Chapter 55 - The Capable Corton

"Count yourself lucky. You'd never have gotten in without me. Security is incredibly tight these days."

Corton looked at Galahad, positively puffed up with pride.

He was telling the truth. The security they had encountered on the way was stricter than before, and the fourfold security door was troublesome as well.

It was nothing Galahad couldn't breach, but there was no sense in making a scene. If anyone escaped in the process, it would throw his plans into disarray. Above all, there was no reason to refuse when someone was opening the door for him.

"Indeed. I certainly chose the right fellow alumnus."

"Hmm. Incidentally, how is that matter coming along?" Corton asked, raising his chin.

"You mean Adrianna? Ah, it's in progress."

"Good. You'd do well to move as quickly as possible."

Corton nodded, giving Galahad a meaningful look. His gaze was directed at Galahad's chest.

The Egg of agony throbbed violently.

'Does it have influence over the person I swore to?'

Galahad murmured under his breath as the Egg of agony ran wild. Facing Corton, he instinctively understood that he could not undo this oath by using mental interference on him.

He hadn't intended to solve it through mental interference in the first place, so it wasn't much of a problem.

"I hear some new people have arrived?"

Galahad subtly changed the subject.

Corton glared at Number Eight.

"I told you that was confidential, and you've already blabbed? It's people like you who keep causing security problems."

"That useless fuck—"

Number Eight muttered so quietly that only Galahad could hear.

"Well, apparently the president sent them. They say they're taking me to the general assembly."

"The general assembly?"

"A meeting presided over by the president himself. It's a very important gathering that even executives can't simply attend."

Corton was positively swaggering.

"Then will you get to meet this president?"

"I'm not sure. They say we can only leave once the work here is finished... but there's no sign of that happening. Which brings me to something..."

Corton let his words trail off. Galahad quietly nodded.

"Weren't you top of the class in magic-circle analysis at the academy?"

"Not just magic circles. I was top in everything."

At Galahad's correction, Corton's brow briefly furrowed, then smoothed.

"I acquired a demon-beast tamer's magic circle, but the fools here can't seem to decipher it. A bunch of educated idiots."

Crow swore softly at Corton's claim that he had acquired it.

This wasn't a bad situation for Galahad. No, it was actually good.

Corton was spectacularly incompetent. No amount of caution could account for a liability like this.

"Indeed."

"Could you decipher the circle if you saw it? Mind you, it dates back to the Imperial-Demon War..."

Hearing Corton's pompous tone, Galahad realized why he had welcomed him.

'He wants to take the credit for deciphering the tamer's circle, too.'

The man wasn't merely overflowing with greed. At this point, it was fair to say his greed had swallowed him whole.

It was a good option for Galahad.

Corton never disappointed.

"Hmm. There is no magic circle I cannot decipher. If there is, whoever drew it did so incorrectly."

Corton looked slightly appalled by Galahad's declaration.

"Could you tell me your findings first? Everyone here is a thief, you see. They'll probably try to steal the credit. Just trust me. We're fellow alumni, aren't we? Fellow alumni."

Galahad's lips curved at the request.

"Of course."

Corton smiled in satisfaction.

What a transparent fellow.

Smiling, Galahad loosened his hands.

Corton's hopes were dashed before long.

FWEEEE!

A Black Mage spotted Galahad and immediately blew a whistle.

The Mage should have recognized Corton, yet hadn't hesitated in the slightest. That said plenty about how Corton was regarded.

Just as Galahad was about to deal with it, Corton stepped forward, insisting he would handle things.

Soon, the area grew noisy. Black Mages poured out from every direction, their presence menacing. There were quite a few of them.

'Hmm. Excellent.'

Galahad's lips curved upward.

They said the magic-stone deposits weren't operating, and here they all were, idling away.

His objective was different from last time. Every one of them was valuable manpower. He needed a peaceful approach.

Then an inner door opened, and a lanky man emerged.

With his few remaining strands of hair, skeletal body, pale skin, and scattered age spots, he truly looked like a corpse.

"Letting an outsider in. You've gone mad."

The corpse spoke in a low voice upon spotting Galahad.

The corpse's eyes moved swiftly, their gaze sharp as they swept over Galahad. This was a seasoned combatant.

The Mages around him were no ordinary practitioners, either. They were clearly a cut above those Galahad had encountered so far.

'This should be entertaining.'

Galahad smiled.

Corton trembled slightly, sweat streaming down the back of his neck. Apparently, he hadn't expected such a hostile reaction.

His eyes darted about within his fleshy face. Galahad flexed his fingers.

Capturing people alive was harder than killing them. Worse, if he wanted them to work, their limbs had to remain intact. It was quite a challenge.

He wanted to find them employment as peacefully as possible, but...

'That might be difficult.'

He might have to give up on a few. Getting too greedy could ruin the whole affair.

'If I deal with the leader and remove a few of the heavyweights—'

Galahad calculated how to minimize the losses.

Just then—

"Kill him."

The corpse gave the quiet order.

Number Eight slipped behind Galahad.

Galahad calmly snapped his fingers.

Even armed with high-grade staves, their magic posed no threat to him.

Mana concentration was absolute in magic. Even Galahad had had to contort his body to bring down low-ranking Demons. By the same principle, their magic would not work on him.

It would merely make the cleanup troublesome.

"Wait!"

Corton suddenly screamed as though having a fit.

Everyone stopped and turned to him.

What came out of his mouth next left Galahad impressed. It was an inspired move he had never considered.

"This gentleman is here from Dawn!"

Corton shouted, respectfully indicating Galahad with both hands.

A heavy silence fell at the shocking declaration. The spells that had been on the verge of erupting vanished in an instant.

Invoking Dawn here, of all places...

'Plausible enough.'

Galahad nodded.

* * *

'... From Dawn?'

Helcarton's eyes narrowed sharply.

Corton was so incompetent that Helcarton wondered how he had ever become deputy branch chief. As an academy graduate, his theoretical knowledge surpassed that of the others, but that was all.

He had a horrifying lack of practical sense. Yet he was greedy despite it. His own greed would devour him.

It had therefore been suspicious when such a man submitted a demon-beast tamer's magic circle superior to the one the Black Magic Society had received from Dawn.

Corton insisted he had improved it himself, but that was impossible.

If he had received it from Dawn, however...

'That makes sense.'

It was a hundred times more believable than Corton having worked it out himself.

That was how Dawn operated, after all. They always appeared when least expected. There was no way to contact them first.

Dawn was extremely cautious, as though wary of something.

It was entirely possible.

Besides, the man introduced as being from Dawn...

'He's no ordinary man.'

His refined appearance and upright posture unmistakably belonged to someone important.

Their eyes met. Though surrounded on all sides, the man showed not the slightest tension.

If anything...

'... Interest?'

There was anticipation in his eyes.

Only two kinds of people could look that way in this situation: the confident and the truly insane.

'The president hasn't told me anything about this.'

He had his doubts, but there was no reason to make a major issue of it. There was only one man to contend with, after all.

Having finished his calculations, Helcarton bowed.

"I greet the representative of Dawn."

The other Black Mages hurriedly bowed as well.

Keeping his head lowered, Helcarton moved only his eyes to check the man.

While everyone bowed before him, the man was looking at Helcarton and smacking his lips.

"Come now! Bow lower, all of you!"

Corton barked at them.

* * *

Helcarton was not entirely convinced that the man belonged to Dawn. He was merely being cautious because it was possible.

If he needlessly antagonized someone Dawn had sent, the Black Magic Society itself could be wiped out. Moreover, as someone aspiring to the presidency, Helcarton desperately needed a connection to Dawn.

That was why he was playing along for now.

"What's so difficult about this?"

The man pointed at the demon-beast tamer's magic circle, asking as though he couldn't understand.

Helcarton wanted to turn that question back on him.

The tamer's circle was a relic of the Imperial-Demon War. How could it possibly not be difficult?

"Can't you simply copy it as it's drawn?"

"Precisely, sir."

Corton nodded at the man's rebuke.

Helcarton narrowed his eyes at Corton's triumphant attitude.

The man clicked his tongue and waved a hand.

"Listen carefully. I'll only explain this once."

"Yes, sir."

Helcarton's eyes narrowed at his boundless confidence.

It was an unavoidable instinct for a Mage. These were people who had followed that instinct more faithfully than anyone, even becoming Black Mages for it.

They could not hide their curiosity.

"I trust you know that a magic circle consists of three main components. It would be truly appalling to go around calling yourself a Mage without even knowing that."

Everyone nodded at his scathing words.

The three components of a magic circle were such a basic concept that it was puzzling he would even mention them.

"First is the input, which draws in mana. It's like fuel. Mana stones are commonly used. Second is the formula calculation, which generally serves to guide the flow of mana. Third is the output. I trust you know that much."

He spoke without the slightest pause. It was all basic material, however, so everyone nodded.

The problem was...

"Now, taming demon-beasts naturally falls under mental magic. To draw a magic circle using demon-beast blood, which inherently has a high mana concentration..."

They could not understand a word of what he was saying.

They wanted to ask questions, but couldn't even tell which part they didn't understand.

Still, the brightest of Helcarton's subordinates boldly asked one.

"You don't understand? Didn't I explain that already? Are you really a Mage? Calling yourself one when you don't even know this... I'd recommend picking up a sword instead of a staff. You'll make an excellent knight. It seems Sir Gilberton has found a worthy rival."

At the bizarre answer suggesting a change of profession to knighthood, silence returned.

The man's fluent explanation continued.

"Thus, the demon-beast tamer applied a twelve-layer formula to create a circle capable of taming demon-beasts. It's quite a remarkable method. Ah, we're short on time, so I'll skip that explanation."

Why skip it...?

'Is he just spouting whatever comes to mind?'

Helcarton's brow furrowed.

Unless he was the demon-beast tamer himself, how could he possibly decipher that circle?

'No, it must be a circle he's already familiar with.'

The balance tipped toward believing that the man belonged to Dawn.

Then the man beckoned to a somewhat plump subordinate.

"Ah, you there. Come over here a moment, would you?"

Startled at being singled out, the subordinate looked at Helcarton. When Helcarton nodded, he cautiously stepped forward.

"Bare your belly."

"... My belly, sir?"

"Is your hearing poor?"

At the subordinate's look, Helcarton nodded. Wearing an uneasy expression, the subordinate lifted his robe.

"My, that's a larger belly than I expected. You'd receive a splendid reception in the capital."

Making the strange joke, the man generously coated his hand in Demon blood.

The subordinate grimaced at the dripping red blood.

"Don't worry. I'm only inscribing the demon-beast tamer's magic circle."

"... What? Why would you inscribe that on me?"

"Come now. How can you be a Black Mage with so little courage?"

At his subordinate's pleading look, Helcarton stepped forward.

"We have test subjects prepared."

"It's more efficient to do it on a Mage. You're at least somewhat similar to demon-beasts, aren't you?"

... Efficient?

It was an excessively clinical word.

"You people conduct human experiments readily enough, don't you? Surely you're not afraid to experiment on yourselves?"

"If it's so efficient, why not do it on your own body?"

In theory, performing it on the caster's own body would be most effective.

The man gave a slight shake of his head and lifted his shirt a little.

"I'm afraid the paper here isn't suitable."

Seeing the bare skin beneath his shirt, Helcarton could only agree.

Horrific scars covered every inch of it. The marks of torture were so gruesome that even Helcarton winced.

A magic circle could not be inscribed on such an uneven surface.

Amid the heavy silence, the man patted the subordinate's shoulder.

"Don't worry. There's no chance of my magic circle being wrong. And even if it were, what's the worst it could do? Explode? Your belly has plenty of padding. You'll be fine."

"Y-you're insane..."

Helcarton nodded, and his subordinate clamped his mouth shut.

The man's hand moved without hesitation. A red magic circle soon covered the subordinate's belly.

It looked carelessly drawn, yet its form was intricate.

"Now, punch the person you dislike most in the face."

The man patted the subordinate's back.

'What is he...?'

Helcarton frowned at the man's bizarre behavior.

Then the subordinate suddenly charged straight at him, swinging a fist with all his strength.

Of course, those nearby restrained him before it connected.

Held fast, the subordinate howled at Helcarton like a beast.

Red blood burst from his eyes, nose, and mouth. The howling and the steadily dripping blood made for a rather chilling sight.

'What is this...?'

Helcarton stared at the man with narrowed eyes.

"It seems you haven't been managing your subordinates properly."

The man spoke casually, his lips curving upward.

Then he placed a cigarette between his lips.

"Ah, have you heard that Dawn has been short of mana stones lately?"

He asked as he looked Helcarton up and down.

There was something strangely chilling in his eyes.

* * *

The Grand Duke was there, as though he had never disappeared.

'He has earned the Grand Duke's recognition... ' Theodore bowed his head deeply. The Grand Duke had publicly announced that Galahad had earned his recognition. The Grand Duke's recognition was an unsurpassed honor, but... 'At the same time, it's a great danger.'

As a result, Adrianna's marriage, previously treated as mere rumor, would become a serious subject of discussion. Even the commanders who had paid it no heed would no longer be able to ignore it.

As always, the Grand Duke had offered an opportunity: one so arduous that it looked like a trial, but with a fitting reward for overcoming it.

'If he overcomes this one as well... '

Theodore shivered slightly.

Then a commotion arose behind him. Turning his head, he saw a man in ornate clothing.

'... An imperial messenger?'

The messenger stood with a deathly pale face, looking as though he was struggling against the urge to bow at once.

Apparently, he had heard the rumors about the Grand Duke.

'An imperial messenger... Is this about the agreement?'

Theodore's thoughts grew tangled.

The Grand Duke had made a move, but he had remained within the North. Theodore had expected that would not be enough to bring up the agreement immediately.

Yet here was an imperial messenger.

'It won't be the Emperor. The crown prince, then?'

A silent tension filled the air.

As everyone's eyes darted about, the Grand Duke casually beckoned, as though none of this concerned him.

The messenger approached hesitantly. With trembling hands, he offered the Grand Duke a thick letter.

The Grand Duke tore it open without hesitation and quietly read it.

A heavy silence settled over the room. There were nearly ten people present, yet not even a breath could be heard.

Theodore watched the Grand Duke anxiously. The contents of that letter could change the entire situation.

But the Grand Duke's reaction was not what he had expected.

Looking at the letter, the Grand Duke chuckled softly.

"Heh heh."

'His Highness laughed?'