Shadowed Gaze: The Highserk War Saga - Chapter 3

The Libertoa Trade Federation, having suffered a major defeat, retreated far beyond its claimed border line and successfully re-established its defenses along a strategically advantageous river. Earth attribute magic was used to create ditches and embankments, and with the help of Magic Bags and wagons, a fortress akin to a “one-night castle” was formed. Both the Libertoa Trade Federation, lacking a decisive move, and the Highserk Empire, preferring the status quo, were engaged in a passive war.

In such a stalled front, the Libertoa side initiated the release of prisoners in exchange for ransom. As Walm had expected, nobles and high-ranking military officers were released, but surprisingly, the Libertoa Trade Federation also bought the freedom of common soldiers. Generously, a grand noble owning a labyrinth provided a large sum of magical silver coins. Thus, Walm, along with other members of the Duwey’s squad, was assigned to guard the site of the prisoner exchange.

“Did I choose the wrong country to be born in?” Walm muttered under his breath, only to be nudged in the ribs. It was his comrade, Jose.

“Hey, hey, it’s fine if the Squad Leader Duwey hears that, but you’ll be sunk in the river if other commanders hear you,” Jose warned.

On the river, several boats were busy transporting prisoners across. Many archers and magic soldiers were positioned on the opposite bank to guard against surprise attacks. Walm was astounded to even see large ballistae positioned, wondering where they had come from. In response, the Highserk Empire had similarly positioned troops capable of offensive actions on their side of the river, although they looked more like bandits armed with stolen regular army equipment than an actual army.

As a soldier, Walm might choose the Highserk Empire, but as a civilian, living in the Libertoa Trade Federation might be better. However, he had no knowledge of life in other countries to compare.

Prisoners passed by Walm, their well-kept clothing and skin indicating that they were high-ranking individuals who could afford their own ransom. On the opposite bank, scenes of reprimand and embraces unfolded, a human drama playing out. Walm felt like he was being forced to watch a tedious, cheap play, and even Jose was struggling to stifle his yawns.

Not able to avert his eyes and neglect his duty, Walm returned his gaze to the line of people. Next were the lower-ranking individuals. There were about 200 prisoners, and the line waiting for the boat stretched on. As he watched, prisoners he had previously forced to dig graves passed by. Their eyes met for a moment before they quickly looked away. Despite their clean armors and weapons, it was clear they were still frightened of him.

Despite Walm’s efforts to cook easily digestible food for them, the prisoners had been too scared to eat, fearing poison. Walm was frustrated by such an unnecessarily complicated and troublesome method. It would be much simpler to just stab them with a sword if he wanted them dead.

It was true that there were empty graves, but despite explaining that it was not for prisoners but for those who were gravely injured or had died suddenly, the prisoners were not convinced. The battalion commander had ordered the digging of extra holes to prevent the prisoners from rebelling, but this strategy had backfired and exhausted them instead.

Finally, the last soldier was sent off, and the prisoner exchange concluded without incident. It was the end of a drawn-out farewell. Walm hoped that the current stalemate would continue. The struggle between the Highserk Empire, wanting to maintain its territory across the river, and the Libertoa Trade Federation, pushing to reclaim its claimed border line, seemed set to persist.

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As the set up of permanent positions progressed, units were successively pulled out, and the battalion to which Walm belonged was the first to be withdrawn. Moving 2000 personnel put a strain on logistics, so it seemed they would change routes and head to the assembly point in platoon and company-sized units. While moving from the southeast Libertoa Trade Federation territory, which was still in territorial dispute, to the northwest former Kingdom of Canoa, which had been annexed, several platoons and squads were given assignments. Duwey Squad was one of them.

They were ordered to subdue a group of goblins that had nested near a water source. Walm was no stranger to killing monsters, though not as much as humans. On the battlefield, there were plenty of dead bodies that monsters favored. To them, it was like a buffet meal. Repelling these persistent, bothersome guests was routine work for Walm.

Moreover, if corpses were left unattended, they could turn into ghouls or undead. Walm had been attacked in his sleep by dead bodies more than once or twice. Having to kill an opponent twice would make anyone nervous. In most countries, monster subjugation and labyrinth exploration were the jobs of adventurers, but some nations like the Highserk Empire rejected the adventurer system altogether.

The Highserk Empire, with more soldiers than it could afford based on its national strength, had no luxury of leaving its soldiers idle. Thanks to this, Walm found himself doing adventurer-like tasks. It was akin to the army being dispatched for bird and beast extermination because they were available. Specialized units were sent against high-ranking monsters, but lower-threat groups like goblins were dealt with by nearby squads or platoons.

Sometimes, even untrained villagers would take down a few goblins or orcs. Walm too had spent several times of his youth in the village, sweating out to repel goblins and orcs.

According to the village’s information, there were over 50 goblins. Initially, a few were spotted and exterminated by the villagers, but one day, a man and woman working by the river were attacked and abducted. Since then, the goblins, having developed a taste for it, started appearing around the village, and livestock losses increased. With the potential for further damage as the goblin population increased, a military dispatch was decided. The squad, led by Squad Leader Duwey, set out from the village and proceeded through the forest.

The forest had some minor undulations but was mostly flat. Unlike the demonic territory, where powerful monsters roamed, only lower-ranking monsters like those encountered this time would infiltrate this area. Walm had been relentlessly moving forward, but when the squad leader halted, everyone stopped in their tracks.

“Listen up, we’ll reach their nest in half a moment. Footprints and animal trails are increasing. Don’t let your guard down.”

Squad Leader Duwey was well-versed in combat vigilance and was said to surpass platoon leaders in combat skills. However, the reason he wasn’t chosen as a platoon leader was simple.

He was an optimist, which could be seen as being relaxed about everything, or negatively, as being sloppy. Besides, his way of speaking wasn’t the best. Walm understood that above the level of a platoon leader, where management was involved, Squad Leader Duwey’s true value would be less apparent. Moreover, Squad Leader Duwey himself disliked the cumbersome responsibilities of a platoon leader.

The squad members cautiously followed the footsteps of the soldiers in front, slowly moving branches that caught on their swords and armor. Metal parts were wrapped in cloth to prevent noise. Walm was no exception. The clothes were from a soldier who no longer needed them after the recent battle. Though initially resistant to stripping clothes from a dead person, Walm had come to accept it as necessary.

As they progressed, the density of the vegetation lessened. The squad members’ posture was almost crawling, and their gaze was focused on a single point.

Humanoid in shape, but short like a child, with prominent canine teeth and pointy ears. Their skin was green and rough with blemishes and bumps. Holding primitive stone spears, clubs, and what looked like stolen farming tools, there was no doubt in Walm’s mind – they were goblins. Intelligent monsters in numbers were troublesome, as Walm had learned from experience. Hesitating on how to deal with them, Walm received a signal from Squad Leader Duwey.

The gesture was clear – kill them. Walm nodded slowly and, still crouching, moved to the side of the goblins. Carefully selecting where to place his feet, he paid attention to small twigs and leaves. As he got closer, he took shallower breaths.

Wetting his dry lips, Walm entered striking distance and gripped the end of his spear, thrusting it through a goblin’s throat in one swift motion. The goblin died instantly without making a sound. Supporting the falling goblin with the spear, Walm gently placed it on the ground and dragged it by the feet. A fellow soldier joined from the line to help hide the body in the shade of the trees.

Squad Leader Duwey patted Walm on the shoulder.

“You did well. That was efficient.”

Afterward, the squad reached its destination without further encounters with goblins. The goblin dwelling was just a few dozen meters from where they had killed the sentry.

The goblins lived in a small cliff, where dwellings made of branches and soil were built, and nests continued into caves in the cliff. The caves seemed artificially made rather than natural formations.

Walm, still keeping low, peeked through the gaps in the vegetation. He could see about 30 figures within his field of vision. Near a fire scattered bones were visible. Among the remains of water buffalo, goats, wild boars – a type of monster – he also saw human skulls.

No doubt, these were the abducted villagers. Walm wasn’t surprised. Being abducted by monsters usually ended in death, assault, or being eaten – their basic behavior.

“Wilart, do it.”

The Squad Leader commanded one of his subordinates, Wilart. Although there had been no prior discussion, everyone, including Walm, understood what was about to happen.

Without a response, Wilart stepped forward. He was a man of few words who spent his free time shaving his entire body, a hobby of his, but within the squad, he was respected for his unique skill.

When Wilart concentrated his magical power in his hand, he materialized a fireball. As the only magic user in the squad, he was relied upon for everything from combat to cooking.

The fireball launched into the center of the nest exploded, scattering bones and obliterating the goblins at the core. Even those around the perimeter suffered severe burns.

The sudden event left the goblins petrified, whereas Duwey Squad knew exactly what to do. For Walm, it was like starting a feast with fireworks. His squadmates silently closed the distance and swung their weapons.

Walm was no exception. He stabbed a dazed goblin in the abdomen twice with his spear and crushed its fallen head underfoot. One goblin, in panic, left itself exposed and vulnerable. Walm’s spear pierced it from back to belly.

While the goblins were considered lower-tier monsters, they had high vitality. An injury that was fatal to a human was still causing it to crawl and attempt to flee. If it escaped, it would become a troublesome opponent. Walm had no intention of letting it go.

Holding his spear in reverse grip, he swung it down towards the neck. After a moment of convulsion, it stopped moving. Out of the corner of his eye, Walm saw a shadow. He leapt to the side as a club-wielding goblin swung down, hitting its own kind’s corpse. Walm reflexively swung his spear horizontally at the goblin’s head, cutting open both eyes and leaving it writhing. The goblin swung its club wildly in a futile struggle, but Walm killed it from a distance.

During this time, the other squad members also took down a similar number of goblins. Squad Leader Duwey, with his signature skill ‘Strong Strike’, blew away three goblins at once. The ones he hit were torn in half or had their heads blown off.

The remaining goblins poured out of the cave, only to fall victim to blades and blunt weapons. The goblins Walm faced had already disappeared.

“Reinus, Tibard, Danfan, take half and finish off the rest outside. Everyone else, follow me. Spears are useless now. We go in with swords. Wilart, light it up.”

Fortunately, Walm was chosen to enter the cave. The outside command was left to the battle-experienced ‘Three Fools.’ Due to the narrow cave, Walm stuck his spear into the ground outside, taking up a longsword and round shield to proceed inside.

“Torch.”

Squad Leader Duwey confidently advanced into the depths of the cave. When Wilart, who followed second, used the magic ‘Torch,’ the cave lit up with flames. The goblins, accustomed to the dark, were stunned and swung their weapons aimlessly, only to face the iron storm of Duwey Squad.

In the end, Walm’s task was to deal with goblins hiding in recesses or playing dead, albeit severely wounded. The back of the cave was spacious, like a classroom.

Poor ventilation almost overwhelmed Walm’s sense of smell, but he couldn’t afford to complain. More goblins remained, including a leader. The goblin, a Hobgoblin of human size, brandished a rusty sword it had probably found somewhere. As brave as it looked, Walm felt sympathy for it.

It was facing Squad Leader Duwey, after all. The Hobgoblin’s attack was cut short just like the others, falling into a pool of blood. Just to be sure, Walm stabbed any remaining bodies. One, as expected, was playing dead. Walm diligently searched for any others, spotting a shadow in the straw of what seemed to be a bed.

It wasn’t a goblin but a woman, covered in scratches, her shoulders and back particularly bad. The men had been eaten, yet she survived, leading Walm to realize why. Goblins could only reproduce using other creatures’ bodies.

“Are you alive? We’ve come to save you.”

Walm called out to the motionless woman, but her response was brief.

“Kill… me.”

It took Walm a moment to process her words. He called out again, shaking her shoulder, but the answer was the same. No one else spoke.

“Please… kill me.”

The Squad Leader nodded slowly. Whether it was necessary to kill her, Walm’s instincts and heart desperately tried to avoid killing one of his own, but his reason was working just as hard. Her limbs, crushed to serve as a goblin’s breeding ground, could not be healed naturally, nor by ordinary healing magic.

The wounds all over her body would likely never heal, neither physically nor emotionally. Even if she returned to the village, could she lead a normal life? Walm wished someone else could take his place, but ultimately, someone had to do it. If not Walm, then another member of the squad would have to bear the burden.

Resolute, Walm placed the tip of his sword between her ribs, aiming for her heart, as she quietly murmured. The sword pierced through the gap in her ribs and into her heart. He gazed at her now motionless body, her face ironically peaceful. This was the first time he had killed a woman, and she had thanked him in her final moments. Walm looked down at his bloodied sword, then shifted his gaze to her lifeless body. The Squad Leader had quietly come to stand beside him.

“I’ll do it. You’re in the way just standing there. Go outside, have a drink, and take a break.”

He was offered a flask filled with expensive distilled liquor.

“It’s loot from the Libertoa guys. Not to my taste.”

It was hard to believe these were the words of the Squad Leader, who would drink anything like water. Staggering outside, Walm sat down, leaning against the trunk of a large tree. The three crude, battle-loving fools of the squad, sensing something was amiss, said nothing to Walm.

As he unfastened his chin strap and removed his helmet, letting it roll on the ground, the chainmail clinked in protest. The exposed scalp felt good in the fresh air. He stroked his itchy, sweaty head, then opened the flask and took a swig.

The alcohol left his nose, instantly warming his throat and stomach. The faint sweetness lingered, then faded. It was still early in the morning, as the raid took place at dawn. Despite the smoldering turmoil within him, the sky, framed by the trees, was clear with not a single cloud, spreading out in a boundless blue. Walm cursed under his breath and raised his drink once again.