Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Great King Namsaeng
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To the repeated questions, Itain nodded.
"I've counted them several times myself."
"I thought the reinforcements from Dalholju would number three thousand?"
"It seems the rear relief units have been additionally reinforced. The fact that they came with all their flags lowered, making their affiliation impossible to identify clearly, confirms it."
"Encampment location?"
"Just as you predicted, Master—along the coastal area in front of Turtle Island."
"At least the ground is flat enough there to set up camp."
"Exactly. There's a spring there too, making it suitable for staying."
"Good work."
"Now, I'd like to join the battle."
I answered the cautious Itain that he could fight at my side. Then I immediately summoned the three generals to the command tent. On Samun entered first and, seeing my grave expression, asked,
"What is it?"
"A relief force from Dalholju's lord has arrived. The problem is, they're more numerous than expected."
"Over three thousand?"
"Reports put them at around five thousand."
On Samun's face twisted.
"An awkward number. We have six thousand, so splitting evenly would leave us outnumbered by the relief force."
"What if we reduce the Niha Castle contingent to two thousand?"
On Samun shook his head at my question.
"It seems sufficient at a glance, but it's not enough to fully surround Niha Castle. Deployed split between the east and west gates, it halves. If they open the gates and charge out feigning madness, it could turn dangerous. The positions are too far apart for quick reinforcement."
"They brought five thousand precisely to exploit that."
"War always begins by shattering the enemy's intentions."
On Samun gave a bitter smile. I turned to An Go beside him. Prudent by nature, I wanted to hear his take. An Go cleared his throat upon meeting my gaze.
"The best option is to abandon the siege and withdraw. We won't claim victory, but we won't suffer defeat either."
"And after that?"
"Press the siege. Leave minimal troops to face the relief force and stick to the walls."
So Bu-son immediately countered that opinion.
"Niha Castle will know reinforcements have arrived too. They'll defend even more desperately, and casualties will only mount. Better to concentrate everything on smashing the relief force."
With their views divided, On Samun—who had been listening with arms crossed—spoke up.
"On the battlefield, what I've learned is that the unexpected keeps happening beyond anything you've experienced. React to every one, and you'll accomplish nothing."
Then he looked me straight in the eye.
"Best to push ahead as originally planned."
The other two generals nodded as if in full agreement. Cheers rose from Niha Castle, which had been pounded by Yeon Clan Cannons for days. As I stepped out of the tent, I saw fire arrows arcing up from Niha. From the coast, the relief force's fire arrows were slowly descending. Go Dol-bal, who was waiting outside with his spear propped like a staff, spoke.
"They must have realized the relief force has arrived."
"They'll fight even more desperately now?"
Go Dol-bal nodded.
"Truly desperately."
"We'll fight even more desperately."
"Of course, Master."
Hearing Go Dol-bal's reply with his broad grin, I gazed toward Niha. Fire arrows rose one after another, only to be met by blazing projectiles crashing down from the Yeon Clan Cannons.
The next day, we moved out to confront the relief force that had appeared along the coast. I split the army in two, ordering three thousand under General On Samun's command to maintain the siege of Niha. General So Bu-son stayed behind to assist him, while General An Go came with me to face the relief force encamped on the coast. We crossed the hills and set up on the northern shore. One flank was blocked by the sea, the other by sheer mountains—leaving only a frontal clash possible. That put us at a disadvantage with fewer numbers. General An Go was well aware of it.
"The enemy will form a thick linear formation and charge. If they break through, it's defeat."
"Hold them off."
"I'll hold until you arrive."
The one piece of luck was that the Maemul Merchant Guild's merchant ships remained along the coast. They weren't warships and couldn't do much, but they looked the part—forcing the enemy to respond if they drew too close to shore. Drawing troops to the coast was part of my strategy as well. General An Go's forces took up positions. Once deployment was complete, battle would commence; time was short.
Parting from General An Go, I took Geom Mojam and the Yeon household retainers, along with Yang Man-chun, Go Dol-bal, and Itain, threading through the mountains. Malgal tribesmen dispatched by Iri scouted ahead, killing or driving off Silla scouts. Amid the sounds of Malgal and Silla skirmishes, we descended slowly southward.
The ambush site I'd chosen, Mureutjae, was a sunken valley where about a hundred could hide inside. Malgal tribesmen patrolled the surroundings under pretense of scouting, blocking Silla scouts. We settled into Mureutjae and looked down on the coast. I ordered a rest, so everyone dismounted and sat on logs or drank water. The horses were silenced with wooden bits in their mouths and cloth tied over.
I took position with my close aides overlooking the coast. As General An Go had predicted, the Silla forces formed a long linear line.
"They're planning to leverage their numerical superiority."
Itain nodded at Yang Man-chun's observation as they watched.
"Shield-and-spear infantry up front means a slow push. The Silla are especially strong with infantry."
Unlike with me, Itain spoke casually to Yang Man-chun, who accepted it naturally—no issue there. Drums beat, and the Silla advanced slowly. As the main line moved, the reserve shield troops shifted to the flanks, facing our side.
"Shields on the flanks too."
I muttered in disappointment. My plan to strike the elongated flanks had hit a wall. But I had a counter ready. With anticipation, I glanced at Gi Do-ryang. Standing with a dozen handpicked horse archers, Instant Legolas in hand, he smiled quietly.
"The real challenge now is how to take out their command staff."
In ancient times without communication, a commander's absence or death meant instant defeat. That's why great generals like Alexander always led from the front or stayed visible. Silla's Dalholju lord would surely be somewhere his troops could see him. Without a telescope, though, distinguishing him was tough. A keen-eyed soldier peered from behind a tree, then shouted upon spotting a banner.
"Nangdang banner sighted!"
"Nangdang—the central legion formed under King Jinpyeong."
A brand-new unit, less than ten years old by current reckoning, one that would shine in the later Silla-Tang wars.
"Yeah. Why is Nangdang here?"
The unexpected development left even Itain flustered.
"Now I get why their numbers swelled. It was Dalholju's lord's troops plus Nangdang."
The mystery was solved, but now problems piled up. Silla forces and General An Go's Goguryeo troops stood on the brink of collision. Fortunately, as the Maemul merchant ships crept toward the coast, some Silla troops turned that way.
"The armies are clashing."
Arrows flew from both sides almost simultaneously. The sky darkened with them, the impacts on shields ringing out. Interspersed were the agonized screams of soldiers struck by arrows that slipped past. General An Go slowly pulled back his forces.
"Dragging it out to stretch the Silla line thin."
It was time to seize the moment. Even with An Go's veteran command, no telling how long a retreating force could hold. Silla pursued the withdrawing Goguryeo troops. During the retreat, General An Go had sown stakes and caltrops. The enemy vanguard slowed, widening gaps in their line. In that interval, the Malgal burst forth.
Horseback, they closed to shoot arrows before retreating, harassing the Silla trying to clear the obstacles. Silla responded by sending out their own cavalry. Spotting the armored, spear-wielding Silla horsemen, the Malgal wheeled their mounts instantly. Keeping a safe distance, they loosed arrows to keep the pressure on.
"It's a whole different world."
There were no cinematic clashes of thousands in one-on-one duels. Fighting without formation was absurd. Armor and helmets were brutally heavy—no room for flashy sword swings like in films. And no matter one's martial prowess, you couldn't fend off blades or spears from behind. The proper way was shield walls and phalanxes locked together.
"Films just don't capture it."
Silla cleared the obstacles and clashed with General An Go's forces again. This time, instead of a full withdrawal, An Go pulled back the center to envelop from both sides. But Silla's shield wall held stubbornly firm. In the end, An Go's troops fell back once more. Seeing it, Go Dol-bal shouted,
"Two or three more clashes like that, and their formation collapses."
Defeat would follow. Once the line broke, soldiers routed, leaving only slaughter. Most casualties happened not in head-on clashes, but during retreats. As Go Dol-bal said, An Go was holding masterfully so far—but at this rate of being pushed back, collapse was only a matter of time.
Stay calm in the thick of it.
Taking a deep breath, I scanned the elongated Silla line. Midway toward the rear, banners from Nangdang and other units clustered. But the commander was unlikely there. As I kept watching, Yang Man-chun pointed to the far rear.
"Look—toward the back."
At the tail end of the Silla formation, a cluster of soldiers stood out. No banners, and not many visible.
"Just a rear guard?"
Yang Man-chun shook his head at my question.
"Messengers have been coming and going non-stop. No rear guard needs that much traffic."
Hearing that, I looked again at the rear group. Shields obscured the view, but sure enough, messengers bustled in and out. Watching confirmed my resolve.
"Even if it's not command, hitting the rear will rattle them."
I'd anticipated war wouldn't go entirely to plan. But not this frantic pace, demanding split-second calls.
That's why commanders fuck up sometimes.
Limited info, snap decisions under pressure—that's what bred disasters. Those who judged right amid chaos became legends.
While my mind raced, General An Go's forces withdrew again. Orderly enough this time, but no guarantee it'd hold next round.