WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 21: Welcome

At the start of March, Friedrich and Yurika stood alongside nearly two hundred knights and soldiers, taking part in the Royal Army’s enlistment ceremony.

The ceremony was held in the vast courtyard of the royal castle. This plaza-like space had gathered all the new enlistees for the year, and under the watchful eyes of commanders from the various divisions of the Royal Army, they pledged their loyalty to the kingdom and the royal family.

"All of you gathered here today are, from this day forward, members of the proud Royal Army of Edelstein. The Royal Army is both the sword and the shield that protects this kingdom and the royal family. By uniting your strength under the banner of the Royal Army, you will become the force that strikes down the enemies of the realm, and defends all that the kingdom holds dear!"

King Sigismund, who had long withdrawn from public appearances, was once again absent from the enlistment ceremony. Delivering the address to the new recruits with a commanding presence was Crown Princess Claudia Edelstein.

Rumors in the capital whispered that the king did not have much time left, and as Friedrich watched the Crown Princess standing there in his place, he couldn’t help but think there might be truth to those rumors.

He shifted his gaze to the side, where Yurika stood beside him. Sweeping his eyes further across the courtyard, he saw the rows of new recruits. Among the knights, most were young and many were women. The soldiers were almost entirely men, ranging from those who looked barely of age to some nearing middle age.

Most knights entering the Royal Army came from long lines of families who had served the royal house for generations, or were second or later sons of noble families who could not inherit their family name or land.

The sons and daughters of knightly and court noble families had already been recognized for their abilities by the royal house and were knighted by the Crown Princess before today. Those from feudal lord families had received their knighthood from their own family heads prior to this day. As offering an unworthy heir to the royal house would bring disgrace upon the family, these individuals could all be expected to meet at least the minimum standard of skill.

Friedrich and Yurika, knighted by Matthias as retainers of House Hosenfeld and entering the army under his banner, were somewhat unusual among the knights present.

In contrast, the backgrounds of the soldiers were far more varied. Some were born into military families, following in the footsteps of their parents or even earlier generations. Others had come from the countryside, relying solely on their strength. There were even those who had once worked as mercenaries.

"All of you, swear your oath here and now! Swear beneath the banners of the army and the royal family! That you will serve as soldiers of the Royal Army until the day you die or are discharged!"

Crown Princess Claudia called out boldly. In response, the knights bearing the flags tilted the banners of the army and the royal family toward the new recruits. That was the signal, and the enlistees all saluted in unison.

Friedrich and Yurika placed their right fists over their left breasts, joining the oath.

・・・・・・

Starting the following day, the new recruits were assigned to their respective units. Those in the Albrecht Regiment departed for fortresses stationed within the kingdom, while the Hildegard Regiment’s recruits were sent to the border regions. Those assigned to the transport corps immediately began their logistical duties. As for the Royal Guard, they did not accept new recruits, its members were selected only from those with several years of military experience.

Friedrich and Yurika, along with the knights and soldiers assigned to the Ferdinand Regiment, were brought by Matthias to the Royal Army headquarters within the capital.

The headquarters which are primarily used by the Royal Guard, the Ferdinand Regiment, the transport corps, and the training corps, had a large training ground. At that moment, nearly all the knights and soldiers of the Ferdinand Regiment were gathered there.

"Now then, everyone. Let us welcome the six knights and forty-nine soldiers who have joined our regiment today. They are new to life in the Royal Army. Teach them their duties thoroughly and without hesitation."

"Sir!"

The soldiers responded with a spirited shout to the words of their regimental commander, Matthias.

"And one more thing… regarding these two, who also serve as retainers of House Hosenfeld—"

As Matthias said this, he gestured for Friedrich and Yurika to come forward. Standing at the front of the training ground alongside the other new recruits, Friedrich exchanged a glance with Yurika, then stepped up onto the platform where Matthias stood.

"This one here, Friedrich, I’m sure many of you remember him for his striking hair. He was the one responsible for devising the plan that drove off the notorious bandit horde which appeared in the Viscounty of Dofen last year. After that, I appointed him as my retainer and had Gregor train him personally before conferring knighthood upon him. I recognized his rare intelligence and his boldness too, for daring to pose as my illegitimate son."

Laughter broke out across the training ground at those words.

"From now on, Friedrich will remain at my side. He’ll be working here at regimental headquarters, where that clever head of his can be put to proper use. Now, as for the one next to him, Yurika is Friedrich’s childhood friend, but I knighted her purely for her strength. She took up the sword less than three months ago, and yet managed to block not only my probing strike, but the full force of my follow-up as well."

This time, a murmur of surprise and interest spread through the training ground.

"The last time I assessed her strength was about two weeks ago, but even then, she was already among the strongest in this regiment. Yurika will also be stationed here at regimental headquarters and serve as part of my personal guard. Both of them are capable, but it's only been about half a year since they began proper training. As soldiers, they’re not just green, they’re practically infants. So you lot are to act as their surrogate parents and look after them."

As Matthias finished his introduction, the members of the regiment began speaking freely to Friedrich and Yurika. Some offered words of welcome, while others threw playful jabs in a show of familiarity.

"...We’re in good hands, it seems. So many parents to keep us in line."

"Hehe, that’s true."

Friedrich replied with a wry smile, and Yurika answered with her usual cheerful grin.

・・・・・・

Among all the new recruits, Yurika drew particularly strong attention.

"Hey, you. It's rare for a woman to become a knight, especially without being from a noble house."

"Do you remember me? I taught you how to ride back in Volga, didn’t I?"

"Is it true you withstood two attacks from Lord Hosenfeld? That’s incredible."

Once Matthias’s introductions were over, Yurika was quickly surrounded by the regiment’s knights. Her eyes widened as she looked around, clearly overwhelmed.

"If you’re that strong, forget staying at regimental headquarters, we’d love to have you in our platoon."

"Eh? That’s a bit..."

At the words of what seemed to be a captain of the cavalry unit, Yurika openly made a displeased face.

"What, you really want to stay at headquarters that badly?"

"Sure, it’s an honorable post, but it’s not exactly where you go to rack up achievements, you know?"

"That’s not it… I was brought into the army to be his escort, to protect him."

As Yurika said that and pointed toward Friedrich, the knights' attention shifted to him.

"......"

Ah, I really don’t do well in situations like this, Friedrich thought.

These were real knights. Men and women of proper lineage, whose strength, position, and education had earned them the right to bear the title. People who were winners in society and in life. Confident, self-assured, the exact opposite of someone like him, who had grown up as an orphan with nothing.

What must they be thinking right now? Just the thought of being under their scrutiny stirred his sense of inferiority.

"Hey, you’re Friedrich, right? You’re the one who—"

One of the knights stepped forward, clapped him on the shoulder and grinned.

"I heard you’re Yurika’s childhood friend, but... are you also her man?"

"Uh, well, yeah... I am."

"Haha, I knew it. Just from the way she talks about you and looks at you, it was obvious you were more than just childhood friends."

"Seriously though, how’d you get a beauty like her to fall for you?"

"If you’ve got any tips, share 'em with this guy, would you? He’s hopeless with women."

This time, Friedrich was the one surrounded, with knights tossing questions and jabs at him from all sides. The unexpected attention left him stunned. Not Yurika, but him.

"Oh my, already taken? That’s a shame. I was thinking of snatching you up for myself, cutie."

One of the female knights said with a laugh as she approached Friedrich and patted his head. In the next instant, Yurika darted through the crowd of knights, quickly closing the distance, and brushed the woman’s hand away.

"Hey now, that’s now allowed. Friedrich’s mine..."

"Oh my, getting jealous already? Don’t worry, I was only teasing. I’ve already got a fiancé."

The female knight let out a small laugh and this time ruffled Yurika’s hair instead. The group around them broke into cheerful laughter, and Yurika blinked in surprise as she looked around again.

Even to Friedrich, seeing Yurika being teased like that felt refreshingly new. Back in Volga, she was either looked down on or kept at a distance. To be treated so warmly, surrounded by so many others, must have been a completely unfamiliar experience for her.

She had always stood out even more than he did back in Volga because of her strength and her personality. If the Royal Army could become a place where she truly belonged then nothing would make him happier.

"Alright then, how about we see for ourselves just how skilled this promising knight is, personally recognized by Lord Hosenfeld?"

"Ooh, good idea. Let’s test the strength of the woman who’s sworn to protect her man."

"Let me go first. If I beat her, that means I’ll have earned the Count’s recognition too, right?"

Amid the lively chatter of the knights, things naturally progressed toward Yurika having a mock battle in front of everyone.

She was pulled over to the edge of the training ground and handed a wooden sword. Glancing over at Friedrich, she tilted her head. When he nodded, she grinned and readied her weapon.

Not just the knights, but the soldiers too gathered to watch, forming a large crowd around the impromptu match.

"Sorry for the ruckus. Believe it or not, this is their way of welcoming you."

Just then, a voice called out from behind as Friedrich watched the fight unfold. He found a young knight standing beside him as he turned around, joining in to observe the match.

The knight looked to be a little older than Friedrich. He wore his slightly dark blond hair short, and his face was familiar.

"You’re... the one who led the advance party to Volga, aren’t you?"

"Glad you remembered. Though I suppose it’s hard to forget the face of the guy you had tied up."

The young knight turned his gaze toward Friedrich and spoke with a light laugh.

He had been the commanding officer of the advance unit that arrived in Volga after the bandit suppression. He was also the one who had tied up Friedrich, who had falsely claimed to be Count Matthias’s illegitimate son, saying he would keep him restrained until the regimental commander made a decision.

"I am Knight Oliver Falke. I serve in the Ferdinand Regiment’s cavalry unit as captain of the second company and deputy battalion commander. A pleasure to meet you."

"An honor to meet you, sir. Forgive my boldness, but… are you by any chance affiliated with House Falke of the viscountcy?"

When Friedrich asked, the young knight — Oliver — looked mildly surprised.

"Oh? I’m impressed you know of a minor noble house from the eastern provinces."

"I’ve memorized all of the noble houses of the kingdom by name and their general background. As for landed noble families, I’ve also committed the locations of their territories to memory."

"...I see. Taught all that and yet you speak as if it’s only natural to remember every bit. No wonder His Excellency holds you in such high regard, that’s a sharp mind indeed."

Oliver spoke with a tone of admiration.

While the two of them conversed, Yurika had won her first bout, and a second knight was now stepping up to challenge her.

"It’s true that I’m from House Falke, I’m the third son of the current Viscount. I won’t inherit the title, and once I marry and start my own household, I’ll be just a regular knight. Besides in the Royal Army, lineage doesn’t matter. So drop the 'sir.' No need for formal speech either. You’re a knight too, and it doesn’t seem like we’re far apart in age."

"Unders… u-understood."

Friedrich replied awkwardly, stumbling a little over the words, which made Oliver chuckle.

"That’s better. Let’s get along, Knight Friedrich."

Patting Friedrich’s shoulder in a friendly manner, Oliver stepped away from the crowd gathered around the mock battle.

Footnotes: 

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