Infected - Chapter 542



Only Noblemtl

Side story episode 29

The aftermath was immediately resolved on the scene.

Because it was too dangerous to move over a thousand corpses to a safe area.

There were concerns about infection or epidemic disease, and above all, there were no facilities to dispose of the bodies.

In the end, they decided to gather the bodies on the side of the road and cover them with a tarp.

There was a way to make it up, but the environment was not suitable for lighting a fire because it was so open on all sides and there were ridges and forests.

In addition, the number of friendly casualties was significant, so we had to return as soon as possible.

A ridge in a rice paddy filled with the corpses of enemies and allies.

Gaon, Seonwoo, and the company commanders standing in front of them briefly offer a moment of silence.

This was also something I learned from adults.

War is just war.

When we get out of that situation, we’re all the same people.

That’s how Gaon and Seonwoo learned.

After a series of funeral procedures were completed.

The troops under Sanha, who had seized the trucks the enemies had arrived in, swept away all the supplies remaining in the military camp.

There were no other military units nearby.

At best, it would take a hundred kilometers to find another unit.

Even that was likely to be empty.

Because 10 years is by no means a short period of time.

If you’re unlucky, you might come into conflict with people living in the area.

Inside the truck returning to safety.

Seonwoo was nowhere to be seen, and Eugene was riding next to Gaon, who was driving.

Because the number of vehicles doubled, we had to split the number of people in groups as much as possible.

Rattling! Rattling!

The car shook violently every time we passed a bumpy road.

Gaon, who skillfully operated the gear despite the fact that it would not be easy to drive, soon looked to the side.

In the passenger seat, Eugene was staring out the window with a blank expression.

“How is it?”

“…are you okay.”

“They were good guys. All the dead guys.”

Eugene nodded silently.

“I…….”

Gaon’s eyes narrowed as he recalled them.

“…I should have paid more attention.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s war.”

“Even in a hectic battlefield, it is the commander’s role to protect his subordinates.”

“The role of a commander is not to protect his subordinates, but to win. Since you won, you have done your duty.”

“I see… … .”

Gaon, whose voice trailed off, recalled the two wars he had experienced after the Myeonggyo.

Each time, so many people died that the empty space in the safe zone became noticeable.

At a time when the survivors were not able to come together and join forces, the adults continued to kill each other.

A world with many people but limited resources.

The more I thought about it, the funnier it became.

If you look closely, there is a vast land area with an overwhelming amount of rain compared to its population.

If we really don’t fit together, then we should just live far apart.

But the adults didn’t give up.

Not the adults of Gaon, but adults from other places.

They would rather take what others have done than build something themselves.

Beomsik once said something like that.

In a world like this, fights over sex or food can’t end well.

He said that because there is no one to mediate, it is difficult to recognize how far one has come.

And so time passed.

Most of the adults Gaon knew had become someone’s parents, husbands, or wives.

As everyone had more things to protect, they became more sensitive.

We doubled the reconnaissance area outside the safe zone and made it sensitive to even the slightest changes.

Of all of them, the one that changed the most was finance.

He, who always prioritized conversation, completely changed after experiencing two wars and giving birth.

The original finance was a person who reacted to the other person’s actions while keeping the line.

But that’s not the case anymore.

As soon as a small threat is discovered, it is struck at the origin, rendering it incapacitated.

A change in leadership like that changes many things.

This was also the reason why each and every survivor in Seoul came together with a sense of ownership.

Gaon silently watched all these changes and grew.

Maybe that’s why.

They have inherited their sense of responsibility for the next generation and their attitude toward their enemies.

Don’t trust people. Trust situations.

People lie, but situations don’t lie.

To have such insight, you have to look at phenomena, not words.

Focus on the phenomenon of behavior.

If you can see the phenomenon, no one can fool you.

It was a sound that was so painfully painful that it was piercing to the ears.

But Gaon knew.

Even the adults who said that actually lived completely opposite lives.

That I have come this far by trusting in people, loving people, and relying on people.

I remembered Youngman’s words that we come from love and must go from love to love.

What did young Gaon know to say something like that?

The funny thing is, even after 10 years, I still remember those words vividly.

Gaon was still confused.

If we look at the phenomenon that adults showed us, we should trust the person, not the situation.

Adults who spoke coldly but acted coldly at all.

In the end, Gaon was also following the same path as them.

The relationships formed here began to feel precious.

In fact, the only family and colleagues she and Seonwoo knew were in Seoul.

So there was never any confusion like this.

The problem is that once you step outside that fence, everything starts to change.

Gaon’s eyes became complicated as he turned the steering wheel.

What would have happened if I hadn’t chased after Seonwoo that night?

Perhaps, even now, they are living in a safe zone, thinking that it is their whole world.

“Eugene.”

“why.”

“Let’s go to Seoul together. Your family too.”

“You can say that after seeing my expression?”

Eugene turned his head with a blank expression.

“I have to end this war.”

“What? Why all of a sudden? You said you were going to engage in a war of attrition.”

“… … .”

“How can things change in less than a day?”

“Because of my crazy ways of controlling barbarians, it seems like only innocent people are dying.”

“Thank you, but what made you change your mind like that?”

Gaon nodded.

“Actually, I didn’t think about it at all before. I was only obsessed with the fact that I had touched Seoul. So I would do anything to protect my people.”

“however?”

“That was the case, but now I would say that my scope has expanded a bit.”

“It’s such an honor to be part of that fence.”

“I never said it was you.”

“What? Why am I not here?”

Eugene asked back with a look of absurdity.

“Do you want to come in?”

“It’s not like that specifically, but if I were the only one left out, it would be a different story.”

“You’re secretly timid.”

“It’s not that I’m timid… … Well, okay. Let’s say I’m timid. Anyway, why am I not?”

“You too.”

“Oh my, why now?”

“So don’t die.”

Eugene looked straight into Gaon’s eyes, which had become quite serious.

“Don’t die, survive until the end, and let’s go to Seoul together. I haven’t seen your family yet, but they must be the most precious people in the world to you. Just like I think of my family in Seoul. That’s why I wanted to protect them. If you are my people, then your family should be mine too.”

“That’s a very clear statement… … .”

“Cheongsan, what?”

“Okay. Just drive.”

“Who told you you could talk to me like that?”

“ah…….”

“Sit up straight. Don’t tilt your seat back.”

“huh.”

Eugene blinked and smiled faintly.

* * *

The safety zone was busy treating the injured.

Stretchers were being carried around without stopping, and the floor was covered in the blood of the wounded.

The expressions of the Sanha and his closest associates passing by became heavy.

A special force comprised of only the best from the entire military.

Nearly 1,500 of them were killed, and more than 1,000 were wounded.

In just half a day.

The middle-aged staff member who was walking alongside said with complicated eyes.

“Your Majesty, the damage is too great.”

“You gained something, too.”

“It’s good that we’ve obtained military supplies, but the problem is that another enemy has appeared. Dealing with the governor is difficult enough, and now we have more enemies.”

“hmm…….”

“Medicines are also a problem. After treating this many people, no, I wonder if we can do this. Of course, everyone is working together to produce them, but the disinfectants and ointments extracted from herbs have a short shelf life and will run out quickly. Winter is coming soon, so even that won’t be easy to obtain.”

Then the young man standing on the other side raised his voice.

He was the man who commanded the troops before Gaon arrived.

“So? Are you saying that even after seeing this? I can’t praise you for fighting well.”

“I praise you, of course. But what’s good is good, and what’s wrong is wrong.”

“Oh, so someone has to be held accountable?”

“That’s not the story.”

“What do you mean, no? The nuance is exactly like that.”

“That’s the situation. An unexpected enemy has appeared. I know we’ve done a good job of attacking the branch office so far. But if there’s another force that we’re not aware of, it’s all in vain. It’s like poking a hornet’s nest. That’s why I said we should talk enough before we make a move.”

“Everyone says, ‘I should have done this, I should have done that.’ When something happens, everyone says that. And if you blame someone in this situation, the morale of the military will hit rock bottom. If you were me, would you want to fight? As you said, when another enemy has appeared?”

“stop.”

Sanha, who couldn’t stand to hear this, stepped in to mediate.

But once the argument started, it was not easily extinguished.

“We need to try to talk now, before it’s too late.”

“You’re talking like you’re having a conversation, really. Since I kept quiet last time, you’re talking nonsense.”

“What? When you are being polite, do it appropriately.”

“What if I don’t do it in moderation?”

“Both of you stop!”

The deep, thunderous roar of the mountain echoed loudly.

The sound was so loud that the hairs on the heads of the two people who were raising their voices stood on end.

Only then did the two shut their mouths, observing Sanha’s expression.

It’s just that we’re hesitating now because we’ve encountered a stronger enemy.

Originally, Sanha was closer to a warrior than a leader.

A person who becomes a leader when given a pen in his hand, and a warrior when given a sword.

So, there was no need to bother him by picking an emotional fight.

“I will discuss this issue myself.”

“No, Your Majesty. In a situation like this, if you suddenly start talking to the enemies… … .”

“No. I want to talk to you, young lady. I need to know Seoul’s position. If we continue like this, we will be completely destroyed.”

It meant that I wanted to talk to Gaon.

“So, you two, please stop arguing unnecessarily. Do you understand?”

“…yes.”

“All right.”

Sanha looked around and asked, taking his gaze away.

“Where is the young lady?”

“You will be in the hospital.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No. I think he’s there because of his injured colleagues.”

The staff member answered politely.

“That’s good. This time, we’ll be talking alone, so if you have something to say, say it now.”

The two people, who had been observing each other for a while, took turns expressing their opinions.

“I would rather tell you what I think than what I have to say. I hope that we can end this now that it has come to this. It would be best if we didn’t fight, but think about the situation so far. Who broke their promise and attacked the checkpoint first? A peace that is forced is no different from holding a bomb. That’s it.”

Now it’s the staff’s turn.

“I will also tell you what I think. There should be no more wars. They are meaningless. In today’s world, a decreasing population means the end of the world. If we can buy time, even a forced peace, that’s fine. We can’t just sit back and do nothing. If we prepare and prepare for many things during that time, we can have equal power. They also lost a lot. If we have the power, peace can last.”

“I understand what you both mean. Although our opinions are opposing, let’s try to talk about it while taking into account each other as much as possible.”

After saying those words, Sanha walked towards the hospital.

Infected people