Chapter 12

Worm stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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Worm felt his body heavy as if it were covered in mud. His skin, which rippled like small waves, was literally melting away. As he ran through the woods where the night curtain had fallen, Worm collapsed into a sitting position. His flesh and blood disintegrated with a sound, and the mask on his face peeled off like red tears.

“Ugh, gee, haa”

He spat out a half-coagulated mass of blood from his mouth. His muddled consciousness and vision gradually cleared. The remnants of the melting skin trickled down his cheeks like red tears. The cold night wind pierced his frozen skin. Worm shivered slightly and looked down at the mask that had fallen to the ground.

“Ugh, that war god really sent something terrible.”

The demon mask trembled in response. Memories that should not have existed flashed through his mind. This cursed mask had interfered twice without his knowledge. The first time was in the mound that had become a tombstone, where it created an air passage between the soil and the corpses. The second time was when it slightly moved his body to prevent it from being crushed by the Tyrant Worm’s weight.

He might have died without the interference. Still, that interference was within the realm of human reason. However, the third interference was a deviation. Worm’s heart, which had been pierced by his brother, was on the verge of death. He remembered this even as his breathing and consciousness were fading. This great demon had unilaterally forced a contract upon him, demanding a sacrifice in exchange for repair. His heart had indeed returned, but it was the result of consuming the sacrifices he had offered. The greedy demon claimed that it was not enough.

It might have been better to pay the six coins to cross the River Styx. If the contract was not fulfilled, the consequence would be collection, and the target would undoubtedly be his own body. The demon eye and the heart accustomed to the demon would surely be very useful.

“My body is what you want, you filthy demon.”

The demon mask trembled. Some of the memories had been exchanged. Even if he denied it, it was transparent. The words of the offering that the demon had spoken were etched in his mind. A struggle accompanied by screams, a mountain of corpses as an offering. Among them was his own brother.

Frustration, panic, and resolve. He recalled the emotions of Haze, experienced through his own and the great demon’s eyes. Weighing his past and present family, he had been ordered to assassinate if the extraction failed. The fact that a nation had ordered a military operation targeting an individual was absurd. At the same time, he was aware of the extent of his own actions. In the eastern border war, the Refun mines, and the Sarajevo fortresses, he had burned many Liberators. As a soldier, it was even excessive. Perhaps his brother, like Worm, was unusually stubborn and serious. They would fulfill their roles as soldiers of their respective nations.

He sighed, resigned. There was a provisional military operation within the border, and as a Haiselk soldier, he had the duty to return to the capital as soon as possible and report. However, Worm slowly searched his pocket and took out a damp, red-black cigarette. A flame lit up in the darkness. The purple smoke mixed with the taste of rust in his mouth, making it extremely bitter. He understood that this was a form of escapism. After all, he had once been a foolish and weak person who had sought refuge in alcohol. Still, the purple smoke was necessary to maintain his mental balance.

The mask trembled as if reproaching him. Blowing out white smoke, Worm answered, and the demon mask trembled in anger. Wrinkles formed on his forehead, and his face twisted, but he let out a small smile. Leaning against the tree, he thought of Haze, who had taken a different path. It was not his brother from the forest of his childhood, swinging a stick.

He had crossed countless lines of death and become a soldier who, like Worm, devoted himself to the struggle. The next meeting would be a fight to the death, not as brothers but as opposing soldiers. Perhaps, for both of them, this would be a form of happiness. Looking up at the sky, the stars and the twin moons shone as they always did, unaffected by the petty human emotions.

◆

The military activities of the Liberato Commercial Federation within the controlled territory shocked the capital, Valigend. Although some suspected spies and agents were arrested, it was like pouring water on a hot stone. The current Haiselk did not have the resources to thoroughly screen and select visitors.

The transport convoy to Myard departed on schedule without delay. One of the byproducts left by the Flame Emperor Dragon, which had destroyed the capital, was the corridor. Mountains and rivers had melted away, turning into a thoroughfare. Replicating this with human hands would require an unimaginable amount of time and manpower, as far as Worm could tell.

Plants and animals had been burned away by the intense fire, rocks had been stained with soot, and several streams had dried up. Although it was a well-maintained thoroughfare, it was a desolate land that seemed unfamiliar, even to the homeland. Despite the gloomy scenery, dull pebbles occasionally caught his eye. Worm picked up and rolled one of these pebbles in his hand. It was not particularly bright, but he examined its yellowish nature.

“Is this glass?”

Similar pebbles, greenish-blue and black, were scattered around. Fliug, who had been under the strict supervision of the squadron leader since the attack, answered the puzzled Worm.

“The Central Army had set up a defensive line here to defend the capital. The Flame Emperor Dragon broke through these defenses, and the flames released during the battle melted the earth, creating glass. Though it’s unpleasant, it’s as if the volcanic minerals and glass found only around volcanoes have been refined.”

Natural glass, a byproduct of the extreme heat, was scattered along the roadside, mixed with various impurities. If it were only plant ash glass, it would be dazzling, but this was the Flame Emperor Dragon corridor and an ancient battlefield. He did not want to think too deeply about the origins of some of the materials.

“Some people collect high-quality glass and minerals to make a living. It’s a bit eerie, but it’s a source of food for families who have lost their breadwinners and orphans. They’re still following behind the convoy.”

The platoon leader, who was organizing the supply troops, called out. His skin, long exposed to the sun, was dark, and his legs, twice as thick as his upper body, suggested a seasoned field worker.

“...Are you guarding the convoy for free?”

Leaking a mix of exasperation and admiration, Worm looked back, and Fliug nodded.

“They’re tough guys.”

Worm confirmed with the platoon leader, who smiled slightly.

“Hodi’s platoon, right? You use this corridor often?”

“Except for the days of loading and unloading and a few days of rest on site, we travel back and forth.”

“...You’re hard workers.”

“Ha, even if it’s flattery, it’s still nice to hear.”

“It’s not flattery or a joke. The empire’s advance was supported by supply troops like Platoon Leader Hodi.”

Worm spoke from the heart, not as flattery. One of the infantry’s duties was to move on foot. For the unaccustomed, this alone could cause repeated peeling of the skin and nails, and painful sores. On the other hand, these supply troops carried loads taller than themselves and pulled heavily loaded carts. The extent of their labor was easy to imagine. While infantry were sometimes drafted for construction, they also had periods of rest when stationed in occupied territories or permanent fortifications. However, these supply troops moved continuously without rest. What else could be called diligence?

“Wow, I’m blushing... Some people used to call us cart-pulling donkeys and failed soldiers, but you’re the second person to say this after the late war god.”

The platoon leader scratched his cheek. Worm was both exasperated and impressed that the late war god, Gerald Berger, seemed to be everywhere, even in the afterlife. His concern and encouragement for even the lowest-ranking soldiers might have been the secret to maintaining the frenzied discipline and morale.

“I’m flattered to be compared to a war god.”

“Platoon Leader Worm and Squadron Leader Fliug, I’m really grateful. My supply platoon could retreat to the east because the monsters in the Dandeg area were suppressed. Without that, we would have been crushed.”

“I didn’t know that. You were involved in the Felius front?”

Fliug was surprised. It made sense. Unlike infantry and cavalry, the cumbersome supply troops found it extremely difficult to escape from a rampage.

“I was originally in the Eastern Army and transferred to the Felius Army with the invasion. During the supply of rations to the Sarajevo fortresses, the rampage occurred, and I was tasked with transporting materials for the defensive lines.”

Worm remembered that the defensive lines in the Myard region were composed of three key points, including Dandeg. This platoon leader had been involved in one of them.

“After the front collapsed, we retreated to the east in a mixed platoon of various units... I never want to walk that road again.”

The memories of the journey must have resurfaced. Hodi’s eyes glazed over. Worm, who shared a part of those memories, stopped further questioning. There was no need to explain; it was undoubtedly a blood-soaked path.

After exchanging bitter reminiscences and information about the corridor, the group continued their march, deepening their mutual understanding. They repelled five small-scale monster attacks over three days. Despite some injuries, there were no casualties or damage to the cargo. Worm and his team entered the granary, a mid-point base in the Flame Emperor Dragon corridor. The ancient castle of Dandeg, a place of ominous memories, loomed ahead.