I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 118

It was an unprecedented ambush.

Even the famed Yulken was caught off guard despite having prepared defenses.

If it had merely been a simple surprise attack or an ambush during their traverse through the canyon, he would have been able to handle it without issue.

But this attack was a complete rupture of the common sense held by those who have faced an alien race. In a manner of speaking.

“Your Highness! Are you alright…!”

Squeak!

As one soldier rushed to support the fallen Yulken from the crumbling castle walls, his neck met the floor with an unsettling thud.

As his body lay there helplessly, a burly man with a bushy beard, leaning on his sword, emerged with a chuckle.

The man was no stranger to Yulken.

After all, he had been the leader of the enemies they had directly faced on the battlefield nearly a year ago, and the very person Yulken hated the most.

“How are you feeling, Your Highness?”

“Don’t call me by such filthy names, you barbarian.”

“You’re still able to chatter away in a situation like this.”

Yulken gritted his teeth, revealing a cold fury as he glared at the man who openly provoked him.

He felt the urge to leap up and swing his sword right away, but it was hard to keep himself together after potentially breaking his leg during the fall moments ago.

He was a man capable of assessing the situation with unmatched clarity.

Even in such a desperate ambush, he couldn’t hope for reinforcements.

He wasn’t foolish enough to throw himself into a revenge-fueled charge, especially with the enemy commander right in front of him.

“You look curious. What’s on your mind?”

“Even if I’m curious, are you planning to spill the beans easily?”

Kelrag mocked Yulken with a sneer, but Yulken responded with calm composure instead.

Curious? He had more than one thing he wanted to know.

However, the moment he fell for their scheme, he had already made some deductions.

If he were to ask, it would confirm whether his deductions were correct.

“Of course, I won’t just give it away. But, if my previous struggles are worth anything, maybe I’ll share just one thing.”

Yulken had somehow expected Kelrag to come out like this.

He had always been a man easily swayed by arrogance, and he often let his guard down after achieving some success, even if it was due to their strategies working out.

It was obvious that he was currently relishing his superiority.

What he needed to do right now was singular: extract information by any means necessary.

“You’re quite thoughtful. A gift for the afterlife?”

“Not at all. It seems you’re mistaking me; I have no desire to kill you at this moment.”

“…?”

At that unexpected answer, Yulken’s brows furrowed for the first time, revealing his agitation.

Both men stood in positions opposite to each other as enemy commanders.

This simply meant that they had a relationship where they could plunge a knife into each other’s throats at a moment’s notice, even if they unexpectedly crossed paths.

Had the roles been reversed, Yulken would have beheaded Kelrag right then and there.

That would have been the most gentlemanly behavior, as he would rather have fed the corpse to the dogs.

Yet, not having the intention to kill? That was not just a simple act of mercy; it suggested ulterior motives.

‘What on earth could his purpose be?’

He brought an unprecedentedly large army.

And reportedly, he had done so without any intel leaking, using exceedingly stealthy methods.

If he pulled off such a trick, then his desired goal would hardly be as small as Whitewood.

While Whitewood was a crucial point for battles against the alien races, it didn’t accommodate a populous city.

Thus, even if they pillaged this place, Yulken guessed it wouldn’t compare to what they had invested into this operation.

So, he envisioned that their objective was to take his life.

Causing a commotion in Whitewood to lure him here, then launching a decisive strike to claim him.

In a way, it was a very conventional approach.

However, Kelrag’s response disproved this assumption.

Then what else could hold great value for them?

Surprisingly quickly, a thought crossed his mind.

The problem was that it was so absurdly ludicrous that Yulken’s pupils involuntarily widened.

“You’re not suggesting… you intend to take the Symbol of Dominion as leverage for my life, are you?”

“Looks like you’ve guessed it. Given that you hadn’t seen that letter, it’s understandable that you’d foresee it.”

“You filthy insect…!”

Without even denying it, Kelrag shrugged as Yulken strained against his broken leg to rise, shouting furiously.

In response to the murderous glint in Yulken’s gaze, two of Kelrag’s men hesitated to step forward, but Kelrag stopped them.

“If you dare make such a ridiculous demand of my family and my people, then you might as well kill me!”

“That won’t do. After all, that is our ultimate goal.”

Clang.

Kelrag’s nonchalant demeanor infuriated Yulken to the point that he inadvertently gritted his teeth.

Whatever the Symbol of Dominion was, it had been a legacy that brought hope to this cold northern land through the efforts of their ancestors.

Even though its influence had diminished over time, Hespania, where the majority of the northern population lived, thrived thanks to that magical power.

And it was that wealth and progress stemming from Hespania spreading to other regions that solidified the current northern territories.

To claim such a symbol of dominion meant nothing less than burying all the residents of the north under the snow.

‘Ariel, if it’s that child, she must be troubled.’

Yulken imagined the situation that would unfold after this.

No matter how much Ariel was gradually becoming fit to govern as a lord at an early age, she certainly wasn’t perfect yet.

She likely still harbored naive facets and hadn’t made the choice to abandon her family yet.

However, handing over the Symbol of Dominion to them was utterly unthinkable.

What could he possibly do in this situation?

As he continued to ponder, a resolute determination formed in his gaze.

He feared nothing about dying on the battlefield.

To risk disgrace upon his family and the northern residents, taking his life would be the more righteous choice.

Swish.

He may have lost his sword already, but Yulken always kept a small dagger tucked away.

Originally meant for emergencies, it was a fitting item for self-termination.

Just as he reached for it, intending to cut his own throat, Kelrag preemptively shouted.

“…! Stop him!”

The people surrounding him immediately rushed to pin Yulken down, seizing the dagger from him.

With Yulken’s face buried in the snow, his last resolve was thwarted, causing him to tremble with despair.

Looking down at Yulken, Kelrag thought of him as a remarkable enemy despite their status.

For everyone, their own life is precious; even for a warrior like him, it was no different.

And yet, the choice to willingly give up one’s life for duty was indeed admirable.

“…For now, knock him out and bind him. We can’t slack off on our surveillance, lest he make a drastic choice.”

“Yes, Commander!”

The guards quickly overpowered Yulken, whisking him away to a cell.

As the intensifying snowfall erased even traces of footprints, the place turned whiter still.

Not long after, when Gale’s troops arrived here, a delegate personally sent by the enemy commander stood before them.

—

Gale had to return to Hespania three days after arriving in Whitewood.

Even while gnashing his teeth at the ridiculous demands sent by their envoy, he cursed himself for not being able to counter it at all.

“Is that… really true?”

“…I have nothing to say, my lady.”

Ariel suppressed her rage at the news brought by Gale.

Understanding well that the demands were utterly unacceptable, she struggled to find a way out, but it wasn’t as easy as she hoped.

“To save my father’s life… they want the Symbol of Dominion?”

“…Yes.”

Gale, though he had a hundred arguments, found himself at a loss for words.

He had confidently set out promising to bring victory, and now this was the situation.

Though he had arrived to find everything already settled with Yulken falling into their hands, it was still no excuse.

As the soldier who promised to return with victory, he had failed miserably. Guilt consumed him.

“I was even contemplating to engage in battle right then and there, but considering your Highness’s safety, I simply couldn’t…”

“I know, Gale. I have no intention of placing any blame on you.”

Ariel understood that this matter was not Gale’s fault.

Rather, it was largely due to their opponents’ actions exceeding all expectations.

No one could have predicted that it would be Yulken himself falling helplessly.

Henceforth, they needed to focus solely on how to respond moving forward.

For now, it was clear that their objective was the Symbol of Dominion; they had to seek some kind of compromise regarding that.

“What do others think? Is there any feasible plan?”

“That, well…”

As Ariel looked over the assembled advisors, not a single one dared to utter a word.

In some ways, it was to be expected.

Everyone in this gathering understood well the value of the Symbol of Dominion, and they recognized that even if their lord was captured, they couldn’t easily comply with it.

Yet, they also couldn’t voice the thought of giving up on Yulken.

They believed that Yulken would never want to pass on the Symbol of Dominion, even at the cost of his own life, but who would dare say that in front of Ariel?

As time passed futilely, Edgar stepped forward.

He wanted to ask Gale, who had been to Whitewood, a few questions.

“Sir Gale, is it impossible to send just a few people to rescue him?”

“Well… it might be. I roughly know their location, but their numbers are simply too large, and their defenses are tight. More importantly…”

Gale hesitated to speak, finding it hard to believe what he had seen, but realizing his duty to report, he glanced at Ariel before continuing.

“What’s certain is that they have likely employed barriers along with magic.”

“Barriers and magic? Aren’t the alien races not adept at using magic?”

Ariel felt puzzled, furrowing her brow at this surprising news.

She didn’t know much about the alien races, but she had heard some information through Yulken.

One of the notes was that the aliens were weak against magic and techniques, preferring to avoid direct confrontation in favor of tactical maneuvers.

But how did Gale figure out that they were using magic?

That was the biggest question.

“Actually, there’s a dense forest to the northwest of Whitewood. However, according to intel, almost half of it has been completely burned down.”

“Burned down? Did they use fire tactics?”

“That seems to be the case.”

In this frigid winter landscape, the thought of fire tactics was simply unbelievable to Ariel.

As she stared incredulously, Gale firmly nodded, sending her thoughts spiraling once more.

“Let’s set aside the magic for now, but as for the barriers… is it similar to the one surrounding Robeheim Castle?”

“Most barriers are likely of a similar nature. While there would be some variations in scale and properties, they generally belong to the same category.”

“Hmm.”

As Gale elaborated, Edgar pondered, resting his chin on his hand.

First off, it was evident that they couldn’t submit to a full-scale war.

While the number of enemy troops was one factor, even if their side started gaining the upper hand, the enemy would leverage Yulken to play the hostage card.

Even if their ultimate goal was the Symbol of Dominion, they could postpone that for later.

After all, simply taking Yulken’s life would deal a significant blow to the Robeheim Family’s morale.

Ultimately, whichever way they approached it, they would be dancing to the enemy’s tune.

Winning a battle would be an issue, as would letting themselves be dragged along without fighting.

The most realistic option seemed to be giving up on Yulken, yet Edgar considered it an absurd choice and even more so for Ariel.

‘Is there no way out?’

Edgar made up his mind.

He suspected Ariel would never allow it, but it was among the only choices available.

Moreover, in a way, it was the most pragmatic option.

“Ariel.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s plan to rescue His Highness.”

“Rescue? Of course, that would be ideal, but how… with their guards and the barriers… Ah.”

As Ariel spoke, her thoughts suddenly raced as she reached a conclusion, her eyes widening in disbelief.

“Edgar, you…!”

“There’s value in trying. To protect both the Symbol of Dominion and the Highness, it’s the best option we have.”

‘Let me go.’

The single request fell like a stone in the silence surrounding them.

The man who had always vowed to stand by her side for a lifetime sent forth the absurd request to send himself to his doom.