The Northern Grand Duke's Mad Son-in-Law - Chapter 24

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Ceaseless

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Northern Grand Duke’s Mad Son-in-Law ◈

Chapter 24: Expensive Commission

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“Just try drinking it once.”

The man held out a glass bottle. Dark crimson blood sloshed inside.

A dark mage who had drunk Demonkin and Monster blood...

‘Crazy... It’s real. That’s the real thing.’

The man’s calm voice sent goosebumps down Shern’s arms.

The infamy of Demonkin blood was well known within the Dark Magic Society.

Ten dark mages had supposedly drunk Demonkin blood. Eight died, one went mad, and the remaining one vanished without a trace.

Yet this man was casually offering them Demonkin blood.

“Why aren’t you drinking it? Is there anything more efficient than experiencing it firsthand?”

The man was actually scolding them.

“Uh... If it’s not truly dangerous, please let me try it once!”

Parntal shouted in a trembling voice.

A flicker of longing showed through Parntal’s terrified expression.

‘Crazy Parntal!’

Shern let out a quiet cry.

“There isn’t much. Can I drink it?”

The man shook the glass bottle as he spoke, as though asking permission to drink something precious.

Faced with that chilling disconnect, Shern and Parntal could only nod.

“Good. Ah, do either of you have candy?”

“...Candy?”

“Anything sweet.”

Shern, who loved sweets, took out several pieces of candy and nearly tossed them at the man.

“Thank you. This stuff tastes awful.”

The man poured the Monster blood from the glass into his mouth without hesitation.

“...He really drank it.”

Shern let out a stunned groan as Shern watched the man swallow it.

The man calmly popped a piece of candy into his mouth.

The man had gulped down Monster blood like liquor, then eaten candy because it was bitter...

It felt as though everything Shern knew had been overturned.

“This calculation is wrong. The mana concentration is slightly lower. If we put it into a formula... Hey, are you listening?”

“...Yes? Yes!”

“Lower the concentration a little more. And the calculation itself is nonsense from the start. There’s no standard. No standard at all.”

The man had immediately found a flaw in their calculation.

‘Could the Monster blood have gone bad?’

Perhaps thinking the same thing, Parntal picked up a glass bottle.

It contained the same Monster blood the man had just drunk.

“Uh... Are you really all right?”

“It hurts a little, but you’ll be fine if you keep your wits about you.”

After hesitating for a long time, Parntal swallowed the Monster blood in one gulp.

“Hmm, it’ll be rough if you drink it all at once. Still, you’ve got spirit. You must be young.”

“You should’ve said that before...”

Parntal stopped speaking.

Parntal’s eyes widened as though they would split apart. Bloodshot veins filled them, and tears streamed down Parntal’s face. Unable to breathe, Parntal could only make strangled sounds.

“Ah, you’re fine. It may feel as if every blood vessel in your body is burning, but that’s just an illusion. It’s only pain. Focus. Suppress the mana.”

“Ghk...”

Parntal trembled violently, making choking sounds. Veins bulged across Parntal’s face as Parntal rose onto their toes.

It was so horrifying that Shern could not imagine the pain Parntal was suffering.

“You’ll be fine. It’s not even Demonkin blood, it’s Monster blood. And it’s been sitting around for quite a while. Why are you making such a fuss?”

‘Making a fuss?’

Parntal was standing on their toes and shaking all over. There was no way Parntal was pretending.

“The method is simple. Imagine that your mana is in your heart. Picture yourself pressing down on it. It’s similar to the feeling of taking a full breath. Follow along. Hoo... ha... hoo... ha... Do it properly. Do you want to die?”

Around then, Parntal’s head snapped back. A grotesque sound came from twisting bones. Parntal’s skin rose as though the bones were being pulled out.

“Hmm, this won’t do. I’ll help you this once.”

The man placed a hand over Parntal’s heart. Veins bulged across the man’s hand, and Parntal’s breathing quickly stabilized.

Parntal collapsed where they stood. Shern hurriedly supported Parntal.

“Parntal! Are you okay? Are you conscious?”

It took some time for Parntal to regain their senses.

The man was reading Parntal’s research report.

“...That’s right. The coefficient was too high. The error range was chosen incorrectly.”

As soon as Parntal came to, Parntal began talking about the research. At Parntal’s urging, Shern examined the report.

‘If we change the coefficient... He’s right.’

A problem that had plagued them for so long was solved in an instant.

The man had been telling the truth.

“This.”

The man pointed to Parntal’s research report.

Parntal desperately rose to their feet and approached the man.

“The human mana coefficient table is blank in the middle?”

“Ah, our research involving humans is still being prepared. That section was lost when some organization attacked us...”

“I see. Could you give me a pen?”

“Yes!”

Using the pen Parntal handed him, the man began writing in the report.

Parntal hated having anyone touch the research, but watched silently now with an expectant expression.

A short while later, the man held out the report.

“There’s a slight margin of error, but it should be within the acceptable range.”

The blank table had been completely filled in.

That was not all. The man had written additional data on the next page.

It was all information lost when some organization had attacked them. They needed it for their research, but had struggled because they had no way to obtain it...

There were only two possibilities for someone to know about it.

Either he belonged to that organization, or he was part of the Dark Magic Society’s Central Society...

There was no way that organization would be here correcting their reports.

Which meant...

“Are you from the Central Society?”

The deputy branch head had ignored procedure to bring him in. He was deeply familiar with Demonkin and Monster blood, had drunk Monster blood without issue, and even knew the information that had been lost...

Everything pointed to him being from the Central Society.

“It’s a secret.”

At an answer that was practically confirmation, Shern and Parntal swallowed hard.

The Central Society...

Coming face-to-face with something they had only heard of in legends made their mouths go dry.

“Why would someone from the Central Society come all the way here...?”

“Why do you think?”

The man asked in return, with the relaxed manner of someone testing them.

“To clean out all those rotten bastards!”

Parntal answered in a rough voice filled with rage.

The man curled a finger, telling Parntal to continue.

“The Society is obsessed with Magic Stones now! Research has been pushed aside, and it’s full of rotten bastards who take pride in their Magic Stone staffs! They even force researchers like us to meet Magic Stone quotas!”

Parntal poured out the words as if spitting blood. Parntal had always had plenty of complaints, and desperation filled Parntal’s voice.

The man nodded.

“I’m preparing a reform.”

“Reform...”

Shern quietly murmured that sweet, thrilling word.

“Magic Stones are nice. Aren’t they stones that sell for whatever price you name? Still, they’re only stones. Do you think a lump of rock will reveal the truth to you?”

Strength filled the man’s voice. Shern nodded blankly.

“You two are the only useful ones. Everyone else is a fake mage busy licking magical devices.”

At the man’s approval, Parntal’s body trembled. Wasn’t that reaction too extreme? Shern frowned slightly.

“I’ll cut away the rotten flesh to make room for new flesh. Parntal, you pass.”

At being singled out, Parntal let out an emotional cry. Tears welled up in Parntal’s eyes.

“I knew this day would come!”

Parntal had joined the Dark Magic Society to revere advancement. Yet research had been pushed aside, and the days spent swinging pickaxes in the Magic Stone Mine had only increased. To the angry Parntal, those words were unbearably sweet.

“Parntal, give me your hand.”

“Thank you!”

The man grabbed Parntal’s wrist. Rough sparks flew continuously from his hand. It was dazzling yet incredibly precise magic.

To perform magic that precise without even a spell formula...

‘As expected of the Central Society!’

“That’s done. This is your seal.”

A stylish lightning-shaped scar had appeared on the inside of Parntal’s wrist. Parntal stared at it with tears welling in Parntal’s eyes.

“Uh... What about me?!”

Shern asked urgently.

“There is one condition.”

The man pushed forward a glass bottle containing Monster blood.

“Show me your sincerity.”

Gulp.

Shern swallowed dryly.

It was a crude test, but precisely because of that, it could not be faked.

“Drink it, Shern!”

Parntal, who had always been kind to Shern, glared at Shern with crazed eyes and shouted.

Under that pressure, Shern gulped down the Monster blood.

Shern felt as though they had swallowed fire. Not ordinary fire, either. It was fire covered in thorns.

Pain swept over Shern, as if Shern’s entire body were being torn apart and burned from within. Shern’s mind went blank for a moment.

Then the pain slowly faded.

The moment Shern saw the man looking at Shern with a relaxed expression, Shern understood Parntal’s madness.

It was only natural to feel awe for a man who could calmly control such pain.

“You pass as well.”

Shern and Parntal looked at each other and nodded. The humiliation they had endured until now seemed to melt away.

“Now, you are both under my direct command. Congratulations.”

They nodded with solemn expressions.

“For now, stay here and carry on as usual while organizing information on the branch. Corton in particular.”

Shern and Parntal nodded.

“Ah, could you give me some paper? Thank you.”

“Not at all!”

The man swiftly began writing on the blank sheet.

“Mana Arrow is the standard. Use this to research Demonkin blood. You can make use of Monster blood, so it should be enough.”

“Of course!”

Shern’s eyes widened. It was detailed information about Demonkin blood. The man had simply scribbled it down, but it was exactly what they needed.

“Ah, research on humans is forbidden. I’ve heard some organization is closing in. If there’s anyone conducting that sort of research, make a separate note of them. Always remember reform.”

At the man’s serious voice, both of them nodded solemnly.

“I’ll come again.”

The man stood after speaking in a low voice.

Just then, the door opened and Deputy Branch Head Corton appeared.

The man smiled as if nothing had happened.

* * *

“How was the research?”

“Not bad.”

For an agent like Galahad, winning over mages who did nothing but research was effortless.

He even had the information the researchers possessed.

Persuasion was Galahad’s specialty.

‘I’ve set up a laboratory.’

Their research was terrible for now. He had expected more because of their ample Magic Stones and expensive magical devices, but it was disappointing.

Still, they were useful people.

He had pointed them in the right direction and given them information about Demonkin blood, so there should be results when he returned.

He had also assigned them to watch Corton, which made it even better.

‘I need to dig two holes.’

Once he reeled Corton in, he could plant confidants on both sides and have them watch each other.

Corton checked outside, then locked the door.

“I’ll be direct.”

Corton spoke with an unusually serious expression.

“Kill Adrianna.”

Galahad let out a low sound at the blunt request.

He wanted Galahad to kill Adrianna out of nowhere...

“Phew... Very important people want Adrianna dead. If you take care of her, you’ll receive an enormous reward.”

It was definitely Dawn.

“How important are these important people?”

Corton grinned.

“Do you think we research Demonkin for no reason?”

Galahad understood why Corton had shown him the research.

The Empire strictly prohibited research on Demonkin. It uprooted any research connected to Demonkin.

For them to be researching Demonkin meant...

‘He was showing me that their power is strong enough not to bow to the Empire.’

Dawn seemed larger than he had expected. Galahad put a cigarette between his lips and organized his thoughts.

‘Dawn has put a bounty on Adrianna. The reward must be considerable. Adrianna is their biggest obstacle.’

Greedy Corton appeared to be planning to handle this without telling the branch head.

‘He wants to keep it all for himself.’

That meant secrecy was guaranteed.

‘A request to kill Adrianna...’

The scent of lemon hung thick in the air.

Considering the circumstances, the request to kill Adrianna was...

‘Not bad.’

It was quite a good offer.

Of course, Galahad had no intention of actually killing Adrianna. He was not even sure it would be possible.

Still, it was an opportunity to get close to Dawn.

Accepting immediately would not be wise, so he asked a question.

“What do I get out of it?”

“...What do you get? Ah, right. Of course there’s something in it for you!”

Judging by the way Corton stumbled over his words, he had not considered a reward for Galahad. He truly was hopeless.

“It’s a request from someone very important. If you succeed, you’ll receive a reward beyond your imagination. You saw all those Magic Stones and expensive magical devices on your way here, didn’t you? The reward will be worth even more than that!”

Vague rewards never ended well.

Of course, Galahad would never claim that reward this time.

“A reward... Sounds nice. But as you know, I’m only her husband in name right now. If I want to look for an opening, I’ll need to get close to Adrianna, but that would be...”

“Didn’t you say you held hands?”

“I almost died from holding her hand. Do you not know what northerners are like?”

Corton grinned at Galahad’s answer.

“Don’t worry about support. Ask for whatever you need.”

Galahad smiled broadly at Corton’s confident expression.

“You really are dependable!”

“Haha! I’m the deputy branch head. With no branch head around, this is my world. Didn’t you see the Magic Stones and magical devices on your way in?”

When Galahad listed what he needed, Corton’s smile gradually faded.

A little later, instead of a silver coin, Corton held out a finger-sized egg that looked utterly horrible.

“It’s an Egg of Pain.”

“An Egg of Pain?”

“It came from a high-ranking Demonkin. If you break an oath made after eating this, you’ll die in terrible pain.”

Corton spoke confidently.

Galahad had wondered why Corton trusted him so easily, but it seemed he had prepared his own safeguard.

If it was an item from a high-ranking Demonkin, it was certainly something Corton could be confident in.

But...

“You’ll die in terrible pain if you break the oath? Who decides what counts as breaking it? Does this tiny thing have a brain capable of judgment? Or can it understand someone’s emotions? Is it some kind of magic?”

Corton sensed that something was wrong under Galahad’s flood of questions.

Rather than being afraid at the sight of the horrible thing, Galahad’s eyes lit up.

As if he had found something incredibly valuable...

“Ah, sorry. Hmm, you said it was from a high-ranking Demonkin...”

The Egg of Pain was already in Galahad’s hand.

Corton trembled slightly as Galahad carefully examined the horrible object as though it were a jewel.

“Yes, eat it and make the oath... All right.”

Galahad swallowed it without hesitation.

Gulp.

Corton swallowed dryly at that decisive action.

Then Galahad looked at Corton with a subdued gaze and swore an oath.

“If you want it, I’ll kill Adrianna.”

It seemed like an odd condition had been added, but the contents matched, so Corton nodded.

“Oh, so that’s how it works. A high-ranking Demonkin... This mana concentration is incredible. This is truly amazing.”

Galahad was touching his own throat.

“Can you get another one?”

“What in the world are you talking about...?”

“I think I’ll understand if I eat one more. Do you have another one?”

Corton stood as if fleeing from Galahad, who smacked his lips.

* * *

“Sir Gilbert, we have a serious problem.”

Gilbert frowned at Tom’s serious voice.

“Did the captain cause trouble again?”

“What? No.”

“Then did Gwen burn down another barracks?”

“Ah, she’s doing it outside.”

“Did Damian say he was hungry?”

“What? No. Please look at this.”

Tom held something out. It was a yellowed parchment covered in writing.

Gilbert slowly read what was written on it.

“The Special Operations Unit’s account book? We had one of these?”

“Ah, I had some free time, so I organized it. It didn’t seem like anyone else was doing it... I apologize if I overstepped.”

Gilbert could not understand the thought process that led from having free time to making an account book.

He slowly looked over the ledger. After reading two lines of numbers, he began to feel dizzy.

“What’s the problem?”

Gilbert handed the ledger back to Tom as he spoke.

“The budget will run out soon.”

“What do you mean, the budget will run out? Didn’t you say we received operating funds when we got the carriage?”

“Yes, but unit budgets are based on performance.”

“Hmm. That’s true.”

Gilbert nodded for the moment.

“But when we received the budget, we hadn’t achieved anything yet, had we?”

“That’s right.”

“So the budget we were allocated was small to begin with.”

“I see.”

Only then did Gilbert understand and nod.

“Our achievements won’t be reflected in the budget until next quarter, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Our unit costs far too much to maintain. I understand Sir Gilbert’s pay because you came from the First Battalion, but Damian and Gwen’s pay is strangely high.”

Gilbert’s head began to ache as Tom kept talking about money.

“On top of Damian’s food expenses and the repair costs for Sir Gilbert’s armor this time... At this rate, we’ll go bankrupt.”

Gilbert clearly heard those two words: go bankrupt. He nodded as he spoke.

“So we’ll go bankrupt.”

“What? Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“Why didn’t you start with that instead of talking for so long?”

“Ahaha... Anyway, we have to find a solution.”

“A solution?”

“Yes. For example, Sir Gilbert’s armor was damaged while helping with a Fourth Battalion mission, so the Fourth Battalion should cover the cost. As for Damian’s food expenses...”

The strange explanation went on for quite some time.

Gilbert nodded as though he roughly understood.

“So you agree too, Sir Gilbert.”

“Agree with what?”

“...A salary reduction.”

“You want to cut my pay? What are you talking about?”

Tom’s smile stiffened slightly.

“Th-that... Never mind.”

“You mean we don’t have enough money.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

To talk so long about such an unnecessary concern...

Gilbert clicked his tongue.