5. Soy Sauce Sortie
by Foreigner Β· 2026-08-21
The roster was released three days before the expedition.
1,000 cavalry.
995 of them were the Elion Knights. The remaining five were Bronzestorm.
Hans looked at the paper for a long time.
Adjutant: Commander.
The adjutant asked.
Adjutant: What is it?
Hans: Nothing.
Hans folded the paper.
Hans: I'll have to choose five.
Choosing five from Bronzestorm was not difficult.
Nineteen volunteers had come forward.
Guarding the prince was an honor. Nineteen was not a lot, but rather a small number. Everyone knew they wouldn't be chosen, so they didn't volunteer.
Hans scanned the list.
And stopped at the third line.
Hans: ......
Hans looked at the adjutant.
Hans: Bring this person here.
Berin entered.
He looked better than before. There was color in his face, and his gait was normal.
Berin: Commander.
Hans: Did you volunteer?
Berin: Yes.
Hans: Why?
Berin didn't answer.
Hans looked at him.
Hans: Your side.
Berin: It's healed.
Hans: Did the medic confirm it?
Berin: ......
Hans: You didn't, did you?
Berin: If I did, they'd say it wasn't healed.
Hans was silent for a moment.
Hans: Berin.
Berin: Yes.
Hans: This is to guard the prince.
Berin: I know.
Hans: This isn't a place to be distracted.
Berin: I know.
Hans: Then why did you volunteer?
Berin answered this time.
Berin: Seton is below Mount Dedan.
Hans looked at him.
He looked for a long time.
Hans: ......Is that a reason?
Berin: No, it's not.
Hans: But you still said it.
Berin: Because you asked, Commander.
Hans looked at the list again.
And picked up a brush.
Berin: Commander.
Hans: What is it?
Berin: Are you removing me?
Hans erased a name with his brush.
It wasn't Berin's name.
Berin: ......
Hans: Go.
Berin: Commander.
Hans: Just promise me one thing.
Hans put down his brush.
Hans: The prince comes first.
Berin: ......
Hans: Berin.
Berin: Yes, sir.
Hans: The prince comes first.
Berin knelt.
Berin: Yes, sir.
The remaining four were decided that day.
Keira was one of them.
There were three women in Bronzestorm.
Three out of 300.
Keira had been there the longest of the three.
Keira: Commander.
Keira looked at the list and asked.
Keira: Did you include Berin?
Hans: I did.
Keira: His side hasn't healed.
Hans: I know.
Keira: He hasn't been checked by the medic.
Hans: I know that too.
Keira was silent for a moment.
Keira: Then I will stand by him.
Hans: ......
Keira: If he collapses, I'll drag him back.
Hans looked at him.
Hans: Keira.
Keira: Yes, sir.
Hans: Why did you volunteer?
Keira replied.
Keira: Guarding the prince will be on my record.
Hans: ......
Keira: I need that.
Hans nodded.
Hans: I like your honesty.
Keira: Honesty is the cheapest.
That same evening, Duke Hail received the list.
He unfolded it and looked at the numbers.
995 and 5.
'.......'
Hail stared at it for a long time.
It was strange.
To be precise, it might not have been strange.
Cale had offered 1,000 knights. He said he would send only 500, keeping half, and the royal family was supposed to fill the remaining spots, but in the end, the Elion Knights provided more.
There was a reason, too. The royal family's direct cavalry had to be used for the defense of the royal capital.
It made sense.
'.......'
Hail folded the list.
And he said nothing.
He couldn't say anything.
If he said, 'There are too many Elion Knights,' Cale would ask,
'Then will you provide the ducal family's private soldiers?'
The Hail family's private soldiers numbered two thousand. Of those, five hundred Bronzestorm Knights had already been dedicated to the royal family. The remaining fifteen hundred guarded the territory.
If he was asked to provide those too, he could.
But then there would be nothing left.
'.......'
Hail looked out the window.
And he realized what kind of calculation he was making.
While counting the people to attach to the place his nephew was going, he was worrying about his own territory being empty.
'.......'
Hail stopped that calculation.
Even after stopping, the answer didn't change.
On the night before the expedition, Ains came to the ducal residence.
He came alone.
Ains: Uncle.
Hail: Your Highness.
Ains: Don't call me that.
Ains smiled.
Ains: I used to call you Uncle when I was little.
Hail: That was when Your Highness was little.
Ains: I'm still little.
Ains sat down.
Hail offered him a cup. Ains took it.
They both said nothing for a long time.
Ains: Uncle.
Hail: Yes.
Ains: Father cried.
Hail: ......
Ains: When I told him I was going.
Hail looked at his cup.
Hail: His Majesty is usually very tearful.
Ains: He is.
Ains emptied his cup.
Ains: But this time, he cried a little differently.
Hail: ......
Ains: He didn't cry while holding me; he cried with his back to me.
Hail: ......
Ains: That was even scarier.
Hail poured the wine.
Hail: Your Highness.
Ains: Yes.
Hail: Which route did you choose?
Ains: We'll go past Laypro. It's the fastest way.
Hail: After Laypro...
Ains: There's a forest.
Ains said.
Ains: They call it Owin Forest.
Hail paused while lifting his glass.
'.......'
But nothing came to mind.
It was just a forest name.
Hail finished lifting his glass.
Ains: Uncle.
Hail: Yes.
Ains: May I ask one thing?
Hail: Speak your mind.
Ains hesitated for a moment.
Ains: If Aron is alive...
Hail: ......
Ains: He'd be in that mountain, wouldn't he?
Hail didn't answer.
Ains: I know it's not my place to ask.
Ains said.
Ains: But I still can't believe he's dead.
Hail: ......
Ains: He's only sixteen.
Hail put down his glass.
Hail: Your Highness.
Ains: Yes.
Hail: Don't look for him.
Ains: ......
Hail: You must not enter that mountain. Not even a thousand men should enter.
Ains: I know.
Hail: If you know.
Ains: I know, Uncle.
Ains said.
Ains: But you'll still go near it, won't you?
Hail: ......
Ains: If you go near, you can at least see it.
Hail remained silent for a long time.
Ains stood up.
Ains: I'll be going.
Hail: Your Highness.
Ains: Yes.
Hail called out to him, stopping him.
And stood there for a long time.
Ains: ......Uncle?
Hail: If.
Hail said.
His voice was normal.
Hail: If you find him.
Ains: Yes.
Ains: What should I tell him?
Ains asked.
Hail was quiet for a moment.
Hail: ...Please tell him to come home.
Ains didn't answer.
He had nothing to say.
He bowed his head and left.
The expedition departed at dawn the next day.
A thousand cavalry lined up before the castle gates.
Yuris III ascended the platform. He tried to say something, but no words came out. After three attempts, he finally just raised his hand.
The queen stood beside him.
Roena did not raise her hand.
Ains looked at his mother.
Roena looked at him.
They exchanged no signals.
They had done it all the night before.
Ains bowed his head from atop his horse.
And then he left.
Below the platform, Nia was holding onto her father's clothes.
She was nine years old.
Nia: Mother.
Roena: Yes.
Nia: Should I wave to my brother?
Roena took her daughter's hand and raised it.
Nia waved her hand.
She waved it very widely.
It was impossible to tell if anyone in the expedition saw it.
Duke Hail saw it from atop the castle wall.
One standard-bearer held the Elion flag.
Behind him, 995 cavalry followed.
And at the very back, there were five.
'.......'
Hail watched those five.
They were too far back to see their faces.
Cale was also watching it.
He was on the other side of the castle wall.
Zekin: Your Grace.
Zekin stood beside him.
Zekin: They've gone.
Cale: Yes.
Zekin: ......
Cale: Zekin.
Zekin: Yes.
Cale: Are there people in Layproe?
Zekin: There are two.
Cale: Increase it to three.
Zekin: Yes.
Cale turned around.
Cale: And from today, I'll receive reports daily.
The expedition traveled sixty li that day.
Moving only with cavalry, they were fast.
When they set up camp at night, Berin couldn't sleep.
It wasn't because his side hurt.
'.......'
He looked east.
He still couldn't see anything. They said it would take another ten days to see the mountains.
Berin looked in that direction for a long time before lying down.
Then he closed his eyes.
He saw a cliff.
'.......'
Berin opened his eyes.