Two Winters Later
In a large courtyard, two 8-year-old children fought with wooden swords.
A man with a fierce gaze, wearing a military uniform and impeccable posture, declared, "Enough, that's sufficient," showing that he was already accustomed to this manner.
"Damn it, if Ulric hadn't interfered, I would have beaten you, Noah," protested Arthur, exhausted from the fight, struggling to speak while lying on the ground.
"You should be grateful for Ulric's interference; otherwise, you'd be on the ground beneath my feet," said Noah, although his condition was like Arthur's, contradicting his words.
Meanwhile, since beginning the fight, two girls had been watching: a blonde girl with blue eyes and a disinterested expression, and a girl who remained motionless like a statue with her black hair and dark eyes that resembled an abyss, with purple pupils and a neutral expression that made it difficult to know what was going through her head.
These were Alice, Arthur's sister, and Aurora, Noah's sister.
The moment the duel ended, Aurora grabbed a towel and a cup with a pitcher of water and went toward Noah.
Noah accepted his sister's kindness with a big smile. "I felt life returning to my body with each gulp," he commented, drinking as if he were someone who had just found an oasis in the middle of the desert.
While he drank, he couldn't help but notice his sister's gaze, as if she were asking for something in return.
Without hesitation, he placed his hand on his sister's head, stroking her black hair with affection.
Arthur, still sprawled on the ground, looked toward his sister. "Why can't you be like Aurora and bring a glass of water to your dear brother?"
"You can keep dreaming that a gracious lady like me would approach you with that disgusting smell of sweat, and if you want some, you can go get it yourself," she said with a sarcastic tone and a malicious smile.
Feeling sorry for his brother, he went toward him. "Want a hand there?" he extended his hand with a playful gleam in his eyes.
Arthur accepted the help and took his hand to get up. "I'll accept, but don't let this go to your head. If that duel had continued, you would have seen the powerful sword of the North," said Arthur with a proud expression.
Noah, taking advantage of his situation with a relaxed expression, joked about the situation. "Ah, the famous sword of the North! And here I thought you were testing the ground's resistance with your face."
The two stared at each other for a tense moment before they laughed together.
Looking back, it's impressive how we went from arch-enemies to friends, Noah reflected while watching Arthur compose himself.
When I came to this world, my goal had always been to live like a good procrastinator with a clingy and loyal companion.
And for the sake of that goal, I had to make an effort. When I started magic classes at age 6, I had to be with my other siblings, which usually led to fights on their part.
But these were things too trivial for an adult like me to care about, so I thought about what the main reasons for this hatred could be.
I concluded that the problem was the duchess, who kept poisoning these children's minds because she wanted her son to be the heir. This only got worse when she discovered mine and Aurora's talent rankings.
Although mine is only one rank above Arthur's, Aurora's is extremely high. Since the duchy values strength above all else, the chance that Arthur wouldn't be the heir because of me was much higher, increasing her harassment toward us.
At these times, my master's knowledge came to mind. If I used his techniques on the duchess, not to make her fall in love or anything like that, but to please her in a way that would make her think I was an adorable child.
Twice a week without fail, Noah sent small gifts to his stepmother: a crown of wildflowers picked personally, an elegant poem transcribed in his best handwriting, or a sweet from the kitchen that he knew was her favorite. Progress was minimal during the first year, but as his master always said: "The patient man is unbeatable."
So, despite the insults, I continued trying for the sake of my peace in this place. Since she was a woman who lacked affection and praise from living in a realm that was rarely visited by nobles... I changed my strategy and took all the poems my master made me memorize for emergency cases, and wrote them for her. Over time, she became more accustomed to my presence.
The moment I declared that I had no desire whatsoever to be the heir and that my sister didn't either, to her surprise, the Duchess began to treat them with growing affection, eventually referring to us as "children" and inviting them to her exclusive tea parties.
At the same time, Arthur and I developed a healthy rivalry and considered ourselves great friends. Alice also invites me to her parties, which Arthur and I always find a way to escape from.
My relationship with her is what we could call normal. Initially, she was mocking and materialistic, concerned only with luxuries and appearances. Although these traits persisted, her antipathy had considerably diminished. She reminds me of the term "tsundere," Noah thought with amusement, apparently unbearable on the outside but gentle on the inside.
Returning to the present time, I see Ulric coming in our direction.
"Consider today's training concluded," he said, stroking his beard. "However, I can't help but say that you leave much to be desired, especially you, Noah." The moment he said this, he turned his gaze to Noah. "Just because you gave up being the heir doesn't mean you can skip training to go wandering around."
"Sorry, I promise from now on to dedicate myself body and soul," he said, placing his hand over his mouth to prevent a yawn.
Ulric, knowing the character and having heard this phrase several times, gave up trying to convince him and simply snorted.
"And Arthur, your combat style is too aggressive, and you let yourself be guided only by instinct. It can be a great ally if used correctly; try to use your head too, not just your heart."
Arthur nodded slightly, showing respect for the advice.
Ulric couldn't help but think that Noah could be like his brother.
"Noah, later I want 100 push-ups," said Ulric with his sharp gaze.
Noah didn't complain because he knew he was being "gentle."
"Well, moving on to what matters, you all know that the North always has a hunting event. Unfortunately, because of those damned cursed beasts, we had to postpone this tradition several times."
"However, with the decrease in beasts, the events proceeded normally, and for you, who are the future of the duchy, this is not simply an event but a test to see if you are worthy of carrying the duchy's name."
"This is what I needed. Noah, get ready; I will demonstrate my skills in this event," he said, hitting his chest to show confidence.
Noah enthusiastically responds, "I won't go easy on you, Arthur," shaking his brother's hand and staring at him.
Meanwhile, Aurora just watched the handshake silently.
Ulric, watching the children's excitement, couldn't help but think, "What is Maximus planning?"
A few days passed until the long-awaited hunting event.
Finally, the long-awaited hunting event arrived.
Noah and Aurora observed the beauty of the forest from their cabins while drinking a cup of hot milk.
Until they heard the sounds of horses arriving, and in front they could see a man with a cold and implacable face—the Grand Duke of the North.
At that moment, all the noble children formed a line as the Duke approached. Arthur kept his shoulders straight, trying to project confidence, but his shoulders still showed a hint of nervousness.
Noah, even having the mind of an adult, couldn't remain calm in the face of the aura that the duke radiated.
Aurora, however, remained motionless, her purple eyes fixed on the Grand Duke as if studying every detail of his presence.
Maximus dismounted from his horse and then strolled toward the children.
Silence settled in, whether from fear of the Duke or trying to make a good impression—no child spoke.
"Young heirs of the North."
"Today, you will prove your worth to the Duchy. As you know, unlike other regions where eloquence, charisma, and flowery words are a sign of value, here in the North, the only thing we value is strength. When facing beasts and monsters, the only thing that can save you is your strength. Before beginning the hunt, Ulric will explain the rules," said the Duke before leaving.
"Thank you, Your Excellency. As the Duke said, strength is essential in the North, so the rules are according to this principle. Whoever brings the strongest animal or beast will earn an equivalent score, and to prove that you killed it, just bring a part of the animal, preferably the head."
"You have all received a map, and since most of you are children, I will send my guards to support you in life-or-death situations."
"Without further delay."
With a voice carrying both a blessing and an ominous warning, Ulric said:
"Let the hunt begin."