The Northern Grand Duke's Mad Son-in-Law - Chapter 8

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Ceaseless

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

Chapter 8: Special Forces

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‘Grand Duke Bekartan...’

Information surfaced in Galahad’s mind.

At five, he caught a wolf with his bare hands. At ten, he killed five mercenaries who attacked him. At twelve, he defeated a knight in a sword fight. At thirteen, he beat his father and brothers to death with his bare hands.

He was practically a textbook example of a madman.

His hobby was killing Demonkin, drinking their blood to quench his thirst, and displaying their hides.

When Galahad first read about him, he thought it had been exaggerated. Now that he saw him in person, it almost seemed understated.

Galahad subtly moved a finger. An ice crystal sharp enough to pierce steel armor met resistance and scattered with a sharp crack.

‘Skin thicker than iron?’

Galahad’s eyes widened.

Had eating Demonkin blood and flesh, both filled with mana, strengthened him? Did mana affect the body as well?

‘Is his skin infused with mana?’

Galahad carefully sent mana into it, only for it to bounce away. His eyes widened.

He increased the density and tried again, but it bounced off once more. Oh, mana was being repelled! Galahad’s heart pounded.

Then, at the Grand Duke’s darkened gaze, Galahad withdrew his hand.

‘The daughter burns mana, while the father repels it. Can there be a more charming father and daughter?’

Galahad swallowed.

In contrast, the Grand Duke’s eyes held only the faintest trace of interest.

“First the Crown Prince came, and now a magic-monger.”

Magic-monger. Galahad gave a bitter smile at the coarse word.

His mind raced. The Crown Prince had been sent here before him. If Galahad had been sent now, things must not have ended well for the Crown Prince.

In that case...

“You nearly faced disaster. The Crown Prince is famous for being mad about women. His nickname is a fucking dog in heat.”

His mouth tasted bitter, but people always cursed the king when he was not around.

“Ha ha ha! A dog in heat! That’s exactly right!”

The Grand Duke burst into loud laughter. His laughter shook the entire room.

‘The Crown Prince came to the North...’

It was a secret even Galahad had not known.

The Crown Prince was a lustful bastard with a notorious appetite for women. If he heard the rumors about Adrianna, he would have come all this way.

“He said he loved her the moment he saw her.”

The lecherous Crown Prince had declared his love first? If Galahad had not seen Adrianna himself, he would never have believed it.

Now, though, he thought it was possible.

What mage would not fall in love with her mana-burning nature?

“He insisted on kissing the back of her hand. Everyone tried to stop him, but he refused to listen...”

The Grand Duke chuckled. His low, rough laugh sounded like the growl of a wild beast.

Galahad was quietly impressed. A kiss on the back of the hand... So there had been such an ingenious method.

The Crown Prince had considerable talent for magic. Before Galahad broke his record, he held the title of youngest Academy graduate.

If the Crown Prince had held Adrianna’s hand...

Galahad lightly shook his tingling hand.

“He wailed and screamed. He pissed himself and trembled like a leaf. It was hilarious. He even called her a cursed witch.”

The Grand Duke laughed aloud, but Galahad felt a deep irritation.

A mage giving up over a little pain was absurd. No wonder the Crown Prince was still trash despite receiving enormous support from the imperial family.

If even half that support had gone to Galahad, he would have changed the history of magic already.

“The Crown Prince was a fine rider.”

Galahad frowned at the Grand Duke’s amused words.

There was no way the Crown Prince would ride a horse himself instead of traveling by carriage. If he had ridden away on horseback...

‘He killed everyone except the Crown Prince.’

A true madman.

It was open defiance against the Empire, but the Crown Prince probably welcomed it. The Grand Duke had killed everyone who saw him at his most pathetic.

That was the kind of man the Crown Prince was.

“And then there was you.”

‘The Crown Prince did this.’

The Crown Prince did not like Galahad. It was because Galahad had broken the youngest graduate record that had been the Crown Prince’s greatest pride.

There were probably other interests tangled up in this, but Galahad had a feeling the Crown Prince played a major role.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

A loud bell rang somewhere in the distance. The Grand Duke turned his head. His profile resembled a lion. An old, sickly lion whose teeth remained.

A beast that would not hesitate to bite, even if its teeth broke.

And they had sent Galahad to marry that man’s eldest daughter.

The Grand Duke would never accept it, and the Empire knew that.

The reason they made such a move was obvious.

‘The Empire is starting to covet the North.’

The Empire had driven back the Demonkin in the war, but the damage had been immense. Recovering from it alone was enough to shake the Empire.

The Empire could not even consider clearing out the Demonkin who fled north.

The clever Emperor gave the hero who cut off the head of a great Demonkin the title of Grand Duke and entrusted the North to him.

The North was barren anyway, so the Emperor did not even collect taxes from the Grand Duke. To him, the North was nothing more than a breakwater against the Demonkin.

The North was now Imperial only in name. In practice, it was little different from an independent duchy. The Empire had no interest in it.

Recently, though, advances in magic changed things.

The North’s value had risen considerably because it contained the front line against the Demonkin. Quite a few Magic Stone Mines had also been found there.

Of course, it was still a land with more drawbacks than benefits, but interest in the North had clearly grown.

Galahad was an excuse to swallow the North.

Would the Grand Duke not know that? Impossible.

“How were you?”

The Grand Duke asked in a strange voice. The interest in his eyes was slowly fading.

Galahad realized that when that small interest went out, so would he.

“I held her hand. It was very warm. We even interlaced our fingers.”

The spark grew a little. The Grand Duke frowned. Looking closely, he almost seemed to be smiling.

Galahad needed to make the spark burn brighter.

“Please give me your daughter.”

The Grand Duke laughed loudly.

Galahad’s head rang, and dizziness rose within him. For a moment, his mana twisted. Was that really a human?

Galahad stared at the Grand Duke with narrowed eyes. He seemed closer to a Demonkin than a man.

Even more so than that perverted lord...

To a mage like Galahad, he was practically a natural enemy.

“You’re a mad bastard.”

It was a rough insult, but the Grand Duke’s eyes were smiling.

“Still, you’re better than that idiot.”

That went without saying.

“No matter what he does, he can’t even come close to my heels.”

The Grand Duke laughed even louder at Galahad’s words.

“You really are arrogant.”

“I’m often told I’m humble.”

Galahad closed his mouth at the Grand Duke’s raised eyebrow.

“Hmm.”

The Grand Duke studied Galahad with blue eyes. Galahad felt as though a beast were salivating over him.

“Fine. Better than letting you drain rations in the underground prison.”

The Grand Duke’s eyes still held only a trace of interest.

“You won’t regret it.”

The Grand Duke laughed as though he had heard a funny joke.

“I’ve never regretted anything.”

The room fell silent for a moment, as if it were watching the Grand Duke’s mood.

“I kill them all before I can.”

Galahad gave an awkward smile at that manly method of solving problems.

* * *

The Grand Duke gave him two conditions. The first was to rise to a position worthy of becoming the partner of Adrianna, the North’s hero. The second was to win Adrianna’s love.

He had no connections at all... No, as a mage, he was in a position worse than having none. Yet he had to rise high enough to become Adrianna’s partner.

It was a demand close to impossible, but that was not a major problem for Galahad.

He found the latter condition more difficult.

Galahad would bet his entire fortune that if he failed either one, the Grand Duke would tear off his head.

To the Grand Duke, granting him this chance seemed like a small amusement. An amusement whose outcome did not matter to him at all.

In the end, humanity’s survival rested on Galahad’s marriage.

The burden had become far heavier, but nothing had changed.

“Oh, you survived.”

Gilbert, who had been waiting outside the residence, spoke with genuine amazement. What an irritating bastard.

“Did you think I’d die meeting my father-in-law?”

“Hmm, what did you discuss?”

Galahad put a cigarette in his mouth as he answered.

“What does one discuss with one’s father-in-law? Marriage, of course. He was rather stingy with the dowry.”

“...Dowry? Did His Grace truly permit the marriage?”

“It’s only a matter of time.”

Galahad answered casually as he sorted through his complicated thoughts.

The burden had become heavier, but nothing had changed.

“Where are you assigned? A coachman? A guard?”

“...What coachman? I belong to the First Battalion, made up of only the finest soldiers in the North.”

Gilbert laughed in disbelief.

“I knew. Gilbert of the First Battalion. They say you’re a master swordsman?”

A question appeared in Gilbert’s eyes. His expression looked vaguely uneasy. Quick on the uptake. Galahad grinned.

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“Ah, you were just specially recruited into the Special Operations Unit. No need to thank me. We are not strangers.”

“...Special Operations Unit? There was such a unit?”

“I just created it. Isn’t it impressive? A special mission unit, shortened to the Special Operations Unit.”

“What special mission...?”

“Shh. It’s a secret. In any case, starting today, you belong to the Special Operations Unit.”

“I refuse. Why would I go to the Special Operations Unit?”

“You’re not going there. You’ve already been transferred. You still don’t understand. The Grand Duke personally transferred you. You could consider it a dowry. Where did I put it...?”

Galahad pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. It was a document bearing the Grand Duke’s seal. In large letters across the top, it read, Notice of Draft Appointment. The subject was Gilbert.

Gilbert snatched it from him and urgently inspected it from every angle. He seemed to be searching for a flaw, but unfortunately for him, it was real.

Galahad grinned at Gilbert’s thoroughly crumpled face.

“...It’s real?”

For the first time, Gilbert’s words were short. His face was full of conflicting emotions.

“I always speak the truth.”

“No, why would His Grace transfer me...?”

“Think of it as a dowry. Since we’ve grown close, I’ll specially appoint you Deputy Commander. There’s no need for thanks between us.”

Gilbert’s eyes wandered for a moment. He looked back and forth between the document and Galahad, then shut his eyes tightly before opening them.

“This isn’t a dream.”

“Damn it. But Deputy Commander? Are there even any members?”

“We need to find them now.”

“Fuck.”

“Your swearing is very honest.”

By the time Galahad finished his cigarette, Gilbert had regained his composure. He was calmer than expected.

“Do you have anyone in mind?”

“Of course. One is certain, and you’ll look into the other three.”

“You only have one?”

“You should think positively. It means we already have one.”

Gilbert frowned at Galahad’s answer. Galahad grinned.

“I’m thinking of taking about five people, so make a list of the other three. Focus on ability. Their character doesn’t matter. I believe people are evil by nature.”

Gilbert opened his mouth as if to say something, then checked the document in his hand again. Veins stood out on his hand.

“It bears the seal of the great Grand Duke. If you tear that, it’s execution.”

Gilbert nodded weakly.

“He said to choose from the reserve troops.”

“...Why did he add that condition? Did you ask for Lady Adrianna too?”

“He said that wasn’t possible.”

Gilbert pressed his temples.

“Anyway, I’m counting on you, Deputy Commander.”

Galahad laughed heartily and patted his shoulder. Gilbert gritted his teeth.

As Gilbert thought of capable people, a question suddenly came to mind.

Galahad had been confined ever since arriving in the North.

Yet he already had someone in mind.

Who could it be?

* * *

“Gwen, starting today, you belong to the Special Operations Unit. You’ve made it big! Congratulations!”

“...What?”

Gwen’s eyes widened as though they would split apart. The broom in her hand swayed aimlessly.

Slow to understand. Galahad clicked his tongue softly and continued.

“Starting today, you’re a soldier in the Special Operations Unit. We’re going to the front line, so pack quickly. The Demonkin are calling for us!”

He explained it kindly, but Gwen’s round eyes darted about in confusion.

Galahad drank the bitter tea Gwen had brewed and waited a moment. After taking about two sips, Gwen suddenly shouted.

“Why am I a soldier?! I’m a maid! A maid who cleans and does laundry!”

“You’re terrible at cleaning and laundry too. Even after you clean with a rag, the dust stays right where it was. You break three plates every day. It’s a wonder you haven’t been fired yet. Do you have someone powerful backing you?”

“...Yesterday, I only broke two!”

“That’s tremendous progress. Congratulations. Anyway, you’re a soldier now. Hurry and pack.”

“No! I’m a maid! A maid, not a soldier!”

Gwen’s fierce refusal made Galahad realize he had forgotten to mention something important.

“The Special Operations Unit pays ten times your current wages. That’s only the base pay. It goes up if you perform well. Didn’t you say you needed money to care for the orphans?”

“...Ten times!!”

Gwen held up her fingers one by one, drooling.

“...Then I can bring Dent over, and I can marry Bianca off! We can all sleep in a bed with the children! I’ll do it!”

“Good. You made the right choice. Pack quickly.”

Gwen, who had been brimming with excitement, covered her chest with both hands and narrowed her eyes.

“...I won’t learn magic! I can’t sell my soul!”

“I have my pride too. I’ll only teach you magic if you get on your knees and beg me to. Do you know how expensive my lessons are?”

“...Expensive?”

Gwen’s round eyes flickered at the word expensive. She seemed fixated on it. How could someone be so materialistic? Galahad clicked his tongue softly.

“...Anyway! I absolutely refuse to learn magic!”

“Yes, yes. Your post will be my secretary. You can do exactly what you do now.”

“...Really?”

“Of course. Have you spent your whole life being deceived?”

“Why me? I’m terrible at work, aren’t I? You scold me every day!”

“You knew?”

“Of course I knew! Even the head maid gave up on me!”

Galahad clicked his tongue at that truly proud confession.

“Then forget it. I’ll find someone else. Anyone I pull off the street would work better than you.”

“N-no! Please let me do it! I’ll do anything!”

Gwen immediately fell to her knees and grabbed Galahad’s trouser leg. The movement was so natural that she clearly had plenty of experience clinging to people.

Clinging to his leg and blinking up at him, she looked just like a puppy begging for treats.

‘She took the bait.’

Galahad planned to take Gwen along and show her how magnificent magic was. She would slowly be drawn in by its greatness, then beg him to teach her magic by the end. He was certain.

All he had to do was keep Gwen by his side.

“Fine, hurry and pack.”

“Um... What about you, Lord Galahad?”

Galahad shook the bag he had brought with him. He had not unpacked a single thing. It was an occupational habit.

Gwen nodded in understanding and hurried about. Galahad took another sip of tea.

‘She’s terrible at making tea too.’

All she had to do was put in the leaves and pour hot water over them, yet even making it taste bad was a talent.

Just as he finished the tea, Gwen shouted.

“I packed everything!”

Galahad let out a low groan when he saw her.

Gwen held a rag in one hand and a broom in the other like weapons.

They were heading to the front line against the Demonkin, and she brought a broom and a rag. Galahad clicked his tongue and waved a hand.