Chapter 61
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Negotiation Breakdown
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Tom glanced at Galahad sitting across from him and swallowed dryly.
The Galahad Tom knew was a man who never lost his composure.
He was the type to crack a joke even in front of a demon.
But today, his aura was strange.
His faint, relaxed smile and upright posture were the same as always, but he felt strangely sharp.
Today's Galahad was sharp, somehow.
It had been this way since he received the Grand Duke's letter.
‘A duel proposed by the Princess—’
Galahad was a man brimming with confidence to begin with. It was unlikely he'd get testy just for being chosen for a duel.
He clearly had some issue with the Princess.
‘The Princess...’
The word was so immense that Tom clicked his tongue softly.
Just then, Gilberton, who had just downed some wine, let out a belch. Damian sighed quietly.
“The Princess? Isn't she that crazy bitch you mentioned before?”
Tom was slightly horrified by Gilberton's coarse question. But Galahad's reply was the same as always.
“My friend, that's treason against the imperial family.”
“What? Weren't you the one who said it, Captain?”
“I said she was a crazy woman.”
Gilberton's face twitched. Galahad chuckled.
“Have you ever met the Princess? They say she's an absolute beauty!”
This time, it was Gwen who asked, her eyes sparkling.
“A beauty, you say—”
Galahad's eyes narrowed slightly. He soon found his easy smile again.
“That's right. She's a stunning beauty.”
“Wow! Really?”
Gwen let out a small gasp of admiration. Tom was slightly aghast at how casually the squad members treated Galahad.
“Compared to Lady Adrianna, who's more beautiful?”
Gilberton asked seriously. At the blunt question, Tom swallowed dryly. Gwen's eyes sparkled again. Damian tore at a piece of dried meat.
“Comparing who is more beautiful— Just like the lecherous Sir Gilberton. Everyone in the world has their own unique charm. There's nothing more foolish than trying to compare them.”
Galahad's answer was as eloquent as ever.
“Hey, you say everyone has their own charm, but what about me—”
“Sir Gilberton, you have an ugly charm.”
“You son of a bitch—”
Galahad, chuckling at Gilberton's protest, seemed his usual self.
However, Tom felt a strange sense of unease from him.
“No, seriously, who's prettier?”
Gilberton asked, not giving up. Gwen's eyes lit up again. Galahad let out a small sigh.
“Enough with the foolish questions. Get ready.”
At Galahad's firm command, Gilberton scowled and stood up.
“We're done eating, let's go.”
“Go where? Didn't I explain we're waiting for Adrianna?”
“Aren't you fighting in the duel as the North's representative? I can't stand losing to the Empire, no matter what. Let's train.”
Gilberton said seriously, his eyes filled with passion.
Galahad clicked his tongue openly.
“My opponent is a mage. Training with you won't help in the slightest. And there's no way I'd lose in a battle against a mage.”
Gilberton paused awkwardly at Galahad's firm response.
“We've eaten, now we train.”
“Why me?”
“Shut it, kid.”
Gilberton grabbed Damian by the scruff of his neck and dragged him out. A startled Gwen followed them.
Galahad casually put a cigarette to his lips. The light from it illuminated his face.
His expression was incredibly complex, so Tom quietly excused himself.
As Tom opened the door to leave, he came face-to-face with a blonde woman.
Her blue eyes were like a clear sky, and her skin was whiter than snow.
It was the hero of the North, Adrianna.
“Is Captain Galahad inside?”
“Yes!”
Snapping back to his senses, Tom hurriedly stepped aside.
Adrianna gave a slight bow and went inside.
Tom stared at the closed door, thinking seriously.
‘Could anyone be prettier than Adrianna?’
It was hard to even imagine.
*
“May I sit?”
At the polite question, Galahad looked up.
Adrianna was across from him.
“No.”
“Ah—”
“Just kidding. Have a seat.”
Adrianna exhaled and sat down. Sitting upright, she shifted her sword to her side. It was a knight's habit, positioning the blade for a quick draw.
“I heard the Princess is coming.”
Adrianna brought up the topic with a serious expression. Galahad nodded in response.
“Is she coming to see you, Captain Galahad?”
Adrianna asked, staring intently at Galahad. Her blue eyes were remarkably clear.
Galahad paused for a moment at Adrianna's direct question.
The Princess was currently the biggest source of Galahad's headache.
He could picture the Princess's current situation as if it were right in front of him.
The death of her fiancé, the Prince of the Kingdom Union—.
Galahad was certain it wasn't the Princess's doing.
The Princess was mad, but she wasn't a fool.
And—.
‘She wouldn't harm a gift I gave her.’
Considering the Princess's disposition, Galahad thought of the prince as a gift.
In reality, he was the last measure he had arranged for her—.
There was no way the Princess would have ruined the gift Galahad had given her.
Something must have happened in the imperial palace.
Galahad ground his teeth slightly.
Just then, his eyes met Adrianna's.
Adrianna wasn't pressing for an answer, just watching him quietly.
“I know I'm handsome, but you'll wear me out if you stare like that.”
“...What?! That's not it—”
“That's right. She's coming to see me.”
Galahad cut Adrianna off. After watching him for a moment, Adrianna nodded.
“I see. What are your thoughts on the matter, Captain Galahad?”
“…My thoughts, you ask?”
“Yes.”
It was, in fact, a sensitive issue.
To Adrianna, Galahad was a fiancé arbitrarily assigned by the Empire.
The Princess coming to see Galahad was incredibly rude and disrespectful.
But Adrianna wasn't angry; instead, she asked for Galahad's opinion.
‘She's the complete opposite of the Princess.’
Galahad casually put a cigarette to his lips.
Adrianna didn't rush him, just watched quietly.
She was quite a difficult woman.
“If you're asking for my thoughts, frankly, it's bothersome and annoying.”
“…Bothersome and annoying?”
Adrianna's eyebrows rose slightly.
“Imagine a former superior coming all this way to visit you.”
At Galahad's words, Adrianna lowered her gaze for a moment, seeming to think it over seriously. Her eyelashes were so long that a snowflake rested upon them.
“Wouldn't I be grateful? They would have come all this way out of concern for me.”
Galahad coughed lightly at Adrianna's response.
‘So it can be interpreted that way.’
At its core, Adrianna's words were correct.
It was just that the layers on top were all twisted.
“I see.”
Galahad nodded.
A moment of silence fell. Galahad busily tried to gauge the Princess's intentions.
However, since his opponent was the Princess, it was difficult to predict anything.
“Then the Princess might call off the marriage.”
Adrianna said dryly. Her eyebrows were in their usual position.
“That's unlikely. It was decided by those above her.”
If she could have stopped it in the first place, it would have been stopped long ago.
She was a princess, but at the same time, she was *only* a princess.
“Ah. I see.”
Adrianna's eyebrows drooped. Seeing them, Galahad narrowed his eyes.
“You seem disappointed the marriage can't be called off.”
At Galahad's question, Adrianna's eyes widened slightly.
Soon returning to her usual expressionless face, Adrianna's lips parted. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully.
Just as the cigarette was burning down, Adrianna spoke.
“I have no intention of marrying you.”
Her voice was firm.
It was even more resolute than when they first met.
In response, Galahad shot up and leaned his face toward Adrianna.
The distance between them closed in an instant.
They were so close she could hear his breath, and Adrianna held her own without realizing it.
Isn't this too close—.
Just then, Galahad spoke.
“Am I ugly?”
His voice, as he asked, was indifferent.
How could he ask such a question—.
“Answer me.”
At his firm prompting, Adrianna shook her head.
“You are handsome.”
“Am I short?”
“You are tall.”
“Then do I have a bad personality?”
“No.”
The barrage of direct questions made Adrianna feel intensely dizzy.
How could he ask such questions so confidently, so shamelessly—.
Just then, Galahad leaned in even closer.
As his cold eyes drew near, Adrianna pulled her head back instinctively.
But Galahad moved closer by the same amount.
Unfortunately, there was nowhere left to retreat.
“Then I don't see what the problem is. Present a valid reason so we can reach an amicable agreement.”
Galahad's eyes were fixed on Adrianna.
‘…An amicable agreement? A valid reason?’
The surprising choice of words left Adrianna's mind blank.
To demand a reason why they couldn't marry—.
Faced with such an unimaginable demand, Adrianna's mouth hung open.
“So there isn't one. In that case—”
At Galahad's indifferent tone, Adrianna shot to her feet.
Galahad calmly tilted his head back to look up at her.
His face was incredibly infuriating.
Truly—.
“You are a capable mage, and I am one who burns away mana. The end result is obvious.”
The words burst from Adrianna's lips.
It was a matter of course.
Galahad was a capable mage, just as he claimed.
And Adrianna possessed a nature that burned mana—.
The end for the two of them was clear.
It was like a fish deciding to jump into a fire.
And even if that wasn't it—. Adrianna desperately swallowed the words that were about to spill out.
Realizing she had raised her voice, Adrianna's face grew hot.
Galahad, however, looked completely unfazed.
No, in fact, the corners of his mouth were turned up.
She felt anxious.
What would come out of that infuriating mouth next—.
Just as she was about to say something, Galahad's lips parted.
“Ah, was that the problem? You have a lewd side to you after all. I suppose physical contact is an important part.”
“...What?”
The shocking words brought Adrianna's thoughts to a halt.
“Don't worry. I'll analyze your nature and devise a countermeasure. We should even be able to kiss.”
“What?! That's not what I meant!”
“Surely you don't mean more than that? Hmm. I'll do my best.”
“Ah! No!”
As Galahad nodded seriously, Adrianna let out a small scream.
Adrianna hurriedly bowed her head and fled the room.
Watching Adrianna disappear, moving stiffly like a broken machine, Galahad scratched his cheek.
*
A short while later, preparations were complete.
The Special Task Force moved out with Adrianna's personal unit.
As always, Adrianna didn't ride in a carriage but led from the front.
Unlike usual, Adrianna was wearing a thick helmet. It was a rather menacing helmet with four horns on top.
“Something's strange.”
“What is?”
“Lady Adrianna gives off the same vibe as the rookie.”
“Oh—”
Galahad was slightly impressed. So Gilberton did have a keen eye after all.
“It's really strange. By the way, when is that rookie coming back?”
“He'll be back eventually.”
“He's a naive kid—. Ah, about the duel. What are your thoughts?”
Galahad hummed in thought at Gilberton's question.
There were three duels in total.
The 2nd Battalion Commander, Galahad, and Adrianna. Those three.
If the Princess proposed it, the outcome would probably be—.
“The North will lose.”
“…What? You think we'll lose?”
Galahad nodded at Gilberton's shocked question.
The Princess hated losing more than anything.
She would never propose a losing battle.
“Didn't you say you would win?”
“Of course *I* will win.”
“Then are you saying the other commanders will lose?”
“Sir Gilberton, your voice is loud.”
The surrounding glares sharpened. Among them was Adrianna. Galahad gave a light wave.
Adrianna turned her gaze forward again.
“You must not know the North.”
Gilberton said seriously. Galahad readily nodded.
“You're right. It's possible I don't know the North well enough yet. However, the North and the capital are different environments.”
Galahad took a deep drag of his cigarette. A scent of lemon wafted from it.
The knights of the North were certainly outstanding. The war with the Demon Race was the reason why.
They were knights hardened through countless real battles. Their overall quality was superior to the Empire's knights.
However, the story changed when it came to the top ranks.
The Empire's knights were manufactured. They were weapons forged from a young age through the teachings of renowned knights and expensive support.
Of course, knights weren't beings that could be compared on such terms alone. The Northern knights had also grown up in harsh conditions, no less than those of the Empire.
The problem was—.
“It's a duel, isn't it? It will probably be in the Imperial style.”
Demon hunting was one thing. Imperial-style duels were their domain.
“But we have Lady Adrianna.”
Gilberton retorted reluctantly.
Adrianna was certainly a skilled warrior.
In the final act, she would undoubtedly become the sharpest sword.
However—.
“There's the Princess, isn't there?”
In this world, the imperial family was considered chosen by the gods.
To prove their sanctity, royalty had to excel at everything.
If Imperial knights were manufactured beings, then royalty were treasures meticulously crafted with immense investment.
Adrianna would win in the end, but it was too soon now.
The Princess was a flower already in full bloom.
Adrianna couldn't win yet.
Especially if the method was a duel—.
Just then, the Grand Duke's castle came into view in the distance.
Thick, high walls covered in snow, and armed soldiers—.
The crude yet massive gate felt as if it bore the Grand Duke's name itself.
‘It's been quite a while.’
The last time he came, he was dragged here as if kidnapped—. Galahad felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
Just then—.
Ppuuuuuu! A long horn blast echoed. Soldiers lined up along the top of the castle walls.
The castle gate swung open violently, sending the snow beneath it flying. Soldiers rushed out from the opened gate.
The tense-faced soldiers formed a splendid line.
In an instant, a path to the gate was formed by the soldiers.
Then, the soldiers offered a fierce salute.
It was so powerful it seemed to shake the ground.
“Quite the grand welcome.”
Galahad clicked his tongue softly.
Then he suddenly felt something was off. He had assumed it was for Adrianna, but the direction of the salute was slightly strange.
‘It's for me.’
Is this the Grand Duke's acknowledgment?
Galahad raised the corners of his mouth and accepted the salute.
It wasn't particularly useful. It didn't even make him feel good.
Receiving the excessive welcome, they headed for the Grand Duke's castle.
A neat-looking man approached. Seeing him escorted by a knight and his clean attire, he seemed to be a man of considerable rank.
“I am Theodore, in service to His Grace the Grand Duke. His Grace summons you.”
“I see. Shall we go?”
Galahad asked Adrianna. Still wearing her helmet, Adrianna nodded.
At that, the man named Theodore showed his reluctance.
“Well… His Grace requested that Captain Galahad come alone.”
“Alone?”
“Yes, alone.”
Theodore emphasized the word 'alone'.
The word 'alone' felt strangely chilling.
A private audience with the Grand Duke—.
“Adrianna!”
Galahad called out to Adrianna urgently.
****
Garseten Castle was in an uproar.
It was because of a brilliant golden carriage followed by dozens of people.
‘The Princess—. What is this all of a sudden…’
The lord of the castle, Chirta, tore at his thinning hair from the headache.
Garseten Castle had nothing special to boast about. He couldn't understand why the Princess would visit.
But he couldn't just stand by, so Chirta rushed out.
Just as the Princess entered the castle, Chirta's jaw dropped.
She was more than just beautiful.
It was a fatal beauty.
If not for the murderous glare of the knight behind the Princess, he might have just kept staring at her face.
“I heard *he* visited here.”
“…Pardon?”
At the sudden topic, Chirta's eyes went wide.
*He*?
“Ah, I mean Galahad.”
Galahad—! An unforgettable name.
It was the reason Chirta had become the lord of the castle.
Chirta hadn't originally been the lord.
The previous lord, Daniel, had attacked Galahad in the middle of the night, claiming it was for his daughter, Emma.
He had even been wearing Emma's skirt. On top of that, it was revealed he had colluded with the Demon Race.
All those involved were dealt with, and Chirta had become the lord by a stroke of luck.
That was why it was an unforgettable name.
‘But why Galahad?’
The question arose, but Chirta nodded.
“Where is it?”
“Ah, upstairs. But it hasn't been cleaned—”
Chirta hurriedly added.
It was the room where the demon-turned-lord and Galahad had fought. He had been too afraid to go clean it, and now the Princess wanted to go there—. Cold sweat poured down his face.
“Lead the way.”
“…Pardon? No, it's full of blood and torn cloth. We'll clean it quickly…”
“Perfect.”
Chirta's eyes met the Princess's, and he couldn't finish his sentence.
“Where is it?”
At the Princess's question, laced with hot breath, Chirta pointed upwards.
The Princess hummed a tune as she went up.
Someone who looked like a knight blocked the stairs.
“Everyone, get out.”
The knight's voice was firm.
As if there was something that shouldn't be seen—.
The thought of resisting didn't even cross his mind.
[Negotiation Breakdown] End