Chapter 86 - A Date

“It will not be easy to find Mages,” Adrianna said in her usual flat voice.

Galahad gave a small nod.

“Quite right. With the Empire’s sanctions against the North, the officially recognized Mage Towers won’t be able to come.”

“Then how do you intend to find them?”

“Do you know what proportion of Mages belong to a Mage Tower?”

“I do not.”

“I like your confidence. Fewer than one in ten.”

“I understand that teaching magic outside the Academy is forbidden.”

“Oh? You know about that sort of thing?”

“I am not Sir Gilberton.”

Her earnest answer made Galahad chuckle.

“Indeed, it is forbidden. But are those fellows the sort to stop just because something is forbidden?”

Adrianna briefly furrowed her brows.

“Do you intend to summon Mages who do not belong to the towers?”

“There’s no need to summon them.”

“Pardon?”

Her eyebrows twitched. Galahad smiled.

“There are plenty in the North already.”

“... There are?”

“Haven’t you had one problem after another lately? Most were probably the work of Mages with more greed than sense.”

“Ah.”

Adrianna let out a quiet sigh.

“It was strange, now that you mention it. Demon-beasts and Demons have always appeared frequently, but Mages and vagrants used to be rare. Their numbers have increased far too much lately. Do you know why?”

Galahad discreetly averted his eyes at her earnest question.

“Ahem. Could it not be the rumors about mana stones?”

“That does not explain the exponential increase. It is as though someone has been pushing them in—”

“Goodness, who would be pushing anyone anywhere? I’m sure they all had their reasons. In any case, the important thing is that our workers are scattered all over the North.”

Adrianna tilted her head, then nodded.

“I see. How do we find them, then?”

Galahad lightly tapped his cigarette. The scent of lemon drifted through the air. Adrianna swallowed.

“Why find them? We can simply gather them.”

“Gather them?”

“Hmm, this spot should do. What is that building?”

Galahad looked back as he asked. The staff officers, who had been following at a distance, hurried over.

“A warehouse and supply depot!”

Theodore’s voice was enthusiastic. Galahad nodded.

“Then it can be relocated.”

“Of course.”

“In that case, let’s clear everything from here to there.”

“Yes! Clear everything from here to there!”

The staff officers burst into a flurry of activity. Taken aback, Adrianna asked Galahad,

“Why are you clearing that area?”

“Oh, I’m going to build a Mage Tower.”

I see. He is building a Mage Tower. As Adrianna murmured to herself, something struck her as odd.

“... Did you just say you are building a Mage Tower?!”

Her voice rose, a rare occurrence. Galahad nodded.

“I intend to build one.”

“... A Mage Tower?”

“I have the Grand Duke’s permission. What could be the problem?”

His confident question made Adrianna think seriously.

“... When did His Highness give permission for a Mage Tower?”

“He approved the business exploiting the magic-stone deposits. The Mage Tower is a branch of that business.”

Galahad laughed heartily, his face brimming with confidence.

'Can you build a Mage Tower just because you decide to?'

Adrianna muttered for a moment before nodding. Surely Galahad had not said it without any plan at all.

“Once I build a Mage Tower and put my name on it, the Mages will gather of their own accord. I am a famously brilliant genius, after all. Hmm, I’ll need to write a few books on magic to establish the tower. Then I can hand them out in exchange for the mana stones they harvest—”

Sensing a gaze, Galahad looked up. Adrianna was watching him with an odd expression.

“I know I’m handsome, but you’ll wear me down if you stare that hard.”

“Looking at you will not wear you down.”

“So you admit I’m handsome.”

Adrianna’s eyebrows shot up. She shook her head slightly.

“You really must love magic.”

“What an obvious thing to ask. I am a Mage.”

There was a peculiar radiance to Galahad as he said it. Adrianna took a step away.

“What will you name the Mage Tower?”

“A name? Hmm...”

Galahad stroked his chin. Though intended for the mana-stone business, the tower was likely to become a strategic stronghold in the future.

“Noon,” he said with a smile.

“Why Noon?” Adrianna asked earnestly.

“Because it’s the brightest, warmest time of day.”

“Ah, I see.”

She nodded.

“How do you build a Mage Tower?”

“The same as any spire. It just needs to look reasonably impressive on the outside.”

“I see. It will not take long.”

“Not long? It will need to be quite tall.”

“Yes. With the frequent attacks by demon-beasts and Demons, we are very good at building walls. You will be surprised.”

Galahad chuckled at her assurance.

Whatever else might be said of them, the North’s soldiers had the finest physiques on the continent. The walls he had seen on his journey had been dizzyingly high, too. They probably could build quickly.

“We will start immediately! Over there! Tear it down!”

A staff officer shouted, pointing at the area Galahad had designated.

The soldiers set to work with positively menacing vigor. One fellow even summoned his aura.

Using aura to demolish a building...

'How very brutish.'

The sizable building collapsed in an instant.

“The North is impressive in so many ways.”

“Yes.”

Adrianna nodded emphatically. Galahad chuckled.

'Magic-stone deposits, eh?'

The Grand Duke’s castle was vast and bleak, steeped in the scent of the battlefield. How could a barren land where snow fell all year round ever be prosperous?

Mana stones, however, were another story. Their value was steadily rising.

There were several hypotheses about mana stones. The popular theory held that they were formed from the compressed remains of Demons.

Perhaps that theory was true, for the North, which shared a front with the Demons, had many magic-stone deposits. The stones were also of excellent quality, likely thanks to the high mana concentration.

In other words, the North was...

'An oil-producing nation.'

An oil-producing nation whose output dwarfed anything elsewhere. Its value went without saying.

There was considerable hostility toward mana stones, but...

'Public perception will improve anyway.'

He would not even need to make an effort. Just as the commanders had secretly sold off the magic-stone deposits, people would surely come to like mana stones once they realized there was money in them.

Even setting that aside, plenty of obstacles remained. The Empire’s sanctions against the North would make distribution difficult, and all manner of pests would swarm in.

But if he overcame those obstacles and got the business firmly established...

'It will change the balance of power on the continent.'

The North’s fighting prowess, honed on the front against the Demons, was beyond question. What it lacked most was money.

If the magic-stone deposits solved that problem, the balance of power would shift completely.

'It might even be better to declare an independent grand duchy.'

Galahad glanced over. Adrianna was as expressionless as ever, yet somehow looked rather proud.

The sole heir to an oil-producing nation, and the sword that would pierce the Demon King...

“Roses would be nice for the engagement ceremony, wouldn’t they?”

“Pardon? Rather than roses, lilies would— No, I clearly told you I have no intention of getting engaged.”

“Lilies, then. I’ll be sure to remember.”

“... No!”

Galahad chuckled at her wildly twitching eyebrows.

Cigarette smoke drifted out in broken wisps.

Adrianna finally collected herself and was about to speak firmly when he interrupted.

“Ah, would you like to go have something sweet?”

Galahad held out a hand.

It had been a passing conversation during their escape from the Demon Realm. Adrianna was a little surprised he remembered.

“... There is nowhere here that sells sweet food.”

“There is one place. They don’t sell it, but they should have some.”

Adrianna tilted her head at his answer.

This was the northern castle where she had been born, yet Galahad spoke as though he knew it better than she did.

Still, the word “sweet” kept prodding at her.

'This is intelligence gathering.'

“Your eyebrows have gone up.”

“... Pardon?”

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

* * *

At the Intelligence Bureau safe house, Handsome stretched at length. An agent stationed at a safe house did not have much to do.

All he did was monitor the situation and submit a report if he noticed anything unusual. An ordinary civilian could have done it.

For an elite knight who had joined the Intelligence Bureau, it was rather meaningless work.

In short, being assigned to a safe house meant your career as an agent was over.

Recently, however, things had changed.

First, a senior agent nicknamed the Mage-Knight, had come to this safe house.

There was an obvious reason for sending someone so powerful to the North.

'Headquarters is taking more interest in the North.'

It was probably because of Galahad. The political landscape of the North had changed since his arrival.

The problem was...

'Why am I here alone?'

First had obtained his information and promptly disappeared, leaving Handsome on his own again.

Still, the peace and quiet was not so bad.

Then...

KNOCK, KNOCK.

Someone was knocking. Handsome rose, gripping his sword hilt.

The safe house had been placed somewhere difficult to find. This was unlikely to be a passerby.

He leaned lightly against the door and adjusted his grip on the hilt. Ready to strike the moment it opened, he cautiously called out.

“What do you want?”

A flawless northern manner of speech came from his lips.

There was no answer.

'... Is this a prank?'

Handsome narrowed his eyes.

The door rattled. It was a magical door with five layers of security. There was no way it would open.

Then he heard,

“Would you hold this for a moment?”

The voice was familiar somehow. Relaxed, yet polite. Galahad.

Handsome swallowed. Galahad had breached the door last time, but the security had since been reinforced.

There was no way it would open.

'... How did he find the safe house?'

“You should not open someone else’s door without permission.”

“It isn’t someone else’s house.”

“Pardon? Ah, understood.”

A peculiarly calm woman’s voice reached him.

With a rattle, the handle turned straight to the side. There was not the slightest resistance, nor did an alarm sound.

“It is not locked.”

“It was. You simply erased the lock.”

The door swung open easily. Galahad, the tall, impeccably groomed imperial nobleman, stood before him.

His gaze went to Handsome’s hand on his sword hilt.

“Are you going to draw that? I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Handsome shook his head.

“... How did you find this place?”

“It was the only place with a sturdy door.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s a little trick. May I come in for a moment?”

It was a polite request, but...

'Don’t people normally ask before opening the door?'

Just then, he met the eyes of the woman behind Galahad. She bowed her head.

Her beauty was hard to believe even as he looked at her. It was Adrianna, the North’s youngest Swordmaster. Intelligence Bureau agent or not, Handsome was no match for a Swordmaster.

Besides, he owed Galahad a debt of gratitude. He quietly stepped aside.

“Thank you. Come in.”

“Yes. How unusual.”

The two entered, chatting naturally. It looked for all the world like Galahad’s home.

“It’s how things are done in the capital. Now, take a seat.”

Galahad smoothly pulled out a chair. Adrianna hesitated.

“You do not need to pull it out for me.”

“Very well.”

Galahad slipped into the chair himself. Adrianna paused, then coughed and went around to sit opposite him.

“Handsome, do you have anything sweet?”

“Yes, I do, but...”

“Could you bring some out? I would appreciate it.”

The request was so matter-of-fact that Handsome nodded before he knew it.

Chocolate and candy did arrive among the supplies. They were not to his taste, so he had simply let them pile up.

'... Is this really right?'

Handsome tilted his head as he put chocolate and candy on a plate.

If Galahad had filed a report, Handsome would have been retired. Compared with that, this was nothing.

Still...

“Wow... This is delicious.”

“Your eyes turn into a rabbit’s when you eat sweets.”

“... They do not.”

'Why are you having a date here...?'

Just when he thought he had finally adjusted to the northern cold...

Handsome felt a peculiar chill.

* * *

“Heh heh... Galahad, I have arrived. This time will be different.”

“Stop laughing like a creep. Everyone is staring.”

Pumpkin sighed quietly and presented their Special Operations Unit credentials. The soldier nodded.

“I hear your commander is building some strange thing called a Mage Tower...”

“A Mage... Tower? A Mage Tower?”

First’s mouth fell open. His eyes rolled. Fuck. Muttering the curse under her breath, Pumpkin hurried forward.

“We are just returning ourselves, so we do not know much about it.”

“Oh, I see.”

The soldier stepped aside. Pumpkin seized First’s arm and dragged him along. His eyes darted this way and that.

“It must be a rumor. Even Galahad cannot just build a Mage Tower. The Empire would never allow it,” Pumpkin said hastily.

“No matter how brilliant Galahad is... I mean, even if he is skilled enough to rival you, a Mage Tower is another matter entirely, isn’t it? There is no way he already obtained permission. It must be a rumor.”

“Quite right. Even Galahad couldn’t build a Mage Tower. But! If he does—!”

First’s eyes spun. Pumpkin recoiled.

“I will build a Magic Sword Tower.”

First’s declaration was solemn. His eyes were utterly serious. He clearly meant it.

'What the hell is a Magic Sword Tower supposed to be?'

Pumpkin muttered a quiet curse.

“You will be its deputy tower master, Pumpkin.”

“Yes, well, what an honor.”

Building a Mage Tower without permission meant a charge of rebellion at the very least. Since it would never happen anyway, Pumpkin brushed it off.

There was a commotion up ahead. Pumpkin turned toward it and squinted.

The spot where a large building had stood had been cleared completely.

The problem was that stones were being stacked in a circle there. Only the base had been laid, but the shape was unmistakably...

'A Mage Tower.'

“Fuck,” Pumpkin muttered.

She knew very well how capable Galahad was. But a Mage Tower was an entirely different matter. Calling him ambitious did not begin to cover it.

Pumpkin hurriedly checked on First.

Fortunately, he was looking elsewhere.

Then his head began to turn. Before she knew it, Pumpkin swung her fist.

THWACK.

Her fist landed squarely on his cheek. Pumpkin was a knight too. There was considerable force behind the punch, but First merely tilted his head despite taking it full on.

“Did you just kiss my cheek?”

“... The wager! There is the wager.”

“Ah! The wager!”

First’s attention shifted instantly. Pumpkin breathed a small sigh of relief.

They soon arrived at the Intelligence Bureau safe house.

“Magical security may appear perfect at first glance, but there are clear weaknesses within it. For example, if you channel mana like this—”

First rambled on. It was clearly because of the story about Galahad picking the safe house’s lock.

Pumpkin acknowledged First’s strength, but a magically secured door was another matter. There was no way he could do it.

Besides...

'They gave you a magical key device.'

Just then...

With a clunk, the door handle came loose in First’s hand. He paused briefly, apparently not having expected it to actually open.

Then he laughed heartily.

“There you have it. The power of theory.”

“You lunatic, why did you break it?”

“No, I did not break it. I bypassed it.”

“Do you have any idea how much that costs? They’ll dock our pay again! You brute!”

“Ahem.”

First discreetly put the handle back. It was already broken, however, and the loose handle tumbled to the floor.

Stealing a glance at Pumpkin, he laughed boldly.

“What a cheap piece of junk.”

“Would you just—”

First hurried inside as though fleeing. Pumpkin sighed softly and followed.

First stopped dead. Pumpkin frowned at his sudden halt.

“What is it?”

She leaned around him to look inside.

Galahad sat with his long legs crossed, as relaxed as though he were in his own home.

Opposite him, a female knight sat perfectly upright. Her cheeks were slightly puffed out, as though she had stuffed them with food.

It was unmistakably a date.

'Why are they having a date at an Intelligence Bureau safe house...?'

The female knight’s appearance was astonishing.

'Wow... Is she even human?'

Pumpkin felt nothing but admiration for those perfect looks. They were beautiful enough to inspire awe.

Then First’s head whipped around. He looked Pumpkin up and down with serious eyes, then turned back to the female knight. With a quiet, thoughtful hum, he examined Pumpkin again.

His face crumpled in unmistakable defeat.

Normally she would have been offended, but with that female knight as the comparison, the thought did not even occur to her.

That woman was the very definition of beauty.

But First’s lips began to move.

A sign that he was about to start spouting bullshit.

She had to shut that mouth.

“Pumpkin.”

“Shut up, sir.”

“I find you more— Urgh!”

“Please shut the fuck up.”

First breathed hard, panting as though he were engaged in some difficult task.

After a deep breath, he pointed at Galahad.

“Galahad, this is not a contest! Everyone has their own charms!”

The veins in his neck bulged as he bellowed those fine words.

The problem was...

'No one said it was. Please.'

Pumpkin, the person in question, wanted none of this.

The female knight looked toward them in surprise. Galahad and the other agent also turned their eyes on them.

'Stop it.'

Pumpkin pleaded desperately in her mind, but First’s mouth would not stop.

“Pumpkin! Pumpkin has her own charms too! For example—!”

Please.

“Pumpkin’s trapezius muscles are thicker than hers! Ha ha!”

Shut up.

Pumpkin covered her burning face with her hands.