Chapter 28
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Amanda
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Demons were the natural enemy of mages.
A demon was bad enough, but one that caused mental interference—
Magic was a tricky and delicate process, one that required calculating highly advanced formulas.
And here was a demon that could interfere with the mind.
‘This is the worst.’
Galahad took a deep drag from his cigarette. His hazy mind began to clear. His blurred vision sharpened once more.
The laughing, dancing people transformed back into those soldiers, their minds blown wide open.
‘Is it the range?’
Considering the stockade, the range likely covered the entire village.
It had gotten worse when Amanda drew near.
For a moment, he had even forgotten the existence of magic.
‘Contact.’
The déja vu had intensified when Amanda pressed against him.
‘I should have listened to Sir Gilberton.’
Galahad muttered the joke as he assessed the situation.
‘Is it easier to control them once their minds are open?’
It seemed easier to interfere with their minds without that lid.
The movements of the soldiers, now venting their rage, were extraordinary.
They were already well-trained soldiers, but with the addition of raw fury, their ferocity was terrifying.
“Entertain me.”
Just then, Amanda whispered as she stepped back.
His vision blurred. He was back at the joyous festival. People were smiling warmly, reaching out their hands.
He took another deep drag from his cigarette. The men who had lost their minds were spewing unspeakable curses as they charged at him.
Galahad took out the flask from inside his coat and brought it to his lips.
The now-familiar taste set his insides ablaze.
Or rather, it tried to.
Not before the bizarre thing inside him made its move.
‘The Egg of Pain?’
The thing greedily devoured the demon’s blood. Galahad had no time to stop it. The mana vanished in an instant.
The thing growled as if demanding more. Its presence felt slightly stronger than before.
‘…This is unexpected.’
The Egg of Pain had drunk the demon’s blood in his stead.
It was a fascinating development, but also a fatal variable.
Facing a demon without demon blood… It was as if his weapon had been taken from him.
Just then, the soldiers began to close in.
“Woof!”
He turned his head to see a puppy with a blood-red muzzle. Galahad narrowed his eyes. It was Damian.
“Damian, can you buy me some time?”
“Yes.”
Damian shot off the ground.
Galahad took a deep drag from his cigarette. He could see Damian tumbling among the soldiers who had lost their minds.
Damian deflected a sword at an angle, then swung his own reverse-gripped blade. The movement was practically an acrobatic feat. A sword lunged for the opening he’d created.
Damian twisted his body to evade it. He used the flat of the sword that had tried to stab him as a foothold to move.
As Damian swiftly thrust his sword at a soldier heading his way, the opening it created allowed another to slash his back.
Damian didn't scream. His face remained as placid as ever.
‘Mental interference is fundamentally magic that affects the brain.’
Amanda must have planted something the moment she made contact.
Galahad placed his left hand on his temple.
He gathered his mana. No, he tried to. The mana wouldn't obey.
What even was mana in the first place?
‘Fucking ridiculous.’
Galahad dug his fingers into the scar on his shoulder. The burn wound burst open, and a sharp pain shot through him.
His mind cleared. Without removing his fingers, he focused his mana.
Only then did the mana compress.
Fortunately, the Egg of Pain didn't seem interested in Galahad's own mana.
Galahad reviewed the cards he held.
“What are you trying to do?”
Just then, Amanda whispered.
She was right beside him. Her naked body drew Galahad's gaze. It was clearly an illusion.
“It’s called calibrating.”
Galahad raised the corner of his mouth and moved the compressed mana to his temple.
If he created a virtual lid with highly concentrated mana, he should be able to weaken the mental interference.
Even for a demon, controlling this many people would inevitably disperse its power.
“Won’t you explode if you make a mistake?”
“Then I just won’t make a mistake.”
The head was a delicate thing. A small error could damage something vital.
However, to gain something, one had to risk something.
The moment he placed his mana-infused finger on his temple, his surroundings came into sharp focus.
The burning village, Damian rolling on the ground amidst the lidless soldiers who were charging and spewing curses—
Galahad slightly lifted his finger.
His vision instantly distorted.
‘Oh, so that’s how it is.’
Galahad let out a small sound of admiration.
“Wow, you’re really amazing, aren’t you?”
“A tiresome compliment.”
Galahad flicked the fingers of his other hand at Amanda.
The magic shot off in a different direction.
“Did you really think a mage like you could defy me, your master?”
Amanda let out a bat-like shriek of laughter.
He was aware of the mental interference. He even had a shield of condensed mana around his head, yet he still couldn't block it.
This wasn't simple mental interference; it was something on a higher level. He searched for a clue.
If not for Damian, the village's composition would have been perfect. Because Galahad's subconscious had designed it.
“You’re stimulating the subconscious.”
Amanda’s laughter stopped cold.
“What difference does it make if you know? It’s your own self getting in your way.”
“Oh, so I was right. Thank you.”
“Such fake composure.”
His opponent being his subconscious meant that he had to fight himself.
His opponent was himself, huh?
‘Interesting.’
Galahad glared at Amanda, his finger aimed elsewhere.
The magic he fired shot straight toward Amanda.
There was nothing there.
“How?”
From a short distance away, Amanda tilted her head.
“I cannot tolerate an incorrect formula.”
No matter how subconscious, it was still Galahad. No, it was even *more* Galahad.
He could deliberately twist a correct formula, but Galahad could never stand seeing a formula that was inherently wrong.
Funnily enough, his own subconscious was helping him.
“You’re really fun.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
A headache, as if his head were splitting in two, washed over him.
His vision distorted once more. He felt like he was starting to get the hang of it.
“Don’t tell me you’re experimenting on yourself?”
Amanda asked, a slightly weary look on her face.
It was a stupid question.
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s the most efficient way.”
What he had said at the Black Magic Society wasn't a lie.
Whatever the experiment, doing it on oneself was always the most efficient. Using others was for the subsequent cross-verification stage.
“How fun.”
Amanda’s lips twisted into a smirk.
His vision flickered for a moment.
Several soldiers collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. It seemed she was focusing her power on Galahad.
“Savor your inferiority.”
Amanda's whisper tickled his ear.
A familiar man walked through Amanda's form and approached him.
He was a man in a neat uniform. He had a cigarette in his mouth.
[I taught you everything, and you stab me in the back?]
A rough curse burst out.
There was a small hole near the man’s heart. Whoever did it had very clean handiwork.
[Clean? You crazy bastard.]
The man’s face contorted like a demon’s.
To run into him in a place like this. Galahad clicked his tongue softly.
“You were the one in the wrong, sir.”
[So I made a little mistake and you blow up my heart from behind? After I raised you from a whelp—.]
“Burning ten innocent people to death is not what I’d call a ‘little mistake.’”
[How many lives have I saved? You’re making a fuss over a mere ten people, you bastard. Didn’t your magic get stronger thanks to that too?]
“I am grateful for that.”
[Then—.]
“Merit is merit, and a crime is a crime.”
Galahad flicked his finger without hesitation. The hole in the man’s chest grew larger.
[You son of a—bitch.]
The man collapsed, glaring at Galahad with bleeding eyes. Galahad did not look away.
Amanda was laughing like a bat.
“Are you trying to stimulate my guilt? Let me give you some advice beforehand: it’s a waste of time.”
“Are you so sure?”
“I guarantee it.”
[Sir, you said you’d marry me.]
Anxious, trembling eyes, a shaking arm, and a giant axe held in that hand. It was Galahad’s first junior.
“My apologies, but I never made such a promise. Besides, aren’t you dead?”
[You killed me!]
“So you are dead, aren't you? Stop being so clingy and die again.”
The hole in her chest grew significantly larger. The junior spewed curses and resentment, but Galahad didn't stop.
When his junior’s form vanished, Amanda came into view. Unlike before, her smile was gone.
“Didn’t I tell you? It’s a waste of time.”
“Are you even human?”
“Perfectly human.”
Just then, something rolled to Galahad’s feet. It was a bloodied Damian. His mouth was moving, his cheeks puffed out.
“What are you eating?”
“Food.”
“That’s not for eating. Spit it out.”
Damian stared blankly at Galahad. In his eyes, he saw Galahad with his blood-stained mouth.
“I didn’t eat it, I drank it.”
Damian opened his mouth. A pile of rotten food he had picked up spilled out.
“You’ve worked hard. I’ll take it from here, so get some rest.”
Damian’s head slumped forward. Soon, the sound of snoring could be heard.
‘Truly carefree.’
Just then, a commotion arose ahead.
[A mage? You want to pursue such a lowly profession?]
[Poison in the morning soup? Little brother, you don’t suspect me, do you?]
[Become my mistress. You should consider it an honor.]
[Repeat after me! For the eternal glory of the Empire!]
Familiar faces approached, radiating a menacing aura.
‘Hmm, this is odd.’
The most important one was missing.
‘Is she saving it?’
She must be.
She would bring it out at the most critical moment.
Would it work? He couldn't know.
As always, he could only choose the option with the highest probability of success.
Galahad put a cigarette to his lips and flicked his finger.
****
Hans was the fourth of four sons and five daughters. His eldest brother died of a cold, and his second brother enlisted before coming of age. Hans had done the same.
Like any northern man, Hans was brave. He wouldn’t hesitate to shove himself into the maw of a beast.
Hans crossed the line between life and death with his comrades. He beat monsters to death every day.
On the day a comrade was eaten by a monster, he drank until he couldn't feel his own nose. He didn't cry. His tears had long since frozen over.
It was an ordinary day. On his way back from guard duty, he encountered a woman.
She was truly beautiful. So beautiful his heart stopped the moment he saw her.
Even his no-nonsense company commander had stopped in his tracks. The woman said she was looking for a man to carry on a tradition and held out her hand.
She said they would know when their hands touched.
They scrambled to offer their hands. Hans was one of them.
The 5th Battalion was littered with corpses. There was no sign of life anywhere. And before him stood the demon who had created this horrific scene.
The company commander gave the order.
“We must capture that thing, even if we die! If we don’t, the world ends!”
Hans nodded. There wasn't a man in the north who would shy away from a time to burn his life away.
The comrade in front of him screamed and fell. He was a stepping stone for the next advance. They moved forward, using their comrades’ lives as footing.
When he finally faced the demon, Hans let out a hot breath.
The demon looked at Hans with a relaxed expression. One of its hands was at its temple, and it was smiling.
To smile in this situation, what a truly horrifying demon.
Hans bit his lip and tightened his grip on his weapon. He could not retreat. He had to kill this vicious demon—
Huh?
His vision distorted for a moment.
The horrifying demon transformed into a sharp-looking man.
Then, a searing pain shot through him. His forehead was burning.
“It works. Are you coming to your senses?”
A man with a clean-cut appearance spoke, his voice laced with exhaustion.
The polite question, so out of place in this situation, made Hans’s mouth hang open.
Only then did he see his surroundings. His unit, their faces twisted into gruesome masks, were spewing curses and charging at the man. Behind them, that woman was smiling.
They weren't attacking the demon, but some other man, screaming curses at him.
The man didn't complain, dealing with them one by one. He was as solemn as someone conducting a funeral.
Hans realized it then. They had been played by the demon.
The man looked at Hans and asked.
“What is your name?”
“……Han…s.”
“Right, Hans. Regrettably, you are about to die. That vicious demon has opened your mind. Oh, don't touch it. It will sting. Might I borrow your head for a moment? I plan to use this to pull a little trick of my own. In return, I will speak your name as I twist the demon’s neck.”
Hans used his last ounce of strength to nod.
“Do not worry. It will be painless.”
The man who said this had a face full of exhaustion.
“My thanks, Hans.”
Galahad didn't wipe the blood from his hands as he lit a cigarette.
Through the five remaining soldiers, he could see Amanda.
She was still smiling.
‘Good.’
There was no need to dig into his scar.
****
‘Interesting.’
Amanda cocked her head, pleased.
The Ruler himself had given the order, so she had her hopes up, and she wasn't disappointed.
Both the man and his beast were interesting.
Her authority, especially, had no effect on his beast.
‘He smells of another.’
Amanda narrowed her eyes. The beast reeked of another demon.
A very strong scent.
The scent of a demon far more powerful than herself.
It was a clear territorial marking, a warning not to touch. That had complicated things.
Having to get rid of the rampaging beast without killing it.
Still, it couldn't be helped.
Getting entangled with a high-ranking demon would only be a loss for Amanda.
Because of that, things had dragged on a bit.
Of course, the result was the same.
One mage and one beast couldn't defeat Amanda when she was prepared.
The more they thinned the soldiers’ ranks, the stronger Amanda’s power became.
The man fighting back by pouring mana into his own head was a little chilling, but in the end, he was just a mage.
When three soldiers remained, the man collapsed.
Amanda stopped the soldier who was about to run him through with a sword.
“He said to bring him back alive.”
Amanda muttered to herself and stood up.
“Honestly, you’re amazing. I didn’t expect it to be this difficult. To fight while enduring my authority… I can’t believe it.”
Her admiration was genuine.
Amanda was endlessly weak against those stronger than her, but she wielded absolute influence over the weak.
Yet, this man, a mere mage, had held out quite well.
He had collapsed in the end, but even that was an incredible feat.
It was no wonder The Ruler himself had given the order.
“Thank you, that was really fun. I can’t even remember the last time I had this much fun.”
Amanda offered her sincere gratitude.
“He will be very pleased. He might even give me a reward. Ah, I’m so happy.”
“He?”
“Oh, you’re still conscious? You’re tough. Truly.”
The fallen man looked up at Amanda.
Amanda scoffed at the foolishness of him flicking his fingers, still refusing to give up.
“Yes, The Ruler. You’ll like it too. He’s not someone you can meet just anywhere. I was curious when He took an interest in a human, but… you really are the best.”
“What is his name?”
“His name? You’re asking for His name? You’ll really die if you do that.”
Amanda’s warning was genuine.
To ask for His name… He was certainly a strange one.
Even in a situation like this—
‘……A situation like this?’
A tiny sense of déja vu pricked at her.
A feeling she had never experienced before.
Something was strange.
“Well, it seems I’ve been found out.”
A calm voice spoke from directly behind her.
The man was pointing a finger at her neck.
Blood was pouring from the hole in his shoulder, and his body was covered in scars, but his sunken eyes were still sharp.
“How… Did you use your authority on me?”
Amanda stammered in shock. A mage had deceived her?
“So that’s what you call it, authority. My apologies, but this is magic. One is more easily deceived when one doesn’t even suspect it. You would know, wouldn't you?”
His reply was nonchalant.
To exploit her confidence in her own authority…
No, it wasn't confidence.
How could she have ever predicted that a mage would be able to replicate her authority with magic?
Still, she had to admit it.
She had been had by him.
“Well, this is no fun.”
Amanda focused her authority on the man.
“Beatrice?”
A single, pained whisper escaped the man’s lips as his eyes went blank.
She had used her authority to its fullest; it had to be an opponent he could never bring himself to kill.
Her head spun from the exertion. To struggle this much against a mere mage… If she had known, she would have dealt with him cleanly from the start.
She’d tried to have some fun and ended up wasting her strength.
“Honestly, it’s good to see you. Don’t call me a fool.”
Just then, the man let out a thick mutter. His voice, unlike before, was shaking.
To think the voice of a man who had remained so steady, even with a sword in his shoulder, could tremble. A smirk formed on Amanda’s lips.
“Yes, I made a promise.”
The man raised the corners of his mouth and flicked his fingers.
A spark ignited between them.
The spark bounced between his fingers, growing in size.
It was so beautiful that Amanda could only stare, mesmerized.
The spark dancing between his fingers took shape.
It was like a flower carved from lightning by a god.
In full bloom—
That was the last thing Amanda ever saw.
****
“What a fucking pain-in-the-ass demon.”
Galahad shoved the charred demon aside and muttered.
He had expected it from the moment Beatrice’s name didn't come up.
That she would pull her out at the very last moment.
Instead, he had used it.
He had promised to gift her a magnificent lightning flower when they met again.
If not for that, he wouldn't have been able to land such a blow.
Bringing her out was the demon's fatal mistake.
It was an expected outcome, but it left a bad taste in his mouth.
‘Come to think of it, she must have heard the news about me by now.’
He grimaced and put a cigarette to his lips.
“Ah, this is for Hans.”
Galahad stomped on the charred head, grinding it to ash.
He then flicked his cigarette over it.