WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 11: Victory and Dilemma

“Boss! …damn it! It’s hopeless!”

“Boss is done for! Run away!”

With the death of their leader, the remaining dozen or so bandits finally gave up the fight. Realizing there was no longer any chance of victory, they turned and tried to flee.

“Should we chase after them, Sir Friedrich?”

“...no. We’ll let them run. They won’t be able to do anything again anyway.”

Friedrich spoke quietly as the retreating bandits were pelted with stones and other attacks from the roadside buildings.

At this rate, fewer than ten of them would make it out of Volga alive. The rest could be left to the main force from the provincial capital. They would arrive soon enough and finish the cleanup.

If they tried to pursue now, there was a real risk that their own people would get caught in friendly fire. These civilians couldn’t be expected to show the aim or judgment needed to avoid hitting their allies while targeting only the fleeing bandits.

Even if those bandits managed to escape, it likely wouldn’t be a problem. Some of the incapacitated ones were only wounded, not dead, and plenty were still alive enough to interrogate. There’d be no shortage of people to question about why such a large force of bandits had appeared in the first place.

And the interrogation wouldn’t be their responsibility. That job belonged to the provincial army. They had already done their part by rendering most of the enemy unable to fight and driving the rest into a retreat.

As far as Friedrich was concerned, the Battle of Volga was over.

“It’s our victory. It’s thanks to everyone fighting so bravely. Thank you.”

As Friedrich announced that, the residents of Volga raised shouts and cries of victory.

“Amazing! We really just beat a large crowd of bandits by ourselves!!”

“We survived! We protected our families and land!!”

“It’s thanks to Sir Friedrich!”

Watching the townspeople speak joyfully among themselves, Friedrich allowed a smile to form on his face.

They had survived. Every one of them had made it through this crisis alive.

He had built the plan purely on what he had read in books. He never imagined it would go this well. It felt like a miracle, a dreamlike victory.

"...We've won, but it’s not over yet. We still have to capture the surviving bandits and clean up after the fight. For now, anyone strong enough here should pair up in twos and begin restraining the prisoners. As for cleaning up the alleys—"

Friedrich stopped midsentence and took a slow, deep breath.

"...That cleanup will be handled by the people along the road. Someone, go and tell them."

With his orders given, the people began to move. The cleanup after the battle had begun. Friedrich watched from the side, then quietly sat down on the spot. He let out a long breath and stared at his own hand, still trembling slightly.

“Are you alright, Friedrich?”

“...yeah. It’s my first time killing a person, so it's just the shock of that, probably.”

He hadn’t killed anyone with his own hands, but it was his plan that had taken dozens of lives. Even if they were bandits, it didn’t change the fact that many people had died because of him. The weight of that truth suddenly hit him.

The residents of Volga didn’t seem too troubled, at least for now. Maybe they weren’t thinking too deeply about it. A part of Friedrich envied them for that.

And then there was Yurika. She looked completely unfazed. In her case, she had clearly known what it meant to drive a blade into the bandit leader and kill him, and she showed no sign of hesitation even with that. She was truly dependable.

"You’re alright, Friedrich. I’m here with you.

She smiled and sat beside him, leaning gently against his side. Friedrich smiled back. As she wrapped her arms around him and he felt her warmth, the trembling in his hands slowly began to fade.

“Um, Sir Friedrich.”

Just then, someone approached and called out to him. Yurika let go of his arm, and Friedrich stood up.

"...Bruno."

“Thank you very much. I was able to survive thanks to you.”

Bruno laughed as he bowed his head repeatedly, and Friedrich nodded back with a smile. The relief of survival was still fresh, and for now, he could return Bruno’s smile without restraint.

"You didn’t run. You held your ground. You did well."

"Heh, thanks... So, um, about what we talked about before the fight. You said if I showed promise, you’d recommend me to become a knight. I was wondering, uh, how’s that looking?"

Grinning a little too eagerly, Bruno tilted his head. Friedrich blinked at him, unsure what he was talking about, then it came back to him.

"Oh, that... Sorry, but that was a lie."

"A lie?

"Actually, not just that part. All of it. I’m not the son of a noble. I don’t have any heroic blood in me."

"......"

Bruno froze with his eyes open as wide as they could go, mouth hanging open in shock. Friedrich gave him an awkward smile.

"Sorry for lying."

Bruno stood there with a ridiculous expression, frozen in place, while Friedrich pressed his hands together with a sheepish grin. Yurika giggled beside them. That strange little moment wrapped the group in a quiet, lighthearted air, until noise suddenly stirred from the southern side of the plaza.

"...What’s going on?"

Leaving Bruno still frozen, Friedrich turned toward the commotion coming from the crowd. A group of knights was entering the plaza from the main road.

There were more than twenty of them, each clad in armor that looked expensive and well-maintained. They clearly weren’t the underfunded cavalry from the Viscounty of Dofen. Judging by their appearance, they had to be knights of the Kingdom of Edelstein.

At the front was a young knight wearing armor finer than the rest. Likely someone from a noble house.

"We are the vanguard of the Edelstein Kingdom Army, Ferdinand Regiment! We received word from this city’s steward that a large bandit force was approaching. We've arrived ahead of the main force to provide support!"

Hearing the young knight’s voice, the people of Volga erupted into loud murmurs.

No one knew why the kingdom’s army had arrived before the provincial forces, but at the very least, it proved that Hermann’s claim about calling for help hadn’t been a lie.

"The main force will arrive shortly. So there's no need to worry any longer... wait, what’s going on here? Have the bandits already arrived? Don’t tell me... you drove them off on your own?"

The knight looked around the plaza, spotting the captured bandits tied up and lined against a wall. His expression turned puzzled.

"That's right! We did!"

"We all worked together and won!"

"Friedrich, he’s the one who came up with the plan and led us!"

The townspeople pointed innocently in Friedrich’s direction as they answered with pride. When the young knight turned his gaze toward him, Friedrich’s expression stiffened.

Just moments ago, that knight had said they were from the Ferdinand Regiment. The Edelstein Kingdom Army’s Ferdinand Regiment, a unit bearing the name of a once-great king.

Friedrich knew the name of its commander. It was well known. Matthias Hosenfeld. The living hero whose son Friedrich had falsely claimed to be.

"...This is bad."

Of all people, the real one had come. The man whose illegitimate son Friedrich had pretended to be.

This was beyond bad. His luck had finally run out.

Without thinking, Friedrich grabbed Yurika’s hand beside him. She immediately squeezed back.

Footnotes:

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