Shadowed Gaze: The Highserk War Saga - Chapter 82

Giusto, the leader of a mercenary band based in the Labyrinth City, was observing the battlefield from a distance.

“Viscount’s putting in a good effort, but well, it’s likely futile.”

The fireball spreading death upon the foot soldiers in the corner tower was, surprisingly, the work of a solitary magic soldier. Its power was one thing, but the fact that it hadn’t depleted its magical energy even after the second attack was notable. Giusto had considered a plan to collapse the corner tower in one swoop with concentrated gunfire and slashing attacks, but if the magic soldier survived, the damage to his troops would be too great.

“The big names are mostly on our side. I wonder who this exceptional guy is.”

Giusto disliked jobs that didn’t match the effort required. He preferred trampling the weak over fighting strong enemies. Due to the harmful magic soldier exerting stopping power in the right corner tower, other surplus magic soldiers were wreaking havoc on the other walls. Annoyed by the extra work this created, Giusto resolved to take out his frustrations on the magic soldier defending the corner tower, should he capture it.

“Boss, let’s go and kill them already.”

A bloodthirsty member of the group, unable to endure the wait, muttered his discontent.

“Alright, alright. We’ll make our move soon.”

“Finally, boss?”

“Shut it. Listen up, we’ll crush the left corner tower. They will be busy killing the foot soldiers. Once we’re in range, we’ll attack all at once. Lucca, you and your men unleash hell on my signal, Louban, you’re the foothold. Coordinate. Digor, once we’re in, kill anyone you can.”

The subordinates Giusto named responded, but only Digor hesitated.

“Aren’t we attacking the right corner tower?”

“Huh? The magic soldier on the right is annoying. Is there some problem on the left?”

Digor, with his lips split by a sword, twisted them in response. His ugly face became even more grotesque.

“On the right. There are some guys there I like. I want them.”

Digor’s preferences were well known among the band members. He had a taste for men, particularly those muscular, hulking macho men with not a hair out of place, which was quite peculiar.

Giusto enjoyed torturing and killing, and had many somewhat insane members under his command, but Digor’s tastes were unusually vile. While Giusto would leave regular members who displeased him half-dead to the point they couldn’t eat solid food for a month, Digor was the perfect fit for the role of a frontline attacker.

Giusto appreciated his proficiency in “Strong Strike” and “Diamond Skin,” and especially his recklessness in leaping into the fray. Even during the underworld guild conflicts in the Labyrinth City, the leading brothers heavily relied on him.

“Hah. What happened to the last boy?”

“I already used him up and sold him off. Hey, let’s just attack from the right, yeah?”

“No. If you want them, break through the left and circle around to the right.”

“Hmm? …Ah, well, that works too.”

Giusto was tired of dealing with this fool.

“Tell the people of Count Odilon as well. They should be following us. They’ll complain if I don’t inform them.”

“What about that Viscount Barner-whatever?”

Lucca, more thoughtful than most members until the killing started, asked Giusto.

“That Viscount… well, no need to tell him.”

After all, Giusto’s employer was the Meizenaf House, and he had no inclination to care for or follow anyone else.

“Alright, let’s move to the front line. The count said we can do as we please with the people in the fort. Kill and violate to your heart’s content.”

At Giusto’s words, the band members’ faces twisted with a murderous joy.

◆

Josh, entrusted with the defense of the supporting castle, felt a sure response to the challenge at hand. Despite being besieged by forces several times their number, not a single soldier had crossed the castle walls, and the troops of Viscount Barnes Guvier continued to suffer heavy blows.

His horse guards, brought from his own lands, had suffered almost no losses and were honing their fangs within the fort, preparing for the coming counterattack. The greatest miscalculation for Josh was hiring the magic soldiers. Although they were paid with silver plates indicating the highest reward, he hadn’t placed excessive expectations on them.

“It’s a shame to leave such talent just among the Highserk people,” he mused.

Even now, flames danced outside the city, and the death cries of the Meizenaf troops carried on the wind. Over the past year, he had opportunities to interact with the people of Highserk. Indeed, as the Viscount said, the Highserk troops, including the magic soldiers, were formidable. Reluctantly, Josh had to admit this.

However, he harbored a dislike for the increasingly influential Highserk military clique. Despite being the newcomers, Viscount Edgar heavily favored them, and those who had supported the Dalimarcus family were now feeling undervalued and resentful.

Regarding the magic silver mines, although they were discovered by the Highserk, it was only a matter of time before their discovery. Without adequate funds and a large mining workforce, Highserk was only capable of limited extraction. Yet, they were trying to obtain half of the mining rights.

Those opposed to Highserk, a faction in its own right, were loudly proclaiming that even if they conceded, a 7-to-3 ratio would have been fair. Josh himself still believed that a 6-to-4 ratio would have been acceptable without causing friction.

Conceding too much to the Highserk military who had lost their homeland, made Viscount Edgar appear weak, and Highserk seemed like greedy, mannerless opportunists. Josh found the Highserk people to be politically dull and poor at finding middle ground.

“Or maybe the environment of the northern countries, where they’ve been killing each other for centuries, has changed them,” Josh thought, but then abandoned the thought as inappropriate for the battlefield. Perhaps he was getting carried away due to his expectations of victory.

“Where to, Lord Josh?” asked a horse guard, standing from his seat.

“I’ll climb the watchtower for a bit. It’s right there. No need for company.”

In the center of the supporting castle, a watchtower was built for surveillance. It was one of the reasons why this supporting castle was Josh’s choice as a collection site for the mine.

Initially, it was no better than a village with a few storehouses doubling as living quarters and a fence to keep out monsters. From that foundation, it expanded; now, while still primarily made of wood and earth, it was surrounded by walls and even had corner towers.

If the opponent hadn’t been the Meizenaf family, it could have been maintained for several months. What a pity it was only a matter of time. The Dalimarcus family had been aware of the immense wealth and curse that the magic silver mine would bring.

Keeping the project confidential, Josh and a few others made preparations, and then gathered workers to push the mining operation forward rapidly. In a few more months, the walls of the supporting castle would have expanded and turned into stone.

But that was a future that would never come.

Moats were filled in, obstacles crushed, and the walls now had enemy soldiers clinging to them. The coming battle would increase the attrition of his troops, but it was also the best opportunity to reduce enemy numbers. The decision to continue the siege or seize an opportunity for a counterattack would rest entirely on Josh’s judgment.

Walking alone, deep in thought, Josh reached the watchtower. Climbing the creaking ladder, the entire battlefield came into view.

“It’s too early for a change of guard. Why would you—”

The soldier on watch turned around, clearly mistaking him for a colleague. Recognizing Josh, the soldier quickly regained his composure and knelt.

“I-I’m sorry. I apologize for my rudeness.”

“No need for that now, just keep on with your duty,” Josh said.

The soldier, trembling with fear, stood up and resumed his assigned duties.

Josh also squinted his eyes and stared into the distance. The formations of both main forces remained unchanged, with no signs of movement. Next, he turned his gaze to the troops below. They were mostly foot soldiers, but it seemed they had gained confidence from the first battle, and their movements were less stiff. However, fatigue was starting to take its toll, and some were losing their luster in their actions. Complacency was not advisable at this time.

The current threat from below was the siege tower. They continued to launch attacks from outside the range of magic, wary of the magic soldiers. Since there was no effective means of countering it, they couldn’t destroy it. Archers were shooting arrows in return, but even the fire arrows had been countered, and their effectiveness was limited. It was a harsh situation for the troops, but for now, all they could do was endure.

“I’ve disturbed you,” Josh said, turning to leave.

As he reached for the ladder, a shockwave, strong enough to shake the entire fort erupted, followed by a blast of wind.

“What’s happening?!”

Turning back, Josh’s vision was obscured by dust. The sound of crumbling and dull impacts continued intermittently. Josh understood what was happening.

“Damn, concentrated use of magic.”

“Yes, the corner tower is—”

The lookout soldier’s voice trailed off. Where the corner tower once stood, now only a pitifully damaged remnant remained. The left and right walls were heavily damaged, and many of the defending soldiers had been killed or wounded.

“Those lunatics, they don’t even care about damaging their own soldiers?!”

What should have been friendly forces had been caught up in the attack, even involving common foot soldiers. Without delay, the ground emitted a faint light and began to rise, sucking up the surrounding earth, filling in the moat, and forming a crude but passable road.

“Earth attribute magic?! This is bad! Deploy the reserves now! They’re going to storm in!”

Josh shouted with all his might. Soldiers held in reserve began to gather at the breach in the wall, but a group that had already crossed over the wall was feasting on their prey.

“Mercenary scum.”

Josh understood that Count Odilon had deployed the mercenary group as one of the decisive battle forces. For these battle-crazed individuals, common foot soldiers were not comrades but expendable meat shields, and they would have unleashed their magic without hesitation, prioritizing surprise attacks.

Josh held onto both sides of the ladder and descended to the ground while keeping his footing along the way. A crucial decision that couldn’t afford to be wrong was looming ahead.

Translator – Lyxxna