BSW 249

“Are you alright?”

It was Gil-sang. Although they were at the encampment, he always stayed close to Ho-eun to prepare for any unforeseen situations. Ho-eun gave a slight smile and shook his head.

“Yes. I am fine.”

“Still…”

He checked Ho-eun’s back. No matter if she was a grandmother, she was a God of War, and since Ho-eun was a fragile being who could be injured by even a small contact, caution was necessary. In response, Ho-eun deliberately offered his back. Only after Gil-sang meticulously examined the small back did he let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Ho-eun was looking down at the encampment filled with people. Seeing this, Gil-sang spoke with a grin.

“The camp is bustling, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It is.”

Every time new units arrived, the number of people in the encampment increased. Other units had their own Bondmates, as well as cooks and medics. Civilians who had heard the news, like the grandmother who had just passed by, also came, making the camp more crowded than ever before.

As Ho-eun scanned them slowly…

“Good grief, how am I supposed to find the medicine in this?”

The voice of an old man echoed from afar. He was frowning while peering through a mountain of supplies. As many people flocked in, the amount of supplies they brought was not small. However, since there was no one to lead them, the supplies remained unorganized, piled up haphazardly here and there.

While rummaging through the items, he bumped the side of his head hard against something as large as himself.

“Ow, it hurts! Ow, it hurts!”

The old man grumbled irritably and looked at what he had collided with. The large object, shaped like a giant fishbone, was none other than a machine gun. A gun that fired bullets in rapid succession.

It was a state-of-the-art weapon, but it wasn’t particularly useful. How could one kill a Devouring Ghoul with a gun when their Helmet Bone wouldn’t even break after being hit by a cannon? Thus, it had been left abandoned in the camp rather than on the battlefield.

“Why bring a gun here? Take it down there!”

The old man slapped the muzzle of the machine gun with his palm. At that, the medics groaned as they struggled to move it.

Ho-eun smiled faintly. He couldn’t put into words how grateful and thankful he was for the movements that made the camp so lively.

“But what were you looking at? Are you looking for the Captain?”

Gil-sang asked, gesturing toward the binoculars in Ho-eun’s hand.

“Ah…”

It was a simple question, but Ho-eun jumped in surprise and hid the binoculars behind his back, as if he had been caught doing something wrong.

In truth, Ho-eun wasn’t looking for Tae-muk. Or rather, he had seen him, but he hadn’t been holding the binoculars specifically to look for him.

As the battle dragged on, Tae-muk returned to the camp once every day or two. Although he occasionally returned with wounds, fortunately, he wasn’t injured as severely as he had been at first. Upon his return, he would hold Ho-eun’s hand, embrace him, and exchange trivial jokes. Then, after catching a bit of sleep or filling his stomach, he would head back to the battlefield.

Ho-eun found that a bit… strange. Because Tae-muk was fighting too, far too well.

He didn’t dare doubt Tae-muk’s strength. It was just that it felt as though Tae-muk was handling this battle with an odd ease—no, it felt as though the other soldiers, not just Tae-muk, were disposing of the Devouring Ghouls too easily.

How should he put it? It felt as if the Devouring Ghouls had become weaker.

That wasn’t a bad thing, and it was unlikely they had actually weakened, and it was probably that their soldiers’ strength was more dominant, but for some reason, it felt unsettling and anxious, leading him to observe the battlefield whenever he had a spare moment.

Hesitating, Ho-eun looked down again.

As expected, the Devouring Ghouls were dying quickly. Under the soldiers’ attacks, their heads shattered like dried gourds. Some broke like soft watermelons.

It seemed as though all the soldiers had become as strong as Byeonguk or Gil-sang, even if they weren’t at Tae-muk’s level. As far as Ho-eun knew, the Crimson Rain Brigade soldiers were the strongest, but now everyone seemed roughly equal.

Was it because their morale had risen, giving them such strength? But even so, the battle had lasted for ten days, so everyone should have unauthorized unauthorized copy[stolen content]copybeen quite exhausted; why did they seem to be getting stronger?

Just as Ho-eun opened his mouth to say something while pondering, Gil-sang pointed toward a spot on the battlefield.

“The Captain is over there. When you’re looking for the Captain, you just have to find the person moving the fastest. Like a hawk.”

“Oh, ah, yes…”

Ho-eun obediently looked where Gil-sang pointed. Tae-muk was indeed there. Just as Gil-sang said, he was moving as swiftly as a hawk, and wherever he passed, the shattered Helmet Bones and brain matter of Devouring Ghouls were scattered haphazardly.

His momentum was so formidable that the Devouring Ghouls scattered to avoid him.

As expected… it was strange.

Taking a deep breath, Ho-eun called Gil-sang with a tense face.

“Um… Sergeant.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“There is something I wish to ask.”

“Please, go ahead.”

Gil-sang looked at Ho-eun. Facing his usual upright and steadfast gaze, Ho-eun felt his throat go dry.

“Well, uh…”

“…”

Ho-eun couldn’t easily continue his words, but Gil-sang waited for him without rushing. Taking a deep breath, Ho-eun spoke cautiously.

“Don’t you think the battle is… too monotonous?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, well… I don’t even know what I’m saying…”

“Please, take your time.”

At Gil-sang’s kindness, Ho-eun let out a sigh and brushed his hair back from his forehead. Then, looking directly at Gil-sang, he spoke in a lowered voice.

“Devouring Ghouls are intelligent. Even with the Double Horn Type, one must be tense and cautious. Not to mention the Fan Type.”

“That is true.”

“And down there, there are hundreds of those intelligent Fan Types.”

“Yes. It seems so.”

Gil-sang nodded in agreement. Ho-eun took a step closer to him. After confirming that no one was around, he whispered.

“Then why are the Devouring Ghouls being pushed back?”

“…Pardon?”

“I find the current situation a bit puzzling.”

“What… are you saying…?”

“Of course, of course the General is strong, and the Crimson Rain Brigade is strong, and the soldiers of the Korean Empire are all wonderful people. But for some reason, I…”

Ho-eun trailed off, unable to finish. Gil-sang stared at Ho-eun. Then, he asked back in his characteristic neat tone.

“You mean it looks as if they are intentionally not counterattacking, is that it?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Ho-eun nodded quickly. He was grateful to Gil-sang for grasping the essence of his point immediately, despite his rambling.

“…”

Gil-sang looked down at the battlefield as if to verify Ho-eun’s words. Ho-eun followed his gaze downward.

The front line had moved slightly higher than before. This meant the allied forces were dominant and the Devouring Ghouls were being pushed back. However, the appearance of those Devouring Ghouls wasn’t particularly desperate.

War is originally desperate and cruel. It is so for both the winning side and the losing side.

If one had to choose the more desperate side, it was, of course, the losing side. Indeed, before the reinforcements arrived, the Crimson Rain Brigade, which had been pushed back by the Devouring Ghouls, had been so desperate it was hard to watch. Many died, were injured, and lost everything. Even the great Tae-muk had been forced to use his own body as bait.

But the Devouring Ghouls now did not look that desperate. Rather, they looked as if they were holding back. They were still building embankments to cross the river, crossing over, and lunging, but their movements were clearly not as aggressive as before. It seemed as if they were ready to retreat if things went south.

Had they become frightened, anticipating defeat?

If so, that was also strange. They were beasts that knew neither fear nor terror. Whether crossing the river, facing a rain of arrows, or having their limbs torn off by shells, they might have been enraged, but they had never been afraid.

Then why now?

As Ho-eun tilted his head, Gil-sang, who was observing the trends below, tilted his head as well.

“That would mean they’re plotting something, but I don’t see anything suspicious to my eyes.”

Indeed, the Devouring Ghouls across the river showed no particular action. They seemed to circle among themselves within the pack or switch positions by mixing here and there, but they didn’t seem to be preparing any attack or trap.

Ho-eun nodded in agreement.

“Yes. It’s an open plain with a river in front, so even if they tried to come up with a clever trick, there’s nothing they can do. Still, for some reason…”

This place was a complete plain with no fir trees, buildings, or mountains. It meant there was nowhere to hide and no terrain to use to their advantage; it was like a vast ocean. That was the reason the Crimson Rain Brigade had chosen this place as the battlefield.

Yet, seeing them being defeated without even a proper counterattack made him feel uneasy… He didn’t know why he felt this way either.

As Ho-eun’s expression grew darker, Gil-sang scratched his chin. Then, he suggested tentatively.

“Try telling the Captain when he arrives.”

At those words, Ho-eun’s eyes widened in surprise.

“To the General? No, it’s not a matter worth that. As you said, Sergeant, the enemies’ movements aren’t suspicious… I’m worried I might give a needless puzzle to someone who is already busy fighting.”

As he shook his head, Gil-sang also shook his head and spoke firmly.

“You must tell him. There must be a reason why you feel that way, Young Master.”

“But…”

“You are probably right, Young Master.”

“…”

“Because that’s how it’s been until now.”