I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 120

It was the crack of dawn.

Just as Kelrag was about to put on his clothes after waking up from a hangover, one of his subordinates rushed in without so much as a knock.

Kelrag frowned at the man, clearly in a bad mood because of the lingering effects of last night’s drunken revelry. He was ready to bark at him unless the news was truly urgent.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry for bursting in! It’s just that… we’ve received word that the Robeheim Family’s soldiers have mobilized!”

“…What?”

Feeling his hangover dissipate with surprise, Kelrag hardened his expression. It had only been five days since he proposed a deal to surrender the Symbol of Dominion in exchange for Yulken’s life. He had thought the Robeheim Family would be floundering since they hadn’t heard a thing from them, but now they were the ones making the first move?

‘Do they not care what becomes of Yulken?’

That couldn’t be right. Even though Kelrag didn’t have all the ins and outs of the Robeheim Family’s situation down pat, he had heard enough to know that they must have some information.

The current heir of the Robeheim Family must have just recently completed her coming-of-age ceremony. Furthermore, since the succession process was not yet finalized, Yulken’s existence was still substantial in their eyes. Disposing of him would be a move they surely couldn’t afford to make.

“Bring Negir. We need to talk immediately.”

“Yes!”

Negir was Kelrag’s most trusted advisor, a woman who had been active since the previous generation. She was no longer young enough to fight on the battlefield, but she always provided valuable advice to Kelrag.

Soon, the man rushed out and returned with Negir. The aged woman greeted Kelrag with a gaze that resembled a mother looking at her son and asked why she had been called.

“I’m sorry for calling you at such an early hour, Negir.”

“Oh-ho, it’s alright. I’m getting old, so I don’t sleep much these days. But what’s the matter?”

Despite being almost thirty years Kelrag’s senior, Negir treated him with the utmost respect.

“I’ve heard that the Robeheim Family is bringing troops. I have no idea if they don’t value Yulken’s life or if they have some sort of plan.”

“Is that what they’re saying? This is quite troublesome…”

Negir, equally taken aback by the aggressive nature of their response, understood the gravity of the situation. Normally, if they successfully attacked Whitewood and had Yulken’s life in their grasp, the plan would essentially be over. She didn’t believe that they’d recklessly charge in if they valued Yulken’s life.

“Then that means they’ve figured out our real goal.”

“The Symbol of Dominion, you mean? But I thought they’d find out eventually.”

Kelrag gave a puzzled look at Negir’s response. After all, the Symbol of Dominion was the very thing they had offered in exchange for Yulken. It was something the Robeheim Family would eventually discover, so why now, of all times, did Negir think it was a new problem?

Kelrag, who was never known for his sharp intellect, stared at her with a questioning gaze, prompting her to elaborate as she sat down in a chair opposite him without waiting for permission.

“It’s not quite that simple. If they had been just a moment slower, they might not have picked up on it at all. Even if our intentions were revealed in their letter, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it was our primary objective.”

Capturing prisoners during conflicts between nations was common, and depending on how valuable the prisoners’ existence was, the terms for negotiation could vary widely.

In this case, it was about prioritization. The Robeheim Family might be misled into thinking that they simply wanted the Symbol of Dominion because Yulken happened to be the prisoner they captured.

However, the fact that they were pressing forward like this indicated that they clearly understood that “attacking Whitewood to capture Yulken in order to obtain the Symbol of Dominion” was their actual goal. That alone meant that they had lost one advantage.

“If they had been unaware of our real objective, we could have used that to our advantage, but now that opportunity is gone.”

“Then is the only option to kill Yulken?”

“That would be the worst choice. Even if we end up losing a battle, we have no means of stopping them if we resort to that…”

The ability to take down Yulken in the assault on Whitewood had all come down to differences in information. They had never expected their opponents, who usually resorted to brawling, to actually have practiced swordsmanship.

No matter how competent Yulken was, he had to fall in this encounter, which was not a matter of being careless.

This also meant that without any gaps between them, they would inevitably lose in a full-on confrontation. Additionally, the strategy employed in the conquest of Whitewood couldn’t be reused, meaning this time they would have to rely solely on their own strength, and that was an even bigger problem.

“For now, we need to figure out what their objective is. If they decide to abandon Yulken’s life and aim to wipe us out in this opportunity, we must retreat.”

“That suggests that their actual goal might lie elsewhere,” Negir remarked, causing Kelrag to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

The very fact that they had come out so boldly implied, in his mind, that they had essentially given up on Yulken’s life. How could they be so openly aggressive if they weren’t willing to take that risk?

“That’s correct. It’s more of a gamble.”

“A gamble?”

“In their eyes, Yulken and the Symbol of Dominion both hold significant value. If they can get both, why wouldn’t they try?”

At this revelation, Kelrag let out a low sigh and nodded. Realistically, even if they were to win the battle, they would have to sacrifice Yulken, making it impossible to acquire both.

In such a situation, what possible methods could they devise to claim both?

The answer was obvious…

“A surprise attack, or an attempt to lure him away.”

“Exactly. But they’ll likely have learned about the Barrier’s existence via their scouts, making a large-scale surprise attack more probable…”

“Since we can’t be sure, let’s make our preparations. Should we hide Yulken?”

Negir simply shook her head lightly at Kelrag’s question. While hiding Yulken could work as a strategy, sometimes it was also an effective tactic to use tempting bait to lure in the little mice.

To do that, they would need to give off a certain scent, after all. It was a riskier option, but no venture ever came without risk in this world.

Having listened to Negir’s insights, Kelrag immediately called for three trusted subordinates to pass down his orders.

Even in the early hours, lights began to flicker in various corners of Whitewood, which they had occupied.

—

Edgar arrived at Whitewood a full day before the Robeheim Family’s army was set to arrive.

Since they would be watching attentively, and unlike others, he hadn’t been marked as a target, he could move relatively freely.

“Over there is the coniferous forest. This is what gave Whitewood its name.”

His companion, a man named Ras, pointed at the enormous forest outside the castle. Even though half of it had been reduced to ashes, its grandeur was still very much intact.

Indeed, it perfectly matched the description of “Whitewood.”

“It seems they used fire magic, just as the intel indicated.”

“It does appear so. But how they managed to use fire magic in such snow-covered grounds is still a mystery to us…”

“That’s something to unravel later, but for now, let’s head to Whitewood.”

Given how the foreign tribes were supposed to be inept at magic, this bizarre scene could only have been achieved through some form of sorcery.

Edgar believed that this unexpected situation was likely the reason Yulken had been ambushed. He decided to discuss it later, hastily moving forward after gathering a fair amount of intel.

“First, I need to find where the prince is.”

“I have a lead on that front.”

“Oh, really?”

Edgar’s eyes brightened at the pleasant news, and Ras nodded while gesturing towards the top of the castle wall.

The intent was to head up there and exchange information.

Due to the overall chaotic atmosphere, the security was surprisingly lax.

Many of the foreign tribesmen were busy covering the walls and performing repairs, but they weren’t blocking others from coming up.

Edgar could surmise from this that their leader had a rather carefree personality; he must be someone who doesn’t sweat the small stuff.

Otherwise, there would be no way to let their guard down so soon after a battle.

“This place has a great vantage point, huh?”

“Yes, which is why scouts typically stay alert from this location during wartime. However, it seems they do not realize that,” Ras remarked.

The spot offered a clear view of the castle and its surroundings, allowing Edgar to take a moment to survey Whitewood.

Just then, a ruckus caught his attention from the lower left.

“Get a move on!”

A man was leading a ragtag group onward, and behind them trailed individuals dressed in tattered clothes, resembling cattle being led to a slaughterhouse.

Ras was focused elsewhere when Edgar’s eyes widened in realization.

‘Found him.’

He spotted Yulken mixed in the crowd, confirming his mission’s target.