Shadowed Gaze: The Highserk War Saga - Chapter 25

Despite the overwhelming numerical advantage and rapid advance of the Four Nation Alliance, their momentum had started to show signs of waning.

The Jeyf Cavalry Battalion, belonging to the Highserk Army, began conducting mobile warfare against the main forces of the Crest Kingdom. They persistently attacked the flanks, rear, and overextended units of the enemy. Although Crest outnumbered them, it was not easy to capture the highly mobile and rapidly retreating cavalry.

The Rehazen Knight Order’s cavalry pursuits yielded certain battle results, but sometimes the knight groups were lured into ambushes and suffered significant damages. As a result, Crest, along with Felius and Mayard troops who were familiar with the local geography, had to advance cautiously, unable to maintain the pace of advance as they did at the beginning of the war.

Additionally, thorough destruction of roads and bridges, intentional landslides and rockfalls using earth magic in mountain passes and trails were employed as delay tactics.

The advance of the Libertoa Trade Federation had come to a complete halt at the Refun Mine. Facing a single battalion of the enemy, the 7,000 troops of the Libertoa Trade Federation suffered unexpectedly heavy losses: 1,200 dead and 2,000 injured, with the enemy still holding the mine area firmly. Nighttime arson by small enemy groups had become severe, causing widespread fear of fire among the Libertoa troops.

Emrid, an infantry company commander from Libertoa, commanding 250 troops, felt his lips and throat dry from tension. He had more information than an average soldier and knew the true extent of their losses, which was kept from the troops to avoid morale decline.

The defensive facility with walls and side towers that Emrid’s company was about to attack had already claimed an entire company as victims. The previous company commander was severely wounded and evacuated.

What troubled Emrid the most was a soldier known by the nickname “Hellfire Beacon,” a user of the devastating and wide-ranging skill ‘Demon Fire.’ This soldier, whose real name was unknown, wielded blue fierce flames and strong winds, inflicting fatal damages to densely formed units.

In fact, one of the offensive platoons had suffered 21 deaths and 14 serious and minor injuries in a single battle, forcing them to reorganize. That group included the platoon leader, a skilled magic user who should have been able to withstand high temperatures, but was turned into a torch illuminating the battlefield.

Since then, the higher-ups had given up on brute force, shifting to a strategy of slowly strangling the enemy. Emrid, leading from the front, dug trenches and formed embankments, slowly approaching the walls, and finally, his company reached a distance suitable for a concerted assault.

The soldiers, before the total assault, doused themselves with water as a feeble measure against “Demon Fire.” Some even smeared mud all over their bodies. After witnessing comrades being burnt to death, there was no ridicule for those who chose to apply mud, and it became a common practice. Emrid himself, as a commanding officer concerned about appearances, refrained from doing so, though he personally wished to.

“Begin the attack!” Emrid ordered briefly. The command rapidly spread, and the entire company surged towards the walls.

As the soldiers overflowed from the trenches towards the walls, they were met with a barrage of projectiles. Slightly delayed, ice spears and clumps of earth formed by magic mowed down soldiers.

Nevertheless, only a few fell. The soldiers had already reached the base of the walls, setting up ladders to scale them. The fierce resistance of Highserk they had faced so far seemed like a lie.

Emrid thought they might be able to take down the defenses today. However, he suddenly felt a scorching sensation and hastily looked towards a corner of the wall.

A heatwave was already swirling around a spot where soldiers were trying to infiltrate, and soon blue flames erupted.

“Retreat!” he yelled.

The soldiers on the ladders descended in a tumble, seeking cover.

“Cease the attack, fall back to the trenches!”

Those who were halfway up the wall chose to fall, avoiding immediate death, but still, 4 or 5 soldiers became victims of the flames.

“Stay still, quickly cover it with dirt!”

“That damn beast who uses ‘Demon Fire’!”

The curses from the soldiers, who were literally on fire, didn’t stop. But the response was quicker than before, and the damage was minimized.

Emrid jumped down from the ladder and grabbed the edge of the armor of a soldier with both legs broken, using all his strength to drag him into the trench.

“Doesn’t he care about the surroundings at all?!”

Previously, ‘Demon Fire’ had been directed at soldiers below the walls, but now it had reached the wall passage that he should have protected. With flames rising one after another on the wall passage, the total attack was temporarily suspended.

That’s when Emrid felt something off. It was too decisive a measure—hesitating, Emrid realized what was the cause of his discomfort.

“…Damn it, get back to the wall! Keep going!”

Drenched in water, Emrid grabbed a ladder that hadn’t burned down and started climbing up to the wall alone.

“Commander Emrid?!”

His subordinates’ voices echoed, but they quickly followed their commander.

Emrid, determined, climbed the ladder at a run. The wall passage still held an unbearable heat, but not a single person was there.

“They’ve been gradually retreating their soldiers. To cover the retreat of their rear guard, they deliberately set everything on fire.”

Emrid kicked a helmet left on the ground. However, as a young commander in charge of a company, he quickly issued orders to his subordinates.

“The first platoon is in charge of extinguishing fires, the second and third platoons, be on lookout. Don’t bring the wounded to the wall passage yet; there’s a risk of a counterattack. Send scouts from the fourth platoon, I want to know what’s ahead.”

The orders cascaded down, and the soldiers devoted themselves to their respective tasks. One key point, despite significant delays, had fallen. However, Emrid was not relieved.

About 30 minutes later when the scouts returned, Emrid’s face contorted with frustration upon hearing their report.

“The enemy has built a fortification just ahead of us. It’s a complex combination of earthworks and dry moats with considerable depth.”

Emrid feared this scenario and looked up at the sky, exasperated. The enemy had used the walls as much as possible and then easily abandoned them to build fortifications further back. They had distracted with magic like ‘Demon Fire’ and methodically pulled back their forces.

Realizing he had been deceived, Emrid cursed his own foolishness while feeling frustrated by the Highserk army’s effective tactics. He couldn’t express his feelings or show them on his face.

This was the frustrating part of waging war against the Highserk Empire.

Unlike the areas controlled by Crest or Felius, this location didn’t allow for detours; they had to cross the mine. Emrid felt dizzy thinking about the future damages and efforts.

He spoke to his subordinates and himself, trying to stay composed.

“Don’t panic. After all, it’s just a temporary fortification. The time for construction was limited, so it doesn’t have the height or strength of a wall.”

Thinking positively, the wide range of the wall had been covered with ‘Demon Fire’. Considering the consumption of magical power, even if it could be used again that day, it had to be for a very limited time. This was the time to attack.

Due to the unfolding situation, another company had been waiting in the rear. As Emrid’s company had struggled to take down the wall passage, the other company was expected to lead the attack to the temporary fortifications in their place.

The problem was, even though there was a difference in the quality of construction, it was likely that multiple temporary fortifications had been set up. Emrid felt sympathetic for the company tasked with the assault. For a while, some soldiers might find it hard to swallow cooked meat.