Chapter 47
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: First
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‘I’m… going to die…’
Hines blinked.
His eyes stung. Tears streamed down his face. He wanted to rub them, but that would only bring on a more excruciating pain.
His breath caught in his throat. Every inhale felt like his insides were burning. This was hell. Yes, this was hell.
“On one, you sit. On two, you rise.”
A terrifying voice rang out. It was Sir Gilberton. No, that bastard Gilberton.
“How can company commanders not even withstand the Miasmic Realm? One.”
*I just became a company commander yesterday, you son of a bitch,* Hines grumbled inwardly as he sat.
Just entering the Miasmic Realm was agonizing. He couldn’t breathe properly, and his eyes stung so badly that tears flowed endlessly.
How were they supposed to fight monsters in this environment? They were monsters themselves. Monsters.
“Two.”
He tried to push himself up, but his legs wouldn’t obey.
Hines staggered and fell to the side.
“Weakling.”
*You’re the monster for being able to endure this,* Hines mouthed. Lying down didn’t change a thing.
Tears still trickled from his eyes, and drool dripped from his mouth.
Just when he thought this was truly the end…
“You there, are you alright?”
A relaxed voice reached him. He turned his head to see Galahad.
“The one… acknowledged… by the Grand Duke…”
“Yes, don’t speak.”
The one acknowledged by the Grand Duke crouched before Hines. As he did, the suffocating ash receded.
‘He truly is the one acknowledged by the Grand Duke!’
To think he could make even this disgusting ash retreat on its own!
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Perhaps your muscles feel heavy, or something of the sort.”
At the first warm words of concern he’d heard, Hines’s eyes welled up.
“I’m fine!!”
“Good. You can do more. You still have mana left, so try using a bit more. That’s the only way to know the reaction.”
A torrent of incomprehensible words poured out.
He couldn’t understand, but he knew that the one acknowledged by the Grand Duke believed in him.
A fiery strength surged from within. Hines pushed himself up from the ground.
“That’s the spirit of a true warrior. Push a little harder, Hines.”
“My… my name! How do you know!”
“Do you think I wouldn’t even memorize the names of my specimens?”
“Thank you! O, one acknowledged by the Grand Duke!”
Hines bit his lip and stood up.
He could not betray the faith of the one acknowledged by the Grand Duke.
“You, run over there!”
At the vicious command from Sir Gilberton, Hines forced strength into his legs.
****
“Sir Gilberton, isn’t this training a bit too easy?”
Gilberton’s eyes widened at Galahad’s question as he dusted off his hands.
“…Pardon? They’re already being run ragged. Can’t you see that one foaming at the mouth over there?”
“He’s faking it. I checked his mana, and he still has plenty to spare.”
“Is that so?”
When Galahad nodded, Gilberton’s face contorted.
“Everyone, on your feet!”
Gilberton’s roar echoed. Galahad casually stepped back to observe.
The soldiers who had been enduring pushed themselves up unsteadily at Gilberton’s kicks.
Galahad hadn’t been lying.
Gilberton’s training was more than a little harsh, but it wasn’t lethal. They were simply overwhelmed by the extreme environment of the Miasmic Realm.
The way to overcome the Miasmic Realm was simple.
‘You experience it until you get used to it.’
These were men who had survived in the harsh North. If they were pushed to their limits in the Miasmic Realm, they would naturally adapt.
Training here was certainly effective. The improvements in their stamina and strength were noticeable.
It was just difficult.
‘The hardship is momentary. The effects of training in the Miasmic Realm are…’
Galahad organized the information he had just gathered. Thanks to the soldiers’ diligent training, he was collecting a good amount of data.
Just then, an old man approached. It was Bellogrim, commander of the 7th Battalion.
‘He’s accustomed to the Miasmic Realm.’
Bellogrim’s calm demeanor was not that of someone who had only entered the Miasmic Realm once or twice.
“I am truly grateful. If it weren’t for you, I can’t imagine what would have become of the 7th Battalion. Fools, to fall for the demons’ temptations.”
“It’s natural to follow the one who feeds you when you’re hungry.”
“If you act on instinct, you’re no better than a beast.”
He had a point. Galahad nodded.
“I will keep my promise. I, Bellogrim, will follow you, second only to His Grace, the Grand Duke.”
‘A promise?’
Galahad hadn’t made any promises, so it must have been the crow. The crow had visited Bellogrim first.
Though it was the first he was hearing of it, Galahad nodded. There was no reason to refuse an offer, especially from the 7th Battalion.
“Very well.”
Bellogrim chuckled at Galahad’s immediate informal tone. His wrinkled eyes twinkled.
“From the look in your eyes, it seems it’s not just because of the promise.”
“These old eyes can see a bit farther. The currents of the North are flowing toward you. Very strongly.”
Bellogrim pointed a wrinkled finger at Galahad.
“I’m sure Sir Gilberton is aware of that as well.”
“Haha. Is that so?”
Galahad nodded and placed a cigarette between his lips.
‘With the 7th Battalion on my side, I’ve gathered a decent number.’
It wasn’t particularly surprising. Since Galahad was in charge of the Miasmic Realm training facility established in the 7th Battalion’s territory, it was only natural that his influence there would be strong.
Bellogrim surely knew that as well.
That must be why he had offered to serve under him.
‘A cunning old man.’
Galahad clicked his tongue softly and flicked his fingers.
Familiar mana stirred, and a flame ignited at his fingertip.
A deep lemon scent spread through the air.
‘Hm.’
Galahad suddenly felt something was off.
He had conjured the flame unconsciously, but the mana concentration was strange. Only then did he notice the Egg of Pain throbbing violently.
Just moments ago, the air had been filled with Gilberton’s shouts and the soldiers’ pained screams, but now, everything was silent.
As if all sound had died.
The most plausible explanation was…
‘A mental-type demon?’
Galahad immediately circulated his mana. The Egg of Pain throbbed wildly, spewing out mana. The magic circle on his right arm began to glow.
He directed the mana toward his head to block any mental interference.
In that instant.
The scenery around him changed.
Galahad was standing in a vibrant garden. Birds chirped as they flew by, and green trees swayed as if greeting him in a perfectly peaceful forest.
The cigarette that had been in his mouth was gone.
‘I definitely shielded my head with mana.’
It was a high concentration of mana, channeled through the magic circle and the Egg of Pain.
He thought he had figured out how to deal with mental attacks after experiencing them twice, but he had been proven wrong so easily.
‘Was there a demon left in the castle?’
Galahad quickly assessed the situation.
It was possible a demon had been hiding within the inner castle.
However, this mental interference was stronger than that of the high-ranking demon he had encountered in the actual Miasmic Realm.
Which meant…
‘Did that ‘one’ come here himself?’
It was highly likely that this was the work of the one who controlled the high-ranking demon from the Miasmic Realm.
Breaking the silence, his heart began to pound violently. A grayness started to spread. It was the Egg of Pain. Galahad quickly reached for the canteen at his waist. It wasn't there.
The bushes in front of him parted, and a woman emerged.
She was a woman with four legs like a deer. But her legs were not those of a deer; they were the long, white legs of a woman.
It felt less grotesque and more graceful, even sacred.
The woman approached Galahad with light, airy steps.
The Egg of Pain throbbed violently, as if growling. His heart felt like it would burst.
*You are loud.*
The woman’s voice was not heard, but seen. The strangeness of it made Galahad squint.
The Egg of Pain, undeterred, pulsed even more fiercely. Galahad wrapped the mana emanating from it around his head, intending to break the mental attack.
*It is futile.*
At the woman’s next words, his mana vanished. Only the Egg of Pain continued its frantic rhythm.
‘…My mana disappeared?’
Galahad let out a low groan.
The woman, now right in front of him, looked down at Galahad.
Her eyes were slit vertically, just like a snake’s.
Meeting her gaze, Galahad felt the full weight of his own insignificance.
“So you’re ‘the one.’”
The woman showed a flicker of surprise at Galahad’s words.
*Your head is held too high.*
Galahad’s consciousness plummeted.
When he opened his eyes, he was on the peak of a dizzyingly high mountain. Dark clouds filled the sky, rumbling with a palpable sense of dread.
The dread soon became reality. Vicious bolts of lightning struck Galahad relentlessly.
‘A bit prickly.’
Galahad muttered under his breath.
The scenery changed again. This time, it was an active volcano spewing lava. The lava bubbled as if smacking its lips.
Galahad was thrown directly into the center of the raging volcano.
‘A bit hot.’
Galahad murmured as he sank into the lava.
He was back in front of the woman.
She was even larger than before. Her legs alone were twice Galahad’s height.
The surrounding greenery was even more lush. Galahad looked down at his hands.
They were unharmed. The Egg of Pain throbbed violently, as if telling him to snap out of it.
Galahad focused on it. The Egg of Pain seemed to be unaffected.
*Could it be that we’re both high-ranking demons?*
“This is fun. Are you going to do more?”
Galahad asked, looking at the woman.
The woman’s lips curled into a smile. Only then did Galahad realize his hands were trembling, and he clicked his tongue.
The woman’s identity was likely the high-ranking demon he had heard of, ‘the one’ who was beyond the high-ranking demon he had met in the Miasmic Realm.
Otherwise, this level of mental interference was impossible.
To feel pain even when he knew it wasn’t real… Galahad felt a deep sense of intrigue.
“I didn’t expect you to come in person.”
*In person?*
The woman’s lips curled upwards.
The meaning was clear.
“To exert this level of mental interference without even being here in person… truly remarkable.”
Galahad exclaimed in genuine admiration.
‘Did she plant something in me? Or can Miasmic Realms connect to each other?’
Both were possibilities. Just then, Galahad found he couldn't speak.
He moved his mouth, but no words came out. *Oh, how curious.* Galahad put a finger in his mouth. His tongue was moving, but…
*You are an interesting child.*
The woman’s voice embedded itself in his mind, as clear as if lightning were striking all around him.
*The feeling is mutual.*
The woman’s long finger pointed at Galahad. The finger was a tree branch.
Galahad’s consciousness was dragged away once more.
This time, he was in rotten soil. Countless insects swarmed from all directions, devouring him.
The horror was vivid. Just as a bug with dozens of teeth tried to eat his eye…
He was back in the clearing.
Galahad coughed violently and staggered. He gagged, trying to vomit out the insects inside him. A cascade of colorful flowers poured out.
*Oh, how curious.*
The woman was even larger than before. She was now the size of a small castle.
*Is it still fun?*
At the woman’s question, Galahad smirked and brushed back his disheveled hair.
*Very much so.*
This time, it was drowning.
The terrifying sensation of being unable to breathe…
Galahad focused on his heartbeat.
Thump. Thump.
The sound was faint, as if coming from a great distance. But it was still frantic.
‘So this is it.’
Galahad plunged his hand into his own chest. His hand slid in with surprising ease.
The water vanished, and he was back in the forest. The woman stood before him, back to her original size.
The Egg of Pain was in turmoil, his heart racing as if it would explode. Galahad casually shook his hand.
*Remarkable.*
The woman’s admiration was genuine.
“It’s foolish not to notice something is off after you’ve shown me the same thing three times.”
Galahad retorted with a click of his tongue. Despite his words, his condition was not great.
Clues were crucial to breaking a mental attack.
Last time, it was Damian not saying he was hungry.
This time, it was the Egg of Pain. He could break free by focusing on its violent throbbing.
‘Though it was quite difficult.’
Galahad dusted off his hands and looked around. It was still a lush, green forest.
However.
*The birdsong is gone.*
The illusion was less detailed than before. It was proof that the woman was also expending energy.
“Are you planning to exhaust more of your power? It makes no difference to me.”
The woman’s finger lowered. Her lips curled into a smile.
*You are amusing.*
“I was amused as well. Ah, finally found it.”
Galahad placed a cigarette between his lips.
It lit. The scent of lemon filled the air.
The surrounding greenery blurred slightly.
The woman glanced behind her and took a step back.
*Come to the Miasmic Realm. Alone.*
The woman whispered softly.
“Why would I go to such a dangerous place by myself?”
The woman didn’t answer Galahad’s question, but simply smiled.
As if she knew he would come.
The forest disappeared, and a pair of blue eyes stared at Galahad.
“Are you alright?”
Adrianna asked in an indifferent tone.
Reflected in Adrianna’s blue eyes, Galahad was smiling.
A very deep smile.
This place was far from the Miasmic Realm.
To exert such powerful mental interference over that distance…
This was…
‘I suppose I have no choice but to go.’
Unfortunately, the woman’s prediction was correct.
She had thoroughly piqued Galahad’s interest.
****
“This is the place.”
At First’s excited voice, Pumpkin let out a low sigh.
They had come all the way from the capital to the North, only to head out immediately without even unpacking at the safe house.
“Can’t we rest for a bit? It’s not like he’s going to run away.”
“You don’t understand. That man is constantly scheming to get ahead of me. How can I rest?”
First’s reply was firm. It was a truly dog-like obsession.
Pumpkin fought to suppress her profound irritation. Lashing out at First would only be to her own detriment.
“Pumpkin, I’m counting on you.”
At First’s resolute voice, Pumpkin swallowed the curse that was about to erupt.
“Are you really going to do that?”
“Didn’t you promise earlier?”
“That was because you begged me on your knees.”
“I am serious.”
“Haa… shit. Fine.”
The two headed for the 7th Battalion’s barracks. The closer they got, the stranger the smell became.
Someone inside was constantly shouting. It wasn’t just one or two people. The strangely heated atmosphere made Pumpkin frown.
“Doesn’t something feel off?”
First seemed to have noticed it too, as he nodded.
Pumpkin stepped forward to deal with the guards at the gate. In their possession was an appointment letter bearing the Grand Duke’s seal. It was for the Special Task Force.
Forging something like this was child’s play for them.
A guard suddenly bellowed at them. Pumpkin was so startled she almost drew her sword.
“The Special Task Force!! The unit of the one acknowledged by the Grand Duke!!”
“The one acknowledged by the Grand Duke!!”
Shouts erupted from all over, chanting, “The one acknowledged by the Grand Duke!”
Amidst the strange atmosphere, Pumpkin looked at First. His expression was also peculiar.
“Galahad is…”
“You mean the one acknowledged by the Grand Duke!”
Another roar erupted. Everyone was shouting, “The one acknowledged by the Grand Duke!” The fervor intensified.
‘…What the hell is wrong with this place?’
What on earth had he done here to get this kind of reaction just by his name being mentioned?
A shiver ran through First’s body. Seeing him begin to tremble violently, Pumpkin quickly intervened.
“Yes, where is the one acknowledged by the Grand Duke?”
“This way!”
A soldier with bloodshot eyes guided them roughly.
Everywhere they went, people were muttering, “The one acknowledged by the Grand Duke!”
*What in the world did he do?*
“Hoo-wook!”
First let out a hot breath. An aura shimmered around him.
He was clearly worked up.
“I wonder what kind of face he’ll make when he sees me, his rival of the century and nemesis of his soul. He fled to the North to escape me, but he can’t run forever.”
First rambled nonsensically in an excited voice.
‘Here we go again with this crap.’
Just then, she spotted Galahad in the distance.
Upon seeing Galahad, First’s expression changed. The heat vanished in an instant.
He wore the cool smile of his usual self.
Though he would get himself all worked up, First always put on an act like this when he actually faced Galahad.
As if he didn’t care about Galahad at all. He acted cool. It was a truly pathetic performance.
Then, First extended his arm. Annoyance shot through Pumpkin. First whispered softly, “Please.”
Pumpkin bit her lip and linked arms with First. His request was that if she wouldn’t marry him, she could at least pretend to be his loving partner.
Just then, Galahad looked their way.
“Oh, Galahad. Fancy seeing you here.”
First offered a casual greeting, as if their meeting was a complete coincidence.
‘…What? A coincidence in the North?’
It was such a stupid excuse that Pumpkin felt secondhand embarrassment.
“Ah.”
Just then, Galahad gave a small nod.
It seemed he recognized First.
At that, First let out a sharp breath. He was trying his best to act cool, but his excitement was overflowing.
‘Is he really his rival?’
Pumpkin muttered a small curse.
First held his breath.
He seemed to be waiting for Galahad to speak.
But Galahad’s gaze…
“Pumpkin, it’s been a while.”
…was fixed on Pumpkin.
“Is that your lover next to you? You two look good together.”
At the perfect dismissal, Pumpkin hurriedly checked on First.
First was…
He wore an expression as if his world had just collapsed.