The Bastard First Prince Doesn't Want to Die

Chapter: 117

As General So requested assistance, local noble clans and volunteer troops flocked to his side as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Those who had secretly admired the general for years, as well as those who had retired from politics after a certain incident twelve years ago, gathered together, forming a considerable force.

Despite the arduous journey ahead, the faces of those who had gathered for the northern expedition were bright.

These were people who had thought they would never be needed again. Such individuals always craved a cause worth dedicating their lives to. And if that cause was an expedition led by the General they admired, it would be more painful to sit idly by than to endure any hardship that might come.

Riding his white horse, So Ik-Gyeom turned to look at the multitude following him.

There were nearly three thousand of them, a number that was by no means small. The king would not have expected such a large army.

Even though he had granted permission for the expedition under the pretense of his life being at stake, he would surely be taken aback by news of three thousand troops marching toward Wolhan Fortress.

Regardless of the circumstances, he was grateful for the many talented individuals who had come to his and his grandson's aid.

While he felt a sense of guilt, expressing it would have been seen as disrespectful to those who had risked their lives for him. As a former official, he knew that the most important thing for a leader was not to apologize to those who followed him but to do everything in his power to meet their expectations.

However, when he turned around just now, it wasn't due to pride or burden. He had felt a strange gaze on his back and turned to find its source.

‘That's odd,’ he thought.

He had spent countless years on the battlefield, facing death countless times. His instincts were sharp. He had dodged arrows countless times based on his sixth sense. His instincts were never wrong. The fact that he was still alive proved it.

"A familiar gaze."

So, he was certain of his feeling. Yet.

‘How could she be here?’

So Ik-Gyeom looked forward again.

A gentle breeze swept across his sweat-soaked brow. He thought of the girl with her pale, almost translucent skin and strikingly beautiful features.

She was the precious daughter of the Yunrim Do clan, a powerful noble family in the southern part of Mokryeok. Her family, which ruled over a fertile agricultural region, was the wealthiest in the south.

People thought she was a delicate flower, raised in luxury and sheltered from the world. But So Ik-Gyeom knew her true nature.

"That child..."

He shook his head. It was absurd. He couldn't bring himself to call her a child. "She must be grown up by now, just like His Highness."

He was getting old. Perhaps his sharp instincts had dulled with age.

"It must have been my imagination."

He forced himself to forget those thoughts as the steady clip-clop of horses filled his ears.

"Wait... I seem to remember seeing someone from the Do clan on the list."

The Do clan had three sons. Perhaps one of them had come. It was probably just his imagination.

Later, during a break, he had someone check the list. Indeed, there was someone from the Do clan. But it wasn't the name of the girl he remembered.

* * *

Though they had been far from the capital for quite some time, the surrounding landscape had not changed much.

As dusk settled over the mountains and fields, the General's supporting army found a wide, flat area to camp. The sky, once painted with hues of sunset, was now draped in a deep, indigo cloth.

Stars twinkled through the scattered clouds. The soldiers, following orders, busied themselves erecting tents and lighting fires to prepare their evening meal.

So Ik-Gyeom, despite having a tent prepared for him, walked outside and wandered through the grass. His body ached from a full day of riding. Age was catching up with him.

As he watched the young soldiers, he couldn't help but feel the swift passage of time. It wasn't that he envied their youth; he had enjoyed his youth to the fullest.

Every beginning requires an end. It was time to pass the torch to the younger generation and step aside. It was only natural. Just as the morning sun rises, even the brightest stars must eventually fade.

“It would be a great honor to die at His Highness’s side, serving him in any way I can,” he mused.

He thought back to his last conversation with Leader Shin. On that rainy morning, she had lashed out at him with harsh words and never contacted him again.

“What a wicked woman,” he muttered.

On the eve of her death, his daughter had requested a private meeting with Shin Guiryung. They had been such close friends, as close as sisters despite not being blood relatives. And so, Shin Guiryung had been like a daughter to him.

He had often smiled fondly as he watched the two girls play in the garden or nap side by side while reading books in the pavilion. Yet, all that remained now were the memories of his departed daughter and the resentment of the other.

"She's just trying to make me feel guilty. She has no other purpose; she just wants to stir up trouble."

That morning, he had been deeply hurt by her words. Every word she had uttered, soaked in the rain, had been like a sting.

But what could he do? He had never been able to win against her.

“You can’t miss this opportunity. When will you ever get another chance like this? Make a wise decision.”

It was as if she were asking him to die for revenge. And yet, he hadn’t been able to say a word.

His tears, mingling with the rain, had been invisible. And he knew she wouldn't have wanted to say such things.

After his daughter’s death, So Ik-Gyeom had fallen into a deep despair. As a criminal, his daughter’s body couldn't even be laid to rest in her family's tomb. He was not even allowed to visit her grave to mourn.

Shin Gwiryung was the one who had visited him daily during that time. She would sit quietly beside him, neither crying nor angry, and then leave after a while.

That's how the first year after his daughter’s death passed.

And it was during that time that she had made her first request.

“So that was enough for her.”

He couldn’t die even if he wanted to, and he couldn’t leave the court even if he wished to. His daughter had sacrificed her life to save him and his position. How could he dare give up everything she had fought for?

“Your Highness.”

The gentle face he had rarely seen came to mind. He remembered the days when he was too afraid of the king’s wrath to even hug her.

“Gyeong-ah.”

Now, his grandson was the most precious and important thing in his life.

Just like his deceased daughter, he had only known how to show his affection through sacrifice. They were both alike in that way.

Many people had said that he and his daughter looked alike, but who would have thought they were so similar in this way?

At least, So Ik-Gyeom had one consolation.

“I’m glad he doesn’t care much about me.”

Yegyeong hadn’t seen him often, so his memories of him were probably hazy. Shin Gwiryung had always seen him as the father of her best friend, not as General So Ik-Gyeom.

So neither of them would be too sad when he left. They wouldn't experience the same despair he had.

Losing something you don't cherish isn't a loss, and parting with someone you don’t miss isn’t a farewell.

That was a relief.

“I’ll see you soon, my child.”

The night air was cool and clear. A gentle breeze rustled the tall grass. The distant cries of birds and animals deepened the silence of the night.

The crackling of the campfire illuminated the faces of the weary soldiers and the smoke rose slowly into the night sky.

So Ik-Gyeom tore his gaze away from the scene and looked farther into the distance. His eyes, fixed on the unseen path beyond the darkness, were still filled with countless stars. Or perhaps they held all the stars he had ever seen.

Just as he was lost in thought, a soldier suddenly caught his eye.

The moment he saw the soldier's profile, he snapped back to reality. The dreamy thoughts that had enveloped him vanished instantly.

He took long strides towards the soldier. The soldier's expression hardened when they saw the general approaching, and their legs tensed as if ready to flee. But the general was quicker.

"You!"

So Ik-Gyeom grabbed the soldier by the shoulder. Most men would be unable to escape So Ik-Gyeom's grasp, but this soldier was noticeably smaller than the others.

The soldier tried desperately to hide their face by pulling their helmet down. But it was useless.

So Ik-Gyeom easily snatched the helmet off and tossed it aside, revealing a face.

"Ha!" So Ik-Gyeom let out a dry laugh. It was absurd, almost laughable. "You're a woman."

The other party frowned, looking defeated. He had known from the start that she had an extraordinary spirit, but he hadn't realized she was daring enough to do something as outrageous as this.

"Do Ye-ran."

She was the precious daughter of the Yunrim Do clan, a powerful noble family in the south. She had once been betrothed to Yegyeong. It was a detail that few people remembered now.

"What are you doing here?" So Ik-Gyeom asked sternly.

Clearly, he had seen a different name on the roster. The person on the list must have been her brother. She had joined the group in his place, or perhaps secretly.

He could guess her intentions, but this was a battlefield, a place filled with demonic beasts. This was no place for a pampered young lady. If she got hurt, there would be conflict with the Do clan.

He needed to send her back before things got complicated.

But Do Ye-ran was not easily deterred.

"I can't go back. I've come this far."

She had clearly anticipated his words.