I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

73 – Cold Rage

Before arriving in Hespania, Edgar and his party relieved themselves of travel for a while at a villa that the Loveheim family often used on their journey, and then started on the road again.

The assortment around it was so empty that others would wonder if this was truly the carriage in which the only daughter of the Grand Duchess was riding.

It was also because Ariel rarely had an escort when she had to leave Hespania.

When she was young and accompanied by Helen, she tended to have an escort, but since her senses became more sensitive and the gazes around her began to bother her, she did not bring soldiers with her.

Edgar had said a word about this, but Ariel was also stubbornly stubborn on this point, so she couldn’t help it.

Thanks to that, wherever they went recently, Edgar, Ariel, and Shuri were practically the entire party.

At least I can include the coachman here.

Edgar had always been dissatisfied with this, so he brought out a voice today without fail.

Everywhere I went, I couldn’t take my eyes off the window because of anxiety.

“If you do this, you have to burn it properly to come to your senses.”

“Is that still the sound? I don’t need an escort.”

“You may be like that, but I and your parents are different. You are the only heir to the Grand Duchess.”

“Because I’m stronger than one or two escorts? And besides you, what do you need?”

She wasn’t wrong.

Edgar would be more useful than one or two shy escorts, and Ariel’s natural powerlessness was beyond imagination.

But the reason she needs an escort is to save her life in case of an emergency.

If an opponent appears that cannot be resolved even with the help of the two of them, try to keep her life intact even if it takes time. Because that was the role of an escort.

Of course, even with this explanation, Ariel did not give up her stubbornness.

If he had bent in the first place, he wouldn’t have come this far.

“Both of you calm down.”

“I’m not particularly angry. It’s just that I understand Ed’s words, but he keeps saying something even though nothing has happened so far… … .”

At the last part, Edgar almost fell backwards.

I wonder if this immature princess has already erased the memory of that time from her head just because it happened several years ago.

“Nothing happened. Don’t you remember how assassins invaded your castle in the past?”

“That, that… but.”

“I know you don’t like crowds. Could I possibly recommend it without knowing that?”

Even though I knew that Edgar would bother her, I didn’t want to keep mentioning it.

However, in the end, it was an issue that someone had to talk about, and he just took the gun instead.

They say they go around like this now, but can’t they continue like this even after they officially become the family heads?

If you want to make a habit of it, it might be better to start having an escort early and gradually adapt to it.

“Your words are true, young lady.”

“You, are you like that too?”

“That is true. Because you are the one who will one day become the owner of the Loveheim family. It’s no wonder that you go around thinking you’re single forever… … .”

As Shuri joined in, Ariel gave a nod and made a sound like a dog suffering from body aches.

It never occurred to her that she would be able to continue this stubbornness forever.

In the end, she knew that she had to have formality appropriate to her position, and that she would have to give up her stubbornness on the day when she was the family and the family would soon become her.

I just want to continue my current life until then, but why are people around me so anxious about not being able to catch and eat them?

“okay. I’ll think about the escort. Is that okay?”

“I know you’ll get scolded if you just think about it and move on.”

“My, am I a child!?”

In Edgar’s eyes, there was still a remnant of an immature child, but he couldn’t bring it out.

Otherwise, the entire wagon might be burned.

Just as the two smiled bitterly today as they listened to the princess’s promise, the carriage left the village and headed for Hespania.

This road is rarely used by most people, and it is virtually connected directly to the road from Belluccie to Hespania.

Instead, it was rather narrow compared to other roads and quite rough, so it was not suitable for trade routes or travelers.

In other words, it can save time, but it is a way to endure the inconvenience.

However, there was also a great advantage that made it possible to ignore all of these disadvantages. It was a road rarely used by merchants, so there were few unfortunate incidents such as encountering bandits.

“I can never get used to this road.”

Of course, recognizing such advantages did not make the discomfort go away.

Ariel, frowning in the swaying carriage, held on to a pole built beside her to support herself.

“It’s not a little rough. Because my head is spinning.”

“Still, we just have to hold on to this area. Cheer up, both of you.”

On the way, there was a place that crossed the mountain, and as we approached it, the wagon’s shaking became even stronger.

“… … .”

“Are you feeling very unwell?”

“… no.”

When Ariel closed her eyes, folded her arms, and didn’t say anything as if she was dying, Edgar, who seemed to be in a very bad condition, started talking to her.

As she shook her head resolutely, a faint wrinkle formed between her eyebrows, and Ariel suddenly poked her head out the window.

That was the moment.

Ting! Ting! Ting!

Suddenly, with a sound like something hitting an iron wall, Edgar quickly jumped out of the carriage.

“Don’t miss it!”

“Kill the man!”

At the same time, black figures protruding from both sides of the mountain road stepped on the trees and charged towards the wagon.

Wedge!

A dagger shot from Edgar’s arms pierced one’s neck, and the other managed to dodge the attack by turning his head, but fell down as he lost his balance.

It’s a rote technique I learned through Creed, wondering if something like this would happen, but I never thought the day would come sooner that I’d be able to use it like this.

Edgar calmed his startled heart and shouted at the coachman.

“Don’t be afraid, run at full speed!”

“Yes, old! All right!”

Even in a state of fright, the coachman does not let go of his hand holding the reins, answering as courageously as possible.

Ariel emerged from the carriage after him, and at the same time arrows were fired from all sides once more.

Ting! Teeing!

“What!?”

But as soon as they reached the wagon, all the arrows rolled on the ground as if they had collided with an invisible wall.

One of the shadowy spirits, who was speeding down the mountain path, witnessed this and let out a terrified sound from his mouth.

I thought it was a coincidence because the arrows didn’t work just a moment ago, but it seems that a barrier or a special device was installed on the wagon.

If not, I don’t think so… … .

‘damn.’

It must have been the work of that young lady in the center. It was also the most difficult opponent.

However, the order they received was to kill the other two, but to save the young lady somehow.

During this process, he tried to kill the young lady as much as possible, but disguised himself as failing to achieve his goal. That was my second priority.

If the purpose was to kill everyone in the first place, it would have been nice to have hired a wizard, but it was regrettable that it could not be done because of this tricky condition.

‘There’s only going to be hand-to-hand combat.’

Anyway, because of that shield, all throws thrown from the outside will be nullified.

Then, in the end, the only way is to stop it by destroying the carriage or killing the horse, and then kill the other two.

If possible, if you save at least one horse and make a scene where the young lady manages to escape alone, the picture that best matches their purpose will be produced.

He immediately raised his hand, signaled to his men directly behind him, and at the same time charged at the approaching wagon.

Chaeeng!

Meanwhile, Edgar hid in a tree right behind him and looked around while blocking the enemy’s surprise attack.

If it went on like this, it would be easy to kill them, but unless they were idiots, they would have placed a rear guard.

Above all, the biggest problem was that it was impossible to estimate the number of them because they were hidden in the grass.

Percussion!

As it was, he walked on his legs and dropped the opponent under the running carriage, then thrust his sword into the attacking enemy behind him.

Fuuk at the tip of the sword that was deeply embedded in the flesh. Edgar, frowning at it, pulled out his sword and threw the weakly stretched corpse over as if tossing it backwards.

‘It’s kind of strange.’

And Ariel, who was watching this from behind, looked around again, frowning at the sense of difference she had felt from a while ago.

For some reason, it felt like all the attacks were aimed at Edgar.

It wasn’t just a whim, there wasn’t a single barrage of arrows raining down at her defenseless from behind or a sudden attack.

If the purpose is to kill in the first place, there must be a cleaner and more acceptable method than this.

At least, even if he only prepared magic scrolls and fired fireballs, he could have annihilated the people in this wagon more economically.

But why are you even doing this?

It felt as if the purpose was somewhere else in the first place.

‘Come to think of it, it was like that a little while ago.’

I couldn’t hear it clearly because I was in the carriage, but I remember vaguely hearing the words, ‘Kill the man.’

maybe this… … .

“Ed!”

As he continued his thoughts, a person pops out from the lush trees behind Edgar.

Ariel shouted his name and immediately reached out and shot the magic at the opponent’s head.

Pooh!

The enemy’s brain was splattered in all directions at the attack without the slightest mercy, and Edgar drenched himself in the blood, but neither of them had time to care.

On the other hand, the attack earlier had convinced Ariel.

For some reason, these men attacked her lover’s life.

That this wasn’t simply a retaliatory plot to kill the lineage of the Loveheim family, nor was it an act by passing thieves.

Then there is only one thing to do.

“Cuck! This, this beggar bitch… … !”

“Shut up your snout. Unless you want to die.”

This time, among the attackers from both sides, Ariel decides to leave one to Edgar and the other to Edgar.

Among them, the one caught in her hand was the leader of the group that had been weighing their chances in the woods a while ago.

As if an intangible hand was reaching out, something grabbed him by the nape of his neck and slammed the new model onto the carriage.

A curse came out of the enemy’s mouth, but despite the insult, Ariel maintained her composure and directly grabbed him by the throat with a cold gaze and threw a question.

At some point, the wagon was out of the mountain road and on to an open plain.

“Who is behind it?”

“I-I’ll tell you something like that… Aww!”

Seeing no sign of answering, Ariel didn’t ask any more questions and put red energy in her hand and poked at the other person’s eyes.

The unidentified demon at the tip of the thumb grew like an awl, pierced the pupil, and penetrated into the head behind it.

Only a voice, not even a scream, came out of the man’s mouth, but her eyes were still calm.

“I will ask you again. Is your purpose to kill my lover?”

“Huh… I don’t know… … .”

“There are still a few places to destroy, but are you losing your mind already?”

Ariel, who brought her hand to his blocked hand this time, had a red aura in it just like before.

Anticipating what the man with only one eye would do next, he hurriedly shook his head, unable to even scream, but Ariel mercilessly cut off the opponent’s wrist with only a slight sneer.

“Turn off… … !”

“I was disgusted by the bullsh*t about killing someone, so I wanted to remove my nails one by one, but I don’t have time. I’ll have to use the rest of my claws when I get to Hespania.”

The man, realizing what it meant to have a time to use, refused to imagine the pain that would follow, and passed out.

Ariel, who was looking down at this coldly, called Shuri in the carriage and prepared something to tie the man up, then wiped the cynicism from her face.

Because I couldn’t show him that expression.

Then, she walked toward Edgar, who was sitting exhausted, with a face so bright that she couldn’t be seen as the woman whose life was threatened a moment ago.

There was a handful of blood on his hand, but he didn’t care.

“Are you okay, Ed?”

“Uh, uh… I’m fine. Rather you?”

“Yeah, I’m not hurt. Because you devoted yourself to protecting it.”

Ariel quietly hugged him.

I felt the warmth that I was afraid would disappear any moment, and my heart calmed down a little bit.

However, only those two eyes were still burning with quiet anger.

‘Who do you kill?’

If it wasn’t for that word, I could have sent it to you in a good way.

Ariel promised that the moment she catches the man behind this, she’ll make a sound that would rather let her die.

Even if you pull out your fingernails, dig out your eyes, cut off your testicles and feed them dog food, this anger won’t go away easily.

The sin of trying to harm someone else’s precious person will be asked by your precious person.

After killing them all in front of you, making them lick their blood and stuffing their flesh into their mouths, you will show them your last mercy.

Twice the favor, a hundredfold the vengeance.

Recalling the iron rule of the Loveheim family, which she had heard from her father when she was young, Ariel had to control her anger that had no direction.