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

33. Hit

Gulp. Gulp.

It seemed like he didn’t plan on hiding it.

Looking at their faces, it seemed like they had all noticed to some extent.

Except for Adrianna, who didn’t have much perception to begin with. That was because Adrianna’s personality was such that she was only interested in demons.

No matter what-.

‘Isn’t it too much to pretend not to notice when you’re drinking so openly right behind me?’

When Robert turned his head out of habit, he met eyes with Galahad.

“I heard that in the North, there’s a tradition of drinking the blood of demons. Shouldn’t you follow the traditions of the North when you’re in the North?”

Galahad said as he lightly wiped his mouth. Strangely, his lips were redder than before.

The tradition of drinking the blood of demons-. It wasn’t a non-existent tale.

The reason that tale came up was because of the Grand Duke.

Although he stopped his activities when Adrianna was born, the Grand Duke was a figure who was considered to be the strongest in the history of the North.

The story of the Grand Duke, who ripped the heads off of demons with just his physical strength without using aura, had been passed down like a legend.

There were various hypotheses about the Grand Duke’s strength, which was closer to a monster’s than a human’s.

The most famous one among them was cannibalism.

The Grand Duke filled his stomach with the flesh of demons and monsters and quenched his thirst with their blood. It was said that he became stronger because of that.

Because of that, there was a rumor going around that in order to become the greatest warrior, you had to eat demons.

The Northern 1st Battalion was an elite group. It meant that they were the closest to being the greatest warriors.

In the 1st Battalion, there was an initiation ceremony where the new recruits drank the blood of demons. Because of that, Robert had also drunk the blood of demons once.

The blood of demons tasted really foul. It was something beyond the level of being tasteless.

Even Robert, who had grown up eating raw meat, had not been able to eat anything for several days after drinking the blood of demons.

The problem wasn’t just the taste.

When you drank the blood of demons, a burning pain rose from within your body. It wasn’t something you could endure.

Because of that, it was now a tradition that had died out.

There were some who occasionally drank the blood of demons in order to prove that they were true Northern warriors.

Even those people only took a sip or two.

But······.

Gulp-gulp-.

Robert trembled slightly at the cold sound that continuously rang out from beside him.

“I heard it’s to become the greatest warrior? What a wonderful tradition.”

Robert turned his head at Galahad’s amused voice.

Yes, there was a tradition.

In the North, if you wanted to become a true warrior, you had to drink the blood of demons-.

But-.

‘You’re not even from the North.’

No, he wasn’t even a warrior. Robert desperately swallowed the words that had come to the tip of his tongue.

As long as you hunted demons well, nothing else mattered.

‘His Highness the Grand Duke would like it.’

For some reason, he felt like he could see His Highness the Grand Duke in him.

When he headed in the direction that Galahad had pointed at, the demons were gathered together.

“They’re intermediate-level demons. Everyone, be on your guard.”

Demons were stronger in the territory of demons. Because of that, even intermediate-level demons were not easy opponents.

Tension filled the air.

Sweat filled the inside of his gauntlets.

“Oh, it’s an intermediate.”

He pretended not to hear the sounds of her smacking her lips.

Even though there was an intermediate-level demon, the battle was surprisingly easy.

Of course, the reason for that was Galahad.

Thanks to the smoke provided by Galahad, the demon was unable to sneak attack.

In the open, the intermediate-level demon was no match for Adriana.

The battle ended with surprising ease.

“Didn’t you just fill it up?”

Adriana asked as she watched Galahad filling the flask. It seemed she still hadn’t noticed that he was drinking blood.

“Oh, I used it for magic.”

“I’ll help you.”

As I watched Galahad and Adriana sitting side by side and filling the flask with the demon’s blood, I began to wonder if we were really fighting demons.

“I’m full. How about we grab some food?”

“Sure.”

He even ate.

If we had suggested having lunch in the demon’s territory, we would have been met with resistance. ‘Are you crazy? Did you come here to play?’

But now, everyone was quiet.

We had already killed more demons than usual.

And yet, there were no casualties.

If we went back and told them, they would surely scold us for complaining.

The reason for that was clear.

It was Galahad. That guy, just one person, had changed everything.

From fending off attacks in tension to hunting them down – that was not a trivial difference.

How could anyone say anything when Galahad, who had made that possible, wanted to rest?

“It’s really delicious.”

“Is it? Our Tom is quite the cook. Sir Gilbert, why don’t you go away? Can’t you see we’re on a date?”

“It’s not a date.”

“I understand. But would you mind leaving us alone, Sir Gilbert? You’re being a bit clueless.”

“I’m hungry too.”

“You said something about packing food earlier, didn’t you? You have no shame.”

It was the first time. Resting in the demon’s territory-.

Everyone sat awkwardly, exchanging glances.

‘Is this right-.’

They felt a strange sense of awkwardness as they rested.

****

‘He keeps eating.’

Galahad muttered, pressing his heavy chest.

He had kept pouring the demon’s blood in, wondering how much it would take, but the sphere of agony kept eating.

It even cried out for more.

The quality of the mana it emitted was also improving. It seemed that as he drank the demon’s blood, it also grew.

The amount of mana a magician can store is limited.

So, Gallad was constantly releasing mana in order to store the denser mana provided by the Egg of Anguish.

There was a limit to how much mana he could store in his body, and it took a considerable amount of time to replenish it.

That was one of the reasons why magicians preferred to use magic wands.

With a magic wand, they could simply replace the magic stone and use magic right away. The only downside was that they were incredibly expensive.

Gallad had used up all his mana every day since he started practicing magic, so his recovery speed was fast, but it still took time.

However, thanks to the Egg of Anguish, that process was almost non-existent.

“Hmm, the taste is stronger.”

“······Yes?”

“Oh, I mean the demons seem stronger than outside.”

“Yes, in the demonic realm, demons and monsters become one level stronger.”

“Is it because of the mana density?”

“Density? That’s the first time I’ve heard that word.”

Gallad clicked his tongue slightly at Gilbert. Gallad shook his head as he tried to explain.

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“So there is such a thing.”

“······Why are you giving up?”

Gallad ignored him and continued his thoughts.

The denser the mana, the stronger the demons become.

It would be difficult to use magic in such a dense concentration, but if one could, its power would be greatly enhanced.

It was a natural conclusion, but for some reason, it felt very ominous.

‘Is that why the demons couldn’t win the Great Demon War?’

The mana density in the Central Region was terrible compared to this place.

If there really was a correlation between mana density and the strength of demons, then the strength of the demons in the Central Region would be incomparably weaker.

It was a fairly reasonable hypothesis.

‘Then does that mean the Demon King has the ability to reverse it?’

For example, the ability to increase mana density.

Considering the nature of Adrianna, who burns mana, it wasn’t impossible.

“I know.”

Adrianna, whose eyes met him, said something out of the blue. Her expression was the same as always, but there was a strange sense of confidence about her.

“What do you mean?”

“Density. When the fog is thick, the density is high, and when it’s thin, the density is low. Isn’t that right?”

Gallad hesitated for a moment at Adrianna’s confident answer before nodding his head.

The surrounding knights applauded and praised Adrianna’s intelligence. They praised her for being both civil and military.

Adrianna shook her head as if it was nothing. Her eyebrows were slightly raised.

‘It’s really nothing.’

Gallad shook his head with effort and released a thread of mana.

This was a magic spell that applied the mana arrow. It was a spell that released mana arrows as thin as threads, and it took advantage of the principle that low-density mana would disappear when it came into contact with demons or monsters.

It was a hastily created spell, but it was surprisingly effective. It was a possible method because the opponent was a demon that was immune to low-density magic.

At that moment, a signal came. And there were several of them.

There were more of them than before.

“Hm.”

Galahad let out a small grunt.

“What seems to be the matter?”

“The demons are gathered together. There’s quite a few of them.”

The most demons they had encountered on their way here was six. And that was with a monster by their side.

But the group they had just found numbered over ten, at the very least.

“About how many would you say?”

“At least ten. Are they perhaps trying to scare us by showing their numbers?”

Adrianna shook her head at Galahad’s question.

“Demons are incapable of feeling fear.”

“I see. In any case, this is a larger group than we’ve encountered thus far.”

Just then, the atmosphere around them grew heated. The knights adjusted their grips on their swords and exhaled hot breaths. They were filled with fervor.

“Isn’t it a good thing that these filthy demons are gathered together?”

“We’ll be able to take care of them all at once.”

Strangely, the men seemed delighted.

‘Barbarians.’

Galahad clicked his tongue at the enthusiasm of the northern men.

He set a course and advanced.

He would need to use his mana, so Galahad continued to conjure up a strong wind with one hand. He was becoming quite adept at using the gusty wind.

Just then, he saw the group of demons in the distance.

“There are many of them. Stay on your guard.”

Adrianna dashed forward, conjuring her signature white aura.

Just then, an extraordinary-looking demon appeared from among the gathered demons. In an instant, their numbers had increased. Then, the beneath ground Adrianna split open, and a gigantic monster emerged.

‘So it was a trap.’

Since entering the demons’ territory, they had been poking around here and there. It would have been stranger if they hadn’t noticed anything.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t expected this kind of reaction.

He simply hadn’t cared, since they had Adrianna, the demons’ natural enemy, with them.

“I’ll go first. Everyone, stand back.”

Without hesitation, Adrianna dropped down among the monsters.

Her white aura flared up. The giant monster instantly turned to ash and scattered.

The demons surged towards Adrianna, their hostility evident.

Once again, ash scattered—. Adrianna’s figure disappeared within it.

The other knights spread out as if they were unfolding. Their movements were incredibly fluid. It seemed they were quite used to this situation.

The demons and monsters all seemed to be focused on Adrianna.

Adrianna was burning with mana. She wouldn’t be in any danger from that number of demons.

However, if she continued like this, Adrianna would turn them all to ash.

In other words, there would be nothing left.

“This is dangerous.”

Galahad hurriedly compressed his mana.

He had to retrieve at least a few of them before Adrianna turned them all to ash.

As the white aurora rose, a monster turned to ashes. Adrianna was revealed through the gap. Along with impatience, his heart raced.

It was the Orb of Agony. Perhaps because it had consumed a lot of the Demon’s blood, the Orb of Agony revealed its presence strongly.

Its urging was more intense than before. His mind wavered momentarily. His heart pounded even harder.

‘So it has such side effects.’

It felt like the Orb of Agony had grown too strong because he had consumed too much Demon’s blood.

Ever since the concentration of mana had gradually thickened, something had felt strange.

The Orb of Agony, which had been hidden until now, revealed its full presence.

‘It’s a cunning bastard.’

He had to desperately maintain his sanity.

The Orb of Agony forced Adrianna’s death, even as it vomited out what it had consumed.

It was getting harder to resist.

Just then, his gaze caught Adrianna. As he watched her struggling to fight off the monsters and Demons, the Orb of Agony shook more violently.

Kill her right now-.

‘No, how can I kill Adrianna-.’

Galahad, who was biting his lips, suddenly had a good idea.

There was a limit to suppressing the Orb of Agony as its presence grew.

What if he didn’t suppress it and instead used it?

‘Yes, I’ll kill them.’

As he answered shortly, the Orb of Agony suddenly stopped.

His dizzy head cleared up in an instant. Galahad calculated again. He came to the same conclusion.

The Orb of Agony, Adrianna, and even the Demons-.

It was a brilliant way to deal with all three at once.

‘Good.’

Galahad curled his lips and moved his mana.

Since he had continuously consumed it, it was full of highly concentrated mana.

The mana that the Orb of Agony had vomited out moved even more smoothly than Galahad’s mana. It was as if it were mana that had passed through a water purifier.

He compressed the already highly concentrated mana once more.

In an instant, his heart ached. His body trembled as if it were overloaded.

He endured it and pushed the mana down. Crack, there was a terrible sound as if his bones had shifted out of place.

It’s okay. He could just put his bones back in place later.

He didn’t give up and pushed the mana down again.

Sparks crackled from Galahad’s fingers.

“She’ll be fine.”

Just then, Gilbert spoke, pointing at Adrianna.

Wondering what the heck he was talking about, he looked up and saw Gilbert nodding as if to reassure him.

“She’s not someone who would be put in danger in a place like this, so you don’t have to worry.”

Gilbert suddenly gave him serious advice.

Galahad, who had been contemplating for a moment, curled his lips.

“I agree.”

****

‘There’s no need to worry.’

Gilbert muttered while looking at the frantic Galahad.

Surrounded by the demonic race and monsters, Adrianna may seem to be in danger, but that was nothing compared to the crises she had overcome.

Knowing him, his immediate subordinates and Gilbert were acting without getting impatient.

However, Galahad, who was always calm, seemed rather anxious.

Galahad was chanting a spell, his eyes bloodshot and his body trembling.

He didn’t listen to me when I told him there was no need to do that, just like Galahad.

It was a little different. Galahad was showing such an anxious look-.

‘Could it be·······.’

Gilbert had a sudden thought.

The moment he saw Adrianna in danger, Galahad desperately chanted a spell-.

The way he concentrated, with his eyes bloodshot and veins popping out on his neck, made him seem desperate.

That meant-.

‘Is he in love with Lady Adrianna, after all?’

Well, she was Adrianna. It was weirder not to like her.

‘Even so, that Galahad? The situation makes it clear. No, even so, that Galahad?’

While Gilbert was deep in thought-, Galahad opened his mouth.

“Chain Lightning.”

A small spark shot from Galahad’s fingertip and rose into the sky.

It was similar to the magic he had used on Herman, but the intensity was different.

At that moment, the sky, which had been filled with dark clouds and no light, was violently torn apart.

A powerful thunderbolt emerged through the gap.

It was a thicker thunderbolt than before.

‘That’s-.’

Gilbert gulped at the ominous atmosphere.

“Adrianna! Be careful!”

At that moment, Galahad shouted.

‘Is that something you can be careful about?’

Before Galahad could finish speaking, the thunderbolt shot out.

But its location was rather strange.

No-, it was very strange.

‘Why at Adrianna-?’

The thunderbolt struck Adrianna without missing an inch.

Kwang-!

The thunderbolt struck Adrianna’s surroundings in succession.

Of course, Adrianna was not affected.

The thunderbolt that struck Adrianna was scattered in white light.

Then, pieces of it erupted as if they were bouncing off the thick thunderbolt, destroying the surroundings.

The monsters and demons that were hit directly exploded as if they were being swept away.

Gilbert also knew that Adrianna could burn mana. So, she wouldn’t be affected by magic.

Yet, even knowing that-.

‘No matter what, to his own fiance······?’

A deathly silence fell over the battlefield.

Everyone stared at Galahad, the non-demon.

Amidst the gazes of deepening astonishment-.

“Whew, it hit.”

Galahad tossed his disheveled hair.

His face was one of utter exhilaration.