Nigoru Hitomi de Nani wo Negau

Once finished the morning routine, he heated the well water with fire magic, and started to pour the warm water from the head. Sure, he had gotten used to cold water, but now since he started to regain his senses, he would of course choose warm water.

After bathing in the water, he opened the door of Gangut’s store, which had changed in his mind from a bar to a restaurant. Early in the day, the hustle and bustle of the night had calmed down like a lie.

“Good morning, Gangut-san”

“You always come to eat every day huh. Let me remind you, this place, is a bar.”

Gangut, complaining, set the pot on fire and was preparing food. This was also because Walm, who had been drinking from morning till night, no longer dropped money as often as before.

The dish offered today was a pie, potato, and bean soup, where cod and salmon were having a good time together. It didn’t take long for all of them to disappear and integrated with Walm’s body as calories. After finishing the meal, Gangut called him.

“It’s a bit savage to say this as a job fits you the most, but there is a place where you can get hired and pay well.”

“Where?”

It was hard for Walm to believe that such a strange job was out there, but at the same time, he was excited.

“It’s a battlefield. Lord Edgar is gathering soldiers. He has come all the way to the bar to recruit soldiers. Experienced military men and magic users are given preferential treatment.”

Hearing that, Walm was convinced. If it was a “social space” called a battlefield, no one would care much about your appearance and clothes. In that respect, Walm, who had military experience and magic, could be said met the recruitment criteria and could be put on the scene immediately.

“War, huh… who is the opponent?”

Obviously, it was a well-known fact that the “Three Big Countries” hadn’t had an external armed conflict for more than a few decades. First of all, the countries where war could be launched were limited. The risk would be too high, such as if the war between the Three Big Countries that had been reigning as hegemons, were to happen, other countries would be in one or another way got involved too, and it could be said that it would be the final war of humankind in motion.

“It’s Count Meisenav. He hasn’t been on good terms with the Lord of neighboring land, ruled by the Dalimarx Family, but it seems that the relationship has deteriorated at once since the magical silver mine on the demon territory was found and captured. Looks like the war between them is about to start soon.”

“As expected of being the owner of a bar, you sure know a lot.”

“I won’t make the food free even if you flatter me… I thought you’d jump in immediately, but you don’t look so enthusiastic.”

“Because, I got tired of war.”

Walm looked back on the days since he was drafted. Although he got payments that couldn’t be compared with local income, the welfare environment was poor. He slept together with the corpse, and danced in the deadly land every day to the point even he lost a sense of time, since he must be ready every time, even when sleeping. It was a lively workplace where people and monsters were killed as many as you could, regardless of morning or night.

“That’s a heavy story you have. Walm, you’re probably from Highserk, right? A lot of your friends are there. Isn’t it perfect for a reunion?”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t know a lot of things huh”

Gangut told Walm as if teasing him.

“For a year, going back and forth between your bar and my bed. Of course, I don’t know what’s been happening.”

“Thanks for your patronage, it was a good revenue. Should I dance as a thank you?”

“Stop it. My eyes will get hurt again.”

Who would like to see middle-aged dances? Not Walm. Especially if such had the potential to disturb the now calmed eyes.

“Well, let’s get back to the main story. The border area is said to be a buffer zone with the biggest Demon Territory, but in reality, one of the remnants of the Highserk Empire got the control of the area there, and has been holding the line against the Demon Territory since. Highserk people, who seem to be having difficulty mining and managing the magical silver mine alone, and Edgar, who wanted the underground resources, have decided to mine together.”

It was surprising that the remnants of the Highserk Empire were expanding there. After all, while watching the fall of the capital, Walm saw a considerable number of defeated soldiers.

Even when he fled to Kopetsk, the border city of the archipelago, Walm saw a decent number of the same kinds as him. However, most have come to terms with reality and found a new line of work, and the remaining few have fallen into prostitutes, beggars, slaves, and drunkards. Walm had been so corrupt until the other day that he had no right, nor the intention either, to blame them.

“So, some of the survivors were trying to rebuild at the border huh…”

“Do you feel like participating now?”

Walm went to think silently.

No decent job, and money would be needed to get a cure. And a battlefield should be a profitable place. Walm understood it.

Until now, there was a convenient reason called “patriotism”, he went to war for the homeland, but if he accepted the recruitment, it would mean that he participated in the war, just for money.

“You’re thinking it so much, how unexpected. I thought you were the type that kills people for fun. I mean, you beat a drunk adventurer to half-dead after all.”

“Really, what do you think I am?”

Certainly, Walm crushed the adventurer’s face with his elbows, shook the viscera with his palms, and was on the verge of slashing the man with 《Strike》. But that was a reflexive defense, and it wasn’t until the man pulled out his sword.

Gangut just raised his shoulder lightly and refused to answer.

Walm sighed. There was no choice. He could have chosen a profession that had nothing to do with war if he had a normal eye, but now there was an urgent need for money. The only way to make the most of the expertise he had acquired was to work on a battlefield. There is no purpose to declare it sublime, and the reality was that he had to jump into war for money. This was no different from the adventurers he had a prejudice for, or mercenaries.

Helping the former compatriots to regain their footing, and even though they would be from a different Front, to be able to stand side by side with another Highserk soldier, perhaps would be able to console his brain which couldn’t stop mocking himself for this past year. Albeit, it might be a disproportionate idea for his sense which had been drowning in alcohol.

“I’ll participate”

Even with a lot of messy and silly excuses, he was impressed with himself who lacked integrity and chose to participate.

“I see. Then, I’ll buy good meat for dinner so that you won’t have any regrets. Do you want some liquors too?”

“Thank you, but no. I’m afraid I won’t stop drinking until morning.”

Walm was amazed at Gangut, who made it sound as if it was the last dinner he would have. Still, he couldn’t help but think that the connection made in foreign lands wasn’t so bad, in fact, it was quite comfortable.

◆

People who responded to the draft were gathered on a farm in the suburbs of the city. A number of ordinary soldiers, but most of them were militias, which were most likely the second and third sons of farmers who didn’t have the land to take over like Walm, and those who had trouble eating also participated.

Although they were enthusiastic about learning some martial art of spear, unlike the regular soldiers, their bodies were thin and the loose atmosphere made them feel like battle virgins.

Many had a young appearance that could only be described as a boy. Some bring their own armor, but most were rented dust-covered armor and spears found in the warehouse. The crowded reception line was long enough to feel like an eternity. Occasionally, a dull sound echoed from a distance.

While working hard to observe the people around him for killing time, finally the turn came.

It was a man who was supposed to be an old regular soldier who was handling the people. The man who ran his gaze from Walm’s feet to his head murmured.

“I think you have military experience.”

“Yeah, I was attending the service until recently.”

“Are you from Highserk?”

“That’s right”

Besides Walm, many Highserk people had run away from the homeland. Among them, some participated in the war to get food. The soldiers who had experienced combat looks were eye-catching, especially since they were mixed with ordinary people.

“More than half of them are inexperienced people. Still, even if they are strangers, we welcome them.”

It was about half flattery and half real intention. Even if Walm was on the side of the regular soldier, he would expect more soldiers from other countries than those amateur peoples of his own.

“What about magic and skills?”

“I can use fire, wind, and water attributes, but I can only use fire and wind in actual battles. And a skill… 《Strike》.”

The healing magician told him to refrain from using 《Demon Fire》. It now had become a skill that shouldn’t be used unless the situation forced it to. If used in a place where the operation wasn’t well known, a large number of soldiers would be involved. If most of them were regular experienced soldiers, it might not end that bad. But he would just burn his allies if he were mixed with militias who were mostly battle virgins.

“Three attributes and 《Strike》 huh. I’m not being skeptical, but I must confirm it.”

The soldier summoned a young soldier who might have been a subordinate.

“Heard him? Please check it.”

Rushed by a young soldier, Walm was taken to a vacant lot on the nearby farm. The surrounding area was filled with embankments, and like Walm, those who were taken out of the crowd were showing off their practical skills.

“Shoot magic over there. You only need to show the fire attribute.”

Traces of destruction were left on the designated embankments. The earth had been scooped out by various magic. Walm glared that the dull sound heard in the distance, thinking that the people in the magical test shot must be having fun.

It seemed that Walm was expected to use only fire attribute magic because it had more power in general. Fire magic was the most suitable power for creating a block, stopping an assault, and even a breakthrough

Walm refined his mana and aimed at the designated target. The user of the earth attribute magic politely formed a humanoid figure of a group of five with earth. When the blue fireball embodied at the tip of the hand landed, it scattered blue flames with hot air. The blast exploded the five soil masses. At the point of impact, it was as if the blue flame saying it had not enough.

“This is, amazing”

The young soldier said with excitement. Walm saw the swaying blue flame and exhaled a little. The former battlefield flashed in his mind as he saw the burning mass of soil.

“Are you okay?”

“Next is 《Strike》 “

The nimble magic-user recreated a humanoid figure with earth in front of Walm.

Stroked it with his hand and tapped it lightly. Not only did it was hard, but the hardness was close to that of a human, and was suitable for showing the cutting.

After removing the leather cover that covered the tip of the halberd, not long after Walm was in the opposite direction.

In the case of the human body, the soil mass that was cut off from the waist to the shoulder lost support and was pulled by the weight, returning to the ground.

“It’s enough”

The soldier, who raised his hand as if to surrender, took out the decorated silver plate from his bosom and presented it to Walm.

“What? Is this money?”

Walm glared at a kind of original coin that was coined as a currency in the territory. The palm-sized silver plate was bulky and didn’t look easy to use. A soldier laughed at Walm, who suspiciously distorted his face.

“I thought you were an experienced mercenary, but you don’t know it huh. It’s a silver plate that promises a reward. It’s worth it even if you melt it, but if you offer to exchange it after the war, you can get gold coins. There are several types available. However, the silver plate shows the highest treatment and compensation among the applicants. Let me tell you, but most of the mercenaries are getting copper plates, you know.”

For the time being, Walm felt fortunate to be highly evaluated. He then noticed something. That this might be their way to prevent those who might run away before the war with full advance payment.

“What if the Dalimarx family is destroyed in the war?”

“Don’t be so imprudent. It’s a battle over a magical silver mine. No matter how greedy the Meisenav family is, we won’t be destroyed. Maintaining the mine and buffer zones at the same time will only sound like a trouble for them. And if they dare to burn the urban area, the other countries in Central Region, which like to be a bystander, will have no choice but to move.”

Couldn’t understand the soldier’s explanation, the embarrassed Walm asked the soldier.

“So, the Meisenav family won’t burn rural and urban areas?”

The soldier opened his eyes. It was as if Walm was a monster or something scary.

“This is why the northern countries are said to be crazy about war… The only battlefield is around the magic silver mine that was recently claimed from the Demon Territory.”

Walm doubted his ears. The mission this time was purely to occupy the target, not to attack the rural and urban areas that could be the source of troops and supplies, or the source of the plan. It just sounded strange.

“Haha, I see”

Wonderful, really, wonderful. Wars in the Archipelago sounded more peaceful and intelligent. There was no defense battle where he would be required to bet his life even in sleep, no annihilation battle for the military and civilians, and no total war for the destruction of the nation. Walm was relieved of how easy the war would be.

Didn’t mean to be despicable, but if what he would do was just kill people with gold as a purpose like him, he could feel a little less guilty, and it wouldn’t worsen his muddy conscience. Of course, there might be exceptions, but no distinction could be made. Walm could only treat others as equally as possible.

“It’s a good country”

Walm leaked words from the bottom of his heart.