WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 14: Departure

In the few days before their departure from Volga, Friedrich and Yurika spent their time in peace.

They packed their few belongings, vacated their room in the apartment building they had lived in, and on their final night, shared a meal at the church with their foster parent Alma, the other nuns, the old priest, and the orphans.

They also paid their respects to those who had supported them, including former clients who had hired Friedrich for work and other familiar faces around town.

To Friedrich's surprise, the people of Volga were unexpectedly kind to him, despite the lie he had told. Many even thanked him for ultimately saving everyone.

Among them, Bruno was the most eager to express his gratitude, which took Friedrich by surprise.

According to what he heard, the people of Volga had petitioned Count Matthias Hosenfeld not to punish Friedrich too harshly for impersonating a nobleman's relative. Though it was unclear how much their pleas had influenced the judgment Matthias passed down, it likely helped ensure Friedrich wasn't left with a poor impression.

After speaking with everyone, Friedrich’s feelings began to shift, if only slightly.

The people of Volga lived immersed in their unchanging daily routines. They were common folk who disliked thinking in complicated ways. Simple, conservative, and, without ill intent, and had always looked down on Friedrich and Yurika for being orphans.

And yet, even after Friedrich had deceived them all, they did not reject him. They continued to speak with him as they always had, with the same expressions and mannerisms. For better or worse, in their own way, they had accepted him.

He still couldn’t see himself spending the rest of his life here. But now, he could at least think that his boyhood in this town hadn’t been all that bad. Even if it was just sentiment stirred by the melancholy of soon leaving his hometown, that thought had taken root in his heart.

Today, Friedrich and Yurika would be leaving Volga.

"...Has she trained in horseback riding somewhere before?"

"No, my lord. Over the past few days, Yurika only received a bit of instruction from some of the knights during their spare time."

It was early morning on the day of their departure. Seeing Yurika mount her horse and handle the reins as if it were second nature, Matthias gave her a puzzled look. Friedrich answered in her place.

The soldiers of the Ferdinand Regiment had searched the areas surrounding Volga, but in the end, no remnants of the bandits or any detached units were found. During the rotating shifts of these searches, those left on standby grew restless with idle time.

When Yurika saw the knights handling their horses and casually remarked, ‘I feel like I could do that,’ they half-jokingly decided to teach her. To their surprise, she showed extraordinary progress.

"She's quite something. Once we taught her the basics, she handled the horse instinctively without trouble."

"She probably wouldn't manage mounted combat just yet, but riding all the way to the capital on her own? I think she could pull it off even now."

“A natural talent, no doubt. Took me weeks just to reach that level myself. I’m jealous."

As the knights who had taught Yurika's riding basics spoke, Matthias let out a sigh, looking slightly exasperated.

"Teaching her without permission just because you were bored... well, fine. Yurika, do you think you and Friedrich can ride that horse together all the way to the capital?"

"I think I can... I mean, yes, I can."

Hearing her hastily correct herself into more formal speech, Matthias then turned his gaze to Friedrich.

"I was planning to have you ride in a supply wagon, but if you can ride on horseback and keep pace with the cavalry, that’s even better. Do that."

"Understood, my lord."

If all he had to do was sit behind Yurika on the horse, that wouldn’t be so bad. With that thought, Friedrich nodded.

・・・・・・

That afternoon, Friedrich departed Volga alongside the Ferdinand Regiment.

Of the regiment’s roughly one thousand troops, the infantry and archers who traveled on foot had already left earlier in the morning. Now, only a hundred mounted cavalry would be setting out. With nothing more than a single bag and already on horseback, Friedrich and Yurika were ready to leave at any moment, waiting only for the knights to finish their final preparations.

A large crowd of townspeople had gathered at the gate to see them off.

"With how smart you are, Friedrich, and how freakishly strong Yurika is, you guys are gonna make amazing soldiers. Go show 'em what you’re made of! Don’t forget about me, alright!"

"...Thanks, Bruno."

Friedrich responded with a slightly conflicted expression to Bruno, who now spoke with the face of an old friend, though it was hard to say what had prompted this change of heart. Yurika, on the other hand, completely ignored him, casually toying with her long hair with a blank look on her face.

Others in the crowd, including former clients and shopkeepers he’d frequented, also offered parting words. Some cheered him on, others expressed sadness at his departure. A few, as thoughtlessly candid as ever, said things like, "Shame I won’t have someone cheap to handle my paperwork anymore." Probably no ill intent, just the same old townsfolk.

To all of them, Friedrich responded with a smile. When you're the one leaving, you can let any words wash over you with a grin. Even the way they had always underestimated him without malice. Perhaps someday, he'd even look back on it fondly.

“Friedrich. Yurika.”

Someone new called out to Friedrich, who kept up his smile, and to Yurika, whose face was now starting to openly show signs of irritation. It was the elderly priest, accompanied by the nuns and the orphans.

Yurika quickly smoothed her expression at the sight of them.

The townspeople who had gathered stepped back on their own. Everyone knew that to Friedrich and Yurika, the church folk were their stand-in family.

“Father... and everyone. Thank you for coming all this way.”

“You were raised in our church. It’s only natural we all come to see you off.”

The old priest spoke with his usual gentle voice and calm expression.

Though his duties covered the churches of Volga and the nearby villages, leaving him little time for direct involvement with the orphans, he was still the face of the church and their guardian in every official sense. He had given Friedrich and Yurika protection until they came of age.

“I always thought that one day, you two would leave this place. Ever since you were small, when Friedrich began to show signs of his intellect and Yurika began to show her strength, I had a feeling. Perhaps this too is part of God’s will. You’ll be fine. Work hard, and walk the righteous path.”

“Yes, Father,”

Friedrich replied, meeting the old priest’s eyes with a firm nod. Yurika, standing quietly beside him, nodded as well.

After exchanging words with the nuns and orphans, they finally stood before Alma.

“…The royal army may very well be the best place for your talents to grow. There will be hardships. You may face danger. But I promise I’ll pray every single day that you live righteously, serve your country and community, and stay safe. Take care of yourselves, both of you.”

“Thank you, Miss Alma. Please stay well too.”

As Friedrich answered, Alma approached with open arms.

Friedrich was entering the royal army, and Alma was already at an age that could be called old. There was a real chance this would be their final farewell in this life. She had been both his teacher who gave him knowledge and education, and a parent figure who raised him since infancy. Friedrich embraced her tightly.

Alma also extended her arms toward Yurika, and Yurika responded by hugging her without hesitation.

"I won’t forget you, Miss Alma."

At Yurika’s words, Alma nodded silently. A single tear trailed down her cheek.

"Friedrich. It’s time to go."

The one who approached was Matthias. As the head of a count’s house and a living hero, his presence drew respectful bows from all the gathered townspeople.

Matthias looked over the crowd, then addressed the old priest and Alma directly.

“I will personally take responsibility for these two and place them under my protection. Please rest assured.”

“We entrust them to you, Count, with all our hopes.”

Matthias spoke with the respectful formality befitting clergy, and the old priest responded on behalf of the church. Matthias then made his way to the head of the formation, and the cavalry unit was finally ready to depart.

At the horses entrusted to Friedrich and Yurika, she mounted first.

“Come on, Friedrich.”

The horse was tall, and mounting it alone would be difficult for someone unaccustomed. Taking the hand Yurika offered, Friedrich let her pull him up, and he, too, climbed onto the saddle. From the front of the column, Gregor’s voice rang out, announcing the order to march.

The double-file line of cavalry began to move at a steady pace, and Friedrich and Yurika followed at the rear. With a practiced hand that made it hard to believe this was her first time marching, Yurika set the horse into motion and rode behind the knights.

Friedrich turned back. The small city of Volga, and the people standing at its gates, grew more distant.

“Friedrich, are you nervous?”

Yurika’s voice came from in front, and Friedrich turned to face forward again.

“…Just a little.”

“I see. But it’s okay. I’ll be right by your side.”

As she turned her head to smile, Friedrich caught a glimpse of her grinning profile.

“Thanks. You’re right. As long as we’re together, we’ll be fine.”

Yurika would stay with him. That wouldn’t change.

And now, he had left Volga. Though he’d grown weary of it, he never had the courage to leave until now. He had finally stepped away from the home he’d once felt bound to.

It was what he’d wanted. A day like this. He’d been hoping for it for years.

A life like those in history books and stories he used to read with awe, it might be waiting for him now. A life worthy of a heroic tale, becoming his own reality. It felt childish to think that way, yet he couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope. There was anxiety, of course, but it was drowned out by the thrill of what lay ahead.

“I’ve come this far. It’s not how I imagined it… but I’ve been given a chance. I won’t waste it.”

Friedrich murmured the words, almost to himself.

“That’s right, my Friedrich.”

Yurika let go of the reins with one hand and gently placed it over his, which was resting around her waist. Her hand was soft and warm.

・・・・・・

“…Was this truly for the best, I wonder?”

As she watched Friedrich and Yurika depart, Alma spoke in a voice just quiet enough for the old priest beside her to hear.

“I gave Friedrich all the knowledge he could absorb when he was little. Not just reading, writing and arithmetic too, but even the kind of education needed to understand difficult texts. I knew that, as he grew more intelligent, he began to struggle with his origins, his place in the world, and how to live. If I hadn’t filled his mind with knowledge so thoughtlessly… perhaps he and Yurika wouldn’t have set off down such a harsh path.”

Friedrich had been, by far, the most intelligent of all the orphans Alma had ever raised. He absorbed every bit of knowledge she could offer him, and when that wasn’t enough, he devoured the books in the church library. Through them, he came to understand the world, its history. And in doing so, found himself stifled by the narrow confines of his life.

As she watched him wrestle with worries he thought he was hiding, Alma couldn't help but wonder: was she the one who had given him those burdens? Had she sown the seeds of pain and doubt that he might otherwise have never known?

And now, Friedrich had left Volga. Chosen for his potential by the living hero, Count Matthias Hosenfeld, he was beginning a life unimaginable for a former orphaned peasant boy. Naturally, Yurika followed close behind him.

One could say he had gained a future that would have never been possible here. One could even say his dream had come true. But possibilities don’t always lead in a good direction.

He was an astonishingly clever boy. If given the chance, he would likely rise quickly through the ranks of the Royal Army, perhaps even earn honor and distinction as a soldier. But with that honor would come heavy burdens and great pain.

We owe our lives to the brilliance he showed. And yet now, because of that very brilliance, we’re the ones sending him off on this journey. It feels almost as if we were saved by sacrificing the peaceful life he might have had. Can we really say this was a good thing? That it was the right thing?

Perhaps one day, maybe even in the not-so-distant future, he will look back and regret it all. He will wonder if he might have been happier simply living as a commoner in the countryside. And I can't help but fear… he might be right.

“Human potential and destiny are not things others ought to obstruct. Nor are they things others need to obstruct.”

The elder priest replied in his usual gentle tone.

“Friedrich is a young man with great potential. If his talents are to be recognized by the world and brought to full bloom, then perhaps that is the destiny God has set for him. You have fulfilled the role you were meant to play in his life.”

His words quietly echoed in Alma’s heart.

“From today, let us pray together for Friedrich and Yurika’s lives to be filled with blessings. And if hardships stand in their way, let us pray they will have the strength to overcome them.”

“…Yes, Father.”

Alma nodded and looked ahead.

She still remembered the day she met Friedrich. He was just a baby then, and she was the first to lift him from the basket.

Now, the back of the young man he had grown into steadily faded into the distance.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried