Lean

IX

BEOMGYU

The Kang camp is in high spirits after their first victory against his father's men. Beomgyu overhears the celebrations and victory stories throughout the camp. The Kang soldiers who died in the battle were given a proper ceremony and their bodies were burned in the woods nearby. The thought of his father's men losing only caused him to worry. One battle won didn't mean the entire war, but the Kang army had momentum and they planned to steamroll their way into King's Coast. His father's army needed to step up and stop them before that happened. If they did end up losing this war, Beomgyu would likely wind up dead with his head on a spike in King's Coast next to the rest of his relatives.

His father was strategic and he could've been playing the long game. There was a reason why the Chois were considered sly on the battlefield. He could recall the times that his father would seek out alternatives for his strategic planning. He always had some tricks up his sleeve. Beomgyu hoped that was the case. No one hated losing more than his father.

Three days following the battle, the camp is busy with preparations to travel closer to King's Coast in the coming days. Tents were being packed, supplies gathered, and soldiers honed their weapons. The scent of cooking fires wafted through the air as the Kang's army went about their daily tasks.

Jongho, whom he usually stuck around during the long days at camp, was called in to help with the travel preparations. Beomgyu was left alone in his tent with three guards assigned to watch over him, ensuring his security and preventing any potential escape. The conditions at camp had steadily improved. Beomgyu noticed that the hostile glares and icy stares from the Kang's bannermen had lessened. It was as if they were becoming more accustomed to his presence, or perhaps they had bigger concerns on their minds – namely, their mission to crush his relatives.

Beomgyu was pleasantly surprised one morning when the guards entered his tent. They presented him with a bow and a sheath of arrows, and Jongho retrieved his sword, the same one that had been taken from him in Evergreen. He had asked Taehyun if they could be armed, for their own safety. He hadn't expected him to agree.

While the travel preparations continued, Beomgyu asked the guards watching over him if he could visit the thick woods surrounding the camp to try and practice archery. The guards nodded in agreement, their stern faces unchanging as they escorted him into the woods.

The loud clatter of swords and laughter from camp disappears as he sinks deeper into the woods, the guards following closely behind him. His footsteps crush leaves beneath his leather boots. They were somewhere nestled within the Lee's kingdom, the thick forest and winding rivers surrounding their every move.

He reaches behind him, pulling an arrow out from the sheath and attaching it to the bow string. He pulls back the string and raises the bow, aiming at a large tree in the distance. He steadies his bow, closing one of his eyes and exhaling a breath before he releases the bow string. The arrow hits the tree trunk with a loud thwack and Beomgyu can't help but smirk with delight. He hadn't practiced archery since he was in Frostholm. The environment was much different here; he didn't have to worry about high winds and the freezing temperatures that affected the way he shot.

Beomgyu walks toward the tree he shot, sneaking a glance back at the bannermen who were guarding him. Their expressions were still stern, but he noticed a look of curiosity in their eyes. In Mirage, sword fighting was often celebrated with grand tournaments, but archery held its own significance, particularly in the heat of battle. He impressed many people when he won the archery tournament in King's Coast.