Habuhr - 1
Upon arriving at the village, Gukgwang washed himself in the Jinryeong River that flowed nearby. He looked as if he had been drenched in blood from head to toe. He also cleaned the blood off his armor and horse armor. As he was vigorously scrubbing, Mahwa approached, seeing what he was doing, and smiled faintly.
"You seem to like cleanliness. But there's no need to clean up so thoroughly when there's another battle coming soon. Blood is oily, so even if you leave it, it won't rust."
"Well... but it doesn't feel great to have blood sticking to me."
Mahwa nodded, understanding his sentiment, then spoke in a tone of advice, as a senior would.
"If you think like that, you won't survive on the battlefield."
"…"
Gukgwang continued washing diligently, then roughly dried his armor and put it back on. He also wiped down the horse armor and placed it back on his horse.
"I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do..."
"What do you mean? Washing? I already told you it's unnecessary right now."
"Not that. I mean killing."
"Killing people on the battlefield isn't murder. If we don't kill them, they'll come to kill us."
"Well..."
Mahwa, in a slightly teasing manner, pretended to sound serious.
"What's the matter? After killing, do you feel shaky and guilty about having taken lives? Everyone feels that way at first. But over time, those thoughts fade away, so don't dwell on it too much."
Unexpectedly, Gukgwang shook his head with a melancholy expression.
"No, that's not it. While killing countless people, I felt something like pleasure. Other than that, I didn't feel anything. The excitement that rises when I see blood, the scent of blood... I killed, and I killed again in that state of excitement. Yet, in my heart, a constant question kept arising. Why don't I feel guilty about killing? According to the books I've read, I should feel guilt. Anyway, I'm just rambling. Go wash up yourself."
Mahwa could only watch Gukgwang's retreating figure.
"Not feeling guilt and being troubled by it? What does that even mean?"
The village had turned into a scene of chaos. Corpses were strewn everywhere, and the air was filled with the screams of women and the groans of men gasping for breath. Even as he rode through, he could guess what was happening inside the Mongol tents, the paos. Soldiers were dragging women into the tents, and in some cases, soldiers were coming out carrying something, only to chop down the elderly homeowner in front of the pao when they tried to stop them.
As Gukgwang frowned, hurrying his horse toward his tent, a particularly sharp voice caught his attention from a distance.
"You scoundrels! Stop it!"
Having learned some Mongol after his time in the Imperial Military Academy, Gukgwang understood the words. Glancing over, he saw four soldiers dragging a young girl while a woman, likely her mother, was trying to stop them. One of the soldiers, irritated by the woman's interference, casually drew his sword and stabbed her. The girl, wailing, tried to rush to her mother's side, but the soldiers forcefully dragged her into a tent. Watching the scene unfold, Gukgwang felt a deep sadness.
"Did we fight that brutal battle just for this? How are we any different from the barbarians or the people of the Central Plains?"
The sight of the weeping girl stirred an odd feeling within Gukgwang—a sense of longing.
"There's no way I've met that girl before... Have I seen something like this before?"
Unable to stand by any longer, Gukgwang dismounted and approached them. The soldiers were not members of the Black Wind Brigade, so simply giving an order wouldn't resolve the situation. As Gukgwang neared, the soldiers grew slightly wary and greeted him.
"Greetings, sir."
They recognized from the numbers on his armor that he was a centurion. Having operated alongside the Black Wind Brigade for a long time, they had learned to recognize their ranks, and since all members of the brigade were skilled officers, they naturally grew cautious.
"Would you mind giving that girl to me?"
Guessing his intentions, the soldiers chuckled.
"Seems like she caught your eye, but we found her first, so..."
"Hmm, but I really like her. How about we strike a deal? I'll give each of you a silver coin."
Their ears perked up at the mention of money. After all, a girl was only good for one night, but silver coins were a different matter. Besides, there were plenty of women around, so they could easily find another.
"Hehehe, sounds good."
With a sly smile, Gukgwang tossed each of them a silver coin. He then spoke to the girl in Mongol.
"Gather anything that might be a memento from your parents."
When the girl hesitated, he repeated firmly, "Hurry up. We don't have much time."
The girl quickly ran to the tent and soon returned with a wooden Buddha statue and a few trivial items that didn't look valuable. The soldiers had already looted the tent, leaving nothing worth much behind.
Gukgwang, planning to take her outside the village and let her go, placed the girl on his horse and rode away from the chaotic scene. As they moved toward the outskirts, one of his subordinates from the Black Wind Brigade approached. Noticing Gukgwang carrying the ragged girl, the man grinned.
"You've already picked one, sir. As expected of you. Planning to keep her as a servant? Even though the captain allowed it, I wouldn't want a Mongol girl as a maid myself."
Looking closely at the ragged girl, he added, "Quite the find."
"Well, I guess she's not that unattractive. Everyone has different tastes, after all…" With that, the soldier ran off. Gukgwang, meanwhile, mulled over the comment, particularly the part about "the captain permitting it."
'If the captain allowed using Mongol girls as maids, then there's no need to abandon her on the outskirts of an empty village. It's probably better to keep her until I can entrust her to someone she knows.'
In Mongolia, bride kidnapping was common. If a man liked any woman, he would kidnap her, and she would live with him. In turn, the woman would serve him with devotion. If she were kidnapped again, she would forget her former husband and children and start anew with her captor. It was a survival tactic for women in a world ruled by men with primal desires, a way to adapt through resignation. As a result, Mongol women lacked a strong sense of chastity—if someone wanted them, they would live with them.
General Ok Yeongjin, well aware of Mongol customs, had allowed this practice, believing it wouldn't cause much trouble. After all, the captured women were going to be sold as slaves anyway, so using them as maids and then selling them later wasn't a big issue. They weren't like worn-out objects that would lose value over time.
Once his mind was made up, Gukgwang headed toward his tent. Soon, a foul stench assaulted his nose.
'What is that smell?'
He bent down to sniff the girl and recoiled, nauseated.
"When was the last time you had a bath?"
"What's a bath?"
Since she didn't understand the Mongolian word for "bath," Gukgwang had used the Chinese term, which she didn't recognize either.
"You don't know what a bath is? Well, it's when you wash your body."
"I washed last summer…"
In Mongolia, men and women wore thick leather clothing without distinction, and during the harsh winters, they wouldn't remove those clothes, even using them as blankets. Naturally, they wouldn't bathe until spring. Without a word, Gukgwang turned his horse around and headed toward Jinryeongha River.
Once they arrived at the river, Gukgwang unceremoniously tossed the girl into the water. It was still early spring, and the river, flowing down from the mountains, was ice-cold. The girl, suddenly submerged, panicked.
"Aah!"
As the girl flailed and tried to stand, Gukgwang spoke coolly.
"Hurry up and wash yourself thoroughly. And wash your clothes too. Let me see…"
He rummaged through his saddlebag and tossed her a small piece of soap.
"Use this to clean yourself properly. Otherwise, I'll shove you back in and freeze you to death."
With wide, terrified eyes, the girl hastily stripped off her clothes and began washing. Her still-undeveloped body turned pale from the cold. After washing herself and her clothes, she stumbled out of the river, shivering, as she awkwardly made her way toward Gukgwang. That's when it dawned on him—he had no spare clothes for her.
'What now? I don't even have anything to dry her off with...'
With no other choice, Gukgwang approached the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. She flinched in fear but didn't dare resist. With his hand still on her shoulder, Gukgwang channeled his inner energy. The powerful warmth coursed through the girl's body, quickly evaporating the moisture and stopping her shivering.
Gukgwang took the clothes bundled in the girl's hands, shook them out, and infused them with his inner energy. In an instant, the moisture evaporated, leaving the clothes completely dry. When he handed them back, the girl marveled at the act, as if witnessing magic.
Watching her get dressed, Gukgwang mused that the girl wasn't as unattractive as he had initially thought. He helped her onto his horse once more and returned to his tent.
"How old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"Fifteen? So you're not that young. What's your name?"
"Habuhr."
"Habuhr? That's a nice name. Like it or not, you'll be staying with me for a while. Don't even think about running away. Who knows what could happen to you if you tried…"
After arriving at the tent, Gukgwang's first task was to find some extra clothes for Habuhr. Once he gathered clothes and a few basic necessities, he handed them to her.
"You know how to cook, right?"
"Yes."
They conversed, with some difficulty due to the language barrier, occasionally relying on hand gestures when Mongolian words didn't suffice. While they were talking, one of Gukgwang's subordinates arrived. He peeked into the tent and smirked.
"The captain is asking for you," the man said, grinning slyly at Gukgwang as he stepped outside.
"Well, well, I didn't believe it when Jinga told me, but you sure work fast. Already had a go, did you?"
"Shut up and get back to work."
Gukgwang entered the general's tent, where General Ok Yeongjin greeted him warmly.
"Oh, you were a big help in the recent battle. You did well."
"You're too kind."
"You achieved quite a bit of merit this time... so I've decided to give you this as a reward."
The general handed Gukgwang a sword. It was a splendid weapon, adorned with jewels on the hilt and scabbard, and the scabbard itself was intricately designed.
"I'm satisfied with my current sword."
"No, no. Your sword may be good for regular fights, but it's not suitable for war. A sword that's only 2 feet 3 inches long isn't ideal for combat. This is a long sword, 3 feet in length, so it'll be more useful during mounted battles. It's the Cheongseong Sword, bestowed upon me by the emperor after I earned merit in the war with the Jurchens. It doesn't suit me, so I've just kept it, but I think it would be better in your hands. It's not quite on the level of your Mookhon Sword, but it's sharper and more durable than most swords, so don't hesitate to accept it."
"I understand. I'll use it gratefully."
"I heard you acquired a Mongol girl?"
"Yes."
"I never expected someone like you, who usually keeps his distance from women, to do that."
"Well, people's thoughts can change. If you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave now."