WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 56: After the Recapture

Shortly after the fighting ended, Count Matthias and the rest of the regimental command staff entered Ostburg Fortress.

Amid the post-battle cleanup and collecting the dead, treating the wounded, recovering arrows, Friedrich approached Matthias.

“Commander, sir.”

Friedrich saluted, and Yurika, standing at his side, followed suit.

“Well done, Friedrich. And you as well, Yurika. Let’s hear your report.”

As they walked toward the stone main hall, which would now serve as the regiment’s command center, Friedrich began recounting the events since he had separated from the main force three days prior.

He explained how they had captured an enemy messenger and gathered intelligence confirming the Bachstein Duchy’s rebellion, along with Prince Konrad Edelstein’s complicity. He reported that the recently captured enemy battalion commander had testified to the same.

He added that the ducal house had invited the Kingdom of Arelia’s forces into the region via the Elsass Corridor. While the precise scale remained unclear, enemy troops were steadily gathering in the ducal capital of Remscheid.

Finally, he confirmed that their plan to infiltrate the fortress by impersonating a supply convoy had succeeded, that the cavalry detachment had successfully joined them, and that the assault through the west gate proceeded almost exactly as planned.

“I see. If there’s no longer any doubt that Prince Konrad has betrayed the crown, then grim as it is, we must report this to the royal family.”

Matthias spoke in a heavy voice after hearing the full report.

The kind-hearted prince who was beloved by the people, the nobility, and the royal family alike. Even Matthias himself had known him since his youth. To now face the confirmed truth of the prince’s betrayal… even a living legend like Matthias could not hide his shock and disappointment.

“Commander, should we proceed as planned and hold Ostburg Fortress while we await reinforcements?”

“Yes, that’s still an option… but reinforcements will take time. If possible, I’d like to weaken the enemy before they arrive. If it’s only the ducal forces, we might be able to draw them away from Remscheid and annihilate them. There’s a plan I’d like to try.”

Matthias’s suggestion made Friedrich tilt his head slightly.

Friedrich didn’t believe the Duchy’s forces and Arelia’s army would act as perfectly equal allies, hand-in-hand. Still, drawing only the ducal troops away from Remscheid and destroying them seemed like a difficult feat.

“Friedrich. The prisoners we’ve taken from the ducal army, are there a fair number?”

“…Yes. The enemy resisted fiercely, but even so, I believe more than half survived.”

“The cleanup has only just begun, but the general situation is clear enough.”

As Friedrich gave his answer, Matthias gave a small nod.

“We’ll make use of those prisoners. As I’ve told you before, most of the Duchy’s troops including the prisoners are local peasants conscripted into service. I explained how the duke binds them together and maintains morale, didn’t I? And managing hundreds of prisoners on our end is no easy task. What’s more, it’s still early spring. Taking these conditions into account, what strategy would you propose?”

After a moment of thought, Friedrich’s face showed understanding.

He shared his idea, and Matthias responded with a rare smile.

“That’s the correct answer.”

“There’s no time left today. Gather the prisoners tonight. We’ll carry out the plan tomorrow morning.”

“Understood, sir.”

As they spoke, the group arrived at the main keep. Gregor guided the regimental staff into a large conference room, while Matthias and Friedrich entered the commander’s private study. Yurika remained outside, waiting quietly.

On the desk were writing utensils and even a cup of tea, still half-full. The chair had been left pulled out. It was clear this room had belonged to the enemy commander only a short time ago. Inside, Matthias turned to face Friedrich once more.

“Now then, what are the casualties from your detachment?”

“…At present, six dead. Five seriously wounded. And… a few more may not make it.”

Friedrich had intended to answer as calmly as possible, but his voice still came out tight and stiff.

The detachment had been formed from some of the most capable soldiers in the regiment. And yet, despite that, the losses had been devastating. Nearly half were dead or gravely wounded.

Such an outcome had been expected, even if the plan succeeded. Friedrich had proposed it with full awareness of the risks, and the soldiers had volunteered for the detachment knowing the danger.

The deaths of comrades were never easy to bear. But even so, he no longer collapsed in grief like he once had. He had moved beyond that stage.

“I see. Then it’s a blessing that more than half made it back alive. You did well.”

“I’m honored, sir.”

Friedrich straightened his posture and answered formally.

“You may go. …No, wait.”

Just as Friedrich turned on his heel to leave, he was stopped at the door and looked back.

“You made it through a harsh ordeal. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“…Thank you.”

Friedrich answered with a small smile to his foster father’s words, and this time he truly left the room.

・・・・・・

By sundown, the post-battle cleanup was complete, and Ostburg Fortress had come fully under the control of the Ferdinand Regiment.

In the end, the regiment suffered eighteen deaths during the operation to retake the fortress, with nearly as many gravely wounded. Of the fallen, eight were from the special detachment. Thanks to the sacrifice of those who had volunteered for that perilous mission, the fortress was reclaimed, and a looming crisis was averted, one in which enemy forces having seized a royal supply hub, could have advanced to the very doorstep of the royal domain.

In contrast, the Bachstein Ducal Army suffered staggering losses: ninety-four dead and seventy-one severely wounded. Trapped within the fortress and trampled by a charging cavalry unit, with no one able to issue an order for surrender after the battalion commander was incapacitated, their casualties only mounted.

The surviving prisoners were all disarmed, restrained, and confined to places like storehouses under strict guard.

Then, in the dead of night, when most had gone to sleep and only the rotating watch continued to monitor the fortress, Knight-apprentice Gunther stood watch atop the eastern wall near the gate.

Despite having distinguished himself as one of the key fighters in the detachment, several senior soldiers had offered to take his shift so he could get some well-earned rest. But Gunther had politely refused. He was still a newcomer, and he wanted to show Oliver, his superior, the dedication expected of a knight-in-training.

Though winter had only just passed, the nights were still bitterly cold. Gunther wore a heavy cloak over his uniform and diligently scanned the quiet, enemy-less landscape outside the fortress. Even as the icy wind blew past him, his large, powerful frame did not shiver in the slightest.

"You're probably getting bored."

The sudden voice made Gunther turn around.

"...Oliver, sir. Shouldn’t you be asleep?"

"Yeah. But I’m not really tired. Probably because I had more than enough rest while we were on standby this morning."

Oliver had come up to the top of the wall and answered Gunther’s question with a faint smile.

Ever since Friedrich and the other three departed as the advance unit of the detachment and arrived along the western road of Ostburg Fortress, they had spent far more time waiting than actually moving. Aside from capturing and interrogating the enemy messenger, linking up with the wagon convoy, and the final advance on the fortress, they had mostly sat around in the forest.

So for those with exceptional stamina like Gunther and Oliver, their current state of fatigue didn’t really match how much they’d accomplished.

"Here. Drink this."

"Thank you."

Gunther gave a small nod as he accepted the rugged wooden cup filled with warm tea. Oliver took a cup for himself as well, then stood beside Gunther and turned his gaze out toward the dark expanse beyond the fortress.

"So. What did you think of his talent as a commander?"

Gunther immediately understood that by ‘him,’ Oliver meant Friedrich.

"…He's really something else. It's not just that he came up with an incredible plan. He’s not even especially skilled in combat himself, yet he still stepped right into a battlefield that was clearly dangerous as hell. And he didn’t flinch, he fought. Even with arrows flying everywhere, he stayed calm, kept his eyes on the situation, and even gave me orders. He’s really something."

Though he knew he wasn’t the best with words, Günther still did his best to express himself.

There was no way he could deny Friedrich now. The force he had once shown back on the training grounds had been backed by real ability, there was no denying that anymore.

With a strategy of his own making, he had infiltrated a fortress swarming with enemies. He hadn’t just issued orders from the safety of the rear; he’d taken up arms himself and fought on the front lines. He had stayed calm through the chaos, and even after the battle, he remained composed.

And to think, he was still only twenty this year. This had only been his second real battle as a soldier.

It was men like him who were chosen to succeed living legends. Today, Gunther finally understood that from the bottom of his heart.

“You understanding his true ability is more important than anything... Now that he’s earned this much battle merit, his name will rise even higher. Even those who secretly dislike his background won’t be able to deny his skill anymore. That’s something good for this regiment too. He’s going to become the commander of this regiment someday.”

“…Sir Oliver, have you ever wanted to become the regiment leader yourself? Considering your age, if Sir Friedrich hadn’t risen up, wouldn’t it have been natural for you to be next in line?”

When Gunther asked, Sir Oliver let out a wry smile.

“I used to have such dreams. But after spending some years in the military, I came to realize that being a capable officer alone isn’t enough to become a general. Count Hosenfeld, of course, but also Marquis Obsidian of the Hildegard Regiment and Lady Eisenhut of the Albrecht Regiment, all those who become great commanders have something extraordinary about them. I don’t have that. I intend to be a good company commander, maybe even an average general, but that’s not enough.”

There was no sign that Sir Oliver was forcing himself as he spoke. No resignation or bitterness, Gunther saw in him a calm acceptance in a good sense.

“Friedrich has something essential to become a great commander. So I want to be a good officer who supports him. Just like how Deputy Captain Sir Gregor and Cavalry Battalion Commander Sir Stamitz support Count Hosenfeld. That to me, is the greatest contribution I can make to the royal family and the nation, and probably the pinnacle of my career as a soldier.”

Oliver paused, then exhaled softly.

“Besides, Friedrich surely needs people to support him. He has Yurika, but the more comrades the better. He is a remarkable man, but at the same time, just a human being... Watching him up close makes me believe that heroes aren’t born as heroes, nor do they become heroes alone.”

Gunther tilted his head, unable to fully grasp the meaning behind Oliver’s words.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just something I’m thinking about… Anyway, that’s the way it is. I hope that someday you’ll become a good aide to both me and Friedrich. I believe you have potential.”

“…I will do my best.”

Hearing those words from a respected superior, Gunther nodded with pride and a hint of shyness.

Footnotes:

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