Heimarian Odyssey

Mueller felt that these few days were like a dream. At first, he was struggling with his livelihood, so he decided to join the militia. Then, when he was transporting supplies to the walls, he'd somehow been told to guard the city gates.

The sharpest weapon he'd ever held before this was a pair of scissors. Now, he was one of the soldiers with a spear in his hand and a sword around his waist.

Mueller was wearing Shalorian armour and stroking his sword as he walked towards the west side of the walls. Along the way, he was urging the militiamen who were transporting supplies to hurry.

Not bad, Mueller had achieved astonishing triumphs. He'd gotten the armour from a dead body a few days ago and he didn't know who it was, but any Shalorian soldier who had an armour was at least a squad jarl. Men were dying at all times at the walls, so who could've remembered who he was before this?

The platoon jarl at the third arrow stack at the north side of the west gate even encouraged him by patting on his shoulder just now. The zone that was guarded by Mueller and the other Shalorian soldiers had resisted the last wave of Faustian attacks. The Faustian soldiers never even had the chance to get close to the walls and were forced to retreat.

When the platoon jarl finally came to inspect, he found that Mueller turned out to be the highest-ranking person in this area.

"Work hard! I'll give you a leave tonight!" praised Mueller's boss.

"Yes, Sir!" said Mueller firmly as he gave a patriotic look. This made the platoon jarl even happier. After a burst of hearty laughter, the platoon jarl left and went somewhere else for inspection.

As he walked to a corner, the platoon jarl suppressed the smile on his face and let out a puzzled expression. "That's weird, why don't I remember having him under me? Is he a newcomer?" The platoon jarl shook his head. There were too many additions to his platoon recently, and there was no way he could remember all of their names, let alone their faces. He could only recognise them by their armour and uniform.

Mueller only relaxed after watching the platoon jarl leave.

He was nothing like a squad jarl. Mueller didn't even know the proper way to slash and stab. He'd just been hiding in the arrow stacks during the battles for the past few days, or he'd just mess around and throw his spear below the walls. He might've even stabbed a hapless Faustian soldier.

But the other soldiers thought differently. Mueller was known for having the courage to stand on the walls and fight with the Faustian soldiers who were at the ladders. Most of the soldiers there were forced to defend the city, like Mueller, but not many of them were as bold as him.

As for hiding in the arrow stacks... Mueller was wearing the armour of a squad jarl anyway, and weren't they supposed to be giving commands from the arrow stacks?

This was what many soldiers had thought, but their misconception made Mueller famous among the soldiers. At least he didn't have to worry that someone would expose him for the time being.

From the week of continuous battles and his capital accent, no one would doubt the authenticity of Mueller's position.

Holding a small wooden stick in his mouth, he whistled as he walked towards the walls. It was already evening, and it was time for dinner.

The food that Mueller got this week was the most luxurious food he'd ever eaten in his entire life. There were plenty of wheat cakes and as a squad jarl, he could also have a bowl of delicious broth.

When Mueller returned home two days ago, his wife was surprised by the change. It'd greatly satisfied his vanity.

He was overwhelmed with mixed emotions as he watched his two children gobble up the food he'd brought home. Just a week ago, his family still had to rely on relief food to survive.

"Ford, pack two pieces of meat for me!" shouted Mueller towards a cook who was distributing food to the soldiers.

"Okay!" replied Ford.

Although Mueller could have a bowl of broth for every meal, he didn't want it. He would ask the staff from the logistics department to change the broth to meat instead. Both of his children were still growing, and they'd only eaten meat a few times in their lives. He needed to be a responsible father and do something about it for his children.

Ford wrapped two pieces of meat that were smaller than the size of his palms together and gave them to Mueller along with two wheat cakes.

Mueller kept the meat carefully and held the wheat cakes in his hand. He then went up to the walls again.

The leave that the platoon jarl had given him was at night, and although it was now evening, he still needed to stick to his post.

He lied prone next to the lookout window in the arrow stack as he watched the movements of the Faustian soldiers in the distance while eating the food that was in his hands. Two wheat cakes were just right for him since he didn't have a muscular physique.

Mueller, who had somehow become a squad jarl, didn't idle away his time too. He'd worked in a pub in Audis for more than twenty years, and had good eyesight. He could spot the movements of the attacks from the Faustian soldiers from far away quite quickly.

This ability had allowed him to avoid the threats during the battles in these few days.

"Boss! What's the matter?" asked a tall man with a round face.

This man was a soldier under Mueller and also a recruit who'd been dragged to the walls in the past two days. He had a heavy northern accent, and sometimes no one could understand what he said.

Only Mueller, who'd worked in a crowded pub before for so many years, could understand him. This was why he was the closest to Mueller during these few days.

"Nothing's the matter, Aoun!" yelled Mueller. He didn't know whether it was because of the high altitude that had caused a blockage in Aoun's ears, as other people had to speak loudly so that Aoun could hear what they'd said.

The rest of the soldiers didn't like to be with Aoun. Putting his tall, emasculating height aside, it was too strenuous to talk to him. Not only could he not hear anything clearly, others also didn't know what he was talking about. It only made them feel like fools.

"Oh!" Aoun touched his head, walked over, and sat down on the haystack next to Mueller.

Mueller was eating his wheat cake as he watched Aoun sit there with his head down and not uttering a word. He then asked curiously, "Have you had dinner?"

Aoun opened his mouth but he didn't answer Mueller's question. He kept his head down and kept pulling the hay from the haystack.

Mueller understood at once. He didn't say anything and just took out the other piece of wheat cake from his arms and placed it in his hand. He then got up and walked out. Not long after, Mueller came back with another piece of wheat cake.

"Go ahead and eat! Why are you not eating?" Mueller looked at the piece of wheat cake that he'd given him and it was still untouched.

Aoun gave Mueller a grateful expression and gobbled up the food. It only took him two or three bites to finish everything.

As he saw Aoun started eating, Mueller then walked towards him and sat down. He continued to eat the piece of wheat cake that he hadn't finished and said, "Your height has gone to waste. How come you still get bullied by others when you have a body like this?"

Aoun didn't answer. Perhaps he hadn't heard Mueller's question.

Mueller didn't say anything else when he saw his starved look. He felt that Aoun was a weirdo. He was obviously strong and tall, but his personality was timid like a fly's. His food had probably been taken away.

Mueller, who'd worked in the pub for so many years, had seen all kinds of people, and Aoun was the first weirdo he'd met. But this was also why he would take care of this silly fellow.

After finishing his wheat cake, Mueller kept the other wheat cake and the two pieces of meat carefully. He planned to bring these back for his wife and children tonight.

He then grabbed the spear that was beside the arrow stack. Mueller yawned, leaned against the lookout window, and dozed off. He hadn't shut his eyes since yesterday at midnight until now, and his body had already reached its limit.

After laying down for who knew how long, Mueller was awakened by someone shaking him. With his sleepy eyes, he saw an anxious look on Aoun's face as he looked into the distance hastily.

"What's the matter?" Mueller was in a bad mood as his sleep had been disturbed. He felt that he had only closed his eyes for a while before he was woken up by Aoun.

Mueller looked into the direction where Aoun was looking through the observation tower. It was already almost dark outside, and there were countless torches lit up. They were like the stars and meteorites in the sky, and they looked even more like countless souls of jack-o'-lanterns. At this moment, the sleepy Mueller instantly snapped awake.

"Quick! Get up!" Mueller dragged Aoun's body along anxiously and rushed out of the arrow stack.

"The enemy is attacking! The enemy is attacking!" Without Mueller's alert, the scouts on the other arrow towers had also discovered the numerous Faustian soldiers who were approaching their city.

After dragging Aoun to his team's zone of defence, Mueller murmured in disbelief, "It can't be! Why are there so many people?"

In the Faustian headquarters two thousand yards away from the walls of Audis, Kenzir and Marmen were sat in front of a flame screen, watching the situation on the screen carefully.

The flame screen displayed the current situation at the east gate of Audis. Besides Kenzir and Marmen, there were two others.

One of them was holding a crystal ball and pointing it directly at the screen. It seemed like he was a caster who was supporting the projection. The other person sat next to Kenzir and Marmen, paying close attention to the battle at the front line.

"It's all thanks to you for making it here in time," said Kenzir towards Shia, a middle-aged man who'd just shown up.

"Don't mention it, Prince, this is what a subordinate should do." Shia's family was a die-hard royalist, and they would only obey the orders from the king and his heirs. He did not dare to take Kenzir's compliments for granted.

"With the addition of Gale tonight, I'm very sure that the attacks from three major corps will be powerful enough to break Audis' defences!" Victory was within Kenzir's grasp.

"Yes. The soldiers of Gale have been quite demotivated ever since Woode's death, but they'd so far not been defeated. As they say, an army burning with righteous indignation is bound to win. Gale is our main force for this battle," It was rare for Marmen to compliment Gale.

"We must win this battle!" said Kenzir as he slammed his fist on the table.

Flames of war raged everywhere in Audis tonight, and the sounds of people screaming and killing didn't stop until the next morning.

On the 9th of the 1st Month, 13674, of the Aomarian Calendar, Faustian, which was located in the south-central region of the mainland, launched a full-scale attack at Audis, the capital city of Shalor. A total of 140,000 Faustian soldiers broke through the east and west gates of Audis in one night, and the rest of the Shalorian garrison, nobles, and the members of the royal family were wiped out on the next day.

This five-year war between the two kingdoms ended with the destruction of Shalor.