𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 || Akatsuki no Yona

Time

"If it was that interesting of an experience, we're going to be sad that we only got to see your back," Hak says with a straight face.

"You! Dark Dragon! Hurry up and cross the bridge so I can strangle you!" Kija yells.

"I had a feeling something like this would happen, so I brought a large plank." Yoon slides the long plank onto the bridge (that I honestly don't know how he carried, but moving on).

"Good going, Yoon!" Yona praises.

"Yoon, isn't there a different path we can go on?" Kija sighed

"There is but it's the border which is all flatlands. We would stand out way too much." Yoon responds while walking across the bridge. "The patrol guards at the border are Fire Tribe soldiers and Khai Empire soldiers. Actually, right now, there aren't that many. I went with Jae-ha to scout out the area but, there weren't too many patrol guards."

Hak places a hand on Yona's head. "That's kind of unsettling."

"Yeah, it is. I thought it was normal that there would be a ton of armed soldiers so it was discomforting. However, there's a high chance that there would be soldiers there. That's why I picked this route instead." Yoon says.

"Isn't there a chance that we'll lose our lives here though?" I ask.

"The Khai Empire is a power known for their vast territory and their large military force but I don't know anything specific." Yona murmurs.

"There are a lot of things I won't know until we get there." Yoon sets his bag on the floor. "For now, I'll talk about what I know while we travel. Unlike before, the Khai Empire's current force is a shadow of its formal self. Once, the Khai Empire has a huge territory that they were proud of, but now the South and the North have separated. Because of that, the Northern part of Northern Khai has been continuously attacked by nomads. The empire's army's hands are full from protecting a few areas. Instead, in various places in northern Khai, many powerful families have gained power and are basically controlling the land. You can't really call it an empire right now."

"What about the South?" Jae-ha asks.

"The South has nobles, bureaucrats, and merchants that moved over. Compared to the north, the climate is stable and the land is fertile. In the south, the king's cousin is currently sitting on a temporary throne apparently." I say, trying to remember everything I learned about the Khai Empire when I was younger.

"The royal family lost power so the surrounding powerful families have gained power. It's similar to King Il and the tribes in this country." Zeno says, but Jae-ha and Kija cover his mouth before he can say any more.

I looked at Yona who seemed a little annoyed that Zeno had to bring King Il up.

However, it was true. There were definitely some similarities. At that time, Soo-won said that he was taking revenge for Lord Yu-hon's murder, but King Il hated conflict so much that he did whatever the tribes and countries asked him to do.

Did Soo-won want to stop the country from getting weaker?

"Also, the place we're heading to right now is the territory of Sen Province," Yoon adds, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Here, the nomads' attacks won't reach and it's far away from the centers of power, so the noble Li Hazara is steadily gaining power. He controls this area."