What Do You Wish For With Murky Eyes: Record of Highserk War - Chapter 6

The Highserk Empire army, having departed from the city of Sarria, divided into three main forces. This strategic move was necessary as they couldn’t deploy a large army at once to the forts positioned along the border. All three routes leading to the Myard territory were designated as targets for capture. Walm’s unit was assigned the task of capturing one of the forts that blocked the main road.

It seems Myard is planning to wait for reinforcements from the main Ferrius Kingdom. Meanwhile, another squad was given the mission to reduce the number of Myard forces by capturing various support castles before the arrival of Ferrius reinforcements.

The looming fortress ahead was a mountain castle guarding the border. The mountainous passage was blocked by castle gates and walls, with forts constructed on both sides of the mountains. According to reconnaissance, it was said that 3,000 soldiers were defending the mountain castle. The massive walls were visible from the defensive positions set up outside the range of bows and magic. The height would be around 3 meters, and the width about 6 to 7 meters.

Siege warfare could be broadly categorized into short-term or long-term battles. This time, Walm anticipated a short-term battle due to the forced march of troops influenced by the number of personnel. The Sarria Battalion would be in charge of the castle gate, and the Liguria Battalion, to which Walm’s Duwei squad belonged, was assigned the left castle wall.

“Walm, Jose, hold the shield stands. Make good use of the newcomers, Noor and Barito, who came as reinforcements. Willart, shoot fire magic at the guys on the castle wall, and the rest of you, proceed as usual.”

The Duwei squad leader energetically struck the shield stand, large enough for two people to hide behind. Walm had relied on this type of equipment during fortress assaults before. In a world where there was a significant variation in individual firepower due to magic and skills, these stands were essential for closing in. Similar to ammunition, magical power was finite—strengthening defenses and forcing futile shots from a distance were effective tactics.

Objects of the same specifications as the shield stands were brought in from the cargo bed of a horse-drawn carriage. Additionally, bundles of bamboo tied together were prepared. When Walm lifted one to test, it felt significantly heavier in his hands than he had imagined. The weight was attributed to the mechanism revealed by peering into the bamboo joints. They were hollowed out to fill with soil. In the past world, bamboo bundles were widely used, and they even withstood bullets from matchlock guns that could penetrate armor.

“All right, let’s gather.”

At Jose’s call, the new recruits hurriedly ran over. Walm was familiar with pairing up with Jose, but it was the first time with this group of four, including the new recruits.

Although their faces weren’t trembling, the male and female new recruits both looked pale, especially the boy with a crest-like hair who seemed like he might throw up any moment. The girl’s face was awkward but somehow managed to contain her expression. Jose, who had grinned, suddenly grabbed his crotch.

“Whoa, what are you doing?”

Despite Barito’s protest, Jose showed no signs of remorse. Walm chuckled with a look of exasperation.

“Hey, hey, it’s shrinking, you know?”

It seems that Jose checked on his son “Stick” to see how he was doing and confirmed that he was extremely tense. Jose then turns his attention to Noor.

“I-I’m fine. Besides, there’s nothing there to begin with.”

Jose, having been rejected, looked a bit sad. In the first place, touching would be outright sexual harassment. Even Walm, with his rough demeanor, would prevent such behavior.

“Same as you, this is my first real siege. But this time, I’ve made thorough preparations. Also, although we’re being sent to the front lines, think of it as a strategic move. The squad leader’s orders from above were to fill in the dry moat and reduce the height of the castle walls. So, don’t worry; it won’t suddenly turn into close-quarters combat.”

At Jose’s words, the two men exchanged glances. Their complexion seemed to have improved a little. The plan was to fill the dry moat, raise the ground level up to the castle walls using soil, and quickly take down the mountain castle using ladders. While it was a task that would take a long time if done manually, in this world, unlike Walm’s former world, there was magic, a convenient tool for quickly conducting siege warfare.

“And if the enemy comes, Walm here will cut them down. He may look like he’d be at home in some village, but he’s a pro at close-quarters combat, having killed dozens of people. And all the equipment he’s wearing is from those he killed.”

Jose cheerfully patted Walm’s shoulder. When he turned his gaze toward the two, their expressions tightened, and they distanced themselves. It was as if they had just discovered that their seemingly harmless neighbor was a serial killer psychopath.

“Don’t make me sound like some bloodthirsty warrior. It can’t be helped. I didn’t have any decent equipment as a conscript. Besides, all the owners were gone, and none of them protested.”

Ironically, Walm, thrown into war, had better attire and more money than when he was struggling in poverty in the countryside. Walm understood why third or fourth sons from impoverished rural areas would eagerly go to the battlefield, dreaming of making a fortune. However, reality was far from easy. Initially boastful, many ended up exposing their insides and calling for their mothers, or being killed when they couldn’t pierce the enemy.

In his previous life, Walm had lived a cultured life and learned about human rights, so it was ironic that he had gone through the ritual and adapted to it, whether it was good or bad.

“Is your refined social gathering finished? It’s time. Let’s go.”

Before Squad Leader Duwei finished speaking, a lively trumpet sounded.

“Looks like it’s starting. Brace yourselves and move forward.”

Following the trumpet, drums resounded from behind—a signal to advance. They lifted the shields with both hands and moved forward. Following behind were soldiers carrying straw bags used for items such as millet and salt. The bags were filled with soil.

The sturdy reinforced shields were terribly heavy, and Walm’s entire body rejected them, but he couldn’t let go. After progressing about 200 meters, Walm knew the value of holding onto them. The first attacks were arrows. Arrows were shot one after another in an arc to extend the range. Due to individual differences in strength and skill, the hits were sporadic, but as they got closer, accuracy increased.

“Ugh—”

A clearly different arrow with a faint light streak came straight toward them. A soldier from the adjacent squad, belonging to the next line, let out a short moan and collapsed.

“Don’t expose your vital points. Be cautious; there’s someone with the skill «Strong Bow».”

The experienced squad leader shouted. It was a ‘Skill’ that individuals reached at the end of their natural talents and training. It was discovered that there were people who possessed power surpassing magic and human understanding. Walm reluctantly prepared himself.

Arrows stuck into shoulders and upper arms, and soldiers cursed. It was still mild. Based on his combat experience so far, Walm clenched his teeth, realizing that this was the welcome party from cheerful archers, and the real deal, involving other types of soldiers, was yet to come. Indeed, within minutes, magical embodiments, such as fireballs, ice spears, and earth cannonballs, surged one after another.

“They’re coming!!”

After Jose raised a word of caution, a few seconds later, a water projectile hit the shield directly. The impact attacked the hand that was supporting it. Walm scolded the new recruit, Noor, who almost dropped the shield involuntarily.

“Don’t drop the shield even if your arm gets cut off! It’s better than dying!”

Chilled water scattered around, washing away the sweat-soaked armor. It was quite a refreshing feeling.

“How kind. It seems they’re treating us to some water play as a welcome gesture.”

Walm’s bravado seemed to have a decent reception; laughter leaked from the gaps in his clenched teeth, eliciting laughter from the Three Idiots and surrounding soldiers. New recruits Noor and Barito also smiled faintly. The shields were noisy, and the sound never stopped. Arrows, stones, magic and even excrement were thrown at them. Walm was indignant at how filthy these people were.

The distance was closing in, and they could see the faces of the opponents. They weren’t Highserk soldiers if they took hits without retaliating. They shot back arrows and magic through the gaps in their shields. Walm rejoiced when a soldier engulfed in a fireball danced off the wall.

“Nice one, Willart!”

Walm praised Willart, the magic user who cast the fireball, and he responded with a smile, not uttering a word. It was likely he destroyed a significant firing point. Attacks concentrated around Willart.

“Damn you!”

The furious squad leader threw a fist-sized stone at the face of an archer, causing them to collapse.

“Wait there, you fools!! I’ll rip out all your guts and stuff you with filth!”

When Squad Leader Duwei roared, the effect was outstanding. Attacks concentrated on the squad leader, as if seeking revenge against a personal enemy.

“Now’s the time. Hurry up and fill it in.”

Despite the onslaught of attacks, the squad leader issued orders unfazed. Though usually rough and straightforward, he proved to be sharp-minded when it came to warfare. With earth magic, the trench was filled, and the wall was halfway filled. Those who had fixed the shields to the ground, received the straw bags like a bucket brigade and poured them into the trench. Another squad, seemingly with an earth attribute user, scraped soil from under the wall and filled in the trench.

The enemies were desperate not to let the defensive net break. Two fireballs jumped in through the gaps in the shields and engulfed soldiers two positions away. Blood and flesh were scattered around due to the explosion, and the soldiers rolled on the ground, covered in flames.

Friendly soldiers covered them with soil to extinguish the fire, but arrows and stones concentrated on the defenseless hole. “Do what people hate to do willingly” – a truth on the battlefield, a saying that Walm’s history teacher in the previous world often reminded him of. A throwing soldier was visible through the shield’s gap. It seemed like they were targeting Noor, who was working covered in soil and sweat. A thrown rock aimed precisely at Noor.

“Wow, huh!?”

Instinctively grabbing the back of the neck and pulling it backward, the rock passed through the spot where the head had been just a moment ago.

“T-Thank you very much.”

Wide-eyed, Noor returned a thanks. Walm, with a modest reply, issued a caution.

“Don’t worry about it. Focus less on your feet. The enemy is above.”

Noor nodded repeatedly. Walm, by chance, took care of Noor, while his usual partner Jose looked after Barito. Leaving everything to the capable Jose, Barito would be safe. Walm paid attention not to let his first junior be killed.

The work continued tirelessly, and after two hours since the start of the battle, the trench was filled, and the wall was a third filled. The squad was exhausted. Squad Leader Duwei was about the only one full of energy. Walm suspected he might have some skill others didn’t.

“They’re coming. It’s an assault team.”

The squad leader muttered. Walm turned his gaze to the edge of his vision, and a new battalion was approaching from behind. Unlike the other battalions, it was a unit that had been conserved.

“It’s the infantry battalion from the city of Sarria.”

Jose, squinting his eyes, identified the battalion.

“To send an assault team against former compatriots, Commander Berger is playing dirty tricks.”

The surrounding soldiers agreed.

“The wall isn’t fully filled yet, are they planning to set up ladders?” Noor raised a question. Before Walm could answer, the response was promptly demonstrated. A group covered entirely in armor leaped into the base of the wall.

“They’ve infiltrated directly below!”

The soldiers on the wall’s walkway desperately raised their voices to warn the surroundings, but it was already too late. Due their group’s earth attribute magic, soil was piled up to the height of the wall, and the Sarria Infantry Battalion began to invade using it as a foothold. Furthermore, due to tunnel warfare, the adjacent wall collapsed over a span of dozens of meters due to the underground space created by the earth attribute magic. It was a typical gold-mining attack using earth attribute magic. Walm inwardly admired. What was praiseworthy was their efficiency.

“Deal a decisive blow to the traitors. The first squad to spearhead the attack will receive a reward from Commander Berger.”

In response to the voice of the Sarria battalion commander, the Sarria battalion showed an onslaught like demons. The squad that spearheaded the attack impaled the defending soldiers on the wall walkway with spears and threw them down from the top of the wall. They weren’t the kind of defenders who would be defeated easily. Although more than half of the first squad that rushed in was killed, the influx of reinforcements did not stop. A messenger soldier ran into Walm and the others who continued their work.

“Orders from Liguria Battalion Commander. Don’t fall behind the Sarria Battalion. Launch a general attack and breach the wall.”

Walm agreed; now was an excellent opportunity with the defenders swarming.

“All units, charge!”

When the Liguria Battalion Commander’s voice roared across the battlefield, it signaled a simultaneous assault. Lifting ladders hidden in the shadows of the soldiers, they rushed up to the wall simultaneously. Despite the enemy’s counterattack, even without magic, the frontline was weak.

“Noor, get behind my back.”

With a round shield slung on his back, Walm ran in. A high-pitched sound accompanied the impact on the shield. Not only arrows but also stones hit it. Something hard hit the shin guard, but it was impossible to identify. Soldiers climbed the ladders they had set up, but they fell victim to the spears thrusting from the ramparts. Another ladder was removed from the wall, causing climbing soldiers to fall.

Spotting a ladder still intact, Walm climbed. A soldier with his foot on the ladder in front of Walm was stabbed in the side by an arrow shot from the side, and fell to the ground in agony. The enemy archer tried to aim an arrow at Walm, the next target, but an ice spear pierced his face, and he fell sprawled onto rampart walkway.

“Willart!”

The identity of the support is understood. It can only be Willart. Climbing the ladder without using his hands, Walm ascended while expressing gratitude to his silent and hairless companion. Distracted by the impact of magic, there was no interference from surrounding soldiers as he descended onto the rampart walkway. Walm instantaneously thrust his longsword into the neck of the soldier in front of him. The soldier, taken aback had stiffened, and the hole pierced in his neck proved to be a fatal wound.

The surrounding soldiers had not yet reacted. Continuing swiftly, Walm swung his longsword in a sweeping motion, severing the head along with the armor. Walm, unusually elated by the sharpness of his sword, dispatched two individuals without any blade dulling. Now facing a soldier who finally noticed the intrusion, Walm prepared for confrontation.

“They’re climbing up!”

The soldier, urging caution to his comrades, came at Walm. This type of opponent often proved to be seasoned fighters. Walm deflected the initial strike with his longsword, but the opponent continued with a thrust. Adjusting to the enemy’s advance on the fourth thrust, Walm closed the distance.

While deflecting the thrust with his round shield, Walm delivered a powerful blow to the wrist with a shield bash. Although the opponent skillfully held onto the sword, Walm’s right arm, hidden behind the round shield, had already completed its movement. The longsword thrust from a low stance at close range entered through the eye, shattered the skull, and scattered brain matter.

Walm averted his gaze and sought the next enemy. Some allies had climbed up the ladder. Among them was none other than Noor. Engaged in a desperate duel with an approaching soldier, Noor, inexperienced and exploited through the gaps in her armor, was bleeding from one arm.

“Senpai!”

Noor’s voice, on the verge of tears, reached Walm’s ears. The opponent was formidable—a soldier, or rather, a knight, completely encased in armor. Having already dispatched two Highserk soldiers on the rampart walkway, the knight would likely add Noor to the tally within seconds.

“Only able to handle new recruits and small fry.”

Walm hastily turned around and threw the round shield at the knight. The knight deflected it with his halberd as they faced each other.

“You troublesome brute of the Highserk!! You won’t tread on the land of Myard!”

The knight rushed in at once, thrusting foward his round shield. There was limited space on the rampart walkway. Though Walm threw the round shield to save Noor, it proved to be a painful decision. Gritting his teeth, Walm prepared himself, unabated, absorbing the impact with his forearm and shoulder.

Unconsciously, Walm’s face distorted from the impact, exceeding his expectations. His left arm stung, but it didn’t hinder his movements. The halberd approached from the side. He parried and repelled it with the longsword, creating a high-pitched metallic sound. He managed to deflect the first strike, but there was no time to rest. The attacks came in quick succession, with the round shield closing in on Walm once again.

Changing his stance and shifting his weight to the left, Walm evaded the round shield and circled around. The knight followed suit, bringing down the halberd. Although Walm lacked his round shield, gripping the longsword with both hands gave him an advantage in terms of sword pressure.

As he pushed in the halberd and delivered a strike during the withdrawal, it only resulted in a fresh mark on the shoulder armor. Enemy soldiers, including Highserk troops like Noor, were being attacked by the gathering enemy soldiers. Unconsciously, Walm looked around for the squad leader. As a result, due to standing out too much initially, when attempting to climb the ladder, he faced intense interference. Normally, formidable enemies like this would be the squad leader’s dance partners. Despite lamenting his misfortune, Walm couldn’t abandon his junior.

As the enemy’s armor sustained more damage, Walm’s own armor began to show signs of wear. Due to the thinner defenses in the joint areas compared to the enemy knight, he was at a disadvantage. He delivered a strike to the torso in passing, but against the armor, he couldn’t inflict damage to the vital areas. Blood spilled from a graze by the halberd.

If his eyelids or forehead had been damaged, obstructing his vision, he would have been in a tight spot. Walm’s lips became terribly dry. Forgetting to blink, he predicted the enemy’s movements. The enemy’s armor sustained more damage once again. The halberd hooked onto him, gouging out a portion of his shoulder.

“Its futile. Miscreant!!”

The knight shouted, but the wounds to the torso were deeper than before. Something was different from usual. Despite being in a disadvantageous situation and cornered, the arm bleeding profusely swung the sword with ease. Something felt like it was falling into place. Unnecessary movements fell away replaced with the sensation of flowing efficiently. The longsword, swung sideways at the last moment, hit the knight’s shin guard. Part of the armor was severed. The knight, perhaps sensing this, yelled at Walm in a burst of anger.

“Enough of this, just die!!”

The clash of the guard in the middle and upper positions was evenly matched. Taking advantage of the recoil from the clash, Walm bounced backward. The distance increased after the clash. Although he had the longsword in the upper position, it felt insufficient. Walm assumed a stance he had never used in either real combat or training. Raising his arms, he reached a position above his head. The upper stance had a large opening and was not suitable for chaotic skirmishes.

“Don’t underestimate me. Do you think such empty threats will work on me?”

As expected, the knight thrust the round shield forward and stepped in. Although the field of vision showed a chaotic scene, he focused on what needed to be seen and stepped in at the necessary distance. From the days when he was sent to the battlefield from a farmer’s life, swinging a sword felt different, as if it followed a familiar trajectory. The sword faintly gleamed, and Walm could feel magic flowing from his hand gripping the hilt. If he missed this strike, he would likely receive a fatal counter. Yet, Walm didn’t see such risks. He just wanted to surrender to this sensation. Perhaps, for the first time on the battlefield, he genuinely smiled.

The descending blow shattered the round shield and severed the knight’s shoulder from the collar. Time seemed to stop. More accurately, it felt like it was flowing slowly. The knight dropped the halberd and muttered with a trembling voice.

“H…«Heavy Strike», w-why… Why does a mere soldier, why am I…caught—”

The knight couldn’t finish speaking and collapsed into the blood pool on the wall walkway.

“T-the captain!?”

“Lord Elmer has fallen in battle!”

The knight must have been in charge of the surrounding rampart, and caused an extraordinary disturbance among the nearby soldiers. Adding to the shock was the fact that the squad leader had successfully ascended the wall. Each swing of Captain Duwei’s sword literally sent enemy limbs flying.

“We’ve secured the entry point!! Listen up, don’t let your guard down! Annihilate every enemy on the wall, leave none behind!”

Even other squad leaders responded to Captain Duwei. A distance away from the rampart, Squad Leader Kozul could be seen jubilant about the capture of the breach. Although Walm wondered why Captain Duwei hadn’t been promoted to squad leader, it was not the time to dwell on that. Walm picked up his round shield and helped Noor up. Walm checked on her injuries; wounds on the side and arm, but not too deep.

“Be mindful of the bleeding. It’s still a critical moment.”

“Yes, Walm-san!”

While the tide had turned in favor of the Highserk Empire, there were still many soldiers attempting to recapture the wall. Walm swung his sword against any enemy soldiers he noticed, slashing through their armor and bodies just as he did before. Walm was stepping into the realm of a power beyond human comprehension.

Although he didn’t enjoy killing, Walm couldn’t help but test how far the power he acquired could reach. The enemy’s round shields and armor couldn’t withstand the «Heavy Strike». The ordinary longsword transformed into a massive battle axe with a single blow. Walm had completely mastered the «Heavy Strike».

Before he knew it, he had reached the staircase of the rampart wall. It wasn’t just Walm’s individual strength. Jose, who had somehow come up behind Walm, skillfully provided support with his spear. At the same time, Walm realized that the intense focus he had maintained had finally worn off. His body felt extremely fatigued, and it seemed that the excessive use of «Heavy Strike» and unfamiliar magic had depleted his magical power.

The enemy soldiers attempting to defend the staircase were only engaging in feints and intimidation, not attempting to close the distance. Walm estimated that there were still more than ten of them. Just as he was preparing himself to step forward, a reassuring voice echoed from behind.

“Walm!! So you’ve acquired the «Heavy Strike» skill; impressive. Take a break for now. I’ll handle the rest.”

Appearing was Squad Leader Duwei, bathed in the blood of foes without a single opening on his body. Ah, even an amateur could understand that appearance; Walm relaxed. Duwei was undoubtedly the kind of person who should never be encountered on the battlefield as an enemy. When the squad leader shouted, the enemy soldiers, raising voices that sounded like screams, charged at him. With a single swing, two human figures disappeared from the rampart. It was a power that didn’t seem like the same “Skill” as Walm’s. Enemy soldiers who attempted to hide behind shields and halt the advance were kicked and fell from the wall to the ground, blooming blood flowers upon impact.

“Agh! A-ahhh——”

“Damn it!! Why is there a guy like this?!!”

“Don’t be afraid! Don’t flinch!”

The staircase was becoming filled with corpses. A desperate soldier who became agitated encountered Squad Leader Duwei’s helmet-splitting attack, exposing an unimaginable cross-section and the remaining enemy soldiers turned their backs and fled.

“I can’t do this!!”

“Damn it, an ogre would be better than this!”

Reinforcements from the central and left walls were pouring onto the rampart walkway one after another. The momentum showed no signs of stopping. Walm was convinced that the battle had been decided.

“Gather the troops. The critical moment has passed, but we’re moving before losing our share!!”

The rallying cry sounded like something from a bandit leader. Led by Squad Leader Duwei, they proceeded to conquer the buildings within the rampart walls. The resistance was minimal. The remaining enemy soldiers either holed up in the left and right forts or were in full retreat.

As the gate inside opened from within, more than twice the number of soldiers poured in, and the conclusion was reached. Some of the cornered enemy soldiers showed a stance of thorough resistance, but they were all killed in a short time. The besieged fort surrendered within a short period.

The battle that began in the morning concluded before the sun set. However, it was still just a border skirmish. Walm’s job was far from over. They chased the retreating units, and the cavalry, which had been preserved, galloped away from the fort. There was no doubt that the pursuit would result in the capture or defeat of many enemy soldiers.