The afternoon air tasted of smoke and iron. Jin Seol stood in the courtyard of So Taek's estate, the sound of men sharpening blades echoing faintly from within. The war drums had not yet begun, but the world already felt heavier, as if every breath carried the weight of blood yet to be spilled.
So Taek adjusted the leather bracer on his arm as he regarded Jin. "The world has decided its course, boy. We can either stand aside and be crushed beneath it, or we can march with it."
Jin's gaze flicked to the rows of crates stacked neatly by the wall—spears, bows, quivers of arrows, and bundles wrapped in cloth that only someone like So Taek would have access to. Merchants did not become wealthy by chance. "You're saying you'll fight," Jin said.
So Taek grunted, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "Not only fight. My men and I will march. This war is two months of chaos, and chaos favors those who know how to survive in it. I refuse to let opportunity pass." His eyes narrowed, gleaming like steel. "And besides, there are debts that must be collected in blood."
Before Jin could reply, So Taek lifted his hand and barked, "Jaehwan!"
From the side room emerged a tall, broad-shouldered man with a shaved head that caught the light like polished stone. His eyes were bright, his expression open, almost boyishly so, and yet his presence filled the space with a strange mixture of warmth and unrefined strength.
"You called, master?" Jaehwan asked, bowing slightly before looking curiously at Jin.
"This is Jaehwan," So Taek said, gesturing with a hand. "My right hand. Stupid as a mule sometimes, but brave enough to march into hell if I told him there was firewood there."
Jaehwan scratched the back of his smooth scalp, grinning sheepishly. "That's not fair, master. I'd at least ask if there was a pot of stew waiting on the other side."
So Taek let out a rare laugh, deep and booming, before his tone hardened again. "Jaehwan, prepare the men. We ride out within the three days. I want every blade sharpened, every horse fed, every arrow accounted for. No mistakes."
Jaehwan puffed out his chest, thumping a fist against it with a sound like a drum. "Understood! Leave it to me. By the time the sun sets, we'll be ready to cut through armies."
"Good." So Taek's expression softened for only a heartbeat. "Don't die too quickly, Jaehwan. I'll be needing you."
The man grinned again, flashing teeth like ivory. "You'll die before me, master. I'll make sure of it." Then he turned and left with long strides, shouting orders the moment he was beyond the door. His voice carried across the courtyard, full of raw enthusiasm, whipping the men into motion like an eager storm.
Jin studied him with a quiet gaze. There was something refreshing about Jaehwan, something so painfully straightforward it almost hurt. A man like that didn't belong in the shadowed world Jin knew—but perhaps that was why So Taek trusted him so deeply.
"Bravery without guile," So Taek muttered, watching his subordinate's back. "The world chews men like him apart, but while they live, they inspire others. That's why I keep him."
Jin gave no answer, only storing away the thought. Inspiration was a weapon in its own right, sharper than steel in the right hands.
Later that evening, when the sun burned red across the horizon, Jin found himself walking a narrow street where the smells of roasting chestnuts and wet earth mingled. There, leaning casually against a stall post, was Do Yeon, a bundle slung across his shoulder as always.
The merchant's eyes brightened at once. "Jin!" He waved with an ease that made him stand out against the grim atmosphere that clung to the city. "I was hoping to catch you before you disappeared again."
Jin stopped before him, silent.
Do Yeon's smile lingered, but his tone carried a thread of unease. "Tell me… are you going to be part of this war too?"