WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Ceaseless
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Northern Grand Duke’s Mad Son-in-Law ◈
Chapter 71: Bar Brawl
──────
‘Hmm.’
Galahad let out a low groan as he stepped through the door.
He had expected the mana concentration to be high with so many Demonkin gathered here.
The problem was that it was even higher than expected.
Thump! Thump!
The Egg of Pain reacted violently. His heart pounded every time he breathed.
Comfort washed over him, like a fish returning to water after being stranded on land.
It was a familiar feeling.
‘The Demon Realm.’
This was nothing like the Demon Realm the Dark Magic Society had opened in the Seventh Battalion.
It was closer to the real Demon Realm he had entered with Adrianna before.
The mana concentration was so thick it felt sticky against his skin.
‘The North is quite a sight too.’
In a way, it was only natural.
The North had fought the Demonkin for countless years.
Its land was barren, and the Empire had reduced its support.
Its decline had been all but inevitable.
Even so...
‘I never expected there to be a Demonkin City here.’
Galahad frowned.
He had never imagined there would be a Demonkin City below.
Clatter.
The stupid helmet shook roughly.
Adrianna seemed quite shocked as well.
Clicking his tongue, Galahad surveyed the area.
Beyond the ash filling the air, the city came into view.
It was smaller than a human city, but far larger than a village.
The buildings had doors but no windows.
Everything was colorless, as though every trace of color had been drained away.
Then a floating light, like a lamp, caught Galahad’s attention.
At a glance, it resembled the Mana Lamps in the capital, but this was the Demon Realm. Mana Lamps could not possibly function in mana this dense.
‘An authority.’
Demonkin walked beneath the lights, and their clothing was striking.
Some were barely clothed. Others dressed like northern warriors. There were even those dressed like ordinary farmers.
They all had one thing in common.
‘No expressions.’
Every one of them was expressionless.
It felt as though he had entered a city made of dolls.
‘There are humans too.’
Behind the Demonkin were people desperately trying to hide their expressions. They followed behind the Demonkin like dogs being walked by their owners.
‘There are quite a few of them.’
He knew there were humans here because the Demonkin had told him so.
Still, it was impossible to know how they would react to the Special Operations Unit.
Galahad had carefully watched the Demonkin’s reactions on the way here.
They showed no interest in the Special Operations Unit he had brought along.
A few swallowed hungrily now and then, but none did anything in particular.
He had even scattered mana around and greeted them, yet the Demonkin remained quiet.
The reason was clear.
‘They think I’m Demonkin.’
It went beyond simply mistaking him for one. They treated Galahad with respect.
They seemed to consider him a Demonkin of fairly high rank.
The growth of that cheap egg had clearly played a part.
He had learned something else as well.
‘Demonkin don’t suspect one another.’
More precisely, Demonkin had no interest in one another.
‘Is that it? They just don’t care about each other?’
Galahad muttered quietly.
Clatter.
When he turned his head, Adrianna stood a little closer. He caught a glimpse of blue eyes through her helmet.
She seemed to be warning him that this was dangerous.
She was right.
Demonkin filled an environment no different from the Demon Realm.
They had quite literally entered a Demonkin City.
‘This will be dangerous.’
If their identities were exposed, they would be stranded in the Demonkin City.
Then again, there were fewer safe places than dangerous ones in this world.
They could not turn back now.
“The plan is...”
A quiet voice came from behind him. It was Gilbert.
The surrounding gazes turned toward him at once.
The Demonkin looking at Gilbert were particularly hostile.
‘They’re looking at him like he’s a noisy dog.’
Human rights seemed quite limited here.
“Shut your mouth, human.”
Gilbert’s brows drew together. Still, he closed his mouth without complaint.
Only then did the Demonkin look away.
‘Hmm. So that’s how it is.’
Galahad nodded.
For now, the most important thing was Damian.
‘First, I need information.’
Galahad moved without hesitation.
* * *
‘Dear God...’
Tom silently called for divine help as he gripped his shield tightly.
Demonkin filled every direction he looked. Their piercing stares came from all around him.
The Demonkin were watching them. Being watched was frightening enough, but they licked their lips as they looked at the group.
As if delicious food were walking around before them.
It felt like being thrown among starving beasts. Their opponents were Demonkin, so it was even more dangerous than that.
Sweat streamed down Tom’s back.
The other members were in much the same state. The Special Operations Unit stayed closer together than usual. They had no choice.
Demonkin who looked at them like food were everywhere.
Galahad, who led the way, did not hesitate in the slightest.
Watching him, Tom could not help wondering whether Galahad knew this place well.
‘Just what kind of person is he?’
He could still clearly picture the Demonkin Galahad had encountered lowering its head and opening a door for him.
And then...
‘Why does he look more excited than usual?’
Tom swallowed the thought.
All he could do was follow Galahad’s back.
They arrived at a clean bar.
Jingle.
A cheerful bell announced their arrival.
The bar was decorated in black and gray. Demonkin sat one to a table throughout the room.
Then a neatly dressed Demonkin bowed to Galahad. Its eyes swept over the Special Operations Unit for a moment.
After looking them over, the Demonkin asked, “Will you be eating them right away?”
Tom barely swallowed a scream as he tightened his grip on his shield. Gwen let out a small hiccup. Gilbert stepped forward half a pace and gripped his sword hilt. Adrianna’s helmet rattled.
Then Galahad stepped in.
Seeing Galahad’s composed figure, Tom felt relieved.
‘No, Commander Galahad is on our side. It’ll be fine...’
He muttered to calm himself.
Then Galahad spoke.
“Oh, you extract them on the spot too?”
‘...?’
Tom trembled at Galahad’s calm question.
“Yes. We take a little blood as payment.”
“How much?”
“Two parts out of ten.”
“You take quite a lot.”
Tom panicked as Galahad chatted casually with the Demonkin.
He expected Galahad to point at him and say, “Come on, give Tom a round of applause for all his hard work. He’s going to quench our thirst one last time...”
Fortunately, what Tom feared did not happen.
“Sadly, they have another use.”
“Ah, I see. I’ll show you to your table.”
The Demonkin treated Galahad politely, like a noble.
They followed it into the bar.
The bar was full of handsome men and beautiful women.
At a glance, it looked like an elegant establishment. Looking closer, though, gave Tom a chill.
No one smiled. The bar was quiet enough to hear breathing, and the glasses on every table were filled with red liquid.
Bottles full of that red liquid lined the walls.
Tom swore it was a horrific bar.
“He travels with four of them.”
“That woman looks fresh.”
Strange appraisals poured in from every direction.
Their table was a round slab of thick gray stone with hard chairs around it. It stood right in the center of the bar.
Every gaze in the bar was fixed on them. Galahad remained relaxed, as always.
After sitting down, Galahad looked around.
He even waved.
“What would you like to order?”
“What do you have?”
“We have ten-year to thirty-year vintages. We have younger ones too, if you wish, but they are rather expensive.”
‘Ten-year? Thirty-year?’
Tom did not understand what they were talking about, but it sounded deeply ominous. He swallowed dryly.
“Hmm.”
“We also have a six-year-old male. It’s expensive, but its flavor is well known.”
The Demonkin spoke softly, as though describing fine cuisine.
Gilbert ground his teeth.
The Demonkin’s gaze turned toward them. Gilbert had his hand on his sword hilt. He looked like he was doing everything he could to endure it.
The Demonkin glanced at Gilbert and nodded slightly.
“You even keep a knight with you. Impressive. A knight’s blood is exquisite as well. He’s ugly, so he’ll be worth a little less.”
Galahad gave a small wave.
Gilbert shut his mouth tightly. His face was so red it looked ready to burst.
The bar fell silent.
Everyone was looking at them.
It felt like their identities might be exposed.
Tension rose to its peak.
Then...
Galahad looked up at the Demonkin and spoke.
“Don’t you have Demonkin blood?”
The Demonkin’s expression stiffened slightly. Then it shook its head.
“...We do not deal in that.”
Galahad frowned.
“You don’t have any?”
“No. We pursue fine cuisine.”
“Fine cuisine...”
The corner of Galahad’s mouth rose.
The Demonkin took a step back. Galahad leaned forward instead.
“Can you extract Demonkin on the spot too?”
“If you wish.”
“Good.”
The Demonkin nodded with a strange expression.
Tom desperately lowered his eyes beneath the sticky gazes of the surrounding Demonkin.
‘Why did it have to be a bar...’
Bars were places where fights frequently broke out. Even in ordinary bars, people picked fights over nothing. Yet they had entered a Demonkin bar.
There was a high chance of trouble.
Of course, the commander must have had another plan...
Still, this bar was full of things that could cause trouble.
Someone could pick a fight over something trivial...
“I don’t like your eyes. How many drinks have you had already?”
Tom trembled at the conversation coming from beside him.
Just as he had feared, it seemed a fight had broken out. Tom quickly gripped his shield tighter.
As he prepared for battle, he realized something was wrong.
‘That voice just now was the commander’s.’
Tom turned his head and opened his mouth slightly.
As expected, there was a confrontation.
The problem was...
Galahad had not been challenged.
“Are you looking for a fight?”
Galahad was the one picking it.
* * *
‘As expected, they don’t care.’
Galahad glanced around.
Even though he had openly picked a fight, no one reacted.
Even the Demonkin employee showed no interest. It acted as though it had nothing to do with them.
It was complete indifference.
‘They called it a brood, didn’t they?’
Galahad recalled what Adrianna had told him.
Ordinary Demonkin did not travel in groups. Beginning with upper-ranking Demonkin, they lived as broods.
‘Do they not care unless it’s part of their brood?’
It was a theory he needed to verify.
Galahad looked around the bar.
There were twelve Demonkin in total.
With Adrianna by their side, they had enough strength to smooth things over if anything went wrong.
Tap, tap.
Galahad lightly snapped his fingers.
He looked down at the Demonkin before him. The Demonkin silently looked back up at him.
‘Can Demonkin distinguish magic from authority?’
This was the final hurdle to pretending to be Demonkin.
The Demonkin saw Galahad as one of their own, but the real question was whether they would still see him that way if he used magic.
Considering that the Demonkin he had killed had called him Demonkin in their final moments, there was a good chance they could not distinguish between authority and magic.
‘Still, I should make sure.’
Galahad had not picked a fight for no reason.
He was taking this step to test those assumptions.
Galahad glanced at Adrianna. The stupid helmet rattled.
He gave her a subtle nod. Tom tapped Gilbert and Adrianna.
“Are you going to share some blood?”
The Demonkin rose from its seat as it spoke. Its table was covered in empty glasses.
“Who do you want?”
“I want that one...”
Galahad lightly snapped his fingers.
An Ice Spike lodged in the Demonkin’s jaw. It had no time to react.
The Demonkin gurgled.
Galahad snapped his fingers again.
Another Ice Spike pierced it. The Demonkin crumpled to the floor.
Galahad grabbed it by the nape and looked around.
Their eyes remained utterly flat.
‘Demonkin are individualists.’
The corner of Galahad’s mouth twisted.
“Would you like it extracted?”
A soft voice came from beside him. It was the Demonkin employee.
‘Perfect.’
Having confirmed his theory, Galahad nodded.
“Please.”
“Yes.”
The Demonkin waved its hand. A blunt flow of mana could be felt.
The fallen Demonkin shook violently, then flattened as though someone had stepped on it.
‘An authority.’
Blood poured out.
Galahad picked up a glass from the table. He poured out the blood already in it and waved the glass through the air.
It quickly filled.
Galahad looked at the surrounding Demonkin and drained it.
Only then did their gazes scatter. Clicking tongues could be heard from all over the bar.
“What vulgar taste.”
“To drink something so foul...”
It was an amusing reaction.
The extraction was over quickly. What had once been a Demonkin was now inside a large glass bottle.
“Ah, keep it for me.”
“I apologize, but we do not handle cheap goods.”
“Is that so? Hmm, then I’ll have to choose another.”
Galahad pointed at each seated Demonkin with his index finger.
“Co-ca-Co-la...”
“We’ll store it for you just this once.”
The Demonkin nodded and waved its hand. The full glass bottle floated to an empty spot on the shelf.
It was placed in the farthest corner.
“Ah, could you tell me a little about House Proxel?”
Galahad spoke as he set down his glass.
The Demonkin he had been having such a pleasant conversation with stiffened.
The other Demonkin hurriedly looked away as well.
It was as though...
‘That reaction is like I asked about a high noble.’
It seemed House Proxel’s influence was greater than expected.
Then the Demonkin asked far more cautiously than before.
“...May I ask what your relationship is with House Proxel?”
Galahad raised the corner of his mouth.
“It is my child’s birth family.”
He answered boldly.
* * *
‘What is this...’
Adrianna muttered as she touched her stifling helmet.
Demonkin stared at her from every direction.
At the moment, Adrianna was surrounded by dozens of Demonkin.
‘How did this happen...’
Even after seeing everything, she could not understand how things had reached this point.
The cause was, as expected...
“There are truly a lot of Demonkin here. I sent the Grand Duke a letter saying this place was a yard full of Demonkin, but I need to correct it. It isn’t the yard. It’s the master bedroom.”
Galahad spoke calmly.
Adrianna tapped her stifling helmet. A dull sound rang out.
“Ah, you can speak now. I’ve cast a spell around us.”
“This is dangerous. Even now...”
“You want to run?”
“You should run. I’ll handle this.”
Adrianna spoke with determination in her eyes.
She had not drawn her sword because the others would be put in danger.
Otherwise, she would have drawn it long ago.
The number of Demonkin did not matter.
Adrianna was a sword that burned Demonkin.
“Sorry, but we haven’t found Damian yet. And I can’t leave a woman behind during a date.”
“...This isn’t the time for jokes.”
“A joke? I’m always sincere. I guarantee it.”
Adrianna was slightly flustered by Galahad’s sudden seriousness.
‘Sincere...?’
They were surrounded by Demonkin.
Their lives could be in danger from a single small mistake, yet he called this a date?
“...This is a dangerous situation.”
“Dates are supposed to make your heart race. People mistake the increased heartbeat caused by tension for love.”
“What?”
“It’s a thing. Ah, there he is.”
Galahad pointed in one direction.
In the direction he pointed stood a building several times larger than the rest.
It was a gray mansion, lavish in appearance as though it were imitating a noble’s castle. It was the Proxel Estate the Demonkin had mentioned.
A large terrace stood at the top of the estate.
Demonkin dressed like nobles stood on the terrace, and among them was a familiar face.
It was Damian of the Special Operations Unit.
Still, he looked very different from before.
When he had been with the Special Operations Unit, he had been a grimy boy. Now he wore an expensive suit, with his hair brushed back.
He looked noble, like the child of a high-ranking house.
A long table before him was covered with appetizing dishes. Meat, glossy bread, and all manner of food that looked expensive even at a glance.
The boy was stuffing himself with food.
The surrounding Demonkin appeared to be waiting on him.
“Damian has really moved up in the world.”
Adrianna nodded at Galahad’s words.
Demonkin were attending to him, and food covered the table. Grease shone on the formerly gaunt boy’s face.
“But material things cannot replace the joys of the Special Operations Unit. Damian, I’ll rescue you soon. Just wait a little longer.”
Adrianna tilted her head.
‘He seems to be doing better than before...’
“I’ll rescue you even if I have to bring this city down, so don’t worry!”
Adrianna felt strangely chilled by Galahad’s next words.
His voice was full of sincerity.
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
