NIS Agents Tearing Up the Japanese Empire - Chapter 161



Only Krnovel

NIS Agent Tears the Japanese Empire Episode 161

RISE(12)

Hamheung’s winter was warmer than expected.

Although the northern part of the Korean Peninsula is considered to be a warm region, this year’s winter was unusually warm.

It was so warm that the thermometer, which usually stays below zero, hovered between zero and one.

“It’s only January, but the weather is already warm.”

“It must have cleared up for a bit.”

It had already been twenty and three days since the Korean Independence Army occupied Hamheung.

It was not a short period of time at all, but during that time the Japanese military and imperial police did not even make an attempt to recapture Hamheung.

It was so bad that even the Japanese living in Hamheung and its surrounding areas lamented that their own country had abandoned them.

That is why the advance party of the Korean independence army, including General Kim Gyeong-cheon, who had secretly anticipated a bloody battle with the Japanese army, could not help but become more and more relaxed as the days passed.

At first, General Kim Gyeong-cheon and other officers tried to maintain the tension in their own way, but since the enemy had not shown any sign of their presence, everyone now only showed a lukewarm reaction.

“I heard from older people who have lived here for a long time that the weather often clears up starting in January. Could that be the case this time too?”

Today was another day, no different from any other day.

The people of Hamheung worked as usual, ate and drank as usual.

The independence army also spent their time helping people with work, getting food, or else hunting in the vicinity under the pretense of training.

The independence army and the Japanese army entered a full-scale all-out war, and the entire Japanese 20th Division, except for the regiment stationed in Pyongyang and the troops that went to support them, was either killed or captured.

Thanks to this, the Korean Independence Army was able to spend this winter in a warm military base built by the Japanese army.

But now that winter is almost over.

Although spring was still a long way off, the weather was warming up and winter was being pushed out of the north.

“Maybe this is my friend’s last gift.”

“Friend?”

“Yeah, I’m talking about a friend you know.”

“If you say that the general and I are friends… … ?”

“These are the words of Mr. Lee from Gyeongseong.”

“Ah… … This teacher.”

When he mentioned this teacher, Hong Yong-hwan’s face darkened.

“You weren’t the type of person to go like that.”

“Are there people in this world who would rather die?”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know.”

A sigh escaped Hong Yong-hwan’s mouth.

“Whew… … . I really didn’t know that you would leave so vainly, without even being able to repay the favor of being saved.”

“That’s the way life is. You never know when, where, or how it’ll end. Especially for people like us who do dangerous work.”

“That’s true. I feel like the heavens somehow know how to take such great people away first.”

“… … .”

General Kim Kyung-cheon answered with a light sigh and changed the subject.

“What was Nanam’s headquarters called?

“What?”

“Was there a separate order?”

“There was no word from you. The situation there is probably not much different from here, so wouldn’t it be better to focus on maintaining the status quo for now?”

“That’s not wrong, but… … .”

Maintaining the status quo in the middle of enemy territory, General Kim Gyeong-cheon frowned with an inexplicable sense of discomfort rising from the depths of his heart.

“If I send a messenger to Nanam, I will get a reply. How long do you think it will take?”

“It’s a little warmer here, but it’s still midwinter in the north. The cold wind will blow hard and the snow will fall heavily, so instead of returning from Nanam to Hamheung, you’ll end up in Hamheung.”

“hmm.”

Hong Yong-hwan knew the harsh winters of Hamgyeong Province well.

That’s why I knew that sending people north at this time would be tantamount to suicide.

That is why I expressed my opposition to General Kim Gyeong-cheon’s intention and tried to stop him, but at the moment when General Kim was about to give in to Hong Yong-hwan’s words.

“Are the roads in Hamgyeong-do in winter that rough?”

“That’s right. People from Hamgyeong Province don’t go out in the winter. No matter how much they hate someone, if they see someone wandering around outside in the winter, they will immediately bring them inside.”

“Yeah… … . That’s right… … .”

Something flashed through General Kim Gyeong-cheon’s mind.

“Do the Japanese military or the Governor-General know about this fact?”

“Well… … Well? To outsiders, the only thing they know is that winters in Hamgyeong Province are cold… … So it’s likely they don’t know.”

“Yeah… … . That’s right.”

The Japanese army does not know how cold and harsh the winter in Hamgyeong Province is.

If Kim Gyeong-cheon had not personally experienced the winter of Hamgyeong-do, he probably would not have known the feeling of his bones being chilled by the winter wind of Hamgyeong-do until the day he died, or the sensation of his internal organs cooling down the moment he left.

If he, who has experienced the harsh winter cold of the Korean Peninsula to some extent, is like this, what about the Japanese who were born and raised in warmer places than the Korean Peninsula?

I don’t know for sure, but it was probably worse than the prejudices of Koreans, if not worse.

“For example, if our army disappears from Hamheung… … wouldn’t the Japanese army in Pyongyang think that we have withdrawn our army to reorganize our posture?”

“Well, do you think that will work?”

“It seems worth a try.”

General Kim Kyong-cheon planned to pull the last of the Japanese 20th Division remaining in Pyongyang to Hamheung and eliminate them all at once.

“If we make a mistake, citizens could blow the whistle on our movements, or security could leak out and harm our own forces.”

“That may be the case, but I think it’s worth a try.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“Great adventures are always accompanied by danger. If a ship sailing the vast ocean were afraid of sinking in the deep sea, it would never have left port.”

“However… … .”

“I’ve already made up my mind.”

General Kim Kyung-cheon thought.

If only the remaining troops of the 20th Division in Pyongyang were dealt with, the three northern provinces (Hamgyeong-do, Pyeongan-do, and Hwanghae-do) north of Gyeongseong would all fall into the hands of the independence army.

“Even if this operation succeeds, it will not have a decisive impact on the situation. Rather, it will only serve to further provoke the Japanese government.”

Hong Yong-hwan thought General Kim Gyeong-cheon’s operation was reckless and tried to dissuade him.

In his opinion, the Japanese government’s loss of Hamgyeong Province could be dismissed as a disaster caused by the complacency and incompetence of military commanders, but losing all three northern provinces of Joseon was a separate issue.

From then on, it was not a problem for the individual military commander, but it became known to the whole world that the power of the independence army was enough to threaten the Japanese Empire.

“Now is the time to humble ourselves and hide, not to reveal our strength.”

“… … .”

“Now we have created a tiny bit of our own territory, and we have gained the power to defend ourselves. But this is nothing more than a tiny bit of power that cannot even scratch the gigantic enemy that stands before us.”

As people who have lost something tend to cling to what they have, Hong Yong-hwan, who had already witnessed the fall of the Korean Independence Army with his own eyes, did not want the re-formed Korean Independence Army to fall again.

The same was true for General Kim Gyeong-cheon.

“I understand what you’re trying to say, but you also need to know that you won’t be able to accomplish anything if you just sit here.”

General Kim Gyeong-cheon understood Hong Yong-hwan’s feelings.

He was also someone who devoted himself to the independence movement for a long time and watched the rise and fall of the independence army from the side.

That is why General Kim Gyeong-cheon did not bend his will.

“War is momentum. Right now we have the momentum from a surprise attack, but if we continue to waste time in Hamgyeong Province, the advantageous situation will be reversed in an instant.”

“… … .”

“So, while we still have control over the situation, shouldn’t we take the initiative and do something?”

“… … .”

General Kim Gyeong-cheon’s words also had some merit.

Anyway, nothing would change even if I just sat still like this.

This is because the Japanese military did not withdraw from Korea just by waiting quietly without receiving separate orders from headquarters.

Rather, when spring comes and flowers bloom, the Japanese army will turn the tide and rush in to recapture Hamgyeong Province.

If that happens, the independence army will be pushed back to Manchuria, but will the Japanese army be satisfied with recovering Hamgyeong Province and withdraw?

“I don’t think so.”

“!!!”

The Japanese military had already sent troops across the border into Manchuria several years ago in an attempt to weaken the influence of the independence army and disintegrate it.

They swept through Manchuria like a swarm of locusts, destroying all bases of the independence army.

Thanks to this, the independence army successfully defeated the Japanese army, shook off their pursuit, and preserved their military power, but they were unable to return to Manchuria because their territory was completely destroyed.

“They’ll cross the border again and come after us.”

“Well, then… … Then what should I do? Should I lose everything and be kicked out again? Where should I go this time? Primorsky Krai? China?”

Hong Yong-hwan, who had witnessed the large-scale massacres that had occurred in Gando, Manchuria, and the Maritime Province with his own eyes, recalled his memories of that time.

Then, reflexively, he felt his stomach tighten, and with a face that looked like he was going to vomit at any moment, he asked General Kim Gyeong-cheon.

“Then… … wasn’t the outcome already decided when we crossed the border? Was our fate destined to end like this?”

Hong Yong-hwan’s face distorted in pain as he recalled painful memories from the past.

“Do you believe in fate?”

“… … I don’t know. Seeing this teacher who had accomplished such amazing feats in Gyeongseong leave like that… … I think maybe there is such a thing as fate.”

A deep shadow of defeat fell over Hong Yong-hwan’s face.

Who would look at this young man and think that he is the son of General Hong Beom-do, the hero of the independence army?

Although he usually acted like a hearty soldier, he was ultimately just a young man who had just turned his age, closer to inexperience than experience, and had more new experiences than memorable ones.

And now, the young man who had just reached the end of his term was faced with a choice that was too harsh and difficult for him to bear.

If he had been an ordinary young man, he would have collapsed, unable to overcome the burden placed on him, or he would have been shattered after facing the unreasonable world head-on.

But now, by his side is General Kim Gyeong-cheon, who had similar experiences and concerns as Hong Yong-hwan in his youth, and has the experience and expertise of a veteran.

“Even if there is a destiny set for everyone, not everything is written in the scroll of destiny.”

“… … .”

“There is no such thing as a predetermined fate. This teacher from Gyeongseong, who suddenly appeared in Gyeongseong and turned the world upside down, saw hope in the independence army that had nothing, and thanks to him, we were able to come this far.”

General Kim Gyeong-cheon dispelled the doubts that lingered in Hong Yong-hwan’s mind and the shadows that hung over his face.

“This teacher thought we could change something, and in fact, we have come to where we are now, breaking away from the reality where we were always focused on defending ourselves in unfavorable situations.”

“… … .”

“Now that we have the power to attack and advance whenever we want, shouldn’t we use it?”

“……you’re right.”

“The Japanese Empire is strong, but arrogant. That’s why they fight among themselves, leaving us behind as their enemies.”

General Kim Gyeong-cheon took out the cigarette he had received as a gift from Comrade Kim Dong-sam, the commander of the Korean Independence Army, and put it in his mouth.

He didn’t enjoy smoking.

But at the moment of choice, I always put a cigarette in my mouth.

There is no particular reason.

It was just a personal habit.

“Their arrogance will now come back to bite them like a boomerang, and now it is time for them to pay the price for their arrogance.”

Hong Yong-hwan also did not try to stop General Kim any longer.

instead.

“Just give the orders.”

“Okay. Let’s start by releasing all the Japanese soldiers in prison.”