What Do You Wish For With Murky Eyes: Record of Highserk War - Chapter 10

The adventurer wielded a sword with versatility and accelerated movements, and Walm struggled against it. However, as his companions were getting injured one after another, it became evident that the movements of the man in front of him were slowing down. The decisive moment approached. The adventurer called Al had the spearhead of Walm’s halberd deeply embedded in his shoulder, breaking bones as it stuck him against large tree.

“You’re not used to killing humans, huh?…How envious.”

“Aaaargh!”

He seemed to be a person considerate of his companions. Admirable in human terms. That was why Walm took advantage of him. Trying to pull out the halberd spearhead was not something that could be accomplished with sheer willpower. Walm, who had created some distance, drew his longsword, intending to cut off his opponent’s head in a single stroke. If he fell, the others would follow in succession.

Walm’s exposed skin, visible through his armor, felt a wind. It was not a natural phenomenon. Following that, a storm swept past Walm, who had turned around, and a sharp pain ran through his right arm. The armor showed fine cuts, and numerous wounds were carved into exposed fingers and joints, overflowing with blood.

“‘The hell is this magic!?”

As he internally cursed, searching for the user, he found the girl who he had been about to kill. The face that should have been frightened was now staring at Walm with sharp eyes.

“You, huh?”

As Walm tried to close the distance, a second attack followed immediately.

“Gimme a break!”

Walm jumped behind the trees. Trees and the blood of soldiers from other squads were scattered throughout the forest. It was an absurdly powerful attack. Possibly capable of rapid fire, and while targeting Walm, the wind also rampaged through the forest indiscriminately.

“It’s an area attack. Don’t cluster together!”

Following Squad Leader Duwei’s orders, the soldiers retreated to various hiding places, and Walm was no exception. By the time the wind had subsided, the adventurers and a few soldiers had already begun their escape. The adventurer whom Walm had stuck to the large tree had also disappeared.

Picking up the blood-stained halberd, Walm realized from the surrounding amount of blood that he had failed to kill.

“Such a big move, but I guess rapid fire didn’t work.”

Willart said, brushing off the dirt and twigs that clung to him.

“Damn it. Let a few slip away.”

The squad leader, carrying a war hammer on his shoulder, looked displeased.

“Squad leader, what about pursuing them?”

Jose, accompanied by Noor and Barito, also appeared through the gaps in the trees.

“Of course, we’re calling it off. We’ve annihilated the main force of the surviving enemy troops. All that’s left are the remnants of adventurers and Myard soldiers beyond our orders. The rest is up to the other squads. No need to be diligent.”

“Understood, we’ll gather the wounded and surviving enemies. Let’s go, you guys. You weren’t useful in combat, so move.”

“Aw, come on!”

Barito protested, but Jose nudged him, and he fell silent. Noor, who didn’t resist in vain, was wiser. Walm, while applying a tourniquet to himself, surveyed the forest. The rest was the job of the other squads. If the adventurers were lucky they might escape. Walm opened and closed his fingers, checking his numb arm. The sword had been sharp, and each blow was heavy.

What saved him was that the adventurers were not accustomed to killing people or seeing their companions killed. If these adventurers were used to the life-and-death struggles of others, Walm might have been the corpse on display by now. The words of the escaping female adventurer echoed repeatedly in Walm’s mind.

“I don’t kill because I like it either.”

Walm muttered softly to nobody in particular. It was truly ridiculous. Ironic. In the forest filled with corpses, no one would believe him. If he were only fighting against the natural enemies of humanity, the demons, he wouldn’t have to grapple with such conflicts. However, for Walm, who had become a soldier of the Highserk Empire, it was an inevitable reality.

Four more years—four more years, and Walm could choose to leave the military. Some started businesses with their pay and spoils of war, others returned to their hometowns to buy fields and settle down. Some continued to fight as soldiers, while others became adventurers. Walm, living in the present moment, had never thought about the future.

Was it abnormal for him to be thinking only about himself right after killing someone? The adventurers who lamented the injuries and deaths of their comrades, expressing anger, were undoubtedly more human. Walm was aware that the more he became a good soldier, the more his humanity faded away.

Until his discharge, doubts about whether he could remain true to himself haunted Walm. He sighed softly, wiped blood from his longsword, and collected the halberd. The forest was gradually returning to silence.

“Run, Leetia. Do you intend to die too?”

It was Fleck who carried Al and Amy on his back. Despite losing his right eyeball and bearing numerous lacerations all over his body, he was among the lightly wounded in the current party. Even with Fleck, who wielded a large shield, running through the forest, the two adventurers became a considerable burden. Still, there was no way to let them go. Fleck overcame his blurred vision with sheer determination.

“But everyone, …everyo- ah, Lefty!!”

“I know!! Lefty will be fine. You can always count on him come to the rescue.”

Despite the approaching shouts of Highserk soldiers from behind Fleck, it was clear that they were not being pursued by the two soldiers who had inflicted deep wounds on Fleck and Al. Lefty was desperately acting as a decoy to allow the party members and the few remaining Myard soldiers to escape.

Lefty, with his sharp tongue and a quick sense of profit and loss, was often misunderstood as cold-hearted. However, Fleck knew that he was a man who would risk his own life to save someone he could rescue.

“He’ll be fine.”

As Fleck reassured himself, he continued to run. Blood flowed incessantly from the two he carried on his back, and their lives were on the verge of slipping away.