Shadowed Gaze: The Highserk War Saga - Chapter 16

Even after the enemy’s main force was annihilated and 3,000 Felius soldiers encircled and surrendered, the battle continued. Exhausted units were disarming prisoners and converting the captured hills into temporary headquarters. The remaining units, boasting swift cavalry battalions and light infantry battalions, were fiercely pursuing the retreating remnants of the Felius forces.

Despite losing their commander, Winston Felius, and five battalions being destroyed, two battalions of Felius remained intact. Letting them escape unharmed could impact future diplomatic relations.

Under such circumstances, the Reglia light infantry battalion was ordered not only to maintain the hill but also to engage in a battle of annihilation at Mayard’s capital, Aidenberg. Felius and Mayard soldiers who couldn’t reunite with the main force had gone undercover in the city, disguising themselves as civilians.

Aidenberg, which had focused its defenses on the border region, lacked significant defense facilities. This was one of the reasons why the Felius-Mayard alliance chose to fight in the plains. Outside the city, rivers flowed, and entry into the city was only possible from the plains.

To enter from the river, one would need to cross by boat or one of the only two bridges. These strategically important bridges were key points, and functioned as defense points. Even now, with the victory of the Highserk Empire assured, defense forces continued to resist. Fortunately, the weak resistance was quickly suppressed, but one of the two bridges was destroyed by Felius.

The Reglia battalion had several priorities. The first was securing the food storage locations. Mayard, a fertile granary region, actively exported grains to neighboring countries, and Aidenberg was a trade center, so it had numerous grain silos and feed storages supporting the army.

The second priority was capturing, protecting, and killing powerful figures. Simply killing all those who were hostile wouldn’t ensure successful governance. Walm had been taught in the military that for an efficient annexation to Highserk Empire, a certain number of Mayard’s influential figures were necessary.

Key positions were to be granted to the lords and nobles who had colluded in advance, but the remaining seats of power and rulership would be offered to influential figures to demonstrate a compassionate approach. It was a tactic of both rewards and punishments, and using this method, the Highserk Empire had managed to unify a region called “The Crucible of Chaos” where numerous small regions were fighting for dominance.

The third priority was maintaining public order. There were many demoralized and defeated soldiers within the city who had become reckless, engaging in looting and assaults while hiding. In addition, some soldiers were disregarding military discipline and engaging in acts of plunder.

Compared to Walm’s original world, this world was more tolerant of looting and raping, but the Highserk Empire suppressed these in key locations. Planning to replace only the top officials and utilize the land and people as is, excessive violence would pose future obstacles for the empire.

Of course, there were individuals who were not protected for the sake of venting the soldiers’ frustrations. Among them were influential figures who had fallen from their positions.

Even the late Yuse Mayard, who had been a prominent noble of the old Canoa and became the ruler of Mayard, was one of those targets. His elegant mansion, which must have had a history spanning several centuries, had been ransacked by numerous soldiers.

“What are these people, Mayard soldiers?”

Nohl was looking at the piled-up bodies.

“To soldiers who lost their country, this place was just a treasure house without a guard dog.”

Jose glanced at the bodies, then quickly looked at the mansion.

“Even those with power and wealth fall in an instant.”

Perhaps it was the merchant’s upbringing, but Jose seemed somewhat sentimental to Walm.

“I understand, but to miss the chance to escape because of holding onto valuables is pathetic.”

Those with sharp minds had long since disguised themselves as civilians or fled outside the city. Those piled up here were blinded by greed and failed to escape in time.

“Even though they were former lords, they are ungrateful. According to surviving servants, relatives were killed by looters before we arrived. Some were not even soldiers but civilians.”

Disdain was evident in Squad Leader Duwey’s voice.

“The mansion has enough manpower. We’ve been ordered to patrol the city. Got everything you need?”

The squad members’ bags and belts were packed with looted valuables and food from the storages. While maintaining public order, they were also engaging in legal banditry.

Despite following national or organizational rules, their actions were morally questionable.

The streets were devoid of civilians. Walm only encountered Highserk soldiers, occasionally mixed with captured enemy soldiers.

Any soldier found who had resisted even slightly or belonged to ill-disciplined units would become a new stain on the road, carried away by fellow prisoners in a cart.

“Wait! I’m not a soldier!”

A man dragged out of a building shouted in defense, but the soldiers unrelentingly stripped him.

“Fresh blood from an arrow wound. Take him.”

The man’s back bore the mark of an arrow strike. It was a familiar injury to Walm, unmistakable.

“It’s not true! I was hit by a stray arrow outside! I’ve never been on a battlefield!”

Despite his desperate excuses, the soldiers coldly continued.

“Do you want to be treated like those soldiers there?”

Pointing to a cart full of corpses, the soldier issued a final warning. Blood dripped from the cart, leaving a fresh trail.

Seeing the soldier’s hand on his sword, the man gave up.

The man bowed his head and glanced at the building from which he was dragged out. A young woman and a child, presumably his family, were peering out anxiously.

“Be grateful you’re not killed. Well, this time you’ll probably be released after a few months of labor. Get moving.”

The man made eye contact with his family one last time before quietly joining the line of prisoners. Such scenes were common throughout the city. People with fresh cuts and bruises, likely from the battle, and in some cases burns, were being hauled away.

Among them were certainly ordinary civilians. Walm felt a dark mood settling in, but there was no way to differentiate. Any oversights could pose a risk to maintaining public order, and it was not possible to let experienced insurgents roam free.

Moreover, for better or worse, the Highserk Empire seemed to regard human lives as a resource. During wartime with an enemy nation, they would demand ransoms for hostages and sell lower-ranking prisoners both domestically and internationally.

After the annexation, enemy soldiers had several paths to follow. Some were assigned to repair cities and facilities ravaged by war, or worked on civil engineering projects both domestically and internationally. The rivers and roads within Highserk were built in this way.

Depending on individual performance and the discretion of the supervising officer, people could be released after a few months to several years of labor. Some were even promoted to supervisory roles or, particularly those without anywhere else to go, joined the Highserk army.

As Walm patrolled the city, a commotion echoed down one of the streets. He reflexively readied his halberd.

“Is that the sound of a battle?”

Barrit tensed up, but Duwey negated the notion.

“That’s a strange sound for a fight. Maybe a minor scuffle?”

Hearing the noise, Walm quickly headed towards the center of the disturbance. It was a typical civilian house. Other squads, presumably on patrol, were at the entrance.

“What happened?”

He asked an older soldier blocking the entrance.

“These guys went too far. They broke into the house and raped the woman. They even killed the husband. Then they resisted when they were apprehended.”

Looking inside, Walm saw four young soldiers pinned to the floor and restrained. Nearby, a woman sat crying, and a man lay lifeless, his face battered. His nose and teeth were broken.

“Idiots. They did this without any permission.”

The men looked vaguely familiar. Walm racked his brain and remembered. They were the ones who had taken a woman at a fort along the border.

“What will happen to them?”

The soldier crossed his arms, pondering.

“Normally, it’s a beheading offense, but it’s a victory battle. Plus, these are guys from the Saria battalion who fought well against the Mayard troops. Probably just whipping and some labor with prisoners.”

Hearing this, a young Saria soldier tried to shout insults but was quickly silenced by several kicks to the face.

“Just whipping?”

For killing a civilian, the punishment seemed too lenient. Walm couldn’t help but blurt it out.

“It’s a common story. If we’re killed for every little thing, we’d run out of soldiers,” remarked one of the soldiers.

The squad leader joined the conversation.

“Whipping is brutal. Soldiers act tough, but after the first strike, they scream, and by the second or third, they’re crying. Skin peels off, flesh gets torn. Even if they pass out or wet themselves, they wake up with the next lash. Some even die. Think these guys can endure that?”

Duwey, looked down at the Saria soldiers with disgust. Meanwhile, the soldiers’ expressions visibly softened, likely imagining the whipping.

“Did you hear that, morons? That’s valuable advice from the squad leader. If you want fewer lashes, go quietly.”

The once fierce young wolves were now led away like obedient dogs by the older soldier.

Though Walm was on guard for attacks, no battles occurred in his assigned area. The only incidents were arguments during the roundup of defeated soldiers, and looting and assaults committed by both Highserk and Mayard soldiers ignoring military law.