WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 28: War Council (1)

The next day, the allied forces of the Ferdinand Regiment and the noble domain troops set out for the Northern Plains. The detachment led by Oliver broke off from the main force and departed for the mountain pass further to the north at the same time.

“Knight Oliver. I have no doubt you’ll handle it well. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, sir. I will defend our position without fail.”

Just before the detachment’s departure, Matthias first addressed Oliver, then turned to Friedrich.

“Friedrich. Remember the training you received from Gregor and me. Fulfill your duty.”

“Yes, sir.”

Friedrich saluted, and Matthias gave him a firm nod.

“And one more thing… come back safely.”

With those words, Matthias gave Friedrich’s shoulder a light pat.

“Yurika. Keep Friedrich safe.”

“Of course, sir. You can count on me,”

Yurika replied with a grin. Matthias gave her a final nod, then turned and walked away.

“......”

Friedrich watched his mentor’s back as he left. The sensation of that light pat still lingered on his shoulder.

That final remark wasn’t spoken as a commander, but as the man who had taken him in and protected him.

・・・・・・

The march of the hundred-man detachment and several supply wagons proceeded smoothly under Oliver’s command.

After traveling south for just over half a day, they reached a narrow road that stretched east to west.

“This path is usually used by merchants as a trade route. Even during disputes like this, unless the conflict escalates significantly, trade doesn’t completely stop. Though… now that war is about to begin in earnest, that may change.”

As Oliver explained, they continued westward down a road only slightly better than a game trail, until they came upon forested mountains, part of the Yudit Mountain Range.

The road passed between two of the lower peaks in the chain, winding its way forward. Though crude, it had clearly seen some maintenance as a trade route. The entrance where the flat terrain gave way to a gradual incline was far wider than Friedrich had expected.

Just behind that entrance, close enough to detect any sudden intrusion from enemy forces, the detachment set up their encampment.

They were to hold this mountain pass for only a day or two, until the main battle was decided. As the sun began to dip toward evening, Oliver sent scouts toward the Arelian side of the pass, while instructing the rest of the troops to get some rest.

“By tomorrow morning, we may find ourselves in combat depending on how the enemy moves. Get some rest while you can.”

“…Got it.”

It was a chilly spring evening, and the conversation took place around a campfire as things finally began to settle down. Seeing Friedrich answer with a visibly stiff expression, Oliver let out a quiet chuckle, while Yurika smiled at him fondly.

“It’s natural to be tense the night before battle, but force yourself to eat something, and get some proper sleep.”

“I’ll make sure he gets tucked in nice and safe,”

Yurika added with a teasing smile. Friedrich could only nod silently in response to both Oliver’s concern and Yurika’s lighthearted words.

He was surprised at the difference between his current self and the one who had once stood up to the bandits. It seemed he wasn’t the kind who could muster courage until a clear threat was staring him in the face. The realization left him with a bitter sense of inadequacy.

And then—

something happened.

“Captain! Captain Oliver!”

The soldier who had been sent out as a scout came rushing over to Oliver.

“You came back in quite a hurry… Did something happen?”

“There’s an Arelian force on the western side of the mountain pass! And their number… it's not just a hundred! It’s approximately three hundred! It’s a full battalion from their royal army!”

Oliver frowned deeply. Friedrich’s eyes widened. Yurika merely raised one eyebrow in quiet surprise.

He had wanted to find courage, but that didn’t mean he had wished for danger to come so soon. As that thought crossed his mind, Friedrich’s expression stiffened.

“Are you certain? There’s no chance you miscounted… is there?”

“N-No, sir. I’ve received training as a scout to gauge enemy numbers. I wouldn’t mistake a hundred for three hundred.”

“......”

Friedrich and Oliver exchanged glances.

After instructing the scout to step back, the two of them finally spoke.

“When the Arelian army left their assembly point, their strength was reported at twelve hundred. By the time they reached the western side of the Northern Plains, they were said to be down to eleven hundred, correct?”

“That’s right. That’s why Lord Hosenfeld assumed their detachment would number around one hundred, and stationed us here with a matching force.”

The combined forces of the Arelian royal army and their noble troops had numbered roughly twelve hundred upon departure. Eleven hundred had been confirmed at the western edge of the Northern Plains. And now, three hundred were here at the mountain pass. That added up to fourteen hundred.

Where had the extra two hundred come from?

“…There’s no use speculating about why their numbers have grown. What matters now is figuring out how to respond. And quickly at that.”

So muttered Oliver, his expression now clearly tense.

The detachment’s soldiers had begun to stir, likely after hearing the scout’s report. Even the knights were showing signs of unease. If Oliver, their commanding officer, or Friedrich, acting as strategist, failed to take action, that anxiety could spiral.

Oliver immediately summoned the knights, along with the squad leaders of the infantry and archers, and began an impromptu war council.

“Let’s begin by reviewing the situation. We have one hundred. The enemy has three hundred. Both sides consist of regular royal army soldiers.”

Everyone nodded in agreement at the confirmation.

“We should assume... the enemy is aware of our numbers.”

“Right. They likely sent scouts as well. They must have noticed they outnumber us three to one.”

It was the oldest knight in the detachment who voiced this agreement, speaking on behalf of the rest.

“The chances of an immediate attack… are probably low.”

Oliver muttered as he looked up at the sky. The sun was already sinking behind the Yudit Mountains, and night was approaching.

No one voiced any disagreement with their commander’s assessment.

Night assaults carried tremendous risks. Losing their way in the dark, friendly fire caused by poor visibility, counterattacks from ambushes or traps. Once troops were sent charging into enemy lines under nightfall, even the commander could lose control and a winnable battle could quickly turn into a disaster.

Given that the enemy held overwhelming numerical superiority and could likely win through conventional tactics, there was no good reason for them to risk a night attack.

“For safety’s sake, we should post sentries within the pass and set a few traps. Nothing complex, just stringing ropes low across the path or digging small holes here and there to make the ground uneven and easier to trip on. At night, that should be enough to catch them off guard. I doubt they'd push through with a night raid once their formation is scattered in the middle of a mountain pass and we’ve caught wind of their movement.”

“Simple, but effective. Let’s get those traps in place.”

Oliver nodded, slightly surprised by Friedrich’s quick suggestion, and immediately gave orders to one of the infantry squad leaders. Taking ten soldiers and the necessary tools, the squad leader set off to lay the traps along the narrow path.

With clear orders given and the fear of a night attack eased for the moment, the anxious soldiers gradually regained some composure.

“Alright, that should get us through the night... The real question is how we hold out from tomorrow onward. Realistically, a hundred men can’t fend off a full assault from three hundred trained soldiers.”

Even if they used the narrow terrain to their advantage for a defensive stand, their small force meant no rotation for rest, no relief for the wounded. Against a force three times their size with equal training, fighting without a solid plan would only lead to them being worn down and crushed by sheer numbers.

“One of us could go ask the main force for reinforcements, but that’s not exactly a quick fix, is it.”

A knight voiced what they were all thinking, and Oliver nodded.

“Yeah. Even during the day, it’s a half-day ride from here to where the main force is camped. We don’t have any messenger birds either. If we send someone now, moving at night will make it nearly impossible to cover that distance in time.”

Messenger birds, or trained hawks and ravens, were often used for urgent military communication, but those were reserved for regimental headquarters or key garrisons.

Even if they sent a rider, nighttime travel was a different beast. With darkness swallowing the terrain and the path barely visible, both horseback and foot travel would slow drastically.

To make matters worse, everyone in the detachment had just finished a long half-day march. Sending an exhausted soldier on a sleepless night ride through unfamiliar terrain was no small ask.

In the middle of the tense and heavy silence, Friedrich's voice broke through, firm and full of resolve.

“If we send a messenger now, they’ll reach the main force by morning. But by then, the army will already be preparing for battle. It won’t be easy to pull any troops out to send as reinforcements. And even if they do send help right after the battle, they won’t reach us until tomorrow night.”

“In other words, if we can hold out just one day, there’s a good chance help will come. So the best course is to send a messenger immediately and come up with a plan to repel their first assault. With this terrain, we’ve got options.”

While the others wore grim or troubled expressions, Friedrich’s tone was calm, composed, even energized. His face showed a spark of determination that cut through the gloom like a flare in the dark.

Footnotes:

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