00600 Those who fight to the death survive, and those who run away to the death…
The sun rose.
As it climbed higher into the sky, shadows lengthened.
In the large tent at the center of the camp, a woman was slowly flipping through some records. From her appearance, she looked to be in her late twenties. Holding the records at an angle, she carefully read each line, crossing her legs calmly.
Perhaps because she had no reason to go outside today, she wore comfortable clothes emphasizing mobility rather than her usual battle armor. Her smooth, shining thighs were fully exposed.
That woman was none other than Han So-young.
Two days ago, Han So-young had declared the southern expedition complete, marking the crossing of the crucial ridge in the overall campaign.
But it was still too early to say everything was over, so she hadn’t contacted the northern continent yet.
The third force, the northern expedition, would only be requested once fortress construction had begun. Finding a suitable location was the top priority.
That task was nearly finished as well. They had already shortlisted three or four promising sites, so a decision could be made by tomorrow at the latest.
Still, even once that was settled, it wouldn’t mean the end of everything.
One more matter remained—perhaps the most important one, with the potential to affect the entire southern expedition.
The handling of the “runaway.”
In truth, Han So-young personally considered it an obvious case for punishment. The opposing side had been pleading for understanding every day, but she had no intention of letting it slide.
Depending on the situation, the “runaway” was almost never forgiven on the whole Plain. The best outcome was complete ostracism as a combat user—enough to give you an idea of how serious it was.
Tap.
After poring over the records for a while, Han So-young closed the book, rested her chin on one hand, and tapped her cheek twice with her index finger as if pondering something. Then, with a look of decision, she stood up.
She left the tent and headed toward another commander’s tent nearby.
Soon, sensing movement inside, Han So-young cleared her throat softly once or twice. Then, realizing something, she quickly turned around and returned to her own tent.
Thirty minutes later, Han So-young emerged again, her hair neatly tied back with a pretty ribbon—her usual horse-tail style.
With everything prepared, she stepped forward.
“Mercenary Lord.”
As she bent slightly and parted the curtain at the entrance, her steps suddenly halted. Though she sensed someone inside, it wasn’t Kim Soo-hyun.
The woman sitting at the table, glancing sideways at Han So-young, was none other than the Shadow Queen, Ko Yeon-ju.
Ko Yeon-ju smiled lazily at Han So-young’s stiff demeanor.
“Oh my. What brings the Supreme Commander here?”
But then she added,
“And dressed so prettily, too…? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this before.”
Her raised eyes and voice were sharp as a blade.
“Oh, by the way, someone came up to the entrance earlier but left again. Was that you, Supreme Commander?”
Han So-young, momentarily confused and wondering if she had entered the wrong tent, quickly regained her composure and met Ko Yeon-ju’s equally provocative gaze calmly.
After a moment, Han So-young closed the curtain and walked inside slowly. For a brief instant, Ko Yeon-ju’s eyebrows lifted slightly in a subtle, teasing smile.
Thus, the two queens who had come to see the king stood face to face.
“I came to discuss something with the Mercenary Lord.”
“Hmm~ Discuss? Sounds good. But what can we do? Our ‘he’ isn’t here right now.”
“…Excuse me?”
“You know, ‘he’—our outside man. Lately, he hasn’t been eating well and keeps wandering around. I came hoping to have breakfast with him, but I guess I was a step too late. I waited and waited, but he never showed up~.”
Ko Yeon-ju tapped the table and chattered on.
Her voice was annoyingly smug, and the way she said “he” and “outside man” was especially irritating.
Han So-young understood perfectly well what Ko Yeon-ju was implying. Her heightened senses picked up every word as a clear provocation. If she had to put it into words, it was something like, “Who do you think you are?” or “Dare to cross me?”
From the Shadow Queen’s perspective—aside from official matters—there was no reason to have any good feelings toward the Iron-Blooded Queen.
After all, Ko Yeon-ju had been spreading countless rumors every time she met Kim Soo-hyun since early evening. As the mistress of the Mercenary Clan, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t upset.
Of course, Han So-young wasn’t about to take Ko Yeon-ju’s provocations lightly.
Though her face remained expressionless, she couldn’t help but tense her hand slightly.
Without waiting for permission, Han So-young sat down across from Ko Yeon-ju and spoke quietly.
“That’s the first I’ve heard of it. Not eating well and wandering around?”
“Yes~ It’s unbelievable, right? Yesterday, he didn’t even rest—he went out all day exploring the area. I think he went with someone from Istantel Row… Anyway, it’s just too much.”
Ko Yeon-ju averted her gaze and twisted a strand of hair over her shoulder as she spoke.
Another provocation. The words themselves were harmless, but her tone and attitude clearly targeted Han So-young.
To put it bluntly, she was saying, “Don’t just give orders—manage your clan members better.”
Han So-young ground her teeth quietly, then spoke calmly.
“I see. If he disobeyed rest orders, it’s likely a personal issue.”
“Well, when you put it that way, I suppose so.”
“In any case, I gave Lee Jong-hak a stern talking-to yesterday. I doubt anything like that will happen again.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Ko Yeon-ju shrugged.
At that moment, Han So-young’s eyes widened slightly, and she tilted her head in rare, natural curiosity.
“Come to think of it, it’s a pity for him.”
“Huh?”
“Well, if I’d known he was like that… I probably would have stopped him earlier. After all, we’re from the same clan.”
“…?”
“He doesn’t seem so stubborn. If the mistress said something, he might listen…”
“…Huh?”
Ko Yeon-ju’s voice sharpened in disbelief.
Han So-young’s words weren’t exactly offensive, but they could be interpreted differently.
In other words, “You call him ‘he’ and ‘outside man,’ but you couldn’t even support him?”
Basically, “Are you really the mistress?”
“Hoho, hohoho… Soo-hyun’s always been like that. He doesn’t show his feelings easily and is very stubborn. Once he makes a decision, he rarely changes his mind.”
“Hmm. Well, I understand.”
Han So-young shrugged and nodded, just as Ko Yeon-ju’s smile deepened—a smile that was anything but friendly.
Then—
“Hello! Brother! Strong and good morning today, too!”
Someone burst through the curtain with energy. The man holding a spear was Ahn Hyun, fully recovered since last night.
“If you’re asking who I am, my name is An—”
But as Ahn Hyun strode inside, his spirit immediately deflated when he saw the two women sitting at the tables. A cold chill seemed to wrap around him mercilessly.
Watching the two women glare at each other, Ahn Hyun instinctively knew:
Ah. There’s no benefit in sticking around here.
“I’ll just go.”
He turned to leave, but—
“Oh, Hyun’s here?”
“Qi Manipulation Spear Master?”
Both women grabbed him before he could slip away.
Ahn Hyun looked toward the now-closed curtain and silently screamed inside.
Just one more step! Just one more step and I’d be out!
“Hyun, have you seen our ‘he’? The Supreme Commander said there’s official business to discuss.”
Ko Yeon-ju emphasized the word “official” unusually.
“‘He’? Oh… brother? I don’t know. I came thinking he’d be here.”
Ahn Hyun replied weakly, looking back.
Ko Yeon-ju smiled brightly as if pleased, but Han So-young’s eyes narrowed just a little.
“Ah, hello. Istantel Row Lord.”
Han So-young only nodded in response to the greeting.
Something felt off. Ahn Hyun instinctively felt the need to watch his words carefully.
Or rather…
“When conversation is difficult, change the subject. That’s the best way.”
Recalling some advice Kim Soo-hyun had once given him, a good idea suddenly flashed through Ahn Hyun’s mind.
“Oh, by the way. Brother, were you okay this morning?”
“Huh? I don’t know since I didn’t see him. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing much. Yesterday, I talked with him briefly… He seemed a bit troubled.”
“Why?”
“He muttered something like ‘I’m dying from this’ and looked pale. He seemed really lonely and exhausted.”
“…You’re saying she actually said she was struggling?”
That was the moment.
I’d only brought it up to change the subject, but suddenly the atmosphere dropped.
For a moment, An Hyun wondered if he’d said the wrong thing. But since he’d already started down this path—and he hadn’t lied—he decided to just keep going. And fast.
A little while later.
“This is worrying.”
Ko Yeon-ju frowned, gripping the table as she stood up.
“Commander-in-Chief, sorry, but I need to step out for a moment. I think I have to find Su-hyun.”
“…It doesn’t really matter, but maybe it was just the qi engineer talking to himself, like you said?”
“No. I told you earlier. That person usually keeps things bottled up inside. She’s not the type to show it outwardly. In all the time we’ve lived together, I’ve heard Su-hyun say she’s struggling less than three times.”
“……”
Saying that, Ko Yeon-ju bit her nails anxiously and clicked her tongue.
“Could it be she pushed herself too hard again and passed out? I thought she was fully recovered… Tch.”
“…What?”
At the murmured words, Han So-young also stood up.
Pushed herself?
Passed out?
There was no need to question it. Her extrasensory perception confirmed Ko Yeon-ju’s words as truth.
“Anyway, An Hyun, go check the infirmary. I’ll start by checking the guard post near the south gate.”
“Y-yes.”
As Ko Yeon-ju gave her orders, An Hyun immediately responded and practically bolted out of the tent.
Ko Yeon-ju then turned her gaze to Han So-young.
“And…”
“I’ll come with you.”
Han So-young answered right away.
Ko Yeon-ju didn’t look pleased, clicking her tongue again, but in the end, she nodded.
And so, for the first time, the two queens moved in unison, stepping out of the tent together.
To find the king who must be lying somewhere… or rather, to search for him.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Hello, this is Ro Yoo-jin.
Memorize has now reached its 600th chapter.
Suddenly, I remembered a conversation I had with readers back in Part 1.
Ro Yoo-jin: Personally, I hope to wrap up Memorize around chapter 600!
Reader 1: Hahahahahahahahaha.
Reader 2: Hahahahahahahahaha.
Reader 3: Hahahahahahahahaha.
Ro Yoo-jin: Why are you all laughing? I’m serious!
Reader 1: Yeah right, hahahaha. Like you’ll really finish by 600 chapters.
Reader 2: Serious? Hahaha. 600? More like 800 at least.
Reader 3: Nope, nope. I think it’ll take over 1000 chapters.
Ro Yoo-jin: (trembling) Just you wait!
…Feels like that was just yesterday.
Sigh…
Readers, your foresight is impressive! ’- ^* (Bam!)
Ahem, ahem.
Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who’s celebrated the 600th chapter with me. Even though I’m currently struggling through this slump, I truly believe I’ll find my rhythm again soon.
June is over, and starting July 1st, I hope to come back on a regular schedule with even better content. :)