Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Peer Love

“What happened? Galahad and Corton went out together—.”

At aide Lumian’s question 5th Battalion Captain Mark nodded.

The situation flowed in a direction different from Mark’s expectation.

“Do you know why I called Galahad?”

“Wasn’t it the plan to call the mage Galahad and check Corton? Also the thought of checking the price of mana stones.”

“Correct, Corton’s growth was too fast. A somewhat unpleasant smell also came. With the thought of checking him I called Galahad. Because he who has not settled would not be able to refuse my proposal.”

Tok tok, Mark’s finger tapped the table.

“Is there a problem?”

“He said he caught a mid-rank demon race and sixteen moles, two mages. Without Adrianne.”

Lumian’s words stopped for a moment. Soon Lumian asked while squinting his eyes.

“Wouldn’t it be boasting?”

“No, it was not that kind of gaze. Not boasting, it was the feeling of just speaking of the work handled on the way. Like soldiers ‘Ah, today one fox came out. I caught it—.’ very monotonous.”

The conversation stopped for a moment. Tak tak, Mark tapped the table with his finger.

“If the skill is good isn’t it better?”

“Because it is not the degree of good it is a problem. Don’t you know their composition. Among them the only useful one is Sir Gilbert. Even Sir Gilbert is not to the extent of handling all that. If he caught the demon race—.”

“The leap is severe.”

At Lumian’s point Mark obediently nodded.

It was a correct statement. Mark often did thinking with severe leaps. Catching that was Lumian’s role.

“Corton and Galahad knew each other. Same Academy graduates or something. Galahad was quite famous—. No news after graduation.”

Lumian was still. It was not a question seeking an answer. It was just self-questioning and answering to organize alone.

“Graduated the Academy and no news at all and suddenly sent as Adrianne’s husband—. The third son of a count? What does that mean. It means he worked in a place related to the imperial family.”

Tok, Mark’s finger stopped upright.

“I do not know exactly where the organization Corton belongs to is, but it seemed to have quite a lot of information. If even such Corton does not know the whereabouts it is one of two.”

“What is it?”

“Either unemployed, or was in a very secret group. There is no way the former, so the latter. If working for the imperial family and a very secret group—.”

At Mark who stopped the words Lumian swallowed saliva. Mark who squinted his eyes for a moment exhaled a small breath.

“I don’t know.”

Lumian small furrowed his eyebrows. Pretending to have found out something, and in the end saying he doesn’t know—. It was absurd.

“This is the feeling of bringing in a tiger saying one would press a fox.”

“The leap is severe.”

“This is a leap—. From the Grand Duke creating one unit for the mage sent from the empire it was strange. The rumor of beating Hermun in one go··· no, it would not be a rumor. On top of that catching a mid-rank demon race and sixteen magic beasts on the first mission, how is this a leap?”

At that question Lumian tightly closed his mouth. Certainly listing it was an amazing action. Lumian also slowly began to worry.

“Hmm, I am worried whether I spoke arrogantly to Galahad.”

“Probably you spoke arrogantly. Thinking of the captain’s usual speech.”

“The leap is severe.”

Mark retorted in an irritated voice.

****

‘Flustered.’

Galahad raised the corners of his mouth while looking at Corton’s hardened face.

They were facing each other in a quiet room. It was a room with books stuck all around, and there was no window. Mana lamps placed in places lit the fire.

At the smell unique to mana lamps that stabbed the nose it was the feeling of being in the Intelligence Bureau. The atmosphere of the room was unusual.

The bookshelves all around were suspicious. The bookshelves were closer than the area visible between them.

What would be hidden behind the bookshelves—.

Galahad muttered softly and put a cigarette in his mouth. He lit the fire without asking if it was okay to open.

A refreshing lemon scent wafted deeply. He savored it and waved his hand.

“There is too much dust.”

Wind naturally blew. The smoke of the mana cigarette spread widely following it. Because it was a mana cigarette that smoke did not easily disappear.

The smoke pounded the middle of the bookshelves placed all around. He paid attention to the smoke scattering between them.

‘Three.’

Two were hiding in the left bookshelf, one in the right bookshelf.

‘Is it the back.’

He entered from the front, and since there was no one in the rear bookshelf it was clear there was something in the back.

Galahad shook the cigarette and assumed the worst.

Two on the left, one on the right, even Corton in front—. It was not a good space for fighting four mages.

Galahad loosened his hand as if tapping his thigh.

Does the desk move? He slightly pushed but it was fixed. In this narrow space one would not use large range attacks—.

‘Then one has to catch the guy in front first and pull and use as a shield while handling from the right. Then the left—.’

“What are you doing?”

At Corton’s question the thoughts broke. Corton was still a face of something unpleasant.

I was setting up a plan to pierce a hole in your head and use as a shield while catching the remaining three mages—. so it was a bit hard to answer so he appropriately made up.

“···Ha, receiving the proposal suddenly, it seems quite urgent.”

The guy openly teased. It was a voice full of thorns. If too obedient one would rather be wary. At that Galahad deliberately answered pointedly.

“Urgent—. It was only hard to refuse the goodwill of a peer. But is this the workplace? Narrower than expected. There is no mana stone mine either, is it behind the bookshelf?”

The guy flinched small. It was a very fleeting reaction, but Galahad did not miss it.

‘The back of the rear bookshelf is correct.’

“Doing provocation that does not even work. If you are a low-quality guy, it would smear my face so I am only careful.”

At the guy’s boastful answer Galahad clicked his tongue softly.

‘Certainly different from before.’

The previous Black Magic Society had nothing to fear. The guys approached all well-going mages.

Such guys now maintained a careful posture even facing Galahad.

The bookshelf behind was also like that—. It seemed they paid attention to security more than before.

However, right now in front of Galahad there was one stupid guy who took as many as 4 years to graduate.

Originally the most frightening thing in war was not a capable enemy but a stupid ally.

‘What kind of bait should I give.’

Galahad retraced the cards he had.

Something worth giving to the guy who is a Black Magic Society—.

‘There are many.’

The important thing was that the guy must not notice that Galahad gave it.

Originally mages had a tendency to overconfident in themselves.

If one gently scratched that and slightly added inferiority complex—.

‘Perfect.’

Galahad who finished the calculation leaned his back on the backrest and laughed.

Like a guy who still could not abandon the brilliant time and acted high—.

“My ability you know the best, right?”

He laughed arrogantly.

Mockery rose on Corton’s face.

It was a very good start.

****

Corton did not know Galahad would accept his proposal.

From the beginning that was not a proposal. It was mockery toward Galahad.

Yet Galahad promptly received the proposal as if he had been waiting.

From that appearance how urgent Galahad was was visible. It was clear he was urgent to the extent of promptly grabbing the mockery-mixed proposal of a peer he did not even remember.

It was a little questionable. Why the Galahad who was called a genius so much during the Academy days became like that—.

“Ability? Did you have ability?”

“I am that Adrianne’s fiancé. A body that will become the Grand Duke’s successor.”

The Grand Duke’s successor—. Corton could not hide the laughter.

Galahad was a justification the empire sent to the Grand Duke assuming death. There was no chance of marrying Adrianne, nor becoming the Grand Duke’s successor.

“What···. Have you even met Adrianne?”

“It is a relationship of even holding hands.”

Corton who was laughing at Galahad’s boasting suddenly recalled Galahad’s status.

‘Yes, the guy is Adrianne’s fiancé.’

Being a fiancé was a place where one could at least approach close to Adrianne.

If one received such a guy an opportunity to handle Adrianne could come.

How much is the bounty Dawn placed on Adrianne. It was not simply a problem of the bounty.

If one handled Adrianne, it was not a problem of the Black Magic Society branch head right away. One could see beyond that.

One could rise to Dawn. Even receive a high position—.

Corton softly admired his own clear brain.

“And I am a captain! Captain! I am the captain of the Special Mission Unit.”

Then, Galahad boasted again.

This time it was the sound of captain. At that Corton squinted his eyes. With only 4 members, what was there to boast about a unit that only had a name—.

‘No. Even if only a name a captain is a captain.’

Corton who had opened a deal with 5th Battalion Captain Mark, but recently was feeling the limit.

Mark hardly showed a gap. In such a situation Galahad who was a captain even if only in name was necessary.

No, rather because it was only in name it was more useful. If one operated from behind placing the captain Galahad in front, one would clearly be able to turn the mana stone mines more comfortably.

Even the guy was that Galahad. He was a Galahad forgotten because there was no news for a long time after graduation, but still remained in the memory of Academy graduates.

Whatever state the guy was in now, the name Galahad was quite useful.

‘Fortunate that I am clear-headed. If it was another stupid guy I would have missed!’

Corton softly felt relief.

It was fortunate he found out the utilization method himself, if it was another stupid guy he would have almost missed not knowing Galahad’s value.

However, the actions after Academy graduation bothered him.

“What did you do after Academy graduation? Didn’t you answer earlier. This and that.”

It was a blunt and perfunctory answer, but rather the mind became comfortable.

If Galahad had other schemes, he would not have answered so vaguely. Rather he would have told fabricated stories in detail.

Probably the actions in the meantime were not worth seeing so embarrassing to say, and clearly just beating around the bush.

And even if there was suspicion it did not particularly matter.

The guy was a mage.

If a mage one had no choice but to fall into the Black Magic Society.

Magic was a slow and blunt learning. As the level rose that ascension became slower and slower. Later it was to the extent of the feeling of facing a wall.

Black magic revered only ascension. It planned ascension without distinguishing means and methods.

The moment one tasted such black magic one would not be able to escape.

If it had been originally one had to report above and wait.

But then there was a possibility another guy would snatch the credit. He could not see that appearance.

“Was this a matter outside authority? It’s fine, if one meets a peer after a long time one can inflate a bit.”

Along with that Galahad’s arrogant attitude slowly scratched the nerves.

‘This is a working card. It is the moment to throw the match.’

Corton who made the decision stood up from his seat.

“Follow.”

Corton headed to the bookshelf behind the guy. When he took out a series of books the wall split.

An underground stairs going down inside appeared. The stuffy air unique to underground greeted.

“Follow my steps exactly. If you step on something else a big problem will occur.”

Corton walked concentrating on the stairs. Caution was full with every step.

Going down the stairs it was a dead end. There was one build wrapped in a black hood.

“Fire is.”

“Cold.”

When they exchanged the password the guy pulled the hidden lever. The wall split roughly. Below it there was another underground stairs.

Following that and going down this time iron bars appeared. Corton took out a key and put it in the hole and turned. The iron bars opened with a noisy sound.

Stairs again.

This time there were two people pressing down hoods. Between those hoods sharp teeth like beasts were visible.

“Hmm, the process of going is quite cumbersome.”

Galahad openly complained.

That it was cumbersome was a fact. Even Corton was confused to the extent the process was tricky from time to time.

Corton pondered for a moment and opened his mouth. This degree was not even a secret. Rather it was content the Black Magic Society emphasized every time.

“When in the empire, the Black Magic Society was going well at its peak. There was no one among nobles who did not have a connection, and even to the extent there was a string in the imperial family. In the midst of that suddenly some organization began raids. They thoroughly prepared defenses, but how vicious an organization they absolutely did not let go.”

He continued the words while taking out a mana stone from his bosom. It was a device to open the next door.

“Some organization.”

The guy muttered softly and coughed. Did he laugh? Looking stealthily it was a cough.

“At that raid more vicious than a starving wolf the Black Magic Society that was going well at its peak collapsed as it was. To avoid that they moved to the North, but the North headed as if fleeing was rather a land of opportunity. To the extent stories come out that they met a more prosperous period than before. Actually can’t one know by looking at me?”

Corton pointed at himself up and down. A staff with a huge mana stone embedded and even a coat made of demon race leather—. It was attire with very enormous money entered.

“It would be expensive.”

The guy grinned and asked.

“It is expensive. But whether the raid by some organization was quite a shock, the Black Magic Society invested an enormous amount in security. To the extent branches do not know each other’s locations and even the security system differs for each branch.”

Corton answered while taking out the next key.

Then, the last door came out. It was a door with triple security of iron and magic circles.

The Black Magic Society that scraped money with the mana stone mine business poured enormous money and capital into security from the fear they could not overcome.

The door here was that crystallization.

“Oh, a security device using as many as three mana stones. Even the linkage of the magic circles is exquisite. This kind of security would not even be in the Magic Tower, amazing. Not a simple magic tool but a work of art.”

Galahad continuously burst into exclamations while checking the door here and there.

At that Corton unnecessarily felt proud.

“The high people worry that some organization will chase all the way to the North. So they poured money into the security side. So that no guy can approach.”

Corton tapped the phrase written on the upper part of the door. There ‘Security is life.’ was written.

It was a little burdensome that he brought Galahad without permission, but this degree was worth enduring.

“Even if the head of some organization comes this door will absolutely not pass. The one who made this guaranteed no one could open it. If not stupidly opening it oneself absolutely cannot open—.”

Corton confidently tapped the door. Actually the mana stones entered in only one door were three.

At the laughter sound heard from behind he turned his head and Galahad was covering his mouth and coughing.

‘A guy without substance.’

Corton clicked his tongue and pushed the door.

The triple mana stone lock overlapping magic door boasting ironclad security—.

Opened wide.

“Thank you.”

Galahad’s thanks was full of sincerity.