I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 171

The foreign tribes had never raised a white flag until now.

At least, that was true for those they faced throughout the history of the Robeheim Family, at least as far as Ariel had heard.

They were the kind of people who would rather take their own lives than admit defeat, as if they held some sort of knightly pride.

So, when she heard that they had sent someone with a white flag, Ariel thought her ears must have deceived her.

Even if she had told Yulken, his reaction would probably have been the same.

It was that unusual of a situation.

“It might be a trick by the enemy. Your Highness, you should be cautious…”

“I know. I won’t let my guard down, so don’t worry.”

As one of the men assisting Ariel cautiously advised, she nodded calmly.

Yulken had mentioned something similar before.

When an enemy you thought was hostile suddenly bows their head and comes to you in a subservient manner, it’s prudent to be wary—it might just be a ploy to hide a dagger behind their back.

As they arrived at the room where the messenger from the other side, accompanied by a large entourage, was waiting, Ariel saw a somewhat pale-looking man seated before her.

“Nice to meet you. You must be Prince Robeheim.”

Ariel felt a moment of surprise at the suddenly spoken native language of the Helbenior Empire but quickly settled her eyes and nodded.

There was a slight awkwardness, yet her command of the language was good enough to be considered nearly imperial.

“…I’ve never encountered a foreigner so precise with their manners. Right?”

Foreigners, although not citizens of the Empire, would typically be disparaged even by high-ranking individuals within the Empire.

That was the case even when it was the renowned Yulken she was dealing with.

However, this man seemed acutely aware that he was representing a group and treated Ariel with considerable respect.

That only heightened her suspicion, but she still took a seat across from him without showing any signs of it.

“I am Burik of the Carvita Tribe. I serve as a guard and advisor to Chief Kelrag.”

The Carvita Tribe.

Ariel thought she had read about this group in a book before.

Nonetheless, the Empire referred to them simply as ‘foreign tribes’ mostly due to their hostility.

In reality, they were tribes with their own names, as they called themselves.

“Guard? You seem rather lean for that.”

“I hear that often. But even so, I’m quite strong among the warriors.”

In other words, one couldn’t judge merely by appearances.

Though Ariel acknowledged that with her words, she had already sensed that he was no easy opponent.

The one who was most acutely aware of this fact was Edgar, who stood looming behind her.

‘Quite formidable.’

Though not at the level of Yulken, Kelrag, or Creed, it was apparent that this man had endured years of experience.

Ariel had felt it before when facing Kelrag, but they preferred close combat with swords over battles involving magical power.

This meant that just the feeling of his magical power could not truly gauge his combat ability.

He might appear rather small in stature and his magical aura might not seem overbearing, but he was not someone to take lightly.

“Red hair… So you’re the one who faced our Chief before?”

“That’s correct.”

Even though they were enemies, since Burik had come as one of the group’s messengers, Edgar showed proper courtesy.

Burik’s eyes briefly widened at that response, although he likely didn’t expect it.

“Word has reached our Chief that there exists such a remarkable warrior in the Empire. He is not one to give praise easily… but he spoke of you highly.”

“Please convey my thanks.”

In some ways, praise from the enemy was more joyful than that from one’s own side.

The fact that an opponent who has no intention of flattering you offers compliments means that you have been recognized to that extent.

Though Edgar couldn’t wholly accept that praise due to the context, he still felt a sense of pride inside.

Ariel also silently gazed at Edgar with a proud expression without voicing it.

“So, since we’ve exchanged pleasantries, shall we get to the main point?”

“That’s what I was hoping for.”

The fact that they had come forward with a white flag meant that, appearances aside, they had no intention of fighting.

So, they must have wanted to ask something, and Ariel was merely gripped by curiosity about what that could be.

In the history of the Empire, there had never been an instance where they sat at a negotiation table with a foreign tribe, specifically the Carvita Tribe.

“We don’t know much about your situation. But we’ve noted the lack of recent developments and can gather from that something significant has likely occurred. Has it not?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Given the Robeheim Family’s intelligence network, Burik didn’t find it surprising they had noticed such things.

Ever since Kelrag had fallen ill, they had been intentionally holding on with just what supplies they had, avoiding raids or killings to reduce hostility.

Had they done otherwise, even if they raised a white flag, they wouldn’t have been easily allowed entrance today.

“I know this is not something to be discussing with an enemy, but… our Chief has taken a turn for the worse.”

Since this was also part of the conjecture Edgar had put forth a while back, Ariel wasn’t particularly shocked.

However, she was somewhat surprised he just blurted it out without any introduction.

It was so blunt that it made her suspect whether it was a part of some ploy.

“Worsened? How severe?”

“While it’s not an immediate life-threatening situation, unlike common illnesses, it shows no signs of recovery. If it continues like this…”

He didn’t specify, but Ariel could roughly guess what kind of illness it was.

Perhaps it was some sort of magic or curse.

If she thought a bit deeper, one might even speculate that he had been poisoned, but she felt the former was far more likely.

Yet, even so, countless questions lingered in her mind.

Particularly, the one that most puzzled Ariel was why they would come to the Robeheim Family, their most bitter rival, to reveal such a situation when there were likely other places to seek help.

“I understand the reason now. But why share this with us? If your leader is in dire straits, it is an opportunity for us.”

That was the literal truth.

There’s a saying that the enemy’s sorrow is one’s joy.

Though it might seem simplistic and brutal, Ariel greatly resonated with this phrase.

As he said, if Kelrag was in such a dire state, instead of sitting idle, she should immediately issue orders from Hespania, leading soldiers to annihilate them.

In a way, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

However, despite Ariel’s sharp words, Burik didn’t show any signs of agitation.

In fact, this was the response she had expected.

It was highly unlikely that any sympathy would be given when the leader of those who had long been at odds was in trouble.

Honestly, as he delivered this message, he had imagined all those present around him drawing their swords and threatening him.

He had quite literally arrived with a resolve to die.

Given that without the courage to lose something, no change could happen.

‘But it’s that desperate.’

Originally, there was no suitable place to seek help.

The Carvita Tribe had looked down on magic for a long time and had been unable to find any means to dispel the curse afflicting Kelrag.

If they couldn’t get help here, they’d have to just let it go.

“Please receive this as a sign of how desperate we are. Of course, it is entirely up to the Robeheim Family’s judgment whether or not to accept this.”

“Hmm… then let me ask one more thing. Who is responsible for putting your leader in such a state? What’s the reason? Is it out of vengeance?”

“Rather than vengeance… we fell into a trap ourselves. Of course, that led to the Robeheim Family suffering as well…”

Ariel had a strong feeling she could guess the next words that man would say.

That probably referred to the incident that occurred in Whitewood.

‘After all, recently the only damage sustained can be attributed to that event.’

Even back then, during the unprecedented large-scale invasion, myriad individuals expressed ignorance over the reasons behind it.

The Carvita Tribe at that time acted in ways distinct from their previous conduct, almost as if they were being spurred by someone.

They were even suspected of using substantial magic, leading to numerous theories about who might be behind it.

Additionally, during this encounter with Edgar, the most rational conjecture that emerged was also directly relevant to this.

If everything fell into place…

“…You mean someone who was supposed to establish cooperation with you betrayed you?”

“…!”

She hadn’t imagined she would see so far ahead.

For the first time, surprise showed in Burik’s eyes.

“We’re not fools. You mentioned the Carvita Tribe? We noticed that your actions have greatly differed from before. Just considering the Whitewood incident, we could speculate whether someone instigated you or if there’s some cooperative relationship at play.”

“Seeing you’re straightforward makes it seem quite plausible. However, even if that’s the case, how..?”

The Carvita Tribe had never collaborated with anyone for a significant action before.

After all, they were known for their independence and their disdain for Imperial citizens.

Even if there were other foreign tribes that they could easily suspect might have colluded with them, if the Carvita Tribe had teamed up with someone in this situation, it could only hypothetically point to other Imperial citizens.

Thus, it would mean that the Robeheim Family was already surmising that they had an enemy within.

What surprised Burik was not whether whether they had anticipated this, but rather how easily the worst-case scenario had been in their mind.

“We have a rather crafty and calculative individual among us.”

“…Pft.”

When Ariel turned her head slightly as if asking Edgar, “Right?”, he chuckled softly, pretending not to hear her.

Given the context, it wouldn’t do for the atmosphere to grow too lighthearted.

“In any case, the fact that you came with a white flag means you’re genuinely looking to save your leader’s life… with that said, I assume you have some conditions to propose?”

“Of course. However, I’m unsure whether this will be acceptable to the Robeheim Family…”

“I’ll decide that. Even if it doesn’t sit well with me, I’ll promise to let you leave alive. That much is guaranteed.”

Ariel genuinely wanted to kill the man sitting before her right now.

Though he wasn’t an individual who had specifically marked her with malice, just being a member of the foreign tribe that had threatened Yulken and nearly taken Edgar’s life was reason enough to justify it.

However, for some reason, when facing him directly, she didn’t feel that level of rage or disdain.

Maybe it was because she recalled Edgar’s prior advice—that while it was okay to feel hatred, one shouldn’t allow that to govern their actions.

“Then… I shall speak. The truth is, I’ve found a way to deduce the identity of the ones responsible for your leader’s current predicament, who have reached out to us.”

“…Deduce? It seems like they were attempting to hide their identity.”

If they genuinely were part of the Empire, that would have been natural.

However, even if they weren’t a part of the Empire, they wouldn’t easily reveal their existence either.

“Yes, that is correct. We were at an impasse due to that very issue, but if the Robeheim Family were to assist us, it may become possible.”

“Proof?”

“It pertains to the curse laid on our leader. Though our tribe is not proficient in magic, I have heard there is a method to analyze curses and discover their source of magical power….”

In essence, that meant they intended to submit some form of evidence.

Furthermore, Burik promised that if their leader were healed, they wouldn’t set foot in the North for at least two years.

Ariel, taken aback by the unexpected information and conditions, raised her eyebrows. From behind her, a woman who had been on standby cautiously approached and provided a hint that it was likely true about the magic.

She was Minette, known as one of the three sages of the former Mage Tower, who had taken up residence with the Robeheim Family to repay a debt to Yulken, and had continued her research on magic.

No one within the family could rival her knowledge of magic.

“Is this true, Minette?”

“Yes, Your Highness. The problem is that this is still only in the theoretical phase…”

“Are you saying it lacks feasibility?”

“If given time, I can make it work. I wish to repay the grace bestowed upon me by the previous Highness.”

If Minette was asking for time, it surely wouldn’t be an easy task.

Nonetheless, Ariel felt this was their only option, so she decided to push forward immediately.

No matter whether it took days, months, or even years, she had to unveil what lay hidden.

“…Alright then, let’s proceed with this. I apologize for imposing such a difficult request, but please see it through.”

“Ha, I shall repay your faith.”

Minette smiled confidently while adjusting the scarf that symbolized her.

Meanwhile, Burik, who had been quietly listening to the two converse, looked at Ariel with tears in his eyes and asked again.

“Will you… truly help us?”

“To say I help… not quite. Honestly, I couldn’t care less if your leader lives or dies. But if that unidentified enemy is one of the Empire’s citizens, then they must be judged. So, it’s simply a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

After all, who knows how many lives had been lost from the citizens of Whitewood and Robeheim Family soldiers due to the Carvita Tribe’s assault?

That alone made it difficult to use the word “help.”

Nonetheless, the suspicion she had harbored so long ago began to tip the scales in her heart.

Just as they were oblivious to each other’s circumstances, so too were they all unaware.

Though they had appeared to act merely as raiders harassing the weak, if they had gone to such risky lengths to seek assistance, then perhaps there were unavoidable reasons behind it.

Perhaps what brought them to this point was merely a matter of mutual misunderstanding.

And so, the childlike thoughts of Ariel, who once believed there would come a day when they would understand each other and coexist peacefully, clung to her.

“I’ll make it clear; I have no intention of forgiving you. But then again, neither do you, I expect.”

In the end, war breeds war.

The roots of this conflict are likely lost in history.

It’s possible that the Robeheim Family was the first to oppress them, prompting the Carvita Tribe to rise in defense.

In response, the citizens of the Empire slaughtered or intimidated the foreign tribes, and the entire chain of hatred spiraled into what it is today.

Therefore, Ariel believed there was no need to forcefully erase the hatred harbored in their hearts.

Her only motivation for accepting these conditions was that by healing Kelrag, they would secure two years of peace, not to build some goodwill with the tribes.

Of course, being a foreign tribe, they could switch gears and attack again at any moment, but considering that, nothing in the world is guaranteed.

After all, unless one side reaches out, no change would ever occur.

“We will take your leader ourselves. Only one companion will be permitted to join. Any objections?”

“None! I can only express my gratitude!”

Seeing Burik prostrated on the ground, bowing his head, Ariel forced a smile.

Whether this choice was right or not, she had no regrets.

With that in mind, she could now hold her head high and focus on future matters.