[ ʀᴇᴘᴜʙʟɪꜱʜɪɴɢ ]
Jeongguk, a bored village merchant, is caught up in a magical story in the midst of a Nation's Civil War following his meeting with the powerful (and beautiful) Fallen Wizard, Kim Taehyung. After he is cursed by Taehyung's rival, th...
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The sun was setting. The Knight sighed long and low. He glanced over his shoulder at the Soldier standing in front of the door, before returning his gaze to the length of the street in front of him. They were currently standing on the sidewalk of the Southon Knight's Office. The Knight was facing the West, staring at the outline of the grand Royal Castle in the distance.
"You can go home when the others return," he called out. "I'm going on patrol."
"Is that necessary?" The Soldier asked, sounding confused. The Knight raised an eyebrow. The Soldier coughed into his hand, his face flushing pink. "Sir."
"No. But I'd like some fresh air."
"We've been standing outside for thirty minutes, sir," the Soldier replied, sounding unsure but remembering his proper formalities.
"Did you see the notice in the boardroom this morning?" The Knight asked.
"Yes," the Soldier replied, instantly more upbeat. "They said we're winning!"
"No, they said we've blown up half of Greydell's Navy. Which, you might have noticed, has never been mentioned before in the progress reports."
"Why does that matter? Sir."
"It doesn't, much like the Navy doesn't matter. Every battle has been done at least a hundred miles in land."
"Then...?" The Soldier was struggling to reach a conclusion.
Kim Namjoon turned around completely, facing the Soldier with his lips pressed together. "The War is nowhere near finished. Destroying twenty submarines means nothing. It was a waste of paper to fill our Office with false hope."
The Soldier seemed very conflicted. Namjoon saw him tighten a hand over his rifle. He couldn't blame the young man; his senior officer was speaking just on the edge of treason.
"Of course," Namjoon said, deciding not to cause a scene. "Every small victory should be worth some value. We are one step closer to defeating the State of Greydell."
The Soldier relaxed and his hand slipped off his rifle. Namjoon turned back around and stepped off the curb.
"You have done well to man your post today," he said. "Have a good night."
Before the Soldier could respond Namjoon had walked out of ear reach and down the street. He headed East, turning his back on the Royal Castle and the Knight's Office. His work was far from over, but he was done with his duties for the night.
The sun had fully set by the time Namjoon had reached the corner and turned, the Knight's Office disappearing completely behind him. Several street lights flickered on, illuminating the pavement and the shops along the street. The crowds were thinning. People were scurrying into their homes or into karts and pulling away from the curb to ride away. Those who were still outside nodded and smiled to him, and he was pleased by the citizen's politeness.
