WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Ceaseless
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Northern Grand Duke’s Mad Son-in-Law ◈
Chapter 88: Tiny
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Galahad arrived at the quarters late.
The place was quiet. Gwen and Damian seemed to have gone upstairs to sleep, while Tom was cleaning up.
Galahad sat in a shabby chair, puffing on a cigarette.
Creak.
The chair groaned as it swayed. It was quiet enough to hear Gwen snoring upstairs.
Gilbert, seated across from him, poured himself a drink. He did not offer Galahad a glass. Instead, he emptied his own and filled it again.
[The world will be destroyed by the Demon King.]
Galahad ran his fingers over the worn Leather Notebook.
“Is something wrong?”
Galahad looked up at Gilbert’s question.
Gilbert was watching him with a face like an ugly desert fox. Galahad tapped ash from his cigarette and spoke.
“Sir Gilbert, what would you do if you knew the world was going to end?”
“Why would the world end?”
“It’s hypothetical.”
Gilbert narrowed his eyes, seeming to give it serious thought.
“I suppose I’d grab my sword.”
“That sounds like you.”
“Then what would you do, Commander?”
“I’d stop it.”
“Can you?”
“I’m an outstanding and capable mage.”
Galahad smiled. Gilbert’s eyes narrowed further.
“Come to think of it, didn’t you say the Special Operations Unit’s mission was to prevent the continent’s destruction?”
“That’s right. We’ll stop the continent from being destroyed.”
“That doesn’t seem like a mission suited to a six-person unit.”
“That’s what you call a small elite force.”
“Isn’t that too small?”
Gilbert grumbled quietly as he refilled his glass, though he looked rather pleased.
Gilbert had two hobbies: swords and alcohol. Fitting hobbies for a knight.
A short while later, Tom returned from cleaning up. He carried a steaming dish. It seemed he had cooked again.
“As expected of Tom.”
“It’s nothing much. I just stir-fried some meat and vegetables.”
Grinning, Gilbert grabbed a large handful of food.
“Even Damian uses a fork. Tsk.”
“This is how people eat in the North.”
Gilbert answered Galahad’s remark proudly, then smacked his lips as he ate.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“I already ate. I’m fine.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tom took out an instrument and began to play. He was rather good. He had improved since last time.
“Tom, what do you think you’d do if the world ended?”
The music stopped abruptly.
Tom gave the question serious thought while Gilbert kept smacking his lips.
“I think I’d cook delicious food that the whole Special Operations Unit could eat together.”
Tom smiled gently.
“Can I change my answer too? I’ll swing my sword while eating Tom’s cooking.”
A small laugh escaped at Gilbert’s strange answer.
“Smells good.”
Damian staggered downstairs then. His eyes were half closed, as if he had not fully woken up. Gwen followed behind him.
Tom slid a plate toward Damian. When Gwen sat beside him, the round table quickly became crowded.
“You ate that much of my aura, and you’re still hungry?”
Gilbert clicked his tongue at Damian, who had suddenly stolen his food.
“I didn’t get to eat much. Your aura was tiny.”
“Tiny?! What kind of way is that to speak?”
“Why are you getting angry at a child?”
“No! He said it was tiny! It isn’t tiny, you brat!”
“It was tiny.”
“You little runt!”
“Why are you yelling at a child?!”
The room became noisy in an instant.
Galahad chuckled as he tapped ash from his cigarette.
“Ah, we were talking about what everyone would do if the world ended. What would you do?”
Tom changed the subject. Gilbert snorted and shouted, “It isn’t tiny!”
“I’d eat.”
“I’d go out and play with all the children! But why are we suddenly talking about the world ending? Is the world ending?!”
Gwen’s voice quickly turned tearful. It sounded like a frightened goat.
“The Commander asked us.”
At Tom’s words, the Special Operations Unit all looked at Galahad.
The unit had shed some of its shabby air by now. Galahad tapped ash from his cigarette as their warm gazes settled on him.
After considering it briefly, he spoke.
“The Demon King will destroy the world.”
A heavy silence fell.
The faces that had held faint smiles moments ago twisted completely.
The mood turned cold in an instant.
“There’s no such thing as a Demon King.”
Everyone answered as one.
“It was a joke.”
Only then did laughter return.
Warmth spread through the room again.
As though they had never had that conversation.
[It must have been difficult for you all alone.]
Galahad took a deep drag from his cigarette and twisted his lips into a smile.
* * *
“Whew.”
Adrianna slowly lowered her sword and let out a long breath. Steam rose thickly from her heavy armor.
The sun was beginning to rise.
‘That feeling...’
Adrianna’s hand twitched.
The sword she had swung while escaping the Demonkin city filled her thoughts. The strike that had turned dozens of Demonkin to ash in an instant had not been swordsmanship.
It had been a manifestation of Adrianna’s nature.
Adrianna had never thought of her ability to burn mana as a blessing.
It was a curse. A terrible curse that burned everyone she touched and gave them unbearable pain.
A curse that had even burned her mother...
Adrianna bit down hard on her lip.
[Imagine that you’re burning them.]
What she had wielded by following Galahad’s words was the nature she had tried so hard to ignore.
Her essence was a curse.
Oddly enough, admitting it made her feel lighter.
Then her hand shook. Aura surged up as though someone had poured oil over it. It burned wildly, as if it would devour the world.
‘I can’t control my power...’
Biting her lip, Adrianna swung her sword and scattered the aura.
It had been like this ever since that day. Her nature kept running wild.
As if it would devour Adrianna too.
“Commander.”
Adrianna turned toward the gentle voice. Her aide, Lunabirn, stood there.
“The front lines have been unstable lately. You should return.”
Lunabirn was right.
The front line was where Adrianna belonged. The battlefield covered in ash and thick with the smell of blood suited her.
“Understood. I’ll leave immediately.”
Adrianna nodded.
Then one side grew noisy.
“I’m going to see my fiancée. What’s the problem?”
“Since when are you Lady Adrianna’s fiancé? What bullshit!”
“What’s your name?”
“Belharn!”
“Good, Belharn. I’ll tell His Grace the Grand Duke that Sir Belharn of the First Battalion called it bullshit.”
“When did I...”
At the familiar voice, Adrianna took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
After that small disturbance, the knights of her direct-command unit stepped aside. Those fiercely loyal to Adrianna had actually retreated.
“It would’ve been better for everyone if you’d moved from the start.”
Galahad entered, brushing off his collar. The knight behind Galahad opened and closed their mouth with a dumbfounded expression.
Galahad waved when he spotted Adrianna. Adrianna gave him a small bow.
“Good morning. You’re beautiful even covered in sweat.”
“Yes.”
Galahad spoke shamelessly as always. Adrianna nodded.
He looked relaxed as usual, yet he also seemed strangely tired.
“You don’t look well.”
“I had trouble sleeping.”
Galahad answered with a faint smile.
“If you exercise moderately before bed, it will help you sleep better.”
“Is that so? I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Too much exercise may interfere with sleep instead.”
Galahad laughed openly at Adrianna’s serious advice. Adrianna, who had been about to teach him some exercises, quietly stopped herself.
“Are you thinking of returning?”
“Yes. I’ve been away from the front lines for too long.”
“I see.”
Galahad nodded lightly, as if he had expected it.
“What will you do about the bet?”
Adrianna lowered her voice slightly.
She meant the bet Galahad had made with First.
In Adrianna’s eyes, First and Pumpkin were highly capable. She had not crossed swords with them herself, so she could not judge exactly, but they clearly were not easy opponents.
“Hmm... Ah, that. It’ll be fine.”
“Didn’t you give them all the information you obtained?”
“That way, won’t they bring in even more of them?”
“But the bet...”
“Are you worried about me?”
Adrianna immediately nodded.
Galahad’s expression turned strange. A brief silence passed.
“You’ve gotten better.”
“Better at what?”
“It’s nothing.”
Galahad put a cigarette in his mouth. He reached for cigarettes whenever he was at a loss for words. Adrianna waited without urging him.
“I don’t make bets I’ll lose.”
Galahad said it with his usual confident smile. Adrianna tilted her head.
“But you gave them all the information. I can’t help you either. They have the advantage.”
“Do you know how tempting the Demon Realm is to mages?”
There was something strangely dangerous about Galahad as he asked.
“...What?”
“His Grace the Grand Duke put quite a bit of pressure on them this time. The battalion commanders will want to get rid of their troublesome people. If word about the Demon Realm suddenly spreads at a time like this...?”
Galahad explained as he tapped ash from his cigarette.
Adrianna slowly considered what she had just heard.
In other words...
“You intend to lure mages into the Demon Realm Training Camp?”
At Adrianna’s question, Galahad snapped his fingers.
As if she had given the right answer.
“A crisis becomes an opportunity if you overcome it.”
Galahad’s words sounded quite plausible. A crisis did become an opportunity if one overcame it.
But...
“...Didn’t you create the crisis yourself?”
“You don’t wait for opportunities. You make them.”
As always, Galahad’s words came without hesitation.
Adrianna seriously considered that.
So, if a crisis became an opportunity when overcome, he would create a crisis and turn it into an opportunity? That was strange.
Then Galahad held out his hand.
“Come on, give me your hand.”
At his confident demand, Adrianna unconsciously held out her hand.
“Ah!”
She remembered too late that her nature was out of control. Adrianna tried to pull her hand back, but he had already taken it.
“Ghh...!”
Adrianna froze at the unfamiliar warmth.
Galahad’s reaction was more intense than usual. His entire body shook, and groans he could not suppress kept escaping his lips.
It was because Adrianna’s nature had grown stronger. She tried to pull her hand away, but Galahad even laced his fingers with hers.
Veins rose across Galahad’s skin. Blood vessels burst in his eyes, turning them red, and his body trembled violently.
Adrianna hurriedly pulled away.
Galahad staggered for a moment. He swayed but did not fall, enduring by leaning against the Golden Scepter.
He looked terrible. His eyes were red as blood, his body still shook as though he were having a seizure, and his usually neat hair was completely disheveled.
They had only held hands for a moment, yet he looked as if he had returned from hell.
Adrianna bit her lip.
‘As expected...’
Then Galahad’s dry lips slowly parted.
She feared what insult he would hurl at her. Would he call her a cursed witch? A Demonkin carrying ruin within her?
It was familiar to Adrianna.
But...
“You’re truly incredible. You’re always new and thrilling.”
Galahad’s words were far removed from what Adrianna expected.
He grinned broadly.
“...I’ll be going.”
Adrianna fled belatedly.
* * *
[To all battalion commanders. The Demon Realm Training Camp has been completed. The Demon Realm refers to the area deep within Demonkin Territory, where the mana concentration is so high that it is difficult even to breathe. We plan to use it for Demon Realm adaptation training. Strict security must be maintained, as this information could reach mages. Should mages enter the Demon Realm, their sensitivity to mana will increase, they will be able to hold mana at higher concentrations, and their staffs’ efficiency...]
Mark, commander of the Fifth Battalion, frowned at the order that had arrived from headquarters.
At first glance, it was about the Demon Realm Training Camp.
‘Isn’t this an advertisement for the Demon Realm Training Camp?’
The seal of Theodore, the strategist, was stamped beneath it.
“Did you write this?”
Mark lowered the order and asked. Galahad sat leisurely across from him, the Golden Scepter in his hand swaying back and forth.
“No, I only dictated it. Theodore wrote it. Isn’t the handwriting quite good?”
“...Is that the problem? The battalion commanders are probably worrying about how to deal with the mages under their command while trying not to provoke His Grace the Grand Duke. If you send this out... Oh. That was your aim.”
Mark let out a quiet sigh.
Galahad was the sharpest person Mark knew. There was no way he did not understand the repercussions this letter would bring.
The Grand Duke had personally torn off the Sixth Battalion commander’s head in front of the other commanders. No matter how powerful they were, they could not help but be cautious.
The commanders who had secretly run Magic Stone Mines until now were likely having trouble dealing with their mages.
If such an order went out in this situation, they would surely send their troublesome mages to the Demon Realm Training Camp.
“...How far back did you plan this?”
“Plan it? You’re exaggerating. I merely guided things in a favorable direction.”
Galahad answered with a smile.
‘Could it be that naming the Sixth Battalion commander at that meeting was... No, did he start planning from the moment he established the Demon Realm Training Camp?’
Where had this plan even begun? It felt as though Galahad was moving the North as he pleased. Mark quietly cleared his throat.
“...Can you handle it?”
“Do I need to?”
Galahad pointed the Golden Scepter at Mark as he asked. Mark frowned.
“It’s like the Dark Magic Society. I’ll offer them rather good terms. They have nowhere else to go anyway, don’t they?”
“...What if they refuse? It will be dangerous if the Demon Realm Training Camp falls into their hands.”
The corner of Galahad’s mouth twisted. His smile was easy.
“Persuasion is my specialty.”
His voice was full of confidence.
Mark organized his thoughts as he watched Galahad.
Galahad was one thing, but the Seventh Battalion’s strength was considerable from the start.
And besides...
‘The Dark Magic Society is practically Galahad’s force too.’
After weighing it all, Mark nodded.
“Good.”
Galahad smiled brightly and rose from his seat.
“Where did you get that Golden Scepter? It looks nice.”
Galahad smiled at Mark’s question.
“It was a gift.”
* * *
‘I sent all the orders, and I dealt with First...’
Galahad organized his thoughts as he ran a hand over the Golden Scepter.
He had never intended to go around looking for mages himself. The North was too vast and desolate. Hunting them down one by one would be wasteful.
That was why Galahad used the Demon Realm. For mages, the Demon Realm was an irresistible option.
Especially under the current circumstances.
Of course, he did not expect every mage hiding in the North to come.
Still, it would clearly be more efficient than seeking them out himself.
First, he needed to secure as many workers as possible.
‘Then I’ll announce the legalization of the Magic Stone Mine business.’
Galahad nodded.
Making the North great was not enough. He also needed to expand his influence.
‘Once I secure workers, my influence will have no choice but to grow.’
There was much to prepare for that, though.
“The one acknowledged by the Grand Duke!”
Soldiers passing by gave desperate salutes. Galahad waved back at them. The North was so cold that the chill seeped in even through a Monster coat. Why did they insist on walking around without one?
Galahad clicked his tongue quietly.
Walking briskly, he suddenly stopped.
He felt a strange sense of discomfort. It was minor enough that anyone else would have passed it by, but Galahad trusted his instincts.
Instinct was a warning sent by the unconscious.
Nothing was more foolish than failing to trust oneself.
Galahad tapped the ground with the Golden Scepter and spread mana through the area.
Nothing caught in his mana.
Yes, there was nothing.
‘Interesting.’
It was strange.
If there was nothing, then why... was mana disappearing over there?
“Come out.”
Galahad pointed the Golden Scepter at empty space.
There was no response. A cold wind brushed through his hair as if answering him.
“You’re being troublesome.”
Galahad pointed at the air and snapped his fingers.
Then the empty space rippled.
What suddenly appeared in the air was...
“Are you really the First Mage’s disciple?”
Fox Mask.
‘That magic is definitely from one of the Fallen Four Magic Towers...’
Thump! Thump! Thump!
At that moment, the Egg of Pain began pounding madly.
The emotion inside it was not its usual excitement.
It was fear.
Footnotes:
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