Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Just Gilbert

‘Pill of pain.’

Galahad muttered while touching around the heart.

The pill of pain Corton gifted was an item he had never encountered until now.

Seeing that mana itself was not felt it was not a magic tool.

‘Is it because the concentration is high? Or seal?’

The only clue was a very small sense of déjà vu that grazed when swearing.

That was similar to the pure mana lump he felt when fighting the demon race before.

The pill of pain settled around the heart.

Every time the heart beat it seemed to whisper.

If one breaks the oath it will eat the heart—.

Exactly the feeling a ghost entered the head.

‘If an ordinary human one would already be crazy.’

It was a trash-like item. If the target goes crazy one cannot keep the oath, so rather an item that hinders the purpose.

The corners of Galahad’s mouth fully rose.

‘This kind of mysterious item—.’

Palho’s report that Dawn distributes the remnants of the Demon War came to mind. This also seemed one of those remnants.

He poked Corton, but the answer that it was compensation for opening the deal with the 5th Battalion was all.

Even if of a high-rank demon race, if Adrianne touches around the heart it would be resolved.

Because Adrianne’s nature becomes stronger the denser the opponent’s concentration.

Of course, he had no thought of doing so.

‘Why waste such a precious thing—.’

Even if eliminating he planned to eliminate after finding out the principle.

From the beginning if one finds out there would be no need to eliminate—.

‘How does it work? I did not set a deadline, isn’t it okay to just not keep?’

—thinking so, pain rose from the heart.

For a moment severe pain as if someone bit the heart once was felt.

Even Galahad who was quite accustomed to pain let out a groan of that degree of severe pain.

‘······Does it read thoughts? Does it have an ego?’

He asked while stealthily tapping near the heart, but there was no answer.

The guy just urged. Keep the oath—.

‘Shall I kill in about ten years.’

When he stealthily asked as an experiment severe pain burst again.

The severe pain was worse than before. Exactly like telling not to act up—. Galahad held his heart and sat down.

‘It has an ego. And that was mana. Very high concentration mana—.’

Galahad ruminated what he just felt.

It was a moment, but it was clearly felt.

‘An item with an ego. A treasure.’

He wanted to try once more, but the guy seemed angry.

Regrettable but he promised next time.

“Please tell honestly. What request is it?”

Gilbert asked seriously. Anxiety was full on Gilbert’s face. The sense was quite good.

“It would be better for you not to know.”

Galahad pondered for a moment and shook his head.

Telling would also seem fun, but it was clear it would become bothersome if he told for nothing.

Then, Tom held out the bundle. Sorrow was full on that face. It was a face about to cry.

“This is too much for me to manage.”

“Tom, would a man make such ailing sounds. One has to say give more.”

“This is too much.”

It was an appropriate contract money received from Corton. To say only this degree is a lot—. Galahad clicked his tongue softly.

“If you do not take it one has to entrust to another. Hmm, who should one entrust to. Gwen?”

“Ah··· no! She will give all as alms.”

“I also think so. Gwen is too tender to carry money around. Then Damien?”

“He will buy and eat a lot of delicious things.”

“A boy in the growth period is scary. Here, then just Sir Gilbert?”

“I will just take it.”

Tom nodded with a resolved face.

“Well thought, you will do well. I see people well.”

“Thank you! I will protect with my life!”

“······What is just Gilbert?”

Gilbert belatedly raised a question. Tom stealthily confirmed the bundle. He counted again what he had already counted.

“I should go see Damien.”

Galahad stealthily stood up.

“No, what does just Gilbert mean?”

Damien was at the back of the barracks.

Damien holding a rusted sword jumped in place, and rolled forward. Snowflakes bounced roughly around that. And he got up abruptly and swung the sword. The line the sword drew was a mess.

“He is continuously doing that.”

Gilbert who followed out said while looking at Damien with subtle eyes.

“That is not swordsmanship training. It is not physical training either and isn’t it just playing. He does that for a long time and comes in and eats and sleeps and then does that again. Having that degree of talent, not learning swordsmanship is incomprehensible.”

Gilbert’s voice was full of dissatisfaction.

Gilbert seemed to want to teach Damien swordsmanship.

A knight trying to teach his own swordsmanship—. Galahad was small surprised.

Originally knights were ones who transmitted swordsmanship only after doing errands for several years and even offering money.

Compared to that Gilbert was a good knight.

“There was a colleague similar to Damien before. I worked together once, and wasn’t he drinking alcohol and embracing women all night. And that two each.”

Galahad began a story about a man who came to mind when he first saw Damien.

‘Was the agent name Lady—.’

Lady was a man full of the smell of a beast as if he had just learned bipedal walking.

“When I work I manage even eating let alone alcohol. To such me the man looked crazy. Because it was a quite important matter.”

Gilbert nodded with a reluctant face.

“So I said one word. At that time I had a temper. Then do you know what the guy answered?”

“What did he say?”

“He asked if I had seen a beast training.”

At the old memory Galahad laughed.

“I also thought it was nonsense like you. So I went with the thought of working alone but—.”

Then, Damien rolled forward twice in succession. At a glance it was a funny action, but the line the sword drew was accurate.

“Truly a beast.”

At the clear red memory Galahad clicked his tongue softly and nodded.

“What is that.”

“Anyway, it is that there are various methods. If one forces to fit it will rather break. There is a beast’s method for a beast. One just has to feed well.”

Gilbert squinted his eyes. Dissatisfaction was still full.

It could not be helped. Because Gilbert was an honest knight built up with sweat. Damien was born a beast—.

The gap between the two could not be narrowed.

“If so will you two try sparring once? Damien!”

Damien who had been rolling forward jumped. He approached while dragging the sword.

Snow was fully stuck on the face and clothes so it was a mess. The cheeks were red as if frozen and snot flowed long from the nose. It was a neighborhood kid who ran around because of snow. With quite a lot of muscles—.

“Good.”

Gilbert adjusted the sword and nodded. It seemed he had been waiting.

“Damien, try competing once with Sir Gilbert.”

“Kill?”

“No, one must not kill. Even looking like this he is the vice-captain.”

“Aha, understood.”

Gilbert’s face fully furrowed.

“I am from the 1st Battalion.”

“I know, so isn’t the salary expensive.”

“I will not reduce.”

“······Who said something?”

Gilbert drew the sword and stepped forward. Seeing the face Gilbert also seemed curious about Damien. A born knight.

Gilbert faced Damien and took a posture. It was an orthodox posture of slightly twisting and extending the sword.

In contrast Damien just let the sword hang.

“If you inflict even one wound I will count it as your victory.”

“Understood.”

Damien did not particularly refuse.

Before even saying start Damien ran forward. Tak tak, that posture was low so exactly a bizarre action as if crawling on four legs.

One would be flustered, yet Gilbert pulled the left foot back and slightly lowered the posture as if nothing.

Damien swung the sword as if throwing. It was an action like a beast’s front paw rather than swordsmanship. Unhesitating and rough.

Gilbert’s sword blocked it. Then, Damien’s sword twisted. Damien’s sword slid as if riding Gilbert’s sword. It was not a sword but like a living snake.

“Hmm.”

Gilbert let out a groan sound and pushed the guard. For a moment Damien’s center was disrupted. Taking that as an opportunity Gilbert pushed the sword. Damien fell backward.

How hard he fell, the piled snow fluttered roughly. A sword was shot between that white snowstorm. It was Damien.

Damien ran in like a beast and swung the sword randomly, but Gilbert’s sword was solid. There was no gap.

‘Enjoying.’

Gilbert was matching Damien.

Gilbert did not maintain distance, and divided the sword at a narrow distance advantageous to Damien.

Yet the gap was overwhelming.

“Faster!”

Gilbert rather gradually reduced the gap more precariously. It seemed he was trying to pull Damien up more.

At Gilbert laughing while receiving Damien’s sword Galahad clicked his tongue softly.

‘What is good about swinging a sword to do that—.’

The contest ended with Damien collapsing with a thud—.

Damien whose stamina ran out fell flat as he was. Exactly, collapsing with a thud— like a machine whose battery ran out.

In contrast Gilbert’s breath was even calm.

“I think I understand what you mean.”

Gilbert said while taking care of the sword.

Galahad pointed to Gilbert’s hand. Between that hand not wearing a gauntlet and the wrist there was a very small red line.

It was a fine wound to the extent blood did not even come out.

“You, earlier didn’t you say if one inflicts even one wound it is defeat?”

Gilbert’s face fully furrowed.

“It is scratched on the ground not Damien’s sword.”

“Ugly.”

“It is real. If cut by Damien’s sword, it should be a bit wider width not this kind of mark—.”

“Yes, as expected you are Gilbert.”

“······Gilbert, what does that mean?”

“It means Gilbert.”

Gilbert talked for a long time about why this was not done by Damien’s sword.

Even saying understood several times it was useless.

“Please eat!”

When Tom brought up the meal story, Damien stood up abruptly. Only then did Gilbert go to Damien.

“They say eat!”

A voice full of breath was heard from behind. At that turning his head, there was Gwen painted pure black.

“You, didn’t you do tanning too strongly?”

“······Yes? Ah! While practicing magic! Because distance control was not working!”

“I see, you are doing well.”

“Won’t you eat?”

“Ah, eat first. There is still work left.”

“Work? Shall I help!”

“Oh, do not do that.”

“You have to come quickly! Because if it cools it is not tasty!”

Gwen who grinned ran to the barracks.

At that Galahad waved his hand and turned back.

There was still one more thing to obtain.

A deal with the bad 5th Battalion Captain who conspired with the gloomy Black Magic Society.

‘Black Magic Society. Mana stone mine, 5th Battalion, demon race—.’

Galahad retraced the cards held in his hand again.

The person named Mark was extremely calculating.

If one presented the most rational choice among the options he would accept.

The method of presenting the most rational choice was simple.

‘If one erases all other options it is fine.’

Galahad put a cigarette in his mouth and moved his steps.

****

5th Battalion Captain Mark’s head was complicated.

Recently the cycle of the demon race’s raids was gradually shortening.

It was a bad omen.

War cost a lot of money. From the soldiers’ armor to swords, and even eating. The money entered was not one or two coins.

‘If not the mana stone mine—.’

Knock knock knock—.

At the knock sound he raised his head.

The door opened and Special Mission Unit Captain Galahad entered.

Corton was a trash-like man, but insidious like a rat. Such Corton and Galahad who went out returning meant—.

‘He made some deal.’

Why did Galahad come looking again.

‘Threat?’

Dealing with mages was a thing criticized in the North.

However, if that mage researched the demon race one could make the situation different.

The thing the empire prohibited most strictly was research of the demon race. Researching such a demon race meant an anti-empire organization.

Along with that the income from the mana stone mine through the Black Magic Society was juicy.

Mark was confident in persuading the other captains based on the two. It was the reason Mark received the Black Magic Society.

“Is there something like tea? I spoke a lot today so the throat is a bit dry.”

Then, Galahad who sat at some point said while glancing at Lumian.

When Mark nodded, Lumian chewed his lips and went outside.

“Did the work go well?”

Mark immediately took out the main point.

“Because a peer we talked long after a long time. The name of the mages you held hands with was the Black Magic Society.”

“I see.”

“You, knew?”

“There is no way.”

Of course he knew. Mark was not stupid to the extent of bringing guys of unknown identity into the castle.

When calculating gains and losses, the gains only covered the losses to that degree.

“Ah, did I say on the way I caught a mid-rank demon race corresponding to a high-rank demon race and sixteen moles, and two mages?”

At the sudden boast Mark’s eyes narrowed.

“Yes.”

“Actually the mages were three.”

Then, the door opened and Lumian entered. Lumian placed an iron cup in front of Galahad. Steam rose from above the cup.

Galahad drank the tea old-fashionedly.

‘Not two mages but three—.’

The intention of bringing up that story after the Black Magic Society was clear.

‘Was it the Black Magic Society’s doing.’

Mark’s mouth became dry.

The Black Magic Society colluding with the demon race was a number not in the expectation.

This was—.

‘The worst.’

Mark fully furrowed his eyes.

To reduce damage one had to immediately catch and kill the Black Magic Society guys in the castle.

However, then one could not operate the mana stone mine.

In a situation where the demon race’s raids were becoming frequent abandoning the mana stone mine was the story of dying slowly.

Not the worst and the second worst, but fast worst and slow worst.

‘What is the purpose of telling me this?’

Galahad was leading the Special Mission Unit, but the troops were remarkably few. On top of that there was no most important base.

What Galahad would want from Mark—.

‘Would be a base or troops.’

The sword hilt went over to that side, but Galahad and Mark had different weight classes.

The sword hilt was also a story that worked only if the weight class matched to some extent.

‘If insisting it is the empire guy’s nonsense—.’

Mark tapped the table.

Galahad was leisurely drinking tea. That old-fashioned appearance was a typical noble. Neatly brushed hair and neatly arranged attire—.

A man who really did not match the North.

“What do you want?”

Mark immediately entered the main point.

“I want to place the Special Mission Unit headquarters in the 5th Battalion.”

It was the expected demand. Mark nodded.

“Yes, I will empty the supply depot.”

“The supply depot was too small.”

A unit of only five people, the supply depot building being small—. It was incomprehensible, but Mark nodded.

“I will give the company building.”

“Company—. It seems Sir Gilbert’s foot smell will come.”

“If there is something you want, please say.”

At Mark’s question Galahad pointed below.

Mark bowed his head following Galahad’s finger. It was the floor.

Mark who squinted his eyes for a moment soon realized.

“Are you saying to give the battalion headquarters now?”

“Here was the largest. Warm.”

Is it a joke—? Mark seriously pondered.

No, what kind of guy says to give the battalion headquarters. It was clearly a joke.

Mark realized at Galahad’s gaze.

It was not a joke. This crazy man sincerely wanted the battalion headquarters.

“Why does a unit of five people need the battalion headquarters?”

“Isn’t the headquarters the face of the unit. I like a large and clean face. Dislike?”

A building was just a building.

Because it was unexpected, he was only flustered and it did not particularly matter.

Exchange of the Black Magic Society and the battalion headquarters. Assuming only until Mark finds a solution method···.

“Good.”

“Good.”

Galahad nodded as if he knew Mark would accept.

“Of course, it is not that we will use all. Because there are more days of emptying isn’t that waste. I very dislike waste. How many floors is this building?”

“······3 floors.”

“Then you use the 1st and 2nd floors. We will use the 3rd floor.”

At Galahad speaking as if doing a favor Mark squinted his eyes.

That meant maintaining security. It was also entrusting building management—.

“Good.”

“Ah, there is one more.”

Greedy.

Mark squinted his eyes.

“I heard there are factions among captains. It is said divided into Adrianne and the 2nd Battalion Captain and the 3rd Battalion.”

It would be the story of wanting to enter under the 5th Battalion.

‘Asking for the building, was it a fight for that.’

Mark nodded.

“Yes, there are factions.”

“Is there also the 5th Battalion?”

“There is not though.”

“Good.”

Galahad put a cigarette in his mouth and flicked his finger. Fire attached to the cigarette.

Lemon scent fully wafted.

“If the mana stone mine business is maintained, we can support unit operation costs. Instead I hope you perform a few missions. For example accurate information about mana stone amounts······.”

“You, you are misunderstanding something. It is not the sound of the Special Mission Unit entering under the 5th Battalion.”

At the continued words Mark clicked his tongue softly.

‘Does he want an alliance.’

It was excessive greed. It was vain pride.

From the beginning the Special Mission Unit and the 5th Battalion could not be compared from that scale.

The Special Mission Unit was only five people. In contrast the 5th Battalion had ten companies alone. The squads below that were more.

The Special Mission Unit was smaller in scale than a squad.

Yet wanting an equal relationship, it was absurd.

Mark laughed out loud after a long time.

Soon Mark’s face cooled coldly.

“Alliance—. Absurd. Matching so do I look funny? Did you really think the same captain because a captain? Yes, if you want to report go ahead. Even so—.”

“Ah, I spoke so that one misunderstands.”

At Galahad shaking his head Mark calmed the excitement.

‘He misspoke.’

Yes, how much is the difference in scale, would one discuss alliance.

No matter how big the guts there was no way he would make such a vain proposal.

“What I said is not an alliance relationship but—.”

Mark guessed the words that would come after, and devised a response method.

So that he could respond no matter what words came out of Galahad’s mouth—.

Then, Galahad opened his mouth.

“It is to enter under me.”

Mark could not respond.