The Foreigner 외국인

Chapter 9

9.

"Your...your majesty..." the general of the central guard in the Gangwon Province stammered at the king's unexpected appearance.

"General Ho, do not worry, this is merely a friendly visit to see how you are doing, watch some of the training, and an opportunity for you and your men to ask me for anything that you may need," the king reassured the man kneeling in front of him, and motioned for him to stand up. The general led them to the training grounds, where soldiers were actively shooting at targets. "We are training the archers today."

Lee Ara turned to the general. "Do you mean that you have men specifically trained for archery, and others for swordsmanship?" she asked.

General Ho looked at the foreign woman who had questioned him. He had heard a bit about her; that she had ruthlessly executed Park No Li, and that the king seemed to place unwavering trust in her, to the extent of having her train his Royal Guard.

"That's right," he answered without honorifics. She shook her head.

"What happens when your archers run out of arrows and swordsmen come for them?"

The training soldiers suddenly noticed their presence and hurried to pay their respects to the king, while whispering to each other.

"So the rumors were true," one said.

"The Jurchen woman by the king." Another pointed at her.

"I heard she is Lee Gong's daughter."

"Barbarians."

"She looks like a westerner."

"I heard she fights like a demon."

General Ho cleared his throat. But Yi Jin raised his hand and spoke instead.

"Officer Yang, Officer Lee and myself will be observing you train today. Please listen to any advice we may have. We will be staying the night. If you have any requests, please do not be afraid and come find me."

Lee Ara could hear Hung San mocking her on her new title, Officer Lee, in her head.

The general ordered his men to resume training.

"General Ho, let's see the swordsmen next," the king commanded.

Lee Ara observed the soldiers for a while before suggesting, "Your soldiers need to practice on different terrains -forests, mountains, and muddy valleys. Battles do not take place on carefully groomed training grounds."

The general cleared his throat. "Your majesty, Jurchens train very differently than us. This might not be best suited for-"

"Officer Lee is Lee Gong's daughter," Yi Jin cut him off, "and Lee Gong was a famed warrior, so you should listen to what she has to say."

The general lowered his head. "Yes, your majesty."

After observing the swordsmen practice for a while, Lee Ara walked to the middle of the training grounds and motioned for Officer Yang to follow her.

"First thing," she said while unsheathing her sword and showing her back to Eun Yang, "do not expect that your opponent will wait for you to face them." The officer attacked her from behind, and she turned at the last second to block his sword, ducked and tried to hit the back of his knees, but he jumped sideways. "On the battlefield, it is not about honor, but to kill or to live," she added, before countering Eun Yang's attack.

The king watched them move together in a perfectly orchestrated sword dance, and suddenly realized that Lee Ara and Officer Yang had been spending a lot of time together, from training all day to walking to and from the palace in the mornings and evenings. That thought made him utterly uncomfortable and slightly irritated.