WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 73: Feast of Victory (2)

The celebration went on, and as the wine flowed, the knights’ mood grew ever more relaxed and unruly. In one corner of the tavern, knights were engaged in a spirited drinking contest, declaring that their drink and revelry were offerings to the fallen.

“...Gah! Bweh! N-Nope, I’m out!”

“What, giving up already, Gunther!?”

“For a big guy, you sure can’t hold your liquor!”

As Gunther pulled his mouth away from the cup and slumped down, staggering at the knees, the knights around him jeered and teased. Across the table from him, Yurika, having downed yet another round of wine, wore a triumphant expression and basked in the cheers.

“Damn it, Yurika, being a beast with both a sword and a drink is just unfair...”

“Nah, she’s not even that good with alcohol, to be honest.”

“Exactly. You’re just the perfect kind of lightweight.”

“You earned that invite for your efforts on the battlefield, rookie! Least you can do is help hype things up!”

Despite the teasing, the senior knights kindly hoisted Gunther up by both arms, sat him in a chair, and made sure he got some water.

Meanwhile, Yarg, who was overseeing the drinking contest, looked around to assess the state of the room.

“Alright then, who’s stepping up next?”

“Captain Rudiger! Take ’em down!”

“Let’s show ’em the pride of our battalion!”

“A-Alright... Leave it to me.”

Pushed forward by the cheers of his company captains, Rudiger, a man in his twenties who already held the rank of infantry battalion commander, stepped up to the table. He wasn’t known for holding his drink particularly well.

“Then on our side, we’ve got Captain Romilda!”

“Show those infantry grunts what the archers are made of!”

At those words, Romilda, commander of the archery battalion, stepped forward in silence. She was known across the royal army as one of its most formidable drinkers, so much so that even Crown Princess Claudia had heard the rumors and once brought it up at a gathering of military officers during a formal social event.

“No way, that’s cheating!”

“Oh my, does the Second Infantry Battalion have a commander who surrenders before the fight even begins?”

The pale-faced Rudiger was provoked by Romilda and found himself with no room to back down. Soon, wearing a resigned expression, he took up the wine glass filled to the brim.

“A direct showdown between battalion commanders, huh? This has got to be tonight’s biggest match. Should we bet on it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Who’d bet when the outcome’s obvious?”

Yarg’s suggestion was promptly shot down by another knight.

“Fair enough. Then… let’s begin!”

As Rudiger’s hopeless challenge got underway, at another table a more serious conversation was taking place. At the center of that circle was Friedrich.

Loosened up by the wine, Friedrich spoke at length, sharing his well-founded theories with the knights gathered around him. The group mostly consisted of his peers or younger knights, including some fresh recruits who had joined late after the recent rebellion was suppressed and were attending the feast tonight as part of their introduction and welcome.

“—That’s why, aside from having a flexible battalion organization, what’s equally important is a robust supply system supported by dedicated units and supply bases at various locations. It’s precisely because of this that the Edelstein Kingdom’s army is strong.

The Arelia Kingdom, having become too vast through conquering surrounding countries, can’t replicate what we do. Even if you count the noble domain armies, which are said to total nearly thirty thousand troops, that country’s full military strength is never fully utilized.”

Friedrich, the heir to the House of Hosenfeldt and already having secured an unshakable reputation within the battalion, was a beacon of hope for knights around twenty years old. For even younger knights in their teens, he had become an object of admiration. Everyone listened intently to Friedrich’s words.

“First of all, since the Arelia Kingdom must allocate troops to maintain its conquered territories and to defend the kingdom’s center, the frontline forces it can deploy against the eastern Edelstein Kingdom and Novakia Kingdom are limited. This is basic knowledge any of us officers naturally understand.

Even if the King of Arelia were to recklessly commit troops from the conquered lands or central kingdom to an offensive, the distance is just too great. While they leisurely advance, we can detect and prepare without trouble. The only chance of victory would be a surprise attack catching us off guard, but that’s impossible to pull off.

Imagine this: what if the distance from the capital to the Arnsburg Fortress on the border doubled or more? What if they had to march with several times their current force size towards it? Without speeding up the march, or even if they tried to move faster than usual, all without the support of accompanying supply units or supply bases along the way?”

The young knights listening to Friedrich’s explanation furrowed their brows or frowned, each reacting in their own way.

“...I can’t imagine they’d be able to fight effectively after such a march.”

“More importantly, can they even make it to the border in the first place?”

“No way. Some portion would fall behind. I’d expect desertions among the rank-and-file soldiers, if not the knights.”

Friedrich nodded at their remarks.

“That’s exactly right. Even if the King of Arelia suddenly sent thousands of troops in a surprise attack, those forces wouldn’t remain at full strength by the time they reached the border region. You’d end up with a force that’s lost many soldiers, can only hold together for a very short time, and consists of starving, exhausted troops.

Honestly, even if they outnumber us several times over, it wouldn’t be something to fear. Don’t you think the Ferdinand Battalion, which would rush to the border, and the Hildegard Battalion guarding the Arnsburg Fortress wouldn’t be defeated by such an enemy?”

When Friedrich asked, the young knights laughed and readily agreed.

“There simply hasn’t been any system to swiftly move an army of thousands across the vast western Ludna Continent since the fall of the Kingdom of Lutetia. Although the rapidly expanding Kingdom of Arelia now approaches the scale of those ancient great powers in terms of territory and population, internally it remains unstable—a mere collection of regions subdued by force.

That’s why, when it comes to military organization, the Edelstein Kingdom holds several advantages. We’re not likely to be at much of a numerical disadvantage either. Unless the Arelia royal family enacts some major military reform, or comes up with a strategy that catches us completely off guard, or unless the northern neighbor, the Kingdom of Novakia, falls…”

“Novakia… In terms of size, it’s no match for Edelstein Kingdom, but will it hold out for the time being?”

“It should. Sure, its population is smaller and its standing army is fewer than ours, but Novakian soldiers, raised in mountainous terrain, are tough individually. Plus, the border between Novakia and the former Myurei Kingdom is narrow, guarded by a strong defensive line centered on fortified positions. They won’t be broken through that easily.”

“That’s right. Speaking of border defense, they’ve managed to create a situation much more favorable than ours. Honestly, I’m almost jealous.”

One knight muttered this, and the others responded. The new recruits, freshly enlisted, listened to the veterans’ talk with keen interest.

“As for the Kingdoms of Edelstein and Novakia, receiving support from the Rigald Empire would likely be the decisive factor leading to victory. That said, simply asking for help would put us deeply indebted to the Empire.

Moreover, since the Empire is currently embroiled in a conflict with the eastern Kingdom of Sival, it wouldn’t be easy for them to fight on two fronts. So, while we maintain border defense, we’ll wait for the Empire’s dispute to end and then aim to form a joint alliance that benefits all three nations—”

Friedrich continued to share knowledge drawn from books and his own theories based on that knowledge. The young knights asked questions and offered their own opinions.

It was an earnest, youthful, and somewhat endearing discussion. At the edge of the gathering, sitting with a gentle expression, Oliver quietly sipped his beer while watching the interaction, focusing especially on Friedrich at the center.

From a more distant table, deep inside the room, Matthias and Gregor also watched Friedrich, sharing a drink between the two of them.

“...Such a nostalgic scene. It reminds me of old times.”

“Indeed. Honestly, even when we’re not related by blood, why do our ways end up so alike?”

Unusually, a faint blush of embarrassment colored Matthias’s face as he spoke.

Surrounded by his peers and juniors, Friedrich proudly shared his knowledge and theories. Watching Friedrich’s youthful, sometimes overly confident behavior, Matthias was reminded of himself some twenty years ago. Back then, he often did the same, holding forth to Gregor, Eugen, Bartolt, and other knights of his generation and younger.

Looking back now, Matthias thought those around him were impressed only because they were young and inexperienced, and that he hadn’t really said anything all that novel or impressive to warrant boasting.

“This isn’t without its charm, is it? To enjoy a drink while watching your younger self in action is rather pleasant, don’t you think?”

“How ridiculous. Don’t poke fun at your lord now.”

Matthias said with a half-smile, and Gregor chuckled along.

・・・・・・

The veteran officers, including Matthias, mindful of their subordinates, left the tavern early, and after a while, those remaining also began to disperse as the night deepened.

Fairly drunk, Friedrich was accompanied by Yurika, and the two were seen off by Oliver before returning to the Hosenfeld Count family estate.

Once inside his room, Friedrich sat on the bed, and Yurika took a seat beside him.

“Tired, Friedrich?”

“…Yeah. It was fun, but I am definitely tired.”

Friedrich replied, lying down with his head resting on Yurika’s lap. She gently stroked his hair.

Once this feast was over, they basically stopped reflecting on their fallen comrades. Though individuals might fondly remember and share stories of the dead, the group no longer held collective memorials. The soldiers of the kingdom’s army looked not to the past, but to future battles.

Tonight’s feast was a funeral so to speak—a knightly-style one, lively and bright.

They had once again sent off their comrades. Of those who died suppressing the rebellion, eight knights and soldiers had died carrying out Friedrich’s strategy.

They would no longer be devastated. Nor would they sink into despair. Friedrich had begun to grow accustomed to the death of comrades. He had started to accept losing comrades as part of life.

He was steadily adapting to living on the battlefield.

With both joy and resignation at this fact, Friedrich slipped into sleep.

Footnotes:

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