Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Training Ground

‘Hmm—.’

Galahad desperately held back the groan that was about to burst.

He lightly answered the Grand Duke and stepped back, but Galahad’s state was actually not that good.

The blood of the highest-rank demon race was different in dimension from what he drank until now.

If when drinking the blood of other demon race it was like swallowing water.

This—.

‘It is like swallowing lava.’

It was the feeling of everything melting.

From the lips that touched the cup, to the mouth and esophagus—.

This was a deadly poison. A deadly poison where ninety-nine out of a hundred die even if a guy ignorant of mana drinks—.

Even if an ignorant guy drinks it is that degree, how much more for a mage sensitive to mana.

All mana boiled.

Mana left Galahad’s will. It greeted the blood of the demon race as if worshipping.

It felt as if the heart would burst right away from the pressure.

Then, the pill of pain moved. As if the blood of the highest-rank demon race was naturally its own, it approached while drooling saliva.

At that Galahad—.

‘Wait.’

Blocked the pill of pain that was rushing at the blood of the demon race.

The pill of pain vibrated softly. Pain as if the inside boiled to the point of melting rose. The pill of pain strongly claimed.

If one does not handle that right away your inside will melt.

It was correct words.

If mana of that degree of concentration Galahad will definitely melt.

Actually even the mana Galahad currently possessed was rampaging leaving control.

Like this destruction was scheduled.

However—.

‘One does not die with this degree.’

It is a deadly poison only to an ignorant guy, to one who handles poison a deadly poison is a treasure.

Like that this blood of the highest-rank demon race was also a treasure to Galahad.

A treasure one can absolutely not easily obtain—.

Can one give such a treasure to the guy right away.

Certainly it was dangerous. Dangerous, but it was not to the extent of dying right away.

There was time to lick a very little.

Just a little······.

The pill of pain largely trembled its body. It seemed as if asking why one does such a dangerous thing.

If one feeds it to itself it will come out anyway—.

It was correct words. If one hands it over to the pill of pain without needing to compress it will give dense concentration pure mana.

However—.

‘That has no taste.’

It was dense concentration mana one was encountering for the first time.

Handing over such spiritual concentration mana without touching it was something one could not tolerate as a mage.

The pill of pain went wung wung. It seemed exactly as if shivering.

Galahad’s nerves were all concentrated on the blood of the demon race.

He poked the vicious deadly poison that burned the inside to the point of melting.

He gently scratched that surface as if savoring high-class cooking.

Then it slightly leaked, and it was a really ecstatic taste.

To the extent one would not know even if eating alone and dying alone—.

‘How should one eat.’

Ah—, Galahad firmly squinted his eyes.

‘It is compression.’

The flower of handling mana was compression.

If only one can compress, it meant one fully handled mana.

‘It seems one can?’

The pill of pain trembled fiercely. It continuously shouted it was dangerous. If you die I also end— it seemed as if worrying.

‘Shut up.’

The pill of pain stopped with a firm—. Galahad who quietly made the pill of pain licked his lips.

Although the mana concentration was extremely high, it was pure dense concentration mana that was not compressed.

Theoretically one could compress it.

The calculation was short.

Galahad forcibly pressed that solid mana.

How deep the mana concentration was it was solid like a mountain.

It felt as if pressing with the palm from the mountain peak.

It did not even budge.

‘Dare—.’

It was mana that entered Galahad’s body.

Theoretically Galahad had the reins.

No matter how dense the concentration does it make sense for a mage to be dragged by mana.

So—.

‘Bow.’

At that firm conviction—.

The mana that had been holding as if it would absolutely not move moved.

Of course, only very slightly but—.

The important thing was the fact that it moved.

‘Ah—’

It was a result continued from calculation, but speculation and conviction were different.

And the experience of pressing a mountain was not trivial.

Galahad felt that the pressing power became stronger.

When the compressed mana could not be contained it twisted. The mana that originally should have scattered into the atmosphere suddenly disappeared.

Exactly as if absorbed—.

At the phenomenon seen for the first time Galahad squinted his eyes.

Then, the pain rose again.

The mana that could not be pressed started rampaging again.

‘Eat.’

The pill of pain that had been enduring while wriggling rushed at the blood of the demon race. Whether this one was also burdensome for the guy, the guy tumbled with the blood of the demon race from inside.

The pill of pain started eating the blood of the demon race. It undulated and the size of the concentration gradually grew. To the extent weight was felt in the heart.

Galahad let out a groan sound and firmly pressed his own heart.

The pill of pain vibrated as if cheering. Galahad whose state was already not good was shaken roughly.

Whether because it ate something very delicious the guy seemed to have no reason. It continuously undulated. That presence continuously shook Galahad.

Thinking about it it is not an egg.

‘Is it hatching?’

The guy was right beside the heart.

If it hatches at that position, it was quite troublesome.

He called several times in panic, but the guy continuously shook as if no reason.

It seemed fully excited and not hearing.

Looking now it seemed its own dance.

It seemed not hatching right away.

However, Galahad’s state was not good.

That bizarre dance was also fatal to the current Galahad. Because fully excited it did not listen to words.

Galahad urgently turned his head.

As expected at times like this—.

‘Wife!’

It was Adrianne.

****

‘Received the Grand Duke’s recognition—.’

7th Battalion Captain Belogrim swallowed dry saliva.

The Grand Duke was the ruler of the North.

That was not simply called ruler because a duke.

The Grand Duke was one who rose to the position by making a path with the blood of his blood relatives, enemies, and the demon race.

[Whoever cuts my neck I will give this position.]

It was the first words he said after rising to Grand Duke.

It was the equivalent of throwing fire to the Northern guys whose blood was already boiling.

Numerous people challenged—.

All knelt in front of the Grand Duke.

The Grand Duke occasionally gave a cup among them.

It was the appearance of giving once if a thousand challenged.

Most of those who received the cup avoided the cup.

Because just receiving the Grand Duke’s cup was extreme glory.

Yet the guy did not stop at receiving the cup.

He swallowed the cup at once. Even that insufficient he requested more.

It was the first time.

It was a matter that would not be again in the future.

‘Really one has to live long to see.’

Belogrim looked at Galahad with fresh eyes.

Hair neatly brushed without missing a single strand, a long and thin body that felt firmness, even neat attire—. A man that did not match the North at all.

Even a mage.

A man the exact opposite of the North.

Such a person receiving the Grand Duke’s recognition.

‘As expected one has to live long to see.’

Then, the guy opened his eyes.

A dense aura was felt from the guy.

It was an aura Belogrim could not forget.

‘······High-rank demon race?’

Belogrim instinctively grabbed the staff. Fur stood up. Strength fully entered the hand.

Then, the guy closed and opened his eyes. The ominous aura felt just now was not seen.

No, it was the usual guy.

Calm yet somehow eyes where madness was felt.

‘······Did I see wrong?’

Belogrim squinted his eyes and examined, but it was still the guy.

‘I also got old.’

Belogrim who was muttering so realized sweat was full on his own hand.

To think he was tense.

The guy headed toward the Grand Duke and Adrianne who were conversing. The legs trembling was like a guy hurt somewhere.

‘As expected was it overdoing.’

It was clear because of drinking the blood of the demon race.

He heard the blood of the demon race was more fatal to mages, Belogrim knew as much as those wrinkles.

Most was miscellaneous knowledge, but miscellaneous knowledge was also knowledge.

“Impossible.”

“Restoring the 7th Battalion is first.”

“It is already an opened place.”

“Even so one cannot just leave the Magic Realm.”

The Grand Duke’s eyes were subtly moderate. It would not be seen to others, but Belogrim who assisted the Grand Duke on the battlefield could know.

The Grand Duke’s love for his daughter was famous. As much as the love for the dead wife.

When Galahad approached the gazes of the Grand Duke and Adrianne returned at the same time.

Then—.

‘······?’

The guy suddenly held out his hand to Adrianne. There were no words. He just held out the hand.

Adrianne sighed softly and took off the gauntlet and matched that hand.

That series of flow was extremely natural. Even interlocking fingers as if already done several times.

‘Quite well matched.’

Belogrim who was muttering so turned his head at the bloody aura suddenly felt.

The Grand Duke’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

The Grand Duke’s thick and vicious back muscles roughly wriggled as if screaming.

“Haha, the hand is a bit cold.”

At Galahad who said so to the Grand Duke and laughed—.

‘A real crazy guy.’

Belogrim seriously admired.

He had seen quite a lot of strange guys, but among them that guy was the best.

****

‘One might die.’

At the Grand Duke’s furrowed eyes Galahad hurriedly stood behind Adrianne.

Because the pill of pain rampaged too much there was no choice.

The pill of pain became quiet like a ghost when holding Adrianne’s hand. It was the feeling of a bit calming. The pill of pain bit the heart as if regrettable.

‘Power one cannot control is useless.’

At Galahad’s scolding the pill of pain closed with a firm—.

Then, Adrianne opened her mouth while looking at Galahad.

“We were talking about the Magic Realm.”

“This one.”

Galahad waved his hand. The ash scattered around fluttered following the hand.

“Yes, if left like this it will affect the demon race and magic beasts. There is plenty of room to become a problem, we were discussing how to place the guard.”

Adrianne nodded.

The Magic Realm was an environment suitable to the extent the word good was insufficient for the demon race and magic beasts, mages, but on the contrary it was the worst environment for knights.

From the field of vision where one cannot see an inch ahead, to psychological fear—.

If a knight is that degree, a soldier is needless to say. It was clear one would fall into panic just by entering.

“Is there a method?”

The Grand Duke asked in his unique low voice.

‘Like a beast deep in a cave. And that one who smoked a lot during the voice change period—.’

Galahad muttered softly.

At a glance it sounded like picking a fight, but the Grand Duke asking directly had great meaning. It meant he would listen to the opinion.

‘Is this recognition.’

Separate from recognition the Grand Duke’s gaze was stinging as if the eyes would burn just by facing.

“Yes.”

Of course there was a countermeasure.

“···Really?”

Adrianne’s eyebrows rose. Adrianne looked at the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke’s eyebrows lowered.

“I hate jokes.”

“I like them, but I distinguish time and place.”

“······Is that so?”

At the Grand Duke’s low question Galahad laughed haha—. No one followed and laughed.

‘A father and daughter who do not know humor.’

Galahad clicked his tongue and nodded.

There were things seen earlier. Mana stone fragments and a broken magic circle. Inferring the relationship between the two was easy.

“Yes, they would have gathered mana stones full and exploded that at once using the demon race as a medium and built compressed mana. Once compressed mana draws surrounding mana and became this state. Of course, if a certain area is exceeded it will not gather more because of the mana threshold—.”

Galahad who tried to explain more blurred the end at the two’s lowered eyebrows.

“How do you know?”

“Because I am an excellent mage.”

When Galahad answered while tapping his head the Grand Duke squinted his eyes.

“Then is there also a method to erase it?”

Adrianne turned and asked Galahad. Galahad nodded.

“Don’t you have you.”

“······Yes?”

“Even if saying Magic Realm, in the end it is only that the mana concentration is unusually dense. And this is not even a real Magic Realm.”

“Speak easily.”

Cough—. Galahad forcibly swallowed the ‘I spoke sufficiently easily.’ that rose to the tip of the mouth. These were Northern people.

“I block the mana continuously entering from outside, and erase from inside.”

“Erase?”

“Yes.”

“With what?”

At the Grand Duke’s question Galahad looked at Adrianne. Adrianne’s eyes became round.

“Me? I do not know magic.”

“It’s fine, because I know well. I will handle the mana entering from outside, so you raise aura a lot and run around.”

“······Yes?”

Galahad pondered for a moment how to explain more easily than this.

“Ah, understood. However, is it a problem solved so easily?”

“Because it is not a real Magic Realm. The range is also about one castle, instead an upper-rank or higher demon race is needed as a medium. However—.”

“However?”

The Grand Duke asked low again. That huge trapezius muscle twitching was exactly the atmosphere as if grabbing and lifting right away.

Galahad faced the Grand Duke’s rough eyes and opened his mouth.

“Does one have to erase this?”

The Grand Duke’s eyebrows furrowed very finely. Adrianne’s eyebrows lowered.

‘There is one thing the father and daughter resemble.’

Both expressed emotions with eyebrows.

“What words?”

The Grand Duke asked. Adrianne closed her mouth.

“Of course, if there is this kind of thing surrounding magic beasts and demon race will gather. But is it not allowed if they gather?”

The Grand Duke’s eyebrows furrowed more. Exactly as if a beast was gaping its mouth—. The neck was itchy for nothing and sweat rose on the back.

Galahad slightly stuck behind Adrianne.

“What does that mean?”

“Looking then it did not seem the 1st Battalion’s knights were familiar with the Magic Realm either.”

“Yes.”

“This kind of matter will be the start this time. It will happen in the future too. It is not a problem solved by being careful.”

Galahad said while looking at the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke quietly looked without answering.

“So it is making one train.”

“······Training you say?”

Whether quite shocking words Adrianne gaped her mouth.

“Do you know what kind of place the Magic Realm is?”

This time the 7th Battalion Captain asked. Astonishment was lingering in those eyes.

‘Noisy about the Magic Realm.’

Is there no choice? Galahad flicked his finger softly.

“Yes, I stopped by before coming.”

“Stopped by? Speaking as if stopping by some tavern.”

Then, the Grand Duke opened his mouth.

“Training in the Magic Realm— interesting.”

“Yes, if only managed well one can operate it as a Magic Realm preparation training ground.”

“It is dangerous.”

“Danger becomes opportunity if overcome.”

Galahad quietly looked at the Grand Duke.

“Good.”

It was the expected answer.

“Then a training ground manager will be needed.”

The corners of the mouth of the Grand Duke who asked so were fiercely raised.

‘Hmm, this I did not expect.’

Galahad faced the Grand Duke’s eyes and quickly rolled his head.

Manage the Magic Realm training ground—.

‘Not bad?’

Galahad who finished the calculation nodded.

The corners of the Grand Duke’s mouth rose a bit more.

Hearing the sound of Magic Realm, the pill of pain that had been sullen jumped around.

‘Like a puppy that heard a walk story.’

Galahad clicked his tongue softly.

****

‘There is quite a bit of opposition.’

Theodore squinted his eyes while looking at the report that came up.

Although not openly showing, the captains were implicitly displaying opposition.

Because of His Grace the Grand Duke’s order that if one does not perfectly block the hole, he will block the hole with your spinal cord.

One could understand the captains’ own efforts. From the beginning how would one meticulously block that wide front line.

Along with that His Grace the Grand Duke issuing an order after a long time also played a part.

Among them the biggest cause was the point that most of the figures when His Grace the Grand Duke was in the battlefield were replaced.

‘Not knowing His Grace the Grand Duke is scary.’

Theodore clicked his tongue softly.

The letter that if there is a hole he will pull out your spinal cord and fill was a quite kind letter.

He did not say he would chew the spinal cord, and along with that didn’t he give a period.

If the previous His Grace the Grand Duke he would have pulled the head first and thought.

With this degree it was quite becoming kind.

Then, the door opened urgently and a man ran. The red letter held in that hand was the symbol of His Grace the Grand Duke.

Now news is entering—.

Theodore hurriedly knelt and received it. Soon carefully unfolding thick handwriting like a beast’s claw marks was engraved.

‘······Magic Realm training ground? Special Mission Unit Captain?’

Clearly a concise sentence yet it was not understood.

Theodore read it several times and only then perfectly understood.

‘Ah, a Magic Realm opened in the 7th Battalion, and using that one makes a Magic Realm training ground. That Magic Realm training ground is managed by the Special Mission Unit Captain. Making other battalion forces train in the Magic Realm—.’

Hmm······.

What kind of nonsense is this?