The Barbarian (7)

The capital of the Northern Grand Duchy, ruled by the Northern Grand Duke. Seven men and women from the academy walked through the interior of the massive mansion. 'Is that person over there the commander of the Imperial 1st Knights...?' Ever since the academy was raided, the concern for student safety had deepened. Since the Archmage could not leave his post, the Imperial Knights' commander, a Swordmaster, had joined the party.

Ellie, a pink-haired woman who held the position of top student in the first-year magic department, quietly held her breath. 'Any moment now, the 2nd Prince and the Northern Grand Duke... wait, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he didn't die, did he? Then he's going to fight the Grand Duke's heir!' That was the last thing I remembered from the original story. The Northern Grand Duke—or rather, the current heir—who met the female lead for the first time... He would fall in love with her at first sight, setting up a confrontation with the 2nd Prince, who harbored the same feelings.

'Ugh... just thinking about that scene makes me feel sick...' Being fought over might be a situation some would desperately crave, but for a natural-born loner like me, it was a cruel fate. 'Still, unlike the original, the 2nd Prince doesn't like me... but that doesn't mean the heir's tastes have changed, right?' I turned my gaze toward the red-haired villainess—no, Scarlett, who had now become a kind senior.

'I thought she'd ask about the new space mage as soon as we arrived...' Unexpectedly, Scarlett didn't ask a single question and quietly followed the group. After walking down the hallway for a while, we arrived at the audience chamber. When the massive doors opened, the Northern Grand Duke, with his imposing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠physique, was sitting on his throne. Contrary to the expectation that he would be overbearing, the Northern Grand Duke stood up and shook hands with each of us one by one. This demeanor was even more apparent when he shook hands with the 2nd Prince.

"It is an honor to meet you."

"The honor is mine. Please, speak informally."

"Haha... as a subject of the Empire, how could I speak informally to a Prince?"

Watching that, I fell into confusion. 'What is this! Why are the North and the Empire so friendly with each other! Shouldn't they be drawing their swords the moment they meet?!' Even if it was a novel I dropped halfway through, shouldn't it at least follow the clichés of a romance fantasy? Contrary to my thoughts, the Northern Grand Duke and the 2nd Prince chatted harmoniously. A moment later, the heir, who had been waiting to the side, approached.

'Right! They fought in the original, so this time...'

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you as well."

The heir and the 2nd Prince exchanged only ritualistic pleasantries before parting. The heir's gaze rested on my face for a moment, but it didn't linger long before moving away. 'Uh... no reaction?' In truth, in the original, the heir had fallen for his ideal type because she appeared while he was heartbroken and struggling. Right now, he didn't have any particular emotional burdens. And it was impossible for the heir, the next ruler of the North, to flirt in an official setting—not even a banquet—just because a pretty woman appeared.

The Northern Grand Duke, who had been greeting everyone one by one, approached me. "You are Ellie, right?"

"Yes!"

"Good. Study hard, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask."

"That is..."

I fell into a moment of contemplation. The message from the status window that had appeared suddenly before arriving in the Northern Grand Duchy.

'Should I ask for the secret techniques passed down in the North? No, we aren't in love, and logically, why would he give that to me?' It wasn't like the Northern Grand Duke would retaliate against me for making an unreasonable request, but as a true loner, I couldn't bring myself to voice a request that was sure to be rejected.

"Ah, no, it's nothing..."

"I see. If you ever want to say something later, feel free to do so."

Having finished greeting everyone, the Northern Grand Duke returned to his seat. "I have prepared a simple meal in the next room, so let us go and eat." Although the Northern Grand Duke called it simple, the food laid out was incredibly extravagant. Various stories were exchanged, but none of them had anything to do with me. After finishing the meal, the Northern Grand Duke called me and Lady Scarlett to the interview room.

Leaving Lady Scarlett in the waiting room, I moved alone to meet the Northern Grand Duke. When I opened the door and entered, the Northern Grand Duke was waiting, sitting in front of a small table with documents laid out. "You've come. Sit down."

"Yes..."

I sat in the chair placed before the Northern Grand Duke. As I turned my gaze to the documents on the table, the words Confidentiality Agreement caught my eye.

"Um, this is..."

"It is a pledge promising not to spread the secret techniques passed down in our Northern Grand Duke's family to others before you have mastered them."

"Pardon?"

"Well, even if you know the method, it's not something just anyone can attempt."

Unexpected words flowed from the Northern Grand Duke's mouth. "You are going to teach me that?"

At my words, the Northern Grand Duke smiled. 'Does the Northern Grand Duke have a setting where he always falls for the female lead? Or do I resemble his deceased wife...' A thousand thoughts raced through my head. 'No, but according to the setting, the Northern Grand Duke should be over 50, so that's a bit...' Fortunately, before my thoughts could escape my lips, the Northern Grand Duke spoke first.

"I have someone like a son to me, and that fellow asked me to teach you the unique training method of the Northern Grand Duke's family."

"The heir?!"

"Not that fellow. He is someone who has gone elsewhere now, and he is not my biological son, either."

The Northern Grand Duke looked out the window for a moment before continuing. "He is not my biological son... but he feels like one to me. I cannot refuse a request from him."

I quietly called out the status window in my mind.

'If it's someone capable of that, it has to be... him, right?' The existence presumed to have saved the Northern Grand Duke after being dragged into the Great Demon's subspace. The status window called him a virus and told me to kill him, but looking at his actions so far, he didn't seem like a bad person. 'If a unique training method appeared in a romance fantasy, the female lead must have obtained it. Otherwise, there's no reason for it to exist.' In the first place, if there were no unique training method, that would be one thing, but since it existed, the protagonist not learning it would be a crime in the context of a novel.

'If you call him a virus, why are you helping me! Could it be... is he really another transmigrator?' Perhaps he was someone who knew the original story that I hadn't seen. Just as my thoughts were about to continue, the Northern Grand Duke's voice was heard.

"Staring into empty space and thinking is not a good habit. It's a habit that those who contracted with the Great Demon in the past often had."

"Pardon?!"

"I don't know about others, but if you do that in front of someone from the Papal Office, you might be suspected, so be careful."

"..."

I couldn't say a word and froze in place.

"Sign here and be on your way. You're staying for two weeks, right? I will oversee your training myself during that time."

"Ah... thank you."

I signed the document and left the interview room. As I exited, Lady Scarlett entered. Unlike before, cold air flowed through the interview room. When the Northern Grand Duke quietly pointed to a chair, Scarlett sat down.

"You are Eric's childhood friend?"

"...Pardon?"

Before Scarlett could even open her mouth, the Northern Grand Duke spoke.

"Eric asked me not to tell you, but... from what I see, that's not for your sake at all."

"..."

"That fellow Eric is surprisingly clumsy when it comes to dealing with people."

It had already been a month since she heard about the Northern space mage from the brown-haired woman. Scarlett had already given up. Eric, who had fallen into the Great Demon's subspace, survived and even saved the Northern Grand Duke? It was an overly optimistic thought, and she had given up on her own before she could be hurt any further. To such a Scarlett, the Northern Grand Duke's words struck home.

"I have heard all of Eric's plans. It doesn't matter if you know. It is my judgment, having ruled the North for the past 30 years."

"Where is Eric?"

"Of course, that is on the premise that you act rationally."

The Northern Grand Duke's cold eyes turned toward Scarlett. "You reached the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠5th rank a while ago? That is far from enough."

"What do you mean..."

"It means that if you run to Eric right now, you will only be a hindrance to him."

Scarlett's rapidly beating heart slowed down, as if doused in cold water. The Northern Grand Duke stood up and placed a large box on the table. When he opened it, top-grade mana stones were piled up in heaps.

"You, too, will receive the Northern Grand Duke's unique training method starting tomorrow. And train to reach the 6th rank. Only then will you have the qualifications to meet Eric."

Scarlett's trembling hand reached toward the top-grade mana stones. With this many, it was the level of bringing every single top-grade mana stone the Northern Grand Duke's family possessed. Even if one were the direct disciple of a Magic Tower Master, one could not enjoy such luxury while training.

"Waiting without a promise makes a person desolate, but if a clear goal is created, the story changes."

The Northern Grand Duke stood up. "We are going to see the Great Wall in a little while. Prepare yourself."

As the Northern Grand Duke walked away, he seemed to remember something and turned his head. "Do not even think about leaving the academy. That is the place where you can grow the fastest right now."

"I know."

Hearing Scarlett's words, the Northern Grand Duke smiled contentedly and left the room.

Beyond the Great Wall, where the freezing winds howled. In the plains where the blizzard could be seen in the distance, 5,000 barbarian warriors were lined up in a wedge formation. At the forefront stood the Great Chieftain and Wulfric, and around them, warriors with four tattoos took the lead. The closer to the outside, the more tattoos the warriors had, and those with fewer or no tattoos warmed up inside to rotate at the appropriate timing.

I took my place in the protruding front center of the wedge formation, tucked the mana bomb into my chest, and mounted the red horse. Originally, the hunt for the giant octopus was three days away, but at my request to leave the Great Wall, the battle was prepared the very next day. Of course, there was also a promise that once this operation was over, I would persuade the Northern Grand Duke to let me cross the Great Wall.

The reason the barbarians beyond the Great Wall attacked the North. The reason was actually nothing special. It was a very natural and ordinary purpose: they did not want to let their descendants live in such a barren land. The barbarians had been driven beyond the Great Wall; they did not live in this land of freezing cold by choice.

After a brief moment, the Great Chieftain opened his mouth.

"There is not one among you who has not lost a family member to the octopus bastard!"

The Great Chieftain's voice echoed across the plains. 90% of the 100,000 barbarians had died. Among those who survived, one could not find a single person who had not lost a family member or friend.

"Today, we will finish the revenge for our comrades who returned to the earth and achieve victory for the future!"

The bodies of the tattooed barbarians began to turn red.

"As we always do! There is no retreat until every enemy is killed!"

The Great Chieftain lifted his massive axe into the sky.

"I am the vanguard! Follow me!"

"Waaaaaaaah!!!"

The shouts of the excited barbarians filled the plains. Led by the Great Chieftain, who charged forward, 5,000 warriors rushed toward the blizzard.