Swordsmanship (1)
I fell asleep the moment we returned. By the time I woke, the sun had already set and night had fallen. A faint evening glow slipped through the window when I opened my eyes.
“What time is it…?”
Given the circumstances of this mission, the return march had been an exhausting forced trek. We had arrived at dawn, and I had washed up, collapsed into bed, and dropped straight into sleep. After that, I remembered nothing. Had I truly been that drained?
This mission had without question been the hardest I had undertaken so far. Still, when I rose and stretched, my body felt surprisingly refreshed.
“Oh? Maknae, you’re up?”
“For real?”
The senior soldiers sharing the barracks greeted me warmly the moment I stirred. As soon as they heard I was awake, they gathered around one by one, inspecting me.
“No visible wounds?”
“He looks perfectly fine, doesn’t he?”
“Maknae. Does anything hurt? Anything feel strange?”
They checked my complexion, grabbed my arms and legs, and moved them this way and that, exactly like doctors examining a patient.
“…What are you all doing?”
“What do you mean, what? We’re making sure you’re not injured anywhere.”
This was strange. They had returned with me; they knew I was unharmed. Their behavior made no sense.
“But why…?”
“Because you slept more than thirty straight hours and only just woke up. Of course we’re going to check on you.”
“Excuse me?”
I asked again, wondering if I had misheard. Thirty hours?
“You didn’t even notice? Ha, you really just slept like the world outside didn’t exist.”
One of the seniors tilted his head and explained.
“You’ve done nothing but sleep since we got back.”
“…….”
I was speechless. Their expressions told me it was true.
“Oh, the priestess said to bring you to the infirmary the second you woke up.”
“Hayun did?”
The seniors sighed and continued.
“Yeah. You have no idea how worried she was. She came by almost every hour to check on you.”
“…I’m sorry.”
The seniors sharing the barracks must have been inconvenienced as well. I lowered my head in apology. Fortunately, once they confirmed my condition was decent, they waved it off.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. As long as you’re all right, that’s what matters.”
“Go see the priestess at the infirmary first. She’ll probably come looking again soon.”
“Yes.”
I left the barracks immediately and headed for the infirmary. The place was noisy, as expected. Outposts like this sent many soldiers to the front lines, so the stream of wounded was constant. The beds in the infirmary were almost never empty.
Seo Hayun, who had been caring for the soldiers, spotted me at once.
“Ah, Jungwoo!”
She breathed a small sigh of relief the moment she saw my face. The seniors’ words about how worried she had been echoed in my mind. After finishing her current patient’s treatment, she had a moment and walked straight over.
“Are you all right? No pain anywhere? How’s your head? Any headaches?”
“I’m fine. I guess I was just tired.”
Seo Hayun studied me for a long time before she finally seemed to accept my answer.
“No fever… pulse is normal… Why did that happen? Was it really nothing more than accumulated fatigue…?”
Despite having treated countless soldiers’ wounds, she tilted her head, saying she had never seen symptoms like mine. Only after I reassured her several times that I was truly fine did she believe me.
“…Really?”
“Yeah. I actually feel refreshed now. Besides…”
I glanced around, then leaned close to her ear and whispered.
“My body isn’t the same as an ordinary human’s anymore.”
“Ah.”
Seo Hayun let out a small gasp, as if the realization had only just hit her.
“Right… of course… that makes sense.”
She was the only one who knew I had died once and returned. She also knew about the mysterious power I wielded—Heavenly Fate. On the surface I might look like any other human, but what was truly happening inside was anyone’s guess.
“If you feel even the slightest bit wrong, you must tell me. You must, understand?”
Seo Hayun took my hand, her plea earnest.
“I will.”
I comforted her, knowing she never wanted to experience my death a second time.
“You just woke up, right? You must be hungry.”
“I was about to head to the mess hall.”
Fortunately the mess hall had not yet closed. I could still eat before they finished cleaning up.
“Let’s go together. I haven’t eaten yet either.”
“You haven’t eaten?”
“No. There were a lot of patients to treat today. I planned to eat after finishing everything. And… I kept having to check on you in between.”
I remembered the senior saying she had come by every hour.
“…Sorry.”
“Ah, no! I was the one worrying, so why are you apologizing?”
Seo Hayun waved her hands in alarm at my apology.
“It’s because of me, isn’t it?”
I caught her fluttering hand. While calming her flustered expression, I gently stroked her hair.
“From now on, if anything feels off I’ll tell you right away. So you don’t have to worry like this.”
“…Okay.”
Seo Hayun gave a small nod. The tension that had stiffened her body seemed to melt away with relief. I tried to release her hand, but she held on even tighter.
“Can’t we walk like this?”
“What?”
“I want to hold your hand.”
It sounded like a question, yet the firm grip revealed her strong resolve. I glanced around, reading the room. Some soldiers stole looks, others smirked or frowned—various reactions.
I let out a small sigh and properly clasped her hand.
“All right. Let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
Seo Hayun smiled brightly in reply.
The moment we reached the mess hall and I saw the serving line, despair washed over me.
“No way…”
There was almost no spicy pork left.
“S-should I make some for you…?”
Seo Hayun asked cautiously. If I said yes, she looked ready to march into the kitchen and cook it herself. I couldn’t burden the kitchen staff like that, so I shook my head.
“…No. It’s fine. Can’t be helped.”
I could only blame myself for arriving late. Swallowing my disappointment, I ate dinner with Seo Hayun.
After our late dinner, Seo Hayun returned straight to the infirmary. Hearing her say she would check on every patient one more time before resting, it was clear no one matched her sense of responsibility. The only problem was that same responsibility now extended to me.
“…….”
Pushing aside my complicated thoughts, I changed direction. Instead of returning to my own barracks, I headed for the one used by the 2nd Subjugation Unit soldiers. I had remembered Lee Sunho’s request: ‘When you return to the outpost, can you spare me a little time?’
He had mentioned that a large-scale subjugation force would soon be formed to wipe out the orcs. I had heard from Seo Hayun—while we ate—that only a short time had passed since I woke. Roughly ten hours remained. Before heading out again, I wanted to take care of Lee Sunho’s business.
When I arrived in front of the 2nd Subjugation Unit barracks, a soldier happened to be stepping out.
“Huh? What’s this? Something wrong?”
The soldiers resting inside welcomed my visit more warmly than expected. They usually didn’t act so friendly toward someone from another unit, but it seemed they still felt indebted to me from the recent orc battle.
“Oh. You’re here?”
Lee Sunho, noticing me a moment later, raised his hand in greeting.
“Let’s head out.”
“Yes.”
I followed him outside. The place he led me to was the training ground.
“Is your body feeling better?”
When I had first seen him, one of his arms had been fractured and unusable.
“More or less.”
Lee Sunho gave a crooked smile. He rotated his healed arm in every direction, showing it was fully functional. An injury that should have kept him out for two months had healed almost completely, all thanks to Seo Hayun’s magic.
“It’s because of you.”
“It healed because of her, not me.”
“She’s your girlfriend, so it counts as your doing too, doesn’t it?”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
Lee Sunho’s eyes widened as though he had heard something unbelievable.
“The way you two were glued together in the barracks… and you’re saying she’s not?”
“…She isn’t.”
“Hey, man. Do you know what the hottest rumor in the entire unit is right now? It’s all about you and that priestess.”
“…….”
I stayed silent. In truth, I had heard some of it. People who loved gossip existed everywhere, and a few of the seniors in my own unit liked to tease me about it. I had simply tried to ignore it.
“Plenty of guys want to kill you—the source of all that pink, sugary atmosphere floating around the base.”
“Even so, why take it out on me…”
“Would they dare harm the priestess who’s been working herself to the bone healing us?”
“…….”
With my mouth firmly shut, he continued. “So of course they go after the easy target—you, the very manageable maknae.”
It was an irrefutable point. Any urge to protest how unfair it was simply vanished.
“Just so you know, I’m one of those bastards who wants to chew you out.”
“…What did you want to see me about?”
I changed the subject to end the unproductive conversation quickly.
“Wow, look at you dodging because you’re on the defensive. Damn. Fine. Anyway, that wasn’t the real reason I called you.”
Lee Sunho grinned, picked up one of the wooden swords stored at the training ground, and tossed the other to me. I snatched the spinning hilt out of the air and looked at him.
“We head out on the operation in about ten hours, so let’s keep this quick.”
“…Are we sparring?”
“No, not that.”
He scratched his head awkwardly and went on.
“I kept thinking about how I could repay the favor you did for me. Then I remembered watching you fight orcs and other demonic beasts…”
Lee Sunho leveled the wooden sword that had been resting on his shoulder, pointing its tip at me.
“You. Let’s learn some swordsmanship.”