WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS
Translator: Abood
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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield
Chapter 25: Deployment order
“He’s still green, but a sharp young man. He may seem unreliable at first glance, but given his track record in suppressing the bandits, it’s clear he can muster courage when the moment demands it... Is he the one meant to succeed you?”
After Friedrich had left the room, Claudia posed the question while remaining seated.
“I cannot say for certain yet. However… I believe the potential is there.”
Matthias replied as he took his seat as well.
A servant maintaining a discreet presence, placed tea before the two of them and silently stepped back.
“I see. Then let us hope that potential blooms. You once paid a heavy price for the sake of this kingdom. For your sake, the royal family is prepared to offer whatever assistance or consideration it can. For instance, we could lend our support in appointing him to a suitable position, should it come to that. Do not hesitate to ask if anything is needed.”
“I’m grateful for Your Highness’s concern. However… regarding him, no royal support or intervention will be necessary.”
“…I take it that means if he cannot achieve merit on his own, then he has no future to begin with?”
Claudia spoke with a faint, wry smile. Matthias responded with a small smile of his own and gave a nod.
“So shall it be then. For now, we’ll refrain from making any moves on his behalf… Now, let’s move on to the main reason I asked you here today.”
As Claudia shifted the conversation, the very air in the room seemed to tighten.
“We’ve received word from our spies stationed in the Kingdom of Arelia. Their army has begun to mobilize. The scale is significant this time. In addition to one of their regular regiments, it appears they’ll be drawing on some of the noble houses’ private forces as well.”
Even upon hearing this, Matthias neither changed his expression nor moved a muscle.
The regiment, a tactical unit conceived by King Sigismund Edelstein, had proven so effective that surrounding nations had adopted the system.
To the east, the mighty Rigald Empire had reorganized some of its rapid-response units into regiment-based formations. The Kingdom of Loire, once Edelstein’s western neighbor, had also implemented this flexible and mid-sized structure. Even after being conquered by the Kingdom of Arelia seven years ago, the former Loire military forces still retained the regiment format.
Since absorbing Loire, Arelia had continued to provoke skirmishes along Edelstein’s eastern frontier.
Three years ago, they even deployed an entire regiment to the Beiral Plains, prompting the Edelstein Kingdom’s military to adopt full battle readiness. If Arelia is now mobilizing more than a single regiment, this would mark their largest offensive to date.
“All we know for certain is that there’s movement. As for the target of the advance, that remains unclear. If they approach the Beiral Plains, it’s likely another show of force. But if they move toward the Northern Plains… then it could signal the beginning of real hostilities.”
The Kingdoms of Edelstein and Arelia were divided by the natural barrier of the Yudit Mountains, which formed the border between them. However, the range included several mountain passes and narrow corridors, as well as two clear breaks where the terrain opened into flatlands. The larger of these openings to the south was known as the Beiral Plains, while the smaller one to the north was simply called the Northern Plains.
The Beiral Plains were guarded by the Hildegard Regiment, with conscripts ready for immediate mobilization. The Arnsberg Fortress, key to border defense, was also stationed there. It could not be taken by a force of merely a thousand or so soldiers. Therefore, if Arelia’s troops approached from that direction, it was unlikely to be the start of a full-scale offensive. That was Claudia’s assessment.
“Lord Hosenfeld. What is your view?”
“…If it ends as a show of force, that would be the best outcome. However, Arelia completed its conquest of the Kingdom of Myurei two years ago. At this stage, it’s unlikely they would set their sights northward across the mountains, or across the sea to the west or south. Which leaves only one direction left for their ambitions to turn: the Kingdom of Edelstein. It is entirely possible that this current movement is the first sign of a larger offensive.”
Matthias calmly gave his assessment.
The Arelian royal family had begun showing territorial ambitions under the previous king, but those ambitions had only accelerated under the current monarch. Perhaps due to his youth, the present King of Arelia was even more ambitious than his predecessor and worse still, a gifted tactician. Under his rule, the kingdom had steadily conquered and annexed one small nation after another.
Around ten years ago, not long after his ascension, he annexed two small western nations. He took the Kingdom of Loire seven years ago, and conquered the northern Kingdom of Myurei two years ago. Taking into account the invasions under the previous king as well, the Kingdom of Arelia, originally a mid-sized nation with fewer than one million citizens, had now grown into a major power with a population exceeding two and a half million.
What made matters worse was that the current king's occupation policy was highly effective.
He would placate royal families and major nobles in conquered territories by allowing them to retain a portion of their wealth and privileges, so long as they submitted peacefully. Their children would then be married into noble houses close to the Arelian royal family, effectively securing them as hostages. Meanwhile, the general population was burdened with heavy taxes, funneling wealth and resources to Arelia’s central government. In this way, he swiftly gained control over annexed regions while simultaneously reinforcing the kingdom’s core.
Geographically, the Kingdom of Arelia is now boxed in by a vast mountain range to the north, and seas to the west and south. The frigid lands beyond the mountains and the island nations across the sea are difficult to invade even for a king as capable as Arelia’s.
Given that, the next likely targets for expansion were unmistakable: to the east lay only the Kingdom of Edelstein and the Kingdom of Novakia. Considering the king’s relentless ambition, Matthias believed it entirely possible that, even before fully consolidating control over former Myurei territory, Arelia would begin advancing eastward.
“In addition, there is the matter of the recent bandit incident. Those bandits were deliberately incited by the King of Arelia. The scale of that event was too small to be called an actual offensive, but the fact that Arelia, as a nation, would orchestrate such covert operations suggests that a full-scale assault may not be far off.”
Claudia, who had been silently listening to Matthias’s analysis, gave a nod.
“I share that view. My father and the ministers agree as well… The Hildegard Regiment cannot be moved from the Beiral Plains. But if Arelia’s forces advance toward the Northern Plains, we’ll need to intercept them with an equally strong force. Therefore, the Ferdinand Regiment will be deployed. This is an official order, issued in the name of my father, His Majesty the King Sigismund Edelstein.”
The Hildegard Regiment was the cornerstone of defense in the most critical region. The Albrecht Regiment served as the final bastion protecting the heartland. The Ferdinand Regiment, meanwhile, was the kingdom’s rapid-response unit which was tasked with mobile defense across border zones.
Ordered to fulfill that role to its fullest, Matthias responded with an immediate and resolute nod.
“Leave it to us. As a soldier of the kingdom, I will carry out my duty. And I swear to you, we will protect the kingdom’s lands.”
“I shall be counting on you. You are the kingdom’s living hero, after all.”
Footnotes:
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