Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 800

800. Skirmish in the Jungle (6)

Just as the native warriors of the expeditionary force discovered the Mexica army, the Mexica scouts also spotted the native warriors.

The Jaguar Warrior leading the scouts immediately ordered a lower-ranking warrior.

“Tell them we’ve found the ones we’ve been looking for.”

“Yes, sir.”

Watching the lower-ranking warrior head back, the Jaguar Warrior smacked his lips lightly.

“To think we’d find the ones who’ve been hiding so well here… If I do well, I might even rise to become an Eagle Warrior. And wash away the disgrace of being ‘Cursed’.”

The Jaguar Warrior’s face, unable to hide his desire, was severely scarred.

The Jaguar Warrior, now eager to capture the native warriors, was a survivor of the smallpox storm that had struck the Mexica.

* * *

The mortality rate among the Mexica infected with smallpox was over half.

This was a very high mortality rate compared to the approximately 30% mortality rate in Europe and Asia.

Unlike the Asians and Europeans who had unknowingly developed immunity through thousands of years of exposure to smallpox, the Mexica and surrounding natives were experiencing the disease for the first time.

Even the survivors were not in good condition.

Some suffered hearing or vision loss from the high fever, and intellectual disabilities were rampant.

Those who survived these dangers unscathed were all scarred. There was only a difference in the severity of the scars, whether light or severe; everyone was scarred.

Those with unsightly appearances were soon called the ‘Cursed Ones’.

And they were discriminated against, regardless of gender, age, or status.

Afterward, the tribes around the Mexica faced even more difficult times.

In the past, the Mexica mainly targeted warriors or young children.

This was to reduce the forces that could threaten them and to use them as sacrifices.

However, after the smallpox swept through, even young women with clean skin were captured and taken to Tenochtitlan [the capital city of the Aztec empire].

“A sacred body that even the curse avoided! We must obtain them for the sake of future generations!”

It was to have them bear the children of the Mexica.

* * *

Having heard the news from the lower-ranking warrior, the Eagle Warriors from the rear led their warriors and rushed to the front.

“Where did they go?”

“That way.”

At the Eagle Warriors’ question, the Jaguar Warrior raised his hand and pointed forward.

The Eagle Warriors who looked in the direction the Jaguar Warrior was pointing all nodded.

“An auspicious sign.”

“It is auspicious.”

The Eagle Warriors had been extremely nervous about encountering the Imperial Army while advancing through the jungle. For them, the news that they had found the tribe they had been unable to find, hidden all this time, was enough to be considered an auspicious sign.

“We have enough warriors, so let’s strike immediately.”

“Agreed. The faster we move in such matters, the better. If we’re not careful, those who notice us might hide even deeper.”

“I concur.”

Having reached an agreement, the Eagle Warriors placed the Jaguar Warrior’s group, who had first discovered the native warriors, at the forefront and began to cut through the jungle.

With the hope of obtaining women who had avoided the curse, the Mexica warriors began to break through the jungle with all their might.

* * *

The Mexica warriors, who had been pushing through the jungle with all their might, suddenly stopped.

At some point, the jungle blocking their path had disappeared, and beyond a wide open space, there were others gathered who were not the natives they had been targeting.

Moreover, they were wearing the attire of the foreigners who had instilled terrible fear in them before disappearing.

“Gasp!”

“They’re already here!”

The warriors, terrified, stopped and immediately turned around. However, they became entangled with the other Mexica warriors who were rushing up from behind.

Right then.

Peeeeep!

Tatatatatang! Tang! Tang! Tang!

With a loud whistle, the soldiers of the expeditionary force, starting with the armored vehicle, simultaneously opened fire.

“Cough!”

“Ugh!”

The Mexica warriors, mixed up between those running forward and those trying to escape backward, were showered with the expeditionary force’s bullets and fell to the ground, covered in blood.

“Eek! They are few in number! Fight!”

“Fight!”

The Eagle Warriors, driven into a corner, resolved to fight to the death and pushed their warriors forward.

“Bodies that have endured the curse! Fight!”

“Let’s fight!”

Driven by the Eagle Warriors’ encouragement, the warriors charged at the expeditionary force with a desperate resolve.

For them, there was no other choice.

For the Mexica warriors, showing their backs to the enemy was a disgrace.

Moreover, most of the warriors in this place were ‘Cursed Ones.’ If they added desertion in the face of the enemy to their already unfavorable situation, they could lose everything they had built up until now.

Therefore, they had no choice but to desperately throw themselves at the expeditionary force.

The most desperate among them were the slave soldiers, who made up the majority of the lower-ranking warriors.

Slave soldiers who achieved merit in battle could escape their slave status. If they accumulated even more merit and became Jaguar Warriors, they could even receive land and slaves. However, in the opposite case, they would return to being slaves working on farms or, in the worst case, become sacrifices.

It was because of this desperate situation that they charged at the expeditionary force like moths to a flame.

Tang! Tatang! Tang! Tatatatatang!

Bang! Kwabang!

Amidst the sharp gunshots tearing through the air and the grenades exploding everywhere, Commander Ahn, the Gwon-gwan [a military rank], continued to command, shouting at the top of his lungs.

“The left flank’s barrage is weak! Reinforce the left!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Don’t spare the grenades and bullets! Remember that you’ll die if you save them!”

“Yes, sir!”

As he continued to encourage his subordinates and reinforce areas where firepower was weak, Commander Ahn soon let out a long breath.

“Hoo~. With this, we’ve gained some momentum.”

“That’s right. Congratulations, sir. It’s the expeditionary force’s first victory.”

At his subordinate Gi-chong’s words, Commander Ahn shook his head.

“The battle isn’t over yet. Premature optimism is forbidden. Is the reserve unit ready?”

“Yes, sir.”

“The reserve unit is the most important to properly complete this battle. Check it again.”

“Yes, sir.”

At Commander Ahn’s order, Gi-chong turned to assess the situation of the reserve unit.

Commander Ahn, sitting down on the coachman’s seat of the food stall used as a temporary command post, surveyed the battlefield and muttered softly.

“It would be best not to mobilize the reserve unit… but it might be possible.”

Commander Ahn was beginning to covet the honor of being ‘the commander who won the expeditionary force’s first battle’.

Imagining his name being included in the reports that would go up to the Sanghwang [retired king] and even the Emperor Wan, Commander Ahn smiled slightly before jumping up from his seat and shouting.

“Where are the fools who leave the right flank empty when I tell them to reinforce the left! Right! Reinforce the right again!”

“Yes, yes, sir!”

While Commander Ahn was dreaming of victory and bustling about, the Eagle Warriors commanding the Mexica warriors on the opposite side were wearing desperate expressions.

“We were too hasty…”

“Greed blinded us…”

“We shouldn’t have rushed…”

The Eagle Warriors commanding the battlefield now regretted their hasty decision.

“We should have informed the rear and waited for support.”

* * *

As soon as they received the report that the natives had been discovered, the Eagle Warriors sent a messenger to the rear to inform them and immediately moved to the front.

Afterward, they decided to attack immediately, driven by the desire to capture the natives.

This was their critical mistake.

The Mexica also knew of the expeditionary force’s arrival and judged that the expeditionary force would move once the rainy season ended.

And they had gathered soldiers and moved to intercept this expeditionary force.

Due to the mountain range in the middle, the movement routes were extremely limited. Moreover, since many soldiers had to move, it was possible to predict which route the expeditionary force would take.

Therefore, the Mexica army chose the expected route of the expeditionary force and moved.

Up to this point, it was an excellent choice. In fact, the expeditionary force moved along the route that the Mexica had predicted.

However, their critical mistake was overlooking the expeditionary force’s speed of movement.

The Mexica cleared the jungle with dull stone or bronze tools and transported most of their supplies, including food, with human power.

However, the expeditionary forces used logging tools made of high-quality steel to clear the jungle. The transportation of supplies also used carts pulled by horses and donkeys.

Moreover, the expeditionary force had departed from the bridgehead before the rainy season ended, contrary to the Mexica’s expectations, and had approached much closer than the Mexica had anticipated.

Because they had not anticipated this, the Eagle Warriors had made a fatal mistake.

Belated regret did not change the desperate situation.

In the end, the Eagle Warriors beckoned the nearby warriors and ordered.

“Go to the main force immediately and inform them of their arrival. Also, tell them to prepare thoroughly.”

“Yes, sir.”

The lower-ranking warriors who heard the Eagle Warriors’ orders immediately disappeared into the jungle.

Having sent the messengers, the Eagle Warriors grabbed their weapons and jumped into the battlefield.

* * *

Peeep! Peebeeep!

“Cease fire!”

“Cease fire!”

Hearing Commander Ahn’s whistle, the soldiers took their fingers off the triggers.

“Clear the battlefield!”

“Search for enemy survivors!”

At the orders of Commander Ahn and the commanders, the expeditionary force soldiers paired up and searched the battlefield.

The soldiers poked the fallen Mexica soldiers with the bayonets attached to their rifles, searching for survivors.

To be precise, it was not a search but rather cutting off the breaths of the Mexica wounded who were still alive.

It was a very cruel act, but the expeditionary force soldiers had no qualms about it. The reason they had volunteered for the expeditionary force was to punish the Mexica who committed the outrageous acts of human sacrifice and cannibalism.

Commander Ahn, watching the soldiers’ actions with a slightly frowning expression, ordered the Cho-gwan [another military rank] behind him.

“If I were the enemy commander, I would have definitely sent a messenger to the rear. Send the native warriors out again to scout the enemy’s movements.”

“Yes, sir.”

Following Commander Ahn’s order, the native warriors began to move with their logging blades.

“Kaak~. Spit!”

The native warriors, spitting on the corpse of a nearby fallen Mexica warrior, silenced their footsteps and slipped into the jungle.

* * *

At the same time, Yi Jing-ok, who was in the rear, received a report from the messenger sent by the vanguard.

“So, they won?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s fortunate. What is the extent of the damage?”

“Only a few minor injuries, they say.”

“Good news. Is there anything to add?”

“There is a high possibility of a full-scale enemy attack, so they need fire support.”

“That’s highly likely.”

Nodding in agreement, Yi Jing-ok ordered the messenger.

“Tell them I’ll prepare it and send it right away. Go.”

“Yes, General!”

The messenger, hearing Yi Jing-ok’s order, saluted and ran back towards the vanguard.

“Finally, it begins.”

Yi Jing-ok, looking at the vanguard’s location for a moment, soon called his staff officers together.