WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 51: Counter-measure

Upon receiving the report from Ostburg fortress, Matthias first gathered Gregor, Friedrich, and the battalion captains of the regiment. While the falconer prepared to write the dispatch, he convened an emergency war council.

The officers, now face to face, all wore grim expressions.

“If the Duchy’s army is to reach Ostburg fortress by nightfall, that leaves less than three hours. Even if we tried to send reinforcements to the stationed unit, it’s plainly, laughably impossible to make it in time.”

It was Gregor who spoke, his tone stern. Knight Barthold, the infantry battalion captain, nodded in agreement.

“We’re still on the first day of our march. According to the original plan, it would take another day and a half to reach the fort. Unless every soldier suddenly sprouts wings, it can’t be done.”

“So we’re abandoning the Ostburg fortress then?”

That was Knight Rüdiger, the other infantry battalion captain. At his words, Baron Eugen Stamitz, the cavalry battalion captain, tilted his head with a troubled expression.

A court noble from a military family, he had been one of the veteran officers since the founding of the Ferdinand Regiment. Alongside Gregor, he served as one of Matthias’s closest aides.

“It feels like a waste to give it up so easily, to be honest. Ostburg fortress is a key defensive position. If the enemy takes it, the battles ahead are going to get a lot tougher.”

“...But isn’t the garrison at Ostburg Fortress just a single transport squad of thirty men? Holding it against three hundred, no matter how much the defender has the advantage in a siege, that kind of numbers gap makes it impossible, doesn’t it?”

The one furrowing her brow and speaking was Knight Romilda, captain of the archers. Gregor nodded at her words.

“If we ordered them to hold it to the death, they’d be wiped out. Every last one of them.”

After that, a heavy silence settled over the room. Soldiers are prepared to face death, but even so, it isn’t easy to give an order that guarantees it. Especially when there’s no clear gain to justify the sacrifice.

Matthias, who had been listening to the discussion silently, turned to Friedrich. Friedrich, like his foster father, had been quietly deep in thought the whole time.

“Friedrich. Do you have a plan? Something that might keep Ostburg Fortress holding out until we arrive?”

Friedrich didn’t answer right away. With Matthias, Gregor, and the battalion captains all focused on him, he continued thinking.

Then, he raised his head and opened his mouth to speak.

“…To be honest, I can’t think of any way to make the fortress hold out. But if it’s a plan to retake Ostburg Fortress after it’s been captured, then I do have one idea.”

At that, the battalion captains looked at him in surprise. The fact that he’d managed to come up with any kind of plan under such pressure and in so little time, was astounding to them.

Matthias and Gregor, however, weren’t surprised.

“Explain.”

At Matthias’s order, Friedrich gave a nod.

“First, we order the stationed transport squad to abandon the fortress and regroup with us. At the same time—”

He laid out the plan clearly and without hesitation. As they listened, the battalion captains, including Gregor this time, once again showed their astonishment.

Only Matthias kept his expression unchanged from beginning to end.

“That’s all. I pulled together pieces from a few war chronicles I’ve read in the past, but what do you think?”

After a brief pause for thought, Matthias responded.

“Well done. There are still some unknown variables, but we’re not likely to come up with anything better here and now. Time is short. We’ll go with your plan.”

Just as Matthias gave his reply, the falconer stepped in to say the dispatch was ready.

“Write exactly what I say. Start with the letter for Ostburg Fortress.”

With that, Matthias began dictating his orders for the garrison stationed at the fortress.

・・・・・・

A duchy-sized force from the Bachstein Duchy had begun marching toward Ostburg Fortress and had taken hostile action against the Royal Army knights. There was a high possibility that the ducal house had turned its fangs on the royal family, and behind them, the involvement of the Kingdom of Arelia loomed. There was even a chance that the duchy might allow Arelian forces into the kingdom.

And Prince Konrad Edelstein might be a co-conspirator.

These suspicions were laid out in an emergency report from Count Matthias Hosenfeld, and delivered to the royal castle by falcon.

Claudia received the report in her office, brought to her by Viscount Gustav Eichberger, captain of the royal guard.

“…That can’t be.”

She had always been regarded as unshakable. She herself believed she was. But even Claudia could not maintain her composure upon hearing this report. Rising from her seat in shock, she froze with both hands pressed to her desk, a stunned look overtaking her face.

This is absurd. It can’t be true. It wasn’t reason but emotion that shouted those words within her.

What surfaced in her mind was the memory of seeing her beloved younger brother off. The dignified face Konrad had shown when he said, ’I’ll be off.’ That face wouldn’t leave her thoughts, and it robbed her of words.

“Your Highness. What are your orders?”

Gustav asked with his usual expressionless tone. The long pause before the question, unusual for him, was likely his own form of consideration, subtle though it was from someone who rarely showed emotion.

“…What do you think? About this report.”

“I believe Count Hosenfeld’s suspicions are reasonable. As Your Highness is the one responsible for managing the kingdom’s affairs, I would humbly advise that you act on the assumption of the worst-case scenario.”

Gustav gave his answer in a voice so calm it bordered on cold. It was grounded in realism.

“…You're right. For now, we need to prepare in case forces from the duchy or the Kingdom of Arelia begin marching. Given the circumstances, I’ll go myself. Order three companies of the Royal Guard to prepare for deployment. Also send orders to the Albrecht Regiment and Hildegard Regiment, have them mobilize half their forces. And gather as many conscripts as possible from within the royal domain.”

“Understood. What about the duchy forces?”

Claudia fell silent for a moment to think.

“If we consider the risk of the plan leaking, it’s unlikely that the Bachstein Duchy would have reached out to any other noble houses. Would you agree?”

“I believe so as well.”

“Then issue orders for the noble forces across the western part of the kingdom to assemble. Any house that does not comply is to be treated as traitors.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Having decided how to deploy each force for the time being, Claudia let out a bitter smile.

“Even if we mobilize this many soldiers, it will take some time to gather them all. When it comes to Ostburg Fortress, the Ferdinand Regiment is our only hope.”

“I want to believe in their strength as well. But realistically, we should prepare for the possibility that the fortress will fall to the enemy once. Losing that strategic point would force us into a difficult battle, but right now, it can’t be helped.”

Gustav was no man to offer false comfort. His answer was harsh.

If the enemy truly intends to capture a defensive position, a tenfold numerical advantage is enough. Three times that force is not. Ostburg Fortress, with only a transport squad stationed there, has an extremely high chance of falling. Retaking it by the Ferdinand Regiment alone will be difficult.

The report’s letter mentioned an attempt to retake the fortress through strategy, but we cannot afford to rely on that and plan our defense optimistically.

Enemy reinforcements will advance before our own arrive, and the Ferdinand Regiment will be forced to abandon any hope of retaking the fortress and fall back. We must prepare for the battle ahead on that assumption. Even Claudia understood that was the sensible approach. But—

What filled Claudia’s mind was Count Matthias Hosenfeld. And his heir, Friedrich. A living hero, and a young knight who had won two great victories despite unfavorable circumstances.

“We cannot see what’s happening on the front lines. How to respond must be left to the commanders on the ground. Whatever happens to the fortress, our job is to prepare thoroughly for the next move. Also… I need to inform Father about the situation myself.”

She didn’t want to cause her ailing father any more mental pain than necessary.

However, as Crown Princess, she held the practical authority over the kingdom’s affairs. There was no way she could withhold such a serious matter from King Sigismund, who still reigned as the head of the Edelstein Kingdom.

If she were to report this, she couldn’t conceal the possibility that Prince Konrad was involved in the rebellion. Since the royal family must act assuming the worst, the king had to know everything.

With that heavy burden in her expression, Claudia said,

“You handle sending orders to the various fronts. Once I’ve informed Father, I will immediately move to prepare for battle.”

“Understood.”

Gustav, often called a man born to be a soldier due to his emotionless demeanor, gave a perfectly executed salute worthy of a painting before leaving the room.

Afterward, Claudia went to report the situation to her father, the king.

King Sigismund, who was told of the possibility that Konrad had betrayed the royal family, did not change his expression. He simply replied with one word.

“I see.”

Footnotes:

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