WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Ceaseless
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Northern Grand Duke’s Mad Son-in-Law ◈
Chapter 32: Competent
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“...Where did you say we were going?”
“Your speech has gotten rather casual, Sir Gilbert.”
Ahem. Gilbert cleared his throat softly.
“Where did you say we were going?”
“The Demonkin Territory.”
“Damn it. Do you even know what kind of place that is?”
“Do you think I’m you? It’s the Demonkin Territory, so it must be where Demonkin live.”
Gilbert swallowed the curse rising in his throat.
Calling the Demonkin Territory dangerous was not nearly enough.
Even in the First Battalion, only Adrianna’s direct unit was permitted to enter it.
The moment one stepped into the Demonkin Territory, it became hard to breathe.
It was the first time a mage had ever accompanied them into such a dangerous place.
Even if Galahad had killed Demonkin twice before...
‘Come to think of it, he’s good at killing Demonkin, isn’t he?’
Galahad was better at killing Demonkin than most knights.
“It should be fine.”
Gilbert nodded.
“I think so too.”
“Did Lady Adrianna give you permission? She’s strict when it comes to the Demonkin Territory.”
“She said it was fine. It’s our first date.”
Gilbert snorted at Galahad’s joke.
A date in the Demonkin Territory. Even Galahad would never say something like that...
“...Did she really say that?”
“She insisted it wasn’t, perhaps because she was embarrassed. I asked Tom to pack us some food.”
Gilbert opened his mouth to say something, then shut it tight. There was no point speaking to someone who would not listen in the first place.
“You won’t be able to eat in there anyway. There’s ash everywhere.”
“Ash? I saw Adrianna cleaning it yesterday.”
“That may be true, but... Commander, what exactly do you think Lady Adrianna is? Never mind. Don’t answer.”
Gilbert hurriedly shook his head. There was nothing in it for him if he heard something disrespectful.
“Then let’s go.”
Without complaint, Gilbert picked up his sword. Galahad took the bundle Tom had prepared.
It was the darkest hour before dawn.
Everything was already ready when they arrived. They had come in time to leave at sunrise, yet it somehow felt as though they were late.
“Sir Gilbert woke up late.”
“What do you mean by that...?”
“It’s nothing. We simply prepared a little early.”
Adrianna spoke as though it were nothing. The atmosphere among those standing behind her was the same as ever.
“What is that?”
Adrianna pointed to the bundle in Galahad’s hand.
“Lunch.”
“It will be difficult to eat anything inside. There’s too much ash.”
“I’ll stay right beside you while I eat, so it’ll be fine.”
“...Yes, I understand.”
Adrianna gestured, and the preparations quickly concluded.
The others stepped aside.
“It seems Lady Adrianna chose people who are less aggressive for your sake, Commander.”
Gilbert pointed to those who remained.
‘Those people?’
Their eyes were certainly gentler than those of the woman named Mardian. Even so, they still gave off an unsettling air.
There were ten people in total, including Galahad’s side.
The sun had not even risen, yet soldiers and knights had come out and formed ranks.
Bwooo...
The horn drove back the darkness. Drums pounded against the earth. The soldiers gave a sharp salute.
“We will depart.”
Adrianna took the lead. Galahad stood directly behind her. The other knights formed a circle around him as if escorting him. Gilbert slipped naturally into their ranks.
Bwooo!!
The horn sounded again, deep and loud. The darkness that had settled over them slowly receded. Boom, boom. The drums beat like a heartbeat.
“Raise it!”
A knight shouted. The soldiers cracked their whips, and the oxen bellowed. Pulleys shrieked as they turned. The iron bars rose one by one.
Soon, the gate appeared. It scraped harshly against the ground as it opened.
Ash-filled smoke reached through the opening like a hand.
Standing before it stirred a strange feeling within him.
“I’m trembling.”
“You may turn back even now.”
Adrianna looked back at Galahad. The nearby knights laughed quietly.
Judging by the sneers on their faces, they seemed to think he was afraid.
‘Afraid...’
Only someone ignorant of mages could say that.
Demonkin blood contained deeply concentrated mana. The strange power wielded by Demonkin appeared to be the origin of magic itself.
There was a reason people called magic the filth of Demonkin.
For a mage, entering the Demonkin Territory was like a priest visiting sacred ground.
His trembling had nothing to do with fear.
“I’m trembling with anticipation.”
Adrianna’s eyebrows lifted slightly at Galahad’s answer.
“Isn’t this our first date?”
“...I told you it wasn’t.”
Adrianna’s eyes widened slightly. Galahad chuckled at her cold denial.
As expected, she was not a woman who understood jokes.
Boom, boom!
The drums rang out again.
The gates opened wide. Smoke curled upward, and blackened, rotting earth lay beyond them. It looked like a gate to hell.
“Stay behind me.”
“I’ll trust you.”
Adrianna nodded and advanced.
The thick ash retreated as though it feared her. The blackened, rotting earth clung to their feet. The smell of rotten eggs filled the air.
They had entered the Demonkin Territory in earnest.
The knights who had glared at Galahad moments ago focused on their surroundings. Tension hung heavily in the air. Gilbert also wore a serious expression.
‘So this is the Demonkin Territory.’
Instead of tension, Galahad felt a deep interest.
What he was most curious about was the mana concentration here. Mana concentration was already high in the north, but what would it be like where Demonkin lived?
Galahad snapped his fingers, but no Mana Arrow formed. The mana scattered midway through.
‘This mana concentration is absurd.’
Galahad marveled quietly.
They had only crossed a single wall, yet the concentration had grown dramatically denser.
‘This is the Demonkin Territory...’
To cast magic, the caster’s mana concentration had to be denser than the mana around them.
Mana flowed from lower concentrations to higher ones.
If the caster’s mana concentration was lower than the surroundings, the mana would scatter and the spell itself would fail. Just like it had a moment ago.
At this level of mana concentration, ordinary Mana Compression would not be enough to use magic.
Most mages would not even dare attempt a spell here.
The mana concentration was that dense.
Galahad, however, was not most mages.
He also had the highly concentrated mana granted by the Egg of Pain.
After adjusting his mana concentration and snapping his fingers, a Mana Arrow appeared. Despite being only a Mana Arrow, its presence was impressive thanks to its dense mana concentration.
‘Good. I was right to come.’
Galahad smiled in satisfaction.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m excellent.”
Galahad beamed at Adrianna.
Adrianna frowned for a moment, then nodded.
“What empty bravado...”
One of the knights sneered, but Galahad was in too good a mood to care.
Then a thunderous cry echoed from somewhere nearby.
“It’s coming.”
Adrianna drew her sword.
A pale white aura surged around it, instantly sweeping away the nearby ash. Its pressure was immense.
‘Oh.’
That would truly melt someone the instant it touched them.
Feeling an instinctive aversion, Galahad unconsciously stepped back.
The smoke split apart, and a massive claw shot out. Each talon was as large and sharp as a longsword.
The claw came from somewhere out of sight with terrifying force, but Adrianna calmly blocked it with her sword.
The Monster’s foot was sliced clean through. Adrianna’s sword, wrapped in white aura, cut through the enormous limb as easily as tofu.
The severed foot, as large as an average man’s upper body, flew into the air. No blood sprayed from the cut.
Like paper exposed to intense heat, it scattered into ash in an instant.
Adrianna’s sword, which had effortlessly cut off the massive foot, continued smoothly.
The Monster revealed itself. It was a hideous creature with the face of an insect and the body of a bear. Adrianna’s sword carved a long line across its chest.
Only once.
As if that were enough, Adrianna flicked her sword clean.
The Monster stopped moving. A neat line had appeared across its chest. Like fire spreading through dry grass, the wound rapidly split open.
The Monster let out a horrific scream. It was so full of pain that Galahad’s hair stood on end.
The Monster twisted violently. Ash kept pouring from the widening wound. It felt as though its very existence was vanishing, as if its soul were burning away.
‘A Monster is in pain?’
Galahad muttered quietly.
Soon, the Monster collapsed. Its form crumbled into ash.
“Are you all right?”
Adrianna checked on Galahad instead. Galahad forced himself to nod at the sight of her, still completely composed.
‘If I get caught by that, I’ll be in real trouble.’
Galahad rubbed his neck for no reason.
Then he noticed a problem.
‘There’s no blood left.’
Adrianna’s sword burned Monsters into ash. Not a single drop of blood remained.
Galahad had followed them into the Demonkin Territory out of curiosity, but his main goal was Demonkin blood.
Since he had the Egg of Pain, he intended to drink as much Demonkin blood as possible while he had the chance.
He had even borrowed several canteens from Tom for that purpose, but Adrianna was about to turn everything into ash.
One of his main goals was about to disappear.
Faced with the possibility of leaving empty-handed, Galahad’s mind raced.
‘The mana concentration is dense, so it’ll be a little difficult, but if I apply that...’
He thought of a way to find Demonkin.
‘I’ll have to kill them myself.’
Galahad nodded.
* * *
‘He’s thoroughly frightened.’
Robert, a knight in Adrianna’s direct unit, sneered quietly at Galahad’s grave expression.
The Demonkin and Monsters in the Demonkin Territory were on a completely different level from those below.
There was a reason it was called the Demonkin Territory.
Demonkin and Monsters became bizarrely powerful within their own territory.
Galahad had strutted around after killing a few Monsters and Demonkin below, so he must have been frightened after encountering a Monster here.
‘Just as I thought...’
It had all been bravado. Robert exchanged looks with the other knights. They all wore faint sneers.
Then Galahad looked at Adrianna and asked, “Do you travel around like this on purpose?”
“What do you mean?”
“Isn’t the ash inconvenient? May I clear it away?”
The man who had been quiet for a while had started boasting again.
The ash was already much thinner thanks to Adrianna. To complain about this much being inconvenient...
Robert clicked his tongue softly.
“Yes, we would appreciate it if you could clear it away.”
Adrianna nodded.
“Swaying grass, gentle breeze, fierce wind, typhoon.”
Galahad muttered something strange. Robert unconsciously focused on the peculiar pressure he felt from him.
Galahad waved his hand. Despite the grand gesture, it was only a small gust of wind.
‘As expected...’
Just as Robert sneered to himself...
“Wow.”
Adrianna exclaimed.
Adrianna rarely showed emotion. For an exclamation to leave her lips was a remarkable reaction.
‘What?’
Robert turned his head and gaped.
The smoke around them was being pushed away as though a fierce typhoon had swept through.
Their view opened up.
‘Th... This is magic?’
The ash-filled smoke was the greatest danger in the Demonkin Territory.
Simply breathing in the foul-smelling smoke grated on their nerves. On top of that, Demonkin could attack from anywhere at any time, so they had no choice but to remain alert. The exhaustion built quickly.
Galahad had cleared away the smoke, the greatest obstacle in the Demonkin Territory, with a single gesture.
“Can other mages do this as well?”
Adrianna asked Galahad.
“No, only I can. Ah, the Magic Tower Master could probably do it.”
“I see. That is impressive.”
“I’m an impressive mage by nature.”
Robert frowned at Galahad’s arrogant words.
To use magic like this...
It was a method he had never considered.
No, they had never brought a mage with them before.
“A Monster is coming.”
Adrianna tightened her grip on her sword.
They could clearly see the approaching Monster. Its horrific form was laid bare, which actually eased the tension.
What they could see, they could block. The frightening part had been claws coming from somewhere unseen.
Robert tightened his grip on his sword. Aura flared brightly around it.
The battle began with Adrianna at the forefront.
They were no match for Adrianna, but they were elites as well. Robert had even turned down a command position in another battalion.
The battle went alarmingly smoothly.
There was only one reason.
‘He secured our field of vision.’
Robert had no choice but to admit it.
With their vision secured, combat was far easier than before.
Monsters were sly creatures that attacked from within the smoke. Once the smoke was gone, the fight could only become easier.
Adrianna, in particular, could move freely.
It almost felt too easy.
Even if they were only at the entrance, this was absurd.
‘This...’
Robert swallowed and looked around.
Everyone wore a similar expression.
Something was... something was wrong.
Clearing away the smoke had already been astonishing, but Galahad did not stop there.
“I think there’s something over there.”
Galahad suddenly pointed in one direction.
“How did you know?”
“I adapted Mana Arrow and scattered mana. There was no response coming from that direction. It’s a method only possible in a place like this, where the mana concentration is high.”
He gave them a direction with an explanation that made little sense.
Yet everyone nodded because of what he had already shown them.
And when they arrived there...
“Finally, Demonkin.”
There truly were Demonkin there.
Unlike Monsters that charged at them blindly, Demonkin were sly creatures that waited for an opportunity.
That made them quite difficult to find.
Yet he had found them.
“That is impressive.”
Robert nodded at Adrianna’s praise.
They normally had to wander around quite a bit to hunt Demonkin. Yet Galahad had located them precisely and cleared away the smoke.
This was simply...
‘He’s spoon-feeding us.’
It was a harsh expression, but nothing fit better.
Robert pressed his lips together.
Then Galahad put a cigarette between his lips and smiled.
“Just as you’re beautiful, I’m impressive too.”
It was an irritating answer, but Robert could not deny it.
Galahad was impressive.
“Prepare yourselves.”
They were lower-ranking Demonkin, but there were quite a few of them.
No matter their rank, Demonkin were not enemies they could take lightly.
The battle began with Adrianna leading the way.
Before, they had been the ones getting ambushed. Now, they were the ones ambushing.
The first strike was important in battle.
Even more so against Demonkin.
The fight did not last long.
The knights cooled down from the heat of battle and looked at one another.
Their expressions were all complicated.
Galahad was an Imperial mage. He had not even been in the north for long.
When he said he would accompany them into the Demonkin Territory, everyone had thought the same thing.
He must be desperate to die. He’ll make today exhausting for us.
It was only natural. He was an Imperial mage.
He was supposed to be nothing but a burden.
So why...
‘...Is he competent?’
Robert swallowed.
No, competent was not enough.
The entire situation had changed once Galahad joined them.
Until now, they had wandered around, fending off attacks by Demonkin and Monsters while killing them. Now, they were hunting them down instead.
Like hunters.
‘So why?’
Why?
Robert could not understand it.
Then Adrianna’s voice reached him.
“Why are you collecting Demonkin blood?”
Robert turned his head and froze.
Galahad was pressing a canteen against a beheaded Demonkin, squeezing the corpse as though pressing juice from fruit.
‘What in the world...’
Why was he collecting Demonkin blood? And why was he smiling while he did it?
Robert could not make sense of the situation at all.
“Ah, it’s for magic. This is very helpful.”
“Ah, I see. Shall I help?”
“Oh, would you?”
“Yes.”
Adrianna took a canteen and collected the blood flowing from another Demonkin corpse.
Robert swallowed at the strange warmth of a scene that did not suit the grotesque sight.
They moved again a little later.
Gulp, gulp...
Robert turned at the sound of someone drinking deeply and froze.
Galahad had a canteen to his lips.
Robert turned his head the other way when he saw the red liquid running from Galahad’s mouth.
Only then did he notice.
Everyone’s heads were turned away in strangely different directions.
“Mm, good.”
Robert turned his head even farther away.
Footnotes:
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