Black Swan Chapter 7

However, Wang Hui greedily swallowed only the grain and fled after just three years. The one who received the concentrated, stinging glares from within the leadership regarding this situation was Lee Hwanmae. Since he was the core figure who had first suggested the strategy of using barbarians to control barbarians and had pursued the matter more actively than anyone else, it was a natural outcome. In particular, the anger on the side of Ryun was so great that even the chief presidential secretary dispatched urgently by their king ended up causing a scene by shouting in front of Lee Hwanmae.

Throughout hearing the chief secretary’s intense protest, Lee Hwanmae maintained a serene expression. Yoo Nanoh was inwardly relieved at that sight. It was because he worried that his half-brother, who had ridden the waves of success until now, might be mentally shrunk by the humiliation he tasted for the first time in his life. The more a fight is disadvantageous in weight class, the more important mental strength becomes. Yoo Nanoh tossed out a word to boost his hyung’s morale:

― You responded calmly and well, Major General.

― Did you think I would be shaken then?

Lee Hwanmae snorted.

― In the Western Continent, there are as many ambitious people as there is population. Even if it is not Wang Hui, there are plenty of chess pieces for us to handle. We just have to find one starting now!

― I believe in you.

Yoo Nanoh nodded his head vigorously. Lee Hwanmae walked grandly toward his quarters as if showing off. After that, he stayed busy. He completely stopped his habit of always eating together with the troops at the mess hall specifically to encourage morale, and shut himself in his quarters, devoting himself solely to work. One month from then, Major Cho Younghyun—Lee Hwanmae’s right-hand man—came to see Yoo Nanoh out of the blue with a grave face.

― It is hard to believe, but it seems the Major General is virtually abstaining from food and drink. He barely eats one meal out of three.

― That can’t be?

― He always hands out the rice bowl completely empty, but there are hardly any grains of rice or side dishes smeared on the spoon. The state of the rice bowl is also strange. If he had eaten properly, there should be traces of scraping the inside of the bowl with a spoon, but it is smooth as if the rice was just scooped out whole somewhere and thrown away.

Yoo Nanoh quickly went to see Lee Hwanmae. In front of his half-brother who was running wild while wielding weapons, Lee Hwanmae actually flared up in anger instead:

― How dare you make a riot in front of a superior officer? Do you want to be referred to a court-martial, Division Commander Yoo? I have never spent time worrying while abstaining from food and drink, so get out this instant!

Only after Yoo Nanoh went wild over five hours did Lee Hwanmae change his attitude.

― Actually, I’m on a diet these days.

At his half-brother’s roundabout confession, Yoo Nanoh was shocked. In truth, under the dark clouds brought by Wang Hui’s betrayal, Lee Hwanmae was deeply troubled to the point of abstaining from food and drink. Yoo Nanoh could not believe this situation at all. Lee Hwanmae was the person he had Jeonghan as an equal for the first time in his life. He had never even imagined that his half-brother—who was so venomous and arrogant that even Yoo Nanoh himself would feel a shudder at times—would fall into deep worry to the point of abstaining from food and drink. What did this mean?

― Are we… really finished? Even though we struggled after giving up being human for three whole years, is there no hope?

Yoo Nanoh said in utter despair. Lee Hwanmae let out a chuckle.

― This is the first time I’ve seen you talk so feebly, Nanoh. You look like you’re about to burst into tears at any moment. Don’t worry. They say even if the sky falls, there is a way out. Trust me. Trust God and wait just four years. Because God promised me that He would definitely find a way for you all to survive.

Lee Hwanmae added in a clear tone:

― You haven’t forgotten the written oath you and I signed together three years ago, right? If we don’t keep our minds sharp, even God’s foresight is useless. Don’t give up hope.

Four years passed since then. Mukso dragged a million-man army and sat in camp in front of the border line. At least in Yoo Nanoh’s eyes, not even a thread of hope was visible.

“Hey. I’m putting courtesy aside for a moment.”

Yoo Nanoh said as he entered Lee Hwanmae’s room. According to military principles, he treated his half-brother strictly as a superior officer regardless of time and place, but this secret room was an exception. As if he had just finished taking a shower, Lee Hwanmae was wiping his hair in a robe.

Yoo Nanoh clicked his tongue and sat down.

“Why the hell aren’t you eating again? You need to supply a proper amount of glucose so that famous head of yours can gain strength and spin smoothly.”

“When I force myself to eat when I don’t want to, it doesn’t digest.”

“The mind and body are separate. The body absolutely needs three meals a day to get strength. Stop being stubborn and eat at the mess hall with me. It’s been a long time since you ate with the kids, too.”

At Yoo Nanoh’s suggestion, Lee Hwanmae only feigned ignorance. Turning sharply away from his younger brother, he sprinkled food inside a glass box placed in one corner of the room and whispered affectionately:

“Hera, you were hungry, right?”

Inside the glass box, a snake received the food, flicking its long tongue. Lee Hwanmae loved the snake Hera—which he had received as a gift five years ago—like a daughter. Occasionally, he would walk outside with Hera wrapped tightly around his wrist, and at that creepy sight, his subordinates would shudder and step back.

“Hey, instead of feeding that snake soup ingredient, fill your own belly!”

Without even pretending to listen to his younger brother’s words, Lee Hwanmae only fed the snake. Yoo Nanoh tried hard to suppress his anger. Let me endure it. Since he showed his pathetic state of groaning while skipping meals to his younger brother, with that vixen personality of his he probably wants to find a mouse hole to hide in. So, let me endure it. Endure!

“Anyway, what are you going to do? It’s the fourth year you mentioned. Don’t tell me the way out that your so-vaunted God spoke of meant dying all together?”

Yoo Nanoh brought up the main topic. Lee Hwanmae shrugged his shoulders with a “Well?” and said:

“Did the youngest guy and Guk-ggaeng say nothing? What about the cat? Did they say they couldn’t see a hopeful future or something?”

“Are you going to keep feigning ignorance? You know best that those guys have been losing sleep over stress for a long time. Hey, I really want to beat you until dandruff flies on a rainy day! Answer me right now! What did that vaunted God of yours spout!”

Yoo Nanoh slammed his fist hard against the wall. Without a word, Lee Hwanmae picked up a dart from his desk and threw it. The dart that flew with a ping stuck into a straw doll hanging on the wall. Lee Hwanmae attached the name ‘Wang Hui’ to that doll and made a habit of throwing darts at it whenever he was bored. Normally, Yoo Nanoh also joined in the dart game often and enjoyed it, but today he didn’t feel like it at all.

Yoo Nanoh took a silent deep breath. Ryu Hopi’s pale face passed before his eyes.

My beloved cat.

I’m sorry for making you suffer in this hell for three whole years. Never forgive this useless bastard. I will keep my promise without fail. Even if it turns out to be only half.

“I submit a proposal.”

Yoo Nanoh said in a cold voice:

“When the snakes march toward this side, I will block their path. I will blow off the heads of Mukso and his sons. If God foresees their exact positions, it can succeed. The moment the snakes cross the border line, we will inevitably have to mobilize all our forces to return fire. Rather than doing that, let me go out alone to buy time.”

“Denied.”

Lee Hwanmae said without hesitation. Yoo Nanoh’s face contorted sharply.

“Hey, there’s no other way right now! If Mukso and his sons all die, the snakes will fluster. In the meantime, we can send an envoy to Jo Bi of ‘Saengmyeongmokguk❨生命木國❩’ to strike Usaguk.”

“Jo Bi does not have the guts to wage an all-out war with Usaguk. Even if we do as you proposed, it will merely end up delaying the war happening tomorrow by a month. If the king and princes are assassinated, the snakes will attack our land with all their might just to save their country’s face.”

“First we have to buy time…”

“No. Denied.”

At Lee Hwanmae’s firm tone, Yoo Nanoh shut his mouth. In the silence, the brothers’ gazes met sharply. Lee Hwanmae, who was quietly staring at his younger brother with lowered eyes, spoke first:

“That operation not only yields no gain, but above all, it premises your own death. No matter how strong you are, you can never dodge a shower of arrows from a million-man army. As your hyung, I cannot approve that operation.”

“Hey, Lee Hwanmae. Think cold-headedly. Fuck, is war a joke? This isn’t Hwado where athletic blockheads fight over rank!”

Yoo Nanoh’s voice turned harsh.

“End it with just me. I proposed this operation believing that if given time, you could sufficiently dig into the enemy’s weaknesses and prevent the war.”

“Denied.”