regular forces securing military
At first, the court believed that driving off the bands of raiders swarming along the southern coast would be sufficient.
Yet the more victory reports Park Seong-jin submitted, the larger the court began to read the scale of the conflict.
With each success, the problem did not shrink—it grew.
There were more Wa倭 forces scattered across bays and ports than the numbers initially reported.
As reports overlapped, an unsettling conclusion took shape.
"Wa raiders are not merely bandits."
"This is the movement of regular forces securing military supplies to expand their armies."
Material evidence rose from the water to support that judgment.
From the bilges of captured ships came water-soaked wooden tallies.
They recorded grain allotments, dates, the names of bays, and the seasons when transport ships passed.
They were not the records of starving thieves, but of organized armies.
With the shogunate's control loosened, regional lords had begun raising troops independently.
What they needed first was not weapons, but food—rice.
And the nearest source of that rice was Goryeo's transport routes.
"These are not hands reaching out in hunger,"
"but major powers seeking rice to raise larger armies and fight other domains."
The reason Wa forces appeared whenever the harvest ended and transport ships moved toward Gaegyeong became clear.
If transport was shaken, the court itself would be shaken.
Park Seong-jin's proposal of a "strike at the source" lingered long in council.
The agenda did not move forward, bound by its own difficulty.
One minister spoke carefully.
"If we thin Gaegyeong's forces, sparks of rebellion may stir."
"The capital's security must come first."
An official from the Ministry of War opened his ledgers.
"Our warships are insufficient in number."
"Timber and manpower would have to be bound at once."
"If we draw on transport and fishing vessels, next year's tax grain will be affected."
Another minister added quietly.
"Artillery is still in the testing phase."
"The supply of powder is unstable."
"A blade that dreams of a single decisive blow must first secure its grip."
The meeting ended, as it had begun.
"It is right."
"It must be done."
"But we are not yet prepared."
As debate circled endlessly, Park Seong-jin's burden deepened.
While the court waded through arguments, he crossed rivers of battle.
He continued fighting, advancing eastward, then farther east—toward Jinju, where the damage was said to be worst.
Ports along the southern coast were emptied again and again.
The gray scent of burned villages lingered on the wind.
The Cheon-gi Unit was summoned wherever fighting broke out.
There was no end to the aftermath.
What began as an effort to drive the enemy away revealed the full structure of Wa's military system.
Goryeo stood at a crossroads.
Strike the source.
Hold the southern coast.
Endure until winter, when food ran short.
The decision continued to move slowly.
In the meantime, Park Seong-jin's forces advanced quietly toward Jinju, raising dust as they went.
The road to Jinju repeated scenes of ash and ruin.
The devastation along the western southern coast was especially deep.
Coastal villages were reduced to empty frames.
Turning inland along the shore, the wind carried dust and the smell of fire.
Collapsed thatched roofs, charred beams, cold ash pressed thin across courtyards.
Broken household tools lay tangled together.
Overturned jars and shattered pottery rattled in the wind.
Collapsed walls erased all shape of habitation.
The absence of people stretched on.
No crying children.
No barking dogs.
No smoke rising from hearths.
A soldier muttered under his breath,
"…To this extent…"
Turning inland, the scenery changed.
In the distance stood the gates of Jinju Fortress.
The walls were intact, the signs of destruction faint.
Even the fields near the city were remarkably preserved.
Park Seong-jin frowned slightly.
"This place alone was spared."
Song I-jeong opened a report.
"Records show that Jinju evacuated the surrounding villages and sealed its gates before the Wa reached the walls."
"No sorties?"
"There are no records of any."
Park Seong-jin's expression hardened.
"The fortress survived, and the coast paid the price."
As they approached the gates, guards with long spears crowded the battlements.
Relief showed on their faces, overlapped with fear of being seen.
Murmurs spread above the walls.
"They're coming…"
"That's the middle commander…"
"The one who cut down Wa at sea…"
"What will he say to us…"
When Park Seong-jin advanced with the Cheon-gi Unit, the noise grew louder.
"Open the gates!"
The gates did not move at once.
After a moment, the magistrate of Jinju appeared above.
His question was not a greeting, but confirmation.
"Are you… Middle Commander Park?"
"Yes. We are in pursuit of Wa forces and stopped briefly."
The magistrate's voice trembled.
Before the gates opened, his explanation came first.
"We will open them… however, the situation outside has been unstable, so we sealed the gates. Please understand."
Park Seong-jin did not answer at once.
He could feel the reluctance.
They had sealed themselves in and endured.
While the coastal villages were reduced to ashes.
The silence weighed heavier on the magistrate.
At last, the gates creaked open.
As the Cheon-gi Unit entered, people emerged from hiding.
On their faces was not gratitude, but guilt and fear.
At the government offices, Park Seong-jin spoke plainly.
"Release supplies."
"Grain, metal, horse feed."
"And saltpeter."
Officials exchanged looks.
"Grain is prepared."
"Saltpeter is rarely handled in practice, and iron was moved into mountain valleys during the raids."
"Which valleys?"
"Several."
"Until two days ago the coast was unstable, so we hesitated to retrieve it."
"There is no time," Park Seong-jin said.
"Wa forces defeated at sea have moved inland. They are advancing eastward—and toward this region."
Faces turned pale.
Sealing the gates had saved them, and in doing so had burned everything outside.
"Jinju will now serve as a logistics base," Park Seong-jin continued.
"While we strike east and south, you will push supplies from here."
"Yes… Middle Commander."
"We will mobilize all manpower and carts."
At that moment, the seal on a storehouse door fluttered in the wind.
Park Seong-jin read it at once—the city's 'safety' had been hardened behind seals.
He raised his gaze to the high battlements.
The surviving walls lined up in a single line with the ruins outside.
He signaled to Song I-jeong.
The Cheon-gi Unit formed ranks in the wide courtyard of the magistrate's office.