Let’s Burn
In a clearing at one corner of the arsenal in Jiangsu Province, a man appeared carrying a bizarre weapon on his back. This was a testing ground set up to check if completed weapons performed as intended.
"Need a light?"
With a line straight out of a famous game unit, the wooden crate strapped to his back was larger than the bundles merchants hauled around but smaller than a coffin—an odd size. He moved his body this way and that to test his mobility, and it didn't seem too heavy. The liquid packed inside sloshed in time with his movements.
“Let’s burn.”
As he pumped pressure into it, fierce fire oil shot out, sparks flew from the flint, and ignition began.
—Fwooooosh!
In an instant, a massive pillar of flame erupted in the testing area.
Soon reaching maximum output, the fiercely roaring fire column heated the surrounding air to a scorching degree in moments, leaving onlookers breathless.
The arsenal workers had all gathered to watch the spectacle.
"Arsenal Master, what the hell is that firepower? Is that really a fierce fire oil crate?"
"…I don't know. It's terrifying."
Gudol, who had rolled around the bottom of the arsenal for decades doing every dirty job imaginable, was arrogantly confident in his skills—no weapon he didn't know of existed that he couldn't instantly figure out how it was made and what principles it worked on just by looking.
But this? No matter how he stared, he couldn't make sense of it. Was it even a fierce fire oil crate to begin with?
The principles were the same as what he knew, but the performance and appearance were completely different.
Fwoosh!
"Gahhh!"
"Run!"
Whether they did or not, the man twisted and turned to test the range of motion, sending flames spraying every which way. The spectators freaked out and scrambled to safety.
"Yeah, this should be enough to take down some martial artists."
Blind to the chaos around him, the man's eyes were locked only on the flame's spread, temperature, duration—recording performance data in his head.
"Aghh, my beard!"
"We gotta block the gate or something!"
Chaos erupted, turning the area into pandemonium in seconds. The arsenal master, who knew every nook and cranny, couldn't tolerate the uproar. Soon enough, Commander Hyejin arrived on the scene.
Even if she hadn't known, anyone would come check out that towering fire pillar and black smoke visible from afar.
"Rascal?"
Lately, any trouble at the office was half-solved by pinning it on the rascal, so Hyejin called his name and strode quickly into the clearing.
First, she saw the pitiful sight of soot-covered workers everywhere. Then, the rascal, unchanged, up to his weird antics again.
Been too busy lately to keep an eye on him after that last incident, and here he is causing trouble again.
"Oh, Commander?"
The moment he spotted her frowning with hands on her hips, the man—who'd ignored everything around him for his task—shrank back and stopped what he was doing.
"Don't come closer. It's dangerous."
Maybe scarred from past scoldings, he treated the girl with utmost deference, like she outranked him deeply.
Even this guy's cowed—Commander really is something else, the arsenal workers thought in pure admiration.
But the girl ignored his warning, marched right up, and fixed him with a piercing glare.
"Rascal?"
"Yes, Commander. I'm listening."
"When someone's talking to you, shouldn't you put the fire out?"
Unlike his cowering posture, the fierce flames still roared from the nozzle, full of vigor.
Did that irk her?
"Are you defying me?"
"No, it's not that."
Her pointed remark hung in the air. Sensing the mood sour, the workers shot Yujin silent pleas to extinguish it, but the flames kept raging.
Tick, tick.
"…Once it lights, it won't stop. Won't go out till the fuel's gone."
"What?"
What? A weapon I made is out of control?
That thought had barely formed when a backdraft blew in from the direction the flames were spraying.
Whiiiish!
The fire pillar shuddered violently, then flames spread back toward the nozzle.
He'd angled it away from her as best he could, but in the uncontrollable chaos, embers flew every which way.
"Wha—what? Mommy!"
The guards nearby rushed to shield her and pull her back.
Thanks to their quick action, disaster was averted.
She let out a relieved sigh, figuring she'd only been slightly startled with no real harm. But then she noticed the guards frozen, staring at her. Something felt off.
She touched her face and finally realized.
—One side of her eyebrow was gone.
She frantically had a subordinate fetch a bronze mirror. Sure enough, an ember had singed off just one corner of her eyebrow. For a moment, her brain refused to process it, leaving her rooted in shock.
Then, resignation mixed with trembling rage exploded from her.
"…Rascal!!"
Hyejin's furious roar echoed across the clearing.
*
"As of now, the use of that weapon is fully banned. What do you think would happen if you used an uncontrollable weapon near civilians? No use without my permission from here on."
"…I reflect on my actions."
After pouring expensive materials and time into making it, now it was banned.
I'd clearly warned her not to come closer, but staring at her awkwardly asymmetrical left eyebrow, I could only clamp my mouth shut.
"…This one's partly my fault too, so I'll let it slide this time."
Her switching from her usual casual speech to formal made the gap all the more terrifying.
Honestly, if she wasn't fond of me, she could've thrown me in jail right then for attempted commander assassination, and I'd have no defense.
I knew arguing would only hurt me more, so I stayed quiet.
Kneeling politely before her like a criminal, arms crossed and glaring down at me, I listened to the next steps.
While I'd been holed up in the arsenal crafting weapons, the Commander had coordinated with the other side on schedules and objectives.
In short: a temporary dispatch to purge wokou pirates around Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu, and nearby Suzhou.
Jiangsu's defense commissioner Jo Unhyeon and Commander Yugu Su would support Yujin fully, politics aside.
"Lucky, I guess—the distance isn't too insane?"
"Close compared to other regions."
Close was relative on the vast Central Plains, but still decent. Plus, no more solo trekking—I'd have guides, ride in a carriage, and get free rein on my schedule. Sounded way easier than before.
"Head out as soon as you're ready."
I loaded the carriage cargo hold she'd prepared in advance with the gear I'd packed overnight.
Ideally, take all my babies, but realistically impossible.
Had to fit my weapons, attendants, travel rations, water, maintenance tools, etc.
So: trusty Hyunja Chongtong I'd shared thick and thin with, one flintlock musket, and a compact three-barrel handgun for easy carry. Familiar and efficient choices.
…Or so I said while eyeing the surroundings, then slipped away quietly.
I snuck back with the disassembled and cloth-wrapped Hon Yeon, stashing it slyly in the hold.
Couldn't go after Jo Unhyeon without it. His guard, the unorthodox expert Heuk Ung from Sado Gate—weak sect or not, peak experts wield incomparable combat power and influence.
Hon Yeon wasn't optional; it was essential against a protected target like that.
Forgiveness is easier than permission.
Not sure if it applied here, but if I kept collateral off the Commander, it'd be fine, right?
"Preparations complete."
At my report, people assembled one by one: one servant and one guide for me, plus four military escorts.
Six people just for me? Had I gotten promoted or something? Odd feeling.
Once checks were done, the Commander came to see us off right on time. Still seemed pissed, but she drew a clear line between work and personal.
"Rascal, don't cause any big incidents out there. Come back safe, got it?"
She already saw me as a walking disaster? Hurt a bit, even if true. But having a place to return to felt good.
In the Hongsim Yeonhwa world, I'd always stood alone with nothing—precarious as hell.
"Yeah, I'll wrap it up quick and head back."
I smiled and replied to her worried words.