I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 220

Just a little up northeast from Hespania lies a place called Bowl.

This area technically belongs to the Empire, but it’s just a tiny village where the locals manage things among themselves with only a nominal chieftain to lead them.

Surrounded by thick coniferous mountains, it’s not easily visible to passersby, and the area sees quite sparse human traffic.

“Move as stealthily as possible!”

“Be especially careful not to harm the residents!”

In the dead of night, a commotion suddenly erupted in Bowl.

Fully armed soldiers raced through the streets, eager to pit their horses against the dirt.

These soldiers, of course, were none other than the soldiers of the Robeheim Family.

With no permission to light a fire, the villagers who stepped outside to check the commotion were left wide-eyed in the darkness, watching the silhouettes of the soldiers rushing by.

How many times in their lives had these country folk witnessed such a large military movement?

At best, they’d only seen a punitive troop when they heard news of foreign peoples lurking nearby.

Among them, the children were especially excited, bouncing around in glee.

One little boy clung to his mother’s waist, eager to know who the soldiers were.

“Mom, who are those gentlemen?”

“Well, they’re soldiers from the Robeheim family. They’re going to deal with some bad guys now.”

“Wow!”

A gleam of light sparkled in the boy’s eyes.

Even though the moon was dim and he couldn’t really see their faces, hearing his mother’s words made it seem like he could glimpse the determined expressions and glowing auras of their faces.

Eeeh!

Meanwhile, Ariel, watching the soldiers approach from a distance, stopped her horse momentarily and approached the chieftain who had stepped out to issue a brief apology.

“I’m sorry for bothering you at such a late hour, Chieftain.”

“No, no… It’s an honor that these people of such a small village can help Your Highness.”

The rather elderly chieftain, with a bent back, greeted Ariel with a warm smile.

If they were a regular army, they would have likely passed through without a thought for the villagers.

But the Robeheim family had sent someone in advance the day before to seek the villagers’ understanding. This was genuinely appreciated.

“May I not inquire about your destination? I wish you a safe return.”

Since he had been requested to remain silent about what transpired today and not to ask any probing questions, the chieftain offered no further comments and simply wished them well.

“Thank you. Oh, and I’ve prepared a little something to repay you for your assistance, Ed.”

With a faint smile, Ariel called over Edgar, her aide-de-camp and lover.

As he discreetly rode up beside her, he respectfully responded to her call.

“Yes, Your Highness. Did you call for me?”

Having just called her “Ariel, Ariel,” and suddenly switching to a formal title made Ariel cross.

After all, were they soon to be wed? Why was he so awkward in public?

Or was he just teasing her? She couldn’t quite figure it out.

“Stop with the foolishness and go fetch that.”

“As you command… ack!”

“I told you not to mess around.”

Unable to hold back, Ariel poked his arm with the hilt of her sword, glaring at him.

This was such a lighthearted display for the master of a ducal family and her aide before a battle.

The startled chieftain blinked his eyes in surprise and dared to ask Ariel a question.

“Your Highness, may I ask if that gentleman is…?”

“Oh, he’s my fiancé. Right now, he’s serving as my aide-de-camp, but he’s quite a jokester.”

Watching his figure fade into the darkness, a smile crept onto her lips.

Seeing that, the chieftain guessed they were likely a happy couple, and he beamed contentedly.

As he aged, just observing the romance of the young made him feel like he was transported back fifty years.

“So, he’s your fiancé. You two really make a good match.”

“Thank you, it makes me happy to hear that.”

Realizing the chieftain’s compliment was not mere flattery, Ariel beamed a bright smile.

It was more like the flower-like smile of an ordinary young woman than that of a lady of the ducal house.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Edgar returned, leading several soldiers back with a large amount of supplies.

These were meant as a bribe under the pretense of a gift in gratitude, as well as relief supplies for the villagers living a meager life in the harsh North.

“Your Highness, what is this…?”

“It’s to repay your kindness. It’s not much, but considering the number of people here, it should be enough for three to four months.”

“I… cannot accept this.”

Though he expected something in return for the help rendered, he could never have imagined it would be something so large.

Should he refuse, it would only embarrass Ariel, so the chieftain was quite flustered, caught off guard, even though he intended to accept something small out of courtesy.

Wasn’t this far too generous compared to what had happened in just one day?

“It’s fine, just take it. Think of it as hush money.”

“Well… Your Highness, even so, this is…”

The chieftain frowned but Ariel asserted without any intention to back down, commanding the soldiers to deliver the goods to the village.

As the soldiers, guided by a man, headed to the communal storage in the village, Ariel again expressed her gratitude to the chieftain and turned her horse around.

“Just think of it as finding some money on the street. I won’t be expecting it back.”

“Just keep quiet about everything you’ve seen,” she added as she casually made her way to the soldiers.

The chieftain deeply bent his already stooped back in an effort to show maximum respect on behalf of the village.

Once Ariel arrived back with the soldiers, she shivered slightly.

Having been in the relatively mild Hespania all this time due to the Symbol of Dominion, she still hadn’t adjusted to the biting cold of the other northern regions that felt like it could cut through her skin.

“Cold, huh? Need a little more clothing?”

Edgar, having noticed her shivering as he approached her, asked casually.

Had it been a normal day, Ariel could have managed a bit better, but now as dawn was nearing, the cold was sharper, making him concerned.

Ariel shook her head despite her trembling.

She could hold on for now. Above all, she didn’t want to appear weak in front of the soldiers.

“I’m fine. More importantly, how are preparations going?”

“They should be finished. It’s you who’ll be doing the hard work.”

Remembering the role she would have to play, Edgar smirked.

The magical power needed to fuel the dimensional stone for their travel had to come in large quantities, and Ariel had to generate it all by herself, which was a hefty burden to bear.

“Hard work? The rest will be the ones who’ll suffer.”

But Ariel shrugged it off casually, shifting her gaze.

After all, she just needed to produce the magic and might temporarily faint, or just lie down to recover afterward, so she wasn’t too concerned.

If she didn’t unexpectedly overexert herself, she might even be able to join in the battle.

“By the way, I need to warn you… Don’t push yourself too hard. Let the subordinates handle the dangerous stuff, okay?”

As she looked down at the dimensional stone she took out from her pocket, Ariel delivered her final advice.

Even if he did push himself, a little reminder couldn’t hurt, could it?

“Solders aren’t just expendable, you know?”

“I know, every life is precious. But the most precious thing to me is you.”

It might sound selfish, but Ariel’s true feelings were just like that.

No matter how much she might care for her soldiers, if there were a hundred soldiers and Edgar, she would choose to protect Edgar.

Or perhaps she might make the same choice even if there were a thousand or ten thousand.

Of course, she understood she had a duty to ensure they returned home safely as their lady.

But before being the head of a family, she was a woman. She had no desire whatsoever to lose her cherished one.

There were still many dreams she wanted to share with him and countless things left undone.

Meanwhile, Leonel, who had been quietly listening beside Edgar, leaned in slightly.

He knew it was impolite to interrupt a superior’s conversation, but he thought it was his duty as a subordinate to ease his lord’s worries.

“Your Highness, please don’t worry. If it looks like he’s overdoing it, I will step in at once.”

“Hey, you’re supposed to chime in as my aide-de-camp.”

“I’m talking to you as a friend now, not just as your aide. You can complain or get rid of me if you want.”

Leonel grinned playfully as he responded, and Edgar raised both hands in surrender, admitting defeat.

After all, he trusted Leonel, who had been a friend and was now an aide with a job and a house.

Yet it was still funny to think he would say such things.

“I’ll take your word for it. Just keep a close eye and make sure he doesn’t overdo it.”

“I will obey your command.”

Leonel bowed exaggeratedly, causing smiles to spread across the faces of the other two.

“Your Highness! All soldiers are ready! We checked for any other passersby nearby, but there were none.”

“Really? Got it. I’ll be right there.”

As a commander’s report chimed in, Ariel moved alongside Edgar into the midst of the soldiers.

The dimensional stone’s capacity wasn’t very wide, so the sight of everyone huddled close together, tightly pressed against each other’s sides was quite the sight to behold.

“Brr, it’s cold…! The wind seems to be picking up more and more.”

“Still, isn’t it warmer than there? Isn’t that right, Edgar?”

Unlike Ariel, who found it difficult to bond with the soldiers, Edgar was on familiar terms with them.

Perhaps because of that, he’d sometimes engage them like this, and even when others warned him it was rude, he didn’t mind it too much.

Rather, it felt good to be acknowledged as part of the group.

Thus, as he always did today, he bore a quirky smile toward the soldier initiating conversation.

Sure, the cold was probably worse here, but the cold of the battlefield felt like a completely different sensation.

“Well, there’s no guarantee that it’ll be better there.”

“Ah, but it’s got to be better than this bitter North, right?”

“I surely hope so.”

How wonderful it would be if they finished things smoothly and returned without even feeling the cold.

Edgar’s hopes drifted in a slightly different direction than a soldier’s.

“Everyone gather up! Be mindful, as there might be significant shocks during the move!”

“Yes!”

Soon enough, Ariel, fully prepared, exchanged glances with a man beside her, and at his call, all the soldiers pressed their lips together tightly.

At the same time, she infused the palm-sized mini dimensional stone she held with magic, and the red magical energy symbolizing the bloodline of the Robeheim family surrounded them all.

“Blergh, I think I’m going to throw up…!”

“Just hang in there! Are you calling yourself a soldier!?”

The sensation was as if they had climbed onto a wobbling wagon, and as it engulfed everyone’s minds, yelps echoed from every corner, but that chaos didn’t last long.

The large group that had filled one corner of the village vanished in an instant.

So, before the dawn had even fully broken, the soldiers of the Robeheim family successfully reached the path leading to the Bertus family, the enemy’s stronghold.