Chapter 20 - Separate Rooms

“Fucking hell.”

Carrot of the First Battalion swore viciously and hauled on the reins. The horse kicked hard against the ground, sending a long spray of snow behind it.

Up ahead, Adrianna pressed onward without hesitation. To see the normally composed Adrianna in such a hurry brought home just how serious the situation was.

The other members of the First Battalion rode on in silence, gripping their reins. Only the endless thunder of hooves rang through the silent, snowbound mountains.

How long had they been riding?

Adrianna brought her horse to a sliding halt. To stop so neatly at that speed—it truly was a magnificent steed.

‘Are we here?’

Carrot drew the spear strapped beside the saddle. The others silently drew their weapons as well. Tension swelled in the air.

Then—

“Damian, do stop eating.”

“It tastes bad.”

“Then why do you keep eating it?”

“Because I’m hungry.”

A quiet conversation drifted over from somewhere.

At the peaceful exchange, the First Battalion came to an abrupt halt.

‘They waited!’

Carrot gave a little inward cheer. Yes, better to miss the enemy altogether.

But the sight beyond Adrianna was not what Carrot had expected.

The group had lit a fire and sat around it, chatting quietly. Someone who looked like a soldier kept grilling meat while the rest sat nearby.

Everyone stopped moving. The atmosphere was so peaceful that the weapons in their hands seemed absurd.

“Ah, you’re finally here.”

The Special Operations Unit’s commander rose and waved. His clothes were as immaculate as before, not a thing out of place.

“Are you unharmed?”

“As you can see.”

“Where is the Demon?”

At Adrianna’s question, the commander pointed to one side. She drew her sword and headed into the cave.

“We’ve already killed—She never lets me finish.”

The commander spoke hastily, but Adrianna was already inside the cave.

Carrot followed her in.

The cave was a disaster. Flesh and blood clung to every surface, and the foul, rank stink peculiar to demon-beasts filled the air.

‘So the mole crickets were real.’

Then Carrot noticed strange marks on a carcass.

‘Fire? Magic?’

A mole cricket would hardly have burned in an ordinary fire, so these had to be traces of magic. Carrot had taken the Mage for a long-winded braggart. This was unexpected.

Mole cricket carcasses filled the cave. Even a conservative count put them at ten or more.

At the far end lay an enormous corpse.

All that remained was flesh burned down and stuck to the ground, but Carrot could tell it had been at least an intermediate-ranking Demon.

‘It burned to death. Using magic against a Demon?’

Magic was the filth of Demons. How could filth harm its own master?

“He killed a Demon with magic.”

At someone’s murmur, everyone nodded. None of them was stupid enough to deny the evidence before their eyes.

“How is that possible?”

“The proof is right in front of you.”

“Look, there are lots of sword marks. That’s Sir Gilberton’s handiwork.”

“They’re all shallow. The Mage clearly dealt the killing blow.”

Soon the cave was buzzing with conversation. Naturally, magic was the topic.

No one denied that the Mage had finished the Demon.

“The rest of you, collect the mole cricket carcasses.”

Everyone nodded at Adrianna’s order.

Carrot followed her out of the cave.

The group was still sitting around the fire, chatting quietly.

‘Impressive.’

Carrot went over to Gilberton to find out what had happened.

“Hey, Gilberton. You certainly made a spectacle of it. Sixteen mole crickets, two Mages, and an intermediate-ranking Demon on top of that? Looks like you’ve gotten stronger since I last saw you.”

Gilberton gave a wry smile.

“I didn’t kill it. The commander did.”

Carrot had already guessed as much, but hearing it directly was another matter.

“The Special Operations Unit’s commander?”

“Yes. All I did was buy time.”

“But he’s a Mage.”

“A very capable Mage, as it turns out.”

“Fuck... A Mage really killed a Demon?”

“Yes.”

Carrot suddenly recalled a story overheard in passing.

It was a rumor she had naturally dismissed as a lie. But given the situation, she had to ask.

“Then is the rumor that your commander beat Hermun true too?”

“Yes. In one hit.”

“Fuck, seriously?”

Gilberton’s nod left her mind in turmoil.

“Well, that bastard’s a pervert who struts around without a coat just to show off...”

True enough, not every Mage could be weak. Carrot nodded.

“He must be strong.”

“Yes. He is.”

Carrot narrowed her eyes at Gilberton’s earnest answer. For someone as proud as Gilberton to say that... Just what had he seen?

‘On par with Gilberton, or stronger.’

Carrot added the words to her notes. Unlike her coarse speech, her handwriting was elegant. Having roughly finished the report, she scratched her head.

“A five-person Special Operations Unit killed a Demon of at least intermediate rank, sixteen mole crickets, and two Mages. And the Demon was killed by a Mage from the Empire. Fuck, who’s going to believe this?”

Carrot held the report out to Gilberton and offered some advice.

“You’d be better off taking the credit yourself. Plenty of bastards will jump at any chance to tear a Mage down.”

“No, thank you. I’d never hear the end of it.”

Carrot chuckled at his firm reply.

“True. If he’s a capable Mage, he’ll stand out soon enough. Whatever they do to obstruct him now, they can’t hide the sky with one hand. If anything, it’ll give him grounds to act later.”

“You sound exactly like our commander.”

“Comparing a lady to a man? How rude.”

“You’re a lady?”

“Gilberton, you’ve gotten awfully cheeky.”

Gilberton’s lips twitched. The sight was so irritating that Carrot considered punching him, but restrained herself.

He glanced aside.

There stood the Special Operations Unit’s commander, talking with Adrianna.

If Adrianna’s expressionlessness made her thoughts unreadable, the man seemed to hide his behind an easy smile.

‘They make a surprisingly good pair.’

Carrot added a personal observation at the bottom.

* * *

“Are you feeling well?”

Galahad nodded at Adrianna’s matter-of-fact question.

“Well enough.”

“You could have waited for reinforcements.”

“How could I do that to our first customer?”

Adrianna’s brows drew together ever so slightly. On closer inspection, she seemed to be thinking it over.

“... Ah, you’re comparing your first mission to your first sale. An excellent analogy.”

Her reply was perfectly serious.

‘I mustn’t joke with this woman.’

Galahad muttered under his breath.

“Then how did you discover the cave?”

“The mana concentration was unusually high. I followed it, and...”

“Ta-da.” Galahad pointed to the cave behind him.

“How could you tell the mana concentration was high?”

Her question was closer to a request for advice than an interrogation.

“Because I’m a Mage. Any Mage can tell.”

“Ah, because you’re a Mage...”

“You sound disappointed.”

“Lately, we’ve been finding traces of Demons connected to Mages throughout the North. I thought we might be better able to respond if we could detect it.”

“But you should be able to.”

“Ah, I’m not a Mage.”

Was she joking? He wondered, but her serious face suggested otherwise.

“You have the ability to burn mana, don’t you? It should feel different depending on the concentration.”

“Feel different?”

“When you burn mana, there must be varying degrees to it. Try using that to judge.”

Adrianna’s brows drew together slightly. She seemed to be considering it.

Galahad had only offered the idea in theory.

Burning mana was as natural to Adrianna as breathing. It was no different from asking someone to judge the concentration of the air they breathed.

There was no way she could put it into practice immediately.

He was merely suggesting a possible application.

“Ah, this is it. Hmm...”

Then Adrianna waved her hand.

“I think I understand. It never occurred to me to use it this way. You’re remarkable.”

Her praise was sincere, but Galahad couldn’t simply smile in response.

‘... She did it on the first try?’

He had meant to give her no more than a small lead. Yet she had managed it immediately.

‘That’s Adrianna for you.’

Galahad murmured in admiration.

“This will be extremely useful. Thank you.”

Adrianna bowed deeply in gratitude. Her sincerity was unmistakable.

‘... This could make quite a difference.’

She wouldn’t be able to detect mana as well as Galahad, but with that aptitude, her skill was certain to improve rapidly.

If she could detect mana concentration, she would undoubtedly be able to thwart most Mages’ tricks.

“You can repay me later.”

“What would you like?”

“I’m joking.”

Adrianna’s eyebrows shifted slightly. No more jokes, Galahad resolved once again.

“Will you be returning immediately?”

“Returning?”

“Aren’t you coming with me to the First Battalion?”

She asked with near certainty.

‘Ah, she thought I’d follow her.’

It was a reasonable assumption. Perhaps Adrianna had been counting on it ever since they left headquarters.

After all, Galahad had indeed been following her around because of her ability to burn mana.

Adrianna was the hero of the North. At her side, earning distinction would be much easier and safer. Even on the front lines, her prowess would surely make it safer.

Sticking with her was the obvious, rational choice.

Except...

‘The problem is that the Grand Duke won’t recognize any merit I earn at Adrianna’s side.’

Besides, the North was crawling with pests. And now there were those Dawn bastards too.

Left unchecked, they might bring about another Imperial-Demon War.

Preventing destruction was what mattered most.

Adrianna and the Grand Duke were only means to that end.

Of course, there was still the problem of studying her ability.

‘I can just visit her from time to time for that.’

Having finished his calculations, Galahad nodded at Adrianna, who had gone still as though she had broken down.

“You thought I’d follow you around. I’m sorry, but I have other things to do.”

“Ah...”

Adrianna let out a strangled little cry, so quiet it was almost inaudible. Her cheeks reddened slightly.

“No need to be embarrassed. I’d have thought the same in your place.”

“... That isn’t it. I said it because you would be in danger if something like this happened again. Your life carries considerable weight.”

“Don’t worry. Despite appearances, I’m quite a fighter. You saw for yourself.”

Galahad gestured toward the cave. Adrianna shook her head and quickly regained her usual calm expression.

“I have some things to attend to for the time being.”

“Yes, I understand. Each unit’s commander is responsible for deploying their own troops.”

Adrianna nodded gracefully, then took something from inside her clothes. It was a small egg with a rough shell.

“This is an egg of a curse-bringing hawk. If you break it, I can reach you wherever you are. If you’re ever in danger, break it and I’ll come.”

“A fearsome name. But you can come anywhere if I break the egg?”

“Yes. The mother will pursue whoever breaks her egg until they die.”

“Fascinating. How does it work?”

“... You must only break it when absolutely necessary. I only have one.”

“Oh, surely you don’t think I’d break it just because I’m curious about how it works.”

Galahad smiled, discreetly hiding the finger he had been pressing against the egg.

“I’ll be leaving, then. I’ve been away from the border region for too long.”

“Ah, you must hold my hand before you go.”

“... You seem to be in poor condition.”

“I’m fine. I’ve been waiting for nothing else. I’d be disappointed if you just left.”

Adrianna’s eyebrows rose slightly.

His insides were a wreck from consuming too much Demon blood.

Something like residue from the blood still remained within him. Burning it away would surely help his recovery.

And there was something else he wanted to know. What would it feel like when the residue burned? How would it work? His curiosity was insatiable.

“Very well.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Adrianna took his hand.

Pain surged through him, still impossible to get used to even on the third occasion.

He burned, tore apart, and burned again. Still, perhaps because this was the third time, he didn’t scream disgracefully.

The residue inside him began to burn. As that mana broke into pieces, Galahad noticed something strange.

‘The higher the concentration, the faster it burns.’

In other words, the stronger the Demon she faced, the greater Adrianna’s power became.

What an absurdly overpowered ability. He absolutely had to secure her.

Then Adrianna withdrew her hand. Before he knew it, Galahad had lost his balance and collapsed.

Adrianna reached out to catch him, then stepped back.

Galahad looked up at her and smiled.

“See? Better than last time, isn’t it? I fell over, but I didn’t pass out.”

Adrianna let out a small breath.

“Did you just laugh?”

Instead of answering, she lowered her head slightly and stepped away.

“Then, may you remain in good health.”

With that, Adrianna led the First Battalion away.

She seemed to be moving faster than before.

“Are you all right?”

“Better than I look.”

“Shall I help you up?”

“No need. I can get up on my own.”

Galahad clicked his tongue and rose.

‘Clean as a whistle.’

He murmured to himself, opening and closing his hand.

This time, holding Adrianna’s hand had actually improved his condition.

Of course, all his mana had burned away as usual, but with the side effects of the Demon blood gone, he was better off.

‘So if I overdose on Demon blood, I can just go to Adrianna. Does that mean I can drink more?’

All sorts of questions arose. Adrianna was always electrifying.

Then Gilberton gave a small cough. He looked as though he had something to say.

“What is it?”

“Why didn’t you go to the First Battalion? Now that you’ve demonstrated your abilities, you could have earned distinction easily there.”

There was a peculiar note in his voice.

He was right. Following her would make it relatively easy to earn merit and establish himself.

But Adrianna was not Galahad’s goal.

His goal was to prevent that horrific ending. The Grand Duke and Adrianna were merely means to that end.

Besides, he could never match Adrianna’s effectiveness against Demons anyway. Staying at her side would be inefficient.

There was no need to fight on someone else’s battlefield.

Galahad had a battlefield of his own.

“The right path is usually difficult and painful.”

Galahad tapped the parchment in his hand.

It was the intelligence he had received from Number Eight. The parchment contained a considerable amount of information, including details on the hostile factions that had entered the North.

If he dealt with them one by one, he would be able to expose Dawn.

This parchment was Galahad’s battlefield.

‘Is this what it means to be a supportive husband?’

Galahad made the little joke to himself and brushed the snow from his clothes.

“So what will you do?”

Gilberton asked, glancing behind him. For some reason, Gwen wore a serious expression, as though she had steeled herself. Damian was patting his stomach, and Tom was packing their things.

He seemed to be asking what direction the Special Operations Unit would take.

“Hasn’t the North been rather troublesome lately?”

“... Yes. Strange people started pouring into the North a few years ago. I don’t know what they think there is to feed on in this barren land.”

At Gilberton’s irritated reply, Galahad discreetly averted his gaze.

“We’re going to hunt them down.”

A passage on one side of the parchment caught his eye.

[Establishing a Black Magic Society branch at the Fifth Battalion is proving difficult due to opposition from the local faction. However, this is not expected to take much longer.]

He recalled the Fifth Battalion commander’s whispered words when they met at headquarters: [“I’m interested in magic, so do come visit.”]

There was definitely something there.

‘The Fifth Battalion is situated between the other battalions. It would be a good place to establish headquarters.’

Having somewhere to return to was important.

“We’re heading to the Fifth Battalion. Everyone, get ready.”

Galahad put a cigarette between his lips as he spoke.

“We’re ready!”

Tom answered spiritedly.

He really was remarkably quick on the uptake.