I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

He couldn't imagine the scary curiosity that the little child has.

Edgar lamented over his own mistake and followed Ariel's footsteps.

"Ariel! It's dangerous!"

"Hmm, Ed, you stay there if you are afriad! I'll go and look for it on my own!"

‘You have to say something that makes sense.’

He would have no face to see Helena if an accident were to happen.

Even if a dangerous mountain beast appeared, there was a possibility if Ariel took refuge first and ran away after him in the worst case.

His physical ability is one step ahead of her right now.

"There's no possibility of seeing such animal in the first place. Wolves and wild boars are nocturnal."

"Then it's safe, so it's okay! Just follow me!"

Crazy.

This is not a positive level curiosity, but an optimistic level.

Edgar, who unintentionally brought up useless rumors , bit his lips and speeded up as much as possible.

Fortunately, even though the distance between them was wide, he was able to catch up quickly because of the difference in the speed of their steps.

‘I don't know how far I've ventured into the woods.’

At least a little while ago, he was able to look back on the way they came, but as theu gradually moved deeper into the mountain, even that became difficult.

But fortunately the animals who she is interested in are nocturnal, so there is little possibility of encountering such animals in broad daylight.

The pace of her footsteps, which had been so fast, began to slow down little by little.

As a ten year old kid, she doesn't have enough stamina to run up the mountain even if she is full of excitement.

In addition, the mountain road were not suitable to run up, so it becomes even more difficult to climb the mountain.

haahaa- haahaa-

Ariel sits on top of the stump of a tree that was cut down and breathes heavily.

It seems that she tried to pretend to be strong and ran with her lack of strength.

Edgar gasped for air too, but not as much as she did. It seems his daily trainings were helpful in this kind of situation.

‘Is there water anywhere?'

As he walk on the mountain, sweating profusely, naturally he began to get thirsty.

Normally, he would have brought some water with a leather bag, but today he couldn't bring it because it was a suddenly arranged schedule.

He listened closely to see if he could hear the sound of running water nearby, but unfortunately he didn't hear anything.

"uh? Ed, look over there!”

“What else?”

"You know what?"

She was still breathing hard and yet this immature princess excitedly pointed out loudly to somewhere.

Replying with a voice full of annoyance, he moved his eyes along the direction of her hand.

There was a cave-like place behind the lush trees.

"I had only read about the cave! Let's go!"

"Phew… yes. Let's go, let's go."

If you stop her, she won't listen to it anyway.

Since the cave is just right in front of you, it would be okay to relax there for a while.

With that thought in mind, he raised his foot and took a leisurely step.

"What's going on? I thought you'd run first."

"Still, it's pitiful to leave Ed alone when we come out to play together."

"Oh, yes…"

He felt like he was about to cry because of her deep consideration.

‘Why didn't you give me this understanding and consideration earlier?'

"Maybe it's a sophisticated way to live."

Perhaps she is trying to do good deeds after deliberately doing evil deeds so that even a small consideration feels double grateful.

You may wonder what kind of people will have such thoughts against a 10-year-old kid, but I think it is not an unnecessary thoughts since the other party is her.

"I guess this is one of the teachings included in the great imperial studies the princess had."

Anyway, he should thank her for letting him relax for a while.

So when the cave was just in front of him, suddenly something cold drop over his head.

Is that bird droppings or the fallen leaves?

When he reached out and checked, the hair around the area was moist.

No way.

Swaaaa

"Shit."

"Huh? What did you say?”

"No, it's nothing. Let's avoid the rain first."

"All right."

Is it a fleeting rain?

The two ran straight into the cave in the amidst of raining

Upon arriving at the cave, Edgar shook off the water from his clothes.

Perhaps because the tree served as a rain barrier, the clothes were not drenched.

"That's a relief."

If his clothes were to get soaked too, he wouldn't be able to avoid having hypothermia

However, the fact that they do not know when the rain would stop remained as a concern.

Anyway, they can go back to the mansion only after the rain stopped, but if it wasn't a fleeting rain, but a heavy rain until night….

“Eh, Ed.”

"What's the matter?"

Ariel's trembling voice pierced his ears, breaking his thoughts of imagining the worst.

When Edgar turned his head, there stood Ariel, wrapped around in a her own trembling hands.

"Achol it's… cold, cold… … .”

“… … !”

He thought it is okay since he wasn't wet, but it didn't seem to be the case for Ariel.

Even though the region has a mild weather compared to other places, it was only when the place is compared to the other Northern regions of the same.

Basically, wearing wet clothes in these low-temperature areas was tantamount to suicide.

"Ariel, take off your top first. And I'll give you this, so wear it.”

"You, you…?”

"Don't tell me anything, just wear it. I'll be turning around."

Fortunately, Edgar's coat was quite thick.

After shaking off the remaining water in his clothes just in case, Edgar handed her the coat and turned his back against her.

He only took off his clothes, but he couldn't help but shiver from the biting chill.

Ariel, who took off her soaking top and put on the coat that Edgar handed over, then walked to the rock in the cave.

"Oh, my…" Ahh…

A painful groan could be heard at the moment.

When Edgar asked what was wrong, she confessed that she had sprained her ankle.

"When did you sprain your ankle? Why didn't you say anything just now?"

"Well, that's… I thought you'd say let's not go any further if I told you the truth.”

"…."

"Sigh."

She's very stubborn.

Apparently it was around that time when she stopped running a little while ago.

At first, he thought it was because she was out of breath, but he didn't know she has sprained her ankle.

It only make matters worse.

“Sorry, Ed… Are you angry?”

“Then shan't I be angry?”

Ariel lowered her head in dismay at his harsh tone.

Seeing this, Edgar sighed and shook his head.

‘What am I doing to the little child.'

Of course he was angry. But it also included a bit sense of self-blame.

He should have realized a long time ago.

Perhaps, in that situation, when he threatened to go back, Ariel might have followed him, pretending to be helpless.

The complacent thought that quite a few things can be solved by himseld has led to this kind of situation.

“Let’s wait for the rain to stop. It would be nice to light up fire to warm up, but that would be impossible.”

"Yeah."

If you could find some wood that are not so wet, you might be possible to light the fire somehow, but in this kind of situation, running out into the rain was very dangerous already.

It will not be good to run around in the rain and get himself soak, and then didn't manage to light the fire in the end it would only make their current situation worse.

To overcome this situation, it was necessary for them to remain calm. Because currently he is the only one Ariel could depend on.

‘Still, it's good that there's a cave.'

The cave that Ariel discovered played a big role.

Perhaps the situation would have been more serious than it is now if they were to be exposed to the harsh rain.

Anyway, why is there a cave in a place like this? Edgar looked around, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

There was a strange stench and some scattered debris, but he couldn't identify anything that stood out .

How much more time would they have to spent like this?

Gradually, Edgar also felt his body trembling.

The tips of his and his shoulders naturally trembled, even though he tried to hide it in case Ariel got worried.

Crunck. Crunck .

It was at this moment.

Edgar's ears perked up at the strange sound he heard clearly even in the midst of this heavy rain.

It sounds like a lot of tree branches being smashed.

And when listened closely, he could hear something that sounded like an animal's cry.

‘… No way.'

In an instant, Edgar strode towards Ariel and grabbed her by the wrist.

"Ed, what's wrong?"

“We have to get out of here at once. Follow me, Ariel.”

"Ok."

She don't know why, but she could tell that his expression was serious, so Ariel followed him without saying anything.

And at the entrance to the cave the two headed,

– Kuruk. Kuruk.

‘Exactly.'

As Edgar had predicted, a huge wild boar was glaring at the two with ferocious eyes.

As he expected, this place was his den.

The acidic stench from earlier and the debris scattered around the corner of the cave must be because of this guy's meals.

It would be best if the boar didn't attack them, but looking at it's eyes, it didn't seem like it would be easy.

It's breathing, which was even just a moment ago, had become even more fast.

Perhaps it sees them as intruders who have invaded it's peaceful heaven and sees an opportunity to attack.

– Kuruk!

“Ariel!”

At the same time as the breathless wild boar ran towards him, Edgar pulled Ariel as hard as he could.

Because he didn't give much thoughts about the steadiness of their footing, they ended up rolling on the grass of the mountain road, however this wasn't the time to care about anything.

‘What do we do?

He hae a knife he had brought with him.

But even if he fought back, with his current skills, would he be able to defeat that wild boar?

Even if they did, it was questionable how quickly they could run away with Ariel, who had injured her ankle.

“Ariel, wait a minute.”

“What are you trying to do… … ?”

"it's okay. Don't worry, I'm avoiding the rain.”

Fortunately, the rain had stopped a little while ago.

At this rate, one can avoid the rain to some extent by hiding oneself among the thick trees.

After reassuring Ariel, Edgar carefully held the knife worn around his waist in his right hand.

If he made the first move, naturally that boar would take it's eyes off the girl. Then he aims at the boar's weak point at the opportune moment.

It started chasing.

Edgar purposely stormed out of his seat, and the boar followed him with a cry.

A little more. A little more.

Edgar, who had not yet avoided the fast-paced boar for a long time, opened his eyes and gleamed that the moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

–Slurp. (Slurp sound)

The target is the boar's eye.

If you struck at the non lethal place then you might make it only angry for no reason. Targeting it's weakness is the only option to stop the wild boar from chasing after them, or atleast to threaten it.

As the wild boar stabbed by the knife struggled in pain, Edgar left the knife intact and rans toward Ariel.

"Ariel!"

He kneeled infront of Ariel and demanded that she be carried on his back immediately.

Ariel protested, saying it was ridiculous, but when he repeated the same request with a firm rebuke, she was forced to climb.

"Gasp, gasp…….”

To be honest, climbing down the mountain with Ariel on his back is nothing for him.

But his body strength has waned out after being in the cold for long and he is reaching is limit.

No matter how much he has trained his body, there was a limit to the body that had not yet finished growing.

"So what?"

Then Edgar ran.

He almost slipped up because of the rain soaked grasses, but he managed to overcome the obstacles.

As his breath hitched and his vision began to get blurred, he bit his lips and tried to keep his mind awake from the pain.

"–Miss! Miss!"

"Are you there? If you can hear me, please answer me!"

It was at this moment.

Calls that brought hope into Edgar's ears.

His blurred vision turned even whiter. And the images in his eyes were two stout men who were anxiously calling for their names.

"Here! Here!"

Ariel's desperate cry reached them through the rain.

Only then did the soldiers, who found the two, rush to them like an arrow.

"It's all right now."

That word became a catalyst for Edgar to somehow lose the tension he was holding onto.

He flopped down on the ground.

And Edgar finally lost conscious in the end.