Chapter 19 - Sudden Encounter
Chapter 19 - Sudden Encounter
The next morning, the scent of calm tea leaves drifted through the reception room in the fortress.
However, contrary to the peaceful atmosphere, the Grand Duke's face still retained a reddish hue from the aftereffects of his hangover.
"...... Are you feeling a bit better, Grand Duke-nim?"
The Prince asked casually as he set down his teacup.
The Grand Duke rubbed his face dry and let out a deep sigh.
"Heh heh, Your Highness. I've always prided myself on never losing a drinking bout in my life, but... that fellow, Sir Edric. He's a monster in human skin. I've never seen anyone drink like that and stay perfectly fine in my entire life."
"Edric is a bit eccentric. So, how did you find him, Grand Duke-nim?"
At the Prince's question, the Grand Duke fell silent for a moment before answering with a serious expression.
"To be honest, at first, I felt a sense of aversion to those snake-like eyes of his. But I saw the spirit he showed at the drinking table yesterday, his attitude toward the Northern Knights, and the grit within him. He is certainly too promising a young man to be judged solely by his appearance."
The Prince smiled, as if he had been waiting for this.
"In that case, Grand Duke-nim, since things have turned out this way, what about a betrothal between Lady Natalia and Edric?"
The Grand Duke fell into deep thought, fiddling with his teacup.
With his daughter having caused such an incident, a union with the Prince was practically off the table.
In that case, Edric, the Prince's most trusted aide who had even defeated him—a Grand Duke—in drinking, was the best alternative.
However... there was still 2% missing.
"Your Highness, there is a proverb in the North. It says, 'A person's true colors are only revealed amidst the biting winds of the North.'"
At the Grand Duke's words, the Prince's eyes narrowed.
The Prince seemed to understand the intent behind the Grand Duke's words.
"The drinking party was enjoyable, but... I want to test if he can maintain that spirit even in the face of adversity. If Natalia still wants him after that... I will gladly agree."
The Prince smiled at the Grand Duke's words.
The Prince replied to the Grand Duke as follows.
"There is a similar saying in the Central region. 'The one who shines brightest in the storm is the true gem.' That is Edric. I, too, agree to the Grand Duke's test."
While Edric was rolling around in bed with a hangover,
the massive conspiracy (?) that would determine his life was thus established.
The next day, I was summoned by the Prince and headed to his office.
And there, I heard a bolt from the blue.
"Edric, today, as the representative of the Central region, I want you to go and experience a scouting mission in the Northeastern region with Lady Natalia's order of knights."
"...Yes? So suddenly?"
"The world is always full of sudden, unimaginable events, Edric. Just like how you gave that sudden piece of advice."
"Leopold-nim..."
"Then, I'll have to ask you to suffer a little."
"Understood. Leopold-nim."
...This is 100% a scheme to hook me up with Natalia.
I knew full well what the Prince was plotting, but I had no power to disobey my liege's orders.
In the end, I swallowed my tears of blood and followed the Prince's words.
When I went to the designated meeting place that afternoon, Natalia and four Northern Knights were already there, riding their horses and preparing to depart.
The mission itself was simple.
It was to patrol the Northeastern region for a 2-day, 1-night trip.
"The scenery in the Northeast is very beautiful. Edric, you can look forward to it."
"...I see."
Natalia spoke to me very nonchalantly while fully armored.
She was smiling very brightly, wondering what could be so happy.
Yeah, she's saying that, so what could go wrong?
Let's just think of it as sightseeing and enjoy it.
Whoooosh—!
...There was a moment when I thought that.
Scenery my ass. Exactly three hours after leaving the castle gates, we encountered a blizzard.
It was a shitty blizzard that made me truly feel what a whiteout was.
"You must not fall behind me, Edric!"
"What happens if I fall behind?"
"It becomes difficult to find the corpse later."
...They can't even find the corpse?
I had heard that the weather in the North during winter was particularly shitty, but this was truly beyond my imagination.
My nose tip had already lost all sensation in the raging blizzard.
'Ah... I'm going to freeze to death. What kind of scouting is this? It's a near-death-by-freezing experience.'
I silently continued the march, swallowing all sorts of profanities in my mind.
My mouth had long since frozen shut, so I didn't even have the strength to say anything.
Seeing me like that, the Northern Knights said nonchalantly.
"Still, you're the first aide I've seen who follows along so silently and well."
"That's right. The inspector who came last time ran away in the blizzard earlier."
"It was really funny watching him get caught in an avalanche while running away."
"That's right. Hahahaha!"
Is this Northern humor?
I don't know what's so funny about getting caught in an avalanche, but everyone except me laughed.
Even Natalia!?
After struggling to endure the blizzard for 2 hours of scouting, at some point, the snow stopped... and I saw it.
"Wow..."
The sun was setting on the world.
The sunset, dyeing everything red, met the white snowy landscape, creating a mesmerizing sight.
I heard that this time of sunset is called the Golden Hour in the North.
I felt like I understood the reason a little bit.
"How is it? Edric, isn't it beautiful?"
"Certainly... it's beautiful, Natalia."
Natalia said from beside me at some point.
In the snowy field, she looked even more like a Northern princess.
To do such a thing to such a beautiful princess... Oh, Prince of the original work, what a scoundrel you were.
"That place over there is called Lion Rock. It's named that because the rock looks like a lion's mane."
"I see."
"And if you go over there, there is a place called Queen's Lake. It's a volcanic lake, so you'll die if you fall in, but it's a very beautiful emerald-colored place."
"I... I see."
Natalia explained it to me like a tour guide.
It felt like she was appealing to me with a vibe of, 'Look, isn't our North awesome! Don't you want to live here!'
It's dangerous. Is living in the North okay? I started to think that a little bit.
But suddenly, the hand of the Northern Knight who was checking the path at the front was raised high.
"Stop! Stop!!"
"What's the matter!?"
"Barbarians... There are traces of barbarians!"
At that moment, Natalia's eyes shone sharply.
On the snowy field the Northern Knight pointed to, there were very faint, but artificially erased footprints.
Everyone got off and started checking the traces.
"There are 6 people... no, 10?"
"These guys... they're not ordinary."
"Yes. That's what I think too."
The expressions of Natalia and the Northern Knights, who were investigating the footprints, hardened.
As if they had sensed the intrusion of a special forces unit, they became sharp, and Natalia said.
"These appear to be the Merkit tribe of the barbarians. And they are a small elite force at that."
"I think so too."
"Igor, Ivan. You two go back right now and report this fact."
"Understood, Captain!"
"The rest of you, follow me to track them."
"Yes! Understood."
Natalia, having given the order, looked at me.
She said with a worried expression.
"Edric, you should go back too. It's too dangerous from here on."
I pondered for a moment.
If I went back here, I would be safe, but if anything happened to Natalia... the Grand Duke would definitely tear me to shreds.
Besides, although I couldn't be sure yet... there was a chance this was that 'event' I knew about.
"I will go with you."
"But... it's dangerous."
"...Going back alone is more dangerous."
"Heh, is that so? Understood. Follow me quietly."
Perhaps she saw into my mind, which was thinking of the Grand Duke, Natalia didn't say much and permitted me to accompany her.
Thus, we began to track the elite barbarian unit.
However, as the night deepened, the traces gradually became fewer.
And...
"What is it? Shavolf."
"The traces... the traces have completely disappeared."
The traces had completely disappeared.
That meant two things.
Either the barbarians had suddenly evaporated and disappeared from the world, or if not that...
Swoosh—! Thud!
"Ugh!"
"Am... Ambush!"
It meant they were right here.
Creepy whistling sounds and arrow sounds came from all directions.
The Northern Knights who were escorting us fell without even being able to scream from the arrows that flew out of the darkness.
In an instant, only I and Natalia remained.
"Come this way!"
"Natalia!"
Shoo-! Swoosh—!
She hurriedly pulled me off the horse.
Arrows flew to the spot where we had been.
If we had been a little late, we would have become shish kebabs.
We jumped off the horses and retreated.
At some point, human presences appeared around us and started approaching us.
I could feel the presence of the barbarians surrounding us.
And a man appeared, parting the darkness before our eyes.
He was a hideous giant with one eye, bald, and covered in accessories made of human bones.
"......Urchi of the Merkit tribe!"
Natalia gritted her teeth and called his name.
I didn't know his name, but I had seen the tribe name in the original work.
I had definitely heard that it was the most notorious tribe among the various barbarian tribes for its cruelty.
Urchi smiled fishily and touched his sharp sword made of obsidian.
"I wondered what kind of rats were following us, but it's the Grand Duke's daughter. A good harvest."
"Why did you invade our territory? What is your purpose!"
At Natalia's shout, Urchi giggled and answered.
In time with his sneer, the surrounding barbarians also started to laugh.
"There is no secret to tell a dead person. It's a waste, but kill them."
In front of me, Natalia deployed her <Frost Sword> and prepared to fight for her life.
I felt about 8, no, 10 presences around us.
What should I do? Should I fight like this?
Unlike the munchkin protagonist, I was a character who fought better than expected, not one who fought like a badass.
Looking at the situation, the enemy barbarians were no ordinary guys either.
Those two Northern Knights were wiped out in an instant.
At best, it would be mutual destruction, and at worst, we would both die.
After agonizing, I finally made up my mind, approached her side, and whispered.
"Natalia... please trust me and stay still."
"...Edric?"
I immediately used the skill <Drinking Bird> and injected a very weak paralytic poison into the back of her neck.
Natalia collapsed into my arms with a bewildered expression and fainted.
Thud—!
"!?"
At my sudden action, the barbarians and Urchi also hesitated and looked puzzled.
At that moment, I waved my hand at Urchi with a smile that was even more despicable and snake-like than usual.
"Wow... this is really it, we finally met."
"What?"
I moved Natalia aside and stepped forward.
Trying to recall the Edric of the original work as much as possible, I said.
"Do you know how much trouble I went through to get here? Urchi-nim."
I roughly grabbed the hair of the fainted Natalia and asked Urchi in a voice mixed with mockery.
A sinister laugh echoed through the dark Northern forest.
"Why did you come so late? I was so tired of waiting I almost went back."
Urchi's one eye widened.
He lowered his sword and looked at me as if he were bewildered yet interested.
"...Is that so, are you that internal collaborator?"
Instead of answering, I smiled fishily with narrowed eyes.
"Yes, that's right. I am the internal collaborator."
I bowed very politely with a smile and greeted the barbarians.
Villain acting start.