The Northern Grand Duke's Mad Son-in-Law - Chapter 78

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Ceaseless

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

Chapter 78: Escape

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‘Damn.’

A tiny blade of grass sprouted amid the endless gray. It grew into a bush, and the bush thickened into a tree.

Countless leaves fell from that tree.

The leaves became blades of grass again, then bushes, then trees.

Before long, a forest had taken root.

‘Flashy.’

Galahad narrowed his eyes.

He could not sense any mana.

It felt like he had entered a tiger’s den while trying to avoid a fox.

Still, the Demonkin that referred to itself as “that person” had a clear goal for Galahad.

The Emperor’s death.

Clear goals were easier to predict.

The goal was extremely dangerous, but it was better than knowing nothing at all.

‘What about it?’

Galahad checked on the Ruler.

The Ruler’s once relaxed face had twisted. The emotion written across it was...

‘The Ruler is afraid.’

A high-ranking Demonkin was afraid.

The thick bushes parted, and it appeared.

It had four legs like a deer’s. Each was long and white, like a woman’s leg.

Its face was that of a beautiful woman with a faint smile and a holy air.

It looked more like an angel than a Demonkin.

The Four-legged Demonkin’s eyes shifted. At the end of its gaze stood Adrianna, panting heavily. Her pure white aura had surpassed the point of burning and was now surging as though it might explode.

That seemed to be why the Four-legged Demonkin had appeared.

Adrianna had already gone beyond what she could endure. Her nature would not stop.

As if Adrianna herself were fuel, it burned even more fiercely.

‘Could you tone down that authority a little?’

The Four-legged Demonkin looked at Galahad.

His vision flickered.

Before he knew it, Galahad was falling from a sheer cliff thousands of feet high. As if that were not enough, passing eagles latched onto him and pecked at his flesh.

Galahad simply clicked his tongue.

“Didn’t I tell you? This won’t work on me.”

His vision warped, and he was back in the forest.

[You are insane.]

Galahad clicked his tongue again at the blunt assessment.

Then the Ruler spun the Golden Scepter. A faint sneer appeared on the child's face.

“Something that belongs in the Abyss dares show itself in my territory?”

The Ruler mocked the Four-legged Demonkin, though the voice trembled slightly.

‘The Abyss?’

Galahad’s eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar word.

Most of the Demonkin Galahad had captured possessed defenses against mental interference.

Demonkin were a mage’s natural enemy. Few mages could cast spells on them. That meant their defenses could not have been intended for mages.

‘Is the Abyss some kind of exile?’

Galahad committed the new clue to memory.

‘This won’t be easy.’

Perhaps because there were two high-ranking Demonkin, he could not even breathe freely.

Everything was quiet, as if the world itself were watching its step.

Then the Four-legged Demonkin looked at the Ruler.

The Ruler’s body trembled slightly.

The Ruler's expression hardened as the Golden Scepter rose.

“You’re only an illusion here. What can you possibly do?”

The Ruler sneered and swung the Golden Scepter wide.

Bushes split apart and trees shattered. Gray filled the gaps. The gray spread like rot, slowly consuming the forest.

Soon, half the forest had vanished.

[That is correct. I am not here.]

A voice as gentle as a nap on a warm day tickled his mind. The Four-legged Demonkin’s lips did not move.

“Then get lost, you thing without a crown.”

The Ruler swept the Golden Scepter again, seeming very attached to the weapon.

The gray spread farther, pressing the forest back.

‘Is it losing?’

Galahad frowned and looked up at the Four-legged Demonkin.

Then it tilted its head. Green leaves spread through its hair.

[But...]

The fresh scent of grass drifted through the air again.

[Are you here?]

“Wha...”

The Ruler trailed off.

The Ruler's eyes lost focus. The child's head tilted. Breathing grew harsher, and the shoulders shook.

‘It is pretty nasty.’

The Ruler must have died dozens of times inside that illusion. Galahad could sympathize a little.

The Four-legged Demonkin moved with elegance. Its four legs stepped forward one by one, as if maintaining perfect balance.

[I will ask again.]

As it came closer, the Ruler’s trembling grew worse.

The Ruler's knees buckled. The child's eyes turned red. Blood flowed in a long trail from the corner of the Ruler's mouth.

[Are you here?]

The Four-legged Demonkin looked down at the Ruler in silence.

Just before kneeling in worship, the Ruler stopped.

The Ruler bit down hard on a lip, then spat something out.

It was a lump of red flesh.

The Ruler had bitten through a lip and spat it out.

The Ruler’s eyes regained focus.

The Ruler's mouth opened slowly. Blood streamed heavily between mangled lips.

‘What a shame.’

Galahad clicked his tongue.

“This is my territory.”

The Ruler rose while leaning on the Golden Scepter. The child's presence was stronger than before.

The Four-legged Demonkin took a step back.

[This child is my servant.]

It looked at Galahad as it spoke.

Servant. That was a little hurtful.

Galahad frowned.

“Something coveted by one who has fallen into the Abyss. I must add it to my collection.”

The Ruler stroked the Golden Scepter.

Desire dripped from the Ruler's voice.

‘Being popular has its drawbacks.’

Galahad clicked his tongue under the gazes of the two Demonkin.

The Ruler’s presence became increasingly violent. The Ruler’s gaze on Galahad was far from ordinary.

The Four-legged Demonkin’s arrival seemed to have provoked the Ruler even more.

For the first time, the Four-legged Demonkin opened its mouth.

[Kill the Emperor.]

Galahad could tell this was no simple order.

He nodded.

The Ruler swung the Golden Scepter. The forest scattered again. Gray tore away the greenery. The Demonkin took a step forward.

A sharp sense of danger welled up within him.

The Four-legged Demonkin looked at the Ruler.

[Where are you?]

It moved its lips.

The forest was gone.

Only the Ruler’s movement stopped abruptly. The child's eyes turned red.

Without even blinking, the Ruler froze in place.

The Four-legged Demonkin fell silent as well.

Galahad understood the situation.

‘All the Four-legged Demonkin can do is hold the Ruler in place.’

The Ruler was a high-ranking Demonkin whose mere appearance had sent Adrianna into a rampage and made Galahad’s hair stand on end.

And the Four-legged Demonkin had bound such a creature with mental interference.

‘Impressive.’

There was still a problem.

“Can’t you do something about the others?”

The city’s Demonkin and humans were beginning to move. Their hostile gazes turned toward Galahad.

The Four-legged Demonkin did not answer.

Clicking his tongue, Galahad first checked on Adrianna. Her stupid helmet lay nearby.

Adrianna was not in good condition. Her pure white aura burned fiercely, as if someone had poured fuel onto it. Blue veins stood out across her face.

With the Ruler followed by the Four-legged Demonkin appearing, she seemed unable to control her power.

The solution was simple.

She just had to suppress it completely.

Adrianna must have known that too, yet she had not done so.

The reason she endured even while her own body burned was obvious.

‘She feels responsible for protecting us.’

She really was a foolish woman.

Galahad clicked his tongue and stood before Adrianna.

“Suppress your aura.”

Her bloodshot eyes fixed on him.

They were filled with stubborn determination.

“Are you planning to swing that once and die? It’s still power you can’t handle.”

Adrianna blinked.

‘Words won’t work.’

There was no time to persuade her.

Galahad clicked his tongue and strode forward.

“...!”

Adrianna’s eyes widened.

Galahad did not stop. He stepped closer.

The pure white aura rippled right in front of his face.

The moment it touched him, he would melt. Like the Demonkin cut by Adrianna’s sword, he would surely become dust.

Still, Galahad was certain Adrianna would not let that happen.

So he took another step.

Adrianna let out a small gasp. Blood ran from the corner of her mouth, likely because she had bitten her lip. Her aura shrank a little.

Galahad stepped forward once more.

The pure white aura brushed past him. His bangs scattered into dust.

The aura vanished at once. Adrianna’s face was covered in sweat.

“You really do have nice skin.”

“Are you insane?!”

Adrianna raised her voice for the first time.

“Why would you do something so reckless?!”

“I trusted you. Didn’t you trust me too?”

Adrianna opened and closed her mouth. She looked too angry to speak, yet seemed not to know enough curses.

Galahad picked up the helmet and held it out to her.

“There’s no time. I’m counting on you for the rest of the unit.”

He headed straight for the Ruler.

The Ruler remained frozen in the same pose, the Golden Scepter extended.

The sight was somewhat ridiculous: a child holding a Golden Scepter and wearing a crown too large for the small head beneath it.

Yet even while subdued, the Ruler's presence was intense enough to make his skin sting.

Only the Ruler's eyes moved toward Galahad.

Galahad snapped his fingers as he considered whether to try killing the Ruler.

He soon shook his head. The Ruler would break free immediately.

After finishing his calculations, Galahad pulled an empty canteen from his coat. He carefully wiped its opening clean.

The Ruler watched him, seemingly curious about what he was doing.

Galahad smiled.

“Hmm, could you press your lips together for me?”

He placed the canteen beneath the Ruler's chin, taking great care not to touch the child.

Blood dripped from the Ruler’s torn lips into the canteen. The child's pupils trembled slightly.

Little by little, blood gathered in the canteen.

As he collected it, noise erupted behind him. Demonkin and humans were climbing the stairs with clear hostility in their eyes. Though some fell because the stairs were narrow, the rest kept charging forward wildly.

“What a shame.”

As Galahad put away the canteen, he noticed the Golden Scepter.

It was covered in marks from use, as though the Ruler treasured it. The Ruler was gripping the end of the Golden Scepter.

‘If I pull it, it should come free.’

Galahad watched for a moment, then gave it a light tug.

The Golden Scepter slipped free with a pop.

The Ruler’s body shook violently. The child's pupils expanded, then shrank.

A chilling grinding sound came from the Ruler's teeth.

“Ret...”

The Ruler’s mouth moved slightly, probably in an attempt to threaten him.

“I’m sorry, but there are quite a few people after me. The queue is rather long.”

Galahad shook the Golden Scepter and canteen at the Ruler, then turned away without regret.

Everyone except Gwen had woken up, perhaps because Adrianna had roused them.

“The youngest? I passed out? I clearly had my sword... Huh? There was something terrible... What was it?”

Gilbert muttered uncomfortably while rubbing his head.

“That was a good sleep.”

Damian stretched happily. Tom picked up the unconscious Gwen.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Galahad shook the canteen. There was not much in it, only enough for a single sip.

That would be enough.

Bang!

The wall collapsed with a heavy crash.

A tightly packed mass of Demonkin and humans charged at them. It was a truly horrifying sight.

The Demonkin at the front opened its jaws wide. Galahad fired a sharp Ice Spike into them. The Demonkin vomited blood and fell backward. Three more pushed into its place.

It was a dreadful tide of Demonkin.

“Ah, if you get caught, you’re it.”

Galahad spoke casually.

* * *

“Huff.”

Adrianna exhaled hot breath as she pulled her sword free.

The Demonkin with a hole through its chest let out a scream of agony.

Dust spread through the air. Soon, the Demonkin collapsed. Another immediately took its place, as if it had been waiting.

The nature that burned Demonkin raged more fiercely than ever. Even suppressing it was difficult.

It was because of the high-ranking Demonkin she had faced.

The high-ranking Demonkin called the Ruler was a problem, but...

‘What in the world was that Demonkin?’

The one that had appeared afterward was no ordinary high-ranking Demonkin.

The moment she faced it, Adrianna could no longer control her nature.

Her mana-burning nature burned Adrianna as well, growing more violent.

If not for Galahad, it would have devoured her.

Her uncontrolled aura surged up in an instant. Her arm burned as if it were on fire. Adrianna hastily swung her sword.

A long streak of pure white cut through the pursuing group of Demonkin.

Nearly ten Demonkin and humans vanished into dust.

She nearly dropped her sword. Adrianna gritted her teeth and desperately suppressed her nature. Her aura barely faded.

“This way.”

Then she heard a calm voice.

Galahad was at the front.

Gilbert took the left, the little brat named Damian took the right, and Adrianna guarded the rear.

Galahad was leading the way. It was an absurd formation, with a mage at the front.

The others were simply in terrible condition.

Gilbert, who had been bitten by Damian, had not fully recovered his aura, while Adrianna could not control her own.

That was why Galahad was at the front.

Even for Galahad, having a mage at the front made no sense. She could not accept it, but Galahad had made it clear that it was an order.

Then...

“Kyaaaah!”

Demonkin fell from above. Their appearance was closer to Monsters than Demonkin.

Galahad snapped his fingers upward.

Sparks scattered. In an instant, a brilliant flower of lightning bloomed and flew toward them.

The Demonkin’s bodies convulsed. Their eyes went blank.

Thud.

The Demonkin that had fallen to the ground hesitated briefly. It was only an instant, but to Adrianna, it felt much longer.

Demonkin heads rose into the air. Dark ash sprayed like blood.

At the same time, Galahad drove an Ice Spike into the shoulder of a Demonkin blocking the path ahead.

The Demonkin faltered.

This time, Gilbert took its head.

It was unbelievably efficient.

‘...This is a mage?’

She did not mention the matter of the front line again.

Demonkin and humans poured in from every direction. If they slowed even slightly, they would surely be caught by those behind them.

No one spoke anymore. There was only harsh breathing, the screams of Demonkin, and their cheers.

Enemies surrounded them in a city painted entirely in shades of gray.

It felt as though the whole city was chasing them.

They could not even tell which way was the path.

They simply ran while staring at Galahad’s back.

After running for some time...

“Move the rear inward. Damian and Gilbert, spread out a little more.”

A rough order came from the front.

No one questioned it.

“Have you calmed down a little?”

Galahad asked as he looked at Adrianna.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Gather enough strength for one big swing.”

Adrianna nodded.

Then, far in the distance, she saw a huge gate.

It was the gate through which they had entered the city.

Many Monsters and Demonkin stood around it.

There were massive Monsters with several heads, like the one they had seen upon entering, along with neatly dressed Demonkin.

They were all staring at the group with open hostility.

“Sir Gilbert and Damian, hold off the rear.”

As if he had expected it, Galahad gave the order.

“Knight Gilbert!”

“Just Damian.”

Their positions changed again. Adrianna stepped forward, gripping her sword tightly.

“You’ll have to deal with that.”

“Yes, I can do it.”

Adrianna nodded and adjusted her grip.

She had recovered a little while running. Her nature still burned violently, but she could manage it once.

No, she had to.

Adrianna gripped her sword again.

Then Galahad whispered beside her.

“Don’t think about cutting.”

Adrianna did not ask. She focused.

“Imagine burning them away.”

Not cutting, but burning them away.

She could not understand.

So Adrianna did not try to understand.

“Yes.”

She simply trusted him.

* * *

‘Will it work?’

Galahad narrowed his eyes as he watched Adrianna.

He had explained what he had learned about Adrianna’s nature.

Even he was not fully certain, so there was little he could explain.

He had his doubts.

If Adrianna could take care of even half of them, they could somehow push through the rest.

Then Adrianna’s aura flared up.

It looked as if she had been consumed by her aura again, and just as he was about to step forward...

Adrianna swung her sword.

A thick white flame spread in its wake.

Adrianna’s swordsmanship had always been honest and noble.

The sword she unleashed now had no order at all.

It was closer to fire than swordsmanship.

A fierce blaze that would not stop until it had burned everything.

Pure white fire swallowed the Demonkin and Monsters around the gate.

With every one it swallowed, the fire grew larger instead of weaker.

The Demonkin were firewood.

Perfectly dry, excellent firewood.

The flames vanished only after consuming every Demonkin.

Where more than thirty Demonkin had stood, only dust remained.

‘That’s absurd.’

Galahad had only explained what he understood about Adrianna’s nature, yet she had applied it like that immediately.

‘She actually did it.’

It truly was a sword that would burn the Demon King.

“I think I’m falling for you.”

Adrianna exhaled roughly. Her stupid helmet rattled, and tangled blond hair showed beneath it.

Her normally firm posture wavered.

She seemed to have reached her limit.

Adrianna leaned on her sword.

Galahad supported her.

“Are you all right?”

Rattle.

Adrianna nodded, perhaps too exhausted to speak.

Gilbert swung his sword behind them. Tom, with Gwen on his back, swung his shield around and drove back the Demonkin. Damian’s gray aura cut through them.

Soon, they reached the gate.

Galahad pushed Adrianna through. Damian and Tom, carrying Gwen, followed.

Gilbert was the last to pass through, then shoved the gate with all his strength.

His feet slipped, as if he had no strength left.

“A knight shouldn’t be this weak.”

Galahad clicked his tongue and moved beside Gilbert.

“I’ll help too.”

Tom joined them.

Damian held his sword and cut down the Demonkin forcing their way through the gap.

Red blood splattered everywhere.

The chaos continued for a while.

Then...