WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 30: Battle of the Northern Plains (1)

Morning arrived at last, the day of battle with the Kingdom of Arelia. The combined forces of the Ferdinand Regiment and the domain troops, totaling twelve hundred, were making their final preparations.

Knights and soldiers, having finished breakfast, donned their armor and helmets, checked their weapons, and departed the encampment. Formations were gradually taking shape near the center of the Northern Plains, where the battle was expected to unfold.

It was not only the Edelstein Kingdom preparing. The Arelian army, about eleven hundred strong, was also forming ranks in the distance where they could be seen clearly.

At the rear of their forces, alongside the banner of the Kingdom of Arelia, flew the flag of the House of Fargiere. Its crest bore the image of a fierce predator, an owl poised to strike.

While both armies readied themselves, Matthias stood ahead of his own front line, staring intently at the enemy camp.

“Are you concerned about the enemy formation?”

It was Gregor who stepped forward and addressed him, while the other soldiers kept their distance. As adjutant and chief retainer, he alone could speak past the intense aura Matthias gave off.

“…Naturally. The enemy commander is none other than Count Fargiere.”

Matthias answered without taking his eyes off the enemy forces.

“You think she might pull something during the battle?”

“I do. Or perhaps she already has.”

The enemy commander was the daughter of the man Matthias once killed, and the very same person who had taken the life of his only son. Matthias would not pretend he held no personal grudge. Yet his stare was not fueled by emotion alone.

The current Countess of Fargiere, Cecilia, was in her mid-twenties. A young commander but undeniably skilled. Even as an enemy, Matthias had to admit her talent. She was not known as a brave warrior, but rather as a master tactician.

She first rose to prominence nine years ago during a border skirmish,the same battle in which Matthias’s son Rudolf had fallen. That fight also took place here, on the Northern Plains.

Matthias himself had not led the charge in that conflict. He had entrusted a cavalry battalion commander with two hundred men. The opposing forces had been roughly equal in size, yet the Edelstein Kingdom troops had struggled.

Though they eventually repelled the enemy, the price was high. Three knights and fifteen soldiers were lost, Rudolf among them. A loss far too costly for a mere skirmish. That alone was proof of Cecilia’s strategic brilliance.

Years later, the Kingdom of Loire fell under Arelian conquest, and Cecilia, known by then as the ‘The Woman Who Slew the Hero’s Son,’ caught the eye of the Arelian king. Her tactical prowess earned her a place among his generals. She played a major role in the conquest of the Kingdom of Myurei two years ago and has since become one of Arelia’s most prominent military leaders in both name and deed.

If this battle marked the true beginning of a war between Edelstein and Arelia, then Cecilia would no doubt have something prepared. That was what Matthias believed.

“But still, both sides have similar formations. In terms of numbers, we’re nearly equal. In fact, we hold a slight advantage. The detachment at the northern mountain pass also matches theirs in strength, so it’s unlikely anything major will change on that front. Under such conditions, what kind of trick could she possibly—”

Gregor had been speaking, partly to organize the situation aloud, when Matthias raised one hand gently to silence him. Understanding the gesture, Gregor immediately fell quiet, not wanting to disrupt his lord’s thoughts.

With his hand still raised, Matthias continued to glare toward the enemy lines, then finally spoke.

“…there are conscripts.”

“Conscripts?”

Gregor looked at him, puzzled, and Matthias pointed directly toward the enemy formation.

“The rear half of their infantry ranks, those are not regular soldiers. They’re wearing Arelian army helmets and cuirasses and carrying spears, but their movements are untrained. By lining up proper soldiers in the front, they’re trying to obscure the rear from our view, but I’d wager those are farmers pressed into service.”

Gregor narrowed his eyes and studied the enemy camp.

Focusing on the specific details Matthias had pointed out, he finally began to sense the same subtle discrepancy his lord had identified.

“…You noticed that well. But if the total number of enemy troops hasn’t changed despite the conscripts being added, then where did the regular soldiers they replaced go…? Don’t tell me—!”

Just as Gregor’s expression turned grim with realization, a knight serving as guard and messenger at regimental headquarters came running up to Matthias and Gregor.

“Lord Hosenfeld! A message has arrived from the detached force!”

Upon receiving this report, Matthias and Gregor hurried back to headquarters, where two exhausted soldiers were waiting.

They were seated on the ground, panting heavily as they tried to catch their breath, but when they saw the regimental commander approaching, they scrambled to stand.

“You may remain seated. Let’s hear your report.”

“…Reporting in. The scouts of the detached unit have confirmed an enemy detachment on the western side of the mountain pass… Their numbers are estimated at around three hundred.”

From the detachment commander, Knight Oliver… a request for reinforcements. He also said… they would hold the line for the day without fail.”

Still catching their breath, the soldiers delivered their report.

“I understand. Both of you have done well. Go rest in the rear for now.”

After dismissing the messengers, Matthias exchanged glances with Gregor.

“…So, on the way from their staging area to the Northern Plains, the enemy conscripted around two hundred villagers, equipped them like regular soldiers, and replaced part of their ranks to send a total of three hundred troops to the mountain pass?”

“That seems to be the case. A well-thought-out plan.”

It was a cunning yet impressive tactic, taking advantage of the intelligence gap between spies planted in enemy territory and their own scouting efforts.

“Shall we send reinforcements immediately?”

“…No. We’re on the brink of battle ourselves. We can’t afford to break formation now and pull out several hundred troops. Besides, even if we dispatched reinforcements right this moment, they wouldn’t make it in time for today’s fight. We’ll win this battle quickly, then organize and send support before the day ends.”

After a brief moment of thought, Matthias gave his decision.

“Oliver said they would hold out for the day. If that’s the case, then Friedrich must be of the same mind. We entrusted them with the detached force, so we should place our faith in them.”

“Then I’ll inform the messengers from the detachment that we’ll send reinforcements as soon as this battle is over.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Watching Gregor head to the rear, Matthias turned his gaze once more to the enemy lines.

He could see obstacles being set up to guard the flanks of their formation, clearly to prevent cavalry charges. They were wooden barricades, made by crossing slim logs into three-dimensional X-shaped structures that stood on their own.

In the front row stood heavily armed infantry with large shields. On the sides, the wooden barricades for cavalry deterrence. It was clearly a formation meant not to conclude the battle in a single charge, but to repel the first attack and draw out the conflict. They were likely preparing to endure until the detached force could break through the mountain path and strike from behind.

Perhaps we should change our tactics a little as well.

With that thought in mind, Matthias ordered the knights attached to the headquarters to summon the battalion commanders.

・・・・・・

"Countess. The archers and knights will be ready shortly. The infantry formation won't take much longer either."

At the heart of the Arelia Kingdom’s camp, Countess Cecilia Fargiere, the commander-in-chief, listened to her adjutant’s report while surveying the battlefield.

“I see. It's almost time. How delightful. This may be the most thrilling battle I’ve faced yet.”

A smile touched Cecilia's lips.

This battle would mark a crucial step in Arelia's invasion of the Edelstein Kingdom.

The Arelian forces had a rough understanding of Edelstein’s army structure and the roles of each unit. Their main strength lay in three regiments. The Hildegard Regiment rarely moved from the Beiral Plains. The Albrecht Regiment was the final line, assigned to protect the royal domain, unlikely to be mobilized unless absolutely necessary.

That meant the unit defending the Northern Plains would most likely be the Ferdinand Regiment, possibly joined by troops from the surrounding noble territories. If this force could be crushed and pushed back, the Arelian army could seize full control of the Northern Plains and establish a foothold for further invasion. Doing so would sow chaos deep within Edelstein and weaken the defenses of the Beiral and Northern plains. If that happened, the path to victory in this campaign would become clear.

That said, Arelia could not afford to commit limitless forces to the Northern Plains.

A significant portion of the kingdom’s military was tied up maintaining control over the recently annexed former Myurei Kingdom. Troops were also needed to defend and police the heartland, the kingdom’s central region. And of the eastern forces, some had to be directed toward the Kingdom of Novakia.

For this reason, Cecilia proposed a strategy to her current liege, the King of Arelia, to seize the Northern Plains using only the core forces of a single regiment. The plan was to exploit gaps in enemy intelligence and reconnaissance, then maneuver through the mountain pass, long considered an impassable route, to flank and surround the enemy army. The king approved of this strategy, and Cecilia was chosen as the commanding general for the campaign.

As expected, the enemy’s core force was the Ferdinand Regiment, commanded by Count Matthias Hosenfeld. The long-awaited battle was finally upon her… the chance to face her father’s killer.

If she could defeat the hero Matthias and achieve a decisive victory in this battle, she would avenge her father and surpass him, who had once been hailed as a great commander.

"How are the conscripted troops holding up?"

"...They seem frightened. Likely because the opposing commander is Count Matthias Hosenfeld."

The name of Matthias, the hero of the Kingdom of Edelstein, was well known even among the former citizens of the now-destroyed Kingdom of Loire.

To them, Matthias represented the bitter memory of a crushing defeat. He remained a symbol of fear. Among the conscripts were some whose parents had been drafted and routed in that very war nineteen years ago, and even some who had themselves once fled for their lives after being scattered by the Ferdinand Regiment.

That was why, upon learning that Matthias would be leading the enemy, unease had already begun to spread among the conscripted ranks, so the adjutant reported.

"Haha, well, no matter. I never expected much from them to begin with. As long as they stand in the rear lines, that's more than enough."

The conscripts had been gathered along the march and placed on the battlefield to deceive the enemy about the size of their detachment. There had never been any intention to put them on the front lines. All they needed to do was maintain formation, just enough to keep fooling the enemy for as long as possible.

"Do what you can to hasten final preparations. I'd hate to keep Edelstein's great hero waiting."

"Understood, my lord."

The adjutant replied with utmost sincerity to Cecilia's dry, sarcastic remark.

Footnotes:

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