WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Ceaseless

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

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

Chapter 66: Wall

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“Heh heh...”

Tom felt a little concerned as Gilbert continued chuckling beside him.

“Did something good happen?”

“Ah, I bet it all.”

“All of it?”

“Yeah. Heh heh. I’m rich now.”

Gilbert let out another low laugh.

Seeing how excited he was, Tom swallowed nervously.

“I’m going to buy a beautiful, well-made sword.”

“...Where did you place your bet?”

“What a stupid question. Of course I bet on the Captain.”

Gilbert clicked his tongue.

“The Captain burns even Demonkin. There’s no way he’ll lose to a mage. The odds are a little disappointing, but I put everything I had on it.”

Gilbert sounded uncharacteristically logical.

That only made Tom more uneasy.

Tom, too, was certain Galahad would win. He could not imagine Galahad losing in the first place.

Just then, Galahad entered the arena. He had taken off the coat Tom had made for him and was dressed in a neat suit.

“Why isn’t he wearing the Monster coat? Didn’t you say magic doesn’t work on it?”

“Ah, I heard imperial-style magic duels have quite a few conditions. There’s a set dress code, and the Monster coat is probably not included.”

“How do you know that, Tom?”

“I looked into it because it’s the Captain’s duel.”

“I see. So there are lots of rules. Mages really are troublesome bastards. If you pick up a sword, the stronger one just wins.”

Tom gave an awkward smile at Gilbert’s mutter.

A knight beside them saluted Gilbert.

Gilbert accepted the salute with a cold expression.

This was the Gilbert Tom had heard about from the front lines.

“Ahem, so did the Captain bet this time too?”

Of course, he immediately returned to being the Gilbert of the Special Operations Unit.

“That’s the strange part. He told us not to bet this time.”

Galahad had correctly predicted two matches in a row. Yet he had specifically told them not to bet on his own match.

“...Really?”

Gilbert’s expression turned odd.

Had he finally realized something was wrong?

“Heh heh. So he was planning to keep it all for himself. He can’t fool me!”

Tom quietly shook his head as Gilbert smiled slyly.

At that moment, a mage in a white robe entered the arena.

* * *

‘It hurts even more now.’

Galahad shook out his tingling hand.

The Egg of Pain nodded vigorously. It was utterly terrified.

The stronger the opponent, the stronger Adrianna’s trait that burned away mana became.

Once the Egg of Pain rose by one grade, pain beyond comparison to before had struck him.

Galahad had nearly screamed.

The absurd pain had cleared his mind.

If he held her hand any longer, he might really die.

In exchange, Adrianna’s trait had become much clearer.

‘Compatibility.’

Galahad muttered the unpleasant word.

He was beginning to understand Adrianna’s trait.

Thump! Thump! The Egg of Pain protested violently, as if demanding to know why he had done something so insane.

‘Because I need it.’

Galahad brushed back his messy hair and looked to the upper left.

The Princess sat there, leaning to one side.

Her eyes curved into pleasant crescents.

Would the Princess obediently step back after losing the duel? Of course not.

The Princess was a thoroughly mad woman.

There was only one reason she would withdraw so gracefully after the duel.

‘She’s leaving it in my hands.’

She was waiting for Galahad’s judgment.

She truly was a vicious woman.

If Galahad won here...

‘There’ll be no taking it back.’

A terrible outcome was certain.

Even if the Princess withdrew, it would not end there. The Empire would use that as an excuse to bring down the Princess while pressuring the North at the same time.

The Princess was a card tied to the imperial family.

He could not discard her.

But he could not lose, either.

The Grand Duke was staring at Galahad with blazing blue eyes.

It was as if the Grand Duke and the Princess were both aiming at Galahad’s throat.

Whichever one he chose, the result would be disastrous.

Galahad rubbed his chilled neck.

“You don’t even have a staff?”

The sharp voice broke his train of thought. Contempt filled Bunch’s face.

His opponent was an upper-ranking mage of the White Magic Tower, a capable mage with quite a name in the capital.

He was not someone Galahad could handle however he pleased.

“Sorry, but both my legs still work. I don’t need a staff.”

“What did you say? You stupid bastard, still trying to act tough.”

Galahad chuckled at Bunch’s shrill retort.

Nobles really were childish.

A kid much younger than them entered the Academy, and they resorted to such petty bullying...

A soldier beside them blew a horn.

“I’ll teach you some manners! Fire Ground!”

A massive blaze erupted from the tip of Bunch’s staff. Like flames devouring the earth, it spread in every direction.

‘Ah, he’s a fire mage.’

Galahad recalled Bunch’s specialty.

Bunch was a mage specialized in fire.

‘Fire Ground. He must’ve been chanting the spell beforehand.’

Fire Ground was an area spell that filled the surroundings with flames.

Once it was established, fire magic became much easier to cast and grew more powerful. It was primarily a support spell.

‘Not bad.’

Instead of attacking in excitement, he had built a foundation first. Bunch was clearly quite familiar with mage duels.

Since Fire Ground was Bunch’s magic, using fire magic against it would only make it easier for him to interfere.

And...

‘It has to be as flashy as possible.’

Ice was the classic answer to fire.

Galahad snapped his fingers with a smile.

“Frozen Ground.”

For the first time in a while, mana drained from him in a rush. A chilling cold spread around Galahad.

The fiercely burning flames were pushed back by the cold.

Galahad measured the speed.

Bunch pointed his staff at Galahad and shouted.

“Flaming Serpent!”

A thick stream of fire surged from the tip of his staff. Sticky flames, like kneaded lava, emerged as the flames spread across the ground were drawn in and clung to it.

The serpent swelled in an instant. The fiery shape, closer to a dragon than a serpent, looked down at Galahad.

‘Flaming Serpent.’

Feeling a strange interest, Galahad snapped his fingers.

“Frozen Serpent.”

Frost gathered and expanded.

Before long, a serpent carved from ice stood behind Galahad.

Cheers erupted around the arena.

Then Galahad spotted Gwen among the crowd. Gwen watched the magic with dazed eyes, her mouth hanging open.

Her gaze was dreamy.

“This is a good opportunity. Watch closely.”

The enormous serpent of fire lunged at Galahad.

Galahad smiled and moved his finger.

Fire and ice collided in the middle. The fire surged violently, rapidly growing larger. Fragments scattered behind the ice as a chilling energy spread.

Boom!

A heavy impact rang out.

‘Damn.’

The fire dragon’s form distorted.

It was weaker than expected.

No...

‘My level has become far too high.’

It was a miscalculation. Galahad frowned.

Galahad hurriedly drove the spell forward. The ice dragon advanced, pushing back the fire dragon.

When the fire dragon was pushed all the way to Fire Ground, its momentum changed completely. The ice dragon weakened within Fire Ground, while the fire dragon grew larger.

Galahad narrowed his eyes as he examined the magic. He compared the amount of mana being used.

‘The difference is large.’

He needed to expend mana more actively.

“Explosive Fireball!”

“Ice Spear.”

This time, he cast faster. The two spells collided within Fire Ground.

The Explosive Fireball scattered apart. The Ice Spear pierced through it, then melted away.

He still had too much mana left. Galahad adjusted it precisely. He lowered the density and increased the amount, deliberately enlarging the spell.

Then his eyes met Bunch’s.

Bunch’s face was completely twisted.

‘He catches on quickly.’

Still, there was nothing Bunch could do.

The calculations were already complete.

Galahad’s calculations were precise.

* * *

‘Insane...’

Bunch bit down hard on his lip.

At first, he had thought Galahad was an idiot.

When Bunch cast Fire Ground, Galahad followed by casting Frozen Ground. It was the most foolish response possible.

Bunch was a mage specialized in fire. He had joined the White Magic Tower with fire magic and devoted his entire life to the fire element.

To challenge Bunch with an opposing element...

It was the worst move possible.

Yet Galahad’s Frozen Ground pushed back Fire Ground.

The longer their contest continued, the stranger it became.

Galahad simply stared at Bunch.

As though...

‘He’s waiting for my magic.’

Bunch gritted his teeth and cast spell after spell.

Each time, Galahad countered with ice magic of the same rank.

With not even the slightest error.

The point where their magic clashed crept closer and closer to Bunch.

Bunch thought he was pushing Galahad back.

Yet no matter how many more chants he added or how much more mana he poured in, the place where their magic disappeared did not change.

Their magic vanished exactly where the two domains overlapped.

Only then did Bunch realize it.

Galahad was matching his magic exactly.

“Damn! Magic is incredible!”

“Wow. They must be evenly matched! What an amazing fight!”

Cheers burst out from every direction as spells exploded one after another.

The magic continued to tangle and burst apart.

To everyone watching, it probably looked like an evenly matched battle.

Bunch knew it was not.

No, he could feel it.

When two spells collided, there were three possible outcomes.

One consumed the other, one was consumed, or both clashed and vanished.

Most of the time, one spell consumed the other.

For two spells to cancel each other out, the mana put into them had to be the same.

That was extremely rare.

Yet now, their spells kept clashing and disappearing.

Was it simply because they had the same amount of mana?

‘No. He’s matching my mana exactly.’

Bunch shook his head, dismissing the absurd thought.

‘Don’t be ridiculous. I’m Bunch of the White Magic Tower!’

He gritted his teeth and poured in more mana.

The result was the same.

Their magic shattered precisely at the boundary between their domains.

Why was Galahad doing this?

If he intended to win, he could simply win cleanly.

Why humiliate Bunch like this?

Then Bunch felt a dull ache near his heart.

It was a sign that his mana was running out.

‘No way...’

“Frozen Spear.”

A spear of ice targeted Bunch.

Straight at his head.

If he uttered anything other than a spell, his forehead would surely be pierced.

Bunch hurriedly chanted.

Their magic shattered exactly at the edge of the domain.

After allowing him a brief moment to catch his breath, another ice spear flew at him.

Galahad was even considering the time Bunch needed to cast magic.

Like a teacher fighting at the level of a student.

‘How dare he treat me like this! Not a chance.’

Bunch gripped his staff tightly.

Then Galahad spoke first.

“Frozen Spear.”

He kindly announced the spell, as if telling Bunch what magic he would use.

A thick spear of ice targeted Bunch. Bunch had no choice but to chant.

The two spells collided again and vanished spectacularly.

It was enough to make the spectators gasp in admiration.

That was when the real problem began.

“Hmm, a Frozen Cannon should be good.”

“Frozen Arrows. Ten.”

“I should catch my breath behind an Ice Wall for a moment.”

Galahad began adding comments to his spells.

It sounded like he was talking to himself, but the words were meant for Bunch.

He was revealing his moves in advance so Bunch could keep up.

Like a very kind teacher, he explained each one.

Only then did Bunch understand Galahad’s intention.

Galahad was playing with him.

He was clearly trying to take revenge for the Academy days.

‘How dare he! How dare he!!’

Back at the Academy, Galahad had been a brat who could not even meet Bunch’s eyes.

And now that brat was playing with him...

It was unforgivable.

‘I’m Bunch of the White Magic Tower!’

Bunch gritted his teeth.

But excitement was a curse for a mage.

Keeping his composure, Bunch prepared a move.

‘How dare he be so arrogant.’

If Galahad expected Bunch’s mana and matched it, Bunch only had to shatter those expectations.

Bunch had the ability to do that.

He adjusted his grip on his staff and began chanting.

Very quietly, so Galahad could not hear.

Then he released a basic fireball from his staff.

He planned to draw Galahad’s attention with the fireball, then strike with his winning blow.

‘He won’t expect dual casting.’

Dual casting was Bunch’s hidden blade.

‘Your arrogance has sealed your fate.’

When Galahad fired an Ice Arrow at the fireball, Bunch opened his mouth.

“All-Melting Fire!”

A massive stream of fire shot from Bunch’s staff.

It was Bunch’s fastest spell, and it had respectable power.

There was no way Galahad could block it while distracted by the fireball.

‘...Is he smiling?’

A strange chill ran through Bunch as he saw Galahad’s raised lips.

Then...

“All-Freezing Flower.”

Galahad snapped his fingers.

The ice flower that bloomed before him devoured the fireball, then collided with the stream of fire.

A massive explosion erupted.

The stream of fire and the flower vanished at the same time.

In that brief instant, Galahad had calculated the mana in both the fireball and the stream of fire, then constructed a spell using the combined amount of mana.

It was impossible to believe.

Something like that could not be possible.

Yet Galahad’s raised lips proved that it was.

“Interesting. Now then, Ice Arrow.”

Bunch felt an insurmountable, miserable wall before him.

* * *

‘No way...’

Deban, the Princess’s knight, widened his eyes.

Magic flew, shattered, flew again, and shattered again.

The arena had already lost its shape.

Flames rose everywhere, while frost surged in the opposite direction.

A dragon of fire rose, and a dragon of ice opened its jaws at it.

Wild cheers poured out over the heart-stopping duel.

The fierce contest continued, with neither side giving an inch.

Bunch was an upper-ranking mage of the White Magic Tower, but his opponent was Galahad. There was no way a mage could defeat Galahad.

Yet this battle was so intense...

Deban could not understand it at all.

‘Was Bunch really that strong?’

The power on display was genuinely overwhelming.

Then the Princess rose from her seat. Her eyes were full of tears.

“Ah...”

A heated sob escaped the Princess’s lips. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

‘Why?’

Why was she so happy that Galahad was having such a difficult time?

Then...

“How dare you! How dare you! What do you think I am?!”

Bunch vomited blood as he swung his staff.

A small fireball rose from the staff.

It was far smaller than the previous spells, but its presence was different.

The remaining flames around the arena were sucked into it in an instant.

“Foxfire.”

A massive flame settled on Bunch’s staff. It was so hot that the ground below began to melt.

Galahad snapped his fingers. Clear ice, pure as crystal, appeared.

The surrounding frost was drawn into it. Soon, a massive block of ice took shape.

“Don’t screw with me!”

Bunch cursed harshly and swung his staff.

Galahad moved his finger.

The two enormous spells collided in the center.

Boom!

The deafening sound came a moment later. The arena shook violently. Shattered fragments of ice scattered everywhere, and flames whipped through the air.

The explosion was so immense that Deban instinctively moved in front of the Princess. Several soldiers were blown backward.

Thick smoke soon filled the arena.

A heavy silence descended.

There were no cheers.

“Tsk.”

The Grand Duke swung his enormous hand.

A gust of wind pushed the smoke away.

The sight revealed through the haze was miserable.

Bunch stood in the ruined arena, leaning on his staff.

Veins stood out all over Bunch’s face. His eyes were red as though every capillary had burst. Blood dripped from the corners of his eyes. His body shook violently.

‘Mana exhaustion...’

It was a condition called a mage’s death sentence. The pain was said to rival falling into hell.

‘Then Galahad...’

Galahad was in the same state. His blood-red eyes were filled with burst capillaries, and his body trembled from unbearable pain.

Yet he stood resolutely. It was clearly mana exhaustion.

Then Bunch and Galahad collapsed.

At the exact same time, without the slightest difference.

Thud.

Compared to the previous explosions, the weak sound marked the end.

‘What in the world...’

Could this really happen?

“You truly are driving me mad.”

Deban understood the situation at the Princess’s tearful murmur.

‘He made it a draw?’

Unlike a knight’s duel, a mage’s duel could end in a draw.

If both sides entered mana exhaustion, it was a draw.

But it was impossible for two people to have the same amount of mana. Even if they did, the mana they allocated to each spell would differ.

Mana exhaustion also had an infamous reputation. The common belief was that it was better to forfeit than suffer mana exhaustion.

That was why a draw was difficult to see even once in a thousand duels.

Yet Galahad had made it a draw.

It meant he had willingly endured that infamous mana exhaustion.

“It... it is a draw.”

The referee announced the result belatedly.

Then the Princess kicked away her chair.

Before anyone realized it, she was in the arena.

Adrianna stood directly in front of her.

Adrianna and the Princess faced each other over Galahad.

Adrianna had arrived first, but she could not reach for him.

Without her gauntlet, she could not touch him.

Looking at Adrianna, the Princess embraced Galahad with both arms.

Then, as if showing him off, she pulled Galahad even closer.

Adrianna’s eyebrows rose sharply.

A heavy silence fell over the unbelievable result.

Everyone carefully held their breath and watched each other’s reactions.

Then someone cried out in despair.

“Aaaaaah! I’m ruined!”

It was Gilbert.

Footnotes:

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