37. Parting Ways

The news dropped like a rock falling into a canyon with a deafening crash that echoed throughout the ruins. No one could believe what they heard. Even Nathanial, one of the closest individuals to the watchman, felt like he had misheard what the man just said.

Luka grabbed the man’s shoulders. “What do you mean the Seventh Army decided to march this way?”

“It’s exactly as I reported. They’re marching this way.”

“How many…?”

“All.”

“All?” Luka repeated in disbelief.

The watchman quickly nodded with a startled gaze. “All of them. The entire might of the Seventh Army, with the banners of House Cronia, Ardenfall, and Solgrave, is heading this way.”

“Do they know we’re here?” Nathanial asked.

“They do. The watchmen from the Seventh discovered one of our guys. Called us careless for staying in one location, but after seeing our condition, they quickly understood what happened.”

“Careless?” Luka frowned. “Why would we be careless about resting at the ruins?”

“I’m not exactly sure, but apparently their covert forces have been hunting us down.”

“What?”

“I can’t say for sure, but according to the survivors of the Seventh Army, the Empire has a special division on the eastern side of the front lines.”

“We’ve encountered and dealt with them before, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“No, not these ones. According to the other watchmen, they can track our companions, and they have no reason to lie. Odds are, if it wasn’t for John’s call, then all of us standing here right now would have died last night.”

The man’s words settled heavily in their chests. Nathanial could tell he wasn’t lying, and truth be told, the patrolmen wouldn’t have made it far anyway if it hadn’t been for the watchmen. The forest, with its abundance of trees, was crawling with the Empire’s forces.

In a single night, the men could have died in their sleep with their enemies breathing down their necks. No matter how Nathanial thought about it, that forest was a death trap, and now word spread that the Seventh Army was marching straight into it.

“We… we need to stop them,” Fredrick said. “They don’t know what they’re walking into.”

Nathanial thought about the rumors he heard about the Commander of the Seventh Army and shook his head. “If they’re moving this way, then that means they plan to help the Sixth Army.”

“No… no way… T-they’re fucking insane if that’s the case.”

“Perhaps, but maybe we’re all a bit insane at this point.” Nathanial met Luka’s gaze. “Does this mean we’re joining their ranks?”

“We don’t have any better options. It’s either we die with the Seventh Army, or we die alone trying to escape from this hell,” Luka replied.

The men whispered to one another with a mixture of fear and confidence in their voices. Percy quickly did a gesture of prayer while Richard crossed his arms before falling deep into thought.

Fredrick nudged Nathanial’s arm. “Are you sure about this? This isn’t just a skirmish anymore, but a large-scale campaign now.”

Nathanial stared at the others. His eyes filled with a sense of emptiness and warmth as he thought of his vows and the death of his mentor. The trembling in his hands vanished long ago, and the chilly spring air of the night before now felt lukewarm.

A few days ago, he was training back at the encampment with his friends. Now those he once stood beside were no longer there. And at this moment, Nathanial couldn’t help but ask… why?

Why did things end up like this?

To have your body and mind rot away.

Watching those you care about leave the world before you, and constantly being on the verge of losing your sense of self…

If anyone knew they would end up like this, then they would have never set foot on the battlefield.

Yet they continue to do so anyway, as if something were pushing them forward.

They all willingly walked into that hell Luka mentioned, unsure if it was their own will.

But for Nathanial, he knew what his reason was. The conditions and the people around him left him with no choice.

He had little time to grieve for those who had fallen, and there was no telling if, by moving forward, he would see a different sort of hell compared to the day before. Maybe he was even looking past it. Toward hope or another tragedy awaiting them.

But if there was one thing Nathanial was certain of, it was that only by moving forward could he know for sure.

“The call has been made,” Nathanial said. “We’ve come too far to lose trust in each other now, so let’s see this hell through to the end.”

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Luka smiled, walking over to Nathanial. He patted him on the shoulder. “Well said. You heard our patrol leader. How far is the army from us?”

“The advance group will be here in a few minutes, then the main army will be right behind them,” the watchman replied.

Luka nodded and moved to the other watchmen. “Gather your things; have a few of us scout further ahead, and the rest will meet the advance.”

The men in the ruins immediately began their work, silently packing what remained of their belongings. The wounded clutched their injuries and damaged gear while trying to stand. Some offered to help, but the injured refused.

He glanced to the side to see Richard lifting extra supplies and Fredrick trying to lighten the mood.

A few hours weren’t enough. They were still exhausted from the battles, and many still hadn’t moved on from the friends they’d lost. Even Nathanial was still barely keeping it together despite his strong external composure.

He couldn’t allow himself to crumble. Not while others were still doing their best to keep themselves together.

From the side, he could see Luka gesture at him, and with no reason to decline, Nathanial joined the watchmen with his blue tabard stained in blood, swaying with each step.

“Walk with me for a bit,” Luka said. “We have some time before the advance party gets here.”

Nathanial raised a brow. “Sure… but I take it you wouldn’t want to talk to me unless it was something important, right?”

Luka leaned back and chuckled. “Is it always business with you? Can’t I just talk to my friend for a bit before we go our separate ways?”