WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Ceaseless
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Northern Grand Duke’s Mad Son-in-Law ◈
Chapter 77: Wrong Answer
──────
Swoooooosh.
Heavy raindrops pelted his body without pause.
Galahad swept his soaked bangs back.
Through the thick rain, he could see Damian running around frantically. Damian was like a wild beast that had slipped its leash.
The opponents were well-dressed Demonkin. It was Proxel’s authority.
It was a rough, primal inheritance. Galahad had forcibly dragged Damian out of hiding. He knew hiding was not the answer.
Instead, Galahad poured the mana and vitality he had brought into Damian.
It was thanks to Gwen using Proxel’s authority.
‘An inheritance, huh.’
Damian’s long claws cut through one Demonkin’s neck. Its head floated into the air.
Another struck Damian with a hammer. Thud! Damian was sent flying by the heavy blow.
A bald one kicked Damian.
Thump, thump. Damian rolled across the ground. Galahad stopped him with his foot.
Damian let out a choked breath.
He looked up at Galahad with round eyes.
“There are too many.”
“You can do it.”
“There are too many.”
Damian pointed behind him. Even though he had run around quite a bit, there were still a lot of them.
“They seem to regenerate.”
Damian nodded eagerly. His hair swayed, scattering water.
“Then stop them from regenerating.”
“How?”
Instead of answering, Galahad searched his pocket. It should be here... As he muttered to himself, his fingers caught something.
Galahad pulled out a fork and knife.
“You can just eat them.”
Damian’s eyes widened.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
Grrrrumble!
Damian’s stomach answered for him.
“Eat as much as you want.”
Damian took the fork and knife and smiled brightly.
It was a brighter smile than when he had been given meat.
Then...
Craaaash!
A tremendous crash rang out, followed by Gilbert’s scream.
Gilbert was screaming...
The situation must have been quite bad.
“I believe in you.”
Galahad crumpled his cigarette.
* * *
Craaaash!
Adrianna frowned at the heavy impact that traveled through her sword.
‘My aura was torn away.’
Adrianna’s aura carried her nature.
It was a nature that burned mana, turning Demonkin to ash. It worked the same way even against humans.
Aura was the only thing her power did not affect.
Her nature did not work on aura.
Still, Adrianna was the youngest Sword Master.
Few could face her with a sword.
The problem was the boy’s aura. His gray aura devoured Adrianna’s aura as if it were starving.
It was not dangerous enough to threaten Adrianna yet.
But if the boy’s aura continued devouring other auras and growing...
‘Dangerous.’
Adrianna studied the boy’s face. He was still too young to have lost all traces of boyhood.
Her brows furrowed.
She gripped her sword tightly. Pure white aura pushed back the darkness.
Adrianna remembered Galahad’s advice. He had told her to suppress him as much as possible, so she intended to use only as much strength as necessary.
“I’m sorry.”
Adrianna apologized sincerely. It was because she was not skilled enough.
Then...
“Stop, Adrianna.”
A voice came from behind her. Polite yet carrying a hint of mischief, it was clearly Galahad’s.
“This child is dangerous.”
Adrianna replied, tightening her lips. Even then, the boy’s aura continued devouring hers.
He was dangerous. More dangerous than any Demonkin...
“It’s an order.”
“Unit commanders cannot order each other around. I only obey His Grace the Grand Duke.”
“You’re Noad, the youngest member of the Special Operations Unit right now.”
At that moment, the boy’s sword changed completely. Before, it had followed proper swordsmanship. Now, it was as rough as a beast. There was no form to it at all.
Adrianna frowned as she received the blow. Another chunk of her aura was torn away. The boy’s sword reacted as if it were alive.
Even now, the boy was growing.
And very quickly...
“That is only a disguise.”
Adrianna answered firmly.
Just as she was about to swing her sword...
“Trust me.”
His voice was dry.
Adrianna furrowed her brows and took a step back. The boy’s sword rushed at her like a starving beast. Their swords clashed in rapid succession. Adrianna’s aura was pushed back.
The boy’s aura was growing, and his swordsmanship was becoming sharper by the moment. Both set off warnings in her mind.
Now, he was truly dangerous.
If Adrianna lost here, that boy would become a disaster for the North.
But...
[She didn’t trust me.]
Adrianna bit her lip.
Galahad was capable. If he said that much, he surely had a way.
“Understood.”
Adrianna nodded.
“I can’t hold out for long.”
“Ah, don’t worry. I’ll help.”
‘Help?’
The contest between Adrianna and the boy was a fierce battle decided in an instant.
How was Galahad, a mage, supposed to help with that...
Something brushed past Adrianna.
It was a blunt piece of ice. The ice struck the boy’s body.
The timing was perfect, and so was the placement.
The boy’s rhythm broke for a moment. It was only an instant, but to Adrianna, it felt agonizingly long. She thrust her sword into the opening.
For the first time, the boy was pushed a step back.
“You bastards!”
The boy shouted furiously and swung his sword. A massive aura aimed for Adrianna.
Adrianna expanded her aura in response.
Then another dull impact rang out. A shard of ice struck the boy’s foot. He staggered badly.
Again, the exact location at the perfect moment. It was as if Galahad were really standing beside her and swinging a sword.
‘No, it’s even more effective than that.’
Adrianna avoided the massive aura and thrust her sword. The boy retreated another step.
Another ice club. The boy moved his sword to block it, and an opening appeared directly in front of Adrianna.
It perfectly matched the direction of her next strike.
‘Amazing.’
He knew Adrianna’s swordsmanship precisely.
They had practiced before her duel with the Princess, but he remembered it in such detail...
His memory was extraordinary.
He also guided the opponent where he wanted.
Galahad was supporting Adrianna, precisely grasping the flow of the battle.
It felt as if Galahad stood beside her with a sword in hand.
It truly felt as though they were fighting in harmony.
‘I can do this.’
Careful not to let their auras collide, Adrianna continued the duel.
“Y-you...! You human bastards!”
The boy’s voice became increasingly muddled.
As it stopped colliding with Adrianna’s aura, the boy’s aura gradually faded.
At this rate, she could subdue him.
Then the boy’s head snapped around. He glared at Galahad.
“Damn it.”
The boy swung his sword wide. Adrianna had no choice but to retreat.
Unlike before, the boy kicked off the ground. Craaash! The ground beneath his feet burst apart. His figure shot through the air.
“I’ll kill you first.”
The boy rushed toward Galahad rather than Adrianna.
The brilliant aura clinging to his sword bore down on Galahad.
Adrianna moved urgently, but had no choice but to stop.
Galahad held up a palm toward her, as if telling her to wait.
He seemed to have a plan, so Adrianna stopped for the moment.
The gray aura, large enough to reach the ceiling, came crashing down on Galahad.
Galahad...
Spread both hands to his sides.
‘...?’
Adrianna’s thoughts froze for a moment. Then she kicked off the ground.
But there was distance between them. The boy’s aura was already right before Galahad.
The gray aura surged violently, like a beast opening its jaws wide as it aimed for Galahad.
Too late.
Then someone leaped in.
It was Tom. He raised a shield and stood in front of Galahad. It was a shabby shield.
He intended to block that enormous aura with a shield...
Then the boy’s sword stopped short.
Tom’s shield had been cut in half, but the blade stopped a short distance from Galahad’s forehead.
It had come close enough to make his bangs flutter...
“It’s over.”
Galahad casually put his cigarette between his lips.
Snap. A small flame rose from Galahad’s fingers.
The boy’s face twisted horribly. Wrinkles appeared around his eyes, then vanished. His arms shook as if he were having a seizure.
“Y-you bastard! Where are you biting, you primitive fool?!”
The boy dropped his sword and shook himself. He slapped at his body as if trying to brush off bugs.
Twisting and writhing, the boy rolled across the floor. Aged screams kept bursting from him. Deep bite marks were carved into his exposed neck.
“I told you to use the fork.”
Galahad clicked his tongue and muttered something incomprehensible.
The boy rolled around violently. His dark golden hair turned white like an old man’s.
Wrinkles covered his face, then disappeared. A long, aged scream erupted.
Soon, his struggling stopped abruptly.
The boy opened his mouth wide.
Then...
“Burp.”
He let out a hearty belch.
The boy’s hair remained white, but the air around him had changed.
“I’m full.”
“Well, Damian knows how to say he’s full too.”
“Damian!”
“Gilbert has collapsed! He’s even foaming at the mouth!”
“Slap his cheeks or something.”
Galahad waved a hand carelessly and approached Adrianna.
As always, his face was relaxed.
“We work very well together. We must be a match made in heaven.”
Galahad said it with a teasing smile.
They did not work well together. Galahad had simply matched himself to Adrianna.
To say something so shamelessly...
“Thank you.”
Adrianna bowed deeply.
“Why are you thanking me?”
Adrianna turned her head. Damian was buried in Gwen’s embrace. He looked like an ordinary boy.
“You stopped me from making the wrong decision.”
There had been a way to save him, yet she had almost killed the boy. Galahad had prevented a terrible mistake.
“Oh, that wasn’t your fault. That was the best you could do. I only found a new method because I’m an exceptional mage. It isn’t a fault to be less capable than I am.”
Galahad lifted the corner of his mouth. A sour lemon scent spread through the air.
Adrianna considered Galahad’s words carefully.
After going over them several times, she tilted her head.
“Are you saying I’m stupid?”
Galahad exhaled smoke in quick succession. For the first time, confusion appeared on his face.
“...That’s not what I mean. I’m saying I’m exceptional. For example, would it make sense to criticize someone who doesn’t know magic for breaking branches to make a fire?”
“So I’m stupid enough not to know magic.”
“I’m not saying that.”
Adrianna coughed softly.
“...You know how to joke too.”
“Yes. I was repeatedly voted the funniest person in the First Battalion.”
“Oh... The First Battalion was the problem.”
Adrianna quietly watched Galahad smoke.
Why had the Demonkin thought Galahad was Demonkin? How did he know so much about Demonkin? There were mountains of questions.
So Adrianna opened her mouth.
“Do you like lemons?”
“No, I hate them. Very much.”
“Then why do you smoke lemon-scented cigarettes?”
“It’s a habit. A very bad habit.”
Adrianna nodded.
Then...
The air grew heavy.
“Looks like we’ve been spotted.”
Adrianna turned her head.
“Hmm, I felt Belhardenia’s presence, though?”
There was a small child.
A little one wearing a crooked crown and a cape.
At a glance, the child looked ridiculous, but there was nothing amusing about this visitor.
The child's mere presence made her hands tingle.
At minimum, the child was a supreme-ranking Demonkin.
Or...
‘A high-ranking Demonkin.’
Adrianna narrowed her eyes.
Pure white aura burned fiercely. Unlike before, it surged past Adrianna and nearly pierced the ceiling.
The swelling white light tore through the surrounding darkness. It became bright as if morning had arrived.
The child was surely the Ruler of the city, said to take away anyone who caught the Ruler's interest.
The Ruler was surely targeting Adrianna.
“The Ruler will target me. I will hold the child off, so use that opening to retreat...”
Adrianna said, pointing her sword at the Ruler.
Then the Ruler moved.
The Ruler...
Casually passed Adrianna by.
* * *
‘This is bad.’
Galahad frowned.
He had drawn the attention of the Ruler, the one he had been most wary of.
Damian’s gray aura had been the greatest variable. Since it devoured aura, Gilbert had become useless. On top of that, the old man had been more tenacious than expected.
Those variables had overlapped and tangled his plan.
Still, the result was better than expected.
He had confirmed Damian’s aura and fed the old man to Damian quite well.
The problem was that he had caught the Ruler’s attention, and the Ruler had appeared in person.
The Ruler was a child wearing a crown and holding a golden club.
The child looked somewhat ridiculous, but Galahad could not laugh.
From the moment the Ruler appeared, mana had stopped moving.
“Kneel.”
The Ruler gave a short command.
His shoulders grew heavy. His knees bent on their own. His body moved without his control.
Before he knew it, Galahad was half kneeling.
‘Mental interference?’
Galahad tried to send mana toward his head. It would not move.
As if it had frozen solid...
‘So this is a high-ranking Demonkin. Interesting.’
It was similar to what he had experienced before, but the sensation was strangely different.
‘What about Adrianna?’
The pure white aura grew larger. It blazed like oil had been poured onto it. Adrianna’s figure was barely visible through it.
Adrianna was trembling slightly.
‘Damn it.’
She was not being overwhelmed by the Ruler’s authority.
Adrianna possessed a nature that burned demonic power. That nature grew stronger depending on the opponent.
She seemed to be struggling just to endure the strengthened nature that had risen to meet a high-ranking Demonkin.
Beyond her, Galahad could see the city.
Demonkin and humans were packed together. As if facing a true king, they all knelt and pressed themselves flat against the ground.
‘We’re completely surrounded.’
The Ruler’s intervention had been one of the possibilities he had expected.
Galahad had judged that if he and Adrianna joined forces, they could deal with even a high-ranking Demonkin.
That had not changed.
There was no way Adrianna would fail to overcome that nature and collapse.
But...
‘There’s one more.’
Galahad stared behind the Ruler. There was nothing there.
That was the problem.
The Ruler’s appearance and Adrianna’s aura had stirred the surrounding mana into a frenzy, but that area alone was quiet.
As if something were deliberately concealing itself...
It had to be at least as strong as the Ruler.
His thoughts grew complicated.
Then...
“Hmm, so it’s you.”
The Ruler was suddenly standing before Galahad.
The Ruler's eyes studied him.
The Ruler's interest lay with Galahad rather than Adrianna.
Only then did the situation make sense.
Despite Adrianna being as careful as possible, he finally understood why the Ruler had appeared.
The Ruler had been drawn here by Galahad.
What had drawn the Ruler's interest?
‘The Egg of Pain?’
The Egg of Pain was completely still, as if it were not even here.
A cheap egg playing dead could not have caught the Ruler’s attention.
Then the Ruler spoke.
“What is your relationship with Belhardenia?”
“Belhardenia...” Galahad muttered softly.
Belhardenia was the First Mage. Humanity’s first traitor...
The Ruler suspected that Galahad was connected to the First Mage.
The reason was...
‘Because of this magic circle?’
Galahad looked down at his wrist. The magic circle left behind by the First Mage was blazing more fiercely than ever.
It was the most likely possibility, but it was only a magic circle.
It was hard to believe the Ruler would move over something like that alone.
Then the crown atop the Ruler’s head caught his attention.
A large jewel had seemingly once been set in it, but there was now a gaping hole in the crown’s center.
‘The Demon King?’
Galahad swallowed dryly. Blood rushed through his body. His head grew hot.
The Ruler was strong enough to make his hair stand on end, but...
‘This isn’t the Demon King.’
Galahad, who had pursued the Demon King all his life, could tell instinctively.
The Ruler was not the Demon King.
Still, he remained in danger.
The Ruler’s rusty golden club pointed at Galahad.
“I’ll ask one last time. What is your relationship with Belhardenia?”
The Ruler had asked only twice, yet was already calling this the last question...
The Ruler seemed to have very little patience.
The Ruler's eyes were dark as pitch. Meeting that gaze felt as if the nerves in his brain were burning.
Galahad instinctively knew that his head could fly off depending on his answer.
He assembled the clues. The Ruler was Demonkin and had come in person, apparently believing the First Mage had appeared.
Was the Ruler's relationship with the First Mage positive? Or negative?
Since the Ruler was Demonkin, a positive relationship seemed more likely.
But that did not matter.
What mattered was the one hidden behind the Ruler.
Was it on the Ruler’s side? Then why was it hiding? The fact that it had deliberately chosen to hide meant it did not want to be seen.
There were too many variables.
He could only choose the more likely possibility.
“Belhardenia is my master.”
The Ruler’s eyes curved.
“Really? So I’ve finally found them.”
Galahad’s heart stopped for a moment.
“That damned traitor.”
Damn it, that was the wrong answer.
A fifty-fifty chance, and it was the wrong answer...
‘My luck is terrible.’
The Egg of Pain urgently squeezed his heart.
He barely managed to breathe again.
He had already chosen the wrong option.
So this time...
“I’ll kill the Emperor.”
He needed to overturn the board.
[Good.]
A fragrant grassy scent tickled his nose.
Footnotes:
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