NIS Agents Tearing Up the Japanese Empire - Chapter 131



Only Krnovel

The nature of infantry (3)

Korean Infantry Regiment.

These are the units that were created when the Korean army was disbanded by the Japanese Empire in accordance with the Eulmi 7 Treaty, when the land of Joseon was still called the Korean Empire and not a colony.

Unlike their comrades who actively resisted the Japanese Empire against the disbandment of the military, this unit consisted of those who quietly kept their positions or complied rather than actively resisting.

These were the people who were left behind to protect the royal family, which had been annexed to the imperial family due to the loss of national sovereignty.

Naturally, they are all Koreans, from officers to non-commissioned officers and privates.

Officers and non-commissioned officers continued to serve without being laid off due to their long service, but soldiers were recruited and discharged every two to three years.

However, even though they were a docile unit that did not resist the Japanese Empire, the Japanese Government-General, which had experience fighting fiercely during the period of disbanding the military, did not look upon them so kindly.

No matter how obedient they may be, they are still an army of a ruined nation.

Also, since they were originally a guard, they occupied a good location in front of Gwanghwamun, the old Yukjo Street in the center of Gyeongseong, and used it as their base.

Thanks to this, the Government-General was essentially paying to have the best location in Gyeongseong.

There, the Joseon military headquarters in Yongsan controlled their weapons and ammunition and replaced them with Japanese troops to perform their main duty of protecting the royal family, as they could not trust the Joseon people.

So, at this point, the Joseon Infantry Corps was nothing more than a nuisance, taking all the taxes they had and loafing around doing nothing.

Thanks to this, the Government-General of Korea was always gritting its teeth and trying to figure out how to reduce and disband the Joseon Infantry Corps… … .

“Listen! The Japanese army is now advancing towards Gyeongseong. You must sacrifice your lives for your master, His Majesty the King, and protect Gyeongseong!”

“?”

“This is your chance to fight and die with honor as a subject of the Empire of Japan, so please cherish this opportunity.”

“???”

Members of the Joseon Infantry Corps, who normally took away weapons and ammunition from Joseon people, saying that they could not put guns in their hands, are now giving them weapons and ammunition, saying that they should protect the country.

“And today! A great number of Korean men have come to the Governor-General’s Office to prove their loyalty to the Empire of Japan… … . Let us rejoice in this!”

“boot……?”

However, these new recruits were not people who had received separate military training, but people who decided to enlist in the military due to continued economic difficulties.

Naturally, these people have never held a gun and have no intention of actively engaging in combat.

Most people come here because they are told that they will at least be fed.

What fighting power can we discuss with such people?

“Everyone, for the Empire of Japan! For the Government-General of Korea! Let’s go out! Let’s fight!”

“… … .”

From the beginning, Lieutenant Colonel Eodam, the commander of the Joseon Infantry Corps, did not seem to think that his soldiers would achieve anything meaningful.

I simply regarded it as a meat shield that could put out the urgent fire of the Governor-General and fill in the gaps in the weak front line.

What is even sadder is that the commander and the governor-general’s assessments were accurate.

The current Joseon infantry was nothing more than a meat shield at best, and in reality, they were the ones who would obviously prove that there was an underground underground beneath the floor.

“What on earth did we do… … .”

“Oh my… … I really messed up in my later years.”

“Should I just run away?”

“Where are you running away to?”

“Let’s go north first! Why didn’t you say that the Japanese army was coming down from the north?”

“So? Are you going to join them?”

“Right! If you bring a few maps and documents here, wouldn’t they be happy to see you there?”

“Oh… … . Let me join too.”

“I like it when there are a lot of people.”

When they heard that they were being taken to the front lines, the soldiers who were about to be discharged immediately started thinking about running away.

“When did you give me the gun?”

“I don’t know the map.”

“But, brother, in a few days you’re going to fight the Japanese. What do you mean?”

“Oh my… … You ignorant bastard! We’re about to become the enemy army, so why are we fighting against the Japanese?”

“No… … A little while ago, a gentleman named Lieutenant came and said he was going to fight… … .”

“You’re just saying that. Are you really telling us to fight?”

“I guess so?”

“Grazie!”

“So when will you serve food?”

The new recruits, most of whom were young men who had just come up from the countryside, just blinked and waited for mealtime.

If he had been a soldier with loyalty, patriotism, or even pride in his heart from the beginning, he would have fought the Japanese army once and joined the volunteer army on the day the army was disbanded.

But these people are the ones who have sold out their country for patriotism, their loyalty, and even the little bit of pride they hold in their hearts for a few pennies.

It’s stupid to expect anything from such people.

The Government-General ignored this simple thing, and paid the price.

“What did you just say?”

“… … Today, we conducted a roll call, and all the soldiers who were originally serving in the Joseon Infantry Brigade had run away, leaving only the new soldiers brought in from the provinces.”

“her.”

When Saito heard this report in the Governor-General’s office, he put his hand to his forehead to suppress his emotions that were boiling over.

Then he asked his secretary in a seething voice.

“Then… … how many troops are left?”

“Uh… … . Exactly 897 people.”

“Whew… … Still, there will be officers and non-commissioned officers left, so if we do well somehow… … .”

“Oh, the officers and non-commissioned officers all ran away too.”

“… … ?”

Yes, that’s right.

Soldiers know their own level very well, so how can officers and non-commissioned officers not know that?

Even the officers of the Joseon Infantry Corps were mostly those who had served in the military since the days of the Korean Empire, then went to Japan, graduated from the Korea Military Academy, and returned.

So, what this means is that officers were originally on the side of the military.

“I have nothing to say.”

“……sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry about?”

The Joseon Infantry Corps, on which the Governor-General had placed high expectations, naturally went through the process of disbandment by refusing the Governor-General’s order for the first and last time.

“Fortunately, we have secured the Joseon Infantry Corps’ armory, so there should be no disruption in the supply of weapons.”

“That’s a relief.”

Who will win in a fight between the police and the military is anyone’s guess, but the fight is now out of his hands.

The human Makoto Saito has done everything he can, so now it is time to wait for Heaven’s will.

‘God, please give me just one more chance… … .’

* * *

“Whoaam… … .”

“Are you sleepy?”

“Oh, no.”

“If you’re sleepy, why don’t you go over there and take a breather?”

“No! I won’t sleep!”

“Why? If you’re sleepy, you should sleep, right?”

“Oh, no! I won’t sleep!”

On the banks of the great Tumen River, which divides the border between Korea and China, there was a guard post set up by the Japanese military police.

Their main mission is to monitor Chinese or Korean bandits coming across the border to pillage, and to prevent anyone from smuggling illegal weapons and other items across the border.

In fact, this place is a place where people die from attacks by the evil spirits who cross the border when they feel a little bored, so the people working here are never able to let their guard down.

“If you fall asleep, won’t those Joseon guys from across the river come over and take my life?”

“sorry!”

“No, do you think I’m doing this to hear that?”

“no!”

“Sigh… … The situation around here is already tense, so do you have to do this to me too?”

“I’m sorry… … .”

“If you say sorry one more time, I’ll stab you in the gut with a butt plug.”

“… … .”

That is why military discipline was always strict here, but now, as the Governor-General and the military were hostile to each other, they were ready to have a full-scale showdown.

The 19th Division, which had lost many men and equipment in the previous arrest operation at the Yongsan Command, ‘rented’ many men and equipment from the 20th Division under the orders of Lieutenant General Shinnosuke Kikuchi, the commander of the North Korean Army, and as a result, gaps were created in various places in the border area now managed by the 20th Division.

Commander Shinnosuke didn’t seem to mind much since things would be restored to normal soon anyway, and the 20th Division leadership also thought that since the main enemy, the Furuyoshis, had all been driven to Kanto Province, there wouldn’t be any problems for the time being.

But the soldiers on the front lines thought a little differently.

The sudden decrease in the number of bandit raids, the sudden increase in smuggling between the Korean and Chinese borders, and the sudden start of Korean guerrilla activities… … All of these events seemed to indicate that something was about to happen here.

But the higher-ups completely ignored these reports and only emphasized that there was nothing wrong… … The soldiers were extremely frustrated with the current situation.

“Tsk… … . I heard our unit will also go down south later… … . I wonder if I’ll take a guy like you to the battlefield and get shot in the back.”

“… … .”

“Huh? Look at my eyes? Are you really going to shoot me?”

“no…….”

“No, that’s not true. It’s true.”

“Private Kunimitsu, that’s not true.”

That’s why, even today, in these uncertain times, the senior, whose stress has reached its limit due to the continuous situation, was venting his anger by longing for a successor.

“You can’t do this. If you were really going to shoot… … . Okay?”

The soldier who had been yearning for a successor for a long time suddenly saw flames rising from the barracks a little way from the guard post, so he stopped talking and lifted his binoculars.

“Miss… … . What is that?”

As I looked through my binoculars at the barracks, I saw flames shooting up from a corner.

“Hey! Who’s in charge of cooking today?”

“It must be Private Tanaka.”

“Ha, this kid… … .”

The military policeman who was inspecting the barracks smiled like a wolf that found prey and pulled on the long rope connected to the barracks.

This was a device that, when pulled, would shake a bell connected to the barracks, waking up other people in the barracks.

He smiled at the thought of his comrades running out of the barracks in a hurry with their uniforms and guns, and later finding out about this and trying to get new recruits… … .

“What? Why aren’t these kids getting up?”

For some reason, there was no response from the barracks.

Meanwhile, the fire in the corner of the barracks was growing bigger and bigger.

“I… … Private Kunimitsu?”

“why?”

“The water… is moving?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Yes, it’s true.”

“You’re being too easy on your senior right now… … .”

-bang.

Dark night.

A spark flashed in the darkness, then a gunshot rang out and the head of the military policeman guarding the outpost burst like a watermelon in midsummer.

The soldier who was covered in the blood of his senior screamed when he saw the blood on his hands.

“Kkiyaaaaak!!!”

But his screams soon ended in vain as a knife was thrust into his throat.

The masked man, who had stuck a sharp dagger into the soldier’s neck, quickly took off his soaking-drenched black mask and hood, took out a flashlight from his pocket, flicked the switch a few times, and sent a signal somewhere.

Then, in the middle of the Tuman River, shrouded in darkness, sparks flew out, and with the sound of splashing water, small wooden boats landed one by one on the riverbank.

“Whoa… …Thank you for your hard work, Ddolbok.”

“Hehe, no. I’ve been playing around here with my friends since I was little.”

The officer who got off the boat wore a dark green uniform and had a Taegeukgi (Korean flag) painted in black and dark green on his shoulder.

“So where was this place?”

“We just crossed the river… … If I remember correctly, it would be around Namchon, a little bit away from Musan-eup.”

“Namchon.”

The officer looked around and pointed to a nearby barracks that was burning brightly.

“I guess that’s where the 2nd platoon landed.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It seems like they’ve finished their work too… … So now we just have to do our own thing?”

“Shall we start working right away?”

“What’s there to put off? Let’s get started quickly.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Captain Hong Yong-hwan of the Korean Independence Corps, who had ordered his men to build a temporary bridge, briefly put his luggage on his back and recalled the message Mr. Lee had sent from Gyeongseong a while ago.

‘Why did this teacher tell me to attack Nanam… … .’

The message he sent was nothing special.

It was a very simple order to attack Nanam, where the 20th Division was stationed, as if it were empty, and plunder its supplies.

‘Well… … . I know, but I still don’t know.’

NIS Agent Tears the Japanese Empire Episode 132