The Northern Grand Duke's Mad Son-in-Law - Chapter 39

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Ceaseless

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

Chapter 39: Noad

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“...Do we really have to go this far?”

Adrianna asked uneasily.

“Our opponent this time is the Dark Magic Society. They bear the mark of a Monster Tamer, and they are the thread leading to Dawn. We must catch them.”

“...”

“They do not hesitate to run. But what do you think will happen if you, the hero of the north, appear? They will flee at once.”

“Do you know them well?”

Galahad nodded at Adrianna’s question.

“No one will think you are Adrianna now.”

Galahad looked her over from head to toe. Adrianna was quite tall for a woman.

Dressed in armor picked up from the supply depot, she looked like a slightly undersized, awkward knight. With that stupid-looking helmet on her head, the disguise was perfect.

After thinking for a moment, Adrianna nodded.

“And it must remain a secret from the other unit members as well.”

“...What?”

“Do you think Sir Gilbert will stay quiet if he realizes it is you?”

Adrianna let out a low groan at Galahad’s question.

“He will make a great fuss. To deceive the enemy, one must first deceive one’s allies.”

“...That makes sense.”

“Hide your strength as much as possible. Do not use aura. You will step forward at the decisive moment.”

Galahad repeated the warning. If they noticed Adrianna’s presence, they would surely run.

Adrianna was their trump card.

She had to step forward at the decisive moment.

“...Understood.”

Adrianna nodded, clutching the stupid helmet. Galahad clicked his tongue softly and tightened its chin strap.

“The key is concealing your identity. I trust you.”

After one more reminder, Galahad headed for the carriage.

They were ready to leave.

“What were you doing that took so long?”

Gilbert grumbled, and Galahad’s lips curled into a broad smile.

“I’ve brought in a new member. The name is Noad. This recruit cannot speak, and severe burns make it impossible to remove the helmet. Never touch the helmet. Everyone, give the new recruit a warm welcome. Now, applause.”

Gwen looked at Adrianna with pity in her eyes.

“What? A new member?”

Gilbert examined Adrianna from head to toe. His already narrow eyes became even thinner, his expression full of displeasure.

“A knight?”

Galahad quietly admired Gilbert’s immediate rudeness. It really was Gilbert.

Adrianna looked at Galahad. The stupid helmet made her look rather stupid.

When Galahad gave a small nod, Adrianna nodded too.

“First Battalion?”

Nod, nod.

“I’ve never seen someone like you. A recruit?”

N...od.

“Tch. Some dimwit has joined.”

Gilbert clicked his tongue openly.

Adrianna looked at Galahad. Even through that stupid helmet, her urgency was clear. Galahad coughed softly and shook his head.

“You get to learn under me. You should consider yourself lucky. Since you’re a former First Battalion knight, I’m making a special effort to teach you.”

Perhaps because this was the first junior knight to join, Gilbert even said he would look after the recruit.

“Um... Sir Gilbert?”

“Tom, are the preparations complete?”

Galahad cut Tom off. Tom looked at Gilbert with pity, then nodded.

“Yes, everything is ready!”

“Then we’ll leave at once. The Seventh Battalion is quite far away.”

Galahad looked up at the thick castle walls. It was still dark before sunrise. They would have to ride hard to arrive before sunset.

“I’ll take responsibility for the recruit’s training.”

“Yes, Sir Gilbert. I’m counting on you.”

Ignoring the desperate gaze from behind the stupid helmet, Galahad climbed into the carriage. Damian was asleep with his head on Gwen’s lap, drooling.

“...Is it really all right to leave them like that?”

Tom asked stiffly.

“That’s not how you hold the reins. Ah, this is frustrating.”

Galahad could not hold back his laughter at Gilbert’s scolding from outside.

“Leave them be. I’m curious how long it’ll take him to notice.”

“...I don’t think he’ll notice, sir.”

Galahad thought for a moment. Could even Gilbert fail to notice?

‘He might.’

Since Galahad had told her to keep it secret, Adrianna would not reveal herself first.

The only possibility was for Gilbert to notice on his own.

‘He might not notice at all.’

Galahad nodded seriously. Gilbert was terribly oblivious. There was a chance he would never realize it.

“Well, it’ll be a new experience.”

Galahad chuckled.

Tom looked ahead with concern.

Gilbert always grumbled, but he was a good person. His swordsmanship was excellent too.

He was just terribly oblivious.

“Ha! You really are frustrating!”

Seriously.

* * *

“A knight who doesn’t even know how to hold reins?”

Gilbert clicked his tongue in frustration.

“Say it with words. Ah, right. You cannot speak.”

Gilbert focused on Noad’s gestures. The meaning was roughly...

“You’ve never held carriage reins before?”

Nod.

“Ha. Are you bragging about how pampered you were?”

Adrianna’s head went still. Gilbert clicked his tongue without restraint.

She had been scolded so much that she could not remember it all. Still, nothing Gilbert said was wrong.

Adrianna did not dismiss his advice. She remembered it.

“Tch. Fine. Is there anything you’re curious about?”

Gilbert asked with an uneasy expression. After thinking for a moment, Adrianna gestured.

“You’re asking what the Special Operations Unit is like?”

Nod.

“Hmm...”

Gilbert drew out a long groan. Adrianna waited as she held the reins.

“It’s a mess. Completely.”

Gilbert answered bluntly.

“The first member he brought in was a maid. Then came a beast-like child soldier. How can a unit be this ragtag? It’s fortunate Tom is there. Otherwise, it would’ve collapsed long ago.”

Despite his words, Gilbert was smiling as if he could not believe it. It was an expression Adrianna had never seen when he had served in her direct unit.

“And our luck is unbelievably rotten. We fought Demonkin, fought Monsters, and even went to the Demon Realm.”

Gilbert laughed aloud. It was unfamiliar to see him like that. Adrianna watched silently.

“And the captain gets under my skin so much that I’ve lost a handful of hair.”

His hair did seem thinner than when he had served under Adrianna. Adrianna nodded seriously.

“Hmm, what kind of man is the captain?”

Nod.

Gilbert thought seriously. His brow furrowed deeply.

“...A competent madman?”

Gilbert nodded seriously.

“That’s right. A competent madman. At first, I thought he was stubborn, but that wasn’t it. The captain has firm convictions.”

“Convictions...”

Adrianna murmured softly. Gilbert glanced behind them and continued.

“The conviction that he is right and everyone else is wrong. I guarantee it. Even if everyone in the world pointed at him and said he was wrong, the captain would say this.”

Gilbert paused for effect.

“I’m sorry, but I’m right and you’re wrong.”

Gilbert imitated Galahad’s voice quite well.

Gilbert snickered aloud. He looked as though he were enjoying himself immensely. Adrianna felt something strange that she could not put into words.

Then the carriage door was thrown open. Galahad leaned out while gripping the carriage roof.

“An attack! What a splendid welcome!”

Fire burst from Galahad’s hand. The dark forest lit up, revealing an enormous Monster. A fireball struck it, sending it flying.

“Now, it’s time to show them how frightening the Special Operations Unit can be! Damian!”

“Yes, brother.”

Damian sprang out beside Galahad. Holding his sword, he rolled across the ground.

Thump!

The moment Damian bounced up, a Monster’s leg was severed.

“You’re next! Gwen!”

“Uh... Aaaah!”

Galahad pulled Gwen out as if he were taking something from inside the carriage. Dangling by the back of her neck, Gwen let out a long scream.

“Aaaaaah!”

“Gwen, show us what you’ve been practicing!”

Galahad shook Gwen as he held her. Still screaming, Gwen fired a large fireball.

“Aaaaah! Explo... Explosive Fireball!”

The fireball hit the Monster. The explosion pushed it back, but did not inflict any meaningful damage.

Then Damian clung to the Monster that had been shoved back. His sword ripped open its muzzle in a long slash.

“Gwen! Excellent! Try it again!”

“Uh... Aah...”

Galahad praised Gwen while shaking her. Gwen fired another fireball.

“Watch closely. This is what a knight is.”

Gilbert released a long stream of aura and swung his sword. The approaching Monster was split apart.

A familiar symbol was visible on the belly of the Monster’s floating corpse.

“Captain! It’s the mark of a Monster Tamer!”

“My, my! It seems there’ll be quite a grand feast at the Seventh Battalion!”

Galahad waved his hand. Sparks that struck a Monster shot violently to the side. Another Monster caught fire.

“Newbie, just hold the reins!”

Gilbert shouted as Adrianna reached for her sword.

“Ha ha! Sir Gilbert says you should just hold the reins!”

Seeing Galahad’s mischievous smile, Adrianna hesitated for a moment before gripping the reins firmly.

It was a truly unfamiliar feeling for Adrianna.

* * *

Once the Monsters failed to inflict any real damage, there were no more attacks.

‘They’ve become quite cautious.’

The Dark Magic Society of the past would have kept charging at them.

Yet this time, after failing to harm them, they did not interfere again. It was as though they had only intended to assess their strength.

They had become far more thorough than before.

‘What have they prepared?’

Galahad murmured as he lightly shook his canteen.

‘Are they relying on an upper-ranking Demonkin?’

That was likely. An upper-ranking Demonkin was no easy opponent.

Still, this was not Demonkin Territory.

‘I have a feeling there’s more.’

Eight was clever. There was a strong chance the informant had made the report sound smaller than it was. It was safer to assume they had prepared something worse than an upper-ranking Demonkin.

Of course, it did not matter what they had prepared.

Adrianna was with them.

“Ha, that new recruit, Noad, is a lot of work. What kind of knight cannot do a thing?”

Gilbert grumbled openly. Galahad barely held back his laughter.

Then castle walls began to appear in the distance. It was the Seventh Battalion.

Whether because the sun had set or dark clouds covered the sky, the Seventh Battalion was shrouded in darkness. Crows filled the air in every direction, cawing without pause.

The castle itself looked like an enormous Monster. The torches set halfway up its walls resembled a Monster’s red eyes.

‘We found the right place.’

Galahad murmured around the cigarette in his mouth.

The carriage slowly approached the castle. Despite the massive walls, there was not a single person passing by. They were alone on the empty road.

As they drew near, piercing gazes landed on them. Figures in black hoods stood on the walls, watching as though they were guards.

Galahad casually waved his cigarette. Their figures shifted slightly.

When they reached the wall, someone who appeared to be a knight approached with several soldiers. Their hands rested on their sword hilts as though they might draw at any moment.

Crossbows on the walls aimed at them. Troops filled both the walls and the area around the gate.

Knights and soldiers alike looked ready to go to war with them. It felt as if they had come to lay siege to an entire castle. The pressure was intense.

“What a grand welcome.”

Galahad took a deep drag of his cigarette. The scent of lemon filled the air.

Would they show hostility immediately? Galahad shook his head. If that had been their plan, they would have attacked on the road.

They must have laid a trap inside. A trap they believed would make escape impossible.

“I’m Sherpa, commander of the Seventh Battalion’s Third Company. The battalion commander is waiting for you.”

A company commander had come to greet them instead of the battalion commander. Galahad’s lips curled up at the ominous atmosphere of those behind Sherpa.

“I’m Galahad, captain of the Special Operations Unit.”

“Ah, could you please step down from the carriage? There have been unpleasant incidents recently.”

Galahad nodded quietly at Sherpa’s request.

Then the carriage door opened. Gwen, Damian, Tom, and the stupid helmet emerged.

At the sight of Noad, a smile appeared on Sherpa’s face. It was unmistakably a sneer.

“Who is this? I heard the Special Operations Unit had five members.”

“A new recruit. The recruit’s face is badly burned, so I put the helmet on. Do not remove it. It’ll ruin your appetite.”

“Please come inside. The battalion commander is waiting.”

Perhaps Sherpa had only been asking, because he guided them inside with a broad smile. Confidence radiated from him.

They had brought Adrianna inside without being discovered.

The most important part of the plan had succeeded.

“Ah, can we wash up before we go?”

“...Pardon? The battalion commander is waiting.”

“I feel grimy. And isn’t it polite to wash before meeting someone?”

Sherpa thought for a moment, then nodded. Galahad waved his hand.

“Ah, I came under the Grand Duke’s orders. It’s urgent, so could you gather every important person?”

Galahad drew a letter from his coat. It bore the Grand Duke’s crest.

Sherpa’s face stiffened at once. The Grand Duke was apparently frightening.

“Everyone?”

“It’s urgent. Thank you.”

Galahad smiled broadly.

Feeling a piercing stare, he turned his head. The stupid helmet was staring at him.

* * *

‘There are many soldiers.’

Galahad replayed the route they had taken on the way here.

Movements of impure mana everywhere, armed soldiers...

‘This won’t be easy.’

Tension rose until his fingertips tingled.

“Where are you going?”

Gilbert tilted his head.

“To work. You should draw some attention here.”

“...What work?”

“I heard the Seventh Battalion commander is imprisoned.”

“Do you know where?”

“That’s what I’m going to find out.”

Gilbert blinked stupidly. Galahad pulled the cord at his shirt sleeve. His shirt tightened against his body.

“Didn’t you just call a meeting?”

“Yes. Thanks to that, there’ll be fewer soldiers.”

“Didn’t you see the soldiers all over the place? There are a lot of them. A lot.”

As Gilbert said, soldiers surrounded the building.

Sherpa had said it was to prevent any unpleasant incidents, but the soldiers were watching them rather than the outside. More important were the sinister figures behind those soldiers.

“It’s fine. This sort of thing is my specialty.”

“No...”

“Shh, your voice is too loud.”

“No... Didn’t you see them on the way here? The Seventh Battalion has considerable forces. Some of them looked like mercenaries or mages.”

“I say this every time, Sir Gilbert. You have a habit of making ordinary observations sound grand.”

Galahad clicked his tongue softly, applied oil to his hair, and slicked it back tightly.

Handsome.

He nodded to himself in the mirror.

“They’ll come looking for us soon. Are you saying you’ll rescue the Seventh Battalion commander even though you don’t know where he is being held?”

“Correct. Sir Gilbert, you’ve become smarter.”

Footsteps sounded just outside, and Gilbert clamped his mouth shut.

“Sir Gilbert, do you know when people let down their guard the most?”

Galahad circulated his mana. The Egg of Pain thumped.

It seemed ready. Since Gwen had soothed it, it did feel somewhat calmer. As if it had gained a babysitter.

“Let down their guard?”

“Yes, let down their guard. They’re most careless when they believe their opponent has fallen perfectly into their trap.”

Having finished preparing, Galahad looked up. The ceiling was a shabby thing made of nothing but wood. Galahad clicked his tongue softly.

“So you intend to show the Grand Duke’s seal, summon everyone, break through the soldiers outside during the time you gained by saying you wanted to wash up, and rescue the Seventh Battalion commander?”

“Oh, exactly.”

Galahad nodded as he flexed his hands.

“Hmm.”

Gilbert let out a small groan, then sighed quietly. Galahad would not listen even if Gilbert tried to stop him.

“They are impatient people. Even if you say you’re bathing, they’ll only give you enough time for the moon to dip.”

“Enough time for the moon to dip...”

Galahad murmured softly.

“That’ll be enough. Ah, take this chance to try bathing too.”

Galahad gave a casual wave and vanished.

Gilbert watched the spot for a moment, then shook his head.

There was no need to try to understand Galahad.

“Fine. Let’s try this thing called bathing.”