readied himself to ride, readjusting the reins. But for some reason, only the first few rows seemed to be cut off and followed, and the rest didn’t move.
Ho-eun looked around in confusion. Even in the midst of that, Tae-muk was getting farther and farther away.
“Uh……”
He had to go with Tae-muk. He had to be by his side. That’s why he came. He was his Bondmate.