Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Gentle Hand

“Everyone has one impression.”

Galahad clicked his tongue softly and examined the captains.

Fitting the title of captain there was no easy guy. Everyone seemed to have one skill each.

Due to occupational characteristics when Galahad faced someone, the level was roughly felt. Of course, the exact skill could not be known, but there was that subtle sense.

The captains here all had skill.

Especially—.

“What is that guy’s name?”

“2nd Battalion Captain Liam. Because that character is excellent, there are many who follow next to Lady Adrianne.”

Gilbert answered very small. Liam—. Galahad muttered that name softly.

“He does not look like the character is good though.”

“What do you see?”

“Just the feeling is like that.”

“······.”

“You look like you don’t believe. Feeling is a kind of information the unconscious sends.”

Galahad remembered the faces and characteristics of the captains, things like their weapons. It did not take that long.

Among them there was one guy glaring at Galahad.

“What is that pig-like man?”

“······6th Battalion Captain Chartien. The man who became captain the latest.”

Then, 2nd Battalion Captain Liam ended the meeting.

“We will stop here. Everyone is busy, thank you for attending the meeting.”

The guy called 6th Battalion Captain stood up abruptly from his seat.

“The pig-like guy is approaching. It seems he smelled my candy. This is a big problem.”

Gilbert turned his head to the side. The corners of that mouth were slightly raised.

The pig man looked down at Galahad with a crooked gaze.

“Nice to meet, I am Special Mission Unit Captain Galahad.”

He held out his hand while greeting, but the guy ignored with a snort.

Galahad stealthily turned his hand to Gilbert. Gilbert clasped the hand with a reluctant face.

“In the empire even taking charge of a unit of only five people is called captain I see.”

“That is so. From how many people is it called captain in the North?”

At that Galahad slightly turned his head. It was behind the pig man.

“Stupid······.”

“If one has taken charge of a unit, it is captain.”

The answer came from behind the pig. Adrianne said in a dry voice.

‘Did she line up?’

It seemed she was waiting for the conversation to end. Even there was one more man behind Adrianne.

The pig man who discovered Adrianne made a bizarre sound ‘kkikkikek?’

“Has the conversation ended?”

“Yes! It has ended!”

The pig man was startled and stepped aside.

Adrianne who expressed thanks stared at Galahad.

“Is time okay for a moment?”

***

‘Difficult.’

Galahad muttered softly while looking at the expressionless Adrianne.

The perfect appearance and expressionless combined and the inside was not visible at all. There was no sense at all of what she was thinking.

“Why did you come to the front line. If by any chance it is because of His Grace the Grand Duke, I will put in contact separately.”

That voice was quite dry. It seemed like a person with no emotion at all.

“It is because of you.”

Adrianne’s lips that were about to say something stopped with a thud—.

“At that time, I only heard your story, I could not say my opinion, right.”

“Ah, I see.”

Adrianne nodded. Adrianne straightened her back and stared at Galahad.

“···As you said, it is a fact that I was dragged to the North because of you.”

“Yes, I am truly sorry.”

Adrianne bowed her head. The abundant crown of the head briefly drew the gaze.

Adrianne raised her head only after Galahad let out a small cough.

“I understand that you also could not help it. It is not that I am refusing your request to maintain the relationship.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Galahad paused for a moment. Adrianne waited still in a proper posture.

“Just as I granted your request, I hope you also grant my request.”

Adrianne soon nodded. Unexpectedly the acceptance was fast.

“It is a reasonable demand. If it is within the line I can do, I will help with anything.”

The desired answer came out soon.

Galahad stared at Adrianne for a moment. Beautiful. Galahad hurriedly suppressed the admiration. She was a dangerous woman in many ways.

What Galahad needed was one thing.

“Will you give me a hand when I want?”

“······Yes?”

For the first time an expression rose on the face of Adrianne who had been expressionless all along.

It was bewilderment.

The eyebrows rising slightly was all, but for Adrianne who had no expression change at all it was a considerably large expression.

“When I want, lend me a hand.”

Galahad desperately pressed the inside and said as casually as possible.

Unlike before the answer did not come out right away.

Adrianne who hesitated for a moment opened her mouth.

“······It will be painful.”

“I know, I can endure.”

Sincerity was naturally contained in the answer.

Adrianne’s eyebrows rose a little more.

The already large eyes became larger. A person’s eyes can be that large. He admired softly.

“···You might die.”

To say there is no way one dies just from holding hands— the pain last time was too intense.

However—.

“It is worth that much.”

At Galahad’s serious answer Adrianne’s eyebrows came down again.

Blue pupils like the blue sky slowly blinked.

It seemed she was thinking whether what she just heard was real.

“It is sincere.”

Because it was the fact, there was no need to act. Sincerity was fully contained on its own.

Adrianne’s eyebrows moved very finely up and down. It seemed she was pondering.

‘She expresses emotion with the eyebrows.’

Galahad waited without urging.

A short while later Adrianne slowly nodded.

“Understood. If you need it—.”

“I need it now.”

Galahad promptly held out his hand. He had wanted to hold it out long ago, and had been holding back firmly. He wanted to research that nature as soon as possible.

Whether she did not know he would hold it out right away, Adrianne’s eyebrows rose again.

“Didn’t we promise.”

When he said firmly, Adrianne exhaled a small breath.

Adrianne carefully held out her hand. Rather it was the appearance of Adrianne being more careful than Galahad.

Galahad promptly clasped that hand. A very small warmth was felt, and then terrible pain rose from the fingertips.

The feeling of each and every blood vessel burning—. It was pain truly hard to express.

Even Galahad who had lightly passed the Intelligence Bureau’s torture training, a groan full of pain came out naturally.

Adrianne tried to pull her hand away.

“Stay still!”

“······Ah.”

At Galahad’s shout Adrianne’s eyes widened. Galahad did not care and concentrated on the sensation.

Is the mana disappearing somewhere. Is the mana burning and disappearing? Then by what principle—.

The head of Galahad who had been muttering snapped—.

Adrianne carefully observed the fainted Galahad.

Capillaries had burst in the eyes, and blood flowed from the corner of the mouth. Also the body was trembling from pain—.

That face was smiling as if truly satisfied.

At Gilbert who entered belatedly Adrianne hurriedly hid the hand that was numb from being held too hard behind.

“Did this human do something?”

“······No.”

“But why is the face—.”

“Nothing happened.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

The slightly startled Gilbert took care of Galahad.

***

“Opening the heavy eyelids an ugly face was visible. Hmm the mood was not good,”

“······You spoke outside.”

“It is a joke. Your appearance is not that bad either.”

Galahad shook the tingling hand and raised his body. A groan naturally burst from the mouth.

‘The pain of mana burning is something one cannot adapt to at all.’

He had passed the Intelligence Bureau torture training with full marks, but the pain of mana burning could not be overcome at all.

At least because he had experienced it once not screaming was all.

‘Fainting every time holding a hand once—. If others hear they will laugh.’

Galahad muttered while shaking the tingling hand.

It seemed he would get the hang of it yet he did not.

Anyway the concept itself of burning mana was too unfamiliar. On top of that because it was accompanied by extreme pain it was also difficult to fully concentrate.

“I have to hold about ten more times to get the hang of it.”

“You will die doing that.”

“Everyone dies when the time comes. It is a problem of whether that death has value or not.”

“Is that valuable?”

“Where is there a thing as valuable as this?”

“······.”

Gilbert made a fed-up expression.

Galahad clicked his tongue and confirmed the body condition.

‘Still better than last time?’

Last time the mana all burned and even flicking a finger was hard. But now there was faintly some mana existing.

Galahad flicked his finger. Fire blazed on it, and it was the same size as usual.

Then, Galahad felt a very small sense of discrepancy.

It was really fine to the extent hard to notice, but because Galahad who managed mana sensitively to an unusual degree could know.

‘The compression speed rose slightly.’

If mana is a hose, the finger pressing it was mana control power.

The stronger the compression the higher the concentration of mana, and the structure where the power of the magic which is the result rises.

Fine, but the strength of the finger holding the hose became stronger.

‘Is it because of emptying and filling?’

While facing the demon race, what he felt most desperately was the necessity of mana concentration.

That mana control power rose meant one could do that compression faster.

The cause was clearly Adrianne.

A woman who raises mana control power every time holding a hand once, and allows research on the new nature of mana—.

‘A woman of all talents.’

Is there another woman as lovely as this. Galahad felt the heart pounding. Is this love.

“Cough—.”

Then, an awkward cough sound was heard. It was the man who had been behind Adrianne in the meeting place earlier.

Under the eyes were dark and fatigue was deeply laid, a man of a nervous impression.

“I am 5th Battalion Captain Mark.”

“Nice to meet. I am Special Mission Unit Captain Galahad.”

“After this investigation ends if you have time, please stop by the 5th Battalion once.”

The man named Mark went straight to the point. It seemed a personality without waste.

Then he whispered in a small voice.

“I am interested in magic.”

It was not a big statement, but thinking that he was a captain of the Northern front line it was a quite unconventional remark.

“I will tell the detailed story then.”

With that as the end Mark stood up from his seat saying he had work. It seemed he really came only to greet. A truly practical man.

“Mark, what kind of person is he?”

“As the 5th Battalion Captain he is famous for not distinguishing means and methods. There was also a time he received discipline while trying to tame magic beasts. He is a man about whom a lot of talk comes out in many ways.”

Gilbert explained in a reluctant voice. Gilbert seemed not to like Mark. Well Gilbert was far from practicality.

“Please eat.”

Tom said opening the door. Tom’s face was gaunt somewhere.

“I do not want to eat the cooking Gwen made though.”

“How old are you to be picky about cooking.”

“You, have you eaten the cooking Gwen made? You haven’t. So you make such a reckless statement.”

Galahad clicked his tongue and stood up from his seat. Still he could not not eat what was prepared.

Going down everyone was sitting at the dining table. Damien was in a state of burying his face in the bowl, and Gwen was sitting blankly.

Galahad let out a small sigh and sat in his seat. Tom scooped stew. He made up his mind and took a big spoonful.

When preparing for the pain that would follow—.

“······It is delicious?”

At the completely unexpected taste Galahad opened his eyes wide.

“Ah, does it suit your mouth? Fortunate.”

“Tom, did you make it?”

“Yes, because Senior Gwen’s condition was not good—.”

“Fortunate.”

Turning his head Galahad immediately realized that Gwen’s condition was not good.

Gwen’s hair was greatly standing on end. Exactly like having been hit by lightning—.

The picture was roughly drawn. She must have suffered alone and not been able to endure and used it once. Perhaps she herself might not even have been aware.

‘Did she follow after seeing Heavenly Punishment?’

Galahad purely admired.

Heavenly Punishment was several times more difficult than other magic in formulas. Because the core was throwing a circle and scraping the surrounding mana.

Seeing the degree of standing on end it was not Heavenly Punishment, it seemed she used the basic concept of it.

‘A genius.’

With only seeing once··· even using magic in a state where she herself was not even conscious—.

He wanted to shove magic into that cute head right away, but he desperately endured.

If one pulls the fishing rod carelessly, the fish flees.

One had to wait until the hook completely pierced the mouth.

“Come to think of it the house is clean. Originally it was like a beast pen.”

“······It was not that degree though.”

“Ah, I cleaned it together with Senior Gwen. Senior Gwen taught a lot···.”

“Hehe—.”

It was clear flattery, but Gwen soon made a big smile. Exactly like the expression of a puppy eating grass.

“Damien, will you eat more?”

“Yes.”

Tom filled stew in Damien’s bowl. It was quite natural.

“Listen while eating, tomorrow we will go out on the first mission.”

Gwen began coughing roughly. Tom patted that back. Galahad waited for Gwen’s cough to stop and then continued the words.

“It is a mission to investigate the abnormal behavior of the magic beasts that attacked the 4th Battalion. It will not be particularly dangerous. Still it would be good to be careful. Because this is the front line.”

Gwen’s cough became even larger. Damien raised his hand high.

“Damien, speak.”

“Do I have to go?”

Damien asked while making the expression of when told to eat only one bowl of stew. Gwen nodded diligently.

Galahad smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“If one does not walk one is buried in the snow.”

Damien buried his face in the bowl.

Gwen raised her hand high.

“If one stays at home won’t one not be buried?”

The face of Gwen who answered was full of confidence exactly like a puppy that brought a bone.

“Then the house will be buried in the snow.”

At Galahad’s answer Gwen tilted her head.

“Even if it is the North snow won’t fall that much, right?”

At Gwen’s counter-question Galahad coughed softly.

“I spoke too difficultly. I did not consider you. Sorry.”

“Uh······, yes! It’s okay! That can happen! Because you haven’t been in the North long!”

Gwen received the apology vigorously.

“Anyway everyone sleep early. Because we depart toward the 4th Battalion right away tomorrow. Because we are accompanying the Adrianne side we must not be late.”

***

“Is it really okay for us to proceed alone? Shouldn’t we receive more support from above?”

At the worried voice heard from the side Karl squinted his eyes.

Even without that it was an important period and nerves were sharp, yet he kept making ominous sounds so irritation surged.

“Shut up, Bern. We already received mole support from the master, and here again tell to give? Rather tell to pull out the neck?”

“But······.”

“What on earth is anxious? Did you forget how much effort we poured for this? We went around the front line and did that shit! Dog shit!”

Karl did not endure and poured curses. Bern greatly shrank.

It was completely incomprehensible why he was making weak sounds. To make them let their guard down, they moved with only the moles that they looked down on the most.

Even the two mages did not even use magic. It was just to look like a bizarre phenomenon of magic beasts.

On top of that they dug the desired tunnel and even retreated. Probably the guys would have forgotten by now.

Even if something was suspicious searching that wide land was impossible. From the beginning they had also hidden it with their magic—.

They would absolutely not be able to notice that it was one step retreat for ten steps advance.

“Did you forget who is behind us?”

Karl slightly pointed behind. The cave where nothing was visible was particularly darker. At the eerie feeling Karl trembled his body small.

“Even if sent it would be about a search party. Do you think a captain-level would come all the way here because of one mole? And even if they come, without a skilled mage they won’t even be able to discover us so what on earth is the problem? Is there a mage in this fucking North?”

At Karl’s crooked question Bern tightly closed his mouth.

“As long as a captain-level does not come holding hands with a mage there is no way to fail. Do the work. Because not much is left.”

At Karl’s sharp gaze Bern nodded.

Hey, there was no way.

From the beginning it was the North where mages were also precious.

Why would a skilled mage be in the North.

They would just be doing noble errands in the center over there.

‘It was unnecessary worry.’

Bern grinned and adjusted his staff.

“If we just finish this work, let’s take the mana stones we have gathered so far and return to the Magic Tower and live in style!”

The two smiled brightly while drawing a happy future.