WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Abood

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 93: Stalling for Time (1)

“I am Chester Kahreil, knight of the Rigald Empire and Viscount. I lead the escort unit for Marquis Christopher Langford and his family. While assisting the Kingdom of Edelstein’s search for the lady and young miss, we received word from your messenger that the two had been taken in and protected at the village ahead, Kelra. I led a vanguard to confirm their safety. The reinforcements assembled by Lord Hosenfeld from the surrounding units are also en route here.”

“That’s good news. Do you have any idea how long it will take before they arrive?”

When Friedrich asked, Chester paused for a moment in thought before responding.

“Considering they’re also advancing north from their side, I’d say… another hour. We set out at first light after hearing the two were safe, we couldn’t sit still. With Lord Hosenfeld’s permission, we departed ahead of the main force.”

“…An hour, huh. Gregor, what do you think?”

Standing beside him, Gregor turned to glance behind them. Measuring the distance between their group and the pursuing enemy, he furrowed his brow and spoke.

“If we only needed to hold for half an hour, we could have made it. But with a full hour to wait, the enemy will catch up before then.”

Hearing Gregor’s words, Friedrich also turned to look behind and sighed.

The enemy unit had closed in significantly since the last time they checked. And since they still had to match pace with the horses carrying Melinda and Claire, their speed hadn’t changed at all.

If Gregor said so, there was no doubt. At this rate, they wouldn’t be able to escape. And even if they chose to fight, they were still at a disadvantage. Thirty riders escorting their charges against a hundred jaegers able to move freely.

“…Sir Kahreil. Please allow me a moment to devise a plan.”

“Understood. I’ve heard the rumors about you, Sir—son of Lord Hosenfeld. They speak of your keen mind. I’ll be looking forward to your strategy.”

Friedrich let out a faint, wry smile at Chester’s words. He wondered just how embellished those tales, spread by the Edelstein royal family, had become by the time they reached the Empire.

Then, Friedrich fell silent atop his horse, eyes fixed forward as he began to think.

The terrain ahead: gently sloping hills covered in forest, with a road carved straight through the middle. Beyond that, the reinforcements led by his foster father Matthias awaited. But they’d be caught before reaching them.

What did they have on hand? Each knight carried their own sword and armor. Most of the Royal Army knights wore heavy plates. On his back, as usual, Friedrich carried a crossbow.

About ten bolts remained. And aside from personal gear, they also had several tools borrowed from Kelra Village thanks to Chief Johan’s generosity, just in case they couldn’t avoid battle.

Considering all of that, Friedrich began shaping a plan to get Melinda and Claire to safety while holding off the enemy. He finally opened his mouth, pointing toward the forest-covered hill that lay ahead.

“First, we cross the top of that hill.”

Following Friedrich’s instructions, the group continued onward. Once they had entered the hill, crested its peak, and momentarily disappeared from the view of the pursuing enemy, Friedrich signaled for everyone to stop.

The forest didn’t fully cover the northern side of the hill. From about halfway down, it gave way to open grassland. The road continued past the slope, curving around smaller hills and patches of woodland. Unfortunately, there was still no sign of the reinforcements.

“So then, Sir Friedrich. What now?”

“We’ll transfer the lady and the young miss to your horses. You’ll take them and go on ahead. The rest of us will stay behind and hold the enemy off.”

As he dismounted, Friedrich gave his answer. Looking around at the Royal Army knights, he found no hesitation and change in their expressions. Silently, they too dismounted.

“No, but then your lives will be—”

“This is the Kingdom of Edelstein’s territory. It is ours to protect. Safeguarding honored guests from an allied nation is a duty we bear without question.

To stake our lives for the sake of our land and our duty, there is no greater honor for a soldier of the Royal Army… I don’t intend for us all to fight to the death. I’ve prepared several delaying tactics. How well they’ll work, I can’t say. But we’ll carry them out and then fall back.”

As he spoke, Friedrich glanced sideways at Yurika. She returned his look with a bold grin, and he responded by curling the corner of his mouth into a faint smirk of his own.

She, the others, and himself included, none of them intended to die so easily. And the others understood that Friedrich thought the same. That was why no one hesitated when deciding to stay behind.

All they had to do was fight until the Imperial knights, carrying Melinda and the young girl, had gotten far enough away. After that, they too would retreat and regroup with the reinforcements. That was all there was to it.

“…Understood. In that case, we’ll split our unit. I’ll assign several riders to escort the lady and young miss, and the rest of us will remain here with you. We’ve already traveled this route before. Once we’re past the forest, the terrain opens up. There’s no risk of an ambush.”

With that, Chester selected several subordinates and ordered them to escort Melinda and Claire to the reinforcements. He then instructed the remaining knights to dismount. The Imperial knights obeyed without hesitation, carrying out his orders promptly.

“…Are you sure about this? Staying behind to fight will be dangerous.”

“I’m well aware of that. Even so, we’ll stay.”

Friedrich asked in disbelief, but Chester answered with ease.

“If we remain, your fighting strength is effectively doubled. That means we can buy even more time and greatly increase the chances that the lady and young miss reach the reinforcements safely.

In that case, no matter how dangerous, it is our duty to stay and fight. We cannot leave the soldiers of the Kingdom of Edelstein to face this risk alone while we flee. We are soldiers of the Rigald Empire.”

Chester said this with a faint smile. Friedrich returned the smile and said nothing more.

To urge them to flee now would only insult their pride. And besides, they didn’t have the time to argue about it.

“Hurry and go. Get the lady and the young miss to safety, no matter what.”

“Yes, even at the cost of our lives.”

One of the knights ordered to escort Melinda and Claire replied with conviction. The two were transferred to the Imperial knights’ horses, and just as the group was about to depart—

“Aren’t you all coming too? What about Chester? What about Friedrich and Yurika?”

Claire spoke up, looking worried. Friedrich and Chester exchanged glances, then turned toward her.

“…We’ll be right behind you.”

“Just as Sir Kahreil says. So please don’t worry, Lady Claire.”

Standing beside Friedrich, Yurika gave a gentle smile and waved to Claire.

“Okay… see you later. Everyone do your best and stay safe, okay?”

Her sweet encouragement drew a few soft chuckles from the knights, briefly easing the tension that had gripped the group.

“…I’m sorry.”

Melinda, meanwhile, left behind those quiet words as she departed, her voice heavy with guilt.

There was no time to watch the two of them disappear into the distance. Friedrich and the others turned back toward the rear, where the enemy was surely still advancing.

“I’d rather not become the kind of adult who lies to children.”

“Agreed, completely… So then, what’s your plan?”

Prompted by Chester, Friedrich addressed the knights present, twenty-six in total, and began to explain the details of his strategy.

・・・・・・

“Don’t slow down! We’re almost on top of them!”

““Yes, sir!””

At Ivar’s shout, the jaegers under his command responded in unison. Their voices were spirited, but the fatigue was clear on their faces.

The endurance of Ivar and his men, forged in the harsh northern lands of the continent, was nothing short of exceptional when compared to the people of the western continent, who were raised in milder climates and terrain. Even among the elite of the Arelia Kingdom’s army, they were often spoken of as monsters.

That said, it had already been two nights since they crossed into the Kingdom of Edelstein, and they had been on the move with little rest. And for the past several hours, they had been engaged in a pursuit, chasing down riders even if those riders were somewhat slowed by their charges. No matter how formidable the jaegers were, they were still human. Exhaustion was inevitable.

Even so, Ivar and his men had not given up. They were tired yes, but still far from their limits. At this pace, they would catch up to their prey in less than an hour.

The enemy’s escort had grown slightly in number, but still only amounted to about thirty riders. Once they caught up, sheer numbers would overwhelm them, or they could simply break through by scattering and encircling.

Either way, they would reach their target. Ideally, they had wanted to take them alive, but there was no time or room for that anymore. They would kill them and use the outcome to prove their worth to their employer, the King of Arelia.

Ivar and his men charged up the gently sloping hill, covered in forest, following the narrow road cutting through the center. Too tight for a force of a hundred to pass through in formation, they expanded into the trees flanking the path as they advanced.

“Chieftain, something’s off with the prey.”

Just as they neared the top of the hill, Acht, one of Ivar’s close aides leading the front called out.

“I told you to call me Commander. What is it…? Where did the rest of the escort vanish to?”

As he crested the hill himself and caught sight of the prey just down the slope, Ivar frowned.

Ahead, on the road descending from the hill, the number of visible enemy knights was clearly reduced. There had been close to thirty of them just moments ago. Now, barely five were in sight. Why?

Still moving forward, Ivar worked through the confusion with his weary mind. A possibility clicked, and his expression changed.

“They’re in the forests on either side—!”

“Ambush! They’ve hit our flanks!”

The warning came too late. A soldier’s shout rang out.

Cries and shouting erupted from both sides of the column. Ivar and the others finally halted their advance. Looking around, they saw knights from the Kingdom, hidden deep within the forests flanking both sides of the path, charging out to launch their ambush.

Footnotes:

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