TL: Knight Errant
“Pleased to meet you. I am Daniel, the lord of Garsetten Castle.”
Daniel was a skinny man. Gilburton wasn’t short either, but Daniel was a hand taller than Gilburton.
‘Gloomy.’
Galahad clicked his tongue softly and shook Daniel’s hand.
“I am Galahad Ambertan.”
“……Ambertan? Oh, you must be the son of Count Ambertan.”
Daniel’s expression changed in an instant. As he lifted the corners of his mouth, sharp yellow teeth became visible.
‘He knows Count Ambertan.’
It was unexpected. A central noble would naturally know of Count Ambertan, but this was the outskirts of the North.
Ambertan was indeed a remarkable noble family, but not to the extent that its name would reach this far.
It had to be one of two things. Either this noble named Daniel was ambitious and sought to expand into the Central Region.
‘Or he has specifically investigated Count Ambertan.’
Warm heat spread from the large fireplace behind Daniel. Shadows deepened and lightened across Daniel’s face.
“What business does Count Ambertan’s son have with His Highness the Grand Duke-?”
Daniel narrowed his eyes and trailed off.
“I was invited.”
“Invited?”
Instead of answering, Galahad pointed to Gilburton, who was standing a short distance away. Gilburton merely nodded his head. Though his attitude was arrogant, Daniel did not seem to mind.
“Ah, I see. Have you eaten?”
When Galahad shook his head, Daniel once again revealed his yellow teeth.
“Then join me. The meal should be ready by now.”
****
‘So this is truly Northern style.’
Galahad muttered quietly as he stabbed a piece of meat dripping with blood with his fork.
At first, he suspected that Gilburton had deliberately served him undercooked meat to mess with him, but even the local meat here retained its rawness. In fact, Gilburton’s portion was more cooked than his.
“Will you not drink?”
“I’m abstaining for now.”
When Galahad shook his head, Daniel grinned. It was a strangely irritating smile.
Just then, a maid placed roasted vegetables onto Galahad’s plate. He frowned at the maid, who was staring at him intently. Any other noble would have slapped her immediately, yet the maid only bowed her head slowly.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“I’m fine. I ate earlier.”
Gilburton shook his head at Galahad’s question. Combined with the bizarre remarks he had made before coming here, the discomfort only deepened.
“Are you a mage, by any chance?”
Just then, Daniel suddenly asked an unexpected question. The dining hall fell silent in an instant. The maids, who had been moving, froze in place.
‘He has investigated Ambertan before.’
Galahad fixed his gaze on Daniel. Those glistening eyes resembled those of someone looking at a delicious meal.
“I once heard a rumor that the third son of Ambertan is an exceptional mage.”
Daniel spoke as he sliced into his meat with a knife. A splash of red blood spattered. Upon closer inspection, he was eating raw meat altogether.
It was closer to talking to himself than asking a question. Suddenly, Galahad recalled what Gilburton had said: “In the North, they don’t distinguish between demons and Mages.”
“And if I were a mage?”
Galahad lowered his hand beneath the table. He slowly moved his mana, preparing to pierce a hole through the man’s head at any moment. In an era of magic persecution, such vigilance was a basic survival skill for a mage.
“Ah! My daughter is very fond of magic. She even took the Academy entrance exam but failed. She was so disappointed-.”
Daniel’s face brightened. Unlike before, Daniel was now talking loudly and excitedly. Bits of meat flew from his mouth. Galahad frowned.
“If you don’t mind, may I call for my daughter? She would be delighted to meet a mage.”
Was it just a misunderstanding? Galahad maintained the mana gathered in his hand.
“Call Emma here! Quickly!”
Without waiting for Galahad’s response, Daniel shouted. At his command, a maid ran off.
Daniel’s daughter Emma, who appeared shortly after, was quite a beauty.
The only resemblance she had to Daniel was her tall stature. She was exactly the same height as Daniel, but unlike him, her face was full of life, and her eyes were large and expressive. She was a rare beauty.
“Your wife must be quite beautiful.”
“Pardon? Ah, she was. Not anymore, though. Go on, introduce yourself. This is Lord Galahad, a mage from the Capital.”
Emma grabbed both sides of her skirt and bowed her head. It was an awkward attempt at the Capital’s etiquette. Her gaze toward Galahad was quite intense.
‘Being popular is exhausting.’
Emma sat right next to Galahad. Amidst the fragrant scent, there was a faintly fishy odor.
“Did you really graduate as the youngest top student from the Academy?”
Emma’s eyes sparkled as she asked. Galahad smiled bitterly and nodded.
“Wow! So it was true! My friend who got into the Academy told me about you! That there’s someone named Galahad!”
“The way she kept chattering about it, I recognized your name as soon as I heard your surname. Graduating as the youngest top student from the Academy, which is difficult to even get into, is truly remarkable.”
‘So they weren’t investigating Ambertan.’
They had not looked into Ambertan but rather Galahad himself. Perhaps it was similar to the mindset of parents with children struggling to pass entrance exams.
“I just worked hard.”
“Oh, come on, being the youngest top graduate of the Academy is an unprecedented achievement! A genius among geniuses!”
Emma bumped his shoulder playfully and laughed brightly. Galahad scratched the side of his neck with a finger.
It was true that he had talent. However, his ability to graduate at the top was not simply a matter of talent.
Being an adult mind trapped in a child’s body was an utterly dreadful experience. Rather than playing with kids his age, Galahad chose to read books.
Since the age of three, Galahad had studied magic like someone preparing for a civil service exam.
The reason he graduated as the youngest student from the Academy was that he had started studying magic at the youngest age.
From the start, his study volume was incomparable to these people, who even made time for naps.
But there was no need to explain all that.
“Would you take a look at my magic?”
Emma asked cautiously. Galahad nodded. He might as well earn his meal.
Emma began chanting an elaborate incantation. She even stretched her arms out to the sides. Anyone watching would think she was about to cast an advanced spell. Galahad made a conscious effort to relax his furrowing brows.
“Show yourself! Your wrath-!”
‘Why is the incantation in an inverted sentence structure?’
At that moment, Emma let out a sharp breath and thrust her hands forward. A weak flicker of fire emerged from her palms. It was barely enough heat to light a cigarette.
Should he commend her courage for thinking she could get into the Academy with that level of skill? Galahad pondered seriously.
“You’ve improved! At this rate, you’ll pass next time!”
Contrary to Galahad’s thoughts, Daniel clapped enthusiastically, looking delighted.
Galahad shook his head. There was no chance Emma would get into the Academy. Her magic was even more feeble than what Galahad had cast when he was three years old.
But there was no need to say that out loud.
“Relax your palms a bit and put more mana into it.”
“Relax my palms? But how do I put more mana into it?”
“Do you need to tense your palms for mana to move?”
“…Huh?”
She was dense. Galahad suppressed his irritation.
“Mana moves by will, not muscles. Many people mistakenly think they need to use their muscles, but if you do that, you can’t control mana properly. Separate the two.”
Galahad explained as kindly as possible. He had said this over a hundred times before, so it came out naturally. There were plenty of fools even among mages. The world was full of those who only understood magic through formulas.
“…Really?”
Emma squinted. She did not seem to understand.
Well, if she could grasp it in one go, she would have figured it out on her own. Being slow-witted wasn’t a crime.
Galahad let out a small sigh and extended his hand. Emma’s eyes widened.
“Give me your hand.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Emma’s hands were cold, as if she suffered from poor circulation. Galahad infused mana through her hand.
Injecting mana into another person was inherently dangerous, but not for Galahad. He had already done it hundreds of times.
‘She has a decent amount of mana.’
Galahad was genuinely impressed. Despite her abysmal skill, she had a surprisingly ample reserve of mana. Perhaps Daniel had been feeding her something good.
“My teaching is expensive, so concentrate.”
“Yes!”
“Don’t speak. Just focus on your mana.”
Emma clamped her mouth shut and nodded eagerly. Galahad touched her mana, guiding its flow. Taking her dullness into account, he repeated the process about five times.
“…Ahh!!”
Emma let out an excited gasp. Her hands clenched for a moment before opening again.
“Do you understand now?”
“Yes! So this is what you meant by moving it with willpower instead of muscles! Ah!”
Emma jumped up in delight. The flame in her palm remained unchanged.
She had not understood at all. Galahad resisted the urge to smack her on the head and grabbed her hand again.
It took another ten repetitions before her flame finally grew. Now, at least, she could light a cigarette. Galahad clicked his tongue quietly.
“Thank you so much, Lord Galahad!”
“It’s nothing. Passing down knowledge is a fundamental duty of a mage.”
As Emma showered him with gratitude, Galahad simply shook his head.
It had not been much of a lesson, and besides, exploring another’s mana was beneficial for him as well.
‘For someone with such a slow mind, her mana reserves are surprisingly large. Is it natural-?’
Or had she been taking supplements? Galahad narrowed his eyes slightly as he pondered.
“Why don’t you stay the night? We’ll prepare a comfortable night for you.”
“Yes! Please stay! You must!”
Daniel spoke with an oddly calm demeanor, while Emma’s face was flushed with excitement.
Galahad glanced at Gilburton. As always, he remained detached, standing slightly apart as if the situation had nothing to do with him.
It might be dangerous, but curiosity stirred within him. And curiosity was an essential trait of a mage.
“Then I won’t refuse.”
Galahad smiled and nodded.
“…Adultery in the North is punishable by death.”
Gilburton whispered as he subtly approached, his expression unusually serious.
“Didn’t you say we are not married yet?”
At Galahad’s response, Gilburton let out a quiet chuckle.
****
Considering it was the North, the room was quite decent. It had a bed, a simple bathtub, and even a fireplace. Of course, it was smaller and dirtier than the shabbiest inns in the Capital.
‘It’s the North after all.’
Galahad lightly washed his body with magic and sat on the bed.
‘Using candles in this day and age-’
As he lit the candle, the orange flame flickered precariously, illuminating the room.
Out of habit, Galahad circulated his mana. Then, he set up a basic alarm magic array, one of the essential precautions for a mage.
Along with that, there was also Gilburton’s unsettling words.
‘It’s the North.’
Leaning his back against the headboard, Galahad closed his eyes. As a mage, even a light sleep was sufficient.
He had no idea how much time had passed when the alarm magic triggered. Galahad slowly opened his eyes.
The once-tall candle had melted down to its base. Since he had kept the window shut, the only light in the room was the unsteady glow of the fireplace, flickering as if it might go out at any moment.
Crackle. The faint sound of the burning logs tickled his ears.
Galahad circulated his mana to sharpen his senses. In the span of a single exhale, his muscles, stiffened from the cold, relaxed, and his drowsy mind snapped into alertness.
Creeeeak-. The door opened slowly. A familiar puffy skirt came into view.
‘Emma.’
Galahad frowned. Opening the door to an unrelated man’s room in the dead of night.
Emma was undoubtedly beautiful. Though she lacked in the chest, she had long, slender legs to make up for it.
However, right now, Galahad was on his way to marry the Grand Duke’s eldest daughter. He was not foolish enough to let lust ruin his plans.
“I taught you magic purely for the sake of educational purposes, with no other intentions. If I gave you the wrong impression, I apologize.”
Galahad declined as politely as possible.
Perhaps his refusal was too gentle, as Emma stepped closer. The room was too dark to see her face clearly.
‘This damn popularity.’
Just as Galahad sighed, Emma came to stand beside the bed. Something was in her hand. Was she the type to use tools? That made this even more unsettling.
At that moment, Emma suddenly jumped. Her skirt fluttered like wings.
So aggressive-. Galahad instinctively followed the movement with his eyes before he could stop himself.
Dangle.
Something grotesque, something that should not exist beneath a skirt, swung boldly in greeting.
‘…Dangle?’
Galahad had experienced many things and rarely found himself flustered, but this situation was so unexpected that his mind went blank.
As the skirt settled, Emma’s face was revealed.
A thick beard and sunken eyes.
It was not Emma.
It was Daniel.
Wearing Emma’s clothes.
“They say a mage’s heart is so good! Please become nourishment for my daughter! I will forever be grateful for this favor!”
Daniel, with his teeth elongated like fangs, pounced on Galahad.
Dangle!
“This is seriously too much.”
Galahad’s eyes crumpled in utter disgust.
*****
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