* * *

“Your Grace, I heard from the head butler that you started riding large horses when you were just eight years old.”

“Though young, it seems Master Ronen could adapt well if he starts with a calm horse.”

Ed listened carefully to the half-asleep Ronen, gently pulling the blanket up to his chin.

It appeared that Ronen was already fast asleep, tired from spending the entire day cheering for and clapping along with the knights.

Once Ed confirmed Ronen was fully asleep, he quietly moved to turn off the lamp lighting the tent and stepped outside.

Unlike the warm interior of the tent, a brisk wind swept past his ears as he emerged, the chill of the northern night settling in.

Tomorrow, the last event at the northern castle was a grand hunting tournament involving the entire Northern Knights.

Since it was the end of autumn, there likely wouldn’t be too many animals active, but the excitement was high, given that the competition took place across the vast forest.

Because of this, most of the knights were either checking their weapons or had gone to bed early.

Ed, who didn’t need to sleep as early as the others, began wandering around, observing the lingering excitement of the event.

However, unlike before the tournament, when people seemed distant or indifferent, today they started striking up conversations as soon as their eyes met his.

Ed found this new situation both bewildering and heartwarming.

He finally felt like he was part of the northern castle, no longer just a stranger.

“Ed, why are you out here instead of sleeping?”

Before he knew it, he had reached the forest entrance, where the Grand Duke’s voice called out from somewhere.

Ed lifted the lamp in his hand and saw the Grand Duke standing at the beginning of the forest path.

“Your Grace.”

“The night wind is cold.”

The Grand Duke quickly approached and draped his coat over Ed, who, as usual, was about to decline the gesture.

Realizing that the Grand Duke would insist, Ed let his shoulders sag in resignation.

Seeing Ed’s subdued expression, the Grand Duke chuckled softly.

“It’s good you’ve given up resisting, Ed. Ronen is already asleep, I assume?”

“Yes, he fell asleep as soon as he lay down, exhausted from today.”

“And yet you, Ed, are still awake, even though you must be tired.”

“I just wanted to get some fresh air before heading back in.”

The Grand Duke nodded lightly.

“How was the tournament? Do you feel like a real member of the northern castle now?”

“Yes, I experienced and learned a lot. If I hadn’t worked alongside everyone, I’d probably still feel out of place.”

“No, even without this tournament, you would have eventually won over the people of the northern castle. You already have both Ronen’s and my hearts, after all.”

“Despite being just a servant, Your Grace always believes in and supports me.”

The Grand Duke chuckled softly.

“For a mere servant, you’re also Ronen’s friend and my healer, aren’t you?”

“Oh.”

“I think it’s remarkable how naturally you help people, Ed.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

“But sometimes, I wonder if that’s because you felt very lonely when you were young.”

The Grand Duke’s words, which seemed to gently cradle Ed’s old wounds, left him speechless.

Noticing this, the Grand Duke shifted the subject to lighten the mood.

“By the way, are your studies with the head butler going well?”

“If I said they were difficult, what would happen?”

“Well, I’d have a talk with the head butler myself.”

Ed let out a small laugh at the Grand Duke’s playful tone.

“It’s not too hard, but sometimes I wonder if gaining this knowledge will really benefit the northern castle.”

The Grand Duke, watching Ed gradually wilt, spoke with a mix of pride and quiet reassurance.

“Ed, this might sound a bit conceited, but the northern castle was perfect long before you arrived. No one expects you to be flawless from the start. Even if you made a huge mistake, they’d easily fix it.”

The Grand Duke’s words were filled with a subtle but unmistakable kindness.

“Thank you for saying that, Your Grace.”

“No matter what trouble you might cause with that small frame of yours, it won’t compare to the time I put holes in the castle walls with magic as a child.”

“…Did you really cause that kind of trouble, Your Grace?”

The Grand Duke smiled, glancing up at the sky.

“Yes. The people of the north raised someone like me and protected this land from monsters and imperial threats. Did the northern castle members seem like the type to shun or reject you over something trivial?”

After a moment’s reflection, Ed looked up at the Grand Duke with a bright smile.

“Listening to you, I feel my worries and fears were insignificant. I’m truly glad to have met Ronen and Your Grace.”

The next morning, the hunting tournament began.

Ed stayed behind in the tent, waiting for the knights to return.

The tournament lasted about half a day, with the Grand Duke participating alongside the knights.

Points were awarded based on the type and quantity of prey caught.

“Who do you think will catch the biggest prey?”

Ronen asked, sipping tea, as Jaynon set down some snacks on the table.

“Probably His Grace, as usual,” Jaynon replied.

“Has he always caught the largest prey?”

“Yes, last year, when the tournament was held on a different mountain, he even caught a massive bear.”

“Wow,” Ronen gasped, and Ed poured more warm tea into Ronen’s cup.

With the sun setting, the knights were beginning to return.

“Mount Garenda has lower peaks and no big animals like bears, but it does have a lot of quick, small creatures, so it’ll be fun in a different way.”

Ronen nodded at Jaynon’s explanation.

“I’m excited to see what kind of prey he’ll bring back.”

Not long after, the sound of a horn echoed through the air, signaling the end of the tournament.

Ronen jumped up at the sound.

“Master Ronen, let’s go together.”

Jaynon followed as Ronen rushed to see the Grand Duke, while Ed stayed back to tidy up the tent, wanting everything to be in order for the Grand Duke’s return.

“Hey, Ed!”

Ed was about to head toward Ronen’s direction when a knight, moving a wagon full of supplies, called out to him.

“Yes?”

Approaching the knight, Ed saw the cart loaded with hares and birds.

“Are these all His Grace’s catches?” he asked.

“A lot, right? He seems to get better every year.”

When Ed smiled faintly, the knights gestured to him.

“Hold out your hands, Ed.”

“My hands?”

Confused, Ed held them out, and the knights each placed colorful bird feathers, small red berries, and mushrooms into his hands.

Although individually small, together they formed a bundle large enough that Ed had to use both hands to hold it all.

“What is all this…?” he asked, trailing off in confusion.

The knights exchanged looks, then shrugged lightly.

“Nothing special. Just think of it as a token of our affection.”

“Since you worked hard during the martial arts tournament, this is to help you replenish your stamina. It’s not a poisonous mushroom, so try boiling it in water. It should taste mild and quite good.”

“The new feather—I happened to pick it up when I went to retrieve the bird that His Highness the Grand Duke had caught. I thought it looked pretty and would make a nice pen, so I brought it for you. I don’t use pens often, but you write a lot, Ed.”

Ed glanced back and forth between his hands and the knights before bowing his head slightly in thanks.

“Thank you very much.”

The knights chuckled quietly, lightly patting Ed on the shoulder before pulling the cart of supplies away.

---

Bwoo, bwoo.

As the arena quieted down, the conch horn signaling the end of the martial arts tournament echoed through the air.

“It’s a shame that the tournament is over.”

“I know, right? It’s rare to see His Highness the Grand Duke in person. Oh, wait, we don’t have time to be standing around like this. If we don’t hurry, we won’t even have seats left!”

Once the crowd had mostly settled, the Grand Duke ascended the platform, sweeping his gaze over the audience before speaking.

“I’m pleased we managed to finish the tournament without any serious incidents this year. We had quite a few challenges, especially due to the rain the day before….”

At that moment, a tremor shook the ground beneath their feet, causing everyone’s vision to blur.

The Grand Duke quickly scanned his surroundings and shouted.

“An earthquake! Everyone, get down and protect your head and neck!”

As soon as he spoke, people dropped to the ground and shielded themselves.

Ed also bent down and looked around for Ronen, who was being protected by Irtel, before lowering his head once more.

Simultaneously, a faint humming sound resonated in his ears, and a wide, blue protective barrier appeared. It was the Grand Duke’s power.

Although the ground continued to tremble, the barrier shielded everyone from falling debris.

Boom!

A tremendous impact resounded from above, as if something massive had come crashing down.

Ed’s body tensed as he saw the landslide triggered by the earthquake hurling dirt and rocks onto the protective shield.

Fortunately, the barrier absorbed the impact, but Ed couldn’t help worrying about the Grand Duke, who had taken the full force of the shock. He quickly glanced at the platform.

Sure enough, the Grand Duke was bleeding from the corner of his mouth, clearly affected by the strain.

* * *