* * *
Daeya Fortress
Daeya Fortress had long since fallen to the combined assault of Gyeon Hwon and his son Shin-geom.
When Geumgang had said he would go to Naju, more troops had been mobilized than in the original history. The idea was that if Geumgang failed to take Naju and was defeated, Daeya Fortress could at least be pushed hard to intensify the offensive against Silla.
The Goryeo forces that had come to support Silla could not overcome the larger than expected army of Gyeon Hwon and Shin-geom.
"Your Majesty, an urgent dispatch has arrived from the Naju front."
"Ah — Geumgang, is it."
"Yes. Prince Geumgang has taken the castle at Geumseong and forced the nobles to their knees."
Geumgang? That was fast.
"He did that with only a few hundred men I gave him?"
"Yes. It is due to the Prince's skillful management of the popular mood, is it not?"
Neunghwan deliberately made a point of saying it that way.
"And yet. Ahem."
"Why do you look so grim?"
"It appears he has captured one of Naju's powerful nobles — O Da-ryeon."
"O Da-ryeon, you say — surely not..."
He had heard of him. O Da-ryeon, father of Wang Geon's wife, Lady O.
The reason Neunghwan was making that face was that Geumgang had, without even trying, achieved a tremendous coup.
With a mere few hundred clan soldiers, he had brought down Geumseong — the very heart of Naju. This was no small thing. It threatened to overshadow Shin-geom's lineage claim, since it was Shin-geom who had led the vanguard at Daeya Fortress under Gyeon Hwon.
"Did something happen to Geumgang?"
"It is, well — they say Prince Geumgang led a charge of only a few dozen guards, smashed through several hundred clan soldiers, and won. Because of that, the people of the region have taken to calling the Prince Pae-wang Geumgang — the Conqueror Geumgang."
Gyeon Hwon sucked in a sharp breath.
Pae-wang Geumgang. In a land with a king, someone calling his son the Conqueror.
The hall grew noisy.
Gyeon Hwon himself didn't dislike his son earning fame. He was deeply fond of Geumgang after all. But a name like that could become a political liability for the boy.
Even Gyeon Hwon himself had never received the title of Conqueror — and yet his son, not even the eldest, had.
Looking at Yang-geom and Yong-geom's faces, they're clearly far from pleased.
While not having formally designated an heir yet, Gyeon Hwon — who had his heart set on Geumgang — actually welcomed this outcome.
Baekje had been repeatedly pushed to the defensive in battle. In this moment, the name Pae-wang Geumgang earned fighting Goryeo was like a drop of rain after a long drought.
"And what is Geumgang doing now?"
"His report says he has taken Geumseong and intends to bring all surrounding territories into submission."
Good — then he should establish a naval base in that area to guard against Goryeo ever trying to reclaim Naju.
For now, leaving him in Naju was the right move.
Geumgang moving slowly seemed to show he at least understood the situation.
No need to call him back. He'd return to Wansanju on his own when the time was right.
And as Gyeon Hwon had expected, the remaining brothers were not pleased by Geumgang being called the Conqueror.
"Brother. He sent you to Daeya Fortress and then used a few hundred soldiers to pacify Naju on his own and earn all this glory. That was his plan from the start."
"Exactly. Pae-wang — how is that even appropriate?"
The name that not even the revered Gyeon Hwon himself had received, Geumgang had taken.
Even if it was just petty local nobles saying it, these were the Naju clans who had held power since the Mahan era — not just any nobody.
"Enough of that. Geumgang is my brother. He's your brother too. You cannot speak of him this way."
"He recaptured Naju. With a mere few hundred clan soldiers, no less."
"Well — compared to the fronts against Silla and Goryeo, Naju wasn't Goryeo's main line of battle. The enemies there were only clan forces. Geumgang would have been more than capable of handling that."
Even saying that, Shin-geom was uneasy inside.
Had Geumgang truly gone to Naju alone with absolutely no ulterior motive?
The man had been outstanding in martial talent and military acumen for years. That kind of achievement — yes, he had expected it.
But Pae-wang?
The seed of suspicion would not easily be uprooted.
* * *
Up in the heavens, the gods who were competing through their proxies were laughing at a monitor with great amusement.
— Aaaauugh!
The image of Geumgang's horse bolting and crashing into the enemy lines.
The funny part was that because of Geumgang's particular power, it all looked like a glorious one-man rampage to everyone watching — which was now leading those around him to hail Geumgang as a war god and a conqueror.
The gods who knew the truth were holding their sides laughing.
"Is your proxy some kind of Korean comedian? This is hilarious. Ha!"
"For real. Absolutely dying. Our proxies are all playing it dead serious and it's so boring by comparison."
Among the proxies of the European god was Napoleon. The Southeast Asian god's proxy — the last emperor of the Vietnamese Lý dynasty — had been on a hot streak lately.
Amidst countless parallel worlds and countless proxies performing across them all, only the goddess who had chosen Geumgang as her proxy knitted her brow.
"Are you two laughing at me?"
Even in the best-chosen eras of the Korean Peninsula, the interference of the Central Plains made it nearly impossible for a proxy to truly shine. On top of that, starting in a divided, declining Later Baekje was enough to make one's blood pressure spike — and now the other gods were talking like this.
"Hey, hey, think about it. With a proxy like this, even if you lose, watching it is fun, right?"
...Yeah. I guess that's true.
The goddess was fuming. The other gods' proxies were rewriting history and riding high — while her proxy was making a spectacle of himself at every turn.
And yet she couldn't quite criticize him either, because from the outside, it kept looking like he was winning brilliantly. That was the real problem.
What kind of idiot accidentally massacres an enemy army because he can't ride a horse properly?
Still — not yet. There was still time.
Glancing to one side of the view, she spotted a god with a bottle to his lips.
"Ahh, son of a... My proxy is Joseon's King Seonjo. He's so damn cowardly he ran all the way to Liaodong. Joseon's done."
At least she was better off than that guy.
* * *
Things were unfolding more smoothly than expected.
With Geumseong fallen and the nobles surrendered, absorbing the surrounding areas proved less difficult.
So what now?
Having come this far with some self-respect on the line, slipping away wasn't easy anymore. Of course, if an opportunity arose, I'd still bolt at any moment — but disappearing from Naju itself was looking impossible.
Everywhere I went, people were calling me the Conqueror. Thanks to that, I'd gained a reason not to return to Wansanju immediately — but I was effectively tethered to Baekje's Naju.
"Your Highness. What are you brooding over so deeply?"
"Pajinchan."
"Is it Daeya Fortress that troubles you?"
No, I'm brooding about how badly I want to run.
"Just calm your mind and it will become clear. Goryeo has backed down, hasn't it."
"No, I'm not thinking about that—"
"How could I not understand Prince Geumgang's loyalty and filial heart? But now is a time for restraint. For a while, you must build a foundation here in Naju."
Build a foundation?
Pajinchan had clearly lost his mind. Was he trying to push me into the succession struggle?
"Pajinchan. What if I said I wanted to leave Baekje?"
"Surely not — defect to Goryeo?"
"Are you mad? I captured O Da-ryeon. Wang Geon would have my head on a spike."
Going straight to Goryeo right now was out of the question.
"Then what do you—"
"Japan, across the sea. Something like that."
At my words, the already deeply wrinkled face of Pajinchan deepened further.
"As expected of Prince Geumgang."
"What?"
Was this man misreading things again?
"Chief State Counselor Neunghwan sides with Prince Shin-geom and keeps you in check. You intend to establish ties with Japan from Naju and secure a backer, do you not? With Japan as your patron, Neunghwan and Prince Shin-geom would not dare touch you — for fear of diplomatic repercussions. You are painting a grand picture, are you not?"
That was absolutely not what I meant. I had simply asked what it would be like to literally go to Japan.
How does a mind work to arrive at that conclusion?
Better this than having my real intentions found out, I suppose.
But if Japan got involved, then actually escaping to Japan would also fail.
What about Balhae? If I went to Balhae—
Going to the Central Plains was lunacy. But in Balhae, if I could deal with Yelü Abaoji somehow, perhaps I could scrape by.
For now, I needed to be more careful with my words.
I cleared my throat awkwardly.
"Ahem. You're reading too much into it. I was simply thinking that perhaps I should leave this land so as not to become a burden to my brother Shin-geom."
"Even if Prince Shin-geom wishes to take the next throne — your words are absolutely right, Your Highness. However, Baekje needs you right now."
I swallowed hard.
Saliva kept running down my throat.
In my estimation, Pajinchan was a man who would get me killed. I must never get too close to him. He was undoubtedly testing me on Shin-geom's behalf.
Why else would he be acting like this?
"I understand that. We suppressed Naju in an instant, didn't we. But you must consider my position. Yang-geom and Yong-geom are watching me with sharp eyes."
"Hmm. That is true. Conflict between brothers will certainly arise."
"And you're encouraging that conflict?"
This was downright maddening.
"That is exactly why you must grow stronger. If you build sufficient power, Shin-geom, Yang-geom, and Yong-geom will not dare harm you. And it is the wish of His Majesty."
Gyeon Hwon?
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Even if Your Highness has no ambition for the throne — repaying your father's expectations is also a son's duty, is it not?"
"Hmm. In that case—"
Going to Japan as a base for diplomacy might be the better move after all.
"Then I will go to Wansanju first."
"Will you be all right, Your Highness?"
All I have to do is keep my head down and eat my humble pie.
Why should I be sitting here cowering? Whether it's Shin-geom or Neunghwan looking down on me — I'll make a scene if I have to, get kicked out, and be done with it.
I've got nothing to lose.
"I need to go once regardless. I ought to go receive my reward from Father for the campaign, and discuss what comes next."
That's how I'd set the course for diplomacy too.