Chapter 96: The Great Bear of the North 1
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
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The Northern Duke.
It's a character archetype commonly seen in fantasy novels, literally referring to the Duke of the northern part of a Kingdom.
Given that the North is often depicted as cold and barren, the Northern Duke typically carries a strong and harsh image, befitting the ruler of such a land.
Heroes Chronicles North seems to resemble Russia if it were reimagined in a fantasy setting.
Snow-covered mountains and a barren tundra landscape.
It seems fitting then for there to be a Northern Duke reminiscent of a polar bear.
'Was there a Northern Duke in our kingdom?'
The problem, however, lies with the existence of the Northern Duke himself.
I've never heard of a Northern Duke, not even when I visited the north recently at Kaiden's request, nor while listening to the gossip of the ladies.
Of course, it's natural for parts of the kingdom to be ruled by a noble, but I've never heard of such a person being referred to as the Northern Duke.
A 2-meter tall muscular giant with silver hair, full of scars - isn't that the perfect gossip material for the ladies of high-society?
"I came to the forest for a bit of recuperation and ended up losing my way... could you possibly guide me out? I left my troublesome servants behind for a walk. If you find it suspicious, feel free to call for the Knights as soon as we leave the forest."
"Um, sorry, but we're in the middle of exploring the forest. We likely won't be heading out until sunset.
While I was lost in thought, Kaiden, who had stealthily moved ahead, rejected the request.
Her stiffened face, trembling eyes, and visibly clenched jaw clearly conveyed,
'There is a hidden story here.'
"You can continue exploring the forest. I'm just a bit directionally challenged, so I won't be a bother and just quietly follow along."
"We're not in deep, we'll go call your servants."
Heh, I cant possibly inconvenience adventurers who are on a request for the Knights Division.
What followed was an uneasy back-and-forth between the persistent Northern Duke and Kaiden, who was trying her best to get rid of him.
The group watched in astonishment, especially at the usually stoic Kaiden, who was almost rudely pushing back against the Duke.
"Um, Kaiden? I think it would be best if he stayed with us, at least to verify his identity. If he truly is lost, it's right to help, and if not, we've discovered an intruder."
The one to mediate this verbal tug of war was Irene.
As she carefully voiced her opinion, both the Northern Duke and Kaiden naturally fell silent.
In response to Irene's suggestion to travel together, the Northern Duke grinned, while Kaiden visibly scowled.
The unexpected response left Irene, who had proposed the truce, somewhat taken aback.
Haha, as expected of a nun. I'm grateful for your kindness.
Ah, yes. That's right... I think.
And so, the Northern Duke, who emerged from the forest like a bear, joined our party.
Leading the way with her staff was Han Se-ah, and beside her was Grace, scanning for orcs.
I was escorting the two of them.
A bit behind were Irene, who was carefully observing her surroundings, and Kaiden, her escort.
Clinging close to Kaiden was the Northern Duke.
Considering the narrowness of the forest path, it would make sense for that man to be at the back.
However, his approach was blatantly obvious, anyone could tell he was interested in Kaiden.
After all, it was hard to miss a towering man of 2 meters adjusting his pace to match hers.
"...Do you have something to say?"
The sword hanging at your waist looks quite unique. It's longer than a typical one-handed sword. Do you practice a special sword technique?
"Yes."
While Grace was busily detecting orcs, Han Se-ah, directing the camera drone to the back, was intently observing the interactions between Kaiden and the Northern Duke.
Thanks to that, I could also see through Han Se-ah's stream what was happening behind us.
The Northern Duke trying to continue the conversation through various trivial topics, ranging from the sword hanging on Kaiden's waist to the armor she wore.
Kaiden, on the other hand, was curt, answering in monosyllables and effectively cutting off any attempt at conversation.
Caught between their awkward exchange, Irene fidgeted uncomfortably.
"That man's the Northern Duke, and if Kaiden is... So, they're father and son? Wait, she's cross-dressing. So, they're father and daughter? It's clearly a side quest, but it feels like a character quest. Anyway, if the father is a 5 and the daughter is a 4, would you call that a star spoon*?"
-Forgetting that your companion is a cross-dressing woman, aiiiiiii, you're really something...
-He's the Northern Duke, but why isn't he wearing a thick furry coat?
-Anyone roaming in a fur coat in this weather would be deemed mad and be handed over to the Knights Division.
-He sounds like a dad trying too hard to connect with his teenage daughter.
-Considering his age, it might actually be a midlife crisis, lol.
Information that would be unknowable without the system window was now being speculated on by Han Se-ah and her viewers, thanks to the titles Northern Duke and Sword Princess.
With a high-ranking official who's supposed to be in charge of the North appearing out of the blue, things are making more sense.
And because she was in the kitchen, Han Se-ah and her viewers missed James' story.
She's a high-ranking noblewoman, hiding through cross-dressing, and now most likely this unknown high-ranked Duke issued an order to the Knights Division
When all these pieces of information are combined, the only logical conclusion is clear: Kaiden is the daughter of the Northern Duke, and the Duke himself has come in person, pretending its mere coincidence, in order to approach his runaway daughter.
"So, as an adventurer, what kind of tasks do you usually take on?
"I hunt monsters in the tower."
Kaiden, who has only recently evolved from a mere mercenary to an intermediate-level adventurer, was now bluntly speaking to an aristocrat capable of entering the blessed forest.
That brusque and curt manner of speaking could only be directed at someone she knew well, likely her own father.
Wait, does this mean she's not the successor of a fallen noble family, but rather just a runaway girl?
I had pictured her as a determined noble struggling to revive her fallen house from the ground up, but it turns out she's just a shy runaway noble girl.
My image of her has changed so much, it's quite startling.
"So, she dressed up as a guy to avoid her father? But then got discovered and so he came to our party trying to bring her back? Our noble lady seems more clumsy than I thought. I assumed her to be cold, curt, and sharp-witted."
-Her hidden secret is that she ran away? LOL
-Running away in men's clothes vs Pretends to be lost to find runaway daughter
-This isn't a Northern Duke aaaaaargh!
-The 'spoiled runaway' trope is funny.
-So, it's not an 'Orc finding quest' but a 'find the runaway daughter' quest?
Due to the interactions between the Northern Duke and Kaiden, viewers are starting to buy into the theory that Kaiden is a runaway girl.
However she does have the title of 'Sword Princess' and her damaged magical armor, so there's definitely a backstory there.
Still, the combination of 'cross-dressing runaway girl' is more than enough to make people laugh.
In the viewers' minds, the image of an overprotective Northern Duke and his naive runaway daughter, Kaiden, has been firmly established.
I can't really argue against that perspective.
If she wasn't the daughter of the Northern Duke but of some other house, there would be no reason for him to come to see her personally.
The fact that all the repair materials for the magical armor are from the northern area further proves it's likely armor from a northern noble family.
Unaware of the gaze from Han Se-ah, myself, and tens of thousands of viewers, the two, father and daughter, continue their bickering.
"Do you have any dreams or aspirations as an adventurer?"
"I will climb the tower."
"Hmm, climbing the tower... So you want to leave your mark in history as an adventurer? That's indeed an ambitious dream."
With an unyielding spirit, the Northern Duke continued to converse with his daughter, Kaiden, who barely responded with more than five words.
Stuck between them is Irene, clearly uncomfortable.
Even Grace, from the background, seemed to be subtly shifting her attention towards their exchange.
To Irene and Grace, it might look as though Kaiden was being rude to an aristocrat they'd just met.
"We should end our exploration for today and start heading out of the forest. We need to guide the gentleman out as well."
"Indeed. Rushing won't get us anywhere."
Perhaps feeling sorry for Irene, Han Se-ah suggests that they wrap up their exploration for the day.
At her words, Irene, stuck between the squabbling parent and child, enthusiastically nods.
Even while moving through the forest, steering slightly to run parallel to the path we had just taken, the father and daughter's conversation doesn't cease, covering swords, armors, our party, the city of adventurers, the tower, the guild, quests, and even accommodations.
'I have to say, he really talks a lot.'
To anyone watching, it was the unmistakable sight of a doting father.
We continued our peaceful journey through the forest when the rustling in the bushes began once more.
The footstep sounds alone confirmed at least three people, heavy in weight, were approaching us.
Grace was the first to notice, and I quickly followed.
Almost simultaneously, members of our group began to stop in their tracks.
Tensions rose among them, wondering if orcs would appear this time.
Yet, there was the Northern Duke, looking rather sheepish amidst our group.
As the sound got closer, there were audible clinks of metal.
While the rest of our group remained tense, not catching on, I relaxed and lowered my shield.
"What's the matter, Roland?"
"The footsteps aren't those of orcs. It's the sound of knights, properly clad in boots and even spurs."
As if to prove my words, three heavily armored knights, their faces concealed by helmets, emerged from the bushes.
"Why on earth... We were told you'd stepped out for a bit! Why are you all the way here?"
"Ahaha! Sorry."
"This isn't something you can just laugh off!"
To be precise, it was two heavily armored knights and one beautiful silver-haired female knight.
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