WeTried Translations

Translator: Nemui

Editor: Nemui

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 163: Postwar (3)

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"Hey, retired old man."

"Oh, you came, you little brat. Sit down."

Diethelm Brightkreuz opened with an insult, and Marquis Joseph Obsidian greeted him with rough words that did not lose to it. Both had smiles on their faces, and neither seemed to mind the other's abuse. Rather, they seemed nostalgic for it.

The military funeral of Count Matthias Hosenfeld to be held several days later, and the state funeral of King Sigismund Edelstein that would follow it. Diethelm had come to the royal capital to attend them as a kingdom army general, and the first place he visited was the mansion of House Obsidian.

There was no problem with Diethelm, commander of the Hildegard Regiment, leaving Arnsberg fortress, the key point of the border region, right now.

First of all, Diethelm had trusted aides, and even if some emergency occurred, they would handle the initial response without problem. In addition, perhaps because some arrangement had been made between the royal houses, the state funeral of Arelia's previous king and the coronation of the new king would be held around the same time. The weakened Arelian royal house, with the new king's younger sister taken as hostage, could not possibly carry out a pledge-breaking military action at the same time as important ceremonies.

That was why Diethelm had come to the royal capital at ease and was now visiting the man who was like a second father to him.

Incidentally, Joseph too would attend the funerals of Matthias and Sigismund. He was retired as a soldier, but only because he had lost one leg, his stamina had declined, and he could no longer endure military duty. His mind was still perfectly clear, and he still kept the position of head of the marquis house.

"I thought you would have turned into a proper old man, but you have not changed much. How is easy retirement?"

"As if I would grow old that easily in half a year or so. Days of reading, drinking tea, and napping are surprisingly enjoyable. And above all, seeing my son and his wife and my grandchildren every day is good. I can stay beside Else too."

Because Joseph had commanded the defense of Arnsberg fortress, he had also owned a separate residence in the capital of the western royal domain. His wife, Lady Else, had originally lived there, but after falling slightly ill several years ago, she had moved to the royal capital and lived with their son and grandchildren. She only saw her husband a few times a year.

Now that Joseph had retired and withdrawn to the mansion in the royal capital, Lady Else could spend each peaceful day with her husband.

"Well, that certainly is good. She forgave you for never leaving the army. From now on, think of it as repaying your wife and be kind to her."

"I know that without you telling me... By the way, I hear you achieved a fair bit in the decisive battle."

"A fair bit? I broke straight through the enemy, killed that Marquis Montesque with my own hands, and at the end, my command inflicted the fatal wounds on the enemy hegemon king. That is more than enough, isn't it?"

"Hahaha! Do not sulk, do not sulk. It was certainly a tremendous achievement... A great achievement that I could never have matched in my active days. I take back the words 'a fair bit.' Forgive me, Regimental Commander."

"...When you say it like that, that feels off in its own way."

When Joseph showed a meek attitude, Diethelm frowned to hide his embarrassment.

"I am tired of hearing only street rumors. Tell me the details of the decisive battle from your own mouth."

"Yes, that is mostly why I came."

While drinking tea, and before long with the cups replaced by cups of wine, Diethelm and Joseph talked.

......

The state funeral of King Childebert Arelia was terribly lonely, considering the magnitude of the authority he had held. Few of the kingdom's nobles attended in person as heads of houses, envoys from other countries were very limited, and a somewhat cold air drifted over the funeral.

The coronation of the new king, Samuel Arelia, held afterward, was also hollow as a ceremony celebrating the birth of a new king in a great country. It was by no means the responsibility of the king himself, but it proved visibly that the Arelian royal house's power to draw people had fallen.

It was the opening of a new age that could not be called bright. Even so, Samuel himself, who had become king, did not give off a tragic air. Rather, he showed enthusiasm to fulfill his duty. The chief retainers tied to the Arelian royal house also intended to support him with all their strength.

At least in the royal castle, an atmosphere was being born of people resolving themselves and facing forward.

Yet Count Cecilia Fargiere, a general of the Kingdom of Arelia's army, could not quite fit into that atmosphere.

"...After committing such a failure, is it truly acceptable for me to still be given this kind of position?"

In a room of the royal castle on the morning after the coronation, Cecilia, who had come from the eastern capital Toulouse to the royal capital to attend the state funeral and coronation, let those words spill before Count Patrick Villeneuve, who sat across the table.

It was difficult to place the responsibility for the crushing defeat in the previous decisive battle on any one person. Ultimately, it was the responsibility of Childebert himself, who had personally led the campaign, but it was clear that Cecilia, who had devised the outline of the plan, also bore great responsibility.

That was why Cecilia had prepared herself to be distanced from the Arelian royal house. However, the new king Samuel had shown his intention to value Cecilia, following the example of his late father.

"There is no doubt you are a capable general. Rather, you have been given an opportunity to restore your honor, and have no choice but to devote yourself to your duty."

"And you? Do you have nothing to agonize over?"

To Patrick, who spoke words that could be taken as encouragement, Cecilia posed the question.

He too had committed a great failure, yet remained in his previous position. Though captain of the Armor of the King, the Royal Guard, he had failed to protect Childebert and lost him, yet he was still entrusted with command of the Armor of the King.

"I do. Of course I do. Even so, having been granted the duty, I have no choice but to fulfill it at the risk of my life... Because there is no one else who can. At present, only we can support the royal house and protect this country."

After one small sigh, Patrick answered.

Cecilia nodded with resignation mixed in.

Marquis Robert Montesque, who had served since the reign of Childebert's father, had died in battle, and now that the royal house's power to draw people had fallen, there were few generals Samuel could trust.

To rebuild and command the Armor of the King, which had lost troops in the previous decisive battle, Patrick was still the most suitable. And if fighting broke out inside or outside the Kingdom of Arelia from here on, there was no doubt that Cecilia was the one most able to command an army skillfully and achieve victory.

Both were now necessary and irreplaceable soldiers to the Arelian royal house.

"...Honestly, life never goes as one wishes."

Cecilia said that with a self-mocking faint smile.

In truth, she had wanted to die. She had wanted to scatter on that battlefield, where she learned her brother was alive. She had wanted to end this life that had fought only to fulfill her own revenge.

Baron Vincent Alanbure. Her adjutant Celestan. All her late father's retainers had gone. She had caused many knights and soldiers she led to die in the many battles she had entered. What meaning was there in an empty person like her continuing to live?

No matter how much she lamented, her life still continued. And in this world, the younger brother she had thought she would never meet again was alive.

She had no choice but to brace herself. If she was aware that her way of life until now had been selfish and foolish, then from here on, she could only serve the royal house and country properly as a soldier and make that atonement for those she had caused to die. If her heart had become empty, then she could only carry out her duty with literally selfless intent.

Until the day her fate finally ran out and she died.

In order to become even a little, just the tiniest bit, more of an older sister her brother could be proud of.

Yes. She was an older sister. She was not alone in this world. She was truly a blood relative of a younger brother who lived in this world.

She did not think that, after all this time, she and he could become close as siblings from the heart. That was why she would not tell him to call her his sister, nor to think of her that way. Even so, she thought of him as her younger brother.

That was enough. By keeping her brother's existence deep inside her heart, she could still live.

"Sorry for making you listen to complaints. Let us move to discussing work."

"Yes, let us. We do not know how much time remains for the Arelian royal house. We must rebuild the royal army as much as possible before chaos comes."

For now, Cecilia stopped her personal thoughts and faced the meeting as a general.

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