Chapter 61 - Negotiations Break Down

Tom swallowed hard as he stole a glance at Galahad across from him. The Galahad he knew was a man who never lost his composure. He would crack jokes even with Demons standing before him.

But something about him felt strange today. His faint, easy smile and upright posture were no different from usual, yet there was an oddly pointed edge to them. Something about Galahad was sharp today. He had been that way ever since receiving His Highness the Grand Duke's letter.

'The duels proposed by the Imperial Princess...' Galahad was confidence personified to begin with. Being selected for a duel hardly seemed likely to make him irritable. He clearly had some issue with the princess.

'The Imperial Princess...' Tom quietly marveled at the sheer weight of those words. Just then, Gilberton tossed back his wine and belched. Damian let out a quiet sigh.

"The Imperial Princess? Isn't she that crazy bitch you mentioned?"

Tom was quietly aghast at Gilberton's crude question. Galahad, however, replied as he always did.

"My dear fellow, that constitutes an insult to the imperial family."

"What? You're the one who said it, Commander."

"I said a crazy woman."

Gilberton's face twitched. Galahad chuckled.

"Have you met the Imperial Princess? They say she's absolutely beautiful!"

This time it was Gwen asking, her eyes sparkling.

"Beautiful, is she..."

Galahad narrowed his eyes slightly, then recovered his easy smile.

"Indeed. She's an extraordinary beauty."

"Wow! Really?"

Gwen gave a little gasp of admiration. Tom was quietly astonished by how casually the unit members treated Galahad.

"Who's more beautiful, her or Lady Adrianna?"

Gilberton asked in all seriousness. Tom swallowed at the blunt question. Gwen's eyes sparkled again. Damian tore into some dried meat.

"Pitting their beauty against each other... Just what I'd expect of Sir Gilberton the lecher. Everyone in this world has their own charms. Nothing could be more foolish than comparing them."

As always, Galahad's answer was eloquent.

"But if everyone has their own charms, why do you always—"

"Sir Gilberton, your charm lies in your ugliness."

"Goddammit..."

Galahad chuckled at Gilberton's protests, looking just like his usual self. And yet something about him made Tom strangely uncomfortable.

"But seriously, who's prettier?"

Gilberton refused to give up. Gwen's eyes lit up again. Galahad sighed softly.

"Enough foolishness. Get ready."

At his firm order, Gilberton rose with a frown.

"We've finished eating. Let's go outside."

"Whatever for? Didn't I explain that we're waiting for Adrianna?"

"You're representing the North in a duel, aren't you? Anything else might be tolerable, but losing to the Empire is out of the question. Let's train."

Gilberton spoke earnestly, his eyes brimming with zeal. Galahad clicked his tongue openly.

"My opponent will be a Mage. Training with you would be of no help whatsoever. And there is no chance of me losing a battle between Mages."

His decisive answer left Gilberton standing awkwardly.

"You've eaten. Time to train."

"Why are you taking it out on me?"

"Quiet, brat."

Gilberton grabbed Damian by the scruff of the neck and dragged him outside. Startled, Gwen hurried after him.

Galahad casually put a cigarette between his lips. Its glow illuminated his face. His expression was so complicated that Tom quietly excused himself.

When Tom opened the door to leave, he came face-to-face with a blond woman. Her blue eyes were like a clear sky, her skin whiter than snow. It was Adrianna, the hero of the North.

"Is Commander Galahad inside?"

"Yes!"

Belatedly coming to his senses, Tom hastily stepped aside. Adrianna bowed her head and went in.

Looking at the closed door, Tom pondered the matter in earnest.

'Is it even possible to be prettier than Adrianna?'

He could scarcely imagine it.

* * *

"May I sit?"

Galahad looked up at the polite question. Adrianna stood across from him.

"No."

"Oh..."

"I'm joking. Have a seat."

Adrianna exhaled and sat down. Sitting straight-backed, she shifted her sword to the side—a knight's habit, positioning it for an easy draw.

"I hear Her Imperial Highness is coming."

She broached the subject with a serious expression. Galahad nodded.

"Is she coming to see you, Commander Galahad?"

Adrianna gazed steadily at him as she asked. Her blue eyes were remarkably clear. Her direct question gave Galahad pause.

The princess was currently his greatest headache. He could picture her present circumstances as clearly as if they were before him. The death of her fiancé, the prince from the Alliance of Kingdoms... Galahad was certain she hadn't done it. She was mad, but she was no fool. And besides...

'She would never harm a gift I gave her.'

Taking her temperament into account, Galahad had described the prince as a gift. He had indeed been Galahad's final provision for her, too. There was no way the princess would have ruined a gift from him. Something must have happened within the imperial family. Galahad gritted his teeth slightly.

Then his eyes met Adrianna's. She was watching him quietly, without pressing him for an answer.

"I know I'm handsome, but you'll wear me out staring like that."

"... What?! That's not—"

"Yes. She's coming to see me."

Galahad cut her off. Adrianna watched him for a moment, then nodded.

"I see. And how do you feel about it, Commander Galahad?"

"... How do I feel?"

"Yes."

It was, in fact, a sensitive matter. To Adrianna, Galahad was a fiancé the Empire had arbitrarily chosen for her. The princess coming to see him was profoundly rude and inappropriate. Yet rather than grow angry, Adrianna was asking his opinion.

'The complete opposite of the princess.'

Galahad slipped his cigarette between his lips. Adrianna simply watched him without hurrying him. She was a decidedly difficult woman to deal with.

"If you're asking how I feel, frankly, it's a nuisance and an irritation."

"... A nuisance and an irritation?"

Adrianna's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Imagine your former superior coming all this way to see you."

At his words, Adrianna briefly lowered her eyes. She seemed to be giving it serious thought. Her eyelashes were so long that a snowflake rested on them.

"Wouldn't you be grateful? They would be coming all this way out of consideration for you."

Galahad gave a small cough.

'I suppose that's one way to look at it.'

At its root, Adrianna was right. It was simply that everything layered over it was twisted.

"I see."

Galahad nodded.

Silence settled for a moment. Galahad busily weighed the princess's intentions. But with her, predictions never came easily.

"Then the princess might call off the marriage."

Adrianna's voice was flat. Her eyebrows were back in their normal position.

"I doubt it. The decision came from someone above her."

If she could have stopped it, she would have done so long ago. She was the Imperial Princess, but at the same time, she was only the Imperial Princess.

"Oh... I see."

Adrianna's eyebrows sank. Galahad frowned at them.

"You seem disappointed that the marriage can't be called off."

Adrianna's eyes widened slightly at his question. Then her usual expressionless mask returned, and her lips moved. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully. When his cigarette was almost finished, she spoke.

"I have no intention of marrying you."

Her voice was firm—firmer even than when they first met. Galahad promptly sprang up and leaned his face toward hers. The distance between them vanished in an instant. He was close enough for her to hear his breathing, and Adrianna involuntarily held her breath.

Wasn't this far too close...?

Then Galahad spoke.

"Am I ugly?"

His voice was utterly casual. How could he ask something like that...?

"Answer me."

At his firm prompting, Adrianna shook her head.

"You are handsome."

"Am I short?"

"You are tall."

"Then is my personality unpleasant?"

"No."

The blunt questions came one after another, leaving Adrianna thoroughly dizzy. How could anyone ask such things so confidently, so shamelessly? Then Galahad leaned closer still. As those cold eyes drew nearer, she instinctively pulled her face back. He closed the distance she had gained. Unfortunately, there was nowhere left to retreat.

"Then I don't see the issue. Present reasonable grounds, so we can reach an amicable agreement."

Galahad looked her straight in the eye.

'... An amicable agreement? Reasonable grounds?'

His astonishing choice of words left Adrianna dazed. He wanted grounds for why she couldn't marry him? Faced with a demand she had never imagined, she opened and closed her mouth.

"So you have none. In that case—"

At his nonchalant words, Adrianna shot to her feet. Galahad merely tilted his head up to look at her, utterly unperturbed. His face was infuriating. Truly.

"You are a capable Mage, and I am one who burns magic. The outcome is obvious."

The words burst from Adrianna's mouth. It was only natural. Galahad was as capable a Mage as he claimed to be, while Adrianna possessed a nature that burned magic. How things would end between them was obvious. It was like a fish declaring it would enter a fire.

And even apart from that... Adrianna desperately swallowed the words threatening to spill out. Realizing she had raised her voice, she felt her face grow hot. Galahad, meanwhile, looked entirely untroubled. No, the corners of his mouth were actually rising. She felt uneasy. What would come out of that infuriating mouth next? Just as she was about to speak, Galahad opened it.

"Ah, was that the problem? You do have a naughty side, don't you? Well, physical intimacy is important."

"... What?"

The shocking remark brought Adrianna's thoughts to a halt.

"Don't worry. I'll analyze your nature and devise a countermeasure. We should even be able to kiss."

"What?! That's not what I meant!"

"Surely you don't mean more than that? Hmm. I'll do my best."

"N-No!"

At Galahad's solemn nod, Adrianna let out a small shriek. She hastily bowed her head and fled. Galahad scratched his cheek as he watched her depart, moving stiffly like something broken.

* * *

Preparations were finished shortly afterward. The Special Operations Unit traveled with Adrianna's personal unit. As always, Adrianna led from the front rather than riding in the carriage. Unlike usual, however, she wore a heavy helmet. With four horns mounted on top, it was quite a fearsome sight.

"How strange."

"What is?"

"Lady Adrianna reminds me of the rookie."

"Oh?"

Galahad sounded mildly impressed. So Gilberton did possess some powers of observation after all.

"It's really odd. Speaking of which, when is that rookie coming back?"

"Someday, I'm sure."

"He's such a naive fellow... Oh, about the duels. What do you think?"

At Gilberton's question, Galahad hummed thoughtfully.

There would be three duels in all: the Second Battalion commander, Galahad, and Adrianna. If the princess had proposed them, the outcome would probably be...

"The North will lose."

"... What? We're going to lose?"

Galahad nodded at Gilberton's shocked response.

The princess loathed losing. She would never propose a contest she couldn't win.

"Didn't you say you'd win?"

"Of course I'll win."

"Then you're saying the battalion commanders will lose?"

"Sir Gilberton, you're being loud."

The gazes around them sharpened. Adrianna's was among them. Galahad gave a casual wave, and she turned forward again.

"You clearly don't know the North."

Gilberton spoke earnestly. Galahad readily nodded.

"Quite right. Perhaps I still don't truly understand the North. However, conditions here and in the capital are different."

Galahad took a deep drag on his cigarette. A lemon scent drifted out. The North's knights were undeniably exceptional, and the war with the Demons was the reason. They had grown strong through countless real battles. Their overall quality surpassed that of the Empire's knights. At the very top, however, it was a different story.

The Empire's knights were manufactured. Educated by renowned knights from childhood and provided with expensive support, they were weapons deliberately forged. Of course, knights couldn't be compared on those grounds alone. Northern knights had endured upbringings every bit as harsh as imperial knights. The problem was...

"These are duels, aren't they? Presumably imperial-style."

Hunting Demons would have been another matter. Imperial-style duels were their domain.

"But we have Lady Adrianna."

Gilberton sounded unconvinced. Adrianna was certainly an exceptional fighter. By the final act, she would undoubtedly become the sharpest blade. However...

"And they have the princess."

This was a world in which imperial royalty were regarded as chosen by God. To prove their nobility, they had to excel at everything. If imperial knights were manufactured beings, imperial royalty were treasures painstakingly fashioned at staggering expense. Adrianna would win in the final act, but it was too soon now. The princess was already a flower in full bloom. Adrianna couldn't beat her yet—especially not in a duel.

Just then, the Grand Duke's castle came into view in the distance. Thick, towering walls covered in snow, and armed soldiers... The massive, unadorned gates felt almost as though they bore the Grand Duke's name.

'It's been quite a while.'

Last time, he had practically been abducted and dragged here. Galahad felt a strange pang of reminiscence.

Then—

BWOOOOOO!

A horn sounded a long blast. Soldiers lined the battlements. The gates swung open violently, sending the snow beneath them flying. Soldiers hurried out and formed an impressive line, tension written on their faces. In moments, soldiers lined the road to the gates. Then they delivered a salute so forceful that the ground shook.

"Quite the grand welcome."

Galahad clicked his tongue softly. Then something struck him as odd. He had naturally assumed it was for Adrianna, but the direction of the salute wasn't quite right.

'It's for me.'

Was this what the Grand Duke's recognition meant?

Galahad raised the corners of his mouth and acknowledged the salute. It wasn't particularly useful. Nor did it make him feel any better. Amid the excessive welcome, he made his way toward the Grand Duke's castle. A neat-looking man approached. Judging by his immaculate clothes and the knight attending him, he seemed to be someone of fairly high standing.

"I am Theodore, in service to His Highness the Grand Duke. His Highness summons you."

"I see. Shall we go?"

Galahad addressed Adrianna. Still wearing her helmet, she nodded. Theodore looked uncomfortable.

"Well... His Highness instructed Commander Galahad to come alone."

"Alone?"

"Yes. Alone."

Theodore emphasized the word. There was something oddly chilling about it. A private audience with the Grand Duke...

"Adrianna!"

Galahad called out to her urgently.

* * *

Garseton Castle was in the midst of an unexpected uproar, all because of a dazzling golden carriage accompanied by dozens of attendants.

'The Imperial Princess? What is this, all of a sudden...?'

Chirta, the castle's lord, clutched at his scant remaining hair as his head throbbed.

Garseton Castle had nothing in particular to boast of. He couldn't fathom why the princess had come. Still, he couldn't simply stand there, so Chirta rushed out. As the princess happened to enter the castle, he stared slack-jawed. Calling her beautiful was simply inadequate. Hers was a fatal beauty. Had it not been for the murderous gaze of the knight behind her, he might have kept staring at her face.

"I heard he visited here."

"... Pardon?"

Chirta's eyes went round at the unexpected remark. He?

"Oh, Lord Galahad."

Galahad! It was a name he could never forget, for Galahad was the reason he had become the castle's lord. Chirta hadn't originally held that position. The former lord, Daniel, had attacked Galahad in the dead of night, claiming it was for his daughter Emma. He had even been wearing Emma's skirt. On top of that, his collusion with the Demons had come to light. Everyone involved had been dealt with, leaving Chirta to stumble into the position. It was no wonder he couldn't forget that name.

'But why Galahad?'

Though puzzled, Chirta nodded.

"Where?"

"Ah, upstairs. But it hasn't been cleaned—"

Chirta hastily added the warning. It was the room where Galahad had fought the castle lord after he became a Demon. Chirta had been too afraid to go there and clean it, and now the princess wanted to visit? Cold sweat poured off him.

"Show me."

"... Pardon? No, it's full of blood and torn cloth. Let us clean it quickly..."

"How lovely."

Meeting the princess's eyes, Chirta couldn't finish his sentence.

"Where is it?"

At her breathless, heated question, Chirta pointed upstairs.

The princess went upstairs, humming to herself. The man who appeared to be a knight blocked the stairs.

"Everyone out."

His voice was firm, as though there were something they must not see. No one dared think of resisting.