WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 74: Homecoming (1)

After the rebellion led by Prince Konrad Edelstein and Duke Ernst Bachstein was suppressed, and their fates were settled, the work of the royal family and the Royal Army did not end.

Until now, the defense and surveillance of the Elzass Corridor and the border with the Kingdom of Novakia had been entrusted entirely to the Bachstein Duchy. However, with the dissolution of the duchy, the Edelstein royal family now had to defend the entire western and northern borders on its own.

Reports from spies embedded within the Kingdom of Arelia indicated that the main force of its Eastern Army had begun preparing for an offensive toward the Kingdom of Novakia. It seemed the Kingdom of Arelia was shifting the focus of its military operations in that direction.

Even so, to let down their guard would be a grave mistake. With the annexation of the duchy and the massive task of military redeployment underway, the Kingdom of Edelstein could not afford to appear vulnerable to its enemies.

Because of these circumstances, the Ferdinand Regiment was temporarily deployed from the royal capital to the northern sector of the western border zone.

The goal was to demonstrate that the defenses along both the Arelian and Novakian borders remained firm. That even if a neighboring nation were to act, a regiment-sized rapid response force would immediately respond. To make this clear, the Ferdinand Regiment was stationed in the region not to perform any specific operation, but simply to be there.

To reduce the burden on each noble domain hosting the regiment, the infantry and archers were garrisoned in cities or villages in company- or platoon-sized units. The cavalry squadrons were broken into five-man teams and scattered, assigned to border patrols and courier duties between units.

As the central point for all of this, the regiment’s headquarters was placed in the capital of the Viscounty of Dofen, chosen because it lay precisely at the midpoint between each key location.

To Friedrich and Yurika, this was a city they had visited many times before. A place with history. Spending the summer here now was a strange and unexpected turn of events. Not long after the garrisoning began, the two of them were granted a three-day leave by Regiment Commander Matthias.

Understanding his intentions, Friedrich and the others set off for their hometown, the small city of Volga.

"Look, Friedrich. I can see it now."

"...How nostalgic. The day we set out from that gate feels like it was so long ago."

Volga, a place that could be reached from the viscount’s capital in a single day on foot, took only half a day on horseback with a small group. Departing in the morning, they caught sight of their hometown by afternoon, and Friedrich murmured those words.

It was summer now. Not yet two full years had passed since Friedrich and Yurika had left Volga.

And yet, because those years had been the most intense, the most transformative, and the most tumultuous of their lives, having come through all of that to return here stirred deep feelings.

"To be honest... I think I’m a little nervous."

"Hehe, there’s no need for that. Let’s ride in with pride, like a proper homecoming, okay?"

As Yurika laughed and nudged her horse forward, Friedrich followed with a faint, wry smile.

・・・・・・

During the day, the city gate remained open with a single guard standing watch, just as it had been before they set off on their journey.

The soldier from the Viscounty of Dofen's forces, who was posted as gatekeeper, dashed off to inform both the steward and his superior officer the moment he realized that one of the arriving Royal Army knights was none other than Friedrich Hosenfeld. His reaction was almost exaggerated.

Friedrich, born in this territory and now the heir to a hero, had drawn no shortage of attention in the viscount’s capital. Even the once-unreachable figure of the Viscount of Dofen had welcomed him warmly, side by side with Matthias.

That same attention, it seemed, followed him all the way to Volga. No—here, it might be even greater. Feeling somewhat self-conscious, Friedrich dismounted and passed through the gate alongside Yurika.

They had barely started walking through the street, leading their horses by the reins, when they encountered a familiar figure.

"...Bruno?"

Friedrich didn’t immediately recognize the young man before him.

Bruno, who had once let his hair grow out wildly and strutted around with his clothes stylishly disheveled, now wore his hair neatly cropped. His shirt was fully buttoned, and his trousers properly belted at the waist. He looked every bit the model of a serious, hardworking citizen.

Just as Friedrich stared at him in half-bewilderment, Bruno, too, widened his eyes in surprise as he looked back at Friedrich.

"F-Friedrich… sir!"

"Whoa, hey, Bruno! Cut that out!"

Bruno suddenly dropped to one knee as if to bow low to the ground, and Friedrich hurriedly reached out to stop him.

"You don’t need to go that far. Just treat me like you used to—"

"There’s no way I could do that! You’re a noble now!"

"I’m not going to make a commoner kneel in the street just because I’m the heir to a noble house! And besides, I’m only adopted... Please, just act normal. Consider it a direct order if you have to."

When Friedrich pleaded with him, Bruno looked utterly bewildered. His eyes darted everywhere before he finally opened his mouth.

"...Are you really okay with that?"

"I am. Please do."

To be shown such deference and treated with the stiff courtesy reserved for the highborn honestly made Friedrich feel a bit nauseous. Whether Bruno sensed that or not, he eventually gave in.

"Bruno, you can treat me the same as always too, okay?"

"...Y-Yeah, sure."

When Yurika, once his old nemesis, smiled sweetly and spoke to him, Bruno replied stiffly. Friedrich noticed his gaze flick briefly toward the sword at Yurika’s waist.

She had been knighted, fought in real battles, and now carried a fine weapon. To Bruno, she must have seemed like a terrifying ‘monster of a woman.’ Even if they wouldn’t end up brawling like they used to, it was easy to imagine she was still a daunting figure in his eyes.

As the three of them spoke together, more and more people nearby began to take notice.

In this rural city, the uniform of a Royal Army officer stood out starkly. And the young knight with crimson hair, there was no mistaking who he was. Whispers spread instantly as people realized it was Friedrich.

"Hey, Friedrich. Since you’re back in Volga, are you headed to the church?"

"Yeah. That’s the main reason I came home."

"Th-Then let me show you the way!"

"...Thanks. I’ll take you up on that, since you offered."

Truthfully, Friedrich didn’t need a guide in a place he knew like the back of his hand, but he accepted Bruno’s offer without hesitation.

"Alright then, let’s get moving! Hey, everyone! It’s Friedrich Hosenfeld’s triumphant return! Friedrich is back!"

Thanks to Bruno’s loud proclamation as he set off, the crowd stirred even more. People who heard the news began to gather, drawn by the growing commotion.

Friedrich chuckled to himself, guessing Bruno’s real motive: to show everyone he was on friendly terms with their now-famous hometown hero.

"By the way Bruno, you’ve changed a lot, haven’t you? How should I put it… You seem like you’ve gotten serious about things."

"Huh? Oh... yeah. You know how the bandit suppression unit got wiped out, and a bunch of the city’s leading figures died, right? One of them was my cousin, the heir to the main branch of my family. 

So with the main house in such a tight spot, I didn’t really have the luxury of goofing off anymore. Same goes for the guys who used to hang around with me. These days, we hardly ever meet up to mess around."

Bruno scratched his head, speaking with a somewhat sheepish look.

Friedrich recalled hearing long ago that Bruno’s family were tenant farmers, while the main branch, self-owning farmers, held a fair bit of land.

"They said if I got serious, worked hard, and studied, they’d take me in as an heir to the main house. So that’s what I’m aiming for now. I’ve been putting everything into it… Though taking care of the land is one thing, reading, writing, and numbers are still rough for me. 

You know I was never the sharpest tool in the shed. But man, Friedrich, you always handled all those letters and numbers like it was nothing. That’s seriously impressive."

"...I see. So you’re doing your best too, huh?"

It seemed that the battle with the bandits hadn’t just changed their own lives, it had turned Bruno’s world upside down as well. So thought Friedrich, as he gave the young man a quiet smile.

All the while, more townsfolk gathered, forming a crowd around the three of them as they walked. Some familiar faces called out to Friedrich, and he answered them with ease. 

Even Yurika, who had once been treated as an outsider and held at arm’s length, was now being spoken to by several of the townspeople. And surprisingly, she responded smoothly. Something the old her would never have managed.

It truly had the air of a triumphal return. Amid the noise and excitement of their warm welcome, Friedrich and Yurika walked down the street.

The gazes turned toward them were filled with respect. Admiration. Envy. Emotions he could never have imagined being directed at him in the past, back when he’d often been met with casual scorn for being a social outcast. Now, all of it—the warmth and praise felt good. Genuinely good.

As a soldier, and as the heir to a living hero, Friedrich understood his station and his duty. Even so, striding down the street in uniform, cloak fluttering, under the gaze of the people, it felt good to be seen and honored.

He didn’t intend to hide that joy. Nor did he feel ashamed of it. For it was this very respect, given freely by the people that served as the only reward for a life devoted to the nation and its people.

Footnotes: 

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