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

48. I’m scared

‘Gearco is here.’

Galahad squinted as he looked at the guy sitting next to Pumpkin.

He was the one who had been a nuisance to Galahad since academy days.

His father was a director who had been parachuted into the Intelligence Agency.

As the son of such a director, he should have been arrogant or had connections, but instead, he didn’t give up and continued to challenge, and surprisingly, he even won cleanly in the end.

He even refused his father’s help.

It was for a ‘fair match’ against Galahad.

Furthermore, he judged that he couldn’t win against Galahad because he didn’t know magic, so he even learned magic.

A knight learning magic? It was an absurd joke, but he did it remarkably well.

In reality, he even became a formidable opponent for Galahad in the end.

“I’ve finally caught up with you.”

Galahad knew about his obsession, but he didn’t expect him to follow him all the way to the North.

The gaze in his eyes when he looked at Galahad was quite intense.

If it were usual, he would have brushed it off, but…

“This isn’t bad.”

It was a situation where they needed manpower.

Originally, he was thinking of going into the Intelligence Agency and finding a suitable person, but this guy came to him first.

He wasn’t as good as Galahad, but he was a capable magician and a useful agent.

It was a much better personnel choice than bringing someone from the Intelligence Agency.

It seemed like the best card had been drawn unexpectedly.

But…

“…what was his agent name again?”

Galahad looked him up and down, muttering to himself.

The guy opened his mouth first.

“No joking around.”

“Sorry, but I’m good at joking. If I were joking, you would have known.”

Pumpkin let out a small cough. First! First!

“Ah, it was Hurst, right? You’ve changed so much I couldn’t recognize you. You’ve grown taller, haven’t you?”

“It’s not Hurst, it’s First.”

“Ah, that’s right. That was his name.”

“Stop pretending you don’t remember? You have better memory than anyone.”

“My memory is quite exceptional, but it’s not infinite. I categorize and remember things by importance.”

“Ah, that’s certainly effective.”

Pumpkin nodded. First’s face scrunched up again.

“So, you’re saying my agent name isn’t important? Ha, what a weak restraint.”

“Ah, it’s originally like that.”

Galahad nodded at Pumpkin’s explanation. Yeah, that’s the kind of guy he was.

“Haha, suddenly marrying the daughter of the Northern Grand Duke? I was surprised when I heard the news.”

Pumpkin seemed to be trying to lighten the mood by changing the subject.

“People’s lives are all like that, aren’t they? Just like how you two became lovers.”

“We’re not lovers.”

“Pumpkin!”

“Ah, it’s my lover. Don’t put your hand on my shoulder. Seriously-.”

“Haha, Pumpkin is still too shy, it seems.”

“Rather than shyness, it’s closer to disgust.”

Pumpkin then pretended to cough and pushed First’s arm away.

First, unfazed, asked another question.

“What if that person finds out?”

“That person?”

Galahad’s eyes twitched at the mention of “that person”. Did it get out? No way-.

“You mean the Princess.”

‘Oh, that did happen.’

Galahad felt relieved as Pumpkin continued to explain.

However, the story about the Princess wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“The Princess was just someone involved in the matter.”

“You’re the one who raised that person, who was on the verge of death and not even a candidate for succession, to a strong candidate, aren’t you? That’s why that person already has a notorious reputation for favoring you, so don’t try to deny it.”

Galahad scowled at First’s interrogation.

It wasn’t a good memory.

Galahad had made various efforts to stop the Demon King.

The Princess was one of those efforts.

It actually had some effect.

[You’re in danger. This is our best choice.]

Until she made a foolish decision-.

It was a relationship that ended because of her choice.

“That’s because I’m capable, nothing more. And isn’t she about to get married anyway? Don’t say anything rude.”

Galahad spoke firmly.

He had been deeply involved with her, but that was a story of the past.

[So you’re saying you’ll leave me?]

The ending was a bit messy, but that’s how it always was.

“Ah.”

A look of discomfort crossed Pumpkin’s face. First chuckled and smiled slyly.

The atmosphere became strange, and Galahad scowled.

“You didn’t hear anything.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Hmm-.”

First put a cigar in his mouth. The scent of damp wood filled the air.

“The prince who was her marriage partner, that is.”

The corner of First’s mouth curled up as he spoke.

There was a brief silence.

And then.

“He’s dead.”

“Dead?” First said, the corners of his mouth curving up. “But he was so healthy?”

Galahad narrowed his eyes and retorted.

He knew better than anyone how healthy the prince of the foreign country, who was her marriage partner, was. Because Galahad was the one who had obtained the list of marriages.

But the prince died?

“He died suddenly. Even the Imperial Family is hushing it up.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yes, we were recently assigned to a mission, so I know for sure.”

Pumpkin added. Since it was a mission they had been assigned to, it was a sure fact. Galahad’s head became complicated in an instant.

Just then, First licked his lips as if he wanted to say something urgently.

“…But there’s a very interesting rumor.”

“If it’s an interesting rumor-.”

“Poisoning.”

First finished speaking and smiled, savoring the moment.

‘…..Poisoning?’

Galahad narrowed his eyes at the ominous word.

‘Don’t tell me—.’

Galahad shook his head.

Her marriage partner was the crown prince of the largest kingdom in the kingdom alliance.

She was crazy, but she was still a brilliant woman. She couldn’t have not known what would happen if she killed him.

[I will correct my mistake. Just wait a little.]

Her whisper came to mind.

Galahad’s mouth was parched.

‘No, it can’t be.’

That wasn’t correcting a mistake, it was tearing the mistake apart and sprinkling salt on it.

I know she’s crazy-.

‘No matter how crazy she is, she wouldn’t do something like that.’

Galahad shook his head.

But the more he did so, the more uneasy he became.

What if she had done something so stupid and crazy?

Knock, knock, Galahad snapped his fingers.

He quickly recalculated. The result was the same.

From the moment she shook her hands, there was no possibility of her becoming the emperor.

It was a choice that didn’t need to be reconsidered.

“What does that have to do with me?”

Galahad asked, brushing his bangs back.

Pumpkin’s eyes widened, and First chuckled.

“That’s the Galahad I know. Oh, in that case, she-.”

“That’s enough. She’s a taboo of the intelligence agency. I don’t want to kill you.”

Galahad warned, snapping his fingers.

The smile vanished from First’s face.

Looking at the stiff First, Pumpkin muttered softly.

Scaredy-cat.

****

‘He has gotten stronger.’

First instinctively felt that Galahad’s level had risen.

Galahad was a monster to begin with.

But he had gotten stronger than that.

‘Now that’s more like a rival for me.’

First’s lips curled up in satisfaction.

First, who respected his rivals, changed the subject.

“So why did you come to the North?”

“Why? Because I was told to.”

First laughed out loud at Galahad’s calm reply. Smoke billowed from his mouth.

According to Jamit, it was the Emperor’s order that sent Galahad to the North.

However, it couldn’t be the Emperor. There was no news of the Emperor waking up.

Perhaps it was an order given by someone of equal status. That was then wrapped up as the Emperor’s order-.

But even so, an Imperial order was an Imperial order.

It was natural that it couldn’t be avoided.

But Galahad was not one to cower at an Imperial order.

Galahad was not the type of person who could be forced to move. If he didn’t like the options, he was the type of man who would avoid it even if he had to fake his death.

There was a reason why Galahad, a man like that, had come to the North.

The most likely reason is also-.

“Are you still looking for the Demon King?”

Galahad’s fingers, which were flicking ash, stopped abruptly.

‘That’s the correct answer.’

It was the ‘Demon King’ that Galahad used to talk about like a mantra.

In fact, the Demon Tribe was not a big threat to the Empire right now.

In the first place, the Demon Tribe rarely appeared in the center, and even when they did, they were not that threatening.

So much so that when the target of a mission was the Demon Tribe, it was called ‘easy’.

Currently, the Empire was more bothered by the Kingdom Alliance than the Demon Tribe.

In such a situation, even if they were warned that the Demon King had appeared, it would not be taken seriously.

The Intelligence Agency was basically an organization that operated on the Empire’s interests and calculations.

“Let me say it again, the Demon King is an inevitable existence. If we don’t prepare for him, the Demon King will turn the entire continent into ashes someday.”

Galahad’s voice was filled with conviction.

Just like when he first said it, no, even more confidently than that.

Everyone in the Intelligence Agency denied the existence of the Demon King.

But how could he be even more convinced?

As First was about to open his mouth, Galahad raised his hand. Galahad hated being interrupted. First closed his mouth. Looking at First like that, Pumpkin clicked his tongue softly.

“Have you received any information about the North?”

Gallard’s question made First’s face stiffen.

First had received information from the north before meeting Gallard. Obtaining information about the mission was a basic task for an agent.

“I got it.”

“How is it?”

“It’s trash.”

First replied honestly.

“I agree. Even if the influence of the Information Bureau in the north is minimal, it’s still too much. I was also surprised when I first saw it. There’s no ordinary information in the north.”

“Ordinary information?”

Gallard’s sunken eyes gazed at First.

“The demon’s power changes according to the mana density. Like magic-.”

First’s voice trailed off at Gallard’s continued words.

Although he didn’t fully understand, the mana density in the north was several times thicker than in the capital.

In other words, the story that demons are affected by mana density-.

“Does that mean the demons in the capital are several times weaker than those here?”

“And strong demons don’t leave their territory.”

The demons they had met in the central area were all just small fries.

In fact, even if that was true, it wasn’t a big threat as long as the mana density in the capital didn’t change.

“Recently, black mages have been opening something called a ‘agic circle’ around here. It’s a place under the demon’s control.”

Gallard added, as if reading First’s thoughts.

“……Magic circle?”

Just then, the door burst open.

A man who looked like a knight entered.

“Commander, I’ve heard that some weird guys have arrived! What kind of people are they!”

For an instant, Gallard’s expression changed. Although it was very subtle, a sense of relaxation was felt.

“Ah, good timing. Gilles, take these temporary recruits and show them the magic circle.”

“How many people did you temporarily recruit?”

“Just take them and go.”

“Yes, sir! What are you doing, standing there? Hurry up!”

At Gilles’ shout, First and Pumpkin stood up from their seats.

The two of them were now wearing awkward, newbie-like expressions.

For them, who were agents of the Information Bureau, disguise was the most basic thing-.

Gallard gazed at the two being dragged away by Gilles for a moment.

Then, a familiar face appeared through the open door.

“Ah-.”

It was Adrianna, her eyebrows slightly lowered.

“You should have knocked before entering.”

Gallard scolded, and Adrianna’s mouth opened slightly before closing again.

****

‘…Damn, what kind of training is this!’

Pumpkin desperately held back his explosive anger.

From the strange environment to the magic realm, Pumpkin didn’t like any of it. Still, he could manage.

Pumpkin was a capable agent, although he couldn’t compare to Galahad or First.

However, Gilbert’s savage training was the problem.

Even standing still made Pumpkin breathless, and with Gilbert’s savage training added to it, it was hard for Pumpkin to hold on. But he couldn’t collapse.

“Can’t you even handle this level of training?!”

Gilbert had kicked away a collapsed soldier while foaming at the mouth, so Pumpkin had seen it.

“It was real.”

First said in a low voice. His face was full of exhaustion, but Pumpkin knew it was an act.

If he were truly exhausted, he wouldn’t be able to speak in such an even voice.

“Wha…what…”

“The concentration of mana is so high that it’s hard to compare, and the demons grow stronger in proportion to the concentration of mana.”

First said, grabbing the swaying Pumpkin. Pumpkin leaned on his hand and caught his breath.

“The main targets of the Intelligence Agency are the United Kingdoms and high-ranking officials, as well as anti-imperialists. The Intelligence Agency has no interest in the north in the first place.”

“That’s true. However, the Angas had some information, even if it was a bit lacking. But the Intelligence Agency headquarters lacked information about the north.”

“Are you saying there’s someone at headquarters leaking information about the north?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Don’t do that right there!”

At Gilbert’s roar, First let go of his hand. Pumpkin gritted his teeth and mustered his strength to hold on.

“Among the missions Galahad was in charge of, there was Operation Small Fry. It was a mission to shake the growing United Kingdoms. Do you know how Galahad did it?”

At First’s question, Pumpkin blinked. Why did he memorize missions that someone else was in charge of? He was too out of breath to speak.

“Usually, you enter the strongest kingdom as a small fry. If you shake the strongest, the rest will shake.”

Unaware of Pumpkin’s feelings, First began to chatter excitedly. Pumpkin tried to spit, but saliva came out instead.

“But Galahad chose the weakest kingdom. And he started to raise it. It’s the complete opposite of what everyone else does.”

Not interested. Pumpkin exhaled hard.

“As a result, the smallest kingdom grew to a size that couldn’t be ignored. The balance of power was disrupted, and the United Kingdoms were shaken. I asked him why he chose such a difficult path. Do you know what he said ?”

I don’t know, damn it. Pumpkin could only utter the sound, “Mubub!”

“He said, ‘That’s how you get a big reward.’ Isn’t that funny? When everyone else is thinking about the success of the mission, he’s thinking about the size of the reward that will come after the success.”

What can I do? Pumpkin made a “Hup!” sound. He was choking. First patted him on the back. Only then could he breathe.

“I think what he’s doing this time is the same as that time.”

“……What is it.”

“He-“

First’s eyes were wide open. The sound of his head being pierced was about to come out. Pumpkin spat hard.

“He chose the north this time.”

‘He chose the north? Then his opponent is the empire?’

Pumpkin winced at the truly crazy sentence.

Pumpkin also knew that Galahad was the best among the agents.

However.

“Even so, he’s only one person.”

Pumpkin replied weakly. No matter how great Galahad was, he was alone.

What did it matter if he chose the north?

“That’s right. He’s alone.”

First’s nose twitched.

It was the timing for an outburst.

Pumpkin muttered curses beforehand.

“Not yet-.”

First even lifted his skirt.

After a brief moment of hesitation, First continued speaking.

“But if Galahad’s eternal rival and competitor, I, First, were to join forces? Well-.”

First let out a hot breath.

“It’s scary.”

Pumpkin was genuinely frightened as well.

****

“So, are you saying Galahad sent you?”

The crow looked up at the guy who was trying to flatter him, scowling.

The guy’s fluttering eyes and fawning attitude were a typical example of an incompetent opportunist.

The crow hated this type of person the most.

Why on earth did they get involved with this kind of guy-.

“That’s right. Are you Corton?”

“Yes! That’s correct! Oh no! The director has arrived, and I didn’t prepare! I apologize!”

The crow barely suppressed his rising nausea at the guy’s groveling appearance.

“Put the letter on top. I brought the magic circle of the beast tamer.”

“On top, you say? Yes! I understand!”

The crow clicked his tongue at the guy’s repeated questions, feeling annoyed.

The crow disliked this guy.

However, if this guy reported to the academy president, they would surely believe it.

The academy president loved incompetent people the most.