Promise- Minsung

Chapter Forty Nine

As it turned out, Master Sang-hyuk was right. The Black Masks were from enemy Southern Kingdoms.

There were five kingdoms to the south. They had joined together with will and alliance and were attempting to take over the three larger southern, northern and western countries.

And now the fate of all three countries was resting on Minho's shoulders.

As Master Sang-hyuk had said, he was to be trained here until he was ready to lead the war that was coming. Whether he liked it or not, he would soon realize that it was necessary for the outcome to be in their favor.

Minho had refused to come out of his room for the first week, clinging to Hei-ran like their lives depended on it. He hardly ate the food they gave him. He only fed Hei-ran.

Master Sang-hyuk wanted to train him.

Minho lay in his bed, staring up at the rock ceiling. He didn't want to train with him... he didn't want to learn to kill more and more people. He didn't want to be in charge of all those men who might die if he made a mistake.

But, as Master Sang-hyuk pointed out, if he didn't, they would all die anyway.

Minho... that wasn't him. He was just... him. He wasn't like General Jeon, or any of the Captains or Generals. He wasn't made to do things like this. He just wanted to go home to Jisung and Yeong and live like they had. Together.

But Master Sang-hyuk was not letting him leave this place. Until he agreed to train with him.

He had the connections, the people, the rank, the power, but he didn't have the, what was it... the fighting spirit that those generals and fighters had. How did Master Sang-hyuk even see that in him?

Hei-ran was having a fit at the moment. Minho stood up from his bed and walked over to her bed. "What's wrong baby?"

She used the bathroom.

Minho held his breath as he quickly changed her and then redressed her in the tiny plain hanbok that these scoundrels had managed to find. They clearly didn't have children around these parts very often.

"You hungry?" Minho lifted her to his shoulder and glanced at the sliding door before he sighed and pulled it open.

There were four masked guards outside his room that tensed as he walked out, hands on their swords.

"Relax, I'm not going to try and kill you if I have a baby," Minho muttered as he stalked by, heading towards the kitchen where they had an old woman, Mrs. Bae that would always warm milk for them.

"Hello?" Minho peeked his head in and found Mrs. Bae indeed working in the kitchen as she washed vegetables.

"Oh!" she looked up with a wide smile as she spotted little Hei-ran in Minho's arms. "Is our Hei-ran hungry?"

"Yes," Minho leaned forward as Mrs. Bae took Hei-ran from his arms and held her to her chest. "I never see young men like you taking care of their children these days," she shook her head as she walked over to the other end of the kitchen. "We're starting her on soft foods, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll take care of her," Mrs. Bae waved him off. "Go rest. Or do whatever you need to do."

Minho hesitated.

"Young man, I've had nine children. I've got her," she bowed her head and turned away.

Minho sighed before he walked out of the kitchen. He found Master Sang-hyuk waiting for him.

"Let's go talk," Master Sang-hyuk murmured as he put his arm on Minho's back. "Not about that. Let's just talk."

Minho wanted to pull away but he found himself being pulled along.