Walm

* Manga
* Light Novel

Walm (ウォルム) is the main protagonist of the hit novel and manga series *What Do You Wish For With Those Murky Eyes: Record of Highserk War.*

## Appearance

Walm has dark black eyes and dark brown hair, and is considered to be quite handsome. His usual attire consists of his Highserk soldier uniform and armor, along with a long red scarf. When in combat he also usually wears a uniquely shaped Cervelliere, which is a hemispherical helmet made from metal.

In the first act, during the Battle at Sarajevo Fortress, Walm receives a powerful attack, and it leaves a scar on the left side of his face, from the eyes, to around up of the left ear. One of his eyes also becomes blurry. At the very end of the first act, during the Defense of Dandurg Castle, he receives a pair of golden eyes with elliptic, demon-like irises.

By the time of Act 2, Walm has long hair, which he keeps tied up in a ponytail.

## Personality

Walm maintains an outwardly composed and cool-headed demeanor, yet beneath his calm façade, he grapples with internal conflicts and turmoil. Despite his kindness and strength, he frequently finds himself burdened with self-blame and wrestling with feelings of hypocrisy.

Walm is said to be a 'half-hearted totalitarian,' meaning that even if he doesn't like the orders he's given, he still follows them. He doesn't really see any other path forwards, so even if he doesn't believe in what he's been ordered to do, he still believes that he doesn't have a choice. This can be seen in one of his quotes, where he says that "A soldier has no right to veto."

The weight of his past traumas looms large, and at times he battles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly in the aftermath of the harrowing Defense of Dandurg Castle during the Great Outbreak.

## Reputation

Walm's remarkable prowess as a fighter has earned him a formidable reputation, forged through his growth and experiences in various military campaigns and conflicts. However, it was his exceptional achievements during the Battle at Sarajevo Fortress against the Four-Country Alliance that further cemented his reputation as an extremely powerful fighter. Following his pivotal role in the Defense of Dandurg Castle during the chaos of the Great Outbreak, his reputation soared to even greater heights among both the surviving inhabitants of the fortress and the remaining survivors of the Highserk Empire, solidifying his status as a legend.

* During the Defense of Dandurg Castle, he was given the titles "Demon Slayer" and "The Blue Flames of Dandurg."

## Background

Walm was originally known as Raizou Takakura, an average salaryman in Japan. After dying from a heart attack just after starting his commute to work, he was reincarnated in another world and given the name Walm. He was born as the third son of an impoverished family of farmers in a small village. When he was young, he would play with his brothers around the village. However, once he turned 20, he was conscripted into the army of the Highserk Empire.

## Summary (Spoilers)

Act 1

Nothing here to see yet.

Act 2

Nothing here to see yet.

Act 3

Nothing here to see yet.

## Abilities

Walm is a skilled fighter, and has acquired a multitude of skills and abilities through experience in combat. He is incredibly skilled in combat. His comrade Willart showed him that he has three magic affinities: Wind, Fire, and Water. He has a strong affinity with Fire and Wind magic, but his affinity for Water magic is so weak that he is only able to generate water, a skill that his comrades often have him use to make potable water. This has given him the nickname of "Human Well" much to his dismay. When he awakens the unique skill Ignis Fatuus, his fire becomes blue and more powerful, and his resistance to heat and fire is further amplified. He also learns how to use wind magic to accelerate himself, in addition to the ability to accelerate weapons like knives and daggers.

##### Fire Magic

* **Fireball** - A magic spell that can create a ball of fire. The power can be increased by lengthening the casting time.
* **Fire Lance** - A magic spell that creates fire spears.
* **Torch** - A magic spell that can be used to create light in dark environments.

##### Wind Magic

* **Burst** - A magic spell that can be used to accelerate the user, allowing for increased mobility and agility.
* **Release** - A magic spell that can be used to accelerate objects like daggers, even halberds.

##### Water Magic

* **Create Water** - Walm is able to generate water with magic, but it is very inefficient due to his low affinity.

##### Skill

* **Magical Barrier** - A skill that magic and skill users can use to increase their resilience and defense. Having a higher affinity or higher level skill for a specific attribute increases the user's defense against that same attribute.
* **Strike** - A skill that imbues bladed weapons with magic to increase attack power.

##### Magic Skill

* **Ignis Fatuus** - A unique fire magic skill with a blue flame. The flames it generates are incredibly hot and powerful, and are also difficult to put out. [In the LN, it's confirmed as a combination of wind and fire, also said to be effective again undead]

##### Miscellaneous

* **Eyes of the Ogre Lord (Demon Eye)** - At the end of Act 1, Walm receives the eyes of the Ogre Lord. The effect of these eyes. is said to make his vision delayed a little than normal human eyes, for better or worse.

## Equipment

* **Halberd** - scavenged during the first chapter of the manga, during a castle siege against the Principality of Myard.
* **Longsword** - Later, Walm receives a magical longsword, made from a mix of magical silver and fire dragonsteel, from General Gerard Berger as a reward during Act 1.
* **Highserk Soldier Armor** - Enhanced with Mithril in Act 2.
* **Demon Mask** - Obtained from General Gerard Berger as a reward during Act 1. The mask resembles an Oni, to be precise it's like a mix of one and skeleton, and occasionally vibrates.
* **Magic Bag** - Obtained from General Gerard Berger as a reward during Act 1.

## Quotes

* **"A soldier has no right to veto."** - Walm.
* **"Threats have no meaning unless they're carried out to some extent. If you hesitate, you’ll be seen through and defeated."** - Walm.
* **"When the state says 'kill', it's your duty to kill. I was just doing my duty...as a soldier."** - Walm, explaining to Jose why he isn't proud of his accomplishments on the battlefield.
* **"What do you mean "soldier," you murderer..."** - Walm, criticizing himself after a hard day.
* **"Killing again, huh. No. It's kill or be killed. As a soldier, right?"** - Walm thinking to himself during General Gerard Berger's speech in Fort Sarria at Sarria City.
* **"Although you guys kill so much...why is it that you think you can't die yourselves?"** - Walm to Al during a skirmish between Highserk and Myard forces during the Myard Annexation War.
* **“I... have become stronger. I won’t lose to those soldiers and monsters. I’ve repelled a dragon species and even the “Three Heroes” of Craist. But... my comrades, my family…… those I don’t want to lose, I couldn’t protect them. Not a single one.”** - to himself after the Great Outbreak.

## Trivia

* Ignis Fatuus, which is derived from Latin, can be translated to English as "Will o' the Wisp" and "Foolish Fire." It can also mean something is deceptive or deluding.