The Northern Grand Duke’s Crazy Son-in-Law

10. Ordinary Tom

“Food is important. Especially for someone like you who’s still growing. Eat as much as you can and grow big and strong.”

Galahad soon regretted his words.

Damian, who was sitting down, had already polished off five tables. No wonder Captain Hook, who had been frowning, was now smiling broadly at Galahad.

“Is this your first time eating since you were born?”

“It’s been a long time.”

“Well, eat as much as you want. No, eat half as much as you want.”

Galahad clucked his tongue and looked around the tavern. The tavern was bustling.

“Get in there. Hey! Can’t you get in straight? You son of ab*tch!”

“My head is too heavy! Change seats, damn it.”

The men called by Captain Hook carried away the unconscious or dead people like they were carrying luggage. From what he heard, they were the ones who had been causing trouble. He had to pay a silver coin for the cleanup.

At that moment, the tavern door was roughly opened. Gilbert came in, brushing the snow off his shoulders.

Gilbert’s eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the blood-red tavern. His face was full of annoyance.

The people who were carrying the bodies tensed up at the sudden appearance of a knight. Even in such a chaotic situation, it seemed that they were aware of the knight’s presence.

Then, the tavern owner, Captain Hook, rushed to Gilbert.

“Sir Knight! These men did this! They slaughtered people and took food without paying! They are terrible men!”

“No, didn’t they pay?”

“Shut up! You filthy sorcerer!”

Galahad clicked his tongue in disbelief. Captain Hook, who had received payment for the food and the cleanup, was now tattling to Gilbert.

“What kind of trouble have you gotten into again?”

Gilbert asked, pressing his temples.

“Trouble? We were just sitting here, and these guys came in brandishing their swords. I almost died. Thank goodness Damian saved me! Right? Damian?”

“Hey! It hurts!”

“Chew your food before you speak. Do you want to choke?”

Damian nodded vigorously.

“······Sir?”

Captain Hook blinked. Gilbert desperately avoided his gaze.

“So, you’re saying I didn’t pay you?”

“······Yes? Yes?!”

“Then the silver in your pocket must be mine! Sir Gilbert! Seize him!”

“Eek! I was wrong! Master! I was wrong!”

Captain Hook prostrated himself on the floor. There were traces of fresh blood that he hadn’t managed to wipe away.

“Sir Gilbert, search his pockets. He must have stolen my silver! Cut off another one of his arms to balance it!”

Gilbert sighed as the terrified Captain Hook pulled out the silver and handed it over. Gilbert received it with a very shaky expression.

“So, where’s the other one you were supposed to bring?”

“He died of a cold.”

“Hmm- That’s unfortunate. I’ll have to find another. Captain Hook! Are there any useful men around here?”

“There was one, but-“

“Why the past tense? Did he die of a cold too?”

Instead of answering, Captain Hook pointed to the floor with his eyes.

The men who were dragging the one-eyed corpse smiled awkwardly. Oh, so he just died.

“He’s no good. He’s missing an eye. The eyes are the windows to the soul, very important. Captain Hook! Have you ever caught a demon?”

“No, sir!!”

Captain Hook was so startled that he ran inside as if fleeing.

At that moment, a rough cough was heard. In the far corner, a man was curled up like a pillbug.

He was so well hidden that even the observant Galahad hadn’t noticed him.

‘He has both arms, legs, and a face-‘

qualified.

Galahad slowly rose from his seat.

***

As his name suggests, Tom was an extremely ordinary man from the north. Of average height and appearance, he was so unremarkable that people would have a hard time remembering him even after seeing him several times.

His nickname was ‘Ordinary’ Tom.

Recently, trouble had broken out in Tom’s unit, and he had to be transferred. That’s why Tom was on standby at the castle.

Tom was sitting in a tavern, pondering the transfer order that was supposed to come out tomorrow. He wondered where he would be transferred to and whether the people there would be okay.

A problem arose when a man who looked like a noble and a boy who was slightly smaller than him entered the tavern.

A dispute broke out, and the boy jumped up. The man’s neck was lifted into the air. Tom buried his head in the table.

When he opened his eyes again, the tavern had become a red stew filled with carnage.

Tom curled up into a ball and made himself as small as possible. It was Tom’s forte. He had survived several times on the battlefield using this trick-.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Galahad, the Special Forces Captain.”

The man who had suddenly appeared in front of him extended his hand.

Tom hurriedly took his hand. The man’s hand was as cold as ice. It was so startling that he flinched.

“Private! Tom!”

“Why are you just standing here? Are you injured?”

The man’s voice had a strange power to it. Whenever he listened to it, he felt strangely comforted.

“No! I was just waiting around while the squads were changing. I’ll get my orders tomorrow!”

“Oh, you were waiting around. You want to fight?”

“No, I cannot!”

“I see. Congratulations! You’re now part of the Special Forces.”

“·······What?”

Tom blinked several times. Did he hear correctly? The flow of conversation was too strange to follow.

“Get your things ready. The demons are calling for us.”

“No···. I think you’ve misunderstood something. I’m just a regular private.”

“I know. Your mana is also very ordinary.”

“What? What does that have to do with···. And why···.”

“Looking at you, everyone else has such distinct characteristics. I needed someone ordinary like me.”

Tom blinked at the man who called himself ordinary.

Tom found this man creepier than the boy who ate meat covered in blood. He felt an unnameable sense of distance.

“We’re also short one person.”

Somehow, he felt like that last part was the real reason.

“Welcome, Tom.”

However, Tom had no choice.

“Private! Tom! Thank you!”

Tom swallowed his tears.

“Now, go have a chat with the members.”

As if being pulled, Tom sat at the table and gulped.

Sitting at the same table as the hero of the front lines, Sir Gilbert-. Next to him was a boy who was tearing raw meat with bloody hands.

And at the center of it all sat the son-in-law of the most famous Archduke in the castle.

It was a combination that didn’t suit Tom at all.

“This is Tom. Tom, you joined last, so you’re the youngest.”

“Why did you pick a regular soldier? He’ll die soon.”

“······Will I die?”

“Tom, all humans die someday. It’s the value of that death that is more important. Don’t you think?”

“···I’m going to die?!”

“Don’t worry. Since you’ve joined the Special Forces, your death will be very cool and valuable.”

Tom let out a small scream. He was going to die! Tom wanted to live a long life.

“I think there’s some kind of misunderstanding. I’m really just a regular private. I’m not cut out for the Special Forces.”

“Don’t worry, we even have a former maid in our Special Forces.”

“···A maid?”

“A maid who can’t clean or wash dishes properly. She’s your senior.”

Tom was speechless. He couldn’t communicate with this man, but he was also strangely persuaded. It would be okay if there was a maid, right?

“So, what is the mission of the Special Forces?”

“Since you’re here, I’ll let you know. Only you will know about this.”

Tom gulped as Galahad suddenly became serious.

His Majesty the Grand Duke personally established it. At a glance, it was an extraordinary unit. Even the name was Special Mission Force.

What kind of formidable mission could it be?

“Our mission is to prevent the destruction of the continent.”

“That’s… so huge!”

Tom’s eyes grew wide as if they were about to pop out.

There was a moment of silence at Galahad’s calm words. Even Damien, who had been eating meat, stopped.

“Are you kidding me?”

Gilbert finally snapped.

However, Tom couldn’t laugh.

Because, for the first time, Galahad’s eyes were serious as he spoke.

“Oh, I’ll go to the bathroom. Gilbert, why are you getting up? I’m a man with a woman to marry. Sit down.”

Gilbert, who was about to get up after Galahad, sat down again with his face flushed.

“Now, order as much as you want! I have plenty of money!”

Galahad said cheerfully and left the bar.

“Order more. Let’s milk that bastard for all he’s worth.”

Gilbert said, waving his hand. Damien raised his hand. The table was filled again.

‘Are you going to eat that too?’

Damien ate like a madman. It was amazing how the food fit into his small body.

Gilbert watched the door while sipping his wine, and Tom, who was caught in between, sat still, unable to do anything.

Only the sound of Damien tearing at his meat could be heard at the table. Tom tried to make a few jokes, but there was no response.

When Tom closed his mouth, only silence filled the table.

To think that they would end up like this just because Galahad was gone.

Tom waited anxiously for Galahad.

The problem was…

Galahad did not return no matter how much time passed.

“The bill, please…”

The bartender approached hesitantly, watching them closely.

“This damn human.”

Gilbert’s face twisted in disgust.

Tom desperately curled up his body to make himself smaller.

***

‘It should be around here.’

Galahad squinted and stared straight ahead.

The Empire’s intelligence agency had its reach everywhere on the continent. It wasn’t for nothing that they were said to move the continent.

Galahad knew the location of every intelligence agency safe house on the continent. It was information he had extracted after a long time of effort.

The intelligence agency rarely changed the location of their safe houses. It was because of their confidence that they had no rivals and their laziness that had become deeply ingrained.

‘Here it is.’

Galahad took a deep drag of his mana cigarette.

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The safe house was on the outskirts of the city, even further out than the outskirts. It was a place where the wind was unusually strong, as if there were holes nearby.

There were traces of houses around it, but they were all in ruins. It didn’t seem like a place where people lived.

Amidst the ruins, there was a small house. Its position was so exquisite that it could easily be overlooked if not closely examined, as if it had been carefully concealed by the collapsed houses on either side.

Snow had accumulated heavily in front of the door. Galahad turned the doorknob.

The door appeared dilapidated, as if it would fall apart with a single shake. There was a small groove in the center. It looked like a simple scratch, but it was actually a high-grade security device.

The Ministry of Intelligence’s secret agents carried a gadget that could open every door they encountered.

It utilized the difference in mana flow rate caused by the difference in concentration.

If the door was forced open, an alarm would sound inside, and everything would be incinerated.

Since it was virtually impossible to calculate the mana required for the corresponding gadget, it was currently the most advanced security system.

‘It’s still the same.’

It was the same method that Galahad had proposed during the Ministry of Intelligence’s entrance exam.

He had only suggested the basic theory, and the Ministry of Intelligence had taken it and developed it further. Of course, Galahad’s name was nowhere to be found in the credits.

‘Bastards like a crooked professor.’

He muttered a small curse and released his hand.

There was one small problem with this security system.

If a magician could figure out the mana concentration of the gadget and match it, it could be easily breached.

However, the mana concentration was top secret, and it was impossible to memorize it in the first place. Furthermore, even if one knew it, it was rare to find a magician who could match the mana concentration without a gadget.

Of course, Galahad was a very rare magician.

‘The mana here is….’

Galahad placed his hand on the groove and concentrated for a moment. Mana flowed through his hand.

If Galahad’s memory was wrong, or if the Empire had changed the secret agents’ gadgets, it could be a disaster.

The Ministry of Intelligence would send the Inspection Bureau’s agents. They were terrible people. The situation was bound to become quite troublesome.

However, there was no way that Galahad’s memory was wrong, nor was it likely that the Empire had become so diligent as to change the secret agents.

‘Just as expected.’

Click. The door slowly opened with a pleasant sound.

“Who… who are you?”

A man with a dull expression asked, blinking his eyes.

Galahad hardened his expression, as he did when he went out to inspect the secret agents.

“Who are you-?”

“······Yes?”

“······Are you asking me who I am?”

“Well…”

When asked harshly, the man trailed off. He must have been confused. Galahad had opened the door and entered without being expected.

“Surely you didn’t miss the report? It must have arrived at dawn.”

Galahad squinted his eyes and reproached the man.

Galahad was suggesting one possibility to the man. You didn’t do your job, so you didn’t receive the report, did you?

The man would be hesitant. It was rare to find someone who believed in themselves so firmly that they wouldn’t waver.

“Oh… no! I’ve been so absent-minded! I’ve been so busy with work lately! No! Miss Rose must have received it. We’ve been so busy lately! Please come inside. She’ll be waiting for you.”

“Rose?”

“Oh, she’s my superior. I’ve only recently been assigned here. I’ve been so busy with the backlog lately that I’ve been out of my mind. Haha-“

The man stuttered out excuses as he walked inside. Galahad glanced around and followed him.

Knock, knock.

“Lady Rose, we have a guest from the headquarters.”

Before he knew it, Galahad had become a guest. The door creaked open.

In the middle of a study filled with books and documents, a woman was sitting.

She was a woman with striking crimson hair and crimson eyes.

‘Rosera-. How interesting.’

Galahad’s lips curled up subtly.

“A guest?”

The woman looked up at Galahad, her eyes narrowed.

Galahad looked at the woman carefully. There were no calluses on her long, slender hands. There were no dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was shiny.

She must take very good care of herself. Like a noblewoman in the capital.

“Are you the Galahad-?”

The woman spoke in a nasal voice.

“Yes, that’s me. But Rosera-, is that your real name? It’s a pretty name, just like its owner.”

Galahad sat across from the woman and smiled.

“Oh my, thank you, but it’s an agent name.”

The woman twirled her hair with her fingers and let out a hearty laugh.

Galahad chuckled and fumbled in his pocket.

“Oh, can I smoke?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Really? Thank you.”

Galahad swallowed hard and put a mana cigarette in his mouth. Snap, a flame lit up on his finger. Beyond the flame, he could see the woman’s lips curling up.

Galahad adjusted his mana while looking at the woman. The flame that had flared up on his finger grew larger and then smaller. It settled back to its original size. The cigarette was lit.

‘That’s good enough.’

Then he took a deep drag of the cigarette. His lungs filled up. Mana swirled in response. His head cleared. His mana swelled and subsided as if his heart was beating.

It was as sacred as a knight putting on his armor.

“Can you throw this away?”

“Yes? Yes!”

Tap, tap, Galahad handed the finished cigarette to the man and put a new mana cigarette in his mouth.

‘This should be enough.’

Galahad exhaled deeply.

“How long have you been here?”

“About a year now-?”

“It hasn’t been that long. It must be hard, living in such a cold and uncivilized place after being in the capital.”

“It’s all for the empire.”

“Really? Are you married to the empire too?”

“Marriage doesn’t suit my constitution.”

“I see. I’ve been thinking along the same lines lately.”

The woman burst out laughing. The way she covered her mouth was so bewitching that it made his heart flutter. This is bad. Galahad muttered to himself.

There was a moment of silence. The woman hummed happily, and the man was putting the cigarette butt he had received into his pocket.

Galahad flicked the cigarette. The unpleasant smell was replaced by a lemony scent.

“Indeed.”

Galahad spoke calmly as he finished calculating.

The gazes of the woman and the man fell on him at the same time.

“Where’s the real Rose?”

The man tilted his head at Galahad’s question.

“Isn’t she right in front of you?”

“This is a secret, but agent names are made to be the names that suit the agents the least. It’s to make them difficult to remember.”

Galahad pointed at the woman’s red hair and eyes. The corners of her lips hardened.

Bang, the fire flared up again. The warmth attracted mana.

“Second, the North’s Ahn family doesn’t usually send out to the first region. They go to other regions first. But you came straight from the capital, which is very unusual. Well, it’s possible.”

The woman opened her mouth as if to say something, but Galahad raised his hand to stop her.

“Will you listen to me a little longer? Thank you. Now, third, you knew that I belong to the Intelligence Agency. If you only knew me as Galahad, who is to become Adrianna’s husband, you wouldn’t have reacted so calmly since the Ahn family was exposed to a civilian.”

Phoo— A small puff of smoke spread from Galahad’s mouth. The woman’s eyebrows furrowed.

“You know that I’m from the Intelligence Agency. There’s no way the higher-ups would have told you. I guess I’m quite a useful agent. I receive special treatment.”

“You have quite the confidence?”

“It’s not confidence but an objective evaluation. Please, could you close your mouth? This is an important part. Well, since the Intelligence Agency is rolling around like a mess these days, you might know who I am. The problem is what comes next.”

The woman swirled her finger as if telling him to continue. The mana concentration grew thicker. Interest flickered in Galahad’s eyes.

“You know me, yet you smile while facing me in the Ahn family— This makes the least sense. Usually, they cry and beg for their lives. Or they attack first— But you?”

Galahad coughed softly. Smoke was spat out like a cut.

“This is fun.”

The corners of the woman’s lips curled up deeply again.

“I don’t find it fun. It’s overtime without pay. Now, I’ll ask again. Who are you?”

At the flat question, the woman chuckled. In an instant, her mask shattered as her face split open. Sharp thorns shot out from the gap.

‘This is the worst.’

Galahad clicked his tongue and folded his fingers together.

Clang! A sharp sound rang through the air, and sparks flew. Flap! The woman’s hideous face, split in half, flashed in the orange light.

A long tongue like a snake flickered between her vertically split lips.

“So you’re a demon.”

“Oh my, did you find out?”

The woman spoke in a languid voice mixed with laughter.

“You’re smart—Your brain must be delicious.”

The woman’s tongue, split in two, moved gracefully as if to mock him.

The concentration of mana rose rapidly. It was so thick that he could feel it sticky on his skin.

In an atmosphere where he would burst if he moved even slightly—

“You! You’re not Rose?!”

The man shouted dumbly.

This is crazy.

Galahad chuckled and flicked his finger.

It was overtime.