Warlord Han Yegum

“Listen up. When our reserve unit gets deployed, we’re definitely going to the most dangerous spot. That’s what reserves are for.”
Nam Pae knelt on the ground, using a small stone to draw markings in the dirt as he addressed the squad. After returning from the formation briefing with Officer Na Jeong, the squad leaders gathered their men, relaying their assigned positions and discussing survival strategies.
Nam Pae’s squad had been positioned at the very center of the ten-squad reserve unit.

In battle, being positioned further back was always the best option. They had at least avoided being in the frontmost ranks, which was a small relief.
If they were to die, at least they would witness the squads ahead of them falling first. A grim comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.
Nam Pae glanced at each of his squad members, emphasizing his next words.

“Never get separated. You hear me? Once the fighting starts, it’s going to be chaos. You’ll dodge attacks, lose track of your surroundings, and if you fall behind, you will die. Stay together, no matter what.”
He was somewhat reassured by the strength of Madal, Gaesang, and Yeopchi. But Deokheung, Obyeok, and Ayong worried him.
Makjeong—though still young—had proven himself courageous, but Nam Pae hadn’t forgotten that the boy would have died multiple times at Blaze Ridge if not for the help of his comrades.

“Listen. If the formation breaks and the battle turns into a mess, Obyeok and you younger ones—stick to us, tight. If you see an enemy we miss, stab them. Stab them hard. If you hesitate, you’ll die. One clean stab—that’s all it takes. Keep your eyes open, understand?”
He repeated the instructions again and again, especially to the older Obyeok and the two youngest members. While Makjeong remained composed, Deokheung and Ayong’s hands were trembling so visibly that Nam Pae doubted they were even processing his words.
Nam Pae grabbed Deokheung by the head, forcing him to meet his gaze.

“Deokheung. You did well at Blaze Ridge. You survived, even when the rest of your squad didn’t. You can do it again. Got it?”
Deokheung’s unfocused eyes barely registered the words. He simply nodded on reflex, his mind overwhelmed with the all-consuming fear of imminent death.
“Ayong, little one… You’ll be fine. You won’t die, you hear me? Stick with us, and you’ll make it.”

Nam Pae then grabbed Ayong’s head in the same manner. But the boy was shaking even harder than Deokheung, already drenched in sweat before the battle had even begun.
“Look, kid. Hold your spear like this—when an enemy charges at you, just stab. Like this. Thrust! Thrust! Keep stabbing, again and again, until they stop moving. Got it?”
—Clack-clack-clack.

The sound of Ayong’s chattering teeth filled the air.
The sight was heartbreaking.
No one here was fearless, but seeing a boy—practically a nephew in their eyes—crippled by terror only made it harder to bear.
Nam Pae turned to Makjeong, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Makjeong, you take care of them. Stick with Obyeok and make sure Deokheung and Ayong don’t get separated. Got it?”
Nam Pae had intended to give the responsibility to Obyeok, but the older man’s hands were trembling just as much as the younger boys’.
“…Yes.”

Makjeong replied calmly, though a growing unease gnawed at his chest.
The longer they waited, the more certain he became—today, they wouldn’t escape a bloodbath.
That morning, everything had felt normal. But now, the air itself felt different. Even Makjeong could feel it creeping into his bones.

His own fear was starting to rise. But seeing how visibly terrified Deokheung, Ayong, and Obyeok were, he resolved to keep himself composed.
‘Makjeong… You smiled for me, even as you walked toward your death…’
Makjeong’s mind wandered back to Han Yegum—the man he once was. He thought of the real Makjeong, his faithful servant and friend, who had sacrificed himself so that he could live.

‘You smiled, to make sure I wouldn’t be afraid. If I let fear take hold now… I’d be insulting you, wouldn’t I?’
His jaw clenched.
‘So many people gave their lives for mine. I have no right to falter. Even if I die today, I’ll make sure their sacrifice wasn’t in vain.’

Images flashed through his mind—loyal warriors, mentors, and soldiers who had died protecting him. He saw the back of a familiar figure.
‘Father…!’
The memory of General Han Jin’s back stood vividly before him.

‘Father. You must have seen me fight on the battlefield that day. Today will be even more dangerous than before. The kingdom that betrayed us—the one that slaughtered you, Mother, and my brothers… I will stand and fight for it today. If I die in this battle, don’t scold me too much…’
A strange sense of clarity washed over him.
For the first time, the regret of failing to escape to the Shang Kingdom disappeared completely.

At this moment, he was no longer the fugitive prince trying to flee.
He was Han Yegum, son of General Han Jin. A warrior of the U Kingdom.
Had a single battle changed him this much?

Was it the fall of his family?
Or was it simply the blood of a general flowing in his veins, roaring to life?
Whatever the cause, he knew one thing—today, he would be the one protecting the others.

And as Han Jin’s son, he refused to show weakness.
Nam Pae, sensing the heavy atmosphere, raised his voice with forced enthusiasm.
“You heard, right? If we just stay alive until the battle here at White Plains is over, the war’s basically done! They’ll send us home with five silver coins each!”

He grinned, spreading his arms wide.
“Five silver! Do you know how many days you can feast on that? Or how much grain you could buy for the winter? Hah! Just imagine stuffing your belly for weeks!”
He turned to Ayong and Deokheung, trying to lift their spirits.

“And they’ll even free the slaves! Ayong, did you hear that? You’ll be a free man! And Deokheung—you’ll be free too! No more servitude! Just eat, sleep, and relax!”
Nam Pae then pointed at Obyeok, his voice full of exaggerated excitement.
“And Obyeok, no more prison for you! No more tax debt! Isn’t that great? See? This isn’t a battlefield—it’s a damn blessing! Hahaha!”

By now, he was practically foaming at the mouth.
“And hey! We might not even have to fight today! Those bastards have to come out first for us to fight, right? Yesterday was quiet, wasn’t it? So maybe—”
—Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

The sharp, urgent tolling of a metal bell echoed across the battlefield.
The watchtower bells.
A signal from the scouts.

The Shang army was advancing.
 
****

— Thud-dadadak!
The soldiers of the U Kingdom grabbed their weapons and rushed forward. Their formations for offense and defense had to be established in front of the main encampment. If they took longer than the enemy to set up, they would be at a major disadvantage.
"Follow me! Move!"

With the officers' shouts, over two thousand soldiers surged ahead, scrambling to take their positions. Meanwhile, the reserve forces, including the Blaze Ridge reinforcements, remained on standby.
Since the reserves were meant to hold the rear of the formation, they couldn’t advance until the primary units had moved forward.
While they waited, Officer Pyeong addressed the tense soldiers of the reserve unit.

"Stay calm! We are all hardened warriors who fought and won at Blaze Ridge! Keep steady and hold your ground!"
The sudden ringing of the alarm bells had unsettled the troops. Pyeong felt deep regret—his men hadn’t even had time to properly acclimate to this new battlefield before being thrust into another deadly fight.
Panic and disarray always led to the highest casualties.

Had they been given just two days to adjust, just two days, he could have reduced the number of men about to be lost.
— Flap! Flap!
"The reserve unit—move!"

From the tallest watchtower, a green flag fluttered side to side—a signal. The commanding officer of the reserve forces gave the order to advance.
The left, center, and right divisions of the main army had already rushed forward and taken their positions at the front.
"Move out!"

Officer Na Jeong bellowed, his thickly bearded mouth stretching wide as he roared.
Alongside five hundred other reserves, Makjeong and the Blaze Ridge unit began sprinting forward.
 

****
Command Post of the U Kingdom
Gam Heum observed his troops as they rushed past the main encampment to form their battle lines. His sharp eyes then shifted to the Shang army, analyzing their movements.

"What’s the enemy formation today?"
"It appears to be the same as before, sir. No major differences—except for one thing…"
The lieutenant beside him kept his gaze locked on the enemy lines as he spoke, his voice laced with unease.

Gam Heum narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"
"Sir, Hoh Sang is positioned at the rear of the enemy’s left wing. But… Byeok Tae is nowhere to be seen."
Gam Heum’s brows furrowed.

"Byeok Tae is missing?"
He squinted, scanning the battlefield himself.
Indeed, Hoh Sang’s familiar banner and hulking figure could be seen at the rear of the Shang army’s left flank.

A broad-shouldered warrior, wearing a rounded helmet without a plume—the same man who had tormented them for battle after battle without being taken down.
But Byeok Tae—the wild-haired, screaming demon of the battlefield—was absent.
That was far more unsettling.

"The enemy is planning something. They’re saving Byeok Tae for a crucial moment."
Both Hoh Sang and Byeok Tae were equally dangerous, but the soldiers feared Byeok Tae more. His wild, unkempt hair, his piercing shrieks as he charged into the fray, the way he cut through men like a berserker—it had left a lasting terror in the minds of the U Kingdom forces.
If he wasn’t visible now, that meant the enemy commander was holding him back, waiting for the perfect moment to exploit a weakness and end this battle in one strike.

Had they known where he was, they could have fortified their defenses accordingly.
But without that knowledge, all they could do was remain on edge, waiting for the inevitable moment when Byeok Tae would be unleashed.
"Reinforce the right wing with Pak Yeol’s unit from the central division," Gam Heum ordered.

"Yes, sir!"
 
****

— Chuk! Chuk! Chuk! Chuk!
"Halt—!"
Officer Na Jeong raised the hilt of his sword and bellowed. At once, the Blaze Ridge reinforcements came to a complete stop. Ahead of them, the U Kingdom’s left, center, and right divisions had already formed up, leaving no room for them to advance further.

"Form ranks!"
At Na Jeong’s command, each squad adjusted their spacing, maintaining a rough rectangular formation. They were told to hold this formation not only during standby but also when they were called to reinforce the front lines.
"Maintain the formation at all costs! If the formation holds, we hold! The front and rear squads will rotate positions as necessary! Anyone who disobeys my orders—will be executed on the spot!"

Na Jeong had been drilling the importance of formations into them from the start.
But the Blaze Ridge reinforcements had never fought this way before. Their experience was limited to fortified defense—using palisades and barriers to hold back the enemy—and when things got chaotic, they had engaged in melees rather than disciplined tactical formations.
Now, they were expected to adhere to rigid battle formations without any prior training. Whether they could actually follow Na Jeong’s orders remained to be seen.

Yet Na Jeong seemed convinced that sheer volume and force of command would be enough to shape them into a disciplined unit.
"Makjeong, can you see anything up front?"
Deokheung, shorter than Makjeong, asked anxiously.

He was really asking if the enemy was in sight, but Makjeong had no better view than he did.
"No… I can’t see anything. Gaesang hyung, what about you? Can you see the enemy?"
Makjeong turned to Gaesang, the tallest among them. Not that it would help much—seeing more of the enemy wouldn’t do them any favors.

Still, standing still in silence only made the anxiety worse, so he asked anyway.
"Mm… I can see something, but not much."
By now, both armies had nearly completed their formations.

The sounds of subtle shifting movements filled the air. The battlefield was heavy with the nervous, shallow breaths of thousands of soldiers.
The acrid scent of sweat—born from fear—mixed with the cold metallic stench of steel, thickening the air.
Everyone was tense.

Everyone was afraid.
— Clack… Clack… Clack… Clack… Clack…
The chattering of teeth.

Makjeong glanced to his side and saw Ayong trembling violently, his head quivering as though his body was barely holding itself together.
Without a word, Makjeong reached out and wrapped his hand around Ayong’s, steadying his grip on his spear.
There was no point in trying to comfort him with words. Right now, Ayong wouldn’t hear a thing—not over the deafening roar of fear inside his own mind.

Even Makjeong, who had been waiting patiently, felt his heartbeat pounding harder as thousands of soldiers now stood face-to-face.
‘Alright… let’s do this…!’