WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Ceaseless
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Northern Grand Duke’s Mad Son-in-Law ◈
Chapter 4: Coat Gift
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“It’s for my daughter, so please understand! A mage’s basic... you know, that thing!”
Daniel opened his mouth wide. Huge fangs like daggers showed between his lips. His bloodshot eyes and skin riddled with veins clearly did not belong to a human.
“Are you talking about a mage’s basic qualifications? Sorry, but I only have one heart, so I can’t exactly give it to you.”
“Aren’t you a mage?!”
Galahad calmly explained why he was refusing, but Daniel did not seem to understand.
Clicking his tongue, Galahad moved his mana. Sparks burst fiercely from his fingertips, flaring one after another between his fingers.
The small sparks rapidly swelled as they passed through his fingers. Galahad pressed his hand, brimming with enlarged sparks, against Daniel’s abdomen.
“Kyahhhh!”
Daniel screamed and twisted his body. The few strands of hair on his head stood on end. The smell of something roasting filled the air.
It lasted only a moment. As if nothing had happened, Daniel charged at him again.
The spell had been cast in a rush, so it was weak, but it should not have left him this unharmed.
Galahad examined the wound. Even a knight would have gotten a fine lightning tattoo if struck directly, yet Daniel was only blackened.
‘Demonkin?’
It was fairly well known that magic did not work properly on Demonkin. After all, Demonkin were the origin of magic.
“You liked my daughter too! A man should give up even his heart for love!”
“When did I ever say I liked her? I only taught her magic because I felt sorry for her. She was stupid, but she tried hard. And honestly, I don’t like Emma because she looks like you.”
“What?! Who are you calling stupid?! Don’t lie! I saw you peeking at her!”
Daniel shouted, baring his long fangs. Galahad was dumbfounded. To begin with...
“Emma is ugly because she looks like you! That’s why I mistook you for her.”
“How dare you insult my daughter! I can’t tolerate this! Give me your heart as an apology!”
“Why is it my fault that Emma is ugly? It’s your fault.”
Galahad explained calmly, but the stupid Demonkin would not listen.
He scattered mana through the air. Crunch.
Daniel’s fangs stopped in midair. His bloodshot eyes rolled wildly. He looked horribly grotesque.
“I’m to become the Grand Duke’s son-in-law. You should apologize while you still can.”
“What son-in-law?! The Grand Duke hates mages with a passion! And even if you make it to him, you’ll die painfully anyway, so quietly become nourishment for my beautiful daughter! That would be far more productive!”
Daniel shouted and moved his hand. He seemed to have found a gap in the spell, because his nails tore through the magic. His long nails aimed for Galahad’s shoulder.
He could block it, but then he would be forced onto the defensive. Having made his calculation, Galahad threw himself backward and swung his mana.
A sharp pain pierced his shoulder. His mind wavered for a moment, but the spell did not falter. Fire shot out in a long stream from Galahad’s hand.
“Arghhh! You’re throwing fire at a person! You crazy mage bastard!”
“You stabbed me with your nails first! That hurt too!”
“Ahhh! Fuck!”
Daniel, now on fire, leaped about.
Pain shook Galahad’s vision for an instant, but his spell struck Daniel squarely.
A long line was carved across Daniel’s chest. His pink dress tore apart, revealing a thick, hairy chest.
Daniel’s eyes rolled back as he raised both hands. His dark nails lengthened.
Galahad quickly formed a hard shell around himself. Daniel’s nails shattered it with ease. Was mana flowing through his nails? Curious, Galahad rolled to the side.
A burning pain ran along his waist. Daniel’s nails had raked across it.
Fire burst from Galahad’s hand again. Daniel let out a long scream. A nauseating smell, as if something were burning, spread through the room.
Galahad suddenly thought of Gilbert. He had told him to guard the place, yet he still had not appeared...
“Gilbert! This crazy lord is wearing a skirt and trying to pounce on me! Your lord’s future husband’s chastity is in danger!”
“Hehehe... Calling for a knight? It’s already too late for him. I gave him some very strong wine.”
Daniel answered while rubbing his half-burned face. He scratched his face with his nails, and his skin returned to normal.
‘I heard he was a good fighter. Did he get taken down already?’
He was the Grand Duke’s knight, so Galahad doubted it, but a knight and an emperor alike would die with a sword lodged in their neck.
He could not be sure.
Either way, Gilbert’s help would not come anytime soon. Galahad would have to settle this himself.
Keeping useless people around only made one suffer for no reason.
Clicking his tongue, Galahad began moving his mana in earnest. Mana spun along his fingers. He had memorized every coefficient and formula, so there was no need for a chant.
At a flick of his hand, a long wall of fire rose.
“Using magic is cowardly! Let’s fight fairly, mage!”
Daniel had high mana resistance. The flames would not last long.
Still, that was enough.
Galahad’s black eyes darkened. His mind raced.
As his mana moved, answers to the formulas came to him. One spell after another was calculated.
“For my daughter Emma, the genius mage!”
The flames parted, and Daniel, roasted golden brown, leaped out.
“I’ll say it again, Emma has no talent. She’s closer to stupid, if anything.”
Galahad calmly explained as he flicked a finger toward Daniel’s thigh.
A sharp Ice Arrow embedded itself in Daniel’s thigh. At the same time, Galahad detonated the compressed mana.
The Ice Arrow lodged in Daniel’s thigh rapidly expanded. It was an excellent chain spell that would have impressed any other mage, but it could not tear through Daniel’s skin because of his mana resistance.
“You’re the stupid one! You’re a mage going to the Grand Duke!”
Daniel grinned and charged, seemingly convinced he had won.
Idiot.
The Ice Arrow threw off Daniel’s balance. The nails aimed at Galahad grazed past at an angle. Galahad’s bangs were cut off and floated through the air.
Sparks leaped from Galahad’s palm.
“It’s useless! Demonkin filth like... Gyahhh!”
Daniel let out a low scream, but his eyes remained fixed on Galahad. As he said, it only stopped him for a moment.
That was enough. Galahad placed his hand near Daniel’s heart.
“Stupid...”
Daniel could not finish speaking.
His bloodshot eyes widened. His mouth opened and closed, but only shapeless breaths escaped.
“Demonkin mana really is blood.”
Galahad moved his mana with admiration. It passed through the hand he had placed over Daniel’s heart.
He could feel Daniel’s mana completely. Unlike a human’s, it was spread throughout his entire body.
It was rougher than human mana. It felt unrefined, closer to the origin of mana, yet similar in nature.
“Mana flows from areas of low mana concentration to areas of high mana concentration. That’s the law of mana. It’s why Demonkin eat weaker Demonkin or mages.”
It was a slight gamble. If Daniel’s mana concentration had been higher, Galahad would have been in danger instead.
Still, that possibility was slim.
Daniel was furious at Galahad’s calm explanation, but he could not resist at all.
Daniel’s blood was moving in response to Galahad, like an obedient dog...
He could not understand it. A human was moving a Demonkin’s mana? Mages were Demonkin filth and servants. How dare he...
Daniel raised his head and froze. Galahad’s eyes, looking down at him, were calm.
It was the same emotionless gaze Galahad had worn while holding Emma’s hand and guiding her mana.
“Oh, so it moves like this.”
Daniel’s blood moved this way and that. The pain was horrific, but he could not even scream.
“Can I use it? Oh, it does work. Though the formula gets completely messed up.”
Daniel’s forearm burst, and sparks flew. Sparks erupted instead of blood. Galahad gave a calm exclamation of admiration.
“Bear with it for a moment. I think I’ll get the hang of it after a few more tries. Please.”
Daniel’s breath grew hot. Then flames came out as though he were vomiting.
“Does it hurt? Mana exists as blood in your body, so why does it hurt?”
Galahad looked at Daniel and asked. Daniel’s wrist had exploded and he had vomited fire, yet Galahad was asking if it hurt? What kind of question was that?
Then violent sparks burst from Daniel’s other shoulder. A searing pain sharp enough to make his bones ache struck him.
“Wait a moment. Hold on a little longer. You can do it. Stay strong.”
Daniel wanted to collapse, but Galahad’s hand gripping his shoulder would not let him go.
“Did you feed Emma the hearts of other mages? Did you feed them to her raw? Or roasted?”
Ah...
Daniel’s left leg froze. A strange vine burst out from his right leg. A small flame lit in his eyes.
He could no longer feel pain.
“Well, he’s dead.”
Galahad clicked his tongue as he looked at Daniel’s fallen body.
‘Demonkin. They really are interesting.’
He had been too excited and failed to control himself. For a Demonkin to die so easily...
They were more pathetic than the rumors claimed.
To ease his disappointment, Galahad put a cigarette between his lips. Its fresh lemon scent drove away the smell of roasted meat.
‘How many hearts did he feed her?’
Galahad recalled Emma’s mana. Daniel had likely fed her at least four, perhaps five.
‘He fed her plenty.’
Everyone here seemed desperate to eat mages.
Remembering Gilbert at last, Galahad muttered a curse and headed for the door.
‘It’ll be troublesome if he’s dead.’
If Gilbert died, who would guide him now? As he headed for the door, he spotted a familiar coat lying beside it.
It was the expensive-looking coat Daniel had been wearing.
‘Looks like I won’t need to buy a coat.’
Galahad glanced at Daniel, then put on the coat. It was quite warm. This was satisfying enough.
“Thanks for the gift. I’ll put it to good use.”
Galahad thanked Daniel and opened the door.
“You’re up early.”
Gilbert was calmly polishing his sword, but the hallway looked different from before.
It was stained red in places, with pieces scattered everywhere. It looked like hell itself.
Something beside Gilbert collapsed. Looking more closely, Galahad saw Emma.
“Didn’t I tell you this was a dangerous place?”
“I didn’t think it would be this dangerous... The lord came wearing Emma’s skirt.”
“Oh, did it suit him?”
“He looked better in it than Emma. The lord was Demonkin. Though I don’t think he was a real Demonkin.”
“Ah, so he was a bad man.”
Gilbert wore an ambiguous smile. He seemed to be trying to hide his expression, but it was fairly obvious.
‘He had not been certain, merely suspicious.’
Perhaps this was a place the Grand Duke had been watching.
And for the castle to be this sort of place...
‘No luck. No luck at all.’
Galahad grumbled as he pulled his coat tighter. At least he had gotten a good coat out of it.
“There seem to be plenty of Demonkin in the North if one can even become a lord.”
“Do you think it’s only the North?”
Galahad laughed like a cough.
At that moment, he saw the sun rising through the window. The leafless, skeletal trees and endless brown ground held no sign of life.
The North was not called a cursed land for nothing.
Beyond them, carriages bearing a familiar crest came into view. It was the Grand Duke’s crest.
“Did the Grand Duke come to meet me himself?”
“As if.”
Soldiers poured out of the carriages. Among them stood a handsome man who looked like a noble.
The handsome man bowed to Gilbert. Gilbert gave a small nod.
‘Did I handle the Grand Duke’s work for him?’
Had he earned some points?
As Galahad muttered to himself, his eyes met Emma’s. Her eyes were still open, as if she had some grievance. Galahad clicked his tongue softly and closed her eyelids. He was not doing it for Emma’s sake.
“You know something?”
“What do you mean?”
“Emma doesn’t look like Daniel.”
“...What?”
At that moment, soldiers rushed into the keep.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go, we have a long way to travel.”
Galahad cackled at Gilbert’s stupid expression.
* * *
How many days had they ridden in the carriage?
Galahad’s thoughts were focused on the Demonkin.
‘His entire body was mana. As if mana were their blood.’
Using his own mana as a medium, Galahad had been able to cast magic using Demonkin blood.
‘This is new.’
There had been almost no research on Demonkin, and it was difficult to find any.
Researching the Demonkin, who had once nearly destroyed the Empire, was strictly forbidden under Imperial law.
Current mages also tried to erase all records that magic originated from Demonkin. The Magic Tower prohibited research on Demonkin as well.
With the Church looming over them too, mages tried to keep as much distance from Demonkin as possible.
Neither the Magic Tower nor the Empire held sway in the North. There was a Church, but its influence was weak.
He would finally be able to study the Demonkin he had always been curious about to his heart’s content.
Then the carriage jolted violently and stopped.
‘We’re here.’
The door opened roughly. Something covered in white fur suddenly poked its face inside.
‘A Yeti?’
The fur moved, and clumps of snow fell away.
“Are you Garahad?!”
The man shouted in awkward Imperial.
“It’s Galahad, not Garahad.”
“Right! Garahad! Get out!”
The man gestured at him. His fur hat flapped wildly. Galahad grabbed his bag and stepped out of the carriage, only for the cutting wind to tear through his coat.
The wind was so cold that it felt like being stabbed with a real blade. Outside was a world of pure white. No matter where he looked, there was nothing but white.
Galahad circulated his mana and pulled his coat tighter.
“Good coat!”
“Right? It was a gift from a friend.”
“What?!”
“A friend! Gave it to me! As a gift!”
“Good friend!!”
The wind was so loud that if they spoke normally, they could not hear each other at all. The man’s voice was not loud for no reason.
“Congratulations on arriving at the Northern Wall!”
The man shouted, making Galahad wonder what he meant.
There was nothing here, so what had they arrived at...
The man laughed loudly and pointed behind him.
Something faint appeared through the raging snowstorm. Galahad narrowed his eyes.
What he had thought was a snow-covered mountain was actually a massive wall. It was so tall that it seemed to reach the sky, which was why he had mistaken it for a mountain.
The enormous wall stretched so far that he could not see its end.
It looked as though it divided the world itself.
“This is the Northern Wall.”
Gilbert, now wearing a thick coat, spoke.
That ambiguous smile of his was a little irritating, so Galahad casually made a joke.
“I’ll finally get to see my wife.”
Gilbert’s face immediately stiffened.
He really was fun to tease.
‘The most beautiful woman on the continent.’
Galahad was a man, so he could not help looking forward to it.
Footnotes:
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