#52. The Married Couple's Pressure Interview

#52. The Married Couple's Pressure Interview

The top floor of Winterwald Grand Ducal Castle, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess's private suite.

The table was charmingly set with premium champagne chilled over ice, aged cheese, and desserts they had bought while out on their date that afternoon.

With income from the hot-spring resort and commercial rents pouring into the Grand Ducal Castle every month, this much was no longer a luxury.

"How was our date today?"

Kylan asked as he poured champagne into Eleanor's glass.

"I was so…… so very happy. The cathedral was dazzling in the sunlight……"

Eleanor smiled wistfully as she cradled her glass in both hands. Her blue eyes softened as though tracing the scenery from earlier that day.

"It felt just like I was walking through a dream."

“Did you like the dresses?”

"Yes…… Perhaps even more so because Your Highness chose them for me. When I stood before the mirror, I felt as though I had become someone else."

“They were all so beautiful on you that it was terribly difficult to choose.”

“You flatter me, Your Highness.”

Eleanor brought a hand to her flushed cheek.

She had worn that same look throughout their walk through the new city's streets.

She had stopped at every shop window and lingered for ages in front of the dessert shops. There had been so many things she wanted to buy that she did not know what to choose, and she had clung to Kylan's arm in helpless confusion.

Usually, she was the Finance Minister who calculated the domain's profits and losses even more coldly than he did. But that afternoon, she had been nothing short of a girl.

'We ought to go on dates more often.'

Kylan made up his mind.

If it meant seeing her smile so easily, he felt he could put off approval documents for days at a time.

Kylan set down his glass and took her hand.

"From now on, I shall make sure you can smile as you did today for the rest of your life."

"Your Highness…… If you tempt me like that…… I won't be able to hold back any longer, you know?"

The delicate woman's shadow pounced upon the Monster Grand Duke.

The artificial sun in the night sky began burning more brilliantly than usual, as though expressing its master's feelings.

***

A cute little creature was toddling down the halls of the Grand Ducal Castle.

Clomp, clomp.

It was Yongyongi, the official mascot and guardian deity of Winterwald Hot-Spring Town.

"Hnyoo…… Today was so, so exhausting too……."

A tiny uniform cap bearing the Winterwald crest sat atop its head. An armband was slung diagonally across its small shoulder.

Yongyongi sighed as it patted its shoulders with its short forepaws.

Ever since it had driven away a wyvern and ascended as the guardian deity of the hot-spring town,

the resort had been packed so tightly with tourists flocking to see Yongyongi in person that there was barely room to stand.

Its patrol duties had naturally doubled as well.

On top of that, it was practically losing its tail trying to evade the human women who chased after it with snacks while shrieking about how cute it was.

'Hmph…… I don't dislike the looks of those gazing up at my greatness, ahem!'

In truth, Yongyongi enjoyed the attention and went around swishing its tail back and forth, but there was no helping the physical exhaustion.

Still, Yongyongi had one perfect healing routine after work.

Whenever it toddled to the Grand Ducal Castle's office, Grand Duchess Eleanor was always there, working overtime while buried beneath piles of documents.

Whenever she spotted Yongyongi, she would say, "Our Yongyongi, you worked hard again today!" and scoop it up to rub her cheek against its face.

Then she would generously give it its favorite things in the world: banana milk and fluffy bread.

That gentle touch and a single sip of sweet milk made the day's fatigue melt away like snow.

'Heehee…… Lady Eleanor's embrace is so warm.'

Of course, the bread and milk provided at the inn were more than sufficient too.

But tonight, Yongyongi had barely touched its dinner at the inn. It had even refused the meat pie Krok had specially set aside for it and rushed to the Grand Ducal Castle.

It was so that it could enjoy the milk Eleanor gave it even more.

Humming to itself, Yongyongi pattered up the stairs to the top floor, where it could sense Eleanor's mana.

The solar mana flowing from beyond the door felt much hotter than usual.

'Today's milk must have been warmed extra hot!'

Filled with anticipation, Yongyongi shoved the door forcefully with its forepaw.

Clunk!

"……Huh?"

The door did not open.

"……Hnnngh!"

It pushed with all its might once more, but the door was firmly locked.

There was even a powerful barrier around it.

"Hnyoo? Lady Eleanoooor……? Open the door! I have arrived!"

Yongyongi tapped on the door and sent Eleanor a telepathic message through their mana link.

But then.

[…...I can't right now. Don't come in.]

Eleanor's utterly firm reply traveled back along the link of their contract.

"……Hic."

It was the first time since their contract that Eleanor had expressed such a firm refusal.

"……."

Yongyongi sat blankly down in front of the closed door.

It had spent the entire day being harried by tourists and had rushed here without even eating dinner, thinking only of the bread and banana milk Eleanor would warm for it.

"Hiiing…… Hngh hngh……."

A dragon-sized disappointment.

The great guardian deity of Hot-Spring Town had no choice but to make the sad trek back, dragging its tail along the cold hallway floor.

"I…… can't go in… Hngh…… I want banana milk……."

The little hatchling shed a few tears from hunger and sorrow.

The only people left to comfort it were its kind inn companions.

***

Galad stood before the door labeled Interview Waiting Room, desperately trying to calm himself.

"Hoooo. Haaaaa."

Even after repeatedly taking deep breaths, the trembling in his fingertips would not stop.

It was because of the memories of humiliation he had suffered in the hot-spring town.

He had tried to subdue an orc, only to disgrace himself instead.

The shame of tumbling naked into soap suds and crawling across the floor.

And the shock of Zephar, his pride and partner in spirit, exposing his belly to the dragon and betraying him.

In the end, Galad had taken advantage of the chaos that day to climb onto Zephar's back with nothing but a towel around him and flee.

The problem came afterward.

His childhood trauma involving dragons, which he had thought he had overcome, had resurfaced as well, and Galad had holed up in his inn room with the blankets pulled over his head until the day of the interview.

Naturally, his condition was terrible.

Dark circles hung heavily beneath his eyes.

'Get a grip!'

Galad slapped his own cheeks and shook his head vigorously.

‘That's right! I am Galad of the Sky, the Orc Slayer! I am a Mithril-rank adventurer, one of the few on the entire continent……!’

When he opened the door and entered, more adventurers than he had expected were gathered inside.

And every one of them was a renowned figure whose name would be recognized anywhere on the continent.

Borki of the Twin Axes, the dwarf Gundar, Carmen the Illusionist from the Southern Continent, and even Celine the White Witch.

'Wow…… All the monsters among the continent's monsters have gathered here.'

Galad was admiring them inwardly and taking stock of the assembled figures when—

Tap, tap.

Someone lightly tapped him on the shoulder from behind.

Galad turned around, and his face lit up.

"Who do we have here, Qasim! It's been ages!"

"Galad. I knew you'd come here."

The man Galad greeted warmly was 'Far-Sighted Qasim,' a desert-born adventurer and master archer.

He was called Far-Sighted thanks to his abnormally keen vision, and he was also an informant well versed in every rumor on the continent.

The two men were comrades who had shared life and death while completing major commissions together in the past.

"Still, seeing a familiar face helps me relax a little."

"You have every reason to be tense. Take a look over there."

Qasim indicated the interview room with a glance.

Every adventurer emerging from the room wore a sour expression.

"Damn, they're being ridiculously picky! Don't they know who I am?"

"Then why on earth did they call us here?"

Galad's brow furrowed.

"They're the continent's finest…… Are you saying every one of them failed?"

Qasim lowered his voice and whispered.

"I questioned some of the ones who failed, and apparently they're being extremely demanding…… Seeing strong people get rejected one after another, I think they're looking for some kind of special ability."

"Hmm……."

Celine the White Witch left the interview room, twirling her staff.

Judging by killing ability alone, she might have been the strongest woman among all the adventurers gathered here.

As one renowned figure after another was rejected, Galad swallowed dryly.

'Still, there is no chance I will fail.'

The mobility to dominate the skies. That was Galad's weapon.

Across the entire continent, he was the only adventurer contracted to a wyvern—one that had once led a whole pack.

Whether the Northern Grand Duke was preparing for a large-scale war against monsters or planning to explore a hidden realm,

giving up a warrior who commanded wyverns would be foolish.

'Yes, who am I? I am Galad of the Sky! Mwahaha.'

He had regained his usual confidence before he knew it.

A short while later, the waiting room door opened, and an attendant called a name.

"Next. Sir Galad, please enter."

Galad rose from his seat, straightening his clothes.

"Qasim. See you later."

"Sure. Hopefully we both pass and get to tackle the commission together."

Knock, knock, knock.

When he entered the interview room, he saw two people seated behind a desk.

A tall man with black hair.

The sheer pressure of his presence seemed to weigh down on anyone merely sitting across from him.

It was Kylan Winterwald, the Northern Grand Duke—the living legend he had admired beyond measure.

Beside him sat a dazzlingly beautiful platinum-blonde woman.

A noble dignity could be felt simply by looking at her.

Galad somehow straightened his shoulders, which were stiffening with tension, and sat up straight as though unconcerned.

"Thank you for coming all this way."

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness the Grand Duke. I am Galad, a Mithril-rank adventurer."

A few bits of ordinary conversation passed between them first.

The atmosphere at the beginning was not bad.

When Galad spoke about the things that had surprised him after coming to Winterwald, the two of them responded with pleasant laughter.

"I hear…… that you formed a contract with the leader of a pack of wyverns?"

Kylan's question made Galad's shoulders rise with pride.

"That is correct, Your Highness. Aside from my partner Zephar, I have tamed several other wyverns as well."

Kylan and Eleanor smiled at the same time.

"To handle a high-level monster like a wyvern with such ease. That is quite an impressive ability, is it not, my dear?" "It certainly is, Your Highness."

Eleanor smiled brightly as she scribbled something down with a quill.

Galad inwardly cheered.

The Grand Duchess was clearly impressed as well, meticulously taking notes on his abilities.

"Did you ride a wyvern all the way from the South to the North?"

"Yes! That's right. My partner Zephar has inexhaustible stamina."

"You must have had a hard journey. You must be feeling the effects of it. Have you visited our hot-spring town in the North

yet?"

Kylan continued with a genial smile.

"My wife and I personally oversaw its construction, and it is excellent for recovering from fatigue. It is one of the North's attractions."

At that moment, cold sweat ran down Galad's back.

'……What the hell!!'

His heart plummeted.

That hot-spring resort…… was it personally operated by Grand Duke Kylan?!

Galad subtly rolled his eyes as he examined the two people's expressions.

They were still wearing friendly smiles as they waited for his answer.

'S-So my story apparently hasn't reached the Grand Ducal Castle yet.'

Well, someone as prestigious as the Northern Grand Duke surely would not receive a report about every little farce at a single hot-spring inn.

Galad gulped and forced a bright smile onto his face.

"O-Of course I visited it as well. Ah…… It was a truly excellent hot spring. Hahaha……"

The moment he heard that answer.

Kylan's expression subtly changed.

"……Is that so? You have already visited it?"

"Pardon? Ah, yes……."

Kylan leaned back in his chair and slowly continued.

"Then you may have seen it too. A few days ago, some thug came dragging a wyvern and caused a disturbance in my precious place of business, or so I hear."

Galad's breath caught in his throat.

"Fortunately, our hot spring's guardian deity protected the place, so the matter ended safely enough. But we are still having trouble catching the fellow who caused the disturbance."

Kylan's blue eyes glared at Galad as though they could pierce straight through him.

"You said you handle wyverns as well, so perhaps you know something about the culprit…… I hear it was an unusually large wyvern with a scar on its forehead. Does that bring anything to mind?"

"W-Well……."

Galad realized instinctively.

That gaze of the Northern Grand Duke's. That composure.

Kylan undoubtedly knew everything and was asking despite that.

Was he not exposing every detail of his partner's appearance right now?

Realizing there was no way to escape, Galad's lips trembled as he confessed everything.

"Y-Your Highness! I think there has been some misunderstanding! I only tried to subdue the orcs because the ones working at the inn did not have slave brands……!"

Galad waved his hands as cold sweat poured down his face.

"I only tried to subdue the orcs out of a sense of justice to protect the domain's residents! My intentions were pure!"

Hearing the desperate stream of excuses, Kylan widened his eyes and pretended to be surprised.

"What……? You were the ruffian who caused a commotion naked at the hot-spring resort?"

Kylan let out a hollow laugh.

His gentle smile vanished.

His cold blue eyes glared at Galad as though they intended to devour him.

"Ho ho! After doing such a thing, you even came before me for an interview. It seems you earned Mithril rank through audacity rather than ability!"

Beside him, Grand Duchess Eleanor, who had been smiling sweetly, also rummaged through the documents with the gaze of someone looking down at an insect.

"……The admission fees we refunded to the guests that day…… Ah, there were also the repair costs for the destroyed landscaping. Let's see, where did I put the itemized bill~"

Cold sweat trickled down Galad's back.

Something was going terribly wrong.

If he antagonized the Northern Grand Duke any further, he could not even imagine what might happen.

Galad rose from his chair on trembling legs. Then he slammed his forehead against the floor.

"I have committed a crime deserving death! Your Highness the Grand Duke!"