WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 4: Bandits Appearance

Several weeks passed, and nothing of note had occurred during that time.

Friedrich and Yurika lived in the Viscounty of Dofen, a rural territory in the northwest of the Kingdom of Edelstein. Although the kingdom remained in conflict with its western neighbor, the Kingdom of Arelia, the entire border touching the Dofen lands was made up of mountains, making it an impractical route for any invading force.

Even within the quiet Dofen territory, the town of Volga was especially peaceful. Situated on the frontier, it served as a simple hub connecting scattered farming villages, with a population of about five hundred. An unremarkable town, where incidents of any kind were rare.

Yesterday was no different from a week ago, or a month ago, or even a year ago. The same calm, uneventful days continued. But on one autumn day, something happened that broke that routine. Something unusual.

That day, Friedrich had just finished a job helping count the stored wheat in a self-reliant farmer’s granary. He was walking home with Yurika, chatting about their plans for the upcoming days off.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper break. Wanna head to the capital?”

“Sounds good. I want to go back to that new restaurant we found last time.”

When he was twelve, Friedrich visited the capital of the territory for the first time, accompanying Sister Alma on an errand.

With a population of around three thousand, it wasn’t considered a major city by the kingdom’s standards, but compared to Volga, it was thriving. Shops lined the streets, markets bustled with activity, performers entertained passersby, and merchants and travelers from beyond the territory came and went.

Friedrich had been captivated by the sight of it all. Since he started earning money on his own, he had occasionally taken trips to the capital with Yurika.

They didn’t have the money for luxury, so they would stay a night or two at a cheap inn and eat at modest restaurants or street stalls. Still, getting a taste of the city and its energy had become a comfort for Friedrich, right alongside the joy he found in reading.

“Let’s do that. Last time it was packed since it had just opened, but maybe this time we can take it slow... Huh? What’s that crowd about?”

Friedrich turned toward the central square, where townsfolk had gathered, and murmured to himself.

“Friedrich, want to go check it out? Might be something serious,”

“Haha, in this sleepy town? That’d be a surprise.”

Laughing as he replied, he walked over, curiosity pulling him toward the crowd.

“What happened here?”

“Oh, if it isn’t Friedrich,”

One of the townsmen, a middle-aged man, answered.

“Seems some bandits showed up near one of the southern farming villages. Folks from the village were headed back from Volga when they got attacked on the road. They ran back here in a panic.”

“Bandits, huh? That sounds rough,” Friedrich replied, not sounding particularly surprised.

The Viscounty of Dofen was considered one of the more peaceful parts of the kingdom, but even so, bandits or wild animals like bears would occasionally appear. Especially when it came to bandits, it was something to be expected to some extent, given that the territory bordered another nation.

While the border along the Dofen lands was made up entirely of rugged mountains, other noble territories had breaks in the range, connecting directly to the Kingdom of Arelia through open plains or narrow passes. Because of that, skirmishes would break out from time to time, and mercenaries gone rogue or escaped prisoners of war would sometimes drift over and turn to banditry.

There were even rarer cases, like criminals from the Kingdom of Arelia who risked everything to cross the mountain border and ended up becoming bandits themselves.

Still, in most cases, the territorial army quickly dealt with them. This incident would likely be resolved just as swiftly, and Friedrich saw no reason to be concerned.

At the center of the square stood a wooden platform, used for official announcements from the steward or for summary trials. At that moment, Captain Dennis of the territorial army’s Volga garrison stepped up onto the platform.

“A- Just a moment. Listen up, everyone.”

As Dennis called out from the platform, the murmuring crowd gradually quieted, their attention turning toward him.

“Most of you have probably already heard, but some bandits showed up. According to the folks who ran into them, there were four or five. With numbers like that, they’re not likely to attack a village or town directly, but we can’t just leave them alone. So tomorrow, I’ll be heading out with my men to take them down. But as you all know, Volga’s unit only has ten soldiers, including me. To make sure we get the job done right, we need about ten volunteers from the militia. I’m asking for people to step forward.”

Dennis’s call didn’t come as a surprise to the townspeople. Whenever bandits or wild animals showed up near Volga, he would always gather extra help from the residents just like this.

He was a good-natured man who treated even Friedrich, a former orphan, with casual friendliness and was well trusted by the townsfolk. His ability as a soldier was proven, and he had never once failed in subjugating bandits or wild beasts. With him leading the effort again this time, there was no trace of concern on anyone’s face.

“Haven’t done a volunteer call in a while. What do you say, Friedrich? Wanna sign up?”

“Of course not.”

Friedrich shook his head in response to the question from the middle-aged man who had explained the situation earlier.

“Haha, yeah, didn’t think so. No way a drifting orphan like you could handle something like that.”

It didn’t seem the man had asked seriously to begin with, and he gave a lazy laugh as he spoke. His words, naturally looking down on him, were met with a forced smile from Friedrich.

Words like that weren’t unusual. In this society, only those who were born into or raised by a family, and who held a steady job, were truly seen as part of the community.

Having grown up without a family and working in a way that resembled freelance labor, taking on jobs wherever they were called, Friedrich and Yurika were always seen as outsiders by society.

Of course, it never felt good. In fact, it was downright infuriating. But no matter what he said, it wouldn’t change anything. So Friedrich chose not to respond.

As Dennis called for volunteers, voices rose from the brave men of the town—heads of successful farming families and their heirs, the kind of people who stood at the center of the local social structure and carried its responsibilities.

At that point, it was no longer anything that concerned him. Friedrich turned and left the square with Yurika.

“What about the trip to the capital tomorrow?”

“...Yeah, we should probably hold off until the bandits are dealt with.”

What Friedrich and Yurika were concerned about was their vacation.

The bandit hunt itself wasn’t something they were worried about. With Dennis and his men heading out, it would likely be resolved by tomorrow night. The only thing on their minds was the disappointment of having to delay their trip to the capital by a day.

The thought that the bandit hunt might fail had never even crossed their minds.

Footnotes:

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