Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: The Fall of Chiljung Fortress
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The troops' morale had soared after effortlessly scaling the walls of Chiljung Fortress. In contrast, the Silla forces, caught off guard and deprived of their defensive advantage, were thrown into chaos. As I silently watched the scene unfold, Ham-a spoke up.
"How did you come up with this? Truly impressive, Master."
In truth, I'd drawn inspiration from the Eastern Roman Empire—the originators of Greek Fire, Goguryeo Fire's prototype—and their use of it from siege towers. But I hadn't expected it to be this effective. Goguryeo soldiers poured relentlessly into Chiljung Fortress. Even the two thousand who'd stayed back at camp joined the fray. As I observed, a messenger galloped up and shouted from below.
"Report for the Grand General! General Onsa-mun has just smashed through the north gate and entered the fortress."
"Excellent! Chiljung Fortress is now ours."
Feeling elated, I grinned, and the messenger grinned back. Leaning on the railing, I sat on the ground and looked at Ham-a.
"Detach one for Gwanmi Fortress and one for Maeso Fortress."
"Attack them the same way?"
"Yeah. It's working better than expected."
"Indeed. They can't extinguish the fire, so they're helpless."
But even Ham-a glanced at the melted corpses and let out a sigh.
"Scary?"
"Not scary, exactly. It's just... strange to see people die like that."
"Death on the battlefield is always strange. But thanks to this, thousands of our soldiers will return home unscathed."
"I'll keep that in mind, Master."
I gave him a look laced with apology and pride. Inside Chiljung Fortress, fierce combat raged on. Goguryeo forces, riding high on momentum, kept pushing the Silla troops back. Ita-in, atop the watchtower, cleaved the last resisting Silla soldiers in two, yanked down their banner, discarded it, and planted the one handed to him by a subordinate. The banner bearing the "Go" 高 character unfurled proudly over the blood-soaked Chiljung Fortress.
The battle didn't end until dusk. General Onsa-mun's men, who breached the north gate, joined forces with Ita-in's troops from the west wall, overwhelming the Silla army. They resisted fiercely at first but soon lost steam, with more and more surrendering. The castellan and a handful of holdouts hid in a granary stocked with rations, fighting until they were wiped out.
Upon hearing the battle was over, Geom Mojam and I entered through the north gate. Soldiers stripped usable gear from the fallen Silla corpses—armor and all—then dragged them outside the gates and piled them like a mountain. Seeing wheelbarrows used to haul the bodies filled me with unease. On one side, surviving Silla soldiers were herded together, disarmed, kneeling with heads bowed. One young soldier, wide-eyed with fear and glancing around, took a spear butt to the head from a watching guard. Exhausted troops searching the fortress spotted me and gathered one by one.
Not an idol, but it's still overwhelming.
The assembled soldiers raised fists and cheered. I shook hands and embraced those who approached. Then, like at Niha Fortress, I gave a speech.
"My soldiers! You risked your lives to seize this fortress. This victory belongs to us all. Those who fight for me are no different from brothers! The spoils from here will be shared generously."
The troops lit up with joy at my words. Spoils were one of the few rewards for those who'd staked their lives in battle. Waiting for the excited soldiers to calm, I spoke again.
"But the fight isn't over. The enemy is coming to reclaim this fortress we've bled for. Should we retreat?"
"No!"
They roared in unison. I asked again.
"Should we retreat?"
Soldiers with bloodshot eyes bellowed even louder.
"Absolutely not!"
"We won't retreat. We'll return home with victory's glory and spoils. Well done. Today's triumph is thanks to all you brothers."
Cheers and applause erupted from every direction. I shook hands one by one with approaching soldiers, patted shoulders, and offered words of thanks. They were moved to tears by a high-ranking commander expressing gratitude—an era where class was everything, and my greatest weapon. Pushing through the cheering crowd, I went to meet General Onsa-mun. He was near the granary by the east gate. One end of the long granary building had burned and collapsed completely. Beheaded corpses lay before it, bloodied bodies lined up beside them. As I approached, General Onsa-mun turned and came over.
"You always take fortresses with these wondrous tactics."
"Just a minor trick. It was only after you breached the gate that we truly captured it."
"No. We couldn't even approach the gate until the west wall fell."
Glancing at the modest general, my eyes fell on the headless corpse before us. The neck guard—kyeonggap—was nearby, and the arm and ankle guards suggested a high-ranking officer. Sensing my gaze, General Onsa-mun said,
"Chiljung Fortress's castellan, Ilgilchan Hwancheon."
"So this is where Chiljung's castellan made his last stand."
General Onsa-mun nodded at my question.
"He came here with his non-surrendering men and fought to the end. Wounded, he begged me to behead him, so I did it myself. He set the granary ablaze at the last moment, but we extinguished it quickly and salvaged plenty of rations."
"Like at Niha Fortress, these castellans never give up."
I muttered bitterly, and General Onsa-mun sighed too.
"On the battlefield, it's only life and death. If we lose and surrender, our families get burned alive and beheaded. So they choose death—at least their families survive."
The phrase "age of barbarism" crossed my mind, but I clamped my mouth shut. This era had its rules, and I had to play by them. Gazing at the decapitated body, I let out a deep sigh.
"Still, we should bury him properly, right?"
"One of the prisoners is his body servant. I'll have him tend to the remains."
"Good call. Thanks to you, we've taken the impregnable Chiljung Fortress."
"It's the Grand General's brilliant stratagem."
"You're too kind. It's our combined efforts."
We exchanged laughs and compliments for a while when Malgal tribesmen cavalry appeared, caked in dust. He reined in before me, dismounted, and knelt on one knee.
"Report for the Grand General. Silla forces sighted."
The words hit me like cold water over the head.
"Where?"
"About forty ri southeast. They arrived last night, set up camp—we spotted it and raced back."
General Onsa-mun, hearing the Malgal rider's report, said to me,
"If they left this morning, they've covered ten or twenty more ri by now."
"They'll reach here or Maeso by tomorrow afternoon."
"Likely."
"This place matters more than Maeso, so probably here."
"Agreed. Without this, retaking upstream Maeso is pointless."
"If they attack, better to defend the fortress than fight in open field?"
"Now that it's ours, yes."
After conferring with General Onsa-mun, I asked the Malgal rider,
"Enemy numbers?"
"Counted tents and fires—around fifteen thousand. Even generously, not twenty."
"Fifteen thousand? Not ten?"
"Definitely over ten."
"Understood. Rest up."
The Malgal rider saluted and left. Arms crossed, I pondered.
"More than the initial force, less than with reserves."
General Onsa-mun replied,
"Probably reinforced with half the follow-up troops."
"The other half to General Alcheon on the Baekje front."
"Makes sense. Hard to abandon either."
"We've really given them headaches."
Stroking my mustache with a chuckle, General Onsa-mun laughed too.
"Monumental ones. If we hadn't taken even one fortress, maybe—but with key Chiljung in hand, now they ache."
"Straight here, then?"
"Soon as they hear we've seized it. Before we fortify."
"Let's trip them up first."
"Lead the charge?"
"No. Call Yang Man-chun from Gwanmi with Malgal cavalry for hit-and-runs on their march."
"That'll delay them responding."
"We finish defenses meanwhile."
"Two days enough. Walls intact."
"No need for all troops here—split to Maeso and Gwanmi for their sieges. Send cavalry out to hit enemy rear when they show."
"Cavalry fine, but pulling defenders with enemy at our door?"
"Fortress needs few; Maeso and Gwanmi with reinforcements and our method fall in a day."
General Onsa-mun nodded.
"Right. Three thousand infantry each."
"Perfect. And a cart to each."
"On it."
After, I summoned Ham-a. For some reason, Deputy Supreme Commander Bu-sang came too.
"Disassemble the Goguryeo Fire on the wheelbarrow cart, send to Gwanmi and Maeso."
"Same attack method?"
"Yeah. They'll counter once they know—strike fast."
"Problem: no one to handle it but me."
And me. But I couldn't leave Chiljung, let alone go elsewhere. Regretted sending Hwagwi-seon off without backups.
Should've kept a few.
Quietly listening, Deputy Supreme Commander Bu-sang spoke.
"I'll go."
"Pardon?"
Stunned by the unexpected offer, he continued.
"Gotta do something. Feels too urgent for just watching you."
"W-Well, true."
Despite my sowing discord, hadn't expected this nobility. Reading my thoughts, Deputy Supreme Commander Bu-sang grinned.