Chapter 6

Frieg was busy with consultations with the operational forces regarding the transportation of supplies and personnel to the Selta territory of the Principality of Maierud. After all, the amount to be transported was enormous. With the supply unit, the light infantry company, and the non-combatants, four hundred people would be moving at once. The complexity of verifying the roster, procuring provisions, and various procedures and adjustments was overwhelming. In the past, such intricate tasks and preparations were handled by civil servants, but nowadays, anyone who could be used, even the dead or monsters, was being called upon.

"The Empire used to have more leeway, but I find myself nostalgic and envious of those times."

Frieg muttered this unproductive complaint. After all, large-scale convoys were inefficient. Ideally, constant small-scale movements would be less burdensome and more efficient for transportation. The reason for forming such a cumbersome convoy was the incomplete control of the traffic route known as the Flame Emperor Dragon Corridor. On both sides of the corridor, the territories of monsters spread, and Maierud and Haiselk were only connected by a thin line. If any one point were severed, the connection between the two countries would be cut off.

Fortunately, the squad leader of the supply unit, who was working on the mission, was a seasoned veteran who had been promoted from the field. Frieg had heard that he had survived multiple attacks during transportation and had managed to transport the cargo without abandoning it during a major rampage. During the consultations, Frieg, who was unfamiliar with internal affairs, received help from the squad leader's accumulated expertise and skills.

"That squad leader's name was Hodi, wasn't it? It's no wonder, given his extensive combat experience from the former Western Front Army."

Considering the severe shortage of personnel, he must be well-favored. The military leadership is eagerly awaiting the return of such a capable soldier. There was even a commotion over the assignment of the Wurm Guardian among the Southern Front Army Hadro Regiment Commander, the Eastern Zeref Brigade Commander, and the Maierud Dispatch Army Justus Brigade Commander. Even the lords of the island nations, Viscount Edgar and Duke Triio, tried to contact him to bring him into their service. It was fortunate that he had not been snatched away and had returned to the capital.

Frieg returned his attention to the cargo for the return journey. The Principality of Maierud had taken control of the Reven Mines of the fallen Felius Kingdom and had started operations by employing the refugees who had flowed in. The payment for the materials and food flowing in from Haiselk was made in refined iron and seafood. Although Maierud had lost much, it was eager to regain its influence. The female Grand Duchess of Maierud, while having made a mistake in her leadership at one point, was now consolidating the Selta territory as a ruler. Frieg evaluated her as such.

While diligently verifying the recorded information, Frieg raised his gaze at the approaching footsteps. The person was probably making a loud noise to indicate their arrival. Preparing himself, he soon received a response.

"Captain, you have a visitor. The Wurm Guardian has business."

"Please have him come in immediately."

Frieg stood up from his chair to greet Wurm even before he entered. Although the title of Guardian was an honorary rank in the old military organization, he was one of the few surviving active members in the current empire. In Dandueg, he had led a mixed battalion with a temporary wartime rank of battalion commander and fought valiantly. Without the Guardian, Dandueg Castle would have fallen easily. It was unthinkable for Frieg to greet such a person while seated.

"I'm sorry to trouble you during your busy time."

"No, I was just thinking of taking a break as I was stuck—what's the matter?"

Frieg sensed Wurm's agitation from his words, gestures, and expressions. The Guardian rarely showed his emotions openly. Prompted by Frieg, Wurm began to explain the situation.

"I never thought my brother was still alive."

Frieg, having grasped the situation, let out a troubled sigh. The people of Haiselk had lost neighbors in some form or another. It was not uncommon for entire families to be wiped out. Frieg himself had lost many connections. In such a situation, a blood brother was a precious existence. Moreover, the remaining family and villagers of the Guardian had all crossed over to the afterlife.

Understanding the gravity of the matter, Frieg acted quickly. He moved the work tools spread on his desk to the side and took out a military map from a locked drawer. Although it was less precise and accurate than the maps distributed to battalion and regiment commanders, it contained far more information than the crude maps available on the market. After all, the map was constantly updated, and he had just made some changes to it.

"Where is the village located?"

"Here."

Peering at the spot Wurm indicated, Frieg murmured to himself.

"Although it's within our effective control, it's close to the provisional border."

The location of the village was not favorable. Even though it was within the controlled area, it was along the border with the monster territories and the Liberato territories.

"Appropriate units are deployed for the recovery of the old territories and the monitoring of the border. An accidental battle is unlikely, but—"

The Liberato Commercial Federation prioritized the control of the Selta Lake shore and the rivers among the former Haiselk territories that had been swallowed by the monster territories. A full-scale offensive was not expected immediately. While a large-scale military intervention was anticipated within a few years, there had been no cross-border incidents so far, and the two countries maintained a superficial calm. However, the danger of stray monsters remained.

Frieg raised his gaze and saw Wurm staring intently at the map as if a hole would appear in it. If the opportunity were missed and the family moved to another country, the search would become extremely difficult. A reunion with his family might not be possible in this lifetime. The Guardian, Wurm, had played a significant role in the survival of the empire. It was only right to fulfill his small wish for a reunion with his family.

"Guardian Wurm, if you can make it in four days, it is possible to return home."

"I appreciate your help. Can I go?"

"Of course. I would like to accompany you, but—"

"Given the current situation, prioritize your military duties. Besides, if I bring a guard for just a visit home, my brother would laugh at me for being overprotective."

It was a reasonable argument. In fact, there were few idle soldiers under his command. Should he force a guard to be extracted? Frieg, who was torn, recalled Wurm's figure leading a counterattack against monsters while commanding the front lines. It might be an unnecessary precaution. In Dandueg, he had withstood a major rampage, and in the labyrinth city, he had survived intact against a rotting dragon. It was hard to imagine him dying in battle.

"Sending a guard would be a formality... Please be careful on your journey."

Frieg, who tried to maintain an objective perspective as a soldier, had fought under Wurm's command in Dandueg. To the soldiers who had fought under his command, Wurm was an absolute leader. This devotion could be described as blind. No matter how powerful he was, he was still human. Even the greatest heroes, strategists, and military gods had their bodies exposed on the battlefield, a bloody history of the northern countries.

◆

Wurm had moved from one front to another alone, and after the fall of the country, he wandered through the island nations. He did not need elaborate preparations to set out, and with the permission of Frieg, the convoy's responsible officer, he headed straight for his destination.

During his journey back to the country, he had not completely dismissed the idea of returning to his hometown. Homesickness had swirled in his heart, and the thought had often crossed his mind. What had held him back was a kind of fear. If he returned to the village he had burned himself, he would have to face the reality. He hoped that the event was a bad daydream and that the village was still alive, with his family welcoming him.

"...It's just a delusion. The hands of the clock cannot be turned back."

After one and a half years, the experience in the island nations, and the news of his brother's survival, Wurm had accepted the reality. The journey home was short compared to his travels. He hurried along the path that was still vivid in his memory. Although it was a road he had once walked, it was now being overtaken by the forest, having been abandoned by human hands.

The more he advanced, the more childhood memories that he had once suppressed resurfaced. The forest where he and his brother played until sunset, the well-trodden rural roads, the rocks and trees he used as landmarks, and the sweet and sour taste of the wild strawberries they ate together came to mind.

Swinging his halberd like a machete, the perennial herbs blocking his path fell to the ground in a whirl. The sap that clung to the blade was less pungent than that of humans or monsters, making it less irritating.

Wurm, who had been wary of monster attacks, had not encountered any. The troops stationed at the border must be diligent and skilled. As he continued, a fence entangled with vines came into view. The fence, which had not been repaired since he left the village for military service, now only faintly retained its original form. His heart pounded with nostalgia. His body, as rigid as a statue, trembled as if urged by a demon's mask.

"I know. Don't rush me."

Exhaling and calming his mind, Wurm took a step forward. The village, which had been consumed by blue flames and turned to ash, was now covered in green. Compared to the unpaved roads he had traveled, the forest's encroachment was slower. Searching for the bodies of the villagers who had crossed over, he crouched down and examined the ground. There were drag marks and footprints everywhere.

Following the trail, he found that multiple tracks led to the village square. Unlike the outskirts, the grass and trees had been cleared, and the debris had been removed. In the center stood a tombstone made from the foundation materials of the houses. It was likely that all the remains were placed beneath it. Offerings of flowers and alcohol were also placed there.

He moved forward as if in a fever. A man stood in front of the tombstone. Wurm, unable to speak due to the lump in his throat, inadvertently announced his presence by stepping on a pebble with his half-boots. The man turned around, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Wurm... It's been a long time."

His brother spoke his name. Yes, he called his name. Wurm had been worried. The more he killed to survive on the battlefield, the more his essence as a human changed. Whether it was morality, conscience, or something else, it was uncertain. But what was certain was that his appearance and eyes changed, as if dragged by his mind and soul. Would his family, his brother, recognize him as the same person? Those worries were unfounded.

"Ah, yeah."

It was a poor response, but his brother welcomed him without teasing.

"Good to see you. Welcome back."

"...I'm home."

Just one person, but it was a response he could never have received in his previous returns. Wurm's body trembled.

'Turbid Eyes: What Do You Wish For? Haiselk War Chronicles'

The first chapter of the manga adaptation is now available for free. It is a very voluminous 80 pages. The second chapter is currently serialized in this month's issue of Shonen Magazine Edge.

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The URL for the first chapter trial read is below.

https://magazine-edge.jp/contents/nigoruhitomi.html