What Do You Wish For With Murky Eyes: Record of Highserk War - Chapter 13

On the plains outside the capital of the Myard Principality, Aidenburg, a battle that would determine the nation’s survival was about to begin.

Contrary to the expectations of the higher-ups, the Ferrius Myard alliance had divided its forces into two main groups. One consisted of 14,000 troops from the Ferrius Kingdom, and the other comprised 4,000 regular troops and 7,000 militia from the Myard Principality.

Although the two groups occupied separate positions on advantageous hills in the middle of the plain, they were strategically located to provide mutual support.

The area around the command post is protected by anti-cavalry barriers, making it difficult to strike the enemy commander with a single blow and cause confusion in the command structure.

Additionaly, as a response to the threat of a possible pincer attack from the valley of the hills, two enemy battalion-sized units were defending the bottom, creating a strong line of communication to the top.

On the opposing side, the homeland, Highserk Empire, was hidden on the side of the hill held by Myard forces. Among the nine battalions, four extended in a lateral formation, followed by three more battalions, and behind them were the cavalry battalions, including the Jáfe and Walm’s Liguria battalions.

According to the information Walm had received beforehand, the front four battalions were to advance on the hill, the three reserve battalions were to hold off the Ferrius offensive and Myard was to be annihilated first.

It was reasonable to assume the Liguria batttalion and cavalry would be sent in to crush Myard with a single blow after obstacles, such as the anti-cavalry barriers were broken by the vanguard. Walm couldn’t help but feel gloomy imagining the magnitude of the battalion’s role and the hardships to come.

Without warning, the full-scale battle began. The sounds of explosions and the chaotic cries of human and horse carried by the wind reached Walm’s position. Even for the formidable Highserk Empire known for its strong military, attacking the hills with a small force posed a significant challenge.

While allies were engaging in fierce combat on the front lines, Walm continued to wait. The frustration of being unable to participate in the battle, the relief of not being thrown into the deadly situation, and the tension mixed together.

In the midst of heightened nerves, the squad leader spoke.

“…Whatever the case, it’s taking too long.”

“Perhaps the defense line was stronger than anticipated.”

For the diminished Highserk forces, speed was crucial. It was supposed to be a formation focused on mobile warfare, emphasizing maneuverability and aiming for the destruction of the smaller enemy force.

The volume of noise on the battlefield is resonating to an extent that one wouldn’t think only four battalions are launching an attack. Although the momentum is tremendous, the defensive line shows no signs of crumbling. Indeed, Walm also felt a sense of incongruity.

“Maybe there were too many preparations on the flanks.”

Walm expressed the thought he felt while observing the deployment. If they took too long to defeat the Myard army, they would need to buy time against the Ferrius forces attacking from the flanks or rear. Currently, three battalions are responsible for flank defense. Since Ferrius is not moving, those three battalions have become completely idle.

“Surely, even with two battalions on the flanks we could buy some time.”

Jose voiced his agreement with Walm’s opinion.

“Yeah, but even if that’s the case, not deploying either the cavalry or the light infantry doesn’t make sense.”

Light infantry is often treated as handymen. If a breakthrough becomes difficult, they are deployed, creating a path for the cavalry.

Space and distance are crucial elements in warfare, and Walm could understand the idea of deploying light infantry while considering the distance, however, if the fundamental goal cannot be achieved, it becomes meaningless.

“I don’t think Commander Berger would read it wrong…”

The memory of Commander Berger’s speech in the City of Sarria resurfaces in Walm’s mind. The commander who inspired such a large number of soldiers and quickly ended the border-line fighting. He didn’t come across like an old man going senile.

At that moment, a new shout echoed from the left side of the hill.

“Ugh, it’s the main force of the Ferrius army.”

Walm could see at least four battalions. The two battalions in the middle row of the left side have taken action. Even so, it’s nearly twice as many opponents. It seems they will have their hands full with buying time.

“Still no orders?”

Barito said in a flustered manner.

“It’s getting risky like this…”

In the squad, the inexperienced Noor, voiced her concerns.

“From the right side of the hill, Myard’s reserve forces are coming. Damn it, they’re deploying battalion-sized units.”

The unpleasant expectation came true. Myard’s only reserve force was about to be deployed from the right side of the hill.

“I can see a new Ferrius battalion coming from the far left. They seem to be planning to encircle us.”

In this situation, Walm felt the need to both break through the forming encirclement and regroup. While soldiers spoke their thoughts, only the squad leader seemed to be immersed in a sea of thoughts.

“Squad Leader Duwei?”

Jose, realizing it a bit late, called out the squad leader’s name.

“It’s a critical situation, but… the units on the front line haven’t suffered significant casualties. The units that went to suppress Ferrius’ main force are also focused on buying time. There’s something going on here.”

It was around the time when the Myard battalion-sized enemy on the right began descending the hill. Messengers were running around the camp where the Liguria battalion gathered. Walm finally braced himself; he covered his face with his hands and exhaled. He could feel the warm air being pushed back by his palms and flowing through the gaps – a habit he had before battles.

The messenger had likely received orders from Commander Berger. Immediately, the voice of Liguria Battalion’s commander echoed.

“Move out!! The target is the Ferrius main camp. Break through the side of the hill at full speed from the right flank and capture the Ferrius main camp. Cavalry, charge out. Prepare yourselves.”

“Ha!?”

Most of the soldiers who received the orders were left dumbfounded, unable to comprehend the situation. Walm, too, had his thoughts turned around.

In this unfavorable situation, they were attempting to send only two out of the nine battalions directly into the enemy’s main camp.

Even though the hills are adjacent, they are 4 to 5 kilometers away. A well-trained soldier without equipment could easily cover that distance, but with equipment, they had to engage enemies along the way and at the destination.

Furthermore, up ahead there is the hill where Myard is encamped, and on the right, a battalion of Myard soldiers had started descending from the hill.

For Walm, it seemed like madness, but the sight of allied forces unable to break through came to mind.

“No way… deception…?”

The squad leader nodded in response to Walm’s mutter.

“They intentionally feigned a halt in the attack, luring the enemy out. Moreover, Myard’s frontline troops are becoming overzealous and getting entangled. They’ve just deployed their last reserve unit from the hill towards our main camp. The change in orders won’t reach the frontline soldiers.”

“Even so, there’s still one battalion left at the Ferrius enemy main camp. And some of the six battalions aiming to encircle from the left flank might return to the main camp.”

In response to Jose’s skeptical opinion, Walm conveyed information gathered from the battlefield he had observed.

“No, the enemy units that could easily return for reinforcements have already been engaged in battle.”

The six Ferrius battalions are forming a swell to cover the left flank of the Highserk main force, aiming to complete an encirclement. The outermost units, designed for the encirclement, are farthest from the Ferrius main camp on the hill. Immediate communication with those units would be difficult, and returning would take time. From what Walm could see, the enemy battalions on the inner edge, which would have been able to turn back to the main camp the quickest, were given priority over the allied troops whose main purpose was to detain the Highserk force.

“Whether we crush the main camps first will determine a great victory or a massive defeat.”

Considering the upcoming path, Walm hoped his prediction was wrong, but he couldn’t think of any other possibilities.

“Ehh, such a gambit-like strategy…”

Noor was left speechless, but as a soldier, Walm had no time to ponder.

“Commander Berger must have a winning strategy of his own. Switch gears. Focus, or you’ll die.”

Everyone fell silent. Walm awaited that moment.

There were no drums or trumpets to announce the charge. The units were closely packed, initially in tight formation at the squad and platoon level, but as they started running, gaps gradually opened up.

The two battalions simply, yet quietly, started running at full speed. Walm desperately kicked the ground and ran.

The leading cavalry raced like arrows and literally crushed the front of the enemy unit that was descending from the hill. When Walm arrived a few minutes later, the enemy was still in disarray. It was an excellent opportunity to form ranks and overwhelm the them, but passing through took precedence.

“Don’t stop, run!! Run!!”

Desperate, Platoon Leader Kozul shouted while breathing heavily. Walm found it mysterious that the slightly chubby platoon leader had such energy, but now he focused on the enemies in front of him.

While running, Walm smashed down with the halberd at a soldier blocking his path, slashing through the shoulder, and collarbone. The next soldier he hits with a horizontal attack, slashing through the upper body along with the armor

Both wounds, if bleeding was controlled, were injuries that could still allow a return to the battle, but Walm judged that this was not the time to finish the enemy off.

Besides, he could easily imagine that they would be killed by the following troops. The enemy unit that the cavalry had broken into was terrifyingly fragile and in chaos.

Even in such a disordered group, some were attempting to recover early. Walm clicked his tongue, thinking that these were surely skilled non-commissioned officers and soldiers. A considerable number of enemies were waiting in front, maybe around a hundred.

“Willart, Walm!!”

The squad leader called out to the two men. The distance to the enemy was about to fall below 50 meters. They had formed a spear hedge as a group, and if they collided head-on, casualties would be inevitable.

Walm understood the squad leader’s intention and, while running, began infusing magic into his actions. Willart cast his magic a bit earlier. Five or six soldiers in the frontline suffered various degrees of injuries, creating a gap in a part of the formation.

Walm manifested the same fireball as Willart. Although the enemy units were holding their own despite the damage to the frontline, fireballs shot into the adjacent areas created an even larger gap in the enemy center.

“Charge!!”

Squad leader Duwei and the seasoned Highserk soldiers didn’t miss the weak points; naturally forming a wedge, they broke through.

Following squad leader Duwei, who advanced while literally stripping blood and iron, Walm swung his halberd.

The blade edge, entering from the right in the manner of helmet splitting, tore through the skull, causing the enemy to collapse with a single blow. Another enemy attempting to stop Walm was pierced through the shoulder and thigh by the short spears of Barito and Noor, who were standing at his sides, and sank to the ground.

The soldier who tried to stand up was greeted by countless Highserk soldiers’ feet. His screams of agony were quickly silenced.

Highserk soldiers surged towards the completely disrupted enemy. Although they were evenly matched in terms of numbers and had recovered quickly from the cavalry charge, the enemy had drawn attention due to their competence and were swiftly overrun.

The impact spread even to the scattered surrounding units. The fact that the Myard Kingdom, having lost its regular troops at the border, had mobilized numerous militia was now widely known, including to Walm.

The militia, seeing the units made up of well-trained standing troops, being unilaterally crushed and overrun by Walm and the others, retreated toward the hill where the defensive positions were set up.

“Don’t run away. If we buy time here and hold them off, it’s our victory—gah, aaah!!”

The soldiers attempting to regroup were too conspicuous. Even if told to run through, Walm knows the Highserk soldiers would not allow the possibility of being attacked from behind.

Seeing veteran soldiers and resourceful troops literally skewered, the militia fell into disarray.

“Don’t pay attention to the small fry. Run to the hill!”

The squad leader gave the signal, and the surrounding squads followed suit.

The platoon leader, running and fighting, was barely audible. Nevertheless, seeing him effortlessly slash the throats of two Myard soldiers with a sharp swordsmanship that seemed unimaginable given his meat-stocked belly, Walm was surprised and reconsidered his assessment of the man.

A cloud of dust was raised and the sound of armor scraping as it clashed and clattered, echoed through the surroundings. Some soldiers dropped out due to injuries or reaching their physical limits, but the majority kept running.

The hill loomed before Walm’s eyes. The cavalry had successfully charged, and enemy soldiers around the hill had been cleared. All that remained was the battalion-sized unit entrenched on the hill and the elite forces directly defending the enemy headquarters.

The undulating terrain of the broad hill had an elevation of 20 to 30 meters at best, but to Walm’s fatigued legs it felt like climbing a mountain. With bows, arrows, projectiles, and magic, the Highserk soldiers attempting to storm the hill were being held back.

Walm’s legs grew heavy, like stones, but a fervor of combat spirit, almost like a mad dash, spread throughout the entire unit.

Prioritizing movement speed, there were no shields like pavises or bundles of bamboo to defend against medium-range attacks. Soldiers turned into human torches after being hit by fireballs from the enemy, screaming as they rolled down from the hill.

A soldier struck in the knee with an arrow crawled on the ground, crying out in pain. In a normal battle, the unit’s morale would have significantly dropped.

“Advance, push forward~!!”

However, fatigue and pain corroded the unit’s reason, and they were functioning as a single killing machine with the sole purpose of trampling the enemy base camp. Despite having the high ground and the makeshift anti-cavalry barriers, Walm could see the main army of Ferrius exuding fear.

“Advance, move forward!! Crush them and clear the way for the cavalry!! We have no other choice!”

Inspired by the words of Squad Leader Duwei, which both encouraged the unit and intimidated the enemy, a singular truth resonated. If they could not leverage the situation here, the main force would suffer a fatal blow, and the Liguria Battalion stranded within the enemy ranks would likely be completely annihilated.

The only way to survive was to seize the hill and take out the enemy commander.

“Puulll~!!”

“Ah, aah, aaaa!!”

As Jose leaped onto the anti-cavalry barrier, he shouted, and the voices of Barito and Noor followed suit. The fences embedded in the ground continued to resist valiantly, but soldiers, one by one, joined in to knock them down.

Of course, the Ferrius soldiers were not silent. To prevent the removal of the obstacles that protected them, they thrust spears and shot arrows at the Highserk soldiers.

Walm, exerting all his strength and body weight, pulled down the grid-like anti-cavalry defenses.

Amidst this, an arrow released by an archer approached Walm’s face. In an instant reaction, he lowered his head, and with a sharp sound, dull pain spread through the cervelliere.

“You, wait there! I’ll be right over!!”

Walm channeled his anger fueled by pain toward the archer, flustering him, and the second shot passed widely above his head.

“We’ve pulled them down. Clear the way!!”

The breaking point arrived quickly. Once one section was opened, nearby anti-cavalry barriers were pulled out one after another.

The one who issued the order was the squad leader. Covered in blood and sweat, he struggled to catch his breath.

The soldiers who were about to rush forward understood what was approaching from behind due to the approaching rumble and war cries.

“The Jáfe Cavalry is here! Unless you want to be trampled, run!”

With Jose’s words, soldiers parted to the left and right like Moses parting the seas.

In the midst of blood, flesh, corpses, screams, and roars, the cavalry, known to be combat enthusiasts, charged in a straight line towards the breakthrough point.

Ferrius soldiers attempting to block by forming a spear barricade, were demolished by the magic unleashed by the magic-wielding cavalry and crushed by the charge.

The soldier who shot an arrow at Walm also fell victim to the lance charge, a large hole in the armor and abdomen left him one of the scattered corpses.

The final cavalry charge dragged the enemy camp into a crucible of chaos. Soldiers knocked down the remaining anti-cavalry barriers, forming breakthroughs one after another.

“Don’t let the enemy commander escape! Finish him off here!”

In this world’s wars where organizational operation was not very developed, once the command structure was lost, it wasn’t easily restored. If they could take out the enemy commander, the entire system would malfunction.

On the other hand, allowing them to escape here would give them the opportunity to recover. As Walm, swings his weapon continuously and enters the main camp, a new opponent appears before him.

This group clearly had equipment distinct from ordinary soldiers. They were likely the elite guards right under the main camp.

“Outta my way! Unless you wanna die in a foreign land!”

When Walm threw a provocative remark, the elite guard retorted.

“Shut up!!”

The enemy soldier, holding a longsword with both hands, lunged at Walm. Despite his tone, his steps were fast, and his slashes were sharp. Facing the opponent’s upper area, Walm delivered a strike with his halberd from a lower position.

The blades intersected, and the high-pitched sound of iron colliding echoed. Activating «Heavy Strike», Walm’s blade pushed against the opponent and severed the soldier’s hand at the wrist.

“Gnnnnngggg!”

Surprisingly, the soldier, despite the bleeding and pain held onto the longsword with the remaining hand and leaped towards Walm.

Walm took a step back and thrust his halberd several times. The soldier managed to parry the first two strikes, but the third one slid into the soldier’s throat, severing more than half of it.

Even though he didn’t collapse immediately, foamy blood began to spew from his mouth and he eventually crumbled.

Clearly, the skill level was not that of an ordinary foot soldier. It was a thoroughly trained soldier. There were more Highserk bodies around than before. Walm’s eyes scanned the area, knowing the target was undoubtedly nearby.

“There’s a strange group on the left deep inside!!”

It was Jose who noticed. While the surrounding enemy soldiers struggled to push back or maintain their ground, this particular group was trying to escape from the opposite side of the hill to the open ground.

“Duwei Squad, stop them!!”

Gasping for breath, the exhausted platoon leader Kozul specifically named the squad to address the escaping group.

“Agh, don’t be so unreasonable!”

There were several groups attempting to descend the hill, and most of them were likely decoys trying to let the commander escape. However, the desperation of this particular group was noticeably different from the others.

“Reinus, Tibard, Danfan!”

Although squad leader Duwei mentioned the three idiots, the response from Tibard, the leader, was unusually serious.

“It’s impossible! The three of us are dealing with twice our number!!”

The squad is fully engaged in melee combat, but the distance between the enemy group and Walm’s team continues to widen.

“Persistent bastards.”

Squad leader Duwei, cuts down two enemies at once with his battle-axe, but that alone is not enough.

In the midst of a small group blocking their path, Walm focuses magical energy in his hands. A simple fireball won’t cut it. Armored soldiers, turned into undead impediments, would cause interference.

He needs to spread fire widely while maintaining its power. What Walm envisions is the whirlwind of fire that once burned down the capital in his homeland of the previous world.

He strongly recalls what he saw in books, on the internet, and on television. With a slight clench of his teeth, he embodies both fire and wind attributes in each of his hands.

Until now, he has never used more than one type of elemental magic simultaneously. Strangely, he senses that combining them is the optimal solution in this situation.

A scorching heat envelops Walms entire body, and countless gusts swirl around him

Not enough. Still not enough.

Saliva seems on the verge of dripping from his partially open mouth. As if it were natural, Walm exhibits a concentration unlike anything he has done before.

He objectively realizes that he was defenseless on the battlefield.

“Aah, kill that guy!”

The enemy commander, noticing the anomaly, points at Walm and shouts.

“Like hell I’ll let you!!”

Several soldiers become a suicide squad and charge at Walm, but Jose, Noor, and Barito block their path.

“Walm, do it!”

The emotionally charged plea comes from Willart, who shows no disturbance even after killing someone. As azure flames surge around Walm, they are scattered around by the wind.

“Going berserk. No, but this is…”

Willart, who was watching, raised a perplexed voice.

“Uh, what is that!?”

“My haair~ah hot, hot, Walm-san, I’m on your siiide~!!”

“Get away! You’ll get caught up in it!”

The surrounding comrades’ criticizing voices towards Walm immediately turned into cheers. Engulfed by fire and wind, five soldiers burst into flames at once. Fire and wind are one of the primitive fears for living beings.

The scorching flames seared his skin, the heat made him want to close his eyes, and the wind violently whipped his hair as well as the grass and trees.

For the first time, fear appeared on the Ferrius soldiers who were even brave in the face of cavalry and Duwei squad leader’s «Heavy Strike». Flames, as if eroding the ground Walm walked on, burned the earth, raising a swirl of sand and dust.

The force of the magic constantly scattered fireballs in the vicinity. The problem, however, was the severe fatigue that struck Walm. In addition to the unfamiliar magic, there was the exhaustion from before. Walm’s magical power was on the verge of being depleted.

“Not yet…”

The enemies who had escaped from the flames and wind had yet to be defeated. In his hazy field of view, Walm focused on the enemy, raising the halberd with trembling arms. With the entirety of his remaining strength and magical power, he unleashed a blow that burned through the enemy formation, cleaving it in half and scattering flames and wind.

“Ugh, ah, fire is on me—”

“Gyaaa, gaaahhhh!”

“Put it out, put the fire ooout~!!”

Even with the most reserved expression, the sight of dozens of people being engulfed in flames and perishing was hell. The stench of burning flesh lingered in Walm’s nostrils, and screams reverberated in his ears.

As if the lid of hell had been opened, the enemy’s will to fight finally broke.

Even the group attempting to escape was now surrounded by flames. Among the enemy soldiers who continued to resist and fight the fire, there was one individual who stood out.

Adorned with gold embroidery and armor crafted in a flamboyant manner, he appeared as if dressed for a ceremony. The sword in his hand had a luster different from both iron and silver, indicating to Walm at a glance that it was unmistakably made of magic silver or mithril.

“All that’s left is you, ….commander”

The momentum of the flames and wind, which had created hell, was rapidly diminishing.