[The Three Kingdoms] Golden Sun Exhibition

11 – Becoming a Master (6)

A few days later.

“Take care, Moon-Yak.”

I bid Soo-wook farewell. After a few days of rest at Sukyung Academy, her clear complexion and bright smile seemed revitalised.

“Travel safely, Wol-Young. Please pass my regards to Master Sukyung. And also…”

Soo-wook waved at Sama-Eui who stood by my side with a smile on her face.

“Goodbye, Eui. We’ll meet again later.”

“……Goodbye.”

Sama-Eui briefly nodded her head in reply. Her hand held tightly onto the sleeve of my robe, as if assuming that I would also depart, following Soo-wook.

“Perhaps when Munyak returns to his hometown, the reactionary group will have come to an end. Munyak will be given a choice. One is a stable path where his will is not reflected, and the other is….”

“It’s okay. I’ve already decided.”

Soonwook shook his head.

“I will remain where I am now.”

“…Jinryu is likely to become Jo Maeng-deok’s base.”

“Heh, that would be nice. I will take all the stories I hear from the reactionary group into account, but wouldn’t it help that I, as a woman, have a better understanding of the situation?”

“Making decisions based on that alone is not like you, Munyak.”

Soonwook was leaning towards Jo-jo.

“Did I say something strange?”

“Not at all.”

“I didn’t mean to recommend Jo-jo.”

“Right. In fact, it seemed more like you were suggesting Won-so. But….”

Soonwook took out a bamboo piece from his chest pocket. It was something I hadn’t received from him before.

“What is this?”

“When I was working at my job site, I discovered something quite interesting. There are houses where the owner is clearly there, yet the owner has long been absent, and those under the owner are playing the role of the landlord, managing the land.”

“…Huh. Is there such a place?”

“Yes. I heard there was a land transaction taking place recently. Approximately…about 5 years ago. It was around that time that Wol-yeong came down here as a foster brother, wasn’t it?”

“What a coincidence.”

This woman.

Did she know everything and test me?

“Right. I apologize for the deception. But thanks to you, I now understand. Wol-yeong really did offer various possibilities for me.”

“That is….”

“Thank you. Despite being younger than me, you accurately showed me a path when I was lost. Could I call you my mentor?”

“What have I done to deserve being called a mentor? Please watch your words.”

“Through conversation with you, you’ve shown me where I can work best for the Imperial Court, haven’t you?”

“The place where Soonwook can work for the Imperial Court.

If he’s capable enough, where he can deeply appreciate her loyalty.

“I’ve kept an eye on Won-so before. He’s… not particularly good. I can’t elaborate. I didn’t even consider Won-soo from the start.”

“So….”

“Yes. It’s Jo-jo.”

It’s Jo Maeng-deok.

Her choice was Jinryu’s Jo-jo.

The woman who tried to assassinate Dong-tak.

“Do you think Jo-jo will help to expand Munyak’s aims?”

“Yes, I’m sure of it. That confidence came through you, didn’t it?”

“Me?”

What does she mean when I didn’t explicitly recommend Jo-jo to Soonwook? Soonwook pointed at me and smiled.

“Wol-yeong, you’ve purchased a little land in Jinryu, haven’t you?”

“You misunderstand.”

“Didn’t you buy it thinking Jo Maeng-deok would make a big success?”

“So, there’s been a mistake…”

No, that’s incorrect. Well, actually, it’s right.

“People already resided in your land even though it didn’t have an owner. The underlings of the owner were already ploughing the fields. Oh, I’m delighted to see the surprised look on Wol-yeong’s face at the end.”

“…You’ve found out.”

I didn’t merely acquire the land.

In the five years since I came down here, I’ve hired people to manage my bought lands and made the fields ploughed.

“What I did wasn’t just for Jojo.”

“Do you have land elsewhere too?”

“No, I don’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“I had neither the money nor the time to buy lands other than those in Jinryu.”

“…I see.”

I could only afford to buy the land in the hometown of Jo Maengdeok, instead of the four hometown lands I originally contemplated to buy.

If later on, I settle down in Jinryu, then I planned on boasting, ‘The owner of this place was I.’

I did not buy the land particularly for Jo Maengdeok. Back then, I could afford nothing but that piece of land.

Of course.

It is correct that I thought Jo Maengdeok would accomplish great things.

It’s not that Jo Maengdeok ‘only’ will succeed for sure.

“I see. Oh, understood. Then I’ll endeavor to be successful enough in the JoJo military to promote you.”

“I dislike official positions. My aim is to live quietly while taking care of my house.”

“There are many more opportunities besides official positions, for instance… oh, never mind. There’s no need to state the obvious.”

Sunwook laughed, covering his mouth with his hand.

“The official duties are for me to do.”

Following his heavily suggestive words, the strength in Samawi’s grip on my collar intensified.

“Goodbye, Wol-yeong. Oh, your land in Jinryu… Can I help manage it? I’ll accept a refusal.”

Upon these words, Sunwook left.

“…Master.”

Samawi murmured, clutching my collar.

“There’s plenty of land at stake.”

“……”

I patted Samawi’s head.

“Can you tell me more?”

* * *

After Sunwook had left.

Quite a long while passed.

During that time, the Anti-Dongtak Coalition achieved some success.

Jang-an city, the imperial capital.

Dongtak moved the capital arbitrarily to Jangan which was closer to his power base in the west, along with the emperor.

Before leaving, he set the entire Nakyang on fire, dug up countless tombstones to gather treasures, and fled.

The people of Nakyang Castle had no other choice but to be burnt to death, lose everything and follow him to Jangan, or scatter in all directions.

In a single moment, Rakhyang became a ruin, reduced to ashes. The Anti-Dongtak Alliance managed to recapture Rakhyang, but the brutality of Dongtak’s actions had forced their army to retreat, virtually erasing the city from the map.

There was one who had dedicated his efforts to pursuing Dongtak, a character who took quite the beating, and they called him Cao Cao.

I can understand why, but I wish he had been a little more circumspect.

‘If you die, the value of my land will drop!’

The land I own in Jinryu is tied to the single figure of Cao Cao. If Cao Cao shows signs of instability, naturally, my own lands will plummet in worth.

Dongtak’s troops, having migrated to Jiangnan, began to establish roots there and continued to soldier on eastward. Meanwhile, the Anti-Dongtak Alliance managed to block their advance, and the battle front seemed to have reached a stalemate.

Even amid the persistent turbulence caused by the Anti-Dongtak Alliance, my life did not change much.

I would rise in the morning and prepare breakfast for Sema Ui and Sema Hui,

spend the morning with Sema Ui, farming and discussing world affairs,

break for a hearty lunch, and engage in discussions over various classics and military books,

and spend the evening playing light-hearted games with Sema Ui.

“Uiya, you really like cavalry, don’t you?”

“Cavalry is the flower of the battlefield.”

We are playing soldiers, a simulation battle, with characters written on wooden pieces representing different military units.

“Why do you think the generals are stronger than the Yellow Turban rebels? It must be because of the power of the cavalry.”

“Yes, the cavalry is indeed powerful. The mobility and penetrating power delivered by well-trained horses can easily outmaneuver infantrymen.”

I then rearranged the position of the infantrymen.

“But Uiya, isn’t it true that cavalry isn’t always the answer?”

“Of course they are useless in the mountains, and can’t be utilized in rainy weather. Also, they cannot respond as flexibly as infantrymen because in addition to the men, the cavalry also comprises horses, which entail their own food supply issues.”

Sema Ui was well aware of the problems associated with the cavalry.

“Do we necessarily have to increase the number of cavalry?”

“Yes, because the cavalry is…”

Sema Ui’s eyes glowed as if he was possessed by something.

“The flower of the battlefield.”

“A flower on the battlefield, it’s too harsh a place to find romance, but those who find the meaning of life on the battlefield might think that way.”

Although I could not sympathize, I could understand what Sema Ui said, because their abilities have reached their potential.

The cavalry is the flower of the battlefield.

Even if you don’t say it, we could already confirm the overwhelming power of the cavalry through Dongtak.

Dongtak’s troops also comprised a significant proportion of cavalry. The horses raised in Seoryang can run as well as those of Central Plains, if not better. They’re horses that are used to the battlefield.

“But Sema Ui, didn’t you say you want to be a historian later?”

“Yes, I did.”

“But to unfold mobile warfare, you would have to ride on a horse as well, wouldn’t you?”

“Then I’ll go along with it. Isn’t it alright to signal with colored flags from atop the horse? I can’t walk around while everyone else is riding.”

Sema Ui pointed towards the numerous pawns placed before him with both hands.

“If I ever find myself in a place where I’m leading the soldiers, I will advance alongside them.”

“The general is going to charge in with them? The captains next to you will all die.”

“Are you saying I can ascend to the general’s position?”

“With your abilities, I’m sure you could easily get there.”

His talent forced me into a corner, even during our conversations like these.

“Have you ever done this when you were at home?”

“No. This is my first time since I came here.”

“I see. Hmm.”

“Why?”

I’m scared.

I’m scared to see someone else’s talent.

“Well, it seems like your talent is chiefly for strategy, as I thought.”

This is not a common talent for a girl.

“Didn’t you learn about the Yeolnyeojeon when you were home? Everything else, you just observed along with me.”

“Yep, that’s right. That’s it.”

“You came to the Water Mirror Academy. You’re very lucky to meet me. Otherwise, the secretary of Guksa-Mussang would have ended her life as a Yeolnyeo.”

Guksa-Mussang.

I’m talking about someone on par with Hanshin.

“Am I Hanshin?”

“You can be considered to have almost his level of talent.”

“Then I’m not Hanshin.”

Sama-ui stated with a teeth-white grin.

“I will be a greater figure than Hanshin.”

“Who? Jangryang? Taegongmang?”

“No.”

Sama-ui said confidently.

“Sama-ui.”