There is Among Us

“Anna Irwena, let your impudence end there. I do not wish to see blood spilled in this pleasant gathering.”

“It is most humbling to hear such words from the Emperor, who reportedly beheads dozens of soldiers on an almost daily basis.”

Anna’s sarcastic remark caused a vein to throb on the Emperor’s forehead.

Crunch, an incongruous sound intruded upon the women’s argument.

The sound of something sweetly crumbling echoed within the Emperor’s tent.

The Emperor and Anna’s gazes shifted towards the source of the noise.

Kang In-ho, perched on the edge of a chair, was audibly munching on a cookie.

Crumbs he hadn’t managed to catch fell onto his lap.

“Cavalry Commander?”

Anna tilted her head, wondering if their Cavalry Commander had a sweet tooth, while a bright smile bloomed on the Emperor’s face.

“It seems it suits your taste after all.”

Pulling the chair closer, the Emperor leaned forward, his eyes filled with Inho’s image.

He merely regretted not being able to sit beside him. If not for the woman behind him, the Emperor would have undoubtedly done so.

At the Emperor’s words, Kang In-ho nodded.

Then, to soothe his dry mouth, he took a sip of tea.

It was a crude action, not befitting etiquette, but the Emperor didn’t seem to mind.

“It’s just a cookie made of flour and sugar.”

Anna grumbled about the cookie, which seemed unfit for the Emperor’s refreshments and more suited for a commoner’s table.

“Hmph, you don’t know its flavor.”

The Emperor chuckled and picked up a cookie. Then, crunch, he bit into it roughly, imitating Inho.

The sweetness struck his tongue intensely. It was the opposite of the subtly sweet cookies he usually enjoyed.

“This cookie is one that the Cavalry Commander and I shared together on the battlefield.”

It was a taste that naturally made him frown, but the Emperor held onto his contorted face and savored his victory.

Flaunting the connection he had with the Cavalry Commander gave her satisfaction.

‘That arrogant wench.’

Just a vice-commander at best…

He hated how she acted as if she possessed him, puffed up with pride.

If he had his way, he would have severed her limbs and thrown her to the soldiers.

The sight would be repulsive, but soldiers driven by lust would gladly take even such a woman.

The Emperor closed his eyes and imagined the scene.

His unpleasant mood seemed to dissipate slightly.

“You were truly magnificent back then.”

The Emperor closed his eyes, reliving his encounter with him.

Though it was an old memory, it was as vivid as yesterday to the Emperor.

For the sake of the empire’s well-being and to gain the Emperor’s favor, the Black-Clad Princess had thrown herself onto the battlefield.

To surpass her brothers and seize the Emperor’s throne, she had been running around busily.

Then she faced the precipice of defeat.

As a result of recklessly deploying her troops, she was surrounded by the enemy.

The spears aimed at her slowly approached. The Princess tightly closed her eyes, accepting her fate.

She could clearly feel the clutches of defeat and death tightening around her neck.

“Princess.”

When everyone was accepting defeat, a young man spoke.

“…What is it?”

It was the leader of the mercenary band she had hired to make up for the lack of soldiers.

With a stoic face, he approached the Princess on his horse.

“We can break through the encirclement.”

“…That’s nonsense. Can’t you see the wave of spears? Even if we ride out of here, we’ll just be stabbed and fall to the ground.”

Crunch, as the Princess spoke, the mercenary leader took out a cookie from a dirt-stained pouch and ate it.

It was a truly irreverent act, but no one pointed it out.

With death looming, etiquette was of little importance.

“…Would you like one?”

Perhaps sensing the gaze fixed on him, the mercenary leader offered the pouch to the Princess.

“To think my last meal would be such a low-quality cookie.”

She inserted slender fingers into the pouch and took out a cookie.

She put the cookie in her mouth. The unrestrained sweetness ravaged her entire palate. The Princess grimaced.

“It’s not your last meal.”

“Sugar helps with combat,” the mercenary leader said.

“You keep talking about hope. But there doesn’t seem to be any hope anywhere here.”

As the Princess spoke with a hollow laugh, the mercenary leader turned his horse’s head.

“There is no hope, but there is a dream.”

“A dream?”

“My dream is to find a haven where I and my men can rest comfortably.”

The mercenary leader spoke longer than usual.

“I cannot die here before I achieve that dream.”

“Isn’t that just being stubborn? Everyone here must be thinking the same thing. ‘I don’t want to die.'”

“Then at least everyone in this place has a dream.”

His deep eyes turned to the Princess. The Princess felt her heart race.

“I received gold from you. It’s the price for the contract to lead this war to victory and protect you.”

“I am a mercenary leader. And mercenaries fulfill their contracts.”

“Promises are absolute,” the mercenary leader added.

Clop clop, the mercenary leader moved forward with the light sound of hooves.

Following him, the other mercenaries moved.

“I will not tell the Princess’s army to open a path.”

“Just follow the path we make.”

As the mercenary leader at the front pulled on the reins, the horse reared up and let out a powerful cry.

-Heeheeing The horse’s cry echoed across the battlefield.

“Mercenary band, listen up.”

“Yes!”

The disciplined voices of the men.

“According to the contract, we will make a path.”

“Yes!”

“We will break the enemy’s formation and ravage their rear.”

“Yes!”

“I will lead the way.”

“We will follow!”

“…Let’s go.”

With the mercenary leader’s words, the mercenary band charged.

The Princess, who had been blankly watching their swift movements, quickly arranged her troops and followed behind them.

“I should have caught you back then. It was a mistake to let you go because I was busy.”

“I thought you would continue as a mercenary… but you became the Cavalry Commander of the Zernoah Kingdom before I knew it.”

Brushing back her black hair, the Princess spoke with regret.

“…….”

Kang In-ho ate a cookie without answering.

“So, has the Zernoah Kingdom, to which you swore allegiance, become a haven for you?”

It was a question laden with meaning.

If the kingdom had truly become their haven, he and the Cavalry wouldn’t be wandering this battlefield.

“I don’t understand the intent of your question.”

As Kang In-ho spoke in a calm tone, the Emperor smiled.

“The kingdom sent you out to block the empire’s great army without any reinforcements. Do you truly not understand?”

The King of Zernoah was a wise man.

He accurately understood what the Emperor wanted and eliminated the source of the problem in the least damaging way.

“…….”

Crunch, Kang In-ho ate another cookie.

“Your situation, eating pale soup under a shabby tent in the middle of an uneven forest… can you truly say you have reached a haven?”

Crunch, the Cavalry Commander, having eaten the cookies placed before him, lifted the teacup and drank the remaining tea.

All the prepared cookies and tea had disappeared.

“Thank you for inviting me to the tea party.”

Kang In-ho conveyed his words politely and firmly.

“Are you leaving? How foolish. You’ll be back by my side in a few days anyway, so why bother returning to the forest?”

“I trust that you will not capture us as promised.”

The Cavalry Commander rose from his seat without the Emperor’s permission.

Despite his rudeness, the Emperor only smiled.

“Yes, I will keep my promise. So don’t worry and return to your camp.”

The Emperor truly sent them back as promised.

Kang In-ho and Anna, having left the military camp, rode in silence for a while.

Soon, the forest where their camp was located came into view.

Upon reaching the entrance of the forest, the Emperor’s army, which had been following them, returned to their camp.

“Anna Irwena.”

“Yes.”

“There is someone among us who is informing the Emperor of our situation.”

“It seems so.”

“It’s one of us.”

At the Cavalry Commander’s assertion, Anna swallowed hard.