I MUST GET GOING NOW.
TAKE GOOD CARE OF DAM AND YEOL WHILE I'M AWAY.
MAKE SURE YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AS WELL.
DARLING... DO YOU HAVE TO GO?
PERHAPS YOU COULD PETITION FOR THE ORDER TO BE WITHDRAWN...
WE HAVE SO MANY MILITARY OFFICERS IN THE KINGDOM.
WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE YOU?
COME NOW. DON'T SAY THAT.
THE CHILDREN WILL HEAR YOU. YOU HAVE TO STAY STRONG.
HIS MAJESTY HIMSELF ORDERED ME TO GO.
BESIDES, I WON’T BE STATIONED THERE FOREVER.
DAM IS ONLY 8, AND YEOL JUST TURNED A YEAR OLD...
THE CHILDREN NEED YOU...
LISTEN...
I DON’T CARE WHO ORDERED IT. I NEED--
DO YOU EVEN HEAR YOURSELF?
THAT’S ENOUGH. AS MUCH AS I CARE ABOUT YOU...
...I WILL NOT HAVE ANYONE INSULT HIS MAJESTY!
BUT STILL...
DAM, REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU?
THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
THIS IS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF.
TRUST ME, AND WAIT FOR ME.
GOT IT?
HELLO. ONE BAEKSEOLGI RICE CAKE PLEASE.
OH! IT'S YOU, DAM. GOOD TO SEE YOU.
HOW MUCH IS IT? MY MOM GAVE ME SOME ALLOWANCE...
DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, YOU RASCAL. JUST TAKE IT.
TAKE THESE TO YOUR MOTHER. MAKE SURE YOU SHARE THEM WITH YEOL TOO.
HUH? WHY IS IT FREE?
IT'S ALREADY BEEN HALF A YEAR SINCE YOUR FATHER WENT TO THE NORTH, RIGHT?
HE'S OUT THERE SUFFERING IN THE NORTH TO KEEP US SAFE.
THIS IS THE LEAST I CAN DO FOR YOU.
I HEARD YOU EVEN GOT TO SEE THE KING HIMSELF!
YOUR FATHER IS THE PRIDE OF THIS VILLAGE, YOU HEAR?
MY FATHER? IS HE? REALLY?
OF COURSE.
I'M SURE HE'S STILL FIGHTING OUT THERE LIKE THE BRAVE MAN HE IS.
HUFF
HUFF
WHEW... IT NEVER ENDS.
IF ONLY I COULD SPEND ONE DAY WITHOUT SMELLING THE STENCH OF BLOOD.
THOSE SAVAGE BARBARIANS...
ALWAYS RAIDING, DAY IN AND DAY OUT!
WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE'RE HERE.
WE MUST PROVE OURSELVES WORTHY OF THE KING'S TRUST...
...AND BRING PEACE TO THE NORTHERN LANDS...
...!
WATCH OUT! BEHIND YOU!!
HUM
HUM, HUM
YOU JERK...!
HEY...! LET ME GO!
SAY THAT AGAIN!
WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT MY DAD?!
WHAT’S WRONG WITH WHAT I SAID?
HE SHOVELS POOP! SO HE SMELLS LIKE POOP!
WELL, YOU’RE A FARMER’S BOY! DOES YOUR DAD SMELL LIKE DIRT THEN?
WHAT? YOU JERK...!
HEY, IT’S YEONGGIL AND GWANGPAL!
YOU GUYS ARE FRIENDS. WHY ARE YOU FIGHTING EACH OTHER?
D-DAM! YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID ABOUT MY DAD?
MY FATHER TOLD ME...
...JOSEON IS SURROUNDED WITH ENEMIES. WE HAVE PIRATES IN THE SOUTH, AND BARBARIANS IN THE NORTH.
AND THAT’S WHY WE SHOULDN’T BE FIGHTING EACH OTHER.
...
I ENVY YOU, DAM.
I WISH MY FATHER WAS A COOL MILITARY OFFICER TOO.
YEAH, ME TOO...
IF ONLY MY FATHER WASN'T A POOP SHOVELER...
MY FATHER ALWAYS SAID...
...EVERY JOB IS SACRED.
THERE IS NO NEED TO BE EMBARRASSED ABOUT THEIR JOBS.
IN FACT, YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT THEY DO.
YOUR DAD MUST BE PRETTY TALKATIVE FOR A MILITARY OFFICER.
BUT HE'S STILL COOL THOUGH...
DAM, IS IT TRUE? DID YOU SEE THE KING?
YEAH, WHAT WAS HE LIKE? WAS HE REALLY AS BIG AS A MOUNTAIN?
WELL...
HE PUT HIS HAND ON MY DAD'S SHOULDER...
...AND SAID HE'S COUNTING ON HIM!
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE ASKED... WHAT ABOUT THE KING...?
I HAVE TO GO NOW! BUT YOU'D BETTER NOT FIGHT ANYMORE!
IF YOU DO, I'M GONNA TELL MY DAD ALL ABOUT IT ONCE HE GETS BACK!
HUM
HMM...
I GUESS I COULD HAVE ONE...
MMPH!
W-WATER...!
OH... TH-THAT'S YEONSAENG'S HOUSE...
MA’AM... C-CAN I HAVE... SOME WATER...?
IT’S PRACTICALLY A DEMOTION, ISN’T IT?
OH, YOU MEAN DAM’S FATHER?
THE MAN WHO WAS SENT TO THE NORTH?
HE’S A NINTH-RANK OFFICER.
YOU CAN’T GET DEMOTED FROM THE LOWEST RANK, YOU KNOW?
I BET HE WENT THERE TRYING TO MAKE HIS WAY UP THE LADDER.
UNLESS YOU’RE BORN A NOBLE, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY FOR A COMMONER TO BECOME SOMEBODY.
BUT DON’T YOU THINK IT’S TOO RISKY?
EVERYONE KNOWS HOW DANGEROUS THE NORTH IS. CAN HE EVEN MAKE IT BACK IN ONE PIECE?
THEY SAY YOU HAVE TO FIGHT THE BARBARIANS ALMOST EVERY DAY.
I HEAR NINE OUT OF TEN SOLDIERS THERE END UP DEAD.
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY. IN THE NORTH, YOU EITHER GET KILLED BY THE BARBARIANS OR FREEZE TO DEATH.
BUT DIDN'T THEY SAY THE KING PERSONALLY SENT HIM THERE?
HOW HARSH AND HEARTLESS OF HIM!
YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS.
IT JUST MEANS ANOTHER WIDOW IN THE VILLAGE.
HOW SAD. I PITY HER...
AND WHAT ABOUT DAM AND YEOL...?
HUH? WHAT'S THAT?
WAS THERE SOMEONE STANDING THERE?
MOTHER...
MOTHER!!
MOTHER...!!
I CAN HEAR YOU, DAM. WHAT'S WITH ALL THE SHOUTING?
IS IT REALLY THAT SCARY THERE? IS THAT REALLY WHERE FATHER WENT?
WHAT...?
IS IT TRUE THAT PEOPLE THERE GET KILLED BY BARBARIANS...
OR FREEZE TO DEATH?!
IS THAT WHERE FATHER WENT?
DAM... WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
WHO TOLD YOU ALL THESE NASTY THINGS?
IT WAS YEONSAENG'S MOM... SNIFFLE
SHE WAS TALKING WITH MINDOL AND CHEOLGU'S MOMS...
THOSE WOMEN! I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!
IT'S NOT TRUE, DAM.
THE NORTHERN FRONTIER IS A HARSH PLACE, YES.
BUT YOUR FATHER IS BRAVE AND STRONG. MUCH MORE SO THAN ANYONE I KNOW.
YOU KNOW THAT, DON'T YOU?
Y-YES... FATHER IS...
THAT'S RIGHT. THOSE BARBARIANS CAN'T EVEN TOUCH HIM.
YES... YOUR FATHER...
...WILL BE...
UGH, THOSE WOMEN! THEY HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO!
YOU WAIT HERE! I'LL GO GIVE THEM A PIECE OF MY MIND!
YES... I'M SURE...
...YOUR FATHER WILL BE SAFE.
BUT I WAS THINKING...
...WOULDN'T IT BE NICE... TO PAY HIM A VISIT?
ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?
IT'S A VERY LONG JOURNEY TO THE NORTHERN BORDER.
I'LL BE FINE. I'LL JUST SEE HOW MY HUSBAND IS DOING AND COME RIGHT BACK.
WELL, OKAY... IF YOU SAY SO.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE HOUSE, I'LL TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND THERE SHE GOES...!
SHE COULD JUST STAY HERE AND WAIT FOR THE NEWS. IT'S BOUND TO ARRIVE EVENTUALLY.
OH WELL. THIS WAY, SHE GETS TO SEE HIM ONCE MORE BEFORE HE'S IN A COFFIN.
THOSE PITIFUL THINGS...
ALL OF YOU!
I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR HOW DEEPLY CONCERNED YOU ARE ABOUT MY FAMILY!
HUH...? S-SURE... WHAT ARE NEIGHBORS FOR, RIGHT...? HAHA...
WE'RE JUST WORRIED ABOUT YOUR HUSBAND, FOR DAM'S SAKE...
UNFORTUNATELY, YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED...
...BECAUSE I KNOW MY HUSBAND IS SAFE.
SO KEEP YOUR MOUTHS SHUT WHEN THE KIDS ARE AROUND.
IS THAT CLEAR?
EVEN AS WE SPEAK, MY HUSBAND IS FIGHTING THE ENEMIES...
...TO KEEP PEOPLE LIKE YOU SAFE AS WELL.
FOR ALL OF US...
...AND ALL OF JOSEON.
HE'S STILL FIGHTING DESPERATELY...
...AND VALIANTLY!
On the king's orders, an officer heads north, leaving behind 8-year-old Dam and 1-year-old Yeol despite his wife's pleas. Half a year passes; while Dam buys rice cakes, villagers regard his father as the pride of the village. After fighting with his friends, Dam defends peace with his father's advice. Hearing neighboring women gossip that the north is deadly, Dam becomes frightened, his mother comforts him and decides to go visit her husband.
Spoiler Warning
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