I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 34

Since the promise made with Edgar and my childhood friend, time has flown by quickly.

Edgar has now become quite accustomed to life in the castle and has also gotten close to Leonel and Enya, who live under the same roof.

It’s still disappointing that he hasn’t fulfilled that promise yet, but he has been keeping himself motivated, believing that the opportunity will come someday.

*Snap. Crack.*

And this early morning was just like any other.

A loud noise echoed in the backyard of the grand duchy’s castle.

The source was none other than the ongoing sparring between Creed and Edgar on the grassy field.

Since Edgar arrived, this scene had turned into a daily routine.

Despite the nearly belly-like difference in their physiques, Edgar stood tall and didn’t back down, confidently facing Creed.

Meanwhile, there were a few onlookers—Leonel and Enya, the two roommates.

Even some soldiers from the grand duchy had come to grab a spot and watch, their expressions showing a seriousness that was far from just kids watching a play.

“Gah!”

“Still too slow! Move more decisively!”

At Creed’s barking, Edgar quickened his pace, desperately deflecting the wooden sword that was aiming for his chest.

Then, as Creed was recovering his sword, he changed his movement and attempted to slash at Edgar’s right shoulder from above.

“…!”

Having already stretched his hand upward to parry the opponent’s sword, Edgar realized that he was now one beat too late.

But it wouldn’t make sense to launch a counterattack at this moment either.

The one who swung the sword first was him, after all, and there was no way it could reach him faster.

‘No way.’

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Edgar’s hand shot out even faster than the fleeting moment of revelation, swinging his sword down from above.

This has a chance.

His instincts, honed over the time spent swinging a sword, urged him on.

*Whoosh.*

He made every effort to twist his body to the left, trying to escape the trajectory of the attack that sought his right shoulder.

As the wooden sword tore through the air, just as their weapons were about to cross, Creed’s hand abruptly stopped.

*Thwack!*

“…?”

Edgar’s sword, swung with precision, accurately struck Creed’s chest, while Creed’s sword, aimed at Edgar’s shoulder, was unable to connect, and both attacks came to an end.

Edgar, puzzled by the sudden stop of the spar, blinked as he looked up at the towering figure before him.

Meeting Edgar’s gaze, Creed grinned and grasped the sword pressed against his chest.

“Let’s call it a day. That last attack was a very good decision.”

“Ah, thank you for the lesson!”

Creed was actually a man rather stingy with praises.

Seeing him wear such a satisfied expression after being hit with that last strike meant it truly had been a sharp maneuver.

Edgar, taken aback by the compliment, stared blankly at him for a moment before bowing deeply to express his gratitude.

“Wow! Edgar, that last attack was really impressive! Right, Enya?”

“Uh, yeah… I’m not great at swordplay, but… it seemed incredibly sharp.”

Leonel, who had been watching their high-level spar from the side, rushed over to shower Edgar with praise that made his face heat up.

Enya, though inexperienced in this area, also recognized that the earlier exchange was remarkable and nodded to Leonel’s words.

“Thanks. If you guys say so, it must have been decent.”

To be honest, Edgar hadn’t consciously intended that last attack himself.

You could say his body moved before his brain did.

If he had only tried to avoid the attack in that moment, Creed would have surely caught up with a counterattack.

And it was only natural that it wouldn’t align timewise, so the counterattack wouldn’t make sense.

Still, the reason he was convinced that the attack would work was that Edgar had grasped the key difference between the two in that fleeting moment.

That difference was Creed’s physique and height being larger than Edgar’s.

In other words, assuming both swung their swords down, Edgar’s sword would reach Creed’s body relatively faster.

That was just disregarding the concept of sheer strength.

Of course, he hadn’t thought all that through in such a brief moment.

He simply swung his sword, convinced that the surge of confidence he had, without even comparing himself to the opponent before him, would allow this strike to connect.

‘Honestly, I’m amazed myself.’

Edgar, still marveling at that feeling from moments ago, repeatedly clenched and opened his fist.

Perhaps it meant his skills had really improved. It seemed that all his training hadn’t lied to him.

“Wow! You’re amazing, Edgar!”

“Good job. Why don’t you come over and have a snack?”

The soldiers from the Robeheim family, who’d been watching from a distance, whistled and cheered, praising Edgar’s martial skills.

Edgar had been staying here for nearly half a year, sparring with Creed every morning.

And these soldiers had been watching his growth like a morning ritual, keeping an eye on the two as if nothing particularly special was happening.

A boy who initially fell after just a few exchanges with Creed had now reached the level of landing a hit.

It was truly an unimaginable growth rate.

So much so that, among the soldiers who had been watching their spar recently, there were even half-joking remarks about Edgar potentially threatening their positions in the near future.

“Am I not robbing you guys of breakfast that you’re supposed to eat?”

With a cheeky smile, Edgar approached the soldiers and accepted what looked like dried meat that they offered him.

Was it sprinkled with spices or something? It was surprisingly spicy and tasted pretty good.

‘Did they make this themselves?’

If so, it might be useful to learn how to make it next time.

If it was bought, then he figured he should at least know where to get it, so he popped another piece into his mouth.

“Hey, you kid, we’re not that far apart in age, so just call me older brother. You make me look old.”

“Come on, you’re in your mid-thirties, so calling you older brother feels a bit off, doesn’t it?”

“Anyway, this young punk doesn’t back down in a war of words.”

As the man, who had declared himself defeated, dramatically raised both hands, Edgar chuckled and plopped down onto the grass to join in on the conversation.

Though he hadn’t been here long, he was thankful for being able to get so close to those around him.

Excluding the high-ranking officials who stayed in the castle, most people had been quite friendly toward him.

Above all, he felt relieved that everyone seemed like good people.

“Wow, with skills like this, you could join the guards. Don’t you think? Raphel?”

“Honestly, with this punk around, the guards are too cramped. Looking at the way he’s growing, he seems destined for greatness.”

“Glad you see it that way.”

Well, Edgar didn’t plan to end at being a mere guard.

His goals were set much higher.

‘Still a long way to go.’

Edgar glanced over at the balcony where Ariel’s room was located, chuckling to himself.

He’d been there several times since arriving, but he still felt far from confidently walking through that castle gate and entering her room.

There was no need to rush, but he wasn’t exactly relaxed either.

He knew better than anyone that the patience of that reckless young lady wouldn’t last long.

“Speaking of which, it seems like the lord is taking a long time this time.”

“Tell me about it. They say the kid’s rebellion is rather intense this time.”

As Edgar stared at the balcony, he overheard a conversation from behind.

Even after nearly half a year of being here, he still hadn’t had a chance to see the head of the Robeheim family and Ariel’s father.

It was hard not to feel curious about him.

“What’s the lord like?”

“The lord? Edgar, have you really never seen the lord since you got here?”

“Unfortunately not.”

Edgar shrugged, responding casually.

Typically, there would be an opportunity to see someone from afar, but for some reason, he hadn’t had a single chance.

At this point, it felt almost like someone was actively keeping him away.

“If I had to describe him, he’s like the embodiment of staunchness.”

“Rather than bending, he’ll break… Just being around him makes your knees weak.”

At the words of the two soldiers, Edgar fell into contemplation.

Somehow, he felt he could envision a rough image.

He figured he’d be similar in build to Creed but with a drastically different personality.

He’d probably have a strong jaw, a stiff manner of speaking, and an unchanging expression that made it hard to breathe just by looking at his face.

Putting aside his character, it was certain that he’d be the type of person hard to approach just based on appearance.

However, judging by what Helene had mentioned before about Ariel taking after her father’s personality, it might be surprisingly different from what he’d expect.

Just then, while Edgar was engaged in conversation with the soldiers, he caught sight of Creed, who had been dealing with Leonel and Enya from afar, making eye contact with him and suddenly nodding his head.

‘Isn’t that interesting? Looks like I might get to meet her.’

It was a signal that had formed between the two who had been hanging out regularly for the past six months.

That gesture meant “Ariel wants to meet you.”

It seemed like his childhood friend, usually busy, had some free time today.

If so, he should entertain her.

With that thought, Edgar lightly stood up, shaking off the bits of grass stuck to his behind.

The man called Raphel, who had been watching, spoke up with a tone of curiosity as he chewed on some dried meat.

“Sounds like you’re busy today?”

Normally, Edgar would take longer to stand up and engage in more conversations, but today he was quick to rise.

What a strange change for someone who usually spent his time like an elderly man.

“Yeah, I have someone to meet.”

“Someone to meet?”

“Is it… this?”

In contrast to Raphel’s puzzled expression, the other man cheekily raised his pinky.

Edgar chuckled and shrugged, saying that was unlikely.

“So it’s a woman, huh?”

“Well… sort of?”

“Ooh, that’s interesting. Must be a pretty one, I guess?”

I wonder how surprised they’ll be when they find out that the person Edgar is meeting today is the only daughter of the very family they serve.

He wanted to tease them, but he knew that wasn’t a good idea, so he swallowed his words and put on a vague smile.

He then picked up the wooden sword that had fallen to the ground and strapped it to his belt, casually throwing out a comment.

“I don’t know if she’s pretty, but she’s a bit cute.”

At that, there were sounds of awe coming from behind, mixed with comments about whether he was interested or not, but Edgar chose to ignore them and made his way back to his quarters.

Him mentioning this to Ariel would likely get him killed.

Still, the thought of how she might react intrigued him, so he figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use it as a joke once today.

‘That’d be fun.’

Already excited about teasing his childhood friend, Edgar’s legs moved with a lively bounce.