Shadowed Gaze: The Highserk War Saga - Chapter 46

The headquarters of the Felius Front Army, set up in the Sarajevo Fortress, was engulfed in a tumultuous uproar, as if heaven and earth had been turned upside down.

“The security forces in the city of Yainen have retreated. The number of monsters exceeds 40,000, and there are many civilian casualties.”

“Cities of Gantria and Meriberg have fallen. The last messenger reported that a combined force of over 90,000 monsters is pressing in on both cities.”

“It seems that a horde of monsters has also attacked Lilyanka. The number is unknown, but they have flattened the forests, and their advance is unstoppable.”

One grim report after another kept flooding in. Desperate, scream-filled reports were being conveyed through communication magic tools and messengers from units deployed across various regions for security maintenance.

“Your Excellency, this is…”

One of the staff officers spoke gravely to Gerald. It was clear what he wanted to say, yet he seemed reluctant to voice it.

“It must be a Great Rampage.”

A dreaded phenomenon that occured when the Demonic Territory was rapidly destroyed to a certain extent, causing the monsters to start a chain reaction of rampages, turning everything around them to ashes. Gerald had experienced this during the expansion phase in his home country.

Even what was considered a small-scale Demonic Territory at that time had destroyed a neighboring country, resulting in 110,000 deaths. Even the Highserk soldiers who sealed the borders suffered significant casualties, a memory deeply etched in Gerald’s mind.

The problem now was that this occurred in what was called the largest and strongest Demonic Territory on the continent. Gerald had confirmed reports of 130,000 monsters so far.

Considering the cities and villages that were destroyed without confirmation or even able to report, the scale was unfathomable.

“Perhaps the Four Nation Alliance stirred this up to avoid Highserk’s victory, how foolish. Indeed, there will be no winners, but everyone will equally become losers.”

Gerald, silent, stared at the map, lost in thought. A partial cut would only lead to total destruction. He had to choose the land to be sacrificed.

A battle on the plains was out of the question. It might be possible to bury an enemy up to several times larger in number, but the scale of the Great Rampage, which could be described as a mass, easily reaches several hundred thousand. Several core entities were presumed from past events, but it was extremely difficult to identify them, and actively targeting their heads would end in vain.

“Abandon the Sarajevo Fortress. Use the border with Mayard as a defensive line and confront them with troops from Canoa and the homeland.”

“We’re abandoning Mayard?!”

The staff officer couldn’t hide his dismay at Gerald’s instructions. Gerald spoke as if admonishing a problem child.

“It’s not just Mayard, that’s naive thinking. Even Canoa is doubtful. If our homeland can hold out, that would be fortunate.”

Defending the homeland, that itself was uncertain. But Gerald was not one to easily give up.

“What about the people of Mayard?”

“Only save those who can follow us to Canoa. Channel the rest into Felius and the Selta region of Mayard and tell the others that there is no other way to survive.”

The fundamental principle of the Great Rampage was a push-and-pull of monsters. It could be possible to annihilate them with the main forces of the three great nations, but even the forces under Gerald’s command combined with the entire army of the Highserk Empire wouldn’t be enough.

The command center was as silent as if time had stopped. Gerald’s subordinates, now aware of the reality, were frozen. How pitiful. Even the staff officers, the brains of the glorious Highserk Empire’s army, were like this. They should always keep their bodies and minds active, no matter the situation. Even if the empire was on the brink of death…

Gerald scanned the command center from one end to the other and barked out an order.

“Now, work, our every move will determine the survival of the Highserk Empire!!”

Everyone, regardless of rank, sprang into action. Orders were passed from battalion to company, from company to platoon, from platoon to squad, to team, all beginning to move in unison. Everything was to counter the mass of monsters. The Four Nation Alliance war had come to an end, and the war between humans and monsters was about to begin.

　◆

The operation was a success. Unable to withstand the rampage of the monsters, the Highserk Empire abandoned the Sarajevo fortress and continued to retreat in a frenzy. Indeed, the operation was successful. Too successful. The Emrid Company, which managed to retreat back to the main camp by burning down the demonic territories one after another, was fortunate.

Out of the 6000 troops deployed, only about 2800 managed to reach the main camp. The majority of units were unable to reorganize. The results of the operation were immediate. Monsters overflowed in Mayard, overwhelming not only the Highserk soldiers but also the people of Mayard. It was a sickening sight. But Emrid could not remain a mere bystander.

From the Sarajevo fortress, the displaced people of Mayard and the monsters pursuing them attacked. The aim was to contain them at the Sarajevo fortress, but a report from a unit guarding along the Demonic Territory sent shockwaves through the four nation alliance. Monsters spilled into the Kingdom of Felius, emerging from the burning forests.

The order given was not to intercept, but to retreat, a barely controlled retreat. This was because the people of Felius and Mayard rushed to the positions held by the four nation alliance army, chased by the monsters.

Emrid was proud of the initial response. Thanks to the skills and magic of the Three Heroes, they managed to repel the second and third waves. Someone then realized that the frequency and scale of the incoming waves of monsters were drastically increasing.

After the fifth wave, the four nation alliance army collapsed, and each began retreating to their homelands, with even Felius soldiers abandoning their country to seek asylum elsewhere. The boat service via Lake Selta couldn’t carry all the soldiers at once, and if civilians also rushed in, Emrid could easily imagine what would happen.

Boats that sailed over capacity capsized, overturned by soldiers and civilians who jumped into the lake. People were trampled to death in the harbor, crushed by the crowd. Emrid didn’t want to die that way, nor did he want to let his subordinates die in vain. His decision, which could be called unilateral, was quick; he chose to follow the Rehazen Knight Order by land, aiming to return home via the Crest Kingdom.

“Forget about what’s behind us, just focus on maintaining the front and sides. If we get blocked, we all die.”

Emrid’s unit swelled to the size of a battalion with the remnants of Felius’s army and stray soldiers from various countries. Commanders of battalions and regiments had been lost in rampart attacks and were depleted by the wild onslaught.

“What about the people behind us…”

Leetia, the adventurer who had been leading, reacted to Emrid’s words. As she realized what they had done, Emrid could see her heart beginning to break. Perhaps it was already broken.

“Those who can’t keep up with the pace will die. Shocked? Either way, that’s the reality. It’s presumptuous for me to say, as one of the responsible parties, but we should never have involved monsters in human wars.”

If higher-ups heard this, punishment would be inevitable. But the senior officers who would listen were either dead or had escaped by boat, and the rest were a multinational army united only to avoid death.

“I, I…”

Emrid had no interest in mental care for an adolescent girl, but her firepower was something he couldn’t easily let go of at the moment.

“If you have time to worry, save even one person. Worry about it after you survive. You can spend your life in penance and become a nun. For now, fight, adventurer. Show me you can save people from monsters. There’s no thought of dying easily. Resist as much as you can, even if it’s just for a second longer.”

The girl didn’t respond to Emrid and ran towards the front group. Emrid then turned to another adventurer.

“Lefty, you don’t seem affected.”

“Yeah, I knew there would be civilian casualties. I didn’t expect it to spread this far though.”

“Why did you join then? Do you like fighting?”

“Do I like it? No, I don’t like talking about it, but in this situation… What I like is… Leetia. I joined to support the woman I love.”

Emrid was speechless. To dive into the jaws of death for a loved one.

“You’re an idiot. You should have stopped her.”

“She wouldn’t listen to me anyway, she’d just go alone if I didn’t come along. Besides, I’m not good with words. This is the only way I can support her.”

“I thought you were an inscrutable guy, but you’re creepy for someone who looks like you.”

“I’m aware of that.”

For the first time in their short acquaintance, Emrid laughed with the gloomy man.

“Go and support her.”

The man followed the girl. They found themselves in a farce in the midst of death. A girl on the verge of breaking, a gloomy adventurer, and yet he was able to make her laugh. It created a little space in Emrid’s nearly overwhelmed mind.

“Volk’s squad, slow down the monsters in the rear. Don’t overdo it.”

“Is it alright to support the front group?”

“It seems two skilled adventurers will fight until they’re exhausted. It’s a peculiar situation.”

“Ah, if that’s the case…”

Emrid didn’t intend to save everyone, nor could he, but he chose to increase the number of people who might be saved by risking danger.