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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: The Emperor's Falling Land
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# 1
[Part 1 – The Otherworld Conquest]
Some called him simple.
Others called him cruel.
Still others said he was a man of great greed.
But...
In a way, such words only made him seem all the more human.
Despite his unapproachable station, he always stood at the forefront whenever a call to arms was sounded. He was unlike any monarch seen before, fostering the strength for his people to protect themselves rather than simply protecting them.
The Gauri Empire.
The most glorious name in this land.
Go Jincheon, the sacred name of the Emperor who established that name, defended it, and reigned not just by right, but by personally demonstrating the duties of a ruler to future generations.
We call him...
The Emperor of Steel.
- From the first chapter of the memoirs of Archmage Siaron Risel -
Chapter 1: The Emperor's Falling Land
"Aaaaargh!"
Khehehe!
"Halt!"
Pandemonium.
What words could better describe it?
The struggles of men fighting back with farm tools against armored soldiers armed with spears and swords were futile. Women were being stripped bare under the lustful gazes of the foul-smelling enemy soldiers.
The place where this unnatural scene unfolded... was the battlefield, a living hell on earth.
"Burn it all!"
The man in ornate armor, a cruel smile playing on his lips, was clearly the leader of those responsible for this inferno.
"Ge-General!"
"What's with all the frantic commotion!"
Annoyed that the soldier's call had disturbed his intoxication with blood and plunder, he scowled and snapped curtly. But the soldier's face was etched with alarm.
"A Gauri force is charging over the ridge!"
"Hmm... Their numbers?"
"Estimated at about eight hundred Armored Cavalry, along with two thousand infantry, including Shield Bearers and Axemen."
Gauri, also known as Goguryeo or Guryeo, had once been the hegemon of the continent. Despite this, a sneer formed on the general's face.
Who was he? None other than a Grand General leading the elites of the Tang Dynasty! With Yeon Gaesomun dead and the Baekje Kingdom fallen, the continent's hegemon was no longer Gauri, but Tang.
"To think you'd panic over a mere three thousand men..."
Including the soldiers currently pillaging, he had nearly eight thousand troops gathered nearby, so his reprimand seemed justified. Nevertheless, the soldier stammered as he spoke.
"Ye-yes, but among the Armored Cavalry, the four hundred at the vanguard are wearing black scale armor and white breastplates. It seems they are..."
"What did you say!"
Only then did the general's eyes widen as he shouted.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The rhythmic clanking of armor spread as three thousand troops reached the crest of the hill. From there, the tragic state of the village below was palpable, even without seeing it clearly.
"Hwi, enemy strength?"
"About eight thousand, including fifteen hundred cavalry."
"..."
At the very head of the cavalry, mounted on a black warhorse, a man silently surveyed the battlefield. His gaze was as unfathomably deep as the darkness below a cliff, and only the snorting of his excited warhorse betrayed any movement.
"Grand Commander, your orders!"
Shing!
Before the man called Hwi could even finish, the Ring-pommel Sword at the commander's side slid from its sheath with a sharp ring.
"Hwi! Take the right wing and circle around. Buru and Uru, take the left wing and strike from the left."
That was all.
By the time he finished speaking, the horses were already moving. As if on cue, two hundred cavalrymen in black scale armor and white breastplates followed with a heavy clang of metal. Behind them, the voice of the man named Hwi rang out.
"Let's go! Time to hunt some Tang soldiers!"
"Waaaaaah!"
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
The heavy thundering of hooves that shook the heavens and the earth charged toward the battlefield.
The Tang camp, scrambling to form ranks, began to falter at the sight of the men and horses charging recklessly forward.
"Cavalry, follow me!"
To meet the charging Gauri cavalry, the Tang cavalry thundered out of their camp. The Tang general, emboldened by their superior numbers, continued to bellow at the horsemen following him.
"The failing Gauri is no longer a match for us! Let's finish them quickly and grab a wench for ourselves... Gack!"
"Co-Commander!"
An arrow pierced the mouth of the loudmouth riding at the fore, and the banquet of death began. A volley of arrows rained down with unseen speed, their impacts only guessed at by the bodies thrown about in every direction.
Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh!
"Everyone, take cover!"
"Gyaaaak!"
Hee-hee-hing!
The shouts to reform the lines were drowned out by the dark-armored cavalry that descended upon them after the arrow volley.
Black scale armor and white breastplates.
And above their heads, the fluttering Three-legged Crow Flag had already begun to break the Tang army's will to fight. As his comrades were torn apart before his eyes, spraying blood, someone spoke in a trembling voice.
"The Black Armored Ghost Cavalry... Those cursed War Demons..."
The reflection of the black riders in the man's eyes was pure terror. He no longer saw his comrades being impaled on spears and thrown to the ground. He could only pray for this hellish nightmare to end.
"Kyaaaa!"
"Ho-hold them back!"
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
Having pierced through the Tang cavalry, which outnumbered them more than two to one, the Black Armored Ghost Cavalry charged into the infantry formation, unstoppable. Their black scale armor and white breastplates were already adorned with red blood. As they were drenched anew in warm blood, it was clear the Tang army was no match for them.
"R-run! It's the red Three-legged Crow Flag!"
Thwump!
"My aaaaarm!"
Seeing the red-backed Three-legged Crow Flag whipping violently in the wind, the Tang soldiers finally realized they were facing the God of Death. But for them, there would be no mercy. A handaxe buried itself in the head of the first soldier to turn his back, and the hour of death unfolded.
The red Three-legged Crow Flag and the dark scale armor.
They were the God of Death, and the last pride of Gauri.
* * *
"Damn Tang bastards are swarming like ants."
"Told ya there's no room to breathe!"
"Who said otherwise?"
Eulji Buru and Eulji Uru clicked their tongues as they watched the Tang forces begin their approach on Pyongyang Castle. A low voice sounded from behind them.
"The situation?"
"It's grim."
The voice that answered the dry question was laced with sorrow. Behind Go Jincheon, who listened to their report, Yeon Hwigaram stood silently in attendance.
"Hwi!"
Jincheon called out to Hwigaram, as if for confirmation.
"The scales have already tipped."
"Is that so..."
Yeon Hwigaram's reply was brief, but it accurately conveyed the bleakness of their current situation.
"Heh."
A smile touched Jincheon's lips as he looked down upon the battlefield.
"It'll be hard to ride anymore from now on."
Behind Go Jincheon, who wore an amused smile, Buru and Uru also began to laugh.
"Let's make a bet on who can kill more of those Tang sons of bitches."
As Buru's hearty voice rang out, Uru joined in.
"The loser has to go pluck the King of Hell's beard!"
"Alright! Sounds like fun."
They simply laughed, as if enjoying their current despair. And Yeon Hwigaram watched them quietly, as if to commit the scene to memory.
Just then, a lone horseman came galloping toward them.
"Grand Commander Go Jincheon, receive the Emperor's command!"
The messenger's booming voice echoed toward Jincheon's unit.
"Your Majesty! You must escape at once!"
"Your Majesty..."
"..."
Perhaps sensing the approaching scent of death, Emperor Bojang simply kept his eyes closed, despite the cries of his officials.
It was a war lost without even a proper fight.
As if waiting for Yeon Gaesomun's death, the empire had fractured into pieces and was already hurtling toward its end.
He raised his regret-filled eyes and looked around the great hall. The valiant generals who had once shaken the continent were gone, replaced by scum looking for a way to save their own skins. At least the Captain of the Royal Guard, who had always served him faithfully, remained by his side.
"You must escape before the encirclement is complete, Your Majesty!"
"If I escape, where would I go?"
"We have prepared a ship. We must sail south and rally our forces once more."
After the death of Yeon Gaesomun.
Yeon Gaesomun's sons, Namsaeng, Namsan, and Namgeon, fought amongst themselves, and Namgeon seized power. Afterward, Namsaeng fled to Tang and became their puppet, leading an invasion. The remaining military leaders were busy fighting for their own interests, even in this dire situation.
Emperor Bojang, feeling hollow, asked a question that revealed his sense of futility.
"If we rally our forces, who will fight?"
At the Emperor's question, Captain of the Royal Guard Dae Mudeok's face stiffened for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and spoke clearly.
"We still have Grand Commander Go Jincheon!"
"Yes, he is still with us."
For the first time, a smile appeared on Emperor Bojang's lips, and life returned to his face. Unlike the anxious Captain Dae Mudeok before him, he even began to show a hint of composure.
"Waaah!"
Just then, the sound of a baby's cry, unsuited for the current chaos, echoed faintly through the hall. And Emperor Bojang's face brightened.
"Captain, would you do me a favor?"
"Of course, Your Majesty!"
Mudeok was startled and flustered when Emperor Bojang suddenly grasped his hand and gave him a gentle smile.
Clasping the only hand he could trust, Emperor Bojang gave him his final command.
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