episode_0279

In the spring when cherry blossom petals are falling, someone called out from behind to the sergeant who was walking alone in the cradle’s yard.

“Who is this? The rising star of the Royal Guard, the merciless wolf. Isn’t this my close friend Sa Jae-hyuk?”

“Be quiet.”

The captain, who had confirmed his opponent, chuckled. His face, which looked slightly older, was gradually showing a sense of maturity.

The one who called him was a tall man wearing military uniform.

“Hey. You did that on purpose. Do you really want to lose?”

“Oh, former student body president. There are a lot of eyes watching. Have you not gotten rid of that foul language yet?”

Baek Yu-jun approached, waving his hand warmly, and shook hands with the manager.

“Rumors of you reached the Southern Command. They said that a giraffe appeared in the guards. You killed two Baekdu bloodline demons last month? ”

“Okay. How could the youngest spirit give such praise?”

The captain waved his hand and spoke curtly.

“You’re two ranks higher than me, a lieutenant. Should I salute you? Huh?”

“I’m fine. Then, should I accept it without giving any specifications?”

“What? This kid!”

When the captain made a gesture of grabbing his collar, he burst out laughing. Soon, the two of them started walking side by side towards Hwayang Hall.

“How long has it been since I last saw you?”

“This is my first time since I was transferred to Southern Command… 6 months?”

“… Time flies.”

The captain, who had been counting the numbers, clicked his tongue. The third-year students are practically the same as the active-duty students, although they are only in the academy.

As soon as he became a third-year student, he got his reserve number in the guards and quickly rose to the single digits in rank. On the other hand, Baek Yu-jun, who applied for early graduation, volunteered for a forward unit with fast promotion and was on a steady rise.

And the two were just stopping by the cradle to attend the graduation ceremony, albeit formally.

“… ”

The captain silently stared at the yard on a noisy spring day. Their rapid promotion was not all good. It meant that they had something to specialize in, and on the other hand, it meant that the external affairs were unstable.

And the two were like rays of light shining through the chaos. They were quickly building up their reputations by suppressing the demons in the north and the rebels in the south.

To someday realize the grand dream that someone had suggested to me when I was a freshman without any idea of what to do.

“… I heard you were appointed as the 12th Brigade Commander this time?”

The captain, who had come out of his reverie, asked.

“Uh. So I have to go down right after the graduation ceremony.”

“You’re the youngest new brigade commander. You’ve made a lot of progress. But somehow, it doesn’t sound all that good.”

The captain frowned as he saw Baek Yu-jun nodding.

“12th Brigade… A unit at the forefront of southern development. Recently, after suffering near-annihilation from rebels, the unit was reorganized with private soldiers sent from each family. ”

“That’s right.”

“Tsk, aren’t you being swindled by the military’s old men? What can you do with such a rabble?”

“You’re probably right. It’s probably a check on promising juniors who are coming up… something like that.”

“Hey! You know that so well… ”

The captain shouted at him as he saw him shrugging his shoulders.

“You’re talking about reorganization, but the ownership of the soldiers still belongs to other families! If you lose to the rebels and people are killed? Your family will be the ones paying the bills. At that point, all your success and honor will be over. You’ll be suspended from your position at the very least, and imprisoned at the very most.”

“But if you just do it right, then everything will be smooth sailing after that.”

Baek Yu-jun cut off the captain’s words.

“If you can complete this term safely, you can immediately advance to a high-ranking position in the military. And with that experience, you can enter the Supreme Council and begin your political activities. By then, you will also be the leader of the Royal Guard.”

“That’s easier said than done… ”

“Don’t worry too much. Don’t you know what I’m capable of? I’m not some unidentified alien, and I won’t lose to rebels. ”

He spoke confidently and joked while looking at the captain.

“But this is really touching. I heard all the worries from that Black Lotus scoundrel. And that scoundrel is even the student council president, and now a star of the Royal Guard… ”

“What? Who is causing all this suffering? It’s because someone keeps whispering about reform and all that nonsense.”

The captain shouted as if he had been waiting.

“If you do this and then start complaining later, I won’t let you off easy. Do you understand?”

“Don’t worry. If I get corrupted by the power of power, you can kill me. You’re not the type of person to let that happen, and you can’t even fight me with force, so… ”

He spread his hands out and clasped them tightly.

“There’s really only one step left. Black Lotus and Paechun, the youngest member of the council leading the transformation, and the best magician supporting him. There’s absolutely no way they’ll fail. Don’t be impatient and just wait a little longer.”

Baek Yu-jun looked up at the sky with a determined face for a moment, then changed his tone and made a joke.

“But are the rumors true?”

“Rumor? What rumor?”

The captain asked back as if he didn’t understand. The man’s mouth grew even more playful as he saw that expression.

“Why, I heard that one of the guards girls confessed to you, got rejected, got drunk, cried, and made a fuss.”

“What? Wait…!”

“There was even a special article in the gossip magazine. Was it definitely a black cat? Young-ae from Hocheon… ”

“Hey, you punk! What if you tell that story here! What if someone hears…!”

The captain shouted hurriedly and covered his mouth. But soon, a voice as cold as ice was heard from behind the two.

“… Who is confessing?”

“Sigh.”

“Gasp.”

The captain and Baek Yu-jun each took a deep breath. Soon, the captain forced himself to turn his stiff head with an awkward smile.

“Yoo, Yoo Jung-ah.”

“… ”

The female student wearing the graduation cap glared at the headmaster without saying a word. Baek Yu-jun, who was looking back and forth between the two, looked around and spoke.

“Ah, ahaha… I can’t interrupt a meeting between lovers after a long time. Should I go first? See you later?”

“Hey! You cowardly little shit!”

Baek Yu-jun ran away from the classroom despite the captain’s desperate words. A silence that was out of place in the spring schoolyard fell.

And then, the captain, who was suddenly left alone, looked at the female student and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“… Long time no see.”

***

“Yoo Jeong-ah.”

The captain sitting across from Seol Yu-jeong kept checking her expression. The identical rings on each finger could be the reason.

The three years have made the man and woman who first met each other into lovers. There have been many things that have happened between them. Just like the other three older sisters.

But in the end, the only person the captain gave his heart to was the female student in front of him. Her refreshing scent was the one he liked the most.

The image of the female student who reached out to him first, even though he was known as a loser, was still deeply engraved in his mind.

“So… First of all… ”

“Okay.”

She finally let out a deep sigh as she glared at the struggling captain. Then she muttered in a slightly resigned voice.

“What can I do since you confessed without permission? And you rejected me anyway? Well, that’s fine.”

“… Right?”

The female student said in an annoyed tone as she saw the headmaster nodding as if he had been waiting.

“Oh my, it’s hard with just the three of them… Seriously… ”

“Don’t tell me not to. You know I only have you.”

“… Really?”

“Did you see me lying?”

“I haven’t seen it. But still… ”

Even though the captain repeatedly reassured her, her expression, especially today, did not change. Soon, the captain, sensing something was wrong, cautiously asked Seol Yu-jeong.

“Did something happen while I was away?”

“… Look at this.”

Seol Yu-jeong hesitated for a moment and handed the captain a rolled-up newspaper. The captain looked at it with a puzzled expression for a while and then read a word out loud.

It was something that sounded very familiar to me.

“… Witch? What kind of name is this?”

“They are criminals who have been on the rise in the South and East recently. The media gave them the name witches. They say it’s because they are all women.”

She continued her explanation, pointing to paragraphs in the newspaper with her finger.

“More than a few outlying cities have already disappeared. There are hardly any witnesses. They destroy entire cities. Along with the people inside.”

“What…?”

The captain frowned as if he couldn’t believe it.

“That’s so irrational. They’re not taking over the city to make it a base, nor are they capturing civilians to demand ransom… If that’s true, they seem to have gone mad from black magic. Did they escape from some illegal experiment?”

“We don’t know yet. There aren’t many witnesses, so it’s hard to gather information.”

Seol Yu-jeong shook her head and said.

“The only thing that’s certain is that their skills are truly outstanding. The bounty is skyrocketing, but they keep failing to subdue them. You know what’s even stranger? The number of criminals with similar characteristics… witches is increasing. Last month, there was one, three weeks ago there were four, and this week there are a whopping 12… ”

“Oh my, what the hell happened while I was up north? I wasn’t out that long… ”

“It’s a confusing world, so… ”

She took the captain’s lamenting words lightly.

“Anyway, it seems that the Supreme Council is aware of the seriousness of the incident. This time, a large-scale sweep order has been issued. The Yoram is also recruiting volunteers to participate in the operation.”

She handed me another piece of information. The captain checked its contents and said with a snicker.

“‘Operation Witch Hunt’? That’s a loud name.”

“I want to support that operation too.”

“What?”

And just as the captain was about to shake his head, Seol Yu-jeong, who had been silent for a moment, suddenly opened her mouth and he hurriedly blurted out a rebuttal.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? You were supposed to join the Royal Guard right after graduation. But why… ”

“… ”

Seol Yu-jeong, who saw the look in the captain’s eyes as he demanded an explanation, exhaled deeply and continued speaking.

“The Supreme Council publicly announced that those who performed well in this operation will be rewarded with permanent citizenship in the capital city and a future position as an ex officio member of the Supreme Council.”

“… But?”

“At that level… I thought your parents would approve of our relationship… ”

“Huh?”

The captain, who saw her let out a voice that was crawling without answering, suddenly let out a fierce aura. Sensing that there was something going on, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Something happened while I was away.”

“… In fact, that was the condition they set. They asked me to participate in this operation and make a contribution. If I did that and was guaranteed citizenship and a seat in the National Assembly, they would allow us to be together… ”

“What is that…!”

The furious captain stood up. The only reason the two, who were already close, could not formally get engaged until graduation was the strong opposition of the captain’s family, Heukryeon.

Seol Yu-jeong is already an excellent magician who has even manifested her scent. If it were an ordinary family, they would have been willing to accept her with open arms in order to improve their bloodline. However, Heukryeon is one of the five most prestigious families.

The Black Lotus couple, who were steeped in aristocratic thinking, were desperately opposing their union. Their mother’s opposition was especially fierce.

Because she was a scholarship student from a remote village with no family tree.

“You’ve crossed the line way too far. How dare you…!”

“Don’t do that!”

Seol Yu-jeong hugged the leader as he was about to turn around and go to confront the couple. Then, looking at him, who seemed to have calmed down a little, she continued speaking in a low voice.

“It’s okay. I understand them. The differences are too big.”

“I don’t understand. What’s wrong with me if I like it?”

The captain shook his head sharply. His hands were still shaking with anger. The female student who saw him smiled bitterly.

“I didn’t say it wasn’t possible, what the heck.”

“Absolutely not. Would the Supreme Council have offered such a huge reward for nothing? It means that the operation is accompanied by that much risk. How could you… ”

“It’s okay.”

She said as she hugged him tightly as if she was holding him in her arms. And the unique refreshing scent of particles spread everywhere.

The captain took his first breath and enjoyed his favorite scent. The female student who was gently stroking his head opened her mouth as if whispering.

“Actually, I need to prove it too.”

“I don’t need that.”

“Don’t you know my skills? I’m a magician who has manifested incense. I can deal with a black magician with one hand. Even if the opponent is a black magician.”

“But… ”

“Or what? You don’t trust me now?”

She held the captain’s cheek as if it were clay and gave him a sharp gaze. At her earnest, pleading eyes, the captain eventually slowly nodded his head.

“… Believe it.”

Only then did Seol Yu-jeong smile as if she felt relieved. Then, she met the captain’s eyes and slowly pulled away from his lips.

“Don’t worry. I will return after earning the right to stand by your side with my own strength. Just wait a little longer until then. Okay?”

“… ”

There is no one in the world who would refuse that. Instead of answering, the captain hugged her tightly. After a while, he opened his mouth in a low voice.

“Should we just run away together? Throw away the Black Lotus and everything. Go to the border, go to the fire country in the west, or go to Yamatai in the east… ”

“Huh? Okay. I hate it even if I die. I want to hear your voice later too.”

“To be unnecessarily honest.”

“… Puhut.”

“Puhhhh… ”

Small laughter rang out like a chorus. The chaotic graduation ceremony ended like that. The head of the group returned to his dispatched place in the north, and Seol Yu-jeong volunteered for the witch hunt operation and left the cradle.

And less than a month later, the captain heard news of her disappearance.

***

“Ugh, ugh… !”

The captain was running through the dark forest, out of breath. His expression was more anxious and urgent than ever.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck… !”

He kept spitting out harsh curses. Even as he did so, his pupils were swiveling around, intently exploring his surroundings.

“That’s not how I should have sent it…! I should have stopped you… You’re such an idiot…!”

The captain spoke self-deprecatingly. The witch hunt operation was a clear failure. 90% of the personnel deployed had disappeared, and several key cities had been reduced to ruins.

It was not that there was no harvest at all. The Republic was able to find out some information about the enemy, which had been shrouded in mystery, through the survivors.

The fact that the witches’ true identity is neither a warlock nor a test subject, but a parasitic life form that carries an extreme danger; the fact that they use abilities that cannot be explained by magic, commonly known as powers; and the fact that the only way to kill them is to strike the brain where their main body is located.

The Supreme Council, which had learned of this information, organized a punitive force to carry out the second witch hunt operation. Among its members were the leader who had been shocked by the news of Seol Yu-jeong’s disappearance, and the older sisters who could not leave her alone.

The captain desperately searched for news of Seol Yu-jeong, killing the powerful witches one by one. And the forest nearby was the last place she was seen.

“Wait a minute! Hyuk! Slow down a little… !”

Behind him, he could hear his sisters shouting. They had already been marching for three days without sleeping. Even the captain’s eyes were bloodshot.

“Come slowly! I’ll go first!!”

“Wait a minute… !”

The sisters’ voices grew distant. The captain searched the forest without looking back. And finally, he was able to find the sound of a person.

A vacant lot bathed in soft moonlight. In the middle of it all, there was a familiar back figure. It was a worn-out and torn uniform, but there was no way anyone could recognize it.

“Yoo Jeong-ah… !”

“… ”

The captain called her name in a voice that momentarily broke the tension, but there was no answer.

And then an unidentifiable sense of anxiety and tension began to eat away at his body.

“Yujeong… Huh?”

His pupils dilated greatly. His heart was pounding so loud I could hear it.

Finally, the shadow that had been standing tall slowly turned around. The lover he had been looking for so desperately appeared before him in a very unfamiliar form.

“Ah, ah… ”

Instead of a welcoming greeting, a strange, mechanical sound was heard from the mouth. One of the eyes, which had originally been clear like a lake, was now a gaping black hole. It was as if something had forced its way into it.

She gave the captain a cold, emotionless gaze with her remaining eye. There was no warm affection in it.

“Ah, ah, hello.”

Soon the being lifted its creaking arm and twisted it strangely as if to say hello. Its dry lips finally let out an unfamiliar voice.

“Ah, ah, ah, hello. This, is how you do it.”

It was a moment when deep despair flashed across his eyes.