Infected - Chapter 543



Only Krnovel

Side story episode 30

The office under the mountain.

Sanha slowly looks at Gaon sitting across from him.

It was a hideous sight, covered in blood that no one knew who it belonged to.

It was like that because I wiped my face.

I told him to change his clothes and shower before we could talk, but Gaon insisted on following me in that state.

She sat with her arms crossed and slowly opened her mouth.

“Please speak. Don’t hesitate.”

Sanha let out a faint groan.

An expression that shows no emotion at all and eyes that are full of leisure.

She seemed confident that she could answer whatever was said.

So it was more difficult.

The people Sanha has met so far have shown their emotions easily.

No, most people did.

But every time I met Gaon, he only showed me something that wasn’t normal.

Is it a lack of emotion?

Or maybe it’s just that I have an extraordinary ability to hide things.

When I was thinking like that.

“Did you call me to tear off my face?”

“No. No. That’s not it… … .”

Sanha shook his head like someone waking up from a dream.

“To be honest, there is a lot of talk internally because an unexpected enemy has appeared.”

“I guess so. The aftermath will also be a problem.”

“That’s right. So, I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

“Thinking?”

“I have given you military power, so you should express your opinion. How should we deal with the new enemy?”

“The military exists for war. If you ask me what I think about leading these soldiers, there is only one answer.”

Sanha nodded heavily, exhaling deeply.

“So you’re saying you’ll keep fighting? I want to give you strength, but I need to be sure first.”

“Are you sure?”

“Please make Seoul’s position clear. Only then can we make a choice. I don’t want to doubt it, but when the situation becomes unfavorable, I start to think like that.”

Sanha slowly leaned his body forward.

“… Is there really such a huge group called Seoul behind you?”

“You are directly responsible for the suspicions, right?”

“Responsibility… … .”

The corners of his mouth slightly rose.

“Actually, I knew from the beginning. I was planning to use my forces to fight against the governor’s side and weaken both sides. That’s why you showed up at that time and asked me to voluntarily hand over military power. From Seoul’s perspective, it would be good if their power was weakened regardless of who won. Isn’t that right?”

“that’s right.”

Gaon answered without even blinking an eye.

“I can’t believe that it’s possible at that age. Anyway, I think you’ve already paid a big price for fooling me once.”

“No. The math is strange. What about the specialties I established? I almost destroyed the governor’s safety zone, and not only did I win a fight against an unknown enemy, I even took prisoners.”

“You used my men and supplies to establish that specialty.”

“You know it’s forced, right?”

“Well, I think that’s a point that can be made. I’m not that easy. I know full well how dangerous it can be to give favors out of the blue. As I said, the reason you approached us wasn’t just because of war.”

“Then I guess you know what I’m trying to do.”

“What… If you’re going to take us to Seoul, where we’ve fallen apart, then go ahead. This is my first advice and warning. No matter what happens, we’ll stay here.”

“If you look closely, Sanha-nim only thinks about himself?”

Gaon continued speaking, crossing his legs.

“Staying here is good. It might not be a bad choice for some. But what about the ordinary people living in the safe zone? Do they think the same way?”

“Of course you will follow me.”

“That’s when you make the right decision. Will you still be able to do that after you find out that there are safer, more comfortable, and more peaceful places than here? I see there are quite a few people raising children.”

“If anyone saw you, they would think you really cared for us. But even so, your method was wrong from the beginning. You should have been honest and persuaded me.”

“Would it have been the same even if the positions were reversed?”

The corners of Gaon’s mouth strangely went up.

“The conversation won’t progress this way. I think we’ve strayed a bit from the point, so let’s get back to the main point. I’m going to ask the governor to negotiate today, and I’m going to come forward and talk. But we need Seoul’s power in case the conversation goes wrong. I think we can make this much of a demand because we’ve given a lot.”

“You said you were going to get to the point, but you’re bringing the conversation back to square one. I’ve given you more than you deserve. If you find it hard to understand, then take the military out right now and do something. Then they’ll follow you without saying a word.”

“We need to talk. We have shed a lot of blood, and we can no longer ignore your hidden intentions. If we don’t end this war right now… … .”

“I plan to finish it.”

Sanha’s eyebrows twitched.

Although they had inflicted a heavy blow on the enemy, the governor’s side still had an overwhelming superiority in terms of manpower.

In a situation where even military supplies had been taken away, there would be no way to stop them if they launched an all-out attack.

So Sanha thought that Gaon would harass the enemies until the end and buy time.

Because that was her plan from the beginning.

But then suddenly you say you’ll end the war?

I couldn’t figure out the intention.

“How does it end?”

“How do we end it? We have to destroy it.”

“Why all of a sudden? What changed your mind?”

Gaon dabbed at the bloodstains on his tattered combat uniform.

“Today… seven of the people I brought with me died. Those friends, like Sanha, have wives and children.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

Gaon’s eyes became gloomy for a moment as he answered.

It was the first time I showed my emotions in front of Sanha.

“They are my people. All of the dead people. Then their families are also my people. If I had truly thought about them, would I have made this decision? As you said, I would have been honest from the beginning and asked for an alliance.”

“That means… … .”

“Yes. I was foolish. I was doing something that didn’t make sense, and innocent people ended up dying. I’m not qualified to be a commander.”

Sanha blinked and let out a deep sigh.

If he had been a shrewd opportunist, he would have taken advantage of Gaon’s weakness.

but…….

Sanha was closer to a warrior than a leader.

He was not the type of person to use or use other people’s sincere confessions as a springboard to build something up.

Maybe that’s why.

I didn’t know what to say to Gaon’s sudden confession.

Have you ever had an experience similar to that of Sanhara?

Maybe it was because I discovered a very human side to someone I had previously considered cold-hearted.

“That’s what happened. I was just thinking about what I lost… … .”

“No. There are only seven of them. It’s nothing compared to what Sanha lost. Anyway, that’s what I think. If possible, if there’s still a chance, let me end this war. I want to take my revenge with my own hands.”

“But if war breaks out again, someone else will die. If something happens to you or your friend, how can I handle the aftermath?”

Sanha’s words were sincere.

Of course, we couldn’t be sure that Seoul was behind Gaon, but assuming that was the case, the problem could become serious if Gaon or Seonwoo died or were seriously injured.

At that time, the issue was not the war with the governor, but the possibility that this area would be reduced to ashes.

It was like trying to fight a wolf but ending up summoning a tiger.

“Your Majesty.”

Gaon uncrossed his legs and pulled his chair closer to the table.

“I’m only nineteen. What did I believe in that brought me to this point? The people behind me. The adults who raised me. There’s no way it’s taken them this long to find me.”

“So you’ve already made contact?”

“No. They must be watching me from somewhere. There are still people like that. There must be a reason why I came in with nothing and am so confident.”

“I’m watching… … .”

“The governor will never give up this war. The enemies we fought today were completely different from the governor’s army. If those people are supporting us, there is no reason for the governor to negotiate with us. Even if I killed thousands of these unknown enemies and left them in the fields, do you think this war will end well?”

Sanha’s eyes narrowed as he heard the story.

It was already too late.

The root of the problem was that he dragged Gaon into this war even though he knew Gaon’s intentions from the beginning.

The more we talk, the more convinced we become that negotiation is impossible.

No other sharp numbers came to mind.

“Are you really… confident that you can end this war?”

“Yes. After a few days of maintenance, I plan to destroy the governor’s safe zone.”

“What about the new enemy?”

“If we interrogate them tonight, they’ll probably find out something.”

“I heard you were caught trying to commit suicide. Do you think you’ll open your mouth that easily?”

“At first, everything was planned out. Until I was tortured to the point of death.”

At that moment, a glimmer of murderous intent appeared in Gaon’s eyes.

It was unbelievable that a nineteen-year-old girl had such a strong will to kill.

Sanha, seeing that sight, takes out a cigarette from his pocket.

“…I’ll just smoke one.”

“Of course. This is Your Majesty’s office.”

A moment of silence.

Soon, white cigarette smoke began to disperse around the lights like a haze.

“Well, there is no other way.”

“Maybe.”

“however…….”

Sanha took a deep sip and continued speaking.

“I don’t want to ignore your feelings about losing your comrade and changing your mind, but am I mistaken in thinking that you are trying to cover up something by inciting war? If there is something I need to know, please tell me now. Because from the moment this conversation ends, I intend to truly trust you.”

“I don’t think I can say that, considering that I was always at the forefront in this war. I fought with my life on the line every moment. Even if there were lies, no matter what they were, they wouldn’t be more valuable than my life.”

Sanha couldn’t refute it.

I definitely felt like I was pushing this too far, but there was no point in digging any further.

“… Okay. Then, let’s take a few days off and put an end to this war. I’ll join you.”

“No. Your Majesty, stay here. If you leave, people will get anxious. It might be frustrating, but you have to know how to watch over them. You have to know how to trust your subordinates. Right now, I’m your subordinate, right? That’s the position of a leader. It’s not about holding a gun and fighting, but about cleaning up after everything is over.”

Sanha’s gaze turns to Gaon’s eyes.

What kind of people did you grow up under to be so smart?

It was something his head simply couldn’t comprehend.

“And about going to Seoul, you can decide that later. If you talk it over with your elders, you’ll come up with an answer. If you refuse even after hearing all the conditions, then I have no choice but to respect that. But you’ll go. Definitely.”

“How can you be sure?”

“You’ll know when you meet him. Especially if he’s someone you like and trust, like Sanha, there’s no point in talking more. He’s basically different from me.”

“Different? Weren’t you raised by those people?”

“Of course I did. I just grew up eating their worries and concerns. They were always worried that I would grow up to be a person with humanity. That’s why I can maintain extreme composure at this age.”

“I understand what you mean. Let’s start the operational meeting tomorrow.”

“Yes. I’m glad the conversation went well. Get some rest.”

Gaon got up from his seat, lowered his head slightly, and quickly left the office.

When I opened the door, Seonwoo was waiting in the hallway with a bandage wrapped around his shoulder.

Her gaze, completely different from when she faced Sanha, turned toward the hallway.

It is true that she was truly saddened by the deaths of her colleagues.

But there was a good reason for revealing it.

A war that started by deceiving both sides from the beginning.

I couldn’t let all those plans be revealed when I came this far.

He even used his own emotions to persuade others.

And in order to keep that secret hidden until the end, Sanha had to not go to war himself.

Because you never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll hear at the scene.

Of course, after the war ended and the governor and his associates died, it was a story that would eventually spread.

But what is known now and what later spread as rumors were clearly different.

Wherever you go, it’s common for those in power to spread false rumors to maintain their power.

Although the unexpected deaths of the platoon members destroyed the safety zones of both the Sanha and the branch office.

Gaon’s purpose remains unchanged.

The end would come only when the roots of the enemies attempting to attack Seoul were completely eliminated.

Gaon would do anything if he could get the job done by borrowing someone else’s hands.

Infected people