WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Ceaseless
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Northern Grand Duke’s Mad Son-in-Law ◈
Chapter 103: Touch Me
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The cave was thick with filthy dampness. The disgusting, fishy stench unique to Demonkin assailed Galahad’s nose.
It looked like a cave leading to hell.
‘Lowest-ranking Demonkin.’
Galahad had tasted quite a bit of Demonkin blood. Galahad could estimate their rank with a single taste. The blood splashed around here definitely belonged to lowest-ranking Demonkin.
“They’re coming.”
Adrianna’s voice broke through Galahad’s thoughts.
Pure white aura surged violently. The surrounding mana vanished in an instant.
It was a mana eraser.
Galahad felt an instinctive revulsion. As a mage, it could not be helped. The moment it touched Galahad, it would be over.
‘It’s grown stronger.’
Galahad narrowed their eyes and took a step forward instead. The revulsion surged fiercely, but Galahad ignored it.
Adrianna’s aura seemed more subdued than before.
‘Has she already adapted to it?’
The nature of Adrianna’s aura was influenced by her opponent’s strength.
It had not been long since she faced the Ruler of the Demon Realm, when her power had run wild. Yet she could already control it so freely.
‘She truly is a genius.’
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The Egg of Pain pounded fiercely behind Adrianna’s head.
Perhaps because it had consumed high-ranking Demonkin blood, the Egg of Pain was full of vigor. It urged Galahad to strike the unsuspecting Adrianna in the back of the head. Galahad casually ignored it.
The rumbling ahead revealed its source. Demonkin and Monsters came charging toward them, crushing one another in their frenzy.
There were quite a lot of them.
Pure white aura rose from Adrianna’s sword.
Aura was conviction. That was why aura could not lie or be feigned.
Yet her aura was so flawlessly white.
‘Noble.’
Galahad was sincerely impressed.
Adrianna swung her sword. The pure white aura drew a line through the air.
A clean, white line.
Shiver.
Galahad’s instincts screamed. The moment it touched Galahad, it would be over. That much was instinctively clear.
The charging Demonkin and Monsters turned to dust the instant they touched it. There were no screams. They simply became dust and scattered.
Once the pure white aura faded, all that remained was a great pile of dust.
Even if they were lower-ranking Demonkin, turning them to dust with one sword swing...
‘Hm.’
Galahad rubbed their neck for no reason.
Thump...
The Egg of Pain fell quiet.
“Are you all right?”
Adrianna asked, looking back. There was not even the slightest trace of fatigue on her face, as though this was nothing.
“Have I ever told you that you are more beautiful than anyone?”
“Yes, you have.”
Adrianna gave a small nod and looked forward again.
“We’ll continue.”
Her back was remarkably reassuring.
They walked a little farther. When the Demonkin became scarce, Adrianna cautiously spoke.
“...What was the place you used to work like? Ah, it is all right if that is difficult to answer.”
Galahad gave a low chuckle at Adrianna’s cautious manner.
“It was an exploitative workplace. There were few days off, and with no honor in it, there was no sense of fulfillment either. The salary was quite high, though.”
“It was a bad place.”
“That’s right. A truly awful place.”
Galahad quietly nodded. The Intelligence Bureau certainly was not a good workplace.
Only a madman who intended to marry the Empire could endure it well enough.
“Why did you work at such a place?”
“It was the best option.”
At the subdued note in Galahad’s voice, Adrianna looked back. As always, Galahad wore a relaxed smile and waved a hand.
“The best option...?”
“A mage’s future after graduating from the Academy is dazzlingly promising, yet miserable at the same time. Most join the Magic Tower and spend their days fiddling with magical devices.”
Galahad put a cigarette between their lips.
Joining the Magic Tower had been an option. However, the current Magic Tower was little different from a factory. Their main business was magical devices.
“I didn’t want to become someone who sat in a gloomy room fiddling with long rods. Besides, the Magic Tower wasn’t enough for me.”
“What do you mean, not enough?”
“Because I have to stop the Demon King.”
Adrianna turned to Galahad. Her blue eyes remained clear even in the darkness.
“Ah, I looked into that. The members of my unit usually nod at anything I say, but they turned serious and shook their heads. It is certain that some being is involved with the concept.”
Adrianna answered seriously. Being able to talk about the Demon King felt strange to Galahad.
“That fierce refusal is proof. Unless someone has suppressed the concept, they could not react that way.”
Galahad’s voice rose on its own. Adrianna flinched at that.
“An authority that affects the entire continent... Then what about the people on the island at the southernmost edge? This is quite fascinating.”
Galahad’s words poured out quickly. The questions Galahad had harbored until now burst forth. Adrianna quietly listened to Galahad’s excited words.
“It seems our honeymoon should be in the south.”
Adrianna shook her sword.
“Could it not be someone other than the Demon King who erased the concept?”
“Are you saying someone else is sealing the concept of the Demon King?”
“Yes. Aura is the power of conviction. The Demon King may gain power from the concept in a form similar to aura.”
The Demon King gained power from the concept, so someone had sealed the concept itself. It was a fairly plausible theory.
It was worth considering, but it changed nothing.
The Demon King would appear someday and bring a terrible end.
“Either way, we must prepare for the Demon King.”
“Yes. How?”
“We must make the north strong. Build stronger walls and drive out the Demonkin. But most important of all...”
Everything else was secondary.
The most important thing in facing the Demon King was...
“You.”
Galahad quietly pointed at Adrianna.
“...Me?”
Adrianna’s face stiffened.
“The stronger your opponent, the more intensely you burn. Even if that opponent is the Demon King...”
Adrianna stared at the finger pointing at her. It was long and covered in calluses.
“You will blaze. Brightly.”
At Adrianna’s fierce glare, Galahad realized the words had been poorly chosen.
“It’s a metaphor. Anyway, the Magic Tower was not the place to catch the Demon King. So while I was considering my options, I received contact.”
Adrianna answered by swinging her sword. A snake-shaped Monster with long fangs scattered into dust.
[It seems Adrianna still doesn’t know what you do?]
First’s voice echoed in Galahad’s mind. After briefly considering it, Galahad scattered mana around them.
There was no way the Inspectorate’s reach extended this far, but there was no harm in being careful. Once Galahad had confirmed no one was there, Galahad spoke.
“I am an Intelligence Bureau agent.”
Adrianna’s movements came to an abrupt stop. Dust swirled heavily.
Adrianna slowly turned her head. What appeared on her face was...
“...What is the Intelligence Bureau?”
A touch of embarrassment.
Galahad let out a low groan. The Intelligence Bureau was a secret organization, but its existence was widely known in certain circles.
‘Then again, this is the north.’
Galahad nodded.
“The Intelligence Bureau is a secret agency directly under the imperial family. Its main purpose is gathering information, but it handles anything related to the Empire.”
“...I see.”
Adrianna nodded.
Galahad knew well of the north’s hostility toward the Empire. Galahad expected her to show even a little resentment, but Adrianna nodded without protest.
“You were not a thief. That is a relief.”
Adrianna even sighed softly in relief.
“A thief? Why would a thief come up?”
“It is nothing.”
Adrianna looked forward with a stern expression.
Galahad considered the possibility Adrianna had mentioned. Someone else had sealed the concept of the Demon King.
“Was this marriage also a mission?”
Adrianna asked without looking back.
Galahad narrowed their eyes at the sudden question.
There had been no written assignment. All Galahad had received was the Deputy Director’s verbal order to marry the Northern Grand Duke’s daughter.
Galahad was the Deputy Director’s most useful card. The fact that the Deputy Director had given that order meant every other option had already been tried.
In any event, it was an order.
However, a mission issued verbally left no record. So it would not matter if Galahad denied it, but...
“Yes.”
Galahad nodded.
Because Galahad knew that lies always demanded their price.
Adrianna’s aura surged roughly. The cave seemed white.
Galahad gave a small cough and continued.
“To be precise, I was meant to die in the north. To serve as the Empire’s pretext for advancing into the north. Was I not precisely the combination the north hated most? An imperial noble and a mage.”
Adrianna’s head snapped around. Her eyes were sharp.
“It is wrong to use someone’s life as a pretext.”
It was an entirely correct statement. Galahad smiled bitterly.
“I do not usually enjoy missions. Those who enjoy them are bound to make mistakes. My principle is to exclude emotion.”
They had already dealt with the Demonkin, but Adrianna looked forward again.
“...What would happen if I did not marry you?”
If the marriage failed, it would mean Galahad had been driven out of the north as well. The Intelligence Bureau would likely send someone to clean up the loose end. Galahad was only useful if dead.
No matter how capable Galahad was, Galahad could not face the entire Intelligence Bureau.
Galahad would most likely die. Even surviving would not let Galahad stop the Demon King.
A broken engagement meant death.
If Galahad answered honestly, marrying Adrianna would become easier.
Her character was upright.
Still, such pathetic behavior was not to Galahad’s taste.
“I would return to being an agent.”
It was not a lie. Galahad would remain an agent until retirement.
“Ah, that is a relief.”
Adrianna sighed deeply in relief. Galahad frowned at that.
“However, it will not come to that. My mission success rate approaches one hundred percent. You will marry me.”
Adrianna’s eyebrows twitched at Galahad’s voice, brimming with certainty.
Then Monsters poured out from ahead. Squish, squish. Their unpleasant footsteps filled the small cave as dreadful creatures flooded in.
“Stay behind me.”
Adrianna spoke briefly and stepped forward.
“Very well.”
Adrianna’s eyebrows twitched as Galahad immediately hid behind her without protest.
No matter what, how could Galahad hide so boldly?
“Your back is beautiful too.”
Adrianna could not hold back a laugh at Galahad’s shameless whisper.
* * *
“An eraser.”
Galahad muttered softly while watching Adrianna’s back.
She had killed quite a number of Demonkin, yet her pure white aura did not fade. Instead, it blazed even more brilliantly. Demonkin were fuel to her.
The more Demonkin gathered, the stronger she became. Though they poured forth endlessly, her steps did not stop for even a moment.
It was not simply a matter of martial strength. No matter how formidable a person was, they were still human.
Fighting countless monsters in a dark cave covered in blood from every direction was inevitably mentally exhausting.
Yet Adrianna never retreated. She only advanced.
‘A hero.’
She had the bearing of a hero from legend. She truly was the sword that would pierce the Demon King.
How far had they gone? A completely unexpected sight greeted them.
“This...”
Adrianna’s eyebrows drew tightly together. Her typically indifferent voice shook greatly.
Galahad had several questions.
Even if they created pathways with Demonkin blood, it would not be enough to shake the entire north. Moreover, Adrianna could solve the problem by erasing the blood from the pathways.
Galahad could not understand why they had used the Ruler over something so minor. Galahad did not know what kind of organization Dawn was, but the Ruler, a high-ranking Demonkin, would not be a common asset. The cost did not add up.
The answer to that question lay at the end of the passage.
‘So this was why.’
What they found at the end was countless branching tunnels.
‘There was not just one tunnel.’
Galahad examined a nearby hole. It was only large enough for a fist to fit inside. It too was filled with blood.
‘Monsters, then. Did they use small Monsters?’
The cost had seemed strange, but they had used a trick like this.
Galahad’s eyes narrowed. This was not a structure that could have been made in a day or two.
“What do we do now?”
Adrianna asked urgently. Her indifferent expression had cracked slightly.
“Stay calm. Excitement is a poison that slows the mind.”
“...Yes.”
Adrianna slowly nodded. Galahad looked around.
“An anthill. They certainly put effort into it.”
To erase the pathways coated in Demonkin blood, Adrianna would have to erase them herself. There were simply too many.
Then Adrianna gripped her sword tightly.
“Even if we physically collapse the tunnels, the Demonkin blood will remain, and the mana pathways will stay connected. The north’s mana concentration will inevitably rise. This is why they said it could not be stopped.”
At Galahad’s calm explanation, Adrianna drew a short breath.
“Did you not say that Demonkin grow stronger when the north’s mana concentration rises?”
The north was barely maintaining the front line as it was. If the Demonkin grew stronger here, the balance would certainly collapse.
Adrianna could not help becoming anxious.
“Yes. At this level, it will become like the Demonkin Territory.”
Adrianna’s heart sank.
The entire north becoming Demonkin Territory. It was a hopeless prospect.
She wondered why Galahad could speak so calmly about something so serious.
“If the north becomes Demonkin Territory, we will not be able to endure it.”
“I know. The north will become Demonkin Territory as it is. We will probably be forced to retreat as far as the walls built facing the Empire. About two castles would remain.”
Adrianna bit her lip hard at Galahad’s words.
“I will stop it. First...”
“This is not something you can solve.”
“Then what should we do?”
Galahad had always found an answer, no matter the circumstances. Galahad surely had a method.
Then Galahad spoke.
“Now, mana flows from areas of low concentration to areas of high concentration.”
“I know that.”
“No, you do not understand it. Otherwise, you would have thought of the answer immediately.”
Adrianna’s eyebrows furrowed at Galahad’s criticism.
What did mana flowing from low concentration to high concentration have to do with this?
“My, you truly are Gilbert.”
“How can you say something so cruel?”
“Let me explain again. Mana flows from areas of low concentration to areas of high concentration. Then what must we do to stop mana from flowing?”
Galahad curled a finger, as though the question were truly fascinating.
Adrianna pressed her lips together.
“The answer is simple. We make an area with an even higher concentration.”
Adrianna considered Galahad’s casual answer.
‘That is right. Mana flows from low concentration to high concentration. To stop it, we make somewhere with an even higher mana concentration...’
As she quietly admired the answer, a question suddenly came to her.
‘Had Galahad not said this place was as dense as the Demonkin Territory? Then, for it to be denser than the Demonkin Territory...’
“...Are you going to create a Demon Realm?!”
Adrianna’s voice rose on its own. Galahad shook their head.
‘As expected...’
Even Galahad would not create a Demon Realm just to avoid Demonkin Territory.
“Who would that benefit, creating a Demon Realm?”
Galahad smiled and shook the canteen.
The problem was the pathways made of Demonkin blood.
The Demonkin blood would cause mana to flow and raise the north’s mana concentration.
However, Demonkin blood was not a problem for Galahad. It was instead a useful tool.
‘It’s fortunate I went hunting with the Grand Duke.’
Galahad muttered jokingly while examining the canteen.
Galahad had three canteens of high-ranking Demonkin blood. There was enough.
There were just a few minor problems.
First, Galahad was not in very good condition. Second, high-ranking Demonkin blood was extremely potent. When those two factors mixed, it became quite a large problem.
‘After only six sips, I am already like this.’
The Egg of Pain continued pounding violently. The sound was so loud it rang in Galahad’s ears.
If Galahad drank two more bottles of high-ranking Demonkin blood here, the Egg of Pain might go wild.
Galahad needed a solution for that.
Fortunately, the solution was right in front of Galahad.
“Adrianna.”
Unlike usual, there was no ease at all in Galahad’s voice.
Adrianna sensed that something was wrong.
The north could collapse at any moment.
Even Galahad surely could not resolve this situation lightly.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Yes. Anything.”
At Galahad’s serious expression, Adrianna nodded firmly.
Then Galahad slowly began to speak.
“If I begin acting strangely...”
Acting strangely? Galahad was clearly about to do something.
Adrianna bit her lip and waited for Galahad to continue.
“Please touch here.”
The place Galahad pointed to was Galahad’s left chest.
“With your bare hand.”
Adrianna’s eyebrows trembled violently.
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