Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Fire from the Skies
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"You probably mean to stop me from doing anything rash."
"Oh dear, I've staked my life on this war. If I fail, do you think the Great King or the Chief of Central Administration will let me get away with it? In a situation like that, what reason would I have to do anything strange?"
It wasn't logically wrong, so even Deputy Supreme Commander Bu-sang couldn't rebut it hastily.
"He probably told you to keep irritating me nonstop. But this isn't the Central Administration Bureau—it's a battlefield. A place where stray arrows fly blind."
"A-Are you threatening me right now?"
"Exactly. A threat."
I flashed a wide grin and gripped his shoulders firmly with both hands.
"So watch your mouth. I might hold back, but I've got hot-headed subordinates who might not. And haven't you considered that our superiors might be hoping for exactly that?"
"H-Hoping for that?"
"Come on, you really didn't know? If I snap and kill or injure you, the Chief of Central Administration would be thrilled. He could use you as a scapegoat to come after me."
"A scapegoat."
Deputy Supreme Commander Bu-sang muttered in a voice that sank like a stone, and I replied.
"Of course. Honestly, the bosses upstairs are probably hoping your head rolls right here."
"That's just speculation. Cut the nonsense."
"Ah, sure, he must've said you're the only one he trusts. But you know what?"
I smirked and added to Bu-sang, who was swallowing dryly.
"Bosses never get their favorite subordinates' hands dirty. They don't make them handle the messy stuff."
I didn't know exactly what the Chief thought of Bu-sang, but he'd thrown him straight at me for this collision.
'The reason he tossed someone even he can't handle at me is obvious.'
Whether he'd understood my words or just buckled under the mood, Deputy Supreme Commander Bu-sang turned away with a loud, fake cough. Go Jeong-ui clicked his tongue at the sight.
"What?"
"He tried to win me over. Said he'd promote me if I spied for him or something."
"Why didn't you accept?"
"My only loyalty is to you, Master."
"I don't believe that for a second."
"You can't distrust people like that."
It had been a while since we'd bantered like this, and it was fun. After chasing off the annoying Deputy Supreme Commander Bu-sang, I held a quick meeting with Go Jeong-ui and my close aides.
General On Sa-mun spoke first about troop deployments.
"With Chiljung River at our rear, we're relatively secure. I told General I-ri to send the Malgal tribes as far south as possible, just in case Silla's relief forces approach from there."
"Chiljung Fortress is vital to Silla too. They'll definitely respond."
Eastern Division Leader I Tain chimed in after hearing me.
"The Silla bastards didn't even think of fighting outside—they pulled straight back into the fortress. They're probably planning to hold the walls while waiting for reinforcements."
General On Sa-mun glanced at the map on the table as he responded to I Tain.
"Even if we spot relief forces coming from the south, responding immediately will be tough."
As General On Sa-mun said, our army was positioned facing Chiljung Fortress across the Chiljung River to the south. Any Silla troops approaching from farther south would be hard to counter. With a sigh, General On Sa-mun added,
"But shifting our camp south would leave the river side exposed, making supply lines tricky."
I answered right away.
"What if we split the camp?"
"North and south?"
"Yes. But keep only about three thousand in the south—not too many—just enough to block relief forces for a while."
General On Sa-mun nodded after a moment's thought.
"I'll mainly station cavalry there and tell them to pull back fast if needed."
"Any other issues, General?"
"Nothing major right now. But once the siege starts, we'll take heavy casualties. If enemy reinforcements arrive then, we could be in real trouble."
"Don't worry about that. Even if they come, they won't bring many."
General On Sa-mun chuckled.
"True. Getting hammered from all sides, they must be dizzy figuring out where to go."
"Still, this is key to defending Chiljung River, so they'll come for sure."
"Losing it means they can't use the river as a defensive line. They'll come, alright. Best if we take the fortress first, though."
As General On Sa-mun spoke, I looked up at the sky. Dusk was settling in.
"It'll be dark tonight, huh?"
"Nights are always dark, aren't they?"
General On Sa-mun laughed, but Go Jeong-ui quickly cut in.
"You're planning to use that, right?"
"Your instincts are sharp as ever."
We shared a long laugh before I turned to General On Sa-mun.
"Send an envoy to Chiljung Fortress. Tell them if they don't surrender, we'll rain fire from the heavens."
"They won't listen."
"That's the point. They'll dismiss it as bluff—until it actually happens. Total panic."
I grinned, and Go Jeong-ui clicked his tongue.
"That's an evil smile, Master."
"Blame my evil subordinate."
"The master who keeps him is even eviler."
"Should I get evil with my subordinate, then?"
"Please spare me."
After the joking back-and-forth, I looked up at the sky again.
"How strong will the wind be?"
As night deepened, silence fell. Only the faint footsteps of sentries and calls of military horns echoed distantly. We all gathered by a massive bonfire just outside the camp. On one cart sat hundreds of sky lanterns, and I held one. A gourd was attached to it by a string. Holding the lantern with both hands, I said to Go Jeong-ui,
"Light it."
Go Jeong-ui brought a small torch and ignited the lantern hanging below. The square lantern, open at the bottom, trapped the heat and rose into the air. Like a hot-air balloon, but too small for people. That's why I'd devised filling a small gourd with Goguryeo Fire and launching it. Like drones in modern warfare.
"Hope it works."
Unlike other things, it relied heavily on chance. Wind direction, precisely dropping on target—not easy.
"We'll know after launching one."
Go Jeong-ui said encouragingly. The lit lantern floated up into the darkness. A small lamp hung below for visibility from afar. It rose straight at first, then drifted south toward Chiljung Fortress. Go Jeong-ui, on tiptoes, muttered,
"Direction's good, at least."
"Quit grumbling and watch the clepsydra."
The biggest issue with weaponized sky lanterns was dropping the Goguryeo Fire at the right moment. No timers or remote triggers in this era, so we had to cut the suspending cord precisely. We'd succeeded somewhat by coating the cord with mud and adjusting thickness to control drop time. But with wind and variables, I'd hesitated until the end. Still, the psychological blow made it worth trying—I'd brought one cart full. Thankfully, it held course toward the fortress. But the lantern's lamp fell short of the walls. Mocking laughter came from Chiljung Fortress—they were watching. I asked Go Jeong-ui immediately.
"How much mud?"
"Two coats."
"Clepsydra mark?"
He checked the clepsydra beside us.
"Three and a half."
"Three coats, then. Launch it."
"Got it."
Go Jeong-ui yelled to the male servants around the cart. They slathered mud thick on the cords with both hands, hung gourds filled with Goguryeo Fire, and lit the lanterns. Soon, dozens rose into the sky. Resting soldiers emerged one by one to watch. The flock heading to Chiljung Fortress looked just like swarming drones. Go Jeong-ui, staring up, asked,
"Have you named this weapon yet?"
"Name?"
"Yeah. Like Yeon Clan Cannon or Goguryeo Fire—gotta record it in the logs."
"A name, huh?"
I'd been so focused on whether to use it, I hadn't thought of one.
'Goguryeo Lantern or Yeon Clan Lantern sounds off.'
As I pondered inwardly, the lanterns finally reached Chiljung Fortress. One by one, the gourds dropped. What to hold the Goguryeo Fire in had been tricky too. Glass was ideal but exorbitantly rare in 7th-century Goguryeo. We'd settled on gourds—light, fragile, perfect. Watching intently, the first gourd detached. Heat-baked mud flaked off the cord, snapping it, and it plummeted. It shattered on impact, the attached flame igniting a modest blaze. It landed perilously close to the walls—but the fire took hold. No one in Chiljung Fortress laughed now.
"Master! They're crossing the walls!"
Go Jeong-ui shouted excitedly as the flock cleared the ramparts into the fortress. Gourds dropped one after another. Small flames erupted here and there. Soldiers cheered and clapped wildly. Someone fetched a drum, pounding it and yelling that our supreme commander was raining fire on the enemy. Half the lanterns successfully dropped Goguryeo Fire inside, sparking fires everywhere.
"Real bolt from the blue at midnight."
I inwardly savored the shock they'd feel. Actual damage unknown, but denying them sleep was victory enough.
'Like Charlie on fire watch.'
From now on, every night: sky lanterns to keep Chiljung's garrison sleepless. Giggling, I told Go Jeong-ui watching me to thicken the mud more. He relayed to the cart workers, then asked,
"So, what's the real name?"
"Why so persistent?"
"If you don't name it, I will. How about Go Clan Fire?"
His ulterior motive plain, I snorted.
"What've you done to slap 'Go Clan' on it?"