WeTried Translations

Translator: Nemui

Editor: Nemui

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 135: War Council for the Decisive Battle (2)

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The difference was five thousand men at best.

At worst, it was more than ten thousand.

Friedrich's expression hardened. Diethelm snorted as if to force down his irritation. Rebecca frowned, while Gustav, who had already known the estimates, remained still. The nobles who had come with Claudia could not hide their unease.

Numbers were not everything in war. Yet a gap of that size could not be dismissed with courage alone.

Claudia broke the silence.

"This is fortunate."

Several faces turned toward her in surprise.

"Arelia's population is larger than ours. If their domestic situation were stable, they could gather more. The fact that the gap is only this large means their internal disorder is working in our favor."

Her voice was steady.

"The imperial reinforcements and their weapons are included in our numbers. Our morale has risen since the battlefield coronation. Considering the deaths of my father and Lord Matthias, who could have predicted that we would reach the decisive battle with conditions this favorable?"

No one answered.

"This is our chance. We will not be able to assemble an army like this again. If we lose, there will be no recovery. The support I have gathered rests on the promise of victory. Therefore, we will win and crush the invaders."

The fear in the tent did not vanish, but it gained a direction.

The discussion resumed.

The key questions were clear. How should the imperial reinforcements be used? How should the cavalry be used? How should the conscripts be kept from collapsing?

"Our total cavalry will be between nine hundred and one thousand," Rebecca said. "That includes regulars, noble cavalry, mercenaries, former Bachstein troops, retired knights, and even men who can ride but are not knights."

"Can we use them more than once?" a noble asked.

"In a battle of this scale, probably not. If we charge and fail, regrouping will be difficult. I would treat the cavalry as a trump card for one decisive use."

"A strike at the enemy headquarters?"

"If the opening appears."

That opening would not appear unless Arelia's front was drawn forward and its rear was forced to expose itself. The Edelstein front had to fight strongly enough to pull the enemy in.

And that front would include many conscripts.

"Morale will be the problem," Gustav said. "If the conscripts see the line bend, panic will spread."

"We can place experienced volunteers as platoon leaders," Alphonse said. "And commanders must encourage them constantly."

Friedrich listened without speaking.

In his mind, the pieces moved across the map. Imperial weapons. The enemy's larger army. The Yudit Mountains. The villages in Loire. The position of the cavalry. The weakness of conscripts. What Edelstein could do and what Arelia would likely expect.

He had thought of possibilities before this council. Now, with all information gathered, those possibilities became a plan.

Claudia noticed his silence.

"Count Hosenfeld. You have something."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Friedrich stood and stepped to the map.

He began with the orthodox. Then he moved to the unusual. Finally, he explained the outrageous.

He spoke of where to place the infantry, how to make the enemy believe the front could be crushed, how to use the imperial archers' range, how to prepare the cavalry's single strike, and how to exploit fear spreading near the Yudit Mountains. He spoke of drawing in Arelia's vanguard, shaking its conscripts, breaking its formation, and reaching for Childebert himself if fortune allowed.

The nobles listened without interruption.

When Friedrich finished, one of them finally spoke.

"It is brilliant. But the part about breaking the enemy conscripts' morale... can we truly expect that to work?"

Diethelm folded his arms.

"I understand the idea, but I have the same concern."

Friedrich did not deny it.

"There is no guarantee. But as a former rural commoner, I understand the minds of conscripts and villagers better than anyone else here. Men dragged from villages do not think like trained knights. Fear spreads differently among them."

Claudia looked around the tent.

"Then we will trust Count Hosenfeld's judgment on that point."

No one objected.

Rebecca then spoke.

"My concern is the front. To draw out the enemy rear, we must hold the vanguard long enough. The Albrecht Regiment will do its duty, but we cannot hold the entire line against a larger army by ourselves. If morale breaks first, the plan fails."

"That is the largest gamble," Friedrich admitted. "We must raise the morale of the infantry before battle. Her Majesty's words to the front would help. Every commander must also make clear that victory is possible."

"There is a better plan."

Claudia's words cut across the tent.

Friedrich looked at her. So did everyone else.

She explained her idea calmly.

The reaction was immediate. Even Friedrich was shocked. Gustav took a step forward.

"Your Majesty, that is too dangerous."

"Of course it is."

"Your safety must be considered."

"If we lose because we prioritized my safety over victory, my safety has no meaning. If Edelstein loses, my life has no value. I said it before. I too am a piece on this board."

No one could speak.

The nobles stared at the young queen, and in their expressions was not merely concern, but awe.

Friedrich understood then that Claudia had truly become the center of the kingdom. Not because she had inherited the crown, but because she was willing to stake herself on the same battlefield as everyone else.

At last Gustav bowed his head.

"As Your Majesty commands."

There were no further objections.

Claudia looked over the map.

"Then the method of battle is decided. Now we discuss the details."

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