What Do You Wish For With Murky Eyes: Record of Highserk War - Chapter 47

Justan, the leader of a group of ten soldiers from Ferrius, continued tying boards with rough ropes, lost in thought.

Among the northern countries, the Kingdom of Ferrius was a powerful nation, inheriting half of the territory of the former Kingdom of Kanoa and having the Myard Principality under its umbrella. It should have been a country with enough power to aspire to hegemony. However, that dream was shattered in the decisive battle of Aidenburg against the Highserk Empire, where the head of the field army, including Prince Winston Ferrius, the younger brother of King Ferrius, was completely lost.

Afterwards, gathering the Four Nations Alliance, they pushed back the Highserk Imperial Army, but suffered a major defeat at the Sarajevo Fortress. On top of that, a large-scale outbreak occurred from the greater demon territory, reaching into Ferrius territory. Now, over a hundred thousand monsters, far exceeding expectations, were attacking the core of the country, the royal castle. The fall of the castle was only a matter of time.

Justan was one of the guards supporting the security of the royal castle. He had confidence backed by practical experience and a patriotic love for the country. That’s why he realized that the situation was heading towards its end.

Orders to defend to the death and engage in thorough resistance were repeated, with no sensible orders coming down. The king, who should boost morale for the sake of the country, hadn’t shown himself to the people or the legions since the major outbreak. Justan had been prepared to sacrifice his life for the country. However, knowing that the country was coming to an end, his determination wavered. Despite the understanding that the country was finished, Justan, tormented by conflicting emotions, decided to take action. Evacuation by land was already blocked.

Cities were often built near rivers, and the capital was no exception. The royal capital had a vast canal connecting to Lake Celta, allowing the operation of large ships. There was no other option. The problem was that most riverboats for transporting goods were already departing, and there were no boats like barges or fishing boats left in the capital. Justan aimed for one of the concealed communication ferryboats known only to the guards.

Food supplies were stored, and the capacity exceeded 30. There was appropriate security at the disguised dock, made to look like a pier and fisherman’s hut. However, with Justan’s arrangements, they became comrades ready to escape together. Those who hesitated were given the choice to either escape together or face death. Fortunately, no one resorted to violence, which was also lucky for Justan.

“Sorry for the wait!”

One of his subordinates rushed into the hut, panting. He was supposed to have left to pick up his wife, two children, and parents who were staying away from home, but Justan noticed that the number of people was insufficient.

“What about your parents?”

“They were attacked by werewolves…”

“I see… That’s unfortunate. Were the monsters already inside the city?”

“We were too slow to evacuate. The city walls were completely breached, and monsters are breaking down the doors of houses.”

Even now, the howls of monsters and the screams of citizens were mixed together, and chaos was approaching the dock.

Gathered were soldiers, their families, and neighbors. Unable to accommodate everyone, they dismantled the planks of the pier and abandoned houses, constructing makeshift rafts. While there were concerns about their strength, Justan knew the urgency of setting sail.

It wasn’t just the monsters. In times of emergency, people would do anything to survive. Even Justan, who had pledged loyalty to the nation, found himself acting accordingly.

“Get the raft afloat. We’re leaving immediately.”

Despite being a poorly made raft, it rose to the water’s surface carrying both cargo and people. The disguised ferryboat discarded its camouflage and leaped into the canal.

The raft, tied with ropes, was towed away from the shore, leaving the land route behind. In just a few minutes, the ferryboat caught the eyes of the people.

“A ship! There’s a ship!”

“Hey, take us with you!”

“Wait, please!”

“There are children. We have children!”

The opposite shore was filled with desperate people seeking salvation, swelling to several times the intended capacity. It wasn’t hard to imagine what would happen if they approached the shore. Everyone averted their gaze, silent and speechless.

“…Maintain this course, head straight for Lake Celta.”

He gave a clear order. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. The one who proposed abandoning the citizens they should protect and fleeing was Justan.

What drew near due to the people’s cries was not a miracle but rather destruction. The monsters, joyously welcoming fresh prey, began a massacre.

Sobs, screams, shrieks—the ones pushed into the canal tried to swim across, but they succumbed and sank.

A few minutes later, the sounds from the ferryboat were reduced to nothing but sobbing from inside. On the opposite shore, the sounds had ceased.

Whether it was due to the distance or the absence of those who made sounds, Justan couldn’t tell.

————-

“Damn it, hold it back, hold it baaack! The door’s about to give way!”

“Ugh, uughh!!”

The sound of the door being battered reverberated in the room. Seeing the commoners gathered seeking refuge, King Ferrius couldn’t grasp the reality with a sense of urgency.

He knew it rationally. There had been opportunities to hear about the dangers of the demon territory directly from legends and eyewitnesses. He had even thoroughly read the history books of the country that had perished in the past.

Even so, he had naively underestimated the risk of a major outbreak, prioritizing revenge against the hated Highserk Empire, which had killed his brother and trampled their homeland.

As a king, he might not even be second-rate; prioritizing personal grudges, he might be recorded as a foolish and dull king who destroyed the country. Then he suddenly realized. Even if it were recorded, it wouldn’t be in the history books of Ferrius, but undoubtedly in the timelines and books of other countries—

“No, I don’t want that. I don’t want to be eaten by monsters!!”

A grown man lost his composure, covering his ears. A girl under the age of 10 cried hoarsely.

“Maybe I haven’t really seen the people. The numbers reported in the documents were so horrifying…”

Always leaving the battlefield to his younger brother, even when he briefly went to the front lines, he only watched the battles from a distance at the headquarters.

He was never fit to be a king in the first place. If his younger brother had been born first, the fate of the country might have been different.

A baby cries out for its mother, and a wounded soldier sobs. This is the end of a country destroyed not by humans but by monsters.

“Ohh, ohh, the door is breaking, it’s breaking!!”

“Anyone, help! Push them back!”

The battered door reached its limit, bending inward before being blown away.

“All hail Ferrius!!”

A few remaining guards leaped into the sea of monsters, swinging their swords with all their might, but it only delayed the invasion by a bit.

Jaws open wide, and claws extended, the hungry monsters poured into the room.

“Let go, nooo, noooo~ aaagh!!! Gah..aa..-!”

Limbs torn apart, torsos crushed, beloved citizens trampled upon. Even in the battlefield, massacres happen. Yet, there is no thorough annihilation, including women and children.

Bringing monsters into human wars was a mistake. The body of King Ferrius, with an expression of remorse, is covered in shadows. There is a warm sensation and a stench in his hands. It’s the ghoul of a fallen guardsman.

“H- oh? Ohh the Kinngg!”

In this short period, he turned into a monster. Ah, this is no longer the Kingdom of Ferrius; it has become a demonic territory.

King Ferrius lacks the strength to even draw the shortsword at his waist, and none of the guardsmen who were present before are left. Only the former guardsmen, now turned into monsters, remain.

He had heard stories of skeletons remaining loyal even after death, but the ghoul before his eyes is different. Well, that’s only natural. King Ferrius scoffs at himself, acknowledging that there is no value in loyalty even after death.

Amidst approaching death, there is no one to witness the final moments of King Ferrius. Blood and spittle mix, splattering on his face.

“I’ll be waiting ahead. Highseeerk!”

As the jaws of the monster loom before him, the words he shouted were not about family or country but cursed words. In that moment of self-mockery, realizing he was truly a rotten human, King Ferrius’s vision darkened with unbearable pain.