Soy Sauce 2: River of Death
by Foreigner Β· 2026-08-21
The lower Meton River was rocky.
The current swirled around the rocks, creating eddies that trapped anything caught in them.
Hans searched such places.
It had been 20 days.
Soldier: Commander.
A soldier came with a grappling hook.
Soldier: We've got one over there.
Hans went.
Something was caught in a rock crevice. Two soldiers pulled it out with grappling hooks.
Hans looked at it.
Hans: ...It's not him.
Soldier: Yes, sir.
Hans: Record it. Eighteenth.
Soldier: Yes, sir.
Hans turned away.
As he turned, he looked one more time.
It was an Inder Empire soldier. He looked about twenty or twenty-one. He wore a ring on his left hand.
Hans: Bury him.
Soldier: Sir? He's an Inder.
Hans: I said bury him.
The search party was initially two hundred men.
Now there were forty.
Hans divided the forty men into eight teams and went down the river. They covered five ri a day. They spent an extra day in places with eddies.
What they recovered were eighteen bodies.
Twenty-three pieces of armor.
Eleven weapons.
And nothing else.
Adjutant: Commander.
The adjutant came.
Adjutant: That man is out again today.
Hans: Where?
Adjutant: Near the third team.
Hans walked in that direction.
A man stood by the river.
More precisely, he stood in the water, waist-deep. He was fumbling along the bottom with his hands.
Hans: Berin.
Hans called out.
He raised his head.
His face was pale. His lips were bloodless. The bandage wrapped around his side was wet with water and had changed color.
Berin: Commander.
Hans: Come out.
Berin: Just a little more.
Hans: Come out.
Berin emerged from the water.
He stumbled once as he came out. Hans caught his arm.
Hans: When did you arrive?
Berin: Five days ago.
Hans: What did the medic say?
Berin: ......
Hans: What did he say?
Berin: He said I should stay in bed for two months.
Hans: Twenty days have passed.
Berin: I know.
Hans looked at him.
Berin did not avoid his gaze.
Berin: Commander.
Hans: Speak.
Berin: I was ten meters away.
Hans did not answer.
Berin: It was ten steps. But I couldn't go.
Hans: I heard you faced three opponents.
Berin: There were two. I killed one.
Berin looked at his hands.
Berin: There were two.
That night at the camp, Hans called Berin again.
He made him sit by the fire.
Hans: Eat.
Berin: I ate.
Hans: Don't lie.
Berin took the bowl.
Hans watched him eat. He ate about half and put it down.
Berin: Commander.
Hans: Speak.
Berin: The young lord cannot swim.
Hans: I know.
Berin: He tried to learn when he was twelve but gave up. He said he was afraid of water.
Hans: I know.
Berin: But his body hasn't been found.
Hans looked at the fire.
Hans: What are you trying to say?
Berin: I don't know.
Berin said.
Berin: It's just strange that he hasn't been found.
On the 22nd day, people came to the riverside.
They were people who came to see the recovered bodies.
They came after hearing rumors from the downstream village.
Among them was a woman.
She was about thirty. She carried a child on her back. The child was sleeping.
Woman: Sir Knight.
Hans: Speak.
Woman: I'm looking for someone.
Hans: Do you know how many bodies have been recovered?
Woman: I heard seventeen.
Hans looked at him for a moment.
Hans: My lady.
Woman: Yes.
Hans: This is not for you to see.
Woman: ......
Hans: These have been in the water for twenty days.
The woman adjusted the child on her back.
Woman: If I don't look...
Hans: ......
Woman: Who will?
Hans did not answer.
He pulled back the cloth.
The woman saw all seventeen.
She looked at them one by one.
She turned away once in the middle, then came back.
After seeing them all, the woman spoke.
Woman: He's not here.
Hans: ......
Woman: Thank you, Sir Knight.
The woman bowed her head and turned away.
Hans: My lady.
Hans called out to her.
The woman looked back.
Hans: What's his name?
Woman: Me?
Hans: The person you're looking for.
The woman was silent for a moment.
Woman: Olan.
Hans: And his surname?
Woman: He has no surname.
Hans nodded.
Hans: Olan.
Woman: Yes.
Hans: I'll remember him.
The woman looked at him.
And then left.
Hans wondered that night why he had asked that.
There was nothing he could do after asking.
'.......'
Hans wrote the name in his notebook.
There was already one name written in the notebook.
Aron Arneit zi Erseneus.
The order to stop the search came on the 23rd day.
It was brought by a messenger.
Hans unfolded it.
The king's seal was affixed.
The content was three lines. Stop the search and return. The downstream area is monster territory, so the safety of the search party cannot be guaranteed. The king does not wish for the loss of Bronzestorm.
Hans read it twice.
All three lines were true.
Adjutant: Commander.
The adjutant asked.
Adjutant: What should we do?
Hans folded the order.
And put it in his pocket.
Hans: We'll stop here for today and make camp.
Adjutant: ...Yes?
Hans: We'll depart at dawn tomorrow. We'll go another five ri.
The adjutant glanced at him.
Adjutant: Yes.
Berin didn't even look at the order.
Hans noticed this.
Hans: Berin.
Berin: Yes.
Hans: The order has arrived.
Berin: Yes.
Hans: Aren't you going to read it?
Berin: I am not part of the search party.
Berin said so.
Berin: I am on sick leave.
Hans stared at him for a long time.
Hans: ...I see.
Berin: Yes.
Hans: It's troublesome for someone on sick leave to be involved in another's search party.
Berin: I apologize.
Hans: Will you go in again tomorrow?
Berin: Yes.
Hans said nothing more.
They traveled for three more days.
They found nothing.
On the evening of the 26th, Hans stood by the river and looked downstream.
Beyond where the river curved, there was a forest.
It was a place where the trees grew larger and the light diminished.
It was Mount Dedun.
Adjutant: Commander.
The adjutant arrived.
Adjutant: We cannot enter there.
Hans: I know.
Adjutant: Forty men wouldn't last a day.
Hans: I know.
Hans stood there for a long time.
Hans: We're withdrawing.
Adjutant: Yes.
Hans: At dawn tomorrow.
Adjutant: Yes.
The adjutant left.
Hans remained standing there.
'Your Grace.'
He thought.
'I couldn't find it.'
On the way back, Hans stopped Berin beside him.
Hans: Where are you going?
Berin: I'm returning.
Hans: Your health?
Berin: I'm fine.
Hans: You don't look fine.
Berin: I'm fine.
Hans looked ahead.
Hans: Berin.
Berin: Yes.
Hans: my lord comes to the riverside every day.
Berin looked at him.
Hans: There's a river west of the capital. It's about a fifteen-minute walk from the mansion. It has nothing to do with the Meton River.
Berin: ......
Hans: He goes out every day. He leaves in the morning, stays for about an hour, then comes back.
Berin: ......Who knows.
Hans: No one knows.
Hans said.
Hans: Only I know.
Berin: Then why are you telling me?
Hans didn't answer for a long time.
Hans: Because I saw you in the water.
Berin: ......
Hans: It reminded me.
It was six days later that they arrived in the capital.
Hans went straight to the ducal mansion.
Duke Hail was in his study.
Hans: Your Grace.
Hail: You're here.
Hans: Yes.
Hail: Did you find him?
Hans: ......I couldn't find him.
Hail didn't lift his head. He was looking at documents and continued to do so.
Hail: You've worked hard.
Hans: Your Grace.
Hail: Go home and rest.
Hans: Your Grace.
Hans knelt down.
Hans: Please let me go out one more time.
Hail put down the documents.
Hail: I heard an order came.
Hans: Yes.
Hail: It's a royal command.
Hans: Yes.
Hail: It's not something you can disobey.
Hans: ......Yes.
Hail looked out the window.
After a long time, he spoke.
Hail: Hans.
Hans: Yes.
Hail: That child can't swim.
Hans: ......I know.
Hail: I tried to teach him when he was twelve, but he said he was afraid of the water.
Hail tapped the desk once with his finger.
Hail: So I didn't teach him.
Hans: ......
Hail: I should have taught him then.
Hans said nothing.
After Hans left, Hail sat alone in his study.
Documents were piled in front of him.
He didn't turn a single page.
At the same time, Berin was unpacking his bags in the Bronzestorm barracks.
He had to change his bandages. His side had opened up again.
A comrade entered.
Comrade: Hey, are you crazy?
Berin: ......
Comrade: You were in the water for 20 days. The medic will kill you if he finds out.
Berin: Then don't tell him.
Comrade: Berin.
His comrade sat on the bed.
Comrade: It's over.
Berin: ......
Comrade: The young lord passed away. Everyone knows. Your Grace knows too.
Berin wrapped the bandage.
Comrade: Commander knows too.
Berin: I know.
Comrade: If you know, then why?
Berin finished wrapping the bandage and pulled down his shirt.
Berin: It was ten steps.
Comrade: ......
Berin: I couldn't go ten steps.
His comrade was about to say something but stopped.
Berin lay down on the bed.
He looked at the ceiling.
He saw the scene of something disappearing at the edge of the cliff again. He saw it even with his eyes closed. It had been like that for 26 days.
'.......'
Berin opened his eyes.
'It's not over yet.'