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Translator: Nemui

Editor: Nemui

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 178: Yorgos Caruna

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Yorgos Caruna did not remember much of his days in the Kingdom of Caruna. More than thirty years ago, when he left his homeland as it fell to invasion and went into exile in the Kingdom of Zangia on the Ludia continent, Yorgos had still been five years old.

The Kingdom of Caruna was something he knew only through vague childhood memories and the stories told to him by the retainers who had gone into exile with him. To Yorgos, it was something he had to recover with his life. The choice of not restoring the country did not exist.

Over generations, most of their blood had become that of western Ludna, but originally, the Caruna royal family descended from immigrants who had drifted from the Ludia continent to western Ludna. Their ancestor had been a noble who lost a power struggle on the Ludia continent and fled for his life. He rose again in a new land and finally built a country.

The lesson passed down in that Caruna royal family was that the world's happiness was limited, and that power was necessary to seize happiness.

Because they had once lost peace in their old homeland due to weakness, lost wealth, authority, territory, and subjects, and fallen to the depths of misfortune, it became the duty of the Caruna royal family to be strong so they would never suffer the same fate again. In this world where people fought over limited happiness, remaining on the side that took rather than the side that was taken from was absolute justice. Since he was young, Yorgos had heard that from his mother, the queen. That was the only memory of his mother he remembered clearly.

That was why he could scarcely imagine the regret of his mother, his brothers and sisters, and his relatives who had died without fulfilling that mission.

He would recover the peace that had been stolen again, the wealth and authority, the territory and subjects. He would return to the side that took. That was the mission of Yorgos, the sole survivor after losing almost his entire clan. It was the meaning of his life. That was why Yorgos had survived on the Ludia continent, the birthplace of his distant ancestors.

At last, the opportunity came. The Kingdom of Arelia had suffered a great defeat in war, the hegemon was dead, and under a moderate king, royal authority had weakened. If he missed this chance, the restoration of the Kingdom of Caruna would not be achieved. Thinking that, Yorgos returned to western Ludna with five thousand soldiers.

To answer the blood of his clan flowing through his body. For his wife and child waiting in the south. To repay the Zangia royal family that had accepted him like family, and the current King of Zangia, with whom he had been raised like a brother. Swearing that he would surely restore the Kingdom of Caruna and seize the happiness he deserved to hold, Yorgos now stepped onto the land of Caruna.

The great river that had once been the border with the former Grand Duchy of Faro. Once he crossed the bridge over it, he would at last be on the soil of the homeland in his memories. He deliberately dismounted, took his first step, pressed his foot against the earth, and felt his return.

"Congratulations on your return, Your Majesty."

"...Yes. But it is too soon to call me Your Majesty, Zated."

Yorgos answered with a wry smile to the close aide he had met on the Ludia continent, the man with whom he had grown the mercenary band, the Jaws of Caruna.

"Considering the years you have waited, it is as good as having already regained the throne. This is your country, so you should proudly call yourself king. If you do, the officers and soldiers will follow you with even greater spirit."

The dark-skinned aide said this with a fearless smile on his bearded face. After thinking for a moment, Yorgos acknowledged the reason in his aide's words and nodded.

"You are right. From now on, I am not the prince of a lost nation. I am Yorgos, King of Caruna. That is what I shall call myself... And you are Zated, general of the Carunan Royal Army. When I truly reclaim the throne, I will grant you a title and vast lands befitting your position. At last I will be able to repay everything you have done."

Since Yorgos was still in his teens, Zated had followed him, betting that the prince of a lost nation would one day rise to greatness. On the battlefields of the Ludia continent, Zated had saved his life many times.

"Ha ha ha, then it was worth serving you. Now, let us advance the king's army. We must hurry to join the rebel army."

Prompted by his aide, Yorgos mounted again. His roughly grown hair swayed as he moved his horse forward, with Zated beside him and the army following behind.

Just a little more, and his long-cherished wish would be fulfilled.

Everything had existed for this. He gathered private soldiers, trained them, honed his skill as a general, and finally returned. He used Viscount Lucatti, who had survived by currying favor with the Arelia royal family, as a disposable piece and landed in the land of Faro. He trampled the land of Faro, which had abandoned the Caruna royals it once sheltered, partly as revenge, and at last entered the land of Caruna.

Once he annihilated the weakened Arelia royal family's army, there would be no enemies left. Reinforcements seemed to have come from the eastern neighbor, the Kingdom of Edelstein, but if the Arelia royal family's army disappeared, they would flee back to their homeland.

With the enemies gone, the western Ludna Continent would be open to be trampled as he pleased. While restoring the Kingdom of Caruna, he would extend his rule to the land of Faro, the land of Loire, the old territory of the Kingdom of Arelia, and eventually even beyond. He would build a stronger, far larger Kingdom of Caruna. With a greater hand, he would seize greater happiness.

Only then would the souls of his dead clan be repaid. His mother, who had taught him the lessons of their clan, would rejoice. He would answer his clan, answer his mother, and truly become a member of the Caruna royal family.

Just a little more. Just a little more.

......

The reinforcements dispatched from the Kingdom of Edelstein to the Kingdom of Arelia were facing about fifteen hundred rebels in northeastern Caruna.

At first, Friedrich, who led the reinforcements, had thought it likely that the rebels would actively seek battle in order to destroy his force and join the other rebel armies or Yorgos Caruna's army. Contrary to his expectations, however, the enemy had shut itself inside a small city and taken a defensive posture.

If they wanted to defend, that was fine in its own way. Simply surrounding a certain number of enemies and pinning them in the city would provide sufficient support to the Arelian army led by Countess Cecilia Fargier. Thinking that, Friedrich surrounded the city where the rebels were holed up. While hoping that the Arelian forces would defeat the rebel armies and Yorgos's army one by one, he settled into a patient war of endurance.

"There has been no notable movement from the enemy side today either. No enemy reinforcements have been found in the surrounding area."

"I see. Thank you for the report... When the battle situation remains this still, the officers and soldiers must be getting bored."

After receiving the regular report from his adjutant Gregor, Friedrich spoke with a wry smile.

The rebel army facing them had already begun its defense by the time Friedrich's two thousand soldiers approached and showed no sign of attacking. Friedrich's side was also avoiding flashy offensives in order to prevent losses. They only had the archer units approach periodically, fire arrows, and withdraw before the enemy could prepare to counterattack. Thanks to Romilda, commander of the archer battalion, judging the right time to withdraw during those feints, they had so far suffered only a small number of wounded and no dead.

It was easy, but lukewarm fighting. It was inevitable that the officers and soldiers would relax.

"Yes, sir. The officers and soldiers of the regiment seem to be passing the time with voluntary training and mock battles within platoons, but many still appear to be losing focus. As for the noble territorial forces and mercenaries, I believe they are even more slack... Shall I order the unit commanders to tighten discipline once more?"

"No, being too strict would only make them lose concentration. If the battle situation changes, we can have them tighten up then. Please tell the unit commanders to ensure military discipline alone is strictly observed."

"By your will."

Gregor saluted and left Friedrich's personal tent.

Alone, Friedrich lay down on the simple bed where he had been sitting. Looking up at the ceiling of the tent, he sighed.

"...I want to go home soon."

He murmured while thinking of his wife Yurika and daughter Cassandra, who were waiting for his return in the royal capital, Sankt Waltrude.

......

Several days later, Gregor reported to Friedrich, who had grown bored in the face of an unchanged battle situation, that an urgent messenger had been sent from Cecilia.

Friedrich hurried to the command tent, where the leaders of the Ferdinand Regiment had already gathered, along with one young knight. That knight showed a bronze plate engraved with the crest of House Fargier, proved that he was Cecilia's envoy, and delivered the urgent report.

Yorgos Caruna's army had landed in the Faro region. They were moving east toward the Caruna region while plundering. Most likely, they had already entered the Caruna region, joined with the remaining rebel forces, and further increased their strength by adding mercenaries and militia.

With the current strength of the Arelia royal family's army, fighting Yorgos's army head-on would be difficult in terms of forces. Therefore, in order to prevent Yorgos's army from entering the old territory of the Kingdom of Arelia, Cecilia would move north and shut herself inside a fortress to intercept Yorgos's army.

If possible, Count Hosenfeld was asked to destroy the rebel army he was facing, then join Cecilia and strike Yorgos's army from both sides. Some units unsuited to a siege, namely part of the cavalry and the ranger unit, would later be sent to him as aid, and command authority over them would be entrusted to him. He should use them at his discretion.

That was Cecilia's message.

"Yorgos Caruna... What a barbaric way to fight."

"Indeed. He has no royal pride at all."

After sending away the messenger who had finished his report, Friedrich spoke half in astonishment at Yorgos's methods, and Oliver, commander of the cavalry battalion, agreed in an indignant voice.

"My lord, what shall we do?"

"...Right. As expected, we cannot simply glare at the rebel army and then refuse further fighting and return home. We will move in response to Countess Fargier's request."

Asked by Gregor, Friedrich thought for a while before answering.

Even if the enemy's training was low, taking a city held by fifteen hundred soldiers with two thousand troops was not easy, if they attacked directly.

However, if they used an indirect method, their chances of victory were more than sufficient. Friedrich had avoided active offensives because he wanted to avoid losses among his own troops and also avoid laying waste to the territory of a neighboring country. But if he chose victory without being particular about the means, he had options.

"First, we will lift the siege and withdraw a little. After that... we will reenact Ostburg Fortress and the Novakia border."

Looking around at the dependable regiment leaders, Gregor, Oliver, Romilda, Rudiger, and Thomas, Friedrich smiled faintly and spoke.

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