I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

Editor : Aizen

In the midst of the journey to Hespania, the travel worn trio take a break and rested at a villa own by the Robeheim family before hitting on the road again.

Their travelling carriage was simple without an extra guard that others could doubt if the carriage truly carries the only heiress of the Grand Ducal.

The main reason was because Ariel rarely had any escort when she leave Hespania.

The escorts were present back then, when she was young and accompained by Helena, but growing up, her senses have hightened and the gazes around her began to bother her, so the escort guards were left.

Edgar had tried to put in a word about this matter, but it was hard to make the stubborn Ariel change her mind, so left with no choice Edgar relented.

Thanks to that, wherever they went outside, Edgar, Ariel, and Shuri were the only memebers present.

Well, the coachman can be counted in too.

As always, Edgar once again tried to preach Ariel as he was dissatisfied with her descion.

Everywhere he went, he couldn’t take his eyes off the window because he was anxious.

"Will you come to your senses only if something really happens?"

“Is there even a possibility of such a thing? Anyway, would I even need an escort when you are here. "

“You may be like that, but me and your parents are different. You are the only heir to the Grand Duchess.”

"You are putting it this way, but we have different kind of identities and your status is the only heiress to the Grand Ducal."

Ariel isn't wrong, Edgar would be more useful than one or two shy escorts, not to mention, Ariel's magical prowess was far beyond imagination.

But the reason she needs an escort is to save her life, in case of an emergency.

Because if the opponent's party had more than what the two could handle, to ensure the safety of their life, the escorts would atleast be able to stall some time for them.

Of course, even with this explanation, Ariel's mind didn't resolve.

If she could be persuaded easily, the situation wouldn't have come this far.

“Both of you, please calm down.”

“I’m not particularly angry. It’s just that I understand Ed’s words, but he keeps saying something even though nothing has happened so far… … .”

At the last part, Edgar almost fell backwards.

He wonders if this immature princess has already erased the memory of that time from her head just because several years has passed.

“Nothing happened? Don’t you remember how assassins invaded your castle in the past?”

“That, that… but.”

“I know you don’t like to be crowded. Could I have possibly recommended about keeping guards without knowing that?”

Edgar knew that his prattlings will bother her, and it's not like he want to keep mentioning it either.

However, in the end, it was an issue that someone had to talk about, and he just took the initiative instead.

It's okay to travel lightly without anyone bothering them now, but could they possibly continue this kind of tradition even after they officially becomes the family heads?

It's better to make the habit of keeping guards around early on and gradually adapt to it.

“Young master's words are true, young lady.”

“You, are you like that too?”

“That is true. Because you are the one who will one day become the head of the Robeheim family. You cannot just go around carefree forever… … .”

As Shuri joined in, Ariel gave a nod and made a sound like a dog suffering from body aches.

It never occurred to her that she would be able to continue this stubbornness forever.

In the end, she knew that she had to have formalities appropriate to her position, and that she would have to give up her stubbornness on the day she became the head of the famiy and the day is approaching soon.

She just wanted to continue her carefree current life until then, but why are people around her so anxious about not following them?

“Okay. I’ll think about the escort. Is that okay?”

“You know you're not gonna be left off easily with a verbal agreement, right? ”

“Oh my, am I a child!?”

In Edgar’s eyes, there is still a remnant of an immature child, but he didn't dare bring it up his throat.

Otherwise, the entire wagon might be burned.

Just as the two smiled bitterly today as they listened to the princess’s promise, the carriage left the village and headed for Hespania.

This road is rarely used by most people, and it is virtually connected directly to the road from Belluccie to Hespania.

Besides, it was rather narrow compared to other roads and quite rough, so it was not suitable for trade routes or travelers.

In other words, it can save time, but it is a path that test your endurance of inconvenience.

However, there is one biggest advantage that outweighs the rest minus points. The road is infrequent by the merchants and the likes, so it reduces the possibility of encountering bandits.

“I can never get used to this road.”

Of course, recognizing such advantages did not make the discomfort go away.

Ariel, frowning in the swaying carriage, held on to a pole built beside her to support herself.

“It’s not just a little rough. Because my head is spinning.”

“Still, we just have to hold on to this area. Cheer up, both of you.”

On the way, there was a place that crossed the mountain, and as they approached it, the shaking of the wagon became even stronger.

“… … .”

“Are you feeling very unwell?”

“… no.”

When Ariel closed her eyes, folded her arms, and didn’t say anything as if she was dying, Edgar, who seemed to be in a very bad condition, started talking to her.

As she shook her head resolutely, a faint wrinkle formed between her eyebrows, and Ariel suddenly poked her head out the window.

That was the moment.

Ting! Ting! Ting!

Suddenly, with a sound like something hitting an iron wall, Edgar quickly jumped out of the carriage.

“Don’t miss it!”

“Kill the man!”

At the same time, black figures protruding from both sides of the mountain road stepped on the trees and charged towards the wagon.

Wedge!

A dagger was shot out from Edgar’s sleeves and pierced a man's neck, and the other managed to dodge the attack by turning his head, but fell down as he lost his balance.

This is the Rote technique he learned from Creed, as it will be the to use if met with this kind of situation, but never thought the day would come sooner than expected.

[Rote : a memorization technique based on repetition. The method rests on the premise that the recall of repeated material becomes faster the more one repeats it.]

Edgar calmed his startled heart and shouted at the coachman.

“Don’t be afraid, run at full speed!”

“Yes, young master! All right!”

Even in a state of fright, the coachman does not let go of his hand holding the reins, answering as courageously as possible.

Ariel emerged from the carriage after Edgar, and at the same time arrows were fired from all sides once more.

Ting! Teeing!

“What!?”

But as soon as they reached the wagon, all the arrows rolled on the ground as if they had collided with an invisible wall.

One of the shadow assassin who was speeding along the mountain path, witnessed this and let out a terrified shout from his mouth.

It's because, when the first time the arrows were shot and they speedily flew until they fell before they could reach the carriage, he thought some kind of special barrier artifact was protecting the carriage.

If his guess is not wrong, he doesn’t think … … .

‘Damn.’

The barrier must be the young lady's doings and she is also the most difficult opponent.

However, the order they received was to kill the other two, but to save the young lady somehow.

During this process, he tried to kill the young lady as much as possible, but disguised himself as failing to achieve his goal. That was his second priority.

If the purpose was to kill everyone in the first place, it would have been nice to have hired a magician, but it is regrettable that it could not be done because of this tricky condition.

‘Seems that we can only resort to hand-to-hand combat.’

Because, no long range weapon will be usable as the sheild has the ability to nullify them.

Then, in the end, the only option left is destroying the carriage or killing the horse, and then kill the other two.

Or, if they leave one horse alive and make a scene where the young lady manages to escape alone, then the picture that best matches their purpose will be produced.

He immediately raised his hand, signaled to his men directly behind him, and at the same time charged at the approaching wagon.

Chaeeng!

Meanwhile, Edgar hid in a tree right behind him and looked around while blocking the enemy’s surprise attack.

If the assassins will continue attacking like this, it will be easy for Edgar to finish them off, but men would have been positioned to attack from the rear unless they were idiots.

Most important is the fact that it was impossible to estimate the amount of assassins because they have blended in with the wilderness well.

Percussion!

While calculating inwardly, he throw down the limped body under the running carriage, then thrust his sword backword as another assassin appears behind him.

Fuuk!

The sound of the sword stabbing into flesh made Edgar frown a little, nevertheless he pulled it out from the now dead corpse and toss it backward without a pause.

‘It’s kind of strange.’

And Ariel, who was watching this from behind, looked around again, frowning at the sense of difference she had felt from a while ago.

For some reason, it felt like all the attacks were aimed at Edgar.

It wasn’t just a whimsy notion, there wasn’t a single barrage of arrows raining down at her nor any sneak attacks.

If the purpose is to kill in the first place, there must be a cleaner and more acceptable method than this.

At the very least, even if they only prepared magic charm and shoot fireballs, he could have annihilated the people in this carriage more economically.

But why are they working this way?

It felt as if the purpose was somewhere else in the first place.

‘Come to think of it, I think it was a while ago.’

It wasn't clear but before the barrage of arrows began to rain down, Ariel seems to have vaguely heard something like ‘Kill the man.'

Perhaps… … .

“Ed!”

Before the trains of thoughts could penetrate the mystery, a person pops out from the lush trees behind Edgar.

Ariel panicked and shouted out for Edgar while her hands automatically aim at the enemy's head with a spell.

Pooh!

The enemy’s brain was splattered in all directions at the attack without the slightest mercy, and Edgar drenched himself in the blood, but neither of them had time to care.

On the other hand, the attack earlier had convicted Ariel.

For some reason, these men only attacked her boyfriend.

This is no longer a simple matter of retaliatory plan to kill the descants of the Robeheim family, nor is this an act of passing thieves.

Then there is only one matter left.

“Cuck! This, this beggar bitch… … !”

“Shut up your snout. Unless you want to die.”

This time, to fend off the oncoming assaults from the assailants with ease, Ariel map out a strategy to leave a group of assassins for Edgar and decided to take care of the remaining by herself.

Among them, the one caught in her hand was the leader of the group that had been weighing their chances in the woods a while ago.

As if an intangible hand was reaching out, something grabbed him by the nape of his neck and slammed him onto the carriage.

A curse came out of the enemy’s mouth, but despite the insult, Ariel maintained her composure and directly grabbed him by the throat with a cold gaze and spat out a question.

At some point, the carriage already was out of the mountain road and on to an open plain.

“Who is behind this?”

“I-I’ll tell you something like that… Aww!”

Seeing no sign of getting a definite answer, Ariel didn’t ask any more questions and pour red energy out of her hand and aimed at the other person’s eyes.

The unidentified creature at the tip of her thumb grew like an awl, pierced a pupil, and penetrated deeper into the head.

Looking at the man, who was unable to scream and could only let out a soft shout, Ariel's expression remain unperturbed.

“I will ask you again. Is your purpose to kill my boyfriend?”

“Huh… I don’t know… … .”

"There are still a few more places to dismantle, but are you already at the verge of your limit?"

Ariel's hand was shrouded with a crimson aura just like before and she held her hand out to the man's wrist.

Afraid of what the mad woman before her would do next, he hurriedly shook in a hurry, unable to even scream, but Ariel mercilessly cut off the man's wrist with only a slight sneer.

“Let me off… … !”

"I don't like killing people really, so I simplified it into pulling off the nails one by one, but I don't have time for that now. And…I still need to left some claws incase I will need them when I get to Hespania."

The man realizing that he had a room for negotiation, refused to imagine the pain that would follow and passed out.

Ariel, who was looking down at this coldly, called Shuri in the carriage and prepared something to tie the man up, then wiped the cynicism from her face.

Because she didn't want to show him that expression.

Then, she walked toward Edgar, who was sitting exhaustedly, with a face so bright that she didn't resemble to a lady whose life was threatened just a moment ago.

There was a handful of blood on his hand, but she didn't mind it.

“Are you okay, Ed?”

“Uh, uh… I’m fine. Rather you?”

“Yeah, I’m not hurt. Because you devoted yourself to protecting me.”

Ariel quietly hugged him.

Her heart calmed down at the feeling of warmth that she was so afraid it disappearing.

However, those two eyes were still burning with cold rage.

‘Who sent you!?’

If not for the answer she needs, she would have already sent the man on his way to afterlife.

Ariel promised that the moment she catches the man behind this, she'll make him cry that he wants to die.

Pulling out his fingernails, digging his nalis out or cut off his testicles and feed them to dog, no matter what she does; it's not gonna be easy to resolve her anger.

The sin of trying to harm someone else’s precious person can only be paid back by their precious person.

After killing them all in front of him, making him lick their blood and stuffing their flesh into his mouth, she will show them no mercy.

Twice the favor, a hundredfold the vengeance.

Recalling the iron rule of the Robeheim family, which she had heard from her father when she was young, Ariel had to control her anger that had no direction.