75: War Era: The North Kingdom

Wang Yu stormed into the tactical camper, put his sword on the table while the rest of the people in the camp stare at him in worry.

"This is not good. If The Tang batillion starts moving, we'll lose this part of the kingdom..." the general pointed an area using a wooden black pointer.

"Pyeha... That's–"

"Does anyone heard about wangja jaga's team?" Wang Yu asked, with a terror in his eyes.

Everyone exchange looks. They could read the tense in the air. That area, it was where Mushim's squad situated.

"They are just... A group of children..."

"We never expected that the Tang will infiltrate the area!" a man with an orange army suit; indicated him from the archery squad frowned as he tried not to imagine how dreadful the situation will be.

"Send the backup. We have no time to lose.."

"I'll rush there–"

"Pyeha, please don't! We need you to stay. It's dangerous!"

"And let my only son die just like that?! Wangja jaga is in danger!" Wang Yu stamped the table with his fist, almost broke the table in two.

"Pyeha, if anything happens, we will lose everything; both you and wangja jaga. We'll lose the present, and the future of this kingdom. That's what the Tang wants," General Ki patted Wang Yu's shoulder, reminded him about the real situation that they deal right now.

"But, how come I let a thirteen year old wangja to lead a squad to fight the war?! We just let them go straight into the hand of grim reaper!" Wang Yu couldn't hold his tears anymore.

General Ki sighed as he gave a signal to the rest of people in the camp to give them some space. Except for the personal eunuch and one of the intel personnel, everyone slowly left the camp with the recent heartbreaking news.

"Pyeha..."

"I need to rescue wangja jaga!"

"You only make things worst if you do that. The kingdom needs a king, and if you die, it makes things easier for Tang to take over the throne," said General Ki.

"He's just thirteen!"

General Ki nodded, understood the worry in Wang Yu.

"Pyeha... My daughters currently stay at the same camp. They are twelve."

Wang Yu stared at General Ki's calm face.

"Why don't you do something?! That–"

"I believe in them. I know they'll fight. I raise them to be a warrior. If they die, they'll die in honor of my family, pyeha. Hwa Young is a good swordsman, and Hwa Sa works volunteering for the medical team. They took a pledge to protect wangja jaga and the nation, and for that, I put my trust in them," words that coming from General Ki made Wang Yu choked a bit. He's a father of two daughters, a twin. But, he didn't broke down, moreover, he put his trust on them.

"But, we can't sit here and wait, right? We have to do something!" Wang Yu hastily spoke.

"That's true. Let's send a backup team. Some people at the wing side, they already done with the area. We can send them to the battlefield while they are still in the fighting mode. I'll inform the backup armies from the main family to infiltrate the area as well. I heard they manage to upstand the border," General Ki set up the tactical while they were study the map on the table.

"General..." General Ki lifted his head and look at Wang Yu.

"Thank you..." that's all the king could said to the man.

"Let's rescue them and win the war, pyeha..." said General Ki, drawing a smile on his face.

***

"Charge forward!!!"

A noise coming straight out of the barren land that already turned into a massive battlefield. Clanks from swords clash with each other, with grunts and screams were over the place as both side eagerly fight to win the war.

From afar, a thirteen year old Mushim swung his sword, slashing one of his enemy with his might. He never thought the area will ended up being the next target since this was mainly a retreat place for war victims and some civilians to take a shield from the war. When his head battalion informed him the news from the remote monitoring squad, he was ready with any consequences, but still didn't prepare for a large crowd to fill the space.

"Wangja!" from afar, he could heard a sharp, chimney voice coming towards him. A small lady, riding her horse charged forward as she slicing her enemies that got through her way to the prince. A horse was coming to Mushim's spot when the lady managed to block the way, stabbed the rider in the process.

"Hwa Young!"

"Wangja, we need to retreat! Now!" the lady yelled as she swung her sword while talking at the same time.

"But!"

"No but! We're losing! There's no way I will let you get killed!" Hwa Young explained her intention.

"I won't let you get killed as well!"

Hwa Young scoffed. She fought enemies while still bickering with her boyfriend. Not a type of dating that she ever wanted, but they got no choice at this state.

"Wangja, you have to listen to me for your own good! Besides..." Hwa Young managed to cut a hand off from an enemy. "The hospital is expose! No armies guard it. My sister will be in danger!" Hwa Young frowned.

"Why don't you go there and help her?" Mushim still had a time to ask Hwa Young in midst of fighting the crowd.

"Because..." Hwa Young sighed again. "I'm the leader of the squad at the second base. I can't leave my men! What kind of leadership is that? A pussy?!" Hwa Young, being half serious, but still able to fight.

"But–"

"Private Im!" Hwa Young yelled out a name. A man came forward, lifting his head up and looked at Hwa Young, waiting for her order.

"Bring wangja to the hospital. Tell the standby squad to set the perimeter. We're losing now, but at least we can upstand the hospital. Lots of civilian stay there, we don't want more casualties!" Hwa Young, half yelling to Im while shield Mushim from the enemy.

"But Captain–"

"No but! You have to go! Now!"

Im grabbed Mushim's hand, but the prince refused to move. The man sighed as he had no choice but to drag the prince away.

"No! I don't want to go!"

"I'm sorry, wangja jaga but we have to protect the hospital as well. The team will try their best to delay the attack, I bet they will eventually retreat soon. What's more important is your people now, Wangja jaga..."

"But Captain Ki–"

Im halted as he grabbed Mushim's hand tight.

"She'll manage. I have a trust in her. She's a good fighter. Now, you have to do what a wangja needs to do, which is protect your people," said Im.

Mushim finally gave up. He followed Im's footsteps towards the hospital which was only a few yards away.

As they arrive at the hospital, they're already too late. The hospital staffs start the fight party early. Mushim dashed to to join them, but Im dragged him away from there.

"Not right now, wangja! You have to stay here," the man hastily pushed the young prince into a small ward, with a bunch of sick children.

"Wangja agissi!" They bow down as soon as they saw Mushim. But he refused their bow and forced them to stand.

"No time for that, we have to make a barrier! Quick!" Mushim ran around the small room, grabbing a table and pushed it onto the door. From inside, he could heard Im was fighting for his life with some enemies.

"Im!" Mushim shook the door, smacking the surface with his might. Meanwhile, the rest of the children were trying to make a barrier. They all stop when they saw Mushim cried his eyes out.

"Wangja..." One of the girl frowned as she saw Mushim wiped away his tears. The fear in her eyes slowly slapped the truth in him.

These children, they are the future of the North Kingdom.

"Step back.. hurry! Hide wherever you can!" he pushed them to several spots when he realized Im was no longer could protect the room. The children scattered, hiding between tables behind them.

The door stormed open from the outside, revealing an enemy with an armour suit. The man still had his bloody sword in his hand, which was the first thing that Mushim caught when he entered the room. He quickly wield his swords and ready to fight.

"Just give up, wangja. We won't kill you if you surrender yourself..."

"I rather die here. You guys will kill me anyway..."

With a loud scream and full of determination, Mushim swung his sword, fighting the enemy with all he got at the moment. It was do or die, there's no tomorrow anymore for him. It's now, or never! As much as he fought for his life, he fought for the children as well.

However, one mishap and he fell on the floor. How much a teen with zero experience in war could do to fight a senior with a lot of experience anyway? As he scoot back, avoiding the sword slicing his body, he could only pray to the late ancestors to protect him and those children. As the sword swing up, Mushim closed his eyes, giving all his soul away for the destiny's hand.

But, nothing happened next. All of a sudden, the man fell onto the floor. Mushim heard a thud when his eyes still shuttting tight.

"Wangja jaga!"

That voice!

Mushim opened his eyes only to meet eyes with Hwa Sa. There's a ten inch blade in her hand as a strain of blood stained her beautiful face. She had stabbed the man, right onto his neck. The stab was powerful and precise to make him drown in his own blood.

"Hwa Sa... You save my life..."

"I can't let you die. I promise to my obeonim and eonnie that I will protect you..." those innocent eyes blink slowly. "And, I took a pledge to protect these children as well..."

Mushim stood up slowly. He walked towards Hwa Sa and softly wiped the blood stain from her face. Her eyes brimmed in tears but she held them so they won't see her cry.

"Hwa Sa, look out!" Mushim was ready to swing a sword when he saw an enemy was charging towards them. He held Hwa Sa into his embrace and turned around so he could took the blow but the man eventually fell, flat dead on the ground.

"Wangja agissi! Hwa Sa!"

Hwa Young ran towards them. She looked like in a bad shape but she was doing fine. As soon as they saw Hwa Young, Hwa Sa ran towards her twin sister and cried in her embrace. Mushim stood there after Hwa Sa left him, feeling somehow dejected.

"Backup companies is here. We win the war..." said Hwa Young with a smile on her face at Mushim. Both of the twin watch him from the spot as Mushim took a sight on them, still in confused with his beating heart.

Which of them actually, truly owned it?

***

Mu stared at Hwa Sa as the lady stood next to his father while watching the West family, including his grandmother, had been dragged away to the prison before the trial. All these times they had been poisoning his mind, and thanks to the early approach by Mushim, he didn't went too deep about it.

"No wonder why you decided to change my master, jeoha mama..."

Mushim turned around, looking at his prince with a confused look. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Myung Yu and Uk were talking to Wang Yu, along with a man; the new master for the future seja.

"I shouldn't left you alone for a long time and let them took my place. I'm sorry for that, wangjanim..."

"I'm the one who should be sorry to you, jeoha. If I have a strong faith and heart, things won't be like this..." Mu dropped his sight at Hwa Sa this time. "I'm sorry for my behavior too, sejabin..."

Hearing the word sejabin came out of the little's lips, Hwa Sa ran lightly and pulled Mu into her embrace and cried. This is a sacred symbolic of acceptance that she has been waiting for so long. Not just for the title as a Crown Princess, but also a spot in the family.

"Things seem to be good, at least for now..." said Myung Yu when she saw the scene from her spot. Uk drew a smile and nodded faintly along with Wang Yu. They watch the small family catching up after so long with flowery emotion. As they were about to approach them, a familiar sight caught Uk immediately.

"That's the messenger from the kingdom..."

"Taeyang..."

Myung Yu quickly dashed towards the bird. A small scroll was intact at his leg. When Myung Yu undid the scroll, her face immediately turned dark.

"Gisa Ahn..."

"What happened?" Uk asked her hastily. He was nervous for a news, as Min Jun had been not in his reach these days.

"It's a news from The Sapphire... Miju Seja... He's dead..."

"What?! How?"

The next line of the massage made Myung Yu's heart sunk.

"They said... He got killed by Soo Young..."