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Viceroy Gam Youngjae felt he was at a crossroads in his entire career, one he hadn't anticipated and hadn't the chance to prepare for.

His Advisor continued blabbering, but Youngjae's thoughts were elsewhere, after the third round of questioning he himself insisted on the attempt to prevent the past mistakes.

His ambitions to advance in rank through the machinations of the royal court had failed, due to unforeseen complications in the form of the Jin's army marching into Hanulbeol-guk, looting, pillaging, and more importantly, defeating anyone who tried to stand in their way.

It wasn't a random, unexpected raid, but a very successful campaign of conquest.

Gam Youngjae was about to plan around this obstacle as well, a way for him to come on the top even should the Jin Empire win the war, but fate or the heavens above had different plans for him.

The Crown Princess's presence wasn't a fortunate affair either, it didn't open the options for him in negotiation with the Jin.

It was merely a sign of the perilous time that followed.

The relationship between her and the Evil Spirits terrorising the countryside remained a mystery, but he couldn't help to wonder what kind of challenges would arrive should the army of the Evil Spirits decide to just leave.

"A moment of silence, Sage, please," He said politely, raising his hand in the halting gesture, forcing himself to consider his options.

Usually, the Viceroy wouldn't tolerate any abrasive, insolent behaviour in his presence, such were an expectation of both his position and the kingdom's culture, but he decided to accept the eccentric Sage today.

His tendency to speak, and act, out of order, was rude, if not vexing for anyone forced to listen to his tirade, not to mention the fact that people in power were rarely accepting of those who dared to lecture them.

At least, the Sage did so in the relative privacy of the Viceroy's chamber, and not in front of Youngjae's soldiers, so the official didn't have to risk loss of face.

San Hyun-Ki, Sage and the Viceroy's advisor, had offended enough people to warrant execution - at least, that would typically be Sage's fate under normal, sane circumstances, the army of Evil Spirits changed the Viceroy's priorities.

Despite his behaviour, the Sage had proven to be both competent and more importantly useful - the Viceroy had sent him to negotiate with the impossible enemy, and he seemed to have accomplished this task.

Perhaps the man ignorant of the ways of the court was a perfect match to the creatures beyond the ken of man, or maybe Sage's disappointing attitude hid his true wisdom from anyone but the most patient.

Gam Youngjae's patience was limited, but he had learned a long time ago that loose tongues may reveal priceless secrets to those willing to listen. Currently, he considered whether he should trust whatever he was told, or promised, even. It was clear that the Evil Spirits, regardless of their true thoughts and motives, weren't going to abandon their positions anytime soon.

Although the Viceroy made the mistake of trusting the Crown Princess' word, he decided that he would, once again, lend an ear to the words he didn't have the means to verify.

"Are you certain, Sage?" He said finally, breaking the silence.

"The Dark One admitted it himself, my lord. He didn't have the scroll. His soldiers gave battle to the Jin, but an Adept must have snuck away during the fight with the scroll. His Spirits had searched the forest, and the surrounding villages, but he is gone." Hyun-Ki blabbered, quite rudely.

"And his men gave chase?" Youngjae tested, interested more in the positioning of the troops rather than the elusive artefact.

"He didn't say, Lord." The Sage admitted.

Of course, he did not, the Viceroy remarked mentally but didn't let his face betray his thoughts, and focused on the information instead.

"How many soldiers did he have left?"

"There must be two thousand, Lord!" The Sage replied, lifting his head and once again speaking brashly: "And the land is completely changed with magic this one has never seen! But more Spirits are coming from the south!"

"Did you see them?"

"No. The Dark One said it himself, through his translators. He has two, no ... three new Spirit generals in his court!" Hyun-Ki said immediately, and the Viceroy had to berate him for raising his voice in this private hearing.

The information was dubious at the very best then, but even the lowest estimate was more trouble than it was worth.

Still, it was of crucial importance to not involve the clergy at this moment, once the Priestess verified that the Sage wasn't 'possessed' as she put it, the Viceroy didn't feel the need to heed the priesthood's further advice.

Getting one man into the stronghold during an ongoing siege was a monumental task in itself, with barriers erected behind the gates, and rows of spears and shields to stop the potential breach which never came.

The search for any unseen curses upon the single man was both tedious and wasteful.

There was a cost to everything, even to the favour of the higher powers, and the Priestess had to be paid for the work she performed, if not for her to spend, then as a sacrifice to the divine.

Gam Youngjae didn't challenge the possibility of curse, possession, or even a malicious Spirit masquerading as the man - after all, the very existence of the Evil Spirits taught him an important lesson about otherworldly powers - but he doubted the motives of the woman.

He never trusted her ilk. The disorganised clergy fickle as the gods they served had never had a mortal to unify them all under a single banner.

Until the Crown Princess, a member of the royal family the Priestesses was proclaimed the beloved by the gods at birth, an act that had meant very little as long as she had stayed in the Royal palace. Her sudden arrival to this province was now very suspicious with her earlier insistence that merely a handful of monsters remained in the woods, a situation which led to the death of his men, and accursed siege.

Be that as it may, she was not there to question - if her status didn't protect her, the fact she had been sent away to Chunnan for 'protection' did.

Now, there was another intermediary between the earthly and divine which told the Viceroy who to trust, and how to act, without any proof of the truth behind their words.

The Priestesses of common birth could be as troublesome as a meddling scion of royal blood if the situation allowed it, and monsters from beyond made this the case.

The Viceroy hated it.

The Dark one may lie, however, it was an undeniable fact that the priesthood was attempting to force the confrontation, either by intentionally underestimating or overestimating the threat presented by the Evil Spirits.

How it would benefit them, the Viceroy didn't know, and it made him anxious in light of the recent events.

"The Dark One doesn't demand anything else other than releasing his progeny, a death sentence for the Priestess that imprisoned them, and us surrendering the fortress along with its stores?" Youngjae asked, carefully, after a long science he spent weighing the words and actions alike.

"The Dark One said that men are allowed to leave should they lay down their arms and hand over their armour, and promise to never rise against him again. All peasants captured within his lands are also allowed to leave after the peace has been settled. Then the land shall be divided by the river, and then peace shall reign and we should search for the Scrolls of Pho-us-kah!" The Sage explained. His voice was filled with enthusiasm inappropriate for the situation, and it annoyed Youngjae even more as he struggled to find the relevancy of the relic which neither side possessed.

The remainder, if not reasonable, was at the very least unsurprising. Although the Viceroy would lose a lot by accepting such terms and could have doubts about their honesty, they weren't the most outlandish demands in history, he had to admit, just slightly particular.

"What are our guarantees?"

The San Hyun-Ki paused - either they weren't any, which was possible, or the unfocused Sage forgot to ask, which was equally as likely at this point.

"They didn't say, my Lord." He admitted.

There were likely no guarantees at all, the Viceroy concluded in silence as the Sage struggled with the fact he forgot to ask about the very obvious.

This was understandable - difficult to accept, as there wouldn't be any hostages to guarantee the further terms are met, but certainly understandable especially considering the apparent motivation the Spirit's Warlord had. If he was genuine in his desire to free the captive Spirits, they wouldn't ever accept any deal that created more prisoners to be freed later.

Unless Viceroy managed to gain a more beneficial position, considerations had to be made.

"Very well," Youngjae pronounced, "We heard the terms, and we should consider them."

The Sage took a breath to speak. Since this was a third repetition of similar questions, Gam Youngjae was relatively certain that San Hyun-Ki told the truth - or at least, didn't intend to lie. Nevertheless, this was progress and offered some options that Gam Youngjae desperately needed.

"My lord...the Scroll of Pho-us-kah..."

Youngjae wasn't interested in this topic any more than the many previous times the sage had tried to bring it up - the relic was gone. If the Jin raiders truly had it didn't truly matter in the deal.

"Enough! Leave us to our rumination!" The Viceroy raised his voice, "Now! Guards!"

The armoured men entered the room and Youngjae waved the man away.

"By my decree, my Advisor shall be considered free of previous charges until the end of the war to continue service to the kingdom! He shall, however, be held in the guest chambers until it is ordered otherwise! Allow one servant to bring him food, drink, and water to..." The Viceroy finished wiggling his nose, "...to wash thoroughly!"

The official declarations were pointless at this moment - those were for the official hearings - but the captain of his guards would spread the words either way. The guards gave the salute and led the confused Sage away.

"Captain." Youngjae said, stopping the officer from leaving, "Find a volunteer as a scout, and a trustworthy runner to attempt to swim across the river and reach Chunnan under the cloak of night!"

"Yes, Viceroy!"

Gam Youngjae originally intended to leave it at that, but then he added:

"It is a nearly certain death to them. Refusal to go will not be punished. The bravery will be greatly rewarded!"

It was unnecessary and unusual, but Youngjae sensed the worsening morale within the fortress walls and decided that obedience in the fateful times required exceptional rewards not normally given, and placed appropriate emphasis on the particular words.

A man trying to swim the river could easily drown, as the water was rough in this particular spot, but the belief they would bring help to the besieged fort and relief to their comrades would make some of them try.

Scouts were almost certain to be captured, or killed, but having the knowledge to make any weighted decision was desperately needed. The Viceroy desperately needed to find some leverage to use in the arrangement.

Then it was a question about the Priestess' influence on his men. He could assume division would form among his men's ranks, and he needed ones whom he could trust more than ever, and reward those loyal to him to carry him through the perilous time.

"Yes, Viceroy!" The captain said, and the Viceroy gestured him away.

He needed to think about what was told to him too far.

The Dark One could, of course, try to deceive him as well, but there was a chance that the mightiest weapon against the Evil Spirits was the blade that cut both ways.

The influence of the Priestess was rising, as she was necessary to maintain the wards. The fort felt like a boiling cauldron as the woman harped on the fears of the defenders to garner support, spreading panic in the process. The metaphorical blade was about to swing in the Viceroy's direction.

Ultimately, Gam Youngjae needed the magic of the Priestess, but not their words. There were always risks that the priesthood would side with the peasant rebellions claiming that the rulers no longer held Heaven's mandate, even attempting to dismantle the order in favour of the person chosen by the gods themselves.

The Crown Princess had lied about the monsters.

With the kingdom in ruins, with the fate of its current king unknown, there was even a chance that Youngjae would be better off siding with the Evil Spirits. He realised it was unwise to trust the word of some spectral warlord from the Spirit Realm, but in his situation, the creatures from beyond weren't any more dangerous than the mortals even with all their magic.

The Viceroy pondered the information.

Losing a hundred men to the much smaller group of well-trained Sword Adepts wasn't unbelievable, his own men would have sustained similar losses should he have thrown them against someone as martially skilled as many Adepts were.

His heavy cavalry would fare much better, due to better training, but even they wouldn't be able to guarantee victory with the abilities of the multiple Adepts. A single one wouldn't represent an issue, but more were a serious threat when they learned to fight as a team, instead of chasing personal glory.

The Dark One - a Spirit's Warlord - didn't show any particular weakness in admitting losses. They were small, especially considering the fact they were spent towards acquiring the advantage in further battles and could be suggesting they had much more manpower to spare.

If the enemy had merely two regiments of troops of infantry, he wouldn't be able to take the fortress by storming the walls, but the Viceroy's attempt to break the siege would equally fail.

No cavalry was seen, and siege crossbows were relatively impotent as they merely killed a handful of men during the faked charge.

Aside from this strange event, likely aimed to distract the defenders, the Evil Spirits had shown no interest in attempting to storm the walls and take them by force, suggesting that they either lacked the manpower or had an entirely different objective in mind, one that wasn't completed by taking the stronghold.

Their trebuchets should be able to bombard the fortress, causing damage to the stronghold, but they opted to threaten them instead, They lobbed the corpses behind the walls and burned the effigies which could easily be prisoners.

The bodies raining down upon them panicked some soldiers, further ruining the morale within the walls of the stronghold, some men were losing faith while others sought spiritual guidance from the Priestess, spreading fear and discord among the ranks.

The Viceroy felt that his grip over his own men had been weakened, and if the enemy's plan was to lower the morale within the Viceroy's stronghold, it showed signs of success.

What seemed like an inability to overwhelm the frankly underdefended province wasn't necessarily a sign of weakness, but the strategist's foresight in saving his force for the future campaign.

While the bloodied remnants slammed into the middle of the fortress with perfect precision, the siege crossbows helplessly crashed against the masonry almost like enemies tried to express that they didn't want to harm them... yet.

It was a threat.

The cause of it may, however, be entirely different.

A personal campaign of vengeance.

The Evil Spirits weren't satisfied with merely throwing the corpses behind the walls in an attempt to spread fear and disease, they did so with the bodies dressed in Priestesses' garbs, or burning effigies with the robes of office on them, even demanding the death of the only Priestess in the castle in exchange of letting all others free.

There were no demands to pay the ransom in silver and gold, they had no interest in hostages or slaves, and the demand of taking the fortress and its provisions was rather an inevitable conclusion of the surrender itself rather than a conceivable cost to pay.

While it was possible that this signalled the Spirit's intention to betray them later on, descending on them on the floodplains that separated the city walls proper, assuming they crossed the river elsewhere.

It could still conceivably be a genuine, honourable offer, as the Warlord leading them was focused on personal revenge against the Priestess herself, or even the priesthood in general.

The memory of the Crown Princess's affirmation that there were merely a handful of monsters in the forest came back to Youngjae, along with the suspicion that the betrayal may come from the mere mortals that surrounded him.

Youngjae didn't know the Priestess by name. His men likely recognized her, though, from the official's perspective, the only thing that spoke in the woman's favour was her powers that held the Spirits at bay.

The same powers that protected the Viceroy and his men were possibly inviting the Evil Spirits to attack, and the mention of the Dark One's progeny once again came to Youngjae's mind, leaving him to wonder whether it was in fact true.

Could there be an even darker plot in motion, concealed in the chaos of the war with the Jin barbarians?

He couldn't decide.

The barrier between the Spirit Realm and the Mortal one had been inseparable, as his Advisor had repeatedly assured him, requiring the mystical power hidden within the century-old relics to breach the rules set by the gods themselves - this very idea spoke against the army of Spirits.

Was this a ploy by the elusive group of individuals that had access to the content of the Forbidden Library buried deep under the Royal Palace, driven out of control by their greed?

Were demands regarding the Dark One's progeny suggesting there were hostages held to force his cooperation?

Viceroy Gam Youngjae decided he should question the Priestess about it, but the necessity to ensure her cooperation stopped him before he ordered the woman brought in front of him.

If he decided to accuse or interrogate the Priestess, accusing her of some dark dealing with the forces that surrounded them would result in a mutiny in the middle of the ongoing siege. Especially under the circumstances where she, and only she, decided what a 'possession' meant.

The Viceroy didn't like being outsmarted again.

Youngjae stood up and without a word left his chambers, ignoring the guards following him, and headed towards the castle battlements without any clear plan of action other than showing himself in front of the soldiers.

The Priestess performed the ritual in the fortress' courtyard, her silent dance made the air reverberate with unseen energies, shielding the inhabitants from the Evil Spirits, and giving them faith for the upcoming night.

The skies were already dimming as the day was coming to its end, and the magic wards the Priestess had erected the previous night were likely already fading and made the Viceroy question if the blessings themselves were the only force that held the monsters at bay.

The frantic scrubbing his men gave to the place to maintain its supposed sanctity spoke of desperation, fueled further by the Priestess's words and actions, where her magic was the only obstacle between them and the unknowable threats from beyond.

Worse even, the woman was growing weaker.

The Viceroy was uneducated in matters of the divine and didn't understand the unearthly forces at play, nor did he comprehend the rules that governed the powers of the Spirits on the enemy side, but he understood fatigue.

The stronghold's provisions were to last past the winter.

The wards, and the Priestess that maintained them, may fail much sooner, taking with them any advantage her blessing provided, leaving Viceroy Gam Youngjae entirely helpless against his unearthly foes, assuming that the woman didn't turn his own garrison against him in some further scheme.

The Viceroy let the ritual proceed, taking the longer route to reach the battlements to oversee the situation and to think, and more importantly, to let himself be seen by the soldiers manning the walls. Showing his presence was important, and he preferred to do so even if the balcony of the main buildings offered a far superior view.

A spearman sat on the floor, hidden behind the tall stonework merlons, hugging his spear and muttering to himself.

"...won't hold. They know... heard our screams. They know we are here." The nameless soldier babbled to himself, ignorant of the Viceroy's presence, and soon the other two dragged him away once they spotted that their superior was inspecting the men.

Gam Youngjae pretended he didn't see anything, focusing on the outside instead. Although there were severe punishments for abandoning one's post, and for cowardice alike, ones which the Viceroy would employ without hesitation under normal circumstances, he decided that this particular case would fall under the discretion of the officers.

He felt it was a sign of the times, a show of how bad the situation could get.

The rest of the soldiers stood at attention, their gazes focused outside, watching for enemy movement, while the Priestess performed the ritual, none daring to move, lest they disturb the ritual and doom them all.

Yet, the Viceroy thought, tension was palpable in the air, although the enemy didn't move.

The fires of their camp were already visible in the dimming light, and there was a faint sense of movement among the twisted, spike-covered vegetation the Spirit's army used as their equivalent of earthworks. It was likely where their archers were hidden, under the roof of wood, behind the fixed row of brambles that could easily swallow a horse with its rider.

There were no longer familiar open fields and hills behind.

The landscape became less and less familiar with every passing moment as the magic of the Spirits spread across the woods, as sinister and foreign as it was restless.

It was a land of monsters.

With the encroaching plant life in range, the option to try to burn it all down presented itself, but the viability as a solution to their siege diminished as the wind could turn anytime and the fortress itself would be swallowed in the fire it started - and that was before the magic the Spirits controlled was taken into account.

Only the river would stop the spread of wildfire.

The very river the spirits themselves wanted to establish as the border.

The Viceroy looked away and continued to submerge in thoughts, considering his further options. They were shrinking.

This very stronghold was once imagined as the advanced post, the foremost stage of the fortification before the city proper to guard the important route through the valley, yet it never came to be as many officials saw no purpose in fortifying the outlying province surrounded by mountains.

The fortress in the mountains would be even more plausible to control the route, yet, there was never a point - no one ever thought the enemies would try to cross the Surao mountains as by that point the wealthy coastal provinces to the south would stop the enemies, or the expanse of the land to the north would.

He never intended to fight a war.

And by the strange twist of fate, he still didn't have to.

Gam Youngjae was still free to resolve his problems through the clever arrangement with the unexpected invader in the hope of retaining his privileges and riches, but instead of the daring raiders or distant conquerors, he would be forced to appease the otherworldly creatures.

The Evil Spirits may even honour their agreement, and they may even think in terms comprehensible to the mortal minds, but the sight of the frantic resolve to raise up the magical wards, the dull expression of the soldiers, and the memory of that single panicking soldier reminded him one thing - his countrymen would never understand.

The Viceroy wanted to laugh at this misfortune.

He never had the chance to do so, as by the time his casual stroll reached the western wall, his soldiers were sounding the alarm.

It was not an attack. The Evil Spirits had crossed the river elsewhere as a small group of them was seen dashing through the floodplains, scouts likely, moving the open almost like they wanted to remind the stronghold defenders of the futility of their stand. A reminder, Youngjae though.

The Sage's claims about a larger detachment advancing from the south came to mind.

It may not even be true, and it didn't change anything about this current predicament.

The Viceroy turned his attention towards the courtyard where the Priestess finished the spell that might hold only for another day before it had to be renewed, and he quickly reconsidered his options.

It was unsustainable.

If he wanted to negotiate to retain his holdings he would have to sacrifice the woman he never trusted, one so tired that she might outlive her usefulness should her magic start to wane away.

It wasn't a difficult choice - Youngjae never liked the clergy.

Their blessing, the magic they wielded, wasn't as easy to supersede, as it was bestowed upon them by the powers beyond this world. Those were not easy to sway, and ultimately, only a few questions remained.

Should the Dark One honour the short-term agreement, where would the Viceroy get another, more trustworthy Priestess to replace the first one?