Chapter 67 - A Helping Arm

“Tell the truth!”

“Eek...! Wh-why are you doing this to me?”

Fren, assistant to Bunch of the White Mage Tower, shrank back in alarm at the knight’s shout.

“Sir Gilberton, I’ll handle this.”

A stunningly beautiful blonde woman stopped the knight. The man called Gilberton stepped back.

“I am Adrianna, commander of the First Battalion.”

Fren nodded. He already knew her name. He might forget his own parents’ names, but how could he forget the name of such a beauty?

“I have a few questions about this match.”

“Yes! I’ll answer anything!”

Fren nodded vigorously.

“First, can a duel between Mages end in a draw?”

“Yes! It’s exceedingly rare, but if both Mages suffer mana exhaustion at the same time, the match is declared a draw.”

“... And what is mana exhaustion?”

“It means using up every last bit of your mana! There’s mana necessary for survival, quite apart from magic. Using even that up is called mana exhaustion!”

Fren answered without a moment’s hesitation. He was delighted to be speaking with such a beauty.

“Does mana exhaustion happen often?”

“No! Mana exhaustion causes pain so horrific that it’s called a Mage’s death sentence! Most Mages say they’d rather die than experience it, so everyone takes precautions. It almost never happens!”

Adrianna gazed at Fren for a moment.

These were duels between the Grand Duke and the Imperial Princess. Rigging the outcome would be tantamount to trampling both their honors at once.

It was a grave crime.

With an effort, Adrianna swallowed and continued her questioning.

“Is it possible that the draw was intentional?”

“... What? What do you— Oh, right. This is the North. You don’t know anything about magic.”

Adrianna readily nodded. She knew nothing about magic.

“A draw happens about once in a thousand matches. You can consider it practically unheard of.”

His certainty gave Adrianna a strange feeling.

“Hmm. Suppose someone were trying to engineer a draw?”

“To do that, they’d have to know exactly how much mana their opponent had, wouldn’t they? They’d also need to know how much mana went into each spell, and possess exceptional mana sensitivity to cast spells that matched.”

Fren hummed thoughtfully. Adrianna waited without pressing him.

“Of course, it might be possible against a very low-level Mage, but Master Bunch is a senior Mage of the White Mage Tower.”

“Is that impressive?”

“What?! Are you serious? The White Mage Tower is one of the Four Great Mage Towers!”

His incredulous response made Adrianna realize just how ignorant she was about magic.

“It’s absolutely impossible,” Fren said firmly. “If someone did force a draw like that, it would be an utter defeat for their opponent. Not that such a thing could ever happen.”

“An utter defeat...” Adrianna murmured.

“Even if it were possible, what lunatic would deliberately put himself through mana exhaustion? Every Mage knows its terrible reputation. It’s a pain worse than death.”

Fren went on at length about the horrors of mana exhaustion.

‘True enough...’

It had come to light that Galahad had wagered a considerable sum on his own victory. His trusted subordinate Gilberton had even bet his entire fortune.

And now there was a Mage’s testimony as well.

After a moment’s thought, Adrianna wrote “No grounds for suspicion” on the document.

“Still, it’s a relief that it was a draw,” Fren said with a loud exhalation.

“A relief?”

“Yes. It preserved both the Grand Duke’s honor and the Imperial Princess’s. Isn’t that the best possible outcome for a goodwill exchange?”

‘The best...’

Adrianna murmured the word, which left a dry taste in her mouth.

It was the best possible outcome, as though someone had intended it.

Just then, Fren was led away for further questioning.

Beside him, Gilberton swallowed hard. Something Fren had said nagged at him.

[“What lunatic would deliberately put himself through mana exhaustion?”]

A lunatic. Was there any word that suited Galahad better?

Gilberton patted his empty pockets.

All he had left now was his sword.

Still, it was all right. The Special Operations Unit paid well. He could simply earn it back.

“Where is Commander Galahad?”

Adrianna’s question broke into his thoughts.

“Her Highness took him away.”

“I see.”

A question suddenly occurred to him.

Galahad had been the prize in these duels. If the princess won, she would take him with her. If she lost, she would pay up and leave.

But if it was a draw...

“What happens to our commander?”

A brief silence followed Gilberton’s question.

“That is up to Commander Galahad.”

Her answer left him strangely uneasy. Galahad was an inscrutable man. He might very well disappear with the princess without warning.

“... If Commander Galahad leaves, what happens to the Special Operations Unit?”

“It will be disbanded, I imagine. He created it.”

“Oh... no,” Gilberton murmured.

“Shouldn’t you hurry over there?”

“Where?”

“Your fiancé is with another woman—no, with Her Highness. Shouldn’t you go to him?”

“Hmm...”

“If he goes over to her side, the North loses military strength.”

“A loss of military strength... You have a point.”

Adrianna was exceedingly stubborn. Gilberton tilted his head, surprised by how easily she had come around.

But there was no time for that.

“Triple... No, let’s go to the commander.”

* * *

[“Guh... Gaaagh!”]

The boy stared blankly at the servant coughing up blood and dying.

The bowl that had fallen from the servant’s hand had contained the boy’s breakfast.

That meant the poison had been intended for him.

No wonder the servant had fought so desperately not to eat it.

Wiping blood from his face, the boy considered where things had gone wrong.

Being caught reading a book seemed to have put them on their guard.

An awl that pierced its pouch was bound to get hammered down.

To them, the boy was a damned rival, a beggar coveting their bowl.

Yet he could not leave home, either.

He was only five.

Five years old, and already he had to worry about poison in his food.

What a cruel world.

The boy wiped the blood from his cheek again and called for another servant.

There were plenty of servants.

Just as he had plenty of siblings.

Then the door opened, and a little child came in.

It was a black-haired girl younger than him, with a face that promised considerable beauty in the future.

Yet something about that face was familiar.

Her name was...

The girl rushed toward him. As the distance closed in an instant, the boy took a defensive stance. It was a habit born of survival.

Without warning, the girl began pressing firmly on his chest.

As if telling him to wake up.

‘You...’

Only then did Galahad realize who she was.

The cheap egg.

Why did it look like Adrianna...? And why was its hair black...?

Then he felt someone touching him.

He opened his eyes to find the princess before him. She was so close that her hot breath tickled his skin.

“You’re getting me wet. Go cry somewhere else.”

“You’re awake. Thank goodness.”

“Fucking hell,” Galahad muttered, checking his condition first.

A stinging pain ran through him, as though needles had been driven into his veins. The hollowness inside him defied description.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve had mana exhaustion.’

He had experienced it quite often when learning magic through trial and error.

The pain felt new every time. It was nearly on par with holding Adrianna’s hand.

Still, he was in better shape than expected.

Normally, mana exhaustion left him unable to use mana for a week. Its terrible reputation was well earned.

Now, however, the pain was less severe than before, and he could faintly sense mana.

The Egg of agony pressed insistently, making its presence known. It seemed to have done something.

‘There was something unpleasant...’

Galahad frowned and pushed at the princess’s face. She was so strong that she did not budge.

When his scowl deepened, she let herself be pushed back a little.

“You didn’t have to go that far.”

“It was the best option. Since someone decided to cause trouble.”

Galahad frowned at his loosened clothes and sat up.

“Stay and sleep. It’s soft.”

“No, thank you.”

“I won’t touch you.”

“How reassuring.”

Galahad pointed at his shirt, which had been opened wide.

“I only opened it to apply a potion.”

The word “potion” made Galahad frown.

Potions were exceptionally fine medicines made by the Church. They were effective enough to leave no scars when poured over a wound, but their price was considerable.

“Potions don’t work on mana exhaustion.”

“I know.”

“Then why did you use one?”

“They’re good for the skin.”

Galahad frowned at her unabashed answer.

Potions cost more than jewels, and she had used one because it was good for the skin. She truly was imperial royalty.

Pressing his temples, Galahad reviewed the situation.

The princess had lost her match against Adrianna.

Still, her opponent was Adrianna, the youngest Swordmaster, and her defeat had been a disqualification for using aura. Those would certainly count as mitigating circumstances.

Even knights well versed in dueling occasionally made the mistake of using aura. In the capital, a loss caused by aura could warrant a rematch. It was a blemish that could be smoothed over.

With the overall contest declared a draw, there was room to present it as an accomplishment of sorts.

“I’ve tied things up fairly neatly. You should be safe when you return.”

Having checked his calculations, Galahad addressed the princess.

Her eyes curved into pleasing arcs.

“You don’t intend to come with me?”

“I have work to do in the North.”

“Because of that wench?”

“Her name is Adrianna, not ‘that wench.’”

The princess chuckled.

Galahad gazed at her silently. She licked her red lips.

“Hmm. Perhaps I should marry the Grand Duke. He doesn’t seem to have a wife. Wouldn’t that be a good idea? Interest in the North is growing, after all.”

Her amused question set Galahad calculating again.

A marriage to the Grand Duke certainly would not be bad. No, it would be good. It would give Galahad much more freedom to maneuver as well.

There was just one problem.

“The Grand Duke will refuse.”

There had only ever been one woman in the Grand Duke’s life.

Even if the North had lost its former glory, a Grand Duke was still a Grand Duke. Countless people had tried to establish ties with him.

The Intelligence Bureau had been among them.

Unfortunately, he had never once succumbed.

“What a pity.”

“The prince of the Barton Kingdom is your best option.”

“Very well. But I have a condition.”

“I refuse.”

“You haven’t even heard it.”

“Isn’t this another proposal that I become your lover?”

The princess shook her head. Galahad frowned and put a cigarette between his lips.

A rich lemon scent spread through the air. The princess furrowed her brows.

After a moment, she spoke with uncharacteristic caution.

“Once a month—no. Even once a quarter, come to the capital and let me see you. I truly feel as though I’m suffocating.”

Her voice trembled faintly.

It was an earnest confession from a woman who had always been so bold.

To anyone else, it would have sounded like a desperate plea.

But Galahad’s face twisted into a deep scowl.

He had tried to endure it, but he had reached his limit.

“There’s a limit to how much bullshit I’ll take.”

At the harsh curse, the corners of the princess’s eyes drooped.

“You threw me away to save your own skin, and now you’re pretending to be some devoted lover?”

“I never threw you away. I was only trying to save you.”

Galahad frowned at her answer.

“You handed me over to the Imperial Guard for treason to save me?”

Galahad undid the shirt he had been buttoning. Dense, raised scars stood out clearly beneath it.

A third of them were the Imperial Guard’s handiwork.

“And thanks to that, you survived.”

Galahad gave a short laugh.

“Only me.”

“Yes. You survived. That is what matters.”

Her shameless words made him scowl. He nearly snapped his fingers.

Intelligence Bureau agents usually worked in pairs.

The number varied according to the mission’s importance and the agents’ characteristics. A mission involving the imperial household was of the highest priority.

Six agents had been deployed.

It was the first team Galahad had ever assembled.

And his last.

“I did it for you, you know.”

“I told you I’d rip your mouth open if you used that polite tone with me again.”

“Ah.”

The princess opened her mouth wide. At that, Galahad barely managed to recover his composure.

She was insane. There was nothing to gain by arguing with her.

Then, her expression going blank again, she added,

“The Demon King does not exist. Everyone says so. Stop being stubborn and—”

Unable to contain himself, Galahad snapped his fingers.

A sharp Ice Spike pointed at the princess’s throat.

A drop of blood trickled down her slender white neck.

She sighed softly.

Galahad’s lips twisted.

“The Demon King exists. Not that you idiots would know.”

Suppressing his agitation, Galahad turned his finger.

The Ice Spike scored a long line across the wall. Thick fabric split and fluttered down.

“You really are as stubborn as an ox.”

The princess touched her neck.

Red blood painted a flower on her fingertip.

Galahad took a deep drag on his cigarette.

The fresh lemon scent subdued his thoughts.

If he twisted that neck, the Imperial Guard would come for him.

He could not face them yet.

Besides, the princess was a card he needed. Weighing the gains and losses, keeping her alive was clearly to his advantage.

‘Stay calm.’

He could not let emotion ruin his plans.

Galahad flicked the ash from his cigarette and took a step back.

“Next time, I’ll come to the capital. To let you see my face, as you wished.”

The princess nodded, looking disappointed.

He could not begin to fathom how broken she was.

“Very well. That will do.”

Just then, someone knocked at the door.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

“This is Adrianna. I’ve come to check on Commander Galahad.”

Galahad clicked his tongue and swept back his disheveled fringe.

After straightening his clothes, he opened the door to find Adrianna in full armor.

Her eyes widened.

“Are you all right?”

“As you can see. Perfectly fine.”

“Ah...”

Adrianna’s eyes wavered slightly. The Galahad reflected in them looked a little tired.

“Perfectly fine? After all the attention you needed?”

A sweet voice came from behind him.

The princess was reclining on the bed.

‘What a nasty pastime.’

Her intent was obvious.

But she was dealing with Adrianna.

“Indeed. I’ve heard mana exhaustion is dangerous. Let me help you walk.”

“I’m not so bad that I need support.”

“It’s all right. I’ll help you.”

Adrianna strode forward with a serious expression and carefully supported him with her gauntleted hands.

The distance between them vanished. The cool touch of her armor tickled Galahad.

She might have intended to support him, but their difference in height made it look as though he were nestled in her arms.

The princess’s eyes curved into pleasing arcs.

Looking at her, Adrianna bowed.

“Thank you for taking care of our Commander Galahad.”

“... Our?”

The princess gave a quiet laugh.

Adrianna helped Galahad outside.

As the door closed, a shrill laugh rang out from within.

“She seems to be in a good mood.”

At Adrianna’s murmur, Galahad clicked his tongue softly.

“You’re rather good at needling her.”

“... Pardon? Needling?”

Galahad shook his head.

“Never mind. Stop touching me so much. You’ll wear me away.”

“What? I’m supporting you.”

“Oh dear. You’ve worn a little off already.”

“Worn off? What do you...?”

Flustered, Adrianna let go of him.

Galahad chuckled and straightened his clothes.

“Ah, His Highness the Grand Duke ordered me to bring you to him. He probably has questions about the match—”

“I feel dizzy. A side effect of mana exhaustion, perhaps.”

“What? You just said you were fine—”

“Oh dear. I’m going to faint and collapse. I need support.”

Galahad sidled closer.

He had been insisting he was fine just a moment ago.

He truly was impossible to understand.

And besides...

“... Isn’t this linking arms rather than helping you walk?”

“It’s a matter of perspective. Whether you support me or link arms with me, you’re sharing my weight all the same. I find this more comfortable.”

Somehow, his confidently delivered logic sounded plausible.

“Do you mind?”

At his casual question, Adrianna shook her head.

“No. It’s fine.”

“Then that settles it.”

For the first time, Adrianna became conscious of the way she walked.

Somehow, her steps felt strange.