Blood Moon Rising Over The Plains - Chapter 4: Overpowered (4)

“Ugh…”

Buka groaned and pressed his fingers to his forehead.

“Didn’t you promise the [prince] to minimize casualties? We can’t just [slaughter] them all. Instead of charging in recklessly, why don’t we take out their [general] first?”

“Ah, right. …That’s true.”

Just moments ago, he’d looked thrilled. But at Buka’s words, Temujin’s smile faded, and instead of offering me the pyracantha, he popped it into his own mouth.

“[So what if we break the alliance.]”

“…What?”

“[No. You were enjoying yourself just moments ago—why are you like this?]”

The [prince] seemed flustered, but Temujin and Buka, as if unaware, continued speaking in Mongolian. While they talked, I glanced at the plate beside me, where only a few pyracantha berries remained. After a moment of thought, I reached out and pulled the plate toward me.

After all, drinking usually called for some kind of snack.

I picked up one of the berries and held it out to Temujin. His eyes widened in surprise. When I gave my hand a little shake, he hesitated, then belatedly opened his mouth to accept it. I popped one into my own mouth as well.

“[War should be ended quickly. Let’s form an alliance.]”

“[…]”

“Excuse me? I apologize, but my [knowledge] is still lacking, and I have not yet learned [Mongolian]…”

“Ah, don’t mind it. It was nothing important.”

“Nothing important…”

Buka looked utterly dumbfounded. What exactly had they been discussing to make him wear that expression?

“Then, regarding Daedong…?”

“Hm. If it’s just a matter of [killing] the [general], that’s simple. I’ll send someone [nimble].”

“[Someone nimble]?”

Buka frowned at Temujin’s words. His displeasure was evident, but Temujin, as if confirming his decision, spoke with unwavering certainty.

“Buka.”

“…Yes, of course. It has to be me, doesn’t it?”

“You’re going alone?”

The [prince] widened his eyes at Buka’s statement. Buka let out a heavy sigh and gave a slow nod.

“There’s no other way. I’m the only one in our unit capable of moving undetected.”

“But… Even if you are one of the Great Khan’s [elite soldiers], this is too dangerous! Daedong isn’t just filled with [military troops]—there are also commoners there. Mongols are visibly different from the people of Jin. Their [physical appearance] makes them stand out. It would only be a matter of time before someone notices you.”

The [prince] was clearly trying to dissuade Buka, his urgency showing in his voice. Judging by their exchange, it seemed Buka was planning to act as a spy. Even without understanding every single word, it wasn’t hard to grasp their intent.

Unlike the sun-kissed complexions of the people here, the Mongols’ skin wasn’t just dark—it was an earthy tone, as if they had been shaped from the very ground they walked on. Their distinct black undertones set them apart from the [prince]’s lighter, yellow-toned skin, characteristic of the people of the east.

Which meant that the moment they stepped into the enemy’s land, they would stand out.

“That’s precisely why I’m sending him. There’s no one better suited to move [covertly].”

“…Right. Naturally, subtlety isn’t exactly in our vocabulary, is it? We tend to solve everything with [strength].”

“Well, that’s true.”

“……”

What kind of conversation had led to the [prince] making that face? I tilted my head slightly, then bit down on the pyracantha Temujin handed me.

***

“Temujin, is Buka going to be a spy?”

I leaned back against the thick, cylindrical cushion, sprawled lazily. Resting my back against Temujin’s chest, I could hear the rhythmic thudding of his heartbeat in my ears. As I turned over and pressed my ear against his chest, the sound grew louder.

“Yeah. There’s no one more suited for the job.”

“But his skin is different. Won’t he get caught?”

“[The prince] doesn’t realize it, but we can use Jin’s [disdain] for us to our advantage.”

“[Disdain]?”

“They see us as beggars.”

“Why?”

[Disdain]—it seemed to mean looking down on someone, or something along those lines. I tilted my head at Temujin’s words.

In all the time I had spent with them, I had never seen anyone welcome them. Setting aside the fact that they were invaders, the people they encountered always showed looks of contempt—at least until they witnessed their sheer strength.

I wondered if nomads were treated as inferior in this era. But from what Temujin was saying, that wasn’t the only reason.

“Do you see this skin color?”

“Yeah. It’s the same as this.”

I stretched out my arm and pointed to the patch of bare earth beyond the carpet’s edge.

“In Jin, beggars have this kind of skin. They roll around in the dirt and live on the ground. If Buka disguises himself as a beggar, sneaking in as a spy will be easy.”

So, they were being dismissed purely based on their appearance. Just because their skin was the same color as that of beggars. I frowned, my expression betraying my discomfort.

“Jin is bad.”

Stupid. Unfortunately, that was the best I could do with my limited vocabulary.

Temujin burst into hearty laughter as he ruffled my hair.

“That’s right! Those bastards are bad! Ha!”

I wasn’t done asking questions yet. I pressed my palm over Temujin’s mouth to quiet him.

“What are Jin, Song, and Mongol?”

Temujin was still chuckling as he pushed my hand away, his shoulders shaking with amusement. Then, pulling me into his lap, he reached for the scabbard lying beside him. With a scrape, he began drawing something in the dirt.

It looked like a rough map of China. At the center, he marked “Jin (金).” On the far right, a small country was attached to it.

“This here is ‘Goryeo (高麗).’”

That was my ancestors’ land. I took a brief glance at it before shifting my focus back to Temujin’s scabbard. He dragged it across the dirt once more, drawing a line to the left of Jin.

“This here is ‘Western Xia (西夏).’”

Then, without drawing a dividing line, he wrote something below Jin.

“This is the Song you asked about.”

“What about Mongol?”

Temujin extended his arm further and scrawled letters across the vast landmass above Jin and Western Xia.

“This here is Mongol (蒙古).”

Foolish and outdated.

It wasn’t exactly a flattering name. Compared to the others, it almost sounded like an insult. But this “Mongol” land covered an immense stretch of territory.

“My land,” he declared.

Land?

I turned to look at Temujin, my eyes wide with surprise at his words. His expression was one of quiet pride, but I hesitated to ask what I truly wanted to. Damn, I didn’t have the right words. Nothing came to mind that could express my thoughts properly.

“What? What is it you want to ask?”

Temujin must have caught onto my expression because he smirked teasingly and tapped my lips.

“What kind of cute words will you say this time—”

“So, Temujin is Mongol’s big head?”

“…….”

Temujin’s face froze solid.

His expression was so funny that I laughed out loud and quickly rephrased my words. Something softer…

“I mean, are you the top head?”

“…If you want to put it that way, [Emperor].”

With a groan, Temujin buried his face into my neck. His rough skin rubbed against mine as he nuzzled me, but it didn’t tickle.

I glanced down at his black hair draped over my golden strands. The stark contrast of colors was striking, yet the way they intertwined with the ashen hues in my hair made for an oddly captivating sight.

[Emperor]… I had heard that word a few times in conversation before. So that’s what it meant? It could also mean “king,” but in the East, “Emperor” was the more commonly used term.

“I see. Then what about ‘Khan’? At first, I thought that was your name.”

“It’s a title. More precisely, ‘Great Khan (大汗).’”

So, “Khan” was just a shortened form of “Great Khan.” Ah, that’s why he told me his real name later. It would be odd to have a wife—or at least someone akin to a romantic partner—call him by his title instead of his name.

“Any other questions? I’ll answer anything.”

“Mm, earlier, there were a lot of words I didn’t know. Those rumors—what were they about?”

Temujin slowly lifted his face from my shoulder and then… just lay down.

He turned his back to me—a clear gesture of refusal. I shook his shoulder, urging him to answer.

“Hey? What kind of rumors are there?”

“…….”

“I’m curious. You said you’d answer anything.”

“…Except for that.”

“Hmm, but that’s the only thing I wanted to ask.”

His gaze flickered toward me for a brief moment before disappearing again. He really didn’t want to talk about it. Maybe I’d get another chance to ask later. For now, I had nothing else to ask.

“Alright, I won’t ask anymore.”

I nodded and lay down beside him.

This cushion was much higher than I expected. It was clearly made to suit Temujin’s size.

As soon as I let it go, Temujin turned toward me, pulling me down so that his arm could slip beneath my head.

“Oh, I thought of something I’m curious about.”

Flinch.

I smiled at his suddenly stiff expression and continued.

“What is Mongolia like?”

“Hmm… If you ask what kind of place it is, it’s not much different from this [plateau].”

“[Plateau]?”

“Endless grasslands, mountains, and more grass. It’s a boring place.”

“Where I was, there was no grassland. No mountains either.”

“Then how do you raise [livestock]?”

“[Livestock]?”

“Horses, sheep, goats—those kinds of animals.”

“There aren’t many. They got rid of most of them because they were dangerous.”

When viruses started spreading through animals, governments began regulating not only humans but also livestock. As a result, I had only ever seen animals through 3D screens. On rare festival days, people could see real animals, but only after wearing protective gear.

“Then… don’t tell me, this was your first time seeing a horse?”

“Yeah. That’s why I was curious.”

“What kind of place is this [Heavenly Realm] of yours…?”

I recalled the future world I had come from. A cold, colorless place, where the only lights that shone were artificial.

“There weren’t many people.”

A warm touch brushed against my forehead. It was different from the heat that radiated from the cold metal of androids.

“It was cold.”

“Colder than here? Then it wasn’t a good place.”

“No one runs like this. Thump, thump.”

I reached out and placed my hand over Temujin’s left chest, where his heart would be. Thump, thump. Under my palm, I felt his heartbeat gradually quicken, the warmth beneath my fingers growing hotter.

“No one cries. No one laughs.”

When had it started? At least, from the moment I was born, that was the world I knew.

“What?”

“There are no fights. Whatever you want, you get. And there are more things that aren’t human than things that are. People don’t need to be around each other. So no one has children anymore.”

“Then what about humans? What do they do? If they don’t hunt, if they don’t work…”

“Nothing.”

“Then what do they live for?”

“Nothing.”

I lifted my head and met his golden eyes—eyes that shimmered like stars.

“This is my first time. Being held like this. Thump, thump. I like it.”

“…You’ve never been held by your parents?”

“We don’t grow up with our parents. When we’re born, we’re given to androids—um, metal dolls—to be raised.”

“…Hah. So it wasn’t the [Heavenly Realm] after all. It was [Hell].”

“[Hell]?”

“It’s not a good word.”

As he spoke, Temujin wrapped his arms around me more tightly.

Thump, thump.

His heartbeat echoed loudly.

* * *