Chapter 6
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Adrianna
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ashley made her bed the moment she woke up.
Though "bed" was a generous term for a pile of straw covered with a worn-out cloth.
The other children began to wake up, one by one.
After a brief nod to each other, the children started moving about busily. One child fed firewood under the cauldron, while another added equally hard bread to the frozen stew.
It was a precise division of labor. With only one exception.
*Snore—.* In the center of it all, a woman was fast asleep, snoring loudly.
“Looks like Gwen's tired.”
“She's terrible at housework. Of course she'd be tired working as a maid.”
The child giggled at Ashley's response.
It wasn't a joke. Gwen was a woman so warm-hearted she'd sooner starve than let the local orphans go hungry, but she had absolutely no knack for work.
When she cleaned, she'd break the broom. When she did the dishes, she'd break the plates. It was still a mystery how Gwen managed to keep a job as a maid.
“She's been assigned to the man from the Empire. I heard if she messes up this time, she'll really get fired.”
“...They have given her a lot of chances. But a man from the Empire?”
“You know. Lady Adrianna's marriage partner.”
“Marriage? Ah, the kept man.”
“Shh! You can't say things like that!”
Ashley covered the child's mouth at the vulgar word.
In the North, the animosity toward the Empire was comparable to, if not worse than, their hatred for the Demon Race. In such a climate, the news that their hero, Adrianna, was marrying a mage from the Empire was utterly shocking. It was like hearing she was marrying a monster that was a cross between the Empire and the Demon Race.
Thus, people had taken to calling him a "kept man."
It was an insult to Adrianna as well, but it was common practice to badmouth even the king behind his back.
“Alright! I get it!”
The child pouted and grumbled. Sighing softly, Ashley approached Gwen.
*How on earth does one end up sleeping like this?*
She clicked her tongue at the sight of Gwen, whose skirt was bunched up and her stomach completely exposed.
“Gwen. Wake up. You have to go to work. You have to feed us.”
“Ughhh... Just a little longer...”
“Gwen.”
Only after a good deal of shaking did Gwen open her eyes.
They were still listless.
Ashley clicked her tongue and snapped her fingers.
The children swarmed in and sat Gwen up. One child rinsed her mouth with a refreshing-tasting twig, another tidied her hair. There was even a child to pry her eyelids open.
It was perfect teamwork.
Gwen hadn't lifted a single finger, yet she was already presentable.
“I heard you were assigned to the man from the Empire.”
“Mmmph.”
“You can chew and talk.”
Gwen, her mouth stuffed with bread, nodded.
“Yeah, he's my assignment.”
As Gwen answered, a shadow fell over her face.
“Is something wrong?”
Gwen glanced around. In response, Ashley waved the children away.
“...I think he wants me.”
Gwen said, very cautiously. Her face was filled with worry.
Ashley studied Gwen. She certainly had a pretty face.
However, it was completely overshadowed by a deep sadness and melancholy. Just looking at her created a suffocating, gloomy atmosphere.
Besides, wasn't this man Adrianna's fiancé?
There was no way he would choose Gwen over Adrianna.
She was clearly mistaken. Gwen was prone to odd delusions.
“He's to be Lady Adrianna's husband... Ah... why must I face such a trial...”
When Gwen was in a state like this, she never listened to reason, so there was no point in arguing.
“If it gets to be too much, just tell him about us.”
“About you?”
“That you're looking after a whole bunch of orphans. Once he finds out you're a woman with so much baggage, he'll lose interest immediately.”
Gwen's large eyes blinked. *Ah, wrong thing to say,* Ashley muttered to herself.
“How could you be baggage! You're all my precious children!”
“Okay, okay. Don't cry. I get it.”
Ashley and the children had to endure being held in a tight embrace by a sobbing Gwen for a long time.
Ashley quietly apologized under the glares of the other children.
“You must never do anything bad! And I'll find a way to earn money, so don't worry and do whatever you want! Just no magic! Absolutely no magic!”
Gwen repeated that magic was absolutely forbidden about ten more times before finally letting them go.
It was usually five times, so she'd doubled it.
***
*Done.*
Galahad's lips curled into a wide grin as he looked at the crystal that had formed in his hand.
He'd never worked with mana of this density before, so it had taken longer than expected.
Galahad put a cigarette to his lips and snapped his fingers. A flame twice as large as usual flared to life.
He hadn't fully grasped it yet, but the potential for growth was clear.
It now cost twice the mana, but in return, he could produce twice the firepower.
It might sound obvious, but magic wasn't so simple that doubling the mana input doubled the output. If it were, this would have been the age of mages.
With mana density twice as high—
*Crash!*
*That'll be Gwen.*
He turned his head and saw Gwen hiding a plate behind her back.
“...Your meal is ready.”
As always, the meal was served on a single plate. He was sure she'd been carrying three when she came in.
*Undercooked again.*
Galahad snapped his fingers, creating a small flame. The flame moved as if alive, searing the meat. A fragrant aroma filled the air.
Gwen, who had been staring blankly, squeezed her eyes shut.
Her eyelids trembled. She looked like a cleric facing a demon.
*Is her immense mana due to the North's dense mana concentration?*
The size of one's mana pool wasn't the issue. What a mage needed was mana sensitivity.
Not everyone who possessed mana could feel it.
Everyone had mana, but those with mana sensitivity were rare.
One had to be able to feel mana to walk the path of a mage.
And yet Gwen, though her attempt was crude and unstable, had mimicked Galahad's spell after seeing it just once. That was something even Galahad couldn't do.
*Is this loser really a genius?*
Galahad narrowed his eyes, studying Gwen.
She was hunched over, nervously glancing at him.
*I have to take her under my wing.*
He didn't know how things would turn out, but it was clear he'd be in the North for quite some time.
Her timidness was a bit of a concern, but a genius was a genius. It was a talent he'd never seen, not even at the Academy.
*Was she born this way because of the North?*
He couldn't even begin to guess her limits. He had to have her.
The problem was her severe aversion to magic.
Every time Gwen saw magic, she would cover her eyes or collapse to the floor. It was a whole ordeal.
“Gwen.”
“Yes?!!”
He'd only said her name, but Gwen jumped in fright.
*Was she up to something?* Galahad narrowed his eyes, and Gwen averted her gaze. He could see the broken plate behind her. It was a daily occurrence for Gwen.
“Would you like to learn magic? You are horribly untalented as a maid, but you have a natural gift for magic.”
“Magic?”
Gwen blinked for a moment, then her face turned beet red. She reacted as if she'd received a terrible insult.
"...I was told magic is the filth of the Demon Race. And that mages feed on that filth..."
Gwen shouted, her voice clear despite being on the verge of tears.
It was strange how her pronunciation was so good when she sounded like she was about to burst into tears.
“It's true that mages originated from the Demon Race, but don't you think 'filth' is a bit much?”
“Th-that's not it! I wasn't insulting you, Lord Galahad! It's just a rumor I heard!”
“Still, calling it crap.”
“No! That's... I'm sorry! Please punish me!”
Gwen promptly slammed her head on the floor. The sound was quite loud.
Gwen was terrible at her job, but her apologies were first-rate. She prostrated herself, pressing her body flat against the floor.
*Her aversion is even worse than I thought.*
*Did her parents get killed by a mage or something? This is getting tedious.* Galahad clicked his tongue softly.
He had no intention of forcing her. There was no need to.
The pull of magic was more potent than anything else. It wasn't something one could ignore.
A mage could not help but become a mage.
All Galahad had to do was keep exposing her to magic.
As he organized his thoughts and looked at Gwen, she suddenly curled into a ball.
“And besides, I can't! I have about eight children to look after! They're all very cute and pretty!”
“You look after orphans? How kind.”
“...Huh?”
Gwen's eyes darted back and forth.
*So I can entice her with money.*
Galahad looked into Gwen's large eyes and smirked.
He had plenty of money, thanks to his severance package.
“Then you must need a lot of money. Would you be amenable if I offered you some?”
“Huh? Then how much... Aah! No! I'm not an object for sale!”
“I can give you a lot.”
“......How much can you offer?”
“What's the going rate?”
Gwen blinked, clenching and unclenching her fists.
*A preemptive strike is always best.*
After a moment's hesitation, Gwen shook her head and said in a clear voice.
"No, I can't. Absolutely no magic! I hate it!”
"We'll see about that."
Gwen shivered under his overtly lecherous gaze.
***
Galahad opened his eyes at the faint presence of another person.
In the dark room stood a radiant woman. Her shimmering hair, flawless skin, and perfectly sculpted features—
A woman so beautiful a master artisan couldn't hope to sculpt her likeness stood quietly, looking down at Galahad.
Just meeting her gaze made his heart flutter and his head spin. It was a form of coercion, of dominance.
If he hadn't instinctively circulated his mana, Galahad wouldn't have been able to keep his wits about him.
*Why is there a goddess in my room?*
His newly cleared head began to spin rapidly.
There were two main possibilities.
The first was that she was a goddess fallen from the heavens. However, Galahad was an atheist.
In that case...
“Adrianna?”
The woman's eyebrow rose slightly.
*So the rumors of the most beautiful woman on the continent weren't false.*
No, if anything, they didn't do her justice. Galahad subtly neatened his hair.
“My father forbade me from meeting you, but I felt it was only proper to speak with you face-to-face. I apologize for the impolite visit, though it was necessary to avoid prying eyes.”
Contrary to her appearance, her voice was firm.
She didn't waste a single word.
He could sense her character from that one exchange.
*A righteous hero.*
Not a good match for Galahad.
*She came to turn me down.*
Seeing the apologetic look on her face, he could roughly guess the situation.
“It's not much, but would you care to sit?”
“Thank you.”
He had continued his research even after Gwen had left for the day, so the table was quite a mess. Galahad cleared his throat softly and hastily tidied the things on it.
Adrianna, however, didn't seem to mind.
*She's even more beautiful up close.*
Looking at Adrianna sitting there quietly, he felt a sense of pure admiration.
Her looks were beyond what the word "beautiful" could describe. He could instantly understand why a woman from the frontier was called the most beautiful on the continent.
“I am truly sorry for dragging you into this situation.”
Just then, Adrianna bowed her head deeply. The lush crown of her head came into view. She even had thick hair. *She has it all.*
“I have no intention of getting married.”
Adrianna declared, her eyes clear and unwavering.
It was a shocking thing to hear from the fiancée he'd just met, but Galahad wasn't particularly surprised.
It was only natural for her to refuse. Compared to her—the hero of the North, the youngest Sword Master, the future Grand Duchess—Galahad was severely lacking.
Even if he'd accomplished a great deal in the Intelligence Bureau, no one on the outside would know. That was the nature of the Bureau. In short, the scales were imbalanced.
“I understand. It's true that I am lacking compared to you. However—”
“Lacking? How can one person be lacking in comparison to another?”
Adrianna stared at him, her eyes intense. Seeing her scowl with such a beautiful face stirred an inexplicable feeling of guilt in him.
It felt like he was being scolded. *What does she want from me?* Galahad gave a small cough.
“I cannot get married.”
The corners of Adrianna's lips turned up faintly.
*Where have I seen that smile before...* Galahad recalled the file he'd seen before leaving the Intelligence Bureau: "The Chick Who Will Marry the Empire."
“Are you 'married to the North' or something like that?”
“...I cannot leave the front lines, so I do not have the luxury of marriage. I apologize.”
Adrianna bowed her head again. Galahad marveled at the fact that the crown of a head could be so beautiful as he organized his thoughts.
*So she can't get married because she's too busy.*
The reason was different from what he'd expected, but the conclusion was the same.
Galahad had no intention of marrying, and neither did Adrianna. The two parties involved were in agreement, but unfortunately, in this day and age, their opinions didn't matter much.
“Does the Grand Duke share your sentiment?”
Instead of answering, Adrianna lowered her head.
“We cannot break off the engagement immediately due to pressure from the Empire. Once the issue is resolved, will you agree to annul our engagement?”
*What a sweet request for an annulment.*
Galahad smiled bitterly.
“We will merely maintain the relationship. You are free to embrace other women in the meantime. It will be a relationship in name only.”
*Rejected before I even confessed.* Galahad smiled bitterly.
“Wouldn't a marriage in name only be a cleaner solution?”
At Galahad's question, Adrianna's brow furrowed for the first time.
“Marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event.”
It was a rather fairytale-like sentiment to come from the hero of the North who tore demons apart.
*I'm getting scolded again.*
Galahad clicked his tongue softly.
“Someday, when peace comes, I will marry the one I love.”
It was such an outlandish thing to say he wondered if she was joking, but Adrianna's expression was serious.
*Hope.*
Galahad knew there was no room to argue with words spoken with eyes like those.
“Couldn't you come to love me?”
Galahad scratched his cheek. It felt a little strange to say, but he was a handsome man.
“Ah, you are not my type.”
Adrianna's reply was firm.
Rejected twice, Galahad let out a short laugh.
“What is your type? I am quite popular.”
This time, Adrianna smiled, but there was a sadness to it.
Adrianna removed her silver gauntlet. Her long, white hand was covered in calluses. She placed her long index finger very lightly on the back of Galahad's hand.
*Crackle—.* A searing pain, like chewing on electricity, shot through his entire body. The mana spread throughout his body instantly gathered at Adrianna's fingertip.
And began to burn.
A pain worse than being set on fire washed over him. Galahad couldn't even scream, only letting out a choked gasp.
Adrianna had only touched him for an instant, but Galahad was drenched in sweat.
“I burn mana.”
As she spoke, her eyes were a mixture of sadness and anger.
Galahad exhaled a ragged breath and pushed back his sweat-soaked bangs.
*She burns mana?*
For the first time, Galahad's eyes wavered. It was a concept even Galahad, who prided himself on knowing a fair amount about magic, had never heard of.
*Does it work on the Demon Race too? Because mana is their foundation? But why didn't she just say so...*
Galahad's thoughts were in a tangle.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
“I would prefer someone with warm hands.”
Seeing Galahad with his head hung low, Adrianna smiled bitterly.
“Wait.”
A breathless voice stopped Adrianna.
*Is this man going to be stubborn too?* Occasionally, there were men who wouldn't give up even after experiencing the pain.
They insisted they could endure the pain.
Even when she gave them a chance, the result was always the same.
Those who couldn't bear the pain would instead curse Adrianna, calling her a filthy witch cursed by the gods, shifting the blame onto her.
Adrianna didn't deny it.
Because she, too, believed it to be true.
She had felt Galahad was a little different—
*In the end, it's just stubborn pride.*
Muttering this, she lowered her head, but Galahad's eyes were strange.
The eyes of the men who had clung to her before were usually filled with obstinacy and bravado.
But Galahad was different.
He was smiling.
“How does that work? Is it only transmitted through your hands? If it burns mana, it must work on the Demon Race, right? And through a sword—”
Faced with the unending stream of questions and his crazed eyes, Adrianna unknowingly took a step back.
“No, I'll have to check for myself.”
Just then, Galahad's hand enveloped hers.
Adrianna's body stiffened. As if that weren't enough, the man interlaced their fingers.
“Mmm, the mana really is burniiiiiing—aaaargh! So this is how it wooooorks!”
Adrianna's eyes widened at the man who wouldn't let go of her hand even as he screamed.
When Adrianna finally came to her senses, the man had already passed out.
Adrianna fled the room as if escaping the awkward warmth lingering in her hand.