Chapter 33
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Direct Hit
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*Gulp. Gulp.*
The man seemed to have no intention of hiding it.
A glance around told me everyone had more or less figured it out.
Everyone except Adrianna, who was naturally oblivious. It was in her nature not to care about anything other than demons.
Still—
‘How can she not notice when he’s chugging it right behind her?’
Robert, who had habitually turned his head, met Galahad’s eyes.
“I’ve heard there’s a tradition in the North of drinking demon blood. When in the North, shouldn’t one follow Northern traditions?”
Galahad said, lightly wiping his mouth. Strangely, his lips were redder than before.
A tradition of drinking demon blood—it wasn't a complete fabrication.
The story had originated with the Grand Duke.
Though he had ceased his activities after Adrianna’s birth, the Grand Duke was considered the strongest figure in the history of the North.
Tales of him tearing off demon heads with his bare hands, without using aura, were passed down like legends.
There were various theories about the Grand Duke’s strength, which was closer to that of a monster than a human.
The most famous among them was the practice of consuming demons.
The story went that the Grand Duke filled his belly with the flesh of demons and monsters and quenched his thirst with their blood, growing stronger as a result.
This led to the belief that to become the ultimate warrior, one had to devour demons.
The North’s 1st Battalion was an elite unit, meaning they were the closest to being the ultimate warriors.
The 1st Battalion had an initiation rite where new recruits were made to drink demon blood. Because of this, Robert had also tasted it before.
Demon blood tasted absolutely foul. It was something beyond just bad.
Even Robert, who had grown up eating raw meat, couldn't eat anything for days after drinking it.
The taste wasn't the only problem.
Drinking demon blood brought a searing pain, as if your insides were on fire. It wasn't something one could simply endure.
As a result, the tradition had since died out.
Occasionally, some guys would drink demon blood to prove they were true Northern warriors.
Even those guys only managed a sip or two at most.
And yet…
*Gulp— Gulp—.*
Robert shivered slightly at the chilling sound coming from beside him.
“I hear it’s to become the ultimate warrior, yes? A truly splendid tradition.”
Robert turned his head at the sound of Galahad’s amused voice.
Yes, there was a tradition.
A tradition that to become a true warrior in the North, one must drink demon blood.
But—
‘You’re not from the North.’
He wasn't even a warrior. Robert forced himself to swallow the words that had risen to the tip of his tongue.
As long as he was good at killing demons, nothing else mattered.
‘The Grand Duke will be pleased.’
For some reason, he felt like he was seeing a reflection of the Grand Duke in the man.
As they headed in the direction Galahad had pointed, they found a cluster of demons.
“Mid-tier demons. Everyone, stay alert.”
In the demon’s domain, demons grew stronger. Because of this, even a mid-tier demon was not an easy opponent.
Tension filled the air.
Sweat pooled inside his gauntlets.
“Oh, mid-tier, you say.”
He deliberately ignored the sound of someone smacking their lips.
Despite the presence of a mid-tier demon, the battle was surprisingly smooth.
As expected, the reason was Galahad.
Thanks to the smoke Galahad had cleared, the demons couldn't launch a surprise attack.
Out in the open, the mid-tier demon was no match for Adrianna.
The battle ended so easily it made their earlier tension feel pointless.
“Didn’t you just fill that up?”
Adrianna asked, watching Galahad refill his canteen. It seemed she really hadn’t noticed he was drinking blood.
“Ah, I used it for a spell.”
“I’ll help you.”
Watching Galahad and Adrianna sit side by side, collecting demon blood, made one question whether they were even fighting demons at all.
“I’m getting a bit hungry. How about we eat before we go?”
“Understood.”
They even ate a meal.
If anyone else had suggested having lunch in the demon’s domain, the response would have been, ‘Are you crazy? Are we on a picnic?’ But—
Now, everyone was quiet.
They had already killed more demons than usual.
And yet, there were no injuries.
If they told anyone back home, they’d surely be cursed out for spouting nonsense.
The reason was clear.
It was Galahad. That one man had changed the entire dynamic.
From fending off ambushes in a state of high alert to actively hunting them down—that was by no means a trivial difference.
Who could object when a man like Galahad wanted to rest?
“This is really delicious.”
“Right? Our Tom is quite the cook. Sir Gilberton, step aside. Can’t you see we’re on a lovely date here?”
“This is not a date.”
“I know, I know. Still, Sir Gilberton, move it. You have no tact.”
“I’m hungry too.”
“You have no shame, after complaining about bringing food in the first place.”
It was a first, resting in the demon’s domain.
Everyone sat awkwardly, exchanging glances.
‘Is this really okay—.’
They took their break, feeling a strange sense of unease.
****
‘It just keeps eating.’
Galahad muttered, pressing down on his chest where he felt a growing weight.
Curious to see how much it could take, he kept pouring in demon blood, and the Egg of Pain consumed it endlessly.
It was even clamoring for more.
The quality of the mana it emitted was also improving. It seemed the egg was growing by drinking the demon blood.
There was a limit to how much mana a mage could store.
To make room for the denser mana provided by the Egg of Pain, Galahad had been continuously casting spells.
The body could only store a finite amount of mana, and replenishing it took a considerable amount of time.
This was one of the reasons mages preferred staves.
They could simply swap out the mana stone on the staff and cast spells immediately, though the cost was astronomical.
Galahad had been expending all his mana daily since he started practicing magic, so his recovery rate was fast, but it still took time.
Thanks to the Egg of Pain, however, that process was nearly nonexistent.
“Hmm, the taste is stronger.”
“...Pardon?”
“Ah, I meant the demons seem stronger here than outside.”
“Yes, in the demon’s domain, demons and monsters become one tier stronger.”
“Is it because of the mana concentration?”
“Concentration? That’s the first I’ve heard that word.”
Galahad clicked his tongue softly at Gilberton. He was about to explain but just shook his head.
“It’s just a thing.”
“...Why did you give up?”
Galahad ignored him and continued his thoughts.
Demons grow stronger as mana concentration increases.
It was difficult to cast spells in such a dense concentration, but if one could, the power would be amplified. It was likely a similar principle.
It seemed obvious in hindsight, but for some reason, it felt deeply unsettling.
‘Is this why the demons couldn't win the Demon War?’
The mana concentration in the central region was pathetic compared to here.
If there truly was a correlation between mana concentration and demonic strength, then the demons’ power in the central region would be incomparably weaker.
It was a plausible hypothesis.
‘Does that mean the Demon King has the ability to overturn that?’
For instance, an ability to raise mana concentration.
Considering Adrianna’s nature of burning mana away, it wasn’t an impossible thought.
“I know what it is.”
Adrianna, whose eyes met his, spoke out of the blue. Her expression was the same blank mask, but there was a strange hint of confidence in it.
“What do you mean?”
“Concentration. If the fog is thick, the concentration is high. If it’s thin, the concentration is low. Am I not correct?”
At Adrianna’s confident answer, Galahad paused for a moment before nodding.
At that, the surrounding knights applauded, praising Adrianna's brilliance. They lauded her for being skilled in both martial and literary arts.
Adrianna shook her head as if it were nothing, though her eyebrows were slightly raised.
‘But it really is nothing.’
Galahad forced himself to shake his head and cast out his mana threads.
This was a spell adapted from Mana Arrow. It involved spreading the Mana Arrow out like fine threads, using the principle that low-concentration mana would dissipate upon contact with demons or monsters.
It was a hastily devised spell, but it was surprisingly effective. It was a method only possible because the opponents were demons, against whom low-concentration magic was useless.
Just then, he got a signal. Several, in fact.
There were more of them than before.
“Hmm.”
Galahad let out a small groan.
“What is it?”
“The demons are clustered together. Quite a lot of them.”
The groups of demons they had encountered on the way had been six at most, with a few monsters mixed in.
But the ones he had just found numbered at least over ten.
“How many?”
“At least ten. Did we kill so many that they got scared?”
Adrianna shook her head at Galahad’s question.
“Demons do not feel fear.”
“I see. In any case, there are many of them, unlike before.”
At that, the atmosphere around them heated up. The knights readjusted their grips on their swords, breathing out hot air. They were all fired up.
“If the filthy demon bastards are gathered together, isn’t that a good thing?”
“We can take care of them all at once.”
Strangely, they seemed to welcome it.
‘Ignorant fools.’
Galahad clicked his tongue at the Northmen burning with fighting spirit.
He chose a direction and they advanced.
Since he needed to use up his mana anyway, Galahad continuously conjured a harsh wind with one hand. He was slowly getting the hang of it.
In the distance, he could see the clustered demons.
“There are many of them. Do not let your guard down.”
Adrianna charged forward, her signature white aura flaring to life.
Just then, a formidable-looking demon emerged from between the overlapping demons. Their numbers swelled in an instant. Subsequently, the ground beneath Adrianna split open, and a giant monster revealed itself.
‘Was it a trap?’
Well, they had been stirring up trouble all over the demon’s domain since they entered. It would have been stranger if the demons hadn’t noticed.
He had anticipated a reaction like this.
He just hadn’t cared. Because they had Adrianna, the bane of all demons.
“I’m going in first. Everyone else, stand by.”
Adrianna dropped into the midst of the monsters without hesitation.
Her white aura blazed intensely. The giant monster was instantly reduced to ash and scattered.
The demons, showing fierce hostility, rushed toward Adrianna.
More ash scattered—and Adrianna’s form vanished within it.
The other knights fanned out, their movements remarkably fluid. They seemed quite accustomed to this kind of situation.
It appeared all the demons and monsters were focused on Adrianna.
She was the one who burned mana. A group of demons of this size wouldn't pose a threat to her.
However, if left alone, Adrianna was liable to turn them all to ash.
Which meant there would be nothing left for him.
“This is dangerous.”
Galahad urgently compressed his mana.
He had to salvage at least a few before Adrianna incinerated them all.
The white aura flared, and another monster turned to ash. Through the gap, he saw Adrianna. A sense of urgency coincided with his heart pounding wildly.
It was the Egg of Pain. Perhaps because he had fed it so much demon blood, the egg was asserting its presence strongly.
Its urging was more intense than before, so much so that his mind momentarily wavered. His heart hammered even more violently.
‘So there’s a side effect like this.’
It felt like the Egg of Pain had grown too strong from being fed too much demon blood.
Something had felt off ever since the mana concentration had started to thicken.
Whether it had been hiding it until now or not, the Egg of Pain was now fully revealing its presence.
‘Cunning bastard.’
It was all he could do to desperately maintain his sanity.
The Egg of Pain was practically vomiting up what it had consumed, demanding Adrianna’s death.
It was becoming too much to resist.
Just then, his eyes locked onto Adrianna. Seeing her struggling, surrounded by monsters and demons, the Egg of Pain shook him even more violently.
*Kill her now—.*
‘No, how could I kill Adrianna—.’
Galahad bit his lip, and then a brilliant idea struck him.
There was a limit to how much he could suppress the egg’s heightened presence.
What if, instead of suppressing it, he used it?
‘Alright, I’ll kill her.’
At his short reply, the Egg of Pain went still.
His dizzy head cleared in an instant. Galahad calculated again. The same conclusion was reached.
The Egg of Pain, Adrianna, and the demons—
It was a genius method to deal with all three at once.
‘Excellent.’
Galahad’s lips curled into a smile as he manipulated his mana.
Thanks to the continuous feeding, he was full of high-concentration mana.
The mana expelled by the Egg of Pain moved even more smoothly than his own, as if it had been run through a purifier.
He compressed the already high-density mana once more.
His heart instantly ached. His body trembled as if it were overloaded.
He endured it and pressed the mana down further. *Crack.* A gruesome sound echoed as if a bone had dislocated.
It was fine. Bones could be set again.
He didn't give up and pressed the mana again.
Sparks crackled from Galahad’s fingertips.
“She will be fine.”
Just then, Gilberton spoke, gesturing toward Adrianna.
Wondering what nonsense he was spouting, Galahad looked over, and Gilberton nodded reassuringly.
“She is not one to be endangered in a place like this, so you need not worry.”
Gilberton suddenly offered some earnest advice.
After a moment of thought, Galahad’s lips curled upwards.
“I agree.”
****
‘I told him there’s no need to worry.’
Gilberton muttered to himself as he watched Galahad, whose capillaries had burst.
Adrianna, surrounded by demons and monsters, might look like she was in danger, but compared to the perils she had faced before, this was nothing.
Knowing this, her direct subordinates and Gilberton himself were acting without haste.
And yet, Galahad, who was always so composed, was showing signs of anxiety.
With bloodshot eyes and a trembling body, Galahad was chanting a spell.
Even though Gilberton had told him it wasn't necessary, Galahad, being Galahad, wasn't listening at all.
It was a slightly different side of him. Galahad, looking so anxious—
‘Could it be…?’
Gilberton entertained a thought.
The moment he saw Adrianna in peril, Galahad began desperately chanting a spell.
The veins on his neck bulged, and his bloodshot eyes were focused with an intensity that bordered on desperation.
What that implied was—
‘He really has feelings for Lady Adrianna?’
Well, it was Adrianna. It would be stranger not to like her.
‘But Galahad of all people? The evidence is clear. No, but still, Galahad?’
While Gilberton was lost in his dilemma, Galahad’s lips parted.
“Chain Lightning.”
A small spark shot from Galahad’s finger and rose into the sky.
It was similar to the magic he had used on Hermun, but the pressure it exuded was on a different level.
Just then, the sky, which had been covered in dark clouds without a single ray of light, was violently torn asunder.
A powerful bolt of lightning revealed itself through the rift.
It was thicker than before.
‘That’s—.’
Feeling the ominous atmosphere, Gilberton swallowed dryly.
“Adrianna! Look out!”
Galahad shouted.
‘Can someone even ‘look out’ for something like that?’
Before Galahad’s words had even finished, the lightning struck.
But its location was somewhat strange.
No—it was very strange.
‘Why at Adrianna—?’
The lightning bolt struck Adrianna without the slightest deviation.
*KABOOM—!*
Lightning continuously struck the area around Adrianna.
Needless to say, Adrianna was unaffected.
The bolt that fell on her was deflected by her white aura.
Fragments seemed to ricochet off the thick bolt of lightning, wreaking havoc on the surroundings.
The monsters and demons hit directly were swept away and exploded.
Gilberton knew that Adrianna burned mana. Therefore, she wouldn't be affected by magic.
However, even knowing that—
‘Still, to his own fiancée…?’
A hush fell over the battlefield.
Everyone was staring not at the demons, but at Galahad.
Amidst the deepening, horrified gazes—
“Whew, a direct hit.”
Galahad swept back his disheveled hair.
His face was utterly refreshed.