HWARANG Rewritten✅

26. Departure

Chapter 26.
Departure.

Ban-ryu tucked the incense pouch inside his robes. He had been in a good mood since meeting Soo-yeon yesterday. As he was heading towards the courtyard he met Kang-seong.

"Snap out of it." Ban-ryu narrowed his eyes at his Nangdoo. Kang-seong gave an evil smirk and clarified, "I am telling you not to disappoint Young-shil Gong this time." And just like that his good mood vanished.

...

"Arghh uncle is going to kill me when he finds out," Su-jin moaned making Sa-do chuckle. The pair were headed for the courtyard.

"I will protect you. Don't worry."

"'Don't worry'," the Nangdoo echoed in poor imitation of the girl before snapping, "I was supposed to protect you. How can I do that if you are so far away?"

The female Hwarang patted his shoulder in comfort. There was not much of a choice. "I will be fine. Just keep an eye out for Yeo-wool and Han-seong until I get back."

...

"Your majesty. Can't you rethink this one more time?" Pa-oh asked again.

Ji-dwi nodded. "No. I can't."

The royal guard knelt.

"Hiya!" the King exclaimed as he looked around nervously for any bystanders. Pa-oh was on the verge of tears. "Don't do this," Ji-dwi warned and remembering what happened last time he added, "that is an order." Giving a reassuring squeeze to the old man's shoulder, he headed for the courtyard.

...

"Take care of yourself and come back soon."

"Hiya!" Soo-ho chided Yeo-wool, "stop talking like I am going to war. It's just a peace delegation. Peace." 

Yeo-wool punched his shoulder. Already knowing what the other was going to say, Soo-ho rushed out a, "yes. I will look after myself. There! Happy?"

Yeo-wool gave a satisfied nod though he still looked unhappy.

"Soo-ho Rang!" Soo-ho looked up just in time to see Han-seong run right into him, squeezing his arms around him in a tight hug. "I am going to miss you," the young boy mumbled.

Soo-ho patted his head fondly. "Me too Han-seong."

Not wanting to be left out, Yeo-wool threw his arms around the pair making them almost lose their balance.

...

"If you come back, I will think about it." On seeing Seon-woo's questioning look, Dan-se elaborated, "if I will really take care of you as my master."

They were at the wooden bridge. The delegation would soon be leaving. Seon-woo gave a laugh. "Just don't do it," he told his Nangdoo with a smile, waving off anything to do with servitude. "I told you. You are the same as I am."

...

The five Hwarangs and Ah-ro stood in a line on either side of Princess Sook-myeong facing the rest of Seonmoon.

"Your duty is to guard princess Sook-myeong. As a Hwarang keep yourself proud. Don't back out of a fight. Keep your loyalty towards your friends. You may find yourself in unexpected situations. At those times, keep in mind; you are Hwarang. You are the pride of Silla. Understand?" Poong Wol Joo reminded the five members of the delegation, to be met with a confident, "YES!"

Queen Ji-so, who had come to see them off, instructed, "these five Hwarangs, as envoys of seeking peace with South Buyeo, will guard Princess Sook-myeong, further solidify the alliance with Baekje since Nulji of Silla before you return."

"YES!" After that the peace delegation departed. It included the Princess, her handmaiden, Ah-ro, the five Hwarangs and two royal guards.

...

 
They lost all their peace offerings and travel expenses to peasant robbers near the border, desperate for something to fill their stomach. Despite losing all their supplies princess Sook-myeong insisted that they go on as it was the King's birthday in three days and the hostile crowned Prince of Baekje might use it as an excuse to attack Silla.

It seemed that, Seon-woo was, without discussion, unanimously chosen as the leader. It probably helped that the other Hwarangs thought he was the King. Everyone but the real King, that is. That night Soo-ho and Ban-ryu collected firewood and Ah-ro managed to gather food for their dinner.

Seon-woo and Ji-dwi stayed up that night to keep watch. It wasn't awkward per say, but the two didn't speak for the longest time as they sat around the fire. Eventually Ji-dwi asked Seon-woo what a King should do about the farmers on the border who were forced to become robbers as they were unable to endure starvation.

Seon-woo was surprised by the question. Was Ji-dwi asking him for advice on how to rule Silla? Late into the night Sa-do joined them. "What are you doing?" Seon-woo asked as she sat down between the two of them.

"I got some sleep. I am not tired anymore. One of you can go get some rest," Sa-do told the two Hwarangs. After some debate, Seon-woo left to join Ban-ryu and Soo-ho, the latter's snores were carried in the still air.

Ji-dwi just had a flash of realization that maybe Sa-do too had trouble sleeping, just like he did. It surely explained how she was there every time when he woke up from a nightmare. "Can't sleep?" Sa-do looked at him briefly before shaking her head once.

"Are you worried?" Ji-dwi turned to her this time in confusion. Sa-do elaborated, "about Baekje. Do you think we will be able to do it?" Looking up at the sky he answered honestly, "I am not sure. From what I know about the crowned prince, it doesn't sound very promising. But if we don't try, we will lose whatever little chance we have of avoiding this war."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I know this update has been slow. I am a college student and I had been staying in a hostel. I found out today morning that one of my roommates comitted suicide. She passed away on Sunday, 10th May. Because we had to vacate the hostel due to the lockdown in India to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we only heard about it today. I had been staying with her since the start of my second year of college since June 2018. She was one of the kindest people who fell victim to the most unfortunate circumstances. It has been a very difficult day for me and my other roommate. This is the first time I lost someone so close to me. It's my first personal experience with death and it has been really really hard. I just hope that wherever she is now, her soul may rest in peace.