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

22. Alumni Love

“What happened? Galahad and Cortein are going out together.”

Mark, the captain of the 5th Battalion, nodded at the question from his adjutant, Lumian.

The situation went in a different direction than Mark had expected.

“Do you know why I called Galahad?”

“I thought you were planning to check the price of the magic stone by calling Galahad, the wizard, to contain Cortein, sir?”

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“That’s right. Cortein’s growth was too fast. And he smelled fishy. I called Galahad to contain him. He wouldn’t have been able to refuse my offer because he hadn’t settled down yet.”

Mark’s fingers tapped the table.

“What’s the problem?”

“They caught 16 intermediate orcs, earth dogs, and two wizards. Without Adriana.”

Lumian paused for a moment. Then Lumian asked with a frown.

“Could it be a bluff?”

“No, his eyes were not like that. He wasn’t bragging, but he seemed to be talking about something he had done on his way here. Like, ‘Oh, I saw a fox today. I caught it.’ The soldiers said so monotonously.”

The conversation paused for a moment. Mark tapped the table with his fingers.

“Isn’t it better if he’s good?”

“That’s not the problem. Don’t you know their composition? The only useful one among them is Lord Gilburton. Even Lord Gilburton wouldn’t be able to handle all of them. If he caught the orcs-“

“That’s a long shot.”

Mark nodded obediently at Lumian’s remark.

That was right. Mark often had leaps and bounds of thoughts. It was Lumian’s role to catch him.

“Corton and Galahad knew each other. They graduated from the same academy. I heard Galahad was quite famous. There was no news of him after graduation.”

Lumian remained silent. That wasn’t a question that needed an answer. It was just a soliloquy to organize his thoughts.

“He disappeared after graduating from the academy and suddenly became Adrianna’s husband. The third son of a count? What does that mean? He worked somewhere related to the royal family.”

Click, Mark’s fingers suddenly stopped.

“I don’t know exactly what organization Corton belongs to, but he seemed to have a lot of information. If even Corton doesn’t know his whereabouts, there are only two possibilities.”

“What are they?”

“He was either unemployed or part of a very secretive group. The former is unlikely, so it must be the latter. If he worked for the royal family and was part of a very secretive group…”

Mark stopped talking and Lumian gulped. Mark, who had been frowning for a moment, let out a small sigh.

“I don’t know.”

Lumian frowned slightly. He acted like he had figured something out, but in the end, he didn’t know. It was frustrating.

“It feels like we’re bringing in a tiger to catch a fox.”

“You’re being too extreme.”

“How is this extreme? It was strange from the beginning when the Grand Duke created a unit for a magician sent from the Empire. The rumor that he defeated Herman at once… No, it can’t be just a rumor. And on his first mission, he captured sixteen mid-level monsters and demons. How is this extreme?”

Lumian kept his mouth shut at that question. Certainly, it was a great achievement when listed out like that. Lumian was also starting to get worried.

“Hmm, I’m worried that I might have spoken arrogantly to Galahad.”

“You probably did. Considering how you usually talk, Captain.”

“You’re being extreme.”

Mark retorted in an annoyed voice.

****

‘He’s flustered.’

Galahad smirked, looking at Corton’s stiff face.

They were facing each other in a quiet room. It was a room with bookshelves everywhere, but there were no windows. Mana lamps placed here and there were providing light.

The pungent smell unique to mana lamps made it feel like he was in the Information Bureau. The atmosphere in the room was tense.

The bookshelves all around were suspicious. The bookshelves seemed closer than the space they were showing.

What could be hidden behind the bookshelves?

Galahad muttered softly and put a cigarette in his mouth. He lit it without asking if it was okay.

A refreshing lemon scent wafted deeply. He savored it and waved his hand.

“There’s too much dust.”

The wind blew naturally. The smoke from the mana cigarette spread widely along with it. Since it was a mana cigarette, the smoke didn’t disappear easily.

The smoke hit the middle of the bookshelves placed all around. He watched the smoke scatter through it.

‘There are three.’

Two on the left bookshelf and one on the right bookshelf were hidden.

‘In the back?’

They had entered from the front, but since there was no one on the bookshelf at the back, there must be something in the back.

Galahad flicked the cigarette and assumed the worst.

Two on the left, one on the right, and Corton in front of him. It wasn’t a good space to fight four magicians.

Galahad pretended to pat his thigh and let go of his hand.

Would the desk move? He pushed it slightly, but it was fixed. He wouldn’t use a wide-range attack in this narrow space, would he?

‘Then I should catch the one in front first, pull him, and use him as a shield while taking care of the one on the right. Then the left…’

“What are you doing?”

Cortan’s question broke my reverie. Cortan still had a suspicious expression on his face.

I could have said I was planning to drill a hole in your head to use as a shield while I take care of the remaining three mages, but that was a bit too much to say, so I dodged the question.

“…Ha, you accept my offer so readily, you must be in a hurry.”

He openly taunted me. His voice was full of thorns. If I were too docile, he would be more wary. So, I replied to him with a pointed remark.

“In a hurry? I just couldn’t refuse the kindness of my fellow alumnus. By the way, is this your workplace? It’s narrower than I thought. There’s no magic stone workshop, is it behind the bookshelf?”

He flinched slightly. It was a very brief reaction, but I did not miss it.

‘It must be behind the bookshelf in the back.’

“You’re being needlessly provocative. I’m just being careful because if you’re the kind of guy who’d resort to dirty tricks, you’d smear ink on my face.”

I clicked my tongue at his grumbling reply.

‘He’s definitely different from before.’

The Dark Magic Society was nothing to be afraid of in the past. They approached any promising mage.

But now, those same people were cautious when facing me.

The bookshelf in the back, too. It definitely seemed like they were more concerned about security than before.

However, right now, in front of me, there was an idiot who took four years to graduate.

In war, the most fearsome thing was not a capable enemy, but a foolish ally.

‘What kind of bait should I give him?’

I thought about the cards I had.

Something to give to the Dark Magic Society.

‘There’s a lot.’

The important thing was that Cortan shouldn’t realize I was the one who gave it to him.

Mages tended to be overconfident.

If I scratched him a little and added a bit more inferiority complex…

‘Perfect.’

After finishing my calculations, I leaned back on the chair and smiled.

Like an idiot who still couldn’t let go of the glorious past.

“Don’t you know my abilities the best?”

I laughed arrogantly.

Ridicule appeared on Cortan’s face.

It was a very good start.

****

Cortan did not expect me to accept his offer.

In the first place, it wasn’t an offer. It was a mockery aimed at me.

But I accepted the offer as if I had been waiting for it.

His reaction showed how desperate I was. I was so desperate that I would readily accept a mocking offer from an alumnus whose name I couldn’t even remember.

It was a bit questionable. Why had me, who was called a genius during my academy days, become like this?

“Abilities? Do you even have any abilities?”

“I am the fiancé of that Adrianna. I will be the successor to the Grand Duke.”

The successor to the Grand Duke. Cortan couldn’t hide his laughter.

I was just an excuse for the Empire to assume the Grand Duke’s death. There was no marriage with Adrianna, and I would never be the successor to the Grand Duke.

“What the… Did you meet with Adrianna?”

“We’re even holding hands.”

Corton was amused by Galahad’s bragging, but he suddenly recalled Galahad’s status.

‘Right, he’s Adrianna’s fiancé.’

Being a fiancé meant that he could get fairly close to Adrianna.

If he accepted him, he could get the chance to deal with Adrianna.

How much was the bounty that the Dawn had put on Adrianna? It wasn’t merely a matter of the bounty.

If he dealt with Adrianna, he would immediately no longer be a branch director of the Dark Magic Society. He could see beyond that.

He could go up to the Dawn. He would even receive a high position.

Corton was slightly impressed with his own cleverness.

“And I’m a captain! Captain! I’m the captain of the special forces unit.”

Then, Galahad started bragging again.

This time, it was about being a captain. This made Corton frown. The unit had only 4 members, so what was he bragging about, having only the title?

‘No. Even if it’s only the title, a captain is a captain.’

Corton had made a deal with Mark, the captain of the 5th battalion, but he had been feeling the limitations recently.

Mark hardly ever showed any openings. In that situation, Galahad, who was a captain in title only, was exactly what he needed.

No, rather, it was more useful because it was only a title. If he put Galahad the captain in front and controlled him from behind, he would definitely be able to run the magic stone mine more easily.

He was even that Galahad. Galahad, whose news had been lost for a long time after graduating, but was still remembered by those from the academy.

Regardless of his current state, the name Galahad was quite useful.

‘I’m glad I’m clever. If I were another fool, I would’ve missed it!’

Corton was slightly relieved.

It was good that he had figured out how to use him, because if he had been another fool, he would have missed Galahad’s value without knowing it.

However, he was concerned about his actions after graduating from the academy.

“What did you do after graduating from the academy? Didn’t I already answer that? I did various things.”

It was a curt and dry answer, but it put his mind at ease.

If Galahad had other plans, he wouldn’t have answered so vaguely. Rather, he would have told detailed, fabricated stories.

He was probably just beating around the bush because he was embarrassed since he hadn’t done anything noteworthy.

And even if he was suspicious, it didn’t really matter.

He was a magician.

If he was a magician, he would inevitably fall into the Dark Magic Society.

Magic was a slow and dull discipline. The higher the level, the slower the progress. Eventually, it would feel like hitting a wall.

Black magic only revered growth. It pursued growth regardless of the means or methods.

Once he experienced black magic, he wouldn’t be able to get out.

Normally, he would have had to report it to his superior and wait.

However, if he did that, it was possible that someone else would steal his thunder. He couldn’t stand the thought of that.

“Was this beyond your authority? That’s fine. It’s understandable to get a little carried away when meeting an alumnus after a long time.”

Furthermore, Galahad’s arrogant attitude was starting to get on his nerves.

‘This is a viable card. It’s time to make my move.’

Corton made up his mind and got up from his seat.

“Follow me.”

Cortan headed for the bookcase behind him. As he pulled out a series of books, the wall split apart.

A subterranean staircase leading down appeared. The musty air characteristic of underground spaces greeted him.

“Follow my steps exactly. You’ll be in deep trouble if you step anywhere else.”

Cortan walked down the stairs, his focus on the steps. Each step was filled with caution.

As he descended the stairs, he reached a dead end. A large figure shrouded in a black hood stood there.

“Fire.”

“Ice.”

After exchanging the password, the figure pulled a hidden lever. The wall split open roughly. Beneath it was another subterranean staircase.

As he followed him down, iron bars appeared this time. Cortan took out a key, inserted it into the hole, and turned it. The iron bars opened with a loud noise.

It was a staircase again.

This time, there were two figures with their hoods pulled down. Sharp, beast-like teeth could be seen between their hoods.

“Hmm, the process of getting in is quite a hassle.”

Galahad complained openly.

It was true that it was a hassle. Even Cortan got confused by the process sometimes.

Cortan pondered for a moment and then opened his mouth. This wasn’t much of a secret. Rather, it was something that the Black Magic Society emphasized every time.

“When I was in the Empire, the Black Magic Society was doing very well. There was no noble family they weren’t connected to, and they even had ties to the Imperial family. Then, out of the blue, some organization started attacking them. They had their defenses up, but that organization was so relentless, they never let up.”

He continued, taking out a magic stone from his pocket. It was a device to open the next door.

“Some organization, huh.”

The figure muttered softly and coughed. Was he laughing? When he peeked, it was a cough.

“The Black Magic Society, which had been doing so well, collapsed under the relentless attacks of those wolves. They moved north to escape them, but the north, where they had fled to, turned out to be a land of opportunity. They say that they entered an even greater period of prosperity than before. You can tell just by looking at me, can’t you?”

Cortan gestured up and down his body – from the staff with a huge magic stone embedded in it to the coat made of demon leather. It was an outfit that cost a lot of money.

“That must be expensive.”

The figure asked with a chuckle.

“It is expensive. But they must have been quite shocked by the attacks from that organization, because the Black Magic Society invested a huge amount of money in security. The branches don’t know each other’s locations, and each branch has a different security system.”

Cortan replied, taking out the next key.

At that moment, the last door appeared. It was a door with triple security: iron, magic circles, and a magic lock.

The Black Magic Society, which had made a fortune from the magic stone business, poured a huge amount of money and capital into security out of an overwhelming fear.

The door in front of them was the embodiment of that decision.

“Oh, a security device that uses three magic stones. The combination of magic circles is exquisite. Even the Magic Tower wouldn’t have this kind of security. It’s amazing. It’s not just a simple magic tool, it’s a work of art.”

Galahad kept exclaiming as he checked the door here and there.

Cortan felt a sense of pride at that.

“The higher-ups are worried that the organization might chase them to the north. That’s why they spent so much money on security. They say no one can get near it.”

Cortan tapped the words written on the top of the door. It said, ‘Security is Life.’

He felt a little uneasy about bringing Galahad here without permission, but he could handle this much.

“Even if the leader of that organization came, he wouldn’t be able to get through this door. The one who made this guaranteed that no one would be able to open it. He said that unless it was opened by its own accord, it would never open-”

Cortan knocked on the door confidently. It truly was a door with three magic stones embedded in it.

He turned his head at the sound of laughter coming from behind him, and Galahad was covering his mouth and coughing.

‘What a frivolous guy.’

Cortan clicked his tongue and pushed the door open.

The triple magic stone lock, overlapping magic spell, and ironclad security boasted by the door—

It opened wide.

“Thank you.”

Galahad’s gratitude was sincere.