The Northern Grand Duke’s Crazy Son-in-Law

44. Training Institute

“Hmm-.”

Galahard desperately held back a scream.

He lightly replied to the grand duke and stepped back, but Galahard’s condition was actually not good.

The blood of the highest-grade demon was on a different level from what he had drunk before.

When he drank the blood of other demons, it was like drinking water.

This was-.

“Like drinking lava.”

Everything felt like it was melting away.

From the lips that touched the cup to the mouth and esophagus-.

This was a deadly poison. Even if an ignorant person drank it, 99 out of 100 would die.

If an ignorant person would die from drinking it, what would happen to a magician sensitive to mana?

All of his mana was boiling over.

His mana was stripping away Galahard’s will, worshipfully accepting the demon’s blood.

His heart felt like it would burst from the pressure.

At that moment, the seed of pain moved. The highest-grade demon’s blood naturally flowed towards him, dripping saliva as it approached.

Galahard-.

“Just wait.”

He blocked the seed of pain that was drawn to the demon’s blood.

The seed of pain vibrated softly. The pain felt like his insides were melting away. The seed of pain strongly protested.

If you don’t handle this right now, your insides will melt away.

It was the truth.

With mana of that level, Galahard would definitely melt away.

In reality, Galahard’s current mana was already out of control, raging wildly.

This was a path to destruction.

But-.

“It’s not enough to kill me.”

A deadly poison to an ignorant person, but to one who controlled poison, it was a treasure.

This highest-grade demon’s blood was also a treasure to Galahard.

A treasure that was absolutely impossible to obtain easily.

Could he just hand over such a treasure to someone?

It was definitely dangerous. It was dangerous, but it wasn’t enough to kill him immediately.

There was a little time to savor it.

Just a little······.

The pain orb trembled greatly, as if asking why I was doing such a dangerous thing.

It would come out anyway if I fed it to myself-.

It was the right thing to say. If I handed it over to the pain orb without compressing it, it would give me a dense and pure mana.

But-.

“That’s not tasty.”

This was the first time I had encountered such a dense mana.

As a magician, I couldn’t tolerate handing over such a dense mana without touching it.

The pain orb let out a low growl, as if it was about to burst.

Galahad’s nerves were all focused on the demon’s blood.

It was as if he was burning his insides, and the intense poison was seeing in.

He gently scraped the surface, savoring it like a high-class dish.

Then, a little of it sawped out, and it was truly an amazing taste.

It was so good that I wouldn’t mind dying alone-.

“How can I eat it.”

Ah-, Galahad narrowed his eyes.

“Compression.”

The key to handling mana was compression.

If I could compress it, it meant I had fully grasped mana.

“Can I do it?”

The pain orb trembled violently, shouting that it was dangerous. If I died, it would be the end for it too- it seemed to be worried.

“Shut up.”

The pain orb stopped, and Galahad, who had calmed it down, licked his lips.

The density of the mana was extremely high, but it was a pure, dense mana that hadn’t been compressed.

In theory, I could compress it.

The calculation was short.

Galahad forcefully suppressed the sturdy mana.

The density of the mana was as deep as a mountain, and it felt like I was pushing it down with my palm.

It didn’t even budge.

“How dare-.”

The mana had entered Galahad’s body.

In theory, Galahad had the reins.

No matter how dense the mana was, it was absurd for a magician to be led by mana.

So-.

“Obey.”

With that firm conviction-.

The mana, which had been stubbornly still, moved.

Of course, it was just a slight movement-.

What mattered was the fact that it had moved.

“Ah-“

It was a result that followed from the calculation, but conjecture and certainty were different.

And the experience of pressing the mountain was not trivial.

Galahad felt the pressing force strengthened further.

When the compressed mana could no longer be contained, it twisted. The mana that should have originally dispersed into the atmosphere suddenly disappeared.

As if it had been absorbed-.

Galahad squinted at the unfamiliar phenomenon.

Then, the pain surged up again.

The mana that hadn’t been pressed down properly began to rampage again.

“Eat.”

The wriggling, enduring egg of pain rushed at the demonic blood. This time, it must have been burdensome to the bastard as well, as he thrashed around inside, wrestling with the demonic blood.

The egg of pain began to devour the demonic blood. It gurgled, and the size of the pus gradually increased. It was heavy enough to feel in his heart.

Galahad groaned and pressed his heart hard-.

The egg of pain vibrated as if in delight. Galahad, who was already in bad shape, shook violently.

Perhaps because it had eaten something very delicious, it seemed to have lost its mind. It just kept gurgling. Its presence shook Galahad continuously.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it an egg?

“Is it going to hatch?”

It was right next to his heart.

If it hatched in that position, it would be quite awkward.

He called out to it several times in a panic, but it shook continuously as if it had lost its mind.

It seemed to be so excited that it couldn’t hear.

Now that he looked at it, it seemed to be dancing in its own way.

It didn’t seem like it would hatch right away.

However, Galahad’s condition was not good.

Even that strange dance was fatal to Galahad right now. It wouldn’t listen to him because it was so excited.

Galahad turned his head urgently.

As expected, at times like this-.

“My lady!”

It was Adrianna.

****

“He received the Grand Duke’s recognition-.”

Velogrime, the captain of the 7th Battalion, gulped.

The Grand Duke was the ruler of the North.

He wasn’t simply a duke who was called a ruler.

The Grand Duke was one who had paved his way with the blood of his kin, his enemies, and the demonic blood to rise to his position.

[Whoever cuts off my head may take this seat.]

Those were the first words he spoke after becoming the Grand Duke.

It was like throwing fuel on the already boiling blood of the North.

Many had challenged him-.

Everyone knelt down in front of the Emperor.

The Emperor rarely handed out a cup to anyone.

It was a rare occasion when he did, only when someone achieved a great feat.

Most people who received a cup from the Emperor avoided it.

Just receiving a cup from the Emperor was an immense honor.

But he didn’t stop at just receiving a cup.

He downed it in one gulp. And even that wasn’t enough, so he asked for more.

It was an unprecedented event.

Something that would never happen again.

“I’ll live to see the day.”

Bellogram gazed at Galarhad with a newfound gaze.

His perfectly combed hair, his robust yet lean body, and his refined attire – he was a man who didn’t fit in with the North at all.

Moreover, he was a wizard.

A man who was the complete opposite of the North.

And yet, he had received the Emperor’s recognition.

“I’ll live to see the day.”

At that moment, he opened his eyes.

A thick, dark energy emanated from him.

It was an energy that Bellogram couldn’t forget.

“…A high-ranking demon?”

Bellogram instinctively grasped his sword. His hair stood on end, and his hand trembled with power.

At that moment, he closed and opened his eyes again. The ominous energy that had been there a moment ago was gone.

No, it was still him.

A calm yet unsettling gaze.

“…Did I see it wrong?”

Bellogram narrowed his eyes and scrutinized him, but it was still him.

“I’m getting old too.”

As Bellogram muttered to himself, he realized that his hand was sweating.

He was tense.

He approached the Emperor and Adrianna, who were engaged in conversation. His legs were shaking like a patient with a serious illness.

“I guess it was too much.”

It was clear that drinking the demon’s blood was the cause.

Rumor had it that demon’s blood was even more lethal to wizards, and Bellogram knew a thing or two about it.

Most of it was trivial knowledge, but trivial knowledge was still knowledge.

“It’s impossible.”

“Reclaiming the 7th generation comes first.”

“It’s already been opened.”

“We can’t just leave the demon realm as it is.”

The Emperor’s eyes subtly softened. It wouldn’t be noticeable to anyone else, but Bellogram, who had served as the Emperor’s aide on the battlefield, could see it.

The Emperor’s love for his daughter was famous, rivaling his love for his deceased wife.

Here is the translation:

As Galahad approached, the gaze of the Grand Duke and Adrianna turned simultaneously.

At that moment-.

‘······?’

He suddenly extended his hand to Adrianna without a word. Only his hand reached out.

Adrianna let out a small sigh and took off her gauntlet to grasp his hand.

The sequence of events was extremely natural, as if they had done it many times before, even down to the subtle details.

‘It’s a good match.’

Bellograme, who was muttering to himself, suddenly sensed a eerie atmosphere and turned his head.

The Grand Duke’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

The Grand Duke’s thick and rough back muscles seemed to twitch violently, as if screaming.

“Ha ha, my hands are a bit cold.”

Galahad said with a smile, standing behind Adrianna-.

‘That guy is seriously crazy.’

Bellograme exclaimed in earnest.

He had seen many strange people, but that guy was the most exceptional.

****

‘I might die.’

The Grand Duke’s furrowed eyes made Galahad hastily stand behind Adrianna.

The pain was too overwhelming, and he couldn’t help it.

The pain subsided slightly as Adrianna’s hand grasped his, becoming eerily quiet, like a ghost.

‘Uncontrollable power is useless.’

Galahad’s rebuke made the pain nod silently.

At that moment, Adrianna looked at Galahad and opened her mouth.

“We were discussing the Dark Path.”

“This is ridiculous.”

Galahad waved his hand, and the scattered ashes around him danced in the air.

“Yes, if we leave it like this, it will affect the Demon Race and Magical Creatures. It’s a problem that requires careful consideration, so we’re discussing how to handle it.”

Adrianna nodded.

The Dark Path was an environment that was extremely suitable for the Demon Race, Magical Creatures, and magicians, but it was the worst environment for knights.

From the limited visibility to psychological fear-.

It was bad enough for knights, and soldiers would be even more affected. Just entering the area would surely lead to panic.

“Is there a solution?”

The Grand Duke asked in his characteristic low voice.

‘It’s like a beast deep in a cave, and it’s also been smoking a lot during its transformation period-.’

Galahad muttered to himself.

Although it sounded like he was making a sarcastic remark, the fact that the Grand Duke asked directly meant that he was willing to listen to opinions.

‘Is this recognition?’

The Grand Duke’s gaze was piercing, even when he was just looking straight ahead.

“Yes.”

There was, of course, a solution.

“···Really?”

Adrianna’s eyebrows shot up. Adrianna glanced at the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke’s eyebrows lowered.

“I hate jokes.”

“I like them, but it depends on the time and place.”

“······Is that so?”

At the Grand Duke’s low question, Galahad laughed, “Haha-“. Nobody laughed along.

‘They’re a humorless bunch.’

Galahad clicked his tongue and nodded.

He had seen them earlier. The pieces of the magic stone and the broken magic circle. It was easy to infer the relationship between the two.

“Yes, I’m sure they gathered a lot of magic stones and used the demons as a medium to burst them all at once and build up compressed mana. Once the mana was compressed, it attracted the surrounding mana, and it became like this . Of course, once it exceeds a certain area, it won’t gather any more due to the mana threshold.”

Galahad, who had been about to explain further, trailed off at the two’s lowered eyebrows.

“How do you know?”

“Because I’m an excellent wizard.”

As Galahad answered while tapping his head, the Grand Duke frowned.

“Then is there a way to get rid of it?”

Adrianna asked, looking back at Galahad. Galahad nodded.

“Aren’t you here?”

“······Yes?”

“Even though it’s called a magical realm, in the end, it’s just a place where the mana concentration is unusually high. And this isn’t a real magical realm.”

“Explain it simply.”

Snap. Galahad forcibly swallowed the words ‘I’ve already explained it simply enough’ that had come to the tip of his tongue. They were Northerners.

“I’ll block the mana that keeps coming in from outside, and you can erase it from the inside.”

“Erase it?”

“Yes.”

“With what?”

At the Grand Duke’s question, Galahad looked at Adrianna. Adrianna’s eyes widened.

“Me? I don’t know magic.”

“That’s fine, because I know it well. I’ll tell you when the mana is coming in from outside, so you just pull out a lot of aura and run around.”

“······Yes?”

Galahad thought for a moment how he could explain this more easily.

“Ah, I understand. However, is it really that easy to solve?”

“It’s not a real magical realm, so the range is only about the size of a castle, but instead, a high-ranking demon or higher is needed as the medium. However-“

“However?”

The Grand Duke asked softly. His massive trapezius muscles twitched as if he might grab him at any moment.

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

“Do we really have to erase this?”

The Grand Duke’s eyebrows creased ever so slightly. Adrianna’s eyebrows lowered.

‘There’s at least one thing they have in common.’

They both expressed their emotions with their eyebrows.

“What are you talking about?”

Here is the translation:

The Emperor asked. Adrianna closed her mouth.

“Of course, if this kind of thing exists, the surrounding demons and demon tribes will gather. But why can’t they gather?”

The Emperor’s eyebrows furrowed even more. It seemed like a fierce beast was about to pounce. Adrianna’s neck felt itchy, and sweat dripped down her back.

Galahad quietly stuck to Adrianna’s back.

“What does that mean?”

“It seemed like the knights of the 1st Division were not familiar with the Demon Realm.”

“Yes.”

“This kind of incident will be the start. It will happen again in the future. It’s not a problem that can be solved with caution.”

Galahad looked at the Emperor and said. The Emperor silently stared back.

“So, we need to provide training.”

“······Training, you say?”

Adrianna’s mouth dropped open in shock.

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

This time, the 7th Division Captain asked. His eyes were filled with astonishment.

‘There’s a commotion in the Demon Realm.’

Was it unavoidable? Galahad slightly twitched his fingers.

“Yes, I visited before coming here.”

“Visited? You’re talking like you stopped by a tavern.”

At that moment, the Emperor opened his mouth.

“Training in the Demon Realm – how intriguing.”

“Yes, if managed properly, it can be operated as a Demon Realm training center.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“Danger can be overcome, and it becomes an opportunity.”

Galahad silently stared at the Emperor.

“Good.”

It was an expected answer.

“Then, we’ll need a training center administrator.”

The Emperor’s lips curved up slightly.

‘Ah, I didn’t expect this.’

Galahad quickly thought as he met the Emperor’s gaze.

Manage the Demon Realm training center -.

‘Not bad?’

After finishing his calculations, Galahad nodded his head.

The Emperor’s lips curved up even more.

As soon as he heard the Demon Realm, the painful egg that had been quietly sitting started to jump around.

‘Like a puppy that heard a walkie-talkie story.’

Galahad slightly clicked his tongue.

****

‘There’s a considerable backlash.’

Theodore frowned as he looked at the report that had come up.

Although they didn’t show it, the legion commanders were subtly expressing their opposition.

It was because of His Majesty the Grand Duke’s order to block the hole perfectly, or else he would block the hole with their spines.

He could understand why the legion commanders were struggling. How could they possibly block such a wide front perfectly?

Furthermore, the fact that His Majesty the Grand Duke had given an order after a long time also played a part.

However, the biggest reason was that most of the personnel had been replaced while His Majesty the Grand Duke was on the battlefield.

‘His Majesty the Grand Duke doesn’t seem to know what fear is.’

Theodore clicked his tongue softly.

The letter stating that if there was a hole, he would pull out their spines and fill it up was quite a kind letter.

He didn’t say he would chew on their spines, and he didn’t give them a deadline either.

If it had been the previous Grand Duke, he would have pulled out their heads first and thought about it later.

It was quite kind of him to do this much.

At that moment, the door opened urgently and a man rushed in. The red letter in his hand was a symbol of His Majesty the Grand Duke.

-So the news has finally arrived.-

Theodore hurriedly knelt and received it. As soon as he carefully unfolded it, a bold letter was written on it like the claw marks of a ferocious beast.

‘······Demonic Realm Training Grounds? Special Forces commander?’

It was a concise sentence, but he didn’t understand it.

Theodore read it several times before he finally understood it completely.

‘Ah, the Demonic Realm has opened in the 7th Battalion, so they are using it to create a Demonic Realm training ground. The Special Forces commander will manage the Demonic Realm training ground and have the soldiers of other battalions train in the Demonic Realm- .’

Hmm·······.

What nonsense is this?