What Do You Wish For With Murky Eyes: Record of Highserk War - Chapter 30

In a field hospital built on the battlefield, soldiers were constantly being carried in.

“We’re running out of ointment. Get the soldiers with free hands to help.”

“A broken leg? That can wait. Prioritize the seriously wounded.”

“Apply strong pressure. Even if the wound closes, they’ll die from lack of blood.”

The smell, a mixture of blood, pus, excrement, along with medical supplies and the scent of incense for odor control, emitted an unbearable stench. Ayane Sugimoto realized that the nature of the incoming wounded had changed. While Ayane had treated a variety of wounds from the battles, such as arrow wounds, contusions, and internal bleeding, the majority of patients brought in within the past hour had suffered severe burns from fire attribute magic.

Soldiers who had inhaled fire struggled to breathe due to burned upper airways. Without hesitation, Ayane applied her cleansed fingers to the mouth and throat, infusing magical power to assess the damage. Ayane knew from experience that treating areas not visible to the naked eye increased the difficulty of healing. One minute of continuous use of healing magic, and the soldier, whose skin had been scorched inside and out, showed progress in breathing.

“First aid is complete.”

Ideally, burns on limbs should also be treated, but there were too many soldiers in need of urgent care. In the field hospital, they had no choice but to proceed with surgeries while considering the remaining impairments and the areas necessary for prolonging life. With a reluctant feeling, Ayane moved on to the next patient. This soldier had severe burns on the lower half of the body.

“Ha. Ahh, it hurts, it hurts… Help me, I don’t want to die.”

Ayane grabbed the hand of the soldier who pleaded for mercy as if delirious.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

It seemed like Ayane was reassuring not only the patient but also herself.

Removing the shin guard and putting her hand on the pants, Ayane noticed that the skin was fused with them.

“Maia-san.”

When Ayane called out to Maia, her assistant, Maia skillfully removed the adhesion, tearing the clothes. The subcutaneous tissue was burned, and in some places, the skin was blistered white or black. As Ayane initially assessed, it was an extensive burn that would likely be classified as a third-degree burn.

Even in modern medicine, it would be a challenging injury to treat, but Ayane possesses recovery magic classified as top-tier. The repeated use of magical power distorts her vision, but other healing magicians have exhausted their magical reserves. If Ayane were to stop here, the soldiers seeking salvation wouldn’t even be able to see the night sky. Gritting her teeth and maintaining consciousness, Ayane continues to cast recovery magic. For Ayane, who lacks combat abilities like Yuuto and Makoto, the field hospital is her battlefield.

By the time the sun had set, the waves of patients finally ceased. Although injured from the daytime battles were still being brought in, there were no critically wounded. Nevertheless, Ayane couldn’t rejoice. She knew one of the reasons why critically wounded soldiers were not being brought in. Near the field hospital, soldiers who couldn’t be saved were laid out in rows. To avoid the transformation into monsters due to miasma, military priests were sprinkling holy water along with prayers. A soldier who had been lying in the rear called out to Ayane, standing still in her powerlessness.

“H-Healer-dono.”

It was one of the Craist soldiers Ayane had treated. Surprisingly, he had gotten up and lowered his head.

“You shouldn’t be up yet!”

Reaching out to Ayane, the soldier repeatedly uttered words.

“Thank you, th-thank you very much.”

Although there were many lives she couldn’t save, Ayane felt a bit relieved as the patient expressed gratitude with tears.

“The mask, the one with the mask, he’s an «Ignis Fatuus» user. When I felt the scorching wind on my skin, and saw the blue flames, I thought I was dead. I was lucky. Everyone around me… everyone…”

Ayane gently patted the soldier’s shoulders, who was sobbing, and then laid him down.

“Please drink plenty of water. You still need to rest.”

The soldier continued to mutter his thanks and soon fell asleep, breathing softly. Ayane remembered other patients expressing their fear of the «Ignis Fatuus» user. The “Beckoning Fire of the Underworld,” scattering death over a wide area, the mysterious enemy disguised among the regular soldiers, everyone feared him.

Not just the power, but Ayane was horrified at the thought of using that magic against people in war. She earnestly wished that the raging flames wouldn’t turn towards her childhood friends.

————

In a corner where the Craist Kingdom’s army set up its camp, key figures of the army were gathered. The entrance of a tent was tightly closed, and within the thoroughly cleared area, a heavy atmosphere prevailed. The military council was in disarray, with the cause being the fortress that the Craist Royal Army had been assigned to capture. Leading the discussion was Gran Rehauzen, the commander of the Rehauzen Knights, who had been summarizing the situation.

“As everyone knows, even if we capture the current bastion in front of us, the Highserk Empire still has several more, plus the normal defense structure, Sarajevo Fortress, remains.”

Upon Gran’s words, everyone began to take stock of the situation. Since the outbreak of hostilities, six out of the thirteen bastions that had been constructed had fallen into the hands of the Four Nations Alliance, but they had yet to reach the core outpost, and seven bastions remained untouched. Soldiers in the fallen layers did not show a stance of holding out, and after suffering a certain amount of damage, they moved to the rear bastions to continue resistance. The more they attacked, the more the enemy forces increased. With intense troop losses and without the support of the Three Heroes, including Ayane, some units were on the verge of dysfunction due to the increasing number of casualties.

“Still, our Craist army managed to capture two bastions, putting us ahead of the rest of the alliance. However, that was until yesterday.”

Gran paused his words and continued the discussion.

“You know the results of our infantry, who were densely packed up near the enemy when trying to break through. We suffered 102 casualties, 117 with serious or minor injuries, and two 100-man units vanished from the records. This tragedy was caused by just one soldier.”

The thousand-man commander and the knights who commanded the two units all wore a simultaneously bitter expression as if they had just bitten into a bitter insect.

“The skill believed to be used was «Ignis Fatuus». In terms of sheer destructive power, Yuuto and Makoto might be more powerful. The issue lies in its duration and range. Let’s hear the story from a surviving unit leader at the front lines.”

All eyes turned towards the unit leader who appeared at the edge of the tent. His appearance was severely injured due to burns.

“…This is too much. Wouldn’t it have been better to compile a report, rather than drag an injured man to a military council?”

Johanna, a knight belonging to the Rehauzen Knights, frowned, her well-shaped eyebrows furrowed. Despite being an excellent subordinate, Gran knew that Johanna still retained some softness, for better or worse. Gran was about to respond, but the unit leader interrupted him.

“Even if I can’t move my limbs, I can still move my mouth without any problem. Besides, I requested the commander to allow me to be here. I apologize for burdening Lady Johanna unnecessarily.”

Feeling the strong will of the soldier, Johanna acknowledged her own fault sincerely.

“No, it was my carelessness. Please continue.”

“The order for a simultaneous assault was given, and my unit was in the fourth row rushing up the earthen embankment. The moment the front-row soldiers tried to jump onto the warrior’s run of the wall, someone shouted. That there’s a «Ignis Fatuus» user present—”

The unit leader took a breath and continued with a sigh.

“I had the opportunity to talk with the company commander of the neighboring Liberitoa Infantry, and at that time, I heard about the «Ignis Fatuus». I thought it might be some exaggerated story or a battlefield rumor, but most of that squad had burn injuries, so to a certain extent, I believed that story. That judgment made the difference between life and death.”

As if enduring something, the unit leader continued speaking.

“The soldiers within 5 meters who charged in first disappeared in blue flames without a chance to scream. All of them were instant deaths. Among those within 10 meters, anyone without magical defense membranes and body reinforcement were burned by the flames. Even my unit, which was 15 meters away, was engulfed by the fire, and there were individuals who suffered instant burns. Within 20 meters, there would have been some impact from the flames.”

Those participating in the military council were well-versed in magical attacks. They speculated that the power and range were comparable to advanced fire attribute magic like «Firestorm».

“When facing magical attacks in training, it’s common to take cover behind obstacles or lie flat on the ground. However, for «Ignis Fatuus», it’s different. There’s no choice but to run. Even behind obstacles like the trenches, flames and scorching wind penetrated still. The top of the communication trench literally turned into a crematorium. The intermittent blue flames and scorching wind continued to blow. Without magical power at the knight level, it’s impossible to approach. Only one knight survived in the first and second rows.”

Johanna was aware that knights from the knight order had been killed or injured. When she went to visit, she was left speechless by the gruesome scars. However, hearing it directly brought a different kind of information.

“Before seeking guidance from my superiors, I made the decision to fully evacuate the unit. Still, half of them suffered burns. …I used to make fun of it as a fairy tale when I was a child, but the ‘Ceremonial Bonfire to the Underworld’ is undoubtedly based on true stories.”

The inside of the tent was enveloped in a heavy silence.

“To think that it happened at the bastion assigned to our army.”

One of the thousand-man commanders spoke with annoyance.

“It’s useless to push with infantry numbers alone. We need to surround and defeat them with long-range or knight-class magical power.”

Up until then, Gran, who had been contemplating, solemnly spoke.

“The problem is how to draw them out.”

“According to the information gathered from interrogating the Liberitoa soldiers, he usually blends in with the common soldiers. Sniping or area attacks may not be effective.”

The thousand-man commander, who had compiled lessons learned from friendly forces, responded to Gran.

“In that case, we might need to intentionally create a protruding section to lure them out.”

“…Let me handle it with my unit.”

The one who volunteered was Johanna. Gran hesitated. He already knew the characteristics of his subordinates. Johanna’s abundant magical power allowed her to enhance physical abilities and form a robust magical membrane. She was well-suited for this mission, but Gran couldn’t deny that she had a tendency to be overly concerned about her subordinates.

“I’ll allow it. Just wait until the target is exposed, and discard personal feelings. If you fail, the damage will escalate. Understand?”

“Yes. I will make sure to succeed.”

Johanna’s determined eyes are fixed on Gran.

“Yuuto, Makoto, you will launch a decisive strike from a distance along with the other magic soldiers. Despite being inexperienced soldiers, it’s a significant task. Make it through.”

Gran understood that it was harsh for Yuuto and Makoto, who were young and had lived a life untouched by warfare. However, on the battlefield, anything and anyone capable had to be utilized.

“…Understood.”

The two responded heavily, and Gran shifted his gaze away from them.