Chapter 87 - Agent Galahad

"... I'm sorry."

Pumpkin bowed deeply and respectfully, her face so red it looked ready to burst.

The reason was—

"It's not just her trapezius muscles! Pumpkin's deltoids are bigger too!"

"Please, shut up. No, bite your tongue off."

First was shouting exuberantly beside her. Pumpkin spoke through tightly clenched teeth.

The two made quite a racket.

Adrianna tilted her head toward them warily. Her hand was already on her sword hilt. Her bulging cheeks moved frantically.

'She really does love sweets.'

Adrianna, who normally kept her face expressionless, had even raised her voice for once.

At last, she gulped down her mouthful. Her expression softened briefly before turning blank again.

"Do you know them?"

"They're colleagues of mine. This is First, and that's Pumpkin. And this is my future wife, Adrianna."

"... I am not his future wife. I am Adrianna, commander of the First Battalion."

"Oh, so you're Adrianna, hero of the North, the Frozen Flower, the youngest Swordmaster."

First boldly offered his hand. Adrianna's eyebrows lowered slightly.

"Sorry, but I'm the only one allowed to touch Adrianna."

Galahad took First's hand as he explained.

"And if I touch her—?"

First raised an eyebrow. His characteristic competitive streak was unmistakable. Galahad clicked his tongue softly.

Only Galahad could have endured holding Adrianna's hand. Another Mage might be left an imbecile by touching her.

First probably wouldn't suffer quite that badly, but there was no reason to cause trouble, so Galahad intended to stop him.

Unfortunately, First was the sort who never listened unless you spoke firmly.

He needed a strong warning.

"If you touch her..."

Galahad considered his wording for a moment, then chose something suitable.

"You'll die."

He delivered the warning in all seriousness. First's eyes widened. Pumpkin let out an exclamation.

"Wow. I've never heard you say anything like that, Galahad."

Pumpkin voiced her admiration, an odd sparkle in her eyes.

"Ahem. I was joking. That wouldn't be fair competition. I had no intention of doing it."

Looking sheepish, First stepped back.

"..."

Adrianna's eyes went round. She looked as though someone had pressed a pause button.

Only then did Galahad realize his wording had sounded a little odd.

"Right, so you're that Adrianna."

Having promptly recovered his spirits, First stepped forward again.

"Yes. Adrianna, commander of the First Battalion."

Rather than offer her hand, she gave him a brief bow of her head.

First responded by fixing her with an intense stare.

"Let's all sit down first."

Galahad took his seat, and First immediately sat across from him. Pumpkin sighed and sat beside First.

Last of all, Adrianna took the empty seat beside Galahad.

Galahad briefly gathered his thoughts. No matter how quickly they built the Mage Tower, it would inevitably take time.

The tower was a medium- to long-term plan. He needed to capture Mages right now. That was why he'd summoned First. In his place, he had moved the Fifth Battalion commander to the Demon Realm training camp under the pretext of training in the Demon Realm.

Just then—

THUD!

First pounded the table with his fist, making it shake violently. "I'm sorry," Pumpkin apologized on his behalf.

First's eyes were fixed on Adrianna.

"I was wondering who this woman marrying Galahad could possibly be—"

His voice was positively cloying.

After looking Adrianna over, First gave an emphatic nod.

"I have to approve! Her trapezius muscles leave a little to be desired, but yes! Anyone claiming Galahad would have to be at least this impressive—"

"Who the hell are you to approve or disapprove? I'm sorry."

"...?"

Confusion crossed Adrianna's face. Her gaze wandered for a moment.

Galahad clicked his tongue and set down his teacup. First's expression returned to its usual look.

"A Mage-catching wager, you say. What are you scheming?"

First leaned forward slightly as he asked.

A glossy madness seethed in his eyes. It was a consequence of walking the paths of both magic and knighthood.

To pursue both magic and the sword, you had to be intelligent and stupid at the same time.

A knight's stupidity and a Mage's intelligence weren't opposites. But they certainly influenced one another. First's current state was a side effect of that.

"Scheming? I'm simply starting a business."

"A business? The magic-stone deposits, then."

"Correct."

"Do you have the Grand Duke's permission?"

"Something like that."

"The Empire won't sit idly by, you know."

"Scared?"

First gave a quiet snort at Galahad's question.

"Hardly. But you won't be able to go back."

He cast a sidelong glance at Adrianna as he spoke.

He was right. Operating the magic-stone deposits would put Galahad into open conflict with the Intelligence Bureau. They would send those bastards from Internal Inspection.

'I'll be seeing some dear old faces again.'

They would certainly dispatch more agents to the North as well. Things would become quite troublesome.

Still—

Galahad slipped a cigarette between his lips. First's gaze hardened. His hand dropped to his waist, and he subtly pushed Pumpkin behind him.

The cigarette lit, releasing a faint lemon scent. First slowed his breathing.

"Would that be any different from now?"

He'd already been abandoned anyway.

First's face twisted into a fierce grimace. Then a smarmy smile appeared.

"I suppose not."

Galahad quietly relaxed his hand.

First was a capable agent. He would undoubtedly be a considerable nuisance as an enemy. If they were going to part ways, it was best to deal with him now.

Having spent a long time as an agent, Galahad knew that a moment's hesitation or a judgment clouded by emotion was deadly poison.

The sooner you cut ties, the better.

The silence was brief. First wore his usual smile.

"I'm surprised. I thought you were attached to the job. No agent worked as hard for as long as you did."

"At the time, it was the most promising method."

"And that's changed now?"

Galahad turned his gaze. Adrianna met it impassively. She was poised to draw her sword at any moment.

"It has."

Adrianna's cheek moved slightly.

First narrowed his eyes.

"Still going on about that Demon King?"

"Yes."

First's lips moved. A sullen look entered his eyes.

"I respect you as a rival. But you're wrong about the Demon King. The Demon King doesn't exist. Why can't you understand something so obvious?"

First objected vehemently. Normally, Galahad would have argued back.

But now he knew it wasn't a matter of understanding.

No explanation would get through, so there was no point arguing.

Just as Galahad was about to nod—

"The Demon King could exist. It isn't certain, but there is insufficient evidence to conclude that he doesn't."

Adrianna countered with a fierce glare.

'Oh dear.'

Galahad felt a peculiar flutter inside.

"He doesn't exist. Just as there's no need to explain why water flows downward, it's only natural that the Demon King doesn't exist."

"That's different. Having spent my entire life on the North's front lines, my opinion is—"

Galahad gave Adrianna a light tap. She looked at him, and he shook his head. This wasn't something an explanation could solve.

Adrianna nodded.

"Enough. So, are you in?"

At Galahad's question, First's expression returned to normal. There was that usual smarmy look.

"A Mage-catching wager. Sounds entertaining. Brings back memories of our rookie days, doesn't it?"

First asked with a broad, confident smile.

He was right. Those who learned magic outside the academy were called illegal Mages, and hunting them down had been the main duty of rookie agents.

It gave them practical experience while familiarizing them with fieldwork.

However—

"Didn't you join after me? And I barely spent any time on rookie duty."

Like an awl protruding from a pocket, Galahad had stood out even as a rookie. He had immediately been taken off rookie assignments. His time on them had never overlapped with First's.

The corners of First's mouth twitched.

"I was taken off rookie duty in three months myself."

Even in the Intelligence Bureau, which recruited only the elite, the rookie adjustment period generally lasted about a year. Three months was certainly proof of ability.

However—

"Sorry, but I was taken off after my first assignment."

First's eyes rolled. Pumpkin openly clutched her stomach and laughed.

First opened his mouth as if to protest.

"That was because of Beat..."

His lips moved without sound. Galahad had a finger pointed at him.

"You're taking the joke too far."

At Galahad's warning, First slowly nodded.

Galahad smiled easily.

"Now, back to the matter at hand. Let's discuss how we're going to catch these Mages—"

"Ahem. Very well. It'll be good to stretch my legs after so long."

'He's scared. Scared stiff.'

Pumpkin giggled.

* * *

"I'll say it again. I cannot accept this."

"I'm sorry. Please, shut up."

Pumpkin pushed the agitated First away, shoving him along until they disappeared.

Galahad had given First a list of commanders suspected of running magic-stone businesses.

It hadn't been long since the Grand Duke tore off the Sixth Battalion commander's head. The commanders were likely to be watching their step and keeping their heads down.

It was a good time to get hold of their secret income streams.

"... Why does he react like that to the Demon King?"

Adrianna asked in a serious voice.

"It seems someone erased the very concept of the Demon King. That's why asking about him provokes that sort of resistance—"

Galahad answered as he tapped the ash from his cigarette.

"Is that even possible?"

"Would they react like that unless some outside force was at work?"

"Ah."

"You, too—since your power burns away demonic forces, it didn't work on you. That's clear evidence."

Adrianna let out a quiet sigh. Her face darkened. It seemed she was only now seriously considering the Demon King.

"Then how do you know about him, Commander Galahad?"

Galahad couldn't immediately answer her question.

The reason was obvious.

'Because I'm an outsider who entered this novel.'

But there was no way he could tell her that.

"Didn't I tell you? I'm intelligent and capable."

"Ah, of course."

"The Demon King exists. And one day, he'll drench the continent in blood and turn it into hell."

Adrianna's face grew serious. Her unwavering blue eyes deepened further.

"No one believes it. Not tower masters, imperial knights, or high-ranking nobles. I'm lucky if they don't curse me out. You and I may be the only ones."

Unlike usual, Galahad's voice held neither amusement nor ease. Adrianna's brows creased slightly.

"If the Demon King really exists, and he's powerful enough to erase the concept across the entire continent—how are the two of us supposed to stop him?"

Her voice was as firm as ever. Her blue eyes were steady too.

Galahad's lips curved at her question.

"You put your trust in me—"

Galahad moved his fork, spearing the chocolate in front of him. Adrianna's gaze followed it.

"And I put mine in you."

He held out the fork with the chocolate firmly skewered on it. Adrianna's pupils widened slightly.

She carefully accepted the fork. Her cheek moved slowly.

Silence lingered for a moment.

Watching Adrianna eat the chocolate with a serious expression, Galahad tried to anticipate her response.

It would be difficult to immediately accept that they needed to prepare for a Demon King whose influence reached across the entire continent.

Especially when everyone else denied his existence.

It wouldn't be easy to accept.

She might feel overwhelmed or afraid. No, such a reaction would only be natural.

So Galahad considered how to reassure her.

When Adrianna finally spoke after a long while, her words were not what Galahad had expected.

She neither despaired nor denied it, nor did she show fear.

Looking at him with steady blue eyes, she said—

"It must have been hard, bearing that alone."

Her voice was filled with genuine concern.

'Hmm.'

No one had ever said that to him before. For a moment, Galahad stared blankly into her eyes.

A strangely dangerous feeling made him spring to his feet.

"It's getting late. Let's talk again another time. Handsome, could you pack up some sweets?"

Adrianna tilted her head at Galahad's oddly hurried manner.

'This isn't a café, you know.'

Grumbling, Handsome gathered the remaining chocolate and candy.

"Oh, thank you for the food."

Adrianna bowed and hurried after Galahad.

Left all alone in the safe house, Handsome let out a quiet sigh.

'It's lonely.'

He supposed he ought to request additional agents.

* * *

'This should be a sight.'

Jamit of the Intelligence Bureau narrowed her eyes as she surveyed her surroundings.

Today was the Bureau's regular meeting. People were steadily arriving in the meeting room.

Most of them looked unhappy.

'Where's that boy gone?'

James, the agent who had inherited Galahad's name, was nowhere to be seen. The rookie had some nerve arriving late.

Just then, the Deputy Director entered and naturally took the seat beside Jamit.

"You're here."

The Deputy Director merely nodded, face thick with fatigue.

Then the door swung open roughly. It was a familiar face: Agent James.

He entered with a deep bow. His face had changed somewhat since he first joined.

He'd been a handsome young man with an earnest look, but now traces of irritability showed here and there. A little seasoned experience had settled into his features.

["Now I can proudly say my agent name is Galahad!"]

Jamit recalled what James had told her not long ago.

His performance really was quite impressive.

He was considered the most promising agent.

Spotting Jamit, James bowed deeply. She gave him a casual wave.

Then the door burst open. The furious Director entered, and every agent rose to salute.

The Director's stormy arrival left James caught awkwardly, unable to enter or leave.

Just as James was about to greet him—

"What the hell do you people think you're doing?!"

The Director raised his voice. James turned deathly pale.

'Looks like the higher-ups chewed him out.'

Jamit's lips curved into a broad smile at the sight of the quivering Director.

"You call these results?! Are you getting paid for nothing? If you're taking the hard-earned money of the Empire's citizens, do your jobs properly! Your jobs!"

Venting his irritation, the Director flung the papers before him. The stack of reports scattered spectacularly through the air. It was his one and only talent: throwing reports.

"Operations chief! If you've got a mouth, explain yourself. Why have our results plummeted?!"

Called out by the Director, the Operations division chief stood, brows furrowed.

The chief had a temper. Already irritated lately, and now being pushed like that—

'This one's going to push back.'

Jamit smiled.

"Our current performance isn't poor. Our previous performance was simply excessively high."

"What—?"

"As I wrote in the report, Agent Galahad's absence is a major reason for the visible decline in our results."

Jamit quietly marveled at the Operations chief's bluntness. Several other division chiefs nodded.

The Director's face turned scarlet.

"You think it makes sense for our performance to plummet like this just because we're down one agent?"

For all his agitation, the Director's point was valid. Unfortunately, he was facing the Operations chief.

"This isn't merely the absence of one person. Agent Galahad's performance was overwhelmingly superior to that of our other field agents to begin with. I submitted a report stating that, in agent assignments requiring discretion, Agent Galahad's value exceeded that of an entire team."

"Do you even hear yourself?"

"These are results proven by numbers. Please refer to page thirty-five of the report."

Jamit flipped through the report before her. It really did contain detailed calculations of Galahad's abilities.

'The combat power of a mere squad? They haven't a clue.'

She clicked her tongue softly.

"Galahad routinely worked overtime and never took so much as an ordinary vacation. He worked without a single break from the day he joined. Please see page eighty-nine."

His work logs were recorded there. Galahad hadn't taken a single day off since joining.

"With someone like Galahad gone, a drop in results is only natural. The calculations are on page one hundred and one. Thank you."

Having finished the report, the Operations chief sat down. Murmurs rose around the room.

The Director's face grew redder and redder. He looked ready to burst.

"So! You're saying our results have plummeted because one agent is missing?! That all of you put together aren't worth one Galahad?!"

He roared, seemingly trying to provoke their pride, but—

They nodded.

Everyone nodded without a trace of concern. They were talking about Galahad, after all.

The Director trembled all over. A little foam trickled from his mouth.

Then the Deputy Director stood.

"The only reason we've managed even these results is that this period overlaps with Agent Galahad's time here. Next quarter will probably be even worse."

The Deputy Director spoke firmly. The implication was that they needed to bring Galahad back.

The other division chiefs nodded. Quite a few looked frightened. They were the ones who owed Galahad.

The Director's face crumpled. It was so red he looked about to explode.

"Absolutely not. Never bring that up again."

What appeared on his face was fear.

Someone who frightened the Director of the Intelligence Bureau—who on earth could it be?

"In any case, no! Get those numbers up somehow! If I see garbage results like these again, you'd better be prepared for the consequences."

The Director delivered his ultimatum and turned away.

His eyes met those of James, who was still standing awkwardly nearby.

"Who are you?"

At the Director's icy question—

"Agent James, sir!!"